1 THE INVASION

Body parts littered the clearing, the leaves glittered with blood, the air reeked of death and on a hill of bodies, a lone man stood. Tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at all the destruction he had wreaked. He was bleeding from many wounds and a dagger was poking from his side where he had been stabbed by the enemy.

His eyes danced across the bodies he was standing on as he searched for something. More specifically, someone. Someone he had seen refuse to fall in this one-sided battle with an axe lodged in the side of his head. Someone he had seen fighting with a hundred spears poking from every inch of his body, refusing to yield or drop his spear in the face of the multitude. 

"Where are you, Jada? You can't be dead, brother. I won't let you!"Prince Joda said in a shaky voice. He kicked the bodies of the dead men from his path. They were the enemy, but most importantly they were dead and he had no time for them. Not when his own brother needed him.

After kicking away what felt like thousands of bodies to the prince, he finally found who he was looking for and a loud chilling wail broke from him as he set eyes on the brutalized body of his brother. His twin brother was dead. Butchered, from the looks of it. His eyes stared lifelessly into the afternoon sky, his mouth set in a last grimace as he snarled at his attacker defiantly before life flooded from him. and in his palm, he still held onto his spear tightly.

Joda looked into his twin brother's eyes and another wail burst from him again as he lost all strength in his legs. He fell to his knees and set about to dislodge all the spears penetrating his brother's body. He wanted to hold his brother one last time. He wanted to hug his younger brother. He wanted to talk to him. Why Jada, why have you left me? I told mom I will protect you. Dad trusted me to lead by example. I should have died instead. If only I had stopped you in time. Tears cascaded down prince Joda's face as he worked. In his head, the afternoon's event played on an endless loop. 

Before the enemy had attacked. He and his brother had come to this part of their father's territory to celebrate their graduation ceremony as full-fledged warriors. This part of their territory was seldom visited by the villagers because it was too far from the security of the inner village. Also, it was a dangerous place full of wild animals and also served as the hiding spot of enemies of the kingdom. 

Still, Joda and Jada had found this place quite beautiful and peaceful so had claimed this particular hillside as theirs. Anytime they wanted to be alone, they came here. Not even their father knew of this place, yet today, they had come here with an army of their own. As a present from their father, for passing warrior training with the highest of honors, they had been given their own troops.

They had been tasked to shape their troops to their image. Make a formidable army that will protect the kingdom from its enemies and this the twin had vowed to do. They had decided that as a first lesson, they would show their troops their special hill. The brothers had agreed to make that spot their training center so had shown the men around their spot.

 The men, who were warriors under training had been impressed with the beauty and serenity of the place. But most of all, they had been impressed with the two princes. The two princes, though young were already very famous in the kingdom for their intelligence and strength. They were warriors the likes of which had never been seen and people even believed they were better than their father in the use of the spear. They were also master swordsmen and archers and knew the ancient hand-to-hand martial art like no other.

The men had been beyond happy when they were told they were going to continue their training under the two princes and they were happier now that the two princes were showing them their secret. They felt worthy, and all of them promised to learn everything these two had to teach them without slacking. The two princes had sent the men off to wait for them below the hill as they climbed higher up to rest and enjoy each other's company.

"I wish mum were here to celebrate with us", Jada, the younger twin spoke. He had been very close to their mother and Joda believed he had been affected worst by her death. Their mother had been murdered on her journey to visit her sister who was in another faraway village and since then, Jada had stopped being the happy, loud, and carefree child Joda had known him to be during their childhood. Indeed, he was the same when he was with his twin, Joda. Everyone else knew him to be cold and unsmiling. 

In warrior training, even though they were both exceptional, everybody knew Jada was on another level compared to Joda. This did not bother Joda though. He loved his brother and he knew the only reason why Joda had taken warrior training so seriously was because he still had a desire to hunt and punish those who had killed their mother. To Joda, this was a good drive in his brother, so he let him be.

"She's here with us Jada, she always has been." Joda ruffled his brother's hair as he said this and lay on his back. "Just lie down by me, brother. We deserve this rest" Joda suggested to his brother before closing his eyes. His brother said nothing but Joda could feel him turning as he prepared to lie down beside him. But just then Joda felt his brother freeze and his breathing turned labored. Joda opened his eyes and saw his brother looking straight into the distant trees.

"What is it brother?", Joda asked his brother who stayed silent for a while before answering.

"I saw something,Joda. In the woods there", Jada pointed ahead into the distance. Joda looked silently in the direction where his brother had pointed out, and just when he had decided his brother was hallucinating, he also saw it.

"By the gods, what is that?", Joda asked himself as he set eyes on a very tall something, hiding behind a tree.

"Can't you see its stature? That's an enemy warrior. I know those stripes. I know those facial marks. I know that golden spear. That's a Fasha warrior. The same people who killed mom and pretended they only found her body on their land. The Fasha's have finally decided to show their true colors. We are under attack!" Jada said with hatred written all over his face.