* Two Years Earlier: The Vallath nation had waged war on Sarania as part of their undying conquest to take over the entire Western continent*

Samuel looked passed the enemy lines, every one of his comrades had been killed and their corpses gathered and stacked upon each other. Roughly a hundred brave young men that gave their lives for Sarania. 

It was almost high noon, the hottest point of day and the Vallath army was getting closer to Wall Yotanda. The wall shut off all outsiders from Sarania for centuries. 

"I'm I the only one left?", Samuel asked himself. He checked around the battlefield, the Vallath forces had killed nearly everyone and all the war dragons captured. In the corner of his eye was Captain Zain Einar hiding behind a captured Scarlet dragon, the beast was put barely moving. 

He rushed through the battlefield, unnoticed by the Vallath forces. He hid by the tail of the beast while the captain was hiding against the dragon's head. 

"Captain.", he whispered, "My captain." 

Captain Einar turned his head, "By the gods, you are alive private!". 

Samuel shook his head and took a look around. Some enemy troops were working on a large cannon like weapon. It was nothing like Samuel had seen, it had a large metallic base, a long barrel and the entire contraption was made out of a precious a red gemstone. 

"What's that?", he asked. 

"Well that's a Sun cannon private.", the captain responded, "And If we don't stop that thing before noon then consider Sarania gone."

Samuel looked around and saw Azarian's body among his fallen comrades, the hand of what seemed to be a lifeless body moved slightly.

 "Impossible!", he shouted. 

"What is it Private?" 

"Private Azarian is alive.", Samuel said, " I saw him move. We need to save him." 

"Negative private.", Captain Einar said, "It's almost noon and once that weapon is done absorbing the sun's energy, Sarania is under the Vallath Empire." 

"But-" 

" That's an order Private.", Captain Einar clinched his fist,  "I'm not willing to risk the millions of lives behind that wall on the slime chance that your best friend is alive. I just can't." 

"But if he is alive he can help us stop that thing." 

"It is too great of a risk boy.", said Captain Einar, "I need you to help me stop that thing from firing." 

Samuel was furious and took off anyway, disobeying his captain's orders.

The Vallath soldiers were gathering the fresh dead bodies on the battlefield. Samuel snuck past them and crossed the enemy line. He hid behind the metallic base of the cannon and waited for the solider to leave the pile of dead bodies. 

The solider left and Samuel rushed to Azarian's body. His body was stacked under two bodies, the bodies of Samuels two senior officers. He cleared the bodies and held Azarian in his arms. He felt his wrist and felt his faint pulse.

 "Come on bud let's get you out of here."

 

He dragged Azarian away from the Vallath soldiers and hid behind a large bolder. He checked his body for any injuries and felt his protective vest trenched in blood pouring out of his chest. He removed the protective vest and saw an arrow head sticking out of his chest. 

He yanked the arrowhead and Azarian woke up in an outburst. He threw the arrowhead on the ground. The arrowhead left a gapping hole in his chest but it healed within a blink of an eye. 

"But that's impossible.", Samuel whispered to himself. 

Azarian's eyes had dilated, his skin had turned pale and the veins in his arm had popped out. He grabbed Samuel's arm and stared at him with a soulless gaze. Samuel tried fighting off the hold but the more he struggled, the tighter Azarian would hold onto him. 

Samuel felt Azarian's sharp claw like nails pierce through his skin. He screamed and panicked but the more he did the deeper Azarian would claw into his arm. 

 "Please Azarian, this isn't you.", Samuel cried, "Let go of me please. Listen to me please."

Azarian growled like an unholy beast. When he opened his mouth, Samuel noticed his sharp long fangs. "This isn't possible but how?", Samuel said.

 Azarian stuck his fangs in Samuel's neck and chewed on his neck. Samuel's body stiffed and he couldn't move an inch. He tried screaming for help but all that left his mouth was his dying breathe. 

***

On the other side of the battlefield, the Captain was under panic. It was only a matter of moments before noon, Samuel was not in sight and the cannon was nearly ready. 

The Captain made a dash for the cannon. The Vallath soldiers saw him charging at them and armed themselves with bow and arrows. Dozens of soldiers launched their arrows but not a single arrow touched the Captain. 

He was drawing closer to the cannon and the soldiers kept on firing at him. Finally one arrow went through his leg. He dropped to the ground and clutched onto his thigh. He screamed and tried pulling the arrow out but the more pressure he put on it the more painful it felt.

Dozens of soldiers circled him and beat him to a pulp. They stomped on him and did it to the sound of his bones breaking. He was nearly dead and all they had to do was let him out of his misery. One soldier named O'Connor stopped his comrades and held the captain's bruised and battered body by the neck. 

O'Connor bent down on one knee while the other knee pinned the Captain's chest. The Captain tried fighting him off but O'Connor pressed his knee into his chest. O'Connor reached for the knife In his pocket. He put it against the Captain's throat. He slit it slightly and blood oozed onto the knife. 

General Marcos saw the chaos from near the cannon and rushed to the commotion. Einar was barely breathing, his face disfigured and his bleeding wounds cover in sand now coloured in his blood. O'Connor was an inch away from slitting his throat completely. 

"That's enough O'Connor.", General Marcos said.

O'Connor withdrew his knife and got off  Captain Einar. He stared at Captain Einar and spat on him. 

"Weak.", he said.

Einar was gasping for air and holding his neck.

General Marcos held  O'Connor by his back.

"The madmen of Vallath already have enough dead bodies.", the General said, "We don't need another.". O'Connor rounded up the rest of his squad and they all assembled near the cannon. General Marcos got up on the platform of the cannon. He looked down on hundreds of Vallath's soldiers. 

"Well done men.", he said, "Today we came here with the mission to take Sarania in the the name of our Emperor and we did just that. Today marks a day of celebration as we have brought more people under our great nation."  

The soldiers cheered and rejoiced. 

"It was a hard fought battle and many lives were lost but they did not die in vein.", General Marcos paused and looked at the cannon. He held the contraption, "So let's us tear down these walls!"

Noon had struck and the weapon was fully charged. The soldier manning the cannon waited anxiously for the General's order and when the general shouted "Fire!", he pulled down the latch. 

A great blazing ball of fire was discharged from the weapon. When it made contact with the wall, chunks of bricks went flying through the air and most of it came crumbling down.

 Ash and smoke filled the day's blue sky and no one could see anything past the wall. When the smoke finally cleared and the ash settled, Sarania was in clear sight and the Vallath forces went charging in with their moon night dragon flag raised up high.