The Valley of Death

As I stand here, only held in place by Ellie's comforting embrace, the haunting words of General William Sherman echo in my mind: “War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.” Later on, the quote was often simplified to “War is Hell, the worse it is the shorter.” The truth of these words becomes painfully clear as I survey the desolation around me—the aftermath of my fire spell that engulfed an entire city. We arrived here with hope and righteousness, but after our first clash with the Demon King’s forces, and the loss of hundreds of soldiers, there's a somber heaviness in the air.

Work immediately commenced to clear the valley of fallen rocks and boulders leading to Sabnock’s castle. I'm grateful for the soldiers' swift action as I lean on Ellie for support.

“How are you feeling?” Ellie's eyes betray her worry and concern.

I muster a weary smile. “I'll be okay,” I reassure her. “Just a bit tired. With some rest, I'll be ready to