Ruler Of Iron And Flesh

Inian's consciousness was fading in and out. He was gently being moved somewhere, but he couldn't see who was moving him nor where they were going. He continued sinking until he blacked out once more.

He woke up to a woman in a red uniform standing over him. "Oi, you, wake up!" Inian could hear her muffled calls out to him. Water splashed on his face, and he shot up sputtering. He looked around him. He was in a tent with multiple other wounded people. However, they all appeared to be in a much worse state than he was, with severed limbs and large open wounds.

"I see that you've finally woken up." The woman said. She was tall with bright blonde hair and a stern look. Inian asked, "Where am I? Who are you?"

The woman placed one hand on her stomach and bowed, "Welcome to Galbury castle, ya idiot. We are the forces of the Troston Kingdom, and you have somehow ended up on the front lines in our war against the Kotus Empire."

Inian clutched his pounding head. Had he come that far? He had been in the mountains in the Kotus Empire not too long ago!

"Were there any others with me?" Asked Inian.

The woman shook her head, "you were the only one that was outside of our gate this morning. Luckily one of our lookouts spotted the glint of your exoskeleton. Quite a piece of crap that skeleton was, at least compared to the newer models."

Inian looked down in despair. No, No, NOOO!! This couldn't be happening! He had joined with the mercenaries too because he wanted to help keep Marc safe. He couldn't be the only one left alive! He punched the mattress he was on several times, then took a deep breath.

"Thank you for your help, miss. What's your name?"

"My name is Janae, and I'm a corporal at this fortress here." She paused for a moment after introducing herself, "you should get out of here as fast as you can. The forces of the Empire are on their way here now." After saying that she abruptly walked away and out of the tent.

Inian wasn't sure what to think, as he had just lost his brother, his best friend. The son of the parents who adopted him. He blankly stood up, and he was a bit shaky, but he could get up from the mattress just fine.

He walked outside the tent to see chaos all around him. Soldiers in bright red uniforms were running to the walls of the fortress with rifles in hand. Many hands were carrying ammo and supplies to the cannons and soldiers on the wall. Men and women were arguing over maps and pointing in different directions.

Inian began walking towards the front gate but was stopped by one of the guards. "Excuse me, sir," said the guard, "but you cannot leave at the moment. Orders are to let nobody in or out."

Inian's blank look changed into dread. "I need to leave, though! I'm not apart of your army, nor am I one of your citizens!"

The guard didn't budge, "orders are orders, sir."

Inian walked away, clutching at his hair. "Just one moment!" Yelled out the guard.

Inian turned around to see the guard coming towards him with an extra rifle. The guard said, "if you want a better chance at leaving, then fight your way out. The Empire's forces are already here, but by yourself, you may be able to sneak away through the chaos."

Inian thanked the man and ran up the stairs of the walls. As he got close to the top, he could see many young faces sweating profusely. The soldiers on the walls were shivering uncontrollably. Inian looked to where all the soldiers were and his hopes of escaping dropped. Thousands of Imperial soldiers were walking in formation beside a ginormous Titan level mecha. Several low-tier mechas were walking beside it as well. Mechas were ranked in the same way as monsters, and this was undoubtedly a monster of a mecha.

It was walking on eight long legs, and it was fortified in a giant shell on top. Cannons stuck out everywhere on the side of it where there was an opening.

Inian squinted to see the cannon on top. Is that a Hiro cannon? He asked to himself. It was incredibly long and massive. It sat on the top of the gigantic Titan level mecha. The mecha's height easily reached the top of the walls, and it was slowly stepping ever closer to the enormous walls of Galbury Castle.

Inian couldn't control his own shaking body. Just how was he supposed to get out of here now?