Fairy Kingdom of the Nature Tribe
Prologue
General Zach and his troops were surrounded. Enemy armies closed in from every direction. With no other choice, General Zach made the boldest call of his life.
"We head into the Chant Forest," he commanded. "Advance or die in the hands of the enemy!"
A sudden voice rose in defiance.
It was General Tach—his second-in-command.
"For the first time, I must oppose you."
He stepped forward, face grim.
"With all due respect, General Zach, this is suicide. You should've told us earlier that you're no longer capable of leading. Instead, you've planned our execution."
Gasps echoed among the soldiers.
Tach continued, "How come the enemy knows our every move? Every path is blocked except that cursed forest—where no one has ever returned. And now, you want us to walk straight into death? This is madness! Cowardice!"
Murmurs of doubt and fear spread across the camp like wildfire.
But General Zach raised his voice—loud and clear:
"My gallant soldiers. I've fought beside you for more than a decade. I led you through every victory we've known. If I claimed I wasn't concerned about what's happening now—I'd be lying but a wise man once told me that there's no courage with out fear."
He paused, his voice steady.
"We're outnumbered. We've run out of luck. But we still have a choice—the Chant Forest. The enemy won't follow us there. It's the only path left that might offer survival."
He looked each man in the eyes.
"Yes, it's a dangerous place. Yes, it's unknown. But what makes a soldier great is not just courage in battle—but the will to survive the impossible. If we can regroup inside, we may live. We may see our families again."
Then, another soldier shouted,
"If you want to die to forest beasts—go with the general. But if you want to survive, the enemy is the lesser evil. Let's surrender!"
Fear turned to hesitation. Soldiers began to retreat toward the enemy lines.
General Zach turned toward the forest—his heart heavy—and glanced back at his men for what he feared might be the last time.
But before he could speak again—
A fireball streaked across the sky.
The enemy had struck first.
"NO!" Zach screamed, running back toward his men.
But it was too late. The fireball crashed into the battalion.
In one instant, flames consumed the soldiers—
—and flung General Zach deep into the heart of Chant Forest, unconscious.