Her Graceful War Song

The army stood at full attention as Dominic addressed them to lift the spirits of every soldier present.

When he finished speaking, he raised his sword high and called out, "All soldiers of Starhaven! Fear no danger, fear no death! We swear to defend every inch of Starhaven's land and protect every soul beneath her skies!"

The men erupted with thunderous cries, their arms raised in unison as they echoed, "Fear no danger! Fear no death! We swear to defend every inch of Starhaven's land and protect every soul beneath her skies!"

Carissa stood among them, her voice raised with the rest. She was positioned further back in the ranks and couldn't clearly see her grandfather's face. However, she saw the way his cloak whipped in the wind, his posture proud and upright.

Dominic looked every inch the commanding general.

Carissa remembered the stories of the battle at Victory Pass well. While defending the city, her grandfather had been struck by an arrow and barely survived. Meanwhile, her seventh uncle died in that same war, and her third uncle lost an arm saving Barrett.

Carissa might not have the power to change all that was to come, but she would give everything she had to try.

The sound of drums and horns rang out, shaking all of Victory Pass. As the gates on either side of the main wall opened wide, soldiers surged forward with weapons in hand.

Carissa carried a long spear and had a small blade hidden in her sleeve. Travis and the others were likewise armed, their eyes steady as they rushed forth with the vanguard.

Travis had seen battle before, and Carissa carried memories of a lifetime of war. However, Violet and the rest had never known such scenes. Still, courage held fast in their hearts, leaving them with nothing to fear.

Soon, the clash of weapons rang in the air, along with the cries of men locked in combat.

Carissa spun her spear and struck true, drivi it stra into the chest of an enemy soldier. Then, she shoved forward and knocked several more off their feet. Without pausing, she leapt into the air, planted her foot on the head of another man, and in the same motion, yanked the spear loose and swept it forward in a wide arc. The blade sliced clean across a soldier's throat, sending blood spraying into the air.

To others, it might have seemed as though she took lives with ease. But they didn't know that killing enemies had become muscle memory for her, resulting in her actions being faster than her thoughts.

Truthfully, Carissa had not seen many battles. After years of peace across the realm, it was only when Sandoria had once again threatened the Southern Frontier that she returned to the battlefield and fought for a few short months.

And yet, there were some things that carved themselves into the soul. Once there, they never faded.

Though the battle raged on and every soldier fought with all their might, Carissa's bravery stood out plainly amidst the chaos. Even in such a frenzied field, there were eyes that noticed her.

Wade was one of them. He watched her for quite a while, squinting through dust and blood before he finally recognized his niece.

Fearing for her safety, he rushed toward her with his blade drawn, only for an enemy sword to suddenly strike out at him. He quickly raised his own weapon to parry, but Carissa's spear had already found the enemy's chest before he could counter.

Seeing how swift and skilled she was, Wade sighed in relief and quickly said, "Be

careful. Staying alive is what matters most."

"I got it," Carissa replied.noveldrama

There was no time for more talking, as the enemy pressed in too fiercely. They

had no choice but to charge forward with their weapons.

As she fought, Carissa steadily

made her way toward Wyatt. Before the battle began, she had already told Travis and the others to keep a close watch on Dominic and Wade. If either of them were to fall here, there would be no making it right.

Meanwhile, Carissa was making her way toward Wyatt because she didn't want

him to lose an arm protecting Barrett again.

She wore the plain garb of a

common soldier, her face streaked

with dust and ash. Wyatt didn't

recognize her, but he saw her cutting through enemy ranks with ease. Her spear struck true, and her

footing was light and sure. She slipped past heavy swords like she was dancing, then turned and struck her foes down without pause.

He couldn't help but feel a deep appreciation for her skill. But the fighting was too fierce and dangerous for him to spare another glance, so he stayed focused on the battle.

Carissa didn't see Barrett or Aurora around. They were probably further back, nowhere near Wyatt. Still, the enemy was unusually fierce, and she ended up saving her uncle several times.

At one point, she ran her spear through two men. Just then, another enemy spotted her unarmed. With a savage grin, he raised his blade high and rushed at her.

Wyatt had already fought his way a distance ahead. When he turned and saw the glinting blade swinging down at Carissa, his heart clenched. He wanted to help, but knew he wouldn't make it in time.

Wyatt braced for the worst, but it wasn't Carissa who fell.

She braced her spear with one hand and drove a short blade straight into the enemy's chest with the other.

"Good!" Wyatt couldn't help but shout in praise.