Stark steadily raised his claymore and demanded, "Is this a trap?"
"This is no trap. I want you to join us. To fight alongside us. To fight for humanity," General Bobby proposed.
"Why should we trust you," Hafen interrogated. He tightened the grip on his elemental katana. "You brought us here against our will. You had us locked up in a room and studied us," he pointed out.
Matteo frowned and nodded in agreement. He readied his menacing glare.
"Indeed. What you say is true, and I apologize for the abrupt kidnapping. Still, I am a soldier of humanity, and my intentions remain noble. We have a common enemy: The zombies. Join us as we both want to fight to protect humankind. If not, then... Well, you are free to go if you so wish," General Bobby reasoned.
"But sir, we can't let them go," Dr. Plinius protested.
"Are you questioning my orders, doctor," General Bobby questioned in a threatening tone.
Dr. Plinius flinched and shook his head. "Of course not, general," he stammered. He looked at the boys with a defeated expression. "I'll be in my lab," he added before turning and leaving the armory.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo exchanged glances. They saw the logic in General Bobby's words. The queen of the zombies and her children were a threat to everyone, not just The Sacred Forest. After their last defeat, they might need help from others to stop her. However, the last time they trusted strangers, it did not end well. It ended in tragedy.
"We brought you to the outside world, and it's a dangerous place. You will need our protection. Let us keep our part of the deal with your father, Henry," General Bobby urged, and his eyes softened slightly. With a gentle look in his eyes, he had offered an alliance.
The mention of their father made Hafen, Matteo, and Stark pause their indecisiveness. They looked at each other with a shared, unspoken question.
"What do you know about our father," Hafen asked and raised a brow.
"My soldiers, go back to your duties," General Bobby ordered abruptly.
The soldiers watched the boys with apprehension. They reluctantly left their general and the boys alone.
"Follow me as I tell you," General Bobby suggested and exited the armory.
With their interest piqued, Matteo, Hafen, and Stark obliged and followed him.
General Bobby walked through the long corridor. His eyes darted around, making sure no one was listening in. He took a deep breath and answered, "I never talked to your foster father civilly. Back then, he was the enemy of Stribora."
Stark's pace hastened. "Enemy," he asked, stammering.
Hafen narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Matteo remembered learning about Stribora in school and reminded himself. Stribora was the continent they lived in, not a person. "There's no way. They were farmers. They raised us on Stribora, and they lived off its soil," he pointed out.
"Over 20 years ago, a war known as the Striboran War for Unification commenced. I was a young, promising recruit. On the other hand, Henry and Adelia controlled a small part of the continent. They were warriors, and they fought against Stribora's conquest. After ten long years of war, Stribora faced the remaining lands' final united front," General Bobby revealed.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark exchanged shocked glances. The image of their gentle, kind parents, the ones who taught them about love and compassion, clashed violently with the vision of them as formidable war leaders.
"Your parents were formidable opponents, even with their vow to never kill. I respected their strength and their honor. When I thought about it later, I realized that they were preventing casualties from both sides... And I led my army against theirs," General Bobby divulged with a solemn expression.
Hafen's grip on the hilt of his katana tightened until his knuckles turned white. "You fought against our parents," he interrupted, and the words tasted like ash in his mouth.
"I did," General Bobby confirmed. "They nearly defeated us. But in the end, Henry and Adelia, in an unexpected act of mercy, spared my life. I'm not sure why. They had the chance to kill me and stop Stribora's conquest, but they chose not to. Instead, they surrendered and promised to leave Stribora alone. In return, I was to leave them alone, too, and protect their new home," he admitted with an uncertain cadence. His analytical gaze swept over the boys, predicting their thoughts and their next move.
"Why would you let them go if they were the enemy," Matteo sought to know with a confused expression.
General Bobby paused with a thoughtful expression. "I owed them a debt of honor, but it's not just that. With a few words, while sparing me, Henry shared their dream with me."
"Their dream," Stark inquired with a bright glimmer in his eyes.
General Bobby nodded at the orphans with a flicker of respect in his eyes. "Your parents' dream... They dreamt of a sanctuary. A place where children could grow up in peace, and the old conflicts would die with the old generation. They believed that the future of humanity was in The Sacred Forest. They gave up their titles and their past to live a simple life in The Sacred Forest. They wanted to build a place that was free from war," he explained with a nostalgic tone. He gestured around the base and added, "Ever since, my duty has been to protect my people from monsters. My army is their last line of defense."
The brothers processed this new information, and the world they thought they knew crumbled around them. Their parents weren't just farmers; they were visionaries. The Sacred Forest was not just a place of refuge, but the embodiment of a dream.
"He told me to protect The Sacred Forest, and I have done my best to keep that promise. That's why The Sacred Forest has remained mostly hidden and untouched by the outside world. However, I'm afraid the zombies have changed everything. They are a threat that Stribora cannot ignore. And neither can you," General Bobby urged.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark stared at him, and their minds reeled from the revelation. Their parents, the gentle farmers who had taught them the value of life and compassion, were once warriors who had shaped the fate of the continent. And this man, this General Bobby, had been their adversary, and now, their potential protector.
"The outside world is at war with monsters," Stark noted while scanning the base.
Hafen remembered the soldiers, and their faces were filled with determination. He realized that he and his brothers were not the only ones fighting. They were part of a larger conflict. They had joined a war that had been raging for years.
"Yes, we are. And we're losing. The monsters are relentless, and their numbers seem endless. Your father left the outside world to create a haven for children like you. He trained you, didn't he? He taught you how to fight. He prepared you for the day he would no longer be around," General Bobby elaborated.
Stark's fist tightened at the reminder of the tragedy.
"They were true heroes," General Bobby continued. "They didn't want to rule or conquer. They just wanted to live in peace and raise a family. And they succeeded, for a while."
"For a while," Hafen repeated with a heavy heart.
"I'm not your enemy. After so many battles, I finally understand your parents, and I want to help you fulfill their dream," General Bobby offered with a meaningful promise.
Matteo saddened. He looked down at the floor with a somber expression. He had always looked up to his parents as kind, gentle souls. Now, he saw them in a new light. They were heroes who fought for peace, and they sacrificed everything for a dream. His wariness towards General Bobby, though still present, was tempered by a new understanding and a flicker of respect.
General Bobby noticed and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders. He solaced, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I lost many friends in war. But we can't let grief consume us. They were our heroes. We have to fight for them. For their memory. For the future."
Matteo's eyes widened, and he felt a surge of pride. "Mom and dad are our heroes," he whispered in reflection.
"They never told us about it," Stark murmured with a confused expression. He shook his head and sighed, "Why would they keep this from us?"
"They wanted to give you a normal life. A life free from the burdens of the past. A life they never had," General Bobby explained with empathy. "In their memory, lead the new generation of heroes," he insisted.
Hafen finally sheathed his katana. He looked at the general with a new perspective. He saw a soldier who fought for a cause, a man who had faced unimaginable hardship, and a leader who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. "So, tell us more about this proposition," he inquired, and the tension in his shoulders eased.
General Bobby stopped and turned to them. His gaze hardened with resolve, and he extended a gloved hand. Then, he offered, "You have powers and skills that no ordinary human possesses. You are the key to turning the tide of this war. Join my army. Let's work together to stop this zombie threat. We'll protect The Sacred Forest. We'll protect humanity."
"I'll do it," Matteo blurted out. He stood tall and proud. "I'll fight for our parents' dream. I'll be a hero like them," he declared.
Stark leaned over to him and whispered, "Are you sure about this? We're trusting a guy who fought against our parents."
Matteo nodded with determination.
Stark frowned in thought. Something else popped up in his race to decide. The queen of the zombies had been an assistant to The Exalted One. She had admitted to giving cloaked figures passage to their home. The connection was clear. Their fight against the zombies was also a fight for justice for their parents. "Do you know of The Exalted One?" he asked abruptly.
The question landed like a stone in the sterile corridor.
General Bobby's face, a mask of military composure, tightened. His eyes narrowed with a flicker of old, cold anger stirring in their depths. "I know of him. The Exalted One is a terrorist, responsible for countless acts of destruction and chaos across Stribora. He and his followers, the cloaked figures, have been a thorn in our side for many years," he confirmed with a final shudder.
Stark's mind was made. He was no longer just a boy from The Sacred Forest. He was the son of warriors, and they had a war to fight. He gave a firm nod and responded, "I'm in."
Hafen looked at Stark, then at Matteo. He saw the determination in their eyes. He took a deep breath. "We'll join your army," he declared. He looked at General Bobby with a renewed sense of purpose. "But we have one condition."
"Name it," General Bobby queried.
"We can leave your army and return to The Sacred Forest whenever we want," Hafen demanded.
General Bobby considered it for a moment. He looked at the three brothers, and a flicker of admiration passed through his eyes. "Very well. It's a deal," he agreed. He extended a gloved hand.
Hafen shook it and gave a nod of approval.
"Welcome to the Striboran Armed Forces," General Bobby announced with a rare, genuine smile.
A new chapter begins for the three brothers as they step into the harsh reality of a world at war. What challenges will they face in the military? What will they learn about the world outside The Sacred Forest? Will they become powerful like their foster parents once were?