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Chapter 2: The Invasion

Later that day, I was going down to Leroy's house. It was nearing seven o'clock as I left. My hooves plodded along the cobblestone streets of Uranbatol. I entered Leroy's house at around 7:15 and I knocked on the door. Leroy greeted me at the door. Leroy was a centaur as well. He was three years older than me, and he was slightly taller. His build was more of a soldier's physique, and he had very broad shoulders. Leroy welcomed me in, and I smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen.

"Leroy, is that Earnest?" Leroy's mother was a fragile old centaur, who was very strong back in the old days. She didn't serve in the army, but instead, stayed home to take care of Leroy and his older brother, Peter, while their father was a general in the Uranbatol army, but was killed in a civil war eight years ago, which eventually turned into the Pao establishment.

"Yes, mother, he's arrived." Leroy stated.

I made my way into the kitchen, where Leroy's mother was preparing what appeared to be buffalo meat, my favorite food. When she saw me, she instantly jumped and ran over.

"Wow, Earnest, I haven't seen you since Leroy went into the army a few years ago, and wow! You look great, how has your training been going?"

"Oh, I'm doing pretty well, but the training is extremely difficult work. How have you been?"

Our conversation continued for a couple of hours, with us laughing and reflecting on our past. Leroy and I had known each other since we were babies, and we were best friends ever since. When he went into the army, I had mixed feelings. He was my best friend, and I was saddened to see him go, but yet, I was very proud of him, that he would serve his home like that.

Later that night, as I was readying for departure, screams were heard, coming from the entrance to the town.

"What the hell was that?" Leroy exclaimed, "Mother, you stay here, Earnest and I will go check out the situation."

Leroy and I grabbed our lances, rushed out the door and headed for the entrance to Uranbatol. We observed as an iron-clad soldier impaled his lance into the heart of a civilian. Runefaust! As we rushed to my house, we found a young girl on the ground, coughing and choking. Alayna! I ran over to her.

"Alayna! What's going on here?"

"Runefaust...they attacked..." Alayna said, with a wound in her chest, likely from a sword.

"No! Don't die! I'll get help!"

"It's..too...late...save...your...family..."

Alayna's body went limp and she stopped breathing. My heart sunk, but as much as I cared about Alayna, my family was still in jeopardy. I raced home, along with Leroy. When I got to the front door, it was broken down into the inside. We searched through my house. On the middle of the kitchen floor was my mother, who had a sword wound through her neck. She was lying motionless on the floor, and it appeared she was already gone. I kneeled next to her.

"Oh man...I'm so sorry. I'll look upstairs for your father." Leroy declared.

I remained there with my mother for about a minute and a half, before I heard Leroy upstairs.

"WHO ARE YOU! GET OUT OF HERE!"

I quickly hurried upstairs, to my parents' room. I found my father, coughing up blood on the floor, and Leroy battling with a rather large man. The man wore a helmet, which looked like a bull. He had on a red cape, and wielded a rather sharp-looking steel sword. Then, it hit me. The sword wounds on Alayna and my mother -- it was him! He and Leroy continued fighting, and I let out a scream of rage and pounced at him. The masked figure knocked me aside with the blunt end of his sword. I was dazed from the shot to my head, as I gazed on at the battle. Leroy was quite the fighter, and it showed. He hung in there with a man who appeared to be very experienced, and at this moment, frustrated.

"You're very good, kid."

"You can thank four years in the Armed Forces of Uranbatol for that." Leroy bragged as the man dodged a swift strike from his lance. They kept fighting, but neither would gain an inch of momentum. All of a sudden, the masked man chuckled.

"Time to get serious." the man said.

Leroy tried to stick the lance into him once more, but he quickly evaded, jumped, and thrusted his blade right into Leroy's heart! After a few seconds, he took it back out. As Leroy collapsed to the ground, my daze finally went away, and I ran over to Leroy.

"No! You can't die!"

"He said...his name...was General Balbazak. He...is a leader..of the Runefaust army...kill...him...for...me...Alayna...and your family. Goodbye...old..friend." Leroy said, with the little life left in him. I got up and rushed at Balbazak.

"You bastard! You killed my family, my best friend, and the woman of my dreams!"

I let out an angry yell and lunged for him. Balbazak side-stepped me and sent me crashing into a wall. I was once again almost knocked out cold. Balbazak stood over me and glared at me.

"Heh...you've impressed me with your drive and determination. How would you like to come with me to Runefaust? You could become one of our greatest generals, you know."

I looked him dead in the eye.

"Hell...no."

"Well then, I'll keep you alive anyway, in case you change your mind. But here's something to remember me by."

Balbazak lifted his blade to my face, and slid the sharp end right over my right eye, all while cackling. Then, he struck the blunt end of his sword onto the top of my head, knocking me out cold.