บท 171: Soldier's fate (part 2)

"Without rest, jump ahead!" 

After tearing his throat for the third and last time, Ophar tickled the sides of his mount with his heels. 

For a moment, Ophar wanted nothing more but to kick with his legs instead, to indicate the greatest level of hurry. His mount was trained well enough to understand the message. And after years spent on the road and in battle, it was aware that following the orders of the human it carried was often, against its instincts, the best way to see the day through. 

As much as Ophar wanted to just charge ahead as fast as he could to escape the kill zone… He couldn't. For he wasn't just a simple soldier but a commander, one of the major elements that made up the battalion's morale. 

'If I show any sign of panic, they will rout us on just a few steps!'

Despite being in charge of one of the most elite units in the entire empire, Ophar knew better than to trust in the heroics of his people.