Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn! 2 A Band of Brothers

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting Robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

-Emily Dickinson

* * * * *

[Some months earlier, the final deciding battle of the War between Worlds]

[16 May 1945 Night, 1.15 AM - 34 nautical miles/ 63km off the coast of Malacca]

[In the final hours of Operation Dukedom]

A tall Asian man was drenched; barely staying afloat as he swam backward, struggling to keep afloat along with his companion; a badly injured man. The shorter man being pulled along was gasping, shivering and hyperventilating from shock; the one carrying him desperate to reach land.

"Mikael! Mikael! Stay with me; don't fall asleep now! You can't fall asleep; LIVE!!" If he had a hand free, he would have slapped his buddy to keep him from drifting off and possibly never waking up again. He hadn't managed to take a look at Mikael's wounds, but they couldn't be light; he had been in close proximity to the detonation point of the mana bombs and the last Planar Portal. Too close.

It was a miracle that he was alive and still in one piece.

When it seemed that Operation Dukedom was doomed; that even the combined forces of all Earth were insufficient to pierce through the invader's defences to the Planar Portal; Mikael had created a miracle for them all.

It started when the warship carrying all their mana bombs was bombarded without warning; blowing it and almost all the surrounding ships into smithereens.

The main forces of the United Earth Army (UEA) were engaging with the invaders nearer to the coastline of Malaysia as a distraction while 4 heavily cloaked warships approached from the north-western direction. Nonetheless, despite their utmost attempts at concealment, the invaders managed to detect them, and nearly wipe out their forces.

This was not alarming to the UEA; they had prepared five such squadrons to ensure that they did not keep all their eggs in one basket.

However, as the saying went disaster came in threes, and in this case disaster came not in threes, but as five. The 4 other backup bombing fleets had been sunk as well, leaving Earth's defenders without the means to shut down the final portal before more invaders could pour through. Thanks to this the invader's forces were being bolstered more and more by the minute.

Unbeknownst to the leadership of the UEA; a brave squad had survived the bombardment; securing a lifeboat - invisible to the invader's scouts.

Mikael and Robin's platoon of 20 men and women.

Risking their lives, the team brought the last salvaged set of mana bombs all the way through enemy lines; using their skills, experiences, and synergy honed through 2 years of life and death battles. They took advantage of the two key facts: First, that the frontline battles were intense and stormy, with nary any troops to be spared to defend the vicinity of the portal. Second, the 5 bombing fleets were assumed already eliminated.

When their boat was capsized 3 nautical miles from the closest detonation point, they continued by swimming the last of the distance.

However, they were ultimately unable to close the gap, ending their journey at 1 nautical mile too far; finally stopped by the impassable hordes of enemies from across the portal.

It was only thanks to the Legendary Mage Mikael's exquisite skills and powerful magic that they had managed to bring down the portal. Mikael had burnt his soul and magic power to trigger a Legendary spell; one powerful enough that it shook the fabrics of reality and nearly upended the seas in the area it was cast.

A spell so powerful that, in conjunction with the mana bombs, it brought down the last bastion of the invader's defences; closing the entry point to their world once and for all.

But all this had not come without cost.

They had lost almost half their squad with some others missing; and Mikael...

He was barely breathing; bleeding profusely and with no strength left to swim.

'Mikael... I... I'll get you back alive no matter what!' Robin fought against the rough, choppy waves, striving to swim in the frigid night-time waters of the Straits of Malacca.

'...I don't have anyone in this world left to go back to... I don't belong to anyone.' Thoughts ran through his mind as he spluttered, swallowing some seawater. 'Not like you. You have someone... Someone who is waiting for you. Someone to love. You must live!'

The feverish youth, his body burning despite the nearly freezing temperature of the water, nodded once before passing out once more.

* * * * *

When they somehow got out of the fallout of Operation Dukedom alive and were lying half-dead in the victorious UEA's infirmary, big bro Robin still had the heart in him to joke.

"You know that Emily Dickinson poem...? The one about the robin...?"

"...Cough, cough..." Mikael sputtered and coughed, then answered weakly. "...No." He was too cold; teeth chattering despite the lack of energy. However, he had to talk or do something; something to keep himself from the danger of losing consciousness in his critical state.

"Yeah? Well, it's about saving a fainting robin and bringing it back to its nest."

It was quiet for a while as they lay there, waiting for the doctors and nurses to begin urgent treatments on their torn bodies.

Seeing that the Asian man was waiting for him to say something, Mikael humoured him. "And then...?"

As if he had been waiting for it, the cheery man inclined his head to him to answer. "Well... If you get home alive to Sara... Then I'll be the one who can say I didn't live in vain..." He smiled and looked Mikael in the eye.

The younger man blinked back his tears that came unbidden. 'Sara... Are you well...? We're so close by here in Malacca, so close to Ipoh... Please... Please be well. I'll come back...!'

Then the Asian joker spoiled the moment by adding: "But once that happens; your name should be Robin! Because you're the robin I helped back to his nest! Hahahahahaha!!!"

"..." Mikael was dumbstruck. Then he smiled, laying his head back and gazing up at the tent ceiling, listening to the sounds of the winds and heavy rains outside as Robin continued to guffaw heartily, still acting as though he himself wasn't among the most wounded of them all.

'He's a good man...'

* * * * *

[16 September 1945 Night, 11:53 PM - London, in the Parade Grounds of Hyde Park Barracks]

[Just before the departure of the 1st Planar Expedition]

'Strange... Why am I remembering that...? I need to pay attention; it's no time to be day-dreaming.'

Or night dreaming, as he was lined up at midnight among seven others; the first batch of soldiers and pioneers for the scouting mission. The mission to the other side of the planar portal.

Contrary to his self-admonition to pay attention, his thoughts began to wander.

He thought fondly of his big bro who was queued up right beside him. Their dai lou had been promoted one rank from Lance Corporal, the second lowest rank, to that of Corporal. Whereas Mikael; due to his exceptional contributions, was promoted three whole ranks from Private to Sergeant; the commanding officer of their 108th platoon. Or as most called them, the Heroes of the World War.

His thoughts returned to the present; shaking his head as the address by the Queen began.

Yet despite himself, his mind drifted once more.

At the beginning of the war; Earth had been left at the mercy of the invading people - the self-proclaimed All-Heaven Divine Empire who looked just like humans but with the mythical powers of cultivators.

Portals would appear out of thin air whether in the middle of the Himalayas, in the midst of a crowded market square, or in the White House; resulting in the complete collapse of the American government.

But after nine years of research, mankind had turned the war around - the secret of the portals was cracked, and a global defence shell erected against planar incursions.

That marked the beginning of the end of World War 2; a war literally between two worlds. Without the ability to open any further portals, the invaders no longer held the power of surprise. And despite their best efforts to defend their existing portals; they were pushed back day after day - until the final portal collapsed; captured and sealed by mankind.

And now, it was time for retaliation.

Mikael perked his ears up for the closing portions of the Queen of the Commonwealth Nations blessing.

The regal, grey-haired monarch spoke with gusto; understanding yet exhorting the men and women of the importance of their roles. "This mission will be the landmark of humanity; a mark in history greater than any other. Greater than the first steps on the moon in 1927; perhaps the greatest achievement since the discovery of magic!"

She cleared her throat, growing solemn as she reached the last lines. "It will be dangerous. Some of you; many of you; may never return to our lands; our shores. But though you may lose your lives; remember this - you, the bravest and most valiant of all humankind, are laying down your lives as a foundation for our people; for our planet's future!"

"Now go! Godspeed! And may we meet again!"

The Queen bowed to the roaring applause from the thousands gathered; shocking the crowd who gasped at the unexpected act of humility - a member of the royal family who bowed to no one; and yet she had bowed to them - the greatest sign of respect they could imagine!

Mikael sighed once more.

'A man with a broken heart has no fear of a suicide mission...' He maintained a stoic, passive face; the perfect image of a decorated military hero.

'No... It's not "no fear"...' He mused as he prepared to enter the portal together with his squad members; brothers and sister with whom he had gone through the horrors of war and the victories of the battlefield for the past 2 years.

'Perhaps I look forward to ending it all...'

"Mages; on standby!"

"Aye!"

"Opening the portal in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

"Portal open!"

"Go go go go go!"

The genius mage, the peak of all humankind's warriors, leaped into the luminous red rift in space with his team of 7 others.

And was swallowed up by endless darkness.

Chapter end