Alexei took deep, laboured breaths. Since the war started a year ago, it seemed as if he had aged ten. His eyes were dark and tired, his hair greying, and his back hunched from exhaustion. Despite how tired he was, Alexei straightened his back and wore an incredibly proud look.
All around him, bodies lay. Ravens circled in the air, landing on nearby trees and watching with dark, cold eyes, waiting for their feast. Unlike him, Ivan walked around as if he hadn't been locked in a brutal battle an hour before, looking through the bodies, trying to find something.
Alexei paid it no mind and walked forward, up and near a hill. His men looked his way and stopped what they were doing, watching with interest. Clicking his neck, Alexei looked down at everyone and smiled. Ivan reached into another pile of corpses and smiled, picking up a bloodied crown from the floor.
