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"Sir, we've got reports from the Northern front," the adjutant stated in a dry voice. The general looked at him expectantly.

"The 3rd combined division has secured Kehner river and is currently building an outpost for further excursions."

The general nodded contently.

"However," the adjutant continued, "the Luhner cavalry division has suffered a defeat at Argot forest; an ambush. A sergeant in their company has sold information to our enemies, I am afraid. He has been made an example out of."

"Shit," the general growled. "Luhner company was our best cavalry division. Send word to the capital requesting additional horses. Now, if that is all-" he started getting up.

"Actually." the adjutant slowly added, "there is... one more report you'll want to hear." His words were oddly cautious as if he was afraid of them.

"Well?" the general said, sitting back down. "Get on with it."

"It's the Iron Drakes, sir."

The general slouched in his chair and rubbed his eyes. The Iron Drakes were an elite company of heavily armoured soldiers with a penchant for fire. They've killed everyone he threw at them and at this point, he was at his wit's end as to how to deal with them.

"Who'd they slaughter this time?" he sighed.

"They, uh... they've been defeated, sir."

The general looked up at him with noticeable surprise.

"*What*? When? By whom?!" he said.

"Yesterday, sir. The messenger arrived just a few hours ago. And it was the, uh... the Tromb company."

The general stared daggers at his adjutant. He considered whether he was playing a prank on him, but he was a loyal aid for years now and not known for a sense of humour.

"There *must* be a clerical error then. A scribe with one too many head injuries. The Tromb company is *literally* just several thousand musicians-"

"And one trained soldier, sir. Plus the commander," the adjutant interrupted.

"Sure, right, Karl, the veteran, and the commander is... isn't he new?"

"Completely, sir. He was assigned to the company to help them while they were transferring from west to north. Just rookie escort duty."

"Then how, pray tell, could a load of musicians - and *one* soldier - defeat the most decorated company of soldiers we have ever faced?"

"Sir, the commander ordered the musicians to play music while Karl single-handedly rushed the enemy."

"That's-"

"Sir, do you know the song 'No man can harm me, no fire can burn me'?"

The general looked down at his desk trying to remember. "^(And then no man... harm... I shall walk... fire...)" he muttered. "Yes, I remember."

"So the musicians played it and, well, inspired Karl to the point where he quite literally embodied the lyrics. The Iron Drakes could not land a single blow and he walked through their fires as if it was a pleasant breeze."

The general sat in stunned silence.

"And apparently, his eyes started glowing at some point," the adjutant added.

The silence continued.

"And also his sword broke and he started picking up rocks and killing them with those. Rock and stone, general. *That's* what he used," the adjutant said as if he didn't believe his own words.

The general, at last, managed to recover some composure.

"You say a messenger brought these news?" he asked. His aid nodded.

"Bring him in. I want to hear it from him directly."

The adjutant motioned his hand and a young, freckled man walked in. He was clutching a banner with a drake covered in iron plates on it - the banner of the Iron Drakes. That was proof enough that the Drakes were indeed defeated.

"Lad, I want you to tell me *everything* you saw," the general said. The messenger nervously looked at him for a moment before speaking.

"WHAT? COULD YOU SPEAK UP PLEASE?" he yelled.

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Submitted by SirPiecemaker on Fri, Sep 23, 2022 to /r/WritingPrompts/

The prompt

They told you that you were going to lead an army, 10,000 men strong, they didn't tell you it contained only a single trained soldier, and 9,999 support musicians.