Chapter 6

"Kane"

Part 2

image [https://i.imgur.com/gcxKC1K.png]

In a spacious hall constructed with reclaimed woods and thermal reinforcements, the lighting seemed to emanate from solar batteries. Fihn and the others waited tensely, traces of melted snow visible on the floor. They glanced at each other, uncertain. Suddenly, from a corner of the hall emerged a man with closely cropped blond hair, clad in the fur of a disproportionately large wolf. He wore pelts that seemed to be his attire, with a yellow sash crossing his chest, likely a sign of hierarchy, thought Xiahom.

The man introduced himself in a deep voice:

—I’m Kanesson, son of Prince Kane, direct descendant of Kane and the dynasty that rules this Principality —

The group of soldiers exchanged confused looks at the declaration, but remained steadfast in their mission. Kanesson gestured with his hand, leading them towards the entrance of the adjoining hall.

—Kane and his diplomatic corps await you. Please, come in —

Xiahom was the first to step forward into the adjoining room, closely followed by the rest of the group and the diplomat Vancel. A handful of Kane's guards escorted them from a distance, their weapons at the ready.

Upon crossing the threshold, they found themselves in a large circular hall. The walls were adorned with furs and hunting trophies, and several fires burned in scattered hearths, providing warmth to the space. At the center, a massive table presided over the room. Seated around it were men and women dressed similarly to Kanesson, all with rugged faces and rough features, indicative of lives spent in the harsh winter. In the center, an imposing figure loomed over a throne carved from the bone of some ancient creature.

The man who spoke with a thunderous voice was massive and burly:

—Welcome, emissaries of Hommss. I am Kane, Sovereign Prince of these lands. It is a pleasant surprise to have your presence. What is the purpose of your visit? —

Vancel stepped forward, pulling the manuscript from the tube that held it, slowly unrolling it as Kane's guards kept a watchful eye on them. With the manuscript now in his hands, Diplomat Vancel took a step forward. With a gentle gesture, he handed it to the imposing Prince Kane seated on his throne. The leader of the Principality took the manuscript and began to read it carefully, as the hall fell into a tense silence. Vancel stood firm at the front, his hands clasped at his lap. His diplomat's insignia gleamed in the reflections of the flickering hearths around. The rest of the group remained motionless, with Kane's guards watching them closely.

The Principality of Kane was built upon the ruins of an ancient village from the old world, long abandoned. The settlement itself had been founded over 80 years ago by Jeress Kane and a group of original families. Over time, the village slowly grew through the reproduction of these founding groups, hence nearly all inhabitants bore variants of the Kane surname.

Once established, they began to accept small groups of outsiders seeking refuge, but under a strict permit system. These newcomers were not considered full citizens of the Principality, a status reserved only for direct descendants of Kane. This led many residents to seek union with Kane family members, whether out of love or sheer benefit, thus expanding the Principality's population. To this day, they remained a small but renowned settlement heavily fortified, though they conducted periodic forays outside to hunt and trade.

According to rumors circulating within the Republic of Hommss, many inhabitants and government members of the Principality suffered from health issues stemming from inbreeding and reproduction within the same bloodline. Their leader held the title of Prince, with no elections or democratic systems in place. The ruler's first male child would take over with the Kane surname upon the father's passing.

After carefully reading the manuscript, Kane's demeanor darkened. His rugged features tensed, and his fists clenched around the parchment. A tense silence filled the hall as the Prince processed the words. Finally, he looked up at Vancel with a gaze full of contained fury.

—So, these are the intentions of your Republic? Do they demand our surrender and annexation to their territory, or be invaded and subjugated? — Kane spat with disdain.

Vancel swallowed hard, his voice-distorting chip mask emitting that sound of weakness, but he maintained his stance before the irate leader.

—These are not demands, Prince Kane. Simply a proposal for peaceful unification under the banner of the glorious Republic of Hommss. All citizens of the Principality would gain the benefits and rights of the Republic —

A roar of denial erupted from Kane's throat. He sprang to his feet, causing the floor to tremble. The guards drew their weapons, aiming at the diplomatic group.

—I will not accept such outrage! The Principality of Kane is and will always be sovereign unto itself! We will not bend to anyone, least of all a group of disguised men! —

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Fihn felt his heart pounding. Things had escalated to the extreme. He glanced sideways at Xiahom, who kept his fists clenched. Vancel raised his hands in a gesture of calm.

—Please, Your Highness. Let us not seek unnecessary conflict. I am confident we can reach a reasonable agreement through dialogue —

Kane took a moment, his chest rising and falling heavily. Finally, he gestured and the guards lowered their weapons. He sank heavily back into his throne once more.

—Very well, diplomat — he said with disdain. —What makes you think that a mere group could overpower a strong and tight-knit community that has thrived on this cursed frozen planet for decades? — Vancel tried to formulate a response, but Kane won the verbal showdown.

—Arrest these miserable sons of bitches! —

A heavy silence fell over the hall after Kane's roar ordering the arrest. Fihn felt his heart stop in his chest. He looked at his companions with panic in his masked eyes. Suddenly, everything descended into chaos.

Kane's guards lunged at them, weapons raised high. Xiahom reacted immediately, knocking one of them down with a precise blow to the face. Fihn barely had time to react when a guard pinned him to the floor, twisting his arm. The other two Hommss soldiers struggled with the guards but couldn't hold out much longer.

—Vancel, run out! — Xiahom shouted as he grappled with another guard.

But the diplomat seemed paralyzed with terror. Kanesson grabbed him from behind in a lock, easily immobilizing him.

Fihn managed to break free and stood up, only to be knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. He fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented. The last thing he saw was Vancel being dragged out of the hall while Kane and his inner circle left the room through another door. Vancel was dragged out of the hall by Kane's guards. They took him through the snow and the cold outside the settlement. The diplomat was desperate, struggling futilely against his captors. As they moved, several villagers gathered around them, confused by the commotion. One of the guards began to shout:

—This is a damn invader from outside walls! A fucking Hommss diplomat demanding our surrender! —

Faced with such accusations, the enraged villagers became angry and began to insult and spit at Vancel. Some even threw pieces of ice and rocks at him. One of the guards ripped off his mask and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. The diplomat groaned in pain as blood flowed from his face. The guards continued to drag him through the snow while others tore off his clothes until he was completely naked, exposed to the bitter cold. They beat him mercilessly to the cheers of the crowd.

Meanwhile, outside the walls of the Principality, Lieutenant Khalheim and the rest of the troops from Hommss waited tensely. They were almost completely covered in snow, and some soldiers began to shiver from the intense cold. The guards stationed in the towers never stopped aiming their weapons at them. Khalheim looked around with concern through his golden-lensed goggles at the walls of the Principality. It had been a long time since the diplomatic group had entered. And the silence worried him.

But the silence didn't last long. Suddenly, all the guards stationed in the towers and on the gates began to move and disappear from their posts. Lieutenant Khalheim frowned behind his mask.

—Everyone, stay alert! Defensive positions! — he ordered with his distorted voice.

Some soldiers took a moment to react due to the hypothermia beginning to set in from the harsh cold. Khalheim reached for the revolver hidden under his overcoat, ready for whatever was about to happen. Suddenly, from the top of the gate, a naked and bloodied body was thrown into the void. Khalheim held his breath as he saw the body was tied by the neck with a thick rope. Halfway through the fall, the rope tightened violently, stopping the body abruptly and snapping its neck with a sickening crunch.

The Lieutenant was paralyzed as he recognized the man hanging lifelessly with bulging eyes. It was Vancel. Horror threatened to overtake his body, but thanks to his cold experience, he reacted quickly. Khalheim drew his weapon and aimed at the gates.

—Fucking damn sons of bitches! You'll pay for this! — he roared with all his might.

A hail of bullets suddenly erupted from the battlements of the walls of the Principality of Kane. The guards opened fire without warning against the troops from Hommss stationed outside.

—To the ground! — Khalheim yelled, throwing himself into the snow as the first bursts whistled past his ears.

The soldiers barely had time to react when the bullets began to claim lives. Two men fell immediately, bloody holes erupting in their uniforms. Several dropped their rifles and covered their heads with their arms, paralyzed by terror as the snow turned red around them. The deadliest barrage came from a heavy machine gun mounted on one of the towers. The cannon spat lead wildly, turning anyone in its line of fire into a bloody mass within seconds. Others rose and opened fire desperately, managing to take down a guard on the battlements. Some began to scatter into the distance, but their actions were in vain as the machine gun tore through their bodies with bullet impacts to their backs.

—Retreat! — shouted a soldier drowned out by the cacophony of the massacre.

Khalheim remained crouched, analyzing the situation coldly. His men were falling one by one; the platoon was literally being massacred. If they didn't do something soon, no one would survive. He rummaged in his overcoat and pulled out a smoke grenade.

—Use the smoke grenades! — he yelled. —Retreat, troops! — he exclaimed after some of his surviving and non-panicked subordinates launched their smoke grenades towards the wall. In moments, they exploded, creating a wall of white smoke similar to the snow, giving them a chance to escape, although some unfortunate souls fell in the flight from the bullets that still rained down.

—Fall back! Back to the transports! — he shouted to the few men still standing. Their masks were stained with the blood of others. The snow on their suits was tinged pink. Khalheim didn't wait for a response and began to stumble forward through the snow, ducking when the shots resumed from the wall. A bullet grazed his leg, making him stagger, but he managed to continue crawling through the snow, leaving a scarlet trail. Two more comrades fell massacred at that moment.

In the end, only Khalheim and a handful of six soldiers managed to crawl out of the firing range of the walls and begin to descend the steep plateau in retreat. Fifty-seven men had lost their lives on the top of that plateau.

The bullets chased them, exploding in the snow and ice, sending shards in all directions. The lieutenant covered his head as he ran as fast as his injured leg allowed. After what felt like an eternity, they spotted the armored vehicles waiting for them in the valley. The driver opened the doors as soon as they jumped inside and sped away from the Principality of Kane.

Khalheim lay on the floor, breathing heavily, realizing that his arm was bleeding; a bullet had hit him along with his leg. He looked sadly at the few men left in the vehicle; most of his comrades had perished. The mission had been an absolute disaster.

—Back to the base — he ordered the driver with a muted voice. —We need to report this to the high command. Kane has just declared war —

image [https://i.imgur.com/gcxKC1K.png]2024 © LJ Kauffmann