Chapter Fifteen:
Not a Day Went by Where it Didn’t Rain
Dmitri
Day One-Hundred-Sixteen of War: October 2nd, 2000
I was sitting on the steps of a battle-torn library, staring at the photo of The Cavalries in my locket. The necklace had a few specks of blood caught in the grooves, but otherwise, it had survived the war so far. The picture inside was fading due to how often I looked at it, yet it didn’t stop me from opening the locket every night. At first, it was difficult to adjust to hearing the sighs of relief from my friends when they heard I made it through another day, but now, I was numb to their reactions. I usually spoke with them at least three times a week, but as the war grew worse, they were strewn all throughout England trying to help the efforts.
I missed the sound of their voices like no other thing in the world. Over my parents, my aunt and uncle… I wanted nothing more than to hear Stefan’s laugh, Michael’s snoring, or Gwen and Martha gossiping over fellow soldiers. I wanted to be on the couch in Michael’s room surrounded by all four of them, watching football games and throwing popcorn at one another, then apologizing to Martha for the spilled soda. My heart squeezed at the memories, and I had to shut the locket to keep myself from crying.
Zachary moped up the pathway after a long day on the field, covered head to toe in blood, sweat, and soot. He fell onto the steps beside me and heaved a long sigh, twisting his leg to make his knee pop. I patted his back warmly as he brushed a hand over his face in an attempt to chip some dried blood away. “You smell absolutely disgusting.” I teased, which made him crack a croaky, painful laugh.
“Did I ask for your opinion?”
“I thank God we don’t share a tent.”
“You think I'm bad? Half the camp dragged Serena to the showers when she got back,” he said before we shared another chuckle. There was a break of silence before he propped his arm on his knee and sighed deeply, “I heard The North is running into some trouble. A few stragglers from our side have been going up there and bombarding the castle. With The Cavalry out on the battlefield, Morgan has been leading our remaining men against the crowds. So far, they’re doing ok, but they need someone to head up there and really exterminate.”
“I suppose The Cavalry are going home, then?” I offered.
He slyly wagged his eyebrows, “Yes, all five of them have been summoned.”
“All five…?” I breathed in awe.
“Andrew said he wanted to borrow you for the weekend, to get rid of the roaches. Riley already delegated a team for you to take up there. Maxwell has called for a momentary retreat, and Riley, for once, is allowing it. We all need the rest, and while we regroup, it’s time you did the job Andrew hired you for.”
I gnawed my lip, then sighed, “I can’t leave, not now. If Maxwell jumps us…?”
“I guarantee he won’t. You don’t have a choice regardless; if your King summons you, then you must return home, and he expects you back by tomorrow morning, so I suggest you pack a bag...” he teased with a wink.
╬
That night, myself and nine other North soldiers packed up a military truck with supplies we were trading out back home. Riley, Serena, and Zachary watched with tired smiles as I hopped down with a sigh, and set my hands on my hips. “Well, I suppose I’ll be back Monday. If anything, and I mean ANYTHING, happens, you need to tell me. This war is my priority…?”
“Go home, Dmitri,” Riley snapped, making us all laugh before we stepped into a hug. “Oh, bring back some good liquor, would you? I can’t stand these convivence store beers.”
“I think you’re an alcoholic, dude.” I giggled to my brother before he ruffled my hair and nodded to the truck. With a wave, I climbed into the back and plopped down on the bench. Natasha was passing around sleeping bags for the ten of us to wiggle into, which I was more than grateful for. Tonight would be the first in many months that we could sleep without worrying about bombs hitting our tents. Remi honked the horn twice before saluting the group of commanders, who waved happily as we pulled off into the rain-stricken night.
Day One-Hundred-Seventeen of War: October 3rd, 2000
The back of our truck was alive. We were all singing along to some hardcore rock songs, which amped us up even further for the return home. We had slept a good six hours, which felt like six hundred compared to what we had become used to, and we were incredibly grateful for the boost of energy. Through my headset, I heard through that the other Cavalry were home, and out on the field taking on the stragglers. I clapped my hands together excitedly at the thought of seeing my friends again, and folded my sleeping bag as we crossed into town. Remi gunned the engine as the bridge came into sight, which made us all cheer unanimously. The sound of the music and our cries made Andrew peer through the window, and laugh happily at the sight of us.
The fight was taking place in the field right outside the castle, which was way too close for my liking. Some bodies even covered the grand steps, but Andrew did not look worried at all, especially since we had arrived. The remaining nine of us prepared for the upcoming battle, but we were far from scared; a few dozen West soldiers was nothing compared to what we had been dealing with. “The Cavalry have arrived!” Spencer cheered as the truck rumbled across the wet pavement and skidded to a stop in the driveway.
“You’re not a Cavalry, you ditz.” I laughed.
“Well, you are, so I technically was right!”
“Would you focus? If you die out here instead of The South, I'm burying you in the river for your insolence.” Natasha teased.
“I deserve it; let’s get this over with!” Daniel unlocked the doors, and a moment later, we were out in the middle of the storm. Around a hundred and fifty men were battling off with our soldiers, who looked as tired as we felt due to the missions they had been on while we were at war. The Cavalry were in a group, trying to man the front line, and when they heard the truck pull up, their souls returned to their bodies.
“We’ll take it from here, ladies and gentlemen!” Daniel called as he jumped down and ran right into the midst of the fight. I hopped down confidently and drew my weapon, spun it twice, then flashed a few West soldiers a demonic smile that made them swallow.
A moment later, my sword was in their throats.
The Cavalry and North soldiers didn’t understand why The West had started to back up, but when I sprinted by covered in blood and soaked by the rain, then gasped in pure relief. My team decimated every single soldier we came across. We were so good that Andrew started ushering some of his soldiers back inside. I emotionlessly tore through person after person, my confidence never wavering as I did. All I thought about was the group behind me, and how desperate I was to see them again. Some soldiers slid through our defenses, and Natasha yelled out to me to go after them. I nodded and bolted through the rain, up the side of the truck, and then down to slam my sword through someone’s brain.
Andrew, who was casually standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, chuckled lifelessly as I grabbed someone’s head and slammed it down onto the rail of the bridge to snap his neck. I could see all of my friends and family watching through the window behind their king, who was smiling ear to ear as he watched us fight. Ramah slinked to his side, raising a dark eyebrow, “Aren’t you a little too laid back right now?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? My Cavalry are home.” Andrew said in a sparkling voice, wincing teasingly as I cracked someone’s spine over my knee.
“What are we worth when Mortimer is around!?” Terrance laughed as I whisked by him.
“Not much!” I replied jokingly as I slammed my boot into another knight’s head, “Michael, call for a retreat; we’ll clean up the stragglers!”
“Retreat?! You have fifty people left!” I raised an eyebrow at him, which made him laugh breathlessly before doing as I asked. He and the other Cavalry met Andrew at the steps, and tiredly plopped down as they watched my group finish up. Their eyes were wide with disbelief at the deadpan murder that took place before them. Our time in The South had sucked every ounce of remorse from our souls, and made our jobs even easier. Days spent killing people made the task the norm, and though it concerned our comrades, they were grateful we could take over.
Finally, we got down to five soldiers, who attempted to retreat. Jocelyn laughed at their attempt, and turned to me with a ferocious smile. “Take care of that, would you? I’d like to see my husband at some point today.” I whipped my sword three times, then winked and took off into the rain. The soldiers tried to gang up on me, but three swift slices and their throats were gashed. They dropped one by one, coating the side of my face with blood that barely phased me. I slid my sword slowly into the scabbard on my back before turning back to the castle.
Andrew nodded in approval, though he could see how absolutely exhausted I was through my confident façade. “Good work everyone! Come in and dry off!” He called before leading the way inside. As my team and I walked the steps into The North Castle, everyone’s eyes gravitated to us in awe. We truly had turned into machines of war, and our presence rocked the bones of our audience. We coated the foyer floor in blood and rain that snaked down our bodies, which left a muted pink puddle everywhere we walked. Our faces were busted with bruises and cuts, but our bodies were strong and powerful regardless of any wounds. Every single South citizen who was taking refuge in the castle bowed for us as we passed, which we thanked them with silent nods.
The ten of us got one on knee and put a fist to our hearts before Andrew, who was radiating earnest pride at the line of us. “Team Seven-Seventy-Six, reporting for duty, your majesty.” Veronica chimed.
“Welcome home, everyone, and thank you for helping clean up that mess. I am more than grateful for the help, especially during such a difficult time. I'm glad we were able to borrow you for the weekend,” he replied warmly.
“The North Kingdom comes first, your majesty.” Jade said, though her voice was weak.
“Why don’t you all clean up before we head to the lounge?”
“As soon as we get everything unloaded, we would be more than happy to join you.”
“We have a docking bay set up just outside the main doors for you to put supplies.” Sal explained as we stood.
I walked past The Cavalry, who gave me the sweetest puppy dog eyes and made me giggle. I took Martha’s arm and squeezed it lovingly, “Let me get this done so I don’t have to worry about it later; then we can hang out, ok?”
“Want some help?” Stefan chirped.
“No offense, bud, but we have a system we like to keep in place.” Martin joked as Stefan grumbled disappointingly.
I winked before turning to the group, “I want every weapon off that truck in less than an hour, am I clear!?” I boomed, which everyone but my team jump wildly.
“Sir, yes sir!” The nine cried before we went back into the storm outside.
Thunder and lightning crashed violently as Samuel, Martin, Jocelyn, Remi, and I grabbed the ropes that held our cargo in place and began heaving it powerfully. The pallets squealed against the floor of the truck, but otherwise, caved to our strength and came forward. Daniel, Spencer, Natasha, Veronica, and Jade began unloading while the rest of us dragged more equipment to the edge of the truck. The rain was soaking us to the bone, and made our teeth chatter from the cold, but our determination kept us going.
“Think you can grab this one, commander!?” Spencer called as he slid a huge pack of swords forward. I heaved the heavy bundle onto my back and jogged through the storm, where Natasha instructed me on where to set everything. It took us an hour, but when we were finished and the truck was restocked properly, we felt a true sense of relief.
Michael was waiting at the door with towels and a change of clothes for us all, and demanded we shower off the blood and dirt from our previous battle. We didn’t argue, and went to the communal showers down in the basement. It felt incredibly odd to be home, so much so that I actually forgot where to go. Martin luckily knew the way, though I was far from the only one who felt so out of place.
After washing our sins away, the ten of us ghosted into the main lounge on the first floor, where the royal couples from The South and The North, my parents, the Slane’s, and The Cavalry were waiting for us. I collapsed into the cushions between Martha and Gwen, who smooshed their cheeks into my arms with tears in their eyes. I encased them into my embrace as Andrew stiffly stood. “How bad is it, truly?” He hesitantly asked.
“Absolutely devastating. He has murdered every single living thing in his path. Women, children… everything is on fire. We’ve done a lot of recce to see how bad damage is, and so far, the areas struck are nothing but piles of ash. Most of the country is secure, but The Northern Corner is absolutely wrecked. It will take months, if not years, to repair it. Any civilian refuges most definitely have nothing to return to.” Remi explained.
“On the flip side; we are on the verge of a major breakthrough. It’s taken some time, but Riley has finally cornered The West in one remote area. They can only come and go through one exit, which we have heavily guarded to prohibit any spillage. He and Serena are preparing for one final push, and as long as it goes well, this can be over very soon.” Natasha added.
“I suppose that exit is the most dangerous spot at the moment?” Cerelia asked.
“Ask the man who runs it.” Daniel snorted, making everyone turn to me.
I was almost in a trance within my own thoughts, so when he nudged me, it scared the absolute crap out of me before I was able to speak, “Yes, it is highly dangerous. I have a spread of about seventeen teams covering every area. Anything that comes in or out is dead in minutes, but we have lost a couple on our side. We’ve been out there for about a month trying to keep the area secure. Zachary is taking over for me right now, but Maxwell has called for a momentary retreat, and Riley is taking advantage of it.” I replied, zombie-like.
“What are our numbers?” Mom hesitantly tried.
“33,395 for The South, 9,392 for The North, 2,783 for The West.”
“You’ve barely lost 3,000 men through this whole thing?” Ethan breathed in awe.
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“How is that possible?” Michael added.
The entire team turned to me, who flushed pink at their smiles, “We have four incredibly powerful minds working together, that’s how. Riley and Zachary have covered every single avenue possible, and Dmitri and Serena have executed their plans flawlessly. Obviously 3,213 losses is a huge blow for us, but compared to the 10,000 plus The West has lost? We would never have made it this far without Dmitri or Riley helping us.” Jade confidently said.
“Well, I think you all deserve the break. Go find your loved ones; everyone is a bit scattered because of civilians, but I assure you they are about. Thank you, again, for your service for both our country, and The South.” Cerelia seriously said.
The nine bowed respectfully before disappearing out into the noisy foyer. As soon as the door shut, Adelaide stood and moved to sit on the coffee table before me. She took my hand in hers, and ran her fingers over the bandages that encased my arms. “I don’t even know where to begin…?” She whispered.
“Adelaide…?”
“Dmitri… I just… I think I may actually die, if I poured out every emotion I have for you right now. Both you and your brother are keeping my army, my daughter, my country, alive. You have done more for The South than my son has. He has been hiding in The Netherlands with Olivia, and refuses to even recognize that his people are dying, yet you are on that field every single day, trying to protect a country you don’t even live in…” tears slid down her cheeks, which made me smirk sadly.
“I told you once if I’ve told you a thousand times; this war needs to end, and I am determined to be one of the hands that helps finish it. As unexpected as this battle was, we are winning, and hopefully, it will be over soon…” my voice trailed off, which made everyone peek at me worriedly.
“You’re hiding a lot to keep us sane, aren’t you?” Ethan breathed.
A soft, defeated scoff escaped my lips, and my eyes drooped drearily as I spoke, “We are so tired… to the point that people have died from exhaustion. Everyone is so dedicated to this fight that they are actually killing themselves for it. I, personally, have lost so many friends that I am terrified to form any connections with anyone on the field. I have been in many battles… so many that I can’t even remember them all, but this… this is absolutely unacceptable. What Joshua and Maxwell have done is the true definition of evil.
I have carried more dead children off the battlefield than I have soldiers. I have ripped living ones from their dead parents bodies, and had to pretend like everything was ok. There have been cases, where we can’t even get survivors to the refugee camps, because they hurl themselves off the trucks or slice their own throats because they can’t live with the pain of losing their families. The sky is black all day, every day, from ash of bodies, houses… today is the first day in months that I have been able to see the sun, even though the storm.
Joshua has absolutely no remorse in sending his soldiers to die.
Even if he loses this war, he wins the satisfaction of destroying as much of The South as he can. I honestly believe he is trying to tarnish citizens’ trust in the royal families, but the ones that are strong enough to let us help are far from ungrateful. It has become a vicious cycle of pain and loss, and the person that I thought would never turn his back on someone in need, has become the man responsible for carrying out Joshua’s awful deeds…”
“Jesus Christ…” Andrew whispered.
“This is only going to get worse. When this war is over, the next one will be ten times worse. We need, absolutely need, to prevent another surprise attack. I don’t know how we’re going to, but this cannot happen again…” my eyes wanted to weep, but my soul was so broken it didn’t have the ability to produce tears, “I am not going to lie; I am tired. I'm so tired that I physically cannot move some mornings. All I want is to come home, but I absolutely refuse to leave The South in the condition it is in. At the same time, our army cannot be this strong forever. Everyone is on the brink of insanity, and it isn’t going to be long before they snap.”
“What can we do to help?” Levi asked.
I slowly looked up, completely emotionless, “Start preparing for our final war against The West Kingdom.” My words hung in the air for a moment before my headset came to life. The lines buzzed back and forth drearily, but the franticness behind the voices made me pause and turn the volume up. Everyone leaned in a little to try and make out what was happening as I scanned the channels. “Hey, is everything alright out there?” I asked worriedly.
Bombs began to echo in the background of someone’s mic, which made me flash up in an instant. Veronica threw the door open, terror plastered to her face. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Riley, Zachary… Anyone!?” I yelled, my heart thumping.
There was a distorted break in the line before I heard Serena scream Zachary’s name bloody murder. The sound made my team all cry out as Riley’s voice finally made it through, “IT WAS ALL A FUCKING RUSE! THEY KNEW YOU WOULD BE OFF THE FIELD, AND THEY DEPLOYED DOZENS OF FIGHTER JETS! ZACHARY’S HURT; HE’S SOMEWHERE IN SECTOR FOUR, BUT NO ONE CAN FIND HIM!” He cried in pure, unadulterated terror.
“I'm coming now! Send Archimedes out to that sector!” I bawled on pure adrenaline.
“How are you going to get here!?”
“I can use magic as long as I'm in a castle…!” Mom was a step ahead of me, and tossed me a set of chalk. I etched a doorway as fast as I could on the wall, and when I pressed my hand to it, the silhouette began to turn white. “Everyone back up, now!” I barked to the room.
Andrew and Levi pushed everyone back as the doorway opened to the bomb destroyed battlegrounds. The black sky was so dark that the trees in the distance were invisible. The sound of planes flying overhead filled the castle, and everyone besides my team and I coughed on the smoke that filled the room. “Sec-…?” buzzed through the line.
“Zachary?! Where are you?!” I cried.
“Sec-… fou-… Jordan, he…?”
“I'm coming now! Ramah, keep an eye on me at all times!” I jumped through the portal and whistled loudly. Archimedes powerfully burst through the pluming smoke, slowed down enough for me to grab the saddle and whip myself on, then took off into the battle.
Mom remorsefully closed the portal, and Ramah automatically pinpointed his clairvoyance on me. Andrew took a headset from one of The Cavalry to keep up with me, and everyone in the lounge watched a projection of what was happening on the wall. He barked to me where bomb fragments were still flying through the air, and though his voice trembled with worry, he tried his hardest to keep a level head.
“RILEY! GET EVERYONE OFF THE FIELD RIGHT NOW!” I yelled, gasping, before ripping the reins to the left. Archimedes automatically snapped that direction, barely missing a huge tree that slammed into the ground.
“Already on it! Serena is headed your way now! Be extremely careful; there are West soldiers crawling over that sector, and Maxwell is with them!” He called back.
“He’s the one who better be fucking careful…” I snarled before switching lines, “Zachary, can you hear me!? Are you somewhere safe!?”
“B-Barely… Maxwell is… yards…?” His voice was rocked with so much pain and static I could hardly make out the words.
“Ok, don’t worry, I'm right over the hillside; keep your head down, and don’t breathe if someone comes by you! Is, Jordan…?”
“Y-Yes…” he wept uncontrollably.
I blinked back the first few tears I had shed in months before sniffling, “Ok, ok. I'm coming; I will not leave you to die… I absolutely will not…!” I promised.
As soon as I made it over the hillside, I realized just how bad this sector truly was. What was left of team three was fighting violently for their lives against a converging crowd of West soldiers. It was true; Max, who I hadn’t seen in years but knew automatically, was leading in a group of seventy or so men, trying to break through the barriers we had to keep them from making it back out on the field.
He was absolutely winning the fight, and dozens of my Northern comrades lay dead on the ground before me. Jordan himself; the goofy, absolute purest of souls and toughest of battle companions, was keeled over in a ball with his throat slit. One of his eyes was closed, one halfway open, and they had turned a creepy grey with death. It made my heart flip to his dead body, but I promised myself I would come back for him after I saved as many people as I could.
I jumped off Archimedes and ripped him close to me so he could hear over the bombs and fighting, “Find Zachary, and do not, DO NOT, let anything happen to him, do you understand!?” I yelled. He stomped his foot twice, nudged me lovingly, then took off into the smoke. I swallowed my fears and sprinted to a sizzling truck, duct down, and motioned to the nearest soldier I could see to get off the field. She nodded thankfully, and rounded up the last two dozen of her own men. They dispersed, but stayed within radio distance so I could help get them out of there alive.
“What is your plan?” Andrew asked as I tuned his line, Riley’s, Zachary’s, Serena’s, and the soldiers on the field all into one massive communication group.
“I'm going to start throwing as many grenades as I can out there, to at least scare them off. It’s weak, but there is no way in hell I can do this alone. We’ve lost too many members of this team, and Maxwell knows it’s only a matter of time before backup arrives. They will, admittedly, spread out once they know I'm about, but it’s worth a shot to take down a few.”
“You’ve got a radius of around 25m, with guaranteed kill zone of around 3m. If you play your cards right, and don’t run out of ammunition, you can nab a few groups within a couple throws. Whoever lives is going to spread, but by then, Serena should arrive.” Stefan explained.
“Megan, start looking for Zachary. Archimedes went to find him, so if you see him, Zachary is most likely nearby. Assess how badly he’s hurt, get him on my horse, then get any soldiers you can out to help me.”
“Ok, no problem. Some of us can make it a little longer, so we’ll take out stragglers when the groups disperse. There are enough trucks and debris out there for you to maneuver through. Keep your head low, and if you run into trouble, Finn and Alexis are a few yards behind you.”
“Get to it…” I breathed before pulling the first pin with my teeth. I waited the three seconds it took to get going before throwing it as far as I could into the middle of the fifty men circle. It hit the ground a few feet from the middle, and it was too late by the time someone saw it. The explosion erupted, and sent body parts flying through the air. I chucked three more into the chaos before darting through the smoke to find my next hiding spot.
Max began yelling orders to find whoever was responsible while also delegating where he wanted to, of course, split the remainders. I had, surprisingly, gotten a good twenty people down with the few I threw in there. One didn’t make it the full distance, and gave away my first position. Had I stayed there a minute longer my head would be rolling across the ground. “He knows, so watch yourself…” Andrew breathed as I slithered as slowly as I could underneath a truck.
I paused mid crawl as Max himself passed right before me, his boots crunching the blood soaked dirt. I curled into as small of a ball as I could, thanked the universe for being thin enough to fit in the spot due to our low rations, and held my breath. The rain that poured down the sides of the vehicle sounded like millions of baseballs hitting a tin roof, and made it very difficult to hear how many people were around me. Andrew realized this, and had Ramah start counting as many as he could.
Another set of boots paused inches from my face; I smacked a hand over my mouth and held my breath till my lungs felt like they would burst into flames. The soldier swiveled on his heel, and as he went to bend down, Finn, God bless him, launched a grenade to the right. That made the soldier yell out to his comrades, who didn’t make it out in time. As soon as they could, Max and the soldiers around me bolted to the scene. I finally caught my breath, and coughed a few times on oxygen before clearing my throat. “For the love of fuck, thank you,” I sighed to Finn, who I could see had moved to a new spot.
“Don’t mention it; I don’t know how the hell you got under there, but I suggest high tailing your ass to the next spot before Maxwell gets back.”
“On it.” I replied before wiggling to freedom.
The rain was so cold against my back that my spine rattled, and I wished I had been smart enough to put a sweatshirt on back in The North. For now, my thin white t-shirt would have to be my saving grace. I thankfully had some good ole camo pants and dark boots on, so push come shove, I could mask my lower half as long as the upper was hidden well enough. I did smear some mud over the white shirt to try and blend in better, and caked my face and hair in it as well.
I was able to find a door that was wedged into the hillside, and crouched down behind it as a few soldiers ran by. “We found Zachary! He’s hurt pretty bad, but I think we can get him back in time. We got him up on Archimedes, and Jenny and Tim are heading to the medical bay with them. He… He lost his hand…” Megan whispered.
“His hand…?” I breathed in horror.
“We found it a few yards away, but the likelihood that it’s salvageable is slim. He said that Maxwell had come up behind Jordan and slit his throat, and while trying to save him, Maxwell uppercut and sliced his hand clean off. He’s definitely lost a lot of blood, and how Maxwell didn’t finish the job is still a shock, but let’s be grateful he’s strong enough to hang on.”
“What’s it looking like for you, Dmitri?” Riley asked emotionlessly.
“I’m completely surrounded…” I paused to let more boots stomp by, “If Serena can get here soon, we may be able to scare them back up to their camp.”
“I'm in sector six now; I keep running into stragglers. Try and keep your head down as long as you can, and do not, and I mean, DO NOT, engage unless absolutely necessary.”
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” I breathlessly chuckled.
“Just reiterating the obvious,” she giggled as someone slowly hiked the hillside.
I swallowed worriedly and hugged my legs to my chest as the person paused, and sighed softly. “I know you can hear me…” Max began, which made my heart squeeze, “I don’t know how you made it back so fast, but I’ll worry about that later. For now; you win. Take the sector for all I care; my king has much bigger plans, and this war is taking far too long for his liking. He has asked that I propose an offer to you. If you are willing to listen, signal to me. I will not attack; Cavalry honor.”
I waited for Riley and Serena to agree, and once they hesitantly did, I fingered for a pebble and tossed it as far as I could to the right. Max heard it ting off of a broken windshield, and breathed another long sigh through his nose. “By the end of this month, he would like you and I to finish off each other’s sides. Obviously, you have much more men that I do, but he either wants all of mine dead, or you to retreat. As you know, his majesty does not accept failure, so either make the effort and finish us off, or go home. I cannot, nor will not, promise that if you leave we will stop fighting, but he believes it would be fair for The South to finish what they started. If you chose to continue fighting alongside them, be prepared to take out my last remaining two thousand.” He began the walk down the hillside, but paused slightly, “Oh, and, Dmitri? I expect you to have enough courtesy to kill me yourself. I’ve waited many years to have the chance to fight you, and the time has come where you grant me that honor.”
He called for a retreat, and the last twenty or so men he had left thankfully returned to their captain’s side. Finn, Alexis, and I let them go, knowing that unnecessary violence was futile at this point, and heaved sighs of relief when the field was empty. “Everyone stay put until Serena arrives; we don’t know for sure who’s lurking.” I said, though I did stand and peer over the door I was hiding behind. As soon as I did I noticed a small, black dot on the ground behind the door.
I automatically yelled for everyone to duck when I saw the red light flick twice, and on the third flicker, the small dot exploded. “DMITRI…!?” Andrew screamed bloody murder, making Riley and Serena gasp before they too heard the explosion. Serena abandoned every other thought beside saving my team and I, and blindly charged through sector six as fast as she could. Finn and Alexis were able to find coverage inside a makeshift bomb shelter, and though Alexis smacked her head good, they were both uninjured.
I, on the other hand, was far from it.
I had flung myself to the right to try and have the back end of a nearby truck take the brunt of the explosion, but I still was thrown dozens of feet from the site and across the field. I hit the ground with a deafening thud, and bounced up and down a few times before my face slammed down on a broken shard of a windshield. The glass tore right through my cheek, but miraculously stopped inches from the top of my mouth, though that didn’t mean the injury wasn’t serious. It took a minute for my body to recover from the shock before a numbing, excruciating pain enveloped my senses.
Quiet, defenseless moans escaped my throat, which made Riley, who was hysterically sobbing my name, hiccup even louder. “WHERE ARE YOU!? WHERE ARE YOU!?” Serena screamed in the headset, and through the air. She was back where the bomb had gone off, and her team was scattered trying to find where I landed.
“He’s alive, but he’s hurt! Under a truck on the edge of six and seven!” Ramah barked.
“How badly?!”
“He can’t talk, but he can hear you!”
“Dmitri, I know it’s difficult, but get off that glass as soon as you can. The longer it cuts into you, the bigger the chance it continues to cut you open. If you can get free, put as much pressure on the wound as you can. Serena, when you find him, do your best to secure his jaw closed.” Slane explained.
“Closed!?” She yelped.
I shakily positioned both hands on the ground before closing my eyes, inhaling deeply, then ripping my face up off the glass. A violent streak of blood splatted from the wound, and made everyone watching cry out before my head snapped back down and I desperately clutched my face. The force of the pull had split my mouth open from the corner of my lip up an inch, and made my skin hang disgustingly down the sides of my face. The hole oozed red liquid everywhere, but I knew if I freaked out it would make my blood pressure rise even more and cause me to bleed out.
Serena finally found me, and yelped before darting to my side. She pulled some adhesive free and delicately tried to fastened my mouth closed, though she did gag a little at the sight of my skin filleted the way it was. Finn frantically explained what had happened to Riley, who promised we had a spot at the medical bay. Serena helped me limp back to her horse, and after I was up there, she took off towards camp with tears in her eyes. I nudged her lovingly with my elbow, which made her reach back to clutch my leg to soothe herself and me.