I clung onto Isa tightly as the motorboat skipped across the small waves of the river as it grew closer and closer to the shoreline. My little heart was beating rapidly against my chest as I repeatedly glanced behind us, expecting a monster to surface or break through the tree line at any moment. Yet nothing. Nothing came for us from behind as we neared the right bank.
Instead. Bright lights along the coast suddenly blinded us all as multiple, massive lamps came on all at once. A klaxon alarm echoed loudly as the silhouettes of dozens of soldiers appeared in front of the blinding lights, weapons raised and indecipherably screaming at us in unison.
My heart nearly leaped into my throat as Isa turned to Gortak and shouted, "Shut off the engine! Raise your hands!"
All at once, we raised our hands with open palms. "Friendly!" I shouted. "Don't shoot, please don't shoot!" I waved my arms as our boat continued to coast toward shore.
More and more spotlights trained on us, the bright blue and white lights causing me to squint as a dozen soldiers ran down to the bank.
"Refugees!" I heard one of them shout. "We have refugees!"
More and more soldiers began shouting down the line as a handful more came rushing towards us, a few wading out in the water to catch our boat. I felt my heart slow as I relaxed and sighed with relief as the soldiers grabbed onto our boat and helped guide us to shore.
"Get some blankets and help these folk out!" What I presumed to be a superior officer shouted to a few men, who nodded and ran back up the bank.
"Let me help you out." A younger man said this to me and Isa as he took my hand and helped lift me out of the boat.
"Th-thank you," I squeaked and then shrieked as we all ducked when the sound of cannons boomed beyond the riverbank, and I saw bright streaks of blue arc across the sky towards the other side of the river.
"It's okay!" The soldiers said to us, "That's ours!"
"We're kicking those bastards back when they get close!" Another I couldn't see shouted.
"Alright now, c'mon, let's get you beyond the trenches." The commanding officer motioned for us all to group up. "Corporal, lead them back!"
"Aye, will do, sir!" The soldier saluted and motioned for us to follow.
A few more cannons boomed as more shells flew overhead as the soldiers guided us towards a small dirt path leading up the side of the bank towards the foliage that lined the edge of the river, and beyond that, we saw vast lines of trenches. Like a child who had dug squiggly lines in the dirt, I saw a vast network of trenches and dugout bunkers zigzagging across the surface of the field before me that seemed to stretch for miles along the edge of the river.
"C'mon now, keep moving." The soldier leading us said this as they guided us into one of the first trenches.
Taking my hand Isa helped me hop down into the deep hole in the earth, and my boots plopped into the bit of mud and wood planking that was laid out over the mucky terrain to help the soldiers move about. The trench itself wasn't bad, at least compared to all the World War I imagery I had seen in the past. The walls of the trench were lined with wooden supports, and the floor was partially covered in planks. It felt like a rustic cabin.
Then again, this war has only been going on for a little over a week. I thought to myself. Give it time, and this cozy hole is probably going to turn into hell.
The trench was packed with dozens of soldiers—men and women of all races and ages. Many of them seemed to be resting in small dugouts in the wall that acted as beds, chatting and laughing as they ate their evening tin rations. Others, who seemed to be on guard duty, leaned against the trench wall overlooking the river with large spotlights.
Many of them turned to see us as the group that led into the trench guided us towards a branching path that continued southward. A few eating men and women cheered us on as one shouted,
"You made it! Welcome to the back lines!"
"Safety at last!"
"We'll protect you!"
And the group cheered once more, just as another round of cannon fire ignited. How did they dig all these trenches so fast? I wondered as we made our way down one of the various trench lines. We continued to follow the soldiers, guiding us deeper and deeper into the fortifications, and up ahead, I spotted something large peeking up into the air.
A barrel connected to a gargantuan cannon slowly began to rise. "Further! Further!" I heard a voice shout. "Hold! Hold! Perfect!"
Then suddenly, a chorus of voices boomed in unison. "One! Two! Three! Push!" Suddenly, the scraping of metal could be heard, and as we drew nearer, I noticed what it was. It was indeed a massive gun. It was so large that I was stunned to see that it was being operated by at least two dozen men and women. A large group stood behind it, and I watched as they all ran forward with what looked to be a ramrod as they shoved a massive artillery shell into the breach loader. Once the bullet was put in, a large door closed around it, securing it in place.
It's like a fucking railway cannon… yet with no railway… I blinked.
"The Godhammer is primed and ready, Cap'n!" A woman shouted from the scaffolding along the massive gun.
"Excellent!" A large, burly man replied from down below. "Let's smite these autonomous bastards! Unleash the Godhammer!"
"Cover your ears!" Our soldier guides shouted to us, and immediately my hands shot to my pointy ears and yanked them down the side of my head as the soldiers around the gun began to run to their trenches. After a few seconds of grace, the ground suddenly heaved as the gigantic gun fired its payload. Even with my ears covered, a sudden pain wracked my mind as the boom of the gun raddled my ears.
"By the divine!" Isa squealed as she cupped her fuzzy ears, and I felt bad as I knew her sensitive hearing took the brunt of that noise. "Never have I seen such a weapon!" She whined.
"Impressive, isn't it?" One of the leading soldiers said, "That hammer alone has killed at least a dozen of those rampaging machines." He boasted.
"Aye!" Another responded. "Word has it, the brass is sending us at least two more to bolster the front."
I blinked as I stuck my finger in my ears and tried to clean them out as the ringing remained consistent as we walked past. "H-How long does it take to load it?" I asked them out of curiosity.
"Uh…" The soldier in front, a human man with ginger hair, removed his helmet temporarily as we neared a T junction. "Depends. On average, about twenty-five minutes. Though I have seen the beast-kin, specifically the mencorans, those tough bastards can lift a shell with only seven guys, and they can load it much faster than we can. I saw them cut it down to only fifteen minutes."
Mencorans? I thought, and then the memory flashed before me. Isa taught me about them. They're like minotaurs. Large bullish-like creatures. I've never seen one in Heinmarr before.
"That is impressive, yet the speed alone is nowhere near capable of competing with the fighting machines," Isa grumbled as she looked back at me and then at Gortak and his family.
The Tenorahns were eyeing the large gun with great interest, and Gortak reached up to stroke his chin. "Fascinating piece of work; I wonder how it's made."
"Aye!" Oscar blurted it out. "Big guns are very common in Yankston. Worked on many. Requires lots of magic!" He explained.
I blinked. "You worked on guns?" I asked as we walked.
He nodded as he tugged Anne along beside him. "Yes!" He smiled.
"Uncle Oscar is an artificer engineer," Anne mumbled, yet I was just able to hear her.
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Oscar nodded and smiled so wide that I thought his cheeks would split. "Yep! Engineer I am. Work on many inventions and weapons!"
Dr. Kegan smirked. "Ah, another scholarly gentleman. It's a different field of study, but it'll be nice to speak with someone else who is of class." He chuckled as he fixed his suit.
Anne looked at the doctor with lifeless eyes and said, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Uncle Oscar is smart, but he has no class."
The older elf scoffed. "Class I have! I am… cool. That's what kids say, right?"
How do you do, fellow kids? I thought to myself, laughed, and shook my head.
Kegan sighed. "Alas, I must continue to dumb down my speech." He said this, and I glanced back to see that he was smiling as he said it.
"You're just joking around, right?" I asked him, and he blinked and looked at me before chuckling and nodding.
"I am. I personally see no issue being around you, common folk. The past week alone showed me clearly as I stumbled around with a lot of you." He gestured with his arms out wide.
I nodded as we turned down more and more trench lines before, eventually, after a handful of minutes, we made our way up a small incline before stepping out into an open field littered with tents and wooden fortifications.
It looks like we have reached the forward operating base. I thought as I looked around to see a scattering of campfires and soldiers in their fatigues wandering about, either performing maintenance or relaxing.
"Corporal Straus, who are these people?" A commanding voice called out, and up ahead, I saw a tall, intimidating woman approaching us. She wore a dark gray trench coat decorated with medals and a matching peaked cap. On her left arm, I saw she had a golden armband with the symbol Heinmarr, the roaring dragon. She had beautiful red hair that peeked slightly out of her hat, similar to that of Anne's, as she approached us, flanked by two armed soldiers, her striking blue eyes piercing each of us as she examined us from head to toe.
The soldiers around us immediately stood to attention, their heels clicking as they saluted the woman. "Colonel Hass, we found these refugees attempting to cross the river!"
"Refugees?" Her eyes narrowed. She folded her white-gloved hands behind her back and began to walk down our line, examining us. "Did you search them?"
"Yes, sir." He spoke.
Sir? I blinked, confused.
The woman stopped. "What was that, Corporal?" She turned to face him, her eyes emotionless, and even I felt the fear of God strike me as the man sputtered. With her hands still folded behind her back, she took a few powerful strides towards him, her face leaning in close to his. "Corporal, do I sound like a man?"
"No, ma'am."
"Do I look like a man, Corporal?" She growled.
He shook his head. "No, ma'am."
"Do I go to the restroom like a man?" She glared, and I noticed behind her that one of her guards was smirking and trying not to laugh.
The corporal blinked for a second, caught off guard by her question, his face red with humiliation. "N-No, ma'am…" He said it with a slightly confused tone.
Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her voice. "Then why are you referring to me as a man?" Both I and Anne shrank back a bit as the second-hand embarrassment was getting to me.
"Ap-apologies, Ma'am. It was an honest mistake!"
She brought one hand up to his face and held a gloved finger right in front of his eyes. "I will forgive you this once, corporal. Though if I hear those words, leave your lips even once. I'll make sure all the boys and girls here refer to you as ma'am going forth. Got that?"
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He gulped.
She nodded as well and smiled as she leaned away from him and folded her hands back behind her. "Excellent. Now, for you lot." She turned to us. "Follow me and my troop. If you do not mind, I would like to hear personally from you all what it is like beyond enemy lines."
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We were led towards a nearby farmhouse that was about a hundred yards or so deeper into the military camp. The home I could see had been taken over by the army and turned into some sort of center of operations. I also assumed this was where the colonel was staying.
The house was nice—two stories, made of red brick, with a balcony facing towards the river. A perfect vantage point to oversee everything. As the colonel and soldiers led us to the building, I noticed as well that many of the soldiers here appeared to be different. Their clothes are more finely tailored, along with overall just appearing cleaner.
Officers. I thought to myself. Probably all the rich kids who went to some training school.
"My apologies, you had to witness that," Colonel Hass said to us as a soldier guarding the front door opened it and allowed us inside the quaint home.
"Is it common for your soldiers to offend you like that?" Dr. Kegan asked, and I bit my lower lip as well as Isa.
Hass glanced over her shoulder as she removed her hat and hung it on a nearby rack. To my surprise, two serelli women wearing outfits similar to that of a maid's uniform came over and assisted her in removing her trench coat.
Wait what? I watched as silver and red-haired maids hung the heavy coat, their fluffy tails flicking pleasantly as they turned to us and bowed.
"Recently, yes." Hass sighed and quietly thanked the two maids before shooing them off. "I had been sent here to replace Colonel Shire after his failure at Kassel. Many of the men here do not take kindly to a woman assuming the role of their commanding officer. Many of which are too stubborn to refer to me as such. But that'll change soon; I'll see to it."
"Oh, well, my apologies to hear that." Kegan said as another serelli maid with beautiful auburn hair and ears came in from the kitchen that was off to our right.
"Madam Hass, is there anything I can bring you and your guests?" The woman spoke pleasantly, her voice carrying a gentle purr. I glanced up at Isa and noticed she had a very perplexed look as her eyes flicked between the three maids.
Hass glanced at the maid and said, "Shilia, you can get us some tea and biscuits."
Shilia purred happily as her auburn ears flicked, and she turned around and went into the kitchen. Hass then looked at us and noticed Isa's expression. "Those are my servants; I brought them with me from home. Shilia, Liro, and Iru." She pointed to the red-haired and silver-haired serelli who appeared to be cleaning off a table covered in maps and tokens.
Isa scowled. "They're your servants?" Isa glared at the woman.
Hass held her hands up and said, "Paid, servants. They're willingly working for me and my family." To which the two girls cleaning the table both nodded.
Isa lightened up a little bit upon hearing this but still seemed a bit bothered. "Come, sit with me around the table. I would like to hear everything."
So, we told her everything.
The story was long, despite having only been about a week since the war broke out. As we recounted the events, it felt like years. During this team meeting, tea and biscuits were laid out before us, and each of us sipped our drinks. As I gazed around the table, the only ones I saw not partaking were the Tenorahn family, though I somewhat expected this as they had stayed safely in their home since the outbreak of the war. Yet their eyes were glued to us as we recounted the tale.
Colonel Hass, meanwhile, looked over the table and map as Isa pointed to where each event took place, and she stroked her chin and nodded.
"I had heard reports of these transport cylinders. They were used at the start of the conflict here in Hoesslin." She pointed to a small village along the border of Heinmarr and Rusimia. "Yet I hadn't expected they were being launched out this far to that extent." She took a deep breath and glanced at me. "And you're really the daughter of the Moonweaver?"
I nodded. "Yes, Ma'am… Have you heard of her? Or have you seen her? As said, she was in Kassel helping your men."
She nodded slightly before clarifying, "I have heard that she was in Kassel. Colonel Shire informed me that if it wasn't for her, many of his men would've been slaughtered. She saved many lives that night. Yet since then, she has vanished. I can round up the men and women who were there that night and ask them if they saw where she went."
My eyes lit up along with Isa's. "Please do! We need to find her!" I said, my heart fluttering with hope.
She nodded. "Liro, please make a note for me as a reminder." The silver-haired maid nodded, pulled a pen out of her bosom, and began to write a small note.
Hass turned back to Isa, looked to Oscar, and began to speak in fluent Yankston, which Isa translated for me in real-time. "And you, sir, mentioned that the town of Dredsten was attacked by what you called harvesters?"
Oscar cleared his throat and nodded. "Aye. The autonomous attackers came out of the transportation device. Yet not only that, but I had also witnessed them dismantling the device and recycling it to construct those harvesters I mentioned previously. I had seen those machines that were snatching people and sticking them into these baskets."
Hass's eyes widened. "So, they're able to replicate themselves."
Oscar nodded. "Only from those transportation machines I've seen. They seem to work like the base we're at now—a headquarters. It's ingenious, really. From what I guess, they launch their pods far behind enemy lines with enough supplies and guards to build a base, a factory of sorts, which then starts to produce more of these machines."
How the hell does he know all of this? Why hasn't he told us? I thought with wide eyes as Isa translated.
Oscar continued. "I theorize, Colonel, that those pods might be what are controlling those machines, or at the very least we know they're producing them. I don't know why they're taking people. But those harvesters appear around them, and they seem to be taking people back to it."
Hass's eyes narrowed on Oscar, and she smiled widely, and in Maurich, she said, "This is the best intelligence I've received in a while." Swapping back to Yanky, she said, "Do you know where the location of the Dredsten pod is?"
Without a word, Oscar got up, bent over the map, and pointed directly to an open field a few miles away from the village.
"I don't mean to make assumptions, Colonel," Oscar said, looking at the woman as he tapped the location on the map. "But if you plan on bombarding this place, I highly advise you don't. Almost the entire population of Dredsten and some of your own soldiers may be held captive here. You would be bombing your own people."
Hass laughed. "What do you take me for? A Rusivite warlord?" She shook her head. "No, I'm thinking we spring a jailbreak." She smiled deviously.
Oscar blinked. "But that might be a suicide mission."
Hass shook her head and stood up. "I don't think so. I already have a plan in mind." She then cleared her throat and began to speak in Maurich again. "Thank you. All of you. You've provided me with everything that I could've wanted. Which pleases me greatly. I'll have my men escort you all to the refugee camp further south from the camp; it should only be a thirty-minute walk, and with how late it is, I can only assume you're dying to get some rest. I'll have my men provide you with suitable lodging."
Isa, Oscar, and the others bowed their heads in thanks while I and Anne shared a glance as Isa gripped my head and forced me to bow as Oscar did the same to Anne. I squeaked and muttered thanks as I then took my warm tea and finished it with a heavy gulp.
A jailbreak? I thought. I wonder if Mother was captured. I hope not… and I hope that whatever this colonel is planning, she can save those people.