And now we lie in jasper's fields

by The Illiterate Authors

As we experience the horrors of war, nothing is forgotten, the pain resides within and Humphrey must learn to combat it with sheer bravery, will he triumph? One-shot, Anthro

And Now We Lie….In Jasper's Fields…

Hello readers, this is yet another submission from the Illiterate Authors, this story takes us through the pain and hardship that comes from war, the personal hell that we all must cope with when faced with loss, but are we truly strong enough? Read and find out.-Nick Valerian

The rain pelted the soft ground in the middle of the clearing, the field's long stalks of grass swayed back and forth in the cool autumn air, the smell of dying leaves and wilting flowers filled the atmosphere. Jasper was nothing but a quiet open forest, split between two warring empires, the East and the West.

The quiet was suddenly penetrated by the rhythmic beats of marching, thousands of soldiers following one by one, well organized and ready for a fight. The sky was lit up by the familiar sight of lightning, the embers of the newly lit bonfire assaulted the air with their massive numbers, filling it with a dark cloud of smoke. The time was 0500 hours, the clearing was soon filled with the presence of two factions, their leaders, and the thousands that were willing to spill blood in the midst of a terrible Famine, lust for battle consuming them.

The horn sounded down in the valley, each side sits and listens attentively to the rules of battle, a common ritual among the troops.

"Humphrey.." a voice whispered from afar, I looked over to see my brother Damien calling me over, his breastplate shining in the sinking sunlight. I walked over to his position among the Warlords, gently weaving in and out of shouting crowds of drunk conscripts and Veterans alike, the stench of old Bourbon filling my nostrils.

"What is it Brother?", Damien described the plan to me, a straight charge towards the opposing force, flanking battalions charging in from the right and left when the main force is distracted. I shook my head at the notion, the plan was poorly coordinated, my mind wrenched at the thought of the massacre that lay ahead.

Before I could reply, both East and West forces advanced slowly, Winston leading the West, Tony leading the East, massive armies with intent on ripping each other apart. The horn sounded three more times, battle cries erupted from the crowds, the crashing and clanking of steel resonating from the swords and shields. I was pushed from behind into a nearby battalion, I managed to squeeze my body through the tightly enclosed space to the back of the mass, keen to stay away from arrow fire.

Just as we reached the river, the rain darkened the sky, a large grouping of deadly bolts came falling down onto the unsuspecting, the crunch of bone and cries battered the sound waves as the left flank was covered in a heap of slumped bodies. I watched as the soldiers continued their death march, straight into enemy fire, they were unshaken, clad with bravery. As I followed my battalion, the only thing I could think about was that beautiful face, the golden fur, that smile, Kate….My one regret about joining the fight, leaving behind all that I love, all that I strived for.

The cries surfaced again as the second wave of arrows pelted the right flank, we were completely exposed, fear swept over me at the thought of being enclosed by the heartless warriors of the East. The main force had reached the front, thousands of troops clashing in an attempt to thwart the others advance, a sad game of chess that would never end. Flintlock pistols fired off wildly, cannons blurted, arrows rained, death captivated the valley. I felt a deep sense of fear, some deep need to turn tail and run, but my feet pressed on, unyielding, I walked to my own self proclaimed fate.

I saw Damien a few feet away, two soldiers were swinging their sharp blades towards his chest, anger and starvation was present in their eyes. He swung a terrible deathblow to the one on his right, blood seeping from the wound that was permanently embedded into his body, gore covering Damien's blade. The other quickly stabbed into Damien's back, the scarlet liquid spilled onto the ground under him. He whipped around and grabbed the conscript, the soldier was barely half our age, just a young boy.

My brother was stopped dead in his tracks, the expression on his face was filled with fear and regret, I called out to him but he didn't listen. I watched as the shining steel made contact with his head, the sight of gore and brain matter could make any man sick, his body dropping like a useless rag doll, he ceased to feel pain, only peace. I was enraged, the burning feeling that you get in your gut when you witness the death of a loved one at the hands of Eastern filth. Before I could reach the wretch responsible for my brother's death, the cannon hit the soft marsh in front of me, the shrapnel digging into my leg, the pain was unbearable, my sight darkening, my conscience, tired.

I woke to the sounds of birds chirping quietly, the soft spring sunlight, the destroyed battlefield. I looked around me, the main force had been wiped out, but we still won, we won against a formidable enemy in our darkest hour. As I observed the number of casualties around me, the devastation, the loss, I sunk into a sitting position and sobbed. We had caused so much damage for so little gain, the bodies of the young littered the open ground, blood spattered on their equipment, their eyes lifeless mirrors into a dying world.

I sat in front of the body of my brother, the son of Tony lay near him, both covered in each others blood, they died defending their clans, their leaders, for what? A few kilometres of ground? It's senseless, the killing, the death, the conflict, all for tyrannical leaders that don't give a shit about our welfare, we were just cannon fodder for the enemy.

I sat and pulled a piece of paper from my blood covered satchel and began to write.

"In Jasper's fields the Lilies grow, through the crosses, row on row

That mark our place though we die, the enemy still hears our ferocious cry,

Scarce heard amid the swords below. We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt love, saw rivers flow, loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Jasper's fields. Take up our struggle with the foe, to you from dying hands

We throw, the torch; be yours to hold with pride. If you break faith with us who

Die, We shall not sleep, though Lilies grow, in Jasper's fields."

The small poem would serve as a reminder to both clans of the battle that tore Jasper apart, the conflict that left my brother and Tony's son, Garth, in pieces, blood and gore strewn across a battered war zone.

The night was quiet, we were stationed on high ground to scout for anything suspicious, so far it seemed more dead than the casualties that littered the field of battle. My friend Shaky sat a little ways away in the thick of the brush, silently waiting with a longbow, I could tell he was scared, considering he was shaking, he had never been chosen for a war party, if anything happened, he would have a terrible case of shellshock, every soldiers personal hell. I dozed off when it hit midnight, I haven't had sleep in days, I dreamt of the battle, the bloodshed, the look in Winston's and Tony's eyes as they ripped each other's troops apart.

I woke to the sound of clashing steel, I couldn't tell how long I had been asleep, but I knew it was a bit more than I had bargained for. In the valley below our war party had been ambushed, the cries of pain and stifled groans of the wounded underfoot were all that permeated the midnight air, the scent of blood and carcass filled my nostrils. Artillery fire pounded the ground and sent limbs flying left and right, we had been plunged into yet another hell.

"Hold your ground, don't you run you Fucking cowards!" Winston was yelling as the soldiers were being slaughtered.

"Winston stop this! We are losing, there is no point in acquiring anymore casualties, surrender!" Winston didn't hear me, he was too busy being swallowed by the thrill of battle, the rush was like a feeling of pure ecstasy, like you were consuming all of the Opium in the world and you get the greatest high you have ever had, pure adrenaline.

I jumped down the slope and tumbled to the ground below, I tried to lift my leg, but it was broken, the bone sticking out of a flesh wound. Shaky was as I had imagined, he had shut down, shellshock taking control as he slumped into a sitting position and sobbed as the battle raged around him, an arrow piercing him in the neck, blood trickling down his body as he lay his head down to accept death. I had finally experienced all that war had to offer, this sick feeling of achievement swept over me, I had lost so much as we gained small pieces of land, some sort of nasty loyalty towards my leader. I yelled as loud as I could, a sad attempt at trying to stop the conflict, but nothing happened, I was just another worthless conscript in a never-ending struggle. I lost a lot of blood, a scarlet puddle forming under me as I cried out, I fell to my side, losing all the energy I had left, I drifted into a deep sleep.

I was dreaming again, a sweet scent drifted around me, a golden entity danced in the darkness that was my mind. The entity looked to me and then darted off, the graceful way that it moved was so familiar, yet it seemed so foreign. I heard a small voice call to me, "Humphrey….", it was so low that I couldn't detect who it was that was calling. My body began to jerk wildly, as if some stronger force had taken control of me, I didn't fight it, I could tell what was coming. Now the entity became familiar, my lovely Kate holding me in her arms, blood covered her hands as my wounds leaked the liquid more violently, all I could hear was her soft voice saying "I love you, please don't leave me!". I looked at her in surprise, "What would ever make me leave you?" but I already knew the answer, she slowly let me slide out pf her arms, I knew I wasn't dreaming anymore, reality had it's icy grip around me and it was slowly squeezing the life out.

I had witnessed the horrors of war and experienced true loss, I was just another soldier that died on that cold battlefield, never to be remembered as the next batch of troops is sent in to share my fate, though it seems like I gained nothing, I had gained a sad point-of-view. I let my body lay s till, kissing her tender lips one last time as I wait to join my brother, wherever he is, it seems as though I had helped in some way, giving my satchel to Kate I told her to give the components to her Father and make sure that he remembers all that has happened, I want him to know the pain as we have felt it. My sight became hazy and one last time I croaked out a good-bye to my friends and loved ones, but I'm afraid and yet proud to say that I am Humphrey the omega, and now I lie, In Jasper's fields…

Thank you for reading another submission from the Illiterate Authors, I hope you enjoyed this Anthro twist on Alpha & Omega, please review and keep an eye out for more fantastic material from the Illiterate Authors!