I have to clamp my lips shut to not scream in agony, as I shove the large mix of stone and wood off my body. It lands with a heavy crack on the ground. I lay there panting, hoping I didn't alert anything to my position. The blood trickling from my side, tickles my back. My hands rattle from the pain and ball into fists. My Captain's cape is the only thing even remotely like a bandage within reach, so I tear off a few long strands and stuff it under my armor against the wound. I carefully tie the second longer strip of fabric along my waist to keep the bundle in place. A cloud of dirt kicks up as I recoil from the pain. After a deep inhale, I glance around at the toppled cottages and houses that once littered my great city. The flames that consumed them were now my only hope to see due to the thick smoke blocking out the moon.
The city around me was drenched in black. Creatures scurried around in the distance, too brief to tell if they was human or not. I do my best to lay still, knowing I'll be easy prey otherwise. Every muscle in my body has given up, but I am still a soldier and soldiers don't quit. Looking off to my left, I see a tiny hole in the debris, just large enough for my body. It was close enough to move into, but if one of those freaks sees me, it could easily be the end. A few rapid breaths enter my lungs before I slide into the hole feet first.
Small pebbles roll off my armor as I sit up. Every last sound feels like a creeping assassin, as I try not to shake from the pain. Seconds feel like hours as I have no choice but to sit and wait for anything that saw me. A low, pitiful moan cuts through the silence off to my right. It was too far away to see, but there was no mistaking what I heard. It could be human, or another odd sound from an Og Nag. The cry gets a bit higher pitched and I can tell it was human. Whether I could do anything or not, was another matter.
My hand clenches around my hilt as I ponder what to do. Chances were high that they'd get picked off soon if I did nothing. There was no avoiding my predicament though; I needed reinforcements, but I couldn't keep waiting forever. I ready my blade and kick a few stones away from me as auditory bait, then go back to listening while leaning against the debris. Soft pattering on the ground makes me flinch. Gradually they make their way towards my little hole, but stop. We play the waiting game again. Whatever it was, it wants to know just how active its target was.
I let myself cough and groan a few times, trying to exaggerate my injuries. It was true that my side needed immediate medical attention, but I didn't need to live for more than a few hours as it was. The mana-fueled bomb should be going off any time now. It would be a kiss from hell itself and the last present to the world from the great nation of Taraska. Perhaps then this world could partially forgive us of our sins after that.
The soft footsteps resume and are accompanied by the gentle ruffle of stones. They get louder and more frequent as my stalker draws closer. My jaw drops a bit as I realize a small mistake I've made; I'd have no time to tell if this thing was friend or foe. There couldn't be more than a handful of my people left, so I couldn't risk killing a survivor. I set the sword down and prepare to grab my target. Every footstep is planned as I carefully get to my feet while staying crouched.
The crunching of rock gets louder, as my stalker is just a few feet ahead of me. The delicate drawing of steel makes my skin crawl. Any second now, they'd try to jump into the hole with me. They probably knew full-well there'd be no sneaking up on me at a certain distance. I'm surprised they were even still trying. My ears are at full concentration as I wait for the last step; they'd dig in their foot before sprinting.
My heart pounds in my ears. What were they waiting for? Staying crouched for so long was making my legs burn. Then I hear it. Rocks go flying as whatever it is dashes towards me. I grit my teeth and stand as fast as possible. Without even risking the time it would take to look, I grab hold of whatever I can, and slam the creature into the hole head-first with a furious throw. It hits the ground and bounces once with a high-pitched squeal.
Its eyes shoot open and dart to me. I slam a steel boot onto its hand that holds the sword. I crouch down in a flash, pull the dagger from my boot and jam it into his ugly face before it can utter out a hunting call. I listen carefully, not moving a muscle so the clanking of my armor doesn't mask the sound of a second assailant. The night is dead again. A burning log nearby illuminates the face of the most foul species to walk our planet: an Og Nag.
On average they barely come up to my waist. They varied in size significantly, which meant being versatile in combat was key. Their large bellies were constantly full of slain opponents and occasionally each other. Their large heads and bulging eyes that stuck out to the sides, seemed like a cross between humans and frogs. Their massive, gaping mouths held rows of long, jagged teeth and stretched from ear to ear. With scrawny arms and leg that somehow let them wield weapons, they weren't much individually. Unfortunately, they always showed up in a massive horde.
They're known for two things: ruthlessness and numbers. Cartridge had brought them out of thin air and had laid waste to our land. Their origin was unknown and Og Nag don't speak or have any semblance of higher brain function. Oddly enough, they don't bleed, which made combat much less gory. Our Minister, who is in charge of collecting information on all species and factions, had theorized that they may have been made using magic, although there was no clear sign of leadership. They were a dull, vomit green with immense, unsettling yellow iris'.
Its upper jaw holds more teeth than was natural for its mouth. The top layer of teeth were now scattered over its chin, unable to sit comfortable inside its mouth. Monstrous yellow eyes stared at me mindlessly, almost looking infected and absent. I had seen infested wounds that looked more appealing than this thing's face.
Its bulging belly slowly spilled open, it must have cut itself open on my shoulder spike on the way down. I drop my dagger and cover my mouth with my right hand. Out from its belly, slid a tiny purple mantle. It belonged to sergeant Rufina, one of my finest up and coming warriors. She would sit and listen to my war stories for hours at a time. She was even one of the soldiers who was imprisoned after speaking in my defense at my trial.
I can't hold back a growl that leaps from my throat. Yanking my sword from the ground, I make slash after slash into this disgusting monster. It didn't matter that I needed to conserve energy. Large chunks of skin fly off and litter the ground. Tears crawl down my cheeks as years of pent-up rage come out. I stop when I hear the moans again. Carefully peeking over the edge of the hole, I see the vast empty landscape. It may seem clear, but our soldiers quickly found out that debris can always conceal an Og Nag.
The pitiful cries were too much to take. My arms can't even lift myself out of the hole. I have to roll myself over the edge and let my body slide down the brief hill of rock that was once our forge. The sound meant nothing to me now, since anything within earshot would have heard our little fight by now.
As if the smoke was mocking me, I stared up at the sky, contemplating just staying there until my breathing stopped. I was fighting more for duty and spite at this point anyways. In a few hours, our city would be a giant crater of revenge as we took out the largest army of Og Nag ever seen. We would be gone, but the last remaining countries would at least have a chance at a counterattack or at the very least, some time to breath.
As luck would have it, I'd have to endure watching my city perish twice. The bomb would be going off any minute now, as we fought for the sake of valor and revenge. These horrible monsters that had plagued the land and every nation not allied with Cartridge, would suffer some serious losses at the hands of Taraska. We waited as long as we could, baiting every last Og Nag in a hundred miles to invade our last city, just so we can take them to hell with us, using the only actual magic we've ever found. After we eradicate their forces, and our city with them, Dracur could finally have the breathing room it need to march on Catridge and destroy them for what they've unleashed on the world. Too bad we wouldn't be there to see it.
My eyes flutter, wanting to see the stars one last time. As fate would have it, I wouldn't be granted any last requests. I had learned the horrifying truth; our nation took advantage of others during the Great War for personal gain. Granted that was the unspoken rule when all hell broke loose; kill or be killed. Evil and good were now a matter of situation, than a clear boundary. We had back-stabbed anyone we could to get ahead, given that our country had no real special skills other than pure tenacity. We did what we had to and now it was time to pay our dues.
The moans of my soldier get a bit louder and more pitiful. I close my eyes and sigh. Sitting around while others suffered, had never suited me. Whether saving their life was pointless or not, I could at least spend my final hours with someone who wasn't trying to kill and eat me; not necessarily in that order. Hell they might even trade off between doing both several times.
I roll to my hands and feet, planting my scabbard into the ground to help me stand up. I choke on the high-pitched gasp that almost escapes as I remember the nasty gash in my side. The path to the cries of agony is nothing but stone, illuminated by various small fires. My gaze shifts quickly, but quietly as I let my eyes do most of the scanning.
I pass by another soldier who went out the best way possible. She was missing her head, but beside her lay a dozen dead Og Nag, as well as a few empty liquor bottles. A small smile creeps onto my face, happy that they at least died how they wanted, on their own terms.
I turn a corner and stop; I almost lose what little I had in my stomach. A man without his helmet lay pinned between two large stone slabs. Everything below his shoulders was almost completely concealed. His eyes were literally bulging from his head. Trails of blood seeped from his tear ducts and his face was a dark shade of purple. His short brown hair is half caked with dried blood. He couldn't be any older than seventeen.
He peers up at me with wonder, almost as if his mission was to find me. His temples pound mercilessly on his forehead. He tries to mouth words to me, but can do nothing but gulp like a fish. His eyes dart to my sword then to me. My fingers caress the handle as my stomach rots. It was the duty of a captain to end needless suffering. It was my burden to bear and mine alone. I whip out my sword, trying to make this as quick as possible, but I hesitate.
This was the first friendly face I had seen in hours and I was about to remove it from existence. I stand by his side and raise my weapon above my head. Besides the light crackle of flames, the night is serenaded with the clanking of my armor as I shake in place. Once again, something inside me just...can't. I lower my sword and take off my helmet. Our eyes lock as I take a knee, setting my helmet next to him out of respect. He deserved to see my full face. This could easily be the last friend I ever meet. He does his best to close his eyes but literally can't. I tear off a piece of red cloth from my Captain's Cloak and lay it across his eyes. He didn't need to see it coming. With one stroke, he's gone. The built up pressure of blood comes jetting out over the ground with a loud splash. The slabs of stone shift a bit as they settle down.
I see his helmet laying a few feet away, resting on an upright stick. He had it so it was just barely visible over the short wall. If anything came wandering, it might jump the wall and go for his helmet first. He tried to catch his breath in this building, but it must have collapsed on him as he slept. His helmet was the same design as mine. It fully covered the wearer's face, but his had a massive dent in the left side. The sides of the helmet that cover our ears, continue above the head and quickly dip forward like the end of a scythe blade. While it could be used for headbutting soldiers, it almost never came up and got caught more by weapons being swung overhead than anything else.
I mindlessly put my helmet back on, doing my best to block this moment out. Some of his blood had apparently filled my helmet, as it slowly oozes down my face cheek. My eyes are wide as I walk away, from him and this damn war. Stones crunch under my boot as I stand on a long path that acted as a main road. This city had been my home, but everything looked foreign. There was nothing recognizable anymore. The sky mocks me again. I wanted to see the moon, the stars, anything. This was the end.
My head snaps to the right as I hear my name called down the road. It took my eyes a bit to see the fire's light reflect off his armor. He runs towards me. Emeris, my second in command and lifelong friend. He might as well be walking straight out of the gates of heaven. Him being alive was impossible.
"Captain Raiden!" he calls out again, waving his hands. I begin walking towards him, but pick up the pace once he looks behind him. At least twenty Og Nag came into view, waving their swords and snarl wildly. I look down at my weapon and sigh. One day I had planned to walk down the steps of a huge, white house, walk into the living room and see it mounted above the fireplace. It curved near the end, to make it more aerodynamic. The handle had weaves of red and gold fabric. The once polished blade had been hideously reforged in a hurry several times. It had been custom made for me once I had hit captain, as is tradition.
Emeris does his best to run, but limps on his right foot. He only has a basic sword, and no shield. I go into a light jog, knowing I'll need to save some energy for the fight. My eyes scan the debris around me, and I finally see a cramped, intact alleyway to my right. I stop and make a triangle with my hands above my head, our signal for either a trap or tactical advantage in our favor, with an X meaning the opposite. He sheaths his sword and runs as fast as he can. The stone slabs groan a bit as I pat them for stability. If it was unstable, we might have to use it to slow them down, but if it's still decently intact, it could be a good choke point. The ground holds a single piece of hope for us: an abandoned shield. After turning it over a few times in my hands, it seems to be decently intact.
Emeris stops and slides across the ground. I grab him and guide him into the alley way.
"How tired are you?!" I ask urgently
"I'm...I'm okay, I can fight!" He barely gets out the word between breathes.
"Then we hold them off here. Keep an ear out if they start trying to climb around us. If they do, we keep backing up. The debris should help spread them out."
He nods his head furiously.
It's only a few seconds before they get to us. They hiss wildly as they all try to crowd into the narrow alley. The walls surrounding us crack and groan as the monsters slam into the side as they round the corner. We both flinch and scan the tops of the walls as a few rocks roll down. Emeris grabs the shield from me and braces himself. He starts shaking in place, his eyes are wide and focused. I lean over to his ear.
"Try to deflect their attacks instead of stopping the entire hit, you'll use less energy."
The first Og Nag charges. It swings his sword at Emeris, who quickly angles his shield to deflect it over his head. He jams his sword into the Og Nag's stomach. A second one quickly climbs on top of his fellow soldier and tries to swing at Emeris from the left. I raise my weapon and block the attack, but only momentarily. Emeris quickly jams his sword up and into the creature's face before he can swing again. Emeris pulls out his sword from the dead Og Nag, and kicks the creature away, then goes back into the same position. A third Og Nag tries to swing down at him, but I can see his other small, frail hand on a shank.
"Den Right!" I yell. Emeris slams his shield to his right, pinning the monsters arms against the wall. I quickly reach over the shield and stab it in the forehead. Its bulging eyes roll back and both weapons fall to the ground. Emeris barely has time to deflect to his left, as another attack happens. He runs it through with his sword. I get my sword up just in time to block and impale another attack from above. I flinch as a rock falls on my helmet. Two Og Nag stare down at me, their eyes yellow and empty. They clutch their weapons menacingly
"Emeris, time to move!" I yell. We back up as fast as possible, still having to defend ourselves with every step. I check behind us every second, knowing a well-timed ambush would end it all. Their bodies keep piling up and the alleyway is running out rapidly.
"Gai!" I call out, letting him know it was time to leave. Emeris slices up one last Og Nag and kicks it into the small crowd which are stunned momentarily. He spins around and we empty out into a large area that was decently clear of debris. This must have been a small market area due to the random colored fabric tucked into the stone slabs that ring the clearing.
I glance over and see an Og Nag as tall as I am, rushing at me. With no time to draw my sword, I stand there for just a brief second, baiting him to take a confident swing at me. He quickly raises his sword above his head to bring it down. Right as it begins its decent, I immediately crouch and turn my right side in his direction and rush forward. In a split second, I've rammed my shoulder spike into its chest. The moment my shoulder pad makes contact, I reach across and take the sword from his hand. As fast as I can manage, I swing it across his neck and sever his head which clanks against my armor on it's way down. The brutal shriek of another Og Nag makes me turn around and he's followed closely by two allies.
I kick my former opponents head into the face of the first little monster, stunning it momentarily as it coddles its face. The second sword makes a light whistle as I hurl it through the air, nailing him in the chest. His accomplice tries to swipe at my head. I duck under the swing, and draw my sword to the left, across his stomach as I sail past. Before he can do anything else, I slash his spine to finish him off. He falls face first into the ground.
My hand instinctively goes for my side. I knew I needed to take it easy, but how could I? My veins pulse with every block and every swing of my blade. The makeshift bandage was doing it's job for now, but by the time it would matter, I'd be dead. Something deep within drove me to keep pushing, to keep fighting, to keep resisting.
The foot steps of my last foe echo off the debris around me. I flip my sword around so it goes back across my forearm. His first swipe is blocked with my arm, as I ram my elbow spike into his face. His only sound is his metal weapon clanging against the ground.
It shrieks and falls to the dirt. Another comes in, sword drawn. I deflect his attack to the left. Instead of stopping, I spin all the way around again, allowing me to hit him with my shield, sending him sailing into another approaching ally. They collide and lay on the ground briefly. I rush over and impale them both with a single downward thrust. I pull out my sword, and see Emeris has his hands full.
Two tall Og Nag come at him from the sides. He raises his shield. Right before the left one brings his sword down, Emeris dodges to the left, under the creatures swinging arm and cuts off its leg. It falls to the ground shrieking. His ally watches him hit the floor. As soon as it looks up, Emeris ends its head goes flying. It falls to the ground on its knees, then slumps over dead. Emeris finishes the one on the ground. The last six decide it's time to run.
"Emeris, we can't keep doing this, we have to get back to the castle!" It was common knowledge in our army that if everything fell apart, that you retreated to the nearest landmark. A well-known tower, a command post, whatever stood out the most was the assumed location. If we were regrouping, it would be at the castle. It hung silently in the distance, devoid of any light and hope. Every candle that could be seen from the outside was snuffed to make it impossible for catapults to sight in on it. Calling it a castle was a bit of an exaggeration, since it was only as wide and long as eight normal homes, but it did it's job. With six floors and what appeared to be a completely winged design, it was an eyesore but had resisted plenty of sieges.
Emeris and I stay low and try to keep out of the light. This also helped our eyes adjust to the darkness. We do our best to follow the random paths that were clear of debris, but eventually we hit a snag. In front of us was an old house. The roof had completely caved in and the outside wood was scorched black. I tap the back of my head, letting Emeris know to watch our backs.
I lay down and peer through the rubble. We couldn't turn around now, the nearest other path we had seen was ten minutes worth of sneaking behind us. As I narrow my eyes in concentration, I see light on the other side of the house reflecting off a shield. The way through wasn't even remotely enough for us.
I drum my fingers lightly on the ground. We couldn't really go back and going through was risky at best. There might be a small chance we could climb over the roof, but everything was a gamble at this point. The rocks that appear to be my best foot holds, grumble a bit as I set one cautious foot after another on them. With no scouts nearby to warn us, I'd have to keep my head as low as I could. Og Nag may have terrible aim, but minimizing risk was our only option. Ahead of me is an exact copy of where we came from: endless destroyed houses and bodies.
Six figures stand up and continue to look through an old home. My stomach muscles tense as I lower myself as quietly as possible. Every crumbling rock and footstep makes my ears twitch. I attentively raise my head an inch at a time until I can just barely see all five figures again. The Og Nag continued to move rocks and wooden beams, attempting to gain entry into the house. I raise an eyebrow and see a painted sign on the ground to the right of the house. The print was illegible, but there was no mistaking the painting of a pie on the left side of it. It was a bakery, which meant it had a basement for storage. Was there someone holding out inside?
In the low light, my eyes catch a different sign. There was a horizontal wooden plank, with two equal sized rocks on each end. To the casual onlooker, it was just rubble. To a Taraskan, it was a secret sign of refuge. I climb down as quietly as possible and motion for Emeris to come over. He takes one last look around before hustling to me. Gesturing behind me with my thumb, I keep my voice as low as possible.
"There's survivors in there and it's a good place to rest. Got any ideas?" Emeris looks at the same puzzle I was: how do we get over the house without being seen? Emeris stops and stares at the debris to ourleft where a slab sticks out, acting as a ledge. I look down at my metal gauntlets and boots, wondering how we were going to sneak over without making a load of noise.
Emeris slips off his boots, but keeps the leather lining on around his feet. I motion for him to turn around and undo the ties for his chest piece as he works on his hands. When he's done, he does the same for me. I tighten my belt that kept my scabbard to my side. The ledge sits a good foot out of reach. Despite being exhausted, I massage my arms before crouching down. Emeris gets in front of me and cups his hands. A small leap up and my hands clench onto the edge. A few agonizing seconds and I can tell the ledge is sturdy. He gets behind me a few feet then does a small hop into the air.
His hands clamped onto my shoulders. He pulls up his lower body and wraps his legs around my midsection. He then reaches up further with his hands onto the ledge, then uses my shoulders as holsters for his feet. He looks to the left and right before slithering on top of the stone. He turns around and grabs both my wrists. He gives me a single nod. I let go as he leans back, pulling me up with him. This was extremely inefficient, but it kept us as low as we could get.
Climbing up a mountain of debris wasn't as difficult as climbing back down. My arms had to take the majority of my weight. Progress is aggravatingly slow, as every rock and foot placement is doublechecked for stability. One of us would move forward, find a decent stopping point, then kept watch as the other moved down.
The Og Nag have their backs to us, as Emeris makes his way to street level. He turns around and motions to where he climbed down so I can follow. I trade between glancing where my hands and feet are going, and the Og Nag just ten feet away. They had simple leather straps that they tied scrap pieces of armor to. I stare at the nearest one and can't help but see the tiniest odd feature, something you would easily miss. The armor was attached by pieces of thin rope, tied together in a simple knot. Who tied it? Can Og Nag even do that? They grab, they hiss, they swing their weapons, they charge and run away. There were never any reports of them doing anything that required attention.
Emeris crouches behind the creature and I quietly walk up to his side, just barely out of eyesight. His nearest ally was another five feet away. My dagger comes out smoothly and quietly, ready to be tossed in my free hand. In case I have to use it, my sword rests on my left shoulder, ready to swing. Emeris gives me a small nod and I step in front of the creature and jam my knife into his forehead. The moment it's done, I rush forward and jam my sword into his ally's face, hearing it pierce out the back of his skull with a sickening plop, just as he turns around. Emeris meticulously lowers the first Og Nag to the ground so it doesn't make any noise. I grab onto my victim's leather chest harness, and use it to keep his body quiet as we sink down. My sword has to be twisted a few times to break free of the suction so we can continue.
We creep to the left and see two more Og Nag try to clear out a small window that leads into the basement. Emeris and I skulk behind them, staying in the darkness. We angle ourselves directly behind them and give the scene one last look. I give a short three-count with my fingers and we dart forward, slamming our weapons into the back of their skulls. I hear the curious squeal of an Og Nag to my left who stares at me with his arms full of wood. His yellow eyes watch me, illuminated by a small fire still burning to his right side. He opens his mouth to shriek, but gets interrupted with a knife into his head. He stands momentarily before falling backwards.
I look at Emeris who stays locked in his throwing position, with a second knife ready in his other hand. His face was cloaked in shadow, but I know he's grinning. We both wince as the Og Nag's load of wood makes a racket that echoes everywhere. We crouch by the window.
"Hey!" I whisper, still trying to make sure only they hear me.
A pair of green eyes meets me at the windows. He gives me a grateful wave, before disappearing. He returns with a small, blonde daughter and lifts her up to the window. I wave my hands frantically.
"No, stay there, it's not safe out here! We'll come back for you soon, just say quite alright?" He sets down his daughter, who smiles at me from ear to ear. She must have been barely six, probably too young to grasp just how much danger she was in. The man and his wife both stand at the window and whisper terrified gratitude to us. I nod and start walking back to our armor. Emeris runs up and clamps a hand on my shoulder right as I start climbing the debris.
"Captain! Why aren't we taking them with us to the castle?! This is against protocol!" I turn around and stare at him silently. He drops his hand and his eyes grow wide.
"Oh...the...bomb…" He mumbles. I glance back at the building.
"If they come with us, there's a chance none of us will make it on the way there. At least they'll be safe enough for now. Let them stay a family until the end."
The climb up is silent.