Chapter 3
Do Something
"Well, now where do we go? They keep advancing!" Raivis, the Five of Clubs, wailed as he buried his hands in his face.
Once again, Clubs was holding a Deck shuffling-they were gathered in their grand room, seated around their table, discussing where to move the troops in their next battle plan. For many months this war had raged between Clubs and Spades, and so far no one knew who would win. Although Spades had the better tech-they were always the first in developing new steam-powered mechs and tanks- Clubs still had a pretty good edge with how many troops they had, not to mention the tactics they used were quite impressive.
"I say we keep pushing forward! We cannot lose our ground!" Sadik, the Jack, suggested as he leaned forward, his chin resting in his hand as he tried to think of something.
"Our spies report that Spades is bringing another squadron from Sergazy," Queen Irunya reminded them, "we should pull back before they arrive and we are surrounded."
"If we pull back, like, then what? They'll really invade us then!" Feliks, the Six, wailed.
"Moriyah and Naphtali keep making the plans-let them decide!" Natalia huffed as she tossed her platinum blonde hair behind her.
"I come up with plans too!" Sadik exclaimed as he leaped to his feet, the mask covering his face nearly falling off as he did.
"We all come up with plans together," Gupta, the Nine, pointed out, trying to keep the meeting somewhat peaceful.
"He is right-we each contribute something," Tino added with a small smile as he smoothed his blonde hair with one hand.
"Well, so far NONE of us are coming up with anything except arguments," Yao snorted as he played with the end of his long black ponytail, eyeing the battle map before them on the table.
After a few moments, everyone turned to stare at the Seven, the Ace, and the Jack, who were the best tacticians in the entire suit. Moriyah felt uncomfortable with everyone staring at her-she felt she didn't deserve it. Her ice-blue eyes averted their gazes as she looked at her brother, wondering what he would say. Naphtali was also staring hard at the map, contemplating what to do as his blue eyes roamed among the pieces that marked the different battalions.
"Eduard, remind me, what troops does Spades have near our border?" Naphtali asked Eduard von Bock, who was known for his abilities with technology and handling information.
Sitting up straighter, Eduard adjusted his glasses and rattled off the different troops that came to his mind, "Besides tanks, infantry, and rocketeers, they also have ravager mechs, artillery, and even some bomber airships here and there."
Everyone sighed at the list, trying to fight back the fear that kept creeping onto them. They all knew that the ravagers alone could take out many of their tanks with their razor-sharp blades that they thrust into the enemy machines, killing and destroying everything and anything. No suit had yet managed to develop a metal that could protect against the blued steel of Spades' ravagers… especially since Spades had most of the iron.
"What is their greatest weakness?" Naphtali questioned.
"It is common knowledge that without smooth ground the ravagers tend to fall, and their tanks are much heavier than ours, making them slower," Eduard reminded him.
For several minutes Naphtali was silent as he pondered what to do. Moriyah also stared at the map while her logical mind began coming up with various possible scenarios, but nothing seemed to work. Slowly her eyes roved the map once again, and she noticed the marshlands within their borders, south of Faielda. Then it clicked.
"If we don't pull back they will surely surround us, so let's pull back to the marshes south of Faielda," Moriyah suggested as she pointed to the marsh with her lightly tanned hand.
"Then they will be within our borders, and we may not get them out," Ivan slowly articulated, unsure of how this plan would work.
"Wait! We could pull back, and while they are catching up we could get re-enforcements!" Sadik shouted as he leaned on the table, a plan forming in his mind."
"And then surround them," Naphtali finished, a small grin forming on his scarred face.
"Yes, but they have re-enforcements too," Toris objected with a worried look in his green eyes.
"Toris has a point," Feliks agreed as he fingered some of his blonde locks nervously, "What do we do when THEY come for help?"
"The marshes are not too far, and once we take out this battalion they won't have as many troops left," Sadik declared with a wave of his hand.
"Indeed, you are all right," Yao sighed, "And although this plan does sound good, it would mean giving up the ground we gained… in order to POSSIBLY take out a chunk of the enemy."
"Either way we must lose ground," Irunya soothed him gently, "For if we don't move, they will move in on us."
"True…" Yao sighed. For some time no one spoke, and then at last Yao proclaimed, "We shall move to the marshes, then bring in re-enforcements."
For many more weeks the battles raged, and Clubs managed, thanks to the plans suggested by the Ace and the Seven, to not only hold their ground, but to advance on the Spades. The Ace and seven worked together well-so well, in fact, that news spread as to who was making the plans in Clubs' Deck.
"So, it's that girl, the Seven of Clubs," King Alfred of Spades yelled, frustrated with how many of his troops were dying, and it was made even more infuriating now that he knew that a young woman was behind it all. Although it wasn't just Moriyah, his spies believed it was, and so he believed it too.
"If only we could kill her, we would surely win!" Queen Elizaveta growled, clenching her fist as she sat in her chair at the Deck Shuffling of Spades.
"Until we reach their capitol we can only hope she becomes ill," Ludwig sighed.
"You have spies in there-why not send an assassin?" Another voice huffed. This time it was Gilbert Beilschmidt, the Black Joker. Although he was Ludwig's older brother, he was much different-in looks, in manner, and in politeness. Whereas Ludwig was blonde, blue-eyed, loyal, and proper, Gilbert was albino, relaxed, and was much like a wayward wind that kept roaming to and fro, seeking someone to dominate, beat up, or just insult.
Unlike others, the Jokers were not inherited or elected. Once both Jokers died, a king was chosen to select new Jokers, and last time it was Spades' turn, and so, when Gilbert renounced his claim to the title of Ace, King Alfred allowed him to become the Black Joker. As a Joker, Gilbert had no ties to any suit except in his blood ties to his younger brother, Ludwig. He was granted access to all suits, and even all palaces, and no one could refuse his entry. Jokers were meant to be neutral, neither helping nor harming any side, but spreading ideals of peace wherever they went. Of course, Gilbert was anything but peaceful. His red-purple eyes often brimmed with the desire to fight, or to prank someone, and today was no exception.
"Gilbert, please, if you won't spread peace, take your ideas elsewhere!" Ludwig sternly advised him.
As Gilbert opened his mouth to speak, Alfred sighed, "He's right, Gilbert, you are meant to be a peacemaker, not a fighter-and besides, our spies are not IN the capitol, only intercepting messages here and there, and no, we are not going to assassinate any woman… no matter how frustrating she is."
Alfred did want the war to end, but he didn't want a woman being killed-even if she was the tactician behind it all.
Gilbert snorted and pushed his way through the gear-decorated doors in irritation. If Spades wasn't going to do anything about that woman, he most certainly was going to do something. From one shuffling to another, the battle plans continued, and the war raged on between the suits.
BARKING SPIDERS I FORGOT TO UPDATE! I am so sorry!
okay, here is the chapter, and here is my cast of characters:
Clubs:
King: China- Yao Wang
Queen: Ukraine-Irunya Chernenko
Jack: Turkey-Sadik Adnan
Ace: Judah (s. Israel)-Naphtali Shalom Tzyion
Two: Russia- Ivan Braginsky
Three: Belarus-Natalia Arlofskaya
Four: Lithuania-Toris Laurinaitis
Five: Latvia-Raivis Galante
Six: Poland-Feliks Lukasiewicz
Seven: Israel (N. Israel) - Moriyah Beulah Tziyon
Eight: Finland- Tino Väinämöinen
Nine: Egypt- Gupta Muhammad Hassan
Ten: Estonia- Eduard von Bock
Black Joker: Prussia- Gilbert Beilschmidt
Spades:
King: America- Alfred Franklin Jones
Queen: Hungary-Elizaveta Herdervary
Ace: Germany- Ludwig Beilschmidt