Chapter 6
Recommended Listening: Reflection Eternal by Nujabes
Scorched Earth. As the battalion fled alongside the refugees, the land was being torched behind them. The fire squads burned through any and everything that might be useful to them. The trees faded into eternal darkness. The fields disappeared into the past in an instant. A dark cloud of smoke hung low over the branches. The sky was gone, replaced with a looming shadow.
They had trekked for miles, slowing down to a fast walk. The enemy army was taking their time, leaving behind an unrecognizable land.
"Gabriel! What the hell happened down there?" Larken came running back towards the two men. "Lanz? What are you doing here?"
"That's a wonderful wait to greet me Larken." They were at the back of the group, many of the refugees were searching for their family and friends amongst the crowd. They had abandoned their homes and taken what they could. Possessions were lost in the chaos of the attack and escape.
A young boy was crying alongside the road, covered in scars and bruises. The tears were dripping down his face, his hands covered in burns. As Gabriel continued to walk with Larken and the rest of the group, Lanz stopped. He looked at the little boy and just stared for a moment. For a minute stood there, staring at the crying lad. Lanz decided to continue walking.
The boy continued to sit there in tears, blood dripping from his hands. Sighing loudly, Lanz approached the boy from behind. He picked him up suddenly and carried him in his arms.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"M-my name is Dorian."
"Why are you crying Dorian?" He cradled him in his arms. Petting the boy's head, he comforted him.
"My brother…he…he…" He turned his head and looked back towards the fields.
During the attack, before the arrival of Lanz and the rest of the battalion, the refugees were having difficulty fleeing the invading forces. The fire squad initiated the attack and burned through most of the cavalry, leaving the already vulnerable refugees more so.
Little Dorian gripped his brother's hand, falling behind as they tried to escape the oncoming dangers. The army was closing in too quickly; the two couldn't run fast enough. With a sudden burst of flame, his brother was ignited and dropped to the ground.
Panicking, Dorian attempted to put out the flames with his hands. The fire singed his palms, he had to stop. Not knowing what to do, he knelt next to his burned sibling and cried until, with his last ounce of strength, the older sibling pushed him away and told him to run.
Tears in his eyes, he ran. He ran and ran and ran. He stopped running when he was finally well ahead of the refugees, well ahead of the army, away from his brother. Then he cried some more. A strange man lifted him up and cradled him in his arms.
It had been a few minutes before Gabriel and Larken realized their friend had dropped behind. They paused for a moment and looked around. Not too far behind them they could see Lanz approaching with a boy in his arms.
"Is he preying on little boys now?" Larken asked, staring disapprovingly.
"Larken. Now is not the time to joke around." Gabriel walked back to Lanz and his new companion. "Where'd you find him?"
"He was…alone alongside the road. He's lost his brother." For once, Lanz had a serious look on his face. I know what it is like to be alone. This boy will not suffer as I have. "Hold him for a moment please." Gabriel took hold of the boy in his arms as Lanz opened his robe.
"This is seriously not the time for this!" Gabriel closed his eyes.
"Oh Gabey, get your mind out of the pig pen." He said, pinching his cheeks. The inside of his robes were lined with pouches containing various medical supplies that might be needed. From here, he pulled out bandages and a small vial of special oil. "Dorian, hold still for a moment alright?" The little boy nodded as Lanz poured some of the oil on the burns and began to wrap them.
Returning the boy to Lanz's arms, they pressed onward to the town. They had to prepare and fortify their defenses. The townspeople had to be evacuated. It was important that they return.
"Those Ferren bastards!" The lord said. He had entered a war council and had been discussing their options. Unfortunately, things weren't going well.
Lady Evelynn listened behind the door. After listening to the captain dictate his losses and the strategies that they should undertake, she darted out of the castle in a panic. Gabriel…
She ran past the castle walls and to the barracks, finding the refugees scattered about the town. There were many injured, tending to their wounds. She listened as she ran past them recounting their tales of danger and escape. Soldiers were evacuating the populous from their homes, building blockades to direct and divert enemy movement.
Arriving at the barracks, she found Gabe tending to Umbreon. She took a moment to catch her breath and started walking to him. "I'm glad you are alright." She said, fixing her hair.
"Why wouldn't I be?" He smiled. He finished checking on Umbreon and let him go. He only needed some rest. He fixed his armor slightly and adjusted his posture.
"Well, I'm just happy you are not injured." She sat next to him and took hold of his hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"M-m'lady. Please, not in public." He began to blush and nervously looked around. Giggling, she stood up and pulled him behind the building where no one would see. For a moment, they looked into each other's eyes before entering an intimate embrace.
He leaned in and felt her soft lips press against his. They didn't get many chances alone. He gently ran his fingers up and down her spine, kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck. His heart was racing and he could feel that she was too as she pressed against him. Her breasts were heaving as their breaths grew quicker. He slowly began to bring his hand lower and lower.
"No…Gabe…stop…" She softly said. Her words said one thing while her body said another. She grabbed hold of his back. "No we can't…" He stopped kissing her. He stopped running his fingers down her back. He continued to hold her in his arms.
"It's fine…" He lifted her chin and they kissed once more.
The soldiers who went on the charge were given a few hours respite. They had to report to duty before daybreak. Many of the barriers and makeshift walls had been erected, preparing the town for a siege.
Gabriel sat along the river, his Umbreon sitting in a nearby tree again. He looked at his reflection in the water and sighed heavily. He felt a shove from behind and before he knew it he was head first in the water. Coming back up he turned to find Lanz laughing. "It's bloody freezing!"
"Why so glum?" He asked, taking off his robes. "You fail to reach the treasure trove again?" Laughing again he jumped into the water stark naked. Once more, Gabriel sighed heavily. "Don't worry about it. Relax." He swam over to his friend; the water wasn't deep. Gabriel began to take off his tunic, throwing his clothes onto the shore. He stood there and stared up at the moon as the cold water splashed against his chest.
Lanz wrapped his arms around him and the two stood still, the moonlight shining on them. Their cold wet bodies were pressed against each other and for once, Gabriel didn't mind. He took hold of Lanz's hand and turned his head to his friend. They looked at each other and smiled. There was nothing to say.
He could feel Lanz's hands shaking. Turning around, he looked at his pale friend.
"Let's get out before you freeze to death."
Author's Note:
Despite what you may think, Gabriel is in fact straight. He and Lanz just have a very...intimate relationship.
