Finally was able to finish this chapter. Been to busy and with the holidays didnt have the time i wanted to type it out. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 3: Red Sands
~10 years after the genocide~
Kronos sits watching as soldiers and volunteers move through the part of the trench he was in. He looks around remembering how long and how hard it was to build these trenches around the city. He quickly turns to his left as a artillery shell hits not far from where he is, seeing bodies and dirt flying with screams filling the air. He sighs looking down to inspect his armor.
"Hope this war ends soon" vaz says sitting next to kronos inspecting his weapon.
"Hopefully we can break through their line and end this campaign on home" kronos replies adjusting a piece of armor on his leg.
"Well if your mission succeeds then we will be that much closer to ending it" vaz looks at kronos.
"That's if I make it" kronos says sadly.
Vaz just punches kronos shoulder "iv known you for 7 years kronos you are the strongest in the kingdom. You will make it" he smiles.
Kronos smiles back remembering when they met.
~7 years ago~
Kronos walks next to jade heading to her school. After a year in Vacuo the queen thought it was time for him to go to school again. They waited until jade started a new year so they can enroll kronos with her since he would only go with her around. Kronos starts to shake seeing all the children around him.
Jade sees kronos hand and pokes him so he could see her. {"Its okay. Im here with you just relax. Okay?"}
Kronos sighs grabbing jade's hand "okay I will" he gives her a small smile "just not use to being around so many still."
"Hey jade!" a young dark skin girl yells her short brown hair reflecting the sunlight.
Both look to see the girl waving at them and jade pulls kronos with her. Reaching the group kronos sees two boys and three girls who all greet jade. The dark skinned girl introduces herself as zeria or z for short. The two other girls were twins both light skin with green eyes and brown hair. One had a red cloth tied around her right arm her name is ella while her twin who had a yellow flower in her hair her name meridian. Then the two boys came up to introduce themselves. One boy with light skin and blonde hair with little horns poking out his hair shook kronos hand and said his name is donavan or don for short. While the other boy was the tallest of the group a few inches taller than kronos looked down at him his left green eye and right brown eye catching kronos attention.
"You have different color eyes like me" kronos says with a smile. The boy watched as kronos moved the cloth he keeps over his left eye. Jade looked at her friends nervously as they all watched kronos. The tall boy eyes grew wide seeing kronos left eye is red while his right eye is black. "See, told you we both have different color eyes" kronos says with a big smile. The boy laughed patting kronos on the back.
"Looks like we are best friends now!" the boy says happily while kronos puts the cloth back on his eye. "Names vasily or vaz for short" with a big smile.
Kronos is dragged out of his memorizes by vaz.
"Hey no time for daydreaming little brother its almost time" he says lightly punching kronos shoulder.
"So you two still trying to hype yourselves up?" z says walking up to them. She had a brown cloak on her with her precious sniper rifle in her hands.
Kronos looks at her seeing he dirt all over her. "So any good kills big sis?" he looks at her as she wipes some dirt from her face.
"Just a scout party looking for a way through and a couple of grimm on the western side of the city."
Kronos looks down sadly thinking how much this war has change them. Zeria sees his look and runs a hand throw his hair. "Hey it will be okay mladshiy brat."
He gave her a little smile and stands up grabbing his helmet on the bench. He looks around at the men and women around him doing their thing to help as much as possible. "You with the first wave vaz?" he turns to his friend.
Vaz nods his head "Yeah, rushing with the king of vale himself. We will be right behind you kronos" a smile on his face.
Kronos thinks to himself looking back at the city "so jade and ella are back from vale with an army" he smiles "good job jade."
"Kronos!" kronos turns to his name seeing the general in charge of the counter walking up to him with erik by his side. Z and vaz salute while kronos meets the man looking up at him.
"Are you ready boy" the general asked.
Kronos sighs "yes sir" and walks back to z and vaz to say goodbye before the attack.
Z gives him a hug "we will see you after bother just be careful please." "I will" he responds making her smile. She turns to vaz and nods "both of you" he responds with nod and a smile.
After z leaves and the technicians put the explosive dust on kronos back; vaz says his goodbye to get to his post. Kronos goes to the spot where he is supposed to be putting his helmet on. He waits on the ladder watching everyone get to place. He then hears the whistle and rushes up the steps onto the scared battlefield before him.
Kronos starts to run threw the muddy and broken land around him. He hears "feuer! feuer!" coming from the trench in front of him and bullets start smashing into him. He stumbles from the bullets hitting his legs. He sees some of his shooters stop and fall back into their trenches "thanks big sis" he mumbles to himself getting closer. "Halten sie ihr feuer! Es ist ein kleiner junge!" Kronos hears as he makes it to the edge and jumps in the trench. He looks around seeing all the men wearing their respective kingdoms armor watching him.
The men watch the child in full armor standing before them. Weapons at their ready they looked over the boy noticing the big container on his back. One soldier notices wires coming from the container going to a button on the child shoulder. "Bakudan!" the soldier from mistral shouts quickly raising his weapon. The other mistral soldiers yell the same thing but in both english and in mantle's native language so they can understand.
Kronos panics as everyone around shouts and points their weapons towards him. He slams his hand on the button closing his eyes. The sounds around him die down and were replaced by the sound of flames. He slowly opens his eyes to the carnage around him. The spark that ignited the fire dust did its job as kronos stands in the trench with dozens of burnt bodies lay around him. He stands there paralyzed by the things he is seeing. He looks down to a body near him the burning skin smell filling his nose. A man walks up to kronos the flames being pushed to the sides. Kronos doesn't notice him until the man's shadow comes over him. He looks up sadly with tears in his eyes to a figure with a green cloak and a golden crown on his head with a symbol of vale on his belt.
Orion looks down at the boy sadden by what he sees. He grabs his sword and brings ti out with a swing in the air and the fire raging around them gone. He sighs looking down again at the boy "stay here the others are right behind me" he says as troops start to enter the trench to gather anything that is not burned. Orion climbs out the trench facing an army with the machines of war behind them. Everyone else follows the king of vale movements and all stand in a line against the opposing force.
Kronos falls to his knees still processing everything around him. The burnt dead, the smelly the memories that come up from the last day he saw his family. He didn't notice the rest of the reinforcements entering the trench including zeria who's sees kronos state.
As people swarm the trench zeria runs to kronos. She places a hand on his shoulder watching him flinch but ease into her hand after it. She slowly pick him up and helps him walk to a corner where she could watch over him. Meridian came in caring medical supplies. She sports zeria helping kronos sit and sets the supplies down rushing to them. Reaching them meridian checks over kronos looking for any injuries yet finding none she gives him a kiss on the head and turns to zeria. She walked close to her to whisper in her ear "he doesn't look good z" she tries to keep her voice calm.
"I know" zeria said with a sigh. Both women turn at what kronos said. They had a pain in their chest and tears in their eyes.
"They are empty" he repeats looking at one of the bodies in the dirt. "They have no auras, no souls anymore."
zeria looked away holding back tears and starts to walk back to her squad that was preparing to cover the final charge.
Meridian gave kronos a hug and another kiss on the head before going back to her duties of a nurse.
As he watch his older sisters walk away he looks up the trenches to the men and women who started yelling from their line waiting for the signal to charge.
Vaz looks down the line shouting with the others looking to the king of vale.
Orion looks upon the army before him then to the men and women by his side. He held out his sword in front of the with the tip towards the enemy. "For freedom! For the kingdoms of vale and vacuo!" he shouts with everyone joining in. He charges the rest following with their shouts in the air.
Kronos watched as the two armies clashed. Swords clash and bullets flew. Screams and blast sounds fill the air with the once silk sand of the desert become black patches of craters with a red wave spread everywhere. He couldn't tear his eyes from the chaos in front of him.
The battle lasted all day and night neither side wanting to break. Kronos fells all his muscles scream in pain. He can see the sun breaking over the horizon; storm clouds rolling in from the north. The grimm coming in hordes an ocean of blackness in the desert. The only semblance to hold the grimm back has been draining him. Like all creatures even fire brings them fear. Don and meridian been checking on him making sure his own semblance doesn't kill him. Walls of the fire spring up behind the allied forces while soldiers with range weapons take the grimm out. Kronos drops to his knees with hands on the ground to keep him falling with blood dripping from his nose.
"Kronos!" z yells running to his side.
He tries to get up but z holds him down.
"Medic!" he barley hear her scream.
Don rushes over with panic when he sees kronos. "Sit him down" he shouts grabbing the lighter kronos being using. "Shit!" He was worried this will happen seeing how much hes been pushing his semblance. He flicks the lighter on putting it near his little brothers eye but doesn't get the reflex he wants. "Kronos how many fingers you see."
"10" Kronos says trying to stay upright.
Z and don look at each other then to his five fingers. Don turns to zeria with worry. "He cant use it anymore. If he does one more time it could hurt him badly or most likely kill him."
Z turns to kronos with sadness seeing him look at her but feels like hes watching something beyond her. "Alright Il warn king orion that the grimm defense has fallen."
Don nods "okay, I got to go now but he cant be moving. We don't know how much damage he did to himself on the inside." he puts the lighter in kronos chest pocket and leaves.
Z watches as don runs to help others turning her attention to kronos. She gets on one knee to see into his eye. "Mladshiy brat look at me." She grabs a hand with both hers "stay here okay? I need to go but Il be back for you" she smiles when he nods and begins to leave looking back once before losing sight of him.
Two men drop at his feet with their blood dripping down his sword. Orion looks around seeing the bodies of many men and women on the red sand. White, orange, green, and blue armor all mashed together where the bodies fallen on one another. Wounded soldiers being dragged away screaming from their pain. He looks to the sky feeling a raindrop on him to witness the thunderstorm overhead. He turns his attention to a man running towards him shouting his name.
"King orion I bring word from the trench that the grimm defense has fallen. The semblance user can't do it again" the man tries to say between gasp of air.
Orion curses knowing that the grimm won't take long to gain the courage to charge at them again. "Very well order the full retreat its time I finish this."
"Y-Yes sir!" the man looks at him with confusion but leaves.
"Retreat back to the trenches" he shouts to everyone nearby watching as one by one they start to fall back then the sounds of horns forcing them into a full retreat.
Orion stops half way making sure every valesh and vacovian soldier makes their way past him. He watches as the mistral/mantle force take this time to form into better lines and begin marching towards him. The army begins to run to him a roar of feet and shouts. He points his sword to the sky and calls upon his semblance.
Kronos gets up seeing a massive aura build up from one person with his other eye. He looks over the edge of trench with everyone else to find the king of vale standing by himself.
The combine army starts to slow down as the clouds above the king begin to spin and lighting rains down around them.
"Finally" Orion says a lighting hitting his sword and using the energy to ignite it to fire. He swung his fire sword down to the army and lighting falling to the spot the points.
The charging army steps in their tracks and begin to panic with the lighting striking the army. Those who use electric dust or have semblances try to redirect it but fail. The king pulls back his arm then with one swish of his flame sword launches a wall of fire at the enemy.
Everyone stood in silence still processing what just happen. People looking at each other and whispers caring out along the trenches. Slowly everyone climbed out and walked out across the field. Soldiers of mantle and mistral that survived surrendered and all started gathering the fallen around them.
Kronos wandered around looking at the dead and dying. He took the cloth off his left eye to see how many were still alive. He let out a sigh and looked to the ground "not many left" he said to himself. Continuing his walk a familiar figure catches his sight and slowly he walks to it. Getting closer his mind goes into panic mode running to vaz's side. He flips him over seeing that he had no aura and a blank look on his face. He begins slamming on his chest trying to get a reaction from vaz but nothing happens. Tears flow down his cheeks screaming his name.
Kronos catches zeria attention and rushes to him but stops a few feet from once she sees who was in his arms. She drops to her knees and begins crying staring at the ground.
Kronos screams to the sky realizing his best friend an brother is never coming back.
Everyone turns at a sudden darkness washing over them to find a boy screaming. Those from the other 3 kingdoms turn to those from vacuo only to get a shake of their head. They all returned to gathering the dead leaving the boy to his pain.
Salem quickly turns at a sudden power on her senses the grimm around her coward. She looks at them with interest then back to the south where she sensed it. "Interesting, very interesting." She returns to the project before her. "Soon our home will be complete" stroking the head of a ursa watching the half finished castle being built by those she kidnapped through the war. The broken moon on the leaving while the sun rises in the opposite direction.
Finally! this took a while but got it down. based the battle after our own wwi and try to capture how it would be. hopefully the next chapter wont take as long but cant know for sure.