A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: MODERATE LANGUAGE, ANGST, VIOLENCE.
Chapter 11: Siege
The entire group stood together at the Strategy Room. Serph looked sternly at them, momentarily forgetting his personal problems.
"This is your briefing. The offensive shall commence in half an hour. We are to infiltrate the Citadel and eliminate the commander. Gale and Cielo will head for the gates and open them, giving access to the Wolves. Is that clear?"
Everyone looked serious and nodded.
"Dismissed."
xxxxx
The Wolves had begun their assault. The five Embryon members stood by the entrance of Anahata, on the third floor. They had managed to infiltrate Anahata through a ladder on the back of the city.
They stealthily made for the cannons that were bombarding the terrain as well as the Wolves' forces outside its city walls.
They killed silently and swiftly, as well as rendering the cannons useless.
They now stood, having killed the two guards by the entrance, outside the main chambers of the Citadel.
"This is where we part ways. We shall rendezvous, as soon as you complete your mission, at Mick's former chambers." was all that Serph had said.
Gale and Cielo nodded.
"Good luck everyone and good hunting." Serph said, dismissing them.
Gale and Cielo disappeared soon after.
Serph looked from Heat to Argilla, "Let's go."
They nodded and followed his lead.
The Citadel was a complicated and elaborate dungeon, containing strange statues that had different eye colors. The group had fallen into one of its traps and had been sent to down the basement. The basement turned out to be another labyrinth filled with numerous rooms with wild animals and monsters. The air around them was heavy and was filled with poisonous fumes.
Heat cursed, "Damn it! We gotta get outta here!!"
Serph cursed as well; his team was in greater danger here than dying at the hands of the enemy at a fight!
They continued onwards, carefully mapping the contours of the seemingly never ending dungeon.
Argilla was beginning to feel the effect of the poison on her body but ignored it. Her resilience had paid off as they found the ladder leading to the exit soon after. She sighed in relief. The two males in front of her began to walk swiftly again before she called for a halt.
Both of them turned around and she looked at Heat who held a questioning stare in his eyes, "What's up?"
Argilla walked up to them, "I know we have to hurry but we have to eliminate the traces of the poison from your bodies. Here."
She handed them two vials of greenish liquid from her pouch.
Heat handled it with disdain, "What the hell is this?"
"It's an antidote that will eradicate the poisonous substance from our bloodstream. The poison that was in the dungeon is mild but will have recurring effects on the nerves and the nervous system if not treated immediately." was Serph's nonchalant answer to Heat's crude question.
Argilla sighed. The two were having another intense staring contest and this was neither the time nor the place.
Heat, without taking his eyes off his leader, removed the cork from the vial and swallowed the contents in one go. Serph did the same and tore his gaze from him and aimed it at Argilla, "Good work. Let's go."
Serph walked again. Argilla, after swallowing the antidote, walked towards Heat who seemed to be fuming, "Heat…"
"Shut up." he said harshly. "Let's go. Don't get lost." He grabbed her hand and continued to walk along the halls.
After navigating through the halls of the Citadel, dodging traps and eliminating guards and wild animals, they reached the main chambers. Heat could feel the adrenaline rush within him.
He smirked, "Well, let's get it on!!"
Serph opened the doors calmly and saw the figure sitting on the throne.
"So, you are who commands Anahata now." The three looked at him with utter disgust. The man who sat before them was not what they expected. They had all expected a tall, brutish and well-built man, but instead, they found a thin man with elongated limbs with the complexion of a corpse. His mouth was elongated as well; his eyes narrow like slits.
Argilla shuddered at the mere sight of him.
The man cowered in fear, "W-who are you?! Where are my guards?! Guards!!" he yelled.
Heat stepped forth, "There is no one here who will hear you scream…"
Argilla winced as she looked at her mate. He once again possessed that evil glint in his eyes that promised doom. She shuddered.
"We will have claimed Anahata but you still stand in the way. I, Serph, leader of the Embryon, shall defeat you."
"Hah! Do you think you can take me?" the man cackled, "I may look sickly, but I am second only to Varin. My name is Belial. This is where you all shall fall."
Belial had been right. He may look fragile and sickly, but it was just a farce in order for his opponents and enemies alike to underestimate him. He stood from the throne and, drew his long, thin and carved sword that lay hidden from beneath his crimson cape. His long but thin raven black hair framed his face ominously and he slowly raised his head to meet his opponents.
He took his stance, "Well, have at you!"
Serph went for his gun and aimed it instantly at Belial's head. He fired the shot but no sound of flesh being penetrated was heard. Instead, there was a clink of metal. Serph's eyes narrowed as he saw that his shot had been parried with Belial's katana.
Heat cursed, "Damn it!"
This would be harder than they thought. So the guy can dodge bullets.
"Hahah!!!" he cackled, "It would take more than silly gunshots to take me down Leader of Embryon!"
Serph growled at him. He was right. He put his weapon away and decided that the best thing for this was none other than taijutsu or hand-to-hand combat.
Heat did the same and together, they lunged for him.
xxxxx
The bloody battle begun at last. Argilla could feel the massive testosterone levels around her and it almost suffocated her. Heat and Serph fought Belial together while she killed and subdued the additional guards that came to their master's aid.
After minutes of grueling battle, Belial finally fell with the final blow being brought down by Serph. Heat was slightly wounded during the fight when Belial struck him at his side. Argilla cursed; she was the reason why he was distracted.
She had yelled in pain as she hit the floor as a guard overpowered her. Heat immediately diverted his attention to her and that was when Belial saw his opportunity. Seeing Heat wounded and hearing Argilla shriek as she saw her mate wounded, Serph acted fast and attached his hands on both sides of Belial's head, twisting it, snapping his neck.
Serph received a transmission, "Serph. The gates have been opened and the last ex-Solids and Brutes are being rounded up. What's your status?" came Gale's crackled voice.
"Belial, the leader, has fallen. Anahata has been claimed."
"Casualties?"
"None."
"Roger that. Out."
Serph opened another communications channel, "This is Alpha One. Requesting paramedics at these coordinates ASAP."
"Roger that Alpha One."
Serph walked over to where the two were. He looked at Heat who was lying on the floor, his blood beginning to pool on it. His eyes looked at Argilla who had Heat's head on her lap, while her hands applied pressure on his wounded left side.
He could only gaze on sympathetically, "Hang tight Heat. The paramedics are coming."
Heat nodded and closed his eyes again. Serph looked back at Argilla and saw nothing but love and concern in her eyes. Pain gripped Serph's heart and he chose to look away instead.
Argilla looked at the agonized facial expression of Belial as she held Heat to her, "What did I say?!" she cried, "I said no heroics! You were trying to be a hero again!"
He smirked weakly at her, "Hey…don't look at me like that…I didn't even get to save you…I just looked…"
She moved to slap him but remembering his state, she stopped, "I'm sorry…"
He growled, "Don't be. It was…my choice."
"Sssh…don't talk now. Save your strength."
He grunted but just laid his hand on hers, squeezing it.
xxxxx
When Heat came to, he was on the all-too-familiar infirmary bed. He looked around him lazily. It was late in the evening, he mused, seeing that the sky outside had grown dim. He looked from the window and immediately stiffened as he felt something stir beside him.
He smiled as he saw that it was his mate who was sitting on a chair beside his bed while sprawled on her elbows, her head on his mattress, sleeping soundly. He smirked at her and looked at the wall clock. It was already 11:00 PM. How did she then manage to stay here?
Weren't visiting hours over?
He'd have to ask her about that soon.
"Mnnn…" she moaned.
Curiosity rose within Heat. Was she dreaming? A growl emitted from the pit of his stomach and through his lips. Was she dreaming of that bastard? No…
'No…it couldn't be…She chose me…'
"Mmnn…"
Heat drew himself closer to her in an attempt to hear whatever it was she was saying.
"…mn…Heat…"
He couldn't help but smirk. So, she was dreaming of him.
'I wonder what she is dreaming about…well…I mean, about us…? Does she imagine me…doing…that…hahah…' he laughed to himself as he got perverted thoughts.
He hissed in pain as he did so, unknowingly rousing the person beside him. He immediately clutched his wounded, but bandaged side.
"Heat…? What are you doing? You're not supposed to be up!" Argilla said, springing from her chair, trying to get him to lie down.
"Where does it hurt?" she asked.
What kind of a question was that, they both thought. 'Silly me…Of course it hurts on his wound!' Argilla cursed herself.
'Where does it hurt? It hurts freakin everywhere wench!' Heat thought angrily.
Heat swatted her hands away, "I'm fine damn it! You don't have to treat me like some damn invalid!" he grunted.
Argilla felt hurt for a moment but it quickly subsided, feeling relieved that his injury had not affected his sharp tongue.
She remained quiet for a moment, looking at him, smiling. She was glad that he was fine. His injury was not fatal obviously and would mend in a week…or two.
Heat, who was crossing his arms, looked at her, his ruby eyes scrutinizing her, "Well, woman, how did you get here anyway? Aren't visiting hours over?"
She smiled, "Nice to see you too Sunshine." she muttered sarcastically. Heat rolled his eyes, "Whatever."
"I came here to watch you…and you're right, visiting hours are over. But…I wouldn't let them make me leave…"
This piqued his interest. So, she fought the staff to let her stay? Was that it? A warm feeling floated within him.
"The military police had been called to pull me away…and I wouldn't have had stayed with you but…Serph…he…"
"He what?" Heat growled, glaring at her. She gulped. It was the look that told her that she was treading on thin ice; one false move and it was all over.
"He was the one who called off the MP. He told the staff to let me stay for as long as I deemed."
Heat felt a vague feeling of guilt. So, it had been the bastard's doing.
"I wanted to be here when you woke up…I was worried."
Heat said nothing but held her hand, bringing it to his lips, "Thank you…"
She smiled in return.
xxxxx
The rays of the sun flickered through the white infirmary room. It had been two days now, since his admittance to the infirmary. His back was killing him; his muscles and limbs were sore from disuse.
Heat rubbed his eyes. This color was beginning to make his eyes feel sore.
'I hate this…Why do I always end up here?'
"Because you act like an idiot."
Heat turned his head to the source of the voice. It was Argilla. She had a Cheshire cat grin on her face. Had he said that out loud? The grin on her face told him the answer to his question.
He grinned in return.
"Hey baby…"
He motioned for her to take a seat, "So, what's happening out there?"
She beamed, "The operation was a success…but…not entirely."
He furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"
"As Gale predicted, Ajna had sent three platoons to aid Anahata. Our forces from Svathisthana, Saraswati and Manipura had managed to subdue it; almost annihilating them. Fifteen Brutes soldiers surrendered and were taken into custody. We suffered minimal casualties and most of them were from the joint forces that stormed Anahata."
"What about the ex-Solids?"
"Well, they were given the chance to join our flanks. Some of them did while most didn't. They reasoned that they no longer wanted to fight for any tribe. They had gone through enough. So, Gale had them detained as well. But still, he hadn't gained the manpower we planned we would. I suppose we put too much faith in them. But, all in all, it was a success."
"That's it?"
"Well, not quite. The next offensive is scheduled for the next week. So, you better get better within that time, otherwise, we'll have to go without you."
Her last sentence made his heart skip a beat. What did she mean that they were going to leave him behind? No way.
"Argilla," he began.
"What?"
"If I don't make it by next week, I don't want you to go."
"What? I can't do that Heat. Serph needs me!"
He glowered at her and she immediately wished that she could take back her words.
"What I mean is that, I can't take a leave without authorization. Only Serph could do that! You know that well Heat! We're at war!"
He said nothing but grunted.
"I don't want you to go without me. Who'll save your sorry ass next time? The bastard? He'll just be so busy being a power monger to notice you." He knew that he was lying. Of course; he was way off. Serph loved Argilla as much as he loved her. There was no way that he would forsake her…but for him, as her mate, it would seem wrong for him if she went without him.
So, after a moment of silent deliberation, "Fine…there's only one thing left to do then."
Argilla looked at him, puzzled, "And what's that?"
He smirked at her, "I'll just have to hurry up and get outta this chicken shit outfit."
"Yeah…you do that."
"How are the others?" Heat asked offhandedly. He wasn't really interested but there wasn't anything to talk about.
"Serph and Gale are at Vishudha right now, discussing plans with Lupa. And Cielo…Well, he's in the room right across from you."
He glared at her again, "What happened to him? And why did you not tell me sooner?"
Argilla blinked; Heat really was a surprise. Not long before, he couldn't care any less about his other teammates' wellbeing so long that they weren't dead. She drew herself closer to his face to read his emotions. Was he worried about Cielo?
She looked at him apologetically.
"Nothing happened to him; just poisoning and extreme fatigue. I didn't get to tell you because I didn't get the chance to. It always slipped my mind…and well, I didn't get to see you until today anyway. Sorry."
Heat smirked and lay back on the bed, folding his arms behind his bed, staring up at the ceiling, "I always knew that idiot was a liability."
"You are such a kid! You know that?" she said, disapproving.
"So?" he asked, turning to her.
"Ugh…you're insufferable!"
In the blink of an eye, Heat sat up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her to him, "So…feeling up to…doing…something…to ease my pain?"
She blushed; was he thinking what she was thinking? His eyes, filled with need and lust, answered her question.
"Heat…! In the infirmary?!" she asked in total disbelief. He had a lot of guts. But the again, it was what separated leaders from followers; the weak from the strong.
'Hang your balls out there.' they used to say.
"Why not? It'll be for a good cause anyway…" he said suggestively, pulling her on the mattress. She fell on him with a soft thud, "Heat! I'm soiling your sheets!"
She was right; her boots were bringing dirt onto the sheets. Heat didn't bother though, "You're soiling more than that Argilla…"
Not allowing her to speak, he crushed his lips to hers. She moaned and leaned into his touch. She had missed him. She had missed his touches and his kisses.
His hands traveled to her exposed legs, caressing them before traveling upwards, cupping her buttocks. She squealed and he chuckled into her mouth.
The nurse that walked into them wished that she hadn't. She stood there in awe and embarrassment. There, on the infirmary bed was a soldier, in her uniform, straddling her patient, who, she might add, was kissing the soldier passionately, hands firmly on her rear.
She blushed at her own intrusion.
"Aahem…" she cleared her throat.
The soldier jumped off the patient and muttered a thousand ways of apologizing.
Argilla ran for the door, "I'll be right back."
The nurse smiled at her, "Take your time."
She looked back at Heat who had a contented look on his face, "She's my mate."
She should have known. Young people these days.
xxxxx
Cielo stared blankly at the ceiling. He hated himself right now. He cursed himself. If it weren't for Gale, he would have been dead by now. He turned to his side, painfully remembering what had occurred two days past.
Flashback
He and Gale were assigned to open the gates of Anahata and the Citadel to the Wolves. They were to do their mission swiftly and silently. Cielo had made up his mind and his heart. He knew that he was bound to see his long lost siblings once more…a realistic voice had come to him even then, telling him that they may already be dead. But Cielo refused to believe that. No; he couldn't believe it. He believed that they deserved closure. It was his only chance to relieve himself of the burden that he had been carrying all his life.
The burden of hoping to see his loved ones again. And if they were indeed, dead, he would make sure that it was by his hand and his hand alone.
He and Gale made their way within the Citadel and out into the main gates of Anahata. With every step that he took, his belief that they had been killed grew even stronger. The guards that they had killed were all unknown to him; their faces blank and meaningless.
They pressed on.
Cielo's heart stopped though as he took in front of him the final guards that stood between them and their mission objective.
He knew that he had found them. His world froze; his heart stopped; his eyes dried up.
"You…" he managed to breathe out. Gale merely looked at him with confusion, "What is the matter Cielo? We must act quickly!" he urged on.
Cielo trembled as he regarded the four people before him. They had all grown up. The two males and two females seemed to recognize him as well as they stopped for a moment, their eyes widened, their mouths agape.
It was the oldest of the four, and Cielo's senior by five years who spoke, "It's been a long time. I know it is you…yet I do not know your name. Dey gave you a new one, correct?"
Cielo merely nodded.
"Well, we are not going to let you take Anahata!" the female yelled. She was older than Cielo by a year.
"Please…dis is for your own good…Please don't get in de way…" Cielo pleaded. Gale watched in utter amazement. This was something that he did not know about his immature comrade.
"Wat do you mean it's for de best? Huh? Varin had been kind to us! We have chosen him as leader! We cannot allow anymore bloodshed!"
"Dere doesn't have to be anymore bloodshed! Our Leader, Serph, shall grant us all peace and unity! Please believe me!" he yelled frantically.
The oldest of his siblings smirked, "It seems dat dere is no other way…We just simply do not see de same things…We do not understand one another. Come brother, if you want Anahata…you must claim it from us!"
Cielo could feel the water seeping from his eyes…There was no other choice.
He stood there, ready to give up his life to his siblings. It was as if he were in a trance. The four lunged for him and it had been because of Gale that he snapped back to reality.
"What are you doing?!! Embryon and the Wolves are counting on us! We cannot fail! Or have you forgotten your oath?!" yelled Gale as he pushed Cielo out of his siblings' wrath.
It had been a wakeup call for Cielo. Gale was right. They were his old family…and they had chosen their own paths in life. There was no changing it. But as for him, he had a new family now. His comrades-Heat, Argilla, Gale and Serph were all very important to him.
He will not waste that trust that they had placed in him unconditionally for a mere flight of fancy.
No.
He narrowed his eyes, "Let's go Gale!"
Gale smiled in return.
The battle was over within minutes. The three had died but only the oldest remained. He was spewing blood from his mouth and he looked at Cielo with pride in his eyes, "Well…done…You have grown well…It was…just a shame…dat…we didn't fight for de…same tribe…It would have been…an honor…brother…"
Cielo cried and held his hand, "My name…is Cielo…brother…"
The man smiled, "Cielo…den…well, I'm…Nero…dose three…are Noah, Delilah and…Jessie…It was…a pleasure…"
His eyes closed. He was dead. Cielo held the body close to him and he silently wept. Gale could only look on.
After a moment of silence, "Cielo, we must make haste."
Cielo nodded, "Right…let's go."
He disentangled himself from the corpse and left for the gates, opening them.
End Flashback
He smiled weakly at the memory…his burden had been lifted…even if it still hurt, it had been lifted at last.
xxxxx
It had been another two days when Argilla came into Heat's room, a look of sadness in her face. Heat read her easily and sat up immediately, "What's happening?"
"I came to tell you that I'm going on a mission. Varin and the Brutes have attacked Manipura and Svathisthana. We didn't know that they had that much man and firepower. Manipura had already fallen to them while Svathisthana is only a hair's breath away from doing the same. Serph will lead an army that comprises of the troops from Muladhara and Saraswati to take back Manipura while a joint force from what is left from Svathisthana and the Wolves will thwart the siege at Svathisthana. I leave in ten minutes."
Heat felt his heart skip a beat. He cursed himself for being weak. He couldn't say anything…but forced himself to find his voice, "Who are you going with?"
"I'm going with Serph to Manipura while Gale and Cielo will head for Svathisthana. Heat…I'll come back. I promise."
"You better woman!" he glared at her. She smiled weakly and lunged herself at him, kissing him passionately, "Well, I'll see ya! I love you baby…"
She ran from the room, not allowing him to reply. He opened his mouth to speak, seeing now that he was alone, "I love you too…"
"You better protect her, you bastard." he silently prayed.
xxxxx
She ran to the exit and saw Serph waiting for her, "Are you ready?"
"Yes."
He knew where she had been. He felt hurt for a moment but quickly erased it. The important thing was she was with him now and he would protect her, whatever the cost.
"The tanks and choppers had been already dispatched from Saraswati." Serph said, while the jeep moved.
"We must infiltrate Manipura and take out the head honcho! Same as before! The artillery will distract the force and lay siege."
He held out a map to her, "Their heavy weaponry had been stationed at the western and eastern towers. We have to take those out; our tanks would be easy prey for that."
"Who'll do that?"
He smirked at her, "We will! You and I with a small platoon."
"Alright."
Argilla looked quizzically at Serph, "Serph? We're still at Muladhara! What are we doing here?"
Serph smirked at her again, "We had discovered a sewage system that connects Muladhara to Manipura and Svathisthana. Gale and Cielo had already left through the same tunnels and had begun the counterattack. Now it's our turn."
He led her through the basement of the barracks and saw an old abandoned mining shaft. They walked in silence through the dusty and old tunnel. Finally, they heard the gushing of water.
"We have arrived. This is the Samsara Tunnels. Come on, we haven't much time." The platoon wordlessly followed and they walked in the tunnels attentively, listening for any and every noise; irregular and regular.
"I'm surprised the Brutes haven't found this yet." Argilla stated.
"Well, I'm not sure they hadn't yet. But, even if they did, I don't think that Ajna connects to our city. Gale and I made a study and it would seem that the eastern part was connected to the nearby cities; meaning Ajna, Anahata and Vishudha. While the western part was connected to its nearby cities; Manipura, Svathisthana and Muladhara. Didn't you ever wonder how Harley and his platoon manage to infiltrate Muladhara in the attempt to get at me?"
"Now that you mentioned it…they must have discovered this tunnel then!" she stated conclusively.
Serph nodded, "Right. Now it's our turn to make use of this."
"But what about Vishudha? Wouldn't the Brutes try to get at them?"
"You're right. But we're not sure if they already discovered it. But nonetheless, all the routes leading to the city of Vishudha had already been fortified with bunkers and light artillery just in case intruders are detected."
"You guys thought of everything…" she snorted.
xxxxx
The long trudge through the tunnel was finally at an end. They had entered it 2 hours before, and estimated it to be around 25 miles. That was a long walk. Serph called for a halt.
"We rest for an hour. Make sure that you're all ready by then, because when we get topside, there's no turning back until we have reclaimed Manipura."
They all nodded and sat on the floor, resting their weary limbs. Argilla found herself near the water; it was strange, but the water did not seem to be filthy; rather it seemed to sparkle. She was about to touch it when a voice stopped her, "Careful. Gale had this tested and though it looks clean and all, it's toxic. It contains some sort of odorless and colorless substance that is harmful for living beings."
"Where did this come from?" she asked.
"We're not sure but it may have come from some nuclear reactor or whatnot."
"But there aren't any reactors nearby…"
"You forget that most cities were leveled and buried. This substance may have seeped from there, changing the appearance of the water over time. Who knows how long this had been here."
"But…this water has to go out somewhere…" she thought worriedly.
"You're right. A sewage system as intricate as this does not just go to a dead end and make a U-turn. We are concerned that this might contaminate the water resources or the oceans. That's why we are developing a filtering system that will eradicate every trace of that substance which will then also be filtered again and again until fit for human consumption."
She snorted, "Like I said, you guys thought of everything."
Serph sat himself down beside her, looking at her closely.
"What? Is there something on my face?" she asked, feeling his eyes on her. She refrained from looking back at him and continued to stare at the water.
"No…just…wondering…"
"About?" she knew she shouldn't ask, but her curiosity got the better of her.
"You." he stated flatly.
"Serph…"
"I still love you; you know?" he said.
"I know…" she said.
"I just hope that you're…happy…with him." he stated. She looked at him, tearing her gaze from the water. He still had that sweet smile on his face. But he couldn't fool her; she knew he was hurting inside. She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and tell him that everything will be fine…but she couldn't.
His fingers touched her face lightly and she closed her eyes, moaning. She missed his touches. She knew it was wrong.
"Serph…I…I'm mated…"
"I know…" he whispered, "But please…tell me…tell me you love me…"
She hated this conversation. Back in his office, he asked the same of her…and she had refused him. But now, being alone together; in a place far away from Muladhara…her resolve faltered. And obviously, he saw it too, for he suddenly leaned in and kissed her.
She felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Her hands flew to chest to push him away but he only held on tighter, bringer her close to him. Her lips were shut tight and he used his nimble tongue to coax them to open.
She didn't comply. He tried again, this time also using his moist lips to caress hers. She moaned. That had done it. She parted them ever so slightly and he took it as an invitation. He allowed his tongue within her mouth; exploring every crevasse, unlocking all of her mouth's secrets. He moaned as well, deepening the kiss still, drinking her.
She responded to him as she danced with his tongue. But the image of Heat broke her from her trance and she pulled away.
"I'm sorry Serph. This is wrong."
He stood up quickly, turning his back to her, "I know."
"…" she remained quiet, not trusting her own voice. She knew she still loved him…and if he asked again, she was afraid that the truth would be known.
"But…you know something? If loving you is wrong…then…so be it. I don't want to be right."
"But Serph…"
"Do you still love me?" he asked, turning to face her. She refused to meet his eyes and he kneeled down, tilting her chin so that her eyes would meet his, "Do you?"
She nodded slowly, "I do…but…I love Heat too…Please understand."
He smiled and cupped her face, "I know and I do."
He stood up again and walked away. She sighed; she had been weak…but it was the truth…the unfathomable truth. She was in love with two men. She chose one of them but she also found that her love for the other had not diminished…only momentarily forgotten. Only to find that the flames she thought she extinguished be rekindled by his kiss.
xxxxx
The siege to reclaim Manipura had gone all according to plan. The choppers from Saraswati had surprised the Brutes situated at Manipura. The choppers had taken out both towers while the tanks did the rest on the ground.
Serph, Argilla and a platoon had done what they ad set out to do. Serph and Argilla fought the commander while the rest handled his subordinates. It was a success as 4 platoons from the Brutes had surrendered, making the number of their POW from that siege, a total of 75.
Gale and Cielo had also arrived in time to stop the siege. The Wolves had gone through their oath of allegiance and liberated Svathisthana.
The Brutes fighting force had suffered a severe blow, having both their forces booted out of Svathisthana and Manipura. At Svathisthana, 60 men had surrendered. The Brutes cannot win this war. The most feasible thing to do would be to call a ceasefire.
It had been four days now since the success of the dual operations. Heat had finally been dismissed from the infirmary.
He now stood at the Strategy Room, crossing his arms in disdain. Argilla touched him on the shoulders, "Come on Heat…don't be like that…it wasn't our fault you weren't there for the missions."
"Yeah!" Cielo piped in, "You didn't miss much anyway…but just the kicking of Brutes butt!"
Argilla narrowed her eyes at Cielo as she heard Heat growl, "You're not helping Cielo!"
"I know! I don't wanna be helpful! Hehehe…at least I was doing something fun eh brudda?" Cielo asked Heat. Heat glowered at him, "Lousy piece of-"
"Okay, okay…that's enough." Argilla said, simmering down her mate's anger.
Serph watched the touching interaction between the two. He watched with longing as she hung on his arm, whispering to his ear soothing words that comforted him. His shoulders and arms relaxed, the murderous glint in his eyes gone, to be replaced by a sedated look.
Serph looked away in disgust…he could only leave to his imagination what she had told him.
'Something that she would never tell you…' a nagging voice appeared in his head.
'…No one asked for your opinion. Get out…'
The voice disappeared.
"I called you all here," Serph said, earning him the silence and the attention from his teammates, "to tell you of the latest developments. Lupa from the Wolves had asked Varin to consider a truce."
"A truce? A ceasefire?" Heat snorted, "No fucking way."
Gale nodded, "That's right. Varin flatly rejected the very idea. He would rather hurl the very last soldier he has at us before he would consider defeat. We are to assume, that because of our recent victories that the Brutes won't have enough manpower to launch another offensive against us. We are also to assume that based on what we know about Varin, he won't make this last fight easy for us. He won't give up even if he was already wounded. Despair makes him dangerous. So, this may be the last offensive and the last fight of the war. We can't lose now. If Varin defeats Serph and Lupa, all will be lost."
Everyone's eyes narrowed. Their chests felt heavy. It was a mixed feeling really. It was both that they looked forward to the last fight and at the same time dreaded it. It would be the fight that would decide everyone's fates.
Should they win, another chapter in their lives would begin. There was a chance in peace…but should they lose, everything that they built would burn into ashes and they would live lives that weren't their own.
No.
Argilla didn't know what kind of leader Varin would be…but, she was convinced that he had to be a pretty darned good one to earn the loyalty of so many. Despite this knowledge though, Argilla knew that she wouldn't have had him as a leader should he defeat Serph.
He was everything she knew, and would rather die than pledge loyalty to another. She also believed that the others in the room, as well as in Muladhara, shared her beliefs and sentiments.
"The final offensive had been postponed for another week. This is due to the unexpected attacks on Manipura and Svathisthana."
"Wouldn't that give the Brutes ample time to launch a preemptive strike?" Heat asked.
Gale nodded, "That is probable but not conclusive. They themselves are wounded and weary from the last bouts; they will need this time to recuperate. But should that be the case, forces from Muladhara and Saraswati are ready."
"Wat about de Wolves?" Cielo asked, curious about what had happened to his "puppies".
"The Wolves had sustained minor losses and lost weaponry. It would also take them time to rebuild." Serph finished for them.
"In other words, we have another week to sit around like this village idiot." Heat said disgustedly, pointing at Cielo.
Serph couldn't help but smile as Argilla grabbed Heat's accusing finger and kept it within her hand; she really was happy.
But all in all, he was happy as well. He was happy that his team was alive and well. He was happy that they hadn't lost their individual personas and their antics, displaying them upon each other without reserve. They were still their innocent selves even in the midst of a war, after the gruesome bloodshed.
He was happy that she was happy…He never wanted her to lose that smile. Ever. He was going to do everything he could to protect her smile; her happiness.
"Yes Heat. Another week to train. I suggest you take it." Serph said, blankly staring at him. He could feel the feeling of disdain within Heat towards him but he ignored it. Even if Heat had Argilla now, didn't mean that he would like Serph any more, or dislike him any less.
It was another thing to be happy about. 'Some things never change.' he thought.
He turned his head to see Gale touching his forehead, "I do not comprehend why you two must always engage in such childish and illogical behavior."
Argilla laughed, "You should try being a kid once in a while Gale. It'll do you good! Say, now that I thought about it, Heat and I were looking for you last week. They said that you left for Saraswati. What was so important there anyway? Has something happened?"
All of the color from Gale's face drained at hearing Argilla's question. All eyes were on him now, waiting for him to speak. He looked from Serph's puzzled expression, to Cielo's confused stare, to Heat's indifferent look and then, finally to Argilla's curious expression.
"Nothing happened. Not really." he stated flatly.
Serph raised an eyebrow, "You know Gale, you're a terrible liar."
"Gale, what happened?" Argilla asked; concern in her voice.
Gale cleared his throat and tried to speak but found that he suddenly lost his voice. He racked his brain into finding some sort of excuse, but found none.
He sighed in defeat, "I went to Saraswati to meet someone."
This, now, piqued Heat's interest.
'Could it be that Old Man…has…'
Although he thought that he was hitting the piñata blindfolded, Heat had a gut feeling that he was right.
"A friend old man? Who?" he asked, putting in execution his plan of cornering Gale into spilling the beans with regards to his real motives of visiting their new HQ.
"…Angel." he trailed off, muttering the name rather than saying it out loud. The rest heard it but Cielo didn't. Cielo picked his ear, "Wat? Who?"
"Angel…" Gale said, a bit louder this time.
Gale didn't need to look in the general direction of his teammates to know that they were laughing. He could see them well enough from the corner of his eyes as he stared at a random wall.
Serph was smirking while Heat was trying his absolute best to control his raging laughter at the pit of his stomach while Argilla seemed to be…hyperventilating?
Okay. Back up. What was so god damn funny? If they had indeed figured out his motives for visiting Saraswati, and he knew they did, what was so funny about that? Did they think it impossible for him?
He frowned.
"Angel?" that was Cielo, still as confused as ever.
"Yes. Dr. Angel. She's a brilliant medical doctor and a scientist." Gale said with pride. He realized his mistake though and said this title once more, this time, hiding the emotion. Too late, however, since his initial words had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the group.
"Now I can see why…" Heat trailed off, snickering.
Gale turned to him. "See what?" He was beginning to feel irritated.
Argilla sweat-dropped and decided to interject before things got out of hand; again. "Won't she find it inconvenient Gale? I mean, she's all the way at Saraswati and you're all the way here."
Gale feigned his innocence, "What ever do you mean Argilla?"
Argilla rolled her eyes, "Don't play dumb. You know of what I speak. I mean, it's really inconvenient to have a mate who is miles away, don't you think?"
The world froze; time stopped.
"WAT??!! Gale has a mate?!" That was Cielo again.
Here, Heat's control dissipated and he let out a roar…that sounded vaguely like a laugh. Well, which ever it was, it was loud. Argilla couldn't help but join within his merrymaking soon after. Gale stood there, mortified. He looked at Serph, hoping to see a glint of support but was disappointed to see that even he had abandoned him in this situation.
Serph was laughing too. He looked at Cielo; he seemed to have suffered some sort of instant catatonic schizophrenia as he stood there, with his eyes widened, his mouth agape. Gale wondered for a moment if he was still alive and repressed the urge to poke him.
After such contemplation, Cielo moved from his statuette position, "Wait a minute! You're mated? Dat's why you went to Saraswati? And you didn't even tell us?"
Serph shook his head, still laughing, "Cielo's right. You should have said something. We would have attended your ceremony."
Gale blushed, "I didn't mean to exclude the group. It was just that I neither had the time nor the opportunity. Angel insisted that we undergo the ceremony immediately. It was the day you gave us the day off."
Serph nodded knowingly; if course he knew that day. How could he forget? It was the same day Heat and Argilla had gone for their mating ceremony.
Cielo scratched his head as he looked from Heat and Argilla who were "being cozy" to his leader, "Mon! Everyone's getting mated ja? Why don't we do too?"
Serph shook his head and smiled meekly, "Because that's not what mating is all about. You're not mated yet because you're not of age and you haven't found your mate yet. It's not something you pick and choose."
Cielo grumbled as he sat himself rather quickly on the floor, sticking his tongue out, "Whatever! Hmph!"
Gale cleared his throat, "May I remind you all that we are still at a meeting?"
Everyone looked at him apologetically.
"Vishudha has the most likely chance of being attacked, but they won't do this directly. Anahata is situated in between. It is currently being fortified as we speak. The next choice would be through the Samsara tunnels which they probably already found. We are not exactly sure. That is why the tunnels that led to Vishudha had been sealed by the Wolves. But, we should be ready anytime. Varin is a complex person. We would never know what goes on in his head as he has the tendency to make…rather illogical patterns of decisions."
"So, the bottom line is just play guard dog and be ready anytime right?" Heat summarized.
"Yes." Gale replied flatly.
Serph stepped forward, "For the offensive, the team would be divided into three; the main force of Muladhara and Saraswati would be led by me, while a team of the two of you would be in charge of the air assault. I would be on land. We cannot overuse the infiltration tactic as Varin would have already figured that out and probably left the city for us to find an ambush. No, here, this time, we will hit them with everything we've got. The last team would assist the Wolves. We will all rendezvous at the main entrance to Varin's chambers once Ajna had been breached. Any volunteers?"
Heat looked at Argilla and whispered, "I'll go where you'll go."
Argilla nodded, "Serph, Heat and I volunteer for the air assault team."
Serph looked at her sternly, "You are sure?"
"Affirmative."
"Alright. Then Gale and Cielo; looks like you two are stuck together." Gale groaned and Heat smirked.
"You two make an odd couple; the village quack and the village idiot!"
Cielo said nothing but just stuck his tongue out.
Serph continued, "You two are to assist the Wolves; that means that you two will leave in 6 days; a day before the offensive. I alone shall lead the ground troops. Any questions?"
No one spoke, "Then, you are all dismissed."
xxxxx
A/N:
POW: Prisoners of War.