About A Soldier

Part 5/10

Hell

The visit to his family keeps Jasper distracted, not only for days, but for years, and the consquences are all but deadly. As though his decision to go home stirred some kind of hateful, warmongering emotion in everyone, the fighting intensified: on the battlefield and amongst Maria's coven.

Fifteen years of quiet spats and subtle encounters have erupted into full out massacres. And the tide is turning.

This particular battle has kept him on his toes, and he was no fool to the fact that they were outnumbered twelve to one. Still, he isn't going to retreat; he isn't going to let Maria down. He can't afford to.

A young man, one Jasper recognises as a six-month old newborn, scrambles up to him. "We can't keep going like this, Jasper! Forget one-by-one, they're picking us off in pairs."

He grabs the newborn by the throat and pulls him within inches of his own face. "You keep going, or I'll dismember you myself," he growls, and then drops the vampire to the ground.

He takes a survey of the battlefield, and he knows the newborn is right. Much more of this, and they might as well just line up to be shot execution-style. A warning slams into his mind and, faster than he can turn to look over his shoulder, he's on the ground.

Digging his hands into the soft earth, he tries to find some leverage to either stand or turn over, but whoever or whatever is on his back is far too strong. It frightens him – he's never been in a situation where anyone else had the upperhand.

The thought of attempting to regain his footing is flung from him, and he cries out as he feels a sudden surge of liquid fire shooting through his shoulder. He reaches back with his hand, and his fingers tangle themselves in a head of hair. He pulls.

He's quite certain a chunk of his arm must have come out when he ripped the other vampire from it, but that pain quickly subsided to yet another, on the back of his neck. Another on his good shoulder, and another at his side.

The sheer strength of six combined newborns is enough to keep him on the ground. He's not certain if he's able to fight from there. He tries and fails several times to turn himself over and it's not until he gives himself over completely to the monster inside him that Maria created is he able to even defend himself from anymore bites.

He feels teeth being ripped from his skin, he hears someone calling his name, and he knows he isn't fighting alone. He doesn't know, though, who is with him and nor does he care. His hands close around a throat and he squeezes.

"Jasper!" A voice chokes. "Jasper, let go!"

He recognises the voice, and his grip loosens. "Peter…?"

Another newborn, though stronger than most. When Peter first arrived, Jasper thought he felt a little bit of a friendly connection with him. He taught Peter to fight and, now, he's often by Jasper's side during battle.

"Damn, man, I was trying to save you!"

"I'm sorry, I'm – "

"It's alright," Peter says, prying Jasper's fingers from his throat. "We can't stay here. Maria's just going to have to suffer a loss. Call them back, Jasper, or lose every one of them."

Jasper stares at him for a long moment, then surveyed the battlefield once more. He knew he'd get a lashing for this one.

* * *

"You retreated?!'

Jasper winced as Maria's shrill voice rang through his mind. "Maria, we –"

"What were you thinking?!" she asked, shoving him backwards violently. He let her; the sooner she got the anger out of her system, the better. "And don't try that emotion manipulation with me!"

"I didn't have a choice," he grumbles at her. "We were outnumbered, Maria, please understand that. I came back with less than half of what I went out with!"

"You just didn't try hard enough!"

This angers him as his thoughts shift back to being pinned to the ground and nearly ripped to shreds. "I didn't try?" he growls, and takes a step towards her.

She stops yelling and eyes him cautiously. She even goes so far as taking a step backwards, away from him. "Jasper…"

"Six. That's how many of those animals had me pinned to the ground. Six."

"I'm sorry, I –"

"And you, you sit up here shouting orders and I've seen you out there fighting one time, Maria. Once. I nearly died today, for you." She looks down her nose at the accusing finger he's pointing at her. "Don't you dare tell me I didn't try hard enough. Don't you dare. I've given so much for you, Maria, and quite honestly I don't see what good it's done me."

"Oh, please… don't say that, Jasper. I didn't know… you're right, I don't know how bad it gets and I'm sorry."

There's more to say, he thinks, but decides not to go for overkill. He takes a step back from her and closes his eyes. It's too bad that his gift doesn't work on him.

"May I?"

Opening his eyes again, he looks down at her. Her hand is hovering at his shoulder, over the place where the first attacker had been. "…Yes."

Pushing the torn fabric away, she bit her bottom lip as she looked at the wound. Then, she inspects the others. "You're lucky."

"Just more scars," he mumbles.

She leads him to her room again, this time with no more intention than to help him. She takes his shirt and orders a towel and a bowl of hot water. He knows that this all isn't necessary – the wound will heal itself in less than twenty-four hours.

But he remembers her tendency to drift back to things a human would do. He suspects she misses caring for people, so he lets her tend to him.

"I am sorry, Jasper," she says as she works. "You're right… we're losing our concentration. I… I fear Nettie and Lucy are growing restless."

He looks at her. "What?"

"They whisper about me and then pretend nothing was said. I worry they may be planning something."

Jasper frowns. He likes Nettie – she's bubbly and energetic, but a bit too naïve for her own good. Lucy, on the other hand, is quite capable of doing what Maria is suggesting.

"Do you want me to keep an eye on them?"

"Will you, please? I try, but sometimes they slip away from me when I'm not looking."

"Yes."

She sets the towel down and turns his head towards her gently. "I know you don't like it, but we need to get rid of the weak ones."

He sighs and stands abruptly.

"Jasper, wait. You know it has to be done."

"I know," he says dryly and heads for the door.

So this is hell.