Scars of War
Chapter 7
When Trumpets Fade
The fire kindled and burned the wood under it.
With each passing second more of its fuel was being charred and sent up as dark smoke into the night sky.
Ash was asleep, her face wielding the same expression it always had.
None. Neutral all around.
A small gust of wind picked and blew some embers away from the fire. One spark traveled down and found a place on Ash's cheek.
Very unfortunate.
Ash's face shriveled up in pain and started to sweat.
Her dreams, once calm, received the new information as a threat. Instantly, the burning sensation crawled into her mind and converted her thoughts into a scene of battle.
Her skin burned as boiling oil seeped into her armor and did its damage.
"Ungh!" Ash cried out and looked up to see the defenders load another barrel.
Then the most horrific sight.
A thousand archers ready to fire on them.
"Charge!" the soldiers behind her yelled.
"Wait! No!" Ash turned and waved her arms, "Get back! AGH!" she felt the oil burn her.
It was too much, Ash arose from her sleep with a piercing yell and grabbed her cannon.
"Get out! Form a column!" the woman cried out as she aimed her cannon ahead.
Fernando, who was on a nearby hill, turned to see the commotion.
"Dios mio!" he yelled and got up.
Ash took notice of him, but in her manic frenzy she only saw him as one of her comrades.
"Come on! Build a line!" she ran to him.
"My lad- Hrgh!" Fernando was seized by the woman and sent marching forward.
"Ash! Stop!"
"We cannot! We must capture the fortress!" Ash pointed to an abandoned barn around a kilometer away, "On my mark, charge!" she roared and started to run down the creek.
Fernando stumbled a bit and slid down the creek, but saw that Ash plowed straight through both sand and water to reach the other side.
"Ash- Curses!" he clenched his fist and started to run after her.
"RAHHHHH!" Ash roared as she lumbered down the plains.
"Down with the Monarchy! MAGISTRATUS INVICTA!" she stopped and aimed her cannon. Fortunately it was empty, but that did not stop Ash from simulating fire.
Fernando was about to catch up when Ash did the most shocking thing.
The War machine tightened her stance, raised her shoulder, and blitzed the wall of the barn. Though ineffective at first, Ash's tenacity got to the point where she was bashing the wooden walls with her cannon.
"Down! Down!" she yelled with each blow, splinters cutting up her cheeks and hands.
"Ash!" Fernand ran towards her, "Stop this!"
With one mighty yell, Ash tore down the wall and received an unexpected surprise. A large quantity of bats flew out of the hole in the wall and thus started to scratch up Ash as they did so.
Ash's mind was in panic.
Her thoughts told her she was being attacked by arrows.
"Get down!" Ash said and fell to the earth.
The swarm of bats disappeared into the night
Ash cried out and stood up, then turned to face behind her.
Since she thought arrows attacked her, her mind once again brought her back to that dark day.
"No... No..." she fell to her knees and started to bawl her eyes out.
Fernando reached her and fell next to her.
"Ash, are you ok-"
"THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" Ash cried out and fell to the ground.
"EVERYONE!"
Fernando gulped and reached for her shoulder, only to be grabbed by the woman.
"Oh..." he stared into her face.
Her face was broken and frightened.
Her eyes were void of life and glaring at him in panic.
"All of them..." Ash dug her head into his chest.
Fernando sighed and placed his arms around her.
00000000
The morning sun had shone on the two, who had not even moved from their position and were still on their knees.
Fernando's eyes were tired and sore, for he had been awake the whole night making sure Ash would go back to sleep. She did, of course, and this had given him a rest incomparable to sleep.
Ash shook her head and opened her eyes.
"What... what happened?" she asked and looked at Fernando.
"Just thought you could get some fresh air." Fernando lied as helped her stand up.
Naturally, Ash did not believe him and looked around her.
The barn nearby was torn and destroyed.
"What the..." she felt stinging pain throughout her body and looked at all the scratches.
Fernando shook his head.
"What happened?!" Ash turned and pointed at him.
"Very well, since you asked." Fernando responded, "You woke up angry and started to siege the barn." he answered.
Ash stood silent and looked at her body.
"Did I..." she looked at the barn and started to breathe heavily, "I... can never get away from it." she clenched her fists and looked down.
"Get away from what?" Fernando asked her.
"From the War!" Ash exploded, "It never ends! It goes on!" she started to yell and fell to her knees again.
She looked at the barn and stared at it without thought and without emotion.
Fernando mumbled to himself and knelt next to her.
Ash didn't even notice; everything about her had turned so distant from reality.
"My lady..." Fernando whispered into her ear. "It's over. The war is done. Please come back." he held her shoulder.
Ash breathed in and closed her eyes.
"It can never be over... not after what happened." she looked at him.
Fernando grinned and held her chin.
"Of course it can." he nodded and lightly tapped her right cheek. After this he stood up and stretched his arms out.
"All you have is a little shell shock..." he informed her.
Ash stood up behind him.
"Shell... shock?" she said in confusion.
"It's when bad memories of war come to you," Fernando answered and looked at her, "Everyone deals with them... I know a lot who have. I helped them though!" he smiled and pointed at her.
"You are no different!"
Ash looked at him with doubt.
"I am not broken for you to fix me." she crossed her arms and spat on the ground.
"You are a hard woman, you know that?" Fernando chuckled and shook his head.
"Apart from the muscles and everything." he added.
"Hard times make Strong Women." Ash responded and cracked her knuckles.
"Also fine damsels." Fernando said under his breath and looked at Ash's behind.
"What did you say!?" Ash shook her fist at him.
Fernando shrugged his shoulders and looked at their campsite.
"Hey..." he squinted and saw four figures rummaging about, "HEY!"
Ash turned to see the four figures grabbing their belongings.
"Oh hell no!" she yelled and charged forward with her cannon.
Fernando followed behind and the two jumped over the stream once the time got around to it.
"Hey!" he called out the thieves.
They were three men and a woman, and they were quite shocked to see the two coming up the hill.
"Let's get out of here!" the leader yelled as he picked up Fernando's lance.
The two other man grabbed their armors and the woman ran ahead of them to prepare the horse wagon.
Ash saw that the wagon was filled with loot.
"We have to stop them!" she pointed at the brigands and looked at Fernando.
"I am unarmed!" Fernando responded and looked at Ash's cannon.
"Let me see-"
"It's empty!" Ash responded, but Fernando still jerked it off her grasp.
"Take this!" Fernando heaved the heavy cannon and launched it like a javelin, striking the wagon's back wheel and shattering it on impact.
"Hey!" the thief woman yelped when the wagon went lopsided and she fell to the ground.
"Dammit!" the leader growled and turned.
He set down Fernando's lance and pulled out an axe.
"I'll handle this." Ash pushed Fernando away and took the lead. "I'll shove my boot so far up your ass, when I pull it out I'll be Queen of the Mazonians." she cracked her neck and walked up to her.
"My lady, watch out!" Fernando saw the other thieves come out with shortswords and try to flank her.
"Huh?"
"DIE!" the thieves jumped up and chopped with their blades.
Ash stepped back and kicked one of the thieves.
"Hah!" she avoided a stab.
Fernando stepped in and grabbed one of thief's arms.
"You have made Fernando angry!" he broke it and threw the man at the wagon.
Ash punched the thief that tried to stab her and pushed him to the ground.
"I'll break you apart!" she pummeled him until his face was bruised and bloody.
Fernando turned to face Ash and saw the leader sneaking up on her.
"Hrah!" he charged into the enemy and threw him into the stream.
The leader groaned and then felt a boot in his chest.
"You have been defeated!" Fernando pointed at him and heard a scream.
Ash was choking the female thief and had her pinned into the tree.
"Hey! Ash- HNGH!" Fernando's eyes shot open as a piercing pain shot up his leg.
The thief leader had stabbed him in the right thigh.
"Should have kept your sights locked!" he laughed and shoved the knight off him.
Fernando stumbled down and fell into the stream.
Ash turned to see the sight and gasped.
"Hey!" she yelled and threw the woman at the thief leader.
The two collided and hit the ground, allowing Ash to run to Fernando's aid.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Get off of me!" the thief leader yelled and stabbed his comrade in the stomach.
"I'll get this all for myself if I have to!" he stood up and charged at Ash and Fernando.
Ash grabbed the leader's sword arm and threw him to the ground, then slammed her boot into his face and broke his jaw.
"Despicable animal!" she yelled and continued her attack.
"Disgusting Monarchist! Die Die!" she cried out and intensified her kicks.
"You killed them all!"