Chapter 2

The trail has been nothing but rough ever since we let down that gate, leaving us open to frequent Badlander attacks. Not to mention the occasional small attack patrols that come in from the Gavon Malon Rebellion. Due to these recent attacks, we have sadly suffered many casualties. Doesn't exactly help that our food and water supply is dangerously low. Yep, ever since the first Badlander attack, our supplies have been dwindling. It didn't matter that we had better weaponry and tactics ... The Badlanders still had us beat in sheer numbers and force. However, despite all of this hardship, I had a feeling we were still going to be able to make it to the old town of Sigfor.

Sigfor was one of the best strong points we had. It was one of our strategic points, our fortress, and our home. Not to mention that it had enough resources, both natural and artificial, to keep us going for years to come. However, that all changed when the Gistiah took it from us a few years back. But, due to recent events ... It was either make a move for the city soon, or die here from the constant Badlander raids.

These thoughts were running through my mind until both my father, and Scythe turned the corner, weapons in hand as always.

"Dad!" I yelled out, leaping from the supply crate I was sitting on. "I have some news for you from the previous scouting party ... not sure if your going to like it though."

He let out a small sigh as he placed his blades in the makeshift sheath hanging from his belt. "Lay it on me boy."

"Well, the General we sent out on the scouting party earlier was killed in action. Only three of the scouts made it back." I said.

"Let me guess, Badlanders?" He grunted, as this wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.

"Sadly." I responded.

"Any more news?" He added, crossing his arms.

"Yes actually! Apparently, due to the death of the General, you are now the next person to receive his position. I guess this means you'll be granted access to any men who served under his name." I smiled, as I knew this was a position that my father was looking forward to for a long time.

"Well it's about damn time." He chuckled, Scythe and I adding in on the laughter. "Well alright then son, if that is the case, then I just want to say that I trust you and I'm going to be showing you a lot of that trust in these upcoming days. And to start, I would like to promote you to Colonel, my second in command.

"Thank you dad! I will not let you down!" I yelled out in a joyous manor. However, that smile was quickly deterred when I laid eyes upon Scythe. "But what about Scythe? He has been with us since the beginning as well."

"So he has." My dad then paused, Scythe's eyes opening up in the process. "I suppose you two will just have to share the position then." He smirked.

Scythe and I then looked at each other, each of us nodding in agreement.

"I will not let you down father!" I yelled out.

"Neither will I sir!" Scythe added in.

My father was about to respond, but we were all completely cut off by the loud ringing of our outpost's alarms echoing throughout the area. It actually took us a small moment to truly realize what was going on. That was when we heard the collective war cry of a large badlander raiding party.

"Boys! Gather up the men and report to the gates! I have to head up to the commanding tent and make sure everything plays out in our favor." He then began running off in the opposite direction Scythe and I were meant to go, only stopping one last time to turn and face us. "Boys ... be safe." He then turned the corner and disappeared.

It wasn't too much longer until Scythe and I did the same. We ran side by side, blades in hand as we ran to the gates, gathering up any able bodied person we came across as we grew closer to our objective. We eventually had ourselves a decent sized fighting force of around 25 men as we approached the gates.

They have yet to bust it open, but it was quite obvious that the badlanders were easily knocking on our front door. There was absolutely no doubt that every single one of us were nervous ... but I had a feeling that we were also ready. We were slowly beginning to learn the patterns of the badlanders. We knew how they fought, thought, and performed during combat. We had this attack in the bag.

Or so we thought.

We were all caught off guard when the crazed laughter and constant banging on the gates stopped. None of us knew what was going on now. We were truly confused. A small group of three men slowly approached the gates with tremendous caution. However, it didn't matter how much caution they showed as the gates eventually came flying in with a loud bang followed by an eruption of fire, shrapnel, smoke, and bodies.

Improvised explosives.

The large hole in the gates then began being overrun by large amounts of badlander warriors. Each one of them appearing different than the last as there appearances consisted of nothing more than random pieces of fabric, metal, and other mismatched items.

The camp then turned into a war-zone. The sounds of screams and clashing blades boomed throughout the camp, Scythe and I being directly in the middle of it.

It didn't take long until each of us had to participate in the bloodshed.

"Fight them off!" I yelled out to the surrounding men as one of the badlanders came at me.

I quickly parried his attack as I dug my blade into his collar bone, quickly yanking it out to block another attack from a second approaching badlander. I quickly shifted fighting stances and sent my blade plunging into the next ones chest. This went on for what felt like hours as my adrenaline climbed upwards. I couldn't quite tell if we were winning the fight yet, but I definitely knew that we, at the least, weren't letting up.

The ground was littered with bodies, body parts, and pools of blood before too long ... but the badlanders numbers were beginning to dwindle.

In fact, it looked as if they were beginning to retreat back through the same hole they had come in. We were beginning to celebrate, as this was the least effective badlander attack we have seen in months! Sounds of cheer and happiness slowly replaced the sounds of screams and sorrow. It was a truly good feeling. The town slowly began to celebrate as the alarms died down.

I walked over to a blood soaked Scythe to get his opinion on all of this.

"Well, that was definitely something." He explained as he made an attempt to catch his breath.

"Damn straight it was." I exclaimed. "But I really don't mind this new change of pace."

"Agreed. We keep fighting like that and we won't even have to repair that hole in the gates!" Scythe joked, lightly nudging my shoulder.

"As much as I would like to not have to worry about that, I'm pretty sure the people around here wouldn't be too happy." I responded.

There was a small pause as Scythe and I looked around at our new surroundings.

We quickly realized that the battle may have been over quick, but the aftermath was still something to be shocked about. Bodies were littering the streets, both badlander and friendly's.

"So ... Guess were gonna get put on clean up duty anyway. Might as well get a head start." Scythe sighed as he gestured to the mass of bodies.

"Yep ... Let's get-"

I was cut off by yet another loud explosion. However, this one was different. Instead of yet another wall coming down, instead a large mist of smoke surrounded by bright, colorful lights illuminated the night sky. We weren't exactly sure what it was, but we knew that it did set off one hell of a bang.

"What in the actual hell is that?" Scythe said.

"Not to sure ... but I have a feeling that it isn't anything good.

Scythe and I, along with multiple other surrounding citizens, quickly sprung back into action and retook our defensive positions.

Quickly a Gistiah ship shadowed over the camp. We saw a beam of light glance to our right and directed over my father. It was a transporter beam, they were taking him. Most likely for intelligence purposes. Sythe quickly dove at the beam knocking my father to the ground beside of it. One minute Sythe was there and the next gone, he just vanished.

"It's been two days dad we have to do something about it, he is somewhere out there."

"Conditions are bad here, i need you and your full attention. Sometimes you have to give up someone you care about for the greater good. I'm sorry son but i won't permit you to go after him."

"Dad! How dare you, he is my brother and a peice of my family and family sticks together? He saved you!"

"You don't understand my mind is not changing, you will stay here if you like it or not."

"Yes sir," i said in complete contempt. I left the tent territory devising a plan. With Sigfor being the closet Gistiah outpost I knew he was there. I also knew that i was alone and that is the heaviest fortified stronghold in the Gistiah territory.

My eyes set apon an enemy, the Badlanders. They may not all be so uncivilized as i thought, there have been legends. Tales of a Badlander society not too far from camp have uproared in the last year. The idea that will probably get me in a lot of trouble erupted, I set out to find this mythical story of civilization.

I traveled not far, before finding myself at a break in the road, a Gistiah caravan held steadily down the wild terrain of the Navalon Forest. The bleakness on what seemed to be the commanding officer's face was surround and in hgih definition. Something was wrong, he was inflamed with anger. The carravan was slowed, a wheel fell off one of the carriages and the repair was underway. Although, the party was small they still outnumbered the soldiers back at camp and probably were headed that way. "Should i warn them?" i asked myself.

The trek ahead being very long i had to make a choice. I continued on, in the shadows of the beautiful, lush trees. This mistake could cost lives but i was set out and determined to save Sythe, my best friend, my brother, and i was not about to head back home without him. The dreary hike up the Sandhusk Hills was horrible, but the view enlightening with beauty in a dark demented world.