Lukas's southern front was the last to endure a full-fledged assault. Suffering waves of Grimm that had circled from Caelum's eastern front, he and the Militia with a few Police volunteers were barely holding out. It was by the slimmest of margins that they finally abandoned the wall when they began taking casualties.
Hardly any deaths had been taken but as lacerations, gouging wounds, hemorrhaging blood, and lost limbs began to rise in number, Lukas made the preemptive call. It took an argument with the militia captain and two of his lieutenants followed by a harsh blow to the senior officers' chin before they conceded under his threat to "throw them to the Grimm."
The militia broke into a sprint, scurrying to their fallback positions when a creaking of wood and steel caught their ears amidst the chaos. The main gate burst down, three Taurens at the lead, splintered wood in their horns as they snarled through the shattered frames. The gate was gone but it still restricted the Grimm's flow.
Even as two of the Taurens struck landmines planted on the inner side of the gate, the sight of Grimm within the walls had the MIlitia freeze in place or dessert. Annoyance struck Lukas as he yelled, "Stand your ground!"
Striking a pitcher's pose, he threw a grenade that Caelum had gifted him with all his might. The small steel object cracked against the last Tauren's nostril before exploding in its face. As it stumbled in a daze emitting smoke, Lukas took command. His aura glimmered an emerald green as his semblance activated and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Hold your ground! Contain the Grimm here and now! Shoot dammit!" he demanded as he ran into the oncoming mob of Grimm.
Some stared with fearful gazes, unable to move, others dared not to disobey. Yet the potency of his semblance and the bravery of those defending their homes showed. Amidst shivering bodies, dilated pupils, and shaking hands, over half of those joined him in stalling the outpour of Grimm.
Those with firearms fired into the crowd of Grimm or the stragglers attempting to scale the wall. The wave of oncoming Grimm reeled back from the superior fire before a roar came from behind them and they began to push forward again despite the bullets and polearms impaling them.
Lukas saw it, the Alpha ordering the Grimm to break through no matter what as it pushed from behind the crowd of its expendable kin. So what if it was a ludicrous thought, Grimm ordering other Grimm, half of the things he did or saw never made sense anyway, especially as of late.
"Slowly fall back!" he ordered. This time, the militia stepped back in unison, the rest coming to aid him and their friends after snapping out of their stupor.
Gunfire cracked, maws gnashed, and sharpened steel was all that separated the terrified militia from the ravenous monsters as they pulled into street fighting.
Lukas however needed the space provided by the Grimm dispersing and being drawn in deeper. Like a mad batter, he broke past the militia's line and into the Grimm swinging left and right. The telltale sound of his bat reverberating off of a skull or cracking bone emitted every second as he weaved through the Grimm.
It was as he slid under an Ursa and took off in a sprint again that he found the Alpha amidst the horde. The creature snarled as it turned to him all too late. Lukas slid to one knee and swung his bat wide. The blunted steel connected and shattered the beast's kneecap.
It lashed out, grasping at air as Lukas ran out of its reach and to its rear. Despite the pain, the beast turned on its broken knee to face him and prepare its retaliation. It was unprepared for Lukas to stop on a dime and break towards it. In an instant, he was in front of the limping beast and jumped towards it with his two feet aimed at its head.
With a powerful dropkick to its skull, the Alpha was thrown onto its back in a slosh of mud as Lukas landed on a shoulder and rolled backward raising an arm to protect his face. In its thrashing, the Alpha had not noticed the exposed metallic plate in the mud it had fallen onto. With a silent click within, the anti-tank mine went off, blowing an open cavity into the Grimm's back.
The Alpha soon rolled to its stomach with a whimper. With limp legs, now unresponsive, it crawled towards the gate to escape, showing its now exposed spinal vertebrae.
It seemed even with Caelum's unintentional help, Lukas would get to finish it off himself. The Grimm around him seemed to not care for his presence as they charged onwards now, with no directive from a superior creature and only the fear of the Militia to draw them forward.
Instead, Lukas looked down at the struggling Alpha with a dark expression in his eyes. The imagery of the families and their remains at the nearby ranch flashed through his mind. His wet hands gripped his bat so tightly it felt as if he were crushing the grip beneath. Raising the bat above his head he brought it down swiftly and violently.
The Grimm's head caved in as blood and mud splashed up and over Lukas' clothing before evaporating and leaving only the muddy residue behind. Taking a breath, he glanced to the side, witnessing the Militia hold even as he stood amid their foes. With a lazy swing of his bat to the side he deflected a beowolves claws and followed with a punishing kick. Now all that was left was to clean up the remnants here.
One gate held, three breached, defensive perimeters intact many held light injuries but with no more than a couple of dozen severely injured, KIA, or MIA. The storm seemed to have passed as adrenaline began to wane and the cold showers sent chills down the Militia men's spines as their eyes remained wide and alert. Above them on the rooftops, moving between sharpshooter positions and rifleman, team CRLN watched for any organized assaults or regathering of the strays into herds.
Their aura helped them resist tiring and the cold, to keep calm and observant without the exhaustion that followed from life and death struggles for the average man. Even for them as the sounds of screams had ceased with the treatment of the wounded and the sounds of distant gunshots slowed with the dimming flames, they had begun to relax, tension leaving their bodies as they remained on adamant alert.
Then another roar rose from the southeast where a small unit of local police held the line at an intersection and adjoining town square. Caelum and Lukas were nearest and turned their heads on a swivel towards the respective location.
Caelum loosened his gas mask, lifting it a fraction so that he could be heard over the rain and wind. "Hold your positions until I return, do not sweep the streets, pursue stragglers or anything without a direct order from me or your commander. Is that understood?"
The militia captain who heard him was stunned both by battle and the audacity of Caelum ordering him and his men but under the undaunted gaze of the Caelum and his mask, especially after witnessing the feats of combat he performed, he obeyed. With a nod from the captain, Caelum grunted. "Good. Send a team of three runners to inform your adjacent positions and those on the roofs." without a wasted breath, Caelum rushed off south.
Lukas was less tactful. "Don't move or so help me, I'll make your families scrape you off the streets! Tell the others under your command!" he ordered already running towards the east.
"I-I'm just a Lieutenant!" responded the boy a few years older than Lukas.
"Don't care! Tell them it's a direct order!" replied Niel waving his worries away.
"That's falsifying a lawful order in the chain of-" the boy's voice faltered as Lukas disappeared around a corner to pursue the ominous howl. Swallowing his worries, the young lieutenant was at least happy he wasn't fighting anymore. "You four! Go and spread the word to hold!, you three, please find someone higher rank than me so I don't have to do this." He pleaded, feeling that perhaps he wasn't ready for the responsibility of commanding yet.
Caelum and Lukas confirmed each other's worries as they conversed over their communications.
"Moving to intercept a fifth Alpha in the southwest of the town," informed Caelum.
"You think it's another one too, huh?" asked Lukas trying to keep his breath steady mid-sprint. "I'm en route as well."
"Sounds exactly like the last four" commented Caelum. "Hurry and report its location if you find it before me. I doubt the police auxiliaries are going to hold well."
"The west is secure, I'll send reinforcement to bolster your lines. I'll remain at my post to ensure there are no changes" interjected Raiden.
"I'll do the same once the north is mopped up and the wall resecured" added Niel, the sounds of combat still ensuing in the background of his audio.
The line went quiet as both Lukas and Caelum arrived at the town square. Caelum stood atop a building looking down within as Lukas skidded to a halt at the intersection. The scene was quiet as they made eye contact and looked to see the remnants of the battle.
A shattered barricade and five of those who had manned it, now dead. Bodies lay scattered across the area with decaying Grimm around or on them. The handful of survivors were mourning the loss of their fellow servicemen, friends, and even relatives. Half of the checkpoint men were deceased but Caelum noted an unusual number of survivors. There were five extra individuals loitering around the small fountain in the center of the square when Lukas stormed over to them. Caelum descended and joined his teammate.
As the militiamen split up to check the wounded and count their dead while also re-manning the position, Lukas hissed at the strangers in a low voice. "What the hell are you lot doing here?!" he demanded in a low tone.
The apparent leader of the five held his hands up in defense as the other four stiffened and averted their eyes. "Now, now, let us get a word in Sir" requested the man politely.
Caelum recognized them as he closed in. They were a part of the crew from the Nyx, most notably, they were senior officers from the Coil syndicate whom Lukas had come to know personally before they were even assigned to this detail. Seeing this, Caelum turned on his heel to leave the reprimand to Lukas while he helped the remaining survivors by scouring for and eliminating any nearby Grimm.
Lukas noted his leader's departure and softened his tone a level. "Alright then start talking" he demanded in a whisper, checking to ensure none of the townsfolk heard them.
"Thank you," said the man breathing a sigh of relief. "First, we'd like to say we killed that strange-looking Beowulf that came in here charging. It was bigger than the rest but not by too much. Its movements were weird and seemed to be running amongst a bunch of runts, strange to say the least."
Lukas' eyes widened as he realized it must've been the Alpha he had heard. Perhaps a young Alpha or recently mutated? That would explain its minor size difference and small pack. Lukas shook his head. "How did you even kill it? No first why are you even here?!"
The older gangster laughed at seeing the young inheritors' confusion. Compliant as ever to the Coils bloodline, he answered. "We were worried for your safety, so we arrived before they locked the west gate today and asked for refuge here as travelers when the town council tried to turn us away. We said we would never outrun the hoard so they allowed it."
"So you defied not only Caelum's orders but also my directive?" asked Lukas with his familiar glare returning.
The man stood his ground with a smug smile. Young commander Hyalus' orders were to observe the situation and not reveal our presence. Your directive was to follow the young commander's orders and not act out of line."
"You seem content as if you followed a loophole but how have you not acted out of line?" asked Lukas demanding clarification.
"We were also assigned this duty by your father. The Elder also wished for us to ensure your safety. Something we all swore to." the man's statement was followed by firm looks from his peers.
Lukas sighed and ruffled his dirty blonde hair, rustling the dampness within it. "You idiots, he assigned you lot on purpose didn't he."
The man didn't try to play coy, knowing it'd be a waste of time and that he was referring to their 'clever' reply. "The elder said it would show you what he has to deal with in regards to your behavior."
Lukas groaned again. "So, how did you kill it? I know a few of you have aura and some training. But even if it was a whelp of an Alpha it must've been difficult, especially with the smaller Grimm."
The man chuckled. "We borrowed some of the young commander's toys from the ship. Not too much to be suspicious but even with what little, it packed a punch. Some standard issue assault rifles, a grenade launcher, regular grenades, and a brick of explosives. The guards who let us in didn't catch the explosives and didn't blink twice at our rifles when we said they were for defense. The ensuing battle must've been their priority. Anyway, we spent damn near every round dropping them, I even got into a sword fight with the damn thing. Eventually after dropping a few walls with the explosives, it fell."
Lukas gave a discerning glance around to verify the claim. The area was peaceful and past the rain, he could see craters and bullet holes everywhere. The face of one building now completely absent and its inner floors exposed.
"That's where we tossed the brick of explosives and blew the thing in half" explained the senior gangster as he followed Lukas' gaze.
Turning back to his subordinates, Lukas nodded his head. "Thanks… for saving their lives" he gestured to the remaining militia volunteers. Not just from me but Caelum too."
This garnered some surprise from the five men. They had seen Caelum's masked face briefly, and only knew of his indifferent attitude from when he ruined their club and more recently aboard the Nyx. They couldn't imagine him thanking them. Let alone for saving others not pertinent to his machinations.
Amidst their awe, Lukas immediately switched gears. "You can bask in it back on the ship." he grabbed the five and brought them in close. "Here's what you're going to do. Tell those here you're mercenaries and only came passing through for a job. You can't stay because your job is time sensitive so you have to get going. Absolutely no thanks or rewards necessary and then get out of here. I don't want the headache of the town investigating you five when this is over."
The men nodded, receiving a sigh of relief from Lukas. The five split up to speak to the survivors individually before heading to hop over the defensive wall and return to the Nyx. Thankfully the unexpected participation and departure were left with little questioning by the weary townsfolk.
The storm would finally pass overhead long after the final Grimm had been dispatched and the remnants dispersed into the surrounding wilds. Around twilight, the majority of those who hid underground began to stir from their medicinally induced slumbers.
The largest shelter, based under the town hall and housing a few hundred civilians began to come alive with the sound of hushed whispers and worried whimpers. It was silent above, dark within, an ominous air drifting between the adults who tried to steady their breaths as they glanced around their dark surroundings and children timidly grasping onto family.
Then a loud creak broke the still air. All eyes darted to the entrance where the hefty steel door creaked. Their minds began to stir as their eyes saw dust float within the darkness. The door creaked again, undoubtedly shifting. Then a dull ray of light emerged from a sliver in the frame. With held breaths every eye watched in fear as the door opened, their minds bracing for an inevitable slaughter.
It hadn't even crossed their minds that the door had been opened by its mechanism and not busted down. Instead of crimson eyes and bloody fangs, they were met by the visage of a stocky-framed boy, covered in mud and filth, and his nonchalant smile. Niel gazed back at the stunned masses.
"It's over. You can come out and see for yourself, it's safe now." at his word many of the adults lost feeling in their stiff limbs. It was as if the weight of the world was relieved from their shoulders. The fear of death had passed, and their families were safe.
At least most of them were. Once outside they witnessed the extent of the damage. Vicus had been spared in the west and north sectors. The south suffered minimal wreckage past the gate while the east and conjoining southeast suffered the heaviest collateral damage. The defenses were also a mess. The fire had long burned out, holes from mines and explosions were dotted everywhere around the town perimeter, even the Grimm's ash stained the concrete and wood as haunting tales of their presence. But as people filtered out of the shelters to inspect their homes, businesses, and community, they could not ignore the sight of the few families bereaving their fallen.
The bodies of the deceased had been gathered in the town center. Those identifiable had been brought near the designated shelter of their families for confirmation. Those who were not as easily recognizable were 'gathered up' in an isolated area and their personal effects lay at their feet. Those who could not find their family among the living militia, or the identifiable dead, were left to search their. Unfortunately, there could be nowhere else and it turned true that it was their last resting place. There was the small decency for all that they were covered in white sheets. It spared the young from the haunting scenes and gave the family privacy and the capability to not bear the sight for long.
Niel had become the poster boy, sent by Caelum and advised by Lukas to sweet talk those who had suffered no loss into organizing and placing temporary repairs onto the walls. Thankfully these were prepared in advance and all could return home soon after.
The town mayor and his council were then placed in charge of organizing the dead at the town center. He would then record their names, families, and benefits entitled to those who suffered the unenviable losses.
Caelum had meanwhile taken to overseeing the isolated area of those few who had been maimed beyond recognition. Those few who strayed too far made a brave last stand or fought to buy others time. Not all were brave but all had sacrificed. All the missing militiamen were also accounted for. Of the 164 at the battle's start, twenty-four had fallen. One had been pulled over the wall in the west. Three had been slain in the north. Four had been overrun as the gate fell in the south. Five suffered at the surprise assault of the fifth alpha in the southeast. But eleven had succumbed to fear and overwhelming numbers in the east.
Caelum roused them and saved many in the face of overwhelming odds and terror but in the end, he took responsibility for the deaths. Even going as far as to inform the officers of those now dead. His appearance did not set them at ease in the least. He came across as more of a specter of war than a saint, but his words did alleviate their guilt.
"I took command. Their blood is on my hands. You did your duty and you won the day. Do not linger on what is mine to bear." Those few officers and sergeants many of which stayed silent, nodded, and left to go greet their own families with relief. Yet others could not. Some had lost siblings, cousins, and friends and fell to their knees or burst into tears. There was no more he could do for them but it was more than he could for the families who slept in fear only to find their dead kin after.
No words of solace would soften the blow for them. He watched as the parents, lovers, and children of the bodies he overlooked arrived. There were seven corpses in total. Missing limbs, eviscerated torsos, mauled faces, one was left in literal pieces. And of course, there was the corpse which he had used as a shield against the Alpha.
Solemnly he stood and watched as tears streamed down, wetting the white linens that were already damp from covering the corpses. Mothers and wives, lovers falling to their knees in mourning. Their clothing soaked as they balled up in pain from their sorrow. Children, those old enough to know what came of their sibling, father, brother, or sister, fought to retain their pain. Faces contorted, not knowing what to express, not wishing to show their vulnerability. Those too young to know, looked curiously at the white sheets that their family refused to let them touch or peer at.
Caelum's presence wasn't welcomed by those who identified their kin here. He knew it from their glares, the hate behind it. They blamed him and he would not deny them that right. One boy, an eleven-year-old, son of one of the bodies lain here, approached him and with ire and tears in his gaze, looked into his eyes, past the lenses of his mask, and told him so.
"I hate you mister."
His mother promptly dragged him away and apologized, insincere though it was, she knew now was not the time for such things. She nodded at him, perhaps thanking him for his part in the battle or just instinctual before her mother-in-law took her by the hand and led her away. Perhaps to the mayor for recording.
Another woman, a young bride, pregnant at that, approached him. She had cried perhaps the longest and hardest as her parents and in-laws consoled her. In her anger and sorrow, she stormed over to him, wet shoes stomping on the brickwork as she raised a hand and put all her might behind it.
Caelum stopped it, his hand catching her arm mid-slap. She fought to free herself and threw a punch. He caught that too. She struggled and screamed at him, blaming him. Unaware he was half a decade her junior. She then lost the ability to stand as the strength left her legs. He gently knelt on the ground, guiding her as she sobbed and wept, blaming him for it all.
"You were supposed to protect us, protect him" she cried through a broken, hoarse voice.
Her family soon retrieved her. It was then only her brother-in-law apologized and explained the situation.
It was here Caelum spoke for the first time in front of the mourners. Slowly he raised his arms and the man stiffened instinctively. Caelum loosened the gas mask and lowered it just enough to where the man could see his face. He was stunned to see Caelum was just as young as his peers, maybe younger. A handsome young man whom most of the town had assumed was a cold-hearted man behind the mask.
Without a hint of expression, Caleum's firm brown irises bore into the man as he spoke. "She needs someone to blame. Someone to vent her anger on. I won't take it personally. Now go. Life will not be easier for any of you with this loss." Signaling the end of the conversation, Caelum affixed his gas mask again.
Some stayed late into the night, newfound widowers and elderly mothers namely. Some returned later to continue mourning, some families even came to collect the remains themselves with proof from the mayor as to their relation.
Nearing one in the morning, a cold air had risen from the rain and sent chills into Caelum's body as his clothing was still wet from the day's events. Yet he remained longer than anyone else over the deceased. It was something he knew he had to become more familiar with, to endure. His friends didn't know the scale of which yet but if his goals were to come to fruition, then he would be experiencing this on a larger scale and perhaps to those they cared for.
Raiden soon found him knelt with his hands clasped before his chest.
The dull moonlight revealed he had removed his mask in the privacy of night and was praying over the dead. Radien hesitated, waiting for him to finish. Caelum raised his head and stood when Raiden attempted to announce his presence.
Caelum, long aware of his presence, voiced it. "Something to say? He asked looking down at the white linen.
"Didn't know you were religious. That's all" replied Raiden.
"What do you think the crosses I wear are for? Decoration?"
"Actually yeah, pretty much."
"Go screw yourself" snickered Caelum.
"That's not very religious." frowned Raiden.
Caelum turned to his partner, the moonlight giving both a slight glow that revealed their somber smiles. "I never said I was any good at it."
-Chapter End-