Chapter 50: The Response
Two weeks after Eric and his team assud control of the encampnts, Prince Heith sat at his desk as he read over a stack of docunts. He set the docunts down before looking at the servant whom had brought him the reports. "I want them all executed." He growled. "This Empire has no need for traitorous cowards."
"But sire-" A gleam of silver flashed as the man’s head fell to the ground. "You mortals always dare to question ! I am a demigod, of divine lineage. Your re existence is a gift from my father and myself. Do not dare to question ." He looked up at the other man that sat behind the corpse. "Congratulations, you’ve been promoted. I trust that my orders will be carried out?" The man nodded, trying not to vomit or look at his forr boss. "Yes sire. By your your will, it shall be done."
Heith nodded. "Good." He then looked up, as if recieving divine inspiration. "Hmm. Actually... we can use this. Use the Brios and destroy them all." A sinister grin covered his features. "And then bla it on those otherworlders." Sipping on the wine his maid had brought earlier and looking out towards the mountains, Heith smiled. "Ah, what a good day to revel in blood."
Families ran down the valley towards the outskirts of the town called Giash. It was the nearest town in the empire to the Esponia mountains. Commanders ordered troops to scan the periter as they marched. "Sir, do you think it was wise to leave the encampnts?" A soldier asked as they made their way towards the town. "Yes. The Sual encampnt commander responded. They had slowed their approach so that the elderly and children could rest.
"Those n have capabilities we can’t begin to fathom. They don’t have one thousand n, but were able to take out thirty thousand without breaking a sweat." He sat on a tree stump as he looked at the mass of humanity following behind. Over sixteen hundred people had evacuated the mountains, and he thought he made the right choice. Then, he heard it. The unmistakable "THUNK." Of a large cannon firing it’s round. The Earth shook as the air seed to implode in on itself. "Forgive ." He said to the crowd as he looked down, knowing it was his end.
The day the empire soldiers were due to begin their trek up the mountain, the division sat outside the foothills of Esponia. The commander sat in his tent while debating what they could do. "The path is treacherous, so we can’t just barge in there one by one." He said grimly, looking at the map. A knock ca on the tent flaps. "Enter." He said calmly, and one of the advisors walked in. "Sir, we have shown the n the site where the traitors lie. They are reared and ready to go."
The commander nodded, smirking. "Good. Let the n fester in their desires. Prince Heith was right about turning the n into rabid wolves." He felt no pity for the soldiers and families of Esponia. Traitors deserved a traitor death, and if it served to be useful as propaganda? All the better.
Eric sat on the slope as he looked down in the valley. He had seen the images of the evacuees first hand, the mass grave a heinous reminder of what this wold is. He prayed to Triamal as he turned to Hammond. "These people are monsters." He said, his fists clenching as his body shook.
"Yeah. It reminds
a lot of what they used to do in the desert." Hammond said solemnly. "Killing your own people is the highest manner of sin a soldier can do, and they did it with no qualms. What a despicable man."
Eric sighed and began walking up the path back to HQ. "So let’s show them what real hell is like."
Back at HQ, Eric sat with Hammond as they called up the net. "Lieutenant Colonel Milano, this is Master Sergeant Dryer." He said while sitting at his desk. "I have confird the location of the enemy unit. Awaiting further orders."
A voice garbled on the other end. "Copy, sending requested assets."
"Do you hear that?" The empire commander said as the war brief began. Each soldier in the room looked outside of the tent as a large thumping was echoing across the valley. The sound was as if the entire division was beating on drums at once.
"Sir!" A soldier ran into the tent. "There are what looks like tal birds heading our way!" The tent went silent. "What?"
But it was too late.
Explosions rocked the campsite as missiles were let loose. Six apaches announced their arrival by targeting the ammo depots, the Llathrels were next, destroyed before n could mount them. Large explosions lit up the night as flas rose into the air.
n began screaming as the flas spread, ammunition that hadn’t been destroyed in the initial blasts ignited too. The camp beca its own grave site. Eric watched the scene with his arms folded, not taking his eyes off of it. n scread as they died, and the wails of thos who were injured echoed out.
As they began to retreat, Eric called off the apaches. They had their ti to shine. He looked at the broken wreckage of the camp, noticing sothing else. The dilapidated remains of a Brios lay there in the middle of the camp. "Hm. If they had four before, we have taken two of them out." He said while traversing back up the mountains. "It’s ti to go ho."
Back at HQ, Eric looked at his cellphone one more ti before leaving. He patter Hammond on the back. "Take care of my guys for , would ya?" A chuckle answered as papers were shuffled. "Got it, Staff Duty every day for em." Eric laughed as he began his journey ho. He was excited to see his wife for the first ti in a month.
As Eric drove into town, he couldn’t help but asure up how it looked now versus when he got here. Shock apparent on his face as he walked through the streets to his house. New stores and buildings were sprouting up. Where wooden houses once stood, they were replaced by concrete.
Walking into his house, he paused as he saw her. His reason for living stood there, her smile dazzling him as a tear ran down her cheeks. With arms clasped behind her back, she looked up at Eric. "Welco ho, my love." She said softly, climbing into his arms.
He kissed her and held her against his chest, sitting down as he breathed out in relief. They sat down in silence as Eric stroked her hair. He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Well. That was rough." He said gently. She shook her head and pressed her fingers to his lips. "Shh. Just hold ."
They fell asleep like that.
In the morning, Eric groaned as he woke up. He felt breath on his face, and smiled as his sleeping wife softened his expression. He stroked her hair gently while kissing her head. Her belly was starting to shape the bump further out, and he ran his hand along it.
The action woke Mia up, and she imdiately stared into Eric’s eyes as she reveled in him being here with her. "How long will you be here this ti?" She said softly, her fingers tracing the whiskers of his chin.
He laughed as he held her hand to his chin. "This ti I will be a desk jockey for a while. From here until the next major movent, we have to consolidate our forces and figure out a good operation tempo."
She grinned as she nuzzled against him. She knew that it would not last long, but she would content herself in his embrace for as long as she could. "In that case, co here. The baby is starting to kick."
Eric couldn’t be a happier man as he hugged Mia. Both of his hands cup her belly as he felt tiny flutters. In that mont he felt a full circle of delight, his mood stretching to cloud 9. "Mm, I like the na Aliza." He said gently. Mia turned to look at him, her face to his as she wrapped a leg around. "Ooh. I like that na too!"
"Since it will be a boy though... I think we should na him Daniel." Mia said gently. "I know how much you loved that kid." Eric kissed her softly as a sad smile took place on his face. "Thank you. And I agree.
But it will be a girl."
Mia groaned as she stared up at the ceiling. "You stubborn old fool, I hope you are wrong just so I can rub it in your face." She said with a laugh and another kiss.
"The look on your face if it is a boy will be priceless."
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