by Leon Logos
She stared at Viktor blankly, completely unaware of who he was. His name didn’t ring any bells. The man introduced himself in a manner that denoted he found it ludicrous that his identity was unknown to her.
“Are you the leader of these masked guys?” she asked.
“I am,” Viktor nodded. “Now answer my question.”
“She’s on our side, whether she likes it or not,” Agno answered for her.
“Why wouldn’t she like it?” Viktor said suspiciously. “You boys came all this way for her, and went through all this trouble for her!”
“She doesn’t like us,” Garen replied, giving her a disparaging look. “Nor do we really like her.”
“Just spit it out, Garen,” Cackle said acidly. “She’s a damn Aurelian.”
Viktor took a deep breath, struggling to control himself from raising his rifle. He looked at the brothers sourly, ordering elaboration.
“You had me help you rescue an Aurelian?” he said. “I was under the impression your hatred for the Aurelians was as strong as mine?”
“We were unaware of this,” Garen said calmly. “And honestly, we don’t even have any confirmation she’s truly one of them. They told her she was, and she just believed them. They could be lying—no, they have to be lying. Gunther wouldn’t raise an Aurelian and bring one into the family.”
“What of the other brother? Kyler?”
“We got Kyler,” Cackle replied. “He’s in bad shape but alive.”
“And Desmos!” she added. “What about him?”
“Don’t worry about him, we got him already,” said Garen casually.
“What?” she gasped, in both elation and bewilderment. “How?!”
“You’re weirdly excited about this,” Agno said, puzzled. “You’ve hated Desmos all your life. Almost as much as you hate Cackle.”
“You told me this was supposed to happen tomorrow!” she said to Garen furiously, ignoring Agno.
“Why do you care when it happens?” said Agno.
“So she could have time to warn her little Aurelian buddies,” Cackle said accusingly, giving her a venomous look.
“The siege was supposed to take place tomorrow, unless we were signaled to commence early,” Viktor enlightened her. “Garen signaled for us to start early. Therefore, we did. And I’m glad we did. I would’ve never thought it to be easy. We caught them unawares!”
“Why did you start it—” she began.
“Because we found Desmos and retrieved him,” Garen cut her off irritably. “Stop asking questions. And before you ask where he is, he’s resting at an outpost a mile away from the residence.”
“How bad is he?”
“Alive,” Garen said curtly.
“It’s a shame he’s incapacitated,” Viktor sighed. “That boy is a fighter beyond anybody’s expectations. We could’ve used him here. Any broken bones? Severed limbs? Damaged arteries?”
“No, surprisingly not,” said Garen. “None of that. I think they used some other torture methods for interrogating him. He was pretty quiet and lost when we got to him. Mentally, they screwed him up.”
One of Viktor’s soldiers interrupted them.
“Sir, when are we going to begin?” he asked dutifully. “We’re ready.”
“We’re still strategizing,” Viktor told him. “Await instructions. In fact, I think I’m on to something. Girl, you are a blessing in disguise!”
Viktor grinned at her with a devilish smile, giving her goosebumps.
“The Aurelians? Do they trust you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she responded slowly. “And I trust them. This battle is pointless. You’re waging war on a family that doesn’t—”
“We can use her, I see where you’re going with us,” Agno said perceptively. “Not a bad plan at all.”
She shook her head vigorously. No. She wasn’t going to allow them to exploit her. To use her for facilitation and expedition in their goal to wipe out all the Aurelians. She wasn’t going to be the reason the Council and all the inner circle met their demises. Serenity wouldn’t engender their murders. There would be blood on her hands she’d never be able to wash off. She wanted no involvement in this battle.
“You really think you have a choice?” said Cackle callously. “I take back what I said about you being an idiot for coming here. Thanks, Serenity!”
“It’s your fault for coming here,” Garen said pointedly. “If you don’t cooperate with us, we’ll just send you directly into their line of fire—with Kevlar and a balaclava mask on. Make your choice.”
“No,” Viktor shook his head. “You refuse, you die on the spot.”
He pointed his rife at her. Frozen, she stared at the muzzle, intimidated. The tone in his voice suggested he was a hundred percent serious.
“Pick your poison,” said Agno.
“You use me, and the end result won’t change. Will it?”
She had to concede there was no getting out of this. Viktor was obviously the man in charge, above Garen. He could have her killed if he willed it. And the brothers could do nothing about it. She at least wanted to know the nature of their plan. How could she be used?
“Are we planning to use her to lure them out?” Agno asked Viktor.
“It’s a possibility,” said Viktor, stroking his beard. “Or we can use the basic method. Have her destroy them from the inside.”
“A bomb?” Garen suggested, quirking his eyebrows.
“No, they’ll most likely search her if she enters,” Viktor shook his head.
Groups of Viktor’s soldiers began joining them in the square, back from killing, looting, or arson. The stray Aurelian soldiers that had not managed to make it back to the main house had been killed off, it seemed. She surmised that all the remaining Aurelian soldiers were rallying at the courtyard, defending the main house that sheltered the inner circle and the Council. The courtyard was just half a mile away.
“No doubt,” Garen agreed. “She’s not even supposed to be outside. They might get suspicious and start asking questions.”
“Then we don’t make her return,” Viktor chuckled. “We’ll demand a ransom! Hold her hostage! Then we’ll see how much they care for her.”
“What good will that do?!” she cried, in disapproval. “They’re not going to trade anything for my life! I’m not that valuable.”
“I doubt they’ll surrender for her,” Agno concurred.
“We can lie, tell them we’ll just take them prisoner rather than kill them,” Cackle suggested. “Wait, that’s a stupid plan too…”
“Why don’t you guys just charge them?” she said. “You’ve got them cornered. What are you so afraid of?”
“Attacking them head-on might be our only option,” said Viktor. “Since the beginning of this ambush, we’ve been using blitzkrieg strategies. Pure offense, overwhelming them before they can retaliate with their firepower. Now they’ve had plenty of time to prepare. They’re waiting for us, and the main house will be difficult to capture.”
“Why did you wait so long?” she questioned further. “How long have you all been here? Couldn’t you have just chased them without delay—”
“You don’t know shit about war, little girl,” Viktor said disparagingly, condescending her with a look of vexation. “Stop telling me how to do my job! If you want to be commander, be my guest!”
“Gladly,” she retorted. “Everybody! Let’s retreat and never come back!”
Her cheek earned her a slap across the face from Viktor. She clutched the side of her face as it stung intensely. Serenity stared at Viktor quietly, too cautious to unleash her anger. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Garen shoot Viktor a subtle glower.
“I can see why you boys despise the little wench,” Viktor said coldly. “She’s getting on my nerves. Girl, not another word out of you.”
“What are you gonna do to her, Viktor?” Cackle smirked. “Auction her off downstairs? How much she worth?”
“We may find out,” Viktor cho
rtled. “Now, have all our men returned? Or have we sustained more casualties than expected?”
“All squads have returned,” one of Viktor’s soldier answered.
“Very well. I guess it’s time for an assault,” Viktor said decisively. “All right, boys! Time for some more target practice!”
A wave of war cries and cheers broke out among the men, as they raised their weapons in excitement. Serenity gazed upon all of them with disgust, wondering if they had any compunction for their actions. Some of the corpses she had seen sprawled on the grounds belonged to adolescents.
“You go back to that barn,” Garen ordered her. “Back to Kyler.”
“No, she comes with us,” Viktor said. “She might prove useful.”
“What for?” Cackle said, flummoxed. “She’s useless.”
“Leverage,” Viktor replied tersely.
Serenity had no complaints. This was her chance to make it to the main house. When the opportunity arose, she’d run off before they could catch her or notice she was gone. She wasn’t certain, but she assumed the main house contained bunkers for situations like this. If so, everybody would be down there. Though, Sixto and Destiny would probably be on the front lines, fighting in the battle. Sixto wasn’t ready, but the Aurelians could’ve allowed him to fight with them. Knowing how eager Sixto was to prove himself and fight, they’d oblige to his request. Especially if they were low on soldiers, which she conjectured they were. Her stomach lurched at the thought of discovering Sixto’s dead body. She wouldn’t know what to do in that situation, thereby dismissing it from her mind.
There were four ways to enter the main house; the northern entrance, which was through the courtyard and the regular route most Aurelians took; and then the eastern, western, and southern routes which weren’t very convenient, but could be utilized to expedite the process of traveling there. Viktor was somehow aware of this. How he had gotten his hands on the map that displayed the entire residence confused her initially. But she then remembered the brothers had infiltrated first. They must’ve acquired one in the barracks, if maps were even available there.
Viktor devised a systematic assault, ordering his men to split up and attack through all the four entrances. Essentially, the Aurelians would have to fight on four fronts rather than just one. She knew Bastion possibly predicted this. But the question was if they were still capable of defending themselves. Up to this point, they clearly weren’t. Her original perception of the Aurelians as an unstoppable goliath force of nature had shifted. Observing them substantially defeated, and on the verge of losing, had altered her whole perspective.
She stayed behind the first line of defense, an actual line of men wielding ballistic shields. They rounded a corner, the courtyard coming into view. A second later there was a burst of gunfire as the Aurelians opened fire on them with heavy machine guns. She took cover behind one of the ballistic shield wielders in alarm, a wide man that was over six feet.
“Easy does it!” Viktor yelled, amidst all the noise and palpable intensity. “Slowly! Keep firing back, men!”
Viktor’s men fired back; every fifteen to twenty seconds, a bullet would penetrate past the defense and take down one of Viktor’s men. Bodies began dropping steadily on their side. Serenity couldn’t pinpoint the Aurelians exactly. She was too occupied in protecting herself. Only the muzzle flashes of guns were visible. She made out their stark silhouettes, guessing that they were hidden in the outdoor hallways and inside the house. Once they were close enough, a considerable portion of Viktor’s men veered off into the outdoor hallways upon Viktor’s command. She followed them spontaneously, deeming it a safe move. She watched as the hallways were cleared instantly, the firepower of Viktor’s soldiers somehow superior. Each of his men wielded light machine guns, their fingers locked on their triggers.
Serenity noticed Garen in front of her, spraying his gun relentlessly. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes scanning for Cackle and Agno. They were advancing through the courtyard, unharmed for now. She found it incredible how they were actually fighting in a battle. An actual, full-on-scale battle. With guns, tanks, and such. All of them were still teenagers. She knew teens had fought in wars in the past through conscription; but it boggled her mind how kids could be forced into such hell. The brothers didn’t seem to be mind. They were in warrior mode, Cackle especially letting his weapon fire with glee.
“Push them back!” she heard Viktor scream. “They’re retreating inside! Pursue them to the ends of the Earth!”
Through the outdoor hallway, they finally entered the main house. She knew where she was. Two halls down to the left was the Breakfast Hall. It was pandemonium inside as well. The exchange of gunfire did not cease inside. She saw Aurelian soldiers mostly retreat, Viktor’s men not allowing them to escape as they pursued them. Other Aurelians fought back courageously, but mostly to no avail. She yelped as a bullet whizzed past her, an inch from her left shoulder. It had nearly grazed her.
Serenity looked to her left and right. The hall was clear, filled with bloodied corpses. Realizing that nobody was paying her much attention, she took off and darted across the hall, heading to her living quarters. As she hopped over bodies and treaded on the bloodied floor, she could hear Garen yelling after her incomprehensibly. The tumult and uproar of battle drowned out his voice. She didn’t stop running, passing Viktor’s soldiers as they cleared the halls for her. On several occasions, she was forced to take cover as Aurelian soldiers opened fire. In one instance, the Aurelians completely decimated one of Viktor’s squads in the corridor leading to the living quarters. They spotted Serenity cowering in the corner and held their fire.
“Aren’t you Councilman Alistair’s niece?!” one of them asked, perplexed. “What the hell are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be—”
He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. A fresh, new wave of Viktor’s men rounded the corner and let loose on the Aurelians. They were all dead in seconds. She wheeled around, revealing her face to Viktor’s men. They looked at her, confirming that she was no enemy. Once she knew they wouldn’t shoot at her, she proceeded onwards.
Serenity arrived at the double staircase, bounding up the steps. She was fatigued from all the running, but her legs kept moving out of entreaty from her will. Behind her, the clamor of bloodshed pervaded.
She sprinted across the hall, first stopping at Sixto’s door. She knocked vigorously in desperation, calling out his name. There was no answer. She tried Lily’s door. But the result was the same. Lyla’s door came next. But the result was invariable. They were either not in there or refused to open the door out of fear, which was logical, considering the chaos outside the door. But she arrived at the conclusion that they had relocated somewhere else. A dozen of Viktor’s soldiers bolted up the steps behind her, splitting up at the loft. Half of them took the corridor to the left, while the other half took the right where she was. They all began shooting down the doors and entering. Serenity stood back in alarm as Lyla’s and Lily’s doors were destroyed simultaneously. She chose to enter Lily’s first, following a soldier inside. Lily’s chamber was completely empty. She wasn’t here.
“Get out of the way,” the man snapped irritably, shoving her out of the way as he left the room in disappointment.
Serenity then checked Lyla’s room. As expected, she wasn’t in there. She checked Sixto’s chamber just in case. No surprise, he wasn’t there either. Where were they? She hoped Sixto was with the other civilians.
She met Agno at the staircase. He scolded her on sight.
“Don’t run off like that!” he said. “Garen says to stick with us! You’ve got a death wish for sure. You’re not leaving my sight.”
“Why’s that?” she said derisively. “You guys don’t give a shit whether I live or die. So don’t treat me like a child, all right? Leave me alone.”
“Relax,” said Agno scathingly. “I’m here to make sure you don’t pull off some traitorous move.”
She sucked her tee
th in annoyance, bumping into him intentionally as she walked past. Agno followed her closely, intent on not letting her escape again. As troublesome as it was, she didn’t have anywhere in mind to go.
She nearly escaped death one more time, as a grenade exploded suddenly two seconds after she spotted it rolling on the floor. Agno saved her life with his sharp reflexes, grabbing her with one arm and diving back. They narrowly avoided the blast radius of the explosion. But they felt the force and impact of it as it propelled them two extra feet forward. Agno cursed incessantly, holding his left calf. She looked down at it, grimacing. The skin around it was red and blistered, the heat emanating off of it actually palpable.
Agno sprang to his feet, testing his leg. He could walk, but with a limp.
“You got lucky,” she said, pointing out the bright side.
“I know,” he replied. “Can’t run anymore, though. Not properly.”
An Aurelian soldier came into view from around the corner. He gasped, reaching for his rifle as he spotted Agno. Too late. Agno was too quick for him, firing his weapon with one hand.
Serenity realized that Agno’s incapacitation was fortunate for her. If she was to run and try to escape, he shouldn’t be able to catch up to her. However, Agno did save her life. For now, she’d cooperate with him. Just until he got back together with the others, or got his leg tended to.
They regrouped with the others. Despite his injury, Agno was able to keep up with her without a problem. Blood was splattered all over the walls. It took everything in her power to smother the urge to puke. She tried her hardest not to look. Around fifty men stormed into the Lunch, Breakfast, and Dining Halls. She stopped by the entrance of the Dining Hall, watching as Viktor’s men barged into the kitchens. Considering she heard more gunfire, it was logical to assume that Aurelians were hiding in there. She overheard two of Viktor’s men ridiculing the Aurelians for their superfluous usage of three separate halls for meals. Initially, she had deemed it ridiculous as well. Though, she now knew it was just a testament to the insurmountable wealth the Aurelians possessed.