Kismet’s Tale

      Silence. That was the first thing that he could describe the landscape. The airships that had gathered in the air had gone back to land. His fellow soldiers gathered around in the area.

“Are the demifiends really coming?”

“When did the young master stop being right? Look at our nation now, never seen us so clean and healthy. Back in my days we used to worry if the demifiends were going to come knocking. Now? We're the richest nation in the whole continent! Even the Empire-folk are treating us politely.”

“Nation? You mean state, right?”

The older soldier looked at him. “So what? Honor demands that we keep on becoming the allies of the Empire. But how will that change? Do you think those greedy pigs of the Capital will keep this? Oh, they’ll try to take a piece of us, and if they dare then we’ll have them strung up! Alliances are bonds we take seriously, but if this keeps up then it won’t be long until we become independent”

“Yeah, I mean look at us. Do you think that we cannot fight? We have a blooming arrow made from the very sun. No one would think of us lightly!”

He kept his silence after that. He remained vigilant and watched the skies of Alzed. The clouds couldn’t be seen. The afternoon light had long vanished two hours after the bell of sundown had come.

Lights gathered on the defensive lines. The observation balloons have started lighting up the area while hastily installed searchlights were pointed in the direction of the half-mountain.

Nights were usually accompanied with the sounds coming from the westward mountains. If it weren’t for this call to arms then they wouldn’t have been here.

He didn’t doubt that there was something coming. In the years that had passed, Lord Mavin Tomas had been the talk of the region. From how he had cleaned the south of the demifiends, and how he had jump started the prosperity of the land. There were many who didn’t like the changes, but there were too many who did not dislike prosperity either. Their lives have become better and though it was frowned upon first, the choice ultimately paved the way for the victory that they experienced in the war. They had driven off the invaders of the tripartite alliance, and suffered less losses than the other vassals of the Empires.

It was hard to doubt the Young Master. Not only was he a war hero who had come home as a respected serviceman, he held no greed and chose to serve as  Constable while Lord Derrick ruled as the Patriarch.

Despite all the things that he has done. The Young Master could have continued to relish on the wealth and fortune that the Tomas Family had amassed. But to them he was their Young Master who had been baptized thoroughly by the massacre in Jorvi where the former Lord and Lady of the Main Family had been killed.

There were only a few who would doubt the reasoning behind this gathering. Even they could tell that there was something wrong with the areas of Alzed. There was a gloom that they could not hastily explain. It reminded them of the quiet nights of the five-year war that had happened two years ago.

He noticed that some of the soldiers were jumpy. The composed ones were keeping their eyes on the circle of light that remained in the half-mountain’s peak.

One of the soldiers came to look at the light as well. “That shit’s is creeping us out. The Young Master said that they’ll be coming. Shit, the world’s getting crazy, aint it?”

“Yeah,” he replied with certainty. “I mean we have walking iron giants, flying metal birds, and ships that could float perpetually in the air. It’s not hard not to think about what may happen. Shit, the world we live in is crazy.”

“Do you think that we’ll get those metal skeletons?” the soldier looked at the soldiers who wore special gear. They stood next to the Vulcan-unit.

“You think that if we passed the test, they’d make us into them?”

“I heard that there is testing done. If we succeed then we might become an elite. That is if you’re willing to follow the rite of passage.”

He heard that those who failed were almost crippled and taken to Sahus for medical attention. Then again, you have to be tough to have the honor of getting the best gear. Although they were armed better than they were in the war, it didn’t mean that their weapons were inferior to the equipment that the elite soldiers have.

He kept his eyes on the half-mountain. When the cook demanded them to take a break, he responded greatly, took a seat in the camp fire, and ate on his mess tin. They were served salted meat, beans, and cubes of potatoes. There was also soup where they warmed their bellies in the silence of the night.

He returned to his post and tapped the shoulder of the one taking his post to go back. He rested his submachine gun on his shoulder, traveled his gaze on the spots where the searchlight beamed their lights.

There was nothing but silence. Not even a single shadow could be seen over the steppe and only the soldiers who were watching the landscape alongside the war machines of the region.

“It’s quiet isn’t it?” a soldier walked over. “But that circle in the half-mountain bothers me. Shit, none could look away from it, it’s hard not to believe when there is that circle still present.”

“Yeah, it looks like it would be here,” he agreed with the soldier. The soldier slung his automatic rifle on his shoulder, and started fishing out a cigarette from his pockets. The soldier took a piece out, and searched his bag for his cigarette, finding no lighter or match.

“You have a light brother?”

He searched his pockets and found one. He was about to hand over the light when they heard a great wail. It was a prolonged high-pitched cry of pain that echoed in the direction of the half-mountain. Before long, it became a loud doleful cry that shattered the silence.

The soldier next to him threw the cigarette aside and joined in shouting about the noise. He looked to the side and saw their communication officer carrying a large pack of communication equipment report the noise.

Before the officer could continue his report. The soldier saw something that made his very heart shake madly in fear. An elongated claw pierced through the thin layer of light, reached, and stretched the space itself.

An emancipated long-faced beast with gray colors and rubbery and rock-like scale came out roaring. Everyone became stunned at the sight, but what made them winced was how the beast opened its mouth, vomiting creatures from its mouth. It was like a faucet, but instead of water coming out, it was a flood of hideous creatures.

A horde of disgusting creatures came to be. Every soldier in the area became stiff for a moment, before a steely voice brought them back.

“Keep yourself steady,” the voice in the speaker on the back of the communication equipment sounded.

Then they saw a flyer heading out towards the opening in the sky. A large explosion came to be, the silence of the night thoroughly shattered, and came the flash of light, seventy-two thousandths tons of explosives lighting up the night sky.

Then silence followed.

The flyer that brought the explosives was gone as well as the creature that vomited the creatures.

However, they saw creatures still coming out of the opening in the sky, and it was clear what they needed to do.

The voice that was on the speakers of every communication officer rang out.

“OPEN FIRE!”

The order was issued.

And the guns and artillery of Greater Lazon broke the night once more.