When the lights went out, Alden knew that something wrong was happening all over the city. The explosion that wrought the cities. The chaos was all over the place.
Everyone's dancing to the tune of chaos.
Alden thought sincerely. He had shimmied himself up the roof while watching the front of the house. From the house he could see all of this.
‘It’s even more fucked that I am so calm about this,’ Alden thought, ‘like everything is just natural. Didn’t know I was this twisted.’
Alden adjusted his weight on the roof tile watching the explosions in the center of the city. “Everything’s going to shit over there that I am rather glad that I am far from there.”
“You should,” Melia said, her voice coming just below. There was an open balcony that allowed her to watch the front of the house, while Alden watched the back through being on top.
“Who knows what the magiborne are doing in there?”
“Probably trying to make them think about what they should do next. Continue the half-a-decade war or suffer at the hands of angry superhuman people.”
“Superhuman doesn’t mean that they are bulletproof. They’ll rely on their ‘magiborne’ title to scare the wits of the soldiers, but don’t expect that when they are facing soldiers armed with Vulcan-units that are meant to counter the magiborne if they do go rogue. Well,” Alden held his chin, “that is if some of them are fast enough to see the pattern of the bullets or their perception of time is strange.”
“You’re watching those damn cartoons again,” Melia snorted. “But there is evidence that those folks could do it. I heard that some of them were great and fast enough to catch a bullet with one hand.”
“Ah, read that on those articles, actually. How this man swiped a bullet. Didn’t he die later?”
“He did. But the first act caused him to defend the bullet, the second him catching the bullet with his glabella, actually.”
“Ouch.”
“So I don’t expect them to be fully idiotic that they would rush into the gunfire of many trained soldiers. Holmia might prosper, and we are ‘refined’ and ‘knowledgeable’ according to the outsiders, but we still have a history of fighting these people from the South of the World.”
What are they so afraid that they are willing to invade with their inferior weapons?
That question has been long in the minds of those who have studied the demikin, and found a way to dissect them.
What are they willing to do in hopes to survive? To the point that it is better for them to migrate, millions of their population, and invade the uppermost continent instead of staying in their Southern Lands?
It has been a long question ever since. Hell, the known-continents were so large that there are parts that only after the invention of long-distance flying vessels were able to get close to the continent of the Demikin-natives. Only through the thick hulls and savage artillery and firearms that the ships of the Uppermost Continents were able to reach their continent, saw their barren and inhabitable land that only one Clan could have seen, and that clan was already long gone.
“What was that famed clan again?”
“I think it was Tomas? Or was that Strongarm? Ah, kinda odd that we have someone like that...having two names.”
“Oh, now that you mention it. Hmm, how come you know this?”
“The Confederate of Athesia...has quite a history. They all logged it in their books, you see. Should read it when there’s time.”
“I would...but this isn’t exactly a good time to appreciate all of that.”
“True, the city's burning, and I’m glad that we aren’t even damn close to it...for now.”
“For now?”
“Look at it, will you?”
Alden observed the distance between the center and the firefight.
“It’s becoming closer as they clash. I’m sure of it,” said Melia, there was sureness in her voice.
“You think that the clash will be coming here?”
“Yeah, and if it does...we need to think whether we should evacuate or stay and fight Nana’s property.”
Alden went quiet. “I’ll...leave the choice to you, Melia. Truthfully, I see no value in preserving a house, defending it, and as long as we have the documents, we can recover the house, and not risk our life. We are talking about magibornes here, strong, fast, and ready to burn the whole city for whatever cause they are fighting...but if you want to defend this home...this house...I'll let you decide what to do.”
“That’s rather...subdued of yours.”
“I know. I’m leaving the choices to you. I’ll follow, but if I am to choose...then you know what I will do.”
“You’ll save me, what, like a darling princess?”
“Might try, but I’ll prevent any of that from happening in the first place.”
“I don’t mind you asserting. I like it when you assert, Alden. I noticed that’s what I like about you.”
“Sure, but as your friend, I’ll watch your back. That’s what I said to you when I became your assistant in the office.”
“Yeah, you did. I’m glad that you’re around, Alden. Honestly, I wouldn’t be braver if I didn’t have to impress someone.”
“That so? Then pay-raise would be fine for me.”
“Well, I could cut some of Paul and Linda’s allowance to give you some extra florins.”
“Now that’s not fair at all, doing that to them.”
Alden heard a giggle below him. “Yeah, so, still want to get that raise?”
“No thanks, cheapskate. But if you somehow divert your own funds, I might think about it.”
“Pfftt, so I might think about it.”
“Good that we can still laugh...with the firefight coming closer than ever.”
The firefight was getting louder. There were even explosions that were clearly from mortar and artillery. There were also gyrodynes, jet planes, and even airships heading to the center.
It was a disaster that was still growing larger than it needed to be. Alden, he didn’t understand the pain, nor he cared about what might happen to them. It was a dullard’s thinking, how he should care about those who are around him first.
Right now his priority was keeping his friend safe. That was all in his mind and seeing that blazing fight coming close. Alden didn’t dare to imagine how loud and frightful the firefight would be if they continued spreading.
Alden stayed on the top of the roof. Melia meanwhile was keeping watch, her eyes on the residents who were evacuating the street, hoping that they could get out of the firefight.
That would have been a great choice. If they had considered that every side of the city was starting to have shootouts and skirmishes. It was then that Melia could be heard speaking to the two-way radio. Alden stayed his gaze on the skyline where most of the high-riser buildings were when he saw something horrifying.
A sudden streak of light that came from the ground pierced through the building, and with that streak of light, the three buildings that stood together started to crumble. Alden heard that great harrowing cry as the three buildings began to turn sideways, and fall to their side.
The quiet did not come as Alden thought it would. Whatever they were using as a weapon, it was bringing great destruction to the City of Knia.
Alden’s body froze at the sight of those buildings. It was not the last spectacle that he saw either. The flying units, the jets, the gyrodynes, and those airships started falling from the sky like meteor showers. The blackness of the city, replaced with the flaming hues of chaos. The loud noises, the terrible shaking of the earth, and the bursts of gunfire made him truly afraid.
“This isn’t something we could handle,” Alden said. He vaulted off the rooftop, landed on the balcony, and approached Melia who was holding to the two-way radio with trembling hands.
“Alden,” Melia’s tone was grave, “it looks like they are using heavy weapons and are adamant on taking on the garrison here. There are twenty thousand soldiers that are fighting in that center now.”
“T-twenty thousand?”
“How?”
“Most of them are civilians who had enough. The rest are soldiers from the Easternside who had trained and armed the refugees...it looks like they aren’t taking this lightly. They want to go back home, and if it means shedding blood here...then they wouldn’t hesitate to do so.”
Alden held his rifle tightly. “They...intend to hold the people living in Knia, aren’t they?”
“I’m afraid they are. From what I heard from the radio’s scanner, they are intending to capture the entrance and exit points. I don’t know how they did it, but most of the roads are now barricaded and locked up by the antiwar forces.”
“So no one thought it was weird?”
“They probably didn’t think much since the VIPs came. The leaders of the summit are still in the city. If the antiwar forces are able to hold off them...then they would have no choice but to enter negotiations.”
Alden balled his fist. “Talk? Negotiations? Melia, we are fucking dealing with antiwar forces, that are literally glassing the goddamn city without fucking caring about who they are going to get killed!”
“I know...that’s what will happen,” Melia held her arm. She hung the radio scanner, braced herself on the wall. “It was the right choice, not going straight out of the city. We would have been led to some camp where we are kept watch. Undoubtedly, they are not taking the soft approach on this matter, Alden.”
“No shit, taking down buildings isn't ‘clear’ enough? If you saw how they somewhat brought down the buildings, you aren’t going to be as calm as you are now.”
“Just calm down for now, Alden.”
“I am calm, just furious. Shit, why did it have to happen while we are in the city, damn it,” Alden swung his fist on the concrete foundation of the wall, smashing a part of the wall, revealing some part of the rebar. His hand was unharmed as he retracted it, leaving Melia stunned.
“What the hell?”
Alden stopped. “No, I think I lost my temper.”
“By Jove, Alden,” Melia. “You scared the hell out of me, you’re not hurt?”
“No, but I think that part of the wall was loose. I, don’t know what came to me, I just feel angry for no reason at all--”
The light came back on. Alden raised a brow, and hurried downstairs with Melia following behind. On the TV was a broadcast where people who were eerily familiar from the previous summit broadcast were on their knees.
“To the leaders of the summit,” the man said. He was a tall white-haired, red-eyed person that was easily lifting a piece of equipment on his other arm. “I have come here to present the Free Citizens Movement. You are witnessing the drastic actions that us, the FCM are making.”
“They do not hear our words, petitions, and pleas. They do not supplement our needs, and treat its loyal citizens and soldiers as cattle to be thrown into violence. How long have our brothers and sisters been outside of our homes? How long have they played butcher, for the sake of these ‘people’ who do nothing but talk in broadcasts, and resolve nothing. If pleas, begging, and petitions do not work. Then they will hear our thunder.”
The anger of a man who had been oppressed.
From the looks he was giving, that steadfast resolve, and the unrelenting will that he had.
It was the face of single-minded conviction. On the man’s face was a quiet anger that would not be convinced until he, no, the people that were behind could get what they wanted. Alden looked at the face the man in the TV and thought bitterly that it seemed like they were still in the beginning of a long battle.
The occupation of Knia was still underway
When the lights went out, Alden knew that something wrong was happening all over the city. The explosion that wrought the cities. The chaos was all over the place.
Everyone's dancing to the tune of chaos.
Alden thought sincerely. He had shimmied himself up the roof while watching the front of the house. From the house he could see all of this.
‘It’s even more fucked that I am so calm about this,’ Alden thought, ‘like everything is just natural. Didn’t know I was this twisted.’
Alden adjusted his weight on the roof tile watching the explosions in the center of the city. “Everything’s going to shit over there that I am rather glad that I am far from there.”
“You should,” Melia said, her voice coming just below. There was an open balcony that allowed her to watch the front of the house, while Alden watched the back through being on top.
“Who knows what the magiborne are doing in there?”
“Probably trying to make them think about what they should do next. Continue the half-a-decade war or suffer at the hands of angry superhuman people.”
“Superhuman doesn’t mean that they are bulletproof. They’ll rely on their ‘magiborne’ title to scare the wits of the soldiers, but don’t expect that when they are facing soldiers armed with Vulcan-units that are meant to counter the magiborne if they do go rogue. Well,” Alden held his chin, “that is if some of them are fast enough to see the pattern of the bullets or their perception of time is strange.”
“You’re watching those damn cartoons again,” Melia snorted. “But there is evidence that those folks could do it. I heard that some of them were great and fast enough to catch a bullet with one hand.”
“Ah, read that on those articles, actually. How this man swiped a bullet. Didn’t he die later?”
“He did. But the first act caused him to defend the bullet, the second him catching the bullet with his glabella, actually.”
“Ouch.”
“So I don’t expect them to be fully idiotic that they would rush into the gunfire of many trained soldiers. Holmia might prosper, and we are ‘refined’ and ‘knowledgeable’ according to the outsiders, but we still have a history of fighting these people from the South of the World.”
What are they so afraid that they are willing to invade with their inferior weapons?
That question has been long in the minds of those who have studied the demikin, and found a way to dissect them.
What are they willing to do in hopes to survive? To the point that it is better for them to migrate, millions of their population, and invade the uppermost continent instead of staying in their Southern Lands?
It has been a long question ever since. Hell, the known-continents were so large that there are parts that only after the invention of long-distance flying vessels were able to get close to the continent of the Demikin-natives. Only through the thick hulls and savage artillery and firearms that the ships of the Uppermost Continents were able to reach their continent, saw their barren and inhabitable land that only one Clan could have seen, and that clan was already long gone.
“What was that famed clan again?”
“I think it was Tomas? Or was that Strongarm? Ah, kinda odd that we have someone like that...having two names.”
“Oh, now that you mention it. Hmm, how come you know this?”
“The Confederate of Athesia...has quite a history. They all logged it in their books, you see. Should read it when there’s time.”
“I would...but this isn’t exactly a good time to appreciate all of that.”
“True, the city's burning, and I’m glad that we aren’t even damn close to it...for now.”
“For now?”
“Look at it, will you?”
Alden observed the distance between the center and the firefight.
“It’s becoming closer as they clash. I’m sure of it,” said Melia, there was sureness in her voice.
“You think that the clash will be coming here?”
“Yeah, and if it does...we need to think whether we should evacuate or stay and fight Nana’s property.”
Alden went quiet. “I’ll...leave the choice to you, Melia. Truthfully, I see no value in preserving a house, defending it, and as long as we have the documents, we can recover the house, and not risk our life. We are talking about magibornes here, strong, fast, and ready to burn the whole city for whatever cause they are fighting...but if you want to defend this home...this house...I'll let you decide what to do.”
“That’s rather...subdued of yours.”
“I know. I’m leaving the choices to you. I’ll follow, but if I am to choose...then you know what I will do.”
“You’ll save me, what, like a darling princess?”
“Might try, but I’ll prevent any of that from happening in the first place.”
“I don’t mind you asserting. I like it when you assert, Alden. I noticed that’s what I like about you.”
“Sure, but as your friend, I’ll watch your back. That’s what I said to you when I became your assistant in the office.”
“Yeah, you did. I’m glad that you’re around, Alden. Honestly, I wouldn’t be braver if I didn’t have to impress someone.”
“That so? Then pay-raise would be fine for me.”
“Well, I could cut some of Paul and Linda’s allowance to give you some extra florins.”
“Now that’s not fair at all, doing that to them.”
Alden heard a giggle below him. “Yeah, so, still want to get that raise?”
“No thanks, cheapskate. But if you somehow divert your own funds, I might think about it.”
“Pfftt, so I might think about it.”
“Good that we can still laugh...with the firefight coming closer than ever.”
The firefight was getting louder. There were even explosions that were clearly from mortar and artillery. There were also gyrodynes, jet planes, and even airships heading to the center.
It was a disaster that was still growing larger than it needed to be. Alden, he didn’t understand the pain, nor he cared about what might happen to them. It was a dullard’s thinking, how he should care about those who are around him first.
Right now his priority was keeping his friend safe. That was all in his mind and seeing that blazing fight coming close. Alden didn’t dare to imagine how loud and frightful the firefight would be if they continued spreading.
Alden stayed on the top of the roof. Melia meanwhile was keeping watch, her eyes on the residents who were evacuating the street, hoping that they could get out of the firefight.
That would have been a great choice. If they had considered that every side of the city was starting to have shootouts and skirmishes. It was then that Melia could be heard speaking to the two-way radio. Alden stayed his gaze on the skyline where most of the high-riser buildings were when he saw something horrifying.
A sudden streak of light that came from the ground pierced through the building, and with that streak of light, the three buildings that stood together started to crumble. Alden heard that great harrowing cry as the three buildings began to turn sideways, and fall to their side.
The quiet did not come as Alden thought it would. Whatever they were using as a weapon, it was bringing great destruction to the City of Knia.
Alden’s body froze at the sight of those buildings. It was not the last spectacle that he saw either. The flying units, the jets, the gyrodynes, and those airships started falling from the sky like meteor showers. The blackness of the city, replaced with the flaming hues of chaos. The loud noises, the terrible shaking of the earth, and the bursts of gunfire made him truly afraid.
“This isn’t something we could handle,” Alden said. He vaulted off the rooftop, landed on the balcony, and approached Melia who was holding to the two-way radio with trembling hands.
“Alden,” Melia’s tone was grave, “it looks like they are using heavy weapons and are adamant on taking on the garrison here. There are twenty thousand soldiers that are fighting in that center now.”
“T-twenty thousand?”
“How?”
“Most of them are civilians who had enough. The rest are soldiers from the Easternside who had trained and armed the refugees...it looks like they aren’t taking this lightly. They want to go back home, and if it means shedding blood here...then they wouldn’t hesitate to do so.”
Alden held his rifle tightly. “They...intend to hold the people living in Knia, aren’t they?”
“I’m afraid they are. From what I heard from the radio’s scanner, they are intending to capture the entrance and exit points. I don’t know how they did it, but most of the roads are now barricaded and locked up by the antiwar forces.”
“So no one thought it was weird?”
“They probably didn’t think much since the VIPs came. The leaders of the summit are still in the city. If the antiwar forces are able to hold off them...then they would have no choice but to enter negotiations.”
Alden balled his fist. “Talk? Negotiations? Melia, we are fucking dealing with antiwar forces, that are literally glassing the goddamn city without fucking caring about who they are going to get killed!”
“I know...that’s what will happen,” Melia held her arm. She hung the radio scanner, braced herself on the wall. “It was the right choice, not going straight out of the city. We would have been led to some camp where we are kept watch. Undoubtedly, they are not taking the soft approach on this matter, Alden.”
“No shit, taking down buildings isn't ‘clear’ enough? If you saw how they somewhat brought down the buildings, you aren’t going to be as calm as you are now.”
“Just calm down for now, Alden.”
“I am calm, just furious. Shit, why did it have to happen while we are in the city, damn it,” Alden swung his fist on the concrete foundation of the wall, smashing a part of the wall, revealing some part of the rebar. His hand was unharmed as he retracted it, leaving Melia stunned.
“What the hell?”
Alden stopped. “No, I think I lost my temper.”
“By Jove, Alden,” Melia. “You scared the hell out of me, you’re not hurt?”
“No, but I think that part of the wall was loose. I, don’t know what came to me, I just feel angry for no reason at all--”
The light came back on. Alden raised a brow, and hurried downstairs with Melia following behind. On the TV was a broadcast where people who were eerily familiar from the previous summit broadcast were on their knees.
“To the leaders of the summit,” the man said. He was a tall white-haired, red-eyed person that was easily lifting a piece of equipment on his other arm. “I have come here to present the Free Citizens Movement. You are witnessing the drastic actions that us, the FCM are making.”
“They do not hear our words, petitions, and pleas. They do not supplement our needs, and treat its loyal citizens and soldiers as cattle to be thrown into violence. How long have our brothers and sisters been outside of our homes? How long have they played butcher, for the sake of these ‘people’ who do nothing but talk in broadcasts, and resolve nothing. If pleas, begging, and petitions do not work. Then they will hear our thunder.”
The anger of a man who had been oppressed.
From the looks he was giving, that steadfast resolve, and the unrelenting will that he had.
It was the face of single-minded conviction. On the man’s face was a quiet anger that would not be convinced until he, no, the people that were behind could get what they wanted. Alden looked at the face the man in the TV and thought bitterly that it seemed like they were still in the beginning of a long battle.
The occupation of Knia was still underway
