"Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it."
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
"Blackmore, hold the bloody doors!" shouted the captain, the situation growing grim by the second.
"Captain, Alexandria is dead! Northgate is on his way out!" claimed the squad medic, having to shout over the consistent banging of the boarded windows and troopers attempting to secure the house. Screaming and shouting could be heard outside, the harrowing voice of their former comrades who they couldn't retrieve in the retreat. "The door won't hold any longer! Do we have a bloody exit?!" exclaimed Blackmore, his body pressed against the boarded doorway, quickly moving out of the way when another trooper toppled a bookcase to cover the door, immediately pushing back into it after exchanging thanks.
"Alright, we have a sighting! North-east of our position is Van Etten, we can make a retreat and relocate to an outpost if they haven't got it already! Wait for the command and find a partner!" announced the captain, his words clear and asserting amongst his soldiers. He'd immediately return his navigation gear, marking a few things before beginning to pack away. Chatter brewing between the soldiers, making their preparations for the move. Soon after, they were met with the sound of swords slashing and agonizing screams as one of the barricades had breached and the other room surrounding with the horrors. Somebody shouted "Bloody stairs, now!" as what left of the crew bolted to the stairwell, the ones at the behind were quickly swarmed by undead. The first floor had been overrun.
As what left of the team crammed into one of the rooms of the second floor. After a few momentary checks, the captain was nowhere to be seen and with that, neither was the map and compass. Blackmore announced to the remainder "We're missing the captain! As the highest ranking member in this room, I am assuming control of the remainder of our forces. If anybody has any objections, speak now!" The room would remain silent, somebody testifying moments after "Let's find a fucking way out of here, now!" The survivors quickly getting themselves into action, smashing the window the room had to reveal a small roof and a small jump which would have the crew capable of getting to the safety another building due to an overhanging balcony.
They quickly mobilized, one by one they would jump and climb up the balcony until they reached their seventh man out of the fifteen remaining, the door had been breached and the undead swarmed the room. The remainder quickly had to find their bearings and move, a girl commanded "Come on! We need to go, now! They're dead already!" They began to sweep the floors, the banging became consistent from downstairs. They surveyed the rooms, gathering what weaponry and supplies they could carry before finding an open window which lead to a way out past the estate's walls. They all successfully made their exits and began to run, navigating from the direction of the sun. After many hours of mindless traveling, they found a glimpse at their saviour, Van Etten. A city in flames, their intel was false.
"Right, who do we have left? Names and roles, now." inquired Blackmore, the now leader of what was left of the Arkroma forces who hadn't retreated to Regalia. "Michaela Jackson. Trained with a sword, an active swordswoman." said one of the girls, another replying "Christine Hitch, Junior Medic. Guess I'm now the senior, non?" One of the men soon but in, waving his hands in a dismissing manner, replying "Alecs Townsend, swordsman. I beat your ass in the pit back in training, remember?" "And I'm just the cook, Mitchell Hardy." butted in another, an awkward staredown meeting the two, unknown if it was intentional to both parties. The final girl spoke, her voice nervous to being the last, answering "Natalia Taenaris, engineer. I maintained the weaponry in the castle before its demise."
"Right then, I'm Andrew Blackmore but you all know that. Van Etten is ablaze and the castle is classified as FUBAR. Our former base of operations has been overrun and it appears we are now the only surviving Arkroma forces in the entirety of Ithania. Now, does anyone have any suggestions on how to unfuck ourselves?" concluded Blackmore, the team staring at him blankly until somebody said something tens of seconds later, Hitch suggested "My hometown is not far from here, it was overrun during the first week but hopefully the undead had dispersed from the cannonfire, non? It's not far from Van Etten, it was why I was so insistent on being based here. We could set up camp in my families house."
The team agreed on the suggestion and all set a march to the town, memories of their former comrades and lives burnt into their memory as they continued, exchanging small talk and banter to try and lighten the mood although, at the end of the day, the only solution is to leave that wretched place and regroup with the rest of the fleet. Happiness is a state of mind, there is no happiness is warfare. Especially when your enemy shows no mercy nor any chance at stopping, anger is the one thing pushing you forward.
...To be continued, boyo's...
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
"Blackmore, hold the bloody doors!" shouted the captain, the situation growing grim by the second.
"Captain, Alexandria is dead! Northgate is on his way out!" claimed the squad medic, having to shout over the consistent banging of the boarded windows and troopers attempting to secure the house. Screaming and shouting could be heard outside, the harrowing voice of their former comrades who they couldn't retrieve in the retreat. "The door won't hold any longer! Do we have a bloody exit?!" exclaimed Blackmore, his body pressed against the boarded doorway, quickly moving out of the way when another trooper toppled a bookcase to cover the door, immediately pushing back into it after exchanging thanks.
"Alright, we have a sighting! North-east of our position is Van Etten, we can make a retreat and relocate to an outpost if they haven't got it already! Wait for the command and find a partner!" announced the captain, his words clear and asserting amongst his soldiers. He'd immediately return his navigation gear, marking a few things before beginning to pack away. Chatter brewing between the soldiers, making their preparations for the move. Soon after, they were met with the sound of swords slashing and agonizing screams as one of the barricades had breached and the other room surrounding with the horrors. Somebody shouted "Bloody stairs, now!" as what left of the crew bolted to the stairwell, the ones at the behind were quickly swarmed by undead. The first floor had been overrun.
As what left of the team crammed into one of the rooms of the second floor. After a few momentary checks, the captain was nowhere to be seen and with that, neither was the map and compass. Blackmore announced to the remainder "We're missing the captain! As the highest ranking member in this room, I am assuming control of the remainder of our forces. If anybody has any objections, speak now!" The room would remain silent, somebody testifying moments after "Let's find a fucking way out of here, now!" The survivors quickly getting themselves into action, smashing the window the room had to reveal a small roof and a small jump which would have the crew capable of getting to the safety another building due to an overhanging balcony.
They quickly mobilized, one by one they would jump and climb up the balcony until they reached their seventh man out of the fifteen remaining, the door had been breached and the undead swarmed the room. The remainder quickly had to find their bearings and move, a girl commanded "Come on! We need to go, now! They're dead already!" They began to sweep the floors, the banging became consistent from downstairs. They surveyed the rooms, gathering what weaponry and supplies they could carry before finding an open window which lead to a way out past the estate's walls. They all successfully made their exits and began to run, navigating from the direction of the sun. After many hours of mindless traveling, they found a glimpse at their saviour, Van Etten. A city in flames, their intel was false.
"Right, who do we have left? Names and roles, now." inquired Blackmore, the now leader of what was left of the Arkroma forces who hadn't retreated to Regalia. "Michaela Jackson. Trained with a sword, an active swordswoman." said one of the girls, another replying "Christine Hitch, Junior Medic. Guess I'm now the senior, non?" One of the men soon but in, waving his hands in a dismissing manner, replying "Alecs Townsend, swordsman. I beat your ass in the pit back in training, remember?" "And I'm just the cook, Mitchell Hardy." butted in another, an awkward staredown meeting the two, unknown if it was intentional to both parties. The final girl spoke, her voice nervous to being the last, answering "Natalia Taenaris, engineer. I maintained the weaponry in the castle before its demise."
"Right then, I'm Andrew Blackmore but you all know that. Van Etten is ablaze and the castle is classified as FUBAR. Our former base of operations has been overrun and it appears we are now the only surviving Arkroma forces in the entirety of Ithania. Now, does anyone have any suggestions on how to unfuck ourselves?" concluded Blackmore, the team staring at him blankly until somebody said something tens of seconds later, Hitch suggested "My hometown is not far from here, it was overrun during the first week but hopefully the undead had dispersed from the cannonfire, non? It's not far from Van Etten, it was why I was so insistent on being based here. We could set up camp in my families house."
The team agreed on the suggestion and all set a march to the town, memories of their former comrades and lives burnt into their memory as they continued, exchanging small talk and banter to try and lighten the mood although, at the end of the day, the only solution is to leave that wretched place and regroup with the rest of the fleet. Happiness is a state of mind, there is no happiness is warfare. Especially when your enemy shows no mercy nor any chance at stopping, anger is the one thing pushing you forward.
...To be continued, boyo's...
Last edited:
