10 Shifting Phase

This night is one of the longest night Captain Dewey had experience in his life. All night they've been preparing. Preparing for what will come.

He is sitting on the bed in the room where the old man Felix house is, when suddenly a man came bursting out of the door. It's Lieutenant Hans panting.

"Sir, we got trouble. A really bad trouble." Hans exclaimed.

Earlier a scout came into the village. The report, estimated three thousand troops is fast approaching towards their position.

The villager's panicked when they heard that. They almost scrambled for their lives trying to haul as many valuables as they can on their carts parading outside the streets.

Prince Albezar and old man Felix flinch a little bit even with the promise that Captain Dewey will protect them. Three thousand troops against three hundred is an astronomical difference. Not to mention that they are humans against a brutal, huge enemies standing almost seven feet tall. No wonder Felix himself is unsure on wether they will survive this or not.

Captain Dewey advised Felix to calm the people down. Felix did so by literally shouting, kneeling for his people to calm down.

After an hour or so, Six of them assembles around the table.

"Captain, I suggest we take the villagers somewhere safe." Lieutenant Hans insisted.

Captain Dewey looks away. "Too risky. They might follow them instead of us. "

"He's right." Prince Albezar added. "They have scouts. They might report us."

"I say, let the villagers stay." Lieutenant Glorin insisted.

"Protect them?" Lieutenant Sycthe exclaimed. "We're on the battlefield. Our attention will be divided. I say we let them escape "

"Escape where?" Prince Albezar asked. "To the North? To the forest? You know how fast those mongrels are?"

Sycthe glares at him. " Civilian casualties is what we're avoiding. "

"Say they travel right now. We can draw their attention to us." Lieutenant Hans explained.

Felix touches his gray, long beard. "We can make it."

"It's up to you sir. What are your orders?" Glorin looks at Captain Dewey.

Dewey looks at the map. He stares at the old looking map. Something caught his attention. "What's in here?" Pointing at the map.

Prince Albezar looks at it. "You can't pass there. It's blocked."

"By what?" Dewey shots back

Albezar gives him a look that's saying seriously? "Chunk of tree trunks and debris. This pass is basically impassable." Albezar continued.

Captain Dewey covers his mouth. He stares at the map for a minute. "Lieutenant Glorin, prepare our demolition team." Dewey said.

"Understood, sir." Glorin replied. Everyone is bewildered on what will the captain do in this situation.

"Is there anyway around the back of this pass?" Captain Dewey asked.

Prince Albezar looks at him. "None, it's so far. What are you planning?"

Captain Dewey bit his tongue. He wants to give them battle in this narrow pass. He will have the villagers lay down at the farthest reach of the pass while they defend the entrance. This way they can ensure the safety of the villagers while using this for their advantage. Numbers here don't matter. Using this pass, they must clear the debris blocking it.

"I'm planning to use this pass for our advantage." Captain Dewey said.

"How?" The old man's wide-eyed response to Dewey.

Dewey grabs a grenade from his side strap and places it on top of the table.

"Explosives." He grinned.

"Explo--suves?" Prince Albezar's only reply.

"You'll see" Captain Dewey said.

...

The night is still deep. Sky crumbles with every roar of the thunder. Lightning every minutes or so adds to the tension that's building up. It is all silent. Every villagers is expecting that they won't survive the onslaught. They're all praying to whatever gods they have. Some wasting with boozes. Others content being with their family.

Lieutenant Glorin and his team assembled at the pass not far from where the village is. Eight minutes later, ten men are hauling their trunks out of the M1 tank they use to get there. They take out explosives, long wires and boxes out of the long trunks. Use exclusively for demolition. How long it's going to take? the Captain Dewey asked it earlier. He said it will take thirty minutes to flush the debris out.

The Ogres estimated time of arrival will be tomorrow. Enough to prepare themselves.

"Haul those explosives over there."One of the men shouted.

They scrambles and survey the surroundings. They rig the entire ridge surrounding the area.

"Watch out for falling debris!" the other men dragging a long trunk shouted.

"That should be enough." Glorin said.

"Well blow this area to kingdom come." the guy in charge of the demolition team said.

"Make sure everything's clean." Lieutenant Glorin said.

"You got that boss." the guy grinned.

Back at the village, Captain Dewey is sitting on the bed at the hut of the old man. He's still believes that battling the enemy at the pass will preserve his men from unnecessary hand to hand combat. The dimming light of the candle makes his eye heavy. His heart pounding heavily. There's something very familiar here but he doesn't know what it is. Eledar. A whisper. Eledar, Eledar!! a hiss. He looks around. No one. It's starting to get worst when he got here. The hiss. The whisper. His head. A sharp sting beating in his head. It's trying to break his head. "Auughhh!!! the pain!!!" Dewey exclaimed. He pops out additional pills. He lays down breathing heavily. His sweat flooding on his forehead.

Eledar. The only word that's echoing in his mind and a blurry image of a woman in what seems to be a garden. The radio buzzes suddenly. Dewey grabs the radio. "What's this?" The captain said.

The radio hisses back. "We got company."