26 The Shadow of History

Shena slowly walked through the devastation that now surrounded her. There was nothing left.

She discarded the solar shields hastily from each of her wrists and limped toward the center of the blast radius. Holding tightly onto her injured shoulder as she heard the feint cries of pain from any surviving insects now covered head to toe with metal shards. They were no threat anymore to her anymore. Not in that state.

But she still was to them.

She shot one of the daughters through the back of it's skull as it crawled for its sword. She had no sympathy for these insects and their survival. She picked one after another as they lay dying, wirthing in agony, helpless beneath her. She didn't care. They had taken everything from her. Now she was returning their favor.

She crept ever closer as she went through any survivors she found ; watching her step to avoid the thousands of spikes from rupturing the bottom of her foot before suddenly stopping at one body in particular. The revolver slipped from shena's hand as she knelt down over his body in the mud.

His beautiful wings had been torn to shreds.

Shena put aside every emotion she had, and placed her restless head atop his chest now littered shards and daggers. Begging for the hope of any sighs of life. A chance. There had to be a..."

There was a heartbeat. Faint, and feeble. Then another. Shena carefully cradled him in her arms before sliding his scorched and battered helmet of his face; tossing it carelessly into the dirt beside them both, the glowing blue light of it's shattered visor flickering, before it sputtered and died.

Her face surveyed his. His body was now in shambles, but his face was still as calm as it had ever been.He let out a feint gasp for air. Blood began dripping from the edges of his mouth as he opened his eyes. The frightening infected red of his rage filled eyes was at last beginning to vanish, returning to their usual calm bright blue she cherished once again. Hate and seething anger just wasn't who he was. And they were both all too glad to see it go.

"Hey Shena." Fereen spoke softly. His breathing heavy and desperate. He had a pierced lung and his voice was becoming weaker by the second. He gestured with his one remaining hand shakily around the now peaceful battlefield that surrounded them both before shifiting his weak voice to a smug tone in his last moments. "See..? Told you we'd make it. We lived bitch.

Shena stared down at his irritating and bloodied smile enraged. She knelt down and latched tightly onto his tattered vest with both arms. Wanting to strangle the life out of him but knew it was slipping away whether she did anything to prevent it.

"You idiot!!, Why would you do that!?? We could have taken them together! I had the gun in my hand!!!! Why?! Fereen!!! WHY??!!!! She screamed infuriated with tears pouring down her battered face.

"We couldn't have stopped them all ma'am." Not in our current state."

"You don't know that!!! We could have defeated them together if you hadn't done something so stupid!!! I should never have listened to you!!!" Shena grasped tighter onto his bloodied ragged uniform; twisting the fabric and barley managing to stop herself from shaking him upward in a fit of rage. "I should have done something!.. I should have..."

"There was no other way ma'am. The odd's were stacked against us..."

"So I had to level them any way I could."

"I'm sorry."

Shena lowered her head away in frustration by her friends last act of utter foolishness. She released her grip from off his uniform and turned her attention away toward anything to help. Her eyes filled full of the lie that was hope as they glanced toward the medical bag's contents strewn about in the mud behind them. As soon as she started to reach for them, Fereen clasped onto her arm suddenly. Stopping her desperate futile departure for the equipment. His grasp was surprisingly strong for a dead man.

"No.. Ma'am..." Fereen shook his head back and forth up at her weakly. Moving even the slightest muscle now caused immense pain no matter what action he did.

"I have to try something!" Shena struggled and squirmed as she fought to break his lock on her arm and reach for the supplies.

"No point. Not even Vesa, could have fixed this mess up."

He snickered. He coughed.

"But I guess in this case.. my current example is slightly more credible than yours." He smiled before letting out a bloodied painful cough. He relaxed his hold on her arm and gestured with his good hand for her to sit back down beside him.

"Please.. Stay ma'am." I don't..want to be alone.

Shena stood in the rain for a few seconds looking down toward her distressed soldier in his final moments; contemplating what she could do to even hope to save him. He had sacrificed so much for her already. If she ignored him now, she would forever be a coward and a traitor to her friend. Shena dejectedly let out a heavy sigh of frustration and painful acceptance at the unavoidable outcome.

"Alright Fereen." Shena uttered. Her face filled with sorrow and grief, but she was going to help him make the most of what valuable time they had left together. That was all that mattered now. She hesitantly knelt back down beside him. Wrapping her arms gently around his splintered back as she held him up close beneath her shadow.

As the esteemed young lieutenant began sobbing lost like a lost dumbstruck fool in the dirt, Fereen slowly put one of his hands on her shaking shoulder trying to console her as best he could. Shena as an officer was supposed to be above such unprofessionalism and displays of weakness. But right now, she didn't care.

She locked and hugged tightly around her friends back in desperate consolation and dread. She felt her injured hand trickling blood along with raindrops down Fereen's injured back. To which he could care less as well. The deadly storm and freezing rain continuing it's unrelenting surge down mightily atop the inseparable friends unsparingly. Shena started to speak tearfully into her beloved friends ear as both battered and fatigued soldiers held each other tightly.

"This is all my fault. She cried aloud regretfully. "If I had taken out the last three flyers this would never have happened to you!"

Fereen chuckled. "You expect too much of yourself ma'am. Nobody's perfect, not even me. But I'd say you did a pretty good job in the end. Certainly better than I could have. We held the line thanks to you and your lead. But you have to promise me this. You can't blame yourself for what happened here today. You..., did all you could for us...., and we couldn't have asked for a better leader holding the line with us to the end.

"Is there anything I can do to make it easier?" Shena placed her hand on top of his shoulder gently.

"Yea.. could you flip me over a bit to the right. It's less prickly on that side."

Shena nodded as she carefully turned him over. He grunted and gasped in pain as the ground pushed the metal shards deeper into his flesh. He clutched and scraped across the dirt with his remaining hand in frustration before relaxing it.

"Thanks... That's a bit better." He winced.

Shena's eyes expanded as she saw the full damage on his back side. Hundreds of metal shards were pierced in his skin and what was left of his wings; each causing blood to exit rapidly from the numerous small wounds. It would take hours to pull them all out. At best they would have only a few minutes thanks to the daggers.

Shena winced and pulled her eyes away from the grisly sight. Turning her attention back to her friend's face. His helmet had deflected most of the metal shrapnel, so underneath it was still the same handsome and supremely arrogant man she had known for so many years. She slowly caressed the side of his cheek with her left hand affectionately.

"At Least I'm still pretty. Fereen said aloud graciously.

Shena bit her lip. Making a fist in vain attempt at stopping herself from smiling at another of his terrible jokes. It couldn't be helped, no matter how hard she tried not to.

"You moron." She chortled as she rolled her watery eyes. Tears still pouring and falling off the edge of her bruised elongated chin.

Shena held Fereen close beneath in her exhausted arms for the last few minutes as his breathing became more strained. Although his body was now broken, he spirit was still as sharp as ever. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled up toward his loyal friend for staying beside him after all this time so he wouldn't have to die alone.

But before he does...

"Here"..."I want you to have this ma'am." Fereen strained and lifted his saber hilt a few inches off the ground for her to see. Shena glanced downward at the weapon; Greatly conflicted.

"Are you sure? I use gun's not swords."

Fereen chuckled. "Don't worry; You'll learn in time ma'am, it doesn't take a genius to learn how to swing a stick. Besides, won't do me much good after I'm dead weight. Fereen reached over and placed the blade carefully into her palm; slowly clasping her thin webbed fingers for her tightly around the handle.

"Keep it close and use it to keep up the good fight ma'am. Its a strong weapon but its only as good as the person who wields it allows it to be. But you're the best out there, so it will serve you faithfully in my place after I'm gone. Right beside you as I always was."

His arm released it's clasp over her hand before collapsing weakly back against the dirt. Shena stood kneeling on the ground unsure of what to do before with his final act of kindness and trust toward her before finally nodded reluctantly.

She slowly raised the old hilt in front of her face, before igniting the sword. Water shot up from inside the hollow handle to create the form of a fresh blue blade. The transparent liquid, now providing a sphere of illumination in the darkness surrounding them both. She slowly turned her gaze away from the weapon and back to its former owner.

"I promise Fereen. I'll use it well."

Fereen smiled as he gently caressed his hand across the uninjured side of her alluring face.

"I know you will ma'am. But my only regret is not having been able to spar with you. I had so much wisdom to teach.

"Like blowing yourself up?"

"Well.. apart from that." He chuckled before turning his head aside and coughing out more blood. "I was hoping to move out of the way of the blast in time. But..., I guess we can't have everything we hope for. No matter how hard we try."

Suddenly the rain finally stopped.

Both of their exhausted and weary eyes turned upward toward the sky. Surprised as the sound of thunder ceased and became silent. The heavy winds dying down, now able to allow the clouds to finally begin drifting apart slowly; letting the moon light and stars finally seep through its thick haze and Illuminate the two of them together on the soaked battlefield after all these many months.

"Heh...""Well whataya know?" Fereen said feebly. He unearthed a last surprised grin at the sudden change of more pleasant weather. His pulse was coming to a standstill. He had lost too much blood.

"Fereen, please don't...."

Fereen reached out and desperately gripped onto Shena's hands frightened. He wished he could have seen his parents one last time. He wished he could have seen the vast ocean's after being so long away from home. But most of all, he hated leaving his friend in a place like this. But she would manage, because that was who Shena was. She's a survivor who always got back up no matter how many times it hurt. But for him...

It seemed as if his luck had finally run out.

"Shena…I'm scared." He gasped.

Shena squeezed tighter. Hoping to god that somehow he would persevere. But she wouldn't sour his last moments with delusions and promises and safety. They were both soldiers. They knew they would never receive any of those in this line of work they had chosen together.

"I know..., Just. Just Look at the sky. Shena cried, frustrated at not being able to think of something better to say. Unbeknownst to her. He was fine with whatever meager distraction she could muster for him.

"We can see the star's at last. Aren't they wonderful.?.." Said Shena ashamed. Sounding incredibly stupid aloud. He didn't mind. He looked up alongside her toward the clear solar system shinning down at last upon them both. No thunder. No chaos. Just peace. The star's reflecting across his sparkling cold wet skin. He looked as if he belonged apart of their endlessness soothing void. A lost star missing from the night sky, never able to return. But soon...he would. His work was done. Orevan was safe.

"Yea....." Fereen said weakly. His heartrate beginning to slow." But....to be honest,...I think I'll miss the rain. I liked it a bit more."

Shena chuckled and rolled her eye's one last time at her dear foolish friend held tightly in her arms. Tear's engulfing her face and falling gently across his soft face growing colder by the second. "Of course you would. She smiled."

"A shame....."Fereen gasped choking on his last breath.

"I was just starting to get used to the rain...."

"Yea..me too. Shena lied. Kissing the dying soldier atop his forehead in tears and holding him close for their last few moment's together in silence.

The corporal's calming compassionate voice trailed off into nothing but bloodied spurts of air and panic. His frightened wandering eye's became lost amongst the clouds. His head slowly falling back to hang off the edge of Shena's arm resting gently under his neck, comforting him however meager way she could while they were together. His shaking hand wrapped tightly around hers before growing limp and falling to his side. The Shark closed her eyes in sorrow. Already sensing the electrical signals radiating off this once courageous and spirited man beginning to dwindle slowly. Leaving no trace of his life force behind that he was ever even here to begin with among the sea of darkness that now only she could see. And it was a shroud that she knew, she would never be free of when she opened them again to see what was left in her arms. A husk. A shell. She slowly unlocked her scarred eye's to look down.

A few moment's later he died.

Future propaganda would say that the mighty lone lieutenant had stood victorious atop the blood soaked ground, shifting injured but undeterred though the destroyed rubble right beside her to replant the monarchy flag which had been so disgracefully knocked aside by the raiders. Many imagined it still waving in the wind undefeated and unchallenged to this day as a symbol of her undying love for her nation.

In truth, she had torn it to pieces.

The once proud lieutenant bawled like a helpless child afterward for the next few minutes among the tattered flag of a country which had left her and her friend's to die. Realizing that her platoon and the raiders were alike in at least one way. They were both Disposable. The beaten tired shark should have just ignored the unpleasant truth and returned to her post, but she instead focused on holding her closest and dearest friend tightly so he wasn't forgotten. It wasn't for her to decide who was remembered though. The last soldier under her command who had at last faded away forever to join alongside all the others unlucky enough to have been put here under her command, would be swallowed by the shadow of her future fame and become lost to history despite her best efforts. Another casualty of war. Another KIA. And no one other than she would care or even remember the man who Fereen Vosento was after that night. The battle was won at last. That was all their nation cared about. That was all history really cared about when it come's to war. Who win's. Who loses. And victory was now her's alone to revel in to it's absolute glorious entirety. She had won this battle. But she had won an even greater battle without even realizing it.

Shena Veso would be a name that would carry her legacy for the action's she so heroically performed tonight like a leaf in a current along the river of time. She would be remembered and live on for centuries yet to come even if she herself would not be there to see it. Future children would be named after her, for her name would be synonymous with determination and ferocity. Historians would study her weapons and artifacts in museum's behind bullet proof glass, drawing thousands of visitors every year hoping to catch a glimpse of them, especially her famous sword which was said to have killed at least five hundred raiders. Shena should have been happy. Grateful to achieve some sense of immortality and a place in the halls of time that most could only dream of possessing.

Shena instead began to feel anger.

Shena began to feel hatred she didn't know she could feel.

She felt her new reality crash against her like a tidal wave. Overwhelming and permeant in it's cold isolated truth. Her eye's were now wide open. But she was more lost than she had ever been in her life.

She was now all alone in the present, Cold, shivering and with a massive headache. With nothing but an old sword handle clutched in her trembling hand to keep her company. But the old piece of bronze and iron wasn't nearly as treasured to her as its former wielder was now silent beside her.

Not even close.

Shena screamed aloud into the cold night like a rabid animal. Her rage and self hatred all consuming at not being able to have done more. She was supposed to have been their leader. Their Friend. And she had failed them all by not dying with them. She should have fought harder.

Vesa died saving her.

Kiro's died saving her.

And now Fereen had done the same. And no one would care.

Shena didn't deserve their sacrifice. She didn't deserve to be alive. And she would never forgive herself for being here still breathing.

Not when they weren't...

The last survivor of her platoon sat aimless by herself for what felt to be hours clinging to the pile of dead flesh. Desperately thinking as to what she could possibly do next in order to carry herself up from kneeling in the mud and continue on with her mission as was expected. She struggled as she searched for a sign of purpose now that she had none. Luckily she didn't have to search far.

The sound's of the surviving raider's soft cries of agony as they withered in pain mere feet away..

Were all the words of motivation she would ever need to hear.