VIII Planning for Auferstehen

A party of seven people. Hierd, Heduc, Naturvege, Jeane, Gelmund, Verdel, and Alrife. The dinning room table was crowded and as the table had before only five, the chief had to get from other rooms from his house an additional two. 

"Gelmund." Hierd started, "I have reason to believe that you have more experience in these 'monsters' than others." 

His eyes opened in response. "You know of my previous occupation, captain?" 

"You were part of Unchean's research division."

--Unchen is the city closest to Venit Ille, and is located east the village--

"I don't know alot about this division, but from what Naturvege said; 'That division handles the researching of monsters during Auferstehen. But he retired just before you came, captain.' I'll try asking him."

"I don't know much about this division, do you care to enlighten me?" Hierd asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Captain... We.. of the... Division, were tasked to... Examine. Examine all of the monsters that come in the month of Auferstehen." Gelmund stuttured. "They, were much different from its normal... Counterparts, just that their mass, appearance and overall... Height, increased by two fold."

"How big can some get?" Hierd got curious.

"The majority of them are as big as a tree. But sometimes, we get ones... Bigger than that of a castle's highest tower."

"Damn, training's gonna get a little feisty this time around."

"How does, or rather, how did this village repel these things?" He turned to Naturvegen.

"We-- Well... Captain, the village does have its setbacks when it comes to combating these things. And we mostly rely on the brute force." 

"Aren't we dealing with wolves or something? The hell are you gonna do with brute force with a whole ass wolf the size of a tree?" Hierd was very confused. As Ridge village was, as Friedrick mentioned; 'wolves ravanged the crops.' 

"These wolves, aren't they too dangerous of a force to reckon with?" 

The whole room was confused. Hierd felt like he was missing something.

"Captain, the monsters... 'Resurrected' during Auferstehen differ, when it comes to... Different places."

"Then thats great to know that we're dealing with monsters less powerful than the wolves that trampled Ridge village's fields."

They nodded.

"Now," Hierd continued. "I want to know how the last Auferstehen was dealt with."

-LAST YEAR'S AUFERSTEHEN AS RECOUNTED BY ALRIFE-

"It was night when they came, and the snow was everywhere, so was the cold. The villagers were all gathered in safe areas. Safe being areas that had the eye and protection of our soldiers. I was in-charge of keeping the footmen at bay, while reasuring them that nothing bad would happen. Then, I heard the chief shout; "THEY'RE HERE!" He pointed at the field, the same one where we train today. "

"And indeed when I had turned to that field, I saw animals, monsters, they were big yes, and because of that, they were slow. This wasn't my first rodeo with these things, but the mere sight of these things made me, feel fear and the want to... Live. The monsters were horse-like in appearance, but horrifyingly so, they walked as if they were playing with their food."

"But, enough of that. I had the men gathered and with their shields and long spears, I told them that one man shall shoulder the blow whilst the other shall prick the things. Horses have powerful hooves, but I knew that they were slow, as any other monster in the month of Auferstehen, so such a plan wasn't all that bad."

"We had five of our archers shoot out the first of the arrows, tipped with anything we could find. Poison, fire, feces, anything, anything to just weaken those things. I distinctly remember that an arrow had so perfectly hit the eye of the leading horse and brought down with him the two horses following him from behind. Without such a lucky hit, I don't think we could've had a more safer one--"

Hierd itched to question, and so he interjected Alrife's recount. "Auferstehen doesn't last that whole... Month? Or is it a one day event?"

"It lasts the whole month, but the waves of which these monsters occur are..."

"Are that it depends upon the location, Captain." Gelmund jacked, to which Alrife nodded. "More of the monsters in the month of Auferstehen target the cities and other places with a lot of people living inside them. Venit Ille wasn't that big, we were lucky that the wolves of RIdge village didn't... Migrate downwards, but we... More I, think, captain, that the Auferstehen to come will be more-or-less be worser than last year, by ALOT."

"So depending on the population, these things change direction, their fangs to their bigger target. Might be a hurdle in my ploy for world domination."

"Thank you. You may... Continue, Alrife."

"The rest of the night was just about killing the ones who remained. I don't know how many they were, but if I were to guess, it'd be about twenty of those horses. But I cannot give any so what advise for our next Auferstehen, that one was just luck, the next one might not be so lucky."

"Might not indeed, however we gained insight that our enemies come at night, at winter, and are horses." Hierd said to reasure them. "If it comes at that time, and at that climate. Won't our men suffer from the cold? How did you last conform to it?" He turned to Naturvege.

"We didn't really have alot of... Winter coats, those things are found in cities and rarely are they produced here. We had about five, and right now... I think eight. And so, we just bared the cold."

"Mad men! I'd need a blanket and atleast three jackets to be warm in a room with the AC on."

"I will give you all uniforms, to both confirm your identity with this village-" 

"But if these uniforms are from... Germany, your home country, captain, aren't we defecting?" Heduc interupted. 

"What good does your kingdom do for you to still want to wear their sigils?" 

They were silent. 

"I will supply uniforms more comfortable than what your kingdom could ever supply." 

In dramatic wait, he, Hierd, slowly uncovered from the veil of his cape a wooden box. It was big enough to fit the uniform Hierd wanted to give them.

*Wahhh?!

It was the SS uniform, about the same as what Hierd had worn, and it was all black (of course the symbols were removed). "This is for you, Naturvege, as you had requested it first." 

Naturvege was full in excitement, the fabric was nice, and it felt warm when he had quickly wore it, coat, cape and everything. "Thank you captain!" He had squealed internally in excitement.

The four squad leaders were giving Hierd the puppy eyes treatment. Seeing that Hierd was forced to say; "You all, as well as all the soldiers will undoubtfully get theirs tommorow."

They too squealed.

-A FEW MINUTES LATER-

"The village's main houses are surrounded in woods," Hierd said, pointing his finger on the map laid before him of the village's boundaries. "The farm, the fields and so what lay farther away from the center and are more or less the most in danger. I say we put... A squad to guard the fields, whilst mine and the three others will surround the main village's tree perimeter to.... Scout if those horses come from that side."

"But the horses from the previous year appeared only at the plains, shouldn't it be better, nor even safer to put the force of all our troops there?" Jeane said.

"But, think about it. Our population has doubled, and I do not think we can just place a bet that may endanger the town's citizens if such a bet was wrong." Hierd replied. She made an agreeing sound.

"Alrife, I have a question." He looked up to him. "Did the previous years have the horses coming from the field?"

"Well it had, in-a-way, varied but they came from the fields. But I do think that it'll be different this year around."

"Why so?"

"When the village was still small, the number and the area they covered was small also. However in recent years, this place has grown and so too did their numbers and how they approached us."

"So surrounding the forest is something that we should do." Heduc interjected.

"It maybe so." Jeane replied.

"Though our weaponry is agreeable," Heduc said. "If those things had come in groups, our Kar98k would have some difficulty cutting through? Right?"

"Which is why I will bring over some... New Weaponry..." 

"NEW WEAPONRY!?" Naturvege was most in intrigue than the others who were there. 

"I, with the uniforms, will bring that new armament to light and you will all train with it too."

They whispered to each other, the squad leaders had their intrests piqued.

'Is it a new Kar98k version? A Kar99K?'

'No way! It has to be a cannon!'

"Whatever it is I shall bring, it'll be detrimental without it." Hierd stated. "So I want for you four," He pointed at the squad leaders. "To assemble two fast or strong men that are in your squads." 

"Yes, captain!" They said.

"Mines. This is something I should keep in mind, 'these are dangerous when left alone.' I have to make sure the villagers are kept in one spot if these are deployed around the forest." 

Hierd glided his hand on the map and looks at the various roads. "Ridge village promised me as many troops as they can get."

"Isn't that nice? I could take charge of their training." Naturvege replied in jest. 

"I think Alrife should be more equipped with such a thing." Hierd interjected.

He sulked. 

"And more so;" Hierd added. "Alrife has more influence for the men, than... You."

The smile he had when first he suited the given uniform went quickly down and sullked all the way out the dinning room. 

"..." 

"Alrife, I want you to train them to use the sword, and..." Hierd then looked at the squad leaders. "You four will train them to use the Luger, I trust that you have had able experience using it and too reading the manual."

"Yes, captain." 

"I wanted to have the new recuits to use the Kar98k, but... I overheard some villagers and footmen that Auferstehen is just around a week. Why in the did the leaders, and the chief, no, even Alrife; tell me that Auferstehen was just that close."

"But as you know," Heduc said. "Captain, Auferstehen is just a week's away. 

"What the? They mention it now!?" 

"The luger is easy to use, but as the old footmen took just about three days of training and are already used to the Kar98k and how to use it at far ranges... I think that we should focus more on using the better weapon than the short ranged, luger." Heduc said. 

"The rifle is cumbersome in closed areas, and I wish for the newer recruits to be fast-moving. I took the liberty of suggesting that they train the sword and luger, as it conforms to the old way they would train. And, in addition, they will instead march around the town and be the ones rescuing ones in need."

"I see, captain." Heduc replied.

*knock knock

It rocked the front door of the house, it jolted Gelmund but Heduc remained at a state of ease, almost as if a statue. Alrife went towards and opened the front door.

"Good afternoon."

The voice sounded familar to Hierd, and when he turned around.

"Ah? Friedrick! What is the reason of your visiting?" Hierd said while standing up and walking towards him.

"I am here, O' lord to give you a letter from the chief of Ridge village." Friedrick said. "It contains the number of our footmen, ones ready and ones who have volunteered as reserve." 

"Then you have come at the right time!" Hierd cheered, he got the letter he held up. "Our footmen will gather at the fields tommorow, we wish for your village's cooperation in the training that will happen. Your men should be up by dawn and be ready to train at the field."

*Uhh (Hierd)

"Gel... No, Jeane!" She jolted in response and looked at the captain.

"What is it, captain?" Her head tilted. 

"You, Jeane, will guide the footmen tommorow."

"Yes, captain." She bowed.

"The members of my squad will bring over to you at... Sunset today food for the footmen, get them plump and energetic before tommorow."

"Then that I will tell the chief." Friedrick smiled. 

Hierd went back to his seat and proceeded to open the letter he was given (Friedrick sat on a box by the kitchen). It was a relatively small rough paper square, and contained read;

"Good day, O' lord, Hierd Die Grace. I unfortunately could not be able to come to your abode, simply because it'd be hard for you to wait for my answers and for me to understand signalled words. So instead, I put it in paper."

"Our village boasts thirty footmen, all are willing to serve in your command and any and all of your squad leaders. We wish for you to save us, for you to save the villages, and for the betterment of the relationship of Venit Ille and Ridge."

"All of your terms for our footmen are terms that we will no doubt agree to, and anything you shall need we will do."

Hierd, after finishing reading it; "Thirty? Thats alot, I thought it'd be twenty. But the more the merrier."

"Thirty footmen? Thats great!" Jeane said. Gelmund and Heduc followed suit in agreement.

Hierd looked to Friedrick, "Is this number final? Or are there more? Weren't there ones reserved?" 

"Ah, to answer your first question; there are actually fourty, that being ten are reserved."

"Then they shall need to come tommorow as well."

"Yes, yes they shall." 

-AN HOUR LATER- 

Hierd, the representative of Ridge village and all of Venit Ille's 'military' personnel had just finished the meeting. And the poor Hierd was tired with all the thinking, when he himself was just a university student back then. And was not the adult who had responsibilities. 

Jeane, Heduc, the rest of the leaders rest in their homes, spending time with their family whilst awaiting for tommorow's dawn. Whilst Hierd was in his room, with SS uniforms and some special Philippine Constabulary officer uniforms for the Ridge men that towered all the way to his ceiling, lugers the covered his wooden table. Many double-edged swords in scabbards resting on the floor under the bed, boots that covered the wooden floor boards, and four speical German WW2 captain insignias inside his leather bag. 

"How the hell am I gonna sleep in this crowded ass room!?"