XXII Auferstehen - 1

It was the day after yesterday's venture. Hierd had ordered for the soldiers to do, for the whole of the day, to plant the Vickers Machine Guns atop the castle walls, plant mines around the perimeter (by the help and assistance of the Artillery Platoon), and make sure no adventurer, no merchant, no man, no anyone shall go outside. As Jamie, that researcher had said to him yesterday night, as he remembers so vividly; "My lord, I advise that we should begin defences. Auferstehen's dawn will strike."

"Auferstehen's dawn will strike?"

"Yes, my lord. I feel it will." 

"Auferstehen's dawn will strike." He repeated to himself atop the castle wall this time. 

"Lord?" Heduc looked at him. 

"No-nothing, just something I remembered from someone the day before." He shrugged it off. "So, report the progress."

"We've installed lifts to make the putting of the guns easier, and so far, there have been twenty, of the thirty guns, placed." 

"Stop the placing of the twenty-first gun." He interupted. "And place them in the city near the manor in case they break down the walls, we don't want the city to be overrun with only our guns and grenades do we?" 

"We do not, lord." He said, a nervousness hid in his voice.

"Good, now go."

He did a quick bow before hurrying down the wall's steep stairs. 

"Auferstehen... It'll be the first time I shall see these monster for myself. I hope they aren't as big as Godzilla or as powerful as him too. But hey... How did these guys deter them sum bitches before? Magic? Probably. I haven't considered using magic as a form of military technique." -he clicked his tongue- "Damn, well one of the first times I saw magic used was when that Marie girl did the fireball thingy. I should do a magic division in the army..."

He looked up to the skies, the clouds had blocked the shine of that sun, and the winter cold had dropped down along with it's thousand white petals. It was a dark morning, and the prospect of a future looked dim as the clouds as far away as Venit Ille, were deepening and darkening by the second. 

The people, under the order of Hierd were instructed to stay in their homes and that all work, guild related activities to be shut down for a month. Food was given to them, hot and boiling, it was a type of delicious looking meat stew. Hierd hadn't a clue what it was, just that he said he wanted a; 'piping hot meat stew.' And the voice obliged with even the limited amount of information given. 

Water and other rations were seperated for the military and for the people, and as time grew older. The soldiers were growing anxious for the battle to ensue. The recruits were not soldiers just yet. Only three days of training... Can that be enough for a month's worth of fighting? They questioned in their heads, and doubts began to pop-up from somewhere deep within themselves. 

Well atleast the soldiers were looking out for them and telling them to have faith in their lord, their weapons, and the future.

( * )

Two-hundred-seventy troops. Fifty troops were stationed at the three gates. North, west, and south. There was three Vickers machine guns for each but four was installed at the main 'western' gate where Hierd was. Naturvege and Friedrick supervising the bulk of the recruits, and the five squad leaders (who had now a temporary rank of Second Lieutenant), were instructed to lead the three masses. 

Some recruits were asked to patrol the streets and the people. If any needed assistance, or that (when the monsters come), there were any breaches in the walls. 

"All is well, all goes well." Said Hierd, now at the road. Naturvege and Friedrick were next to him. 

"All shall go well." Friedrick replied. "We've devised a plan for the recruits to assist the three gates, if one needs assistance, a horn will be blown, exactly three notes, and in that direction, we, nearby the manor, will then tell two squad's worth of soldiers begin their auxillary position."

Hierd nodded, he didn't know all that lingo, he wasn't really a military planner. If it were him, he would've just 'Nagasaki'ed the fuck outta that forest.' But figured not after then considering radiation, the explosion, and all other amount of logistic issues. "Well then," -he glanced at them- "I think you should be heading to your positions now, I figure that Auferstehen does not like waiting."

"Yes, lord." Their smiles were confident as they stared at him. They headed into their trucks and drove off.

Hierd made his steps upwards the steep steps of the wall once more. And above, were his squad, Heduc and Jeane, as well as a five of the Vickers machine guns. "I'm sorry if you don't really understand how the machine gun works, since I've only just showcased it without having the proper time for you all the train with it." He walked towards the two.

"That's quite alright lord, we've figured out what to do, the manuals said as much." Jeane said with a smile, she looked beautiful with it.

"Are you not scared?"

"Plenty, lord. But I shall keep my confidence, even in the face of the enemy."

"Oh come now!" Heduc placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just tell em' you're scared."

"Hand's off me Heduc." She said, angered, in a comedic way (Hierd observed)

"Stop your fight, please" -he raised his voice to a yell- "everyone! Look forward!"

Alerted, they looked onward and onto the forest. One could swear there were deep booming snarls and detached eyes looking at them. Yet, they remained with their stern faces. 

"Has it started?" Hierd questioned, still eyeing the forest line with deep suspisicion.

"They come out in the worst of times." Jeane said, distressed; too looking at that forest.

"It was night when they came." Hierd remembered Alrife's retelling of last year's Auferstehen. "It is not night yet, why would they come at the morning?" Hierd said, fully confident that there were already monsters hiding in the dark of that white forest. 

"It differs, my lord." Said Jeane.

"Ah-"

*RAHHHH!

A roar!

"It's fucking Godzilla."

It bellowed the skies, seeming to have darkened the clouds with it's cataclysmic power.

Hierd remained looked to have remained unphased, "So, they come now?"

"Everyone! Take your aim!" Heduc shouted. He drew his FG42 forward. Aiming at the hideous beast's face. Who seemed to be observing the situation.

The soldiers who took the reigns of the Vickers machine guns, had their hands trembling, and nervous sweat began to pour from what ever gland. They off their hats, and they eyed their sights towards the roar of the hideousness of God-knows-what.

"I-I have y-yet to hear of s-something like that before." Commented Jeane, distressed. Hierd was sure the whole army, the city, everyone heard it; and that they had their hearts fall out of their bodies. 

"Be at ease, Jeane. A mere creature faced by my guns?" He chuckled. "Is worth but a hair a single shot after. Aren't they just horses? Spiders? Cows?" -He turned to his squad, to his soldiers- "All of you! Are you scared? That is merely the trick of the mind! You have been taught by your teacher, Jamie, you know the correct spots to shoot, and you shall eye down that monster! Not with fear! But, with rage!" 

*THUD 

"My, lord!" Heduc yelled with shudders to his voice. "The creature's moving!" There was a sway to the trees, like something big was passing through it.

Alerted, Hierd stared at the treeline.

As if the trees were sentient, they looked to have been pulling themselves away. Making way for a gigantic, hill-sized, abomination that crawled slowly it's way forward them. It's face, a bear, with the grin of a devil's. It's fur a thick grey. With it's eyes looking to have swirled in all it's 'jovialness.'

It roared again another, the horrid stench that came from it's mouth had reached Hierd's nostrils, "What, a foul smell." Hierd laughed, finding comedy in it all whilst covering his nose with a towel.

The laugh was supposed to bring unto the soldier confidence, but it just brought onto that their lord did not cower into the face of fear, he laughed at it.

A staredown of sorts, Hierd and that twisted demon, he couldn't even identify if that was a bear of not. It was about the size of a hill, and with it's grin, was creepy. With the cold breeze, came the multitude of thuds that came before that creature. "More are coming." Hierd said, his gaze then fell onto a recruit. "You!"

"H-huh, me!?" Exclaimed, confused. The recruit had then straightened his body to the lord.

"Yes, you." He frowned. "Deliver this message to the two gates," -he took a breath before saying- "'there are many monsters, and one giant one, as you can probably see. Focus on the tree line, and stop any movement, if they surround and overwhelm the city, it'd be detrimental if one gate is breached.' There, say what I said."

"Y-yes, my lord!" He hurried down the steps. 

"Why aren't they moving?" Hierd said with a rather impaitient expression. 

"That, I do not know my lord." Said Heduc. "Last year, it was just an invasion. But this? This is much."

*Tsk

"If that thing takes just one step, I want you to bombard it with bullets." 

"Y-yes lord." Jeane and Heduc replied. 

In mere moments, the monster's army came crawling near it.

Observing it, Hierd saw that they varied in size, from small to big. But if one were to put it into a general average, they were about the sizes of trees. Demonic looking horses, drooling white bears, deers with blood-red antlers. 

It roared!

A mass of horses came rushing toward!

"Shoot!" 

A staccato of fire, blasting the white ground grey with it's power. 

Striking!

Grazing!

Hitting!

A viscous black blood oozed from their wounds, but their run forward stopped not. 

"Aim at the hearts!" Hierd said, quickly getting his own luger to contribute.

The Vicker shooters struggled to do so, but with some lucky shots, they managed to kill some.

Some horses were getting closer to the wall when then;

*BOOM 

The mines, it broke the legs of those big horses, and they neighed a cry of unimaginable distress. 

"Shoot them with the FG42!" Said Hierd, without a second to delay. 

"Yes, lord!" Maintaining composure, they went closer to the cliff of the castle wall and began to shoot downward with their guns, shooting at their bodies without mercy. 

"That all you got, you big sum' bitch?" Hierd chuckled. "Reload your guns!"

"Yes, lord!" Getting another magazine from the wall-stack of ammunitions piled and lying on the cold ground, they swapped their ammunitions with new ones. 

Then another horde came out of the dark forest.

"Horses and bears!" Hierd exclaimed. "Fire at will!" 

The bears ran slower than the horses. Yet they took more blows than realised, as their skin was thicker. Yet nothing could get past the power of Hierd's treumendous arsenal. 

For each hit the monsters took from the armada of gun fire, from the machine gun and the fg42. They squealed and cried painfully to the sky. Yet what came back from the grey clouds were another barrage of bullets eradicating their very existance. 

Pools of blood began to build up on that white surface.

Some managed to reach the mine field, but; stepping on the field, they had stepped on, and exploded with a harsh blow. Their guts, blood, and heart, and legs begone. They hadn't the time to even scream out their goodbyes!

"Gory." Commented Hierd. 

"Lord, one of the Vickers jammed!" Exclaimed Jeane.

"Well then, fix it! There's a manual." Hierd frowned in anger. 

"Y-yes lord." She headed towards, crouched to the soldier position who's gun had malfunctioned. Probing it and detaching the mechanics just as the papers she had opened the manual in, told.

He went to edge outlooking the city; the soldiers down at the ground looked to be distressed and in fear, and the windows, though barred with wood. Hierd could imagine seeing the civilians inside crying and huddling together, praying for the fire of the battle to end. But it looked to not be ending anytime soon.

"What're you all doing looking like you're going to die next!" His eyes met with the many recruits who stood aimlessly.

Startled by their lord's comment, they looked up. A mix of recruits and soldiers. Who all had their respective jobs as auxillary.

Hierd looked at then with Heduc, "Go down, grab a box of the 9mm Pommil. Hand it to the recruits then tell them," -he took a breath- "tell them to come up here and fire."

"Yes, lord." He hurried down the steep steps. 

Looking back at the field of dead monsters and the black crimson dirtying the white-clean snow. The guns were still firing and horses and bears were still coming. There was supporting fire from the Kar98k and grenade fire when the monsters reached nearer and nearer. The supply looked to have dampen in amount, but there was always that truckload more downstairs. 

The monster hadn't moved a muscle. "Did he understand what I said? Why else wouldn't he have moved?" Hierd looked at it, fascinated. 

Under the fire of bullets, the amount of bodies started to pile even more. More such near the mine field. Of which were an abundance of mines. The stench began to worsen, even the soldiers couldn't bear it.

Jeane stood back up and went to Hierd. 

Seeing her near him, he said; "It's fixed?"

"Y-yes my lord." She said, exhausted. The combined fire of the guns, machine guns, and mines had made it hard for each and each to hear each other, but they knew that if they stopped shooting, they'd die.

The monster's grin had turned frustrated. 

"We've angered him now."

The thing gruffed, it was taken as a signal, because, as he did, the deers began to move, slowly so, toward the gate. "Menacing...?" Hierd thought. "Deer is deer, crimson though their antlers."

In a moment, a rumble of footsteps began to come up from the castle wall's steps. "My, lord, they've changed their bullets into the 9mm Pommil." Heduc said, which just behind him, on the stairs were some battle-eager recruits.

"Great. Now let them shoot at the deer."

"Y-yes lord."

As they slowly got the view of the field, the amount of guts, blood, and fire, it was terrifying, like a three-month war had just swept in out of nowhere and made hell to the land. 

"Take aim at the deers!" 

The sound of gun clatter as it slowly went downwards, their eyes sighted in with the monster coming slowly toward. 

"Fire!"

Their heads were obliterated! 

Yet, ominously so, it kept walking. 

The firepower of the 9mm Pommil was impressive! The recruits felt the knockback, the recoil of the gun, differ that of what they were used to with the normal Parabellum rounds. 

Behind the deers, were still a mass of horses and bears charging toward the wall, and the need for men had never been needed until now. 

"Sound the horn!" Hierd yelled. "We need reinforcements!" 

Jeane then leapt toward it, then blowing. Three times. The horn was mighty and loud, it should've reached the manor.

The wall was full of soldiers, and as cramped as it was, it was holding it's ground against the gradual rise of the big creature's soldiers. The bodies began to pile up, and the creatures began to hide behind their fallen. Heduc, upon noticing;

"Throw grenades at the bodies!" Screamed Heduc. "They'll hide behind them!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers reacted upon his order. Unbuckling packs of grenades and throwing them as far as they can at the nearest of the gore-ridden bodies. The stench was overwhelming, but one shall persist. 

A shot pierced the body of the deer, from heart, and to it's back. A certain man jumped in joy after. It was Matthaus, Hierd recognized after seeing his marksman's medal. 

Another roar!

It lasted as much as ten seconds, and those grueling ten seconds had overcumbered their smell and hearing. Hierd looked at the battlefield. The horses and bears stopped coming, and the last of the ones there merely stood until they were shot. 

Under that frightening frown from that large hill. It understood it's position. As this was happening, reinforcements had came! The recruits then made their way up the wall and, after a moment of awestruck, stationed with lugers readied to shoot as well as grenades ready to prime. 

The monster moved!

"God..." Hierd's voice dropped. 

"Fire! Everyone shoot!" Hierd yelled at the top of his lungs!

All iron was pointed straight ahead, towards that hell of a creature making it's way to them. The soldiers kept their morale, and under the guise of Heduc, the recruits began to shoot and throw grenades. 

The monster cried in pain! 

The grenades hitting it's legs, the lead being pumped into it's eyes, head, and it's body. 

It began to run faster!

"Shit!" Hierd yelled. "Everyone, keep shooting at it's heart!" Hierd got out his own STG-44. Shooting as much as he can. 

The sound was deafening, but then!

*BOOM!

It hit one of the mines! It cried out a painful roar, it filled the sky with it's yell, and the sound, had broken their ears.

It stepped back. The roar had signalled the monsters behind him to run once more!

"Shoot! The bears, the deers, everything!" Hierd cried out. The lot of the monsters began pushing through the mine field, with every death, meant that they could get further and further. 

"Grenades! Grenades!" Heduc yelled. "Throw your grenades!" 

They complied under the intense stress of the situation.

"We need more manpower! I'm sure the sides are not getting enough action! I need the bulk of everyone here!"

The sound of gunfire, the booms of the mines and grenades, and the cries of the monsters, it was deafening. The large hill began to recover, moving closer to the wall, it's breath could they smell. 

"It's getting closer!" Hierd yelled, shooting his assault rifle at the thing's already detaching head. The thing was so near that the blood that oozed off every time it was shot had began to splatter Hierd's face. 

The monstrous thing then got up on it's hind legs.

"It's going to crash down!" Heduc yelled. "Everyone! Get far away from the wall!" Some lot of recruits began to crash downwards the steep stairs. Hierd heard from the distance, a truck's wheels skurtting on the pavement. 

Hierd saw the truck, it stopped and began to turn to it's back. A hail of bullets! A Vickers machine gun was in it's hold! It shot at the monster with horrific fire. "Reinforcements!" Hierd thought, smiling, then laughing two quick, small chuckles. 

The monster had yelled once more, and, as it's body was exposed, the machine guns had shot and pierced it's heart! The head had finally detached, falling and landing into the city. While it's body dropped and crashed onto the upper wall. The gate below had crumbled close.

Two machine guns went down with it. 

Not good.

Hierd looked to the soldiers remaining on the wall. "Everyone! Shoot with all you've got! You don't want them entering the city!" 

"Y-yes lord!" 

Almost instantly, the mutant horses and bears were being blasted with grenade and gun fire. Of the two functioning machine guns, which were more than enough, had provided enough lead to disintegrate any who dare come closer. 

The cries of the ugly monsters, from the mines they had stepped on, or the guns that pierced their hearts. It was certainly a horrifying sight of red pulp, guts, and whatever amount of anatomy those monsters had. The field was full of blood, enough to make it a river. And the bodies that stacked up like little hills, had exuded a stench too far to handle. 

There came no more monsters. 

For a moment, there was peace. "We did it!" Hierd had shouted. 

The soldiers, upon realising the monsters were all dead. They cried a shout of glory! Shouting cheerfully at the sky of their achievement! And a chant developed; 

"Glory to the new lord!"

( * )

It was the Afternoon; and the battle was long over, however, the clean-up was not so much. Jamie, with a bag, a mask, gloves, and some other weird trinkets went up to the body, groping the skin, slicing parts of it off, and taking vials of blood from it's many veins.

Hierd looked at her with his intrest piqued, she had rather eccentric ethics and ways of handling these monsters. Where other people would just try and burn it, or even just not look it's way. That's what Hierd observed when looking at the recruits. 

He went to her; "Good Afternoon, Miss Jamie."

She got startled, turned around her. "Ah! G-good Afternoon to you too, my lord. But please," -her voice deepened, and her face quickly turned serious- "call me by my first name."

"Well then, Jamie. What have you noticed about this" -he pointed at it- "this thing?"

"Not much, my lord." She spurred. "It is nothing different from the average monster if you look at it's physical form. However, it's towering height seems to be it's only anomaly from the others. However, my lord; I shall need to do more experiments regarding this creature." She turned around and faced the bear's face once again, it's grin long gone.

"What else do you think?" Hierd crossed his arms, observing Jamie as she continues to stick strange surgical tools into it.

She examined the huge behemoth with awe and glowy eyes. "We've yet to encounter this thing before, my lord." -She kicked the head in cheery satisfaction, as if she had beaten it herself- "it looks terrifying, and that horde it controlled, the mass of it is unheard of. Even last year was not like, this, my lord."

"What happened last year then?" Hierd inquired. 

"There wasn't a leader of sorts. No monster that would resemble..." She looked at the thing she kicked- "This behemoth. Neither was there that much monsters. If you compared this year's to last year's it'd uncanny, strange." 

"Threatening?"

"Y-yes, my lord. In a way, it is. We do not know if this happened to the surrounding cities also. If it has, then we may very well be the only ones to have survived the masscre. But, I concur."

"How so?"

"I do not know, but... My heart wishes to concur, my lord." Her face saddened. 

"Well atleast this present was not as bad?" Hierd chuckled, lightening the mood. "Will, however, be more waves coming?"

"Yes, my lord. Although, I do not know whether it shall be the same waves like last year as did what happened today."

"Where do these things even rise from?" He questioned.

Jamie jumped on the opportunity to entertain his question. "From the ground, lord."

"Of course from the ground." Hierd's face was unimpressed.

Jamie, upon seeing the lord's disapointed look gathered up more thoughts inside her head. "B-but! Others say that they are summoned by a magical spell! I mean, these creatures are made with the hymns of their heart's magic. Twisting them, making them bigger, slower, and overpowering with power. W-well! The fact is, your weapons have worked, my lord. And you have saved our city."

"For one wave." He frowned. "And yet, one wave caused this much damage. Let's hope to He that there won't be a bigger one." -he looked, examining monster's head- "When shall the next one come?"

"It doesn't really have a set time, my lord. It could be a week, or three days, or... A day?"

A truck pulled over close to them. And Friedrick looked to have been driving it. He opened the driver door and came running towards Hierd. "Lord." He bowed. "There are no casualties, just injuries from the soldiers who fell when" -he looked at the head- "that thing attacked us."

"Who thought you how to drive, Friedrick?"

"I-I..." He seemed hung over something. "I had asked a favor from... Sir Alrife regarding it."

"Well isn't that good!?" Hierd laughed. "Atleast you can drive one now."

"Yes.

"Well then." He cleared his throat. "What of the other two gates?"

"They handled the hordes that came theirs. But it was not as big as what the main gate had to endure. I heard it was quite the hellscape."

Ingesting the information, he turned to Jamie. "Do these things go by water too?"

"No, we haven't a single case of that happening." 

"Good." Hierd smiled, then turned to Friedrick. "Let's tear down that wall."

"Lord!?" Naturvege exclaimed, he came out from the truck Friedrick had driven. "Are you certain!?"

Naturvege made his way to the group, distressed by the news he just overheard. "Yes, Naturvege." He looked to the body, leaking still it's horrible puke-able pestilence that was the stench that it gave off. "And... The bodies, Jamie will be the voice of reason, she'll be the one to order if it shall be buried away or if it shall go into her research."

"Thank you, lord." Jamie bowed. 

"Yes, lord." The two majors said; bowing as well. 

Hierd walked away, the people who were near the entranced were carried away. Simply because of the smell the bodies gave off, and were placed near the pier. Where a camp site of sorts was set up until further guarantee that the body and stench was gone.

Hierd, walking on the roads, they were full of soldiers, working, eating. And, because he had told Naturvege to tear down the wall, they were trying to pull the giant behomoth down and onto the field. 

Observing, Hierd saw that they managed to, in just a few grunts and a few fifty soldiers. It was done in by thick rope, and the ingenuity of men. 

Jamie, who was down there, was instructing the soldiers to do her bidding.

Hierd saw the artillery squad resting among the sea of other soldiers. He heard that they went to the entrance first. Flagging the mines they had placed prior and were also helping with the cleaning and the disposing of bodies after. 

( * )

In the meeting room, Hierd with other military personnel as well as Adelheid and the naval captain. Were busy eyeing up the thing behind Hierd. Finally deciding the address it. He stood up. "Good Afternoon."

They stood up also, "Good Afternoon, lord." They bowed. 

"The thing you've seen behind me is what I plan to use during the second wave, if ever there are more monsters, or that there are monsters that were as big as the one you saw at the west-gate." He walked to it. "This is called a motar." 

The big, metal, cylinderical thing had resembled, to them, an upright cannon with a plate at the bottom and a tripod design at the front. 

"Specifically, this is the M2 Motar, it works similar to the cannon, producing a blast that is like TNT." -He pulled out the bomb needed for it to work- "And this, is the ammunition. On the table, there are manuals regarding the reloading of, and the firing of the Motar."

They looked down and began to skim through the paper given, the illustrations, as ever, were detailed, as well as the figures shown on how to use the Motar. 

"I want the 2nd Lieutenants to teach the artillery squad regarding the use of the motar out at the field."

They nodded in approval.

"There are twenty stashed away in the storage room." He sighed, tired by the whole thing. "The bombs are dangerous enough to handle, and so I took the extra precaution and put them in wooden crates in the truck neatly parked outside. You may go now, lieutenants."

They stood up, "Yes, lord."

As they left, everyone was raising hands. To quell them, he raised and pointed his hand at Adelheid first. To which, he said; "My lord, I hear you are tearing down the west wall. Isn't this quite dangerous?"

"After Auferstehen, that wall would've been gone already. And as it has already crumbled, I see no need for them." He shrugged. "Talking about civilian safety, even if the horde was bigger than what happened today, with the addition of more machine guns, mortars, and personnel ready at the east gate, I have not a clue why we should worry."

The room stayed silent. 

"I understand, with your age of weapons, that believing in mine are quite reckless, the walls have saved you countless of times. However, these walls burden a society. And will burden my want of making bigger the city."

"I see, my lord." Said Adelheid. "If it as you wish." He was defeated. 

"Any... Other questions?"

( * )

It was the next day, Hierd intentionally woke up early with the help of his alarm clock. He looked at the window, there was no army of monsters there, and there wasn't any sound of gunfire either. It was, unlike yesterday, peaceful. And the sky yonder that horizon was not as crowded of clouds, and one could see still the blue under the white of the clouds. 

He dressed and went outside. Where, upon opening the door, his squad had appeared from whatever crevice and accompanied him in his walk. "You are always quite ready." Hierd commented. "It makes me wonder if you five even sleep."

"We do, my lord." The man had said it with a smile.

"So, what happened? Did anything happen?" 

"No, not at all, my lord. But we should assume the worst."

"The soldiers are sleeping near the wall, are they not?"

"Yes, my lord." 

A quick turn and they saw the outside. The gate was already knocked down, tents were set up along the street. There was quite the number of sleeping soldiers, however, some who woke earlier than others had been guarding the tents and observing the field. When they saw Hierd and his squad, they bowed respectfully and gave way.

"It's like there was no fight yesterday!" Commented Hierd.

"The soldiers did their best in cleaning it." 

"That's good." He stepped on the new snow of the morning. 

Cold.

When he looked to his side, there was evidence of training, as yesterday, the lieutenants had taught the platoon how to load and fire the M2 Motar. And there were a multitude of dark craters. "I should have you guys on break for today, visit your families. And" -he turned to them- "tell what I told you five to the rest of the army."

"Yes, sir." They scattered off in a rather professional way.

Hierd looked up to the skies, under that peaceful guise. It all felt too ominous. 

"I hope the mortars are enough."