NOVEL NEXT 90. A Banner Among Ruins
The Everheart soldiers grabbed the wooden crates and dragged them across the floor, leaving behind faint marks on the planks as they made their way to the second floor. A portion of the metal shutters had to be sealed. Otherwise, they would leave too many openings unaccounted for. The only thing they could do was block it with whatever they could find, even if that meant hollow crates.
"Has an hour passed yet?" Jones asked.
Brian pulled out a small silver object from his pocket. Its surface gleamed beneath the light. The case was smooth and rounded, fitting neatly in the palm of his hand. The silver cover had an etching of a hearth resting in a wreath, and at the top, a knurled crown used for winding the watch, followed by a matching silver chain.
His gaze fell on the glass window at the center, just enough to glimpse at the hands within before closing the cover. "It would seem so. We're a minute over."
"Are we certain that the banners should go up?" Wilfred asked with a slight hesitation. "It'll only bring attention to us."
"And our allies," Brian pointed out. "We need to gather whatever is left of our forces."
"What's the point?" Nemo asked. "It won't get us back into the inner gates."
"It won't, but it'll give us a fighting chance." Tucker's voice drew everyone's attention. He stepped forward and gazed at the soldiers. "You all did well. We executed the plan flawlessly, without a single casualty, but that being said, it was agreed upon during the meeting that this would be the next step. So why are you reluctant now?"
Nemo crossed his arms and kept his gaze towards the ground before tightly shutting his eyes. "Because what if they're already dead?"
"You don't know that," said Tucker.
"So we're just going to gamble it on a chance? What about our lives?" Jones asked.
The question took the air out of everyone's lungs. All except for Brian and Tucker. Their expressions were complex, hard to read at a glance. Yet they didn't settle the fear lingering in the hearts of the men around them. There was no point in lying to them. Tucker knew they would be dead within days, and when he consulted with Brian, they were on the same page.
They needed to rally the rest of their forces.
"There's a greater chance of us surviving with the rest of our comrades," Tucker replied. "How many of our men do you think are stranded out here?"
Jones kept silent while clenching his fists.
"Far more than you would ever know." Tucker approached Jones, drawing the gaze of the other soldiers. "Do you really think that we could defend this place indefinitely?"
"No—but I'm sure someone will send a rescue party for us, right guys?" Jones looked at Nemo, who avoided his gaze. He stared at the other men, only to be met with the same reaction.
Tucker grabbed Jones's shoulder and looked him dead in the eyes. "You have to come to terms with reality. There is no rescue party, and all we can do is try to tip the scales in our favour."
The grim reality caused Jones's heart to sink. There were no words he could find to describe the gut-wrenching disappointment and bitterness he was feeling. It wasn't the fault of anyone there, but of those who were in command. Even if the other members of the Thirty-First did something, the odds of success were slim.
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Tucker released Jones. "I'll be honest with you. In an ideal situation, we would be behind the inner walls with the others, but that's not how it is."
"Then what should we do?" Nemo asked.
"We need to plan to hold out for as many days as possible." Brian's stern voice echoed throughout the room. "But odds are we won't be making it out of this battle. The Empire has the entire area crawling with soldiers, unless we suddenly receive overwhelmingly strong reinforcements. We won't be able to break out of their containment."
"That's why we need to find our allies as soon as possible," Tucker added. "It's the only way of improving our chances."
The men whispered amongst one another. They had no reason to doubt the words coming from their captains. However, the air that entered their lungs felt heavy. None of them were fools. They understood their situation far better than most. The problem was how pointless it felt. Who would want to try their best when the result was already etched in stone? Why go through the suffering and despair if it didn't matter?
Wilfred bitterly chuckled while pulling out a cigar and a small brass object from his pocket. He popped the lid open as a flame emerged from the circular hole. "To think my life would come down to this fleeting moment." The end of the cigar glowed as the embers danced along the dried leaves. "Let me ask you this, Captain Welford. What's the point? Why should we continue fighting then?"
Tucker's eyes met Wilfred's in a contest of will. He could tell that the veteran was on the verge of giving up. To leave it all behind and silently cross over the river of boundaries. A place where his soul could enter the cycle of reincarnation or fall into God's embrace.
"I don't have a reason for you to keep fighting." Tucker kept his gaze on Wilfred. "That's something you have to decide yourself. Whether it's returning to your loved ones, to protect your family, or to fight for your brothers beside you. Whatever is more important to you, but for me, it's making a statement against the Empire."
He stared at the men before him. "I'm sure you've experienced it. The pain that comes with the loss of someone you know. The bitter feeling of letting those around you down and the emptiness that follows."
Tucker clenched his hand into tight fists, recalling the moment Alfred died in his arms. "There's no telling if the person beside you now would be standing here the next day. That's just how fickle life is, but if life is just a fleeting moment, then why not use that moment and make it count?"
The men slowly raised their heads. A silent resolve filled their eyes.
"We'll make the Avalon Empire pay tenfold for what they've done. They'll suffer such devastating losses that even after they take this building from our cold, dead hands, it won't be considered a victory." Tucker rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as the men nodded in agreement. "And if we win the battle, then we can just picture the look of defeat on their smug faces."
The soldiers looked at each other with determined gazes. Everyone in the room had their own reasons for wanting to fight, but if there was one thing, they agreed on. It was that they all wanted to land at least one decisive blow into the Empire's ego, even if they couldn't see the result for themselves. It was for those who had fallen—those whose lives had been cut short by the Empire's unrelenting assault.
Cannons fired once more, and the men in the storage building felt the structure shake. Brian stared at Tucker, who gave a firm nod, and with a thunderous voice, Captain Morgan shouted. "You've all heard the plan, so let's get a move on!"
"Nemo! Jones! You two are with me. We need to get those banners on the rooftops!" Tucker issued one order after another, gathering a handful of soldiers to his side. They carried the standards in their arms and marched up the stairs. There was no telling how many of the Empire's forces had found them, but they would soon find out.
The doors burst open, and in an instant, they raised the standard high into the sky. From every direction, they could see the Everheart Kingdom's emblem flutter in the wind. The four silver stars surrounding a crown on an azure fabric rose in defiance of the disaster before them. Yet as they stood at the top of the rooftops, a pain grasped onto their hearts. One that wasn't physical, but emotional.
On the rooftops of the nearby buildings were crimson flags with three silver crossing swords. Only a handful remained deserted, but the enemy had conquered a vast majority. Tucker stood there and clenched his jaw. Their city was falling, and in a sea of bloodstained flags, only theirs flowed freely in the wind.