An Untitled Novel

Shots rang out as an Amigosian truck crashed through the gates. “Shit!” Basil exclaimed, running off the balcony and knocking over weapons as he scrambled to grab the right one. Spiro had leveled his rifle, resting it on the balcony’s railing, but Basil quickly shoved past him and aimed his sights at the moving vehicle. The RPG, makeshift as it was, deafened those on the balcony; truck erupting in debris and flames as those rushing out of the now wrecked vehicle were gunned down by the guards on the walls.

Everybody had to be awake now.

“Are we under attack by Amigoso?” Basil asked. “What?” Spiro replied, so Basil repeated his question louder. “No” Spiro replied with a shout. “No, that’s an old truck, there’s not a lot like that anymore. The only running ones were somehow stolen by the Redcaps, it was last in their possession before those guys got their hands on it.” General Edwards ran around the corner, awoken from his slumber, demanding “What just happened?” as he finished putting on his shirt. “Somebody just crashed a truck through your gate” Basil replied, a mix of concern, anger, and disbelief in his voice. Edwards stepped onto the balcony, quickly stepping back with a worried look upon seeing the burning truck and bodies.

The balcony was enveloped in silence, but Basil did his best to collect his thoughts. “Should we evacuate?” Edwards seemed to hesitate in his answer, but shook his head emphatically. “No, somebody rammed a truck through our gate. They wouldn’t have gotten anywhere even if you hadn’t blown them up with that, um, that thing.” Edwards gestured to the gate before finishing his statement. “They’re already re-enforcing the gate.” Things went quiet, Edwards and ACE coordinating and everybody else returning to uneasy silence. Suddenly, however, ACE began speaking to everyone. “They’re overrunning the checkpoints.” Basil responded in near disbelief. “They’re what? How?” ACE replied while patching in a live feed of the chaos on the radio waves at a low volume, speaking over it.

“The Redcaps were already short on people and trusted few, so most of their forces are stationed towards the city’s outskirts. There are a lot more attackers than expected, and the ones they interrogated gave enough false information that the Redcaps are stationed in inadequate locations. Several groups are cutting their way through the city, between us and most of the Redcap’s forces.”

“Okay, we’re evacuating, no arguments.” Basil told a suddenly fearful looking Edwards. Edwards yelled for the Branden twins over the radio, but quietness again enveloped the room when the radio feed went silent. Nothing but the distant sounds of gunfire and footsteps could be heard when ACE spoke, dropping his usual monotone voice for a worried one. “Somebody has disabled the generators on the bottom floor, we have no wormhole access or radio repeater.” A much deeper dread made its way across the group and Edwards spoke in quiet disbelief. “What does that mean?” Basil responded with an unexpectedly cold tone. “It means this building is no longer under our control. We need to go now.”

“There has to be something-” Weston said, entering the room and seemingly hearing the tail end of the conversation. Basil responded, dropping his cold tone for a more monotone voice. “No, my gunship is twelve hours away from being re-assembled, and your soldiers from other counties are more than a day away. Get your people here to secure a path to the back gate, I’ll escort us to my truck and we’ll get out of here now.” Basil expected a lot of pushback as an outsider started to order around the Redcaps, but instead the group silently picked up their weapons and shuffled toward the door.

Basil, Spiro, Lamb, Cicero, Casio, The Redcap Queen, and the Braydens began to make their way down the halls. “Most of my guards should have woken up with all this commotion, they’ll be here any second” shouted Mollie as she and Brayden pushed to the front of the group on the staircase. Basil cut in front of them, trying to be as polite as possible while pushing the head of royal security and a police captain out of the way. “Sorry, I need to be in front. I’m the only one who can take a shot here. Stay behind me, let me see if the coast is clear.” Weston looked uneasy, but both stepped aside as Basil walked past and into the room below.

He rounded the corner and stepped into an ambush. Nearly a dozen people in Redcap garb fired their muzzleloaders in his direction, two dead real soldiers lying in front of them with their throats slit. Basil felt the familiar energy work throughout his body; onslaught of bullets feeling as if he had walked into a cloud of gnats, his mantel feeling like the return of an old friend.

The second gunfire erupted Edwards and Weston started rushing down the steps, but Spiro stepped in their way. He went to speak, but Weston shoved him against the wall before he could. That fucking brute. At least Cicero, Casio, Lamb, and Mollie had the sense to take up defensive positions on the stairs. He began unslinging his rifle but stopped, the gunfire and screams stopping as quickly as they had started. That silence meant one thing: there was no longer anybody dangerous in that room. Well, at least, there was no longer anybody dangerous that wasn’t on their side.

He went to round the corner, but as he did so a chill ran down his spine and settled in his gut. Basil had his mantel, he’d seen that before, but the scene in its entirety was a new form of unnerving he hadn’t become callous to. Basil stood over nearly a dozen dead bodies, unmoving; the bullet scarred shotgun bent with a bloody stock as if used as a club. He stood there frozen - he’d seen the results of firefights before, and he’d seen Basil fight scarier foes. But this wasn’t normal violence; they had stepped well outside that realm, and it felt unnaturally unsettling.

Spiro realized he was frozen. He looked around and realized everybody else was frozen, though Edwards and Weston pointed their rifles at Basil. “Put your guns down, it’s Basil” Spiro shouted, the other two slowly lowering their weapons and turning to him with fear on their faces. Spiro looked back up and Basil was standing in front of them again, an oddly expressionless face and blood splattered on his now torn clothes.

Basil took a deep breath, feeling the energy dissipate from his body. “We need to leave now, I’m gonna guess there’s a hell of a lot more of them.” Edwards seemed to snap out of it. “There’s two ways out of this room, the front there, and the back entrance” Edwards said while gesturing to each end of the room. “Mollie, you said that your guards were in the process of regrouping in this room?” Mollie nodded and Edwards continued. “Good. Stay in here, when your guards get their act together have half of them stay in this room and barricade the front entrance. Follow us to the back exit with the other half, but radio false orders stating you’ll make a push through the front when you do.” Mollie nodded and Edwards turned his attention to Weston. “You said your men were in the barracks, yes?”

“They are, but I can’t reach them over the radio.” Edwards nodded. “The barrack’s radios were wired into the same generators. I do not know why we can’t reach them through their handheld ones, but now is not the time to speculate. We will make our way to the back entrance, then we get you to the barracks. Get your men together and help us make our retreat. Basil, Spiro, Weston, you two will go down the hall to the back exit of the keep, then radio ahead once it’s clear. On the way there the only place anybody could be hiding is the kitchens, and while I believe they should be empty, you three need to verify that before I lead everybody else through. Once you call in, sit tight and wait for our arrival.”

“All clear” Basil relayed over the radio, staring at the big empty room that led out of the back of the keep. The same empty room he ran out of once before, during a different – but not all too different – time where another surgical force was used against the same people in the same keep. This one, of course, was a lot more subterfuge and a lot less stolen Elthrice crafts.

“Fighting is erupting outside” Weston relayed as gunshots sounded off from within the courtyard. “The royal police stationed within the barracks by the north gate are engaging someone. I can’t see enough through this window to see how many or where they’re positioned, but it sounds like Amigosian weapons are at play.” Spiro looked a little concerned as the observation was vocalized. Edwards replied over the radio. “We will address that when we get there, we’re only about two minutes out.”

Edwards, Mollie, Lamb, Cicero, Casio, and the Queen arrived as ACE finished relaying all he could gather. The Royal Redcap guards guarding the front entrance to the throne room were already engaging attackers - the attackers lighting the large wooden door and barricades on fire before beginning their attempt to push past. No consistent updates came in from outside the keep walls; even those reachable without the repeater lacked concrete information, were engaged in combat, fleeing, or dead. The only people within the walls they could reliably contact, at least those outside Basil’s line of sight, were those within the now burning throne room.

Spiro looked through the window, shifting his body to get the widest angle of view possible. “Shit, we’ve got people moving along the walls. Weston’s guys in the barracks seem to be trying to pin them down, but they’ll be on the other side of this door soon. We need to act now.” Edwards took a deep breath. “Mollie, break your remaining guards into two groups and move along the walls to the left and right of the exit. You and your best need to go left where the enemy is in greater numbers. Basil, Weston, as soon as they are in position you two need to make a run towards the barracks. Basil, get your truck back here; Weston, you and your men split into thirds. Two groups supporting Mollie’s groups on the far side of the walls, the last group securing the gate and opening it when we leave.”

When the group remained quiet Edwards continued. “Nobody should make it to us from the courtyard with Mollie on the other side, but I don’t know how long her guards in the throne room can hold out. Cicero, Spiro, you two accompany me. We’ll barricade the hall behind us in case anybody tries following us, then we’ll guard our rear as everybody else loads into Basil’s truck. Casio, Lamb, accompany the Queen in the guard nook by the door.”

Mollie ran out the door, only a few steps behind the soldiers in the front. They were fast, but so was she, and they all needed to get to the corner of the stone wall – the closest they would have to cover. Chips flew off the wall as bullets flew in their direction, and she suddenly felt a pain in her gut, but she ran on. She made it to the corner and turned to fire, but realized she was now leading the charge; whether those in front of her had fallen behind, or fallen dead, she didn’t know.

She gripped her rifle and started firing. Though the Amigosian weapons the attackers wielded were much faster than ones issued to the standard Redcap Soldier, the weapons Basil brought along put the traitors to shame. Were they Earth weapons or Elthrice weapons? Huh, she never asked. She’d have to ask him when this was all over. She glanced over, Basil and Weston were emerging from the keep now. They were firing blindly into the courtyard. Why were they doing that?

She looked up, more attackers were rounding the corner, a lot more than they had planned for. She quickly fumbled for another magazine, but suddenly fell to her knees, the pain in her stomach growing stronger. It was now or never. She forced herself back to her feet and fired on the attackers. Attackers fell, allies fell, but she kept looking down the cold metal sights of her rifle. One down, another down. More pain emerged throughout her body, as if a thousand stinging wasps were attacking her. The gun kicked, but she remembered what Basil had told her: short controlled bursts. There weren’t so many people out there now, either along the wall or by the barracks. She went to reload again, but found herself falling to the ground a second time.

She didn’t hurt, in fact it almost felt peaceful. She turned her head, heavy as it was, and saw Basil and Weston approaching their destinations. She turned her head back; she’d rejoin the fight momentarily. She just needed to rest her eyes.

Basil hated waiting inside, he was the only one who could survive getting shot, and yet he was one of the few people who wasn’t getting shot at. Edwards was right though, if they knew they were making a play for the truck then they’d shoot it – and Weston wasn’t so durable - so Mollie had to get their attention first. It felt like forever, but eventually Edwards gave the signal and he and Weston began sprinting out of the door. Basil looked over towards the chaos as he ran. The plan was already falling apart - Mollie’s Redcap Royal guards were more outnumbered than expected and sitting ducks along the wall. If the plan was already failing there was no point in following it.

Basil pulled out his handgun and started firing upon the attackers, Weston following suit with his rifle moments later. He certainly couldn’t hit anybody at this distance, no less while running, but it was working – some turned their attention to him instead of the pinned Redcap Royal Guards and Police force. He kept running and started nearing his truck, Weston breaking off and running towards the police stationed in the barracks. Bullets sailed through his windshield as he pulled out his keys, but the truck started all the same. There was now nobody moving near the wall Mollie had run along, he had to hurry. Some bullets struck him, and while he wasn’t hurt – at least not badly – the (object) seemed to sense danger and he felt energy wash over him once again.

He stepped on the gas and the engine roared. He turned around to grab the last unaccounted for weapon he had brought along, a rifle stored in the back seat, and as he turned - for just a second - he admired the height of the dirt that the truck kicked up.

The smell of smoke had been getting stronger for some time, and it wasn’t long before Spiro watched as attackers in Redcap garb started rushing down the hall and firing upon them. It wasn’t too complicated; he, Cicero, and Edwards all possessed much more powerful weapons than the attackers who were being forced into a fatal funnel. All they had to do was hold this position long enough for Basil to return with the truck. But they just kept coming. Three more fell to the beam of lead emanating from his rifle, but twice as many rounded the corner in the same time. “I’m out!” Cicero shouted, taking cover and reloading. Spiro tried to keep them pinned while Cicero was occupied, but several made it past his onslaught of bullets and took cover behind a statue, scarily close to their makeshift barricade.

Edwards seemed to notice this. “Cover me!” he shouted, stepping out past their barricade. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Who the fuck taught him how to behave in a firefight. Edwards opened fire from an angle that negated their cover, striking two hiding behind the statue, but fell to the ground as blood erupted from him. “Cicero!” Spiro shouted as he jumped over their barrier, ducking to avoid the rounds flying over his head as Cicero emptied an entire magazine in every direction. Spiro picked Edwards up, nearly throwing Edwards over the barrier before leaping over it himself.

Spiro quickly started reloading and turned back to the hall, but even with a short glance, he saw Edwards was hit badly. The wounds on his shoulder and right arm didn’t look imminently fatal, but his right leg was gushing blood at an alarming rate. “Casio, tourniquet!” Cicero shouted, taking cover as Spiro finished reloading and started returning fire. Spiro ran out again, turning back to grab his second to last magazine as Cicero took over. Edwards lay there silently, his copper colored skin several shades lighter, until Casio began to drag him towards safety – leaving a ghastly blood trail behind him.

Edwards screamed as Casio tightened the tourniquet.

Lamb watched as Basil and Weston bolted out the door, leaving her and the big mute to guard the Redcap Queen. This was not going well. And, as if her thoughts had jinxed them, the three guarding the hall opened fire. They were surrounded, and the walls might provide cover for a little while, but she’d seen too many people try to hole up in a captain’s quarters or some similar room - they all always found it’d become their tomb soon enough. Damn it, why didn’t she ask for a weapon. The Elthrice probably wouldn’t have given her one, but maybe Spiro would have? Oh well, too late now, all she had was a knife and the trick up her sleeve.

Odd, those three seemed to be holding off the assailants effortlessly. The Elthrice weapons roared and echoed like nothing she’d ever heard before. Maybe they still had a chance? That is, if the Elthrice didn’t just abandon them. Any sane person wouldn’t re-insert themselves into a situation like this if they could escape, and from what she heard, the Redcaps had tried to kill him once and Spiro had conspired against him in the past. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t returning. The young queen was now lying on the floor in a ball crying. Oh well, nothing could be done about that now. Why did she even care about her? The kid’s father would have executed someone such as herself in a heartbeat.

Lamb heard shouting and looked up in time to see Spiro leap over the barricade. Shit, if the arrogant Amigosian was committing suicide they were well and truly fucked. Edwards suddenly flew over the barricade, splattering blood when he hit the ground, only to be followed by Spiro moments later. A rescue mission was better than suicide for their odds of getting out, but the odds certainly didn’t look good either way. The mute ran towards Edwards, and despite the ear splitting noise, the world almost felt calm and still as she stood there alone with the helpless royal. The stillness lasted for only a second, however, as there was movement at the door.

Was it friendly? Probably not. She still had the trick up her sleeve, and could at least make it through whoever was entering, but the Elthrice would probably just kill her once she made it out if he was stupid enough to be returning to this mess. Assailants ran through the door that Basil, Weston, and Mollie had all left through; raising their weapons.

Lamb felt a surge of energy through her as she began to shape shift. She felt the sting of bullets sailing through her body, but the energy drowned them out. She slashed at one of the assailants, splattering herself, the walls, and the young queen with blood. She slashed at the second assailant, and reached to tear out the third’s neck. The young queen now lay on the floor, seemingly catatonic but unharmed. She could hear terrified voices behind her, it sounded like somebody was saying something about firing at her, but somebody else didn’t want to.

She looked outside. The Elthrice was coming fast in that machine of his, but bullets were flying in his direction from the assailants working their way along the wall towards the back exit of the keep. She ran outside and began to fight the assailants, but bullets started flying her way too. She thought the Elthrice would crash into the building, but at the last second he stopped abruptly and jumped out of the machine he was in. He had a new weapon, one like Spiro had, and it sprayed out endless bullets at those firing upon her.

The assailants, at least the ones near, were all dead. And yet the Elthrice still wasn’t wearing his face, or even any face, so did that mean he was going to kill her too? No, he was yelling something. What was he yelling? His voice, something about his voice told her to run, a feeling she had never had before in this form. He suddenly had a face, and his voice sounded different than before, but he was still yelling something incomprehensible. Why was it so fucking hard to think in this form? Focus! Basil spoke again. “Get them in the truck!”