Chapter 203: Terms for Surrender
Smoke rose in the air, and the bullets ceased to fire a few hours after they had begun. Bruno gazed upon his pocket watch, which carried his family's coat of arms. Or should I say the coat of arms, he was granted permission to fly within the Russian Empire.
This coat of arms did not belong to the Prussian Junker House of Zehntner, but rather the Russian Princely House of Zehntner. And because of this, Bruno chose his own coat of arms to represent his personal line of succession.
The coat of arms was a Russian Imperial Eagle, with a Totenkopf emblazoned across its chest. This was not the infamous Totenkopf of the SS, which resounded throughout the history of his past life as a controversial symbol.
Rather, the earlier variant used by the Freikorps, which just so happened to be the version he utilized during the Russian civil war for his so called "Iron Division."
The distinction between the two symbols was noticeable by the golden double-headed and crowned eagle, which had the silver skull and crossbones in the center. It was a symbol that reminded him, and all of his future descendants, of how their noble house was founded.
At the same time, it made for an intrinsic heirloom when embossed onto the center of a master crafted pocket watch, one which Bruno used to keep time as the battle came to a sudden stop.
The white flag was raised in the distance by what remained of Serbia's forces, and when it was reached into Bruno's line of sight, he closed his pocket watch and called for a cease to all ongoing hostilities.
"Hold your fire! The enemy has surrendered!"
The order rang throughout the lines of communication. Every radio operator heard Bruno's words relayed to them, as they themselves gave the order to their troops to cease firing their weapons. As the bullets ceased flying, eventually a man wearing an officer's uniform within the Serbian Royal Army stepped forward.
His exact rank, Bruno, was unsure of as the distinctive markings that would otherwise let him know were covered with blood, no doubt belonging to someone who had died very close and very violently while next to the officer in question.