Five: The Crossroads
When I was in grade school I remember sitting in history class listening to stories of ancient battles fought long ago. Of brave men who fought against insurmountable odds for the sake of king, country, and familial ties. History had been my favorite subject and the tales of those battles had captivated me from a young age.
Now, that reality is a bit more grim than I could have imagined.
“We’re almost there,” I call to my men at just above a whisper. “Keep moving.”
In the light of the moon I hope I’m right, but I’m far from sure. We race through the tall grass in formation, trying to keep low and out of sight. Behind us the war horns of the enemy blare into the night, followed by the whoops and grunts of the Orks that would gladly eviscerate us if they had a chance.
Kato’s trick with the Sand Drakes had bought us precious time as the Orks fought to subdue their wild beasts. I doubt I’ll forget the sounds of crunching iron in teeth, nor the screams of an Ork who had ventured too close to the compromised cages. The front lines were a wild place, and though monsters could be tamed within reason, wild beasts were still wild.
It was an important lesson, if not a nauseating one. A rustle in the grass to my right made the men beside me jump. I spun towards the disturbance, heart in my throat. But no shadow Magus tore from the darkness. Instead, I recognized Jorgen’s wide-eyed stare. The tip of my blade wavered.
“Throne, I almost took your head off,” muttered Kato, sliding his own blade home in his sheath. I put a hand on his shoulder and steered him forward after the backs of the men running bent double in the grasses before us. Jorgen fell into step. He was breathing hard, the sound a metallic rasp in his helmet.
“No sign of them,” he said, shaking his head. “I got as far as the edge of the ridgeline,” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “But from what I could see the unit has all but cleared out. My guess? They circled North East.”
“Shit.” The curse slid through my teeth before I could stop it. It seemed we were on our own for now. Even if the others had managed to circle back for the crossroads, it would take precious time. Time I knew we didn’t have.