In Her Darkest Hour

[Vincent Wolfgang]

34th of Searing 122

8:00 AM, Camp Styx, 45 miles north of Zaichaer proper

Vincent pushed the flaps of the tent and made his way outside. He saluted his commanding officer and the battalion of soldiers headed for the frontline.

"So, how does it feel being the commanding officer of the camp, Lieutenant?" Sergeant Anna commented as the last row of soldiers disappeared from view.

"To be honest, it ain't that bad. I could finally sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee in peace….." He paused and looked at the arriving supply caravan. "…..and sort the supplies, check the scout's reports, perimeter checks, sorting more supplies and keeping morale high." He sighed, grabbed his pack of cigarettes, tucked a cigarette in his left ear, grabbed another cigarette, lit it and took a puff.

"No rest for the wicked right, sergeant?"

"Yes sir, no rest for the wicked." Anna replied.

Vincent then slowly made his way toward the caravan, followed by Anna. The soldier at the head of the procession saluted him, "Sir, Corporal Klaus of the Riverland Defense Corps reporting in."

"Yes Corporal. Follow Sergeant Anna to the unloading site, we will be doing inventory checks since Captain Nikolai just left a while ago. After that, head to the big tent for debriefing. Foods in the left area," he slightly nods his head to the left, "barracks to the right. Further question, take it up with Sergeant Anna. Dismiss."

Klaus saluted before leading his men to the designated area. Vincent continues making his rounds around the camp before slowly going toward Markus at the kitchen mess.



11: 10 AM

It was as if time stood still. Vincent raised his head as he blew another cloud of smoke and stared at the tent's entrance. Huh? Why it's suddenly silent? He thought to himself as he stood up and walked toward the tent's entrance.

"VINCENT, THE CITY!" Elisa shouted as she rushed inside the tent and bumped into him.

"What in the………." Vincent grumbled as he held Elisa and kept her from falling.

"The city…..I…I…smoke…." her breathing was uncontrollable, her eyes filled with fear. He rushed outside, it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, and that's when he saw a big cloud of smoke rising from the city.

"What the……" Vincent stood petrified at sight before him. "S…sir?" he looked to his left, hoping that his commanding officer knew what was happening. That's when it hits him. He was the highest ranking officer left at the camp. He was the one at the helm. Two words came across his mind, Retaliation and 34th. He had been reading the newspaper that Franky printed.

"Retaliation…… 34th……retaliation." He mumbled. As if broken from a trance, he rushed back inside the tent. After looking through the box of signal flares, he grabbed the red signal flare, ran to the middle of the camp, aimed it at the sky and pulled the cord. Staggered breathing, rapid heart rate, adrenaline pumping throughout his whole body. He quickly scanned around and spotted Sergeant Anna and Sergeant Major Luka nearby.

"Luka!" he shouted as he ran to them. "Luka, get your men, do another perimeter check. Check the rail tracks as well." Then, turning to Anna, he ordered, "Anna, find Christof and tell him to rendezvous at the main tent."

"DEFENSE CORPS! DEFENSE CORPS! GET READY TO MOVE OUT! DEFENSE CORPS, GET READY TO MOVE OUT!" He shouted as he ran past the barracks. Vincent grabbed a passing soldier. "You, grab a horse and chase after Captain Nikolai." He ordered.



12:20 PM, 30 something miles from Zaichaer proper

"Lieutenant, could it be true? But….but…. how did they get past our defense line?" his voice staggering, it wasn't a reaction that Vincent would expect from a hardened veteran like Luka. After all, Luka was one of the scouts from the frontline during the start of the war.

"The mines…. It must've been the mines right?" Christof chimed in. "Unless those bastards have airships rivaling the Donkirks and your old man."

Vincent stared silently at the city, hoping that whatever was happening was just another incident like that blood mage psychopath. But, it was still better than having it be an attack from Kalzasi. Long-range magic? But what about the Dread Mist? Do they have mages powerful enough to do that? Perhaps even more potent than that bloody psychopath, Venetia?

"Keep up the pace," Vincent ordered, breaking the silence, his fists clenched on his horse's harness. "What in the……." Vincent halted and stared as a beam of light shot into the sky. The soldiers stopped dead in their tracks, processing what was happening to their beloved city.

"Shit….shit….shit…shit", Christof mumbled.

Vincent dismounted from his horse and fell to his knees. "I….I……"

"Sir…..sir…..SIR….LIEUTENANT……" Luka hopped off his horse and shook Vincent. "VINCENT!" it was met with a blank stare. "What's your order?"

"Or….order?" Vincent turned his head back toward the city. "Wha…."

SMACK

Vincent landed on his back. He looked up and saw Luka staring at him. He then took another look at the city while lightly massaging his sore jaw.

"Luka, you and Christof continue on to the city. But do not enter the city. Keep a perimeter at a distance from the mist. Whatever that comes running out that doesn't respond to speech or common sense, kill it." Vincent ordered. He had heard stories from the mercenaries back in Kaiserhausen about the dread mist. Though their experiences differ, one thing's for sure is that the dread mist will change you into something else. He stood up and mounted his horse.

"Anna, return to camp and if Captain Nikolai manage to reroute his troops, tell him about the situation and the mist." He turned his horse back toward where they came from.

"PUNCH THAT GEEZER IF YOU HAVE TOO!" Luka shouted out after Vincent.

"What geezer? Where is he going?" Christof said with a puzzled look on his face.

"The Arcadia, kiddo, The Arcadia," Luka replied. His face began to relax. "At least it would give us a fighting chance until either our boys at the front wins or whatever this is passed by."

"Arcadia? The Arcadia as in 'The Arcadia'?" Christof exclaimed. "That was the Lieutenant's old man?"

[Vincent Wolfgang]

7:30 PM, Camp Bravo, Outer perimeter of Zaichaer proper

House Wolfgang’s fleet and the other private contractor’s airships arrived at the outer perimeter of the city led by the carrier-class airship, The Arcadia. The fleet maintained a reasonable distance from the city. Vincent, along with his father, Abraham Wolfgang and his sister Lilly Wolfgang disembarked and made their way to the tent in the middle of the makeshift camp. They passed makeshift tents filled with the injured.

“Sir!” Luka saluted as Vincent entered the tent.

“What’s the current status?”

“We have maintained the outer perimeter as your command. We have sent words to nearby villages and towns. Supplies and transports are being sent as we speak.”

“What about that thing in the sky?” Abraham cut in. “Anything happened in the last hours?”

“You’re not think….…..”

“I’m old, not senile.” Abraham replied and went outside the tent to take another look at the chasm in the sky.

Vincent cleared his throat. “So….”

“Ah yes, we have a small lookout post closer to the city…..and….” Luka shifted his eyes, avoiding direct contact.

“And?”

“The…the Presidium has fallen.”

THUMP

“Those bastards!” Vincent pounded on the desk. As soon as he lost his balance, Elisa came and held him still. “This isn’t war anymore. This is extermination.” He took a deep breath, and after steadying himself, he took out a piece of cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag. “High Command?” he looked at Luka in the eyes. Luka shook his head, “mostly civilians and the city’s garrison.” Vincent took another drag. “The Order?”

“Some of the survivors said they saw members of the Order rushing to the Knobs after the initial explosion. They are scattered throughout the city.” Anna reported.

“Not a peep? The High Sentinel? Provost-Marshal? No one?” Vincent clenched his fist; the cigarette snapped into two.

“They could have escaped to the south.” Christof chimed in.

Vincent let out a long sigh. “We don’t have enough manpower to watch every exit. Let’s hope that no…..” he took a deep breath, “monstrosities exited the city. But, on the other hand, we must ensure our boys at the frontline don’t get attacked from behind.” He then slumped down on the chair and took out another cigarette. “What to do in case a big chasm appeared in the sky? They don’t fucking taught something like this back at the academy.” He mumbled. “Sergeant Major Luka…..”

“Yes sir. I will dispatch the scouts to the nearby villages as well as the city’s outer perimeter.”

Turning to Christof and Anna, “Good. Sergeant Major Christof, prepare your men. We will begin mounting rescue operations into the city. Sergeant Anna, supplies, logistics, check the evacuees, once they’re cleared, prep them for airlift.”

“Yes sir!” Christof and Anna saluted in unison.

After his officers went about their separate ways, Vincent went outside the tent to look for his father. But instead, he found him half kneeling on the ground, comforting a scared gnome child.

“Dad, a moment.” He interrupted them.

Abraham pats the gnome on the head before standing up. “I would have gone inside if it weren’t for the mist. But unfortunately, none of the airships is equipped to go through the mist. But the storm?” he chuckled. “She could perhaps withstand it.” He continued as he gazed at the Arcadia.

Abraham then pat Vincent’s back, “Go on kiddo, take a breather, I’ll keep watch. Don’t worry, I managed a town of a hundred thousand. Mercenaries are denser. ” he chuckled.

Vincent smiled, “Thanks dad. I’ll go do a quick fly around the outer perimeter with Lily.”

“Not too close, the ‘Little Rascal’ is built for speed, not defense.”

“You’re talking about the leader of the Crimson Bulldogs dad, hopefully we could get in contact with the flyboys stationed in the city.”