You are Not Worthy for the Last Train Out

The world did not know it yet, but the goddesses had abandoned them. A sense of unease cut through the population like a breeze, as if they could feel the nihilistic doom beneath their feet, slowly crawling up to claim them. Sitting on his throne, the king of Dreams felt as if life itself had lost all purpose, and a chill overtook him so harsh it launched him from his chair. His attendants came to him. He was cold, ill. His blessed necklace and crown rusted, revealing their true age. His words only called to Cordelia. Was she safe?

Unfortunately, she was too abandoned. The princess had lost everything. Her sword, her steed. Her men left her for dead. They never wanted the brat to live in the first place. The armor she wore for protection now weighed her down, gravity becoming her enemy. The monsters were closing in.

“Lord Akira,” she stammered. “Lord Akira, save me. Why are you doing this, Lord Akira? What did I do to deserve this!?”

The legion of boarish creatures leapt at the defenseless princess, and with a crash, she was crushed and mauled under hundreds of hungry bodies. At least, that’s what they thought.

The cumulocloud had judged the princess’s purity. Her actions, injustices, and harm towards others were considered, and it found that she was acceptable enough. She flew above the horde on a carpet of clouds, shepherded by a bear beastwoman that she recognized.

“Fuck, you are good after all,” Gerthwyn sighed. “I don’t wanna threaten my own purity, but I was hoping you'd die back there.”

If there was any miracle left on this forsaken battlefield, it was the scant few clouds shepherded by the beastwoman and her three sidekicks. Their size was small, their seating capacity was limited, and time was short. The fortress was about to strike at 100% strength.

The avatars were the next priority. Their combat was nothing, and their position was perilous, next in line for the coming army. In fact, it was too late. As the three hurried across the plains in haste, the land cursed Marine's bard, trapping his foot in a sinkhole made softer by stampeding horsemen. His foot wouldn’t budge.

“Help, fair ladies!?” he called out. “Please do not let the bard die!”

“Sorry, can’t hear you!” Nice yelled, and they were gone, leaving the bard screaming and wailing until the rampaging hordes silenced him.

Only then did the clouds come and take Nice and the noblewoman on a cloud that saw them favorably. Looking overhead, all sense of cohesion shattered, and 10,000 men ran fleeing toward the mainland on foot. They were doomed, for Trinity was approaching them at horseback speed.

“We have room for three more, lady.” Khylee the catgirl said. “Who should we grab?”

“What? I don’t know!” Nice peered down at the endless green. “Uh, Fuuma’s old gang! Grab them!”

Out of everyone scrambling in the chaos, the kunoichi were the most likely to live, as they had the speed to widen the gap between them and the fortress. However, they were moving at a slower speed, keeping pace with some ugly mercenary. They could see the argument from up above. The younger one was not happy about it.

The clouds sped to their side, matching their speed and calling them forward. The crew realized that it was an orc running with them. A single orc on a cloud with a bunch of women. These had second guesses.

“You two get on first.” Mars picked up Tama by the waist and tossed her like a sack of flour.

“You jerk!” Tama screamed, but she landed safe and sound. As much as she hated herself, the cloud did not.

Kuroni made her own leap to great success, and with a twist, she held out her hand in kind for the orc. “Alright, now you!”

Mars didn’t expect her to be able to lift him, so he used the full force of his legs to launch himself onto the cumulocloud right as it was taking off, making its way into the clouds.

It did not find him worthy.

Mars tumbled as he hit the ground, catching everything from rocks to abandoned armor as he rolled to a halt.

“Mars, no!” Kuroni screamed.

“No, don’t! Leave him behind!” Tama held her sister back with all her might. She wouldn’t lose her, either.

As the orc got back on his feet, brushing off the grime and dirt from his body. There was no doubt. He fully understood his fate. Around him, dozens of men were passing him by, screaming for their lives and the inevitability that lay before them. It pissed the orc off more than anything else. With gritted teeth, the orc spoke to them as they should.

“You’re all soldiers, aren’t you!?” Mars bellowed. “Don’t let them take you without a fight!”

This stopped a few soldiers. Their despair was written fully on their faces, a loss of their whole world, but Mars spoke like a captain.

The orc approached the oncoming legion, unlatching the chain axe from his back. Dige’s axe. “Everyone to me! Let them know you’re not afraid!”

Despite everything, the armies of man to some extent rallied, if not to them, but to each other, taking any terrain feature they could to their advantage. Their grief dissipated in an instant. Their bodies were ready to be sold, and Mars stood at the forefront like he had before on several worlds before this.

He was not afraid to die. He had no regrets. As much as he'd like to find a new purpose in life, maybe settle down and have children with that woman, the call to battle offered a better deal. Die with honour, he thought. An orc had different priorities in life than a human. To have honor was somewhat strange to a majority of them. Any means necessary was more like it, but Mars was not like that. He was chosen. That was enough to extol honour, even if he found himself abandoned now. He hoped his god would find this act acceptable, even if he was fighting the wrong team.

It was then that the fortress Trinity hissed with steam, and the red eyes that marked it in the darkness became a malevolent white. The corruption disappeared from its structure, because it was moving faster than it could keep up with.