Howl

There was silence between the both of them. Even as Caius tore off pieces of clothing from the corpses to bandage Angelica’s wounds, even as he carried her on his back knowing she wouldn't be able to walk. Not a word was exchanged between them. They walked through the Sakilo-Jawani infested jungles, sneaking past any somewhat active camps they encountered.

Through the sun they determined their bearing. They started to head south, hoping that once they touched the ocean they’d be able to find a way to get back to the carrier, back home. As the sun slowly glimpsed into the horizon and fell into twilight, they decided to take refuge inside a small cave.

Caius carefully placed Angelica along the cave's walls. He stepped out to find sticks and anything else to build a fire, the wind slowly picked up and the cave was a great refuge from the deaths of nature. It whistled into his ears, beckoning him to step further into the jungles. He could absolutely do it right now and run away, he could leave Angelica behind. Sure, he might die, he might find the carrier easier too.

He looked back at the cave, at Angelica. How she rested disgruntledly due to the cold weather, he wondered to himself if he was even capable of abandoning a friend like her. Though as he held a bunch of twigs and dry wood, he realized that he never wanted to in the first place. That such thoughts of running away were just absurd.

Within minutes, there was fire inside the cave, there was warmth. With a few large fallen leaves out and about, he made a makeshift curtain along the cave’s entrance. Now there wasn’t too much of a draft, and hey, the place felt homely.

Caius sat in front of the fire, facing the resting Angelica. Maybe it’s fatigue that knocked her out, the same couldn’t be the same for Caius. Despite the tiredness, he couldn’t find it in himself to fall asleep. He stoked the flames to keep it burning, to keep himself and Angelica warm even for a brief moment.

A few minutes later, Angelica opened her eyes slowly. In front of her sat Caius who seemed deep in thought, he noticed her awake and dropped the stick which he used to stoke the flames, “How’re your wounds?” He asked calmly. These were the first words he said to her ever since the ordeal that happened earlier.

Angelica tried to move, but the adrenaline from earlier had worn off. She grunted in pain as Caius rushed by her side. She weathered through it despite his attempts to alleviate it and pushed him away, “I’m okay, i’m okay… I just need to rest.” She panted.

“Right,” Caius went back to his old position, “I suppose we stay here to pass the night, are you comfortable?” Angelica nodded, even through the rock filled mess that is the cave, she felt as comfortable as the plane’s seat earlier.

“Thanks, by the way. For earlier.” Angelica looked down, “You saved me down there.” There’s a bit of a pathetic chuckle as her stomach grumbles, but they had no food. Nothing to eat tonight. Silence, a long one. They stared at the ground, deep in thought, not about the war, but about themselves. They thought about whether or not they’d be able to survive, whether they’d be able to live again. Angelica glanced at Caius, “How about you?”

“Me?”

“How are you doing?”

Caius looked up at her, then back to the fire, then back at her, “I guess, I’m managing.” He wasn’t, in truth. It hasn’t even been a year since his parent’s death and already he feels like he’s about to follow after them, but maybe, as he looked at Angelica, maybe he could survive. There were still things to live for after all.

“Me too…” They stayed in the cave through the night, hoping that the day after would be a lot better than it was now. A lot better than being holed up in a moist cave with nothing but themselves and a fire that could go out at any moment.

Caius dreamt of a great many things that night, from the death of his parents which he wasn’t a witness to, to the air flights he had in his time at Concursus. He dreamt of a Dragon that soared through the lands of Concursus, it burnt through everything that its shadow touched only to be shot down by a knight in shining armor. He woke up after that dream. After which he could not find it in himself to sleep. He stoked the flames, whatever’s left of the ashes.

*

A great storm brewed the following day, though the rain and thunder that sullied the lands were not the water and electricity that it was accustomed to. No, for the past night Karl Strauss had been building up his ground army from the remnants of fallen camps, of angered soldiers. They are no longer human, they sought revenge for their fallen comrades and for their polluted honor.

They desire nothing more than the head of the traitors on a pike, paraded around the streets of Marthusia and as they held their guns, they felt this to their very core. Karl Strauss stands in front of a thousand soldiers, in their eyes, and in their beliefs, they are dead. They are baptized anew not as humans, but as the death squad of their God. Sent to carry out His deeds.

“Every man, woman, and child whose blood will be spilt in our galaxy in the eons by these disgusting neanderthalic HERETICS! Will be the fault of you lot! Do you desire to not hear your children scream in terror? To question our God? Do you not wish for your women to be safe in such an unsane Galaxy? Will you not cry? Will you not WEEP if their blood is spilt in OUR land? By these… SAVAGES! This is why we must FIGHT! WE FIGHT! FOR WE ARE IMMORTAL, SO LONG AS WE BELIEVE! AND I SEE IN ALL OF YOU THE STAUNCHEST BELIEVERS OF OUR LORD, THAT YOU MAY NEVER DIE!” Strauss’ speech echoed through the weary soldiers, they cheered, invigorated by the strength of their God, by their desire to protect.

They held their guns tightly, angered, annoyed, starved, yet with the will to fight. And with this will to fight, they shall burn the Amazonias.