Formicea

 

War is something terrible.

Yes, I know that people proclaim this all the time, yet most of them aren't really thinking about what they're saying there.
I guess the only ones in the position to say something like this are the direct victims.
Those who are truly affected, against their will.
For example, soldiers forced into the army, families losing their providers, civilians slaughtered by troops, peasants losing all they have.

Or me.

 

You remember that I mentioned I would soon have my birthday?
Right now I ask myself if I will survive long enough to celebrate.
The reason is the shine coming from my house.
It's dark-red, sometimes yellow then turning into black.
The color of flames and smoke.

It is dark, still, with this illumination, I can see the figures of those who are responsible clearly enough.
They are soldiers of Koreso, the mentioned bordering nation.
Not that I was deeply invested with any of them and their politics, yet they don't leave you much of a choice when someone makes the tactical decision to cut the opponent's supplies down by destroying all farms on the other side.
In these moments it is unfortunate to be part of a family of peasants at the border.

Okay Erys, calm down. You need to keep a clear mind in this situation.
Knowing that my chances to fight them are nonexistent, I managed to hide for now between the crops.
Fortunately, I couldn't see any members of my family with these soldiers.
The house has a second exit, and since there were no screams or shouts they probably made it out, alarmed by the fire.
The good point is that on that side our yellowsprout field extends as well, giving them enough coverage to escape.
But maybe I did just miss them getting caught?

 

"Here I am!" (R)

"There was one! Get him!"

"Ah, let him be. That's not the mission. Don't do anything unnecessary."

 

That was dad.
It's a little weird, but the direction of the voices is off.
Not in the direction of the fields.
If I need to guess I would say that dad is distracting them so that the rest of us can escape.
I couldn’t see any ranged weapons.
Without carrying anything and his knowledge of the terrain dad should be able to shake them off.
So it seems like everyone got away.
And so will I!

 

Naturally, I tend in the direction where my mum most likely left to.
I might meet her at the road to the next town.
More specifically, Osari.
This is the largest town in the southeastern territory.
It's reasonable to believe that my family is that way.
And considering what this one soldier just said, I don't think I need to worry that they will hunt the refugees.
Those will put a strain on our kingdom which has to sustain them and like this, it is favorable for the enemy to leave them be.

That's what I thought, yet as soon I leave the field which was obstructing my view, I can see my mother carrying my brother in her arms and behind her a soldier, who sneaks after them trying to prevent them from running faster while he chases.
Dad went to distract the soldiers but like this mum and Toris are without any protection now.
I want to mention, though we have our quarrels sometimes I love them deeply.

So I take my chances.
This man wears heavy equipment and should naturally be slower.
If I tackle him and manage to run away, he will be too occupied to get further behind and everyone is happy.
So I commence.

I try the same as him and wait as long as possible with my sprint.
Then I rush at him and throw my shoulder in his side.

 

“Wham”

 

I managed to send him to the ground.
I hope mother got the hint and brings my brother away from here.
The same I want to do now as well.
But when I bring myself up again and begin to run in a different direction, to lead them away from my mother, suddenly there is another soldier in front of me.

 

"Dead end here, lass!"

 

The strike I receive sends me instantly down.

 

"That bitch jumped me! Kill her!" (soldier with lacking poise)

"What are you saying? It's your fault for being this careless, letting yourself get ambushed like that. Also, she is a resource. A valuable one at that!"

 

I think this one has a higher rank, the way he speaks.
But for now, I am more concerned about the fact that I apparently shall get enslaved.
The man forces me with raw strength and some support of his sword to the rest of their group.

 

"Look what we've got here! Isn't this the typical country flower? What do you think we get for that one?" (high ranked soldier)

"Sir, it seems we will have some fun, right?" (asshole)

"Are you stupid? That will decrease her value! She is spoils of war and we will diligently deliver her. For a reward. The commander has his tastes." (high ranked soldier/ asshole)

"How unfortunate." (asshole)

 

I need to get away, but they tied my hands and feet.
It seems I shall be laid like goods on the horse of their boss, yet they aren't done yet.

 

"Now guys, get moving! Those fields must burn before it gets bright again!" (high ranked soldier)

 

And now they start to use torches on the fields I cultivated with my own hands.
This is devastating, yet I don't want to think about what will follow.
My hope dims and I guess no prayer in this world will save me now.

 

The fields are lighting up.

Nothing can quell this fire anymore.
It helps that my family got away, yet I'm not as strong as I would like.
I am unable to stop my eyes from tearing.
My fear grows with each passing second and I know that I won’t be able to endure what will happen to me.

I just want to get away here!

Or die before more sinister things happen.
Yet I'm unsure if I could manage to kill myself.

Help me, please!

 

The men check the area one last time, pack up some of our dead chickens, and start to get ready to leave.
With me as a part of their spoils that is.
I've lost all hope and cry silent tears.

 

"Grumble"

 

Suddenly there is a quake.
The earth tremors and everyone looks aghast.
It's not the first time I felt how the earth shakes, but never this strong.
The tremors become even stronger and like in an explosion the earth cracks up.
Close to our position a hole opens.

However, what makes me scared stiff is what emerges.
Some kind of hellish creature, a monster like never known before emerges.
There are monsters in this world, wild ferocious beasts, but nothing like this.
Nothing out of the deepest depths of the dark.

 

"SKREAK!!!"

 

It looks like a bug, yet not even close.
It's a towering monstrosity!
Around 2,30 meters!
It has mandibles for a mouth and the eyes are void black.
It walks on four appendages that look like spikes.
But it also has arms.
Or rather two appendages with long saw-like blades extending out of them.
They look like dark-brown bones.
To be precise, the whole body of this thing looks like this.
Hard and impenetrable.

The soldiers, trained as they are, surround it.
Eleven men of considerable boldness.
Some shake, yet discipline takes over and makes them all engage the abomination.
But before the first one comes close enough to attack, I note that this thing has a tail.
Or more a spear, as this is how it uses it.
The closest soldier gets directly impaled.
The others take this as the signal for the attack but are only scratching that monster's hard surface, which relentlessly repels them.

 

"SCREEEAAAACCHHH!!!"

 

At this moment hell breaks loose and their formation gets thrown into chaos, as another one of these things comes out of the hole.
The soldiers are pushed back under the assaults of these giant abominations which barely recognize their attacks.

 

"Hold the line! Block the strikes!" (high-ranked soldier)

 

With their desperate efforts, they can barely survive as pressured as they are.

But then it happens.
More, smaller critters emerge from the hole.
Haven't I just seen one of these?
What hell lies down there?

These smaller monsters are fast.
Rushing on four legs, with extending bends in their hind limbs, which catapult them forward.
The front ones have each a claw with two sharp ends and their maws are countless closing spikes.
They wreak havoc among the soldiers.
Jumping up their bodies, biting in joints, and ripping the soft parts of their bodies open.
As they had barely any chance against the giants this additional new threat completely overwhelms them.
More and more keep pouring out of that hole and in groups of dozens they take out together one after the other of the soldiers.
It's a massacre!

I see how their supposed leader is beheaded with just one swipe of a blade arm and with that it's concluded.
The battle is over and only four fleeing men remain.

They don't get far.

 

I had already lost hope to live much longer and those things seem just like another way to end me.
At least they kill fast.
At most five seconds of pain and it will be over.
That doesn't help my trembling, sobbing, and the terror I experience yet if I could be objective it isn't much worse.

But why do I still live?
They already killed all the others.
So why am I, nearly in the middle of this horror, still in one piece?
Or any piece, as what the small ones did to some of the corpses was terrible?

 

But then it seems to be my turn.
One of those giants comes close.
I tremble and sob, yet manage to look at that thing for a moment, before the panic overwhelms me and I just quiver on the ground.
However, I don't get decapitated.

I perceive how more creatures come out of this hole of terror, again different.
Those walk on four leg-spikes and have arms like the giants, yet with claws of four fingers instead of blades.
Also, they are only slightly exceeding my size.
No giants.
Dozens of these things swarm out, yet apparently fear the fire and circle it in a wide arc.

Promptly some head in my direction.
What will they do to me?
I expect the worst and close my eyes so that I only hear the advancing of the clicking sounds their legs make.
This isn't the slightest bit better than seeing them, inducing my eyes to open up again.

Four!
Four are directly at me!

 

"Please let it be fast." (E)

 

I quietly whisper to myself.

 

"Creak!"

"Crek, creeak!"

 

Distressing insect-like clicking screams.
I simply don't know how to handle myself.
My mental stress is far beyond the limits I can endure.
I close my eyes again, trying to disconnect myself from all this horror.
But suddenly there is a touch.

A grip!

One of those things grabbed my legs!
Then another one my shoulders!
Another is reaching below my waist!

And then I get lifted.
The claws of those monsters end sharp, yet they used them in a way that I am not really scraped.
But this changes when I realize what goes on.

They are moving me to the hole!

As terror grasps me I scramble and try to flail around.

 

"NO! Help, help! This can't be! Not! Aaahh! No!" (E)

 

Only for those things to grab me harder.
It hurts only a bit, yet for sure I cannot move the held parts with this inhuman strength they apply.
And even the fourth one comes to assist them.
They render me incapable to resist and proceed on their way.
Falling into despair I get sucked inside that hole.
All I can do is helplessly stare at the exit as the last bit of light slowly vanishes.