Chapter 10: Devastation

Inian and Janae had been riding on the Mecha for three days straight. They only stopped to rest for a couple of hours a day.

Inian's thoughts raced, 'how could they have already taken Seyukha? It's a nation full of mercenaries and veteran fighters! I can't believe it!'

The low-tier mecha's legs moved swiftly over the rocky terrain as they go closer to Inian's home city. Finally, it stopped. The monster core that was powering it had run out of juice, but luckily it stopped right at the base of the mountain the city resided. Inian clambered out, and Janae jumped out behind him.

Inian grunted as his legs collapsed under him. His legs were stiff after riding in a mecha for so long. Janae stretched out behind him, sighing with relief. "Is this it?" She asked, looking at the glint of light reflecting at the top of the mountain.

"Yeah, It's at the very top." Replied Inian. They started hiking up the mountain but strained themselves with the effort. Neither of them had eaten in the last three days, and their stomachs were rumbling in agony, yet they climbed up.

After several hours, they got close enough to see the walls of the city standing tall. Inian sighed, seeing no damage to the outside of the walls. "Inian...look..." said Janae. She was pointing to a flag on top of the wall. Inian squinted from the Sun's light. His complexion paled once he saw the flag, "no..."

Emblazoned on the flag was the Kotus Empire's symbol: a black iron horse. Inian used almost all of his remaining energy to go to the city gates. There were no guards, and the massive door was cracked slightly open. Inian pushed his way inside and gaped in despair at the city.

It was completely devastated. Piles of ash lined any streets. Rubble sat in the place where houses once stood. Janae was slowly trailing behind him, looking at the destruction with fear. "Is this what awaits my people?" She asked aloud to herself. Inian shook his head as he couldn't believe what he was seeing, 'it hasn't even been two months since we left.'

Inian mindlessly began walking up towards where is old home was. Inian could see only a few people as he walked up, they were lifting rubble and trying to clean the streets.

Soon, Inian crested a mound and saw the empty site where his house once was. There was only a single man with a shovel, clearing away some more piles of rubble nearby. He walked up to him, "Excuse me...but where is the family that lived here?" The man looked behind him at the empty plot of land. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tell ya, lad. But many people died during the assault the Empire made. We've dug graves for all of the fallen, you may find them there."

Inian thanked him and went in the direction the man pointed. Janae trailed at a respectful distance, knowing that Inian was in total shock right now.

Inian saw the roughly cut stones sticking out of the ground on an open field within the walls. He bent over to read the names on each tombstone. He stopped at one stone that read, 'Here lies the Tafel family. Forever together.'

Inian teared up; he fell on his knees. Quiet sobs came from him as his shoulders shook with the stress and sorrow.

"I wanted to help pay them back for the kindness they had shown me." Inian began speaking to Janae who was behind him, "now, Marc is dead, and so is his family. I will never have that opportunity to return the kindness that they had shown me."

Inian looked up at the sky, "I'm sorry..."

He then passed out in front of the gravestone. Janae went to pick him up. She wasn't too concerned, because it made sense for him to pass out after not eating for three days and then see his family dead. She got some help and carried Inian to a make-shift shelter the citizens had made to take care of him.

...................................

At the Iron Fortress located on the western border of the Kotus Empire, a thin, pale man was holding a parchment in front of a group of young men. He looked down his crooked nose, "I hereby appoint Sereph Westerly as a private in the Kotus Empire, may you serve this nation well."

He looked to the next recruit who stepped forward and pulled out another piece of parchment, "Conscripted into the armed forces as payment for family protection, I hereby appoint Marc Tafel as a private in the Kotus Empire, serve this nation well."

Marc stepped back into line, believing that he is protecting his family from destruction by serving the Empire. When he was picked up by traders, they saw the dead bodies of his comrades, but couldn't find Inian anywhere. 'I will find you Inian, and keep you safe.' He thought to himself, ready to serve for the sake of his family.