章 2: Counterattack

The second unit was finishing up with their orders, Corbin continued peering out from his sentry post into the empty field beyond.

As he continued guarding though, figures of black started running in the field. Their sillhouettes slowly getting bigger and bigger.

"INCOMING!" One of the sentries yelled.

Corbin rested his rifle onto the gap, aiming at the field. Soldiers behind began heading to the firesteps while the other units started aiming upwards to the top in case they get through.

The officer peered out with them.

"OPEN FIRE!" He yelled, a volley of bolts began flying through the field as the figures began falling, some dashing to the mounds while they continued running.

Corbin continued shooting, the tip of his barrel was slowly turning yellow hot as the fight continued. No matter how many shots were fired, the charge continued.

The hostiles fired back, their bolts slamming into the ground, at barricades, or going above while they ran. Soon, the field was lit up by whistling bolts.

The charge was getting closer and closer, more corpses began to fall but the hostiles were determined.

On the side, one of them managed to get through, smashing the soldier's head with something blunt before getting gunned down by the others.

After this single soldier. More began jumping down into the trench, it was breached. Corbin immediately jumped down from the firestep, opening fire on the chargers. Turning back and forth to hit anyone.

As he fired, one of them jumped on top, throwing Corbin into the ground.

The two began struggling as the soldier attempted to drive a sharp object into his chest.

A single bolt into the head ended the fight as Corbin threw the lifeless body aside. The dead soldier wore a gas mask not connected to anything, donning a raggedy cloak, torn and stained.

Snapping out of the sudden fight, Corbin began opening fire once again, shooting as much as possible with his rifle.

From the fields to the trenches, the enemies continued pouring in. Forced out to the pathways, away from the frontline, Corbin fell back with the others, continuing to shoot at any visible hsotiles while they jumped down, even a few landing above them directly.

Now in the middle of the zigzag pathway, Corbin hid on the side, using the design as an advantage. Peeking out and taking a few shots at anyone present, the battle had turned from a rapid advance to a stalemate shootout in the trenches.

Firing aimlessly through the trenches.

Corbin continued firing until the rifle's muzzle became bright red, not functioning as of now. In annoyance, he threw it on his back while it continued to burn and pulled out his shovel. Gripping it by the handle.

As the gunfight continued. The officer appeared in the middle of the firefight, taking cover with the others.

"WE CAN QUICKLY REINFORCE, PUSH THEM OUT AND KILL THEM ALL QUICKLY, CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT!" He yelled. The soldiers ceased firing while the enemy continued. Corbin hid behind cover, no longer peeking out, waiting for the order of the officer. The others were also prepared, readying their entrenchment tools for combat.

The firing slowly ceased, "ONWARD!" All the soldiers emerged out of cover, some climbing above the trench and running on the sides. Corbin ran directly at them with little regard, raising his arm up, he slammed it down onto one of the hostiles. Witnessing this, they began moving back, frightened at the sight of the sudden assault.

Soldiers above began landing down onto the enemy soldiers, some even landing inside groups of them.

The trenches were quickly filled to the brim with soldiers fighting in the tight corridor. The hostiles desperately attempted fending them off with their rifles, trying to block any attack while the horde of soldiers continued pushing them back, slamming down their arms or thrusting it forward, taking out as much as possible. Corbin was at the front with a few others, rapidly slamming his arm up and down while so close to the remaining enemies.

The brawl went on, some began opening fire on both sides, soldiers above opening fire on the cramped group of hostiles, more and more started climbing out while the hostile group was getting pushed back until they were forced to the opposite line.

Shouts of rage and terror echoed back and forth inside the corridor, bodies begin piling up on the ground making it harder to advance forward as some began slipping and tripping on the ground.

But as the struggle went on, the hostile group began running back, some started climbing back out of the trench, abandoning it completely.

At the sight of this, more joined in as the battle went on.

"RETREAT" Shouted one of the terrified hostiles, adding more confusion and panic into the group.

At last, they all began running out, climbing back up and back to the field.

"This battle does not stop soldiers, ready your rifles and kill them on the fields!" Shouted the officer.

Running through the corpse filled ground, the soldiers began posting themselves up, from the firesteps and other elevated positions, they all opened fire, Corbin, his rifle still burning, grabbed one from the ground, snatching from a dead hostile.

The rifle looked crude but similar in look to theirs. Quickly aiming down on the field, he joined the volley of rifles as red bolts flew fast through the field, seeing the runners fall one by one.

As the last one fell dead, the battleground turned silent once more, the whistling of the winds now taking over. Corbin rested the rifle on the side, quickly checking on his own rifle. The barrel was now cooling, no longer as bright as earlier.

"Start collecting the remaining bodies and weapons, start with the ones on the field first. Bring them to the other side of the trench to the second unit." The officer commanded.

Soldiers started climbing up, walking towards the dead hostiles, on the ground, rifles lying next to them. Circular burn marks etched onto their clothing from the shots, showing a bit of blood and tissue underneath.

By the legs or other limbs, they began bringing them back to the trench while others grabbed the weapons only.

Not long after, the field was clean of any bodies.

The trench was taken and held onto. The officer looked around while inspecting the trench. Corbin continued with searching the bodies and taking off gear to be used while the officer passed him by.

Corbin helped other soldiers, lifting the bodies to the other side of the trench, heading abck and forth, fulfilling the order given.

Hostile and ally alike, they brought their bodies back, handing it to the second unit who hoisted it above, heading back to the main base.

The trenches were now cleaned of any remaining bodies, crates were already being brought to the second unit.

Corbin leaned on the side, trying to relax from the fight.

"How the hell did i survive that?" He muttered to himself. Chuckling after.

More soldiers began resting, less cargo to be brought and the trench free of any bodies. Most sat down on the sides, checking on their rifles or just looking around and catching a breath.

"Hey, you survived." Moris' voice said behind Corbin.

Turning around, Moris was standing on the side.

"Yeah, still don't know how i survived all that."

"Neither do i, guess were just lucky this time." The two laughed.

Cargo gone, the task was complete. The remaining soldiers rested around.

"We'll perform sentry duty until the third unit finishes making a trench line connecting to this." The officer explained.

After a short rest, everyone began walking to the front, stepping onto the firesteps.

Corbin stepped onto one of them, a line of sentries, staring at the same field. Soldiers behind them were simply resting around while the sentries watched away.

Corbin placed his rifle on the side, gazing at the empty field as the tinted air breezes by.

He continued staring, not moving away from his post.

His shovel dripped with blood while he stood, almost perfectly still.

Minutes pass and they continued standing. The ones behind chatted with each other while Corbin kept silence.

The trench was calm, the battle was won, hopefully for good this time. The field was still empty, Corbin looked down at his rested rifle, the barrel was no longer burning, no longer bright red.

"I should get that checked out, or get another rifle from the armory." He thought to himself as he looked at it.

He continued looking out with the rest, a line of eyes staring at the empty field, watching. Waiting for another charge to commence. But it was only calm, only the wind passed by.

"When will that unit be done with making the connection?" He asked himself while looking out.

What felt like an hour or so passed, continuing to look out, not a battle to be had, only looking at the field as he waited for another charge to come.