บท 5: The Sharpest Lives
A week had gone by and Kordelia could still feel his lips on her skin. They were gentle, but rough as she had imagined time and time again. Alekai had done well to avoid her in that week, only really making himself present for morning and evening training. It was off-putting. Kore became more and more confused with each passing day. She had tried to speak to him the day after, and he coolly shrugged her off. If anything, she was angry. They usually spoke more often than not, and his absence was starting to rub her the wrong way.
She sighed under her breath. If he wanted things to be this way, then why had he even bothered showing her any bit of affection in the first place? She began to ruggedly sharpen her wrist blades, adding more force with each stroke.
"Are you alright?" Wolfe paused and hesitated, watching her with a raised brow.
"I'm. Fine." She stated shortly.
"Okay."
"It's just bullshit." She continued. "You know? These stupid rules we have to live by. I don't understand it. What if I found someone? What if I wanted to try to settle down? We could end this stupid war, and everything would go back to the way it was before any of this started. It's just. It's just...bullshit."
"Did you?" Wolfe asked, shocked. "I mean, did you find someone?"
"Regardless." Blush stained Kore's cheeks. "That's not the point. What if, you know?"
"I know what you mean. I wholeheartedly agree with you, but there's nothing we can do right now, besides follow orders. If we were in charge, maybe there would be changes, but nothing we could do on our own would be significant enough to end the war. I'm with you, Kordelia. One hundred percent."
"But what if there was? What if I told you, I have been planning something on my own for quite a while, and I might need your help to execute it?" She stopped to look up at him.
Wolfe thought on it for only a brief moment. "One hundred percent. Fill me in."
***
Alekai sat on the edge of his seat at his desk. His office was bigger than he would have liked, decorated in only awarding medals of honor he had received over the years. A couple of spare pens lingered here and there on his desk, mixed with dozens of the latest reports from his Elite scouts. Egraria was on the move. Determining their next plan was becoming a problem. He shifted through them, finding his schedule underneath it all. Glancing at the compendium of the upcoming month, he just knew he would be busy.
In the coming weeks, he would receive a new set of soldiers, fresh off the farm. His thirtieth birth day was fast approaching, and the Unionization followed promptly. He was just unprepared for it all. Of course, he wouldn't retire. It would be absurd to; only to let Adonai or Kordelia to take his place.
Kordelia.
He sighed heavily, closing his eyes to watch as crimson flashed behind them. Avoiding her all week had been a true test of his will. The look of hurt that flashed across her face every time he dismissed her clawed at his heart, as he wanted nothing more than to sooth the ruffles between them that he had caused. But it was pointless. Eight years of difference pointless. If he were to retire, he still couldn't have her. He would have to find someone at the Unionization and marriage would follow, along with children.
Resisting retirement was a permanent contract for the cause, and did not end until you died. He would rather spend the rest of his years by her side on the battlefield, than to ever have to touch another, let alone have her watch as he doted on someone else. He knew she had been holding out on her feelings for him; only the way she looked at him revealed how she truly felt. And in kind, he had never given away any of his own, except for that night. It was almost like he couldn't help himself. And when he had came around that corner, witnessing Adonai gripping her arm, and the panicked look she had on her face; he HAD been pissed. For all he knew, if they hadn't been right outside Everett's office, he would have killed Adonai with his bare hands. Kore had shrank behind him, and that had infuriated him more. For someone such as her, in all her battle glory, to actually be frightened of a comrade; it screamed something was wrong.
Alekai shook away his rising temper, straightening the papers on his desk with a purpose. He wanted to see her. Even if he couldn't manage to say anything, in fear of giving himself away. He stood quietly, before his head shot straight up, panic lacing his chest, as an alarm started to sound across the campus.
Fuck.
Egraria was here.
***
Alekai burst through the armory garage's doors, weaving through multiple soldiers preparing for battle. Worry clouded his mind as he dodged multiple swords and bows, their owners attaching their weapons to their leather armor. He hurried to the back to find his two separate squads assembling their armor and weapons. Adonai stood near, barking out orders.
"Where is Major General MacIntosh?" He demanded over the roar of the alarm.
Wolfe had a guilty look on his face. "I lost her in the crowd, Comm-..."
"Present!" Kore, herself, pushed through the last barrier of bodies blocking her way to their area.
Relief washed over him and he started to strap his tonfa blades to his arms. "Where were you?"
Kore glared up at him, reaching for the straps of his plackart. "Not that you care, but I needed my hunting knife. Can't go into battle without it." She tightened the strap harshly, and when she was done, came round to the other side to repeat the process. From behind, she kicked her designated box to hit the back of his legs, and jumped atop it, gripping his long hair and rigorously began to braid it down his back. Madocc followed suit and stepped behind Kore, doing the same for her. They were a family, that much was evident.
Alekai side-eyed Wolfe as he slipped Kordelia's breastplate over her head and tightened its tethers. She finished quickly with his hair, tying a perfect knot at the end, and quickly set to work attaching her rerebrace's to each of her arms; Wolfe and Felix fastening them efficiently enough just as Madocc finished with her hair. As always, one stray strand of curls fell in front of her face. All the men were ready as Kore and Alekai finished with their greaves.
"Ready?" Alekai looked down at her, willing not to touch her. Any battle could be their last.
"As I'll ever be." She snorted, securing her wrist-lets, and jumped down from her pedestal.
***
It was quiet. The calm before a storm, and storm it would. The smell of oncoming rain spread out through the field, thunder rumbling in the distance. It was only dusk, but the heavy clouds brought darkness with them as they rolled in. The soldiers were weary with fear. It was like a poison spreading through the entire army.
"Steady..." Alekai ordered loudly.
The Commanders were standing at the forefront of the formation, flanked by their Major Generals and then their Elite Lieutenant squads. Behind them, the army separated into two groups headed by the duo Major General Elects; the hundreds of Officers standing in rows at attention, awaiting their orders.
Kordelia suppressed a shiver, her focal point bouncing between the soon-to-be battlefield and the sight of Alekai's back. The optical whirred into motion, picking up slight movement hundreds of yards ahead of them. She could see the unnatural yellow glow of eyes of dozens, if not hundreds, of humanoids. They barely swayed with the wind as it picked up around them. A drop of rain hit Kore's face, and abruptly lightening flashed across the sky, illuminating the field.
"NOW!" Alekai let out fiercely.
The Hominid Army sprang to life, rushing forward into a dead run. Kore kept pace directly behind Alekai, the hum of the Automaton's filling her ears as the battle officially began. Coming up fast, Alekai dropped to one knee. "Kordelia, NOW!" She slung her arms outwards, ejecting her blades, and jumped directly onto Alekai's shoulders, kicking off to dive directly into the first wave of automatons.
She felt her blades connect with the abnormal imitation the automatons had for skin, beheading only two on her way down.
Alekai jumped upwards in a flourish, four bodies dropping at his feet, his eyes connecting with Kore before she sprang forward, her weapons stabbing straight through two throats of the enemy, their life light dimming from their inhuman eyes. Back to back, Kore and Alekai spiraled as automatons circled them, blocking a quick exit. Promptly, Felix and Wolfe made their entrance. Felix immediately began to strike one after another with his bladed gauntlets, Wolfe at his side with his blade-staff, thrashing forward.
Kore slashed at the closest adversary, the optical making it impossible to be hit by oncoming blows.
"Kore!" She turned around just in time to see a sword coming down towards her. The combatant who wielded the blade's head exploded into electrical currents before it could deliver the assault. She peaked up fleetingly, and about fifty yards out, she could see the massive outline of Madocc perched on the ground with his sniper rifle in hand. She gave a wink and half-ass salute, knowing he could see her through his scope.
This was going to be an interesting night.
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