Chapter 45 – Determination of a Former Proctor

Archie sat on ammo crate with a wooden bowl filled with fish and vegetable, made by the servants of the stronghold, who managed to get their hands on the supplies after the soldiers of the west flank of the city were able to retake the warehouse and market avenues.

This is good.

He thought.

I thought it would be less tasty. But I guess the other civilians out there don’t get this kind of food. Damn bastards really.

He cursed under his breath. He looked at the bowl once again and started eating the contents.

I can’t complain about now. Have to get my strength and keep on fighting. These people need my help and I had to somehow help them.

He determined himself. He had the choice to flee. He was given the chance to accept the post of staying in the stronghold along with the others.

I can’t stay there. I have to save them.

A switch was inside his head. It was a candle light that made Archie’s heart burned with the urge to save the people that were suffering around him. He became a Proctor for his village because he wanted to uphold what was right. Indeed, he never expected that somehow along the line he would find himself in the middle of the war.

To think that I’d be able to take down a flying warship and escape unharmed. But I guess it’s thanks to him that I am still alive.

Archie stopped eating. He looked at the sky again. He closed his eyes and remembered the face of his nameless comrade who without fear turned his back to face the incoming enemies as if it was the natural thing to do.

I got here without knowing his name. That guy really saved me. Brother, I don’t know I’ll repay you for that, but know this, I ain’t giving up. This city will be ours and your death won’t be in vain. I promised you that. Your name was lost along with your life. But I won’t forget the bravery that you showed me.

Archie’s heart boiled with determination. Despite the death and despair that covers him. Archie had his soul lit by his own fire of determination. Indeed, he was just some Proctor once who found himself leading a group of soldiers. But now he was the guy that stormed a giant flying warship and took it down along with the others.

There was no need to talk about what he had become. To the others, Archie was a real hero. He was a person that would lead them out of this despair along with the Warlord who still defends the city with an unbending will. She would never abandon them just as much as Archie.

Archie went back to his own bowl of soup. He started eating once again and swallowed hard once he was finished. Clapping his cheeks, he stood up, took his rifle and went to the soldiers that were gathering. The soldiers saw Archie and greeted him with a pat on the shoulder or a slap on the back.

“Are you ready boys!?”

“Fuck yeah!”

“Let’s do this!”

With a vigor that was like a campfire in the middle of a dark chasm, the soldiers shouted. Right now, they were the kindles that keep Archie burning furiously. That’s why seeing that made Archie order everyone to take back the other places.

Archie led the retaking of the main road. He and the soldiers stormed the main street and fend off the first line. After defending the first line successfully, Archie and the others waited for reinforcements and took the fight to the alleys of the city.

There were many stray enemy soldiers in the alley. There were times that Archie and his group would get pinned down. But Archie was able to pull them through somehow and kept fighting the enemies in the alley. After passing through various alleys, taking cover, taking fire and bashing heads.

Archie and the other soldiers reached this enemy outpost. There were soldiers in the outpost with fixed positions. There were snipers. There were grenadiers that attacking straight would be suicide. Of course, Archie and the others weren’t stupid enough to do that. They waited for their allies and once the strike team made of Demi-Human from the blue districted arrived. The snipers and the grenadiers were taken by surprise. There was a tunnel near the outpost and it made a good way to surprise them.

“Go! Take this outpost me! Let us go!”

Archie sprinted out of cover. He vaulted through obstacles and fixed himself on a sandbag. Two soldiers took cover with him as they fired their rifles. Archie then supported them by opening fine as they painstakingly reload their weapons.

The firefight between the outpost and the defenders of the city took four to finish. By the time Archie shot the commanding officer in the face with his rifle. The outpost was littered with the dead. There was a pungent smell of gunpowder and burned meat. There were mists of black that was caused by the constant emission of smoke from the rifles. Not to mention the grenades that went off.

Archie stood away from the commanding officer. He leaned on the hastily created fortifications and took a big breath. He was tired. He was covered in soot. But his eyes still burned brightly as if it would never extinguish. He walked back to where his soldiers were. They were tired as Archie but like him, their eyes burned brightly with.

“Good works boys. Rest now, we still had to return back and then fight again.”

“Got it, Captain!” said the soldiers.

Archie nodded at them, he then looked at the sky in thought before walking down to where the Blue District team was. Archie said. “Thank you for cooperating with us. We appreciate it.”

“No need,” said the soldier with a furry left arm. His claws were sharp. “We had to retake this place anyway. It will help us in defending the main road. The west flank of the city and the fringes are the things that we need to worry now. So,” he patted Archie’s shoulder. “Fight hard Captain, we had a City to take back.”

Archie clenched his fist hard, his eyes filled with determination. “You got it."