Chapter 7 - Fallen Rain

Night was falling over the camp, sunlight slowly fading and giving way to the moon and the burning fires. Flickering flames reached up dozens of feet, immolating what, before the strange mutations, would have been elders and guardians of the forest.

Soldiers, watchmen for the night, patrolled a simple earthen berm circling the tents. Slowly, haggard men trickled back in, covered in dark grimy soot, switching places with those resting. Ensuring the constant battle against the forest was not lost.

Large kitchen tents, with flame-resistant cloth, sat south of the soldier's tents. Bustling servants ordered by cooks following the directions of a senior matron, quickly prepared hearty food for the exhausted men, soup and hard rations.

Men sat around in groups of eight, crowding closer to their fires away from the shimmering dimness behind, waiting for food and discussing the day.

"I heard the 2nd platoon was called to the east, only two full squads came back, what could take out nearly 50 men?"

"I don't know man, doesn't concern us, all we have to do is burn that forest and eat this shitty food - the soldier gestures with a hard piece of bread - "Speaking of which, where the hell is that damn soup, I need something to soak this fuckin' rock in"

"Dude shut the fuck up, you don't need shit, I saw what you were doing out there, who the hell pisses on a burning tree?"

The soldiers of the 4th squad laughed, and continued joking among themselves waiting for their food and to rest.

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Small feet clad with only thin cloth slippers slipped their way through the cold. Leaving a new set of stuttering footprints, nearly invisible among many others in the muddy ground. A frail frame struggled under a large pot. Liquid splashing out every time the girl lost her balance, scalding her hands and arms, adding minuscule burns to dozens of others scarring the pale skin.

Veins barely shimmering soft fluorescent colors through hard calluses and sleeves drawn long around skinny arms.

Despite the weight, the small girl navigated her way through the dark avenues between tents, following a tall servant carrying piles of wood-hewn spoons and bowls. Reaching a campfire allowed the girl to relieve her burden for long enough to give lukewarm bowls of soup to rowdy soldiers. Quickly ordered on by the senior servant they progressed rapidly through the camp. Emptying the pot as it became even darker, leaving the dusk to venture into full night.

Stumbling now, the girl slowed, almost dropping the nearly empty pot. Suddenly a form dashed around a tent ahead, all-out sprinting past the two servants. The tall servant stepped to the side out of the way, having perfectly hidden the girl behind him. Tired, she continued walking forwards with her head down. Surprise blanketed the young man's face as he tried to stop. With a bang the two went down head over heels, the girl laid on the ground, shocked. The young man, more of a boy, coughed as he stood up, covered in the remaining dregs of soup.

"What the fuck girl! you had one job, carry the damn soup! You are going to have to explain this to Emily, fucking damn you !" The tall servant kicked the prone girl before storming off.

"What was that all about?"

The boy angrily walked towards the girl, pausing as he saw her shivering and crying quietly.

"Hey, hey, it's all right, I am not gonna hurt you, tha- that person left"

Glancing around worriedly, the boy took off and placed his jacket around the girl, and handed her a bar.

"Here, eat this, its chocolate, from the capital - the boy paused as the girl calmed and slowly bit into the treat - What's your name?"

"I-I'm Luna"

"Luna, that's a pretty name, why are you here Luna? I am here to fight the forest and take my home back! - the boy's voice rose in his fervor - Sorry... my name is Argent"

"umm, I just work, I need to go back, thou" Luna broke down in tears once as she realized the soup was gone, and all over her new friend.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, your alright, you won't get in trouble, here, let's go, come on" Argent began pulling Luna along behind him, and stumbling they traveled behind tents hidden in the shadows.

Shouts arose to the right of them as they traveled, fearing discovery they crouched down lower and sped up. Argent them through the tents until the reached one of the servants sleeping areas. He showed Luna to his bed before stripping the thin blankets and placing them underneath.

"You can hide here for a while, I am going to go watch the cooks, once everything has calmed down I will come to get you, alright?"

Luna nodded nervously before huddling underneath the bed on the cold ground. Argent ran off towards the cook tents.

Suddenly screams and the howls of wild beasts tore through the night. Luna shivered, and pressed herself against the ground, hoping her new friend would come back.

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Argent squeezed himself between two tents, rustling the thin canvas walls. Startled by sudden loud sounds of battle nearby, he tripped and fell into the tent. Fighting to untangle himself, he shook as an audible thump sounded to the northwest, briefly overwhelming the screams of war.

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Torchlights shivered across the battlefield, men were slowly being pushed off the berm by creatures of nightmare. Giant glowing wolves with daggers for claws and leaping leopards massacred men, while swarms of twisted birds picked off the wounded and alone.

Occasional spells would land and decimate the animals, only more poured from the forest. Cutting off the camp from the stranded bands of men outside, still alive despite the vehemence with which the animals attacked.

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Untangled but still within the fallen tent, Argent trembled and moaned, memories of his village flashing through his mind. Crumpling the fabric in his hands, he covered his head, hoping the world would just go away. Screams and pained roars and shrieks sounded constantly, each one making him curl into a tighter ball. He suddenly stilled, uncurled slowly, and whispered "Luna..."

Lights flashed by, torch, tent, torch, tent, bounding over the taught lines holding the fabric over the light wooden frames. Adrenaline turning the world still, heavy gasps driven by terror filled lungs. Argent sprinted towards his bunk, filled with determination.

Shrill shrieks sounded from above, heralding the intrusion of a twisted aviary above the camp. Unable to spare a glance upwards, Argent neared Luna's hiding place, his eyes lightened a little at the prospect of escaping with her from this hell.

Screams from ahead broke his thoughts and spurred him on at even greater speed. Pain spread across his side, an owl with a 3-meter wingspan sliced deep into his side and head with razor-sharp talons. Mewling he crawled forwards, blood flowing from his side and head.

Continued to crawl forward, Argent was spared further attack as archers fired into the sky. Leaving a trail of blood across the ground, his body became covered in mud, sealing the wounds. Finally reaching his bunk, barely conscious, he grabbed Luna's hand and began pulling her towards a fallen tent.

"Here come on, almost there, they won't find us under here, it's good you were hiding under that bunk, those birds almost tore me apart! Don't worry we'll be fine, the soldiers are fighting, they will win, the Magus won't let us die. Come on, start moving, we aren't safe out here, those birds will be back."

"Boy! Stand up and fight! We need every sword against these Twisted! Come on! Let's go! - A bloody soldier grabbed Argent and pulled him up, handing him a sword from a nearby body. - No time to cry over the dead! Fight!"

Argent blearily blinked his eyes, a hand grasped around the hilt leaving warm blood quickly cooling on his hand. Glancing down at Luna - "I-I don't want to leave you, I'll stay here and fight" - only then realizing, Luna's blood was on his hands, and across the path which he had dragged her. Looking for the shy girl's breath, and eyes to blink shut and open again, and for the gaping lips to close and turn softly upward. Argent found nothing staring at the macabre torn body of his only friend laid to rest in this place.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHhhh" He screamed, rage and despair fighting to be heard. Red covered his vision, blocking out his father, mother, siblings, friends, village, home, Luna, leaving only hate. Leaving his scream and the bodies behind him, Argent turned towards the battlefield to gain his revenge and collapsed. Fresh blood from not even scabbed wounds, mixed with the dark mud and blood of the dead.