Beth's PoV
The world went awfully quiet - most of enemy troops have regrouped to the south of the harbour to wipe out the remaining Resistance forces. North of the coast wasn't worth fighting for, now all that was left were ruins and dread - that situation worked to my advantage but that wasn't the focus. The wind was sofly blowint through the rubble and the ravages of the fight. A battle that we obviously lost - I dropped my head, feeling tears gathering up in my eyes.
I didn't make any effort to stop them from streaming down my face. I didn't sob...no, the tears were falling with me, not making any sound. That's how I grieved - a habit that was learnt after years of getting used to seeing stuff like this. Death and loss were my constant companions on this road - because I dared to dream of a better, kinder future. I didn't think that those changes are going to be made on the mountain of corpses and the blood staining my hands.
I glanced at my scared arms - all those wounds were obtained one way or another. And since I was all alone, I had non one to help me - and those cuts, burns or gunshots left many badly healed scars. Around the corners of nails dirt, dust and dried blood have gathered - I was too tired to care. I took out the band from my left arm and stared at the crimson red shade of the material.
Tenth...I'm so sorry for your loss. Don't blame yourself - a gentle male voice whispered
Who the hell are you? - I asked in response
I'm Yoichi. Your distant ancestor - the voice replied gently - But the whole situation is too complicated to explain in one sentence or even summarise, without missing key details. We'll talk when you're asleep.
Right, your priority is to get to the river and then find a shelter - the sharp male voice added - I'll try my best to guide you but it shouldn't be too hard, given your experience. I saw your skills and your cool head during the situation. It's something that adult have difficulty but you still gritted your teeth and pushed forward. Though, I must admit, the resolution of this situation was pretty much sealed when they gave you and your team so few weapons.
Thanks, whoever you're - I answered
Don't bother, kid. And I'm Kudo but call me the Second
Alright, I'll keep that in mind
***
My legs moved before my mind registered what I was doing. I dragged my limbs hazily, feeling that not being completely aware of my surrounding - it was painfully obvious that it would make me an easy target for the enemy troops. I glanced at my torn uniform - I threw away my red blood armband into one of the burning, destroyed buildings. Before I started to move towards the river again, I did a small recon - I didn't find much but it was enough to keep me going for another 3 - 4 days while not starving myself.
I glanced at the ruins, trying to look without seeing the actual damage - I tried but it failed. The corpses of mutilated civilians piled into stacks of rotten skin, charred bones and rotting flesh. The bodies stripped of any valuables and clothes, leaving the dead cold and naked, blood covering the corpses - it looked like someone poured over them too much raspberry juice. The smell of smoke, ash and decaying meat made its way to my nosedrils.
I didn't look for long, but the image was already seered into my mind. I squeezed my eyes, desperately trying to get rid of that sight out of my head but I didn't work. It never fucking worked, no matter how many times I tried to. I opened my eyelids only to see soomething worse - amongst the rubble and burned corpses lied a crying baby with its body partially burned to the point that blisters appeared - I run towards the infant and kneeled besides it. The child cried and cried from pain it undoubtedly felt, blood and pus leaking out of the blisters and the burn wounds.
Then the cries suddenly stopped - the baby's breaths and the heartbeat were nowhere to be seen or heard. It's skin was cold and icy in touch, the lips purple - the child died in my arms and could nothing but stand and watch. Few tears escaped my eyes and dripped down onto the dusty and partially destroyed concrete pavement. I dropped the infant's corpse like it was burning in touch and made a few steps back.
The bile inside my throat began raising at alarming rate - barely holding back a scream of anguish and vomits, I started running through the ruined part of the city. I didn't care if the enemy would spot me and take me out - I just rushed forward, overwhelmed by everything I experienced during a single day. I just needed to make my way to the shore of the river.
After a 15 minutes of constant running, fueled by desperation and deep emotions I felt the sand cracking under my shoes. But the boats were nowhere to be seen - the burned wooden pannels sticking out of the water's surface, bloodied shore and the corpses. So so many dead - all of them still in their clothes meaning that they were killed not long ago. The enemy dropped the bombs onto the shore and destroyed the boats that were supposed the evacuate civilians amidst the war chaos and all the death. Out of the water I noticed a young's woman hand sticking out of the river with a golden ring on the finger and fragments of a white dress floating on the water's surface.
The evacuated civilians dead, my team also killed in action and the plan to escape the fallen city also dead in the water, literally. Without some backup I couldn't hope to make to the Rebels the closest camp by marching through the town - and that left me with an one sole and desperate option. To walk down the shore, and then swim across the river when I would finally out of the city.
It was my only chance - I couldn't waste my comrades sacrifices. Albatros, Monica, Blanca, Spider and others died to give me a shot to survive this bloodbath. I couldn't afford to die, while keeping in mind what was sacrificed to make sure I lived. I swallowed a handful of saliva mixed with bile and started to make my way through the beach's sand. I didn't notice tears streaming down my cheeks until I accidentally touched the cheeks with my right hand and saw some water on uniform's material.
***
Eventually I made my way out of the city - thankfully the enemy soldiers were focused on getting rid of the resistance that there was inside the town, instead checking for escapees. The sand crunching beneath my feet slowly shifted to yellowed grass and dry earth crumbling beneath my shoes. I wrapped up my backpack in a light raincoat that I stole from one elder lady that was dying underneath the rubble many years ago deep inside the Southern Governorates, near what was in the past the last segment of southern borders between Chile and Argentine.
I swam across the river with few breaks on the streams sandy and small islands. When I started my way into the mainland again, I heard one of those voices inside my head. I was so tired that I didn't freak out or flinch when I gentle male voice spoke.
You need to rest, Tenth. You had a horrible day full of traumatic experiences, a good sleep will do you a favor.
I wanted to argue but deep down knew that I needed to find a spot to sleep and regenerate some of my strength for the next day. After 20 minutes of search, I found an abandoned and run down old animal barn but with working doors and a place to lie down to sleep - with one eye open though.
I'll keep the watch. I'm dead anyways and I don't need sleep but you do.
Thanks
No problem, kid. You need a good sleep and rest.
I lied down on my backpack and wrapped myself with my jacket that I kept inside my backpack. Four tears streamed down my face when I closed my eyes and the world went black. The next second I found myself in a concrete throne room in some kind of Void with few men - they didn't look like alive. They resembled coloured ghosts with an aura of experience and age.
-"Welcome, Tenth inside the Void for the 1st time" - a man with the same gentle voice and white hair said -"You might not recognize but I'm the same Yoichi that you heard earlier. The ones around me are Third and Second, Kudo. The man that looks like a hermit is Fourth, Hikage and the bald one is the Fifth, Banjo"
I nodded slowly and glanced at the other men sitting on their respective chairs.
-"Now that Yoichi introduced ourselves, can you explain what the fuck is going on? Why are you fighting in some kind of shitty war and everything else around you is either dead or destroyed?" - the spiky haired man that sounded like Kudo asked sharply
I glanced at the other men with exhaustion written all over my face. It's going to take a while to explain the whole shitshow.