Chapter Twenty-Five
Peter
I watch as his able arms drag her away and then turn to the door in front of me. I have to keep her safe. I know what these people can do. I close my eyes and breath in.
Then, with my team- except Lucas- on my side, I push open the doors and walk out to address the team we have huddled for outside security.
I look at them all, about two hundred men, all standing in attention, wearing their navy blue suits that cover their entire body. Their guns quickly perfected to harm our opposition, their eyes determined. Through the corner of my eye, I see Andrew nod, and then, I address them.
"Fellow soldiers, for the second time today, we are going to be facing a supposedly inevitable enemy. It was once believed that they could never be defeated, that we would always live under their constant threat and control, but today, not too long back, we proved them wrong.
"We showed them that they can be defeated- we showed ourselves that they can be defeated. We proved every soul who thought that we are weak- wrong." I stop, looking around. Then continue, "Because we are greater. We are stronger. We are united. And we will win this." A loud cheer goes through the crowd as soon as I finish my speech. I smile, proud and then motion to everyone to quiet down. "Okay, everyone positions."
Instantly, they start segregating into groups. I then turn to the men standing beside me.
"William, you and Harry take the back." They nod.
"Albert, Ester, Arthur, right side." They scutter into their groups.
"Richard, Oliver, Andrew, left." I say. Andrew pats me on the shoulder and they mix into exit into the sides.
"Max, I hope you don't mind, but you're here with me."
He smiles and replies, all serious, "It would be an honour to fight with you my friend."
I roll my eyes. "No one's going to die, you idiot."
He grins, now back to his original self, "I know, just felt like saying that." We both share a moment of silence and then walk to the front of the gates, open them, and stand outside at our positions, waiting.
I go over the basic structure of our placements- made in three minutes-in my head, welcoming the slight breeze in the sun. The structure is shaped like an upturned diamond, so somewhat a square at the ground level. My ears prick something from behind me.
I ignore it. Fifty men on each side, two members of Oi Alloi. Because we can't be sure where they entered from the last time, it is imperative each side is equally guarded. I shake my head, as if agreeing to myself, and I hear, once more, something coming from behind me. I turn to look.
Catherine.
And Lucas. And Marge.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I say in annoyance. Why doesn't she understand I have to keep her safe?
She walks up to me, her hair tied up, her hands on her hips and says, "There is no way I'm missing out on this." Lucas chuckles from behind her.
"More like there was no way you could stay without him for another minute." He says.
I try to compress a smile and motion for Lucas to join us at the front. Marge, understandably stays inside the gates, her eyes shut, frowning.
Catherine had told me that Aunt Marge could, though very rarely, see short glimpses of the future. Perhaps she was trying to figure out whether we'd end up alive after this or not.
Catherine now at my side, I turn back to face the horizon, the chopped meadows in front of us and the trees that lay behind it. I speak into my chip.
"Guys, easy."
I can hear, though softly, soldiers putting down their guns, sighing. I lean into my neckline again, "Give them an inspirational speech or something. Can't let them sleep on the battlefield." I stare into the sky.
If the backup team is going to come, I'm sure it would have by now. It's been almost thirty minutes of standing here, and we even called for bottles of water to keep ourselves and the soldiers hydrated.
Some of the men even settle down on the grass and I don't stop them. It is unlikely that anything could happen now. Out of the blue, Marge, who was still standing behind the gates, comes running up to me, worry lighting up her eyes.
"They've come." She announces. The men around me that heard her stand up, ready immediately, and the message follows. I instructed the other side leaders to be vigilant.
These Snake people are creepy, slithering creatures and there is no way I am underestimating them.
Then, my ears perk up. The same, familiar stinging sound vibrates softly through the air.
I pull my gun from over my back and step ahead, blocking Catherine. I hear her sigh on my neck.
"Ready." I announce into the chip and to the men next to me. They all pick up their guns, and aim it straight ahead. I put my left fist up, clenched, to signal them to wait. The sound slowly gets more clear. They're coming closer.
"Wait..." I mutter to myself. The trees in front of us start dancing, moving harmfuly, as if they are getting chopped down. "Wait..." I say under my breath. Slowly, the Snakes come into view, their ridiculous green and yellow outfits, the leather on their skin, their slanted eyes. They come closer. Most of them look very young.
I try figuring out some figures, relying once more on my ears. About- wait, what? There couldn't be more than fifteen of them. I decided the others would be staying behind in the trees. I hold my fist and press my ears to listen. No, only fifteen of them.
They walk towards us in an arrow, one tall, muscular man with a matching cape and large boots is positioned at the point, in the front. From over here, we can see his black hair, slicked back, his tongue constantly sticking out, the end cut like the end of a ribbon.
Behind him, on two sides, there are two men, both with a red circle on their chest, a tiny one, like a badge.
They look ferocious and I wonder if the others are seeing something similar on their sides too.
Diagonally behind them, on one side, a line of girls follow- women too- some with blonde, some with gray hair, all cut into a bob. On the other side, a sequence of men follow, spotting similar slicked back hair and shades.
They walk slightly leaned forwards, their hands moving on their sides. I keep my fist clenched waiting till they come a little closer. They do. And they continue walking ahead. What the hell? They don't stop, quickly filling up the gap between us. I see no more men following them.
Max looks at me, then at my raised fist. I shake my head, no.
Slowly, I put my fist down to my side, but don't lower my gun. My soldiers hold their own too. I watch patiently as they come forwards, now barely fifty meters from us. The soldiers start glancing around, Max looks straight ahead and tells them to shush.
Behind me, Catherine holds her breath. I analyse the enemy. Their suits are bare, they hold no weapons. They're not here for a fight.
After all this continuous walking, all of a sudden, as if choreographed to perfection, all fourteen followers of the arrow stop walking and come to a still, forming one straight line merely twenty meters away from us.
The main man, their leader I suppose, walks up to me, but leaves a considerable distance. I put down my gun, not aiming at him anymore, but keep my finger tightly onto it.
Max, who I know is probably reading my mind right now, nods to my thought, and continues holding his gun in his hand, pointing at their leader's head. All the soldiers choose a target and position their weapon pointing to it.
Each Snake of the other side has at least three of our men ready to shoot at their heads. I walk ahead to meet the man.
His eyes are green, and shining and as I come up to him, he smiles and holds out his hand. I decline it and stare him in the eye.
"Why are you here?" I ask, my voice stern.
"Where is Andrew, my beloved friend?" He hisses his forked tongue visible. I think back at the Snake Soldier who wrapped his tongue around my through, almost choking me. Your eyes are a window to your emotions. I push away the memory and focus on the person in front of me.
"What do you want?"
"Who are you?" He counters, his voice dripping with sick kindness.
"Ahh, that's funny, haven't you heard of me yet?" I smile.
"Do you not know who you're talking to, child?"
"No, sir, I do not.." I say sarcastically.
"Well then," he says, just about holding back his anger, "You can call me LOTS."
I wait. "What's your name LOTS?"
"LOTS stands for Leader Of The Snakes." I snicker. Seriously? In less than a second, I pull myself back together.
"Why did you attack us?"
"What is your name?" This conversation is getting unnecessarily extended. "I need to know your name, child."
"WAYH." I say, staring into his eyes, "It stands for Why Are You Here."
He laughs, leaning his head back, his long fingers in front of him. He acts like he is wiping a tear from his cheek. I repeat myself. "LOTS, why are you here?"
"Okay, listen up boy. I don't know who you are and why Andrew selected you to speak to me, but now forget your sarcastic remarks and let's get down to business."
"Perfect."
"Get Andrew up here."
"There are only fifteen of you and no one's breaking in again?" I say.
"Yes." He replies, impatient.
I murmur into my chip and call for them all. In a few minutes, two hundred soldiers and twelve soldiers are lined up. I beckon for Andrew to join us ahead.
They act carefree, hugging each other and greeting like old friends.
"Andrew, my old friend, won't you take me in to see this expensive new aboard of yours? What happened to the high school?" He chuckles. The muscles on my back tense. How dare he. Andrew steps back a little and looks at LOTS.
"Maximus, my brother, why don't you just tell us what you want right here?"
Maximus smiles evilly and steps back into line with his followers. We wait patiently. Maximus turns to face us.
"You must know by now," his voice echoed around the lawn, reaching the ears of each and every person present, "that we do not like you'll. We despise you'll, and everything you stand for. It makes no sense, one kills, the other saves, the rest stay dumbstruck. One has powers, one has no powers." He demonstrates dramatically with his arms waving up and down, segregating the Oi Alloi and To Sotos. "Gahh, anyways," he says waving his hand in front of his face, as if he were swatting a fly. "So, what I think is, we should settle this, once and for all. One final battle. Three months from now, gather whoever you want, make all your little toys, whatever. We will wait." He pauses for a reply.
"Maximus," Andrew says gently, "is there no other way to solve this hatred between us?" This Igetis is a different, very different one from the one present on stage in the school hall, his voice booming, loud, and controlling. His words are supposed to be harp, hurtful, angry. I cannot decide which one I prefer.
"Oh my dear Andrew, we have been at this for more years than I can count now, why do you want to pull this longer?"
Andrew looks aghast. A fight- a war- is surely the last thing in his mind. I frown. Suddenly, this constant taunting, killing of family, this brink that we live on, it needs to go away, I can't bear it anymore. I won't bear it anymore. They want to end this? Okay, sure. Let's do it.
"Maximus." I say to him, moving forward to their group. "go home, have a feast with your followers, because three months from now, there might not be any one remaining to eat with."
He raises his brow and nods. "Very well then." And they leave, all fifteen of them, now striding through the grass, leaving our last conversation hanging in the air.