The Fall

43. Footsteps

2.25.21

Benji's POV

As the end of the week drew nearer, I felt a lot more confident in what I was thinking about. Everything was beginning to come together in my plans. It made me feel like everything was going to go well at the end of the day. Still, there's a lot of unpredictability possible with the humans. I feel confident but also stressed at the same time; I'll either win or lose. There is no tie when so much is on the line.

Saturday morning came along, and I was stressing out on a large scale. Tonight, we will storm the humans' fortress and take no restraint. We won't back down or show mercy; this is war. I may not like the need for violence, but there comes a time when it's necessary. I recognize that now is that time.

"Are you alright? You seem really stressed," Connor commented during breakfast. Everyone has been preparing all week, so he should know why I'm nervous. My entire reputation lies in this attack. I may never get the respect I need if I let a lot of people pass away. I just have to prevent it the best I can...

"I'm stressed out because there are less than 24 hours until we fight the humans. I know that you barely have a reputation right now, but I do. If I fuck this up, the entire world is going to fall apart. I might not be able to prove myself if I screw it up."

"That's kind of a low blow talking about my favor like that. I never did anything wrong to get to where I am. My father says that I should be doing more to gain power, but it really isn't in my personality. Is it wrong for me to just take what's given to me without asking for more? I already have enough as it is."

"It isn't wrong for you to do whatever you think is right. I mean, you would be better off with a little bit more than you have now. I can't control you, though. I understand why you think you shouldn't be aiming for me. You have a lot of people that took it too far in your family. It just makes sense for you. I just know that my life got a lot better once I let go of my fear of getting too powerful."

"That's what happened for you; I'm different. Thanks for the advice, but I'm going to continue to do what I think is the right thing for me to do."

"I never told you anything different."

"You made a snide remark about the power I hold."

"I didn't mean for it to come across that way. I was just trying to tell you exactly why I'm so stressed."

"Whatever..." Connor got up and walked away from me, and I felt my heart sink down in my chest slowly. I really wasn't trying to make him upset. Maybe I shouldn't have said that...

I went through the day like a dead man walking. It seemed like nothing could pull me out of the slump I was in right now. The time that I loathed was approaching fast, and I couldn't let go of the resistance I had to it. It was drawing me in like a black hole, and soon I wouldn't have any way out. I don't want to have that inescapable notion, but I shoved on anyways.

Preparations were running their course, and I was in my bedroom getting dressed. My chest felt like it was about to burst open from the tension, and I might actually explode. I put on warm, dark clothes before going down to the meeting room. I found that everyone else was waiting in the room in black just as I had requested.

"Does everyone know what their assigned position is?" I called out, and there was a widespread shout of confirmation. "Very good. Now, will all of you please get into your groups? The time is almost here to leave." Shuffling and murmurs of goodbye spread through the room, and all I could do was just sit here and watch. I didn't have anyone to say bye to other than Mikey, and he would never approach me while I'm up here. He knows that it would go south if people in the room knew we were dating. A lot of the species are still homophobic since they haven't been progressing together. Him showing public affection would discredit me, and I don't want that.

I checked my watch just as the time struck 8, and a thrill of adrenaline rushed through me. I gave a curt nod to everyone in the room, and the noise died down instantly. Everyone had vowed not to speak after that nod unless there was no other way. We couldn't risk being discovered before we could attack. It would ruin the element of surprise, which we couldn't afford. I had a plan in case everything did go south. However, it required more risk than I was comfortable with, so I don't want to use it.

I lead them through the wooded area while my heart slammed against my ribs. It was a sickening feeling, not knowing what would happen. It would suck if anything went wrong, let alone the whole thing. When we got to the edge of the forest, I listened out for any motion in the clearing. The humans had a large building surrounded by walls to hold themselves in. I could see guards patrolling on top of those walls, and I was reminded of mid-evil stories. I'm surprised that something in this period looks like this.

I held up my hand to stop the group before slowly crossing the empty land. I was looking for traps but also testing how attentive the guards are. My attire blended in with the dark grass, and I could feel the dew coating my shoes. However, I ignored it to focus on the task at hand. I got to the base of the wall, where I was out of sight, and I waited a few moments. I didn't hear any alarms or people coming at me, so I gestured for the first group to come across slowly. It was a slow process, but eventually, we were all gathered right against the wall. No one had seen us running across, and I saw that as an advantage. I was half expecting to be caught during that exchange, but I was happy that we weren't... There are only a few more steps that have to go correctly.

I waved my arm above my head, and their metal gate screeched. It was an awful noise, and I clenched my teeth. I wasn't predicting it to be that loud. Everyone exchanged a look of panic, but clearly, the humans have worse hearing than I thought. No one came, and I used my magic to push it in again. This time, there wasn't the screech but rather a more gut-wrenching noise. The sound of footsteps. Shit.