Realms of Magic: Demon Invasion

83. Mirakarta Massacre

"This is crazy," Lita says, "nobody trusts anyone anymore."

Tents have been erected across Pazna, and Aelita, John, Lita, and I have one for ourselves.

"I mean, who will you trust?" John asks. "Everyone could be a spy. Like, can we even trust each other?"

"You don't trust me?" Aelita murmurs.

"John, we'll be dead by now if one of us is traitorous," I say. "Calm down, everyone. We'll die of stress at this rate."

We all sleep for a few hours before we wake up. It is a new dawn. A new barrier has been erected, positions resupplied, and ammunition replenished. Lita and I link up with Madam Fron in the left flank.

"Good sleep last night?" she asks. A binocular is in her hands.

"Not bad," I say. "What about you?"

Madam Fron laughs. "When you are a Class VI mage, sleeping becomes a waste of time."

She uses her binoculars. "I don't think they'll try again today."

"Really? Why so?" I ask.

"They've suffered too many casualties," Madam Fron says. "They haven't build sufficient supply depots, either. I think they are expecting a quick victory and Pazna's resistance comes as a surprise."

"I guess you're right," I say. "They had already reached Batavia, after all."

"But beware. If I have learned one thing from fighting the Empire, it's that they could deceive you well."

"Fronica, I need you to send Violleta and Angelita to the headquarters," an order comes from our radio.

"Copy that," Madam Fron says, "you heard Madam Felicia. Go ahead."

Lita and I link up with John and Aelita  in the headquarters. We are met by Madam Felicia. "Vio, Angelita, John, Aelita. In one hour you will be transported with an armored carriage to Mirakarta."

"What? Why?" I ask.

"As it turns out, the Empire elusively landed 120,000 men of the Penal Battalion on the southern coast of Irvine last night. Furthermore, some 60,000 traitors have joined them. We have determined that this army is going to attack Mirakarta."

"So we will be there to defend it?" Lita asks. "Isn't Remi there?"

"Yes, but she won't be enough. We planned to pull Joe and Agatha to Mirakarta, but they were ambushed by Argentum Sentinels and injured. Off you go. I've got things to do."

Everyone's so busy.

"Joe and Agatha got injured?" Aelita asks. "How good are the Argentum Sentinels?"

"If it's an Old Sentinel, they're roughly on par with us," Lita says. "There are few of them, though. There are perhaps thirty or so of them."

The three scatter, gathering their little personal belongings. I am waiting at the outskirt of the fort when Darryl comes to me.

"Darryl!" I gasp. I walk towards him, seizing his hips.

"Take care," he says, pecking me on the lips.

"T-thanks," I say. "You too."

"Hey, lovebird!" Aelita shouts. "Hop in the carriage, we have a town to save!"

Tch, Aelita, stop ruining the moment, damn it!

"Well, I should get going as well. Bye, Vio."

"Bye."

I enter the carriage and we begin a two-day journey. "We're really on our own now," Aelita says.