A Broken Future (Book One)

Chapter 14 A Lost War

"It was a long war it shouldn't have been that way but something was different." Magic shells slam the earth as a group of soldiers sit in the trenches debating their next move.
"I say we just surrender! They have us surrounded and they won't stop shelling this place until we are dead!"
"Calm down man we have people counting on us here!"
"Then why are we sitting in a bunker waiting to die?" A shell lands as the third speaker gets up the remaining soldiers all look at her like she was a demon and hell they might have been right.

"Now isn't the time to fall into despair we have to believe not just in our abilities but the ones of our comrades!" A dark purple aura covers her as she steps out her squad following her as they are surrounded by guns.
"Lay down your weapons or die!"
"I would rather die but not today!" In a flash of magenta, all of the enemy soldiers are cleaved into pieces as Idunn laughs out loud. The Devil eyes of serenity wouldn't fall until she decided so.

"James pim he leads the Pim conglomerate our enemy in this war he was thought to be dead until someone resurrected him a man in robes we haven't even seen his face."
"They attacked without warning catching the guardians as you call them off guard and forcing them to act quickly and send you all away at least that is what Claire told me and that is what I would tell you all...."
"IF I BELIEVED YOU!" The children were all cuffed and stood before Idunn in their command center...a barely keep-together tent.
"You have to believe us." Astrid steps forward.
"Who else could open a portal that large?!"
"Yes it's highly unlikely and if the enemy would do something like that they lose any element of surprise!" Both Astrid and Bronya try to state their case as Idunn looks unimpressed.
"My name is Astrid Storm you have to listen!" Suddenly Idunn stops and looks at Astrid and walks over to her moving her face a bit.
"You-you mentioned Claire earlier I heard her name in Hokki's video!"
"Where the hell is Roy then!?" A woman limps over to them as Idunn tries to get her to sit down.
"We don't know...we got your distress signal and kind of left Gramps behind."
"Distress sig-oh wait it worked?" Idunn goes to check something in the back.
"So you are their kids huh?" The woman leans against a support beam.
"Yes, we are I promise." Soma turns to face her as the woman groans and goes over to them using a key to unlock their cuffs.
"Scram then go back home we don't need kids getting in our way."
"We came all this way to help you!" Sasha yells out.
"Then you wasted your time kid this war is long over." Sasha is furious and tries to pounce on her but Astrid grabs her as they all start to leave.
"It won't end like this everyone fan out let's find someone who will listen!"
"Got it!" They all fan out around the base looking for anyone who will listen.

Sasha looked around but everyone seemed to avoid her she almost gave up hope and sat on a Bench and sighed.
"Something troubling you child?" An old man with a cane walked over to the bench and sat down next to her.
"Yeah...I want to help my friends I want to help Astrid but this all feels out of my depth my books didn't prepare me for this."
"Life isn't a fantasy child."
"Everyone always says that! But my whole life I've only had those stories! I can't help the fact I was experimented on!" Her sigils flash as she vents her frustration and the man listens to everything.
"It seems you have a lot of stress."
"Not as much as Astrid though."
"You seem to like Astrid quite a lot."
"OF COURSE I DO! I love her even!...but she said we had to wait until all of this was over."
"It's wonderful to hear that im so glad my daughter is doing well."
"!?" She looks at the old man confused.
"Oh, it seems I misspoke again I have a habit of that."
"Your my dad? Please tell me it's true!" She grabs the man's arm as he faces her she sees his eyes are completely dead as he pats her head.
"Sasha...that is the name she thought of giving you I would have named you something else if you were a boy." Sasha starts to cry as she hugs her father.
"I uhm- can I know your name?"
"Hmm my name?...they called me Orson a long time ago but that name is long dead."
"Orson....dad sounds better." She hugs him again as the scene cuts.

Soma begrudgingly separates from ash to cover more ground stopping as she saw a masked woman laying on the ground.
"Uhm are you okay?" She kneels and shakes the woman.
"Yes im fine...please just leave me alone...I want to die alone."
"You won't die just from laying there." She sits down next to the masked woman with black hair and tattoos of some kind.
"Maybe but I might as well be dead without Alice."
"Alice? She was one of the guardians right?"
"Unfortunately so... I guess I was one too."
"Who are you?"
"My name isn't important anymore..."
"Well im soma cresthorne."
"Cresthorne?....this must be some sick joke don't you know im the last one left I doubt my daughter survived I wouldn't be surprised if fate did that to me."
"Im being serious I am soma! Your daughter" She lifts the woman's mask as she sees purple and dull eyes staring into the sky tears falling down her face.
"I don't want you to be real...I don't want to lose anyone else." Soma picks her up and takes her mother towards the command tent.
"Mother please."
"Why...you'll just die like the rest...like everyone I loved." Soma comforts her mother as it cuts to gray.

Gray was wandering around he only truly cared to even come this far for his friends and Yuri as much as he was pissed at him for pushing him off the cliff but he couldn't stay mad at him forever.
Suddenly Gray smells something and immediately transforms rushing over to it he ends up in the forest as he sees a larger wolf standing over a grave he walks over and the larger wolf turns to him almost surprised to see him.
Gray nervously waves as the large wolf circle around Gray sniffing him until he recognizes the scent he starts nuzzling Gray as the two start to play the large wolf stops Gray before he can disturb the grave as he sits Gray goes half-wolf.

"Is that...my father?" The large wolf transforms as well revealing themselves to be a short male his ears flat on his head as he whimpers.
"Yes...your father gave his life for me he wasn't the only one to go out like that." As he says that Gray looks on to see an entire graveyard.
"This war...took everyone we loved im sorry you had to see all this son."
"No don't apologize... this just gave me a reason to care I won't let anyone else die on my watch including you Dad." His father smiles softly as they both enjoy each other's company before heading to the tent.

Bronya and Hideko were having no luck as bronya squats down to poke a frog.
"Hideko"
"Yes love?"
"Are we truly the children of the guardians? I mean us two in specific."
"Why do you say that love?"
"Well, when you look at it we are the odd two out how there are no records of our parents you guys never told me where you found me anyway?" Bronya stands up and turns to Hideko unsure of herself.
"Yes, it is time to tell you the truth darling." She cups Bronya's face and brings her close as she tells her.

"Gramps said he found you by the sea in a basket it was around the time I was found so he thought we would get along well."
"It seems he got more than he bargained for with that." They both giggle.
"Hido...why did you even fall in love with me?"
"Because of how quiet and timid you were you have such raw power yet you didn't use it I wanted to know why and im glad I did Because I found a wonderful lover because of it." Bronya blushes and nuzzles into Hideko's hands.
"You don't have to be born to the guardians to be a child of apocalypse Bronya never forget that." Bronya nods as they hear Yuri call them all.

"Okay, I don't remember saying you all could leave but we have a new development." As Idunn scolds them a new woman returns to camp with a battered party behind her as she storms into camp.
"Idunn!"
"Yes, captain!?"
"My party was ambushed but we found an enemy camp nearby they seem to be mounting something."
"Well, your captain Zeta what should we do?"
"Zeta?" Yuri says as the one-eyed woman looks over at the children.
"Recruits?"
"They are the children you all left in rendfall." Zeta scans them all stopping at Yuri as she squints.
"Ha, what a joke alright then if they want to prove themselves they can come with me I need a new team anyway." She heads out as they all start to follow Idunn stops Astrid.
"Oh did you need something Idunn?"
"Yeah I am still not 100% about all this but if you are Claire's daughter then she wanted me to give you this she said you would know what to do with it." She hands Astrid a pendant as Astrid holds it her visions start again as she holds her head.
"Ahh im...sorry my head suddenly hurts."
"No no, go ahead...it seems I've got my answer." Astrid nods and heads out with the others as Idunn ponders.
"So?" Nyx wheels over.
"Astrid Storm huh?...I'll keep my promise no matter what, I'll keep your kid safe until the end."

End of Chapter 14
(A/n the picture above is how I believe Idunn looks)