Tank treads shook the ground, rattling broken glass and crumbled brick. Ground up dust and fresh ash swirled in the air beneath the metallic monsters. Blasts of gunfire mixed with the constant hum of engines. To him, it sounded like the roar of a sleeping dragon being woken. Appropriate, considering that awakening the beast was essentially what they had done. Woffenstein had been on the retreat for a year now, constantly digging in and failing to stand over and over, losing men and morale along the way. It should have been obvious that an all-out stand was inevitable, the trap had been in plain sight and they had still allowed it to be set... and sprung. The bodies around him were a mix of the deep navy blue of Woffenstein, and the warm brown of Trolburg, even a few dark greens of their allied Thunderbird Confederates dotted the burning landscape. Sheltering behind a destroyed Wolfhound tank, he pulled out his pistol, checked his magazines, and locked the slide into place. His company commander grimly faced towards the wall of enemy tanks, turned to them, and appraised the situation in front of him. "Advance!" The soldiers swarmed forward, howling the battlecry of the 7th,
"For King and Country! For Trolburg! For Glory!" David shrunk back against the wreckage, and tried to stand, his legs failing him.
"Stand up Wolfe, we've got work to do," came the gruff tone of the officer.
"Yes sir, sorry sir," David replied. Hurling himself forward, he sprinted after his company, already nearing the deadly gaunlet of machine guns and minefields spread out along the streets of Wilminghelm. The capitol of a once great nation smoked before him, burned and mined to insure that no one else could destroy it themselves. Hours passed, as men on both sides exchanged pointless salvos of pot shots. Time slowed to a creep. Suddenly, a young man stepped out, no older than maybe his own age, in the uniform of an officer. Hands shot up behind sandbags. A white flag waved. ...
"We surrender."
YOU ARE READING
Through Hell & Highwater
Historical FictionThe year is 1987, and relations between the nations of Trolburg and Woffenstein, its neighboring historical enemy are worsening. Tension rises, arms and armor manufacturing increases tenfold, the militaries and navies of their Empires are organized...
