Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 64: Apocrypha

October 11, 4021 14:01 [Lahab Mutajamid Desert]

“H-he’ll be fine, right? Y-you’ll fix him up, right?” Aisha asked. Her lips trembled, a distinct quiver in her voice as she laid eyes upon Akula.

“His injuries are severe. I’ll need time to patch him up,” Ghost stated. She furrowed her brows, concentrating intently on Akula’s wounds. She muttered to herself, guiding a hand over his body.

“Can you save it? His—” Mirai motioned to Akula’s missing arm.

“That window’s closed, I’m afraid,” stated Ghost, shaking her head, her other hand held steadily above the amputated area. It had been wrapped generously in elastic bandages, though the tinge of red seeping through continued to darken.

Mirai grimaced, staring at Akula’s sickly appearance. A thin film of sweat had formed over his face, and he had started to shiver slightly. A tube attached to an infusion bag had been inserted intravenously into his arm, slowly replenishing his blood supply. Wires extended out from underneath his shirt, leading to a heart monitor. Its readings were faint but steady. A mask had been placed over his mouth and nose, a slight hiss emanating from the openings as oxygen was delivered.

“How long until he’s on his feet?” Hart questioned. He leaned against the far wall of the sick bay, arms crossed, tapping his fingers impatiently.

“At least a few days. Frankly, he shouldn’t be fighting at all anymore. He did his part; he should be focusing on resting and recovering,” Ghost answered curtly.

“You don’t get to make those judgment calls, and we can’t afford to keep soldiers away from the war theater. We need all the help we can get,” Hart ground his teeth frustratedly.

“He’s right, unfortunately,” Temujin interjected. “We’ve suffered heavy casualties and the supposed miracle drug hasn’t arrived from Manzhouli yet. All soldiers must be ready for battle, regardless of their injuries, at least until we’ve secured more support.”

“Not to mention, there’s been no sign of Rahman’s generals so far,” Hart pointed out.

“Hasruddin and Drona; we haven’t received any information regarding their whereabouts,” Dot confirmed, scrolling through the digital feed from his Nerve Cord.

“You would think the generals would be doing the fighting in the stead of their kings,” Kafka pondered, stroking his chin. “But not so much as a peep from these people. Baldwin’s and Orpheus’ forces were strangely arranged as well; their generals were missing too. They’re planning something.”

“The s-size of the fleets w-were just as r-reported, though,” Anari stated.

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Hart huffed, his patience wearing thin. He ran his fingers absent-mindedly through the dark red balayage of his bangs. “What are we missing?”

Mirai thought for a moment. He grimaced; the obvious answer to Hart’s question was an unpleasant one.

“What was your source?” He asked.

Hart raised a brow. “Our scouts; they were able to send us information up until their…” Hart’s eyes widened.

Temujin’s face darkened. “We’ve been fooled.”

Hart clenched his jaw, his balled fists shaking in fury. “They fed us false information.”

“They’re probably not dead either,” Gauss added. He snickered, much to Hart’s chagrin. “What a joke!”

“Defectors among our ranks. Though, what incentive would the Scouting Unit have to betray us? Why join a losing cause?” Temujin mused.

Hart shook his head. “If they had grievances, they should have taken it up with one of us…Well, it’s a little too late for that now.”