No Heroes (First Draft)

Act 0

Glue your eyes shut
Or be blinded by the Flames

The sight was blinding, but not in a bad way. Like the sun, it hurts in the eyes when you look directly at it, but you know it's beauty and appreciate it.
That's how this parade feels like. Wagons driving through the main street, tailed by grey-wearing soldiers adorned with orange flower wreaths, and shiny golden flames.
It's the AoF, the Army of Flames returning from their mission in New Horizon, each soldier and general bearing a smile as if they were successful, but deep beneath the atmosphere of joy, dread for the coming speech of the lieutenant is keeping us from truly feeling at ease.
The guns hanging around the soldiers shoulders are dangling in dissonance with every perfectly choreographed step in their march. The generals, distinguishable by their flat hats, adorned with the golden flame of divinity, are waving the golden flag of the AoF in the air, and as the end of the parade reached us, we normal citizens followed it, cheering and waving, as we become the aftershock in this golden lane.
I was standing up close to the last rowing soldiers of the march, feeling as if I were marching with these heroes. I could feel the power in each of their collective steps, as they finish another line of the AoF anthem.
It was hard to look around while trying to keep the pace and being squished by the other people, but I could see the buildings of the main street. Buildings that look historical, with different colors and forms in their building style. But not today.
Today everything is golden, just like the flames, just like the army. People standing on the roofs and balconies, with faces painted in gold, waving flags, cheering for the parade.

But there was one thing nobody saw. The wolfbloods. Not a single snout, not a single pair of ears or even patch of fur could be seen amidst the massive crowd. Only humans, no one else.
Fucking wolfbloods, they are the only reason we even have this war, this much death, the constant fear. If they were to just stop mauling, stealing, murdering and just being... Animals, then maybe they wouldn't have to live in fear of the AoF, maybe then we could live in peace...
No, I shouldn't blame them, not all are this way... Jeff, Lucy... They are nice, they wouldn't harm a fly, but the Rising Sun? This rebellion is killing honorable soldiers for what? To show a message, to stop killing wolfbloods?

We eventually reached the main square, normally a serene little park with a small pond and fountain in the middle, now filled with countless citizens and soldiers standing on the white stones and few grass patch, circling around the improvised stage made of three AoF military trucks, like predators circling their prey.
And suddenly, it all went quite. Each little cheer, each conversation, even the coughing stopped, as the voice of the lieutenant cut through us... And I was right next to the stage.
"Hello citizens of Wildport!" he loudly announced, as the cheering emerged again, louder than ever before, before being shut down by the lieutenant again.
"Thank you..." he grumbled, scratching the few patches of hair he still had left on his head.
"So, the AoF is happy to announce that we returned from our mission in the megapolis of New Horizon!"
You could hear a few silent cheers, but the lieutenant quickly cleared his throat and continued his speech.
"And we have bad new to bring..."
And with that, the lieutenant proved all our suspicions right. Something went wrong terribly wrong...
You've heard countless rumors, about some "Day that Ashes fell" in New Horizon, but no source ever truly was believable...
"New Horizon has fallen."

As he said that the entire city went silent. Even the birds stopped chirping.
"The terroristic wolfblood group known as HAVOC has thrown a nuclear bomb on the city, an destroyed it entirely."
"These fucking monsters!" Someone suddenly exploded in the crowd, followed by many citizens beginning to voice their outrage... And I would have too... But I was shocked. New Horizon, it was praised as a beacon of hope for both humans and wolfbloods, led by a wolfblood... The very first wolfblood Lieutenant, a controversial choice, but one that promised to slow the brewing storm... But now...
"QUIET!" It boomed from the speaker, as everyone shut up, and looked back at the Lieutenant, straightening his red tie.
"Our Lieutenant July also tragically died... A message of acceptance by us humans... Brutally killed by her own kind."
He sighed.
"But we can't let this tear us apart! If these dogs want war, we'll give them war!" Th lieutenant raised his fist into the air, followed by all our fists following. If they want war, we'll give it to them.
"Our most skilled Lieutenant, Black, and the Commander are on it, finding clues to the current location of HAVOC and their ruthless leader, Tyler Afton. Until then, me and the AoF were ordered to settle here, on the Holy Isles, as close to our creator and divinity as possible, to protect you!"
He paused for a moment, straightening his grey suit, with the magnificent insignia on his chest. A golden flame of the AoF, of our god, blistering in the sun like a real fire.
"And the next three days will be days of mourning and honoring for those lost in New Horizon, those brave soldiers that gave their life for us."
"For the Flames! For the AoF! For Wildfire!" He shouted, and we all followed the sentiment, united in this brewing war against a cunning and brutal enemy.