Keeping Secrets

Shadows Flap Their Black Wings

WEEEEEELLLLCOOOOMMEE BACK! Hope y'all enjoy the end of the rebellion...

Keeping Secrets Chapter 19- Shadows Flap Their Black Wings

Zeref would later point out he said that he thought the insurrection would end soon.

Because it did not end soon.

With reinforcements via Bloodman and the Imperial Navy, Devereaux's only port city, Boras, was quickly surrounded from both land and sea. With all food and supplies cut off, Zeref predicted the city would fall quickly.

It did. In fact, other than their initial bombardments, Alvarez didn't have to fire a shot- the citizens, already disgruntled with the city's leadership over their decision to support Ashford, all out revolted, burning down the town hall and the governor's mansion. After only two days of Alvarez's blockade, the gates to the city opened, and a group of citizens marched out with a white flag flying on a pike... with the pro- rebellion governor of the city's head on top of said pike.

That said, just like before, Ashford had seemed to have fled before Alvarez's forces arrived. This proved to be a big problem for the empire in their efforts to stomp out the rebellion- Devereaux was a vast, sprawling region of thick, wooded swamps surrounded by steep mountains, making it a natural fortress, with plenty of places to hide. The coastal blockade severed any additional support Ashford had been receiving or could receive, but the rebel leader remained elusive.

Still though, e very day Natsu, Zeref, Irene and their soldiers laid waste to Ashford's movement, dismantling his infrastructure piece by piece, sometimes seizing, sometimes leveling his supporters' businesses and property. This proved effective to the already poor morale of Ashford's soldiers, leading to mass desertion and betrayal, his officers' chokehold on the populace slipping away more and more each day. Countless hidden strongholds were raided and destroyed. On paper, it seemed like overwhelming victory for Alvarez was imminent... but Devereaux's treacherous terrain, with its murky waters, hidden traps, and harsh weather, took its toll on the empire's morale as well.

However, another thing the Alvarez soldiers had going for them that Ashford's army didn't was that their leaders were on the front lines with them, not hiding in some hidden base surrounded by luxury. Natsu couldn't tell many times he, Zeref, and Irene found themselves side by side with their soldiers, wading through chest deep swampy waters, mud, or worse...

This was something Irene and Zeref were more or less used to, as this was far from being the first war they had fought in. It was definitely a new experience for Natsu, however, and not a good one- he saw the light fade from both his own and enemy soldiers' eyes, but not before listening to them scream from some horrific wound they had received and then beg for death. Or maybe even worse, when a soldier next to Natsu would be blown to nothing but paste by enemy fire, and then said paste would immediately be swallowed by the mud, leaving nothing to even send back home to their families. It didn't help knowing the same was happening to the opposing forces, especially with the revelation many of them didn't want to be fighting in the first place.

When he brought this all up to Zeref, his brother got that sorrowful look on his face he often wore. "I know this is all new to you Natsu... but this is just how war is. And this is one of the less bloody conflicts I've seen in my time."

Natsu shuddered at the thought. "It's not right! These people don't wanna be fighting us in the first place! Ashford and his cronies- they're pure evil! They've taken advantage of the people they were supposed to be taking care of! These people don't deserve what they've gotten... and I want to... to..."