Deserters

All Gone

Alex and his men brought back the three women who were captured in a carriage that the bandit's had taken. Jessica's body was also taken back in a carriage carried by Alex's horse. Alex's eyes were bloodshot and had bags under his eyes. His head was full of rage and sadness. He remained silent the entire way back to his village. Alex sent two of his men back to the town before everyone else left to deliver the news of what happened. Although she was honorless, Jessica knew a lot of people and they all liked her in one way or another. While the town was happy that the women were all found, they were saddened by the loss of one of their own, nevertheless because of lack of care from Maximilian.

When Alex and his men arrived at the town, there was a crowd there with the families of the three women were up front and Alex's mom, who began to sob when she saw Alex with the carriage behind him. Alex looked at his mother, took a deep breath and then looked forward as he rode his horse to where Jessica would be buried. A single tear ran down his face as his eyes became watery and he used everything in his will to not cry. Jessica was buried next to her grandparents instead of next to her father. Alex and Jessica's father was buried at the edge of the cemetery in a grave that might as well be unmarked with how little there was to mark it.

Alex's mother finally stopped crying the next day. She didn't come out of her room, and when Alex went into her room to check on her, she just sat in her bed still, staring into a vast world of nothing. Alex tried to make her eat but she wouldn't touch anything that he brought her. Alex would just sigh and leave the room.

News arrived that Maximilian was coming to deliver a speech of sympathy and a surprise for the men who rescued the three women who were captured. The day he arrived, Alex was told to be there to be presented the award for him and his soldiers. Alex tried to get his mother to come to the speech but she wouldn't move, and just stared out the window. Alex left her food, hoping she would finally eat, and then set out to the city square where Maximilian would deliver his speech and his news.

When Maximilian walked onto the stage, no one bowed before him. Everyone wanted to cut his throat out for leaving them for dead, but everyone there remained silent. Only half of the town was in attendance. Maximilian delivered a small speech commending Alex and his soldiers. He awarded them all the second highest award for heroism in the military. The award was a badge, made up of two crossed swords with the nation's symbol, an "M" in an old style roman font on a shield, in front of them, all connected by a circle around the edge. Alex was also promoted to the rank of Colonel for his heroism and as a way to try and make up for the death of Jessica. Alex stepped off of the stage after Maximilian was done with this part.

As Maximilian began to deliver his speech, a large crowd all screaming and damning Maximilian appeared. As the got close to the square, they started to throw things, and Maximilian's personal guards made a line in front of the stage and aimed their rifles at the crowd. They didn't stop coming, and started throwing rocks and glass at Maximilian's men. They were ordered to all stop but they wouldn't. Maximilian gave them two chances but they wouldn't stop coming or throwing things. He looked over at the Colonel in charge of the guard and nodded. The Colonel looked at the crowd and screamed "FIRE!" Te guard all at once fired a burst of rounds into the crowd. Fifteen people dropped to the ground dead from being shot, and another ten fell wounded. The rest of the crowd fled and the guard was ordered to hint down the leaders of the riot.

Alex ran home breathing heavy and in shock of what just happened. Everyone knew Maximilian was ruthless, but no one ever thought he'd gun down his own people. Alex quickly collected himself and then went to check on his mother. When he walked into the room, she was laying on her side facing away from the door. "Mom..." Alex said with no response from her. He tried a few more times before walking over to her and shaking her lightly. She rolled onto her back from being shaken, and her arm fell over, her hand wide open and her whole body motionless. She wasn't breathing or anything. Alex started to panic. He just lost his sister, and was not ready to lose his mother. He tried everything to attempt to make her wake up. After about five minutes of giving her CPR, he buried his head in her chest and grabbed her hand. He began to sob silently as he held onto his mother's lifeless body.

Although Alex was devastated beyond belief, Alex wasn't too surprised that his mother died. She felt as though she had nothing left. It almost destroyed her when Alex's father was killed. She was always a fragile person after that. Her kids were all that she had left, and Alex was always far away. Jessica was the last thing he had to hold onto, and now she was dead. Alex's mother was heartbroken, destroyed, and had nothing left to hang onto anymore.

Alex had his mother buried next to his sister a few days later. It was pouring rain the day she was buried, but that didn't stop Alex from standing over the graves of his mother and sister for hours. After he was done mourning, his head began to fill with rage again. He blamed his father for this, for deserting and causing them to live their lives the way they did. He blamed the bandits for what they did, the soldiers for not defending the town better. But then he stopped. He knew who was at fault. He blamed Maximilian. For damning Alex's family by making them honorless, for killing his father, for not protecting the town when they needed more soldiers, and for killing his own civilians. Alex swore that one day, he would cut Maximilian's heart out with his own hands, and make him look into the eyes of a man who lost everything, and was broken from the inside out.