The Grey Chronicles Part Two: Under Siege.

Chapter 31: Game Plan.

Machinae/Stonehaaryn encampment, surface of Stonehaara One, August of 8096 AL.

Korana brought the knife down on the ropes binding her husband and leaped off of him. In less than a second he was out the door, shirtless and halfway barefoot. Korana followed, her knife sheathed as she tore out of the tent.

Angry screaming came from behind the mess tent, followed closely by fearful screaming. A body flew through the canvas, rolling across the ground before coming to a stop. The body was suspiciously still, and Augustus came barreling after it, stumbling drunkenly through the torn canvas. He roared in anger, stalking towards the soldier groaning on the ground and trying to sit up. The man may have had a chance, if Augustus hadn't been wearing the Silverback.

"August!" Salem shouted, stepping into the Baron. Korana ran back into the tent, coming out in the Drakon a moment later. "August, stop!"

His brother turned on him, vomit and saliva dried in his beard. He didn't wear his helmet; he didn't remember where he'd left it. Augustus forgot about the soldier crawling away from the him, his enraged eyes glued to his brother.

Salem looked to Korana, the pair formed an unspoken plan; she held up her hand, the nodes in her palm could administer electric shocks. He would distract Augustus and try to talk him down, if he became belligerent she would hit him with a tazer.

"Why are you doing this?" Salem said, stepping closer to command his brother's attention. Korana activated her camouflage, sidestepping around her friend. "What's going on?"

"It's his fault, he said it," Augustus pointed at the wounded soldier, his speech slurred and eyes wild. "He said, he said 'people like you get good men killed.'"

"People like what? What did he mean?" Salem took another step closer.

"Drunks! He said I was a drunk!" Augustus roared, stomping his foot and breathing heavily. His hands flew to his temples, he held his head as tears streamed down his face. "I'm not a drunk, I'm not a drunk."

"August, August," Salem took another step, his voice gentle. "I'm sorry, but you are. You have a problem, we can help you. You just have to let us help you-"

"No!" He lashed out, swinging his arm at Salem as he came into reach. Salem ducked and jumped back, his brother started sobbing. "I, I don't need help. I need to go away."

"What do you mean, go away?" Salem stood fast, trying to look Augustus in the eyes. "Where do you need to go?"

"To hell," Augustus cried out, "I deserve to die, I got him killed. It's my fault, it's my fault he's dead."

"No, August, it isn't your fault," Salem halfway hoped Korana would wait; he never talked about his problem, this was the first time since his last liver transplant that he had opened up. "If you hadn't left when you did, you'd be dead too-"

"I deserve to be dead!" Augustus howled, his voice cracking. "I got Perseus killed, I hurt Aela and Octavian. If I'd stayed, if I'd made the pilot stay, he'd still be alive."

"No, August," a tear started down Salem's cheek. "You would be dead, Aela and Octavian would both be dead, so would Korana. If you had stayed, you would have died, and I would be alone."

"No, no, I should have, I should have stayed..."

"August, look at me. Brother, look at me." Salem said more forcefully until the other man looked up from the ground. "If you had stayed, me and Korana would never have gotten together. Briarios, Soluna, Erin and Blaire, none of them would exist. The rest of that demo-squad would be dead, their families would never have seen them again."