Rebellion

Chapter 11

When I woke up the next morning and came out of my tent, things seemed to be getting back to normal. The camp was cleaned up for the most part, but there were still piles of bodies everywhere. It looked to me like they had been sorted into two groups; Society on one side of the camp, rebels on the other.

The Officers had been carelessly thrown into grotesque piles, while the rebels were neatly lined up. People were cleaning the bodies and dressing them as if preparing for a funeral. Some even had flowers around them. It was a picture of contradictions. Beauty and love, side by side with hate and death and blood.

I noticed Bree standing by the rebel bodies, Caleb by her side. She was laying flowers over the body of who I assumed could only be Dominic. Even from the distance I could see the light glistening wetly off her face and I knew she was crying. It was a shame that this was all the funeral we could afford for those slain the night before.

I didn't approach them. I didn't want to see the pale, lifeless faces of the ones we lost. I didn't want to bother Bree and Caleb in their only real time of mourning. It wasn't my place. So I sat alone by the fire and ate breakfast.

I didn't eat very much. I wasn't hungry after all that had happened. As I was about to throw my half-eaten breakfast into the fire, a large hand placed itself upon my shoulder, startling me.

"If you aren't going to finish it, give it to me. We shouldn't be wasteful when food is hard to work for." I recognized the voice and turned to see Phoenix standing behind me.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix."

"Don't apologize. You are used to having food in abundance. It is hard to break old habits." He took the plate from my hand and sat down beside me. "You are lucky to have survived the night. Many of our more experienced fighters were killed. Though I suppose this proves your skill. You have a talent for survival. I only wish your stay with us was not such a dark one."

He looked off into the forest away from me and sighed. "It is a shame how many we lost. We should have been more on guard. We were unprepared. It was the perfect time for them to attack. I should have seen it coming. I could have prevented this."

"It's not your fault, Phoenix. You didn't know. How could you have expected an ambush in the middle of the night?"

"You may be right, but I feel like I should have done something." He paused, thinking. "I can't help but think someone had to have told them about us. I don't want to believe it, but the Society is too well prepared for us. I believe we have a rat in our ranks."

"Y-you mean someone told the Society we were coming?"

"Possibly. I suppose we will find out when we attack. We can't wait any longer. We strike tomorrow." He stood and tossed the now empty plate into the fire. "Prepare yourself Xandia. Now the real fight begins." Before I could respond he walked away to his tent.

I sat there for a moment before I noticed that Bree and Caleb were walking back away from Dominic. I stood to meet them. "Hey. How you holding up?" I asked.

Bree responded first. "I'm okay. Still breathing right? That's something to be happy about."

Caleb stayed quiet, not really seeming like himself.

I smiled understandingly at them and hugged them both.

The rest of the day was spent alternately mourning and preparing for the battle tomorrow. The time had come. We were going to invade the City. We would finally find Landon.

I went to bed early that night, but I had trouble falling asleep. I was too anxious. When I did fall asleep, I dreamt of fire, and death. Just before opening my eyes, I saw Landon's face.

When I woke up, it was still dark, but the air was filled with a horrible stench. I had never smelled anything like it. It was smoke, but it was unlike any smoke I had smelled before. Among the smoke there was the slight aroma of gasoline.

I carefully crawled out of the tent, trying not to wake Bree, to investigate the smell. As soon as I was outside, the smell got stronger, and my gaze fell upon what once was the piles of Society Soldiers. It was now barely more than burning fumes and smoking ash.

As my eyes passed over the flames and charred bodies, a cold shiver was sent down my spine. It was horrifying; barbaric even. In that moment I second guessed my allies. Who were really the good guys? The rebels or the Society? Did I turn against my family and my home just to join someone who was no better?

No, Phoenix is a good man. Bree and Cale are good. These are good people, I thought to myself. But, some people in the Society are good too, like my mom. My mind raced with thoughts and time got away from me. The sun was starting to rise by the time I cleared my head.

It's time to fight. I can't change my mind now.

I carefully grabbed my weapons out of the tent and headed over to the tent where the weapons and armor were kept. I refilled my arrows and grabbed ammo for my pistol before equipping my armor. Good or bad didn't matter. The Society was holding Landon prisoner, and I had to save him.

I could hear others waking up and moving about the camp, but I didn't pay attention. They weren't important to me in that moment. I moved to the practice targets and shot my arrows, hitting dead center in each before gathering my arrows once more. I'm ready. And this time I really was. I was both physically and mentally prepared for the one thing I had trained for in my entire stay with the rebels.

I was ready, and nothing could stop me. I truly believed that. I slung my crossbow over my shoulder and readied myself for battle as the other rebels gathered around their leader.

Phoenix stood at the head of the group, Ace by his side, and raised his hand to quiet us. The quiet was quickly followed by the thunderous sound of his voice. "The time has come, my friends. Today, we fight."

People cheered in approval. A hundred battle cries filled my ears.

"Friends, comrades, the past few weeks have been life changing for all of us. The past few days especially so. We were ambushed by the Society and lost many good men and women. But this is what society does to mankind. It surrounds it, ambushes it and takes total control of it, allowing no freedom. That is why we've been fighting. That is why today, we march towards a glorious victory over society. Today, we take back our freedom, we take back our will, we take back our lives! We will tear apart society! Burn it into ashes! Stomp it into oblivion! After today, there will be no trace of what was once the City! We are taking back everything we once held so close! Let Society burn, and may we rise from the ashes for a more beautiful future! Now, we march!"

With another loud battle cry from the rebels, we began heading to the City. There was no turning back now. This was it. The war had begun.