Don't Forget

#5 A Brother's Love

Max and his younger brother never had luck on their side. The pair were born on a small island off GoldenEye's coast. The stink of fish was permanently in the air, and no one ever stuck around for very long.
     Max's father was one of these people; from a foreign ship rumored to have come from the reclusive kingdom of Kyladia. It explains Max's broad shoulders, muscular build, and dark eyes. His bright red hair is one of the only traits that he inherited from his mother.
His foreign features made his step father slightly weary of him. Max also had a temper problem since he was a young child. His mother loved her son, and soon had another.
Max was already twelve when Ross was born; a little thing with his mother's blue eyes and his stepfather's brow hair. The children on the small island were either homeschooled, or could barely read. Max had never before been responsible for anything.
Ross changed his small world on the docks. Max soon earned a reputation on the island for how protective he became of his little brother. One of his most 'memorable' incidents was when a five year old Ross got pushed into the ocean. Max, now 17, threw the other child out into the water. When the six year old swam back, Max threw him back out. Let's just say that no one ever messed with Ross again.
The younger brother didn't seem at all bothered by the older's leering presence. They're brothers by blood, and best friends in their fish-smelling home. Ross loves his brother's attention even more with how much his parents worked. Max's temper never flared out around him.
There wasn't very many career choices on the island. Almost all of them had something do do with fish. By the time Max was 21, he had grown to hate everything about the small island. He wasn't content to stay and skin fish for his entire life. Signing up as a soldier seemed like the fastest way to get out.
     Max always has a bad habit of feeling invincible. His Kyladian ancestry makes him seem more intimidating then he really is. Despite his hostile reputation, he had never actually gotten in physical fights as child.
Ross begged to go with Max to the capital where his brother would be trained as a soldier. He couldn't bear the thought of being alone on the island. Max caved in to his brother. There were lots of schools in the capital, and Max persuaded their mother to send Ross because of the better education. A soldier's wage would be enough for the two to rent a small room and buy the necessities.
    Max was his usual protective self when introducing Ross to his teacher. The capital was a big change from the island. For one thing, it doesn't smell like fish. There's also so many people that the brothers felt like they were drowning at times.
With his Kyladian build, Max was accepted as a soldier rather quickly. He was assigned as a city guard. Their main tasks consisted of preventing theft and just to look intimidating. It's usually a position to train rookie soldiers. Max preferred to hold the post, much to his superiors' distaste, because it let him always stay in the city where his brother attends school.
Ross had to be put in a younger class because he could barely read at nine years old. Still, he was exited to learn. Max loved to listen to Ross ramble about school after every day. Life was good.... for a while, at least.
The city guard stands stiffly on the main road. It's not cold out, but Max has been standing in the same spot for hours. The job gets very dull very quickly. The only excitement is the hour of training every morning with the other soldiers.
      Max was just starting to zone off when another a messenger quickly sprints up to him. They're usually trusted, young teens that the kingdom hires to deliver letters. The boy gasps for air when stopping.
     "S-Sir! The s-squids are in the castle and all the guards are being called in to help and-", the messenger babbles quickly all in one sentence. It's hard for Max to understand him at first. When he does, Max only thinks of one thing.
     "There are more guards two streets down, go get them", Max barks, turning away and running down the street. It's the opposite direction to the castle. The messenger boy must have been very confused at the soldier disregarding orders.
     Max could be considered a traitor, but he isn't running. If the squids are already in the castle, then it's too late. All the royals are probably dead. The next thing to do would be get civilians out of the city. Most would be fine, but they could also be caught in the crossfire and taken prisoner. It's better not to take that risk.
     Only the castle and some of the surrounding area knows about the attack. That leaves the schools and other buildings unaware. Max is only hoping to get his brother out. He could also evacuate the rest of the school in the process.
     If Ross wasn't at school, Max would have ran to the castle that day. He would of ran to his death. But his brother is more important then anyone else in the entire kingdom to him.    
     The soldier bursts through the school doors, quickly rushing into the main office. The startled receptionist jumps when the armed stranger rushes in.
     "You have to evacuate the kids into the forest, NOW! The squids are attacking the castle", Max basically shouts at her, "The King sent me to help the teachers lead the kids". That last part was a total lie, but a King's orders and looming danger was enough to get the receptionist to listen.
     It was only a matter of minutes until all the students were gathered outside. By now, smoke was rising from the center of the city. Max quickly took charge of the rattled school teachers. He even sends two of the younger teachers to warn the other schools.
     All the while, he's looking for his younger brother. Ross sees Max in all the confusion and pushes through the crowd before grabbing his hand. The nine-year-old is just as confused as the rest of the kids. A few had even started crying.
     "Ross, stay close to me ok? Don't let go of my hand", Max hurriedly tells his brother. Ross nods and nervously watches the smoke.
     Two of the teachers are retired soldiers, and Max hands them each one of his belt knives. The adults walk around the kids in a big circle, the soldier leading. Other confused citizens have seen the flames. Max gets as many of them as he can to come with them to wait out the attack.
     There are no guards on the wall. The gate has been abandoned. Max covers Ross's eyes when he sees the bloodied drag marks of bodies.
     "Be ready for an attack", he says to the teacher next to him. They quietly pass it down to the others. All the kids are scared from the fires and the way that the adults are acting. It's all that they can do to keep walking.
     Max is surprised to see no squids on the other side of the gate. No enemy would take out the wall's soldiers and then leave. Movement makes him while his head to the left.
     A blue figure is standing up out of the grass, moving to go around the left side of the city. A scout, obviously. They were hiding only thirty feet from the gate. Max can't let them report all the kids leaving the city.
     "Get back here you piece of crap", Max screams at the scout, bursting into a sprint. The squid flinches back in shock at the enraged soldier, scrambling to get away. Squids aren't as fast as on land as in water. Max quickly catches up and tackles them to the ground. The weight made the squid fall at a bad angle and break their neck.
     Teachers and students alike are shocked at the display. It was necessary, but brutal. Max shakes himself off and rejoins the group. That was the first time that he's ever killed. He wasn't trying to do that. Max probably wouldn't of killed them if he had the choice, but it was dangerous not too. This is war.
    The group of citizens and children follow the soldier into the woods, hoping to wait out the attack. Surly the squids would be pushed back, right?
     Max watches as the GoldenEye banners on the castle are burned. The city has fallen. It's been hours since the attack started, and this was the result. The other two schools had joined them in the woods. Turns out that the other soldiers were regrouping in the forest. News of the deaths of the royals is already widely spread. Other soldiers had been captured before escaping the city, and many citizens are trapped now that squids are crawling all over the place.
     The attack was so swift and efficient. They must of had help from within the city. How long had this plan been going on?
     The remaining Generals are just trying to keep everyone together. Max immediately asks them about the children. If this war is continuing with the capital taken, the kids need somewhere safe to hide. Max just wants to keep Ross safe.
     "We need to find some safe spot while more people come here. Not everyone is a soldier", Max says.
     "And where do you think that is? We have no secret base to fall back on, and all the villages will be quickly taken", one of the Captains huff, obviously stressed.
     "The army needs time to stabilize before we try fighting back", another nods, "But we don't have any good spot". All the leaders are a little confused with the low-ranking guard butting in on the conversation, but Max doesn't seem to be inclined to leave.
     "Actually, I might know a place", an older mans speaks up. Max recognizes him as one of the teachers that he gave a knife to. "I'm a history teacher", he smirks a little, "Back in the war with Liblicen, the Zemrlts had an underground town on the coast. If we could secure some supplies, it would be the perfect place".
     The high-ranking soldiers have no better plan for safety. Still, half of them remain behind in hope of freeing some of the squid's prisoners.
       Max went with a small group of soldiers, all the children, and those who wouldn't fight. The school teacher knew right where to take them. The water in the passage had dried up, so it was now a steep decent into the earth.
      The tunnel led into a wide cavern with a roaring waterfall on one side. Ocean salt makes Max feel a little homesick as he walks in with his brother. Are their parents ok?
      Max's home town will be taken over by the squids with all the rest. It would put his mom, and Ross's dad, in danger if they tried to go back. Ross might be ok, but not Max. He's a recorded soldier.
     Old structures were carved into the rock walls, and there were even abandoned animal pens and gardens waiting for seeds. The kids and civilians would be safe here. It was only matter of who would stay to protect them, and who would go back out to fight the squids.
     It was decide that three soldiers would go back out to find the others, and share this safe place. Max instantly volunteered with Ross safe in the underground hideout.
     You can imagine how a nine-year old acts when they don't get what they want. Ross even went as far as to follow Max and the two others when they left. There was no going back after that.
     The other soldiers did manage to free some of the captives. They had horrible burns on their shoulders, and had to be treated with field medicine. Soldiers organized into five different groups that would scatter over the continent, and others were sent to the underground safe house. The troops need time to heal and time to fight back . GoldenEye's spirit has not broken.