From the Stars

Chapter 20: The Preparation

Sleeping that night hadn't been easy. My mind had buzzed with thought after thought of all of the possible outcomes of the next day. Eventually, I'd managed to fall asleep, but it wasn't until the next morning that I realised how fitful and useless that sleep was.

Now, standing on the edge of the barren field to where Dad had followed Queen Orphia's party while I'd been handing her the Gratia, I struggled to suppress each yawn that came along. The field was way out in the middle of nowhere with towering forests surrounding the entire area.

Anita came to stand by my side as she too surveyed the area. She looked up at the grey sky filled with sombre looking clouds and a flash of worry danced across her eyes. "Not a great day for a battle, is it?"

I'd messaged my small group of friends the night before about the time and place of where to meet. I wished the aliens had chosen a better location. Somewhere hotter. My teeth were chattering so hard I thought they might break.

"Hmm," I replied, burying my gloved hands further under my armpit.

"You'd think that the aliens would want to get this war over and done with," Stan said coming to stand next to us, Belle at his side. "What's taking them so long?"

"In all fairness, Queen Orphia never said what time the battle would begin," I said through chattering teeth. "For all I know, we're five hours early."

"Ugh," Belle said, casting her eyes upwards and pulling her pink woolen hat further over her blonde curls. "Couldn't we have waited in your Dad's car?"

I shook my head, a smile on my lips. "I've told you, Mum and Dad are out preparing the rest of the plans."

"Stefan's car then," she said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Stefan's preparing the backup plans."

"Plans?" Anita said. "As in plural? How many plans do you guys have?"

"Hopefully enough," I said, as the field fell silent.

"Get down," I hissed and, as one, the four of us fell flat on our stomachs, the freezing ground digging into my ribs.

"Why did I wear grey?" Belle whispered. "The ground's soaking. People are going to think I've wet myself!"

Stan shook his head. "Is that really what you're complaining about right now?"

"Shush," I hissed at them, scanning the sodden field.

There. In the distance to our left, a hulking shadow moved towards the field through the forest. We'd picked an area that was slightly raised on a small hill, just before the treeline, so that we could monitor the action but, looking at the army as it approached, I wondered if we should have picked somewhere further away.

"Wow," Stan whispered as the army broke through the trees and marched onto the field before us. "That is one big army."

Indeed. Looking at the ranks, roughly five thousand soldiers marched in the Venusian army which slowly made its way onto the battlefield, led by their Queen. They all wore magnificently crafted silver armour that seemed almost welded to their huge bodies.

"More importantly," Anita said, "those are some big dogs."

I sucked in a breath as my eyes fell on Queen Orphia. The Queen approached at the front of her army dressed in graceful white armour which perfectly matched the delicate crown that adorned her head, and the sleek chariot that she was being pulled in, by three huge space-dogs.

"Please tell me Lenny and Penny won't grow that big," I whispered, trembling.

"You better wish," Anita said. "Think of the poor neighbours."