Tale of The Broken Sword

Chapter Five : The Edge Of the Earth

27th June, AD 1656

Southern Cordon, Esmerelda

It has been six days since the abandonment of the Line, and still, no progress has been made. The southern cordon has been built and the entire perimeter around the city has been reinforced with barbed wires and landmines. From a distance, Everent could see pillars of smoke crawling out from the area around the Line. At the first glance, he might’ve thought that the battle to retake the Line is still raging, only moments later his reasoningwould takeover and he concluded that no one of the Aurelian Shock Army was there at all.

Sighing heavily, he walked back to his observation post. He was posted on patrol duty in the outermost observation post of the three-line defensive cordons around the city. Reaching at his duty place, he saw several men gathered around the fire, warming up themselves and chatting away to their hearts content. Their voice was lively and some of them laughed despite facing constant danger being so close to enemy territory.

The sergeant placed his rifle leaning against a pile of sandbags and got himself a seat next to the fire. One of them took notice of him and said:

“Hey, anything out there?” He nodded towards the darkness of the endless battlefield beyond the observation post and waved his rifle. “Like, any heads to pop for us?”

Everent shook his head in disappointment. The man lowered his rifle and slammed his fist against the ground.

“You know, they might be hiding somewhere in those, puny little holes, waiting for us to make a mistake and bam!” He stared at his fist against the ground and lifted it up. “Slaughter us like animals and take over the city, like this one.”

Everent glared at the little crater made by the soldier’s fist and his wild imaginations started to engulf his mind. Will it happen like what he’d said? He thought for himself. Amidst the churning delusions in his brain, a figure appeared behind the sergeant.

Upon noticing the lieutenant’s bars on the figure’s shoulder, the rest of them jumped from their seat and straightened their body. Giving a smart salute, they all said:

“Good evening sir,”

Everent turned behind to see who it was. The light from the moon partially illuminated the figures face. But the wrinkles on the forehead made Everent instantly recognized who it was. Lieutenant Krom. Everent stood up like the rest and did the similar thing.

“Hi there, Everent. So it’s you here. And I’m thinking to myself –who’d they send off to the edge of the ‘earth’ today.” said Krom, smiling and shaking a cigarette from his pack.

“Why are you here, sir? It’s dangerous out here in the southern cordon. And you should be in the administrative bunker, planning for the next move.” Everent frowned.

“Well, an old man’s gotta find some time to unwind himself. You know, ‘quality time’ with his fellow men.” The lieutenant winked at Everent. “Besides, this is all part of ‘observation and planning’ right?”

“Right…” Everent turned to the fire and sat down.

“Your shift’s gonna end soon. So take some time off and visit one of those pubs back in the city!” He winked back at Everent, this time with an assuring expression, and the sergeant find it hard not to smile at the man’s infectious mood. Krom then trod off down the widened trench and talk to whatever men he could find.

Everent pulled a periscope from next to a ladder in front of him and cleaned the lens on this one. He took his time, making sure that the optics were clean, and then raised the top of the scope over the trench’s lip.