Novadia

Eye Within the Zipper, Part 2

"Go, go, go!" ordered the captain of the royal guard with haste. He led his men into the city that was currently falling apart at every turn. Violent, chilling screams could be heard from desperate families and lost friends. Homes were being crushed by giant undead creatures. This was hell. Captain Brown knew deep down inside that there was no recovering from this assault, it all depended on who survived.

"Captain Brown; everywhere we look they keep coming from above. The cannons are readied, but if we fire there is a chance we may hit civilians struggling to get to the ships." a general informed.

"There comes a time where pulling the plug is necessary. I trust you will know that time when it arrives." Brown replied genuinely, climbing on his horse.

"Wait, captain! You aren't going out by yourself, are you? I can find you some gu—"

"Spare me the pity," Brown interrupted. "We must conserve as many men as possible. Good luck." he took off from the military post east of Shireport, a determined look in his eyes as he raced toward the crumbling city.

What he saw was out of his worst nightmares. Fodder not only crushing several key foundations of the city, but also devouring people whole. He got off his horse, scanning the area to plot his next move. He needed to be careful; the people needed a leader to move forward. He intended to be that leader.

A scream caught his attention. He turned hastily and charged, unsheathing the sword from his back and stumbling across a man wrestling with a fodet. Without hesitation, he drove the sword into the fodet's neck, incapacitating it swiftly.

The man, a fellow member of the royal guard looked to him with a petrified face. The look of war.

"Captain, you shouldn't be down here." Ronnie spoke in a worried tone as he was helped to his feet.

"Because you have everything under control, right?" Brown remarked with a small grin.

"I didn't mean that," Ronnie huffed. "We already lost a great sum of warriors. Whatever's in the sky is dropping Fodder left and right. We'll be overrun!"

"Then we fight." Brown commanded.

"Not flee, sir?"

"That wasn't a part of the training, Speedwagon. You know this. We'll find whoever's left and rally toward the ships, understood?" Brown put his sword away, already looking down one road to find more Fodder, roaming goallessly.

"Yes, sir!" Ronnie put a hand to his heart patriotically. "I will not dishonor the Joestar code!"

"We'll split up," Brown pointed. "This road is mine. Go down the opposite way and do what you do best. No temerarious acts."

Ronnie steadied his gaze. The captain could sense a growing confidence in the young soldier. Parting ways, the captain found himself down a torn road. Rubble and human remains scattered through the ground, it was apparent that Fodder were not to be trifled with.

An experienced veteran on the war grounds, Brown was capable of slicing through and obliterating any Fodder that got in his line of sight. Doing this resulted in some of his own soldiers being saved from the ravenous jaws of their airborne attackers.

Looming over his shoulder from behind stood a fodet, hungry eyes dead set on disposing the captain.

"You're one ugly motherfucker," Brown insulted, staring down the beast with humanity's collective willpower. "Care for a bath in your own disgusting blood?"

The fodet reached for him, but he skillfully rolled out of harm with keen movement. His maroon eyes set on the monster's legs, he cut one clean off. This fodet was about nine meters, it would normally take several guards to topple it. But.. with his inherited determination to save those he love—

"Grah!" Brown let out a ferocious groan as he pushed his sword into the fodet's head, immobilizing it completely.

"For our entire lives we were taught to fear you bastards. There was never any hope for the human race, as if we were destined to be your food from our first breaths." Brown looked to the sky where the aircraft was still gliding in the clouds. "Humanity deserves a champion. Even if I die in the process; I will free my brothers and sisters alike."

"Captain!" Ronnie shouted, waving his hand in the air to grab Brown's attention. "We did it! We completely wiped out all of the Fodder in this area. There's something you should take a look at!"

Brown gave a proud smile; seeing the new recruit handle on his own, rescuing his comrades, it brought great joy to him. He joined the squad to see mostly disheartened faces of grim joy; they won, but for how long? How many of their family members did it cost?

"Look," Ronnie pointed to the still figure of what appeared to be a large skeleton. "We disposed of the Fodder but only that was left standing."

"Cadet Speedwagon, you know this house personally if I recall correctly." Brown replied.

"Yes, sir. I was tasked by the king to care for the two residing within; a mother and her son."

"Are the whereabouts of these two confirmed anywhere?"

Ronnie's face tensed at the question. "No.. no, sir."

"From the looks of it, Fodder dropped on the house and completely wrecked it. If I had to make any assumptions, I would guess the family you cared for were completely crushed." Brown said depressingly.

Ronnie's face stung with tears as he dropped to his knees, he clinched the handle of his sword in his hands as he mourned Jotaro and Holy. He cursed himself for not taking better care. The stubborn boy and his innocent mother did themselves in and all Ronnie could do was blindly command the youth; his cowardice resulted in their deaths.

"There will be a time to mourn, son. On your feet. You're a soldier.. remember?"

The words of the captain struck a familiar pain in Ronnie's heart, but he stood on his feet to fulfill his duty. "I'm a soldier.." he boldly reminded himself.

"Come," Brown ordered the squad. "We must retrieve the horses and head for the ships for further assistance. The cannons will deal with stragglers."

"Are we just gonna leave this pile of bones sitting here like that?" a cadet spoke.

"There's nothing we can do about it; for now." spoke the captain as the guards followed him back to their horses. "Speedwagon.. this isn't the appropriate time to stare. Get your mind right or more people will die today."

"Yes, captain." the young blonde man nodded.