《Wake now in the fire》 Chapter 1. No good deed goes unpunished Chapter 1. No good deed goes unpunished 1916 The Somme, France The cold squalling rain had finally stopped. With the heavy cloud cover, dawn appeared to be hours late breaking over the battlefield. A red cross dog walked over a tangle of bodies and sniffed at a soldier lying still and caked in mud. It pawed at his shoulder and nuzzled his neck. When it picked up the soldier''s helmet to return to the lines for help, Ithaniel rolled over, wiped mud from his face and smiled. "Hello there." The saddle bags the dog carried contained medical supplies and water, and had a name written on it. "Achilles, is that your name?" Achilles wagged his tail and dropped the helmet. "Others will need your help more than me." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Flares lit the gloom overhead. "I''m just waiting to see a friend." Ithaniel patted Achilles as an artillery barrage shook the ground. "Although I will admit I''m rather enjoying the show." Achilles licked his face and moved on. Ithaniel watched the red cross dog criss-cross the shell cratered ground looking for wounded Allied soldiers until it was out of sight. There was the sudden crack of a gunshot and the unmistakable sound of a dog whelping - then a second and a third shot. Ithaniel scowled. He stood up and his body began to glow like molten metal. A bullet hit him in the jaw and made his head twist to the side. He burst into flame as he walked towards where he thought Achilles had fallen. * Achilles lay on his side next to the soldier he''d tried to help. The flames that surrounded Ithaniel changed to a golden aura as he knelt down beside him. The side of Achilles face was torn open. Ithaniel gently stroked his muzzle. "It looks like you could use some help yourself my friend." Achilles panted weakly. In the glow of Ithaniel''s outstretched hand, the bleeding stopped and connective tissue started to form on the bare bones of the open wound. Ligaments and tendons followed, then clusters of nerves and small blood vessels. Flesh, skin and hair knitted together until the wound was healed. Achilles lifted his head and licked Ithaniel''s hand. "Lie still." he said gently. Ithaniel traced Achilles spine until he felt where another bullet had struck and broken the pelvis. The bones reshaped and realigned themselves. Tendons, cartilage and muscles re-attached. Achilles slowly sat up and wagged his tail, then he nosed the hand of the fatally wounded soldier beside him. Ithaniel shook his head. "Not him, just you." Achilles jumped into his arms and licked his face. Sitting back, Ithaniel smiled and patted him. "Go on, off you go." Achilles returned to the Allied lines. There was the crack of a gun shot, and a bullet ricocheted off Ithaniel''s back. The soft aura that surrounded him instantly raged into flames. He turned and looked for the heat signature of the bullet''s path in the cold morning air. Seeing it, Ithaniel followed it back to the German sniper''s position. The body warmth of the hidden soldier was obvious to him. "You''re dog meat." he snarled. * Chapter 2. Bell tower Chapter 2. Bell tower England 1916 Finn and Bish made plans to catch the same train back to London. As the train pulled out, they stood in the carriage window waving until steam clouds blocked the view of the platform. Bish lifted a bag onto the overhead rack and sat across from Finn. "What are your intentions with Vie?'''' Finn put a bag under his seat and sat down. "Vie is the one with all the intentions Bish, ask her." Bish laughed and looked out the window. "I love my cousin, she means more to me than anyone else in the world. Promise me you''ll look after her when I''m gone.'''' "What are you talking about Bish?" "I''ve had the same dream a few times now Finn. I''ve seen what''s going to happen, as clear as I''m sitting here next to you. We''re off to the Great War and I''m not coming back." For a moment Finn was lost for words. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ''''If you''re that certain Bish - don''t go. Get off at St.Erth and sit the War out, become a conscientious objector." Bish slowly shook his head. "There''s no escaping your fate Finn." Finn wondered what was there to be gained in believing in such a stupid idea. Fate can go and fuck itself he thought to himself. * Finn began to worry that it was going to be a slow painful trip back to London if Bish kept going on, but after they changed trains at St.Erth, Bish''s mood seemed to lighten. The London bound train was half empty. They stretched out and enjoyed the luxury of the extra space. Bish looked through one of his bags and took out a flask of whiskey. ''''I originally put in for an infantry regiment but when the recruiters found out I could speak German they asked if I''d be interested in the Signals corps." He unscrewed the lid, took a long sip and passed the flask to Finn. "What I don''t understand Finn, is what on Earth made you choose the Medical corps. Your basically going to a War without a gun. Are you completely mad?" Finn laughed and looked at the flask in his hand. "I didn''t choose the Medical corps. I put in for the infantry just like you did but for whatever reason, I ended up being assigned to the RAMC." "Maybe it was just a mistake." Bish said. "Surely you can appeal or go before a tribunal." Finn drank from the flask and handed it back. "You know Bish, there is bound to be two German lads just like us, somewhere in Germany having pretty much the same conversation we''re having." "What''s your point Finn?" ''''I was angry at first about being assigned to the Medical corps, but after coming home and spending time with Nain Joan and meeting Vie, I''ve changed my mind. Trying to save lives during a War doesn''t seem like such a bad idea after all." Bish held up the flask in toast. "I''ll drink to that." * Finn got his bags ready, his station was next. Bish was lying stretched out on his seat fast asleep and quietly snoring. Finn wondered if he should wake him to say goodbye. He''d already slept through the last few station stops, so it was unlikely he was going to wake up. Finn wrote a note and put it in one of Bish''s bags. He looked at his friend''s untroubled face - maybe this would be the last time he would see him. "Good luck Bish." he said and got off the train. * In the bell tower of a church that overlooked the town centre, a raven watched Finn leave the train station and cross the road. "I''ve been waiting for you young man." Staying out of sight, the raven flew along the roof tops and followed as Finn made his way home. It perched on a lamp post and watched him walk through an open park. "Fate leads the willing," it said to itself," and drags the reluctant behind on the journey." * Chapter 3. Sway Chapter 3. Sway Vie spent the morning in the house gardens with Nain Joan. As they worked, Vie asked about Finn''s parents decision to live apart. "It was all Miriam''s doing, other than paying for whatever she wanted, Innis had no say in it." Surprised by her tone Vie apologised for asking. "It''s alright Vie, I didn''t mean to be short. Over the years I have developed an abiding dislike for that woman. Soon as Finn and his sisters where settled at University, Miriam pursued her political ambitions, free of the consideration of her children or husband." Nain Joan put a ladder against a rose arbour. "Cornish farmers have a saying about that sort of thing - A bellowing cow soon forgets it''s calves.''" Vie laughed. "Finn and the girls still come back to visit during the holidays, but not Miriam. She hasn''t set foot in this house for years." Vie handed a pair of pruning shears to Nain Joan. "It''s funny you should ask though." Vie steadied the ladder as Nain Joan climbed. "Charlotte will be coming home to stay while she works in the area with the land army." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. * The curtains swayed in the bedroom windows. "I didn''t realise how much I missed the smell of the sea." Charlotte unpacked her things onto the bed. "Is that your Land Army uniform?" Vie asked. "Breeches, a smock and a pair of knee high boots - I''d hardly call it a uniform." "They''re a bit m-m -mannish but I like the breeches." Vie said. "So do I." Charlotte held them up and twirled around as if she was dancing with them. Vie clapped her hands and smiled. "Finn told me you had a beautiful smile." "Did he?" Vie said. "He did." Charlotte sighed, and enjoyed the sight of the deep blush that spread across Vie''s cheeks. Vie looked at the ground and shook her head. ''''When is this terrible War ever going to end." "The War?" Charlotte said. "I hope it goes on forever." Vie looked at her in surprise. ''''You can''t mean that Charlotte." "I do mean it Vie. I never would of chosen to work outside with my hands. To be sure some days are harder than others, but I do the work I''m asked to do and no-one stands in judgement of me. I''m with a great group of girls and to top it off, for the next couple of months I''m in Cornwall working on local farms. The War has been the best thing that ever happened to me." Vie winced at Charlotte''s selfishness. "What about your brother." "My brother? What about him?" "Aren''t you worried about Finn being over there in the middle of it." "I''m not worried about him at all, and neither should you be." "That''s a cruel thing to say." Vie said. ''''If there is such a thing as being born under a lucky star, it''s Finn. It''s like he has an Angel sitting on his shoulder looking out for him." Charlotte opened a wardrobe draw and packed some things away. "When we were little our Aunt Edith took us into town to a farm show. There was all sorts of livestock and farm machinery, and food stalls and rides - so we made an afternoon of it. Aunt Edith was carrying Beatrice and I was walking with Finn. We were looking at a pen of goats when there was a commotion behind us. I couldn''t see what was causing it. There was a lot of shouting, and the shouting got louder and louder. All of a sudden the crowd around us pressed together then pushed forward like a wave." "What was it?" Vie asked. "A team of harnessed horses had broken out of the show stalls and was trampling through the crowd. I got pushed to the ground by people trying to get out of the way and I lost hold of Finn''s hand. There was so much noise and commotion. One of the lead horses stumbled and fell and pulled the other horses down on top of it." "What happened?" "Aunt Edith found Finn sitting on one of the dead horses as calm as can be. His clothes were torn, but he didn''t have a scratch on him." Vie shook her head. "How?" Charlotte shut the draw she was putting clothes in and opened another. "I''ve often asked myself that question." * That night as she lay in bed Charlotte dreamt of the woman who''d pushed the crush of broken bodies aside and helped her to her feet. "I am always here with you Charlotte." The woman''s voice was the only part of her that Charlotte clearly remembered, which was why she''d never been certain that the woman was real, and not the imagining of a frightened child. She hadn''t told Vie that part of the story. * Chapter 4. Over the top Chapter 4. Over the top Finn smiled as he ran the silver chain of the necklace through his fingers. A flat pendant hung from it with a simple "V" engraved on it. He''d found it after getting back to Oxford as he packed his things, ready to report to the Army Medical Core. He''d never seen it before - Vie must of slipped it into his pocket when they were saying their goodbyes at the train station. How long ago was that? It couldn''t be more than a year and half. - it felt like a lifetime ago. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ''''Stretcher bearers up." It was the last call before the signal to attack. Finn pocketed the necklace. The stretcher bearers stood in teams of three at the back of the soldier''s trench. Finn was paired with a hardened veteran named Winston and between them stood a new recruit named Olwynne. Nothing was said during Finn''s training in England about how front line troops treated stretcher bearers. He soon found out when he arrived at the regimental aid post in France. In the anxious minutes before an attack, some soldiers wouldn''t look or talk to them. because they thought it was bad luck. Others jostled them and tried to touch the stretchers they carried for good luck. Occasionally, soldiers abused them. "Why don''t you bastards do something useful and pick up a gun." "Who the fuck are you talking too?" Olywynne said, and started after the soldier who''d said it. Winston tugged on his uniform. Olwynne turned around red in the face. Winston shook his head. "Don''t take it personal Olle, their blood is up, they don''t mean anything by it." Finn could see that Olwynne was still angry. Winston stood in front of him and straightened his uniform like he was a nervous schoolboy on his first day of school. "You stay low and keep you head down." Winston said. "You stick close to me and Finn and if your lucky we''ll all live through this today - so that tomorrow or the day after, we can line up and do it all over again." The colour started to drain from Olwynne''s face. The Captain blew his whistle. "Here we go boys." Winston said. * Chapter 5. Running up that hill Chapter 5. Running up that hill "Is that the Farm ?" Vie asked. ''''You can see almost all of it from up here." Innis said. He was glad for Vie''s company. It was chance to get to know each other better. Nain Joan had been too busy to come and Charlotte had her land army duties. Using his walking stick Innis walked arm in arm with Vie until they reached the top of the hill. "I used to come up here when I was a boy with my Mother." They sat on a low stone wall and waited for Innis to catch his breath "It might be old age, but I don''t remember this hill being so steep." Vie had noticed in the last months a steady decline in his health. "What do see out there?" Innis asked. "I see a green valley," Vie said, "wide empty fields and a lake at the foot of the ranges." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Do you see the chalk horse cut into the far valley wall?" "I can." Vie said. "Some mornings when the mist lies flat across this valley, that horse looks like it''s standing by a seashore." "I hope I see that one day." . "I hope you do too." Innis said. "Did you grow up around here?" Vie asked. "Down by that lake there once stood a country house. It was part of a large estate that was prosperous enough to have it''s own Chapel. My Father was employed there as a Pastor and our family lived in a manse on the property. The three of us, my Mother, Father and me." Vie couldn''t see any of what Innis had described. "What happened to it all?" Innis looked at his hands. "My Father was the worst kind of self righteous hypocrite. I think he honestly believed he was destined for a position in the high Anglican church. But it wasn''t to be, so he took his frustrations out on Mother and me, and I got more beatings than I can remember." Vie shook her head. "I was young then, I didn''t understand how trapped my Mother was with him. I''m ashamed to say I thought she was weak. One night when my Father hit her, I took a kitchen knife and stabbed him. I don''t know who yelled at me the loudest. I didn''t wait around to find out, I ran away from home." "You came back though." Vie said. ''''Eventually." Innis said. "When I came back I found out the estate had changed hands a number of times over the years. It was in a bad way. The Chapel had lost it''s roof and the manse that we''d lived in, was being used to store hay." "Where were your parents?" "I asked about them when I bought the property. The owners at that time had no idea. I had it all razed to the ground and cleared away - the Chapel, the manse, the manor house, everything. I let the local towns people come and take whatever they wanted. Then one day some workmen clearing the overgrown gardens near where the Chapel was, found some unmarked headstones." "You parents?" Vie asked. "Maybe." Innis said. "I had the headstones removed and broken up." Vie took a closer look at the stones that made up the low wall they were sitting on. "You''re a perceptive young woman." Innis said. "What I did was a waste of time - but it did help me to understand that the only place the past exists, is in your mind." Vie thought about that for a moment. "Then it wasn''t a complete waste of time then." she said. Innis smiled. * Chapter 6. Forgotten Chapter 6. Forgotten At first Winston wasn''t sure where he was. He was lying on a ground sheet in the open and wounded soldiers were being laid out beside him. He rubbed his eyes and saw a thin silver chain wrapped around his wrist. It was a necklace and attached to it was a small pendant with a "V" engraved. He had no idea where it had come from, or who it belonged to. "Welcome back to the land of the living." He recognised the voice. "Don''t sit up Winston." It was Harry Patch, one of the ambulance transport officers who sometimes came forward to retrieve the wounded from Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. the regimental aid posts. "What happened Harry?" "You don''t remember?" Winston shook his head and it hurt. "You were already at the aid post when I got there. Do you know where you are?" The question unsettled him. Winston often asked wounded soldiers the same thing to judge their level of awareness. "Outside the casualty clearing centre by the looks of it." Harry nodded. "That''s a good start. You''ve got a head wound Winston. The Doctors will come and have a look at you after they''re finished with the worst of the other lads. The bullet that parted your hair so nicely bounced off that thick Yorkshire skull of yours." Tiredness washed over Winston. He lay back and tried to keep his eyes open but couldn''t. "Rest up old son," Harry said." You might get a week or two off to mend, but it won''t be enough to get you a ticket home." * Harry was gone when Winston woke up. He was still on the ground outside the casualty clearing centre. Sheets now covered the faces of some of the men closest to him. Pieces of his memory started to return. He hadn''t felt any pain when he was shot in the head. He''d stumbled forward as if he''d been unexpectedly pushed, but then he remembered being shot in the back. The bullet had come out his chest pulling the air in his lungs with it. How was that possible? Winston felt his chest. His uniform was stiff with crusted blood but there was no wound beneath. Winston knew the morphine given as pain relief sometimes played tricks on a soldier''s mind. He lay back and tried to make sense of it, and almost at once re-lived being shot in the side of the face. It was a stinging, scalding sensation like being splashed with boiling water. He remembered putting his hand to his face and touching the exposed bone of his cheek and eye socket. How could it seem so real, if it wasn''t ? Winston looked at the necklace wrapped around his wrist again, maybe it had something to do with it all. * Chapter 7. Psalms Chapter 7. Psalms Finns ears were ringing from the constant sound of artillery barrages and nearby explosions. He lent over the unconscious officer to shelter him from the rain of mud and dirt. "I''m not sure where we are." Winston said. Finn looked around. "Our luck is going to run out if we stay in the open much longer." Winston pointed behind them. "We''ll get into that trench line and find a way back." Finn grimaced. It would give them cover, but walking a a loaded stretcher back through the tight corners of the trench was going to be a tough ask. With the stretchered soldier between them, Finn and Winston slid down a large shell crater into the trench. "How big was the explosion that breeched this?" Finn said. Winston changed his grip on the stretcher handles. "I don''t want to find out." From the safety of the empty trench Finn heard the barrages getting heavier. They walked on in cold ankle deep water till their calves ached, then they stopped and rested the stretcher on the dry fire step of a trench wall. Winston stretched. "It''s a good thing that old mate here isn''t one of those fat bastard officer types." Finn laughed. "I reckon we''re still an hour out." "Swap ends." Winston said. "I''ll go first for awhile." The abandoned trench was part of a larger system. When A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. they got to a junction, Winston stopped and looked around the corner to see if it was clear. "Fuck me." He turned to Finn ashen faced. "There''s a problem up ahead and we can''t go back the way we came." Finn angled the stretcher around the corner and saw what Winston was looking at - the trench was blocked wall to wall with the bodies of dead soldiers. Most were still standing upright wedged together. The closest were crouched over or lying on top of each other. "We''ve got go over the top of them." Winston said. Holding the stretcher with his back to Finn, Winston began to climb. Finn felt flesh sliding away from bones as he stepped on the bodies. He heard rib cages and small bones breaking as he followed Winston. At the top Winston stumbled and pulled Finn forward. Finn fell to his knees amongst the dead soldiers, and pushed off a rotting blackened face to regain his feet. When they cleared the trench and were walking on flat ground Winston turned, "You alright?" ''''That was complete shit." Finn said. "Yes it was." Winston replied. They walked on carrying the stretcher in silence. * "Did you hear that?" Winston stopped. "I thought I was imagining it." "Someone''s singing the Psalms." Finn said. When they put the stretcher down, the wounded officer started to stir. Finn checked his splinted leg and bandages. "Sounds like he might be in those shell craters over there. Go have a look Finn, but you make sure you call out before you get there." The Captain regained consciousness. ''''What''s going on?" ''''We''re looking for a lad." "Leave him." the Captain said abruptly. "What?" Finn said. "I said leave him." "Why would we do that." Winston said. "Because I''m telling you to, that''s why." Winston said nothing. "Did you hear me? I''m giving you a direct order. Leave whoever is out there and get me back to the lines." Winston looked at Finn. "Go look for our Psalm singer, this will be on me." Finn made his way towards the cluster of shell craters. "It''s going to be on both of you." the Captain said. Winston stared at him. "I was a coal miner before I joined up. My Father and Uncles are still working in the coal mines to support the War." The Captain sneered. "Is that the defence your going to use at your court marshal - that your poor and uneducated." "Maybe I am," Winston said, resisting the urge to kick him in the face. "but I know what the difference between right and wrong is, and I''ll be damned if I''m going to leave someone behind on your say so." The Captain started to un-holster his side arm. "I couldn''t care less about the working class shit hole you crawled out of. The penalty for the wilful defiance of military authority in the face of the enemy, is death." "I agree," said Winston, "but that would depend on who you think the enemy is." * Finn had reached the first crater and found it empty, when he heard the gunshot. Alert to the possibility of surprise attacks, anxious soldiers on both sides immediately returned fire at an imagined threat. Finn slid lower in the crater as the air above him became a storm of undirected gunfire. Bullets splashed and sizzled on the muddy rim of the crater. After a few minutes the gunfire slowed, then stopped just as quickly as it had began. Finn called out to Winston and got no reply. Keeping low he crawled out of the crater and started to run. He could see that the Captain was off the stretcher and lying face down in the mud of a wheel rut. Winston had his knee on the back of his head. In the Captain''s outstretched hand was a gun. Finn called out again. Winston didn''t look up or answer. As he got closer Finn saw there was blood on the side of Winston''s face and in his hair. There was at least one wound in his back that was starting to bleed. "Hang on Winston." * Chapter 8. Faith Chapter 8. Faith Winston could hear Finn calling his name, but he couldn''t answer. He''d fallen forward onto the ground and lay unable to move. He heard Finn running toward him and saw his boots stop in front of his face. Finn rolled him over, cleared mud from his mouth and checked for wounds. Winston felt the pressure of Finn''s hands on his chest. Don''t waste your time Finn. There was no more time left, Winston knew it. The last of his Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. life trickled away. He closed his eyes for what he knew would be the last time - but in the stillness, he heard a woman''s voice. "Not just yet Winston." It was a burst of sunlight in the gathering darkness. A feeling of warmth spread across his face and chest, and he felt it seep down deep inside of him. "I am Eurides." the voice said. He took a breath, then another, and for the first time in his life he was aware of his heart beating and the blood flowing through every part of his body. Winston felt himself floating upwards and now he stood beside a tall radiant woman. "Am I dead?" he asked. "Not today." Eurides said. Winston watched Finn working on his body. "This War made me lose what little faith I had." Eurides touched his shoulder. "This has nothing to do with your faith Winston. You''ve done your best to keep Finn safe and out of harms way, and for that I''m grateful." Winston looked at the Captain''s body. "I''m glad I killed that bastard, but I''m sorry that I left Finn out here on his own." "He''s more resourceful than you think." Eurides said. "I want you to do something for me Winston." Winston was unsure of how he could be of any use to her. Eurides smiled. "It''s actually two things Winston. The first thing I need you to do... is forget." * Chapter 9. Penumbra Chapter 9. Penumbra Charlotte hung Vie''s dresses over a chair. "This used to be our Aunt Edith''s room." Vie looked out the windows and across the gardens. On the writing desk next to the bed was a vase full of roses. "Thank you for helping me settle in Charlotte." "Your welcome. I have another sister in the house and Nain Joan has another daughter to fuss over." She hugged Vie. "Its ridiculous that we''re in the middle of a War and you still had to ask your Father''s permission to move in with us. You''re almost a grown woman." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Vie''s face warmed - she''d never been called a grown woman before. Charlotte wiped the top of the dresser with a cloth as she walked out the door. "Have a rest Vie, I''ll go and make us some tea.'''' Vie yawned and lay on the bed. She looked around the room. Even though she would never say such a thing out loud, Charlotte was right - the War was the best thing that had ever happened to her. * The raven perched high in the branches of an elm tree and watched the house. A sudden gust of wind ruffled it''s feathers and swirled the leaves that lay on the ground. The raven clacked it''s beak and watched as the leaves rose higher and higher into the air, then spun in a tightening spiral until a single form emerged - a tawny Owl. The raven bobbed it''s head. "Freya." "Honestly Antares," Freya said, "I know that some of us are fascinated by the tawdry goings on of this age, but can''t you find anything better to do with your time." One day, thought Antares, I won''t have to put up with your implied threats. Through a window he could see Vie sitting in her bedroom writing at a desk. "There is something different happening here Freya." Freya watched Vie for a moment. "Different? How? They''re all cut from the same cloth." Antares could hear the contempt in Freya''s voice. She and the other members of the Senate, searched for any possibility of a divergence that might threaten them. It was a secret Antares harboured - the divergence had already occurred. He''d witnessed it and was following it''s progress. "Perhaps you right, I''ll look elsewhere." "Of course I''m right." Freya said. * Chapter 10. What happens in Vogt Chapter 10. What happens in Vogt Waldamir coughed. Splintered timbers snagged on his uniform as Kurt lifted them off. He was bloodied and bruised - but he was still alive. Kurt cleared the bricks and rubble from his legs, then grabbed hold of Waldamir''s uniform and sat him up. Waldamir grunted and coughed again. Dust choked the sunlight that came through the broken walls. The building had collapsed almost as soon as their squad had taken shelter in it during an artillery barrage. "Is there anyone else?" Waldamir asked. Kurt shook his head. "It''s just you and me Wal. The English haven''t pushed across the bridge yet. If we wait here till dark, maybe we can make a run for it then." Waldamir leaned forward trying to ease the pain in his back. "Sounds like a plan Kurt." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. * It was a long day of watching the shadows inch across the floor as they waited for nightfall. Kurt sat back against the wall with his eyes closed. "You ever been to Switzerland?" "Always wanted to." Waldamir said," Maybe if I''m lucky enough to live through this War" "I don''t think that luck will anything to do with it." Kurt said. They sat for a while in silence. "Don''t you think it''s odd that the two outcasts of the platoon are sitting here still alive and the others are dead." Waldamir didn''t want to think about it at all. "Me, the wastrel son of a wealthy family and you, Waldamir the Jew, fighting for a country that loathes him and his kind." "I wouldn''t waste your time, "Waldamir said, "thinking that there is some sort of grand plan in all of this. The War made our choices for us. It rolled the dice and here we are." "I''m not so sure," Kurt said, "I saw myself sitting this War out by the shores of Lake Geneva sipping coffee. I was having a fine old time travelling backwards and forwards across Europe spending the money my family had given me to go to University with. I had no intention of letting the War ruin my fun, so I was headed for the Swiss border with fake identification papers and travel documents." "What happened?" "Fate intervened." "Fate?" Waldamir said. "I don''t know what else to call it Wal. The train I was travelling on broke down in the town of Vogt and damaged the rail lines. I had to stay there for a week or so before I could travel on. It was no great hardship - the town had excellent local cuisine, and then one morning, the good townsfolk of Vogt woke to find the Wife and daughter of a local Lutheran minister were missing. The Lutheran minister was the brother of the town Burgermeister, so anyone who they thought was suspicious was rounded up.". "Like a just arrived visitor in town." Waldamir said. Kurt nodded. "I was brought before the local Magistrate for questioning. My story and fake identification papers didn''t stand up too well to close scrutiny. I was held in custody until my identity was confirmed by my family - which was rather awkward, then I had an armed escort directly to the gates of a nearby Army training base." "The Wife and daughter that went missing," Waldamir asked. "What happened to them." "They were found butchered in a forest on the edge of the town. The good people of Vogt suspected that a camp of travelling Gypsies were involved, so the camp was burned and two men were hung for it." * Chapter 11. Keepsakes Chapter 11. Keepsakes Kurt looked at the picture that Waldamir had given him. "Are these your parents?" Waldamir smiled. "I was named after my Father." "Wal senior." Kurt said. Kurt took a cigarette tin from his jacket and rattled it. "I don''t have any family pictures, but I''ve got a few bits and pieces." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Can I see them." Waldamir said. Kurt carefully arranged the tin''s contents on the ground. It was mostly buttons and coins, and some small pieces of jewellery. Kurt held in his hand a braid of blonde hair and an earing. "Who gave you those? A shared intimacy perhaps?" "Of sorts." Kurt said. He turned the braid over in his hand. "I took them from the women I killed in the Vogt forest." "What?" Waldamir said in surprise. "Why would you joke about a thing like that? You said those Gypsies fellows did it." "No I didn''t, I said the Gypsies got blamed for it." Kurt pulled a bayonet from his boot and stabbed Waldamir in the side. Open mouthed in agony Waldamir slumped over. Kurt picked up his keepsakes and looked again at the picture of Waldamir''s parents before putting it in his tin. "You''re a part of my journey now Wal, just like the others." Kurt knelt beside him, placed the tip of the bayonet on his chest and slowly pushed down until it broke through Waldamir''s rib cage. * Chapter 12. Parable Chapter 12. Parable Vie had spent the day delivering eggs and vegetables from Nain Joan''s garden to families in town. On her way home she was looking in a butcher''s window when she heard a woman''s voice call out in fright. Around the corner came a small child toddling on unsteady legs. Vie crouched down and smiled. "Hello there." The child ran into her open arms and she swooped him up. "And where might you be off to in such a hurry?" Out of breath, Ma Weller came to a stop beside to her. They''d met before when Vie and Nain Joan had helped the fishing families mend nets at the harbour. ''''You''re an Angel Vie. This little runaway is my grandson Liam. He''s trying to give me heart palpitations." Vie opened her mouth in feigned surprise. "Tell me that''s not true Liam." She tickled his neck with If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. kisses. Liam laughed and hugged her. It was a sight that almost made Ma Weller weep. Liam wouldn''t go to anybody since his Mother had passed and she couldn''t remember the last time she''d heard him laugh. "Can you spare an hour to help me with Liam, Vie? The bakers have made some bread for the fish I brought them yesterday....and I only have two hands." Vie turned on her heel with Liam in her arms "I would love to." * The fishing folk were a tight knit family group and Ma Weller was the matriarch. She was a small dark woman made of the same stone as the headlands of the bay. Charlotte was sure of it. She watched Ma Weller, with a baby on her hip, catch and tie off the lines that were thrown to her from a boat as it came alongside the wharf. "Mind your step Charlotte." Ma Weller called out. Charlotte was helping to unload incoming boats for the day. Vie was in the sheds pickling and curing fish. Stepping onto the boat Charlotte saw the grey beards of the crew. Amongst their good natured jibes she could see the fatigue in their faces. Some of the men were in their seventies "That''s the way of it now." Nain Joan told her. "All their young men have gone away to the War." Ma Weller called from the wharf. "Are you set Charlotte." "I am." Charlotte called back. Wicker pots full of catch were being lined up along the deck. "We''re off then." Ma Weller said. "Wave goodbye Liam." The baby waved a chubby hand in the air. "Let''s go and see how Buttercup is doing." Charlotte laughed. That was the nick name Vie had been given.. * Charlotte looked at the crayfish in the basket she was carrying home. "Cook them while they''re fresh." Ma Weller said. She had been on a week''s leave from the land army when Vie had told her that families at the harbour could use some help. "Will you come with me tomorrow?" How could she say no? She had gone with Vie and worked side by side with the most generous steadfast group of women she had ever met in her life. It had been an education. The crayfish had their claws closed and tied back but there was still enough space in the basket for them to move about. The idea of letting them go came to her - then Charlotte thought about the hard work and sacrifice of fishing families. She chided herself. "When I was a child, I thought as a child." . * Chapter 13. Mock Chapter 13. Mock From the blood trail, Kurt could see the English stretcher bearer had survived the blast. He rolled him onto his side and saw that he was still breathing. The lifeless bodies of the stretcher bearer''s squad and the casualty they were carrying lay scattered in the street. "What''s your name." ''''Finn." the stretcher bearer said in a whisper.. * Kurt looked at the glass phial of iodine he''d taken from Finn''s first aid kit. "This will do nicely thank you." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He put it in his pocket as a keepsake. "If my friend Waldamir was here, he''d say us meeting like this was nothing more than chance, but I don''t see it that way." Kurt took the bayonet from his boot and put it on the ground. "I think everything happens for a reason." He knelt and lifted Finn into a sitting position. "You and I were destined to meet." "I find it odd." Finn said. "That you believe in destiny." Kurt was surprised that Finn had come around so quickly. "And yet, you are little more than an insect." Finn started to laugh. Kurt angrily reached for his bayonet. "You''re in no position to mock me." Finn''s laughter slowed, then it deepened to a growl. The hair on Kurt''s arms and neck stood up. "I am Eurides," a woman''s voice said, "and Finn is now in my care." She stood Finn up and turned him around. Her eyes blazed from his face, Frozen with fear Kurt dropped his bayonet. "What are you?" "Nothing you would understand." Eurides picked up the bayonet and ran a finger along it''s blade. "Finn will have no memory of me, but he will remember talking to a German soldier and assume it was you that helped him." "Yes," Kurt said. "I was going to do that." "Were you now." Eurides said. "Take the phial out of your pocket." Kurt held it in his hand and wondered why Eurides wanted it. "Put it in your mouth." "What?" Kurt shook his head. "No." He was no longer in control of his body. His hand placed the phial on his tongue and his mouth closed around it. Wide eyed with horror he tried to spit it out, but his lips wouldn''t part. "Bite down on it." Eurides purred. Blood filled Kurt''s mouth and spilled down his chin. He felt thin slivers of glass slice his tongue, then cut the roof of his mouth and stick in his throat as he swallowed. Eurides smiled. "Say hello to your friend Waldamir for me when you see him next. * Chapter 14. Hear that voice again Chapter 14. Hear that voice again It had been a long morning. After a tiring walk up from the harbour, Charlotte emptied the basket of crayfish into the outside laundry tubs and sat under the trellised walkway that lead back to the house. A flurry of finches flitted through the vines overhead. She closed her eyes and soaked in the scent of the climbing honeysuckle. As she listened to the finches chatting to each other, Charlotte thought she heard the sound of male voice in the house, * Coming in from the garden Charlotte found Nain Joan and Vie sitting with a man who had a walking stick leaning against his chair. "Please don''t go to any trouble." the man said. "It won''t be any trouble." Vie said. "I''ll make us some tea." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. She squeezed Charlotte''s hand as she walked past into the kitchen. "Charlotte," Nain Joan said, "let me introduce our guest." The man got awkwardly to his feet. Charlotte saw the scarring on his neck and jaw, that a short cropped beard partially hid. "It''s a pleasure to meet you" he said, "my name is Elijah." * Vie set the tray down. "One thing the War has shown me," Elijah said, "is how small the world is. When I told Finn I was going home to St. Just, he asked if I would stop in and visit." Charlotte poured the tea. "My sister and I used to try to scare each other with stories of the haunted stone circles of St. Just." Elijah laughed. "So you''ve you been there then." You''re still a handsome man thought Charlotte. "How did you and Finn meet?" Vie asked. The smile left Elijah''s face. "Finn found me when I''d lost all hope. Our squad had been tasked to do a night time raid on the German lines, but before we were even half across we were spotted. We pulled back under a tremendous amount of gunfire. My friend got hit, and I got hit when I stopped to help him - so we dragged ourselves into a shell hole for cover, and waited for help. None came. We waited all that night and the next day. We were both in a bad way. My friend had lost a lot of blood." Elijah stirred his cup of tea. "He told me he''d had a vision of his Mother singing to him when he was child, and he asked me to sing to him. So I sang. I sang every song that I knew and I held his hand until he died." Elijah turned away and wept. "I''m sorry." He dried his face. "That''s how Finn found me." * The next morning Vie sat at her writing desk and re-read the letter that Elijah had given her from Finn. To my dearest Vie, When the war is over will you come away with me and find a place somewhere in this world that is as far from here as it is possible to be... Vie had said yes a hundred times before she''d gone to sleep. On the desk were some blue wild flowers that Finn had put in with the letter. ...amongst all the churned earth and misery, there is still some fragments of colour. It gives me hope. * Chapter 15. One tree hill Chapter 15. One tree hill It was still dark when Innis started out. He leant on his walking stick, doubled over and out of breath. Eurides stood beside him. "There''s no need for any of this." Innis coughed and saw specks of blood on his hand. "Why are you suffering when you don''t have to." The top of the hill was close. Innis straightened up and waited for the dizzyness to pass. "We''re almost there." * This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They sat on the stone wall of the lookout. The view across the valley was lost in fog, but as the sun rose the fog retreated from the ranges and hill tops to reveal a clear blue sky. The growing warmth of the morning flattened the mist and pushed it lower into the valley. The chalk horse carved into the valley wall slowly appeared. Innis smiled. First the head and mane emerged. As the mist sank, the flank and tail appeared, then the forelocks and hooves. "Do you see her?" "I do." Eurides said. "She''s wading through the shallows." "Just like you were." Innis said. "When we first met." Eurides reached for his hand. They sat and watched the mist drain out the valley. "Is this how you want it to end " she said A feeling of light headedness washed over Innis. "Let me rest for a minute." He lay his head in her lap. Eurides stroked his hair. "She''ll be hidden from view when the next War starts." "The next War?" Innis said. "I thought this was the War to end all Wars." "Human nature, is what it is." Eurides said. Innis slowly nodded. "This world belongs to my children now." Eurides kissed his cheek. "I''ll help you when you''re ready." Innis closed his eyes. "Thank you my love." he whispered. "Thank you for everything." Eurides wept. "I am the destroyer of worlds." she said quietly. "I am she, who will greet all with fire." Her tears glistened as they fell on Innis. "but what am I now... other than heart broken." * Chapter 16. Thrown away Chapter 16. Thrown away Trying to return to his regiment by train, Winston found the last station was 20 miles short of the front. He caught a lift with a munitions truck, then walked the last 8 miles. Beside a row of split and shattered oak trees he stopped at a makeshift military cemetery where he saw a horse drawn cart full of bodies. Open pits already held rows of the dead that were covered with lime. The ground where Winston stood was littered with acorns. He picked up a handful. "What a waste." * When Winston reached the regiment outpost, he was surprised to find Harry Patch had volunteered to be a stretcher bearer. "What made you do that Harry?" "Look around Winston, how many familiar faces do you see." Winston didn''t recognise anyone. "What happened?" "We spent days going forward with heavy losses, and gained about If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 500 yards, and dug in. We held the line for almost a week until there was an almighty German counter attack. After a day and night of fighting, the regiment retreated to the very same position we started from - here." Winston felt sick. "Where are all the lads then?" . "What''s left of them is rotting out in the field." Harry said. "Unpack your kit if you want to Winston, but don''t get too comfortable. We''re coming off the line tomorrow and moving up to Arras." "For another push?" Winston asked. "They''re not saying, but I got a bad feeling about it already." * The soldiers moved through the village of Arras under heavy fire and crossed the river at a bridge the retreating Germans had tried to blow up. The stretcher bearer squads followed in the second wave of troop movement. Winston and Harry took cover behind a broken wall on the riverbank and waited for their turn to cross. "My Father would of wept if he''d seen what the Germans have done to these orchards. Why chop down a hundred year old apple tree if you don''t have to? It doesn''t make any sense." Artillery shells whipped through sky overhead, and in return German shells burst around them sending showers of steel shrapnel in all directions. The bridge was a tangled mass of ironwork that had fallen into the river. Planks had been rigged to what was left of the beams making the river crossing possible, but it was slow and dangerously exposed. "We''re up." Harry said. The planked walkway sloped down to the river before it climbed to the other side. As they crossed Winston saw bodies floating in the water, held against what was left of the bridge by the current. Harry stopped and stared. "What are you doing Harry? Keep going." There was a rolling boom of shell bursts behind them, one directly over where they''d taken cover. Winston heard the shouts of wounded men. "We''ve got to keep going Harry." Harry nodded vacantly. When they reached the other side Winston saw that Harry was pale and shaking. "Are you alright?" "Did you see the bodies of the children in the water?" Winston wished he hadn''t. "This could be a stream back home in the Midlands, and those children could of been from a local farming family." "That''s why we''re here." Winston said. Harry hung his head, "It''s part of me now." "What is Harry?" "Hatred Winston, I can feel it boiling inside me like a fever. I''ve never hated anyone or anything in my life, but when I saw those children, the only thing I wanted to do was kill every single German on the face of the earth." "We''re in the middle of a War." Winston said. Harry took an officer''s pistol out of his tunic pocket. "Where did you get that from?" "I can feel it poisoning every part of me " Harry put the the barrel of the gun in his mouth. "Don''t." yelled Winston. * Chapter 17. Here today, gone tomorrow Chapter 17. Here today, gone tomorrow "Are you up for some chess tonight? I haven''t had a decent game since we played at Bornemouthe." Winston unrolled a stretcher. "How long ago was that, Harkness." "Too long." Harkness said. They''d spent the morning washing blood off stretchers and standing them against the first aid station wall to dry. Harkness nudged Winston. Behind them, new recruits tried not watch what they were doing. "They''ll know what it''s about soon enough." Winston said. He tipped out the bucket he was using. "I''m off to get some water." The aid post had been set up in a farmer''s milking shed and at the back of the buildings there was a well. As he lowered the roped bucket, Winston caught sight of his reflection in the dark water below. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He''d watched Harry''s body fall backwards into the river and drift away after he''d shot himself, now the feeling of floating blind in a current washed over him. Winston shook his head and clenched his jaw until the feeling passed. * Harkness held out closed fists and Winston picked. "I''m white then." Harkness said. He turned the board around and made the first move. "They''re trying to rush reinforcements up but they''re not going to get here in time." As an aid post medical officer Harkness was privy to planning that Winston was not. Winston moved his piece. "When''s the next show then?" "In two days time." Harkness said. It had rained continuously before the last planned attack. The battle field had been a sea of knee deep mud and because of it, three teams of six stretcher bearers had been tasked. The attack had been a complete disaster. After reorganising, only two teams of four stretcher bearers were left, made up of the survivors who were still able to walk and carry. "Here today, gone tomorrow." Winston said. Harkness tapped his Queen. "Fuck it, I''ve got two bottles of the finest medicinal spirits hidden away here somewhere." Winston laughed. "We''ll call it a draw then." * The soldiers were in position, shoulder to shoulder an hour before the attack. As final preparations were being made Winston stood against the trench wall with his eyes closed listening to his new squad mates. He heard the Scouser accents of Arthur and Robbie good naturedly cat calling each other, but one voice was missing - young Toby. Winston looked around. Toby had his back to them and was trying to wrap his hands with bandages. "Show me Toby. The wooden stretcher handles are hard on everybody''s hands. Have you got gloves?" "I lost them the first week I was here." "So did I." Winston said as he finished bandaging Toby''s hands. Toby saw the silver chain wrapped around Winston''s wrist. "What''s that? " Winston showed Toby the the pendant. "It was on my wrist when they brought me in to the aid post. No idea where it came from, so it''s a bit of a lucky charm." "I wonder what the ''V'' stand for," Toby said. "Victory maybe?" "That''s a nice thought." Winston said. "Fix bayonets." the officer on the fire step called. * Chapter 18. Signs of life Chapter 18. Signs of life Winston came to, lying on his side coughing and spitting dirt. His entire body ached from the over pressure of the explosion. After checking Robbie and Arthur''s bodies for signs of life, he crawled over to where Toby lay. Toby groaned. "What happened?" "Lie still." Winston said as he unpacked field dressings from his kit. "We caught an artillery round that fell short." "Robbie and Arthur?" Toby whispered. "They''re gone." Winston said. Toby slid into unconsciousness. Winston saw the stretcher lying nearby - it was useless without a second person to carry it. He was thinking of his The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. options, when he thought he heard his name being called. Winston listened and heard it again. "Over here." he called out. * The soldier wore a red cross arm band - a stretcher bearer. "The name''s Ithaniel." he said. They crouched down as an explosion shook the ground and showered them with mud. "Harkness told me to come forward and give you a hand." Winston couldn''t believe his luck, but it did seem odd that Harkness would take it on himself to do such a thing. Another shell exploded closer, followed by a gust of gunfire. Winston knew it was the beginning of a counter attack. "Give me a hand with the lad." He splinted Toby''s arm and wrapped it tight to his chest. "On my count we''ll slide him on to the stretcher." Ithaniel nodded and knelt beside Toby. "Hold on Winston, you''ve missed something." He took a pair of medical shears out of his kit and cut Toby''s throat. Blood sprayed Winston''s face. "What the fuck have you done?" Winston fell backwards trying to wipe the blood from his eyes. "Look at you." Ithaniel laughed. "You''re bleating like a lamb." Winston drew Harry''s gun from his tunic pocket. Ithaniel smiled. "I saw you pick that up off the river bank where your friend dropped it." "What?" "I''ve been following you Winston, waiting for a chance to have a quiet word." Ithaniel looked at Toby''s body. " and I doubt that Toby will be interrupting us." "Fuck you." Winston said. In a blur of movement Ithaniel took the gun from Winston''s hand. "If you intend to shoot me, at least make sure the safety is off." Ithaniel unlocked the safety and handed it back. Winston blinked - unsure of what was happening, then he took the gun. "You''re the one about to bleat like a lamb."'' "Unlikely." Ithaniel said. In a fluid swirl of energy Eurides appeared beside Winston. "Hello Ithaniel." * Chapter 19. V is for Valkyrie Chapter 19. ''V'' is for Valkyrie Ithaniel nodded in surprise. "It''s been a while." "It has." Eurides said. "Walk with me." He stepped over Winston and the world changed beneath his feet. "You should of stayed out of my way." Eurides said. They stood quietly side by side on the crest of a desert dune. It was a dark clear night. "This world can still be ours." Ithaniel said. "That''s your dream not mine." "I was hoping you might of reconsidered." A single point of light appeared in the sky above and grew brighter than everything that surrounded it. It described an incandescent arc that pulsed as it passed overhead, and the desert sand glittered as night became day. "Just for a few moments," Eurides said. "I shone like the Sun." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The dunes rolled like an ocean surface as shock waves travelled down from above, then the desert floor shook with the force of a distant impact. "Why are you showing me this? Do you think I''ve forgotten how we fell." "What I haven''t forgotten," Eurides said, "is your part in it." "I wanted it to happen, that''s true enough," Ithaniel held up his hands and smiled, "but you can''t blame me for the time displacement that occurred. That was pure phenomena." "What it was, was a harsh lesson in perspective," Eurides said, similar to the one you''re about to experience." The smile left Ithaniel''s face. There was a thin silver chain wrapped around his wrist. "What''s this?" "It''s a cluster of magnetic fields that I curved in on themselves and held open." Ithaniel saw the pendant and the ''V'' that was inscribed on it. "When you took the gun from Winston''s hand, you closed them over yourself - you''re part of them now, the fields are complete " "Don''t do this Eurides." "''V'' is for the Valkyrie Ithaniel. You remember the ship don''t you?" Ithaniel began to burn like the inside of a furnace. "In Norse mythology, the Valkyrie choose who are to be the slain on the battlefield. It''s quite poetic don''t you think." Ithaniel burned brighter still, becoming a blinding mass of plasma energy. "The next time we meet Eurides, I''m going to destroy you." Eurides smiled. "If there is a next time." * Eurides stood beside Winston. "Time to move on my friend." Winston came to, lying on his side coughing and spitting dirt. The chain and the pendant fell un-noticed from his hand. His body ached from the over pressure of the explosion. After checking Robbie and Arthur''s bodies for signs of life, Winston crawled over to where Toby lay. Toby was gone too. "Fuck me." Winston sat back and shook his head. He was thinking through his options, when he heard a call for help. Winston looked across the battlefield and listened. When he heard it again, he checked his medical kit and set off in the direction he thought it had come from. In a boot print he left behind Eurides saw a glint of silver. " And that''s where you are going to stay Ithaniel - lost and forgotten." * Chapter 20. Harbinger Chapter 20. Harbinger The War was over - Antares wondered how long the land would carry the scars. He circled high over the fields looking for movement, then swooped down and landed on an upturned This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. tree stump. After he was certain he was alone, he hopped down and scratched the ground with a twig in his beak. He clacked and shrilled when he found what he was looking for. Antares pulled the necklace and pendant from the soil. "I''m starting to have doubts about you Ithaniel." * This is Book 2 in a series. Book 1. Sleep now in the fire Book 2. Wake now in the fire Book 3. Breathe now in the fire If you would like some visual context for Eurides, Youtube search - Regiment tribal fusion dance Any comments or feedback you may have are welcome.