The Other Side: A Second Chance

Whistling shells echoed above us as our lorry dipped forward and rolled down the rest of the earthen bridge. My gut lurched as the wheels slammed into the ground, and we all bounced as the vehicle leveled out.

"We're nearing the rendezvous point!" Captain Weller shouted from the lead lorry.

I took a deep breath as Isa gripped my hand. Across from me, Drach looked at me and said, "Are you sure you still want to be here, kid?" His eyes scanned me from head to toe.

I gulped and nodded firmly. "Yes. I need to be here."

Lieutenant Zora looked at Isa and me. "Just keep your head down," she said. "I see you have a ring of protection. Do you know bubble as well?"

I nodded. "Yes, I was practicing it just the other day."

Zora smiled. "Excellent, are you able to project it?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

The akumari frowned and sighed. "I take that as a no."

"She means to extend the spell out to others," Mara leaned forward. "It's handy to have so that you can help protect us." She brushed her pink bangs out from in front of her face.

The large orc, Gord, nodded. "Aye, saved me rear plenty of times."

I shifted nervously. "Uh, well, I wasn't exactly taught that. I was only shown how to protect myself."

Zora waved her hand to the side. "It's alright. Mara and I are both knowledgeable in projecting our defensive bubbles. Just stay close to us when the hell starts raining." I gave her a little thumbs-up.

A few hours passed as our convoy broke into three separate groups and went off in different directions; one company moved east, the other north, and we continued northeast. Traveling by vehicle, we'd covered ground rapidly as we drove down the dirt roads. Along the way, I couldn't help but notice the eerie silence of it all. Aside from the occasional bout of artillery, there were no birds, animals, or even the distant thumping or howls of fighting machines. It was too quiet. Deep within the thick of the woods, I heard Captain Weller bark something up ahead, and suddenly, the lorries veered off the dirt path and towards the trees. Stopping just before the tree line, Captain Weller ordered us to disembark.

"C'mon, people, move it!" he shouted. "Ale and Berry are beginning their orders. Pretty soon, the enemy will be all over this area!"

Hopping off the back of the trucks in pairs, Weller separated us into our four platoons. "I've been instructed to wait until Ale and Berry company have officially distracted the enemy. When the order is given to assault, we'll be breaking off into squads. Squad leads, keep your communicaiton stones on you at all time, the enemy is expected to have heavy defenses so we'll be spreading out during our advance." Weller said and looked at Isa and me. "You two are with Zora's group."

We both nodded. Weller pointed towards the forest and ordered everyone to move and spread out. As Isa and I moved with Zora and her small team, I noticed we consisted of Drach, Mara, Gord, and a few other humans I never got the name of.

Now isn't a good time to ask for their names, I thought, nervous as I noticed their hardened expressions. One of them saw me staring and glared at me, and I gulped.

None of them feel comfortable with me, a little kid, traveling with them. I looked away, but before doing so, I glanced at the tags on the uniform and saw the names. Nessel, Lexis, and Frisch.

Alright, noted. Maybe I can't save everyone, but I'll try to keep the nine of us safe, I thought just as the distant yet loud sounds of gunfire erupted from the northeast.

Zora raised her hand to her left breast pocket. She slowed a little, and I noticed a faint shimmer coming from beneath her hand. She said, "Ale Company has made contact with the enemy." Just loud enough for us to hear.

As we began to pick up speed once more, the voice in my head said, "North, two miles. Three fighting machines are moving in to flank the group she just spoke of."

My stomach churned as the sense of anxiety began to swell. Are those the ones they're fighting? I asked

"No, these ones are new. I sensed them awakening and now they're on the move. If you do not warn them, they'll be caught off guard."

But you said I shouldn't mention you. I bit my lower lip as I moved swiftly. I noticed Isa glancing over to look at me, her expression concerned when she saw how troubled I looked.

"You don't have to mention me, but if you wish to win, tell them now."

"Pick up the pace," Zora said, "We'll keep moving towards the treeline to observe and await further instructions."

I gripped my forehead and reached out to Isa, taking her hand. "Isa," I said, her eyes widening as she grabbed my hand.

"It's him," I muttered quietly enough so only she could hear. "He's telling me more are coming from the north to attack Ale."

Isa gritted her teeth and nodded. "Lieutenant," she said, and Zora stopped and looked back.

"What is it, Talon?" she asked before noticing me gripping my head. "What's wrong with her." She pointed at me.

Two miles is like two gilos if I recall. I reminded myself.

"Believe me when I say this," I said, dropping my hand. "But north of here, about two gilos, three fighting machines are about to flank Ale Company."

The man named Nessel shot me a skeptical look and sighed. "And how the fuck do you know that?" He spat in the dirt.

"Trust her," Isa snapped at him. "It's because of her intuition that she and I are alive."

"I can just feel it," I lied. "I know they're coming; you have to warn them. They'll be on them in just a couple of minutes."

Zora looked at me curiously and then at Isa, who nodded and said, "Trust her lieutenant."

"Lieutenant you can't be seriously considering this," The man, Frisch, said with disbelief. "Are we seriously going to trust some fucking, kid."

Isa shot the man a glare, though he didn't back down.

Zora's blank eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, she turned around. "I trust the Colonel's word as well as Talon's, Corporal."

She glanced over her shoulder, and I saw that her expression read. "But if this is a trick, there'll be hell to pay." She reached into her breast pocket, pulled out a dark blue stone with glowing runes, and held it firmly. The stone's runes gleamed brighter briefly before fading.

"It's done," she said as the stone's light dimmed, and she stuffed it back into her pocket. "Now, let's get moving."

I watched her curiously as she began to move once more. My head tilted as I pondered how the stone worked. I didn't even hear her say anything. I thought. Telepathy?

"That is correct," the voice said. "Message stones, as I know them, allow thoughts to be cast far distances. They are very useful."

We continued forward, and from here on, I noticed more curious eyes glancing towards me. After about a half hour of traversing through the forest, we found a natural ditch near its edge and quickly climbed into it. Nearby, I could hear other squads taking up positions as the sounds of far-off combat escalated.

"Berry Company has made contact," Zora notified us. "Scouts report enemy forces are sallying out to reinforce their patrols."

The halfling beside Isa and me eagerly fidgeted as he clutched his rifle in his hands. "How much time until we go in?" Drach asked excitedly.

The lieutenant shrugged and peeked over the ditch. "Don't know," Zora said, "But if I had to guess, not long." She twitched, and I saw her hand again reach for her breast pocket. It began to shimmer, and her head tilted down her eyes, focusing intensely as I assumed she was receiving another report.

Behind us, I heard some rumbling, and my heart lurched in my chest. I turned around, expecting to see the enemy coming up on us. I was relieved when I noticed a few large orcs in the trees hacking away small shrubs and branches with machetes; the rumbling I heard was the engines of three artillery trucks positioning themselves behind us.

Overhead, a sharp whistle and a crack echoed above us before suddenly, the ground shook as an explosion erupted far ahead. I yelped and turned to see, peering through the foliage. All I saw was a mushroom cloud in the distance.

"What the hell was that?" I asked as Zora lifted her head and smirked.

"The Godhammer," She said, looking at me. "Ale Company just confirmed your report and had called in the big guns to wipe them out. You really were right."

"You're fucking shitting me," Drach said as Nessel gave me a surprised look. "So you're able to really sense these things?" He shook his head. "By Kraten's sword, God of War must be looking out for us."

"Ye-yeah," I said, looking at them. "I don't know how or why, I just... get a hunch."

"Well, that's a pretty good fucking hunch." The girl, Lexis, mumbled as she peeked over the ditch, her rifle pointing out.

Zora's smile widened, and she nodded toward me. "Well, if you get more hunches, you better call them out."

I nodded. "I will do that." I gave them a small smile and took a deep breath. I rested close to Isa and peeked over the ditch's edge as we waited.

And waited, and waited some more.

It felt like ages. In the distance, I could hear the rapid fire of machine guns and the steady volley fire of rifles, followed by the occasional booms of cannons backed up by the screams of fighting machines. It was a horrific orchestra that steadily crescendoed and tapered, only to rise again.

Everyone around me seemed oddly relaxed. Drach and Nessel were playing a card game I didn't recognize, Frisch was reading a book, and Isa was talking to Gord about his massive gun.

"You have quite an impressive rifle here," I overheard her say. "I don't think I'm familiar with this."

The orc gave her a huge smile as he hoisted his borderline cannon. "Oh, this girl?"

"Oh she's a girl?" Isa said with a sly smile.

"My one and only beloved," he winked. "Kaola, I call her. She's an Mk. 2 Dragon Piercer chambered in one hundred twenty cold-iron-tipped magrite." As he explained this, he racked the bolt on the massive rifle and pulled out a gigantic, silver bullet with a frosty, pointed gray tip.

Holy shit, I turned my full attention to it. Dragon piercer, for sure; that thing could probably pierce a fucking tank.

Isa leaned in and eyed the bullet curiously, then reached out for it, which Gord happily handed her. I saw its size perfectly as she took it from his large hand. The bullet barely fit in her hand, so she had to take it in both hands to examine it properly.

"It can even fire adamantium and magrite bullets, too," Gord smirked. "With cold iron, it has an effective range of about five hundred and fifty garos. With adamantium, it drops to about three hundred due to weight, but it packs a hell of a punch. Though magrite, those rounds are very light and can reach eight hundred. They are good against soft targets or small dragons like striders but will plink off harmlessly against a dorrogan or anything bigger."

Isa nodded as she looked over the bullet before handing it back. "Impressive. Can those pierce the fighting machines?" she asked, and Gord's smile grew even more comprehensive. He nodded his head.

"Aye, they can. As long as you aim directly for their glass eye." He said this, gesturing to his own eyes. "Those eyes take up pretty much the front of their face, making them easy targets. A couple of cold-iron shots, or just one adamantium, can do a lot of damage." He chambered the round back into his rifle and locked it in. "Problem is, you smaller folk are too small to carry these around effectively, and the kick from the cold and adamantium rounds knock you on your asses. That's when we Orkani and Mencorans come in."

Isa chuckled. "You large guys handle the big toys while we little ones keep you covered," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Exactly. Distract the big ones for me and I bring down the pain." He slammed his fist into his palm.

Isa nodded and asked, "Just curious, but have you actually killed one of those things with that?"

Gord shook his head. "No. Not yet; I've wounded one, though. Little over a week ago, shortly after the Kassel incident, a fighting machine attempted to cross the river. First time I've seen one," He said with a sigh as he turned so his back was against the wall of the ditch and laid back. "I hadn't expected them to move so fast. All the stories we heard about big machines, I expected them to be clunky and awkward, not scuttling like an arachnai," He said, referring to a literal spider-like monster. "I was frightened by it, but after regaining my composure, it began to wade through the water, and I took my shot. I must've had the cold-iron loaded at the time because I struck it right in the eye, but I only chipped whatever glass or crystal they're made of. The thing actually screamed." he shuddered. "After that it turned and ran as we all began to open fire on it."

"Wait a second," I said, joining the conversation. "It ran away?" I've only ever seen those things charge into combat head-on, and from the stories I recalled Peter telling us, it seemed like that's what they always did.

"Aye, it did," Gord said with a nod. "The thing sounded like a chorus of people crying in pain when I shot it, and after that, it turned and ran--like that, listen." He said as we fell silent and raised a finger to the air, singling out a distant howl of a fighting machine over the fighting, a mournful cry of agony. I recall hearing a similar sound in Kassel when the soldiers fired upon one of them with a field cannon.

"Now that you mention it," I muttered, "I wonder if they feel pain."

"Gods, I hope they fucking do!" Drach called out from behind us as the others laughed.

Gord grunted. "Judging by how they react,it seems they do. If they feel pain, perhaps they also feel fear. Never in my life had I thought I'd encounter a machine that feels."

Isa took a deep breath. "Well it doesn't matter what they feel," she said, "they're slaughtering and taking our people. Best we put a stop to that."

Gord nodded once more. "Aye, I can agree to that."

Just then, another barrage of cannon fire as shells screeched overhead. The earth trembled as the shells impacted nearby, and then another wave slammed overhead the previous one and then another. My eyes widened as I remembered what this was, of all my time learning about the old great war from my past life.

Creeping barrage.

Somewhere in the forest, I heard a sharp whistle. "Advance!" Weller's boomed over the sound of the artillery's barrage.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and my palms felt sweaty as the team around me quickly grabbed their belongings and got to their feet. "Stay close, but not too close!" Zora shouted as she climbed over the ditch, the others following behind. "We are to make it to the next thicket! Don't move too fast or the barrage will hit you!"

Isa gulped as well as she looked at me. "Keep me in your line of sight," She said as she gripped her gun and leaped over with Gord following suit. Leaving me to be the last one in the ditch.

I'm fucking stupid; this is stupid. Fuck me, why am I doing this? Second thoughts plagued me as I heard the engines of the artillery trucks coming back to life behind me, and from either side, I saw the other squads moving ahead out from the tree line.

Taking a deep breath, I swore and scrambled out of the ditch. Following behind the others through the tree line, I could see gouts of debris and smoke pluming into the air as round after round artillery shells slammed into the earth. Each shell kicked up enough debris to cloud our advance as I and the soldiers filed out into the open field.

The sound was almost deafening, and each strike into the earth sent a massive tremor that made me nearly trip. I could hear someone shouting as I hesitantly followed behind Isa.

I turned in their direction and saw a young man, a soldier from another squad I didn't recognize. He was frantically waving his arm back.

"Hey! Get back!" I faintly heard him shout over the explosions. "Get back! This is no place for a--"

"Three hundred yards up ahead, in the thicket, two of them just woke up." The voice warned, and my stomach lurched. "Get down now!"

"Everyone get down!" My shrill voice cried just as the fighting machines unleashed their warcry.

Dozens of machine gun fire ripped through the smoke. Around me, men and women screamed, as only those closest to me heeded my advice and dove to the ground as red bolts of energy ripped and cracked overhead. I felt myself beginning to panic; my eyes shot from left to right, quickly trying to make sure nobody was hurt. I could hear screaming and crying, and yet I realized. That was my voice.

I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth to silence myself. Yet when an energy bolt from one of the machine guns slammed the earth next to me and sprayed me with dirt, I yelled and rolled. The bullets flew everywhere, with no target or pattern; the machines sprayed in every direction.

The artillery barrage was working. The machines couldn't see us, yet the firepower from only two was devastating. Around me, the soldiers kept their bodies pressed into the dirt; those who remained still, I couldn't tell if they were dead, injured, or, like me, too frightened to move. Yet there were those much braver than I who began to crawl forward quickly. "Move, you maggots!" I heard a man shout as he blew an ear-splitting whistle. "Move! Or you'll die!"

My body was tense, locked into place, and I felt like I couldn't move. I wanted to curl up and get as small as possible. I'm a fucking waste. Goddammit, did I honestly think I could do this? Really? The second thoughts reared their ugly head.

Suddenly I felt someone grab hold of the scruff of my neck and I cried out as I was dragged forward at a rapid pace. "Luna, you need to move!" I heard Isa shout as I was suddenly tossed ahead before tumbling down into a still-warm crater.

"Into the holes! Take cover in the holes!" I heard a woman shout.

I sputtered and spat loose dirt that had gotten into my mouth and turned to see Isa looking me over. "Are you hurt?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Good." She said just as Gord dove into the hole beside us, his large rifle clutched to his chest.

"Where the shots coming from?" He asked gruffly.

I stammered, "A-about th-three hun-hundred..."

"Three hundred what?" Gord asked.

Fuck what's the equivalent of yards?

"Garos!" I shouted as I remembered. "Three hundred garos!" I panted as my heart felt like it was going to burst.

"Luna, I know it's scary but you need to focus," Isa said to me. "Try not to panic, panicking will only get you killed." She knelt to me and I nodded as Gord pointed his rifle over the lip of the crater and adjusted his sights.

"Can't get a read on them. Smoke is too thick." The orc cursed as the halfling Drach also dove into our hole.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He cursed and laughed. "Holy shit, they almost got me a few times!" He said fixing his helmet. "You see them big man?" He asked nonchalantly as if we weren't being fired upon.

Gord shook his head. "No. Can't get a clear view, the barrage is obscuring too much."

As if on cue, the shells stopped falling, leaving us with only the sounds of horrified screams, orders being shouted, and a seemingly never-ending torrent of machine gun fire.

"They have to run out of ammo at some point," I whined as I clapped my cheeks and tried to think of something. Yet my mind was blank. Raddled beyond belief as the only thought I could think of was how to stay alive.

"Maybe," Gord huffed. "But I bet the second one stops, the other is going to start shooting."

"What do you mean, they're both not shooting? I can hear them now!" I said covering my head as another round of bullets whizzed over our crater.

"I only hear six guns!" Gord said, "Each of them have six guns each, only one is shooting. When it stops, the second will take its place."

"Luna," Isa said, "The bubble spell, I know you said you haven't projected it before, but you have to try. If you can shield us, we can move forward so Gord can get a shot."

"Fuck yeah, lets get close to'em!" Drach said giddily. "I wanna pop'em!"

I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. Get close?! Are they nuts?!

"I-I don't know if I can, I-I can only bubble myself, I-I'm not like Momma, I can't cover us all." Isa grabbed me by the shoulders.

"You have to try, Luna! Please, we're still torenia here!" She said referring to a tortoise-like creature. "the moment that dust cloud disappears, they'll sweep in and kill us."

Hearing that caused me to whimper and shift. Fuck she's right, I-I can do this. I need to do this. I closed my eyes and focused hard, recalling the spell bubble I tried to clear my mind and focus on creating a shield, not just around myself but all of us.

Yet suddenly my concentration was broken when nearby I heard the screech of something falling and slamming into the earth! A hot blast of air followed by a shockwave rippled over our crater and knocked me over my hearing vanished for just a second as a sharp ringing took its place. I covered my ears and screamed as another explosion happened nearby.

"We're in range of artillery!" I heard Gord's booming voice scream, yet despite being next to us he sounded so distant.

"Luna!" Isa's distant voice shouted as she grabbed me. "The bubble! Bubble us now!"

Panic taking hold I scrambled back to my knees and tried to focus, my head pulsing with a migraine as I tried to concentrate. I held my hands out, trying to envision a protective bubble around us. My stomach began to bubble and churn with warmth and tingles, and as I took deep breaths I pushed this feeling out towards my palms, and I opened my eyes and looked upwards. I screamed as a missile arced down directly towards us.