The Ancients Chapter I - War Screams.

I started writing this when i was 16, I'm 18 now and i decided to translate it (from Spanish), I have about 2 more chapters for what i plan to be a epic story, tell me if you like it, and please leave reviews, and i will translate the second chapter soon.





Chapter I - War Screams.






Debris in the darkness, that was all that remained of the once great city that stood for liberty and justice. I had been there some years before, when it was a stunning light show of bright lights reflecting on the crystal windows of the monstrous skyscrapers that characterized it. My GPS showed the same coordinates, but it wasn’t the same place. The skyscrapers that had been a symbol of power and wealth laid on the ground as beaten rocks covered in snow... whispering about a past age.


Even with the evident devastation, the night skies were still illuminated with bright lights, only that this time they were produced by the mighty artillery cannons firing at the distance, that were only preluded by a roaring sound that shook the entire lands. Even though, the snow storm was over I could feel a paralyzing cold that was nearly unbearable.
It might be the fact that was one of the most terrorizing days of my life, but I remember feeling an agonizing amount of penetrating fear, I could sense it tearing my mind slowly overpowering my will and judgement. On the eyes of my comrades I saw the same dominating terror, that cold fear that blended with the freezing wind constantly crashing on our faces. “But what are we afraid of?” I thought, battle?, wounds? Death?” no, we were trained to overcome those feelings, trained to die four our country, to give our lives so other may live, to suffer so others can be spared. No, that fear went beyond, it was more like a premonition, fear to die in bane, to lose that which we were fighting for, fear to fear itself..

I remember walking around all that debris, touching one of the rare pieces of wall that still stood in place, printed on it, like if it was paper you could see dark images of people walking, some tall some of them short, I remember watching this particular image on the wall, it was a woman, grabbing her son by the hand and running the opposite way of all the other images... she had seen it first. It is said that when the light wave of a nuclear blast reaches a soul, it tears it away from it’s owner, leaving only a shadow on the wall. To in some way or another remember it simple existence. I was suddenly surrounded by a parade of shadows marked on all the tall rocks and falling walls. My mind wandered as I observed the sad and cold silhouettes that seemed to multiply as we approached the center of the city. Walking with no destination, unaware of the cold and destruction... the parade kept walking. It reminded me of a lost time, all of them walking to their jobs and homes ignoring that all they knew was bout to end.


On the middle of the parade, fear kept invading me, I could hear their cries, their painful cry for justice, it was so loud and it became more and more desperately loud. The sound became unbearable and suddenly it awoke me from my dream state, I looked up and discovered the source of the sound an artillery missile was right over my head about to devour me on fire. I swiftly reacted, running as fast as I could away from the spot. When I thought I made it out, I felt a blast of heat hit me on the back, just like some one threw a bucket of boiling water at my rear, I fell to the ground, my head hit the floor first with devastating force... my world went black

Out of nothingness I started feeling something, cold... I slowly opened my eyes, every thing was blurry and with a reddish tone, two of my comrades were dragging to a half destroyed building, the four walls
were standing, but there was no roof, doors or windows. I touched my face and I lifted my hand, it was dripping with my own blood. The world seemed so far away, everyone seemed to be yelling but all I could hear were voices miles away, strangely I felt no pain, only an increasing weakness.
My eyes closed involuntarily and I was submerged to darkness again, all I could sense again was that ripping cold, I tried so hard to open my eyes again, I really did, but it was like swimming on a black river of icy water and trying to go against the current. I used all my strength to swim, the water was getting colder and colder and just when I was about to let go something opened in front of me and light came in. My eyelids opened. There in front of my face was Combat Medic Janet Williams, she was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear her. She softly cleaned the blood out of my eyes. She looked at me with those vivid blue eyes and said something with a recomforting expression. I imagined her voice, and that helped me relax a little. Again something forced to close my eyes, I fought back but it was useless soon I was on the cold dark river again.

I was no true warrior, it was my first battle and I had not even seen an enemy yet. I think that War Heros and legends are born with a unique gift that defines them and allows them to lead armies to victory and do incredible things what they are most needed. Well what ever it was I didn’t have it.
I was simply another boy victim of the obligatory draft enforced in the country... or what was left of it.
It not that I didn’t want to take revenge for what they had done, just thinking about it makes me want to kill every single one of those bastards, and I would if I could, but the problem is I couldn’t. I was just a useless 19 year old “radio guy”, not a war hero not even a warrior. My job was to communicate with the HQ while hiding like a coward and watching my friends fight and die.

I tender drop of warm water fell on my forehead, my eyes finnaly opened once again. It was Williams, she was crying, I could at last comprehend her words, “what were you thinking, Victor?, she whispered as she caressed my cheek.

I turned my head to the right, I could see all the five members of the strike team covering the door and the glass-less windows, Captain Smith was yelling hopelessly at my radio, he seemed to be yelling at the top of his longs but the voice seemed distant..All of them were nervous, fearful, felling that fear that only that day and that place could bring, the earth shook every 20 seconds or so, followed by a flash of blazing light, the artillery was falling really close.
Then I realized what was happening, the whole situation, on my stupid distraction I Ignored the captain when he ordered to find cover, the missile strike bearly touched me, but it cause severe damage. Dragging me out of the midfield costed my comrades our cover and gave away out position.
“Were surrounded....” said Williams, “but its fine Victor, the Chief is calling air support, were gonna be alright”. I tried to talk, but only babbling came out, and then the taste of blood, “shhhh, don’t talk, you need to rest”. I heard the captain yelling to the radio in bane, not a single response from HQ’s. The bastards blocked our signals... there was no help coming.

The mission was supposed to be risky but simple, go to the other side of the city, plant the bombs on the canons and go to the extraction point, simple infiltration and sabotage, in reality things were more... complex.

Finally I heard the yelling in Japanese, orders. And the sound of the shots started, I wanted to stand up, I wanted to grab my rifle and kill those son-of-a-bitches, but I couldn’t move, the cold fear overpowered me again, and for a third time my eyes were force shut. On the darkness the cold is even more tormenting, it ravages you mind and makes you panic. Hate fulled my veins, and with a dominant will I imposed my eyes open.

There was Williams shooting frantically at something I couldn’t see. Second later, to my horror she was shot mercilessly. The projectiles impacted her beautiful face penetrating it and making a peculiar sound when breaking her skull, the bullets crossed her head scattering blood behind her and showering me on a delicate and warm rain of blood that felt just like her tears when touching my skin. Her delicate body fell besides me, her face facing mine as if the lifeless body were watching me. Three bullet holes on her faced seemed like an illusion.... my God she was beautiful. One by one I saw the other members of my squadron fall dead, soaked in blood, it all was like a tragic, yet sublime poetry.

Like so many times in the past all I could do was watch, and cry inside, like a coward, I would never be a warrior, I was just another defenseless victim of this carnage called a war.

Captain Smith was the last standing, shooting the enemy and yelling with courage, bullets punctuating his chest, yet he stood tall, he finally fell close to me, twitching and twisting in pain. One of the imperial infantry soldiers came close to finish him, he aimed his handgun to my Captains face, and just before he could pull the trigger, the gun fell into the snowy ground. Blood came out of the Imperials mouth, he lowered his head to watch with disbelief the sword buried on his stomach. The captain pulled the weapon out of the future corpse. The thin metal blade tinted with blood was a delight to watch, the chief ran to a group of unexpected imperials.

The blade danced with grace and precision ripping the flesh of the soldiers, as they desperately tried to reach for their arms, with an almost divine retribution the Captain unleashed death to the men, his dexterity was rewarded with spurts of fresh blood that watered the snow as it if were a garden. The 4 soldiers fell to the now scarlet snow at the feet of their slayer. With the last burst of energy he had, my superior moved his blade on an acute diagonal angle slicing the throat of a young imperial soldier before she could reach him with her sword. She grabbed her throat and fell into her knees, blood slipping through her fingers.

Captain Smith, turned around and looked at me, he started to slowly walk towards me, with one hand on his chest and using his sword as a walking stick,he finally fell to his knees between me and Janet’s body. “Ca-captain....” I said in a barley audible voice. He looked into the dawn sky, like looking for God.. A conmotioned imperial Sargent that had seen the scene from the distance, hurried to the Captain and strongly fitted his short saber through the Captains back, Smith fell into his hands and vomited blood. The Asian man hurried to reach his revolver, and without a second thought he fired into his defenseless opponent creating a glorious explosion that shattered my Captain’s face and ended his life. The sergeant then took a step towards me, I could see the morning sun’s reflecting on his detailed red armor. There standing besides me he seemed almighty, his face marked by a profound scar smiled at me. He raised the handgun, aiming my face. I could rest at last, I closed my eyes.

The sound of the shot was like a thunder... it always wakes me up.