Summoning America

Chapter 136: Veirakal Forest (2)

"It's looking like this war'll be over before we know it," Theo said.

"What're you gonna do when the war's over?" Mylan asked, directing the question to everyone.

Theo answered first, eyes taking a distant look as he pondered the future, "Reckon I'll head back to Otaheit, finish my degree. Maybe start a family too, if I find the right lass."

"Yeah, sounds lovely, mate," Mylan nodded. "I'm gonna try to get some work with the Yanks, heard they live in paradise over there. What about you, Jonas?"

Jonas paused for a moment, considering the question. He hadn't dared to think of life beyond the battlefield for quite some time. "Honestly, I'd love to go back to my family's farm in the countryside. You know, tend to the crops, raise the animals, a simple life."

The men continued to share their dreams and aspirations, the firelight casting a warm glow on their faces. For a moment, they were no longer soldiers in the midst of a brutal war, but friends envisioning a better future. As the night wore on, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, like humorous anecdotes and memories from their lives before the war. Laughter filled the air, drowning out the distant echoes of the day's violence.

Jonas felt a sense of camaraderie he hadn't experienced since the early days of his military service. It reminded him of the friends he first made when he was sent to the front lines. His eyes narrowed slightly in determination. He knew the horrors of war were far from over, and that more battles lay ahead. But for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he was convinced that they had a chance of making it out of this meat grinder alive. He was convinced that they actually had a chance of winning.

Jonas glanced around at his friends, their faces lit by the dying embers of the fire, and felt a warmth within him that went beyond the physical. These men had become his brothers-in-arms, and together, they had faced down an enemy that had seemed insurmountable.The shared bond of their victory was a testament to their resilience and determination. However, as his eyes lingered on the empty spaces around them, the cost of their victory weighed heavily on his mind.
Not everyone had made it through the recent battle. There were certainly others like him, who lost their friends. Jonas couldn't help but remember those who had fallen – particularly the bright young men who had to buy time for American supplies to arrive; the men who sacrificed everything in order to prevent the blasted Valkies from gaining more ground before they could mount a proper defense and fight back. The faces of the fallen flickered through his thoughts, a sobering reminder of the price they had paid, and the cost of war to come.

As the fire dwindled to glowing coals, Jonas and his friends settled in for the night. Surrounded by the silence of the night, he gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkling like tiny beacons of hope in the vast expanse of darkness. The victory had breathed new life into their cause and stoked the fires of determination within their hearts. Having seen the combined capabilities of American firepower and magic, he knew that a new sunrise would soon grace the country of Mu, leading it out of the muddy trenches of war. Jonas closed his eyes, his thoughts filled with visions of a brighter future, as well as the faces of the friends they had lost, and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

—-

December 3, 1640
Veirakal Forest, Malmund Grasslands, Mu

Several days had passed since their victory against the Gra Valkans, mostly spent on rest, replenishing their energy and ammunition, and sorting through the Valkies who had surrendered. Jonas looked up from his plate of food, watching as a car drove a group of POWs inland for questioning. The few Valkies that did talk confirmed what they had already known thanks to American satellites: the captured town of Sylverton had been reinforced and the troops there were preparing to mount another offensive.