The World Aflame Book 1: Rise Of A Nation

The World Aflame Chapter 9: The Parents of CAUs

     It is a strange thing, the feeling of waiting before a battle. My dad used to always read to me stories of old kings in lands of magic and always right before the major battle or first battle there was a wait time. It was a time in which anxiousness and worry would eat away at the courage of men. The men would always say the worst part of a fight is the waiting for it to happen.
Crouched behind a small pine and hidden from view by a small ridge line with bushes I knew how that felt. It was like a fire licking the underside of the bridge of courage you stood on. And if your bridge burned so did your courage.
     It had taken a little bit of doing but the CAUs and I had set up an ambush in the forest not far from the main road. The convoy had stopped a few miles short of the ambush and the soldiers had exited their vehicles. I adjusted my grip on my blade and tried to position myself so that my leg wouldn't go to sleep. As i looked back out at the seemingly empty forest I whispered to the girl next to me.

    "How long till the CAUs reach our position?" The girl beside me closed her eyes to concentrate.

    "one maybe two minutes," she answered. "If they keep the pace that they are going now."

    "And what about the soldiers?"

   "The soldiers have spread out and are combing the forest. They will reach our position in the next five to ten minutes." I nodded my understanding and settled back down to wait. "So what is the plan here anyway?" The girl asked. "I mean I understand taking down the soldiers because they're close to our base but why risk our necks for those CAUs?" I sighed at the question because i would probably answer that question more than i would be asked my own birthday.

   "We are rescuing them because all CAUs are our family, they are the same as us. Our whole purpose is to protect them and fight back, Emily." Emily nodded thoughtfully then looked back up.

    "So what are we going to do with the two adults that are with the CAUs?" she asked. 

   I froze, "what do you mean there are adults with the CAUs?" I asked. "why didn't you tell me about this this could ruin everything." I wasn't really mad, I was much more worried about those that I was leading. If adults were with the CAUs this could all be a trap to draw us out.

   "I didn't say anything because i just figured that the adults were the kids parents. It's not like they could do anything anyway, one of the adults is hurt pretty bad but he's somehow managing to hold on," Emily said only slightly defensive. When it came to emotions Emily only knew two modes, cruel glee, and extreme anger. I was coming to realize most CAUs were pretty practical when it came to their personalities and  emotions. Most had been hunted their entire lives and being on the run didn't leave you time to be emotional. A lot of us had witnessed some terrible things so it took a lot to rouse our emotions.

   "So what's the call boss?" Emily asked looking intently at me like she was searching for something. I shook my head,

     "Never mind we will continue as planned two extra guests shouldn't hinder anything." Just then I heard the crackling of leaves and brush at the entrance to the clearing. All ten CAUs that I had brought with me went completely still and sunk down into hiding. Emily readied the bow Aria had fashioned for her. I watched as Emily laid an arrow on the string but didn't draw it back. Good, it wasn't enemies. As i turned my eyes back to the clearing entrance a small group of five stumbled into the leaf covered area. I studied the new arrivals as they made their way right towards me.

    There were two younger boys about ten years of age and a young brown haired girl that looked to be sixteen, or seventeen years old. the two boys were identical, twins with the same brown mop hair and terrified wide green eyes. The boys ran out in front as if leading the way while the girl lagged behind. There were two other people there. There was a women, who looked to be in her early fifties with frizzled black hair that was covered in twigs and sticks. She was impossibly slim and her shirt and jogging pants were ripped. The women had her head under the mans' arm to support him on the left side, while the girl got the right. The man was in his late forties with brown short hair what was dotted with silver strands his face was tight with pain and worry and he his face had the wrinkles of a man who had spent a lot of time smiling. But he wasn't smiling now. He seemed to be scanning the forest tree line where we were hiding like he could sense something was up.