"The on going war has been just too destroyful to everything! Death, starvation, chaos, ruined buildings and ruined life... Separate those who were family, and all of those who were together... unexceptionally."
Iona and Seth are just a few who ar...
"I'll.... I'll be there in a minute dad.......! just just wait up for God sake"
Iona keeps walking her way to the last isle to re check after she shouted. She's a well-trained civilian soldier to this procedure. Making sure that there will be no civilians left in the crooked city that is about to be blown. Soon the Terra Ruler's air force will vanish the city perimeter so there will be no more strategically places for the Drechans to occupy.
Her pulse riffle lifted when she hears something, her night vision device adjusting its lens and light supply to help her to focus more.
"What the hell..." she whispered when she suddenly saw a terrified pale face. She's trying to stay alert with her riffle pointing still to that boy's face. Her eyes checking every corner of that dark isle one more time to make sure that it's not a trap before she decides to lower down her gun. The boy is about her height but she knows that he is only a kid. Probably just 16 years old.
"What are you doing here kid? Aren't you supposed to be with your family? Leaving away this town?" her voice tones full with wonders of why but she keeps it low.
"My mum told me to wait here, she will pick me up soon!"
Shaking and catching breath is all the boy can do while his terrified eyes looking to Iona's.
"What????" she almost yelled to that boy. Her radio beeps and transmits message from her team squad, "Yo Ion, move faster! We don't have all night!" "Give me a second Greg, I need to take care of this", she replied.
"Come with me now, we need to move now alright? We will try to find your mum later on OK? It's not a safe place for anyone now", she asked to that kid with a lot of hope that everyone could just leave that place soon.
"But... But... I need to stay or my mum won't be able to find me later!!!" he shakes his head while saying that.
"Hey...what's going on here?" Greg showed up at the other side of the isle and approaching Iona and the kid.
"Help me up here, this kid is with us!" she grabs that boy's left arm and Greg takes the other arm and they move out the isle with the boy still insisting that he needs to stay. He gets more panic than before, trying to escape but the 6' 5 tall Greg finds it easy to drag the kid and forcing him to move along.
Soon they enter the port-shuttle to join the rest of the team squad. The shuttle feels so small with too much people inside. Not only the squad, some of the passengers are the last city survivors just like that boy. It was a long night for Iona's team squad, as they have finished the last check and back to the base station.
The passengers are mainly the civilians, some show so much worry in their face, heavy hearted to leave their hometown and have to leave all what they have there in exchange to the safety of their life. Nothing but fear and sorrow since the first Drechan troop has landed. The Drechans wouldn't stop creeping around the innocent Terrans everywhere. Just anywhere.
The boy looks out to the port-shuttle window and Iona notices that he gets very worry, sad and lost to part with his family. He is only a kid, he would never be ready to this, no matter how hard the situation is. But she only want him to be safe.
"I need to go back there!" he said.
"We will go back there", Iona tried to calm him down. "I am Iona, by the way... Iona Afreya. what's your name"
He slowly turns his head and says, "I'm Seth..,"
"You were born in Sibrica Seth?"
"No!... it was supposed to be our quick visit to find food supply there, my mum dropped me to one of the shop earlier this afternoon... in that block where you saw me there", he paused, feeling uncertain. "Usually I will help her to collect some canned beans or bread, just enough for me and her to survive for a week. She would drive to find another abandoned store or empty house so it will save time and I would just wait her to come back to pick me up", Seth sighed.
"What happened then?" Iona asking to him in deep concern.
"She didn't come back, until the day was getting dark...," he looked at Iona with sad eyes.
"Don't worry Seth, we'll try to find your mother soon!" Iona is trying to calm him with a broken smile. Deep inside her, she feels as sad as him.
She remembers how she lost her mother, that was a decade ago. A female Drechan killed her mother in a quick invasion at her hometown, in Evotree. Iona was just turning 12 years old around a week before her mother got killed.
She opens her eyes as she hears Captain Arthur calls her name. He sits next to her and holds her hand.
"Iona..." he paused in a few seconds and continue to speak. "Just try not to get left behind too long next time OK? You know things could go wrong. The air force could just come anytime sooner and blow up everything... and everybody!"
"Hmm... I will dad!" she replied to his father in less enthusiast way. She is in her late 20's and capable enough to make her own decision, but she knew that she just need to be a good daughter.
"I can't afford to lose another soldier, especially if it's you" He added and she somewhat nodded with her silence, can't argue with the only family she has left, even she has many reasons and excuses to say.
The gloomy Terra never rest to stay in peace. Not until those furious Drechans are leaving the Terra entirely. War against the Drechans has been going on too long. Sibrica is the last town to burn down today as part of Iona's squad missions this entire week. The port-shuttle moves away and its passengers see the Sibrica's sky turning red and bright in the middle of cold night.
◄.►---------- WRITER'S NOTE ---------- ◄.►
How will Seth going to deal with new people and live with them for sometimes? Iona told him to help to find his mum when the situation is much safer, but will he really meet his mother again?
Graphic illustration by Peter Elson "Ruins Of Isis"
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