The Duns

LOTS

Catherine had told me that Aunt Eliza could- though very rarely-see short glimpses of the future. Perhaps she was trying to figure out whether we'd end up alive after this or not.

Catherine now at my side, I turn back to face the horizon, eyeing the meadows in front of us and the trees that lay behind it. I speak into my chip.

"Guys, easy."

I can hear, though softly, soldiers putting down their guns, sighing. I lean into my neckline again, speaking with the other Oi Alloi members, who were all sporting the same piece as I am. "Give them an inspirational speech or something. Can't let them sleep on the battlefield." I stare into the sky, waiting.

-

If a backup team is going to come, I'm sure it would have by now. We've been standing here for almost thirty minutes and even called for bottles of water to keep ourselves and the soldiers hydrated.

Some of the men even settle down on the grass and I don't stop them. It is unlikely that anything will happen now. Out of the blue, Eliza, who was still standing behind the gates, comes running up to me, worry lighting up her eyes.

"They've come." She announces. The men around me that heard her stand up, ready immediately, and the message follows. I instructed the other side leaders to be vigilant. These Snake people are creepy, slithering creatures and there is no way I am underestimating them.

Then, my ears perk up. The same, familiar stinging sound vibrates softly through the air.

I pull my gun from over my back and step ahead, blocking Catherine. I hear her sigh on my neck and can practically feel her eyes rolling.

"Stand ready." I announce into the chip and to the men next to me. They all pick up their guns, and aim it straight ahead. I put my left fist up, clenched, to signal them to wait. The sound slowly gets clearer. They're coming closer.

"Wait..." I mutter to myself. The trees in front of us start dancing, moving harmfully, as if they are getting chopped down. "Wait..." I say under my breath. Slowly, the Snakes come into view, their ridiculous green and yellow outfits, the leather on their skin, their slanted eyes. They come closer.

Most of them look like Catherine and I's age- too young to be in battle, too old to a child, too roped in to live a normal life.

I try figuring out some figures, relying once more on my ears. About- wait, what? There can't be more than fifteen of them. I decide that the others would be staying behind in the trees. I hold my fist and press my ears to listen. No, only fifteen of them.

They walk towards us in an arrow, one tall, muscular man with a matching cape and large boots is positioned at the point, in the front. From over here, we can see his black hair, slicked back, his tongue constantly sticking out, the end cut like the end of a ribbon.

Behind him, on both sides, there are two men, and they have an identical red circle on their chest, a tiny one, much like a badge.

Diagonally behind them, on one side, a line of women follow, some with blonde, some with gray hair, all cut into a bob of the same style and length. On the other side, a sequence of men follow, spotting similar slicked back hair and shades.

They walk with their body slightly leaning forwards, their hands moving on their sides. I keep my fist clenched waiting till they come a little closer. They do. And they continue walking ahead. What the hell? They don't stop, quickly filling up the gap between us. I see no more men following them.

Max looks at me, then at my raised fist. I shake my head, no.

Slowly, I put my fist down to my side, but don't lower my gun. I watch patiently as they come forward, now barely fifty meters from us. The soldiers start glancing around confused, but Max looks straight ahead and tells them to shush.