VERONIA...
"Come on" Jessica muttered as she rubbed both of her palms against the rope bonds that kept it together.
It has been an hour since she heard the gunshots and chaos outside.
Quickly taking the oppurtunity earlier which led to her current situation now.
After a few minutes of struggling, she finally heard a snap behind her and felt the ropes tying both of her hands came loose.
"Finally" she muttered before proceeding in untying the ropes tying both of her feet.
Whilst removing the ropes, she heard faint shouting outside and a lot of footsteps running in the distance.
'It's getting worse outside, a possible mutiny or a coup?' She thought to herself as the rope tying her feet finally came off.
She then stood up and slowly made her way towards the tent's flap.
Peeking outside, she finally saw what she's been hoping to see for a while.
Chaos and distraction.
She smirked to herself as the thoughts came of the otherworldy army who attacked her people is now destroying itself.
Soldiers running and seemingly in a panic, not even bothering to look at the small head peaking out from a tent.
"Idiots" she muttered as she slowly walked outside.
Not even seeing any soldiers guarding outside, she made her way quickly and slowly towards a nearby crate.
Gunshots suddenly erupted in the distance, followed by screaming and shouting, not that she mind it at all.
Prying the crate open using a metal rod she found lying next to it, she saw various weapons inside.
Her smile widened as she saw familiar weapons inside, her previous daggers and a rifle with a magazine already inserted below.
Picking both of the daggers up and slinging the rifle on her back, she moved away from the crate and towards a nearby tent.
Seeing a silhouette im the tent, she quickly went inside and immediately stabbed the person inside.
Now that she had a better look of the person she tried to kill, she saw that he was just a soldier just like the rest of them.
But what makes him different is him being a kid, no more than fourteen.
She suddenly felt a pang of guilt as she realized the reason of the child was inside the tent and not outside helping contain the situation.
He was afraid, Jessica also noticed the frightened expression of the boy and the dry tears on his eyes.
"Im sorry." Jessica muttered as she removed the blade on the boy's stomach, killing him.
She then proceeded to loot everything in the boy's tent, taking everything that looks useful.
After a few minutes of looting, she now had a bag full with rifles and ammos,
But she growled after seeing a few of the rifles barrels poking out from the bag due to its lengthy size.
"Gonna have to cover it up." She muttered under her breath as she proceeds to wrap the barrels with tattered rugs and clothes.
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"Fucker!" Arlan yelled as he plunged a machete unto an unlucky's soldier exposed head, killing him instantly.
"Surrender now or we'll be forced to shoot you!!" a voice sounded out in the distance.
Arlan then looked towards the direction of the voice and saw various soldiers from different units had their rifles aimed at him.
He then glanced back towards the dead bodies around him, both friend and foe, now numbering about a hundred.
He was now alone, his loyal men are all dead, Matthew and the Purple brigade has forsaken him, leaving him with no choice but to fight to the end.
"We don't have to do this!" Michael's voice called out in the distance, but he didn't bother looking at him and thus, still ignored him.
He fought for them, killed for them, and now this is how they repay him? very ungrateful bastards.
He closed his eyes, still thinking of a plan, a hope, anything that can help him right now.
But his thinking was suddenly interrupted as a smoke-grenade was suddenly thrown under his feet.
'So this is the end for me huh?' Arlan thought to himself as images of himself getting executed in the public started flooding in his mind.
To his surprise, he suddenly felt someone grab his hand and started dragging him away from the area.
"Quick, he's escaping!" he heard one of the soldiers yell in the distance.
"Ignore them, just follow me." he suddenly heard a feminine voice, seemingly from the person dragging him away.
"W-wha-at?" he stuttered, unsure of what to do.
"Just keep walking." Was the response of the unknown person who seems intent on saving him.
He only nodded, still unsure of what to do and what to say.
After a few minutes of walking, they both came out from the smoke, finally revealing to Arlan his savior.
No words came out from his mouth as he observed Jessica's appearance, her curves, her tan skin, her.... hair.
Shaking stupid thoughts away, she followed her in what appeared to be a clearing with a few tents present.
No guards.
They then came to a stop towards a tent, and turned right towards a small dirt path leading to a nearby forest.
"We're almost ther-" Jessica wasn't able to finish her statement as they both heard a few running footsteps coming towards them.
"Hey, stop right there!!" One of the pursuers yelled as he shot a few rounds towards the escaping duo.
Dodging the bullets, Arlan unholstered his pistol, aimed it at the pursuers and fired, hitting and wounding atleast one of them
"Come on!" Jessica said as they finally reached the forest, and was now making their way deeper inside.
Gunshots still rang out as their pursuers desperately tried to shoot them, missing them and hitting a few trees as a result.
"Ceasefire!" a voice sounded out in the distance, causing the pursuers to... well, stop their pursue.
Arlan and Jessica both sighed in relief at this and still continued their run, not even bothering to stop.
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"Well Matthew, how do you plead?" Michael asked the person standing in front of him.
They are currently in a temporary courtroom, made to trial and judge soldiers who disobey Qhoris rules and laws.
"Not guilty" Matthew simply said with a smirk.
Everyone in the room scoffed at this, others were surprised and gasped in the process.
"Unbelievable" one of the men in the crowd said.
"He should be responsible for this!" an officer spoke up.
"My brother got killed yesterday! We want justice!" Another one yelled outloud.
Others nodded in agreement at this while the rest in the room voiced out their opinion.
"Order, order!" Michael demanded to everyone in the room as he beat a nearby drum three times using a stick.
At this, the noises around slowly faded as everyone started to keep quiet and calm down.
"Alright, by the evidences and proofs shown to me earlier." Michael started before continuing.
"We have officially proven that Arlan has gone rogue without Matthew's knowledge and permission." Everyone gulped at this.
"And thus Matthew himself is proven not guilty!" Michael said, clear irritation on his voice.
Everyone were shocked at this but at the same time, not surprised.
They were expecting like this, they all knew Matthew is far too valuable to be disposed and punished.
Surely he can be replaced, but he is the only known competent commander among the Purple brigade's ranks after the previous commander's death.
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"And just pull the trigger like this." Arlan said as he aimed a bolt-action rifle towards an unsuspecting deer.
A loud crack then erupted after that, followed by the deer falling to the ground, dead.
Jessica had her jaw opened at this.
"Remember this, insert, cock, then pull the trigger, ok?" Arlan clarifies as he handed Jessica the rifle.
"Yeah, but I think I'm more used to the one with the magazine, no cocking, just repeatedly pull the trigger and reload."
Jessica stated, rubbing the back of her head.
Arlan sighed at this, then proceeded to place his palm at Jessica's shoulder, making her yelp a little.
"Look, the world is a dangerous place, you need to learn how to adapt and make use what you have." Arlan said, a smile on his face.
"I'm aware of that.... but." Jessica stuttered.
"But?" Arlan asked Jessica curiously, to which he did not receive an answer from, after a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke.
"Nothing, just teach me how all of these works." she demanded, a pout on her face.
Arlan laughed at this before nodding.
"Yeah, come'on." He said as they both began to examine the rifles Jessica managed to steal.
A/N: Chapter done!... Hope ya liked it!!