As night crept upon the South, Regan and the other two were already standing in front of the warehouse. It was an old building, made of wood and bamboo. Regan wondered how it was still standing.
It was a bit far from the soldier barracks and tents. Iris said that this was located on the outskirts of the camp. During their arrival there, they saw few to none guards patrolling. So, it was a useful place to sneakily gather by. The night's air was still as hot and two moons illuminated the roof of the warehouse, casting weird shadows of the weird trees on the ground.
Other than that, no lights were around, so they were using their flashlights. As they kept waiting for the rebels to show, their patience was hanging thin.
"The woman said they were going to be here. We've been waiting for a while." Jack said as he was leaning on the wooden fence of the warehouse.
"Yeah, they should be here any minute now." Iris replied, trying to reassure him.
Suddenly, from the pitch black distance, they saw some orange flames flickering in the darkness. It was faint, but it was there. It was them. The rebels.
"They're coming!" Iris whispered, her heart racing.
As they got closer, they could hear the muffled sounds of voices, and the soft rustling of leaves and branches as they moved through the foliage. The three of them held their breath, waiting for the rebels to emerge from the shadows. The flames grew brighter, casting eerie shadows across the ground as the figures drew nearer.
Finally they emerged from the darkness, a group of many men and women, all dressed in ragged, mismatched clothes. Their leader, the woman from earlier stood there, her expression hard as stone. Her black hair was put in a ponytail, her face tight with determination. She and everyone else were holding fire torches high, casting a flickering light upon their faces.
Regan was astonished that they were so high in number.
"You are the three who have volunteered to help us?" The woman asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, ma'am," Regan said, nodding. Iris and Jack nodded in unison.
The woman studied them for a moment, taking in their faces and expressions. She seemed satisfied with what she saw. "Very well," she said. "Now, we must move quickly. Follow me."
Without more words, the rebels turned, taking the way back to the camp. Regan noticed how they had weapons, not only the usual knives and bows, but also a few pistols and rifles. They moved quickly and silently, their bodies trained for this kind of task. They didn't seem to be afraid of being discovered, but rather determined. They were going to fight for their cause, and they were going to stand against oppression.
"Come, we must go to the woman." Iris said to Regan and Jack. They all nodded and went to the first row of rebels, following the woman with the torch. The closer they got to the camp, the quicker Regan's heart beat. "What's your name?" She asked the woman in a whisper.
"They call me Raven." The woman answered without turning her head.
"What a weird name," Regan thought.
"What about you?" The woman asked.
"Some call me Ingrid." Regan replied, feeling a bit nervous. They walked for a few more minutes until they reached the outskirts of the camp. The sounds of snoring soldiers filled the air, but they didn't seem to notice anything unusual. The rebels moved even faster, silent as shadows. They passed by tents and barracks, their eyes scanning the area for any guards or patrols.
Finally they reached the track field. They passed the track and finally were in the circle of tents where the general and officers would sleep. The tents were big and large, dim lights coming from them. The rebels slowed down, their movements more careful and calculated.
"Alright fellas," Raven whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of the camp. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to burn down the tents, cause havoc, and steal whatever we can find. Remember, we want to make a statement here. Let's not kill anyone if we can help it. But if they try to stop us, don't hesitate."
The rebels nodded, their face filled with determination. As each spread apart, some gathered and yelled, "Freedom! We want freedom!"
The words echoed through the camp as Raven leapt onto a pile of crates, her torch held high above her head. The rebels surged forward, moving like a wave towards the tents where the soldiers slept. The sounds of shouting and shouting filled the air, waking up everyone immediately.
The flames from the torches licked at the canvas, spreading quickly as the rebels continued on their way.
Quickly alarmed, the soldiers held out their weapons, targeting the rebels. The rebels however, were fierce and brave. They lunged forward, some shot back, some burnt down as many tents as they could.
Sounds of gunshots and flame cracklings filled the air, the smoke growing vivid in the sky.
The rebels changed their route to the building where military experiments took place. They barged in, beating up the unprepared guards and looting everything they could find. They set the building on fire, making everyone and everything mad. Even the air was mad, a strong heat wind started to blow all the way around.
And then, from the biggest tent, appeared the general himself, "What in the world?!" He growled, shocked at the view in front if him.
The rebels fought with the soldiers, some using their primitive weapons, some their makeshift tools, some with their amo. The soldiers were trained and disciplined, but the rebels were fighting for a cause they believed in.
"Damnit!" The general growled, "What the fuck is this? Crush it down!" He ordered his officers who were as equally shocked as him, "Go and put out the fire on the base! Now!" They took quick action, gathering with more soldiers, taking heavier, stronger amo as well as reinforcements to put out the fire.
The soldiers fought back, but the rebels held their ground, refusing to give up.
Regan, who was wandering around, her heartbeats out of place, decided to interrupt. She didn't want them to die. Jack and Iris were nothing to be seen.
She managed to cast a protective shield on most of the rebels and she hit the soldiers with fire, knocking them out.
As she moved around the chaos, she saw Raven who was fighting physically with a soldier. She hastily approached her, "Raven, we don't want others to get killed. Maybe if we both protest to the general, we can make him surrender. I have some surprise for him." She shouted as she showed her hands that glew with vivid burning fire.
Raven looked at her in surprise, "You can control fire?" She asked, impressed. Regan nodded.
"Alright, let's go." She said as she shoved the soldier away. They made their way through the chaos of the camp, pushing past rebels and soldiers alike. The general was still in the middle of the biggest tent, shouting orders and trying to organize his men.
When they reached the tent, Raven and Regan burst inside. Raven held a shotgun in her hand, while Regan wasn't holding anything. She had a dagger but she knew it wasn't necessary to use it now. The general looked up, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Regan.
"You!" He growled, "You are a traitor!"
"No, you're the traitor, general!" Raven shouted back instead, "You've been oppressing us for too long! We want our freedom, and we'll fight for it!"
"Kill them both!" The general roared, motioning for the assassins. The assassins raised their weapons at both Raven and Regan. Just as the bullets would reach, Regan raised a magical shield, protecting her and Raven. The men looked surprised as they continued to shoot in hail, realizing that their weapons were useless against them.
"What the hell?" The general yelled, "What are...you?"
"We're the ones who will make sure you pay for what you've done, general!" Raven growled, her eyes flashing with anger. "You've destroyed our homes, our families... we won't let you get away with it!"
The general's face was a scowl as he looked at them both in menace, "If there's someone you should get revenge against, it's Sirius! But I'll kill you before he does." And with that, he rose a rocket launcher and aimed it at them. Before he could fire, Regan threw a strong burst of flame at him, making him drop the weapon and stumble backwards.
The other men lunged forward at Regan and Raven but she kept them back, striking them with flames. Raven on the other hand, fought them with her fists and other makeshift weapons.
The tent started to burn rapidly, the smoke engulfing the air. Raven sprinted away, jumped on top of a crate and yelled, "We're not here to kill you! We just want you to step down and let us live in peace!" The soldiers hesitated for a moment, but the general, who was hiding from Regan, roared behind a building, "Kill them all!"
The soldiers advanced once more, and the battle raged on. The rebels fought bravely, but they were still outnumbered. Regan used her fire to back down most of them, while Raven beat them up with fists and any weapon she could find.
The general, however, kept hiding after walls and trees, blending it the darkness, watching Regan warily. He had no weapons in that moment and managed to snatch a weapon from a soldier.
As the fire engulfed the whole tent, the soldiers started to retreat, choking on the smoke. The general, however, wasn't going to back down so fast. He lost Regan from his eye but there was Raven.
He pointed his weapon at Raven and pulled the trigger. Raven felt a searing pain in her chest, and she fell to the ground. Regan immediately rushed to her side, cradling her in her arms. "Raven! No!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.
The general sneered as he stepped out, "You fools! You think you can win against me?" He rose his weapon again, aiming it at Regan. Before he could fire, Regan blocked the way with a shield and shot him with a hotter flame. The general got slammed in a tree, groaning painfully.
Regan held the protective shield to herself and Raven. She tried to check her wound, while suddenly Jack and Iris's voices filled the smoken air. Their faces were shocked, seeing the general trying to aim at the girls. "Stop right there, you bastard!" Jack shouted as he lunged forward. However, the officers held him back, engaging with him in a physical fight.
The worry was evident on Iris's face as she saw the general slammed on the tree, she didn't want him to die.
"You said you were going to leave him alive!" She shouted to Regan.
"Shut up, Iris!" Regan hissed. She looked down at Raven who seemed to be slightly better. The bullet had hit her armor, which had deflected it, but the force still hit strongly. "Jack, keep the general busy! I'll take care of her!" She shouted.
Iris shouted again, "You said the general wasn't going to be harmed!"
Regan felt her fury taking over her. She couldn't understand how Iris was worried about the general in a situation like this. She wanted to knock Iris out but Raven started to stand a bit from the ground.
The general stared at Iris, confused. Some other officers approached him, explaining the gravity of the situation. Their military base, tents and barracks were all destroyed, the soldiers and guards were killed by the rebels, and the chaos that Regan was making was heavy. The general couldn't believe what he was hearing.
His men were useless against them, and now they were causing even more damage. His mind raced, trying to figure out something.
"Inform Sirius! Let him deal alone with this shit, we're gonna leave." He ordered, his voice urgent.
"But sir, he's gonna skin us alive!" one of the officers protested.
"And what are we gonna say, sir? Two females blew out the camp?" the other officer added, his expression shocked and worried.
"I don't care, lieutenant!" The general growled, "but you can just say a witch blew up the camp. Now, let's get the hell out of here!" He yelled in urgency, "Everyone, fall back! Surrender! Now!" The soldiers hesitated for a moment, but when they saw the general starting to retreat, they followed suit.
As they were leaving, the general paused and looked at Regan, who was still tending to Raven. "You're gonna die, witch. Mark my words." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.
"Cornelia, we can't let them leave! They're escaping!" Jack shouted. The ones he was fighting with, let go and he kept trying to go after them.
"Shut up Jack, let them leave!" Iris shouted back, holding him by his arm.
Regan, who was still looking at Raven, saw how the general, officers and the other soldiers were running away. She knew what was going to happen later. She knew too well. She glanced at Jack and Iris, who were both worried. She always had it hard to make decisions but she did it.
"Let them leave. We're done here. Take Raven and the others and go hide. The general's words don't scare me, but I know they should scare you. I'll handle this, just go," she said with a firm voice.
Iris and Jack glanced at each other in uncertainty. They didn't want to leave her here, "And what about you? Are you going to stay here?" Iris asked. She and Jack helped Raven stand and Jack decided to take her away. Iris stood there, her voice shaky, "What are we going to do now?"
Regan looked around, seeing the wounded people, "We have to help the wounded. Are there any doctors or nurses here? We need to tend to them." She said, already going to the wounded ones.
Some rebels and other soldiers were still there. Maybe they didn't want to leave with the general or they were confused about what to do. They looked at Regan, some not knowing what to make of her. "We need to help them," she repeated, more urgently.
"I'll help," one of the rebels said, stepping forward. Others followed suit. "We'll stay and help the wounded," they said. Some of the soldiers who didn't want to abandon their comrades also stayed back.
Iris and Jack exchanged glances. They didn't have much choice. If they wanted to help, they could stay and help as well.
"We'll stay too," Jack said, sighing. Raven was better as she could walk on her own. Regan approached her, "Raven, are you alright?" She asked.
"I'm fine. But they....they escaped." Raven answered, her voice shaky. She fell on a wooden bench, putting her hand on her hair.
"I know but it'd be worse if they continued to fight. You are so brave." Regan told her.
"No, you are brave. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have done anything. We'd be all dead." Raven said, looking around the land, her expression sour. The smoke was intoxicating and some tents continued to burn. The rebels and the remaining soldiers were helping each other, leading them to some old buildings. Regan prayed that they would get better.
"You have to rest," Regan said, "Jack, go and send Raven to her house. Jack nodded and once again tried to help Raven, but she was stubborn, so she went by herself.
"Cornelia," Iris called, her voice shaky.
"What?" Regan snapped. She still wasn't over the fact that Iris was feeling bad for the general.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it. I'm thankful you didn't kill the general." She said, taking her hands in hers.
"Are you for real?" Regan raised an eyebrow, "You met him just yesterday and you feel bad for him?"
"Well...." Iris trailed off, putting her hand behind her neck, "I wouldn't want anyone to die."
"They won't." Regan retorted, "They don't have to."
"What about the general? Are they going to turn back?" Iris asked, her expression wary and tired.
"Yes, they are. He will. He will seek revenge. He will be furious." Regan blankly said as she dug the soil with her boot. She knew what was going to happen. He was going to find her now, and he was going to punish everyone.
She didn't know what to think of herself. To think that the plan of rebellion worked and the general with his officers abandoned the town, or to think that the rebellion was the reason for another war, a more dangerous and cruel one.
The soldiers and the rebels were wounded and the town was destroyed. What was the point of this? What did they win? She didn't know.
"I don't want to think about it." Iris sighed, her eyes looking at the distance. "I just wanted them to pay."
"I wanted them to pay as well. It's my fault," Regan said as she sat down on a rock, her shoulders slumped.
Iris looked at her, "What do you mean?"
"I'm the one who started it all. I'm the one who made the plan. And I'm the one who needs to pay now. You should hide. Raven should hide as well. Everyone should hide. So, when he comes here, he'll find only me. The real problem."
"Cornelia, no! It's not your fault. The southerns have always had a rebellious nature. You only helped us to find our voice, to speak up and fight back." Iris protested, her hand on Regan's shoulder. "And you showed that you can defy him. After such a long time."
"But I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have made you do this. You didn't have to fight. You could have just stayed silent, just ignored it all." Regan looked away, not wanting to see the pity in Iris's eyes.
"No! I've wanted revenge for this place for so long. Okay, yes, they are wounded, but they're gonna get better. These people have thick skin. We're not fragile little flowers. We can survive. And we will. We'll find a way."
Regan looked around, seeing that there were some soldiers tending to the wounded, trying to save as many as they could. The rebels were helping them, even though they were exhausted. They were also helping to put out some fires, and they were carrying water to those who couldn't move.
She saw that Iris was right. They were strong. They could survive. But could she survive? She didn't want to go back to Silvertide. She didn't want to be held captive again. He had a way to do it. He always had. He would find a way to make her suffer.
"I'm sorry, Iris. I didn't mean to get you involved in this," She said, her voice barely audible, "I'll find a way to protect you. I promise."
Iris squeezed her shoulder, "Don't worry about me. We're in this together, remember? We'll find a way out of it. We always do." She smiled, trying to reassure her. "Besides, you need to take care of yourself first. We can't have you getting hurt, alright?"
Regan smiled back, feeling a little better. "You're right. We'll figure it out." She stood up, brushing the dirt off her pants. "Come on, let's go help them. There's still work to be done."
As they walked back to the camp, they passed by soldiers and rebels alike, each one nodding in acknowledgement of their shared struggle. The air was toxic with the smoke and tense but it was also filled with determination and hope.
Regan spotted Raven again. She couldn't help but think of how stubborn and brave Raven was. Being wounded as well, she was helping the wounded soldiers and rebels. Her strength and determination were truly inspiring.
As they continued to work, Regan noticed that some of the rebels were looking at her with a mixture of admiration and fear. They knew who she was and what she had done. They knew that she had helped plan the uprising and that she was now the one who had to face the consequences.
She felt a pang of guilt knowing that her actions had put them in danger as well. She hated herself.
Jack appeared from somewhere behind the burnt tents, his expression solemn, "Have some bad news, the guards have closed all the borders. We're stuck here." He paused, "They're saying Sirius is on his way." The news spread through the group like wildfire, each face paling at the thought of what was to come.
Iris gripped Regan's arm tightly, "What are we gonna do?" She whispered, her voice trembling.
"We'll figure something out." Regan said, trying to sound confident on the surface. But she was terrified. She knew that this time, things were different. This time, she had really gone too far.