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Nausicaä of the valley of the Wind is property of Studio Ghibli.

This story is in no way or form endorsed by Studio Ghibli.

This is a little FanFiction.

It is inspired by aforementioned Nausicaä of the valley of the Wind, and depicts what happened roughly 1000 Years before the events of the books.

I orientated losely on the events described in the books, but took some liberties here and there with the lore. But there should be enough perallels to the original story so that fans of the story and the setting will find themselves right at home.

We follow Hiredeki and his troop of deserters on their trek to freedom and peace.

They try to flee through a country ravaged by a war, that is fought without mercy. They face hardships and obsticles that seem to be insurmountable but time and time again, they at least somewhat succeed and fight on.

In the end it is a story about the stupidity of mankind and their urge to always fight wars and in the process destroy the very earth they live on.

In an almost completely destroyed city, a young man rushes through the streets laden with rubble and ash. Again and again he looks around in fear. They are no longer there. His pursuers have lost him. But he still doesn't slow down. He runs past the old church bearing the bodies of the priests and their servants nailed to the walls. He pauses briefly, not to witness the horrific sight, but to catch his breath. His side stitches almost take his breath away as he continues on his way.

His pursuers, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard of Torekmetia, have surrounded the entire city. They are looking for survivors, refugees and deserters like him who survived the first massacre. His opponents are cruel and they know no mercy. Women, children, the old and the weak, all are killed in the name of the holy emperor who has ordered the cleansing of the border territories.

The young man continues to rush through the streets. A moment ago, he felt as if he had heard the footsteps of the heavily armored soldiers of the Imperial Guard. He turns a corner and runs into the arms of a guard patrol. He collides with one of the soldiers and is thrown back into the street. Desperate, he crawls backwards and tries to escape. But before he can even get off the ground, he feels a piercing pain in his chest and looks up at the guardsman, whose weapon is still smoking.

...

Ephtal, a large and very beautiful country in the middle of the continent. An empire of science, trade and art. Civilization has reached its absolute peak here. Man has succeeded, shaping nature according to his wishes and not thinking about the consequences of his actions. Torekmetia, one of Ephtal's neighboring states, is also highly cultured. Here, too, science prevails over the clergy. But for some time now, the signs have been pointing to a storm between the two dominant states of the time. The scientists of Ephtal have managed to construct a huge fighting machine, the Titan. In fear Ephtal could use the near unstoppable warmachine against them, Torukmetia threatened Ephtal. Not willing to give in to the threats of their neighbors, Ephtal refused to budge. Now that diplomacy has failed, Torekmetia is using its weapons to either destroy the Titan or bring it under its control. Since Torekmetia has a much larger army and is also in a better strategic position, almost all of Ephtal is soon invaded. The government of Ephtal is forced to use the Titan, not yet fully completed, against the enemy. The Titan is a huge, almost 70-meter-high, genetically engineered fighting machine that combines the latest technological achievements with the most advanced genetic formulas. Equipped with bio-chemical and nuclear weapons and virtually indestructible, it is Ephtal's last hope of escaping the invasion by Torekmetia at the last moment. At first everything goes well, the armies of Torekmetia are crushed. With no chance of victory against this war machine, they finally retreat. Overjoyed at their victory against the invaders, the Ephtalians call their Titan back, but it can no longer be controlled and, following its programming, begins to destroy all the forces it encounters. In just 6 days, the Titan manages to destroy almost all the armed forces of the entire continent.

Only at the end of the 6th day does the Titan collapse, its internal power reserves exhausted. Sensing a ray of hope, the Torekmetian army attempts a final assault on the Titan to destroy it once and for all. However, the Titan sees its end coming and destroys itself in a massive explosion. Only when the dust settles and the consequences of this conflict slowly become visible do the people on the continent realize what they have done. The Titan's attacks and its final destruction have completely and irrevocably defiled the continent's soil, its flora and fauna. Huge areas that were contaminated with nuclear and bio-chemical pollution are no longer habitable. Only a few zones of the once large continent are still habitable, as the contamination is not too severe there. A new war is unleashed. This will later be called the 7 Days of Fire. However, the war does not actually rage for 7 days, but lasts for several decades. Ceasefires are agreed and broken again and again. People fight each other to secure the few habitable patches of land, while others feverishly search for a solution to this misery. But it's not easy, much of the advanced technology has been lost in the 6 days of the Titan.

This is the story of a soldier of Ephtal who survived the 6 Days of Titan and now faces an even greater challenge.

"We survived the 6 days of the Titan. We are onky a small platoon, just eleven men led by Major Shirango. After the Torekmetians attacked the Titan last year and it destroyed itself, the world is no longer what it once was. The county were I lived before the war is no longer inhabitable. The Cities are flatened and the people… well who could did flee, the rest perished in the fires of nuclear warfare. The earth itself is poisonous now. We are on our way to Sepata, a small electorate behind the lake district of Ephtal. We will take it, for the glory of the empire, in order to open up new living space for our people. Noone asked the Sepatians how they think about that."

With these thoughts, the young man sits in one of the countless troop transports on their way across the Lake District to Sepata. Driven by the Sages of Ephtal, an elite group of scientists, he and many hundreds of other young men and women are to occupy the neighboring country. Sepata is one of the few countries on this continent that has not been rendered uninhabitable by the contamination. But here, too, the 6 days of Titan have left their mark. Hardly a single city is still standing and the scattered villages are empty. A year has passed since the catastrophe. The radiation and the bio-chemical contamination have subsided just enough to make survival in the contaminated areas conceivable for a short time with appropriate protective clothing. The scientists, who do not want to rely on conquering uncontaminated areas, are working feverishly on another solution. The race for inhabitable land has begun and once again victory will be bought with blood.

"Prepare to land. I want to see an orderly exit. That you don't disappoint me!"

The platoon leader stands at the door of the troop carrier, holding on to a sling to compensate for the rough flight. He shouts at his men, he knows they are the best, but even the best are exhausted by now. They have been at war for too long and he knows that this will not change any time soon. As the lamp above the exit begins to glow red, he murmurs quietly.

"Come back alive. Good luck."

The soldiers rise and check their equipment one last time before gathering at the exit near the Major. Once more he looks deep into everyone's eyes. There is not much will to live left in them. He knows that look, he has seen it often enough in his long career. At this moment, a siren sounds on board and the light switches to green. The major pulls the door open and shouts:

"CHAAAAARRRRRGE!"

The soldiers rush out of the transporter in a hurried but coordinated manner. Protected by the mounted weapons of their transport, they advance the first few meters into enemy territory. The resistance is weak. Only a few farmers with their old shotguns and hunting rifles face them. They are overrun before they can react. The platoon secures the imidiate area and takes up position. The small village where they have landed is deserted. Not a soul to be seen, the houses are barricaded, the stables empty, no cattle to be seen in the pastures. The major comes running after his platoon. He turns to the young man:

"Private Hiredeki, what's the situation?"

"Sir, the position is secure for the moment. Practically no resistance. The village seems to have been evacuated."

The Major looks around. Everything is indeed quiet. Too quiet for his taste. He orders a thorough search of all the buildings and then heads back to his troop carrier to report back to the staff. Hiredeki takes two of his squadmates and begins the search operation. Meanwhile, the remaining eight soldiers begin to expand and fortify the position.

"I don't know what's wrong with the old man. There's no one here, they've all flown out. They must have seen us from afar and fled."

"Sshhh! Be quiet, damn it."

Hiredeki tells his companions to be quiet and points to the first house they come to.

"Something's moved in there!"

The two others are suddenly quiet. Rifles at the ready, they approach the house. Hiredeki leads the way and tries to remember the few bits of the language of this country that he knows. Just before they reach the entrance, Hiredeki stops and his companions do the same.

"Is anyone there?"

... Silence ...

"If you hear me, come out, nothing will happen to you if you don't resist!"

... Dead silence ...

Hiredeki thinks hard about whether he has said the right thing. Then he gives the two of them a signal and they get ready to storm the house. One of them positions himself next to the door and waits for Hiredeki's signal. Shortly afterwards, he knocks the door off its hinges with the butt of his rifle. Hiredeki and his companion storm the house and secure the entrance area, while the third follows and secures the next door. Quickly, professionally and safely, the three search the first floor of the house and stop at the stairs to the upper floor.

"OK, we know you're up there. Come down and we assure you a free escort!"

... again no response ...

They exchange a quick glance and then slowly climb the stairs. There are only two rooms upstairs. While Hiredeki guards the door to one, the others search the second room. Nothing. They sharpen their senses once more before Hiredeki kicks the door in hard, causing it to fly into the room and they storm the room. The room looks chaotic. Mattresses lie on the floor, some supplies are scattered in small piles all over the room and two children are huddled against the wall in the corner. Astonished and horrified at the same time, the men stop at the door.

"Shit man, now what? The Major told us to clear everything out."

Hiredeki looks around, stressed.

"Man, we're not child murderers!"

The three look at each other uncertainly. Then Hiredeki hands one of his companions his rifle and walks towards the two children. They press themselves even closer to the wall and fear is written in big red letters on their faces.

...

A short time later, Hiredeki and his two comrades return to the command post, dragging two totally terrified children with them.

"Sir, we found these two in this house, we assume they belong to the two farmers who resisted earlier."

The Major looks down at the two children. His gaze is as cold as ice.

"We have no use for prisoners of war and we can't feed the enemy's children either."

Although the two children have not understood the men, they know that the heavy swallowing of the man who has just taken them out of the room does not mean anything good. The soft whimpering gives away their knowledge of their fate.

"Sir, we are not here to murder children. We're here to secure living space and get ahead of the Torekmetian army."

While still turning, the Major draws his weapon and shoots the two children at his feet. A look that could kill bores into Hiredeki, sending a cold shiver down his spine.

"Soldier. If you dare to openly disobey my orders again, or expose me in front of the troops, I will have you shot for insubordination. Do you understand me soldier?"

The Major speaks softly, but Hiredeki has understood every syllable, and as if in a trance, his body responds while his mind is still busy processing the sight at his feet.

"Sir, I understand, sir, it won't happen again, sir!"

The Major nods and puts his gun back in its holster.

"Good, now get rid of these and finish the search!"

Hiredeki salutes, still standing beside himself. The three take the bodies of the children and bring them over to those of the farmers before continuing the search.

One of the other soldiers, a veteran of previous wars and a longtime companion of the Major, comes up to him.

"Was that necessary?"

With a deep sigh, the major leans against a console in the troop carrier and looks over at his comrade.

"It's for their own good. They'll see a whole other set of atrocities once Torekmetia realizes we're here. I'm almost glad they disobeyed my orders. It shows that they are still human."

A weary nod acknowledges the Major's statement, while muffled shots can be heard from the houses in the background.

... to be Continued ...

"We've been here in this village for two weeks now. At our insistence, we were allowed to bury the bodies of the inhabitants. I still can't forget the faces of the children. The look on the Major's face will probably stay with me for a while too. There is still no sign of our enemy. We have heard reports that the 4th Regiment took the palace of the Prince of Sepata three days ago. Without resistance. It seems that the Sepatans don't want to fight. Even the occasional streaks of refugees picked up by the patrols seem strangely apathetic. They mumble something about purification and the wrath of nature, but no one explains themselves in more detail. Well, tomorrow I'm to comb the forest on the hill behind the village with a squad. The Major has a 'feeling' and it's never fooled him before."

Hiredeki checks his equipment and fills his spare magazines. He also has a 'feeling', a pretty bad one at that. Yesterday, the patrols picked up a fugitive soldier. He had spoken of huge Torekmetian army units and lost battles. The major had him shot: Deserter. The traitor had only wanted to disrupt the morale of the troops and save his life.

"I believe the poor devil. The Torekmetians would never let this slide, not if we get Sepata!"

With this in mind, Hiredeki packs as much ammunition and rations as he can carry as inconspicuously as possible.

"It won't be long before they've found us too. I just hope I'm not in this camp then."

He screws another new filter onto his NBC protective mask, not that it would help much, but perhaps it would buy him some time. Possibly the time that would one day make the difference between life and death.

...

Only very late does Hiredeki find a restless sleep. Thousands of thoughts chase through his head. But he is not alone. The major sits in the tactical control center and listens to the radio. Using his code, he can also listen to the encrypted reports from the army command. What he hears there doesn't exactly make him happy. His fears are correct: the Torekmetians have been advancing for some time now and the armies of Ephtal are practically under constant attack. One position after another is being overrun. No prisoners are being taken. They will be here tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at the latest. He fervently hopes that they will come through the forest so that his men can still warn their comrades, or if they don't come through the forest, at least a few will survive.

...

Dawn is just breaking as Hiredeki gathers his men and prepares to march off. An ominous mood prevails this morning. Radio contact with the high command has been lost. Officially it is technical difficulties, weather problems or something like that, but everyone in the troop knows what has really happened there. The High Command no longer exists! The uneasy feeling from yesterday has now developed into a full-blown upset stomach.

"Hiredeki, what do you think? When the hell does it start?"

Hiredeki's companion asks him as they walk through the village towards the forest. Hiredeki taps his slightly bulging pockets wordlessly and his companion knows.

"OK, good thing I took precautions."

The soldier mutters and reaches for two rucksacks that were hidden behind the last houses in the village. He hands one to one of the three other soldiers and keeps the other. They quickly leave the village and walk across the open plain towards the forest. Only when they reach the first trees do they slow down again. A short, sharp *click* indicates that the soldiers are loading and unlocking their weapons.

"OK, now what?"

One of his companions is a little nervous, which is no wonder given their situation.

"The Major knows the situation very well. We're just a forward outpost. We're supposed to warn him when the enemy is coming. No more and no less."

Hiredeki tries to exude calm, but he, like the other three, is now completely out of it. All he really wants to do is survive.

"So we dig in and try to survive."

His comrades, who have the same simple wish, unanimously agree with him.

"Right."

With Hiredeki in the lead, they slowly and vigilantly enter the forest. No sign of the enemy, everything is quiet. In the middle of the forest, they find a perfect spot for an ambush. Here they decide to camp for the time being and inspect their supplies and equipment.

"I think we all agree that we won't survive an open battle with the army. So we'll flee as soon as it starts. Better a chance of not being shot as deserters on the run than dying in a pointless and futile battle."

"Yup, I agree. So what do we have on offer?"

After a brief inventory of their bags and rucksacks, the four soldiers are presented with a treasure trove of various items of equipment, ammunition and rations. Hiredeki skims over the whole thing briefly and then summarizes.

"We have about 300 rounds of rifle ammunition and around 150 rounds of pistol ammunition. Then there are twelve grenades with fragmentation heads and impact fuses, so three for everyone. We also have four of the Type III AP mines. So much for our combat power. We also have two weeks' worth of rations, three if we divide up. We also have enough drinking water purifiers for the next few weeks, so we don't have to worry about that. For the time being. There's also enough chewing gum. Our navigation is taken care of by this compass and this marching map, which seems to be pretty accurate and should get us to Seruma, and thus to safety for the time being. We also have this field first aid kit. Not much, but it should be enough for the most basic things. So, all in all, our chances are not bad...."

Hiredeki doesn't get any further, because the thundering of the engines of two Torekmetian troop transporters cuts him off. They shoot past just above the treetops in the direction of the encampment.

... to be Continued ...

"The Torekmetians have overrun our camp. They came with two heavy troop transports. I'm guessing 70-80 heavily armed Dragoons. They just swept over them. Like locusts. We entrenched ourselves in the forest. Six days. Until they were gone again. They moved on. Probably attacking another position. Really, locusts. We searched our camp afterwards, saved what we could. There wasn't much left. We decided to make our way to Seruma. Not an easy task. 1,500 miles across enemy territory. Even the civilian population will be against us. Our chance is to flee in the opposite direction to everyone else. We have searched the village again and found a handcart and some suitable clothing, so we can disguise ourselves as refugees. From a distance, we will be indistinguishable from the other refugees. We don't think our chances are too bad as long as we don't get caught."

Hiredeki closes his diary and looks around. Everything is quiet. Two of his comrades are sleeping next to him, the third has just relieved him of his watch and climbed up into the gable of the barn. They made good progress today and found this barn towards evening. It's half burnt down and the smell of death hangs in the air everywhere. But it is a roof over their heads for the night and certainly safer than being outside. Everything is quiet, except for the occasional wind whistling through the countless holes and the rustling of mice and rats in the hay. They haven't seen anyone for days. No refugees, no soldiers, no one. But this is because they are deliberately staying away from the roads and villages that are still inhabited. He turns around quietly and tries to get some sleep. It doesn't take long and his exhausted body takes what it needs and demands.

...

He is woken early the next morning. The night has passed quietly. While searching the barn, one of the soldiers finds a still-sealed granary. With a little effort, the seal is easily broken. The soldier takes a handful of the grain and calls Hiredeki over.

"Hiredeki, I think our provisioning problems are over for now. There's enough here for several months."

Hiredeki comes over and examines the supply. It's a local variety of rye and there really is enough for a long time.

"OK. Find some sacks or something like that. We'll take some of it with us. We can't take everything. We'll leave the rest here in case other refugees come by. Seal the storage again carefully."

The soldiers do as they are told and fill a few sacks with the grain and tie them up so that none of the precious contents are lost. Just as they are about to seal the granary again, the lookout sounds the alarm.

"Hey down there. Everyone take cover. People are coming at three o'clock. ... Fugitives, it seems to me. No weapons are visible."

The soldiers look up. Nervousness can be seen on their faces.

"OK. Don't panic. Stay calm. Nobody shoots here without orders. Is that clear?"

The soldiers nod.

"Put the supplies on the wagon and stay calm. I'll talk to them."

Hiredeki throws his cloak around his shoulders and heads for the barn door. After a quick glance at the lookout, who signals to him the number of troops and the composition of the refugee train, Hiredeki waits until the other soldiers have finished and then opens the barn door. Outside, everything is still quiet. The refugees are still quite a distance away, but the priest at their head can still be easily recognized by his robe. Slowly, the refugees come closer and the lookout in the gable takes aim at the priest as the leader of this trek. Nervous and tense, he has his finger on the trigger. If Hiredeki fails with the negotiations, he will have to shoot and thus seal their doom. Hiredeki moves a little closer to the refugees, not to inspire confidence, but to give the others in the barn a better field of fire. The refugees stand at a distance and wait. Hiredeki raises his hands and calls out a Sepatan greeting to the refugees. It takes a moment, but then the priest and three other refugees break away from their group. They slowly approach Hiredeki. They also raise their hands in greeting. They appear to be unarmed and some of them are injured. Hiredeki puts his hands down again and begins to speak.

"Peace with you. We are deserters from the army of Ephtal. We have sought shelter from the night in this barn. We are heading east, to Seruma."

The priest listens quietly and patiently to what Hiredeki has to say before answering.

"Peace be with you too. We are going to the great lakes to continue our journey with the others."

Hiredeki is surprised by the calm and composure with which the priest responds to his speech.

"We found rye and took some of it. There was no one around who could own it. I suggest you take some too, for your long journey."

The priest's ears perk up.

"You say rye? Was the chamber sealed?"

Hiredeki becomes cautious, the priest has reacted somewhat strangely to this statement.

"Yes. The chamber was sealed. We broke the seal, but we were just about to close it again."

The priest's eyes widen.

"For God's sake, get the people out of there. These chambers are a trap. The grains are soaked with a chemical warfare agent. They should take out the invading troops."

It takes a while for Hiredeki to realize the implications of this statement and he turns abruptly and shouts to his comrades.

"OUT .... OUT OF THE BARN!"

His companions react quickly and come running out of the barn. The priest waves a few men from the refugees over and gives them instructions. Then he turns to Hiredeki again.

"They will take care of your men and render the poison ineffective. We will also get your equipment out."

As the men walk past them, Hiredeki nods to his men and they know and let the men do their thing. Then Hiredeki turns to the priest with a somewhat dark look.

"Why are you helping us at all? We are the enemy. We have murdered and stolen. I have shot men and not spared women and children."

Hiredeki looks at his hands and remembers the faces of the children. The priest looks at him long and hard before answering.

"You have already received your punishment. You will have to live with what you have done for the rest of your life. Even if we killed you and the others now, the people would not come back to life. The fact that you have deserted is a sign to us that you are on the right path. Besides, I saw a different ending for you."

Hiredeki looks at the priest and sees him paint an old, used-up smile on his old furrowed face.

... to be Continued ...

"We lost Simsibar. He had probably come into too much contact with the poison in the grain. The refugees tried everything, but he didn't make it. The other three of us more or less survived. It seems to be a particularly insidious poison. It kills you without you realizing it. You get tired at some point and that's it. This war is hell. But as they say, the first casualty of war is innocence. We buried Simsibar last night. We spent a few days with the refugees. It amazes me how calmly they bear their fate. They feel no anger towards us. I learned a lot about the situation at the front from the priest. It seems that the Torekmetians have occupied the entire principality and are driving out or killing all the locals. Hmm well, we didn't do anything else. As the priest said, I will carry this guilt, as well as the guilt for the death of my comrades, for the rest of my life. The three of us will now continue on our way."

Hiredeki rises from Simsibar's grave and walks back to the other two. Together they go through the equipment once more. Despite the fact that their chances of survival have increased immensely as a result of Simsibar's death, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth to lose a good comrade. After checking their equipment, they set off again in the direction of Seruma. They leave their comrade behind in no man's land. No one will remember him if they are dead too. There is still a long way to go, they have only covered just under 400 miles.

...

Further ahead lies a small village. The priest had spoken of it. He said there was no one left there. A good opportunity to sleep in a bed again. So the three of them quicken their pace and approach the village. Most of the houses are still intact, the fighting here didn't seem to have been that bad. Hiredeki sends the others off to search the houses for supplies and equipment. Meanwhile, Hiredeki heads for the house they have chosen. It is an old house in the middle of the village with a good view of most of the village. He slowly approaches and pulls his rifle from the cart. He could have sworn something was moving in there. Slowly he walks towards the front door. The others are out of shouting distance and distancing from the house now would be too conspicuous. He stops next to the door and loudly loads his gun. 'Let them hear it...' he thinks as he prepares himself mentally and physically to storm the house. At that moment, he hears a young voice calling from inside.

"Hold your fire. We're coming out."

So he was not mistaken.

"OK. I'm not going to shoot. Come out. Nothing will happen to you."

It takes a moment, but then he hears the old lock on the door being turned. Slowly and creakily, the door is opened and a young woman comes out of the house with a small child. They look startled at Hiredeki, who is still standing next to the door with his rifle. Hiredeki takes a moment to make sure it's not a trap and lowers the gun. He looks at the two of them, dumbfounded. Suddenly hundreds of questions come to his mind, but before he can react, the others return. They also have company. Two older men, obviously refugees. When they see Hiredeki leaving the house with the two of them, their expressions change from dejected to hopeless. Hiredeki looks them over and waits until they have all reached him. When everyone is finally together, Hiredeki puts his rifle away again and turns to his companions.

"Where did you find them?"

One of the two soldiers shrugs his shoulders.

"Hmmm, they were more likely to have found us. We were searching a house when we heard them outside. Well, they didn't put up any resistance, they just said we shouldn't hurt them. We weren't going to. We said we wanted to bring them to you so we could see what you would say."

Hiredeki nods and thinks for a moment before turning to the men.

"We are deserters. You have nothing to fear from us. We just want to survive. We'll stay here for a night or two and then we'll move on. We don't want to bother you, we're just looking for a place to stay for the night. Maybe something to eat. We had no intention of frightening you, but in times like these we have become cautious."

The older men look at Hiredeki sharply for a moment, but when he doesn't avoid their gaze, they relax a little and reply:

"Strangers. We don't have much, but we will share what little we have with you. We too are on the run. The fact that you belonged to the armed forces does not change the fact that we are all in the same boat. Come in and share our camp with us."

The older men lead the way and take the young woman and the child into the house. Hiredeki and the others follow them and take their equipment into the hallway. After they have stowed everything away, they go further into the house and join the fugitives.

...

The next morning, the three soldiers set off again. They have learned a lot from their hosts during the night. Where the Torekmetian army is located, where the routes are safe and which areas are to be avoided. In return, the three reveal what they know about the granary traps and the route they have already taken. It is still early in the morning when Hiredeki and his two companions set off. Protected by the fog that morning, they pass a Torekmetian troop unnoticed, who are on their way to the village they left that morning.

...

Even as they move on, the soldiers' shots can be heard far behind them. With narrowed eyes, Hiredeki walks on. There was nothing they could have done, even if they had wanted to. He pushes the feelings of guilt out of his head and tries to concentrate on the road ahead so that he is not consumed by his emotions. However, he doesn't really succeed.

...

Towards evening they reach a forest, just as one of the refugees had described, where they should be safe. For now, at least.

... to be Continued ...

"We stayed in the forest for a while, not that we had any choice with all the Torekmetians skulking around the forest. We were lucky with the fog, otherwise we would have run straight into the arms of the army. The others in the village were probably less lucky. I think the Torekmetian army knows no mercy. After all, we've moved on. We have to take a detour, because even here in Sepata some areas are contaminated. However, this detour is not without danger, it takes us quite close to the capital, which is still firmly in the hands of the Torekmetian army. I'm worried about the morale of my companions, the war has taken its toll on our nerves and they no longer make a good impression on me. They are tired and exhausted. Our only hope lies in the bad weather front that is approaching and the night when it descends on the town and us. We'll get past the city under cover of darkness and the storm."

Hiredeki closes his diary and looks once more over the skyline of the capital, at the last bit of sunset that still shines through between the heavy, black clouds that are finally closing in like a great curtain before it suddenly gets dark. Tonight will be the night, the storm will break and they will try to get past the city without attracting the attention of the enemy troops. From their hiding place, they can watch as the Torekmetians begin to prepare for the bad weather and the night. The guard posts are made weatherproof and sentries are reinforced. The closed cloud cover is already reducing visibility considerably, but the rain will reduce it to zero. Even night-vision goggles will no longer be helpful. Hiredeki knows this, which is why he waited so long to set off. The wind slowly picks up, bringing with it the first drops of rain in strong gusts. Hiredeki leaves his observation post and joins the others, who are in the process of packing their equipment and supplies in waterproof bags.

"We're leaving soon. Are you ready?"

The two deserters don't look up from their work, but continue packing their equipment into watertight containers.

"Yes, we're still packing the ammunition so it doesn't get wet."

Hiredeki nods and helps his companions pack the ammunition into watertight containers. As soon as they have finished, it starts to rain harder and harder. Within a very short time, the surrounding area turns into a muddy hell, as the ground is unable to absorb the water quickly enough.

...

Hiredeki and his companions fight their way through the pitch-black night. They have had to leave their wagon with the supplies and some of their equipment behind. It had not been possible to pull the heavily laden wagon through the mud. They also find it difficult to find their bearings in the darkness, repeatedly slipping and falling. On more than one occasion, they narrowly missed patrols of the Torekmetian army. Only the occasional flash of lightning illuminates the scene for a brief moment before the darkness descends on the surroundings again. But they still manage to get past the city in one piece.

Until...

"Stop right there or we'll shoot!"

Just before they make it, Hiredeki and his companions run into a patrol. The three soldiers opposite them have already raised their weapons...

No chance of escape, unless ... One of Hiredeki's companions reacts with lightning speed and runs away. While the soldiers open fire on him, Hiredeki also raises his rifle and shoots two of the soldiers, the third is shot by Hiredeki's sidekick. When the three soldiers collapse, the two run off to look for their buddy. They find him lying on the ground about fifty meters away. He is bleeding from several bullet wounds and does not respond to the calls of his companions. When Hiredeki turns him over, he realizes that he is already dead. He slowly closes his eyes and lays him back down on the ground.

"Damn it. This can't be happening..."

Hiredeki mutters, but his words are swallowed up by the sound of the rain. He stands up again and looks at his companion, who only nods knowingly. The shots have already attracted other soldiers and patrols, they have no more time. Leaving their partner behind in the mud, the two flee into the darkness.

...

Towards morning, the rain finally eases a little and visibility improves. The capital of Sepata is already a few miles behind them, but Hiredeki is determined to reach the next village so that they can hide better. Both are exhausted and have reached their absolute physical and mental limits. They drag themselves through the never-ending rain for a few more hours until they finally reach the village. After some searching, they find a few makeshift provisions and a suitable roof over their heads.

Shortly after they have made themselves at home and Hiredeki's companion has agreed to take over the first watch, Hiredeki falls into a death-like sleep. The previous night had taken its toll on him too...

...to be Continued...

"We may have gotten past the capital, but we have another loss to lament. Jones didn't make it. On the other hand, his sacrifice allowed us to survive. The Torekmetians would almost certainly not have left us alive if they had found out who we were. But it's still anything but easy to take this blow. Now there are only two of us left and we're almost out of supplies. We will stay in this village until tonight and search for supplies and equipment again. We still have almost 800 miles to go and the thought that we won't reach our destination is slowly growing stronger in my mind and this thought is gnawing away at my motivation. I've managed to make up for a lot of the sleep I've missed in the past few days, but I still feel exhausted. But at least the Torekmetians no longer seem to be bothering this village. In the last 3 days we have only seen one small convoy passing through this village. After checking our supplies and equipment yesterday, we came to the conclusion that we can march for about ten days if we save on the rations. Well, my guard shift begins..."

Hiredeki closes his book and puts it back in his pocket before rising to relieve his companion so that he can get some sleep before they set off in search of supplies. He goes next door, where his companion is sitting at a barricaded window, keeping an eye on the surroundings. Hiredeki slowly approaches and then waits until he receives a signal from his sidekick. He then comes to him.

"So how does it look? Everything quiet?"

His sidekick looks up briefly at Hiredeki and he recognizes the exhaustion in the eyes of the guard.

"Everything's quiet, nothing unusual. The enemy hasn't moved."

Hiredeki nods to his companion and presses his lips together. He, too, is not at his best.

"Well, go and lie down for another round. We still have a lot to do. I need you ready for action."

The other nods silently and heads for their bedroom. Hiredeki looks after him before taking up his post. It's time they finally arrived at their destination, they won't last much longer. Hiredeki dismisses the thought and tries to concentrate on his guard duty.

...

It remains quiet outside their hiding place for a long time, so that Hiredeki slowly becomes sleepy. Again and again he loses his focus and dozes off. His discipline and iron will manage to keep him from falling asleep again and again. He wakes up from this state just in time when he notices movement outside in the open space in front of the house. He is wide awake in a flash and his senses sharpen as he recognizes the Torekmetian soldiers. Calm but tense down to the last muscle fiber, he observes the soldiers as he pulls on a thread that connects him and his companion. The latter knows immediately and remains quietly in the next room, knowing that a single noise now means their certain doom. Slowly and quietly, he grabs his rifle and checks the magazine. Meanwhile, Hiredeki takes his measure behind the window.

'If I get him right, I can kill them both with one shot...'

But he abandons the idea as more soldiers enter the square. A whole platoon of the army is standing under his window. Silently cursing, he lowers his gun. They can't take on that many. All that remains is to wait and see, with any luck...

"... Have you found anything?"

One of the soldiers begins to speak. The two soldiers turn and salute before answering.

"No sir. No one has been found yet, we've searched everything. Nobody seems to be here. Even if the convoy has recorded heat signatures, there is no one here. They must have already moved on."

The soldier nods and takes a quick look around.

"All right, we're moving out. Mark the village for a sweep bombardment."

The soldiers salute and one pulls out a signal grenade and throws it into the open space before running out of sight following the third. Hiredeki reacts immediately and runs to his comrade.

"Grab what you can carry, we have to get out of here, bronto!"

His companion doesn't hesitate and jumps up from his camp. Together they grab what they can and flee downstairs. They leave the house through the back door and run through the adjacent field. Not a second too soon. Behind them, the first heavy artillery shells are already hitting and, among other things, destroying the house they were hiding in. Shortly after the first shower has fallen, the air is filled with an ever louder rumble. The Torekmetian air force flies in to finish what the artillery had started. Hiredeki and his sidekick duck low into the tall grass to avoid being seen by one of the pilots. The explosions of the heavy bombs shake the ground even this far away from the point of impact and the thunder rings in the ears of the two fugitives. Only when the Torekmetian bombers can no longer be heard do the two dare to emerge from their cover. After a quick check of themselves and the meagre remainder of their supplies, Hiredeki and his sidekick come to the conclusion that it's going to be really tough now. They have just two magazines each for their rifles and a little food. Barely enough for four days and no drinking water.

"It doesn't do any good to stay here. Let's go, we have to keep going..."

His voice sounds unconvincing, but his companion is of the same opinion and so they pack their things and set off again towards Seruma. The road ahead has never been rockier and bleaker than it is now. They hope to reach the next settlement before their meagre supplies finally run out.

...to be Continued...

"We got off with a black eye once again. We may have lost most of our equipment and most of our supplies, but at least we're still alive. Now it's time to find the next village. Unfortunately, we lost our map in the bombing along with the rest of our equipment. So we head for Seruma on the off-chance. We hope to find a village within the next three days, otherwise we'll run out of supplies. I'm worried that we haven't seen any refugees for a long time. Sepata was actually very densely populated and the population density was relatively high. I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that the Torekmetian army were more thorough in their cleansing than we were. Tonight we reach Lake Salmiak, a large fishing resort. It's not quite on our route, but with a bit of luck we'll be able to stock up on fresh fish."

Hiredeki rises from his camp and goes to his companion, who is just finishing cleaning and reassembling the rifles. He sits down next to him and inspects the second man's work. He had asked him to do this and Hiredeki found it a good opportunity to take his mind off things. Apart from the fact that the maintenance of the weapons had been neglected lately. His colleague had been quite happy to deal with the weapons. Hiredeki takes one of the rifles and checks its function. Flawless, the weapon is in excellent condition, as was to be expected from a member of the army.

"Good, really good. How much longer will you need?"

His sidekick doesn't look up from his work as he answers.

"I think five minutes. I just have to assemble the breech and the casing. Then check the mechanics and we can go."

Hiredeki nods calmly. This scene reminds him of his training. Although it was only a year ago, it seems like an eternity ago that he watched his instructor cleaning the weapons. It is also the familiarity of this activity that gives his companion a sense of security and calm. Hiredeki slowly regains his courage, perhaps they will make it to Seruma after all. A loud, sharp *KLACK* snaps him out of his thoughts as his sidekick loads his rifle and takes the safety off. A slight, satisfied smile on his face reflects his mood.

"I think we can go."

Hiredeki nods and rises laboriously from his seat. He points in a rough direction and they set off. They follow a signpost and a road in the direction of the lake.

...

In the late afternoon, they veer off the road and continue behind the embankment to avoid being seen. The lake is already in sight. It is a large lake. It measures almost fifty miles in diameter. Until recently, there were numerous settlements on its shores and countless boats and barges cruised on its surface. The lake has always supplied the entire region with food, water and work. But now it is deserted. Some boats have capsized in the water, but most of them have sunk. The settlements lie in ruins.

Hiredeki and his sidekick slowly and carefully approach the lake. They try to maintain their cover for as long as possible. They observe the surrounding terrain for a long time. There is an open area about a mile wide around the lake. They have to cross it if they want to get to the lake. Hiredeki takes the binoculars from his eyes again and hands them to his companion.

"Can you see anything?"

His companion takes the binoculars and examines the surroundings meticulously. After a while, he hands the binoculars back to Hiredeki.

"No, I couldn't make out any troops. But there's something strange about that house with the red roof up ahead. I could have sworn I saw a glow of light in the window."

Hiredeki sets his sights on the house in question. He examines each of the barricaded windows for quite a while. Finally, he makes a find. Sure enough, a small, furtive glimmer of light appears briefly behind one of the windows. Just bright enough to make it out. Hiredeki licks his lips, the tension is palpable. The light returns at regular intervals.

"I think someone is sitting there smoking..."

Hiredeki mumbles as he tries to tease a little more zoom out of the binoculars. A moment later, a grin creases his face.

"Look at that. Seems to be a fugitive. But much more interesting is the barn next to that house."

His sidekick takes the binoculars and looks through them intently. He sights the slightly dilapidated barn and searches for what Hiredeki was talking about. It doesn't take him long to find it. There is a vehicle in the barn, old, battered but roadworthy, it seems. His eyes widen, his thoughts are the same as Hiredeki's.

"No more walking from now on."

He looks at Hiredeki, who knows exactly what he's thinking.

"I think we'll have to persuade him or her. I hope they are open to arguments. I've done enough walking since we started wandering."

The two get up and leave their cover. They head straight for the small settlement where the vehicle and the suspected fugitive or fugitives are located. Rifles loaded and safeties off, they march across the open area. When they are about halfway across, there is suddenly movement in the village. In the distance, a few people can be seen rushing wildly through the streets. Hiredeki reaches for his rifle and takes aim, his companion does the same. Their senses sharpen as the adrenaline gets their circulation going and improves their perception. They continue towards the settlement, but fan out a little to make a worse target.

"Shit man, we're sitting on a platter here, if they want they'll just shoot us up!"

Hiredeki feels the same way, but to prevent the tension from turning into panic, he tackles his buddy fiercely.

"Pull yourself together. If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it by now. If we flee now, they'll just shoot us in the back. Goddammit, you're a professional, so act like one. They're just some poor peasants who are afraid we'll shoot them like their relatives!"

With a queasy feeling in their stomachs, they walk on. When they have almost reached the settlement, a single man confronts them. His outdated rifle lies heavy in his trembling hands. Hiredeki stops and slowly lowers his rifle while his sidekick continues to take aim at the man.

"We don't want to cause any trouble. We're on the run, looking for food and a place to sleep for the night."

Hiredeki puts his hands up after securing and shouldering his rifle. His sidekick slowly lowers his rifle, but without turning it away from the man. The man's excitement slowly subsides and he too lowers his rifle.

"Tell me, who are you and where are you going? Your home lies in another direction. But if you come in peace, we will give you shelter and food."

...to be Continued...

"We had a stroke of luck. Instead of soldiers as expected, we came across refugees. A small group that has already made its way through Sepata. They must be heading in the same direction as us, they also want to get to Seruma. That's a good thing, a little company and the vehicle will make our journey easier. It's probably about 500 miles from here. The only problem is that their vehicle has engine trouble and they've been stuck here for two weeks. We will try to repair the engine. Our resources are quite limited, but with a bit of improvisation and dedication it will probably be up and running again. But at least our food problems are over for the time being. The lake offers an abundant supply of different types of fish and we have found fruit and vegetable fields in one of the abandoned gardens. We keep the few tinned and non-perishable foodstuffs we can find, and for the time being we keep to the fresh food. The army also seems to have last passed through here several weeks ago, as there are no more traces to be found. For the first time in a long time, a slight feeling of security creeps back into my thoughts, a pleasant if dangerous state of mind. But I let it happen, otherwise I will collapse at some point. I still can't quite share the optimism of my new companions. They think they are safe now that they are protected by soldiers from Ephtal. Admittedly, our fighting strength has increased considerably thanks to the new additions, but we're still a long way from being a match for a troop of Dragoons from Torekmetia. But I don't want such dark thoughts to dominate my thoughts right now, we have an engine to resurrect."

Hiredeki puts his book aside and stands up from the table in the workshop, where he has continued his diary sitting upright for the first time in a long time. While his colleague is already tinkering with the engine under the vehicle. From above, Hiredeki looks down at his colleague through the engine compartment.

"So how does it look? Is there any hope?"

His buddy puts the wrench aside for a moment to give a brief status report.

"Well, I don't know what they've done to the poor thing, but the engine's definitely fucked up. The head gasket is leaking so badly that we can't keep up with topping up the oil, the valve cover is cracked and the crankshaft bearings are practically non-existent. If, but only if, we can ever get this thing running again, then we'll be lucky if we make it to the border. Let's not even talk about crossing the border."

The deserter picks up his wrench again and continues trying to remove the crankshaft from its housing. His occasional swearing in an Ephtalian dialect testifies to the difficulty of the task. Meanwhile, Hiredeki takes a look at the upper part of the engine. His colleague had already removed the valve cover last night, but had not yet gotten around to checking the contents of the engine block. This is now done by Hiredeki, who removes the small springs from the valves with his nimble fingers and carefully places them next to him on a table. The two of them work on the engine all morning. By lunchtime, most of the engine has been dismantled and spread out on various tables. Hiredeki and one of the fugitives stand around one of these tables and try to remove a seized gasket without causing major damage to the engine block. Meanwhile, Hiredeki's buddy is cleaning various small parts and checking their functionality.

"Okay, take a break. There's food, unless you don't want anything, then there's more for us."

This exclamation comes from one of the women who is busy preparing lunch. The three mechanics turn to look at the pretty young woman standing in the entrance to the workshop, who is wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hmm, yes, I think we could do with a bite, what do you think?"

The sardonic, even leering grin on the faces of Hiredeki and his sidekick speaks more than a hundred words as they put the tools aside and walk after the woman towards the canteen.

…

After a hearty meal, the three "hobby mechanics" get back to work. But despite the break and the refreshments, the work progresses very slowly. There are no spare parts and the tools can only be described as meagre. The three men tinker with the vehicle late into the night until they finally give up, exhausted. Hiredeki leans on the table, on which a now completely dismantled engine block lies.

"OK. Let's leave it for today. This is getting us nowhere. We have to find something we can use as a gasket first, otherwise we don't even need to continue."

His companions look at him, exhausted. They can only agree with him, without any gasket-like material or at least something similar, they will never really get the engine running. Disgruntled, the three leave the workshop and make their way to the house. Most of the others are already asleep. Only one man is still on watch. Tired, he watches the three of them get rid of their dirty clothes and go to their bedchambers. Hiredeki and his companion share a small chamber. While his companion falls asleep quickly, Hiredeki stays awake for some time. He has some thoughts running through his mind, now that he has time to think, the thoughts come out of the corners of his consciousness and pester him. 'What will we do if we make it?', 'The Torekmetians will also invade Seruma as soon as they are sure of their cause here. And then?' ... His thoughts are going round in circles. Only when the first birds start chirping again does Hiredeki finally fall asleep. It is a restless and not particularly recuperative sleep.

...

Around midday, he is woken by his companion. Tired, Hiredeki blinks up at the oil-smeared man. He smiles at him.

"Up, up. Rise and shine. We still have a job to do. I think I've found a solution to our gasket problem."

Hiredeki is immediately wide awake. The gasket problem, solved? Hiredeki gets up quickly and grabs his clothes as he runs out, already starting to pester his companion. When they finally arrive at the workshop, Hiredeki can hardly believe his eyes.

"You cut up leather boots?"

His companion can't help but grin.

"Yes, the leather is properly greased to make it almost waterproof. Once it's cut into shape, it's only suitable as a gasket to a limited extent. It won't last too long, but I think if we're careful it should last to the border. Or at least until just before."

Hiredeki is lost for words. He stands there with his mouth open and simply doesn't know what to say. He would never have dreamed of such a simple solution. But that doesn't matter now. Full of enthusiasm, they set to work getting the engine ready to drive again.

... to be Continued ...

"We're finally back on the road. It took longer than we had planned, but we were able to repair the engine. Who would have thought that old boots could be used as gaskets? Well, every mile we ride increases our motivation. We turned off onto a main road some time ago, which makes the journey much easier. The wide road leads directly to the border river. According to the map of our new companions, we still have about two hundred miles to go before we reach the border river. So we should reach the riverbank in the next five to six hours. On the whole, no problem, the far bigger obstacle will be the river itself. According to our companions, the river is about a mile wide and has a rapid current. There are a total of five bridges across the river and there is a fortified garrison at each bridge. But this shouldn't worry us for the time being. First we have to find an intact bridge so that we can cross the river at all. If a bridge is still intact, it will probably be heavily guarded. However, the question now arises as to who this guard will be. We sincerely hope that we will encounter either Ephtalian troops or Serumian occupiers. But first we have to get to the river in the first place."

Hiredeki closes his journal and puts it back in his pocket. He looks around carefully at his companions, who are all asleep. Then he carefully climbs forward, taking care not to wake the others. His companion, who is currently driving the car, only glances at him briefly to make sure who is coming forward. He cautiously takes a seat next to him.

"How does it look?"

The driver doesn't look at him, but continues to concentrate on the road ahead while he answers him:

"So far, so good. We should have enough fuel. If everything goes smoothly, we'll be at the river in about five hours."

Hiredeki nods silently as he surveys the forest around them, which they entered a few minutes ago. He looks suspiciously at the surroundings, which would be perfect for an ambush. He doesn't like the situation at all, and his sidekick, who knows about the cunning of their enemies, isn't happy about the situation either.

"This forest goes on all the way to the river?"

The driver looks briefly at the map on a clipboard on his steering wheel.

"Yes, the forest lines both sides of the river. Only the five garrisons and the towns attached to them interrupt it. We have to go through it, whether we like it or not."

The driver hands Hiredeki the map and looks back at the road ahead. Hiredeki takes the map and examines it apprehensively. It takes a while before he starts to think out loud.

"Hmm, it probably won't be a good idea to take the main route into town. The density of security will be much lower on the secondary routes. Maybe we'd better head this way."

With a questioning look, Hiredeki turns to his companion, who is still thinking hard about the statement.

"Considering that we have five civilians with us who can't really fight, and our equipment only includes the bare essentials, I think we should take the path of least resistance."

Hiredeki nods and shows his driver the suggested route on the map.

"We should leave this road here and take this side route. It's a bit of a detour, but it will still take us through two villages. We can look for supplies there again. We should also spy on the garrison beforehand."

His companion looks at the suggested route. He thoughtfully examines the map, weighs up the options and finally turns to Hiredeki:

"Sounds sensible, we should try it. Let the others know."

With a smile, Hiredeki turns around and climbs back again, patting his buddy on the shoulder as he crawls past.

"Cheer up, we'll get through this."

The driver nods silently as Hiredeki climbs into the back. Only one of their companions is awake and watching the forest as it rushes past. When Hiredeki joins him, he slides a little to the side so that Hiredeki has enough room to sit down next to him. For a moment, they sit quietly side by side until the fugitive finally breaks the silence:

"Do we have a plan?"

Hiredeki looks thoughtfully at the wide street, it takes some time before he answers:

“Something like that, yes. It's hard to develop a strategy against an enemy you don't know. We will soon leave the main traffic route and take a branch route to the river. We will probably arrive in a suburb by nightfall. We’ll see what happens from there.”

The refugee nods. It seems like a sensible plan not to rush into the town straight away.

...

While the two men were still talking, the driver suddenly braked the vehicle. Hiredeki immediately turns to the front and at that moment the driver's call comes:

“Hiredeki, come on. Look at this!"

Hiredeki climbs forward, this time less cautiously and much more frantically. He wakes up the other companions, who at first cannot fully understand the hectic pace.

"What's up?"

Gasps Hiredeki, whose circulation couldn't get used to the effort so quickly.

“Look at this.”

The driver points to the wreckage of a Torekmetian battle tank lying on the road about 200 meters ahead.

“Someone give me the binoculars.”

One of the occupants passes the binoculars to Hiredeki. He stops the car and examines the wreckage with his binoculars. He thoughtfully examines the remains of the tank. After a while the driver interrupts him:

“Mines?”

Hiredeki slowly shakes his head and continues to examine the tank.

“No, those weren’t mines, nor AT shells. Look at it."

He hands the binoculars to his friend, who takes a close look at the wreck.

“They were can openers.”

Gives Hiredeki his opinion.

"...you mean...?"

His driver doesn't really want to believe it. Meanwhile, the other passengers have also come forward and look in horror at the remains of the heavily armored vehicle.

“Yes, I think they were Shrikers. Only they dismantle a tank this way.”

The driver takes down the binoculars and hands them back to Hiredeki. He turns to the others with a grim expression.

“I thought these things had been banned and the production facilities destroyed.”

Hiredeki nods.

“Yes, they were banned about 20 years ago and their production and use was criminalized. But it seems someone has circumvented this ban.”

One of the refugees speaks up uncertainly:

“So what’s a shriker?”

Hiredeki turns to the rest of the occupants.

“A Shriker is what is known as an autonomous sword. A combat drone that can operate completely independently. Fast, precise, deadly. Shrikers were typically dropped in large numbers over an area and were intended to kill anything that moved there. The drones were extremely effective in this task. In fact, they were so effective that they did not distinguish between friend and foe. It was found that Shrikers could not be used effectively in warfare because they could not be controlled. They were then banned and the remaining stocks were destroyed.”

Hiredeki looks at his friend who is driving. With a glance, the two understand each other. Hiredeki then turns back to the passengers:

"OK. We'll try to get through it, not that we have any other choice. We're already in the middle of the drone control area anyway. One of you, preferably the one who is the worst at shooting, takes the wheel. We take over the defense. We have to make sure we get through it as quickly as possible. The plan for the branch line has therefore died.”

Hiredeki's friend clears the driver's seat and leaves it to one of the refugees. He briefly goes through the equipment with Hiredeki.

“There isn't much left. You take the Seburo, I'll take the SBR-9 and the rest use the repeating rifles. Everyone takes ammunition and occupies a window, okay?”

Hiredeki takes the fully automatic assault rifle from his companion and begins to climb the roof of the vehicle. His companion follows him after handing him the remaining ammunition and the few grenades. Hiredeki takes one last deep breath and concentrates before giving the driver the all-important command.

“Go ahead. Get everything you can out of this soapbox and don't stop! Not even if we lose someone! Is that clear?"

The driver swallows hard, but nods and sets the vehicle in motion. They slowly pick up speed and pass the tank that has been turned into scrap metal. Hiredeki checks his rifle again before turning to his fellow passengers.

“Aim well, don't waste ammunition, only a garanteed hit will get us further. We have to be economical, we don’t know how many there are.”

Shouts of approval can be heard from inside the vehicle, even if they don't sound very confident, they are the necessary motivational factor for the occupants. Hiredeki nods thoughtfully and hopes they get through. The vehicle races faster and faster through the dense forest that still flanks the road on both sides. Hiredeki and his companion scan the flanks with a trained eye, hoping that they are fast enough and the drones can no longer keep up. But everything remains silent, no attack, no ambush. A glimmer of hope grips the inmates as the two deserters on the roof continue to closely observe the surroundings.

...

A shrill screech tears the occupants from their hope as a small drone bursts onto the road from the forest next to them and starts chasing the vehicle like crazy. However, shortly before she reaches the car, several shots from Hiredeki's assault rifle tear the murderous instrument apart and scatter it on the street. With a screech reminiscent of a circular saw, countless drones break out of the forest and begin their attack on the refugees.

"They are coming...!"

Hiredeki's scream is muffled by the dull thuds of the large-caliber weapon in the hands of his colleague, who fires at the attacking drones with well-aimed individual shots. The inmates now also open fire. Short, rapid-fire volleys repeatedly disrupt the otherwise muffled roar of the rifles. The Shrikers are getting closer and closer and are already starting jumping attacks against the vehicle, but can still be pushed back by the occupants.

“...shoot those who jump first...!”

Again several drones fall back hit and are left unable to fight, but this does not in the least prevent the others from continuing the attack. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the vehicle as Hiredeki uses one of the grenades to tear a huge hole in the attackers' formation. However, it doesn't take long before this hole is closed again by advancing drones.

“...no more ammunition!...”

The scream from within sounds like a death sentence to Hiredeki's ears, considering the still numerous opponents. Hiredeki hands the occupant his pistol and two spare magazines, who gratefully accepts them and begins targeting the attackers again. But Hiredeki doesn't have too much ammunition left either. A stressed look at his friend shows him that he too will soon be left high and dry.

'Is this our end now?'

Hiredeki thinks as he silences another Shriker.

"...I'm dry...!"

Another of the refugees has fired his powder. The drones are getting closer and closer. Hiredeki changes his magazine, only to realize that it is his last one, which is now in the rifle. Another explosion rocks the vehicle as Hiredeki lobs another grenade into the enemies, thinning their ranks.

“...there are fewer!”

At first they don't want to believe it, but actually, the ranks are not closing again. On the contrary: the drones are gradually turning away. But before the passengers can rejoice at having survived, the driver's scream can be heard.

“...oooooh shit!”

Hiredeki turns around and just sees the tree fall onto the road when the car crashes into the trunk lying across the road.

...

The impact is so hard that Hiredeki and his companion fly almost twenty meters over the obstacle before hitting the asphalt and sliding several meters further. The car bores itself deep into the thick tree trunk and finally stops on the track. Within a few seconds, the Shrikers are back on the spot and begin dismantling the car. The inmates have no chance of escaping. The screams of those who survived the impact are quickly drowned out by the shrill shrieks of the Shrikers. Hiredeki averts his gaze, knowing what is now happening in the car. He then gets up and looks at his friend, who apparently broke his right leg in the impact. He lies on his back and screams in pain. Hiredeki drags himself over to him. The right leg is unnaturally twisted and an growing red spot on the trouser leg indicates an open fracture or at least a more serious injury to the thigh. Hiredeki grabs the soldier by the shoulder strap and begins to pull him behind him.

“Hiredeki, cut that crap! You’ll never make it with me...!”

Hiredeki doesn't look down at his colleague but concentrates on moving forward.

“Never, I won’t leave you here! We have already lost too many men. Now pull yourself together, we can do it!”

Hiredeki continues to tug at his colleague and drag him behind him. A shrill screech alerts him that the Shrikers have discovered them. Gritting his teeth and suppressing the pain, Hiredeki tries to increase his pace further.

"Dammit, leave me here, at least you have a chance on your own...!"

But Hiredeki is undeterred and continues to drag the badly injured soldier behind him. When he notices that Hiredeki still doesn't want to listen and can already see the Shrikers moving towards them at high speed, he takes his knife out of his holster and begins to cut the shoulder strap. However, Hiredeki only notices this when the belt breaks and the soldier falls to the ground. Turning around, Hiredeki notices the approaching drones.

“Shit, damn it. I am so sorry..."

Hiredeki hands his friend the remaining grenades and squeezes his hand one last time.

“Now finally make sure you gain some ground. Shit, I didn’t think I’d be dying like that.”

It takes all of Hiredeki's strength to leave his companion behind. He hesitates for a moment, but the look of his doomed companion finally makes him flee. Hiredeki limps away as fast as his broken legs can carry him. He doesn't get far before he hears the shrill screeching of the combat drones, which is interrupted by a piercing scream. A short time later, two explosions shattered the silence. The blast from the explosion knocks Hiredeki off his feet. When he falls, he hits the back of his head hard on the asphalt. As he lies on his back looking up at the sky, everything around him starts to spin and eventually it gets dark…

... to be continued...

“When I regained consciousness it was already dark. I didn't expect to still be alive. But apparently Hawkins has routed the Shrikers. Hawkins... so now he's dead too. None of the others survived either. The drones did a great job. I am alone now. The last one who survived. This fact tore me into a deep mental hole. For a moment I thought about letting it end there and then. But then everything would have been in vain, our journey, the deaths of the others, all the suffering. I have made a final decision: I will complete the journey or perish. I owe it to the others. I gathered everything that was still usable. It's not much. The drones have rendered all weapons useless. So I head towards the river. I feel the drones watching me. I can hear them, but I don't see them. Why don't they attack me?

...

I arrived in a village in the afternoon. It was deserted. There were no signs of battle. The windows and doors were properly locked. It appears to have been properly cleared. I didn't find any supplies or useful equipment. The residents took everything with them. However, there was a picture in one house that caught my eye. An old man could be seen on it. He reminds me of the old man we met at the granary. He said then: Don't go north. Did he know what would happen here? Now I'll move on. There is no more point in turning back than in staying here. Besides, there are still a good fifty miles until I reach the first suburbs of the garrison. A lonely march. I still hope that Ephthalian or at least Serumian soldiers are waiting for me there.”

Hiredeki closes his diary again and puts it in his bag. He looks around again. In the distance you can still see the church tower of the village he passed through. It's late afternoon, the sun is already low over the horizon and casting long shadows. It is completely silent all around. Only the characteristic crunch of boots on the asphalt can be heard. Hiredeki slowly walks towards the garrison town. The rustling of the leaves in the light breeze is shockingly loud and it is only now that Hiredeki notices that the high-frequency whirring of the servos, typical of his companions, has completely disappeared. He looks around nervously and listens, but there is already absolute silence again and the rustling of the leaves has also stopped again. Hiredeki looks at the forests around him with a skeptical look. But he finds no sign of his pursuers. However, after a while he decides to move on.

...

It is already late evening when he reaches a small hut that turns out to be a bus stop. Hiredeki amusedly studies the timetable posted on the outside of the hut.

“What a shame, I missed the last bus to the garrison. Well, I guess I’ll have to spend the night here.”

Hiredeki enters the hut and examines the bench attached to the back wall.

“Well, it’s definitely better than lying on the floor. I won't lie soft in either case. Well then, let’s go.”

He takes his bag and places it at one end of the bench to use as a pillow. He lies down on the bench and tries to fall asleep. It takes a while until he finally calms down. It is a restless, unrefreshing sleep. In his dream he relives the last days. He tosses and turns on the bench, making loud complaining noises until he finally falls off the bench and wakes up bathed in sweat. He looks around completely confused. For a moment, Hiredeki is completely disoriented until he finally knows where he is again. He sits up with difficulty, leans against the wall of the hut and rests his head on his hands. He only slept for two hours. Thousands of thoughts race through Hiredeki's head. As soon as he closes his eyes, his deceased companions appear before him and reprimand him for still being alive. He tilts his head back and looks up at the stars through the small holes in the roof. He looks for justifications as to why he should survive until now. But even with this he cannot calm his conscience. Only when the morning dawns and the birds announce the next day does Hiredeki fall back into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

... to be continued...

“I slept through the whole day. Despite the significant amount of sleep, I am tired and drained. The loss of my last companions still weighs like a stone on my soul. My motivation has reached an all-time low. My stomach is also rebelling, I haven't eaten anything for two days and there are still about thirty miles to go to the garrison. I'll probably only find something to eat there again. I'll walk through the night and then hope to reach the first suburbs in the morning. Another strange occurrence is that the Shrikers appear to have completely withdrawn. Have I left their area of control? Well, basically it doesn't matter. The main thing is that I survived. On the other hand, I haven't survived yet. Until I leave Sepata, I will not be safe. And even then... The very fact that the last village was evacuated makes me suspicious. I hope I don't run straight into the hands of the Torekmetians, but even if I do, there's nothing I can do about it. But I don't want to waste any more thought on that. I’m setting off now, hoping to reach Seruma alive.”

Hiredeki stands up from the bench in the bus shelter and shoulders his bag. Outside, the setting sun turns the clouds in the evening sky blood red. The rustling of leaves in the rising wind is the only sound that can be heard. The birds have already stopped singing and are sitting in tight clusters on the treetops. Hiredeki takes another deep breath and then slowly starts walking. He follows the sign at the stop that shows him the way to the garrison. The loud crunch of his boots on the loose asphalt sounds loud and hollow in the silence surrounding him. The last bit of sunset is just disappearing when a new companion appears. A fox follows Hiredeki at a distance, pricking up its ears in curiosity. Hiredeki discovered his pursuer while he was still lurking in the thicket next to the road.

'At least I'm not so alone.'

Hiredeki thinks as he continues walking, occasionally looking over his shoulder to see if the fox is still behind him. His companion maintains a distance of about twenty meters, even when Hiredeki stops to satisfy his hunger on a bush of blackberries.

...

It is already the dead of night when Hiredeki spots the first glimmer of light on the horizon.

“It must be the garrison.”

Hiredeki says to his companion, who has now reduced the distance to almost ten meters. Hiredeki can't help but grin when his companion stops at this statement and tilts his head a little to the side in thought. Hiredeki turns around again and continues to march towards the garrison. With his goal in mind, walking becomes much easier for him.

'Finally, I can do it. It's not far now.'

...

As the first birds begin their everyday songs, Hiredeki reaches a small suburb. The smell of burnt flesh and gunpowder hangs heavily in the air. Here and there small columns of smoke rise towards the sky. Hiredeki stops in horror, he knows the pungent smell all too well. His companion also stops, puts his ears back and lowers his head. Hiredeki uncertainly scans the front of the houses in front of him. No one can be seen, but the houses are riddled with bullet holes. Hiredeki continues walking with gritted teeth. However, the fox that has accompanied him until now stops and doesn't dare go any further.

“Stay away is a good idea, only death is waiting here!”

Hiredeki looks again at his little companion, who paces back and forth restlessly and finally runs away. Hiredeki watches him go for a moment.

"Run, run away too... there is nothing here but suffering and death..."

His inner voice warns him not to go any further.

'Maybe I should run away too...'

The thought becomes an obsession, but he ignores his inner voice, represses his innate instinct to flee and ultimately continues on to the suburbs. The houses show signs of heavy fighting. Doors have been kicked in, windows shattered and some houses have been literally torn down by the blast waves from small explosive devices. However, no heavy weapons were used; only traces of “normal” handguns and possibly hand grenades can be seen. There are traces of blood all over the ground and walls and there are bullet casings all over the ground. With an uneasy feeling, Hiredeki continues through the town and heads towards one of the columns of smoke. The acrid smell of burnt flesh grows ever stronger.

“Don’t go there! Stay out of there!”

His inner voice screams at him, but he continues walking in a daze. He walks around a house and his gaze falls on a mountain of corpses that is still smoking heavily. The sight of the charred bodies makes Hiredeki's stomach turn. He would vomit if there was anything in his stomach. Unable to look away from the mountain, Hiredeki staggers backwards. He trips over an edge in the cobbled street and falls to the ground. He remains lying there paralyzed. It takes a moment for his brain to process the images. Only then does he get up again. He remembers the village they invaded. He swallows hard, he still can't get the two children from back then out of his mind. With gritted teeth, he continues on, past the pile of corpses, towards the center of the town. He takes a path that apparently leads to the village church. Hiredeki walks slowly and carefully because he is not sure if there are still soldiers in town. As he passes a side street, something happens: a little further down, a patrol of Torekmetian soldiers is marching towards him. When both parties see each other, there is a moment of absolute standstill. Hiredeki's brain seems to stop for a moment as he stops dead in his tracks in shock. Just in time, his instincts kick in again and he jumps to the side. At that moment, the projectiles from the Torekmetian rifles were already hitting the spot where he had been standing a moment before. Hiredeki gets up, orients himself briefly and then runs towards the town center. Behind him he hears the screams of the soldiers who are just pursuing him. In the hope of being able to leave the soldiers behind, he runs into a side street and turns straight back into the next junction. But he's out of luck, the soldiers must have seen him, because just a short time later he hears the armored soldiers' footsteps again. Hiredeki takes flight again and continues to run down the narrow side street, frantically looking for a junction to escape from the field of vision of his pursuers, who are already opening fire. The bullets hit all around him, puncturing rain barrels, boxes, garbage cans and other objects on the street. Other projectiles ricochet off stone walls and various pipelines and send dangerous ricochets through the street. Leaning heavily forward, Hiredeki runs as fast as he can down the street towards a small junction that will hopefully save him from the soldiers. Meanwhile, the soldiers pursue the unlucky deserter and radio for reinforcements. The net tightens around Hiredeki, who just reaches the junction and takes it in a full-length slide. For a few seconds out of the soldiers' field of fire, Hiredeki stands up to his full height and runs as fast as his feet will carry him towards the end of the street, which leads back to the large street he had initially taken. He turns onto the big street and rushes towards the church.

'They'll expect me to run away from the place...'

Hiredeki thinks as he continues running, but his side stitch is already turning into a serious breathing problem, he can barely get enough air to keep running. He drags himself on, knowing that stopping now would be a certain death sentence. In front of him the road bends slightly, behind this bend is the church. Hiredeki looks nervously over his shoulder, his pursuers are not yet in sight. He drags himself around the bend and stops there. He doesn't care about the frightening sight that greets him because he's too busy trying to get his breathing under control. Perhaps it is better this way, because the Torekmetians were not content with killing the priests and their servants, but nailed their corpses to the outer wall of the church and further dishonored and disfigured them there. When Hiredeki hears the approaching footsteps of the soldiers, he starts running again. Still plagued by pain and shortness of breath, he stumbles more than he walks. In order not to come into the soldiers' field of fire again, he turns a corner. He's not quite around the corner when he runs into a Torekmetian patrol. Because he reacts too slowly, he crashes into one of the soldiers and is thrown backwards onto the street. He looks up in disbelief at the soldier, who is caught by his colleagues. Hiredeki frantically begins to crawl backwards, but doesn't get far.

*BKAM*

A piercing pain in his chest constricts his airways. Hiredeki immediately stops crawling because he is no longer able to do so. He runs his hand over his chest and feels warm blood, his blood, oozing from a large wound on the left side of his chest. He looks in disbelief at his hand, which is almost completely covered in blood. He closes his fist and lowers it again, then looks up at the shooter, who is grinning maliciously down at him. Hiredeki absentmindedly shakes his head.

'No! No, that shouldn't be the case. It can't end like this!'

Hiredeki's lips move, but he can't get a word out. His vision slowly blurs and the soldiers' laughter sounds hollow and empty in his head.

He hears the voice of his father, who admonished him more than seven years ago.

“Don’t join the army, it’s pure suicide!”

Hiredeki curses internally, he doesn't like it when his father is right. Slowly but surely, his senses fade. His body becomes heavy and the voices fall silent. He dimly notices how the Torekmetian soldier raises his rifle a second time, then everything is black.

...

...

...

“Innocence is the first victim of war. Remember that soldier! Anyone who takes part in a conflict is guilty! You too, private! We will all burn in hell!” (Quote: Gunnery Sergeant Hartman)

...

- END -

The 7 days of the fire lasted almost 70 years in total. During the course of the conflict, almost 80 percent of the remaining population was devastated. The entire ecosystem of the continent collapsed. Towards the end of the first conflict, 45 years after the Seven Days of Fire began, scientists from a border duchy developed a method that allowed them to purify the contaminated earth. They wanted to use genetically modified plants to filter the poison out of the soil and store it in a stable form so that it could then be disposed of. The other peoples were against the use of plants because the results were very variable and the plants tended to emit a poisonous gas when converting the toxins in the soil. The scientists, driven by the thought of putting their plan into action, scattered the seeds for these plants over large parts of their duchy. They didn't have to wait long for the seeds to react to the toxins. The poison in the soil, many times stronger than that in the laboratory, corrupted the seedlings and the plants grew into towering trees at a breathtaking speed, emitting a toxic gas called "miasma" that ate away at a person's unprotected lungs in seconds. The scientists did not expect this reaction. The researchers were also completely surprised by the plants ability to reproduce rapidly. Within just a week, the plants spread far beyond the borders of the duchy. The inability to get anywhere near the trees and the fact that even major attacks by bomber formations caused practically no damage enraged the other peoples. Fearing that the forest could also threaten their land, the empires that had not yet been affected began to take protective measures, during which the empires that had already sunk into the forest, fleeing the forest, invaded the unaffected areas in large numbers. A new war broke out over the remaining, rapidly narrowing living space. Meanwhile, the forest, later known only as the “Sea of Decay,” continued to spread. Its spores were carried by the strong winds to distant areas and formed other smaller forests, which then spread further from there.

While mammals and humans were unable to survive in the forests, another interesting development occurred among insects. They grew to many times their normal height and appeared to be further genetically modified by the “miasma” that constantly surrounded them. Within a very short time, a large number of new species emerged, immune to the poisons of the forest and stronger, more intelligent than their fellow species had ever been. While nature went its own way, man continued to fight with himself and did not recognize the danger that really threatened him. Only a few scientists continued to study the forest. Among the few fruits of this research were the prototypes of breathing masks that were used everywhere after the 7 days of the fire; They were the only way to survive in the “Sea of Decay”. Another achievement of the researchers was a kind of whistle that could be used to direct the insects to a certain extent. This whistle was not actually used until more than 20 years after it was finally discovered.

The 7 Days of Fire not only changed the entire continent politically, but also the entire nature, the ecosystem and the entire geography. Over 70 years of war have left their mark on the rest of the population, who struggle to cram into the sparse, habitable spots in the “Sea of Decay”. The weak bond between the few tribes that survived is only held together by the fact that everyone knows about the consequences of war and hatred. The level of civilization on this continent has declined to an almost medieval level. The residents basically limit themselves to simple agriculture and livestock breeding. Simple crafts and sparse trade are all that remain of the once most developed civilization. Some tribes, 12 in number, have retreated into the forest and live in harmony with the forest and have entered into an amazing symbiosis with the trees and the insects.

Almost 1,000 years will pass before a small tribe unites the people in the chaos of the newly ignited war and leads them into a great, new future. In the ancient prophecy it is written:

“A young girl will come. Dressed in a foreign dress, which is blue like the blood of the Ohmus. It will descend from heaven, carried by a white bird, and land in a field of gold. It will speak the language of animals. It will speak to the people's hearts. It will unite the people. If they prove worthy, she, and she alone, will lead the worthy people to paradise, where they will live as they once did before the 7 days of fire. If the people do not prove themselves worthy, she will lead the insects against the people and judge them as God has commanded her.”

However, whether and to what extent this prophecy comes true is another story that it is not my place to tell.

Concept and Idea by

Original Story Idea © by Hayao Miyazaki

El Poyo Diabolo

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