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History is cursed to repeat itself, over and over again.

This is an old saying that holds true since ancient times. After centuries of near constant conflicts and wars, where no country ever had the time to fully recover from the damages of the previous fighting before the next conflict with its neighbors was already in the staring blocks again. Borders were pushed back and forth in an everlasting struggle for dominance on the continent.

The few attempts that were made to insure peace for at least a little while longer were always sabotaged and undermined again. Too vastly different were the people and their views in the different countries, as to ever be able to negotiate a true peace with one another.

War is a great innovator, and over the centuries, the technology with which the individual countries fought their wars became ever more advanced. Where in the beginning the armies stood opposed to each other on the field of glory and charged at one another with clubs and stones, the soon developed more sophisticated weaponry, enlisted the help of beasts of burden and later war machines build by their ever diligent war engineers.

The last two centuries then saw the emergence of a new kind of war.

Mechanized warfare, using the fruits of the industrial evolution, fueled by coal, driven by steam. Weapons hurling massive shells filled with explosives over vast distances, causing mass destruction.

Gone were the times, when massive armies stood on the battlefield and faced each other in organized line battles. Now, with highly mobile forces, and weapons that were able to properly kill the enemy over vast distances, battles were fought in trenches without seeing the enemy in the eye most of the time.

War never changes…

But it does. One last, big war. The great war, was shaping itself up to change the face of the continent for all time. The might of the industry that was able to churn out more war gear then the others and a populous that could afford more sons and husband to be fed into the meat grinder that was this great war, was destined to secure victory for itself.

After nearly a decade of stagnating warfare. Of stalemate after stalemate. The continent saw its soil torn up, its fertile grounds spoiled with the blood of hundreds of thousands of young and old men, killed in the name of conquest, glory and victory. Towns, cities, whole countries ruined by the near constant fighting. Many of the smaller nations ceased to exist in the hellfire of this continent spanning war.

In the end, the last remaining participants of this war negotiated a ceasefire.

Not really a peace, but a first step towards consolidating the damages caused by their madness.

Out of these negotiations came the four, in lack of a better term, victors of this war.

There was the Empire of the Commonwealth. This conglomerate of nations, colonies and regions, grown together over many, many decades, is held together by the iron will of its monarch. Forged in the furnace of many wars, it is a formidable foe, able to withstand even the mightiest of attacks. But the hard shell just barely covers the cracks forming within. Many of its colonies crave for independence and are on the verge of rebelling against the mighty monarch sitting in his ivory tower.

Then there is the vastness, that is simply called the Motherland by its inhabitants. It is by far the biggest of the remaining nations. But it is also the one struggling the hardest. It is situated at the northern shores of the continent. Long harsh winters, short and mild summers, don't lend themselves to a thriving economy. Since antiquity its people lived a nomadic lifestyle, only with the industrial revolution they settled for a more stable lifestyle. The nation is large, but the population is rather small. But one should never underestimate the people of the Motherland, because what they lack in numbers and material, they make up in tenaciousness and resilience.

On the other side of the continent there is the lovely nation of Tousant. Blessed with a warm climate and fertile soil, the country of Tousant always relied on their agriculture to fuel their economy. Since the nation has not much strategic value, it got through the great war mostly untouched. Its populous counts on their democratically elected leaders to steer them through the troubled times, and until now, it had worked quiet well.

And lastly there is the Reich. A rather small nation on the western coast of the continent. The Reich arguably suffer the most during the great war. Almost all its cities and nearly its industry as a whole was devastated during the war. The people living in the ruins of this once great nation have sworn bitter vengeance on the nations, that made them suffer. In an hitherto unseen show of resilience the Reich has shoveled itself out of the ruins and rebuild their nation in record time. Furthermore, thanks to the rich ore and mineral deposits at its shores, the Reich has ascended to a sheer powerhouse of industrial capabilities. No other nation is able to outproduce the Reich at the moment, and its enigmatic leader knows that. The Reich is churning out unprecedented numbers of its newest war machines and arms itself for the inevitability of the next war… this time, the Reich will be the sole victor.

The Reich began to build up an army of unprecedented might. As the Reich has not that many inhabitants as some of its rivals on the continent, it relied heavily on mechanized troops. Their engineers developed new vehicles, capable of higher speeds and maneuverability then all the other nations while still maintaining protection and firepower. Those new vehicles, they called Panzer. They were armored to withstand most attacks and were tracked, so they were able to traverse even the roughest of terrains and still fast enough to dodge heavier attacks. The Reich build many of these early Panzers and formed huge battalions of them.

In a hitherto unknown swiftness they steamrolled over the Motherland. Conquering it before the government, which was still in shock and awe from the sudden and unforeseen attack, could even muster a defense. In fast, brutal and one sided battles the Panzers of the Reich crushed the meager remains of the once proud defenders of the Motherland. Victory after victory was won by the aggressors and even though they stretched their forces thin and left their rear vulnerable to counter offenses, the Reich soon besieged the capital city of the Motherland. And soon after the striking colors of the Reich's flag flew over the palace of the Motherland.

The Reich, fueled by this easy victory already set its eyes on their next target. While the armies were still in the middle of occupying the motherland and setting up defensive lines, the enigmatic Führer turned to Tousant and extended his arm over the border. Sending out his bloodhounds to trample down every and all resistance.

When the people of Tousant realized, the Reich was coming for them too, they knew, there was no way of openly resisting them. Not with their small and terribly outdated Army. In the hope of sparing its people from the suffering of a war, that could not be won, the government of Tousant almost immediately surrendered to the aggressors of the Reich.

And so it came that after only four days of insignificant fighting the Führer stood in front of the palace in which the regents of the past resided and received the official surrender of the nation of Tousant.

With the Motherland and Tousant under his control the Führer controlled the vast majority of the continent and there was only one enemy left to conquer.

But other then the other nations, the Empire of the Commonwealth would not be that easy to conquer. Strewn over many islands, far away colonies and the homeland of the Empire itself an Island of the coast of the continent. And land invasion, like they did with the Motherland and Tousant was out of the question. They would need to build up a sizable navy for that.

Other than the Motherland and Tousant, the Empire had time to prepare for the inevitable attack and by being a maritime Powerhouse them self, the Empire boasted a formidable Navy of their own from the beginning. The war for the seas was fought fiercely by both nations. The technologically superior vessels of the Reich sunk one after the other of the older Battleships of the Empire and with time, one by one the Islands began to falter. But in the end, the absolutely numerical superiority of the Empires navy won the war of attrition against the Reich, which could just not muster just as many ships as the Empire.

And so, after initial gains, the Reich was pushed back across the seas. Island by island, the Empire of the Commonwealth wrestled back under its control and threw out the invaders from the mainland. Fighting a losing war on the seas, the Reich retreated to the continental shelf, preparing for the defense of their occupied territory. Using the industrial capacity and the labor of the people in the occupied Motherland and Tousant, the Reich erected formidable defenses on the shores of the continent and waited for the Empire to crash into them.

Confident in their positions and their abilities the Führer and his goons sat in wait for the forces of their last adversary to try and grind down their defenses. And they had not have to wait for long, as the Empire threw everything including the sink against the wall of concrete and artillery that now was the shore of the continent. The first offenses were easily repelled, but with time the cracks in the defenses started to show and in the end, the once thought impenetrable defenses were were breached and Empire set foot on the continent.

Latest from this point onward, the Führers goons knew, that the war was lost. It was only a matter of time, until the Empire would fight its way through their ranks and bring them down for good. It was not a question of IF they would fall, but a question of when and how.

In secret they planned of overthrowing the Führer, but in his paranoia, he always sniffed them out and one by one, he had them executed for treason. And so only the yes-sayers remained and they fought a harsh and unforgiving retreat in a scorched earth tactic. Leaving nothing behind for the Empire to take advantage of, while the Forces of the Reich withdrew further and further back.

"I tell you Pierre, it is the Wolves they send here. I am certain!"

The young man spluttered out, the panic obvious in his face. The older man sitting opposite to him at the table, shook his head.

"Why would they send their butchers to a small town like ours? There is nothing of interest here."

He said in a calm manner, sipping at his wine, tasting the rich flavor of the red liquid. The younger man handed over a communique he had in hand and remained steadfast.

"It is the Wolf's Brigade. The communique states it clear. They are sending the butchers. They will slay the whole town if needs be. You have heard the stories. We need to flee."

The older took the sheet of paper offered to him and read the message attentively. In the end he took a deep breath and swallowed. Indeed the communique, send by a resistance cell near by stated clearly, that the 3rd Battalion of the Wolf's Brigade was heading their way. This Battalion had a fierce reputation among the people. They were send out to cull resistance. They left only death and destruction in their wake.

"Alright Jean, go and fetch Remi and Gustave. We need to talk."

The younger one nodded and turned to leave, as the older man sat back and looked at the message again. He emptied the glass of wine in one go and sighed deeply as he set it down on his desk. He contemplated their options for a moment, before his peers would come to him to get the good news. He looked out the window of his small bureau and watched as the peaceful live went on outside.

Theirs was a small town. Barely a five hundred people. They had not fought in this nor in the last war. And they would not fight now either. They were farmers, winemakers. He knew a few of them had guns for hunting. But non of them were fighters or warriors of any kind. When the Brigade would come over them, there was no chance of withstanding them, even in the slightest.

Yes, he had heard the stories of pillages villages, of looting, raping soldiers. More beasts then men. Their commander was said to be ruthless individual incapable of empathy. Perhaps it was better to just evacuate the village. Leave as long as it was still possible and hope, the oppressors would leave again soon. He looked down at the town square and saw, Remi, their sole, sorry policeman, their sheriff so to say, running towards the town hall. He nodded and as he looked across the square, he could see Gustave, their priest, coming out of the church together with Jean. He smiled. Gustave was never in a hurry, always deliberately a bit slower, more thoughtful. He watched as the priest locked the big portal doors of the church and slowly came down the few steps before crossing the town square together with Jean.

There was a knock at his door and he turned around.

"Entrez!"

He called out and Remi opened the door slowly. He was slightly out of breath and his uniform looked a bit disheveled. Pierre smiled.

"Come in, have a seat. We will wait for Gustave and Jean to arrive."

He said calmly and pointed at a chair in front of his desk. Remi came forward and pulled the chair back.

"And get your uniform in order. You look like you fell out of bed."

Remi looked sheepishly and quickly straightened his uniform jacked and pulled the belt tight.

"Well Pierre you know it is nap-time. And besides, nothing ever happens here. We are in the backwater of the backwater…"

The policeman stated and sat down. Pierre smiled slightly and got to his chair and sat down. He took the message from the table and looked at it once more.

"Your words in the lords ear canal…"

He said as the priest entered the office, followed by Jean.

"You know you should not use the lord's name that blasphemous Pierre. He does not like that."

Gustave opened up and looked sternly at the men behind the desk, before letting his gaze wander to Remi.

"And hello Remi, when will I see you in the sermon again?"

Remi got a lot smaller all of a sudden. As the priest came to him and laid a hand on his shoulder it was as if the policeman was stiffening up, but the priest just smiled and took his seat next to him.

"So Pierre, what is all this ruckus about? I need to prepare for the evenings sermon. The shepherd needs to keep his flock in good faith after all."

His calm and sonorous voice had a commanding presence in the small room and Pierre nodded at the regard to the evenings service. They would need every little bit of faith they could get with this news. He showed them the message.

"We will soon get a visit. A visit from some very much unwelcome guests."

He explained and sighed heavy. Gustave took the paper and read the message. After he completed it he looked over the desk to Pierre and raised his eyebrows.

"Are those who I think they are?"

He ask in a quiet voice and gave the paper back. Pierre simply nodded.

"Yes, indeed. We are talking about the Wolfs Brigade. The Butchers very own."

The priest pressed his lips together and the policeman looked from one to the other.

"Wait… wait a minute… the Wolves? The Reich's bloodhounds? No… you can't be serious."

Remi spluttered out, but Pierre shook his head.

"I am quite certain. And as mayor of this little village it is my duty to decide what will be the best cause of action. We all have heard the stories. Even if only half of them are true…"

He stood up and turned to the window behind his desk.

"… we will have to consider to abandon the village."

Now it was the priest who stood up and looked around.

"No… Pierre. You know very well that we can not abandon the village. Many of the townsfolk were already born here. Many are already old and ill prepared for a prolonged refugee trek. Besides, were would we want to go to anyway? Nowhere will be safe right now. And if we flee, won't we make us just all the more suspicious to the Reich's soldiers? We should stay here. We should appeal to their sense of righteousness. We are farmers, winemakers, not warriors. There is no danger here. No need to harm this village in any way."

The priests voice, although quiet, was very intense and it allowed for no contradiction whatsoever. Remi nodded and agreed to the priests explanation.

"If anything, fleeing will only make it more suspicious to them. We can appeal to them. We will not make any trouble, will not rebel or anything. And we do not harbor any resistance fighters or anything. If they find us telling the truth, maybe they will soon leave again. They are like vultures, if there is nothing to find here, they will search elsewhere…"

The mayor lifted his hand and waved a finger in a disagreeing fashion. He turned around slowly and looked at Remi and then at Gustave.

"Well concerning the resistance. I know only to well about that group meeting every Thursday in the wine cellar of Martine's tavern. This resistance cell, although small will get us in deep trouble. They have to go, before those bloodhounds arrive here. And as for the refugee trek. We would not need to go very far, just to the next village. We could return as soon as they are gone again."

Remi and Gustave looked at each other, and one looked more sheepish than the other. It was Gustave who took the stage first.

"Well these are lost sheep, we can not lead them to the gallows pole like that. We need to protect them. And besides, what would it help to go to the next village if that will just be the next village to which these soldiers will come?"

The priest asked and Remi chimed in.

"Well I do not know about the sheep being in need of protection, but I have to agree with Pierre, if we keep them here while the Wolves are sniffing around the village we will only endanger everyone. They should leave our village immediately. Who knows when the Reich comes knocking at our gates. But I have to agree with the priest. There is nothing to be gained by leaving the Village behind and running to the next, they will just follow us, and then they will interrogate every last one of us, and those of the other village… and then heads will roll… that much is certain."

Stated the policeman and Pierre leaned on his chair from behind. He took a deep breath and just wanted to answer them as the door of his small office flew open. A young woman stood in the door frame and was panting heavily.

"They are coming… the Wolves.. they are almost here…"

She gasped under her breath. All of the attendants looked at her in shock. Gustave was the first to regain his voice.

"What? How? From where?"

He asked and the young woman pointed out of the window.

"Gerome in the clock tower saw a cloud of dust moving towards us from the east. It is closing fast."

Now the men were beginning to move in somewhat hectic fashion.

"Gustave get your flock into the church. All of them, fast. Remi, find those resistance fighters. They need to leave, at once. Now go. Go! Make haste!"

He almost screamed and shoed the others out of his office. The others left in haste, rushing to do as they are told leaving Pierre behind alone. The mayor looked after them before looking at his desk. He took the communique and put it in the big ashtray sitting at the edge of his desk. He took out his lighter and lit the paper on fire.

"Not good if they find out we knew they were coming."

He murmured to himself and watched as the paper quickly turned black and burned to ashes. He nodded slightly and took his jacked before leaving his office. Carefully he closed the door behind him and went slowly through the building to the entrance. He stopped at the top of the stairs in front of the town hall. Across the town square the townsfolk rushed to the church, called by the bells. He took a deep breath and waited for the inevitable to happen.

It took them a little while, but then the distant rumble of the heavy vehicles could be heard. Although, it was more like one would feel the rumble more than hearing it. The rumble got louder and louder. It was almost all encompassing in the closed town center, were the sound reverberated from every wall. And then the first of the vehicles came into view.

A motorcycle with a sidecar drove through the streets. Two soldiers, wearing the black uniforms of the Wolfs Brigade rode the Motorcycle, that rounded the square and came to a halt in front the mayor. Then the next vehicles rumbled through the narrow streets. Armored personnel carriers, half tracks. Their weight made the ground shake with every move of their tracks. They all bared the insignia of the 3rd Battalion of the Wolfs Brigade, a three-headed, black wolf prancing on a red background. They too rumbled around the town square and came to a halt. One by one, they drove onto the little square, until it is completely surrounded by them. Their mounted heavy machine guns pivoted around, searching the windows of the buildings for suspicious shadows. The noise was unbearable. But then, after a short stint, they shut off their engines and quiet fell on the small village again.

Pierre did not know what to do next, since no one seemed to want to come to him, and he did not dare to move. After what seemed like an eternity, finally one of the armored hatches of on of the half tracks opened. A burly soldier stuck his head and upper body through the hatch, and started belting out orders in the harsh tongue the Reich uses as their language.

"Zug eins und zwei sichern diesen Platz, Zug drei beginnt mit dem entladen. Zack, zack! Müller, Sie und Schmitt sorgen dafür, das die Kommunikation mit dem Hauptquartier steht. Hopp, hopp!"

Pierre looked at him in utter shock. He looked exactly like he imagined the Reich's Butcher to look like. Huge, at least two meters tall, all scars and muscles and fierce, no empathy whatsoever. He didn't even realize, that a second hatch had opened and a tall, yet slender man had disembarked from the vehicle. He sported a black uniform and an officers cap, on which the feared emblem of the skull and bones was to be seen, marking him not only as one of the Wolfs Brigade, but as one of the Black Cerberus.

The man came to Pierre in a deliberately slow pace. Only now the mayor saw him and seeing the emblem on the cap, his knees get awfully weak. The officer came to him and stopped just a few meters away from him, letting his gaze wander over the town square, taking in the view. In the end the two men's views met each other and the with a slight smile the officer took the stage:

"I guess, you already know who we are?"

He asked in a surprisingly soft spoken voice. The question was purely rhetorical, they both knew that from the get go. The mayor nodded slowly in confirmation that he knew who they were. The officer in front of him nodded pleased with not needing to explain it to the man standing there still in utter shock.

Another soldier, holding a hand piece of a radio in his hand came up from behind and stood in attention.

"Melde gehorsamst, Spähtrupp eins hat eine Gruppe flüchtiger aufgegriffen."

The officer held up a finger and turned to the soldier, taking the hand piece and held it against his ear. He talked to the troops on the other end, in the same calm manner he had greeted the mayor. Pierre could not quite understand what was talked, but since the officer kept calm and relaxed in his talking, he at least tried to keep cool as well. In the end, the officer handed back the radio to the soldier and turned to Pierre again. There was a knowing smile on his face and he took a deep breath before addressing the mayor once more:

"Soo… we caught the resistance fighters who tried to escape…"

He let the sentence hanging in the air while looking at his gloved hands. It was obvious, that he enjoyed seeing Pierre squirm before he continued.

"You know what punishment is due for harboring resistance fighters. Now, do you?"

He asked. Pierre swallowed hard. Of course he knew, what punishment was due. It had been broadcast all over Tousant, when the Reich occupied the nation. There would not be any trial. They would ask one time, who had hid them, and if no one admitted to, they would just take twenty five of their fellow townsfolk and hang them. He looked around and saw ever more troops disembark from the armored vehicles. There was no chance for escape, no chance of fighting back. He looked at the officer who raised his eyebrows.

Pierre fell to his knees, as they finally gave in, and bowed deeply before the officer.

"Please, I beg of you. They came only a few days ago and we urged them to go away. My people do not harbor resistance fighters… we don't rebel against you. We do not even have any significant weapons at all. We are just farmers and winemakers… We have not intention of causing any trouble at all."

He looked up at the officer, and since he did not directly react, the mayor doubled down:

"Please do not punish my people. If you need to make an example of anyone, then… then take me…"

Pleaded Pierre and only just restrained from touching the officers legs. The officer rolled his eyes and sighed bored. He turned and gestured with on of his hand in an all around gesture. With this the burly soldier, who by now stood on top of the half track began to shout orders to the soldiers on the square to take positions. The officer on the other hand looked down at the mayor cowering on the pedestal in front of the towns hall.

"Who are you of all people?"

He asked still calm. Pierre looked up at him.

"I… I am the mayor of this village."

The officer nodded.

"Then stand up mayor. Come on… come on… to your feet."

Ordered the officer in his eerie calm voice and gestured to Pierre to get up.

"We will no make any examples today…"

He continued and turned to the square again, looking around.

"Where are your people? Call them out… all of them… men, women, old and young… anyone missing, we will find, and who we will find, we will shot… soo… call ‘em out… now!"

Still his voice remained soft spoken and calm, barely louder then the noise the soldiers were making. His complete demenor screamed menace. Pierre scrambled to his feet, and stood before the officer in utter shock. He needed a moment to comprehend what the officer had said before he turned and almost ran to the church. The only thing that kept him from running was the knowledge that if he would, they would most certainly shoot him right then and there, and after that, they would purge the church just as well. So he walked at a brisk pace, straining himself not to walk any faster while under the watchful eyes of maybe thirty mounted machine guns and who knows how many submachine guns all around the town square. He climbed the stairs to the church's big double doors and banged loudly on them. He heard how the old lock was turned and the big doors were slowly opened, just wide enough, so he could look in. Inside he saw the pale face of Jean, who was standing at the door, while the priest stood at the altar, keeping the people calm.

"You need to come out. They want everyone on the square. So come on out, all of you. But make it slow and calmly. Give them no reason to do anything stupid."

Pierre demanded and Jean nodded. He closed the door briefly and after just a moment of strained silence, the big portal doors were opened again. Gustave was among the first to exit the church. He directed his flock to assemble at the fountain in the middle of the square and saw to it, that all went there. Pierre took him aside and looked at him in utter panic. In the whispered tone he spoke to the priest.

"Gustave, are all the folks here? Is anyone missing?"

Gustave looked at him and searched for the reason of his panic. He counted his sheep silently and in the end he answered in the negative.

"I think Piotr and his wife are not here. They might still be at home. You know Piotr is very sick. He seldom leave his house."

Gustave pointed down the ally were Piotr had his little home. He looked around and took in the sight of all the military vehicles and personnel. Meanwhile Pierre's eyes widened. He took Gustave at the shoulders and looked deep into the others eyes.

"Are you sure? They are the only ones missing?"

The priest looked at him and then over to his flock as they left the church and following the other gathered at the little fountain. He nodded softly.

"Yes my dear Pierre, I am pretty certain, all the others are here. No one else is missing. Why?"

He asked, his tone now worried as the panic still not left the eyes of the mayor. Pierre nodded.

"Go… go fetch them, or even better… wait a moment…"

The mayor babbled and then turned away from him to rush back over the square towards the officer, who was just pulling out a chocolate bar from the pocket of his uniform and broke of a piece. He was just in the process of putting the brown delicacy into his mouth as Pierre came back to him.

"Sir, please… two of my townsfolk are missing. They are an old couple, living not far from here. They both are sickly and not able to come here on their own. They will most certainly be still in their home. I will send the priest to check on them… it will only take a brief moment."

The explained under his breath. The officer, chewing the chocolate with relish look upon him and the gathered townsfolk and shook his head.

"… hmmm no… no you don't…"

He said with his mouth still full of chocolate. He then looked at his second in command. The burly soldier then took the radio and spoke with someone over it. As the officer turned back to Pierre, he looked pleadingly at the soldier.

"You won't… you won't harm them, do you?"

He asked in a very worried tone, but the officer slowly shook his head.

"Me? Naaah… I won't hurt a fly…"

He gave back, but pointed at some soldiers that came running towards them.

"… but Müller here, I can't vouch for Müller."

He said in a jovial tone and waited for the soldiers to arrive while Pierre looked at them in sheer panic. The officer smiled and continued:

"You will take Private Müller, Private first class Schulz, Sergeant Hoffmann and Private Arrenz, and then you go and check on them… If everything is in order, these four will tell me."

The officer said and turned to the soldier standing to attention behind him. He smiled softly at them and nodded.

"Good. You four will follow the mayor to check on some old folks who are not able to be here at the moment. See if any action is needed. Report back to me immediately."

He ordered in his usual calm voice and the soldiers saluted. He looked at the one female soldier in the group.

"Schulz, if anything is needed to be done, you have my permission."

The young woman nodded and saluted again.

"Good. Go with the mayor then, I'll be expecting your report."

With those words he turned back to the mayor. He looked he deep in the eyes and there was much more seriousness in his voice.

"You will lead them to the old couple. If anything goes funny, things will turn sour here in a yiffy. Do you understand me?"

His voice, still soft spoken and relatively quiet, had gotten so sharp, one would be able to cut diamonds with it. As he looked into the mayors eyes, he knew the mayor would not even think about doing anything even remotely funny.

Pierre just nodded and swallowed. He pointed at a small alley leading away from the town square and left with the soldiers in tow.

The officer looked after them and smiled. He then looked over the town square.

While the mayor left with the soldiers in tow, the townsfolk were huddled together at the fountain, shepherded by the priest in the middle of the square. The officer went to the half track and himself given the hand piece to the PA system of the vehicle. He nodded to the soldier who worked the system and said soldier flicked a switch.

He tapped the microphone a few times and the amplified knocks echoed over the town square. All the villagers looked at him as he lifted the microphone to his lips and took a deep breath.

"Dear Citizens of this lovely little town. May I please get your unbridled attention for a moment?"

He spoke with the same calm, good natured and soft spoken voice. Its amplified version echoed over the gathered crowd, and there was no mistake in that everyone was listening. He smiled.

"Thank you. Very kind. Very kind indeed…"

He began anew, letting his gaze wander over the gathered people.

"… I am pretty certain you already know who we are, and why we are here. And to be totally honest, you are not wrong. But nevertheless, please let me introduce ourselves, just to be totally sure. This…"

He gestured around over the gathered vehicles and personnel.

"… is the third regiment of the Wolfs Brigade, also know as the Black Cerberus. Our assignment in this, your village, is to ensure peace and the compliance of the townsfolk to the orders of the Reichsoberkommando under all circumstances. This means, we are not only allowed but are ordered to cull any and all resistance with absolute prejudice and to show no mercy whatsoever…"

He continued. He let the spoken words sink in for a moment and looked over the crowd. He could already see the panic in some of the faces. He nodded and made a placating gesture.

"… soo, to make live easier for you and us, I would prefer, if you would be so kind as to not resist, to not rebel, to simply comply with any and every order you receive from me and my men. This will assure that no harsh or unnecessary measures need to be taken. I would prefer to spend out time together in relative peace and harmony, so we can leave this town when the time comes with all and everyone in good health and without any additional holes."

He concluded and looked at his clock. He nodded as he saw that his men already set up the registration and pointed at the desk.

"One more little thing. Please register yourself at the desk in front of the church, so my men know who is who. You will be given a registration, which you are required to carry with you at all times. Then you are free to go home for the time being. I would ask you not the leave the village, as we would be forced to apprehend you and shot you for trying to flee. Furthermore I would ask for the priest, the towns chief of police, the mayor and the innkeeper to remain here for a little talk… Thank you for your attention, it is much appreciated. That will be all for now."

He handed the hand piece back to the operator and watched as the first people slowly and hesitantly came to the registration. He could see the priest guiding them along slowly, talking to each and every one of them. Surely he assured them that nothing bad would happen and that they should remain calm and follow orders. The officer nodded and walked over to the priest in a slow, relaxed step. On his way over he passed a mother and child waiting in line. He gave the child his pack of chocolate, which the child took, not knowing what it actually was. The mother, to scared to do anything against it, looked in shock as the man, glad in the pitch black uniform nonchalantly walked by them, not even looking at her at all. Instead he waited patiently until the priest was finished herding his flock towards the desk, where they were registered.

"Chaplain?"

The officer asked in his usual calm voice and waited for the other to turn to him. There was fear, and panic but also anger in the eyes of the holy man when he finally turned around to face the soldier. But other than the mayor, the priest stood firm in front of the officer and waited calmly for what the officer was wanting from him. The officer nodded in respect.

"You seem to have your herd in good order."

It was an obvious statement, meant to instill fear into the priest. It did have an effect, if not directly the desired one at that. The priest held the stare of the officer.

"Yes, my flock are all good and honest people. They do as they are told. As long as one does not push them to hard."

Gustave gave back. His voice firm and loud, as it should be for a preacher who held his sermon every week. He stood firm, showing his people he would stand up for them, even against the invaders. The officer nodded slightly, paying his respect to the holy man.

"That is good. Indeed I do not intend to push your flock. On the contrary. I wish to leave them to their own devices as much as I can. As long, as they know… how shall I put it…"

The officer looked at his hand, as if he searched for the right words and gestured a bit in the air, before looking back at the priest.

"As long, as they know, what is needed to keep the peace."

He added in his eerie calm voice, and Gustave raised his eyebrows. Of course he heard the stories. What had happened to the other villages. The atrocities, the war crimes, the murders, the looting and the… he did not want to finish that thought as he knew, there were not that many men left, after many men had been called in to the army at the beginning of the war. There were almost only women and children and well, those who were not fit for fighting left. Fear rose in him. But the officer shook his head and made a placating gesture.

"Noo… no… nothing of that nature… but let us not discuss this out here in the open. Go and get the chief of police, the mayor and the innkeeper, as soon as they are all here… and meet me in the mayors office. We need to talk over a few things, for the duration of out stay here."

In his strangely calm voice it sounded so easy. They would just behave normal and nothing would happen. The over one hundred heavily arm soldiers would not harm them, not pillaging, no looting, no nothing. Gustave could not belief it, but he had no choice. He agreed and took a look around.

Behind them the soldiers were fast at work registering the villagers. Typing out quasi passports, in which the personal information and a unique number for each and every citizen was written. Name and Number were then written down in a list which would be copied and every patrol would carry one of those with them. Every villager was remembered again and again, that they were to carry this passport with them at any time, or else they would be apprehended until their identity could be confirmed… if not, well… let us not talk about that, shall we. The townsfolk took the passports and went with it.

All went down astonishingly quiet and in order, what might had to do with the fifty or so soldiers standing around the square, armed with assault rifles and machine guns. After each and every one had gotten their passport, the villagers slowly dispersed, guided and blessed by the priest, and went back to their homes. The overall atmosphere was tense but not unbearable.

All the while the officers second in command belted out orders for the troops to secure the village and take positions at strategic points throughout the village. The vehicles of the column began to move, positioning themselves around the town square and towards the outbound streets of the village. The soldiers began to unload what supplies and stuff they needed. The vehicles of the column were almost all lighter vehicles. Small all terrain vehicles, jeeps, motorcycles with sidecars, armed with nothing more than a light mounted machine gun. The few heavier vehicles, some half tracks and some trucks, were mostly there for troop transport and for towing light artillery pieces. One could see, the whole troop was made for fast movements. Fast advances and if necessary fast retreats. Nothing here would have withstood prolonged fighting or heavier resistance. But most townsfolk had no eyes for that. All they knew was, they were many, and they were armed.

The officer entered the villages town hall. From the moment he entered the building the mood changed. The noise from the outside almost faded away and the dark somewhat cozy interior of the townhall welcomed him. He took of his officers cap and clamped it under his arm. While slowly walking through the reception area he took in the details. The building was old and filled with neat little decorations so typical for the nation of Tousant. Absentminded he took of his gloves and held them in his hand. He followed the signs to the mayors office. He came across the few little offices for the few people who would work in a small town hall. like this. He knew the village had roughly 500 inhabitants left, after the most men were gone to fight a war, that was lost before it had begun. Most of them were in prisoner camps strewn across the nation. Eventually they would be set free to return to their hometown, assuming they still existed. Normally this village would have had somewhere around 800 inhabitants. The typical small coastal village.

He went down the small corridor leading up to the big ornate door behind which the mayors office hid itself. He took a few last looks into the offices of the secretaries and smiled. There would be barely enough space to contain the offices he would need for his own logistics. He grabbed the door handle for the mayors office. As he opened the door it creaked slightly. He chuckled. How fitting for a deserted building to have creaking doors.

The office was small, stuffed full with file cabinets and papers stacked everywhere. He nodded and entered the room. He took in the atmosphere. The mayor was a heavy smoker, at least it smelled like that and judging by the empty wine bottle on the desk he was not averse to a little alcohol during the day. How cliche for Tousant. He took the bottle and sniffed at it. He nodded, not to shabby, not shabby at all. He looked at the label.

"Oh from a winery in town… nice."

He sinned and put the bottle back on the desk. Rounding the desk he reached for the window and opened it, letting the noise of the town square back into the serene silence that up until now dominated the room. Letting in the fairly fresh air, even if it was polluted with the exhausts of the vehicles on the square it was still better than the miasma in the office. The officer looked out and took in all the buzz outside. He turned back and leaned himself against the desk in wait for the priest, the innkeeper, the chief of police and the mayor to arrive.

He did not have to wait for long, as he could already hear the heavy steps of the men outside the office. He smiled to himself as he could hear them discussing on their way to him. Right outside the door to the office they suddenly went quiet and it took a moment of strained silence before the door handle was depressed and the door was opened. The mayor was the first to enter, followed by the policeman, the innkeeper and finally the priest.

The mayor looked a bit more relaxed by now, and the officer could imagine why that was, but the policeman, identifiable by his uniform, the innkeeper and the priest were still very much on high alert. As they entered the room they saw the officer leaning against the mayors desk and they stopped right then and there.

"Welcome gentlemen. May I offer you all a seat?"

The officer said in his usual calm and quiet voice, gesturing at the chairs and other furniture in the small office.

"We have some things to talk over. You might as well be comfortable while we do that."

He continued, urging them to sit down, still keeping his creepy relaxed and calm demeanor. The men looked at each other and slowly chose their seats before sitting down. The officer nodded and took his cap from under his arm and carefully laid it down on the desk next to him. He then proceeded to nonchalantly draw his sidearm and also laid it in the cap on the desk. After that his placed his gloves on the weapon. All the while he looked around in the small office, as if he hadn't already taken in all the details the room had to offer. Meanwhile the other were watching his every move, never even taking their eyes off of him for a second. He waited for them to get nervous. He wanted to see if any of them would do anything rushed or stupid. But they did not.

They were to scared to even try anything. They did not even dared to breath freely. It was more of a gasping for every breath, and even then only when their brains screamed so loud for oxygen, that they could not hold their breath any longer. He nodded again and took a deep breath.

"Well my dear gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am Major Johann Gerald von Strassen. But you might know me as the Führers Butcher, as my reputation usually precedes me by quite some time."

He said in his eerily calm voice and the priest gasped for air. The major nodded silently, he knew this reaction only too well.

"My men and I were send out here to keep the peace and to cull every last bit of resistance."

He added and took another deep breath. He looked into the eyes of the gathered men before him.

"And yes, before you even start to argue, we know that there is no resistance here. It is besides the point. The Reich's Oberkommando send us here, and now we are here. But that does not necessarily mean we will dig just long enough to find resistance. We are not here to harass you or your people. Indeed are we here to ensure your safety until the troops of the empire are here."

Von Strassen stated and as he saw the looks on the faces of the gathered men, he smiled slightly. He looked at his hands before looking at them again.

"Oh, don't get in to any illusions. We all know this war is a lost cause. It was lost before it even began. Every sane man knew that from the get go. It was only a matter of time until the Empire crushed this invasion."

He explained in a somewhat amused tone and leaned back a bit. He looked into the mayors eyes.

"You know, we are not dumb. Not all soldiers are mindless drones. We will stay here, with you all, making sure everyone is safe and sound. And when the time comes, and the Empires army finally arrives, we will make sure to surrender to them properly, saving your lovely little village from the artillery bombardment it would suffer otherwise."

He then looked over at the priest who looked like he wanted to say something, but the officer was faster.

"Oooooh don't get me wrong here. Out army is not the only one committing atrocities all around. Those mongrels of the Empire aren't any better, not one iota. They do revel in the age old practice of shot first and forget to ask the question. And they loot and pillage what they can all the same."

Slowly the priest took down his finger. Now von Strassen addressed the mayor directly.

"Let us cut to the chase. The reason I called you to myself is simple. We need to set up a few rules, so our brief stint together is not ending in a total disaster."

He began, and his voice kept it's calm and quiet tone.

"Mayor. I need places for my men to stay. We would like to refrain from simply requisitioning houses, but would welcome if there would be possibilities for my men and me to stay in a somewhat comfortable way. Further I need some places to setup our lazarett and to setup shop for my engineers. So if there are any empty buildings, barns, whatever… we would like to "borrow" them for the time being."

With that said he looked at the innkeeper.

"We will live of our own rations as far as possible, but we will need some additional sustenance, and there will be the need to house the odd messenger from the Oberkommando from time to time. I will require you to provide us there. Naturally we will order resupplies and what we get, will be shared to a degree, but nevertheless, you help will be needed."

He then turned to the policeman, sitting on a chair and getting smaller by the moment.

"You are the head of police here?"

The major asked and Remi nodded.

"Good. A few of my men will take over the police office, as we will need to keep the resistance fighters we caught under lock and key. At least for the time being. As long as they will keep a profile, they will be safe… but if they do think of doing some really dumb shit… well… tough luck."

He said with a sigh. Remi nodded again. He would tell them to keep quiet. The major nodded as well and finally his gaze wandered over to Gustave, the priest.

"And finally, I will need your help in keeping your flock peaceful. As long as the townsfolk keep the peace, stay quiet and don't rebel, there will be no interference from us in any way. We will keep to ourselves as much as possible, while keeping up the facade of an occupied village to the naked eye. My men will patrol the town, my men will on occasion ask to see the papers. So they will need to be on person at all times. Since you are the priest, you have an influence on your flock. I think it is not to much to ask them to keep the peace."

Von Strassen concluded and Gustave nodded in silence. The major straightened up and walked around the desk to the open window. He looked out, listening to his second in command barking orders and his men milling around setting up stuff and unloading the trucks. He watched the spectacle for a moment longer until he heard movement behind his back and heard the mayor taking a deep breath.

"Yes mayor?"

He asked, without turning around. They couldn't see his smile. He knew his sidearm was laying on the desk, at arms reach for each and every one of them at any time. But he also knew, neither of them would dare to take it. They were either too cowardice or too intelligent to try. He heard them shuffle in there seats. They were uncomfortable. Good.

"We… we have questions… we heard stories…"

Began the mayor, his concern was vivid in his voice. Slowly and with a knowing smile on his lips the major turned around. He looked at the terrified man sitting right in front of him. He scratched his chin, as in deep thought.

"And what story might that be?"

He asked, almost amused at the the fact, their reputation had again preceded them. Pierre began to squirm under the scrutiny of the major. He fidgeted with his fingers and one could see the gears in his head turning fast, as he searched for the right words, as not to insult the high ranking soldier in front of him. Von Strassen remained calm and patient, waiting for the mayor to finally take heart and begin talking.

"We have heard stories… concerning your regiment… disconcerting stories. About… misconducting behavior."

He mayor began, carefully choosing every word and pronunciation. The major nodded slowly and gestured Pierre to go on. The mayor swallowed and took another deep breath.

"About… about your men m… mistreating the women… and shooting the men… there ware mentioning of looting and raising whole towns to the ground…"

As von Strassen did not flinch the mayor slowly gained faith and his voice got firmer. In the end the major nodded and smiled.

"You can speak it out loud… The reputation of our brigade is a carefully fabricated myth."

He began and leaned back against the windowsill crossing the arms in front of his chest.

"We are said to be a bunch of rabid murderers, raping and maiming all females we find, killing all men and are said to pillage each and every village we find. We know no mercy and feel no remorse for what we do. We shot first and then still not ask the any questions. We are, after all, the Wolfs Brigade, and I am the Führers Butcher…"

He spoke freely, and gestured widely with his arms. All the while the smile never left his lips. The men in front of him looked at him in shock. How could he remain so calm and in such a good mood, while talking about this. Von Strassen looked at them in amusement before he continued in his eerie calm voice.

"We worked hard to gain this reputation. Be the truth could not be further from that reputation, even if we tried."

He explained and crossed his arms on his chest again.

"You see, I worked as a specialist for advertising before the war. My job was to sell any product no matter what it was. I have a hand for fabricating… things… manipulating perceptions… reputations… Over the course of this war, my brigade has made a name for itself through careful fabrication of stories. Fake battle-reports, tales of plunders and pillages, imagined massacres, all of which never ever happened. Everywhere we went, we have strewn out more and more tales about that mysterious brigade, that was so coldblooded, the enemy fled before they even arrived."

He continued. The amusement in his voice clearly audible, while he looked each of the men in the face.

"Everyone knows of some village that we have pillaged, but no one knows exactly which village that was, or were it was, or when exactly it happened. Everyone one know of someones cousins uncle, who had been killed in a most savage fashion my one of my men. When in fact, non of my men ever shot one bullet in anger."

He went on and turned back to the window, looking down at the town square, seeing two of his soldiers giving out chocolate bars to the children.

"All of it. The pillaging, the raping, the murders and all… all of it has been fabricated to make my brigade the most feared and loathed off them all. Even the Oberkommando thinks those things have really happened, even though no one up there can make a rhyme about it when and where those things might have happened. It always happened somewhere else, far away and to someone else. It all has its benefits. Wherever we set foot, the enemy has already fled, the resistance has abandoned their posts and the citizens are… how shall I put it… more controllable."

He concluded. He propped himself up on the windowsill and listened for a moment the hoarse voice of his second in command belting out orders and his men answering their affirmatives. He looked over his shoulder and added:

"But, as I said earlier. We are here to keep the peace. We won't hurt anyone. We won't loot or pillage. If the towns women want to engage with my men, I will not hold them back, but my men will not engage any of the women on their own accord."

He said and turned his head back to the scene at the town square. He looked at his lieutenant and waited for an opportunity. As his lieutenant ceased his bellowing of orders for a moment von Strassen shouted. The sudden loudness of his voice was so out of place for him, that the men behind him collectively winced.

"Lieutenant Müller, I want that PAK at the west gate immediately and I want communications set up here in the town hall. Get Schmidt and Herrmann at it ASAP!"

A hoarse affirmative came back from his lieutenant and immediately afterwards the burly man began to bark orders again. Soon after one of the half tracks could be heard rumbling along to the west gate of the village. At the same time down in the hall there were many boots heard trampling around and shouts were everywhere. The major nodded satisfied and turned back to the men gathered with him in the mayors office. He scratched his chin and looked from one to the next.

"I would think this would be all for the moment. If you would excuse me, I am needed to direct my men. If there are any questions, feel free to find me on any of my men. We will see to it, that all your problems will be solved. In one way or another."

He said in his usual manner and nodded slowly. The men sitting there looked at him in utter silence, not sure if they would want to say anything right now. Von Strassen nodded again and to the desk to take his belongings. He took his gloves and his sidearm. He checked the weapon, held it up and pulled the trigger. The assembled men flinched, but the weapon just clicked empty. They looked at him in shock, but he just smiled.

"Well, you did not think I would leave a loaded weapon just lying around on the desk like that. I have great confidence in my abilities, but I do not have a death wish. At least not yet."

He stated and holstered the weapon. He took his cap and tucked it under his arm and put on his gloves again. He then bowed just ever so slightly and left the office with quick strides. The knocking of the heels of his boots could be heard for a little longer. A certain silence fell upon the gathered men. Gustave was the first to sigh out his relief, the others were quick to follow suit. They looked at each other, still very much in disbelief what they just saw and heard. They did not really know how to feel about the whole situation right now.

On the one hand, they were incredibly relieved that their occupants did not seem to be that bad, on the other hand, that major was clearly a psychopath. Again it was Gustave who first regained his voice:

"Well, it could clearly be much worse."

He stated, slowly calming down. His voice was still a bit shaky, but there was already that deep baritone, he usually boasted and the confidence he exuded with his voice.

"I gonna need to address the townsfolk to explain the situation to them. May be we can arrange us with them… maybe, if they stay until all this is over, it will not be that bad after all."

He explained and let his gaze wander from one to the other of his fellows. The innkeeper just nodded, he was just happy, that they did not just requisite everything. They could have easily confiscated his whole stockpile, converted his Inn into a brothel and just forced the towns women to work there. He knew for a fact, that this had happened in many a small towns in the nation. It was nothing new. It had happened in the last war, and the wars before that just as well. Sometimes even their own troops would have done that. Remi just shook his head.

"We should not trust them… they are the enemies after all. Who knows what they will do if the war goes on for some time longer and they get bored."

The policeman stated in a worried tone. Pierre stood up and shrugged his shoulders. He went to the window and looked out to the town square. He saw the major giving out orders in his usual calm manner and he saw some of the soldiers giving out what seemed to be chocolate to a whole bunch of kids. On the other side of the big square some of the troops were busy erecting a big tent. He took a deep breath and closed the window.

"Well my friends, I don't think we have any choice in this matter. We will have to play along, at least for the time being. We are in no position to do anything against them. And even if, and that is a really big if, we would be able to overwhelm them. Then what? The armies of the Reich would just flatten this village. And we know for a fact, that they capable of doing so. They have shown it plenty of times in the past."

He turned around and looked them in the faces. He went to his desk and took his designated place behind it. It felt wrong sitting there. Somehow he was no longer the leader of this small town. He stroked the desk, felt the many scratches, nooks and crannies it had gathered in its long live as the mayors desk. He nodded.

"We will comply, we will keep calm and do as we are told. The war will come to an end, sooner rather than later. And then we might just able to come out of this rather unscathed. Go now, do as you were told. Help them, comply with their requests and help out our fellow citizens to fit themselves in this new situation."

With that said, the other stood up and one by one, slowly left the office, leaving Pierre to his own devices for now. He looked after them and when Remi, who was last to leave the office closed the door behind himself, he stood up again. He went back to the window and watched the buzzle and huzzle down on the town square.

He could see how a few of the soldiers, packed with a few crates entered the church. Looking closer he saw movement in the clock tower. He nodded. Of course they would use the highest building in the village as a makeshift outlook. Understandable, they had done the same. Also he saw some of the soldiers following Remi to the towns small police station.

With a smile he noticed some soldiers posing in front of the small fountain in the middle of the square and another took pictures of them. They looked more like tourists than soldiers at this point. He shook his head and turned back to his desk. With a heavy sigh he dropped into his chair and hung in there for a long moment, closing his eyes.

There was much to take in and ponder over…

As the days went by and the live for the villagers normalized again, at least to a degree, most of the townsfolk arranged themselves more or less with their occupants. There had been a few little hiccups, but nothing serious. All in all it went much better than anyone in the small village had ever hoped for. In the end, even the innkeeper had said, he had never had so many guests to tend to as since the Wolves had come to occupy they village.

The only one, who was pretty much not happy was Remi. The soldiers had pretty much replaced him completely. It was not that he had had much to do before, but now, since the soldiers were out on patrol, and in his little police station watching over the resistance fighters, he was pretty much relegated to sitting on his desk all day and doing nothing at all.

Nut besides this, everything seemed to be pretty much fine and dandy.

The soldiers occupying the town hall, monitoring the communications were wiretapping all day and all night. The reports filtering through from the front weren't all that good, but that was to be estimated. The major and his staff were pretty sure, the Empire would break through any day now. The forces of the Reich were on a constant retreat and stretched awfully thin over most of the front line. Soon all this would be over for them and the villagers. But if switching from one occupying force to another was any better was to be seen.

It was early in the morning when von Strassen slowly woke up. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a small bedroom, barely lid by the early morning light seeping through the window blinds. He heard the quiet breathing besides him and smiled. He turned his head slowly over to the side and saw the young woman still sleeping next to him. The covers just barely covering her naked form up. Her chest heaved slightly under her breath and she seemed totally relaxed in her sleep. His smile widened as he thought back at the fun they had during the night.

Slowly he turned his head to the other side and looked at the small clock on the nightstand.

6am. Still early enough to sleep in a bit longer.

He carefully turned over to the sleeping beauty next to him and cuddled himself close to her. She stirred softly in her sleep as he pulled her slender naked body closer to his bigger frame. His hands gently caressed her front as he kissed her neck softly.

"Hmmm… Gerald… you are insatiable…"

She mumbled, still pretty much asleep. He smiled and nodded softly. He gently kissed her neck a few more times.

"It is not, that you do not want me to be like this…"

He whispered between his kisses. His hands found their way to her breasts and underbelly. Gently he pulled her in a bit more, letting her feel how much he desired her.

"Hmmm… yesss… I do like you to be insatiable… I want you to be the wolf that you are…"

She murmured softly and grabbed his arms. She pulled them closer around herself, laying them on her breasts and between her legs…

"Hmmm… I want you to devour me… skin and hair and everything… hnnn…"

She gasped for air as he tweaked her nipple and gently bit her neck. Instinctively she pushed her backside against him, feeling how ready he already was again. He growled softly, enjoying her eagerness.

He would devour her… skin, hair and everything and then some…

He could feel how ready she also was and was about to spread her legs as there was a loud knock on the door.

Von Strassen closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Gently he eased up on his partner, kissing her once more on the neck before rolling his eyes.

"Sorry my dear, duty calls…"

He whispered softly, much to the dismay of the naked young woman in front of him. He turned his head and called out over his shoulder.

"At least one hour too early…!"

It took a short moment before an answer was to be heard through the door.

"It is urgent major!"

The distress in the muffled voice was easily to be heard, even through the door.

"The enemy is making his move!"

The messenger added in an urgent tone. Von Strassen sighed again. It had been anticipated for some days now. Sooner or later the Empire would break through, now seemed to be the time to do so. He turned back to his lover and squeezed her against himself once more. It was no use. This was something that could not wait. He would need to get up and handle the situation, there was no way around that. Sometime he hated to be the one in charge.

"It is OK. Go, you are needed there…"

She whispered softly and released his arms. He nodded softly and kissed her once more before untangling himself from her. Gently he pulled his arm from underneath her and she rolled over. She looked at him worried. They both knew, there was no guarantee for their plan to work as intended. He smiled softly and turned over to sit up on the edge of the bed.

"Major?"

The messenger asked again. Von Strassen huffed.

"I'll be there in a minute. Get me one of the motorcycles with a sidecar. I will need a parliamentary flag."

He said in his usually calm voice and shortly after he could hear the soldier walking off. He looked back over his shoulder his partner still laying there only partially covered by the sheets. He smiled.

"You can take your time for a be longer, but be on guard in an hour."

He said and gently stroked her cheek before reaching for his clothes. She nodded silently. He bend down and pulled on his socks and underwear as he felt her touch on his back. He stopped and straightened up to look at her once more. She had reached out to him, her slender naked arm still resting on his back. She was beautiful, far more than one would expect from a soldier of his brigade. Her naked body endeared him greatly, but it was the sorrowful look in her eyes that caught his eyes.

"Be careful, they know who we are, and they might not want to accept a surrender from the Führers Butcher."

He smiled and nodded softly.

"I will take care, and I am fairly certain that they will respect the traditions. They are the good guys after all."

He responded with a weary smile, knowing fully well that in this war, there were no good guys left. He stood up and pulled on his shirt and buttoned up his pants. She slowly scooted over and sat up at the edge of the bed, right where he had sat just a few moments before, pulling the sheets around herself in an attempt to cover herself up a bit.

It was not shame that made her do that. There was no such thing as shame towards her commanding officer. It was more her manners that made her cover up her body, Even though she did not need to hide herself. She was beautiful. This war had not yet left its mark on her, and if everything went to plan, it would not leave its mark now either.

Major Gerald von Strassen now stood fully dressed in his black uniform in front of her. She smiled softly. He looked sharp in that uniform. The uniform that not at all conveyed his soft and caring character. Instead it made him look the man he was supposed to be. The Führers Butcher. Build up by the rumors they had worked so hard to spread, and that now would most likely work against them.

It had always been the plan to be the most ruthless of all the Reich's brigades during this war. It had been the plan to be so fearsome, so loathed, that no enemy actually wanted to fight them. And so far they had succeeded surprisingly well. All their enemies had given up their positions even before they had come to the battlefields. During the whole war, they had not yet fought a single battle.

But now, now the enemy was practically standing at their gates. An enemy that was superior in every aspect. The armies of the Empire were numerous and they were better equipped. Even if they would have wanted to fight them, they would not stand a chance.

Now their bad reputation would be the one thing that stands in their way. Therefore he had hatched the genius idea of occupying a village close to the front line. There they could show, that they were not the despicable, rabid monsters the rumors made them out to be. And the townsfolk could vouch for them.

It was surely a risky plan. Relying on the mercy of the enemy, an enemy, they knew, was not really better then they were. But there was a chance they would get away with it.

Sure, they would face imprisonment at least for the rest of the war, and only god knew how long that would take, even if the Reich was collapsing ever faster towards the end. But it would might take a year or two longer. Nevertheless, it was better in any way, then facing what normally would be in for them after allegedly comiting those heynes war crimes in the first place.

The major took his Cap from the dresser and turned one last time towards her. Before he could react, she jumped him and kissed him once more deeply. He did not resist but embraced her passionately and enjoyed the brief moment of togetherness. She tasted him and held him tight, not willing to let him go so easily, but in the end it was her, who let him go first. Hesitantly he let her down to her feet again and looked deep into her eyes.

"Stay safe…"

She whispered softly, her voice broken. He nodded slightly and put on his cap, wanting to turn away. She still held him back, standing totally exposed in front of him.

"Promise it…"

She demanded, tears in her eyes. He smiled wearily and caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear.

"I promise. I will stay safe."

He said in his eerily calm voice. Hesitantly she let go off him, her arm still poised to grab him again. Standing in the middle of the room, she looked after him as he turned and opened the door. When he stepped through the door, the second messenger, one of the younger soldiers in their brigade, looked right at her and immediately flushed a bright red. In his awe, he totally forgot to salute his officer in command and von Strassen only grinned.

He pulled the door closed behind him.

She just stood there and looked after him as the door closed, not sure if she would ever see him again. As the lock clicked close, she realized, that she has stood butt naked in the room and hastily pulled up the sheets to cover herself just barely.

She felt embarrassed. Not for standing naked in front of him, but to let herself go so easily, to show her emotions so openly, but on the other hand, it just showed how much she really loved him.

Von Strassen followed the young soldier through the building. They had been given one of the empty houses on the outer edges of the village. It had been a bit cramped, sleeping with so many men in such a small home. But it had been better then having them all sleep in tents. They had been spread out throughout the village. Wherever there had been an empty bed, they had packed at least two soldiers in. In some cases as much as friendships had formed between the villagers and their "guests".

In the majors eyes, that part of their plan had almost worked too good. But if the rest would work just as fine, they would find out shortly. They walked down the short hallway leading to the front door of the house, as he could already hear the requested vehicle arrive in front of the house. He stepped out into the early daylight. Looking up he could tell it could be a beautiful day, there were no clouds to be seen and the temperatures, while still chill in the early morning, would climb to a pleasant degree over the day.

The driver of the motorcycle stopped the engine and waited for his superior. He saluted, as he should and greeted him. Von Strassen nodded and returned the salute. Turning to the other soldier waiting for him next to the house he asked.

"Where is the enemy, and how long will it take for them to arrive?"

His voice was still calm and collected. He would never show his men how nervous he really was.

"The enemy was spotted to the west. They broke through at Neveré and are en route to this village. Around 20 miles out. Exact numbers are unknown, but at least Battalion strength. We expect them to arrive within the next two hours."

The soldier explained. The major nodded in deep thought. He would not want to ride out to far, but on the other hand, if they would wait until the enemy was at their doorsteps, the enemy would perhaps begin to preemptively bombard the village from afar.

"Well. Then the time has come. Prepare the troops. I want them to assemble on the town square and disarm themselves. Call the mayor, and instruct him and the priest over what will happen. No heroes. If we want to get out of this alive and well, we have to play on their rules now. All remain calm. The villagers too. I will head out and will see what we can do. Wish us luck."

He instructed and the young soldier nodded.

"As you wish major. Godspeed."

They saluted to each other and von Strassen climbed into the sidecar of the motorcycle.

As they drove of, she stood and the window of her bedroom, wrapped into the sheets and looked after them. There was a queasy feeling in her stomach as the motorcycle slowly disappeared into the early morning fog, which hang over the fields surrounding the village.

A single tear rolled down her cheek...

Concept and Idea by

El Poyo Diabolo

Written by

El Poyo Diabolo

Characters by

El Poyo Diabolo

Edit by

El Poyo Diabolo

Published by

El Poyo Diabolo