"Hey, look! Reinforcements!"
Kazuto lifted his head and glanced at the village entrance as soon as he heard Otto's voice. He didn't seem particularly interested, yet his eyebrows raised.
Soldiers, about a thousand in numbers, marching behind between two horses rode by two officers.
Behind those two officers were wagons tugging nothing more than artillery pieces, ready to be assembled in their respective position.
Its was about two to three artillery pieces being carried, and about half a hundred shells can be seen in each of those wagons.
Sergeant Wilhelm's men were amazed, dropping their jaws from the amount of soldiers that were being deployed in their position.
They didn't expect this many, they were only hoping for about thirty to fifty men and that would be enough, but this, this was just to much for them.
The wounded who had lost there hopes changed their demeanor seeing as they were never really abandoned. Some smiled, while some snivel in joy.
The medics whom Adolph brought quickly came to their aid, rushing towards them as soon as they saw them leaning themselves outside of the house.
They cleaned their wounds and changed the bloody bandages with new ones.
Adolph on the other hand walked towards Kazuto and Otto, sitting next to them with his whole body completely drenched from the rain.
His hair dripping, his eyes glaring, and when he breathes he pants. He was tired, yet he just shove it away and act fine.
"Do you guys have any spare towels."
He asked idly, gazing as the rest of the men that arrived were also taking a rest. Some took an ease near the trees and laid there backs, while others took cover from the houses protected by the roofs.
Kazuto grabbed a towel next to him. "here," he drawled, throwing the towel.
Adolph caught it with his right hand without even looking and dried his hair.
***
The Sergeant gave a grin, seeing that the plan had now accomplish its first step. Not only that, but he could see his men being treated in care.
However, his attention was taken elsewhere when he saw the Colonel dropped down to the ground from his horse, causing the puddle to splash around his boots. The Colonel smiled walking closer towards Wilhelm, as Wilhelm stood from his chair and gave a firm salute as he waited a welcoming handshake.
The Colonel gave him a handshake.
"Congratulations in taking the village. I didn't know you well, but I can see promising results when you will be in charge of an army one day," He complimented him.
"Thank you, Colonel. But you seem to underestimate the cunningness of my men," Sergeant Wilhelm chuckled.
"Without them this plan would not be as successful."
"It would seem so. But I didn't expect you would capture that many elves in just one skirmish," The Colonel uttered in praise.
Both their eyes shifted, looking at the elves in a small circle behind a wall of a house guarded by Sergeant Wilhelm's men.
The elves were in bad conditions, drenched in rain and cramped at one another to the point that a single sneeze could infect them all.
The elves could only do is give horrible glares as they were cornered and at gunpoint. However, to the colonel he found this not threatening in the slightest, only found it all amusing that the enemy they fear the most were in a situation where they were as weak as them.
"I'm amazed... very, very amazed." The colonel smirked, chuckling as he gaze to the Sergeant's firm glare.
***
"What was it like back there?" Otto asked, opening the metal bottle that was in his hands as he tried to drink the last of it.
"What are you talking about?" Adolph asked, gazing towards him.
"Back in the trenches, what happened to the plains? the buildings?"
"What do you expect, nothing more but a waste of land. It always becomes a wasteland... And the buildings? Its almost as if it was never built to begin with, most of it... destroyed... gone to rubble." Adolph answered, somewhat irritated as he looked away.
Kazuto was left pondering, watching as colonel continued to praise sergeant Wilhelm's achievement with only the rattle of the raindrops in the roofs stopping him from hearing what they were actually conversing, until it sparks.
His eyes widened, gazing to Adolph as he also has a question in mind.
"What about the red flare?" He asked.
"The red flare?" Adolph muttered, pondering about it. " It did caught my eye, but It's still there not burning out of fuel for some reason." He answered.
"Still Burning?" Kazuto muttered.
For a moment it was only silence. The doctors did not speak, the wounded did not grunt, and both Kazuto and Otto looked at one another as the rattles of rain continued. Then it was unceremoniously broken.
"So how is he, doc?" Gunther asked, worried as his eyes stayed steady gazing at Hanz.
"Well he's sick that's for sure, high temperature all over his skin, constant headaches, slight numbness. But we can't really blame all this to the weather, we saw his wounds, didn't we?" The Medic answered looking back at them. "Three shots and still alive, that's insane! All of this symptoms are mostly caused by lost of blood." He continued in amazement yet solemn.
"Can he still make it?" Kazuto asked.
"Depends if the man is still willing to go on and not give up. Until we reach the city of Bruckenberg we can't really do much. The best we do is numb out the pain, and stab him with some morphine." The doctor answered.
Gunther pondered after hearing what the doctor had said, his worries ever increasing, watching as Hanz was getting harder to breath at each minute. However, their attention was directed elsewhere.
The Colonel yelled, full of fury, his fingers pointed in every squad that were resting. His face can be seen mimicking nearly a tiger with his anger, as the soldiers all watched and listened in near terror.
"Men, I am proud of your resilience!! Your actions will be sung all across the country, and your names will be hailed in glory! Ready the artilleries!! The rest of you regroup and prepare formation! And make sure those elves are out of here by the hour!!" He yelled.
"YES, SIR!!" Everyone responded.
Soon soldiers in every corner all stood from their resting place and checked their ammo and rifle, while some running as they hurry to grab the pieces and assemble the artilleries.
The elves who were wet and cold are now ordered to stand up still at gunpoint, with their glares never changing as they march into the wagons, packing as there even little to know space to even breath.
"Wake him and help him up to in the wagon! In that state we can't waste anymore time!" The doctor said, closing his kit and standing up as he run to his partner.
"The rest of you who can stand up, hurry to the wagons, as well!" The doctor said to the others.
The wounded stood up and walked, while those who were heavily injured were helped towards the wagons, damping themselves in rain just to arrive to the vehicles.
Gunther looked back to Hanz, taking a deep a breath and out, holding both of his shoulders. He slowly shook his body, forging a smile as he waked him up with a soft tone.
"Hey, Hanz. Wake up..."
Hanz eyes opened looking at Gunther, seeing him smile gave him a relief. However, the thought wondered him why almost everyone was running around in the rain carrying heavy pieces.
"Huh..? Gunther... Is it over? Did we.... did we win?" He asked.
"Not yet. Come on, help yourself stand up. We're gonna get you in a hospital," Gunther answered.
He held Hanz's right hand and placed his arm around the back of his neck, slowly standing up as Hanz tried his best to stand as well, despite feeling dizzy again.
"You sure you can handle him alone?" Kazuto asked in concern, watching as Gunther struggled to keep Hanz to stand up.
However, before Gunther could answer, Adolph called them by name. He was already back in the rain without anyone noticing, damping himself as he gazed.
"Otto, Kazuto, come on!! The sergeant is waiting! Gunther can handle him by his own!" Adolph yelled in assurance.
He then pointed his finger towards the tree where Sergeant Wilhelm and rest of his remaining men stood firm, with the sergeant standing in the middle where everyone is drenched.
Adolph looked back away from them after yelling, as he continued walking alone.
"Yeah! I can handle him. You two go ahead and regroup with Sergeant Wilhelm!" Gunther assured Kazuto, walking slowly as the two of them started their march towards the wagon.
"Come on, they're Waiting," Otto said, gently pushing Kazuto's rifle to Kazuto's chest.
Kazuto held his rifle as soon as he received it, as Otto walked towards their rally point, leaving him behind.
Kazuto felt worried and discontented, and decided to gaze towards Gunther and Hanz. However, when he gaze towards them they seem to be okay.
Gunther was not struggling as much as before with helping Hanz, even talking casually as Kazuto overheard their conversation.
"I hope... Isabel is alright back home..." Hanz said sounding like a drunk man.
"She's alright, Hanz. You should worry about yourself more than her right now," Gunther replied, chuckling.
Kazuto watched them a little longer and soon looked away feeling contented, as he ran to catch up with how far Otto had walked.
***
The Artilleries were set into position, aiming their heavy guns at exactly the entrance of the city walls. All of them loaded with shells, as the men operating them were as ready as the infantry that will soon charge.
With a single cry of the dark clouds the colonel yelled the word,
"Fire!!!"
In sync the artilleries fired, smoking the village with its powder. A whistle of thunder can be heard in the distance and soon it decimated the entrance gate and guards of the city walls near it. It was now in ruins, exposed, and the soldiers can finally enter.