Chương 29: The Meatshield Rebellion

Our mashed group of ragtags trudged forward through the island's lush green grass. The blades rose up to thirty-four centimeters tall, so high that a grown man could barely see what was under them and could only feel the rocky ground beneath his boots. Towering among the grass stood massive Sandarac Gum trees. Their trunks were thick as ancient pillars, their bark glistening with golden resin that dripped like slow-moving amber.

Their crowns spread wide and heavy, three times the size of any normal tree of their kind. Branches hung heavy with clusters of fragrant golden saplings that filled the air with a sweet, almost intoxicating scent. One of the older mercenaries suddenly called out loud, "Sandarac Gum trees… and these are really huge!" Since Galer and I were positioned toward the back of the column, not quite at the very end unfortunately, we had a clearer view of what was happening behind us.

The forty professional soldiers were already hard at work on the grassfield, rapidly constructing a makeshift base. Stakes were driven deep, tents rose quickly, and watchtowers were hammered together with practiced efficiency. In my head I thought: Do they not know the stories Galer told me? Or are they simply in denial, believing they can just build here and defend it? The leader of our entire force was Hezme, one of the strongest from the elite 44-man group.

With his loud, commanding voice and efficient hand signals, he kept everyone moving as a single tight unit. No separate groups. No stragglers. We climbed steep cliffs and fought breeding Ogreclops, or their hungry children before they could grow, in brutal, relentless fashion. The deeper we ventured into the island's edge, the fiercer the attacks became. We usually killed three or four of the beasts for every one or two of our own who fell. So far the numbers were acceptable… but something felt deeply wrong.

Galer leaned closer to me as we marched, his voice low and urgent.

"We're walking from the south where we landed, heading north… but not deeper into the island. That would be northwest. And sometimes a smaller group detaches toward the west and never returns. Hmmmm…" I glanced at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Galer's sharp eyes flicked behind us for a moment, scanning the column with the precision only a high-Animo fighter could manage.

"Just now… I saw it with my own eyes. A small group of three broke off from the main force and slipped into the tall grass toward the west. Straight into the area where we killed those Ogreclops nesting sites earlier. They're not heading toward the main objective. Something is very wrong here." We continued while Galer was now calculating what was truly going on here... until we reached the other side of a small waterline and took a short break. Galer suddenly froze, staring at the rustling trees.

I was watching the foliage for cautious animals, but he turned to me and whispered urgently: "They played us… It all makes sense now." His eyes narrowed with cold fury as he scanned the distant movements near the shore.

"Why they only offered 2 Osmium for this suicide mission. There is no way Kriemhild would come to a place like this with nothing but a 'butler' and a handful of mercenaries disguised as " elite guards". This is a trade scam, pure and simple. They're using us as meatshields while they hunt for the Silver Eggs." He pointed subtly toward the western shoreline, his voice dropping even lower.

"I just saw it with my own eyes. One of the detachment groups didn't just disappear. They moved like shadows, slipping through the tall grass. Three men grabbed a glowing Silver Egg from a hidden nest and vanished into the water without a sound. They are not exploring. They are looting. They stay close to the shore so the beasts don't reach them, then quietly return to the makeshift base with their prize while we bleed and die for them. We are absolutely fucked.

They plan to kill every last one of us once they have enough eggs, since we are an expendable force. And with the contract, they do not need to pay us in full since they gave us 2 osmium which they can just loot back." At least that's what I think. Even if not, they intend to waste our time hunting for Kriemhild, which was all a ruse. A dangerous spark lit in my eyes.

"I have an idea." I told Galer my plan in a hushed voice as we marched.

"We can't just sit and die for them. Since I'm one of the smallest and youngest in Group 1, I can move around without drawing too much attention. I'll quietly warn the others about the scam, tell them what you saw with the Silver Eggs and how they're using us as disposable shields. If enough of us know the truth, we can coordinate and turn this around when the right moment comes." Galer gave a subtle nod, his expression grim but approving.

"Do it carefully. Not everyone will believe it right away. Some might even report us if they're too scared or loyal to the contract." I started moving discreetly through the ranks of Group 1. I slipped between men during short breaks, whispered while pretending to adjust my armor, or fell back a few steps to walk beside someone for a moment. To some I spoke plainly: "They're looting the eggs while we bleed. This whole mission is a lie."

Others needed convincing, hardened veterans who scoffed at first, demanding proof. I told them what Galer had seen with his own eyes, how small teams were breaking off to grab glowing Silver Eggs and slipping away to the shore. A few cursed under their breath and nodded, fire returning to their eyes. A couple remained skeptical, muttering they'd rather take their chances with the contract than risk the penalty. But the seed was planted.

Galer helped where he could, speaking quietly to a few trusted-looking fighters on the edges of the column. His calm, authoritative presence carried more weight than my youthful warnings. Slowly, a quiet undercurrent of anger and distrust spread through Group 1. We kept walking along the shoreline. People complained inside the column, "Why stick to the shore? We should go deeper to find her easier!"

but Group 3 gave easy excuses: "We're foraging the area, gauging the beasts, covering ground for tomorrow, the real day." On the westernmost point, close to the end of the island, our little rebellion quietly took root. Then the island struck back. Even more aggressive and now bigger Ogreclops poured out from the inner hilly regions, as if something had enraged them. Their roars shook the ground as dozens of the towering beasts charged our column like a living tide of teeth and claws.

Our rebellion exploded behind the main force. Group 3 was down to 38 remaining. Group 2, the strongest, had only 6 left. Our own Group 1 still had 89 not the strongest, but numerous. A three-way standoff began. Chaotic fights and epic clashes erupted everywhere. Galer and I fought side by side, combining our strengths while also battling the pissed-off Ogreclops. My longsword sang through the air as my Heart Flame subconsciously surged, each strike cutting deeper than before.

Galer's light-infused knives flashed like streaks of lightning, carving through grayish-green flesh. In the heart of the chaos, Hezme, the powerful leader of the elite group activated his Vestuto. Wind arrows erupted from his back in a storm of ethereal projectiles. They were not solid, yet on impact they tore straight through the Ogreclops' bodies, still connected by threads of wind energy that pulled and ripped from the inside.

Small arrow shields protruded from his armor like living barbs, deflecting claws and bites with sharp, metallic clangs. For a moment he seemed unstoppable, a whirlwind of death cutting down beast after beast. But the Ogreclops were relentless. One massive creature smashed through his arrow shields, its jaws clamping down on his shoulder with bone-crushing force. Another latched onto his legs, tearing through armor and flesh. A third leaped onto his back, ripping away huge strips of skin in a spray of blood.

Hezme roared in agony as the monsters savaged him, his wind arrows firing wildly in every direction. Even his powerful transformation could not save him. The beasts overwhelmed him completely, dragging him down into the tall grass where his screams were cut short in a wet, sickening crunch. Group 3 and Group 2 were completely annihilated by the beasts. We Group 1 barely managed to fall back to a small resting place below a creek near the ocean, a spot one of the scouts had found earlier.

We took refuge there, trapped in a fucked-up dilemma: a scam, a death certificate we had unknowingly signed.

"That's why they made three groups," I informed Galer.

"Insiders and outsiders. The outsiders were numerically higher and more replaceable." Galer nodded grimly.

"They used the name of Kriemhild and the power of Burgundy of Lübeck to scare us into obedience. They even stole their clothing and galley design. But on retrospective, the emblem of the Nation was missing, that's what they did not have on them. They scammed us well. The 'contract' was the perfect trap to hold us accountable." Complaining and half-baked shitty plans filled the hiding spot like poison in the air. One man growled, "We should run back to the camp and attack the employers!

Kill those bastards who tricked us!" Another immediately shot him down.

"Waste of time. There are still way more of them than us, and don't forget the captain. That madman Róugal demonstrated his strength... he clapped an Ogreclops to death with his bare hands. We'd be slaughtered before we even reached him." Someone else, clearly losing his mind from fear, blurted out the dumbest idea yet: "We swim to the ship and hide on it! They won't expect that!" A veteran beside him stared in disbelief.

"You know we have Ogreclops there in mass, right? Are you sane?! You'd be torn apart and eaten before you even reached the hull!" Arguments flew back and forth, voices rising in desperation and anger. Plans grew wilder and more hopeless with every passing minute setting the grass on fire, surrendering and begging for mercy, even trying to negotiate with the beasts themselves. Then one man, eyes narrowed with cold calculation, looked straight at me.

"We use the kid." The hiding spot went quiet. All eyes turned to me. A suicide mission for me. I stood there, frozen in anguish, my chest tight with a storm of fear, shame, and bitter resolve. Not only was I currently the weakest and most replaceable in a group already seen as completely expendable, but even Galer could not truly save me. Yet, I didn't want to be 'saved'. The thought of hiding behind the other mercenaries while they risked everything for me again felt worse than death.

I had already lost too much thanks to being weak... my father, Husher, my home. If this was the price for the rest of them to live, then I would pay it. The plan was simple and insane: since I was the smallest and youngest, I would sneak under the huge grass, climb up the hill into the inner section of the island, grab a Silver Egg, then scream loudly once I secured a good spot and run straight toward the makeshift fort where the ship was docked.

While the Ogreclops went berserk chasing the egg and me, the rest of our group would hide near the camp. Once the beasts destroyed as much as possible and drew most of the attention, we would rush the ship. If we only had to fight Róugal on the ship, we might actually have a chance to get him and get out of this island alive. With our current manpower, we could handle the galley's rudder and oars at high speed and sail away from this hellscape of an Island. My heart of flame beat excitedly.

After one hour of intense preparation, I had a six-hour time limit. During that hour, Galer pulled me aside, his hands firm on my shoulders as he forced me to breathe slowly and cool down.

"Listen to me, Erumes. Stay low when you can, but climb when they get too close. They rely on scent and vibration, move smart, not straight. Use the trees and rocks. Don't fight every one you see. Run when you have the egg. Survive. That's all that matters." He placed a hand over my chest, right where the small flame burned, and prayed quietly in the name of Michaelanius.

"May your path not end here, my brother. Not yet. Not like this. Give him strength… and bring him back to us." The veterans who knew the plan gave me positive, reinforcing punches on the back and shoulders hard enough to sting, but full of rough camaraderie.

"You're our and your own escape ticket, kid. Six hours. Don't waste it. Make it count." I nodded, throat tight with emotion. My inner flame surged excitedly for what was about to happen, burning hotter and brighter than it ever had before, as if it too understood the stakes. I slipped away, climbing from the place we once were. I encountered two small Ogreclops and fought them with my longsword in an epic, desperate duel.

I was already accustomed to how they moved and won with minimal damage, though one scratched my arm and armor deeply. With caution and the ticking time limit in my head, I counted every second and moved smarter, not straighter. I realized they always found me when I stayed low in the grass, so I switched to climbing, using both hands in quick, practiced maneuvers. My old miner spirit proved useful once again; climbing rocks had trained me well. The night was slowly approaching, the sun sinking.

I was much closer to the inner area now. In the slow-appearing darkness, I saw a golden shine so clear it almost hurt my eyes. A growing Ogreclops was about to eat the egg. It spotted me from behind and prepared to kick in reaction. I twisted my body mid-air, my heart flame burning hotter than ever, surging power into both hands. With one clean, empowered strike I cut the young beast in half. Eagerness took over for a moment.

The egg was breathtaking, a perfect oval of liquid gold and silver light mixed together, pulsing with warm, life-giving radiance. Once near it, you could feel its energizing properties. Its beauty was so overwhelming it stirred a strange hunger in my mind. I punched myself hard on the cheek to regain self-discipline. I grabbed the egg with my restored dominant arm and whispered a silent thanks to Mister Phenomena once again. Life was so much better with both limbs intact. Two hours remained. The night grew closer.

In the distance I could already see the fort with its torches fully built and glowing. I took a deep breath and let out a huge scream.

"SILVER EGG INCOMING!" I hurled the egg toward the fort with all my strength. The moment it left my hand, I turned and ran like never before climbing down cliffs with reckless speed, jumping from tree to tree, using every ounce of my miner-honed agility to stay ahead. Enraged Ogreclops poured after me in a thundering tide, their hundreds of glowing eyes lighting up the darkness like a swarm of angry stars. Their roars shook the ground as they gained on me with terrifying speed.

I threw the egg with perfect aim toward the heart of the camp. The moment it landed, chaos erupted. Hordes of Ogreclops slammed into the scamming forces like a living avalanche. The preparing soldiers and the butler, who now revealed himself as the true leader of the fort, were forced to engage the beasts in a desperate, all-out battle. I was almost at the fort when Captain Róugal appeared on the wall, smiling like a predator who had just spotted fresh prey.

With shocking speed for a man his age, he leaped down, grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me up onto the ship. Once aboard, he began torturing me with savage delight, strong punches raining down on my face and stomach, followed by vicious knife stabs to my upper leg. Blood poured from the wounds as I gasped in agony, but I uttered only nonsense through gritted teeth, my hardened soul refusing to break. The captain paused for a moment, sipping more ale from his bottle, his cheeks flushed with drunken joy.

He respected my endurance somehow, even as he continued beating me with that never-ending, sadistic smile.

"Well, we still will come out on top, let me tell ya, boyaa!" he snarled with his thick accent.

"This is only the first wave. We have this planned for years, to colonize this island, turn it into a breeding world stage we control, and sell the riches. All those poor hopeful ones getting healed… for a certain price, of course. Yarrrrr!" Exactly at that moment, our group stormed the ship. They had already fought the ship crew and lost 14 of their members, but they killed them all. An epic battle of proportion began on the galley as well.

The ship disembarked from the fort, leaving the others still fighting the Ogreclops, completely unaware that the vessel was already pulling away from the island slowly. The captain grabbed me by the arm, using me as a human shield and punching bag. After five brutal punches that left my body broken and dangling, I used my last bit of strength to blindside him by spiting my flowing blood on his eyes. That gave Galer and the others the opening they needed. What followed was a savage, most important duel for safety.

Captain Róugal roared like a wounded beast and charged at Galer. His arms whistled through the air in wide, powerful strokes. Galer dodged the first strike and answered with a light-powered fast kick to the captain's knee. The old pirate staggered but recovered instantly, swinging his arms in a brutal overhead chop that forced Galer to roll across the deck. They clashed again and again. Steel rang against hardened fist as Galer's sword met the captain's arms in a shower of sparks.

Róugal was stronger and more experienced, but Galer was faster and fueled by pure survivalist spirit. The captain landed a heavy punch to Galer's ribs, cracking bone, yet Galer replied with a devastating knee strike to the stomach that made the old man cough air. They grappled near the railing, trading vicious elbows and headbutts. Blood sprayed across the wooden planks. Róugal grabbed Galer by the throat and slammed him against the mast.

"You whelps think yarr can take my ship?" he bellowed in anger. In that moment of fury, the captain's grip crushed Galer's left eye completely. Pain exploded through Galer's skull, but he refused to fall, letting it form into a primal source of energy. With a primal scream, Galer drove his sword upward into the captain's side neck. The blade sank deep into skin. The old pirate howled in agony yet still laughed maniacally, even as blood poured from his mouth.

He ripped the sword from his own body and threw Galer to the ground, trying for another kill. Galer rose again, blood streaming down his face, and fought like a demon. His powerful kicks landed with bone-shattering force, one after another, breaking ribs and smashing the captain's jaw. The fancy hat flew off Róugal's head and vanished into the sea.

In the end, after a fierce and bloody struggle that left both men barely standing, Galer delivered one final, crushing kick to the captain's chest, rocking him backwards. In that moment Róugal crashed backward into the railing and fell silent at last, his body hitting the deck. Many of the ragtag members jumped onto his lying body and stabbed it multitudes of times, making sure he wouldn't awaken once more.

Galer, bleeding badly from the ruined eye socket, ripped a piece of torn cloth from the fallen captain's clothes. He imagined creating a makeshift eye patch, tied it tightly over the wound, and said with surprising calm:"We are all today free of this forsaken mission. Let's go back to Athenae and tell the Registry what's going on and the vile lies they spewed." The problem was that most of the men who knew how to sail the ship had died before we killed the captain and his crew.

We were now stranded in the nothingness of the wide Mare Nostrum. Galer, despite the pain and lost left eye, said, "Let's go on top of the galley and start ruddering. If what he said was true, we need to get out. They're about to get reinforcements any moment." We ruddered with aching strokes. Galer sat in a closed space, healing his wound as best he could. The itchy feeling and reduced vision clearly tormented him, but he needed the break, so we urged him to go to the deck. I took no break.

With my broken body, every stroke burned like fire. My flaming heart kept me roaring, inspired by Galer's coolness. I refused to show any more weakness. We got away… and farther away. But the question that burned in everyone's mind was: Where would we truly land on?