Warriors Part 2

The morning dew and early mist surrounded the Belgian countryside. Unlike the destroyed mud fields of No Mans Land the surrounding fields were laid with dew covered grass and sweet berry bushes filled with multiple sweet berries. Aligned within the bushes and the mass of trees several meters behind lay the advance assault team comprised of both the British and German armies.

First was the German 4th armies company lead by Captain Gunther Weber. The German 4th army was designated as the garrison of Belgium and had since lost a number of men to surprise attacks by, what was reported, as large reptilian scaled creatures. These attacks have been centered around the Belgium Northern country side close to the Channel.

Next were a detachment of the British Expeditionary Force's Reserve/Fifth Army lean by Captain Owen Mayfield. The BEF Reserve Army sent this detachment to operate in this joint military excursion into the Belgian country side for one reason. The round up of those Creatures From the Sky that hadn't made it into their flying machines when the lot of them retreated back into the sky. The number of those left behind is stagnated, but some believe it close to be ten dozen. These ten dozen stranded Creatures from the Sky had fled into Belgium and have taken over a small town in the northern country side. Reports are that any Belgian civilians are being used as hostages for possible negotiations.

Three weeks ago was the battle that changed everything. The first offensives in April were heavily repelled by both the Entente and Central Powers once again leaving the impression that this war would never end, however when those giant monsters landed from the Sky everything changed. None of these men in this joint operation were there during what is being called as the Eight Minute Battle, for that was how long it lasted. Eight minutes. Eight minutes and near eighty-six thousand British and sixty-two thousand German soldiers were killed. The numbers of those Creatures from the Sky were significantly less than what was suffered. Total counts numbered the Creatures from the Sky over thirty thousand but its still a devastating loss.

During those three weeks No Mans Land has changed. The war has practically stopped. Make shift medical tents and a clean up of the entire Western Front was organized. Bodies removed for proper burial, the muddy fields and shell craters cleaned and filled to support wooden pathways through the once destroyed land. Dare I say I saw a Poppie spouting from the ground? I don't know, but this gives me, as well as my brothers in arms from both the Entente and Central Powers, hope that this war between us will finally end.

Now, I sit surprisingly comfortably besides one who not long ago I would call my enemy. Corporal Hansel. He comes from a small farm town some thirty miles east of Hannover. A wonderful person with an enjoyable sense of humor. Myself, Private Harry Williams, and my long-time friend Eugene MacGregor find Hansel's company enjoyable. Hansel reaches his hand over to me, filled with berries from the bush, in offer for me to partake in some of the sweet flavor. With a nod of thanks I accept and pop one into my mouth. Raspberries, so delicious.

We of this joint operation sit patiently outside a small town that I have given up trying to pronounce. In the next few minutes we move in to flush the remaining two hundred some Creatures from the Sky out of hiding. Its dangerous, we heard of their weapons, how they can blow a man apart so easily. However we've been doing that to each other for near four years now. We've grown to expect such things. Even with these Creatures strength and size we've beaten them before, and if our strength wain from this war we still have the advantage. Our American cousins are already in route to originally aid us against the Germans, now fight alongside us against these Creatures from the Sky. Honestly, I feel relieved to know the Yanks are coming.

The sign to advance comes from Captain Gunther. He raises his arm and throws it forward twice. We all stand, near four hundred in all, those with rifles attach bayonets to the muzzle, and advance on the town. Slowly and silently. The morning mist dampens visibility and the dew attached to the grass helps muffle the sound of our heavy footsteps. Eighty meters.

From the field I see one of them, the large Creatures from the Sky. They are giant, standing near twice as tall as your average man. it doesn't notice us yet, but it will, for If I can see it so can it see us. Sixty meters.

Another of the Creatures comes into view from around one of the buildings, this one immediately catches view of us and sounds off an alarm. Its noise sounds almost akin to a dog barking with its vocal cords clipped. It's a disturbing noise, but none of us falter as we pick up speed now charging to make the town. Forty meters.

Many more of the Creatures appear and all take aim with their massive weapons. Our speed increases and our voices roar, to which spooks the Creatures for a mild second. I heard of the roar of rage that my brothers in arms yielded during the Eight Minute Battle. The roar seemed to be what scared the Creatures into retreat the first time, so it seems it may work again. Twenty meters.

The bullet fire commences. Or whatever they fire from those weapons. All I know is the effects of those weapons were not exaggerated. The impact from one of those shots hit a man I remember was named Thommen. It hit his shoulder and his arm went flying as his body twist in the air before crashing down to the floor. This scene scared me. I did not want to suffer the same fate as Thommen. So I ran. Ran into the fire as we all had done for the past four years. Ten meters.

Bullet fire, real bullet fire came from our side now. One large collective volley from our guns sent a spook through the Creatures ranks. Many withdrew behind suitable cover while others braced for the impact, as others fell do to fatal hits. Then it came. Our charge impacted upon to Creatures ranks. Bayonets stabbed wildly trying to find an opening in the armor of these giants. Most failed. But our charge sent the enemy into a retreat. At least we hoped it was a retreat.

No sooner did another rank of these Creatures took the place of the first. These ones with close handed weaponry. They lashed at us, swinging their hammers and axes at us cleaving many into pieces. Our resolve wasn't faltering, however. Our bayonets struck the marks and any not fatal wound we inflicted did inflict pain.

MacGregor, Hansel, and I cornered one of the Creatures, wildly waving its hammer at us as we inched closer and closer unsure of which mandate to fulfill. Our orders were to clear the town, kill on sight but if possible capture one. We know we need information but right now this Creature is unscathed and willing to fight. We have to kill it.

I throw my left hand in its direction, MacGregor runs forward and gaining the Creatures focus, Hansel and I rush its blind spots its right and rear left respectively. Though this Creature may be in a small panic it was still observant. It swings its hammer at Hansel missing and following up with a three-sixty-degree spin trying to clip any of us with its attack. MacGregor takes the opportunity to take a shot at its exposed knee. The bullet penetrates the skin, and the Creature falls to one knee. I rush forward and bash its face with the butt of my rifle while Hansel jumps onto its large chest and in one quick motion stabs his bayonet into the Creatures neck.

Rapid machine gun fire draws our attention away, the Lewis Guns and Mg 08's lay suppressive fire against the ones with rapid fire weapons. The Creatures retreat further into the town trying to take down the odd one of us as they go.

Captain Mayfield holds up his fist. All movement is halted, and the battlefield is surveyed. Already it looks like a bloodbath. So many men are cut into pieces by the shear strength of these beasts. The final count is twenty-nine were killed on arrival to the town and another eighty during the melee. We've already lost a quarter of our men. The Creatures dead numbers around sixty, so they have lost a quarter as well.

Our advance into the towns center is slow and stable. We've not seen another one of these Creatures from the Sky for awhile now. it unnerves me to think of them hiding in the shadows of the alleyways, poised for the kill at any moment. However we reach our target unimpeded. The town center wasn't our goal and what we saw horrified us.

Intel suggested that the towns residents were being used as hostages. Little did intel know that these things seemed to not use hostages. The town center lay littered with the bodies of the townsfolk. Bodies of the old, healthy, and young, even that of the fledglings bodies were seen, strewn apart, and piled lazily in the center of the town surrounded by these Creatures. No words could describe my rage, no words could describe my shearing hatred that I felt throughout my body at that moment of my life, for every fiber in my body wanted to rip apart the animals that dared to do this to the innocent.

I saw it on Eugene's face, I saw it on Hansel's face. I saw it on every face of both British, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and German face that be right here and now. Hatred unbecoming of a human being. Both Captains Mayfield and Gunther roared our orders, the Lewis and MG-08's opened fire cutting into the Creatures ranks before the rest of us even began our charge into them. We didn't want to kill them from afar, we wanted to look them in the eyes as we gutted them. Animals. Monters! ABOMINATIONS! We would spare none of them, and none of them were spared.

The fight became a blur. All I could see was red as I felt my arms thrusting and swinging my Enfield. I don't remember seeing any of the faces of the Creatures as I killed them, only that I felt their skin being pierced by my bayonet and the impact from my hitting them with the butt of my rifle. I felt blood spray on my face and felt my lungs burn as my screams let out all my anger and rage. Never have I ever felt like this before, not even against the Germans as they used gas to conquer Belgium and the Dutch. Never have I felt so scared of myself.

The next thing I saw was my hands. I don't remember sitting down but I remember the battle ending. Another seventy of us died but we killed every single last one of those Creatures. Already were the Captains sending word back to Head Quarters about our mission, and our discoveries. Who knows what Parliament would chose to do with this information? Who knows what the Kaiser would do? I could see it on the faces of my new German Brothers in arms that they could never imagine doing something so evil. So vile, so INHUMAN! What manner of monster could make us become so blood hungry?

Eugene and Hansel sit beside me as I mope about our victory. We won, but no cheers of victory were sung. No congratulatory drinks being shared. I saw it on their faces, regret. Not of winning but of how we won. Behind me was the scene of our victory and I refused to turn my eyes upon that field. Much like how the Creatures killed the Belgian populace we butchered them. Cut them apart and threw their limbs away. Even the ones who tried to surrender we held down and sawed our way into the fat of their arms and legs, letting it remember the pain as it died slowly. I stared into the eyes of one of them. its eyes leaked tears. Tears? They were capable of crying? My bloodlust calmed at that moment that was when I, as well as many of us, let loose our breakfast from earlier.

How could I have done such things. They weren't human but they felt pain, they cried. CRIED! How can I have done such things? This is all I think about as cry myself listening to Hansel say that when he stabbed that first Creature during our initial skirmish he saw fear in its eyes. Pure fear, fear of dying.

We left the town center as it was, none of us would dare to look at what we done. We sat at the outskirts of the town as reinforcements arrived to take up positions in the town. Command saw the scene and clamed to be just as horrified. They weren't. Oh, they were horrified no doubts there, but just as horrified? No. No one would ever be as horrified as we were during that time. We learned just what a human is capable of when we lose ourselves to pure hatred, anger, rage. It isn't what we are. It isn't what we are supposed to be. Humans aren't like these Creatures from the Sky. I'm a Soldier. MacGregor, Hansel, Captains Gunther, and Mayfield we are all Soldiers. No, not just soldiers. We are Warriors. We've experienced what no man should, and we've come to realize just how evil mankind can be. whatever comes next will be the deciding factor of our people. Will we seek to utterly butcher our new enemies into fearing us? I sure hope to god not. Will we seek to understand why they attacked us and stop them in a way that we may retain our humanity? By god I will, else I could no longer live with myself.

For A true warrior knows not rage or anger, but honor and civility. A true warrior is someone who is able defeat his opponent without ANY need for violence. That is what we'll need to end this war.

End