8 Planning (2/2)
”After your father died, I feared another member of my family to die, so please…”
”Don't worry mother, I'll live until the end.”
Both of their eyes started to wet up.
They both let go and rubbed their eyes.
”Don't give mother problems, okay? Oh, and always listen to her.”
”Yes, big sis!” Sara said.
”I'll also protect mother when there are any bad guys, I won't let anyone hurt her.” Liam said.
”Of course you will.”
Ana patted and caressed Liam's head.
”Then alright kids, we'll get going.” Ana's mother said.
Both the kids replied in affirmative.
Ana's family waved their hands to her and she waved back at them while smiling.
Ana felt so relieved that her family is leaving this town. In the next few days, the place is going to be a battlefield. With her family out of town, they'll be safe, and won't have to be in the middle of a warzone.
Ana promised that she won't die. With that she will strive hard to survive and protect her hometown so that once again her home will be in peace. Ana don't want to die yet because she knows her family is waiting, however some part of her was saying that she might die. She doesn't like the feeling of that so she's trying her best to suppress it, and praying that she'll survive until the end. Her father wouldn't want her to leave Sara, Liam and her mother in such a short time of living together. Ana still wants to hang out with her siblings, eat her mother's delicious cooking, and have fun together as a family.
”I see your family's going now. How are you feeling, Ana?”
She heard a voice from behind and mentioned her name. She then rubbed her wet eyes and quickly turned around because she recognized whose voice that was.
”General Hender, sir.” Ana said while saluting.
Jonas saluted back for a while and said.
”So? How are you?”
Ana shrugged, lowered her hand and answered Jonas' question.
”Well, now that I know they're safe, I'm feeling quite relieved. The important thing for me is their safety after all.”
”Of course, they're your family after all. You know, you quite remind me of your father.”
”… Really? Why would you say that?”
”You both are quite the same – other than you have the same eyes, although he has brown hair – you always make sure your family is safe. You always take your family safe first, you absolutely love your family.”
”Isn't it all care for their family?”
”Hmm, perhaps. But that's the way I see it.”
After what Jonas said, Ana remembered something she wanted to know.
”…Uh sir, I heard from mother that you and father were close friends, is that true?”
When Ana first heard about it, she didn't believed it for a moment. She asked Jonas about it to clarify and hoping to know a bit more about her father when he was in the army.
”That's true. He was one of my best friends actually.”
”So what kind of person was he in the army?”
”Well, kind of like you. He always trains. A great sharpshooter just like you, in that case I guess you could say like father like daughter, haha. Also, he was a great captain, he had a good leadership skill, because of him we get to succeed in a lot of missions. I should also say he has a pretty good relationship with our past team.”
”I know now. Thank you for telling me more about him, sir.”
Ana smiled brightly and asked.
”So what brought you here sir?”
”Um, I came here so see the how's the evacuation and see if there's any problem.”
”I see. Then I'll be leaving for the training ground now sir. Please forgive me for leaving too soon.”
”It's fine. It's important to use every time we have to improve after all. You can go.”
”Thank you, sir.”
After Ana left, Jonas reminisce about the past. About his moments with his old and past friend, Nathan – Ana's father.
***
Jonas and Nathan were always having fun when they were together, mostly when they were with the old squad. Nathan was the leader and Jonas was the second in command.
Well that was before a certain confrontation in the hills, just a few kilometers from this town.
It was a battle against a country from the south. The reason for the confrontation was because of the fighting for territory.
Nathan, Jonas and the squad was making a stand in the hills. They were outnumbered and were pinned down. They were making their stand at the location where reinforcements were said to arrive.
Nathan and his squad were using surrounding rocks and trees as covers against the opposition's attacks. Nathan was using a tree as cover, and needed to move to another object as cover because the tree was about to be destroyed.
He ran to a large a body of rock where Jonas was as fast as he could. He was just a few steps from being covered by the rock when suddenly he felt intense pain. He fell just enough for the rock to cover him, when Jonas saw this he quickly pulled Nathan to the middle of the rock and leaned Nathan's back on it.
What Jonas saw shocked him. He saw two holes on Nathan's body, those were shots from magic weapons. Nathan's body armor has been heavily damaged, that's why the weapon hit his flesh.
”Nathan, hang in there, reinforcements are coming in a few minutes.”
They were all pinned down by the enemy, Jonas could use his magic against them but he was out of mana, not just him but all members of the squad.
Each hole on Nathan's body was at least two inches in radius. He was bleeding a lot and losing a lot of blood. They have no med kits left to mend the wounds, that's because the other members of the squad was also wounded.
”…I-I won't m-make it Jonas…”
Jonas has no choice but to put a piece cloth on the holes in hopes of stopping the loss of blood while applying pressure.
”You'll make it Nathan! You can't go yet, your family is waiting for you.”
Nathan smiled, Jonas doesn't know why he would smile in a situation like this.
”T-tell my f-family, I love them.”
”You'll tell them that yourself!”
”Oh, Ana s-seems wanted to j-join the a-army. P-please, help and take care of here, even j-just a little.”
Jonas saw Nathan's eyes closing, so he tried to keep him from doing that.
”No! Don't you dare close your eyes!”
Jonas held the side of Nathan's face and shook it a little, hoping that will keep Nathan's eyes from closing. But that didn't work.
Nathan's eyes closed and Jonas heard him slowly exhale, it seems to be Nathan's last breath. The hand of Nathan that was lying on his own body and trying to move fell to the ground like it was lifeless.
There Nathan died.
Then Jonas started to shed tears.
***
Nathan's last words and the last thing he asked were clearly remembered by Jonas.
That is why he was a bit close with Ana and helped her a bit in the army, for instance the Barrett that was given her. That is why Ana's talent was discovered and got the Barrett.
Jonas smiled from the heart.
She has a bright future ahead of her. I'm happy you have such a great daughter, Nathan.
***
(In a different place and different day)
A man was sitting on a couch in the living room watching television. The room was luxurious as so the different kinds furniture.
The man sitting on the couch has golden hair and red eyes wearing expensive looking clothes.
The man is Vincent Spero, he belongs to a wealthy and lives in a mansion.
He was so relaxed while he sat on the couch, and suddenly there was a knocking on the door.
”Who is it?” Vincent asked.
”It's me sir. You have a visitor.”
Vincent heard a familiar voice and gave permission to enter. The butler came inside.
”So, Edward, who is it?”
”He said he's an acquaintance of yours.”
A man then entered and when Vincent saw the man, he frowned.
”Oh Leo, it's you. For what reason a person from my intelligence agency came here?”
The butler left the room and closed the door, giving the both of them privacy.
”We got information that you should hear.”
”And what is it?”
”A town in the far east belonged in a different country was warned that they will be attacked and the warning also declared their death.”
”Why would you tell me the affairs of a different country?”
”Well the town was warned in an odd way – no, odd would not be enough to describe it.”
Vincent moved his body forward as he was interested.
”Go on.”
”The town of Yusorga was warned by strange entities descended from the sky. First the sky was covered in black clouds then smoke like entities descended. It is said that they have faces and changing every second, and it was said to be monstrous.”
”You're right, that is totally not normal.”
”Also, on the day they were warned. The creatures said that the town has seven days to prepare for their attack.”
”And how many days do we have left until they attack?”
”Two days, the fifth day is already passing.”
”What!? Why did I only know about it now?”
”The information was from the government of Yusorga's home country. It was not that easy to get this kind of information.”
”Damn it! Then it's best to hurry then.”
”Do you think the time has come?”
Vincent stood up.
”Probably. But to make sure I must get to that town. Call in the team now.”
”Should I tell them to gather here?”
”Yes.”