“Am Majesty, dewe’s been an incident…”
[Tethius moments before informing King Enoch of the worst military disaster in all of history up to that point]
You could feel the panic as we desperately searched for a way across the river… Surrounded. The news seemed to spread like wildfire, quickly escalating into rumors that Stablelot itself was under siege or that an army of 200 thousand was on it’s way to save us (For how badly I wanted the latter to be true I knew better) Cohesion in the army and chain of command was quickly beginning to fall apart, soldiers only deciding to stay because there was simply no where else to go. Once we found an old civilization bridge that was still mostly intact, we all crossed it Eti speaking as we do.
“What am we goin’ to do, wiff a Nuuk awmy behind us an’ nowhewe ewse to go-”
Safeer interrupts.
“Maybe if we head towards the sea, we can snake our way back to friendly territory. Yes?”
I speak, feeling that idea to obvious and risky.
“'Ou think Pandemon has nu scouts Safeew? we’d be dead in days…”
Safeer speaks.
“Hide in some ruins? The Nuuk’s might lose sight of us and we can sneak out.”
I speak.
“Dey won’t gib up untiw whewe dead, dey won’t stahp wookin.”
Safeer was about to give another suggestion but Eti spoke first.
“Stahp it! we nee’ to somethin’ soon, Eti doesn’t know how wongah dah sowdiews am wiwwin’ to wait. If dey think we hab nu idea what wewe doing, things couwd get ugwy weawwy fast…”
Safeer speaks.
“Do the Nuuk’s evert stop? If so we should rest for the night, give everyone a break.”
Eti takes a sigh and we all stop the caravan, telling everyone to go rest for the night and that we’ll have a plan tomorrow. As a camp was hastily set up, I sat in a private tent at the Royal Guard section, alone. What where we going to do? This question lingered for a bit, consuming all of my thought. With a sudden urge (And hoping for some ideas) I grab my old book from my bag, putting it down and opening it. This thing has been with my everywhere and it showed, pages stained and beginning to fall off, the cover and back covered in grime. I look through it at all the great Motor stories, what would they do? It was a silly question, if Maximus, Velvet, Soul, Monica, Merlin, Willy, Jay and all the other great Motor hero’s were here now they’d probably be just as scared as I am. They weren’t just some idealized figure in a retelling of a retelling, but lived just like me. I was so deep in thinking that when I heard a voice I was genuinely startled, I close the book and look to see who it is. Dar was at the door.
“Sorry!”
I speak, taking a deep breath.
“It’s otay… Am dis somethin’ 'ou wanted to tawk about?”
Dar walks over and sits next to me, him speaking after sitting.
“‘ou wooked upset eawwiah an’ Daw wanted to see if ‘ou wewe doin’ bettah. Dis situation sucks…”
I speak.
“Emiwy guess she’s am doin’ bettah… Y’know Daw aftah dah initiaw shock, ebewythin’ feews wike- wike Emiwy can see dah meanin’ in ebewythin. wike habin’ a deepah undewstandin’.”
Dar speaks, looking up at the tent ceiling.
“‘Ou hab any idea how we am goin’ to get out of dis?”
I speak, taking a long sigh as I tell the honest truth.
“Emiwy has nu idea, Daw dis maybeh be it…”
Dar speaks.
“Ughhh, dammit… See ‘ou in dah mownin’ Emiwy.”
Dar gets up and because he wasn’t looking he trips over my book, slipping and knocking over my bag, spilling it’s contents. He speaks, looking at me and all the spilled contents in embarrassment.
“Damn sowwy about that… Hewe wet fwuffy put these back!”
I and Dar begin putting everything back in the bag, me speaking as I try not to crack a smile.
“Nu wowwy it’s fine. Heh”
Almost all of the contents are back inside when Dar speaks, him holding a strange box I didn’t recognize at first.
“Am stiww howdin’ on to dis?”
I speak. confused and curious.
“What am it?”
Dar speaks.
“Dah bocks wiff a piece of am bwain in it, y’know dah one fwee eyes gabe 'ou.”
He gives it to me and it was at that very moment I had an idea, a piece of hope… I open the box, looking at the now black spongey dot of brain matter and speak.
“Daw when Emiwy had those bisions, I wemembah seein’ somethin’ undewgwound. Pwace that was connected to Ewohim, somethin’ he kept secwet fo’ a bewy wong time.”
Dar is completely silent, I finish.
“Daw we hab to keep mobin’ to WuuBaw, it maybeh be dah onwy way we hab stoppin’ him…”
Thankfully when morning came, there were no signs of Nuuk’s. I presented my plan to Safeer and Eti, them looking at me like I was mad when I finished. Safeer speaks.
“You want us to continue with the attack? What!?”
I speak, thinking lots on how something like could work.
“Think about it, Ewohim thinks whewe goin’ to wun. Thinks whewe goin’ to twy to fwee wike cowawds! Buh if we go on a fuww assauwt, attack without feaw… We may just hab a chance.”
Eti seems to be somewhat convinced, looking at Safeer and speaking.
“Fiwst Commandah Emiwy has point. Wiff how many Nuuk’s ewohim sent out, WuuBaw couwd be showt staffed.”
Safeer speaks, now boarding on hesitant.
“What will the soldiers think? Going on a suicide mission based on a vision given to you by a nutjob, risking the deaths of everyone?”
Eti speaks.
“What choice do we hab? eithah go wiff dis pwan an’ hab smaww chance of defeatin’ pandemon, ow just gibin’ up nao an’ awwowin’ them to destwoyin’ ebewythin’ we ebah wobed. Whewe’s am Tawon honow Safeew?”
Safeer speaks, giving in.
“Fine than, we can go with the attack. But just how are we going to tell the soldiers?”
I speak.
“Weabe it to Emiwy.”
About an hour later Eti and Safeer had rounded up all the soldiers, them in a massive circular formation around me. In that hour I sat in a wagon collecting what I was going to say. Eti comes up to me and speaks.
“Dewe aww hewe, teww them of dah pwan.”
I walk on top of the wagon, getting on the drivers section so everyone could see me. At this height the soldiers in the back were barely noticeable, and as I took a deep breath I hoped the soldiers in the front would do a solid and pass on the info.
“Attention aww. It am I Fiwst Commandah Emiwy… DawkWing. I am hewe to speak today of what had happened an’ what wiww be happenin’.”
Saying my full name seemed to have caused a reaction, all Motor soldiers looked with on with confusion, me speaking again so enough.
“Fiwstwy addwessin’ wumows. Yes we am suwwounded, yes nobody am comin’ to sabe us.”
The crowd quiets down as I say that, despair rising in there hearts I continue.
“In dis moment we am facin’ totaw death, an awmy of nuuk’s am comin’ wite nao to kiww us.”
Eti looks at me dumbfounded, probably asking himself “What is she thinking!” I continue.
“Buh if ‘ou think whewe just goin’ to wie down an’ wet them do that dey’d be wwong!”
I look and point Southeast, continuing.
“Just a few days ‘way am Wuubaw, capitaw of Pandemon an’ home of Ewohim. We’ww not gib up, we’ww mawch up dewe an’ gib them ebewythin’ we got! Eithah win dis waw ow die twying, fo’ if we am gib up nao we’be awweady wost… Who am wiff me woyaw Equestwians, who wiww defend dewe mothewwand!”
The soldiers in the front raise there weapons in solidarity, the others in the back do so as well a few moments later upon being told my words. And with that we head out in renewed spirits, off to the city of darkness… Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done in a few day’s to a week and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!