Rising to Fall

Chapter 5-7

Question: Do you guys remember all the stories in italics or would you like me to recap them?

For many years, the friends succeeded in hiding the Key and the very existence of the elite army from the world. But this was not meant to always be the case. One grew angry with the divided nature of humankind and wanted to use the army to reunite the world. The others disagreed, promising that the forceful take-over he was suggesting would only further the war. Arguments broke out among the friends, growing more and more heated as time passed. Finally, they saw that he would not change his course, instead being fixated on the idea of 'reuniting' but they feared he meant to rule. They became desperate and so broke the Key...

The gates of the Capital swing back on their hinges with a groan, the wood splintered from where the battering ram had hit it multiple times. General Ian leads the charge, his left arm holding the Shield in front of him, his sword ready to spring from his right. The Squids clash against them and the bloodshed begins, each side hacking and slashing their way forward. The battle is confusing with the bright, flickering torches casting a strange light. The moon has finally broken over the horizon and it smiles gently down on the chaos.

The Squids quickly begin to lose ground as the Benjas rain arrows down at them from the top of the Capital's wall, hacking at their number as efficiently as the Doods' swords. The Dead Army and the Kippers leap down from the wall and spread out through the city, flushing out rogue Squid warriors from their hiding spaces. The Stars, although late to join the battle, swarm in to add their numbers to the Doods and the Sorcerers split up with the Dead Army and the Kippers, many of them wearing mischievous smiles as they handle small bundles very delicately.

Mitch directs his Benjas around the Capital, most spreading out along the Capital wall, others using the roofs of the buildings as shooting platforms while three divisions follow him down to the fighting. The Doods and the Stars have made good progress and the Squids' line is faltering as they get pushed further and further back into the Capital. Mitch marches behind the line of Stars, his divisions behind him, his bow loaded with another arrow. His first and second quiver of arrows are empty and lying on the wall but the one on his back now is almost completely full. He double checks that his dagger and short sword are still at his waist. Seto jogs up to him, a strange contraption in his hand.

"Hey," he says as if they just happened to meet on a walk.

"Having fun?" Mitch asks.

Seto grins. "Oh yeah, we're testing out a lot of destructive weapons and I'm glad to say that most of them are successful."

"Most?" the Benja General asks suspiciously.

"We have had a few backfire," Seto admits.

A movement in the alleyway on Mitch's left causes him to turn and swing his aim around, the string of his bow going back until he can feel the arrow feathers against his cheek. Seto copies his movements but raises his contraption, sighting down the main wood piece. Several people rise up out of the ground of the alley and run towards them, their identities hidden in the darkness but they can clearly see Mitch and his armed Benjas and they slid to a halt just before the torchlight can shine on them.

"Don't shoot!" the one at the front says, raising his hands and slowly stepping into the light. "We're Sky Army recruits, not Squid warriors."

Relief fills Mitch and he grins, jerking his head behind him. "Brilliant, you came to us. Now do me a favour and get out of here."

"Gladly," the recruit says and the group sprint out of the alley, protected by the Guardian's armies. The line is long and Mitch calls out to a nearby Star warrior.