Stars Fall Twice

It was an hour before midnight. A group of friends had gathered. All drunk and fatigued. In the group stood a tall girl. In a long linen dress patterned with Gold stitching and cyclical reflective thread.

'Where's Shassii?'.

She said something about looking for Aya, now that you think about it I lost track of Jasi and the rest of the boys as well" responded Quine.

"You want to go look for them Ussu".

"I don't mind. Am just worried, that's all" replied Ussu.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH"

A figure emerged from the shadows. Scaring both the girls. They jumped up in a panic and turned around to their surprise, it was their friend.

"Yannu, what are you doing here!!?? They shouted back. Yannu fell back a few steps.

"Okay, okay. Sanni' Sai Śeingtt …..I'm sorry. It was just a joke".

"A joke right now is the wrong thing. Don't do it" Ussu said anxiously.

"Where's Jasi and the boys by the way," Yannu asked.

"We don't know. I wanted to say bye before they left for Saiyn' Saiyn" said Quine.

"Well, it's a few shinns to mid hour".

"I'd have hoped, they would've left by the Twin Seinq hour for good measures" worried Ussu.

"Sanni' Sai Śeingtt" she prayed.

"Sanni' Sai Śeingtt!" Quine and Yannu replied.

"Anyway, not to dampen the mood. But come on there is still a great night, all prepared for us".

He poked.

'Especially you Ussu'.

Ussu flirtatiously looked at him and jeered up her eyebrows. Seeing the mood Quine got behind them and pushed them.

"Come on, love birds".

The group chuckled down the cobblestone janky roads.

Back at the Tal Morenn camp.

The Commander was giving an audit and audience to the General and his lieutenants.

"At daybreak, a messenger is riding here to confirm the leveling of the Great hidden city of Eein'.

"The locals are to be gathered up and subjugated" he referred.

The Commander was a tall man contrary to his General. He held a stark figure with bulky muscles. He bore a long great sword, a short sword on his waist, and two spiked shields on his back.

His face bore fear in the minds of men, upon it lay two great scars on from his left-center brow to his lip. The other was a patch dip black forehead on brandishing itself upon his pale olive skin.

"Moserai, There archers our minutes away from midnight. There will be a massacre, but we will leave enough to secure information" responded the General.

"600 years, we've searched. The aid of the Morenn Family and the Tal Kingship stamp shall colonise these barbarians beasts" said lieutenant Yidd.

"God knows, how they've stayed in this desert place for too long. Probably eating chalk and tree Bark. God knows I wouldn't survive here".

Dismissed General Nish'al rubbing his protruding belly. The audience chuckled together.

Although a General, Nish'al was very much known to be an oversized man. But when it came to military strategy and evasion, he was a master at it all. The tent was filled with excitement and solace amongst friends and lifetime war companions.

None would betray the other for money or power. They all shared a life and death experiences on the field of battle. From the seas of Morin to the other side of the world to the White Sands of Eein, Commander Nidd had kept the same men among him.

A loud horn blew outside the tent. They all harkened to it and nodded. Commander Yidd lifted the banner once again and affirmed position. The siege had begun!

In a street alley. The trio had found themselves at a stop. Stumbling and tripping, Ussu had drunk her senses away.

"Stay still Ussu or I can't help you wipe the puke off." jeered Yannu.

Quine took guard, keeping an eye out on who might come.

"Hurry up before someone comes" she scorned.

"I'm trying, I'm trying" as he kept wiping the puke.

"Yannnuuu, do wu really want to go back home" slurred Ussu.

Yannu ignored her as the puke was dripping onto his clothes as well.

"I wouldn't want you to leave. You know. I know you miss your people" sniggered Ussu.

"I want to come with if you do leave".

Quine stared back at the couple.

"I may not be brown enough but, but they'll accept me. They'll accept us".

"Am not going anywhere. I told you already. Now let's get you cleaned up" answered Yannu.

"You said 6 years....6..years".

"Yes, I did. But you'll come along if you want, I've already sent letters home. After I finish studying at the college, we'll head back together" Yannu confidently suggested.

"That's what you say, say. But will they acc…ept me in, in Caciccaci" Ussu eagerly said as she cried?

Yannu wiped her tears and whispered "Our nations have had mutual relations for more than a millennium. If they accept me here, they'll accept you there".

"So romantically put" interrupted Quine.

"Come on, get her up we need to go, the shop owners coming".

On either side, Yannu and Quine carried their delirious friend. Ussu's legs dragged onto the floor so it made the process daunting.

'What was that loud array of horns before?' Yannu asked.

Quine turned her head towards him and bobbled her head while saying "Walk please… and I don't know. Maybe they started the ceremonial orgies or whatever. Can we please get going"?

"Right, before Miss, I can swig another round wakes up" mocked Quine.

The trio was now round the cobble wall. They lay Ussu on it while Quine peered round the corner to see if the coast was clear. She signaled an approach with her hand. Yannu picked her up with her arm around his shoulder, they slowly stumbled.

"You know, don't tell her this but she really weighs a ton, when she's not conscious".

"You're supposed to be a man. Aint you. Use those muscles you boast of" remarked Quine as she gazed at the sky.

"Ha-ha, good point'.

"It's just…... ."

"BACK, BACK BACK!!!"

Quine pivoted and dived into them pushing them all back into the alley. The group crashed, piling on top of each other.

With Yannu crushed underneath. Ussu awoke in a daze. Mumbling rung out from all of them.

"What was that for?? If it was the shop keeper, we could've just made a run for it".

"Shut up and look" pointed Quine. Amid the street lay flaming arrows piercing the ground next to them. The building tops were littered with them.

Amid their surprise, cries wept out from the city. Hatched roofs burnt with a sneering fire, smoke drew from the rooftops, and could be seen all around the city. Mothers broke down and wept, men rushed in confusion.

"An attack!! An attack!!"

The trio was now on the main street to the right along the doorstep lay a dead shopkeeper. His wife bewept beside him. From inside buildings burnt. Near the city gate, a stampede of horse hooves shook upon the ground. The sounds of horror and dread filled the town. Families rushed with each other, as the crowds descended into chaos.

Falling, stumbling down due to the excessive drink from the festivity. Children cried out.

"It's hell! Gods be with" drawled Yannu.

A man with his face half-burnt and bleeding dashed past them.

'RUN, RUN. DEMONS HAVE COME' he shouted as he bolted down the street.

The friends slowly started following him. Behind them, they saw people running. The foot soldiers had invaded. They moved street after street. Killing and ransacking the people. Blood swept across the floor. The walls were stained blood. Bodies slumped next to them, lay dead. Mothers grasping their kids shivered amongst their dead husbands' corpses.

"Turn around Ussu" urged Quine. As the group jogged along the main street. They neared the central market square. Bodies filled the well and shop walls. The smell of the dead lingered in the air.

"Ahh it reeks" gestured Quine as she covered her nose.

"Where we going?" Asked Yannu nervously.

"I Don't know but we've got to get off the streets. Get inside. Find some weapons, sober Ussu up and check on our families" commanded Quine.

Despite Quine's young pretty look, she was a very level-headed individual. The scene before her didn't shake her.

Yannu was distraught and traumatized.

He was like a dead body being dragged along.

Quine slapped him.

"Yannu, Yannu. Wake up. We've got to go" yelled Quine.

"If you can't use your head that's fine. Just use your legs to run and arms to carry Ussu and follow me".

He nodded submissively.

By this time the horses and made it to the town gates. Bursting through killing the men who had armed themselves.

"Kill them quickly," the soldiers yelled.

"The hostages tie them up here and leave them by this statue. We must hurry before the second Barrage of arrows comes hailing down on us".

"Yadi An'k" they all yelled in Unison.

Quine dashed through the street with Yannu and Shassii met behind. They passed people fleeing heading in their direction. She met two soldiers. One was harassing two people. One of the soldiers noticed her. He drew his sword to kill her.

Dressed in chainmail Quine drew her attention to his lack of a helmet and ugly smug face which he construed to mock her. Time froze for her. The wind swayed past between them. Yannu stood still with Ussu slugged over with her head on his shoulder. His eyes wet as he wheezed and gasped for his breath. He shook nervously as he saw the soldiers and dead bodies.

People ran past him seeing their blood-stained face with their faces shattered.

Some were acquaintances of him.

Lifelong family friends.

Quine didn't hesitate.

Immediately she drew her eyes to a short dagger held firm by a dead Priest. The soldier noticed her hesitation and drew sight to the dagger too. She looked back at him and he held a proud smirk.

"Girly time for some fun! Been horny all night".

Quine rubbed her fingers together.

"It's best you give...."

Quine burst forth lunging her whole body with her arm stretched out to grab the dagger. The soldier charged after her with a horizontal swipe swing of his sword.

She held the dagger using her left shoulder to duck and roll and maintain momentum.

Stunned at the acrobatic stunt.

He pivoted his wrist for a return swing.

"You're done… girly...'.

Quine used her feet to dash forward she stepped on the dead body jumped. Using her short height to rotate her body to as if to perform a backward flip. The area and distance were too short but this wasn't her goal at all.

Her foot landed on the wall and pressed hard against it with all her strength. She monopolized her body weight and set it off against him, narrowly dodging his return swipe as the sword tore through her clothes and sliced her back.

His body was stuck in motion, his eyes followed her.

She flung herself at him, her whole weight in her back and upper torse she gained composure and smothered both hands together gripping the dagger. Colliding Shoulders with him, tackling him to the ground.

She took advantage and plunged the dagger deep into his throat as they both fell.

Quine shoved it in until she heard his sword clanger on the floor beside them. Then she panted and rolled off of him. She fell uneasy witnessing him choking out and seeing his fingers twitch beside her.

In that instant, she was at peace, if only for a second.

Yannu, shocked as he was, set his eyes on the shocked soldier in front of them. Quine got her bearings together. She slowly rose and clasping the dead soldier's sword.

The atmosphere around them drew weary, smoke danced past them.

Arrows whizzed through the sky. Horses cantered in the foreground drawing ever closer.

Screams rang out from afar.

An intense staredown caught the group.