Chapter V: The Reverse Ambush
Close your eyes and take a very deep breath. Concentration. Concentration to state where your mind is clear. Clear of outside world, clear and disposal the buzz when every time you thought something until you could hear the wind whisper, the sound of working ant, and the little sound of bush swayed by unnatural cause, such as movement of animal, a kid, or the one with aura that want to hurt you.
When you reach that very moment, you could feel the Energy all over your body, moving and running up and down, left and right in a vessel inside your body. Just like the blood on vein and artery, your Energy use the Kenergi as the as a channel to transport it to the end and every corner of your body.
You feel the Energy inside you. Now you have to question them, "What at you?" ask it with your clear mind to reach inside the mind of Energy. Ask them continuously, to the moment where the Energy tired of it and would answer. No, not with it mouth as visual metaphor used to personify the abstract concept of answering, but by their reaction.
Do you feel the Energy flowing become more and more heavy, just like how swift the water in a river? Or does it become more free, as free as the air moving in sky? Or become hard rock Energy and you could hear the sound of stones rubbing each other? And did the Energy get hotter, hotter and hotter till the time when you could let out so many sweats? The responds of Energy would determine the element you'll mastering.
The Energy Felix feels all the time when he has a chance, whether after they receive ROOT report in Alun Alun, or on their way to Badeis, or after meeting in Command Tent, a big tent in front Tower House, is burned. But the only result he got is just matchstick fire. He couldn't even make a Fire Ball as mentioned in Curriculum.
"Seems I have to fight it just by spear. Thank God I've learnt it in Military Academy," he said while playing his spear in middle of teak forest, just before back gate of Fort Badeis, the gate where they come from Capital. Swing it back and forth, from left to right.
*Kresek*
A bush rustling sound heard. Just when he still training with that. Felix on guard, make a stance, ready to land his spear on enemy to protect himself if it needed.
*Kresek* *kresek* *kresek*
The rustling getting fast, indicate it getting close. The unknown is would be seen not long again. Ready to appear before him as Felix in steady position. Then suddenly the bush stops moving and the sound stop heard. Gone, reduce to air.
He watches his surrounding, try to notice a new movement.
Ten second has pass and no other movement.
Twenty seconds pass and still no sound.
Thirty seconds passed, again no sound no movement. Just a quite forest, stand by him. Then the other voice heard.
"Priiiittt…"
A loud whistler heard from the Fort and the City. A quake and sounds of giant step mixed with scream voice. A shout then come after.
Felix shock. He shock from hearing the scream, then he let down his guard. Not need to take any longer, the bush from his left rustling again but now very fast and a white flash come to him in speed of light.
"Ukh..." Unable to parry it, he tries to dodge it. Dodge it as fast as he could. But unfortunately, not fast enough.
A very hot sense he feels in his right as the white flash pass him. The white flash stops in quite far distance after hit Felix. However right when it stops, Felix clearly saw a long black hair in white negligee, flying in the air.
"What the hell?" he said while defending himself from attack coming from the flying-white-negligee as it move again real fast. And again, he could dodge it and get a scratch from it.
"This is bad. Have to get out from this forest fast," he decides to run to main road, where he come and try to reach Fort. But the enemy couldn't let he escape peacefully by continually attack him by same pattern. A hit-and-run pattern.
Felix stops moving. His face, body, arms, and leg are wounded, feel a razor cut you skin through you armour, nor deep but enough to make you hurt.
Using his spear, trying to keep stand up straight. Meanwhile, the white-negligee enemy use this chance to land more deeper attack and make a very deep wound. Attacking him left and right, back and front non-stop until Felix cannot hold it and let down his weapon, droop down to his hands and knees, then cover his head.
While in situation attacked by it and try to land a small fight, he realize the sun is not down yet. The yellow light is still shone the forest, just little above the horizon.
Couldn't hold any longer, Felix finally made a very difficult choice. He tries to use the Power. In hold position and being attacked by creature, he tries to expand his hand, aim to horizon. Catch his breath, close his eyes and take a very deep breath, he tries to concentration. Force himself to clears his mind just for only one purpose, to let out Fire Ball at least and defeat the creature that want to kill him.
First deep breath fails.
Second try also failed.
Third attempt, a big failure. The white-dress-enemy got his arm, it makes a very deep wounds, until the moment he feel there only left a paper-thin meat between open air and his bone. A hot sensation and pain spread to brain.
"Aaaahhhhh" he screams, mixed with the laughing came from the white-dress and scream voice from the Fort.
All his concentration broken. He takes back his arms and hold the blood out from the deep scratch. There's nothing he can do this time. One arm paralyzed, his back focus only to protect his vitals, both of legs not as strong as before to even move one inch.
He only waiting, maybe waiting for it end, or waiting for some help that he though impossible, or maybe he just waiting for his end.
His waiting finally answered as he senses the earth is trembling. Trembling very hard. Felix, with his remain consciousness saw the earth surround him going up, creating a shell, blocking his eyesight on the sunlight that was starting to disappear. As the shell complete, he not sense any attack from the enemy. Then he heard a shrill voice, an ear-splitting sound that heard when Felix get hit gone. Lost.
He then hear the shell tear down and Felix hear a voice, a woman voice calling him. The very familiar voice he has been recognizing for few days. However, he couldn't see her, how hard Felix tries to open it, the eyes not listening. This time it only reacts to the pain he felt.
"We'd better to bring him inside!" faintly he heard a heavy voice.
"But, his injury really bad!" the woman disagrees, "we can't just bring him like this!"
"Okay fine! Just hurry up!" the man was hasty, "I'll watch surrounding"
"I know I know! Just wait a second!" as the woman said the reply, the arm been wounded very bad, feel better. It feels so refreshing. So refreshing just like his throat tasted a fresh water in river bank. But its his arm.
The better he feels, the better he could take control his body again. Felix force his eyes to open. Then he saw, Karine is right in front of him, holding that arm, while her hands covered by water.
"Karine?" Felix made the woman who called turn to him.
"You finally awake, Honey?" she seems relieve, "don't worry. It wouldn't take to long,"
"You save me, thank you"
"Its okay honey. I always here for you. Please hold it for little longer," with her smile and soothing pat, Karine tries to calm Felix down. Despite Durok tell her to get faster as he facing few coming enemies, "Trust me, okay?"
"Hmm… Thank you," he leaves it all to her.
***
"Officer!" Brengos shout to a ROOT personnel.
"Yes Commander!"
"Bring this message to Katob in Central Commando in Capital!" he gives the personnel a message scroll, "ASAP!"
"Yes Sir!" the personnel run to his horse as fast as he can.
"Adam," Brengos truned to the one of soldier, "you take the command from here. However, as you need a confirmation from me. I'll stay behind to support the force. Adam Squad, come with me. And you Gali, stay here and support Adam," he adding
"Yes sir!" Brengos happy with their answer and leave the Commando Tent to Adam and Gali
"I couldn't believe the monster attack even before the sun down," said one Adam Squad personnel to other when they get out from tent.
"I couldn't believe it either. They even pop up from ground. Don't tell me they can do anything else, such attack during the day too," the other response.
"What are you mumble about?! There's no time to chatting this time! Come!" Brengos yell at the personnel and tell them to move fast to follow him. After they catch him, Brengos said, "They movement is really unpredictable. However, they definitely couldn't attack during day. Yet. Because, if they can do that, the Capital is no longer exist today," and the Squad agree with his explanation.
For a while, he sees the situation surround him. Sudden ambush from all 20 Green Giant made a huge mess whether to Army or to Badeis soil. Even total 6000 men plus few Guard and two Hunter having difficult time to fight it. Brengos also saw, three Green Giant destroy Fort gate and let the Woman in Dress and Bones Army walk in.
'I couldn't see Burned Head anywhere,' he said to himself
"EVERYONE, RETREAT! DEFENSE LINE, USE THE REMAIN CATAPULT AND HELP FRONT LINE TO RETREAT!" Brengos order, "LEON, LEA, LANANG, COME HERE! LET DUROK POWER TO TAKE CARE OF THE MONSTER!" he turns to three Hunter Academy as they with three Giant Soil Power fight seven Green Giant.
They move backward as fast as they could until they in front of Brengos face.
"Lanang, make a giant wall. Keep it stand and make again if destroyed," Lanang execute the order immediately.
"Leon and Lea watch for Woman in Dress. If they pass Lanang Wall, kill them," those brother and sister nod and make a stance, "I need casualty report," he saw his surrounding, looking someone to give him what he want.
One personnel come forward, "We receive lots of damage in Green Giant ambush. We estimate more than thousands soldier died, include when Green Giant emergence and post-emergence,"
"Great. We have at least four thousand remain soldier. For Front Liner, make a group team like you've told before in briefing," Brengos said, "Three personnel for one Bones Monster, twenty for one Green Giant, five for Woman in Dress,"
"Archers join Defence Line, help Front Line and be aware Burne-" Brengos couldn't finish his order, a fire rock fall upon Army. A chaos happens again one more time, as it falls in massive number at one and same time.
It hit and cause mass causalities, mass dead. However, you wouldn't need much grave for the victim, as if your skin gets hit by it, you'll burned to ash, leave the armours in empty. The fire rock however, neither disappear nor just kill one soldier. It keeps attacking other soldier like their have their own consciousness.
At that moment Brengos realize, it not just fire rock. It was a skull, with blazing fire and flying, "Burned Head," he said as one of Burned Head come to him, make him move to dodge it. Really dodge it.
"DON'T PANIC! DRAW YOUR SWORD, READY YOUR SHIE--!" he stops. Nobody would listen to him; they busy with protecting themselves recklessly, even Adam Squad that should protect him. One by one they get hit and die. Not just from Burned Head, but by Woman in Dress as the wall made by Lanang destroyed. The survivor just swinging their weapon at random, neither protect them from the flying-white-dress monster nor skull-that-burned.
Then he turns his eyes to place when he told Lanang, Leon, and Lea form a defence wall. They having a trouble dealing with Green Giant and Bones Army that destroyed the Earth Wall. Seeing his all his army he has, the 6000 man that he bought from Capital gone one after another, lost their lives, and his bad decision to give Durok permission to accompany Karine finding Felix is make frustrating and mad.
Then he decides, he put his hands on the ground, concentration, ready to use his Energy to create Power. Then he mumble,
"Steam Field!" the ground start trembling. It creates a hole, lots of hole. And from it, a very hot steam pop up. The steam hit directly to the monster that attack his men and three little Hunter in front. One by one, Burned Head, Woman in Dress, Bones Army, and Green Giant gone, turn into tiny air. The Green Giant who get hit fully, just it hands or feet, and those that didn't get hit, retreat to behind wall.
Saw that, Brengos put his hand in air and shout, "EVERYONE GET OUT FROM MY WAY!" Leon, Lea, and Lanang and anyone who just relieved because their enemy gone with Brengos Power and coincidence in between Brengos and monster side retreat or just run to side.
"Wedhus Gembel!" a massive Energy created above him as he shout. It was so massive, that all the soldier felt a burst of Energy. The Energy turn into a giant and massive billowing hot-black-cloud. Brengos, the one who create it, order the Power to aim the wall made by Lanang, to the Monster side.
The hot-black-cloud filled with ash and rocks, just same as volcanic clouds, spread as far and wide as it can; crashing everything in its path to the dust. That include the grass, catapult, mangonel, the remain of wall made by Lanang, the dead body of soldier, their the left-over shield and sword, and the Ford Wall. While on the right and left side, the things that didn't hit directly, burned. The soldier who wasn't fast enough to get out to safe distance, feel the burn on their skin to the bone.
Brengos saw that. But he chose to ignoring them. Just stare ahead.
In an instant, Brengos Third Stage Power wipe almost every monster that attack Badeis with the soldier's dead body and leaving a mark on the soil. The mark where it goes and hit.
Brengos who barely could stand on his own, show a relief face. And with all his power left, he put his hand on the air and shout,
"YEAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"
"YEEAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" all the remain soldier and guard inside Fort shout as hard as Brengos, the hug each other, full with joy.
However, their celebration ends real quick, as the ground start trembling again right after the Brengos Power gone. Moreover, this time heavier and harder. As a mass of giant wall on earth in one time. Then a loud giggle heard, a crack of bones walking sounds, and the burning sounds from distance outside the Fort Wall, but come closer, faster. So much fast, it makes The Kingdom Army able to see what coming for them. Another big wave of monster coming; bigger than the first one.