Episode 13 last: Ashes And Echoes

Episode 14: The Last Stand At Dust Trail

Dawn Broke Without A Sound The Sky Bled With Hues Of Copper And Iron As If The World Knew What Was Coming The Ridge Was Quiet Too Quiet Every Man Woman And Child Awake Already Some Whispering Prayers Some Whispering Names Some Just Staring Into The Horizon Where The Dust Line Moved Closer With Every Breath

They Were Coming

Calder Stood At The Watch Post His Rifle Slung Over His Shoulder His Coat Fastened Against The Morning Cold But Inside He Burned With Fire With Fear With Something Fierce That Would Not Let Him Run He Had Made His Choice This Was His Home His People His Fight

Holt Walked The Line Touching Shoulders Nodding Once To Each Fighter Some Were Old Some Were Barely Out Of Childhood But All Held Weapons Now All Stood Ready

Kael Sat Beside The Barricade Hands Wrapped Around The Stock Of A Rifle Eyes Focused Not On The Path But On The Ground Where He Had Drawn Circles In The Dirt Five Circles One For Each Friend He Had Lost One For The Life He Might Not Live

Rhea Tightened Her Bandages Checked Her Knives Checked The Flame She Had Lit Inside Herself Days Ago And Never Let Die She Would Not Break Not Today Not Before They Paid For What They Had Done

A Horn Blew In The Distance Long And Low Then Another And Another Until The Sky Itself Seemed To Shake With The Echo The Riders Appeared Atop The Dune Black Coats Gleaming Faces Masked Rifles On Their Backs Swords On Their Hips The Banner Of Justice Brand Fluttering In The Wind

There Were Hundreds

Behind Them Wagons Rolled Forward Covered In Steel Men With Cannons Positioned Them With Cold Precision As If This Were Just Another Raid Another Law To Enforce Another Village To Crush Beneath Their Boots

Brand Rode At The Front His Horse Massive His Eyes Hidden Behind A Silver Visor His Voice Carried On A Loudspeaker Forged From Iron And Spite

People Of Dust Trail He Called You Have Been Found Guilty Of Treason Of Harboring Criminals Of Defying The Will Of The Irontrail Authority Surrender Now Lay Down Your Arms And Your Punishment Will Be Merciful

No One Moved

Brand Waited A Moment Then Raised A Hand And The Cannons Roared

The First Blast Hit The Outer Ridge Shaking The Ground Like Thunder The Second Tore Through The Western Barricade Sending Wood And Fire Into The Air Screams Echoed But No One Ran

Calder Raised His Rifle And Fired First The Bullet Struck A Rider In The Chest And Dropped Him Then The Ridge Came Alive With Gunfire With Shouts With Smoke The Battle Had Begun

Holt Led A Charge Through The Eastern Gate His Axe Swinging Wide Cutting Through Armor And Bone With Every Step He Roared Not In Rage But In Pain In Love In The Memory Of Everyone He Had Buried

Rhea Slipped Through The Dust Like A Shadow Her Knives Finding Gaps In Armor Her Blades Singing With Death She Moved Like Fire Never In One Place Too Long Always Striking From Where They Least Expected

Kael Stayed At The Southern Edge Holding The Line Where The Young Defenders Waited His Voice Calm His Shots Precise Each One Buying Time Each One Protecting Those Who Still Had A Chance To Live

But They Were Too Many

The Cannons Kept Roaring The Riders Kept Coming And The Ridge Began To Crack Not In Spirit But In Structure Fire Spread Tents Collapsed Walls Fell Yet Still They Fought

Calder Found Brand Near The Ridge's Center The Marshal Dismounted Sword In Hand Cloak Billowing Like A Storm

You Could Have Walked Away Brand Said Striking Out His Blade Catching Calder's Shoulder You Could Have Lived

I Did Calder Replied Blocking With His Rifle Then Swinging It Like A Club I Lived Every Damn Day Since You Burned My Father's Farm Since You Took My Brother Since You Turned Justice Into A Weapon

They Fought There In The Dust Blade Against Barrel Fist Against Fire Until Calder Fell To One Knee Blood Pouring From His Side

Brand Raised His Sword To Finish It But Holt Tackled Him From Behind Driving Him Into The Ground With A War Cry Born Of Grief And Fury He Pinned The Marshal Held Him As Rhea Came From The Smoke And Drove A Blade Through His Throat

The Battle Did Not End With That Blow But It Shifted The Riders Faltered The Cannons Stilled The Momentum Broke

Kael Took That Moment And Led A Final Charge With Every Man And Woman Still Breathing They Surged Forward Not To Kill But To End It To Push The Riders Back Over The Ridge To Take Back What Was Theirs

And They Did

By Sunset The Dust Trail Was Silent Again Bodies Lay Scattered Smoke Still Rose But The Riders Were Gone The Cannons Abandoned The Wagons Burning

They Had Won

At A Cost

Calder Lay In The Chapel His Chest Wrapped In Bandages His Breath Shallow But Alive Holt Sat At His Side Hands Shaking For The First Time Since The First Shot Was Fired

Kael Walked Through The Ruins Not With Sadness But With Purpose Helping Carry The Wounded Helping Bury The Dead His Face Set His Heart Steady

Rhea Stood At The Edge Of The Ridge Watching The Sun Dip Below The Horizon Behind Her The People Began To Rebuild Stones Stacked Walls Raised Fires Lit Not For War But For Warmth

They Would Never Forget

But They Would Move Forward

Dust Trail Would Not Be Marked By The Day It Burned

But By The Day It Rose From Ashes

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The End