Chapter 7: Bridgefort

  Erik remained alone in Command after the intense conversation, waiting for the colonel and the major. Meanwhile, the general went to get him some food and water. What was going through her mind was impossible to guess. It was clear she didn’t believe Erik was speaking the truth, and, she wasn’t wrong. He killed the Hellbeast, but he hadn’t said it was because of his magical powers. If he was honest with himself, he would rather show than tell either way.

  Erik didn’t mind if she didn’t believe so long as she gave in to his demands when proved wrong. It wasn’t too much to ask, was it? For her to keep Erik away from prying eyes as he did what he could to save humanity? If they instead took him in, to use him for their own gains and force him to fight, he’d fight back. No ifs or buts about it. Ever since learning what he was, he knew he would let no one control him.

  The arrival of Erik’s food surprised him. He was sure he’d get some type of ration, something rehydrated from a bag. When he got a full-on hamburger and fries, his stomach churned in excitement.

  He hadn’t been feeling hungry at all since he left his charred home and he hadn’t even eaten a snack on the road. He was still not sure if he needed food, how much of it, or how long he could go without it. Even if he didn’t need it, his body yearned for it right then. He waited politely for the man from the mess to place the tray down in front of him and turned to leave before he attacked the burger.

  When he had ravaged the burger to completion and was halfway done with the fries, a woman cleared her throat behind him. He turned towards the door and laid his eyes on the colonel from earlier. She was alone.

  “Surprised to see an enjoyable meal all the way up here on the front?” she asked before reaching her hand towards him in a hospitable gesture. “Nice to meet you. My name is Angela Ashleigh,” she said.

  “Hi,” Erik said, his mouth still full. He swallowed with an apologetic smile. “Actually, yes.”

  “There’s little else that can keep morale up in places like this. We’re the northernmost front, you know. Few of us expect to leave here alive.”

  “There’s other places like this?”

  Another woman entered from behind Colonel Ashleigh, who moved out of the way. The second woman was a full head shorter and with another emblem on her uniform. Her hair was even longer, though braided and hazel. Erik had thought that long hair was supposed to be tied or hidden somehow whilst in uniform, but his only experience with it was from movies and the like.

  “You must be Erik. I’m Major Svensson. A pleasure to meet you,” she said, much more formally than Angela, who became visibly embarrassed.

  Next to each other, Erik couldn’t find a single thing uniting these two other than their uniforms and even those were adorned with different markings. Erik didn’t recognise anything, not the stripes nor the logos, except the flags. Colonel Ashleigh had the United Britain’s flag on her upper arm whilst the major had the Swedish flag with the regular Scandi Empire’s flag in its lower corner.

  “I am, Major Svensson. Any first name?” Erik asked, looking over at Angela with a smile.

  “Of course, sir. Emma,” she responded.

  “At ease, Major,” Mathisen said as she entered Command. “He’s a civilian. He’d prefer to use your name rather than rank.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  The major relaxed her stance, though she somehow looked more uncomfortable that way.

  “Please, all of you, sit,” the general said as she went back to behind her desk. The two soldiers did as told, Angela sitting next to Erik, followed by Emma next to her. “Have you reconsidered, Mr Fried?” she asked when everyone had sat down and were paying attention.

  “No, General,” he said.

  The colonel next to him tensed up, unsure what they were talking about. She could see in the eyes of both that a battle was raging between them.

  “I see. In that case…” the general started, her eyes transforming from that of a raging sea in a storm to calming waves at the beach.

  Somehow, this tensed the colonel up even more and Emma just looked confusedly at the two of them.

  Had the general really backed down on something? The major had never seen that happen before. General Mathisen was known to be one of the most stubborn officers ever and she would always get her way, one way or the other.

  “Colonel Ashleigh, Major Svensson,” the general started after a brief moment of complete silence. “Please assign Mr. Fried to a bunk and keep him under watch. I don’t expect him to cause any trouble. At nightfall we might be under another attack. When that happens… let him go.”

  “Go where?” asked the colonel without explicit permission. The general didn’t seem to mind.

  “I’m guessing through the gate,” she said, containing a slight smirk expertly.

  “What? That’s suicide! You can’t mean-” started the major, rising from her chair. She stopped speaking the moment her general’s eyes landed on her.

  “Sit!”

  Major Svensson sat back down.

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  “He killed a Hellbeast,” the colonel whispered.

  “What?” the major burst again, this time throwing her gaze towards Erik.

  The Remnant lifted his right hand and held two fingers upright to correct the colonel without speaking. Emma’s eyes grew wide, and she seemed to panic. She kept it bottled up inside her, though, and calmed after a short while. She sat up straight and stared at her general. Mathisen cleared her throat, attempting to disregard the last twenty seconds or so.

  “Supposedly,” said the older woman. “For now, consider him a guest without exit privileges. The moment we’re under attack again, keep observing him, but don’t stop him. Is that understood?”

  It seemed to be with significant resistance the major nodded without vocally confirming. The colonel next to Erik, on the other hand, didn’t even do that. She stood up and cleared her throat nervously.

  “May I speak to Mr. Fried in private?” she asked.

  Again, Erik found her tone rather informal, especially towards her general.

  “Colonel Ashleigh, need I remind you that despite you being here by your own wishes, you’re still under my command?”

  “No, sir,” said Angela.

  The general nodded.

  It was quite unceremoniously that the colonel grabbed Erik by his shoulder and with impressive grip strength she pulled him away with her out the door. Once outside she instantly turned towards him with an annoyed look on her face.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but if you reconsider whatever proposal General Mathisen has given you, I’m sure she’ll let you go. You don’t have to sacrifice your life for whatever horrible reason you thought this was a good idea for.”

  It was odd to be admonished by someone his own age like this. He appreciated Angela for sneaking him off to a private conversation to change his mind, though. If he truly was what she believed him to be, a liar… he might’ve been persuaded to stop his deception.

  “You seem like a decent person, Angela. I appreciate you doing this, but I won’t change my mind. Your general can give me what I need. I’m not super-confident, but I’m confident enough that I’m willing to risk it,” Erik said after a brief consideration.

  “Why? What plausible reason do you have for doing this?”

  It was a fair question. She seemed to forget the fact that he’d brought proof of death, though. How did she think he got that head?

  “There’s a person that’s very special to me. I don’t have much left except her. I guess the reason is… that we made plans, and this war is getting in the way of them.”

  Angela stared at him. Erik knew what his words would sound like, but he’d never been more truthful in his life. He had lost his family and his friends. There was no way he would lose what he had with Jessie. He’d win this war to keep his promise to her if that’s what it took.

  “Getting in the way?” she asked, nostrils flaring despite her attempt at a respectful tone.

  “If I can convince the general, I’m getting something for it. Something I need that only she can provide right now. Would you like to join the wager?” Erik asked with a slight smile and his most daring eyes.

  “I’m not accepting a bet with your life on the line.”

  “Consider it, then,” Erik suggested.

  “It won’t be much of a wager if the results are already in,” she attempted to reason with him.

  “All the more reason to throw in when you know how it’ll turn out,” Erik smiled. “Now, let’s get back in there and see if you’ll need to cuff me or something,” he then teased and headed back inside.

  It took a moment before the colonel joined them back inside.

  “Fruitful chat?” asked the general whilst eyeing both of them.

  “No,” said Angela.

  “Good. Without talking around the issue, the short of it is that Mr. Fried claims he can kill more Hellbeasts. He has graciously offered to help, with a few conditions of his assistance, of course. At this point, Bridgefort won’t stand for long. I don’t much like it, but I’m finding myself willing to bet on what might well be an insane person’s delusions of grandeur. If he is ‘mistaken’, another civilian will have fallen to this war, nothing more, nothing less.”

  “But, sir!” said the major, keeping on the chair this time.

  “If it weren’t for the head, Major Svensson, I wouldn’t even consider sacrificing anyone, much less a civilian like him,” said Mathisen in response. “But now that I’ve seen its blood… I’m giving the world one last chance. This is Bridgefort, Major Svensson. The last bastion of the Empire. A symbol of hope for everyone. We all know what we’re here for. It isn’t fighting the war. I know you still remember that.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Emma as she eyed Erik, whom the general was placing so much faith in.

  Night descended upon the fort built on the bridge between two countries. Erik had finally been allowed some time to rest, though it was under the continuously probing eyes of either the colonel or the major.

  Neither were very talkative, though Erik wasn’t feeling it either. He’d somehow fallen asleep for a few hours when he woke to find their shifts had changed again. Angela was sitting by the door to the barracks, not watching him directly, but awake and alert all the same.

  “Had a good rest?” she asked as he sat up on the hard bunk. It was nothing but a thin, worn mattress on solid planks.

  “Good enough,” he answered sleepily. “The general mentioned that you’re not on this bridge to fight in the war. Why are you guys here?” he asked. It had been stirring around in his mind for a little while earlier.

  “It’s… more a symbol than anything else. To prove to everyone that humanity can stand against the beasts.”

  The colonel looked down on the ground as she spoke.

  “You don’t believe that?”

  “I think that the longer we can make our stand here, the further everyone’s hopes will fall when this fort does.”

  “And still you volunteered to be here? I mean, that’s what the general said,” Erik followed up.

  “I…”

  A resounding boom shook the ground beneath them as they heard automatic rifle fire from outside. Another explosion sounded just as an alarm blared in case the grenade blasts weren’t enough to wake everyone. Both, without so much as regarding the other, were already on their way out the door of the barracks.

  Soldiers at and near the walls shouted that an attack was incoming. Soon after, monsters were crashing into the thick wall standing firm between the beasts and the people.

  Erik rushed over towards the wall he’d entered earlier that day, running past Angela in a sprint even as he carried his duffel bag with him. He climbed the steep and narrow metal stairs to get on top. Right behind him were Angela and the general.

  “How many?” Erik asked the scout that had warned them. A couple of others were shooting short bursts close by and it was hard to hear, but the scout raised two fingers in the air. Just then a rampaging demon dog rammed into the wall beneath Erik and the wall shook and rumbled as the metal creaked.

  “Mr Fried! Don’t disappoint me,” said the general with an expression that leaked a bit of her worried thoughts.

  “Yes, sir,” Erik said with a quick salute before he dropped to the other side of the wall.