Ground of oam oams cry, p.21
Ground of Oam (Oam's Cry), page 21
“Yes,” the man replied. “You will have to pose as him if you are to succeed.”
Levi was unsure of what he was hearing. The man had seemingly accused him of working for the enemy, and now he was telling this man, Carthus, to pose as him. Levi felt both scared and confused. He didn’t know who he was, and now he overhears someone talking about him as if he were some kind of bad guy.
He tried to listen in some more, but the voices began to fade. It frustrated him not hearing more, but no matter how hard he focused the voices only grew farther away.
He could feel himself regaining consciousness. He opened his eyes squinting up at the ceiling. He didn’t know where he was, but the place looked dark with only firelight flickering off the ceiling and walls. The whole place was made of stones and it was a big room.
Loud explosions could be heard outside and they caused the place to shake. Dust from the ceiling was shaken off with each explosion and fell to the ground. Levi heard commotion all around him. The sound of screams filled the place, and the stench of blood and death was strong.
He slowly sat up in the cot that he laid in. His head throbbed in pain, and he realized that it was bandaged when he reached up to rub it. He looked around the large room and saw cots and beds everywhere.
Patients laid in them moaning and groaning, and Levi could see that some of them were dead. Doctors and nurses hurried from place to place treating the wounded. Another loud explosion shook the place causing the ceiling to drop dirt again.
Levi looked around to see that he didn’t have his rifle. The only thing he had was his uniform and sword. Still feeling disoriented Levi carefully stood up. It took him a while to remember what happened. An explosion had knocked him out. Then he overheard that strange conversation. Was all that just a dream, he wondered, or had he really overheard someone’s conversation? It agitated him to think about it.
Violent screams came from some of the patients. Levi looked over and saw one of them strapped down to the cot. The skin of the man was red and black as if it was cooked, and the man screamed and jerked violently. Levi had no idea what could have done that to him.
Looking around the room, Levi saw more patients who were also strapped down. Their skin too looked cooked and they appeared to be having seizures. Levi looked up to see Doctor Timothy standing next to one of the strapped down soldiers talking to one of the nurses. He started toward him.
Timothy had his back toward Levi, and was holding a small scalpel. He gave orders to the nurse saying, “Take this scalpel and cut an x into the forehead of anyone showing these symptoms.” He pointed to the patient strapped down. The soldier screamed in pain as he convulsed in the cot. The man was also drenched in blood and his skin had the same cooked look like the rest.
“What, why?” the nurse asked puzzled.
“Doesn’t matter, just do it,” Timothy replied. The nurse looked puzzled at the answer, but she turned and did what Timothy ordered.
Timothy turned around to see Levi standing there. The doctor looked shocked.
“Levi, are you all right?” the doctor asked, surprised.
“I – I don’t know,” Levi replied stuttering. “I’ve just got a headache.” Timothy moved closer and made Levi sit down on a wooden chair in between two cots.
“You’re the first one to recover from the symptoms,” Timothy said curiously, examining Levi.
Another explosion sounded outside.
“What do you mean?” Levi asked, not sure what Timothy was talking about. The place rattled at another explosion. It made Levi uneasy to know that the Rebirtha were getting closer. He knew that the infirmary was attached to the council chambers which were at the back of the city.
“Ever since the white smoke rolled in some of the soldiers began to show strange symptoms,” Timothy replied. “Then they start looking like this.” Timothy pointed to one of the patients who was strapped down. “We had to start strapping them down because they got violent. I can’t figure out what’s going on. Two men brought you here a while ago. You were showing the same symptoms, but you look completely fine now.”
Levi didn’t know what to think about it. He wasn’t a doctor, and he felt that he had bigger problems. Although the symptoms were strange, he didn’t feel like dwelling on it. The battle was obviously still going on and he had to do something.
“How long have I been out?” Levi asked.
“For about thirty minutes,” Timothy replied.
“I need to get back out there,” Levi replied, while starting to stand up.
“Wait, Levi,” Timothy quickly blurted out, while forcing Levi to sit back down. The chair scooted backwards because of how hard Levi was pushed into it. The action took Levi by surprise. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. You are the only one who has recovered from whatever this is.”
“So what? I guess I’m lucky,” Levi replied, a little aggravated. He felt trapped within the large walls. The place was made for refuge in times of danger, but Levi didn’t feel safe there.
“Levi, you must have some sort of immunity to whatever is causing this,” Timothy spoke urgently.
Levi could see that Timothy cared about the patients and their outcomes. He was a doctor after all, and making them well was a part of his job.
“What about everyone else who hasn’t been infected,” Levi replied. “They must have immunity as well.”
“Yes, but you’re the only one who showed symptoms and then overcame them,” Timothy replied.
“Sir, I don’t mean to hinder you in doing your job, but there is a war outside,” Levi said in response. “We don’t have time for this.”
Timothy’s strange colored eyes looked down at the floor then back up at Levi. “All right, but this battle is as good as over,” Timothy said. “We don’t stand a chance against the Rebirtha right now.”
Levi was surprised to hear Timothy say it. The doctor had always been so optimistic, but now he seemed defeated.
Timothy continued, “You will die if you go back out there. Now, our chief commander, Lousen, has already authorized the evacuation of the woman and children. They are being escorted through the secret exit in the back of the hill. They will be led to Fort Gaigren toward the north.” Timothy took something from one of his white coat pockets. “I have a message that needs to be taken to somebody at that fort. I want you to take it there. You can leave with the next convoy of people.”
Timothy handed a piece of paper to him that was neatly folded in several places. A seal stamped it together with Timothy’s signature next to it. Levi knew what Timothy was really doing. He was giving Levi an excuse to abandon the army. A part of him wanted to take the opportunity in order to get to safety, but then he didn’t like the idea of running. Levi felt as if he had a role to play at the fort, although he had never felt welcome there.
Levi remembered back to what Commander Erickson had said to him before he led three thousand soldiers to war. He told Levi that he could do more good at the fort instead of going to war. Because of that, Levi felt that it was his duty to stay and fight. He couldn’t let Commander Erickson down. The man was one of the only higher ups that welcomed Levi into the fort. Of course Timothy was another one who had made sure that Levi had a place to stay, but Erickson was the one who trained him.
“Sir, I can’t abandon the fort,” Levi replied.
“Levi, I am giving you an order to deliver this message,” Timothy said harshly. “It is very important, and I need you to go now.”
“Sir, Commander Sillevon is my commanding officer,” Levi replied. Timothy was also one of the commanders, but Levi wasn’t directly under his command.
“If Sillevon has a problem with it then he can take it up with me,” Timothy replied. “But I do have the higher authority.”
The Doctor was right. Timothy wasn’t necessarily higher ranking, but he was well respected by everyone. It was generally recognized that he was the second in command next to the fort leader.
Levi thought about it for a moment. As much as he didn’t like it he grabbed the message from Timothy. Relief filled the doctor’s expression. The place rattled with another explosion as Levi stood up and slipped the paper into one of the pouches on his belt.
“The message is classified, so you have no authority to read it,” Timothy warned.
Levi didn’t know what could be so classified.
Timothy continued, “Do you understand that?”
“Yes sir,” Levi replied, “I will protect it.”
“Good, now you must go. I trust that you know where the entrance to the cavern is.”
“Yes,” Levi replied. He began to turn and go toward the cavern entrance. He felt like he was betraying his allies. It didn’t feel right to him, but then if the battle was as good as over he didn’t know what else he could do. He was just one soldier who hadn’t even finished his training yet.
“Wait, Levi,” Timothy said. Levi looked back at him. “Be careful out there, you are like a son to me. I couldn’t bear losing you.”
Levi was shocked. He had only known Timothy for a month. How could the doctor feel that way about him?
“What about you and everyone else?” Levi replied, not knowing what else to say. “Will you and everyone else be evacuating soon?”
“We will as soon as possible,” Timothy replied.
Levi nodded in response. Still feeling guilty he turned and left. The infirmary had only one exit. He didn’t know why this was because it would be hard to escape if the Rebirtha got too close.
Making his way between the cots which were full of patients, he passed by more people who had the strange symptoms. Levi couldn’t help wondering what caused it. What was the white smoke he wondered? Was it made to just blind them, or did it have some other purpose?
He didn’t have time to think about it though. He exited back outside. The infirmary was connected to the council chamber, but whoever designed it made it so that you had to exit outside and then re-enter somewhere else.
Levi didn’t understand the logic of it, but then he wasn’t an architect. The city was still covered in the white smoke, making it hard to see the whole city, but because the council chamber was higher up on the mountain it overlooked the whole fortress.
The area was filled with the sound of gunfire, and Levi could see the toppled over buildings in the city. Places within the fort burned, and screams could be heard. The fort no longer had anything magnificent about it. Everything was being reduced to a pile of rubble.
Levi felt sorrow at the sight. He had never truly felt welcome there. He had always felt like an outsider, but this was all he could ever remember. This was where he had spent his whole life as far as he was concerned.
Not taking another look back, he quickly moved to the main hall in the council chamber. Running up the stairs, he entered through the large doors. The place was dark as usual with the flickering light of the torches moving against the walls.
The place was empty and quiet except for the explosions from outside. He knew that this would be the last safe place for the soldiers fighting in the battle. If they failed to protect this place then they would be forced into the caverns, and that would be the end of the fort.
He ran all the way to the back of the main hall which seemed to go on forever. He approached two guards at the back who made sure no cowards running from the war would be able to enter the caverns.
They stood in front of a secret door that would be unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t know what they were looking for. They were both fully clad in armor and had their swords at their sides. One of them had a rifle with him.
“I have an important message from Commander Timothy,” Levi said, coming to a halt in front of them. They both looked at each other not sure what to do.
“Let us see that you’re not lying,” one of them said, stepping forward. Levi took the message and handed it to him.
“It is classified, only the one the message belongs to can read it,” Levi said, hoping that they would believe him. The guard looked up at Levi suspiciously then back down at the message. Timothy’s name was on the front of it. Stepping back, the guards once again looked at each other.
“Okay, but if it is ever discovered that this is fake, then you will be punished for desertion and forgery,” the guard said, handing the message back.
“You can be sure that I am telling the truth,” Levi replied, while taking the scroll back, and putting it back into his pouch. The other guard took his torch and lit two other torches mounted on the wall. As soon as they burned with fire the secret door slid open. It revealed a small cavern that traveled far back into the mountain.
Grabbing a torch that laid against the back wall, Levi lit it with the guard’s torch. After that he immediately went into the cavern. The rock surroundings made the place feel cold and damp, and Levi could hear water trickling off in the distance.
Levi listened as the door slid closed behind him. Now it was completely dark except for the light given off by the torch. He knew that there was no turning back now. The only way he could go was forward, and in so doing he watched his step making sure he wouldn’t trip.
The narrow cavern went on for a while before leading him to a two-way split. Following the signs that were placed along the path Levi got closer to where he needed to be. Water splashed as he stepped into small puddles; the whole cavern trickled with water. He didn’t know much about how it all worked, but he figured that there must have been a spring in the large hill.
It felt like a good twenty minutes before Levi saw the end of the trail. Hurrying forward, he found himself standing on a high ledge that overlooked a large, carved out cavern. There were hundreds, maybe a thousand people crowded together there.
A man stood on the ledge with a few soldiers, and was surprised to see Levi enter. He wanted to know what his business there was, and stepped forward in front of him.
“What’s going on outside?” the man asked.
Levi thought of the best way to respond. He didn’t know what the status of the battle was, other than that they were losing according to Timothy. He said, “I am not fully aware of the status, but what I know is that it could be going better. I am here because Commander Timothy has sent me with an urgent message that I must deliver to Fort Gaigren.”
The man looked disappointed at the response. “Okay, if it’s important you can leave with the next group,” the man replied, pointing to a large group that stood next to a large gate. “But you need one of these, and you will be required to help escort them.” The man handed him a rifle.
Levi took it, thankful for another gun. It was easier to get past the man than Levi thought it would be. He probably figured that if Levi got past the other guards then he was okay. Not wanting stick around and talk, Levi headed down some steps that led down to the cavern floor.
He had to work his way through the crowds until he got close to the next group of people leaving. They were separated from the rest of the people so that it would be easier for them to leave without any mix-ups.
The group consisted of woman and small children. A few soldiers were with the group whose job was to escort the people to safety. Levi felt awkward being there when it wasn’t originally his job.
He looked out the gate in front of them and saw that there was thick smoke on the other side. They were at the other side of the large hill now, and the gate faced north which was where they needed to be heading.
Levi just hoped that he wouldn’t start freaking out again like before. He hoped that he really had overcome the strange symptoms. If not, then he had a problem. Going crazy while running for your life didn’t seem like a good situation to be in.
“Well, well, well, I didn’t realize you were put on daycare duty,” a voice said, from behind Levi.
Immediately, Levi recognized the voice and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was truly meant to be the worst day of his life.
He turned to see Lagden standing behind him. He had no clue that his old rival was still at the fort. He figured that Lagden had been sent off with the rest of the army. He didn’t know what the chances were of ending up with Lagden again.
“Lagden, what are you doing here?” Levi asked, although he already knew that the answer would have something to do with him messing up on training day. The kid looked as annoying, and mean as he always did.
“I don’t know,” Lagden replied, sounding annoyed. “For some reason the commanders thought that it would be better for me to be down here rather than out there fighting. It’s probably because you failed to get us the victory on training day, although I don’t know why they would put you out in the battle. Perhaps it was to kill you off.”
Lagden had been keeping a close eye on Levi. He still didn’t trust the guy, and all he cared about doing was humiliating him. It disgusted him when he found out that Levi had been placed in the frontline of the battle while he was put in the escort party. He reasoned that he was most definitely better at fighting than Levi, and being stuck here was a waste of talent.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Levi replied, trying not to encourage the kid to be argumentative.
“Oh, I bet you are,” Lagden replied mockingly. “I think I know how scared like a little girl you must have been out there.”
“Really? Why? Because of personal experience?” Levi shot back. He knew that it wasn’t mature of him to trade insults like that, but he couldn’t help it. When he first woke up at the fort he wouldn’t insult someone back when he was insulted, but after he met Philip it rubbed off on him. Philip was never afraid of trading insults with those who made fun of him, but he was also a lot younger than Levi. The example set probably should have been on Levi’s part and not the other way around.
“No, it’s because I had to spend two weeks with you in training and I know how you think!” Lagden retorted.
“Is that so?” Levi replied, trying to restrain himself from further comment.
When he didn’t say anymore Lagden continued, “So, I hear that Philip was selected to go to war. That must have been pretty bad for you, because now you two don’t have each other around anymore. I bet you were crying like a baby when he left.”
