Chapter 7: Freedom Against Oppression. Hope Against Despair
Alice had to fight not to let out a sigh of relieve as Holland and Gabby slipped under the door. Both had been mere inches away from certain death and only Alice’s quick thinking had saved them. Rather than butchering, and Alice was certain it WOULD have been butchery, the two of them, Matilda headed over to Alice to help dress the last of her wounds.
Knowing now what Matilda was capable of, and the horrors she had already done, Alice had to fight herself to allow the monster to touch her. But she had to as doing anything else would draw suspicion. It was her job to keep Matilda distracted and making her suspect Alice's motives would only hamper that mission. She had to play her part or else hundreds of people would pay the price.
"Was there any sign of the Resistance?" Alice asked, hoping conversation would distract her from rage and disgust. Matilda shook her head as she continued her dressing.
"No, none of our scouts reported anything unusual. You need to stop worrying about them. Those pathetic nats won't dare attack this place," Matilda answered in a confident tone.
"And even if they did got the guts to try," Matilda paused as she let a toothy, hellish grin spread on her face, "they would wish to God they didn't when I got to them." It took every bit of Alice's willpower to force a reassured smile onto her face. In reality, Alice wanted to scowl and ask if she would burn them alive like she had that mother. Killing enemy combatants was one thing, but slow torture for no reason other than sick enjoyment? And to CIVILIANS?! When the signal came it was going to be hard for Alice not to return Matilda's favor. She, certainly, didn't deserve a quick death after what Gabby had seen. But Alice was not going to stoop to her level...not now, not ever.
"You are probably right..." Alice forced herself to say. Alice used a faked wince to take a deep breath and try to calm down. She needed to remember the mission and not let her anger foil the plan. Matilda would pay, just not now.
The two sat in silence for the next few minutes as Matilda finished applying first-aid. She was far from an expert at the craft, but all Society members were required to know the basics so she was passable. With all Alice's self-inflicted wounds patched up, Matilda began to put the supplies back into the kit.
"All done. You should probably report that you are here, now that we are done. Command might be able to send a Sword squad to hunt down those pests that ambushed you," Matilda suggested as she got up to put the kit away. Alice swore inwardly as her mind raced for a way out of this mess. She, obviously, couldn't give a report to Command as they would know there was not a Wilderness Ranger named Courtney. And using her real name was beyond out of the question. Yet, refusing to send a report would be highly suspicious and Alice couldn't think of a good excuse not to send one.
Alice was still scrambling to think of what to do when Matilda came back. She looked down at Alice expectantly and Alice swore as she started to look toward her wr- A wave of relief washed over Alice as she remember she had not dared keep a wrist unit.
"Yes I...," Alice paused and tried to look confused and surprised, "Dammit. I must have lost my wrist unit during the fight." Alice looked as frustrated and angry as she could, an easy task since she was angry and frustrated at not being able to kill Matilda immediately. That had bought her a few seconds, at most, as Matilda would have her own unit. She needed to think faster!
"Not a problem, I'll go get mine," Matilda said, confirming Alice's fears. Matilda headed off to the back of the house and Alice sent her mind scrambling for a way out of this. She could fake sending a report, but Matilda might notice when she returned the unit. Maybe she could send it to Isabella and hope Matilda didn't look at who she had sent a message to... but what if Isabella answered? Or was in the same kind of trouble they had found themselves in? Damn, there didn't seem to be any way out of this. Was she going to have to abandon the plan and attack now?
Alice was jarred out of her thoughts as Matilda reappeared with her wrist unit. She handed it to Alice and Alice nodded in thanks. Dammit... now what was she going to do? Pity the thing wasn't br- Alice had to fight not to smile as she, finally, realized a way out of this. She started to turn on the unit, but stopped as she rubbed her throat.
"Could you get me some water, please?" she asked Matilda.
"Huh? Oh, yeah sure," Matilda said before heading back to the kitchen. Alice waited just long enough for Matilda to turn her back before spinning the unit around. She cursed as she found the battery container screwed shut. With Plan A busted, she moved to Plan B. She turned the unit on and swore as she heard Matilda taking out a glass. While the unit had a good deal of idiot proofing, Alice had learned, from Gabby mostly, that it was not perfect. Alice activated its task manager and willed it to come up faster as water started to pour into a glass. Alice scrolled down till she found what she wanted. Just as the water stopped, Alice selected the operating system and ended its process. By the time Matilda had arrived back at the couch with her water, the unit looked to have gone completely dead.
"Som- I think something is wrong with your wrist unit," Alice said, barely catching herself. Matilda frowned and they traded water for unit. Alice tried to not be obvious in her starring at Matilda as she fiddled with the unit. Alice held her breath as she sipped at the water, hoping beyond hope Matilda would not figure out what had happened. After what seemed like agonizing long minutes, Matilda swore and tossed the unit away in disgust. Alice let out an inward sigh of relieve as she finished off the water.
"Damn thing. I swear those fucking things were built to break," Matilda said as she glared after the wrist unit. Alice just nodded in agreement as she set the glass down on the coffee table. Hopefully, that would be the last problem she had to solve for this mission.
"Well, it is good thing I got a back-up radio installed. It's not mobile, though, so you'll have to come to the back to use it," Matilda said in a less annoyed tone. Alice, on the other hand, had to fight not to spew enough curses to make Gabby blush. She should have known there would be a back up. The Society was not dumb enough to give an outlying farm only one way to communicate.
"That's fine," was all Alice could force herself to say as she was sent scrabbling, again, for a way to get out of this mess. She couldn't sabotage the radio as she was sure Matilda would find that a bit TOO convenient. Worse, Matilda moved up to her and started to help her to the back. This was bad...
"Thanks, but I think I can manage," Alice said, hoping to dissuade Matilda. Matilda, however, just wagged a finger at her.
"Don't start trying to act tough with me. Come on, we need to make that report...unless," Matilda's smile faded a bit as her eyes hardened.
"Unless there is some reason you don't want to send a report," Matilda added in a flat tone as she stared directly at Alice. Alice was tempted to return the glare, but forced a confused look onto her face.
"What? Why would I not want to send it?" Alice asked in her best confused tone. Matilda's glare, however, didn't slacken at all.
"Perhaps because your wounds are very odd. Some do look like rocket wounds, but not one was a rifle wound. Never heard of a Resistance force not bringing along a few rifles," Matilda's eyes narrowed as she continued, "And then you want some time alone, but call me over the moment I come in, almost like you didn't want me to see something you had done. AND you didn’t do a bit of wound dressing while I was gone. Oh and most of all, my wrist unit worked just fine when I used it in the other room, but it broke the moment I lefe it alone with you." Matilda's glare had turned as cold a steel and her hand that had been supported Alice started to move up to her neck.
"So, let me rephrase the question. Who the fuck are you working for? Cathrine finally grow a spine? Or did the higher ups finally dain to look down on us backwaters? Well?!" Matilda asked as her hand moved to grip Alice's throat while the other stayed away and ready to deflect a blow. Alice couldn't help but feel some relief at how off the mark Matilda was. While it still did not bode well for herself, it did mean she had Matilda's full attention. Hopefully she could keep it while the others got the people out.
Alice was about to answer Matilda, but never got the chance as a loud alarm began to sound. Both Matilda and Alice turned toward the farm and a wave of dread washed over Alice. No...
"Of all the fucking times... SHIT!" Matilda said before tossing Alice aside and heading toward the window looking out over the farm. Alice stumbled a bit from the throw, but managed to keep her feet. She swore as she wheeled around to face Matilda. She was already looking out the window and her face twisted into a look of rage.
"Those little nothings! How DARE they attack my farm?!" Matilda said in what sounded like barely contained rage. Alice didn't need to hear the rage, though, to know the slaughter that would take place if Matilda left the house. Snatching up a bar stool, Alice rushed Matilda.
"We can settle wh-" was all Matilda got out before Alice smashed the stool right into the back of her neck. Matilda crashed to the floor in a heap as bits of wood from the, now broken, stool flew about the room. Alice looked down at the unconscious form of Matilda and had to fight the urge to finish her right then and there. There would be time for that later, though.
If the farm had managed to raise the alarm, then Holland, Gabby, and the rest must not being doing to well. She needed to get outside and help or, at the bare minimum, show that a giantess was on their side. It might get the guards to sur-
Alice's thoughts came to a crashing halt along with one of her legs. The floor rocketed upward toward Alice's face and she, barely, managed to stop herself from face planting. Whirling back, Alice's eyes widened as Matilda glared back up at her, her hand clamped onto her right ankle. Despite the mighty blow Alice had given her, she didn’t look hurt in the least. Instead, her face was just a twisted mass of pure rage.
"You....traitorous....BITCH!" she bellowed before rushing Alice.
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"Come on! Are you going to let them get away with all the horrors they subjected you to?! Are you going to let the people who came to save you die?! Are you going to be a coraled animal or a human who fights for their freedom?!" Gabby yelled back at the prisoners who had formed behind her. Despite their weak, half-starved bodies, they still managed a bellow of rage as they charged the back ranks for the guards. A few of those guards managed to get shots off with their crossbows and screams of pain came from those hit, but they were few whereas the still yelling and charging prisoners were many.
Gabby joined her own voice into the yell as she charged into the closest guard to her. The guard fumbled frantically to reload, but never got the chance as Gabby brought the warhammer she had taken down onto his head. The hammer crushed his head like it was an oversized grape and the man was dead before his body even started to fall. She rushed past his dead body and delivered a crushing body blow to the guard beside him. The guard fell to the ground in agony and Gabby started to move to finish him. She never got the chance, though as a prisoner leapt onto him and began to stab him mercilessly. Gabby left the prisoner to his rage as she moved on.
The next few minutes were a swirling, bloody, mass of chaos. Gabby's warhammer smashed, crushed, and battered guards in an almost continuous dance of death and screams. She tried to keep count of how many she killed, but lost count at twenty-three. Despite their malnourished bodies and lack of training, the prisoners more than held their own against the guards. Rage, hope, and taking the guards completely off-guard more than made up for their disadvantages. As did the rain of death the Elves on the watchtowers unleashed, now free of having to avoid return fire. Caught between the anvil of the Elven held towers and the hammer of the enraged prisoners, the guards never had a chance.
"Please n-" was all the guard got out before Gabby shut him up with a blow to the head. Having seen the state of the prisoners, and how willing they were to fight DESPITE that state, Gabby had no mercy to give to any of these monsters. She wiped the fucker's blood off her face before turning back to the battle. However, as she looked around for another enemy, she realized the sounds of fighting had died down. A few fights were still going on here and there, but they were small pockets rather than masses of slaughter. And most of those pockets were one or two guards trying to hold off ten or twenty prisoners. A few arrows were still flying down from the towers, but they had slowed to an irregular pace as the Resistance fighters picked out any guards who came out into the open. Gabby glanced down and saw the ground around her littered with dead bodies. Most were, thankfully, wearing guard uniforms, but there were a good number of prisoners as well. She hated that she had to bring them into the fight, but looking at the results, she knew it had been the right call. The battle was won and the guards were dead, dying, or cowering somewhere hoping to be missed. They wouldn't be slaughtering any prisoners today.
Gabby let out a relieved and tired breath as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Now that her adrenaline started to thin, tiredness began to takeover and Gabby had to fight not to flop to the ground. Her right arm groaned from having swung the hammer so much and her legs were starting to feel like jelly from all the fighting. This medieval-like fighting really took it out of a person, even one as conditioned as her. In fact, some of the "dead" prisoners were, actually, ones who had been so tired after the fight they had just collapsed onto the ground. Gabby, though, didn't have that luxury. She still needed to help get this people out of her so Alice could finish the job.
As Gabby took a minute to catch her second win, Holland and a few other Resistance fighters moved down for their tower and headed toward her. Gabby pushed her tiredness away as Holland moved within earshot of her.
"-ond squad to search the north building. I want third squad to bring up the food and water so we can give them something to eat and drink as they move out of here. If there isn't even, scavenge it from the farm, the Society won't be needing it," Holland ordered to one of the fighters he was walking with. The man nodded before rushing off to deliver the orders he had been given. With that done, Holland turned to Gabby. Gabby thought he would be pissed at her getting the prisoners involved, but the Resistance leader looked to have the hint of a smile on his face.
"That could have gone better..." Holland paused as he glanced down at a dead prisoner near him and Gabby waited for the anger, "but considering how bad it almost DID go, I suppose we should be grateful it went as well as it did." Gabby raised an eyebrow at Holland, wondering if he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security before tearing into her. If he was, he was doing a good job of hiding it as he turned back to her.
"We wouldn't have won this if you hadn't got the prisoners to help. While I hate we had to get some of them killed... I suppose it was inevitable that we would lose a few. Good work," Holland said with a sad, but respectful tone. He extended his hand to Gabby and Gabby had to fight not to look shocked by it. She accepted the handshake and nodded in thanks.
"Thanks. Yeah I didn't want to bring them in, either, but...well I couldn't take all those guards on by myself," Gabby admitted, feeling a bit less...edgy around the Resistance leader. He might still be a Resistance fuck, but at least he could admit when someone did good work, even if it was someone he didn't like. And he wasn't lying about hating to lose people. Gabby could think of more than a few other "leaders" who couldn't claim those merits.
Holland noded in understanding before glancing around. His eyes narrowed and he turned back to Gabby with a concerned look.
"Where is Amber?" he asked as a few of the others with him started to look around as well.
"Huh? Oh, she stayed back in the HQ. Said she was going to rig the ala-" Gabby started to say, but never finished. Suddenly, a blaring noise erupted from the top of the HQ building Gabby had been pointing to and she instinctively grabbed her ears as the noise pierced through them. Holland and the others did the same before a look of horror took over Holland's face. What the hell wa- Oh God...THE ALARM!!!
Gabby whirled and swore at the same time. She KNEW she shouldn't have left Amber alone! There must have been some guards still alive in the HQ! She had to get back and- She was brought to a halt as a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned to see Holland looking at her.
"I'll handle this! Go help the others get the prisoners out of here!" Holland yelled, barely getting his voice over the blaring alarm. Gabby started to argue, but Holland silenced her with a stern glare.
"You are still exhausted from the battle, I'm not! Besides the prisoners are the priority! Get them out of here!" Holland yelled before sprinting toward the HQ, bow drawn. Gabby swore as she saw what happened with Amber playing out again. She was tempted to go, but a quick glance at the prisoners and their terrified, despair-filled faces made up her mind.
"COME ON! DON'T STAND THERE, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! GET THE HELL UP BEFORE I DRAG YOU UP!" Gabby started to yell as she moved from group to group getting the prisoners to run for it and helping the Resistance evacuate the buildings.
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Holland sprinted toward the HQ, its alarm still blaring, as fear and worry filled his mind. Had Amber misjudged how many guards were still alive? Had one of them been smart enough to only pretend to be be dead or wounded? Or...or had she accidently set off the alarm in her attempt to sabotage it? Holland dearily hoped it was the last one. That he would enter the HQ and find Amber swearing up a storm as she tried to shut off the alarm. But what he hoped and what he expected were very different.
Holland paused at the door going into the HQ. He made sure his bow was ready to fire before spinning into the building. He swung his bow around, looking for any guards trying to rush him or attacking Amber. All he found, though, was the ground littered with the dead or the injured. Gabby and Amber had taken a bloody tally and Holland was surprised they had managed to keep them from setting off the alarm. That surprise was pushed aside, though, as he focused on finding Amber.
Movement from above drew his eye upwards. A walkway was suspended above the room and a large computer of some kind was set up on it. And in front of that computer... Holland's heart dropped into his stomach as he saw a female figure trying to crawl away from a large man. The man had a brutal-looking axe in his hand and he raised it up to strike. Holland didn't need to see the golden hair of the woman to know it was Amber.
"AMBER!" Holland yelled as he fired at the man preparing to kill her. The arrow flew toward the man, but the odd angle and the railing of the walkway made the shot a hail mary at best. The man ducked down and the arrow missed him by a few inches. Holland cursed and tried to pull another arrow out. He had just got one out of his quiver and drawn when the man brought the axe crashing down. Amber's form jerked from the blow before flopping down, unmoving.
"NO!!!" Holland yelled in fury as he fired again. Aided by his rage, the arrow slammed into the man's side and a grunt of pain echoed down from the walkway. Holland started to pull another arrow out, but the man took off to the other side of the walkway, disappearing from sight. Cursing in fury, Holland cocked his arrow before charging toward the stairs leading up. He had to fight to keep himself from running up them in rage and tried to remember the man had the advantage in close combat. He needed to take this slow and careful if he wanted to avenge Amber rather than join her.
Taking a deep breath, Holland began to slowly ascend the stairs. The damn alarm made hearing anything next to impossible and Holland didn't see the man anywhere. He pulled the arrow back a bit to make sure he could fire it at a moment's notice as he ascended the rest of the way.
Reaching the top of the walkway, Holland saw that it lead forward before stopping at a door, a door that was only partly closed. He couldn't see the man anywhere and the walkway had nowhere for him to hide. Which left only one place he could be... Taking a breath to steady himself, Holland began to move forward toward the door. He risked a quick glance at Amber's body and his eyes narrowed. Odd...
Pushing his distracting thoughts away, Holland continued forward toward the door. The alarm was still blaring all too loudly and Holland was finding it distracting. He was still far enough from the door to give himself time to reload if the man tried to rush him, so he decided to shut it up. Raising his bow, Holland fired an arrow into the computer off to the side of the walkway. The machine sputtered and sparked as the arrow slammed into it and the alarm began to warble and distort before, slowly, whining to a halt. With the alarm silenced, Holland was left in a gnawing quiet with nothing but his own breathing to break it. He rearmed his bow and began forward again.
"You should surrender now. I can give you a quick, painless death like I did the woman if you do. Once Matilda comes, however..." the man yelled out from the other side of the door. Holland slowed to a stop as he frowned.
"I think it is you who should be surrendering, considering the state of our forces," Holland replied as he started to move as quietly forward as he could. He hoped this talking would distract the man inside. If he could get the drop on him...
A short chuckle came from the other side of the door before the man spoke up again.
"We both know those... ‘guards’ out there were just for show. Defeating them means nothing now that Matilda knows you are here," the man said with a bit of anger in his voice at using the term guard.
"I'm not offering you a chance to surrender to save myself. I'm offering it to save you. From her," the man continued, his tone changing to almost like a plea. Holland was a bit surprised as the sincerity in the man’s voice. He truly did want Holland to give up so he could spare him. But Holland had come too far to give up now. And he knew something the man didn’t, that Alice was there to beat Matilda.
"A generous offer, but why would you be generous to the people who murdered your comrades?" Holland asked, rather sure of the answer he would get. But the answer wasn't what was important, keeping the man talking and not hearing his approach was.
"Comrades?" the man almost spit the word out like a diseased tooth, "Those...butchers were no more my comrades or soldiers than you are. They were nothing but a bunch of murderers, rapist, gangbangers, and other low-lives that I was supposed to keep in order. If anything, I'm grateful for you having killed them. I've wanted to for a long time." The tone of hate and disgust in the man's voice was genuine. He really HAD wanted to kill the others, and his comment of having to keep them in order... Holland's frown increased as he realized who this man was. Stones... the leader of the guards. He glanced back at Amber and let out an inward sigh.
"Then why fight us? Why sabotage our attempt to save this people? If you had helped us, we could have escaped without Matilda ever finding out," Holland asked, making sure to turn his head to make it sound like he was further away. He was closing in on the door. Just a few more seconds... There was a long pause of silence, however, that forced Holland to halt.
"Because I have no choice. None us do. Not really. I've seen what happens to those that try to fight the Society. Seen the depths of their cruelty and malice. The hope you cling to, the hope that you can win against them, it's nothing but a fool's hope," Stones, finally, answered, his voice barely above a whisper. The pain and despair in his voice...
"This war was lost long, long ago. The only thing we can, truly, do now, is either accept our defeat, or die fighting a lost cause," Stones finished with even more despair and lose than before. Holland had to fight to keep himself from feeling sympathy for the man, but he couldn't let that distract him. Not when he was so close.
"You are wrong. There IS still hope and we CAN beat them. It won't be easy and hundreds, maybe even thousands, will have to die, but isn't freedom from their rule worth that?" Holland shot back as he moved to within a few feet of the door. A sad, reluctant laugh came from the other side of the door.
"Tell me, then. How do you plan to defeat hundreds of thousands of giantesses? Because that is what you are facing. Matilda is enough to wipe you, this farm, and all of my men from the face of the Earth by herself. How can you fight thousands of her?" Stones asked with the same depressed and defeated tone. Holland felt some of that defeatism hit him as well as the sheer scale of their enemy hit him, but he pushed it away as he, finally, arrived at the door. Stones may have given up, but Holland was sure as hell not!
Holland let his foot answer as he kicked in the door. He stormed into the room, bow drawn, and scanned for Stones. He caught the barest hint of movement to his right and ducked instinctively. It saved his life as Stones axe, barely, missed the top of Holland's head. He brought his bow around to fire, but Stones jinked to his right and the arrow only skidded off his padded clothing. Stones reversed his grip on his axe and brought it back into a backhand blow forcing Holland to leap back out of the room.
Moving back to get some distance, Holland went to grab an arrow, but Stones stormed after him. Swearing as he realized he couldn't rely on his bow anymore, Holland tossed it forward at Stones. Stones, easily, batted the bow away and off the walkway, but the deflection delayed him enough for Holland to pull out his knife. Stones narrowed his eyes as he got into a fighting stance. Holland wished he had a better close-combat weapon, but couldn't risk trying to find one among the dead with Stones still so close.
Stones attacked first with a testing swing at Holland's side. Holland deflected the blow enough to dodge out of its way, but was forced to give ground to do it. This was bad... Stones had a reach advantage with that axe along with sheer brute force. All Holland had was a quicker weapon. Which wouldn't mean anything if you couldn't get into range with it.
Hoping to take the initiative, Holland moved forward to attack. Stones, however, brought his axe back up and backed away a few steps. Holland tried to follow, but a quick swing of the axe forced him to back up. He was going to try again, but Stones followed up the attack with a backswing, stopping Holland's attack before it even began. Dammit, he couldn't even flank Stones on this damn walkway!
Stones took to the attack and moved forward. He sent a diagonal blow toward Holland and Holland deflected it away, but once again had to give ground. Holland tried to move forward to attack, but Stones dodged his quick jab before lashing out with his open hand. Holland swore as he dodged the fist and was forced back, again, as the axe came back into play.
Dodging the next attack, Holland dived low to try and get under Stones' guard. It was risky, but he didn't see any other way to get a blow in. The Commander, though, saw it coming and backed up. Holland's dagger stabbed at Stones' leg, but the padded pants deflected it away. Holland tried to back up, but his risky attack stopped him from getting away completely. Stones rushed forward and shoulder-charged Holland to the ground. Holland swore as he tried to roll away, but was stopped as Stones' foot planted itself onto his leg.
Holland swore under his breath as he realized he was caught. He tried to raise his dagger, but Stones batted it away with his axe, sending it tumbling off the walkway. Stones stared down at Holland, grimacing a bit at the arrow wound Holland had given him earlier. Shit, Stones had been injured and he had still beaten Holland with ease. If he could be brought to their side...
"You don't have to do this, Stones. I can tell you don't want to. You DO have a choice, you CAN fight back. And isn't hope, even a fool's one, better than no hope at all?" Holland asked, trying to get through to the old, defeated commander. Stones eyes lowered and he glanced away as a pained expression filled his face. He looked to be having an internal struggle for a moment before looking back at Holland.
"I am sorry, truly I am. But I can't...I can't watch my friends, my hopes, my dreams crushed again. I...I just can't," Stones answered, tears starting to form in his eyes. He raised the axe up as he got ready to put Holland down. Holland sighed to himself as he realized Stones had, himself, been crushed. Not physically, but mentally. He didn't know what had happened, but whatever it was, it had crushed the old warrior utterly. Considering that, there was only one thing left to do.
Holland waited for Stones the raise the axe fully, before releasing the catch on the pistol hidden in his sleeve. He snapped it out of its hidden holster before bring it up and firing a round square into Stones' head.
"I am sorry, too," Holland said as Stones blinked a few times in confusion. His hands let go of his axe as he stumbled backwards. He leaned against the railing for a second before the barest hint of a smile came over his face. His eyes lost their focus and clouded over before he slumped down, dead.
Holland, slowly, got back to his feet and walked over to the old warrior. He knelt down beside the dead man and sighed to himself.
"May you find peace and hope in your next life," Holland said as he closed Stones eyes and laid him down. There had once been a great man inside that body...a great man he wished he had meet. But that man had died long before now and only its shell was still alive. He hoped it would find its way back to the rest of him.
As Holland stood back up, he heard a low groan from behind him. He turned and moved over to Amber. He bent down to help her lean up as her eyes flickered open She winced in pain as her hand grabbed the rising knot on her head.
"Oww… Wha...Where am I? Holland?" she said as she looked around in confusion. Stones blow had been a nasty one, but a nasty one from the side of his axe. Amber would have a hell of a headache for a good long while, but she would recover. It seemed Stones had been planning to knock her out before he killed her... Pity Holland couldn't have shown the same mercy.
"Easy, Amber. You took a nasty blow to the head so you need to stay still. I'll go ge-" was as far as Holland got before a massive crash of wood and glass erupted from outside. Holland spun around to look at the window and started to stand when all hell broke loose. An earthquake of biblical size shook the ground and sent the building rocking in chaos. Holland cursed as he wrapped his arms around the railing and was thrown about like a ragdoll. Amber, who had thankfully stayed down, was nearly thrown off the walkway, but managed to keep herself on it. Thankfully, the shaking stopped as quickly as it started, but the noise of something smashing its way through buildings and earth continued.
As soon as Holland got his feet back, he rushed down the stairs and to a window. He looked out and his eyes widened in horror and fear. The full-sized house's window had been smashed out and shards of its glass were scattered everywhere. A massive form had plowed through the farm, destroying a large chunk of its farmland and completely flattening a number of buildings. Bits of blood and body parts were scattered among the debris and torn up earth that the form had plowed through. Holland knew a few of those flattened buildings had been prisoner housing...housing his people might have been in...
Holland followed the destruction to its end and his horror only grew. At the end of the gigantic trench dug into the farm was the form of a woman who looked battered and bloody. She groaned as she strained to lift her head and all of Holland's fears came crashing down. Alice looked around herself and a look of despair came over her at the sight of the destruction she had caused. Holland turned back to the window and saw Matilda staring out of it, her face covered with a look of pure hate.