RUINS OF A COMING ERA: Chapter One

THE DOMINION, WINTER CAPITAL: VLENTON TELENS, JANUS 10th 500 A.I.A.

    However, Benjamin Lanbridge Ventright, a nobleman of fifteen years was among the few who decided to fight than hide. Although on the losing side of this battle he made promise to his dying father that he would fight to bitter end to protect the Imperial family as they escaped, running through the devastated streets he held a Rapier in one hand and a pistol in another; Benjamin and what seemed to be at least another hundred noblemen were running in the direction of the noble palace for what he knew to be their last stand. Upon arriving the gentlemen passed through the palace gates which were protected by the Palace Guard, the most experienced of soldiers within the whole Dominion. But still it would not be enough, observing the small Eden around him he quickly saw that the five-hundred guards and twenty loaded cannons plus the gentlemen stood little chance against the foe of a hundred-thousand. But with that said, it was not his purpose of taking arms. It was to save his king, to save his love, to honour his family name.
    “The Imperial family is about to evacuate men! Prepare arms for the official ceremony.” A voice from within the palace bellowed, every man within the area formed a line of two-hundred-fifty outside the palace's main door, and raised their swords and rifles. Shortly after the King, the Queen and her Duchess walked out, each man received praise for the honour they have chosen to display. His heart beat increased astronomically faster as the family made his way to him, for a minute he thought that the wait alone would kill him but then they appeared with shock in their eyes.
    “Lord Benjamin, what are you doing here?” The King asked most surprised to see the son of the richest noblemen of all Vlenton Telens standing alongside soldiers and former Knights, no place for a young man whose only source of fighting came from fencing with his tutor and marksmanship from hunting game.
    “My lord, I stand to protect you and your family!” He replied whilst trying to lower his heart rate, it failed.
    “Where is your father?” The Queen demanded most politely interrupting the King before he could start.
    “Your Ladyship, my father the Lord of Finance is dead,” Many of the people’s faces around him bowed their heads in honour of a once great leader. “And so to the rest of my family. To honour them, to honour him I promised that I would take arms.” He answered stiffly, though not intended he made the love of his life cry. For tears slowly poured down her eyes and she walked forth.
    “Oh Benjamin I'm so sorry,” She managed to whisper from those tears. Benjamin felt as if the world around him collapsed, he lowered his sword holstering it, using his free hand to pull a handkerchief from his coat passing it to her. During this time the King nodded to the spokesperson who ordered for the defenders to lowers arms, his love gratefully accepted and wiped the tears from her eyes then folding the one thing he had left from his destroyed family mansion into her hand. She then looked back at him and whispered the words he'd wanted to hear for half a decade.“I wish we had so much more time, you were the only friend I had, and you were the first person I have truly loved. Goodbye Benjamin, goodbye my Knight.” She took one last look at him and grabbed his face and their tongues met, the King and Queen had both the same reaction of shock, most of the men around them smiled and nodded as if he passed the initiation test of becoming them. The smell of roses was her scent, her skin as smooth as a baby's bottom, her kiss the most passionate association in all the world and her tears the cries of an angel. He thought, she then retreated blushingly and bowed then turned to her family still crying, and just like that the family entered the carriage and left using the escape route. No music, no party. Only death.
    “Congratulations to Benjamin Ventright!” The spokesperson yelled, everyone lightly laughed but then she continued. “But now prepare yourselves men; we must, at least, hold this palace for an hour if the Imperial family is to survive. And remember gentlemen this, your sacrifice will forever be known to history!” The spokesperson proudly exclaimed, the men who Benjamin stood with shouted the Imperial motto.

    For it is the duty of us men to protect, for it is the mission of all serve! And just as they were ready to take defensive positions black iron flew past them smashing into the palace and garden. The spokesperson, who was actually the Supreme Commander, roared orders to the Palace Guard.
    “Group 1, take positions behind the sand bags and re-adjust the cannons to fire,” The hundred-fifty men who she gave the order to raised their rifles and assumed positions, “Group two take positions within the palace floors, use the first three main floors facing the main gate. Do whatever you have to do to make sure you will be comfortable because we are going to be in for a long fight,” the remaining men nodded and ran orderly into the palace, “I want all Lordships with rifles to take positions with group one, anyone who hasn't a rifle is to collect one from the Quartermaster there, then you are to take positions with group two.” She said pointing in the direction of the Armoury. Not wanting to waste time Benjamin and the other noblemen like him ran towards the Quartermaster who passed them the standard issue Lancelot Clent Rifles and ten magazines each, with his weapon he clicked in the twenty-five bullet magazine made his way group one. When it happened, suddenly like a tsunami the palace gate exploded and they poured through, The Great Army of Archland, but it was their most elite units who were the at the gates.The Inquisitors of Darkness. The men looked at their enemy with stunned faces, the Inquisitors of Darkness stood each one smiling grotesquely back. There was only silence among the crowd as if both sides were waiting for the other to act.
    “Open fire!” The Supreme Commander cried firing her pistol, the bullet released from her weapon whistled passed and punched into the head of an Inquisitor, the creatures body dropped lifelessly and made a loud thump upon impact.The last stand had begun. Immediately after Benjamin went into a prone and aimed his rifle firing a shot hitting another Inquisitor and in an instantaneous motion, bullets ripped through the air puncturing and bringing death with it. More and more bodies from the opposing side fell to the mercy of modern technology, Benjamin emptying his first magazine unclipped it and loaded another one in whilst running to the first line of defence, as he did so the cannons fired releasing a barrage of death straight into the face of its target.
    “Reload the cannons!” The Supreme Commander ordered the Palace Guard stationed nodded and loaded the cannon for another shot.What was her name again? He wondered passing her, that's right! Justalyne, Supreme Commander Justalyne Augustine! She was a beautiful woman around in her early thirties, she had blonde hair that reached to her shoulders and the body of an athlete though that was expected of those in the military. Her face was the most dominating part, her lips perfectly round and always red as if she had permanent lipstick. Her nose shaped just right and her eyes, a mix of the rare blue pigmentation.

    While firing on the run, Benjamin met up with group one and made a mad dash to cover. Trenched and surrounded by sand bags he raised his rifle and fired another two rounds which crippled the leg on an Inquisitor then blowing open the head; making a fast observation he looked back to see the Quartermasters building, about fifty men in a firing-line, fired their weapons at once sending a hail of golden death at the entrance way. Cannons then boomed in the background, the screams soon stopped. Confused, Benjamin raised his head from the sandbag to see what had happened. To his surprised layers of bodies were piled up.
    “Hold fire,” Justalyne said lowering her pistol, “Group two what do you see?” The leader of spoke peeking his head through the window.
    “Nothing your Ladyship, it's as if the enemy has pulled awa-.” He suddenly stopped, and screams followed, Benjamin turned his head back and saw it. A real Inquisitor. It stood at seven feet and in armour which appeared more of angels with white and gold and most of all it somehow made it past the palace! The Guardsmen who stood with their leader cursed the thing and opened fire, bullets simply entering upon impact. When their magazines emptied the men quickly reloaded but the creature just pulled the axe from the man's head and swung it around like a play thing. The first man, unprepared for the attacking axe was blissfully cut in half, blood exploded and rained down on Benjamin's face. The second man unlike his counterpart jumped back and fired his rifle, then attached his bayonet, the real Inquisitor nodded as if they were friends and entered the palace, away from Benjamin's eyesight, but the horror was still there within him. But that fear was soon gone when the Quartermasters building exploded in flames, the fifty lined men, however, were able to collect all the ammunition boxes and ran forth placing them in front of Benjamin, he and the others gladly grabbed the extra magazines.
    “You men enter the palace and help the guards inside,” Justalyne barked turning to face group one, “Prepare yourselves this is going to become a fu-.” From nowhere cannon balls rushed forward, the perfect shots impacted directly with the defensive cannons. “Dammit! Okay everyone we are pulling back into the palace, that Inquisitor might still be in there but inside is far safer than out here, now move!” Justalyne holstered her pistol and exchanged it for the rifle that was conveniently laid on the ground and loaded it. But before they could leave screams and war chants echoed through the blackness of the main gate – suddenly hundreds of soldiers poured through carrying swords and shields while cursing from the top of their lounges – Benjamin and the others turned back and opened fire sending waves of bullets hailing at them but it wasn't enough. Within a minute, the defenders and attackers engaged in melee combat, with bayonets attached the defending men stabbed and jabbed for survival while the enemy only had to slash.
    “Die blonde bitch” A voice screamed from the right, Benjamin acting on what he assumed was natural instinct did a 90-degree turn and pulled the trigger of his Lancelot, in response the man's body jerked and blood rushed forth. Justalyne patted the boy on his shoulder before firing the rifle herself.

    Gunfire and screams became the thing as the fight raged on, for the past twenty minutes Benjamin fired round after round always hitting its intended target, always killing. Reloading his second last magazine he looked to see the holdup of the palace guard. It wasn't looking good, the left line appeared to be in a state of fast deterioration with the right slowly following. What was once a three-hundred-fifty strong force – now looked to be around a mere hundred – but he was also able to tell these men weren't going down easy. One man, for instance, a nobleman had five stab wounds while another had four. We might just last long enough then if that Inquisitor is dead at least. Benjamin's thought was cut short when a soldier thrust his weapon in his direction, Benjamin dogged the weapon and unholstered his small sword thrusting it into the man's throat, the soldier gasped for air but soon died.
    “Fall back!” Justalyne ordered using her bare hands to crack a man’s skull, she then took his sword and shield and used the weapon slashing the weapon against the dying man, she then turned and faced another soldier and made quick haste first using her shield smashing the opponents face then used the sword cutting off his legs; blood freely poured from his leg and screamed until Justalyne punched the weapon into his back.

    Taking point, Benjamin and another nobleman in his late twenties rushed through the palace doors and kneeled and aimed, they were then followed by the remaining defenders who were in a game of run and gun as they went further into the palace; as the final person passed the door the two stood and walked briskly up the stairs always keeping aim. Upon reaching the top the two lowered their rifles, the nobleman walked back and waved his hand. The main group followed behind firing as they retreated.
    “Group two should just be above us!” Justalyne said as the ninety defenders ran onward passing room after room after room, suddenly they came across a set of stairs that led up, and not wanting to waste time they sprinted up the stairwell and continued on until reaching the second level when they stopped. twenty men in Guardsmen stood in a two-line formation rifles aimed; prepared to fire, however, the group seeing who the people were sighed if relief and stood up. The officer in charge came forward bowed then spoke.
    “Forgive me, Commander. Had to be ready just in case you were a Sola Archland soldier.”
    “You did the right thing Flavius,” She replied, “have your men dealt with the Inquisitor?” She added Flavius nodded then replied.
    “Yes, it was a hard thing to kill but my men and I were able to surround it and gun it down.”
    “Good job, how many men are left in group two?”
    “Everyone but the Captain and James.”
    “Excellent, I want you to take my remaining men and put them to good use. I then want you to select your best officer and place him in charge as you and Benjamin here come with me.” She ordered, Flavius nodded and bellowed orders to the defenders on the stairs to collect whatever ammunition left and spread themselves on this level, the men responded with by charging forth then turning left into one of the rooms. “Flavius, where is the dead Inquisitor?”
    “His body was placed in the palace armoury underground,” He replied stunned and confused.
    “Take us there.”