The War of .Zip (Working Title)

Chapter 36: An army of darkness.

Alexander watched as the two titans approached each other. Both were rather slow, but their sheer size made up for that tenfold.

Maisie lay in bed curled up and asleep in the blanket.

He glanced at her, a smile springing across his face, and then returned to the war.

He was worried.

Publicly he was a beacon of hope. He never showed his fear of the future and he pursued his plans as if the war had no affect on them.

But, as they war continued onward, the trials that came with it became more and more frustrating.

He'd had to make an example of guards who'd been seen almost failing to keep the horde of skeletons back. Now, his soldiers did still obey him, but they no longer respected him.

In fact, as the war raged on, he felt more and more like a stranger in his own castle.

The only thing that made his life bearable right now was the hope of tomorrow.

Maisie was great and he loved her, but if they died so did their love.

He had one card left at his disposal and he'd played it a while ago. Now, he was waiting for it to take effect.

As the sun touched the horizon, Alexander sat down on the bed and watched it.

Maisie woke up, realigned herself and then went back to sleep. He stroked her back as the sun continued it's decent.

Once it had reached half way, the horizon changed shape. No longer was it the smooth curve of a mountain.

Now, it rippled and splashed and ripped apart in silhouetted madness.

But it was not madness.

This was the Terra Nox.

Sophies scouts reported their arrival only a few hours prior but, as the skeletons surrounded them in every direction but backwards, she felt confidant enough to believe that she was safe.

The squirrel lords ignored their approach. What was more rabbits to them at this point?

The skeletons focused on the tasks they had at hand.

These mistakes would cost the all dearly.

As the Terra Nox rabbits ran forward under the cover of darkness, all but the most perceptive could see the shapes swoop across the outside of Shiar.

First, the skeletons around the army of the river suddenly began to shatter. Layer after layer fell to one side of Sophies army and then there was a stunned silence. Sophie heard the quiet clattering and, like most of heir soldiers, ran outside to inspect it.

Now, where once stood staued skeletons was shredded shrapnel.

''What?'' Sophie muttered into the breeze. Then, from afar, her own soldiers began to fall.

One by one they'd be struck by the tidal wave of blades and blunt force and, no matter how much they resisted, they fell.

One soldier managed to cry out as he fell, alerting the rest to the presence of the horde.

They ran towards their queen and quickly banded together in a line protesting death.

But they saw nothing.

Over by the bear, the squirrels marched in 72 single files, each with it's own leader and intended destination.

'' 'Tis a merry day.'' Juan said as he sipped his cup of boiling hot water with a banana hanging out of it.