Don't Forget

#4 Unit, Partners, Brothers

GoldenEye's army has garrisons all over the continent, although, the bulk of the troops are stationed in the capital. A force is also kept permanently on the small island to help control trade. Soldier training takes place in the massive court yards around the castle.
Groups of soldiers were paired together based on skills. Two trained soldiers would be paired together to cover each other's weaknesses, and three of these pairs would make a group of six. Some groups would be put together because of their trust in one another.
Many people considered Preston as the average soldier. He's skilled with the sword and average with a bow. Preston's partner, Rob, is a master strategist. He's better at traps then a sword. The pair aren't very powerful on their own. It's the entire group that others respect. The six had grown up together, and sometimes it seemed like they could read each other's minds.
     Along with Preston and Rob, another of the pairs had men named Lachlan and Vikk. They're almost complete opposites. Lachlan is tall and Vikk is short. One is pale and one is tanned. Vikk's specialty is close combat with duel daggers. Lachlan prefers to dual wield swords.
     The last two are Mitch and Jerome. The former is an expert with the bow, and a natural survivalist. The latter could be said to be part of that nature. Jerome is one of the only hybrids in GoldenEye. He's covered from head to to toe in fur, and twice as strong as any of the others. The Bacca fights with an axe, but his claws and teeth also do just as well.
     The six complement each other's strengths perfectly, and each of them would give their lives for another. It's what makes them such a great unit.
     Preston hums to himself while leaning against the wall. Rob stands stiffly on the other side of the doorway. Preston hates being posted inside the palace. There's nothing interesting to see, unlike when they're posted on the wall.
     Vikk and Lachaln are stationed a few halls down, and the other two are suppose to come replace Preston and Rob on guard duty. They all rotate like that. No one ever abandons a post. Preston just hopes that Rob doesn't stay up again.
     Rob hasn't been sleeping too well. He complains of bad dreams and seeing strange things. It makes Preston feel terrible. Rob has been loosing his sight in one eye for the last year now. Some days are better then others, but it might start affecting how well he can fight. He's too stubborn to quit whils the others are still serving.
     Rob snaps his head up a few seconds before Preston hears the footsteps. Mitch turns the corner, but his appearance startles Preston. Mitch's brown eyes have a haunted look in them. His face is pale, hair sticking up in all directions. He looks like he never even slept.
"Mitch? Is there something wrong?", Rob asks, squinting a little.
     "You look terrible", Preston says in a sympathetic voice. He's also confirming the situation for Rob with his poor sight. Mitch doesn't answer right away. He looks crushed. Jerome should be here by now. He could cheer Mitch up.
     "I-I", Mitch's voice cracks, and he has to start again, "I got in an argument with Jerome", he explains. Mitch hunches his shoulders, almost caving in on himself. Preston feels terrible about his last thought.
     "What happened!? Where'd he go?", Rob exclaims, worry apparent in his voice. None of them had really ever fought with another. Even when they did, it only took minutes to make up. This was different. Mitch had never been like this before. The three are left in stunned silence.
     Before anything else can be said, screaming breaks out from across the castle. Preston jumps at least a foot in the air from the sound. Rob snaps his head towards the noise, and Mitch comes out of his grief induced daze.
     "What the heck was that?", the archer snaps, his voice only a little softer then usual. Lachlan and Vikk come shooting around the corner with grim faces.
      "The Squids are in the castle!", Vikk shouts. Both his daggers are drawn and ready. Preston can't believe his words. Yes, the war wasn't going too well, but they couldn't of breached the walls so quickly!
     "What are our orders?", Rob says. Lachlan runs past, the rest falling into formation. Jerome's absence leaves a gap at the front. It makes Mitch visibly cringe. Preston runs right behind the archer. He's the back defense. Rob and Vikk are on the sides, and Lachlan leads. The familiar routine brings them all a little comfort.
     "We have to find the royal family, General's orders", Lachlan explains, "Prince Adam should be in the lab. Other groups are finding the rest. Our job is to get Prince Adam out of the castle". The lab isn't far from here, only a few corridors. The sounds of battle are echoing down the halls.
When Preston sees the lab doors, he's thankful that they're closed. The Prince may still be inside. Rob and Preston put their backs to the wall on either side of the door. Jerome and Vikk would usually go in first with the close combat, but it will be Mitch instead. He's swapped out his bow for a sword. The adrenaline helps Mitch keep his mind off the hybrid.
Preston gulps before shoving the door open. It's met almost immediately by a small shriek. Preston sees Vikk sheath his knifes before following him in.
Shaking underneath a desk, Preston is shocked to see such a young boy by himself. Prince Adam isn't here. It takes a moment for Preston to recognize Jason. They've only met a few times. Rob is quickly pulling the petrified child from under the desk.
"Hey Jason", he says softly, "It's ok now, alright? We're not the squids". The seven year old clings to Rob like a lifeline. Preston feels terrible that he was left in here alone. All Jason could do is wait for the Piscus to come. Another loud scream makes Mitch flinch.
    "All right, Prince Adam isn't here. It's too dangerous to stay in the castle and keep looking", Lachlan sighs. None of them like giving up, but they can't risk Jason's life by staying. Preston can't help but wonder where Jerome is. They need to regroup with the other units.
      The group shuffles back into the hall just in time for blue skinned creatures to round the corner. The
Piscus would of gotten Jason if they had been only a minute faster. Mitch mumbles a curse while fumbling for his bow. Preston steps in front of his unit with his sword drawn.
     "Get Jason out of here and find the other units. I'll hold them back!", Preston shouts to them.
     "What? They'll kill you!", Vikk protests. Lachlan and Mitch have similar arguments. Rob seems to zone out for a few seconds snapping out of it. He drops Jason into a protesting Mitch's arms and stands next to Preston.
     "It doesn't make sense for all of us to die, save Jason and find the Prince. You three can do it", Rob says, voice calm despite the situation. There's a few more seconds of silence as the Piscus start running towards them.
     "Dammit", Lachlan mutters, turning around and staring to run. Mitch, carrying Jason, and Vikk follow behind after some hesitance. It's just Preston and Rob facing the oncoming squids.
      "You're so stubborn", Preston smiles.
     "I wouldn't rather go out any other way, brother", Rob replies. The Squids are upon them.
Preston and Rob fight perfectly together, and would of had the advantage against any Squid. The problem was that two soldiers can't hold off an entire mob. The narrow hallway helped the duo for the first few minutes of the battle; precious minutes that saved the lives of the other four.
Rob didn't see it when a Squid manage to get on his side. He couldn't see it when the blade plunged into his side, right where his vision was weakest. Preston sees him fall to the ground. It makes him freeze in shock. The soldier is quickly tackled down.
"This one is alone and beaten, take him outside with the others", one of the squids order. Preston hardly registers the words as he's pulled up and disarmed. Rob is dead. His partner's lung was cut open, and he died almost instantly. Preston's mind is left in a daze. At least the others got away.
A pair of Piscus drag Preston out of the castle. The sight sickens him. He can see the gaping holes in the city walls from here. Wooden beams have been driven into the dirt all the way down the main road. Preston sees soldiers and pedestrians alike tied up on the poles. The squids aren't killing everyone, they're taking prisoners of anyone who opposes them.
The capital has already fallen. How could such a large scale attack happen so quickly with so little warning? This would of taken months to plan.
     GoldenEye has been betrayed. Even now, Preston could see a group of nobles standing nervously across the street from where he's being tied up. The nobles allied with GoldenEye's enemies.
     It's like a slap to the face for Preston. He can only watch as more people, and bodies, are dragged out of the castle. He doesn't know weather to be relived or scared that he never sees Jerome.
     GoldenEye had fallen. The news spread quickly that the capital had been taken. The other towns and cities had no choice but to pledge their allegiance to the Piscus. The remaining troops could not protect them. Instead, the fleeing soldiers went into hiding. Captains kept trying to round up troops in order to form some kind os resistance.
Preston gagged when the King and Queen's bodies were dragged into the street for all to see. Prince Adam was announced dead. Him and the other prisoners were left tied to the posts for two days while the squids organize their take over.
GoldenEye was the only kingdom with slaves. Criminals who only had minor offenses could work to earn their freedom. Others worked on large farms in exchange for food, clothing, and shelter. The business was limited and closely monitored. The squids took the trade to a whole new level.
Preston had grown weak and slightly dehydrated by the time they started cutting prisoners free of the beams. His grief for Rob is still sharp and painful. Preston glared at his escorts. All the prisoners were lined up and going through a small shack before being loaded into carts.
The prisoners are being branded. Preston struggles against his bonds as he's being held down. A tight cloth gag is strapped around his mouth. Glowing hot metal comes down on the front of his right shoulder.
Half delirious from pain, Preston is thrown into one of the many prison wagons. He was to be sold into slavery. The new slave system is much curler then the previous. The brands prevent them from escaping. The soldier is only conscious for another few seconds before darkness takes over.