Deceived By the Truth

Gereth walked along the peaceful cobblestone street of his hometown. He looked down at the tan and brown rocks almost washed from color over the years of use. He loved this small hometown and was going to be sad to leave it. He knew as a soldier that he would have to fight overseas someday, and that day had come. He took one last look at the small cottages in this peaceful town and went to pack his things. He took in so many smells and sights he was trying to remember. He wanted to have those memories forever, he didn’t want to forget. He held them close to his heart and ran inside one of the small little cottages. 

When he walked in he had to duck under the door frame. He was so much taller than the villagers in the town. He even towered over his own schoolmates. He didn’t fit in much, he looked so much different. His crystal blue eyes and blond hair stuck out like a thore thumb compared to all the dark haired villagers. He belonged here though as the son of Owland, the Protector. His father was a hero when the war came and he wanted to do just the same. He wanted to prove himself a Protector, but there was only one problem, there was no war here. That is why he had to leave, he was moving on to help other people in another place.

He walked further into the cabin until he approached a thin, gangly lady with her white hair pulled up in a tight bun. This was his mother. “You better eat up before you go.” she whispered lovingly,”You don’t want to starve before you get there.”

“Yes, mamma,” he replied. He was going to be on a boat for three days before arriving at the camp. And he sure didn’t want to be hungry. He ran up the steps up to a small loft where he slept. A small pack laid on his mattress. He looked around at the small space, he had had so many memories here. He spent his whole life here. He remembered learning to hunt deer, or camping out in the woods. He remembers his father pulling out a large book with all of the family's history. Yet his favorite memory was the one he didn’t remember, but could never forget. 

You see his mother and father were not really his parents, only his guardians. Every year on his birthday his father would recall the first time he laid eyes on him. His father was walking through the woods during a time of great war against the Alpian people and Emperor. He was walking by small cabins until he came to a clearing where a baby lay ice cold in the snow. His father said he was nearly dead, but he was a fighter. His father brought the baby home and cared for it as his own. He said Gereth’s real parents were one of the Emperor's people who were slaughtered by the Alps. His father said he was found on the north side of the mountain, and Gereth believed him word for word. He thought of his father as the most heroic person he knew and he hoped he could be just the same.

Gereth pulled on his bag and walked down the tight staircase. He ate his mother’s soup and he sensed an unspoken silence between them. He spoke,”Mamma? Don’t be sad, I’ll be home in no time.” She started to cry and Gereth held her tight to his chest. She wished him well and he left the cottage. He walked down the cobblestone road and headed toward the loading dock. His father had gone to work, so he’d just have to say good-bye before the ship came.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

It was nearly dawn and Gereth saw a large heavy metal ship approaching the dock. He knew the time had come. His father still hadn’t come and he wasn’t sure if he would at this point. Gereth looked all around and there was no sign of his father.

Bruuuuuup! Bruuuuuup! The sound of the horns awoke all the passengers waiting by the dock. Gereth stood at the end of the dock as a crew member lowered a ramp. Once the ramp was set Gereth looked at it and looked at the dock. He didn’t like the ramp, it looked so frail and untrustworthy.

The crew member yelled at him,”What are you a sissy?” He looked at the man and crossed the ramp holding his breath. Finally he had made it, and he was on his way to the war. Once he was on the boat he realized how large it had been. The huge mast looked like a grandfather tree ready to sway when the wind told it so, and the sail was like a cloud devouring the sky. This was much larger than the usual merchant ships and made for battle. As the young men came bustling on he was shown the bunk room. It was a small room filled with bunks on either side of the walls. He chose a top bunk and set his bag down. He took a breather before the roll call would begin. He walked out onto the large metallic deck and looked back at the cobblestone road. Then he saw a man standing on the top of the hill waving as the ship started its descent. He knew it was his father saying goodbye.

The journey on the ship was not difficult. Gereth practiced survival skills, and took part in ship maintenance. He would scrub the decks in the morning and  practice bomb drills in the evening. It was a calming trip and he made a few friends along the way. He knew Goth and Fred from his little village, of course they looked like the regular natives there while he was so different. As he breathed crisp ocean air he let the wind move across his face and through his hair. This was the life, and he would’ve enjoyed it more if he wasn’t running into a battle the very next day. He would fight the Alpian people and help defend the Empire. He was a warrior, just like his father. 

“Are you nervous?” Goth asked from somewhere behind him. Goth was tall, lanky and very shy. He wondered how long Goth would last on a battlefield.

“Not at all. These people killed my real family, they will get what they deserve.” Gereth replied with pure confidence in his words.

“Yeah, I just hope you are right. I really do,” Goth picked himself up and walked down below the deck. Gereth knew it was getting late and he needed his energy, so he packed up and met everyone else below deck.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

“Wake up! Time for battle boys, just like we rehearsed!” shouted the old lieutenant. Gereth groggily got up and pulled his camouflage clothing on. Today was the day to feed the fire that had always burned deep within him. He was excited and unsure of what would come. 

As he walked up on deck, weapon in hand, he felt an unspoken silence. All the men felt it and couldn’t resist it. The plan was to conquer a small Alpian village to break a hole on the coast. If they succeeded, the Empire would have a way in the center of the country by boat. 

“Line up! In your assigned groups! Remember today is our day, we take no captive except children. This is our village, they are the enemy. Blue team! You come first, then red, and green. We leave in 2 minutes!” the lieutenant preached. The boys lined up and faced the off ramp. Gereth and his buddies were in the red group meaning they unloaded last. They reached the dock and a hazy mist started to lay. Everyone and everything was deathly silent as the soldiers poured out. Gereth silently walked down empty lanes and roads that seemed to be abandoned. Just as they thought there would be no fight, the tension released. The soldiers had clear minds and relaxed a bit, but then…

Boom! Boom! The ship was in flames. Small planes from up above unloaded massive bombs. The men were pushed by the force of the explosion, and that’s when it wasn’t silent any longer. Screams of terror and shouts of fear blew over the battlefield like rain. Gereth’s heart beated as he looked along the empty street, he heard rifles going off and he looked at the red group. One by one the group was being picked off. There would be 20 soldiers, then 15, and then 5. Gereth walked with his friends and peered through the mist. It was eerie not knowing where you were going or who was following. He heard the echoes of the men as they disappeared in the mist. The group started to pick up the pace fast and fast until they were nearly running. Gereth looked around; they were outnumbered by whoever was out there and all of the sudden the screams, shots, and explosions stopped. It was silent and Gereth looked at Fred, but he was gone. He backed up, and then an explosion went off sending fiery debris in every direction. A large piece of wood paneling landed on Gereth’s leg and he couldn’t get it off. He was trapped.

He saw Goth and screamed for help,”Goth I’m stuck!” Goth looked at Gereth and then the mist. He hesitated and then ran off into the hazy surroundings. Gereth was alone and trapped with angry Alpian people somewhere close by waiting and watching. He laid there for days until he heard a voice. 

“Who is there?” he croaked with every last bit of energy he had. He saw a woman with a rifle pointed right at him. “Don’t shoot.” he spat out. He coughed and she lowered her weapon. She crossed the burnt remains of a building in simple sandals and came over to Gereth. She was looking at his hair and didn’t seem to be much older than his own mother. 

“Your hair… who are you?” she asked. She seemed intrigued with his hair and couldn’t take her eyes off it’s color. 

“I’m Gereth-” he coughed,”Son of Owland,” her face turned pale and distorted. 

“Owland, the killer of Alps? How can you be his son?” she asked, anger shone in her eyes. He was afraid of her now. She was angry, had a rifle, and he was trapped under a piece of wood, he wouldn’t stand a chance against her fury.

“No, the protector-” he coughed again, this time also spitting up pink mucus,”And he adopted me.”

“Where did he adopt you from?” she interrogated him seriously.

“He found me on the north side of the mountain.” he rasped. His throat felt like a desert and his hunger was getting the best of him. He looked back up at the woman and her eyes seemed to soften and her forehead wrinkled. 

“Then you are not part of the Empire after all. Come we must go.” she answered. She lifted the wood off his leg and surveyed the injury. He couldn’t walk on the leg that had been trapped, but he could still limp. They walked down the cobblestone road until it wasn’t cobblestone, only dirt. Gereth limped and hopped causing searing pains into his chest. He felt like puking or throwing up, but he kept on strong. Eventually they came to a shack on the borders of the village and the woman walked inside. He heard voices and then the door flew open. Two young boys came out and helped Gereth inside. 

The shack was well built and contained heat exceptionally well. A small fire was lit at the hearth and children of all ages were huddled together on small cots. They found a pile of hay and laid Gereth on it. He looked around at all the dirty faces and bloody bandages they looked like they went through war. 

The elderly lady came over and bandaged up his leg. She gave him a very small piece of bread and a cup of water. He ate and drank sparingly. He was hungry, but felt too terrible to eat much. His head pounded and his leg screamed. The kids around started to chatter and ask him random questions of all sorts. They asked him what his name was, where he was from, and why he wore sinner colors. They bombarded him with questions until the older woman spoke.

“Children be silent, and let him speak for himself.” she instructed them.

Gereth saw they were all waiting so he spoke,”I’m Gereth son of Owland. I’m not his actual son, I was found on the north side of the mountain. I am from the Empire.” He was ashamed to say it, these people were so kind, why were they trying to kill them?

The woman spoke,”We are what is left of the Alpian people in this village. The empire has been attacking us for over 100 years for no reason other than our refusal to join countries. We would not hand over our land so they have been slaughtering us. Our people lived on the north side of the mountain until Owland came and slaughtered them all. He must have found you in the snow, a surviving Alpian. Have you noticed you don’t have Empire genes, you have Alpian genes giving you your light hair and blue eyes.”

Gereth coughed and looked at the woman,”So, I’m Alpian and Owland didn’t save me from the woods he took me from my family and slaughtered them?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The nation he stood for was evil slaughtering innocent people. How could he not believe them? They were so kind and he looked so different from the Empire people. He remembered his father, who he thought was majestic, heroic only to be a criminal. His father had to have known what he was doing, and his mother kept this from him? He looked at these people, they were his family not the imposters he thought were. He went back the first time he saw his father and now he wished he never had. 

“Gereth, we search for you. All the villagers were killed on the north mountain. Nearby people said there had been a baby, but we only found the mother lying stiff in the snow. I’m sorry, you are an orphan like all the rest of these children.” she said, choosing her words wisely.

He looked at all of the children. They all had tear stained faces and he could stare down their very souls. He felt great sorrow and anger in his childhood memories. And his father, he wanted vengeance with him. Gereth wanted to help these kind people, his people. He wanted to repay them for their kindness and find some way to help them for good. 

“Where are the rest of my team?” Gereth questioned.

“Once we captured your group, we were outnumbered and they shot our military leaving by another big boat,” a younger girl answered. 

“If that is true, then they have no idea I know what really happened in the war right?” Gereth said.

“That means they still think you are for them, so you can be like a spy and help us win the war!’’ a boy in dark clothing chimed in. 

“I think I have a plan, one that could possibly bring an end to this eternal fighting.” Gereth spoke. He finally felt like he was filling the void that always jabbed at him. His real family and a real victory. Fighting for the Empire seemed amazing until he found he was fighting on the wrong side. He wanted to repay his people and show his loyalty, and he was in the perfect spot to do so. 

“Well, let’s hear it. I mean no one else has anything better to suggest.” the older woman looked in his eyes and he saw hope. Hope that was too long delayed. Hope that would spark the fire.