Bruðersschlachtun

[Kaiser Martens]

The battling and chaos in Nordheim raged on, in a conflict that would last years. Eventually in history, it would go down as the Bruðersschlacht, the Brothers' Battle. A period of inner conflict, in which each could do but defend their own lives with lead and sword.

A soldier sat down among many others in a trench in Central Nordheim, in the deep freezing winter as it snowed, taking out a paper and a pen he began to write, making sure to keep his helmet adjusted and his rifle close.

25.Soldiers' Month, Frolovsfeld, Midnordheim.

Another day at the trenches. The shelling has recently stopped, so I am trying to write this before the battle continues, which I know it will. The war is more bitter than this Fimbulvinter I am in. Rations are minimal. Casualties are high...but no Valkyries in sight. Lady Hel has taken Karl's best half. It is so difficult to go on. Even when I sleep I hear the shelling in my restless nightmares. Sometimes I have a hard time distinguishing when I am awake or actually asleep. My stomach still burns, from using alcohol to stay alive when food is unavailable. I still cannot understand how it all came to this...nobody can...different politics...different theories, but nothing makes sense to me. The chilling wind is blowing harder today. The only good thing of this is that I do not have to worry about what will happen tomorrow, or with the country at large, since for me, it could all be well over in a few fast minutes.

I miss you, and I miss home. But I also miss the peace? Why did they take it from us? In some nights, I feel only hatred keeping me alive. As if a plant being cultivated from my deepest emotions, it must be well kept, nurtured, in order to draw power from its existance when other lifeforms fail to thrive. Where have our Leaders gone? Why have they forsaken us? Why does the world hate us so? And, why do we have to fight our own people? Why do our own brothers want us to die? I do not understand this. Has Lord Odin lost his last eye? Is this how we are going to end? Destroyed by...democracy and indifference? It is ironic how the Russians have left us alone also, ironic for former enemies to display such decency, compared to our own supposed "allies" and inner traitors. He (Martens) should have been the leader. He would not have allowed this.

Mother, I will come back to our home soon. Please be careful. I have been awarded an Iron Cross, but I threw it away. I refuse to be rewarded for killing other Nordlanders.

Dietrich

And so the young soldier had the letter sent, not knowing that his Superior Officer was lying, that the post system did not work, but additionally the Officer not knowing that in reality the Mother and Father had been killed by one of the factions a month earlier. The Officer would go and burn the letters elsewhere, figuring that at least sending the letters would let them keep some hint of morale.

Dietrich sighed and closed his eyes, adjusting his winter googles as the cold sun illuminated the death field. It was when a scout in a tower suddenly rang the alarm and shouted, "DEMA PANZER!!!". Dietrich's eyes snap open and he grabs his standard issue Panzerfaust, readying himself as he stands to look at the hostile horizon. It must have been a hundred tanks in different varieties advancing forwards together with fresh, enlisted infantry, showing the banners of the Democratic Liberation Army, a faction consisting of the pro-democratic elements of Nordheim. Dietrich reaches for his Mjöllnir and says to himself, "I do not want to kill...Wodan gib mir Kraft.". Shells begin to fly in both directions, and all hell breaks loose as the battle begins. Lead soon follows, and the Soldier takes aim at one of the tanks, firing the Panzerfaust to connect and cause the swift destruction of one of the incoming vehicles. After that, he will use his grenades and continue to deal with his rifle, dealing only death.

A shell struck closer, and for the next minute all he could hear was a high pitched "ee"-like sound, disorienting as the rest of the loud sounds of battle were not heard. He continued on to fight regardless, inflicting casualties still, but another shell soon landed close, prompting him to pass out. His position was overran, and he would lay unconscious under a pile of corpses.

---------------------------------------

Probably days later he woke up still stunned and disoriented, not remembering what had happened first. He could barely move, and there was no light visible at first. "Am I dead?" were his first thoughts. He shifted and stirred, realizing that he was still in Midgaard, and then he felt the reeking of decaying corpses and felt nausea. Struggling more violently he began to move around, trying to force the dying men off as he would disturb the Ravens which so far had been enjoying a good meal, then he realized that he was surrounded by corpses, dry blood, snow and dirt. His eyes opened in a panic as he tried to dislodge himself from the trap, and eventually he made it as he crawled out and looked around at the trench filled with dead Nordlanders. Standing up he moved back against the trench wall and fell onto the corpse of his superior officer, recognizing the uniform as he no longer posessed a face, and only in seconds he let out a horrible scream, which would scare some more Ravens away, a horrible scream of terror, panic and disgust before the contents of his stomach would return to pour acid from his mouth all over the place and himself, as he sat down and laid down curled up, the Endless Stare on his gray eyeballs.

With his hands shaking after probably an hour he pulled himself out of the trench completely, ingesting some alcohol and a few pills of dubious and certainly harmful content that would provide him with enough energy to move. His eyes remained violently open and he picked up a fallen MG5 Machinegun, as well as his rifle. Too alienated to have proper judgement, he began to walk in a random direction, it would be a small marathon to get to the next town. At least it snowed no longer, but everything was ice and dead snow regardless. With a very deranged look, the man advanced blindly towards nothingness, until it was night again. Seeing him would be bizarre, like seeing perhaps a ghost or undead, his uniform very dirty and worn out, his skin blackened. Inspired by the substances he had consumed, finding a town he tried to read the sign, but could not focus his mind enough to understand it. Instinctively upon noticing a military controlled entrance he went around to climb a house into a backyard, a dog seeing him but deciding for some reason to back away and hide rather than confront him. Only as he was well into the town he realized that he had gone into an area controlled by the Democratic Army, and gasped, stepping back to hide, finding himself again in a death trap.

He felt warmth arriving from a closed window, as well as music and the scent of food...actual food! His senses became more alert to this...he went over to the window, opened it and entered the luxurious house, seeming to be the exact opposite of all the order and cleanliness. He wandered over to an empty kitchen and quickly started to eat some cheese that he found there as if it was the last food he would ever eat, and then drank down some actually pure water, making a mess. He exitted the kitchen and followed the voices...the voices of healthy men having fun...he came accross a large table in a massive room. The first one to notice him was a maid, who was carrying a tray. She froze on place instantly and dropped it, gathering the attention of the rest of the men - military and politics' men. High rankers, it seemed. It was a reunion of officers of the Democratic Army, celebrating their recent Major Victory against one of the Antidemocratic Groups. Their eyes also opened widely as they were amazed...and Dietrich was dirty enough that they were not able to determine what his uniform was at first...but after a split second the man knew what was going on, just as one of the Generals noticed that he had a Silver Mjöllnir - A Martencist Symbol. The General tried to say, "He is one of them!", but before this had happened, Dietrich had taken aim with his heavy machinegun, which he lifted with one arm and aimed, over-straining his muscles without even noticing nor caring due to the earlier drug, and began to open fire on them all, the same crazed look present on his face.

The heavy machinegun blasted away, some guards came but also met the same fate. Only the Maids would be spared. After he was done, the place smelled of fresh blood and dirt mixed with the food. He tried to smile, but his mouth showed something more similar to a disgusted grimace as he began to understand what he had done. Then, slowly, he went towards the main door expecting certain death. Exhausted, he fell first to a knee and then to the next, he could hear more gunfire outside. In the end he fell back while kneeling, his legs still on the same awkward position, one hand still gripping the gun.

It was war, and it was only getting started.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: *shudders* Very vivid. I always knew there was a reason I liked most of what you wrote.

Edited July 20, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[Kaiser Martens]

OOC: Thanks : D

IC:

In his restless dreams, Dietrich would continue to see the battlefield. One week later, he would become conscious again, feeling as if a truck had ran him over when his eyes open and he feels the pain in his aching body. He saw only a grey blur at first, which in time seemed to consolidate into a proper ceiling of metal and concrete. Next, his nostrils allowed the unwelcome scent of humidity to enter, and he stirred. A woman moves closer and eyes him for a split second before turning her head to call out, but he cannot understand the words being said. He feels a mild electric shock and goes back to sleep with a sigh.

Next, in his own world again he opens his eyes and sees the ceiling moving, feels soon himself also moving. Eventually a door is made visible which seemingly opens by itself into a hallway, and he begins to move forwards - or upwards, he is not sure at this point. At the end of the hallway he can see stars, as if heading straight towards outer space, and when he exits said hallway he does also see a number of otherworldly mountains, as if he had been suddenly floating close to the surface of a foreign planet. As he moves forwards without opposition from the wind, he comes to see what seems to be a mix between a temple and a castle, guarded by two stone statues of Nordlandic warriors, and soon he again is plunged into darkness as he enters through a massive gate. Finding light once inside he arrives to a hall to watch an unusual scene...

Close to the middle of the room, on a small altar, were a number of chains portruding for the walls as if pillars hooked up tightly onto a man's torso, a metal encased torso without arms nor legs, and the head, the head was tilted to the side and one could see then one eye obscured by a patch of metal welded onto the skin, and one free eye that opens widely, in red, with a deranged look. The mouth opens to show an impressive array of teeth and tries to roar menacingly, but a pitiful sound comes out. On the head is a simple Stahlhelm, although fractured. The encased entity tries to struggle and roar, but the once powerful movement achieves nothing but a faint rattle in the chains, and the would-have-been roar is but the complaint of a crippled beast.

Dietrich feels himself no longer bound and hops down from the bed, stepping closer to examine this creature, feeling sorry. He looks towards it, and it fixes its eye back onto him, as if examining his very core. He gets the feeling that something meaningful is about to happen, but then what is soon revealed to be a monster approaches the room, each step stomping onto the floor powerfully, announcing it before the light provides detail.

It was nothing but a massive, hulking antropomorphic monster of several heads, one of the heads was that of Visari, but with a very deranged, sick, twisted smile, which bled profusely from the sides, the other head was a helmet of Überstein's old armor, with a runic inscription "LOKI" onto the forehead in blood, and the third and central head was a glass-like skull, appearing invisible from a moment to another, for a few moments appearing to reflect the surfaces around it. Its right arm was an oddly articulated version of an ICBM, and each time it would strike a surface, an explosion would be called. Its left arm was that of a crippled, senile old man that had a small firearm sewn and implanted surgically onto the palm and fingers. The cavity where his stomach would be was widely open and enty, but the visible stomach seemed to be lined up with teeth, as if it in fact was another monstruous mouth in itself. Finally, one of the legs was extremely bulky, metallic, while the other one was fit - but quite dirty.

As the monstrosity ahead shaked its Nuclear Arm around causing for several detonations whenever it would hit the floor or a wall, Dietrich began to run away through another hallway, and the beast's steps would increase in pace and loudness in a manner that seemed completely unnatural, or even not consistent with the laws of physics when it managed to chase, the explosions sometimes illuminating the dim hallways through which the Soldier made its escape. It was of little use to run through those narrower and narrower mazelike passages as the executioner not far seemed to draw only closer. For a moment, the Soldier stopped and looked back, but old Dietrich had no weapons and no means, and soon ran away after the bravery was proven to be useless.

He wakes up, feeling very uneasy, uncomfortable, but healthier nonetheless. Feeling as if the very air of the room bothers him he stands and then tries to move away from the bed to find his clothing, but notices himself hooked up to some medical devices, which he begins to remove, drawing soon the attention of two medics who soon enter the room.

They try to speak to him, and they try to get him back onto bed, but he is feeling too annoyed and apathetic, he does not listen and he moves back, getting a brief flashback of what had happened.

"Give me my gun...where is my gun...? Where are the Demos?"

Around him in the same room, others were dying. One agonizing man in a breathing mask woken up by the brief chaos turns his eyes to look at him. Dietrich looks back, but then looks down towards the man's body - which lacks extremities. His eyes open widely as he is impressed, and so the masked man looks down to himself and realizes what was going on. In sheer terror, he cries out waking up not just the room but several other more, realizing what his destiny now is, wishing to be dead as he is incarcerated within the flesh of his. And he screams on and on, turning his head from side to side and soon unable to see while his eyes well up with tears. In the end, the medics have to go towards him to drug him back to tranquility. Dietrich stared.

Dietrich stared and struggled no more, very quietly starting to remember his actions, the battle, as well as his dream. He goes back to his bed and remains sitting, noticing several more amputated men and women there in the room and around him. He turns to look out of the window to see a common grave of patients who did not recover, as well as two people leaving, one missing an arm, another one in a wheel chair. Artillery shelling begins. The earth around the grave seems to be soaked in blood.

"Den ist ja, Krieg..."

[Lynneth]

OOC: Gee...Nicely written.

Though your german needs improvement.

[Kaiser Martens]

OOC: It is not ment to be German, but Nordlandic...they are quite similar, as you see though. I basically mix some German, some Swedish, random minor stuff from other Germanic languages and that's it. Thank you, by the way : D

[JEDCJT]

OOC: You should make a novel. ;3

Interesting read.

[Kaiser Martens]

OOC: I tried, but I can only write on forums it seems. >_> lol

[JEDCJT]

OOC: I tried, but I can only write on forums it seems. >_> lol

OOC: [yoda]Do or do not. There is no try.[/yoda]

Srsly, your writing skills are . Looking forward to the next update...

[Lynneth]

OOC: It is not ment to be German, but Nordlandic...they are quite similar, as you see though. I basically mix some German, some Swedish, random minor stuff from other Germanic languages and that's it. Thank you, by the way : D

OOC: "Nordlandic" looks silly, though. =P

*eats it dead*

OOC: I tried, but I can only write on forums it seems. >_> lol

OOC: Then write on zee forums and later turn it into a book?

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: You should make a novel. ;3

Interesting read.

OOC: I tried, but I can only write on forums it seems. >_> lol

OOC: Then write on zee forums and later turn it into a book?

OOC: Yeah, he could do that. or he could write an alternate history based loosely on CNRP...do you think that would help inspire him?

[loannes]

OOC: Pretend the word document is CNRP. I demand a Kaiser Martens novel.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: Pretend the word document is CNRP. I demand a Kaiser Martens novel.

OOC: Indeed; that would be !

Edited July 23, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[Kaiser Martens]

OOC: Pfft, I cannot write my "Novels" without "Allies" to "kill" my "enemy".

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: Pfft, I cannot write my "Novels" without "Allies" to "kill" my "enemy".

OOC: Martens, my good man, I do believe you sell yourself short.

[Tahsir]

OOC: nice, a bit hollywood war flick style, but nice.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Tahsir Re

[Bacharth]

OOC: Moar! please?

[Kaiser Martens]

Soldiers approached while gunshots were heard and 210mm earthquakes shattered the town and hospital in a randomized fashion. Hypnotized by the conflict and fires of war, Dietrich stands by the window - his face expressionless - while soldiers surge forwards in an orderly fashion, although the fight goes on in other areas. An officer in a vehicle arrives with a tankette for custody just in time to see many people trying and leaving the hospital, some plainly running away in terror, some trying to take with them their loved ones or at times their patients in wheelchairs.

The Officer raises his hand and seems to shout something that Dietrich cannot hear, and the soldiers block the gate as the small crowd continues to grow, confused, afraid, even outraged. A doctor stands up from the crowd to move over to the officer, discussing heatedly, but the man pays little attention. Motioning closer a short, bulky very strong sub-officer, the underling is then to pull out a sheet of paper. He begins to read it aloud, but the words fail to reach Dietrich's ears. He did not need to hear them to understand. People soon begin to cry, some panic, some try to run, and the good Doctor attempts to strangle the officer on the spot. All of the civilians in the zone join the same fate as burning lead soon pierces past their skin to announce their departure.

The raid for medical supplies continues without further interruptions, and after taking one last glance at the remains of the once proud Nordlander, now just a head and a torso, Adrenalin finally kicks in to command the young warrior to protect his life and run away. He rushes like Sleipnir to the very exit, but must stop, for the soldiers draw near...he hides in a room, a small storage room, and waits.

Closing his eyes as he hears boots roam the floor chaotically, he turns off the light and tries to calm down, although his hands shake in sheer chemical excitement, knowing himself so close to perhaps death. He remembers his time in Freja's warm shrine, and wonders if it has been destroyed yet by the democrats. He wonders what may have happened to his friends, and his town. He wonders when it will all end and how.

"Eiris sazun...idisi..."

A soldier enters the room and begins to rummage about the shelves, stuffing just about everything he can find in a bag. Dietrich's eyes open and without even thinking or considering what he is doing, he begins to stealthily approach, as if a snake preparing its fangs to go in for the sting. Moving with extreme caution and stealth - as he is barefoot - he moves behind the soldier to with one hand cover his mouth and with the other one retrieve the knife he has on his belt, while pulling him back. The Demo fights back, but ultimately fails as Dietrich jams his own knife onto his side brutally, and then stabs quickly in sucession, resembling a sewing machine. He continues stabbing in a frenzy, as if not understanding or not noticing that the man is already dead, and in the end throws the corpse against the wall and continues, blood all over himself. He steps back and drops the knife startled, wondering what to do...with shaking hands he begins to retrieve the soldier's clothing, wishing he had not caused so much blood to pour. Fitting himself in the warm uniform and boots, and taking of course the gun, he exits the room...

"Hjälf! Hjälf mï!" He calls out to the soldiers of the same uniform, pretending to be wounded in order to explain the blood all over himself. When a group of four approach, he fires away to discard them, taking their ammunition which he stuffs into his belt. As many other executions are taking place, it seems nothing out of the ordinary, and having inflicted a headshot he then takes extra time to get a non-bloodied, non-torn jacket. In green and with a deranged gaze, he could well fit into the butchering forces.

With the best face that he can put on, he grabs two bags of stolen medical supplies and walks out of the door staring forwards coldly, approaching one of the trucks where the supplies are being loaded. He tries to sneak away, but a supervising officer calls out while he approaches a building, "Hey, where are ya going Soldier?!" - Dietrich fires towards his face, causing the front of it to be torn into red pieces and makes a run for his life through an alley, while they fire back at him but miss completely.

He goes on running for perhaps ten minutes, occationally having to hide for moments before passing, but in the end he lets himself collapse against a wall into a sitting position in what seems to be an abandoned building set to be demolished sometime soon. He removes his cap and tries to remove the Democratic Insignia from his improvised uniform, but fails to do so. Tired, he tilts his head back and stares out at the very distant light.

He is hungry, and his stomach lets him know so. He sees a piece of broken mirror and grabs it, reaching and trying to place it at the right angle for some light to reach it, in order to see himself. He cannot recognize his own face, his eyes no longer seem human, and his bones are much more noticeable after malnourishment. One of his teeth shows signs of partial decay. He lets the mirror fall and says no more, feeling that he is nothing but a monster.

When he was about to fall asleep, several men and women show up seemingly out of nowhere to point at him with a variety of guns, one kicking away Dietrich's rifle, and another one kicking him in the face to knock him out. Again.

..............................................

The night has come. He wakes up to what seems to be a dirty basement, and sees two women and a man in old Nordlandic uniforms, however dirty, war-torn ones playing cards. She says, "Our Voter has returned." In a very, very acid and ironic fashion. The other woman stands up and goes to the side to prepare a series of blades...bloodied blades. The man - a very large man - also rises and moves closer, spitting to the side. "You democratic pig. I will have a piece of him. Leave me alone with him for a while. I haven't enjoyed one of these for some time." The man eyed Dietrich in a very...very, no, he did not want to think of it, it could not be. A woman interrupts, rolling her eyes as she turns on a fire nearby, heating two knives. "Goddamnit Olaf, you're as much of a pig as they are sometimes. Get out of here." And Olaf emmits what seems to be a mix between "Whatever" and a growl, adjusting his belt and walking away. She continues,

"So...information will buy you a swift death...it really is your choice..."

Dietrich's eyes remain open in sheer terror.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: Just letting you know I'm still reading this story!

[loannes]

OOC: I am watching a movie in my head now.

[JEDCJT]

OOC: I am watching a movie in my head now.

OOC: Me too...say, I got a great idea: KM, you should make a movie! I'd gladly watch it!

Edited July 23, 2009 by JEDCJT

[Bacharth]

OOC: I'd act in it for free. I love independent films.

[Il Terra Di Agea]

OOC: I'd act in it for free. I love independent films.

OOC: On the off chance this becomes a reality, I'd make sets and props. You wouldn't want we to act, ask Ubie or possibly Lynneth, I'm an awful actor

[Uberstein]

OOC: On the off chance this becomes a reality, I'd make sets and props. You wouldn't want we to act, ask Ubie or possibly Lynneth, I'm an awful actor

OOC: I would only act if I got to be Uberstein. And I can't do his insane accent.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: I could do some acting...

[loannes]

OOC: I could be one of the random people that continuously shows up with no apparent point in the plot!