//------------------------------// // For the Fatherland. // Story: The Thin Line // by TerribleSpeller //------------------------------// Rottendam, Feathisia 1016 Gebakken meekly peeked through the door, entering the room slowly and carefully. Turning on to the lights, Gebakken was greeted with the sight of boxes in one corner and a table in another. From the look of things, nothing had been touched. The boxes were still in their place, none of the paperwork seemed to be removed. Gebakken let out a sigh of relief as he entered the room. Today was the big day. As he walked over to the boxes, he pulled out a pocket watch to see the time was 9:13 seventeen minutes before showtime. Opening one of the boxes, Gebakken was greeted with the sight of several kilos of E-4s. Smiling to himself, he closed the box again. Within minutes, they would strike a blow so fatal to the Empire, they would soon know the power of the FOLF. Gebakken pulled out the watch again to see it was 9:15, fifteen minutes remaining. The ageing griffon laughed to himself, it was all too perfect, soon he would die a martyr for the War of Liberation. And in the wake of their strike, Feathisia would be free once more. The griffon laughed to himself a bit more before walking over to the table, looking over the plans once more. If all the data collected by the organization’s informants were right, the Emperor of Griffonkind’s motorcade would stop at this exact point in this intersection. The Emperor and his regent would get off here to meet the Mayor of Rottendam in the restaurant, right above where the bombs were placed. “Put your claws up, Gebakken,” somegriffon said, accompanied by the classical click of gun’s safety being turned off. Abiding by the voice’s commands, Gebakken slowly raised his claws. He knew full well who he was talking to. Gebakken turned around - claws still raised - to meet the sight of the Rijtsfaal holding a Luger towards him. “Rijtsfaal! Buddy! What are you doing here?” Said Gebakken, trying to be friendly to his long time resistance comrade. “Command said you were needed somewhere at downtown, not here Rijts!” “I know full well, what’s going on here Gebakken,” Rijtsfaal answered. His grip on the pistol was shaky, but the determination in his eyes told Gebakken full well that he won’t miss. “It’s just a routine inspection, Rijts! Really, Säl probably needs your help at downtown, something about stealing more firearms from the Imperials,” The griffon said in a vain attempt to convince the farmer to leave. “Really? How can a dead griffon steal firearms?” Gebakken for a brief moment showed shock before being replaced with cold confidence. “So you killed Säl, why?” “You and I both know full well why I killed her, after all, it had to do with those things,” he said, motioning at the boxes at the corner of the room with a free claw. “This ain’t a storage room, Gebakken, and you ain’t fooling nogriffon. You’re trying to kill civilians here,” Gebakken laughed, “So you figured it out eh? Did it really take you a year since we got these E-4 Explosives from the Riverlanders that we would use them as normal creatures would? To simply blow up factories?” “Why, Gebakken, why?” Asked Rijtsfaal, gambling on a fringe hope that he might understand Gebakken’s madness, and hopefully pull him away from it. “Because they raped our Fatherland,” Gebakken started, “They pillaged our farmlands and our ports, and gave it all to their own people! And displaced ours! Our people need to strike back, and show that shouldn’t have come here!” “And kill possibly hundreds of civilians?!” Shouted Rijtsfaal, “Gebakken, there are children up there! Innocents who have nothing to do with the Emperor and by blowing that pile of explosives there, you will be killing them all!” “The hardest choices require the strongest of wills,” Gebakken said coldly, “Only by killing the Emperor would we be able to free our beloved Country from the grasp of the Imperials, even if it needs hundreds of innocents to die along with it,” “You are a monster Gebakken,” said Rijtsfaal, his grip on the gun had steadied, knowing full well what he needed to do next. “I know I am, Rijtsfaal, but that is what it takes to free this country,” Gebakken’s eyes locked with Rijtsfaal, memories were played back of them being friends for the past few years. And now here both of them were, torn apart by morals and goals. Before Rijtsfaal could respond properly due, Gebakken rushed at him, grabbing the Luger and throwing it out of his claw and pushing him to the floor. Before running over to the boxes of explosives. Rolling over onto his stomach, Rijtsfaal lunged at Gebakken, throwing them both to the floor. Gebakken began threw a claw at Rijtsfaal face as he tried getting up again, before having his feet knocked out underneath him. Screaming, Gebakken pulled a knife out from a pocket in his clothing and took a slash at Rijtsfaal’s face, earning him a few seconds to pull out the detonator for the E-4s. Seeing the detonator, Rijtsfaal threw two punches at Gebakken who dodged his opponent’s attacks and responded with another swing of the knife. This time, however, the knife missed it’s intended target and Rijtsfaal was able to grab the arm holding the knife and twisted it, eliciting a scream from Gebakken. And causing him to drop the knife. Gebakken proceeded to use his right claw - holding the detonator - to throw another punch at Rijtsfaal. Causing him to let go of his opponent’s arm, and followed swiftly by Gebakken kicking Rijtsfaal using his two hind legs. Throwing Rijtsfaal back against the wall. Running towards the boxes, Gebakken threw open one of the boxes, revealing it’s white contents. And stabbed the detonator into it. This was the absolute crisis, the peak of their resistance against the Imperials. The operations, the captures, the sabotage, the entire eleven years of resistance hung in the balance. Suddenly, Gebakken felt a feeling of emptiness spread from within his body. Looking down, he could see the red pouring from his chest. In an instant, he fell to the ground, next to the boxes of explosives. He could see Rijtsfaal holding the pistol in his claws, hyperventilating. He tried to gather up his strength, to get up and finish the job. But he couldn’t, he couldn’t. He had failed... Gebakken, slowly drifted away... into the afterlife... Rijtsfaal dropped the Luger onto the floor, sweat soaking his entire clothing. Rijtsfaal continued to look at Gebakken's now lifeless body, blood staining the floor. Soon, what he did properly hit him, he just killed his friend. A friend he had bonded with over several years within the resistance. Rijtsfaal began crying, he lost a friend today at the cost of saving several hundred lives. Was it worth it really? He thought to himself, to have a friend die in exchange for hundreds of innocent lives he didn't know about? Rijtsfaal slowly got back onto his claws, picking up the Luger and placing it back inside his clothing. Using a claw to wipe his tears as he walked over to the boxes. The small detonator was still stuck in one of the E-4 Explosives, standing out in its metallic shell in comparison to the explosives white shade. Grabbing the detonator slowly, he pulled it out of the E-4 Explosives. There was a mark left behind in the explosive, showing where Gebakken had frantically stabbed the detonator into. Closing the box, Rijtsfaal turned his attention to the detonator. It was small, similar to one of the new pens that have been circulating recently. He broke the piece in two in a swift movement. He looked at Gebakken's body one last time before heading for the door. The smell of the sewers hit him again as he travelled back to the upside world... Was it worth it? He thought to himself one last time, what could be the possible justification behind it? He did it for his fatherland, his mind answered. His Fatherland, Feathisia...