Bang! Bang! Bang!
Under the assault of bullets, the paper targets flinched and recoiled in midair. Holes poked through the thin sheets with each shot, peppering the target over and over until silence took over. When no more projectiles flew, two neat clusters of holes sat over the pony silhouette in the chest and the forehead.
“Cease fire!” the range officer shouted, and a buzzer was sounded.
Adira removed her earmuffs and set her empty firearm on the bench. The range officer—a unicorn—returned the targets to their respective shooters with his magic, giving them a minute to analyze them. Adira smirked as she admired her handiwork. Those would have constituted a few clean kills.
She ejected her spent magazine and began reloading it again. The Mossad training course wasn’t very grand, but the humble range and obstacle course was more than challenging. The officers kept a close eye on everypony, making sure forms were perfect without even the most minute of deviation allowed. It was rigorous—but it had to be to be the best.
“Agent Adira.”
Adira had been halfway through loading rounds into the magazine when she heard somepony call her name. She cast a brief glance up, and then turned around completely out of respect.
“Director Adonai. Good afternoon, sir.”
The dark brown stallion smiled at her, and then turned his gaze to her target. “I see somepony didn’t stand a chance with you today.”
“Nopony ever stands a chance against us,” she said with a chuckle beneath her breath. “Did you need me for something, sir? You only ever seek us out individually when you want somepony removed.”
Adonai gave a hearty chuckle and shook his head. “No, Adira, nothing of the sort—much to your disappointment, I’m sure! I was wondering where your brother was, actually. I have not seen him this week.”
Adira’s expression dropped, and she pursed her lips. “...He is at the cemetery, Director. He always takes this week off.”
In full understanding, Director Adonai nodded and bowed his head, dark remembrance clouding his eyes. “I suspected as much. Thank you, Agent Adira.”
She nodded once more, and then returned to reloading her gun. She heard the director’s hoofsteps walking away from her, only to stop a second later.
“Adira, is he all right?” She didn’t respond right away. “Does he need some more time to himself?”
Adira took a deep breath as she thought back to her brother. The memories hurt to dig up. With a sharp snap, she reloaded her gun and chambered the first round. A target was sent down the range, ready for the first shot.
“I think taking him away from killing Arabians is the last thing you should ever do, Director.”
Tail Aviv National Cemetery sat a couple blocks away from the Ministry of Defense, where the Mossad lay hidden in secret. The expansive graveyard was the largest in Learsi—and for good reason. Millenniums of bloodshed had led to a need in space for the dead. But not every body returned home to be buried.
In amongst the rows of headstones, obelisks and monuments honored the fallen that could not be recovered. One such memorial, erected for the fall of Ashkelon, sat on a raised pedestal at the heart of the cemetery. Effigies of Learsian ponies sat etched into the smooth obsidian stone, forever on guard for their home.
Chaim gazed into their eternally watchful eyes as nostalgia and sorrow swept over his soul. Try as he might to remain strong, simply staring at the hundreds of names carved into the stone was enough to break him down. He could not believe so much time had passed. It all still felt so fresh in his mind.
Seven years… he thought melancholically. Seven long years…
His jaw clenched and teeth tightened on reflex around the flowered wreath in his grasp. A little moisture blurred his vision. All across the platform, other wreaths and bouquets of flowers were left in remembrance along with photographs and other little mementos. Chaim set the wreath down up against the obelisk.
Taking an uneven, shallow breath, he forced himself to look up at the list of names. No searching was necessary—after he had found their names the first time, their location had become seared into his brain. Eden and Eliyah. My love and my son…
Bitter tears stung at his eyes while he ground his teeth so hard it hurt. The pain was nothing compared to the tearing of his broken heart.
“I miss you, my family…” he whispered, praying their souls would hear his words. “I miss you every day…”
In the late afternoon sun, Chaim closed his eyes and wept. Distant screams and echoing explosions from the past beat at his eardrums. His mind was pulled back—back to when his entire world fell apart.
“How do I look?”
Chaim smiled widely as he examined his appearance in the mirror. His new uniform had arrived the day before, and today was his first chance to wear it with his brothers in arms. The light beige desert camouflage seemed to brighten even his dark burgundy coat. His emerald eyes drifted down over his new clothes again before turning around to present himself to the mare behind him.
Eden gave a soft laugh and smiled widely at her husband’s display of pride. “I swear, Chaim, I have never seen you get so excited about anything before.”
“I take pride in what I do.”
“And you make us all very proud,” Eden replied, trotting over to the stallion to give him a sweet peck on the cheek. “You look very handsome, my love.”
“And you look as lovely as the day I met you,” he said, brushing a stray lock of her amber mane out of her face. “No, I lie. You’re more beautiful than then.”
“Oh, stop it you!” She laughed and playfully nudged Chaim’s shoulder. “You’re going to be late if you keep this up. Then what will your friends think of you?”
A grin crossed his face. “I don’t know if that’s appropriate to be saying out loud, my dear.”
Eden rolled her eyes as she began making the bed. “And what will your boss think? You can kiss that promotion goodbye if you keep him waiting.”
Chaim grumbled, but she was right. Half of the reason he had gotten Adira to acquire an official Learsian Army uniform was to show off a little to his leader. He had been gunning for a promotion and maybe take second-in-command of their little band of misfits. The other half was just to look damn cool while shooting up the Arabians.
Pulling on his shirt to straighten it, Chaim stepped over to the heavy safe in the corner of the bedroom and began removing his weapons for the day. His rifle and his pistol, which had quickly become extensions of himself, were in pristine condition and ready for whatever Saddle Arabia chose to throw at Learsi today.
“Will you be back for dinner this time?” Eden asked passively from the bathroom.
“I expect so.” Chaim loaded his weapons and slung his rifle over his shoulder. “We are merely assisting the soldiers checking the trains that come in today, making sure no Arabians are trying to sneak in or blow us up. Nothing exciting, just an easy day’s pay.”
“Good. You know how you worry me when you get sent off to fight far away.”
Chaim cast a gentle smile at the mare as she stepped back into the bedroom. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can care for myself, you, and Eliyah.”
Eden smiled, but her eyes told a different story. She wasn’t convinced. “I wish you would reconsider taking a job with your sister. The Mossad has to be safer than volunteering to fight on the front lines.”
A light laugh left him, and his eyes sparkled teasingly. “Would that make you happy?” She nodded vigorously. “…Very well, my love. I will talk to my sister again—tomorrow. Right now, I have to go. Nitra’e bekarov.”
Chaim gave Eden a slow, lingering kiss before heading for the door. “Do not leave without seeing your son!”
A smile spread across the stallion’s face. He trotted down the hall, finding the right door and slowly pushing it open. As he expected, Eliyah was still fast asleep in the early morning hours. The sun had just barely risen, after all. Beaming with unconditional love, he quietly stepped in between piles of toys over to the small bed and sat down carefully on the edge.
The foal rolled over slowly, mumbling something quietly in his sleep. Chaim’s heart melted as he watched his son, ever so gingerly stroking his mane once. In the depths of his soul, Chaim prayed that peace would return to Learsi soon. He resented the notion of his son growing up in a war torn civilization. The thought of his own flesh and blood taking after his heart to fight in a faraway land terrified him to no end.
“Ot nehmadim, my son,” he whispered above a hushed breath, and leaned down to gently kiss his forehead. “Ani hoev otkha.”
Once he had fought his way back out of Eliyah’s room, Chaim trotted briskly to the front door. Eden stood there, waiting for him. He smiled as he admired the way the early morning light seemed to radiate off her mane and made her eyes sparkle. No words were exchanged between the two—just a slow, lingering kiss shared between lovers, and then he cantered out into the cool morning air. The sun was halfway over the horizon, shining rays of golden light across the light blue dawn. Ashkelon was mostly silent, with only a few citizens up and about and a hoofful of shops opening for business.
Chaim had always enjoyed this time of day. It was like a sort of limbo in between the world of the night and the realm of day. Ashkelon was a nice enough city as well. It was smaller than Tail Aviv, but after living there his entire life, everything seemed smaller than the capital. Still, it was quiet, and far enough away from the war raging up in the north of the country.
As he walked to the rendezvous point, he couldn’t help but think back to what Eden had asked of him. He knew Adira’s job with the Mossad was dangerous—if not equally so as his—but came with the security and comfort of Tail Aviv. That had been what deterred him from it in the first place, and what had driven him to a private contractor job with the local hired guns. One reason kept him on the run from the war.
Eliyah.
His son mattered more to him than any part of his nation ever could. He swore his life to defending his family, even if it meant turning his back on his duty to Learsi. He could still serve the effort in an indirect way. Adira had done all she could behind the scenes to keep him from getting drafted, and much to both of their relief, he had yet to be summoned.
So far, I’d say my luck has been running strong, he thought with a touch of optimism as he arrived at the train station. A group of four surly looking stallions stood around waiting for him. He knew what would be coming next. In three… two… one…
“Weeeeell, look who decided to show up!” one of them chided, though his joking grin personified his good-natured attempt at humor. “Yom tov, Sleeping Beauty! Miss the alarm this morning?”
“Yeah yeah, get off my back, Ezra. Where’s the boss?”
“He’s inside, talking to the lieutenant of the local force,” Ezra explained. “Good thing, too. He might not notice you were late. Hey, nice threads!”
Chaim rolled his eyes as the stallion tugged at his sleeve.
“I didn’t realize we were playing dress up now.”
“Gai in drerde, Ez.”
“Love you too, my brother.”
A stallion poked his head out of the train station and waved to the band of ponies. “Hey, fillies! Get in here!”
At their leader’s beck and call, the stallions gathered their weapons and trotted into the building. It was brightly lit and kept cool, thanks to the overworked air conditioning. A small force of the local garrison loitered around the empty terminal, waiting for the first train to arrive. They all looked at the newcomers with disdain.
“Here’s the way thing are gonna play out, fillies. When the trains come in, we’re gonna sweep one while the soldiers check another. They're carrying weapons and ammo to the southern outposts and we're the checkpoint. We don’t want any of it to fall into Arabian hooves, so check every car thoroughly for any stowaways or smugglers, hevanti?”
Nopony responded verbally. Chaim nodded his head. Ezra just chambered the first round in his gun. Others made unintelligible sounds of acknowledgement.
“Good. Now these colts, they don’t necessarily like us private contractors, but we all knew this going in. Just try to play nice, don’t touch any of their packages, and we’ll all go home with money in our hooves tonight.”
They waited—and they waited. It took close to a half hour before the first train horn was heard off in the distance, drawing closer to Ashkelon. Chaim was grateful that they wouldn’t have to be kept waiting on a delayed train. Few things bothered him more than when things didn’t run according to plan.
“Here we go,” Ezra muttered as they made their way onto the platform. “Another day, another shekel.”
Chaim made a soft sound of agreement. While he typically enjoyed the bounty hunts on wanted targets, an easy day of work was exactly what he needed. It would give him time to think on Eden’s request and Adira’s offer. Was this the life he wanted to be following to the end of days? Would a job with the Mossad be any safer or better, for him and for his family? It was a gamble—Chaim was not a gambling pony.
The first of the trains pulled up to the station. It was ten cars long, each one padlocked and sealed tightly. He didn’t see how Arabians could possibly have gotten in any of the cars unless they came in through the roof or were sealed in from departure. He had to admit, it was possible. Lately there had been stories of individuals aiding the Arabians from within Learsian borders. The treasonous idea disgusted Chaim, but dealing with traitors was always a risk run in war.
“Alright, colts. This one’s ours.” Chaim took a set of bolt cutters from his leader. “Split up into pairs and check each car top to bottom. Once it’s cleared, let the workers in to unload them. The soldiers have the next train.”
“Ezra, with me,” said Chaim and set off to the first car in the long train.
Ezra followed close beside him, his gun slung across his body. As they approached the door, he readied his weapon. Chaim snapped the lock off with a quick motion and pulled the door open wide. Many large shipping crates lay inside, all labeled with warnings of explosives and live ammunition. Ezra jumped in the car first, followed closely by his partner, and swept the otherwise empty car.
“Damn, it’s clear…”
“Were you hoping for a fight already?” Chaim teased.
“Yes. These jobs are always so dull.”
“But they’re easy pay.”
“I don’t want easy pay. I want to fight!”
Chaim rolled his eyes as they leapt back to the station platform. “Then you should’ve joined the army, brother.”
Ezra gave a hard chuckle. “I’m beginning to regret not.”
The two stallions trotted past the cars currently being searched and headed for the fourth. A little further down, a second train had begun to pull up. The Learsian soldiers were already standing in wait, ready to board and search.
“You do look like you belong with them,” Chaim said in agreement. “All brawn and no brains.”
“Forgive me for wanting to actually do something with myself,” said Ezra. He cast a look to Chaim as his partner broke off the next lock. “Since when did you become so defensive and careful? What happened to the stallion who used to break down doors and shoot first, ask questions never?”
A smirk crossed Chaim’s face as he pulled the door open. “He is still here, brother—he’s just thinking of his family and not his own excitement any longer.”
“Remind me to never fall in love,” groaned Ezra with a joking grin. “I’d hate to become as boring as you.”
Chaim scoffed and gave a short shake of his head as he hoisted himself up into the car. This one was also empty, much to Ezra’s continued disappointment. As they jumped back out, they could see the other mercenaries moving down the line while a bunch of Earth ponies unloaded the crates from the train.
Ezra and Chaim moved down to the last car in the train. The lock broke and they climbed aboard. Just like the others, it was also empty. Chaim breathed a sigh of relief. Ezra gave a grumpy huff.
“Well, it looks like the Arabians wised up and decided to leave us alone,” Chaim said. “Let’s get these off and wait for the next line.”
“I hope the Arabians are in the next one… I don’t want to feel like I wasted—”
A bump on wood caught both ponies’ attention as they were about to jump out of the car. They turned around, facing the area the noise had come from. The only thing there was one of the crates of weapons. Chaim exchanged a confused look with Ezra. Together, they approached the crate, their weapons raised and ready.
Despite their orders not to touch any of the crates, Chaim grabbed a crowbar and shoved it beneath the lid. To his surprise, it moved with very little resistance. Once it was firmly in place, he placed his hooves on the opposite end and began to push down. The lid started to lift up…
Gunshots exploded nearby in the early morning silence. Shouts and cries were heard outside, and both Chaim and Ezra froze, both visibly startled.
“The soldiers must have found some stowaways,” Chaim noted, and finished prying the lid off.
“For Prince Malik!”
A loud yell startled the stallion half to death as an Arabian horse leapt out of the large crate, swinging a blade at his throat. Chaim fell back on his flank, shouting in surprise while Ezra reacted fast and put three bullets into the Arabian’s chest. Two more popped out of the crate, guns in their hooves. They were swiftly cut down by the Learsian mercenary as well.
They were in the crates… The crates! Chaim thought with horror as he looked at the other containers around him. That meant…
As if to affirm his fears, the lids of the other crates flew off and battle shouts echoed around the narrow train car. Arabians began to pop up out of each, taking potshots at the fleeing Learsians. Chaim and Ezra cried out in shock as they shot as many of the enemies as they could whilst clambering back out.
“Take cover!” Chaim shouted out, scrambling down the platform as bullets ripped through the air after him. “Sound the alarm!”
Ezra was right behind him, taking shots back at their enemies every now and then. “They’re in the crates! They’re in the—”
An earth-shaking explosion rocked the train station. The train car Ezra had been running past exploded in a giant fireball. Further down the line, another car on the second train exploded as well, sending half-charred Learsian soldiers flying backwards. Chaim stumbled and pressed his body against the wall of the station for support. Not all of the cars had been carrying soldiers, apparently.
Bullets peppered the wall beside his head. Gritting his teeth, Chaim killed the Arabian nearest him before ducking back into the train station. He found a gun pointed in his face and froze—his fellow mercenary on the other end muttered a silent curse before dropping his aim, allowing him in.
“What the buck is going on?!” the Learsian lieutenant shouted angrily, peeking out the window as gunfire erupted much more frequently.
“Ashkelon is under attack,” the mercenary leader muttered, reloading his weapon. “Sound the alarm, Lieutenant. Get the army out here now.”
Several gunshots smashed through the glass windows suddenly, forcing everypony inside to drop to the ground for safety. The lieutenant took two rounds to the face and fell, dying instantly.
“Fakakta kurva. Damnit, they can’t make this easy…” The mercenary leader crawled across the floor, worming his way behind the ticket counter and hitting the alarm.
A siren rang out in the early morning hours, whining loudly in alert to the sleeping city. A second siren joined in soon after, followed by another, and another, until the entire city was overtaken by the blare of danger. Gunshots and explosions sounded all around the station, working their way into the city as the Arabians slaughtered the last of the Learsian soldiers and pushed forward.
The door to the train station burst inward, and two Arabian horses came galloping brashly in. Chaim rolled over onto his back, firing from the hip until his shots and felled both enemies. His breathing was slow and focused, even though his heart was racing inside his chest.
“They’re pressing into the city—a lot of the bastards,” the leader said as he stared out the window. “We’ve gotta stop them.”
“Are you meshungina?!” one of the mercenaries objected. “There’s gotta be hundreds of them! There were at least a hundred on one train alone! We’ve only got five ponies left! I didn’t sign up for this kind of cocken!”
Five ponies… Chaim thought. That was when his mind made the connection.
“Ezra!”
Chaim scrambled to his hooves and ran up to the broken door. He leaned out, peering around for any signs of the enemy. Although he could still hear gunshots close by, nopony was in sight. He slipped out of the building, ignoring the calling from his boss as he ran down the singed station platform.
The smoldering remains of the train had smothered the area in thick smoke, but the crumpled silhouette of Ezra could be seen easily. The pony lay sprawled out on his side, unmoving. Chaim swallowed back his fear and approached his fallen friend.
Please be okay… Please be okay…
As he drew nearer, Chaim could feel his hopes slip away. Ezra was a mess. His fur was blackened, and his mane was half burnt off. His eyes were closed and he didn’t stir, not even as Chaim came right up on him. The worst sight though was his legs. Ezra’s front right hoof was twisted at an odd angle, clearly broken, while his back right was completely gone, a gristly mess remaining where it had been before.
Despite it all, Chaim could see the pony’s chest very gently rise and fall. He was still alive.
“Ezra… Ezra, can you hear me?” He shook the pony a few times, muttering a profanity beneath his breath when he refused to wake. “Don’t worry, my friend, you aren’t dying today.”
Grabbing the back of Ezra’s vest in his teeth, Chaim proceeded to drag his friend’s body down the platform. The task was slow and arduous, but Chaim ignored the threat presented with each snap of a nearby gunshot. He refused to leave his friend behind to suffer a fate at the hooves of those brutes.
As he drew nearer to the station, another of his allies ran out and helped him drag Ezra into the safety of the station. Chaim propped him up against the ticket counter while another pony began to patch up his wounded leg.
“Chaim, that was damn foolish of you,” he heard his leader snap behind him, and then felt a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up, seeing the surly, older stallion give a curt nod. “Good job.”
The mercenary leader looked around at his four remaining soldiers. “Listen up, stallions. Since the Arabians have brought the fight to our home, we'll make them play by our rules. We’re only five strong, but we’re going to kill as many of them as we can. We’ll flank the momzai, trap them in the city, and help the army eradicate them.”
For all the relief he had felt for an easy day of work, Chaim was itching to fight the Saddle Arabians. He took one look down at his wounded friend. They had caused this. He narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth together. They would pay for this—he would make sure of it.
“Alright—Chaim, Midyan, Zakkai, let’s go! Neriah, finish patching up Ezra, then meet up with us at the forum.”
Neriah nodded, winding gauze tightly around Ezra’s leg. “Eyn col baaya, boss.”
The mercenaries hurried out of the train station and out into Ashkelon. A dense smokescreen had settled over the entire area. Fires burned as far as they could see, and the smell of blood, gunpowder, and burning buildings hung like a plague in the air. It made Chaim retch as they ran down the road, moving past dead Learsians, soldiers and civilians alike. The Arabians were clearly beyond discrimination.
The gunfire had moved further into the city, and screams of terror tore through the air over the wailing sirens. There was still too little fighting for the army to have engaged the Arabians yet. It worried Chaim greatly. It meant that the Arabians were carving a bloody swath through the city unchecked and unabated.
Something exploded up ahead and slightly to the right. Chaim looked up and saw a column of fire extend above the roofs of houses. The Arabians were torching everything that lay before them.
“We’re not too far behind! Come on! Move those legs!”
At his leader’s shouts, Chaim pushed himself as fast as he could down the road. He leapt over the body of a fallen soldier and sprinted around a corner. A small group of Arabians were trotting down the road, tossing firebombs at every house they passed and laughing as they were engulfed in flames.
Chaim snorted and brought his rifle to bear. Two accurate shots killed two of the enemies instantly. The other two dove behind a porch and returned fire. The other mercenaries came bounding around the corner, opening fire on the hidden Arabians as well. The street dissolved into a tense standoff, both sides trying to land a hit on the other.
“Heads up!” One of the mercenaries tossed a hoof grenade through the air. Chaim watched as the small cylinder sailed overhead and landed just behind the Arabians’ position. An explosion sent their bodies flying out into the open, where they moved no more.
“Nice toss, Midyan.”
“Thank you, boss.”
Another explosion went off down a nearby road. “They’re burning the city! We have to stop them!”
Chaim choked back the bitter taste of smoke in his mouth while the small team raced down the roads, hunting the Arabians with any clues they could find. So many gunshots went off around them, it sounded as if the entire army had invaded.
Following the closest cluster of gunfire, the ponies barreled out into a small plaza. Market stalls had been crushed, and the nearby houses were ablaze. Ashkelon had all but become an inferno that was raging wildly out of control. It had become painfully clear that the Arabians had no intention of sacking the city. They had come with one purpose, and one purpose only: to cause as much damage as fast as they could.
Two Arabians ran down the far end of the plaza. The Learsian mercenaries opened fire mercilessly, gunning them down with as much brutality as the horses showed them.
“Good work, stallions!” the leader shouted over the chaos. “Move across the plaza—”
Muzzle flashes appeared from within one of the furthest buildings, kicking up dust and debris around the ponies. The mercenary leader’s words were cut off as three rounds struck him in the chest, sending him crumpling to the ground in a heap.
“Take cover!” cried Midyan, diving behind a half destroyed stand.
Chaim dove beneath an abandoned cart, hearing the bullets snap past his hiding spot. To his left, Midyan and Zakkai had begun returning fire blindly, hoping to suppress the enemy. Biting his lip, Chaim crawled towards the edge of the cart, peeking his head out just enough to get a bead on where the shots were coming from. He rested his rifle on the ground and put a few shots of his own through the windows.
“Hold them back!” Midyan called out as he jammed a fresh magazine into his weapon. “We just have to stall them!”
From the other end of the courtyard, two more Arabians came running into the fray, opening fire eagerly on the hiding mercenaries. Midyan yelped as a bullet ripped across his shoulder, grazing the skin. With a growl of anger, he retaliated with a second grenade, tossing the explosive neatly over the piled debris. Chaim heard the Arabians shout something in their tongue and then scream as the explosion threw them aside like ragdolls.
“Press up!” Chaim said to his teammates while crawling out of cover. He rushed forward to the next safe spot, surprised when nopony shot at him.
Working their way gradually up past the plaza until no enemies remained, the three Learsians galloped at a full tilt sprint down the streets, following the trail of destruction left behind like breadcrumbs. The smell of burning flesh smothered the city and make Chaim feel physically ill, his stomach churning nervously as they galloped past a sea of corpses, all of them civilians. They slowly worked their way through the streets, pausing to engage small groups of enemies along the way before continuing after the main invasion force, still ahead of where they were.
A large explosion rocked the ground beneath the ponies, staggering them momentarily. Up ahead, Chaim could see the resulting fire from the detonation. They were close—very close.
“They’re in the forum!” Zakkai said.
Chaim nodded. “Then that is where we stop them! Three story building, eleven o’clock. Hurry!”
Chaim took point, leading the others inside the charred, broken remains of the building. The interior was a gruesome sight. Brass, blood, and bodies covered the floor of what appeared to be an apartment building. It looked as if nopony had made it out alive.
Bolting up the stairs, the ponies rushed to the roof as they listened to the screams and shouts outside mingle with fresh shooting. The stale, musty taste of the stuffy air mixed with gun smoke in the narrow corridors, and Chaim found it difficult to breathe without gagging. His eyes watered and his lungs ached and burned, desperate for fresh air.
When they finally pushed up the last flight of stairs and emerged on the roof, Chaim could have cried at the sight that lay before him. The grand forum that had once hosted so many public events had become a bloodbath. The Arabians set fire to everything they could. Monuments had been toppled out of spite. Across the way, he watched as soldiers gunned down two civilians in the streets. Heavy gunfire rumbled off in the distance. The army was still working their way in.
As far as his eyes could see, Ashkelon burned. The pale purples and blues of the dawn sky were lost to an endless ocean of dense black smoke. He could not smell the late summer flowers from the parks, nor the salty air of the nearby sea. No gulls cried in the air. No sun smiled down on the peaceful city. Death had claimed this land for itself. The clock tower across the city chimed like a knell, indicating that the entire massacre had taken only a couple of hours.
“Those monsters…” Zakkai muttered under his breath. “Vi tsu derleb ikh im shoyn tsu bagrobn…”
Midyan shook his head, a murderous glint in his eyes. “I’m not going to stand around idly while they burn my home!”
Taking a position at the edge of the roof, Midyan leveled his rifle with the two nearest Arabians. Two shots earned him two kills as the soldiers dropped. Zakkai was the next to open fire, ending the life of another enemy soon after. When Chaim took his position, the Arabians had spotted them.
“Heads down, here they come!”
Midyan’s cry was punctuated by a series of bullets striking the side of the building. They had the advantage of height over their foes, allowing them a better vantage point to engage them at. Once there was a lull in the shooting, Chaim poked his head back out. A few Arabians were making their way toward the apartment building, and the rest of the force was heading their way too.
Chaim fired a few shots in rapid succession, scoring a couple of kills before being forced back into cover again. Midyan and Zakkai popped up next, firing almost the entirety of their magazines before hiding once more. The system repeated with the Learsians taking shots, followed by the Arabians returning fire.
If nothing else, at least we’ve stalled them, Chaim thought as he reloaded his gun. If we die here, at least we bought the city some time.
Midyan shot up again and fired two shots—and then his gun clicked. His weapon had jammed. A few bullets flew past the roof, one finding purchase in Midyan’s shoulder with a splatter of blood. The pony screamed out in agony as he collapsed to his back on the roof, squirming in pain.
Chaim was the first to react, rushing to his teammate’s side and pressing a hoof to the bleeding wound. “Midyan! Are you okay?”
“Do I fakakta look okay?! The fakakta shtik drek just shot me!” the injured mercenary shouted angrily. “Shtup! Leave me, Chaim! Just— argh, just kill them all! I’ll watch your backs.”
As reluctant as he was to leave his teammate, the sounds of Zakkai crying out when another hailstorm of bullets chipped away at their cover drew him back into action. Midyan had his pistol out and was busy watching the only way up to the roof.
“Looks like we’re not getting out of this one, colts,” said Zakkai, unusually calmly for a pony assured he was about to meet his fate. “Let’s make it spectacular, huh?”
Chaim looked Zakkai in the eye. There was no expression of fear or remorse on the pony’s face—just a serene acceptance as he chambered a round in his weapon. Midyan grunted as he sat up against the ledge, stabilizing himself to watch the exit.
Time seemed to move in slow motion for Chaim. He felt numb—out of place in an unreal situation. He thought on his family, and prayed that they had evacuated in time. The assault had fortunately seemed to sweep away from their district of the city. He could only hope now that his sacrifice would earn them a life of peace and prosperity in his absence.
With a nod to Zakkai, both ponies stood tall and proud on the rooftop, glaring down at the swarming Arabians below. They shouldered their weapons and let loose a torrent of bullets down at any enemy they could see. The Arabians dropped one by one, each kill making Chaim’s lust for justice grow stronger.
The Arabians had begun returning fire. Chaim realized this when the first bullet narrowly missed clipping his left ear. He found the shooter and expertly killed him with two shots. Beside him, Zakkai was less lucky. He heard the wet smack of flesh rending, following by a gut-wrenching squeal and something heavy hitting the roof.
Chaim was relentless in his assault. He pulled the trigger again and again and again until his gun ran dry. The trigger snapped. He was out of bullets. He was dead.
And then, two large explosions took out a large number of Arabian soldiers from behind. Chaim looked up frantically to see many armed Learsian soldiers come rushing into the forum like a wave from the ocean. Caught between the two fronts and off guard, the Arabians were smashed to pieces swiftly. Across the city, Chaim could hear larger pockets of gunfire erupting as well. The army was destroying what was left of the invading force.
A battle cry from Midyan and several pistol shots caught Chaim’s attention. He turned to see his wounded friend as he finished gunning down three Arabian soldiers as they tried to rush them. At his hooves, Zakkai lay sprawled out, his eyes staring blankly up at the sky and his torso a gory mess.
“Stup ir, beheimer,” Midyan spat out viciously at the dead Arabians.
“The army’s here,” Chaim told Midyan, helping hoist the pony up. “We’re done. Let’s get down to the street and meet up with them.”
Midyan chuckled weakly as he leaned on his teammate for support, limping towards the stairs. “We’d better get paid a damn fortune for this…”
Chaim smirked and stopped at the top of the stairs. He pulled his hoof grenade from his vest and chucked it down the stairs. He heard it hit the bottom, followed by a cry, and then the explosion. Once he had descended to the bottom, he saw a pair of dead Arabian soldiers that had been lying in wait for them.
Momzai… Bastards... Chaim thought with disdain. By the time they hit the street again, the army had finished off the remaining enemy soldiers in the forum and had moved to their position. Two of them took Midyan aside, starting to patch up his wounds.
“You, soldier.”
Chaim looked up as a soldier approached him. “Who, me?” He looked down at his torn, bloodstained uniform. “Oh. Oh, no, I’m a hired gun.”
The soldier rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. You can fight, yes?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Good. Follow us then. We’re going to wipe out the force down in the southern district.”
Chaim’s heart stopped beating. Cold dread clawed at his insides, twisting his gut into all sorts of knots.
“…The southern district?”
The soldier nodded brusquely. “It was a small force, but they went unchecked. All of the fighting has been up here in the north part of the city. No telling how much damage was done— hey, wait!”
But Chaim was gone before the soldier had even finished speaking, running like he was being chased by the devil himself down the road.
“Follow him! Quick!”
Chaim couldn’t care less if the army was following him or not. The only thoughts that ran rampant through his mind were his family and their safety. He knew Eden could shoot a gun if needed—he had taught her himself—but the Arabians were ruthless. He refused to subject his family to any of their horrors for any amount of time.
No obstacle stood in his way that he could not overcome. Chaim was unremitting. He galloped with all the strength his legs could possess, even when his lungs burned from a lack of oxygen. Tears streamed down his eyes as he ran through thick billows of smoke, half blinding himself in his mad pursuit. He had to get home—he had to.
The train station disappeared in a blur. He was close. Kicking up a cloud of sandy dust as he skidded around a corner, Chaim took off down a familiar street at a full sprint. He was running solely on adrenaline now. Every building around him had either been blown up or burnt. Bodies of ponies he knew lay scattered disrespectfully in the ashen streets.
Please, Goddess… Please, please let my family be alright…
Many of the fires still looked fresh. He couldn’t be too far behind his enemies. The silent prayers continued nonstop from the desperate pony as he tore down another road, and then onto his street—and slid to a halt.
His entire neighborhood was covered in smoke and rising fires. It was difficult to see at first, but as he counted the rows of houses and found where he knew his home was, the stallion’s heart stopped once more.
Two Arabians were standing in his front yard, tossing firebombs into the already rising flames.
Chaim could feel the blinding rage burning inside his soul. Every nerve tingled within him as he galloped down the road, getting nearer and nearer. Flashes of red obscured his vision, but as he came right up on them, a lethal focus came over him. Chaim had his pistol out and put two rounds into each horse before they could even turn around, killing them both instantly. But the damage was already done.
His house burned brightly in front of him, the fires reaching up to the inky black skies. The heat licked at his skin, even as his blood ran like ice through him. That was when he heard a mare scream from within the building.
“Eden!” Chaim screamed at the top of his lungs, bolting for the flaming silhouette of the door. “Eden! Eliyah!”
Chaim rushed to the door, throwing his weight against the frame again and again. The door shuddered, but refused to budge. Eden must have barricaded it when sirens went off. Turning around, Chaim let loose a roar as he bucked the door clear off its hinges—and recoiled back as flames shot out, singing the fur on his face and chest. The entire building was engulfed in flames.
Fear gripped at Chaim's heart, paralyzing him momentarily. It was as if he was staring into the depths of Tartarus itself. But it meant nothing to him. He would risk hellfire and more for his family. Death was a small price to pay for their safety. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he ran at the inferno—and was quickly hoisted backwards and thrown onto his back by an unseen force. He felt hooves around him and immediately began to fight, trying direly to break free. He glared back at his attacker, surprised to see the soldier from before keeping a tight hold on him.
“No! Don’t, my brother! It’s too dangerous!”
“My family is in there!” snarled the enraged pony, kicking the pony in the gut to free himself and lunging for the door again.
The house began to cave in on itself and he knew he had no more time to think. Just as he ran in again, another soldier took him down again, the first one grabbing his hooves as both fought to restrain the wild stallion. Chaim screamed unintelligibly as he listened to the shrieks from within the inferno until the raging blaze drowned out their cries for help.
“No! NO! NO!” Tears poured down Chaim’s face while his beating heart was ripped asunder. “Eden! Eliyah! No! Eden! Eliyah!”
“They are gone, brother! There is nothing we can do for them! You'll die if you go in there!”
“No no no no no no no! Eliyah! Eden!”
The ponies flinched as they listened to the anguished cries of the broken stallion. Held back from his own demise by the soldiers, Chaim could only watch and scream until his voice gave out, watching his world get taken away in a cloud of deathly black smoke.
The charred wood crunched like autumn leaves beneath her hooves. Adira had heard the stories, seen the news reports, heard the eyewitness accounts… but nothing could have prepared her for the horror Ashkelon truly was. Pale gray smoke still ebbed out from dying embers and burned skeletons of buildings, mingling in the overcast sky. The streets were covered with ash and blood, and nothing but the rancid smell of decay and gunpowder wafted in the air.
Thunder rumbled gently overhead, bringing with it the promise of a coming storm. It was only the day after Ashkelon had been attacked, but the notion of cleaning rain soothed Adira’s grief. Recovery was direly needed here.
“The Arabians overstepped the line this time…” she murmured quietly to herself and shook her head. “All of Learsi will cry for blood after this…”
Adira climbed carefully over a pile of scorched debris and sidestepped past several bodies. The soldiers were still working on collecting the dead and identifying them for a more accurate death toll. The entire city had all but been razed to the ground, and nopony but the military was allowed access to prevent any further incidents. Adira could only estimate how many digits the final count would be.
“Special Agent Adira.” Adira glanced over to the soldier that had called to her. “We’ve located your brother.”
She felt her heart leap up into her throat. “You have? Does he live?”
The soldier nodded. “Yes, ma’am, he lives. We’ve gathered the survivors in the park.”
“Show me.”
At her request, the pony nodded and led Adira carefully through the streets. She did her best to block out the images of piles of corpses being carted out of the city streets while debris and other wreckage was pushed aside to clear paths for the rescue and relief crews. She could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat. Never in all her life did she dare to imagine such a horrendous tragedy could befall her beautiful nation—let alone to her own flesh and blood.
The park, which had once been described to her by her brother as an idyllic scene of tranquility and beauty, was now a scene of utter sorrow. The amount of survivors was far greater than she had anticipated. Groups of ponies huddled together while they waited to be evacuated, murmuring and crying amongst themselves as food, water, and blankets were handed around. Adira followed the soldier through the dense crowd, almost losing him now and again as he took her down the winding trails.
“He’s there, ma’am. By the fountain.”
Adira followed the soldier’s gesture. The pony had his back turned to them, but the mane and coat were distinctively recognizable. Bidding her gratitude to the pony, Adira walked slowly across the crisp grass.
Chaim was sitting perfectly still, like a statue, staring blankly into the stagnant water of the broken fountain. His coat was completely covered in soot and blood, and his uniform—the uniform she had gotten for him—was blackened. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and Adira could see the lines carved through the mess on his face from where his tears had fallen.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, she trotted over towards her brother. “Chaim. Thank the Goddess, you’re alive!”
Adira embraced Chaim, who didn’t even flinch at her touch. She pulled back, ignorant of his behavior for the moment. She took a seat beside him, trying to brush some of the ash off of his uniform.
“I heard what had happened, and my heart stopped. I was terrified you had been harmed, or worse,” she continued. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am to see you, Chaim. Come on, I’m taking you home to Tail Aviv right now. Let’s get Eden and Eliyah, and I can get us on the next train—”
“They’re dead.”
Adira froze on the spot, half from hearing her brother actually respond and half from the words themselves. “…What?”
“They’re dead, sister,” Chaim said with no emotion left in his voice. He had become completely detached from reality. “The Arabians killed them both. My family is dead.”
“Oh, Chaim… Ani mitstaer meod…”
Again, Adira hugged her brother tightly, pulling him as close to her as possible. She felt Chaim tremble in her hooves, and soon felt wetness against her shoulder. The stallion gave a muffled growl of pain and shook violently. Adira held on to him, refusing to relinquish her protective hold on her twin. Her heart ached for him while his broke.
“I promised I’d keep them safe… I failed, Adira. I failed them both,” he sobbed. “I was going to quit the contractor career. I was going to move us to Tail Aviv—and then this happened! Why…? Why them…?”
“Shh… Shh… It’s alright, brother… I’m here—I’ve got you…” Adira whispered. She gently stroked his back, feeling his chest rise and fall with each choking sob. “None of this was supposed to happen, brother... If I had known sooner...”
Chaim tensed up in her grasp, whispering against her skin, “What...?”
“The Mossad had a lead on the attack. It was an inside job—traitors to our nation,” Adira explained in a soft tone. “They were supposed to arrive in Arad to assault the military base there. Ashkelon was not their intended target. We had agents set up in Arad to eliminate the trains when they arrived... but this was never supposed to happen. Something went wrong.”
Chaim's jaw tightened up. He didn't know how he was supposed to take that news. If Ashkelon had not been the checkpoint—if the Arabians hadn't given themselves away, none of this would have happened. The trains were not supposed to be checked. They were supposed to be ambushed. But he and his colleagues had sprung the trap too early.
We should have just let the trains through... If we did, Ashkelon would still stand... Eden and Eliyah—
“I… I made a promise to them… I promised Eden I would join the Mossad for her, and for Eliyah…”
Adira’s ears perked up. She pulled back slightly, looking Chaim in the eye. It stung her heart to see the tears falling down his face and to see the broken look in his eyes. He had lost the will to live. Perhaps she could give him a purpose again…
“Is that truly what you want, Chaim…?”
Chaim nodded slowly. “If I cannot keep my promise to myself, at least I can keep the promise to her… I want to make the Arabians pay for the blood they’ve shed.”
Adira sighed deeply and wiped the tears off her brother’s cheeks. A tender smile graced her face. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and one quick nod.
“Come with me.”
“So, Mr. Chaim, you wish to join our organization?”
Chaim stood before a young Director Adonai. His mane had been cut and his coat washed, cleaning himself of the remnants of Ashkelon. His tattered uniform had been replaced with a finely cut suit jacket. Chaim almost didn’t recognize the pony he saw in the mirror that morning.
“Yes, sir,” he answered simply, always staring straight ahead.
Adonai nodded his head slowly. Adira had high hopes for Chaim. Director Adonai had only recently been promoted to his position, and had been looking for new agents to fill the ranks. In her eyes, Chaim fit the bill perfectly. Chaim prayed the Director felt the same way.
“Adira has spoken very highly of you, Chaim,” said Adonai, reviewing the stallion’s records on his desk. “You seem to be the very straight-lace type, much like your sister. She affectionately calls you ‘the better twin’. Would you say this is true?”
Chaim shook his head. “No, sir. I believe Adira and I have our own strengths and weaknesses.”
“I see you’ve been doing mercenary work for the past few years. Was the army too strict for you?”
Again, Chaim shook his head. “Not at all, sir. I just wanted to have the freedom to leave if I chose to.”
Adonai cocked his head to the side curiously, raising a brow. “And you think you’d have such leniency here?”
“I won’t be leaving, Director.”
“I’m not sure how much I believe that,” said Adonai coolly as he leaned across the desk towards Chaim. “I’ve met mercenary types before. They’re rowdy, unorthodox, and have a distinct disregard for rules and structure. What makes you think I’d have any use for a pony like you?”
In one swift motion, Chaim rose to his hooves and drew his pistol from within his jacket. He slammed the gun down on the desk in front of a cool Adonai and stood tall.
“If you want to doubt me for my lack of service, you’re free to,” Chaim snapped suddenly. “But don’t make the mistake of questioning my loyalty, Mr. Director. I’ve lost everything in one day. I made a promise to make a change in my life and I’m going to keep it. And if you’re not going to find some use for me—if you’re going to stop me from keeping that promise—then just shoot me now because I have nothing left to live for.”
Chaim waved his hooves wide open, leaving himself vulnerable and exposed. Adonai eyed the stallion warily for a few long moments, locking gazes with the steely-eyed pony before him. Drawing a deep breath, he lifted the pistol and pulled the slide back, sending a round rolling across his desk.
“This was loaded. You were ready to die that easily.”
It wasn't a question. Chaim remained unfazed. “I was not jesting, sir.”
With a nod, Adonai set the gun back down and pushed it back towards Chaim. “Put it away, Chaim. You’ve proven your point. You’ve got spirit and courage. I admire that in a stallion. But you’re reckless, and it’s because you’ve been hurt. I don’t have use for an agent who’s going to throw his life away so easily…”
He stared hard at Chaim, tapping his hooves gently together. “I want you to go take some time to get yourself together. Think of all you still have, and come back with that in mind. Then you’ll begin your training.”
Chaim blinked in surprise, taken aback. “Sir…?”
“You’re a fighter, Chaim. If you’re half of what your sister is, I think you two could be an unstoppable team. It’d be a shame to turn that away,” said Adonai, offering his hoof to him. “But I need you whole and unbroken. Do you think you can manage to collect yourself sometime soon?”
He gave a slow nod and shook Director Adonai’s hoof gratefully. He would need his time to mourn, but he'd be damned if he was denied his chance to keep his word.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Chaim took his pistol back and tucked it away again.
“Oh, and future Agent Chaim,” Adonai spoke up as Chaim was halfway out the door. “Don’t ever relinquish your weapon again. That is your first lesson.”
Chaim smiled a little bit again as he stepped out of the Director’s office and into his new life.
He was going to keep his promise.