Alex.J.Cobalt

“We’re not fighting, not anymore.”

Geiler held out her hand and dropped her gun on the floor. It rang out across the silent cavern with a resounding thud.

“We’re not fighting?”

Cenrath’s words rumbled at Gelier, a warning. Don’t take this too far.

Gelier squared her shoulders. She could feel the eyes of her squadron behind her, watching her every move. They had discussed this last night, after they had lost Orfen. No more fighting for the Everbelt, no more massacres in the name of politics.

Still, talking about it and doing it were very different things. Gelier could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

“We’re not fighting,” she replied.

Cenrath’s face contorted with rage. Of course it would, he had money staked on this operation succeeding. He had his commission, his wealth to fight for.

Gelier’s squadron, however, didn’t see a Bite of the money. They got their way paid, for sure. Barely enough to cover the cost of turning up to do the work, but like Gelier, they weren’t here for the money. They were here so their families could keep their homes on Urach.

But now they didn’t even have that. News of the burnings in Urach had reached them last night, videos with shaky cameras as flames roared high into the sky. And the ruling classes, ones like Cenrath, had done nothing.

“I’m sorry,” Cenrath said, sneering at Gelier, “but I must have misheard you.”

He pointed his gun at her.

“Pick up your weapon,”

“No.”

Cenrath pushed the muzzle of his gun into Gelier’s chest.

“Pick. Up. Your. Weapon,” Cenrath spat.

Please dear Heavenly goddesses watch over me, Gelier thought.

Cenrath pushed the muzzle of his gun into Gelier’s chest against, almost forcing her off balance. She reacted, pulling the gun towards her to topple Cenrath off balance, ripping the gun from his hands with her superior strength.

In a heartbeat, Gelier was pointing the gun back at the top of Cenrath’s head.

“No more fighting,” Gelier said, “no more bloodshed for your kind.”

She turned the gun around and slammed the butt into the side of Cenrath’s head before he could react. He crumpled to the ground, dead.

Cheers erupted from behind her. If anyone in her squadron had held doubts, now there was none. She had done the impossible, she had taken out Cenrath without any bullets being fired.

Gelier placed the gun on the ground next to her feet.

“NO MORE FIGHTING!” she shouted amongst the cheers.

Alex.J.Cobalt is a fantasy writer from the UK. When she’s not working away at her fantasy novel series, she posts free flash fictions on her website, along with regular blogs about writing.

This was originally a prompt from my newsletter Writing on Caffeine. Subscribe now for monthly writing tips, hints and writing prompts!

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

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