Dec 20 2008
Imperialism, Book One, Continued
Sergeant Lixon and the tide of Imperials marched steadily closer, Lixon at their head like a serpent’s mouth, the corners of his mouth curled upwards slightly in a smirk. He felt some remorse for hitting the girl, but it had been necessary. Slander of Imperialism was intolerable, and her high-pitched voice had resonated discordantly within his mind. He had never had any compassion for the little ones, their shrieking cries unable to stir any feelings of goodwill towards them. Almost twenty-five years old, he had sufficiently repressed the unfortunate memories of his own childhood, shoved them back into his mind, into a place that he thought the memories could never escape from. But still, still they manifested themselves in his every action, his every word, controlling even his thoughts. Lixon knew this both consciously and subconsciously, and so when he hit the little girl, he found his self-loathing clawing at his insides, begging to be unleashed upon his insecurities.
“Watch your step, soldier!” barked Lixon, trying to extricate himself from his tangle of confused thoughts. “You almost ran into me.”
It was the same soldier Lixon had threatened earlier, and the frightened private cringed in anticipation of what might happen next. However, Lixon merely shook his head in exasperation and continued walking. The first outskirts of the town lay just ahead, and he noticed a run-down, old shack of a house. Adjacent to the house was a large field of corn crops. Lixon smiled to himself; the harvest would be good from these simple, peace-loving people.
Johnny crouched behind his house, Hans and his father at his side. His sword lay plunged into the ground just ahead of him, and he glanced at it frequently, drawing cour-age from the sight of its blade. Beside him, Hans shifted position slightly, peering out around the corner of the house. He withdrew suddenly, and Johnny knew by the tense arc of his back, the determined look on his face as he turned around, that the Imperials were there, almost upon them.
