The Mundane and the Magic

4378 words

Just as that wicked book of worldly prophecies foretold, the four men arrived in orderly manner. All hostile, and with the same mission to capture him, as predicted.

But who is she?

Richtofen paced about, holding his head in his hands, palms covering his ears like he desperately needed to muffle the sounds of the world as he lost himself in a state of hysteria. Jaggedly, he drew in shallow breaths, his heart pounding like a beating drum as he panicked like never before. Numerous thoughts ran rampant through his mind, none of which he could stably focus on, except one.

"Who is she? She's not supposed to be here." Richtofen choked out a whisper.

His mind replayed the same image of the girl. Despite how he only caught a glimpse of her from over the American's shoulder, he can clearly recall all of her flawless details.

Her stoic, defensive stance, ready to spring into action in a blink. An assault rifle clutched tightly in her delicate hands. Her hair was windswept and dampened by the pouring rain, but somehow making her features look striking. Her most memorable feature of all was that of her eyes, so sharp and deadly as she glared down the American, visibly intimidating him.

Shakily, Richtofen exhaled, sweeping a hand through his hair. Even in the harsh winter climate, the German still found beads of sweat collecting on his forehead.

The Kronorium lie open on a tabletop before him. For what felt like hours, Richtofen had skimmed through every detail inked on the pages, desperately searching for a minuscule detail about a girl, just a mere mention of a name perhaps. Resultantly, he was none the wiser of her origin.

Stepping away from the table, Richtofen let his head slump slightly, his eyes lazily falling shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"This is just what I need." He thought, a sigh slipping into the air in a cold mist.

Clambering and cluttering startled the German, instinctively reaching for his pistol as he noticed a stray zombie dragging itself out of a broken tomb in the wall. Landing itself on the floor with a hefty thud, the lofty creature staggered to its feet, and began lumbering towards Richtofen.

He raised his arm, squinting subtly as he stared down the barrel of the gun, and with ultimate precision, Edward fired a bullet directly through the zombie's skull, sending splatters of blood flying askew, a few droplets landing on the exposed pages of the Kronorium.

Staring blankly as the creature crumbled into a heap of itself on the floor, Edward let his arm fall to his side, turning his nose up at the disgusting sight of the fallen undead soldier. He stepped over the zombie and headed towards the table, huffing when he noticed specks of blood painting the books' pages.

An intrusive thought suddenly dawned on him, making his eyes shoot wide open in realisation.

"Did she even make it out of the bunker alive?" His mind yelled.

Ruminating on the thought of the bunker caving in on someone, or being trampled on by one of those giant robots, above all, had never made Richtofen cringe so badly before. He couldn't put his finger on what made him this way now. A mere glimpse over someone else's shoulder was not enough to know the girl personally. So why did he grimace at the thought?

Despite how harsh it sounded in his mind, he didn't care for her. She was merely a disruption to his storyline, someone that he convinced himself was of no interest, or better yet, of no gainful use to him.

But just why was a distant part of him longing to simply see her face again?

Deep down in his bitter heart, Edward felt guilty about abandoning the bunker so hastily. He was certain that the other men would save themselves, but was entirely unsure of her aftermath. Even if she did survive the collapse of the bunker, Edward stirred on the thought of the undead chasing her down, or even the thought of the other men interrogating her. Or worse...

He flipped the cover of the book over in a huff, closing it so harshly to emit a shrilling slap to bounce off the walls, now standing alone with the feeling of defeat.

-X-

The undead swarmed the land in higher numbers than ever before, becoming increasingly difficult to battle as the torrential rain battered the grounds.

Mutated soldiers, clad in heavy armour equipped with flame-throwers built into their steel suits, proved a monstrosity to defeat. With no logical plan devised at such a short notice, the foursome resulted in almost depleting their entire stock of ammunition when it hunted them down.

Waves of zombies fluctuated endlessly, rarely allowing the foursome a chance to rest. However, during that time they had managed to restore power to the barren lands, using the generators dotted scarcely.

Rain drenched their clothes, virtually weighing them down like anchors with their heavy gear strapped to their bodies. Keeping close by to one another, seemed to be their only tactic for survival at this point, for the gushing rain acted as a sheet they could hardly see through at long distance.

"We can't keep fighting in these conditions!" The girl shouted over the deafening sounds of rain and gunfire.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Dempsey yelled, not intending for his words to sound so harsh towards her.

Nikolai sent Dempsey a death-glare when he heard his bitter tone again, however, the American failed to notice.

"She's right. We'll be ambushed." The Russian retorted loudly.

Dempsey sent a scoff the Russian's way.

Fortunately at that moment, the hordes seem to ease, with just a few stray zombies staggering towards them, making it much simpler to take them down from a distance.

The girl reloaded her rifle, as did the men standing nearby, counting their munitions. Just before Takeo sheathed his katana, he noticed a zombie limping towards them. Towards her...

She stood with her head bowed from the rain, preoccupied with stocking her weapons and adjusting her gear. That's when the creature's pace quickened as it caught sight of her.

"Behind you, (Y/n)." He warned, but the girl only faintly heard him.

Takeo lunged forward when the zombie neared dangerously close, coming up beside her, his stance stretched as he unsheathed his blade in a flash, his movements swift and majestic as he sliced the creature's head clean off its body.

The girl had jumped back startled by the sudden movements, placing a hand over her racing heart. He peered at her, somewhat anxiously, noticing her staring back with her mouth agape ever so slightly

"Thanks, Takeo." She breathed.

She watched Takeo as he pinched and dragged two fingers across the length of his blade, wiping away blood flay. He gave her a single affirmative nod in response.

A disruptive sound of someone harshly clearing their throat made the girl spin on her heel, her expression quickly changing into a look of disapproval as she immediately glared at Dempsey, who pretended to be observing his knife in his hands. Nikolai stood a fair distance to the side of the American, smiling weakly when she looked his way.

The girl stepped forward towards the trio of men that came together.

"Looks like we have a break." She surmised, looking between the boys eyeing her intently. "But there's no way I'm gonna see through another horde like that without ammo."

Dempsey agreed, nonchalantly motioning to his own weapon. "Me, too. My gun's empty."

(Y/n) hummed. "Perhaps loading everything you had into that armoured zombie wasn't the best idea."

"What was I supposed to do? That thing was backing you into a corner." The American reasoned, immediately regretting his choice of words when she looked at him in surprise.

"Well, it's nice to know you're looking out for me." She feigned a smug grin, sending a rosy hue across his face.

Nikolai couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when he heard her witty comment, looking back at her sheepishly when the girl glanced at him.

Takeo studied his surroundings, ignoring the bickering. The mound central of the dig site had piqued his interest the moment the girl handed him the map in the church. Judging from that map, there was a site underground still to explore, and a German to find, above all.

"Perhaps we should search the mound." Takeo's suggested, intervening the bickering.

In unison, everyone turned to the mound just a short walk away.

She walked up to stand beside the Asian, looking up towards the mound over-towering the grounds.

"Takeo's right." She agreed. "We haven't searched there yet."

Takeo's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name rolling of her tongue so lusciously, but desperately pushed his fondness aside, scolding himself for a brief moment of defocus on his mission.

"Maybe we'll find the German up there." Nikolai added in his gruff voice, shrugging his shoulders.

Dempsey grumbled. "I fucking hope so."

(Y/n) trudged ahead of the men as they began walking up narrow wooden slopes, as pathways seeming more like scaffolding, leading to the core of the mound.

She dared not to peek over her shoulder, for she was already aware of the very obvious eye-balling from the American. She could feel his stare. Those gorgeous blue eyes of his, roaming freely over her body. She hated just how much it flustered her.

'Ignore him. Just focus on your mission.' She told herself.

Kicking rocks and debris aside with her boot, the girl stepped into the centre of the mound. Tower stone pillars arched acutely at the tip, embedded with patches of a illuminated blue substance, circled the area in which they stood. A machine, appearing as a short ancient sculpture made of stone, with a skull embedded in its design above a carved and hallowed out slit in the middle. Upon further inspection, there were gears inside. Just what the machine was used for, left the crew speculating. But presumably it had a higher purpose than any other machine they had seen, for it was protected at the top of the mound.

They wandered warily for a moment, until Nikolai called out.

"There is an entrance into some tunnels here." He spoke generally to all present, but glanced to the girl specifically.

She was the first to wander over to the Russian, looking downwards at a gaping hole in the ground, with a wooden pathway leading further inside what seemed like a cave. Dempsey and Takeo soon followed, taking a look at the makeshift path themselves, the interior of the room lacking any light source.

"This is just what that map had drawn on it..." She trailed off, looking back at Takeo who nodded in agreement.

Prepared to enter the crypt, the girl keenly took a step forward, only to be met with Dempsey's arm swiftly reaching across her to block her path.

"Hold it, missy." He smirked. "I got this."

She scoffed as Dempsey instantly moved a step forward when the sound of a shotgun cocking made him halt abruptly.

"Says the man with no ammunition." Nikolai asserted, sounding unimpressed.

Without a word, Nikolai trudged past Dempsey, not even batting an eye in his direction. If he had, the Russian would have seen the way he glowered at him.

(Y/n) followed in Nikolai's footsteps hastily. Down a rickety narrow slope, he lead them into a catacomb of ancient ruins, embellished with sovereign monuments, and no light to illuminate the place, but that of rocks carved to bare the very same glowing blue mineral they had seen in countless places about the grounds.

Dempsey and Takeo came just after the girl, observing the site of the ruins cautiously. Heading further down, an array of cluttered tables and workbenches came into view, with prehistoric artefacts lying on top, and a tall raven-haired man standing hunched slightly before them.

The girl instantly recognised the man, shoving her way past Nikolai and storming towards him.

"There you are, you slippery bastard!" Her shrilling voice echoed, bouncing off the walls and startling him.

Her pace quickened to reach the German. Grabbing his arm firmly, she spun him around, nearly tripping him over his own feet, and shoved him forcefully back into the table, emitting a crash and strangled yelp from him on impact

Utter fear spread across his face when she grasped him firmly by his shirt collar, his breath hitching when her face came inches from his.

"You've got some serious explaining to do!" She spat in fury. "Do you know what hell we've been through?"

Had the girl peered over her shoulder in that moment, she would have seen the confound faces of the men behind her. Each of them astounded by her ferocity and will to confront a mad man so closely. Especially the Russian, who was visibly flustered by her sudden burst of ferity.

Shoving herself away from the German, he saved himself from toppling back from her hard push, panting from where his breath held hitched.

Richtofen briefly appeared to be gawking at her. From where his mouth hung agape as he drew in quick breaths, his eyes enlarged and startled, he almost lost himself in a daze if not for a brute American accent catching his attention.

"Are you gonna let us in on what's going on here?" Dempsey urged angrily. "What are those things?"

Richtofen knew just what he was talking about. Those stalking, filthy, rotten corpses...

"There is no time to explain." He retorted in a panic, turning his back to them.

Weapons cocking in unison made the German freeze. His body stiffened as he warily pivoted, more so glancing over his shoulder to see his intruders standing with their weapons locked on him. The girl stood a small distance in front of the men, glaring him in the eye.

He sheepishly shifted his gaze between them all as he stuttered, "Uh- We need to start up the conversion generators."

"Already done it." She snapped, her jaw clenching.

Richtofen began to sweat, feeling his state of fret exacerbate. The intensity of her stare running up and down him wavered his composure.

"Then we must leave here. They will return soon." Richtofen urged, placing his hand atop the Kronorium.

The girl had noticed the way he protected it from the beginning, only raising her suspicions.

"We? Yeah right." Dempsey's sarcastic voice made the German look his way.

She turned her head slightly, speaking over her shoulder. "Dempsey, as much as I hate to disagree with you right now, he's right."

Both Dempsey and Nikolai countered her words with a quick moment of shock, also noticing Takeo gazing at her in surprise when she spun around to face the men directly.

"Let's face it," She began to voice. "He's probably the only man alive who knows this place in and out."

"He's the enemy, (Y/n)." Dempsey told, a blank look on his face.

"And you're also my enemy." She retorted, looking at each man individually. "But I think surviving is more important right now, don't you think?"

Dempsey fought the urge to storm off at her argument, but mysteriously, he felt the need to keep his eyes glued to the German at all times. As well as Nikolai and Takeo, Dempsey noticed an unsettling glint to his eye, something that he didn't like. Especially when he watched the German take a gander at the girl when her back was turned to him. It riled him up inside.

The trio she faced shared an irritated expression, to which they all looked at each other, silently agreeing with her.

Sternly, she spoke. "We still need ammo, remember."

Richtofen hesitantly piped up. "There are a few ammunition stashes that I know of."

(Y/n) pivoted when she heard the German's voice, instantly noticing the way he stared at her, merely observing him as he straightened his posture. The pleading look in the German's eye almost made the girl pity him.

Richtofen knew rightfully in his own mind that he was untrustworthy for his actions in account of participating in obliterating civilization entirely. However, here and now, the girl he was faced with seemed to be the only one that was wise enough to be sensible about the situation. He found himself admiring her for that.

"I could show you where those stashes are." There was a faint hint of apprehensiveness in Richtofen's tone.

Despite how he spoke predominantly to the foursome before him, the way his eyes settled on the girl virtually pleaded for her accord only.

Dismissing the dirty looks she received when she peered over her shoulder, (Y/n) gave a single nod to the German.

"Lead the way."

-X-

Searching for ammunition stashes proved to be more than just a simple task. As well as fending off hordes of the undead, throughout the entirety of any break they were granted, bickering ensued between the boys, typically instigated by Dempsey.

If not for the girl's voice of reasoning, and will to clap back at his sarcasm, the American would never stop talking. Although, it almost seemed that Dempsey was making witty remarks on purpose, to spark a reaction from her, for his own enjoyment. Especially when she would flash a smirk his way, Dempsey knew it stirred a disapproving reaction from Nikolai and Takeo.

Remaining a short distance ahead, Richtofen led the group across muddy trails, evidently cautious of his every step as he peered downwards to avoid slipping. A couple of times, the German made wary glances over his shoulder, presumably to check that he was still being tailed. But unbeknownst to the group, he was secretly admiring her.

Richtofen was baffled at how anyone could remain so well-presented and fiercely composed in the face of madness. The way she carried herself, standing tall, her eyes always level with her enemies, braving the undead with not a glimmer of fear in her eye.

Leading them into a dimly lit and cluttered bunker, Richtofen stepped quickly inside, the girl following a few steps behind.

"Here." The German moved aside, motioning to towers of wooden crates and metal cases.

The men had trudged in wearily behind, their eyes fixated on the German entirely.

"Take all the supplies that you need." Richtofen told before walking away to another area within the bunker.

"You guys go ahead and stock up." (Y/n) said quietly, all the while eyeing Richtofen as he moved a lantern onto a workbench he stood by.

She listened to the numerous footsteps sounding behind her as the trio hastily made their way over to the supply crates.

Intently, she observed the German for a moment, watching as he fumbled to pull things from crates and boxes nearby, moving so jaggedly, that he was bound to trip over his own feet as he went from table to table almost in a fret. She squinted, merely eyeing him with a puzzled look on her face.

Why did he seem so unbothered by the fact that four people were just trying to kill him?

And how did she find