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THe first installment (there'll probably only be 2):
The snow fell all around me. It was beautiful. So white, so joyous, so perfect. SUch amazing perfection of nature that cannot be imitated. It reminded me of when I was a small child, and would play in the snow for hours every day in the winter.
Then the snow would hit the ground. It would go on top of the vast pile of perfection, and add another piece to the beauty. But not on that day. There is no beauty in a layer of snow red with blood, a giant red blanket that was miles long.
I had joined the army 14 months earlier. Unlike my father who was unfortunate enough to be living in Kyoto at the time, I was not drafted. I volunteered and became a part of the 1st Tokyo Rifleman Division after 2 months of training. After just 7 weeks, the army began using machine guns and I had to have 3 more weeks of training.
Oh, by the way, did I forget to tell you that this was during a huge war? A few years earlier, Tokuwaga, our leader, had, on a whim, decided to bring back the quarreling between Japan and Persia. Unfortunately, this caused most of the world to attack us in retaliation, creating a huge invasion force. It was mainly led by the Athenians and Romans, and by the time I joined the army Russia had fallen to the attackers. Before long only the heart of Japan continued to resist.
I was sitting in the main Tokyo barracks, trying to think about something other than the siege of Kyoto. My father was defending the capital, but I'd rather lose the capital than him. We had already lost the war. What I couln't unerstand is why Tokuwaga hadn't cavced in to the Athenians' demands earlier. THe Athenians had offered peace in exchange for a small piece of Japan beyond what had already been conquered many many times, but every time the Emperor refused. He would not give up anything that wasn't forced from him. And now, Athenian artillery shells had landed right outside of the palace, according to the last telegraph update.
"News from Kyoto!" yelled the telegraph operator. Everyone in the barracks rushed toward the telgraph. "Athenian cossacks are...are attacking infantry outside of the city. They...they successfully ambushed...infantrymen building trenches. After losses, infantry have repelled cossacks! Now...now we believe that the...the Athenian troops number approximately 130,000. We are outnumbered but better equipped." He stopped. "There doesn't seem to be any more." Then, he suddenly began to record and read more words: "Central telegraph station just hit by artillery fire. News just in from the...battlefield. Atheinian cossacks have destrowed the infantry defense, but the 1st Japanese...Cossack Army has pushed them back. Estimated casualties: Japanese 37,000 Athenians 74,000. So far only...387 infantry survivors have been found. MEssage over."
I ran from the barracks to my home and cried. This could not be happening. My father had to be one of the survivors. Had to be.
"OK boys," said the colonel. "Athenian cossacks have been sighted a few miles away. This is your chance to defend Japan! This is your chance to keep this wonderful nation alive and not be split into random pieces by Rome and Athens. We think there are about 100,000 of them, and there are 19,421 of us, but we can take them. From the trenches with our machine guns they'll never have a chance to get us!"
At the time I believed the whole pep talk he gave us. The bright green cossack uniforms could be seen a mile away, even through the thick forest! THe horses would be easy targets. And my father would be avenged.
Just after he finished the talk, there was a deafening boom! Athenian artillery shots had hit the barracks! THe building was evacuated and every headed to the trenches a little less confident.
The snow fell all around me. It was beautiful. So white, so joyous, so perfect. SUch amazing perfection of nature that cannot be imitated. It reminded me of when I was a small child, and would play in the snow for hours every day in the winter.
Then the snow would hit the ground. It would go on top of the vast pile of perfection, and add another piece to the beauty. But not on that day. There is no beauty in a layer of snow red with blood, a giant red blanket that was miles long.
I had joined the army 14 months earlier. Unlike my father who was unfortunate enough to be living in Kyoto at the time, I was not drafted. I volunteered and became a part of the 1st Tokyo Rifleman Division after 2 months of training. After just 7 weeks, the army began using machine guns and I had to have 3 more weeks of training.
Oh, by the way, did I forget to tell you that this was during a huge war? A few years earlier, Tokuwaga, our leader, had, on a whim, decided to bring back the quarreling between Japan and Persia. Unfortunately, this caused most of the world to attack us in retaliation, creating a huge invasion force. It was mainly led by the Athenians and Romans, and by the time I joined the army Russia had fallen to the attackers. Before long only the heart of Japan continued to resist.
I was sitting in the main Tokyo barracks, trying to think about something other than the siege of Kyoto. My father was defending the capital, but I'd rather lose the capital than him. We had already lost the war. What I couln't unerstand is why Tokuwaga hadn't cavced in to the Athenians' demands earlier. THe Athenians had offered peace in exchange for a small piece of Japan beyond what had already been conquered many many times, but every time the Emperor refused. He would not give up anything that wasn't forced from him. And now, Athenian artillery shells had landed right outside of the palace, according to the last telegraph update.
"News from Kyoto!" yelled the telegraph operator. Everyone in the barracks rushed toward the telgraph. "Athenian cossacks are...are attacking infantry outside of the city. They...they successfully ambushed...infantrymen building trenches. After losses, infantry have repelled cossacks! Now...now we believe that the...the Athenian troops number approximately 130,000. We are outnumbered but better equipped." He stopped. "There doesn't seem to be any more." Then, he suddenly began to record and read more words: "Central telegraph station just hit by artillery fire. News just in from the...battlefield. Atheinian cossacks have destrowed the infantry defense, but the 1st Japanese...Cossack Army has pushed them back. Estimated casualties: Japanese 37,000 Athenians 74,000. So far only...387 infantry survivors have been found. MEssage over."
I ran from the barracks to my home and cried. This could not be happening. My father had to be one of the survivors. Had to be.
"OK boys," said the colonel. "Athenian cossacks have been sighted a few miles away. This is your chance to defend Japan! This is your chance to keep this wonderful nation alive and not be split into random pieces by Rome and Athens. We think there are about 100,000 of them, and there are 19,421 of us, but we can take them. From the trenches with our machine guns they'll never have a chance to get us!"
At the time I believed the whole pep talk he gave us. The bright green cossack uniforms could be seen a mile away, even through the thick forest! THe horses would be easy targets. And my father would be avenged.
Just after he finished the talk, there was a deafening boom! Athenian artillery shots had hit the barracks! THe building was evacuated and every headed to the trenches a little less confident.
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