Reunions

At dawn the Vestrisian soldiers woke up to another beautiful day. Jorel was happy about this day. He was finally going to see his family again after many months of this war. The young soldier donned his new blue uniform for today’s march. After fighting alongside the Vestrisians he was given the rank of corporal. This was because of recent actions and his knowledge of the land. As the VAVR pressed on they rode into the town of Kern. Almost every person in town quickly came out only to have awestruck faces.  Their boys who had come home were now in the Vestrisian Union ranks. Many fathers wanted to be angry, but instead were too happy to see their sons again. Kern's people were too happy to see these boys home again, despite them joining the Union side of the war. Jorel spotted the Zarim Banking Account then rushed over to go inside and visit Mr. Zarim.

             "Why are the doors' locked?" he whispered to himself.

            "That's unusual!" He said aloud then Jorel turned toward the direction of the Zarim house, which was next to his home. He looked inside the Zarim’s house, but it was too dark to see what was inside.

             "Psst Jorel!" kouthra whispered. Running to where Kouthra and Katharn were, Jorel peeped through the window of his own home. He saw Mr. Zarim, his own father, his two younger twin siblings, his five year old sister in Ollia’s lap, Orith’s fifteen year old sister, and the three younger Zarim brothers in the living room. The twin brother and sister were probably twelve by now. Ollia had always adored him since childhood. All the children were such happy and energetic little kids.  His mother, Reva and Mrs. Zarim were in the kitchen fixing breakfast.

            "It’s a bit early to be fixing breakfast." Jorel said confused. He noticed each one had a sad expression on their face even on the younger children. "Don't tell me they were given news that both Orith and I were killed in action!" he said almost aloud, sounding angry.

            "Probably the Nazdar told them. On account of it was dark and you were knocked out. Good enough to be thought dead." replied the grizzly Katharn. Jorel watched his sister go out to the backyard and hang the laundry.

             "C'mon, let's surprise them while they still don't know! I know a short cut." Jorel went racing down the road taking a right around another house.

            "Should we follow him?" asked Katharn.

            "Why not!" answered kouthra. They laughed running after him.

            Jorel spied on his unsuspecting sister hanging up sheets to dry. The two Union soldiers watched him as he snuck through some gate unnoticed. They stopped at the gate and hid where they could still see. Jorel hid behind the sheets Reva already put up. When the wind blew the sheets up, she looked up. His appearance startled her, the sheet went down when it blew back up he was gone. She could have sworn she saw someone or something. Reva bent down to pick up another pin and finished putting up another sheet. This time Jorel stood in the open in front of her. When she stood up she saw him Reva gave out a loud scream. She breathed heavily, her face looked as though she were staring at the ghost of her brother. Reva touched his face seeing if he was real or not.

            "Hello there it’s nice to see you again big sister!" He cried happily as he smiled at her.

            "It is you! Jorel!" she kissed and hugged her seventeen year old brother. "What on earth are you wearing?" she looked at his Vestrisian military uniform.

            "I'm on the Union's side!” He said to her looking down at his uniform.
            "So is Orith-!" She tried to speak but gasped when she saw someone behind Jorel.

He answered, "Well you see uh-"

            Reva ran to Kouthra hugging him. "It's so nice to see you in one piece, my sweet Orith!"
            Kouthra looked at Jorel raising an eyebrow. He only received a shrug for an answer. Katharn burst out laughing at Kouthra's expression.

            "Umm, miss I'm not who you think I am. You see, your Orith is dead, and my name is Kouthra Gwynor. I really am sorry if this breaks your heart."  Reva backed away with her hands over her mouth. She burst into tears, crying over the news she heard once before of her lover's death. Jorel wrapped his arms around her, comforting his crying sister.  Jorel was now taller than his nineteen year old sister. Reva noticed the ring meant for her form Orith, on a chain around Jorel's neck. Jorel took it off and placed it around her neck. The Zarims and Ascins came out Mr. Ascin was armed with a shotgun.

            "Get your hands off my daughter you-Jorel?" His father was so glad he didn't pull the trigger for he would have killed his own son. All the kids ran to greet Jorel, especially fifteen year old Ollia whom leaped into his arms kissing his cheeks. Jorel was happy to see all the kids again, his brothers and sisters and the Zarims. He went to his mother who burst into tears of joy, hugging and kissing him fiercely. Even Mrs. Zarim hugged Jorel.

            "Those blasted Nazdar sons of witches !" growled Mr. Ascin.

             "Arlen! Watch your language around the children!" yelled Mrs. Ascin.

            “Yes dear Darlla." Mr. Ascin sighed relieved to see his own son again.

            Jorel introduced his two new friends to his family and the Zarims. They all went inside to eat three extra seats were placed at the table. As they ate, Katharn commented on their cooking.

            "My, my you ladies sure do know how to cook a good meal. I haven't had a meal this good since I was freed from slavery!"  Everyone looked at him, except for Kouthra who was finishing his meal and drinking the last drop of his drink.

            "How long were you a slave?" Reva asked Katharn.

            "I've been a slave my whole life until six years ago when the Castarian wars were going on. It was between the four nations that first united to form the Vesriisian Union of the Vestrisian Republics and the huge Castarian Empire, which was a slave empire. I was a slave there but I ran away and joined the Union ranks. For three years I fought and killed many men in that war!" Katharn told the whole table.

            "Who was victorious?" asked Loris the second youngest of the Zarims

            "Well, it's hard to believe, but it was the Union army who were victorious." He answered Loris’ question. The three boys looked at him with bewildered looks.

            “It was because the Union had a more modernized military. There was also a revolution going on amongst the peasants. This helped the Union fight this Castarian War. Katharn explained to them.

            "Why did they go to war with the Castarian Empire?" Ollia asked him.

            “Slavery was the main reason along with the Castarians threatening to invade for the nations. The Czar of Castaria demanded slaves and sent in slavers to round up more people to work as slaves.” Katharn said to Ollia as the table listened.

            "Who killed Orith then?" Reva asked worried.

            "I am the one who killed him." Katharn replied with great guilt in himself and those words. Reva cried once again. Mrs. Zarim and her mother calmed her down. The three Zarim brothers looked up at him frightened with tears in their eyes. They were scared because they were actually looking into the face of the man who killed their oldest brother. "I am deeply sorry for what I have done. I didn't know what else to do. It was a war."

            "You are forgiven Katharn." replied Mrs. Zarim. "The poor dear," she said watching Reva cry with her heart torn to pieces, "Now she has no one to marry!"

Reva stopped crying and calmed herself, "Who would marry me now?" she asked somberly.

            “Someone will!" answered Kouthra hoping that would ease her pain a little.

            "Oh, this not is a happy day!" She said referring to herself than the rest and went to her room.

            There was a grand feast that evening. The people of Kern celebrated the return of their sons. In the torn open roof of an abandoned monastery a Nazdar sniper positioned himself to where he could see this celebration. He took aim at a Union officer and fired. As the commander fell to the ground everyone else dropped down to the ground and went for cover. Mothers protected their children urging them inside their homes. While Union soldiers scrambled to see where this shot came from the sneaky sniper picked off four more soldiers. Armed with his E-7 rifle, Jorel hid behind a building. He turned to look at the monastery. The Nazdar shot at him only hitting the wall.

            "Where is he?" yelled kouthra from behind a stack of crates and barrels. "Son of a witch! Has he been hiding in that monastery this whole time or did he sneak through?" When the sniper aimed for someone else, Jorel jumped out and fired seven shots. His bullets hit the Nazdar sniper. The sniper was dead, and everything went back to normal. The Union army proceeded to take control over the rest of Bosantra. However they still had some fighting to do. A few long battles lasted a month until the island was secure, but the war still dragged on.