THE RISE OF THE FOURTH REICH

Three days after the delayed portal

Three days after the delayed portal

Status: In dire need of supplies

“They should have been here three days ago. Our food supplies are almost gone!” a soldier yelled out from the large crowd of troops gathered around the center of the base. The sound of anger and desperation was heard and felt throughout the ranks.

“Calm down. Calm down,” I yelled over the sound of my men, but I was drowned out from them. I pulled my C96 Mauser firing three rounds silencing the crowd before me. “Comrades, do not worry. I know for sure that they are experiencing something difficult that we cannot see or hear from them. If we do not act now we may starve or die from dehydration. WE ARE SOLDIERS and are NOT IN SOME GOD DAM KINDERPARTYTJIES,” I yelled out making my men stay silent. “Now we need to expand our territory outwards. We need to set up Jäger parties and a fishing hut near the lake not far from here. We have enough munitions to last us a small civil war that goes for a month’s worth.” Now my men looked around as if they are trying to figure out the scenario.

“Now, if you don’t have anything to do get your rifles and meet me at our front door!” I said walking down the stairs, crossing my men, walking through the partly finished base of operations. Now is the time for border patrol and the expansion of the needed lands we must claim for the iron war machine.  A bigger land means a bigger base, a bigger base means training new blood or the construction of new weapons to slaughter our enemies. Walking through the many routs in the base itself, the dirt road was the only main route that was used only by tanks and trucks. The mechanic’s wing was a bit of a space around the garage. The two trucks that were once filled with supplies and troops now laid in slumber. The Panzer Mark III with its parts torn out only to look like a skeletal body was used as nothing more than spare parts. Opening the door, walking into the shop as I gazed around my new surroundings, I could see tools that hang on the walls, wrenches, screwdrivers and blowtorches. Finally I looked at our flag above the workshops, and saw Bartholomäus hard at work with my armour that was given to him for repairs.

“Friedhelm,” he said not bothering to look behind himself. “If you must know I cannot repair what Doctor Maxis has done towards this armour,” he got up looking at me. “This metal is nothing like I have seen nor does it exist,” he said walking around the workshop, moving through the open boxes and drawers.

“If it is broken it is broken,” I said walking to the table, examining this mysterious piece of gift from both doctors. “Now I want you and the tower guards to stay behind in the base,” I walked to the doors stopping before I left. “If you are asking we are going to see the diamond dogs once more. If they survived out here then they must have hunting parties.” I closed the door behind me, walking through our delayed production facility.

Upon my arrival I spotted most of my men standing in a two group line awaiting me. Passing through the ranks of my men, seeing their heads until the gap between the two men, I stopped to look down to see the pup again. “I think you should stay here little one,” I said kneeling down in front of him.

He shook his head side to side, and then pointed towards the volks “Lutz,” he said. Following his finger to see the marksmen standing behind me, I started to chuckle to myself standing up.

“Well it looks like he is no longer my problem, isn’t that right Lutz?” I got up and patted him on the shoulder. He looked at me with confusion. “I guess he is your hunting dog or companion for that matter,” I said walking to the front of our lines. “Alright men, our food supplies are low but we are going for help from a tribe.” My men did not show any sign of disgust but a sign of curiosity. “They know these lands better than us and we will need their help in order to survive. We cannot rely on the Father Land too much. Now it’s time to fetch our feast.” I heard my men yell out, marching along the green grass towards the castle where the slush of snow splashed beneath our boots, until entering the once iced village.  As the snow slowly melted all over the town, slush and snow littered the streets. Our men came towards the entrance of this civilization once again returning a week later.

As we made our way through the vast tunnelling network, stopping once again at the exit and entrance, seeing the grand civilization once again, it’s almost like nothing had changed or so I thought. Once we stopped in front of the main gate only to be met with a battalion of dogs at arms, stopping, my men took up positions behind me.

Reaching for my Gewehr 98 rifle on my back, pulling the bolt to load a fresh bullet in, sliding the bolt back with a satisfying sound looking to the wall of shields I spoke out, “why do you challenge your old leader?” I said out loud, they all looked around seeing my troops taking up arms, rifles held strong, and sub machine guns held low.

“You aren’t our leader any more, since you left. A new one took your place after the day you left,” the one in front said gritting his teeth followed by a growl holding his spear closer as if he was expecting something.

Sighing audibly I turned to one of my men behind me, “Comrade, will you go get Patch for me, and bring the Opel Blitz truck full of medical supplies.” As he nodded, he quickly left running up the small hill and then one took his place. “The doctor is going to have one good field day today.” Pulling the rifle close to my eye lining the iron sights towards my first target, “last chance, lay you’re weapons down and I may consider to let you live,” holding the rifle my finger resting on the guard ring, “If not you will face death swift and quick. We cannot tolerate another civil war.”

They all laughed at my words of choice. “We do not need to listen to you. There are hundreds of us and only a small amount of you.” One yelled out laughing, he shook his head. “Now that is too funny. What makes you think you can beat us!” he said with more pride than doubt sliding my finger off the ring guard and onto the trigger.

“Then your body won’t go to waste, I assure you,” pulling the trigger time felt slow for me, watching the smoke emit from my rifle followed by the clashing thunderous roar from behind. Feeling the wave of force hitting my back, seeing all of them hit the ground their chest armours filled with holes and crimson blood gently flowing down.

Turning around to see my men with barrels smoking, discharged shell casings on the ground, the smell of spent black powder lingered. “Men, it seems we have our first rebellion. That threatens the iron gantlet that holds our shield to protect the fatherland. It is our mission to stop this rebellion before it can expand.” Looking at the faces of my troops, showing that they are willing to do this, they held their guns to their chest. “Then let’s get to the heart of this mess and clean it up,”

We were moving in small groups of three. Each had a sub machine gunner for close combat. Moving through the stone city towards the main center, only to be met by a long wall of shields and bows we all took cover as soon as possible, flipping tables on their sides and hiding behind rocks and walls.

Walking into the opening I yelled out “surrender now or face the iron fist of the Father Land. I gave a warning to any one trying to take my place that I will not be kind this time. Instead I will not allow anyone to stand higher than the Father Land,” as I retook my position from cover. My men, taking aim rifles raised to the wall of shields. I felt someone tap my shoulder to see one of the grenadiers holding the Model 24 in his hand while taking the grenade from him.

“We will not listen to you demon.” I heard one yelled out from my cover and I hung my head down. Sighing that they throw away their only chance to live and cease the blood from spilling even more than stopping it before it had the chance. Then I heard them all cheer.

“Then may God rest your soul. Men throw out,” pulling the cap at the bottom of the stick, hearing a satisfying hiss, and tossing it as a large club. I did not bother poking out from my cover for I knew what they can cause. It lacked in shrapnel but it made up for a bang and concussion. The sound of metal bouncing and startled yelps reminded me of the Model 24 which had a delayed fuse time of about 4 to 5 seconds. It was only a matter of time before the sound of destruction and death.

Multiple blasts sounded out with an echoing roar. The shock wave was heavily felt against my cover. Rocks, stones and pebbles were bouncing across the stone floor followed by the clouding smoke covering us. Pulling my rifle onto my cover and using it as a support while taking aim, my eyes were trained onto the iron sights through the dissipating dust and smoke. My finger was on the trigger waiting to see what awaited us. Once cleared from the settling dust and smoke I truly witnessed my first horror. To finally witness my first time of action and true horror of war, the sight pulled at my stomach, seeing torn limbs, blood splashed all over the place and the blood scent that hung heavily in the air invading my nostrils. I heard one of my men vomit on the ground. The first time I had experienced the sheer force of the model24 was a training exercise. I walked over the torn limbs and bones only to burn the images in my mind, stopping in front of the heavy solid stone doors was the image of the torn bodies and the smell of blood.

“How are we going to break this Comrade?” one of the grenadiers walked up to the solid heavy doors sliding his hand across, then rubbing his fingers together.

“What do you have in mind?” I said standing next to him placing my hand on the smooth stone wall. “That is if you have a plan,” It almost feels like a fresh piece of wood work sanded down to a fine surface.

“How thick is this wall? Three inches, two feet or three?” he said knocking on the wall. He then takes out his stethoscope placing it against the wall, while knocking as if trying to listen through or find something that I could not see. I turned around looking at my troops loading their rifles.

“Does anyone have any cigs?” I asked, my hand shaking slightly. One of the men came up to me, handing it towards me, my hand shaking as I took the roll, and placed it in my mouth. He took out his matches, striking one and giving a small burst of flame. Smoke filled my lungs while inhaling the tobacco flame, letting it out slowly and calming my nerves.

“Are you alright sir?” he said taking a drift from his cigarette. Pulling the roll away from my mouth, exhaling the calming smoke, I looked at the way we came from waiting for a new plan of action.

“No,” I said as we both took a long drift, then exhaling and seeing the smoke travel behind me I stopped turning around taking a soft drift. I exhaled as I watched the smoke travel along the wall, then into a crack in the wall. Then I saw the soldier next to me doing the same exhaling at the wall for only to be sucked through the crack. “Actually I may be fine for now,” I said.

Walking next to the trooper watching him knock against the wall as if he was trying something, or to find what lay within. “Comrade what is your name?” I said standing next to him.

“The name is Heiner. Heiner Bergmann,” he said still knocking against the wall.

“Well Heiner, we may have a breach in the wall not too far from here.” He stopped knocking, and then looked at me with his stethoscope wrapped around his neck. I could see his expression as I lead him to the crack in the wall.

He pulled out a hammer and chisel placing them inside the small crack in the wall then with a mighty blow a large piece of stone chipped off. Then he looked at us with a grin in his smile “grab any and all of the Model 24’s you can bring them here,” as he started to hammer away.

I walked in front of the troops “men we need all the grenades you have, take them to Heiner. He will handle the rest.” My troops reached for their holsters as they drawn out there model 24’s. Following the sound of chipping, once I returned at the wall to see the grenades tied together and shoved into the wall, I raised my eye brow as to see what he is doing, they were not as far apart, but wide enough and the height. “I think we should take cover,” I said out loud walking towards the homes of the diamond dogs.

“All right get to cover, get clear and take cover” as they quickly rushed to us one of them tripped as he slid across the ground. I got out from my cover running towards him. But I was too late as I felt the blast and force of the explosion. The last thing I saw was his expression of realization and fear in his eyes and face. I landed hard against the cold stone floor my vision blurring trying to stay awake but no.

“Sir… Commander?” as I felt someone shaking me, groaning in pain I felt like my stomach was hit pretty hard and my legs felt empty and numb. Getting up, my ears rang out a high pitch ring. It was in my left, but my right ear was fine. I placed my hand on my right ear, making sure that I did not lose it or the feeling that I still have it.

“Never mind me, kill the beast that will run out from there!” I yelled out as my sight was still blurred.

“We did sir. They fought without mercy and savagely but we manage to hold them off,” one of them said pulling me up. “But at a cost, we lost two of our men we…we could not save them in time.” My heart dropped at that word I lost two of my men that I was in charge of… no three that I have lost. I felt lost and failure in my rank.

Limping through the hole in the wall, holding an MP 18 taken from my dead I felt angry, vengeful and hate. We made our way through the fortress. We no longer met any resistance through this maze but we stopped into a hallway seeing the women and children huddled in the corner of a hall. “you four stay here and watch them make sure no one gets out do not shoot any of them.” my words were laced in anger “we may still need their help.” they nodded their heads taking up in a line guard stance with the rest as they followed me into what I assumed to be the throne room.

“Demon kill him. He must have killed our children on his way here as he slaughtered our brothers,” he said in desperation seeing me covered in my own blood taking it as a way to fuel his troop’s anger. They rushed us and my men raised their rifles.

“HALT,” as I yelled they stopped just shy of a yard.

“Listen to me; I gave your brothers a choice to lay their arms down. So they can live and see their families and their children. They all have orders but only you can chose to follow,” they all looked at me then back to their leader “listen to me I will not kill you unless you show threats to us, we are not your enemies we are your friends and allies.” I could see them lower their weapons staring at me. “This is the Demon that threw your lives away as some pawn in a game. He is the one taking your life and your family away from you.” When I looked up at the leader I could see fear spreading throughout his body “now it is your choice to follow or live another day to see the face of your loved ones.” I pulled the gun cocking it and discharging a round, holding it by the hip.

The sound of metal clattering to the ground as one of them moved towards us as he stopped in front of me, I could see his dark brown fur as he stared into my eyes as we watched him speak in a broken tone “y-you will not kill my family if I join your tribe?” his voice and his hands were shaking.

I smiled as I placed my hand on his shoulder to my surprise his fur is a bit rough “no comrade not a tribe but a nation of a scared land of loyalty and those who dares to test our old strength,” as I patted his shoulder “and your family is safe. I assure you no harm will come to them. The strength of our nation’s power is within the bravery of our troops.” I said holding his shoulder then let him pass by me “the Fatherland is not your enemy we are your friends not foes.”

“What are you doing KILL HIM,” the leader yelled out but the sight of his troops was in disarray. A struggle within them fighting what is right and wrong “I am you leader obey and KILL HIM we are diamond dogs not slaves,” then the room sounded out with metal clashing to the floors, as they made their way behind me. I felt like I was accomplishing something.

“You all may leave,” my troops clipped their boots together then left with the diamond dogs behind them, when the sound of doors closed behind me echoing throughout the small room. Hanging up my uniform and my sub machine gun, my expression changed into an evil glare as I made my way towards their leader. Pulling my C98 out loading a fresh clip fed ammunition cocking the pistol. Shooting two burst of bullets contacting with his knee he let out a howl as I made my way towards him hate, revenge and betrayal. Stomping on his right leg, as he tried to crawl way from me, without the weight of the armour I once wore it was no doubt that I did not crush his foot, which was fine for me.

“I surrender I surrender,” he pleaded to me as my fist contacted with his snout and chest; blood littered my clothes from my ‘treatment’. He was wining scared and tried to defend himself, but to no avail.

“You had the chance but you did not heed my warning of taking my place… worm,” I was fueled by such rage as I beat this creature with all my might, time was at a lost for me standing up to see a bloody mess my lungs were short of breath as I watched him squirm. The sound of him whimpering, I reached down to my holster, taking the handle of my pistol drawing towards his head “a traitor of the Fatherland is not welcome in our ranks,” pulling the trigger feeling the recoil shifting my wrist up, the puff of smoke the echoing roar thundering around me. All I could smell was spent powder filling my nostrils.

The door smashed open to see Bartholomäus and patch “what happen in here?” patch said as he ventured through the blood towards me.

Getting up as I led them into the hall, sitting down to the closest bench, patch came up to me examining my wounds “had to handle a problem in this rebellious act,” they looked at them towards the disbursing crowd, small groups of parties “I see they agreed to help us,” I said not bothering to look at patch.

“yes they have agreed to our aid in this time,” as Bartholomäus stood up “and before you question my arrival I have found traces of iron and the needed ingredients for steel…and also,” he reached in his pocket to see an emerald gem. Tacking the gem it was the size of my palm! I was amazed by the sheer amount, holding this gem in my hands.

“Patch do you have enough resources to quell your curiosity,” I said his face was motionless at first but shook his head.

“We need to get back soon the portal had reopened. I and Bartholomäus had made the needed request and a mining operation to fuel the Father Land. They are sending supplies as we speak,” my heart froze at that getting up as I rushed towards the entrance of the tunnels, exiting out of the cave as Bartholomäus was close behind me, then ran past me.

“Sir get in,” he hollered over the starting engine of the cycle, I jumped in ridding out of the small town towards our objective. The ride was short from walking; I could see the base up ahead stopping in front of the main gate.

As I rushed towards the portal “FriedHelm, they are waiting for you!” a pioneer came up to me, walking through the rippling green water coming out to see the underground facility. I froze at the sight of a man dressed in brown clothing and the noticeable black leather coat around him, the arm banner on his right was our nation’s glory. His hat covering most of his slick black hair and his tooth brush styled mustache under his nose.

“Hail the Fuhrer” I said out of breath they all nodded towards me. “The operation is moving smoothly and I request  some recon units to help expand our observation on our lands,” I said standing tall, the Fuhrer and his generals stood  as they watched me, then I looked to my plain white shirt covered in blood. “Took care of a threat sir it is handled with three losses sir.”

“And how did you lose three troops If you don’t mind asking?” one asked watching me.

“The beast uses swords and shields, they took us by the numbers, but we have showed them the might of the Father Land.” I said placing my hand above my chest bowing before him, “can I have recon units for the better benefit of collecting iron and deposits around this world,” as I spoke.

“Very well but I will grant you two divisions one mechanized and finally a light armoured division to assist you. I have a fresh commander that you are to supervise and help him with his mistakes,” he said as he turned to walk down the hall with his generals in tow “I am needed somewhere else, keep up with the operation.”

“Jhavol my Fuhrer,” as I bowed, walking through the watery portal, exiting to see plenty more tucks and support panzer Mark I’s, II’s and three stubby panzers. The line of trucks exiting the construction yards to unload their cargo as sparks flashed out. The sound of men shouting and gears turning once again, the work force is steadily climbing; I stood there smiling as our war machine was given a jumpstart.

“Commander FriedHelm,” I turned around to see a young man dressed in a light grey field uniform and golden clippings, he held his hat on his side. His hair colour was a light brown. He stood near the entrance of the command center; I took him inside “we shall discuss the events that have transpired over the past month.” He looked at me with a confused and strange look.

“A month?” he said surprised. Then I went into thought as I tried to grasp what he said and what happen the past few days, then he spoke again “it was only two weeks,” he said then it hit me hard as I started to put the pieces together.

“Time is at a faster pace than our world or the time lines are different here I can’t fully grasp this comrade,” as he too looked to be in thought trying to grasp this place, we may know nothing of this world but in due time we will fully understand this land and beyond.