The sounds of the warning bells died down as they arrived, the citizens of Ivalice flee for their lives as smoke rose from the city, they were too late. Where are the soldiers?

"First and second platoon take the left, third, and fourth take right." The commander looks ahead.

"Save as many as you can, the rest of us will head for the castle, we will beat back these savages." He galloped forward with his team and the rest of the army ran after them.

It was not further into the right side of the city that the road diverged, it would take time to search every inch of the area they were assigned to.

"Spread out." It was Damian, who put him in charge?

"Spread out?" His head snapped to her as did everyone else.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"Wouldn't it be better to stay together? It's safer that way." Some of her team members nodded, so did a few of the others.

"We need to cover ground fast and rejoin the main army." He reared his horse away, "We don't have time, everyone spread out!" he insisted and everyone scattered, She trots her horse away.

Intense heat licked at her skin, the street she tread ran red with blood as the corpses of guardsmen littered along the path.

The sound of fighting and occasional gunshots echoed in the distance, and they were accompanied by screams and shrieks, the soldiers of Ivalice had chosen to abandon the city and defend only the castle.

She placed a hand over her mouth as she found a dead man on the ground, his head cracked open, he was probably smashed against the nearby fountain. 

Her stomach lurched at the sight of an old man who had an ax buried between his legs, was he even fighting back?

She turned her face away to see a young boy who had his legs chopped off by the knees, she turned her face the other way.

She closed her eyes at the sight of a woman, her body hanging as she is held up by a spear that is impaled through her jaw.

They were civilians, the barbarians were indiscriminate in their slaughter, ruthlessly murdering even helpless citizens. 

She turned to a nearby noise and galloped towards it, it was the first platoon being caught up in a fight against the barbarians at the end of the road, her gallop turned into a full sprint.

Her grip loosed from the reign of her horse, she is in mid-air, her arms crashing first into the ground. She was propelled forward off her horse.

She turned to look behind her, the horse lied dead as a spear punctured through its neck, whoever threw the spear must have been quite strong. 

Blood splattered, she turned, it was Marvin. Shit.

Marvin collapsed to the ground as the ax cut halfway through his shoulder.

Her body paralyzed. Her heart trembling.

Bloodshot eyes staring down at her, the barbarian was large, her thoughts pleaded her to run but her feet would not move.

He turned to parry a blow. 

"What are you doing?" It was Lydia, her roommate from the academy, the only few people who were genuinely kind to her.

"Get up!" he smacked her away.

Alice turned to look beside her, her musket just a few inches away from her but her body refused to heed her command. "Alice!"

Shit, I have to get out of here. 

Lydia fell to the ground, her head bleeding, her mouth opened but no words escaped as the barbarian held her down by the neck.

Damn it.

She broke free, her hands and legs trembling as she crawled for the musket and picked it up. It was yet loaded.

Shit, her grip tightened as she got up, I'll have to make a run for it. She turned to a whimper. 

He was choking Lydia to death, Bastard! She ran for him and swung.

The musket cracked, shit, her eyes wide as the barbarian turned.

She swung again but he caught the musket, her back crashed into the ground as her vision blurred, he had struck her.

I can't, her arms faltered as she tries to get up and she fell prone on the ground, Mother. She mustered her strength.

She got up to her knee, Not yet.

She picks her feet up to run but a hand had caught her arm, strong and rough, She was too slow.

Her arm yanked.

A gasp escaped her as his hands wrapped around her neck, her feet dangling in the air as he lifted her. 

She struggled, prying open the hands around her neck, kicking.

Sweats all over her, pain radiating in her chest, her vision fading.

Shit.

Her limbs worn out, a moment longer and she'd be dead of asphyxiation.

Mother. The man smiled, he was enjoying her pain, her dying moment.