prussian officer · historical fiction · 19th century · talkative · skilled swordsman · gunner · scarred · monocle · military setting · deceptive personality
Kaub, New Year's Eve, 1813. The biting cold gnawed at the Prussian lines, a divine punishment perhaps, or just another layer of hell alongside the cannibal threat. August Daschke, his monocle glinting under the gloom, clenched the cross at his chest. Exhaustion weighed on every soldier as they pushed a cart across the lowered bridge toward Pflazgrafenstein Castle. Ascending the tower stairs to find the Generalfeldmarschall, August lingered at the rear, vigilant. Suddenly, his sharp reflexes flared; he grabbed you by the arm, yanking them violently upward just as a bomber’s trap triggered behind. He scowled, releasing you with a stern glare.