《Valiant Hearts》 Fire and Brimstone ¡°Once more. This time, don''t hold back." The brutish guard threw another heavy fist in the battered man''s face, knocking him off balance. Bound to the wooden chair he sat on, there was nothing he could do to soften the fall to the hard floor. Blood and mucus dripped from his nose. "I¡­ told you¡­" The man spoke through the searing pain The burly guard stomped on the prisoner''s ankle. He cried in agony. A decorated officer leaned down and met the prisoner''s face "If you tell me you know nothing one more time, I swear on your mother''s life-" "But I don''t!" The prisoner shouted, spitting blood. The guard straightened the prisoner''s chair back up and unsheathed a long knife. "That''s fine, I like it when they don''t talk¡­" grinned the officer The prisoner looked in horror at the dagger and back to the officer, "Why do you think I even know anything? I swear I''m just some guy!" The commander nodded to his companion, who slowly and deliberately stabbed the knife into the prisoner''s shoulder. The integrated gritted his teeth, trying not to give the sadist the satisfaction of another scream. "So you mean to tell me, Mr. Reid Lucius," the officer continued "even though you live right next to the city''s harbor, you never once noticed the comings and goings of troops? Weapons, artillery, nothing at all?" "Look," Reid breathed heavily, "I''m just a deli worker. Things came and went out of that port all the time, how would I-" The large guard backhanded the captive and sent him spiraling back to the ground. The commander stood over him and shouted, "No more, ''I thinks'' and ''I don''t knows!'' Don''t you understand, you peasant, the sort of predicament you''re in?" The officer picked up Reid by the collar and shook him "Your country has abandoned you. Ran off like the miserable little cockroaches they are! And here you are. All alone!" He brought Reid close his face and whispered, "And I can do this all day long." Reid looked deep into his torturer''s eyes and saw nothing but blackness. The surprisingly strong officer chucked Reid into the wall. Obliterating the chair Reid was tied to on impact. He lay sprawled on the floor, begging for death in his mind. The commander walked over to Reid''s body and kicked him repeatedly in the stomach with his leather boot. "Filthy little pig! Don''t you dare get blood on my boot!" With one final kick to the ribs, the commander pulled out his machine pistol. "If you value your life, you will tell me what you know." He cranked back the pistol''s slide and aimed it for the prisoner''s temple. Reid''s breathing became light and increasingly labored. Images of the burning ferry flashed in his mind. The screams of the innocent on board echoed in his ears. Reid shut his eyes tight and thought of his sister. How she tried to warn him and how he would never see her again¡­ He heard the pistol erupt next to him and the clatter of a cartridge landing nearby. But he didn''t feel the sting of a bullet or the warm embrace of his death. Instead, he heard scuffling and something weighty drop to the floor. Suddenly a pair of thick arms picked him up, and he could feel himself being tossed over a broad shoulder. "Am¡­ I dead?" Reid muttered, dazed. He got no answer. "We managed not to raise the alarm, but it won''t be long till someone starts wondering about these two," Reid heard a woman''s voice whispering nearby "I hope you were right about blowing our cover like this." "We couldn''t leave him, Alice" Replied a deep man''s voiceLove this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Reid''s head spun, his vision blurred; and before he knew it, the world went dark around him. * "Hey there, can you hear me?" A woman''s soft voice whispered in Reid''s ear "Sleeping beauty finally gonna grace us with his presence?" A woman spat bitterly nearby. She sounded like the same person from earlier. "I think so, but we don''t want to rush him. He endured a great deal and-" "We don''t have time for this crap." A bath of ice cold water washed over Reid''s face, shooting him upright. "I told you assholes I don''t-" "Shut-up kid, you''re safe." Reid rubbed his eyes and saw a scowling woman with short, wavy red hair staring back at him with an empty bucket in her hand. He looked around frantically and saw he was no longer in his home but in some strange canvas tent. "H-Hey, are you ok? That gash looks pretty bad." A young woman with long brunette hair and big hazel eyes sat at his side. She took his arm and applied light pressure to the wound, "That has to be infected." She stood up and walked to the opposite side of the tent. "Hold it! Where are you going?" blurted the angry woman "To get the nurse. Wouldn''t she want to be notified as soon as the patient woke up?" "That can wait, I need a word with him first." She tossed the bucket in the corner and pulled up a stool. "What did they ask you, kid? What info are they looking for?" "Huh?" Reid replied, "Where am I? Who the hell are you?" The woman kicked back her chair and slammed Reid into the cot he sat in. "The good guys believe it or not. Now I don''t have time to play twenty questions. I need to get something from this freaking failure. What were they asking you? Why were they interrogating you?" The brunette girl rushed back to Reid''s side and placed a hand on the woman''s shoulder. "Captain, don''t you think you should give him just a moment to gather his thoughts? He''s had a long night too, after all." The captain swiped away her hand "We are in the middle of a war kid, every day from now on is going to be a long one!" She pointed emphatically to the other side of the tent "I lost half my squad doing recon and all I''ve got to show for it is this idiot!" "They wanted information on the boats," Reid rubbed his swollen eye and tried to recall the past few hours The captain''s head shot back at Reid "The boats, what about the boats?" She grabbed hold of him by the shoulders "They wanted to know what was coming and going off of them." He remembered vaguely, "Said I would know something because I lived by the harbor, but it wasn''t just me. They were interrogating everyone in town." "What did you tell them?" "I don''t know anything! I work at the local deli, I don''t know anything about guns or troops." The captain shoved Reid back into the bed "Well thank God for that," She stormed out of the tent in a huff. The other girl followed but stopped at the tent flap "I''m going to go get the nurse, just hang tight, ok?" and she ran out. Reid sat back up and stared at the grassy floor. His head pounded, but he needed answers, and he knew the only way he would get those answers is if he sought them out. He got to his feet, his busted ankle screaming under his weight. He shakily made his way out of the tent, welcoming the fresh night air on his face. What he saw once he was outside the warm tent sent him tumbling back to the ground. Lanterns and large campfires lit up hundreds of tents, just like his, in long lines along the coastline. He saw thousands of bloodied people laying on stretchers, several of them missing limbs and moaning in pain. Dozens of doctors rushed between tents, all of them covered in blood and gore. Children ran wild, crying, searching frantically for their mothers. The sound of an explosion rang from behind Reid. He circled and watched a plume of smoke and fire rise across the water along the opposite coastline. It was then that he finally understood. He was on the Isle, the explosion across the bay was his village, and the camp around him was all that was left of the inhabitants of his former home. His neighbors and peers lay wounded and dying next to him. His sister was right; this was total war, and there was no escaping it. * In the days following that dark night in 1935 C.E., the world stood in stunned silence as news traveled about the Vormare Republic''s invasion of the peaceful Isle of Aska. Though the old men and women that fought in the First World War would have told you the writing was on the wall. Vormare, though taking incredible losses in their defeat during the first war, managed to quickly rebuild and somehow become even more powerful than before. With new power at their fingertips and a heart filled with a desire for revenge, their humble neighbor to the west, the nation of Aska, proved too tempting a target for the recently rebuilt country to sink its sharpened teeth into. The small nation filled primarily with farmers and ocean traders hardly stood a chance against the beast in the east. Aska did its best to rescue its citizens from across the bay, but the Republic''s blitz attack prevented them from picking up any more than half of their people and ferrying them across to the nation''s mainland. The Republic was ruthless in their invasion, making quick work of the small garrison Aska had placed along the border. The Republic''s soldiers spared no man, woman or even child. Committing several war crimes in their destructive wake. Soon, the flames of war spread across the world once again. Age old alliances were called in, treaties were burned, and the small nation of Aska found themselves on the front line of a new world war. Welcome to Squad Two The nation of Aska, whose mainland was the peninsula of the greater continent, Eislone, was a proud seafaring nation that had a rich history in trading with its neighbors via the Noresse sea. In spite of it being a substantially smaller nation compared to others of its status, Aska had developed a robust naval presence that few could rival. Where Aska excelled in ships and sea experience, it severely lacked in any sort of infantry. In light of the new war, Aska was forced to admit a desperate draft for any able-bodied citizens to take arms and defend their country. Reid Lucian was no exception. Weeks following his rescue, Reid found himself eating alone in a mess-hall. He and the other surviving members of the blitz attack had been drafted into Aska''s army. Reid swirled the slop on his tray with a small fork. He already missed the deli, even though he did nothing but complain about it while he was there. The early mornings, his boss, Mr. Lewinski berating him, the annoying customers that never seemed satisfied. Now he would give anything for the smell of freshly baked bread or the whirring of the deli slicer. He wondered if he would ever get his old life back. If there was even any going back in the first place. He wondered if- "Erm, excuse me," Reid looked up to the voice, shaken out of his daze. He saw that it was that brunette girl; the one from the night he was rescued. She was holding a tray of gruel and stood next to him. "Do you mind if I join you?" She chuckled, "It''s a little funny to say, but you''re the only one I kind of know here. Or at least that I''ve seen before." Reid bit his lip, the expression of a deer in headlights plastered over his face. Ever since he was young Reid had never held much of a presence in a room. But worst of all, he had never learned the magic trick behind talking to girls his age. Any conversation he held with a pretty girl in college or on the street typically turned into a droning discussion about the weather in the best of times, and in the worst, he developed a dry mouth and mindlessly stuttered. "Um," She cleared her throat "I-I can so somewhere else. That''s fine too," She turned to walk away when Reid grabbed her arm. She looked at him with shock. Realizing his horrible blunder, he quickly retracted his arm and blushed, "S-Sorry" He stuttered "I was just startled. Uh, please, feel free to sit. If you still want, I mean." She chuckled and claimed the seat across from him. He dared not make eye contact with her. "I don''t think I had the chance to introduce myself, my name is Elise. Elise Ladetto. What''s yours?" She asked politely "Lucian," Reid replied "Reid Lucian! R-Reid is my first name." He corrected a little too loudly Elise nodded and smiled "It''s nice to meet you, Reid Lucian!" she pointed to the salt and pepper shakers next to his elbow "Would you mind passing those? I''ve found that a generous dusting is the only way to get this stuff down." "Oh these?" he slid them across the table, "You know what also helps," Reid picked up a small tin container off his tray and handed it to her "What this?" She sniffed the tin "Oregano," Reid stated "it goes well with most things. Helps add a little subtle flavor too." Elise sprinkled a little of the oregano onto the slop in front of her and gave it a try "Hey," She chewed "This does help. Thanks for sharing!" Reid smiled, the first time he could recall doing so since restarting basic training. "Are you a chef or something?" Elise poured a little more of the herb on her food "No, I just work-" he cleared his throat "I used to work - I mean - at this deli near my house." Elise placed a finger on her chin "Oh right! I remember you saying something about that when Captain Everett''s team brought you in from across the bay." Reid sunk in his seat, reliving that horrific night in his mind''s eye. Elise laid her fork next to her tray and placed her hands on her lap "How many did you lose that night?" the spark in her voice evaporated. "My older sister" Reid replied "She was waiting for me on the ferry that was evacuating people, on board right when the Republic attacked. They fired a missile at it. The boat didn''t stand a chance, and neither did she," he lowered his head "I watched it all go down." Elise lowered her big brown eyes with him "I''m so sorry. I can only imagine how awful that must have been." "How many did you lose?" Reid asked "None, I had no one to lose. I had already lost my parents in a bombing raid during the first war. They sent me out to get food at the depot. I heard the sirens and ran home, but when I got there, there was nothing left but ash." She ran her hand along with her small gold necklace that featured a small heart pendant. "My God, Elise. That sounds horrific!" She nodded, "It was. But I''m far from alone in that case. A lot of orphans were made in that raid and in that war. I''ve made my peace with it." Elise picked up her fork and took another bite of her lunch. A heavy silence sat between the two. Not a particularly uncomfortable one like two strangers would experience sitting on a train together. Instead, more of the sort of stillness where two wounded souls shared a moment of solidarity. They found that war had a funny way of doing that. "So, what did you do before all this?" Reid asked once the pair had finished their lunches.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. She wiped her mouth "I was a school teacher. I taught kids their numbers, how to read, things like that." "That''s an important job. Not something I could ever do," Reid admitted "Thank you! My mother was a teacher, too. When I was young, I would help her grade papers and any other work she needed doing around the school. I wanted to be just like her!" Elise smiled warmly looking back on it "So I attended university and did just that." A giant of a man with a thick stubble and a cigarette hanging from his mouth approached the table "Ladetto and Lucian?" he grunted The man was definitely not another cadet. Instead of the gray jumpsuits they all wore, he was decked out in the gear of a proper Askan military man. Complete with heavy looking boots, blue and black camouflage patterned pants, and a white tank top with a dense looking blue jacket tied around his waist. "Well, you two them or not?" He growled again "Yes, sir!" The pair answered in unison "Great, Major Hudson wants to see you both. Follow me." He abruptly turned and walked out the door. They rushed after him, not knowing if he was angry or just being himself, but too afraid to risk finding out. The bright sun temporarily blinded the two as they exited the mess hall. The shouts of drill instructors and chattering of fresh cadets filled their ears. While the capital''s standing army and the royal guard were stationed outside of her thick walls, the city''s medieval infrastructure was far too little to accommodate the influx of new recruits and refugees. So most new-comers had a small village of tents erected for them, and a new, temporary training ground was set up to train the newly drafted cadets. Standing in the shadow of the capital''s magnificent medieval fortress, the lush green fields the base sat on were iconic. For hundreds of years, travelers to the land had written stories and poems of Aska''s unique flora and fertile soil. For what the nation of Aska lacked in military might, it more than made up for in its potent beauty and culture. Some of the world¡¯s most renowned artists apprenticed in this very place: Vilas, Aska''s capital. "Will you two hurry up a little? You don''t want to keep the Major waiting." The giant shouted back at them. The pair were forced into a jog to keep up with the man''s impressively long strides. Sweaty and a little out of breath, the group finally reached a long canvas tent in the middle of the camp. The man stomped out his cigarette and held the tent flap open for the two cadets, "Get going, we''ve taken long enough getting here." They rushed inside and found themselves standing in front of a sharply dressed woman seated behind a desk. Her dark hair was cut short, and her long skirt and blue blazer were pressed and tidy. Reid was surprised to see the redheaded captain from before sat atop one of the many crates piled in the corner of the tent. The man joined them inside "Cadets Ladetto and Lucian, Commander." He saluted the woman behind the desk. Reid and Elise took note of his formality and followed suit. Though they had been training at the base for a couple of weeks, they still weren''t entirely sure who they needed to salute. On Reid''s first day at the camp, he had saluted the entire kitchen staff. While flattered, they informed him it wasn''t necessary. Though he did notice he always got a little more gruel then the other cadets from then on. "At ease," The commander stated with authority. Her piercing blue eyes first fixed on Reid "Cadet: name, former employment, education, and military experience." "M-Ma''am" He stuttered "Cadet Reid Lucian, deli worker, a year of university, required basic training during high school." He rang off The commander nodded then looked to Elise, "You?" "Ma''am, Cadet Elise Ladetto, school teacher, Masters degree, advanced rifle training from Commander Ladetto." The commander looked through her papers "Yes, I saw you come from military royalty. Of course my condolences for your father and mother''s untimely demise. I''m sure you rest well knowing your father touched many of our lives and saved many souls." Elise nodded "Thank you, ma''am. I know he was dedicated to the cause, ma''am." "And you mentioned advanced rifle training? I didn''t see that in your papers." "Ma''am, when I was young, my father taught me how to shoot. My record is eighteen out of twenty sharpshooter targets." Reid looked over at her, visibly shocked by the claim. He wondered why she had mentioned nothing about her father being the legendary commander Donovan Ladetto. He was a first war hero. "Impressive. But of course, I will need to see proof of that." The commander folded her hands together "My name is Major Hudson. I am responsible for squads one through nine. I am pleased to inform you that you two have been selected to fill the new available positions in squad two. Captain Alice Everett''s squad, along with Gunny Clyde Vargas and Specialist Luther Kane." Reid''s stomach sank. It was apparent to him now that this really was going to happen. "We will fill these roles to the best of our abilities!" Elise confirmed "See that you do," Hudson looked over her shoulder to Captain Everett, who was in the middle of aggressively eating an apple. "Anything you want to say to your new troops, Captain?" She paused mid-munch "Try not to die too quick," she spat Commander Hudson rubbed her temples "Yes, thank you for those inspiring words," She put away her paperwork "Now, Cadet Ladetto, if you wouldn''t mind meeting me at the shooting range. I would like to see those sharpshooting skills in person, if you will." Elise saluted one last time and walked out of the tent. "As for you, Cadet Lucian. Gunny Vargas, would you mind introducing your new teammate to specialist Kane? I believe I last saw him mingling with the engineers near the tank battalion." The large man saluted "You got it, Commander," and unceremoniously shoved Reid out and through the tent flap. Once she was sure only her and Hudson were left, Alice Everett spoke up, "Commander, you can''t be seriously sending these kids out. Those troopers are going to eat them alive." Hudson examined the pen in her hand "We don''t have a choice, Alice. The tiny military we have was already crippled by the initial attack. Until the Federation up north decides to honor our agreement, cadets like those two are the face of Aska''s infantry." "If that''s true, Hudson, then this is going to be a real short war." Alice tossed her apple core in a nearby trash bin and sauntered out of the tent. Hudson pulled out a frame from a drawer in her desk and examined a small black and white photo of a smiling blonde man holding a dark-haired child. Hudson traced a finger around their faces, whispering "John, I wish you were here. I could really use you right now." * "Nah, it¡¯s called a cloaca! Isn''t that weird?" A tall, thin, dark-haired man pointed to a colorful bird on his shoulder "How does that even work, though?" A smoot covered engineer asked "Who knows, but I''m telling you it''s all from the same place." The gaunt man placed his cigarette back in his mouth and scratched behind the bird''s ear with a grease coated finger "I''m kind of jealous," A neatly dressed engineer in glasses stated "That''s weird, bro" replied the birdman "Kane!" Shout a deep-throated man''s voice. The dark-haired man didn''t even have to turn around to recognize the voice of Clyde Vargas. "Gunny! Was just talking about something you''d love-" he turned around and saw the gray-clad cadet walking in front of Clyde "What''s with the new blood?" "Luther Kane, meet Reid Lucian. Reid, this is squad two''s specialist, Luther Kane." Clyde railed off dryly "No shit?" Luther wiped his hand on his soiled jumpsuit and shook Reid¡¯s offered hand. Reid shriveled slightly at how cold and clammy his hand was, then noticed a slight rattling. He looked at Luther''s wrist and saw a collection of small white things shaped into a hand-made bracelet. He pointed to it "Cool bracelet; what''s it made of?" "Rat bones!" Luther beamed Reid recoiled "W-Why?" Luther pointed to the bird on his shoulder "He doesn''t like the bones, and I didn''t see a reason for them to go to waste." Clyde pinched the bridge of his nose "Ok, kid, I introduced you. I''ve done my deed for the day." He turned and started walking away, "Be at the command tent by 0600 for the mission brief. Combat ready." He shouted over his shoulder Reid drew in a deep breath and looked back at Luther. "So, know what a cloaca is?" Luther asked excitedly Reid squinted "N-No¡­" "Here, let me show you!" Luther grabbed the bird off his shoulder. What Goes Boom In The Night The salt air whipped across newly appointed Private Lucian''s face as his squad traversed the bay and onto the mainland. The constant rocking of the speedboat threw him into a violent fit of nausea. He was a seafarer by his Askan blood alone. He and his family had been happy land dwelling peoples for as long as he could remember. Picking up occupations as farmers or bankers, anything to keep as far from the sea-line as possible. During the required basic training every young Askan must endure, Reid failed his sea-readiness exam time and time again. He was only ever passed because his instructors got tired of rescuing him every time he fainted and fell into the bay. The Private was leaned over the side of the boat, trying to think of anything other than where he was, but he could only recall the events of that morning. He had had a sleepless night, dreading the following day ever since his new squadmate, Gunny Clyde Vargas, informed him to be ready early that morning for a mission brief. He knew it was only a matter of time until he was requested for combat. It had been three weeks since his arrival to base camp, and most of his recruited peers had already been shipped out to fight. Now that he and Elise were assigned to Squad Two, he knew it wasn''t going to be long before he had to hold a gun and kill someone in the name of his country. After retching in the woods behind his barracks, he arrived at the command tent just in time for the morning briefing. Walking through the tent flap, he was quick to notice he was the last to arrive. He could tell by the look on Captain Alice Everett''s face that his tardiness didn''t win him any points with his new squad leader. Major Hudson was curt and to the point in her mission brief. She showed the squad to a table with a map of the greater Aska peninsula and the mainland she shared a bay with. Little red triangles and blocks represented the enemy presence on the continent. With a long wooden pointer, she circled the area of Reid''s former village while casually informing them that it was now half ash. Reid let out a sharp breath, recalling the explosion on the night he was rescued. What brought him even more grief was watching Elise wipe a single tear from her eye. He had forgotten it wasn''t only his home that had been lost that night. The Major''s cold dismissal of the loss of life was both disturbing and welcome to Reid. He was, of course, still haunted by the sheer loss of life from that night and the brutal interrogation he had to endure, but was simultaneously tired of dwelling on it. He figured there was no more use crying over something that had already happened. The commander informed them that it was too early and risky for a full force attack to regain their recent loss. Scouts had reported that the enemy was already too dug-in to risk Aska''s fragile army. That coupled with the fact the Federation still hadn''t declared they would honor their alliance with Aska in the greater war. So, for now, at least Aska was still on her own against the military giant. Instead, Major Hudson declared that Squad Two would be undergoing a sabotage mission to destroy the enemy''s weapon''s depot. It wasn''t going to stop the Vormare Republic''s fortification of the town, but it was going to slow them down. And Aska needed every minute she could get. Hudson explained that usually, a squad wouldn''t do such a risky mission alone, especially with two cadets who had just earned their ''blues,'' but the time to strike was then, and they were the only populated squad not out on existing orders. "Private Lucian¡­ Reid, are you okay?" A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. He jumped in surprise and snapped his neck back to see a concerned Elise staring back at him. "Oh! Sorry, you startled me," Reid wiped the sea water off his face "Yeah, I-I''m alright. Don''t think I have anything left to throw up, so I guess that''s a good thing!" He chuckled pathetically "I wish I had known you got seasick, poor thing," Elise dug around in her military issue backpack and handed him a couple of capsules, "Dramamine," she yelled over the roar of the boat''s engine. "Sometimes I have to take it too." Reid threw back the pills before she had even finished explaining what they did. He would take anything to make his stomach stop doing backflips. "Damn, kid!" Clyde Vargas shouted up to the pair from where he sat operating the engine, "What kind of Askan gets seasick?" "The kind who would take the safety of land to the choppy sea any day of the week." Reid moaned, leaning back in the boat "Actually, Gunny Vargas, seasickness is an incredibly common thing. Even amongst Askans. Especially if you''re not used to it." Elise explained, "Even I had to take some Dramamine before we launched. Vargas rolled his eyes. "Hey, Lucian!" Specialist Luther Kane shouted from across Elise "Did you ask Nifta for safe passage before we launched?" "My God, don''t tell me you still believe in that horse-shit fairy tale, Luther." Vargas rubbed his forehead "Why wouldn''t I, Gunny? See, that''s the difference between you and me-" Luther started "What? That I live in reality and you smoke enough herb for the whole squad?" "No. The difference is, I choose to believe in magic, and you choose to be boring!" Luther flashed the Gunny a coy grin "What the hell is a Nifta?" Reid questioned while still in his daze "It''s a story I used to tell my kids at the school!" Elise chimed "You see, a long time-" "Shush!" Luther threw his hands in the air, the colorful bird he kept perched on his shoulder flapped wildly "I''ve got this one newbie!" He awkwardly crawled over Elise''s lap and forced a seat open next to Reid on the boat''s wooden bench. Causing everyone involved to stiffen with embarrassment. "You see, thousands of years ago, before the kingdom of Aska was even formed, a group of families were pushed out of their homes by raiders and forced up north," Luther was sure to gesture wildly with every newly added element to the story "So they went up and up and up till they hit the ocean. Out of options, these crazy fuckers decided to build some boats, never even seeing an ocean before, and set sail into the unknown waters!" "If they never saw the ocean before, how did they know how to make boats?" Vargas butted in. Luther waved his hand dismissively at the Gunny "Unimportant," then continued "So they build these boats and put their whole lives on them; wives, children, livestock, everything. Just as they lose sight of the coastline, the clouds darken, and they hear the roar of distant thunder. Soon, a storm, bigger than you''ve ever seen descended upon them! "The brave sailors had all but made peace with their gods. Understanding and accepting nobly that their luck had run out and that the ocean was to be their watery grave. Until a beautiful mermaid appeared from the depths! She tied golden ropes around their boats and, with the help of several sea creatures, lead the weary travelers across the treacherous waters and to a new, virgin land. "Once the refugees were safely off their makeshift vessels, the leader clansman asked the woman for her name. She told them it was Nifta, and that she was the goddess of the sea. She had followed them since they entered her waters and learned of their troubled past. Once the storm blew in and threatened their lives, she decided to intervene and save them. Sympathetic to their cause, she declared they had her divine favor, and she would bless them by sea for generations to come. "That war fleeing tribe of people were the founding members of the kingdom of Aska, and it is said that Nifta is the reason Aska has seen such bounty when trading and fishing in her ocean. Legend has it, if you pray for Nifta''s guidance, any boat trip you encounter will grant you fair weather and a bountiful haul." "Yep, just pray your worries away to a magic mermaid, Private, and all your dreams will come true." Vargas made a flutter motion with his free hand Captain Everett, who had been silent for the entirety of the trip so far, craned her neck back to her crew, "You two, cut the shit!" She turned back towards the water ahead, "Cut the engine too while you''re at it, Vargas. We''re silent from here till the mainland." Vargas nodded, flipped a switch, and the boat''s small engine went quiet. Captain Everett turned her seat around to face the group and reached into her backpack "Everyone plug in." She withdrew a small earpiece and plugged its short cord into the back of the wireless communication device she wore around her neck. Reid and the squad followed suit, wrapping the earpiece''s rubber-lined support behind the ear, allowing the foam covered speaker to sit snugly within the ear. "Refresher for the newbies," Everett continued "Place your pointer and thumb on the buttons here to talk," She pointed to the two buttons on either side of the split communication collar around her neck. "This thing picks up the vibrations in your throat when you talk, so you can whisper, and it will sound like your talking regularly to everyone else." She pressed the two buttons on her neck and pointed to her earpiece with the other hand, "Everyone hear me?" Despite the sound of the choppy waves slapping against the boat, Reid found he could hear his commander as clear as if she was seated next to him. Her squad flashed her a thumbs up. "Great," She withdrew her hand from the communicator "Vargas and Lucian, get to rowing," She tossed a pair of oars in their direction "''Eagle-Eyes'' Ladetto, the Major informed me before we left that you killed it at the gun range." "I did my best ma''am," Elise saluted "Nineteen out of twenty sharpshooter targets is better than best, kid, that''s a new military record. Do me a favor and keep yourself alive long enough that we get a chance to utilize that." Elise''s lip quivered "I-I''ll try ma''am." Everett waved her over to the front "Grab your binoculars and help me scan the coastline." "Kane," She looked to the specialist seated next to Reid, who saluted in return "Get that map ready and let me know what our best approach vector is." "Aye-Aye Cap,''" Luther nodded, his parrot repeating his words. Vargas and Reid settled into their new positions next to each other and picked up their oars. "I''ll try to slow down to your speed, so we don''t end up going in circles, kid" the Gunny mocked "Don''t slow down on my account, Gunny. I''ll be able to match whatever speed you set" Reid respondedStolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Hey, you two morons! This isn''t going to turn into some pissing contest, is it?" Everett spat sharply "No ma''am" They replied "Great, because if that were to happen, you¡¯d both get to show me how tough you are in a freestyle race all the way home, get me?" "Yes, ma''am" They moaned again in unison Though Reid tried his best to meet his companion''s rowing speed, he was quickly met with the reality that Gunny Vargas was all muscle and could cut through the water with ease. Though he put up a good show to begin with, the hours of vomiting and lack of sleep quickly caught up to him. The Gunny ended up having to slow down significantly so the squad didn''t end up doing donuts in the bay. "Captain," Elise pointed towards the coastline "Spotlights ahead with multiple patrols." "Shit, you''re right," Everett looked back at the boat, "Kane, what does the map say, any natural landing spots near our target?" Luther scratched his head "I see the bay narrows into a creek that will take us through the heart of the city-" "Bad idea" Reid spoke up, "That will take us right next to the town hall, and I''m sure that''s where they made their garrison. It has remained well fortified since the Askans¡¯ time with it in the first war." Everett propped up her leg on the edge of the boat "Okay, pukie, where do you suggest we land?" Reid lowered his oar and rubbed his sore arms "I once dropped my keys in this storm drain near the deli. I remember having to ask the town patrol to crawl into the tunnel to help me fish it out." The Private took a few wobbly steps over to Luther''s map "There," he pointed to the map, "I think that''s where the access is." Luther eyed the map, "Ladetto, check your two-o''clock." "I see a couple of lanterns, but it looks pretty quiet," She reported "Well, I don''t love the idea of crawling through a sewer, but that could work," Captain Everett sat back down on her bench "Well, get to rowing boys, and try not to slap the water so damn much this time Private." "Y-Yes ma''am" Reid answered shakily Within minutes the group was approaching the tall stone levy, and spotted the surprisingly large storm drain fixed into the side of the cobblestone wall. "Wish we would have had that the first time we were here. Maybe we wouldn''t have lost so many if¡­" Vargas cut himself short "I''m sorry Alice, I shouldn''t have-" "Just shut it, Vargas" Everett took a deep breath Luther handed her a long rope with a hook fixed on one end "Cap, would you-" "Yeah," She snatched the line from his offered hand and swung the hook upwards, catching a solid anchor on the first try. "Silencers equipped?" The team checked their weapons, Reid tugged on the silencer of his army-issued pistol. "Private, did you only bring your sidearm?" Everett whispered sharply at Reid "Ma''am, I thought you didn''t want me to bring my rifle," Reid blinked The Captain slapped her forehead "Yeah, don''t bring the clunky ass assault rifle, but always bring a backup. Did you seriously not bring a sub-machine gun or even another pistol?" her tone grew in agitation "I-I didn''t-" Reid stuttered "He can have mine Cap," Luther handed him a compact machine gun that was roughly the size of his forearm "I always bring a few different ones." The Captain pinched the bridge of her nose "We''re going to get fucking murdered," She whispered under her breath, "Someone have enough of a brain to remember the fucking explosives at least?" Vargas shook his backpack, "Got it here, Alice." "Good. Hey stupid," Alice rolled her head towards the Private "Me?" Reid slung Luther''s weapon over his shoulder "Who else could I be talking too? Get in there and lead us to your deli." Reid silently nodded and slowly ascended the rope. All the while feeling his commanding officer staring daggers into the back of his head. The sewer was initially wide enough for the group to bend at the waist and spare themselves from getting the years of garbage and sludge all over them, but soon the tunnel narrowed, and the squad was forced to crawl on their hands and knees through meters of grime. Reid stopped and peered through a thin grate. He spotted a yellow-faced building with colorful flowers and a sign that read ''half off'' in the window sill. He pinched the buttons on his communication device, "Captain, this is it." His earpiece crackled to life "Scan the area and pop open the grate if it''s safe," Reid heard his Captain''s voice echo in his ear. He peered through the narrow slits the best he could manage. Determining that the area was clear of patrols, he stuck his fix-handled knife into the seam and pried open the heavy grate. One by one the slime covered team exited the disgusting storm drain and quietly replaced the lid. Luther pointed through the yellow building''s kicked in door and the squad, being sure to keep low and quiet, eased their way inside. The building''s storefront looked as if a small tornado had run through. Tables were crushed and overturned, chairs were thrown across the room and used to smash glass display cases. The stench of moldy cheese and rotten meat hung thick in the air. Elise spotted a half dangling sign above the counter that read ''Golden Pig Deli.'' She touched her hand to her mouth and looked to Reid, whose typically bright eyes were dull, face cold and stoic. The squad crouched low under the storefront window, and Luther withdrew his map while Vargas kept a lookout. The specialist traced a line with his finger and looked to his commander "This was a pretty good spot to land Cap. If we head a couple of blocks south, then hang a right at the fork, well be on top of the depot." He whispered Everett nodded "Ladetto, stack up with me. Lucian, Vargas, watch the opposite side. Luther, support." She rounded the corner of the doorway, then halted immediately in her tracks. The rest of her team peared around the corner and spotted a gray-clad trooper leaning against the building, faced the opposite way. The Captain held out her arm and stopped the rest of her team. Without breaking focus on the lone soldier, she slowly withdrew a long hunting knife from the sheath on her belt. Then, in one swift motion, she wrapped her free hand around the man''s mouth and plunged her dagger deep into his neck. Before he even had a chance to react, crimson blood was already spewing from his neck and coating his attacker¡¯s black glove. Once he stopped flailing and went limp, she dragged him by the arms off the street and into the deli. Reid and Elise watched in horror as the man''s eyes, wide with terror, slowly rolled into the back of his head. Blood gushing from his throat. Everett wiped the blood off of her dagger using the troopers coat and looked her new recruits over. "Welcome to war kiddos. You don''t kill them first, they¡¯ll just kill you later." Wiping the blood from her face with her sleeve, she drew her machine pistol and rounded the corner once again. Elise shook herself from her shock and rushed after her. The team met little resistance for the next few blocks, minus having to duck and cover for the occasional patrolling jeep. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until they reached the fork in the road. Luther halted the group and pointed out a trooper overlooking the street from a second-floor balcony. The soldier had stood up out of his chair and was stretching. Everett patted Elise''s shoulder and cupped her hand in the shape of a scope over her eye. Elise withdrew her bolt action rifle in response and laid down on the cobblestone street to take aim. "You''re clear to take the shot when ready, Ladetto," Everett whispered in her ear. Reid, who was crouched closely nearby, could hear Elise shaking so much that the frame of her rifle rattled. "Easy, kid. Take a breath. In and out; that''s good" Everett''s tone turning suddenly warm "Look at his uniform, not his face. And remember, this is just another training dummy back at camp, ya?" Elise took a deep breath, steadied herself, and squeezed the trigger. A high-pitched whine rang from the end of her rifle, and the trooper fell backward into the room the balcony extended from. Everett patted her on the back "Good job. That fucker ain''t getting up anytime soon. Now, shoulder that thing and let''s move." Elise quietly got to her feet and threw the gun over her shoulder. Reid, forgetting himself a moment, reached out to her "Elise," he whispered before Vargas punched him on the shoulder. "Keep focused, Lucian! It takes only a second for a bullet to land between your eyes." He whispered tersely. The squad made their way down the last city block and darted into a nearby alley. Luther eyed his map and patted the brick wall of one of the buildings "This warehouse should be it." Vargas peered around the corner and spotted several troopers standing guard in front of a pair of massive metal doors. "Enough guards to look right." He whispered back Everett pointed up at a large open window on the second floor, "That''s our way in" "Found a ladder," Elise holstered her pistol and bent down to pick up a dusty wooden ladder in the bushes. It was only Reid who noticed the guard who had appeared around the opposite side of the building and was raising his rifle for Elise''s head. Reflexively, Reid lifted Luther''s sub-machine gun and sprayed. WIthin seconds the man''s torso was shredded apart by the anti-personnel bullets Luther had loaded into it. Chunks of flesh flew out the back of the man''s body as blood ran down the front of his thin armor. Reid''s onslaught only ceased when the full magazine of his rifle emptied. As quickly as it started, the enemy soldier was reduced to a heap of human flesh and gore on the dirt beneath them. Reid couldn''t pry his eyes away from the bullet-riddled corpse. White as a ghost, he lost feeling in his limbs and dropped the gun. Luther caught the SMG before it could fall to the ground and braced Reid before he could do the same. Elise had fallen to the ground and was cowering from the scene. Her black-gloved hands firmly fixed on her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks. "We don''t have time for this," Everett spat "Vargas, grab the ladder and get up there with the explosives." The Gunny rushed past Elise, rested the old ladder against the brick wall, and quickly ascended. Luther spun Reid around so they faced each other "Look man, I know. But right now we need you okay? You need to keep that head on straight for a little longer." Mouth dry and unable to say a word, Reid simply nodded. "Here," Luther handed him a couple of extra clips for the rifle, "Reload that thing and help Elise." The specialist then turned and joined Vargas in the warehouse. After reloading the weapon as instructed, Reid walked over to Elise and helped her back to her feet. She whispered a shaky ''thank you'' in his ear and joined Everett on the opposite and of the warehouse. Reid was about to join her when something caught is eye near the fresh corpse. He noticed the rifle the man had leveled for Elise, was pulsing a strange blue light. The Private crouched down and examined it. The gun was unlike anything he had seen before. It didn''t have a wood stock or steel frame but seemed to be entirely comprised of some sort of dark gray lightweight metal. The barrel was smooth and shaped like some sort of elongated egg. It was broken along the length of the weapon into three separate segments. Long thin blue lights ran under the broken sections. Reid ran up to the two women on the opposite side of the building. "Lucian! What the hell are you doing away from your post?" Everett growled "Captain!" Reid presented the rifle to her "The man, he had this. I''ve never seen anything like it." Everett snatched the gun from him and looked it over "What the hell?" The group heard the creak of the ladder and spotted Vargas and Luther running up to them. "Place is wired and ready to go, Captain, we set a timer for twenty minutes so we better-" Vargas was cut short Everett shoved the strange weapon into Luther''s chest "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Luther turned it over in his hands, his face scrunched in confusion "No¡­ I have no idea. Where did you get this?" "Private dumbass picked it up from his first blood," Luther handed it to Reid, "Keep that in your pack. The boys at camp will want to examine that freaky thing." "Captain, like I said we are on a timer so-" Vargas tried again "Timer? Well, why didn''t you say something Gunny? Let''s get the hell out of here!" The Captain waved her arm, and the group hustled back down the dark street. * "Five, four, three, two, and¡­" A loud explosion erupted from the shoreline and sent ripples down the bay. A pillar of colorful fire engulfed a part of the seashore. Loud sirens rang and half dressed officers ran out of nearby buildings, dazed and confused. Barking orders to any nearby sentry that would hear them. The weary team cheered from the safety of the water. Celebrating their first successful attack of the war. Vargas reached into his pack and withdrew a whiskey bottle and five shot glasses. Everett laughed for the first time she, or her team, could remember for a long time. "Really, Clyde?" She snorted "Well, I figured in the off chance we lived, we would want to celebrate our first successful mission as a squad." He rested the glasses on a wooden bench and poured out the shots. Everett raised her glass and looked over her squad "Got to hand it to you chuckle-fucks, not too bad. Try not to get any worse, and we may just live to see the end of this war. To Squad Two!" "To Squad Two!" Everyone cheered and threw back their shots. Luther turned his glass upside down and placed it back on the bench "Reid, still got that weird gun?" "Yeah," Reid reached into his bag and withdrew the strangely shaped glowing rifle. He handed it over to the specialist who scrutinized it in the moonlight. Everett wiped the alcohol off her lip "Does that thing even shoot bullets?" Luther sneered "Only one way to find out," he pointed it towards the black horizon and pulled the trigger. A bright bolt of blue energy blasted out the end and nearly capsized the small speedboat. The bolt flew several meters before landing in the water with a loud sizzle. "What kind of crazy shit are these bastards up too?" Everett shouted, gripping the boat to steady herself "Was that some kind of crazy rocket?" Vargas watched, wide-eyed Elise watched the bubbling water in horror "God, that thing was aimed for my head¡­" Luther looked back at the strange gun and saw the light had changed from blue to yellow, "Huh" He muttered "Um, guys," Reid looked back from his team to the shoreline frantically. The group followed his line of sight and noticed bright searchlights from the enemy base scanning their general area. "Looks like we weren''t the only ones to enjoy the light show," Everett turned to Vargas "Get us the hell out of here Gunny!" "You got it," The large man turned over the boat''s powerful engine, and the newly spirited squad disappeared into the cover of the night.