Chapter 7
The sounds of horns rang through a forest as they called out for the guards. They sounded for a long while, then the stamping of boots and hooves on a dirt road, with the sounds of the clinking and clanking of metal against metal dominated. Another horn and the noise stopped atop of a hill, with the wind blowing in and disrupting the noise as it blew through the leaves of the tall trees. A smaller while crept up with silence, then, the rasping of swords leaving their sheaves sounded..
The next sound that came next, it was the most frightening and encouraging sound Rainbow Dash has heard of that has left the throat of man.
Horns blew and the sounds of men yelling and screaming their defiance against an adversary better than them that they will overcome, like all the others creatures they have fought, even if they are better equipped.
The last sounds before the screams of agony and death, the grunting of exhaustion and wasted energy was the clang of metal biting into the hardened wood of shields and weapons alike.
Rainbow knew her part in this grand battle, however, she could not think of what she was supposed to do as wooden arrows, sharpened at the ends, began to shoot up to her from the tall, green creatures. Her brain became addled with fear and the hope of the crude arrows missing her body, especially her wings entirely.
She then dove down to the ground, finally remember her objective: To spot the Elf King that lead the legion facing the outnumbered human warriors that were distracting the enemy from the deadly selective fire of the sharpshooters that lay a half mile away from the battle, picking off stragglers and to help their comrades thin the enemy numbers.
Rainbow soared slightly above the battlefield that has become chaos, while staying out of reach of the tallest Elves wooden clubs. She saw the King, a head taller than the tallest Elf.
She pulled away from the battle and flew as fast as she could towards the clouds. Up and up she went, until she felt cold. Her breath left a small breeze. The thin air made her resort to take deep breaths just to get enough oxygen into her lungs as they burned. Rainbow relaxed her body and she let herself drop.
Down and down she went, letting gravity and her wings push her closer to the ground. Her descent grew faster as she made herself flat, bringing in her wings to her sides as she gained more speed until, finally, she made a Sonic Rainboom hundreds of feet off the ground.
The sound of the sound barrier being broken alerted everyone, both human and Elf alike. The fighting stopped completely as they saw the cascading colors branch away in a wide circle from where Rainbow Dash broke the sound barrier.
Mel was speechless as a rainbow trail lead down to the ground. He followed it as the trail past over a large figure with a Golden Leaf Circlet atop its head. He looked over at Vic, who was next to him, and found him gaping at the beautiful colors that swirled and mixed together.
“The Elf King,” He whispered to himself, as his Loran jumped up and down, while wooping louding over the excitement of the Sonic Rainbow.
He heeled his ride and it lumbered off at its quickest pace, which is quite weird for its lanky physique.
He stopped a few feet away from the edge of the forest near the top of the hill and hopped off his Loran, who kept shouting while looking up at the Rainboom.
Mel lept into the forest, moving as fast as he could over brambles and roots, over rocks and boulders, over trickling streams and a few rabbit holes. He slide to a stop near a root that was exposed to the surface and pulled a blanket away from the trunk.
He shoved his left hand in and pulled out an old Bolt-action rifle. It was the Model 1903 Bolt-Action Rifle that was the primary weapon of the American Armed forces in World War I and was the main Sniper weapon during World War II and the Korean War during the Republic of North America’s early history, which was called the United States of America while Canada, Mexico and the entire Caribbean were their own countries back then.
The only thing on his M1903 was an high powered scope that a x12 sight with optical zoom that could exceed the x12.
Mel laid flat on his stomach and covered himself with the blanket, along with his weapon, which was covered with moss and grass to blend in with the surrounding area. He sighted it quickly and searched for his target. It took a couple of minutes because the battle resumed before he even hit the tree line a few minutes ago.
It took a while but he saw the glint of the Circlet and aimed two notches above the head of the Elf King. He took his time to properly aim and then he held his breath. Seconds went by. Then minutes, then hours and days passed as he slowly pulled the trigger.
2 Weeks earlier
‘Way to go Jen. You screwed up big time, and I highly doubt Mel’s gonna save you.’ Jen thought to herself as she ran, jumping over the normal plant denizens of the forest, with a mixture of small rodents and lizards.
Normally, when Jen got into trouble, it was only around the village with pranks that she would willing to to some of the folks. She got in trouble most of the time and either fixed what she had broken or worked for a certain number of days or weeks to replace the item of question she had broken, depending on what it was.
But this trouble she was into, it would most likely end in her death, which dampened her plans to become the next greatest archeologist. If Harrison Ford was still alive, he would be proud of Jen’s Indiana Jones adventure just had, just replace the Nazis with a creature she’s never even heard of before. He would most definitely be proud. Hopefully. Maybe.
Jen whips her head around as she heard low growls pop up from behind her. She stumbled and fell, tripped by a root that began to wrap itself around her foot. ‘The root is alive?!’ she thought as it snaked up her leg, firmly trapping her to the ground. Whatever that made it move left it, the root becoming still.
The figures moved into view. They were all lanky and tall. The shortest of the creatures was taller than Grant, the town’s blacksmith and he was almost seven feet tall, just off by a centimeter. There was five of them and they each held a long curved blade that was fat at the end in their clawed, green hands. They wore black leather chest guards, bracers and simple fur waist cloths that had leaves dangling at random.
The tallest of the group made its way over to Jen and grabbed her hair in a clawed hand, his sword against her throat. It showed its sharp teeth, a low growl coming from deep inside its diaphragm. Its full black eyes were unblinking and Jen could sense the anger in them. It breathed through two slits where its nose should be as slits that could be gills on its side moved, breathing in the air.
“Ach ti nan fu nang so nu.” The creature breathed, its comrades watching silently, kneeling, hoping to spring into action at the slightest movement.
“I-I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re saying!” Jen breathed, her eyes wide. “Look, I’m sorry! Take the sword back then!” She shoved the cloth-covered sword into the creature’s chest.
It let go of her hair, grabbed the sword and tossed it behind him. One of his subordinates snatching it from the air and put it inside of a bag quickly, like it was a venomous snake ready to bite its hand.
Then one of them stood up, like a prairie dog on watch, its pointy ears twitching at the slightest sound. The others picked it up a second later, even the leader, who stood up. Then Jen finally heard a twig snap in the direction she was running.
The leader raised his sword, growling like a wolf that was about to go on the attack, tensing. “Tu nad shis la nack fo dur!” It shouted as it moved forward in a charge, its sword raised.
That’s when a loud, sharp noise cracked through the morning air. It was there a second, then rolled out, like the sound of thunder after a lightning strike.
The leader jerked back, like it was closed line, falling hard on its. Its head lolled to one side, looking towards the area of Jen, its right eye missing, leaving only an open hole bigger than the eye and its socket. A thick, dark looking oozed crept its way out slowly of the opening, along with small chunks of gray matter.
One of the other creatures yelled out a deep, loud roar that seemed filled with malice and anguish. Then, a loud series of snaps resounded throughout the forest as each creature taken down, one by one without even being able to lift their swords. Save for one. Its sword arm was shot twice in the forearms, both shots piercing through the bracer.
As the loud sounds dissipated through the air, three men covered in foliage, moss and fungi walked up to Jen nonchalantly. She knew each of the by name and was close with all three of them. They were her brothers.
-
Vic jumped a little at the sound of Mel slamming both of his fists against a wooden table, a stack of paper jumping, landing, then a few papers flew away, to get away from Mel’s anger. Vic was more surprised about him jumping at the sound of Mel’s fists than his anger.
“Are you kidding me?!” Mel asked as he stood up from his chair, letting it topple to the ground. “Good work on saving your sister, you three, but what you did Is inexcusable! What have I taught you when something like that happens?” He asked the Jen’s three brothers: Alex, Tanner and Jacob.
They stood across from his desk, still dressed in their Ghillie suits they wore. Alex was the oldest of the three at the age of twenty-seven. He already has a kid and happily married with only five years in the military. He’s one of the original six to have any military training, and thats including Vic, who stood behind Mel in his back left corner. Alex is average height for his age, with brown hair, slate gray eyes and handsome jawline most girls go for. He still kept his military body, like Mel and Vic.
Tanner was the second oldest at the age of twenty-four. He also had brown hair, and good jawline with stubble growing all around his face. His nose, though was broken a few times, so it bent down slightly. He was a SWAT Sniper in Los Angeles, but his training was dumbed down, only being able to hand urban warfare. His brother Alex had to fill in the rest. He was tallest of the bunch, standing at six feet, two inches. He had a fiance and is expecting soon.
Jacob was the youngest of the four kids at the age of fifteen. His hair was dirty blonde with green eyes, his jaw line was more refined, like his sister’s and was less pronounced than his two brothers’ because of the baby fat that still somehow stuck around, even though he was training with brothers to enter into Mel’s Town guard as a shooter when reached sixteen. The last one was Jen, who stood next to Jacob.
She looked at the ground while the other three were looking at particularly nothing or something past Mel. Guess the Drill Instructor in Mel still showed through since he had them at attention for five minutes straight before his explosion. Vic chuckled at that.
Jen was five feet, six inches. Beautiful for a young of her age at eighteen than most of the girls of her same age with long, flowing, pure blonde hair and blue eyes. But the personality issue that she has of getting into trouble is warrant on her face and in her eyes. Guess she’s being ignored for something that girls aren’t allowed to be doing here. He’ll have to ask that of Mel.
“To wait until definitive proof that said creatures were going to hurt Jen, sir.” Alex spoke first, as his brothers helped finished the sentence. The military training still shows.
“And from the story you just told me, Lieutenant, that you did not wait until proof and shot the creatures without hesitation and left one alive to tell the enemy. What has your training told you about letting the enemy live?” Mel asked as he placed his left hand atop his desk. Good choice of using the former rank, Mel.
“None, sir, other than that no enemy is supposed to be alive after an encounter with a Ghost, sir.” Alex replied what seemed to be mechanically. Guess Mel chewed into the young sniper’s butt a few times before when he was supposed to be discreet.
“And you have completely went against that. Now we have to ramp up training and double the guards during the night. You three are revoked of your rifle privileges until I say otherwise. Is that understood?”
“Sir! Yes sir!” All three boys shouted as Jen mumbled it, staring at her feet.
Mel raised his hands to dismiss them but Vic stepped from his place in the corner and held up his own to stop Mel.
“May I speak with them, Mel?” Vic asked as he stopped in front of the line of siblings, looking at each one, save for Jen, who just continually looked down.
“At your leave, Ca-Vic,” He said with a hint of catching himself, since he was about to say captain. Vic ignored it, for his friend.
“Thank you. Now, I will say this: I completely agree with Mel here that what you three just did will cause more trouble for your town than what Miss Jen could have done by stealing. Was there any excuse for what you three did, other than a sword placed against your sister’s throat?” Jen shivered a little. So she’s still traumatized by that. He looked at them in turn.
“No excuse, sir,” Tanner spoke up that time. He even spotted Jacob a small change in Jacob’s face but it was gone an instant before.
“Is there anything you’d like to say Jacob?” Vic asked as he stood in front of the Fifteen year old, then knelt to see him at eye level.
“Sir,” he said uneasily, “um, will this, um, incident affect me to get into the town’s guard?” He asked, looking up at Vic then at Mel.
“Personally, I would have do latrine duty for three months after you've graduated, but since the situation has become dire, I’m not particular about that myself. What happens with that is up to your Mayor himself. He’s even saved my butt a few times before. If I were you, I’d trust his judgement and take the punishment, whatever it is, like a man. OK?” Vic asked as he stood back up.
“Yes sir,” Jacob said, looking straight at Vic with a small grin on his lips.
“Good. I think that’s all I have to say, but may I suggest, Mel,” He turned to his friend, “If you’re going to be fighting a battle, I suggest you’ll need every shot you have, until, hopefully, this is over.”
“I do agree with you Vic. Alex, you’re the senior training officer, ramp up the men’s training as much as you can. Forget the classroom and put them into the muck. Tanner, rally the guard and double the shifts, Also, send out probes consisting of your most silent guards in two-men squads every other hour. Keep them on rotation. They’re only jobs are to be eyes and ears, not hands. If they spot anything, have them report directly to me or Captain Victor Hanlan, here.
“The guards posted on the walls also do not have permission to fire until I specifically say otherwise. I don’t anymore blood on our hands than there already is. Jacob, you’re immediately going to train for the Green, but know this, I expect your brother to take no pity on you. If you fall behind in the muck or can’t take it, then you’re completely done and will be used for jobs the town might need. Got it?” He ordered. All three replied simultaneously with an enthusiastic ‘sir, yes sir.’ “The three of you are dismissed, but Miss Jennifer, I still need a word with you in private.” She nodded, reluctant to stay.
As the three brothers left, Vic took his position back in his corner. Mel corrected his chair and sat down in it. He pulled out the stolen item and set it down on his desk, opening up the brown cloth. It was sword that gleamed without sunlight, as did the scabbard. It was long, thin, and curved, reaching up to sixteen inches from the hilt. It almost looked like an old Japanese Katana. Almost.
“My only question is this: What do you really want, Jen? Why do you go headlong into trouble without a second thought? Why?” Mel asked. It sounded like he was pleading for an answer. A first for Vic.
Her only answer was to shift on her feet, still looking down.
“The only course of action that I have for you now is to join the guard and take the Green, or send you to the brig with the rest of the criminals. You have twelve hours to decide on your own punishment. Dismissed.” He said, placing the sword into its scabbard and wrapped it up again in the cloth. Jen bowed her head and hurriedly walked out of Mel’s office.
“A little harsh, don’t you think Mel?” Vic asked as sat in a chair, across from his friend.
“Maybe, but as you once told me ‘lack of discipline for the mind, leads to the lack of discipline on the trigger.’” Mel recited as he rubbed his eyes.
“You were also like that once. Hot headed and ready to cause trouble through insubordination, which was what got you into the Sniper Corps. Well, that and I was able to pull a few strings.”
“And I’m glad you did. I still remember you yourself bursting into my room, tying me up, gagging and bagging me and then throwing me into the back of a two-ton.”
“Yeah, and you were kicking and punching the entire time without even flinching, even though you recognized it was me and where you were. You still wanted to fight. But I do have a question.”
“Shoot,”
“Why does Jen steal and cause trouble? Obviously it's to get attention, but what does she hope to show us when she has it?”
“I still don’t know. I've confronted her about it many a time but I still get nothing but either a blank stare or just her hair falling over her eyes as she looked at the floor. The answer to the next question is this: She was, uh, she was almost raped when she was fifteen before her brother Tanner pulled the assailant, a Danny Juskin, off of her and hauled him to the brig. A few days before that, Jack died from his Brain Cancer. Other than those two events, I know nothing else.” Mel stated as he stood up and stretched out his arms and his back.
“Nothing to do than to wait, I guess.” Vic replied as he also stood up.
Mel was about to say something before a horn blew. They both flew outside, seeing Tanner above the South Gate as his archers had bowstrings drawn the their ears, an arrow nocked and ready.
Vic followed as Mel climbed up the stairs to the ramparts where a small force of the creatures that attacked Jen stood in front of the gate. They had swords in their sheath that poked out over their shoulders. There was six of them. Rainbow flew over and landed between Vic and Mel, looking below at the creatures.
“Where’ve you been?” Vic asked the cyan pony as she landed.
“Exercising. I need to keep my wings strong, after all.” She replied, like it was the most obvious thing.
“What do the Elves want?” Mel shouted to the six creatures.
“We want the Light that Cuts Away the Darkness, the three Humans who wiped out our Lonka and the girl who stole The Light. If you give us these, we might think of sparing your pitiful race.” The tallest of the six called back as it stepped forward.
"The only thing you'll be getting from us is your sword back. We'll deal punishment of our offspring ourselves."
The leader didn't like that response as it openly growled it disdain for the choices. “Then we shall see you on the open field to spill blood and make you watch your entrails fall out of you. Fu nak grak.” The leader shouted as all six of the Elves turned around, walking back the way they came.
Until they were out of sight, the tension in the atmosphere relaxed a little as the archers relaxed their strings and put their arrows back into their quivers.
“So, what happens next?” Vic asked as he crossed his arms across his chest as he stared at the spot where the Elves made their disappearance. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure Mel knew too.
“What happens next,” Mel said hesitating a little as a small sadness washed over him. “We ride for war,”