I didn't know what to expect from my friends dragging me along in the sky. I made sure to keep an eye on Casper, who was tailing us, and to also keep track of where they were taking me. I did notice that we were heading behind the palace. I haven't actually been behind the palace; there was always a large forest hiding behind it.
It wasn't like the field where we warriors had our training sessions; it resembled a real environment. Instead of just large oak trees, there were hills, waterfalls, rivers, and various types of trees with vibrant red leaves, both towering and small. It looked majestic from the sky, and I'm sure it was just as breathtaking at ground level.
We landed with a soft thunk, Rory slightly falling over at the harsh landing. The group came forward, Seth turning to me first, while I waited until Casper came over to me, his tail wagging and his nose high in the air.
He could smell everything in here.
"Are you coming, Vienna?" Seth called for my attention, forcing me to speed my way over to them. We stopped, the tall blonde telling Rory to let Bridget lead first.
"But why? I know where we are going."
"Last time you guided us through here, we ended up falling into a stream," Bridget said, raising an eyebrow at the redhead, who turned her gaze away to avoid the scrutiny. Bridget then looked back at me. "Do you think Casper will be okay with this? He might scare away some of the creatures."
I placed a hand on his neck, "I will make sure he stays calm. It's good practice. He had to train with Heaven Wolves, so he had to learn."
She nodded as she walked along a row of different types of trees and bushes. Some were huge, blocking out the sky, while others opened up to the bright air. The leaves displayed a variety of colors—red, green, and pink—creating a vibrant scene that resembled a forest filled with a diverse mix of species.
Rory picked a few berries as we walked along, often handing some to Seth, who stood by their side. I could hear bits of their small talk, but when Bridget gestured for them to be quiet, they immediately complied. She paused near a stream, her wings fluttering slightly in contemplation.
"We have to keep quiet if we want to see anything." She turned to us, "does anyone have an idea of where to camp out and wait?"
Rory was about to say something, but Seth placed a hand over their mouth to shut them down. Rory glared, licking his hand, which caused a blushing Seth to pull back.
Since neither of them was going to say anything, I had an idea. "Well, Casper can smell anything. How about we follow him to where most animals go and hide? We could wait for them there."
Bridget looked down at the pitbull, her eyebrows furrowed, and then let out a sigh.
"Okay, let's do that."
I nodded to them, kneeling down to pat Casper a few times. "Can you lead us to where we can smell the most of the creatures?"
His eyes lit up, and his head tilted slightly before he jumped to his paws. I stood, allowing him room to bolt forward. I quickly followed him, making sure I could hear the three pairs of footsteps behind me.
Casper leaped over a few logs, his wings spreading wide as his legs picked up speed. I kept pace with him, feeling the wind rush through my hair and the aroma of nature filling my senses. The exhilarating feeling made me smile. I missed doing this during my training with the warriors, and I could tell that Casper missed it too.
Before long, we had to slow our pace as he picked up a distinct scent wafting through the air. He paused near a cluster of birch trees, the white bark gleaming in the sunlight, and crouched behind a small river that meandered over smooth, moss-covered rocks. I panted softly, my legs trembling slightly from the exertion. The cool, soft grass and velvety moss beneath me felt soothing against my skin, and I let out a deep sigh.
The others soon arrived. Bridget hunched over and breathed out some air. Rory was practically dancing on their toes, while Seth slumped his shoulders to hold onto them. "How are you?" He asked, turning to me and then back to Rory. "Why are both of you so filled with energy?"
"'Cause we aren't old," Rory bumped the boy off their shoulders, skipping their way to me. "What now, boss?"
I rolled my eyes, looking down at Bridegt, who sat beside Casper near the stream. She caught my eye, gulping before she nodded. "We sit here and wait. We can talk; we just have to keep it quiet if we want to attract some things."
"Sounds good to me." I knelt down with them, stretching my legs out so I could feel Casper just a few inches away from me. Rory and Seth soon dropped to the ground by the towering birch trees and the bright-blue stream. We were well hidden over here, able to see across the small river to an open bank on our side.
I don't know how long we will be here, but I have the wristband to help me when the next session starts. I felt okay, I felt relaxed.
Rory and Bridget started to bicker, and soon Seth joined in to defend Bridget in their small argument. I didn't try to pay attention; my eyes were closed against the sun, and my ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest. It all felt so familiar…
Yet so far away.
The ground under my head was shaking, and my head bobbed around. Uncontrolled..
Shouting, yelling, and desperate screaming. People were scared and alarmed... It was loud, yet so distant from my mind that it almost felt unreal.
I was jolted awake as the ground shook and a loud explosion echoed around me. I sat up, panting with exhilaration, and looked around. I found myself inside an open cargo truck, with men in armor rushing out while brandishing their guns. The sound of screaming filled the air, and it dawned on me that we were under attack.
"Vi! Vi, come on, get up!" Dawson appeared by my side, jumping from the passenger seat, and grabbed a gun. He held me on my side, helping to push me out of the truck along with everyone else. "Everyone behind the truck!"
My comrades followed their lieutenant's orders, quickly diving for cover to avoid the incoming enemy gunfire. Dawson pushed me toward the back of the truck. I swiftly drew my gun from its holster, raising it defensively as some of the men returned fire against the enemy.
This didn't make sense. How could we already be on the battlefield? We were supposed to be heading to the station camp. Did we get ambushed? This felt more like an enemy surprise attack, with a whole force coming at us. They could easily take down three-line trucks.
"Yes! We need backup!" Dawson was desperately screaming in his earpiece. He gave out some orders for backup. This had to be an ambush then; he was frantic.
Screaming came from the other side, a bomb blew off, and I kneeled in the dirt. Gritting my teeth, a partner on my side fell down with a loud groan. He was shooting back at the enemy from on top of the truck, but he had gotten caught and shot in the shoulder.
He was clinging to his side, tears reaching the bottom of his dirt-covered chin. I looked around, trying to catch a familiar face in the crowd. When I saw it, I raised a hand and screamed over the chaos, "MISSY! Over here, man down!"
The girl caught my eye. She was kneeling down on the other truck, hiding under some of my team. She looked at the man, her eyes widening in shock. She moved to try to run over to me, but the gunfire was too much. The guys pulled her back, yelling to her about the danger.
I came over to the injured man, and I put pressure on his shoulder where he was shot. The man let out a yowl, curling away at my touch. "Hold on, Andrew, don't move!"
The blood seeped through my fingers, sinking into my gloves at an alarming rate. I looked around, and the smoke from the bombs were spiking up. It was becoming increasingly chaotic. Missy was the only medic on this trip, which consisted of just three cargoes. She had to get to this man and help before he died. My other team members stayed low, waiting for the enemy to reload so they could take their own shots.
Andrew was the only one who had one shot right now; he didn't have the time to wait.
"Dawson-"
The man couldn't hear me because he was covering one ear to listen to the others through his earpiece. Realizing I wouldn't get his help, I turned back to my team members. They crouched low, gripping their weapons tightly. We were all afraid.
My body trembled, and my legs shook as if they were shaking from the ground. The guns blasted in my ears, and it was numbed away by my growing heartbeat. It was loud in my ears, ringing and blocking my vision from the smoky air.
No, I was not going to freeze up this time. I had a team member who needed help,and Ineeded to do something to help them.
Holding onto my gun, I forced my body to move, my eyes to focus, and my breathing to slow. I ended up beside some of my comrades. Leaning against the truck alongside them, I shouted over the chaos, "I need some cover!"
One of them with dreaded black hair turned his frantic eyes to me. "What!? Why!?"
"I need to get Missy over here for Andrew! But I need some cover, you got that!?"
Both men looked at one another, their eyes drifting over to Andrew, who was holding his side while leaning on the truck. With furrowed brows, they turned back to me. "We've got you!"
I nodded hastily, crouched down, and moved over to the end of the truck where Missy and the other group were. I locked eyes with her, avoiding the shots ranging between us. "Get ready!"
She nodded and crouched down. The men with her looked back, realizing what I and the other men behind me intended. They didn't know why I needed Missy, but they helped cover me.
We waited until the firing ceased for a moment. They were loading back up, a perfect time to fire back.
"NOW!"
As we jumped forward, the men on my side rose from their positions and started to fire back. I reached Missy, gripping her arm firmly, just before the enemy started shooting again. We took cover beside the truck, along with my other team members. I glanced back at the guys who were covering me; they looked at me between bursts of gunfire.
They were confused about what to do next. I turned back around, away from the shots to try and think. My hair stuck to my head from the sweat, and my eyes where shut tightly. The gun in my grip tightened.
Fighting back that fear, I turned to Missy. "When I say go, run and stay behind me!"
The woman gave a quick nod, her face beading with sweat from the chaos. I looked behind her at the men, "cover me!"
I pushed myself out of the truck, trying to dodge the shots fired at me from behind cover. The guys on the other side nodded, readying their guns to return fire. I felt Missy cling to my back before I lay down and took a few encouraging breaths.
"Vienna!?" Dawson's voice rang out over the gun firing. I looked up to see his shocked, confused eyes on the other side of the truck. He was saying something, but it was smothered away by the bomb going off in front of one of the trucks.
Everyone bounced at the sudden jolt. The dust built up in front of us, flying and obscuring the space all around. It was the perfect coverage.
"Now!" I yelled, signaling to my team. Facing the enemy, I fired a few rounds in their direction. All I could see was a dust cloud, but I heard the grunt of an enemy being struck.
My cover shot back beside me, they all rushed forward, one man throwing another bomb before hiding behind the third truck.
I focused on the first one, where Dawson and an injured Andrew stayed. The rest of my team had followed with the first one, letting out as many shots as they could in the dust clouds. Men were falling just in front of us, but I knew they had the cover from the truck.
Missy didn't have to be told; she rushed to Andrew's side and began administering the first aid he needed. That left me to fall against the truck, Dawson by my side. The guns still went off, drawing out by panting breaths. My arms shook, my legs trembled.
I was about ready to fall apart..
A hand pushed me forward, and Dawson appeared beside me. He was smiling, despite the chaos, dust, and cuts on his face. He continued to smile at me.
"You did good, Vi."
I let out a sigh, my eyes slightly watering at the man's encouragement. I could almost faint from it, but I didn't. I held my stance, pressed my lips together, and gave a firm nod.
He returned it, removing his hand to better hold his gun. "But we aren't done. Far from it." He stood up, giving me a look. "Let's get going."
I nodded back, unable to stop the grin on my lips. "Got it, boss!"
I jumped from the ground, positioning myself behind him as we moved toward the other men near the third truck. One of them threw a grenade, causing an explosion that sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air. I held my gun firmly in my hands, my expression serious, and my heart raced as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
Before I could burst through the covering smoke, I was startled awake by a push to my side.
I bolted upright, panting heavily as the environment shifted around me. Bridget quickly came into view, placing her hands on my shoulders to steady me and prevent me from falling forward. She had a smile on her face, but it faded almost immediately when she looked at me. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I am." I moved my body back to make her let me go. I gulped down a rush of air, looking up at her concerned eyes and smiled, "I'm fine, Bridget. What happened?"
I could tell she didn't believe me, but Rory interrupted us before she could fight back. The redhead closed our mouths with their hand, shushing us as they did so. "Shush! Both of you, before you scare it away?"
"Scware whut awahy?" I said, voice muffled behind their hand.
Seth crouched behind us, and both he and Rory smiled brightly. He pointed across the stream to the open space behind us. I followed his finger and caught sight of the creature.
My breathing hitched, and my body almost folded in on itself.