Kozuna
Silence fell over the group for all of about three seconds. That was, until Nikai kicked his feet up onto the dash with his cocky grin.
"We'll be fine. I mean, we do have ME after all."
My quiet gaze fixed ahead; I merely shook my head as we descended. Going into another clan's grounds reminded me of just how much time had passed since my squad was on a mission. And to think we'd be sent on one so vital.
Upon gaining a visual on Crescent Canyon, my entire face scrunched up at the strange design. Four dusty, almost unassuming gray-brick towers stood in a square formation- two on each side of the canyon. They connected on all sides, and the gaps beneath the thick, bridging walls had additional supports built into the chasm. Wasn't tough to spot guards or patrols, either.
"Let's clear this place out." Nikai's eternal smirk failed to fade. He pulled his assault rifle from beneath his seat and climbed straight onto the rounded buggy bars over our heads. He held on tight, glancing my way. "You coming, Kozuna?"
Again, I shook my head and sighed. Nonetheless, I smirked a little. I could've at least had some fun before all the mayhem.
My hair whipped further in the cutting winds as I followed Nikai's lead. I even took some of the bindings under my seat and tucked them into my belt. I already knew what I'd need to do.
The two of us gripped the rooftop buggy bars as Anari sped onward, toward the first patrol in our way. When our engine revved, they twisted our way. She didn't hesitate to literally run those soldiers down, while Nikai started unloading and laughing like hell. That part, I couldn't find enjoyment in.
Bullets rang out and zipped across the open wind. With the Bahsin caught off guard by our surprise advance, they barely had time to react before being gunned and run to the ground.
I know this is for the sake of our clan, but isn't there a better way to go about securing the water?
My gaze bounced between Anari and Nikai specifically. The serious squad leader bent on doing what was deemed necessary, and the guy who seemed to enjoy what he was doing. Outside of myself, Yvira was the only person in our group who didn't appear bloodthirsty. Fitting for the medic, and the least combat-oriented squad member.
I'll do my best to minimize the deaths, at least.
"Get me closer before the canyon opens up," I muttered, pulling my grappling gun from the holster. "I'll swing over on the left."
By then, the small Bahsin fort had turned its attention to us. Soldiers lining the walls took aim and didn't waste a second to fire. Anari took evasive maneuvers. Nikai and I had to duck low with practically no protection available. We both nearly went flying.
"By yourself?" Anari half-shouted out, shifting gears and going faster. "We've got two watchtowers on each side! Going alone is risky, Kozuna!"
"I'll create an opening! Besides, I work better solo! Beeline for the gate once I'm off!"
"Fine! I'll get you as close as I can! Be careful!"
"Of course."
I took aim immediately and breathed deeply, preparing to go flying.
Nikai lightly punched my shoulder. "Go get 'em, bro!"
Anari raced closer to the wall and quickly swerved, avoiding plummeting into the rippling start of the canyon. I shut one eye as I concentrated on my target- the closest of the four towers. For a few seconds, everything in the world felt slower. I couldn't explain it.
But as Anari drove in the opposite direction I was aiming, I fired the hook. And almost instantly, I clicked the trigger again and went flying. In a matter of seconds, I cleared our buggy, the Bahsin walls, and crash-landed through the highest level of the tower. I was right below the roof and right above some unconscious guy.
I hadn't realized until after the fact, but my foot slammed into his skull and left that poor guy out cold. It made my day easier, though. And I had the high ground. I pulled out my gun and peered over the railing, firing off warning shots at the soldiers atop the walls.
This'll get the squad in! Gotta knock these Bahsin out and tie them down! Nothing more!
Right then, the gate burst off the hinges. Anari, Nikai, and Yvira barreled in, with two-thirds of them doing most of the damage. They only stopped the vehicle after crashing into a few more unlucky souls. Immediately, Anari and Nikai took everyone's attention. And they took to blasting, while Yvira shielded herself in the buggy. I had to keep up.
My fingers curled tightly around the grappling gun as I aimed toward the top floor of the next tower. I made sure to take the leap below before firing the hook and pulling the trigger. And it was a clean, protective sweep.
Gravity was a boon, and my grappling gun pulled me along insanely fast. My feet hadn't even touched the floor before the gun started dragging me forward. I speed-skidded across the top of that wall and swept several soldiers over the edges or into the rails. By the time I reached the end, no one was left in my path.
A quick reminder as to why my squad was picked for the mission.
We're young, but damn are we good.
Below, between the four walls and corner towers, the others had things covered. Butchering without mercy was a more apt description, though. Only a few quick minutes had passed, but the gunfire had already quieted to a fault. Bloody Bahsin bodies littered the fort, and in contrast, my team appeared uninjured. They secured the perimeter in various ways while I focused on knocking out and tightly tying up anyone I could spare.
I wish they weren't so keen on all the killing. I understand doing what we have to do, but still.
I only hopped to the ground once I knew things were secure on my end. The others were already gathering near a sandy, rocky descent leading deep into the canyon. Nikai greeted me with a fist bump.
"Didja knock 'em dead?"
Gazing away, I chuckled nervously. "Something like that."
Don't understand why you guys feel the need to kill everyone you come across.
Anari clapped her hands together, her gaze swapping between each of us. "Everyone ready? No injuries?"
Heads nodded across the board, and Anari turned to take point. She motioned for us to follow. Nikai and I came to her sides, while Yvira took up the rear.
"We're going in on foot. Weapons at the ready, ladies."
For the sake of the people who died defending this place, as well as our clan, I sure hope there is water down there.
***
The path wound around the canyon walls, and the winds echoed the further we went. It began to sound like beastly howling at some point. Before long, Yvira glanced around fearfully and took the chance to cling to my arm. She barely needed an excuse.
Oh, great. Here we go.
"Wh-What's that noise?"
"Heh. Probably a sand platypus."
"That's not a thing, Nikai." Yvira's lips kinda pursed and pouted. "Platypuses don't-"
Anari turned back to the both of them with a chilling gaze. "Both of you. Do me a favor and hush, 'kay? A little wind's nothing to get worked up over. It's nature we don't- hold up."
We were halted by Anari's sudden stop. Nikai almost tripped.
Our route narrowed insanely fast. We only had one way to delve deeper without dying, and that was to place our backs against the bug-infested canyon wall and step to the steep side. One foot at a time.
How sturdy was the cliff, for that matter? And what method did the Bahsin use for transporting water out?
"Yvira, you're still afraid of heights, right?" Anari glanced over her shoulder and met Yvira's sparkling eyes. "If you'd prefer to hang back and keep an eye out for enemies, I'd be okay with that."
"I- um." Yvira took a brief glimpse over the cliff; she got noticeably woozy. "I-I-"
I hastily pulled her away from the edge. Her arms were still clutching mine. "It's fine if you need to stay back, Yvira."
Yvira shook her head violently. She fluttered her eyes a few times as if to refocus herself. "N-No. No. I can- I can continue."
Before anyone else could say a word, Yvira pressed her back against the wall, forcing herself to let go of me at last. She breathed deeply, gazed below for a moment, and gulped quietly. It was only after shutting her eyes for a second that Yvira began moving to the side. Ridiculously slowly.
What's compelling her to do this?
She only managed a few fledgling steps before Nikai stupidly half-shouted, "You've got this, Yvira!"
Yvira piercingly glared over, but that sudden loss of concentration caused one of her legs to wobble. In a flash, rocks broke beneath her feet. Yvira slipped from the thin cliffside. She barely caught the edge with one hand and struggled to hold in her dreadful screams, unable to maintain grip with her clammy fingers.
Nikai hurried along the path to reach her. But despite that, Yvira lost her hold and plummeted into the depths of the canyon.
Shit!
The rest of us called out her name in unison. But without thinking, I was the one who dove after her. I felt the cliffside cracking a bit when I crouched and shot off the cliff edge.
Anari's voice bellowed throughout the canyon, bouncing off the walls like the harsh winds. "Kozuna! What are you doing?"
I'm the only one who can save her, Anari!
I focused in on my goal; the rest of the world tunneled away. When I extended my arm, Yvira was all I could see. I shifted my body position to plummet faster- I needed to catch up, and fast!
"Yvira!"
Tears welled in her eyes. Yvira's gaze flipped in my direction, and she reached out to me. She'd fallen kinda far, while I was closer to the canyon wall. But the strategy had already formed in my head. With my grappling gun in one hand and my other hand stretched even further, I propelled myself further using my legs. That rocky wall came in handy.
Before evenI knew it, I'd wrapped an arm around Yvira and immediately fired my grappling hook past the area she'd fallen from. The hook sank into the wall, and the recoil bobbed us up and down. Nikai even hurried to grab the hook and hold on for extra security. Meanwhile, Yvira breathed hard and fast. Her heartbeat showed zero signs of slowing, and she wasn't about to stop clinging to me any time soon.
How did I move so fast?
She was breathless, sweaty, and in tears. Her golden-brown curls were a frizzy mess, covering her face substantially.
"Kozuna… thanks. I-"
I pressed the trigger on my gun while glancing between her and the grappling hook. "Hold on tight."
As if I even need to tell her.
Yvira squeezed me without any intention of letting go. And gradually, the gun pulled us toward the hook. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Yvira constantly looking at me and then looking away. She was blushing a little, though I said nothing in response as we continued. I made an effort not to make eye contact once.
Agh, now this dummy's gonna fall deeper in love. Great.
It wasn't long before we reached Nikai and Anari on the other side of the steep walkway.
"YEAH! My boy Kozuna! Nice move, bro!"
Sure, but only necessary because of your mouth, dumbass.
When we finallyreached the hook, Yvira climbed on up first, giving Nikai and Anari her hands. I joined afterward, retracting the hook and tucking the entire gun away. But by the time I was done holstering it, Anari was already shaking her head.
"That was reckless, you idiot!" She smacked the back of my skull as I imagined a mother would. "But, good work."
"Sorry about that, guys…"
For some reason, Yvira was the one apologizing.
"Nah, I'm sorry." Nikai grabbed Yvira's shoulder gently, half-breaking eye contact. "Should've kept my mouth shut. That- ugh- that was my bad."
Yvira smiled a little but said nothing more. I could see her nerves were still frayed.
Anari folded her arms and cleared her throat loudly. "Enough distractions. We know she almost died. That's not something unusual for scouts or soldiers, so let's not get hung up. Gotta keep moving."
Always with that tough facade, huh?
***
The winds grew louder and more fearsome the deeper we delved into Crescent Canyon. I could only wonder what depth we were at.
There was some small, squarish building down at the bare bottom of the canyon. It was built into and against the walls. Some pipes and pumps were visible. A kind of station for the Bahsin. We could see movement- people carrying enormous vats in and out of the facility. The side to our left led straight to a cavern, where the water presumably was. Everyone also appeared to be on high alert. The echoing screams from earlier no doubt made their way to the canyon's base, even if distorted or faint.
Anari took a knee, and the rest of us followed. "Alright, guys, what are we seeing?"
"Big-ass machine turret on that roof," Nikai added, the first to chime in. "Could do some major damage if we turn it on 'em."
Almost feels like… the wind's coming from that cave.
"Entrance is to our right, and defense is light. Only a couple of men." Yvira scooched closer to me as we all observed the camp. "Looks like most soldiers and workers are holed up in the rear."
"Guarding the water source directly," Anari concluded. She began nodding and covered her mouth a bit. "Overconfident. They must believe that turret is enough defense for the front in the event of an attack. I know how we'll handle this." Anari got to her feet. "Yvira, I want you to hang back and observe. Feed us info on their movements, especially if there are any positional changes."
Yvira saluted Anari with a half-smile. "Sir, yes ma'am!"
Anari's brow visibly twitched. "Headsets on, team."
***
Yvira went flat on her stomach. The rest of us crept toward the encampment. We stayed low behind rocks, desert bushes, rubble, and barrels. By the time we'd reached the bottom, Anari and Nikai had already screwed silencers on their guns. The three of us exchanged looks, and while Anari and Nikai readied their guns, I stowed mine away. No words needed to be exchanged.
Anari gripped her headset and shushed herself to a whisper. "Give us the signal, Yvira."
It took only a few more seconds for Yvira to respond, "Hit them, NOW!"
There wasn't a hint of hesitation on either end. Anari and Nikai popped out of hiding and popped singular suppressed shots into the skulls of the soldiers. They didn't have a chance to respond. And I followed up by dashing ahead and leaping up the side of the structure wall- it wasn't very tall. My fingers sank into the side like little hooks and propelled me above.
Shit ain't as easy as I'm probably making it look!
I hopped up top with maximum efforts to maintain secrecy, while Anari and Nikai began clearing the inside beneath my boots. The turret-manning guard barely glanced over his shoulder. But by the time he'd opened his mouth, I'd already yanked the garrote from my glove and twisted it around his throat. I dropped low and dragged that man to the floor with me and away from the ladder leading inside the building. My fingers and muscles tightened and tensedin an effort to swiftly put that soldier out cold.
Make this easier on both of us! Go to sleep, already!
He fought back, silently choking and trying his hardest to make a peep. The soldier tried elbowing me and even reached for his knife, but as I forced him onto his spine, I kicked it clattering across the roof, and then wrapped my legs around his neck to double the chokehold.
Eventually, his body ceased struggling, and he fell unconscious. Wasn't long after that Anari and Nikai climbed the ladder and joined me. Both were stained with a few splatters of blood.
"Good work so far, all of you," Anari mumbled, holding her headset. "Now, we have the element of surprise and fire superiority. Let's clear them out and conclude this mission."
Nikai headed for the machine turret while Anari knelt by the edge and observed the Bahsin.
This isn't right.
"We shouldn't be taking any more lives," I mumbled, twitching in place a little.
Is this really necessary?
"We do what we have to, Kozuna. It's not as if we're required to enjoy it, though."
"Doesn't make it right. We shouldn't be the ones deciding who dies and how."
Anari sighed quietly. "We've all got two choices, Kozuna. Allow ourselves to die off, or take from the other clans what we need to survive. And our orders are the latter. What are you here for if not to kill? Capturing another clan's water takes lives slowly and painfully. A few bullets are a lot quicker. With all the adrenaline, they won't feel a thing. In this shitty world, the strong survive, not the weak."
I hesitated for a second. She wasn't wrong. Just wasn't right, either. We were there to take their water, to kill them, essentially. Just not immediately.
There has to be another way. Why must death always be the answer in the accursed world?
Fighting against myself internally, I stood back as Nikai prepared to fire. And once Anari gave the go-ahead, he let that turret run wild.
Hellfire rained down on the Bahsin, who were just trying to keep their clan alive. Conflict quietly welled up in my throat. Doing nothing but minding their own business, in their land. We were the intruders. We were the villains. The sound of speeding bullets was followed by short-lived screams of anguish and splashes of blood everywhere the eye could see. That sandy field of red plastered itself to my brain; even Yvira went dead silent.
Anari and Nikai hopped down afterward and stepped past the bodies without even batting an eye. Nikai made sure they wouldn't survive, much less stand and fight. He had the willingness to abandon his morals when the time came, and that was something about him that scared the absolute shit outta me. Chills spiraleddown my spine as I followed them.
My eyes locked onto the bloodied corpses. Dead in an instant. Better than a death caused by prolonged suffering, objectively speaking. But none of it sat right with me. I could only hope there might be other water sources in their territory, so more innocents wouldn't have to die for the Ozukashi's sake.
Anari went ahead, her body stiff and her expression still determined as ever. "There. Let's check out the cavern entrance. Most likely, the water is inside some sort of reservoir down there."
My eyes remained glued to the ground. All that crossed my mind were feelings of doubt.
I just sat by and watched those people die. Any one of them could have had family or loved ones.
"Head up, bro. Nothing could've been done." Nikai grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eyes, almost coldly. "They're enemies, and the survival of our clan comes first. I don't wanna kill them either, but our people need this water, like my little brother. And if that's the case, I'll slaughter every damn person that stands in the way of his life."
Tyuyo will always matter to him more than anyone else. I get that, but still-
Nikai and I turned our attention back to the task at hand. Anari backpedaled from the cavern, already with a hand on her pistol. Nikai and I assumed fighting positions when we saw her demeanor.
"Something's glowing and moving down there- the color orange-"
All we heard was a deep, guttural growl coming from the cavern entrance. The type of noise a beast emitted when humans were on the threshold of entering its territory.
I hope that's not what I think it is.