A New Beginning

by Alexander W Meurant

  As they reached the border of the light Luto opened fire and as soon as he did, so did the others of his unit. Sain pulled his trigger twice and heard the tell-tale bangs of the rounds even as two brass shells ejected from his rifle.

  The flood lights went out as Luto hit them and all three of the sentries went down, a few screams sounding. And then Luto was running forward, through the last of the ferns. Sain blinked his eyes a few times and lifted his left hand as he ran and reactivated his night vision. As the green light came back, he saw Luto making a beeline for the building the sentries had been lounging against.

  "Get to the buildings, the place is going to be like a kicked anthill" Luto shouted as he ran forward, other gunshots erupting from the right and left and even in the distance as other units opened fire and advanced. Shouts sounded from inside the village as the place woke up and Sain felt his heart beat as a wash of terror hit him. What was he doing here damnit! That thought hit him like a bucket of ice water and he grit his teeth, mentally pushing the thought aside. This was what soldiers were paid to do right?

  As they reached the building Luto went to the door and flung his left hand out, a blast of magic splintering the door and sending it crashing inside. Sain didn't see what happened next as he turned his back on the door and kept watch with Roland. He heard shouts and screams as Luto and the other two from his unit entered the building and began clearing it out. Shots sounded from inside, somewhat muffled. Hearing more shouting to his right Sain turned his gaze and saw another unit, the Delta unit coming into view, their guns blazing as they fired into a long building in front of them. All the buildings were made of what looked to be mudbricks and clay, causing him to wonder if they could stand up to bullets.

  Seeing movement in a window on the west side of the building Sain brought his rifle up and tapped his trigger a half dozen times without hesitation. His rounds ripped through the pane of glass and shrieks sounded from inside. He fired a few more rounds inside for good measure before hearing a shout to his left. Sain turned and saw Ronald take a knee and start firing. Looking over Ronald’s head Sain saw around a dozen men turning a corner from the north east in the distance and heading south down the road, most of them peeling off to the sides and taking cover behind obstacles. Lifting his rifle back to firing position Sain walked forward slowly and lined up two people who had not taken cover yet.

  Pulling his trigger a number of times he watched the rounds hammer home into the two men. They both collapsed screaming into the dirt road and he clenched his jaw grimly. They wouldn't be able to see him very well if at all. Not with the lack of light. Roland was firing as well and Sain grimaced as he swept his rifle around looking for other targets.

  A wash of light lit up his vision and Sain hissed as the flood light from the tower blinded him. He lifted his left hand to shield his eyes and goggles even as a bullet slammed into his head. He staggered backwards as the bullet bounced off of his magic barrier and he growled feeling a surge of anger. He dropped his rifle from his right hand and felt it fall in its sling and come to whack into his thigh. He didn't care. Sain just focused on the light and hissed as two more rounds slammed into him. One into his left chest and another into his left shoulder. Both bounced right off of him. He could hear shouting behind him, something about taking cover but he still didn't care. Instead he just drew on magic from his core. He pulled it up and focused it into a ball between his hands, condensing it.

  He aimed it in the general direction of the light and then exhaled as he released the blast, flinging out both of his hands. The energy screeched through the air, almost like an animalistic shriek and then suddenly a loud boom sounded in the distance and the light disappeared.

  Sain hissed as his vision came back and the infra-red night vision kicked back in. He stared at where the tower was, or more correctly had been. The top of the tower was gone and all Sain could see of it was the splintered base.

  "Fuck me dead Sain, that tower was like a hundred meters away" Sain heard a voice behind him and he turned to see Luto standing there, a faint impression of a grin visible under his mask. Sain just shrugged trying not to gloat and picked up his rifle again, getting a comfortable grip.

  "Can you two lovebirds stop talking and start helping" Roland shouted out and Sain jolted out of his distracted state and turned back to the road the militia had been running down. He looked over them and surveyed the cover they were using. There were a few stacks of sand bags hugging the building walls as makeshift fortifications and Sain snorted as he realized a number of the militiamen were looking worriedly back towards the tower. They seemed edgy and spooked. Sain couldn't quite see their faces but he could just guess how they were feeling. He was suddenly reminded of his time way back in Rindai. That helipad where he had been overpowered by that mage. The crushing defeat he had had. He shook his head and stepped off to the left and into the wall of the building. To the right and a few meters in front of him was the building he had shot into through the window. He heard a crash and more gunshots as the Delta unit breached it from the other side. Screams sounded from inside.

  "Target C confirmed down. South Eastern side. Over" sounded out over the radio and Sain smiled grimly. He looked to the window he had shot through and a helmeted head with goggles peeked out. The soldier saw Sain and the others of his unit and lifting a hand gave the youth a thumbs up. Sain grinned a little. One of the targets had been in that building alright. So, one down and three to go. He hefted his rifle and exhaled deeply, composing himself just as he heard the radio crackle and recognized Travos’ voice.

  "Acknowledged target C down. All units keep advancing. And whoever blew that tower, good job, it rattled the enemy and put them on the backfoot. Over" Travis stated and Sain felt a surge of pride. He felt a slap on his left shoulder and he turned, seeing one of the other two in his unit. A black skinned Samite by the name of Havas.

  "Good job, don't let it get to your head. Gloating gets good men killed" Havas stated and then moved forward. He stood behind Roland who was still kneeling and taking pot shots around the corner and started firing down the road as well.

  "Sain, on me, we go around the building. Karar, go to the right and take cover against that building. It should be safe now it's been cleared. We need to clear this road" Luto stated and Sain nodded feeling butterflies in his stomach. As Luto turned and led him around the building on the left Sain caught a glimpse of movement ahead and saw members of the Foxtrot unit, all spread out and lying down at the edge of the ferns.

  Luto stopped on the corner of the building and looked over the area, seemingly thinking. Sain glanced around him and saw a wide-open area. What looked to be a water well stood in the middle of the area and a number of small path's ran from it to wind in between the buildings. There were buildings on three sides. It was essentially a courtyard that faced off into the ferns. The same ferns that the foxtrot unit was crawling through. Seeing flashes of light deeper in the courtyard Sain watched as bullets peppered the ferns and a few collided with the barriers of the crawling foxtrots. That wasn't good.

  "Sain, go back into the building we just cleared. There was a window on the north western wall facing this courtyard. Smash it out and fire into the courtyard. I will stay here. We need to get Foxtrot out of the grass and into the building on the other side of the courtyard. Then they can help us clear the road. Now go" Luto stated and Sain nodded. He broke away from the Sergeant and turned fast and dashed around the corner of the building, and stepped into the small building, gagging at what came to fill his vision.

  There was a small fire pit in the middle of a large single room and what looked like bedrolls spread all around the walls. Sain counted about fourteen bodies, and at least three of them were women. They had been shot to pieces. A few of the men were naked and a few more had hands wrapped around weapons and were half out of their beds, like they had been caught getting up. And the rest were simply still in bed, looking like they hadn't been given the opportunity to wake up before dying. />
  "Echo to Foxtrot, we have eyes on you approaching courtyard. Building to your east is in our possession We will give covering fire for advance to building to your west. Over" Sain heard Luto's voice crackle over the radio and he jolted out of his thoughts tasting bile rising in his throat and mouth. He shook his head and locked eyes on the window Luto had mentioned. He went straight forward stepping over a corpse and lifted his rifle and smashed the butt of it through the window, sending glass scattering outside. He smashed down the edges of the glass on the bottom frame and then squatted, resting the barrel of his rifle on the window frame. He felt the ground squelch beneath his feet and exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the fact that he could feel the heel of his boot touching a human head.

  Looking ahead Sain saw more flashes of gunfire erupt from the building on the opposite site of the courtyard and he blinked, noticing the building was long and had a half dozen windows, all of which had gun barrels sticking out of them.

  "Ghost to Echo and Foxtrot. We are at the west courtyard, at eleven o'clock. Western building is empty. No hostiles inside. Building at twelve o'clock is occupied" came an unfamiliar voice over the radio and Sain flicked his gaze to the left, seeing a few helmeted heads pointing out from between two buildings at what he guessed to be the north west corner of the courtyard. He smiled grimly as he waited for Luto to reply to the Ghost unit. Instead he heard a shout from where Luto had been hiding behind the corner.

  "Sain, give us cover, we are going forward" Luto shouted from around the corner and Sain turned his gaze to the right. He locked onto one of the six windows of the long building and not quite being able to see into it he just started firing randomly and methodically into it. Seeing flashes of light out of the corner of his left eye he surmised the Ghost unit was firing from their position as well.

  Sain kept shooting until he heard a click and he swore as he emptied his magazine. Grabbing the empty magazine, he yanked it out of his rifle and dropped it to the ground carelessly before he pulled a full magazine from his chest and clipped it back into his rifle. Seeing movement in the corner of his eye once more he watched as Luto appeared with his left hand held up before him and his right splayed out to the front, his rifle hanging to his side, discarded. Five other soldiers appeared as well, all mimicking Luto. They were all chanting and Sain suddenly remembered something. They were all mages. How had he forgotten that?

  The six advanced in a line chanting and they all drew on energy from fire crystals in their belts. Six fireballs materialized and flew forward, each smacking into the wall of the long building and exploding in a shower of sparks and flame. And then six more flew forward again, exploding spectacularly. Sain felt a shiver of awe and then remembered he had a job to do. He eyed the building again and started firing again, noting that the Ghost unit had broken into the courtyard as well. He watched three of them burst into a small out building at the north of the courtyard and go about their trade. Flashes of light appeared from the doorway but that was all Sain could see.

  Looking back to Luto and the Foxtrot's Sain saw them walk level with his position, still hurling fireballs into the long building. Sain stood up and drawing on his core he sent a small blast of magic at the wall to the right of the window frame. As it blew out and sent clumps of dried mud and clay into the courtyard he stepped through even as he let his rifle fall to his side. Letting his left-hand fall to his belt he touched a crystal embedded within it and drew on its energy. A fire crystal. Feeling the power well up through his hand and cause a tingle of warmth to rush through his left side he grinned, eyes locked on the building ahead.

  Aware now he was level with Luto, he walked forward and lifted his right hand. He was barely a half dozen meters from the building now as he guided the fire energy into his outstretched right palm and he looked at the building now gaping with smoldering holes. He saw a few people inside, and the guns held by them. They were still firing, bullets peppering into the now seven advancing mages and causing ripples to run across their barriers. Sain copped a few rounds to the torso himself and staggered slightly but for the most part was unfazed.

  He just kept walking forward methodically even as he felt the fire energy starting to roil in his palm and he grinned widely. It was time. Sain released the energy in a long gout of flame pointed straight into one of the gaping holes. He held the gout as he advanced in slow steps, ignoring the screams inside as the flames rushed over his victims, melting away their flesh and burning them to a crisp. He counted slowly, ten seconds, fifteen, twenty and then the fire fizzled out, the energy of the crystal spent. He was suddenly at the building and he stepped inside just as Luto and the Foxtrot's did as well. The place smelt like a barbecue. Sensing movement ahead Sain shifted his gaze and noticed a hallway, he made to step forward but stopped when he felt someone grab his left shoulder, or more correctly try to grab his shoulder before their hand collided with his barrier and slid off. Sain turned to look at the culprit and saw it was Luto. He raised a brow in query.

  "With me Sain, let Foxtrot clear this building. We need to rejoin our unit" Luto said and stepped outside the building. Sain followed obediently as the Foxtrot's spread out through the building. He heard gunshots from down the hallway and surmised there were survivors further inside the long building.

  Coming back into the courtyard Sain swung his gaze around as he picked his rifle up from his thigh again. Luto moved off and Sain followed as he walked to the south of the corner of the building they had just destroyed. Luto crept to the corner and looked around it, Sain crouching next to him and looking also. To the south he could see the building he had been providing covering fire from and at its north east corner he saw Roland, still in his firing position. Past him Sain saw Karar laying down against another building and taking pot shots up the road.

  Hearing a loud bang and an explosion Sain looked up as a fire ball erupted into the sky further inside the village and he frowned, wondering what that was.

  "Hotel to Alpha, target B is neutralized. All vehicles in carpark neutralized. Over" came another voice Sain didn't know and he smiled tightly. Things were drawing to a close. He wondered how long they had been fighting now.

  "Foxtrot to Alpha, target D also neutralized. Foxtrot to Ghost and Echo, courtyard secured. Over" Sain felt his heart skip a beat at those words and then grinned further. It seemed target D had been in that building he had used his flame thrower on. And the building he was now leaning against. He shook his head, trying not to think of those inside. He was starting to feel conflicted over all this. Death came so easy to him. A memory of Rindai popped up and it was so vivid he sucked in a sharp breath. That fight in the alley where he had butchered those youths, the blood and gore, the power of it all. And the sheer terror and regret he had felt after. He gulped.

  "Sain, keep focused" Luto grunted and Sain shook his head, coming back to reality.

  "What now Sergeant. Things are still messy right. We could just advance up the road with barriers up" Sain suggested causing Luto to look down sharply and Sain couldn't tell his reaction due to the man's mask and goggles.

  "Just because we can, doesn't mean we should Sain. Don't know what’s waiting for us. We took a massive risk advancing on that building. Don't forget that" Luto stated and then looked back to the road. Sain did too and noticed five figures creeping forward from the east, where the road turned from north to east and ran between two low buildings, appearing to eventually run into the foundry.

  "Looks like Delta unit is joining us" Luto muttered and lifted a hand to give a quick wave. They waved back and halted. Suddenly everything became quiet and Sain saw Roland and Karar stand up from their position. What was going on. Hearing his radio crackle, he heard Travos' voice as the man started issuing commands.

  "Alpha to all teams. Drone coverage shows south east to north west secure. All hostiles are retreating to the buildings in the north east positioned in the foundry proper. Units Alpha, Bravo and Charlie are still on outskirts of the village exchanging fire with
hostiles in buildings. Unit Delta secure south east roadway and maintain defensive position. Unit Hotel secure northwest building overlooking ruined tower, assume defensive position. Units Echo through Ghost advance into the foundry and secure central position. Unknown if hostiles still inside. Over!" Travos spoke out, his commands brief and to the point.

  Remembering the map they had been shown Sain looked at the building directly opposite them on the other side of the road. That was the building that ran along the foundry west wall wasn't it? Casting his gaze up, Sain saw the massive structure looming over the top of them, seemingly gigantic up close. It appeared to be around four or five stories tall.

  Turning his gaze back to the eastern road Sain watched as the Delta unit retreated back the way they had come, going to secure the roadway as they had been ordered. Maybe they were meant to stop hostiles from flanking them. He shrugged mentally as he didn't fully understand the situation, but neither did he share all the information coming in from the drones above.

  Peeking up the north road Sain saw another tower in the middle of a muddied area, where the road did a full circle before splitting off to the west and east again. East was to a foundry entrance and west led to the field of ferns. Dragging his eyes down the building on the east side of the road, he noted only two windows and a single door. He frowned as Luto stepped around the corner and strode into the road even as Roland, Havas and Karar came to meet him. Sain followed as well, his eyes locked on those windows and doors. As he stepped out, he saw the Foxtrots cautiously exiting the building they had just captured, their rifles trained on the single door and window. Their commander shot a look at Luto and then started walking toward them.