Never Say Die

by D J Sternowski-Korzec

  Once everyone makes it to the top, they all get into formation and figure out who fell to their death. Melanie was the person whom fell to their death. This was only her fifth mission ever. The General saw a very bright future for this young lady. She was a very intelligent young lady and was very skilled with a semi-automatic rifle. They are sure the General will be sad to hear how she died. They do not let her death get to them. They keep on moving forward and carefully make their way through the swamp.

  Raider and Sarah’s squadrons are carefully and quietly making their way through the swamp. This swamp is almost as dangerous as the desert, but for different reasons. The creatures inside of this swamp are all deadly and massive. Their biggest threat of course are the snakes. The snakes are on top of the food chain inside of this swamp. Most creatures would not dare to be seen or attack a snake. It is very difficult to outrun or kill a snake, because they are very fast and have infrared vision. To avoid being seen by a giant snake and avoid combat with one, Raider and Sarah’s squadrons split up and will regroup inside of the desert.

  Sarah’s squadron is the first one to run into a giant snake and hide from one. Fortunately, they avoid being seen and avoid combat. The snake appears to be hunting for a prey. The snake does end up finding its prey. This giant snake coils and strikes a giant bat flying in the air. The snake strikes the giant bat with its massive fangs. This snake slams into the ground with the giant bat inside of its mouth and immediately kills it from the impact. The snake devours its prey. Sarah and her squadron carefully get away from the snake as it is distracted and eating the bat. They are able to get away without being seen.

  Raider’s squadron does not run into a giant snake, but does run into a giant mole. Giant moles are very deadly, but they are not able to see with their eyes. However, they are able to move around and see with their hearing and sense of smell. Raider and his squadron do not move a muscle. They all breathe as quietly as humanly possible until the mole goes away. Fortunately, the mole does not realize they are there and walks right by them. Raider and his squadron are able to continue walking through this swamp, but very quietly and carefully.

  Sarah’s squadron is almost out of the swamp, but they do run into more trouble and end up losing another life. The only obstacle standing in their way is a very mucky and nasty river. The river runs very slowly, because the water is so thick and gross. The only way they are able to cross this river is by walking through it. It is quite unfortunate this is the only way to cross the river, because someone could easily sink through the mucky water and suffocate in the mud. It is a very painful way to die. Unfortunately, this happens to one person in the squadron. A young man almost makes it to the end, but ends up sinking into the thick water and no one is able to rescue him. Fortunately, this is the last death for Sarah’s squadrons inside of the swamp. They are able to make it out of the swamp and regroup with Raider’s squadron. Fortunately for Raider’s squadron, they were able to make it through the swamp without any deaths. Now they must make it through the lethal desert.

  Raider is not looking forward to be returning back to his father’s fortress. He is still against this mission, because he knows they do not have enough firepower to make it out of there alive. His father’s fortress is heavily armed and guarded by the strongest men and creatures in his whole entire army. It is a very stupid and dumb idea to think they can just walk in and not have any kind of issues. He would be surprised if they all make it out alive, but he knows this is not going to happen. If they do make it out alive, it would be a very small amount that make it out alive.

  Raider and Sarah’s squadrons make it very far into the desert without any problems or issues at all. This is very uncommon and has them all worried. However, they are prepared for anything that stands in their way. Unfortunately, they do eventually run into trouble as they are strolling through the desert. There is a storm approaching them, but it is not like the sandstorm Raider and Sarah were stuck in the last time they were in here. There is a very large twister heading in their direction. They do not have enough time to try to go around it. They must get ready for it by laying down in the sand and holding each other’s hands. They all make sure everyone is here and they are all holding each other’s hands with their faces in the sand.

  The twister has arrived in their location. They all brace themselves and are all very scared. This is going to take a massive toll on their bodies and do some serious damage. They are praying no one is going to die or get severely injured from the twister. Fortunately, nobody does get severely injured or dies. However, two people from Raider’s squadron do get sucked up by the twister and go flying in the air. Luckily, they do not make it very high inside of the twister and land safely in the desert sand. They are both perfectly okay. After the twister is gone for good, they all get up out of the sand and get back into formation. Of course they make sure everyone is doing okay before they move forward. Luckily, nobody has any lethal injuries. Everyone has scrapes on their bodies from the sand inside of the twister, but none of it got into their bodies. They are able to continue walking towards Synx’s fortress.

  Hours later, they all set up base camp and eat dinner. They all brought their own food for their trip. Most of the food they bring are canned meat and vegetables they can cook over a fire. The rest of their food are bagged nuts, candy, granola bars and protein bars. They quickly make the fire to cook their meals and eat. After they are done eating, they all go to bed. Raider and Sarah will be sleeping inside of the same tent, because Sarah only trusts Raider to sleep in the same tent as her.

  Tomorrow is the day they finally arrive at Synx’s fortress. Everyone seems to be perfectly calm and relaxed, but it is all going to change once they are all inside of the castle. Raider is the only one who knows how truly deadly his father’s army can be. He is the only one that believes this is going to be a giant nightmare and a massacre. They all ignore Raider’s warning and are fully confident this mission is going to be a complete success, but they are going to learn Raider was right about his father.

  Everyone is sleeping very well, besides Raider. He is having a hard time following asleep, because he knows the horror that awaits them. Eventually, he is able to get some sleep. But for now, he is fully awake. He rolls over and checks to see if Sarah is asleep. She is completely asleep without any worries going through her mind. Raider leaves the tent without anybody knowing about it. He walks far away from the campsite, but not too far. He can still see all of them in the distance. He lays down in the desert sand and looks up to the night sky. The sky is very beautiful, because there is not one cloud in the sky and you can see all of the stars. The moon is full and huge. He has never seen the moon so huge before. It is very beautiful and peaceful. It is so peaceful he ends up falling asleep in the desert sand. However, he does end up waking up in the middle of the night and goes back to his tent. He sleeps for the remaining of the night inside of the tent and wakes up in the morning.

  Chapter 8

  You Have Been Warned

  Raider and Sarah’s squadrons are all picking up base camp. They are heading over to Synx’s fortress and castle to get information on it. Everyone is scared, but they are completely confident they will survive this trip. Nobody is nearly as scared as Raider, because he knows how strong his father’s army truly is. Once they are done picking up base camp, they get into formation and head over to the fortress. Raider’s squadron will be leading the way, because they are the group that needs to invade the fortress. Also, Raider knows how to get into the fortress without being detected very easily.

  As they are walking through the desert, Jacoby stops and orders everyone else to stop. Raider and Jacoby are the only ones to see the issue that lies ahead. There is a massive storm approaching them, again. This time, it is an ash storm. Ash storms are extremely deadly, because they can bury you alive and slowly burn you to death. They are all clueless of what to do, but Raider knows exactly what to do. Raider orders everyone, “Take out your sleeping bags and get
inside them. I will let you know when it is safe.” Raider does not need to get inside of a sleeping bag, because he is used to walking through these storms. This kind of storm does not affect demons at all. They are used to these kinds of storms back home in hell. Ash storms occur all the time in hell.

  Everyone is inside of their sleeping bags and are patiently waiting for Raider to give them the okay to come out. However, they all know it is going to be a long time before they are able to come out. The storm has not quite yet approach them, but it is very close. Eventually, the storm does reach them. Raider announces, “The storm is here, brace for impact.” Raider keeps a very close eye on everyone and makes sure nobody goes flying away. They are caught inside of the storm for two hours. After these two hours are up, they are all free to come back out. Fortunately, everyone was able to survive the storm and received no injuries. Once everyone is out of their sleeping bags and everyone is accounted for, they get back into formation and continue through the desert.

  Fortunately, they are able to make it to Synx’s fortress without any more issues or problems along the way. Raider and Sarah’s squadrons go over their plans to make sure everyone is in understanding. After they are done going over the plan and everyone is understanding it, Raider leads his squadrons into the tunnels he made to escape his father’s castle. These tunnels are the only way they will be able to get into the fortress and out without being detected. However, getting out of the tunnels is going to be very difficult. They do not know if anyone is going to be standing guard on the other side of these tunnels. Most likely, there is going to be a small amount of guards guarding the area. Raider is going to be the first one to enter these tunnels, just in case there are guards waiting for them on the other side.

  Raider and his squadron enter the tunnels. They have to enter the tunnels one at a time, because they are so narrow. Jacoby will be right behind Raider as they walk through these tunnels. Everyone will have their swords at the ready for combat at any time. Raider is aware his father knows about these tunnels, because this is how he escaped the last time.

  Raider and his squadron have reached the end of the tunnels. Raider carefully unlocks the hatchway and sneaks a peak. Like he predicted, there are guards standing by. He closes the hatchway and quietly announces to his comrades, “My father has placed some of his men outside of this hatchway. There is a total of six guards guarding and blocking our way in. I am going to go in and take care of them myself. I will open up the hatchway when it is safe for everyone else to come in.” Raider carefully and quietly opens up the hatchway. He enters the room once it is safe to do so. He carefully hides behind some crates. So far, his father’s guards have no idea he is in here.

  Raider does not plan on leaving his men inside of these tunnels for too long, so he is going to kill some of the guards inside of this room by himself. Raider pulls out both of his swords and sneaks up behind two of the guards. Before he kills them, he makes sure he has not been spotted. Once he knows he has not been spotted, he stabs the guards in their backs as hard as he can. The other guards eventually spot him after two of their men have been killed. They immediately recognize it is Synx’s son, Raider. The guards try to set off the alarms, but Raider and his comrades stop them.

  After Raider has successfully killed two of the guards, he opens up the hatchway and allows his comrades to enter the room. The guards try to set off the alarms, but they have to take care of Raider and his comrades first. Raider and his comrades immediately charge after the guards, but they are no threat to them. The guards easily take down all of Raider’s comrades. The guards all strike Raider’s comrades in the face with one of their claws and slam them into the ground. Fortunately, they are not killed, but come very close to dying. All of the guards try to eat the faces of Raider’s comrades, but they are not successful. All of his comrades are able to push the demons off of them and get back on their feet.

  Jacoby is the first one to stand back up and successfully kill a guard. Jacoby tackles the guard that tried to eat his face and stabs them in the chest and face rapidly. He tries to attack another guard, but the guard kicks him in the belly and lifts him off the ground. The guard grabs Jacoby by the back of his neck and slams his face into the floor. Jacoby’s helmet shatters and some of the shards get into his face. The demon picks him off of the ground and throws him into another comrade that is trying to attack him. Raider is able to tackle this guard and beat the living hell out of him. The rest of the guards attack everyone else and are able to do some serious damage.

  Fortunately for Raider and his comrades, they are able to kill all of the guards inside of this room. However, they are all in very bad condition. Raider and Jacoby double-team the guard that attacked them and end up killing him. The rest of the comrades are able to take down a guard single-handedly. After all of the guards are eliminated, they plan on heading into the courtyard of the castle. The courtyard is the best view of the castle and fortress, because it is directly in the middle of everything. Before they head for the courtyard, Jacoby comes up with a great idea. He suggests everyone puts on some of Synx’s military armor. Raider approves of this idea and searches for armor that will fit everyone. Fortunately, everyone is able to find armor that fits their body perfectly. After everyone has put on their armor, they head over to the courtyard.

  Meanwhile, Sarah and her squadron are noticing something off in the distance. It is heading towards the fortress. Sarah zooms in on the object with her sniper scope as far as she can. Sarah and her squadron are just under a mile away from the fortress. This allows them to have enough distance to shoot down targets and make it very difficult to be spotted. The creature Sarah zooms in on is an unknown creature to her, but it does look deadly. The creature reminds Sarah of a bear, but daemonic looking. The creature looks like a bear with three horns and eyes on its head. The tail of the creature is two times longer than its body. The creature’s body is 6 feet in length. It reaches the walls of the fortress and starts to claw it. As the creature is clawing the walls, a door opens up right next to it and somebody walks out.

  A heavily armed demon approaches the creature with a heavy shield and a very large sword. Sarah does not lose sight and encourages everyone else to watch. Everyone in Sarah’s squadron is now looking at what is happening at the fortress. The creature growls at the demon, but is killed with ease. The creature growls at the demon, but the demon is not threatened at all. The demon swings it sword in his hand one time before stabbing the creature in its throat and decapitates it. The creature was dead after the demon broke its neck with its claws and sword. After the creature is killed, the demon drags it inside. The members of the fortress will be dining on this creature.

  By just judging from the sight of the demon, she knows Raider and his squadron are in big trouble. They should have listened to him from the very beginning, but they have already entered the fortress. It is already too late for them to go back home now.

  Meanwhile, Raider and his comrades are in sight of the courtyard. Unfortunately, they are not able to enter the courtyard. Raider’s sisters are all playing inside of the courtyard. Raider cannot help but reminisce all of the memories he has had with his sisters in this part of the fortress. He remembers playing with all of his sisters and having a good time with them. Out of all of his family members, he misses his sisters the most. It would be a very difficult battle if he had to fight and kill any of his sisters, especially his younger sisters. Now, Raider and his comrades are going to stay where they are and get information on the castle from where they are. Jacoby analyzes the area at the best of his ability. The rest of the comrades do the same. Raider is responsible of making sure they’re not spotted by anyone. He doesn’t have a hard time with this, but continuously looks at his sisters playing inside of the courtyard. After they are done analyzing the courtyard and everything around them, they head over to another part of the castle. Raider is going to take them to the nesting area. This is one of the most dangerous rooms and areas of the fortress, bec
ause this is where Synx’s wives stay the most and the young are hungry for human flesh. They march over to the nursery with safety precautions of course. Their safety is their top priority and to make it seem like no enemies or intruders have entered the fortress.

  Raider and his comrades run into trouble along the way. Raider hears three people marching down the hallway. Everyone hides and keeps their mouths shut. Raider will order everyone when it is time to get back into formation and keep moving forward. The three guards slowly walk past them, but a guard ends up tripping over someone’s feet. The guard spots this person, but immediately turns his attention to Raider. Raider is spotted standing next to the person whom tripped this guard. The guard smiles at Raider and points at him. The guard says to Raider, “You have only two options here. You can come with me and face your father. You can die right here in the hands of me. Your men will die anyway. So, what is it going to be?” Raider replies, “All three of you cannot take me.” The guard stabs Raider in the chest with a sword. Raider’s comrades attack the guards as he gets stabbed in the chest. Now there is a battle going on in this small hallway.

  Raider was hoping something like this would not have to happen in here, because it increases the chances of them being captured and being killed by his father. Fortunately, the battle doesn’t last long. Raider and his comrades are successful at killing the three guards in this hallway, but it was not an easy battle. Everyone, including Raider, have come very close to dying. Raider is exhausted, but must use whatever energy he has left to heal all of his comrades. Everyone is covered in claw marks, bite marks and cuts from multiple swords. Everyone is covered in blood and wants to go back home, but their mission is not complete. After they are healed, they head over to the nursery. They are horrified to know what is going to happen there.