by Jason Cheek
Silently signaling ‘slow march’, Ranger Harris raised his baton above his head as he followed closely behind Startüm with his men. Drawing his Katana, Startüm held the blade high above his head. Ready to give the command to fire, as they quietly closed on the distracted guards.
The Leon Rifles lines closed ranks shoulder to shoulder, except for the firing gap around Startüm and their Commander, with their crossbows held aimed at the enemy. Ryan tried not to wince at the incredibly loud noise that sixty-four people made while moving across open ground, even when most of them were trained to move silently. Unbelievably enough, the Scourge were oblivious to their approach as the two 50 Cals from Beta Team continued to hammer at the enemy nonstop, covering the sounds of their advance. They had just closed to within twenty feet of the creatures, when someone’s foot sent a large rock skittering across the ground. As one of the grotesque heads whipped around at the sound, the shocked look on the hideous alien’s face would have been comical, if he’d been watching it safely on some movie screen. Instead, he only could watch in horror as the guard sucked in a breath to cry out a warning. Before the creature could call out, both Startüm’s and Ranger Harris’s arm simultaneously flashed forward giving the signal to fire.
The first volley of quarrels slammed into the Scourge like a hammer, dropping the closest half of the guards before they knew what hit them. Unfortunately, those same creatures sucked up most of the first volley as they fell with multiple quarrels sticking out of their misshapen bodies, protecting their brothers from the majority of the first volley. Just as the rest of the creatures spun around to face their attackers, the next volley from the second line of the Leon Rifles slammed home as several SWAT officers pushed their way to the front of their formations to add in their fire too. This time, the remaining Scourge dropped to the ground dead.
Ryan saw Sergeant O’Reilly’s look of horror as he realized how effective the Leon Rifles fighting method was in comparison to that of his own men’s tactics. They were so bunched up that they were blocking their own lanes of fire. The Sergeant began gesturing like crazy to get his men back into formation, but it was too late. Already, they were on the move once again. This time around the enemy’s camp at ‘quick march’ with Startüm in the lead, and the Leon Rifles close behind. Frustrated, Sergeant O’Reilly waved his men forward still trying to get them into some semblance of a formation.
Sweeping wide of the outlining buildings, they approached the center of the compound, and the green fiery circle in the center of the complex. Circling around the strange glowing flames, they headed for a black robe shape lying on the ground nearby. The body looked to be dead, but Startüm didn’t take any chances. With a quick swipe of his Katana, he removed the head cleanly from the corpse’s shoulders, before continuing around the perimeter. Approaching another lump on the ground, this time Startüm carefully stepped over the body as a second later an angry growl rose up from the Leon Rifles as they passed over the corpse.
Passing over the body a second later, Ryan suddenly understood what had enraged the Leon Rifles so much. You could hardly recognize the mutilated body as being human, but there was enough of the ranger’s uniform intact to at least make out the name on the front pocket. They’d found Thomas, one of the two missing rangers that had never reported back in from their patrol. Before they had covered another ten feet, there wasn’t one person who didn’t know what had happened to the corpse of the ranger.
Maybe, it was the constant twenty-four hours of news blasting the airways that caused most people to become numb to the visual stimulation of violence. Maybe, it was the constant pictures of horror and death the news showed with every gory detail displayed in high definition. As a society, we were constantly bombarded with images of death from people we’d never met before, delivered daily as entertainment. Whatever the reason was, there was suddenly an emotional intensity that hadn’t been there earlier when the rangers were watching the news report, and surveillance video that was shown to them during the briefing. Of course, intellectually they knew the aliens were horrible. They had all volunteered for this mission, because they’d understood the importance of stopping these vicious creatures. But, it was something entirely different when you saw one of your friends killed close up, mutilated beyond recognition. Seeing the kind of disregard these aliens had for human life, suddenly hit home for the rangers in a way that no video image ever could.
Now it was personal!
Now they were fighting mad!
Clearing the buildings to Trapper Nelson’s, they were now approaching the Loxahatchee River. In the distance, they could see a force of Scourge lining the river’s edge numbering greater than their own forces, while between them was the back of another black cloaked alien.
Seeing the target, Startüm drew his second Katana as he broke out into a fast jog. Unnecessarily, Ranger Harris signaled ‘double time march’ to the men behind him as they all took off at a run, following after the large man. Ryan caught himself praying as the distance began to close.
There was no way they were going to pull this off so easily!
When the main force was around fifty feet away from the priestess, the 50 Cals from Beta Team stopped all at once. The sudden silence was immediately filled with the loud sounds of clomping footsteps, heavy breathing and creaking equipment of sixty-four people charging across the grassy field. Whipping around, the alien’s black cowed head jerked back in shock at seeing the attacking force barreling down after it. The shock lasted for only a split second as the folds of the black robes parted. Pointing a white clawed hand in their direction, the alien hissed loudly.
“CORUSCUM!”
Ryan’s night vision goggles struggled to handle the sudden bright light as a blast of purple lightning shot from the white clawed fingers in a wide arc. The rangers and SWAT officers cried out at their sudden blindness, while the auto-gating systems of his fourth generation goggles brought his vision back online just in time to see Startüm stop thirty feet in front of the creature. Unbelievably, he watched the young man stand directly before the blast, extending his Katanas out to either side of him as far as possible. The runes covering his armor and blades started to glow with a bright blue light as he called the lightning to him, shielding them all with his own body.
* * *
AAAHHHHHOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLL
Startüm’s howl of agony rang out into the night’s sky as the bolts of lightning blasted into him. Beth saw two tendrils of purple lightning escape his embrace. Whipping around him, they slammed into the outside edges of their formation. The horrible screams of dying men filled the air as chunks of burning flesh exploded around her in a storm of death.
Suddenly, the air on either side of the formation turned a deep blue hue as Susan and Deanna threw up shields of protection from where they stood. The blue coruscating screens lit up the unnatural darkness surrounding Trapper Nelson’s as the purple lightning repeatedly slammed against them.
As soon as it had begun, the lightening stopped as the priestess began to speak. Although the creature was not speaking English, somehow she could understand the hissing words.
“Iterum sic sibi semper sunt praedicabilis.“ (Paladins are always so predictable.)
Beth had to stop herself from crying out as she saw Startüm fold to his knees. Even from this distance, she could see the smoke rising from the charred flesh under his armor. He had used his own body to shield them from the worst of the alien creature’s attack.
Heart wrenchingly, she watched Startüm struggle back to his feet as the golden glow of healing energy surrounded him. Standing up straight once again, he faced the black cowled head as the hissing voice continued its taunting.
“Ultimum auxilium vestrum has miserabilis, et daret animam creatura?“ (The last of your kind and you would give your life protecting these pathetic creatures?)
The clawed hands stretched out once more at Startüm as the creature hissed loudly.
“CORUSCUM!”
Th
is time, a much larger wave of purple lightning shot out from the priestess’s hand. Just like last time, Startüm stretched himself out, using his body to protect them from the blast.
AAAHHHHHOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLL
This time, Startüm’s howl of agony seemed to go on forever as Beth raced to where Officers Rawlings and Murphy watched in open mouthed awe at the scene before them. Jerking them around, she yelled at the top of her lungs to be heard over the hissing crackle of energy slamming into the blue shields overhead.
“We’ve got to help him kill that thing, or we’re all dead!”
She saw the whites of Rawlings eyes as he freaked at her words.
“How the hell are we supposed to do that, Kurwoski?”
“We’ve got the only weapons with enough rage to kill that thing!”
Murphy gave a gap toothed grin.
“It’s just like a turkey shoot, Man. We’ve gotta nail that thing as soon as the light show stops!”
AAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Looking back over her shoulder, Beth saw Deanna suddenly cry out. Looking away, she grabbed Rawlings and Murphy. Throwing them to the ground, she screamed out at the top of her lungs.
“INCOMING!”
KAAABOOOOM
The blue shield imploded as a purple tendril of lightning slashed through the SWAT officer’s formation. Blackened bloody pieces from the men blasted through the air, before Terry managed to plug the hole with her own shield. Murphy’s blood soaked face looked up at her in wordless horror as Rawlings dry heaved next to him, while trying to wipe the blood from his face. Searching for Startüm, Beth saw his body jerking spasmodically as his back arched to the breaking point.
The purple lightning died once again as a hissing cackle of glee filled the air. Seeing Startüm’s smoking body sinking once again to his knees. She grabbed Rawlings and Murphy by their collars, yanking them to their feet. Not wasting any time, they raised their bows aiming for the creature as its taunting voice hissed out once again.
“Miserabilis rerum, ut iam omnes moriuntur tempus!“ (Pathetic creatures, now it is time for you to all die!)
Their bows twanged as Beth’s pissed off yell drowned out the cloaked creature’s hissing words.
“I don’t think so bitch!”
The cloaked head swiveled towards her in surprise. Almost as if the priestess had understood her words as their three arrows slammed center mast into its chest, the shots hitting in a perfect upside down triangle.
THUNK THUNK THUNK
The priestess staggered back clutching at the arrows sticking out of its chest in horror. Looking at the Startüm’s bowed head in shock, the creature hissed at the top of its lungs.
“Quid fecisti?“ (What have you done?)
Once again, Beth saw the golden healing glow surround Startüm as he raised his head in obvious pain, looking directly in the priestess’s hooded face. She could hear his growling reply from where she stood.
“You are to deliver a message to Loviatar from me.”
The golden glow disappeared as Startüm pushed himself back to his feet fully healed.
“I’m coming for her!”
The priestess’s hooded head jerked back in utter disbelief at the audacity of his words. In denial, the clawed hands shakily reached out for Startüm once more. Smiling grimly, Beth and her boys sent another volley of arrows flying at the creature once again.
THUNK THUNK THUNK
Their second set of arrows slammed home. The first two hitting within inches of the first set of arrows, center mast, as the third slammed deep into the shadow of the hooded cowl.
The impact caused the priestess’s head to snap backwards, knocking the heavy hood from its bleached white reptilian head. In grim satisfaction, Beth saw her arrow buried deep into the creature’s eye socket. Hissing in pain, the priestess staggered backwards.
“Precipio tibi quod tu etiam protege me!” (I command you to protect me!)
SSSSCCCCRRRREEEEEECCCCHHH
Freezing in terror, Beth watched the whole bank of the river surge forward as the Scourge heeded the priestess’s command. They moved so fast it was like watching a horror movie running in fast forward! Before she could think of what to do next, she heard Ranger Harris’s thundering voice calling out orders.
“Company!”
His powerful bellowing voice dragged out the word, pronouncing it Cccooommm-ppppaaaaa-nnnnyyyy. The steel in his voice somehow pulling everyone together in that split second, creating order out of the chaos around them. Suddenly, he was no longer Ranger Harris, but Commander Harris.
“Soldiers arm!”
Standing shoulder to shoulder in tight formation, the Leon Rifles snapped their crossbows in front of them as they took aim at the rushing wall of creatures. Their courage seemed to flow into the SWAT officers on either side of the formation as Beth saw the surviving men quickly formed into ragged lines. Pushing away their fear, the officers faced the wave of enemy bringing their crossbows to bear. She even saw the CTA agents forming a partial third row as Agent Moss began yelling his own orders to his men. Within moments, the agents rested their crossbows on the shoulders of the Leon Rifle’s second row as they took aim at the rushing horde.
Most non-military buffs have no clue the affects that a solid wall of ‘volley fire’ has against a massed charge. Even in today’s military academies, most students did not truly appreciate the stopping power of a solid wall of defensive fire appropriately applied, since modern forces now use a loose line formation for attacks using small tactical units. Large infantry charges were now considered an outdated tactic of the past, since the invent of modern weapons and their high rate of fire. Frederick the Great was the first to develop the linear formation strategy. During the Seven Year War, he put it to use with devastating effect on the battlefield. By the Napoleonic Wars, smoothbore muskets were the weapons of the day, and three rounds a minute were considered a fast rate of fire. The modern crossbows that the Leon Rifles, agents and officers were using, could easily fire ten volleys a minute.
Beth saw Commander Harris give Agent Moss a nod of approval, before turning to face the enemy charge. Instead of the signal baton, he now held a rune machete in his hand as he bellowed out his orders.
“Firing by rank! Front rank!”
Injuries now fully healed. Beth saw Startüm fall back next to Commander Harris, with both of his Katanas held ready before him.
“Ready, aim” Commander Harris’s voice dragged out the word ‘aim’ as he gauged the Scourges approach.
“Fire!”
The first volley of quarrels slammed into the charging Scourge at exactly twenty-five feet. Incredibly, the front row of the Scourge seemed to collapse in a wave, tumbling to the ground as Commander Harris shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Second rank! Fire!”
The volley slammed into the next wave of Scourge just as they were leaping over their brothers, slaughtering most in midair. Before their bodies could hit the ground, Commander Harris was already yelling out orders.
“Rear rank! Fire!”
By the time the third volley slammed into the Scourge, there was a solid mass of screeching dead and injured creatures piled on top of each other on the ground, blocking their brothers trying to rush the human formation. Without their Blood Leaders to lead them, the Scourge continued pushing forward into the teeth of the human formation, crawling over their fallen brothers to get at the enemy only ten feet away. With an iron calm, Commander Harris’s voice continued calling out commands.
“All ranks! Fire!”
The last volley slammed into the remnants of the Scourge at point blank range, breaking the charge altogether. As the creatures reeled back in a confused screeching mass, it gave Commander Harris enough time to call out his next order.
“Company! Draw swords!”
The Leon Rifles dropped their crossbows as one, drawing whatever melee weapon they’d been issued as the officers and agents fighting next to them followed suit.
As the human lines sprouted with machetes, tomahawks and large hunting knives, Commander Harris issued his last command.
“Charge!”
AAAAHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Like wild animals, the screaming men and women tore into the surviving Scourge with a berserker’s fury. All around her, blood and guts flew into the air as the hacking and slashing humans met Scourge in a crazed frenzy. Like an offensive football line, the humans threw themselves boldly into the creatures.
Charging into the mix, Beth looked for an open target. Seeing a Scourge nearby, she raised her bow to shoot, when it suddenly went down under a swarm of SWAT officers. Within moments, the creature laid unmoving as the men literally hacked it apart in seconds.
Looking for another target, her eyes focused on a lone Scourge as it pounced onto a small group of Leon Rifles. Knocking the men to the ground like rag dolls, it picked up the nearest man in its clawed hand screeching in anger. In one smooth motion, she aimed and fired her arrow into the monster as its fang filled jaws snapped towards the struggling guy’s face.
The arrow smashed through the creature’s gaping jaws before it could tear the man’s face off. Turning to her in rage, it tossed the man aside like a rag doll as it charged her screeching in fury. Stumbling backwards, Beth reached for another arrow as the creature’s lunging leaps ate up the distance between them.
AAAEEEEEIIIIIII
Screaming in anger and fear, she slammed her last shaft into her bow falling backwards. As the creature leaped in front of her, she saw someone crash into the side of the monster before it could pounce on top of her. In shock, she briefly saw Agent Moss’s face fly by her own as he tackled the Scourge to the ground. Quicker than the eye could follow, Agent Moss slipped onto the creature’s bony back as it rolled to its feet. Wrapping a muscular arm around the creature’s neck, he repeatedly stabbed the beast with his large hunting knife.
