Undeterred by the danger that now surrounded him from all sides, Fereen continued aligning his trusty pistol at any other nuisance that wasn't him. The only one who could torment his teammates was himself.
The battle raged on for what seemed an eternity, with each side having hardly a second to breathe, a faint noise slowly began to emerge through the far distance in the sky above. Suddenly alerted, Fereen looked above toward the direction of the pass entrance. The sound's source echoed from all they way at the opposite end of the narrow stone opening more than a mile away. Fereen tightened his grip on his gun anxiously. He knew what type of creature made that sound better than anyone else here.
"Enemy Flyers! He called out to Shena.
"Go I'll cover you!" She replied swiftly. Shena began readying her rifle to aim for the skies above and protect her only remaining flying soldier left. Fereen widened his stance. Readying to take flight within a moment's notice. Suddenly, he froze in place. Sweat poured down the cramped insides of his helmet against his face. This sound was far louder. The loudest one he heard out of all the previous waves by a terrifyingly large margin. They couldn't hold that many back. Not at all.
Fereen began frantically looking around his surroundings before suddenly pausing his gaze toward the shield generator behind them all. After staring at it for quite some time, he looked back in front, desperately trying to contemplate what to do or even say next to his leader.
"Ma'am.....I don't...think the plan will work!" He spoke hesitantly.
Shena shifted her head sideways towards her corporal. A visible look of confusion and deep surprise engulfed her face in response to the strange out of place comment. "You're bringing this up now?!!" She continued firing left and right at anything with more than two arms while still listening intently. "Why?!!"
"I think we have to come up with something else ma'am!" he replied. His voice becoming more timid and uneasy. But not because of her. A bolt of lighting struck against the tip of the jagged mountain's in the distance before vanishing instantly with the sound of a loud crack. The thunderous aftermath echoed and resonated ominously throughout the valley below as the intense battle continued in front on the ground. Fereen glanced directly towards the dark storm above in anticipation and dread of the danger that he knew would be appearing any second to wipe them all out.
He knew what needed to be done.
"I.., I think I have an idea ma'am...!" he said aloud hesitantly. His large folded wing's began to twitch anxiously behind his back as the loud humming in the distance continued to grow louder with each passing second he delayed. "But we're both not going to like it."
Shena, stressed beyond all comprehension, twitched her head in front and aimed her rifle one at a time toward three more approaching raiders. Quickly discharging the rounds right into each of them as soon as they poked their heads above the mound. She turned back around toward Fereen. Glaring at him with a concerned look on her face while still holding her rifle at the ready for any trouble. "Fine I'll listen! Just as long as you just keep fighting please!" She aimed her weapon back ahead and continued firing angrily. Wanting to keep as much of her skill and attention on the current desperate battle and kill as many insects as possible.
Fereen then finally unveiled his magnificent and carefully devised plan.
"Alright here it is ma'am! I'll lure as many of the flyers as high as I can directly into the storm above. My visor will help me through the thick clouds while they struggle to keep track of me in it. Then I'll pick them off one by one!"
Shena's black eyes bulged out of her head as she froze, turning to face him with her toothy mouth wide open.
"What?! Are you insane! You can't take that many all by yourself that high up. I can't see them or you up that far of a distance in the clouds even with my scope! They'll surround and tear you apart!!" Shena leaned in closer toward her Corporal. Gravely concerned with her friend's sudden seeming lack of sanity. Suddenly, another raider jumped over the top of the mound and began to rush towards the both of them. Shena aimed and pulled the trigger of her rifle. But to no response.
It had jammed.
"Crap!" yelled Shena at the top of her lungs. "Cover me I'm reloading!"
The charging ant changed its course directly towards the distracted shark who it now saw as unable to fire. As Shena began to hastily reach across for her sidearm, Fereen beat her to the draw as per usual. The corporal turned and hip fired two perfect quick shots. His skill and accuracy on par with the best of the legendary wasp gunslingers of the desert. No sooner as the young warrior took its first few steps onto the flat earth it collapsed dead mid-sprint on its face just four feet feet in front of them both.
Shena poked her head above the trench to confirm that the enemy was down and breathed a sigh of relief. She then glanced up towards Fereen holding his gun high in the air above her head still on the lookout for any other approaching danger for her.
"Thanks!" She replied graciously, nodding up once in great appreciation for his accuracy and quick thinking. Now reassured, Shena quickly lowered herself and her rifle back down behind cover; finally able to start repairing her inoperable gun and return to the immediate fight with the others.
Fereen cautiously turned and knelt right down right beside her. Still trying to see if he could convince his leader of his deranged plan, even if he didn't like it any more than she did.
Shena's eyes narrowed in frustration as he kept staring irritatingly directly at her face, instead of continuing to fight as she had ordered. Shena hated to have to speak to her friend like this. But if there was no other way in order to get him to stop distracting her and to go along with the current plan like the others; than she saw no other alternative.
"Do I even need to mention the lightning as well corporal?! If the bugs don't get you than mother nature would certainly finish the job just fine! Especially with the metal helmet on top your head! Have you given any thought to how that might turn out as well!?" Shena barely resisted the temptation of knocking on Fereen's shinny bucket of a moronic head with her fist to further emphasize her point. Instead she she continued with fixing her jammed weapon. This was no time to argue with him about trying to go hellbent on a suicide mission. They would stick to the plan and survive. She could argue with him all he liked but she was in command here.
The stuck harpoon finally ejected from its firing mechanism. Abruptly cutting her hand with a slash as it fell barb down into the mud. Shena stumbled down in sudden extreme discomfort. Knocking her next ammo clip she had set aside waiting to reload over in the process and scattering the miniature harpoon bolts onto the ground all across her feet below.
"Dammit!!!!
She could have just stood there and complained about the injury. But instead she chose to ignore it best she could, wanting to get back to the much more important task at hand. She started to quickly lick away the fresh blood. It smelled good, it tasted better. But she had to remind herself it was her own. She then raised her cut hand high into the air in order to let the clean rain water rinse off the fresh wound. Fereen wanted to continue desperately trying to persuade her through her thick overly disciplined skull but instead removed his lucky crimson sash from his waist and began wrapping it around Shena's injured hand before tightening it for her. The fresh blood soaked and absorbed into the old red fabric, becoming lost completely in it. If anything the added effect seemed to actually brighten the dulled scarlet cloth. As Fereen finished tightening the makeshift bandage, Shena knelt down into the mud on all fours. Scrambling with her one good hand to secure the valuable ammo back into her clip. She started doing so in perfect trained repetition regardless of the pain, while all the while still having to lecture her lunatic of a friend trying to get himself killed at the worst of possible times.
"I'm sorry, but it's out of the question. I can't let you go up there alone so you can get your wings plucked off one at a time, or worse your head blown off by a lucky bolt of lighting. We hold them here and stick to the plan. But I promise, I won't let the flyers get anywhere near you. You take half and I'll take the other half, just like before." We can do this Fereen. I know we can."
Shena whimpered slightly in pain as she reached behind her belt. She pulled out her sniper optics and fastened it tightly atop her rifle. On the cylindrical scope were tally marks representing every foe she had killed while looking through the withered scope in her younger days; a juvenile hobby of scorekeeping she had long since abandoned. Maybe because the scrawled indents were covering every square inch of it to such a degree, she had almost run out of room. Maybe she had simply lost count. Or maybe, it was because she no longer found any hilarity in keeping track of her dead enemies after finding out they did the exact same act of scorekeeping with the lives' of her dead soldier's as well on their own weapons. She hated seeing just how much those savage's enjoyed killing her men as a personal sport. But she was far more ashamed of herself for having acted just like them in their twisted delight of killing. So much so... That she never added another mark again.
Fereen looked up at the sky anxiously. Still watchful for the imminent danger that Shena and the others were still painfully unaware of. "But Ma'am..."
"That is an order corporal!!!!" She snapped. She had had it. "I told you all I would get you home alive and that is what I plan to do. But I need you to please focus and keep your head in the moment with me here and now!" Shena's tone was trying to be as authoritative and convincing as before, but was now just coming across like an exhausted parent desperately trying to control her child. Wanting what they thought was best for them regardless of if it wasn't.
"You and I will repel the flyers sent to harass us just like we have for the last five waves. If we get overwhelmed we all fall back to the shield and finish whatever enemies are left that try to get inside the dome from outside, and then..."
"SHENA LISTEN TO ME!!!!!!!" Fereen grabbed on to her hand abruptly and took off his helmet, tossing it aside into the mud. He clutched onto her hand tightly as if he might never get to again. She wasn't too shocked by the pain. She was more stunned by his sudden outburst far more hectic than her own before. He had never shouted at her like this before in their entire fifteen years of knowing each other.
"We can't take those flyers if they envelop us all at once. That aerial swarm sounds enormous and will overrun and kill us in seconds. Not even you can cover me against that swarm, no soldier could! And even if by some miracle we manage to stop the warriors on the ground and get in the shield in time before they drop on us; the flyers will just stay out of range ready to finish us off. Hovering safety above in the sky laughing as we huddle together inside the dome like newborn sardines until the battery runs out. I know they'll try it that way because...because. He let out a heavy sorrowful sigh."
"That's what I would do if I was facing us."
Shena's eyes widened. Her shoulders and arms lowered, her heart felt like it had stopped beating entirely. The sounds of the dozens of flyers approaching their position disturbed her now more than it ever had before. There was no ignoring it. No matter how badly she wanted to.
As Shena's mind began racing with desperate thoughts of coming up with a new and safer plan that didn't involve her friend sacrificing himself pointlessly. Fereen put one of his hands to rest atop her shoulder before kneeling down in the dirt beside her. Trying to convince his leader one final time as best he could before it was too late. They couldn't wait any longer. It had to be now.
"I know you think the shields the better option for us all, and it probably is. It's the way we were all trained to use as a last ditch effort in desperate times like this. But that was years ago ma'am; the bugs know how reliant we've become on the old tactics because they've been on the receiving end of them for years. This wasn't your fault ma'am, you're an excellent leader, its just that the enemy was just better prepared against us this time. But we have to try something else, even if we both know it's as insane as it sounds. But I know I'll fly faster than those bugs, and that I'll make it back." Fereen then pulled himself back away to look directly into his friend's face.
"I can do it."
"Please...Trust me."
He released his grip from her shoulder. Shena turned her head away slightly as she shuddered at the fear and risk of sending him all alone right into the aerial swarm without her protection. She couldn't live with herself if she got him killed for a plan that couldn't possibly work!! She slowly turned her head back up to face his. His sapphire eyes staring directly into hers yet again, only now more serious than they've ever been before. Shena started to bite her lip. A habit she had grown accustomed to whenever thinking about her tactical options. But she now could see that there was no point in trying to come up with a safer plan for him. He was right. She had to be flexible. They had no other option that could even hope to succeed. But if Fereen was willing to use himself as bait and she stayed behind to repel what was left of the flyers. Just maybe they could win this battle...
"Let's say...,You make it up there in once piece. Said Shena dejectedly. "Do you have any idea of what you'll do once you reach the top with them all on your tail?
"Don't worry about me ma'am. Ferren said cheerily. "I always figure something out."
"You better." Shena said sternly. She then slowly released a deep painful sigh in acceptance of the danger that they both soon have to face on their own. "Alright Fereen...." She said mournfully.
"Do what you have to do."
Fereen smiled back in gratitude. But mostly out of nervous fear. Mainly because he had now finally gotten his insane wish and was praying this was not a one way trip for either of them. If their commander's were still alive, they certainly would have a few noteworthy comments after hearing such a demented plan as theirs. But maybe crazy might just be what they needed right now. Fereen helped Shena stand up on her feet before backing slowly away. Reloading his pistol with a fresh magazine and preparing for his new mission.
"I'll get their attention and lure as many of them into the storm as I can ma'am." He said confidently. Wanting to provide an extra bit of self-reassurance to the both of them for good measure.
Shena finished putting the scattered bolts back into its case and let out a slow heavy sigh as she held it in her injured hand for just a brief moment, trying to reject the pain in her palm and concentrate. She struck her fully loaded magazine back into her rifle swiftly without wasting another moment on pointless hesitation. The large clip locked tightly in place under the elongated antique gun ready to fire.
"I'll stay here and pick off any descending stragglers that manage to ignore you." Shena exclaimed with restored focus. "Which would be very hard for anyone with a sane mind to do." She suddenly paused for a moment, deeply concerned about the coming hectic moments they would soon endure on their own.
"Just., Just make it back in one piece will you?" Shena said apprehensively and hopefully. "We need you around here more than you could ever imagine. So don't go and do anything too crazy and flamboyant this time. Just Keep the flying simple and finish them off quickly. There's no need to show off for anyone up anymore. It's unnecessary. You're already the best flyer in the world to me."
Fereen smiled back at his friend's earnest words graciously. "Don't worry ma'am. I'll get most of the flyers to follow me and take care of them without even a scratch to show for it. Fereen then gestured with both his arms to his battered and soaked appearance. "Besides they won't be able to resist the thrill of chasing a tasty morsel such as myself. Especially when I leave them all in the dust again. "Sometimes irritating an enemy works better than fear does, If not..."
"At least it'll make for a funny death."
Fereen let out a faint chuckle before breathing in and gathering a heavy breath of fresh air. He then backed away and picked up his helmet out of the dirt. Wiping away the thick obscuring mud and finally sliding it atop his face. The glowing dolphin tail shaped visor enveloping his kindly eyes completely from Shena's gaze once again. He gave a slight turn of his metallic helmet back towards his friend, for which he begged would not be the last time he'd be able to do so. He did not want to leave her by herself alone, but he knew that she could take care of herself. If anything he should feel more worried for the flyers that would have to meet her.
"We'll hold them here until you get back." Shena said in a stern commanding voice. She cocked her rifle handle on the side of her gun back towards her chest abruptly. The sudden action made a loud mechanical clink as the moving complex parts loaded the bolt into the barrel properly this time. She desperately did not want him to leave, but she knew he had to and he would be back soon as if he had never left at all. So instead she gave him one final remark filled with wisdom.
"And remember no fancy flying. We're royalists, we have standards on how we behave for heaven's sake." Shena spoke aloud earnestly. Fereen smirked under his helmet. Her jokes needed more improvement, but he loved seeing his leader let her guard down. Even if it didn't happen that often. For it was always a sight worth remembering.
Fereen and Shena then abruptly looked upward toward the sky. The loud deafening noise of hundreds of wings was drowning out the sound of running rain and thunder almost entirely now. It was agonizing to have to listen to, and it's dangerous presence could no longer be ignored for another moment. Shena raised her rifle above her head and aimed through the elongated scope. Barely able to make out multiple shadowy shapes emerging through the misty dark rain, before finally seeing the enemy emerge into her full line of sight.
These raiders were much bigger. They had broader hunched shoulders, more muscular limbs and were equipped with much higher quality armor. Half being in the color of elaborate savanese ebony black to better suit their higher more foreboding rank, the other a vibrant searing orange telling others' to stay far away from them. However the expensive colored gear could not cover for the fact that most of their enormous four wings were in very poor condition. Most likely from constant battle and perhaps even lack of care or concern on their own part. Every single one, particularly those in black decorated themselves in the cut body parts, comfortable furs, and ivory of slain enemy soldier species ranging from tiger's, aquatic's, and gorillas as an amusing expression of their individual histories and personal conquests over other predators. And they were looking to add to each of their personalized collections of trinkets by how they were staring back them with the single-minded glare of a zealot. Shena now could easily recognize the infamous creatures approaching donned in the remains of others, as they quickly came into full view of her magnified optics.
It was the Males. The orange grenadiers of the swarm trained in aerial bombardment and improvised explosives. And the black headhunters. Trained in close combat and infiltration. The infamous elite forces were diving right toward them like a barrage of sharpened javelins right through the air, ready to put their skills to much needed good use for their lesser sister's below. And more importantly their swarm champion relying upon them who would not accept their defeat.
"Go!!!!" She commanded. Shena started to fire at once, not waiting a second. Wanting to take as many out as she could while they were still far away from the ground. She then took a massive step back far away from her corporal in front of her.
She always had to give him space when he took off.
Without thinking, Fereen suddenly spread his wings finally as he had done countless times before, the water droplets and fresh blood of Shena's palm shimmering as they were shaken off rapidly. Now that they were extended, his wings fully demonstrated their true stained glass like appearance.
He crouched down all the way to the ground to build momentum and leapt up with such a force, a gust of wind appeared below scattering the twigs and leaves underneath in every direction. The flying fish soared at incredible speeds, his serrated wings fluttering faster than the eye could see, carrying him farther and farther from the hard confines of the earth to duel his equals in the dark skies above.....