The Frieden Chronicles: Reckoning

First contact

Diana Lopez

I remember my first encounter pretty well, it was first 'real fight' if you could put it like that. After I landed I followed my tracker just to find my battlebuddy who seemed to have ventured off without me. I could hear gunfire in the distance as I trekked down a subtle path that some of my peers have made.

As minutes passed by while trying to find my team mate, the tracker displayed that I was near. But all I could hear was the sound of birds and the leaves rustling against the cold winds of this northern region. It would have been a nice place to meditate if it were not for the constant gunfire echoing around me.

It felt like I walked for hours when I decided to stop taking a zip from my water canteen. Even though the temperature was cold, I found it surprising when the water as well was cold to the feel. My brief break was cut short when i suddenly heard a rustle from some bushes near me as if something was there, I slowly raised my rifle as I approached the source of the sound.

"Hello?... Is anyone there?" I called out, but no one responded.

"Come on, this isn't funny... just come out..." I said nervously as what was behind the bushes decided to comply with my request. But I was frozen in shock to see what stood in front of me a few seconds later.

A dark furry beast stood on two legs before turning towards me as it held one of my comrades, a robotic like Minotaur turned it's gaze at me as it slowly approached me. I began to slowly back away, keeping attempting to keep my distance before I noticed at leas a squad's worth of my peers laying unconscious. I was honestly terrified, this was the first time I've seen such massive beast, it had to have been at least eight feet tall just like a taurus.

We both played a delicate staring contest, as my adrenaline began to take control of me. I was but a mere mice next to this creature. Backed against a tree, i caved into my fear and shot the beast without aiming properly. The shot landed on its left arm and the creature let out what I would describe as a disembodied moo.

I was dumb enough to shoot a high powered rifle without holding it properly, my brother warned about its kick but there was not time to even think about what had just happened. The beast was enraged and it was charging at me with his long horns ready to impale me.

I began to run past the tree that was behind me, it was barely half of my size so it was mere child's play for the beast to just ram through it ripping it off as if it was a a dried twig. I could feel as if my heart was on my throat and I could hear that damned thing rapidly approaching me with every step.

I ran past several more trees that were almost wedged into each other before sliding down a slope. As this happened, a log slammed itself in front of me before I reflectively turned my direction. I returned his act of aggression by firing my rifle wildly at it without looking. Some seem to have hit as I could hear its cries in pain. But I did not dare to look back, I wanted to yell from the sheer terror I had, but I was unable to.

I had to act fast before I was the next victim of this damned thing. Fortunately for me, Mason gave me a few stun grenades before we shipped out to add to my gear, he could not stress enough to only use it if it was absolutely necessary. I now understood why he repeatedly reminded me of it, but the problem was that it was not giving me time to rummage through my ruck. All I could do is run and shot until I was able to find a place where to hide.

"Shit... what am I going to do now?" I said to myself out loud.

That is when I stumbled upon what I would say a stroke of luck, a big old oak tree stood imposingly to my right. If I could get that bastard's horns stuck on that tree or at the very least stun him from the hit, it should give me enough time to retrieve one of the grenades.