Into The Rift

Interwoven Chaos (29)

My heart beats with a firm rhythm. Every shot resonates with a slim crack, breaking the sound barrier without fail. Concentration rises with each passing second, mind getting wired into a state of combat readiness.

I continue peering through the night vision goggles, monitoring the distant battlefield with furrowed brows. Much of the battle is indiscernible due to terrain, that fortunately wasn't the case for the shielding.

The ferromagnetic rounds tore through the pseudo-material at a compromising angle, chipping away small fragments initially. Several heated seconds pass and the splinters grow in size and number, spurred on by the continued shots of me and my men.

Ammunition expenditure is just under forty bullets across the entire board at this point. The next couple of shots were more than sufficient in administering the fatal blow.

"Defenses compromised, hold fire," I command, moving my index away from the trigger.

The shield fizzles out, exposing its owners to the bursts of incendiaries spells employed by these Black Hand soldiers. Bright flashes of light engulf the positions of the former, temporarily blinding my optics.

"Dammit," I stifle a groan, eyes caught off guard by the sudden display.

Blinking away the blind spot, I get up, scanning the darkness in wide arcs to compensate for the reduced vision angle of my NVG's.

"This is Desert Two, we've lost visual contact with Federation units!" Douglas signals out from his position.

"Sitrep," I immediately demand with a small hint of worry, given their closer positioning.

"We're alright, still holding position. They're gone from our scopes."

"Understood, keep tabs on any changes, they could be anywhere," I respond, noting the return of the forest ambiance.

"Copy your last, out...."

They aren't dead, that would be too simple. I will expect the worst.

With caution fueling my every move, I step away from the protective confines of the brush, motioning Robert to do the same with a simple gesture. With Myandra and her dragon situated further back, they shouldn't be a hindrance to the both of us as we advance.

All prior training related to jungle warfare comes rushing through my head, brief images of former friends, the struggles and harsh conditions, everything.

There is darkness all around, the threat of teleporting units is the greatest factor that made me constantly vigilant of even the smallest shift in the shadows. But even with the current situation, there is nothing but confidence stemming from the deepest parts of my soul.

The indiscernible features between the trees and branches were constantly under the mercy of my infrared laser sight, my finger just milliseconds away from issuing lethal rounds to anything that dared to rear its head out.

"What can you tell me about this enemy?" I ask, giving a brief check to the Seeker still huddled behind, "keep it short if possible."

"Yhunian Rangers, warrior scouts with great agility and magic. They dare not face the Kingdom's armies head on, desiring to attack only with surprise on their side. They seem to believe our flanks to be the front lines."

"Got it." So these soldiers make greater use of small scale tactics, exploiting their enhanced mobility against their more numerous, but often slower adversaries.

Forcing down that small surge of nervousness, I shift through the foliage, legs running against the undergrowth. The rustle is audible, even more so with my heightened senses.