South Gate; The wee hours of the morning.
The stinging bite of winter still lingered in the night air as the men sat atop the wall, staring out across the very path Stevens had tread earlier that afternoon. Frank smoked a cigarette, Stevens sat in relative silence. The only time he?d stopped spouting nonsense all afternoon. Frank flung the butt away into the darkness.
?So, why?re you here?? Frank?s rough voice was startling, even on a night as noisy as this one. Sure, winter had gripped the land, but the evergreens about the walls were still green, shading under their massive, snow-leaden bows a plethora of creatures that croaked, chirped, and generally did all the noisy things that suggested all was well- in the forest at least.
?What-? Sarge, I don?t fu-?
?Don?t lie to me, Stevens.? Frank grated without looking the younger man. ?Where?re your dog tags??
?Sarge, I got dumped in the middle of a fucking forest in the middle of an op I,?
?I want an answer, soldier, not an excuse.? Frank?s voice was calm- a clear indication he was getting tired of these games, ?What were you doing? Some Cov-Ops bullshit? That political shit?s dangerous business, Stevens. Politicians with guns.? Frank spat into the darkness.
?Fine, fuck, sarge. I came to extract you.?
?Bullshit? was on the tip of his tongue, but the little bastard appeared to be telling the truth. ?Why?? he said instead, ?you gonna drag me back home just to properly courts-marshal me? Seems a lot of effort for some random Marine sergeant, Stevens.?
?You?re listed as dead. K.I.A?
Frank laughs. ?Where??
?Iraq.?
?Brilliant. Never actually set foot in that mess, thank God.? Frank lights up another cig. ?Well, if not for courts-marshal, then what??
?Classified.?
?Well then, you can go fuck yourself Stevens. Frankly, I don?t even know how you plan on getting back.?
Stevens seems surprised, ?You mean- you don?t know??
?Know what? I tried for close to a month, believe you me.?
?How did you get here, then??
?Chance? Fate? God sent me? I don?t know. I?m here now and I?m staying.? Frank takes a long pull on his cig.
?Impossible! You-?? Stevens begins, but Frank cuts him off with a barking laugh. Impossible was a funny word in Rhy?din.
?Look around you, Stevens. This whole place is impossible!? As if on cue, a skyship crosses the moon, casting its shadow over the pair on the wall. They both look up, Frank with a satisfied smile on his face, Stevens a look of utter amazement. It was a look Frank had probably often worn himself in the first couple weeks.
?You made it here on your own?? Stevens asks, watching the skyship arc off into the night, moonlight glistening off the cool glow of the aether sails.
?I just told you, Stevens, I don?t know how I made it here.?
?Sergeant Fenix, I?m going to have to order you to accompany me back to Far Reach Base.? Stevens? tone had changed to one of authority and command, not unlike Frank?s own when he sought obedience.
?Sod off, you tool.? Frank finished his cig and lauched that butt, too, into the wilderness. ?Even assuming you had the authority, I?m fucking dead. The Corps killed me. Dead people don?t take orders.? He grins, ?Not back home, anyways.?
Frank?s sentence is punctuated by the familiar rack of a pistol slide. He turns his eyes slowly, using the iron sights in reverse to look up at the younger marine. ?You just made a very big mistake, Private.? The old marine growled.
?That?s ?Major?, Sergeant.? Frank scoffed, and anger flared in the young man?s blue eyes. ?Lets go for a walk.?
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The stinging bite of winter still lingered in the night air as the men sat atop the wall, staring out across the very path Stevens had tread earlier that afternoon. Frank smoked a cigarette, Stevens sat in relative silence. The only time he?d stopped spouting nonsense all afternoon. Frank flung the butt away into the darkness.
?So, why?re you here?? Frank?s rough voice was startling, even on a night as noisy as this one. Sure, winter had gripped the land, but the evergreens about the walls were still green, shading under their massive, snow-leaden bows a plethora of creatures that croaked, chirped, and generally did all the noisy things that suggested all was well- in the forest at least.
?What-? Sarge, I don?t fu-?
?Don?t lie to me, Stevens.? Frank grated without looking the younger man. ?Where?re your dog tags??
?Sarge, I got dumped in the middle of a fucking forest in the middle of an op I,?
?I want an answer, soldier, not an excuse.? Frank?s voice was calm- a clear indication he was getting tired of these games, ?What were you doing? Some Cov-Ops bullshit? That political shit?s dangerous business, Stevens. Politicians with guns.? Frank spat into the darkness.
?Fine, fuck, sarge. I came to extract you.?
?Bullshit? was on the tip of his tongue, but the little bastard appeared to be telling the truth. ?Why?? he said instead, ?you gonna drag me back home just to properly courts-marshal me? Seems a lot of effort for some random Marine sergeant, Stevens.?
?You?re listed as dead. K.I.A?
Frank laughs. ?Where??
?Iraq.?
?Brilliant. Never actually set foot in that mess, thank God.? Frank lights up another cig. ?Well, if not for courts-marshal, then what??
?Classified.?
?Well then, you can go fuck yourself Stevens. Frankly, I don?t even know how you plan on getting back.?
Stevens seems surprised, ?You mean- you don?t know??
?Know what? I tried for close to a month, believe you me.?
?How did you get here, then??
?Chance? Fate? God sent me? I don?t know. I?m here now and I?m staying.? Frank takes a long pull on his cig.
?Impossible! You-?? Stevens begins, but Frank cuts him off with a barking laugh. Impossible was a funny word in Rhy?din.
?Look around you, Stevens. This whole place is impossible!? As if on cue, a skyship crosses the moon, casting its shadow over the pair on the wall. They both look up, Frank with a satisfied smile on his face, Stevens a look of utter amazement. It was a look Frank had probably often worn himself in the first couple weeks.
?You made it here on your own?? Stevens asks, watching the skyship arc off into the night, moonlight glistening off the cool glow of the aether sails.
?I just told you, Stevens, I don?t know how I made it here.?
?Sergeant Fenix, I?m going to have to order you to accompany me back to Far Reach Base.? Stevens? tone had changed to one of authority and command, not unlike Frank?s own when he sought obedience.
?Sod off, you tool.? Frank finished his cig and lauched that butt, too, into the wilderness. ?Even assuming you had the authority, I?m fucking dead. The Corps killed me. Dead people don?t take orders.? He grins, ?Not back home, anyways.?
Frank?s sentence is punctuated by the familiar rack of a pistol slide. He turns his eyes slowly, using the iron sights in reverse to look up at the younger marine. ?You just made a very big mistake, Private.? The old marine growled.
?That?s ?Major?, Sergeant.? Frank scoffed, and anger flared in the young man?s blue eyes. ?Lets go for a walk.?
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