Raven

Chapter Two

We are heading out Nine of us geared up and ready move out, there has been a breach at the rift. reports had come in from all over that a Demon Hoard had come through and are terrorising the human population. Already reports are coming in of deaths and severe casualties. "Lt. Raven, they breached on south side of the perimeter" The cadet has only been with us for three months, he has never stepped out into a real world emergency before. Its chaos out there.
Since the Apocalypse happened, a Rift tore open between the dimensions, enabling a gateway. A gateway that lets in all manner of Demons and Creatures, if you can have a nightmare about it, the Rift will spit it out.

And Demons are the worst of them all. They feed of fear and pain and blood and flesh. You do not want to see a victim of a Demon attack. We head south to intercept the hoard, constant chatter runs through our comm's systems, small in ear devices we have to wear while on a mission. General Slade comes on. "Lt. ETA on the Demon Hoard?" "Approximately three minutes out general" I reply. Up ahead we can hear people screaming in pain and panic. The Hoard is relentless. We approach a building and near its corner I can smell burning flesh and blood, a gut wrenching sound tears through the night. Just four feet away from us stood a Demon, tearing a human limb from limb, guzzling the humans flesh, crunching bones as he is feasting. The Demon turns and spots us, it drops it prey and opens it mouth to screech at us, sending a blast of hot, putrid bloody breath towards us. It pounces forward, I cock my semi automatic rifle and shoot him three shots dead in the heart. He goes down, I reach for my machete and walk up to the monster, setting my boot on his chest I lean down and pull the machete across the Demons throat, severing its airways.

"Lt. Raven, Come in !" "Lt. anyone dammit answer me!" the comm's system goes off. "Lt. Raven Copy" I finally say into my mic. "What the fuck is going on out there? The general does not sound pleased. "Engaging the enemy Sir" I reply. Just then I hear a scream from my unit, as I look up to see the hoard descending upon us. Demons are everywhere. The Cadets are fighting for their lives, but seriously failing. We have never encountered a hoard like this before, never this number. Two demons approach me. I put my wrist up to my mouth and call it in. "EMERGENCY! UNDER ATTACK! HOARD IN DIRECT ATTACK WITH TASK UNIT! CADETS DOWN! CALLING IN EXTRACTION!" Before I can utter another word the Demons are upon me, now there are three with a fourth flying overhead. I check my weaponry, before I decide on a plan. Its fight or die! I run forward with my machetes in both hands shouting at the demons. "Bring it on you filthy assholes!" and start hacking away at the bastards that killed my team off. Drenched in blood and demon guts, I move to the next demon approaching me, hacking at his arms as he attempts to claw at me, I cut of his right arm. The demon wails and screeches at me, sending bits of flesh and blood splattering into my face. I lift the machete and hack at his snout, sending it flying across the street under a car. with the other machete I hack of his head, sending blood spraying in all directions. "Sayonara Fuckhead!" I yell at the thing crashing before me to the ground. the flying demon swoops down and grabs me by my shoulders, lifting me up into the air, I look down to see that my whole unit has been wiped out, not a single soul survived. I reach back for my rifle, I check my ammo, and push the muzzle right into the Demons groin and fire away. The Demon lets go of me, the last thing I see as I fall from the sky is the sucker falling to his death.

I hit the ground, I feel pain all over my body, yep something has to be broken. I try to lift my head, but become dizzy from the pain. I faintly heat the comm's system go off in my ear, "Cadet Down!" I whisper back. LT. Raven down!" the last thing I remember hearing was the general shouting orders for anyone out there on the battlefield to assist. Then everything goes black.

I wake up to the sensation that I am being jostled around. I open my eyes slightly, to see tree tops. I close them again. Later I feel a cold hard surface under my back. And wet stinging things hitting me in the face, no all over my body. i open my eyes. I am on the front steps of the compounds training hall. Its raining! I slowly get up, have to get inside, stumbling into the door, I get two pace beyond it when I feel the light go out in me, I have nothing left to go on. I remember crashing down onto the blue mat inside the training hall. Everything goes black.

Then I feel light, I am floating, higher and higher. Something inside my stomach and chest feels hot and it is growing hotter by the minute. Suddenly a piercing pain hits my back, I swear someone is hacking open my back. Muscles tearing apart, then the pain is gone. Something heavy is hanging behind me, I open my eyes to see a bright blue light surrounding me, inside that light is a sword, it is glowing, calling me to take it. I push my hand outward from my body and grasp the sword firmly by the hilt. The broadsword looks heavy, but feels light like a feather, it feels perfect in my grasp. then the light starts to fade and I begin to descend. Before I hit the ground, I become aware of people. People are staring at me, whispering amongst themselves. Then the blue light fades on a sudden pulse, but before it completely dies, I hear a woman's voice: "Welcome my Daughter". And then everything goes black as I fall to the floor.

I feel large hands holding me, one behind my head, cradling it. And on my chest I feel the slight tickle of hair where my flesh is exposed. Someone is stroking my face, talking softly to me. "Come on sweetheart, open your eyes for me?" I don't recognise the voice at first, it doesn't sound that familiar. Then I hear it booming out loudly to someone "Get the infirmary to sent someone with a stretcher, the Lt. needs serious medical attention". Oh now I get it, its the General.
THE GENERAL! Panic attack. oh gods he's holding me in his arms, is he insane! I don't want him touching me when I am this dirty. Eeeck! oh mother earth please just swallow me NOW!

Sometime later the infirmary medics come along and check my pulse, They help me sit up. Ask me some questions, check my pulse again, listen to my heart and lungs, look in my eyes. "Sir There seems to be nothing wrong with her, except that her heart rate is very fast, but she doesn't seem to be suffering any anxiety or panic attack" The general gives them a nod and tells them they can go. "What I do think, is she needs a good old bath, she sure has alot of Demon gunk on her" says the other medic.

I get up slowly, then remember the moment in the blue light, I turn around to see what it was that came out of my back but couldn't see anything. "Is something wrong Lt." asks the general, still looking concerned at me. I turn towards him and softly reply "No nothing, Sir". He still looks concerned. "Go get yourself cleaned up, I'll check in on you in a while".

Leaving the training hall, I hear the other cadets whisper: "Did you see that?", "Looked like she had wings?", "What is she?" "Do you think she is a demon?". Before I got to the door to the locker room and showers I hear General Slade boom in a loud voice, "CUT OUT YOUR SQUABBLING AND GET BACK TO TRAINING, NOW!!!". I leave through the double doors and head straight back to the showers. Pealing of my clothes once I get there, My t-shirt torn in the back, there goes my favourite tee. I kick of my boots, and start tacking of my combat cargo pants, when I see the cut in my pant leg where I swear I could remember I had cut myself on something when I fell from the sky. I pull the pants all the way down, not a scratch on my leg, its as if there never was a cut at all. I open up the hot water and let all the guts, gore and blood wash away from body, the water going down the drain running a sickly reddish brown. I was my hair again, and scrub every inch of my body, until my skin glows red. I don't want a spec of Demon gore left on me.

Shutting off the water, I reach for a towel and see my reflection in the mirror, my normally light blue eyes have a violet tint to them, and there are two elongated cuts running down the back of my shoulder blades. I try to touch them, but can't reach back all the way. That's when I notice the twin silver bracelets on my wrists. "Hello, where did you come from?" I whisper to myself. I don't wear jewellery, I do own a set of beads with a pendant that has an intricate Celtic knotted pattern on it. The teachers in the compound told me I had it on me, when they found me out in the woods as a child. I keep it in my closet in my dorm room. So how did these beauties get on me then? Solid silver, with funny writing all the way round, both are not similar, the writing is different and there are these beautiful blue stones set in both. the writing seems ancient, as I run my hands over the writing on one, the words begin to glow, I gasp and pull my hand away. I finish up in the shower room, and head for my room. I better get there before the general arrives.