Ambere Chronicles Volume One: Kaurine Dawn [UNABRIDGED EDITION]

Chapter Five: An Ageless Burden

[Aerrus Residence, City of Wolfreach, Haldios IV, 24th of Phaeden, 5010 TE]


[Aerrin]

I heard the sound of Cewa's rifle box closing, and turned around from where I was making a cup of coffee in the kitchen in time to see him walking out of the bedroom, a sad look etched on his face. He waited for a moment, and then I saw a small, if still sad, smile pull his lip up on an angle as I ran around the table to wrap my arms around him as tight as I could. I wanted to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. But apparently my arms could speak instead, because as his arms wrapped around me in turn, squeezing to the point of being just soft enough to not be painful, and then he spoke, his voice low.
"I have to go on this mission, Heartstreasure... Boltz is already on deployment and can't be recalled to accompany this team. And after him, I'm the best shot we have." It was the same every time he deployed, and had become something of a comforting routine for us both. It ensured that if the worst did happen, our last memory would be a tight embrace before he left. A bright memory to light a dark path ahead. I felt Cewa shift slightly, and then I felt his lips touch my hair and a tear slid down my cheek. Reluctantly, I relinquished my grip on my lover, and he stepped back only half a step. I looked up at him, and he had a small smile playing on his lips.
"In case this one goes sideways, I want to leave you with something a bit more than just a hug." He said. I felt my heart sink slightly, but then his lips touched mine. Not wanting to waste what could be our last opportunity, I melted into him, and felt the smile grow against my lips as he once again wrapped his arms around me. For what felt like a blissful eternity, we remained like that, pouring everything we each had into it. Eventually, Cewa had to pull away, and finally said,
"If all goes well... I should be back within a week or two." I nodded, and watched as he walked out the door, gently closing it behind himself.


[A Few Watches Later...]


[Cewa]

"Alright ladies, you know the drill! We get in, scout, report back. We have no good intel on what's on the other side, because we lost contact with the probes sent in. So we've called in some added support." The Captain of the unit I was assigned to for this mission, a Draekkus with onyx scales, nodded to me.
"This is Lieutenant Aerrus. When we are in there, what he says goes, unless I personally countermand it. Clear?" He waited for but a moment, before the transport resounded with the unified reply: "Crystal, SIR!" He then made eye contact with me, and nodded. I stepped forward from where I'd been standing off to the side, and cleared my throat.
"Since we don't know if the drones got hit by a Blackout weapon, we are assuming they did in the interest of safety. You have been outfitted with experimental, anti-blackout suits. They are made with electro-magnetic interference-hardened circuitry, and use kinetic energy to charge up the features." Suddenly, the pilot interrupted us.
"Hitting the Anomaly in 3... 2... 1... Contact! Nose has ente..." The pilot's comm signal broke apart like a digital scream before turning to static, and I watched in morbid fascination as a solid wall of swirling green and purple... Something swept past me.

Outside my helmet's visor was nothing but whatever it was made of for about half a minute, and then just as the wall slid over my left, it now slid across to the right, as if it were some kind of creepy windscreen washer for a civilian transport shuttle. I shuddered, and then looked around. The others, as they came out of the wall, which now looked blue and light red, looked as shaken as me. After about a minute of normal flying, the pilot suddenly crackled over the radio,
"Solblaze, the controls are dead sticking! I don't have control! Brace for impact!" As one, we all scrambled to the impact harnesses, and the last of us locked into place just in time.

We all felt the sudden Slam! as the transport hit the ground on an angle, nose first. We were thrown about in the harnesses before we ground to a stop, and my first instinct was to unlock my harness and check the pilot. I absently noted the Captain ordering everyone to fan out and secure the crash site, then heard his footsteps come up as I was checking the pilot's vitals.
"How's she looking?" He asked. I turned to look at him, and shook my head.
"Flatline. She's KIA, Cap. I'm sorry." He nodded, looking down. I gently raised her tags from around her neck, and handed them to the Captain, who put them in his top pocket.
"I'll make sure they get back home." He said, and we walked out of the downed transport.
I looked around, noting the surroundings. Tall trees on one side, and a plain nearby with some kind of structure in the distance.