Wasteland Survivor – Aftermath - ch10
#11 of Wasteland Survivor
Ok Fox, you said if I kept the story going I could have a day of rest, pay up now please.
As always, please leave feedback if you like, or even if you don't. Also if anyone sees that damn Fox tell her to stop telling me to write things and let me have some surcease from this madness, she is driving me insane :/
"Eighty four, hrmm." I kicked a pair of limbs into a pile with half a body and scanned around, finding the other half I dragged that over too, "Eighty five..."
There was only one left, I looked at the disembowelled, decapitated body of a dingo hybrid, then glanced up at the dragon, who scratched the numbers '8 5' in the ground between us, then it gestured at the last one and pantomimed the lost head and pointed a thumb-claw at itself.
"No no no, there was no way you got there first, by the time you had reached it, I had its lungs in my fist and was tearing them out, its most definitely MINE!" I made the motions of killing it and that was when things broke down, I was slowly getting a headache when a few soldiers, braver than most, wandered over.
"What's the problem Ma'am?" one of them asked.
"What killed this hybrid?" I asked, the now bewildered soldiers.
"Uh, you mean besides his lack of any thing above his collar bone and the removal of every other major organ except his brain? I am not sure what you mean Ma'am."
"I mean, what would have killed him first!" I all but yelled, although to their credit, the soldiers knew I was not mad at them... yet. What's with this headache, putting me on edge.
"Well, decapitation is very sudden and rather effective." Piped in another soldier, the dragon nodded matter of factly.
"But then, removal of heart and lungs is pretty quick too, even excusing that, without his guts he wasn't going to last too long." Another stated, I beamed at him like he was my brightest student.
My headache was getting worse, then all of a sudden cleared.
~"Ahh little sister, I have finally managed it"~
I spun around to look at Drathnial, "You can talk now?"
The soldiers, their interest piqued, were now discussing the quickest way to kill these things.
~"Of course, for one such as me to have met a kindred spirit and not be able to talk, well, that just could not be. But you will agree the last kill is most definitely MINE"~ And with the last word I reached for my bayonet.
The dragon recoiled, he wasn't a fool, fighting me at close quarters would be madness, however with a grin I spun around, pouring power into my muscles I cut a perfect line from what was left of the corpses neck to its crotch, dug the bayonet into the ground and turned back to Drathnial.
"You can have the left half brother, I will have the right!"
The laughter that poured to my mind was contagious and I started giggling too, then the soldiers.
~"A draw then little sister, but next fight, we must try and make things a bit neater, it won't do for such a majestic creature as myself to be bested by something as small as you, despite your talent."~
I just laughed some more and said, "Sure sure, you talk big, but next fight, I will be standing over the last kill alone!"
Our attention was quickly absorbed by movement at the periphery of our vision and we spun as one, eyeing the griffon that had come to investigate the carrion. While watching it intently, I murmured, very quietly, "Eighty five and a half, and counting..."
-
"And I swear Sergeant, that's when Fox and that dragon took off like a missile for the poor creature, last we saw of them it was trying to fly away with Fox on the dragons back, her bayonet out and howling like a demon." the Private reported.
"Thanks private, that rings more true than I would have thought of that kid two months ago, dismissed!" he saluted and left the command building.
"Sugar, it has to be some sort of sugar drink, nothing can have that much energy." I muttered, turning back to the interrupted conversation with Crystal.
"Nah, she was always like that, although before she became furry she was a little less, uh, violent about it." the Boss said with a happy little grin.
"What are we going to do about supplies, we are low on ammo, food and medical?" enquired Lieutenant Jessup.
"There is nothing tying us to this camp, the doc reported that all of the wounded can travel, and we have the use of a pair of very fine aircraft now, " Crystal replied with a nod to Lieutenant Greves, "although we are heavily weighed down with civilians, but there is no way we are leaving anyone behind. No, Canberra is the obvious choice, of the nearby cities its the smallest and most open. Plus we may find some higher ups from the government there."
"How should we move then Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking?" I nodded politely to the officers, it never hurt to acknowledge the brass, particularly when asking a question they were thinking but didn't want to ask.
"We keep two squads of troops here, we send out the rest in the APCs, bushmasters and trucks to establish a new camp on the outskirts of the city, then we pack up and fly to them. Then repeat it again to reach the cities airport." She outlined the plan.
"We should have plenty of fuel for that." The AirForce Lieutenant commented, "Will also give us a chance to refuel and maybe trade up at the airport.". He seemed impressed at the foresight.
"It will mean our weakest squad, though guarding the aircraft and civvies, will always have a fortified position to do it from, and if we move some troops between duties on the first stop it will halt some complaining before it starts." Jessup pointed out.
"And since it seems we now have an aerial recon scout," I pointed out with a grin, "things should be much safer, also, I don't know if any of you has noticed, but the smaller predators seem to be avoiding wherever Drathnial is, which we can use to our advantage. Just, lets make sure he and Fox get in at least one fight with something before we reach the city, or they will be chasing rats all over the place." that got some chuckles, and some thoughtful nods, both from the Boss at some point in the statement.
"Then its decided, lets make it so people." Crystal finished with.
"Sir! Yes Sir." came in a round from the table, a good plan, well thought out can wring that from any soldier, whether the person was a senior officer or not, it was always good to know a wiser mind than yours had thought of everything.
-
We landed, I was picking bits of feather from my teeth, with Drathnial doing the same when a wise arse commented, "Well, lookey, Fox raided the hen-house!"
"O'Brian!" I all but squealed and ran over to him and grabbed him around the neck, rubbing the top of his head till he lost his hat and was growling, "Glad you made it through that fight, haven't seen you around since then..."
"Get off me damnit! Haven't you noticed, I am endangered?" I groaned at the pun and he took advantage by lever me off, "Yeah, thanks to the Boss we all got through that hell and came back the other side."
"The Boss?" I asked, lost in the conversation.
"Yeah, Crystal, that's what everyone is calling her now, since she is not an officer, we gotta call her something and that fits pretty well." well well well, my girl is working her way up in the world, interesting... "Oh and hey, she has a plan for what we going to do next, she wants to see you AYSAP"
~"Nice hunt little sister, I think that one puts us at, Eighty Six each."~
"Yeah, I gotta go find out what Crys wants, seems things are getting busy again." I replied out loud, I don't think I will ever be able to talk mind-to-mind, some people thought me going crazy, but they didn't seem to care too much, it was a common malady in these times.
I was about to open the door to the command building when Sergeant Nicols opened it from within exiting the room, "Ahh, Fox, just who the Boss wants to see, get you arse in there soldier!"
"Sir! Yes Sir!" I replied with a lopsided grin and walked in the proffered door as he left.
My eyes adjusted slowly to the dim conditions, but all of a sudden I was tackled to the floor, "Mrffmrrrf" I tried to reply but relented as Crystals tongue challenged mine for domination of my mouth.
After a few minutes of this, she backed off long enough to get a word out.
"They listened to me, I told them my plan and all those military guys listened and then said all the things I thought about when I was making it!" Seems the girl could breath while talking because she attacked my throat with gusto again. Luckily I was up against the door so no visitors would be getting in.
After some time Crystal relented and I just said, "Uh, congratulations hun." Where did she throw my damn panties...
After a few minutes more of getting dressed and Crystal almost derailing the process. I looked over the plan she had made, making note of the 'Aerial Recon Unit'.
I laughed, "That's me and Drath right?"
"Mmmhrmm" was her busy response.
"Ok, STOP that, I can't concentrate while you do that, letting go of the plans I lifted her shoulders up and held her at arms reach, "I should have given you command of a combined military force years ago, its made you insatiable!"
At that, melancholy hit me a little, "Hey Crys, you ever miss me being a guy?", raising my eyes to hers, I saw my answer, she was about to pounce me again when a knock at the door saved my... who am I kidding, I wished no one would have interrupted, but having a girlfriend who is the most important person in the country has its downsides.
"Sir, the advanced squads are ready to depart!" Jessup declared from the door, then turned smartly and returned to his duties.
"Sir? Sir? I knew about 'Boss' but when did you start getting 'Sir'ed?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Oh, a girl has to have her secrets!" She said over her shoulder on her way out of the building.
"Wait? What? What do you mean..." But she had left, I growled a little.
"Damnit, getting me all turned on then leaving." Muttering I retreated from the dark room again into the light outside.
~"Little sister, the spiky one says its time we went hunting, apparently they are giving us the chance to kill things first, very nice of your mate to give us prime position, having you as my little sister is definitely paying off!"~
I didn't want to burst his bubble that they just wanted us to scout for them, let him have his happy place and besides, he may be right and we may find something.
~"Wow, Drathnial was right, your mind is much more open now Fox, this will make our job much easier"~ the soft but at the same time steady as steel voice of the Echidna hybrid said into my mind, ~"Safe trails!"~
"Not what we are hoping for Jennings, but thanks for the sentiment" I said to no-one in particular, knowing the telepath could pick such a public thought from my mind since Drathnial had demonstrated it to me already. "Enough of sitting around Drath, lets HUNT!" I called, putting a hint of the feral into the last word, I ran out into the open area where the soldiers were formed up, vaulted onto the roof of a bushmaster then high into the air just as Drathnial swooped under me collecting me.
~"Show off"~ The Second Lieutenant said drolly into both my mind and the dragons.
"Always" we said at the same time, he telepathically and me vocally as we charged toward the city that was just over the horizon.