A warming dream. A cold reality.
Looking to the ramp of the C130 our eyes narrow to the blinding sunlight that cries through the breach as it opens, the craft since come to rest on home soil once more.
" Welcome home, men," our airforce pilot calls through comms.
Grunting with a shake of heads we undo restraints and disembark, greeted by the gusts of fresh, homeland air, and the beating sunlight our operations denied us for two decades.
" Feels good doesn't it," General Teria calls from his vehicle as he approaches, all standing to attention at the end of the ramp, " At ease gentlemen, and of course, ladies," he adds approaching us with observant and scrutinising eyes, the intense, battle-worn expression of pride on his brows sheding upon us relief of a job-well-done.
" Well don't just stand there, fall out, debrief in one hour!" he barks rousing but a silent salute before we each march for our barracks, equipment sacks on back and in paw.
Looking around with narrowed eyes hidden behind black shader eye-glasses, only the changes in the surroundings lie visible, the watch towers rising higher with heavier armaments, the fighters more advanced aeronautics, fresh blood in the boot camps,
" Can't wait to get home see my baby, she wouldn't even recognise her daddy now, certain," Sparks says from a row ahead smirking back, " What about you red? Anyone you miss?" he calls with jokily expression and eyes, his spirits undamaged, unphased, not dampened in sightest by the times.
" Nothing ever dampens your smile does it sparky," I reply with a deep laugh, " We all have those we miss, some of us just, may not see them again." I add rousing only a raised eyeridge in turn, smirking some as we enter into the barracks through its rear hatch, the sun-soaked landscape disappearing behind the metal door, the flurescent bathed chambers lying ahead.
....
Sighs wearily as he sits staring out the window of the armoured, multi-deck transport, contemplating number of destinations along the path to the place he named home, his eyes wandering in a relaxed, almost oblivious state, the rushing plantlife and roadways, distant mountain ranges and passes sweeping by the windows without even registering detail with his sight, the sniper's eye slumbering after the months in the fiery fields of the distant east-lands, the mud-soaked landscapes of the south wetlands, seeing only faces, badges, no names, no voices, drifting through a sea of blissful rest, its skills no longer needed, its duties fulfilled, medals awarded for heroism and guardianship alike.
" Red, huh." he mutters to himself, thoughts drifting to his aquisition of his combat name, wandering through the first deployment of his squad to the east-lands, the only reptilian among his squadmates, recalling the squad leader, Hyena, not for her laugh, but her more nasty side, her sense of humour, the tall red vixine, veteran of over four decades of fighting, willingly displaying her scars to prove her worth at a moments notice.
" A pet name she gave me, for saving her tail more times than I could keep count," he chuckles shaking his head, recalling the pair of wolves, black and grey, each ordered as spotters but incredibly skilled snipers also, White-Eye and Slick, all three, names worthy of being remembered.
" Their loss was significant, it crippled Hyena, those there were more closely knit than any individual squad I'd ever known." he sighs deeply as the remeniscence fades to reveal the transport slowing as it passes into the outlying city of Haven, a name ill-earned but kept for sentiment.
Breathing a heavy sigh, he disembarks the transport into the softened breeze of summertime air, and the warmth of the afternoon sunlight, the glass covered buildings reflecting like giant mirrors, the suns light toward the tallest, central building.
" So much has changed, this once was such a small community, now nothing but high-rise, commercial and corrupt society," he mutters shaking his head, memories of his younger life flickering in thoughts through his minds eye, looking toward the tall central structure, " A power-plant, at least it uses not the more finite of this realm's resources," he adds as he turns down a long, narrow avenue, grey with age and crumbling in places, his thoughts guiding him to the place which he once proudly named his home.
Standing behind the railings still standing around what once was his childhood home, a long deep sigh of remembrance escapes him, his eyes narrowed giving them an examining appearance, to anyone who walked by. Flashbacks of his childhood passing in his minds eye quickly, his parents, his twin sister, times of pain, but also times of joy, happiness, memories he long since cherished, eyes closing as a single memory comes into focus, the series of events which led to the wrecked, bomb-site like appearance of this place. Silently observing himself as but a hatchling outside the mansion-style house, innocently pushing a swing with his sibling on it, each swing forth and back, unaware blissfully of what happens inside the dwelling. The sudden uproar of panic insuing inside as both hatchlings are blinded by a bright light, a sudden, echoing blast of sheer terror, heat and wind. Then, blackness, silence, a distant crackling of burning wood and material. Opening his eyes he takes a breath, a paw pressing hard on his chest, staring glazed-eyed to the site before him, as though the memories play in reality. The young male pulling himself to his feet, staggering and finding support against a blackened tree, unable to comprehend why the house has been turned to nothing but rubble and smoldering, crackling wood and burnt carpets, curtain remnants. Turning his head to one side, the body of his sibling lying face down on the ground, a large stake showing a clear shrapnel impact. The dozens of neighbours, both human and reptilian alike, the whail of medical and fire prevention vehicles approaching.
Closing his eyes he rubs two fingers against the sides of his snout, before they open once more, revealing the image since vanished, only the rocky ground behind the railings,
" A build up of gas while they were arguing, that's why we were outside. My father, lit a cigar and, boom. It shouldn't have happened, yet it did, and I always since feel poorer for it. The pain is long since gone, but the memories, die much slower. " he mutters to himself with a deep, long and drawn sigh, turning slowly away.
" You've come back again I see." A voice from behind somberly says causing him to swiftly turn about, halting to the sight of one of his oldest of neighbours, " Jared." she says placing a hand on his shoulder, giving a brief patting.
" Sue." He replies allowing his paw to rest upon hers for a moment.
" Every year without fail, just as you swore. Is this, to be the last time, as you spoke?" She asks with a quiet, joyless tone.
With a single nod, he confirms the answer without need of words, his paw leaving hers, before her hand leaves his shoulder,
" I see. Would you like to come in, for a drink, before you depart?" She asks her arm gesturing toward her home, a small, single storey, cottage.
" I wouldn't wish to impose." He replies causing a wave of hand before a smile forms on her lips.
" Impose, you wouldn't Jared, come along." She says tugging his arm once, rousing a brief acknowledging nod.
" Yes maam." He replies before both chuckle for a few moments, walking as life-long friends once again, to her home.
Sighing deeply in thought as the transport comes to a halt once more, he lifts his head and peers through the window, realising his final destination, has been at last reached,
" Final destination, all passenger disembark immediately!" a single call over intercom says spurring himself, and the two remaining passengers to disembark and go their seperate ways. The evening sun slowly sets behind as he walks down a wide, empty street, a heavy breeze kicking up dust like a wave across the ground ahead of him. Looking slowly around, the grey, sun-bleached stone of the street meets his gaze, before in the distant, the soft colours of the residential area appears, bringing a subtle, but soft sense of joy to his thoughts. His pace quickening as his own home enters sight at last, his belongings feeling not so weighty suddenly as he reaches the entrance gate. Entering the 6-digit code the gate buzzes to life and opens, a sense of relief washing over him, knowing that his dearest beloved has waited for him, as she promised to. Walking to the door of the sun-soaked dwelling, its walls crying out the soft yellow of sunset, he smiles, turning the key, and going inside. Stepping across the threshold of the dweling the door closes behind him, his eyes scanning swiftly about the hallway, the stairwell and each of the doors, finding the decor has changed, the bright yellows and blues of the walls and doors, replaced by softer tones, lylac, dark-green, and a gentle cream.
" She knew I would re-paint the walls and doors in these colours, how?" he mutters to himself as he enters the large living room, finding only emptiness and silence in the dwelling greeting him.
He drops his equipment bags and sighs silently, moving into the kitchen area, to find the walls freshly tiled in a soft blue colour, patterned with small, black lines in different positions. Returning to the living room he sighs softly, relaxed and relieved to finally be home. He emerges into the hallway and begins a slow ascent along the dwelling's short stairwell, halting and looking around, finding the same decor as the ground floor, turning and entering the chamber he'd shared with his mate. Dropping his equipment bags to one side of the doorway, he walks to the large bed in the centre of the chamber, seating himself on what he recalls is, his side of the bed, looking to the small bed-side locker, and to the picture frame on top of it. Looking upon the image it holds he sighs as his eyes gaze upon his mate, the tall, midnight blue reptilian female causing a sense of remeniscence to fall over him, thoughts drifting to the day the image was taken, how he had taken her out for a meal, their regular walk through the nearby forest, and to an evening festival, enjoying some of the stalls and games available.
" She always enjoyed herself, our walks, the festivals, she was always so good at those ring-toss type games." He says aloud to himself smiling gently but sighing as he looks around the chamber for some moments, finding the dwelling deeply lonesome, and very quiet.
Continuing to look upon the image of his mate, his senses become unaware for some time, the sound of the front door opening below passing by unheard. Closing the door behind her she breathes a deep sigh, carrying four bags through the dwelling and into the kitchen area, frowning as she finds the door ajar, entering and looking around to find no-one in sight. Setting down the carry bags she empties the contents into their presses and refrigeration unit, unaware of the guest above. Stretching for a moment she groans quietly before emerging and ascending the stairwell, her mind set on a hot, long soak in the bath, each step bringing her that much closer to the goal. Reaching the top of the stairwell she freezes, the sound of a muttering voice reaching her ears as she sharply looks toward the source, her eyes narrowing cautiously to the sight of her bed chamber door ajar, slowly, and cautiously approaching, fully prepared and able to defend herself if need be, finger talons sharpened to a point they would slice anything.
" Who dares intrude on my dwelling." She hisses to herself as she slips through the door foot bumping against the equipment bags, freezing suddenly and staring down to them, recognising immediately what they are, her eyes suddenly looking to the bed, widening with shock and surprise, frozen to her spot to the sight of her husband, her mate, returned at long last, feeling unable to breath as her heart skips a beat.
" Oh, my, gods. He, he's actually home! At, long last!" She gasps in thought, before managing slowly to move forward as he gets onto his feet, approaching from behind, excitement filling her thoughts as a bright smile forms on her lips, her arms extended as she draws closer.
Breathing a deep sigh as he looks upon the image, he sets it down on the top of the locker once more, freezing suddenly for a single moment before relaxing, his eyes closing slowly to the familiar warmth of his mate's embrace, her arms draping around him as she hugs him tightly from behind, her scent telling him of her excitment, joy, relief and pride of her mate returning safely home to her, her arms squeezing him close to her for a minute as she quietly whimpers for a few moments.
" I can't believe you're, actually home. I'd, wished and longed, hoped, prayed, wanted to see this day, for so many a year. My love, my husband, my warrior, welcome home." She softly croons to his ear, her voice warming, tender and most welcoming.
Turning to her, his eyes narrow, seeing a gentle bead of a joyful tear rolling down her cheek as she looks into his eyes deeply, her soft, green eyes glistening before a long, soft purr escapes her to the touch of his thumb, gently clearing away the tear on her cheek, her eyes closing as her right hand moves onto his, holding his hand in place as her cheek softly brushes across it, her body language showing just how much she has missed his warmth, his touch and tenderness.
" I had thought, each and every day, of you, my beloved, my Sabria. I had feared upon my return, finding our home so silent, empty, that you'd long since moved on." He softly replies with a warm, joyful, yet tender tone, causing her eyes to open fully, her lips softly touching to his, brushing gently across and back, before pressing softly to his, taking him into a long, tender moment of their first kiss, both pairs of eyes easing gently closed, as her arms hold him tightly to her body, and his arms slowly and softly slide around her body, embracing and hugging her gently yet tightly close in turn.
Several silent minutes pass before their kiss breaks slowly, eyes easing gently open and their gaze meeting once more, smiles on both pairs of lips as they silently gaze into one another's eyes, their contact expressing more than their words ever could, before she moves her head and rests it onto his shoulder, against his neck tightly, closing her eyes with a long, comforted purr.
" My dearest Jared, my mate, my partner." She softly whispers as her head lifts from his shoulder and her eyes gaze deeply into his, " I would wait, until eternity's end, for you. Always." She softly adds as the warmth of her voice caresses his senses, her head resting onto his shoulder once more as her eyes close, purring softly and tenderly, as he softly strokes, slowly back and forth, along her back and neck.
....
Waking suddenly his eyes dart around quickly, a large explosion close by alerting him as he gets to his feet.
" Sleeping beauty finally awakes. Get moving soldier we're under heavy fire, move out and cover our troops to the west, now!!"First marine company Captain Sarikh barks as he appears inside the barracks.
Quickly taking his gear, shrugging on his equipment case, he takes his scoped rifle and bolts outside, diving behind one of the many heavy, tracked vehicles as another 1000-pound artillery shell strikes the barracks, levelling it, breathing a deep sigh, brushing away a solitary tear, finding himself wishing that it was this day, his dreams could become reality, but praying he survives the day, knowing that tomorrow, will bring his tour of duty, to its end.