A Soldiers Story 2 - Measure of a Man
Sorry for the lateness of the story! Took a while to figure out what I wanted to have happen and such. Oh yes, and I finally came up with a name for the two sides of the war. Ena is the name of the opposing army, while Allesa is Shadow's side. ^..^ This story contains graphic situations depicting war and death, so any minors or the squeamish shouldn't read this!
A Soldiers Story 2: Measure of a Man
By: Shadow Nightclaw
The black wolf kept slumbering on, dreams of heaven, earth and bliss flowing through his mind. Black ears twitching from time to time in his sleep, his arms wrapped tenderly about the scaled form of Raeth. A black and white dragon, whom happened to be sleeping just as blissfully in the black wolf's arms. The duo naked beneath the rough army blankets supplied to the soldiers fighting the war for the politicians of their country.
After some time, the black wolf started to stir, his grey eyes with a silverish glow to them opening up slowly. Only to fall upon the calm, serene expression upon Raeth's face as the dragon kept slumbering on happily. The dragons tail twitching idly in his sleep, which only made Shadow smile softly. His bushy tail wagging ever so slightly behind him while he kept gazing forth upon the dragons luscious face. The memories of the previous night filling his mind, heart and soul with joy of the wonderous time spent with this wonderful dragon.
As Shadow kept staring into the dragons eyes, they started to open up, revealing golden eyes seeming to glow with the joys of life. Giving the war weary wolf a new found strength, his black lips spreading into a warm, tender smile. Before leaning forward to press his lips tenderly against Raeth's, his tail swaying even faster as he murred. "Well good morning sexy." he whispered softly, the wolf's eyes radiating with the joy and happiness he felt within.
"Good morning to you cutes...." Raeth responded, golden eyes locked upon the black wolf's greysilver eyes. A similar smile lighting across the dragons muzzle as they laid on their sides, their warm forms pressed up against one another while their arms rested around the others lean, toned form. The soft, warm rays of sun flowing into the room from the number of holes in the concrete walls surrounding them. Lighting up the sensuous curves of the two males muscles, seeming to be giving a whole new light to their lives as they just laid there gazing into each others eyes.
Then a new sound filled the air around them.......the sounds of an alarm horn going off, a steady sound screaming of an enemy counter attack attempting to regain control of the city from their enemies.
Upon hearing the alarm going off, the duo started in surprise, being jerked out of their private world into the harsh reality of war. The wolf and dragon quickly scrambling from the cot and gathering their scattered uniform and pulling it on as fast as they could. While they could hear the sharp crackling of gun fire in the distance as the enemy started to engage the entrenched soldiers holding the inside of the city. Along with the sharp, slow whistling sound of incoming artillery. The impact of the shells shaking the very ground of the city, causing a fine dust to fly from the walls and ceiling around the two males as they grabbed their weapons and ran from the room.
The world outside of their room was that of gun fire, renewing flames, and the constant sounds of explosions getting closer and closer. While the very ground of the city shook with the violence of the explosions decimating even more buildings.
"God dammit....." Shadow cursed while glancing around for the other members of his squad, most of which seemed to have just run off towards the sound of fighting to engage the enemy. Though a few soldiers joined him and Raeth, creating a small squad of seven. With a soft sigh, the wolf just shook his head at how few squad members joined up, before quickly starting to trot off towards the sound of gun fire. While trying to think up a good place to set up to defend against the enemy soldiers pushing their way forth into the city.
As they ran through the ruined roads of the city, the sounds of fierce fighting kept getting louder and louder. While the black wolf's mind kept racing, greysilver eyes darting around at the buildings lining the roads. Looking over the piles of rubble and the gaping holes formed from explosives destroying the walls. Then, he spotted it, a building that seemed to stand off to the side. Most of its entrances covered by rubble, aside from a small slope of rubble leading up to a gaping hole in the side of the building.
"Thats our building boys! Jeffrey, Geoffe! Get in there and cover the rubble pile from inside, kill any enemy trying to get in through the building. Everyone else! Get to any points of cover over looking the street and let the bastards have it when they try to run down the street!" he shouted to his squad, two of the soldiers darting forth from the group and charging up the pile of rubble. Their footpaws knocking loose several stones, sending them tumbling down the pile with the soft sounds of concrete clattering upon concrete. While the rest of the squad followed close behind, quickly darting through a doorway to the right once they reached the hardwood floor at the top of the pile of rubble.
Once inside the dust filled room, the made a quick search for the stairs, which they found nicely nestled in the back of the room, hidden behind a partially destroyed room. A couple of the soldiers quickly yanking the remaining timbers of the door from the stairs, opening the passage for the rest of the squad to charge up the stairs. In short order they had reached the second level, where part of the wall and floor had fallen away. Leaving only several feet of concrete wall and windows over looking the street, while the whole exposed a portion of the room adjacent to them.
"Alright Raeth, on me!" he shouted over the din of gun fire approaching their position. The black and white dragon private quickly rushing over to the black wolf, whom led the dragon over to a window at the far end of the room. Leaning up against the wall and gesturing for Raeth to crouch down, before the black wolf leaned forward to glance out the window. Watching for any signs of enemy soldiers at the end of the street as he waited for the fighting to reach his squad.
As the tense soldiers waited, the minutes ever so slowly crept on by, their sensitive ears picking up the sounds of screaming war cries, terror, and agonized pain. Then, Shadow saw the soft movements of fellow soldiers retreating down the roads. Some of them limping with an arm looped over a comrades shoulder, one or both of their legs bloodied from various injuries. While other soldiers ran down the road, one arm carrying or dragging their weapons, with their other paw covering a wound on their upper body. With a few soldiers missing an arm, one or two carrying their dismembered limb while retreating. The ones with lost legs being supported by another soldier as they fell back as the enemies surprise attack drove the allied forces back.
"Steady men.....Steady...." he called to his squad as they waited, keeping their ears perked and eyes alert as they waited for the enemy soldiers to appear. The sounds of crackling gun fire approaching with every passing minute. Then....he heard it.....the heavy rumbling of a diesel engine while the very building and ground itself seemed to rumble and vibrate. The sound of diesel accompanied with the shrieking sound of steel grinding against the brick road. "God dammit.....a fucking panzer....." he cursed softly as he quickly leaned his head out the window a bit more. Glancing down the street to see the broad, grey, hulking shape of a panzer tank rumbling its way down the road. With a number of enemy soldiers following behind it, using it as a sort of moving shield.
Drawing back into the window, he quickly glanced over to a badger in his unit toting an MG, while strapped over his back were a couple of bazookas with a pack filled with ammunition to reload the bazooka's with. "Razor, Krell! Get the bazookas out! We got ourselves a Panzer!" he barked out over the loudening din of tank treads getting closer to their position. The badger and a fellow soldier close to him, a beaver quickly pulled the bazookas from Razor's back. The duo moving to two different windows, while another soldier moved to cover the stairway with his MG42.
As the two soldiers readied their bazookas Shadow glanced out the window, flickering his tail nervously as he watched the Panzer approaching. "God dammit....I hate Panzers...." he muttered softly, knowing full well how strong the Panzer tanks armor was. Virtually impossible to destroy by a bazooka alone, with the heavy steel armor positioned so any rounds fired at it would glance away. Making it all the harder to destroy it, unless one happened to shoot it in just the right place. "Easy boys....don't give our position away......wait 'till he's passing by....then fire at the top...." he called out, leaning back in the window so as not to let any enemy soldiers see his snout sticking out the window.
The black wolf glancing over at Razor and Krell as they leaned against the wall near their respective windows, keeping a cautious eye upon the approaching Panzer. While the rest of the squad listened from their positions restlessly, unable to see whether the Panzer's barrel was pointing towards their building. Easily capable of wiping out their position with a single shell if it detected them.
After a few, uneasy minutes, Shadow saw the grey, hatched top of the Panzer passing beneath him outside the building. At that point he glanced at Razor and Krell, gesturing to open fire on the Panzer.
The two soldiers, seeing his hand gesture, nodded before leaning out the window partway. Quickly lining the tanks top through the sight on their bazookas, with a few other soldiers by the windows readying themselves to open fire on the soldiers following behind the Panzer. With a quick roar of flame, both bazookas launched their explosives towards the top of the Panzer. Followed shortly by the explosion of flame and the heavy, earth shaking rumble following the blasts. Shadow ducking his head in the window from the flare of flame reaching up from the tank.
Once the flame flared down in seconds, he popped his head back out, to see to his horror that the Panzer was still rolling along. With the soldiers behind all shouting and a few pointing up at the windows where the explosives had been fired from. Snarling in anger at the surprise attack on the Panzer failing to destroy it, he quickly barked, "FIRE AT WILL! AND TAKE OUT THAT DAMNED PANZER!" to his squad. As the black wolf pushed himself against the wall by his window, leaning his rifle out through it and resting it against the window frame. Taking quick shots into the mass of soldiers, soon seeing the steady rain of lead falling upon the enemy soldiers from the rumbling barrel of one of his squads MG42s poking out the window. The wolfs greysilver eyes taking in the sight of blood splurting and spraying into the air as bullets ripped through numerous soldiers.
The wolfs paw quickly working the bolt of his rifle after each crackling shot, firing at soldiers over and over. Until his rifle clicked, signaling that it was empty of rounds. With a curse he ducked back inside, glancing over to his right to watch Razor and Krell aiming their bazookas out the windows once more. Obviously having reloaded the bazookas to fire, when Krell suddenly gurked. A spray of blood exploding from his back as a few bullets ripped through him. The enemy soldiers outside returning fire, having caught the beaver off guard. Shadow wincing slightly as he watched the beaver topple backwards to lay dead on the floor. While the back end of Razors bazooka roared once more, propelling its explosive towards the rear end of the Panzer trundling down the road. Its speed increasing as it tried to escape from the danger of the bazookas.
With the flare of the bazooka shooting its propellant, Shadow managed to grab a clip from his ammo belt, shoving it down into his rifles open bolt. Ears flickering slightly as he heard the loud boom of the bazookas explosive hitting its mark. Followed shortly by the shrieking sound of metal shredding, multiple explosions sounding in the air. The roar of the diesel engine dying down, while the sound of the treads slowly ground to a halt. "Good shot Razor!" he shouted, his black paw slamming the bolt of his rifle forwards to chamber a round.
Once a round was chambered in his rifle, he leaned up to his window again, only to duck quickly as wood splintered and sprayed above him as the windows on the floor were getting sprayed with bullets. Causing the black wolf to curse as he ducked down, soon hearing the scream of a comrade in pain as a couple bullets managed to tear through his shoulder and arm. The marmot falling backwards on the floor, dropping his rifle, his free paw moving to clutch at the oozing bullet hole on his shoulder.
While the barking roar of the MG42 covering the stairs roared through the building, the black wolf glancing over at the stairs to watch the ferret covering the stairs firing rounds of molten death upon enemy soldiers trying to get up the stairs. Carefully firing controlled bursts so as to make his shots more accurate, as well as to control the amount of ammo being used.
Then he heard something thudding on the ground next to him, Shadows attention glancing down to his left to see a stick grenade laying next to him. Yelping as he quickly snatched it up and tossed it over his head out the window. The stick grenade roaring in an all consuming explosion just barely outside the window, showing just how close he had come to getting blown away. "Dammit! Johnson! Get on that damn radio and call out! See if we can get some help here!" he barked over at a rottwieler who was firing a KAR98 through his window. Ducking after each shot to reload his bolt action rifle, but upon hearing his sergeant's command he nodded quickly. Reaching over to grab his radio pack laying next to him and grabbing the phone on the side. Calling into it as he tried to reach someone on the other end, straining to hear anyone over the roaring racket of gunfire filling the room.
Through the hellish nightmare, Shadow glanced over at Raeth, giving the black and white dragon a warm, comforting smile. The two sharing a sort of tender moment between themselves, golden eyes gazing upon greysilver eyes despite the din of war around them. The steady sound of bullet rounds peppering the floor, while the wood of the windows sprayed as bullets tore through them. Screams of wounded and dying filling the air, along with the heavy, thick, cloying scent of the burning Panzer and the bodies within its armored shell.
The two gazed forth into each others eyes for a few minutes, until Shadow was jerked out of his sort of dream state by Johnson shouting, "Miller is bringing help now sir! ETA ten minutes until they get here!" the rottwieler barked over. The black wolf glancing over at Johnson with a quick nod, before he reached to his belt and grabbed a fragmentation grenade. Popping the pin before tossing it out the window, using it to distract any enemy soldiers outside.
"ALRIGHT BOYS! HELPS ON THE WAY! HOLD OUT FOR TEN MINUTES!" Shadow barked out, his voice being masked for a few seconds by the roar of the grenade going off down below. The black wolf then leaning up to aim his rifle out the window, taking a snap shot at an enemy soldier taking cover behind an abandoned car along the side of the street. Its steel, black siding peppered with bullet holes and shrapnel from the grenade. The wolfs shot knocking the enemy soldier back, a splurt of blood filling the air where his head had been standing out.
Shadow's attention quickly caught by the blur of another soldier diving out from behind the car, quickly trying to find cover behind the burning wreck of the tank. Apparently having gotten freaked out upon seeing his comrade getting a bullet in the face. The running soldier easily being tracked by the black wolf as he lead his target before squeezing the trigger. Watching calmly, with no emotion as his target jerked in mid-run, his momentum causing his body to fall forward in a crumble on the brick road.
Smiling slightly to himself in satisfaction at his aim, the wolf ducked back in his window as a few bullets hit on either side of the window. With one bullet zinging through the fur at the tip of his left ear, leaving him with the chilling knowledge of how close he himself came to having a bullet tearing through his head.
Panting softly, Shadow stayed where he was for a couple of minutes, letting the adrenaline wear down slowly. Then...he heard something that chilled the black wolf down to the very core. The sharp, shrill screeching of metal upon metal, the sound of a heavy diesel roaring through the night.
Quickly, Shadow popped his head up a bit, glancing down the street to see yet another Panzer rolling down the street. Watching as its barrel slowly turned in the direction of the building his men were using as a place to fire upon the enemy soldiers. "God dammit....just what we needed...." he cursed softly, before reaching a paw over to grab Raeth's arm firmly. "Everyone move it! Panzer incoming!" he barked out. "Johnson! Blow that damn wall over there!" he yelled at the rottwieler pulling his MG from the window.
Glancing over at his sergeant, the rottwieler nodded before trotting over into the room behind the stairs. Where he pulled out a satchel charge and placed it next to a wall, pulling the tip of the fuse to get it lit while shouting, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
At Johnson's shout the squad took cover in the next room, with the ferret's MG still roaring in steady, aimed bursts. Holding enemy soldiers at bay as they tried to get up the stairs to engage their opponents.
Then the building shook with the loud roar of flame and an echoing explosion as the satchel charge blew a hole through the wall into the building behind the one they were in. Once the boom died out, Shadow barked, "Everyone through! Now!" while getting up, yanking on a rather surprised Raeth, virtually dragging the dragon into the room with him and towards the hole in the wall. Shoving the dragon through it, pausing next to it to wave his comrades through. Glancing over into the room the soldiers were evacuating out of to see the ferret holding onto his MG with one paw, his other shoulder slipping beneath the wounded marmots arm. Helping him up to his feet and towards their exit.
As Shadow was watching, he heard the echoing blast of a tank barrel firing its round. Followed a split second later with the room they were in being blown apart. The sheer force of wind being blown into the room he was in knocking Shadow onto his back with a yelp. Thudding on the hard wood floor heavily, sitting up quickly to look into the other room. Only to see a large, hulking crater where the last room was, the floor below piled with a ton of wooden debris with a few limbs and chunks of flesh here and there. "God dammit..." he growled, getting up to his feet to follow his squad into the building they had blown a new 'door' through. "Johnson! Get on the radio and tell Miller to watch his ass since they've got another Panzer out there!" he shouted.
"Sir! What happened to Max and Jimmy?!" Raeth called out to the black wolf, a very concerned look upon the dragons face as his golden eyes stared forth questioningly into Shadow's greysilver eyes.
Directing his gaze into Raeth's eyes, the wolf shook his head slowly, watching helplessly as tears filled the dragons eyes as grief set in. "No....no.....we made it through boot camp.....we promised each other....we'd make it through together....." Raeth cried softly. While Shadow couldn't do much more then to move over and wrap an arm around the dragons shoulders softly in as comforting a hug as he could.
"Fight for now....mourn later....." Shadow whispered into Raeth's ears softly, at which the dragon nodded slowly. Sniffling in an attempt to stifle the tears just aching to pour forth from the dragons eyes.
"Alright boys, hold here until back up arrives!" he called out to the remaining men he had under his command. Greysilver eyes looking over the beaver, rottwieler, dragon, badger and a couple of foxes looking forth at their sergeant, nodding in understanding before moving to cover a couple of windows. A door leading into the room they were currently in, along with the hole in the wall they had made to escape from the Panzer.
"Sir! Miller says he can't make it! They're being held back by the Ena advance!" Johnson called out to Shadow, virtually making the wolf cringe, before nodding softly in understanding.
"Alright Johnson, tell Miller thanks for trying." Shadow said softly, greysilver eyes looking down at the hardwood floor of the room while he pondered his next move. What he should do now that he and his unit were virtually behind enemy lines. After some time, the wolf nodded slowly with a soft, resigned sigh. "Alright boys! Guess we gotta get our asses back to our side of this fiasco! Lock and load! Expect to be fighting our way through this!" he barked out while checking to make sure his rifle was fully loaded and ready for action.
At the wolfs command, the rest of the unit nodded while checking their weapons as well. Waiting by the windows and doors for Shadow's command to move out. The black wolf's gaze looking over the surviving members of his squad, rather wondering how many of them would survive, or if even any of them survive. That thought alone causing Shadow's heart to cringe at the thought of Raeth dying. His greysilver eyes glancing over at the dragon for a few minutes, lingering upon Raeth's form as he paused. But after a couple of minutes, he shook the feelings out of his head. 'Thinking about that won't help us get through enemy lines...' he thought to himself, admonishing himself in a sense.
"Lets move out! But only fire on enemy soldiers if they fire on you alright? No need to draw attention to ourselves when we can avoid it." he said softly, moving to the door leading from the room they were in. With the rest of his squad lining up behind him, all of the soldiers alert as they followed their squad leader out of the room and down the stairs. The black wolf slowly, quietly advancing down the stairs. Keeping his rifle at the ready, alert eyes searching the room around the stairs for any Ena soldiers that might be in the area. Thankfully, the room was empty, and hopefully the rest of the building would be empty of enemy soldiers as well.
Then they reached the ground floor, ears cocked attentively, listening for sounds of boots on the pavement outside. Or the sharp screech of steel treads grinding against the street. The unit slowly, cautiously making their way out of the building and out onto the street. Where they ever so slowly made their way from cover to cover, hiding behind stairs leading up to doors, or in doorway's. Sharp eyes watching out for any sign of Ena soldiers moving about the street.
But as they kept making their way down the street, they just didn't see any enemy soldiers. Which was starting to make Shadow all the more edgy, 'Why aren't there any soldiers about.....I'd have thought they'd want to secure all the streets leading towards our lines....' Shadow thought to himself.
Then the squad reached an intersection, where they pressed up against a wall. With Shadow slowly peeking around the corner, only to see at least fifty Ena soldiers around their transport vehicles. Most of them alert while a few talked to other units on their radios, seeming to be coordinating their offensive against the Allesa forces. The more Shadow watched, the more he became convinced that this must be one of their command units in the area. Considering the way that they were looking over maps, shouting commands to their radio men. With the rest of the soldiers around them watching the area to protect them.
After watching the Ena soldiers for several minutes, Shadow pulled his head back around the corner. Leaning back to whisper, 'Razor......load that bazookas and get up here. On my command, I want you to hit their transport vehicle....the rest of you...be ready to pour lead down that street. That appears to be a command unit and I want to take it out, hamper their offensive as much as I can..." he said softly so as not to let the Ena soldiers know of their presence. Yet speaking loud enough for his men to hear his words. Greysilver eyes moving from soldier to soldier, watching as they nodded in understanding at his orders.
The black wolf moving a bit to let Razor get closer to the intersection as the badger reloaded his bazooka. Shadow's paws moving to grip his rifle a bit tighter, moving out into the street slowly so as to move into position as quickly as possible. "Johnson....once that bazooka goes off....I want you laying by that corner to hammer those guys with lead...give us time to get positions..." he said softly to the rottwieler, whom nodded while moving up next to Razor.
Taking a quick glance around at the rest of his unit, making sure they were ready, Shadow turned his attention back to Razor. Giving the badger a thumbs up, at which Razor nodded before peeking around the corner to see the Ena's infantry transport. Then the beaver took a kneeling position around the corner quickly, the sounds of a few surprised Ena soldiers shouting. But it was too late, as the back of Razor's bazooka roared. Letting loose its rocket as it roared towards its target, smashing into the armored side of the infantry transport. An earth shattering explosion following shortly afterwards. Several Ena soldiers falling from severe shrapnel wounds, while others were engulfed in flames from the powerful explosion of the infantry transport being destroyed.
"NOW!" Shadow barked out, while he himself ran out into the street before taking a prone position. The air quickly being filled with the sound of an MG42 roaring into life, rounds flying forth to tear into the stunned Ena soldiers. Cutting a swath of them down, while taking down a couple of the Ena commanders in the area. The black wolf quickly taking the other commander into his sights, pulling on the trigger quickly. Rocking slightly as the rifle bucked in his grasp, watching as the last commander dropped down a split second later as a round tore through his head.
The remaining Ena soldiers recovering and returning fire at the Allesa forces firing upon them. Shadow ducking his head slightly out of reflex as bullets whistled through the air around him. His sensitive ears easily picking up the heavy, sharp barks of rifles shooting. The continuous, thunderous roar of the MG42 shooting round after round down the street towards the Ena soldiers taking cover behind the burning hulk of their transport carrier.
Shadow's rifle aiming at whatever enemy soldiers he could see in the open to take shots at them, taking them down either with a torso or head shot. Blood soon filling the streets as dead and dying soldiers' wounds released their lifes blood. Then, almost as quickly as it started, it stopped. The air now filled with silence, only broken by the occasional moans of pain by wounded and dying Ena soldiers.
The black wolf laid where he was for a few moments, watching down the street cautiously for any enemy soldiers that might still be alive. Greysilver eyes looking over the still and slow moving bodies laying on the street.
"SIR! ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS!" Riley, one of the foxes suddenly shouted, pointing down the end of the street they had been making their way up. Apparently having caught the attention of more Ena soldiers when they heard gunfire and explosions coming from behind them. The wolfs eyes looking down the street to see numerous enemy soldiers running towards them. Some pausing to take shots towards them, bullets impacting into the bricks of the buildings on either side of the street or into the concrete of the road. Sharp fragments of concrete and brick splintering their skin as Shadow and his unit quickly scrambled to take cover. While Johnson turned his MG to start firing down the street. Quickly taking down a few Ena soldiers, the rest scattering to take cover.
As Shadow got up and started running for the cover of a staircase where Raeth was taking cover. Watching as the dragon pointed towards him, shouting, "SHADOW! GRENADE!" Followed shortly by the dull thud of something landing behind him, the wolfs greysilver eyes looking forth into the terrified eyes of the dragon. Then, there was a loud, ear shattering explosion behind him, sending him flying forwards while he felt hot, sharp metal tearing into his back. Sending him flying to land on the ground in a crumpled mess, groaning softly from the hard impact into the ground. Easily feeling blood leaking down his back from the shrapnel wounds.
"SHADOW!" he barely heard over the dim sound of battle, the grenade virtually having numbed the wolfs mind and hearing, leaving him in a sort of haze. Groaning softly as he lifted his head up a bit, squinting to look around in the blurry, numbed world around him. Looking up to see Raeth running towards him, ignoring the bullets flying around him. Quickly skidding to a stop next to Shadow, where he felt the dragons powerful paws grasping him and heaving him upwards. Grunting in pain as he was slumped over Raeth's shoulder, watching the ground beneath him moving quickly, jolting and rocking as t he dragon ran for cover of the stair case once more.
In no time at all, the wolf felt himself being lowered and leaned back to rest against the brick wall of the building. Watching as Raeth leaned closer to him, feeling the tender, loving touch of the dragons paw rubbing along his cheek. Greysilver eyes looking up into Raeth's golden eyes, gazing into the tender orbs for what seemed like eternity. Before Raeth tore his gaze from Shadow's, bending down to pick up his rifle and start firing at the Ena soldiers trying to make their way down the road towards the Allesa soldiers' position.
Shadow unable to do more but sit where he was, watching as Raeth and his surviving squad fought to survive against the Ena attack upon their position. The wolf's eyes closing slowly as he sighed, wondering if they'd ever survive to see the sun set ever again. Sharp ears listening to the heavy patter of rifles and machine gun fire in the air. Sounds of pain and death lingering as men were wounded and killed in the hail of gun fire. The battle seeming to rage for hours, which in reality were only minutes.
After a time, Shadow started to hear new gunfire from down the street that the Ena soldiers were at. Rather wondering just how many Ena soldiers there were. With a soft groan, the black wolf leaned forwards, peeking his head up above the staircase to peer down the street. But instead of more Ena soldiers, he saw fellow Allesa soldiers hitting the attacking Ena soldiers from behind. Taking the enemy soldiers out with effeciency. And as he watched, he saw Ena soldiers surrendering slowly at first. Until all the surviving enemy soldiers had thrown down their weapons, having found themselves stuck and unable to escape with death looming in on them. The sharp barks of gunfire in the air slowly dying down once more. With the gunfire throughout the city seeming to be dying down as well. "...Raeth?..." Shadow whispered softly.
The wolfs voice turning Raeth's attention from the surrendering Ena soldiers to the black wolf. Raeth quickly putting his rifle down, wrapping his arms around Shadow's shoulders. "ohhhh god Shadow....I thought.....I might have lost you there....." Raeth whispered softly into the wolfs ears. While Shadow closed his eyes slowly, pressing his muzzle up into the dragons scaled neck tenderly. Wrapping his arms around Raeth's neck slowly, wincing with a slight whine as the movements caused pain to spike from the wounds on his back.
"I....won't go down....so easily....." he whispered softly into Raeth's ear, earning a soft, nerve wracked chuckle from the dragon. Leaving Shadow to grunt a bit more as Raeth hugged the wolf a bit tighter, very obviously relieved to see that the wolf was alright for the most part. "Would he give his life up.....to be all he can be.....Is that how you measure a man?....." Shadow whispered softly, eyes closing as he relaxed under the loving, protective dragons embrace.
"huh?....Whats that Shadow?..." Raeth asked softly, pulling his head back enough to gaze forth into Shadow's eyes. The wolf smiling up at Raeth happily, paws remaining looped about the dragons neck tenderly.
"Just some lyrics from a song Raeth....thats all..." he said softly, before he slowly leaned forwards. Pressing his lips up against the dragons tenderly, closing his eyes as the world seemed to melt upon the feel of Raeth's lips against his own. Smiling inwardly as he heard Raeth's soft, happy purrs to the wolfs lips against his own. Then....Shadow pulled his lips back slowly, opening his eyes to look up into Raeth's eyes once more. As the wolf stared forth into Raeth's eyes, he suddenly started feeling very weird, a very sleepy sort of weird. "ugnn....Raeth......I....feel....tired...." he whispered softly, while his eyelids started feeling heavier and heavier.
"Shadow..hang in there.....your injuries must be worse then we thought." he barely heard Raeth saying into his ear. "MEDIC! I NEED A MEDIC HERE!" he heard the dragon shouting, while his vision slowly darkened.
Until it all went black......
To be continued?