Chapter 9: Blood and Snow
The soldiers squeezed the triggers of their weapons sending a wave of high caliber bullets into the line of Urgals below them. The demons scattered like cockroaches, but it was useless. The bullets made their way into the demons' bodies and tore through them, splattering fresh blood on the cold snow. Suddenly, John heard a familiar scream from inside the tunnels. "Stay frosty soldiers!" John yelled. He turned to Eragon who was beside him. "We have to keep that tunnel open! It's our chance to get back!" Eragon nodded his head and brought his rifle to his shoulder. Bodies lay in front of the entrance and blood was rolling off the side of the hill. At once, the demons pressed out of the tunnel and began charging up toward the soldiers.
"FIRE!" John screamed. He stood up from behind the fallen tree and looked down the sights of his rifle. With three squeezes of his trigger, Nine Urgals fell lifeless. (A/N: Burst fire on an M-16 pops out three rounds per squeeze.). Eragon aimed his M-4 and fired as well, placing a 7.62-millimeter round into a demon's cheek. It's head exploded by the impact of the hollow point round and the Urgals around him were sprayed with its blood.
"Nice shooting!" John whooped. He looked briefly to the sky.
Jovak! He called through his mental link. His dragon responded quickly.
Drop everything down here! John ordered.
Saphira and I are on our way, Jovak said. Stay down.
John looked up to see that Saphira and Jovak were flying side-by-side struggling to hold a massive boulder around the size of a small home. John tapped Eragon on his shoulder and pointed to their "air support." The Urgals were struggling to get up the snow-covered hillside, so John had an idea.
Drop it here and roll the thing down! John said to his dragon.
Great idea! Jovak replied. John sent Jovak a mental image of where he wanted the rock to be dropped. Jovak and Saphira flew down the side of the hill and released the rock to where it wouldn't bounce, but roll straight into the invading force. John and Eragon watched as the boulder rolled beside them and flattened a numerous amount of Urgals below them. "Bowling for Urgals!" John laughed. The snow was drenched in blood and limbs from the demons below, but they still kept coming. Eragon suddenly gasped. Demons weren't the only things creeping out of the tunnels. There were regular boys only his age.
"No!" Eragon screamed. Nothing could have been done. The chain mail and their helmets were unable to stop the armor-piercing rounds. Eragon watched as the humans' chests and heads blew apart from the onslaught of bullets. Despite the carnage, the Urgals pushed forward and fought through the bullets of the .50 Cal machineguns. "There are too many!" one soldier screamed. He pulled his SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) off of its perch on a rock and loaded another belt of ammunition into it. Saphira and Jovak continued to toss large boulders down the hill to slow the advancing army, but they still kept coming.
"Pick up your rifles!" John yelled. "Fall back to the summit!" The demons screamed in rage and rushed up towards them, but Saphira reacted quickly and sprayed the line with a burst of fire, melting the snow and burning the dead grass underneath it.
Good work, Saphira, Eragon said to her.
The fire won't last long, Saphira said. Move quickly!
"Come on!" John yelled to him. "She covered our retreat!" Eragon nodded his head and popped a few more rounds into the Urgals beneath them. "The marines have set up barbed wire and sandbags at the top," John mentioned. "They got emplaced weapons and snipers in the adjacent hilltops. We just need to survive until we get there!" Suddenly, an Urgal soldier appeared in front of John and Eragon wielding a battle-axe. The soldier was covered in blood and John wasn't sure if it was from its own wound or not. He didn't bother to ask. Instead, he dropped his rifle and unsheathed his two swords to split the demon in two before it could swing its axe.
"Keep moving before
others could break through!" John screamed to the soldiers. He
picked up his M-16 and threw the strap around his shoulder. Eragon
did the same and unsheathed Zar'oc.
"There are some men that
are still down there!" Eragon screamed. John looked down to see
that a group of soldiers didn't hear the message to retreat and
were still shooting at the enemy.
"If we don't do something they'll be cut to pieces!" Eragon cried. John nodded his head. "Everyone press forward to the summit!" John barked. "We'll be right behind you!" John turned to Eragon.
"Time to party!" John said. "We have to cut our way through to them!" Eragon nodded and focused his attention to the soldiers stranded in front of them. Without warning, John ran and launched himself off of a large rock sticking out of the snow. He dove forward and pulled his legs back, flying through the air with his swords behind him. As he neared the ground, John swung out his blades and sliced two Urgals through the stomach. When John hit the snowy soil, he tucked into a summersault and recovered by stabbing another demon in the chest.
Eragon saw a patch of ice and slid across it down the hill towards the fight. He quickly jumped off of the icy trail and jump-kicked an Urgal across its face, shattering its ugly nose. Soon, the boy was surrounded.
"Trienda!" the young rider screamed, holding out his marked palm. Ten demons flew away from him and fell off of a twenty-five foot cliff close by.
John was cornered as well. It took all of his strength to stand and block the Urgals' attacks, but John was quickly able to counter them and stab into their sides. After a short amount of fighting, Eragon and John found themselves next to the group of soldiers.
"Didn't you hear us?" John yelled. "We're falling back to the summit! Get your Asses up there!"
"What about you?" The highest-ranking soldier in the group asked. John turned quickly to slice an Urgal across its neck. Urgals were closing in quickly and John knew that their exit was going to be closed in a matter of minutes.
"I didn't as you a question!" John screamed. "Get you ass there now private!" John knew that the higher ranked soldier was a PfC, but Private seemed to get him motivated to move.
"You heard the Corporal!" the soldier barked. "Move! Up the hill!" John nodded his head.
"We'll meet you up there!" John watched as Eragon stuck his blade behind him and into the midsection of an Urgal. He pulled out his blade and got sprayed with its blood. "We're are running out of time, John!" Eragon said. "There are too many to fight alone!" The soldiers managed to get away safely, but John and Eragon were surrounded by the demons. "Well this is it," John said. "We fight till we die!" Eragon and John took to their battle stance on the slippery hill and waited for an Urgal to step forward.
ERAGON! Saphira screamed to him. Eragon looked up to see both Jovak and Saphira flying above them.
Hurry! Eragon said to her. We don't have long! An Urgal approached John with its axe in its hand. John chopped off its arm with one sword, and its head with the other.
John we are above you! Jovak said. Suddenly, Saphira and Jovak swooped in low and grabbed their riders in their claws just before the Urgals collided into them. Both John and Eragon sheathed their swords and climbed up onto their saddles. "Eragon!" John screamed over the cold wind. "Toss some fire on that line again! Keep them away from the summit!" Saphira tucked in her wings and dove for the line. She roared and sprayed the area with fire.
Thanks for saving me, John told his dragon as Saphira turned to make another pass on the Urgals.
It is my loyalty to you, young one, Jovak replied. I will die to keep you well. John scratched his neck with his free hand. He waited until Saphira and Eragon rejoined him. "They are going to push up the hill now," John said. "We can't let them win this!"
"We won't!" Eragon exclaimed.
I won't let them win! Jovak chimed in.
Lets push up to the top! John told him. Jovak hummed in approval.
After a few moments of flying, Eragon and John touched down at the top of the hillside and took their rifles off of their shoulders. John had the dragons lay down and rest and found the commanding officer for the marine regiment.
"Sir," he said. "We stalled for as long as we could. They'll be up pretty quickly."
"Damn!" The soldier, Captain Richard Irwin swore. "I have double-checked the line. We have some .50 Cals propped up on the flanks and in front. We have infantrymen in between. All are behind sandbags and foxholes so cover is pretty good right now. How many would you say are coming?"
"I'd say that there are too many to count," John said. "I think this is an invasion attempt." The captain swore again. "We have barbed wire blocking their advance. Hopefully that will slow their progress." John looked to see that there were two AH-64 Apache helicopters parked on a level area. "Get those birds in the air, sir," John said. "We may need even more than that!" Suddenly, John heard the familiar whizzing sound.
"ARROWS!" Eragon screamed. John strained his eyes to see the shafts fly into a few uncovered marines, killing them instantly. "We have to get to Saphira and Jovak!" John yelled. Eragon nodded his head. Without warning, Eragon fell down and began gasping. "Saphira!" John turned his friend over onto his back and looked for any wound. There wasn't one. "What's wrong?"
Quickly! Jovak screamed through mental link. Saphira! She's hurt!
Where! John asked. Eragon struggled to his feet.
Arrows have struck her! Jovak cried. John could sense worry and fear coming from his dragon. "Eragon," John told him. "Saphira…?"
"Is hurt!" Eragon finished. "We have to get to her!" John was already running ahead of him.
John and Eragon arrived almost immediately. When they saw her, Eragon almost burst into tears. She had three arrows protruding from her neck and chest. They were deep and Eragon could tell that they were excruciating. "Help me!" Eragon screamed. He ran over to his dragon and placed a trembling hand on her head. "It's okay. I have to pull them out!"
Don't, Saphira moaned. They hurt too badly.
I have to Saphira! Eragon said. He was teary eyed. Eragon grasped at the shaft of one of the arrows and tugged on it. The pain was too unbearable and Saphira roared in agony.
Saphira stay strong, Jovak told her. I am here for you.
Jovak, Saphira said weakly. If I don't make it…?
Don't you dare say that! Jovak said. Don't you give up on me!
Eragon and John yanked out the two remaining arrows. Saphira screamed again in pain.
Jovak, Saphira pleaded. I want you to know something.
What? Jovak asked. He leaned over to her and rubbed his head on her side.
"They are too deep," Eragon sobbed. "I can't heal it!" John took his friend's shoulder. "What if we both did?" John said to him. Saphira's breathing was more labored.
I should apologize to you, Jovak, Saphira said with sadness in her voice. You have been very kind to me, and I took you for granted. I am sorry.
Don't say that, Jovak cried. It's going to be all right. Hold on.
I can't, Jovak.
John and Eragon crossed their hands over her wounds. "Waise Heill!" The two riders screamed. Their palms glowed as they struggled to channel all of their energy. Jovak watched as Saphira gently closed her eyes and feared if she would ever open them again. Eragon and John held over the wounds for what felt like an eternity before releasing their grasp.
"Thank you," Eragon said. He wiped a tear off of his eye and placed his hand on his dragon's head.
"Will she pull through?" John asked. Eragon shook his head. Both were exhausted from the force it took. "It depends on how the wound healed," Eragon said. "We may have just got the surface of her injuries." John could hear cries of the marines behind them. The Urgals have charged the hill. John pat Jovak on his head. "I am truly sorry, friend," John told him. "All we can do for her now is pray."
I will protect her, Jovak said. Go to the fight. If you need me, I will come.
Jovak broke their communication and padded over to the wounded dragoness. He nuzzled her for a few seconds and then lied beside her. He positioned his wings to go over her like a feathery blanket to shelter her from the cold snow. John took his friends shoulder again. "Let's go!" he said. "Lets do it for Saphira!"
John and Eragon ran back to the front lines and positioned themselves behind the first group of sandbags. John looked to see that soldiers lined the woods around them. Eragon was still upset over his near loss of Saphira, so John gave him a reassuring military style side-hug. "She is strong, dude," John told him. "She will make it!"
"If she doesn't," Eragon said. "I will have nothing to live for myself!" John looked at his friend. "Saphira wouldn't want you to throw your life away!" John told him. "She would want you to continue to fight for good! Now grab your rifle and take everything out on those bastards that did this to her!"
Jovak, John called through mental link. Let me know if she stirs.
Of course, Jovak replied. John looked over to a few marines. "You all come here…now!" The marines glared at him briefly, but approached. "We have a wounded dragon over on our right flank," John advised. "My dragon is protecting her, but I want to make damn sure that they both stay safe! Get your butts over there and set up a perimeter around them." John noticed that all of the marines had NVG gear (A/N: Night Vision Goggles). "I'll know if you get overpowered. Me and Eragon will be there." The marines nodded their heads in approval.
"GO!" John and Eragon saw the marines climb over the sandbags and rush over to defend the two dragons.
Jovak, you're going to have a few friends on your left side, John said. They will help you protect her.
Very well, Jovak told him. Be careful, friend.
You too, John said. I love you, Jovak. I am sorry this had to happen
I love you too, Jovak said. I am still hoping for the best.
John broke communication with Jovak and placed his M-16 over the sandbags. He could hear the constant beating of the rotors of the Apache Attack Choppers and couldn't help but smile. "Captain!" John screamed. Richard arrived holding a Winchester Riot shotgun in his right hand. "What do you need, Corporal?" Richard asked.
"Sir," John said. "Have those choppers launch some hellfires into those things. If we are lucky, we may cause an avalanche and knock them all to Hell." Richard knelt down and pulled out a radio.
"Alpha Charlie, this is Bruno," Richard yelled. "Attack the front lines with hellfires. Blow them to hell!" John listened as missiles could be heard launching from the choppers. Loud explosions were heard, shaking the mountain drastically. John could see the fireball from down below and he felt the heat.
"No good!" an answer came back on the radio. "Hellfires have not stopped Tango's progression! I repeat, missiles are no good!" Richard slammed his radio and said a very awful swear. "We can't hold them back!" he screamed. "You need to get some NVG's and get ready. Check in the Humvee next to the ski lift." John and Eragon quickly left their post to get what was needed. John managed to place his goggles on fine, but he had to walk Eragon through the process.
"This is our advantage!" John said. "You will see them and they won't see us." John turned on his and Eragon's goggles omitting strange shades of green and white. "White areas are the targets," John exclaimed. "Just make sure you don't shoot our guys!" Eragon nodded and reloaded his M-4. "Let's get even, bro!" John yelled. He reloaded his M-16 and moved back to the sandbags to see Richard barking orders into the radio. More explosions were heard and more fireballs could be seen.
"Sorry sir…No effect!" was the constant reply on the radio. "They're everywhere!"
"Well do something!" Richard yelled back. Suddenly, John heard a loud roar in the sky. It was one lone aircraft, but something about it made John smile.
"I'll be damned!" John exclaimed. "F-15. Give me that radio!" John snatched the radio from the captain's hand. "F-15 pilot identify yourself!"
"Lieutenant Lacy McDowell, sir," came the reply. "Do you happen to have two annoying people with two large lizards down there?" John could tell she was joking.
"You're talking to one of them!" John said. "Are you packing some heat, Lace?"
"A few Paveway lazar guided bombs," she replied. "I also have some missiles and a crap load of rounds, Corporal!"
"You can help us," John said. "The Apaches don't have enough firepower to weaken these things' advance so you could do it for us!"
"I can try a few strafing runs," Lacy said. "These bombs could cause an…?"
"Avalanche?" John asked mockingly. "Just do it lieutenant!"
"Very well," Lacy said. "I'm coming in starboard side. Hopefully I can scatter the flames on these freaks!" John watched the afterburners of Lacy's jet as she made a quick bank to line up the shot. "Bombs away!" She said over the radio. The explosion rattled the hills and the fire engulfed the front advancing line.
"From what I see," Lacy said. "A few hundred are still left. They are still climbing up the mountain…Wait a minute." There was a brief silence. "You have a few marines in trouble over here on the Port side. I see the dragons and the soldiers, but I also see a huge group of hostiles advancing from their right flank. Someone better get a squad over there or it's going to be very ugly." John cursed.
"Can you do something?"
"Negative," Lacy replied. "They are too close. If I drop a bomb, everyone could be fried. I'm sorry honey."
"Keep hammering on the main line, Lace," John said. "Me and Eragon will go."
Jovak…trouble, John exclaimed to his dragon. There is an approaching group of Urgals on your right side. We are coming! Suddenly, John heard gunfire in the dragon's direction. "We got to go!" John yelled. He quickly grabbed Eragon by his fatigues and hoisted him over the sandbags. Both were sprinting toward their dragons hoping for the best but fearing the worst.
After a few moments of
running, they broke through the trees and smashed into another
firefight. Urgals made their way through the trees and caught the
marines by surprise. Jovak was standing in front of Saphira gnashing
his teeth and roaring loudly. John watched as Jovak snatched an Urgal
and snapped it in half with his teeth.
"Eragon!" John
exclaimed. "Take cover and light these things up!" Eragon took
his eye to the scope of his M-4 and was about to pull the trigger,
but a loud gunshot stopped him. Eragon's target suddenly lost its
head.
"Snipers!" John yelled. "They're in the other hills. We have more cover!" The other marines began retreating to John and Eragon's position while the Marine Recon Snipers racked up the kills. Within seconds, John had his own fire team and was completely obliterating the opposing force. More explosions could be heard from Lacy and her fighter jet in the distance along with gunfire from the main line. Although many Urgals fell lifeless, several more were advancing to the dragons. With Saphira still unconscious, only Jovak could defend her. The dragons were surrounded and the snipers were too worried to take a shot because their rounds would go through the demons and hit Jovak or Saphira. John watched as Jovak reared up and sucked in a large amount of air. He cocked his head back and opened his mouth. Fire leapt from his mouth and burnt the demons, scattering them as they burned. "Don't shoot them!" John screamed. "Let the freaks suffer!" Soon the sounds of cheering filled the air. John looked up to see Lacy perform a beautiful four-point-roll in her Eagle as she flew back to Edwards.
John and Eragon rushed over to the front line to see marines piling up dead Urgals at the top of the summit. "We did it!" Richard screamed. He had blood all over his snow fatigues, but everyone knew that it wasn't his. "They turned the corner and we cut the bastards down! You should get a promotion for your leadership son. If it wasn't for you and your friend, this fight could have gotten a lot uglier." Richard noticed a look of sadness in Eragon's eyes. "What is wrong?"
"We may have lost a dragon in this," John said for his friend. "Only time will tell if she makes it." Richard wiped the blood off of his face and placed his hand on the young rider's shoulder. "Saphira, right?"
"Yes," Eragon said, still holding his eyes downcast.
"She fought very well, Eragon," Richard said. "If it wasn't for her, they could have caught up to this line and taken every single one of us out. Where is she?"
"By the trees," Eragon said. He pointed to an area covered with smoke from the burning Urgals. "We tried to heal her, but I don't think we were in time." Eragon took to his knee and cried. John placed his hand on Eragon.
"Come on," John said. "Let's check on her."
WELL I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE LONG AND BLOODY. FIRST THING IS FIRST: ALPHA CHARLIE MEANS ATTACK CHOPPERS. BRUNO IS RICHARD'S CODENAME. HELLFIRE IS A MISSILE THAT THE AH-64 APACHE CARRIES. SAW IS A VERY HEAVY THIRTY-POUND MACHINE GUN, BUT THE .50 CALS ARE A LOT HEAVIER. NOW WILL SAPHIRA MAKE IT? ONLY I KNOW THAT ANSWER. WE STILL ARE NOWHERE CLOSE TO ENDING THIS THING SO BEAR WITH ME. ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR (GULP) FLAMES SEND THEM MY WAY. THANK EVERYONE ONCE AGAIN FOR REVIEWING!
CYA NEXT CHAPTER…PROBABLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
PEACE!
