The stretcher was soon finished and they laid Rihan on it and Cooper and Keller carried it.
"Sir I heard water when I was on the parameter." Silver said pointing in the direction he was in.
"Good now we have a source of water and a land mark." Ellis said. "Let's go to the sound and follow it."
They carried Rihan in the middle of the group as the rest walked around them.
"Stay on alert we don't know what's out there." Ellis said.
They found the water Cooper was talking about. It was a large river and they started following it down stream. (Following a river down stream will eventually lead you to a bigger body of water and possibly civilization.) It was a fast moving river and seemed to be teaming with fish.
"Well at least we won't starve if we run out of MRE's (Meals Ready To Eat)." Droll said looking at the fish. "I think those are Trout."
"Yuck." Keller said. "I hate fish."
"Deal with it." Ellis said. "Or don't eat."
They followed the river until it got dark and they were forced to stop.
"Sir we need a fire." Phipps said taking off his pack.
"Get it started." Ellis said as he set down his pack.
Everyone took off their packs and took out an MER and began making them.
"Oh man." Peskentella moaned. "Anyone want to trade?"
"What is it?" O'Harra asked.
"Ham." Peskentella said.
"Oh hell no." O'Harra said laughing.
The rest of the team turned him down as well and he was forced to eat the worst MRE in the world.
"Any change?" Keller asked Sonya who was still sitting be Rihan's side.
"No, nothing." Sonya said. "Do you think it was this small cut on her head?"
"If she hit her head hard enough." Keller said. "There was a lot of blood."
"Well we're not going anywhere tonight so maybe she will wake up and know where
we are." Sonya said and sighed.
"Do you think we're in your kingdom?" Keller asked.
"No we're not." Sonya said. "My kingdom was dieing and this jungle is flourishing."
"Great so we really are lost." Keller said.
"If only we had a map we could find out position." Peskentella said walking up and handing Sonya a MRE.
"Ok team I know this is a shity situation we are in but remember you are Marines." Ellis said. "Adapt and Over come. We are stuck here until this girl wakes up and we don't know how long that will be. This land may be hostile so I want two of you on guard at a time. Two hour shifts. Sonya and I will take the first shift I suggest you all get some rest we have a lot of walking to do in the morning."
The team bedded down and fell into an uneasy sleep seeing as they were lost and the only one that could help them was in a coma. Sonya sat by the fire with her M16 on her lap and stared at the flames.
"Last time I thought like that I had smoke coming out of my ears within a minute." Ellis said sitting next to her. "What's on your mind?"
"It's this whole situation." Sonya said staring deep into the fire. "Me being a Queen. Those Yoma things, Rihan in a coma and all of us being lost. Some Queen I am I can't even help my friends."
"I wouldn't worry about it to much." Ellis said. "We being lost is just a bump in the road. We're all Marines here we can survive off the land for years if we have to."
"Yea but how long can Rihan stay alive if she's in a coma? Two weeks at the most." Sonya said.
"If she dies we'll see that she is burred properly." Ellis said.
"If she dies I will die." Sonya said standing up.
The whole team sat up from Sonya's outburst.
"Rihan and I share some kind of bond that if she dies I will die within a year." Sonya said walking over to Rihan.
"Well then I guess we'll just have to keep her alive some how." Ellis said. "Well our shift is up Cooper, Keller your up."
Cooper and Keller stood up and relieved Sonya and Ellis of their posts. Ellis lay by the fire and stared at it for a few minutes before falling asleep. Sonya sat by Rihan for several hours before she finally fell asleep.
The sky was starting to lighten from the sun when Brooks saw movement in the trees. He stood up and signaled Rubik that he saw movement by pointing to his eyes and pointing to where he saw it. He took a few steps forward and waved his hand palm down over his head signaling for Rubik to cover him. He took the safety off his weapon and prepared to fire. The figures was walking straight at them and seemed not to care who they were.
'Fuck this.' He thought. "CONTACT!" He yelled and was about to fire when the horse like figure turned into a human. "What the fuck."
The whole team was up and moving towards him with their weapons at the ready.
"Freeze assholes or your dead." Ellis said.
The figures stopped at the tree line and looked at them funny.
"Who are you?" One of them asked with his bow bent and ready to fire.
"What did he say?" Ellis asked not understanding.
"We are United States Marines." Sonya said.
"Sonya where did you learn their language?" Ellis asked looking at her in surprise.
"What are you talking about that was perfect Japanese." Sonya said. "I was born and raised in Tokyo. You know that."
"That wasn't Japanese." Ellis said.
"Are you Kaikyaku's?" One of the men asked.
"What is a Kaikyaku?" Sonya asked.
"A being from Hourai. You'd know it as Japan." The man said.
"Yes we are." Sonya said.
"What are they saying?" Cooper asked with his weapon trained on the man that was talking.
"Cooper stay calm." Ellis said starting to panic himself. "Sonya talk to us."
"Hold on Sarg." Sonya said.
"You are Kaikyaku's." The man said lowering his bow and stepping forward. "My name is Beezer. I'm the caption of the guards of Empress Kei."
"You're a guard of the queen?" Sonya asked.
"Yes now tell me who you are." Beezer said.
"We are United States Marines." Sonya said. "I am Sonya Blaze, I guess you can call me Queen Han."
The guards instantly put their weapons down and walked into the small clearing where they were camped.
"Please forgive us Queen Han." Beezer said bowing. "We had reports that there were strangers in the jungle and we came to see who they were."
"Its ok I understand." Sonya said and shouldered her weapon.
"umm if you're the Queen on Han your majesty then why are you so far east of your kingdom?" Beezer asked.
"Rihan went into a coma and I think we were lost in the Shoku" Sonya said.
"I understand, is your Taiho alive?" Beezer asked.
"For now yes." Sonya said.
"Ok let's get you all and her back to the palace." Beezer said. "It's almost a full days walk, so I hope you can handle it. We have no horses"
"That's fine." Sonya said.
"Sonya, fill us in here, we're lost." Ellis said, finally lowering his weapon.
"We are in the kingdom of Kei east of Han." Sonya said. "These men are royal guards and are gonna take us to the palace and see to Rihan."
The team was unease about being helped by these people. Ellis walked in the front of the team and behind the solders his weapon at the ready. Sonya was walking beside the stretcher with Rihan on it. Cooper and Keller were carrying her. The rest of the team walked two by two behind them. Nothing was said between Sonya and the Royal soldiers for most of the day. There were only two ten minute rests in over twelve hours.
"God damn these guys are in shape." Ellis said trying to keep up. "I'm beat."
"I hear you Sarge. I've seen some harsh bush before but this is terrible." Hunt said wiping his forehead
"Your majesty tell your guards to be silent there are Youma in these parts." Beezer said without looking back.
"Sergeant Ellis keep quit there are monsters around." Sonya said.
"TO LATE!" O'Hara yelled from the back. "CONTACT!"
Cooper and Keller put Rihan down and ran to the back of the group. Ellis, Sonya and Peskentella guarded Rihan and the rest of the team formed a line. There was a giant Youma with horns running right for them.
"That's a threat drop it." Ellis yelled. "Short controlled bursts."
Ten M16's exploded to life and a hail of bullets rained on the beast and it fell long before it got to them.
"Well that was easy." Cooper said walking up to it.
"Cooper watch it we don't know if it's dead." Keller said
Cooper stepped back realizing that it was still breathing. He set his rifle to his shoulder and fired six shots into its head.
"It's dead now." Keller laughed as Cooper walked back to the group.
"Ok stop fucking around there may be more." Ellis said. "Back in line lets double time it."
"What were those things that killed the Youma?" Beezer asked.
"The weapons of the modern day Military." Sonys said. "How far are we from the palace?" Sonya asked.
"Two miles." Beezer said.
"Let's run." Sonya said.
Keller and Cooper picked up Rihan and the whole group started running. The royal guards ran just ahead of the group leading the way. They were almost to the gates when several Youma attacked from behind them.
Kei Palace
Yoko was sitting on her throne with Kieki standing by her side. She was thinking about home and of her friends.
'I just wish there was someone here that was from Japan that I could talk to.' She thought as she looked out the window.
She was looking at the trees when she saw birds fly into the air as if they were frightened. She stood up and walked to the balcony and looked out.
'What's going on?' She thought.
From the tree line she saw her royal guards run from the trees.
"Oh Captain Beezer is back." She said.
At that time the jungle came to life with loud bangs that to Yoko could only be gunfire and Grenades.
"Open the gates there's Yoma behind us." Beezer yelled as he was running.
Sonya and her team of Marines were banging away on the Yoma as they fell back.
"We're almost out keep it up." Ellis yelled throwing a grenade. "Frag out."
There must have been seven of the beasts they had killed before and they were gaining on them. They ran from the trees and into an open field.
"There's the Palace!" Sonya yelled dropping her lad magazine into her weapon.
It was a three hundred yard free for all as the Marines and Royal guards ran for the gates. Cooper and Keller were running as fast as they could with Rihan. Every few yards one of the Marines would turn around and fire a few shots and keep running. By the time they got to the gate there were only 2 Youma chancing them. Sonya and Ellis were the last to enter. The whole team turned around and emptied their weapons into the Youma dropping one and the last was felled by arrows from the wall.
"Damn that was fun." Hunt said checking his last magazine. "Damn I only have ten more rounds." He said and slapped the magazine back into the rifle and putting it on safe.
"I'm out." O'Hara said and shouldered his rifle.
The rest of the team had a few rounds left and put their safety's on.
"Queen Han this way and I'll show you to Queen Kei." Beezer said.
Sonya and the team was shown into the throne room where Yoko was standing with Keiki by her side.
"Keiki see to the Taiho." Yoko said and Keiki did as he was told and took Rihan out of the room.
"Welcome I am Yoko Nakajima and the Queen of Kei." Yoko said in Japanese. "You all must be tired please have a seat."
"You speak Japanese." Sonya said.
"Yes I'm from Japan." Yoko said. "I'm a Taika."
"As am I." Sonya said.
"You?" Yoko asked. "From what kingdom?"
"Han your majesty." Sonya said. "My name is Sonya Blaze I'm a United States Marine and these are my friends."
The team introduced themselves each with a bow. Yoko told them about how she came to be Queen and gave Sonya a few pointers.
"Miss Blaze your life as an American is over you are now a full blooded citizen and Queen of the twelve kingdoms." Yoko said.
"I may be from her but I will always be an American." Sonya said staying true to the country she loved and would never see again.
