Terteroba Rising

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Oh, no..." Elizabeth said, cringing. "What happened?"

 

Korben trudged his way down a dim village street. The dirty electric lanterns adorning the doors threw out miniscule light into the street. This was in stark contrast to the bright neon lights that decorated Corneria City. Korben had a sulking look on his face as he chewed a piece of bark in his mouth. He encountered a fork in the dirt street, and decided to turn left. After a brief walk, with his boots crushing loose clumps of dirt, Korben happened upon Emil's mansion atop the hill overlooking the village. He approached the small stone fence that signified Emil's property, and sat down on it. Korben then took out a syringe-like device, the size of a small flashlight. He pressed it against his neck, and pressed a button located on it. Korben winced slightly before putting it away. He sighed contently.

 

Roy kept drinking beer after pint of beer. He laughed and drank beside other carefree villagers after a long day of work. He started to feel a bit strange: must be the drink. Nevertheless, he continued to have a good time with the friendly locals.

 

Sandor's feathers seemed to quiver at what Kimber said. He, too, was very worried. "She'll be back," said Sandor, like a broken record. "She always comes back."

[Zaphyr Stone]

Ghost walked a straight line up to the grandiose mansion. The sleek snow leopard's smoky gray fur was covered efficiently in lightweight padding and form-fitting attire. Only her thick tail and tufted head remained uncovered. Her steel gray eyes remained fixed on her target. She was forever a hunter, always on the move. It was the life she chose, the one she preferred. This job was no different. Stopping at the door, she gave it a brisk knock.

Her instructions had said to, in any case. It was a strange way of going about this business, but this was a strange world.

[Kurt]

"Once he got up he chewed me up and spit me out so fast I don't think I had time to react." He paused for a moment. "But it was by far the funniest thing that happened to the squad."

After bohdans explanation and nudge using his wing Simo responded. "Cool" he began as his stomach rumbled "I'm going to go get some food. See ya later!" Simo said as he walked through the door.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben noticed a snow leopard knock on Emil's door. It was as if she materialized from the very shadows. He observed her silently, scanning her with his sunglasses.

 

Emil gripped his wife lovingly as they shared a tender and intimate moment together in their bedroom when both of them heard a faint rapping on the door. "Maybe it's the mercenaries," pondered Tannia. Emil got up from the bed and covered himself with a nearby bathrobe. He tied it so that nothing would be revealed, grabbed his shotgun, and walked calmly down his opulent staircase. Emil approached the door to the mansion, and viewed a monitor by a table near the welcome mat. He saw that it was his newest employee. Emil opened the door.

"You are the one they call "Ghost", correct?" Emil asked, gripping his shotgun in his right hand and holding the door handle with his left. The silk bathrobe and silk slippers made it all too obvious that Emil was interrupted doing very risque activities.

 

Bohdan watched as Simo left him to his lonesome on the roof. He sighed, and laid down on the stucco roof, which was reinforced with wooden support beams and a thatch insulation. He gazed at the stars, and wondered if Elizabeth's soul had already traveled to one. However, another matter came to Bohdan's attention. His eyes felt extremely heavy, like weights were tied to them. Bohdan closed them, and in almost no time at all, he drifted off to sleep.

[Zaphyr Stone]

Ghost smirked mentally at his disheveled state. How unfortunate for him. At least now she was guaranteed that negotiation would be brief and concise, just the way she liked it. She gave a slow deliberate nod in response to his query.

[Shmibli7]

"Have you ever lost someone you cared about?" Kimber said looking at the pool balls.

"It's only happened to me once... Well, twice."  He adds, taking his shot.

Meanwhile Kosovo had finished his prayers and walked outside into the square. He noticed that other mercs were in the church as well.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Hm..." uttered Emil, examining Ghost from head to toe. He groaned when he examined her chest, and hummed when he went to her feet. Emil then looked into Ghost's eyes. "What are your physical disabilities, if any?" he asked.

 

Sandor stared at Kimber. Never has he lost anyone he cared about, mostly because he had no one to care about. Well, until now...

"No, I haven't lost anyone I cared about," Sandor said. "Mostly because I've been alone for a large part of my life. Who did you lose?"

[Zaphyr Stone]

She frowned as she deciphered his words. She wouldn't call it a disability, but she knew it would be considered one to him. She pulled out an electronic pad and typed a few things quickly before showing him the screen. She very much doubted he had taken the time to learn any language but his own.

The screen read: I lack a sense of hearing, but I assure you it is no disability.

[Shmibli7]

"My parents and my sergeant." Kimber said, lining up his stick. "Strangely, my parent's death didn't effect me much. I was more suprised than sad. But my sergeant, his death made me shut down for a while. His name was Kershaw. Old golden eagle, tough as nails. He was a proud Venomiann so, when we were losing a battle, he enacted an old protocol not used since the second Lylat war. He tied his grenades to himself and jumped into an enemy trench." 

He bites his lip. "We were close. After my parents' death, he was kind of like my father. I didn't think he would die like that."

He looks Sandor in the eye. "What I'm trying tosay is, if you care about your friend, if she dies it will hurt. Bad. You won't be able to function."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Emil raised his left eyebrow at the message. However, he sensed she was a dangerous woman, otherwise she would not be at his doorstep. "I assume that you can read lips. So, you're good in stealth? That must be why you're called Ghost." Emil laid his shotgun on the frame of his door, and crossed his arms.

 

Sandor pursed his lips, and stared contemplatively at Kimber. Sandor had thought of Elizabeth as some sort of surrogate mother. He would certainly be hurt if she died. Suddenly, Sandor walked out of the tavern. He looked around to find his teams' jeep. He located it, parked on the other side of the square. Sandor ran to it, and found most of his weaponry inside. He equipped his Sz. 17, cocking it, as well as most of his other weaponry, plus a bandolier customized to fit grenades, of which there were 8. He went into the driver's seat of the jeep, and turned the vehicle on. Sandor shifted the jeep into gear before thinking about what he exactly was going to do.

He was going to find Elizabeth. He was going to bring her back alive. He was going to kill anyone who stood in his way. And, if it came down to it, he was going to kill whomever killed Elizabeth.

[Zaphyr Stone]

She nodded again in confirmation, typing a new message. 

You see me only because I choose to be seen. I can infiltrate an enemy camp unnoticed and leave without so much as a stray breeze.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"I don't doubt it," said Emil, standing tall and proud. "I need people like you. People who can be seeing yet unseen. Now, let's discuss your payment..."

 

Korben watched on as this mysterious snow leopard continued to converse with Emil. He wondered why the feline needed to type messages on a pad and show it to them. Maybe she was deaf or mute? Korben, at this time, simply did not know. He decided to find out, and got up from his seat on the stone fence. He approached her and Emil.

[Zaphyr Stone]

She stopped mid-type. They were subtle, but her trained senses could feel the slight vibrations of footsteps. She looked back to see a beaver approaching him, her sharp steely eyes fixed on him. His casual gait told her he was a familiar at least to Emil, who showed no sign of tension in response to their new guest. 

[Shmibli7]

Kimber watches Sandor leave. He gets on his hover bike and follows him, curious to what he was doing and to serve as back up if he did anything rash.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben stopped short in his tracks as the snow leopard turned to look at him. He stood not more than a few feet from her and Emil, and tilted his head curiously. Emil's vision darted between him and Ghost.

"Korben," began Emil, "what are you doing?" Korben looked at Emil, then returned his gaze to Ghost.

"Deaf or mute?" he asked.

 

Elizabeth shuffled in her spot on the ground. Some of the stars were blocked by a black passing cloud, but they soon returned, still sparkling like diamonds against a black backdrop. She turned her sight back to Sven. Closing her eyes, she kissed him briefly on the side of his head before turning on her side, her back facing Sven.

"Good night, Svenny," Elizabeth said.

 

Sandor drove with his headlights fully illuminated. The dark steppes were disturbed by the jeep's roaring engine as it blasted across the landscape, and the dust kicked up was barely noticeable. Kimber kept up with Sandor on his motorbike.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Zaphyr Stone]

She eyed the man sharply. His protruding incisors made it a little harder to read, but she was able to piece his small words together. What a strange and straightforward question. She replaced her pad in the pack strapped to her back and cuffed an ear briefly in response.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

On the inside, Korben was elated that he did not have to even talk to this woman to communicate with her. His slight tail wag signified this. However, on the outside, he was almost completely stoic. He assumed this woman knows sign language, and began making gestures.

Hello, he signed, my name is Korben Dallas. What's yours?

[Zaphyr Stone]

Her eyes smiled in amusement. This man was full of surprises. She signed back, I am called Ghost. If you will excuse me, Korben. I must complete my business.

She returned to Emil and brought back out the pad. She finished typing her thought and showed him.

Should we discuss payment once I am told what this assignment entails?

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Yes, yes," said Emil, nodding. "Your assignment is simple. I tell you to kill, you kill. I tell you to destroy, you destroy. I tell you to gather intelligence, you gather intelligence. Simple. Follow my orders, and you'll get your pay at the end of each week."

 

Korben slowly backed away from the duo as they continued to converse. He rolled down the sleeves on his shirt, for it was getting colder and colder out. He could start to see his steamy breath stumble out of his mouth. He chewed the bark in his mouth more slowly, but it was getting softer due to his steady mastication.

[Zaphyr Stone]

She nodded in understanding and typed one last line. And what are my standing orders?

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Your standing orders..." Emil was thrown off by that question: he had not anticipated this. His vision darted wildly before making up his mind. "Go to the Pecheneg village. Bring uh.... Korben Dallas with you. Together, the two of you will destroy the Pechenegs' village hall. I don't care how you do it, make sure that it doesn't stand by dawn." Emil closed the door, but was part-way before stopping himself.

"Oh, and if you encounter any Pecheneg, any at all, kill them." Emil then closed his door shut.

[Zaphyr Stone]

Ghost let out a soft sigh. He reeked of the fanatical. She would follow his orders, but she would keep a watchful eye as well. Someone like him could not see past his own vision.

She turned to Korben once more as she retreated from the abode. You are to accompany me to Pecheneg village. I require a mode of transportation to the outskirts.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben nodded as Ghost went towards him, and walked beside her as they left Emil's mansion. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

I have a jeep at my disposal. Should I use that?

[Zaphyr Stone]

She thought about this for a moment and nodded. It would be the easiest to get through the rural terrain.

Very well, she signed, "Our mission is to level the village hall. We will need charges. Preferably of a universal model and remotely detonated.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben nodded to Ghost's request. However, as he went to the village square to get hold of the jeep, he noticed it was missing. Korben looked everywhere for it, but it was nowhere to be seen. He then saw an old pickup truck owned by one of the villagers, as evidenced by the man standing by it, smoking a cigarette. Korben approached the villager, and gestured that he needed the truck. The villager looked at Korben hesitantly.

"Pay me," said the villager. Korben rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, and took out his wallet. He handed the villager 200 credits. The villager nodded contentedly, and gave Korben the keys. Korben went inside the pickup, and turned on the old vehicle. He drove it to where Ghost was awaiting. Korben looked out the window, and shrugged.