The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 16: Three years ago part 2

"Alright, that looks like about it." Said Derek as he finished drawing a 'sector of fire' sheet for Xaldin to glance at. They had just gotten done setting up a good point of a few hundred meters out after discovering what looked like a worn-out shack with footprints in the sand leading in and out of it.

Xaldin smiled and took a good gunner stance, lying in the sand. "This should be over quick. Darkness! Good thing we spotted that shack! It's on the underside of the base, but close enough to where they can watch us move... crafty bastards." He said as he looked through his iron sights.

Derek sighed at his nickname. "Xaldin, I know we're gonna be here a bit, but what'd I say about that nickname?" He asked. Xaldin just rolled his eyes. "Hey, you earned it from all the nights of drinking and edgy voice using... The voice I get, you don't like the sound of your southern accent... but since we deployed, you've done nothing but pound bottle after bottle... What's up?" He asked.

Derek just grunted. "It... helps me sleep. When friends started dying, the nightmares grew... Old heads just told me to drink until they stopped... Now I just like how numb it makes me." He admitted. Xaldin sighed and shook his head. "Uh huh... and in the history of ever, has that really helped ANYONE ELSE you know? Don't bother, it hasn't... You've got too much empathy for this job, is all... no shame in accepting that." he told him.

Both men just looked at each other before Derek lowered his head. "I didn't... want to be here... I wanted to be a musician. rocking out on stage with my band. 'Safe Haven In Valhalla', everyone else gave up... and after my parents were gone... I just chose a job that would keep me financially secure enough to keep them afloat." He said, thinking of his wife Silver and little sister Lisa.

Xaldin nodded and looked at him. "Truth be told, I wanted to join the Yankees! Rejection after rejection though, I was just a young punk not knowing how to deal with my Autism, and parents who never cared where I was or what I did.... I just sort of found my way into the military," he said slowly.

Derek just raised his brow. "Autism? There's that word again... Lisa was diagnosed with something called 'High functioning Autism' The heck does that mean? Smart but a little dumb?" He asked. 

Xaldin just glared at him with pure anger. "It MEANS She struggles with certain points of social interaction, but is better at handling it than most you insensitive asshole! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Who talks like that?!" He practically yelled.

Derek put his hands up defensively and raised his eyes. "Sorry! I genuinely don't know... I've spent so much time doing all this mandated training over the years, so I could keep my mind busy... I guess I haven't really experienced much else." He said softly. There was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Xaldin just blinked and nodded. "I get you... Sorry about that, some of that just sounded a little close to when my dad compared it to Mental retardation... drunken bastard kicked my ass and then wondered why I stayed out all night... At least you have the excuse of not knowing." He said with a deep, focused breath. "I still struggle with Social interaction myself, you know, it's why I never got to go to sniper school... Hell it's why I was never able to fully accept myself for what else I am..." He said as he ignored the look of Confusion on Derek's face.

"... Derek... I never... Felt like I belonged with any groups I was in. I never felt Manly enough to hang out with the other guys... or charismatic to converse with female soldiers... and I kind of feel like I'm... Non-binary.... and because I know you're going to ask, it means I don't identify with either gender." He admitted.

Derek raised a brow. "Huh... Didn't even know that was a thing... How come you're telling me all this?" He asked curiously. Xaldin shrugged. "A multitude of reasons, you never made me feel like an outcast, even after finding out I wasn't just into women, and when you drunkenly slurred my name 'Xavier Aldin' into just one word... I felt like a new person... Thank you, Derek." They admitted.

Derek nodded and smiled. "I See... Thanks for confiding in me, man... I'm gonna try and get some rest for now, I'll cover your watch after I wake up." He said as he closed his eyes. Though without alcohol, he found it hard to avoid the nightmares of Truck and Golem blaming him for his failure to protect them.

The days turned into a solid week as both men watched very little action progress. And Xaldin had barely slept at all. "I think we should call this, it was a mistake to even try this, supplies are low as is" Said Derek as he looked to Xaldin, who was grinning in a dehydrated daze. "Gotta shoot them First Sergeant, I wanna hear the soft 'plink' My firing pin makes when it touches the bullet! plink... plink... plink.." Responded Xaldin. The sun had burnt his face to a reddened crisp.

Derek let out a shaky sigh and patted his back. "I'm gonna have to go investigate, if nothing is there... We'll ruck back." He said as he grabbed his rifle and left the supplies behind. As he neared the entrance. He noticed the inside was just a hollowed path all the way through. "Shit, THEY PLAYED US!" He said as a bullet went through his right shoulder.

A few enemies in hijabs rose up from under the hill on the other side of the fake entrance and rushed to where Derek was retreating. The last thing Derek saw before the butt of a rifle connected to the back of his head was The dune Xaldin was at.

Derek screamed out in pain as he tried to pull out his sidearm, an M9 Beretta, but one of the men grabbed it and hit him in the forehead with it as the other two men laughed. Derek spat in his face as they pointed AK-47 Rifles at him. Derek glared dizzily from his wounds and dehydration. "WHAT?! YOU THINK I'M GOING TO BEG FOR MY LIFE YOU BASTARDS?! WELL I'M NOT! SO GO AHEAD AND PULL THE TRIGGER! I AIN'T AFRAID TO DIE YOU FUCKS! I AIN'T AFRAID TO DIE!" He screamed out.

As they started to pull the Trigger, a bullet shot one of them in the head.  The other two men raised their rifles up, but were instantly shot down in rapid succession. Derek grunted and crawled his way back to Xaldin. The pain of his wounds made it feel a mile long as he lay down by Xaldin. "Who was saying 'PLINK!' Over and over. Derek radioed in his location that he had written down and let the Darkness claim him.

Derek grunted as he heard voices over his head. "Where the... Fuck am I?" He asked as he saw that his bullet wound had been stitched up. "Back where you belong! On the base!" Said a thin man with a captain's rank on his chest. "Lieutenant Bradley?" Asked Derek. 

"CAPTAIN BRADLEY, Now! And I can see you had a nice, lovely nap on duty!" He said with a sneer. Derek rolled his eyes. "Lovely as always, sir. Where is Xaldin? I need to make sure he's alright after-"

"Staff Sergeant Xavier Aldin has been medically discharged and sent back to his home in New York! Looney bastard just kept saying 'plink' over and over again" Responded Bradley as he saw Derek look horrified.

"Sir... I never got to say goodbye, he was one of my last-" But Bradley stomped his left foot and glared. "Nobody cares about your little romances! You violated protocol to wage a two-man war on a three-man group just because two soldiers were killed? I KNEW it was a mistake to promote you so fast! You'll be lucky if I can't get you written up for a court martial after this, you sorry excuse for a-!"

But he was cut off with a left hook from Derek in a blind fury. Captain Bradley howled in pain as he felt his jaw crack, and medical staff flooded in. "YOU'LL BE SORRY FOR THIS SONATA! I'LL HAVE YOUR RANK! I'LL HAVE YOUR JOB! I'LL HAVE YOUR EVERYTHING!" He screamed while a doctor escorted him from the room.

A few months later. Derek had a hollowed-out stare on his plane ride home. The Army had given him a choice. a few years in a military prison, or a dishonorable discharge, and with his men gone, the answer was clear. "My whole career... Gone... whatever..." He said as the plane landed.

As Derek stepped off the plane. Silver and Lisa stepped forward to greet him. Lisa had grown up so much and so fast, Derek barely recognised her. "HEY BIG BROOOO!" She said as she skip-walked to him and threw her arms around his waist. "I missed you SO much! How have you-?" She started to ask, but Derek only looked at her. She gasped as his eyes had dark circles. like some kind of monster had sucked his soul out.

Silver ran forward and hugged him as well. Derek tried to say something, but he could only squeeze both of them tight as he broke down sobbing. Both women looked at each other in a panic as they just tried to console what would be the first of many of Derek's Panic attacks. "Don't worry, my love... You're home now." Said Silver as she pressed her smooth body against his. This caused Derek's body to relax and calm down.

Lisa grunted as she recognised all too well what Derek was going through. It reminded her of what had happened not too long ago with herself 'Later... he needs me right now!' "She thought as she helped Silver guide Derek to the car, ready to help Derek adjust back to the regular world. 

 

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 16: Three years ago Part 1

The hot winds of the Middle East blew strong gusts of sand as an M1151A1 Military Humvee zoomed across a sandy road. In its gunner turret was a Soldier in desert camouflage. He was a tall, lean, and muscular man with his hair grown out of regulations as it flapped in the breeze while he swivelled the 50 Caliber Browning machine gun from left to right of the front of the vehicle. "Unce Unce, 3-5 five round bursts delivering hurts! Yeah, Xaldin droppin' pain puttin' them all in a hearse!" He said while rapping and beat boxing to his own beat.

"Ey, Staff Sergeant MC fuck face! You're hot-micing into the headset again!" Said Derek as he sat in the back passenger seat with his M4 Assault rifle pointed upward by his side. "Sorry, First Sergeant! Just a little happy to have my favorite asshole out roaming with us again! Hey Truck? Golem? Y'all gotta admit it's just like old times, right?" Asked Xaldin.

The Driver, Staff Sergeant David "Truck" Pluckett, smirked. He was a six-foot-tall, muscular man with a crew cut and a mole on the corner of his right lip. Truck looked over to the TC in the passenger seat at Staff Sergeant Gary "Golem" Giant, who was also smirking. He was also Six Feet and built the same as Truck, except he was African American with a shaved head.  "Ain't nothing wrong with being a little overzealous, First Sergeant! Ever since your ass got promoted... only time we get to see you is when you're barkin' orders at us!" Said Truck.

Derek Sonata sighed and nodded. "Fair, ever since I got this promotion, the Officers have been breathing down my neck! That's why I had you all squad leaders in different platoons! Just so they wouldn't think I'm playing favorites... The ONLY reason we're all on a team right now is because of all the moving around... and the Casualties." He admitted.

There was a brief silence before Golem cleared his throat. "Damn, way to bring down the mood again Darkness" He said with a laugh. Derek just glared at him. "I thought I said to stop calling me that!" He said with annoyance in his voice. "Hey, you earned that name fair and Square, Darkness... all those morning shifts you got out of so you could drink during the night shifts! Barking orders the next day in your Dark raspy zombie voice! And hey, at least your nickname didn't come from SOMEONE drunkenly rasping your name!" Calle Xaldin.

Derek's face flushed red, and he grunted. "Still can't believe they promoted me in spite of all that." He said as he looked down. Truck chuckled. "Hey, that's because we ALL put in a good word! You may drink and yell a lot, but you're a good leader, you have the most training... and most importantly, none of us wanted that job... Plus, your little sister could use the money! She needed funding for her studio, right?" He asked.

Derek nodded a few times before pausing. "Wait, how do you know that last part?" He demanded. "Guiltyyyyy!" Said Xaldin in a falsetto voice as he looked around. "Saw on her website she was looking for one! I'm a huge fan of her videos!" He admitted. That made Derek smile with pride as he thought about his sister Lisa back home. "You did it, kid..." He muttered as he looked down happily.

"Now, who is talking into the microphone?" Teased Xaldin, causing Derek to glare up at him. As he was about to retort, an explosion caused the truck to flip on its side. Derek quickly grabbed Xaldin and pulled him into the truck as he handed him his M4. Everyone in the truck crawled out of the truck and ducked for cover.

"IED IED! EVERYONE OKAY?!" Asked Derek as he checked his team. They all nodded as Derek called a report in on his phone. "Fuck... signal is busted... Base is ten miles out, we got enough water and supplies in the truck... we can make it back by nightfall!" Said Derek. The others salvaged what they could and got ready to ruck back to base.

Derek led from the front as he had Xaldin scout for any attackers. "Keep sharp... where there's explosions, there's gotta be some of these asspukes around here!" Said Derek as he spat and stared ahead. The sound of a bullet hitting the sand by his boots was heard a few minutes later. "I had to open my mouth, GET DOWN!" He screamed out as they returned fire. Derek and Xaldin quickly returned fire. Xaldin dropping a few enemy combatants as he nodded "Plink plink motherfucker" He muttered as Derek scouted around.

"All Clear! Truck, Golem! On me!" He called, but no one came. "TRUCK! GOLEM! ON ME!" He called again as he looked around, only to see a couple of bodies not far off. Xaldin and Derek ran up and applied Gauze to the bloodied wounds on their chests. "Fuck! Don't worry, guys, just a few more miles to go!" Said Derek as he lifted Truck into a Fireman's carry, with Xaldin doing the same for Golem.

Truck grunted and laughed. Derek nervously chuckled. "What's funny, man?" He asked as he walked. "Darkness will be coming with us back to base." He said. Golem and Xaldin slowly chuckled as well. "But I heard footsteps, First Sergeant... I think... someone was out of sight... I think there's an Ambush a few hundred meters off where you shot!" He admitted.

"You sure about that?" Derek asked as he heard a loud drop. "Truck?" He asked as he jumped a little bit to shake Truck awake. He slowly turned back to see Xaldin with a dark shadow over his eyes. Derek nodded. "Our best friends died in our arms, didn't they?" asked Derek. "Yes, First Sergeant." Answered Xaldin.

Derek laid the two bodies next to each other and stripped them of any supplies he could salvage. He then broke a chemlight over each of them and used what signal he could to report their bodies on a digital grid back to base. Xaldin's eyes raised. "You gonna report back to get a truck to get us?" He asked.

Derek just shook his head. "Too risky right now, if Truck is right... An ambush is lying in wait... I'm not about to risk more dead bodies until we've verified it is safe to come out here." He said as he bowed his head to Truck and Golem. "Don't worry, boys... Your families will see you one last time." He promised.

And so First Sergeant Derek Sonata headed out to investigate Truck's suspicion. Xaldin carefully watched from behind to make sure no one would sneak up from the rear. The memories of Truck and Golem were still fresh in their minds as the sun began to set.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 15: A Lyte conversation

 Darkness grabbed some rainbow sherbet out of his kitchen's freezer and loaded a few scoops into a cup. He then filled it with blue raspberry soda and stuck an ice cream cone on top before pouring rainbow sprinkles on it. It had been only a few short hours since his battle with Blood Angel, and he hadn't slept a wink since returning home.

He slowly opened Lyte's door to see her angrily staring at the ceiling. "Hey Lisa! I made your favorite! A Unicorn float!" He said carefully as he sat the cup beside her on her nightstand. He noticed her Desktop was glowing, and what looked like a rainbow Disco Ball was charging on a USB port.

"So uh... you doing okay?" he asked carefully. Lyte's angry stare turned into a bright joyless smile as she looked at him. "Oh I'm just OKIE DOKIE LOKIE BIG BROOOOOOOOO!" She said as she grabbed the Disco ball and pressed a few buttons. Darkness raised a brow. "What's that?" He asked curiously.

"Glad you asked Derek! This is my Drone Glitter! She's been installed with an AI I made! The drone itself has been outfitted with Speakers for my concert... And most importantly! An ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION CAMERA! Let's watch some footage shall we?" She asked as she pressed a button, her TV showed the full fight between Darkness and Blood Angel, as well as their conversations.

Darkness scratched the back of his head and gulped. "Shit..." He muttered to himself. Lyte just glared at him. "IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?! YOU'RE A KILLER!!!" She screamed at him, her breathing was beginning to deepen and the sound of her heartbeat was audible.

Darkness just grunted and closed his eyes. "I've been dreading this conversation since I Started... Lyte I've been a contract killer for-"

"Mr. Capryse since you started, I know." finished Lyte. Darkness just raised his eyes at her. Lyte blew a puff of air. "Well I Fully know NOW! You always used to stay out late and claim you were a security guard, but you never stated where... I've been to his social functions, never seen you there so I know it wasn't his personal staff... incidents happen and he donates to fix the damages, but they are so infrequent no one really puts it together because Mr. Capryse does a LOT of charity work... But when those incidents happen, YOU are gone the night before. That's what happened to Albert Farley, which is why Blood Angel mentioned his dad." Said Lyte.

Darkness just winced as she casually put together everything like that. "And I take it now you're mad knowing I kill-" But Lyte rose her hand at him. "I Know you mostly kill... BAD people... The first thing I did when I woke up, was look up who Albert was... what he did to the former Chief of Police's son... I can relent that he deserved to die."

Lyte just rose her head up to Darkness. "What has me angry is that I offered you a chance... To live your DREAM! I could have you meeting musicians who would foam at the mouth over a guy who can play the guitar like you! Or the piano... Or anything that has strings! But THIS?! THIS IS WHAT YOU'D RATHER DO?! You told me when I used aura I was using it as a shield... But here you are using it as your SWORD! And for what?"

Darkness glared at her and gritted his teeth. "BECAUSE I'VE SEEN WHAT THEY THINK OF A MAN LIKE ME LISA!" He yelled at her. Lisa looked confused. "A Man like what... Derek?" She asked while putting her drone down.

Darkness sighed and powered down, showing his black hair and sagging eyes. "A dishonorably discharged veteran... Killing wasn't my first choice when I got out... I thought I might work on cars... or something calm... But they took one look at my discharge, and the reason for it, and it was like I was a common thug." He admitted.

Lyte looked shocked and sipped on her float. "So are we finally going to talk about what happened in the war?" She asked. Darkness powered up and swallowed hard. "I suppose... I owe you that" He said. Lyte sat up and nodded.

As Darkness opened his mouth, the door was kicked open. Silver ran in and squeezed them both. "You didn't answer my calls what happened? are you okay?!" She asked in Spanish as they both hugged her. Lyte simply pushed replay on her drone to get Silver caught up. The look of guilt on her face did not go unnoticed by Lyte. "So now after Derek's war story... you owe me one too." She told Silver directly, Causing Silver to bow her head and nod.

With no more distractions to rely on. Darkness simply just sat on Lyte's bed and looked at Lyte. "Alright Lisa... you really want the whole story? Fine."

The Aurian Chronicles chapter 14: Flawless Fashions

 Amanda blushed nervously as she walked into the dress shop and looked around. "Flawless Fashions? odd name," she muttered while admiring the various beautiful dresses around the store. She slowly took a number as an automated voice sang out "Flawless" with her number appearing on a computer screen. While Amanda continued to look around, she saw Silver walk out in a sky-blue strapless dress and white transparent high-heeled combat boots. "Wow!" Was all Amanda could say as she drank in the sight of the beautiful Hispanic silver-skinned woman, the way her white hair cascaded in the wind from her own strut was almost hypnotic. Silver just giggled and waved, "I have that effect on people... How may I help you?" She asked politely.

Amanda yelped and blushed a bit timidly. If this were an investigation, or a crime scene, she'd be feeling a lot more at home, but here she was, ultimately out of her element with a woman whose very appearance let her know nothing about fashion, or even proper presentation of the female body. "Um... yeah, I uh... am looking for a nice dress for a dinner date." She said softly. Silver just smirked and nodded as she closed the gap between them. At first, Amanda thought she was feeling her up, but she noticed Silver seemed to pull the measuring tape out of nowhere.

"So... is there a story to this date? a casual meeting, a romantic date for your partner?" Asked Silver. "And um, why does that matter?" Asked Amanda. Silver just chuckled. "Fashion has so many purposes, with a simple request: I can have your partner hypnotized as their eyes never leave the exposed skin of your body that your dress guides their eyes, or I can have you as the star of any professional event! It's all on you, darling!" she answered.

Amanda yelped at thoughts of Mr. Capryse eying the exposed parts of her body, which she usually kept hidden. "Wow, I uh... that's so much to take in.... maybe a combination of both!" She chirped meekly. Silver nodded and grabbed what looked like fresh black Silk and velvet, as well as some shining gold fabric. In no time at all, Silver was crafting a black V-neck sleeveless Dress that cut off just above the knee. There were gold triangular fish net patterns around the outer edges of the dress, and the velvet was woven around the neck hole.

"Alright, dear! Go ahead and try this on!" Said Silver as she handed Amanda the dress. Amanda blushed at the sight of it and casually changed behind a nearby curtain. She noticed a pair of golden heels with black straps that were provided. She casually stepped into them and eyed herself in the mirror. "Who... WHO IS THAT?!" she asked before realizing it was her reflection. This was no longer Lieutenant Cross of the NYPD, this was Amanda Cross, the woman!

Silver grinned. "I take it you like it?" She asked happily. Amanda stepped out and nodded. "When I first saw the name, I thought 'Nothing is truly flawless!' But this outfit... I... HOW DO YOU DO THIS?!" She asked. Silver smiled and sat down. "Well, when I was younger, I hated how nothing truly matched my skin the way I wanted it, so I took to making my own dresses!" She explained.

It was here that Amanda noticed that Silver's skin was actually silver, not just makeup. "I hope it's not rude, but how did you get your skin like that?" She asked curiously. Silver just shook her head and waved her hair behind her head. "When I was younger, I was playing hide and seek with my now husband... There was an accident and a fire... My skin turned silver, and my body hair was burned off for some time... My hair and eyebrows grew back, but they were white as snow..." She explained slowly.

"My husband, being the adorably silly man that he is, never let me feel like a freak or that I was ugly... He told me all the time I was Flawless." She added as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of ruby red. Amanda nodded and smiled. "Well, whoever he is, He's a lucky man! A beautiful lady who makes beautiful clothes? I'd say you're worth every penny as a fashion designer! Speaking of which... the price?"

Silver shook herself out of her reminiscing and nodded. "Right! Of course, silly me... with the dress and the shoes, that'll be four hundred and..." She started, but Amanda slapped five hundred dollars on the counter. "Keep the change! I'll definitely have to get more wardrobe here for other events!" She said with an uncharacteristically girlish giggle. Silver nodded and smiled. "Well, alright then, Ms...?" 

"Cross, Amanda Cross of the NYPD!" Answered Amanda. Silver nodded and kissed the back of Amanda's Knuckles. Causing Amanda to gulp. "Well then, Ms. Cross, I can't wait to have you back!" Said Silver as Amanda nodded and left, ready for her date with Mr. Capryse and Saryn.

Silver just put the money away and wrote Amanda's name on her customer sheet while chuckling. "So a member of the NYPD likes what I do and will be frequenting my shop... Crap." She said to herself as she thought about the bodies she and Darkness were responsible for. "Oh well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her!" She decided while getting back to sewing.

As the work day ended, Silver tried texting Lyte to see how the concert went, but there was no answer, so she tried texting Darkness next. "Oh shit..." She said as she climbed into her Jeep and started speeding home, already forgetting she had just gotten done serving a police officer.