More than Magic: Danio's Prelude by Kirke Elizabeth

Author:Kirke, Elizabeth [Kirke, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

Track Six

Sergeant Tesla Ampere

Vietnam - 1972

The tent flap closed behind the messenger and I sagged back down onto my chair. I wanted to cry. I probably would have, if I hadn’t already been so emotionally drained. I hadn’t been able to relax since the day we got word that something had happened to the Manticores. I had been on the verge of surging for days, agonizing over whether or not Danio was hurt. I’d never forget when we got the list of the dead.

Every man left on the base, all of the Kobolds and Chimeras, were sitting nervously, anxiously. Captain Pire cleared his throat and addressed us at last. He called us all in and had been pacing for five minutes.

“Reln has just returned from scouting for the Manticores.” He paused and I stopped breathing. “There have been...casualties.”

We knew that, I wanted to yell. Chase had felt it when his fellow werewolves died.

The Captain cleared his throat again. “A mine was detonated...and six Manticores were killed in the explosion. We don’t know where the rest are.”

I had never thought I would ever, for any reason, wish that Danio was MIA. But I did.

“The confirmed deaths are Private Hughes, Private Lowell, Private Hunter, Private Reynolds and Cil, Corporal Harper and Thel, and Sergeant Pelagos.”

I think he went on to outline a search and rescue mission. I don’t remember what he said. I didn’t even remember leaving the briefing room. The next thing I knew I was in my hooch, on my knees, screaming. It was lucky that the walls of my hooch had been warded against lightning. The damn thing would’ve exploded otherwise. As it was, I practically destroyed everything in there.

I was like a zombie that week. Nothing seemed real. I felt lost, disconnected, up until the moment I saw Danio’s body. The breath of relief I let out was the first time I had exhaled since hearing he was dead.

It wasn’t him.

Doc Harrison argued with me and the evidence was in his favor. Danio’s tag-tat, not to mention the rest of him, was unidentifiable, but his dogtags clearly said his name. I almost gave up. Maybe I was just crazy. I certainly couldn’t keep arguing. Not without telling Harrison I knew it wasn’t Danio because I knew every damn inch of his body. I was convinced I would know Danio anywhere, even if he was dead. And, at last, Reln convinced his wizard to get a second opinion. We called Chase and I waited, barely able to keep from surging the entire time, until the sun set. He took one sniff.

“It’s not Pelagos,” he said confidently.

“Then who is it?” Harrison demanded.

Chase sniffed again. “He smells human...no...” He leaned closer, then sat back and whined. “‘Cores had a mermaid, didn’t they?”

“Bar,” I said. Part of me grieved for him. Another part wanted to shout in relief. It wasn’t Danio. He was still alive. Maybe.

But I stayed on the verge of surging until we finally rescued them. I wasn’t sure if I slept for weeks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.