Callsign Amarok Ch. 01

"Whatever he does is his decision." A soldier holding a radio pack redirected his words at Orion.

"But you should know, Daws brought you up a lot when he's around her. I heard some things that made her blush." The communication device in Charlie's possession flickered to life and spoke.

*kurrr

#Ramirez, Charlie, stop pressuring him. Marshall, same goes for you in there. His abstinence in personal affairs has kept him sharp. Can't say the same for you Ramirez, I've had to drag your sorry ass out of fist fights over women before. So, let him be.#

"Yes Sir!" Ramirez prostrated himself upright.

Orion, along with Charlie and the other soldier, laughed heartily.

"So much for being a quiet day, amirite Marsh?" Charlie and the other man low fived.

Orion stared out of the truck eyeing the passing shrubbery surrounding them.

'Quiet day...huh.'

As the security detail neared the base, something felt off. It was silent, completely noiseless and they couldn't move the mass of 200 refugees to relative safety.

The one in command of the security force halted the convoy of trucks and sent out a small team to survey the base.

Orion was among the recon party and his stomach sank when he spotted crimson painting 1 of 3 guard outposts. 8 other watch towers were also empty with blood trickling down from their respective stairways.

"I don't like this hermano. Look at the state of this place...." Ramirez held his sniper rifle close as he crouched next to Orion.

The airstrip was empty, no one was around and the runway looked even worse than before; sporting big craters than small uneven bumps.

Someone had planted and detonated explosives along the airstrip. Effectively making it impossible for planes to land. This was bad, if a force like this could wipe out an entire US occupied base, then what in hell were they dealing with?

#All personnel, the base has been sabotaged. We're unable to relocate to an alternate location at this time. Proceed with evacuation procedures under extreme caution.#

#Set up for now. Weapons hot on anything out of the ordinary.#

The escort team's Commander Daws radioed all units in the area to engage any individuals with hostile intent. He made a quick call to nearby bases, requesting air cover and transport to extract their group.

Orion believed a large chunk, if not all civilian life would be lost in a fight. Additionally a few Phantoms if things got out of hand.

"Aye cabrón." A hand softly tapped Orion's shoulder.

"I'll be keeping an eye out for your girl. Stay safe in there." Ramirez clenched his hand into a fist and laid it against Orion's chest rig.

"You too and watch the vegetation for lurkers."

Hearing Orion's friendly advice, he nodded before disappearing into the thick underbrush.

===Special Chapter)

Daws brought half the team and made their way towards 1 of 5 hangars. The other Phantoms provided security for the crowd that was gathering along the runway.

Orion pushed the hangar door open and met a foul odour of death coupled with insects that flew out from inside. Sunlight shone through from behind, revealing a horrific scene.

Bodies were piled up high, riddled with terrible wounds. Some were shot in the head and few if not all stripped bare.

Orion differentiated one body; a female officer he saw during check ins at the base. She was nude and visible wounds decorated her ruined frame.

This soul didn't deserve to be treated like something so insignificant. The woman had a kind soul; pure even, only ever wanting to help and heal people. She was part of Global Doctors with Red Cross.

Orion would occasionally chat about medical practices and quiz her on medicine. He truly enjoyed the time spent with her and built up confidence to become intimate with another. But that feeling and hope sizzled out after witnessing this savagery.

Lowering himself and skimming gloved fingers over her terrible state, inspecting each and every bloodied marking. Her eyes were slightly ajar with a mortified expression. He could envision that her death did not come easy.

Orion covered his hand over her empty blue eyes and closed them carefully.

"What the hell..." Mumbling to himself.

Five soldiers from behind gave their teammate saddened looks and one stepped forward.

Daws noticed the young but talented soldier's facial features displaying pure wrath and disgust.

The Commander lowered his weapon and reminded Orion of what Phantoms had to deal with. Everytime they fought in some land unknown to the rest of the world.

"This...this right here is what we fight to end. Rage is a last resort, don't let it turn into hatred. If you allow that feeling to fester, then the world and even those around you, like family, will think of you as a true monster." Daws gave Orion a pat on the shoulder and continued.

"Disgust is good. It proves that your still human and able to tell if something's truly fucked. Keep in mind that 200 helpless people, myself and the others, need a calm and collected head. We look after one another, keep each other safe and sane. Our objectives right now are to keep them alive and investigate who killed her. We need our brother back, think you have what it takes?"

Daws stilled to observe the young man's face cooling down.

Now wearing a mask of indifference, Orion understood that he needed to stomach more if he wanted to resume serving alongside his tight-nit unit. An urge to puke rose up from his bowels but he pushed the biological response away, redirecting attention on the refugees and fellow Phantoms.

He clenched his fists and swayed a weapon back into his hold. Looking down, focusing on a marksman rifle decorating his arms. Inspecting the weapon in hand was an M39 EMR. Already attached with a high powered scope capable of thermal imaging, PEQ-15 and bipod. Orion was extremely proficient in its semi-automatic configuration.

He stood up, tightened his grip on precious polymer and tapped a thigh holster storing a trusty handgun.

Orion shook away edging emotions and responded coldly with, "Yes Sir."

"Attaboy." Daws added as he tapped Orion's chest and walked towards the exit.

The young Phantom took a step back, still peeking back at the bodies. His brown eyes kept going back to the same person lying in rot.

Shelly

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

===Chapter 6 Overrun

Roars of gunfire erupted as Orion took his eyes off piled flesh. He waited for orders while echoing his commander's wise words.

Releasing the rifle magazine, checking its contents to make sure it was full, reinserting and pulling back the slide to check if a round was chambered. Shiny brass notified him of combat readiness and he let the charging handle return, readying for war.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

#ARMED MILITIA PUSHING TOWARDS OUR POSITION!!! ARGH! THERE'S TOO MA-GAH-grgl..gl..g.....krrrrrr# Gurgling from an all too familiar voice sent shockwaves through everyone.

Ramirez....

The radio operator switched frequencies, cutting off the downed friendly transmission and barked out military code for support over heavy channel traffic. Most of the voices over comms were Orion's teammates. Each swarmed by the exchange of rifle rounds.

And all of them yelled for assistance.

Daws swiftly gave out orders to operatives under his watch. Four men from Orion's group split off, herding the refugees to a secondary hangar which was luckily empty.

"How long do we have to hold out?" Daws inquired and received a grim expression.

"Command's raising a QRF, atleast... 30 minutes."

An insane grin rose on the Commander.

"Plenty of time to kill as many as we can." He chambered a round into his MP7 and gave a determined order.

"Let's send our visitors to hell."

Orion grinned at his remark but realized the stakes; if too many defenders were to fall then 200 refugees would be at the mercy of uncivilised fighters. Meeting the same fate as the ones in the pile.

The Commander ordered Orion to take up a sniper position in the ATC tower, assisting troops in need of support. Also sending the radio operator with him to secure the tower if militants already occupied it.

Daws waved for the remaining soldiers in the hangar to exit out back, knowing the trees and shrubbery would provide adequate concealment.

The sky sizzled into vermillion as sunset dawned over the battle.

Carefully scanning his surroundings, Orion hauled ass to the ATC tower with another Phantom in tow. Luckily they weren't hit but stray bullets whizzed by, impacting the environment around them.

Reaching the backdoor of the ATC tower they saw that it was wide open.

Orion understood that he was going close quarters against local militia who wore little to no armor. He pulled out his pistol and readied. Nodding at Charlie and receiving a confident glare, both silently room cleared, finding nothing on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd floor.

Sneaking up the stairs and nearing the main hub of the Air Traffic Control Tower. 2 shots went off in quick succession and they paused, waiting for physical pain receptors to tell them trouble.

Heart rate stable and nerves steeled, Orion tapped the radio operator to continue. Charlie crept up the steps with his teammate close on his six.

Advancing forward, Orion found 2 skinny men lying on the ground taking shots at his team. He aimed center mass at the sniper and fired 3 rounds: 2 chest and 1 headshot. Charlie was already shooting at the sniper's spotter, dropping him next to the lifeless corpse Orion created. They checked their surrounding area, making sure it was clear.

The radio operator reloaded an MP5SD after his battle buddy moved towards a broken window.

Orion stowed his pistol and swung his rifle back into his hands. Pressing the thermal imaging on a high powered scope, he quickly surveyed the fight and acquired targets. Every trigger pull was on point, neutralizing many spawning from the forest. Round after round of 7.62 casings ejected from the weapon, scattering around his feet.

Charlie on the other hand kept Orion's back covered. Holding stairs with his MP5, denying enemies a chance to hit them from behind.

Familiar voices on their radio frequency decreased as the sky grew grim.

"Mother-" Orion ducked as a volley of enemy fire hit the concrete protecting him.

He switched to a different window, carefully peeked over and discovered that all guard towers had dead teammates coloring shattered glass. Each stairway leading up had clusters of militia swarming, looting whatever gear they could get their hands on.

Orion reloaded and crawled over to Charlie, grasping his shoulder.

"I'll take the stairs, radio Daws and check their status!" Switching places and watching the way up with lethality.

"Status check? Daws come in! Anyone reading this?! Marshall?!" The radio operator questioned.

Static hung through comms until someone responded.

*KURK* #hehehehe, am I speaking to the last ones?#

Deafening silence muted the conflict to almost nothing, chanting and yells were heard coming from the base of the tower.

A crack of a sniper pinged across the airstrip.

"We got company! Hey, Char-" Orion turned and watched the radio operator slump onto the ground.

Whistling from afar grew louder as a bright orb came racing towards the tower.

Orion grabbed Charlie and dove for cover but it was too late. The rocket fired from an RPG ripped through the window and exploded. Collapsing concrete filled the upper level, smashing down on both of them. The rifle in Orion's possession tumbled across the crumbling floor and disappeared.

Darkness crept into his vision, taking away the last lines of consciousness.

..........

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

===Chapter 7 Legends

(Someone's childhood, 15 years ago)

Language spoken: (Asian Origin)

Huge mountains arranged themselves all over the land. Tranquil rivers and waterfalls brought fresh fish and crustaceans, including magnificent views. Moderate trees held many fruits and herbs for villagers in need of them. The forest teemed with life as spring had begun to show.

In a small village located in some part of the eastern continent was a cozy little cabin.

"Grandma? Do dragons exist?" A small boy asked while he sat in front of a couch.

An amused chuckle emanated from an old lady.

"Little fellow, of course they exist." The child peered at her unbelievable words.

"Then where are they?" He crossed his arms wanting proof.

His grandmother laid her hands on top of each other.

"Asleep." She turned towards the mountains scattered throughout the land.

The boy got up and looked out the window to view a bustling village. His grandpa waved up at him from below. He returned the gesture as his grandpa continued to create and decorate furnishing for his room.

A thought appeared in his calculating mind.

"Is grandpa a dragon? He sleeps so much." A chuckle responded his remark.

"Perhaps, but that's because your grandpa is very old. Humans don't live as long as dragons. When we grow old our bodies need more rest." She gave him a solemn expression.

"Why?" Her grandson kept staring at the mountains and forests surrounding the village.

"So that our souls have enough energy to continue onto our next life." The child turned around and frowned at his grandma.

Something she said didn't bode well with him, but he didn't know how to respond. Instead he opted for silence, listening to the villagers and his grandpa working below.

His eyes were magnetized back to the mountains.

"Do dragons live in those mountains?"

The old woman got up from her seat and laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Correct. The ones who live around this village protect us. Storms, disease and poverty cannot destroy us. We are blessed by their presence." The young boy had twinkling eyes as he listened to the dragon's blessings.

"What about in there?" He pointed towards the trees and forest in sight.

His grandmother mused and answered.

"Many things live in the forest, most notably the wolves."

The boy moved away from his grandma and leaned against the window sill.

"Mom, dad and grandpa say that wolves are dangerous. We must stay away from them, otherwise they will eat us." The kid shivered as he visualized a wolf pack hunting and cornering him in the forest.

"Haha, do you want to hear the village tale?"

Her grandchild tilted his head and thought to himself before nodding and sat down in front of the couch again.

She remained standing next to the window sill and recounted the legend.

"A long time ago our village was nothing but trees and grass. A lone soldier wandered onto this land from a broken battlefield after losing everyone she knew. Her body forced her to rest and slept for days. Her mind did not know how much time she had stayed for, only enjoying the calm and peace."

The young boy's eyes fluttered and he yawned. His grandma walked up to him and smacked the top of his head. Her discipline made him regather attention on his elder.

She shook her head and smiled, but soon that smile turned into a distant expression.

"Misfortune would soon strike the soldier. Another day had passed and night approached as she fell asleep." He shuddered as her tone changed.

"A tiger had been watching her, waiting and growing increasingly ravenous with each passing day. It attacked, clawing and wounding the soldier. With nothing else keeping the beast occupied it finally looked down at the woman." The boy sitting on the floor had goosebumps rising all over his body and his grandma led him to the couch.

"This tiger had no remorse and no sympathy for the living, destroying and devouring everything in sight. Its eyes were soulless and its presence was a sickness to the world." He whimpered and fear crept into his peripherals.

"The tiger's claws and weight were crushing the girl, bringing her near death." The child shrank away for what was to come next.

"Until another animal attacked, distracting the beast. The woman thought it was a dog as it savagely wounded the tiger. After a fierce battle the tiger had enough and retreated deep into the forest. The being who saved her turned around and limped closer. She realised that the animal was not a dog but a wolf." He waited expectantly.

"The black wolf collapsed next to the soldier. Its eyes innocent as they were saddened. The injured soldier stroked the wolf's head and rubbed its ears, thanking the animal for saving her life. It licked her fingers weakly and slowly passed as the inflicted wounds took its life." The boy was sad that the wolf had died protecting the woman's life.

"Growls grew around her and wolves started to emerge from all over. A white mass approached the hurt woman, ready to kill but stopped, averting its eyes at the black lump. It bolted towards the dead wolf, whimpering in distraught. Every wolf around the soldier started to howl and a yellow light ruptured the night sky. A red and gold dragon broke through the clouds and rushed down."

His attention was ensnared by the dragon's appearance.

"The mythical creature shook the ground and observed what had happened. The warrior's vision turned fuzzy as she was in awe of this divine creature. The dragon's presence was overwhelming, her breathing became labored and her consciousness wavered. The white wolf whined at the dragon to revive its comrade but the dragon could not save anything that the tiger had tainted. The dragon studied the dead wolf and then the human girl. It dove into the lone soldier's mind and spoke."

"It sacrificed its life so that you may live. Both of you shared the same experience of love and loss."

"As the divine creature finished its statement, 3 small puppies wobbled over to the white animal."

"The soldier realised that her dead rescuer was their mother." The grandmother lowered her voice.

"She knew that the wolf children were going to be raised motherless and unprotected. Sure their father could have raised and shielded them from dangers but the warrior knew that was not the duty of the white wolf."

"Her mind grew sorrowful and disdain crept into her own thoughts. The soldier felt ashamed of herself for being incapable of helping and did not feel like she deserved the wolf's sacrifice." Tears and sniffles began to form on the young boy's face. His grandma hugged him and patted his back.

"The dragon pitied the soldier and white wolf, along with the other wolves. It spoke to her once more." Her grandchild slowed to sniffles and took calm breaths.

"Are you willing to earn forgiveness? Are you willing to show your appreciation for the life you've been granted? Or will you sit there and let your Saviour's sacrifice go to waste?!" The old lady's tone erupted in outrage, causing the boy to look up at her.

She wore a frowning expression directing it towards her grandchild.

"The lost warrior steeled herself with conviction in her heart and asked the dragon." The child and his grandma moved towards the window and stared into the mountains.

"What needs to be done?" She shifted her eyes back into the home. The boy next to her noticed and flicked his gaze at the usual painting on the wall.

It was a traditional spear.

"The dragon gave the warrior a drop of its blood, granting her its powers. Their blood mixed and the dragon exploded into a cloud of gold dust. Yellow flakes of divine particles enveloped the warrior's body. Marking and healing her entire body."

"When the soldier's transformation was complete, a weapon stabbed into the ground, taking the dragon's place. She retrieved the spear and felt immense power shift through her body. A single phrase echoed through her mind."

'Kill all evil that plague this land.'

"Before she would follow her newfound task, her eyes glanced at each individual wolf surrounding her, giving them a thankful nod. The white wolf nudged the black fur corpse and whimpered. It got up and approached the warrior along with its children. The mature animal gave the woman a blank expression, meanwhile 3 pups barked at her with teary eyes."