Outlander

This is my first serious attempt at writing, so constructive criticism and error point outs are ok. Please no you suck type comments. Enjoy

Slow burner so no sex this section. Lots of plot in between the fun.

Prologue

It started like any other day, hot and boring. Then the first call came in. "Kaughman, get your ass in gear! We got a Hostage out at the airport!" called the watch commander. I jumped out of my chair and ran for the SWAT van. The rest of the team would meet me at the site to gear up and get intel for the rescue. I checked my phone as I drove down the freeway and caught the date August 18, 2007 my 25^th birthday. Memories flashed through my head. Blood, gunshots, explosions, and the screams of the dying. It had been 3 years since my discharge.

6 years ago,

"Shaun!" a voiced yelled behind me. I turned to look and saw my baby sister Isis running towards me. I was at the airport shipping off to Parris Island to start boot camp to become a U.S. Marine. "You were seriously gonna leave without saying goodbye?" she asked. I could see the tears in her eyes as I saw our parents behind her.

"You were crying in your room when I left," I countered.

"Asshole!" as she started to hit my chest.

"I'm gonna miss you too brat." I replied as wrapped her in a hug and placed a kiss on top of her head. Our parents came up and wrapped us both in their arms for what none of us knew was the last time.

"All right, I really have to go, or I'll miss my flight!" I laughed. "I'll write every week and see you guys at graduation!" I called after excavating myself from the group hug. I waved as I ran down the terminal to security.

The morning of graduation, my Senior Drill Instructor called me into the Instructor's Hut. "Lance Corporal Kaughman, I have the unfortunate duty to tell you your family was killed driving here for the ceremony." I was in shock and did not know what to say. Unbidden, tears started to pour down my face. "Shaun, I can give you five minutes by yourself, but after that I need you to lock it up till after the ceremony. That's an order Marine." He said as he left the hut.

After the ceremony, I requested to speak to someone who could change my orders. I was led to the Battalion Commander for my platoon. He had already been briefed on my situation and had an idea what I wanted. I left his office with new orders. Instead of the usual 2 weeks leave after boot camp, I went straight to the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune, NC.

I threw myself into the training. Learning everything they would teach me and then some. I graduated at the top of my class with a recommendation to join Marine Force Recon. I went to Bravo Company, 1^st Battalion, 3rd Regiment out at MCB Kaneohe Bay, Hi. We were prepping to go on a MEU float when our world lit fire.

While I was at boot camp and SOI, things in South America where coming to a head. Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, and most of Central America found itself as new country under the largest drug cartel the world had ever seen. And they had set their sights north. As I was heading to my duty station in the fleet, they invaded southern Mexico. I spent 2 years fighting there as we pushed them back all the way into Panama.

August 18, 2003

It was my 21^st birthday and tied for the worst day of my life. My unit rolled into a village near the southern border searching for more of the Cartels goons and mercenaries. Somehow, they found out we were coming and were waiting for us. My Recon team and I walked right into their trap. Me and our team leader where the only survivors. He died a year later another op; I was medically discharged after the shrapnel I took protecting him was pulled from my back.

Present Day

The memories ran through my head as I tried to force my way through LA traffic on this unremarkable Saturday morning. An earthquake warning came over the radio just as I came to a stretch of empty freeway. Seconds later, the freeway started to shake and crack. I slammed on the breaks and prayed the overpass I was on would hold. It did not. As the van started to fall forward into the empty space that used to be asphalt, I saw the brand spanking new canyon I was now plummeting into. As I fell, I prayed to whomever was listening, "Please let me see my family again." After I finished that thought, all I knew was black.

Chapter One

I awoke with a blindingly bright sun shining in my face. As I sat in my seat groaning in pain, I started to look around. And started to wonder if I had hit my head hard enough to start hallucinating. The first thing I did was stupid, I slapped myself. The pain in my head and slapping arm was excruciating. Fortunately, nothing felt broken, just sore and bruised.

I started to assess my situation like I had been taught in SERE school. Starting with myself, I was slightly injured bruises and a few shallow cuts that had already stopped bleeding. I was still sitting in the driver's seat of the SWAT van, so of course I tried to start it. Nothing. I opened the door and stepped out. I was in a small field surrounded on three sides with trees and a dirt road running parallel to the way the van was facing.

When I turned to open the hood of the van, I realized why it would not start, and never would again. The front was smashed like it had been dropped grill first into the field. The wheels were flat and obviously busted. The van was not moving unless I could get a crane and a flat bed here to pick it up.

As I reached to get my phone from the floor where I had dropped it, I remembered what had happened right before I woke up. "Where the fuck am I?" slipped out of my mouth as my brain shut down from the impossibility of what was going on. I have no idea how long I stood there before the scream of horses in pain pierced the air.

Then I heard shouting and the clashing or metal coming from the direction of the road and behind me. Instinctively, my hand dropped to the pistol in a drop-leg holster on my right side. I took off running in the direction of sounds.

I froze when I saw the unbelievable sight in front of me. I was looking at six hulking green skinned humanoids with large tusks attacking an ornate carriage drawn by 4 horses. The driver and two men wearing now ruined armor laid apparently dead as three others tried to fight them off. I drew my pistol as I ran forward to help.

When I got within 20 yards of them, started to angle myself so none of my shots would hit the carriage even if I missed. As I took aim on the first monster, the humans spotted me and yelled. Two of the orcs (as I later confirmed) turned and started heading towards me with their blood-stained clubs. I switched my target as my heart pounded in my ears. When my shot went off, everyone froze and looked my way. The orc behind my first target stared in shock as blood and brains from its friend dripped from his face. I was already aiming at the second orc coming my way. It fell next to its comrade when I pulled the trigger a second time. His skull and brain exploding out the back of his head. My pistol barked four more times, sounding the death knell for the last of the orcs as they charged towards me.

After scanning and listening for more, I holstered my pistol and walked towards the carriage. "Stop! Who are you and where did you come from?" yelled one of the guards as they all turned and pointed their weapons at me. I internally laughed as I took stock of the longsword, claymore, and halberd they attempted to intimidate me with. If I had not been carrying my 9mm Sig Sauer P320C, I might have been worried.

"I'm Sergeant Shaun Kaughman leader of Swat team 3 LAPD. And I have no idea where I am or how I got here." I replied as I raised my hands open at shoulder level to show I had no intentions of attacking. As I got closer, I could see how their weapons were trembling in fear. I had to give them credit, they tried to do their jobs even with the terror running through them not knowing how, but that I had just killed the enemies they would certainly have died trying to defeat. "Look, I'm lost and in desperate need of help," I started to say. As I started to continue, the door to the carriage opened and out stepped the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her fire red hair, and porcelain white skin were stunning. The freckles across her cheeks and nose gave her a cute, approachable air. The ocean blue corseted dress showed an obscene amount of cleavage making my mouth water at the sight.

"Princess! It's not safe, you should get back in the carriage," started the leader of the guards.

"Should I not personally thank the person who has saved all our lives?" she countered. "Shaun Kaughman is your name I believe good sir?" she asked while turning towards me. I noticed a slight blush came to her cheeks as she took in my 5'10" form.

"Ummmm ummmm yes mam," I stammered as my brain short circuited by her beauty.

"Seeing as my guard is now 3 short and you seem to in need of assistance, why don't we come to an amicable agreement to get what we both need," she finished.

Just then I noticed a small wagon and horse behind the carriage for the first time. "I think we can." I started. With a half-smile I continued, "Might I have the pleasure of your name? or should I just call you princess?" Her laughter was like listening to songbirds in the early morning.

"I am Princess Shalyndria McDonaugh. Fourth princess of the Islenase Kingdom. You may call me Shalyndria kind sir," she smiled as she responded. "We are short a few guards now. If you would add yourself to that number, I would be willing to pay you 5 gold and help you get to Verilant, the closest city." Shock ran through me when she finished. Gold was not a form of currency I was used to hearing outside of video games and fantasy novels. Not to mention a city I had never heard of.

"Well Shalyndria, let me use the horse and wagon hiding behind your carriage, and I believe we have a deal." I countered walking up to the horse and stroking its soft muzzle. A look of sorrow marred her beautiful face as she looked to the tree line behind me.

"You may keep them Shaun, their owners no longer need anything in this world." I turned and saw a pile of flesh, cloth, and broken bones lying next to the bruised naked body of a woman. The sight of her bloody pussy and ass while the rest of her was covered in the orc's seed made me wish I hadn't killed the fuckers as quickly as I had.

I looked in the wagon and saw household goods and the like. "What are we going to do with our dead?" I started to ask. "Fuck I'm sorry man, I never did ask you name." I finished as I turned to the new head of her guard detail.

He shook his head and extended his hand to me, "I am Terrance Mackall. We should cremate the bodies to prevent them from returning as zombies or Skeletons to hunt the living. All right, I think the four of us can gather them together pretty quickly. The princess can use a spell to incinerate them in an instant."

"I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore." Whispered past my lips unbidden. "OK gents, lets gather them up for the princess and we can get out of here!" I called to the other guards and we got to work. As we gathered her driver and guards, I watched Shalyndria walk towards the murdered couple. A few seconds later, the smell of burning flesh made me turn in that direction to see her walking back towards us.

"His body was too mutilated for transport, and I didn't think it right for more men to manhandle the poor woman, even good men like you four, after what they did." She answered our unasked question with tears in her eyes.

After the princess started the makeshift pyre, she excused herself into the carriage as I start to shift things in the wagon around to make room for the things I needed to get out of the SWAT van still sitting the clearing I awoke in. I sat in the driver's seat and took up reigns. "Terrance!" I called out. "I need to get my things from my broke down van I mean wagon, it's just passed those trees." I told him pointing in the direction I had come from.

"OK, be careful and hurry back, we need to leave or make camp soon." He called back as I started walking the horse in the direction of the clearing.

"Roger, be right back," I told him as I rolled past.

"Who the fuck is Roger?" I heard him ask the others as I pulled away and laughed.

I pulled up next to the back and jumped down. After I opened the back, I started to take inventory of what needed to come with me. I found 3 M4 carbines, 6 Sig Sauer P320 handguns, 2 MP5SD submachineguns, a Benelli M4 semi-auto 12ga shotgun, and a Remington 800 rifle with a Night force Advanced Tactical Scope. I also found about 10,000 rounds for each weapon. "Where did all this ammo come from?" I asked the empty van. As I piled the gun cases and ammo cans outside the van doors, I heard a gasp from next the wagon and turned. I found Shalyndria staring at me and the van. "An Outlander!"

Chapter 2

I just stood there staring, not knowing what to say. "This explains the strange words and phrases that keep stumping us." Shalyndria laughed as she started going through the cases on the ground.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Those are my weapons. Unless you know what your doing, they are just as dangerous to you as your enemies." I explained to her.

"I know weapons," she replied. I jumped down and climbed into the back of the wagon.

"Please hand me the small boxes first so I can load them up and see how much room I have left Princess." I asked of her. "Also, Why the wardrobe change?" I asked as we loaded the cases.

"Me and my maid thought blending in might be a better idea with our reduced strength." She answered as I took in her new outfit. Black leather pants were tucked into calf high boots while a white shirt under a green vest hugged her torso accentuating her chest.

After the ammo and gun cases were loaded into the wagon, I had a good amount of room left. I returned to the back of the van followed by Shalyndria. I gestured to the chair bolted to the floor, "Have a seat, I'm gonna look for anything else worth salvaging."

"Will you tell me about this and everything while you work?" she asked with a small flirty smile on her innocent face.

"Ask away gorgeous," I easily replied with a chuckle. I pulled out two pelican cases I had overlooked under the monitor desk.

She asked as I opened them, "What is LAPD and SWAT?"

"Starting easy I see," I laughed. "Los Angeles Police Department and Special Weapons and Tactics is and elite assault squad of officers from the Police Department." "Holy shit," slipped from my lips after I opened the first case.

"What is it?" she asked as I stared into the case.

"Grenades, and a lot of them. They shouldn't be here." I replied. Inside was 20 9-bang flash bangs and 30 M61 Fragmentation grenades. "No one can get their hands on these. Toss them in a room, everyone in it dies." I told Shalyndria as I carried them to the wagon and came back in.

"OK, what is Los Angeles Police Department?" she continued.

"Los Angeles is the name of the large coastal city where I lived and worked. The police department is the equivalent of the city guard, peacekeepers and law enforcers for the city." I replied as I returned from taking the case to the wagon. I grabbed an empty duffle bag and start packing the plate carriers and ballistic helmets. I was able to fit all 6 in one bag luckily.

"Where else did you train? Did you leave any family on your old world?" was her next question. "How about a wife and children?" she asked with a hopeful lilt to her voice.

I stopped and dropped my head as the memories ran through my head. "My family died as I was finishing my basic military training. Then I fought in a long war to protect mine and a neighboring country from tyrannical outlaws. Please don't ask more about that." I quietly responded as a few tears fell. I took a few seconds to compose myself, I then noticed one last case on top of the rack the armor had been hanging. "And no one special either, never had the time for love and kids. As for training, I am considered a master in three different methods of unarmed combat and an expert in several others." I responded as I pulled the case down and opened it. I was dumbfounded. This case definitely should NOT have been here circled my brain. Inside I found 4 detonator cord breaching charges, 10 1lbs blocks of C4, and blasting caps with detonators for it all. "Where the fuck did this extra weaponry come from?" I wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but stories say, other Outlanders have found themselves with equipment and weapons they didn't have before they appeared. No one has ever figured out where it comes from, however, they were always glad of it in the end I've heard." Was Shalyndria's reply.

"Well we're done here. Time to head out I guess." I replied as I carried the case to my wagon.

"What are you going to do with this wagon Shaun?" she asked as I settled it in place for the journey.

"Leave it here, I guess? I really have no idea. Wish I could destroy it." I responded. I felt an electrical charge fill the air as we walked away. I heard Shalyndria chanting on the seat next to me before a brilliant light and wave of heat washed over us from behind. When I turned to look, all that was left was a black charred circle of grass where the van had stood. "Was that you Shalyndria?" I asked as she slumped into my side heavily.

"Your welcome Shaun, but that level of spell takes a lot out of me." She mumbled before passing out on my shoulder.

When we arrived at the carriage, her guards were ready to move out. "What happened!" shouted Terrance as we pulled up.

"She used a powerful spell and passed out." I told him.

"Let's get her into the carriage to rest then." He said as he reached for her.

"She's fine, also it might be better to leave her disguised as we are short on manpower. She said her and her maid had discussed it while she changed." I countered.

"There is wisdom there. Ok, everyone move out." Terrence announced to his remaining men.

We rode on for an hour and half or so before Shalyndria started to stir. I moved the M4 I had placed on the floor under her to my other side and glanced down as her emerald green eyes opened and looked up. "Morning sunshine," I joked as she sat up, yawned, and stretched. "How was your nap?"

"I slept well, and most of my mana has oddly recharged already. It normally takes a full day for me to go from empty like I was. How long was I out?" Shalyndria asked me.

"Hour and a half, maybe 2 tops. Terrance says we will stop for camp in another 3." I retorted. "Do you think I can use magic?" was my next question.

She was silent for a few minutes as she thought about her answer. I found the way she chewed on her ruby lower lip unconsciously endearing. "Truthfully, I'm not sure Shaun. The records say most but not all Outlanders were able. I have something in the wagon we can use for an initial test when we stop."

"How about we swap stories and get to know each other till we stop for camp? I'll answer anything except about my time in the military." I proposed to the gorgeous red head.

"That sounds delightful." She smiled back. We spent the few hours becoming closer and learning more about each other as she also taught me about the world I have been suddenly dropped into.

Chapter 3

We pulled into a small field an hour before sunset to set up camp for the night. "Hank, please see if you can get us something for dinner. Bob, start to set up the tent for us. Shaun," Terrance started as we hopped down from our wagon,

"I'll start a fire after I get some wood unless you want me to do something else." I finished for him. He smiled back and nodded to me as I walked to the tree line to see what I could find. I froze in my tracks as Hank pulled the helmet from his head and I saw for the first time the wolf ears on top of his head. My jaw dropped to the grass as a beautiful black furred anthropomorphic cat wearing a maid uniform got out of the carriage and walked over to Shalyndria.