The Vortex Captive

Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny day as my squad and I made our way across the plains of  South Calafia, the country of the griffons, zebras, and trees. I looked down at my M16 with a holographic sight, it was attached to a harness that was slung around my left shoulder. My secondary, a Five-Seven with hollow-point ammo was in my holster attached around my left foreleg. My combat knife in a sheath across my chest.

I am Staff Sergeant Nightingale, NCO of Echo Squad, part of Vortex Special Forces. Echo Squad was made up of me; the sniper, Sergeant Lightning Fan; our specialist, Corporal Tearjerker; the first recon, and June Mark; the assault.

I used my left foreleg to wipe the sweat off my head, getting the sweat around my horn. I surveyed the area around us and saw fields of dry grass with the occasional tree, shrub, or any other greenery.

I looked at my HVS and saw that the time was 12:37. Thinking that it was a good idea to rest now, I stopped and called out, “alright boys, lets take a break over by that tree,” pointing to a nearby tree.

My squad agreed and we made our way to the tree. I went to the base of the tree and took off my saddlebags, including my black beret. I placed my M16 down on the dry grass laid down. Tearjerker started to take out his weapon cleaning kit and inspected his Five-Seven.

June Mark took out his combat knife, grabbed a nearby branch with his magic, and started to sharpen it. As his stick became sharper, there was no need to sharpen it anymore, he threw it like he was pitching it. The sharp stick dug into the dirt and was sticking out in the air.

Opening my saddlebags, I took out a bar of raisins and oats. Opening the plastic wrapping, I broke the bar into four pieces and popped one in my mouth. Lightning Fan was working on his little invention, a drone as I recalled him telling me what it was.

It was like a really small helicopter that could land on your hoof, but instead of one rotor blade, there was four at each edge of the helicopter. I looked back at my HVS, noting that we were about 15-20 miles away from the rendezvous.

***

“Overlord, Echo Squad is not at the rendezvous, what are the orders?”

“Hotel Squad stay put, I’m sending a helicopter to pick you up at the Northwest checkpoint.”

“Roger that Overlord.” The Overlord switches comms to a different frequency

“Bravo Squad, this is Overlord, Command has intel suggesting that Echo Squad has been ambushed by the enemy. Satellite imaging was able to find the location of Echo Squad. The last known location of Echo Squad is 1QED1394 from their HVS. Command wants you to find Echo Squad and bring them home. Helicopter is enroute to your location. ETA 30 minutes.

***

Four hours ago

“SHIT! Grenade two o’clock!”

*Boom*

“Comms are down, we’re on our own boys!” I yelled aiming through my gun’s sight and blasting two more griffons down. Tearjerker had his own fill as he reloaded while hitting a charging zebra with the butt of his gun. I took out a smokescreen off my vest and threw it at the enemy force.

I made my way to the rest of the squad who were busy fighting off the enemy who had not been affected by the smokescreen. I took out a knife and plunged it into a griffon who was about to strike Lightning Fan as he took down three zebras with his pistol.

I returned the knife into its sheath and brought up my M16, picking off the fleeing enemy who had saw that they had no chance against us. Not until a grenade landed in the middle of us. I picked it up in my levitation and threw back at the zebra who had threw the bomb.

*Boom*

His entrails flew at the enemy.

We had just finished resting were making our way to the rendezvous until a griffon patrol spotted us. My squad and I picked off the patrol but one had escaped and brought with him a whole battalion of soldiers including two airships. And they were prepared, well not against guns but still, they were prepared.

I shot another fleeing soldier before reloading.

They have developed magical grenades now and they were really effective at scattering us so the enemy could gang up on one of us instead of the whole squad. But we never left the group as we fought. Tearjerker has a bullet wound across his breast. Lightning Fan has multiple sword wounds across his sides but they weren’t too deep. June was ok from the way he was picking off the enemy like there was no tommorow.

I had two near deaths with a bullet and sword nearly killing me. I took a position against a hill with the rest of the squad at the base of the hill. We were doing fine as the rest of the enemy were fleeing, that was until a grenade landed at the middle of the hill.

“Shit! Gre-”

And that was all I said as I was blown back off the hill into the clutches of the enemy. My M16 flying the other direction as my beret flew off my head.

***

Vortex Command Center

Location Classified

“Sir, Bravo Squad is on their way, but…”

“What is it?”

“I just got off the phone with VCAPS 8, they have images regarding where Echo Squad went.”

“Well, why are you just sitting there, send it to the screen.”

“Yes sir.”

In the black circle room filled with various holographic monitors sat the commander, he sat in a console chair with three screens floating around him showing numerous images and documents. The chair was elevated so he could look at the other screens in the room. Two other console chairs were at the foot of the elevated chair with two screens for each chair. Each occupied with two lieutenant colonels.

There was a large screen at the wall the chairs were facing. A image on the large screen showed a field with black craters and bodies strewn around. Two wreckages were on each side of the battlefield. The image moved to another section of the battlefield where three black berets were seen. They were moving at a moderate speed.

“Sir, this was taken about three hours ago,” said the pony on the left chair. “I have concluded that their HVS are no longer working due to the magical grenades disrupting the HVS’s system. I have also concluded that Staff Sergeant Nightingale has been captured or killed by explosives. Tracking the squad will be easy, but finding the NCO will be tricky because we have no idea where she went.”

“Well we need to find the NCO’s body or equipment, we can’t let them have our technology, they might cause more casualties on our side.”

“Yes sir, I sent Bravo Squad to find the Alpha Squad,” replied the pony on the

“Good, now let us discuss about the C-5M AMP Super Galaxy. The workshop has made five of these, and now our hanger is pretty full,” the commander said pointing at new images of a base with an unknown location. “Our discussion is where to build another hanger. We have some large enough space at the west side of the base. Any suggestions?”