A loud explosion shook the whole building, dragging corporal Toala out of his very light sleep. Wolf looked around his fire position, he didn’t really care about the artillery shell that struck at town hall unexpectedly. Taola’s heavy machine gun emplacement has been set up on the third floor of the building’s west wing. It had been his safe zone for a few days straight. It wasn’t much but still better than sitting in the open. His trusted gun has been resting right next to the hole in the wall, leaning its still red barrel on the provisional cover made out of rubbles and some bricks. Wolf slightly peeked out his cover and in front of his eyes appeared the city called Isen. Or at least, what is left of it. A huge metropolis has been consumed by the fire of heavy battles between Lunars and Lizards. None of them had been willing to give up a field while the whole city was being slowly turned into ashes and piles of rubble. Isen may be destroyed but the town hall is still standing. Now, that was the most important target on this god-forsaken land. The only reason why this building hadn’t been turned into ashes yet, was the fact that Lunarium had placed really strong communication devices there, which would help the enemy with stretching out a radio range to great distances.
In addition to that, this building was huge and perfect to be a forward operating base or even a field workshop, which would allow Lizards to repair their vehicles closer to the frontline, instead of evacuating them all the way back to forward operating bases near the beaches.
Toala moved his eyes across the burning landscape. Almost every single still standing building had holes on it or was at least partly collapsed. Wolf’s tired green eyes stared at small, burnt down pub across the street, just in front of his fire position. This place used to be full of life, when Lunars have been drinking a ridiculous amount of alcohol, celebrating even the simplest occasion.
His memories took his mind back in time to the party two months ago, when he received a positively considered application to shock troops. He hasn’t been a typical private rifleman anymore, but a part of the Lunar Army’s finest forces. He was “someone.”
Those memories were so alive in his mind. He could swear, he is still hearing his drunk friend toasting while barely standing on a table.
“For Taola! Bottoms up!” he’s been hearing his friend’s forever happy voice, as he’s been knocking his beer mug with others, looking at corporal with a warm gaze. Everybody echoed his words, patting corporal's shoulders, tousing his pretty and ironed pomegranate uniform.
“Just don’t go fucking crazy!” Taola heard somebody’s voice somewhere in the crowd, but he wasn’t sure to whom did it belong, but it didn’t matter.
Carelessly, he yelled back. “Don’t worry! You’re gonna still be the biggest maniac here no matter what!” and the wave of loud laugh filled a small pub.
“Taola!” He heard an unknown voice. It turned him around, and he yelled back.
“What? Do you wanna congratulate me as well? Get in the fucking queue or something.” As wolves raised him up and started to carry him across the room.
“Taola!” the same voice called him one more time, but now it has sounded like from another dimension. Suddenly a strong yank freed him out of memories. Taola growled annoyed as he looked around his safe room again and immediately spotted wolf pony standing in front of him, who has been staring at him with his huge skyey eyes. Kitans, as Lunars call creatures like this, were very specific hybrids - a combination of pony and wolves. Their bodies are smaller than typical wolves and more fragile. For some unknown reason, Kitans can’t use Lunar’s magic so they fully depend on their wolfish paws, which didn’t make things much easier for them. They cannot use Lunar weapons, because these are adapted to telekinesis use only or werewolves’ huge paws. However, wolf ponies are perfect to perform medic’s role, as they are really fast and hard to hit by enemy snipers. Maybe they can’t take out lives but at least they can save some of them.
“Yeah, Kiti?” He answered, realizing that he’s been staring at his friends speechlessly for a quite long time. His mind needed a while to come back to the grey and demolished part of this world. Kiti is his squad medic, or at least was because currently, he has been running around helping everybody, doing his best. Taola has been seeing his friend’s thick and ragged mane and tail shining green as he has been flitting in a glare of the sun, treating wounded soldiers.
“Nothing, just checking if you are okay. You dozed off.” He spoke calmly, checking Taola’s old wounds in case if any of them has reopened itself. Kitans are quite rare in this world. They have come from somewhere else… what was it called? “Could you tell me again, from where have your ancestor came from?” Wolf asked, patting his head as a sign that this information just has flown away out if his head.
Kiti laid his ears and looked on the floor ashamed. “Equestria,” he said quietly like he would be scared saying it.
“Ah, thanks,” answered Taola, giving his friend a warm but tired smirk. The wolf pony pulled a bandage out of his white medic box attached to his left side. Taola wasn’t surprised hearing the strange name of Kiti’s world. In Lunarium, portals open themselves from time to time, leading to untypical dimensions. Last researches have shown that they always lead to places where any sign of magic has been detected, tho nobody knows for sure why.
Kiti raised the wolf’s front paw, in order to bandage the reopened wound and asked: “Did you sleep at all?”. Taola has looked at his leg, not being sure if the brown color is his fur or dried blood.
“Few minutes,” he answered, half-consciously looking at his gun lying nearby. “You know. I need to guard this perimeter”. He couldn’t remember when did he sleep for more than twenty minutes cause days seem to blend together. Everything for him was like just a bad dream. However, it doesn’t really matter at all. The only thing that really does, is grabbing a heavy machine gun with telekinesis and keep shooting till there is nothing left on the street.
Kiti moved towards the entrance, saying “I will tell sergeant to rotate you,” but Wolf stopped him with his paw movement.
“Sit down, mate. You were running around a whole day like crazy” he added tiredly as he looked at yellow wolf pony with a small smirk. Just now he noticed that his friend doesn’t look better than himself.
“Wanna cig?” He asked as he pulled a small box out of his pocket using his telekinesis. Kitan has sat down in front of him, nodding. His nose seems to be way smaller compared to the rest of his head. Wolf stared at a box’s inside and counted only two cigarettes. He took one straight away and passed the pack to his friend who scooped the bundle neatly and put it into his mouth.
“For how long I’ve been here?” Asked Taola, lighting up a cigarette, before helping his friend.
Kiti puffed before answering: “One week. Alone. I’m shocked you haven’t gone crazy here yet”
“Week, huh?” Taola repeated quietly, putting down a lighter back into the pocket of his torn, dark blue uniform.
“When’s the next air-drop?” Wolf asked as he looked at empty cans lying around in the corner. He counted only five, far too little than should be. No way, I was eating that little. Have I thrown some of them away?
Wolf pony leaned his head against the wall and released smoke out of his lungs. “They said today, but I really doubt. Scouts reported a new AA rocket launchers in the city earlier. It’s gonna be tough for planes to make it through,” he said slowly closing his eyes.
“I guess, sarge will send somebody to clear them out,” he said more to himself than to his friend and looked at the heavy machine gun to check if its barrel is still red. Gladly it was back to its metal gray color, tho Taola could be more than sure that touching it with a bare paw is still a bad idea.
“Imma need more of these,” he said after a few seconds of silence, as he looked at used barrels lying on the floor nearby. The heat has deformed them and now they are just useless pieces of metal. In a worst-case scenario, Wolf could use them only as a provisional melee weapon.
“All are done. East wing used the last ones” said Kiti, remembering Taola the last serious assault just yesterday. The fight was long and bloody, but wolves managed to repel enemies. Or at least Lizards have decided to not lose more soldiers just now.
“When’s the next air-drop?” Taola asked again forgetting that he already got an answer. Kiti answered with a snort as he was lying with closed eyes.
Wolf looked at the floor, embarrassed. “Sorry…,” he murmured awkwardly and then stared back to his friend. Taola could feel something is wrong.
“Kiti?” His whisper was a bit nervous. Kiti has been lying still, letting the cigarette to slowly burn out. “Kiti” wolf’s voice was louder, but wolf pony didn’t react again. Taola quickly jumped to Kitan and hit him lightly with a paw.
“Fuck, Kiti,” he said scarred, checking the pulse. Barely feelable. Almost no breath he thought, paling in seconds. Is he dying? But how? What the fuck?!
“Medic!” He screamed untypically loud and a brown wolf with a med-box stripped to his side, has appeared.
“What happened?” He has sat down near Kiti immediately, checking pulse and looking for injuries.
“Fuck I know. He’s just lost consciousness. Weak pulse and breath” Taola answered quickly, staring panicked at the medic.
Wolf has started quietly talking to himself as he keeps looking for damages: “Okay. Pulse is fine. Can’t see any wounds”, those words gave Taola a huge wave of relief. “He just needs some sleep. Should be awake in a few hours,” he said as he turned to the soldier.
Taola hasn’t know why this option didn’t come to his mind. I guess I’m just overreacting he thought, but still felt guilty for taking medic’s precious time for no reason. Especially Taola should have known how to check vitals, because of the basic medical course he had before joining an army.
“You should do the same. You don’t look fine” said the medic, looking meaningfully at the soldier. “We have some guys on standby” he added, knowing it’s not gonna change a stubborn character of Taola.
Wolf has sat down near his friend, finishing a cigarette. “Let them rest. I will be fine” answered, and looked at the gun, adding with a smirk: “And I’ve already told you, nobody is allowed to touch my baby”.
“Come on. You’ve been sitting here for a week now.” Corpsman rolled his eyes annoyed by a soldier. “You’re not gonna be useful if you faint away in the middle of the fight,” he said with visible anger.
“I…won’t,” Taola said distinctly, making a medic a bit scared. At least Taola could guess it, seeing his fellow soldier stepping back. “And I won’t leave Kiti here with a random wolf” he added and medic seemed to give up trying convenience obstinate wolf.
“Fine. Whatever” he frowned, walking up to the entrance. “If you will fuck up, it’s gonna be your fault, not mine” added, quickly leaving a room.
“Cunt” Taola whispered to himself, using his telekinesis force to gently put down Kiti on the ground. Then he pulled out a big piece of cloth rag, which he has been using as a blanket and covered a wolf pony. Taola knew cunt was right, but he just couldn’t leave this place. Something deep down in his heart has been forcing him to stay. He was excusing himself by the fact that everyone is pretty much exhausted and rotating with him means somebody else ain’t gonna have a break. However, it wasn’t quite true.
“Sleep well, my friend,” he said quietly as if he was afraid of waking up Kiti. “However, if you are not smoking…” he took his friend’s still burning half cigarette and finished it up with one deep puff. After this he stared at the landscape of rubble and black smoke, letting his memories to drag his soul once again.
____________
Sudden movement underneath a blanket dragged Taola out of his thoughts. He immediately jumped up and trying to keep a balance, rushed into Kiti’s direction, who has started struggling and breathing abnormally fast. A solid shoulder tap made him woke up from nightmares and he stared at Taola with his skyey eyes.
“Calm down. In and out” Taloa has started to slowly repeat as he put his friend into sitting position. Kiti’s breath has started slowing down until the panic was more or less gone.
“How long was I out?” he asked, looking through a hole in the wall, still calming down. The sun outside had hidden behind the horizon a long time ago, but fires all over the city made it feel like it’s still day. Wolf looked sadly at what used to be a capital of Free wolves.
“Quite a bit. Few hours?” Taola wasn’t sure, he was too busy with his memories to follow a time. Also, he lost his watch just before the siege has begun, breaking it on the rock when he was trying to throw back a grenade that has landed right next to him.
“I need to help the others!” Kiti shouted, rushing to the entrance, but he has been stopped by a wolf, who tapped his green mane.
Wolf used his telekinesis to lay down the wolf pony. “Easy. We haven’t been attacked yet and I’m pretty sure, other medics got the situation under control” he calmed his friend down. Wolf smirked and added after a short pause: “Also, sarge Rakan would come and kick your ass if there would be a need”. Wolf pony leaned his head on the wall again and stared at the heavy machine gun with some sort of anger as it would like to run away by itself.
“Everything is under control” Taola whispered sitting down next to the gun and has started checking ammunition in its box. At least he tried because he couldn’t focus his telekinesis field and metal object collapsed on the floor with a loud noise, scaring the hell out of the wolf. He started to swear and for some reason, it woke up in him a large amount of anger. He was about to just kick the shit out of an innocent piece of metal.
Suddenly he felt a paw on his back, which pulled him gently back to the wall. “Get some rest. I will tell the sarge to send somebody here” said his comrade gently.
“No. I’ve told Urt already. If I leave this place then somebody else won’t have his break. They are tired. I don’t want to give them more duties than necessary”, he said reprimanding himself in thoughts for an unjustified rage. After all, it was just an ammo box. It is heavy so dropping it on the ground happens all the time. Maybe that’s why creators have thought about a rubber cover? To decrease the number of unwanted deformations?
“Alright. In that case, I will stay here then and keep an eye on you” Kiti said, throwing a blanket at Taola. “Meanwhile you get some rest” he added, coming closer to his friend.
“No. I need to guard this perimeter” he stammered as Kiti forced wolf to lie down and then covered him with a blanket.
“I... need… to…guard...” he was whispering slowly and involuntarily closing eyes. “...perimeter,” and then Taloa finally has fallen asleep. If it wouldn’t be a Kiti, Taola definitely was more into kicking somebody’s ass than complaining.
“At least I’ve helped this one,” Kiti smirked thinking about the stubborn nature of his friend. He knew he was needed somewhere else, but could not leave wolf alone. After all, he was kinda right.
Currently, there are like five hundred soldiers in this town hall who still can fight. It doesn’t mean some of them aren’t light-wounded. However, even they can still operate stationary placements, loosening the others. Even then, Lunar forces are seriously weakened and after one and half of the week, everyone is starting to feel exhaustion and starvation. The good thing is the main forces outside the city are still trying to sneak in any supplies which are more worth than anything else. Without air-drops, the town hall wouldn’t last a day.
With this Kiti remembered the first major Lizard’s offensive on his company. The strike has come in with a speed of lighting, rolling over the defenders like a bulldozer, crushing makeshift defensive structures like a grass. Lunar forces fought hard, putting up heavy resistance, however, they could not stop the avalanche of steel and fire no matter how hard they’ve tried. Fortunately enemy made a mistake, exposing their flanks. It was their chance to take a so much needed payback. The remains of Lunar forces launched a desperate counteroffensive, which wasn’t supposed to succeed, but it did.
Wolves kept moving forward, dying one by one. They have suffered heavy casualties, but they’ve made it. They have stopped the enemy’s tank divisions. Isen did not say its last word. Kiti still remembers how Lizards were running away with fear and panic, when despite the melting forces, Lunarium was still pushing. This is when he and Taola have lost their whole squad. Cut down like grass by a camouflaged machine gun, whose gunner ignoring his heavy wounds, has thrown away a whole mag of bullets, catching them off-guarded. One well placed machine gun and stubborn cunt in the right time and ten soldiers have disappeared in a mixture of blood and mud in seconds. Kiti and Taola have survived only thanks to a tank nearby, which demolished a placement before the gun has rotated to them and finish the job.
After this things got worse. The bloody offensive had no chance to keep going, no matter how unbreakable the Lunarium’s spirit was. Every will can be broken with just enough firepower. Lizards have weakened wolves drastically and then launched their own counteroffensive which just blown away the Lunar remains, pushing them out of the Isen. This town hall was their last stand... and a graveyard at the same time.
“If we are about to die, let’s take with us as many of those motherfuckers as possible” Kiti has whispered to himself, looking at the sleeping wolf.
“Hey, look. A new day is rising” He smiled involuntarily as the sun which has started to turn out, blinding Kiti just like the flash of that damn machine gun. “I wish I could save them. Maybe if I didn’t freak out, I could help them” he has been blaming himself that he panicked and did not help his squadmates right away even tho deep down in his heart he knew he was lucky enough to survive that battle.
“There was nothing you could do” Kiti heard the voice of his comrade, who was staring at him, eyes a little less tired.
“I know, I know…” Kiti waved his paw, observing as the wolf slowly crawled out of the blanket. “Just… I keep seeing their faces in my dreams. One moment was enough to wipe them out” he sighed heavily.
“This is war. We have lost our guard and we’ve paid the price” Taola answered staring emotionlessly at the gun. “We can’t let it happen again” he finished, sighing.
“At least you’re still alive. I guess I would just shot myself if you joined them then”.
Kiti smiled bitterly, trying to hide dismay at the thought about it. Silence has filled a room and only distant gunshots could be barely heard.
Suddenly an explosion has shaken the whole building and a loud roar has come from the distance. Taola immediately rushed to his machine gun and aimed it down the street using telekinesis. Even from up here, he could spot many, thin two-legged creatures looking like tall lizards rushing Lunar defensive positions.
“We have contact! East wing!” somebody yelled from downstair as loud as he could. Wolves have started to run around getting into their fire positions as fast as possible.
Taola hasn’t waited for an order, opening the fire right away. He was feeling a strong knockback moving down his body as empty shells have started to hit a floor. The first burst has turned at least a few enemies into bloody mist and their body parts have started to fly all over the place. However Taola knew, it is not about killing them with this gun. All he had to do was to just keep shooting in order to pin them down.
“Kiti! Boxes! Now!” he yelled at his comrade who quickly nodded and disappeared in a doorway. Wolf hasn’t stopped firing, sending more bullets into the enemy. When other soldiers started joining into the fight, Lizards finally has stopped pushing and started getting cover. Explosions crossed the field in front of wolves, throwing some of them into the air. Whimper, screams, and gunshots have now become a one, loud noise.
“RPG!” somebody yelled from the other room. Taola has started looking for a rocket launcher operator immediately, but he couldn’t see them. Suddenly he could hear a really characteristic quiet hiss. Wolf wasn’t sure how the hell he managed to catch it with his ears. Maybe it’s sixth sense? He spotted an operator in the pub in front of his fire position, aiming directly at him. Shortly after the warhead has launched itself into Taola, leaving behind a white cloud.
The piece of metal has been slowly getting closer. In the corner of the eye, Taola noticed Kiti coming back with four ammo boxes placed in a small basket, which he was holding in his mouth. Wolf jumped at wolf pony in order to throw themselves out of the room. When he was close to Kiti, the rocket flew inside through a hole. It hit a wall slowly deforming itself. In last-second Taola could see small sparks coming out from underneath a metal piece and then huge fireball filled a small hideout. Taola has landed on his friend when a fire burnt his tail a bit.
For people outside, the explosion looked rather serious, when the fireball has burst out of the wall following by a cloud of dust. Wolf has opened his eyes. The world in front of him was spinning like crazy and all he could hear was a loud squeak in his ears, giving him a headache. For a second he hasn’t felt his body. He tried to look at his friend, but his eyes were running wild all over the floor like after drinking too much alcohol at once.
He finally focussed his vision on his friend, shouting his name but couldn’t hear his own voice. He slapped his friend’s shoulder but wolf pony wasn’t reacting. Wolf tried to shout something again, but suddenly some unknown force has dragged him away. Shortly after, a head of the medic appeared in front of him, checking if Taola is still alive. After that, he has started dragging Taola on the floor. Wolf looked at his friend who was surrounded by two other medics.
Don’t do this to me, mate Taola thought as he was being moved away. Suddenly Kiti twitched. Soon after he has started coughing out dust and blood. Medics quickly put wounded on a stretcher and started to carry him out of the battle zone. The last Taola’s view was blooded and shocked wolf-pony, looking at him. Wolf could swear Kiti gave him a smirk and barely noticeable nod.
Looks like we’ve cheated Death again, he thought as he was being placed on a stretcher. Soon later darkness covered a whole world. He has felt asleep but didn’t know for how long. Day? Two? Maybe more? At least he will get some rest finally.
Author's Note
Okay... so here it is. The first part of my little serie called "Project Lunarium". My experiment to see if my lore will find its place on this website. I'm planning at least 2 more one-shot stories like this. When will they be released? I dunno. One more should appear this month.
I'm really nervous about this whole idea, but I think it should work.
This is a second the longest one-shot I've made so far. Also, I was quite rusty, cause I'm coming back to writing in a different language after 5 years. Well... I dunno what else can I say. I hope you've enjoyed this little story ^^.
Also here is a portrait of Kiti ^^
