Grimoires and Gunsmoke

Coleman and his Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) team moved like specters through the unusual grass field, creeping closer to the village in the distance.

As the team leader looked around, his gaze couldn’t help but linger on the curious blend of foliage around him. It was neither entirely wheat nor typical grass and stood almost chest-high while swaying gently with the breeze. The heads of each large blade were slightly broader than the wheat fields of middle America with an odd mix of golden and green, but they sure did catch the sunlight in a way that gave the field a shimmering, almost ethereal quality.

Turning his attention back to his mission, Coleman continued to stalk forward with his team, their forms barely disturbing the grass as they advanced. They had silently observed the tragic scene unfolding in the village. The mounted scouts' brutality inflicted upon the villagers had not gone unnoticed. These men were not simply soldiers performing their duty; no, these were marauding animals that needed to be put down.

The team had initially debated the best approach to engage these mounted scouts. Their scattered patrol pattern was a problem and could lead them to be decisively engaged. It was a situation where the assaulting element could be flanked and overrun. However, as fate would have it, an opportunity presented itself when the scattered scouts converged on two individuals who had unwittingly wandered toward the doomed village.

Now, the once dispersed and difficult-to-target screen of enemy scouts was clumped together, focused on their prey, unaware of the danger that lurked within the grass. It was the moment the team had been waiting for, and when everyone was in position, a singular word left Coleman’s mouth as he pressed down his push-to-talk;

“Execute.”

Suddenly, just above the largest cluster of horse riders, a switchblade drone came in screaming and detonated above their head. The explosion showered everyone in the immediate area in shrapnel that tore through metal and flesh just before a concussive blast that threw both the men and horses alike to the ground.

A brief and stunned quiet filled the air before the cries of the injured and the panicked neighing of horses echoed throughout the field.

Coleman watched as more riders rushed to the scene of the blast to lend any aid they could, but little did they know this was a fatal mistake. And this was the moment the ODA team had been waiting for—a singular moment to capitalize on the confusion and disarray.

Without being prompted, Lister suddenly rose from his position in the grass, pointed his MK-48 belt-fed machine gun at the group, and squeezed the trigger. The weapon went cyclical; its relentless chatter ripped through the air as the man swept across the field, mowing down everyone and everything foolish enough to remain standing.

At the same time, Coleman, Elijah, and Bennett were quick to follow Lister's lead. They rose from their cover and began sprinting towards a better vantage point. As they moved under the cover of Lister's deadly barrage, their own suppressed weapons snapped up and barked to life as they engaged targets of opportunities. The muted thumps of their shots dropped individual enemy soldiers alongside Lister's machine gun's heavier, more rhythmic bursts.

But suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Coleman watched as Elijah suddenly stopped as a small and feminine voice spoke up. “Kill that one!” Yana grabbed Elijah’s short beard and yanked on it before pointing towards a sole-standing figure in the middle of a field.

The man was conjuring a small but growing ball of fire just above his head, and without hesitation, Elijah raised his rifle and squeezed off several rounds in the direction of the mage. Several bullets found their mark as the mage’s body jerked and his head snapped back violently. However, just before the mage collapsed back into the field, he managed to get the spell off.

In a split second, Elijah managed to duck down and evade the projectile, but he couldn’t say the same for his ‘goddess.’ Yana had shifted her attention to Lister and watched with glee as the man opened fire once more, shredding an entire formation of foot soldiers rushing to aid their fallen comrades.

And as the fireball closed in, Yana finally turned, and her eyes widened. In an almost whimsical manner, the fairy winked out of existence just as the fireball reached her and allowed it to detonate harmlessly away from them, engulfing a swath of the field in flames.

As the intense heat from the fireball sang the air and licked at his skin, Elijah quickly rose to his knees as a slew of profanities left his lips. The curses seemed to compliment the staccato of intense gunfire as the man quickly reached up to his chin, fumbling with the strap of his helmet. With an audible click of the buckle, the helmet subsequently sprang off, revealing a flailing fairy underneath, her tiny form creating a chaotic whirlwind in his hair.

“Goddamnit, Yana!” Elijah shouted in frustration as he watched her flutter off, seemingly equally agitated by the tight confines.

“Bah! Stinky!” Yana spat as she glowered down at Elijah. “Wash your hair, brute!”

For a fraction of a second, Elijah could only stare at the tiny being in irritation as he quickly snapped his helmet back onto his head. With everything secured in place, Elijah dug into his pocket and pulled out a fragmentation grenade. "Frag the fuck!" he angrily yelled as he looked at Bennett and pulled the pin from his grenade.

While Elijah and Bennett were busy tossing their grenades, Coleman continued to pick off individual footmen and riders, trying to regroup methodically. His weapon consistently barked out death with every pull of the trigger.

After a few seconds, the dual explosions from Elijah and Bennett's grenades reverberated across the plains as the supporting element of the ODA team continued to suppress the main bulk of the enemy. With the mage Neutralized, the assaulters renewed their push towards a small hill that provided a decent view of the village and its surrounding lands.

Within the village proper, the occupying forces realized their screen had failed to repel whatever attack was occurring and started to prepare their response. Once Elijah, Bennett, and Coleman reached the hill's zenith, they watched a mass of over a hundred men hastily rush out armed with a colorful variety of weapons and shields.

Organizing the rabble into a real fighting force, several individuals of what looked like their leaders or officers ran up and down, barking at the men to form cohesive blocks.

Bennett was the last to get to the top when he took a knee and started firing his weapon at figures in the field. He glanced over his shoulder towards the village and couldn’t help but scoff. “Wow, Eli. It’s like one of those shitty animes you watch.” The engineer said before he returned to picking off survivors of their ambush.

“I still haven’t seen a catgirl yet,” Elijah responded as he peered through his optic.

As the two men started their banter once more Coleman let out a huff of amusement before gazing up at the RQ-28a quadcopter drone hovering high in the sky. Pressing down on his push-to-talk button, he communicated with their fire support team, "Baron 3, this is Baron 1, you got me?" He said cooly as sporadic rifles and machine gun fire echoed in the background.

A brief moment of static crackled through the comm before Baron 3's voice came through, strong and clear, "Roger that, we got eyes on you and the mass of infantry."

Coleman nodded to himself in satisfaction befpre narrowing his eyes at the enemy formation. "Don't open up on them yet," he instructed firmly. "We're gonna lure

em in. Wait for my mark."

An affirmation to the order came over the radio just as Coleman switched frequencies. “Lister, get up here. Schwarz, Jacobs, keep playing whack-a-mole and keep up the overwatch.”

Lister, the team's Weapons Sergeant, weaved through the tall grass like a predator. As he approached the team, he brought his hand down onto Coleman's shoulder, signaling his arrival without a word before taking a knee.

Meanwhile, Coleman continued to observe the enemy formation with a keen eye. Among the infantry blocks, one particular group on the flank caught his attention. Unlike the disciplined formations commanded by stern officers, this block on the edge was noticeably less organized. The soldiers within this group appeared lax, their formation loose and uneven, and even the officer in charge of this block seemed less focused.

"There," Coleman suddenly spoke up with a low but firm voice. "Lay into those fucks. Make 'em tighten up their formation."

A devilish smile spread across Lister’s face as he nodded. He quickly approached a nearby rock formation, deployed the bipod on his MK-48, and prepared the belt-fed machine gun for the barrage he would soon unleash.

And with a squeeze of the trigger… the plains erupted into a cacophony of violence as Lister unleashed a torrent of lead upon his unsuspecting victims. The rapid bursts, barked out as a hail of deadly projectiles arced across the sky and into the ranks of the lack-lustered soldiers.

“Wow, get fucked.” Elijah said in awe as he watched men who weren't quick enough to hide behind the glowing shields or were too slow to react topple over.

It wasn’t long before gaps in the main body of the formation started to close up. Officers barked orders as they tried to regain control over the situation, and any imperfections their soldiers had were quickly rectified as they watched their flank be decimated.

The horrible sound of Lister's machine gun, coupled with hisses and snaps of supersonic bullets, sent knots of fear into the guts of many, especially after seeing their beleaguered flank die like flies. But despite the terror and confusion, the disciplined core marched forward even in the face of such strange and alien firepower.

“Nice, that’s what you like to see!” Coleman shouted before fiddling with his radio and pressing down on his push to talk. “Baron 4, this Baron 1, execute!” He said before looking up at the drone. “Baron 3, Baron 1, four rounds HE, each gun. Target is the main body; adjust fire as needed, over."

"Baron 1, this is Baron 3. Confirming, four rounds HE, each gun." the response returned, acknowledging that they were gauging accuracy. “Shot, over.”

Sinister smiles spread across every Special Forces Team member's face as the machine gun continued to chop away at the enemy’s flank. “Shot, out.” Coleman replied.

Within moments, the sound of the 40mm high explosive grenades whistled over the heads, and the team watched as the high explosive rounds slammed 50 meters behind the enemy formation. The rustic, medieval-like soldiers snapped their heads around as the rounds struck right behind them.

As a look that said he was slightly impressed crossed Coleman's face, he looked back at his team and noted they shared the same expression. "Damn, that was fucking close for a first try," The team leader said aloud as he glanced up at the drones, knowing the team with the GMVs would be course-correcting on the fly.

And the moment those thoughts crossed his mind, the radio crackled back to life, "Baron 1, this is Baron 3. Correcting, sending four rounds HE. Shot, over."

Coleman's gaze fixed back on the enemy formation and waited patiently. "Shot, out," he responded.

The air filled with anticipation as the seconds ticked by. Then, as if on cue, the next barrage of 40mm grenades whistled as they arced overhead, this time landing 10-20 meters in front of the enemy formation, splashing their shields and legs with shrapnel.

"Baron 3, Baron 1. Hold that! Wait ten seconds and send it!" Coleman yelled excitedly into the radio. He knew it would take a few moments for this mass of troops to regain their bearing before walking face-first into catastrophe.

When the team leader let go of his radio, he waited and watched with bated breath as he started a countdown. "Ten... nine... eight..." The words silently left his mouth just as the enemy soldiers, in their confusion, continued to move forward, unknowingly marching into the very heart of danger.

They trampled over the minor pot marks in the earth where the previous rounds had exploded, their tight and organized formation acting as an imposing bulwark.

"Four... three... two..."

As Coleman hit one, his radio crackled to life once again. "Baron 3, going full cyclic."

It only took a few more seconds before the air was filled with the unrelenting whistle of descending munitions. The sky seemed to rain down an endless barrage of 40mm grenades, each one a promising death.

The field transformed into a scene straight out of a war movie. Explosions rocked the formation of soldiers as grenade after grenade found its mark, engulfing the enemy in a maelstrom of fire and shrapnel. The concussive blasts echoed across the plains, sending shockwaves that could be felt even from the ODA team’s position.

Both Elijah and Bennett narrowed their eyes and puckered their lips into and oooh expression as they nodded. Never in their careers had they ever dreamed of witnessing something so… horrifically amazing.

“WOOAAHHHH!!.” Yana screamed, clutching at the mesh that lined the top of Elijah’s Helmet. “Beautiful! Wonderful! Incredible–”

But just before she finished her praises, another sound joined the din of battle - the iconic, deep-throated chops of an M2 Browning .50 cal machine gun.

Everyone’s head turned sharply towards the source of this new, dominating presence. Thundering through the field was a Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) with its heavy machine gun mounted on top, laying waste to the enemy's flank with unrelenting ferocity.

The Browning's rounds tore through shields and men alike as its rhythmic firing pattern contrasted with the explosive that showered down on top of the poor souls who only sought to flee the scene. As the vehicle came to a stop, its gunner expertly swept the .50 cal back and forth, cutting down anyone and everyone foolish enough to remain standing.

Amid the carnage, Yana seemed to be overcome with joy and excitement. Her wings fluttered rapidly, causing a blur of iridescent light as she darted forward from the relative safety of Elijah's helmet. With each maneuver of the GMV and burst of the .50 cal, her excitement grew until she reached the scene.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!" her tiny, high-pitched voice chanted out with absolute glee. Darting back and forth in the air, she pointed her dainty finger like a gun at each soul felled, mimicking ‘her’ soldiers' actions with one eye squinted shut. “BEST INVESTMENT EVER!”

Then, with a sudden surge of enthusiasm, Yana zipped higher into the air, getting a better view of the slaughter unfolding below. "Get 'em! Get 'em, humans!" she yelled while energetically waving her tiny hands as she continued making playful gun noises.

“The fuck is wrong with her?” Coleman suddenly spoke up as he and the team turned to Elijah.

Elijah seemed to recoil from the accusatory looks as his brows furrowed, and a look of disbelief and annoyance covered his face. "What the fuck? Why the hell are you asking me for?" he retorted defensively, "Do you think I know what’s going through that psycho’s head?"

Everyone on the hill shook their heads and turned their gazes back to the little fairy as she continued to zip around and point her fingers at the bodies with jubilant chants of "pew pew" filling the air. The team couldn't help but feel a bizarre mix of amusement and bewilderment.

“You make it sound like you’re not equally as weird and fucked up.” Coleman said, giving Elijah the side eye before turning away from the medic. Swapping to the team-wide frequency, the team leader then spoke into his headset, "Cease fire!" he barked authoritatively. "Let ‘em run. No point in wasting any more ammo."

It didn’t take long for the guns to quiet and the explosions to cease. The battlefield fell eerily silent, save for the distant crackles of fire from the village and the occasional groan of the injured or dying. The enemy, those who survived, fled in every direction, scattering like rats from a sinking ship.

Even though the life-reaping had ceased, Yana's excitement hadn’t dampened a single bit and was still buzzing around incessantly with energy. Meanwhile, the team had thought to convene and discuss the next steps after their little victory.

They had initially launched the attack as a means of harassment, to probe the enemy's response and inflict some damage. But now, as they watched the surviving enemies flee in disarray, they found themselves at a temporary impasse.

It left them scratching their heads and wondering what they should do next.

When the three other GMVs joined them, Coleman looked around at his team and saw their eyes reflected the same question. “Alright, you freaks,” He finally said, signaling the men to close in. “Any ideas or suggestions on how to proceed?”

Kwon, the team sergeant, had a more pragmatic answer. "It sucks, but this really isn't our problem," he said as his gaze lingered over to the smoldering village. "There's probably a bunch of shitbags still loitering in the place, and we'd have to sniff them out. I say we move on, continue mapping their forces, and take out their eyes and ears."

A few other team members nodded in agreement, the grim reality that the surviving villagers were effectively going to be on their own to deal with whatever horrors went down in there. Their primary goal was to gather intelligence, disrupt the enemy, and survive. Not get involved with the locals and play at being humanitarians.

Lister, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "I don’t like it, but I have to agree with Kwon," he said, "but I think we need to find a rock and hide under it for a while. We were loud and did a lot more damage than we initially thought.” He said, looking over to the killing fields where Yana continued to dart around doing… whatever the hell she was doing. “They're going to be looking to respond, and we don't want to be around when they do."

His words resonated with the team. Albeit they had just struck what they assumed was a small raiding force, it was still a significant blow, and it would undoubtedly draw attention. The enemy would be looking for retribution, and they needed to stay one step ahead.

Coleman glanced over at Elijah, which naturally caused the rest of the team to follow his gaze. Elijah seemed spaced out, leaning casually against one of the GMVs, lost in thought as he saw the fairy bolt down on the ground into some poor, unfortunate soul. When he finally noticed the collective stare, his face scrunched up in confusion and a hint of irritation.

"What?" he blurted out, pushing off the vehicle and raising an eyebrow. "Why the hell is everyone looking at me?"

The team's gaze lingered, their expressions a mix of curiosity and expectation. Kwon, ever the one to bust Elijah’s balls, responded with a slight smirk. "Well, we'd like to know the opinion of our resident manipulative sociopath with a literal fairy god attached to him," he drawled, his gaze pointedly flicking to where Yana was still zipping around.

“Oh hoh. Hilarious.” Elijah rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “You guys are fuckin’ comedians now?" He shot back with an annoyed look. “Go on, tell me another joke.”

Kwon just threw his head over his shoulder, gesturing to the blonde-haired elf sitting in one of the vehicles, tilting her head curiously. Azeline was aware they were talking about her and wondered what these strange people wanted.

Elijah brought a hand to his face and pushed at his eyes to suppress the forming headache. "Jesus Christ, you people are annoying," he muttered exhaustedly.

"Answer the question, asshole," Coleman replied sharply, his patience wearing thin.

A pained groan left Elijah’s mouth as he closed his eyes and considered the situation.

After a few moments of thought, the medic finally opened his mouth, "I think we should go and help the village," he said, leaning back against the GMV.

Eyebrows raised, and murmurs of surprise rippled through the team. Taking the village was not just a bold move but one that would potentially expose them to greater risk. It was wise to say this was more stupid than altruistic, but everyone here knew Elijah was everything except altruistic. So, there was another angle at play.

"Why?" Coleman asked, his expression serious as he weighed Elijah's suggestion.

“They’re attacking their own people, right?” Elijah responded as he stretched his back out. “Some friendly villages and towns could make not only our jobs but every asshole out here’s job a lot easier.”