Rain

[Esva]

"Rain" by Ryk

The metallic tinge of blood filled the air as the rain started to fall, at first just a light shower but over time a torrent of water from the blackened charcoal sky.

The city was silent, the sounds of weapons fire, like some of the corpses that littered the street's had died long ago, all that could be heard was the rain as it continued it's relentless assault on the ground, even the mighty force of the Imperialis had to bow to this master of nature and accept defeat. The sound reminded Ryk of steaks or bacon sizzling under a grill, only emphasised by the hissing sound the rain made as it hit the shields and barriers as it evaporated in an instant.

Repair crews were quick on the scene to repair the damage to buildings, walkways...anything that had been damaged in the assault, the medics trawled the streets recovering the wounded, the dead or the dying, the soldiers limped and hobbled to the nearest medical centre for treatment while those still able bodied held the line in defence of all around them, the city, their brothers and sister's...the Imperator...Titan it's self. The north west of the city unlike the rest, was a hive of activity. Food and medical transports coming and going, soldiers running left and right, fighter's leaving the hangar to conduct recon and here and there bewildered civilians trying to once more piece together their lives after the latest attack.

And still the rain continued to fall .......

Deep in the city's industrial zone, near the power complex Ryk was just slumped down against a wall, sitting in a puddle of water that rapidly grew. He had not seen anyone for hour's, at least no one alive. The rain beat down hard on him, soaking his furr, drenching his armour. He just sat there as droplets of water dripped from the tips of his sunken ear's, his nose and the jagged points on his attire. Hi's eyes just stared out into the haze, not focused on anything in particular just gazing out into an abyss of nothing.

He was just numb, from cold, fatigue, loneliness...even the body he held in his arms provided no relief from the depressing aura surrounding the city.

He forced himself to look up, look up towards the sky, towards the source of the rain and for a few moments he watched it fall before his mind forced him, willed him to stagger to his feet, his sense of duty now ruling his every move, his every action. He was no longer in control the days and weeks in boot camp, all his experiences and training up to this day took over, and so he stood hauling the body of the fallen soldier up with him. He looked down at the face and stared coldly for a few moments, he didn't know the young woman he was now carrying, all he knew was she was a sister...and that was enough, and begrudgingly he took a step, then another and another...moving slowly back towards the centre of the city, each step more pain full as the last as fatigued started to rapidly drain away his energy.

Hours passed and the rain still fell, no relief, no hope, depression, anger, hatred started to set in all because of the rain.

The sounds of life grew louder the closer he got to Central, the road up ahead barricaded to slow the enemy down, but he knew a short cut and he took it, turning down a walkway. In the distance he could see the medics hauling the bodies of the dead onto gurneys, the repair crews still hard at work and it offered a small sense of relief and his paced picked up, and he took one step after another. For some reason once he retched Central, he just kept walking, ignoring the medics, not hearing anything said to him...he just kept walking. Instinct controlling his steps, his training controlling his actions....he just kept walking until he retched the medical centre.

Usually Ryk was all smiles and jokes, he would often drop into the medical centre on his way to Central to stop in and share a joke with the nurses and doctors, bring small gifts for the patients and on a rare occasion smuggle in a bottle of 2014 whiskey for some of the more notable imperialis members who may be in there, but today there was no laughter, no jokes or little gifts...there was only numbness, pain, despair........only the rain.

He walked straight through the reception area not even glancing at the nurses or the medics who had their gazed fixed firmly on him, a gaze of horror, pity and worry. He didn't care, all he knew was that their was a mission, and that was a mission to bring back every brother and sister...no one was left behind...no one was left alone. He kicked open the door to the operating theatre, the smell of antiseptic and other strange things filled his nose with a sting. A doctor turned to look at them, he himself covered in the blood of countless personnel he had operated on, he looks at Ryk then just pointed to a table.

Again each step more painful that the last, but still he carried on and placed the young woman on the table. "You can go back to your duties now Soldier"....the words meant nothing to Ryk he just looked on vacantly and replied in a hushed tone "she is my duty" he turned and walked out of the operating theatre to take a seat in the waiting room, he looked up and out of the window the rain still beating down hard and on a whisper he said "i hate the rain" and that's when his eye;s finally closed.

Several days had passed, the sun now baked the streets and the towering buildings of the city...the sun shimmered on the windows and a light breeze blew through the streets. Out on a hill near the outskirts of the city the wind blew gently through the tree's, the leaves rustling softly as the branches swayed.

"There was too much blood loss, there's nothing anyone could of done. The injuries were extensive and it was to long before the injuries were treated, eventual time of death was four in the morning" The doctor stood over the grave reading the words etched into the stone, the words of honor and respect for a fallen soldier "there was no suffering though, with that much adrenaline pumping the poor sole probably hadn't of realised they had been shot, or that they were loosing blood".

A hand retched out and gently caressed the top of the grave stone, and voice whispered on the wind "thank you....thank you for my life" the hand than snaps to the chest in an honorable salute, the doctor followed. The tears started to fall.....to fall like rain...and the young soldier whispered "thank you for my life...Rykiana Ferina"

Then the rain.....started to fall once more..............

Edited March 16, 2011 by Rykiana Ferina

[CrescentSnow]

Nice read :)

[Fox Cheri]

That is beautiful... Touchy... Deep...

[Esva]

Im glad you both enjoyed it

[Eriksson Foxtrot]

Very enjoyable read!