Race against time

The young man watched as the recruit unit formed together.

"Unit… After our intense training we've been given another mission to complete."

"You've been pushing them hard. They've become quite a unit now thanks to your pushing, the old monster and Firewarrior." He turned and looked at Salina and smiled.

"We've received a message that a group of adventurers have been attacked by beasts in a nearby ruin and have requested assistance, due to injuries."

"From the details be expected for close range fighting as well as a long-range defensive ring… Medics prepare for several injured. Probably from traps or beast attacks… Remember your training, pack well and we'll all return... We leave on the hour. Dismissed!"

He watched the unit run around collecting weapons and armor and smiled. "They are ready… Before they weren't, now I'm sure they'll do the FireStrike unit proud."

"You know you're the reason why they've changed?"

He looked at Salina and shook his head. "No not me… I just pointed out the obvious things and incorrect stances when it comes to fighting, and the Firewarrior gave the defensive unit hell…"

"Whatever… You keep thinking that, and I'll keep thinking what I'm thinking. I'm still not happy about last night…"

"You saw I never asked them to sleep in my cot. You also know nothing happened…" He shook his head and sighed.

"Even though nothing happened, that doesn't mean I'm happy about beautiful women that stare at you in the baths get in your bed when your sleeping…"

He started to pack his bag and stopped to look at Salina. "You seem to conveniently forget that in the morning the entire unit is sleeping around my cot."

"Hahahaha… Yes, that has been quite funny to see. Still…"

He saw her pout and fold her arms at him, he cursed under his breath.

"We need to also prepare… Hopefully this time we won't be unprepared like last time."

"It's always better to be prepared and expect the unexpected always… Never forget that."

He nodded and smiled at Salina. "You're right… If it wasn't for that, I would never experience flight nor see you from a different point of view."

He winked and went back to packing. Once he finished, he went to where two transports were waiting and saluted the senior Firewarriors standing outside.

"Squad leader, we're observing your unit this time. Good luck to you."

The young man nodded at them. "What has happened to the previous squad leader?"

"He has been removed of his command and is no longer a recruit. He left the FireStrike unit days ago."

He nodded and looked at the two transports. "Are we expecting a large number of survivors?"

"Negative. The second transport is carrying medical supplies."

The young man nodded and saluted the senior Firewarriors. "I'll see to my unit…"

"Let's hope that we don't have to use that second transport."

He looked at Salina with worry in his eyes. "I just hope we make it in time, and that there are some survivors left."

He stood outside the transport watching as the unit started to form up with their weapons and equipment ready. He smiled.

"This'll be a simple mission, in and out with the survivors as fast as possible. We'll stay in groups and keep those groups in communication range… Scouting teams will identify before medics will be moving forward. Understood?"

"Yes, squad leader!"

"On the transport let's go! Medics to the back, scouting teams in the middle and landing party up front. Let's show them our training."

"Squad leader…"

He looked at the senior Firewarriors. "We'll be in the second transport following behind. Once the perimeter has been set we'll move in."

The young man nodded and saluted the Firewarriors before walking onto the transport.

"They're really ready this time… Last time they were showing fear… This time they have confidence in their abilities… Or, they just want to show you they're strong."

He looked at Salina and felt his face heat up as she winked at him.

"At least you're being a man not and not some little boy running from responsibility."

He looked at her in surprise. "This is the first time you've called me a man… It looks like I've got your approval finally…"

"Well I had too, or all those in your unit would try and do something to you… before I could"

He sat with the landing party at the front. He looked at their faces and the weapons in their hands. "You be ready to form up our perimeter and keep these transports safe. No one crosses our line."

"We'll make sure they won't even have a chance. Hahaha."

He smiled and looked outside the transport. "No storm, it's clear today. This is a good day for a rescue."

He kept looking outside, and when he saw the tops of the ruins in the distance he stood up. "Landing party prepare!"

He sat and watched as the landing party group stood up and prepared their weapons. "Keep a constant look out and watch each other's back always."

He watched outside as the transport started to slow down and open its door.

"Landing party go…"

He watched them leave the transport quickly setting up a perimeter on the outskirts of the ruins. He looked above the ruins and sat in thought. "It seems that this ruin is built into a mountain of ice."

"It wasn't built into a mountain of ice… The ice has buried the ruin. When we enter we'll be under the ice."

He turned and looked at Salina. Do you know this ruin?"

"No, I don't know this ruin, but this writing is one I can read."

He looked at where she was pointing and saw marks above the entrance to where a large stone door was ajar.

"What does it say?" He cursed and shook his head.

"Igoranis… The ice temple…"

"Igoranis…" He turned and looked at the remaining unit in the transport. "Has anyone heard the name of Igoranis before?"

"Squad leader… I was told stories of Igoran the ice priest when I was little. My parents told me that he loved making traps to kill with ice. He was very strong and built a large temple dedicated to himself called Igoranis."

"Thanks…" He looked up at the unit.

"As soon as we get off the transport spread the word to the entire unit of our location… Scouting parties be wary of any traps. Medics be on standby for ice or cold injuries…"

"Tap… Tap… Tap."

"That's the signal, everyone off let's go!"

He stepped off the transport and looked at the perimeter that the landing party had set up and smiled. "They've done well. Let's get moving."

"Scouts head out in small groups. Keep your eyes open for anything."

He stood by the perimeter and watched as a group of scouts headed towards the ruins. He turned and watched as the second transport arrived and the senior Firewarriors stepped off.

He looked at Salina. "As soon as they report in we'll head in as well. Hopefully we can find some traces of heat in all this ice and find them quickly."

"Good idea."

"Reporting squad leader… We've located tracks of both boots and animals… Prints suggest wolves and cats. There was also traces of blood on the door itself."

The young man nodded and pointed to the medics.

"Let the medics know of the blood and get them ready to move in after us."

He looked at Salina with worry on his face. "It's a race against time. We need to find them fast without falling into any traps."

He took a step forward in the snow towards the large doors where the scouting stood waiting.

"Any other tracks that you've found?"

"No squad leader just the animals and adventurers…"

The young man nodded. "Understood. Let's go in… Keep an eye out for traps and anything that seems out of place."

"Yes, squad leader."

He walked into the ruin and looked around he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Salina… Are you able to sense them? I can only feel something deep below us, but it is a large source of heat and not from a small group…"

He watched Salina close her eyes and opened looking at him. "I also sense the same. It doesn't make sense… You need to be careful."

He nodded with a serious face and kept walking deeper into the ruins.

"Reporting… We've found bodies of wolves. They were caught in a trap."

"Show me."

He followed the scout and stood at an open pit which had bodies of wolves that had been pierced by large ice spikes. He looked around the ruins. "We need another way down. Search… Spread out in small groups… Find a way down for us."

He looked down at the tracks on the other side of the pit. "They continue that way… We need to find another way…"

He looked around as he walked and stopped in front of a large iron door. He touched it feeling it with his hands. "Very heavy…" He pushed against the door and cursed. "Locked from the inside…"

He stared at the tracks and traces of blood around the door. "It looks like a small defense happened here… At least no human bodies yet have been found."

"We need to get through this door." He looked at Salina. "Any ideas?"

"It's iron… so melt it."

He smiled and signaled for the scouting unit. "When I open this door check for any traps on the other side."

"Yes, squad leader… I've tried this door already… It's locked and there's no way to open it from this side."

He smiled at the soldier who spoke out. "Maybe not for others, but for a fire eater such as myself… There's always a way."

He put his hand on the wall and closed his eyes. He revolved the energy in his body and focused it on his hand. He opened his eyes and watched as his hand started to heat up and cause the iron to melt around his hand.

"Open…"

He pushed with his hand as it melted the iron door. "Almost…" He pushed.

"Bang!"

He took a deep breath as the scouting unit rushed into the room. He looked at Salina and smiled. "That was interesting… I felt like I could control it a bit better this time."

"You're getting better, but there's a long way to go… Come on let's go and see what's in here."

He nodded and walked into the room looking around him. "The tracks head down the right there… Very strange. Why didn't they take the stairs over there?" He stood in silent thought for a moment.

"ARRRRHH! Help me! I'm trapped. Please help me!"

He turned towards the stairs and watched the unit move towards the stairs. "Stop… This doesn't feel right."

He walked towards the stairs and picked up an old brick and threw it down the stairs. It landed with a thud. He let out a deep breath.

"Hahahahaha!"

He stopped and watched as a large ice spike dropped from the ceiling and crushed the stairs. He took a step back with a pale face. "That was close…"

He walked back to the tracks and sat staring at them in silence. He looked around him at the scouting unit standing around him and cursed.

"This is not seeming to be a rescue mission. Something seems really off…"

"Squad leader what do you mean?"

"Those wolves back there… They were killed and frozen before they were even in the trap. Also, these tracks seem strange… It's like they are fresh and not made to long ago."

"Squad leader…" He looked up at the soldier. "What is it?"

"You need to come and see this… Or maybe I can show you here… Watch."

He watched as the soldier kicked snow onto the tracks. "Just watch squad leader… This is strange."

He turned to Salina. "Do you feel that?"

"Yes… There is heat…"

He watched as the snow melted to form the tracks perfectly again. He cursed and punched the floor ripping up the stone flooring to expose wires and fire batterys along the tracks.

"We're pulling out now…"

He turned and with the unit made their way back to the perimeter line. He could feel his heart beating as his anger raced causing his blood to boil. He walked up to the senior Firewarriors and threw the wires and fire batterys into the snow in front of them. "We've been had. This is a trap… They're probably watching us and have us surrounded."

"It seems so. These tracks were well set up. It probably took them some time."

He nodded and stared at the pile or wires and fire batterys. "They probably are looking for revenge for what happened at the pass." He looked at the weather around them and smiled. "A storm is coming…"

"Squad leader… What's the plan?"

He smiled. "They want to trap us? Then let them keep thinking that for a while…" He turned to the scouting unit behind him. "Change of plans. For now, I need you to act as messengers and pass the new plan to the others in the unit."

"I need a small group who are good climbers. Snipers I want to watch the group climb up the cliff looking out for the signal. Defense needs to place their heat sensing targets on. The batterys needed are on the transport. The enemy are behind us waiting for a storm to arrive before they attack."

"What's the rest of the unit to do?"

"Have a rest, but not to far from their weapons. We need the enemy to think we're lazy and encourage them to attack before the storm hits."

"When the signal is released from the cliff climbing group start targeting and taking them down… Until them make it look like you're all resting. Go… Let everyone know, but don't rush. Take your time, but make sure all are aware of what's happening."

He watched the scouts head off in different directions and smiled.

"This plan is going to work…"

"It seems you're really coming into your own general…"

He looked at Salina with a confused face. "What did you say? I didn't hear you?"

He saw her smile. "Nothing, nothing at all. I was talking to myself."

He nodded and stared at the ice cliff above the ruins with a smile on his face.