TheLittlePenmen

Captain Elizabeth Vinea - an officer with the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron has been tasked with a retrieval mission.

Her team of four, are two occupy the ruined township of Lycoa and unearth the entrance to a demonic gate reportedly located underneath the now devastated city.

Reports indicated a relic from within the gate is to be retrieved at all costs.

"Intel's here and there, not much to go on, I know. Nevertheless, I'm entrusting this mission to you Cpt. Vinea. We need bodies on the field, and we need them immediately." The Colonel handed over the mission brief to the saluting officer.

"Understood, Colonel, we depart for Lycoa at once." 

"Godspeed."

The captain left with her new orders in hand, the colonel - once the doors to his office were close: snickered, and begrudged:

"...Damned demons...what could they be plotting now..." before continuing on with his desk-work.

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We Who Aren't They

The temperature's arid. Dry. Basically: a pain in the ass to deal with. Every breath taken carries with it an invitation to burn my lungs with how heated the air is.

Sand all around as far as the eye can see.

I stomped my foot against the gate's altar.

"Just...Great!! D'Argh! Fuck!" I shouted.

After a few deep breaths, and having successfully calmed myself, I was reminded:

"Well, last gate shipped me off into the middle of a volcano's crater. I guess this is an improvement?" 

I took my first step on the loose sediment. It reminded me of how important it is to balance my weight properly for fear of losing my balance on the unsteady and inconsistent surface that is:

"This goddamn sand! Yeah! No! No improvements here!"

All-the-while, I made sure to activate my tracker.

In truth I was directionless, the only thing I had to go on was this river of footsteps.

"Human footsteps, from the looks of it." I noticed. "So many..." 

Easily a few hundred. Military? It's gotta be. Who else?

Wind hadn't covered their tracks yet, these are fairly recent.

I kept on my current path, luckily a grouping of sand-worms were lying lifeless; spreading their carcasses over a wide distance. They made for a perfect change in topography. It's easier to tread on their giant corpses than that miserable dune below.

"Anything to get out of this sand, my ankles are killing me already."

With just enough force, I leapt on the one that was nearest. Easily standing at around 20 meters in width and 500 to 700 meters in length these things were truly massive.

They also offered my quite the view. It was easier to pin down my destination. Saw a few cavernous mountains up ahead. I should start there.

After all, the monsters weren't the only things that stood lifeless, some of their human counterparts were also strewn about. Yup! Soldiers.

I guess ya can't take down sand-worms without paying a heft toll in the process.

I took no time to scavenge their corpses. I took no time to care, really.

They Who We Seek