Flight Of Icarus Pt. 4

Turning back toward the table, the centurion tossed his worn and weathered notebook down. The asura and Grimpaw exchanged glances. ‘Look at it.’ Grimcrotch said, nodding. Poppler picked it up, began to flip through several faded pages, then slowed, finally stopping on a particular page. He looked up at the centurion with surprise, who simply stared back with crossed arms.

Going back to the notebook, he looked for a date; every page had one…it was from five years ago!

‘Sir, you already made your own plans for a rocket engine five years ago?! These notes look very close to my own, that I just drew up a few months ago. But you aren’t an engineer….are you?’ Grimcrotch pulled out a chair in front of him in the canteen, and sat down. ‘Never underestimate anyone, asura, no matter their outward appearance. And you clearly did that with me, assuming I wouldn’t know how to do your work.’

‘And you’re right, I’m not an engineer. But it doesn’t take one to learn, Poppler.’ He leaned back in the chair on two legs, ‘It’s good to know you asura think we charr sit around lazing in the sun when we aren’t out killing enemies. If the time ever comes, we will have a very big immediate advantage against you,’ he said, raising an eyebrow to the little engineer. ‘Clearly, sir.’

‘I only showed you those plans because you created your own, asura. You never got help from me in making them. You may sit around with Grimpaw,’ he waved in Grimpaw’s direction, ‘coming up with great new ideas, but they are new ideas, and you created them HERE,’ he pointed into the table, meaning in charr territory, ‘and I expect them to only be utilized here, not in Rat-Something or other. Your ideas are my property when you’re coming up with them here, you understand me, asura?’

‘Crystal clear, centurion.’ Poppler snapped a smart charr salute. ‘Alright,’ Grimcrotch pushed himself back from the table and stood, ‘Grimpaw, tell Dinky you want the warband to start moving the crates and supplies out to the launch area, I want everything ready in a few days out there.’ ‘On my way, sir.’ The charr engineer saluted and ran off with Poppler to begin the heavy work.

Blackblade Lake launch area map, Diessa Plateau

When most of the spare parts, along with the radio, were taken out to Blackblade Lake, Poppler stayed at the site to set up the radio and do a last minute check on the launch ramp; everything looked good. Say what you will about the charr, he thought, but they certainly weren’t the undisciplined warmongers most races assumed. Given what they’ve accomplished as he looked back, they came very far very fast.

But then they didn’t have a choice.

Grimpaw and a few of the warband returned with more fuel and supplies, and arranged them out of rocket range behind it for safety, then Poppler told him he wanted to test the radio distance. So Grimpaw hopped in a tank and took off for the far end of the lake with his earpiece. All he got was static inside the tank, but when he stepped out the radio worked perfectly. Except when he got closer to the cliff wall at the end of the lake near the falls.

Maybe there was metal in the rock that created the interference. Oh well, he thought, probably won’t make it this far anyway. He drove back to the launch ramp and parked, then told Poppler of the cliff wall interference, but the asura agreed, the rocket probably wouldn’t get that far.

Grimcrotch and his legionnaires showed up, along with several other officers. Dinky arrived a moment later, ‘The tribune said he would be along shortly, boss.’ he said. Grim nodded. ‘One more trip, guys. Can’t do anything without the rocket.’ As he said that, in the distance he could see a tank rolling closer pulling a modified trailer, with the rocket vehicle resting securely on its back.

Grimpaw and Poppler supervised the unloading of the vehicle, demanding everyone be extremely careful or get out of the way for someone who would be. The rocket was gently placed on its cart resting on the ramp, then locked down in place. For the next hour the engineers meticulously went over every visible section, making sure it was exactly as it was when it left the war wagon prep deck.

——

After the inspection, Grimpaw strapped on the parachute his centurion and Poppler both insisted he wear, with little complaint. He climbed onto the back of the rocket and belted himself onto the seat, then leaned forward to grip the steering and work the ailerons. He then seated his boots into the pedals slightly below and behind him, pushing each back several times to test rudder control.

The two engineers tested the radio a last time. ‘You ready my friend?’ Poppler asked over their intercom. ‘There is no hurry. I’d rather let things sit and get cold than send you up if you’re not.’ A hundred yards away the asura could see Grimpaw on the seat leaning along the top edge of the rocket. ‘Let’s go, Poppler. Everything is clear, I’m ready, and we got the brass here.’ Poppler could see Grimpaw wave his arm in acknowledgement.

Flight Of Icarus Pt. 3

The young cat flew across Ashford Plain at breakneck speed, eyes scanning every rock, tree or bush nearby on its path. Passing Exterminatus HQ and coming upon Charr’s Triumph, the charr bolted past the last boulder near the monument. Suddenly a black blur leaped out at the running cat from the right, tackling him with the two rolling across the ground in a hissing, fist pounding, claw ripping fight.

So much dust was kicked up soldiers from the nearby fort saw and heard them, and wandered over to see what was going on. They didn’t see any weapons, so they simply stood watching the ball of cat fur fight, cheering them on. After a few minutes, one joked that if he could tell who they were, he might take bets on a winner, getting a laugh from the growing crowd.

When they finally broke up their scrapping and jumped back from each other, stepping in a low circle and ready for anything, the smaller one grinned and said breathing heavily, ‘You gettin’ tired yet, Grim? Hehe…’ Dinky began touching a few bloody claw marks across his snout that was swelling, from being punched several times. He grimaced.

‘Why, are you ready to stop, you female?’ Grim sneered at Dinky with a half closed black eye. As soon as he finished his sentence, Dinky leaped at him, tackling him and pinning his arms to the ground then proceeded to pound on Grim’s already cut and swollen snout several times. ‘Call me a female again and I’ll rip your tail off. If you weren’t my friend I’d do it now.’ Dinky rolled off Grim, and they both sat up.

Grimcrotch grabbed Dinky and pushed him back, then sat on his head saying, ‘Oh yea? Well if you weren’t my friend I wouldn’t do this! You should feel special, BAHAHAHA!’

‘Gah, get off me you big ape!’ Dinky hollared, pushing Grim off him and wiping the side of his face. They began nursing their wounds, then looked at each other and began to laugh hysterically, sometimes interrupted by painful grunts and an ‘I think it’s broke. You have a hard head….’

Exterminatus HQ & Charr’s Triumph, scene of the fight w/ Dinky and Grimcrotch

During the rocket engine testing, the primitive fuel injector could give it a little over a minute of flight, barring mistakes. And Poppler wasn’t having any mistakes, his life literally depended on it. The centurion was present at six of the firings, all of which went flawlessly. After seeing the last one, he spoke with his engineers and they set a tentative date.

Grimcrotch and Dinky sat outside Black Citadel proper near a fire after the date was set, enjoying some of their signature sour mash. ‘We used to have so many fights out here, Grim. I mean before the warband, you know. Was great fun.’ He took a sip and continued staring at the fire. ‘I don’t remember when you and I weren’t fighting, Dinky. I still have a lump back here from over by Charr’s Triumph down the road.’ Grim massaged the back of his head.

‘Yea, you sat on my head you bag of meat. Ugh, still can’t believe you did that.’ Dinky scowled and took another sip. ‘BAHAHAHAHA!’ Grim burst out in laughter and slapped his knee at remembering that fight, then sipped his drink. ‘So do you feel special because I sat on your head, or do I have to do it again?’ Grimcrotch grinned broadly.

‘I dare you, Grim.’ Dinky turned to him with a serious look on his face. The centurion rubbed the lump on the back of his head again, and said ‘Mmm, how about not.’ The best friends chuckled and turned back to the fire. ‘Everything looks good, Dinky. This is going to be big if we can make it work. Great job on those wings, less drag the better the flight.’

Dinky nodded,’Those are two remarkable engineers, Grim. And you know I don’t say things like that lightly.’ The centurion poked at the fire with a stick. ‘Nothing ever gets done unless you shake things up, Dinky. By just conforming to norms and not thinking out of the box, you decay. If the three (legions) had stayed subjugated to flame legion and not fought back….’ he shrugged,’…that would be it. We wouldn’t be forging our own path and have them all but on the run.’

——

‘Engineers like those two are what will keep us several steps ahead of them and other enemies. To keep them sharp you have to keep them on their claws. Give them tasks that have never been done before, and you expand their learning capacity, and charr knowledge as a whole. This rocket can not only be used as a vehicle but can easily convert to ordnance. That’s why I had Grimpaw use rivets on several panels instead of welding, I have some ideas for the future.’

Grim slugged down his half empty glass, threw it in the fire, then turned and grabbed the bottle of sour mash.

He held it up, offering to Dinky. His legionnaire stood and held out his glass, paused, then killed it and threw it into the fire as well, and grabbed the whiskey from his boss. The centurion turned back, grabbed & popped open another, and took a long draw. Dinky tipped his back, then turned to Grim, ‘Glad I met you in the fahrar, buddy. It’s been an honor watching you rise to the level you’re at. You’re skirting genius with me.’

‘Don’t go there, Dinky. Neither one of us would be anywhere if we weren’t the blaze raisers in the fahrar, nor would either of us have gotten anywhere if we sat back and took any guff in our warband. We’ve had each others backs this whole time, my friend. It wasn’t just me.’ Grim held up his bottle to Dinky, his legionnaire held his out as well, then tinked them in a cheers.

 

Flight Of Icarus Pt. 2

The flame legion shaman wandered the burned out charr camp, while his men finished torching the tents and killing the occupants. A good place for his own soldiers right on the bank of a river, though a bit too muddy for his own liking. One partially burned tent sat to his left near the river bank, the corner of which looked to be sitting on a perpetually muddy bit of land. The shaman stepped inside and looked around among the items left.

In the mud part of the ground inside the tent, a small lump moved slightly, unseen by the shaman. An eyeball slowly appeared in the lump, watching the flame legion commander as he searched the tent for anything useful to him and his men.

‘There is nothing in he–‘ he began to mutter to himself, then was interrupted by a muddy blur that leaped from the pit and jammed two daggers into the base of his neck, twisting and ramming them deeper, while the shaman tried to reach back and grab the small charr hanging by the blades.

In the din remaining outside the tent, no one could hear his shouts. The shaman fell to the ground and tried to roll around and catch the charr cub, but on the ground, the cub pulled the blades from the flame legion commander’s neck and began jamming them into his back with lightning speed, puncturing his lungs and guaranteeing his demise. The muddy wide-eyed cub stood and looked at his dying enemy, incredulous of what he had just done.

The shaman stopped turning, his right paw falling outside the tent flap. A moment later a flame legion soldier saw part of the shaman’s garb on the wrist of his arm, and there was a shout; fear gripped the cub, and he ran to the back of the tent, slid under the wall and disappeared into the darkness…

——

The centurion woke with a start in the pre-dawn darkness and sat up looking around, the memory of his first encounter with flame legion burned in him every day and haunted his sleep. He stood and began putting on his armor and longbow, then walked to a small creek in Ashford Plain to throw some water on his face. While doing that he remembered running from the tent where he killed the shaman.

Coated with mud and blood, the frightened cub ran from Diessa Plateau to Black Citadel to tell someone, anyone, what just happened to his camp. He ran to a guard near the Plateau entrance, somehow fumbled out what happened, and the guard told him to follow, leading the cub directly to Rytlock Brimstone’s office.

After telling the tribune what happened, Rytlock gathered a force of Blood Legion to return to the devastated camp, ordering the cub to go with him to ‘experience what he will be doing for Blood Legion in the future.’ He was given a dagger, but in the middle of the fight the cub Grimcrotch found a shortbow, and discovered he had a knack for perfection in ranged attacks by killing three moving flame legion with head shots as he stood next to the tribune.

The tribune’s jaw dropped; he had never seen any cub do something like that at such an early age. Brimstone called over his adjutant, and told him to get the cub started in Primus Kurr’s fahrar right away, as ‘we can’t have this cub’s eagle eye in danger just watching what we do.’ In mid-fight, the cub Grim was whisked away to begin his education with the toughest fahrar primus known to all charr soldiers. So began his friendship with the tribune.

The centurion inspecting the backside of the Blackblade Lake launch area

As the sun began to rise, the legionnaires under Grimcrotch command began to arrive at the canteen of Hero’s Canton for their meeting about the rocket vehicle, along with the main two engineers in charge of the project, Grimpaw Grindgear and Poppler Swizzlestix, the asura.

Grimpaw began telling the centurion about the toughness of his welding and the aerodynamics of the vehicle, but Grimcrotch interrupted him. ‘I appreciate what you’re telling me, engineer. We will discuss your excellent work in a few minutes. But at the moment I want to hear about the safety of the pilot, you, from your fellow asura engineer Poppler. Ultimately I want to make sure you come back in one piece.’

The centurion leaned toward the asura with raised eyebrow, looking right through to his soul, ‘Because if my engineer doesn’t come back in one piece, you’ll be joining him in pieces.’ The last few words said across the table with fangs showing, Poppler got the message and gulped & loosened his collar. ‘Yes, well, understood centurion. I can assure you only the strictest safety measures were integrated into your project, sir…’