(May '18) Prompt #3 - "Dog Days"

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

May's 3rd prompt is
"Dog Days"

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[ArtisticVicu]

He sagged against the stone wall, the heat of the summer sun burning him through the armor he wore. Lethargy pulled at him as he popped open his canteen and took a long swig. The cool water was refreshing and if it hadn't been such a limited resource, he would have poured the rest over the back of his neck.

"Becket's got the right idea. Down some water while we've got this prelude. The heat'll take us out faster than their weapons."

There was the sound of shifting bags, weapons and armor all around him as he lowered is canteen. The man leading the team settled beside him, taking out his own canteen as Becket capped his own.

"What are we going up against, Captain?" he asked softly, aware that a few of the other soldiers were listening in. "Truly? I read the report and all but that can't be it, can it?"

The man slowly lowered his canteen, eyes slowly roving over all listening. Those too far to hear were watching unabashed. "You all read the reports on what we're up against, right?"

There was a chorus of varying affirmations.

"So what do you all think? It accurate or are we up against something more?"

There was silence from the gathered troops and for a moment, Becket thought that he was being toyed with till one of the seasoned soldiers spoke up, his voice hard. "Bar none?"

The Captain nodded. "Sure."

"They lied."

That made every rookie flinch in some way. Becket's was through his entire body stiffening. The Captain looked his way. "You had some inclination."

Becket shook his head. "Speculations, overheard whispered words here and there, nothing concrete for me to build an argument with."

"We've been sworn to keep our tongues held among those that have yet to face it," another seasoned spoke, her voice cutting through sounding just as hard as the other seasoned. "Since we're bound to come face to face in a matter of hours, it doesn't hurt to be loose lipped now. You'll all be sworn silent if you survive."

"I thought this was a low risk mission," one of the greener rookies spoke up, tone speaking of an annoyed confidence that was visibly faked.

"It is," the Captain confirmed. "But that doesn't mean shit on the battlefield and you should know that." The soldier looked properly cowed. "The only reason why it's a low risk mission is because we have the advantage during the dog days."

"Dog days?" someone asked but Becket didn't see who and didn't recognize the voice. The downside of a newly formed team.

"Hottest days of summer," Becket spoke, eyes not moving from the Captain. "Originally named for the star Sirius - also known as the Dog Star - as it rose with the Sun during the allotted dog days."

"Right. While we may not necessarily like the heat that comes this time of year in this region-"

"That's an understatement!" someone shouted from the back. There was a bout of laughter. Even the Captain was smiling.

"There's not any real affect on us," the Captain continued. "For them, though? While the heat has no affect on them, there's something about the dog days that do and we have yet to figure out what."

"How many reconnaissance teams have been sent out to find out?" one of the more seasoned soldiers asked.

The Captain shrugged. "Over the last two years? Couldn't tell ya. But we're not here for reconnaissance. Our mission is to go in and gain back ground we've lost in the last year one enemy at a time."

"So we're getting close and personal," someone voiced.

Becket pulled at his helmet. "Thus the loose lips."

There was a hum of confirmation from the Captain. "You all will be facing this up close and personal. Shouldn't be too difficult to get in and take them out without losing your life."

There was a lie to that no one warned them about. Becket gasped as he pressed his back to what was left of some wall, the sound of war going on all around him. He could hear orders being yelled over the comm but no one had eyes on him, nor orders for him. He knew they wouldn't the instant he had gone too deep.

He suddenly had full view of one of what they were going up against and he froze around his weapon as the thing leapt at him.

He opened his eyes to find the night sky above him. It was so crisp, so clear, that for a moment he thought he was dreaming, but then one of the enemy came into view and he knew he wasn't.

He scrambled backwards off of whatever fabric he had been laid on into the sand of the desert, the course grain irritating his bare hands and feet. The creature was quick to grab him, to pull him out of the still burning sand.

"Easy," the thing urged as he struggled. "The sand is still too hot for your kind's flesh."

He was sat back on the mat he had woken upon before crossing to the other side of a low fire. The air was still warm but it did nothing to combat the cold night air rolling in like the fire did. He was tempted to scoot closer to the fire till he realized it put him closer to the creature.

"What are you?" he asked, words tumbling passed his lips faster than he could think them. "Why haven't you-why didn't you kill me? We were killing you and yours!"

"Is that what you were trying to do?" the creature asked, it's head tipping to the side. "Even after knowing it was foolish this time of year?"

Dread froze him more than the sudden gust of cold air on his back. "What?" he choked out.

The creature pointed towards the stars. "Unlike your kind, we're affected by the stars. When Sonis and your star rise together, we are gifted with physical strength. Your hand weapons have no affect on us."

"What?" Becket squeaked. "But they said we could kill you. We had to kill you. It was a low risk mission."

The creature focused on him again. "That probably is at this time of year. While we are alert, we can prevent your hand weapons from harming us terribly even outside of Sonis and your star together in the sky and we can still be killed if you aimed your hand weapons at vital points or got a lucky shot in. But this is also our celebration season, the time most of our lives come into being and we celebrate even on the battlefield. It makes us less alert but, with Sonis protecting us, there is never a worry despite the luck your kind seems to have."

Becket rubbed at his face, burying his hands in his hair. He wondered why he wasn't freaking out more that he just realized he was missing all his equipment. He brought his gaze back up over the fire. "Is the star you call Sonis the same star we call Sirius?"

The creature's head tipped to the side and he wondered if they even understood the question.

"Yes."