The Frieden Chronicles: Reckoning

The rookie

Mason Lopez

Paradropping has probably been the most dangerous thing I have ever done in my life, there are to many variables when it comes to a paradrop like wind, terrain and the angle you're coming from... well that is if the parachute opens.

Uma made a grave mistake, he missed his drop by at least a mile or two deep in the forest, my biggest concern was that I could not find him anywhere even though the locator said I was near his LZ. I cautiously made my way through the forest rifle at the ready in case I stumble upon some unwelcome guest, but all I could hear were birds chirping in with the combination of my steps breaking dried leaves and the distant gunfire.

Roughly about an hour later after I had my boots on the ground, I stopped to get my bearings pulling my map out trying to see any landmarks to more or less guess my location. I placed both a map and compass on the ground noticing that I was heading towards the southwest.

As I calculate more or less my location from the LZ, I began to hear some faint grunting in the distance, I began to ponder if the doc got into a fight already. I hurriedly packed my map and compass before I readied my rifle with its bayonet.

I was at first walking in a brisk pace but the further I got closer, the faster I began to walk until I was at full sprint. There was a thick patch of bushes dividing me with whoever was in need of help. I leaped out like a fox pouncing on its prey, ready to fire. But there were no enemies in sight, as a matter of fact there was no one or so I thought. That was until I see a olive colored mannequin struggling with a tangled parachute that made it hang precariously from a tree.

"Uma? Is that you?" I asked curiously as I lowered my rifle.

 "C-captain?! You're finally here!" Uma said excited as he tried to swing on to an adjacent branch, although this said branch would snap under his weight.

"Well then, you seem to be in bit of an issue... had a nice trip?"

 "Very funny... I thought I was going to die!" he said sounding like any hyperbolic teen trying to get attention as he had his arms crossed.

"Tough luck there kiddo, get your ass down from there so we can go and get our shit done..." I said looking around ready for any sudden movements.

 "...And how am I supposed to get down from here? I've been trying since I got here!" he said trying to swing himself onto a branch.

"The hell do I know... Oh wait! Use your bayonet to cut the parachute cables! That should set you free." I said looking back up at him, our conversation was attracting unwanted attention, I just hoped that it wasn't a group of minotaurs.

 "Let's hope this works!" he said pulling out his bayonet trying to cut himself lose.

 "Hey can you give me a hand here?" he asked after several attempts.

"No can do Uma, If I tried to go up there and help you out, that branch would snap with my weight." I said as i turned around to scan the area.

 "Are you serious? It looks pretty thick to me..." he said as he gave another shot at swinging himself towards the branch not noticing the poor state the tree is in.

"It's dry and that tree looks like its sick, it would easily snap if you put..." i said just as he managed to get one of his legs on the branch only for the branch to immediately snap.

"... Your weight..." I said as he let out an audible sigh.

 "...Well... that happened..." Uma said after a moment of silence.

"You're done playing games? We got to move before some creature eats both of our asses." I said as I began to get increasingly more frustrated. He was smart enough to focus at the task at hand rather than have some idle chatter.