Raven and Hammer: The Ascent

Raven and Hammer Ascend through Hell's forest and up the side of Hell's Volcano to set up OP1 with the rest of the Blue Wing's under Captain Reaper's command.

Raven woke with a pounding headache. Judging by the feel of the size of the hands, Hammer was holding her. She felt her head. She could feel a sizable bump on her head. She felt groggy and tired. She did not open her eyes, but just leaned into Hammer.

“Is everyone ok? Anyone hurt,” Someone called out.

“All good here. Raven hit her head pretty hard on a beam, but she will be fine,” Hammer called out.

“Where are we Hammer,” Raven asked.

“We’re in the water. We came down pretty hard and hit a large water upon entry,” he replied to her.

“Ugh! Well let’s go,” Raven said opening her eyes and stumbling to her feet, “Shall we use our gifts?” Hammer nodded. The Vrail claws had been fashioned into a set of wearable claws that they could fight with. They pulled them on and grabed the staves.

“Contacts! Contacts! Enemy combatants assaulting the ship. We’re beaching! Hold on,” One of the deck hands screamed. Raven barely had enough time to stablize herself before the ship lurched to a sudden halt.

“Let’s go! Time to play,” Hammer said. Raven took a deep breath. More death would be on her hands yet again. By the time she reached the deck, Hammer and several of the others were fast engaged with the enemy. Raven twirled her staff in the air before bringing it down and splitting an Almadeer soldier’s head. A quick block and a flash of the Vrail claws spilled the entrails of another. Raven barely held her stomach.

She was rough and tough. Raven had no problem fighting or even killing; it was the vast amount of blood, death, and smell that followed that she hated. Yet for Hammer, she fought on if only to protect him.

As quickly as it began, it was over. It had only been a small scouting party that would not be returning with any useful information, or any information for that matter. The soldiers all looked around waiting for more scouts to appear, but none came.

“Grab your gear. We move,” Captain Reaper called out.

When the team had gathered all their packs and loaded up the supply carts; they began to make their way towards Hell’s Forest. In the distance they could see the rising volcano that gave the forest its name. The further in the team went the hotter the air around them. Every so often the signs of a lava run or forest fire could be seen. There were burnt trees, bare areas with just scorched ground, and lava rocks impaled into the ground. Hammer wiped the sweat from his brow.

“The longer I’m here, the more I like it,” said a red headed soldier in element three. He wore his hair in a ponytail tied with a leather cord. A halberd with a red shaft and silver head sat in his hand. Incendiary bomb pouches hung from his belt.

“Blaze, you are psychotic. It is hotter than an oven here. The very grass burns before it even breaks the soil,” Raven said slipping the Vrail claws off her hands and into her pack on the cart. The soldiers were not use to the heat and quickly shed the weight off their backs and took off their cloaks.

“I say it makes Hammer’s frame all the more sexy,” said a voluptuous young women with blue eyes and flowing blonde hair. She had an hourglass frame and a nicely shaped bust. Her name was Angel. She was one of their expert archers.

“Little b***h,” Raven spat.

“Angel. Don’t test me today. I am not in the mood to hold young Raven from tearing you to pieces,” said Vixen, the second element mentor of Angel, as she pointed her spear at the girl. Vixen looked as if she could be Angel’s mother, they looked so much a like.

“Please forgive Angel, Raven. She has gotten into trouble on several occasions for her remarks and the flaunting of her goodies,” Cloud, Angel’s Lieutenant, said to Raven. He had long white hair, blue eyes, and smooth pale skin. He was light of spirit and light on his feet. He was also faster than most perceived him to be since he wielded a great sword.

“My sister often wants what she can not have,” Hunter said with his bow knocked with an arrow. Hunter was taller with slender, feminine features, blonde hair, and blue eyes like his younger sister. Element two was often mistaken for family with the exception of Jackal. Jackal was quiet for the most part. He had very short red hair and green eyes. He had strong, well muscled shoulders and chest. His legs and arms were solid muscle with not a hint of fat on them at all. He spoke more with his actions than his words.

“Hammer, my love. I’m out of water, can I take a sip of yours,” Raven asked with beads of sweat pouring down her body in little rivers. Hammer handed him her canteen and refused to take it back when she handed it back to her. He just shook his head and rubbed her head messing up her hair with a smile.

“Well fellow wielder. Aren’t you just a gentle man,” Chaos from element three laughed as he hefted his hammer over onto his shoulder. He was another hulking giant with a bald head and bright grey eyes. Chaos always had a smile until he went to battle; then he was a completely different beast.

Raven looked over the rest of their team. Element three’s Viper, Rain, and Oak stayed close discussing various things. Lieutenant Viper was of an average build, thin, and wiry with slick black hair and black eyes. Rain was another archer. She had dyed blue hair and blue eyes. She was curvy, busty, and bubbly. She had more vulgar jokes than any man and loved hanging over any man who gave her the time of day. Oak was a ripped young man who wielded a staff. He kept his sandy brown hair in a pony tail and his eyes were pebbled blue and grey. Like all the other’s he were his blue wing armor with pride and preferred no helmet. His belt carried herbs and powders.

Element one led the team up front with Captain Reaper. Lieutenant Joker stayed close to the captain and whispered things that Raven’s ears could not here. Joker looked a lot like Twister. Not many people knew it, but they were actually twin brother’s. Joker was a genius like Twister. Warp and Flip talked to one another with their heads close. They, like Rain, liked dyed hair. Warp’s was green and Flip’s was orange. Their eyes were brown and their bodies covered in tribal tattoos. Warp used knives and Flip used claws. When Flip found out about Raven and Hammer’s Vrail claws he could handly contain himself in his study of them as weapons. Red had shoulder length red hair and beautiful green eyes. She was petite, but of average height. She was young, barely older than Raven. She spoken to Raven often, but never for long. She blushed too often. Red was secretly a lesbian and harbored a small crush on Raven. She twirled her scythe in boredom. She was the only one who knew that Angel was bisexual.

Ax was the only one of element one who hung off to the side. His head was on a swivel and his ax stayed ready. He was built, with an expressionless face and cold grey eyes. His black hair was shaggy and his goatee was forked. He never spoke to anyone if he could help it.

Raven was lost in thought as she studied everyone when she walked into Hammer’s back. She looked around to see why they stopped when she saw the stream. Captain reaper stuck his hand into it quickly and pulled it out and waited. He nodded his head.

“We stop here for the night. Erect your tents by elements. We look about like we’re halfway to our area. Alright get to it. Lieutenants meet me in my tent in an hour,” Captain Reaper ordered.

Since Raven and Hammer shard a tent; it did not take them long to get theirs up. Raven crawled in after Hammer and as the flap closed, stripped naked and began fanning herself. Hammer laughed quietly to himself and laid next to her and assisted her in fanning.

“Serena. It won’t do well if someone walks in and your naked,” Hammer said in his low tone.

“It is hotter than a Zaron Forge, Ben. No wonder you take it so well,” She said in an exasperated voice.

“Hardly,” Hammer said with a smirk. He had yet to break a sweat.

“How do you stand it,” Raven asked him as her eyes closed.

“Years of practice. The heat is making you tired. I’m going to get some water; you stay here and sleep,” Hammer said retrieving their canteens.

“Mmmk,” Raven said in a sleep induced, breathy voice. Hammer kissed her and left the tent, careful so as not to reveal the nude body it concealed. As he slipped outside he saw that all the tents were up and most of them occupied as the sun dipped down almost out of sight on the horizon.

No one bothered him as he filled up at the tent. On his way back was another thing. Angel was standing at the tents side waiting for Hammer.

“From the sound of the snoring in there, I’d say Raven is asleep. You know, you could always slip into my tent for a bit. She won’t miss you if she is asleep. I could show how a real woman performs for her man if you would like,” Angel said running a finger down Hammer’s chin towards his jaw. Fear and pain covered her face and shone in her eyes as one of Hammer’s hands snatched her wrists.

“No,” Hammer said with a fierce look in his eyes, “I will not cheat on the women whom I gave my heart. Leave me be or I will make you suffer dearly!”

“Ok! Please Hammer, your hurting me. Please let go,” Angel said with tears rolling down her face. Hammer let go and let his eyes focus on the pair of eyes behind Angel.

“I told you once and now he has told you. You will not be so bold again little b***h. I will kill you if he does not first,” Raven said from behind her. Angel turned to her with her hands raised. She noticed the dagger first and Raven’s nudeness second. Raven motioned and Angel ran towards the element two area.

“Your still naked,” Hammer said bluntly.

“Yeah I know. Come on and cuddle with me,” Raven said flipping her hair and sticking her butt in the air causing Hammer to blush. It wasn’t long before cuddling turned into Raven snoring. Hammer took out his journal and recorded the days events as she slept. They had repacked their gear so they could wear light and let the carts bear the heavy loads.

Hammer was just dosing off to sleep when a crack of lightning and a roll of thunder came overhead. Raven shot straight up and Hammer wrapped her in his big arms as she fought to bolt from the tent as if she could outrun a storm. It took him several minutes to calm her down enough to let her go and then it was her giving him the death grip.

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The storm never left. It would mist or drizzle at points, but it never got any drier. At times the storm were make such a show of force that the ascent halted for days at a time. The equipment was sealed tightly under waterproof canvases. They wore no armor; just their regular clothes. Each of the Blue Wings were soaked to the bone. They were a miserable lot.

A fortnight into the ascent brought the wingmen into the very clouds. A day later they found themselves out of the hazy, cloud world and into a hot, arid one. They had reach a leveled area of the volcano. They traded the perpetual rain for perpetual heat. Their wet clothes went from rain soaked to sweat soaked.

“I will not lie to you; the conditions we are operating under are miserable and less than desirable. Never forget which wings you wear and the difference between you and the rest of the Wings. Dig in! We go to work,” Captain Reaper commanded.

Author's Note

a chance to introduce other blue wings