id: 484
name: Hey Anon long time no see
author: BTRAnon
date: 6th August 2021
text len: 33570
views: 66

>”Hey Anon Long time no see! God how long has it been, 7 years?”
>”Yeah I guess that it's been about that long.”
>The girl, Ella was a acquaintance of mine back in High School
>We now sit at a small coffee shop
>Some of our Ex-Classmates decided to throw an impromptu High school reunion this year
>Both Ella and I happened to arrive and extra day early, and thus we made an agreement to meet up for breakfast one morning
>”So Ella, did you ever finish your nursing Degree?”
>”Yeah, In Fact I train the nurses at our hospital now”
>”Wow, that's great to hear”
>”Yeah, I’m really enjoying it, and the pay isn’t half bad either”
>She takes another sip of her coffee while I mindlessly stir mine
>”So how about you Anon, what are you doing now?”
 
 
>I cough heavily as I run through the cloud of dust that the rotors from the Mi-8 kick up
>I slightly worry about all of the particles getting into the grooves of my rifle
>It should be fine though
>It is a G3 afterall
>”Another peacekeeping mission you say?”
>”That's right Sargent, you are there to keep the peace with extreme prodigious!”
>I respond with a simple “Yes Sir!” before taking my final step on the helicopter
>I count the mags on my Belagin webbing as the Chopper heaves off the sandy airstrip and begins its journey off into the jungles of the New World  
>Men have been doing this for decades now
>White men in Russian Helicopters flying across a jungle to try to solve disputes with savages
>However, it used to be that those Savages were Africans only recently brought out of the stone age  
>Now it is Orks, Elves, Dwarves, and all other manner of fantasy beast
>We’re not a very large company
>And the pay isn’t all that great to be honest
>But the one upside is that we get to some of the jobs that the larger companies won’t touch
>That's gotta be the biggest plus for me
>I was never the kinda person who could settle down, always had to be up and moving
>Maybe I’m just some sort of sick adrenaline junkie
>Who knows, none of that matters right now in the moment
>All that matters is the upcoming engagement
>I lean back against my rigid metal seat
>Seems like comfort wasn’t the Soviets top priority when designing the Mi-8
>It’s about an hours flight to the LZ
>I glance around the Cabin
>Some men sit by themselves with sorry looks on their faces
>A few others are playing some card game
>Some are checking every detail of their kit
>One other man sits with his Boonie draped over his face
>I like his style and decide to follow suit
>I drape my repro Rhodi boonie over my face
>I was never really one to fall asleep on any sort of Aircraft
>Let alone before a mission
>But that doesn't mean I don’t let my drift back to memories of the past
 
 
>The /k/onvergance happened 8 years ago
>I still remember that day clearly
>I was out during lunch and heading to Whataburger to get something to eat
>I was driving down the highway when I got a text from my then GF
>”Hey where are you rn?”
>”Omw to Whataburger, want me to grab you something?”
>I feel my phone vibrate, but I don’t check it as I’m to focused on the Scene unfolding in front of me
>A group of men and women are chained together by a Centaur and some kind of Demon thing
>The highway is filled with burning vehicles, gunshots are a near constant background noise
>I see the bodies of some people with what almost look like elf ears, then the body of some boomer with a 1911
>What I can only assume what was once his truck sits idling not far from him
>It only has one bumper sticker
>”You can pry my gun out of cold dead hands”
>At that very moment, another elf looking person walks over to the man and prys the 1911 from his cold, dead, hands
>I sit stunned
>What am I supposed to think?
>What am I supposed to do?
 >One of the women in Chains probably in her mid twenties looks directly at me
>Her eyes say it all
>The fear, the pain, and the dread
>Tears stream down her face
>Do I try to help her?
>I don’t have any firearms in my car
>I have a bug out bag, but that only has a small machete, and I doubt I could win a fight with just that
>I turn the car around and floor the pedal
>I never looked back to see what happened to the other people
>Nor do I know what happened to the women who looked at me
>I’ve re-lived that day over and over again
>Sometimes I ask myself if I could have done something differently and saved those poor people
>My life went to shit after that
>I took up drinking and let my social life fall apart
>I just barely managed to pass my last semester of school
>I spent some time just wandering after that
>I ended up crossing into the new world about 6 months after I got out of school
>I adventured around and took up odd jobs
>And that's how I ended up here
 
>The aircraft banks hard to the left as I see an RPG come up from the jungle floor
>*Ratatatatatatata*
>The door gunner lets off a long burst from his FN Mag while our Escorting Mi24A turns around to engage  
>I glance down at the timer I started on my watch
>10 minutes till touch down
>I pull the bolt back on my G3 before slapping it back forward
>There's 22 of us with a  total of 4 small squads each containing 5 or 6 men respectively
>I’m currently in charge of squad bravo
>Squad Alpha is the command squad with 6 men, Including the overall commander for the mission LT.Charles Whitmeer
>We just call him Whitty
>Squad Bravo is my Squad
>There's me, Anon with my G3 and a M72 LAW, Kenny with a PPS-43, as well as our radio, Mark with an Romain AKM, Tom with a Polish RPD who acts as our SAW gunner, and Louis who carries a C1A1
>We are acting as Assault Squad Number 1 this time
>Squad Charlie is our sister squad and is layed out very similar to our squad with 5 guys
>Squad Delta is the Mortar Team
>They have 6 guys and 2 60mm M19 Mortars
>In addition there is another 5 man reinforcement team in the Mi24A which WAS escorting us
>The Mi24A will also be acting as our close air support for the mission
>The Mission is to Secure a small hostile village, as well to kill or capture the local Militia leader who has been has been hiding out there
>The estimated enemy strength is 15 to 20 men
>That said, intel has been off before
>”2 minutes before touchdown, get your gear ready!”
>The sound of Whitty's voice is hard to hear over the revving of the rotors as the soviet beast begins to descend
>”1 minute!”
>I do one last check over my equipment
>The helicopter touches down on a grassy clearing surrounded by thick bush
>Squad Charlie is the first out of the heli and Sets up 15M off the left side of the heli
>My Squad sets up 20M with your backs facing directly towards the loading/unloading ramp of the Mi-8
>Alpha squad, then Delta squad are the next out
>*Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh*
>The Blades on the Helicopter spin faster and faster as it heaves back off the ground 
>The sound of the forest creeps back in as the Mi-8 moves farther away 
>”Alright! We’re 3 klicks out from the target! Squads Alpha and Delta will move to point Alpha, Squad Charlie will Move to point Bravo, and Squad Bravo will move to point Charlie! All clear?”
>”Sir Yes Sir!”
>I adjust my pack and rally my squad 
>“Alright men, you know the drill. We will move to point Charlie as ordered. I want no messing around, things are likely to get hectic down there”
>”Roger” I hear in unison 
>The bush is real thick around these parts 
>Louis sit on point with a machete trying his best to clear a path for the rest of us 
>”Why does it always have to be me?” louis groans in between breaths 
>”It's either this or you have to clean the barracks, you choose”
>Louis stops hacking at the branches 
>”Contact front, 3 tangos, about 85M out”
>In unison the whole squad gets on their knees and readies their weapons
>Kenny picks up the radio and looks to me for reassurance 
>I give him a thumbs up, but also put a finger over my lips to tell him to be quiet 
>”Phantom 1-1, Phantom 1-1, This is Bison 1-2, we have 3 confirmed enemy contacts to our front. Do we have permission to engage? Over”
>”Bison 1-2, This is Phantom 1-1, how far are you from the target? Over”
>I glance down at the GPS on my watch 
>2 klicks
>2. Fucking. Klicks
>”Phantom 1-1, we are 2 klicks out. Over”
>”Bison 1-2, this is Phantom 1-1, you are clear to engage. Be quiet about it though. Over”
>”Alright guys here's the plan, I’ll take the guy on the right, Louis you take the guy in the middle, and Mark you take the guy on the left. Fire when ready”
>We all line up our sights on our targets
>*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
>All 3 men fall down to the Jungle floor 
>We all sit there for another 30 seconds before I give the motion to get up and keep moving 
>Louis slings his C1A1 and starts to chop again
 >I take the mag out of my rifle and put another loose round of 7.62 into the magazine 
>I always keep 20 in the gun, easier to keep track of that way
>”This is Bison 1-2, we have arrived at point Charlie. We have eyes on the village. Over”
>”Copy Bison 1-2 hold position until Tora. Over”
>I lay back onto my pack and wait for the fun to begin 
>The plan for this mission is simple 
>Once all units are in position, Squad Charlie will relay the location of the militia commander, and any heavy weapons to squad delta, who will then open up with their motoras which are positioned about 700m away from the village 
>After that My squad, as well as Squad Charlie will move into the village and dispose of any remaining hostile elements 
>Radio call Signs are as follows
>Phantom 1-1 is Squad Alpha 
>Bison 1-1 is Squad Charlie 
>Bison 1-2 is my Squad (Squad Bravo)
>Viper 1-1 is squad Delta 
>Zeus is the Mi24A  
>Hornet 1-1 is the Squad in the Mi24A
>Once the target is secured, and the village pacified, then the Mi8 will pick us up, and we RTB
>”Tora, Tora, Tora!” 
>*Fwoosh*
>*Boom*
>So it begins 
>Men scramble around the village trying to find cover from the rain of steel 
>It’s not a pretty sight 
>Shrapnel blankets buildings
>Fire and smoke fill the air all around us
>Just then a group of six orks runs directly in front of our line of fire 
>Tom lets off a long burst of fire from his RPD
>2 of the orks try to take cover behind a small stone wall before being shot by Louis with his C1A1
>The Mi24 races along the treetops before firing 4 rockets at a machine emplacement 
>Squad Charlie must have called that strike in
>I grip my G3 and run out of the treeline and into a small hut 
>”GET ON THE GROUND! GET ON THE GROUND!”
>I didn’t realize that I was leveling my rifle at a dark elf with two young children 
>The rest of my squad files in behind me while we clear the rest of the building 
>One by one, we clear each building in the village 
>We kick down a door in one large building 
>Mark is on point this time 
>As soon as we kick down the door, a ork blast mark in the chest with a shotgun 
>He staggers back before firing an uncontrolled burst into the ork from his AKM
>After getting through the doorway, he collapses onto the ground 
>Tom immediately begins to administer first aid while Kenny calls in a CASEVAC 
>Louis tosses a grenade through the window 
>”Kenny! I want you to call in a rocket strike on this building!”
>”On It!”
>”OK, HERE'S THE PLAN!” I try to shout over the gunfire and helicopter rotors 
>”WE’RE GOING TO FALL BACK TO THAT BUILDING 25M TO OUR LEFT! LOUIS YOU TAKE POINT, KENNY YOU FALL IN BEHIND HIM, I’LL CARRY MARK, TOM I WANT YOU LAYING DOWN COVERING FIRE! ONCE WE GET TO THE BUILDING, WE’LL LAY DOWN FIRE FOR YOU!”
>”YES SIR!”
>I grab Mark by his webbing and hoist him over my shoulder 
>”WE GO IN 3, 2, 1, NOW!”
>I sprint as fast as I can while Tom’s RPD losses rounds in the background 
>Louis is fast and gains a few meter lead on me as he races for cover
>Kenny isn’t as fast with the radio hanging off his back 
>We cover the distance in seconds, but it feels like a lifetime 
>The building is a white, concrete building with blue stripes lining the side 
>Most of the Buildings in the Village are small, thatch and mud huts 
>That means that where we are now stands out quite a bit from the air 
>”Zues, this is Bison 1-2, we are requesting an immediate fire mission on the hut 25M to the right of the white house ”
>Toms rushes over to our building and takes cover with us behind a wall
>”Bison 1-2, this is Zues, confirming that you want a strike on the hut 25m to the right of the white house, over”
>”Affirmative!”
>Kenny’s voice cracks as he yells into the radio
>Sometimes it’s hard to remember that he is only 19 years old
>The rotors roar as the Hind races above the rooftops before firing 4 S5 rockets into the hut 
>The hut erupts in a explosion of dirt and flames as the rockets find their mark
>”Good hits Zues, good hits”
>”Affirmative, let us know if you need anything else, over”
 
 
 
 
>The sound is deafening 
>The sound of gunfire, helicopters, explosions, and death
>Another mortar round drops 40 meters away from us
>”Alright we're gonna position inside the building, Tom and I will keep watch, Kenny you stay on the radio, and Louis I want you to keep an eye on mark”
>There is no acknowledgement 
>There is no need for it 
>Kenny gets back on the radio trying to call in a CASEVAC
>Louis tends to mark, whose condition is worsening with each passing second
>Tom pulls another 100rd belt out from his rucksack, and sets up in a window facing the direction that we just came from 
>I position myself in a window facing the main village road that heads towards the east 
>There are 5 rooms in the building 
>The first room is the room we entered into was some kind of mud room, not much in it 
>The second room is what must have once been a living room, but was now converted to a storage room, filled up with all different kinds of ammo and a few rifles 
>There is one bathroom, a dining room that had been converted to sleeping quarters, and a bedroom that was also sleeping quarters 
>I am currently in the bed room, Kenny, Louis, and Mark are in the living room
>Tom is set up in the mud room
>The gunfire isn’t nearly as loud as it was before, but the occasional shot or mortar explosion still prices through warm jungle air 
>The road is quiet
>The thought of a mechanized unit rolling down that dusty dirt road looms in my mind
>I take my M72 off my back and set it up right next to the window just incase 
>I lean back against the concrete wall and lay my rifle down at my side 
>The floor is hardwood and has a red ornamental carpet draped over it
>My G3 slips from my hand and loudly clatters against the floor 
>When it hits the ground though, something sounds off 
>It sounded as though the floor was hollow underneath 
>I find this odd, and begin to peel back the carpet covering the floor 
>There sits a small, rusted, metal handle
>Behind it are two small hinges 
>I would say that this is a trap door if I’ve ever seen one 
>“Kenny!” I shout into the other room, hoping that he isn’t in the middle of a radio call
>I see the short but stocky young lad come speed walking into my room
>His once pristine Congolese campaign camo is stained with dirt and dried blood
>”Yes sir?” he ask me with a puzzled look on his face 
>”I want to borrow your PPS for a second, I believe I might have just found something interesting”
>”Yes sir” he says as he unslings his PPS
>”See this right here? I’m going to climb down there and check it out. Stay here just in case anything happens” If I’m not back in 8 minutes I want you to throw a grenade down there.”
>”Got it?” I ask him hoping that he understands 
>”Y-y-yes sir” he stammers out
>I take the PPS and turn on the flashlight that has been attached to the barrel shroud by a mix of tape and zip ties 
>Kenny stands back as I lift the lid and stare into the ominous darkness emanating from deep below our feet
>A small wooden ladder descendants deep down into the labyrinth 
>The light on the PPS isn’t bright enough to penetrate the darkness below my feet 
>I take one step down, then two, then so on and so on 
>56, 57, 58
>The light flickers off on the front end of the gun 
>It bring the gun in closer to me, while I hold on to the dusty ladder with one hand
>I fiddle with light trying to get it to turn back on 
>No dice
>The light from the trapdoor barely manages to reach me now 
>Oh well, might as well keep descending 
>59, 60 ,61 ,62 ,63
>I keep on climbing down the ladder that's starting to feel like it will never end 
>133, 134, 135
>Then it hits me 
>The smell smacks in the face like a brick wall 
>There is no light from above me now, only a faint glow emanating from further below me 
>199, 200
>I put one foot down onto the dirt 
>This reminds me of the tunnels the VietCong used back in Nam
>Also brings back memories of my time in the forgein legion of some forgotten nation a few years back
>We were fighting in a jungle not entirely unlike the one I find myself in now
>I was a tunnel rat back then
>Saw some nasty things, did some nasty things 
>All that’s in the past now
 
>Everything around me is dirt
>The tunnel is large though, much bigger than any I’ve been in before 
>I’d estimate it’s 8 feet wide and 7 feet tall 
>The air down here is much cooler than up top 
>The smell is still there 
>Rather, the stench has only grown stronger
>The stench of blood, guts, and rotting corpses 
>The taste copper stains my mouth
>I begin walking, the PPS held out in front of me
 
>It so dark, I can’t even see my hand when it’s held out in front of my face 
>The light that was once down here has since faded, the only thing guiding me is my hand on the side of the wall 
>The ground is starting to feel different now 
>Every time I take a step, my boot sinks just a little 
>I kick something on the floor 
> I reach down to pick it up, to find a lantern that feels like it could be a hundred years old 
>A small, dust caked candal still sits inside 
>*Fwoom* 
>The candle ignites itself as soon as I open the glass door to the lantern 
>Odd, but hey, we are living in a world of magic now
>The light from the candle isn’t great, but now I can see a bit further down the tunnel 
>I see now what is making my foot sink
>A thick black sludge now replaces the dirt that was at the start of the tunnel 
>No reason to ponder it however, the tunnel goes on and there could still be enemies down here 
>I keep walking and walking and walking
>I hadn’t noticed it before, but the hands on my watch have stopped turning now 
>I don’t get spooked too easily, but I’m starting to feel a bit creeped out now 
 >There is a new light now
>It is still much further down the tunnel from me 
>A faint red orange glow coming from out of the darkness  
>I want to yell out to them
>I want to know what kind of place this is 
>Has it been 5 minutes already
>Wait, there's no way that it’s been five minutes, it has to be closer to ten
>I wonder if Keeny’s gonna drop that grenade soon 
>Bones
>Bones are hung up on the crumbling wall
>A tattered blue north face jacket clings to what’s left
>An old wallet sits below the forgotten corpse 
>I pick it up not out of greed, but out of curiosity for who this person one was
>Vanessa Scottsdale sits on her drivers license 
>32 years old 
>What a shame I think to myself 
>I wonder if she had a family, if not then maybe a lover that was waiting on her 
>I suppose that will be one of life’s long forgotten mysteries 
>I tuck the wallet into my pocket, and trudge forward through the stale air 
>*bwhahaha* roars for the tunnel 
>Is that a laugh? I think to myself 
>I round the final corner, and find myself staring into a grotesque scene 
>And a un-humanly figure stand right in the middle
>His face is mangled and contorted 
>Half human, half well, something else
>We make eye contact, his long flowing beard nearly drawing my attention away from the rest of his body
>An old cow’s leg takes the place of one leg while the other is one of an old, frail man
>The room is dark and cold
>Symbols I’ve never seen before cover all parts of the room
>All of them, painted in blood 
>Skeletons
>They are all over the floor
>Bits and pieces of people, both young and old
>Hands, feet, toes and fingers
>Ears, tongues, eyes and everything else
>All of it is strewn across this room
>A small pink backpack is bloodied and torn, sits in the ever present darkness, discarded forever 
>The man sighs, his face looks tired and old
*BANGBANGBANGBANG*
>He stumbles back as the 4 rounds of 7.62x25 slam into his body
>He coughs up blood and collapsed onto the dirt floor
>”Солдат” He sighs 
>”Soldier” He says aigan, this time in english
>”I have a story I would like to share with you,Солдат”
>”Why would I want to listen?” I ask him rhetorically 
>”Because you have no choice” He says with a slight smile 
>The room twist and turn, colors flashing all around me
>I see people, places, plants and animals
>All of them memories 
>They tell me a story, long forgotten by the people of this world
>All but one that is 
>I can see him clearly now
>A young youthful high elf with a single task
>I watch his trials and tribulations
>A man betrayed and defeated
>Siding with his old enemies, fighting agistant his once friends and comrades 
>I see the once elf defeated, having lost the war that dragged on for a century
>The story continues
>Now he is a monstrosity, a living ,breathing insult to god
>Then it all cuts to black
>I feel myself standing in a cold, pitch black room 
>Then a bright spotlight shines down from above 
>A jet black grand piano, and a beauty in a white dress sit in the center 
>She sits silently, her shoulders slightly rising and falling with each breath she takes 
>Her fingers begin to move slowly and methodically 
>First she lays each finger on the key she wants to play
>https://youtu.be/9E6b3swbnWg
>She presses each key with purpose and passion 
>Her blonde hair glistening in the light
>A second light appears, focusing on a walking skeleton 
>He wears a old Alytn, a Russian flak vest, and torn flora fatigues
>In his bony white hands, he grips an old AKS 
>The girl doesn't stop playing, focused entirely on her music
>He steps slowly towards me
>His bones rattling under the weight of all of his gear
>He slowly closes the distance between us, all the while the girl continues to play her music
>When he reaches 6 feet distance from me, he stops
>”Salvation” he says to me
>”She is the one you must find, if you wish to achieve that it is you seek”
>The skeleton disgreantes into a pile of white dust
>His AKS and Altyn clattering to the ground below him
>Then girl hits her last note on the piano
>She turn around on the bench where she sits, finally showing me her face, 
>Bright blue eyes, smooth white skin, hair as fine as gold, and 2 pointed ears
>She smiles at me, and I awkwardly smile back
>Then the light suddenly cuts out, and I return to the pitch black
>When I awake, I find the creature who showed me this, lying in a pool of his own blood 
>”Find her” he groans out to me
>”As Hendrick the once high elf, and long forgotten demon general, I humbly request that you find her. Not just her, but find something that I never found myself”
>With that, disappears in a cloud of ash
>The only things that show he once was here, are a battered Altyn, and a worn AKS
>I pick up the AKS in one hand, and the Alytn in the other
>Now I can see that both of these items are imbued with some kind of crest 
>It is a blood a color, and shaped like a spiral 
>In the middle of the spiral is a shape which I can not describe 
>On the Alytn, this crest is on the left side of the helmet
>On the AKS, it sits on the left side of the RSB
>I hold these things now, items left behind by someone who might as well never existed at all
>I move around the workshop a bit more, looking for anything of strategic, or personal value
>But alas, I don’t find anything besides a few personal effects of his victims, and a small painting of hendrick of when he was a elf
>A time when all was right in his world
>With the conclusion of my search, I begin walking out of this godforsaken tunnel
>This time I’m not focused on my surroundings, but rather I try to process what just occurred  
>It’s a slow ascent up the ladder, I can only use one hand with my other hand being used to carry the items that I now have in my possession 
>When I reach the top, kenny looks at me in confusion 
>”Well that was fast” he says
>”You were only down there for 3 mikes”
>I un-holster one of the F1 grenades off my webbing, and pull the pin on it 
>The grenade falls down into the darkness below, before the trap door is slammed shut 
>”What the hell happened down there” Kenny ask me with a confused and concerned look plastered on his face 
>”Nothing”
>”Target apprehended” comes over the radio
>Not seconds after, the woosh of helicopter blades comes into ear shot 
>The sound of Hueys from the Royal army air core of the kingdom of Dellisa 
>One of the helicopters lands right in front of our building, and a group of 3 men come rushing out of it and into the building
>Before I have time to say anything, Mark is loaded onto a stretcher and rushed onto the waiting bird
>”All  units rondevu at point foxtrot, Hotel Hotel” Whitty says into the radio
>I gather the rest of my squad, and we begin the walk to point foxtrot, which is at a local soccer field
>The village is in ruins now
>Craters from motors, and bullet holes are now everywhere
>A few villagers glance at us with fear in their eyes as we walk past their huts  
>When we reach the soccer field, the Mi-8 is already there waiting for us
>The our sister squads seems to be missing a man as well
>”Good work today gentlemen!” Whitty yells out to us 
>”I’d expect no less from the finest group of professionals around!”
>”Now mount up!”
>Men clatter abroad the Russian beast, its rotors spinning with more effort now 
>I take my old seat, and many others do the same
>As the helicopter lifts off the ground, I see the royal army looting below
>So much for peacekeeping I think to myself
>As I drift off to sleep, the last thing I see is the face of the woman from before, and the beautiful noise that her piano made


Session 2
>The two engines on the Cessna hum quietly 
>It’s quite soothing actually 
>The plane is mostly empty aside from a tired man in a suit and some equipment piled in the back of the cabin 
>It’s been a week since the raid on the village 
>A week since mark was put in a coma 
>Not much happened since then 
>We did have to rush out once to help a royal police station that had been attacked by a rebel group
>But by the time we got there, the rebels had retreated back into the jungle never to be seen again 
>Now I have 2 weeks of leave before heading back to the front 
>The plane starts to descend
>At about 5000 feet, we break the cloud barrier, showing the dry paries below us 
>Finally the Cessna touches down on the runway
>The tries screech and the engines rev 
>I can’t see much of the airstrip from out of my window 
>But as far as I can tell, there isn’t much to see
>It’s just a runway, a few hangers, a small ATC tower, and a single gate
>The pilot taxis next to the gate and cuts the engines 
>A white pickup pulls up next to the aircraft, and a small man steps out
>He speaks with the pilots for a second before getting in his truck and speeding off
>”Alright our most valued passengers, we will be taking off soon, about 10 minutes after takeoff we should cross through the portal and into the old world. So sit back, and enjoy the rest of your flight”
>The aircraft lifts off the ground again, it’s twin engines roaring at first, but they soon return back to a quiet humm
>The aircraft shakes violently as we pass through the portal
>A blue light envelopes everything inside and outside of the cabin, and it’s complemented by the screeching of the instruments inside of the cockpit 
>The light fades from the outside as the aircraft returns to stable flight 
>The dry paries below are replaced with rugged mountain terrain
>I try to lean my back into the jumpseat but get stopped by the cool aluminum fuselage 
>I put my headphone in, looking for the right song to drown out the hum of the engines 
>I scroll through the playlist I made back when I was still a kid before the /k/onvergance
>For old times sake, yah know
>I end up just hitting shuffle, too indecisive to actually make a decision 
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdqzgAKoHTU&ab_channel=ValentinStrykalo-Topic
>Not a bad choice teenage me, not bad at all 
>The Cessena banks hard to the right just barely dodging a mountain that appeared out of the clouds 
>The pilot begins his descent into a small valley nestled between some of the green mountains 
>We hit a bit of turbulence from warmer air in the valley coming up and meeting the cool upper air, but as far as military landings go, definitely one of better ones i've experienced 
>The pilot Taxis over to a small hanger where some men in UAZ with woodland green cammies are patiently waiting for our arrival 
>The pilot walks back into the cargo bay
>Anon, Andrey, you guys hang tight, these guys are with the local militia and are gonna get this equipment unloaded for us 
>The Pilot and Co-pilot talk to guys for couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes
>While the pilots sign some paperwork, 3 of the militia guys walk into the back of the cargo bay 
>The two younger guys grab the crates and begin to unload them
>The older third guy goes to the man the suit
>”Paperwork” he says heavily accented 
>The man in the suit gives him a black US passport that the militia guy gives a small stamp of approval on 
>I produce my military papers that command drafted for me
>”Paperwork”
>I give them to him, he studies them for a second before handing them back
>”You stay or leave?” he ask
>”I’ll be here for a few days I reckon”
>”OK, don’t make problem, only few days” 
>The militia guy leaves and I start to gather my things to leave, but I figure I should at least ask suit guy if he’s getting off here or one of the later stops
>”Andrey right” I ask him as I stand up
>”Yeah that's right” he responds
>”You getting off here my man, or are you in for the long haul?”
>He smirks at that before rubbing his forehead
>”Im afraid I’m gonna be in the air a bit longer” he sighs
>”Aw man that sucks, well best of luck, godspeed ya know”
>”Yeah you to I guess” he responds
>I get off the plane as the UAZ leaves the hanger
>There goes my ride I guess
>I wander around for a bit
>The place is pretty quiet, just your usual medium size town airport with some hangers, a runway, taxiway, lone control tower, gate etc
>I find what looks like some kind of exit with a bench small wooden bench facing out towards a roadway 
>Maybe the militia guys radioed ahead because a white Lada with a taxi block on the top is idling by the gate
>I look to see if I can see inside, the driver looks like an older mediterranean man and seems nice enough 
>I open the door and take my seat 
>”Hello, uh do you speak english?” I ask the driver 
>”Yes my friend, my english is quite good”
>A small lebanese flag hangs from the rearview mirror 
>”Where do you want to go?” he ask me
>Not sure yet, I’ve never been to this part of Armenia before”
>”Although I have heard rumors of a pub popular with foreigners being somewhere close by”
>”Ah yes my friend, I know that place very well,if that is where you want to go then I take you no problem’ he says with a smile
>”Are you Lebanese by chance? I noticed the flag and figured I should ask” 
>”West Beirut born and raised” he responds 
>”So how do you go from West Beirut to rural Armenia”
>”Me and my wife moved here in 2011, things were too chaotic back in Lebanon and we wanted a change of scenery. She was from the more mountainous part of the country and Armenia reminded of home” he says with a slight smile 
>”It’s quite nice here, the fighting never got this far into the mountains during the wars so it’s more peaceful than some might think”
>”Yeah it's beautiful here” I respond, reminds me of going to Utah as kid when I was growing up with my parents 
>”America is nice these days, yes?” he ask me inquisitively
>”I’m not sure actually, I haven’t been back there in 3 maybe 4 years now”
>”Why not?”
>”Just no reason for me to go back I guess, although I’m going back there after I leave here in a few days”
>”Good for you my friend, best of luck and safe travels” he says to me as we pull up to wooden building in the middle of nowhere 
>”You as well, it was a pleasure meeting you” I say as leave some cash on the seat and close the cars door
>The mud up the pub is muddy, Hiluxs, Ladas, and UAZs are parked all around it
>I push open the heavy wooden doors and am greeted with the sound of glasses clanking, and live music
>I step inside, TV’s mounted into the side of the log building are playing muted combat footage or international news 
>It smells like smoke and alcohol 
>There's a stage for live music to, where a small band is currently playing
>A 5 3’ ethnically Chinese girl dressed like she just walked out off a cattle ranch is singing 
>Though she looks chinese, she's definitely another American 
>I sit down at an empty bar stool and take it all in
>Revvys, a small pub nestled in a small town in the middle of nowhere armenia 
>and a place for soldiers of fortune to tell tales of glory and loss, where nobody cares about a word that comes out of your mouth unless its a job offer 
>I sit back enjoy the country singing from the American chinese girl 
>She performing of my favorite songs of all time, and not something you would expect to hear in a place like this 
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GClZv7IwtYc&ab_channel=TanyaTucker-Topic