Snow in Pink Sakura Petals. The Book of Flame. Volume 5

By Ka Lip

Clear blue sky overhead. You fly, piercing this blue, feeling free. The glare of the sun through the protective glass, the hum of the engine ...
But there is an unpleasant feeling inside from the constant changes in altitude and high pressure that made it impossible to fully enjoy the flight. No, he didn't like heights. The earth was closer to him, on it he felt more confident. But did he have a choice?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ka Lip
• Release date: Mar 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005202590

Ka Lip

My books are very different. I write about love. live in [e-mail]

Book preview

The Book of Flame

Volume 5. Snow in pink sakura petals

Prologue

Ah, no matter how much I looked at the cherry blossom petals

In the mountains covered with a haze of fog -

The eyes will not get tired!

And you, like those flowers ...

And I won't get tired of admiring you!

Ki-no Tomonori

Clear blue sky overhead. You fly, piercing this blue, feeling free. The glare of the sun through the protective glass, the hum of the engine ...

But there is an unpleasant feeling inside from the constant changes in altitude and high pressure that made it impossible to fully enjoy the flight. No, he didn't like heights. The earth was closer to him, on it he felt more confident. But did he have a choice?

Chapter 1

Kai turned the rudder smoothly to the right, driving the fighter into a U-turn. Now the sun was to his left. He changed the angle, and part of the ground was visible through the plane's protective glass. Then, the plane ascended rapidly.

The task was completed for today. He provided air support for his people, video filming of the enemy's fortifications had been made, control marks were dropped in the established square. He could return to base.

So he lived for the last two months. From the garrison, he was transferred here, to a military airfield, which was located not far from Kamrat. The proximity of the city and civilization at first even pleased him, but then it turned out that he did not even have time to sleep, let alone get to the city.

The two months were very stressful due to the constant flights. In addition to the assignments that he received from the leadership of the base, under the orders of which he arrived, he had his own assignments from the center. Actually, for the sake of these tasks, he was sent here. He made aerial surveys of the fortifications and scattered control marks and beacons in certain squares. To find out why and what for, he had long ceased. What did it matter to him? They said to do - do it. So he lived all this time.

Although, he lived badly, if you mean housing. The military airfield was located practically in an open field. It was a rocky valley with an airstrip and hastily constructed minimum living conditions for those who were here.

The headquarters was located in the only miraculously preserved brick building that had not been bombed earlier, but everything else was brought. These were containers with equipped rooms inside with minimal amenities, but basically, everyone lived in military tents, connected in long sections with a single awning and fabric partitions. All of this was covered from above with a camouflage net. They lived in such tents. There was a common kitchen and bunks for relaxation.

After his dwelling of the garrison, Kai again found himself in the barracks. Of course, he endured everything stoically, but it was very difficult for him to return to this again. Several shared beds - iron, hard and uncomfortable. It was a constant circulation of the people, as some were resting, while others were preparing for flights and service. There was noise in the barracks, voices, somebody smoked, someone else shared their soulful experiences while drinking a bottle of intoxicant, others strummed the guitar. In such conditions, he had to sleep and live. Sometimes he was so tired that he turned off, barely falling on the bed, and sometimes he did not sleep for half a night, trying to abstract from what was around him.

The only bright spot in all this was to meet Senya and Vadik here. How glad he was to them, and they did not hide their joy to see him here. It turned out that under the contract they were transferred here to guard the airfield, however, they were soon to be sent somewhere else. But while they were here, and this brightened up their coexistence. Although, often their shifts did not coincide, and when Kai slept or was on departure, they rested, and when he had a free minute, they were on duty. But there were moments when their free time coincided, then they talked a lot, remembered the past, talked about where they had already managed to visit on duty.

***

In the evening they had one of these sincere gatherings. Senya took out the bottle of cognac he had stored and, placing three disposable plastic cups on the bedside table, began to pour it.

Kai was sitting in Turkish on the bed closer to the bedside table, Vadik sat next to him, Senya was sitting on the bed opposite.

And this is for children! Vadik solemnly took a chocolate bar out of his pocket and handed it to Kai.

What kind of children?! Just for a snack, Senya muttered, trying to pour the cognac equally evenly into the cups.

Will you cheat the child? Here, look, his eyes are already lit up.

Well, let him eat, I am joking, Senya glanced briefly at Kai, who was enthusiastically unwrapping the chocolate, knowing that here in general it was bad with delicacies of food, and rarely anyone had time to go to the city.

I'll share, Kai broke the chocolate into pieces and put it on the table.

Come on, eat. We're going to have a snack on an orange, Vadik began to peel an orange.

So, startle! Senya raised a glass. Well, for us! he solemnly uttered, clinked glasses with each, and drank cognac dashingly.

Kai drank and began to enthusiastically eat chocolate, which he had not eaten for a long time while being here.

Senya poured again, raised the glass.

Come on, without clinking glasses, for Mishka, his voice trembled.

They drank in silence, trying not to look each other in the eyes, as if they felt guilty for being here, alive, and he was no longer there.

Kai remembered the warm blood on his fingers, it seemed like it was so recently and so long ago. It hurt him for the death of this young, cheerful guy, whose life was just beginning and ended like this ... he sadly put the glass on the table.

Come on, why be sad now ... Vadik tried to cheer everyone up and himself with these words. Let's hope that he feels good there ...

They sat for a while in silence.

Tomorrow we'll go to the city and buy you some chocolate, while pouring more, said Senya.

Great, and the thin cigarettes, Kai perked up such a small joy in his life.

Well, I remember what you smoke. We'll buy it. So wait. But we will only arrive in a day. You'll have to endure.

Will you have fun? Kai looked at their conspiratorial faces.

Not, what you have thought.

What have I thought? Kai smiled.

Well, not girls. We have more serious business there. But we'll tell you, Senya paused, then drinking again, continued. We go to play cards. One institution was suggested to us. They play for money, everything is serious. We have played several times already. Vadik raised the money pretty well.

Kai frowned at the guys' idealistic-naive faces.

There is such a tough person, they call him Basilisk, such a moniker. By the way, he lives not far from here. He has a mansion near Kamrat. So, he has money up the wazoo. He loses them with ease.

Are you sure he really loses? Kai more and more did not like this story.

Do you think he's playing along on purpose? Come on, what kind of fool would waste money? After all, we can take all winnings and never come back to play.

But you’re coming.

Listen, I don’t know what you’re hinting at, but, you know, we're rather big ones, we’ll figure it out ourselves. Eh ... what are you, offended? Senya looked at Kai's distant face. That's it, let's change the subject - come on, shuddered, he raised the glass again.

"I've heard about this Basilisk from