War of Drekis:
Chapter 25Ambivalence
-----Tim steered out of the smoke, blinking in disbelief at the Khazan Tank that rolled in front of them, tossed like a stone. His hands struck the wheel—a sharp turn to the left and then again to the right; he spun the vehicle in a half circle. The vehicle stopped, and Tim waited for the dust to settle before affirming that he had, in fact, avoided death by a fraction of a second. -----A month of unforgiving practice turned him into a regular ace at the helm of a military anti-personal hover craft. The scout vehicle, faster than anything he ever drove before, remained difficult for him to control. Veteran soldiers continued to assure him that his level was the best any man can achieve—which didn’t exactly reassure him of anything. -----“Don’t stop now!” Raea’s voice brought him out of the daze. She spun her fingers in a circle. “Behind us, behind us!” -----Before he could turn around, Raea already spun the turret to the rear. Bright flashes of pulsar energy shot out. The gun rocked back, but Raea held firm. A small horde of deminites hurled fire while Tim kicked the vehicle back into forward motion. A single flame ball remained on target, seconds from falling on his head. -----Tim stayed on course with one hand and reached for his sword with the other. He swung it in an arc above his head, catching the ball. Fire wafted across the blade, impotent. Just as quickly, he stabbed the sword back into its sheath at his side and turned the hover craft towards his assailant. Several shots from the turret reduced the deminites to ash. -----“Their attack waves are thinning over here.” Tim said. After three straight hours of combat, he hoped that Drekis’ forces would retreat. The alliance with the Fallen and the Marauders proved to be a valuable development for the rest of Khazan, and for the last thirty days every single invasion launched by Drekis ended in failure. Axia became a choke point in the war, with battles fought in the outskirts on a daily basis. Drekis hadn’t gained a single foothold since, but he still insisted on charging his minions into battle. -----“I think they’re focusing on specific points of the defensive line.” Raea said, bringing a hand up to the communicator that was strapped to her ear. “Take us west; they need back up.” -----They arrived to find a line of Khazan rangers falling back. Even in retreat they fired on the enemy, forming corpse piles of deminite soldiers who carelessly jumped into the spray of bullets. -----Or perhaps it wasn’t so careless. -----Each of the deminites acted as a sacrificial shield, protecting something much more valuable. Numerous hunter-killers, the grinning humanoid gunmen of Drekis’ army, stepped over their brethren’s bodies and delivered an equally voracious barrage. Rangers and hunters alike fell every second, but the latter held the numerical advantage. -----“Attention all KM high speed and short-range craft, need support at point thirty two west,” Raea shouted into her comm, “Rangers need support, asap…engaging the enemy.” She pulled the trigger tight, once, twice. The vehicle shook right. Two shots launched between enemy lines, felling two or three per volley. -----“Hang on Raea,” Tim shouted, “I’m going to shield the rangers.” With a sharp turn he directed the craft in front of the fleeing soldiers. Repeating bolts splashed against the side armor, melting tiny craters in the silver plate. Raea continued to fire, but he knew they wouldn’t last long against this much flak. -----Small shadows darted out of the enemy line. Reavers. The small, scythe-armed raptor beasts came in too fast for Raea to follow. They closed in; Tim grabbed for his sword. The reavers grinned and screeched at him, but circled the vehicle, ignoring it. Some even dived underneath. -----“They’re going after…watch out!” Raea yelled. -----Several soldiers got the message, turned, and fired on the devilish runners. So fast, and with such wild movements; Tim could barely keep track of them, couldn’t even tell how many of them died in their assault. They kept coming, kept going. In a flash a pair of them passed by the soldiers, and in the next instant the ranger’s legs fell apart, bisected. -----Panic. Gunfire went in all directions. Grenades flew. Blasts consumed enemy and ally alike. -----Tim spun his forward guns at the closest reavers and fired, but every beast shot allowed three more to get by. “Too many, where the hell is our suppor…” -----“Devonox! Three of them, heads up!” -----“Shit.” Tim stepped on the drive pedal, storming the vehicle out of a lumbering devonox’s reach. Raea fired three shots into the closest one, but the bulky minion ignored the searing burns. -----Tim stopped the vehicle at a good distance. “We need heavy artillery support. What’s keeping them?” -----“Tanks and mecha seem to be getting called out to the eastern sector; I guess Drekis is making an even bigger push over…” -----The earth beneath them busted open. A rocky crest flipped the vehicle. Seatbelts dug into Tim’s neck and waist. The front end hit the ground and the windshield sprinkled away. -----“Son of a…” Tim kept his eyes closed as he felt for the belt release. He stumbled and rolled out of the vehicle, which he now realized stood upright, wedged in the ground. Warm blood caked the left half of his face. “Raea! Where are you?” -----He found her behind the crash site, apparently having fallen during the tumble. She was in better shape, and already pulling herself up. A great form lurched over her, and instinctively she dived away, escaping a pair of jaws that gobbled and smashed the boulders around her. -----Tim drew the glowing blade, the bane of the Drekis minions, and pulled Raea close to him. Together they stared at the monster that toppled their hover craft: an arachnis queen. The great wyrm split its mouth open, releasing a deafening howl of warm stench into their faces. Small arachnis crawled out of the wyrm’s body; their little legs scuttled along the broken rocks. -----Raea whipped out two pistols and began killing the arachnis one by one, but the devonox from earlier continued to circle them. One of the brutes picked their disabled vehicle up and tossed it at nearby soldiers. -----“I’ll take care of them, you keep an eye on the spiders and the worm,” Tim said. The light of his sword grew, emanating in waves and water-blue pulses. He darted to the side, catching the attention of two devonox who promptly followed. At his command, the blue light turned into circling waves of fire. With a great swing he released his power; the ominous cry, ‘burning felblade,’ rang out in tandem with the appearance of a large blue crescent, a half circle blade of blue fire that spun rapidly and took off like a disc. One devonox reached a hand out to grab the disc, but the spinning blade tore through its armored skin unabated and went on to decapitate the minion. The burning felblade flew in an arc, curving its path through the necks of the remaining devonox. -----“Let’s regroup with some others,” Raea said. She shot an arachnis in a mid-air leap. “We’ll get swarmed if we’re here by ourselves.” -----They ran past the devonox corpses, but Tim felt a heavy weight take hold of his legs and he plummeted. Face first in the ground, he breathed in dirt and felt the rocks scratch against his face. Something was pulling him. He looked back, seeing Raea in a similar predicament. Layers of webbing, black and grey in color, tied their legs to the mouth of the queen. -----As they were reeled in, the wyrm also rocked its body out of its tunnel, slithering across the field and reaching its head to meet them halfway. A quick cut from Tim’s blade severed the webbing, but another strand shot out as if expecting the retaliation. Just like that he was caught again, stuck in an endless loop. Another strand caught his sword arm. -----He had no choice now. Celestial slayer was his only option. He raised the sword as high as he could manage. Blue light shot up, preparing to take the form and shape he desired. -----“Tim, over there!” Raea pointed. -----Tim spotted the threat. To their left a hive guard landed, its eyes gleaming red. An optic blast would soon follow, but any moment spent blocking the attack would allow the queen to devour them. -----He needed a decision. Too late. The blast overtook them and Tim reeled his weapon in close, hoping to deflect it. He heard the explosion, felt a tremor run underneath him, but nothing else. Someone else stepped in to take the shot. -----“Dreiden…” Tim barely uttered. The Fallen Lord-Tyrant stood there, back turned to them, hand outstretched. His open palm sizzled and smoke danced between his fingers, but he showed no sign of discomfort. -----Deviana Ash-Meadows landed between them and the arachnis queen, severing all strands with one dimensional cut. The queen reared back, its writhing body standing forty feet tall, but Deviana made three quick leaps, bounding up the creature’s form. The queen snapped, swallowing the girl whole. Then the wyrm’s head split open; green liquid spilled over the battlefield as it died with a shrill cry. -----A dark mass took shape behind the dead queen. Deviana reappeared. -----By the time Tim could stand, Dreiden already finished off the hive guard. The infamous fallen held one of his foe’s torn limbs in his right hand. He turned to look at him. “All of this time, you’ve been on the front lines, and you’d still let yourself get killed by this fodder?” -----Raea sneered. “Well I’d say thank you, except for the snide attitude. And you wonder why none of us like working with you fallen.” -----“Its not uncalled for to expect results, especially after a month of combat.” Dreiden tightened his grip and crushed the severed arm. “We can’t have our forces picking up all the slack around here.” -----“That’s enough.” Another familiar voice rained down from above. Tiara leapt from the sky, but landed gently. “The whole reason we’re starting to lose ground is because of this kind of bickering.” -----Eric and Maya appeared behind the weather mage just as Lexington and Lara joined them. -----“We came as soon as we heard about your call for support,” Eric said. -----“They couldn’t spare any vehicles,” Lex elaborated, “The combat is heaviest over in the east…its crazy.” -----“And we need to go there immediately.” Tiara added. “Dreiden, we need your support over there as well. Lexington, can you and Eric’s team escort Tim back to the defensive line?” -----“Yeah, you be careful.” Lex gave off a salute. -----“Come on, Deviana.” Dreiden chased after Tiara once she took to the sky. -----Deviana promptly vanished from sight, but then she appeared standing back to back with Tim. He felt her pale hair fall over his neck. “I don’t want to have to save you again, okay?” she said. He saw a smile sneak across her face and then she was gone. -----Raea placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go back.” -----“Damn it all,” Tim sheathed his weapon. All of this time, all of this experience and training…what had he accomplished so far? He wanted to believe he became worthy of the title of Sentinel in the last month, but the battles never became easier, never any less frightening. Eric and the others tried to pat him on the back, but Dreiden’s cold glare and Deviana’s taunting words remained fixed in his mind. I’m still not good enough. I’m still…a burden.
The Anger of an Impatient Man -----Both the military and the Sentinels were hesitant to admit that the addition of the Fallen and the Marauders to their fighting forces was responsible for the shift. Tim supposed that it was not a great exaggeration to say that the whole of Khazan was coming down on Drekis’ army. -----However, he still felt rather insignificant—a survivor of the battles, not a contributor. If he had not been told about his true power, about the responsibilities he should inherit from his father, maybe he’d be content with that. But he was supposed to be important, and by not proving himself worthy of Khazan’s expectations—even Dreiden’s expectations—he felt that the war would only be prolonged. -----The sound of guns and lasers echoed behind them, but the new wave of soldiers allowed Tim and the others to escape the center of the battlefield. Eric led the way to the defensive line. -----Shadows darted across the ground, a mirror of the conflict above them. Lights in the sky expanded and collapsed. -----“We lost the front line command ship,” Lexington watched the aerial battle, “If the rest of them don’t hold up, we could find ourselves getting bombed.” -----“They won’t let that happen.” Lara replied. “We’ve even got Dollarcorp air forces on our side now, and we haven’t had to deal with a single bombardment since the whole ordeal started.” -----“Yeah, but you’re always the optimist.” Lex scratched the back of his hands while his eyes searched the sky. “I’ve got to be the one to imagine the worst case scenario.” -----Tim walked behind the group. He remained fixated on the eastern sector battle, barely visible at this distance, but still its sounds reached him. That’s where he should be, putting his powers to good use. -----“Don’t even think about it.” Raea scolded him. This wasn’t the first time she witnessed him space out at a distant battle. -----“I’m not tired yet.” Tim retorted. “I should go to the eastern sector with Dreiden and Tiara. Just being there might save dozens of lives.” -----Eric stopped, kneeled, and began to catch his breath. “Not tired he says, while half covered in blood. You’re a Sentinel all right.” -----The blood was already dry. He’d forgotten. His fingers clawed away at the stains, taking it off in flakes. -----Maya blocked a dust cloud from entering her eyes, then turned to Tim and gestured for him to move in front of her. “Don’t be so hasty; remember what you were told: even the desire to save lives could make your power unstable.” -----“I was also told to use the power for what I thought was right, in my heart.” Tim replied. “This…this doesn’t feel right.” -----“How about this…” Lexington slammed his knuckles over Tim’s head. “That feel good?” -----Tim reeled back, clutching his head and gritting through the pain. -----Raea stood speechless, mouth half open as if she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be appalled. After a moment of stuttering she managed to utter, “now, that was uncalled for.” -----“You wanna be a hero right?” Lex continued. “Well you need to remember that there are two types of heroes. The flashy types that Khazan attracts all the time, and the ones who are a bit closer to earth. The former…they’re a dime a dozen and they flicker out of the news headlines in a month or two. The latter…they know the difference between fighting for what they believe in, and being a reckless fool for a cause.” -----“You know the difference?” Tim said, still rubbing the sore spot. -----Lex grinned. “Not a damn clue. Oh, and by the way; that whole ‘what I think is right, in my heart’ deal…be careful with that one too. The heart’s ruled by feelings, and while it may sound romantic and what not…sometimes feelings just aren’t right.” -----“You’ve put in a good fight,” Maya said, “And you deserve some rest before the next battle. I think that’s what Lexington’s trying to say, am I right?” -----Lex shrugged. -----Once again, Tim found himself outnumbered. He still wanted to go back, but perhaps Lex was right; perhaps he knew what he had to do, but lacked the ability to carry it out all the time. Still, he longed for the day when his power could fulfill his desires, turn him into someone that evil fears. -----The sword at his hip glowed, sending blue waves around the scabbard. He never called for the blade to do anything, so…a warning. “Something’s coming.” He drew the weapon and turned back to the battle. -----Armored transports flew out of the smoke, rolling across the ground before bursting into flames. An explosion sent more than twenty soldiers into the air. This was not the work of a lesser minion. -----“What do we have here?” Eric asked. “One of those advocates or disciples I keep hearing about?” -----A lone figure stormed through the smoke, but he was not the image that anyone expected. What they thought should have been a dark, brooding demon of enormous stature was instead an elderly man, clad in brilliant white armor. He carried himself like a regal man, a silver-steel blade in his hand and a shield worn across his arm. -----“Is he…one of ours?” Raea asked, hands on her pistol. -----“Looks human, but I’ve heard that’s true of many of Drekis’ higher servants.” Maya replied. -----At first glance the man appeared to be walking, but his pace seemed unearthly fast for such a stride. He glared at them, his face a perpetual scowl. Nothing but resentment behind those wrinkles and white hairs, as if the world owed him a favor and he was out to claim it by force. -----“You…” his voice rumbled. Not the sound of an old man, but like the elder dragons of elvish fairy lore: strong and resounding, casting echoes where none should be allowed. “You who call yourselves heroes. You’re to blame for this!” -----“He cut through so many military forces to catch up with us,” Lara exclaimed, “We can’t let him reach the defensive line.” -----“He’ll also make a path for the deminites to get through.” Lex rolled up his sleeves. “Alright, we stop him here. Tim, you just back me up on this one. Let’s go Lara!” He activated the speed rune and took off. A wall of dust kicked up around them, but one wave from the old man’s arm cast the cloud away. -----Lex, barely visible, dashed to the man’s unguarded flank, but just as quickly the enemy turned and brought his shield up. Lexington’s knife hand rebounded off of the shield. Even with the blade rune up, not a single dent appeared. -----“This is my chance to prove myself.” the swordsman declared. “It’s always been my chance, but you people have made me sit here for four straight weeks with no progress. I won’t stand for it anymore!” He launched forward, blade in mid-swing. Lex spun around to attack from behind, but the old man kept up with him. -----“Shit, he’s fast,” Lex gulped as an armored elbow caught him in the chest. He darted back to avoid the sword, but the sheer force of that blade passing through the air split his left ear. -----Lara spun a ball above her head and then served it with her racket. The exploding projectile made its mark on the man’s shield but barely pushed him back. A small crack formed at the shield’s center. -----“You would attack I, Regulous Morikai, with these…games,” the man yelled. “I am a warrior; I will not stand for being treated lightly. Never again, certainly not by you.” -----“This guy’s a screwball,” Lexington said. “Tim, wait a moment…” -----But Tim wouldn’t let himself be stopped. Not this time. It was only one enemy; he had to be able to beat one enemy. They clashed, sword against sword. Their eyes locked, neither yielding. Morikai seemed to approve. Tim pushed forward, but even as Regulous seemed to step back, the blue light of his sword fell apart, crumbling into tiny embers that flowed into Regulous’ weapon. -----“Is that all!?” Regulous shouted. “Is this really what has been in my way this whole time!” He swung, throwing Tim off his feet. -----Tim wasn’t sure of what happened. One minute he felt stronger than Morikai, but the next he felt his strength drain away. He looked down at his sword, but it appeared to glow normally. -----Raea fired several rounds, but the white knight deflected every bolt. -----Eric and Maya jumped in. “Raea, Lara, go call for reinforcements.” Maya instructed. -----Eric cracked his knuckles. “A tough one this time. You distract him, and I’ll trap him in the fantasia.” -----They split up and flanked Morikai. He mocked them for staying out of his reach, but they weren’t about to fall for taunts. Maya called on the power of the lightning of the heavens, and numerous bolts of cosmic rays snapped from her fingers. Regulous parried the bolt, and a continuous stream of electricity flowed into his sword. -----Eric set up his preparations, but then Morikai shifted his footing and waved the sword in his direction. Suddenly Maya’s lightning leapt from the sword, blasting Melazai in the chest. He barely had time to cry out before the bolt sent him through the ground, leaving a short canyon in the field. -----Now Morikai’s blade grew black, and dark clouds emanated from the steel. -----“That sword is…” Maya jumped back as Regulous moved in. Again he moved faster than his own steps would suggest, as if he were leaping seconds ahead in time. Maya teleported, escaping the deathblow and appearing near Lara. -----Tim stood, raised his sword above his head. This man was too dangerous to take on in close combat, but he had an answer for that. In his mind he drew the shape of long spears, and so the blue flame formed these shapes above him. Six spears in all. -----“Celestial slayer,” he pointed the sword at his target. The spears launched, faster than any bullet. One struck Morikai’s shield and shattered it instantly. The others, however, were intercepted by his enemy’s sword. Any one of those spears should have been able to disarm him, but instead the blue energy seeped inside the steel. -----“He’ll absorb your energy.” Maya said. “If he could take celestial lightning, there may be no lim…” she fell to her knees, panting excessively. Lara grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling over. A quick inspection revealed a small cut over her arm, still teaming with dark clouds. She hadn’t escaped after all. -----“What did you do to her!” Lex came crashing in from above. His foot smashed down, but Regulous vanished and instead he splintered the rocks below. -----The white knight appeared looming over Maya, a smile on his face. “You’ve been inflicted with the ashenfel curse of this blade. Your fate is sealed.” Lara brought her tennis racket up, but a swift backhand from morikai knocked her out and sent her spinning in midair. A trail of blood cycled along with her. -----“You bastard!” Lexington charged, consumed with anger, but as he neared his enemy he instead dashed around him, avoiding the black weapon. “Damn it, even if I parry with the blade rune, your damn curse will probably still get me. And you were mocking our combat styles, mister warrior. Some knight you are.” -----“Status is the only thing that matters.” Morikai replied. “And Drekis rewards me for victory by any means necessary.” -----Tim launched an attack on Morikai’s flank, but found the man’s defense to be impervious. He increased his speed, shifting left and right, fading in and out of view, just like Tanin told him to. Regulous moved a step ahead, always catching each slash with his own sword. Lexington shouted something—a suggestion or an order, but his words were lost to him. He focused only on the clash. Raea…he needed to save Raea. -----“Get away from them!” Tim shouted. His next blow feinted against Regulous’ parry, but he pushed the white knight away. A clear shot; this is it. All vision of his sword burned away in a flash of light, replaced by a burning blue shaft of energy. -----Regulous seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. Flickers of power flew under his nose. He saw the blue fire, heard its deafening roar, tasted its purity, felt its unyielding pressure. “What in the nine hells…are you?” -----Tim answered with his attack. Judicator: the terrifying light he now controlled, wielded of his own free will. A flying beam, encircled in blue flame, seared across the valley. In an instant it overtook the knight, falling over him again and again like the waves of a brutal ocean. -----Lex kneeled and covered his eyes. The light faded. “Little excessive? You need to look before you leap with that one; the collateral damage potential with that one is huge.” -----The sword continued its glow. Impossible, but… -----White armor shined, reflecting the light of a second blazing sword. Regulous stood holding a blade that now closely resembled his own, with metallic steel replaced with an azure energy. Trails of fire were etched into the ground in the wave’s wake, but these, too, jumped from their fire pits and quickly spiraled into Morikai’s greedy weapon. -----“I was afraid of that.” Lex groaned. “Maya’s right, he may have no limit.” -----“That can’t be,” Tim refused to believe it. He took out entire hordes of deminites with Judicator in the past. Morlos Gao fell dead to it in an instant. No creature that called Drekis master should survive. Obviously it wasn’t enough. -----Obviously, he needed more. -----“Change of plans Tim,” Lex continued, “I’m going to use…” -----“I just need you to believe in me.” Tim shouted defiantly. “Just let me do this, believe that I can do this. All of you.” Blue radiance circled and grew around the blade, becoming a churning cyclone. -----Raea outstretched a hand, but remained speechless, stuck in awe of the power Tim radiated. Then she choked out the words: “Tim…you can’t control that yet, please…” -----“Raea, you at least, I need you to trust me.” Tim said, taking two steps forward. “That’s all I need, and I can do this!” He sprinted, holding the sword far form his body while the artificial wind scattered the air about him. -----“Unbelievable power,” Regulous said, “but I’ll take all of it from you. Everything you have to give.” -----Their blades met, but the blue-light gale deflected Regulous’ strike. Sparks flew. Sharp wind grinded the sword. Some of that wind still flew listlessly into his enemy’s blade, but the moment of separation allowed him to get one extra strike. His blade tip stabbed low, piercing through the white plates. -----Regulous turned sideways, letting Tim’s sword slice open the armor but only graze the skin. He stepped back. “I see, you’re able to play offense and defense with that at once. Ha, and now it’s more like a drill than anything else.” -----“I’ll cut you apart.” Tim said. He tried to look as menacing as he could, but in reality he found it difficult to grip the hilt in this condition. -----“You should be more concerned with helping that elfin girl.” Regulous taunted, slowly circling around Tim. “It’s an incredible pain, you know. Endless torture. She’ll long for death hours before it finally releases her from the experience.” -----“Then how about you try it!” Lexington screamed. The soul rune flared across his right arm; bulbs of golden power danced among his fingertips, then came together and fired. His arm, a cannon bearing down on the enemy, released the soul rune’s judgment on Morikai’s character. The white knight moved his sword to intercept, but there was no tangible energy for him to steal here. -----A second passed before he felt the pain. He grasped at his throat as if someone were crushing it in, then clasped at his hair, bit his lip, slashed his sword aimlessly in the ground. “What did you…do…” he screamed. A roar that outdid any airship cannon. -----“Guess I was right again.” Lex said. “So it’s definitely true; some of you aren’t like the fodder minions. You have souls of your own; and yours…it’s as dark as they come. I’d expect nothing less from someone who has probably inflicted that curse on hundreds of people.” -----Regulous spat out inaudible curses, but the pain stripped him of all speech. As if sensing that this affliction would not end soon, Morikai jumped away, and in seconds was well out of reach. -----Tim stood there, his chest heaving. He couldn’t believe it was over. The violent winds died, leaving his sword colorless. By the time he turned around, Lex already made it to Lara. -----The young girl opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m…fine.” -----“Like hell you are.” Lex retorted. “I’m taking you back to Axia Prime.” He lifted her up and cradled her in his arms. -----“There’s no need to go that far. Alpath will be fine.” She insisted. -----“No…we need to go to Prime.” Eric Melazai knelt over Maya and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. He saw her breath slowly, and her eyes flickered, but she showed signs of gradually losing consciousness. She was probably fighting through the pain even as they spoke. “I haven’t seen a curse this potent before. No one in Alpath can help her.” -----Tim sheathed his sword. “Eric, are you…?” -----“I’m fine.” He replied, taking Maya up in his arms. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve seen enough fighting for today.”
New Menace -----And the flash would die away. Fade. There was the battle again, waiting for him. Bullets splashing across dirt, throwing burning grass, tearing off metal legs. The war always waited for him; every time he fell out of step with reality—it was there. -----But this time the light faded, and one of his own lay on the ground, missing half of his mecha. The Stormbringer clawed at the ground with its one good hand; the right half of its chassis seemed melted, dripping silver bubbles. -----“Shit!” Takuma thrust forward the controls, making the Gemini jump over his downed comrade. Particle beams intended for Kurt’s wounded machine struck his shields. Almost depleted. Flashing targets zipped onto the side panel view screen, revealing those responsible for the bombardment. Three bioships in fighter mode came in low, practically surfing on the upturned warzone. -----“I need a perimeter around Arlington!” Takuma yelled. His eyes assessed each enemy individually; he determined the most damaged target. A quick turn on the right arm control shifted the Gemini into a crouched position. The right arm cannon lifted. Red light gathered into the barrel. -----Sensing the danger, the bioships split, reaching for the sky again. He followed the damaged one. Squeezed the trigger. Gemini fell back into a standing position while the ray beam cut into the sky. The bioship burst into pieces, the bulk of which fell to the ground inflamed. -----“Report in Corporal,” Takuma looked down at the Stormbringer, “Tell me you’re alright soldier.” Though it clearly wasn’t in fighting shape, the center chest piece looked like it sustained minimal damage. -----A rough cough scrambled through the comm. system. Only the words “Damn, I messed up…” followed. -----“Hang in there.” Takuma peeked at the radar, keeping track of his teammate’s locations, but they were swamped by enemy forces. “Why are so many getting through? What the hell happened to the formation!?” -----“Damn Fallen failed to hold the North front.” Paul grunted as he fired his heaviest cannon into a group of devonox. The Senki’s shields were already down, but a heavy shield wall in its hands still staved off attacks. “Knew we couldn’t trust the bastards to do anything right.” -----“Stop complaining,” Ceceilia yelled, “they’re coming in, three o’clock.” The derringer rolled to the Senki’s side, firing away with a set of pistols. -----“Even the small fry are getting through now?” Paul asked. “This is crazy. Everything’s falling apart.” -----And we haven’t received any updated orders at all, Takuma thought. “Change of plans. We’re switching to a defensive strategy. Sergeant Atatsuya, get in the sky and backup Foster and Cole; I don’t want anymore bioships getting by the air forces got it! Lieutenant Angelhart, you’re with me and Graham. Let’s get Kurt out of here.” -----Together they pulled the Stormbringer away while half of the team fought in a burning sky. Allied forces ran past. Less than half returned to fall back. Still no orders. -----Then a familiar voice got on the channel, but not the voice he expected. “This is Jennifer Chase with the Mobile Police. The mobile command platform has been destroyed…” she paused; only static came through, and then, “we’ve lost the admirals airship. All air forces are losing ground. I’m taking command of the northern mechanized units…and I’m pulling us out of here.” -----“What about Captain Waters?” Another voice asked. -----“Gone.” Chase’s response came swiftly. “We can’t survive for long without air support, not with that many bioships still flying.” -----A section of Gemini’s shoulder parted, loosing four small missiles that swarmed over two devonox creatures, felling them in mid-charge. “We need a transport for evac; I’ve got the distress beacon flashing. If not an air transport, then ground will do.” -----Several voices cried over the speaker, barking orders and instructions, but the chain of command seemed to be broken. They’d been routed—completely caught off guard. But by what? -----“What the hell are they!” One voice called out. Others began to describe the terror, but were shortly cut off. -----A large armored van spun in from behind. Its sides opened up, revealing a platform. Lasers flew overhead. -----“That’s our ticket. Load him up!” Takuma ordered. -----“More bioships breaking through,” Paul yelled, “I’ll cover!” He arced the long shaft-cannon toward the sky and fired three deafening rounds. -----The ground shook, making it hard for them to load the Stormbringer. Too many targets were coming in for the Senki to handle alone. Takuma had to let go, but he knew the Stormbringer would likely fall from the platform; but if he didn’t, they wouldn’t survive the next pass. -----Three more mecha jumped in. Mobile Police. Their repeating guns blazed, intercepting and detonating enemy missiles. The lead mech raised a shoulder cannon and destroyed a bioship. -----“Metalneck and I will help with covering fire, the rest of you assist the evac.” Jennifer Chase said. -----“I appreciate the assistance officer chase.” Takuma let out a deep breath. “Good to know we can count on the mobile police in times like this.” -----“Better than those Fallen guys…all talk and no action.” Paul muttered. “Just what the hell happened to the frontline anyway?” -----“Something we haven’t seen before—something horrible.” Chase replied. “I saw them myself, a horde of monsters that ripped through every facet of our army. My god they…I still can’t believe they flanked the command…the platform just stood no chance. Damn it.” -----“You’re kidding me!” Ceceilia said. “Little minions like the deminites did all this?” -----“Nothing about these devils were normal.” Chase said. “Seeker Ravan, any luck indentifying them?” -----Telissa’s voice slowly crept online. Takuma could already read the tone: no good news. “These things are…completely different,” she said, “no record of them anywhere during the old war—and the GDF documented everything then.” -----“So they brought shiny new toys?” Graham asked. -----“That’s why we need to fall back now.” Chase said. “We don’t know how to fight them yet. They’re wielding so many supernatural powers, and they…they never die. You blow them to pieces and the pieces just come after you.” -----“Incoming!” A random voice shouted just before a burning airship crashed a hundred meters west of them. The shockwave sent a hail of dust over them all. Radar and comm. went dead. Lights flickered. -----The Stormbringer shook slightly, and Arlington’s voice groaned as soon as the system resurfaced. “You’ll be alright.” Takuma gripped the controls and finished loading the mech. The transport rolled out soon after, gunning for the rear guard. -----“Everyone fall back.” Jennifer said again. “Send word to Axia Prime, tell them we need emergency reinforcements and…” -----A wave of destruction fell over the battlefield. For a moment the tremors seems to blast apart the Khazanian lines, but after a few minutes Takuma opened his eyes to find that he was, in fact, still in one piece. The blasts were from bombs: high yield plasma bombs falling from above. At maximum yield those things rendered everything in their blast radius a torched pile of bones; only one group still used those weapons so readily. -----“Dollarcorp?” Graham scoffed. “Now they make themselves useful.” -----“Unbelievable.” Jennifer double-checked the sensors. “Over two-thousand combat drones?” -----“This is Dollarcorp combat fleet thirty-four,” a digitized voice scrambled through their communicators, “we’ll assist with the evacuation. All Khazan forces pull back to Volandia’s border.” -----“Looks like we’ll be able to get out of here without any more casualties.” Takuma fired up Gemini’s engines and began floating back to the city lines. -----“Sure, unless they bomb a few of us on the way out.” Paul added. -----Takuma looked back, barely able to see any of the battlefield now that it was clouded by a wall of bomb explosions. Somewhere in that veil of smoke, an enemy waited that he didn’t see yet; a kind of enemy that people whispered in terror to their fellow soldiers; a kind of terror that left Officer Chase at a loss for words. His imagination ran wild. What phantoms were responsible for this? What ghosts chased him away?
Her Final Decision -----Her seat shook. Something zoomed by her window, sending a tremor across the interior. Her eyes darted. Just a Khazan escort mech. -----“You did good today.” Shinsuke said quietly. -----He sat next to her, leaned back and arms perfectly perched on the rests. She thought he’d been sleeping the whole time and his voice seemed to jump out of nowhere. He cocked his head back, staring at the roof of the vehicle. -----Natsumi cupped her hands in her lap. “I didn’t do anything but stay in the back.” The green blob at her feet stared back at her with eyes too bulbous and cute for such an unnerving thing; but somehow the faceless thing furrowed its body into a puppy-like picture of pity-filled compassion. She placed a foot on its head and rolled it back and forth. -----“You’re still just a child,” he replied, “Even if you decided to help now, we can’t have you getting into scrapes.” -----“Lots of the recognized heroes are young.” Natsumi always read articles about the up and coming fresh faces: the new Khazanian heroes who were barely two years her senior. “They’re probably doing more than I am right now. I just stood there shaking…I don’t think I remember much of what happened.” -----He looked at her, but she had to turn away, to the faceless sky. The bat Shinigami flapped its wings over the top of her chair. The ferret curled around her hands and slept. -----“All of us appreciate what you’ve decided to do; there’s no denying you’ve become a brave soul.” Shinsuke said. “But don’t be too eager to step into the heroes world just yet. It’s tough enough without the war.” -----“I still haven’t changed enough,” she winced, “I mean I wanted to, but I still can’t stop shaking or screaming…God I think I saw our own guys covering their ea…” -----“Your fear isn’t a weakness. You’re probably the most rational person left on the planet.” -----She crossed her arms, rousing the ferret up. It danced from knee to knee before standing up, head half turned to blink twice in her direction. “I never expected to become a knight in shining armor in one month. Maybe never. Just wanted to help people; didn’t want to keep seeing people did if I could…” -----“I know. That’s all we can really hope for.” -----“But I—” -----“You saved hundreds of lives,” he said, “just by directing your shinigami. Taking fractions of energy from the healthiest soldiers and delivering it to the wounded is one of the cleverest on-the-spot ideas I’ve seen anyone come up with, and you get all the credit for that ingenuity.” -----Natsumi rested her head, but kept looking out the window. The outskirts of Axia Prime appeared below. The whole trip from the western front turned out to be a rocky mess, but now she barely felt the sharp drop in altitude. -----In the reflection she noticed Vincentzo Maiinverno strolling up the walkway. He dished out praises randomly, as if shouting them too fast for him to take notice of whom he was speaking to. He’d done nothing but talk about the victory for the last two hours. -----“They stood no chance against me, and certainly not against all of us.” The mage boasted. “Noble justice is on my side, mark my words. And I won’t stand for just defending the western front. No, we’ll push them back. All the way back to Arael, where we’ll take back my city!” -----Shinsuke pushed his seat further back. “See, now you don’t want to end up as zealous as him. He’s happy at least. Been a long time since I’ve heard that cocky tone in him.” -----Vincentzo walked by, extending a hand toward them as he passed. “Shinsuke, my friend, that was a glorious combination we pulled. The blazing sky spell and your ice—like a storm of meteors and hail. We showed them what true power is.” -----“Don’t make it out to be so easy.” Shinsuke replied. “We took plenty of losses on our side to hold the fort.” -----“Of course I feel for every sacrifice we endure,” Maiinverno stated, “especially since half our fighting force are residents of Araelis. Come to think of it, the fights out here have gotten less damaging. I wonder if they’re shifting most of their force to the north—whatever the case, we have to take advantage of it.” -----The royal mage began to saunter off, eagerly boasting to the next face, but he turned, glanced at her. Such a big, toothy smile, but still…“Oh, and I must thank you as well miss. All of the injured believe they owe you a debt of gratitude for seeing them home safely.” -----Even after he finally left, she was uncertain of inviting the words of praise into her thoughts. She didn’t know what to make of any of it—everything down there happened so fast, like a dream. All rhyme and reason banished to action. -----But if she really was responsible for protecting those soldiers, then maybe, she thought, she could be happy with just that. The ferret squeaked at her. She rubbed a finger over its soft little head.
Speaker for the…Undead -----“The Fallen isle is taken care of.” Drekis held his arms up, claws open wide, and a red light flashed through the chamber. A pulsing wall appeared before him. Dripping, bulging sacs squirmed between the darkstone; their thin, slick skin stretched while the things inside slithered about—ready to be born. “I have little use for the island other than to serve as a shipyard hive for terror beasts. I left Relinqiest to oversee its development. We only need to keep the Fallen from retaking it.” -----“They’ve become desperate.” Veronica crossed her arms. “Joining ranks with the heroes. But the alliance is proving problematic; I’ve heard the battle for Axia isn’t going so smoothly.” -----“And you want permission to lend a hand?” Drekis grinned. His clenched his hands and several sacs busted, revealing slender, scythe-blade arms. “There’s no need to worry; not when our newest creations are ready to turn the war in my favor again.” -----“But most of the Generals are focused on attack,” she replied, “leaving most of our occupation sites ill-protected. Things in Thenesiea are pretty much done; I could…” -----“No.” Drekis boomed. “You’ll keep waiting until I call on you. Axia is only a stepping stone; now Khazan City—that is where all of you will be needed. I don’t want to hear anything more on the matter. If the Khazanians launch a bold attack, we have the Saramach to deal with them. Or even…my other self.” -----Veronica shrugged. “As you wish Lord Drekis. But bi-location was a risky move to pull while taking on the Fallen. You are stronger when you’re not in two places at once. Jon probably wouldn’t approve; you don’t want to have your generals fretting all over the place.” -----Drekis laughed. The red light dimmed. Daemon always maintained such a playful demeanor. “Yes, I suppose Avalon would; but it turned out to be beneficial. After all, I’m fighting that man’s heir, and he already demonstrated some level of control over his power. I need to stay one step ahead of him, to be ready for our next clash.” -----One of the winding tunnels leading in to the hive chamber lit up, as if cast in flames. An orange light ventured closer, skewering the dark. -----“You’re rather popular today.” Veronica mused. She waved a hand at the shadow priests. “I guess that’s all for my report. I’ll await further orders as you say; please don’t keep me too bored now.” The astral projection sparked away, and the shadow priests flew off. -----Two shadows appeared in the orange light. Heavy foot falls scraped against the darkstone. Drekis could sense the presence of his general. “Attragon, you’ve brought someone before me?” -----The armored warrior set a hand on the wall and pulled his hulking frame through the tunnel’s maw. “Forgive the short notice; Ashvaraad wished to speak with you.” He stepped aside, allowing the much smaller torch bearer to enter. -----Ashvaraad pulled back his hood. The skeletal half of his face pulsed as he bowed. -----“You again?” Drekis’ body weaved along the dark, becoming like a shadow that strolled just outside of the torch-light’s reach. “Do the Saramach always send you and you alone to do their dirty work?” -----The ambassador slowly moved his free hand through the fire, but though he seemed to intentionally seek searing pain, the emaciated fingers did not burn. “It is my duty—as flame of saramach, the messenger. The curse that we Saramach endure, is one that spiritually binds every one of us together; but I, especially, share their pain. The torch bearer is their nexus, the one who at all times feels the Saramach’s collective sorrow and desire. It is for that reason, that I alone have the right to speak on behalf of my people.” -----Drekis’ right eye glowed. A black limb entered the light, extending toward the torch. Sharp fingers grew, wrapped just outside of the fire’s touch; he could feel the powerful warmth. A power that could ignite an entire countryside lay in this one torch. Perhaps it was the only reminder of warmth that the Saramach had left. “I understand. So you carry quite a burden with you.” -----“No other among the undead has lost their humanity as much as I,” Ashvaraad removed his hand from the fire, “but no other is also reminded of what he has lost, as constantly as I. So few of us are left, that remember what it meant to live.” -----“I imagine you would do much to reclaim some of it.” -----The flame of saramach stepped back. He watched Drekis’ black tendrils loop around the fire, then looked away. The eye in his dead-half rolled in its socket. “We desire an end, to all that which the powers that be covet. Those powers, who made us like this, left us like this.” -----“I see.” The shadowy arm recoiled into the dark. “And you have already contributed to that; these new creatures, the sarakites, perform magnificently in battle. The culmination of all those heroes we’ve killed in battle, and the twilight of undeath brought to us by the Saramach. I’ve created a hybrid that even the new alliance won’t be able to stop once it’s been replicated enough.” -----“I’m glad you are happy with our efforts,” Ashvaraad replied, “but my master wished to ask of you, a favor. He would like to borrow from you at least a hundred of the new Sarakites, and use them to reinforce our numbers in Cretalia.” -----Attragon shifted his gaze to the ambassador. “That is quite a bold favor to ask. Why does lord Melfyre seek such aid even though the Sarakites barely have any experience in battle?” -----“The Saramach can hold Cretalia, but with the galleons stuck at sea, we don’t have the power to move into the mainland without leaving our new territory defenseless. With a hundred Sarakites we believe it would change matters.” -----Drekis looked at the hive wall, where well over a hundred pulsing sacs would soon give birth to the hybrid minions. “I didn’t think Melfyre had it in him to request such direct assistance from my empire; but fortune favors the bold, as they say.” He laughed. “A hundred Sarakites is nothing at all; I’ll easily grant a small army of them to the Saramach at no detriment to myself. Be grateful.” -----Ashvaraad smiled. His jaw creaked. “You’re too kind my lord. I will inform the Saramach right away.” His torch flickered violently.
Saramach’s Ambition -----“Dead carcasses are carried down here.” Attragon said. The Avatar of War seemed to recognize his revulsion. “Heroes that we’ve killed. They’re all kept in piles in chambers nearby. I was allowed to create a special servant to recognize my position as general, and she was made using their organic material to give her strength.” -----“My, isn’t that wonderful for you.” Ashvaraad replied. The torch fire grew in response to the breeze, at one point nearly leaping from the shaft. He walked down the tunnel, escorted by Attragon on orders to lead him out of the hive. Only his torch gave them light down here; he wondered if Drekis and his kind spent every hour in this place covered in darkness. “I suppose the same was done with the Sarakites.” -----“Yes. Melfyre was right to put his faith in Drekis. The applications of his power never cease to amaze me.” -----Ashvaraad held the torch out to cast the light further down; he looked ahead, but saw nothing more than the same smooth darkstone. “I don’t like coming down here. So lifeless.” -----“You should see the lower levels,” Attragon thrust his thumb at the floor, “they’re always teeming with new born minions.” -----“Mindless creatures who’ve never known what it is to live or love.” Ashvaraad retorted. His bony jaw detached slightly, but he caught it at the chin and shook it back into place. “Nothing like us. It’s even more depressing here.” -----Attragon paused, looking down at the Flame of Saramach. Ashvaraad hated not being able to see what those eyes of his were doing beyond the helm. -----Then the avatar said, “You said yourself, that few of you remember your old lives. I fail to see the difference between the minions and your skeleton people.” -----“I haven’t forgotten.” Ashvaraad sneered. “I carry all of it with me, and as long as I’m around, there will always be those who remember.” -----“That sounds rather dramatic for a race that pledged itself to another power, even going as far as to be absorbed into it.” -----Ashvaraad lowered the torch and covered his face with his cloaked hood. “Lord Melfyre knew that something like the Sarakites would be born from this alliance. Everything is going according to plan.” -----They walked past an open chamber, again made of unnaturally level darkstone, but dome-shaped and large enough to fit a sea-king whale. For a brief moment, when the edges of the torch light seeped inside, he saw the aforementioned corpse pile, strewn together with limbs and torsos. Few of the bodies were whole, and those that were looked horribly burned. -----“I did think Melfyre’s request was odd.” Attragon stopped and crossed his arms. “Tell me, ambassador, just what does Saramach intend to do with the minions Drekis lends you?” -----Ashvaraad turned his head, peering just underneath his hood. “So he really didn’t tell you? As I suspected…though I suppose he had no reason to. You’ve never been one of us Attragon, just a lone soul who ended up in our land.” -----“Does he intend to study the sarakites? Use them as a means to reproduce the undead so Saramach can flourish?” -----The ambassador laughed. “Creating more of us? Waste of time. But don’t you worry about it Attragon. Continue being Drekis’ general if that’s what makes you happy. After all, war is what you naturally desire. Us…we’re looking forward to a new dawn, and we count on Drekis to get us there.” -----The flames flickered. Ahead the tunnel sloped upwards. At last the deathly chill disappeared. Ashvaraad held up a hand, indicating that he knew the rest of the way from here. “I’m sure Lord Saramach knows what he’s doing. We’ll create our own little pile, with the Sarakites help of course.”
Return to Axia Prime -----Relatively speaking, Prime wasn’t far from the battlefield, but now it seemed so removed from the war. Paranoia and panic settled down, turning instead to confidence and faith in the heroes of Khazan; the citizens went about their daily lives, filling the streets with marketplace consumers. This is exactly what the leaders of Khazan wanted: for the people to be relaxed—sure of themselves, of the future. -----He didn’t want people to feel that way; it may seem coarse to others, but Tim thought no one deserved to distance themselves from the war just yet. The recent string of victories for Khazan sent the nexus into elation, and perhaps with good reason, but a cloud of dread hung over the world; something ominous lurked beyond his vision, but he knew it was coming. Just a matter of time. Maybe he was the only one who felt it. -----But now they were bringing a small reminder of that reality back to Axia Prime. -----Eric slowly descended. Maya lay in his arm. Her eyes closed, arms dangling. Veins throughout her body were visible—darker than her clothes. Strands of lavender hair fell into the air as Eric walked. -----The other battle-worn heroes surrounded the wounded woman, forming an entourage that caught the attention of the citizens. Worried glances came their way. -----Sinriel, the white wolf, stormed out of a party that arrived to meet the new arrivals. His master, Sylvia, clung to his shoulders. As soon as they neared she jumped off and clasped Maya’s hand. -----“She has no warmth, but she’s alive. I can feel such a small life force, but…” Sylvia moved her open palms up and down Maya’s body. She must be scanning Maya’s condition, but Tim could not see her power in motion. -----“An enemy put a curse on her,” Eric said, lifting Maya a little higher, “she’s getting worse every minute.” -----“The curse didn’t just affect her body; it’s growing on her soul, becoming deeper, heavier.” Sylvia closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded sharply. “I can cure this curse. But I need to take her indoors and to a warm bed.” -----Without instruction, Sinriel morphed into his heron form and bared his empty back to them. Eric placed Maya on the bird. He dropped his arms, then his hands, and then finally his fingers left her to Sinriel’s care. -----“Hold on there, just a bit longer.” Eric whispered. -----Sylvia took to her mount and stroked the heron’s nimble neck. “Quickly now,” she said, and the graceful animal flew off. -----Tim stood behind Melazai, watching the heron head for the royal towers. “Eric, I’m sorry that I, that I couldn’t…” -----“Stop it.” Eric said, still facing forward. “We were all there. All of us messed up.” -----“Right.” Tim said quietly. He looked ahead and noticed Uberman, leader of the SLJ, approaching them from the welcoming party. His arms and shoulders sported a larger frame: new weapon and power cell emplacements. -----Uberman shook Melazai’s hand. “It looks like she’ll pull through. I’m glad to see all of you.” -----Lexington moved up and gave off a quick, emphatic salute, followed by a wink. “So, you’re taking time out of your busy schedule to meet us in person. We’re honored.” -----Uberman laughed, but as he looked back at the palace, he seemed unnerved. “Anytime I can get away from that place, its welcome. I don’t have to tell you how uncomfortable I am sharing a war room with Devyn and Toc.” -----“Speaking of which,” Izohn Falaris, the masked Marauder, stood at the back of the welcoming party, “we’re due to have another uncomfortable session in less than an hour.” -----“Falaris.” Lex groaned. “Still acting like you’re the big man in the city, eh? Good to see you reduced to Toc’s schedule-bot.” -----“I may not have as much say in the organization as I used to,” Izohn replied, “but if you need help protecting your woman, don’t hesitate to ask me for more manpower. I’m sure I could arrange something.” -----Lex looked to the side. Lara sat in a mobile wheel chair, sliding down the off ramp with assistance from Raea. The blunt trauma she suffered was severe, but at least she regained consciousness during the flight. Miles stared at Falaris, but said nothing. -----“That’s enough.” Uberman held up a metal hand. “I get more than my share of this behind closed doors.” -----Lex motioned for Raea to move aside and then took hold of the wheelchair. “I’ll take her to the hospital. The rest of you, try to get some rest while you can.” -----The welcoming party split up; most headed for the palace, while a few escorted wounded soldiers. Tim walked away from the crowds, tightening his jacket as the northern winds swept over the city. He strolled into a lonely street lined with quiet homes. Not a person in sight. A nearby lamppost flickered, seeming to repeat a signal of desperate flashes against quick seconds of death. -----Soft footsteps behind him; he recognized the gait. Raea. -----“You going back to the palace too?” She asked. -----Tim shoved his hands in his pocket. The winds picked up and the post flickers shortened. “I don’t know. Not really the first thing I want to do, after just getting back.” -----Raea shrugged. “Been a long time since we’ve been away from the frontline; I’m sure the Queen will understand.” -----“Yeah,” Tim looked at the sky, “I think, for the time being, I just want to be alone.” -----“I thought so.” Raea stepped forward, tugged at his sleeve. “You take care of yourself, you hear? Everyone…I, am always here, but you’ve got to help yourself. That’s your number one priority.” She walked away. -----Tim laughed. “So is that a heroic quality, having to help yourself?” -----“Of course,” she answered as she walked, “a hero’s no good to anybody if he isn’t good to himself.” -----He watched her walk off into the marketplace. Many bright lights flashed where the food courts and trinket-sellers were just setting up for their most hectic hours. The night life was settling in. The sword at his hip glowed for a moment; he grabbed the hilt instinctively, but when he looked down the scabbard was dull. -----The light-post above him stopped flickering.
Friction -----It was a necessity, or so he was told. -----She sat in the center, curled up, arms around her knees. Her wings fell to the side, occasionally wiping at sweat puddles. Sometimes she looked lifeless, sitting there, barely breathing. But she took it all, never voicing a single complaint. If this was the Sentinels subtle way of making her as uncomfortable as possible, it wasn’t working. -----“You know, it would be easier on you if you told us something.” Tanin told her. “Anything.” -----Her eyes opened. Such a beautiful face; nothing about her reminded him of the demons he’d seen on the battlefield. As always, she just stared at the person questioning her and said nothing. -----“You know we’ve already found him.” Tanin exclaimed. “We know where the main hive is. I’ve even tangoed with your master, or at least a piece of him. The way things are going now, it won’t be long before we push your guys back; but we’d prevent a lot of sacrifices if you told us something.” -----“You really think she cares?” Kaas hissed from the shadows. His bulky frame stepped out of the darkness. He looked at the containment field, seeming amused. “I’m surprised you Sentinels actually have something like this; but you’re still too soft. She won’t talk to you just because you ask, not when she’s refused to talk for over a month.” -----“And what would you do?” Tanin asked angrily. “We’ve already used brain divers, but telepathy has barely gotten anything out of her.” -----“Telepathy?” Kaas’ laughter boomed. “Pathetic. If you want to interrogate someone, you break the body. The mind will follow shortly.” He waved an open arm across the force field, casting sparks. “Turn this piss-poor cage of yours to maximum—fry her wings off. See how much she tells you then.” -----“I’m sure you’ve got plenty of experience treating people like that.” Tanin replied. -----Kaas slowly walked around the perimeter. “Of course, the Fallen have a much more direct approach. I’ve seen the torture chambers, seen some of your Sentinels go through the ropes. I think some of them shouted your name. Friends of yours, perhaps.” -----Through the red-tinted field, Tanin could see the sharp toothed grin that the Avatar of Darkness flashed. His fist tightened, but he crossed his arms and took a deep breath. “You know I don’t think I’ve mentioned how much a pleasure its been working with you.” -----“Likewise.” Kaas completed his revolution and walked up to Tanin. “But you know what I’m saying is true. You’re being too soft. Put us in charge of the interrogation, we’d have her talking in hours.” -----“At what cost?” Tanin almost sneered as looked his old enemy in the eye. -----“What? What do you stand to lose!?” Kaas yelled, his teeth grinding just inches away from Tanin’s nose. “Your dignity? Honor? Pride? Tell me how much those are worth to you after your weakling friends throw their lives away on the battlefield.” -----“Don’t you belittle them and what they’ve lost!” Tanin grabbed Kaas’ neck guard and tugged him close. -----Kaas grasped Tanin’s wrist and squeezed until the Avatar of Light’s armor shook. “You’re so worried about them, but you wouldn’t dig yourself into such a small, fleeting bit of darkness even if it meant saving them all. That’s what I’ve always hated about you.” -----“And you always have such a one-sided mind.” Tanin answered back. “Always thinking there’s just one path to take; but there’s always another way, and you keep taking the worst one. That’s why I’ve always…pitied people like you.” -----The dark Avatar groaned and pushed Tanin away. “So you’ll stick to your stupid heroics. If you’re so concerned about your own reputation, give her to us; turn her over to the Fallen. We’ll get you the information and you can claim no part in it—still get your sleep at night.” -----Tanin watched Maria as her legs slid straight and her body fell back. Just as it seemed that she might collapse, her arms moved back and supported her. The eagle-like wings flapped. She still said nothing, showed no sign of interest or repulsion, but those eyes watched intently. -----“Don’t forget,” Tanin said, “that we’re working together on this. Either we all do it or none of us do it.” -----“Right.” Kaas seemed to repress some laughter. He headed for the exit. “All of us, or none of us. Amusing.” -----“Well,” Tanin sighed after Kaas left, “looks like I’ll come back another day.” He went to turn the lights down. -----“You won’t win.” Maria said. Her voice was so soft. -----Tanin froze, thinking he may have imagined the words. It seemed like they just came out of thin air. -----“You’re just like the others.” She said, looking down at the floor. “Your alliance is a sham; nothing but people working towards their own ends.” -----“What…” Tanin turned. “What are you talking about now?” -----“That division between you,” she whispered, “it’ll kill you all.”
Chapter 26 |