Shades of Death

by Ramy Vance

  “Which leaves you, Anabelle. You’re going to handle this mission.” Roy activated his comm. “What’s the status on Blackwell and Naota? They getting along yet?”

  A voice piped up. “Yes, sir. They’re buddies now. Took a lot of Clockwork Orange reprogramming, but we got there.”

  “Good.” He shut off his comm and turned to Anabelle. “I’ll send Blackwell and Naota with you. A small squad to break into this Dark Gate, disable it, and get the resistance defenses up and running. We’ll coordinate with Sarah and Kravis. We move out tomorrow.”

  Silence fell over the war room before Roy stood and said, “This is our big push. If Abby’s right, this offensive will make or break the war with the Dark One.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Anabelle woke up and meditated. She’d never been comfortable with a morning practice, but recently, the early sessions had been growing on her. If she thought about it, she was inspired by Abby, who was early to rise and late to sleep. Anabelle wondered what her life would have been like if she’d had a similar work ethic as the child.

  Memories were becoming easier to access for Anabelle. Many still remained hidden, but Anabelle was beginning to feel more complete and at home within herself.

  Is it because of Grok?

  Anabelle had never been challenged by an opponent like Grok before. The orc’s skills were the closest to Anabelle’s Traveler training, and even that hadn’t been so much a challenge as an obligation.

  The elf’s time with Myrddin, playing the role of a model while also stealing important national secrets, hadn’t been challenging in the proper sense of the word. The hardest part of the job was keeping from punching her marks in the face.

  Grok had presented a different problem. One Anabelle hadn’t faced before. This was the first time Anabelle had come across a problem she could not solve with the tools she possessed.

  The option of a charming Grok was laughable. And no matter how much Anabelle pushed her body, she didn’t seem capable of besting the orc.

  Still, seeing Grok’s face light up during their last battle had taught Anabelle something she’d never known about herself.

  When she had first witnessed Terra’s delight in battle, she’d been floored. She had been envious of someone who enjoyed pushing themselves to their limits. Anabelle had never needed to really try at anything before. It had all come so naturally. Many younger Travelers who had gone before her had failed. Anabelle had only ever been slightly annoyed.

  Grok was the first thing to actively push against Anabelle in a way she couldn’t easily ignore. And it was exhilarating. Initially, she’d been terrified by the look of murderous lust in Grok’s eyes. Now, the elf saw something else entirely; she saw a door to possibilities.

  But focusing on Grok during meditation was stupid. Anabelle should be looking at the past, finding lessons there. But she didn’t care. She wanted to think about Grok. It felt good to allow herself to finally start obsessing. The orc was doing the same thing. Probably lightyears away, Anabelle knew Grok was thinking about her.

  There was nothing else either of them could do; they were connected. Neither would be able to rest until the other one lay dead at their feet.

  Anabelle found Blackwell and Naota in the hangar, speaking to Creon and Abby. When Abby and Creon spotted Anabelle coming toward them, they moved away, leaving Blackwell and Naota alone.

  Anabelle hadn’t seen the two humans together since the battle with the lich where they had almost killed each other. She hadn’t given their recovery much thought; there hadn’t been time. Everyone had been in crisis-mode since that day.

  What surprised her was she hadn’t been worried about either of them. Not that she hadn’t cared. But rather that she had known they would pull through. They were strong. Naota was a little bit odd, and Blackwell probably a little too rigid, but the two men were tough. Besides, they hadn’t been in the medbay. Anabelle would have had to hunt them down. She couldn’t imagine having wasted time on that.

  Even Anabelle had to admit that her feelings toward humanity had changed. When she had first met Blackwell, she’d believed he was a child, incapable of defending himself and needing to be babysat during the entire mission.

  Blackwell had proven her wrong, revealing he was more than capable of leading his squad. And he’d only continued to impress her with his dedication and leadership.

  Naota had been another story altogether. Her initial impression of Naota was that he was an idiot who was going to get himself killed. She had been taken aback by his decision to join the fight at an amusement park he’d worked at, knowing nothing about the stakes and being—what she had believed at the time—a lowly human.

  Now Naota was leading alongside Blackwell. And his demeanor hadn’t changed ; he was still the same confusing oddball.

  The words came out of Anabelle’s mouth before she realized it. “Of all the people to go on a suicide mission with, I’m glad it’s you two.”

  Blackwell, who was tying his laces, looked up at Anabelle. “Couldn’t agree more, ma’am. It’s been an honor to serve with you. I’m looking forward to continuing that service.”

  Naota saluted Anabelle, who was only slightly annoyed the human still hadn’t learned the official DGA salute. He said, “Same here. Couldn’t think of anyone else I’d love to risk my life with. Other than Blackwell, of course.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t visit you guys when you were… What happened with you afterward?”

  Naota removed his shades, his eyes bright with excitement. “Oh, you would not believe it! You know how we were going to kill each other, right? Wild. Me and this guy? We’re practically in love. Seriously. In. Love. And here we are trying to kill each other.”

  Anabelle snapped her fingers impatiently. “Less talking soon, please.”

  “Gotcha, boss-lady. Creon figured our brains had been tampered with by the lich. So, I told them about this story I read about how Deadpool and Wolverine can’t be affected by telepathy or mind control because their brain cells are constantly regenerating. He thought it was a pretty interesting idea, and he regrew our brain cells until they weren’t affected by the lich’s magic anymore.”

  Anabelle raised an eyebrow at Naota. “Are you telling me you were saved by your god-awful extensive comic book knowledge?”

  Naota grabbed Blackwell and pulled him in close for a hug. “The both of us were. Might even be used for a big reveal later. And now we can continue our passionate annihilation of the Dark One.”

  Blackwell pulled himself away from Naota and returned to suiting up. “I wasn’t sure how much weaponry to bring. Abby and Creon supplied us with the means to pack in a lot of heat. Think they got one for you too.”

  Abby and Creon approached Anabelle as the two soldiers continued prepping. The girl handed her a circular compact. “It’s pre-loaded with a buncha weapons and crap,” Abby said. “Not quite sure what all is in it. I just made the tech. Here you go.”

  Anabelle took the compact. “Sorry you have to stay home and miss out on the life-threatening fun.”

  “Actually, I’m more than happy to sit this one out. Roy needs help with this. And honestly, my head is full of so much right now, I think I’d be pointless out there.”

  “And what else?”

  Abby groaned loudly as she turned and walked away from Anabelle. “And Persephone’s here. Are you happy now?”

  “Very.”

  Abby and Creon departed, leaving the marines and Anabelle alone. The trio approached the hadron collider.

  Anabelle, Blackwell, and Naota were transported to the sand dunes of the gnomish world, about forty miles off from the coordinates Sarah and Kravis had supplied. With the heat, it would take a few hours to reach the camp. Most of that journey would be completed at night to avoid overheating.

  According to Roy’s and Abby’s calculations, they could only risk sending a small group via the hadron collider. The others would have to go by ship, which would make timing difficult. After
all, anything to do with hyperspace was always complicated.

  Once Anabelle and the humans got their bearings, they began their trek to the camp’s coordinates.

  Anabelle had never been to the gnomish world. Now that she thought of it, she’d only seen the elvish, human, and dwarven realms in person, not counting Middang3ard since it was an in-between of all the realms.

  She wondered why she’d never been interested in seeing where the gnomes lived. The elf had been alive long enough to have visited the Gnome World before it fell. But she’d been a child back then. More than likely, she’d been too interested in living her own life.

  Such a shame that this is what it’s taken for me to come here, Anabelle thought. Not quite what I was expecting…

  After an hour of walking, it became apparent that it was too hot to continue. Naota and Anabelle scouted the area to ensure none of the Dark One’s forces were nearby, while Blackwell worked on locating a water source.

  When Anabelle and Naota returned, Blackwell had found a collection of cacti that he suspected held water. He sliced them open, and they drank the fresh liquid while sitting on the sand dunes, watching the sun set.

  Once the oppressive sun sank beneath the golden sand dunes, the trio resumed their journey. They were silent as they walked, their shadows stretching across the sand as if they were totems of old. Occasionally, they took breaks to forage for water and rest their legs. But it was not long before they were walking again.

  Anabelle was happy to find the humans had a good grasp of basic survival techniques. She could have gone for hours without water or food. Over a week without water, if necessary. Her body would have just begun to burn mana. Over time, she would have been depleted, but elvish bodies were more resilient than they appeared to be.

  That being said, it was good to have water and rest.

  In the fifth hour, Blackwell used his binoculars to glass what he suspected were fires in the distance. He checked his map and confirmed they had found the camp.

  Anabelle commed ahead, informing Kravis and Sarah that they would reach the camp within minutes and to relax any defenses present. Kravis assured Anabelle that they were awaiting them.

  The trio strolled into the camp—if you could call it a camp. There was a smattering of tents, and a handful of gnomes wandered about as though they had lost their purpose. They had the same look in their eyes as the displaced humans Anabelle had seen in New York.

  Kravis came out to meet them at the fire. “It’s good to see you.” There were introductions around for those who hadn’t formally met. “Follow me. Sarah’s waiting for you.”

  The gnome led them through the ramshackle camp to Sarah’s tent. He pulled back the tarp, and Anabelle entered.

  Sarah lay on a bed, her chest bandaged up to her neck. She sat up and smiled at Anabelle. “You’re a sight for sore fucking eyes.”

  Anabelle sat beside Sarah. “Looks like that isn’t the only sore thing you’ve got. What happened?”

  “Just pushed myself a little bit too much, that’s all. I’ll be up in a few hours. Hopefully.”

  Anabelle retrieved a bottle of elvish wine from her knapsack, along with a few cups. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this’ll work.” She poured a cup for everyone. “I was expecting a bigger camp than this.”

  Kravis sipped his drink and nodded slowly. “It was. We disbanded it. Sent smaller groups around. Trying to get everyone organized for the big push. Can’t do that if all the folk are spread out.”

  Sarah winced as she swallowed. “Yeah, we’re on a skeleton crew. But we’re small enough not to be bothered. Once we leave, the gnomes who remain here are going to try their luck underground. Should be safe. So, fearless leader of the DGA…got any good war stories?”

  Anabelle chuckled as she poured herself another cup, her eyes deep and far away, caught within her memory. So much had happened over the last few days. “Saw a lich get resurrected, then watched the same lich summon an Old One, which she baited Myrddin into killing for her so she could eat its soul and gain its power. Needless to say, we got our asses kicked in that one.”

  Sarah snatched the bottle from Anabelle and laughed. “I take back what I said before. I don’t ever want to be officially reassigned to the DGA. You can keep your liches and Old Ones. Just give me a good, old-fashioned planet in need of liberation.”

  The tent rang with laughter. A little tense, but laughter all the same.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The next day, the group rose with the sun as it began to peek over the humps of the sand dunes. By the time Anabelle got out of bed, the camp had already been broken down. All that remained was her own team’s tents. Sarah and Kravis were already sitting by a fire, roasting meat rations for the day’s trip.

  Anabelle sat beside Sarah, who passed her a piece of smoked bear flesh. The elf turned her nose up at it, but she took a piece nonetheless. It was gamey but easy enough to get down. “Should I wake those two up?”

  Sarah shook her head. “No, we got up early for preparations. We wanted to make sure the refugees got off in the right direction. They won’t have a whole lot of support, and it would be better for them to move before they can be tracked easily. How’d you sleep?”

  Anabelle stretched. Her back was a little sore, and her legs were killing her. “Haven’t had to rough it like that in a long time.”

  “Yeah, it’s kinda funny for how much you agents risk your lives, for you to still be a little bit on the soft side.”

  Normally, Anabelle would have been livid at someone calling her soft, but she could see the faintest hint of a smile on Sarah’s face. And besides that, Sarah was more than just a coworker. She was a fellow warrior and friend. There was nothing wrong with a little chiding.

  “Yeah, those beds at HQ are a little bit soft. And the blankets. Don’t even get me started about the blankets.”

  Kravis snickered as he stoked the flames. “Sarah’s been going on about blankets for at least a year now.”

  Sarah shoved him playfully. “Every time I get called back to base, I demand at least fifteen blankets. Otherwise, I’m not coming back. If I’m going to be home, I want to be as comfortable as humanly possible. Makes coming back out here a lot easier.”

  Anabelle was surprised by Sarah’s attitude. “Really? I would have thought having any shred of comfort would make roughing it out here even harder.”

  “No, not really. The whole time I’m in those comfy-ass beds, the only thing I can think about are the gnomes out here who are happy to have a chance to sleep on anything other than rocks. The faster I get back out here in the field, the more work I can do to make sure there aren’t children sleeping out in the cold.”

  Anabelle didn’t think of her work in the same way as Sarah. But it was admirable to see someone so committed to the cause that they couldn’t enjoy their own comfort knowing people out there were suffering.

  There was a lot to admire about Sarah. And, much like with Terra, Anabelle was starting to realize that it was okay to see those qualities in people and respect them.

  By the time Blackwell and Naota were awake and tearing down their tents, the final preparations for the day had been made. Enough water had been drawn and stored for all of them. Now it was time for the journey.

  According to Kravis, it would be a two-day hike. They would have to pass through an orc encampment at the halfway point, but that was the only way to make good enough time for the incoming satellites.

  Anabelle informed Kravis that it was still going to take the satellites four days to arrive, and the gnome assured her that he was prepared. If the Dark One was scrambling to figure out what had happened to his base, there was a good chance the forces on the planet would be too distracted to look skyward. It would be a perfect time for the satellites to slip into position without being noticed. “In essence, we’re going to be the distraction.”

  Kravis and Sarah led the way, and they marched south as the heat of the day began to make itself appare
nt, their shadows short, stubby imitations of their bodies.

  Anabelle and the two humans were not used to this kind of strenuous “hiking.” From their departure, they had kept a pace that was more of a brisk jog. If the trio hadn’t been in great physical condition, they would have been wiped out much earlier in the day.

  The heat didn’t seem to bother Sarah or Kravis; they were obviously used to it.

  Not Anabelle, though. She didn’t complain, but so much sweat was dripping down her face that she almost couldn’t see through it. The thought that Sarah and Kravis made these treks regularly when moving camps seemed obscene. And Sarah was traveling while still injured.

  Anabelle was curious about that. She jogged up to Sarah and tried to keep pace with the human. “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about your injuries. You seem to be dealing with them pretty well. How’d you get them?”

  Sarah pointed at her forehead, the space in between her eyebrows. “The ninjutsu art of the eight gates. Opening up all of your chakras. Generally, those are there to keep you from burning yourself out. You pull them up, and you can push your body. Push too far, and you can do irreparable damage. Luckily, that didn’t happen. The body heals fast enough. But the soul…the mind…that can take some time. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again anytime soon.”

  She pointed at the gun hanging from her side. “I’ll remember I have other options.”

  “How do you push yourself further?” Anabelle asked. “Say, someone has a block. Or someone they can’t overcome. How—”

  Sarah giggled and quickly suppressed it. “You know I know who you’re talking about, right? I gave you the files on Grok. I know this isn’t a hypothetical.”

  Despite the heat, Anabelle had somehow managed to blush brightly. “Okay, sorry. Grok is definitely stronger than me. And every time we fight, I feel like I walk away a little bit tougher. But I can’t figure out how to take it to another level on my own. Before I come across her again.”