by Marc Mulero
Generals marched tall in between their soldiers, knowing full well that they had nothing to worry about. Technology, experience, strength. It was all on their side. The gates could never be broken.
A door slammed to shut out the noise and boots paced to the other end of a long oval table.
“The diversion at the Gates of Eternity will take the spotlight, I’ll make sure of it. All Hiezer units will be directed to the front on my mark. Now it’s time for you to do your part,” the disguised voice spoke into radio. “Send a small batch of your most capable to the coordinates I transmitted. Sentries will be disabled on your way toward the point. Have your allies at the gates put on a show if you want to keep your heads. Hiezers may draw first blood if they see stragglers rounding their corners.”
“It will be no show, defector,” Blague’s voice sounded back. “The message we bring is very real.”
“It will also be very short-lived if you don’t pay attention... once you arrive, you will find a steel entranceway on the side, camouflaged with the wall. I will meet you there. Soldiers are emptying the barracks now. Timing has to be synced.”
Two councilmembers abruptly let themselves into the room, disrupting the turncoat’s conference.
“Who are you in here with, Eldra?” Alfonse asked.
The Ice Queen peeled a long black strip off of her neck, leaving a red mark where the skin fought to keep the adhesive attached. She tossed the voice changer onto the table and rested a hand over the hilt of her sheathed sword.
Carjinere, the keener of the two highlords, narrowed his eyes. “It… It was you giving up our position. How could you betray us, Eldra? We’ve lost so much because of you!” He pointed at her with scorn while grabbing the handle of the door.
The Ice Queen said nothing, for there was nothing to say. The blade sung for her, grinding from its confinement, whirring as she whipped it. And a dash toward the two men that she once broke bread with left them open-mouthed, unable to compete. She stared beyond their location, straight through them, as if they were already dead.
For decades Mulderan and Eldra had shared assembly together, to decide the hierarchy’s path, but it had all been a lie. All of the choices to favor the elites, all of them were fabricated. She sliced their necks with one tear, burying her past and entering the point of no return.
Two thumps sounded, one for each body, just as Eldra nonchalantly exited the room. Her eyes darted suspiciously from left to right, no one heard, no one saw, and so she pressed a hand onto the panel beside her so the door would slide shut, so her secrets would stay locked behind.
Around the hall were endless Hiezer guards crowding the hallways, all rushing to their positions on their generals’ command.
The queen had the song of blood singing in her eye, but the Hiezers were deaf to it. There were larger problems at hand. The world’s population was against them, and they had come to demonstrate.
She made her way to the promised coordinates, muscling against passing soldiers that were too fixated to recognize who they were brushing against. No one could’ve dreamed that a full-scale invasion would be upon the Grand City of Nepsys. No one except the cause of it - Mulderan. The Ice Queen shook the thought from her head, trying to ignore the insanity of it all.
Did I just accelerate what he wanted all along?
She slipped into the armory, into the quiet, pausing for an instant while gathering munitions. It wasn’t at all like Eldra to question herself, but the vibration of ten thousand Hiezer soldiers marching to Armageddon shook not only the floor, but her confidence too.
It was really happening, all because of her.
Since birth, she was a future ruler conditioned for greatness, wasn’t she? If war was her playground as a child and strategy her pastime, then shouldn’t she use her talents however she saw fit?
Overseeing Yuprain workforces taught her dominance at a young age. Perhaps too young. It allowed her to wear her supremacy on her sleeve, never having to pretend. A born queen sculpted by a broken world.
But now she was on unacquainted ground. Haunting uncertainty accompanied undercover work. She was not a pretender. Never in her life. But Mulderan forced her hand, flipping her life’s switch against her will. Now, the sabotaged mission accompanied a fear of failure. But there was no time to dwell on doubt. The dice had to be rolled.
I was raised to rule the classes. To become the greatest by show of force. But, as it turns out, even in the highest of ranks, I was nothing but a pawn. Mulderan inhales the toxic smoke and cracks the ground beneath us, while the world’s most powerful run to defend him.
Eldra cocked her rifle and flung it onto her back. “Not me. Not anymore,” she said aloud. Her boots scrunched as she plodded across the marble floor to exit the armory.
Now to deactivate the sentries.
She stepped out of the gunroom and into the open hallway, her footsteps now blending with the rest throughout the vast space. It was hard not to get distracted by the blurring bodies, the calls to action, order, but time was short. She had to move. Now.
There across the way, she eyed the sentry control panel manned by a diligent guard. He was standing uninterrupted by the commotion.
“My lady,” an elite soldier stopped in front of her and framed his eye. “The front gates demand your order. Generals are awaiting your command. They… they have conflicting instruction, and the Sins are approaching.”
Eldra tensed her jaw. She was reluctant to stop for even a moment, but she had to. Keep the wheel churning. Not even an inkling of doubt in her duties could be afforded right now.
Figments of black and gold armor flew past them as intensity increased.
“The Hiezer generals have my orders. All attention at the gates. Slaughter of the world’s citizens will be on their own watch, not ours. We will not needlessly open fire until General Trillus offers them one chance to surrender after we hear their message.”
The soldier cleared his throat, shying away from offending his queen. “Mulderan demanded execution on sight. He told us to unleash all weaponry. The soldiers are hesitant in holding against the Highest Lord’s orders.”
Of course he did. He wants a world where only his chosen will roam.
She noticed the guard manning the sentry outpost tense up behind the elite addressing her. Her heart began to race. If the sentries were activated, her sabotage would be short-lived. She had to do her part, quickly.
Eldra stood her ground, not allowing any room for question. “My orders supersede. We have conversed and came to the conclusion of my instruction. Consider this directive from the Highest Lord and your queen,” she lied. “You will negotiate while the full arsenal of the Hiezers are pointed at them.”
The elite guard tilted his muddled head, but then nodded. “Of course, my lady,” he said and sped off.
“Soldier,” Eldra demanded.
The block of armor turned with urgency written on his face. “We’re being surrounded, my lady. I have to finish protocols to ensure the sentries are armed. This was not part of the arrangement.” He dismissed himself from the queen’s attention to serve the Hiezers the best way he knew how.
A tense hand drew his shoulder back from the control panel. This time, a pearl of crystal blue was inches from his face. “The sentry guards are all needed on the north and east sides of this city. We have intel that a strike is imminent. The stragglers are on the western front,” she nodded to the camera that the guard was plastered to a moment ago. “They mean nothing.” She released her grip on the guard and took a step back to let him pass. “Protect the Grand City of Nepsys, soldier.” She awaited his response. The guard’s dark eyes and darker brows scrunched together. Tension rose while neither backed away. There were too many witnesses around for her to dip her sword into an armored crevice. Her lie had to hold. The soldier thought better than to follow his instincts, and instead, followed his queen.
She wanted to stab him for even thinking to disobey. Old habits. But instead Eldra kept w
atch until the guard was far enough away, counting his steps, until she was clear to place her finger on the digital pad level with her chest. What was this…? Her palms, they were sweaty. She couldn’t believe it. What was she becoming, some sort of coward?
The Ice Queen scoffed and stared at the screen projecting the camera’s findings, where red boxes framed the intruders making their way toward her instructed coordinates.
“Shit,” she whispered, quickly dragging her fingers to alter the settings. “C’mon, c’mon.”
She could hear the outdoor sentries mechanically unfolding to point guns at her former enemies just beyond the enclosure. They were right there… so close.
Her lips folded into a line as she swiped again, breath held. “Override, damn it.”
Machine guns cocked.
“Did the soldier lock… damn it! Moron.”
She re-pinned the code and swiped again.
At the last second, the Sins’ bodies faded from red to yellow, and all of the guns targeting them folded back into their compartments.
“Ugh,” she sighed. It worked. Her screen no longer displayed them as hostile targets. She made it.
Now free to engage, Eldra pressed her fingertips onto a panel level with her hips. She rotated her hand and then watched the camouflaged door open beside her.
Chapter 21
The leaders at each corner of the rebellion followed the turncoat’s instruction, quietly laying waste to any soldier in their tracks. No gunfire. Only Sabin’s String Blades and Blague’s black saber did the talking. They hugged the outer wall of the Shivis armory, tracing the perimeter of Nepsys while Melissa’s massive defender covered their backs. Biljin was the brain caught in the middle of it all, finding the courage to see this plan through to the end. Aslock followed quietly – a silent guardian in this diverse bunch.
Bodies were carefully dragged to rest against the fortification, while the stealth leaders gazed up to the sky at every interval. Peeking sniper rifles atop spires were still pointed north, to the gates. Their cover had not yet been broken.
The wall that they trekked around was wide and tall. One wrong move, even a hint of movement telegraphed to those above would be the end of them. So their only solace became the indents, or grooves rather, where they could regroup.
“Go, next. Hurry,” Blague whispered.
They treaded onward to the coordinates, silent as night, able to muffle everything but the death of their enemies.
Woosh.
The gurgle of a cleaved soldier alerted the next round of guards ahead.
“Shit,” Sabin cursed because his hands were tied with the jerking string. “Guys, a little help.”
Guns were raised against them, their mission suddenly threatened. But before any of the Hiezers could shout or shoot, a flash of cerulean light burst from Aslock’s fingertips.
The lot of Hiezers instantly fell unconscious as if chloroformed, tripping over themselves in a seize.
Frozen in their tracks, the group waited for the sound of an alarm or the first shots of battle, but nothing. The hum of Cryos wasn’t loud enough and the flash of light not bright enough to drown out the prismatic city.
“Oh no, you’re a creep like Orin,” Sabin tried to break the tension.
The crew laughed softly.
Sabin then waved everyone ahead of him with a lingering smirk. “Those dead cameras are making me nervous,” he whispered, pointing up. “You guys go on ahead. Get to the coordinates. I’m going to cut them off.”
Blague nodded and motioned everyone forward.
The hunter flung his disk upward.
Clank. The first camera slumped with a burst of sparks overhead, leaving it dangling on its last connective wire. He sighed as he pulled the blade back into his metal glove, then looked down to remember that Mars wasn’t at his side. “Man, I miss my buddy.”
“Alright, alright, let’s see here.” He kept one hand on the wall as he gauged his next toss. “I spy with my little eye.” With a brief look ahead to make sure his crew was still advancing, he readied to make some more noise.
He wound up. “Gotcha!” And just as he was about to swing, the wall he pressed against suddenly disappeared. “What the-”
His footing was lost as he fell inward, but three elites dove out to fling him the other way. Cover was blown. Flailing limbs ended with Sabin grappled to the floor, fruitlessly wrestling to free his arms. A hand clapped over his mouth before he could whistle, and another pointed to the group ahead. One of the Hiezers unclamped his radio to alert the masses.
Sabin’s eyes bulged… he couldn’t believe it. So much was at stake. So much. He was desperate, eyes darting, and so he took a page out of Mars’ book – lurching forward and snapping his jaw, he caught a finger between his teeth and bit down.
The Hiezer’s shock awarded the hunter a split-second to slip his arm free so he could elbow the soldier in his faceless helmet.
Crack.
The blow rattled the Hiezer’s brain and sent the device tumbling to the floor. Sabin was about to scream or whistle, but another fist found his face.
He grunted and sighed, feeling like he was suddenly swimming beside a bunch of black spots dancing in his vision, and before he knew it, was flipped around to an assault rifle pressed against his forehead.
He thought it was over, until silhouettes of knives zipped past his eyes instead of stars.
“Can we break the ceasefire?” the armed soldier questioned. “Clearly there’s something going on here.”
“Radio Eldra,” another said.
“No. The Ice Queen is hell-bent on nonviolence. Patch through to Mulderan,” the third guard holding Sabin down commanded.
The soldier retrieving his communication device stiffened at the thought.
“Shttt,” Sabin’s curse came out muffled. He jerked in place, trying again to wrestle free from his burley captor’s grasp. Then suddenly he stopped - was he still hallucinating?
He could’ve sword he saw the same knife just change directions. It was less of a figment now too. What was happening? It was flying away, but then it curved mid-air to align itself on a straight path back toward his location.
None of this made sense. But it was real.
Then more flew past. Sabin ducked as the sound of metal cleaving flesh resonated around him. He looked up to see the Hiezers fall and Cryos flames fizzle from the knives’ hilts.
I know those blades…
He turned to find the source from which they came, eyes narrowed in confusion, and then wide with excitement. Lesh flipped over the ledge from behind him, her arm bright with a Cryos trail.
“You know, I’m starting to think this is how you say you love me.” Sabin’s smile was bright.
Lesh sneered and threw two knives in opposite directions, both soaring away from her. She then drew her hands inward, directing the airborne blades like Valor would his lance. Both stuck into the dying Hiezers’ necks to quiet them.
“Are you kidding me? You’re a creep now, too?” Sabin shouted.
“Shut the fuck up.” She kicked him, pointing to the snipers above.
“Why weren’t you on the jet with Blague?” he asked.
“I was asked to accompany the Society N leader in transporting Dendrid. He’s going to be our final message to the Hiezers.”
“Huh?”
“Long story.” Lesh helped him to his feet. “But Blague transmitted the coordinates for me to meet you.”
Valor suddenly flipped from cover. Apparently, she wasn’t alone. Well, of course she wasn’t, she was wielding Cryos for god’s sake. Sabin judged the Neraphis hard as his lance wet with blood was swung clean in one quick motion. Then he straightened, cloaked and tall.
Sabin rolled his eyes. “You and Blague vacation to Iceland and come back with ghost pirates?”
Valor looked over to Lesh, surely with a befuddled look under his hood.
Now Sabin was squinting, because this… thing stepped a little too close to the lone
assassin. Time was spent between the two, intimate time, he was sure of it.
But how could that be? She never lets anyone in. How could a connection have been forged here?
A nervous flutter swirled in the hunter’s stomach. He’d been thinking about her on every turn throughout his journey, only to lose his chance to a being he didn’t understand.
Sabin mumbled something about having no wolf and no lady as he dusted himself off.
The assassin caught enough of his words to be annoyed.
“What warrior complains after being rescued?” Valor flipped his javelin and dismissed himself, headed toward his fellow Neraphis in the distance.
“New boo?” Sabin questioned, nodding to the skulking warrior.
“Does your memory wipe clean every few days? Do you forget who you’re talking to?”
Sabin puffed his chest comically. “Oh, well in that case… why hello little lady, what’s your name?”
She ignored the hunter and started on her path against the wall, in between the ridges. Sabin trailed.
“So what’s his deal? Did he give you magical powers? Is that why you like him?” Sabin continued to pry.
“It’s our brands, dumbass. Orin knew what Cryos could do ages before Mulderan did. He gave the exiled a fighting chance when we would need it.”
“Nifty old fart,” he said, hoping more about his competition would be addressed.
“So you heard?” Lesh asked.
“Blague gave me a twenty-word synopsis. Orin, Eugene… the Aura. Cryos and Rol clashing. Ayelan wasn’t just for the Hiezers, it’s also keeping the ghost pirates young. Blah blah. I’ve been thinking about Eugene a lot, truthfully. I loathed him for so long. It’s hard to believe that it wasn’t him who shot Lito.”
“It wasn’t,” Lesh confirmed.
“So sure of yourself. Did the cape convince you?”
“You’re an idiot.”
