by Ben Hale
Drawn through his feet, grains of dirt filled Breaker’s body. Organs, skin, and blood darkened as they were gradually replaced with rock. Breaker had witnessed Shorn's act of defiance and realized that nothing was going to stop Ducalik. No man could get close enough to defeat him.
Unless they were made of stone.
"This cannot be!" Ducalik screamed, and the wolves darted in.
Breaker struck him in the face, breaking his nose and sending him sprawling. The impact released the others from their bonds, and they turned on the wolves. Nine men and women struck with combined force.
A searing fireball caught one wolf across its flank. Its snarl became a whimper of pain as it fell away. Another caught a Ranger in its jaws and retreated. Mortally wounded, the man managed to get a knife free and plunge it into the creature's neck. It tossed him free, and then attempted to limp away. The ground rumbled beneath it, and a searing blast of superheated water exploded from the ground, engulfing the wolf.
Snarls, bellows, and gunfire filled the clearing as Rox ended the geyser and crawled to Shorn. His eyes clenched tight in pain, he didn't move as she removed her cloak and wrapped it around his arm. His face had gone white, but his pain eased when she pulled water from the ground and covered the wound in a water bandage.
Through it all Breaker stalked Ducalik. Stumbling in his attempt to flee, the man put all his strength into his magic, fighting to stop Breaker. Breaker hardly felt it. The grains of soil that he'd drawn into his body continued to fill his flesh, making it easier and easier to defy Ducalik's magic. He did not need his flesh to obey him, only the stone within his form.
Ducalik got to his feet, but Breaker reached out and caught his arm. Spinning him around,
Breaker brought his knee into Ducalik's face, spattering blood across his features and once again sending him to the ground. His anger replaced with whimpers of fear, Ducalik struggled to drag himself away.
Breaker reached out and cast a goliath charm on Ducalik. The stone wrapped around his body until everything but his head was covered. At Breaker's command, Ducalik was forced to stand and face him.
"You should not have threatened my daughter."
The cold fury in his voice made Ducalik wince. "I did not mean to—"
The stone that bound him rose over his mouth, cutting off his words. Trapped in solid rock, he stood helpless. His eyes widened in fear as Breaker stepped close to him.
"You deserve eons of pain," he growled, his voice thick with hatred. "But I will be content with giving you the same fate I have given myself."
Then he cast the hardennek hex that Hawk had taught him. The stone of the goliath pressed against Ducalik's flesh and then seeped inside. Ducalik's eyes widened in terror and pain as stone began to replace his body. A grim smile crossed Breaker's features, and then he turned away from the dying man.
With Shorn's good arm slung over her shoulders, Rox looked up at Breaker—and blanched at the cracks in his visage.
"Dad, what did you do?"
Breaker let out a breath, but it sounded raspy and pained. "What was necessary."
The gravel in his voice deepened as the hardennek hex continued to solidify his flesh like rapidly drying concrete. Once cast, nothing could halt the spell, not even him.
"Dad . . .," her voice broke. Shorn pulled his arm off her shoulders, allowing her to step into her father’s slow embrace. "I love you, Dad," she whispered.
"You are my little girl," he rasped. "I've always loved you."
She squeezed him, but he could barely feel the pressure. Conscious of the ticking bomb just feet from them, he forced her away. Grunting from the effort, he pushed her to Shorn.
"Dad, please . . ." Tears blossomed on her cheeks.
"Protect my little girl, Shorn."
"I will."
Breaker forced the hardening stone of his face into a smile. "You have proven that."
"Sixty seconds!" Jeffreys yelled.
With one eye closed from the beating, Shorn raised his voice, "Gather around me!" The remaining soldiers hurried to his side, and he pulled an air board out of his pocket. It swelled to full size, and he motioned the four survivors onto it.
"Goodbye, Dad," Rox whispered.
"Tell Rivena and the boys I love them." Breaker's words rasped thick and slow.
His eyes shifted to Shorn, who took the hint. Pulling Rox to him, he lifted them into the air. Then he raised the air board containing the others and streaked over the trees. A small tornado blossomed into view, driving them away from the impending blast.
With all his strength, Breaker raised his hand in farewell, and in the distance he saw Rox reciprocate the gesture. The smile on his face turned solid as the last of his flesh was replaced, and his eyes went dim.
Behind the statue of Breaker, Ducalik could only scream through his bonds as his flesh hardened. Then the nuke went off, incinerating him and everything within hundreds of miles. Trees and earth reached one million degrees in less than a second, erasing the crust that covered the super volcano.
As the explosion faded, endless tracts of magma remained.
Chapter 38: Depths of the Dark
Iris clenched her eyes shut against the image of Breaker's death, and almost lost the gralisian charm. Fighting her anger and grief, she focused on the battle. Every lapse now threatened the stability of her magic. Then inexplicably the pain of the charm eased.
Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Quad. He stood at the edge of sparking circle, carefully casting anti-magic charms around the visible threads. Each one smoothed the flow of information, lessening the chaos of her magic.
Then his fingers came too close to the threads. The energy arced like electricity, shocking him. He yanked his hand back with a grunt of pain. Clenching his jaw, he finished the charm with one hand and then moved to the next.
Thanks, Quad, she said to him.
He threw her a hard glance. "I joined the Order because of you, Iris, and I'm going to kiss you before this is over."
She felt a rush of gratitude. If I survive, you have my permission.
"I'll hold you to that."
Buoyed by his efforts, she refocused on the millions of threads demanding her attention. She frowned when she realized one of her charms had failed to deliver. She sent it again, and her magic disseminated through the threads, searching for her brother. Again it returned without finding him. She frowned, and sent a message to Freezer to see if he could locate him. Trying to ignore the doubt in her gut, she turned to the thousands of other pressing demands. Then she noticed a shift in the flow of Twisted.
Her eyebrows knit as she changed her orders to the two armies guarding the Arcs. If they were destroyed, her mightiest weapon would be useless. And the Halo of Dawn would fall silent. She fired the Halo twice, as fast as she could. Then she contacted an old friend.
Eric, she said. They're going for the Arcs . . .
***
"Here they come!" Wolf bellowed.
He fired the MAAWS rocket from his shoulder, sending the warhead into a knot of Twisted dragging the Dark forward. Bodies were torn and trees snapped like twigs. Then the other soldiers in the line opened fire, filling the air with lethal rounds of hot lead. The Twisted cut themselves from the Dark and advanced over the dead, their collective howl raising the hair on Wolf's arms.
"At least we have the high ground this time," Jameson said as he leaned out over the cabin porch. His sniper rifle bucked in his hands, and a Twisted went down. It tumbled to a stop as he fired again, slamming another into a tree.
"It's all we need," Wilson called with a grin, "a full mag and a field full of targets."
Lined up on the balcony, the team aimed down the slope. Trees and lower buildings had been hastily cleared below them to allow clear lines of fire. Gnarled stumps rose from the ground, their wood snapped and broken from the explosives used to fell them.
On top of the mountain, the Arc glowed to life and the Halo burst into view in the sky. The now familiar f
ireball appeared and plummeted toward the ground in front of them. Trees and Twisted disappeared in the fire and smoke, and the mountain trembled.
"At least we have help from above," Linda said.
"And from the sides," Wilson said, and jerked his head toward the Dark elves that had taken the stretch of road beneath them.
Wolf threw them a look as he reloaded. Using magic and ethereal crossbows, the dark elves were proving to be as lethal as the SEALs—and that didn't include their pet. The black reaver known as Knisenik prowled well in advance of their unit. Its spiked form cut through the Twisted with abandon, seemingly undeterred by the hail of bullets all around it.
It paused when it caught sight of Wolf and casually mauled a pair of primates. Its deep intelligent eyes burned with curiosity, prompting Wolf to offer a curt nod. The black reaver issued a rumbling growl and tossed its head. Then it returned to its rampage.
"I think you have a friend," Linda said. She cast a reverse gravity well that lifted a dozen of the leading Twisted into the air. Wolf put them down with precision shots.
"I'm not really a dog person," he said.
"It's not a dog," she replied with a laugh.
Wolf didn't respond. The banter kept his men from focusing on their position, but deep down Wolf knew how dire their situation was. Already he could see a unit to the south of them going down. Led by a pack of primates, the Twisted tore them and the barrier apart before a reaper drone took them out. Soon they would reach the collection of houses they were using as a vantage point. Then they would be forced to retreat to the summit.
Wolf tightened his grip on his gun. When the Arc went down, the Halo of Dawn would stop firing on the entire eastern line. Without it, nothing would keep the horde in check. Wolf saw the tension in the eyes of the soldiers around him. Smiling comments were made through tight lips, and the humor failed to reach their eyes. They knew what was at stake, and weren't going to retreat.
The Arc on top of the mountain warmed and fired again, and another blast of fire came down right in front of it. Wolf saw it coming, and ducked back into the living room. The proximity spiked the ambient temperature, causing him to frown. It was the only time he'd seen the Halo fire consecutive shots in the same location. Then the radio chirped in his ear.
"Eric," Iris said, "they're going for the Arcs, and that's the last shot I can do. Any closer and I will damage it. I'm ordering everyone to retreat to the summit to guard it."
Iris's voice sounded distorted, like a thousand echoes of a single tone. The timbre carried an edge to it that implied pain.
"What do you mean, I?" Wolf asked.
"Varson killed Jack."
The words struck Wolf like shrapnel to the chest. "He was a good man."
"The best," Iris replied. "I'm trying to fix things here, but the battle did a lot of damage. The defense network is in tatters, and our secondary line is in shambles. You are my only hope in keeping the Halo going. Don't let me down, Eric."
Then a burst of static signaled that Iris had withdrawn.
"She doesn't sound good," Linda said quietly, and their eyes met.
"She's a fighter," Wolf said uneasily.
Wolf's gaze met his team, who had evidently heard the same message. "You heard the girl," he said. "Let's move."
They gathered their gear and retreated. Sprinting through the cabin, they burst onto the driveway on the opposite side and piled into a Humvee. Peterson revved the engine and they sped up the road. All around them the scene was repeated. Soldiers, mages, and dark elves withdrew to the summit. Wolf watched them as he reloaded.
The dark elves moved with a fluid grace that Wolf admired. Darting up the steep slope or riding their lizards, they appeared at ease in spite of the strain.
"I wonder how they condition," Wilson said.
"Pilates?" Jameson shot over his shoulder.
Wilson shook his head. "Five bucks says it's yoga."
They neared the summit—but a swarm of shriekers passed above them. Wolf and his team ducked, but the huge bats were not going for them. Issuing their horrendous screech, they slammed into the Arc. It did not budge, and several fell to the ground around Wolf, their wings broken. Peterson cursed and swerved to avoid one before bounding over another.
A moment later they achieved the peak. Leaving the vehicle in neutral, they piled out and let it roll down the slope. It fell off the side and rolled. The bumper flew off as it flipped and crashed its way down the mountain. Wilson laughed when it struck a pair of human Twisted.
Wolf stepped through a gap in the barricade and took in the scene at a glance. The uneven surface of the summit was surrounded by a concrete barricade. It glowed purple, indicating gravity magic had been used to reinforce it.
A thousand soldiers and mages filled the space. A trio of mounted guns pointed down the east slope, firing into the haze of fire from the Halo's blast. Men stood between them with magic and metal, sending a blistering wave of death down the slope.
Dominating the center of the space, the Arc rose like a massive claw from the rock. Sharp and curving, it pointed to the eastern sky. It began to shimmer white as it warmed, until it became difficult to look at. Then it abruptly winked out, and a halo burst into view to the north. Wolf blinked in the sudden dimness and spotted the CO.
Dressed in jeans, a dirty t-shirt, and body armor, the man boasted white hair and weathered skin. In spite of his age, he issued crisp orders to everyone around him. Catching sight of Wolf and the dark elves, he strode to them.
"Colonel Pearson," he said, "retired Marine recon. Gear up and replace Tango team on the right fifty cal. Command reports a surge coming at us. Any gravity mags with you?"
"Here," Linda said.
"Report to the flyer team at the Arc and reinforce the bubble charm. It's the only thing keeping the shriekers from tearing us into dog food."
"And us?" one of the dark elves asked.
Pearson's eyes flicked to them. "I was advised of your help. Stick with Captain Thompson and reinforce his position." He jerked his head at Wolf. "We're not letting this Arc go down, Captain."
"Yes, sir," Wolf responded, and then led his team to the mounted gun.
"Wilson, you have the gun," he said. "SEALs, set up on the left. Urilian, you take the position on the right line."
The dark elf issued a grin and a mock salute. "Yes, human."
They settled in, allowing a German team to withdraw for a few moments of respite. Wolf settled next to the barricade and swung his gun over. Even with the lingering heat from the Halo blast, the Twisted pressed forward. Cooling the flames by their very flesh, they climbed over the corpses of their companions and died closer to the Arc.
"Make each bullet count," Wolf said, and targeted a human Twisted bounding over the charred corpse of another.
He emptied the mag one round at a time, and then reloaded to do the same. Expended magazines were tossed over his shoulder out of habit. As they fought, the wall of Dark continued to advance around them. Mile by mile it closed off their flanks . . . and then shut behind them. Wolf cast a glance back when the Dark sealed shut behind them. Surrounded by the cloud, the mountain remained in a column of light that reached to the sky.
Millions of shriekers blocked the view, their combined screeching overpowering the echo of battle. Pouring from the Dark and churning in huge swarms, they slammed into the gravity bubble that Linda and the others maintained.
Normally invisible, the surface of the shield was marred with cracks and smears of blood. Linda and the others flitted from break to break, attempting to seal them over before the shield shattered. Inches from their attempt, the shriekers impacted the exterior and bounced away.
"Looks like we're surrounded," Peterson said.
"I didn't want to go home anyway," Wilson shouted. "My favorite McDonalds is gone."
"Why was it your favorite?" Wolf asked.
"Because of the girl in the drive-through," Wilson yelled with a belly laugh.
Urilian move
d to join them. Extending his ethereal crossbow over the barricade, he fired. "How is the food at this McDonalds?"
"You've never had a Big Mac?" Jameson asked, and shot him a look.
"Such items are not served in the Deep," Urilian said, and his sadness was such that Wolf turned to him. Then he saw the hint of a smile.
"When this is over," Wilson said, "I say we open a franchise in your hometown."
Urilian grinned as he methodically killed the enemy. "Perhaps I could taste bacon as well."
Jameson laughed so hard he nearly dropped the magazine he was loading. "You've never had bacon?"
"Hawk once told me it is a taste unlike any in the Deep," Urilian said.
"What exactly did you eat down there?" Wolf asked.
Urilian launched into an explanation of the various dishes unique to his homeland. Wolf listened with half an ear as he fired his weapon. In spite of himself, a smile pulled at his lips. Urilian and the other dark elves were not nearly as strange as Wolf would have expected. Aside from the pointed ears and gray skin, they could have passed for any foreigner.
As Urilian talked the Twisted drew closer. Several hundred yards separated the summit from the Dark that ringed it, and Twisted covered every inch of the slope. Scaling cabins and bounding up the incline, they managed to get within thirty feet of the barricade at the top. Wolf and the dark elves fought with increasing speed, but it was insufficient. Urilian loaded and fired as fast as the SEALs, but continued to talk as if they were at a café in France.
The horde reached the barrier, and finally Urilian fell silent. Apparently the effort to kill creatures twenty feet away required his whole attention. One pushed past the bullets and clawed at Wilson. Wolf drew his pistol and fired on the creature. Then Pearson bellowed an order, and someone triggered the explosives . . .
Chapter 39: The Black Reaver
