“Please, I can handle myself. I’ll have you know; I’ve been through a lot more than what you think,” she scorns.
“You two done,” Drotonic stands, and Valedent turns his attention to the guards walking out.
“Hey, you. Who are you? What’re you doing down here?” demands a soldier who postures himself like the one who’s in charge. His words grab the other’s attention.
“I’ve kind of fallen and gotten lost down here, somehow. I’ve been trying to find a way out,” Valedent bluffs as Erryn remains hidden behind them.
“Who’s behind you?” the soldier says as the rest stand with their hands on their weapons.
“Whoa, now it’s just my comrade for the moment. We kind of found each other down here,” Valedent explains as Drotonic comes from around Valedent and stands beside him.
“Is that so? And how’d you two happen to “fall” down here?” the soldier inquires.
“Well, from all the commotion and explosions from above here, it caused us to fall through the ground,” Drotonic informs him.
“How unfortunate for you,” the soldier laughs.
“You mean, it’s unfortunate for you,” Erryn speaks up.
“Who’s that?” the soldier asks, with annoyance in his voice.
“The main attraction of your king’s desire,” Erryn steps out in front of both Valedent and Drotonic.
“Oh, is that so? Guards take her. This should earn up a pretty bonus. Say good riddance to your friends,” the soldier says.
“Hey, Valedent, Drotonic. Can you tell me why these idiots continue to think I will comply regardless of my repeated answer?” She rubs her forehead.
“Probably stuck on stupid or something,” Valedent guesses.
“Should we nudge them past their stupidity,” Drotonic offers.
“You’re refusing to come quietly?” The soldier takes a step back with disgust riddling his face.
“Shall we?” Valedent asks like a gentleman.
“Let’s,” Drotonic agrees. Valedent throws an explosive dice. The sound of the explosion echoes off the walls of the tunnel. The flash of light momentarily blinds the soldiers. The two men nearest to the dice are now without their shredded legs. In the confusion, Valedent unsheathes his blade from his cane and dashes towards the soldiers.
“Attack,” orders the lead soldier and his men obey.
The clash of blades reverberates around the tunnel. Valedent ducks under an upward thrust, which leaves his opponent’s flank open. He rams his blade completely through between the ribs. The dying man’s cries turn into gurgles from his own blood only to become lost among the confusion.
"Whenever you're ready, Drotonic," Valedent calls over his shoulder.
Drotonic begins to cast the Blaze Launcher spell. The three runes appear as his embedded emeralds glow once again. Green flames fuel the center, creating one large yellow ball of fire. He sends it forward, roasting four men who were attempting to maneuver around Valedent. Their screams drown out the sounds of the fighting.
“I guess that just leaves my turn,” Erryn smiles. A red aura outlines her as her hands glow a purple and a red familiar flame generates arrows as she calls out, “Flame Arrow.” She pushes her hand forward, and they hit the remaining soldiers, melting their armor to their flesh. Their cries feed the fury as they become ash.
“Everyone all right?” Valedent checks.
“Yeah, just have to take a breather for a second. Not like I usually use this much magic on an everyday basis, but I’m surprised how well that went down actually.” She looks around. The smell of burning bodies flares their nostrils but overlaid is the stench of a city on fire which leads outside.
“Same here. However, I’m guessing you want to go kick butt, Erryn?” Drotonic sighs as Erryn smiles.
“Aw, it’s like you almost know me, Drotonic. Let’s go. This city will not fall on my account,” she says.
“Ladies first,” Valedent gestures.
They exit the tunnels as Erryn stops. She and Drotonic’s jaws drop along beholding the sight of a once beautiful town. Smoke rises from the destroyed merchant ships in the harbor. It’s in ruin from Vladimir’s blockade. People float in the water, turning it red while belongings and cargo get swept away by the waves.
They continue to run, following the docks until it connected to a mix of dirt and gravel. Reaching the center and looking left to the gate, it stands keeping back Vladimir’s additional forces. However, the spidering cracks throughout the wall and the dents from constant ramming to the gates have costed the wall’s solidity, weakening its strength. A guess of little time being left before their presumed entrance. Before taking another step, another one of Vladimir’s men runs out of a nearby building. Erryn looks to the building, and Valedent sees women and children battered and bound through the window. But as they step onto Pinya’s brick road, the building explodes, throwing them across the street.
No one can escape; no one can hide and pray. Lying on his back, Valedent looks at a small girl pounding her father’s chest, crying for him to wake. Valedent checks on Drotonic as he stands and turns to help Erryn. He shakes her gently to call her back from her distraught paralysis.
Crusaders struggle to succeed, both fighting and dying on the blades and tricks of Vladimir’s soldiers who push onward with fierce dedication, determined to bring about their end, one by one.
Valedent looks into her eyes as he realizes she has never been in an all-out war to this magnitude before.
“Listen, I know this is ugly and pretty overwhelming, okay? However, you wanted to be up here and help. If you’ve changed your mind and can’t handle this, head for the temple. The bishop will make sure you’re safe. However, if you chose to stay and help, then you need to get a grip on yourself and face this as the world’s reality. It’s been fighting it for a long time. I must go support downtown. It’s your decision,” Valedent says. He disappears into the melee but then visions of that little girl pounding on her father’s chest makes him think how he would feel if that were Kiley and the bishop.
Valedent hurries through the chaos toward the temple. He sees the bishop at the front, helping those inside. The bishop makes eye contact with Valedent. The bishop looks confused to Valedent, so Valedent gives a thumbs up and points to the merchant center of the town. The bishop nods, understanding his motions as Valedent continues his way past the temple and into the base of the mountain, downtown.
He runs with only one destination in mind, Roland’s home, while dodging fights between temple guards and Vladimir’s soldiers. After pushing his way through, he finally reaches the door and begins pounding on it heavily.
The door opens. “Valedent.” Liza hugs him.
“Hey,” Valedent pushes himself in and quickly closes the door.
“Dude, where have you been?” Wark looks over from the picnic tables as the crew that belongs to Leon sits eating. Valedent assesses the area and notices Liza’s flushed face.
“Liza, what’s wrong? Where’s Kiley?” he worries.
“She’s with… Jax,” She bites her lower lip, fighting tears. Valedent heads inside to one of the bedrooms. As he reaches the doorway, he stops as if he just swallowed a fly.
“Val.” Kiley jumps up, smiling.
Valedent brushes Kiley’s hair with a kiss, but his eyes are firmly on Jax’s injuries. His left arm is missing and bleeding heavily. His face is covered in blood, and the middle of his chest plate is pressing inward.
“Hey, *cough* there’s an ugly face,” Jax musters a weak smile as his breathing is wheezy as fluid gurgles his coughs in between.
“You keeping Jax company?” Valedent turns to Kiley.
“Yep, but I think his mouth is dry. He keeps coughing and wheezing,” she says.
“Why don’t you go with Uncle Wark and get something to eat? We may be going to visit the old geezer,” Valedent says.
“Okay,” she says, and Valedent puts her down, handing her hand to Wark. They leave, and Valedent close
s the door with Liza inside with them.
“What happened?” he asks.
“He was patrolling the docks when the brigade hit the harbor and a canon took his arm. Then in his retreat to regather a defense, flaming boulders flew over the wall, and he got hit.” She sniffles.
“Eh, it’s not that bad. I’ve had worse,” Jax dismisses the severity as he coughs and blood speckles on his chin.
“Come on. I’m taking you to my dad,” Valedent says, stepping closer into a puddle. He looks down to see a blood spill out from underneath the bed. No, it’s too late, Valedent realizes.
“Listen to me. I can’t look after Pinya and Liza anymore. We both know that.” Jax’s breathing is shallow.
“Jax, shut it. Don’t be talking like that,” Liza yells and kneels in the blood gripping his hand.
Lifting his head in one last effort, Jax fights to get out the words. “Please look after our home and protect what we love, no matter what.”
Valedent grips his hand and nods. Jax sinks back onto the bed and breathes his last.
“You got it, brother; I promise. Travel well on Froztia’s waters, my brother. May her frozen winds carry you to peace,” Valedent chokes as he remains strong, and Liza wails over her brother. He leaves the room, closing the door behind him as Roland stands in his doorway into the house.
“Valedent?” he greets.
“He’s at peace,” Valedent says as Roland nods, looking to outside as they become silent. Then someone enters the backyard as Valedent goes to investigate.
“Ace,” Valedent recognizes him.
“Hey, Valedent, what’s wrong?” he asks.
“Jax is… dead,” Valedent whispers.
Ace clamps a hand on Valedent’s shoulder. “He was a good lad. Always helping and checking on the crew at the docks. What can I do?”
“I want to rally this district and push Vladimir’s men into their graves. For Jax. You and your men up for it?” Valedent asks.
Roland walks up behind them, “You can also count on my temple guards.”
“For Jax,” Leon says as they all rally and head into the streets.
Cloud City : Jet
33
Jet travels through a galactic tunnel, racing back to her body after her meeting with Erryn. She feels the moment her spirit rejoins her body lying on a table.
“Um, Thomas, what’s that?” Kayla asks about the surfacing darkness which is spreading on Jet’s cheeks.
“Crap. Katty, I need you to take over the computer. Kayla, step away,” he says, grabbing Jet’s hands. Everyone’s voices seem a hundred times louder, as her senses continue to increase with hypersensitivity. The dark power seems to grow at an alarming rate from the intoxicated levels in her blood, due to the metallic twine that was twisted from the machine while connected to her wrists, the back of her neck, her temples, and all over her scalp.
The communicator machine sparks and crackles with smoke and flames leaking out as her power keeps channeling it. Jet struggles to focus on the figure hovering over her. With difficulty, she recognizes Thomas.
“Thomas, the ice; it’s all but gone. Something is still powering it,” Skylar says.
“Disconnect it from the power box,” Thomas orders.
“That’s the thing, I already have,” Skylar holds the leather rope separated from the box.
After hearing this, Jet comes to the realization that her power is now feeding into the machine and back into her.
“Thomas…,” Jet tussles with the blackness, “My wires…pull them.” After her last word, he begins yanking the wires off her at which the machine calms down. Then he squeezes her hands as Jet battles to control her power.
“What’s that? Is she going to be okay?” Kayla asks, concern wrinkling her brow.
“I’ll…be…fine,” Jet says, as the disconnection alleviates the stress on her power. A growing sense of calm fills Jet as the blackness recedes to slumber.
“Skylar go check outside. Look towards the woods bordering the city,” Thomas says. As Skylar leaves, Thomas helps Jet sit up. She looks over to see the smoldering machine still sparking a little from being overworked.
“Did it work?” Kayla asks.
“Well, it registered connecting whatever she linked to,” Katty says, and Jet nods proving her theory true.
“Unfortunately, Vladimir is known to be ruthless in his determination to get that of which he sets his sights upon,” Jet reminds everyone.
“True, but at least you were able to help her,” Thomas encourages her and is rewarded with a small smile.
“But as true as that is, what do you suppose we do? It’s not like there are many of us here to really do much of anything.” Kayla carries over some water for Jet.
“True as that may be, I think it’s time Vladimir learns that his assumption of people being powerless is a falsehood. Underestimating the power of the many will be his downfall.” Jet smiles as Skylar returns from outside.
Thomas turns to Skylar. “What did you see?”
“There’s a colorless dome thing that seems to be flickering covering Cloud City, like it’s dying out. Why?” Skylar asks as Thomas looks to his room where the box, he used to establish the barrier against the Kozrot seems to be dimming and fading light to dark.
“That’s not good,” Thomas sighs.
“What is it?” Jet asks.
“Remember that box I used before entering Cloud City? It kept out that nasty crap, stopping it consuming the entire city. I wasn’t expecting what we did with the machine to overpower the storm cell in the box, which apparently is now barely remaining charged. If that light goes out, we’ll all go out too,” he sighs, and Jet raises her eyebrow as an idea strikes her.
“That’s it,” Jet blurts out.
“What’s it?” Skylar asks.
“This only works if everybody’s in,” Jet looks from face to face. She continues, “We can use this Kozrot to our advantage since that’s associated with Vladimir.”
Katty interrupts. “What’s Kozrot?”
“Nasty stuff that devours people created by Vladimir’s chum Kosmos,” Thomas interjects.
“As I was about to say, Katty has good relations with the unclass folk here. Skylar, you have connections within the harbor district and Captain Ace. Kayla, you know the entertainment district and Papa has military tactician history. Gather an army. It’d force him to split his attention between here and Pinya.”
“Seriously? That would mean Vladimir would have his sights on you again. And for us to have an enough influence, most of the city would have to be behind you,” Skylar points out.
“Too bad we couldn’t reach out to that guy, Gears,” Kayla thinks aloud as Katty and Jet chuckle at each other.
“Isn’t that the guy who stood up to all the bandits at Inbitwit?” Skylar recalls.
“Word travels fast,” Thomas crosses his arms, rubbing his chin, hiding his smile. Jet chugs the water Kayla gave her and signals for them to hold their thought as Jet disappears into Thomas’s room.
“Am I missing something here?” Skylar looks at Thomas’s and Katty’s smug faces. Jet gears up, putting on the masks and the trench coat.
Jet walks out of Thomas’s room, crossing her arms, “Someone call for Gears?”
Kayla is rendered speechless.
“No way. Gears is you? That’s awesome,” Skylar says.
“So, what’ll it be? You in or are you out?” Thomas asks them.
“You know I’m already in,” Katty steps up.
“Me too. It’s about time we sink Vladimir’s throne.” Skylar curls his fist.
“I’m in, but you got to let me help you with that gawd awful outfit,” Kayla insists as everyone laughs.
“So, Gears, where do you want to start?” Thomas asks her.
“Well, we’re going to need an audience with the mayor if we want to even have a city to rally against Vladimir,” Jet suggests.
“Then let’s go. I know a way there without even ente
ring the classy domain,” Kayla offers. Jet takes off the mask, letting the goblin goggles hang behind her neck.
They all head out into the entertainment district, passing by stages, stores, and mid-class bars with musicians playing as they approach the Mayor’s gate.
“Hold! No admittance is allowed at this time,” the guards block the entrance.
“Aw, come on, guys. It’s me, your sweetness, Kayla,” She teases as one of them blushes from her rubbing his arm.
“Sorry, Kay, rules are rules. Please try to understand,” the guard pleads.
She keeps trying to pester her way through, but her charms are rejected.
“Well, that’s a first. I’m sorry, guys,” Kayla frowns, crossing her arms in a huff.
“Now what? Who knows how much longer Gramps’s box is going to last. We can’t get in to see him,” Skylar says.
Jet ponders for a moment as a memory strikes her.
“Kayla, don’t you have a sister?” Jet asks.
“Yes, why? Hey, we aren’t visiting my sister.” Kayla stands firm.
Thomas crosses his arms. Katty looks over Jet’s shoulder at her. Jet taps her fingers on her arm.
“You have a family?” Skylar pokes his head in. They all stand there for a moment as she attempts to fight their resolution.
“Ah, fine, and yes, I have family. Let’s go. Just remember most of the residents there are pro-Vladimir,” She rolls her eyes and leads them to the sea-green marble gates. Beyond the gate is a road paved in perfect symmetrical bricks with estates made for royalty lining it. Approaching a white marble estate with diamond framed windows, Kayla walks first beyond the fenced gate and knocks hard, rattling the door.
The door opens to a butler, “Ah, Miss Kayla, how nice for you to pay us a visit today.”
“Good afternoon, William. Is Miss Delightful powdering her nose, or is she available?” Kayla sighs.
“William? Who’s at the door?” a woman asks.
“It’d be your sister, my lady,” he says as her sister comes to the door.
“Rachel.” Kayla’s voice holds no warmth, and her manner is reluctant.
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