by Ali House
Days later, a second envelope arrived at the ISS. Alarms were raised and security went through the motions again.
It was addressed to Dominika, with no return address. The words were printed in black ink on a white sheet of paper.
‘You have six hours to surrender. If you choose to accept Magnus Erikson as the rightful leader of this Segment, raise a white flag on the top of the ISS building and war will be averted. If you do not, then you have twenty-four hours to remove any civilians from the island before we march.’
The note was signed by Erikson.
Dominika almost destroyed the letter out of pure rage. There was no way that she was going to give in to an Erikson. The note made it seem as though they had a choice in the matter, but the Council couldn’t agree to Erikson taking over.
An hour had been wasted making sure that the note was safe, but Dominika didn’t need more than twenty minutes to make up her mind. She called the Segment’s leaders to a meeting and told them that war was inevitable. Then she raised the alarm and called for an immediate evacuation of the island’s civilians.
In a few hours the Cambrian Forces would arrive in Stanton and begin building their defenses.
The sound of the siren pierced the air. It was something that had been put into place after the First Invasion, in case of a second. Everybody in Stanton knew what the siren meant – Tecken was coming. There were constant reports on the radio and television, warning civilians to leave the island as quickly as possible.
Every once in a while the reports would be interrupted by Kit’s speech. There was no longer any video, just a black screen, but it was still her voice saying those words. The ISS was scrambling to find out who was interrupting the feed, but every time they converged on a location there was nobody there.
The five remaining members of the civilian team sat in their living room, listening to the siren. They found it easier to turn the television off, instead of having to risk hearing Kit’s speech.
“I wonder how many people have actually left,” Bryanna said to no one in particular. Since viewing the tape of Kit she had taken to biting her nails. If she had been more aware back in the club, then Kit wouldn’t be with Tecken and this wouldn’t be happening.
“All of them,” Cale answered. “If they know what’s good for them.”
The siren had been going off for the past two hours. It had started out as a major disturbance, but had now faded into the background of everyone’s mind. They had more important things to worry about other than obnoxious noises.
Triton had called to let them know what was going on. They had a few hours left to raise a surrender, which they would never do, and then twenty-four hours before invasion. Everyone knew that it would be bad. During the last invasion Tecken hadn’t bothered letting everyone know that they was coming, but one hundred years ago they didn’t have a Six-Elemental on their side. Erikson’s move was one of confidence and everyone knew it.
Vaughn remembered all the times Kit had told him that she wasn’t ready to tell anyone that she was the Six-Elemental. She always said that she wasn’t strong enough, but obviously that had changed. He knew that Erickson wouldn’t pull a move like this unless the Six-Elemental was at full power. What had happened to her?
“Are we idiots for staying?” Zenyth asked.
“We should help,” Vaughn said. “We should fight.”
“That’s easy enough for you to say. You were in the forces.”
“Yeah, but I’ve been away long enough to start doubting myself.” He wanted to fight, but he was afraid that the General wouldn’t allow it. It was risky, putting civilians into war, but Vaughn couldn’t run away. He needed to find Kit.
The room was quiet except for the siren.
“What do you think the ISS is going to do about Kit?” Bryanna asked. “Do you think they’ll try to help her?”
“Help?” Zenyth said.
“Kit’s obviously been brainwashed. She needs someone to help her get her back to her old self.”
“Brainwashing doesn’t happen in real life.”
“But she’s not herself.”
Zenyth frowned. “What do you expect the ISS to do? Tell her about all the good times she had with her evil step-father and hope that she becomes herself again?”
She shrugged. “It works in the movies.”
“This is real life.”
“It could work.”
“Or it might not.”
“Stop fighting,” Naydir said. “We don’t need any more fights.”
“Do you think Tecken’s going to give them the full twenty-four hours?” Cale asked. “Or do you think it’s a bluff?”
“They could give the Council a year to prepare,” Vaughn said bitterly, “and it wouldn’t matter.”
Triton stared out the windows of his office. The Segment didn’t look any different, but he knew that everything had changed. All of the civilians had left and the Cambrian Forces were building blockades all over the island. They knew when Tecken was going to attack, but they didn’t know where.
He wondered what would happen to Stanton. Would the Six-Elemental level the entire island? He wondered if she had the power to do something like that. In the raid on the Tecken base, they found a strange room with a dirt floor. The room had obviously been used a lot for elemental training, but Triton knew that regular Elementals wouldn’t have been able to damage the room as much as it had been. There were scorch marks all over the place, the dirt was uneven, and the walls had both water and smoke damage.
He still felt responsible for not discovering Kit’s secret. If he had been smarter, he could have avoided all of this. Even though the situation was not his fault, he felt responsible for it. If only he could go back in time and do it differently.
Then again, would it have made a difference if Kit had come to him? Would he have been able to protect her? Would she have wanted protection? No, but he was still confident that she would never join Tecken willingly. No matter what Zenyth said, Kit had been on their side. She wouldn’t have joined the enemy without a fight. Maybe it was brainwashing or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, there had to be a way to undo it.
Triton wanted to think of a way to save Kit, but he knew that it was too late. As soon as Kit set foot on this island, the orders were to kill. Nobody in the Forces cared about getting her back – they only cared about keeping her out of Tecken’s hands. The ISS and the Forces had stopped calling her by name and were only referring to her as the Six-Elemental.
He didn’t want to think of her as a weapon. She was a person – a person who was in trouble. She deserved a rescue attempt, not a death sentence. Triton had no idea how to rescue her or how to stop the Forces from achieving their goal of murder, but he knew that something had to be done.
Maybe Vaughn could talk to her. She had told Vaughn her secret, so there had to be some kind of connection between them. Maybe Vaughn could bring her back.
Triton wanted to ask Dominika about this plan, but he knew that the Forces would never go for it. They would consider it a risk. Besides, getting a man through a war-zone and up to the most protected soldier in Tecken’s army would be nearly impossible.
Jermaine knocked on Erikson’s door, and waited patiently for a reply before entering. Erikson was seated at his desk, surrounded by maps and papers.
“The Segment flag is still on the ISS building,” Jermaine reported.
“They have another twenty minutes to change their minds.”
“But our outside sources say that they raised the evacuation siren less than two hours after our message was delivered. They’ve already made their decision.”
“So you think that we should assemble the army and go in.”
Jermaine nodded. “Dominika won’t change her mind. The longer we wait to go in, the more prepared the ISS will be. We need to strike now.”
“I will not.” Erikson looked up from his papers and gave Jermaine the full effect of his stare. “My rule will be one
of civility. I gave them thirty hours to make a decision and evacuate, and I will not move even a minute earlier. I am a man of my word, and they still have twenty minutes to surrender. After twenty minutes, if there is not a white flag flying on the ISS building, then I will wait the twenty-four hours I gave them to evacuate. Then, and only then, will I make my move.”
“You’re giving them time to prepare,” Jermaine argued.
Erikson smiled viciously. “They could spend a year preparing for this war and it would not be enough. No matter what they do, they will lose.”
The Forces set up their main base between the highways to Aesira and Drakkar. The most important thing was to keep Tecken from reaching either of those highways and making their way further into the Segment. The more ground Tecken won, the harder it would be to push them back.
They set up multiple blockades – if Tecken managed to push past one, at least they’d have to face many others. There were smaller blockades all around the city, making it difficult for the army to move around. The plan was to stop the enemy from crossing too far into their territory.
Soldiers were called in from all over the Segment – those still on duty and those who were off duty or had retired. They were gathered into teams, given orders, and sent out to the city. The General advised the Majors, who gave orders to the Captains, who commanded their team. General Kalith was in charge of discussing strategy with Dominika and trying to figure out their best chance for success.
Triton had managed to make himself useful as an adviser. He wasn’t a fighter and had been given strict orders to stay away from the battle, but he was allowed to run information to and from the Majors. He was also able to listen in on Dominika and Kalith’s plans, which would be helpful if he wanted to save Kit.
The last civilians had left hours ago. Some had wanted to stay and fight, but the General was reluctant to let just anyone join. He had learned of the treachery of the ISS’s Head of Security and was wary of letting unknown people in on their plans. The General insisted that all civilians were to leave the island so that the Forces could concentrate on its work and not the dangers that might befall citizens.
The only civilians allowed to stay behind, other than those in the medical profession, were the former civilian team. When the five of them stood before the General and the six Majors, Vaughn was the first to speak. He was dressed in a pair of pants the same dark green as the Cambrian uniform and a black shirt, and had a large curved sword attached to his belt.
Vaughn was trying not to look at one of the Majors in particular. The man had the same kind of sword attached to his belt, but the similarities didn’t end there. The man’s hair was the same colour red, and he had the same lean face. It had been years since Vaughn had spoken to his father. He still spoke to his mother occasionally, but his father had never forgiven him for his deceit and probably never would.
“Private Anderson reporting for duty,” Vaughn said as he stood at attention and saluted the General.
“You’re not in the military anymore,” Kalith replied, “so you can relax. All five of you have been vouched for and I commend your effort, but I have an army to control and I do not need civilians to watch out for.”
“We want to help,” Vaughn said, speaking for everyone.
Kalith looked at Bryanna. “What do you do?”
She bit her lip. She hadn’t been expecting the General to be so imposing. “I’m an Elemental. I may not have any army training, but I can fight a bit and I want to help.”
Kalith thought for a moment. “Go to triage and help them in any way they need. You?”
Cale paused. “I can fight. I mean, I used to get into a lot of fights when I was in school.”
“Triage.” He turned to Zenyth and Naydir as Cale grumpily followed Bryanna. “What about you two?”
“We’re officers in the Stanton Police Force,” Zenyth said.
“We were trained in Cambria,” Naydir added.
Kalith nodded. He took another look at Vaughn. “The three of you may be well trained, but you haven’t trained with my people. I want this army to stay solid and I have no place at the front for any of you. However, since you are so insistent to help, I will allow you to run interference. You will be independent of the Forces, but you will do a task if someone wishes it of you, and you will not expect us to help you should you run into trouble.”
The three of them nodded.
“Take care of the outer perimeter and stop the enemy from sneaking in. Stay here and someone will get you jackets to wear so that the rest of the army will know what side you’re on. If anyone in a uniform tells you to do something, then you are to obey them to the letter. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” they replied.
“Good. Try not to get killed,” he said before turning away. The Majors fell in behind him and they walked away.
“How’s that for a family reunion?” Zenyth remarked once the three of them were alone.
“There is a war going on,” Vaughn reminded her.
“He could have at least said ‘Hi’.”
“Maybe under different circumstances…”
Naydir crossed his arms. “At least they didn’t tell us to leave. We can still help in some way.”
“We should thank Triton for that,” Vaughn said. “He put his neck out there to keep us in the loop.”
“Well,” Zenyth said, checking her watch, “we’ve still got two hour before Erikson marches in. Let’s see how ‘in the loop’ they keep us once this whole thing starts.”
The Forces established a perimeter on the edge of the island that faced Tecken. They knew that Erikson’s army would have to enter by water, but they didn’t know how or where. They were to patrol the perimeter and raise the alarm once they spotted something suspicious. If they were lucky, they could keep the Tecken army from setting foot on Stanton.
Captain James checked her watch and radioed her contact, Major Anderson, to say that nothing had happened yet. It was two minutes to the end of the ceasefire and Erikson was a prompt man. James doubted that he would keep them waiting for long.
The troops under James’ command were waiting at the warehouse district, which was the shortest distance from Stanton to Tecken, and the location of the former bridge. The location was both a blessing and a curse. Erikson might avoid the area because of its obviousness or he might choose to land here, just like his great-grandfather had done. It was almost one hundred years after the first war and here they were – ready to do it all over again.
Using binoculars, Captain James could see a line of tents around the perimeter of Tecken. The line went on for most of the island, making it impossible to see where the Tecken soldiers were gathered. She’d refer to her binoculars every few minutes, but nothing changed. A few minutes later, she noticed a disturbance out in the water. It grew larger as it headed for them and it was moving faster than anything they could think of. She yelled out, “Tidal wave!” and the troops pulled back, scrambling to find shelter. The wave was almost three stories high when it crashed on the island, dousing the area with water. Those who hadn’t been lucky enough to find refuge were swept away.
The perimeter was broken and they hadn’t seen even one Tecken soldier. James grabbed her radio and started to report what had happened, but then she stopped. The waters were getting agitated again. Her soldiers stood back, waiting for her order. James watched as the water shifted and fell away and large blocks of earth rose up from underneath, rebuilding the ruined highway. Using her binoculars, she could see that it went all the way back to Tecken. Was this the power of the Six-Elemental?
“This is Troop One! They’ve made contact at Location A!” James yelled into her radio. She ordered her soldiers to stand their ground, while ordering those who were Earth Elementals to attack the connection. They had just started to tear apart the earth when the wind picked up.
In the distance, James could see a large crowd marching towards the island. She radioed that she could see the army, but t
he wind was making it difficult for her to hear any response. Hoping that it wasn’t in vain, she continued to yell her troop’s status into the radio.
As the Tecken army marched closer, the wind grew stronger, forcing the soldiers back from the bridge. James’ soldiers tried to fight against the wind, but it was impossible. The wind was too strong.
She gave the order to fall back, which was something that they were doing anyway. The Forces could only watch as the Tecken army neared. Standing in front of the first line of soldiers was the person identified as the Six-Elemental. Everyone knew that she was the cause of the wind, but they couldn’t get close enough to stop her.
The wind increased to something unnatural. The Six-Elemental had her hands outstretched and her eyes were glowing black. The Tecken solders were dressed in a dark blue uniform, but she was wearing a black shirt and black pants. She was the only soldier not carrying a weapon, but they knew that she didn’t need one.
The Tecken army was unaffected by the wind, and as they piled onto the island they quickly set up their base. As more soldiers marched onto Stanton, the base continued to grow. The Forces tried to fight against the wind, but it was impossible.
“Retreat!” James yelled out. She knew a lost cause when she saw one and there was nothing that they could do against the Six-Elemental. Her best hope was to join the first barricade and let them know what they were up against.
It was a tough blow to the Forces. They’d drastically underestimated the powers of the Six-Elemental and they’d lost the first battle because of it. The Second Invasion had begun and there was nothing they could have done to stop it.
Once the last Cambrian soldier was out of sight, Erikson sent the order for Kit to stop the wind. Akola carried the message to her and when she was close enough, she noticed that Kit was pale and that her hands were shaking.
“They’re gone,” Akola yelled to her over the wind. “You can stop now.”
