by T. C. Edge
I feel her fires burn brighter, surrounding me, enclosing me. I stand there in her arms, transfixed, though not confused. I know what she's doing. I've felt this sensation before. And within that flaming vortex, she passes her energy...to me.
The feeling is profound, my stores refilling, overflowing, every inch of me drowned in blazing light. I clench my hands harder to her back as she feeds me with the flame, the feeling overwhelming my senses for a moment as I try to centre my focus, draw the energy in.
"Take it," I hear her whisper. "Use it. And when the time comes, unleash it."
I hold my breath and clench my jaw, opening myself up to the flow of power. It rushes harder, faster, pressing into me. And then, suddenly, everything goes silent. Everything goes still.
My grandmother's fingers finally relent, releasing me from their grip. I finally pull back and look into her eyes, her skin faded to grey, her hair dull and lank. She lifts a frail smile, her energy stores depleted. I feel a sudden pull of fear as I wonder if she's gone too far, if she's given me her life-force, sacrificed herself for me.
"Don't be afraid, my darling," she tells me, raising a palm to my golden, glowing cheek. "My vitality will return, in time. I don't need it, Amber, not tonight. You do." She draws me in and kisses my forehead. "Use it, darling," she says. "Fight for us both, and set it free."
With that, she steps away from me, back into the room with Burns and Elian, moving weakly as she goes. And feeling more powerful, more alive, than I ever have before, I take a breath, turn, and step out to join the others.
156
Down in the chasm, the world is smothered in darkness, the light of the rising moon and stars yet to penetrate the depths. With a group of over a hundred others, I move silently forward through the deep fissure, the rough rock walls rising up high on each side.
My eyesight, though not enhanced or augmented in any way, is still able to adjust just well enough to guide me. To aid in that regard, I have Kira right with me, careful to make sure I don't make a wrong step along the way.
We're well dispersed and spread out, as suggested by Perses, our group of a hundred led by Commander Hendricks. On the other side of the plains, several miles away, Ares leads the main force of two hundred others. The final hundred or so warriors at our disposal are in the hands of Captain Crastus, working around another flank. Commander Maximus, in the end, was denied the chance by Ares to fight, his injured arm and resulting blood loss believed to be too significant to risk him.
Instead, as we left to take position out here a couple of hours ago, Maximus remained back at the fort, given time to recover so he can lead the defence of the fort should it come under attack. My grandmother's strength, I hope, will return soon. And with Perses there, I feel confident that those I care about will be well protected if they come under siege.
The plan is quite simple now: to get into position, wait, and then attack as one when the signal is given. That signal will come from Ares and his primary attack force, flanking around the back of the enemy army and attacking them from the rear. Our troop under Hendricks, and the other under the charge of Crastus, will do the same from the flanks. It's hoped that a sudden attack from multiple angles will be the most effective strategy in both disabling the enemy siege weapons, and causing havoc within their ranks.
Beneath my feet, the floor is uneven, littered with jutting bits of rock that serve to keep me on my toes. I keep careful watch on the ground, walking right behind Kira and trying to follow her step as closely as possible. Ahead, the nearest soldier is a good ten metres away. The same is true behind, our troop of a hundred or so spread out over a distance of nearly a kilometre.
It's a necessary measure to ensure our collective step isn't heard. To my un-augmented ears, it appears to be working. Ahead and behind, the movement of the nearest troops are undetectable to my ears. Even Kira, right in front of me, walks with such a grace and control that her footsteps are completely silent. Her left ankle, thus far, seems to be OK. I notice that she added some additional strapping before we left, helping to provide her with extra support upon this uneven terrain.
Our progress is slow, steady, and silent. Though the sound of our movement down here should be well concealed by that of the enemy army, we're fully aware that there may be scouts up top, searching around the plains to sniff out a trap. To that end, we have our most gifted Sensors spread out evenly down the line, with the best of them towards the front, listening out for trouble.
Given Kira's expertise, our position is right at the head, Hendricks only just in front of us with a couple of particularly gifted Stalkers for company. So far, we've been fortunate to remain out of sight and undiscovered. I can only hope the same is true of the rest of our soldiers.
With my eyes to the canyon floor, I sense Kira stopping ahead of me. I halt my movement just in time and fix my feet in position before I bump into her. Through the gloom of the canyon, I can see the Stalkers and Hendricks ahead, their figures growing duller the further away they are.
I snap my eyes behind me. Already, the soldier trailing us has stopped. Behind, others are doing the same, the entire troop going rigid as the domino effect ripples down the line.
A moment passes, and nothing happens. I notice Kira's head turning just a little, her right ear tilted to the top of the gorge. She's listening for something. Ahead, the others are too.
Then, suddenly, I notice Hendricks turning around, the movement enough to catch my eye. He lifts a hand and performs a gesture I don't understand. The soldiers within eyesight easily see him through the dark, turning to pass the message down the line.
I frown, not knowing what's been said. Reaching out, I tap Kira on the shoulder, getting her attention. Her green, feline-like eyes whip towards me, glowing in the dark.
"What's happening?" I mouth to her, doing so so quietly that even I can't hear the words.
She leans towards me, and speaks, her voice audible, though in a low whisper. "The army are approaching," she tells me. "A mile or so off to the right." Her eyes look to the chasm wall. "They're moving past us and towards the fort. It's time to get to the surface."
Her words cause my heart to beat with purpose. My nerves peak for just a moment, though are quickly replaced by a sense of anticipation. A little down the line, I see the nearest ladder being silently moved towards the wall of the canyon. It's a little too long for our position, so is carefully adjusted to the appropriate height, before being placed against the rock.
Immediately, the nearest grouping of about twenty soldiers begin to close in around it, those further down the line gathering around their own ladder, dispersed evenly among the soldiers to be accessible to those nearby.
I move to Kira's side again. "Can you hear how many?" I whisper.
Her glowing eyes turn on me again. "A lot," is all she says.
The soldiers, led by Hendricks, begin the climb. They do so quietly, despite the distance to the approaching army, still wary that a scout might be watching from nearby. One by one, the twenty of them climb. I find myself at the back, struggling to see with any great clarity, desperate to let the fires flow through me to light my way.
I'm second last to climb, only Kira behind me now. I grip the handholds and haul myself up, stepping as silently as I can until I reach the top and am helped over the edge by a couple of dead-eyed Stalkers. Kira follows, athletically leaping into an immediate crouch at the top of the chasm. Around us, the twenty soldiers stay low, their dark clothing well camouflaged against the night.
There's little cover. A few rocks here and there, but not much more. Ahead, the plains stretch out towards the distance. I turn my eyes to the right, and see the shadow of the fort far off, so small now from where we are.
The group quickly scan, everyone playing their part. Twenty sets of augmented eyes searching through the darkness.
"No one," Kira says. "No scouts nearby."
It seems to be the consensus. We have made it into position without detection.
&
nbsp; Still staying low, we lie in wait for just a moment. I look down the line of the fissure, and see our other groups assembling at the top, little, shadowed huddles gathering upon the plains.
I turn my eyes ahead, across the barren tundra. I can see nothing from this distance, no sign of the enemy army. Yet the others, staring out, clearly can.
"They're stopping," Kira whispers, her eyesight perhaps the best of all. I see a few others nod. Others turn to her and listen. "A hundred wagons, maybe more. I...I think they're unpacking their siege weapons."
"A hundred wagons," Hendricks says, turning out to try to see for himself. I notice he has to strain a little more, and even then he doesn't appear to have the eyes for it. "How many people can their wagons hold?
The question is directed at me, his eyes turning in my direction. They glow subtly within the gloom.
"Depends on what they are," I whisper. "Troop carriers can hold a few dozen, I think."
"Then that's in line with what our scouts told us," Hendricks nods. "A force of two to three thousand." He draws a breath. "OK, let's move. The others will be closing in. We have to be ready for when Ares strikes."
Still staying low, we begin to move off, my position now kept to the rear. Kira, attentive in her babysitting duties, stays with me. Down the line, the other groups of twenty begin creeping forwards as well, though stay detached from our own to make us harder to detect.
"When the first wave rush in, we stay to the rear," Kira tells me as we go. "Once everything goes to hell, we'll join, OK?"
"You're not going with the first wave?" I ask. "It doesn't sound like you."
"And you know me so well, do you, Amber?" I can see her emerald eyes glinting in the darkness. She glances again to her left ankle, displaying a slight grimace. "You had me right," she whispers. "I...need to be smart."
"Shhhh," comes a hiss from ahead. I look up to find Hendricks glaring back at us. "No speaking now. Not a sound."
We nod our response and zip our lips. The troop continues on in its crouched creep, my legs starting to burn as we advance. We try to work between what cover there is, though the going continues to be slow. Another ten minutes pass before the faint shadow of the Olympian army begins to come into view, faintly lit by the moonlight glowing down upon the plains.
We stop again, our distance towards them significantly reduced. It seems that we may not be able to get any closer without being spotted. Down the line, the other troops follow our lead, stopping behind the cover of rocks and dropping into shallow depressions.
Once more, Hendricks turns his eyes over the gathered troop, relaying orders with his hands. Kira translates for me, her lips all but touching my ears as she silently breathes out the words.
"We wait for the signal from Ares here," she says. "Stay down and don't move."
I gently lower myself close to the rock floor, all but hugging the ground. Ahead, now, I can hear the gentle clanking of machinery as the convoy is unpacked. I try to glimpse through the darkness, and think I see some faint blue light beginning to glow. It's the same colour as the energy cannons we used to bombard New Haven.
A minute passes. Then another. Still, there's nothing to the north, where Ares and his troop are planning on coming in behind the enemy convoy. I wonder for a moment if something has happened, delaying them. Yet, there's no sound of battle or fighting out there. If they've been hindered in any way, surely we'd know it by now?
Then, suddenly, I see Kira's eyes flash off to one side, a little behind us and to the east. I follow her gaze and see a figure moving out there. It zips quickly, moving like a spectre in the night as it presses towards us.
Others take note. Weapons are hastily lifted as the figure comes our way.
It stops. Drops down. I see a pair of glowing blue eyes in the distance, staring in our direction.
And then, before anyone can react, the figure flashes off, rushing right for the Olympian camp.
The reaction of our troop is immediate. Without even needing to be ordered, Kira springs from her position, forgetting her injured ankle, and begins rushing right after the scout. A couple of Stalkers go too, trying to track him down. I watch as they disappear into the night at speed, my heart thrashing wildly. Ahead, a voice calls out, shouting into the night air.
"Ambush!" the scout calls out, his voice faint as he speeds away. "Ambush! Ambu..."
His third attempt is cut off abruptly, his distant voice falling dead in the night air. I lift myself up from the ground and try to search the distance. I can barely make out the figures of Kira and the Stalkers now. They're a couple hundred metres away already, nearing the enemy camp. I see them stop and drop low, the scout clearly taken down.
But taken down...too late.
Ahead, breaking apart the deathly darkness of the night, a storm of light suddenly erupts from within the Olympian army. Dozens, hundreds of firearms go off at once, voices shouting from within the camp. Within seconds only, the entire space ahead blooms to life, Kira and the Stalkers scattering and diving behind rocky outcrops for cover.
And as they do, further away, more light blooms. More sounds rise.
"It's the signal," calls Hendricks, no need for secrecy now. "Ares is attacking! We go!"
He launches himself to his feet, and speeds right into battle, the hundred soldiers spread out down the line rushing in too.
I watch them go just a second, wondering what to do.
I don't have to wonder too long.
Standing, I let the flames swirl and flow around me, my body encased in the strongest shield I can muster.
And into battle I go.
157
I rush right into the fray, boosting myself forwards with my flame. Ahead, the world is hard to make out. Lines of light rush this way and that, criss-crossing all over the battlefield. From within the Olympian camp, soldiers rush forwards, engaging us before we can close in. And to the north, and the western flanks, I sense other battles raging too.
Amid the light storm, I see a flash of red, and press right on towards it. I skid to a stop behind a boulder, dropping in beside Kira as she shoots from cover with her dual pulse pistols.
"We jumped the gun a bit there, didn't we?" I call out, lifting my own rifle and starting to fire.
She glances over at me, her expression somewhere between a smile and a grimace. Nearby, I can see the scout lying dead, a throwing knife embedded in the back of his neck.
"Couldn't help it with that scout," she calls, glancing to him. "It's going to cost us. Unfortunately, plans don't always play out like you want. It's all good until they start shooting before you do."
"I know," I reply. "Kovas's plans in New Haven hardly went as anticipated."
Down the line, our hundred warriors fire, many of them armed with the pulse rifles that they used to such great effect when I was fighting with the Olympians. The lights are mesmerising, a dazzling array of blue and red and green, sometimes clashing with others in multi-coloured bursts. The growing shroud of light from the fight quickly helps me see more effectively, the enemy positions becoming clearer as they rush from their carriages, or take cover behind them, firing back as they go.
I see many of them fall in the early exchanges, our attack coming just quick enough to ensure that the ambush was still at least partially effective. Yet within moments only, the rest are aware, several hundred of the enemy swarming from the darkness and pressing towards our position.
"There are too many," I say, watching on as they come. "We won't be able to hold this position long."
My eyes are drawn as I speak, lured towards the north. Amid the darkened silhouette of the siege cannons, I see a vibrant blue light beginning to glow. They hum and buzz and unleash their load, the blazing blue balls of energy fizzing off into the night. As they do, their startling glow lights the world around them in far greater clarity, signalling the presence of hundreds of other soldiers gathered there to protect them.
And beyond those coming at us now, I see others. A swarm o
f troops far beyond what I'd expected, rushing around the camp, setting fixed gun placements into position to fire back at us with deadly effect.
Three are immediately aimed our way, chattering wildly as they spray blue rounds of energy in our direction. I find myself ducking as the automatic energy weapons take aim at our rock, obliterating the cover we're hiding behind. It explodes, sending razor sharp chips of stone shooting out in all directions, knocking both Kira and me backwards before we can retreat.
I hit the ground, my shield protecting me, splinters of rock flashing as they detonate on impact with the fire. Above, the great blue energy balls continue to trail through the sky, quite spellbinding as they light up the barren world beneath them, heading straight for the fort. I can hardly move as I see them approach it, one exploding before it arrives, shot down by one of our snipers.
I gasp in amazement.
But the other makes it through.
Connecting violently with the northern wall, it explodes into a haze of blue and golden fire, trails of light swirling up into the night. I stare for just a second before feeling a hand grip my shoulder. I spin around and find Kira there, her eyes lit bright, her cheek cut by a piece of shrapnel from the exploding boulder.
"We have to displace," she calls. "Follow me."
I rush after her as she speeds off, moving closer towards our other soldiers. A group have collected behind a more robust outcropping of rock, currently being heavily targeted by the Olympian fixed guns. The impact of the blue energy causes large chunks to burst apart, the cover quickly disintegrating before us. I search left and right and can see little better than this.
"Commander Hendricks," Kira says, speeding towards our group leader. I find Hendricks hunkered down, occasionally standing up and shooting over the top of the rock. His eyes flick to us as we reach him, already intense and growing concerned.
"I'm not sure we can hold this flank long, Commander," Kira calls over the rush and din. "The enemy will overrun us soon. We should retreat and flank around to join Ares."
