by T. C. Edge
The City Guard Commander is quick to react, retreating back towards us with a large group of his men as Kira and I catch up. I hurry to join them, as his eyes fall on me. "Amber!" he bellows. "You have to deal with your kind. We'll take care of the rest..."
He leaves me no choice, hurrying off to flank another group of enemy soldiers at that, returning immediately to the fray. I notice Kira torn, half wanting to follow, half wanting to stay. "Go, Kira," I tell her. "This isn't your fight."
"I can't leave you alone, Amber," she says. "I won't..."
I draw a sharp breath, and turn to look out at the incoming Fire-Bloods, turning their attention only on me now. "Go," I say again. "I'm not safe to be around right now."
I don't look back, don't know if she retreats or not. Staring forward, I lock eyes with a woman who started as a bitter rival, and then became a close friend. A woman who, right now, is looking at me with utter hated. Just as she once did.
"I don't want to fight you, Hestia," I call out. "You're my friend. We don't have to do this."
She holds up an arm, her five supporting Fire-Bloods stopping behind her. With a grimace on her face, she takes a step towards me, rogue bullets flicking off her shield as she comes. "Friend," she growls, her eyes like flame. "You think you're a friend to me. You. A traitor. A heretic." A snarl works onto her lips. "We've heard about what you've been doing. I didn't believe it at first. But this," she says, her voice going dangerously low. "This is lower than anyone could go. To kill your own countrymen. To fight with these invaders!"
Her chest fills with a deep intake of air, and before I can react, she lifts up her hands and lets the fire run free. From her palms, two raging spouts come pouring at me, engulfing me immediately within a churning vortex of flame. My shield protects me, though the blaze obscures my vision. I flash out with my own pulse of fire and cast hers away, scorching the earth around me to black.
I turn my eyes on her again, still standing before me. But now, her five followers - men and women I recognise from before - stand surrounding me, arms outstretched, palms glowing hot.
"Hestia, we don't have to do this," I repeat. "You're living a lie. All of you are. Even Elian knows it. Even Perses..."
She frowns, still unaware that Perses is alive. I see the flames around her hands weaken just a little. "Perses is dead," she growls. "How can..."
"He isn't dead, Hestia," I cut in. "He's right inside that fort right now. He won't fight, or kill his own people. But he is looking to help make a change." I try to stay calm, to choose my words carefully. "You were always loyal to him. If he can change, why can't you?" I look into her eyes, my own pleading for sanity. "You don't have to do this," I repeat, more softly now. "Please, Hestia," I say. "Don't make me do this."
She stares at me, her snarl dismissed, her expression conflicted. Her eyes dance to the other Fire-Bloods, and then glance towards the fort. Looking over the battle, she seems to come to a realisation. She shakes her head and turns back to me. "You're outnumbered," she says. "Your campaign is about to fail." That snarl reappears. "You're lying, Amber."
"I'm not lying," I say. "I'm not lying to you, Hestia."
"You are lying, Amber," she returns, her voice growing louder, more hateful again. "You're lying about this. You're lying to yourself. Maybe you've been brainwashed, maybe not. Either way, your punishment is death."
The flames strengthen upon her palms, slithering like snakes between her fingers.
"No, Hestia!" I call out. "It's you who has been brainwashed." I turn to look at the others. "All of you have. Everyone in Olympus. The Prime is evil! And we are here to kill them."
I let it all go, my words slipping, my composure sunk. Around me, six powerful Fire-Bloods begin bubbling and boiling into a rage. I can feel their energy, rushing up from the depths. I glance around and witness the utter hatred in their eyes, their outstretched hands shaking, their teeth appearing within clenched jaws.
And then, turning back to look at Hestia, I hear her unleash a terrible roar.
And with it, comes a terrible flame.
From all around me, the fires rush and charge, swirling and coiling me up in their snare. I drop into a crouch, centring my focus, shutting my eyes as I think of my grandmother. She gave me her flame for a reason. That reason, I know, is now.
Hidden within that storm of fire, I draw upon all I have. I haul free the plug, and let it all surge. Unleash it, she'd told me. Now is the time.
With a roar of my own, I stand up once more to my full height, open out my arms, and let all I have run free. From my body, an explosion of fiery energy spreads, blasting off the flames of the Fire-Bloods around me, sending each and every one of them, Hestia included, flying off their feet.
I bellow loud, calling to the skies, as all of them go tumbling away from me. They land heavily upon the solid earth, cracking bones as they do. Two are unable to get up, quickly set upon by a couple of Stalkers, who dash in from nearby, slicing their throats before seeking other prey.
Another lies there, her core melted by the heat. A minor Fire-Blood, I realise. One who couldn't contend with my flame.
Another stands wearily, his eyes fearful as he looks upon me. He glances at Hestia and then, showing himself a coward, begins rushing away to the north, heading back in the direction of Olympus.
The final follower of Hestia doesn't even get the chance. As he watches on, perhaps preparing to follow, Kira sweeps in herself, appearing from the battle nearby. She approaches with deadly speed and tosses a knowing knife with deadly accuracy. It rips right into the Fire-Blood's throat, his shield broken by my attack. Blood gushes from the wound, spilling into the earth. He drops to his knees, hands clasping at his severed neck, his fires going out as he falls.
A strange silence falls as I watch on, feeling a terrible sense of regret at what I've done, and what I've seen. Slowly, as she looks around at her fallen kin, Hestia's body begins to shiver. It isn't fear that does it, but rage. She hates me now for what I am, for the things I've done.
She isn't alone in that.
As her throat opens once more, releasing a terrible, ear piercing shriek of anger and grief, I see her attention rush from me to Kira, standing above her fallen brother. She lifts her hands and, accompanying her bellowing, animalistic screech, sends forth all the flame she has, spreading it towards Kira.
I don't move for just a second, knowing the redhead is quick enough to avoid it.
Usually.
But as she turns to rush away, I see her left leg catch and twist, her ankle turning over. She lets out a squeal of pain, and falls to the ground, a wall of fire hunting her down.
And there's nothing she can do.
160
I react on instinct, boosting myself forward with such pace I feel my feet leave the ground.
Intercepting Hestia’s fire, I land between them, pressing my hands out towards her and unleashing torrents of my own. They push hers back, forcing her onto her knees. I see her beginning to crumble, her arms weakening. They shiver and shake as her energy wanes.
“We don’t…have to do this…Hestia,” I call out, tying to force her to submit. “You don’t need to die for them. All they’ve ever done is feed us lies. All they’ve ever done is control us…”
My words serve only to give her strength. A sudden pulse of energy radiates out from her as she climbs back to her feet. I feel myself temporarily halted in my charge, her powers rebuffing my own.
I search her eyes, search her face, and know this isn’t a fight I’m ever going to win.
“You’re lost!” she says, growling the words out. “Once a Fringe rat, always a Fringe rat! I should never have trusted you! You have brought the devil to our lands!”
The words further inspire her, those swelling tides of energy rushing up from within. They pulse out in thick waves, forcing me back a little. I fix my position and fight, my neck beginning to bend forward, chin beginning to sag.
I’ll never get through to her, I think, desponde
nt, resigning myself to the terrible truth. She will never stop, until I’m dead…
“I’ll kill you all,” I hear her growling from within the swirling fires. “Everyone you care about. I’ll start with your beloved Jude. I’ll take great pleasure in that!”
I look up again. The hatred on her face has only deepened. I see her now as she was. As the woman who’d tried to make my life hell when I first came to Olympus. As the woman who wanted me dead from the start.
She isn’t really that woman, I know, but it makes it easier.
Makes it easier to act.
As she continues to list my loved ones, telling me how she’ll murder them one by one, I shut my eyes and enter a world of calm. Blocking her out, I mine the deeper depths of my powers, depths she could never access. I focus my heat, concentrating it on her.
And then, I let it go.
I don’t open my eyes until it’s done, don’t look until I know she’s dead. I feel the heat and flame advancing on her, enclosing her. I hear her insults and taunts turning to shrieks and wails. I feel a tear building in the corner of my eye as I listen.
Listen to her burn. Listen to her die.
I only stop when she turns quiet, dropping to my knees, opening my eyes. They’re wet, the tears spreading. I draw all my power back in and, for a moment, indulge my grief.
Slowly, surely, the sounds of the battle come back to me. I sense a rush coming from behind. A hand drops to my shoulder. I turn my eyes up and find Commander Hendricks there, several Stalkers alongside him.
Is that all that’s left? I wonder. Are all the others dead?
“We have to go, Amber!” he’s shouting, his words not so clear in my ears. I see Kira step over, her face stricken, sweat beading on her forehead, her red hair lank. She limps more heavily now, unable to move with any great speed. One of the Stalkers sees and moves to help her. Things must be dire for her to accept.
“Amber! Come on!” Hendricks repeats. “We have to go!”
His eyes rush off behind us, as I shake the murk from my head and stand to my feet. I look around and see hundreds more soldiers arriving, pouring down from the Olympian army. Beyond, the cannons continue to fire. Flashes and lights still blaze out there, suggesting the fight is still going on.
Is Ares alive, I wonder idly. How many of us have fallen?
“We have to get out of here,” Hendricks repeats. I turn to look towards the fort itself. Some Stalkers are still fighting there outside the walls, hundreds of bodies littering the ground. Most of the five hundred Olympians appear to have been killed already, or else gone through the breach to fight within the fort. Beyond the walls, I can hear the battle ongoing. “We kill those in the fort, and head south to Hunter’s Station.,” Hendricks roars to those nearby. “We cannot defend against what’s coming our way…”
I turn again to the distance. The blur of bodies charges on, speeding quickly towards us. At their head, I see a squat figure in pure black, the moonlight glinting off his clean-shaven head.
I bear my teeth as I look at him. “Kovas,” I growl. “It’s Herald Kovas.”
Hendricks spins around again. The news seems to reconfirm his position. His voice calls out, spreading across our soldiers nearby. “To the fort!” he bellows. “Find survivors, kill all we can! We head for Hunter’s Station!”
He rushes off, the Stalkers going with him, Kira drawn along too.
“Amber,” she calls out, as I stand my ground, staring to the distance. “Amber, come on! What the hell are you doing!”
Her voice fades away as I stand, unmoving, just staring at Kovas and the hundreds at his back.
A sense of calm seems to spread through me, the tears drying on my cheeks. I feel no fear, no panic as he comes. I feel only a sense of purpose begin to fill me, as all my doubts are cast away.
And standing there, the words of Secretary Burns echo in my ears.
“Good luck, Amber,” he had said to me before I left “Free your mind of doubts, and you will soar.”
Free your mind of doubts, I think again. And you will soar…
I turn my eyes, slowly, to the skies, looking upon the glowing moon. The soldiers rush forwards, closing fast. Some, I see, are heading for the breach in the wall. Others appear to be coming right for me.
I am a beacon for them here, my body beginning to glow brighter. They see me. They know me. Every one of them wants to be the one to kill me.
But no, they won’t. I see now that many are not for saving. I see that they will always be slaves to the Prime, no matter what we do.
I have to be all or nothing. I cannot do what must be done, if I’m unwilling to act. If I have doubts.
Free your mind of doubts, I think a final time. And you will soar.
With a faint smile, and a smooth, calm breath, I turn my palms down, igniting the flame…
And take flight.
161
The looks of wonder on the faces of the men below me quickly turn to those of horror.
Unleashing all I have, I soar into the air, gliding over them and sending fire from above. Like a dragon of ancient myth and lore, I devastate the incoming soldiers, emitting columns of fire as I glide and swoop, engulfing dozen upon dozens in a single go.
The men panic and scatter, half of them immediately turning and rushing back the other way, the other half attempting to fire at me from below. Their bullets clatter against my shield, bouncing off me or missing entirely as I rush past and turn, before whooshing past again.
It feels so natural, so exhilarating, like something I’ve been doing all my life. For a moment I forget the death and the killing. For a second I think only of the pure joy of it all, of the wind in my hair, of the sense of unimaginable power at my fingertips, the freedom the skies afford me.
Below, flaming soldiers run and scream, rolling upon the ground to try to put out the flames. Others dash at great speed, hoping the rush of air will do the job. They create streaking lights, cutting across the blackness below. It’s a beautiful, terrible thing.
A thing of my own making.
Ahead, to the north, only a couple of miles away, I see the battle ongoing. I press more fire from my palms, forcing myself higher into the air. The vantage gives me a better look, the numbers of blue, red, and green lights out there giving me some hope. They are pulse rifles and pistols, I know. Ares, I’m sure, is leading a fine counter.
As if to confirm it, I suddenly see another of the huge energy cannons burst into flame. It explodes violently, engulfing the soldiers nearby. It’s too far to see with great clarity, but I sense Herald Gailen still there, commanding the winds with such skill.
Somehow, it brings a smile to my face.
I turn my attention back down below, as the enemy continue to fire at me. The shining, bald head of Kovas is clear. I snarl as I look at him and perform another swoop, turning my body downwards, letting gravity do the work.
I slow my descent as I near, just as I did in the quarry a few days ago. I remain a little awkward, slowing too quickly to compensate for the added height and speed. It causes me to judder a little as I attempt to fire down at him, Kovas too swift, rushing away with a contingent of guards as my fires, for the first time, miss.
The drop in height, however, has me at a sudden disadvantage. I hear Kovas bellowing below, calling out orders. His remaining soldiers react quickly, raising their guns in unison as the wonder of my arrival fades. I am an enemy now, that is all. Just another enemy soldier to be killed.
They fire as one, doing so in a sweeping pattern as they follow me through the smoking skies. I lose concentration, a note of panic setting in. The resulting loss of focus has my palms misfiring, my concentration torn as I begin hurtling for the ground. My heart jolts, but I recover just in time, re-routing the fires to my palms and lower half, pressing upwards instinctively to keep me from hitting the ground.
To do so might well be fatal here. The skies are my refuge. Down there, I’ll be swamped.
The fear gives me foc
us, pushing myself back into the heavens. I manage to swerve from the incoming gunfire just well enough to avoid most of the contact. Still, a number of bullets hit me, some of them straight on. I feel each impact now, knocking violently against my weakening shield.
You’re stretched too thin, Amber, I think. You can’t fly, fire, and hold up a shield all at once!
I swoop away again, adjusting my palms as I go to keep myself steady. In the distance, I sense the final energy cannon charging up once more, still intent on firing upon the fort, even though many Olympian soldiers now do battle within.
I turn my attention there, looking right at the breach. I try to gauge what’s happening, but the flames obscure my view.
I turn again, gliding lower as I look upon the soldiers below me. They follow me with their eyes and guns, Kovas leading them on as they try to hunt me down. Soon, I know, my fires will run out. Soon I’ll plummet and fall…
A whizzing sound rips into my ears, and I turn to see a barrage of bullets coming for me. They clatter against my shield before I can drop or rise, dozens of them connecting with force. I see a Titan down there, his fist clutched to a grenade. I narrow my eyes and draw a sharp breath as I see the burns on his face, the disfigurement caused by the flame.
Krun.
I try to swoop away again, my fires quickly depleting now. He launches the grenade right at me, throwing with staggering force. It fires like a missile, rushing quickly through the air, detonating nearby as I dip and swoop away. The force of the explosion tears into me, causing rips in my shield. It shimmers and crackles, threatening to fail. And without my shield, I’m nothing.
I refocus my energy upon it, drawing it back up. The result has the fires from my palms and legs failing, forcing me to drop closer to the ground. Another barrage of gunfire comes towards me. I sense the enemy closing in, Kovas scenting blood.
The bullets hit again. Another grenade explodes. The double impact is too much, too much for me to counter. My fires go out suddenly, my palms emitting only smoke and sparks of flame. I fall, twenty metres still from the ground, tumbling towards the earth not far outside the breach.
