This was an important mission, and she wanted it executed perfectly. Barely a few seconds into her conversation with her grande-commander, the Overseer had patched in.
“No mistakes, Charun,” he growled.
“Of course, My Lord,” she said, imagining herself disemboweling the demon.
“Report to me immediately upon completion,” he barked. Then added, “and if you complete your mission successfully, without any problems, there'll be a promotion in it for you. You fail, and I'll have your wings clipped.”
“Of course, My Lord,” she said again.
The humans donned green cloaks made of grass from the terrain. It was crude, yet effective camouflage. Without a scanner, they'd be difficult to spot.
“This is going to be difficult,” she said to the elite soldiers, puffing her chest. The truth was, she had never actually commanded—or taken part in—a raid before. But she was well-versed in all combat theory.
“We can't just simply blast them from afar. Their brains need to be wholly intact. The humans possess one or several of a weapon of mass destruction. You saw what they did to the shoals.”
“We ain't bloody shoals,” one of the soldiers growled.
She chose to ignore the comment. A good leader knew when to leave things unsaid. “Therefore it is imperative they don't see us coming. We shall conduct maneuver number 713 from your Advanced Aerial Training manual.”
They looked at her blankly.
She whooshed her back wings angrily. Imbeciles. These were supposed to be some of the best. As elite as a platoon could get without being Charun. “It's a dive and decapitation maneuver. Surely you've drilled on this before?”
“We can do it,” the Arms Officer said. The others murmured agreement.
“Commander,” one of the scanners reported. “They are moving.”
“Okay,” Ungeo squawked, her voice not coming out anywhere near as powerful as she wanted. “Adjust your weapons properly. If any of their brains are injured, I'll make sure the Overseer knows of your mistake.” With a powerful swish, she hovered a few feet off the top of the tree, her service weapon in hand. The bitter stench of excitement rose from the soldiers. She liked that smell. It reminded her of dinner.
* * * *
Hitomi pulled the cloak tightly over her shoulders, but she didn't pull the hood up. The wind had picked up slightly, and a growing heaviness hung. The sense of rain tingled her nose.
Their plan was to hike to the freeway that led to the city, but skirt the side. If anything came, they'd dive into the grass and conceal themselves as best they could.
“Everyone ready?” Indigo said.
They stood, all pulling their cloaks tightly around their shoulders. They looked like a group of green monks. They skirted the tree line, heading toward the road.
Hitomi clutched onto her periscepter like a life raft. She tried to teach the others to use it, but the only one to get anything was still Indigo. And after the short burst of weak light, she fell over panting like she had been kicked in the stomach.
The last thing Hitomi wanted was to be in charge of their defense. And the thought of having killed all those creatures still sickened her—although she knew perfectly well what they could've done to her. Still, she never wanted to hurt anyone. Not even demons.
This must be my penance.
They had only been moving for a few minutes when it happened. She became aware of a noise, and it came from above. Like a flag being ripped at by the wind. She glanced up.
* * * *
Hekka, member of the elite Dahhak Tempest Squadron, was living fury. Filled with vigor from his radiant god Moloch, he focused his rage toward the human girl. Instead of allowing himself to just dive, he pumped his wings so his descent would be swifter than the others. He wanted to be the first.
Unlike most of his comrades, he normally didn't have a thirst for violence. But at this moment it was more than just a simple craving for battle. It was almost blinding.
Though the others were unaware, Lesser-Commander Reeka had been his brother, one of a spawn of twelve thousand. They had been particularly close. They had grown together, trained together, aspired together, even spawned with a young Dahhak Queen together.
The sight of his brother's severed wing and his rendered torso still burned in his mind. And that humans had done it. Humans! His clan would be shamed, and Reeka's page from the Book of Ancestors would be burned, never mentioned again. Forgive me Moloch, he prayed. My anger burns.
But Moloch would forgive him, for revenge was a sacrament. A way to attain his Pri. He squeezed gently on the trigger of his weapon, causing a sickle-shaped blade of energy to form at the tip. Decapitation was too good for them. But Hekka followed orders. Even if they did come from a pompous, idiot Charun.
The female turned to look up at him, but it was too late. He swung his arm back, bracing himself for the killing blow.
* * * *
Hitomi saw the demon flying right at her, its scarlet eyes wild. She screamed and pulled up her periscepter, but her arm seemed to be working in slow motion. The demon arched its weapon at her head. Then something pummeled into her stomach, and she fell. The fire blade whistled over her head, the stench of sulfur and burnt hair rising.
Dave had tackled her, saving her life. Her stomach burned. He quickly rolled away, freeing her arm. The demon swished up, did a quick flip, and arched back toward her. Above it several more of the demons came, all with weapons drawn. They fell like rain, screaming toward the group of five.
Their eyes were red like caged fire—glowing, yet lifeless all the same. They had black wings, made of rough-looking skin, thick with pulsating veins. Like the wings of a pterodactyl. They had human bodies, tall, thin, and angular, skin a dark shade of gray.
The panic dictated her motions. She flashed on the periscepter, but her attacker dove out of the way, the beam nicking a part of its wing. It shrieked in pain and anger. The second closest demon was caught in the blast, its blue armor and weapon plummeting. The other demons scattered, aborting their dive.
Next to her, Indigo pulled a short blast from her light, knocking herself over. The beam caught three of the demons. One lost its wing and fell. It smashed into the ground with a sickening crunch.
Hitomi swung the light wildly, hitting the demons. Some flew for the cover of the nearby trees. Those that didn't died.
She caught a momentary view of another creature high above, circling. It was almost twice as imposing as their attackers. A giant mutated dragonfly with the head of a vulture. It had grotesquely burly human arms, and a pair of deadly-looking talons hung below it. It had four, rounded insect wings that blurred. There were no feathers, just dense, dark hair.
“No,” Hitomi said, the sight of the demon staggering her. Hitomi thought of fire. And pain. An unending impression upon her memory.
“Run!” Indigo screamed. “Back into the trees. Hitomi, keep the light moving.”
The trunk of a massive tree blocked their escape, and they rushed toward the closest end—back the way they had just come. Hitomi didn't look, but she kept the light waving upwards. A few screams, followed by the crash of downward spirals let her know the beam had hit something.
Rico had gotten hold of one of the Demon's bulky black guns, but he couldn't get it to work. They looked tiny in the hands of their attackers, but it was huge in Rico's. He desperately slammed the switches and pulled the levers. He pushed something forward on the weapon, and a ball of fire shot off into the darkness, hitting a faraway tree. The wooden skyscraper ignited.
He turned the weapon to the sky, screaming at the tree tops.
“Come on,” Indigo yelled. “Into the forest.”
* * * *
Thirteen Dahhak lost in matter of seconds. Thirteen! It was unforgivable. The Dahhak responsible—if the bastard was still alive—would be flailed in front of an audience of his peers. She had specifically ordered a controlled, silent dive. No matter what happened now, she'd be considered a failu
re. How could she possibly have proven her military leadership with such incompetence hindering her? Thirteen soldiers lost to humans. She shook with rage. Unforgivable.
“Regroup,” she screamed into the communicator.
“Permission to upgrade energy bursts,” the Arms Officer pleaded over the band.
“Denied,” Ungeo said curtly. “Now regroup.”
A tree exploded in a ball of flame. The humans were picking up the weapons of the fallen Dahhak! Ungeo shattered a branch with her powerful talons in anger. What to do? They were besting a platoon of elite soldiers.
The remaining Dahhak perched upon the tree, all filled with a tangible rage. She noticed that some of them had switched their weapons back up to sixty percent, the standard war setting.
“What now, commander,” the Arms Officer said, spitting the words.
* * * *
Hekka ignored the regroup order. This was a matter of Moloch, and matters that involved Him were always a priority. He was perched in a low tree, silently watching the humans rushing through the forest. Directly toward him. His wing burned in agony, but the injury was slight enough that it would regenerate. He could still fly. His family had done something to anger Moloch. It was the only explanation for Reeka, and now this.
These weren't ordinary humans, but Children of Moloch placed here to punish Hekka and his clan. Entire clans had been annihilated before because a single member had angered the god. There was only one way to erase the Blood Anger. Temple Oblation. Oblation in itself was a common practice, but this was different. The blood of a Child of Moloch was required for the rare ceremony, and it could only be completed on sacred ground.
He prayed silently as the humans approached. They crashed through the bush, obviously assuming the threat was behind them. Hekka prayed for guidance. Now that His anger had been identified, He would allow Hekka safe passage. Moloch was a kind god. He felt the radiant power filling him. Even the ache of his wing was subdued.
* * * *
They ran back into the wood and rested against a tree. Hitomi flashed her light desperately into the darkness, but they no longer heard screams. Rico and Dave both had weapons now. Rico quickly showed him how to work it and adjust the power. They both had the energy turned all the way up, and the black guns hummed menacingly. Behind them, the tree still burned. Smoke filled the air.
“Let's put some more distance between us and those things. And then we'll decide what to do,” Indigo said.
“We can't leave the forest,” Rico said. “They can just float up like hawks, waiting for us. And when ... AHHHHH! ”
He never finished the sentence. A demon flew out of the branches and shot at him, knocking him to the ground. The massive creature landed on him, smacking him senseless and sending his newly-acquired gun flying. Hitomi brought up her periscepter, but the demon swished its wings, and the wind threw her down. Dave fired a bolt from his gun, but it went high, exploding into the darkness. Another tree burst into an inferno.
The demon smashed Rico in the face with the butt of his weapon, saying something in a strange, sepulchral language. The monster picked up the unconscious Rico in his arms and took off, disappearing into the haze.
“Rico,” Indigo screamed, jumping up.
Hitomi thrust the beam at the retreating demon, but it flew too fast, and soon it was out of sight. Rico was gone. No, no, no.
“Nooooo!” Dave yelled, firing his weapon into the air, sending one fireball after another into the darkness. They streaked off like missiles, exploding against the high trees. Above, the roof of foliage burned.
Gramm knocked the muzzle of the weapon down. “Stop!” he cried. “If you hit him, you'll hit Rico too. He's gone. Now let's get out of here before it happens to us too.”
Above came the loud crack of a branch. It whistled down. Hitomi looked up and saw the smoking hunk of wood, falling impossibly fast. It was the size of a passenger train. They scattered, but Hitomi stumbled. The bulk of the limb missed her, but a branch, the thickness of a baseball bat, glanced off the top of her head, sending bright flashes of white pain. Then she was on her back, staring up into the fiery haze. Consciousness crept away. High above, the sky was on fire. At least she wasn't on fire. Not this time.
Leaves fell like raindrops, and one floated toward her. It landed on her gently, sealing off everything, even the pain.
Like a funeral shroud.
* * * *
“We're sorry, ma'am, but the call has been denied,” the English operator said. “And they requested that you be asked not to ring again.”
Hitomi hung up the phone. She felt like she couldn't breathe.
She stared at the letter. It was already sealed and addressed. All she needed to do was send it. But she hesitated.
“I can't stand the thought of only being able to read letters,” Nigel had said that last night before she went back to Japan. They were huddled under the blankets in his bedroom. The white sheets were red with her blood.
“I will call,” she said.
“It'll be expensive.”
“I don't care.”
“Run away with me. Tonight. We can live with my cousin.”
She sighed, allowing the fantasy to live in her. But it was impossible. She couldn't legally stay in England now that her term was over. That was how the exchange student program worked. And she knew her father would find her. “Oh, Nigel.”
Every day, she died a little. Every minute that passed, her thoughts lingered on his face, his eyes, his kind words. His smell. She wished she had run away with him. They could've made it work. They could've married. They would've let her stay then.
Salvation came in the form of an international calling card. They sold them at the busy newsstands where men and boys piled ten deep to find the latest menga and hentai. She was given meager amounts of money, barely enough to cover her lunches throughout the week, but she saved. When that wasn't enough, she borrowed from her brother.
That early morning, she shook with anticipation. She had sneaked out of their home and walked the late-night, yet busy street to an enclosed calling booth. It was 4:30 in the afternoon in London. Sleet fell like razors. She prayed his parents didn't answer. According to the chart on the back of the card, she only had fifteen minutes for calling England.
She dialed the number. Her heart leapt when it was picked up.
“Nigel?” she said in English, and there was a short delay in the line.
A pause. “God, Hitomi. It's been so long! You shouldn't be calling. My parents have restricted me from speaking with you.”
“I bought a phone card.” She had anticipated this moment so much, now that it was actually happening, she didn't know what to say. “Did you ever get my letter?”
He paused again. “Yes,” he said finally. “Look, we should probably talk.”
“What do you mean? We are talking, silly.”
“This whole Japan, England thing isn't really a good idea, you know? My parents got the telephone note, and it was almost a thousand pounds! I'm working weekends now to pay it off.”
“I don't understand.”
She didn't really remember the rest of the conversation, which only lasted a few minutes more. When she hung up, the flashing light on the phone told her she had only spoken for five minutes. She dropped the phone card.
She felt like she had been hit by a bus.
She wandered the streets for a while, her mind completely blank. Sometimes it rained, sometimes snowed, mostly in-between. She was sopping wet, but the cold didn't touch her. She didn't recall actually getting home. She made no effort to mask her sounds as she fumbled with the locks and shuffled to her bed, her clothes still on.
Eventually, thoughts returned to her, but they were of only one thing.
I want to die.
* * * *
Ungeo's world was coming undone, rendered like the flesh of a male Charun. All three scanners were lost, and the humans had retreated into the trees. The smoke from the burning foliage
completely blocked their view from above.
Another tree exploded in flames. Then, the world around the decimated platoon was a sea of fire. The Arms Officer was immolated with a direct hit from a stolen energy weapon, the tree below them ablaze. Fireballs exploded everywhere, and Ungeo's leg burned. She pounced into the air, circling above the conflagration.
Ungeo roared with fury. Several more Dahhak were lost in the sudden attack, lost in the flames. How did the humans know where they were perched? Were they just firing randomly? She fired her own weapon down at a thick limb in anger. It snapped and fell.
Of the thirty Dahhak, only eight remained. They floated before her, awaiting her next order. What to do? Her career was surely over. If the filthy Overseer didn't murder her, the other Charun would demand she be tortured and displayed. Failure was not accepted in Charun society. When they investigated the battle scene...
A dark, murderous idea formed in her mind. She was in charge of investigating the deaths of soldiers. She knew every excuse and explanation possible, and she was aware of what was and wasn't accepted as the truth by the Dominion.
The story took shape. It had been a trap, an elaborate ruse. She wasn't set on by periscepter-wielding humans, but a wing of angels. A small one was rumored to be operating in this area. A whole wing was sizeable enough so she couldn't be blamed for losing the platoon, and it wasn't unbelievable. It could work. It had to work.
They had tracked the human prints to an area near the edge of the forest when they were set upon. They didn't have a chance. The Dahhak fought bravely, but not as bravely as Ungeo. The angels didn't leave remains when they died, and the survivors always collected the equipment of their fallen. Ungeo could attribute a high body count to each of the dead Dahhak. The clans would be hesitant to demand an inquiry into the deaths, since dying in glorious battle was the ultimate goal of all Dahhak.
There was only one problem, and they were hovering before her now. She pulled her weapon up, adjusting and focusing the energy burst, setting it so it would shoot wide. She made a great show of grumbling to herself, pretending like there was some sort of malfunction. The eight Tempest Dahhak floated stupidly.
The Shivered Sky Page 7
