by Billy Wong
"Lars, Lars..." Allen mumbled in his sleep.
He finally nodded. "All right, I'll stay. Take care you girls, and Scott."
They left the male mercenaries in a field and carried on. As they got within a hundred yards of the recently constructed wooden buildings that surrounded the rings, Abaddon fell to all fours, nearly throwing his riders off. "Abaddon, what's wrong?" Cart-Dragger asked.
"You have to... get off. The Rings has already activated... I am fighting its control, but cannot do so for long."
"Damn, I guess it's just the three of us now." She, Scott and Ruth exchanged troubled looks. When they slid down Abaddon's arm to the ground, they saw that his hand had come down on her wagon, crushing it to splinters. "Shit, my cart!"
"If that isn't a bad omen," Scott said, "I don't know what is."
"The end of the cart, the end of Cart-Dragger?" Ruth swallowed. "And if she goes down, us relative weaklings..."
She snapped her fingers to bring them out of what almost seemed like a shared trance of worry. "Hey you guys, don't be so gloomy! Whose beloved cart just got smashed anyway? Even if it is an ill omen, we'll just fight fate, that's all."
They dashed towards the rings which already spun around Behemoth, forming a crackling red energy field within them. The imperials must have planned this for years, to finish quickly once they put their scheme into motion in hopes nobody would catch on in time to stop them. As they approached the buildings, their facades burst open.
"Machines!" Scott said as great metal forms emerged from within them. Human figures accompanied them too, more imperial loyalists brandishing swords, axes, and polearms.
"Can you guys handle the people?" Cart-Dragger asked.
"There are a lot of them..."
Ruth winked. "Don't worry. We'll divide and conquer."
Cart-Dragger focused on the nearest mechanical monstrosity, a digger similar to the one that had stolen away the transmium. "Then I'll take care of the machines!" She streaked towards the oncoming vehicle, hit its wheels and sent it flipping over and over to wind up a heap of twisted metal. "What a monster!" an imperial gasped. "How can she still fight like that so injured?"
She bared bloody teeth. Really she wanted to fall over and lay there for a good day or two, but her desire to protect the world carried her beyond her limits. "I'm shining my brightest now. So go away lest you melt like ice in the sun." Half the enemies on foot immediately fled, reducing the odds against her friends. "You think being inside those metal husks will save you?" she asked the drivers who must be within the silent giants. "You're no harder to crush than tin cans." No response. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"
She sprinted at what resembled an armored knight six times her height, which fired a thick beam of light at her. She rolled under it and then jumped over the rat-tah-tah-tah projectile barrage from another crab-shaped machine, hammered its crotch and knocked it down. Running up its torso, she smashed the spike end of her maul through one of its eye windows and it stilled. She faced the crab-machine and deflected its fire with her spun haft. A few got through, making blood burst from her legs and hip as she hadn't accounted for the shortened length of the handle. She growled with annoyance and prepared to assail the crab, but sensed something behind her. She backflipped over a large oval missile which struck the crab and cause it to explode in a roaring fireball. That solved one problem. Realizing the head of the ape-like construct that had shot it passed beneath her, she closed her legs around its neck from behind, sat up and buried her hammer into its chest.
"You things are weak!" she said, looking around at nearly a score more that still closed in. "Are your old parts catching up to you?" As if in answer, a biped like a carriage on two overlong legs tried to kick her. Its knee joint seemed to lock up, so that its attack was aborted before she even needed to dodge. "Uh..." she said uncertainly while it stood there on one leg. Hitting it just in case so that it fell over and squashed a smaller armored suit trying to advance, she moved on to a new target. "Stupid looking snail machine, you're next!"
#
Scott and Ruth hurried from in front of one building to another, Scott defending Ruth from quarrels with his shield while she shattered one enemy's collarbone with her mace and gutted another with her sword. "I forgot how good you were," he said while he sliced a man's throat. He still winced a little at the blood spraying onto him, but after following Willow for a while, it wasn't so unfamiliar.
"These guys aren't good compared to the ones who came out of the digger. They must have been the elite among what the empire has left." Ruth kicked a warrior in the knee, brained him when he went to an involuntary crouch. "But you're not bad either. It's just when the point of comparison is Cart-Dragger..."
He took a moment to throw a dagger into the throat of a reloading crossbowman. An inhumanly loud moan from the direction they had come from reminded him they weren't close to being out of danger. "We may be doing okay for now, but there are still a lot of enemies and I don't think Abaddon can hold out much longer. I fear Willow can't destroy the machines fast enough." She struggled a bit now, her offense slowed as she had to evade the attacks of multiple foes. "There must be something we can do..."
They ran behind a corner, waited there briefly and cut down two men who pursued. Ruth pointed at something. "Look there! That machine is intact, but hasn't joined the battle. Maybe its driver wimped out, and you can figure out how to operate it with your engineering skills to help Cart-Dragger."
"Engineering doesn't cover that..."
"But you're smart, aren't you? Just give the controls a shot, your friend needs you."
"Yeah, you're right. Better to try something than do nothing at all." He started towards the machine resembling a giant armored knight, then Ruth's hand on his arm stopped him. "What is it?"
"Lend me your shield too, since I'll be braving arrow fire alone." She sheathed her sword and slipped his shield onto her forearm. "I'll try to talk some of the men over to our side too."
"You think you're good enough a talker to do that?"
"Better to try something than do nothing, right? And good luck."
"You too." Dodging crossbow bolts on the way, he made it over to the ladder leading up to a hatch on the machine's back. He scaled it and opened the door to find a chair before a panel with two levers and numerous buttons. Above them was a glass—window?—through which he could see from the machine's viewpoint. He pushed and pulled at the levers, and found that they made it move. Yes, it was working! He had it walk behind a saurian machine trying to slash Willow with blade arms, faced it and chanced pressing a large red button. A beam shot from under his window through the duchess' attacker, which blew up.
She looked in confusion at the machine betraying its comrades, then smiled with recognition. "Scott? Thanks!"
"My pleasure."
"Why are you talking in a girl voice?"
He covered his mouth for a second, then said, "That must be the machine's voice. Kind of weird considering it looks like a huge bulky man." He turned it towards another machine aiming a handheld tube weapon whose front end blazed as it shot at him. Cracks appeared in his window, making his heart pound. He tried the red button again, but nothing happened. It must need time to recharge... He pressed a different, yellow button. Cone-shaped projectiles flew forth, struck the opponent and exploded. The other machine collapsed smoking. "This is a good ride!"
On the ground, Ruth attempted to persuade the enemy in between blocking and dodging their attacks. "Look how easily she destroys your constructs! She is an invincible warrior, and the defeat of the empire is inevitable. If you continue to oppose her, your deaths are assured." She took a bad slice to the arm and blood poured down it, but she ignored it and continued to speak. "But if you join us and help take down your former masters, I guarantee your lives will be spared! Look, you will not even be the first as one of your drivers already aids us." A lie, which some might see through, but Scott approved.
"Will you spare us?" a broad-shouldered warrior asked
Willow while she crushed the wheels on one side of a mobile tower and it tipped over.
She looked appreciatively at the female mercenary. "Of course I will, if you aid us."
Some of the imperials continued attempting to kill Ruth, but others jumped at the chance to stop fighting what they perceived as a losing battle. "At your service, milady!" The broad-shouldered man turned on a former comrade and beheaded him with his halberd. "Never liked him anyway, always cheating at cards." Several warriors followed suit with similar acts. That was enough for most of the remaining loyalists, who gave up and fled.
"That machine has a bad right leg," one of the turncoats volunteered.
"That one's lower back plate is loose, you could do some damage if you hit it there!"
"I think that one can't see directly below it."
Putting their knowledge to use, they swarmed a machine and brought it crashing down. "Go on, Willow!" Scott said, shooting at another while Ruth unbalanced it by hitting its unstable right leg. "There are only half a dozen left, we and our um, new allies got this."
She looked back. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." He smiled though she couldn't see him, figuring she would hear it in his words. "We have to do something to not seem useless when the story is told."
"Okay. Just don't die on me!"
"I hope we won't," he said softly, watching her dart between the buildings towards the final confrontation. "And you too..."
#
Cart-Dragger stumbled towards the humming rings, only now realizing how tired she really felt. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her strength one more time. Behemoth rested on his belly within the rings, too exhausted to move. She glimpsed Maximilian's body slumped on the ground a short distance away. She'd deal with him later, if he even lived. On a platform above Behemoth stood an wizened robed man, arms raised within the energy field. Who was this clown, Maximilian's old mentor? He must be controlling the rings... She worried about what touching the energy might do to her, but if it didn't harm him, she could risk it. She ran up Behemoth's shell, leapt towards the platform and kicked him off it. Passing through the red energy tingled a bit, but didn't cause her any additional pain. The old man bounced down Behemoth's rear half, and she jumped down after him.
"The fate of the empire isn't to force the unification of the world," she said as he looked up. "It's to perish and be forgotten by history like all the other failed conquering nations of the past."
"Even with your body falling apart, you are still so... but your strength is wasted following your path. You think you're doing the right thing, but what if I told you stopping us wouldn't be best for the world?"
Chapter 12
"Don't even bother," Cart-Dragger said. "Maximilian already shared your story about the empire's purpose being to lead humanity to a peaceful world, and I don't care. The way you go about it is all wrong. Today it ends."
The old man looked into her eyes, his gaze eerily calm. "I wasn't going to tell you about our founding. Think about the consequences of what you propose to do. If you stop the Rings, the God Soldiers will keep being driven mad by pain and attacking humans. On the other hand, if it continues to function, not only will they be relieved of their suffering, we can also use their help to rebuild civilization."
That was actually a point worth consideration. "But I can't let Maximilian have access to such power. I would never bow my head to him, or the empire."
He glanced towards Emperor Rouge's fallen son. "Maximilian has already failed. As his Overseer, I'm disappointed to see what a cruel and unsympathetic man he's grown up to be. If you don't like the way the empire does things, it can change along with its leader."
Her eyes bulged. No, he couldn't mean... "What are you saying?"
"I think you know. You can lead the empire, and guide us to a new world."
The offer was quite sudden. Cart-Dragger thought about it. "The point about the God Soldiers is fair..."
"The world is in shambles without the empire. Take up the mantle. Become the new Empress, and bring order to the chaos."
"Alright. Tell me how to use the Rings of Rulership, and I'll give my first command to the God Soldiers."
"It is very simple. All you must do is stand within the energy as I did and reach out to them with your thoughts."
She walked in front of Behemoth's head and asked him, "Are you sure you'd prefer to stay as the Rings' core and without pain, rather than be free to walk around?"
"Yes, freedom from pain... only freedom I need."
"I won't deny your wish then." She made her way up to the platform and stood inside the tingling energy. Feeling her mind connect to those of weaponized elementals around the world, she thought at them, "All of you, you're free from your pain now. If you're interested to see what kind of world humans and elementals working together can make, meet me at my city of Galantria and we'll proceed from there. But if you don't want to, you can just go your own way and do whatever you like. There is one thing you must never do, and that's attack humans except in self defense. I don't know if me saying this will bind you. But if you won't listen, and others can't take care of you, then I'll stop you." She hopped off the platform.
"What did you say to them?" the Overseer asked.
"I freed them."
"You what?!"
Cart-Dragger smiled. "I never planned to align myself with you. Do you think I'm stupid, that I'd have you advise me knowing you would surely attempt to corrupt me? You say you're disappointed in Maximilian now, yet you never tried to stop him and kept helping him towards his goal long after he revealed how heartless he was? You're no better than him. The Rings can keep operating, but the world doesn't need to be influenced by either of you. This is the beginning of a new era, an era with-" She coughed, bloody drool falling from her mouth. "Excuse me. An era without the Red Empire."
Maximilian lurched in front of her. He could still stand? She supposed he was stubborn like her. "The world doesn't need you either. You said your talents would be obsolete in a better world, no? Then maybe both of us should pass from it together."
Both the Overseer and Cart-Dragger stared at him. "Just because my abilities might become less useful, doesn't mean I want to die. Besides, you're too weak. You don't have enough strength left to do what you're suggesting."
He grinned crazily. "No, you're wrong. Because I still haven't shown you my ultimate technique."
"What?! In our three fights, you never used your best move? You must be bluffing."
"Wrong. Behold." He balled his fists, drew his arms back and puffed out his chest. "World..." His voice echoed. "Burning Burning Burning!" Expecting a powerful blast like the one that had caused her worst current injuries, she shielded her face with the head of her maul. But she felt no heat or impact. She peeked out to see him return to a normal stance. Nothing seemed to have changed.
"What did you do?" she asked in confusion. Then she noticed. His skin began to blister and peel, as if being burned from the inside.
"Remember how fast I moved during our first fight? I can maintain that constantly, except it destroys my body. I'm burning my life to kill you! I don't care anymore! I'd rather die than resign myself to being less than you. So for my last act I will defeat the strongest warrior in the world, and prove I am second to no one!"
She felt a surge of energy at the test before her. "Come then! Let Jen see you fail at the very peak of your strength, and die with your spirit humbled forever!"
He burst forward and slammed into her like a tornado, attacks raining down with blinding speed. She kept her hammer close to her body and concentrated on defense, the shortened length of the haft ironically helping her do so. But her shell-like guard left her no room to strike back, and even then, his lightning blows began to get through. Cuts opened up on her arms and flank, making her hiss. She attempted to hit him with a sneaky kick, but it merely brushed his shirt as he danced aside. His slice in response tore into her ribs and knocked her down on her side. She looked up to
find his sword plunging down towards her face.
She caught the tip between her teeth, tasting her own blood on it. Her hammer whooshed up. He pulled back hard, but the instant's delay from freeing his blade cost him. The maul warped his shoulder, and she heard bone crunch inside it. He spun away to a crouch. "You monster. But it doesn't matter how much you wound me. I'm burning away my pain." No wonder he was suddenly able to move so well despite his preexisting wounds. "Unless you kill me outright, I won't stop. Think you can last long enough to?"
Cart-Dragger stood resolutely. "As long as it takes."
He zoomed at her again. His blows knocked her around like a boat in a storm, tossing her this way and that. He had completely abandoned his patient style from the last two duels, but there was a good reason for it as he seemed to be winning. She grew lightheaded while her blood covered the ground beneath her. "I'm not destined to be number two!" he screamed. "I'm number one! Number one!"
His sword just missed impaling her again as she turned sideways to avoid it, receiving a scratch along her belly from its edge. She grabbed him by the throat and attempted to quickly crush it between her fingers. He hit her with a palm strike to the chin, knocking them away from each other. His touch felt hot. He wheezed for breath, but nonetheless dashed in trying to take off her head while she reeled. She ducked it and kicked behind her into the back of his leg. He slid to one knee, and she swung at the base of his skull. He raised his blade behind himself, blocking it. She felt a tremor in his arm.
"You're not... invincible!" she said before he wrenched her weapon aside and turned slashing at her. She parried, landed a quick knee to his body before his speed overwhelmed her again and forced her to backpedal. "You're getting weaker," she said desperately, not sure now who she tried to convince. "Your muscles are burning away, and your strikes don't have their usual bite."
He didn't show any sign he cared. "I feel like I'm almost falling in love with you. For you to put up such a fight even now, it is glorious! We should die as one, and be remembered by the world together."
