Attack on Phoenix

by Megg Jensen

"You need to wake up enough to get your butt out of here. Now hold onto this rope with all of your strength." Malia looped the rope around Rutger's wrists.

  Rutger sat up, gripping the rough fabric in his hands. He looked up to Torsten and nodded.

  Torsten pulled, hand over hand, as Rutger began to rise. Malia was pushing him from underneath. Torsten knew at some point she wouldn't be able to reach Rutger and he would have to lug the man up on his own. Luckily Rell was hanging on tight to his legs. They could do this. They had to.

  Gritting his teeth, Torsten slowly drew Rutger toward him. Finally, they were close enough for Torsten to reach out for Rutger's arm. One final pull and Rutger was draped over the console. Rell's arms unwound from Torsten's legs and reached up for Rutger. Torsten carefully lowered him down to her.

  Torsten leaned over the edge again. "Ready?" he called out to Malia, who still sat on the broken glass. She gave him a thumbs up.

  As Torsten lowered the rope, the glass crackled underneath Malia, spidering in a thousand narrow rivulets. It shattered, dropping out from underneath her.

  "Ahhhh!" she screamed.

  Torsten flung himself over the edge. Rell grabbed his legs before Torsten was airborne. He flung the rope down to Malia at the same time. She reached up, just grabbing the end of it.

  "Both hands!" Torsten yelled.

  Malia hung from the rope, a determined look on her face. She clenched her jaw, shooting her free hand up to the rope.

  Torsten rocked with the effort, grateful Rell had a good grip on him. He pulled, hand over hand, just as he had with Rutger. His muscles screamed for relief, but he wouldn't stop until Malia was safe. With every tug on his end, Malia climbed the rope. Torsten was thrilled she had the strength to climb. His arms shook, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold her.

  When Malia reached the bridge again, she used her feet to brace herself on the floor as she climbed up.

  When she was near the top, Torsten let out a sigh. It was almost over. All four of them would be safe. Then a loud groan echoed in the bridge. The ship tilted to the right. Malia slammed into the floor, hitting her elbow with a loud grunt.

  "You're almost there. Come on, don't give up," Torsten said. He wrapped the last belt around his hand. The leather cut into his flesh, sending a burning sensation along his palm. Still, he steadied the rope. "Move, Malia. Now!"

  She glared at him. "Don't you think I'm trying? Just keep the ship from heaving again."

  "I'll try." Torsten gave a little laugh. He hoped they would all come out of it and tell this story around a campfire someday.

  Malia began climbing again, favoring her left elbow. She winced with every tug, but kept going until she reached the console. Torsten slung his arms under her armpits, pulling her up the rest of the way. They collapsed next to Rell and Rutger, their backs against the side of the console.

  "We're safe." Malia looked over at Rutger, who was lying curled up next to Rell. "How is he?"

  "He's alive." Rell's mouth was set in a straight line. "I'm glad Torsten managed to get the two of you out of there before the glass shattered."

  "Well, technically, Torsten was slow and almost let me fall to my death." Malia nudged him with her good elbow. "But, I suppose I'll forgive him."

  "Wow, thanks, Malia." He shot her a wry smile, but quickly replacing it with a frown. "We are safe here, but for how long? We need to get out of this ship before it falls over. Any thoughts?"

  Torsten looked around. The ship was sitting precariously on its nose, which had jammed into the earth. Based on the lateral movement while he was pulling Malia to safety, it wasn't stable. Climbing up seemed ridiculous. They'd only risk falling out of the bridge.

  "We need to get out the same way we got in." Rell looked at Torsten. “I got us on here. I should be able to get us off. Now that we're all together, it should work." Rell held out her hands, taking Torsten's and Malia's.

  Torsten grabbed Rutger's hand, and Malia took his other. He noticed how gentle she was with Rutger. Were they just friends? Lovers?

  "Where will we land?" Torsten asked.

  "I'm not sure," Rell said. "When I got us onto the ship, I thought of it. Perhaps if I concentrate on another destination, that's where we'll end up."

  "Then take us right outside the tower. The place where..." He didn't want to say, the place he'd left her.

  "It's okay, Torsten." Rell smiled. "I was happy you were saved. Don't feel bad for what they did." She squeezed his hand, then closed her eyes.

  In mere moments, he felt the familiar shaking and spinning of dragzhi travel. Moments later, they were sitting on the grass in front of the tower. The ship was far away, balancing precariously on its nose. Torsten didn't want to think of it any longer. They were out. They were alive.

  "Take Rutger in," Torsten told Malia. "Can you get him on your own?"

  "Of course." She hoisted Rutger up, tossing his arm over her shoulder. "Walk, you stupid idiot. Stop playing dead."

  Rutger grunted something and walked slowly next to Malia. She slipped in the tower door, which had been left open after all of the defenders stormed out. They disappeared into the darkness.

  Torsten turned to Rell. "There's more out there to kill."

  "Then why are we standing here?" Rell flicked her wrists and fire alighted above both of her palms. "Let's get them!" She ran with fire pulsating from her hands and her robe fluttering, reminding Tor of a mythical sorcerer come to life.

  Torsten laughed, taking off after her, pulling out his sword. He fought hard, pushing on the gem and electrocuting every rock dragzhi in his path. All he had to do was slide his sword in between chunks of rock, permanently damaging whatever was behind the deadly boulders. The rock dragzhi died, one by one, unable to withstand his sword. He thanked Mellok every time one fell.

  Torsten moved closer and closer to where Leila had been buried under the rocks, hoping with every moment she was still alive. After taking down twelve of the rock dragzhi, he stood next to the rubble. "Leila!"

  There was no answer. The rubble hadn’t been disturbed. It was likely no one had seen her go down in the chaos of battle.

  Rell sidled up next to him. "Is she here?" Panting, she extinguished her fire with a shake of her hands.

  "I don't know." Torsten yanked at the rocks, flinging them off one by one. "Leila!"

  A slight moan caught his ears.

  "Over here." He waved to Rell. Together, they tossed rocks off the pile until a streak of blond hair appeared. "Leila, I'm here. Don't give up. We've almost got you."

  In only a few short moments, Leila's arms were uncovered. Then her head. Then the rest of her body. Torsten pulled her out gently, cradling his little sister in his arms. "I've got you."

  "Andessa..." Leila moaned. "She's gone." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can't believe I lost her, too. First Mellok. Now Andessa."

  Torsten noticed Rell recoil at the mention of Mellok.

  "It's okay. You're alive." Torsten choked up. "I told you I'd always protect you."

  "Oh yeah, where did you go? I didn't see you fighting. We were out here fighting for our lives, and you were, where? I know this isn't your strength, but I can't believe you'd hide while the rest of us..." Leila trailed off, exhausted.

  "I ran, yes," Torsten said, "but only so I could help everyone. We stole a dragzhi ship. You saw us, right before the rock dragzhi fell on you."

  Leila perked up. "That was you? How?"

  "Rell." Torsten said simply. "It was her. She saved us all. Look around. The rock dragzhi are gone. We won."

  The final dragzhi fell just as Leila looked up. A cheer roared in the air. Not all of the humans had survived, but dozens had. They walked in groups back to the tower, some exuberant, others limping. Still others carried friends.

  Torsten gathered his sister into his arms and stood.

  “And then there was this bizarre fire in the jungle,” Leila said. “Some of the rock dragzhi fell to that.”

  Torsten smiled,
figuring the truth would be too hard for Leila to swallow.

  "I'd insist walking on my own, but I'm just as happy to let you carry me. This time. It won't happen again. Soon enough I'll be beating you in the training room. Then you'll remember which of us is tougher." Leila punched Torsten lightly on the shoulder.

  One of Leila’s legs was cocked to the side slightly. She probably couldn't walk even if she tried. The leg would need to be set, and Leila would have to stay off of it for weeks while she recovered.

  Rell walked a few paces behind them, her head hanging down. “Hey, Torsten,” she called out. “I actually have something of my own to deal with. I need to go."

  "Go?" Torsten asked. "Where?"

  "With them." Rell pointed.

  Torsten turned and saw the fire dragzhi hovering in the distance. He didn't want Rell to leave. He wanted her to stay with him. But he understood. The next time they were alone, he wanted to know more about what she learned, and why she felt she was part dragzhi and the Key.

  "Will I see you again? Soon?" Torsten asked.

  "Yeah," Rell said. "I think you will. I just need to do this." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Torsten on the cheek.

  A blush spread across his face after Rell went back the way they had come.

  “She’s a murderer, Torsten,” Leila said, glaring over Torsten’s shoulder at Rell. “Don’t get attached.”

  Torsten ignored her comment, hoisting Leila and ignoring the pain in his arms. This was his last deed of the day. After that, he swore he wouldn't lift anything more than a few ounces for at least a week.

  They trudged toward the tower, maneuvering around fallen piles of rock. Torsten crossed the threshold and waited with his sister for the lift to take them up to their quarters. Everyone around them was in good spirits despite injury and losing their friends. They knew the most important thing: they were alive.

  Torsten looked over his shoulder once more for Rell. He couldn't see her, but the fires were retreating. Probably heading underground again. He would see her soon.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Rell resisted the urge to run back to the humans and follow them into the tower. Instead, she kept her gaze firmly focused on the walk ahead. The fire dragzhi followed the same path they'd taken when they emerged from underground, their bodies of flame undulating in the light breeze.

  None of them had spoken to her, other than her father. Rell wondered if they had the capacity to speak. Or perhaps he spoke for all of them. There was so much she didn't know, and she had a feeling it would take an eternity to truly understand them.

  Back in the cavern, one by one they sank into the volcano, becoming one with the lava. Rell couldn't tell where the fire dragzhi ended and the lava began as they swirled together. Only one remained. Her father. Somehow she instinctively knew it was him.

  "Rell." He reached out, resting a warm fiery hand on her cheek. "We stopped them."

  "We did. And now we can live in peace." Though Rell wasn't sure what would happen next. Hadar was destroyed. It would take weeks to bury the dead and clean up. And then what? Try to rebuild their society again? They had been reduced to a small number. Rell wasn't even sure their population was sustainable.

  "How many dragzhi ships are in the stars?" he asked.

  "I don't know. We only saw the ship we brought to Phoenix to destroy the rocks. There were no others."

  Her father sighed, though it came out more like a sizzle. "Then what came to this planet was only a small contingency. My people, our people, have thousands of ships. They will not rest until they find us. You are not out of danger."

  "How can we keep them from finding us?" Rell asked. "How did you hide for so many years?"

  "We were quiet. We blended in. We didn't send signals into space. Your people send signals constantly. It was your desperate need to find other humans that lead my kind here."

  "We're looking for other humans, in hopes they'll find us and take us back to Earth. Even though no one living today has been to Earth, it was always our goal to get back. Even the buried whispered about Earth. They relayed stories their grandparents had told them on their knee,” Rell said.

  They weren’t meant to live on this planet alone. They were supposed to have help from Earth. Prepare it for other settlers. But there had been no others. No one had ever come.

  "You must stop. You are here. You are one with us, Rell. Convince the others this is the correct path. We will speak again another day. For now, I must rest. The battle with my brethren has tired me." Her father sank into the lava.

  Rell wanted to dive in after him. She knew she would survive, as she had once already. Somehow her dragzhi side protected her human body from damage. At least from scorching flames.

  Rell trudged her way back to the surface, her heart heavy. The other humans would want off Phoenix now, more than ever. They would stop at nothing to get away from the death and destruction surrounding them.

  As she made her way through the tunnels toward the exit behind the waterfall, Rell's mind wandered. She thought of the times she'd had with her human father, before she'd accidentally killed him. Anger swirled around an image of her mother. If Rell had known from when she was young that she was different, perhaps he'd still be alive today. But, no, her mother had hidden everything from her, forcing Rell to believe in and worship gods that didn't exist.

  Well, they did exist, but they weren't gods. They were aliens, and half of her belonged to them.

  Rell ascended the rough-hewn steps toward the waterfall. The sound of rushing water pounded in the stairway. The walls were moist, shining like gems in torchlight. Rell emerged from behind the waterfall, her hair damp. She pursed her lips together, determined to make it to the tower before nightfall.

  She waded through the water, letting it wash off the battle. She didn’t care that her robe would be soaking. There would be clothes at the tower. She wouldn't have to wear the robes of the Menelewen Dored again.

  The water bubbled, then a woman rose from the river. Rell gasped, jumping backward.

  "You shouldn't have crashed our ship." Yasmin looked human, almost perfect, except when the sun shone on her face. Then Rell could see the waves in her complexion. She was only a shadow of her former self.

  "You were on the ship?" Rell tried not to stammer.

  "We were. We wanted to land. If we’d been able to reach our brethren, we could have formed the most intelligent beings in all the universe. The dragzhi are powerful, yes, but we are most powerful as one. We have found the fire, but lost the rock." Her voice lowered as she hissed, "Your people killed them all."

  "And how many humans did you kill?" Rell spat back. "The city is dead. There are so few of us left. You have no right to be angry when all we did was defend ourselves."

  "Your lives are of no consequence to us. We only seek to unite with our brethren,” Torsten’s mother said. "We will forgive you, if only you will seek absolution."

  "Never," Rell said. She had spent her entire life repenting for an accident. She was done seeking absolution. "I will alert the tower. We'll fight you just as we did the rock dragzhi."

  Yasmin laughed. "You will do no such thing, Rell. You will convince them to fix the ship. You will convince them to return to space. You will spirit us away. We will find others like us, and we will come back to this planet and reclaim what is ours."

  "You can't force me to do any of that. I will never help you." Rell's arms stiffened at her sides, hands in fists.

  "You have no choice. You will be punished for disobeying."

  Before Rell could dodge, a silver liquid spewed from Yasmin’s mouth and splashed on Rell’s skin. Before she could wipe it off, she felt the liquid seep into her as if she were no more than a sponge.

  "No!" Rell called out, but her words drowned in her throat as the dragzhi took residence inside her.

  Yasmin’s body shuddered, then collapsed in the river. Rell reached for her lifeless body, pulling her head from the water. Yasmin’s eyes were op
en, a blank expression on her slack skin. With a shaking hand, Rell felt for a pulse, but could feel nothing. Yasmin was dead. Perhaps she’d been dead for many years. She kissed Yasmin’s cheek, then let her body settle under the gently rolling waves of the river.

  The dragzhi swam around inside Rell, settling into every cranny. Tears streamed down Rell's cheeks. Her hands lit with fire, and she turned it on herself, preferring to burn to death rather than carry a liquid dragzhi inside her body. But the fire quickly burned out when it hit her skin, just as if it were doused by water.

  "No!" she yelled again. And again. And over and over until her voice was hoarse.

  "Rell!" the voice came from far away. Torsten!

  "Over here! Help me!" Rell screamed.

  It wasn't long before Torsten ran over to her. Seeing her, he laughed. "You look like you almost drowned, but you appear to be okay." He rested his hands on her arms, pulling her close.

  Inside, Rell, struggled, wanting to tell him what had happened to her. It was important. It was... she couldn't quite remember. Something about his mother?

  "We need to rebuild the dragzhi ship and leave this planet as soon as possible," she told Torsten. It wasn't what she'd wanted to say, but she couldn't remember what she'd first thought. It was as if her thoughts were dipping underwater, then resurfacing as something else.

  "I know," Torsten said. "Everyone is in agreement. We need to try to find a way back to Earth. We know the dragzhi ships are capable of interplanetary travel. If we can learn their systems, we just might have a chance."

  Rell felt relieved. They were going to leave Phoenix. She could leave the horrors of this planet behind her and find her people. The dragzhi. The part of herself she'd only recently learned about. It was her heritage, and she needed to learn more. Her only goal now was to seek out the other dragzhi, no matter what it took.

  Torsten draped his arm around Rell’s shoulders, and she rested hers around his waist. They walked together toward the tower. She felt like she had something to tell him, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was…