Light of Epertase 01: Legends Reborn (42 page)

Calm down, Alina. They’re waiting to see if we’re finished.

“Then let’s show them we are not.”

Patience. It is still early. There is a lot of blood yet to be shed. Maybe you should fall back and get some rest …

“No! I have told you, I’m staying with my people.”

Dru lined up alongside the two. “Where’s their response?”

Rasi shook his head that he didn’t know. He looked toward the many old, wooden bridges spanning the ravine. They remained empty and calm.

The wait seemed worse than the battle could possibly be. Rasi had forgotten such anxieties that preceded the fight until his angry stomach reminded him.

Late afternoon arrived before the first signs of Tek activity began. The ocean of soldiers swayed like ripples of silk, first from the back, then through to the front. Distant puffs of smoke rose into the air.

Rasi watched.

Alina watched.

The Epertasian army watched.

T
he sea of Teks parted, forming large pathways like preplanned roads from the rear to the front lines. The soldiers moved like a well choreographed act. They were well trained, their steps flawless. The distant puffs of smoke grew larger and nearer as a low rumble filled the air.

The first sight of their smoke-belching, wheeled machines was stunning, bigger than any horse-drawn carriage Rasi had seen.

One of the rolling monsters advanced close to the edge, let out a thunderous belch and squealed to a jerky halt. A final blast of thick, black smoke puffed from several skyward-pointing pipes along its roof. Throughout their forces, the other machines found their places and mimicked the first.

The Tek soldiers swarmed the machines like bees to honey. They climbed up the sides and ran along the tops until the machine was buried beneath them. Long, rigid hoses extended from the machines’ underbellies and stretched into their masses.

Something clicked within Rasi.
That’s it. Aidric spoke of their need for the black blood. That is why they waited to attack; they needed their thirst quenched first. Now’s the time.
Rasi lifted his arms high above his head. His straps did the same.

Another roar rang out from the metal monsters, pouring smoke from their stacks.
They’re feeding,
he screamed in his head. Alina’s eyes lit up. She raised her arms to mimic Rasi. He looked to Dru over his shoulder and Dru pressed the tusk to his lips again.

Rasi waited. The timing had to be perfect. Let them feed and drench themselves in the black blood.

Wait!

The Teks danced while their suits drank the blackness with ungodly delight. As the liquid spilled out, they worshipped it, bathed in it, swam in it. They were in ecstasy.

Waaaiiit!

The enemy troops slithered against each other, consumed with their orgy of pleasure as they fed.

When the machines could no longer be seen beneath their armor, Rasi grinned. This was the time. He threw down his arms and straps.

Now!

Alina did the same. Dru’s instrument let out another ear-piercing squeal.

The catapults launched a new wave of fire into the air. As they soared over Rasi’s head, the swarming Teks froze, staring at the fresh balls of death. They’d been caught and they knew it.

The explosions erupted all around the metal monsters. The Teks tried to scatter like roaches but they were too slow. And then it happened.

One of the explosions landed close to its mark.

A blinding, beautiful fireball kissed the sky in a mountain of flames. When the smoke cleared, the metal machine was little more than rubble. Dead Tek bodies littered the ground around it. Then another one ignited. The concussive blasts blew heated air across the ravine. Rasi shielded his face with his arms. Tek bodies sailed through the air, some of them in flames, others in pieces.

Ka-boom!

Another and more wonderful blast of exploding death erupted from deeper within their ranks.

Keep it coming.

Alina screamed, “It’s working.” She turned to Rasi and yelled, “You’re a genius. You’ve done it.” He’d rarely seen such excitement in her face. Though he knew the battle wasn’t close to being over, he didn’t want to take this victory from her.

Additional equally impressive explosions filled the landscape as Teks scrambled to find safety from the deadly infernos.

Rasi’s horse lifted its front legs and whinnied proudly. Rasi’s adrenaline rushed to his head. His heart slammed against his breastbone with the force of a battle-axe. His straps snapped at the air. The ground war was close. He gritted his teeth.

Alina, while they’re in chaos. Now is time for attack.

Rasi raised his right hand into the air.
Alina,
he screamed in his head.
Stay on this side of the ravine when we cross the bridges.

“Dru,” she shouted. “Prepare for advance.”

“Of course, Queen.” He put the horn to his mouth.

Alina, on my com …

He couldn’t finish. The ground shook. His ears popped. A blast of scorching air slammed against him, knocking him from his horse. He thudded to the edge of the ravine, nearly sliding into the abyss.

He lifted his stunned head to focus his eyes on his frantic army. They scattered, searching for refuge from strange projectiles in the air. Another explosion, this one deeper within his forces, threw Epertasian body parts skyward. Rasi looked around. He lost his breath. His stomach knotted.
Where’s Alina?

An Epertasian soldier knelt in front of him, terror across his face. His lips moved but Rasi heard nothing but a dull, constant ring. He tried to shake away the fog while he stared at the screaming soldier’s lips.

The soldier screamed, “What do we do, si …” Cut off mid-sentence, blood sprayed from the back of his head and he collapsed face-first onto Rasi’s chest. His body quivered as he died. Rasi shoved him aside and twisted toward the Tek front line.

Small puffs of smoke trickled from the end of long, cylindrical instruments aimed from their shoulders. Rasi’s ears began to clear. He rose to his knees.
Alina,
he screamed in his head again but she didn’t answer. His horse staggered past, blood trickling from its ear. Rasi pushed himself to his feet and grabbed its mane. The Teks raised their death instruments again.

Pop! Pop! Pop! More bursts of smoke rose from their weapons. Rasi threw his hands in front of his face as his horse let out a wail, then fell to its front knees.

A hand grabbed Rasi’s shoulder and spun him around. Several straps wrapped around the assailant’s neck before Rasi realized his assailant was Dru. The straps relaxed.

“Commander Rasi, we need to stay low and withstand their assault.”

Rasi grabbed Dru’s shoulders. “Aena! Where Aena?”

“I don’t know. Allusia raced past me a few moments ago. The Queen was not with her.” Rasi clenched his jaw and breathed angrily through his nose. More devastating explosions erupted from his forces.

He caught a glimpse of the front line of Teks as they raised their death instruments once again. He tackled Dru to the ground an instant before another series of pops rang out. More good soldiers dropped as their souls poured from their bodies.

The Tek weapons were incredible. Ruthless. It wasn’t a fair fight.

The Epertasians hunkered down as best as they could. Throughout the night, the explosions lay waste to Rasi’s forces and he was helpless to defend them. He crouched below the enemy’s wicked assault and crawled along his front line, searching for his love.

Dru raced past him again and again, fearless and barking orders along the way. “Stay low to the ground,” he yelled. “Dig holes if you can. Hide inside the craters left by their explosions. We must endure until morning.”

Each relentless, fiery concussion was followed by new waves of agonizing screams and cries.

The night was brutal; the enemy, unyielding. One look around and Rasi knew it was about to get worse.

Simcane stood with his team atop a sand dune that reached as high as the tallest castle peaks and overlooked an unimaginable sight. His soldiers stood equally in awe as they stared at what used to be a desert wasteland but now resembled a strange, new civilization. Thick, twisting smoke rose from gigantic, cylindrical structures, filling the night skies. Giant tree-like towers spewed inky liquid into the air, turning the desert sand to black. Strange and fantastic metal creatures rolled along the sand between thousands of tents and bonfires littering the desert floor.

From their perch, Simcane and his group saw six pond-sized areas peppered throughout the campsite where no fires burned in the dark. This was their heart. This was where their pits of fresh machine blood lay.

“Our enemies’ essence is before us,” he said. “Our time of sacrifice for our beloved Epertase has arrived. May the gods see us through our mission and grant us mercy if we are to stand before them in the afterworld. But with the gods on our side, by tomorrow’s nightfall the dark sand will be red and the flames will be seen all the way into Thasula.”

Without being told, Eldon descended the sandy hill and disappeared into the night. B.J. and Simcane waited atop the dune. Joseph and Gillian circled to the left as Willum circled from the right.

Simcane knelt next to B.J in the cold sand. Three Teks stood guard next to a torch’s flicker at the foot of the dune. Small orange dots flared near their mouths from each puff of their weed sticks. The guards’ black-stained clothing was more fitting for peasants than soldiers, but be they slaves or combatants, it made little difference to Simcane.

B.J. aimed his bow and arrow and pulled his arrow back against his shoulder. He waited for Simcane’s command.

His arm twitched with the tension.

Simcane waited.

A tall, lanky shadow projected onto the smokers’ tent.

Simcane grinned and leaned into B.J.’s ear. “Fire at will,” he whispered.

A whoosh of air whipped past his face. A dull thump rang out followed by a Tek worker’s gasp. The worker stumbled to the side, an arrow protruding from his chest. The other two guards stood up, obviously stunned.

With the gracefulness of angels, two long, skinny arms extended from the darkness and clutched one of the workers by his head. Even high on his perch, Simcane heard the snap. The other Tek turned to run but Eldon was on him like a lion. Blood sprayed from the Tek’s mouth as he too fell. Then, like a calm ocean wave, Eldon vanished back into the darkness.

Simcane and B.J. navigated the perimeter to set up again. Another arrow soared, Eldon attacked, and four more Teks died.

Simcane whispered, “Easy work, my friend. I hope the others are having as much success.” He shook B.J.’s hand. “This is where we part ways. You know where to meet when we are through.”

B.J. rushed into the night.

Simcane snuck past the first pit and dozens of tents filled with sleeping Teks. He wanted to kill each one of them for what they had done but he was a good soldier and his mission came first.

An unsuspecting Tek rounded one of the sleeping, wheeled machines into Simcane’s path. Simcane dispatched him without a sound.

Another group of Teks rounded the nearest pond of blackness, oblivious to the intruder in their mist. Simcane hid between a towering, sleeping machine and the dark pit as they strolled by unsuspectingly. Once the patrol was out of sight, he snuck around to continue his advance.

As he passed the head of the machine, it coughed and sputtered before coming to life. Simcane looked around for somewhere to hide. He knew such a rumble would arouse the others and cursed himself for overestimating how early the bastards rose. A pair of Tek tents rustled to his fore and he raced between them to hide. This was going to get bloody.