Pride x Familiar (51 page)

With Simone’s hand in mine, we quickly broke
into a run, but it was unlikely we’d stay ahead of the approaching
carriers for long. The tunnel walls offered no place to hide and no
way out.

After running for a minute or so, Melanie
suddenly skidded to a halt.

“Caelum, Alucard, keep going. I’ll deal with the
personnel carriers.”

Simone and I both slowed down, but Melanie waved
insistently down the tunnel. “Hurry up. You have to get to Celica.
Hurry, Caelum.”

Behind us the vehicles were clearly visible, and
it wasn’t long before we heard the sounds of a blaring
megaphone.

“You there, stop immediately. I repeat, stop
immediately.”

At that moment, Melanie’s eyes met mine, and I
felt a jolt run through me as I understood she was serious about
stopping the convoy.

“Melanie—”

“Go, Caelum.” She smiled tightly at me. “I
promise, I’ll be fine.”

I wanted to believe her, but I didn’t feel I
could.

Even if she possessed a Valkyrie Armor, how was
she expecting to stop the oncoming platoon?

Melanie turned away and walked up the tunnel a
few meters, taking a spot in the middle.

I was gripped by indecision, though I knew it
was foolish to contemplate helping her.

I didn’t have a Fragment or Artifact.

There really was nothing I could do. If I tried
to help, I’d just get in the way.

I tightened my grip on Simone’s hand, and
resumed running down the tunnel with the Countess at my side. As I
did, a familiar cold nipped at me and I realized a Fragment or
Artifact had been summoned. Glancing over my shoulder as I ran, I
witnessed an amazing sight.

The black mist surrounding Melanie faded,
dissipating into the air like smoke. The girl was left standing
clad in a fantastical, sleek armor that gave her an extra three
feet of height courtesy of long, narrow, tapered legs that merged
with her legs above the knees. To either side of her floated three
downward pointing wings that reminded me of a cloak cut lengthwise
in half. But most surprising was the color of the wings and
Melanie’s skinsuit-like armor. It was a combination of varying
pinks, purples, blacks and gold that looked oddly fitting.

I realized I was seeing Melanie clad in a fully
manifested Valkyrie Armor.

This was its Valkyrie Maiden form.

I couldn’t help slowing to a stop. I pulled
Simone to a halt beside me, as I looked back up the tunnel.

Beside me, the Countess gasped in shock.

The four rumbling personnel carriers skidded to
rest as they fanned out before Melanie who now stood – or floated –
in the middle of the tunnel. Almost immediately a squad of soldiers
wearing armor-skins emerged from two of the vehicles and spread out
to cover Melanie.

The soldier standing through the roof hatch of
the lead vehicle raised his megaphone.

“Stand down and withdraw your armor. I repeat,
stand down and withdraw your armor. If you do not we’ll be forced
to—”

Melanie moved.

In the blink of an eye she was airborne, flying
a foot off the ground directly at the parked carriers.

I overclocked, and watched in quarter time as
Melanie Cardwell, the ace of Galatea Academy’s swim team, met the
vehicles and soldiers of Special Interventions head on.

Even though Simone and I stood at a distance, we
both felt the air harden as Melanie’s Valkyrie Armor – or Valkyrie
Maiden – generated an immensely strong barrier-field that knocked
the lead carrier over onto its roof. The megaphone wielding soldier
was flung clear of the vehicle, landing many meters away while the
carrier tumbled over and crashed into the tunnel wall. It rocked
like a turtle on its back as Melanie landed beside it. In a
heartbeat she launched herself at the second personnel carrier.
With the leg of a Valkyrie Maiden, she struck the eight-wheeled
machine, and tossed the heavy carrier against its companion a dozen
meters behind it.

The sounds of crunching, scraping metal reached
our ears.

The two carriers rocked wildly, with one of them
coming to rest on its side.

By now the soldiers had sprung into action.

They scattered while opening fire on Melanie.
Armor piercing rounds peppered the air and tunnel walls, powdering
the permacrete into billowing clouds.

I grabbed Simone and began retreating quickly
down the tunnel. I pushed her ahead of me, as I had nothing but my
body to protect her from a stray round.

We ran with the sounds of shouting and gunfire
behind us.

It seemed to last forever, and when I looked
back over my shoulder, I saw Melanie darting between the soldiers
and vehicles, her Valkyrie Maiden bathed in gunfire as she sliced
at man and machine with a sword that was almost as long as she was
tall.

Only two of the carriers remained functional.
Their gun turrets swiveled and blazed at Melanie, but they merely
succeeded in cutting down their own soldiers.

I focused on running but the urge to look back
overcame me.

I turned in time to see Melanie charge at a
third carrier.

She leapt a handful of feet into the air, swung
her sword smoothly, and sliced through the nose of the armored
vehicle. Sparks and smoke belched into the air. She delivered a
second scything cut when a violet flash of light cast Melanie and
the vehicle into stark relief.

A heartbeat later the carrier exploded.

Melanie vanished in a ball of flame and reddish
black smoke that completely filled the breadth and height of the
tunnel.

I didn’t understand what had happened.

Had she hit a fuel cell or something?

Then I realized the fourth carrier, which was
the vehicle most rearward, had fired a roof mounted warhead at the
carrier Melanie was busy slicing apart.

The massive explosive shockwave caught up with
us, and knocked Simone and I to the ground as a searing wave of
heat rolled over us. The air grew hot, making it painful to
breathe.

For a long while I just lay on the permacrete
ground beside Simone, finding it hard to comprehend what I’d just
witnessed.

The Special Interventions platoon had sacrificed
its soldiers in an effort to subdue and defeat Melanie.

Was that dedication, or desperation?

Regardless, I couldn’t afford to remain lying on
the ground. As the air cooled a little, I pushed myself up onto my
hands and knees, and crawled over to Simone. The Countess was
unharmed but looked dazed. I helped her to her knees, then turned
to look back up the tunnel.

The smoke and fire wasn’t clearing, obscuring
the tunnel and personnel carriers from view.

I didn’t know if Melanie had survived the
massive detonation but other than the flames and smoke there was no
sign of movement.

I certainly didn’t think the soldiers had lived
through that, despite their protective armor-skins.

The carrier had been loaded with munitions which
made the explosion immensely powerful.

I started to gather my legs under me, tempted to
run toward the flaming conflagration when Simone suddenly pulled on
my arm.

“Caelum, don’t leave me.”

I stopped and stared at her, remembering my
promise to her, then glanced at the scene of destruction behind
us.

As much as I regretted leaving Melanie behind, I
realized I had no choice. Without a Fragment of my own I was
helpless to protect Simone, let alone search for Melanie in that
flaming Hell.

Taking a deep breathe, and tasting the acrid
smoke in the air, I gave Simone a single nod, and then helped her
to her feet.

I took hold of Simone’s hand and resumed running
once more, mindful that the Countess was barefoot.

I threw a glance over my shoulder, but didn’t
stop or slow down.

The fire continued unabated, and the smoke
spread unchallenged down the length of the tunnel. It didn’t appear
as though fire suppression systems had been installed. That wasn’t
good. The fire would consume precious oxygen. As large as the
habitat was, it was miniscule in comparison to a planet.

Simone abruptly grabbed my arm with her free
hand and pulled me to a harsh stop that almost sent us tumbling.
She was breathing hard and struggling for air. “Caelum…let’s…go
back….”

I looked at her in surprise, and studied her
face for a short while as she slowly recovered her breath.

Simone looked scared, really scared, and it
pained my chest.

But I shook my head slowly. “Simone, we can’t go
back. The fire and smoke have blocked off our exit. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the tunnel’s been compromised.”

Fear was making her insistent. “Maybe there’s
another way out? We haven’t really looked. We’ve just been running
all this time.”

I felt my face harden.

Melanie had fought the soldiers in order to give
me a chance to reunite with Celica. I wasn’t going to let her
efforts to go waste, not when I thought she may have sacrificed her
life in that explosion.

I just couldn’t go back, and so I shook my head
again. “I’m not going to look for another way out.”

“Caelum—”

“If my sister is down there, I need to see her.
I
have
to see her. I won’t lose the chance Melanie gave
me.”

Simone’s lips moved but she made no sound.
Through her grip on my arm, I felt her tremble slightly.

I leaned toward her. “She’s important to me,
Simone. She’s my
sister
.”

I realized I was trembling too, but not from
fear. If asked I wouldn’t have been able to explain what I was
feeling. It was a mixture of so many feelings – anger, anxiety,
depression, regret, hope. It was all a big mix that now simmered in
the cauldron of my chest.

Simone swallowed and I saw the fear and
indecision cycle across her face.

Then she squeezed her eyes shut for a long
moment, and I felt her tremble strongly for a heartbeat before her
body relaxed.

When she opened her eyes, her gaze was steady,
though I read the uncertainty behind them.

“Okay,” she whispered. “We go
forward…together.”

I nodded faintly, but it didn’t feel that was
enough so I pulled her close and embraced her tightly.

“It’ll be fine,” I whispered into her ear. “I
won’t let anyone harm you. I’ll keep you safe. I promise….”

Her arms wrapped around my back and I felt her
nod against my shoulder.

Even as I held Simone, feeling her warmth spread
through my chest and body, I silently offered a prayer for
Melanie’s safety.

I felt woefully helpless.

Now more than ever, I sorely wished I had my
Gauntlet with me.

I offered a second prayer to the gods above,
praying I wouldn’t encounter a need to use the Artifact.

I didn’t know if they heard me or not, but I
couldn’t afford to wait for an answer.

Releasing Simone from the embrace, I took hold
of her right hand once again.

This time I resolved not to look behind us as we
resumed running down the tunnel, away from the fire and wreckage of
the personnel carriers, and away from Melanie.

(Caprice)

Constance spoke to us through our linked
Fragments.

I heard her voice in my head.

*
Internal security is down. The holocams and
security sensors have been disabled. We have no idea where those
Familiars from Crimson Crescent went.

We had arrived at the cafeteria. At sight of us
the students began to cry out. Some asked for help, others pleaded
not to be hurt. But amongst their voices I heard a girl clearly
call out to me.

Haruka Amiella.

She was lying supine on the ground. That tall
senior I knew as Duncan Armand was lying beside her. I recognized
Siobhan and Alistair nearby on the floor beside the table they must
have all been sharing.

I hurried over to Haruka, and she told me what
had happened only a few minutes ago.

Through the transparent atrium ceiling, I could
see the dark prow of the massive starship that floated above
Galatea Academy. I relayed Haruka’s story to Constance via the
Fragment Link.

Now we waited inside the cafeteria, uncertain of
our next move, and unable to help anyone.

I had helped Haruka up while she was within the
confines of my effect-field, but it was only a temporary respite
for her and Duncan Armand.

I asked, *
Constance, has Severin found from
where the hacker breached the network? And what about that girl
they took? We can’t let them leave with her.

Maya cut in smoothly. *
Calm down, Caprice.
We’re not going to let them get away with anything, let alone
taking students like spoils of war.

*
They’re acting like pirates
, Jaxon
muttered.

I noticed the look Haruka was giving me. She was
frowning at me.

“Caprice,” she asked hesitantly, “are you
talking to someone...with telepathy?”

I thought I’d been keeping my expression
flat.

Looks like I was wrong.

I shook my head tightly. “No, I’m not talking to
anyone via telepathy.”

*
Alright, listen up,
Constance
interrupted. *
Severin’s nerds have got a possible location—the
school library.

Maya asked, *
Is that the middle school or
high school library?

*
High school library.

*
Good, then let’s move.

*
Wait, wait, wait!
Constance yelled out.
*
Those guys have a ten minute head start. Are you just going to
waltz in there?

Maya sounded thoughtful. *
Why not have the
Enforcers from Special Interventions go in first. Can Severin tell
them where to go?

*
Seems they already know where to go
,
Constance replied. *
Ah, Hell. There’s a fight in the library.
No! The books are burning! Ah, damn it, the fire suppression system
kicked in. Now we can’t see a bloody thing!