Chapter 1023: Operation Wied


    Skanded on her feet, she drew her gun before a giant. Clouds shuffled, allowing the moon’s rays to illuminate the area. As it looked, the gods had ced a spotlight upon the duo – she readied her weapon and steadied her breath.


    “I don’t have a name,” echoed the giant, “-I’m only known as Clockwork Soldier Alpha,” the torso glowed, it looked as if someone struck a lightbulb inside and toggled – ribcage, or what it appeared to be projected shadows. Each mild gesture channeled an inner force that breathed smoke. Unlike others, this particr giant held a typical humanoid frame.


    “Ska is my name,” she returned, “-shall we?” A silent cue marked the start – an array of projectile-like weapons materialized from all directions – Ska pulled the pistol and fired, each press threw her hands under the recoil. Golden-colored pebblesthered, she side-stepped, leaped and ducked – the constantly summoning weapons took her focus. ‘My bullets destroy his spells,’ a sudden ng ran at her feet, ‘-oh-,’ *BOOM,* an explosion carved the asphalt as suddenly as a bullet hit.


    She fell, a massive cloud rose – yellow tint shimmered admits the darkness, ‘-caught me by surprise,’ she coughed, ‘-broken arm and wounded leg,’ she gasped, ‘-my potions.’


    “Is she dead?” the soldier scanned the yet settled dust cloud, an empty vile fell at his feet, a distraction that took focus. Equally red pupils fired. ‘-He won’t yield,’ she skipped into a nearby bush, *Shroud my foe and confuse their senses; Mist!* dust from the explosion reced with an ever-present thicket. Despite the fog, a goldennce dove straight from above and took her ankle clean off, “-SHIT!” a whirlwindesque noise spun, “-enough of your tactics,” thundered, “-this is no yground. Fight me face to face, littledy,” her presence vanished after the attack. A cold shiver of the never-resting gaze grasped Ska, ‘-he knows where I am,’ another potion healed the bloodied mess, ‘-I can feel his gaze,’ she gripped RatX, the giant took small but imposing steps, each motion rocked the street. Headlights lit from the town’s vicinity, “-die,” it grunted, a sh of gold, and the headlights exploded into a distant ball of me.


    “Come out, little vampire...” it spun and cleanly took shrubbery of the side-road, “-I thought you were there,” he said, talling a fair few meters off the ground.


    She cupped her lips and cut her breath, ‘-stay calm,’ the attack came a few meters short of the actual location. ‘-Take my time and wait, the stronger the person, the more impatient they get – I have to bite my time, don’t be threatened, he’s only a clockwork soldier, I can take him.


    .....


    Methodical scans turned reckless spirits, “-where are you,” he dashed back and forth, a bystander sent calls of a rampaging monster through the guilds. Curious travelers caught by the explosion – a noiseless ball of me on the dark street, took to their vehicles for closer examination. s, akin to moth to fire, they but drew to their deaths.


    “So many innocent lives taken for your cowardice,” its guard dropped, Ska leaped from her spot and fired – bullets hits but did naught. The clockwork expression, cogs of which spun to bring a smile upon the blocky lips toggled, the inner engine whelmed a mighty roar, “-did you think I was slow?” he shed behind and brought his fist – now a hammer, onto the unsuspecting Ska, ‘-what the fuc-‘ one moment she shot, the next her consciousness drifted. A blurry disy of firearms yed slowly – Alpha had his arm in a cross, ‘-he’s backing away?’ she gasped, ‘-I can’t feel my legs,’ a downward nce showed naught but broken bones and torn waist, one of her shins shattered and protruded out of it’s resting ce. Explosion rumbles from her point, constant gunfire, mild ticks, and the deafening roar of a soldier, a murmur – yed in the remaining minutes.


    “ONWARD MEN!” tanks exited the town limit; hunters came in full, “-TAKE DOWN THE MONSTER!” helicopters rose, gunners rattled machinegun fire – enormous shells hit square, leaving immense rows of fire and smoke.


    “Annoying pests,” the cogwheels spun, the engine churned, and silence befell the battlefield. Thuds rumbled, the oing mini-army slowed their march, helicopters took safer hovering position – a surprise deluge of destructive weaponry had a habit of marring the battle.


    “Hold!”


    A pair of yellow tints shed. It leaped and kicked a bird out of the sky, “-PESTS!” on the returning motion came equally terrifying firepower – a replica of the gunner’s weapon and tanks took the street, death and destruction followed. Alpha’s power, ‘-adaptability and replication. My thought’s drifting, I need to take him here and now,’ memory served well, ‘-the vile,’ she reached for her pocket. *THUD,* the smoke scattered, a stronger presence echoed from the break, an ungodly entity mbered, her hair froze, her skin on her face pealed – bloated veins containing the nightwalkers essence pulsed.


    “Wendy of the Nightwalker’s n, by not following the code of the nightwalker, I, Daeirq Empress of Luna, Primo Progenitor, deem thy pledge unworthy. As such, you shan’t inherit my blood nor shall you grow – tis the price paid for incertitude. As a mercy, I grant thee five minutes of power which could have been yours, repent.”


    The vile fell at her side, ‘-don’t have to remind me,’ her speed increased tenfold, “-hesitation brings regret,” an equally monstrous figure leaped for Alpha’s head, its bite and tore, “-GET OFF!” the soldier spun, the core lit, “-GET OFF!” he shrugged – a distant crash beckoned.


    Hallowed hunters watched, Ska made no rash expression after the crash, “-who are you?”


    “No one,” she vanished, ‘-this could have been mine,’ time slowed, her graceful jump arched perfectly – Alpha’s right arm rose in counter, she softly pushed and crossed her legs around his neck, “-sweet dreams, you fucking monster!” *BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!* silence...


    Over the horizon roared the screams of engines, “-are we any closer?”


    “Wait a damn minute,” sniffled Ishta, dawn hit the mirrors, “-what car even is that?”


    “Xerxes series,” she read with feet on her counter, “-we’ve been driving for hours, just how much stamina does the king have?”


    “What’s a Xerxes series?”


    “Says here they were the product of the defuncted group of magical researchers. Magic doesn’t work, to stop we must catch him.”


    “I know that doesn’t state the obvious,” they rushed through a desert-likendscape, “-where does this road lead?”


    “The nearby airfield,” her posture straightened, “-we might have a chance. Cut off the road here,” she pulled onto the wheel and leaped the whole jeep across into the nothingness of dirt, “-WHY?”


    “He’s going towards the airfield, I’m sure of it.”


    “How are we going to catch him?”


    “Don’t know, let’s drive there, pushes to shove, we might have to drive in front of a moving ne.”


    He gulped; “-I shudder the thought.”


    Reports of current activitiesid before Igna’s desk, “-Ska’s lifeforce,” he inhaled, “-it’s gone quiet,” jet-ck hair and pure blue eyes rose a mncholic nod, “-she didn’t make the cut... Wendy, you idiot,” herst wordsid in bold, “To King Igna, Operation Wied was unsessful. We were unable to kidnap the monarch’s daughter. Estral’s Yonpo caused quite the trouble,” followed by an audio snippet.


    “My liege,” Extria entered, “-sess rate of Operation Wied doesn’t look promising. The Kings escaped into a Xerxes series-made car, we’ve lost touch with Ska and the princess is left unattended. We’ve also lost contact with Asmodeus... I rmend stepping out of Estral. Our focus should be on the invasionary battle of Elendor.”


    “Minerva’s controlling those efforts. King Juvey and Ezel will carry the brunt of the force. Send orders to Kul; take the king dead or alive. Make sure he doesn’t escape Estral – in the unlikely scenario he takes to the skies, have my men shoot him down. I’m granting permission for Offe’s squadron to take flight.”


    Past a mount of dried rocks shimmered a distant array of hangars, “-there it is,” said Ishta, “-where’s the king?”


    “He’s on his way, we’ll just about make it,” binocrs lowered, “-the ne’s already on the airfield... why are my jobs always this stressful. Beeline for the end,” she rose her phone, “-we have a message from the king.”


    The unsuspicious bishop slid to a stop. Armed men rushed, “-majesty, please,e with us,” they hastily led him upstairs and into the jet. Hotter outside and the rush of adrenaline subsided, “-I made it, I actually made it.”


    “If his majesty would kindly be seated,” the pilots throttled, “-we’re taking off to Yian Dho.”


    “It would please his majesty to know prime minister Vuo impatiently waits for our arrival,” a towel and refreshment were served, “-please, my liege, rest.”


    “Nice to know my people are always here.”


    A tunnel of dirt approached, “-what’s that?”


    “A dust storm, we might not takeoff.”


    “It’ll be fine, this baby has plenty of juice,” the bird moved – the sense of relief brought the king into a joyous state.


    Kul smirked behind the gargling engine, “-Ishta, floor it.”


    “This will only end badly,” he smiled.


    “You’re having fun too,” she undid her seat belt and reached out the window, “-get ready to jump on my mark.”


    “No one said anything about jumping!”


    “Have some balls for once,” she knelt on the roof then reached for a sniper rifle, “-are you ready?” he mmed the pedal, crosshairid onto the pilot, “-die.”


    Blood sttered across the cockpit, “-JASON!” cried the co-pilot, an air hostess rushed, “-WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” he cried, and the jets roared.


    “JUMP!” they leaped and tumbled, jeep hit and blew, “-good ol’ bombs,” chuckled Kul, the front tore, semi-burnt corpsended to the side, “e on, get up,” she gave a helping hand, “-we did it.”


    “Are you crazy, we might have killed the king...”


    “Does it matter?” she skipped along, “-some time; I love my life.”


    “You love the crazy part,” he muffled augh, ‘-I guess Asmodeus’s off her mind.’ He took a look at the front whilst Kul scanned the back, ‘-I’m sorry, Betty, you did good,’ hands pressed before the broken jeep.


    “Hey,” rose in the distance, “-Ishta,e here!”


    He hurried around, “-what?”


    “Look,” she knelt at a gravely wounded king, “-he’s still alive. Operation Wied might just be a sess.”


    “No, it won’t be,” he facepalmed, “-without him who are we going to ransom the princess too?”


    “I don’t know,” she threw a healing scroll at the monarch, “-goes into Igna’s hands.”


    The wind rustled, “-not to be a bother, how are we going home?”


    “I thought you had an idea.”


    “KUL!”


    It would take half a day for support to arrive. King Frederick was taken into custody, and Kul and Ishta’s journey back resumed in the vintage Xerxes mobile. ‘-What happened to Ska?’ pressed harshly.


    “Roadblock,” said Ishta, the evening was nigh, “-can’t get further,” he stopped, “-what’s happened?”


    “Site of arge battle,” returned a wounded hunter, “-take the long way round, going to be a while before it’s open. You could always skip town.”


    “We have business here,” they drove around craters, burnt marks, and wreckages that were slowly being cleared, “-where’s Ska?”


    “I don’t know...”


    “Hey!” hailed a familiar face, “-Ishta, is that you?”


    “Yeah, it’s me, have you seen Ska?”


    “Oh, you don’t know?” the friendly face paused and straightened his construction uniform, “-sad about what happened. Go to the hospital man, it’s a tragedy.”


    Wasn’t long before reality settled, “-how many people died?”


    “I don’t know,” they drove towards the hospital, “-the Hidrosian Crest,” car mmed before he stopped, ‘-what’s wrong with her?’


    “IGNA!”


    “Kul,” returned an ominously quiet demeanor, “-it’s vengeance.”


    “What happened to Ska?”


    “She’s dead, the clockwork soldier won.”


    “Where’s her body?”


    “Repatriation.”


    “Where’s the king?”


    “He refuses to speak on the matter. I need to know what happened; can you tell?”


    “No, of course, I don’t know what happened. Wait, how are you here so quickly?”


    “Teleportation. Kul, Ishta, master has asked for an audience.”


    “She’s dead,” said a somber Ishta, “-we should have been more careful,” he grabbed Kul’s wrist, “-don’t get angry at Vengeance, we should be angry with... with who?”


    .....


    “War.”