《Spark of War (Progression Fantasy)》


 Spark of War - Chapter 1 – Need to Know

If you¡¯re reading this, there¡¯s something you need to know. To understand. I¡¯m here to destroy everything you love. To bring your civilization to ruin.


    And there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop it.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

 Spark of War - Chapter 2 – Sibling Rivalry

    El hit the ground hard. So hard her butt bounced, twice, and she slid three feet back coming to a stop.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Anella, you can do better than that,¡± Nexin said. Her brother only used her full name when he wanted to get a rise out of her. It was working.


    She stood with a grunt¡ªor was it a snarl?¡ªand snapped her wrist out to the side. Three feet of flaming blade erupted to life from the electrum hilt in her hand. El didn¡¯t bother with the shield on her left wrist; Nexin had gone around it like it wasn¡¯t even there in their last exchange.


    Crouching into Flames over Water, blade held at a low angle behind her, she glared daggers at her arrogant brother. The nearby crowd had grown to over twenty strong, but she ignored them. Any distraction against her brother would end the bout in a heartbeat. His arrogance was well-earned.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a new one for you,¡± he said playfully, his empty hands spinning as liquid flame rolled out and took the shape of a long halberd. Bastard didn¡¯t need to use the electrum foci she did. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he taunted, dropping low and extending the halberd in Fire Rising to the Sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re going down this time,¡± El growled and flared the electrum nubs on her shoulders, gouts of flame in the briefest shape of wings billowing out for a heartbeat, and she hurtled forward like a streaking comet. Boots skimmed a hair¡¯s breadth above the floor, stomach muscles strained, and she twisted at her core mid-air. Her sword sparked along the ground as she brought it up in a lightning-quick arc to catch the halberd and slam it aside.


    Except Nexin stepped out of the way like he knew it was coming, and El flashed past him. Her hard-soled boots skidded as she landed and spun, flaring her wings again to halt her momentum, then whipped her sword up to block Nexin¡¯s overhand chop.


    He moved in impossibly fast, not even using his wings, and flame struck flame in a shower of embers. It was everything El could do to keep that halberd¡¯s edge at bay, strike after strike coming faster and faster. Her blade whirled as she parried; one above, two on her left, above again, three on the right, two below. Sparks rained down around them, filling her vision like a swarm of lazy fireflies as she tracked his weapon. But the blade itself was a feint, and he snapped his hips around in a powerful low roundhouse kick.


    Barely in time, her leg came up reflexively to block his kick, shin to shin. Even through the magic of her usually invisible flame armor, barely more than a shimmer as it converted the kinetic energy to radiant heat, agony lanced up her leg like he¡¯d split the bone down the middle. El clenched her teeth to stop from crying out. Her armor was strong enough to stop a horse¡¯s kick without even tickling. Pain like that¡­ just how strong was her brother?


    El had no choice but to retreat, to double-step back, and again, her leg barely supporting her weight. By the Pyre that hurt! Her blade scarcely kept up with Nexin¡¯s attacks, but she was keeping up, and she met her brother¡¯s eyes with defiance. She would beat him this time!


    Nexin smirked.


    His halberd split down the middle, suddenly two sinuous swords that lashed out in a blur.


    El ducked the first, parried the second, rolled out of the way of the third, and ignited her shield to parry the fourth aimed straight for her wide eyes. It still hit her with the force of a battering ram and threw her back fifteen feet. What absurd strength! No sooner had she landed than Nexin was almost on top of her again, the twin swords replaced by a maul with a head the size of large dog.


    She was too off-balance to try to dodge it, and with her leg practically numb beneath her, she¡¯d never be able to completely block the blow. The best she could hope for was a simultaneous hit. El planted her feet and raised her shield over her head, bracing for the impact.


    ¡°Come on!¡± she shouted and snapped her sword around under her shield to take Nexin at the knees.


    But he¡¯d expected that too, and leapt into the air. Instead of the maul¡¯s titanic impact, his foot landed almost gently on her flaming shield, before he kicked off and flipped over backward. El watched, wide-eyed and awed as her brother¡¯s weapon once again shifted forms. Even without his wings activated, he seemed to hang in the air, like he was meant to be there. His right arm pulled back on the string of the fiery bow, a ballista-bolt-like-arrow drawn and ready, and he smiled.


    ¡°Burn it all,¡± El cursed, half respect, half frustration, and poured all her power into her shield.


    It wasn¡¯t nearly enough.


    The arrow hit with a blinding flash and an explosion that threw everybody back, El and the watching crowd included. Her shield disintegrated like paper, and her body finally stopped rolling on the other side of the room. Like a stone baked in the sun, small trails of smoke rose from her flame armor, the only thing between her and oblivion, as she pushed herself up to hands and knees. Now it wasn¡¯t just her leg that hurt. In fact, it hurt the least.


    ¡°Better.¡± Nexin offered his hand.


    She grudgingly took it and let him pull her to his feet. ¡°You cheat,¡± she groaned, then flipped her hair out of her face. Burn it, even her hair hurt. And was it smoldering?


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Being able to use whatever weapons you want without a focus, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s cheating.¡±


    ¡°Just means you need to practice more,¡± he said, throwing one arm over her shoulders and patting her head with the other. Putting out the flames?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be as good as you,¡± a silky-sweet voice said from behind them.


    El turned to Laze with a scowl. Her best friend didn¡¯t even blink, round eyes only seeing Nexin.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± El said flatly.


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be like that, Laze,¡± Nexin said, and mussed the girl¡¯s short hair. ¡°You¡¯ve both come a long way.¡±


    Laze blushed from the tips of her toes to the tops of her ears.


    ¡°Sir, thank you for taking the time to give our squad such an educational demonstration,¡± Faled said with a formal salute. Always so stiff.


    ¡°At ease soldier,¡± Nexin said. ¡°Happy to help.¡±


    ¡°Happy to trounce your little sister in front of her whole squad, more like,¡± El added and elbowed him in the ribs. That was more than she¡¯d been able to do in their bout. Would she ever score a hit? Eighteen years of challenging her big brother, only two years her senior, and she¡¯d never once even landed a genuine hit. Not with a stick in their youth, not with swords in their adulthood.


    ¡°Little of both,¡± he conceded. ¡°So, what did you learn?¡± Nexin turned to the others in the room, the teacher in him coming out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bet on El?¡± one offered.


    Surprisingly, Nexin shook his head. ¡°In that final exchange, did any of you see what El did? How she used her wings without using her wings?¡±


    ¡°You mean that burst of speed?¡± Faled asked.


    ¡°Exactly! Flaring your wings gives you thirty to fifty percent more thrust than when you have them active, but that power increase only lasts a few seconds, and it¡¯s hard to pull off. If you¡¯re new to it, it¡¯s a lot like sprinting, so you need to practice, but it¡¯s worth the effort. Plus, by flaring her wings like she did, she kept a card hidden up her sleeve for the surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look surprised,¡± Laze pointed out.


    ¡°Where do you think I learned it?¡± El confessed. ¡°Saw him do it a few weeks back, been trying to copy it ever since.¡±


    Nexin spun El around so that her back faced the group, and pointed at the small electrum nubs on her shoulder blades. ¡°Most soldiers need to concentrate to bring their wings out, to ignite them. Once they do, it¡¯s effortless to keep them out, or to use them to fly. But that ignition time is a weakness, even if it¡¯s only a few seconds. An opening that our enemies have learned to look for. What El did, flaring them, that eliminates that weakness.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the different between igniting and flaring?¡± Faled asked, others in the unit nodding at the question.


    ¡°When El flared her wings, did you see them take shape?¡± Nexin asked. There were a few puzzled looks, and then people shook their heads. ¡°So, when we talk about igniting, we¡¯re talking about giving shape to our flames. Whether it¡¯s weapons...¡± Nexin ignited a sword in his hand, then let it vanish. ¡°Or our wings. It¡¯s the constant use of our magic.


    ¡°Now, with flaring, we sacrifice form for power. It¡¯s just a raw torrent of energy. No concrete shape, and we can¡¯t make it last. But, before you get to using flares in combat, you need to be able to instantly ignite your wings.


    ¡°El, bring ¡¯em out,¡± he instructed, and moved his hands away.


    She did as she was told, her fiery wings bursting to life as easily as opening her hand. She didn¡¯t need to look to know they extended to their full eight-foot length in a heartbeat, small flaming feathers falling away and fizzling out as she stretched.


    ¡°Now put them away,¡± Nexin said, and they vanished in a blink. ¡°Now back out,¡± he said.


    El gave him a small scowl¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a circus act¡ªbut ignited them out again.


    ¡°If I kept asking, could you keep doing that?¡± Nexin asked.


    ¡°If you keep asking, I¡¯ll punch you,¡± she replied.


    Nexin raised an eyebrow at her.


    El sighed. ¡°Yes, I could keep doing that.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly how quickly you all should aim for. That, more than anything, will save your lives out there on the battlefield. And for the record, El is faster at igniting and flaring her wings than I am. Yes, I expected the attack, but even I didn¡¯t expect how quickly she¡¯d execute it,¡± Nexin finished.


    El¡¯s cheeks heated at the compliment. And even that hurt. But less.


    Faled nodded and saluted Nexin a second time. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to treat my little sister to some cake before she scowls the skin right off my bones.¡±


    ¡°Cake?¡± Laze asked hopefully.


    ¡°Yes, you can come too,¡± El said flatly. Not like her friend would take no for an answer where Nexin was involved.


    Laze bounced up and down and gave a small clap. In her form-fitting military uniform, gold buttons on the black jacket, red belt around her waist, and knee-high boots that clacked on the floor every time she hopped, it wasn¡¯t the standard military image. And that was exactly why El loved her best friend.


    ¡°That new place on the corner across from Kit¡¯s?¡± Laze asked, referring to a popular soldier¡¯s bar. ¡°Did you see the chocolate cake they had in the window? I almost died just looking at it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Nexin said and threw his arms over the two girls¡¯ shoulders. Like little sisters, both of them. ¡°C¡¯mon, I think Faled is going to keep saluting until I¡¯m out of the room,¡± he said and gave a sidelong look at El¡¯s unit-lead. Sure enough, rigid with a sharp salute; left arm at his side, elbow perfectly ninety degrees, and his right arm across in front of him to cross his wrists. He¡¯d hold the position all night long if Nexin stood there watching him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret offering to treat,¡± El said as the three exited.


    ¡°I always do,¡± Nexin smiled. ¡°How you stay slim and still fit into your uniform I¡¯ll never¡ª¡± he cut off with a choke as El¡¯s elbow found his gut.


    ¡°Those words should never be spoken to a woman,¡± she threatened.


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Nexin laughed, ¡°it¡¯s the least I can do before my sister gets sent out on her first patrol after graduating the academy.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± El sighed. ¡°All this training. I¡¯ll finally get to use it for something real. Too bad they¡¯re not sending us to the front where the action is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so eager to fight, El,¡± Nexin said seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t be so eager to kill. It¡¯s not all glory and adrenaline like the stories tell. War isn¡¯t pretty, and I¡¯d keep you as far from it as possible if I could.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t get much further than where we¡¯re going. Salid,¡± El sighed, yet again. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know people still lived so far from the capital.¡± Resignation didn¡¯t even begin to describe how not excited El was about the mission. Hadn¡¯t she proven herself enough? The only one she couldn¡¯t beat, at least half the time, was her brother. But he was a flaming prodigy. Was it because she wasn¡¯t as good as him?


    ¡°Hey guys, what¡¯s going on over there?¡± Laze asked, interrupting before Nexin could respond.


    A growing crowd crawled along the street, soldiers at the center escorting a small group hidden by the press of flesh.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nexin called to a soldier running past. The man looked over, ready to dismiss the call, but did a double take when he saw the stripes of Nexin¡¯s rank. He skidded to a stop and snapped a salute.


    ¡°Sir!¡± he said smartly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nexin asked, returning the salute.


    ¡°Refugees from the south,¡± the man said.


    ¡°The south? Where?¡±


    ¡°Salid, if the story is true. I¡¯ve just been sent with the others,¡± he nodded to three soldiers running ahead and pushing their way through the throng, ¡°to escort them. Something about the town being attacked. Wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Salid?¡± Nexin asked, but directed his question to his sister.


    A new emotion smothered the resignation in her gut, but it wasn¡¯t excitement. It wasn¡¯t the rush of getting to prove herself. It was heavy, and cold. It made her fingers tremble, and she quickly clenched her hands together to hide it.


    Dread uncoiled and made itself nice and comfortable as she looked into her brother¡¯s eyes.

 Spark of War - Chapter 3 – One Soldier to Another

    Clothes ragged, skin filthy, shoes worn through, and feet bloody, the three refugees shuffled though the crowd as the soldiers parted it. Two men half guided, half carried an older woman between them. The man on the left was angry, his angular jaw clenched so tight his neck corded from the effort. A man with nothing but violence on his mind. Revenge? Almost his polar opposite, the man on the right stared blankly ahead. Numb. From the trip or from what he¡¯d seen? The woman¡¯s bushy white hair gave her a wild look, but her eyes were just as empty as the man¡¯s. Exhaustion oozed off her.


    El studied them more carefully as the soldier who¡¯d spoken to Nexin finally reached them and gestured toward a wagon just now pulling up. Their faces looked nothing alike. Different eye colors. Different builds. No resemblance at all. Not family? So how did they end up together?


    But she had no time to ask. With specific orders to return the refugees to headquarters, the four soldiers bustled their charges into a military wagon and waved the crowd back. The horses, jumpy from the crowd around them and the nervous energy in the air, pawed at the cobblestones and shifted in their bridles.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to headquarters,¡± Nexin said, eyes never leaving the wagon as it pulled away.


    ¡°The cake?¡± Laze asked hopefully.


    ¡°Sorry, no time today.¡± He stepped forward and ignited his wings to life.


    The crowd, surprised by the sudden appearance of flaming wings in their midst, wisely took a step back. Not that the flames could hurt them, for they each held the Spark, but when a ranking officer of the Firestorm suddenly appeared, getting out of the way was usually the best plan.


    ¡°Come on, Laze, we can get cake later,¡± El said, and ignited her wings while Nexin leapt into the sky.


    ¡°Right,¡± Laze answered with a nod and turned her focus inward. One second stretched to two, to three¡­four, before her wings burst from her back.


    Nexin hovered above them, wings spread and unmoving. El used to think it was weird they didn¡¯t need to flap their wings like birds did. It¡¯s magic, her brother had told her, like that explained everything. Now it was just normal. Barely even felt like magic.


    But leaping into the sky, defying gravity as the curved buildings shrank below her and faces blurred, that took her breath away every time. The city spread out like a wildfire below her, buildings of oranges, yellows, and reds in honor of the Pyre at the center of the city. At the center of their lives.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t slowing,¡± Nexin said, watching the wagon speed toward HQ. ¡°The brass must think this is important.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± El asked as Laze joined them in the air.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Laze said with a blush.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± El offered, and gave her friend a quick reassuring pat. ¡°You¡¯re getting faster every day.¡±


    ¡°We can talk on the way,¡± Nexin instructed, then bolted off, small fiery feathers trailing behind before consuming themselves with a fizzle.


    Despite his words, Nexin didn¡¯t slow enough to talk, and El and Laze chased him the entire way. They landed in the wide courtyard just as the three refugees vanished into the large main building.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Nexin had barely landed before he was striding after them. The guards at the doors were obviously keeping curious soldiers out, but Nexin¡¯s rank got him a pass. El stuck close to him, and while the guards eyed her, they didn¡¯t try to stop her.


    Ahead, the refugees turned into one of the large briefing rooms. The same one she¡¯d received her inaugural mission in. Coincidence? The weight in her gut didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± said the guard caught midway closing the door as Nexin approached, his gaze moving to El and Laze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, strict orders about rank and entry. I can¡¯t let them in with you.¡±


    Nexin eyed the man, then turned to El.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait out here.¡± El pointed to a nearby bench. She wouldn¡¯t be able to relax until she knew what was going on.


    Her brother gave her a reassuring smile and nodded, then turned and went into the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and the guard took up position beside it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the man said, and gave a small shrug. There weren¡¯t many people who didn¡¯t know, and like, her brother.


    El waved away the concern and took a seat, Laze sitting down beside her. ¡°What do you think this is all about?¡± her friend asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± El answered honestly. ¡°Has to be something big if they¡¯ve got guards posted at the doors and are limiting entry by rank.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Laze called to the guard. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Lhogan,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on in there?¡±


    ¡°Even if he did,¡± El answered before Lhogan could reply, ¡°he¡¯d be under orders not to tell us.¡±


    ¡°That true, Lhogan?¡± Laze asked, never turning away from the man.


    ¡°Partly,¡± Lhogan answered. ¡°If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you. But since I don¡¯t know¡­¡± he trailed off.


    Laze leaned forward eagerly.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t tell you,¡± the man chuckled good-naturedly.


    Laze sighed and sat back. ¡°Why¡¯d you have to say we¡¯d sit here? We could¡¯ve gone for that cake.¡±


    El ignored her friend, and to Lhogan said, ¡°So, one gossipy soldier to another, who¡¯d you see in there?¡±


    Lhogan looked up and down the hall before answering. ¡°Lot of brass. Just saw Brigadier General Cannon and Lieutenant General Vulon go in a minute before your brother did.¡±


    Cannon and Vulon? What an odd combination. Cannon was a mountain of a man whose name was just as much a well-earned nickname as anything else. He¡¯d risen the ranks by blowing things up and winning most battles through sheer brute force. Vulon, on the other hand, was the polar opposite. Probably the most boring-looking woman in the history of history, without a single memorable physical feature, her shrewd mind more than made up for any perceived deficiency. There wasn¡¯t a better tactician. Period.


    And the two rarely worked together.


    ¡°Why do a trio of refugees from down south warrant the attention of two generals? Shouldn¡¯t they be more concerned with the front line?¡± El mused aloud.


    ¡°Did you hear the rumor?¡± Lhogan asked, his lips curling in conspiracy.


    This time it was El who leaned in. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°Agree to let me buy you dinner, and it¡¯s a deal,¡± Lhogan winked.


    Laze whistled and leaned back. ¡°Not a good deal. You have no idea how much she eats.¡±


    El turned a withering glare on her friend. Why did everybody have a problem with her healthy appetite? Training burned a lot of calories.


    ¡°No problem with me,¡± Lhogan answered, but his eyes were on El. She hadn¡¯t answered yet.


    Not even trying to hide it, she looked him up and down. In good shape, for a soldier, which meant in great shape for most men. Hair was a little longer than she liked, and his face was all hard angles, but not unpleasantly so. An infectious grin, and sharp eyes rounded out his features. One dinner couldn¡¯t hurt.


    And if he laid an unwanted hand on her, well, she¡¯d break every bone in his arm.


    ¡°One dinner,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want a second,¡± he promised.


    ¡°She always wants seconds,¡± Laze chuckled.


    El punched her in the shoulder hard enough her friend almost toppled off the bench. ¡°The rumor?¡± she asked, turning back to Lhogan.


    ¡°Lizard army up north. Ran through the front line at Aldrana.¡±


    ¡°Aldrana? As in Guld¡¯s fort town guarding the only real path through the Icicle Mountains?¡±


    ¡°One in the same.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s that got to do with Salid? Literally the opposite direction.¡±


    ¡°A second lizard army,¡± Lhogan whispered.

 Spark of War - Chapter 4 – New Orders

    ¡°A second¡­¡± El was interrupted by the door swinging open and her brother sticking his head out.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re still here,¡± he said. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Lhogan started, ¡°I¡¯ve got orders.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve got new orders. The generals have asked for these two,¡± Nexin answered, but softened the bluntness of his words with a pat on the other man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me buy you a drink later to make up for it.¡±


    Lhogan looked from Nexin to El. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve already got dinner plans.¡±


    Nexin raised an eyebrow and glanced at El. ¡°Choose a buffet,¡± he said quietly, then patted Lhogan on the shoulder again.


    ¡°Why you¡­¡± El threatened, but didn¡¯t finish.


    ¡°Come on. Can¡¯t keep the generals waiting,¡± Nexin said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, hiding behind the generals,¡± El hissed to mask the butterflies storming about in her stomach. Why would they want her and Laze? What could they possibly offer?


    ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble,¡± Nexin whispered, knowing her tells. ¡°New orders.¡±


    ¡°Why us?¡±


    ¡°Somebody is running to get Faled now, and you¡¯re his number two,¡± Nexin said, and reentered the auditorium. El and Laze followed without a word, though Lhogan tossed her another wink for good measure.


    A dozen levels, each a step higher than the one after it, separated El from where the refugees sat in the center of the room. Shaped like a giant bowl, the entire room was built to draw attention to the large map table. As big as any of the tables in the mess hall, the detailed map was an accurate representation of El¡¯s home, the nation of Pycrin.


    She¡¯d only been in this room the one time before, and like then, the map took her breath away.


    Dominating the center of the meticulous map, and the nation, was the capital city of Balacin. Easily as big as any of the countries conquered by Pycrin during its continuing expansion, Balacin was the only real city left on this side of the Icicle Mountains. The other cities and towns, barely ruins of their former glory, had mostly been removed from the map. Only the occasional farming or mining town remained, with a handful of fishing villages along the coast.


    A cluster of mountains to the east, the God¡¯s Claw Mountains, named so for their unique shape, was the only other notable settlement. The electrum found within those ancient mines was the key to Pycrin¡¯s military might.


    Rolling grasslands, tall forests, arid plains, and most importantly, troop movements filled the rest of the space like some kind of gigantic game board. With one player clearly winning. Ninety percent of those troop movements were focused on one key area.


    To the northwest, through the towering Icicle Mountains, lay her country¡¯s last true enemy, the country of Guld. Aldrana, the fort town, guarded the only pass through the treacherous mountains, and even from this distance, El could clearly make out the models representing Guld¡¯s golem forces.Stolen story; please report.


    Golems. Powerful machines of war, three times the height of a man, and twenty times as strong. With stone bodies resistant to the Spark¡¯s flames, they were the only reason Guld had been able to hold out so long. A war waged over twenty years. A war slowly grinding both sides down, with Pycrin forcing the Guldish forces to hunker behind the solid walls of Aldrana.


    But Pycrin could go no further. The walls, and the golems, prevented the final push through the tunnels of the Icicle Mountains and straight into the heart of Guld. El had trained for that fight. In her dreams, she¡¯d lead the charge over the mountains, a plan thought impossible, but ultimately successful because of her skill and leadership. After that, she¡¯d return home, a hero to her people. To her brother.


    Reality was a far cry from her dreams. Her first mission lay at the opposite end of the map. The small fishing village of Salid barely warranted a single model building to mark its presence. Home to only a few hundred people, it was an insult to send her there. And who named a town after a food that had no meat?


    But a lizard army? A second lizard army? Did that change things? She¡¯d been disappointed about her initial assignment, but if she was being honest with herself, was that just a luxury because she knew it was safe? An enemy force, even if it was only lizards, meant combat. Despite all her training, all her skill, she was still untested. Could she really keep her head in a life-or-death situation? Would she live up to her brother¡¯s name? His expectations?


    ¡°Here,¡± Nexin¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts as he led her and Laze to the ground level beside the map. Without a thought, she fell into line beside her brother and snapped to attention, a bead of sweat rolling down the small of her back. It wasn¡¯t just the two generals, Cannon and Vulon, in the room.


    There were six generals standing in front of her. And none of them looked happy. Their eyes shimmered with the internal fire of the Spark; it¡¯s long use manifesting like a flaming halo around the iris.


    To her right were the three refugees, seated on hard, wooden chairs, and looking exhausted.


    The older woman, Wild-Hair, still between the two men, shifted nervously. Hands wrung while her eyes darted between the guards and the high-ranking soldiers gathered on the other side of the map.


    Numb-Eyes sat unmoving, while Angry-Jaw tapped his foot eagerly, his eyes raking across El and Laze. Whatever he saw in them, he didn¡¯t like.


    The door opened at the top of the auditorium and Faled bounded in, rushed down the stairs, and snapped to a perfect salute next to Nexin.


    ¡°Sergeant Ikkers reporting for duty.¡± His voice only cracked a touch when he realized just who was standing in front of him.


    ¡°At ease,¡± Vulon said. ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point. Your timeline has been moved up. You leave tomorrow.¡±


    Tomorrow?! More than a week early?


    ¡°Further, you¡¯ll be accompanying Sergeant¡­¡± she paused and looked at Cannon.


    ¡°Sergeant Esis,¡± Cannon supplied.


    ¡°Sergeant Esis¡¯s wing. She will take point, and you¡¯ll follow her lead. Her orders, if it comes to it. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Faled replied crisply.


    ¡°Enemy activity has been reported in the south. Your mission is to remove the threat and report back. One last thing,¡± Vulon said, and turned her eyes to Angry-Jaw. ¡°Corporal Mance will be accompanying your wings as a guide.¡±


    Corporal? So, he¡¯s military? Or ex-military? But what was he doing so far south?


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Esis will give further orders en route. You know what you have to do. Dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Permission to accompany,¡± Nexin said, surprisingly, as all four saluted.


    ¡°Denied,¡± Vulon said without even considering the request. ¡°You¡¯re needed elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± Nexin said, his tone formal and perfectly polite. His body language though, the right fist just a little too tight, the clenched jaw, and the extra-stiff back, spoke volumes if one knew to look for them. El did, and she did not envy his next sparring partner.


    The four turned in unison, Faled leading, and left the room the same way they¡¯d come in.


    Lhogan stepped aside as they exited and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped at the looks on their faces.


    ¡°Going to need a rain check,¡± El said with a small shrug.

 Spark of War - Chapter 5 – An Issue of Trust

    ¡°By the Pyre¡¯s flaming nutsack, what just happened?¡± El asked when she was alone with her brother and Laze back in her room. Faled had gone off to gather and inform the rest of the wing, and Lhogan had stoically taken the bad news.


    Nexin raised that burning eyebrow again, but didn¡¯t comment on her choice of language. Burn it, she was an adult now! She could talk how she wanted. But her cheeks still heated at her big brother¡¯s look.


    ¡°Does the Pyre actually have a flaming nutsack?¡± Laze, on the other hand, asked thoughtfully. ¡°And I mean, I¡¯ve never seen one in any of the depictions¡­¡± she trailed off at the disbelieving looks of the other two. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Oril,¡± Nexin began, coming to Laze¡¯s rescue. ¡°Sorry, Corporal Mance was in the academy with me. Same class. One of the most promising cadets.¡±


    ¡°As good as you?¡± Laze asked.


    Nexin battled with his humility for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Not quite. He¡­ reacted¡­ too much. Everything was a provocation to him. Sparring, I could beat him nine times out of ten, but he was the only one who ever beat me. It was his leadership skills, well, the lack of them, that held him back. He would¡¯ve never been anything other than a soldier. And an uncontrollable one at that.¡±


    ¡°He washed out?¡± El asked. That could explain how he ended up so far south.


    ¡°Quit,¡± Nexin said flatly. ¡°Took his wings and his weapons, and left. Rumor had it he got married down south.¡±


    ¡°They let him go with his wings?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they planned to go after him at some point, but things escalated with Guld around the same time. He was a very minor concern in comparison.¡±


    ¡°So, why¡¯s he back here now? Is the rumor about newts true?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Nexin said, not even bothering to ask how she knew. ¡°Two separate forces of lizards¡ªnewts¡ªat opposite ends of Pycrin. Each large enough to raise concerns.¡±


    ¡°But if the force in the south is so big, why just send two wings? Shouldn¡¯t they send a dozen? Or more?¡± Laze asked and sat on the edge of El¡¯s perfectly made bed. If she wrinkled the covers¡­


    ¡°Sergeant Esis and her unit are¡­ underrated,¡± Nexin said cryptically. ¡°They call themselves The Boomers. They¡¯re one of Cannon¡¯s go-to squads, but none of them want promotions. They like the down-and-dirty action of being a single wing. Get in, blow stuff up, get out. They¡¯re skilled veterans with hundreds of combined sorties. I¡¯d be hard-pressed to think of a better wing to go with yours.¡±


    ¡°But is it enough?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t, Esis is no fool.  She won¡¯t sacrifice her people, or yours,¡± Nexin said reassuringly, ¡°if the fight is a losing one.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can¡­ lose?¡± El said, furious at herself for the way her voice caught on that last word. Firestorm didn¡¯t lose. They were Pycrin¡¯s elite force. The hammer that¡¯d smashed a dozen rival nations off the map.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Nexin said and shook his head. ¡°We beat the lizards decades ago. Shattered their armies and scattered the survivors to the farthest corners of the known world. With the Pyre burning so strong in Balacin, and the Spark in our chests, they simply can¡¯t fight us. They¡¯re no threat.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± El prodded. There was something else.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Nexin let the word hang. ¡°Why are they back now? Why two armies at opposite ends of the country. Thousands of miles apart. Are they connected? Is it coincidence? Those questions bother me, so I want you to be very careful.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you wanted to come?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no. I don¡¯t trust Oril. Not with my little sister¡¯s life on the line. He¡¯s a hothead, and from what I saw in the meeting before you came in, time hasn¡¯t cooled him at all. If anything, he¡¯s gotten worse.¡±


    ¡°But if Esis and her wing are as good as you say, they will keep us safe. Right?¡± Laze asked, leaning forward and spreading a wide wrinkle along the precisely placed blanket.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep ourselves safe,¡± El growled, pushing down her frustration. Laze knew how much she hated things being out of place.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You will,¡± Nexin said surprisingly. ¡°This may be your first mission, but you¡¯ve each earned your place in the Firestorm. Remember your training. Expect to be surprised by the chaos of combat. And never doubt yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, trying to be all big-brotherly,¡± El joked, but the coiled dread in her stomach was gone. He was right, they could do this. They would do this.


    ¡°Every once in a while,¡± he shrugged. ¡°But there are a few things I need to check on¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the elsewhere that you¡¯re needed?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like that. I haven¡¯t received any new orders, and last I¡¯d heard, I was in the city for a few more weeks.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they want to deal with the northern lizard force at the same time? Stop from them meeting up?¡±


    ¡°Could be. But I¡¯m not going to get that answer in here with you two,¡± Nexin said and opened the door. ¡°By the way, El, you missed a spot on the desk.¡±


    El¡¯s head snapped around so fast she almost pulled a muscle in her neck. Then Nexin started chuckling, and the door closed softly behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°You need to lighten up a bit, El. A little dust never killed anybody,¡± Laze said with a small wave of her hand.


    A little dust? Like Laze was one to talk. An entire wing could hide in the bedlam of her room.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it, El, I do. You feel like you need to be perfect, because you think your brother is. You look at him and think how easy it is for him. But for you, everything¡¯s a struggle. I saw how many late nights you spent studying for exams to be at the top of the class. The extra hours you put in practicing with your wings and sword, so you could beat anybody in the academy.


    ¡°Nexin¡¯s a lot of things. A lot of wonderful things,¡± Laze said dreamily. ¡°But perfect isn¡¯t one of them. It literally hurts for me to say that, but it¡¯s true.¡± Laze stood and smoothed out the blankets where she¡¯d been sitting, then turned back to El, a soft smile on her face. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to be him. Just be you. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    El just stood there, stunned. Of course Laze would have seen all that. They¡¯d been friends their entire lives. But for her to say it all so directly¡­


    ¡°Since the mission has been moved up, I should go talk to my parents. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning at muster?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ sure¡­¡± El said, words still too difficult for her flabbergasted brain.


    Laze came over and wrapped her arms around El in a tight hug. ¡°Make sure you get something to eat,¡± she whispered, then gave another squeeze. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She opened the door, and left.


    El¡¯s stomach growled at the thought of food, but she didn¡¯t immediately move. Her eyes went to the bed, to the tiny crease still evident in the blanket, and she purposely kept her hands at her side. Was Laze right? Was she trying too hard?


    Maybe. She should just go get something quick to eat, check on the rest of the wing to make sure Faled talked to them, and then get some sleep. Four thousand miles wasn¡¯t a quick journey, and who knew the next time she¡¯d see a bed.


    El straightened her uniform, gave herself a nod, and headed for the door.


    She didn¡¯t even get her hand to the doorknob before she turned around and fixed the wrinkle on the bed.

 Spark of War - Chapter 6 – The Importance of Balance

    The noise and smell of the mess hall hit El like a slap to the face as she crossed the threshold. Dozens of large tables, each with seating for twenty or more, sat in rigid efficiency down the length of the room. The perfect line of the tables, of how precisely they were spaced, always brought a measure of calm to El in the chaos of the room. It helped they were nailed down.


    The entire eastern wall was a collection of self-sufficient cafeterias, individual queues stretching anywhere from empty to jam-packed. A thousand voices mingled together to create a dull roar, and it took El several steps to tune it out while searching for her wing.


    If they held true to form, El would find them at table ¡°BA¡±, for ¡°Burning Awesome¡± they said. A smidge of pride flared in El¡¯s chest, near the place the Spark made its home, at her wing. They may have been a bit full of themselves, and overly vocal about it, but it was well-earned. When it came to rookies, there wasn¡¯t a group better.


    But before she got to them, she needed something to eat. Laze was, like everything else it seemed, right about that.


    A brief stint in line later, El had a hefty sandwich under her arm. Burn it, why had it taken so long to get the sandwich artist to understand that she wanted exactly six tomato slices on each half? Was that so hard to understand? It wouldn¡¯t be balanced if one side had five while the other¡­


    ¡°Corporal, my dear, over here,¡± a lanky solider interrupted her thoughts from the bench he stood on. Even without the bench, Teth was tall. With the extra lift, he towered over an already petite El.


    ¡°Get down from there,¡± El said with a frown. ¡°We¡¯d be the laughingstock of the Firestorm if one of our flyers broke his neck from a fall so close to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Teth¡¯s neck is never anywhere near the ground,¡± the woman beside him volunteered. Nidina, Teth¡¯s twin sister. Only the length of their hair told them apart. ¡°Unless you count in his ass as ¡®close to the ground.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh sister-mine, your words they sting. Like a bumbling-bee, newly taken wing,¡± Teth said eloquently, one hand on his chest, the other held delicately in the air. Bad poetry was his hobby, but at least it was good for a laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re not down yet,¡± El pointed out. Then pointed at the ground. Twice.


    ¡°Corporal maternal, to your words I hop, this show I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    El shook her head, but at least Teth got down.


    ¡°Faled already told us, if you¡¯re here about the deployment change,¡± Nidina said, her eyes never leaving the soup in front of her.


    El settled down across the table from the twins, Dayne on her right. Baby-faced, but almost as beefy as Cannon, he was the wing¡¯s frontline muscle.


    ¡°Hey, Dayne,¡± El greeted before addressing Nidina¡¯s statement. Dayne just nodded and mechanically pushed another biscuit into his mouth. Quiet guy. Dependable though. ¡°I figured he would have,¡± El told Nidina, and unwrapped her sandwich. One of the tomatoes had fallen off. She almost got up and went back to throttle the sandwich artist. Almost.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s supposed to do all the running around while he sits down and eats a sammich?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m no match for his eagerness,¡± El said truthfully, carefully placing the tomato exactly back where it needed to be. Six slices on each side; she could breathe again. ¡°Besides, he loves it. Who am I to take that away from him?¡±


    ¡°In glory¡¯s task does that one bask,¡± Teth agreed.


    El looked at Nidina, then back to Teth. ¡°Right,¡± she said, and took a bite from her sandwich. Tomato issue aside, it was burning good.


    ¡°Esis¡¯s unit is coming with us? And something about a guide?¡± Nidina pried.


    El looked at the people all around. How confidential were the orders? Or the existence of the two lizard armies? Probably best not to talk about it there. ¡°I can¡¯t get into details here,¡± El said, her eyes pointing out the people all around while her hands brought the sandwich back to her mouth.


    It stopped halfway, her mouth open wide, as her eyes landed on a soldier that looked familiar. But she didn¡¯t recognize him. Shaved head, the dark stubble barely visible, angular cheekbones, and a uniform that looked two sizes too big. Maybe he lost weight recently?


    When an older woman with wild, white hair sat down beside him, the answer clicked in El¡¯s mind. The refugee soldier from the map room. He¡¯d obviously gotten a haircut and borrowed a uniform.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Dayne asked beside her. ¡°Never seen you stop eating. Ever.¡± His words came out slowly, deliberately. Dayne¡¯s size had taught him to be careful and sure before he acted. Or spoke.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    El lowered the sandwich down and placed it back on the wrapper.


    ¡°Burn it, we in for a fight?¡± Nidina said and stood, eyes scanning the crowd for a threat.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Nidina, sit down,¡± El said quietly, her brain still assessing the refugee two tables over.


    ¡°Fine? The last time you put food down we got jumped by two other wings who didn¡¯t like one of my brother¡¯s rhymes,¡± Nidina said, but her shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°I speak no lies, and about that lass, when it comes to size, I crown her ass.¡±


    ¡°We deserved to get jumped.¡± Nidina sighed, but sat back down. ¡°But if it¡¯s not that, what¡¯s got you on edge?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our guide over there,¡± El said, and nodded at Oril. He met her eyes, then scowled and went back to his meal.


    ¡°Seems the friendly type,¡± Dayne commented.


    Her lunch would have to wait, and El stood. ¡°I¡¯ve got some questions for him.¡±


    ¡°Need backup?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this. Keep my sandwich safe.¡±


    Dayne saluted, then slid the sandwich over in front of him, his eyes scanning the crowd for threats. ¡°I¡¯ll guard it with my life.¡±


    Her dinner secure, El crossed the mess hall to where Oril and Wild-Hair sat mostly alone. That would make it easier for El; she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anyone overhearing her questions.


    ¡°Corporal Mance.¡± El gave a small salute.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked without looking up. Not an appropriate way to address a soldier of equal rank, but he¡¯d been away. She could ignore it. For now.


    ¡°I have questions about our assignment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Oril. The young lady is trying to be nice,¡± Wild-Hair said, putting her hand on Oril¡¯s forearm.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need young, and we most certainly don¡¯t need nice,¡± he snapped, and turned his glare on El. ¡°Have you ever even been in a fight? A real one? Have you ever killed? Felt the hot blood of your opponent gush over your sword and onto your hands? Spent the day wading through the enemy, leaving corpses in your wake?


    ¡°Well, have you?¡± he barked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± she admitted, her attention focusing on a piece of spinach in his teeth. Every time he spat out another question, the greenery waved like a flag in the wind. ¡°But my wing is at the top of the academy for the year. We¡¯re not¡­¡±


    ¡°Not what?¡± he interrupted. ¡°Not green rookies? Not a liability? Not a burning waste of my time when I need real soldiers to take my home back? My family?!¡± Every word increased in volume until he was yelling loud enough for the nearby tables to fall silent. The spinach-flag waved its absolute surrender the entire time.


    He¡¯d drawn too much attention. El wouldn¡¯t be able to ask her questions without risking the confidentiality of the assignment. ¡°You¡¯re obviously upset¡­¡± El began.


    ¡°Upset? You think this is upset?¡± Oril yelled and stood. Then he stepped in so close the spinach-leaf would slap her across the face if he yelled again. Instead, however, his voice was low and threatening. ¡°You burning, useless bitch. You have no idea what upset is. But you will if your incompetence hurts my family.¡±


    Before El could open her mouth to respond, Oril spun on his heel and grabbed the half-eaten loaf of bread from the table, then stormed off without another word.


    El and Wild-Hair watched him go, but neither moved to stop him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wild-Hair said calmly. ¡°He¡¯s always been like that. Janith calmed him down a bit, but with her in trouble, I¡¯m afraid his worst side is coming out again.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault,¡± El said when Oril disappeared into the crowd. ¡°May I sit?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Wild-Hair said and pointed to where Oril had sat. ¡°You said you have questions? Can I help with those?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± El admitted. ¡°Before that, my name is Anella, but everybody calls me El.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you El, I¡¯m Lilin.¡±


    ¡°Lilin, that¡¯s a nice name. Not common¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it used to be,¡± Lilin beamed. ¡°But that was years ago, and not so much in the capital. People think it¡¯s a bit of a hick name.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful,¡± El said.


    ¡°Are your questions so difficult you feel the need to butter an old lady up?¡± Lilin asked, her lips quirking playfully.


    El hesitated, then nodded. ¡°They may be. Can you tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Lilin said, the smile vanishing. ¡°I should have guessed. I¡­ saw you in that¡­ that room with the big map, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you sooner. It was all a bit overwhelming¡­¡±


    ¡°No offense taken,¡± El said, shifting the leftover dishes in front of her. Plate in the middle, fork one inch to the left, knife one inch to the right. Water glass three hundred and fifteen degrees, exactly, two inches from the knife, and bread plate forty-five degrees and two inches from the fork. Perfect. She took a relaxed breath and turned her attention back to Lilin. ¡°But if my wing and I are going there, I¡¯d like to know as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°What did you want to know? I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡±


    ¡°When did it happen?¡± El asked. It had to be recent. A few days? Maybe a week?


    ¡°About four months ago,¡± Lilin said. ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason Oril is so angry.¡±


    ¡°Four¡­ months?¡± El asked, trying to wrap her brain around it.


    ¡°It takes a long time to walk four thousand miles, and you can understand why I¡¯m so tired, even with my Spark. We got the occasional wagon ride, but the lands outside the capital are almost empty. We didn¡¯t see a single member of the Firestorm until we reached the city itself.¡±


    ¡°Oril was military though. I thought he took his wings with him when he left.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Lilin shrugged. ¡°But he didn¡¯t have them when we found him. And by the time he woke up, we were too far away to go back for them. Even if we did¡­ there were too many lizards¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°When you found him?¡± El asked. She had several questions, but she needed to start somewhere.


    ¡°Yes, Sol and I found him unconscious on the road outside of town. Took a bad blow to the head from the looks of things. Sol patched him up pretty good though and carried him on his back until Oril woke up. That was¡­ maybe¡­ three days later?


    ¡°Oril wanted to go back. For his wife and son? For his wings and his sword? I¡¯m not sure, but he wouldn¡¯t leave me alone with Sol. So, he came with us to Balacin to warn the army. Or maybe to get the army?¡±


    ¡°Sol?¡± El asked. Numb-Eyes?


    Lilin pointed to the absolute corner of the room where the third refugee sat alone. ¡°That¡¯s Sol,¡± Lilin said. ¡°Oril hates him, even though he saved his life. Maybe because he saved his life, so I guess he didn¡¯t want to sit with us. It¡¯s a shame. Sol¡¯s a good man, despite his limitations.¡±


    ¡°Why does Oril hate him? Limitations?¡±


    Lilin leaned in close, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°The answer¡¯s the same to both those questions. Sol is Sparkless.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 7 – Is That…?

    The rolling green hills lazily scrolled by below El as she flew in formation. Fifteen pairs of flaming wings carried her unit along at almost one hundred fifty miles per hour. Without the flame armor that protected her, she¡¯d never be able to keep her eyes open at that speed. Though, she¡¯d never really agreed with the name. Maybe it should be called heat armor? It wasn¡¯t like she was engulfed in flames. It was barely more than a shimmer of heat. A shimmer stronger than any steel.


    To their left, Esis¡¯s unit held tight formation. Oril, alone, flew ahead of both groups, his eagerness to be home pushing him farther and faster.


    Barely underway on their third straight day of travel, El could hardly fathom how Lilin had walked the same distance. Outside the city it was all so¡­ empty. Nature had reclaimed many of the abandoned cities, leaving them little more than oddly shaped forests, and she could count the number of still-active homes on her fingers.


    At least finding food wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. Where people had deserted, wildlife flourished. Small game scurried under cover as her shadow passed over, and greats herds of some kind of brawny, horned animal dominated the landscape. Thousands of them. Tens of thousands.


    And Lilin, Oril, and Sol had walked through it all.


    Sol. Sparkless. Sparkless?! People without the Spark were so rare. Rare to the point of extinct. And yet, she¡¯d seen Sol with her own eyes. Felt the absence of the Spark that was¡­ everything. Life. Hope. Power. How could he live like that? Did he even know what he was missing?


    ¡°Ruins of a small town, two o¡¯clock,¡± Esis¡¯s voice echoed through the magic of El¡¯s flame armor. ¡°We¡¯ll set down there to check for evidence of the lizard army.¡±


    ¡°Salid is another two hundred miles past that, at least,¡± Oril responded, his voice so clear he might have been right beside her. ¡°We should keep going.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re landing,¡± Esis repeated, her tone brooking no room for argument, and her wing angled toward the edge of town.


    A signal from Faled, and El¡¯s wing followed suit.


    ¡°Teth. Nidina,¡± El spoke quietly, though the two would clearly hear her. ¡°You¡¯re our eyes.¡±


    The two aforementioned soldiers slowed and then gently circled above the rest of the unit as it landed.


    Esis and her second-in-command broke off their quiet discussion as Faled and El jogged over. ¡°We¡¯ll give the town a quick check and then move on. Report anything you find to me or Nite,¡± she nodded at the man beside her.


    El always had to suppress a chuckle when she looked at Nite. The albino did not match his name. But then again, she¡¯d never been this close to him. Never seen how his pale skin barely contained the power of his Spark. Like a roaring flame just beneath a sheet of paper¡­


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Esis asked, and El snapped her attention back to the matter at hand. Faled was standing in salute beside her, and she mimicked the gesture.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± El answered. ¡°Just considering how best to deploy.¡±


    ¡°Suggestions?¡± Esis asked.


    ¡°This town, Helibak was its name, is pear-shaped, with us at the fat end. We¡¯ll spread out here along the edge and converge toward the narrow end. Four in the air, ten on the ground checking the buildings,¡± El stated. The unevenness irked her, but it was close enough, and they¡¯d need more people going door to door than scouting from above.


    ¡°Convey those orders,¡± Esis said to Nite, nodded to El and Faled, then turned to confer with her second-in-command, leaving Faled and El to themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the ground search,¡± Faled said, relaxing his salute. ¡°Take Dayne and join Teth and Nidina in the air. I doubt we¡¯ll find a lizard army hiding in the buildings here, but keep an eye out for any sign they passed.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± El said with a quick salute, and leapt into the air. ¡°Dayne, with me,¡± she spoke into her armor, and the big soldier followed her into the sky a moment later. Teth and Nidina joined them as they hovered two hundred feet up, five times as high as the tallest building.


    ¡°Orders?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Four of us are keeping an eye out up here while they knock on a few doors. Teth, you¡¯ve got the north side, Dayne the south. Nidina and I will bring up the middle, and we¡¯ll go west to east. Speak up if you see anything, anything, out of the ordinary. We¡¯re only an hour or two away from Salid; who knows which direction the lizards went.¡±


    The other three gave a quick salute, then sped off to their assigned areas, a small trail of flaming feathers fizzling out behind them.


    If the lizards were nearby, they had to know the Firestorm was too.


    El scanned the city below her, trying to spot anything that stood out, while her brain ransacked itself for knowledge on the enemy. It¡¯d been decades since the last encounter, long before El was even born¡ªwas the information still good? She¡¯d have to trust it was.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Humanoid, six to eight feet tall on average, with the bigger ones weighing in at almost a thousand pounds, and covered head to toe in red, steel-like scales, the lizards were creatures of brute strength. They favored weapons that capitalized on that raw power, hammers and axes, and the like. There was something else¡­ right, they breathed fire.


    Could they still do that without the Spark? What had they lost when the Firestorm had captured their Ember and taken it back to join the Pyre? And would it even matter? El had never felt any discomfort even from the largest flame, thanks to the Spark in her chest.


    El shook her head. Not the time for questions. She needed to be¡­


    ¡°¡­ignoring me, El?¡± Dayne¡¯s voice popped and snapped into clarity in her ear.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Dayne?¡± she asked and turned south to find Dayne speeding in her direction.


    ¡°Never mind. You need to see this,¡± he said, then stopped and hovered in place.


    ¡°Teth, Nidina, I¡¯m going to check something out with Dayne, spread out to cover for me,¡± El ordered, then closed the distance to join Dayne. ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡±


    ¡°Easier to show you,¡± the big man said, and glided backward until he was sure El was following, then turned and raced to the south, El hot on his heels.


    El followed in silence, though the question itched at the back of her skull. Dayne wasn¡¯t much of a talker, sure, but this was odd even for him. They flew for thirty seconds, El¡¯s eye¡¯s scanning the ground and the horizon for something out of the ordinary, but there wasn¡¯t anything. No lizards. No tracks. No refugee camps. Nothing.


    She was just about to ask the question, when the answer appeared literally right in front of her, so suddenly she almost didn¡¯t react in time to stop before she hit it. But, what was it?


    A wall of white stretched high into the sky, much higher than she was, and east to west as far as the eye could see. And the wall was moving. No, moving wasn¡¯t specific enough. It was falling.


    ¡°Is that¡­ snow?¡± El asked. She¡¯d never seen snow before, just read about it in history books, old history books, but this fit the description. El turned to Dayne when he didn¡¯t respond to her question, and he looked at her then pointed at his ear, shaking his head. ¡°You can¡¯t hear me?¡± she asked. No response, so she glided closer.


    ¡°Guess you weren¡¯t ignoring me on purpose,¡± Dayne¡¯s words barely reached El¡¯s ears without the aid of the magic.


    Something was interfering with their communications?


    ¡°Teth, can you hear me?¡± El tested. No response. ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± she said to Dayne. The big man just nodded, and they both pivoted to take in the massive snowstorm.


    ¡°No wind,¡± Dayne said.


    He was right. The huge snowflakes, each at least an inch across, were falling straight down.


    ¡°When you were coming back to get me, were you trying the communicators the whole time?¡± she asked Dayne.


    ¡°I was,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Is the storm causing interference? Can a storm even do that?¡±


    Dayne shrugged, but stayed quiet.


    ¡°Only one way to find out. Head back toward where you found me until your communicator works again. Let Faled know what¡¯s going on. Bring him, probably Esis too, back here. Also, keep track of how far you have to go for it to work again. Any questions?¡±


    Dayne shook his head, then took off when El gave him the nod to go.


    Turning back to the storm, El tentatively reached out her hand to the falling snow, then stopped herself. Looking at the two-hundred-foot drop to the ground below, she shook her head with a chuckle. If it actually was the snow blocking their communications, could it suppress any of their other magic? Like, say, oh, her wings?


    El hovered down to the ground while she watched the snow fall with her. The dark clouds above were monstrous things, and would need to be inspected later, but first she needed to know more about the snow itself.


    With her feet firmly, and safely, on the old overgrown cobblestones, El opened and closed her right hand, then stuck it into the storm.


    Fluffy white flakes hit her flame armor, settling there and slowly accumulating. They weren¡¯t melting, or if they were, it was a slow process, but her armor didn¡¯t fail.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the snow?¡± El asked herself rhetorically. But there was definitely something strange about it. She hadn¡¯t seen the storm until it was right in front of her. And the way it fell¡­


    El crouched down and peered into the white curtain. Three feet, maybe four, was as far as she could see, before it was like looking at a solid object. But the ground wasn¡¯t piled high with snow. No, it was¡­


    A tap on her shoulder, and El turned to find Faled and Dayne standing behind her, with Esis and Nite landing a few steps further back. All eyes were on the storm, understandably so.


    ¡°By the Pyre,¡± Faled said with a shake of his head. ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡± he asked El.


    ¡°I think we can all agree this isn¡¯t natural,¡± El said, then had to repeat herself louder when Esis and Nite got closer. ¡°Something, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the storm or not, is blocking our communications, but I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve already figured that out.


    ¡°How far, Dayne?¡± she asked.


    ¡°About two miles,¡± he answered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to test if it¡¯s the storm, or something else,¡± Faled said. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The snow doesn¡¯t seem to interfere with the flame armor, so we might be able to fly through it if we need to,¡± El said.


    Faled nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have to. Salid is straight through there. That it?¡±


    El shook her head. ¡°No. The storm is moving steadily north.¡±


    Faled shared a glance with Esis, and it was the senior officer who spoke up. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s moving,¡± she said.


    El waved for the others to join her closer to the storm, then crouched back down and pointed at the ground just inside the boundary of falling snow. ¡°Look at the snow piled on the ground. There¡¯s no wind, but do you see the incline? That¡¯s got to be because the edge of the storm is moving north. Not quickly, but it¡¯s definitely moving.¡±


    ¡°Did Oril or the others mention anything about a storm?¡± Faled asked Esis.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Nite answered for her, and stuck his hand up to his elbow into the curtain of falling snow. Like with El, the snow gradually accumulated on his arm, but didn¡¯t melt.


    ¡°Orders?¡± Faled asked.


    ¡°Gather the others,¡± Esis said quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll stage from¡­ the roof of that old building there,¡± she pointed at a nearby three-story structure. ¡°First we figure out the communication range, then learn everything about this storm.¡±


    ¡°Salid? The lizards?¡± Faled asked.


    ¡°Both will have to wait until we¡¯re sure this is safe to pass through. Besides, without the Spark, I suspect a storm like that would be lethal to the lizards.¡±


    ¡°Dayne and I will get the others,¡± El volunteered. ¡°We can run a few quick tests on the communication interference while we go and give you a preliminary report when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t dally though,¡± Esis instructed. ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody surprised by the storm and cut off.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± El saluted, jumped into the air, and with Dayne close behind, they raced back to gather the two wings.

 Spark of War - Chapter 8 – Fly Like That

    ¡°That¡¯s almost everything we know so far,¡± Esis finished after El brought the others back. ¡°Corporal, do you have anything to add?¡±


    El saluted, then turned to face the two wings, her heart fluttering at public speaking. Why was talking in front of thirty people scarier than sparring in front of three hundred? Probably because she already had a sword in her hand if somebody made a comment.


    Her eyes scanned the group, her own wing properly spaced and in order; they knew how she got about that. The Boomers, on the other hand, stood or sat wherever they burning well pleased. No rhyme or reason to it. El almost threw out what she needed to talk about in favor of lining them up.


    It¡¯d only take a minute, then she could¡­no, El, let it go.


    She took a deep breath, then jumped right into what she and Dayne had figured out before the haphazard spacing could distract her further. ¡°As you all probably noticed when we brought you here, the storm itself seems to be invisible unless you¡¯re close to it. We¡¯ve measured it out, and it¡¯s about one hundred and fifty feet. Any further than that and you can¡¯t even see the storm wall.


    ¡°Additionally, within about two miles of the storm wall, our communications,¡± El pointed at the side of her head to indicate the flame armor, ¡°are completely blocked. Dayne and I stood ten feet apart, and his communication couldn¡¯t reach me until he moved farther from the storm.¡±


    ¡°Could he hear you?¡± an older member of Esis¡¯s wing asked. What was his name? Rodrick. A thirty-year veteran, and one of the most experienced Firestorm present.


    ¡°No,¡± El answered. ¡°Nothing in or out. Completely cut off.¡±


    ¡°So, the storm is causing the interference?¡± Rodrick asked.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure yet,¡± Esis retook control of the conversation. ¡°It could be something in or about the town itself. We¡¯re going to investigate by sending groups of scouts in opposite directions along the storm wall to see if¡­¡±


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± Oril shouted from where he paced along the edge of the building closest to the storm. ¡°Salid is straight through there, with an army of lizards somewhere in between. Investigating along the storm is just fear of going in. Cowardice.¡±


    ¡°You should watch your words,¡± Nite said evenly, his voice somehow more chilling than the impossible snowstorm a stone¡¯s throw away.


    ¡°Or what?¡± Oril asked. ¡°Every second we delay because of fear is a second longer Salid, and my family, is in the claws of those filthy newts. We need to save them, and we need to do it now.¡±


    ¡°Saving your family isn¡¯t our mission,¡± Esis said.


    Oril stopped his pacing mid-stride, then slowly turned so he was facing straight toward Esis. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he asked her, his fingers drumming on his electrum hilt.


    He wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to actually attack her in front of her whole wing, would he?


    ¡°You heard me. You¡¯re here as a guide, nothing more,¡± Esis stated. ¡°Our mission is, and always has been, the safety of Pycrin. The lizard army was seen as a potential threat, so we were sent here. Now, I see this storm as a potential threat, one possibly larger than the lizard army. As such, we¡¯re going to get to the bottom of it.


    ¡°Once I¡¯m convinced it isn¡¯t a danger, then, and only then, will we continue our journey to Salid.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Oril said and ignited his wings. ¡°I don¡¯t accept your decision.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about the command structure,¡± Esis said, checking her fingernails like they were more important than Oril was, then raising her eyes to meet his. ¡°You don¡¯t have to accept my decisions, just follow them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you can follow this,¡± Oril snapped, gave her a one-finger salute, then spun and launched off the roof. Feather-shaped embers trailed behind until he hit the storm a heartbeat later. After that¡­ he was simply gone, swallowed whole by the storm.


    ¡°Laxiv,¡± Nite said and nodded toward the storm.


    Wings flared and a woman from Esis¡¯s squad rocketed into the storm after Oril.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°And this is why I didn¡¯t want to bring him,¡± Esis sighed. ¡°Faled, while Laxiv brings the deserter back, the rest of us are going to¡­¡±


    A flash of movement from the storm, then the building they were on bucked like a wild stallion. El ignited her wings on instinct, leaping into the air and grabbing the hands of the two people closest to her, Laze and Faled, while others shouted their surprise.


    Half a dozen sets of wings also ignited to life, while the other members of the Firestorm simply leapt from the building, trusting in their flame armor to protect them.


    Teetering, the building buckled down the middle, the two sides leaning in like drunken friends until they supported one another at odd angles. Debris lazily rattled out and rolled along the ground, and El spotted a line of dust extending out the other side of the building and into the next one across the street.


    ¡°Get out of the air,¡± Esis commanded from the ground. ¡°This might be an attack!¡±


    ¡°Burn me,¡± El scolded herself. Why hadn¡¯t she thought of that? And there she was not only making herself a target, but her two teammates as well. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said quietly to Laze and Faled as she deposited them on the ground a second later.


    ¡°Thanks for grabbing me,¡± Laze said with a nod.


    ¡°Anybody see what hit us?¡± Esis asked while everybody took up defensive positions.


    ¡°Whatever it was, it went straight through our building and into the one across the street,¡± El reported.


    ¡°Go,¡± Esis said to El, who already had her wings out.


    El saluted and burst forward at full speed, her feet no more than an inch off the ground. If they were under attack, staying out of the sky would make her less of a target.


    Two seconds later she doused her wings, letting her momentum carry her forward while she twisted her body midair, the flame armor reinforcing her muscles and bones. Extending her lead foot out and dropping into a crouch, El¡¯s boots and gloved fingertips skidded along the pavement until she rounded the corner of the building a split-second later and flared her wings back to life.


    Body and physics screaming against the sudden force of her wings, El rocketed off at a ninety-degree angle to her original trajectory, flames trailing behind like a comet¡¯s trail. Just as the added thrust of flaring her wings faded, El spun in the air until she was hurtling backward an inch above the ground.


    Ducking low to compact her body and brace herself, one last flare of her wings brought her to a sudden stop between the two damaged buildings. To her left, the three-story building she¡¯d been standing on, with a hole torn straight through the center of it. To her right, what looked like a modest two-story home with whatever had gone through the larger building sitting in its living room.


    From where she stood, it was impossible to tell what it was, and despite pieces of the building still dangling and falling to the ground, El jogged up the front steps and climbed through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°What the Blaze?¡± El asked nobody in particular and stopped short, a massive, block of ice sitting in the center of the room. She took step to get a closer look, but the unmistakable sound of flaming wings turned her around.


    ¡°Never seen anybody fly like that,¡± Nite said, landing nimbly outside the hole. ¡°Without your flame armor, maneuvers like that would tear you apart.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I have the flame armor then,¡± El said, quickly, then moved on to more important things. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. I wouldn¡¯t want to have to explain this.¡±


    ¡°Explain what?¡± Nite asked, then stepped into the building and got a good look at the cause of the destruction. ¡°Is that¡­ an ice cube? A giant ice cube?¡±


    ¡°Sure seems that way. And, is it just me, or does it look like there¡¯s something inside it?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Hard to tell with the lighting in here, but¡­¡± Nite said, then drew his electrum hilt and ignited his sword to life.


    Three feet of liquid flame illuminated the top of the huge block of ice, and both El and Nite leaned in to get a closer look.


    ¡°Is that a boot in there?¡± El pointed toward a black, foot-shaped something inside the cloudy ice. No, cloudy wasn¡¯t the right word. It was more like a giant snow globe, with individual snowflakes frozen mid-fall. What the Blaze?


    ¡°Not just a boot,¡± Nite said and shoved a large timber aside. ¡°There¡¯s a leg in there¡­ and¡­ burn it, I think that¡¯s one of our uniforms. Help me clear it off,¡± he ordered.


    With both her hands free, El quickly cleared off the top of the ice, as well as a space around the side and back. Nite was right; that was definitely one of their uniforms inside.


    ¡°Oril or Laxiv?¡± she asked. It had to be one of those two. There weren¡¯t any other patrols that far from the capital, were there?


    ¡°Laxiv,¡± Nite said. ¡°Blonde hair. Let¡¯s get her out of there,¡± he said, and carefully lowered his blade to shear through the ice.


    Except nothing happened.


    ¡°Uh¡­ shouldn¡¯t the ice be¡­ melting?¡± El asked and squinted at where the flaming sword pressed against the ice. There wasn¡¯t even a layer of water on the ice from the heat of the blade.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t just be melting; the sword should be cutting straight through it. I¡¯m pushing as hard as I can here,¡± Nite answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nite said, took a step back, and raised the sword above his head. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this works,¡± he said, then slashed down at the ice. Impossibly, the blade stopped the moment it hit the frozen surface.


    El¡¯s eyes widened. Had she ever seen anything non-magical stop one of their weapons? No. No, she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Very strange,¡± El restated.


    ¡°We need to report this to the sergeant,¡± Nite said, and doused his sword.


    ¡°What about Laxiv?¡± El asked.


    ¡°The sergeant will figure something out. Come on,¡± Nite said, jogged out of the building, and ignited his wings.


    El put her hand on the ice, somehow cold even through the flame armor. Or was that her imagination? ¡°Be back soon,¡± she told the woman frozen inside. Could Laxiv hear her? Was the woman even still alive?


    More importantly, what in the Pyre¡¯s name was going on? El didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, so she stepped out of the building, dread settling comfortably in her gut again, ignited her wings, and followed Nite back to the others.

 Spark of War - Chapter 9 – The Purge

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure it was Laxiv in there?¡± Sergeant Esis asked Nite as El landed beside them.


    Faled and Laze gave El questioning looks, but she only had time to quickly nod in response before Nite answered.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°So, this big hunk of ice, with Laxiv inside, is what punched straight through this building,¡± Esis thumbed over her shoulder, ¡°and into the next?¡±


    ¡°Seems that way.¡±


    ¡°What could do this?¡± Esis asked, and Nite could only shrug in return.


    ¡°Sergeant,¡± Rodrick called down from where he perched on the edge of the building above. A lookout? ¡°There¡¯s something or somebody inside the storm. Might be Oril. Might not be.¡±


    Sergeant Esis looked up at Rodrick, then down at the ground, her mind obviously running through their options.


    ¡°Faled,¡± she said. ¡°Your wing has two duties. First, you¡¯re on artillery duty. I want you backing us up, no matter what comes out of that storm.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Faled said with a salute.


    ¡°And,¡± Esis said, before Faled could issue orders to his wing. ¡°More importantly, second, it¡¯s up to you to make sure this information gets back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. This storm is bigger than us. The capital needs to know, if it comes to that. This is the priority. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Faled said, with a second sharp salute.


    ¡°Boomers,¡± Esis called to her wing. ¡°Form up. Let¡¯s go introduce ourselves,¡± Esis shouted and leapt into the air, her wings igniting five feet up and carrying her over the edge of the building while her troops fell into tight formation behind her. So, they could line up properly!


    El breathed just a little easier.


    ¡°Find cover, bows only, we¡¯re supporting from the rear,¡± Faled ordered. ¡°El, stay back with me a second,¡± he said while the others shared a nervous look. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Faled, what Esis said¡­¡± Nidina started.


    ¡°Are our orders,¡± Faled interrupted. ¡°This is what we trained for. Now, go,¡± he said, his tone clearly stating the conversation was over.


    Nidina and the others saluted and rushed off to find cover.


    ¡°What did you want, Faled?¡± El asked, though the answer was obvious.


    ¡°You¡¯re the fastest, and you¡¯ve seen the most. It¡¯s up to you to get this intel back to the capital if things go poorly,¡± Faled said, and turned to go as if that was the end of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m also best fighter here,¡± El shot back. ¡°You can¡¯t just ask me to leave you all if I can save you.¡±


    ¡°El,¡± Faled said. ¡°You feel it, don¡¯t you? Like Esis said, this storm¡­ there¡¯s something bigger than us going on here. If you think you alone can make the difference, then I trust your judgement. But,¡± he said and met her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t really think that, then I need you to follow my orders.


    ¡°Until then, find a position you can see everything,¡± he said, and drew an electrum focus from his belt.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± El said.


    Faled nodded, then turned and jogged off.


    One part of El was furious with Faled for giving her that order. Another part of her was relieved. The third and biggest part of her was ashamed of the relief. What was all training for if she abandoned her friends when they needed her most?


    Esis¡¯s words to Oril bounced around inside El¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Saving your family isn¡¯t our mission. Our mission is, and always has been, the safety of Pycrin.¡±


    It was the same thing. National security over the lives of her friends. Could she do it?


    El shook her head¡ªmaybe she wouldn¡¯t have to choose¡ªand jumped into the air, flaring her wings just enough to lift her over the edge of the three-story building beside her. She lifted the electrum focus from her belt and ignited her bow to life, then jogged over to the edge of the building closest to the storm, the same place Oril had been pacing.


    Arrayed in front of her, Esis¡¯s unit formed up, like some kind of eye facing the storm head-on. Seven curved in the air, six curved on the ground, with Esis, the iris, hovering right in the middle, her sword and wings burning as bright as the sun.


    So far, nothing had come out of the falling snow. Was Rodrick seeing things? Maybe the way the snow fell made him think he¡­ no¡­ what was that? A silhouette moved a few feet inside the storm wall, and it was coming closer.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    El¡¯s fingers tightened around the electrum focus in her left hand while she pulled back gently on the fiery bowstring, willing an arrow into existence. Whoever or whatever that was inside the storm, they were in for a world of hurt if they thought they could take on the Firestorm.


    Heartbeat by racing heartbeat, the silhouette resolved into two stocky legs, two thick arms, and a horned head atop spiked shoulders. Some kind of demon? No, another step, and the silhouette stepped out of the storm; a man in heavy, archaic plate armor of a blue so dark it was almost black. Snow dusted his shoulders and frost rimed his joints, the ice crystals cracking and reforming with every step he took.


    Over his right shoulder extended the two-foot hilt of a sword so large its twelve-inch-wide blade almost dragged on the ground behind him. The heavy helm hid his face, and even his eyes were lost to the darkness beyond his visor.


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± Esis called out cheerfully. ¡°That¡¯s quite a storm you came out of. Care to tell us a bit about it?¡±


    In answer, the armored figure woodenly extended his left arm, fist clenched, until he held it horizontal to the ground. With a sound like long-frozen ice over a lake cracking, he opened his fingers, and a piece of black leather fell to the ground.


    Black leather, just like the material used to make the Firestorm uniforms.


    ¡°Mirel! Halling!¡± Esis shouted. ¡°Take him.¡±


    Two Boomers, top left and bottom right of the eye, lunged out of formation, wings and weapons burning bright, and closed on the slow-moving hunk of metal.


    No mercy, blades flashed as they arced in from opposite sides, one straight for the armored neck, the other for his waist. No suit of armor could stop those weapons.


    Then again, ice shouldn¡¯t have been able to either.


    In the time it took El to blink, the knight¡¯s hands snapped up, his left catching the blade aimed for his neck while his right snagged the other. He stood otherwise unmoving, flames roiling between his fingers and along the weapons held still in the air.


    Mirel and Halling, eyes wide in surprise their weapons had actually been stopped, strained to drive their blades forward. Blades that should have carved clean through armored gauntlets and the man beyond. Instead, it was like the three were all part of some elaborate statue, frozen while the others watched.


    ¡°Rrraaaaah,¡± Mirel grunted, his blade flaring as he poured power into it. Halling quickly followed suit, and suddenly both weapons raged like living things, snapping and whipping.


    And yet, the armored knight didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°Sergeant¡­¡± Mirel gasped, and dropped to his knees, weapon still held by the knight.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Halling wheezed, and shifted like he was trying to pull his sword away.


    They weren¡¯t flaring their power; the knight was somehow pulling it out. Why didn¡¯t they let go?


    The knight flexed his fingers, and the roaring flames of the fiery weapons froze in an instant, like long, sinuous ice serpents. A twist of his wrists, and the knight snapped the blades in half, then one, two, in quick succession, drove the broken shards straight into the chests of Mirel and Halling.


    Their flame armor did nothing to stop the blows, and both fell back as ice crystals spread from the spikes and quickly wrapped around their bodies, growing and growing until each was encased in a large block of ice.


    Just like Laxiv.


    ¡°Archers!¡± Esis lifted her sword into the air, then swiped it down.


    Long hours of training pushed its way passed her shocked brain, and El drew her arm back and let loose her arrow. It bolted straight and true to strike the knight square in the center of his chest.


    The moment the flames touched his armor, the entire fiery arrow turned to ice. Its power and momentum stolen, the ice arrow fell to the ground and shattered. A dozen more arrows hit in quick succession, and the outcome for each was exactly the same.


    Their flames weren¡¯t working? That wasn¡¯t possible¡­


    ¡°Boomers, engage!¡± Esis shouted and rocketed forward, the remaining members of her unit only a breath behind. Not a single one had hesitated.


    Sergeant Esis reached the knight first, and once again, he moved suddenly and unbelievably fast. But Esis was ready as the armored fist swung for her, her shield perfectly in place to block the blow.


    The punch hit her like a fifty-ton battering ram, swatting her out of the air like a bug and sending her bouncing along the ground until she finally collided with, and went through, a building thirty feet away.


    ¡°Evasive maneuvers,¡± Nite shouted, flying wide and slashing at the knight¡¯s shoulder as he passed. His strike landed true, sparks flying at the impact, but didn¡¯t even leave a scratch. Unfortunately for Nite, he wasn¡¯t quite evasive enough, and an armored gauntlet caught his ankle as he tried to complete his flyby.


    The knight halted Nite¡¯s forward momentum so suddenly it was like the flaming wings kept trying to go forward while his body got yanked in the opposite direction. With a turn of his waist, the knight brought Nite up and over, slamming the man down into the ground hard enough to crater the pavement.


    Without the protection of his flame armor, Nite would have been pulped. As it was, the stone melted from the kinetic conversion of the armor, the physical force turned to heat, and Nite coughed blood into the air from where he lay on his back.


    ¡°Die!¡± Rodrick whipped his blade in a two-handed overhead chop down the back of the knight. The blade ran down the knight¡¯s helm and back, then into the ground between his feet.


    Without missing a beat, the knight spun, Nite still in his grasp, and swung the second-in-command like a mace. The two fleshy bodies shrouded in flame armor met with enough force the sound of breaking bones echoed through the city, too much even for the kinetic conversion to absorb. Rodrick hit the ground ten feet away, one hand on his ribs as he groaned in pain and struggled to his feet.


    Nite, on the other hand, hung limply from the knight¡¯s hand, and the cold, eyeless helm turned his way. Crystals of frost crawled from the gauntlet, down Nite¡¯s leg, and quickly across his body. Within seconds, Nite was fully encased in a thick block of ice.


    ¡°Fire at will!¡± Faled yelled at his unit, each and every one of them frozen by the blatant one-sided violence of the battle. El¡¯s arrow was the first streaking through the air. The first to slap into the knight¡¯s armored helm.


    The first to do absolutely nothing to him.


    Arrows of flame, each strong enough to level a building, rained down on the knight, but they might as well have been insects for how much attention he paid them.


    Instead, his right gauntlet reached up over his shoulder, fingers wrapping around the long, frost-covered hilt while arrow after arrow fell frozen to the ground.


    A sudden wave of cold burst from the knight as he pulled the weapon from his back. Arrows within thirty feet fell from the air, frozen long before they reached him. The unfortunate, nearby Firestorm found a layer of frost coating their flame armor and crackling on their wings, which struggled to hold them aloft.


    The massive sword, at least six feet long and a foot wide, was serrated along both sides, and looked to be made of some kind of dark metal, though the entire thing was sheathed in a thick coat of ice. It had to weigh hundreds of pounds, even without the ice, and the knight lifted it above his head with one hand like it was a thin reed.


    ¡°Purge them,¡± the knight said, his voice like the heart of a driving winter long banished from the land.


    He brought his massive weapon down horizontal to the ground, and the storm wall all around him burst outward, a rushing army of massive, bipedal lizards pouring forth.

 Spark of War - Chapter 10 – Overwhelming

    This can¡¯t be happening, the childish, terrified part of El¡¯s mind screamed at her. Something¡¯s wrong with the lizards, her disciplined mind screamed right back. Focus on that!


    Dozens, then hundreds of the scaled beasts charged out of the winter storm, their long legs devouring the distance as they rushed past the knight. Spears, more akin to ballista bolts than anything else, filled the sky as the rear line halted and threw.


    The front line, meanwhile, leapt into the air, massive axes and clubs swinging at the dodging Firestorm.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± Faled shouted, too late.


    El threw herself backward as two lizards landed on the roof, their huge weapons punching a hole through the stone right where she¡¯d been standing.


    She rolled to her feet, replacing her electrum bow focus with her sword hilt in one quick motion and dropped into The Fire Burns Low with her shield ignited in front of her.


    The two lizards pulled their weapons from the hole in the building and slowly spread around her, obviously thinking they had her at a disadvantage without her wings.


    But it wasn¡¯t a disadvantage that kept her from flashing into the sky and getting the burning Blaze out of there. No, it was the lizards¡¯ blue appearance.


    The height was right, for they towered over her, at least eight feet tall, but what should¡¯ve been hulking, muscular, and red, was instead thin, wiry, and blue. Long, narrow scales, like sapphires, rippled over corded muscles, a sinuous tail weaved behind each for balance, and sharp teeth glinted in their long snouts. Eyes set on the side of their heads blinked as they shifted to keep her in the center of their view.


    ¡°Last chance to surrender,¡± El said, shifting into The Setting Sunrise to keep her shield toward one opponent and her sword toward the other.


    ¡°The Stormbearer has come. No surrender. No mercy,¡± the lizard on her right spoke with frightening clarity.


    Since when did the newts speak her language? Were these really the same lizards she¡¯d read about?


    El didn¡¯t have a chance to answer those questions, the lizard on her left charging in with a powerful downward smash of its hammer. She caught the blow with her shield, but it still hit hard enough to crack the roof under her feet from the force of it. El spun to the side, rolling out from under the hammer, flared her wings and leapt up into a tight roll, the second lizard¡¯s axe swiping across where she¡¯d been standing. A second¡¯s hesitation, or without the lift of her wings, and she would¡¯ve lost her legs at the knees.


    But when it came to combat, she didn¡¯t hesitate. If anything, it brought her the calm focus she¡¯d been struggling to find since the knight first appeared.


    The moment her feet touched down, El lunged at the two surprised lizards. The first brought his axe up defensively, but El scored a trio of thrusted hits with Sea of Snakes and Flames to his shoulder, chest and gut. As he staggered back, blue blood blossoming from the wounds, El stepped in and rolled to her right, flaring her wings as she went. Her body spun like a top as she suddenly bounded into the air like some kind of flaming cyclone. Her first rotation knocked the lizard¡¯s hammer aside with her shield while her second brought the blade of her flaming sword across its scaled throat.


    El let the momentum of her maneuver carry her out of reach of the lizards¡¯ long arms, and even longer weapons, and she touched down on the far end of the roof. Turning, she froze when she caught sight of her opponents.


    Gruesome as it was, that spinning attack of hers should¡¯ve decapitated the second lizard. Instead, it was still standing, one hand holding its throat as blood squirted through its fingers. And the other, at least one of the thrusts should¡¯ve been fatal. In practice, when she¡¯d stabbed things with her sword, it¡¯d left a hole big enough to shove her arm through, the magic of the weapon incinerating everything around it.


    Was something wrong with her sword? She glanced down at her blade. Yup, definitely something wrong.


    Thick ice coated the edge of the blade and a good foot of the tip. The same spots she¡¯d used to injure the lizards. To draw their blood.


    No, these were not the same lizards she¡¯d read about.


    El snapped her wrist, flicking her blade against the lip of the roof and shattering the ice coating it, and gave a silent thanks the flames beneath looked no weaker.


    The lizard on her right gave a gurgling growl and stepped forward, its hammer in one hand, the other on its throat, struggling to keep its life-blood in. The wound had to be lethal, but it was going to try to take her down first.


    The axe lizard was even less patient, springing forward, his large weapon swiping across as he hurtled toward her.


    El dropped into a crouch and flared her wings, launching herself forward and directly under the flying lizard. It sailed over her, and the edge of the roof, unable to alter its flight while El lashed out at other lizard¡¯s legs from the blind spot afforded by its companion.


    The lizard didn¡¯t even see her coming, but again, where her blade should have cleaved right through the lizard¡¯s legs, it barely parted the sapphire-blue scales and scored the bone. The unexpected resistance caught El¡¯s arm and sent her rolling and bouncing along the rooftop while the lizard toppled forward.


    A quick burst from El¡¯s wings brought her back under control, and saved her the same fate as the first lizard, and she hurtled back at her fallen opponent just as it rolled onto its back. Blood pooled on the roof around its neck and legs, and El kicked aside its hammer before straddling its narrow chest and bringing the tip of her blade down on the center of its forehead.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Since you speak my language, you¡¯re going to answer some questions for me,¡± El told it, and gently pressed her sword forward, the tip sizzling and smoking against the lizard¡¯s scales. If it felt any pain, it didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°No answers. No surrender. No mercy,¡± the lizard said and swiped its clawed hand at El¡¯s face. Well, tried to swipe, the quick thrust of El¡¯s blade through its skull ending the attack before it even really started.


    When she pulled the blade free, ice clung to the flames and fell to the roof as she doused the weapon. Just to test, she reignited her blade, and it was thankfully free of the impossibly clinging ice.


    A shudder of post-combat nerves wracked El¡¯s body, and she wrapped the fingers of her left hand around her right. That was the first time she¡¯d killed anybody in combat. Sorties were one thing, more a game than actual combat, but the body literally at her feet was an entirely different matter. The dead inhuman eye on the side of the lizard¡¯s head stared at her with an otherworldly blame, the hole in its head still lightly smoking from where she¡¯d stabbed it. Blue blood pooled at her feet, sticking to her soles as she stepped to the side and vomited.


    At least the flame armor didn¡¯t keep that in, and she quickly stood up straight again. Getting stabbed in the back while she barfed was not how she wanted to go. With that thought, the sounds of combat filtered back to her ears, earlier lost to the focus of her own life-and-death struggle.


    Firestorm blazed through the air between the building she stood on and the winter wall fifty feet away. The ground crawled with lizards, shoulder to shoulder and so thick the flaming arrows raining down couldn¡¯t miss if they tried. Like her sword, however, the arrows weren¡¯t nearly as fatal as they should¡¯ve been.


    Where a single flaming arrow should¡¯ve punched through a scaled body and left a crater behind, they inflicted barely more than flesh wounds. The lizards¡¯ spears, on the other hand, looked to be tipped with jagged icicles, and the Firestorm were doing everything they could to avoid the projectiles. Why? What could a spear do against their flame armor?


    El¡¯s eyes raked across the battlefield for signs of the answer, and she found it with a pair of Firestorm pinned to a wall down the street. The hafts of the spears extended well past the thick block of ice completely encasing the men or women and firmly securing them to the high wall.


    ¡°El! What are you still doing here?¡± Faled yelled and landed beside her, red blood running freely down his left arm. The sleeve of his coat was completely missing, and four nasty, symmetrical gashes had torn up his bicep. Claw marks? Is that what would¡¯ve happened to her face if she hadn¡¯t been fast enough?


    The flame armor couldn¡¯t protect them. This was all too much. Too real. Was this really what she¡¯d been looking forward to?


    ¡°Corporal.¡± Faled¡¯s voice took on a hard edge.


    ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± El said, snapping a salute to get her body moving.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Got attacked.¡± She pointed at the lizard¡¯s body.


    ¡°Yes, but why are you still here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You have orders. Now follow them before I¡­¡± Faled¡¯s eyes widened, then he reached out and shoved her to the side just before a cone of frost washed over him.


    Even through her flame armor, the chill nipped at El, and when it passed, Faled was covered head to toe, the ice crystals growing and spreading until he was entombed.


    ¡°NO!¡± El shouted uselessly, then spun toward the source of the attack. A lizard, one with holes in its shoulder, chest, and gut, pulled itself up and over the edge of the building, a misty liquid dripping from its teeth and lips. It was the same one she¡¯d fought. That she hadn¡¯t finished off. And Faled had paid the price.


    But, what had it done? The lizards were supposed to be able to breathe fire, but that was not fire. Were they breathing cold now?


    The lizard stood to its full height, blood still running down its chest from where she¡¯d stabbed it, and flexed its claws. Would it try the same thing it¡¯d done to Faled?


    Not if she had anything to say about it!


    El leaned forward and flared her wings to the maximum, the extreme jet of flame blowing the edge of the roof off behind her and hurling her up at an angle like a comet. Twenty feet up, fighting against the inertia of her leap, she twisted in the air and flared her wings again, abruptly shooting her back down at a sixty-degree angle.


    The lizard spun to follow her with its eyes, but she flared her wings a third time, just as she dipped below the level of the roof and flipped in the air. The flames of El¡¯s bursts carved a ¡°4¡± in the air as she gripped her sword in both hands and cut straight for the turning lizard.


    Bracing the sword instead of swinging it, the sheer force of El¡¯s flight tore the blade across and through the lizard¡¯s waist as she rocketed past. Blue blood trailed behind her, but El ignited her wings and not a drop of it touched her. She climbed and climbed, five hundred feet in the air, until she was well out of range of the lizards¡¯ spears, and took in the battle below.


    Faled was frozen to the roof she¡¯d just left, and there wasn¡¯t anything she could do for him. At least seven other Firestorm had been encased in blocks of ice, though it was impossible to tell who. Lizards continued to swarm out of the storm, there had to be thousands of them, and the remaining Firestorm El could see had taken up a defensive formation down one of the wide streets.


    Why weren¡¯t the trying to fly up, like she had?


    If any of the enemy army looked up, her wings would stand out against the clear sky, but so far none of them had.


    There! Lizards sprinted across rooftops, hurling spears at any flames that got too high, pinning the Firestorm down and keeping them contained. But, without Esis, Nite, or Faled, who was giving orders? El needed to get back down there to¡­ wait, who was that at the front.


    A trio of lizards charged at the front line of Firestorm and a single soldier flared their wings out to meet them. Sword in one hand, the other arm hanging loosely like a wet noodle, the soldier dodged, cut, spun, and killed the three lizards before they got another two steps. Like it was just another day at the office, the Firestorm solider jetted back to the safety of her comrades.


    Esis was still alive. Both sides were at a standoff, but as long as Esis was alive, there was a chance.


    ¡°Enough,¡± a voice echoed, a weight to it that nearly pulled El back down to the ground.


    The waves of endless lizards parted as the knight stepped forward, the massive sword grinding on the stone street as he dragged it behind him.


    ¡°Oh? Finally going to give up?¡± Esis shouted at him, the dozen Firestorm behind her drawing back their bows, but holding their fire.


    The knight didn¡¯t reply, again lifting his weapon in the air above his head.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± Esis shouted.


    Another order to charge?


    No, something this time was different. The knight brought his other hand up to grasp the sword¡¯s hilt, then slid his left foot forward.


    ¡°Begone,¡± the voice called, and the knight brought the sword down in the powerful swing.


    A thunderous crack echoed off the buildings as the ground shattered and razor-sharp spikes of ice burst forward like a raging bull.


    El¡¯s breath caught as the ice raced down the street, more and more spikes growing and reaching for the Firestorm as they tried to dodge. Icicles grew from each other at impossible angles, never ceasing, filling the wide street with an impassible thicket.


    Esis was the first to take a spear through the chest as she tried to weave around the main column, but she didn¡¯t even have time to scream before she was fully encased in an icy shell.


    The others tried to run. Some tried to fly up, to join El in the sky, but the lances of ice were just too fast, catching them before they got more than fifty feet. Still others thought to dodge inside or behind buildings, but the ever-growing battering ram of icy spikes tore through the stone buildings like paper.


    One by one, all were caught, and just like that, eighteen frozen Firestorm hung impaled on the frozen barbs.

 Spark of War - Chapter 11 – In Charge

    They¡¯d¡­ lost. No, lost wasn¡¯t a strong enough word for what¡¯d just happened. They¡¯d gotten obliterated. When was the last time the Firestorm had been on the losing end of a battle? A few stalemate¡¯s with Guld, sure, but an outright loss?


    El shook her head and gazed down at the army crawling below her. They hadn¡¯t stilled after the knight¡¯s display of power, and instead spread through the ruins of the old city. Why? What were they looking for?


    Of course! El did a quick count of the icy tombs below her. There were other Firestorm survivors besides her. But with all the lizards on the roofs watching for flaming wings, they had to be hiding. Safe as she was high above, she needed to do something to give them an opportunity to escape. A distraction? Yes, but¡­ something that wouldn¡¯t put her at risk. Faled had been right about one thing; she needed to get this intel back to the capital.


    El¡¯s eyes fell on the knight standing below her, barely moving as the scaled army spread and spread, still more rushing from within the winter wall. He had to be the leader. Could she do more than just cause a distraction? Their flames hadn¡¯t done anything to him before, but maybe that was because they just weren¡¯t strong enough.


    Switching electrum foci, El brought her bow to bear again, pulling back on the flaming string and willed an arrow into existence. Aiming straight down at the knight, El hung in the air, her wings spread wide, and the flaming arrow growing in intensity with every passing second.


    She poured her power into it, and larger and larger it grew, from an arrow to a spear, to a ballista bolt, to an angry, flaming spike the size of one of the lizards. It practically roared in her ears, a tamed tornado waiting to be unleashed, engulfing her entire arm and shoulder, and mingling with the flames of her wing.


    The power she forced into the ¡°arrow¡± was exhausting, but she felt no heat. It wasn¡¯t even warm, thanks to the Spark in her chest. The knight wouldn¡¯t be able to say the same.


    Hopefully.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see you try and freeze this,¡± El forced between clenched teeth, and let the arrow fly.


    It practically leapt out of her hands, the force of its release kicking her fifteen feet further up into the air, and howled as it rocketed down.


    Picking up speed as it went, the flaming missile hit the ground barely two seconds after El let it go; just enough time for the knight to notice the sound and tilt his head back to look up.


    The flames washed over him with a deafening BOOM, and a blazing sphere erupted outward from the epicenter, engulfing nearby lizards and turning them to ash as it expanded. Like a second sun had made its home in the small town, it incinerated everything within its circumference.


    Ten feet.


    Twenty feet.


    Thirty feet.


    Forty feet.


    And then it stopped just as suddenly as it began, the searing glow replaced by the cool chill of a giant globe of ice.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± El breathed, the bow in her hand dissipating from fatigue. Her wings barely held her aloft, and the primal part of her brain told her she needed to get out of there while she still could. But she couldn¡¯t just leave. She had to see if the knight had survived that.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    A single echoing crack, and fractures raced all along the surface of the icy globe, flakes falling to the ground as the lizards backed away. The fissures spread and snaked further and further, until with a great sigh, the sphere split into five giant shards and fell away, the knight standing at the center.


    He¡¯d not only survived; he looked completely unharmed.


    And he definitely saw her.


    The knight raised his left hand above his head, fingers spread and palm up. A brief, blue glow, and suddenly a spear of ice shot straight at El.


    Still too drained from her own attack, El¡¯s body didn¡¯t respond quickly enough to the spear aimed straight her for her heart. She¡¯d never be able to avoid it.


    ¡°Corporal!¡± a voice said at the same time something slammed into her.


    El grunted from the impact, but she didn¡¯t feel any pain. Was she dead so quickly she didn¡¯t feel anything? Wait, if she was dead, how was she wondering if she was dead?


    She opened eyes she didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d closed and found Dayne¡¯s strong arms wrapped around her, and terrain whipping by below. The streets swarming with lizards quickly gave way to the deserted city they¡¯d first found. Then, just like that, the buildings were gone, replaced by open fields and a large forest to the east.


    ¡°¡­okay there, Corporal?¡± a voice, Nidina¡¯s voice, said in her ear. Their communications were working again!


    ¡°El, say something, El!¡± Laze¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you kill her Dayne? You better not have killed her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± El said weakly, thought maybe fine wasn¡¯t the best way to describe how she felt.


    ¡°Can you fly?¡± Dayne asked her.


    She met his eyes and gave a small nod.


    He carefully let her go without slowing, and El let her momentum carry her until they were far enough apart she could ignite her wings without bathing him in flame. Sure, it wouldn¡¯t hurt him, but it was the courteous thing to do.


    Why was she worried about being courteous after what had just happened?


    ¡°I heard Laze and Nidina, and of course Dayne,¡± El said and looked left and right, finding the three of them in formation with her. ¡°Who else have we got?¡±


    No reply.


    El rolled in the air, searching for somebody, anybody, else who¡¯d survived.


    ¡°Just us,¡± Laze said. ¡°A couple from Esis¡¯s unit shoved us under cover when things went sideways. Told us to hunker down and wait for an opening to escape. They drew the lizards and¡­ that thing in the armor¡­ away from us. Still, with so many around, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have a chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you did hit him with a star,¡± Nidina said, her voice husky. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what it looked like. Like you pulled a star out of the sky and dropped it on him.¡±


    ¡°Teth?¡± El asked, though she should know the answer.


    ¡°He took a spear for me,¡± Nidina choked out the words. ¡°Didn¡¯t even see it coming, and he just shoved me out of the way. Hit him square in the chest,¡± Nidina tapped the center of her jacket. ¡°Pinned him to the wall like some kind of bug, then encased him in a block of ice. Gone. Just like that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have a chance to say goodbye. Or thank you¡­¡± Nidina¡¯s voice broke into a heartbreaking sob. ¡°Stupid, rhyming bastard,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Faled¡­ Faled saved me the same way,¡± El told them. ¡°They were good soldiers, good people, both of them.¡±


    ¡°That means you¡¯re in charge,¡± Dayne pointed out.


    Great.


    ¡°What do we do, El?¡± Laze asked her. ¡°Do we go back for them? For Faled and Teth?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± El said too quickly. ¡°Look, maybe I¡¯m scared, and this is just an excuse, but we need to get what just happened back to the capital. We need to warn them. If that army reaches Balacin, well, I¡¯m sure you can imagine. Our Spark, our flames, weren¡¯t enough. We need a better plan.


    ¡°Any objections?¡± El asked and looked at the three remaining members of her wing. Her three remaining friends. Burn it, how¡¯d it come to this?


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°No objections here,¡± Laze added.


    ¡°Nidina?¡± El asked when the woman didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°They need to pay for what they did to my brother,¡± she said. ¡°But we can¡¯t do that on our own. So, no, no objections from me. But I¡¯ll be on the front line when we hit them back. You got that?¡±


    El opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t speak. How would she feel if she¡¯d lost Nexin like that? ¡°And I¡¯ll be right there with you,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°So, straight back home?¡± Laze asked.


    El scanned their surroundings, even going so far as to flip around so she was flying backward to look at Helibak. The city wasn¡¯t even a dot on the horizon anymore, they¡¯d flown so far.


    ¡°Let¡¯s land for a few minutes,¡± El said. ¡°Get some food, something to drink, a little rest, then burn the rest of the daylight in the air.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 12 – Real Soldiers

    ¡°So,¡± Laze said, a packaged ration in one hand. ¡°Somebody want to explain what in the burning Blaze just happened?¡±


    El looked at her own ration, one of the few they all carried in the tight packs they wore on the small of their backs. The rations somehow fed off the Sparks in their chests, a single bar providing enough sustenance for days at a time. Sustain them, sure, but it didn¡¯t offer the same comfort as a warm meal.


    ¡°We got our asses kicked,¡± Dayne said plainly, and popped the last mouthful of ration between his lips.


    ¡°Were those newts?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°They sure didn¡¯t look like any newts I read about.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the storm changed them?¡± Laze said. ¡°I saw one of them breathing some kind of¡­ ice breath¡­ or something.¡±


    ¡°You think the storm did that?¡± Nidina asked back.


    ¡°The Stormbearer,¡± El corrected. When the others gave her a questioning look, she took the ration away from her mouth. Talking with her mouth full would just get crumbs on everything. ¡°It¡¯s something one of the lizards said. ¡®The Stormbearer has come,¡¯¡± she said in her best lizard voice. ¡°Then something about no surrender and no mercy.¡±


    ¡°That thing in the armor, was it a person? A lizard? Was that the Stormbearer then?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Too small for a lizard,¡± Dayne said. ¡°Has to be a person.¡±


    ¡°Could be a small newt?¡± Laze offered with a shrug.


    ¡°No tail.¡±


    ¡°Using it as a belt?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it was,¡± El interrupted. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to assume it¡¯s the Stormbearer. And that it¡¯s the leader of that army.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said a lizard told you this? I thought they didn¡¯t speak our language?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°This one sure did.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what we signed up for,¡± Nidina vented. ¡°We were told we were coming down here to hunt newts. Something our weapons could kill. That our armor could protect us from. Not¡­ that¡­¡±


    ¡°Our weapons can kill them,¡± El said. ¡°Just not easily.¡±


    ¡°Nidina has a point,¡± Dayne said. ¡°We got bad intel. Very bad.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of intel, did anybody see Oril after he flew off into the storm?¡± El asked.


    ¡°What are you thinking, El?¡± Laze asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s awfully convenient¡­¡±


    ¡°Guys,¡± Nidina interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ve got incoming.¡±


    Everybody was on their feet in an instant.


    ¡°Where?¡± El asked.


    ¡°There,¡± Nidina said, pointing toward the sky, not the horizon.


    El followed the gesture and quickly picked out the pair of flaming wings racing toward them. Wings meant Firestorm, not lizards. Another survivor!


    Igniting her wings, El gently lifted a few feet off the ground. ¡°Over here,¡± she said into the magic of her flame armor.


    The flaming wings angled in her direction, and a voice crackled over her communicator. ¡°Ugh, I should¡¯ve known,¡± it said.


    Oril.


    ¡°Awfully convenient, indeed,¡± Laze said without the magic, for their ears only.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    El nodded at her friend and dropped back to the ground as Oril landed in front of them, his face a mask of fury, and white snow powdering his wings and uniform.


    Why wasn¡¯t the snow melted?


    ¡°Burn it, what are you doing back here? Where are the others?¡± Oril demanded.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± El asked, instead of answering his questions.


    ¡°Got lost in the storm,¡± he half turned, but stopped when he noticed the snow on his wings. Without a word, his wings vanished, and the snow dropped unceremoniously to the ground. ¡°What about you?¡±


    El crossed her arms and stared at the man in front of her. It was his story that brought them to Helibak in the first place, and just when he vanished, that knight and an army of lizards showed up. Was there a connection?


    ¡°What did you see in the city when you got out of the storm?¡± she asked.


    ¡°See? Nothing. I was a couple miles east of Helibak when I finally got out of the snow, and I noticed your flames landing over here. So, I came to find out why you were going in the wrong direction,¡± Oril snapped back.


    ¡°Took you a long time to catch up to us,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Dayne¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been on the ground for a few minutes,¡± El said.


    Oril glanced at the snow sitting on the ground. The snow that still hadn¡¯t melted, despite riding all the way there on flaming wings and then sitting in a patch of sunlight on a warm day.


    ¡°The snow¡­ dampens our magic. It was heavy on my wings. It¡¯s why I left the storm at all, instead of trying to find my way home. I was worried that if I stayed in the storm much longer, my wings would completely fail on me,¡± Oril explained.


    ¡°Not only is the storm invisible unless you¡¯re right next to it, but it also weakens our magic?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°I think we can assume it¡¯s also responsible for blocking our communications,¡± El added.


    ¡°How could a storm do that?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s an attack, or an invasion, and we¡¯re the target,¡± El said. ¡°Think about it, the storm is negating all our greatest strengths. The weapons that made Pycrin¡¯s expansion in the pursuit of collecting all the Embers possible, us, the Firestorm, are practically useless. Add in the army of blue newts and that knight¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Blue newts? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Oril asked.


    ¡°You asked what we were doing back here,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯re here because everybody else is dead. Wiped out by an army hiding within the storm. An army of blue lizards, led by something they call the Stormbearer.¡±


    ¡°And this is why I wanted real soldiers to come with me,¡± Oril spat. ¡°Not you useless lot.¡±


    ¡°You think you would¡¯ve done any better?¡± Nidina asked and stepped right up in front of Oril, her nose a hair¡¯s breadth from his. ¡°Huh, is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be joining your useless friends if you don¡¯t back up,¡± Oril hissed, not backing down.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± both of you, El said evenly.


    ¡°Not until he apologizes for what he said,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take orders from you,¡± Oril said at the same time.


    El sighed and shook her head. ¡°Either one of you takes this even an inch further and you will find my boot so far up your ass you¡¯ll think the Pyre made it his new summer vacation spot.¡±


    Nidina visibly gulped. She¡¯d seen El spar, and been on the receiving end of a few of those bouts. Good.


    Oril, on the other hand, glanced her way, obviously trying to figure out if she was bluffing. If he could beat Nexin even one time out of ten, did she have a chance against him if it came to a fight?


    Burn it, fighting between themselves was the wrong thing to do, and here she was throwing fuel on the fire with her threats. Why was violence always the answer?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± El said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have threatened you. Look, the lizards, and that Stormbearer, are the enemy. We can¡¯t lose sight of that. Nidina, I¡¯m asking you, nicely. Please.¡±


    Nidina ground her teeth and flared her nostrils as she stared Oril down, but she took a step back and nodded at El.


    ¡°As for you,¡± El said to Oril. ¡°You¡¯re right, you don¡¯t have to take orders from me. You obviously ignored Esis¡¯s orders. But, we¡¯re going back to Balacin to warn them about what happened. You can come, or not. Your choice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the highest rank here,¡± Oril said. ¡°We¡¯re not far from Salid. That¡¯s where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re the same rank,¡± El pointed out.


    ¡°And she¡¯s our commanding officer now, not you,¡± Laze added. ¡°So, we¡¯ll be following her.¡±


    ¡°Useless, and cowards to boot. Have the Firestorm standards dropped so low?¡± Oril asked.


    ¡°Says the deserter,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Was it ¡¯cause you didn¡¯t want to take orders? Or just because you couldn¡¯t cut it?¡±


    Oril snapped his hand out to the side, his flaming saber igniting. ¡°That¡¯s it, I am going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Do nothing,¡± El shouted, and ignited her wings, their sudden appearance accentuating her words. ¡°I told you, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    She gently rose a foot off the ground and hovered there, waiting for the other three from her squad to follow. Their wings ignited two seconds later, and they rose into the air to join her.


    ¡°You coming?¡± El asked.


    ¡°The generals will hear about your cowardice,¡± Oril said, but didn¡¯t follow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to tell them myself,¡± El said, then launched into sky and turned north. Three sets of wings followed in her peripheral vision. Would sure make things easier if Oril stayed behind, but a fourth set of wings took to the sky and followed behind fifteen seconds later.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fly until just after dark,¡± El said just for the three members of her wing. ¡°But we¡¯ll set a watch in pairs for any dangers.¡±


    ¡°Newts or¡­?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Any dangers,¡± El reiterated.


    It was going to be a long trip back home.

 Spark of War - Chapter 13 – Price of Mercy

    Communication with the city began a day out from their arrival, the range limit on the communication magic. For the war effort, there would be a communication relay set up to send orders to the front line, or reports to headquarters. What El had seen though, she couldn¡¯t trust it to just anybody.


    ¡°Nexin is on his way out to meet us,¡± El told the other three. Oril still trailed behind, unwilling to be ¡°part of the group¡± in any way. He hadn¡¯t even camped with them the one night they¡¯d decided to stop, exhaustion finally overwhelming them.


    ¡°He believed you?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°If the story had come from anybody else, I don¡¯t think he would have,¡± El admitted. She¡¯d needed to swear on their mother¡¯s grave it was true, and Nexin knew better than anybody El wouldn¡¯t do that lightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s he think?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s arranging for us to talk to the generals tonight to report what we saw, and he¡¯s coming out here with his wing to escort us until then.¡±


    ¡°Nexin¡¯s wing is being deployed for this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so that should tell you how important he thinks this could be,¡± El said. An elite wing like Nexin¡¯s out to escort a couple rookies? That wasn¡¯t normal.


    ¡°Guess we won¡¯t be getting any sleep tonight,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°No, I suspect they¡¯re going to put us through the wringer to get as much information as they can,¡± El said.


    ¡°What should we tell them?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°The truth,¡± El said. ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oril doesn¡¯t seem to feel the same way. He¡¯s not going to be kind to us when he gives his report.¡±


    ¡°Let him say whatever he wants to. He wasn¡¯t actually there. Besides, what¡¯s important is making sure command knows how dangerous those lizards were,¡± El stated.


    ¡°And that Stormbearer or whatever he¡¯s called,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Him especially,¡± El agreed. ¡°Our weapons could hurt and kill the lizards, but he shrugged off my best shot like it was nothing.¡±


    Nobody had a response to the statement.


    They flew in silence for hours after that, El¡¯s thoughts replaying the battle over and over in her head. Could she have done anything different? Anything better? Definitely yes. She¡¯d hesitated. Underestimated her opponents. It was her fault Faled was gone. And now she was in charge of the wing.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    El looked to her right, at the three flying in formation beside her. Some wing. What would happen to them after they got back? Short eleven members, they weren¡¯t anywhere close to full strength. Would they get split up among other wings? Would they get filled out by other new recruits? Would El still be in command, or would she be held responsible for the loss of the rest of her wing?


    Too many questions, and no answers out there in the open sky.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Laze said for El¡¯s ears only. ¡°I can practically see you beating yourself up over it. Much more and you¡¯re going to bruise.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not all of it was my fault, not exactly at least, but I should¡¯ve done better. Nexin would¡¯ve done better,¡± El said.


    ¡°Did he ever tell you about his first actual combat?¡± Laze asked after a moment¡¯s silence.


    ¡°Nothing specific, why?¡±


    ¡°I asked him about it when he got back. You know, anything to talk to him. Anyway, he told me about a pair of Guldish soldiers he ran into.¡±


    ¡°Did Nexin actually lose a fight?¡± El asked. That couldn¡¯t be possible¡­ could it?


    ¡°Oh Pyre, no. Don¡¯t be silly. Nexin? Lose a fight? Hah!¡±


    Laze laughed so loud, El flinched at the volume of it.


    ¡°So¡­?¡± El asked when the laughter finally died down.


    ¡°No, he had no trouble beating them¡­ but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill them. Even though they were a sworn enemy, and would¡¯ve killed him in a heartbeat if the roles were reversed, he couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Nexin let them go?¡± El asked. That was almost as unbelievable.


    ¡°He might have, but his commander showed up. This was before he had his own wing, remember. Anyway, the commander started giving him an earful about it, telling him to kill the two soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did he follow orders?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t have a chance to. A golem showed up. Came straight through a building and hit the commander so hard it broke her arm and almost killed her.¡±


    ¡°A golem in close quarters? Pyre!¡± El whispered. Those things were more monster than war machine. They took entire wings to take down. ¡°What happened next.¡±


    ¡°Nexin destroyed the golem.¡±


    Of course he did.


    ¡°But,¡± Laze went on. ¡°He blamed himself for his commander¡¯s injury. If he hadn¡¯t hesitated, she wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the two soldiers?¡± El asked. ¡°Did Nexin kill them then?¡±


    ¡°Nah, the golem trampled them to death when it made its entrance.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But, I asked him about it again a few weeks back. If he hesitated anymore. You know what he told me?¡±


    ¡°No, so if you could get on with it¡­¡± El said playfully.


    ¡°He said he didn¡¯t like it, but on the battlefield, sometimes you only get the choice to save one life. Your friend¡¯s or your enemy¡¯s. He doesn¡¯t like killing, but he does it to protect his wing. Mercy would just be putting them in danger.


    ¡°Nexin made a mistake, like you think you did, but he learned from it. That¡¯s part of what makes him great, and what can make you great too. Mourn for our friends, they deserve that, and I know I¡¯m going to miss them. But, don¡¯t let the self-blame consume you, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± El said, the best she could offer at the moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for now,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Thanks, Laze.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, El. Put in a good word with your brother for me?¡± Laze said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have a chance to do that yourself. That¡¯s probably them there,¡± El said and pointed straight ahead, where fifteen sets of flaming wings raced straight toward El and the remnants of her tattered wing.


    ¡°Look alive, guys,¡± El said to the whole unit, Oril included. ¡°Our escort¡¯s here.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 14 – Not Brief Debrief

    El gave a stiff salute, turned, and exited the room. The moment she closed the door behind her, she slumped against the wall, exhaustion weighing on her like a physical thing. What time was it? She glanced out the window at the sun hanging low in the sky. Midmorning? They¡¯d basically interrogated her the entire night.


    She staggered a few steps down the hall, but quickly straightened when another door opened, and Laze stepped out. Her friend snapped a salute to those in the room before closing the door, then turned in El¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Never want to do that again,¡± Laze said in a harsh whisper, then looked at the door as if the people on the other side might¡¯ve heard her.


    ¡°Food?¡± El asked.


    ¡°For once I think I¡¯m hungrier than you are,¡± Laze said with a nod as El joined her, and they walked down the hall together.


    When they got to the cafeteria, they found Dayne at their usual table, the other chairs noticeably empty, and conversation at the nearby tables muted. Eyes turned in their direction, but nobody spoke to them.


    El stared at the table for long seconds, the faces of her friends forming at their usual seats. Teth and his stupid rhymes. Faled¡¯s rigid formality. Delena and Polk, who¡¯d secretly started dating despite the rules, and who thought nobody knew. How could anyone not notice the lovey-dovey eyes between them? Well, nobody would notice them anymore.


    Or Gulian and his constant¡­


    Laze¡¯s hand on El¡¯s shoulder chased away the ghosts for the moment.


    ¡°Nidina?¡± El asked Dayne after giving Laze a quick nod of appreciation.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen her,¡± the big man said and put his fork down beside his plate.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Laze asked.


    Dayne pointed at his half-eaten meal.


    El nodded. Dayne ate at a very specific pace. With a meal of that size¡­ ¡°Thirteen minutes?¡± El asked.


    Dayne nodded.


    ¡°That was¡­ oddly accurate,¡± Laze said. ¡°So, did you just finish too? You¡­ look better than I feel.¡±


    Laze was right. Dayne didn¡¯t have the same bags under his eyes that El felt, and his dark hair was neat and shiny.


    ¡°I finished around midnight. Got a few hours¡¯ sleep, took a shower, then came here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Midnight?!¡± Laze asked, scandalized. ¡°Why did they keep us so long?¡±


    ¡°Because Dayne is very good at getting to the point,¡± El answered for him.


    ¡°Still!¡±


    ¡°Laze, why don¡¯t you stay here with Dayne, I¡¯ll grab some food for us.¡±


    ¡°How do you know what I want?¡±


    ¡°Two eggs, over medium. Four pieces of bacon, crispy, with ketchup. Hot tots, not hash browns, with salt and pepper, three shakes each. Hot coffee, cup three-quarters full so you have room to swirl it around to cool it down, and two pieces of toast with butter and jam, on the side,¡± El said.


    Laze opened her mouth, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± she said and sat down across from Dayne.


    El turned and walked away, finally finding a moment of peace and quiet where she didn¡¯t have to think about what to say or do next. The line for breakfast was short, and she ordered mechanically while her mind replayed the questioning.


    They hadn¡¯t believed her, not really. That much was obvious. How many times had they asked the same question in a different way? Trying to get her to change her story or mess up the details? Maybe she could understand why; she had come back with less than a third of her wing, and wild stories about a newt army unlike anything they¡¯d ever seen.


    But she had seen it, and they needed to believe her. If that army made it to civilization, it would be a bloodbath without a solid plan.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hey, you gonna take this, or what?¡± the cook said and nodded toward the tray in his hand. From the look on his face, he¡¯d been holding it for more than a few seconds waiting for her.


    She looked at the tray, then back at him. ¡°No. I asked for the butter and jam on the side, not on the toast.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± he asked.


    ¡°New toast,¡± she said.


    The cook scowled, put the tray down, and walked over to the toaster.


    El sighed. She could¡¯ve¡ªshould¡¯ve let that go. Laze would roll her eyes, but she¡¯d eat it without much complaint.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry,¡± El said when the cook returned with the fresh toast. ¡°Had a rough night.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± he said, and handed her the tray.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®you¡¯ve heard?¡¯¡± El asked, slowly taking the tray.


    The cook shrugged and looked for the next customer. There wasn¡¯t one, so he met El¡¯s eyes and shrugged again. ¡°Dunno the details,¡± he said, ¡°but it¡¯s all around. You and the other two over there getting back late last night, the rest of your wing missing, an elite escort, and then a closed-doors meeting with the brass.


    ¡°What happened out there?¡±


    El settled the tray more comfortably in her hands. Of course there would be rumors. More than a few people had seen them flying back into HQ. ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you,¡± El told the cook. ¡°What do the rumors say?¡±


    The cook gave a slight wave of his hand. ¡°You know how rumors go. Everything from you staging a coup to take command of the wing, to running into an army of newts. Nobody seems to know what to believe. You sure you can¡¯t give me a hint?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait for the official report. Sorry. Thanks for doing the toast right,¡± El said, then turned and walked back to the table.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Laze said when El handed over her breakfast.


    ¡°No problem.¡± El sat and took a quick glance at the tables around them. Nobody was outright staring, but there were more than a few curious looks coming their way.


    ¡°Dayne said it¡¯s been like that all morning. Lots of people looking, but nobody coming over to talk,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Apparently there are some rumors going around about our return,¡± El explained. ¡°Dayne, have you heard anything?¡±


    ¡°Just one,¡± the big man said. ¡°Cannon is furious at the loss of the Boomers, and not sure he believes it.¡±


    ¡°Esis might have survived, right?¡± Laze whispered. ¡°She got hit by that Stormbearer, or whatever we¡¯re going to call him, but that couldn¡¯t have killed her. She¡¯s way too tough for that, and her flame armor would¡¯ve protected her.¡±


    El gently shook her head and leaned in closer to the other two. ¡°Esis survived that, but it broke her arm, even through the shield and the flame armor.¡±


    ¡°You saw her after the newts came out?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I saw her. I saw her die,¡± El clarified. ¡°She was leading the Boomers, holding their own against the lizards even with how they were swarming. But, then the Stormbearer showed up. He ended it all with¡­ with¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to call it. Such power. Like a living, crashing wave of ice that charged down the street, killing anything it touched.


    ¡°It chased the Boomers wherever they went. None of them escaped.¡±


    ¡°Except us,¡± Laze whispered, looking at her plate and then gently pushing it away.


    El put her hand gently on top of her friend¡¯s. ¡°You told me not to let the blame consume me. Same goes for you. Survivor¡¯s guilt. It¡¯s not a bad thing you made it back.¡±


    Laze nodded but didn¡¯t say anything for the moment.


    ¡°What about us?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re grounded, pending an investigation,¡± El explained. Not that they¡¯d have much of a wing if they were given orders anyway, but El kept that thought to herself.


    ¡°Your brother was deployed again last night,¡± Dayne said, taking her news with his usual stoicism.


    ¡°What? Where?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. I saw him after the questioning. He told me to let you know he¡¯d be back in a few days. Couldn¡¯t say any more.¡±


    ¡°Burn it,¡± El cursed and shoved food around on her plate without actually eating anything. Nexin would¡¯ve backed up her story, or at least her credibility. He also could¡¯ve pushed to make sure something was done about the army of newts. Unless¡­ no.


    ¡°Do you know which direction he went?¡± El asked. ¡°How many went with him?¡±


    ¡°East,¡± Dayne said. ¡°Thought the same thing you did, so I watched for him to leave. He wasn¡¯t sent to Salid. Just him and his wing.¡±


    ¡°They could turn south though,¡± El said, her heart pounding in her chest. If her brother ran into those newts, into that knight, would he fare any better than Esis did?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Dayne said. ¡°God¡¯s Claw is east. He¡¯s probably being sent to check on that.¡±


    El focused on calming her breath, on thinking things through. What Dayne said made sense. It also meant they believed her. Or, at least, they believed there was a risk she was telling the truth.


    Good enough.


    ¡°They¡¯re worried there might be a third newt army, and that it¡¯s heading for our supply of electrum. Makes sense,¡± El said. ¡°Even before we came back with this news, there was talk of two lizard armies. If the other one was as dangerous as what we ran into¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s another one of those knights?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°I burning hope not,¡± El said, and the other two nodded their agreement.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this mean for us?¡± Laze asked a moment later. ¡°Are we going to get split up? Kicked out of the Firestorm? Burn it, I don¡¯t want to be infantry.¡±


    El put her elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her hands while she considered the question. ¡°We definitely won¡¯t get moved into infantry,¡± she finally said. ¡°If our Spark is strong enough to let us fly, no way they¡¯d waste us on the ground. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the infantry does good work, and it¡¯s going to be crucial against the golems, but what, one in a thousand are strong enough to actually stay in the air? No, they¡¯ll keep us in the Firestorm.


    ¡°As for our¡­ wing¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I hope we get to stay together,¡± Laze said, her head swiveling to take in the empty seats. ¡°What¡¯s left of us.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± El said. ¡°Me too.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 15 – A Cool Night

    El said goodbye to Dayne and Laze as they left the cafeteria. The other two would go see their parents to talk about what had happened. To be consoled.


    She didn¡¯t have parents she could go talk to. And, despite the exhaustion from the long flight back, she had too much nervous energy to let her sleep. If Nexin was there, she¡¯d talk to him. He¡¯d know what to say to make her feel better. Sure, they were rivals when it came to sparring, but he was also always the big brother that looked out for her no matter what.


    Him not being there, being deployed so soon after the run-in with the strange newts, was a big part of her unease. El had never been nervous of him going off on missions, well, other than the first time, but Esis¡¯s words about the storm being something bigger still rang in her ears. Was he okay?


    El turned into the sparring room without realizing that¡¯s where she¡¯d been going the whole time, her mind occupied by her worries. A lone man with a sponge and bucket looked up from his hands and knees at her as she entered.


    Sol. The refugee from Salid. What was he doing there?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, his voice flat. Almost like it was devoid of life. ¡°I¡¯ll be finished in a few minutes if you need to use the room. Just have to wait for the floor to dry. Don¡¯t want you to slip,¡± he said and gestured at the wide room behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± El said, igniting her wings and lifting herself into the air. ¡°I¡¯m not too worried about it.¡±


    Sol¡¯s eyes lingered on her flaming wings while emotions danced across his face in quick succession. Longing, anger, and resignation. Gone so quick they were barely there before he turned away.


    ¡°Right, my mistake,¡± he said quietly.


    Sol, the Sparkless refugee. How could she have forgotten that? And there she went and flaunted the thing he probably wanted more than anything else in the whole world.


    El dropped back to the ground and extinguished her wings, though from the heat in her cheeks, they were likely just as red as the wings had been.


    ¡°Your name is Sol, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked and walked toward him, the heels of her boots clicking with each step on the impeccably shiny floors. How long had he been cleaning?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sol said, but didn¡¯t look up from his scrubbing.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry about that,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity,¡± Sol said, his voice still flat. ¡°It is what it is.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± The words came out before El could stop them.


    Sol looked up and met her with his dead eyes. ¡°Cold,¡± he said.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. That was a heartless thing of me to ask. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± El trailed off as Sol gently shook his head.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You misunderstand. It¡¯s cold, not having a Spark. I lived down in Salid because the air was warmer. Here, you all have it, so you don¡¯t consider how much colder it actually is. And it¡¯s only going to get colder for me as the seasons change,¡± Sol said. ¡°At least the cleaning helps keep me warm.¡±


    El nodded. He was right, she probably didn¡¯t understand. She¡¯d never been cold in her entire life. But the talk of cold triggered another thought.


    ¡°Sol, can I ask you a couple of questions about your home? Before you came here with Oril and Lilin?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said simply, then continued scrubbing.


    El watched him work while she figured out what to ask him. Even Sparkless, he was in good shape with toned, muscular arms, wide shoulders, dark skin, and his black hair loosely tied back. From physical labor?


    ¡°What did you do, back in Salid?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Fished,¡± he answered.


    ¡°A hobby?¡±


    ¡°No. I had a boat. It was my job.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How big was your crew?¡±


    ¡°Just me. Nobody would work with me. Worried being Sparkless was contagious,¡± he said, his voice never changing tones.


    ¡°Is it?¡± she asked, again before thinking. Maybe she should go get some sleep so she could stop sticking her burning foot in her mouth?


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Though a bad reputation is. You may not want to be seen talking to me.¡±


    El looked around the empty room. ¡°I think we¡¯re okay,¡± she said. ¡°Do you miss the sea?¡±


    ¡°Ocean,¡± Sol corrected. ¡°And yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± El asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never been that far south before¡­ before,¡± she amended what she was going to say. She¡¯d get to that part later.


    Sol¡¯s hand stopped moving and his whole body went stone-still. El was just about to ask him if he was okay when he sat back on his knees and met her eyes again. ¡°I can¡¯t fly,¡± he said. ¡°Being on my boat was the closest thing I would ever have to that freedom.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Boat¡¯s gone. Salid probably is too,¡± he said, then leaned forward and resumed his scrubbing.


    ¡°Sol, do you remember much about the attack?¡± El asked.


    He nodded. ¡°I told your people everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind telling me about it?¡± she asked.


    Sol pointed at the wide floor in front of him. ¡°I still have a lot to finish. You can ask whatever you like. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a good look at the lizards when they attacked?¡±


    ¡°It was night, no moon. Just their silhouettes moving between dark buildings.¡±


    ¡°No fire? The lizards breathe flame.¡±


    ¡°No fire,¡± Sol confirmed. ¡°If anything, it was a cool night.¡±


    ¡°Were you in Salid when it happened?¡±


    Sol shook his head. ¡°Lilin lives¡ªlived¡ªon a hill on the outskirts. I was out at her house helping with her garden. She made me dinner in return. We were eating when the screaming started. When we figured out what was happening, we left.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go down to the town?¡± El asked.


    Sol tapped his chest while he scrubbed. ¡°What could I do other than get Lilin to safety?¡±


    ¡°What about your boat?¡±


    ¡°Just a thing. Lilin wouldn¡¯t have made it far on her own.¡±


    El nodded, even though Sol wasn¡¯t looking at her. His story made sense, and as much as she wanted more information about the strange lizards, his decision probably saved all three refugees¡¯ lives. ¡°I heard you found Oril on the road?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about a mile north of town. Unconscious, so I had to carry him on my back.¡±


    ¡°North of town? Is that where the lizards attacked from?¡±


    ¡°Must have been, though I didn¡¯t see any. I guess we were lucky.¡±


    ¡°And he was¡­ just lying there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Like something clubbed him over the back of the head and left him for dead. There was quite a bit of blood, but head wounds are like that. The injury actually wasn¡¯t that serious.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t encased in ice? The battle of Helibak replayed in El¡¯s mind as she reviewed each of the deaths she witnessed. Did any of them end without the person being entombed in solid ice? No, not a one. What did that mean?


    And why didn¡¯t that happen to Oril?


    ¡°Are those all your questions?¡± Sol asked after several minutes of silence.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, was trying to figure something out. What are you going to do now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Clean the floors,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± he asked, once again tapping his chest.

 Spark of War - Chapter 16 – Orders

    El¡¯s fingers tapped the desktop methodically while her other hand turned the page of the book in front of her. Almost immediately, she turned the page back. What did it say? Her eyes scanned the words, but her mind didn¡¯t absorb the information. Again. That was the third time she¡¯d tried to read the same page.


    ¡°Burrrrrrrn it,¡± she sighed and slouched in her chair, tilting her head back to look upside down at her uniform hanging neatly pressed on the wall. Five days since she¡¯d worn it. Six days since she¡¯d had to tell her fallen friends¡¯ families they weren¡¯t coming back. Seven days since they¡¯d been grounded.


    El shook her head and sighed. Not having anything to do was giving her mind far too much time to replay Helibak over and over. To remind her of her mistakes, and worse, of her lost friends.


    Sure, she¡¯d gone to spar with Laze, Dayne, and Nidina, but they couldn¡¯t keep up with her. And nobody else was talking to them other than an obligatory ¡°Hello¡± or ¡°Good morning.¡± News had spread about the loss of her unit, and people she¡¯d thought were friends were being oddly distant, like they¡¯d been ordered to avoid her.


    Nobody, other than that nosey cook, had even asked her about what¡¯d happened. Not that she could tell them, she did have actual orders to keep that need-to-know, but still. Weren¡¯t they at least curious?


    El stood, stretched, and walked over to run her fingers along the electrum wing nubs. Yes, technically she was grounded, but maybe that didn¡¯t include the training courses? Better to ask forgiveness than permission, she took her uniform off the hanger and got dressed.


    Checking herself in the mirror, she gave her belt one last tug to make sure the buckle was exactly in the middle. At least she¡¯d look good if they hauled her in for disobeying orders. With a nod she turned and went to the door, opening it to find Nexin standing there with his knuckles up as if he was just about to knock.


    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re¡­¡± Nexin started as El threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. ¡°¡­here,¡± he wheezed out under her grip.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay. Thank the Pyre,¡± she whispered into his ear, gave one last squeeze, then let go and stepped back. ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    Nexin looked up and down the hall. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± El said and stepped back into her room.


    Nexin followed and closed the door behind him. ¡°A couple of hours ago,¡± he said.


    ¡°And it took you this long to come tell your precious little sister you¡¯re okay?¡± El asked and crossed her arms.


    ¡°You know, you look like mom when you do that,¡± Nexin said. ¡°She had the same expression whenever dad did something stupid.¡±


    El fidgeted while her brother smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s not fair you can remember them,¡± El mumbled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But that doesn¡¯t change how much they loved you,¡± he said and mussed her hair.


    Burn it, she¡¯d need to fix that before they left. ¡°Stop trying to change the subject,¡± she said. ¡°What were you doing since you got back?¡±


    ¡°Reporting,¡± Nexin said and walked over to her desk. He picked up the book she was reading and raised an eyebrow at her, then put it down and turned the chair around so he could sit facing toward the bed.


    El got the message and sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m under orders not to tell anybody,¡± he started. ¡°But since you¡¯re already at least half in the know, I don¡¯t think this counts.¡±


    ¡°Tell anybody what?¡±


    ¡°I was sent to God¡¯s Claw, to make sure security there was tight. The higher-ups still aren¡¯t sure whether or not to believe you¡­¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Then why did you go to God¡¯s Claw?¡± El interrupted.


    Nexin leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°The Church,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Your story made the Church nervous. All information about your report has been classified top secret. Nobody outside of those who already know are being told what¡¯s going on. That¡¯s why my unit went to God¡¯s Claw; we already had an idea because of the escort.¡±


    ¡°And because you¡¯re my brother.¡±


    ¡°Correct. So, we got the errand. They didn¡¯t want anybody else to know.¡±


    ¡°Is that why nobody is talking to me? Do they actually have orders?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Nexin leaned forward at that. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard. Just your report was being suppressed. I haven¡¯t heard anything about orders to avoid you. I¡¯ll look into it though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself in trouble over it. I don¡¯t mind the quiet,¡± El lied. ¡°Back to the Church. Why are they involved? They usually stay out of things until we secure an Ember and they bring it back to the Pyre.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nexin admitted. ¡°But they¡¯ve exerted their influence on this, for sure. Cardinal Scin was even there for my debrief.¡±


    ¡°That geezer¡¯s name makes me chuckle every time,¡± El said with a shake of her head.


    ¡°His presence is no laughing matter. You know the weight he carries with the Church and the military.¡±


    El nodded. Weight was a bit of an understatement. Cardinal Scin had personally transported the last two Embers collected by Pycrin. One when El was still a toddler, and the other before she was even born. Scin was practically the hand of the Church made flesh.


    ¡°So, what did you report that was so important to him?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not much, actually. God¡¯s Claw is secure, and no sign of the lizards or storm you reported. Still¡­¡± Nexin paused and shook his head. ¡°Still, Cardinal Scin stated he will be personally deploying a company of Ignitio to reinforce the mines. The electrum is too important to risk.¡±


    El sat back with a whistle. A whole company of Ignitio? If the Firestorm were the elite of the military, the Ignitio were selected from the elite of the Firestorm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ big,¡± she said.


    ¡°Very. There¡¯s more,¡± Nexin went on. ¡°You¡¯re not being assigned to a new wing. And you¡¯re not getting anybody to fill in the empty slots. It¡¯ll just be the four of you for the time being.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± El practically shouted and leaned forward again. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Cardinal Scin,¡± Nexin said, and let the words sink in before he went on. ¡°He wanted to have you grounded for good, but I managed to talk the generals out of that.¡±


    ¡°Grounded permanently? On what grounds?¡± El asked. That was ludicrous.


    ¡°Oril¡¯s testimony didn¡¯t paint a pretty picture of you,¡± Nexin said with a scowl.


    ¡°But, if the Church believes us enough to send a whole company of Ignitio to the God¡¯s Claw, shouldn¡¯t they be thanking us for getting the information back to them?¡±


    ¡°That was the same argument I brought up. It was enough to sway the generals, on the condition you and your wing doesn¡¯t talk about what you saw. One peep of it and nothing I say will keep the Church from having their way.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re burying the information. Why?¡±


    ¡°To keep people focused on Guld. The final Ember.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going ahead with the war as if nothing happened? As if we don¡¯t have an aggressive army somewhere to the south?¡±


    ¡°Not as if nothing happened,¡± Nexin corrected. ¡°The generals look at it this way; it took the refugees months to get here, a newt army won¡¯t move much faster.¡±


    ¡°But, what about the other lizard army that was reported?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the other reason I¡¯m here,¡± Nexin said. ¡°And the other thing the generals are doing differently. They¡¯re sending out five wings of Firestorm to the west, where that army reportedly headed, to investigate.¡±


    ¡°And my wing is one of those five?¡± El reasoned.


    ¡°Correct. You¡¯re going¡­¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t talk about our last mission. What if we know something that could save lives?¡± El asked. They¡¯d lost so badly before because they didn¡¯t know what they were up against.


    ¡°I know how you feel, El, but you¡¯ll need to be careful. If you talk about it, there will be repercussions. Don¡¯t, unless you have to. Okay?¡±


    El nodded. She didn¡¯t have to say anything unless they actually found some of those ice lizards, but by then, would it be too late?


    ¡°What¡¯s the Church up to?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nexin admitted. ¡°But it makes me nervous. I feel like they know more than they¡¯re telling us. And it¡¯s going to get people killed.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°For now? Follow orders.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being deployed again, probably before you, so I might not see you again until we get back. Listen though, you¡¯re going to be okay. Having a smaller wing will work to your advantage. It¡¯s people you know, people you can trust. Take care of them, and let them take care of you.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± El said. ¡°I will not make the same mistakes I made last time. I¡¯ll make you proud,¡± she said before she could censor her words.


    Nexin leaned forward and smiled. ¡°You always make me proud, El. Look, I¡¯ve got to get going, but somebody will be along soon to issue new orders for you. Look surprised,¡± he said and got up.


    El followed suit and gave him another tight hug. ¡°Come back safe.¡±


    ¡°You know it,¡± he said, and left El to her thoughts.


    First ice newts, and now the Church was getting directly involved. What had she gotten herself into?

 Spark of War - Chapter 17 – Armies

    ¡°What did you get us into, El?¡± Laze asked, late in the afternoon three days later.


    El and her three wing mates followed a good two miles behind the four full wings they¡¯d been sent with.


    Those other wings had made it very clear they didn¡¯t want anything to do with El¡¯s unit. Their unit would be tolerated, barely, but they were to keep their distance. They weren¡¯t even allowed to camp near the other Firestorm, though they¡¯d only rested a few hours each night.


    The group¡¯s leader, Sergeant Milyer, had set a grueling pace.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked for this assignment,¡± El replied so only Laze, Dayne, and Nidina could hear her.


    ¡°But, why are we here?¡± Laze asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re welcome. What in the Blaze did we do to piss everybody off, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer to either of those questions,¡± El said. ¡°Maybe they want to prove us wrong by finding this lizard army?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s normal, red newts?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Maybe? I mean reports came in of this army passing by one of our infantry groups, right? You¡¯d think they¡¯d have mentioned if it was blue and killing them,¡± El answered. Was this army even connected to what they¡¯d run into down in Salid? ¡°Nidina, did you hear anything before we deployed? Did your parents mention anything?¡± Nidina¡¯s family worked in information. If anybody knew anything, it would be them.


    No response.


    ¡°Nidina?¡± El asked again and glanced in her friend¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Nidina asked, her voice hoarse.


    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I just¡­¡± Nidina started but didn¡¯t finish her sentence.


    El looked ahead to the other wings, everything seemed normal up there. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Nidina?¡±


    ¡°Teth,¡± Nidina said. ¡°I¡­ miss him. I really miss him.¡±


    ¡°We all miss him,¡± El said. ¡°It¡¯s hard, and nobody expects you to get over it this quickly.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s the worst part,¡± Nidina sniffled. ¡°I was over it. I¡­ don¡¯t get it, but while we were grounded, I didn¡¯t even think about him. Neither did my parents. We all just went on like normal. Like nothing was missing. Like Teth wasn¡¯t¡­¡± she choked off. ¡°How could we do that?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me?¡± Laze whispered.


    ¡°What did you say, Laze?¡± El asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything¡­ it was too¡­ I was ashamed,¡± Laze said quietly. ¡°We got back, then they threw us right into that interrogation, then¡­ you know, we met in the cafeteria. But, after that, I don¡¯t know, they just didn¡¯t cross my mind. Not once the whole time we were back. I just went on like things were normal, like there weren¡¯t eleven of my closest friends missing¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± El asked. ¡°How can you not miss them? We¡¯ve known them for years.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t miss them, it¡¯s that I didn¡¯t miss them.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± El asked, but was she really any different? She¡¯d gone sparring and moped in her room about being grounded, but none of that had been centered around the loss of her friends. Just about being grounded. What the Blaze?


    ¡°This morning, when I woke up, it was like there was a hole in my heart where Teth should¡¯ve been,¡± Nidina explained. ¡°All the feelings I should¡¯ve felt came rushing out, like they¡¯d been damned up. I don¡¯t know how to explain it.¡±


    ¡°How could that even¡ª¡± El started.


    ¡°Looks like one of the scouts found something,¡± Dayne interrupted. ¡°Incoming, northwest.¡±


    El looked where he said, and sure enough, a pair of flaming wings streaked in the direction of the lead wings at top speed. Why was the scout coming back? Couldn¡¯t they have just¡­ oh burn it.


    ¡°Guys, I think we might be getting close to a storm,¡± El said. No response. She gave it a few more seconds, still nothing, then raised her fist and brought herself to a full stop.


    The other three glided in close to her, and from the looks on their faces, they¡¯d figured it out too.


    ¡°Storm?¡± Dayne asked, practically shouting to be heard over the wind at their altitude.


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± El said. ¡°Scout must not have been able to reach us over comms, so they came back.¡±


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°Never mind, they¡¯re blindly following the scout despite their magic not working. What the Blaze is a storm doing all the way up here?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t a storm?¡± Laze offered. ¡°It might be something else interfering with our comms.¡±


    ¡°Seems like too much of a coincidence,¡± El said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see where this goes. Stay on your toes though. We¡¯re all going home together.¡±


    She waited for the other three to salute, then turned to the northwest and raced off after the distant wings. They hadn¡¯t even bothered sending somebody to let El¡¯s group know what was going on. Seriously, what had they done to deserve that kind of treatment?


    About a mile later, El watched five sets of wings descend from the group to the ground below. The scout and the four wing sergeants? Protocol dictated she go ahead and leave her wing to keep an eye out. Well, not like the other wings were strictly following protocols, so she waved for her friends to follow, and arced down to where the others had landed.


    ¡°¡­tracks lead straight west,¡± the scout was saying to the four sergeants. ¡°They can¡¯t be more than a day or two old.¡±


    El hovered above the ground scarred with tracks, but didn¡¯t land. There had to be hundreds of sets of tracks. Thousands. On the open plains, like they were, it would¡¯ve been impossible to miss them. Whoever they were, they weren¡¯t hiding.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going after them,¡± Sergeant Milyer said to the other three sergeants, then turned and looked right at El. ¡°Just stay in the back where it¡¯s easier to run away. We¡¯ll show you how real Firestorm deal with newts.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about our communications?¡± El asked. ¡°It could mean trouble.¡±


    ¡°Just a glitch with the magic. Happens sometimes,¡± he said and ignited his wings. ¡°Let¡¯s kill us some newts!¡± he added and jetted up to join his wing. The other three turned dirty looks in El¡¯s direction, then followed the first sergeant.


    ¡°Have you ever heard about the magic glitching?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°I sure haven¡¯t. Not other than¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± El said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter though. I hope we¡¯re wrong about what¡¯s happening here, but if we¡¯re not, we need to be careful. The lizards¡¯ range is limited. Their breath reaches maybe fifty feet pretty reliably, but their spears seemed accurate up to about five times that. If we engage, ranged bombardment from up high only.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll be an option,¡± Nidina said as the Firestorm above them collectively angled after the tracks. ¡°I checked the maps before we came out this way. If we¡¯re where I think we are, it¡¯s dense forest just over that hill there,¡± she said and pointed to the west.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sounds of that at all,¡± El said. ¡°Plays to the newts¡¯ strengths and negates most of ours.¡±


    ¡°Orders?¡± Dayne asked.


    El considered a moment. Burn it. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like how they¡¯re treating us, I won¡¯t just abandon those jerks if we can help. Engage if you have to, but preferably at a range, and only if you have an escape route. If things turn, get out of there. This will be our rendezvous if we need to retreat. Questions?¡±


    Three salutes were her answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± El said and flew after the Firestorm who¡¯d disappeared behind the hill.


    She angled up first, to get a good look at things from above, but like Nidina had said, a sea of bushy green treetops spread out before her, the last of the Firestorm just then zipping inside its borders.


    Burn it. They weren¡¯t being careful at all. Had she been that overconfident too?


    El poured on the speed as she raced for the tree line, and not even ten seconds later, three cones of flame burst through the canopy, incinerating all the green in their paths.


    There! That was her entry point! El changed her descent and angled for the newly opened breach in the treetops, charred leaves still smoking around the holes.


    That flame wasn¡¯t Firestorm, it was too¡­ raw. Which meant newts. Red newts. They could beat red newts.


    El passed the edge of the forest, skimming along the treetops so close she could reach out and pluck leaves if she wanted, and zeroed in on one of the smoking holes, miles of green stretching out beyond it.


    And then, just like that, the green vanished, swallowed whole by a solid wall of falling snow a hundred and fifty feet ahead of her. White extended north and south as far as the eye could see, but El didn¡¯t have time to worry about it, she was at the hole in the canopy, and dove inside.


    Out came her shield while her sword sizzled to life as a crossfire of¡­ well, fire, greeted her. Red newts swarming the ground between the trees ahead of her breathed out wide cones of flames that engulfed everything they touched. Firestorm whizzed through the treetops, ignoring the blistering breath attacks, and laid into enemy troops with flaming arrows or burning swords.


    Already in full retreat, the lizards¡¯ weapons had no effect on the Firestorm they managed to catch. Flame armor absorbed the fiery breath and deflected the heavy but primitive weapons. The battle had barely started, and it was already a rout, with only small pockets of resistance still fighting back. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    One such group, five lizards strong, fought below, and El¡¯s combat instincts took over.


    She dodged left, even though she didn¡¯t have to, as a spear cut the air where she¡¯d been, and weaved behind a group of large trees. The newts would be watching for her flaming wings to reappear somewhere above, so she doused them the second she was hidden from view and let gravity take her.


    Boots skidding on fallen leaves when she hit the ground, El twisted her body and flared her wings, launching herself along the ground like an arrow straight for the lizard group. Maybe they saw the flash from her wings, but she hit them before they could react, their attention still aimed above.


    Her momentum slammed her shield into the face of the first lizard so hard the sound of fracturing bone carried over the din of battle, and ricocheted her straight into the next. The second lizard¡¯s body toppled to the ground at the same time as the first¡¯s, its neck opened from a flick of her sword.


    El hit the ground and rolled to her feet as the other three newts turned her way, bringing their weapons to bare.


    Too slow!


    A flare of her wings got her inside the guard of one, and her sword easily punched a hole through its heavy scales. It fell, chest smoking, while El leapt spinning into the air and flared her wings a second time. The tight rotation of her jump kept the thrust from throwing her in any one direction, but the unfortunate lizards couldn¡¯t say the same.


    The spiraling gout of flame washed over them with the force of a battering ram and hurled them in opposite directions to crash into, and through, nearby trees.


    El let gravity pull her back down to the ground and turned to go after the lizard on her right. Dayne was already there, doing the job for her. Nidina, meanwhile, ended the suffering of the other.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want any help?¡± Laze asked as she touched down beside El.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± El said. ¡°I needed to know I could do this. That I wouldn¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    Laze looked at the five lizard bodies as Dayne and Nidina joined them. ¡°Hesitate is the one thing you didn¡¯t do,¡± she said just for El.


    ¡°It¡¯s a massacre,¡± Nidina said, either not hearing or pretending not to hear the end of Laze and El¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Lizards are in full retreat to the west,¡± Dayne said. ¡°I saw Milyer and his wing flying ahead to get ahead and cut them off.¡±


    ¡°The west?¡± El asked. ¡°Did any of you see the storm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laze said. ¡°You think the newts are trying to escape into it?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± El said, a dozen pairs of Firestorm wings zipping by overhead. Small battles still raged all around them, but the real fight had already finished, if it could even be called that. Nidina was right, it was shaping up to be a one-sided slaughter.


    Why were these lizards so¡­ so weak¡­ compared to the ones in Salid? Was it something to do with one of those storms?


    ¡°Storm can¡¯t be far to the west. Don¡¯t chase the lizards inside. No matter what,¡± she said and ignited her wings, then took off to the west, the others close behind.


    Charred and smoking lizard bodies covered the ground where¡¯d they¡¯d vainly tried to put up a fight.


    El hadn¡¯t even gone fifty feet before she found the lizard army, a writhing mass of bodies so thick they stood scaly shoulder to shoulder. A quick signal to ignore them, she and her wing whipped above until they found the front lines in chaos. Half the lizards seemed to be trying to rush forward, toward where Milyer¡¯s wing had engaged them, while the other half wanted to go back the way they¡¯d come.


    Retreat?


    ¡°Storm wall,¡± Dayne said, and El caught sight of the falling white just a dozen feet past where Milyer¡¯s forces ground their lizard opponents into meat.


    That close to escape, and they were hesitating? Were they that scared of the Firestorm?


    The answer to the question came bursting out of the storm, a line of blue newts just like the ones from Salid that hit Milyer¡¯s group from behind like a hammer. So focused on their easy wins over the red newts, the Firestorm didn¡¯t react quickly enough. Within seconds, half of them were already entombed in ice, the others scrambling to get into the air and figure out just what in the Blaze was going on.


    ¡°Supporting fire!¡± El shouted, ignited her bow, and pulled up short. ¡°Watch for return fire,¡± she ordered and unleashed a barrage of arrows. Flaming bolts lanced through the air and into the blue lizards, but as before, the wounds were superficial at best.


    Had the red lizards been leading them into a trap all along?


    No, that wasn¡¯t it at all.


    The blue newts¡¯ crushing charge didn¡¯t stop with the Firestorm. They poured out of the storm, hundreds of them, through the thin Firestorm line and straight into the front ranks of the red newts. If possible, they showed even less mercy to their red-scaled brethren than they did to the Firestorm.


    Blue claws tore out red throats. Icy spears plunged deep into crimson-scaled chests. Cones of frosty breath froze entire groups solid.


    The red newts, for their part, fought just as hard. At first hesitant, they threw themselves headlong at the blue newts when it became apparent there would be no cooperation.


    ¡°What the Blaze?¡± Laze asked. ¡°Who do we shoot at?¡±


    ¡°Enemy of my enemy,¡± El answered as an icy spear whipped past her face, missing her by mere inches. ¡°Keep aiming for the blue ones, but fall back.¡±


    El and her wing ducked back, alternating between releasing arrows and dodging behind trees or evading ice-tipped projectiles.


    Other Firestorm, meanwhile, pushed ahead, still unaware of the real danger ahead of them. They plunged into the lizard army full-tilt, weapons swinging and feeling invincible. Then they found the blue newts, and their weapons didn¡¯t cut as deep. Their armor didn¡¯t deflect the blue weapons.


    Sure, the Firestorm carved a hole in the red-army ranks, but that just left them vulnerable to the blues.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± El shouted. ¡°Retreat!¡± Nobody was listening.


    The Firestorm ranks had fallen into chaos, the sergeants all already dead and the ranks spread thin.


    ¡°Burn it,¡± she cursed and turned to her wing mates. ¡°Go, up above the tree line and get to the rendezvous spot.¡±


    ¡°El, what about¡ª¡± Laze started.


    ¡°Go! Now!¡± El ordered, and mercifully the other three launched straight up and through the canopy, their flaming wings slicing the branches like hot knives through butter.


    El hovered while severed branches fell around her. Could that work?


    She turned to the front of the battle, the remaining Firestorm struggling to retake the battle¡¯s momentum, and failing miserably. They whipped through the air above their enemy, but the confines of the forest limited their mobility, allowing the lizards to pick them off one by one.


    They needed a signal to escape. Time to give them that.


    El shifted slightly to the side, lining up her shot, then leaned forward and doused her wings. She dropped maybe a foot before she flared her wings at full power and ignited them as wide as she could. Bursting forward like she¡¯d been launched by a catapult, her wings carved through the trees on both sides of her. Where she¡¯d tried to avoid touching the trees before, expecting resistance, she instead maneuvered to have her wings cut through as many as she could.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± she yelled as she roared past, trees collapsing behind her like a comet¡¯s tail.


    Surprised Firestorm bolted out of the way of falling trees, their superior agility the one advantage they still held over the dual newt armies. Cones of flames and frost tried to intercept the plummeting foliage, but only added to the chaos, smoke and weighted branches tangling lizard limbs.


    ¡°Go! Fall back!¡± El shouted again and waved to anybody who looked her way. She didn¡¯t have time to see if they listened though, a group of three Firestorm about to be ambushed by twice as many blue newts straight ahead of her.


    If she used the tree tactic, the Firestorm with their backs to her were just as likely to get caught. But, if it worked on the trees, could it work on newts?


    El pulled her wings in tight, lanced for the back of the unsuspecting pack of newts, and ignited swords in both her hands. Just before she hit the group, she spread her swords and wings wide, cutting dual lines each of flame across the back two lizards.


    As the newts screamed their surprise and pain, El skidded to a stop right in the midst of the group. Maybe¡­ this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. But, she¡¯d already committed.


    Using the surprise to her advantage, El ducked low and quickstepped a tight circle, not bothering to aim. Blades and wings scorched blue scales all around her. Arms, legs, bodies, faces, anything she could hit. Like a buzz saw with her at the middle, four new lizard voices joined the two she¡¯d hit on the way in. She cut and scored them each half a dozen times in seconds, but didn¡¯t manage to kill a single one.


    Have to hope the Firestorm noticed. Time to get myself to safety.


    El doused her wings and halted her spin to take stock of the situation. One of the lizards she¡¯d hit on the way in was on the ground, hands on its singed face. Two were staggering, nasty burns crisscrossing their body, while the final three just looked burning angry.


    A lizard on her left thrust lamely with his spear, swollen and burned fingers barely holding the weapon level. El parried the blade aside with the sword in her left hand and spun in with a downward slash of her right. Her flaming blade carved across the lizard¡¯s gut, and through the short sash hanging from its waist.


    Oh, how it howled in pain.


    Guess that one was male¡­?


    Sensing more than seeing movement behind her, El stepped up on the falling lizard¡¯s knee and leapt into the air, twisting and igniting her wings in the same motion.


    Flaming feathers burst outward at face-level to the lizards, slashing those still standing and disrupting their aim. Still, one of the ice-tipped spears almost found its mark, and El barely shifted to the side in time to prevent it from striking her in the shoulder as she took to the air.


    The weapon wasn¡¯t completely ineffective though, a sudden weight on her right pulling her down and spiraling her into a large, nearby tree. She grunted at the impact, more surprise than pain, her flame armor protecting her, and tumbled to the ground.


    What the Blaze? Something wrong with my wing?


    El glanced to her right. Oh yeah, something definitely wrong.


    Her entire right wing had frozen solid; the lizard¡¯s spear still embedded deep in the ice. The weapons could even freeze their wings?


    El couldn¡¯t peel her eyes away as she doused her wings, the one on the right not simply vanishing as usual, and instead dropping unceremoniously to the ground in its entirety, spear and all.


    Her fingers reached forward of their own accord toward the ice¡­


    THUNK, a spear slammed into the tree inches in front of her face. Veins of ice crawled out of the spear tip, freezing bark as it went, and reached for her face like it could smell her.


    Time to go. Really, really, time to go.


    El rolled opposite the spear, just in time as another spear embedded itself in the tree where her head had been, scrambled to her feet, and dove behind a tree wider than she was.


    Twin columns of frosty breath, a fog so thick the individual icy crystals were visible, hit the tree at her back. Cold like stories from the deepest winters washed over her, even though the breath itself didn¡¯t touch her. She pushed as close to the tree as she could while it shuddered and cracked from the sudden temperature drop. Much longer and the tree would freeze straight through, and then her shield would be gone.


    But the lizards wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it up long. She¡¯d seen it before. A few seconds at most was how long they could¡­ there! The freezing breath halted, though a thin frost hung in the air, and El dashed forward, leapt into the air, and flared her wings with everything she had.


    A terrifying heartbeat of resistance from her right-wing nub, El brought her arms up and braced for her one-sided flare to send her spinning off course into another tree.


    BURN, she yelled at her wing in her mind, and it mercifully burst to life only a fraction of a second after the first, launching her through the canopy and into the open air above.


    Blue sky, not a cloud to be seen, stretched out to the east, and Laze offered a wave from where she hovered high above the forest top with the remaining Firestorm.


    The flare of the wings got El a good three hundred feet above the forest, and as gravity tried to pull her back down, she ignited her wings. Flaming feathers stretched out in both directions, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.


    She¡¯d made it. Somehow.


    Smoke drifted up from the burning greenery below, and El lifted herself further into the sky. No need to risk a lucky spear reaching her. Even grazing her wing could be enough to bring her down. She turned in the air to find the winter-storm wall, and it stood barely ten feet away from her. She¡¯d gotten that close while fighting the lizards? What would¡¯ve happened if she¡¯d gone in. Oril had come back out okay¡­


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Laze asked, suddenly right beside El. ¡°I thought you were going to be right behind us, but when I turned around¡­ you¡­ you¡­ you could¡¯ve been killed!¡±


    El sheathed the electrum hilt in her right hand, she must¡¯ve dropped the other one in the confusion, and patted the air to calm her aggravated friend.


    ¡°They needed my help. I couldn¡¯t just leave them, again,¡± she said, the last word barely more than a whisper.


    ¡°And yet you made us leave? We could¡¯ve helped you.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to lose you too, Laze,¡± El said.


    ¡°And you think we could bare to lose you anymore?¡± Laze snapped back. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who lost friends. And you¡¯re certainly not the only one who doesn¡¯t want to lose more. You ever do that again, ever, and I will seriously make you regret it. You understand me?¡±


    El hovered forward slowly, put her hands on Laze¡¯s shoulders, then gently leaned her forehead against Laze¡¯s. ¡°I understand,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for caring.¡±


    Laze nodded against her head, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°How many made it?¡± El asked. ¡°How many survivors?¡±


    ¡°Ten, that I counted,¡± Laze answered. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s more down there still¡­¡±


    El closed her eyes against the answer. Only ten? Out of more than sixty who¡¯d come out. ¡°We can¡¯t go back down there,¡± El said, opened her eyes, and backed up from Laze. ¡°We¡¯ll take the survivors back to Balacin. Let them tell their story. See if another¡­ loss¡­ makes the generals believe.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± Laze asked.


    El didn¡¯t have an answer.

 Spark of War - Chapter 18 – Fiery Pork Bomb

    Almost as if it was deja vu, El saluted and left the room, struggling not to slam the door behind her. She glanced out the window, yup, it was morning. Another all-night¡­ interrogation. There couldn¡¯t be any other word for it. And worse, El shook her head, a member of the Church with explicit orders not to talk about the ¡°rumored blue lizards¡± with anybody who wasn¡¯t on the mission.


    Rumored? What the burning Blaze was that supposed to mean? Like she hadn¡¯t seen them with her own burning eyes? El took a deep breath and stepped away from the door before she opened it and charged back in to show that burning priest a rumored boot up his¡­


    ¡°Assuming that didn¡¯t go well?¡± a voice asked.


    El paused mid-step and mechanically turned her head in the speaker¡¯s direction. The voice was vaguely familiar, and she found a young man sitting on a nearby bench, leaning against the wall with a book in one hand.


    No uniform, but she knew that face. Where¡­?


    Ah!


    ¡°Lhogan, wasn¡¯t it?¡± El asked, and forcibly pushed her rising frustration down.


    ¡°You remembered!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I think that earns you a reward,¡± he added, and picked up something he¡¯d had sitting on the bench beside him.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± El asked, her stomach growling at the wax-paper-wrapped treasure in his hand.


    ¡°A sandwich from Flannigan¡¯s?¡± Lhogan finished for her. ¡°You bet it is. Figured you might be hungry after¡­¡± he gestured with the sandwich toward the door. ¡°Well, after that.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea.¡± El walked over to him, her hands extending involuntarily toward the hand-crafted delicacy. ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Fiery pork-bomb,¡± he said. ¡°Hope you like spicy.¡±


    The back of El¡¯s hand wiped across her mouth to stop the drool from showing. ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± she said and took the offered sandwich. ¡°But, not here. It wouldn¡¯t be pretty if I saw any of the men in that room for the next¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ century.¡±


    ¡°How about some fresh air then?¡± Lhogan asked. ¡°There¡¯s a courtyard not far from here with some picnic benches. Brass never goes there.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± El said, her fingers twitching to open the paper wrapping. No. She had to wait. The sauce on the pork-bombs could be messy to eat while walking. If she dropped any on her boots, she¡¯d be shining them for a week.


    ¡°Yes, Corporal,¡± Lhogan said with a too-formal salute, then smiled and ushered her down the hall.


    Lhogan was right; the courtyard wasn¡¯t far, and El¡¯s stomach thanked him for that. It was also mercifully empty, and El promptly sat down and peeled open the sandwich. Savoring the glorious aroma for only a few seconds, she took a bite of the luscious creation and sighed contentedly. Just the right amount of heat. Three more bites vanished before she looked up at Lhogan seated across from her, leaning on one elbow and with a quirked smile on his face.


    ¡°Do I have sauce on my mouth?¡± she asked and quickly wiped it with the single provided napkin. Only one? It was very good she hadn¡¯t tried to eat it while walking.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t count as the dinner we agreed to, by the way,¡± Lhogan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to top this,¡± El said and took her fifth bite. Not only the spice, the meat was cooked to perfection. It practically melted in her mouth.


    ¡°I could get you two next time?¡± Lhogan joked.


    ¡°Well played,¡± she answered. ¡°And, thanks for this. How¡¯d you know I¡¯d be in there?¡±


    ¡°Little bird told me,¡± Lhogan answered cryptically.


    ¡°Not many birds would know,¡± El pressed. ¡°Not to mention you¡¯re the first person outside of my wing who¡¯s spoken to me in almost two weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m generally stuck on guard duty,¡± Lhogan explained. ¡°Don¡¯t have a strong enough Spark to even get off the ground,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Overheard a couple of researchers talking about your return. I don¡¯t know the details of the trouble you got in, but they think it¡¯s going to accelerate the plans for taking Guld.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with researchers?¡± El asked and put the last bite of pork-bomb goodness in her mouth. Too bad Lhogan hadn¡¯t actually brought two this time.


    Lhogan raised an eyebrow as she licked her finger, then shook his head with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re in weapons development. That¡¯s where I¡¯m usually stationed. You should see some of the stuff they¡¯ve developed. Actually, do you want to see it? I can take you on a tour.¡±


    ¡°That your idea of a date?¡± El asked.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Well, given the look on your face when you left that room, I figured you might be game for testing out the new artillery. The mobile artillery. You know, blow some steam off by blowing some stuff up.¡±


    El¡¯s stomach wasn¡¯t full, but it¡¯d tide her over for a bit. ¡°Oh, let me at it!¡± she said. ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t explain what you¡¯d said earlier?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, if the war¡¯s timetable is moved up, it means they are going to move straight from minor testing to full deployment. These weapons are going to be on the battlefield in days, instead of months.¡±


    ¡°Is that safe?¡± El asked.


    Lhogan stood and offered El his hand. ¡°Come and find out for yourself.¡±


    El also stood, but didn¡¯t take Lhogan¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself there.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t blame a guy for trying,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, but I could break a guy¡¯s arm for it,¡± she responded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind.¡± Lhogan gulped. ¡°Shall we then?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get in trouble for bringing me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re always looking for more people to test out the weapons. Different Sparks react differently to them. That¡¯s why they haven¡¯t been widely deployed. I think the plan for these is to get them in the hands of the Firestorm anyway, so it couldn¡¯t hurt to have you put one through its paces.¡±


    ¡°Why are we still standing here then?¡± El asked and cracked her knuckles. New weapons? And artillery at that. Sure, they were probably designed with the golems from Guld in mind, but could they work on the blue newts as well? Could they somehow prevent more people dying?


    ¡°Right this way, my lady,¡± Lhogan said and led them out of the courtyard opposite where they entered.


    The small haven of greenery quickly gave way to the orange and red curvature of the base¡¯s buildings. They passed several other soldiers in uniform, some rushing to deliver messages, while others moved at a more leisurely pace like El and Lhogan. And not a one of them even so much as nodded a greeting to her.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Lhogan asked her as they passed the third pair of people clearly ignoring her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she started. I lost two battles against an enemy the Church doesn¡¯t want anybody to know exists. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you,¡± she said out loud instead. ¡°Orders.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Lhogan said and turned to look after the two who¡¯d passed them. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do something pretty impressive to prove yourself and get in their good graces again, huh?¡±


    ¡°Who says I even want to?¡± she asked. Prove herself? Why in the Blaze should she need to prove herself? Then again, if she did, would it make them more likely to believe her?


    ¡°I just figured you wanted to live up to your brother¡¯s name,¡± Lhogan said with a shrug.


    ¡°This weapon testing,¡± El said evenly. ¡°Will you be the target?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no¡­?¡± Lhogan said. ¡°That¡¯d be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d encourage you to watch what you say,¡± El said without breaking stride.


    ¡°R-right¡­ well, we¡¯re here,¡± Lhogan said with a forced smile, and waved at a pair of guards as he led El into a large, four-story building.


    The long, non-descript hallway led them past two more sets of guards, at which Lhogan had to sign them both in, before they finally entered a massive room that had to occupy the majority of the building. The ceiling towered above them, clearly reinforced, the wall on her left was lined with targets and target dummies. The wall to her right¡­ that wall was¡­ glorious.


    Weapons of all shapes and sizes, dozens upon dozens of them, hung on various racks. Beautiful electrum shone under the unflickering light along three-quarters of the wall, while the last quarter was full of¡­ mattresses? Why did somebody lean mattresses up against the wall?


    Three people in long orange coats, clearly researchers, looked up at their entry.


    ¡°Loogie?¡± one of them addressed Lhogan by some kind of¡­ nickname? ¡°What are you doing here on your day off?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Felps,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°Brought a new test subject for you.¡±


    ¡°Test subject?¡± El crossed her arms.


    ¡°I mean that in the best way possible,¡± Lhogan replied.


    ¡°Reaaaaaally?¡± Felps said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°Is that a Firestorm emblem I see on her shoulder? Oh, yes, yes, those are wings! This is getting exciting!¡±


    ¡°The mad-scientist bit is just an act, right?¡± El asked. Felps couldn¡¯t be any older than his mid-twenties, but the other two researchers present were obviously deferring to him.


    ¡°Not an act at all,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°Felps here is responsible for almost everything in this room.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a prodigy,¡± one of the other two researchers, an older man, said. ¡°Though he sometimes forgets there are people inside the uniforms.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, people. People all over the place. In uniforms, in the bathtub, walking down the street. You don¡¯t need to remind me where people are. Opera, get the monitoring equipment set up. I don¡¯t want to lose an ounce of data,¡± Felps said to the female researcher.


    ¡°It¡¯s Opena,¡± she said to Felps with a sigh, then turned to El. ¡°My name¡¯s Opena, not¡­ oh, never mind. Yes sir,¡± she said and headed toward a mass of equipment against the far wall.


    ¡°Good,¡± Felps turned to the older man. ¡°Insulation, take the young lady and get her hooked up.¡±


    ¡°Right this way, if you¡¯d please,¡± the older man said and gestured for her to follow. ¡°Name is actually Insulad, but you may call me whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± El said and followed. ¡°What are we hooking me up to?¡±


    ¡°Just a few non-invasive sensors to see how your Spark reacts to the weapons you¡¯re testing. There have been varying reactions to some of them, and we¡¯re working to isolate the cause.¡±


    ¡°Varying reactions?¡± El asked. ¡°Anything dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Just minor spontaneous full-body combustion,¡± Felps said cheerfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, he¡¯ll be out of the hospital in twelve to sixteen weeks. Or was it months?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± El said and stopped walking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Insulad said with a grandfatherly smile. ¡°That was just once back when we first developed the weapons. We¡¯ve long-since worked out what caused that, and corrected it.¡±


    ¡°So, then why do I need the sensors?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Stop asking so many questions and just put them on. We have data to collect!¡± Felps urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fair question,¡± Insulad said more calmly. ¡°For some of the tests, the weapons have completely failed to activate, while others have pulled too hard on the tester¡¯s Spark. Nothing serious, just exhausting. We are trying to determine if it¡¯s similar to the Firestorm¡¯s wings where the user needs to have a certain level of Spark. Actually, we believe that¡¯s the case, so we¡¯re trying to figure out what that level is.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m not going to burst into flame?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Felps answered. ¡°Probably being in the range of sixty-eight to eighty-five percent.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an eighty-five percent chance I will or I won¡¯t burst into flame?¡± El asked as Insulad placed small disks on her temples and shoulders.


    ¡°There, all done,¡± Insulad said. ¡°Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 19 – Explosions?

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Lhogan said as he and El walked over to the weapons rack.


    ¡°If I explode, I¡¯m exploding on you,¡± El said and poked him in the chest.


    ¡°Seriously, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. I¡¯ve tested out a few of these myself. Worst I got was a headache and a few bruises. Be careful with this one.¡± Lhogan tapped a long tube-like weapon wider than her arm. ¡°This is the artillery I was telling you about, but it has quite a kick.¡±


    ¡°The bruises?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe start with one of the smaller ones?¡±


    ¡°This the new artillery you were talking about before? The one they are thinking about deploying early?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but¡­¡±


    El gently lifted the tube from the rack. Three feet long and weighing close to twenty pounds, one end opened wide, like a trumpet, while the other was clearly for her to insert her hand. So, she did. The tube swallowed her arm almost all the way to her elbow before her fingers found some kind of handle.


    ¡°The hilt inside is electrum, of course, like the weapons on your belt,¡± Insulad explained as he joined them. ¡°However,¡± he said very urgently, ¡°do not ignite the weapon unless you¡¯re ready to fire it. This has no idle mode, like your sword does. It¡¯s either shooting, or it¡¯s not. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± El said. ¡°I just point this at the target and ignite?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. Are you sure you want to start with this one, though? It¡¯s caused the most cases of exhaustion and¡­¡±


    ¡°Spontaneous combustion?¡± El almost put the weapon down.


    ¡°I was going to say bruising, but yes, that too. It was a long time ago, though,¡± Insulad said.


    ¡°And he¡¯s still going to be in the hospital for another twelve to sixteen weeks?¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for? An invitation? Put her on the mark and let¡¯s go!¡± Felps yelled.


    ¡°Really, you can try something else if you¡¯d like,¡± Insulad offered.


    Spontaneous combustion, could that actually even hurt her with the Spark? And, would that be worse than being entombed in ice? No. And the whole reason she was here was to find a weapon to stop those blue newts. If this was it, she couldn¡¯t back down now. She owed it to her friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± she said, and hefted the weapon.


    ¡°Okay, the mark is over here,¡± Insulad said and led her to the middle of the room. ¡°Now, this weapon will be unlike anything you¡¯ve tried before. We¡¯ve developed a new process for the electrum. We call it double-forged electrum, and it not only channels the Spark, it magnifies it.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Between three and four times, we estimate,¡± Insulad said, and pointed at an X on the floor. ¡°Yes, right there, please,¡± he said as El took her spot.


    ¡°Why is where I stand so important?¡± she asked.


    Lhogan pointed to the mattresses leaning against the wall fifty feet away. ¡°Told you, a bit of a kick.¡±


    El looked at the distant mattresses, then at the weapon in her hands. A bit of a kick?


    ¡°This is a ranged weapon, like your bow, so your target will be those four dummies down at the far end of the room, but don¡¯t ignite until we¡¯re out of the way,¡± Insulad said, and quickly backstepped.


    ¡°You got this,¡± Lhogan said, and gave her two thumbs up.


    ¡°Anything happens to me, you get to explain to my brother,¡± El told him.


    Lhogan paused and his mouth worked, but no sounds came out.


    ¡°Loogie, out of the way unless you¡¯re offering to be a target!¡± Felps shouted.


    El gestured toward the target dummies. She was game if Lhogan was.


    He wasn¡¯t, and scurried over to join the other three. Why were they standing behind a blast shield?


    El looked down at the weapon in her hands. What the Blaze was this thing going to do?


    Time to find out!


    With the aid of her flame armor, the weight of the weapon was barely noticeable as she lifted it parallel to the ground. She slid her left foot back to brace herself and focused on the central target dummy.


    ¡°Uh, El, maybe you should¡ª¡± Lhogan started.


    El ignited the weapon.


    KA-SHOOOOOOM


    The world tinged red from the horse-sized, miniature sun that exploded from the barrel of her weapon like it was sprinting. Streamers of flailing plasma scorched the floor, heat rolled outward in a visible wave, and the sound, a roar like standing at the foot of a massive waterfall.


    It moved away from her at blistering speed. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. She was moving too. In the opposite direction.


    The ball of fire soared past the target dummy and struck the reinforced wall behind at the same time she hit the mattresses hard enough to feel it through her flame armor.


    Mattresses wrapped around her to absorb the impact while the fiery projectile erupted in a conflagrating expansion that stretched fifty feet in every direction. The flames reached the ceiling, consumed the target dummies, all of them, and slammed against the blast shield protecting the four spectators.


    The spring from the mattresses expelled El to flop onto the floor, the weapon rolling away, and she pushed herself up just in time to see the fiery explosion vanish without a trace. Well, maybe not completely without a trace. The target dummies slouched and warped from the temperature, heat radiated off the walls and ceiling in waves, and Felps, he was jumping and clapping his hands.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± he asked his two colleagues. ¡°Tell me you got the data for that.¡±


    ¡°Analyzing now,¡± Insulad said, his eyes on a screen to his side. Was his hair smoldering?


    ¡°Well? Well? What¡¯ve you got?¡±


    ¡°Hrm. That was above-average output, with a pull on her Spark well within acceptable thresholds. Ignite time¡­ wow¡­ that¡¯s impressive. Look at this,¡± Insulad said and waved the other two researchers over.


    El stopped paying attention to them, she hadn¡¯t combusted after all, and stood up. She was stiff from the impact, and her shoulder sure hurt from the weapon¡¯s recoil, but all in all, that wasn¡¯t bad.


    ¡°Told you it had some kick,¡± Lhogan said and jogged over.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± El said, picking up the weapon.


    ¡°Here, I can put that back on the rack for you. You want to try one of the smaller ones?¡±


    In answer, El slipped the weapon back on her arm. ¡°Can I try again?¡± she shouted over to Felps.


    ¡°Again?¡± Lhogan asked. ¡°Once usually scares people off.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to issue these to Firestorm, we need to figure out how to deal with that recoil. Felps? Can I?¡±


    ¡°Knock yourself out my dear,¡± Felps shouted. ¡°Literally, if need be,¡± he added only slightly more quietly.


    ¡°You might want to get behind the blast shield again,¡± El said.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± Lhogan asked.


    El just glared at him, and he threw his hands up in surrender and then jogged back to join the three researchers.


    Okay, that recoil was something else. Firestorm would be in the air when they ignite though. Would her wings be enough to offset the blast? And how would the pull on her Spark affect her wings? Only one way to find out.


    El ignited her wings, lifted a few inches off the ground, and glided forward to hover above the X on the floor.


    ¡°Hey, Insulad, think I¡¯ll be able to maintain my wings when I fire?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Given the readings, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The weapon was designed to be fired from the air after all,¡± he answered back.


    ¡°Has it been tested?¡±


    No answer.


    El double-checked to make sure she was still lined up with the mattresses, then leveled the weapon at the target dummies again.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready here,¡± Felps said. ¡°You show that dummy!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the encouragement,¡± El whispered to herself and ignited the weapon.


    Like before, the tremendous recoil launched her in the other direction. Unlike the last time, El didn¡¯t focus on the fireball, and instead turned her attention and power to her wings. Five feet she flew backward at breakneck speeds. Fifteen feet and she had her momentum under control. Twenty feet, she stopped.


    Not bad.


    Felps hooted and cheered. ¡°This is a major breakthrough! You¡¯re the first one not to hit the mattresses! Well, actually, technically the second. I mean there was that one guy before we figured out we needed to put mattresses there at all. But hitting the wall is just the same, right?


    ¡°How are the readings?¡± he turned to ask Insulad.


    ¡°Still well within acceptable limits, and there was almost no loss to the efficiency of her wings. Here are the readings for her Spark.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, interesting,¡± Felps said, putting his fingers to his lips in thought.


    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± Lhogan asked, jogging over to join her a second time.


    El took a deep breath and gently touched down. ¡°That one took it out of me a lot more than the first. Feel like I just ran a hundred-yard sprint. But, it was better. One more time,¡± she called out so everybody could hear her.


    ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± Lhogan said. ¡°Nobody¡¯s done three in a row.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one more thing I want to try,¡± El said and doused her wings. ¡°Have to see if we can completely counter that recoil. Twenty feet is still a long way to go if we¡¯re in a tight formation. Can¡¯t have Firestorm slamming into each other like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Lhogan said with a smile.


    ¡°And I¡¯m going to be hungry after this. You still offering dinner?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to try, but if you can stay on the X, I¡¯ll take you anywhere you want to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± El asked and raised her eyebrows. Then she gave him a wink and walked back up to the X.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to regret that offer, aren¡¯t I?¡± Lhogan asked from beside her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a single nod toward the blast shield.


    ¡°Good luck, I guess?¡± Lhogan said and jogged off for a third time.


    Right, if El was going to make this work, she¡¯d need to do things a little differently than the other two attempts. The first time, she¡¯d stood rather brazenly, assuming the talk of the recoil was wild exaggeration. It wasn¡¯t. But, that had given her a good idea of how much force was actually applied.


    The second time, she¡¯d faced it straight on, expecting her wings to be able to counter the force. It had worked, to an extent. Still, even if she¡¯d been flying at the target at full speed when she fired, the blast would¡¯ve still kicked her back midair. The weapon¡¯s recoil was simply beyond the power provided by her wings¡¯ regular ignition. Which just left one option.


    El leveled her right arm at the target, and brought her left hand up to brace the weapon. She needed it to line up almost perfectly. Next, she bent her knees and slid her left leg back again for extra support. Finally, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.


    ¡°You forgot your wings!¡± Felps shouted helpfully.


    ¡°You ready for this?¡± El asked.


    ¡°She forgot her wings,¡± Felps said again to the three around him. ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t hear me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Insulad answered her.


    ¡°You got this, El,¡± she told herself, then ignited the weapon at the same time she flared her wings at full power.


    The burst from the weapon pulled on her Spark, sucking the power it needed out, while El consciously pushed the remaining energy into her flared wings. Dual forces of deafening intensity exploded in opposite directions, crushing her in the middle like a vice and vying for superiority.


    The whole room flashed red and shook from the roar of the flames. It lasted only a heartbeat, and then the fireball hit the middle target, engulfing it and those around it in the same expanding inferno. El hardly paid attention to it though, dropping to her knee in exhaustion.


    Right on the X.


    She hadn¡¯t moved. Not an inch. She would¡¯ve laughed at the success, except she didn¡¯t have the energy at the moment. That had been almost as draining as the arrow she¡¯d launched at the Stormbearer. But, glancing up at the target dummy that looked like a melted candle, it was worth it.


    These weapons would definitely be able to kill the newts. And, maybe with a few of them, could even stop that Knight.


    A hand on her shoulder brought her mind back to the present.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Lhogan asked. ¡°Those three are completely lost in the readings, so I figured somebody needed to come check on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, give me a hand?¡± El asked, and let the weapon slide to the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to break my arm?¡± Lhogan asked playfully, but took her hand and helped her stand.


    ¡°You get a pass this time,¡± she said. ¡°Especially since you¡¯re going to need both arms to pay for the dinner I have in mind.¡±


    ¡°What does having both arms have to do with paying for dinner?¡±


    ¡°No idea, it sounded better in my head.¡±


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Felps said as he walked over to join them. ¡°Absolutely amazing. That thing you did with your wings, can all Firestorm do it?¡±


    ¡°To an extent,¡± El answered. ¡°Like any skill, some better than others. Can I give you some input after having tried that weapon a few times?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Felps said, Insulad and Opena joining him.


    ¡°Great power,¡± El said. ¡°But the drain is too much for extended fights. Can you reduce the output by say, thirty percent, for the average soldier? If you¡¯re going to mass produce these, only give this heavier model to the people who can fire it off a few times, and give a lighter model to most people. It¡¯ll be a good balance for longer fights, but if the weapons all look the same, our enemies won¡¯t know which ones are the heavy hitting ones.¡±


    ¡°We had something like that in mind,¡± Insulad said. ¡°Could you have fired a fourth shot?¡±


    ¡°Not if I wanted to walk out of here under my own power,¡± El answered. ¡°Maybe in ten or fifteen minutes after I had a chance to recover, but anything sooner would be too much.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Insulad said and scratched something down on a notepad he pulled out of a pocket.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s enough for today then,¡± Felps said. ¡°We need to go over this data anyway. Loogie, as a reward for all the help she was, why don¡¯t you go show it to her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I mean, we kind of just met. We hardly know each other,¡± Lhogan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Felps said. ¡°Make sure she enjoys it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, you haven¡¯t even taken me to dinner yet,¡± El said.


    ¡°Huh? What? No! Nothing like that,¡± Lhogan said quickly. ¡°Felps is talking about his other project. It¡¯s still hush-hush, but if he says it¡¯s okay, you interested?¡±


    Another weapon they could use against the blue newts? ¡°I¡¯m interested,¡± she said.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s go,¡± Lhogan said.


    ¡°Thanks again for your help,¡± Insulad said. ¡°Now we just need to replace the mattresses before our next round of testing.


    Replace the¡­? El turned around. Oh. A charred cone on the floor stretched all the way from the X to the back wall where a smoldering pile of ashes was all that was left of the mattresses.


    Whoops.

 Spark of War - Chapter 20 – History Lesson

    El watched Lhogan as he leaned in front of a small, slightly smoldering box on the wall ten feet away from where the mattresses had been. A shimmer in the air, like a wave of heat, connected the box to his eyes, and then a hidden door in the wall slid open.


    ¡°This way,¡± Lhogan said, and ushered her inside.


    ¡°What was that?¡± El asked after Lhogan followed her in, and the door closed behind them.


    ¡°New security measure, scans your Spark through your eyes. Really dries them out too,¡± he said and massaged his eyes with the palms of his hands.


    ¡°New?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s actually why I was surprised Felps suggested this. We had a break-in a few months back,¡± Lhogan explained as the hallway they were in turned into a spiral staircase, and Lhogan led them down.


    ¡°A break in? Did you catch them? Who was it?¡±


    ¡°We think it was an operative from Guld,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°Yes, think, we didn¡¯t catch them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d they take?¡±


    ¡°Data of some kind. I don¡¯t have the clearance to know more than that. Anyway, since then, they installed those Spark readers all over the place. Uh, it probably goes without saying, but you shouldn¡¯t talk about anything you see down here. The weapons above, sure, no problem, but down here is still some top secret stuff.¡±


    A Guld operative was more interested in what was down there then the weapon above she¡¯d tested? Just what kind of other project was Felps working on?


    Lhogan leaned in front of another Spark reader at the bottom of the stairs, which opened a door into a wide passageway.


    ¡°I had no idea there was something like this underground,¡± El said as she looked first right then left. The passage was definitely manmade, with twenty-foot ceilings, and at least twice as wide. And it looked to curve and fork further down. ¡°How far does it go?¡±


    ¡°Miles,¡± Lhogan said, and turned left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, we aren¡¯t far from our destination.¡±


    ¡°All for research?¡±


    ¡°Not all, no. Just this area. There are parts I can¡¯t access, even higher security, that I think the military controls. I¡¯ve heard a rumor the Church controls the biggest section.¡±


    ¡°Been hearing a lot about the Church lately,¡± El said. ¡°Are you one of the faithful?¡±


    Lhogan waved at a pair of researchers in orange coats as they passed, then shook his head at El. ¡°No, my mother is, but my father never really got into it. So, neither did I. What about you and your parents?¡±


    ¡°My parents died when I was young, so I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t think so. Nexin¡¯s never mentioned it. As for me, no time for that,¡± El answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°About your parents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. It happened a long time ago, and it¡¯s a fact I can¡¯t change. No point in running from it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Why¡¯d you ask if I was one of the faithful?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about the Church other than its role as caretaker of the Flame. Just trying to figure out why they¡¯re suddenly running rampant over my life. One of the cardinals was in that room,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Oh? Should you have told me that?¡± Lhogan asked and gave her a sly wink.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me I couldn¡¯t talk about who was in there, just not what was said. Besides, you¡¯ve shown me a few things I probably shouldn¡¯t be seeing.¡±


    ¡°I can show you a few more if you like,¡± he said with another wink.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin this by making me punch you,¡± she said flatly. ¡°Anyway, back to the Church, why would they have any sway over the military?¡±


    ¡°Well, that kind of makes sense,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°Think about it. Why do we even have a military? Or the Firestorm? What has our nation been doing for the last¡­ uh¡­ what is now, two hundred and twenty-two years?¡±


    ¡°Two hundred and¡­ wasn¡¯t that when we conquered Graxia?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Correct, and more importantly, when we reclaimed their Ember. That was the first Ember, other than our own, that we¡¯d taken by force. And who do you think directed us to do that?¡±


    ¡°The Church,¡± El answered.


    ¡°Exactly. Graxia was our neighbor. A trading partner. Practically a sister nation. I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve read about it, but our¡­ campaign¡­ against them wasn¡¯t a pretty one. That was before our Ember was strong enough to provide the Spark like it does now, so we played dirty. Poisoned water supplies, spy games, and assassinations. You get the idea?¡±


    ¡°Wow. They didn¡¯t teach that in school,¡± El said. ¡°Where¡¯d you learn it?¡±


    ¡°Told you my dad didn¡¯t really get into the Church? He was a historian, by hobby more than profession, and liked to share what he found with me.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Church has been the one directing the military since the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s not like the military hasn¡¯t benefitted from it. Every Ember it captures for the Church increases the power of our Sparks and fuels the war-machine. Each victory makes the next one that much easier. The lizards were probably one of the toughest conquests, since they also had multiple Embers, but we took our time until we made our move. When we finally attacked, well, it was pretty one-sided.¡±


    ¡°The lizards had more than one Ember? School really didn¡¯t teach us much.¡±


    ¡°They called themselves the Chosen of Pyre, or at least that¡¯s how we translated it. Before we stopped them, they were probably the closest nation to ruling the world. They had the most land, the most Embers, the strongest fighting force.


    ¡°Blaze, if they¡¯d been able to cross the oceans before us, they might¡¯ve actually done it. But they never figured out how to fly like we did. That changed the war. Changed history.¡±


    ¡°Were the lizards a single nation, like us?¡± El asked. ¡°Did your dad ever tell you anything about different tribes?¡±


    Lhogan didn¡¯t answer right away as they turned a corner, a heavy double door the only thing at the end of the hall. Had she said too much?


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± he finally said. ¡°Dad mentioned an enemy the newts had a long time ago. I only remember because he said the translation was never quite right. The closest he got was something like blood feud, so he suspected it was some kind of civil war. Maybe they were different tribes, but I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re here,¡± Lhogan said, and pointed at the huge doors in front of them. ¡°Remember, not a word of this to anybody.¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± El said. ¡°Until we get to dinner,¡± she clarified.


    ¡°What about after dinner?¡± Lhogan asked with another wink.


    El looked back down the empty hall and stepped into Lhogan, so close their mouths almost touched. ¡°There¡¯s nobody here now,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± he whispered back, pupils dilating.


    ¡°And I have a very good sense of direction,¡± she added, reaching down to take his hand and bring it up between them.


    ¡°You do,¡± he said. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so here, now,¡± she took hold of his thumb and pinky finger. ¡°If you¡­ touched me,¡± she whispered and brought his hand closer to her chest. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be enough of you left for your friend Felps to find after I left this maze.¡± A slight twist of her hands, and his fingers, in opposite directions accentuated her point.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Lhogan whimpered.


    El released his hand and stepped back. ¡°Can I give you some advice?¡±


    Lhogan shook his hand gently, but nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you, and I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me today. So, don¡¯t rush things. The best things are the ones you have to wait for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Is this you playing hard to get?¡± Lhogan asked, but not maliciously. There was a twinkle in his eye. He was enjoying this?


    ¡°I don¡¯t play. At least not when I¡¯m in uniform,¡± she said with a wink of her own.


    Lhogan sighed overdramatically, but nodded. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to resist my charms for long,¡± he promised.


    ¡°Maybe, but that¡¯s not why we¡¯re down here. What¡¯s behind this?¡± El asked and thumbed at the door.


    ¡°Fine, fiiiiiine,¡± Lhogan laughed with a shrug and stepped over to yet another Spark scanner. ¡°It¡¯s not quite finished yet, but I think you¡¯ll get the picture pretty well,¡± he said, and a small side door opened next to him.


    ¡°What, no grand reveal?¡± she asked, but joined him as he went through the door.


    She didn¡¯t need a reply, her breath taken away by what hung before her.


    The spherical room she entered was only about one hundred feet in diameter, and she stood on a wide balcony midway up that ringed the central feature. Glistening in the light, an electrum skeleton, a giant electrum skeleton, hung suspended.


    Skeletal wings sprung from its wide shoulders and stretched toward the walls. The lanky arms ended in bladed fingers, each as long as El¡¯s sword, while the legs seemed stubby in comparison. Most striking of all¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s the head?¡± El asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s your question, after seeing this?¡± Lhogan asked with a chuckle as a few researchers eyed them, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°For the moment,¡± El said.


    Lhogan just shook his head, but he was smiling. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t finished. That¡¯s the last thing they¡¯re working on. Apparently the most important.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, stepping to the edge of the railed balcony to have a look. Even with the double doors all the way open, this thing would need to hunch to get out of there.


    ¡°Full disclosure here,¡± Lhogan said. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know. All Felps really told me is that it¡¯s the weapon that¡¯ll win the war for us, if it goes that long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Well, he also told me to imagine the double-forged electrum bones, that¡¯s what those are, ¡®engulfed in holy flame as they smite our enemies,¡¯¡± Lhogan finished in his best Felps¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Again with Church involvement?¡± El asked.


    ¡°What¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­ oh, I see your point. He did actually say holy flame and smite, but I figured that was just him being his usual overdramatic self. Could still be,¡± Lhogan admitted.


    ¡°Or, this could be Church-directed. But, even if it is, how are they going to make this work? Wait, you said a Guld operative was here?¡± El asked.


    Lhogan nodded.


    El turned back to the giant skeleton and looked at it in a new light. ¡°Is this some kind of golem then?¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Lhogan said and leaned on the railing. ¡°I hadn¡¯t really considered that. It could be.¡±


    And one engulfed in holy flames? Was that just figurative in that their Sparks all originated with the Pyre? Or something more literal?

 Spark of War - Chapter 21 – A Point Proven

    El parted ways from Lhogan three hours later, her stomach comfortably full, and his wallet painfully empty. He really shouldn¡¯t have made that bet with her. Oh well, she¡¯d make it up to him next time.


    Next time? Had she enjoyed her time with him enough for there to be a next time? Huh, she had. Who would¡¯ve expected that?


    ¡°Corporal Vasage?¡± a voice called from down the hall as El reached for her door. She turned to find a young soldier jogging in her direction, still a cadet from the uniform, orange jacket and black pants. He couldn¡¯t be older than thirteen or fourteen. He must¡¯ve just joined the academy.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked.


    The cadet stopped in front of her and gave a weak salute. ¡°General Cannon requests your presence,¡± the boy said, red-faced and slightly out of breath.


    El struggled not to sigh or huff or stomp her foot. She hadn¡¯t slept since returning, and while the break with Lhogan had been a nice distraction, she needed some time to herself to process the loss of more soldiers.


    ¡°When?¡± she asked. Please be tomorrow.


    ¡°Immediately,¡± the cadet said. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for over an hour,¡± he further complained. ¡°Where the Blaze were you?¡±


    ¡°Cadet!¡± El snapped. ¡°Is that any way to speak to an officer? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Cadet Liisen,¡± he said and stood straighter.


    ¡°Cadet Liisen,¡± El said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky the general has requested me immediately, or I¡¯d most certainly take some time to ensure you remember your manners the next time you speak to a superior officer.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the cadet said, though his voice lacked any semblance of apology. Uppity little bastard.


    ¡°Which unit are you with?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A2,¡± he answered quickly.


    A2? One of the more advanced units, which meant this kid had potential. El and Nexin had both been assigned to A1, but the gap from year to year could vary wildly if A1 filled it¡¯s forty-five slots quickly.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± El said and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m scheduled to instruct the A¡¯s next week, and I can always use a punching bag, sorry, a volunteer to help with demonstrations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that will be wonderful, Ma¡¯am,¡± Cadet Liisen monotoned. ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    ¡°I like you, Liisen,¡± El said, obviously not what the cadet was expecting by his quirked eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t get intimidated easily. That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, lead the way to wherever General Cannon is.¡±


    Cadet Liisen gave her a sharper salute and turned on his heel, then quickstepped back the way he¡¯d come. Obviously in a hurry to get her to the general as soon as possible. If he¡¯d really been looking for her for an hour, El couldn¡¯t blame him, so she made sure to keep up.


    She followed him all the way back to the same room she¡¯d practically stormed out of earlier that morning. Of course.


    Cadet Liisen knocked, cracked the door open, and poked his head in. ¡°I¡¯ve got Corporal Vasage here, sir,¡± Liisen said, far more politely than he¡¯d spoken to El.


    ¡°Then send her in,¡± General Cannon¡¯s gruff voice responded.


    Liisen stepped back, pushed the door so it opened fully, and gestured her in.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± El said. ¡°You¡¯re still going to get voluntold to help me with demonstrations,¡± she added, then entered the room and saluted the general on the other side of the table. The door closed behind her, and she did a quick scan of the room.


    Where there¡¯d been three other people in the room besides General Cannon earlier in the morning, she was alone with the man now. The three extra seats on his side of the table had been pushed against the bare, far wall, and a number of reports spread across the plain table.


    ¡°Sit,¡± General Cannon told her, and pointed toward the empty chair across from him.


    El saluted again and did as instructed.


    ¡°You do not have an impressive record at the moment,¡± Cannon said. ¡°Two missions, two catastrophic failures. A higher loss of life than anything we¡¯ve seen in years, other than the direct offensive against Guld.¡±


    El neither responded nor reacted. Cannon had said exactly the same thing during their earlier interrogation. Had he brought her back just to keep rubbing her nose in it?


    ¡°However, I¡¯ve had a chance to talk to others from your wing, as well as from the four wings you were dispatched with, since we spoke earlier this morning. According to them, your choices, and more importantly, your actions, were the reason anybody at all made it back,¡± he went on. ¡°Your actions,¡± he looked at a report in front of him, ¡°were¡­ inspired. Using your wings as you did? How has nobody tried that before?¡±


    A rhetorical question El didn¡¯t have an answer to, and anything she said would just make her sound pompous, so she stayed quiet.


    General Cannon rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, a sound like El¡¯s wings flaring, then looked at her again with his halo-rimmed eyes. ¡°Corporal Vasage, no, Anella, we¡¯re going to speak freely here,¡± he said, then pointed at the three empty chairs. ¡°I asked you here, alone, so I could get some real answers. Esis wasn¡¯t just one of my best soldiers, she was also a close friend, and I would very much like to make the things that killed her pay dearly.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°However,¡± he looked again at the empty chairs. ¡°There are powers working against that.¡±


    ¡°What can I do?¡± El asked. If Cannon was ready to believe her, to help her expose the blue newts, there was actually a chance.


    ¡°First, accept the praise for what you did to save those soldiers,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡­ I¡¯m just sorry I couldn¡¯t save more,¡± she said.


    Cannon sighed again. ¡°We all are. It was on¡­ our¡­ orders you didn¡¯t explain what might be out there. We never thought the blue lizards, or one of those storms, would be over there too.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the lizards are? Or that storm?¡± El asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll be honest, when I heard your first report, I thought you were full of shit. Blue lizards? Nonsense. But, looking back, I was simply too angry at the loss of Esis and her unit to do anything other than blame you. For that, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± El said.


    ¡°Good, moving on, we need to find a way to stop these things from doing any more damage. If they were contained to the south, we could possibly ignore them and focus on the war with Guld. This second army showing up so far from the first though, that worries me. Your report said they attacked the red lizards you tracked? You¡¯re sure they weren¡¯t just collateral damage? Or, maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it, sir,¡± El said. ¡°The blue newts hit the red ones first, even before they went after us. If anything, they were more vicious with the newts than us. They were absolutely out for blood. You know, we might¡¯ve been the collateral damage. Wrong place, wrong time.¡±


    ¡°But, how did they know the red newts would be there? And where did the storm come from?¡± Cannon asked.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t answer either of those questions,¡± El admitted. Those were the kind of answers she was hoping to get from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Cannon said with a shrug and sat back. ¡°I want you to tell me more about the storm. How big was it? Did you go inside?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but Oril did¡ªCorporal Manse, that is. The first time we ran into the lizards and the Stormbearer. The snow didn¡¯t melt on his wings, and he said it made them feel heavy. Definitely magic at work. Not to mention how it blocks our communication.¡±


    ¡°Right, the Stormbearer you called him? Some kind of¡­ what was it, a knight? Was he at this second encounter?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, thankfully. I don¡¯t know if any of us would¡¯ve gotten away if he was. We barely did the first time, and I¡¯d rather not try my luck a second time unless we¡¯re well-prepared.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Back to the storm. Size?¡±


    ¡°Huge? It was like a curtain of white. I couldn¡¯t say how far it went in either direction.¡±


    ¡°And it was hidden from view until you were very close to it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hrmmmm,¡± Cannon said and tapped a pen against his lips. He knew something, or at least suspected it. ¡°We need more information. We don¡¯t know where those blue newts will be, but maybe that storm is still there. I¡¯ve got a dangerous mission for you.¡±


    El gulped, but gave a sharp salute. Wasn¡¯t this just the thing she¡¯d been wishing for just a few short weeks ago, a chance to prove herself? ¡°What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°I want you and your wing, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t spare anybody else, to head back to where you engaged the lizards. You¡¯re to avoid a repeat of that at all costs. Your mission is to gather intel on the storm itself. I need to know how fast it¡¯s moving, and how big it is. Get out there, get the information, and get back. Avoid combat at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. When should we¡­¡± El started to ask, but cut off as the door opened and Cardinal Scin entered, an expression like a thundercloud on his face, and his red-and-orange robes rippling as if they were on fire.


    ¡°Cardinal, can I help you?¡± Cannon asked and stood behind the table. Physically, he towered over everybody in the room, including the two Ignitio who followed Scin in, but something about the Cardinal radiated caution.


    And El was stuck between them.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing here, soldier?¡± Scin asked Cannon, not even using his rank. On purpose?


    ¡°Discussing a mission with one of my soldiers, as her general,¡± Cannon said. ¡°Dismissed, Corporal. You have your orders,¡± he turned and said to El.


    El stood and saluted, then turned to go, but one of the Ignitio was clearly blocking the door.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, and took a step forward.


    ¡°Stay where you are,¡± Scin said, his voice steam over hot coals, like the air in his lungs was burning. ¡°You¡¯ll forget those orders, whatever they were. You will be joining the offensive on Guld tomorrow morning. This is non-negotiable.¡±


    ¡°Cardinal, respectfully,¡± Cannon said, his shoulders squared. ¡°The corporal is not yours to command.¡±


    ¡°No, but you are,¡± Cardinal Scin said and inspected the manicured nails of his left hand.


    ¡°The Church of Pyre holds an advisory position with the Firestorm, nothing more,¡± Cannon said. ¡°We extended you the courtesy of attending these meetings in hopes you could provide insight. You did not, and I see no reason for you to continue as a member. Thank you for your time.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ misunderstand,¡± Scin said, and picked at one of his fingers, like the dirt under his nail was more important than the general in front of him. ¡°The Church allowed you to believe you had some choice in the matter. We have convened and determined it¡¯s time for us to once again take a firmer hand in things. As such, this is your opportunity to prove your allegiance to the cause.¡±


    ¡°And what cause would that be?¡± Cannon asked.


    ¡°To reuniting the Embers, of course,¡± Scin said. ¡°There is only one left, and for the first time in millennia, we will bring them together and witness the true glory of the Pyre.¡±


    ¡°We were going to do that anyway,¡± Cannon said. ¡°Corporal, your orders stand. And you,¡± Cannon pointed at the Ignitio in front of the door. ¡°You can move, or I will move you.¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Scin clipped his tongue. ¡°I will give you one more chance to make the correct choice,¡± Scin said.


    ¡°Cardinal, I¡­¡± Cannon started, but cut off when Scin finally looked up from his nails, the halos in his eyes so bright El had to turn away.


    What the Blaze?


    ¡°Before you make that choice, I have two questions for you. The first, as a courtesy, are you right- or left-handed?¡±


    ¡°Right-handed. What does that have to do with courtesy?¡± Cannon asked, lifting that same arm up to block some of the piercing light from Scin¡¯s gaze.


    It was like looking at two small suns where his eyes should be.


    ¡°Second, do you know why the Church has the power to command the military? And, no, it¡¯s not because of the Ignitio.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Cannon started to ask, but stopped as his left hand began to smolder. Within a heartbeat, that smolder became a full burn that engulfed his entire arm.


    El couldn¡¯t help but take a step back as General Cannon let out a pained scream and stumbled to the floor. Fire had never burned her. Never even been uncomfortable. But something about the flame was terrifying.


    No matter how much Cannon rolled or beat on the flames, they didn¡¯t slow or abate. And even though they didn¡¯t move past his shoulder or spread to this other hand, the fact the fire somehow had clear intent was even worse.


    ¡°That should prove my point,¡± Scin said, the light in his eyes vanishing, along with the flames on Cannon¡¯s arm.


    General Cannon lay on his back on the ground, his teeth clenched in pain, and his right hand hovering above his ruined left arm. The skin, black and charred, leaked some kind of pus while the smell of cooked meat filled the room.


    El turned into the corner and vomited up the expensive contents of her stomach. All of them.


    ¡°Your Spark is a gift of the Pyre, and the Cardinals are his hands in this world. You would do well to remember this,¡± Scin said. ¡°Now, about the corporal¡¯s orders?¡±


    El, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and met the general¡¯s pained eyes. They both knew it; if the General resisted any further, the flames would consume far more than his arm. And somebody else would just become the Cardinal¡¯s mouthpiece.


    ¡°New¡­ orders,¡± Cannon wheezed through gritted teeth. ¡°Deploy¡­ on¡­ Guld.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± El said, her voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°Dismissed,¡± Cannon said.


    Scin made a small shooing motion to the Ignitio in front of the door, who moved aside, and El fled the room.

 Spark of War - Chapter 22 – Hope and a Weapon

    El¡¯s hands shook at her sides as she walked the dark, lonely halls, boots clacking on the stone floor with every step. What the Blaze just happened? How¡¯d the Cardinal do that with Cannon¡¯s Spark? Had he really controlled it with a look? And made it burn one of the most physically powerful men in the country?


    She looked down and stared at the flesh on the back of her hands, her mind playing out the flames rolling across them, bubbling and boiling the flesh. Scorching the muscle beneath. Blackening the bones.


    The smell still lingered in her nose, like a barbeque, until her brain reminded her what was being cooked.


    El quickstepped to the side of the hall to throw open a window, leaned out, then dry heaved what little remained in her stomach. There wasn¡¯t much after what she¡¯d seen.


    Wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she stood straight and rested her head against the wall. She should head back to her room. Get some sleep. She was deploying in a few hours, after all. But, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. Not yet. Not after that.


    Her whole body shook, but nervous energy coursed through her veins. She needed to calm down. Clear her mind. She could go find Laze, maybe talk about what¡¯d happened. No, it was late. They could talk tomorrow. What then?


    Well, there was always one thing that made her feel better. El¡¯s eyes caught the remnants of her dry heaving on the windowsill. Okay, two things, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat again for a while. Instead, she shuffled down the hall, hands rubbing her arms to push aside an unfamiliar chill.


    Had she ever been afraid of the Spark? No. It was a part of her. A huge part of her. A friend. A weapon. An identity.


    But if Scin could use it against her like that, she needed to be more careful. What was it Lhogan had said? She¡¯d need to prove herself. Maybe he was more right than either of them had realized. It might not just be her career on the line, but also her life.


    El rounded the corner into the sparring room and paused at the entrance when it wasn¡¯t empty.


    ¡°Sol? What are you doing here at this hour?¡± El asked the man scrubbing the floor. Still scrubbing? Or again?


    ¡°Floors don¡¯t clean themselves,¡± he said without looking up.


    ¡°Do you¡­ mind if I come in?¡± El asked. Wait, why was she asking? This was a public space! Still, her feet didn¡¯t move.


    Sol¡¯s hands stopped, and he lifted his head to look at her. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, voice as flat as usual. ¡°Do you have more questions?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said, and walked over to sit down cross-legged a few feet away from him. ¡°Well, maybe yes, but a different kind of questions. Is that okay?¡±


    Sol slowly gestured at the wide room with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to be here for a while, and I don¡¯t mind the company. You¡¯re the only one who talks to me.¡±


    ¡°I know that feeling,¡± El replied quietly.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Sol asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± El said quickly. ¡°Sol, what do you think of the Spark? Do you think it¡¯s dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    El shook her head reflexively. ¡°I¡­ actually, I¡¯m sorry, maybe it¡¯s not fair to talk to you about this. I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up,¡± she said, and put her hands on the floor to push herself up.


    ¡°I already told you,¡± Sol interrupted her. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. Ask your questions.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± El said, settling back down, ¡°I¡¯ve always had the Spark. It¡¯s¡­ strong in my family. Me and my brother both.¡±


    ¡°What about your parents?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay to talk about this?¡± El asked.


    Sol glanced up toward the ceiling, like he was looking right through it. ¡°Do you think the moon is beautiful?¡± he asked in return.


    ¡°I never really thought about it,¡± she answered.


    ¡°On the quiet, clear nights, out on my boat, I would just sit and stare at the moon. Sometimes, the way it reflected in the water made it look like I was floating up in the sky with it. Like I could almost reach out and touch it.


    ¡°But, of course, I couldn¡¯t. Just because I can¡¯t touch the moon, can¡¯t have it, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t appreciate it for what it is. No, I will never have the Spark like you do. Not even the smallest part of it. But I can talk about it, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sol,¡± El said after a moment.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Your parents?¡± he prodded, then turned back to methodically scrubbing the floor with a thick rag.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. They both died when I was young. Nexin, that¡¯s my brother, he says they were strong too. They were also in the Firestorm, died on a mission, so I guess he has to be telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason he would lie?¡±


    ¡°Other than to make his little sister feel better about the parents she hardly knew? Probably not.¡±


    ¡°Then they were strong,¡± Sol said. ¡°Like all parents need to be for their children. No matter what.¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ do you have children, Sol?¡± She¡¯d never thought to ask the question before. What if he left his family back in Salid when the lizards attacked?


    ¡°It would take somebody¡­ special¡­ to love a Sparkless,¡± Sol said. ¡°I never met anybody like that in Salid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± El said.


    ¡°We were talking about your Spark,¡± Sol redirected.


    ¡°Right,¡± El said. Sol¡¯s family, or lack of one, wasn¡¯t her business. ¡°It¡¯s been such a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It¡¯s central in the stories of my parents¡¯ lives, and their deaths. My brother and I both have our careers because of it. It keeps us warm, powers our city, controls our weather, grows our crops¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡± Sol asked when El trailed off.


    ¡°But,¡± El agreed.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Sol asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± El said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not sure what to think. Is the Spark our hope, like I was taught? Or, is it something else?¡±


    ¡°And you want my opinion?¡± Sol asked.


    ¡°I do. You might be the only person I can actually ask this.¡±


    ¡°The Spark is many things, as you said, but you left out its main purpose.¡±


    El nodded. She had. ¡°It¡¯s a weapon,¡± she agreed.


    Sol shook his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡± El asked.


    Sol stopped scrubbing and shifted himself to face her, likewise sitting cross-legged. ¡°Yes, it is also a weapon, as proven by this room, this building, this entire nation. The Spark has been used to kill, conquer, and raze entire countries. Joining the Firestorm is the dream of every young citizen, to soar through the skies and fight glorious battles.¡±


    El nodded. He was right. Her entire childhood, El and Nexin had wanted nothing more than to fly on flaming wings. Even now, her ¡°dream¡± was to lead the victory charge against Guld and crush them once and for all. ¡°So, why did you shake your head?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because being a weapon is not the Spark¡¯s main role.¡±


    ¡°What is it, then?¡±


    ¡°A leash.¡±


    ¡°What? What the Blaze are you talking about?¡± she asked, sitting up straight, her fists clenching at her sides. But, something in the back of her head was nodding along with him.


    ¡°Why do you fight?¡± Sol asked. ¡°Is it because the Spark is a weapon? You have the biggest stick, so you want to go around and hit other people with it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± El said, her hands relaxing. ¡°We fight¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because you enjoy it?¡±


    El shook her head immediately. Yes, she enjoyed sparring. She enjoyed winning. But, that was just her competitive nature. Nobody got hurt, and they all had a good laugh after. It was time with her friends, and the chance to push herself harder. A chance for her to be better than she was the day before.


    No, this was exactly the same as the conversation she¡¯d had with Lhogan.


    ¡°We fight to gather the Embers,¡± she said. We fight for the Church. But, she kept that last part to herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a leash, a cycle, that¡¯s lasted hundreds of years. The stronger your Sparks, the more you can conquer. The more you conquer, the more Embers you collect, which in turn increases the strength of your Sparks.


    ¡°You¡¯re a slave to it,¡± Sol said.


    El¡¯s mind flashed back to Cannon, writhing in agony on the ground as his own Spark destroyed his arm. ¡°More than you know,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sol asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± El started.


    ¡°Well, well, well. Look who we have here boys,¡± a voice called from behind her, and Sol turned his attention back to the floor.


    El rolled her eyes, but stood and turned to face Oril. Recognition and surprise flashed across his face. He wasn¡¯t talking about her?


    ¡°Oh, and the coward is here too? The coward and the freak are friends? That¡¯s just perfect,¡± Oril said to the two Firestorm behind him.


    Loaker and Bills. They were from Nexin¡¯s class. Which meant they were also from Oril¡¯s class.


    ¡°Can I help you, corporal?¡± El asked. No need to rise to his jibes.


    Oril looked her up and down as he walked around her to stand over Sol. ¡°You? Help me? I think you¡¯ve proven to everybody that you¡¯re just as useless as this Sparkless lump here,¡± Oril said, put his boot to Sol¡¯s shoulder, then shoved the seated man.


    El took a step closer, but a strong hand fell on each of her shoulders. She glanced to her sides to find Loaker and Bills flanking her, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. What did he tell them about me?


    ¡°Need I remind you, soldiers, that laying an unwanted hand on a superior officer is a punishable offense?¡± she asked them.


    ¡°Oh, come now,¡± Oril said, but nodded at the two men who released their grips on her. ¡°You look a little tired. They were just worried you were going to fall over, so they offered their support,¡± he finished, and put his boot back on Sol¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± El said. ¡°And is that any way to treat the man who saved your life and carried you out of danger on his back?¡±


    Oril¡¯s eyes snapped down to glare daggers at Sol. ¡°Is that what he told you?¡± Oril hissed, took his foot off Sol, then leaned down and wrapped his fists in the front of Sol¡¯s shirt. ¡°Is that what you told people, you worthless, Sparkless, waste of flesh?¡±


    Flame armor shimmering and enhancing his strength, Oril easily lifted Sol up and off the floor, the other man¡¯s feet dangling inches above the ground. ¡°I asked you a question!¡± Oril shouted in Sol¡¯s face.


    Sol, for his part, didn¡¯t even try to fight back. His arms hung listless at his side while his flat eyes seemingly gazed right through Oril. He might as well have been a doll.


    And that only pissed Oril off more.


    ¡°Sparkless waste!¡± Oril shouted and spun, hurling Sol through the air to hit the ground with a grunt fifteen feet away and slide along the spotless floor. ¡°Why did you get to live when they had to die?¡± Oril roared and stormed toward Sol, who struggled to get up.


    Without the protection of the Flame armor¡­


    ¡°Oril, what are you¡­?¡± El started, but hands found their way to her shoulders again.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve died back there,¡± Oril shouted and snapped his foot up, catching Sol in the ribs and lifting him off the ground to land another ten feet away.


    Sol coughed and rolled onto his side, arms cradling his chest as he curled up.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve died,¡± Oril hissed and pulled the electrum hilt from his belt, flaming blade extending at his side.


    A weight settled on the room, like a tangible thing.


    Sol¡¯s blank eyes looked up to meet Oril¡¯s hate-filled gaze.


    Something terrible was about to happen, unless El did something to stop it. Which was exactly what Loaker and Bills were trying to prevent.


    Too bad for them they were standing in the wrong spot.


    El flared her wings to full power and launched forward, the hands on her shoulders vanishing, while Oril whipped his sword down at Sol¡¯s neck.

 Spark of War - Chapter 23 – A New Grudge

    El¡¯s boots skimmed a hair¡¯s breadth above the floor while her hands stretched out. Oril¡¯s blade fell like a headsman¡¯s axe.


    Which of them would get to Sol first?


    Goooooo, she urged herself as she corkscrewed in the air, bringing her arm in and igniting her shield.


    SHWAAA, sparks flew as Oril¡¯s downward slash met El¡¯s shield-uppercut, the force of the impact careening El out of control to skid along the floor until she slammed into the far wall hard enough to see stars.


    Got to get up; Sol is defenseless.


    El pushed herself to her feet and shook her head to chase the stars away. Where was Oril? There!


    The man sat on the floor, twenty feet away from Sol, and clearly trying to figure out how he¡¯d gotten there. His electrum hilt was nowhere to be seen.


    Loaker and Bills, well, they weren¡¯t even in the room anymore. The charred, conical burn on the floor went from where El was standing straight out the main entrance, where the two soldiers sat dazed against the wall. Their Spark and flame armor would¡¯ve protected them from the worst of it, but El wouldn¡¯t shed any tears if they came away a little bruised or broken.


    ¡°You okay?¡± El asked Sol, the dangerous aura in the air dispersed.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Sol said, then coughed, blood flecking his lips.


    A broken rib? Without a Spark, how long would it take him to heal from something like that? For El, it¡¯d just be a few days, but she¡¯d heard of people with weaker Sparks taking weeks.


    ¡°You burning bitch,¡± Oril said, standing. ¡°When I¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell somebody you attacked a defenseless man? Yeah, I¡¯m sure that will go well for you. Get to it, would you?¡± El interrupted, and made a shooing gesture toward the door.


    Oril narrowed his eyes at her, but didn¡¯t advance on Sol again.


    ¡°Just stand down. It doesn¡¯t have to escalate from here,¡± El said. Loaker and Bills were finally pulling themselves to their feet, and protecting Sol from all three of them would be a challenge.


    ¡°It¡¯s already escalated,¡± Oril said and half turned. ¡°Oh, and just a word of advice. Your wing is small, not a lot of people to watch your back. Be careful in Guld. Never know what might happen¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Oril said. ¡°Just a¡­ friendly¡­ warning.¡± He smiled, like a snake would, and walked out of the room without looking back at El or Sol, then disappeared around the corner with his two flunkies in tow.


    ¡°You¡­ made an enemy,¡± Sol said, and shifted with a grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of him,¡± El said.


    ¡°You should be,¡± Sol said. ¡°He holds grudges.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about right now. We need to get you to a doctor.¡±


    Sol shook his head. ¡°No point. Without a Spark, they won¡¯t know how to treat me.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°They must be able to do something. At least for the pain?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Pain isn¡¯t something new for me. This is manageable, though¡­¡± he trailed off.


    ¡°Though what?¡± El asked.


    ¡°The floors will have to wait,¡± he finished with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Did¡­ you¡­ just make a joke?¡±


    Sol turned to her, his face completely neutral.  ¡°I just stated a fact.¡±


    El took a breath, but couldn¡¯t stop a chuckle. ¡°I guess you did. Let me at least take you to your quarters.¡± It wasn¡¯t a request, and Sol nodded. ¡°You¡¯re in the temporary quarters wing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sol said as El gently put her shoulder under his arm and helped him to his feet. His face clenched in pain, but he didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Maybe the pain wasn¡¯t that bad?


    El slid out from under his arm, but stayed close as Sol took a step on his own. He faltered almost immediately, and only El¡¯s quick reflexes kept him from hitting the ground again.


    ¡°Really, a doctor might be a good idea,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°No,¡± Sol said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine on my own. I just need to rest.¡±


    Things looked a little beyond ¡°rest,¡± but El just shrugged. It wasn¡¯t her place to make him do anything. ¡°If you change your mind¡­¡± she trailed off as she supported him while they left the sparring room and slowly walked the halls.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Sol said, twenty minutes later, twice as long as it would¡¯ve taken El to walk there by herself. ¡°It¡¯s not locked.¡±


    El tested the door handle, and like he said, it swung in easily. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it locked?¡± she asked and brought him into the¡­ empty¡­ room. Just a bed, a small nightstand with what looked like a locket on it, and a plain set of clothes on a single chair.


    ¡°No Spark to open the lock,¡± Sol said. ¡°Help me to the bed.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here you go,¡± El said, and lowered Sol gently to sit on the edge of the bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Sol held his ribs and took a slow, shuddering breath. ¡°Like a member of the Firestorm just kicked me across the room. I¡¯ve been worse.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± El said. ¡°Not much of a room they gave you. At least you have a private bathroom, I guess,¡± El said and poked her head through the only other door in the room. ¡°I hated the shared showers back in the academy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything more. I won¡¯t be here for very long, anyway,¡± Sol said.


    ¡°Oh? Where are you going?¡± El asked absently, and walked over to the nightstand, her hand reaching out for the pendant. So pretty, like a locket of some kind of metal so blue it was almost black.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that,¡± Sol snapped, his hand snaking out and grabbing her wrist. His skin, without the Spark flowing through his veins, was shockingly cold on her flesh.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± El said and shook her head. What was she doing? How could she just ignore his privacy so blatantly? ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± she said, gently pulling her hand out of his grasp, and met his eyes.


    There was a new expression on his face. Actually, it was the first expression other than neutrality she¡¯d seen. What was that? Curiosity?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sol said. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s the only thing I have from home, and it¡¯s very fragile,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Of course. I understand. So, you¡¯re leaving soon?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be going home as soon as I can. Shouldn¡¯t be much longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to,¡± El said. Sure, the lizards had probably already moved on, but there was still the storm. How would he get through that? Actually, he probably didn¡¯t even know about it.


    ¡°I will,¡± Sol said. ¡°There is no place for me here. I have to go back to where there is.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really argue with that,¡± El said. ¡°But, I should get going. Apparently, I¡¯m deploying tomorrow. Thanks for giving me your honest opinion earlier. It¡¯s given me a lot to think about.¡±


    ¡°Be careful out there. Really. Oril won¡¯t hesitate to get even with you if he sees an opportunity,¡± Sol warned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him,¡± El said. ¡°Can I come talk to you again when I get back?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sol said. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Good night,¡± El said, and showed herself out, closing the door behind her. No lock, really. Not having a Spark was inconvenient in more ways than one. But, if what Sol said was true, maybe it was also more freeing? A leash, he¡¯d called it.


    More like a noose, if Scin had his way. Wouldn¡¯t it be convenient if something happened to her in the upcoming battle? Nobody to talk about the blue newts then.


    El stopped in her tracks. Could Oril be connected to Scin? If he did do something to her, would it be sanctioned? She really would need to watch her back. And her wing¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t let Oril go after them to get to her.


    Burn it, when had things gotten so complicated?


    The week¡¯s worth of fatigue finally settled cleanly on El¡¯s shoulders, and she slumped against the wall. An army of near-unstoppable golems backed into a corner ahead of her, a hot-headed soldier with a bone to pick at her back, and armies of blue bloodthirsty newts all around.


    This wasn¡¯t going to be the deployment she¡¯d dreamed of.

 Spark of War - Chapter 24 – Deployment

    ¡°You really think Oril will try something?¡± Laze asked, four days later as they sat on the outskirts of the Firestorm encampment. Hundreds of tents sprawled across the field, activity buzzing between them, but El¡¯s wing clearly stood separate from the rest. At least fifty feet separate.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± El responded. ¡°Which is why we need to be extra careful. In the chaos of battle tomorrow, anything could happen. We¡¯re going to be so busy watching for golems, we won¡¯t be watching for wings.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll look out for each other,¡± Dayne said, and methodically spooned soup into his mouth.


    ¡°I wish Teth was here,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°And Faled. He¡¯d know what to do about all this,¡± El said, and gestured at the gap between their tent and the rest.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, El,¡± Laze reassured her. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Church is here,¡± Dayne said and pointed with his spoon over El¡¯s shoulder.


    She, Nidina, and Laze all turned around to look where he¡¯d pointed.


    There on the horizon, coming in the from the south, flew three wide carriages, each carried by a dozen Ignitio.


    ¡°What are they doing here?¡± Laze asked as the Ignitio flew over their heads toward the center of the camp.


    ¡°Came to make my life more miserable?¡± El asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve never come to the front line before,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°And with three wings of Ignitio to boot? They¡¯re openly taking control of the military now,¡± Laze added.


    ¡°Guld is the only opposition left, and with the trouble caused by the blue newts, they want to make sure we win tomorrow,¡± Dayne said, another spoonful of soup disappearing into his mouth.


    ¡°But the groundies, and their artillery, aren¡¯t here yet. Are we really going to launch an assault on a fortified town like Aldrana without them?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly fortified at this point,¡± Nidina said. ¡°We¡¯ve been skirmishing here for weeks. The walls are rubble, not that they would¡¯ve done much to slow Firestorm down, and it¡¯s only the new golems that¡¯ve stopped us from outright pushing through.¡±


    ¡°New golems?¡± El asked. Why hadn¡¯t they been briefed on ¡°new¡± golems? Or was it just her wing left out? Again.


    ¡°My mom told me a bit about them before we left. Heavier, more firepower, and more responsive. Also, the golems can be controlled from a greater distance away. Our forces have been having trouble tracking down the controller to stop the golem, which means we¡¯ve had to physically stop the construct,¡± Nidina explained.


    ¡°No easy task against golems,¡± El said. ¡°And these new ones are also tougher? That¡¯s a dangerous combination.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea. We basically had to back off until we could mount a full offensive. The small detachment of ground troops here was wiped out, and the golems were swatting Firestorm out of the sky like flies. Guld completely took control of the city, and the pass leading inside the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I still think we should just go over the mountains and skip the town entirely,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been tried. There are golems up there too.¡±


    ¡°And our wings don¡¯t work as well as such altitudes,¡± El added. ¡°We¡¯re too slow to properly avoid the golems¡¯ fire. Basically sitting ducks. We¡¯ve got to go through the pass. Besides, even if we tried to go over the mountains and a few of us made it, what would we be able to do against an entire country on the other side?¡±


    ¡°Which is why we¡¯re here,¡± Laze said. ¡°And the bulk of the ground troops should be here tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Best I can tell,¡± El said. ¡°Nobody is sharing much with me.¡±


    ¡°Well, as much as I hate to say it, having three wings of Ignitio here should help swing the battle in our favor,¡± Laze said.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°If they fight,¡± Dayne mentioned between steady spoonfuls. How much soup did he actually have in that bowl?


    ¡°What do you mean, Dayne? Why wouldn¡¯t they fight?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re here to protect the Cardinals,¡± El said, catching on to Dayne¡¯s thinking. ¡°He¡¯s right. They won¡¯t deploy unless the Cardinals tell them to, at which point I¡¯d bet the fight will already be going our way.¡±


    ¡°Or they need to protect their charges,¡± Dayne added.


    ¡°At which point, we¡¯d be retreating¡­¡± El finished.


    Dayne gave her a slight nod of his head, then put his empty bowl down.


    ¡°We won¡¯t retreat,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± El asked, but both Dayne and Laze were nodding with Nidina. What was El missing?


    ¡°Look at the force we have here,¡± Nidina explained, and spread her arms toward line after line of tents. ¡°This many Firestorm in one place, plus the ground troops and their artillery. We¡¯re going to spank Guld straight back to the other side of their mountains and then take their Ember by this time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know, Nidina,¡± El said. ¡°We were overconfident against the blue newts, and look where that got us. I don¡¯t want to lose any more people like we lost Faled and Teth¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget them,¡± Nidina snapped.


    El blinked. ¡°Pardon?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nidina said and ran her hands across the top of her head. ¡°That didn¡¯t come out right. I mean, we can¡¯t afford to go into the fight thinking like that. Yes, they died, but this battle, this is our chance at glory. If one of us,¡± she looked at Laze and Dayne, who both nodded again, ¡°is the one who takes the Ember and delivers it to the higher-ups, just think of what that will do for us. For our country.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be sitting on the outside anymore. We¡¯ll be heroes. And you¡¯ll finally get out of Nexin¡¯s shadow.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± El started.


    ¡°We need you, El,¡± Laze said. ¡°You¡¯re our leader, and you¡¯ve gotten us this far.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel the energy?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°Everybody knows what¡¯s going to happen tomorrow. Everybody¡¯s thinking the same thing. We¡¯re going to win this and finally end the war.¡±


    El looked at each of her wing mates, her friends, their eyes practically shining with enthusiasm. Wait, they weren¡¯t just practically shining, they were actually shining. Halos, like they¡¯d used their Sparks for decades, shone faintly in their eyes.


    And, Nidina was right about the energy in the camp, like a prickle on the edge of sensation, beating her heart faster in anticipation. They could win this. It wasn¡¯t like the fights with the blue newts, where they were caught by surprise and ambushed.


    El knew her enemy this time. Sure, the golems were strong, and maybe tougher than ever, but then again, so was the Firestorm. Some of Felps¡¯s new weapons were out there with them, and El had seen firsthand just how powerful they were. Guld¡¯s troops didn¡¯t have a chance.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± El said. ¡°We can win this. No, no, that¡¯s not right. We will win this!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s my girl!¡± Laze said, and clapped El on the shoulder. ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan for tomorrow?¡±


    El nodded. Each wing had been given Commander¡¯s Intent, but it would be up to the individual wing leaders to execute. ¡°We¡¯re a small wing,¡± El said, the loss of her eleven friends flitting across her thoughts before she dismissed it. Focus on the mission. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to take a golem on alone. Not if they¡¯re as tough as Nidina is saying.¡±


    ¡°Tougher, you can bet,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Right,¡± El said. ¡°So, we¡¯re looking for controllers. If we can find a few of them, that¡¯ll take their golems out of the fight.¡±


    ¡°Nidina said the control range is longer,¡± Laze added. ¡°So, does that mean we should be watching the outskirts of the main fighting?¡±


    ¡°Nidina, any idea on what the new range is?¡± El asked.


    ¡°None. It¡¯s more theory than proof. But, from the sounds of things, it¡¯s pretty big. The controller will need to see its golem to control it properly though. We can use that to our advantage.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, any tall buildings that are left, or maybe along the rockface? We should keep an eye out for that. Our goal is to stay low, stay mobile, and hit our targets quickly. No protracted fights,¡± El explained.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Laze said with another clap on El¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°There is one thing, though,¡± El said slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°It might look like we¡¯re avoiding the fight, since we¡¯ll be skirting it and scouting for controllers.¡±


    ¡°When golems start dropping because we killed their controllers, it won¡¯t matter what it looks like,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay with that,¡± El explained.


    ¡°Told you, you¡¯re our leader,¡± Laze said. ¡°You lead, we follow.¡±


    ¡°Oril?¡± Dayne asked.


    El¡¯s shoulders slumped, some of the buzz from the excitement around camp muted by the reminder. ¡°We can hope his wing is preoccupied. No, I don¡¯t want to rely on hope. Thanks for bringing him up, Dayne.¡±


    El flipped her spoon around in her hand and leaned forward to draw four circles in a diamond formation on the ground. A quick brush with her thumb and a redraw of one circle made it perfectly symmetrical. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it simple. I¡¯ll take point,¡± she pointed at the top circle, ¡°and pick our direction. Laze and Nidina, you¡¯re flanking me.¡± She pointed to the two circles on the sides. ¡°You¡¯re watching for controllers. As soon as you see one, let me know and I¡¯ll change our trajectory, but stay with me. No going off on your own.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Dayne,¡± El said, pointing at the circle at the bottom. ¡°Your role is to literally watch our backs. Keep an eye out for Oril or any members of his wing. If you spot any of them getting too close to us, that takes priority, and we get out of there. Dayne, even if that means you don¡¯t engage the controllers, that¡¯s fine. You¡¯re our eyes.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Anybody have any other suggestions?¡±


    ¡°None here,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Sounds solid to me,¡± Nidina added.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Great,¡± El said. ¡°Let¡¯s end this war.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 25 – Golem

    THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM, solid lances of flame bigger than one of Dayne¡¯s legs rocketed past overhead as El cut right along the outskirts of the town.


    ¡°Stay low!¡± El shouted into her communicator. ¡°Our armor won¡¯t do a burning thing to stop one of those.¡±


    She raced just inches above the ground, Laze, Nidina, and Dayne spread behind her, artillery fire from both sides filling the sky, explosions cratering the land, and debris falling from above like rain.


    ¡°This is ridiculous, expecting Firestorm to maneuver with all this cannon fire,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Cut the chatter,¡± El snapped. ¡°Anybody have eyes on a controller?¡±


    ¡°Just golems,¡± Nidina said. ¡°These new models are monsters.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason we need to find the controllers,¡± El said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything from this angle,¡± Laze said. ¡°We need a better vantage point.¡±


    ¡°I know, but going any higher would be suicide,¡± El replied. What were her options? Where could they go that they wouldn¡¯t be right in the line of fire between the two heavily armed sides? Between, that was her problem.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading for the mountains,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯ll kick up behind the city from there. Stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± the three behind her replied, and El poured power into her wings, streaking toward the mountains less than a mile away. The cannon fire was practically nonexistent there, with everybody focused in the other direction. They could do this!


    ¡°Just a little¡­¡± El cut off as a building ahead and to her left exploded outward, wall-sized chunks of debris and a cloud of dust filling the air. What the Blaze?


    A shape within the dust. A large shape. Six glowing, head-sized orbs.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± El shouted and arched her back, pulling up with all her might while not letting up on speed.


    THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM echoed below her, the sheer heat of the shots consuming the oxygen all around and creating vacuums in their wake. Did the others avoid in time?


    El cut her wings and spun in the air, flipping upside down to get a better look.


    The golem below her was massive, easily thirty-feet tall and built like a castle-wall. Three-barreled cannons sat where its arms should be, layered steel reinforced its head and chest, and wide treads rumbled along the ground in place of legs.


    If she¡¯d ever thought to defeat a golem in single combat like her brother had, even if that was the old-style golem, those dreams fled her mind in a heartbeat. That wasn¡¯t something a person could beat.


    But, where was her wing?


    Laze had cut wide and to the right, while Dayne, like El, had gone up. Both were fine. Where was Nidina?


    The golem¡¯s torso pivoted to its right.


    There! Nidina was on the ground, slowly getting to her feet, a scar of melted rock behind her. She must¡¯ve caught the ground with her wing while avoiding the golem¡¯s opening salvo. And she didn¡¯t see it taking aim again. Even one of those flaming lances would obliterate her.


    Not if El had anything to say about it! She may not be able to beat one, but maybe she could at least distract it.


    Out came an electrum hilt in both hands as she flared her wings, the torque compressing her body against her momentum in the opposite direction for less than a heartbeat. Then she was hurtling straight down toward the golem.


    The top-right barrel glowed fiercely, ready to spit its deadly payload.


    GOOOOOOOOOO!


    El ignited her weapon in both hands behind her head as her flare ended, and swung with all her might.


    Her hammer came around to slam into the tip of the barrel with enough force to warp the steel. And to send her careening off course, end over end.


    El hit the ground and skidded along, her flame armor mercifully absorbing most of the impact and turning the energy into heat. Still, it knocked the wind right out of her, and sent her head spinning. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, eyes searching for the golem. Had she done enough?


    The glow from the barrel intensified¡­ and then exploded.


    The concussive wave threw El into the air, only to smack to the ground a second time. What little air she¡¯d managed to suck into her lungs whooshed out, and she rolled to her side, coughing and wheezing.


    Still, she was in better shape than the golem. Its entire right arm-cannon gone, its side scorched and scarred, and the treads on its right legs shredded.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯ll show¡­¡± El started between coughs, but stuttered to a stop when the golem¡¯s torso twisted in her direction. The left arm-cannon was still intact.


    Oh, burn it. She didn¡¯t have the strength to dodge.


    ¡°Hold on, Corporal,¡± Dayne said, landing beside her and scooping her up in one fluid motion.


    ¡°Covering fire,¡± Laze said, and streaks of flaming arrows peppered the golem from both sides as she and Nidina circled it.


    If they did any damage, the golem didn¡¯t show it, and its cannon tracked Dayne as he hauled El away.


    ¡°Faster,¡± El told him.


    Dayne didn¡¯t reply, but burst up to full speed, pulling ahead of the angle of the barrels just as they ejected their fiery missiles. The three bolts of flame zipped off into the distance, missing Dayne and El by scant feet.


    Behind them, the golem twisted to follow, the steel of its body groaning like a frustrated scream, but it didn¡¯t pursue. Whether the damage to its leg was just too much to catch up, or it had other places to be, it limped back into the city warzone.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± El said. ¡°I need a short breather. Can you set us down over there?¡± she asked and pointed toward a large pile of rubble.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Dayne said, and did just that.


    ¡°That¡¯s twice you¡¯ve pulled me out of the fryer, Dayne. Thanks,¡± El said, and patted the big man on the shoulder.


    ¡°And twice your overdramatic heroics have saved my ass,¡± Nidina said, joining them on the ground, and gave El a respectful nod.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it overdramatic,¡± El said and returned the nod. ¡°What happened to the golem anyway? Why did it¡­ explode like that?¡±


    Laze was the last to land, and threw her arms around El in a tight hug. ¡°Glad you¡¯re okay,¡± she whispered, then let go. Louder, she said, ¡°From what I saw, you bent the barrel. When the golem tried to fire, well, the blast didn¡¯t have anywhere to go. Kaboom,¡± Laze said, and made a little exploding gesture with her fingers.


    ¡°Think we can use that to take down a few more golems?¡± Nidina asked.


    El rolled her shoulders, grimacing at the pain. ¡°Almost tore my arms out of my sockets when I hit.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t exactly stick the landing either,¡± Laze said, and playfully punched El in the arm.


    ¡°And there¡¯s that,¡± El agreed. ¡°I think it¡¯s good to take note of as a weakness, but I don¡¯t know how we can reliably capitalize on it.¡±


    ¡°Not all the golems are the same, either,¡± Dayne pointed out. ¡°I¡¯ve seen at least six distinct constructs, and there might be more.¡±


    ¡°They literally broke the mold for these guys,¡± Laze said. ¡°Weren¡¯t the old ones all the same? Generally human shaped? Shoulder-mounted long-range weapons?¡±


    ¡°From everything I¡¯ve read, yeah,¡± El said.


    ¡°Also half the size,¡± Nidina said. ¡°One of these things is easily strong enough to take on an entire wing.¡±


    ¡°Or one Anella,¡± Laze said, with a second playful punch to El¡¯s shoulder.


    A trio of massive explosions lit up the sky with flames and hurled wreckage in all directions.


    ¡°Cover,¡± El ordered, and all four of them pressed up against the rubble as debris rained around them. Bricks, scorched shards of metal, and a Firestorm boot clattered to the ground before it finally stopped.


    ¡°We need to get back out there,¡± El said, her eyes on the boot. ¡°People are dying. We need to find those controllers and get some of those golems shut down.¡±


    ¡°Still heading for the mountains?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s our best bet,¡± El said with a nod. ¡°Dayne, any sign of Oril or his wing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Good. Guess he has bigger things to worry about too. Let¡¯s get moving,¡± El said and ignited her wings. The others followed suit, and all four lifted into the air to look over the rubble.


    The battle raged within the city, the artillery more subdued after whatever caused those deafening explosions before.


    ¡°Ground troops are engaging now,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Must be why the artillery slowed down,¡± Laze agreed.


    ¡°And¡­ burn it, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Look at the smoke.¡±


    ¡°The range on those golems¡­ they destroyed our most advanced artillery batteries?¡± El asked.


    Nobody had an answer.


    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Just makes what we¡¯re doing all the more important. Laze, Nidina, find us those controllers.¡±


    ¡°Sure, as long as you handle the golems,¡± Laze said with a wink.


    El just shook her head. The mountains were still half a mile off, but they¡¯d steer wider of the city this time. Maybe nobody would notice them?


    Without another word, she glided in that direction until the others followed, then streaked off. Faster targets were harder to hit.


    But, no more lances of compressed flame shot their way, and they reached the foot of the mountainous wall without incident.


    ¡°Everybody is focused on the main force,¡± El said. ¡°Let¡¯s find a good vantage point where we can land. Our wings will stand out.¡±


    ¡°How about up there?¡± Nidina asked, and pointed toward a small outcropping a few hundred feet up.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± El said, and led the other three up. As soon as she landed, she doused her wings and turned to the battle. The city, what was left of it, sprawled out below, with grounds troops swarming the streets like ants. Firestorm whipped through the sky, their flaming wings streaking like comets as they raced to engage the mammoth golems prowling the streets.


    Battle swirled around the golems like a vortex, the dozens visible each single-handedly taking on hundreds of opponents. Just how lucky had El gotten? From the looks of things really, really lucky.


    ¡°One way or another, this battle won¡¯t last till nightfall,¡± Dayne said. ¡°Everything¡¯s being deployed. The brass isn¡¯t holding anything back.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fight we can win with brute force,¡± El said. ¡°Look at those things.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to take down a few. There, and there,¡± Laze said, pointing at the broken husks of a pair of golems.


    ¡°But at what cost?¡± El asked, the sheer loss of life simply overwhelming. It wasn¡¯t just the golem corpses littering the ground. Firestorm and ground troops practically blanketed the area around the fallen monstrosities.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any controllers,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Not a one. Where are they hiding?¡±


    ¡°This is a good spot,¡± Laze said. ¡°Maybe there are others, and the controllers are there?¡±


    El walked to the edge of the outcropping and surveyed the carnage below. Even if they won this battle, would anybody be left? Was the Ember really worth this?


    Doubt wormed its way back into her heart, replacing the utter certainty she¡¯d set out with in the morning. Somebody needed to put a stop to this.


    ¡°Laze, east. Nidina, west,¡± she said, without looking back. ¡°You two scout the wall. If you find a controller, send word back and we¡¯ll move as a group. Dayne and I will stay here for now to assist as need be.¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Questions?¡± she asked.


    Still no response.


    El turned to the other three who stood looking at her.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± she asked.


    Laze¡¯s lips moved, but no sound reached El¡¯s ears.


    Oh, burn it, no. Not now.


    El pointed at her ear as she jogged back to them, but all three shook their heads.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t hear me?¡± El shouted to be heard over the constant, drum-like explosions behind her.


    ¡°No,¡± Laze shouted back, then looked to Dayne and Nidina for confirmation.


    They both shook their heads again, understanding washing over their faces.


    ¡°There¡¯s a storm close,¡± El said, then turned back to the battle. ¡°The newts are coming.¡±

 Spark of War - Chapter 26 – Orders or Treason?

    ¡°What should we do, El?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s a storm? I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the same thing as before, we won¡¯t see it until it¡¯s right on top of us,¡± El pointed out. ¡°And we don¡¯t know which direction it¡¯s coming from.¡±


    ¡°Should we go look?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°No,¡± El said. Think girl. What would the lizards be doing here? What¡¯s their goal? Wipe out both forces in one go? That would make sense. Both armies were already weakened from fighting each other. Depending on how big the lizard force was, they might just succeed.


    ¡°I see them,¡± Dayne said and pointed to the west. ¡°They¡¯re coming along the base of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°There must be thousands of them,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Tens of thousands?¡±


    ¡°But we can see them. Where¡¯s the storm blocking our communications?¡± El asked, then turned around and looked up. ¡°Burn it, it¡¯s coming over the mountain. Our communicators worked until a few minutes ago. It must be coming from behind us.¡±


    ¡°Then it already overtook Guld?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Unless they¡¯re working together,¡± El said. Thousands of blue newts to reinforce the golems? Her allies didn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°We need to get command to call the retreat.¡±


    ¡°Our troops are already neck-deep down there. It¡¯ll take too long for the groundies to withdraw,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Firestorm will need to cover them. It won¡¯t be pretty, but it¡¯ll save the most lives,¡± El said.


    ¡°Orders, El?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± El said, looking each of them in the eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to split up. It¡¯s the only way if we can¡¯t trust our communicators.


    ¡°Dayne, you¡¯ve got the toughest job. You need to get back to command and get them to sound the retreat. Or, at least to get permission for troops to withdraw. I don¡¯t want people getting court-martialed for what we¡¯re about to do,¡± El explained.


    ¡°And what are we about to do?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Use the loss of communication to our advantage. We¡¯re going to tell them a retreat has been called, and get them moving.¡±


    ¡°Burn it, El, they¡¯ll throw us to the Pyre for that,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°They will. So, you have two choices. One, go with Dayne to convince command. Two, follow me and help convince the individual troops the retreat has been called. Either way, the blame will be mine to take.¡±


    Laze and Nidina shared a look, then Laze said, ¡°We already said we¡¯d follow your orders. So, what are they?¡±


    El nodded. They were good soldiers. Better friends. ¡°The battle looks to be happening in two major places, come on,¡± she said, and led them to the edge of the outcropping. ¡°Straight ahead of us, there, and then on the western edge. That¡¯ll be the worst, when the lizards hit it.¡±


    ¡°Which, of course, is where you¡¯re going,¡± Laze sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m sorry to say, but I¡¯m the fastest. It¡¯s just that simple.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and while you¡¯re over there being overly dramatic, again, Laze and I should head toward the fighting just ahead of us?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Yes, and no. Laze, you¡¯re going to the troops on the ground to get them to start pulling back. Look for the commanders, and avoid direct confrontation at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Laze said. ¡°I know a few from joint maneuvers training. I can make this work.¡±


    El nodded. ¡°Nidina.¡± El pointed toward the Firestorm filling the sky. ¡°Your job is to convince the Firestorm to cover the groundies¡¯s retreat. Find their commanders, point out the lizard army coming from the west, and it shouldn¡¯t be too tough to convince them we need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Convincing them to put their lives on the line to stall while the groundies retreat though, that won¡¯t be so easy,¡± Nidina finished for her.


    ¡°Correct. Do what you can. If it¡¯s quick, help Laze get the word passed among the groundies,¡± El ordered. ¡°Questions?¡±


    Laze, Nidina, and Dayne saluted, but didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t die out there,¡± El said, and returned their salute. ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Laze mouthed, then turned and ignited her wings. Less than three seconds, she was getting faster.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    El waited just long enough for the three of them to take off before she turned her attention to the west. An army of blue newts. The biggest one yet. She could practically feel the chill all the way up there, and she was a good two or three miles away.


    How long would it take for them to cover the distance to the city? At that speed, not long. Other Firestorm had to see them, but would they know what it meant? No, which is why El needed to get over there.


    She dashed ahead and leapt off the edge of the outcropping, empty space and a long drop her only companions. But, without having to worry about her wing keeping up with her, El had a few extra tricks up her sleeve, and flared her wings, bursting ahead like a comet.


    Two seconds of full power rocketed her ahead almost twice as fast as her wings would normally carry her, and when that faded, momentum and gravity took over.


    No problem.


    El twisted slightly in the air, angling her body just right, then flared her wings again, launching out at a different trajectory. Flare. Glide. Change. Flare. Glide. Change. Flare¡­ repeat.


    Anybody trying to track or take aim at her would have a hard time predicting her path, making her a much more difficult target. That, and she devoured the distance between her starting point and the fighting on the western edge of town.


    Like she¡¯d instructed the others, she needed to find the commanders to get the troops moving. Firestorm first. It didn¡¯t take long for her to pick out the three sets of wings hovering high above the battle; that would be who she needed to talk to, and she ignited her wings and raced in their direction.


    ¡°This is Corporal Anella Vasage,¡± El said into her communicator. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    No response. They might just be ignoring her though.


    At about five hundred feet, one of them noticed her, and they all turned as she closed the distance and hovered in front of them.


    A quick salute. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge?¡± she shouted at the three of them to be heard over the battle below.


    ¡°Sergeant Krennel,¡± the man in the middle said, with the barest salute. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Oh, great. They recognized her. ¡°Retreat has been called,¡± El shouted. ¡°With communications down, we¡¯ve been sent to deliver the message personally.¡±


    ¡°Retreat?¡± the man on Krennel¡¯s left asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re retreating.¡±


    ¡°Orders have just gone out,¡± El answered immediately. ¡°Messengers have been sent to the other major engagement, and we should start seeing the groundies pulling back with the Firestorm covering their retreat.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t retreat,¡± the same man on Krennel¡¯s left said. ¡°We¡¯ve almost got the golems where we want them. If the groundies can soften them up just a bit more, we¡¯ll have this.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect,¡± El interrupted before Krennel could respond, ¡°it¡¯s not just the golems you need to worry about. Look,¡± she said, and pointed at the lizard army that would be on them within ten minutes at the most. Even if they retreated right away, it would be a race.


    ¡°Seriously? You expect us to retreat because of a couple of newts? What are they going to do? Sergeant, this is Corporal Coward, if you didn¡¯t already recognize her,¡± he said to Krennel. ¡°The only corporal in the last twenty years to retreat. Not once, but twice.¡±


    ¡°But, if those are the orders,¡± the woman on Krennel¡¯s right said, ¡°we need to follow them. It¡¯s not about what we think.¡±


    ¡°We have reason to believe those newts are coming to assist the golems,¡± El said, ignoring the insults and leaving out the details about the blue newts. They wouldn¡¯t believe her anyway. ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t a threat individually, that many newts running around and harassing our groundies will turn the tide of battle.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant¡­¡± the man started, but stopped when Krennel held up his hand.


    The sergeant hovered away from El and his seconds, and surveyed the battle below him. The groundies had engaged eight monstrous golems, and felled a ninth. Yes, they were gaining ground, and a protracted engagement might swing in their favor. Reinforcements were coming up the back streets as the army flooded the city, and the Firestorm were concentrating on a the most severely damaged golem. As soon as it went down, they¡¯d be able to move on to the next weakest. Like dominos, they would start to fall.


    If they had the time.


    El could see it, and Krennel had to too. They wouldn¡¯t be able to bring down enough golems, maybe not even the first, before the newts arrived. At that point, if things went bad, and they would, pulling back wouldn¡¯t be an option anymore.


    ¡°You want us to cover the groundies?¡± Krennel asked as he glided back over to El and his seconds. ¡°That will put the golems¡¯ focus right on us. There will be casualties. Lots of them.¡±


    ¡°Not nearly as many as there will be if you leave the groundies to fend for themselves,¡± El replied.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be considering this?¡± the man asked Krennel.


    ¡°I agree with retreating,¡± the woman said. ¡°But, not with putting our forces between the groundies and the golems. The Firestorm are the elite. One of us is worth fifty of them. If we retreat here, we¡¯re going to need every Firestorm we can get when we rejoin the battle.¡±


    El glanced to the soldiers below her. There had to be close to a thousand groundies already engaged with the golems, and twice that many on the way. If the Firestorm abandoned them¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re falling back,¡± Krennel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the wrong choice,¡± the man said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a choice, it¡¯s an order,¡± Krennel responded. ¡°You should know that as well as any of us.¡±


    ¡°Covering the groundies?¡± El asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask my troops to sacrifice themselves for the groundies,¡± Krennel said.


    ¡°Sir, with all due respect, that¡¯s also part of the orders,¡± El said. If Dayne didn¡¯t convince the higher-ups, she really was going to get tossed in the Pyre for this lie.


    Sergeant Krennel was quiet a moment, considering. ¡°I¡¯ll give you until the newts hit the edge of town. We¡¯ll keep the golems¡¯ attention until then. If you can get the groundies out of the way by that point, we all get what we want. If not, we¡¯re withdrawing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need help to spread the word to the troops,¡± El said quickly. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to budge him on the timeline, so she just needed to work within it.


    ¡°Julset,¡± Krennel said, turning to the woman. ¡°Get your wing on it. All of them. The groundies recognize your people, and it will move things along the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Julset said, then spun and zipped toward the battle below.


    ¡°You too,¡± Krennel said to El. ¡°If we¡¯re risking our lives, so are you.¡±


    El saluted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way, sir,¡± she said. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± she said and doused her wings.


    Krennel¡¯s eyes widened as El simply dropped backward toward the battle and gave him a little wave. Okay, maybe she was being a little overdramatic. Time to get to work.


    El rolled in the air, plunging headfirst, gravity pulling her toward the fight while she glanced at the approaching newt army. Gravity wasn¡¯t fast enough. She flared her wings and streaked toward the engagement furthest from Julset¡¯s troops.


    She had to get the groundies out of there before the newts arrived.

 Spark of War - Chapter 27 – Tactical Retreat

    It wasn¡¯t tough to spot the groundie leadership from the air, and El flipped and flared her wings to soften her nearby landing.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± El jogged over and saluted.


    The commander, a lieutenant colonel by the insignia, looked from El to the Firestorm above, then back to El. ¡°That was quite the entrance. New orders, I take it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯ve been given the order to fall back. There¡¯s a newt army on the way to join the golems, and they¡¯ll pin you in if you don¡¯t get out of here now.¡±


    ¡°How big is the newt army?¡± the lieutenant colonel asked.


    ¡°At least five times what you have here now. Probably more. Approaching from the west,¡± El explained. ¡°Firestorm will cover your retreat, but only until the lizards reach the town, then they¡¯ll be falling back as well.¡±


    The lieutenant colonel grimaced. ¡°How long do we have?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes, if you¡¯re lucky,¡± El said.


    ¡°Ten minutes?! Burn it, that¡¯s not enough to get everybody out.¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s what we¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± the lieutenant colonel asked.


    ¡°Yes. How can I help?¡±


    The lieutenant colonel thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°There are two people I need you to relay my orders to. First, Captain Waalis. You¡¯ll find him three or four blocks east of here. Look for the red mullet, probably on a roof somewhere so he can get a good view of the battlefield. Tell him to pull his troops back, straight south. No delays. Use the passphrase ¡®banana chips,¡¯ he¡¯ll know what it means, and it will get him to move his ass.¡±


    ¡°Red mullet. Banana chips. Yes ma¡¯am. And the other?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Second might be a little tougher to find. Lieutenant Yole, leads one of our top hit-and-run platoons. Look for where the most damage is being done; she won¡¯t be far. Shaved head with tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Shaved head with tattoos. Got it. Should I also tell her ¡®banana chips?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Blaze no, she¡¯ll put a sword through your heart. Tell her ¡®carpet protocol.¡¯ She¡¯ll know what it means, and where to go.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± El asked.


    The lieutenant colonel shook her head. ¡°No. What are you still doing here?¡± she asked, then turned and started barking orders at the soldiers around her.


    El didn¡¯t stick around to see where they¡¯d go, and leapt into the air, igniting her wings and flashing down the street. Red mullet, huh? Hopefully Captain Waalis¡¯s command sense was better than his fashion sense.


    Groundies swarmed the streets as she skimmed above them. One block. Two. Three. Time to get a better view.


    She gently pulled up to the level of the roofs still standing, there weren¡¯t many, and quickly picked out a cluster of troops on a roof not far away. The shock of red hair in the middle told her she¡¯d found her man. If he followed the lieutenant colonel¡¯s orders with ¡®banana chips,¡¯ whatever that meant, they might actually be able to get the groundies out in time.


    ¡°Captain Waalis,¡± El shouted and landed behind the group, though none of them paid attention to her, and doused her wings. They were all too busy looking up. Was the Firestorm covering their asses that surprising? Whatever, they didn¡¯t have time for it.


    ¡°Captain Waalis,¡± El repeated, ignoring whatever was going on above them. ¡°New orders for you. You¡¯re to pull back straight south. Passphrase ¡®banana chips,¡¯¡± El said, and waited for a response. Nothing.


    What the Blaze was so interesting above¡­?


    Oh.


    It wasn¡¯t the Firestorm they were watching. No, it was probably the pitch-black clouds above them that had appeared out of nowhere, and were now swirling like a whirlpool in the sky. That can¡¯t possibly be good.


    Isolated to directly above the city, clear sky beyond, blue lightning arced at the edges of the cloud and then sped inward, lighting up the dark as it passed.


    Was that El¡¯s imagination, or were those giant blue eyes looking down at them with every flash of lightning?


    In the center of the thunderheads, the whirlpool of clouds spun faster and faster, lightning chaining along it as it spiraled open.


    ¡°Banana chips. BANANA CHIPS!¡± El repeated. Burn it, what the Blaze was she saying? They needed to get out of there. Whatever was happening up there was not good. ¡°We have to go. You have to go. Now!¡± El shouted and shouldered her way through to the Captain. ¡°Captain, get your banana chips and get the Blaze out of her!¡±


    Burn it, how many times was she going to have to say that stupid passphrase out loud before he got his ass moving?


    Waalis turned to her, eyes wide. ¡°Banana¡­?¡± Understanding washed over his face. ¡°Burn it, it¡¯s that serious?¡±


    El glanced up. ¡°Maybe more so,¡± she said. ¡°Fall back. Straight south.¡±


    ¡°You heard the woman,¡± Waalis shouted at the people around him, finally pulling their attention from the clouds above. ¡°Get those orders out. Fall back, on the double.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± five voices echoed, and they ran to pass on the command.


    One down. Now she just had to find Lieutenant Yole¡­This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A cold wind swept over the building, and El shivered.


    Cold?


    She looked back up at the sky, the pointy tip of some kind of crystal emerging from the swirling clouds. No, that wasn¡¯t a crystal. That was an icicle. And with a sudden crack of thunder, it fell from the black clouds.


    No more than ten feet tall, and half as wide, the single icicle hardly looked like a threat as it cut through the air and drove into the ground at an intersection only a block away from where El stood. A handful of groundies died on impact, but most were simply knocked to the ground, only to turn back and wonder what in the Blaze had just happened.


    Another crack of thunder and the ice split apart, falling into four equal pieces to reveal a knight in full plate, so blue it was almost black. The hilt of a massive greatsword extended above his shoulder, and he stepped from the ice into the crossroads.


    Oh no.


    The confused soldiers got to their feet, but they didn¡¯t know enough to run. If only the brass had listened to El. If only they¡¯d warned everyone.


    The Stormbearer reached up and pulled his sword over his shoulder. ¡°Purge,¡± he said, his voice sending a shiver down El¡¯s spine even from the distance. Then he swung his sword to the side, and a surge of ice burst forth, rushing down the street to the north like a tidal wave from wall to wall.


    Just like that, in the blink of an eye, a sea of ice forty-feet tall and three blocks long cocooned every groundie in that direction. Maybe one or two had escaped inside a building, but it didn¡¯t look like it.


    ¡°Purge,¡± he said again, and swung his sword to his left. This time, ice enveloped the southern street, dozens more groundies lost.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, but hit it!¡± Captain Waalis shouted, and orders passed along soldier to soldier. Dozens of weapons leveled at the Stormbearer, but he either didn¡¯t notice, or didn¡¯t care.


    The air filled with flaming bolts as the troops opened fire, peppering the knight with a salvo of fire. Fire that froze to ice and dropped to his feet the instant it touched his armor. Shards of ice fell by the dozens to the ground as he stepped into the weapons¡¯ fire, not even flinching as blast after blast plinked off him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat him! You need to fall back,¡± El shouted. Couldn¡¯t they see it? They couldn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°Somebody has to slow him down,¡± Waalis said.


    A chance to prove herself.


    Was that what this was? If she could slow him down, and the groundies could escape, the brass would have to accept the Stormbearer¡¯s existence. There would be too many witnesses to silence. Too many to label as cowards.


    If they escaped.


    ¡°Pull your men back. I¡¯ll see about distracting him,¡± El said.


    ¡°What can you do against that?¡± Waalis asked, but waved his men to fall back


    ¡°Mainly try not to die,¡± El whispered to herself and ignited her wings. Any flames that touched the Stormbearer turned to ice almost immediately, and her arrows hadn¡¯t done much damage before.


    No, don¡¯t think about hurting him. Just get his attention. Keep him focused on you, not the groundies.


    She had almost a dozen electrum weapon hilts on her; they¡¯d have to be enough.


    El leapt into the air, her second hammer hilt igniting to life in her hands, and angled high over the knight. A hundred feet up she spun and then dove straight down.


    Groundies ran down the street ahead of the Stormbearer, and his sword drew back for another swing.


    El brought her hammer down with all her strength square on the top of his head like she was hitting a large, armor-plated, exceedingly dangerous nail.


    Stones at his feet fractured at the impact as he sunk to his ankles from the force of the blow, but El¡¯s hammer shattered into a thousand tiny ice shards that hung in the air.


    The Stormbearer¡¯s shoulders shifted, and El launched herself to the side to avoid the massive sword that came swinging around. She was faster than he was; she just needed to stay ahead of him. Every second meant more groundies would escape. She didn¡¯t need to hold out for long.


    Spreading her wings wide and arching her back, El swooped along the wall of the closest building, then darted out, paired axes igniting to life in her hands. She rolled in the air, pulling her wings in close and narrowly avoiding a spear of ice meant for her head, then landed sideways on the building wall across the street.


    The Stormbearer¡¯s head swiveled to follow, and El launched herself straight for him, bringing her axes horizontally across while simultaneously twisting her body to bring her feet up.


    Flaming blades slammed into opposite sides of his armored neck at the same time, enough power behind each to fell a tree, but froze in an instant. El dropped her useless weapons in that same moment, planted her feet on his chest, and pushed herself off.


    Frost crawled along her flame armor, devouring it as it went, and her toes went numb, but El managed to flip away before the ice got any further than the tips of her boots. Touching him for anything more than a second could be the end of her.


    El rolled in the air and landed on the street twenty feet away from where she¡¯d hit the knight, drew a flaming spear, and looked up to plan her next move.


    Except the knight was right in front of her.


    When did he¡­?


    Instinct told her to run, and El leapt into the air. Have to put some distance between us!


    But she wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    A chill ran up her wing and into her back, and suddenly she was going in the wrong direction.


    El hit the ground hard enough to crater the street, the heat generated from her flame armor¡¯s kinetic conversion melting the stone. The air warped from the temperature, then flowed into the Stormbearer like he was absorbing it.


    His left hand held her wing, the flames somehow solid beneath his grasp, and he lifted his sword above his head.


    Have to¡­ move¡­


    But her body didn¡¯t respond, and the sword drove down into the stone beside her.


    What?


    The Stormbearer¡¯s left arm yanked on her wing, pulling her into the air, then slammed her back down into the ground face-first.


    El grunted as a heavy boot planted between her shoulders, and a chill crept into her other wing.


    What¡¯s he doing?


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t¡­ need¡­ these¡­¡± the Stormbearer hissed, then pushed down on her back.


    Pain screamed along El¡¯s shoulders and back as the knight pulled on her wings. As he pulled her wings out.


    El¡¯s fingers clawed at the stone, and she kicked her feet, but the weight on her back was too much. The pain moved beyond her shoulders, somewhere deeper into her core, and she howled in agony as she squirmed and struggled.


    Her head twisted to the side, and she caught her reflection in the nearby ice, the knight standing above her with her wings in his hands. He ground her into the stone under his boot, and gave a great heave, El¡¯s wings ripping away from her shoulders, only to be held on by the barest streamers of flame.


    El heaved and gasped for air, the crippling agony spasming though every nerve in her body.


    One more tug like that, and her wings would come right off. And the pain.


    How was that even possible? The wings weren¡¯t actually a part of her. Just a manifestation of her Spark.


    That was it. He wasn¡¯t pulling on her wings; he was pulling on her Spark.


    Her Spark! He was ripping her burning Spark out!


    What would she be without it? It defined her. Made her who she was.


    ¡°Be¡­ cleansed¡­¡± the knight said, and El¡¯s eyes locked on her reflection as the Stormbearer adjusted his grip on her wings.


    This was it.


    The knight leaned in, his boot crushing her, and¡­


    ¡­got hit by a comet. At least that¡¯s what it looked like, but suddenly the weight on El¡¯s back was gone. Her limp wings fell to the ground beside her, thin lines of flame like bloody tendons the only things connecting them to her back.


    But she couldn¡¯t feel them, and they bled away in a dark smoke that left only exhaustion behind.


    The pain had faded with her wings, but El couldn¡¯t stay there, and she rolled onto her back, heat and light washing across her face.


    What happened to the Stormbearer? What hit him?


    There he was, getting to his feet, with what looked like a raging pyre between him and El.


    The flames of the pyre roiled and whipped, sucking in air faster than it could move and spiraling it around like the eye of a hurricane.


    Anger like a physical thing came off the fire in waves, shaking the ground and melting the buildings like candles.


    But something about the flame soothed El. A warm, familiar blanket that had always been there when she needed it.


    El smiled.


    Nexin had arrived.

 Spark of War - Chapter 28 – Big Brother

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Touch. My¡­¡± Nexin roared, the flames around him igniting the air and pulling it into a fiery tornado. ¡°Sister!¡± he finished, and thrust his hands forward, the tornado rushing ahead.


    It erupted in size, filling the street and consuming the buildings on either side. It devoured everything it came in contact with, then engulfed the Stormbearer, who¡¯d just gotten to his feet.


    Would that be enough?


    The tornado raged in place, its flames lighting up the city and stretching to the clouds high above.


    Firestorm sped away to avoid being pulled in. The sounds of battle seemed to die all around, or maybe Nexin¡¯s fury had just drowned them out.


    Nexin, not even breathing heavily, still stood in the middle of the street, his hands extended like he was squeezing an invisible ball.


    CRACK


    The tornado froze in a split second. A glistening, perfect, frozen piece of art.


    ¡°Can you move, El?¡± Nexin asked without turning, his hands dropping to his sides.


    El pulled herself out of the hollow in the ground the knight had crushed her into, but it took everything she had.


    ¡°I¡­ no¡­¡± she said, her voice weak. ¡°He¡­ did something to¡­ to my¡­ Spark¡­¡±


    Nexin¡¯s hands clenched into fists at his side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of this, then get you back home. We¡¯ll make it right.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Nex,¡± El said. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± Nexin said, the heat around him suddenly intensifying to the point El had to shield her eyes.


    Like looking at the sun.


    A great crack ran up the tornado from ground to sky, small shards of ice raining down, before the whole thing split down the middle like a piece of firewood. Like a tree falling, the two great slabs of ice started slowly, building speed as they tilted in opposite directions.


    The impact flattened buildings, people, and golems alike, and shook the ground like an earthquake. Dust and debris exploded outward, completely obscuring the sky and dropping pebbles like rain.


    Pebbles that disintegrated into ash when they got within a hundred feet of Nexin.


    He sliced his hand across in front of him, and the air down the street cleared to reveal the Stormbearer stepping out of the remnants of the frozen tornado.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tough one,¡± Nexin said, dropping into Flaming Fists while a blinding corona wrapped his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s see just how tough.¡±


    He¡¯s going hand-to-hand against the Stormbearer?


    The rippling heat around Nexin vanished with a POP, and flaming wings sprouted from the electrum nubs on his shoulders. Not just two wings, though. No, six smaller wings stretched and flexed, and then Nexin was simply gone.


    A wall to the left cracked, but El¡¯s eyes were too slow to catch up to her brother. A blur across her vision, and he was gone again. A tap on the ground, like a footstep to the left of the Stormbearer, and Nexin snapped into view just above the Stormbearer¡¯s shoulder.


    The plate helm turned just in time for Nexin¡¯s corona-enclosed fist to slam into its side.


    BOOOOM


    The shockwave of the punch washed over El like a river, small pieces of stone caught in the blast stinging her hands as she brought her arms up reflexively.


    Did he get him?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The Stormbearer hadn¡¯t even moved, and brought his spiked gauntlet around in a backhand to Nexin¡¯s chest¡­ that passed right through it.


    Nexin¡¯s body dissolved into gaseous flame, some kind of heat afterimage, and he reappeared on the opposite side of the Stormbearer. This time a rising left hook smashed into the knight¡¯s helm from the other side.


    A second BOOOM, and more rocks pelted El, one even drawing blood across her cheek. Wait, where was her flame armor?


    Meanwhile, the Stormbearer snapped back around with a wide punch, but Nexin had already dashed back out of range to glance at his knuckles.


    Nexin shook his hands, a thin layer of ice falling to the ground, and then flowed into The Sun Never Truly Sets. The spear that grew in his hands was unlike anything he¡¯d used in sparring, bright and condensed, like he¡¯d pulled the sun down into his hands and forged it into a weapon.


    Had El ever really seen her brother¡¯s strength?


    The knight took a step forward, and Nexin burst ahead at the same time, driving the molten spear straight into the center of the knight¡¯s chest before the plated foot even set down. For the first time, the knight was pushed back, his planted foot leaving a divot five feet long in the ground before he stopped his backward momentum.


    Nexin¡¯s spear sparked and spat molten globules as he twisted it against the armored chestplate, but even that weapon wasn¡¯t enough to penetrate, and frost steamed on the spear-tip. But Nexin wasn¡¯t finished, and leapt up and over as the knight reached for him, twisting while new weapons formed in his hands.


    This time, twin plasma hooks drove into the knight¡¯s shoulders as Nexin landed behind the knight and drove a foot into the back of the knight¡¯s left knee. As soon as the knight¡¯s balance faltered, Nexin twisted and pulled on the weapons already icing over, hurling the knight through a building across the street.


    What was left of the side walls collapsed on the knight in the center of the building, the roof quickly coming down to join it. That wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to stop the knight though, and Nexin braced himself while he drew his arm back and ignited the same massive bow he¡¯d used against El in their last spar.


    The ballista-bolt-like-arrow writhed like a living thing in Nexin¡¯s hands, again of that same plasma, eager to be released. Nexin held it longer though, power pouring into it. Unlike when El did the same thing, this arrow didn¡¯t grow any further in size. It just became more and more compressed. Hotter and hotter.


    The rubble of the fallen building shifted, and Nexin loosed his shot. Everything within ten feet of the arrow melted in an instant, its path evident by the smoldering canyon left in its wake.


    Then it hit the building, and there really was a second sun.


    The blast itself consumed an entire block in a blink, and then it was gone, not nearly enough oxygen to fuel its power. A vacuum formed in its absence, the air rushing in from all sides strong enough to lift El off the ground and drag her a good two feet before it settled down.


    Nothing could have survived that.


    And yet, there at the bottom of the concave pit stood the Stormbearer, his armor glowing red in places and then quickly icing over.


    ¡°Still not enough?¡± Nexin asked, twin swords snaking their way into his hands, and launched toward his enemy.


    Somehow, the knight did the same, and the two powerhouses met midway, exchanged a flurry of blows, and leapt apart again.


    Nexin came away with both his swords fully encased in ice, while the knight had scars of glowing heat across his body. Once again, the lines vanished beneath the growing ice, and the Stormbearer reached his right hand toward his distant greatsword.


    The weapon barely twitched at first, then simply burst free from the ground and flew to its master¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nexin!¡± El shouted. ¡°Be careful. That sword¡­ it¡¯s powerful.¡±


    The Stormbearer¡¯s head swiveled, first to El, and then to her brother, its fingers tightening around the hilt of its huge sword.


    He understood my warning? Or, is it something else?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nexin shouted back, his ice-covered swords vanishing to be replaced by single, large axe. ¡°I think I know how¡­¡± Nexin¡¯s words cut off as a fist bigger than he was crashed into his side with wrecking-ball force.


    Like a rag doll, Nexin¡¯s limp body bounced and skipped along the ground until it finally hit a pile of rubble thirty feet away, while a giant camouflaged golem materialized in the middle of the street.


    ¡°NEEEEEEEXIN!¡± El shouted and tried to push herself to her feet, but her body lacked the strength, and she fell right back down. ¡°No¡­¡± she cried, tears leaking down her face as her hand reached for her distant brother.


    He didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d take me home¡­¡± El pleaded. ¡°You have to get up.¡±


    A wave of ice washed over Nexin¡¯s body, lifting him from the ground and slamming him against the rubble, where it fully cocooned him.


    ¡°No,¡± El said again, shifting to look at the Stormbearer, who in turn met her gaze. ¡°He was all I had left,¡± she said. Like that monster would care. ¡°He¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Her lungs wouldn¡¯t fill. Her chest felt like it was caving in on itself. Her whole body was cold.


    The Stormbearer took a step toward her. Then another, but stopped when the ground shook from the golem lumbering forward. The knight glanced over his shoulder at the oncoming monstrosity, picking up speed as it charged ahead, then back at El. He seemed to weigh something about her, and then turned to fully face the charging construct.


    El¡¯s head dropped to the ground. She didn¡¯t have the strength to hold it up anymore. Why should she? What was the point? She looked one last time at the Stormbearer as he drove his sword into the belly of the golem, and a small part of her mind asked why they were fighting before her heavy eyelids closed.


    She didn¡¯t care enough to try to answer.

 Spark of War - Chapter 29 – So Much Lost

    El¡¯s chattering teeth woke her from her slumber, a cold chill permeating her entire body.


    I¡¯m still alive?


    Her eyes struggled to open, the weight of fatigue and¡­ something else holding them closed. Numb, she moved her hand to her face, her fingers refusing to obey her thoughts, and rubbed the back of her sleeve across her eyes. The usually soft leather of her Firestorm jacket was rough against her skin, but it did the job and freed her eyelids from whatever held them closed.


    El cracked her eyes, but pure white stung her vision, and she winced back, the inviting darkness once again offering her the blanket of its safety. If she took that offer though, something told her she may not wake up again, and she forced her eyes open.


    The painful glare was all around her, and El brought her arm in front of her eyes to block at least a bit of it. The frozen sleeve¡ªthat¡¯s why it was so rough on her skin¡ªcut the glare enough El could acclimate her eyes, and she slowly lowered her arm again.


    Snow, lots of snow, surrounded her. She was practically buried in it.


    Eyelashes must¡¯ve been frozen.


    El shifted and put her hands underneath her, pushing herself up to her hands and knees, the heavy snow cascading off her back. Sluggish, chilled body resisting her brain, shaking and numb, she couldn¡¯t stay there, even if it would be easier to just lie back down.


    She¡¯d never been so cold, it wasn¡¯t something people with the Spark dealt with, but the lack of feeling in her fingers and toes couldn¡¯t be good. If she could find another member of the Firestorm, even some groundies, they¡¯d be able to get her back to camp. Somebody there would be able to help her, right?


    El stood on shaky legs; large, heavy flakes of snow still falling all around her. Once she got her bearings, she could¡­


    Where are the buildings?


    El spun in a slow circle; she had to be seeing things. She¡¯d been in the middle of the town, fighting for her life. But, now, all around her, stood massive trees, each so wide she wouldn¡¯t be able to touch her hands together if she reached around them. Her head tilted back, looking up, up, up through the gently falling snow. She couldn¡¯t even see the tops of the gigantic trees.


    Where the Blaze am I?


    The thick trees spread in every direction, easily spaced wide enough for her to pass through, but which direction would she go? Other than the divot in the snow where she¡¯d been, the white all around her was completely untouched.


    Maybe other Firestorm had flown through there? Flying would sure be easier than walking, and El ignited her wings.


    Tried to ignite her wings.


    Pain exploded across her back, like her shoulders burst from the inside, twisted her spine, and seized her limbs. Her body completely out of her control, she flopped face-first into the snow where she convulsed and twitched as the pain had its way with her. Cold fire seared through her veins. She bit her tongue, and smacked her head off a rock hidden beneath the snow.


    Agonizing seconds stretched while crimson soaked the snow until, all at once, it stopped, and she was left with a vast emptiness in her chest.


    El coughed, spitting blood from her wounded tongue, then gently sobbed as she curled up in the snow. Her whole body hurt like never before, scoured from the inside, but that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it. That gentle warmth that should¡¯ve been in the center of her chest, the energy she¡¯d known since birth, was noticeably absent.


    Had her Spark gone out?


    The tears froze almost immediately on El¡¯s cheeks, and she blinked quickly to keep her eyes from icing over completely again. First her friends, then Nexin¡­ oh Blaze, Nexin¡­ and now this?


    It was too much. Too much. Too much.


    She rocked herself in the snow, shaking her head, and let the tears flow. Maybe it would be better to just let the cold have her. Even if she got up, what could she do without her Spark? Who was left for her? What was left for her?


    Nobody. Nothing.


    What was the point of being Sparkless? Of being worthless?


    El¡¯s eyes snapped open and she stopped rocking. No, that wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t even true. Sol was Sparkless, but he¡¯d saved Lilin and Oril. Admittedly, maybe that last one was a mistake, but he¡¯d done it, even without a Spark. He¡¯d walked thousands of miles to warn the capital of the attack. If he hadn¡¯t, would they have found out about the blue newts before it was too late? Probably not.


    He was Sparkless, and he¡¯d made a difference in people¡¯s lives. Even before the attacks started, he¡¯d lived.


    How could she even consider giving up? Nexin had rushed in to protect her, giving his life to save hers against unbeatable odds. Would she insult his memory by letting herself die in the snow like some beaten animal?Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, and pushed herself to her feet again. Red stained the snow where she¡¯d lain, and she gingerly reached up to touch her head. A wince at the pain, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Probably because it was all frozen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up so easily,¡± she said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where the Blaze I am.¡±


    A shiver wracked her body, reminding her that her choices may not mean much, and El brought her numb hands up into her armpits. She¡¯d have to worry about where she was or how she got there later. For now, she needed to get moving. It would help warm her up.


    Picking a direction, El simply started walking. The knee-deep snow resisted every step, but one step became two. Two became ten. Ten became one hundred.


    Snow piled on her shoulders and in the crooks of her arms, but she simply kept trudging forward. The furthest tree became her goal, and as soon as she reached it, she picked the next furthest tree beyond.


    El lost count of her steps, of the trees she used as guideposts, while snow and fatigue weighed heavy on her. Literally, and she gently shook her body to shed some of the white. Snow fell from her head, and she leaned forward to get the rest of it off before standing up again¡­ and stopping.


    Were her eyes playing tricks on her? There, between the trees, was the unmistakable shape of a cabin of some kind, light flickering in the windows. The building wasn¡¯t large, maybe only a single room from the looks of it, but it would protect her from the wind. And that flickering light, could it be¡­?


    Fire! Heat!


    Her body practically leapt forward on its own, craving something other than the numbing cold that filled her.


    Who could be living out there? Would they help her?


    The questions in her mind didn¡¯t matter, and she plowed through the snow like her life depended on it, right up to the single door. No other tracks marred the snow around her, so the owner had to be inside.


    ¡°Hello?¡± El called, and knocked on the door with a fist she could barely close. ¡°Hello, can you hear me? I need help!¡±


    No answer.


    El knocked again. ¡°Please, if anybody is in there, I just need to warm up. I won¡¯t stay long, I promise.¡±


    Still no response. Was the owner sleeping? Were they even home?


    El glanced down at the doorknob. Now wasn¡¯t the time for propriety, and she reached for the handle. She could barely feel the metal that should¡¯ve been ice-cold on her skin, and her fingers wouldn¡¯t grasp it properly. Using her other hand to cup the doorknob, she leaned her shoulder against the door.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be locked,¡± she whispered to the door, and twisted the handle.


    The door opened without a sound, and El toppled into the cabin in a puff of snow and a muffled grunt.


    Thick carpeting broke most of her fall, and the two people in the center of the room didn¡¯t even stir at her entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± El said, and got up to her knees. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anybody was in¡­¡± she trailed off.


    The two people in the room, a woman and a child, weren¡¯t going to answer her.


    They were frozen solid.


    The cold wind whipped through the open door, blowing snow through the room, and El shook her head and twisted from the ice-covered pair to close the door.


    That done, El turned back to get a good look at the room.


    ¡°Nope, this isn¡¯t normal at all,¡± she said quietly. Between the two frozen people, blue flame danced in a small firepit, the flickering light El had seen from outside. Bereft of heat, the strange flames raised the hair on El¡¯s neck, and she pressed her back up against the door. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t stay there after all.


    Besides the two kneeling by the strange firepit in the center of the room, the only other thing of note in the room was the table in the back corner, a single, leather-bound book sitting open to the first page. A window sat on each wall, even one beside the door, and El peeked out of each as she circled the room toward the table. Nothing but white outside, and some weirdness inside. Really, where the Blaze was she?


    ¡°So, what¡¯ve you got to say?¡± El asked the book, and leaned over to read the first page.


    If you¡¯re reading this, there¡¯s something you need to know. To understand. I¡¯m here to destroy everything you love. To bring your civilization to ruin.


    And there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop it.


    A shiver ran down El¡¯s spine as she looked at the handwritten scrawl, and it wasn¡¯t from the cold


    Her eyes turned back to the woman and child by the ¡°fire.¡± A young boy, maybe five? In the middle of a storm? Was it one of the same storms the blue newts came from? And, didn¡¯t Lilin say something about Oril leaving his wife and son behind?


    El reached out to the book to turn the page, but her fingers wouldn¡¯t obey her enough to flip to the next, and a soft crunch from outside snapped her head toward the door.


    There it was again. Why did it sound so familiar?


    El¡¯s eyes widened.


    Because it was the same sound she¡¯d made walking through the snow.


    El quickstepped to the wall and peeked out the window by the door. If there was somebody out there, would they see her tracks? It¡¯d only been a few minutes since she came in, but it was snowing pretty heavily.


    Crunch- crunch.


    There it was again. It sounded like it came from¡­ there!


    A shadow moved between the trees. Wide shoulders, thick frame, and the hilt of a massive sword extending behind his armored helmet.


    The Stormbearer.


    Burn it!


    She needed to get out of there. Now.


    El dashed back to the table and flipped the book closed, her fingers could do that at least, then picked it up and moved to the back window. Only a simple latch kept it closed against the wind, and El fumbled at it with her free hand. All she had to do was lift it, but her fingers just wouldn¡¯t cooperate.


    Crunch-crunch.


    Crunch-crunch.


    Crunch-crunch.


    The footsteps got closer with every beat of her racing heart. Well, at least that was warming her up.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you burning thing,¡± El cursed at the latch.


    Crunch-crunch.


    The Stormbearer had to be close.


    El¡¯s shaking hand finally flipped the clasp out of its nook, and the window flew open in the wind, snow slapping El in the face.


    Her body remembered the bone deep cold¡ªit hadn¡¯t left her¡ªand hesitated to leave.


    Crunch.


    The footstep was right outside the door, and El practically threw herself out the window, rolling over the sill and head-first into the snow.


    She jumped to her feet and glanced through the open window, the doorknob across the room starting to turn. El didn¡¯t wait to see who came through that door, stuffing the book securely under her arm, and ran off into the woods. It didn¡¯t matter which direction she was going, as long as she got away from the cabin.


    The snow fell heavy all around her, maybe even heavier than before she¡¯d gone into the cabin, and drifts up to her waist slowed her escape. She avoided them where she could, skirting close to the large trees that blocked the wind, and found a narrow corridor where the snow was only up to the middle of her shins.


    El ran as quickly as she could, more hobbling than anything else, to put distance between her and the cabin.


    Crunch-crunch behind her, and El spun to find the source of the sound while she backstepped. Nothing. Only her own tracks behind her.


    ¡°Just keep running,¡± she told herself, and turned again to dash off.


    Right into a low-hanging branch.

 Bonus Content (not SoW) - Blood Dancer - Chapter 1 – She’s a Fighter

    ¡°Run!¡± Little Shadow signed, her bare feet slipping on the grimy metal floors as she rounded the corner and careened off the blightsteel wall.  ¡°Head for the ducts. The ducts!¡± she repeated the gesture for emphasis.


    Ahead of her, Numbers dashed off and zig-zagged through the trash-strewn alley, Clanker, one of the few OWRglass spiders on level B-8 skittering along the wall and struggling to keep pace as it lit her friend¡¯s way. Even without the soft glow of the aged automaton, its abdomen light barely more than that of a candle, neither of them would¡¯ve slowed or stumbled.


    They knew these alleys too well. They¡¯d run them all their young lives scrounging for food and survival. And there was no way Little Shadow would let some blighting slavers catch them here.


    But there were a lot of slavers, heavy boots ringing out on the metal floor as the pursuit spread out behind her.


    Numbers rocketed out of the alley like she was ejected and skidded to a stop, Little Shadow hot on her heels, head swiveling left and right.


    ¡°There! That¡¯s them,¡± a man signed and pointed down the quiet street to their right.


    ¡°The ducts,¡± Numbers signed slowly to Little Shadow, panic shaking her fingers, and looked past the three large men running in their direction. The three men with shock-whips.


    (Wonderful.)


    ¡°Go around the long way,¡± Little Shadow signed with one hand, and shoved her friend in the opposite direction. ¡°Sorry, Clanker¡± she signed at the fist-sized OWRglass spider who¡¯d followed them for years, like it would understand, and reached out to scoop it up. Its mechanical legs whirred in agitation, but Little Shadow ignored it and tossed it towards her pursuers with all the might her small body could muster.


    Now, if Little Shadow and Numbers chose to hide, the spider wouldn¡¯t immediately give away their position.


    The tiny globe of light arched gently up through the pitch darkness, briefly illuminating the metal ceiling of level B-8 before curving back down to hit the floor with a clang of metal on metal. Long-abandoned run-down houses, broken windows and empty doorways leading nowhere but nowhere, lined both sides of the street.


    The spider, meanwhile, surprisingly durable, bounced once, then twice, but righted itself and joined four more of its kind as they tailed the slavers.


    With them no more than twenty paces away and closing, Little Shadow turned and sprinted after Numbers, who was waving at her to hurry from the mouth of another alley, a broken OWRglass spider, Twinkle, sputtering bursts of light nearby.


    Focused on Little Shadow, Numbers didn¡¯t see the hairy arm snake out of the darkness behind her until it wrapped around her neck, lifting her from her feet.


    ¡°Shadow,¡± one hand signed in panic.


    ¡°Got ya,¡± the bucktooth man signed in front of Numbers¡¯ face. ¡°You too, come to papa,¡± he turned and signed to Little Shadow, holding Numbers off to the side.


    Maybe he expected her to slow. To hesitate. To run the other way.


    (Not gonna happen.) Little Shadow charged in with the speed only a twelve-year-old who¡¯d grown up on the streets could have. Then she hit him with a strength no twelve-year-old should ever have.


    ¡°Nobody,¡± she signed and buried her fist between his legs, lifting his feet from the ground. ¡°Touches,¡± she grabbed the rope he used to keep his too-big pants up and yanked him back down. ¡°Numbers!¡± she finished before hammering that small fist into his buckteeth, shattering them like cheap ceramic.


    The man shot back like he¡¯d been hit by a wrecking ball, his limp arm releasing Numbers before he toppled on top of Twinkle, plunging them into darkness.


    Blood pounding through her veins like a stampede, Little Shadow took a step towards the motionless man. (How dare you touch Numbers.) She¡¯d¡­


    ¡°Shadow, come on. We have to go,¡± Numbers grabbed her arm and tapped out the words like she was playing a piano, pulling her towards the alley. ¡°Leave him. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Little Shadow gave one last look at the man on the ground, but the thundering of boots on metal behind her was too close. There wasn¡¯t time, and she let her friend lead her away. Their feet squelched through years of built-up filth and human waste as they raced ahead, and Little Shadow risked a glance behind.


    A trio of slavers, two men and a woman, paused at the mouth of the alley where their comrade lay unconscious. (Maybe they won¡¯t follow?)


    ¡°Beaten up by a kid,¡± the brawny woman signed to the silent laughter of the other two, then they were charging down the alley, the five OWRglass spiders swarming along the walls beside him.


    ¡°Clanker, you traitor,¡± Little Shadow signed sharply and turned down another side-alley. A left, then another right, and they¡¯d have a straight shot at the ducts. Once they got there, the larger men would never be able to follow them. Even the woman was too big. Little Shadow and Numbers could just go back to their hiding spot and scrounge one of the other levels for a while. One with less slavers.


    But they weren¡¯t there yet. Light poured into the alley from behind them as the spiders rounded the corner, the slavers¡¯ longer legs closing the gap with every stride.


    ¡°GO! GO,¡± Little Shadow tapped out on her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just a little further,¡± on the other shoulder. But Numbers was already gasping for breath. Would she make it? She had to. She¡­


    KA-CHACK, the alley flashed with light as the shock-whip snapped into one of the walls, ionizing the air and standing Little Shadow¡¯s hair on end. (So close!)


    Little Shadow ducked under a pipe stretching across the alley, just in time, the second snap of the whip blasting the ancient metal to dust.


    Ahead of her, Numbers cut a sharp left, then stumbled back. A man with a grin like a jackknife stomped into the light, small compared to the others, he still towered over the malnourished girls.


    But he made the mistake of ignoring Little Shadow.


    Her foot slammed into his knee with bone-crunching accuracy as the whip behind her drew back, the charge in the air pulling her hair like a current in water. Without missing a beat, she grabbed him by the sack he called a shirt, fabric ripping in her fingers, and spun him around.


    The whip lashed his back with a satisfying KA-CHACK, his body spasming from the released charge that arced through him and numbed Little Shadow¡¯s hands before she could let go. She gritted her teeth against the pain, it would pass, pain always did, and looked down their escape route.


    Another man, shoulders wide enough to touch both metal walls of the alley, pristine white shirt open in the front to reveal his branded but muscled chest, strode forward like he owned the place. OWRglass spiders swarmed forward like a vanguard, and he casually unlooped the shock-whip at his hip.


    ¡°Good try,¡± he signed smoothly, fingers dancing in the air as if he strummed an invisible harp. ¡°But give it up now before I have to hurt you. Neither of us wants that; you¡¯d sell for less.¡±


    ¡°Numbers. You have to¡­¡± Little Shadow signed behind her back but cut off when she glanced back to her friend. (Blight it.)


    Three slavers where they¡¯d come from. The man with the white shirt where they needed to go. And a dead end behind Numbers.


    There was nowhere left to run.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I got this, boss,¡± a scrawny man signed as he stepped over the prone man on the ground, shock-stick coming out in one hand, manacles looped around his other.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer,¡± Little Shadow signed sharply and put herself between the men and Numbers.


    ¡°Shadow, don¡¯t¡­¡± her friend tapped on her shoulder.


    ¡°Just stay behind me. I won¡¯t let anybody hurt you,¡± Little Shadow promised with quick gestures, never taking her eyes off the men in front of her.


    ¡°Maybe you should be worrying about yourself a bit more?¡± the scrawny man signed and jabbed her in the stomach with the shock-stick.


    Muscles spasmed and her teeth slammed together, but Little Shadow didn¡¯t fall.


    The man raised an eyebrow and looked at the shock-stick in his hand, then clicked the dial to a higher setting with a nod.


    ¡°Last¡­chance¡­¡± Little Shadow signed with fingers that barely worked.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got grit,¡± the man signed and stabbed out with his amped-up shock-stick, OWRglass glowing on the handle.


    Little Shadow stepped into it, snatching the shock-stick in one hand, and grabbed the man between the legs with her other.


    Oh, how he howled as the charge arced through her and straight into the one place he never, ever, wanted to get hit by a shock-stick. For seconds that must¡¯ve seemed like an eternity to him, Little Shadow fought through the pain twisting her muscles, seizing her lungs, and blotting her vision. By the caricature-like look on his face, it was so much worse for him.


    But still Little Shadow didn¡¯t let go. Not until the charge expended itself and the stick¡¯s hum quieted. With a shudder, she drew her first breath into pained, quivering lungs, and forced her charred fingers open. Her shoulders slumped and her legs shook, but she didn¡¯t fall. She wouldn¡¯t fall. Not while Numbers needed her.


    The man in front of her simply toppled backwards, eyes rolled into the back of his head.


    ¡°Malak,¡± one of the two men signed to the big man with the brand on his chest. ¡°This kid¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a fighter,¡± Malak signed, his shock-whip writhing like a snake in his calloused hand as he drew it back. ¡°Too bad her friend isn¡¯t.¡±


    Little Shadow¡¯s brain moved too slowly to understand his meaning before the whip struck like lightning, her eyes following it as it snapped over her shoulder and past her face.


    (No!) The panic in her blood forced her body to move past its limits, but not fast enough. Numbers recoiled, her right eye charred, no, obliterated, by the whip that blasted her in the side of the face. She fell back as Little Shadow¡¯s small hands reached out for her. Fell, as Little Shadow¡¯s heart broke.


    Numbers hit the wall and slid down, motionless, the right side of her face smoking and blistered.


    (No, no, no.) ¡°Numbers, can you hear me?¡± Little Shadow tapped on the wall beside her friend¡¯s ear with a shaking hand, her blood stilled as she waited for her friend to respond.


    Nothing.


    ¡°Numbers?¡± she tapped, a pit deeper than the darkness of B-8 in her stomach. ¡°Numbers¡­?¡±


    Heart hammering and skin cold, she gently touched Numbers¡¯ face. No response. She said she¡¯d protect¡­


    ¡°Now, then. Come along before I have to hurt either of you anymore,¡± Malak tapped, his meaty fingers thrumming on the metal walls.


    Little Shadow¡¯s blood roared like a beast in the darkness as something inside her snapped, and she spun on the men behind her. Red colored her vision. Thunder pounded in her ears. Her body, so small, her skin, so thin, barely contained the rage threatening to burst out of her.


    ¡°Oh, fine,¡± Malak signed, almost disinterested, and snapped his whip forward again.


    KA-CHACK, it hit her shoulder with a jolt that lit up the alley.


    Little Shadow didn¡¯t even flinch. Serpents writhed under the flesh of her arms. Claws raked inside her gut, demanding a way out. Nightmares coiled in her legs, waiting for their place in the darkness.


    KA-CHACK, the whip resounded again as it slapped across her chest, charring her dirty smock and blistering her skin.


    OWRglass spiders skittered away as Little Shadow stepped forward, air vibrating and refuse dancing in the alley around her.


    The men should have followed the spiders.


    A third strike of the whip caught her leg as she took a second step forward. It barely even stung compared to her shattered heart, and she loomed over the unconscious man from earlier.


    Malak raised an eyebrow and drew the whip back for a fourth strike, but the brawny woman raised a hand and signed quickly, ¡°Looks like this needs a lady¡¯s touch.¡±


    A small nod of permission from Malak, and the woman sauntered forward, cracking her knuckles and rolling her neck.


    ¡°Sorry kid,¡± she signed with one hand, and hit Little Shadow with the other; a haymaker that would¡¯ve crumpled steel.


    Little Shadow¡¯s head snapped to the side, her jaw shattering and putting itself back together in the space of a heartbeat. But. She. Would. Not. Fall. She turned back slowly, her slow grin spreading to show her bloody teeth as she met the woman¡¯s widening, feline eyes.


    Little Shadow opened her mouth and screamed silently as she leaned forward, the thing inside of her demanding release. All her hate, her anger, her grief, her loss, exploded out of her.


    Seams split her arms and snakes of crimson slithered out, tongues tasting the air from between dripping fangs. Red claws like knives carved out of her stomach, through her tattered smock, and long, spindly arms pulled a narrow body topped with an eyeless head out. Flesh peeled from her calves, the blood oozing out and pooling at her feet to rise again as tentacles that hungrily wrapped around the woman¡¯s legs, pulling them out from under her.


    Little Shadow¡¯s vision darkened and she almost stumbled, almost, barely any blood left in her small body, but sheer force of will kept her standing. Heavy eyes focused on Malak, and she raised her leaden arms. She could pass out after he was dead.


    With a flick of her fingers, the blood-claws raked across the panicking, tentacle-bound woman, splashing crimson along the walls in a wet splatter as they beheaded her.


    Malak¡¯s eyes went wide as her head gently rolled to stop at his feet. ¡°You¡­you don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done¡­¡± he signed woodenly.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t know,¡± Little Shadow signed back with bloody fingers.


    Without hesitation, two fingers together, Little Shadow pointed then snapped her wrist down to the woman at her feet. The second claw followed her gesture straight into the woman¡¯s chest, and just like that, the woman¡¯s blood was Little Shadow¡¯s.


    Her mind expanded with understanding. With power. The woman was Touched, a remnant of the Broken gods.


    (With this¡­)


    Little Shadow nodded permission.


    The thing made of blood crawled all the way out of Little Shadow¡¯s stomach, legs little more than nubs on its thin body, and into the woman at her feet. Little Shadow¡¯s wrist swiveled around, fingers towards the sky, and the thing rose back out to its full ten-foot height, claws as long as swords scarring the metal walls on either side of it. Eyeless head splitting, it silently roared at the men through a maw lined with serrated teeth.


    ¡°Nobody touches Numbers!¡± Little Shadow signed as the blood-beast lashed out to exact her revenge.


    Malak¡¯s hand, at the same time, darted out to grab a gawking thug by the scruff of the neck. Before the poor man even knew what was happening, he was suddenly between Malak and the raging monster.


    The meat-shield wasn¡¯t nearly thick enough.


    Blood-claws punched through the man like wet paper and straight into Malak, who skidded back several paces. The body, twitching where it dangled a foot above the ground from the curved claws, shriveled and stilled as the blood-beast thickened, muscles defining and shoulders widening.


    ¡°A blighting Blood Dancer,¡± Malak signed, his skin a dull metal underneath his shredded shirt.


    The blood-beast flicked its hand, casually discarding the exsanguinated corpse, then slashed down across Malak in a flash of red. Claws gouging out great divots in the floor and shredding Malak¡¯s white shirt, they didn¡¯t even scratch his iron body.


    Kill him. Rend him. Bleed him, Little Shadow mentally commanded, her hollowed out body on the verge of giving out. Whatever he was, Malak wasn¡¯t going to escape her vengeance.


    The blood-beast obeyed, the muscles in its arms bulging as it focused its strength. Lifting its claws above its head, fifteen feet in the air, there wouldn¡¯t be anything more than a crater left when it was finished.


    Malak¡¯s head tilted up, and up, eyes locked on his impending doom, body frozen.


    (DIE!)


    But a shock-whip lit the alley and blasted a hole in the blood-beast¡¯s side, both Little Shadow and the beast turning their attention to the one other man still standing.


    His mouth gaped, the whip dropping out of his hand, and piss soaked his pants. ¡°Boss¡­?¡± the man signed.


    But Malak was already running down the alley in the other direction.


    After him, Little Shadow commanded, Kill him. Kill every slaver you find. The beast threw its head back in a silent roar, its bloodlust a palpable weight in the air, then loped after Malak on all fours.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡± the man signed slowly, pathetically, and turned to look at Little Shadow.


    She leapt on him before he could blink, a ravenous animal starved too long, hands gripping his face with bone-crushing strength, dirty feet on his chest, and blood-snakes driving their hungry fangs into him in a dozen places as she rode him to the ground. With frightening speed, the snakes gulped his blood, and Little Shadow¡¯s back burst apart, ragged, skeletal wings with sparse, dagger-like feathering stretching upward.


    ¡°Malak,¡± the wings hissed as they steamed in the air, and Little Shadow reached out her senses for the beast battling him in the next street. Screeching metal shattered the silence and Little Shadow took a shaky step in that direction, leaving the dried-up husk of a corpse without a second glance.


    (Just a little more,) she told her nearly blood-dry body, heart struggling to fill her veins while most of her blood writhed around outside her skin. (Just a little more. For Numbers.)


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, my dear,¡± came a tapping from the darkness, interrupting Little Shadow¡¯s thoughts, and a large woman in emerald silks and a burgundy corset stepped forward. Goggles with an OWRglass glowing between the lenses hid her eyes, but there was no mistaking she was looking right at Little Shadow. ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard. Your body can¡¯t take this,¡± she signed when Little Shadow looked at her.


    Little Shadow¡¯s wings carved through metal walls like butter as she turned on the woman who looked so out of place on B-8. No rags. No dirt. Great boots.


    ¡°Who¡­?¡± Little Shadow signed with one hand, but her legs gave out from under her. She stumbled to the ground, empty and weak, the blood-wings coming apart and sloshing over her in a wave.


    ¡°Slow down, girl. Focus on bringing yourself together again,¡± the woman tapped quickly


    (Numbers, I¡­) Little Shadow couldn¡¯t finish her thought as darkness overtook her.

 Bonus Content (not SoW) - Blood Dancer - Chapter 2 – Execution

    (What an odd memory to have at a time like this. What was that, seven years ago now?) Little Shadow thought. (Well, maybe not so odd,) she amended as somebody ripped the hood off her head. Spotlights stung her eyes as she struggled to make out her surroundings, silhouettes moving around her like phantoms.


    Shapes slowly resolved into people, into thousands of people, as the pain of her dangling body pushed its way through her disorientation.


    (Riiiiiiiight.)


    Clad in little more than a smock, rivulets of blood running from scalp to ankles, and flayed flesh hanging in tatters, her toes barely touched the ground slick with her blood. Copper manacles dug painfully into her wrists and held her arms high above her head, the copper pillar cold against her back.


    Of course it was copper ¨C the one thing that could block her power ¨C but couldn¡¯t they have made it just a bit less blighting uncomfortable? Nope, that was too much to ask, so, there she was, strung up on the central stage of The Gearworks for the entertainment of thirty-thousand rowdy spectators; great way to end her day.


    Fifteen massive gears, each with two rows of luxurious seating, rotated slowly around the auditorium, turning her torture into little more than a spectacle. People were even eating popcorn.


    But she wasn¡¯t the only victim. No, arrayed along the edge of the circular platform, seven other poor souls shared her fate. All together now, the stage was set. Soon, the curtain would fall, and it would be over for all of them.


    ¡°Tell me, you who call yourselves Gods, tell me how it feels to be captured. To be strung up like meat by the things you considered little more than toys for your games,¡± an armored man signed from the center of the stage in front of Little Shadow. His words floated high above in brilliant OWRglass light like small tears in reality before dissolving and raining down in a shower of sparkles.


    It would almost be pretty, almost, if it wasn¡¯t the introduction to Little Shadow¡¯s execution.


    ¡°Enough, Elard,¡± a woman signed from beside the armored man, her words appearing in pink compared to his blue above.


    ¡°No, Nalia. Not nearly enough,¡± Elard signed and spat. ¡°Look what they¡¯ve done to this world. What they¡¯ve done to us for generations. The pain they¡¯ve put us through. They need to know what it feels like,¡± his hands blurred as he combined speech and emphatic gestures.


    ¡°Release me from these chains and I¡¯ll show you exactly what it feels like,¡± a massive man, bound in manacles of bone, signed from where he hung. His words roared above, a cold grey, but twice as large as those before.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Nalia signed soothingly, words forming high above, ¡°you¡¯ll get your turn soon enough. You all will. Once the Gods who ruled this world, you, the Broken, are now our prisoners. Weapons crafted by the hands of men,¡± she pointed to the pistol on Edard¡¯s hip, ¡°have brought you to ruin, as you brought this world. But today is your reckoning. As the stories go, you survived the first Breaking, and destroyed the rest of your kind.


    ¡°But those stories held the kernels of truth that exposed your weaknesses. And because of that, you won¡¯t survive this, the Second Breaking.


    ¡°My fellow soldiers,¡± Nalia signed, her hands thrusting above her head, and turned to the thousands watching. ¡°We all know the stories of how the Broken were too dangerous, even to their own kind. Once, long ago, perfect Gods walked our world. Perfect, save for these eight who wanted more. Who wanted to stand above others of their kind. Who planned and plotted,¡± she signed the words slowly, letting them fully dissolve above before carrying on.


    ¡°When the others learned of their treachery, they made the terrible choice to kill their brothers and sisters to save their race. To save this world.


    ¡°But it was too late.


    ¡°They failed. Miserably, for these eight had already grown in strength. They could not truly die. When they returned as the Broken, they created tools for their war. Tools to fight their battles. To die in their stead.


    ¡°They created¡­us,¡± she signed, the word ¡®us¡¯ appearing and disappearing a dozen times like an echo above.


    (Blight, how much longer is she going to talk? My back is itchy¡­)


    ¡°For generations,¡± Nalia went on, ¡°for millennia, we fought their war. We bled and died by the millions. But was it ever enough for them? No!¡± Nalia signed. ¡°Through our sacrifice, the centuries-long conflict was won. What did we get as our reward? Broken Gods who revel in our suffering. A ruined world. A dark sky save for the two hours of a cursed sun we see every day. Even that which should be beautiful, the sunlight, destroys us, its Blight turning everything it touches to metal,¡± she paused, heads around her nodding at mention of the Blight.


    ¡°But we¡¯re tired of bowing. Tired of groveling and hoping we don¡¯t catch one of the Brokens¡¯ eyes. Tired of fearing their spawn, the Touched. Today is our day. Our victory. Not for those who made us,¡± she signed, and pointed at the eight people staked around the auditorium. ¡°But for ourselves. For today¡­we rise!¡± she signed, thrusting her hand into the air, the words exploding to life above her. Soldiers all around her repeated her sign in a silent chorus, ¡°We rise!¡± sparkled in the air a hundred times, a thousand, like stars in the night sky.


    ¡°We rise!¡± Nalia stomped her foot and signed again, looking to her audience. ¡°Join me. Feel the power of these words. We rise!¡± she signed and stomped. ¡°We rise! We rise! We rise!¡±


    Slowly at first, but increasing with each repetition, more and more of the crowd joined in until the Gearworks shook with the chorus of thirty-thousand stomping feet, hands in the air, words showering like fireworks. ¡°WE RISE!¡±


    The stomping rebounded like an earthquake through the Gearworks for a long minute, near deafening to Little Shadow, who couldn¡¯t even cover her ears, before Nalia finally put her hands up to bring the mob back under control.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s finally time.


    ¡°To truly find our places at the top, for us to rise, the Broken must fall. Edard, you have been chosen for this honor,¡± Nalia signed and stepped back.


    (Finally.)


    Golden blond hair, features chiseled as if by a master craftsman, and shoulders wide enough to carry the world, the man commanded attention as he strode a circle inside the ring of chained Broken. His armor, polished to a mirror-like shine, whirred with each gear-enhanced step. OWRglasses in the shoulders, chest, and thighs left a trail of luminescent light and showed his power to all the world; the power to bring down gods.


    (In armor like that, a man is nearly invincible.)


    ¡°The Bound,¡± Edard signed, words in blue fire scarring the air above him, and stopped in front of a man staked to Little Shadow¡¯s left. Cocooned in black leather straps and wrapped in silver chains, his true identity was completely obscured, with even his mouth and nose hidden behind a thick muzzle. ¡°The prince. The traitor. The one responsible for the Brokens¡¯ first death. Bound by silver befitting royalty.


    ¡°It¡¯s only right that you be the first to go this time,¡± Edard signed, and held out his gauntleted hand to Nalia.


    Nodding, Nalia reached into an elaborate etched-gold trunk at the center of the stage, drew forth a shimmering, silver dagger, and brought it to Edard.


    Without a pause, Edard took the dagger and slammed it into the Bound¡¯s abdomen. Thick blood oozed out from beneath the leather bindings and ran down Edard¡¯s gauntlet, the Bound thrashing in agony, but didn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, make a sound. Not even in death.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°We rise!¡± Nalia signed, and the crowd repeated with a thundering stomp.


    ¡°Oh, good show,¡± Edard signed discretely, no words echoing above, to the squirming Bound as he gave a tentative pull on the dagger. It didn¡¯t move. He gave a second pull, and a little twist, and the Bound thrashed all the more.


    Confusion flashed across Edard¡¯s face, and Little Shadow couldn¡¯t help but smile at their executioner¡¯s inconvenience.


    ¡°Edard, next,¡± Nalia signed with one hand while the other repeated ¡®We rise!¡¯, only the latter words appearing in sky-script above.


    ¡°Dagger¡¯s stuck,¡± he signed right back. ¡°The flourish.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, do it with the next.¡±


    Edard scowled, but stepped to the next man in line, away from Little Shadow.


    (Guess I get to enjoy the show before it¡¯s my turn.)


    ¡°The War,¡± Edard signed, once again taking command of the stage, blue words burning above. Iron skin wrapped around corded muscles, the man chained to the post was massive, easily dwarfing even Edard in the OWRglass armor.


    (But, there he is, just like the rest of us.)


    ¡°Bound by bone, for the primitive weapons used to kill you the first time. Where are your armies now? Your armor? Well, you can¡¯t have mine,¡± he signed and turned with a wink to the crowd, eliciting only a few obligatory grins. His smile twitched, and he jerked his hand out to Nalia.


    A bone dagger, this time, forged from the jaw-bone of some large carnivore, jagged teeth still running along one side.


    Edard glanced back at the Bound, still writhing and moaning on his post, then down at the dagger in his hands.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Nalia signed so only Edard, and, coincidently, Little Shadow, could see.


    ¡°Why¡¯s he¡­?¡± Edard signed back with a single digit pointing at the Bound.


    ¡°Wants the attention. Ignore him and get on with the stabbing. We¡¯re on a tight timeline here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Edard signed, then shoved the dagger into the War¡¯s gut. Blood like a waterfall exploded out from the dirty smock while the War opened his mouth for a silent death-scream before falling still like a puppet with his strings cut. Edard lifted the blood-soaked bone into the air in triumph, then dropped it to the ground unceremoniously.


    ¡°We rise!¡± the crowd stomped.


    ¡°The Hunt,¡± Edard signed, stepping up to the next woman in the circle, directly across from Little Shadow. Cat-like claws, razor sharp and still dripping blood, extended from her fingers. Her face, somewhere between canine and human, scowled at Edard with a cold mix of primal intensity and human logic. ¡°Bound by ivory for the tusks that gored you.¡± When he held out his hand, Nalia placed a carved ivory dagger in his palm.


    ¡°More animal than person, your savagery won¡¯t be missed,¡± he signed, and drove the dagger into the Hunt¡¯s abdomen.


    The Hunt¡¯s eyes met Little Shadow¡¯s, and the feline woman gave a wink before she threw back her head in a pained, silent scream.


    More gushing blood, a dagger held high then dropped to the ground, another chorus of ¡®We rise!¡¯, and Edard stepped to the next.


    ¡°The Madness,¡± Edard signed. Ebony hair framed a face like porcelain hidden behind a muzzle. The woman would have been beautiful, if not for her eyes; shattered like the worst Gloverdose, fragments of pupil and iris floating freely, chaos dancing in their depths.


    Edard paused to check the muzzle before he continued. ¡°Can¡¯t be too careful. Your song could drive the world to insanity if we let it. Now, though, bound by obsidian for the dagger that cut your throat and stole your voice, and ours, we need never fear you again.


    ¡°A pity, really, the last spoken words left to this world, and they die with you.


    ¡°Nalia, if you¡¯d please,¡± he signed, and she handed him a black, obsidian short-sword. ¡°If it worked before, it¡¯ll work again,¡± he signed, then lifted the edge of the blade to the high collar around the Madness¡¯ neck. Then, painfully slowly, he dragged the blade from left to right, coating the full length of it in bright, crimson blood.


    ¡°We rise!¡± Nalia led the crowd, many of them on their feet.


    Again, Edard held the blade above his head, then dropped it to the ground. But he didn¡¯t move on immediately, and instead looked back at the Bound who still twitched and writhed.


    ¡°He¡¯s really hamming it up,¡± Edard signed quickly to Nalia.


    ¡°Ignore him. We¡¯re already behind because of his antics. And why did you leave the knife there?¡±


    ¡°Got stuck on something,¡± he answered, but turned away and moved to the fifth person in the circle.


    ¡°The Lost, bound in oak for the forest where you died,¡± Edard signed, and fingered the wooden manacles holding the man aloft. ¡°You probably think it¡¯s a pity we found you.¡± Edard chuckled silently at his own joke. He was the only one. His hand went out, and Nalia gave him a wooden stake, polished and sharpened. ¡°To think a simple stick can kill a god,¡± his fingers mused slowly, then jammed the stake straight into the man, the plain robe instantly staining red.


    Even if the Lost could¡¯ve screamed, it would¡¯ve been drowned out by the thunderous retort of the crowd¡¯s stomp.


    (Bloodthirsty psychos.)


    ¡°We rise!¡±


    Edard dropped the bloodied stake to the ground as the Lost slumped lifelessly, then moved on.


    ¡°The Twisted,¡± Edard signed in disgust to the misshapen woman before him. Fleshy pustules, bones protruding from all the wrong places, and a face like melted wax, the Twisted was just as her name described. ¡°Bound in marble, for the perfect statue you idolized, before it fell and crushed you. Your touch will never again soil our flesh.¡±


    ¡°I could have made you flawless,¡± the Twisted signed, her misshapen fingers writhing like seizing snakes above her head. ¡°I still can. Free me, and I shall make you immortal. Beautiful.¡±


    Edard turned his head, as if considering the offer, then stood straight, his hand on his waist. ¡°I¡¯m already beautiful,¡± he signed with a sparkling smile. ¡°And my name will be immortalized.¡± He held out his hand, and Nalia passed him a heavy marble spike.


    ¡°We rise,¡± Nalia signed, and stomped her foot, the crowd eagerly joining in.


    ¡°We rise!¡± Edard signed with one hand while the other drove the marble spike into the Twisted¡¯s gut. Blood gushed from her hunched form, a waterfall of red on the floor at Edard¡¯s boots. ¡°We rise!¡± Edard signed again, the stained spike held aloft, before he dropped it and moved to the seventh Broken.


    (Almost my turn.)


    An old man, white hair and beard hanging past his chest, milky eyes staring at nothing, hung from dark chains.


    ¡°The Distant,¡± Edard signed respectfully with a slight bow of his head. ¡°Of all the Broken, you meddled the least with our world. With us. But like your brethren, you are too dangerous, and for us to rise, you need to fall.¡±


    The old man, the Distant, vaguely looked in Edard¡¯s direction at the movement, then signed back, his fingers barely moving. ¡°Do what needs to be done. I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Edard nodded, then slowly held his hand out to Nalia. A sharpened piece of stone.


    ¡°Yours was the cruelest of deaths,¡± Edard signed solemnly. ¡°Lodestone, for the nails driven into your body. For the metal powder forced down your throat, and for the lodestone boulders you were hung between until they ripped it all from your body.


    ¡°This death will be much less painful,¡± Edard signed, then quickly drew the jagged stone beneath the Distant¡¯s beard. The old man didn¡¯t even flinch as blood ran down his chest and soaked his robes.


    ¡°So tired,¡± the Distant signed, then closed his milky eyes, his head drooping.


    ¡°We rise,¡± Edard signed, dropping the lodestone, and moved to the eighth and final Broken. To Little Shadow.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she signed with a silent chuckle. ¡°Saved the best for last?¡± Bloody letters dripped across the sky above her.


    ¡°The Flayed,¡± Edard signed, ignoring her comment. ¡°Bound in copper for the wedding band your husband wore when he skinned you alive. Look at you now, your beauty destroyed because of your indiscretion.¡±


    ¡°Better than you¡¯ll look if I get out of these chains,¡± Little Shadow signed, no words echoing above, then spat blood in Edard¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ugh! What are you¡­that¡¯s gross¡­¡± his fingers flashed without thought, and he staggered back, one gauntleted hand wiping his face, the other going to the gun at his hip. ¡°It got in my mouth!¡± he signed with bloody fingers, the sky above blank.


    Little Shadow winked at him.


    Edard took a threatening step forward, and the bloody gauntlet swept up. Metal fingers with the strength of ten men wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air. The OWRglass on the back of his hand glowed fiercely as he squeezed, a hair¡¯s breadth from outright crushing her windpipe.


    (That OWRglass armor is the real deal.)


    Edard put his gun to her forehead, his fingers on the grip visible only to her. ¡°What are you doing you stupid bitch? That isn¡¯t in the script,¡± he signed, without taking his finger off the trigger. Still, no words carved the air above them.


    ¡°Improvising,¡± she signed and gave him a bloody smile despite the black specks floating across her vision from lack of oxygen.


    ¡°Edard,¡± Nalia tapped on his shoulder. ¡°What are you doing? You need to use the knife,¡± she signed when his head turned in her direction, and she held out a copper blade.


    ¡°I know!¡± he signed, finally releasing his grip on Little Shadow¡¯s neck, her throat spasming as she sucked in air. ¡°But this¡­¡± his fingers stopped as Nalia¡¯s eyes widened at the gun pointed in her direction. Edard¡¯s gun.


    ¡°Edard. No, Erik¡± she signed slowly, using the actor¡¯s real name. ¡°What are¡­that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s just a prop, right? You didn¡¯t actually bring a real gun here, did you?¡±


    ¡°Jenice, I can¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t¡­¡± Erik started, but didn¡¯t finish as his finger squeezed the trigger. The stomping crowd froze as the OWRglass pistol lit up the stage, the jagged lightning discharge connecting the barrel to Jenice¡¯s body for a frozen heartbeat, before hurling her off the stage between The Madness and The Distant who jumped in surprise.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Little Shadow signed with a smirk.


    ¡°Jenice!¡± Erik signed, and took a step forward, disbelief written across his face. He didn¡¯t get a second step before a single, slow clap started in the audience.


    A lone woman, red top hat perched precariously atop her blond hair and seated directly level the stage, brought her leather-gloved hands together at the pace of a dying heart.


    ¡°Veronika?¡± Erik signed before he put the gun barrel to the side of his head and pulled the trigger.


    As Erik¡¯s head vaporized, the audience probably realized this wasn¡¯t part of the show.

 Spark of War - Chapter 30 – A Long Walk

    ¡°Ouch,¡± El mumbled, and brought her hand to her forehead. Sticky. What happened? Right, she was running. From what?


    Not what. Who.


    The Stormbearer.


    El forced her eyes open, only to close them again against the blinding glare.


    This again?


    But, no, something was different. The light on her face¡­ it was warm. And it wasn¡¯t just the light; her whole body was warm. She could feel her fingers and toes!


    ¡°Burn it, that hurts,¡± she hissed as her brain accepted the pain from her extremities, and rolled onto her side.


    Grass crinkled beneath her hand, and she carefully opened her eyes to gaze at the beautiful, wonderful, sea of green that stretched out around her. The snow was gone. The trees were gone.


    El whipped her head around, nausea at the sudden movement crawling up her throat and the world tilting dangerously. But, despite the throb in her twice-smacked head, she sighed in relief. The Stormbearer was gone.


    Sitting up, slowly, El looked at the leather-bound book in her other hand. It wasn¡¯t all just some weird dream. That cabin, and those people, they were real. Somehow.


    But, how had she gotten there? And where was she now?


    Still no buildings, and definitely no golems rampaging around, so she wasn¡¯t in Aldrana where she should¡¯ve been. Nope, just vibrant green grass blowing in the wind, and sparse trees as far as the eye could see.


    ¡°Definitely a better place to wake up,¡± she told herself, and got to her feet with only minor swaying. The two separate lumps on her head stung like the Blaze, but the bleeding had mostly scabbed over for the time being. Laying in the sunlight had done a lot to warm her up too, but the cold still lingered, stiffening her body. It would take a little longer before the chill was completely chased away.


    With the sun directly above her, and no familiar landmarks among the gently rolling hills, it was impossible to tell even what time of day it was. Or what day it was, for that matter. Unconscious, twice, and who knew how long she¡¯d actually been out.


    ¡°Well, at least the weather is nicer,¡± she said, and tilted her head back to soak up more of the sun. The light gently warmed her skin, filling some of the void left behind by the absence of her Spark.


    Was it really gone? Should she try to ignite her wings again?


    The memory of the pain sent a shiver down El¡¯s spine, and she shook her head. She¡¯d try again, but not just yet.


    Instead, she tucked the book under her arm, picked a tree on a distant hill, and simply started walking. After everything that¡¯d happened since her first deployment¡ªthe battles, the chaos, the loss¡ªthe calm breeze and peaceful landscape was a welcome escape.


    No orders. No Church. No fighting. No death.


    Lots of questions, though. But she had the time to think about them.


    El¡¯s stomach rumbled, and she pulled an energy bar out of her small pack, at least she hadn¡¯t lost that in everything, and peeled open the packaging to take a bite.


    It sure wasn¡¯t a fiery pork-bomb, but it did the job for now. How many more of those did she have? Five? Those would last her a few days, but she¡¯d need to find some water.


    Her head tilted back longingly at the sky. Sure would be easier to find water from up there.


    El stuffed the empty wrapper back in her pack, no need to litter, and reached over her shoulder to rub her fingers along one of the electrum wing nubs. It felt intact, and she gently probed the other. It felt fine too, so it probably wasn¡¯t a problem with the electrum. Still, she¡¯d check them when she stopped.


    It took her more than two hours to reach the tree she¡¯d chosen as her goal, and her legs burned from the long incline when she finally leaned against the rough bark for a breather.


    A sea of green spread around her, broken only by a wide lake in one direction. A small island, shaped like a ¡°thumbs-up¡± stood in the middle of the glass-like surface of the water. Wait. She knew that island, and that lake! They¡¯d passed over it on their way to Aldrana, it was only a few miles north of their fallback point!


    And more than two hundred miles south of Aldrana.


    Just another question to add to the list. But, if she was on the south side of the lake, and from her memory of the landscape, it sure looked that way, she should be able to find the rendezvous point within a few hours. Even on foot.


    But would anybody else be there when she arrived?


    El shrugged. What other options did she have at that point?


    Not many. First, though, she should get something to drink. After a quick stop at the edge of the lake to get her fill, El turned to the south and started walking. The sun had begun its slow decent, it was definitely afternoon, but the days were long, and she had plenty of daylight left before night fell. She should reach her destination by then.


    It was just the hours of lonely walking between here and there with nothing else to occupy her mind. Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true, and El cracked open the journal while she walked.


    If you¡¯re reading this, there¡¯s something you need to know. To understand. I¡¯m here to destroy everything you love. To bring your civilization to ruin.


    And there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop it.


    Could this really be the Stormbearer¡¯s journal? And could Oril be connected? Every time he vanished, the Stormbearer showed up. Was that why he wasn¡¯t hassling El¡¯s wing during the battle? Because he was off gathering his forces?


    Then there were those two in the cabin, a woman and a child, just like what Oril left behind. Did Sol and Lilin really save him on the road, or was it all a convenient set up?


    ¡°Why are you asking when you probably, literally, have the answers right in your hands?¡± El asked herself with a chuckle, then winced. Laughing made her head hurt, and she reached up to wipe some of the tacky blood aside.


    She¡¯d get it checked out when she got back to camp, then winced again. What was it Sol had said? The medics didn¡¯t know how to treat people without Sparks. Was that what she¡¯d have to deal with now too?


    No, stop worrying about that. Read the burning book.


    Starting at the end would give her the most answers, and she left a bloody fingerprint on the first page as she tried to skip to the end. Tried, because she couldn¡¯t flip the pages, like something held the individual sheets together.


    ¡°What the Blaze?¡± she asked herself, closed the book, and then tried to open the back cover. It wouldn¡¯t budge. Was the book some kind of fake? She opened again to the first page, those ominous words staring back at her, then caught the corner of the page with her bloody finger and tried to flip to page two.


    The page turned like any normal page should.


    El tried to turn to the next page, but again, the pages seemed like they were glued, or frozen, together.


    She cocked her arm back to toss the book in frustration, but took a calming breath, and actually looked at the second page:


    When the world began, there were two. Two to balance. Two to share.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    One, the creator. The birther of life and the future.


    One, the destroyer. The bringer of death and the end.


    Always at odds, one vies for advantage, the chance to make the world theirs alone, while the other seeks to maintain the balance. In the creator¡¯s eyes, the world should flourish and prosper. The destroyer, though, would cover the world in death, smothering life, and leave it an empty husk.


    The creator knows it cannot exist without the destroyer, for death is necessary to make life worthwhile, but the destroyer holds no such reservations. It wishes for nothing more than to be alone.


    And so, I have come.


    El whistled. This was definitely some kind of journal, and the Stormbearer¡¯s at that. Was he the destroyer the book talked about? That¡­ no, that didn¡¯t quite add up. This sounded like it was something bigger than that.


    Could he be talking about gods? Was the creator mentioned actually the Pyre? That made sense. The Pyre, His Embers, and His Spark were all the source of life. So, maybe like the Pyre has His army, this Stormbearer is the leader of the destroyer¡¯s army. And the blue newts must be the foot soldiers.


    And the storm? Is that the destruction he¡¯s bringing?


    ¡°Burn it, what if it¡¯s not a lot of small storms, but instead one giant storm? A giant storm closing in on us from all sides¡­¡± El mumbled to herself.


    Balacin had collected all of the Embers but one, and even the last one wasn¡¯t that far away now that Pycrin had pushed the Guldish forces back behind their last set of defenses. They¡¯d long since conquered the nations across the oceans and taken their Embers. What if the storm was really converging on Balacin? Could a single storm really devour an entire continent?


    Or, maybe her imagination was just getting away from her. She needed to keep reading, if there even was any more to it.


    El¡¯s eyes traced the words along the rest of the page and down the second. More generalities about the creator and destroyer. Nothing specific, but it painted a grave picture if the destroyer was allowed to win.


    How did the Stormbearer know all this though? And why was he keeping it in a journal? Did he expect somebody to find it?


    El turned the page without thinking, then stopped and flipped the page back and forth. It was definitely stuck together before. So, why could she turn it now?


    Because she¡¯d read the page?


    Time to test that theory.


    El read through the next two pages quickly, now familiar with the handwriting, and purposely snagged the corner of the paper. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she whispered, and turned the page normally, then quickly tried the next one. Wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Huh, no skipping ahead for spoilers,¡± she said, and went back to the two pages she¡¯d already read, reviewing them more closely as she walked.


    Miles passed while El read and reread the pages, searching for any clues on the Stormbearer, the storms, or the destroyer. He was some kind of avatar for his god, imbued with its power to lead the armies, and spread His touch across the world. There weren¡¯t any dates on the pages, so it was impossible to tell how long ago the invasion actually started, but he seemed to really believe in what he was doing.


    And that family back in the cabin, that was his all right. More than a few pages were devoted notes to his wife and child, though he never mentioned their names. But, if he loved them so much, why would he let the destroyer have them?


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°EL!¡± a voice called, and El looked up just in time to move the book aside before Laze crashed into her and wrapped her in a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯re okay! Thank the Blaze,¡± Laze said.


    El wrapped her arms around her friend, the warmth of Laze¡¯s flame armor a welcome touch, and squeezed. ¡°You made it,¡± El said. ¡°Nidina and Dayne?¡±


    Laze gave her a second squeeze, then took a step back and looked El up and down. ¡°You look terrible, but they¡¯re both fine. And they¡¯ll be even better when they see you. We heard you were around where the Stormbearer touched down. What happened?¡±


    El¡¯s mind flashed back to the battle. To Nexin.


    ¡°Laze, have you seen my brother?¡± El asked. If she¡¯d gotten away, maybe he had too?


    Laze shook her head. ¡°No, I was hoping he¡¯d be with you. Nobody¡¯s seen him since the battle.¡±


    El closed her eyes to keep the tears back.


    ¡°You know something,¡± Laze said. ¡°Did you see Nexin? Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡­ saved me,¡± El said, opening her eyes and fighting to keep the hoarseness out of her voice.


    ¡°Saved you? But then, shouldn¡¯t he be with you?¡± Laze asked, and looked over El¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Saved me back in Aldrana,¡± El said. ¡°From the Stormbearer. You should¡¯ve seen him, Laze. The Stormbearer couldn¡¯t keep up with him. He was amazing. Then¡­ then one of the new golems showed up. Caught him looking the other way. Laze¡­ the golem¡­ he¡­ I saw him¡­ then the Stormbearer¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t put the words together. Saying it would make it real. It couldn¡¯t be real. It just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± Laze whispered, and wrapped her arms around El again. ¡°Shhhh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± El said, leaning in and sobbing. Who was she even apologizing to? Laze? Nexin? Herself? It didn¡¯t matter, and she put her head on Laze¡¯s shoulder and just cried. And she wasn¡¯t the only one, her friend crying right along with her.


    They stayed like that for long minutes, letting their grief play out on each other¡¯s shoulders, until El finally pulled away. ¡°I¡¯m glad you got out. I couldn¡¯t bear it if you¡­¡±


    ¡°We got out because of you,¡± Laze said, tears still running down her face, and rubbed El¡¯s shoulders. Laze had loved Nexin just as much as El had. ¡°Your plan worked. More or less.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it while we walk?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Laze said. ¡°Camp is this way.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened? I don¡¯t remember anything after the Stormbearer¡­ after he joined the fight,¡± El said. ¡°My plan worked? Wait, am I going to get court-martialed when we get to camp?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Laze said. ¡°Probably not. Maybe. The squad leaders, of all ranks, know you saved their people. You might even be popular! The advance orders you had us deliver, well, they made all the difference. Dayne was working on getting the brass to call the retreat when the Stormbearer landed, and the troops from the west flank had already started falling back. That was you?¡±


    El nodded.


    ¡°Well, when they saw that, and the troops Nidina and I talked to doing the same, they made the right call and sounded the official retreat. And not a moment too soon. It had become a massive three-way battle, and it was absolute chaos. Especially without our communications. We were getting ripped apart.¡±


    ¡°A three-way battle? The newts weren¡¯t there to reinforce the golems?¡± El asked.


    ¡°No, they hit the golems just as hard as they hit us. The Stormbearer, especially, seemed to have a real hate for them. That chaos, plus your orders, gave our troops the window they needed to get out. There were still losses¡­ but we didn¡¯t get wiped out like we would have if we¡¯d waited any longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Uh¡­ how long has it been since the battle?¡± El asked.


    Laze eyed her curiously. ¡°How bad a hit to the head did you take?¡±


    ¡°More than one, actually,¡± El answered. ¡°So, how long?¡±


    ¡°Just over two days, the groundies should be regrouping with us any time now. I was actually out looking for them when I found you. By the way, why are we walking?¡±


    El hesitated, then pointed at her bloody forehead.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Laze said. ¡°Well, we¡¯re not far. Fifteen or twenty minutes tops on foot. I could carry you, if you wanted?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± El said. ¡°Thanks though. Anything else happen I should know about before we get back?¡±


    Laze hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip.


    ¡°Spit it out, Laze,¡± El prompted.


    ¡°We think they collapsed the tunnel,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Which tunnel?¡± El asked. Laze couldn¡¯t mean that tunnel.


    ¡°The tunnel, El,¡± Laze said. ¡°Scouts are trying to confirm it now, but there was this massive series of explosions as were getting out of there. Dozens of Firestorm reported seeing a blast and smoke coming from the mouth of the tunnel in the city.¡±


    ¡°But, if they collapsed the tunnel, we can¡¯t get through the mountains to Guld,¡± El said. ¡°That was the only pass. Wait, they did it during the battle? Did they recall their troops first? Is the city undefended?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t fall back,¡± Laze said. ¡°The golems and lizards were still fighting when we retreated. They sacrificed everybody on this side of the mountains. What I don¡¯t get is, why didn¡¯t they do it sooner? Collapse the tunnel, I mean. Why wait until now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they had a choice,¡± El said. ¡°I went to a lecture just before we graduated, and the speaker, an engineer, talked about the tunnel. It¡¯s a hundred miles long, and around ninety feet wide and tall. Also, apparently, there are thousands of ventilation shafts spider-webbing through the mountain to keep the air flowing along its entire length.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°So, if they weren¡¯t careful about how they collapsed the tunnel, it could have a cascading effect on the entire mountain. They could bring the whole thing down,¡± El said, then paused. ¡°Did they bring the whole thing down?¡±


    ¡°No, mountain is still there,¡± Laze confirmed.


    ¡°Okay. They¡¯ve probably been working on how to do it right, the collapse I mean, since the war started. The tunnel was originally built back when there was open trade between the nations and Guld extended their borders halfway to Balacin. But, since war broke out and we pushed them back, the heart of Guld is entirely self-sufficient at this point. They don¡¯t need the tunnel, and it¡¯s really their only weakness. Without it, we have no way in.¡±


    ¡°Can we clear the tunnel?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± El said, shaking her head. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not true. I¡¯m sure we could do it eventually. It would be like mining, I guess. But to dig all the way to the other side of the mountains¡­ I can¡¯t even speculate how long that will take.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll give us some time off then?¡± Laze asked and shrugged.


    ¡°What happened? You were so gung-ho about winning the war. Bringing the Ember back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Laze said. ¡°Caught up in the moment? Nidina, Dayne, and I have all been flying nonstop since the battle ended. Guiding stragglers back to camp, keeping an eye out for the groundies, you know. Maybe I¡¯ve just had too much time to myself to think. Forget I said anything. I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± El said.


    ¡°The walk is kind of nice,¡± Laze said, looking up at the clouds lazily scrolling across the sky. ¡°After all this is over, or if they give us that vacation, we should do this more often. Get out of the city and just enjoy nature a bit. We don¡¯t do that enough.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± El mumbled. Would she really even have that option? The pain had mostly subsided along with the chill, but that didn¡¯t mean her Spark was okay. Part of her wanted to try right there to ignite her wings, but a bigger part of her was terrified it wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Laze interrupted El¡¯s thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s with the book? I haven¡¯t seen you with it before.¡±


    ¡°This?¡± El asked, and held up the journal in her left hand. ¡°I¡­ found it.¡±


    Laze raised an eyebrow at the vague description. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me about it later. There¡¯s the camp,¡± she said, and pointed to the rows of tents as they crested the hill.

 Spark of War - Chapter 31 – Flicker

    Eyes followed El and Laze as they passed along the outskirts of the camp, whispers trailing close behind and spreading away like wildfire.


    ¡°Told you you¡¯d be popular,¡± Laze said out of the side of her mouth, then wilted slightly. ¡°Though, most everybody thought you¡¯d died in the battle.¡±


    El patted her friend on the shoulder. ¡°Almost, but not quite,¡± she said. ¡°And, despite my fame, our tent is still separated from the rest?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The squad leaders, mainly corporals and sergeants, all have our backs. Word even came ahead from a groundie lieutenant colonel who wants to pin a medal on your chest personally. But¡­¡± Laze trailed off.


    ¡°But the Church isn¡¯t so happy with us for calling the retreat,¡± El finished for her friend.


    ¡°Basically, yeah. We¡¯ve got too much popular support behind us for the moment for them to do anything though, and there¡¯s a lot of anger toward the Church right now.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°People are blaming them for coming in, taking over, and rushing the attack before the groundies were settled, and before we had enough intel on the golems. Tempers are flaring all over the place, way more than I¡¯ve ever seen, and the two cardinals have holed up behind their Ignitio and the least angry troops until things calm down.¡±


    ¡°Two? Weren¡¯t there three?¡±


    ¡°There were. Until one of Guld¡¯s golems appeared out of thin air behind our lines. Killed the cardinal and wiped out a third of the Ignitio before the others finally brought it down,¡± Laze explained quietly.


    ¡°It¡­ wasn¡¯t Scin, was it?¡± El asked. She couldn¡¯t be that lucky, could she?


    ¡°No,¡± Laze said. ¡°He didn¡¯t come to the front lines.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised? What about our leaders? Did we lose any of the generals?¡±


    ¡°No, our command structure is pretty intact, again, thanks to your quick thinking. When the forward lines started pulling back, well, the rear lines didn¡¯t have much choice but do the same. Other than that one golem who got through, and our artillery which got targeted from the beginning, our rear lines fared pretty well.¡±


    ¡°El? El is that you?!¡± Nidina¡¯s voice called, and the woman came running over.


    ¡°Nidina!¡± El said, and wrapped her friend in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line! Where have you been?¡± Nidina asked as they separated. ¡°And, pardon me for saying this, but you look terrible.¡±


    El looked from Nidina to Laze. ¡°Really that bad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse,¡± Laze said. ¡°Like the morning after your night with¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, just stop right there,¡± El said and narrowed her eyes at Laze. ¡°You remember the last time you brought that up?¡±


    Laze slapped her hands over her mouth and nodded quickly. ¡°Mmmhmm. Haimemmer,¡± she mumbled from behind her hands.


    ¡°Good. Now, I could really use a few minutes to get cleaned up, and maybe a month to sleep,¡± El said.


    ¡°You might have time for one, but definitely not for the other,¡± Nidina said.


    El pushed the sigh down. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as we walk,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Let¡¯s at least get you a change of clothes and a facecloth. Our tent is just over there.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re getting that vacation you were hoping for,¡± El said, and elbowed her friend in the ribs.


    ¡°Depends on your definition of vacation,¡± Nidina said. ¡°If the rumors are true.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡± El asked.


    ¡°We lost God¡¯s Claw,¡± Nidina said as they reached the lone tent on the outskirts of the camp.


    ¡°We¡­ what?!¡± El asked and stopped in her tracks. ¡°Lost it to who?¡±


    ¡°A storm,¡± Dayne answered from in front of the tent, one hand stirring a pot over a small fire. ¡°Hey, El, soup¡¯s ready. Want some?¡±


    El blinked once. Twice. Three times. ¡°Hey, Dayne,¡± she finally said. ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ready after you wash up,¡± he said, then turned his attention back to the pot.


    ¡°Right. Okay. A storm?¡± El asked Nidina as the three of them ducked into the tent. Designed for an entire wing, it was almost too spacious for four.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, word just started spreading through camp about an hour ago. The brass has called an emergency assembly in about fifteen minutes. All hands on deck,¡± Nidina said and poured water into a large bowl.


    Fifteen minutes? That wasn¡¯t much time. El looked at the journal in her hands; when should she tell the generals about what she found?


    ¡°Did Oril make it back?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t actually seen him, but probably. He¡¯s a survivor. Like a cockroach,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± El said quietly, her eyes on the journal. With a full assembly called, Oril would be there. If he saw her with the book, what would he do? No, she couldn¡¯t just carry it around openly.


    El unhooked the harness that held her weapons and the small pack she wore, and tossed it on her cot. ¡°Anybody have one of the larger packs?¡± she asked Nidina and Laze.


    ¡°You must really be enjoying that book,¡± Laze said with a smirk. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got one. Here,¡± Laze said, dug the pack out of a small chest, and tossed it to El.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± El said, sliding the journal and some of the energy bars into the pack, then replacing the smaller one on her harness.


    That done, she slipped it over her shoulders and buckled it closed. The weight difference was hardly noticeable, and El twisted a bit to make sure it wouldn¡¯t interfere with her movements if it came to a fight.


    ¡­a fight? Could she even fight?


    She¡¯d put it off long enough. She had to know. And¡­ if her Spark was indeed gone¡­ no¡­ don¡¯t worry about that until you know.


    El drew the electrum hilt of one of her swords, and stared at the metal in her hand.


    Was she ready for this? No, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°El?¡± Laze asked. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    El looked from her friend back to the electrum hilt, but didn¡¯t answer. Now or never.


    Please.


    El pushed into the hilt, willing her Spark to ignite it.


    Nothing happened.


    Not even a flicker.


    But, no pain either, and that realization was the only thing that kept El from curling up into a little, sobbing ball on the floor.


    Did the lack of pain mean her Spark had healed? Or vanished completely?


    El turned her attention inward, to that void she¡¯d felt after her encounter with the Stormbearer. It was still there¡­ but there was something else with it. Something small, almost inconsequential in the darkness. A tiny prism of¡­ cold where warmth should be. Ice? Had her Spark been replaced by¡­ no¡­ there was something inside the prism. Protected by it. The tiniest light, like a candle lost in the night, and El mentally cupped it gently, her heart beating faster.


    Like blowing on kindling, she fanned the flame inside the prism. Gently. Carefully. Too strong and she¡¯d blow it out. Forever. With each flicker, her breath held, but the flame came back, stronger and stronger with each passing second.


    Warmth spread through her body, filling her veins and wrapping her skin.


    C¡¯mon, you can do it.


    With a WHOOSH, her Spark burst through the prism and erupted in her chest, as did the sword in her hand.


    And El almost whooped for joy.


    ¡°You planning to fight your way to the assembly?¡± Laze asked.


    El turned, tears leaking down her cheek, looked at her friends, and gently shook her head.


    ¡°Then why are¡­¡± Laze started, then her eyes widened. ¡°Wait. The reason you weren¡¯t flying, it wasn¡¯t because you hit your head, was it?¡±


    El shook her head, unable to form the words past the lump in her throat. What if her Spark had been gone for good?


    ¡°What happened, El? What aren¡¯t you telling us?¡± Laze asked, and both she and Nidina stepped in close to El.


    ¡°B-before Nexin arrived,¡± El said.


    ¡°Nexin? You¡¯ve seen him? Everybody is looking for him,¡± Nidina interrupted, but stopped when Laze shook her head and put a hand on Nidina¡¯s shoulder.


    El also shook her head. ¡°Nexin is¡­ he didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°You said something happened before he arrived? Was that when he saved you?¡± Laze asked.


    El nodded. ¡°The Stormbearer, you both saw him come down?¡± El asked, and waited for her friends to nod before she continued. ¡°He landed right in the middle of the groundies I was trying to get to fall back. Not even two blocks away from where I was.¡±


    ¡°That was bad luck,¡± Nidina said quietly.


    ¡°You have no idea. The groundies didn¡¯t know what to make of him. Didn¡¯t know to be afraid of him, so they tried to fight back. It didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    ¡°More ice?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Yes. A hundred lost in two swings of his sword. And more to come if¡­¡±


    ¡°You burning idiot,¡± Laze hissed. ¡°You jumped in, didn¡¯t you? Instead of running like you should have¡­¡±


    ¡°They would¡¯ve all died if I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± El snapped back, then took a breath. ¡°They couldn¡¯t stop the Stormbearer.¡±


    ¡°And neither could you,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to stop him. Just distract him,¡± El countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s no better!¡± Laze said. ¡°Nidina, you agree with me on this right?¡±


    Nidina shrugged. ¡°I already knew she did this. That¡¯s why I was so surprised to see her. I heard¡­ how it ended, but I had a captain nearly propose to me on the spot when he heard I was from the same wing. She saved a lot of lives.¡±


    Laze huffed and crossed her arms, but took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°How did it¡­ end?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, I kept his attention,¡± El said, looking at the sword in her hand, then doused the flames. ¡°But he caught up to me. He was way out of my league.¡±


    ¡°But, why aren¡¯t you an Elcicle back in Aldrana?¡± Laze asked. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t, but what happened?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t ice me, like he did the others. He tried to do something¡­ worse. Somehow, he caught my wings. Held the flames like they were solid. And, then he tried to pull them out of me. I felt my Spark ripping out of my body. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t even explain how much it hurt. And he would¡¯ve succeeded a second later if¡­¡±


    ¡°If Nexin hadn¡¯t arrived,¡± Laze finished for her. ¡°So, you walked back from Aldrana? That¡¯s a long way.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± El said. ¡°I woke up not far from here, no idea how I got there, but I couldn¡¯t fly. I couldn¡¯t ignite anything. I thought I¡¯d lost my Spark, but then I tried and¡­ well¡­¡± El held up the electrum hilt in her hand.


    ¡°Do you remember how you got out of the city?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°Did another Firestorm carry you out? That¡¯s the only way you¡¯d be able to get there if you just woke up. Maybe it was Nexin?¡±


    El shrugged, but kept the story of the cabin to herself.


    ¡°Like I said, no idea. If it was Nexin, he wouldn¡¯t have left me in the middle of a field. I wish it was him, more than anything, but I saw¡­ I saw¡­ what happened,¡± El said, and wiped the last tears from her cheeks. ¡°Enough of a trip down memory lane. Can I have that washcloth? I probably look even worse now, and I¡¯d rather not make my triumphant return like this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, here you go,¡± Nidina said, and gave El the cloth and bowl.


    El needed far more than a face wash to feel anywhere close to normal, but it would have to do for now. Just having her Spark back was a relief she couldn¡¯t put into words, but there was still a hole in her heart that would never fill.


    Nexin was gone. What was she going to do without him?

 Spark of War - Chapter 32 – Story or Truth?

    El, Nidina, Dayne, and Laze sat in a circle equidistant around the cookpot, each mutely staring into the swirling liquid of the soup.


    ¡°This is suicide,¡± Laze finally said quietly. ¡°Suicide.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only option left,¡± Nidina countered with a shrug.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any less suicide,¡± Laze replied. ¡°And it¡¯s not actually the only option left; we could fall back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°You heard them. With the God¡¯s Claw mines lost to a storm, we¡¯ll eventually run out of electrum. Then how will we take the final Ember? We¡¯ve got to do it now, while we still have some strength left.¡±


    ¡°But the newts attacked the golems. Why can¡¯t we try to negotiate with Guld? A common enemy we can fight together,¡± Laze offered.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t trust us,¡± El said. ¡°And rightfully so. They know we want the Ember. Would you put it past the Church to order us to stab them in the back and steal it at the first opportunity?¡±


    ¡°And, once we have the Ember, we won¡¯t need to worry about the storms or the newts anymore. The Pyre will be able to protect us,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°If you believe the Cardinals,¡± Dayne said.


    But, if what the journal said was true, maybe that was actually the best course of action. Bring the Ember back to the Pyre, the creator, and his full power might be enough to keep the destroyer back.


    ¡°I think we can make it,¡± El said. ¡°With the storm over the mountains, the golems that guard them won¡¯t be able to see us coming. We¡¯ve never had an opportunity like this before.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t have the groundies to support us when we get to the other side,¡± Laze said. ¡°How do we wage war on a country with only a few wings of Firestorm?¡±


    El shook her head. ¡°This won¡¯t be war. With the storm as cover, we¡¯ll be sneaking in and out as quietly as possible. If everything goes well, they won¡¯t even know we were there until we¡¯ve got the Ember and are halfway back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really think it will be that easy,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Not at all. But if we don¡¯t do this now, the storm will just keep devouring our country and blanketing it an ice age that¡¯ll swallow us whole. We can¡¯t beat the newts. And we certainly can¡¯t beat the Stormbearer.¡±


    ¡°Nexin almost did,¡± Laze said, then winced at her own words.


    ¡°Almost,¡± El agreed. ¡°Almost. And that was Nexin. How many others like him are there in the Firestorm? Even most of the generals were barely a candle next to him. And, you didn¡¯t see it like I did. No, we can¡¯t beat that army. Our only option is to take the Ember.¡±


    ¡°El is right,¡± Dayne said. ¡°If we can get over the mountains, we have a good chance. Those golems Guld had in Aldrana, they were probably the last main line of defense. And most of them got trapped on this side of the mountains.


    ¡°If we cross out of sight of the city, they won¡¯t even know we bypassed them completely. Then we stay hidden in the storm and make our way toward the Ember.¡±


    ¡°What if one of the golems up there sees us? Won¡¯t they warn their friends we¡¯re coming?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°The storm probably blocks their communications just as much as it does ours. No, the biggest risk to us will be getting lost in the storm,¡± El explained.


    ¡°How are we going to avoid that?¡± Laze asked. ¡°The storm looked pretty heavy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± Nidina said, stood, and disappeared into the tent. She came back out a moment later with a looped rope over her elbow.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good plan,¡± El said. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t see each other, just follow the pull of the rope.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tie all the wings together,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°No. This¡¯ll just be for us. I¡¯m sure the other wings will do something similar, but it¡¯d be too risky to connect us all. Each wing is pretty much on their own to get over the mountains, and not get lost on the way.¡±


    ¡°What happens when we get to the other side? How do we find the others?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re all heading to the same place, the temple with the Ember,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to meet up there. We¡¯ve got a small wing, obviously, so we¡¯ll find a place to hide and observe the temple. If it¡¯s too heavily guarded for us four alone, we¡¯ll wait for another wing to make its move.


    ¡°But, if we see an opportunity, we¡¯re going to take it. The sooner we get out of there, the better.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they moved the Ember from the temple? When was the last time we had reliable intel?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°About three years ago,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Guld hasn¡¯t allowed anything to go into the tunnel since then. Anybody stationed outside was there until the war ended, so we haven¡¯t been able to sneak anybody through the mountains.


    ¡°As for the Ember, I don¡¯t think they moved it. More accurately, I don¡¯t think they can. Just like ours, it needs to be open to the sky and in a place it can be worshipped. If they hide or bury it, the power of their Sparks will suffer. They¡¯d lose the war even faster.¡±


    ¡°But, now that they¡¯ve lost Aldrana, they may choose to do just that,¡± El pointed out. ¡°All the more reason we need to get over the mountains sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°Are there newts over there?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± El answered. ¡°They didn¡¯t come out of the tunnel. I bet they were trying to get in, just like us.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°But, if the storm is over there¡­?¡± Laze asked. ¡°You saw the entrance the Stormbearer made.¡±


    ¡°First hand, and far closer than I¡¯d ever like to be again,¡± El agreed. ¡°My gut says the lizards can¡¯t do that though. The Stormbearer, he¡¯s special. The newts are just newts. They need to walk where they want to go, which is why we saw them rushing along the mountainside.¡±


    ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°Then we deal with it,¡± El said. What other option was there? ¡°Any other questions? Suggestions? If not, we should call it a night. Who knows the next time we¡¯ll have a chance to get some rest?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Nidina stood and stretched, then disappeared into the tent.


    ¡°You taking the lead tomorrow?¡± Dayne asked El.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like you bringing up the rear, if you¡¯re game,¡± El said.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ll pack extra supplies,¡± he said, then followed Nidina into the tent.


    ¡°How¡¯s your Spark?¡± Laze asked when the pair was alone.


    El closed her eyes and focused on the gentle warmth in her chest. Was the ice gone? Melted when her Spark burst forth? Why was it even there in the first place? ¡°Back to normal, I think,¡± she said, keeping her questions to herself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about all of us,¡± Laze said with a sad smile. ¡°We¡¯ve lost too many friends¡­ and family. I don¡¯t want to lose any more.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should be the one asking if you¡¯re okay,¡± El said. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Laze said with a shrug. ¡°Something¡¯s just different this time. When we got deployed before, and before the battle a few days ago, I was¡­ more¡­ excited? Is that the best way to describe it? I couldn¡¯t think about anything other than winning. I was so sure we¡¯d win. There wasn¡¯t any room for me to be nervous.


    ¡°Tonight though? I¡­ don¡¯t feel it. That electricity in the camp. The buzz. The high. It¡¯s gone. And, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one. Listen. What do you hear coming from the camp?¡±


    El nodded. She didn¡¯t need to listen to understand. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve never heard it so quiet. And it¡¯s not just because people are sleeping. Everybody is nervous about tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about tomorrow,¡± Laze said with a shake of her head. ¡°You weren¡¯t here, so you didn¡¯t hear it, but the grief after that loss is everywhere. I¡¯ve never seen so many tear-streaked and haggard faces. Everybody lost somebody the other day. And people aren¡¯t coping well.


    ¡°When we lost our friends down in Salid, it was¡­ hard,¡± Laze said after searching for the right word. ¡°But, when we got back to the capital, when we got our orders, that feeling was gone. I thought it was just our training taking over. Our duty, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± El rubbed the palm of her hand over the center of her chest. The hole where Nexin should be was only getting bigger, and it took everything El had not to break down again.


    ¡°What if that wasn¡¯t it? What if it wasn¡¯t¡­ duty¡­ that made us feel like that?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± El asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. Especially what you said about Cardinal Scin.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, did you have to bring him up? What¡¯s he got to do with it?¡±


    ¡°What you said you saw him do to the general, are you sure he did it. That he controlled the general¡¯s Spark?¡± Laze asked in barely more than a whisper.


    El had only shared that story with the three of them¡ªthey deserved to know¡ªbut they¡¯d been careful not to spread it any further. Who knew who was listening?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± El said. ¡°The glow in his eyes, the self-satisfied, smug look on his face, and then his comments after; he definitely did something to the general¡¯s Spark. Made it go out of control and burn him.¡±


    Laze leaned forward and hugged herself, her hands running up and down her arms like she was cold. Or very afraid of something. ¡°What if that wasn¡¯t all they could do with our Sparks?¡±


    That same chill ran down El¡¯s spine. ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What if¡­ what if they, the Cardinals I mean, can¡­ can manipulate or¡­ or control our emotions? Our thoughts?¡± Laze asked, looking left and right as if worried somebody might overhear her.


    ¡°How?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Through our Spark. If Scin could make Cannon¡¯s Spark burn him, what else can he do? Think about it El, right before the battle the other day. We were all kind of¡­ worried about what was going to happen. Then those three Cardinals flew over¡­ and where did our worry go?


    ¡°Suddenly we were talking about being heroes! Of one of us bringing the Ember back to the capital. Yeah, sure, maybe we all kind of dream of being a hero, but when has any of us ever talked about it?¡±


    El¡¯s head was nodding before her brain caught up to Laze¡¯s words. ¡°So, what, they wiped away our fears with feelings of¡­ glory?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yeah. And, maybe you¡¯re thinking that¡¯s not such a bad thing, helping people overcome their fears. But, what if it didn¡¯t stop there? Remember when we got back to the capital after Salid? How people who were our friends were suddenly avoiding us? You asked me if I thought they were ordered not to talk to us, because the brass didn¡¯t want anybody to find out about the blue newts. What if it went so much deeper than that?¡±


    ¡°People would¡¯ve wondered about those orders,¡± El agreed. ¡°Somebody would¡¯ve asked. Wait, somebody did. That cook. If what you¡¯re saying is true, why did he ask?¡±


    Laze shrugged. ¡°Maybe his Spark isn¡¯t strong enough to influence? It¡¯s mainly Firestorm we interact with, and we all have above-average Sparks. Maybe that has something to do with it? Or,¡± Laze said, then shuddered. ¡°Maybe it was a test? Maybe they made him ask you to see if you¡¯d disobey orders.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think they could control people so specifically?¡± El asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m just imagining things. I kind of hope I am.¡±


    ¡°So, why are we¡­ normal¡­ now? Why are we worried? Where¡¯s the push we felt before?¡±


    Laze held up two fingers. ¡°One of the Cardinals died. Remember Nidina said the other two were hiding behind their Ignitio and the less angry soldiers? Maybe each of them can only influence so many people. Without all three, well, we¡¯re on the outskirts of camp. About as far away as possible from the cardinals. We¡¯re¡­ out of range.¡±


    ¡°Burn it!¡± El hissed. ¡°I wish I thought you were wrong.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Laze agreed.


    ¡°Have you talked about this with Nidina and Dayne?¡±


    ¡°No. Just you. Do you think we should tell them?¡±


    El leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and tapped her lips with her knuckles. ¡°When we get back to the capital,¡± she finally said. ¡°This mission tomorrow, it¡¯s already enough to worry about. Let¡¯s not add anything else to their shoulders.


    ¡°We all need to focus on getting home alive.¡±


    Laze nodded and let out a breath she was holding, like she was relieved somebody else had made the decision. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks¡­ for believing me. I was starting to wonder if I was crazy.¡±


    ¡°Sadly, it makes too much sense,¡± El said. ¡°Now, you should get to bed. Going to be a long day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Laze asked, but stood.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do a bit of reading,¡± El said, and slid the journal out of her pack. ¡°Just a little. I¡¯ll be in before long.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what that¡¯s about,¡± Laze pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure that out myself,¡± El said. ¡°Soon, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up late,¡± Laze said, and leaned in to give El a quick hug. ¡°Don¡¯t want you flying us all into the side of a mountain because you can¡¯t keep your eyes open.¡±


    El returned her friend¡¯s hug then added a little pinch at the comment.


    Laze jumped back with a small squeal, but she was smiling, then waved and went into the tent.


    Opening the journal, El stared at the handwriting on the page, but didn¡¯t read the words. Why wasn¡¯t she telling her friends about what she¡¯d found? What was bothering her so much she kept it to herself?


    Was it all too big? A battle between¡­ gods? Was it the extra knowledge that if they didn¡¯t get Guld¡¯s Ember, everything she knew would be swallowed by the destroyer? Was it having to explain where she found it?


    No, none of those things were it. There was something else.


    El ran her fingers along the page.


    Something she hadn¡¯t read yet. A lingering dread about what was to come.


    And there was only one way to find out what that was.


    El read on.

 Spark of War - Chapter 33 – Over the Mountains

    ¡°You all ready for this?¡± El asked as the four hovered just outside the reach of the storm clouds, and checked the rope around her waist.


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be, I guess,¡± Laze shouted back to be heard, their communication magic stolen by the storm.


    ¡°What is he waiting for?¡± Nidina gestured toward the force commander.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± El said. ¡°When he gives the signal, we go.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure the survivors in Aldrana can¡¯t call ahead to warn them we¡¯re coming? They have to be able to see us over here,¡± Laze said, and pointed toward the not-so-distant city. Half of it was already engulfed in the storm, small bursts of violence erupting as newts tracked down the last remaining golems. Even three full days later, the battle wasn¡¯t completely finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s the risk we¡¯re taking, but I think it¡¯s a safe one,¡± El answered.


    ¡°Newts did our job for us,¡± Nidina said as the four of them eyed the city. ¡°Stormbearer hasn¡¯t been seen in days though. You think he¡¯s waiting for us on the other side?¡±


    ¡°He might be,¡± El said. ¡°Our only goal is getting the Ember, though. Avoid the Stormbearer at all costs.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that, and yet you¡¯re the one who charged right at him last time,¡± Laze said and narrowed her eyes.


    She still hadn¡¯t quite forgiven El for that it seemed.


    ¡°I learned my lesson,¡± El said.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s go time,¡± Dayne interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s the signal.¡±


    El turned just in time to see the first wing vanish into the storm¡ªwing after wing hesitantly following.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to be the last ones in,¡± El shouted to her friends, and they nodded back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she yelled, then spun and flew into the heavy snow.


    The rope on her waist pulled taut as it reached its limit, then loosened as Laze, the second in line, matched her speed.


    Fifteen seconds into the storm, El glanced back, Laze¡¯s wings barely visible in the snow, then gradually picked up the pace. She couldn¡¯t risk going top speed without being able to see the unforgiving mountains. Even with her flame armor, such an impact could be fatal. Above her, thunder rumbled and lightning arched angrily through the clouds, like the very storm wanted to remind her who was in charge.


    Well, they weren¡¯t planning on being in there long, so let the storm rage. They¡¯d chosen the most direct route, with the least cloud-piercing peaks, to reach the other side of the mountains. As long as they went in a straight line, north, they should breach the mountains in less than two hours at their speed.


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    The wind howled and bucked around her, spiraling the thick snowflakes in every direction, and pulling on her flaming wings. White settled on her shoulders, cool even through her flame armor, and surrounded her wherever she looked.


    Was she still going the right way, or had she already gotten turned around? There weren¡¯t any landmarks. Nothing to orient herself. Just the endless sea of white that stole all sense of positioning. Burn it, she could be flying straight for the ground, and she wouldn¡¯t even know it.


    No. No. The tension on the rope. Focus on that. Every shift pulled it in a slightly different direction. Use that as a guide.


    KAAAAAA-THOOOOOOOM


    Thunder boomed directly above her, so loud her armor turned the force of the sound wave to heat, melting snowflakes in a flash, and lightning split the sky in her path. A gust of wind like a giant clawed hand wrapped her body and yanked her to the side while the jagged afterimage of the lightning filled her vision.


    BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.


    More thunder? Wait, that came from below her.


    El blinked and rubbed her eyes to banish the spots.


    BURN IT! Those aren¡¯t spots!


    El pulled hard to the side and accelerated, straining the rope as Laze tried to go in a different direction.


    Leg-sized spears of flame sizzled through the air between them, and El barely twisted in time to avoid taking one in the face.


    BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.


    Like the pounding of a drum, the golems¡¯ cannons sounded below.


    One hand on the rope to keep her wings from severing it, El spun and then dove. Well, maybe she was diving, or maybe she was going straight up. It was impossible to tell in the spiraling snowstorm, but she poured on the speed while the salvo of flaming death cut the sky where she¡¯d just been.


    Tension pulled the rope behind her as her friends struggled to keep up. If one of them went the wrong way, they could pull the whole wing into the oncoming fire.


    The BOOMING echoes rattled off in quick succession from below, to the sides, and behind her, and suddenly the sea of white tinged orange. There were golems everywhere.


    Three shards of flame cut the air above her, forming a triangle as they passed each other. Those angles¡­ she really was flying straight down. And she needed to change her course fast.


    Sorry guys, she thought as loud as she could at her friends, though they¡¯d never hear it, then doused her wings and rolled while keeping her eyes on the triangle where the shots had crossed. As soon as her body lined up with that spot, she put a hand on the rope and flared her wings to full power.


    Bursting ahead, she jerked the rope suddenly taut and grunted as it squeezed the wind out of her, but roared ahead. A barrage of flaming spears raced in on her from all sides, only visible as a growing glow of orange.


    Which way?


    ¡­


    There!


    Her flare ended. She twisted her body and flared her wings, once again jerking the line forward at neck-breaking speed.


    Go, go, go, she willed herself to get them all to safety before the net closed. How long was the rope again? Fifteen feet between each other them. That meant Dayne, the furthest back, was forty-five feet behind her. El altered her trajectory slightly and flared her wings for a third time.


    ¡°Come on!¡± she yelled into the storm as the crossfire of flaming missiles filled the space behind her.


    Distant booms echoed, but the glow faded, and El ignited her wings to keep them moving forward. There was still tension on the rope around her waist, but that only meant Laze was still with her. Were Nidina and Dayne okay? Should she stop to check?


    No. They may have gotten by one line of golem artillery, but that didn¡¯t mean another wouldn¡¯t spot them. She couldn¡¯t stop until they cleared the mountains.


    Not that she could actually see the mountains. How would she know when they got to the other side? That was a question for later. At the earliest, it would still be more than an hour before they should be on the other side. All she could do was hope they were still going in the right direction.

 Spark of War - Chapter 34 – To the Capital

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we made it,¡± Nidina said as the four of them crouched just outside the city limits, snow falling so thick they could barely see a block down the street.


    El pointed straight ahead. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? The Ember, I mean. I noticed it after we got past the second wave of artillery. Up there, with white all around¡­ it was like this small light at the end of the tunnel. I just tried to keep it in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah¡­ there is something that way. Like a¡­ like a pull on my Spark,¡± Laze agreed. ¡°But how did you know it wasn¡¯t just your imagination?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± El admitted. ¡°Didn¡¯t have any better options up there though. I¡¯m surprised you guys didn¡¯t feel it until now.¡±


    Laze rubbed her stomach. ¡°Little busy trying to follow you without getting whiplash or torn in half every two seconds,¡± she complained.


    ¡°Hey now, I got us through,¡± El replied.


    ¡°She did,¡± Dayne agreed. ¡°It could¡¯ve been much worse.¡±


    All four of them nodded to that comment. Five times they¡¯d flown through barrages of golem cannon fire. Five times, El had somehow managed to lead them to safety. Without the cover of the storm, they never would¡¯ve even made it past the first salvo.


    ¡°How do you think they knew we were up there? Could they see us?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°They must be able to detect the heat of our wings. My mom mentioned a while back that Guld was researching that type of magic. I guess they got it implemented?¡± Nidina filled in. ¡°We¡¯ll have to be careful when we fly into the city.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t flying in,¡± El corrected.


    ¡°Because of that detection magic?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°Not exactly. Even if they have that type of magic, it wasn¡¯t perfect. Either the temperature of the storm masked us, or it¡¯s just not that accurate. Maybe they opened fire because they spotted one of us, or there were so many Firestorm in the area, they picked up that heat signature,¡± El said.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the reason we aren¡¯t flying?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Have you seen anybody in that street?¡± El pointed to the short block they could see before white swallowed everything.


    ¡°El, it¡¯s a burning white-out out here. People are staying inside,¡± Laze said.


    El shook her head. ¡°Yes and no. It¡¯s not as bad as it was when we were crossing the mountains. The fact we can see those buildings, or the street, proves that. Yes, it¡¯s a bad storm, but I think the Ember is keeping its strength at bay. Weakening it.


    ¡°The citizens might be staying inside to hide from the weather, but you can bet there will still be guards watching for us to come flying in over the mountains like we just did. Even if they don¡¯t think we¡¯ll actually make it¡­¡±


    ¡°That was pretty lucky,¡± Laze whispered.


    ¡°¡­they¡¯ll still have people, or golems, on the lookout,¡± El finished.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to sneak in on foot? The Ember is more than a few miles into the city,¡± Nidina said. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty long walk in this weather. And there¡¯s still the risk of somebody spotting us.¡±


    ¡°The storm should obscure who we are unless somebody is right on top of us,¡± El said. ¡°We can always take to the air if we need to.¡±


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    ¡°What about the others? Think they¡¯re already there?¡± Laze asked.


    Dayne shook his head. ¡°Listen,¡± he said, and they all stopped to do just that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Ah, I get it,¡± Laze said. ¡°No sounds of a fight.¡±


    ¡°It might be muted by the storm, but the whole point of this was to sneak in. The different wings are each back-up plans to the others. So, we¡¯re sticking to the original plan. We¡¯ll get close to the temple, find a place to hole up, then wait to see if anybody else shows up. If not, we¡¯ll figure a way to get the Ember ourselves and get the Blaze out of here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Laze said. ¡°Which way we sneaking in?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t sneaking,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯re going straight down the middle of the street. We don¡¯t want to stand out.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Nidina interrupted. ¡°I mean, we can¡¯t go down the middle of the street, if you meant that literally. Guld has very strict¡­ cultural norms. People always walk on the right side relative to whatever direction they¡¯re going. They¡¯ll even walk a block out of their way to circle around and get to a shop, or do a full loop if they missed where they were going.¡±


    ¡°So, we stay on the right side?¡± El asked, and Nidina nodded. ¡°Easy enough. Anything else we should know not to stand out?¡±


    ¡°Dayne has to go first, and I have to go last,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Tallest always goes first, and second tallest last, when walking in a line. I think it stems back to families or something, to keep the kids in the middle where it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°Dayne, you good with that?¡± El asked.


    ¡°No problem here,¡± he answered.


    ¡°People here speak the same language we do, don¡¯t they?¡± El asked Nidina.


    ¡°They do,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Okay, try to keep the chatter to a minimum, but at least that won¡¯t give us away if somebody overhears us but can¡¯t see us,¡± El instructed.


    ¡°Any other orders?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°One last thing. We¡¯re trying to avoid combat, but if it comes to it¡­ the mission comes first. We need to get this Ember back to the capital,¡± El said.


    ¡°El¡­ is it really okay?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Is what okay?¡±


    Laze looked around and held out her hand, the snow falling and slowly settling on her flame armor. ¡°You said it was the Ember keeping the worst of the storm at bay. If we take it, what¡¯s going to happen to the people here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± El started but stopped. She was going to say it wasn¡¯t their problem. Was that true though? Could she really just ignore that question? Looking at her friends¡¯ faces, the same thoughts were going through their minds.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been at war with Guld for years,¡± Nidina said. ¡°They¡¯re the enemy. We shouldn¡¯t care about what happens to them. Right?¡± she asked, her face scrunched up like the answer in her head wasn¡¯t what she was expecting.


    ¡°Their golems are the enemy,¡± Laze said. ¡°But, the people in this city? The regular people who had no choice in this war. What are we condemning them to if we take the Ember?¡±


    ¡°We have to do it,¡± Dayne said. ¡°If we don¡¯t, this,¡± he pointed at the snow falling all around, ¡°is what we can expect in the capital.¡±


    El met Laze¡¯s eyes, and gently shook her head. ¡°I have to agree with Dayne. Nidina, how many people live here?¡±


    Nidina¡¯s eyes snapped left and right as if she were speed-reading a book in front of her. ¡°Like us, most of the population of Guld resides in their capital, here, but they only have about¡­ three million citizens. There are a couple hundred thousand more scattered in the farmlands between here and the ring of mountains surrounding the last of their territory.¡±


    ¡°One percent of the population of Balacin,¡± El said. ¡°Roughly.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°There¡¯s no question. We need the Ember to beat back the storm.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we rely on our Embers? We have so many. They should be enough to hold the storm back until we can figure out how to beat the lizards and the Stormbearer,¡± Laze said.


    El shook her head one more time with finality. No, with what she¡¯d read about the destroyer, they needed the Pyre at full power to have a chance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Laze. I get what you¡¯re saying, I really do, but this is what we have to do.


    ¡°Look at it this way. After we reunite the last Ember with the Pyre, we¡¯ll be able to defeat the Stormbearer, his newts, and this storm, and everybody here will be freed from this. Burn it, they will probably be better off than if we had to come in here and fight for the Ember.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Dayne said to Laze. ¡°This saves them from a siege. They just need to weather the storm for a few days. Maybe a couple weeks at most.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Laze finally relented. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with then. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get the snow to stop.¡±


    ¡°Right. Dayne, you¡¯re on point,¡± El instructed and stood.


    The big man nodded, stood, and trudged off toward the city, the snow up to the middle of his shins.


    El patted Laze on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered to her friend, and Laze gave her a nod in return, then followed Dayne.


    Was Laze right? Who was El kidding, of course Laze was right. And why hadn¡¯t they even considered the question before? The Church¡¯s control of their Sparks, of course.


    Burn it.

 Bonus Content (Not SoW) - Borrowed Time - Chapter 1 – Sketches

    Officer Misaki Aiko didn¡¯t sigh, that would be undignified, but she did take a slow, calming breath.


    Why did it have to be an airport? And Narita International Airport at that. The crowds, the sense of urgency, and the general indifference were all distractions. She didn¡¯t have time for distractions.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true.


    But Narita? She hadn¡¯t been there since she returned to Japan after her mother¡¯s death. Her father¡­


    Misaki shook her head to stop that line of thought dead in its tracks.


    Reminiscing could wait. She had a job to do. And her hair was out of place from shaking her head. She almost rolled her eyes, just as unprofessional as sighing, and tucked her sketchbook under her arm.


    Three precise motions later, nimble fingers a blur, her shoulder-length hair was neatly tied back in place, not a single errant strand to be found. Now she was ready.


    She jotted the time, exactly 4:05:06 pm, Friday, October 7<sup>th</sup>, on her sketchpad as she scanned the terminal. The Narita ¡®Arrivals¡¯ area was her responsibility, and a frown momentarily creased her face as she calculated the number of people in there with her. A hasty internet search prior to arrival had shown almost a dozen flights landing in quick succession.


    A second sigh threatened. The airport was eroding her usual restraint. But, at least in the isolation of Borrowed Time, nobody would hear her lapse. Thousands of people surrounded her, but the slow, rhythmic beat of the blood pumping behind her ears was the only sound. Nothing else moved. Nobody else breathed. Everybody and everything around her was frozen in time.


    Which made it significantly easier to sketch faces.


    Yoshi, best to get started.


    To her left: a group of high-school students, twelve girls in matching track suits and tennis bags. With laughter on their lips and innocence behind their eyes, they weren¡¯t the reason Misaki was in the airport, and her eyes continued their scan.


    To her right: a small girl, perhaps three, hair tied in pigtails, and wearing possibly the pinkest jacket ever made. Her small arms stretched out wide in front of her, legs frozen mid-run, towards a businessman fresh off his flight. Suitcase forgotten on the floor beside him, he crouched with open arms, smile bright as the rising sun for his daughter.


    Like the tennis club, he didn¡¯t fit the profile, and Misaki moved on.


    There, a second businessman. Slightly overweight, with a loose tie and a suit two sizes too big, the man¡¯s focused look stood out. Pencil scratching on paper without looking, Misaki weaved between the frozen father and his unmoving daughter.


    She glanced at her depiction as she came nose-to-nose with the man. Short, thinning hair. Flat, wide nose. Narrowed eyes. But the eyebrows weren¡¯t bushy enough. A few quick, precise strokes fixed that, and she turned her attention to the man¡¯s expression; he was on the hunt. Was this the suspect?


    Misaki added a quick sketch of the duffel bag at his feet to the same page, and then circled behind him to follow his line of sight. It didn¡¯t take any great detective work to see what had caught his attention.


    A gaijin woman, thick blonde hair in curls down to her shoulders, and a red dress cut both too short and too deep turned heads behind her like a comet¡¯s tail. Like something out of a foreign magazine, it was no wonder she was attracting attention.


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    Misaki¡¯s hand moved without thought as she captured the woman¡¯s image, adding it to her collection. While likely not the suspect, it was an excellent distraction, and Misaki checked her sketch only once before turning to the admiring crowd.


    There, they stood out; the only two men in a ten-meter radius not ogling the blonde woman. Mid-to-late twenties, scruffy faces, studded leather jackets, prominent tattoos, and impressively dated, and slicked, hair. Were they cosplaying? No luggage, but they almost stood out too much, as evidenced by the bubble of space around them.


    Misaki¡¯s sketch of the man on the left was finished before she arrived in front of them. She checked it quickly, the hair wasn¡¯t quite big enough, then flipped the page and completed the image of the other man. Neither of them held a spot on any watch-lists she¡¯d seen, but she¡¯d compare the pictures to be sure after she left the airport.


    Though frozen, the two men stood in the midst of conversation with the one on the right half-turned to go somewhere. Misaki reined in the frown that threatened; the downside of being TimeSlipped was she couldn¡¯t follow or listen in on their conversation.


    Instead, she assessed the crowd around the men, at how it spread, at where the other people were looking and walking, even how they were leaning. Her eyes scanned the angles, the positions and flow of bodies, and obstacles like suitcases, while her mind ran the calculations.


    Connecting the myriad of details like a puzzle, the flow of traffic clicked into place. Transposed images of the men moved through the now-frozen crowd as they entered the terminal from the far side. They detoured around the foreign couple with the broken suitcase, knocked over the ¡®Wet Floor¡¯ sign, and finally paused where they now stood to get their bearings.


    Tourists? Perhaps. At the least, not familiar with the airport.


    But where would they go? Based on the way they were leaning, the angle of their gazes, and the turn of one¡¯s ankle, it wasn¡¯t to the luggage carousels. No, they¡¯d head for the exit straight away. Physically, they were suspicious. Behaviourally, Misaki dismissed them and moved on.


    She added a quick sketch of the foreign couple with the broken suitcase, for the sake of completeness, but the stress on their faces was luggage related, not something more nefarious. Besides, the pair of airport security on their way over would deter the couple if she was somehow wrong. Unlikely as that was.


    Drawing as she went, Misaki worked her way through the crowd, and flipped full page after full page. Nobody, individually, gave her what she was looking for, but sometimes it was the combination of small¡­


    Misaki paused, her eyes locked on her latest sketch. Something was wrong, not with her drawings, obviously, but she flipped back through the pages of her book. There it was. Why hadn¡¯t she noticed that sooner? On their own, nothing in the pictures stood out, but when she looked at them in succession, they all shared the same trait.


    Surprise. Just barely perceptible, but unmistakable when she put all the pictures together. A slight tilt of a head here, widened eyes there. By themselves, they didn¡¯t mean much, but taken in concert, it told Misaki something was happening. Something she¡¯d ¡®paused¡¯ by TimeSlipping.


    However, her drawings, while excellent likenesses, didn¡¯t account for direction, and Misaki was forced to retrace her steps. At each of the last six people she¡¯d sketched, she stopped briefly to follow their physical cues and run the angles. The luggage carousels? Whatever the disturbance was, that¡¯s where she would find it.


    Misaki started in that direction but didn¡¯t hurry; she didn¡¯t need to in Borrowed Time. Sketch after sketch filled the pages as her pencil scratched while she walked towards the mystery event. Her pencil, and her forward motion, only stopped because she ran into literally impassible walls of people waiting for their luggage.


    She could climb over them, or crawl between their legs, but even the thought of either was wildly undignified, Borrowed Time or not. She had to have some standards. No, she¡¯d find a way around them instead.


    As she did, more and more faces showed signs of reacting to something. The hints of surprise were no longer so subtle. She was getting close, and the unmoving gazes led her towards her destination like a treasure map. What would she find at the ¡®X¡¯?


    Finally, when Misaki worked her way around yet another group of tourists and their mountainous luggage, a third sigh threatening, the answer to her question became clear.


    Misaki¡¯s blood ran cold in a single heartbeat.


    All her training flashed through her mind. Her role was to identify the potential bomber to her superiors so special-forces could be deployed to stop them. That was it.


    In a perfect world, with the utility of Borrowed Time, that could happen in seconds.


    But Misaki wasn¡¯t in a perfect world. She was too late. They all were.


    The bomb was there.


    And it had already exploded.

 Bonus Content (Not SoW) - Borrowed Time - Chapter 2 – Unchangeable

    Misaki¡¯s knees went weak as her stomach backflipped. Already larger than a mid-sized car, the frozen ball of fire had claimed its first victim, their silhouette barely visible within the ferocity of the silently roaring flame. But it wouldn¡¯t stop with one. Fiery claws reached with hungry intent towards the oblivious crowd around it, only a bare handful aware of what was happening. Most wouldn¡¯t even see it coming.


    They¡¯d simply be gone with the passing of the next second. As long as Misaki stayed in Borrowed Time, they would ¡®live¡¯. As soon as she left Borrowed Time, they¡¯d be dead. Charred. Obliterated. It was that simple. It was that unchangeable.


    And yet, she couldn¡¯t turn away as her mind ran the angles and plotted the progression of the blast. Was there any hope?


    Like an old silent movie, frames flashing with every blink, her mind played out the bomb¡¯s merciless rampage. She ¡®watched¡¯ as the fireball consumed a nearby family, all five generations dead in an instant. As the shrapnel cut down a couple embraced in a loving hug, a brother and sister hunched over a smartphone, and an elderly couple in ¡®Okinawa¡¯ T-shirts. Like a scythe through chaff, it didn¡¯t slow. It didn¡¯t hesitate.


    The two cosplaying men didn¡¯t reach the exit, the blast slamming them into each other before it rolled over them. Smothered them. Consumed them. The gaijin woman, so pretty in her dress, stained a deeper shade of crimson by the shrapnel, her perfect flesh seared to the bone by the flames.


    Distracted, the pudgy businessman didn¡¯t even react until the blast wave hurled him back into a pair of elderly ladies. Complaints on their lips, they were dead before they voiced them.


    The father with outstretched arms shielded his daughter from the brunt of the explosion. Enough that she might even survive the terrible burns and lifelong trauma, if she was¡­lucky. But she¡¯d be alone. Both her parents taken in a flash.


    In a way, the girls from the tennis club suffered the worst, the edge of the blast barely reaching them. The bodies that fell like dominos, shredded by shrapnel, shielded the girls from the worst of it. But not completely. Those that didn¡¯t die were maimed by what made it through, leaving them weeping and calling for friends that would never answer back.


    It all played out so vividly Misaki could hear them crying for their fallen club-mates, the ¡®silent film¡¯ no longer so silent. Their screams filled her ears, deafened her, as death flowed through the airport like a tsunami. She slammed her eyes shut to block out the sights. Covered her ears with her hands to silence the sobbing. But none of it worked. She couldn¡¯t escape what was in her head.


    ¡°Tasukete,¡± she whispered, salt tickling her tongue as she did.


    Salt on her lips. Why was there¡­?


    Her eyes opened, everything still around her.


    Because she was the one crying. She was the one screaming.


    Was this what her mother had gone through?


    The simple question was too much.


    Misaki doubled over and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the cold, tile floor. Tears dripped from her wide eyes to mix with the vomit before both decayed into nothing. Shoulders heaving, she struggled to stay upright on shaky legs, but eventually sagged to her knees.


    Just like her mother, all those people she¡¯d sketched, and so very many more, were gone. Standing before her now were nothing more than ghosts. Ghosts she couldn¡¯t save.


    Save? No, maybe not, but there was something she could do. That only she could do. And she couldn¡¯t do that slumped on the floor crying.


    Cheeks still wet from her tears, Misaki closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡®When there is chaos outside, find calm inside,¡¯ her father¡¯s voice told her.


    In through the nose, hold to the count of three, and then slowly out through the mouth.


    Repeat.


    Five times, five breaths, and she regained her composure. What would her coworkers think if they saw her like this? So undignified.


    But, as she looked at those standing around her, she shook her head. Her tears were the least these people deserved. The sleeve of her jacket wiped aside the moisture around her eyes well enough, and deft fingers tied back the loose strands of hair in her face. She had a job to do, and she couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t, waste another second.


    Even with the extended amount of Borrowed Time all officers had, twenty-four hours compared to a civilian¡¯s eight, Misaki still had to sketch every face in the terminal.


    It wasn¡¯t just about finding the bomber any more. Now it was about making sure each of these people was accounted for. About making sure their families knew what had happened to them. While she couldn¡¯t save the people around her, at least she could give their loved ones some semblance of closure. Misaki understood all too well the pain of not knowing, and she¡¯d do anything to spare others that suffering.


    A quick check, almost an hour of her Borrowed Time was gone. That left her just twenty-three hours to finish everybody in the terminal. And, to get outside the blast radius of the bomb. Guilt at planning her escape threatened to take hold in her chest, but she pushed it right back down. This was what she could do right now. What she had to.


    Another calming breath brought her the composure to come up with a plan. Eyes closed, Misaki mentally retraced the layout of the arrivals terminal. The far corners might escape the worst of it, so her first priority needed to be the people nearest the bomb.


    The bomb. She hadn¡¯t even really looked at it. In fact, she¡¯d gone out of her way to not look at it in light of the extent of what was happening. But there could be information that would help identify who did this. Why they did this. And to bring justice for the lives lost.


    Misaki looked at the faces all around her. Was justice what was important? Maybe. It was also her job.


    ¡°Sumimasen, chotto matte kudosai,¡± she said with a bow to the people around her. A few minutes, just a few, to gather information on the bomb, then she would focus her attention on sketching the victims.


    Taking one more deep, calming breath, Misaki turned to face the stark, unavoidable truth, her analytical mind burying her emotions under a mountain of observations and facts.


    What?


    The size of a mid-size car already, the bomb had to be powerful. The flames, frozen in Borrowed Time, were a myriad of oranges and reds. Oddly beautiful, and impossible to see any details through. There was the silhouette of the first victim engulfed by the blast, but little else beyond that. No indication of the shape of the explosive device.


    Misaki¡¯s hand reached out of its own accord. The fire even felt solid for a moment before her continued touch brought a wisp of it in sync with her time. She repressed a yelp as she snatched her hand away, though not before getting burned.


    ¡°Baka,¡± she said to herself as she stuck her finger in her mouth to try to sooth the pain. She wasn¡¯t an expert on the Laws of Borrowed Time, but she should at least know better than to touch fire.


    Her finger still in her mouth, despite how childish it was, she walked around the fire, this time giving it a wide berth.


    Where?


    The explosion originated beside luggage carousel number four. Shi. Death. Misaki wasn¡¯t superstitious, but could this just be coincidental? Did the bomb come off a plane, or did somebody bring it here?


    No, not off the plane; the luggage belt was empty and there were too many people standing around. Everybody was still waiting for their baggage. So, somebody purposely brought the bomb to this location.


    Why?


    Carousel four was central. If maximum damage was the goal, that would be an excellent place to plant the bomb.


    When?


    It was possible the silhouette in the flame wasn¡¯t a victim, but in fact the bomber. That would suggest the bomb had only just arrived before detonating. Security footage would confirm that one way or the other.


    Who?


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    Misaki couldn¡¯t assume the silhouette belonged to the bomber, and scanned the crowd for anything that stood out. It didn¡¯t take long. While most people hadn¡¯t consciously registered the bomb¡¯s presence, perhaps hidden in a suitcase, two people were clearly aware of it.


    The first was a young boy, perhaps five or six, in a blue school uniform, one small hand pointed directly at the bomb. Curiosity painted his features, indicating he¡¯d noticed the bomb before it exploded, though it must not have been anything threatening.


    Misaki captured his image in her notepad, making sure to quickly outline the others around the boy so she could place him when she reviewed the security footage. That done, the boy wasn¡¯t a suspect, she turned to the second of the two people who¡¯d seen the bomb.


    A foreign man sat on the edge of the carousel, looking directly at the bomb. His face was devoid of any signs of shock, and in fact, seemed surprisingly calm.


    Elbows rested casually on his knees, and hands clasped in front of him as he stared ahead, he had to see the bomb. But, like the boy, he was calm. More evidence the bomb was hidden in something to make it inconspicuous?


    Unless he was the bomber.


    Misaki crouched in front of the man, careful to keep her back well away from the frozen flame. Striking blue eyes, like the depths of a lake in summer, stared back at her from behind frameless glasses, but gave no clue as to the thoughts beyond.


    Mid-fifties, maybe, gaijin always looked older to her, well dressed, and a touch on the heavy side, he wasn¡¯t the stereotypical bomber. A stub of a paper, perhaps a boarding-pass, protruded ever so slightly from the inside pocket of his navy-blue jacket. Locked in place by Borrowed Time, she wouldn¡¯t be able to remove it, so she moved on to capturing every detail of him in her sketchbook.


    He obviously cared about his appearance, Misaki could practically see her reflection in the shine of his shoes, though the scruff on his face signalled he hadn¡¯t shaved recently. That, plus the wrinkled suit pants, suggested a long flight. His watch was expensive, and the branded, leather shoulder-bag at his feet was well-used, so he had money, but was practical about how he spent it.


    ¡°You came a long way, didn¡¯t you? Why? To do this? Or are you another unfortunate victim?¡± she asked the man in English as she finished her drawing. He didn¡¯t answer.


    As Misaki had done with the others, she didn¡¯t limit this sketch to just his face. She needed to capture every detail possible. The smallest thing could help them figure out the man¡¯s motive, from the bags under his eyes to his yellow shoelaces, if he was involved. She couldn¡¯t miss a thing.


    But it didn¡¯t add up. He looked like he just got off a plane, but the bomb had to have been brought here. There wasn¡¯t any other luggage on the carousel. Unless¡­unless the man, and the bomb, had come off another plane, another carousel, and he¡¯d brought it to number four?


    Misaki tried to run the probabilities, to play out the man¡¯s actions, as she had earlier, but she was missing too many contributing factors. Every time a logical chain leading up to the explosion started to form, the variables created too many divergent paths where a small detail could vastly change the course of events. Without those details, she couldn¡¯t predict what the man had done, no matter how much she willed it. Or if he was even involved at all.


    Precious seconds ticked by as she played out a dozen different scenarios, each of them leading to almost infinite possibilities, before she finally let the threads go. They fell around her, a tangled mess of ¡®could be¡¯ and ¡®might have been¡¯. One of them, surely, led to the truth. But, she didn¡¯t have time for that; the still faces all around her demanded her attention.


    Just to be sure, Misaki double-checked the image of the man sitting on the carousel. Impeccable work, as usual. With one last glance at him, and a nod that her sketch was accurate, she turned the page and moved on to drawing the people around him. She had hundreds, if not thousands of people to draw before she ran out of time.


    ¡°Yoshi,¡± she told herself, and got to work.


    Three hours later, and mid-way through the second book, it became clear Misaki didn¡¯t have enough paper to give each person their own page. Four, and then six, faces began crowding each page, like some multi-headed beasts of fancy. Space was at a premium, and every square inch was filled before Misaki turned to the next sheet. The people deserved better than that, but it was the only way she¡¯d ever have enough paper. Almost three hundred sketches completed, and she¡¯d barely dented the surface.


    By the time Misaki filled her third notebook, she was exhausted. Up since six that morning, she¡¯d gotten the call to go to the airport near the end of her shift. And after seven more hours in Borrowed Time, her cramped hand attested to the work she¡¯d put in. Brief stops to eat one of the small power-bars she kept in her vest for long workdays, and to flex and bend her fingers to work the kinks out, were little relief.


    As the most recent power-bar wrapper fell from her hand, her Japanese sensibilities screaming at her for littering, she absently watched it decay into nothingness before it even hit the ground. Her eyes lingered on the spot where the wrapper would have been while her tired mind pondered the waste of it all. Not of the wrapper, but of all the people around her. Like the wrapper, they would simply be gone.


    She shook her head and forced those thoughts away. They weren¡¯t doing her any good. So, with another stretch of her hand, she took up her pencil, the sixth one today, and got back to work.


    Hours wore on, seven turning into twelve, and then eighteen. The unchanging light, and the unmoving sun outside, spun a web of confusion around her addled mind. Was it really day? Or was it night? Shouldn¡¯t she be in bed? Thoughts of sleep teased and tantalized her, but she dared not doze.


    While the TimeSlip device embedded in her head counted down the hours, minutes, and seconds she had left in Borrowed Time painfully quickly, Misaki moved from one group to the next. Faces filled her pages as she spun imaginary tales of their lives to keep herself awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Misaki asked a slightly older woman, forcing herself to speak in English to try and keep her mind alert. ¡°You look like a Kazumi. Kazumi-san, I¡¯m just going to draw you in my book if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Misaki mumbled as she drew. She¡¯d have to remember later that the names on some of her pages weren¡¯t the people¡¯s actual names.


    ¡°Is this your son, Kazumi-san? He looks very cool,¡± she continued as she crouched down in front of a small boy about five years old. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Oh, Jun-kun? That¡¯s a good, strong name. What do you want to be when you grow up?¡±


    Misaki¡¯s hand stopped as the words passed her lips, the pain and fatigue of the past twenty-three hours threatening to overwhelm her. Tears built behind her eyes, like a dam ready to burst, and she slammed her eyelids shut to hold them in.


    ¡°Keep it together,¡± she told herself. ¡°You have to be strong in front of Jun-kun. How will he feel if he sees you cry?¡± She took a deep breath and quickly wiped aside the single errant tear that had snuck its way onto her cheek.


    ¡°We have to both be strong Jun-kun, for your mother¡¯s sake. Can you do that for me? Thanks¡­now let¡¯s see that smile.¡± Misaki¡¯s hand picked up where it had left off, sketching the boy¡¯s dark eyes, the cow-lick defiantly presenting itself to the world, and the small gap where one of his front teeth was missing.


    After drawing the fourth person in the group, Misaki¡¯s eyes narrowed at images on the pages. The whole group was related, not just Kazumi-san and Jun-kun. Wits dulled by the long hours, she should have noticed it sooner. But, no matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts moved like a unicycle through thick mud.


    She repressed a tired giggle at the thought of herself riding a unicycle through the thick mud behind her childhood home and¡­no. Focus.


    Misaki rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and forced her thoughts into order. Almost there. Keep it together. One more person in this family. You can do it.


    Masao-jii-san, she named him while she finished his portrait and complimented him on his good-looking family. He took the praise with typical Japanese stoicism, not even a curve of his lips as she spoke.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a small bow, and moved on to the next person beside Masao-jii-san. Somehow, this person looked familiar too? Another family member? No, no definitely not; the nose was all wrong. And the eyes were too far apart.


    But how did she know him? Even the mole on his chin was exactly where she expected it to be. Misaki leaned in close, far closer than she ever would in normal time, and inspected the mole. Two hairs growing out of it in opposite directions. How did she know she¡¯d find those?


    Because she¡¯d already drawn him! He looked familiar because she¡¯d sketched him a few hours earlier.


    The map flew by in Misaki¡¯s head as she mentally retraced her steps. Faces flashed before her, thousands of them, from one end of the terminal to the other, every nook and cranny accounted for. Somehow, miraculously, she¡¯d done it; everybody had a place in one of her notebooks.


    ¡°Did I miss anybody?¡± she called out as loudly as she could, just to be sure. ¡°Raise your hand if I haven¡¯t sketched you yet.¡±


    Only silence answered her.


    She breathed a sigh of deep exhaustion and leaned against the man with the mole. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± she muttered to him. He didn¡¯t complain.


    All that was left to do was exit the terminal and hand over her sketches to her supervisor after she left Borrowed Time.


    Speaking of which, how much time did she have left?


    Misaki did a quick check, then a second one when her tired brain couldn¡¯t quite comprehend the answer.


    Fifty-eight seconds. Seconds!


    Fifty-seven.


    Fifty-six.


    And then she was running. Running like her life depended on it, because it did. Dignity went out the window as she slid between legs and vaulted a pair of small children fighting over a chocolate bar. As the crowd thinned, Misaki picked up speed, her exhausted body suddenly brimming with adrenaline-fueled, desperate energy.


    Thirty seconds. Almost there.


    A long line of people ahead, the only break around another ¡®Wet Floor¡¯ sign. Misaki didn¡¯t slow, and leapt into the air. Her lead foot cleared the sign with ease, but her back toe caught the flimsy object. In normal time, she would¡¯ve stumbled, at the worst, with the sign toppling to the ground. In Borrowed Time, the sign might as well of been a concrete block, and she toppled, hard.


    The tile floor met her with a jarring impact that blasted the air from her lungs and brought tears to her eyes.


    Twenty-seven seconds.


    Lungs full of rusty razors with every breath, Misaki pushed herself to her knees, her pencil rolling out of her hand in the process. It didn¡¯t even get six inches before it decayed into nothingness.


    Twenty-four seconds.


    The door was practically within spitting distance from where she struggled to her feet. Her first step, and she crumpled, pain lancing from her ankle. Twisted? Broken? Misaki eyed the offending appendage, scowling through blurry eyes.


    Twenty-one seconds.


    It didn¡¯t matter how much it hurt. Or if it was broken, twisted, or outright missing. She needed to move. And if there was one thing her father¡¯s dojo had taught her, it was how to fight through pain.


    Grimacing, but as stubborn as her obaa-chan in the supermarket, Misaki found her feet.


    Eighteen seconds.


    She took a step. Pain. Ignored. Another step. More pain. Also ignored. Then she was running again.


    Fourteen seconds.


    One more obstacle, a couple, hand-in-hand, with enough luggage to fill an airplane by itself. Misaki had learned her lesson with the ¡®Wet-Floor¡¯ sign and weaved around them, despite the extra second it took. Why did two people need so much luggage?


    Eight seconds.


    She cleared the couple, and the door, and ran straight across the street to where her captain stood.


    Two seconds.


    Misaki dove behind the large police van as her timer hit zero.


    After the silence of spending a full day in Borrowed Time, the explosion was deafening. The ground bucked. Glass shattered. People screamed. Chaos erupted. Misaki buried her head in her arms as every face she¡¯d sketched flashed before her eyes.


    Then she passed out.

 Spark of War - Chapter 35 – Missing

    ¡°Open door up ahead,¡± Laze passed the information back to El.


    ¡°Still no sign of anybody?¡± El asked in return. Five miles into the city, and they still hadn¡¯t seen another living soul. Sure, it was a bad storm, but the absolute stillness of the city otherwise was¡­ creepy.


    ¡°Nothing up here,¡± Laze answered from right in front of her.


    ¡°Nidina?¡± El asked to the woman two steps behind her.


    ¡°Nobody. Not even tracks in the snow.¡±


    ¡°Switch with me, Laze,¡± El said, then swapped spots with her friend. ¡°Dayne, where¡¯s the door?¡±


    ¡°Three buildings ahead, on the right. The blue one. Door is swinging in the wind,¡± he said.


    Swinging in the wind? ¡°We¡¯re going to check inside,¡± she said just loud enough the other three could all hear.


    ¡°You sure? We can probably pass by without being seen,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Something odd is going on here,¡± El answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to have some idea what that is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± he said and picked up the pace, leading them to the steps up to the squat building¡¯s front door.


    Just like he said, the heavy wooden door swung freely in the wind, snow blowing in and dusting the discarded shoes in the entryway.


    ¡°We really going in?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Yes, on me.¡± El put her hand on her electrum sword hilt, but didn¡¯t draw it, and climbed the steps.


    Three pairs of shoes, two adult sizes and one child-sized, sat inside the front door, and a short hallway extended beyond. Snow covered just about everything. If the residents were home, why hadn¡¯t they closed the door? It had to be freezing in there.


    El stepped inside, past the shoes, and peeked through another door on the left side of the hall. A kitchen, from the looks of things, with a frozen dinner sitting on the table. No people though. ¡°Laze,¡± El whispered and pointed into the kitchen, then continued down the hall to a doorway on her right. A short staircase spiraled up to the second level.


    She glanced around the corner and into the room. A living room? But why was the couch overturned?


    ¡°Dayne, Nidina,¡± El whispered, then pointed up the stairs. The two followed her orders without question, and she went into the living room.


    Not only was the couch flipped, but also a desk to her right, and a chair beside that. Papers lay frozen on the floor in a pool of ice from a broken flower vase. A window in the back of the room looked onto a snow-filled backyard, a wooden children¡¯s playhouse tucked in the corner, the door hanging crooked on its hinges.


    ¡°Signs of a struggle upstairs,¡± Dayne said as he joined her in the room.


    ¡°Here too.¡± El gestured around the room. ¡°There¡¯s a playhouse in the back, go check that would you?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I saw a backdoor around the stairs,¡± Dayne said, and ducked out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Laze asked from the door to the living room. ¡°Kitchen literally has dinner on the table, but it¡¯s untouched. Other than being frozen.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for¡­ ah, there she is. Nidina, what¡¯s your take on this? Was it us?¡± El asked when Nidina came down the stairs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Something definitely happened here, but what would Firestorm have to gain? There¡¯s no bodies. No blood. No damage from any of our weapons. We¡¯re not nearly close enough to the Ember for this house to matter.¡±


    El glanced out the back window, footprints in the snow, but no Dayne. He should be¡­


    ¡°This was the only thing in the playhouse,¡± Dayne said, joining the other three and holding up a frozen, stuffed, pink bear.


    ¡°Robbers?¡± El asked.


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    ¡°Where are the people?¡± Laze asked back.


    ¡°Ran to a neighbor?¡± Dayne suggested.


    ¡°Not likely, with this,¡± El said, and pointed toward the couch. ¡°No, somebody was here when¡­ whoever it was¡­ arrived.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they left after the trespassers did. With the storm as bad as it is, I bet people are worried about things like food,¡± Laze said. ¡°Ah, that can¡¯t be right, not with how I found the kitchen. Too much food still in there.¡±


    ¡°And we didn¡¯t see anybody in the streets. No riots or looters. I guess this could be an isolated incident, but it doesn¡¯t feel like that,¡± Nidina offered.


    ¡°Should we check another house?¡± Dayne asked, and gently put the stuffed bear down in the corner of the room.


    El shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s going on here if it¡¯s going to affect our mission, but we can¡¯t waste too much time on the mystery. Unless one of you has a good argument otherwise?¡±


    ¡°I think we should get back on mission,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Count ourselves lucky we aren¡¯t having to sneak through huge crowds.¡±


    Dayne and Laze both nodded, though slowly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± El looked to the north, like she could see the Ember through the thick walls. Well, maybe she couldn¡¯t see it, but she could certainly feel it.


    In fact¡­


    ¡°Does the pull on your Spark feel¡­ stronger?¡± she asked the others.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Laze said after a few seconds. ¡°Like the Ember knows we¡¯re close. Like it¡¯s¡­ eager. Do the Embers have feelings? Are they alive?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just how we¡¯re interpreting it,¡± Nidina offered.


    ¡°Just another question to take up with the Church later,¡± El said. ¡°Feels like¡­ maybe ten to fifteen miles to me. That¡¯s not a short walk. We should get a move on. Dayne,¡± she said, and gestured toward the door, then followed the big man out.


    Like before, the snowy street was otherwise empty, and they descended the steps and trudged down the street to the north. The road itself wasn¡¯t very wide, maybe big enough for a wagon, but certainly not big enough for a golem to comfortably fit. Mostly housing too, from the looks of things.


    ¡°Other than golems, shouldn¡¯t there be somebody around? Regular soldiers? Police? Militia? Something?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Golems, and their controllers, make up the bulk of Guld¡¯s forces on the front line and in the mountains,¡± Nidina explained. ¡°Controllers aren¡¯t very common, maybe one in a thousand, so they¡¯re scooped up by the military as soon as they¡¯re discovered. We¡¯ll definitely have to worry about those as we get closer to the Ember.


    ¡°Within the city like this, though, I¡¯d expect at least patrols of their soldiers. We haven¡¯t seen any of them in Aldrana in ages, so they must be keeping them here in the city.¡±


    ¡°Are they a threat to us?¡±


    ¡°Their Sparks are less than our groundies. Honestly, I think the reason they got pulled back from Aldrana is because of how ineffective they are against our flame armor. Basically no threat unless they vastly outnumber us,¡± Nidina answered. ¡°Still, with what happened to the tunnel, I expected to see regular patrols within the city.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they pulled everybody back to protect the Ember,¡± El said. ¡°Nidina, do you have any idea which part of the city we¡¯re in?¡±


    ¡°Hrm. That¡¯s a good question. Without landmarks it¡¯s almost impossible to say, but if we judge by the house we just left, I think we might be in the southwestern quadrant of the city. And if I¡¯m right about that, we¡¯re going to need to be careful soon.¡±


    ¡°Care to elaborate?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°We might be close to the golem forges,¡± Nidina said. ¡°But, it really should be busier if we are. I can¡¯t figure out why this whole section of the city is deserted.¡±


    ¡°You said we¡¯re on the southwestern side?¡± Laze asked. ¡°Maybe they expected us to come over the mountains, like we did, but to come shooting. This part of the city would take the brunt of any offensive we brought.¡±


    ¡°You think they evacuated the citizens in case we attacked?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see a wall when we came in. Other than the mountains, which are arguably very effective, the city is defenseless from a siege standpoint. Not that a wall would do any good against the Firestorm, but it could at least slow our groundies if they got through the tunnel. But without a wall, our artillery would turn this section of the city to rubble in hours. If that. It would make sense to get the people out of here,¡± Laze explained.


    ¡°Like they did in Aldrana?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just like that. As soon as they knew we were coming, and this was years ago, they pulled everybody back through the tunnel, other than the army.¡±


    ¡°No, I think there is something more going on here,¡± El said. ¡°Aldrana had golems. We¡¯re, burn it, how far in now? Miles? We haven¡¯t seen anybody. No soldiers, no golems, no citizens. If they¡¯d pulled people back to engage us here, wouldn¡¯t they have blocked off roads to slow our troops? Hidden golems or squads of soldiers to harry us?


    ¡°Instead, it¡¯s like they opened the front door and invited us in.¡±


    ¡°Should we risk flying?¡± Laze asked. ¡°It would speed things up.¡±


    El didn¡¯t answer immediately. The snow was slowing them down and tiring them out. Would they be in any shape to fight when they finally arrived at the Ember? Flying would get them there in minutes, compared to the hours on foot.


    But, El couldn¡¯t shake the nagging sensation in the back of her head. The Ember was so eager for them to arrive. To throw caution to the wind and rush forward. Could the Guldish Ember influence their Sparks like the Church could? Or was there something else bugging her? Some kind of trap?


    ¡°Better safe than dead,¡± she finally said. ¡°We¡¯ll stay on foot for now. But, I¡¯d like to avoid the golem forges if we can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll take us a lot longer to get to the temple,¡± Nidina pointed out. ¡°Not to mention, if it¡¯s as quiet there as it is in the rest of the city, this is an unparalleled opportunity to get intel.¡±


    ¡°Or we might be poking our noses into a hornet¡¯s nest. No, we continue to the temple and see if we can¡¯t get an idea of what¡¯s going on there,¡± El instructed.


    Dayne glanced over his shoulder, probably to see if anybody would argue. When they didn¡¯t, despite the extra hike it meant, he turned right at the next street to detour around the forges.

 Spark of War - Chapter 36 – Target

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t in any of the reports I¡¯ve seen,¡± Nidina said from where the four crouched on the roof of a two-story building.


    ¡°Funny, you¡¯d think at least one or our spies would mention the mile-wide metal fortress they built around the temple,¡± El monotoned. ¡°What the Blaze were they doing here? Drinking coffee and taking art classes?¡±


    Black metal lined with electrum surrounded the Ember¡¯s temple and reached for the sky, the only place in the city the snow wasn¡¯t falling. Massive walls at cascading heights lined with cannons glistened under the cone of sunlight, the temple visible through a wide arch at the end of a weapon-lined avenue.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t get it,¡± Nidina answered. ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s no way our spies could¡¯ve missed that. It would¡¯ve taken years to build. Just look at the size of it! The temple is a dollhouse in comparison.¡±


    ¡°Heavily armed too,¡± Dayne added. ¡°I count at least fifty cannons on this side of the fortification alone. And spaces for more. As big as that is, it isn¡¯t finished yet.¡±


    ¡°They look like the same kind of guns that golem we fought in Guld had,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°And I think we all remember the firepower those were sporting,¡± El said.


    ¡°I guess this explains why we didn¡¯t see any soldiers on the way here,¡± Nidina said. ¡°They must¡¯ve all been called back to man that monstrosity. Do you think the citizens were all brought in there as well? How could it even hold them all?¡±


    ¡°That street leads right up to the temple. We could enter there¡­ if we could get past all those guns,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°I¡¯d ask if our spies had any intel on alternative routes,¡± El said, and looked sideways at Nidina. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option if they didn¡¯t even tell us this was here in the first place. Seriously, how did they miss this?¡±


    ¡°They must¡¯ve been compromised,¡± Nidina finally said. ¡°We only had a handful here, the rest had been found, and it was impossible to get more in once the tunnel became one-way. Guld must¡¯ve been feeding what they wanted us to know the whole time. Maybe a few kernels of truth to keep us from getting suspicious.¡±


    ¡°So, that means there could be a lot of other things going on here we don¡¯t know about,¡± El said.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any clouds above the temple, or the fortress for that matter; is that because of the Ember?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Must be,¡± El said. ¡°And, Dayne, back to your point, I think it would be suicide to go for the temple down that street. They must¡¯ve designed it like that for worship, but it¡¯s probably riddled with traps along with the weapon embankments.¡±


    ¡°So, how are we going to¡ª¡± Nidina started, but a bright orange flash to the west lit up the snow and drew everybody¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What the Blaze was that?¡± Laze asked. ¡°Did the fighting start?¡±


    ¡°No explosions,¡± Dayne said. ¡°That was something else.¡±


    El looked from the west, to the fortress, then back to the west. ¡°How do you think they¡¯re powering all those weapons, Nidina? Could they be using the Ember?¡±


    ¡°Using it directly? Blazes no. That would be sacrilege,¡± she said, then paused. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what our spies told us. So, I guess it could be possible.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t use the Pyre like that,¡± Dayne said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if we could.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± El said. ¡°So, that flash might have something to do with how they¡¯re fueling all those weapons. If we can disable that, getting the Ember might be that much easier for us.¡±


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    ¡°Or for anybody else who shows up,¡± Laze agreed.


    ¡°Not like we can mount much of an attack on that by ourselves anyway. Let¡¯s go,¡± El dusted the accumulated snow off her shoulders¡ªso odd it hadn¡¯t melted¡ªand then shuffled over to the opposite end of the roof. Still no sign of¡­ anybody. They hadn¡¯t even seen movement near the fortress. ¡°Clear,¡± she said, then jumped off.


    Her flame armor absorbed the force of her landing, melting snow around her feet in a flash, and she took one more look up and down the street while the others joined her.


    ¡°Same order?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it matters at this point,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯ve walked almost fifteen miles straight into the heart of the city, and haven¡¯t seen a single person.¡±


    ¡°Can we fly then?¡± Nidina asked. ¡°I¡¯m getting pretty tired of walking.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± El said, and thumbed over her shoulder back toward the massive fortress. ¡°If they really have developed magic that senses heat, we don¡¯t want to attract that thing¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d really open fire on their own city?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Might be why they evacuated it,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Yup. And whatever that flash was, it didn¡¯t look too far. Just a little more walking,¡± El said, and started down the street to her right.


    ¡°You promise?¡± Nidina asked from behind her.


    ¡°No,¡± El replied with a smile to soften the words.


    They walked in silence after that, the odd column of sunlight on their right like the eye of a hurricane, and came to a twenty-foot stone wall fifteen minutes later.


    ¡°I think the golem forge is on the other side of this,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first real wall we¡¯ve seen,¡± Dayne said. ¡°We can probably get a look inside from one of the roofs across the street from it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Short burst only,¡± El said, walked to the nearest building, and then leapt up to the roof with the briefest ignition of her wings. Landing, she turned and surveyed beyond the wall while the others joined her.


    ¡°Hard to be sure with the snow,¡± Laze said. ¡°But, I don¡¯t see anybody. We sure this is where the flash came from?¡±


    ¡°They could still be making golems,¡± El replied. ¡°They know we¡¯re coming, one way or another.¡±


    Another flash from within the storm, so bright the four had to shield their eyes and turn away.


    ¡°That one was definitely closer,¡± El said. ¡°We¡¯re going over that wall. Keep your eyes peeled. Don¡¯t be complacent just because we haven¡¯t seen anybody yet.¡±


    El stepped forward and briefly ignited her wings a second time, sending her arcing over the wall to land in the knee-deep snow. The other three landed beside her almost immediately, and they plowed their way to the nearest building to peek around the corner.


    Square structures, each at least fifty feet tall and of some dark stone, flanked streets just as wide as the buildings were tall. Huge, closed doors stretched all the way to the roofs, but the snow lay undisturbed as far as she could see.


    ¡°These buildings must be where they make or store the golems,¡± Nidina said. ¡°This might be the best opportunity we¡¯ll ever have to learn the secrets of how they do it.¡±


    El eyed the falling snow, scanning for movement. Nidina had a point. ¡°That flash might answer the question for us too,¡± she said. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll get into one of these on the way back.¡±


    Nidina nodded. That must¡¯ve been good enough for her.


    El gestured with her hand to the other three, then ducked around the corner, sticking close to the wall and jogging down the street as best she could in the deep snow. How deep would it get if it kept falling? Would it bury the entire city? The entire nation?


    Reaching the next intersection, El checked left and right, just falling snow in both directions, then ran across. She paused at the next wall until the others caught up, then continued along.


    Another flash, this one so bright it tinged the entire world around them orange, and simply turning away wasn¡¯t enough. The light reflected off the snow like a million mirrors, and El was forced to squeeze her eyes shut and bring her arm up to shield them.


    ¡°Burn it, that¡¯s bright,¡± Laze hissed. ¡°What the Blaze are they doing back here?¡±


    ¡°No burning idea,¡± Nidina said. ¡°But did you hear something that time? I thought I¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a steak sizzling on the grill?¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Careful, or you¡¯re going to make El hungry. We all know what happens when she gets hungry,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Shush, you,¡± El said and rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. ¡°I heard it too...¡±


    THUMP


    The ground shook and the falling snow seemed to shiver in the air.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Nidina asked.


    THUMP


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Laze said.


    THUMP


    ¡­


    THUMP


    ¡­


    THUMP


    Whatever it was, it was regularly spaced and¡­getting stronger?


    THUMP


    ¡­


    THUMP


    El shuffled to the corner of the building, ducked low, and glanced around the corner.


    THUMP


    Just snow? What was¡­


    THUMP


    A shadow in the falling snow, not even a block away, quickly resolved, and El found her eyes going up, and up, and up to the top of the massive golem walking down the street.

 Spark of War - Chapter 37 – Looks Inviting

    Burn it!


    THUMP


    Even though its steps were slow, it devoured distance with each one. Less than a block away, it would be on them in seconds. And if it found them¡­


    THUMP


    El ducked back to her friends. ¡°Golem. Bury yourselves in the snow. Now!¡± she said, then dove forward and swept the snow across on top of her. They¡¯d have to hope the golem didn¡¯t notice the disturbed patches where they hid.


    THUMP


    The other three followed her instructions without any questions and poofed down into the snow beside her.


    THUMP


    The ground shook with every step, vibrating through the snow and El¡¯s chest. How close was it now?


    THUMP


    So. Very. Close. It had to be at the intersection.


    THUMP


    El¡¯s body and the snow covering her jumped from the footstep right beside her, and she had to slam her mouth shut to keep the squeal of surprise from escaping.


    Keep it together, El. Just wait for it to¡­where was the next footstep? Why wasn¡¯t the golem moving?


    El swallowed hard, the flame armor allowing her to breathe under the blanket of snow that suddenly seemed so much more like a coffin. Did the golem notice their tracks? Could it sense their heat? Was it aiming its massive cannons at them right now?


    In El¡¯s mind, the guns floated inches above where she lay hidden, the barrels glowing orange as they charged to release their life-ending salvo. She wouldn¡¯t even see it coming.


    The snow in front of her eyes dyed orange.


    Okay, maybe she would see it coming.


    El closed her eyes and braced for the impact. Would she feel it? Would it hurt? Or, would it be over so fast she would just be gone?


    And, why did she have time for all these thoughts? Wasn¡¯t it going to shoot? Hurry up and get it over with!


    THUMP!


    El¡¯s heart almost exploded in her chest as the ground shook further down the street. The golem was leaving?


    THUMP!


    ¡­


    THUMP!


    ¡­


    THUMP!


    ¡­


    THUMP!


    El let out the breath she was holding and carefully rolled over in the snow and peeked her head above the top layer.


    THUMP!


    The golem¡¯s shadow faded into the falling snow and vanished entirely with the next step.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± she said, and three heads tentatively poked out of the snow.


    ¡°That was¡­ too close,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°I totally figured it found us when it stopped,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Then everything went orange, I thought that was it. It was going to blow us right back to the Pyre. In little pieces.¡±


    ¡°You saw that too?¡± El asked. ¡°Must¡¯ve been another one of those flashes.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Why do you think it stopped?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°Who knows, but I¡¯m not going to waste the good fortune. Let¡¯s figure out what is making those flashes and get the Blaze out of here,¡± El said, standing up.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°Same direction the golem came from, you think?¡± Nidina asked and peeked around the corner. ¡°Looks clear now, other than those gigantic footprints in the snow. How burning big was it?¡±


    ¡°Bigger than anything I¡¯ve seen. Made the one we saw in Guld look like a children¡¯s toy. I can¡¯t imagine they could make anything bigger,¡± El said, and glanced at the huge footprint beside her. All four of them could lay down in it in a line, and they still wouldn¡¯t be long enough to fill it.


    ¡°They must¡¯ve kept their best stuff to protect the forge,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°Yes, and enough chatter. Let¡¯s go before it circles back,¡± El said, ducked around Nidina, and jogged down the street where the golem had come from.


    El paused at every corner as she checked each direction, the outline of each building resolving itself in the snow making her breath catch. Who was she kidding though? The golem had dwarfed most of the buildings. And yet it had still almost snuck up on them.


    Just like the one that got Nexin. No, El, not the time to think about that. She shook her head, double-checked the intersection, then dashed across. Three blocks later, she paused with her back against a dark, stone wall.


    ¡°We must be getting close,¡± she said to the others.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t been a flash in a while,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Think they finished whatever they were doing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we may have missed it,¡± El said. ¡°Let¡¯s go a few more blocks though, just to be sure. If we don¡¯t find anything, we¡¯ll double back and check some of these buildings on the way,¡± she said, rapping her knuckles gently on the building at her back.


    ¡°I wonder why they aren¡¯t using any of these now,¡± Nidina mused. ¡°Other than that golem, we still haven¡¯t seen anybody. If they really are preparing for our attack, wouldn¡¯t you think they would have all their workshops going full speed ahead?¡±


    ¡°These might just be storage warehouses,¡± Laze suggested. ¡°Either for the finished golems, or the parts. That¡¯s what they remind me of.¡±


    El looked up and down the street. If that golem found them, they wouldn¡¯t have any option but to run. And if the flashes had actually stopped, they weren¡¯t in the same rush to move forward. ¡°Change of plans, sorry. Let¡¯s check this place out now,¡± she told them and rapped her knuckles on the building a second time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple of normal-sized doors in the last few buildings we passed,¡± Dayne offered. ¡°If this one is the same, there should be a¡­ yeah, there it is,¡± he said and jogged twenty feet further, then stopped and pointed at the wall. Well, at the door in the wall.


    ¡°Think it¡¯s locked?¡± Nidina asked as she, Laze, and El joined Dayne.


    Dayne reached out and gently tried the door handle. It didn¡¯t budge, so he tried a little harder. The knob rattled, slightly, but didn¡¯t turn. ¡°Seems to be. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s frozen.¡±


    ¡°Should we look for another way in?¡± Nidina asked.


    El shook her head. ¡°Laze, all yours.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Laze said with a smile, pulled an electrum hilt from her belt, and placed one end against the lock.


    SCHWAAAAAAaaaaaaa¡­.


    The short blade of flame pierced straight through the lock, the metal melting and running on both sides in a flash. The blade vanished just as quickly as it appeared, and Laze stowed the hilt back on her belt.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Laze gently pushed the door in.


    It swung without a sound into the absolute darkness of the building.


    ¡°Looks inviting,¡± Nidina whispered. ¡°After you.¡± She gestured for Dayne to take the lead.


    ¡°Oh, for Pyre¡¯s sake,¡± El said, and slipped a palm-sized square of electrum from her belt. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this isn¡¯t warm enough for them to notice,¡± she said, and ignited the metal. Unlike the electrum weapons, the sheet of metal didn¡¯t burst into flame, and instead emitted a wide beam of warm light, like a bonfire through a window.


    ¡°What the Blaze?¡± El stepped inside, the smell hitting her like a slap in the face. What was that? She put her free hand over her mouth and nose to stop herself from gagging while her beam of light landed on thumb-thick metal bars. ¡°Get in and close the door,¡± she told the others through her hand. The fresh air might help with the smell, but if the golem passed by again, they might as well have a sign out announcing their presence.


    Three more beams of light quickly ignited as the others entered and simultaneously gagged at the horrific odor.


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Nidina said between choking coughs.


    ¡°Are those what I think they are?¡± Laze asked, voice muffled, and her light scrolling along more and more of the metal bars.


    ¡°Cages,¡± Dayne said. ¡°Not just on the floor, either,¡± he added, and shifted his beam of light up. The whole building was filled with cages stacked on top of cages. Four levels, from the looks of things, in four blocks, taking up the majority of the warehouse.


    ¡°I thought this was for golem parts?¡± El asked Nidina.


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Do any of the cages have anything in them? Maybe the source of whatever the Blaze is causing that smell.¡± El asked, and the four of them spread out, their beams of light stretching out ahead of them.


    ¡°Smells like something died in here,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°All empty,¡± Laze said. ¡°Were they keeping some kind of animals in here? The cage floors are filthy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they moved all their farm animals in here when they brought down the tunnel, to keep them safe when we came through?¡± Nidina proposed.


    ¡°If they did, where are they?¡± El asked. ¡°And the people to take care of them?¡±


    Nidina just shrugged in response.


    ¡°Uh, guys,¡± Laze said from one of the corners of the warehouse. ¡°Something definitely died in here, but I don¡¯t think it was a farm animal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡± El jogged over to join her friend, the smell getting stronger with every step.


    Oh.


    Three beams of light converged on where Laze¡¯s hovered.


    On the corpse of a young woman.

 Spark of War - Chapter 38 – Looks Familiar

    ¡°Prisoner of war?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°Clothes are Guldish,¡± Nidina said, kneeling down outside the bars beside the corpse, the back of her hand shielding her mouth and nose. ¡°Might be connected to one of our spies though, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Did we have enough spies here to fill these cages?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Not even close,¡± Nidina answered.


    ¡°They may have put her in here to hide her with¡­ well¡­ whatever they were keeping in here,¡± El said.


    ¡°Are we sure she was a spy?¡± Dayne asked. ¡°She looks young. Maybe a teenager?¡±


    ¡°None of our spies were that young. They¡¯ve been in place here for years. They¡¯d all be in their thirties, at the youngest,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Child of one of our spies? Maybe they figured out who she was related to,¡± Laze offered.


    ¡°Or, maybe something else entirely,¡± El said. ¡°Let¡¯s check another building and see what they¡¯ve got stored in there.¡± With that, she gave the body on the floor one last look, then retraced her steps to the door.


    Hand on the knob, she paused to listen and feel for the telltale footsteps of the golems. Nothing, so she cracked the door and peered outside. Just a sheet of falling white snow. Was it heavier? Or just her imagination from being inside.


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± she said to the three behind her, doused her light, and slipped outside. Their tracks in the snow were barely visible, the falling snow already filling them in. Looking both ways, she continued along the wall, only quickly checking back to make sure the last one out, Dayne, closed the door behind them. Of course he did.


    El stopped at the corner of the building, eyeing the snow down each of the intersecting streets. Still no sign of any golems. Was the one they saw the only one on patrol? What the Blaze was going on in this city?


    She gestured quickly with her hand, then dashed across the street as best she could in the deep snow. They were going to need to fly at some point, and likely soon. Was she making a mistake by having them go on foot? No, she needed to trust her gut on this. She¡¯d keep them on the ground until they absolutely had to take to the air.


    With the main door of the building on the cross street to her left, that would put the side door straight ahead of her, a mirror to the building they¡¯d just left, and she continued along the wall until she found it. There, she paused and tried the handle while the others caught up. Locked.


    ¡°Laze, if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± El said, and pointed toward the lock.


    ¡°You got it,¡± Laze said.


    SCHWAAAAaaaaa¡­


    Like before, the lock melted in a flash, and Laze gently pushed the door in, darkness once again greeting them.


    ¡°Burn it, this one is even worse.¡± Laze took a step back, her hand reflexively going to her mouth.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± El said before she could stop herself, the smell like a miasma with physical weight crawling out of the building and settling on them.


    ¡°Do we have to go in there?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to explore the buildings in the first place,¡± El said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯d never get another chance like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. It won¡¯t matter once we¡¯ve got the Ember anyway,¡± Nidina replied.


    ¡°Too bad,¡± El said, and pulled the electrum sheet from her belt, ignited it, and stepped inside.


    She stopped as soon as her light fell on the first cage, and somebody walked into her from behind.


    ¡°What the Blaze, El?¡± Laze asked, but then her light joined El¡¯s.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hold up?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Burning burn it,¡± El said, and walked further inside so the others could join them.


    ¡°These¡­ these can¡¯t be spies. Or even the families of spies,¡± Nidina said when she and Dayne had come inside, their lights joining El¡¯s and Laze¡¯s on the pile of corpses in the cage.


    El slowly shifted her light up, then to the left. Corpses filled every cage. Hundreds of them.


    Somebody vomited behind her, and her throat reflexively gagged in response. El managed to keep the contents of her stomach down, but all she could do was shake her head at the scene in front of her.


    Long seconds passed as three lights scanned the darkness, and when the fourth finally joined them, El struggled to find her voice. ¡°Cause of death?¡± she asked, gritted her teeth, and stepped up to the closest cage. Her light fell on the face of a young child, maybe five or six years old, from the size, the skin blue even under the warm light from her hand. A woman¡¯s arms, probably his mother¡¯s, wrapped around his chest and held him close despite her blackened fingers.


    ¡°No obvious wounds,¡± Dayne said from further down the cage. ¡°They aren¡¯t dressed very warmly, and no blankets of any kind. How cold do you think it is in here?¡±


    ¡°Below freezing,¡± Laze said, and rubbed her arm with her free hand. ¡°How strong are the Guldish Sparks?¡±


    ¡°Weak,¡± Nidina said. ¡°Controllers have the strongest, but even they¡¯re closer in strength to our groundies than to us. The average person on the street? They might as well be Sparkless when it comes to cold like this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine freezing to death,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been quick, even with their weaker Sparks,¡± Dayne said. ¡°This many people would¡¯ve huddled together to share body heat. Hours at the least, but more likely days. Very slow. Very¡­ unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Do a quick check for survivors,¡± El said, but nobody moved.


    ¡°El,¡± Nidina said quietly. ¡°What are we going to do even if we find one? We¡¯re the enemy. We can¡¯t stay here and take care of them, and we certainly can¡¯t take them with us.¡±


    ¡°If they recognize us,¡± Dayne added. ¡°You¡­ you know what we¡¯d have to do to protect the mission.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    El reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. Burn it. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry. I just can¡¯t believe this. Are they all Guldish?¡±


    ¡°Clothes suggest as much,¡± Nidina said. ¡°I think these might be some of the missing citizens. Definitely not soldiers.¡±


    ¡°But why was the other one almost empty, when this one is full-to-bursting?¡± El asked, and scanned her light up and up. Even the higher levels of the cages were full of people, limbs hanging out between bars, bodies crushed underneath each other. Why wouldn¡¯t they have spread them out if the other building was empty and this one was so full?


    ¡°No idea,¡± Nidina said. ¡°None of this makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± El agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the source of the flashes and see if they¡¯re connected to however that fortress is being fueled. Focus on getting the Ember and figuring¡­ this¡­ out later.¡±


    The other three nodded, their faces screaming just how much they wanted out of that building.


    El led them back to the door, once again cracking it and checking outside, then quickly exited.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m happy to be back in the snow,¡± Laze said, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely better than in there,¡± Nidina agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go find the source of the¡­¡± El started, but had to cover her eyes and turn away as the world stained a phosphorous orange while a booming sizzle crescendoed and vanished.


    ¡°Burn it, that¡¯s really, really bright,¡± Laze said, echoing her earlier complaint while all four of them rubbed their eyes to banish the spots.


    ¡°Means we¡¯re close, though,¡± El said, and jogged down the street in the direction of the latest flash.


    Two blocks later, she held up a hand to halt the others, then ducked down into the snow. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Some kind of¡­ grinding?¡± Dayne asked. ¡°Like something heavy being dragged.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Laze said. ¡°Put your hand on the road under the snow. You can feel it too.¡±


    El scooped the snow around her foot, then placed her fingertips on the road like Laze had suggested. Sure enough, the vibrations were unmistakable, but getting weaker. ¡°It¡¯s being dragged away from here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Should we follow?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°Not yet. Might just be another golem on patrol for all we know. Let¡¯s keep going,¡± she said, stood, then cautiously continued down the street. ¡°Are we still in the golem forge, Nidina?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nidina answered. ¡°It takes up a full quarter of the city. If any parts of our reports are to be trusted¡ª¡±


    ¡°Something about that building is different.¡± Laze pointed ahead and to the right.


    El looked up and down the street, then crossed over to the other side and continued down. When she got to the corner, she peeked around. ¡°You¡¯re right. Some kind of dome. Wait, something¡¯s happening,¡± she said as the curved roof began to glow. ¡°Cover your eyes!¡±


    Following her own advice, El turned and crouched down, her arms coming up to shield her face, and she didn¡¯t remove them until the sizzle faded.


    ¡°Seems they¡¯re back at it. Whatever it is,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a closer look,¡± El said. ¡°Keep your eyes open. They¡¯re bound to be soldiers or golems around here.¡±


    ¡°How about we get off the main street? Take the alleys between the warehouses?¡± Dayne offered, and El was already nodding along before he finished.


    ¡°Good idea. Golems shouldn¡¯t be able to fit in there.¡± El doubled back the way they¡¯d come to the first narrow alley. Narrow, that is, compared to the wide streets. It was still a good ten feet wide, but the monstrous golem they¡¯d seen earlier would never be able to fit.


    But would it need to? It could probably just go through the buildings if it wanted to. Best to just not get seen then.


    The snow in the alley was just as deep as the main streets, and the four slogged behind the warehouse to the first cross-alley.


    ¡°Hey, I think I can almost see the where the temple is from here,¡± Laze said. ¡°Look.¡±


    El turned where Laze was pointing, and sure enough, she could almost make out hints of the column of sunlight through the falling snow. ¡°One more alley,¡± El said, then continued behind the next warehouse and turned left at the corner.


    As soon as she could see the ends of the buildings flanking her, she crouched lower in the snow and continued forward like that. It was slower going, but getting spotted now would make everything up to this point a complete waste.


    ¡°There¡¯s that grinding again,¡± Dayne whispered.


    El didn¡¯t bother responding, reaching the street and hunkering down in the snow to get a good look at the domed building across the way. The other three quickly joined her, and they all crouched there, just their heads above the line of snow.


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s the source of the grinding sound.¡± Laze pointed down the street to their right where a large golem pulled a wide, flat-bed trailer. ¡°That looks like one of those cannons on the fortress.¡±


    ¡°This must be where they build them,¡± Dayne said. ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re working on, getting the fortress finished.¡±


    Must be¡­ but then why was something nagging at the back of El¡¯s mind about the domed building? ¡°Anybody see a way in?¡±


    ¡°The cannon looks like it came out down that way,¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°Bound to be guards or golems,¡± Dayne said. ¡°Look over there.¡± He pointed the opposite way. ¡°Another door like the ones these warehouses have.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten lucky with¡­ empty¡­ warehouses up to this point. What do you think the odds are this place is also empty?¡± El asked.


    ¡°Pretty slim,¡± Dayne replied.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see another option. We¡¯re going to have to risk it,¡± El said. ¡°If it comes to a fight, prioritize getting out safely. Meet-point is the roof we observed the fortress from. Just make sure you don¡¯t get followed. Questions?¡±


    The other three shook their heads.


    Laze drew her electrum hilt, and El led them across the street to the door Dayne had spotted.


    ¡°Make it quick, Laze,¡± El said. ¡°Nidina, you¡¯ve got point. Dayne, you¡¯re in the rear.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± they all said, and Laze put her electrum hilt to the lock, but tried the handle first.


    ¡°It¡¯s not locked,¡± she whispered.


    A trap? No, they couldn¡¯t know about El¡¯s wing. ¡°Go, go,¡± El said, and Laze stepped to the side while Nidina opened the door and ducked in. El was close on her heels, with Laze and Dayne following.


    The door closed behind them a second later, and the four crouched in the dark room, hands on their electrum hilts, while their eyes adjusted.


    Catwalks stretched above, the area below with them full of twisting pipes and bulky equipment, while a single square of dim light glowed ahead.


    Heavy steps echoed on the metal grating, and El pointed toward the maze-like pipes and squeezed her way in, the others doing the same wherever they could.


    CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK.


    El watched as the golem walked right above her. It couldn¡¯t be much bigger than a person, maybe eight feet tall, and wiry, like somebody really athletic. Not like any of the combat golems she¡¯d seen. How many different kinds of constructs had Guld been able to hide from them?


    ¡°Something¡¯s going on in there.¡± Nidina gestured toward the square of light.


    ¡°Go,¡± El said simply, and waved to Laze and Dayne to head in that direction.


    Squeezing through the nest of pipes, El got as close as she dared to the square of light and the large room beyond, and settled down to observe. Ahead of her, another of those cannons got pushed into the center of the space.


    That cannon already looks finished. What are they doing with it? Wait, something about this looks¡­ familiar.


    El tore her eyes away from the three-barreled cannon and focused her attention on the room itself. Electrum walls, from the looks of things, but, no, the room didn¡¯t appear square. It was tough to see from where she ducked, so she held up a quick hand to tell the others to stay in place, and dropped to her stomach and belly-crawled forward under the last line of pipes.


    There, that was better. El rolled to her side and peered up into the room. She was right. The room was spherical in shape. Where had she¡­


    El¡¯s eyes widened. That was it!


    It was just like Felps¡¯s project! Was this the technology they¡¯d stolen?


    KA-CLUNK. KA-CLUNK. WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR.


    El watched as parts of the spherical room¡¯s outer wall began to turn, like rings, with people dangling from wrist manacles rotating out. Within a minute, the wall was full of people squirming from where they hung. Blood dripped down their arms from the tight metal around their wrists, dirty clothes covered emaciated bodies, and weak groans of pain echoed off the walls. There had to be at least a hundred of them. Men, women, children, and the elderly.


    What are they¡­?


    The electrum wall began to shimmer, tinting the room a faint orange.


    Burn it!


    El flipped over and quickly waved at the others to cover their eyes as the light intensified, already almost blinding.


    With no choice but to hope her friends saw her, El curled up into a ball and stuffed her head as far as it would go into her knees.


    The flash was so bright, it was like it went straight through the back of her head, and the sizzle vibrated her body like an earthquake. But it was over quickly, like the others had been, and El quickly rolled over to see what they¡¯d done to those people.


    But, the people were gone.


    Did they rotate out?


    Movement caught her attention.


    The cannons barrels raised and lowered, shifted left and right, and then, all at once, shuddered and sat still.


    Shuddered, like it was¡­ alive.

 Spark of War - Chapter 39 – It Gets Worse

    What the Blaze?


    El squinted, the electrum walls of the spherical room still glowed, but yes, there, the metal wrist manacles were visible. The people hadn¡¯t rotated out. So, what the Blaze actually happened to them?


    WHIIIIIR.


    El froze as the cannon slowly swiveled in her direction, stopping and lowering the three barrels like the weapon itself was looking right at her.


    She stared into the darkness of those barrels, waiting for the telltale orange glow that would signal the end of her life. But instead of delivering a fiery death, the cannon turned back the to the front while the wall of the electrum room opened. A stocky golem stepped to the door, latched a series of metal cables to the trailer the cannon sat on, then dragged it out of the spherical room.


    The ground rumbled as El watched the cannon go on tracks built into the floor to help guide the trailers. Metal wheels on the metal tracks would explain the grinding sound they¡¯d heard. The tracks probably led all the way from the room to the fortress. They could sabotage the tracks and¡­ El shook her head. No, the fortress was almost finished already, and after they had the Ember, they wouldn¡¯t need to come back.


    But the people, what happened to them? And that cannon, why did it seem like it knew she was there? A shiver ran down El¡¯s spine as the pieces clicked.


    The new golems in Aldrana and the lack of controllers.


    The missing people in the city.


    The question of how they were fueling the massive fortress.


    And the electrum room.


    They were all connected. Worse, they were connected to Felps¡¯s work.


    El looked again at the electrum room, picturing the double-forged electrum skeleton hanging there, and shivered a second time. Just how far was Pycrin willing to go to win the war?


    She needed to tell the others, and then they needed to get the Ember before Felps activated his room back in the capital.


    El shimmied the way she¡¯d come to crouch beside Nidina. ¡°Time to go,¡± she whispered, and signaled others to head for the exit.


    CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK.


    They waited for the footsteps to pass, then scurried over to the door. El cracked it open and peered outside, scanning the falling snow for any sign of golems. Clear for now, she opened the door, snow falling in on the floor, and waved for the others to go first. ¡°Across to the same alley,¡± she whispered, and they ducked out ahead of her.


    Ignoring the small pile of snow on the floor, she couldn¡¯t take the time to clean it up, El stepped out and closed the door behind her.


    Three black Firestorm uniforms vanished into the falling snow ahead of her, and she gave the street a quick look in both directions before crossing as quickly as she could. The snow just wasn¡¯t letting up.


    ¡°What did you see in there? What are they doing?¡± Nidina asked when El joined them in the alley.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a little further away first,¡± El said, and led them deeper into the maze of alleys between warehouses. ¡°This should be good,¡± she said when there was nothing but falling snow in either direction. A golem would have to drop directly on their heads to find them there.


    ¡°So, what was it?¡± Nidina prodded.


    ¡°I think¡­ I think they¡¯re somehow putting people¡¯s Sparks into the cannons. Using them as the power source. I also think it¡¯s why those new golems we fought in Aldrana were so strong, and why we couldn¡¯t find any controllers,¡± El explained. ¡°They actually had minds of their own, and who knows how many Sparks fueling them.¡±


    ¡°Those new golems are alive?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Nidina said. ¡°How could they be doing that?¡±


    ¡°I know how it sounds,¡± El said and took a breath. ¡°It gets worse.¡±


    ¡°Do we even want to know?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Probably not, but you need to, in case something happens to me,¡± El said.


    ¡°Nothing is going to happen to you, El,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°But just in case,¡± Nidina added. ¡°Let¡¯s hear how this gets even crazier.¡±


    ¡°They stole the technology, the process of putting the Sparks into the golems, from us. I saw a room just like that in the catacombs under Balacin,¡± El said. ¡°I think it might be the Church¡¯s ultimate weapon against Guld. And, after seeing what happened in there,¡± El nodded the direction they¡¯d come, ¡°I think I understand why it might work.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Her three friends shared a look, the timing of it so perfect it was like they¡¯d practiced. Just how insane did they think she was?


    ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± Laze asked her. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s more to this.¡±


    El looked up and down the alley again. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said to Laze. ¡°Quick version. I watched easily a hundred people vanish with that flash. One minute they were in that electrum room, flash, they were gone. Then the cannon moved. Looked right at me.¡±


    ¡°Now, if what I¡¯m saying is what is actually happening, well you do the math. Nidina talked about how weak the Sparks are here in Guld. Their strongest are practically our weakest. And you all saw how powerful those new golems are. Now, imagine that power multiplied by the Firestorm factor. If our Sparks were used to fuel a weapon like that¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence, but she didn¡¯t need to. The wide eyes and open mouths on her friends¡¯ faces showed they understood.


    ¡°If they have that, why are we even here?¡± Dayne asked.


    ¡°The golem I saw in the capital, it wasn¡¯t finished,¡± El said.


    ¡°Before that,¡± Laze said. ¡°The people you saw in there,¡± Laze pointed back the way they¡¯d come. ¡°Were they¡­ volunteers?¡±


    El shook her head. ¡°They were chained to the walls before the flash. I hate to say it, but I think it also explains what we found in the warehouses. And what we didn¡¯t find.¡±


    ¡°The empty cages,¡± Laze said in understanding.


    ¡°The empty city,¡± Nidina whispered. ¡°You saw a hundred people?¡±


    El nodded.


    ¡°A hundred people for each of the cannons on the fortress? And how many more for one of those monstrous golems? They¡­ sacrificed their population¡­¡± Nidina said.


    ¡°And they got the idea from us,¡± El said. ¡°Which means we have people thinking of doing the same thing. We need to get the Ember back to the capital before they do that.¡±


    ¡°Would our generals sacrifice Firestorm for that?¡± Nidina asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the generals,¡± El said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure the Church would.¡±


    ¡°But they sent us all up here for this battle,¡± Laze said. ¡°Who¡¯s left?¡±


    ¡°The cadets,¡± El said grimly.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Laze hissed.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ it would be better if they did,¡± Nidina said slowly.


    ¡°How can you even suggest that?¡± Laze snapped.


    Nidina held out her arms. ¡°Look around, Laze. How many other Firestorm do you see right now? How many others made it over the mountains? Even before that, how many died in Aldrana? Sacrifice a few hundred cadets to save the rest? To save the city? That might be good math.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee it will work,¡± Laze said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing a whole lot better,¡± Nidina said. ¡°That¡¯s not on you, El,¡± she added quickly.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± El said. ¡°But it is why we need to get the Ember. We can¡¯t wait for the others to get here. Nidina is right. We don¡¯t know if anybody else even made it over the mountains like we did. We need a plan to get into that temple and get the Ember out, so, I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±


    ¡°If the fortress is self-sufficient, we can¡¯t cut off its power, which means we need to deal with those cannons,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°The cannons!¡± Nidina slapped her fist into her palm. ¡°What if we snuck in with one of the cannons from back there? Hid under the trailer or something,¡± she suggested and thumbed back the way they¡¯d come.


    ¡°It might work, but we¡¯d have do it after the cannon came out of the electrum room. I wouldn¡¯t want to be in with it during the flash,¡± El said. ¡°And it would be risky to try with the other golems nearby. Not to mention, the cannon itself might see us. Let¡¯s keep the plan in mind, but¡­ any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Could we create a distraction of some kind?¡± Laze asked.


    ¡°Would have to be really close to the fortress, or they wouldn¡¯t be able to see it through the snow,¡± Dayne said.


    ¡°And even if we did something big enough to get their attention, it¡¯s not like the cannons would move to check it out,¡± El said. ¡°Worst case, it would put them on high alert and make it even harder for us to get in.


    ¡°We have to assume the cannons and golems don¡¯t sleep. There aren¡¯t going to be shift changes. We¡­¡± El cut off as a pair of flaming wings scorched through the air just above the buildings.


    ¡°Firestorm!¡± Laze said.


    Flashes through the snow suggested he or she wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°They¡¯re heading for the fortress,¡± Dayne said. ¡°They¡¯re going for it.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to, too.¡± El ignited her wings.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Nidina ignited her wings as well.


    ¡°Plan?¡± Laze asked, wings coming out.


    ¡°Follow me. Stay low. We¡¯re going through the alleys¡± El said, and lifted into the air. As soon as the other three joined her, she turned and took off down the alley back the way they¡¯d come. She slowed only enough to take her first right, then raced along just above the snow, her wingtips sparking along the black warehouse walls on either side of her.


    How long would it take for the fortress to notice¡­


    THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM.


    The cannon fire came so fast it was like a single drawn-out blast, and suddenly the sky stained orange overhead. The snow stopped falling, evaporated by the barrage in a heartbeat and replaced by a fine mist that hung in a fog.


    Then the blood, and the body parts, started falling like rain.


    THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM.


    Man-sized spears of flame tore through the building on El¡¯s left, shredding the thick black stone like paper and ejecting shards of shrapnel to bounce off her flame armor before she was past. Explosions echoed all around, and a concussive wave washed over her from behind, propelling her forward.


    ¡°Faster!¡± El shouted, despite the fact the others wouldn¡¯t be able to hear her over the chaos, and gestured for them to keep up. Then she poured on the speed. There was only one direction they could go. Forward. Turning would only slow them down, and as flaming projectiles tore the buildings apart around them, slowing down meant dying.


    THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM.


    The cannons continued their ceaseless chorus, explosions adding percussion as the city shook and smoke streamed skyward to join the clouds. The Guldish were willing to destroy their own capital to protect the Ember. But, if they¡¯d really sacrificed their entire population already, was that a surprise?


    El swerved left, her wings vertical and back to a warehouse wall, as a spear of flame rocketed past. She glanced behind her, the others had managed to avoid it too, then looked ahead just in time for another spear to hit the ground right in front of her.


    The explosion engulfed her before she even had a chance to blink.

 Bonus Content (Not SoW) - Leaky Dreams - Chapter 1 – Pants ‘Optional’

    Chris reached his free hand towards the fire-door handle, the eight other agents still behind him as they spread down the stairs, the fire alarm echoing in the concrete stairwell. The perp, the Dreamer, had to be on this floor or the next; they¡¯d searched all the others. The fingers of his other hand tightened around the grip of his EMPistol, palm slick from the search, and the seven-floors¡¯ worth of stairs they¡¯d climbed.


    He was seriously getting too old for this.


    ¡°Chris,¡± a voice loudly whispered from below him while his hand closed around the cool metal of the door handle, the light above strobing in time with the alarm.


    ¡°What?¡± he hissed back. Or, was that a wheeze? Retirement or cardio, he was going to need to give at least one of them serious thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing any pants,¡± the whisperer replied.


    Chris allowed himself to blink once, twice, then slowly pivoted his eyes down from the where he was going to open the door to his legs. Pineapple-printed boxers, grey-haired legs with a slight sheen of sweat and the echo of muscle, sky-blue socks, and his brogue leather shoes looked back up at him. His pants were noticeably absent.


    Pushing his sigh back down before it escaped, Chris glanced back at the other agents arrayed down the stairs behind him.


    Jake, his young partner, leaned against the wall, hands on his head, a silent whistle on his lips, and gave Chris a wink. Jake still had pants. Of course, he did. Of the other seven, only the Skeptic, Miranda, still had something covering her legs.


    Six elite agents, the best of the best, seven if Chris included himself, stood half-naked on the stairs.


    ¡°So, this is one of those dreams,¡± Chris said and gently shook his head.


    ¡°Damnit Winston,¡± one of the agents halfway down said. ¡°You know the rules. No going commando on workdays!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do my best work when I¡¯m feeling¡­restricted,¡± Winston replied, the smirk clear in the tone of his voice.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Chris said. ¡°Winston, you and me, we¡¯re going to review policy when we get back to the office. But, before that, we¡¯ve still got a Dreamer to wake, so let¡¯s have some focus.¡±


    ¡°How can I focus with that thing swinging like a pendulum in front of me?¡± the agent behind Winston, Rodriguez, asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous,¡± Winston said.


    ¡°Winston,¡± Chris hissed, his fingers tightening around the door handle.


    ¡°Sorry, boss, but if it¡¯s just one of the ¡®I-forgot-to-wear-pants¡¯ dreams, what¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s barely Class-C, maybe even Class-D. Other than a bit of a draft, nothing dangerous to worry about,¡± Winston replied.


    The pit in the bottom of Chris¡¯s stomach disagreed, and his eyes went to Jake¡¯s face.


    Jake gave the tiniest shake of his head, the metal collar around his throat peeking above his trench-coat at the motion.


    ¡°Until we know for sure¡­¡± Chris started in reply, but a sound on the other side of the fire-door dragged his attention away from Winston. What was that? A tap-tap-tap along with a kind of wheezing breath? Did somebody other than Chris need to start cardio?


    He glanced back at the other agents, mouthed ¡®quiet¡¯, and turned his full attention back to the door. Carefully and slowly, he turned the fire handle and gently cracked the heavy door inward, peeking through the narrow opening into the hallway beyond.


    What was¡­?


    Halfway down the hall he found the source of the sound, and ever so softly, Chris closed the door again.


    Shit.


    ¡°What is it, Chris?¡± Rodriguez whispered.


    ¡°Raptor,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°A basketball player? That¡¯s not so bad¡­¡±


    ¡°Velociraptor,¡± Chris clarified.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Rodriguez almost choked the word out.


    ¡°Dinosaur week on Nat-G,¡± Jake answered in reply. ¡°Somebody must¡¯ve fallen asleep while watching it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m still not wearing pants,¡± Winston said. Was there pride in his voice?


    ¡°Means we¡¯re dealing with two separate Dreamers,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°Two? What¡¯re the odds of two people sleeping through the alarm like this?¡± Rodriguez asked.


    ¡°Chris, do you want me to¡­?¡± Jake asked, but Chris immediately shook his head without looking at the watch-interface on his left wrist.


    ¡°I only saw the one raptor,¡± Chris said. ¡°We can handle this without you getting involved.¡±


    ¡°Okay, plan?¡± Jake asked, hands still on top of his curly mop of hair.


    ¡°Miranda, what¡¯s your rating?¡± Chris asked the only woman still wearing pants.


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    ¡°I¡¯ve been cleared for up to Class-C. I might be able to handle a low Class-B, but¡­¡± she answered.


    Chris cracked the door and checked on the raptor again. It looked pretty solid. No blurred lines, the flashing red lights reflecting off its scales, and its claws audibly tapping on the tile floor with each step. No way that thing was Class-D. Minimum Class-C, maybe higher. He gently let the door close again.


    Should he just get Jake to handle it? Chris¡¯s eyes went to the metal collar hidden behind Jake¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°Miranda, I want you out front. If it¡¯s as fast as I think it might be, you¡¯ll need to slow it down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± she replied and climbed the stairs beside him. Her eyes drilled into the door, like she could see through it, and her lips nearly vanished as she clenched her jaw.


    ¡°You can do this,¡± Chris said. ¡°Remember your training.¡±


    Her eyes flicked to him, then back to the door, and she gave a brief nod.


    How long had she been with the unit? Chris ransacked his brain, but he couldn¡¯t find the answer to the question. It couldn¡¯t have been long though.


    ¡°Winston, Rodriguez, you¡¯re with me right behind her,¡± Chris said, and the two men joined him. ¡°Jake, on my signal, open the door and clear the way.¡±


    ¡°I can do more than just opening the door,¡± Jake said, but took up position.


    ¡°You can do what you¡¯re told,¡± Rodriguez snapped before Chris could reply, all traces of the earlier comradery absent from his voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this one,¡± Chris said more gently, and Jake just nodded. This wasn¡¯t the first time agents in the unit had treated Jake like a second-class citizen, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last, but Jake brushed it off in a heartbeat. ¡°When Jake opens the door, Winston, you¡¯ve got the left and Rodriguez the right. I¡¯ll take straight down the middle.


    ¡°If this thing is Class-B, we¡¯ll need to hit it at least once before it gets to us to weaken it enough for Miranda to handle. More is better,¡± Chris said, and lifted his EMPistol in both hands to take aim just over Miranda¡¯s shoulder.


    He waited for the two agents beside him to mirror his stance, then glanced at Jake. The kid understood without a signal, and silently mouthed ¡®Three, two, one¡¯ and swung the door inward.


    Miranda strode out, raising her hands as she went like they would be enough to ward off the lizard whose head snapped in her direction. Its jaws spread wide to display its knife-like teeth, and it lunged down the hall towards the small woman, claws tearing gouges in the tile floor.


    Pull.


    Chris squeezed the trigger as he stepped out behind her, the golf-ball-sized barrel humming and spitting out a comet of condensed electromagnetic energy. The raptor barely shrugged, its head ducking under the bolt of energy, then leapt forward, shifting its weight to lead with its horrific claws.


    Two more bolts sizzled from Chris¡¯s left and right, Rodriguez and Winston joining him in the hall, and he squeezed the trigger a second time. Pull.


    Like his first shot, the bolt on the left sailed past, eliciting a curse from Winston, but Rodriguez¡¯s shot and Chris¡¯s second found their mark, slamming into the chest of the sailing raptor.


    EMP shots didn¡¯t carry any mass though, and while the chest of the dinosaur wavered and blurred, the creature still careened towards them as sure as a runaway train.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a dream,¡± Miranda, to her credit, whispered as claws as long as her hands reached for her face before colliding with an invisible wall at the extent of her outstretched hands. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream,¡± she said again, beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face.


    The raptor bounced off the wall of Miranda¡¯s disbelief, its claws blurry and insubstantial from the brief contact with the Skeptic¡¯s power, but quickly rolled to its feet.


    ¡°Hit it!¡± Chris commanded. Miranda was shaken, her disbelief wavering from the brief contact with the figment, and a second confrontation might be too much for her.


    Winston and Rodriguez stepped up beside Miranda, EMP bolts flying as fast as they could pull their triggers. Miniature comet after miniature comet struck the raptor, staggering it back as the dream substance that made up its body withered and faded under the assault.


    ¡°Reloading,¡± Winston said, the clip dropping out of the handle of his gun, and Chris stepped up to take his place, hitting the raptor with a steady stream of EMP blasts.


    This thing was definitely Class-B to take this many shots without completely dissipating.


    ¡°Nova, incoming!¡± a voice shouted from behind Chris, and he turned his head to the side just as a grapefruit-sized, metal ball lobbed over his shoulder.


    A bright flash turned the world white, and when Chris looked ahead again, only a few grains of the sandy substance that made up figments left in the raptor¡¯s place. In seconds, even that was gone.


    He still didn¡¯t have pants though.


    ¡°Good job, Deshaun,¡± Chris said, glancing at the spent EMP grenade on the ground. ¡°How many more of those do we have? The pistols aren¡¯t enough if we run into another raptor.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think we¡¯d run into another?¡± Winston asked, reloading his EMPistol.


    ¡°They always work in packs in the movies,¡± Jake offered. ¡°And, if this was one of those, the rest of the pack would be right behind¡­¡±


    He cut off as one of the apartment doors, 701, cracked open, and seven EMPistols spun to point at the opening.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, don¡¯t shoot,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said, its owner cowering with her long, black hair hanging down in front of her face, and her hands up. ¡°Is it safe? Is it gone?¡± she asked, dark eyes peering out from behind the thick strands of hair.


    ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± Winston asked, his gun unmoved.


    ¡°Winston, lower your weapon. And, Jesus man, cover up,¡± Chris ordered, then turned his attention to the woman. ¡°You didn¡¯t get out when the alarm went off?¡±


    ¡°I tried,¡± she said, creeping out of her apartment and looking down at the deep gouges the raptor had torn out of the floor. ¡°But, as soon as I opened the door, I saw those¡­those things there. Are they gone?¡±


    ¡°They?¡± Chris asked and raised his EMPistol down the now empty hall towards where it turned out of sight to the right.


    As if in answer, the retort of EMPistols firing in quick succession along with their telltale flashes echoed from around the corner.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear behind us,¡± Chris said and pointed towards the fire-stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t stop until you¡¯re outside the building,¡± he finished, then dashed down the hall.


    ¡°Nova!¡± a voice shouted, and it was all the warning Chris had before bright white stained the wall ahead of him. He blinked back tears to banish the white spots, then crept to the corner of the hall, weapon at the ready, and peeked around.


    ¡°What the hell took you so long?¡± a man¡¯s voice said.


    ¡°Agent Percy,¡± Chris said, barely supressing the disgust in his voice. Why did it have to be Percy? ¡°Guessing you just dealt with the other velociraptor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Percy said, and reached out his free hand to grab one of the other agents around the back of her neck. The small woman flinched at his touch, but didn¡¯t pull away, her eyes down. ¡°No thanks to you, Dog. What the hell were you even doing? Hoping I¡¯d get offed so you could run off?¡±


    Percy shook the woman with every word, her scruff of tangled hair shaking in front of her face, while the other seven agents simply watched.


    ¡°Percy, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Chris started.


    ¡°Mind your own damn business, Hero,¡± Percy said, the last word coming out like some kind of curse. ¡°You take care of your Waking Dreamer however you want, but this one is my tool,¡± he said, and threw the woman forward. She fell to her knees in front of him, but looked back up with the briefest look of unabashed hatred in her eyes.


    ¡°Stupid bitch,¡± Percy said and jerked his gun back like he was going to pistol whip her with it.


    ¡°Agent¡­!¡± Chris shouted, but cut off while everybody else froze, a school of shimmering fish swimming out of the wall, across the hall, and into the other wall to vanish without a trace.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± one of the agents behind Percy asked.


    ¡°A third Dreamer,¡± Chris said.

 Bonus Content (Not SoW) - Leaky Dreams - Chapter 2 – Wake Up, or Else

    ¡°What do you mean, a third Dreamer?¡± Agent Percy asked.


    Chris pointed at his bare legs. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fashion choice. One,¡± he said, holding up a single finger. ¡°The raptors? Two,¡± he said, and added a second finger. ¡°Now fish? That¡¯s three very distinct and separate dreams,¡± he explained, his third finger joining the other two.


    Percy scowled at the woman in front of him, but lowered his hand without striking her, while Chris¡¯s team joined him at the intersection of hallways. ¡°You¡¯re saying we have three Dreamers in one building, in one night?¡±


    ¡°Looks that way,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°Uh¡­boss?¡± Winston said from behind him.


    ¡°What is it, Winston?¡± Chris asked without turning away from Percy. If the man so much as twitched towards his Waking Dreamer, policy be damned, Chris would¡­


    ¡°You need to take a look at this. Now,¡± Winston said, clear urgency in his voice.


    Chris ground his teeth, one last glare at Percy, then spun to see what had gotten Winston¡¯s attention. The agent, bare ass and all, stood looking out the window at the corner of the building.


    Outside?


    ¡°Did the fish get out?¡± Chris asked, and joined the junior agent.


    ¡°Way worse,¡± Winston said and pointed.


    The man needn¡¯t have bothered. It was pretty obvious what he was looking at.


    ¡°Tyrannosaurus Rex,¡± Jake said beside Chris. ¡°Though, I don¡¯t think they actually got that big.¡±


    As if hearing him, the massive lizard, easily five stories tall, turned in their direction and roared, rattling the glass in front of them. It took a step, flattening a half-tonne beneath its three-toed foot, and swung its tail, lamp posts snapping like twigs.


    ¡°Chris?¡± Jake asked.


    Chris shook his head again. Sure, Jake could handle that, but what would the collateral damage be?


    ¡°Fastest way to stop that is to find the Dreamers,¡± Chris said. ¡°Double time! Kick in the doors if you have to. And watch out for any more raptors.¡±


    Chris¡¯s team spread down the hall where they¡¯d come from, following his instructions and bashing their way into the apartments where needed. Procedure during manifestation events was to leave doors unlocked for the containment teams to get in and do their jobs. Pity that most people ignored that.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Percy said to his team, his eyes going back to the woman still kneeling on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there!¡± he shouted at her, and moved a finger to the watch on his left wrist.


    The woman braced herself, but got to her feet.


    ¡°See, Hero, it took a while to break this one in, but she¡¯s getting it now. Just like a good dog should,¡± Percy said, a sadistic smile spreading across his face. ¡°Though, not quite fast enough,¡± he said, his finger sliding ever so slightly on the interface of his smart watch.


    The woman tensed as the metal collar around her neck released a taser-like charge, seizing her muscles and snapping her jaw shut. ¡°That¡¯s for making me wait, Dog,¡± Percy said, one long second stretching into two, three, four, as the woman¡¯s body shook.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Chris said. Simple human compassion wouldn¡¯t work on Percy. No point even trying. Another crash from outside, followed by a titanic roar emphasized his point.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± Percy said to the woman, and slid his fingers back down on the watch, cutting off the flow of electricity emanating from the woman¡¯s collar. ¡°We¡¯ll pick this back up later,¡± he said with a wink.


    ¡°Found one!¡± Rodriguez¡¯s voice shouted from one of the open apartments behind Chris, and he turned away from Percy before he walked over and punched the man.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, wake them up,¡± Chris shouted back to Rodriguez as he got to the door leading into the apartment. Frame was still intact, which meant the door had been unlocked. Did somebody actually leave their door open like they were supposed to when the fire alarm went off? But, if that was the case, why would they leave somebody sleeping inside?


    Chris left the question for later and strode into the apartment, Jake on his heels, while the others continued the search for the other two Dreamers. A short entryway, a kitchen on his right, and a living room straight ahead where Rodriguez stood.


    ¡°Shaking didn¡¯t work,¡± Rodriguez said.


    If the blaring fire alarm didn¡¯t wake the person up, it made sense a shake might not work either. ¡°Drugs?¡± Chris asked, then doubled back to the kitchen.


    ¡°None I can see,¡± Rodriguez answered while Chris opened the cupboards until he found the glasses. He filled one with cold water then joined the other agent in the living room.


    ¡°Where¡¯d Jake go?¡± Chris asked.


    Rodriguez make a face then thumbed towards another hallway leading off the living room.


    Hrm. What was the kid looking for?


    Chris shrugged to himself then turned his attention to the man sleeping on the couch. Couldn¡¯t be more than his early-twenties, and the spread books and notes on the coffee table suggested he was a university student. The empty tequila bottle explained why he was sleeping on the couch.


    ¡°Late night studying?¡± Chris asked Rodriguez, who gave a half-hearted nod. ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Chris muttered to the sleeper, then threw the glass of water on the man¡¯s face.


    He didn¡¯t even twitch.


    ¡°That¡­usually works¡­¡± Chris said, then leaned forward and pried open one of the sleeper¡¯s eyelids. The eye behind twitched and rolled so fast it almost looked like a slot machine. Chris checked the other eye. Same thing.


    ¡°Still deep in REM sleep,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°Found the other Dreamers,¡± Jake said from the hallway off the living room. ¡°There are three more in the bedrooms down here.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Three more? You¡¯re saying there are four Dreamers? In one apartment?¡± Chris asked. That couldn¡¯t be possible. One Dreamer was the usual. Having two in one apartment building was already unbelievable. Three seemed impossible. But to have four in one apartment? What the hell?


    ¡°Yup,¡± Jake answered, his usual wistful smile noticeably absent. ¡°Can¡¯t wake them, either.¡±


    ¡°What did you try?¡± Chris asked.


    ¡°The usual,¡± Jake said. ¡°Nothing worked.¡±


    ¡°All in REM?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Did I hear D-3059 right?¡± Percy said, coming into the apartment.


    ¡°Jake has a name,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°It does. D-3059. Did either of you think to check it wasn¡¯t lying to you?¡± Percy continued, then turned down the hall Jake had come from.


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Chris said to Jake, his mind trying to balance the shock of there being four Dreamers they couldn¡¯t wake up against his natural disgust at Percy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Percy has a point,¡± Rodriguez said without looking away from the Dreamer. ¡°If Bill WD-56 passes, they won¡¯t even be considered people anymore.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t pass,¡± Chris said. ¡°How can anybody vote to make Waking Dreamers things in the eyes of the law? It¡¯s bringing back slavery.¡±


    Rodriguez half-turned from the Dreamer to eye Jake. ¡°They are too dangerous. That¡¯s why we collar them. Can¡¯t trust them.¡±


    ¡°Enough, okay?¡± Chris said. ¡°Focus on figuring out a way to wake this guy up so we can stop that T-Rex outside.¡±


    ¡°What if we can¡¯t?¡± Rodriguez asked. ¡°What if we have to¡­¡±


    BANG BANG


    Gunshots echoed from down the hall, and Chris barely had time to turn before BANG BANG, two more rang out.


    Away went his EMPistol in a practiced motion, and out came his 9mm. Looters?


    ¡°Agent Percy?¡± Chris called, leveling his weapon and stalking towards the hallway.


    ¡°Will just be a minute,¡± Percy called out and crossed the hallway ahead of Chris from one room to the other.


    BANG BANG


    ¡­he didn¡¯t¡­


    Percy came out of the room he¡¯d just entered and raised an eyebrow at Chris¡¯s gun pointed in his direction. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be using that for something else?¡± Percy asked.


    ¡°Did you¡­?¡± Chris started.


    ¡°Invoke clause 22.1? Yes, I did,¡± Percy answered. ¡°And I¡¯m about to go invoke it one more time,¡± he continued, gesturing over Chris¡¯s shoulder to the Dreamer on the couch.


    ¡°We could¡¯ve figured something else out,¡± Chris said, but lowered his weapon. ¡°22.1 is supposed to be a last resort. There are other things we could¡¯ve tried.¡±


    ¡°You saw what was outside. It might still be there. When did you go soft, Hero? Weren¡¯t you the first one who invoked 22.1? Or, did you make up all that Nightscape stuff to get a medal pinned on your chest?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the same,¡± Chris argued. But, wasn¡¯t it? That dinosaur outside proved the dream figments had escaped the confines of the building. A few ¡®Cepts around, and the whole thing could blow out of proportion. Still, to kill the Dreamers without really trying to wake them¡­


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to do your job, I will,¡± Percy said, and shouldered his way past Chris to join Rodriguez beside the couch.


    ¡°We can¡­¡± Chris started.


    BANG BANG


    Percy put two rounds in the Dreamer¡¯s head without missing a beat, blood and bits of skull exploding out to splatter across the wall.


    The weight of their job settled on Chris¡¯s shoulders, and he holstered his 9mm. Clause 22.1, the right to kill a Dreamer when all other recourse to wake them had failed. How often had it been used since he¡¯d been forced to all those years ago? Barely a handful of times, and here they were, four times in one apartment.


    His eyes lifted and met Percy¡¯s, a sadistic glee dancing there. The same glee he¡¯d shown when activating the collar on his Waking Dreamer.


    Chris shook his head and turned towards the door. They still needed to check the rest of the apartments to make sure there wasn¡¯t a fifth Dreamer somewhere in the building.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Winston asked from the just out in the hall. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We found the¡­¡± Chris started.


    ¡°You got a problem with what I did?¡± Percy¡¯s shout came from behind Chris. ¡°You think you can judge me?¡±


    Chris turned as Percy stalked across the room and put the barrel of his gun against Jake¡¯s forehead, the kid¡¯s eyes narrowed at the other agent.


    ¡°There are better ways you could¡¯ve done that. Ways that would¡¯ve let his family see him at the funeral,¡± Jake said, his voice dangerously low.


    ¡°Better ways?¡± Percy asked, pressing the recently-fired barrel so that it sizzled against the skin of Jake¡¯s forehead. ¡°Let me tell you something, D-3059, the best way to deal with a Dreamer, any Dreamer, is two to the head,¡± Percy said, and leaned in close so that his nose was almost touching Jake¡¯s beneath the gun.


    ¡°Agent Percy,¡± Chris barked, but moved slowly. Even with Rodriguez in the room, it would be his word against Percy¡¯s if the volatile agent decided to pull the trigger.


    ¡°Remember, two to the head,¡± Percy told Jake. ¡°Bang, bang.¡± Then he stepped back and smiled. ¡°Any Dreamer.¡±


    Turning, Percy looked right at Chris. ¡°Keep your dog on his leash, or somebody will have to put him down,¡± he said, then sauntered towards the door.


    Chris took a breath to calm his nerves. If that had¡­wait, he flared his nostrils, sucking in the air. The scent of salt water? His head snapped in Jake¡¯s direction, at the kid¡¯s glazed over eyes, and more importantly, at the bubbles trailing his fingers, like he was dragging them along the surface of the ocean.


    Shit. Shit. Shit.


    Chris¡¯s hand snapped to his wrist, and the touchpad for the uppers. Please be in time. He flicked the switch, and it wasn¡¯t his imagination when he heard the slight pop of the needle in Jake¡¯s collar puncturing the kid¡¯s skin. One heartbeat, then two, and Jake¡¯s eyes widened, the pupils dilating, and full wakefulness returned.


    But the smell of the salt water hadn¡¯t completely faded, and Chris took two steps over to the window and swung it open. The cool night air flowed over him just as Percy called from the doorway.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± Percy asked, his gun still in his hand.


    ¡°I was feeling a little claustrophobic,¡± Chris said, one eye on Rodriguez to gauge if the other man had noticed. When he didn¡¯t say anything about it, Chris turned his attention back to Percy.


    ¡°Whatever, Hero, just be careful not to fall out. It would be such a shame if the force lost one of its¡­veterans,¡± Percy said, finally disappearing into the hallway.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Winston asked from the door, his head swiveling between Percy and Chris.


    ¡°Finish the circuit of the building. This floor and the one above. You have pants again, thank God, but that doesn¡¯t mean there might not be another Dreamer. Be thorough,¡± Chris ordered, his shoulders heavy.


    ¡°Yessir,¡± Winston said. ¡°Do you need¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, go,¡± Chris answered sharply, then immediately shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be along in a minute,¡± he continued more gently. It wasn¡¯t Winston he was angry with. No reason to take it out on him.


    Winston nodded and vanished into the hallway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you protect him like you do,¡± Rodriguez said, his voice just loud enough for Chris to hear, but his eyes were on Jake. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous. If you hadn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°How many times has he saved our lives? Your life?¡± Chris asked.


    Rodriguez finally turned and met Chris¡¯s eyes. ¡°And that¡¯s the only reason I didn¡¯t say something. But, let me be straight with you. If you hadn¡¯t stopped him, I would have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Rodriguez. Is there anything else you wanted to say, or are you ready for new orders?¡± Chris asked, the tone of his voice flat despite the emotions roiling in his gut. When there wasn¡¯t a response, Chris went on. ¡°Check on Miranda. That raptor was out of her weight class, and I don¡¯t want her losing her edge because of it. Take her right out of the building if you have any reservations about her ability to handle another figment today.¡±


    ¡°You think she might lose her abilities as a Skeptic?¡± Rodriguez asked.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be the first,¡± Chris said. ¡°Her powers literally come from her disbelief in dreams. But, a few run-ins with dreams that almost rip your throat out can really turn you into a believer. I¡¯ll expect your observations in the morning.¡±


    Rodriguez looked from Chris to Jake, then back to Chris like he might add something after all. ¡°Understood,¡± he said instead, and quick-stepped out of the room.


    ¡°You okay, kid?¡± Chris asked Jake when Rodriguez was gone.


    Jake gently touched his forehead where the gun barrel had burned a circle, but finally nodded. ¡°I think so. Sorry, and¡­thank you. Rodriguez is right. I almost did something¡­¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Chris interrupted quickly. ¡°Almost. But you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Only because you stopped me. I was ready to pull Percy into the deepest, darkest place I could,¡± Jake said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought me back¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your Tether,¡± Chris said. ¡°That¡¯s my job.¡±


    Jake nodded stiffly. It wasn¡¯t that simple, not for either of them, but they wouldn¡¯t say any more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, kid,¡± Chris finally said as the awkward seconds of silence stretched. ¡°We still need to clear the rest of the building, call this in, and figure out what the hell just happened.¡±