The Drakmundi were waiting for them as soon as the first wave of the armada came out of their jump. A flood of serpent drones were firing on them the moment they could identify targets, and the armada responded in kind. They had jumped in at such an angle that they could see their main target: the Drakmundi portal.
The first wave, composed entirely of Griffonian ships, sent out their fighters to meet the drones, with Talon Squad’s shuttle and the Dirk on their heels. Drixen did a barrel roll, strafing the enemy with fire from his foreguns as he went. His fellow pilots cheered him on as they began flying circles around the drones. They were vastly outnumbered, but within a few minutes nearly every Griffonian pilot had claimed at least one drone.
The second wave was moments behind the first, arriving a few hundred miles away, starting to box in the enemy. This wave contained the Wabuluban ships, and their fish-like fighters zipped into the battle, relieving Drixen’s fighters and giving them a chance to go after the war trains gathered around the portal.
The rest of the fleet focused their smaller weapons on eliminating drones while their larger weapons hammered the war trains’ shields. Falling into a pattern of rotating in and out of battle, they were able to keep the enemy from swarming them while keeping their shields rested.
“What is that!?” cried Admiral Trich, indicating a miles-long disturbance on the scopes.
“Likely more war trains, sir,” said his communications officer.
“It’s too dense for that,” said Trich uncertainly.
Trich sifted through her console for the long-range visual scopes and focused on the disturbance. A serpent-like form wound its way through the aether, having emerged from the tilted horizon of Griffonia some time ago.
“An aether beast!?” cried the communications officer.
“No, no I don’t think so,” said Trich. “I believe it’s a ship.”
***
Farbin wound his way through the aether, ready to devour the enemy. He had noted that a detachment of their ships had made their way to the surface, so he accelerated his plans to crack the underground resistance as well, sending scores of beast soldiers and infantry in bunker-buster infiltrator pods. The rest of the enemy appeared to be focused on attacking the maw, and he would gladly meet them there.
World Serpent Farbin, this is Councilor Hagan, I demand an update.
Councilor, answered Farbin. The battle has commenced. I am on my way to intercept the enemy on their way to the maw.
It has been long since a society has been able to challenge us, Farbin, warned Hagan. Grefli was duly punished for his failure. You would be as well.
I understand, Councilor, replied Farbin. I will not fail.
***
Reclan followed behind Drixen’s squad as they pushed through the enemy to get to the surface. Fighting was fierce, and a number of the escorting fighters went down as the Drakmundi drones overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. She fired the shuttle’s meager weapons when she had the opportunity, but it felt like throwing a glass of water at a raging inferno.
The Dirk, on the other hand, wove in and out of the drone formations, blasting apart anything that fell into their crosshairs. Shortly after they had entered Griffonia’s atmosphere, three Marines in full mechanized armor leapt out and buzzed around like self-contained fighter craft, using swords and guns to tear through enemies with almost the same efficiency as Drixen’s squadrons.
Reclan watched in horror as massive infiltrator craft fell from the sky, slamming into the city below.
“Do you think those are headed for our people below ground?” asked Vanbrook.
“More than likely,” said Raivyn, voice heavy with apprehension.
“Undercity, this is Talon Squad,” said Reclan over the comms. “Look out above, we think the Drakmundi may be trying to crack through to your position.”
“Understood, Talon Squad,” replied the Undercity’s comms officer. “Glad to see you all heading our way. We’re looking forward to joining you in the fight.”
The fight continued, but the drones were thinning out as they approached the surface. Checking her readouts, Reclan saw that the drones were focused on defending the war trains above, as well as whatever the monstrous creature was that had flown into the battle.
“We’re getting close,” said Drixen at length. “Looks like they’re sending a greeting party to meet us from a staging area they’ve set up in the area of the Depot. Sorry, folks, we’re going to have to bomb our own house to drive off the Drakmundi. Brace for incoming.”
A group of Drakmundi infantry in heavy armor and jetpacks rose to meet them, their armor glinting in the morning sun. They shot gouts of flame from their foreheads and fired bolts of energy from their staff-like guns, momentarily scattering the fighters with their opening salvo. The Marines, however, swooped in and attacked head-on, their heavy guns tearing through the enemy to great effect. The fighters banked and got a favorable angle on the flying Drakmundi, quickly thinning their numbers.
“Cowgirl, get ready for the first bombing run,” said Drixen. “All bombers, follow Cowgirl. Squad One, we’re with the bombers. Squads Two and Three, focus on keeping the skies clear.”
“Talon Squad, that’s our cue,” said the captain of the Dirk. “We’re going to break off here and head for the northern end of the city, where the Drakmundi presence appears to be the lightest. We’ll fight our way towards the Keep and rendezvous with the folks in the Undercity there.”
“You got it,” said Reclan. “We’ll follow your lead.”
***
High above, the armada was making headway against the war trains, their fighters buzzing in and out of the shields and systematically destroying them. The third wave, which included the Astralbians, the FRF, and the Drihn, had arrived as well, adding to the ever-rotating armada of carriers and destroyers that pounded the Drakmundi forces with everything they had. Trich was happy to see how well things were going, but terrified of the miles-long serpent that had closed in on them and began to attack with the firepower of a dozen war trains.
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“Maul, I need you to take three additional gunships and make an attack run on that gate, before that serpentine station arrives,” said Trich.
“Yes, sir,” said the Maul’s captain.
“All fighters, protect the Maul and its companions as they approach the gate,” added Trich.
“The Amalgam is well suited to the task, Admiral,” said Crush over the comms. “With your leave, I’ll join them.”
“Please do, Admiral Crush,” said Trich gratefully.
The Maul and the Amalgam took off, leaving the relative safety of the armada with three other gunships to slip past the badly-damaged war trains and distracted drones to get clear, close-range attacks against the gate, which was still spewing wave after wave of drones into the battle space. The giant serpent focused all of its fire on the ships, and soon the war trains were all doing the same.
“Commanders,” said Trich. “Send some of your fighter squads and bombers to distract the- the giant serpent.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Twig, the commander of the Red Shield’s fighter squadrons.
Trich watched as the fighters peeled off and joined the gunships, and grimaced as waves of drones followed after them.
***
Clayside, Talon Squad was marching through the city with the Marines. Having established a landing zone in the north, they called down an Army troop ship, which would be arriving with Captain Fenrik, Kwa-Kwa and her scouts, and a battalion of soldiers to start the proper retaking of the city.
For now, Vanbrook was spearheading the group of nine warriors that worked their way slowly through the city. Seeing Kerucester for the first time since the invasion, Vanbrook’s heart sank to his stomach. It was empty, and the bombing of the northern hills had left several blocks flattened and most windows broken. It was clear that fires, caused by fighting or simply by failures of unsupervised appliances, had broken out in many places as well. Bodies, mostly reduced to skeletons, lined the streets. Vanbrook tried not to look too hard at the last item. He was no stranger to violence, but the Drakmundi had indiscriminately killed everyone they could reach. Tears welled up in his eyes. He’d taken the whole invasion far too lightly. He was so used to fighting on frontiers that he’d lost sight of what it meant to see war come home.
When they encountered their first enemies, an isolated group of light infantry, he channeled his rage through the barrel of his revolver, ending the first of them before he’d been sighted. The rest turned on his position suddenly, and he threw up his shield to block a long-ranged gout of flame.
The rest of Talon Squad and the Marines joined in the attack, firing a hail of ballistic and energy fire at the enemy. The light infantry were not nearly as tough and battle-ready as the beast soldiers, and they soon all lay still in puddles of purple blood.
“Looks like most of the soldiers are convening on the Keep,” said Hrup-Ka, the Marine’s captain. “Here’s hoping the small army in the Undercity manages to meet us halfway, or this little run is going to end badly.”
“We’ve got back up coming,” said Reclan. “Just got word that Fenrik’s people are landing in the next couple of minutes. With no one to stop them behind us, they’ll catch up quick.”
“Well, let’s hope the Undercity is fighting-fit either way,” said Raivyn. “We didn’t come here to liberate a tomb.”
***
Down in the Undercity, Darvik was with Glynn, helping to move the civilians down to the lowest levels, furthest from the Keep and closest to the northern exits. The caves to the north had been carefully dug out, and the people were prepared to run into the wilds if the Undercity was breached.
“All combat personnel, report to the Underkeep immediately! All civilians, remain where you have been placed unless ordered otherwise!” The announcement wasn’t unexpected, but it did make Darvik’s stomach turn.
“That means me,” he said, looking at Glynn with an unfamiliar feeling wrenching his guts.
“Yes, it does,” she said. She stepped right up to him and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. “Come back to me. I've… gotten used to having you around.”
Despite his best efforts, a grin split his face from ear to ear. “I will.”
He'd rarely felt so torn. Half of him was burning with a zealous desire to tear the Drakmundi apart with his bare hands, the other half demanded that he stay right here, in the one moment he'd had in years that wasn't drenched in booze, horror, or sorrow. With one last lingering look, he turned and sped towards the Keep.
***
Having torn through the minimal resistance offered by the Drakmundi on the north side of town, Talon Squad and the Marines reached the Keep quickly. The building was swarming with beast soldiers, and it was clear the fighting would be tougher from here on in. They crept up the fire escape of a building near the Keep that gave them a good view of the front entrance. The main blast door was broken in, and craters lined the streets where the infiltrator ships had hit.
“Give me a moment to puppeteer one of the beast soldiers,” said Raivyn. “Then light ‘em up.”
She stood for a long moment, concentrating, and then one of the beast soldiers jerked suddenly and stalked towards one of its comrades, slashing its throat without warning.
The Marines charged in, jetpacks and weapons spitting fire. Talon Squad stood by Raivyn, firing into the crowd of beast soldiers and infantry.
One of the Marines was ripped to the ground after a beast managed to grab their leg. They were swarmed by enemies and did not get back up again.
Raivyn puppeteered her beast soldier towards a group of Drakmundi infantry who had taken cover behind a low stone wall opposite Talon Squad and started firing on their position. The beast soldier nimbly leapt the wall and chaos ensued.
“Talon Squad, this is Captain Grepk,” said a voice over Reclan's comms. “The beast soldiers have infiltrated the Undercity. Where are you?”
“Just outside the Keep,” answered Reclan. “We're on our way.”
Talon Squad clamored down from their perch and pushed in towards the Keep, but a horde of beast soldiers kept them at bay.
Suddenly, a growing sound came to them through the buildings behind them - the roaring, stomping sound of an army hurtling through the streets. The Griffonian Army burst out of every nook and cranny, focusing their fire on the beasts below. Kwa-Kwa and her scouts popped up on seemingly impossible buildings and ledges, firing powerful long-range rifles into the enemy.
“The cavalry has arrived!” said Reclan over the comms.
“You don’t know the half of it,” said Kwa-Kwa, pointing up into the sky.
A roar rumbled out over the battle, causing many to pause and look up. Those who did saw a great, silver-blue beast with a feathered mane framing its lion-like face, feathery wings, and wicked claws outstretched, back to the sun. It came to a near standstill and then turned down towards the gathered enemies in a dizzying divebomb. Vanbrook’s face broke out into a wide grin when he saw the gray and grizzled old man sitting on the griffon’s back, cradling a long double-barrelled shotgun. When Ol’ Blue had nearly hit the ground, Jasken fired off both barrels, warding off a beast soldier and sending it reeling back into the crowd. Blue picked up a beast in each clawed forefoot, tossing them across the cityscape to crash into the pavement blocks away.
“Woohoo!” cried Vanbrook over comms. “Good to see you, Admiral!”
“That’s Jasken to you, sailor,” growled Jasken. “And let’s wrap this up, I’m supposed to be retired!”
“Yes, sir, Jasken!” replied Vanbrook.
“See you at the victory feast, Ad- Jasken,” said Reclan.
“Is food all you ever think about?” asked Jasken as he reloaded and maneuvered Ol’ Blue around for another attack.
Talon Squad broke into a run, grinning as they rushed the Keep.
***
Hua continued to follow Meristem down into the clay of Cradle. Soon the earth started to close behind them, and the air went from cool, to stuffy, to uncomfortably hot. Meristem stopped after a little while, sitting down and holding his head. After a moment he stood up and continued walking, but more softly this time, one of his hands massaging his head. He stopped suddenly.
“WHO’S THERE?” the stone giant asked, turning. His eyes burned with anger when they sat on Hua. “YOU HAVE SEALED YOUR OWN FATE! THE ELDER’S FEARS ARE REALIZED. I HAVE SENSED A BEAST, ALREADY MY HEAD ACHES. I DARE NOT RETURN YOU TO THE SURFACE, FOR IF I GO TO THE SURFACE, MORE WILL BE IN MY PATH. TURN AROUND, AND DIG FOR THE SURFACE WHILE I GO ON. LET US PRAY THE MADNESS DOES NOT TAKE ME UNTIL WE HAVE PARTED WAYS.”
Trembling with fear, Hua turned without speaking and clawed for the surface. For some time Meristem descended at a hurried pace, and soon Hua could not hear him. He rested for a moment, and heard a rumbling behind him. A dull red glow appeared in the depths, and soon two burning red eyes could be seen as Meristem charged up the tunnel.
“TRA’LIK KAH! TRA’LIK KAH! TRA’LIK KAH!”