She fixed Alexa with a tired look. "I hope you have a plan." 

"All evacuate the cargo department and hurry downstairs. Gunners, stay where you are." Alexa said over the intercom. 

One by one the squad slid down the ladder, stepping aside quickly for the next to slide down. In seconds, the entire squad sat down next to them. 

Alexa nodded at Velislava, "Do it!" 

Velis closed her eyes, her hands forming symbols in the air that Alexa did not recognize. The tempest of debris raged around them. Stones, sticks and rubble soared by, flashing their shadows on the crew around them. Miraculously, they stopped or changed direction centimeters from the carrier. A loud howling filled Alexa's ears till she thought she couldn't bear anymore. She would never hear again, her eyes must be bleeding by now. Then, silence save for the heavy panting of Velislava whose face was set with determination. The top of her shirt drenched in sweat, her hands trembled and her cheeks blushed with red. 

The carrier buzzed low above the roof of the forest at full speed. Leaving the debrisstorm behind them rapidly, the squad clambered back to the cargo deck to secure the doors and make sure the gun of the hunter was safely secured. Velislava had shown her prowess before, but Alexa couldn't blame them for being scared. Unlike technology, magic seemed horrible capricious. 

Dimitar stared out of the windows. He moved left and right and up and down, Alexa had to try not to laugh at the delighted expression on his face. 

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I don't see any of the machines," He said, a smile on his lips. "I think it worked. I hope Veli can hold on till we are out of sight."

The smile on his lips flashed to a grimace as Velislava collapsed and sprawled over the floor of the cabin. Alexa turned to see how the storm winked out.

"Where are you guys?" Ani's distorted voice sounded panicked over the radio, "The storm is gone and so.."

Alexa could not what Ani meant to say, her crackling voice drowned in the wooping alarm sounds of the scanner aboard the other carrier. Shocked, she stared at Dimitar whose face had gone white.

In the heat of the moment, she had completely forgotten the other carrier. Velislava, already straining to hold the storm, had only allowed their transporter through the storm. The others had followed the the storm, expecting the storms protection. She stared in the distance. The other transporter flew southward, black and white contrasted heavily in the blew sky above the green top of the forest. She wanted to turn around, to pretend this was not happening, but she could not tear her gaze from the carrier in the distance.

With a heavy thump Dimitar sagged to the ground. He and Ani were together for a short period of time and hadn't split since the moment they had decided to be toghether. He gasped for air as he stared at the doomed carrier. 

"Oh no.." Alexa whispered as a barrage of specks skyrocketed towards the exposed carrier.