Chapter XXIX – Sanctum of the Black City
Among the roar of explosions that rippled out across Karbaliq, punctuated by a cacophony of small arms fire, Sayan burst from her hiding place, spear in hand. The Black City revealed an infernal vista of swirling sand, illuminated by the myriad of fires that had sprung into life. Visibility was limited, but among it all Sayan could hear was the screams and moans of the dead and the dying, those caught in the series of blasts the defenders had rigged across the ruins. The smell of smoke and burning things – of flesh and metal – was carried by the driving winds.
Sayan could see little, but she knew the direction they would be coming from. She moved swiftly, unfazed by the wind or the chaos.
There was little warning when she came across a young soldier, the two opponents catching sight of each other when only metres apart. Almost all of his body was covered, but she could still see his eyes. She could see the shock they expressed when she materialised out of the storm in front of him; she could see the shock intensify as her spear found its way into his neck, just above the collar bone, the tip sprouting like a new shoot from the back of his neck. He coughed, gargled, and sagged. With an effort she tugged her weapon free and his corpse fell twitching in its death throws to dampened sands.
New explosions erupted somewhere nearby, their light and noise suffocated by the storm.
She glanced around. Arslan was just behind her, keeping close as he had been ordered.
“Send the signal: no more detonations! We don’t want to blow up our own!”
She could barely hear her own voice over the noise of the storm and the battle, but Arslan somehow understood, judging by his nod.
Two warriors appeared at her side. One she recognised as Ilgün, the other was of another tribe. Both were armed with assault rifles. Ilgün raised her weapon and fired off several bursts into the maelstrom.
“Stop!” yelled Sayan. “You’ll hit our own. Fire only when you have an identifiable target.”
Ilgün lowered her weapon, circumspect. Sayan could see she was shaking.
“On me!” yelled Sayan, pointing forward with her spear. “Advance.”
More warriors had gathered to her and they pushed forward. Occasionally a shot or a burst of automatic fire would ring out, but it seemed there was little left of the enemy here – the explosions had either slain them, or caused them to retreat.
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But Sayan knew there were plenty more. They’d triggered the blasts early, and thus missed the bulk of the enemy force.
She reached a point covered in the burning wreckage of one of the Mechanised Assault Vehicles. She didn’t have to go much farther to find an infantryman who was presumably caught up in the same explosion that took out the MAV. What was left of the sand suit he had been wearing had been fused by the heat of the blast to what was left of him, blackened and hairless. The charred remains of two of his limbs were nearby, though no longer connected.
Sayan stepped over the wreckage of man and machine alike. Behind her, she heard a groan, then a single gunshot.
He was still alive?
Not anymore.
The sound of heavy machinery up ahead was soon joined by lights dimly shining through the clouds of sand.
“Halt!” she shouted, and the small group obediently halted and dropped low.
These enemies were coming closer, but their advance was slow, cautious.
One MAV.
Unknown numbers of infantry.
She surveyed the force with her. Twelve warriors, herself included.
With the element of surprise, and if they could take down the MAV quickly, perhaps they stood a chance.
“You two,” she said, indicating two of her fighters, “Try and get around the edge of this group. Fire into the group and make them think it is a flanking attack in force. I will go for the MAV.”
The two men gave the barest of acknowledgement, but moved swiftly to fulfill her orders.
She turned to Arslan.
“I’m going to need more power,” she said.
He placed his hand against the shaft of her spear and closed his eyes. Moments later dim light wreathed his form then spread up and down the length of the spear. He opened his eyes.
“I’ve given you what I could,” he said.
“It’s all I ask,” she said.
She was no Resonant, but even she could feel the Starflow that now suffused her weapon.
“Great Qam, guide my spear true,” she said quietly.
Two bursts of gunfire were heard. Shouting followed.
“Now!” yelled Sayan. “Cover me closely. I’m going for the MAV.”
She took off at a sprint. The first soldier she saw had his attention directed off to the side as she had hoped. He saw her only a moment before a part of his skull erupted outwards with the impact of several shots. Sayan shot past him.
She was almost at the MAV before the infantry accompanying it saw her. They met similar fates to their companion, mown down with no time to properly react to the threat. The MAV twisted about to target its twin directed energy cannons at its attackers. Two blasts of brilliant light lanced past Sayan and she heard a scream behind her. She did not stop to see what had happened, instead vaulting a stone protruding from the sand, and grabbing onto the side of the MAV with one hand. With her other she thrust the glowing spear into the machine. There was a flash of light and a burst of heat and the machine swayed precariously. She yanked free her spear and leapt back to the sand as the contraption tumbled to the ground.
Yet no sooner had she landed than she saw the bright flashes of incoming energy weapon fire.
“Fall back!” she yelled.
The call echoed out amongst the other warriors still standing and under a hail of incoming fire – kinetics and energy – they ran, bent close to the ground, back towards the safety of the ruins.