The facility trembled as the ground heaved suddenly. The lights within the building flickered frantically as I stumbled forward and bumped into my father's back. "What the hell was that?!" My father gasped as he grabbed onto my shoulder to steady me. We stopped in the middle of the hall.
Over the intercom, the voice of the commissar echoed in a taunting fashion as Isa's brow twitched and furrowed. "I don't know, but the commissar seems pleased about the reinforcements Luna mentioned."
"It's almost here." The voice said it in my head. "You must finish what you're doing soon, or else the possibility of you leaving alive begins to slip away."
That's not foreboding; what even is it? I sighed anxiously as Isa motioned for us to keep moving as the commissar continued his rant.
"I don't know. Yet judging by the amount of essence it contains, it rivals almost that of what you're trying to destroy."
Do you mean it's as strong as this tower? I shuddered as we neared the stairwell.
With Isa taking the lead, she opened the door, and immediately we came face-to-face with two soldiers. My heart lurched into my throat, and I held my arms out, fingers splayed, as I focused on the shield spell, just as my father quickly drew his pistol from his hip and fired three rounds. Two into the front man's chest and the third directly into the second's throat before they could even react.
Rusimian shouts came from above, to which Isa responded nonchalantly in their native tongue. Immediately, she was granted a nasty response, judging by the man's tone, to which my mentor merely smirked and glanced at me.
"Keep the bubble up; they're waiting for us." She glanced at my father.
"We're charging right in?" He asked with a smirk as he dropped his rifle and swapped it out for the freshly loaded one of the men they killed.
"Of course, Luna, stay behind us and keep the shield going. You're doing great." She patted me on the shoulder, and I nodded.
Yeah, I'm doing good. I'm just barely hanging on mentally by a thread. I bit my lower lip and focused on the protective shield as Isa and I rushed up the steps, trailing behind.
With quick speed, Isa scurried up the steps in what seemed like a blur. The few Rusivite soldiers above shouted as my father and I tried to keep up. I saw Isa round the bend up top and leap towards the wall before kicking off of it and out of view. A few rapid gunshots caused me to cringe but I kept moving. Another man then shouted and cried out before suddenly Father yanked me back towards the wall as the figure of a man fell past us down the stairwell before cracking his helmet-covered head against the floor with a sickening crunch.
Helmet or not. I whimpered. His neck is fucking broken.
A few more gunshots echoed throughout the cramped stairwell. Silence fell over us.
"Isa!" Father shouted.
"I'm okay; the recruits are dealt with." She took a deep breath as Father and I rounded the bend, and I could see her at the top of the stairs, already digging through their pockets for extra ammunition or other valuables.
"You have less than ten minutes." The master said this just as another tremor shook the building.
Father cursed as he held onto me and the railing and glanced at me. "Is that thing you mentioned?" He asked, and I simply nodded.
"The voice says we have less than ten minutes," I said as I took a deep breath. "Whatever that thing is, it will be here soon."
"Can we fight it?" Father asked.
"Do you want to, Slyran?" Isa asked sarcastically.
"No." the Master said bluntly.
"Voice says no," I said, looking at Papa.
"Well, I meant if we got caught up in it. Could we kill it, y'know?" My father clarified with a shrug.
"Still most likely no." the Master mumbled.
"I wouldn't be so hopeful, Father," I said not bothering to hide the nervous shake from my voice.
Papa glanced at me and nodded as Isa straightened up and tossed an extra magazine towards him. Catching it, he slid the ammunition into his pocket and nodded towards Isa who motioned for us to follow her through the stairwell entrance.
We entered into a large corridor, possibly ten or so feet wide. It was barren, yet now deserted, as we could hear a dozen or so voices coming from our right that seemed far off. Isa glanced at a set of signs on the wall across from us which had arrows pointing in either direction.
"We go right," She said as she double-checked her gun while Father did the same.
"Okay." I nodded. "I'll stay close behind," Isa smirked and gave me a little thumbs up as she and Father took the lead, weapons partially raised and ready to fight.
The corridor continued for about a few dozen feet before eventually turning left into a much smaller hall, which sported a set of double doors on the right just a few feet ahead. A large sign was displayed above it, which Isa read out loud with a distasteful hiss.
"Manufactury."
Pushing through the double doors, we were greeted by bright rays of sunlight as we stepped onto the skyway. The bridge was covered in glass panes on either side, including the ceiling. Much of which was already shattered and riddled with bullet holes. The cool, fresh air was tainted with the smell of smoke and chlorine.
I think I recall from science class that it's ozone. I thought as I covered my nose.
The sound of combat was heavy. The roar of the fighting machines and their never-ending machine gun fire rattled the air, intermixed with the tweeting cries of Heinmaran whistles as officers shouted orders to their troops.
About a hundred feet across from us, though, on the other end of the bridge, we weren't alone. Three armed soldiers, along with four men and women in lab coats, quickly ran out the door on their end, heads ducked and hands over ears. At first, they didn't seem to notice us.
Father hesitated for a second when the unarmed scientists stopped in their tracks, but Isa didn't. Raising her rifle, she wasted no time in firing a shot through the soldier's helmet and directly into his head, creating a sharp ding sound in the process. As the first body began to fall over, the second soldier shouted to the scientists, while the third raised their gun, screaming something shrill.
I focused my effort on our shield when the soldiers fired their guns. I whinced but held firm as their rifle shot exploded against my barrier. This seemed to demoralize them immediately, as the soldier dropped their rifle upon seeing their weapon have no impact. The third soldier gestured for the scientists to run back into the facility and turned to his cowering comrade and shouted something before turning to raise his weapon towards us, only to be sent sprawling to the ground as Father sent a round into his left shoulder.
The cowering Rusivite let off a shrill cry as they dropped to their knees and crawled towards the one clutching his shoulder wound. Isa snarled and raised her rifle to shoot them in the back, but halted when Papa reached out and grabbed the gun.
"Isa, no." He hissed at her just as the Rusivite, leaning over the wounded comrade, turned to look at us.
The soldier gasped, and immediately I could tell she was a young woman as they began speaking in their native tongue. She held her hands up in a sign of surrender and shook her head, rapidly sobbing beneath her mask.
Isa glared at Papa. "What do you mean, no?" She growled.
"They've already given up," he said as he shook his head. "There's no reason to take things further. Let the world decide what to do with them." He released her gun and glanced at Rusivite, who was still sobbing and pleading at us.
Isa snarled and growled at the woman in Rusimian, who immediately hiccuped and nodded their heads rapidly as she hesitantly turned back to her wounded comrade.
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"If we get shot in the back, this is all on you," Isa growled, and I shook my head.
"I won't let that happen. I'll keep us bubbled," I said.
"And if she does, then we kill her," Father said gruffly as we stepped around them.
"But it seems morale is shattering," Isa added as she proceeded down the battered bridge. "The girl was saying that she and her comrades were trying to find a way out and that they didn't want to fight."
Father pursed his lips as he glanced out one of the broken windows. My eyes followed his gaze. The large open area Isa and I crossed to get into the prison was beaten and battered. Bomb craters lay scattered across the pavement, and two destroyed Rusivite fighting machines lay dead in the open space. The prison itself was battered with shrapnel, and towards the edge of the compound, a barracks could be seen burning.
"Well, I can see why," Father muttered— "You all did a number on this place—"
The ground heaved once more as a tremor shook the earth; the bridge trembled and rattled, causing me to yell and cling to my father as Isa held onto one of the window frames. A thundering bellow similar to that of a massive foghorn sent my hands over my ears.
"It's here," said the Master. "Hearing it so close and feeling it too. The thing is vast." His tone was one of intrigue. "I'm actually impressed."
Now isn't the time to be charmed; what is it?! I asked as my heart began to race.
"By the divine!" Isa shouted. "Look!" She pointed towards the northwest, and as my eyes followed her finger, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
In all my life. This was the first time I had seen something like this. Even before, in my old life, the largest object I had ever seen in person was a fifteen-story building. The largest animal has been an elephant. What I saw here put the massive timberwolf I'd seen in this new life to shame. A mere puppy was all I saw.
Towering over the distant treeline, such mere plants were nothing but small twigs compared to it. It stood on four spindly legs and carried the posture of a praying mantis. Its hull was thick yet elegant, with an abdomen that curled upwards into a curvy thorax; its head carried a large bowl-shaped dome over the top of its head like some form of shield; yet hanging from its chin, it sported two massive guns. Yet what stood out the most to me was what was embedded in its chest in a metallic cage. A gargantuan, glowing heart. A soft blueish-pink light emitted from its core with a hypnotic pattern.
This new fighting machine, this colossal clockwork monstrosity made of pistons and gears, dwarfed everything I had ever known. How could something like this exist? How could anyone make something like this?
Raising one massive leg, the gargantuan machine crushed through the tree line with a deafening crunch that sent tremors throughout the land. Around us, the fighting ceased, and silence permeated.
Father took my hand and said to Isa, "We need to move now!"
Suddenly, the behemoth fighting machine unleashed an ear-splitting roar. A deep, hollow roar sent chaos throughout the ranks of soldiers. As we needed the door to the factory, I could hear the distant shouts of Heinmaran soldiers and the sound of a different whistle.
A whistle to retreat.
----------------------------------------
Isa closed the door behind us as the ground shook with another earthquake. A sharp, hissing crack came from outside, followed by an intense explosion as the behemoth fighting machine fired one of its guns. Another soul-breaking howl came from the machine, and the ground began to shake as it moved closer to the facility.
The intercom screeched and hissed as the crackling voice of the commissar came through, shouting once again triumphantly. "Cheer all you want," Isa said coldly. "I'm coming for that bastard." She then gestured toward a sign. "The main reactor is this way."
Following behind Isa, a new voice came over the intercom, a woman's voice speaking calmly. Up ahead, we could hear voices, and at the end of the hall, at another T junction, we saw a group of men and women of various races, some wearing lab coats, others wearing orange overalls quickly.
"What's that woman saying?" Father hissed as we moved closer, the crowd had not seen us yet.
"She's instructing all non combat personnel to head to the docking station," Isa muttered as we approached another corridor intersecting with the one we're in on the left.
"An airship must arrive soon," I said as the two of them nodded.
Isa growled. "No way in hell am I letting these monsters escape." She started to raise her rifle, though once again, her father stopped her.
"No," he whispered. "As much as I despise them as well, Isa, shooting them would be a waste."
Isa rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine—"
A shout came from down the hall, and we jerked up to see a halfling man with black goggles in an orange jumpsuit pointing at us. He shouted once more in his native tongue, and Isa cursed and gestured for us to run down the left side hall.
Turning left, we quickly began to rush down the hall, yet we were cut off. Up ahead on the right, four soldiers rushed around the corner and opened fire. Having had the bubble prepared, I deflected most shots, yet I could feel my shield about to give way.
"Too much!" I screamed as Isa and my father traded shots with the soldiers, sending a few of them sprawling to the ground. Yet they were quickly replaced by more men reinforcing their line. Behind us, four more soldiers rounded the corner and began to shoot.
"Fuck, we're sandwiched!" Father cursed and spun around to start shooting at the men behind us.
I whinced and cried softly as each bullet that slammed into my shield nearly shattered it. I focused all my attention on repairing, yet even with the incredible power I had shown Alexander, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed.
"We need to get out of this fast! Isa, do you see a door?!" My father called to her.
To which she replied, annoyed, "No! We're sitting ducks—blast rock!"
My eyes shot to where Isa was shouting, and I saw it at the last moment. A rusivite struck flint against a blackened stone, which immediately began to glow a deep shade of orange before tossing it our way.
Of course, a fucking grenade!
My eyes widened, and without a thought or my control, my hand shot forward, and I shouted, "Gust!" A blast of air shot forth from my hand, striking the volatile stone out of the air and back towards the firing squad.
The Rusivites let off a startled cry as the stone landed right at their feet, and before I knew it, my vision was blinded by the flash of light from the exploding rock. The explosion rocked my ears, causing them to ring sharply, and I could barely hear the screams of those who didn't die from the blast.
"Good job!" My father shouted as he pushed me forward.
I stumbled forward, my eyes wide with shock. That wasn't me; I didn't do that. I thought as I moved, but I didn't have time to question it further; our way was now clear. I did my best not to look at the charred and exploded corpses I followed beside Isa as my father continued to provide support from behind.
We rounded the corner, the Rusivites cut us off, and we ran back up. Isa pointed out the way we needed to go, and eventually, we found ourselves at another stairwell. We ran down the stairs, trying not to trip as the facility trembled once again due to the behemoth outside, and upon reaching the ground floor, that's where the intensity began.
Isa kicked open the door and immediately struck a Rusivite who was standing behind it knocking them to the floor. Wasting no time she shot the man in the back of the neck before slamming her rifle into a second man who rushed her on our left. Father pushed in, pistol in hand he fired two rounds into another surprised Rusivite on our right.
"Alarm!" Was a word I understood clearly as a fourth Rusivite ran down the hall shouting for what I assumed to be assistance.
While Father and Isa did the fighting, I continued to do what I did best. I kept the shield up and occasionally helped when I could. We continued to rush down the hall, following the signs that Isa pointed out, and eventually, we arrived at where we needed to be.
At least judging by the number of soldiers in the room. I thought this was an important place.
We came across a set of double doors down a central hall. Large sandbags with an intimidating machine gun emplacement sat right in the middle. A machine gun which I became very well acquainted with, as the six or so soldiers standing guard immediately opened fire upon seeing us.
The machine, as expected, tore through my shield instantly, shattering it, and if it wasn't for Isa's deftness, she would've been torn to pieces right in front of me. Though, thankfully, she wasn't. Upon the shattering of my shield, Isa turned and dove back, pushing both me and my father back.
Isa cursed heavily, her eyes wide with shock and a bit of fear. "Too close, too close," she said, "A bit careless I was," she admitted and patted me on the head as the Rusivites shouted obscenities at us from around the corner.
Isa turned to me, "You're up, Luna. Fry them."
I gulped nervously and nodded as I pulled out my wand.
"Be careful," Father said as if I wasn't already trying to be.
Please don't blow my arm off again. Please don't blow my arm off! I thought nervously as I began to concentrate on another explosive spark.
"Don't worry, I'll cover her," Isa said as she poked her rifle around the corner and began to fire a few suppressing shots I poked out from underneath her with my wand and pointed it directly at the machine gunner who was flinching under Isa's fire.
I unleashed my spark of fire directly downlane jumped back behind cover and tugged on Isa to do the same. A loud whoosh of flame and intense heat exploded back our way as the soldiers' screams were swiftly cut short as the intensity burned them into charred husks.
"That doesn't sound like a fun way to go," Father muttered and Isa smacked him in the chest.
"Focus." She muttered and poked her head around the corner. I hesitantly did the same and grimaced at the gruesome scene I'd created. Everything was charred black. What was once the shape of a few humans and what I assumed to be a halfling was nothing more than charred imitations. The weapons they had carried and the machine gun itself were now gooey, partially melted hunks of metal.
We quickly stepped around the corner and rushed towards the corpses and door. Isa lept over the sandbags while Father and I stepped around them and came over to her as she stopped at the door.
As she carefully grabbed the heated handle, she jimmied it, and of course.
Shit's locked.
"Looks like we'll be cutting our way in," Isa said glancing at me as I was already getting my wand ready.
"I'm on it," I said softly and activated my magical plasma cutter.
The door only took a few moments to slice through which Father was more than happy to kick open.
"Hells yeah!" He beamed. "Haven't done that in ages," he said with a chuckle as we ran into a dimly lit room lit by a blue and pink hue. The smell of ozone was pungent and I had to plug my nose not to mention the heat in the room was intense. Gazing upwards I could see no ceiling, instead, all I saw was a massive, crystalline pillar extending upwards, emitting a blue and pink glow.
So this is the tower.