Jebuthar’s jaw fell agape as he looked out the window.

The sun was completely behind the mountains by now. Revin reached his thoughts out to the saurian army below. They stood firm, braver now than before. Omrai’s courage flowed into their minds.

“The Speartip line has the power of Sympathy,” Revin mindspoke to Narazoth, “of feeling, of connecting. He is my Life-Lord. We are one. He has my power.”

Revin smiled.

“We still control the saurians, and now, he’s going to take your soldiers.”

✦✦✦

Omrai jumped in front of Scarback and leaped for an automaton. As it swung for him, he ducked under its blade and slashed upward at its chest. Not deep enough to kill it, but deep enough to split the armor to reveal the core beneath.

He twisted around, stepped and jumped back. It swung for him again, but he slammed into it and reached a finger into the core.

He touched it and felt its mind, frightened and scared, brainwashed, he connected to it. He understood it and told it to be still.

Then… it was his.

He opened his eyes and the automaton looked at him obediently.

“Come on!” he yelled to his army.

The saurians answered his call. He saw through their eyes. He felt their strength. He wasn’t a lone man on a battlefield any longer. He was an army. A force of nature, each saurian felt like an extension of his own body and soul.

“Bring the automatons to me!” he shouted to his men.

The saurians and soldiers charged, grabbing automatons, taking their weapons away, cutting at their chests and letting Omrai take command.

His fighting skills entered his newly mastered automatons and every saurian. Each fought with a renewed fury and finesse drawn from Omrai’s experience. He was the many, and the many were one.

He didn’t have time to think, however, only to act. He and his saurian and automaton warriors fought with perfect coordination. The automatons were pushed back as the saurians fought with the power of a seasoned veteran, blocking and dodging attacks in new ways.

As the enemy fell back, Omrai’s army grew as he converted automatons to his side. One at a time.

✦✦✦

Revin watched the miracle Omrai performed below, feeling the exultation Omrai and the Saurians felt as the army increased in size and power.

With a tingle in his senses, Revin felt Narazoth’s mind close by. Without hesitation, he sent out tendrils of telepathic energy, striking.

Not only did the saurians receive power from Omrai, but Revin did too. Those tendrils had a strength Revin had never felt. He could beat Narazoth this time.

But Narazoth’s mind shrugged off every attack. Revin struck and struck again, but little happened. Then he remembered.

The core. They still hadn’t taken the core!

He reached his mind out to his yutaraptors.

✦✦✦

Beadoróf continued to pound on the core, his robe and armor drenched in sweat. Several yutaraptors defended the door, and several others defended Beadoróf himself from the ones which broke through. The automatons ignored the comatose monks, desperately trying to reach Beadoróf.

His blades were scored and breaking. His men and saurians were tired. He didn’t know how much longer he could do this. It had to be close!

He continued to strike, noticing one raptor standing somewhat immobile, watching him intently.

✦✦✦

They pushed past the automatons in the transport section and pushed into the piloting section. No automatons were there, Johuto closed the door and held it shut, trying to figure out how to lock it.

Kaiato was going to help when Johuto gave him an impatient look, “Well, you said you can fly this thing, go!”

Kaiato nodded and hopped into the cockpit. He recoiled when more automatons appeared in front of the window. Their shots struck the glass. It cracked but didn’t break.

They heard banging on the door.

“Kaiato!”

Kaiato nodded and grabbed the handlebars, he pulled back.

Nothing happened.

The banging continued.

“What are you doing?” his sister shouted.

“I’m figuring it out!” he said back.

He grabbed a large lever to his right and yanked it backward. The ship slowly shifted.

Kaiato remembered the foot pedals and laughed at the absurdity of it all. The one on his left made him go faster…

He stomped on it.

The ship lurched forward, shattering the automatons in front of the window. He pulled the handlebars backward, and they were airborne. Kaiato laughed again, adjusting the controls.

They went higher and higher, revealing the belly of the command ship. Kaiato tried to figure out where to land, swooping around to the top. They wouldn’t have enough time to pull the crank before they got overwhelmed. Far too many automatons on the roof. An idea struck him.

“I’m going to drop the chains right on top of it, “Kaiato said.

Johuto nodded. “Don’t look at me, I don’t know how this works!” She jumped into the seat next to Kaiato. Kaiato looked to the back of the cockpit. The door flapped open and closed. No automatons had stowed away.

Kaiato looped around to the front of the command ship, rushing past the massive front window. Bobbing up and down as he continued to adjust to the controls. He was getting more and more nauseated.

The wide, mostly flat top of the ship was spread out before him. He picked a spot near the center and ascended sharply, moving directly upward. Then, without touching the acceleration pedals, he moved the handlebars downward, dropping the small transport on top of the command ship.

They hit hard, the ship bouncing more than once at the harsh landing, jerking Johuto a foot above her chair. Once they’d stopped moving, Kaiato looked out the back door. The chains extended to the gravitonium spines sat on top of the ship. Kaiato smiled as the command ship slowly tilted toward the front (where the spines were closer to) dipping toward the ground.

He heard metal stomping and an automaton turned around the corner. Sword raised. The ship tilted further, and the automaton stumbled backward.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

His heart pounded. Johuto held on to her seat. They watched as the automatons, which were beginning to surround them, rolled down the ship and tumbled off, each failing to get a grip on the slick roof. Out the back window, Kaiato saw the battle below. The ship had tilted that far.

He looked at his sister, she gave him a worried smile. He looked out the front window. The open blue sky with clouds spread wide was above him. He looked behind him. They too were starting to slide, scraping across the ship’s roof. He prayed this didn’t kill him as the automaton-covered earth rapidly approached.

They hit.

✦✦✦

Jebuthar’s command ship hurtled for the ground straight toward him. He wanted to run, but there was no time. The ship headed for the earth, rapidly and at an increasingly slanted angle. Not straight down, but diagonally through the sky.

The massive ship hit the ground and scraped the earth. Automatons were crushed beneath, and an explosion of dust and grass blossomed in the air, like smoke from a fire. The ship slowed to a stop about two hundred paces from Omrai and his forces. He uttered a silent thanks that it hadn’t crossed the automatons front lines and crashed into his own men.

Automatons stopped attacking his men mid-strike. They turned as one and flocked to the command ship, setting up a defensive perimeter.

“Take that ship!” he shouted.

He charged in, following the automatons who had their backs turned to him, and his army struck.

✦✦✦

Revin was confused when a small ship rushed past the front window, but now it was far more disorienting as the command ship lurched, everyone in the room sliding sideways. He tried to gain his footing, which was hard to do when bound and injured, and tumbled to the floor. He tumbled across the room and landed on the front window. The split on his face leaving a smear of blood on the glass. He looked out the front window as the ship dipped down, heading for the earth rapidly.

Fear overwhelmed him. He struggled against his bonds; this window was going to shatter with him on it! It headed directly for the ground headfirst. Revin wished that whoever had succeeded at raising the gravitonium had known he was here.

Cause now… they’d killed him.

The command ship collided into the earth and he was tossed into the air, spinning and landing hard against the window, sprouting a new headache. The ship rumbled as it dug through the earth, the window showing a terrifying sight of scattering earth and automatons. Finally, it stopped, and after his daze faded, he looked around. The window hadn’t exploded, but it was covered in dirt and automatons pieces.

Revin took a deep breath. He looked at Shifra, who looked shaken but alright. He heard a frustrated scream and looked over at Jebuthar. He glared furiously.

“What have you done?!”

“Landed your ship!” Revin mindspoke with pride.

Jebuthar screamed again.

✦✦✦

Kaiato tried to gather his wits. He would have some mighty bruising, but they were alive, and the hovercraft itself was still on top of the command ship. He looked at the back door, which was closed now. He got up and tried to open it, but it didn’t budge.

“Help me get this open,” he said to Johuto.

Johuto jumped forward, and they pulled together.

“Never thought we’d be doing this together, did you?” Johuto said, straining against the door.

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Kaiato said back.

Johuto smiled, “Well, I’m glad you were wrong.”

They pulled harder and the door moved half an inch. Dirt spilled in through the crack.

They both let go.

Kaiato frowned and looked around, finally glancing out the front window. Scattered remains of destroyed automatons lay strewn about and dust hung in the air. But the front window wasn’t buried.

The surface of the ship bore a strange bump. An entrance hatch.

There was movement beyond. On the hills around them, and far up on the rear of the ship, thousands of automatons swarmed in. Weapons at the ready. All eyes on him and his sister.

He had to get into that ship. Shifra was there, and Revin too.

“We sprint for the hatch,” Kaiato said, nodding, “grab some weapons on the way”

Johuto looked around, eyes widening at the automatons.

“Are you sure inside is safer than out?”

“They’ll be confined to hallways in there, we’re sitting arkey’s if we stay. Besides, their guns are useless with those gravitonium spines so close. We can get inside before they can get us with their spears.”

Johuto shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. We should run. Fly this thing out.”

“Revin’s in there.”

“I’m sure the monk can handle himself,” Johuto said, looking out the window.

“Shifra’s there too!” he shouted.

Johuto cocked her head. “Omrai’s daughter?”

Kaiato nodded. “Yeah… she’s important.”

Realization dawned on his sister’s face. She chuckled. “I see. Well then, let’s go save your girlfriend.”

Kaiato smiled.

He prepared himself for the run, checking his equipment. He took a deep breath, opened the side door to the cockpit, and ran. He grabbed a sword off one shattered automaton and jumped for the hatch, tumbling down. His sister close behind him.

✦✦✦

Many of Beadoróf’s men and saurians had tumbled when the ship had crashed. He himself had been tossed across the room, away from the core. Who had pulled up the spines? Beadoróf hadn’t sent anyone. He couldn’t spare any men… Perhaps Omrai was doing far better down below than he thought?

It didn’t matter. The automatons slowly stood; many were severely damaged. And several of his men and saurian were dead too.

Ahead was the core.

Beadoróf jumped to his feet, climbing over the broken metal warriors, rushing past them to the core.

He grabbed several automaton blades, checking his balance. He took a deep breath. The core bore a hairline fracture where he had been striking. His heart leapt in his chest.

He continued his pounding on the core. Each hit like the gong of an iron bell. Each hit splitting the fracture wider and wider.

An automaton stood and charged, but a raptor dove and tackled it. The men and saurians that were still conscious climbed over the broken automatons, and the fight continued.

But he couldn’t watch. He couldn’t fight. He had to break this core. If he fought to save those fighting with him, he would fail his mission. And after giving in to Jebuthar, losing his own powers of Mastery, he couldn’t risk it again. Jebuthar had to lose. Even if every soldier and Beadoróf himself had to die to do it. Narazoth had been a problem ever since he was a boy back on the Hiriv island. Overconfident, ambitious. His destruction could not be allowed to continue.

Cracks formed in his blades. At this rate, the blades would shatter. He was strategic in each strike.

A swarm of metal footsteps sounded from down the hallway.

“Beadoróf!” one of the soldiers said in terror, “What do we do?”

Beadoróf paused, looking at the panic-stricken man. Beadoróf turned to the core, pausing. It was almost there. He looked at his half-broken blades. He looked at the monks. Bound, imprisoned. Forced to serve an overzealous master.

He stepped back, looking first at the soldier, then at the core.

“Watch.”

He raised his weapons up in the air and jumped forward, bringing his blades down. They shattered at the impact, but with a thunderous gong and an echoing crack, the core broke. Bright blue light and a strong wind rushed out from the crack like a split in a dam, knocking men, saurians, and automatons back.

He dropped the hilts of his blades and fell to the floor, his hands blistered. He stared at the core. It was done. The core’s integrity compromised. Even now Beadoróf felt the connection between himself and Jebuthar weakening. A great wind rushed from the crack, and each soldier that attempted another strike was blown back.

Revin would have to attack Jebuthar’s mind elsewhere.