Blow up?
Gasping and jumping to my feet, I sporadically said, “Wait here,” then sprinted back to my room.
I almost crashed to the floor when I tripped over a lamia lounging in the common room. The first reaction from the group of women was alarm, but I poorly spat out assurance before continuing to sprint like death was on my heels.
Which it was, technically.
My room was dark, but I knew exactly where to look in my rucksack.
By the time I got back to the waiting women, I was gasping. They all stared as I plopped between Meriel and Fell to catch my breath.
“Okay,” I stared once my breath was steady, “I now realize I need to stop doing that. Sorry. But, to get back to the matter of the ruby, I know a sure way of destroying it on command.” Reaching into my pocket, I fished out our solution and placed it on the ground in front of my crossed legs.
“What is it?” Meriel asked as she reached for it, only for me to stop her by the wrist.
“That is an M67 grenade,” I said, then lightly placed her hand back on her lap. “It’s a dangerous weapon from my world.”
Everyone leaned closer. Despite my warning, everyone couldn’t hide their skeptical looks.
“That’ll break the Artifact?” Nuna asked.
“More like eviscerate it,” I replied while taking the grenade back in my hand. “If you’ll remember, I was really pissed to see everyone going through my stuff. This was half of that anger.” The pin was secured with a little metical tape for added security, far from idiot-proof. “If you pull this pin here, you have about four seconds before this thing explodes and sends little bits of metal at twenty-four thousand feet per second. Should it go off in this room, it’d kill all of us.”
Hearing the destructive potential caused everyone to move a couple inches further back from me.
“Your world produces some truly terrifying weapons,” Luppa awed with a mixture of curiosity and alarm.
“Yeah, we got pretty good at that,” I agreed, then looked earnestly into Fell’s eyes. “Look, all this magic stuff is above me, but I know without a doubt the grenade will destroy the ruby. The real kicker is this: Can you make a water shell around them and still redirect the power or whatever?”
Her ears twitched as she took on a speculative look.
“Would it be like the blast from the tunnel?” she asked after a long pause.
“No, it won’t be as severe,” I answered. “You’ll have to make a thick buffer of water to stop the shrapnel, but that shouldn't be an issue.” The corner of my lip curled. “I’ve seen how strong you can be.”
Fell’s apprehensive look went to a bashful one. Nolala cut in before the magical fox-woman could add anything else.
“Oliver,” the Chieftain called sternly. “As compelling as this case of yours is, I can’t see how pursuing this idea would be a viable alternative for our present circumstances.” Her ponytail of black hair swayed as she shook her head again. “Most of this plan is left to chance. None of our tunnels cross over into the eastern side of the mountains. Braving the distance to Chaparral with such a large party will only end one way.
“I admit our chance of survival is low by staying put. At least the Isusi would have more time and be given a more peaceful death than facing scores of Corruptions.”
I couldn’t fault her logic. Nolala had the lives of so many people on her shoulders. She wouldn’t gamble so many decent people for a shot in the dark. She shouldn’t. And I realized there was only on real course of action.
“Fell, is there any way where only I could go?” I asked.
Fell looked at me like she had something to say, only her mouth froze in place. The momentary lapse was probably her double-checking that she didn’t mishear me. I felt the stunned looks of everyone boring into me and looking back at Nolala; her composed face had finally fallen. Brows furrowed and face slacked, the Chieftain was at a complete loss.
“Why would you suggest that?” Nuna asked in a heated whisper that wavered when she began to tremble with sudden anger.
I propped my elbow on my knee and cradled my chin in my palm, scratching at my stubbles. “We’re in this pinch because of me. Just taking responsibility.”
Sanvi’s brows came down hard. “Taking responsibility and marching to your death is not the same thing.”
“Certainly seems that way,” I pointed out, then looked up in thought. “Look, all this time planning about destroying the Marker, I didn’t even consider all the people in and around Elesrora. For a little bit, all I cared about was getting even. Then you were all so good to me. People like you deserve to go on. All I’ve done is make it worse. I have to reconcile for it.”
Meriel squeezed my forearm and glared. “You are being stupid.”
“No, I’m being realistic,” I retorted, then gazed down at the detailed map. “The Null are falling back to cordon off the mountains because they’re going to knuckle down and try to get another Marker going. Whoever’s leading over by Elesrora knows nothing about the Marker. I highly doubt they’re going to send any people our way into the west, at least not until they’re dug into mountains themselves and can afford to start flanking. But how long would that take?
“If it’s too dangerous to move everyone, then we just send me. We prepare a map and a message, figure out how I can magic open the Bridge, and I give the message to whoever’s in charge wherever I find myself. All allied worlds have some sort of communication chain, right? They get the message, someone relays it to one of the Bridges at Elesrora, and then they would know people are still alive out here.”
Nolala’s face regained some of its composure, but she adopted this look that I couldn’t place. Anger, worry, and a smidge of sadness, all arranged neatly as the face of a charming snake-woman.
“And if you die, Oliver?” she inquired without energy.
“Then I die.”
Meriel’s nails sank into my forearm, and I could feel Fell’s eyes burning holes into the side of my head, but my gaze never wavered away from Nolala’s.
“Why are you willing to sacrifice yourself for my people?” she asked.
I took in all the lamia I’ve grown to know, then thought of all the others in the temple. They were strong, they fostered hope, but I knew fear lingered within them like an upset stomach. Being far too damn pragmatic for my own good, I knew doom hung over them like a guillotine held in place by a fraying rope. Faced with such a likely and grim outcome, I couldn’t just do nothing. Essentially, I’m putting my neck between theirs and the edge. And that felt just fine.
With a sudden pang running through my heart like a nail, a sobering sense of clarity cascaded over me. I truly understood why Judge did what he did.
“All the good people I’ve ever known are gone,” I stated, then bellowed a heavy sigh of bitter acceptance. “Other than Fell and Meriel, you’re all the last good people I know. That means you’re worth the sacrifice of one measly life. If the last thing I can ever accomplish in this world is to ensure you’re all around to grow old, then I’ll happily risk all that’s left of me.”
“And I’ll happily march alongside you into oblivion,” Fell affirmed from my side. I looked over and was surprised to see the fire burning in her eyes.
Meriel applied more pressure to her grip, making my forearm throb. “And I’m sure as hell going to fight my hardest to keep death at bay. Don't think for a second we’ll sit here idle on our asses while you go straight into darkness. We’re soldiers, too. We fight for our allies.”
“Absolutely,” Fell vowed, then turned her eyes of glowing conviction to Nolala. “I can’t deny that we’re leaving a heavy portion of the plan up to fate, but operating the portal as Oliver suggested is viable. Unless the Null completely reduced the Bridge base to rubble, we can utilize it. And though the Beacon may be damaged, it can be used to guide us directly to Scintillion.”
I whipped my head around to Fell. “Seriously? You can do that?”
Nodding, she co
ntinued, “Seers in charge of crafting Beacons permanently tie their world origin in the crystal. The exact process is leagues above my knowledge, but if it’s anything like imbuing any crystal, then the process takes a few weeks. Seers collect any Beacons at the end of excursions so they can be reused. The coordinates out can be changed, but the point of origin can’t be.
“By running energy from the artifact through the Beacon first should send us to a Bridge on Scintillion.” A frown crossed Fell’s face. “The damage may not send us there, but it’ll send us to any active Bridge rather than just anywhere in space. Regardless, it can work.”
“Fell,” Wren called with a sharp note in her voice. “Even if the method is mostly sound, Chaparral still lies in dangerous territory.” She paused and leaned over to inspect the maps on the floor. “Even using the tunnel at the southern edge will still put you half a day away.”
“For them, not us,” Nuna interjected suddenly as she scrutinized the maps.
I stared at the young lamia, completely dumbfounded. She looked up from the map, and the faintest traces of a smile tugged on her lips.
“Nuna,” I breathed out, still mostly at a loss. “I can’t ask you to—”
“After what you’ve accomplished, I truly have faith that you can accomplish this,” she interrupted.
Nolala spun Nuna around by her shoulders. “You can’t truly be suggesting—”
“But I am, Mother!” Nuna cried and shook herself out of her grasp. “They’re willing to sacrifice their lives for all of us! Should we just keep them here against their will, or send them off alone when they're striving for the preservation of our people?” She knitted her teeth and looked down at the ground. “We came to be through Yetzirah’s sacrifice. I’m willing to give up my life so the rest our people can go on.”
Nolala stared back at her with a dazed look. The passion and depth within Nuna’s voice and resonated with something deep within me. She truly believed in us— in me.
Shaking off the daze, Nolala reached out to Nuna and gave her shoulder a soft touch.
“But not my only daughter,” Nolala uttered quietly. That small, brittle voice sounded so foreign coming from her.
Bringing her mother’s hand to her face to caress, Nuna said, “I must see them through, Mother. Our people need you to look over them, and I’ll look over our righteous trio. My heart, in all its entirety, believes the key to our salvation is through them. Please. Please give me your word so I don’t disrespect you even more by going against it.”
Swallow a heavy not in her throat, Nolala shed a single tear, then drew in her daughter for a tight hug. “So be it.”
“I’ll help as well!” Sanvi cried as she rose to her full height.
“You can’t,” Wren scolded and tried to pull the dark lamia back. “Your arm still has a week to go before you can even use it properly.”
“I can move and fight easily with one—”
“No, Sanvi,” I called out. She looked back at me with a look of complete betrayal. Facing the sting of her eye head-on, I approached Sanvi. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met, and it would be an honor to have you by my side, but your arm makes you a liability. Conflict is a guarantee. You have no idea how much your willingness means to me, but be honest. Do you think you’ll be able to protect all of us if we’re caught in the thick of it?”
Her lips bunched and her whole body trembled as she warred with her thoughts. Just as her eyes started to spill over, she looked away and forced out a strained, “No.”
Stepping forward, I wrapped my arms around her powerful waist, and then her good arm came around to pull my face into her chest. “Thank you, Sanvi.”
After enjoying Sanvi’s warm hold, I begrudgingly broke away and glanced at the girls. They were standing and looking more than eager to step into hell with me.
Fixing a resolute smirk on my face, I turned to Nolala and Nuna. “Let’s make this last plan the best one.”
Chapter 24
The soft brushing off scales was enough to stir me from the light sleep I managed. I sat up from the bedroll the same time Nuna rounded the corner and stepped inside my room. My stirring was enough to get Meriel, Fell, and Sanvi into the waking world. Sucking in one last breath through my nostrils, I looked to Nuna. She simply nodded, gave a tight smile, then left the way she came.
A strong arm found its way around my neck, and my back sank into a chest I’ve grown to recognize just off of feel.
“So it’s time, huh?” Sanvi whispered into my ear.
Reaching up to rub her forearm, I replied, “Yeah.”
Her hold tightened momentarily, and she pressed her cheek into my hair. She released me, then withdrew her tail that had draped itself over the girls and me sometime in the night. It was surreal to feel her smooth scales dragging across my bare shins, but I’d be a liar to say it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
Meriel and Fell both sat up with a groan. Almost as if they’d rehearsed, they both leaned in and planted a smooch on either of my cheeks before I could even say good morning. After sharing a quick round of smiles, we got out of bed and began to get ready.
Sanvi had busied herself with the light crystals, giving me adequate light to load up. Once my boots were laced up, I got Judge’s pistol holster fastened to the other side of my hip. I reassembled the parts for his pistol and made sure it was in proper order before chambering a round and getting it secured. No sense in leaving any firepower on the table in case the shit hits the fan. My ass was only packing six magazines for my rifle, four between the pistols, a knife, and one M18 smoke grenade to hold off potentially a few thousand monsters.
Through hours of discussing the day prior, it was a safe bet to assume Corruptions won’t be as densely packed in the south-eastern portion of the mountain we were traveling to. The bulk of them should be in the north where the Children of the Null were using them to conquer Elesrora. And a good portion of them should've funneled into the valley after the Marker fell.
If I were a pasty-faced evil wizard that just had my shit rocked, I’d be calling back the hounds, too.
Still, running into more than a dozen will get nasty. But if things go right, we shouldn't be fighting any of them.
Going against previously established rules, it was decided that going out at night would be our best bet. The lamia knew the forests well through hunting, scavenging, and their past travels. We’d be moving mostly blind, but if we couldn’t see the Corruptions, then they wouldn’t be able to see us. Hardly an advantage, but every bit helped. This was going to be a sprint from point A to B.
The distance from the tunnel we were using to the Bridge at the academy was quite a few miles. Had the girls and I just huffed it through the forest, the walk would’ve taken around seven hours. With the help from our lamia mounts, the distance should be less than half.
Should be.
Ensuring all my spare magazines were secured and that my vest was snug, I checked my M4 one last time before turning to the girls. Meriel adjusted the shoulder piece of her leather armor, then ensured her set of daggers were seated properly. Meeting my gaze, she gave a firm nod and a lingering smile that chased away the butterflies in my stomach.
I looked over to Fell and caught the pleasant sight of her tugging the straps of the shirt that pulled her cleave up and together. Feeling my eyes on her, her tail swished behind her once, and she gave a playful shake of her head as she finished fastening two water skins on her hip. With the last of her kit ready, Fell threw her fur cloak over her shoulders.
I slung my rifle and hefted both of my spare rucksacks and gave Sanvi the final OK. Together, we all made our way to the common room. The walk down the great corridor felt especially long, and none of us shared any words.
Though it was in the dead of night, everyone was up and waiting to see us off. Nuna, Tru, and Tes were waiting in the center, armored, outfitted with bows and curved short swords. Tru was an obvious bet since she was willing to risk everything the least time,
but Tes was suggested through Sanvi. She was in the same league as Sanvi and Rabea, having built muscle under her fair skin and years of expertise.
When Nolala announced the plan for everything, more than half of all the Isusi were volunteering to help. Even though this was a mission with a high failure rate, they were all willing to lend their aid. There was a slim chance we’d get a ticket out of here, but that didn’t seem to play into their proud heads.
Nolala was at the center of everything. For once, she looked tired. Sure, all the planning was draining, but the traces of sadness stood out on her matron face like soot on snow. The Isusi valued strength, courage, and compassion. Seeing such qualities present in her daughter no doubt made her proud. Even so, that wasn’t enough to drown out her heartbreak. What mother wouldn't feel that way?
Stopping in front of the Chieftain, I set my rucksacks on the floor and stood at attention for her.
Nolala took her time appreciating the brave trio of lamia, then let her violet eyes roam over Fell and Meriel before finally coming to rest on me. She slithered forward and cupped either side of my face.
“Oliver,” she breathed out, her voice a strange blend of admiration and melancholy. “Words cannot be used to describe to express my gratitude. Never in a million years would I ever expect a way wayward soul such as to accomplish as much as you have.” Her expression stiffened slightly. Tenderly rubbing her thumbs over my cheeks, she went on, “And never would I expect you to impose this tremendous risk upon your shoulders for our sake. All of you.” she added while giving Meriel and Fell a look of praise.
“On behalf of the Isusi, I thank you, and you shall forever have my eternal gratitude.”
Nolala leaned in and gave me a light peck on the lips before pulling me into a powerful embrace that did nothing but feel me with comforting warmth and love. I enjoyed her embrace as long as I could before stepping aside so the girls could receive their respective hugs.
Once Nolala was done squeezing Meriel’s petite frame, she turned to address the lamia accompanying us.
Heart of the Resonant- the Soldier's Tale Page 32