by P R Glazier
Chapter 50. Battle of the Giants
Nar’Allia was standing at one of the desks of the leviathan, the one that controlled the gunnery of the machine, she was trying frantically to familiarise herself with the workings, JDC had shown her weeks before and now she wished she had taken a little more notice. Then she remembered that the guns could be set to automatic, they would play a defensive role not an aggressive one, only responding to a threat or if they were attacked first. But seeing as this was actually happening now, she thought that a defensive role should be good enough. She pulled the switch that she remembered placed the machines weaponry into this role and waited. Soon other noises could be heard, similar to those that the other Leviathan made, but these were coming from their machine. At last they were retaliating! But soon all noise stopped, the silence was unnerving. What had happened?
JDC in the meantime was at the navigational controls. “They have withdrawn. As soon as we fired back they turned chicken and ran!”
They were now forced into playing a game of cat and mouse, trying to locate the dark elven leviathan and at the same time trying to stay away from being detected themselves. Nar’Allia walked over to where JDC stood looking at the controls, beads of sweat were running down his brow, he wiped at it now and again with the sleeve of his jacket.
Nar’Allia spoke. “Alonso is waiting for our metal army on the ground, we need to get them down there or I fear that he will be overrun by the soldiers of the dark elven army.”
JDC replied frantically. “I know. But all the while there is a threat from the dark elven leviathan we daren’t lead them to our easterner friends. They would have double the trouble if they were forced to fight an army on the ground and a terrible onslaught from the air. They would be wiped out in minutes. I think it is better we keep the other machine busy, at least for a while.”
Nar’Allia had to concede that what he said made sense. But she was worried about their ground forces. She thought about the Startmektoken she had witnessed coming through the portal from the dark brethren’s realm.
But then all of a sudden they were engaged in a fire fight once again. The two Leviathan machines battled in the skies above the shroud, broadside after broadside was fired, The ‘thwump, thwump’ noise that the energy cannons made was continuous. But each craft seemed to shrug the relentless onslaught off. Although the craft in which JDC and Nar’Allia flew pitched violently at times and the explosions against the hull were deafening. Occasionally a warning claxon sounded.
“This is not working JDC”, screamed Nar’Allia over the racket of the battle, “we need to end this quickly or Jonas and the easterners will be overrun before long.”
JDC looked at her with furrowed brow.
In answer JDC swung the helm hard over and headed directly for the dark elf leviathan. “Right. Ok we do this the old fashioned way.”
Nar’Allia was suddenly full of dread. “The old fashioned way?” What in the Makers name was JDC going to do now?
But before she could utter her question, he said with a smile and a gleam in his eye. “We board her.”
“How in the Makers name do we do that?” shouted Nar’Allia as she stared at JDC in disbelief, good grief, in the thick of a battle in the skies he wanted to play at pirates!
But JDC just responded by shouting, “arm yourself with that bow of yours Narny, we’ll need its fire power before the end of this.”
Nar’Allia unslung the black bow from her back and touched the quiver now full of the bulbous arrows at her hip.
JDC shouted, as he pushed a button. “That should do it!” Is all he said as he guided Nar’Allia out of the control room and down the corridor. “If we could reach the engine room and place a charge at a critical place we could release the energy within its core and start a catastrophic event that might just tear the insides out of her.”
If they were back in the control room they would have seen that the dark T’Iea leviathan now filled the screen of the forward monitor, it had stopped firing, presumably they were too close together now to risk either vessels friendly fire damaging the vessel that had fired it. Then slowly at first the dark T’Iea leviathan started to reverse. But they were moving too quickly.
It took just seconds to close the gap, there followed a sickening crash, followed by the screaming of tortured metal as the two hulls collided once again and slid against one another. Both Nar’Allia and JDC were thrown to the deck with the jolt of the collision. The deck started to tilt up at an alarming rate.
“Not again!” Thought Nar’Allia.
JDC hauled himself to his feet, “come milady, time to pay our friends a less than courteous visit. Don’t feel you have to dress for the occasion.”
Nar’Allia thought. Just what I need, a mad Pnook intent on destruction cracking jokes as he does so!
They struggled to keep a footing on the sloping deck but at last managed to reach the hull door that would allow them onto the balcony deck, the same place where Nar’Allia had spent many an hour looking down and out at the lands and sea’s they had flown across in the weeks prior to this time. As the door opened smoke billowed around where they stood, screeching noised could be heard the length of the vessel. But through the smoke they could see a large shape close by. JDC moved forward, Nar’Allia followed; they reached the railing that she had so often leaned over to see what passed below, but instead there now was another railing, the one running along the side of the other Leviathan. They both leapt across onto the other vessel and looked for the nearest entrance doorway. It was soon found for them, for a metal door was flung open with a loud clang and four figures moved out onto the balcony deck. Through the smoke Nar’Allia could just make them out, they appeared to be some kind of crew of the vessel for they had no armour about them, they just wore some light weight dirty clothing. For weapons, they carried an assortment of iron bars and items that looked more like tools for working machinery than tools of war.
Nar’Allia drew her blades with some foreboding, she remembered how she had mourned the death of the assassin, she did not want to bring harm to any of her own race again. She breathed deeply and pushed JDC behind her, they stayed close to the vessels hull. Amazingly the four did not seem to have seen them so Nar’Allia crept forward hoping that they might turn and go the other way and a fight would not be necessary. But they did not, the crewman nearest to them turned and they were spotted, with a cry he ran towards them. Nar’Allia had no time to think, no time for remorse for the crewman was swinging some kind of weighty tool that would have crushed Nar’Allia’s brains from her head if she had not first relieved the crewman of his with one of her swords. That was it, the others turned and they were in a fight. Nar’Allia’s concentration was fully on the task at hand, before long four bodies lay upon the deck and she and JDC were free to enter the machine.
Once inside they made sure no other enemy was nearby and started to make their way toward the rear of the craft. As luck would have it, it soon became clear that they had entered the vessel on the very deck where the entrance to the engine room could be found. Nar’Allia had not seen the engine room of their vessel, all she had heard was JDC’s explanation of the workings of the engines, how the motors as he called them controlled many thousands of transducer devices dotted around the hull of the vessel that sensed and controlled the flow of gravity around the Leviathan and in this way could change the polarity of the gravitational field surrounding the hull of the machine. He had likened it to the poles of a magnet, like poles attract, unlike poles repel. She kind of understood the principle, but he had gone on to explain the physics in more detail and her mind had switched off.
Soon they found the correct corridor with ease. As they started down it another two dark T’Iea rounded the junction at the far end, but unlike before these appeared to be soldiers of some kind for they wielded weapons, cruel looking curved swords with serrated edges. They could however see past these soldiers to the main engine room door which was closed. There was
nothing to be done but to fight their way down the corridor in the hope of gaining access to the engine room. This time the fight was harder Nar’Allia took a couple of glancing blows to her chest and upper arms, but the her chainmail kept her from injury. One of the soldiers realised this and ducked beneath her swing, he tried to attack her unprotected legs, as luck would have it just at that moment the machine lurched and he lost his footing and sprawled upon the deck in front of her, she plunged a blade into his back. The other laughed and attacked, Nar’Allia was forced to step back down the corridor under the heavy blows of the soldier’s weapon. So intent was he upon his attack that he seemed to forget all about JDC, or perhaps he didn’t see the diminutive Pnook as any kind of real threat, for he just pushed JDC to one side as he pressed home his attack. Nar’Allia suddenly bumped her back against a wall, she could retreat no further. She faced the last remaining dark elf, he looked into her eyes, then his smile changed to a look of pain and he dropped the sword he was holding and looked down. JDC had picked up the heavy sword of the first soldier and plunged it into the rear of the second soldiers leg. JDC didn’t have the strength to wiled the sword but he had managed to stab the soldier just enough to partially sever some tendons. The soldier turned and limped back down the corridor towards the engine room door, blood spots dropped to the deck.
When the soldier got there he banged upon the door with earnest. Suddenly the door was flung open and he fell inside. Both Nar’Allia and JDC quickened there pace to try and follow him through. But the door was shut once more and they could not open it from the outside. Nar’Allia’s shoulders slumped in defeat, JDC looked frustrated at the door, he kicked it with his foot. Then to their surprise the door did open once more and a vast shape loomed in the doorway.
A massive Ognod stood there, he had an enormous sledge hammer cradled in his arm. Both Nar’Allia and JDC backed up down the corridor as the Ognod came through the engine room door. This was made slightly difficult for him as his great bulk was actually both taller and wider than the doorframe, so he had to stoop and get his shoulders through one at a time. As he finally stooped in the corridor he smiled at them showing the two large canine teeth that made his race look so menacing. Nar’Allia was transfixed for each of the teeth was capped with a golden coloured metal sheath, the creature also had a matching nose ring. He laughed a guttural slow noise, “hur, hur hur,” and raised his hammer, obviously getting ready to charge. But the hammer clanged against the roof of the corridor, the Ognod frowned as he looked towards where his hammer was pressed hard against the metal work.
Nar’Allia took the opportunity whilst the Ognod was distracted to look down beyond him through the open doorway, she could just see the soldier they had chased into the engine room earlier, he was laughing at them whilst he held the door open with his arm and one good leg. He was obviously going to enjoy the spectacle of this fight. Nar’Allia also noticed many flashing lights within the engine room beyond the open doorway, she had a sudden thought. She placed both her swords back into the scabbards at her sides. The Ognod and JDC looked at her in disbelief, but she quickly took the black bow once more from her back and drew an explosive arrow from her quiver. The Ognod frowned, he had guessed her motif, he moved forward as quickly as he could, bringing his hammer round on a horizontal arc. Nar’Allia unceremoniously dropped to the deck to avoid the swinging hammer as it clanged into the wall just to her side.
The Ognod prepared to swing the hammer a second time, but luckily the confining space hampered his efforts. Nar’Allia kneeled up with lightning speed and again notched the arrow she held, then she dropped back down so she was lying flat upon the deck and aimed between the Ognods legs, she drew on the bow and concentrated on the head of the injured soldier who still stood in the engine room doorway. The arrow was released, it sped on its way, it passed right between the legs of the Ognod as he stood legs spread apart once more holding the hammer against the roof, it headed towards the soldier’s smiling face, he suddenly stopped smiling and ducked quickly, the arrow shot through the space where moments earlier the his amused eyes had been. It shot into the engine room. There was a space of time that felt like hours. But then Nar’Allia saw the snaking power that heralded the successful strike of the energy arrow. She heard a few screams of surprise and pain, but this was followed by an ear-splitting explosion from within the engine room. The soldier that had been skulking by the door was blown back through into the corridor; he was closely followed by the engine room door. Both hit the Ognod square between the shoulder blades, the door smashed into the soldier killing him instantly. The giant Ognod didn’t seem to flinch; instead he just turned slowly to see what had hit him. Nar’Allia rose to her knees; she gasped and went to shield her face from what now followed through the engine room door. The Ognod was engulfed in shooting flame coming out from the engine room. Luckily his bulk stopped most of the flames from getting any further. There was a deep throated growl then a howl of pain.
JDC grabbed Nar’Allia’s hand and shouted, “ABANDON SHIP”. He dragged Nar’Allia back along the corridor and ducked around a corner where a corridor connected to the one along which they ran at right angles. As they stood there flames and pink tinted steam shot along the corridor they had just left, past there sanctuary, the heat made their eyes water, but the heat soon died down. All that was left when they peaked around the corner were flaming bits of material stuck to the walls, floor and ceiling, Nar’Allia retched at what she saw covering the walls of the corridor, especially as nothing else could be seen of the Ognod or the dark elf. JDC ran, beckoning Nar’Allia to follow, she didn’t need much encouragement, but she was careful to keep her feet and not touch either wall of the corridor.
As they ran they felt further explosions rock the vessel, twice they were forced to stop for fear of being knocked off their feet. Once they were actually thrown to the deck as the vessel rocked and tilted downwards at one end, but miraculously some automatic navigational control seemed to right it once more and they continued to run. They felt great relief as they ran back out onto the balcony deck, the two leviathans had parted at some time during the proceedings, indeed the dark elf leviathan was sinking slowly towards the ground. They were forced to climb upon the railings and jump up and grab their own vessel, Nar’Allia was just tall enough to grasp the bottom rail of their machines balcony deck, but JDC had no such luck. Just in time Nar’Allia jumped and managed to grasp the rail of their machine with one hand, she then reach back down with her other hand and grabbed onto JDC’s collar. A large explosion wracked the Leviathan, flames shot out of the door way they had moments before come through. The heat of the conflagration could be felt on their backs, JDC was nearest and his breaches started to smoulder. Nar’Allia was spurred on, so she lifted her arm and dragged JDC’s hand up towards the rail on which her other hand held so tightly. He managed to grab it himself, and both of them climbed up and back on board their machine.
They fell to the deck exhausted, but turned and looked beneath the edge of the railing they had just climbed over. The now stricken dark T’Iea machine was increasing the speed of its fall towards the ground. Explosions continued to sound from within. All of a sudden a gigantic explosion rocked the vessel, all the balcony deck doors along both sides were blasted open, most completely off their hinges and they shot out from the machine followed by white hot flames. Nar’Allia felt appalled at the destruction that must be occurring within the machine. Then as if to confirm her thoughts, cracks appeared in the upper hull, they seemed to snake across the Leviathans back like an egg cracking under the persistent pressure exerted from the new life within. Nar’Allia found herself hoping that no life survived within the Leviathan for the furnace that must be burning within it …. well it didn’t bear thinking about. Some of the cracks seemed to join together and eventually the strength of the hull failed and it fractured right across from one side to the other. The machine seemed to fold in half slowly until the front portion was pointing vertically downwards even as
the rear half started to tilt in the opposite direction. With a rending squeal the hull split in two and both halves hung in space slowly separating before the residual power that remained within the machine failed and the front half crashed downward through the air at an increasing speed, whilst the rear half that still contained vestiges of power slowly sank downwards. They had to duck back against the inside wall of their machine for the heat from the stricken vessel could be felt from where they were. The rear half of the stricken Leviathan hit the ground some sixty metres away from the front with a noise like a clap of thunder. Fires burned around both halves of the stricken craft as JDC and Nar’Allia tore their gaze from the spectacle and staggered back inside, they headed back to the control room of their vessel.