by Aleks Canard
‘We’ll see.’
Serena hugged Valentine tight. She walked back onto the Red Queen. The docking mechanisms retracted. Serena punched it to ultrasonic then transitioned to hyperspace. The Fox was left alone.
‘You forbid her from coming, didn’t you?’ Trix said.
‘The situation isn’t dire enough yet. Besides, I don’t even know what we’re up against. Serena can handle gangbangers with her eyes closed. Magic is another matter.’
‘And not one to be trifled with,’ Altayr interjected. ‘As I was telling Trix before, Elementals stand guard at the vault.’
‘Never killed one of those before. Sounds interesting.’
‘You must be mad.’
‘No, sorcerer, worse. I’m bored. Trust me, don’t ever let yourself become bored. Let’s get this ship into gear, Sif. We have things to do.’
‘Take us out,’ Trix said.
The Fox entered hyperspace. Headed for the Transfer. From there, the trio could reach the Golden Fields.
What they didn’t know was that someone else had the same idea.
Endure the Elements
1
Drion was similar to Earth in a lot of ways.
One major difference was that it had rings like the ones around Saturn. This meant the weather changed significantly. The tides, for instance, were no longer affected by the moon as the rings uniformed its gravitational pull.
The rings also made for impressive sights from the planet’s surface — provided you weren’t too close to the equator. They could almost always be seen because Drion never became any darker than twilight. The reason for this was that the rings were made from incandescent crystal. Scientists hypothesised that Drion had a crystal moon once, in addition to its rock one that still orbited the planet. Light absorbed by, then transmitted from the rings, meant that darkness simply didn’t exist. Although, Drion’s residents were treated to three sunsets a day: once when the sun passed by the rings’ top layer, then the bottom layer, and finally, the horizon.
Even daylight looked different to normal, since the refraction of light from the crystal rings caused spectacular patterns, making it look like stars were always visible in the sky.
Many people from all different races called Drion home for these reasons. Except for corrachs. The weather was too balmy for their liking. Tropical forests stretched for miles, and beachfront cities were commonplace. Unlike, Nuallar, it had next to no deserts. High rainfall and constant sunlight meant vegetation flourished like no other planet. Nothing flourished on Nuallar now. But Nuclear winters tended to have that effect.
Trix found herself thinking of Kyra as she positioned the ship in orbit. It was on Drion that Kyra, Oni No. 88, had crash landed. Her pod had been damaged as it left Mair Ultima’s atmosphere. Instead of landing in the jungle, she crashed into the ocean. Her flotation devices failed to deploy. Kyra had been approaching the bottom of the Twilight Zone when she’d busted her pod open.
Good thing she did, Trix mused, thinking back on past adventures with the Oni Three.
Trix started circling Drion once she was in orbit. The rings looked so perfect you could ice skate on them. Of course, they weren’t really a uniform surface. And skating in zero gravity wasn’t possible. But the image was nice.
‘When space grows cold,
and your bones doth yield,
journey, oh weary one,
to the Golden Fields.
There on Drion,
land of undying sun,
beauty’s rife, second to none,’ Valentine said.
‘One of yours?’ said Trix.
‘From one of my lesser known poetry compilations. Can’t say any of them sold particularly well. According to some rather spirited people in the streets, they make excellent doorstops. Toilet paper in a pinch. Kindling, too’
‘Gags, perhaps?’ Altayr said.
‘Come now, sorcerer. I didn’t think you’d be into anything so perverted.’
‘Where am I setting us down?’ Trix said.
‘I can tell from your voice that you’re anxious, Trixie.’
‘Don’t call me that.’
‘Something has you spooked.’
‘Nadira not so subtly indicated that other people are interested in the Uldarian Mirrors. I’d rather reach them before we had more trouble on our hands.’
‘My gun barrel’s ice cold. We don’t have any trouble yet.’
‘No doubt that’ll change as soon as our boots hit the surface. Altayr, where am I going?’
‘The last time the Conclave performed maintenance on the vault, I wasn’t a member. But they’ve talked about it since. I know it’s underground. Undetectable to magic and technical scans. From what I’ve gathered, you can only enter by teleporting.’
‘That’s one way to keep robbers out,’ Valentine said.
‘Whenever the Conclave speaks about Drion, they always mention a specific drink. Triple Halo Cider. And there’s only one place that sells it. Northfall. A subtropical hamlet to the east of the Serpent’s Eye.’
Altayr tapped on his gauntlet. Coordinates appeared on the Fox’s HUD. So did aerial pictures. The Serpent’s Eye was actually two mountain ranges, split by a valley with a river running through the centre. The river turned into a waterfall at a place called Basilisk’s Bluff to the south. The river was sourced from a great lake, further north.
The Valkyrie had been to Drion before. The balmy climate and constant sunshine made it a haven for lizards, and all reptilian monsters. Some kalariks who had escaped Nuallar sought asylum on Drion, though they were mainly shunned from big cities.
‘Doesn’t look like there’s a lot of space to land,’ Trix said, surveying some shots Sif was putting on the HUD. ‘The nearest city is almost a hundred kilometres away. And Northfall’s dock can only accommodate shuttles.’
‘In Meteor Brigade, we had another word for landing. Falling.’
‘If you land in the city, I can teleport us into Northfall,’ Altayr said.
‘I’d rather not alert anyone to our presence if I can help it. Dark’s Hide’s full of spies. And not all of them belong to Nadira. Just because we used her private hangar doesn’t mean no-one saw us.’
Trix weighed up the options. Drion was owned by the Psygotas, Zireans, and Humans, in equal shares. Corrachs had no interest as no precious metals had ever been unearthed in great quantities.
‘We’re going to jump.’
‘That’s what I like to hear,’ Valentine said, clapping his hands together. He pushed a button on his comms gauntlet. Metallic gloves covered his hands. A black visor blocked out his face. He zipped up his jacket. ‘What’d you think, sorcerer, can you make the jump? You can stay here if you like.’
‘How about we race to the bottom?’ Altayr said.
‘And the prize for winning?’
‘You may say you’re faster than a sorcerer.’
‘And if you win?’
‘Winning will give me pleasure enough, but I won’t say no to a drink.’
‘You’re on,’ Valentine said, shaking Altayr’s hand.
‘Sif, position us right in front of the sun,’ Trix said. She stood. Went to the armoury. ‘We’ll use its glare to make sure we approach unseen.’
‘I’ll keep the ship in low orbit to monitor all chatter coming out of Northfall. I’ll also alert you to any inbound ships.’
‘That’s why you’re the best, Sif.’
Trix slipped her glide-suit over her armour. It was barely noticeable once she got it on. She debated wearing the thrusters. She wasn’t going in hot. No point in having extra manoeuvrability. If Trix needed it, she’d just use magic.
Altayr and Valentine were waiting in the cargo bay. Altayr had created a charm around his face so he wouldn’t be battered by the wind. Valentine was checking his guns. His time in the army had enforced stringent weapon maintenance habits that remained to this day. Even if his clothes were filthy, and his face unshaven, his guns would be as clean as the day they
were made.
‘Try not to kill yourselves in this race, boys,’ Trix said, activating her new helmet with a thought. Her golden visor shone in the cargo bay’s dim lighting.
‘I think Mr Valentine should be worried about keeping up with a sorcerer.’
‘I’ve jumped out of aircraft more times than you’ve polished your rod, wizzy. Take that whatever way you will.’
‘Standby to drop in three…’ Sif began counting down.
Trix rolled her shoulders back. Tilted her neck side to side.
Sif’s countdown terminated.
The loading ramp opened.
2
Each member of the trio had a different disembarking method.
Valentine charged for the loading ramp like a bull. His bionic legs propelled him nearly as fast as Trix. He hit the edge then jumped off, forward flipping with an expert diver’s grace. Valentine still skydived regularly. It brought back fond memories. But now that he was doing it with a purpose in mind, he was elated.
Meteor Brigade’s motto, DEVILS COME FROM ABOVE, echoed in Valentine’s head as he followed the path on his HUD. Sif had calculated a trajectory that would land them on a dirt road to Northfall’s south-west.
Trix shot from the Fox horizontally. She twirled a couple of times for the hell of it. She was coming up on Valentine. Gravity increased around her. The Valkyrie overtook the author.
‘You want to play?’ Valentine said over comms.
‘Machinas don’t play. Just win.’
That was when Altayr came past. He was going so fast that his slipstream threw the others off course.
‘Son of a bitch,’ Valentine said.
Altayr spread himself out wide. He brought his staff in front of him. A portal opened in the air. He entered. The portal closed.
‘That’s cheating.’
Altayr’s voice came over the comms. ‘For it to be cheating, poet, it would have to be against the rules. Rules which you failed to stipulate.’
‘Was it wrong for me to assume a gentleman and a sorcerer would engage in fair competition?’
‘No, but it was naïve.’
‘Alright, I concede. Next time you won’t be so lucky.’
‘And is that not luck’s very definition?’
Altayr ended the transmission. Trix slowed up so she was beside Valentine.
‘That sorcerer’s an egregious twat. I like him.’
‘He’s not overly fond of you,’ Trix said.
‘He’ll warm up to me.’
‘He thinks we have history.’
‘We do, but not the kind he’s worried about.’
‘You made the mistake of befriending me first. Maybe if I hadn’t seen all your tricks I would’ve fallen for one.’
‘That was no mistake, machina.’
‘What, I’m not your type?’
‘You’re confident, kickass, and like to drink. Of course you’re my type. But I have a nasty habit of not being able to maintain friendships once I’ve wrestled beneath the sheets. Or against the wall.’
‘Still doesn’t mean you’re my type.’
‘Am I too handsome?’
‘I don’t go for losers.’
‘I’m no—’
Trix cast a gravity spell, leaving Valentine frozen in the sky behind her. She could feel the G-forces increasing. She streamlined her body. Trix was coming down low over the jungle.
‘Trix, what’s the point of making a flightpath if you’re not even going to follow it?’ Sif said.
‘I’m getting there.’
The Valkyrie’s HUD blared red. Low altitude warning.
‘I swear, Trix, don’t make me override your controls. If you hit the ground at this speed, I die too.’
‘Like I’ve said before, you can stay in the ship.’
‘You wouldn’t last a day without me. And on that note, pull up, damn it.’
Trix smiled. She spread her arms and her legs. Plasma wings formed in the gaps. Her movement slowed. She did a loop, then a barrel-roll.
‘Don’t do it,’ Sif said.
‘Do what?’
‘You know what.’
‘I’m gonna do it.’
‘Sometimes I wish you’d never bought me.’
Trix deviated from the dirt road and entered the trees. Vines whipped past. Branches went over and under. Two trees were approaching fast. Their trunks were too close to fly between with Trix’s glide-suit.
Solution? Ditch the suit.
The machina brought her arms in close, powering down her wings. She shot like an arrow through the gap. Plummeting to the floor. But Trix wasn’t aiming for the ground. She was aiming for the bottom of a vine. She was going to need maximum trajectory to reach the road again.
Trix caught the vine. It held her weight. She swung using a gravity spell. Altered her direction. Her feet found a tree trunk. She ran along it, using magic to make it seem like she was running on the ground. Her choker made casting spells on herself require almost no effort at all. Trix did a triple flip through the trees, landing right behind Altayr. She hit the dirt so silently Dai of Thyria would’ve been proud.
The Valkyrie looked to the sky. Valentine was coming in. The sun blinded her somewhat. But her visor was made to be used in space. In a sense, it was like the ultimate pair of sunglasses.
‘How’s he going to stop?’ Altayr said.
‘You’ll see.’
Valentine spread his arms. Wings came out of his jacket, slowing him down greatly. But he would still die if he hit the ground without further decreasing his speed.
The author flipped so he was descending legs first. The back of his trousers and his boots opened. What looked like huge calf muscles were actually thrusters. He’d timed it perfectly. He looked like he was walking on air as he approached the ground. His jacket deflated. His feet hit the dirt road like someone stepping off a boat.
‘Would you believe the UNSC wouldn’t let me keep my Meteor Brigade armour?’ Valentine said. Trix was amused. Not because of Valentine’s smooth entrance. She’d seen that before. It was his heart that impressed the Valkyrie. Most people’s heartrate elevated considerably during skydives, even with experience. Valentine’s never rose above sixty.
‘I can’t imagine why.’
‘Something about not entrusting expensive military hardware in the hands of a retiree who they deemed to be potentially mentally unstable.’
‘Yet they offered you the chance to be a Spartan.’
‘You ever met one of those meatheads? If they are stable, they’re not much good at their job.’
‘Northfall lies ahead,’ Altayr said, looking up the road.
‘I’ve been to Drion countless times, yet never ventured any further than Elysium.’
Elysium was Drion’s human capital city. A playground for wealthy individuals who enjoyed beaches, high-end retail, and gambling. It was much like Dark’s Hide, only you had far less chance of being shot. It didn’t stink either.
‘You’ll find that Northfall doesn’t have any of Elysium’s comforts.’
‘It has a pub. That’s all the comfort I need,’ Valentine said. He retracted his visor. ‘There’s nothing like fresh air.’ He lit a cigarillo.
‘Not when you’re smoking,’ Trix said.
Breeze blew over the trees. Trix’s medallion vibrated nigh on imperceptibly. She looked at Altayr.
‘Did you feel that?’
‘Something isn’t right here.’ The sorcerer opened a portal. ‘Come, we don’t have time to walk.’
‘I hate portals.’
‘You must learn to be more adventurous, darling,’ Valentine said, walking towards the portal then letting himself fall in backwards. Unlike most people, Valentine didn’t use darling as a condescending term. He only used it when talking to Trix and Serena. His wasted heart cared for them like nobody else.
Trix walked through the portal. It was like being separated, then put together by being spun around on a centrifuge. Objects slammed into place around h
er. She was outside a stone wall. Valentine was leaning against it. His face was white.
‘And how’s being adventurous working out for you?’
Valentine vomited just as Altayr came through the portal. ‘Most people faint on their first go.’
‘Give me a minute, wizzy. I still might.’
Trix’s nose wrinkled. She retracted her helmet. ‘I smell blood. Gunfire wafts through the air like smoke from a fire.’
‘The town looked fine from the sky,’ Valentine said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He was holding his cigarillo in his left hand. He stomped it into the ground. Trix was seldom wrong. She could sense danger better than any magic charm. Maybe she attracted it, catalysed perilous situations, bringing them to a head with naught but her presence.
The author reactivated his visor. His was fitted with enhanced scanning technology which gave him an exact readout of enemy shields, and a rough estimation of armour integrity. Useful for making critical hits. But with Heartbreaker, every hit was critical. Its tungsten cased bullets ripped battle-armour to shreds. He drew both weapons. Knelt to the ground. He always said a prayer before entering battle. More like the Meteor Brigade’s mantra. Old habits, and all that.
We fall, no longer angels, but devils. May the fires that burn us strengthen our resolve, and set our enemies aflame.
Valentine stood up.
‘Even you may look fine from afar, old friend,’ Trix said.
Altayr put his scarf up over his face, pulling his hat low. As a political advisor, it wasn’t wise to be seen partaking in illegal activities. Thankfully for him, he could make people forget their memories with a spell.
‘You think trouble’s still here?’ Altayr said.
Trix drew her sword. Upward flowers sang in agreement.
The machina walked around the corner. Into town.
The sorcerer and the author followed.
Well, that explained why Trix could smell blood.
2
Bodies were frozen in time.
Death had come for them all. Carcasses were riddled with bullets. Heads had blown outwards. Snub-nosed slugs. Maximum impact. Maximum mess. A few guns were cold on the ground. Trix picked one up. Sniffed the barrel. It’d been fired maybe an hour ago. Hard to say. The people of Northfall had fought against the invaders.