by S. S. Segran
While Jag took stock of the man’s scrawny build, the worker stared down his nose at the teenager and sneered. Still holding his wrist, he started toward Jag.
“Don’t move!” Jag barked, keeping the weapon leveled. He was tempted to pull the trigger and end it right there. He tried to convince himself that this was no different from the deranged wolves he’d shot, but something deep inside held him back. He eased his finger off the trigger. “Hit the ground,” he snapped.
The worker ignored him. Jag fired at the ground in front of the man’s feet. The man jumped back. “Hit the ground,” Jag repeated, a threat in his tone.
Seeing the steely look in the teenager’s eyes, the man complied and slowly knelt. Jag pulled out his last immobilizing dart from his pocket. Keeping the pistol pointed at the worker’s head, he plunged the barb into the young man’s back. The man went limp and buckled face-down on the dirt. Jag tossed the gun aside and slapped an active vine on the workers hands. The vine curled around and locked itself on his wrists.
Jag took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fingers. The Elders’ words of wisdom regarding the responsibility that came with power echoed within the confines of his mind, and he was thankful that he’d gotten through the encounter without losing his humanity.
His thoughts were broken by the resumption of airborne gunfire. He dove for cover behind the miners’ barracks and looked from around the corner. The nacelles of the aircraft were positioned vertically as the plane hovered like a helicopter. A spray of bullets hailed down from the open ramp at the back of the plane.
What are they shooting at? Jag wondered as he lowered his gaze. His heart stopped for a moment when he saw Tayoka sprinting amidst the rubble toward him, ducking and weaving to avoid the projectiles. Jag yelled and waved his arms, urging his mentor to hurry.
As the Elder closed in on Jag’s location, gouts of earth erupted behind him as bullets struck the ground. With unbelieving eyes Jag watched as Tayoka lurched forward, stumbling a few paces before landing on the dirt. Jag shoved his knuckles into his mouth to keep from crying out as he watched. He forced himself to hold his position until the ramp-end of the plane swung away, then sprinted out of cover toward his mentor.
Aari and Tegan, crouched just inside the mess hall, had also caught sight of the Elder’s fall. They heard Jag’s muffled scream and saw him run toward his mentor. Tegan yanked at Aari’s arm and the two raced after their friend. As they reached Tayoka, with Jag kneeling beside him, they could see blood soaking the Elder’s white-and-red tunic from the injury in his back. Jag placed two fingers on his mentor’s neck and felt a faint pulse. He slammed his fist against the ground, carving out a crater.
“Is he still alive?” Tegan murmured.
“Barely.”
Aari looked up at the Osprey. “We need to get him out of here. The plane’s going to turn back soon.”
“Take care of him,” Jag said, an edge in his words as he stood up.
Tegan caught the look in his eyes. “What are you—”
“Just get him to safety,” he cut her off. Turning, he sprinted in the direction of the plane. He heard his friends shouting his name but his mind was set and he was not turning back.
Inside the sniper’s office, Saiyu and Mariah faced the muzzle of the weapon with astonishment. They hadn’t expected to be intercepted so quickly. Saiyu instinctively shoved Mariah to a corner of the room. Forced to choose a target, the sniper pointed his weapon at the Elder while keeping a close eye on the girl.
Mariah watched the man as he spat at Saiyu. “Filthy savages. You’ve destroyed everything and killed my men.”
Gathering courage to respond, Mariah said, “Your workers are mostly just immobilized. And we really didn’t mean for the others to—to die. That was not the plan.”
The man stared at her, perplexed that she spoke English, then snapped his attention back to Saiyu. Unadulterated fury burned in his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. You’ve destroyed months of my hard work.”
As his finger moved to fire the weapon, he caught a motion to his right and turned in time to see the crystal sculpture of Rasputin hurtling through the air toward him. It smashed into his face, breaking his nose on impact. He fell back, hitting his head on the desk behind him. The desk toppled over, its drawers sliding out and sending papers flying.
Mariah strode up to Saiyu’s side, scowling down at the sniper. The Elder gave her apprentice a tight squeeze on the arm for her quick thinking, then removed an active vine from her sash and went to tie the gunman up.
As she approached him, the sniper shook his head and grabbed a revolver that had fallen out of the desk. With blood dripping down his face, he pointed the weapon at the Elder for a second before turning it on Mariah and pulling the trigger.
Mariah heard the bang and squeezed her eyes shut. She thought her life was over as she covered her head in a feeble attempt to protect herself. Two heartbeats later, she realized she was still standing. Lowering her arms and opening her eyes, she saw a scene that appeared frozen in time.
No more than six inches from her face, the bullet hung in midair. The gunman rubbed his eyes in incredulity. As the bullet dropped with a clatter, Mariah looked at her mentor. Fierce anger was scrawled across Saiyu’s face as she brought the full force of her power to bear. Mariah had never seen the Elder in such a rage.
The sniper raised his hand to fire another round but found himself being lifted from the ground and smashed into the ceiling. He dropped back to the floor in a daze before being picked up and smashed into the ceiling once more. Upon being released for the second time, the man plunged to the ground, screaming all the way. For the finale, he was lifted up with such tremendous force that he crashed through the ceiling, leaving him stuck with his head and shoulders exposed through the roof. He shouted obscenities at the top of his lungs, unable to comprehend the force that had buffeted him into humiliation.
Mariah gawked at her mentor as Saiyu sent a telepathic message to Nageau, informing him of the sniper’s position. The Elder glanced at Mariah and smiled. Together, they grinned at the wriggling legs of the man before he went limp as someone from Nageau’s team shot him with a dart.
Sprinting at an inhuman speed, Jag’s blurred figure tore across the mining site toward the plane as it swung back around. Leaping onto the roof of the steel building that housed the beasts and using it as a springboard, he bounded off and propelled straight toward the open ramp of the plane. Traversing a distance of a hundred and twenty feet within seconds, he smashed headlong into the man at the gun and sent him tumbling backwards toward the cockpit. The co-pilot sat up, stunned by the hit, and struggled to pick himself up. A figure charged at him from the ramp. He managed to yell a warning to the pilot before receiving a whirling kick to his helmet that floored him.
Jag, having no darts left, tried to knock the man unconscious. The pilot glanced back and, seeing his colleague under attack, tilted the plane violently. Jag was thrown off balance and crashed into a bulkhead. Seizing his opportunity, the co-pilot whipped out his pistol to shoot but lost his footing and fell toward the teenager as the plane leveled out.
Still holding onto the gun, he had barely gotten his feet under him when Jag tackled him back down. They rolled toward the ramp, tussling, fighting for the upper hand. They were two yards from the edge when the co-pilot gained control and stopped their tumble. He sat over Jag and struck the teenager across the head with his weapon. The sharp pain stunned Jag but he gnashed his teeth, pushing through. Using both hands, he grabbed the man’s arm that wielding the gun.
The co-pilot turned his wrist and slowly started to point the pistol toward Jag. He was a blink away from squeezing the trigger when Jag torqued his wrist. Three shots fired in rapid succession into the cockpit. The man furiously swung his other arm, punching the teenager’s ear. Jag yelped. Gathering his strength, he kicked the man over his head and out the ramp. Realizing what he’d done a second too late, he flipped over and tried to grab the co-pil
ot, but the man was already out of reach. Jag screwed his eyes shut. Unable to bear the sight, he picked himself up and headed toward the cockpit.
Aari and Tegan were tending to Tayoka behind the barracks, one on either side of the Elder. Tegan sat back, her head in her hands. “We can’t handle this on our own,” she growled. “We need the Elders.”
“Would you like to step into a shower of bullets and go look for them?” Aari asked exasperatedly.
“Then what do you suggest?” she snapped back. “He needs help!”
“I know, I know,” he groaned, rubbing his forehead. “I—”
He halted midsentence, eyes bulging. Tegan paled at his expression and slowly traced his line of sight toward the end of the building. Her nails dug into the dirt. “You have got to be kidding,” she whispered.
Forty feet away, one of the beasts was staring at them, head down, back arched. Seeing it had lost the element of surprise, it burst into a full sprint, covering ten feet with each stride.
Aari and Tegan wanted to back away but were frozen in horror with the animal moments away from them. As it made its final leap, all paws in the air, a colossal shadow flew across the beast’s trajectory and bulldozed the creature into the building, demolishing an enormous part of the wall.
A thunderous roar made the very air around them quake. Aari and Tegan covered their ears as they stared, agape, at the humongous shape of their muscle-bound savior. Rearing up, the black-furred bear stood at three-quarters of the height of the two-story building. It was the largest animal they had ever seen. It turned to look at them with a curious gleam in its dark eyes, and for some inexplicable reason the friends felt their fear wash away.
Shaking itself off, the relentless beast emerged from the damaged building but wasn’t fast enough to surprise the bear. In spite of its massive size the bear turned swiftly and smashed an enormous paw into the side of the creature, sending the beast hurtling through the tree line. Undaunted, the beast rebounded and raced back. It leapt, maw wide open, instinctively going for its adversary’s throat. Its massive jaws clamped around the bear’s scruff and its momentum pushed the bigger animal down. The bear countered by rolling over the creature, crushing it against the ground.
Getting back up, the furious bear stood over the beast and swiped its paw over the animal’s face. The beast’s head snapped back and a gurgling howl escaped it. The bear leaned down, peering at its foe, then swung its other paw with incredible force. There was a sickening crack as the animal’s head twisted around at an odd angle and the beast went still.
Tegan and Aari leaned closer to each other, shaking. The bear looked up at them and the two gazed back with guarded gratitude. Dipping its massive head, the bear lumbered away.
Poking Aari’s arm, Tegan started to whisper “That must be a Guar—” when another roar reverberated from the other side of the building. The bear raised its head, alert, then broke into a run and rounded the barracks toward the center of the mining site.
Nageau’s team witnessed a silver-furred Guardian squaring off against three beasts by the rubble of the vehicle shed. Two of the animals clambered onto the bear’s back and another fixed its jaws around its adversary’s throat. The weight of all three pulled the immense creature to the ground.
As Nageau watched, Ashack’s voice entered his head. She is awake, Nageau.
Nageau immediately linked with his mate. Tikina!
Hello, beloved. He could almost hear the smile in her tired thought.
How are you feeling? How bad is the wound?
It hurts, but Ashack has done the best he could with all that he has.
We will get you properly cared for soon, I promise. Nageau paused when he heard the silver-furred bear roar. You managed to summon the Guardians? How?
It was not easy. If only I had more energy. Tikina paused to sigh. I only managed to call on two.
From around the side of the barracks, the black Guardian loped toward the first, ripping one of the beasts from its companion’s back and flinging it into the only vehicle that remained standing at the demolished shed. The beast crashed into the truck, obliterating the windshield, and slid off the hood.
Nageau followed the bears’ movements, exultant. Thank you, Tikina.
Let us pray the Guardians will be the saving grace we need.
Nageau said a tender goodbye and linked back with Ashack. Though he found it difficult to ask the other Elder to leave his mate, he knew Tayoka was in dire need of assistance. Ashack, Tayoka is down. You must help him.
Tayoka? The alarm in Ashack’s tone was discernible. What happened?
He was shot. I do not know his condition but he did not seem responsive.
I will take care of it. Where is he?
Behind the building you are in. Tegan and Aari have moved him there.
Understood. Ashack severed the link.
Kody tore his gaze away from the large bears battling the beasts. “Are those the Guardians?” he asked, breathless with awe.
Nageau managed a smile. “Yes.”
“One of them looks like it’s having trouble. Should we help?”
Shaking his head, Nageau responded, “It is best not to interfere.” He faced the rest of his team. “Take every last miner out, and let the Guardians take care of the beasts.”
The men nodded and readied their weapons once more.
Kody looked back down at the fight. “I sure wouldn’t want to get tangled with that,” he said, shivering.
The pilot of the Osprey was struggling with the flight controls as Jag closed in on him. A plume of smoke trailed toward the roof of the cockpit from the control panel. Jag only had time to deduce that the shots fired into the cockpit earlier had caused the damage before the pilot saw him. His face twisting, the man jerked the nose of the plane up. The aircraft tipped skyward almost instantaneously. Jag was thrown backwards and tumbled all the way to the ramp. He tried to reach for something to hold on to but his flailing arms couldn’t find anything to grab and he started sliding to the back of the plane.
At the very last moment his fingers caught a groove at the end of the ramp and gripped it tightly, gasping. He looked down and regretted it instantly. The site lay about two hundred feet below his dangling feet with the plane hovering erratically at an awkward angle. Huffing, Jag used all his strength to haul himself back onto the ramp, only managing to get one foot over.
The pilot was having difficulty leveling the plane after the pitch. Acrid smoke had filled the cockpit. Coughing, he waved the smoke away, revealing a fire that had broken out in the control panel. The plane was losing altitude. With a sinking feeling he continued to fight the controls but the plane refused to respond.
“Come on!” he barked. “Raise your big butt off this friggin’ mountain!”
Atop Ayen’et, Kody noticed the plane wobbling from side to side. He watched the nacelles of the aircraft tilt forward as the pilot executed a desperate attempt to gain forward momentum. The Osprey was losing altitude and Kody watched powerlessly as it slowly drifted past the landing pad.
His attention was jarred back to the mining site by two distinctive roars. The black-furred Guardian that had rushed from behind the miners’ barracks tore the second beast away from its comrade’s throat. It smashed the creature against the ground a few times. The beast kicked out, sinking its claws into the bigger animal’s muzzle. The Guardian shook its head to throw the creature off but couldn’t. Using its full strength, the beast pulled up with its front paws digging into the bear’s muzzle and leapt over the Guardian’s head onto its back, then clamped down into the base of the bear’s neck. The Guardian twisted and bucked but its assailant clung on. The beast pierced and tore through the bear’s thick fur until the Guardian gave a furious shake of its massive body and the beast skidded off.
In a fraction of a second the bear had the smaller animal pinned. The Guardian reared up, glaring at its foe. Before the creature could escape, the bear crashed down with its full weight, crushing the bea
st’s skull under its humongous paws. The Guardian cautiously lifted its paws and stared at the animal’s pulverized head before swiping the carcass aside.
The silver-furred Guardian had gotten to its feet and attempted to shove aside the beast that hung onto it. Tearing away at the bear’s face with its claws, the beast grazed the larger creature over its eye. Momentarily blinded, the Guardian took a couple of steps back, bellowing. The beast found its chance and rushed for the bear’s throat. The Guardian stood on its hind legs and tried to tear the animal away. Its comrade, fresh from its victory, barged over and ripped the beast away. The Marauder held onto the silver Guardian with its teeth for as long as it could before relenting.
Falling onto the dirt, the beast whimpered and scurried off. The bears were instantly on its tail, carrying their massive weight at an astounding speed. They split around the animal in a pincer maneuver, effectively trapping it. Realizing it was cornered, the beast threw everything it had left into the fight and lunged at the black-furred Guardian. The bear dipped its head and rammed the beast toward the other Guardian, who picked it up by its scruff and banged it against the ground twice before severing the creature’s neck in its bone-crushing jaws.
A roar sounded some distance from the Guardians. The bears turned to face the last surviving beast, the one that the silver Guardian had thrown against the truck. The Guardians roared back, drowning out the other creature’s call of warning, and advanced toward the beast.
Nageau, Kody and the rest of the team observed the spectacular encounter in silence. To Kody, it felt as though he was watching two titanic forces clash in the battle of the century.
As the Guardians made their way toward the beast, Kody’s eyes inadvertently drifted back toward the Osprey in its unsteady flight. He sat rigid, watching with growing dread as the plane drifted toward the tree tops. He could see Jag hanging perilously from the ramp, trying to clamber back into the aircraft.