A howl went up across the field as several hundred ghouls fell dead. Thousands remained, but a palpable chill went through the Legion. The ghouls had never seen such marksmanship, and the onslaught caught them by surprise. The Tal’mar targeted their eyes, launching arrow after arrow straight into the brains of the unprepared Legionnaires. One after another, they began to drop.
The arrival of the knights and the Tal’mar brought an immediate change to the battle. Suddenly, the forlorn infantrymen of the alliance saw that the tide of battle was beginning to turn. This brought a renewed vigor, and before long they were pushing south, deeper into the Legion. At the same time, ghouls were beginning to flee. They were shocked by the fearlessness and devastating strength of the Dragonwall militiamen, and the ghouls had no way of defending themselves against the Tal’mar arrows.
Back on the Skyhart, Rowena and the others watched in stunned silence. “I can’t believe it,” Rowena said. “We might actually win this thing.”
As their captain broke the silence, the crewmen lifted their rifles into the air and cheered. River glanced down at Micah, and found him grinning up at her. In a matter of minutes, the situation seemed to have gone from hopeless defeat to all but certain victory. Already, the Legion command had begun to falter. Foot soldiers were fleeing the battlefield. Those who remained were dropping like flies.
Then, somewhere in the mountains to the east, there was an explosion. There was a flash of light and a booming sound that seemed to roll out in waves. The ground shook beneath the soldiers’ feet, so vigorously that many dropped to their knees. The explosion reverberated across the landscape. River couldn’t tell if it was the noise that set the Skyhart rocking, or the hot wind that accompanied it, but it left her head dizzy and her ears ringing.
The booming went on for some time, like a series of explosions, but it may have been the sound of one explosion echoing across the Badlands. When it finally subsided, a surreal silence seemed to descend upon them. The humans, ghouls, Tal’mar and giants alike all stood frozen in their places. They gazed to the east in fear and confusion, staring at the rising plume of smoke and fire that seemed to crowd into the very heavens. The battle had come to a complete halt, and the only muffled sound they heard was the rush of wind moving across the plains.
Then, it began to rain. When the first few drops hit River’s skin, it felt like normal raindrops. The scent that came to her nostrils however, was familiar and intense. She glanced down and saw the unmistakable milky color of the liquid puddling on the deck. Her eyes widened. She spun, staring at Rowena. The captain gave her a confused look.
Suddenly, River was moving around the command deck, shouting at anyone who would listen to get out of the rain. Rowena caught her by the arm. “What is it?” the captain said. “What’s wrong?”
River’s eyes were wide, the look on her face almost terrified. “Starfall,” she said under her breath. “It’s starfall. We have to get inside!”
Rowena’s jaw dropped. It took half a second to process this information. “Inside!” she bellowed. “Move it, move it!”
In seconds, they were all below deck, panting and listening to the pitter-patter of starfall raining down from the heavens. River went over to one of the windows to get a look at the battlefield. She saw the knights and foot soldiers below covering themselves with shields and cloaks. She saw men clambering to get into the overturned battlewagons and tanks. All around them, she saw the ghouls gazing up at the sky in disbelief.
For a moment, all was silent. Then, one by one, the ghouls began to cheer. They turned their faces upward, sticking out their tongues to lap up the tainted water. They roared with laughter. They stripped off their helms and gauntlets and held their hands in the air, letting the toxic liquid run in rivulets down their arms. Then, almost in unison, they drew their weapons and fell on their helpless enemies.
Chapter 29
River sank to her knees as the saw the Legion warriors turn on the allies. For the mortals, starfall was poison. It must be avoided at all costs. For the ghouls, it was an elixir. The element’s wild energy restored their strength and fortified their decaying bodies. They fell upon the allies with vigor, and it was a slaughter. It was all River could do not to weep as she saw the butchery taking place on the battlefield below. She was helpless to do anything but watch.
The Skyhart had begun to drift, and Rowena used the communication pipes to order corrections to the engine room. For a time, the ship simply hung in place, buffeted by the gusting winds and rain. Eventually, Tinker pulled River away from the window. They went to the lower deck to check on Breeze. She was in a trancelike state when they arrived, and Tinker explained that this was what it looked like when River’s mother performed healing.
“She’s not so good at it as the Tal’mar,” he said in a whisper. “But her powers are different.”
“I’ve heard stories,” River said. “The Tal’mar tried to kill her once.”
“Once?” Tinker said, raising an eyebrow. “You really don’t know all that she went through, do you?”
River stared down at her mother’s peaceful face. “I hardly know her.”
“You should read her memoirs. I think you would find them enlightening. The world was a different place in decades past.”
“I read some of them. Analyn had them. They were about her time with you in the valley, and the war with the Kanters.”
“No, I don’t mean those stories. Those were her early journals. She also wrote about the Vangars, and your father... She had a lot of time to think about things, trapped in Sanctuary all those years.” His went distant. “She thought I was dead at the time. She never expected to see me again.”
“I know the feeling,” River said, smiling. “Tinker, I shouldn’t have left... I should have stayed with her in Sanctuary. I was selfish.”
Tinker pulled her close, wrapping his good arm around her shoulders. “There is still plenty of time to get to know your mother.”
Rowena’s subdued voice came through the communication pipes, interrupting them: “All hands on deck.”
“The rain must have stopped,” River said. “Not that it matters now. This ship is the only safe place within a hundred miles.”
“We did all we could,” Tinker said. Her thoughts went to her brother on the battlefield... and Kale, and the others. Tinker recognized the look on her face. “I’m so sorry. No words could mean anything right now; I know that.”
“What are we going to do now, Tinker?”
“What can we do? We’ll pull back to Astatia and try to rebuild our forces before the Legion moves north.”
“How? In a few days? It’s impossible.”
“Not if we get reinforcements from New Boston, or Sanctuary.”
River hung her head. “This war is going to cost us everything. Even if we manage to defeat the Legion -and I doubt we will- then we’ll be starting all over again. After what happened today, nothing will be the same.”
“Let’s go take a look,” Tinker said. “Perhaps it’s not as bad as all that.”
Together, they climbed back up to the main deck. The wind had died down a little, but the smell of starfall was thick in the air. It was a pervasive metallic scent that didn’t burn the nostrils so much as stick in them like glue. River had encountered the scent before, but never in such concentration. Although most of it had run off, or soaked into the wooden decking, River knew that there was a concentration of it in the air that was impossible to avoid. She could only hope the effects would be negligible.
“Incoming, to starboard!” shouted a sailor up in the crow’s nest. All eyes turned to see a dark shadow in the sky to the east.
“It’s a storm,” Rowena said, gazing through her scope. “It’s just a cloud.”
River borrowed Rowena’s scope to get a better look. Next to her, Tinker’s mechanical eyepiece made whirring noises. “It can’t be,” River said. “It’s moving too fast, and it’s too small. That is not a storm.”
She e
xchanged a glance with Tinker. The old man only shook his head. While they were standing there, Breeze emerged from the stairwell, leaning on Morgane’s shoulder. River hurried over to help her.
“You should be resting,” she said. “Morgane, help me take her to a bunk.”
“I’m all right,” Breeze reassured them. “It’s just a limp. I’ll be fine. What are you looking at?”
River explained what they had seen. She helped her mother over to the rail, and Breeze looked through the scope. “They’re birds,” she said almost immediately.
“What are you talking about?” River took the scope back for another look. To her surprise, the dark mass had already moved considerably closer. Indeed, she did think she could see small winged shapes flittering about at the edges of the shadow. “What the devils?” she mumbled.
“Could have something to do with the starfall,” Tinker said.
Rowena ordered her pilot to change course again. As they started in a northerly direction, River and the others remained on deck to observe the dark mass. It was probably nothing, or so they hoped, but it was best to keep an eye on it just to be sure. They didn’t have to wait long.
Ten minutes later, a swarm of flying creatures came whooshing out of the clouds and onto the battlefield. Not far behind them came a flood of androids riding steamwagons and other vehicles. River stared in disbelief as they came pouring onto the battlefield. With a single-minded intensity, they began seeking out and attacking the ghouls where they stood. The entire crew -as well as the soldiers below- stood confounded as flocks of birds and wagons full of androids and mechanical animals joined the battle.
“Where did those things come from?” Rowena said, gazing down at the unreal events unfolding below. “What the devils are they?”
“Machines,” River said. “I’ve seen them before. They’re spring-powered robots, from Ironhold.”
Tinker and Breeze stared at her. “Ironhold?” her mother said.
“A city, far to the east. The last time I saw these things they were... They destroyed Socrates. They were trying to kill me, too.”
“They destroyed him?”
River saw her mother’s anguished look and realized she hadn’t told Breeze about Socrates yet. The two had spent a number of years together in Sanctuary, and it occurred to River that her mother probably knew the automaton better than anyone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t have a chance to tell you before. These machines are sentient, like Socrates. Some of them are, at least -and they don’t seem to like humans.”
“They don’t seem too worried about us now,” Tinker observed. “They’re tearing into the ghouls like they were nothing. Look, they haven’t touched an ally soldier.”
River leaned over and saw that it was true. Her eyebrows narrowed as she considered this bizarre change in behavior. Why would the machines of Ironhold change their minds about humans? Why would they be here at all?
A ground-shaking thud interrupted their conversation. They all turned to see a dark shadow coming over the hill. The massive thing came closer, rising over the horizon, its footsteps shaking the earth.
“I don’t believe it,” River mumbled, her jaw hanging open.
Tinker leaned closer. In a low voice, he said: “And this thing? You’ve seen it before, too?”
“They call it the Iron King. The androids said it was their ruler, but when I saw it, it wasn’t functional.”
The Iron King crested the hill overlooking the battlefield and stood surveying the chaos below. The creature was massive, fifty feet tall from heel to crown. Thrown over its shoulder, the king carried a giant war hammer with an iron head the size of a steamwagon.
Humans and ghouls alike scattered as it strode down the slope and into the field. Tanks fired, but the shots that hit home seemed largely ineffective. In response, the war hammer came down, crushing a Legion tank and sending another flying through the air.
The Legion fell into disarray. The ghoul commanders suddenly found it difficult to keep their men on the field. One of several giants that remained saw the approaching machine and fled. Hundreds of ghouls in the vicinity followed his example. The Iron King pursued them, stomping the creatures into the earth like scattering rodents. The king broke the giant’s back with a crash of its mighty hammer, and then with one sweeping blow, knocked out an entire section of charioteers. Chariot wheels and frames went flying, and ghoul corpses smashed into dust under the Iron King’s boots.
Seeing the predicament of the ground forces, the Legion airship returned to the battle. Four gyros leapt from the flight deck. They went swooping down towards the earth. Their props caught the wind, and as they lifted, the gyros buzzed ahead of the ship to confront the enemy. They swarmed the Iron King, spraying gunfire and dropping bombs. The machine swatted at them like flies, knocking one to the ground and disabling another. The malfunctioning gyro spiraled out of control. It crashed in the middle of the field, sending alliance and Legion troops scattering.
The remaining pilots fell back, circling at a greater distance. They continued to shoot at him from a safe range. They remained well out of reach, but found themselves unable to do any damage and finally gave up. As they touched down on the flight deck, the airship readjusted course to move away from the battle. Unfortunately, it had already come too close. The ship’s captain had forgotten the real danger: Rowena ordered her men to open fire.
The onslaught decimated the Legion airship. When it was done, the burning hull went drifting southward as ghouls fell screaming to their deaths. The Iron King turned his attention back to the scattered forces on the ground. The allies and the androids had been busy carving out sections of the Legion army, whittling them down piece by piece. Several thousand ghouls had now retreated over the hill to the south, and appeared to be on the run. Those who remained soon found their cause hopeless. Victory had appeared certain just a short while ago. Now, it wasn’t even a distant hope.
As the ally soldiers pursued the fleeing ghouls, the giant stood on the battlefield, surveying the carnage. Fires burned here and there. Massive craters had opened up in the ground where bombs had gone off or tanks had exploded, and bodies were everywhere. Humans, giants, Tal’mar, and thousands of ghouls. This was a defeat from which the Legion would never recover, but it had been costly.
Apparently satisfied that his work was done, the giant lifted the war hammer to his shoulder and began walking back in the direction he had come. As he did, the other androids and machines followed. They piled onto their steamwagons, or spread their wings and flew back towards the east.
“Where is it going?” Rowena said.
“Back to Ironhold,” River gave a shrug. “It did what it came here to do.”
“I’d say so.”
River glanced at Tinker and found him wearing a curious look on his face. “I thought you said the androids hated humans?”
“They did. This had something to do with Socrates. I don’t know how, but he had something to do with this.”
Breeze spoke up: “But you said they destroyed him. How is that possible?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Their gazes all went to Rowena. She shook her head and stated flatly, “No. I have supplies to deliver.”
“We can’t leave yet anyway,” said Breeze, glancing down at the battlefield. “They need us down there.”
River couldn’t argue. Her brother and stepfather were down there, somewhere, hopefully safe. Her first obligation was to them, to her family, and to those others in need. Ironhold would have to wait...
Chapter 30
“T hey’re restless,” Kynan whispered to Tasha. “I don’t know if we can keep them here much longer.”
Tasha gave him a frustrated look. “These humans are as impatient as they are lazy. It’s a wonder their kind has survived this long.”
The two Tal’mar were standing in the upper portion of the massive hollow tree, on a jutting protrusion of knotty burl. The disease that had killed the tree had left it with
a number of such strange growths. The knots had resisted rot and decay, and made convenient roosting spots for the Tal’mar to keep an eye on their companions.
Loren had sent the group to hide from the Legion ghouls several hours earlier. Despite their bickering and exhaustion, the humans had made the hike in good time. Since then, the minutes seemed to drag by into hours. It was late afternoon, and Kynan suggested going back to help Loren. Tasha cautioned him against this:
“He told us to wait. It shouldn’t take long. Trust him.”
“They need to eat soon,” Kynan said. “If it takes much longer, we’ll be spending the night in this tree.”
Tasha rolled her eyes. “It’s bad enough that they eat every day. Is it really necessary to do it two or three times?”
Kynan didn’t respond. They’d had this conversation before, and they both knew the answer. The humans weren’t going to change, especially not now when they needed their strength, which seemed to be directly related to the amount of food they ingested.
“Twenty minutes,” Kynan said. “If Loren’s not back in twenty minutes, I’m going hunting.”
“Fine,” said Tasha. “But remember-”
It was then that the explosion rocked the mountain, cutting her off midsentence. The ground shook, and the dead tree swayed under their feet. They heard branches breaking, and a ferocious wind howling up the mountainside. Fires broke out here and there, and rain came pouring down in torrents. Even inside the tree it rained, but outside it was worse. The downpour formed into streams and creeks outside that ran down the slope and past the tree in a flood.
Kynan leapt from the burl, catching another outcropping a few feet higher. He jumped to his feet, turned and leapt again. In a matter of seconds, he had scrambled to the top of the tree. From this vantage, he should have been able to see for miles, but the rain was so thick that it reduced visibility down to just a few yards.
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