Darkness Falling: Soldiers and Slaves

by R. R. Willica

“Yes, it's just the sickness,” she grumbled.

  “You have used a lot of energy today,” Wini said quietly, “I understand.”

  Impyra had never met anyone else with the gift. Wini was more than gifted, she was a veritable well of power. Impyra had never imagined that was possible.

  “You know about the sickness?” she asked as the pain subsided.

  Wini nodded sagely. “Of course. It is common for young people to have stomach problems after the release of too much energy. Don’t worry, the more you use your magic, the less you will need to endure such pains.”

  Impyra exhaled slowly. “Magic?” She let the word roll off of her tongue. It felt heavy and alive.

  “I apologize, that is an old word for energy use,” a shadow of sadness passed through Wini's eyes, but vanished as quickly as the wisps in her aura.

  Impyra took the pause in conversation to survey her surroundings. The sick lying on their mattresses, healers moved slowly between them to administer treatment. There was a stillness which edged on comforting but also hinted at the presence of death. This was not an ordinary place, but she did not have the words to describe what she knew instinctively. The energy flowed not only around Winifred but from her, circulating the room and returning once more.

  “This is the Hospital of Mercy,” Wini said. “It is here that those too poor for medical attention come. I have evaded the eye of the Empire for a long time. You may rest for a while.”

  “I appreciate that,” Impyra said, but the mere mention of her former prison put her on alert. “I need to get out of Rau’Tesche-Awn as soon as I can.”

  “I know, but we must wait for the one who will be going with you.”

  Impyra was surprised by that response.

  “I can’t go with anyone.” The words spilled out before she could stop them. “I'm a danger to everyone and I can't allow more people to get tangled up in my problems.” She was already unhappy that she'd had to involve anyone at all.

  “Perhaps,” Wini mused.

  From somewhere outside an alarm began to sound, a monotone buzzing that vibrated the air. What few windows that remained intact began to rattle in their frames. Everyone in the room froze where they were, eyes lifted toward the ceiling.

  “We are already caught in the web, child.”

  Wini's words were gentle, yet Impyra felt the weight of reality behind them. It wasn't something she wanted to hear.

  The door to the hospital opened. Impyra turned to see a familiar face; the Enforcer who had rescued her from the Tower.

  “Brosen, you're just in time.” Wini called out.

  He nodded to her, his face solid and emotionless. “We have to get going.”

  Winifred stood, placing her hands on his shoulders to comfort him. She was shorter than Impyra had thought. Although her physical appearance was small, she dwarfed the muscular man with her power.

  “You may have given up everything here, but I believe that what you are doing is just.” Her words were reassuring even if they felt like false hope.

  “Yeah, well according to the Empire I’ve just committed high treason. Let’s go.”

  “Wait,” Impyra had always kept her thoughts locked inside her own head. That wasn't who she wanted to be anymore. “I'm not just going to blindly follow after you. You brought me here, and I'm grateful for that, but this is my fight alone.”

  Brosen glared in her direction. “I only brought you here because you asked me to. Do you think I wanted to give up everything on a whim?”

  She did not falter under his ice blue gaze. His resolve wasn't as firm as he may have believed. She could see the doubts swirling around him, a subtle darkness.

  “Yeah, I think you did. You had no reason to help me except that I asked you, and that's no reason at all.”

  “It's my job to protect people,” he wasn't going to back down easily.

  “It's also your job to serve the Emperor,” she shot back.

  The alarm blared around them. Everyone in the room stood by watching. To her surprise, the Enforcer looked away. She grinned at her victory.

  “Listen,” Wini said, stepping forward to end the discussion. “Whether or not you stay together is not the issue. Right now you both need to get out of the city.” Turning to Impyra she asked, “Do you have a vehicle or transport of any kind?”

  The young woman hesitated. Winifred knew the answer, she wanted Impyra to say it out loud.

  “No,” Impyra conceded.

  “Brosen does. Get beyond the gates and then decide your next move from there. I cannot hide you here.” Wini motioned to the sick; she had responsibilities, too many lives were at stake.

  Through the door three young boys came running, their faces red with exertion.

  “Brosen’s picture was on the Big Screen up on Keller Tower! The news said he’s wanted for treason!” One of the boys blurted out frantically.

  “All right, Gegen, what else did the report say?” Wini was asking gently.

  “It said that he was with some girl, and…” the boy smiled shyly. “With that girl,” he said, pointing at Impyra nervously. “They're going to block the gates! And I saw Brosen’s bike outside, and everyone knows that it’s his bike, and they’re going to catch them!”

  “No one is going to catch us,” Brosen said, his voice softened as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. “Unless we don't get moving,” he raised his eyes to Impyra.

  Impyra scowled. “Fine, I'll go with you. But only until we’re out of the city.”

  “Fine by me,” he shrugged.

  “Here,” Wini lifted a backpack from the floor and handed it Impyra. “Some provisions for the road, nothing fancy but enough to restore your strength.”

  “Thank you,” she said, confused by the kindness but not ungrateful.

  “Yeah, thanks, Wini. I'll be back if I can,” Brosen squeezed the healer's arm affectionately before turning to walk away with measured steps.

  “Don't worry about us,” Wini nodded to Impyra who reluctantly followed.

  As they exited the building she instinctively ran her hands through her dark hair, energy spilling from her fingertips as the chestnut locks lightened to an ashen blond. Brosen turned his head, startled by the transformation. There wasn't time, however; and he didn't say anything.

  Strapped to the back of the motorcycle was a long rifle. She'd seen White Energy guns before, but only while they were being carried.

  “Do you know how to shoot?” he asked.

  She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Of course not.”

  “Right, well, you might have to learn real quick.” He unstrapped the thing and handed it to her. Turning it to the side he pointed at a small red button. “See this? That's the safety. It's on and,” he pushed it, the gun hummed to life, “now it's off.”

  “Right,” she said.

  The energy coursed through the metal with liquid fire. It spread through her arms and into her chest. Deep in her mind she could hear the soft whispers and tasted the unbridled power the thing possessed. White Energy; a destructive force.

  “This is the trigger,” he showed her. “And this end down here is what you point at anything you want to fry.”

  “I'm not stupid,” she snapped.

  “I didn't say you were. This is your first time with a weapon. Everyone gets the same lesson.” There wasn't a hint of anger in his tone.

  “Even you?”

  “Especially me,” for a moment she thought he would smile, but he didn't.

  Without another word he climbed onto the motorcycle and kick-stared the engine. Carefully, so as not to jostle the gun, Impyra took her place behind him, holding the weapon across her lap. The motorcycle began to roll forward. The sudden motion caused her to grab tightly to the sleeve of Brosen’s jacket with her free hand. He glanced at her over his shoulder before guiding the machine onto the road.

  Brosen didn't waste time in picking up speed. The wind whipped at her face and blew her hair wildly around her head
. She breathed deeply. Beneath her the energy of the motorcycle flowed in a steady stream. It was different than the White Energy, hungering for fuel while the gun could produce its own supply of power.

  Behind them the whoop-whoop of a high pitched siren was the alert that they were not alone. Brosen cursed.

  Impyra turned to look but quickly turned back. “It's one of those big black Enforcer vehicles,” she told him.

  “I know. That sound was the warning siren. They’re probably checking anyone suspicious. Well, guess what?” he said over his shoulder.

  He turned at the next corner but the EOV stayed close behind.

  “Pull over to the curb or we will be forced to fire on you.” The voice boomed from the EOV's speaker system.

  Instead of slowing down to pull over, Brosen began to speed up. He took another corner, the bike tilted to the left. Impyra tightened her grip on both his arm and the gun. Another EOV appeared on a side street to their right. Brosen swerved to avoid the blocking maneuver. Just as they began to turn again she felt the energy in the air heat up. A flash of brilliant light flew past, landing in the street ahead of them.

  “Shit!” Brosen shouted, swerving past the smoking hole left in the wake of the blast.

  “Do you want me to fire back?” Impyra asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.

  He didn't say anything for a minute. She realized it wasn't an easy decision. Until this morning the Enforcers chasing them had been his allies. Another blast flew past, hitting a streetlight and sending it careening to the ground in a screech of metal.

  “They're not too good at this, are they?” She ducked her head instinctively.

  “They're not trying to hit us yet.” That would change if they continued to run. “All right,” he said. “You’ve got to turn and aim! Don’t aim for the windshield or body of the EOV, got it? I don’t want to kill them! Just slow them down.” There was another momentary pause. “Do it now!”

  She released his arm. Brosen shifted to the right as Impyra turned to the left. She wasn't able to balance properly on the moving vehicle. Lifting the gun as best she could she realized she wouldn't be able to bring it up to her shoulder to aim. Instead, she did her best to guess at where it was pointing. With a deep breath she pulled the trigger.

  Fire filled her mind.

  The blast from the gun propelled them forward. Brosen was able to hold the bike steady but she nearly lost her balance. Turning fast to catch herself she fumbled with the gun. For a moment she was sure she had lost it. As it slid out toward the street she used her own energy to pull it back. The sound of metal crunching against metal sounded as the first EOV tried to avoid the blast and collided with the second.

  Brosen glanced over his shoulder. “Hang on!” he shouted and quickly turned a corner.

  A moment later, several energy blasts rocketed down the street they had just been traveling. He turned again, and they were on the Southern Road that would bring them through the gate in the city wall. It was a long, wide thoroughfare; a relic of a more prosperous time. They were almost there, excepting the barricade that blocked the opening. A line of EOVs waited in a semicircle, completely obstructing the way through.

  “We won’t be able to break through that!” Brosen growled. “Shit.”

  Impyra lifted herself up using his shoulders for support. “Speed up!” she said as she fell back into place.

  “What? Are you crazy?” He shook his head.

  “Just trust me! And lean forward!” She pushed hard on his shoulders. “As far as you can!”

  Not really understanding, he did as she asked. She slipped her arms around his waist, stretching to lay her hands on the fuel tank. Closing her eyes, she began to draw energy from the world around her. The fuel from the tank, the magic in the gun, even the currents in the very air lent her power. An image of Wini sitting in her cocoon of power filled her mind.

  “Brace yourself!” It was the only thing she could think to say.

  The motorcycle began to lift into the air. She forced the machine rise to her will, tilting it as if they had jumped from an incline. Clearing the blockade, the Enforcers below stood in shock. A few kept their senses long enough to fire their guns, but the blasts were absorbed harmlessly into the draw of power Impyra needed for such a feat of strength.

  Once they were through the bike arched back toward the earth. Brosen struggled to keep it steady as the tires screeched against the pavement once more. Impyra loosened her grip. The world was spinning around her.

  “You're going to need to shoot again!” He shouted, but she felt the world slipping into darkness. “Are you hit?” His voice was frantic.

  “I... I can do it. Just a second,” she stuttered.

  Pulling in energy once more, Impyra pushed herself into a sitting position, turned, and fired. The blast went crooked, only wounding the thick metal wall. She tried again and heard an explosion as the blast impacted with the engine of a EOV. The other vehicles merely edged around smoking car to continue the pursuit.

  “I can’t,” she fell forward, leaning against Brosen's back.

  “You can't faint now,” he said, panicked.

  Impyra closed her eyes. The world tilted wildly inside her head. If only she could lie down for a while and have something to eat, then she'd be ready to fight. She felt Brosen reach back to take the gun. A White Energy blast barely missed his back tire, causing him to veer across the road.

  Brosen held the gun by the trigger with the grip. In one swift motion she felt as he turned, holding the thing at arm’s length, and fired. As the energy flew out of the barrel the entire weapon moved in an upward arc.

  White Energy went flying in fragments as it followed the path of the gun, but part of it flew true. Two EOVs were hit, one in the tire and the other in the windshield, the other two vehicles were forced to stop as the road was too narrow to pass. Impyra groaned. Shaking her head, she began to surface back to reality. She opened her eyes in time to see Brosen steering them away from a ditch.

  “I need to rest,” Impyra said blearily.

  “Maybe that will slow them long enough to give us a break until the helicopters come.” He grumbled.

  Speeding down the empty road, she hoped that wouldn't be soon.

  * * *

  The long black vehicle had only made it a few blocks before the siren began to sound. At the same moment Xander’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

  “What?” He sneered as he placed it to his ear.

  “The Emperor requests your presence immediately, your highness.” The familiar voice of the commander of the Tower Guard spoke rapidly. “The escaped slave was never brought to the hospital.”

  “Of course she wasn’t,” he said sarcastically, disconnected the call. He slammed the side of his fist into the vehicle door. “Back to the Tower, now!”

  The driver sat up straight in his seat. “Yes, your highness,” he said, attempting to keep his voice steady.

  Resting his chin in his hand Xander stared out of the darkly tinted window. His mind was dark with violent thought. Once more she had embarrassed him, it wasn’t a trend he wanted to see continue. Regardless of what his father had in mind, Xander knew exactly what he wanted; Impyra’s life would end by his hand.

  It wasn’t long before the vehicle was passing through the Tower gates and rolling into the garage below. Before it came to a full stop Xander opened the door and stepped out. His gait toward the elevator mirrored the rage within. He waited impatiently for the doors to slide open. There was always a delay living within the Tower. Although the elevator could reach the top floor in less than two minutes, the dark blue and silver interior felt like a prison when one was in a hurry.

  At last the doors opened into Ka Harn’s office which was the entirety of the seventy-first floor. There were no walls but instead the room was encased in floor to ceiling windows which allowed a view of the city in every direction. The Emperor was looking towards the south, his hands clasped behind his back.

  �
��Father,” Xander began, but Harn lifted a hand to stop him.

  “You already know what you’ve done,” the Emperor said without turning.

  “And I intend to remedy my mistake,” Xander kept his voice calm despite the simmering anger within.

  “I’ve already obtained the services of the Enforcer’s partner to aid you in this. He will be able to better predict the movements of the criminal than anyone else, especially you.” The insult was not lost on the prince, who could only curl his lip in a false smile. “Treve En-Harn. He is waiting with the helicopter.”

  “Yes, Father,” Xander bowed stiffly, reminding himself that he would not always be taking orders from an old man.

  He did not wait to be dismissed. The situation was too critical for pleasantries, instead he rode the elevator up to the roof. The wind snapped and popped against the energy surrounding the Tower, ruffling his hair. Air could pass freely through the Field Energy. It was particles in the environment, such as dust or pollen, which caused the disturbance.

  A sleek black helicopter waited with its blade already spinning. Three Enforcers stood beside it, fully geared for battle. They snapped to attention when they saw him. Two of them he knew already, they were regular pilots in the Imperial Guard. The other must be the one his father had mentioned.

  The young man saluted. “Treve En-Harn, your highness,” he said, his brilliant glowing eyes shining out from within his helmet.

  Xander frowned in annoyance. “I don’t care,” he snarled. “Speak when you are spoken to.”

  The Enforcer dropped his hand and didn’t respond.

  “Do you understand?” Xander spoke very slowly in a mocking tone, leaning forward to make his point.

  “Yes, your highness.” The Enforcer kept his eyes looking straight ahead, showing no emotion.

  At least he was well trained.

  Xander pulled himself up into the helicopter. The others took their places, two pilots in the front and the Enforcer across from him near the door.

  The Imperial helicopters were one of the greater advancements of technology. With enhanced blades and the use of energy they were nearly silent in flight. The chopper lifted from the roof. Above them the field energy appeared to slide away, producing a small opening through which they passed with ease.