by Ben Hale
A clawed hand as large as the Hornet rose into view and grabbed the weapon. The flesh resembled hardened rubber, and the webbed nature of the fin gave credence to Wolf's whale theory. With a savage yank it tore the Phalanx gun off the ship, taking several screaming sailors with it. The entire carrier rocked as the creature once again retreated.
Wilson looked at his own M32 grenade launcher. "Captain, I don't think I have a big enough gun."
"What is it?" Even with the noise cancelling radios, Peterson had to yell as a second jet warmed up its engines. Wolf was about to answer but another voice spoke from his elbow.
"It's a leviathan," Janson said.
"If it isn't our favorite Water Strider," Willis said. "At least our odds just went up."
"What do we do?" Wolf asked.
"Kill it," Janson said, and surged into a sprint. Wolf followed in his wake, and the SEALs hustled to keep up. All of them skidded to a halt when the full creature burst into view, this time going for a hovering chopper.
Water pelted the flight deck as the leviathan exploded from the surface and rose into the air. Its massive jaws slammed shut on the helicopter's body, crushing it like a tin can. Then it sank back into the water with the chopper's remains. The resulting splash cast a wave of water over the carrier.
The brief glimpse revealed that this leviathan had once been a blue whale. The Dark had twisted it to four times its original size, and augmented the mouth and neck. Now it bore a striking resemblance to a three hundred foot crocodile. Large ridges had grown across the back, while the rest of its flesh had hardened.
The normally quiet Silva cursed in Spanish, loud and emphatic. Wolf saw no reason to correct him. "Just how do you propose we kill it?" Wolf shouted to Janson.
Janson cast him a searing glance. "We cut it apart."
Duck bellowed at him. "With what—"
The leviathan burst into view again. Grazing the carrier, it reached a foreleg out and smashed the Hornet connected to the ram. Deck crewmembers scattered as the plane was dragged into the ocean. Then the massive creature bent its head towards the carrier and issued a thundering hiss. The other Phalanx cannons opened up, causing it to turn and dive back under the water.
As soon as it was clear of the carrier the destroyers and planes opened fire. Huge cannons spit fire as the larger missiles bombarded the open water. Water blossomed white and orange from the missiles’ impact. Jets strafed the creature, geysering water and blood as they made impact.
"Get to the rail!" Wolf yelled, "They don't want to damage our own ships, so try to keep it off the carrier!" Wolf and Janson reached the rail at the same time, and Janson dived overboard.
"That guy is as crazy as we are," Duck shouted through the radio.
Wolf watched a plume of water rise up to embrace the mage, and could not argue with the comment. Then he turned his full attention to spotting the leviathan. The seconds ticked by as the flight crew feverishly worked to repair the damaged deck. Just as he began to wonder if the beast had been injured it returned.
And it was not alone.
A smaller leviathan surged out of the water and landed on one of the destroyers nearby. Its webbed hands clasped the large gun barrels and wrenched at the weaponry. Another surged into view and slammed into the cruiser, ramming it so hard the metal buckled. Then another climbed onto the frigate. Their square heads marked them as a pod of sperm whales. Then the blue returned.
The leviathan exploded out of the water and crashed onto the deck. The entire stern of the carrier lifted free of the water as the bow dipped toward the water's surface. Concrete cracked and metal groaned as sheering forces assaulted the hull. Loose objects and sailors tumbled past the SEALs and bounced off the leviathan's bulk.
Several of the F-18s at the prow broke free of their fastenings. Skidding and sliding down the tilted deck, they issued screeches of torn metal as they began to roll. Ignoring the jets, the creature tore into the conning tower with its jaws. Bulkheads and hatches were stripped away, revealing beams and wiring. Screams and the rattle of small arms fire washed over the ship.
Wolf fought to hold his balance on the tilted deck. Sailors uphill from him lost their grip and fell. Bouncing and shrieking down the flight deck, they careened off the leviathan's body and tumbled into the sea. One was not so fortunate, and got caught under the massive webbed claw. His cry of fear ended sharply as the claws gouged deep furrows into the deck, crushing him in an instant.
Grasping the rail, Wolf managed to fire his grenade launcher one handed. The leviathan's flesh had hardened, but the M23 grenades exploded gaping wounds in its side. In seconds the other seals had joined the assault, and the combined wounds caused the creature to release a hiss of pain and shift sideways.
The change in weight caused the carrier to tilt sharply to port as the leviathan began to slide off the side. Wolf hooked his elbow around the rail and held on for dear life. The leviathan swung its gigantic head and snapped at Duck, who withdrew his legs just as the teeth snapped shut.
The leviathan dug its claw into the deck, ripping into concrete and metal as it held on. Rebar snapped and electrical circuits sparked, but the leviathan's grip remained. Then the massive creature swished its tail, attempting to clamber back aboard. The entire supercarrier swung violently left and right as the leviathan tried to lever itself up.
"Target the claw!" Wolf bellowed.
Taking his own advice, he balanced the grenade launcher as best as he could. Then he emptied the remaining rounds in the magazine. The first two struck the deck next to the creature's flank. The third impacted on its huge claw at the same time as Duck’s and Peterson's grenades.
Thick, rubbery skin split as the concussive forces ripped into the leviathan's grip. Issuing a shrieking hiss, the creature abandoned its attempts to climb aboard and dived off the side. Finally free of the counterweight, the carrier slammed back into the sea and rocked violently. Dazed and bruised, Wolf grimly held on until it had stabilized. Then he reloaded his M-23. Only when the magazine had slammed home did he re-evaluate their situation.
The carrier resembled a junkyard wreck. Wide cracks split the deck from port to starboard. Huge gouges had been torn by the leviathan's claws, leaving the smooth runway cratered and torn. The conning tower had lost several feet from the stern side, revealing shredded superstructure. Bodies that hadn't fallen into the sea had been caught in wires and bent bars.
A titanic boom drew Wolf's attention to the cruiser in time to see one of the smaller leviathans fall into the ocean. Evidently it had clambered over the bow in an attempt to reach the helm. At the same moment a missile had been launched, and it had detonated on top of the deck. The ship was blackened and burning, but the leviathan had not survived.
Half a mile away one of the frigates hadn't been so fortunate. The ship's hull had been opened like a can of soup, and water poured in. Sailors hustled to abandon ship as the prow dipped into the water. The jets did a strafing run on the leviathan still aboard.
Large caliber rounds and several missiles peppered the sea creature. Mortally wounded, it emitted a horrendous shriek before releasing the doomed vessel. Then it fell into the sea with a titanic splash. All around the air thickened with the scent of smoke, blasting powder, and blood, while the sound of alarms reverberated from below decks.
Duck appeared at his elbow. "Where's the blue!"
It exploded from the water behind them and grasped the conning tower on both sides. The carrier tilted sharply to starboard, and the SEALs once again fought to hold on. The leviathan clamped its huge jaws on the top of the conning tower and began to gnaw, slowly shredding the helm.
One of the jets strafed it, but few of the rounds found their mark. Tilted as the carrier was, the conning tower provided a shield that evidently made the pilots reluctant to fire around.
"We have to get it off!" Wolf bellowed. "The Hornets don't have a clear shot!"
"The jet!" Duck shouted, and motioned to one of the Hornets on the deck.
Its wings and fuselage were wrecked but a sidewinder missile remained on its wingtip. One of the landing cables had snapped and wrapped around its wheels, rooting the plane in place. The air-to-air missile pointed in the general direction of the leviathan. Only a stray piece of decking blocked the shot.
"Duck," Wolf shouted, "Go for the debris! Peterson, you'll need to manually launch the missile! I'll get to the cockpit and see if I can arm it!"
Wolf, Duck and Peterson released in unison. Skidding and bouncing over the demolished flight deck, they each came to a stop against the destroyed Hornet. Wolf tried not to think about the leaking jet fuel as he snagged the ladder to the cockpit. The top of the cockpit had been torn away, so he climbed into the angled seat and thumbed switches.
Duck slid under the wing and slammed into the detached decking. Catching a stray piece of rebar, he jammed it under the sheet of metal and worked the debris loose. With a clatter of steel it tumbled free, and splashed into the sea.
"You're clear!" He had to shout over the sound of tearing metal and screams from the conning tower.
Wolf found the manual arming switch and flicked it. "Peterson, you're up!" he shouted.
Balanced precariously on a piece of debris, Peterson held onto the missile and fiddled with its wiring. After a moment he shouted, "Ready!"
Wolf eyed the line of fire and opened his mouth to issue the order—but then Janson burst into view. Water arced above him in an enormous scythe as he surfed on a personal wave. Swinging the massive weapon, he sheared through one of the leviathan's forearms.
The blow sliced through the massive wrist, causing the severed claw to fall into the ocean. Down to one claw, the creature swung out from the ship and released a shuddering hiss—exposing its belly to Wolf.
"Fire now!" Wolf bellowed.
The missile exploded from its position and accelerated. Reaching full speed just as it impacted with the underside of the leviathan, it detonated with enough force to take down a plane. Its hiss of pain and rage became one of agony as the leviathan released the carrier and collapsed into the sea.
The carrier swung violently the other way—causing the Hornet to shift free of its position. Peterson and Duck dived free but Wolf was trapped in the cockpit as it skidded on the deck. Sparks ignited the jet fuel, and the fire lanced towards the Hornet's tank. Out of options, Wolf clipped the seat belt and yanked on the ejection ring.
The force nearly robbed him of consciousness, and sent him high above the fireball. The chute opened at the apex, and managed to slow his descent as he fell into the water next to the carrier. He splashed down, hard, and yanked the release before it carried him into the depths.
He surfaced to find Janson at his side, and the water mage lifted them up to the deck on a finger of water. They alighted together, and Wolf sank to his knees in exhaustion.
"I'll try to save as many as I can," Janson said, and dived overboard once more.
Water turned white in his wake as he sped toward the sinking frigate. Wolf turned to the carrier, stunned at the extent of the damage. The conning tower remained upright, but much of its walls had been destroyed. Visible through the large gaps, the helm had lost power and many of the crew lay dead. The Dwight D. Eisenhower remained afloat, but it would take a miracle to get it moving again.
The other targets had suffered similar damage, and the assault had caused the core of the armada to grind to a halt. The other ships could continue on, but tens of thousands would be stranded unless the ships could be repaired in time. Wolf's gut tightened as he realized the truth. The attack had been carried out with tactical foresight. The Dark was only two days behind them. If they couldn't get the ships moving . . .
The Dark would claim them all.
Chapter 26: Prime
Breaker strode into the large underground cave. Hewn out from inside the depths of Auroraq, the cave had become the de facto meeting place for the displaced battlemages. From the day of their displacement the higher ranking Rayths had been planning attack after attack from the rough walled chamber.
Lieutenants and sergeants stood arguing with Captain Thames. Since this particular gathering was supposed to be a war meeting of the highest ranking individuals, only forty-seven had come. They represented the survivors of the upper echelon of the Battlemage Corps in Auroraq.
"I'm telling you," Captain Thames was raising his voice. "We have to keep trying. We may have tried all the more powerful curses, but there is always the chance that a weaker one will work."
Several of the others were shaking their heads, and the rumble of discontent caused Thames to flush. "We have no choice," he snapped. "And those are my orders."
"No."
Breaker's voice was quiet, and yet it seemed to reverberate around the room like a hammer blow. A hush fell on the officers as Thames slowly rotated to face Breaker.
"Did I just hear you disobey a direct order?"
Thames articulated every word, dangerous and furious. Breaker began to advance.
"I cannot disobey an order from a man that is not my superior," Breaker said. "From the moment the battlemages were disbanded you lost your authority. The only reason these men and women follow you is out of habit."
A vein bulged on Thames’s neck. "I will have you stripped of your magic—"
"No," Breaker said. "You won't." He then pointedly turned to the gathered officers and raised his voice.
"All of you have lost friends, colleagues, and family because of Thames, Kendrik, and Hopper. They have shown a blatant disregard for our situation. We are at war with a force that far exceeds our own. When it is over our government will never be the same. I call on you to accept that—now—and further call on you to dismiss Captain Thames."
Thames issued a scornful laugh. "You are not the Prime and I outrank you. You cannot do such a thing."
Breaker turned back to him. "But I'm asking them to accept me as such. If they do, you will be stripped of your rank, and they will summarily follow my orders."
Thames had gone red in the face. "I will have your head for insubordination."
Breaker again turned away from him, and revealed the information the Swordsman had shared. "Every attempt we have made to destroy a Voidling has been recorded, and the memory broadcast throughout the mage world. Forty-seven attempts, forty-seven failures, and hundreds dead. Because of his orders we have proven that the Voidlings cannot be defeated. You . . . not Alice, have destroyed the hope of the mages."
Someone cursed in the old tongue, and the sentiment was reflected on every single face. Several turned to Thames, the blame evident on their features.
"You were a fool, Tal."
"Alice has been using us—and you let her."
"It's no wonder she did not attempt to crush us. We've been serving her."
They spit the words at the stunned Captain Thames, and Breaker pressed the issue. "Tal Thames, I hereby order you stripped of rank and removed from command."
"You do not have the authority to do this!" he bellowed. "A single-talent mage cannot be a Prime!"
They had reached the crux of the issue, the reason that Breaker had never attempted to advance further in the Rayths. His ability may have been unparalleled with earth magic, but it remained singular. Upper rank soldiers always had two talents because it was believed that made them stronger.
"Then defeat me," Breaker said quietly, "And prove you are the superior mage."
Thames’s eyes bulged, and then narrowed. "So be it."
"You don't have to do this, Breaker!" someone shouted, but Breaker gave a jerk of his head.
"For me to be the Prime, I do. There will always be a doubt, a fear that I cannot lead because I am not strong enough. This is the only way to erase that." Breaker gathered his magic. "There will be no doubt."
"Your arrogance will get you killed," Thames said—and then struck.
The reverb curse streaked towards Breaker's skull. In the same motion Breaker raised the rock in front of him and cast a slideways charm
that carried him away. The barrier shattered as the focused sound struck it. He was already gone. He was dimly aware that the other officers had retreated to the edge of the cavern, but he could not afford to scan their expressions. Against such a foe he could only devote his whole attention.
Drawing deep, he cast six separate golem charms. One by one they climbed from the floor and molded into shape. There was a murmur of praise at the feat, but it was drowned out as Thames blasted one to pieces.
Talented with sound and light, Captain Thames had risen through the battlemage ranks due to his innate skill. His reverb curse could shatter a pebble from half a mile, a feat he'd demonstrated on more than one occasion. His skill with light magic was no less forceful.
Switching to a lancing hex, Thames cut the remaining golems in two—and then came for him. The chamber darkened as Thames pulled the light, but Breaker dived to the side. The lancing hex shaved his sleeve and a layer of skin, but fell short of removing his shoulder.
Fury exploded through Breaker, cold and vengeful. He issued a scornful laugh amidst the sting. "You've always been predictable, Thames. And you've made us vulnerable because of it."
Thames cast another reverb curse, but Breaker lifted twin walls of rock. It missed him entirely—but rebounded off the back wall. Then it shattered the one that Breaker had summoned behind his back. He issued a mocking laugh, and then cast a goliath charm.
Stone surged out of the ground at his feet, and his remaining wall folded onto his body. The rock hardened as it came in contact with his form, rebuffing the next reverb curse. Then it thickened until he stood well over ten feet tall. From within the goliath, he issued a grating bellow, and then charged.
Thames controlled his fear, and launched a trio of powerful spells. The asunder hex didn't have enough light or time to build, and petered out. Next the screech curse cracked the surface of the accelerating goliath. Last, the blinding hex attempted to rob Breaker of sight.