A scratching sound called from the fog and Seb squinted to see better. It took a few seconds of searching, but he finally saw another manhole cover move. He ran over to it and lifted it free to see Sparks’ bespectacled face staring up at him. Like he’d done with the froggy creature, he helped her and then the next being to follow her from the hole.
While the creatures climbed from the sewers—a steady stream of them emerging one at a time—Seb looked up and down the alley. “Can you see any more manhole covers?” he asked Sparks.
She too looked up and down. After a few seconds she shook her head. “Not that I can see that well, but it doesn’t look like it. Maybe SA and Gurt will come out in a different alley. They know to meet us at the entrance to the square. That’s enough, right?”
Seb nodded and continued to scan the fog.
Both Seb and Sparks moved towards the end of the alleyway, but stopped far enough back to remain hidden.
The stream of beings emerging from the sewers didn’t look to be ending any time soon. They followed Seb and Sparks and packed the width of the tight space. The two frog-like creatures stood at the front of them.
Since they’d climbed out of the sewers, Seb had avoided looking at the Crimson Palace. When he finally did, his stomach flipped. A formidable sight, the large black stalagmite of a structure seemed to taunt them on the horizon. It looked impenetrable.
“Can you stay here and make sure everyone gets out okay?” Seb said to the frog-like creatures.
They nodded as one.
He pointed to the ground. “Make sure they don’t go any further than here though. We’re going to go up ahead and check out the situation in the square.”
Again the creatures nodded.
Sparks moved close to Seb as they walked away and whispered, “It seems too quiet up here.”
And it did. Despite looking in every window of every house they passed, Seb only saw darkness in all of the dwellings. “I suppose with what we did to the pit, they’d have to know we’re coming.” That thought made the silence worse.
They stood just a few metres from the square, so Seb moved against one of the cold and damp walls. He pressed his back to it so he could hide in the shadows, but his flight suit did little to combat the chill from the bricks. A shake had already taken a hold of him from the climb and fear-induced adrenaline. The cold wall simply added to it.
Seb clamped his jaw, but it did little to calm down his shakes. Not far to go to the end of the alleyway, he pushed on an inch at a time and Sparks followed him. Who knew what lay in wait for them.
About a metre of the alleyway left and Seb saw nearly all of the square now. Panic reached up and wrapped a strong grip around his throat. Steam came from his rapid breaths.
One final deep exhale and Seb poked his head out.
As quickly as he’d looked out, he pulled back in again. For a few seconds he didn’t have the words, so Sparks looked out too.
When she pulled back in, she looked up at him. “What are we going to do?”
Seb shook worse than ever and it took a few seconds for him to get his words out. He finally said, “I don’t know.” He looked back at the dense crowd in the alleyway and spoke so only Sparks heard him. “I’m not sure we should have even come up here.”
Chapter 47
By the time Seb had pulled himself together, the beings from the slum had moved up the alleyway to be with him and Sparks. So much for the frog creatures holding them back.
Bodies packed the dark passageway. They stood shoulder to shoulder as a dense wall. Seb couldn’t see how far back they stretched. The condensation of their collective breathing filled the air.
The frog creatures remained at the front of the crowd with the minotaur just behind them. Quite a force, but would it be enough? And how could he prepare them for what waited around the corner?
Seb looked at Sparks. “Do you think SA and Gurt have led the others up here now?”
Sparks shrugged.
“We have to guess they’ve come out somewhere else and they’re waiting for us to move, right?”
It looked like Sparks might shrug again, but she finally said, “I think we have to assume that. There’s no way they won’t have made it up here. And the longer we wait, the longer we leave them guessing on what they have to do next.”
A nod at his small friend and Seb addressed the pack. “If anyone wants to turn back now,” he said, the quiver in his voice amplified by the tight space, “this is your last chance.” It didn’t matter if the Countess heard them coming. She probably already knew exactly where they were anyway.
Seb continued. “Once we step out into the square, we’re declaring war on the Countess.” A deep breath and he managed to settle himself down a little. “I’m not turning back regardless of who does or doesn’t come with me. I’m not having second thoughts. But what I do know for sure is that not all of us will walk away from this. Many of us won’t, in fact. So if you want to change your minds, now’s the time to do it.”
The pack of creatures remained where they were and stared at Seb. None of them spoke, but none of them moved either. Many of them swayed from side to side as if spending their nervous energy. They were ready for the battle. They had his back.
Seb’s panic eased a little at their support. He nodded at them and raised his voice. If Gurt and SA were nearby, it would do well for them to hear him. “Today we make history on Solsans. Today we take the planet back.”
More movement swayed through the crowd and some of them nodded their heads while others balled their fists and raised their weapons.
“Today we show the Countess what happens when you oppress beings for too long.”
Some of the creatures bashed their bats and poles against the ground. The sound of it echoed through the alleyway and out into the square.
Goosebumps lifted over Seb’s body and he clenched his fists. They were committed now. “I will lead you into this. The Shadow Order will give everything to this battle.” He pointed out into the square. “We’ll leave everything we have out there.”
The creatures swayed and bobbed more than before. Many nodded their heads and some jumped up and down.
“Whatever happens,” Seb said, “we’re going to win this war!”
Seb raised his voice to a shout, his call rushing out into the square. “Whatever it takes!”
This time all of the beings yelled in response, the call rushing at him as a wall of sound.
Riled up like the rest of the crowd, Seb bounced on the balls of his feet as he took them in for a second. He then spun around and walked out into the square.
Chapter 48
The scene looked no less intimidating a second time. As Seb stepped from the alleyway with his army behind him, he looked at the crowd of crimson robes in the square, waiting for them.
A wave of negativity threatened to drag Seb back and grind him into inaction, but he pushed through it and strode forwards. If he lost his nerve, what would that say to the others?
The Crimson army remained still and silent.
When Seb caught movement in his peripheral vision to his left, he looked across the square and saw SA and Gurt lead their fighters out of another alleyway. They had the two giants with them, who stood at the front of the pack.
Seb nodded, and both SA and Gurt returned the gesture.
The sides of Seb’s vision shimmered, his world ready to slip into slow motion at any moment.
The Crimson army continued to stare at Seb as he led the slum dwellers towards them. Silent and resolute, they looked like they could spring to life at any moment.
The shuffle of footsteps sounded out as the only noise in the area as Seb and the dwellers closed the gap between the two armies. When they had just five metres of dark and damp ground separating them, he stopped.
Seb stared at the Crimson soldiers and the Crimson soldiers stared back. A sea of faces hidden in shadow, it made them impossible to read.
The Crimson army had lined up with
the smallest at the front all the way back to the two monsters Seb and Sparks had seen when they’d hidden in the Crimson Countess’ hangar. As large as the giants with SA and Gurt, the monsters looked like they could crack skulls for fun.
As the army of beings from the slums filed out of both alleyways, SA, Gurt, and Bruke came up to the front of the pack and stood beside Seb and Sparks.
Gurt wore his usual deep scowl and SA stood as serene as ever. Bruke continued to look on the verge of a panic attack. He looked how Seb felt.
Time seemed to freeze as the two armies continued to size each other up. Now they’d all gathered in the square, Seb saw the reality of their situation. The crimson robes outnumbered the slum dwellers. They had at least a third more beings. And no doubt all of them had blasters on them too. It must be why they lined up like they did. It would allow the taller fighters to shoot over the heads of the smaller ones.
“This is going to be fun,” Gurt said from the side of his mouth, loud enough to carry across the square. Some of the robes shifted as if struggling to hold themselves back.
A tall figure then stepped forward from the opposing army. Although he wore a crimson robe, it ran slightly darker than the crimson of his brethren. Clearly their leader, he called across at Seb, “Turn back now before it’s too late.”
Seb didn’t reply, but Gurt did. “You turn back, you stinking rat.”
If the insult bothered the creature, it didn’t show it. “I’m addressing the residents of Caloon now,” the Crimson soldier said. “You have no business here. Mother has always been kind to you and will continue to provide. But you need to turn back now. You stay here, you die. Simple.”
“Been kind?” Gurt said and pointed over his shoulder. “Have you seen how they live down there?”
Silence washed over the square.
The leader of the Crimson army looked like he might say something, but Seb spoke before he could. “My turn now. We don’t have an issue with the Crimson foot soldiers. You throw your robes down now and we absolve you of your crimes. We understand you’ve been brainwashed by the Countess and we forgive you. But if you keep those robes on, we’ll roll right over you to get to her. Either way, the Crimson bitch will fall.”
Gurt gave Seb a punch of encouragement on his arm. The hard blow sent him stumbling away from his teammate. When he looked at the large Mandulu, a grizzly grin split Gurt’s wide face. “That’s the spirit,” he said.
The robed leader pulled back into its army and dropped into a defensive crouch. The others around it all drew their blasters as one and pointed them across the square.
“You say you don’t have a problem with the beings in the slums,” Seb said, “yet you oppress them. You bully them and you exploit them. As much as we’d love to take you up on your offer, we’re going to respectfully decline. The Countess’ reign ends now. It ends today.”
The Crimson leader didn’t respond. He stared at Seb and Seb stared back, his saliva turning into a paste in his dry mouth. The edges of his world blurred. They’d waited long enough.
Chapter 49
Even with his world now in slow motion, the green laser blast caught Seb off guard. A trace of it flashed through his peripheral vision from over his left shoulder, and before he’d registered what had happened, it had sunk into the dark hood of the lead Crimson foot soldier.
An explosion of blood and brain matter popped into the air as a red mist and time stood still as if everyone held their breath.
The lead soldier swayed for a second. Then his legs shook and buckled beneath him.
As the creature fell, Seb turned to Gurt beside him. The large Mandulu had his blaster raised and pointing in the direction of the soldier he’d just shot. A half-smile lit up his wide face and he shrugged. “I got tired of all the talking.”
Not that Seb had the time to respond.
It started as a rumble and then swelled through the crimson crowd as a loud collective roar. The army then rushed forward as one.
The slum dwellers responded with their own battle cry, but they remained still. Because he stood at the front, Seb had to lead the charge.
The ground shook beneath Seb’s feet. He couldn’t wait any longer. A raised fist and he ran forward, the stampede of both sides sending thunder through the dark rock of the elevated city.
Seb’s ability to see everything in slow motion worked against him sometimes. In situations like the one he currently found himself in, it gave him more time to see the extent of the red wall rushing at them.
Seb narrowed his focus and looked ahead. Despite not being able to see the faces of his opponents, he saw their weak spots. He clenched his fists moments before the two sides collided.
Punch after punch, Seb dropped one soldier and then the next. Some had hides so tough they hurt his hands, but every one of them went down under his flurry of blows. Several of the soldiers had weak spots low down, so he kicked out a couple of times and they folded as easily as their comrades.
The Crimson soldiers led with blaster fire, but they’d lost their formation. They seemed to drop as many of their own in the crossfire as they did the slum dwellers.
The battle quickly fell into hand-to-hand combat, the Crimson army swapping blasters for bats and bludgeons.
While Seb worked his way through the crowd, he caught a glimpse of the minotaur by his side. The large creature carried a hand axe and removed limbs and heads with every swing. A wide arc and he planted his sharp weapon into a skull before ripping it out with a spray of blood. A one-creature army, he took twenty or so soldiers out right in front of Seb.
Then a small Crimson soldier no bigger than about three feet managed to get close to the minotaur. It pointed a blaster up and pulled the trigger. The red beam left the gun and travelled straight through the bottom of the minotaur’s thick chin. It thrust an explosion of flesh and bone into the sky.
Seb’s stomach lurched to watch the minotaur fall, his heart hurting when the creature looked his way. Maybe he showed nothing more than the shock of his life leaving him, but it looked like accusation sat in his onyx glare. They’d followed Seb into battle. He’d promised them freedom.
Despite his desire to reach down and put his hands on the minotaur, the beast had passed. Nothing could fix him now. Before Seb could think on it any further, the minotaur’s body vanished beneath the stampede of Crimson warriors.
Seb screamed so loud it tore at his throat. He faced the next rush of attackers. Three quick jabs and three soldiers fell.
The sound of another blaster went off and then another one. When Seb looked at the battle, he saw the Crimson soldiers follow the lead of the one who’d dropped the minotaur. They all aimed their blasters at the sky and pulled the triggers, turning it red as they executed the slum dwellers.
Even though he saw everything in slow motion, Seb’s head spun at how quickly his army fell.
Suddenly Seb saw Gurt in the battle. He looked to have adopted the Crimson soldiers’ tactics—adopted and mastered them. The red beams in the night’s sky were joined with green flashes. Despite the green blasts coming from just one blaster, they balanced the colour of the battle as Gurt blew the soldiers’ brains out one after the other. The smell of singed hair and blood scented the air.
Then Seb saw SA. She moved with the grace of a ballerina. It seemed effortless as she spun through the carnage, executing any enemies in her way, her knives an extension of her fluid limbs.
Seb searched the crowd, but he couldn’t see the others. No Sparks; no Bruke.
Four quick blows and Seb dropped four more soldiers. “Sparks,” he called, but he still couldn’t see her. Another blow and then, “Sparks.” Still nothing.
A crowd of several Crimson foot soldiers jumped back to Seb’s left as if forced away from something. He threw a series of quick jabs on his way over to the disturbance and found Sparks crouched down with her finger on her watch. She seemed ready to electrocute anyone who came close to her, her teeth bared in a snarl.
The soldiers she’d shocked closed in again, so Seb rushed across to stand in front of her. When the crimson robes halted, Seb raised his fists, his arms weak with exhaustion and sweat running into his eyes.
One of the soldiers laughed, so Seb lunged for the creature. He drove a blow into the centre of its shadowed hood and its legs buckled beneath it. It hit the ground. A blue flash and a loud buzz and Sparks electrocuted the soldier. Another shot of singed hair scented the air.
The other soldiers paused for a second before all rushing towards Seb as one.
Everything turned into a blur and Seb moved on instinct. Exhausted from the fight, he heaved deep breaths and drove blow after blow into the creatures’ faces. He dropped them all.
Once they’d all gone down, a slight lull followed, and Seb’s entire frame rocked with his fatigue.
Before he could do anything else, Gurt stormed into the space and ripped off a line of rapid shots into the downed soldiers. The smell of cauterised flesh wafted up from the corpses and different coloured blood leaked from them.
Gurt scowled at Seb, a dark set to his large features. “Do I always have to clean up after you?”
“What else are you good for?” Seb replied.
A flash of mirth winked across Gurt’s face before he stepped forward and sent several more uppercut green blasts into the sky. Bodies fell in his wake like wilting flowers.
One of the downed soldiers seemed to be a similar height to Sparks. Seb quickly whipped its small robe off and handed it to his friend. “Here.”
She stared at the garment, her purple eyes growing larger behind her glasses. “What’s that for?”
“We need someone to get into the palace and free the boy slaves. You’re better doing that than fighting out here.”
Although Sparks looked like she wanted to argue, she didn’t. Instead, she took the robe from him, threw it on, and said, “Thanks for saving me.” Her face vanished behind the shadow of the hood. She looked down at the dead soldier Seb had de-robed before looking back at him. “See you soon.”
The Shadow Order - Books 1 - 8 + 120 Seconds (The complete series): A Space Opera Page 50