Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

“Salena, wait…”

  She glanced over at him. A small gasp escaped her lips. “Talon, your eye…”

  He squinted, and touched the side of his head. “Is this your doing?”

  “No… look, the symbols!”

  A faint red glow began to trace the symbols on the tablets. They pulsed and faded, matching the light emitting from his eye.

  Jula slinked over to Aroyas, and pulled him away from the glowing tablets. Her chain whip jangled along the floor.

  “What is this?” the Sorari woman hissed. “More of your dark energy tricks?”

  The old man stared at the glowing tablets, a look of terror flooding his gaunt, haunted features. “I’ve had nightmares about this… since the day I found you. The Claw and the Eye must join to reveal the path.”

  The symbols glowed brighter. Blinding traces of crimson light flowed across the marks on the tablet. Talon grit his teeth again, as the glow from his eye matched the intensity of the burning symbols. A hologram shimmered in the air, floating above the strange metal tablet.

  “That’s a star chart,” Salena gasped. “I can read it… These are coordinates!”

  Talon gasped as the intense light from his eye finally dimmed. Salena scanned the hologram with her wrist unit as it faded from view.

  Talon ran his hands over his skull. His skin was flushed red, and his hair was streaked with sweat. “Iberon’s harem,” he cursed. “I’ve had enough of these dreams, memories, or whatever they are. I’m tired of sharing my mind with a pack of delusions.”

  A loud click, followed by a whining hum, sounded behind them. Talon whirled around to find Jula aiming a long, slim pulse pistol at his head.

  He looked up and down her lithe, pale body. “Where did you hide the weapon?” he snarled.

  A single platinum eyebrow arched, and she flashed him her frosty grin, but said nothing.

  “They aren’t delusions,” Aroyas growled. “I’ve had these visions since the day I found you. Maybe if you take this stuff… maybe I can finally get a good night’s sleep. We had a deal, you paid your chips. Now take it and go!”

  Before Talon could move, a deep rumble filled the air. The glowing ceiling shook, and the light flickered. Muted screams drifted down from above.

  Jula glanced up. A spattering of rocks and debris rained down on them. She pulled Aroyas aside, as a large chunk of tile crashed to the floor where he had been standing.

  “We have to get out of here,” she said. “The stairs, quickly!”

  As they raced towards the staircase, echoing footsteps descended towards them. Talon drew his axe. The rapid steps grew louder, closer…

  Avra emerged from the shadows, holding a charged pulse pistol in her hand. The room shook again, and she leant against the wall too steady herself.

  “What the hell is happening up there?” Talon shouted.

  Avra yanked a second pistol from her belt, and tossed it to him. He caught it, and checked the charge indicator on the side.

  “Arm yourselves, quickly!” Avra shouted. “The Dominion has found us. The colony is under attack!”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Talon and Avra charged up the stairs.

  He heard Jula hiss a warning to Aroyas behind them. “Stay here,” she said. Then she turned and followed in their footsteps.

  As they ascended the spiraling steps, the screams and explosions above grew louder. When they reached the top, they darted behind a row of towering columns near the stairs. Talon peered out into the main bath chamber.

  A stream of rocks and debris fell from a gaping hole in the center of the dome. Blinding searchlights blasted through the hole, sweeping back and forth across the panicked crowds in the pools. The roar of thruster jets almost drowned out the shouting and screaming of the bathers.

  A transport platform descended through the crumbling hole. Several squads of Dominion Centurions stood at attention on the platform. Their crimson battle armor shimmered like flames in the harsh glow of the lights. On the ground, a few more squads of the armored troopers swept through the main entrance. They fanned out, spraying the air with pulse bolts as they advanced through the chamber. Fleeing patrons of all races skidded across the slick tiles. They fell screaming into the bubbling pools, cut down by the barrage of glowing beams.

  A few random security guards returned fire, but they were no match for the trained military forces charging into the dome. A stray beam struck the column next to Talon, sending a mist of powdered rock into the air.

  “We’re outnumbered,” he shouted. “If that platform lands, they’ll completely overwhelm the security forces here!” He ducked, as another stray bolt sparked against the column.

  One of the centurions on the floor spun around, as a guard stepped out from behind a statue and opened fire. The shots bounced harmlessly off the soldier’s polished armor. The centurion raised his rifle, taking his time as he lined up the guard in his sights.

  Before he could fire, Avra leaned around her column and snapped off a quick double tap. Twin glowing bolts slammed into the centurion's helmet. The man uttered a bloodcurdling scream as he pitched forward, splashing into one of the pools.

  Talon grinned. “Nice shot!”

  Jula glared at them both. “You fools! You’ll draw their attention!”

  “Why do you think they’re here in the first place?” Avra shouted back. "They must have known your sleaze bag boss was hiding here!"

  “What are you talking about? It was you idiots who led these dogs here!”

  Glowing specks of molten rock erupted from the columns around them. The remaining troops on the ground marched towards their position. The centurions concentrated their pulse-fire on the row of columns. The platform hummed as it descended lower. Talon saw some of the men onboard point in their direction.

  “The Dominion already had spies on Bakala,” he shouted back to Jula. “Your patron double-crossed a Dominion lord. What did you think would happen?”

  He leaned out and fired again, aiming for the lifter field generators under the platform. His shots sparked off the glowing metal discs, but had no effect.

  He ducked back behind the column, as another barrage of energy bolts flew their way. “Armor’s too heavy,” he snarled.

  Avra turned the power selector up on the side of her weapon. “If we combine our fire, we might be able to take it down. Jula, cover us.”

  “I don’t take orders from a disgraced sister like—”

  Talon grabbed Jula’s silk robe, and pulled her close. “Then take orders from me. We're pinned down. You help us, or you and your patron both die.”

  Jula’s icy sapphire eyes blinked, then she nodded. “De’naxi… Fine.”

  He released his grip on her diaphanous covering. She stood up, and took a few steps back. Her free hand darted to her waist, and unclasped the chain whip. “I’ll do my part. Make your shots count.”

  Avra glanced back at her, and her jaw dropped. “Jula, wait… that’s not what—”

  With a high-pitched wail, Jula charged forward, streaking from the archway of the stairs. Her white robe billowed behind her like the wings of a frost eagle. Her bangles and chains jingled with each bounding step. Leaping into a summersault, she spun and twirled through the air like an acrobat. Glowing pulse bolts cascaded around her, but none found their mark.

  Landing in a low crouch, she stretched out her arm and aimed her slim pistol.

  The weapon spat glowing death, and two centurions collapsed to the ground. As she fired, she spun her golden chain over her head. The weapon emitted an ear-splitting wail as it whipped through the smoky air. The remaining ground troops spun around and converged on their new attacker.

  “Now!” Talon shouted.

  He and Avra leaned out from behind the crumbing pillars. They opened fire, pummeling the glowing disks under the hover platform with the fury of their combined shots. One of the disks exploded, sending a shower of sparks over the men below. The platform dipped, tilting at a steep angle. It swayed back and
forth, like a boat caught in a storm.

  The men on board grabbed at the rails, but their armored fingers could not get a solid grip. A few managed to hold on, but the rest slid off the platform and fell to the ground. A hail of crimson bodies pelted the tile floor, landing with loud, bone-snapping cracks. A few fell into the pools. Those who survived coughed and sputtered as they struggled to swim towards the edge. Their heavy armor weighed them down, and a few slipped below the colored liquid.

  As the damaged troop platform bucked and swayed, Jula pressed her attack. She rolled forward, diving behind a chunk of rock that had fallen from the dome. The nearby centurions swept their rifles after her, struggling to draw a bead on the agile woman. Their shots burned glowing holes in the tiles behind her prancing feet.

  With another fierce war cry, Jula leapt up onto the fallen slab. Like a stalking cat, she pounced, landing between the nearest centurions. One of them whirled around, but he was too late. Her gun fired, and sparks erupted from the soldier's chest. As he fell back, her whip snaked around the other man's neck. She jerked him forward, kicking his rifle from his grasp. Spinning him around, she held him before her as a shield. Five more centurions rushed towards them, weapons blazing.

  Her captive's body jerked and danced as their pulse bolts sparked against his armor. Again, the high-pitched whistle screamed through the air, as Jula whirled her chain above her head. She spun it faster and faster. The whining hum grew louder, and the links in the chain began to glow.

  Talon and Avra let loose another barrage. Their bolts struck a second glowing disc on the underside of the platform. The field generator erupted in a brilliant explosion. The platform groaned as it lost altitude and spiraled towards the ground.

  As it fell, Jula depressed a switch on the handle of her whip, and gave it one final spin. Then she snapped it forward. The glowing links detached, sending a volley of energized projectiles hurtling towards the centurions. The men screamed in pain as the white-hot shards melted through their armor.

  Four of the soldiers reeled, and collapsed to the ground. The fifth remained standing. He staggered forward and raised his rifle.

  “Jula, look out!” Avra shouted. She leapt from behind her column, firing wildly with her pistol. Her shots knocked the man backwards, but his armor absorbed most of the impact. Before he could recover, a shadow descended over him. He looked up…

  CRASH!

  The plummeting troop platform slammed on top of him, crushing him in an instant. Jula dove backwards, as the impact blasted shards of tile and rock through the air.

  She rose to her feet. Thrusting her shoulders back, she glanced at Avra, panting for breath. A cloud of dust and haze drifted between them. For a moment, the chamber was quiet. The only sounds were the crackle of burning debris, and the low moans of the wounded men, splashing in the pools.

  “Well done. But this changes nothing,” Jula shouted. “Ignofacci… you are still—”

  A sudden explosion rocked the chamber. Jula vanished in a plume of fire and dust

  “Sister!” Avra screamed. She lunged forward, but Talon grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.

  “Avra, wait!”

  A metallic crunch sounded from beyond the cloud of dust. Another explosion rumbled through the chamber. They heard the wrenching of metal beams overhead. A mist tank fell, crashing to the ground amidst more tumbling rocks. The chamber shook again. Water sloshed over the edge of the pools as another crunching thud filled the air. It sounded like footsteps… Giant footsteps that shook the walls and floor of the bathhouse around them.

  A shadow emerged from the billowing haze.

  “By the Haunted Stars!” Talon exclaimed, his voice a hoarse whisper.

  A six-legged mech crashed through the entrance to the bathhouse. The gilded archway was reduced to rubble. The towering war machine lumbered towards them. Its metal shell was painted crimson, and the symbol of the Dominion was emblazoned beneath its twin-domed cockpits.

  The massive tank towered over thirty feet in the air. Twin pulse canons hung from a pair of segmented mechanical arms on either side of the vehicle. Each cockpit controlled one of the weapon arms. They moved with a hydraulic whine, taking aim at the columns behind Talon and Avra.

  Talon crouched low, as a pair of explosive beams lanced over their heads. The impact knocked more rubble lose from the ceiling. Chunks of metal and stone rained down around them.

  “We can’t leave Jula,” Avra cried.

  Looking up, Talon saw more troop platforms descending from the collapsed dome. Dozens of armored centurions stood onboard each platform. They held their rifles across their chests as they lowered to the ground.

  He pulled Avra back into the stairwell. “We have to go. Jula fought well, but this is a battle we can’t win.”

  She resisted at first, kicking and screaming, pounding her fists against his chest. Then all at once her body relaxed, as if accepting the inevitable. She followed him back down the stairs. Salena looked up at them as they raced into Aroyas' private chamber. The room shuddered again, sending chips of tiles splashing into the bubbling water.

  "By the gods," she exclaimed, as she loaded the last of the tablets back into the cargo pod. "What's happening up there?"

  Aroyas huddled under the bar, gulping wine straight from the bottle. “Where the hell is Jula?” he cried out when he saw Talon and Avra. “I’m the one who pays her! She should be down here protecting me!”

  Talon glared at the huddled old man. “She died in battle, coward. As far as I'm concerned, she’s worth a hundred snakes like yourself. Dominion forces have come for us. Come for you. Is there another way out of this room?”

  Aroyas shook his head. “No, the stairs are the only way out. Jula said that was safer. Less entrances to guard.”

  Another explosion rocked the room. “If that’s true, then this place will be our tomb,” Salena murmured. She closed the lid of the pod, sealing the tablets inside.

  “I’m telling you,” the old man shouted back, “those stairs are the only way in or out of this chamber!”

  Talon eyed the bubbling water in the center of the pool.

  “We shall see.” He handed his pistol to Salena, then turned to Avra. “Can you two hold the stairs for a few minutes?”

  The fiery-haired woman’s face was pale, but her green eyes blazed with the fury of battle. Talon knew the look well. Whatever had passed between Avra and the Sorari Sisterhood, she clearly regarded Jula as a fellow warrior. Her blood cried out for revenge.

  Avra nodded. “We'll hold them. Against anything but that scorpion tank, at least."

  Talon slipped his axe into his harness. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He took a deep breath, and dove into the water.

  Forcing his way through the crimson depths, he swam to the bottom of the pool. He squinted as the salt and chemicals in the water stung his eyes. Peering through the churning murk, he saw a column of bubbles. They were jetting from a circular hatch in the center of the pool. With powerful strokes of his arms, Talon paddled over to the hatch.

  A pair of handles protruded from either side of the domed covering. Grasping the metal rods, he planted his feet on the bottom of the pool. Muscles rippled across his back and shoulders as he tugged at the hatch.

  The hinges groaned and creaked, but the hatch remained closed.

  A stream of bubbles escaped his closed lips. His hair drifted in the dark water. He tugged again, pushing with his legs. Again the hatch groaned. He heard metal bend and snap, but it remained sealed.

  Another muted explosion rumbled through the water. Chunks of rock pelted the surface, sinking past him to the bottom of the pool. His lungs screamed for air, and a black haze began to creep in from the periphery of his vision.

  Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his stance and closed his eyes. He ignored the pain in his shoulders and the frantic beating of his oxygen-starved heart.

  He pulled again, yanking up with all the strength in his back and shoulders.

 
With a loud crack, the hatch flew open. A torrent of bubbles surrounded him. Peering down, he saw the mouth of a pipe, large enough for a man to crawl through. It ran beneath the pool. A metal grate covered the entrance, less than a meter below the open hatch.

  Grabbing his axe, he ignited the blade. The water lit up orange, and an explosion of tiny bubbles swirled around him. The liquid of the pool sizzled and boiled as it made contact with the burning plasma of the axe.

  Lowering the weapon, he sliced through the grill, cutting an opening in the thick wire mesh.

  The black haze crept in further, reducing his vision to a pinpoint of light. His heart pounded against his chest like the death drums of the arena.

  He powered down the axe, and pushed off from the bottom of the pool. His head broke the water’s surface, and he drank in air with long, greedy gulps. More explosions rocked the chamber, sending a steady stream of rubble splashing into the pool.

  “I found a way out,” he gasped, spitting out a mouthful of water. “I think…”

  “You think?” Aroyas snapped. “And what if you’re wrong?”

  More rocks fell from the ceiling. The lights flickered again. Talon panted for breath. “You’re welcome to stay here if you like!”

  Avra and Salena flanked the stairs. Avra turned to face him. “That tank is almost here. And there’s a legion of centurions behind it.”

  “There’s a tunnel underneath the pool. It's wide enough for us to swim through,” Talon shouted. “We’ll have to fight against the current, but it’s weak. We can make it.”

  “What about the tablets?” Salena shot a worried glance towards the sealed cargo pod.

  “It won’t fit. Leave it!”

  The room shook again. Puddles of crimson water sloshed over the edge of the pool.

  Salena shook her head. “We can’t let Sartarus get his hands on them. They’re too dangerous!”

  “They’re just relics, bits of stone and metal!” Talon shouted. “If we don’t leave now, we’re going to die in this festering puddle of muck!”

  Avra rolled her eyes. “Enough with the debate! I refuse to die in this waterlogged whorehouse!”