by Terry Reid
Terry looked at Faye as she helped her up. “What is it with these bloody portals and opening so far off the floor?”
“My lady!” said one of the Alchemists as they huddled around her, offering assistance. She waved them away. “Find my father.”
Chapter 22
Molten Metal
Another spire toppled as a Monoglyph ploughed through it, sending stone and rubble raining onto the street below. Screams filled the air as people fled a city caving in about their ears. Rockets and fireballs whistled overhead and distant explosions rattled the earth as some Pyrovites, the Kamari among them, sought to fight back; but their efforts did little, if anything, to deter the thirty-foot robots that stormed the capital. At their feet, primeval Alchemists swarmed through the streets in droves, killing and destroying whatever lay in their path.
From the high vantage point of the watch tower that stood to the west of the city Edward marvelled the chaos that unfolded below him. The Prime Minister slumped to his knees. He winced at the screams of the dying and the roar of war, carried to him on the howling wind. Tears streamed down his bloody face. “Please...” he begged, a cold wind whistling over him, “You have to stop this! I will give you anything you want!”
Edward turned his head, glaring down at the fallen premier. “I already have what I want.”
The fire elemental stared up at him through wide, beaten eyes. “I don’t understand...” he cried, throwing his head forward. One of the guards pulled his head back, forcing him to look at his captor. He struggled, but the binds they had used to tie his hands held firm behind his back.
“You’re people Prime Minister, will all die. I will wipe every last bloody fire and water elemental off the face of this world.”
“Why? What have they ever done to deserve this?”
He wheeled round. “You’re ancestors hunted my race! Killed thousands of us!”
The beaten man shook his head. “That was a very long time ago...you cannot blame people who have done anything wrong for the sins of their ancestors.”
“I can and I shall.” He said, turning back to the scene of destruction that spread out before him. “Your races and the Alchemists have not changed. My wife and I came to Marrich to hide, yet instead of coming only for me you killed her instead.”
Another explosion in the distance rumbled and rocked the landscape, sending a loose pebble and dust clattering from the heights of the watch tower.
The Prime Minister knew the story. He had not when he was a young man when it happened as such matters had been kept secret in the interest of national security. But that all changed when he had come to power.
He drew a breath and sat up, his body protesting from the effort. “Your wife did not deserve to die. She was innocent, I know. It was an accident. That Kamari only opened fire on her because she got in the way.”
Edward reeled round to him, his eyes ablaze. “She was one of your kind! Your kind!” he screamed, grabbing the man by the collar and striking him across the face. He flung him away, uninterested that the man lay coughing up blood in ragged breaths. The Phantom stormed back to the edge of the stone balcony. “That’s what I get for marrying a fire elemental I suppose. If it had not been that fucking insect that killed her it would have been your people anyway. You kill your own kind if you’re not busy burning everyone else.” He spat bitterly, his hands coming to rest upon the cold stone wall.
The Prime Minister coughed, a mouthful of blood spewing from his lips. He heaved himself upright. “What do you mean?” he asked. Angry eyes returned to him. “You’re talking about Terrifallo?” The red mist descended over the Phantom and he knew. The Prime Minister shook his head. “She didn’t kill your wife...” he coughed, as he shifted his weight from one aching knee to the other. “She wasn’t even there.”
Edward struck him again, sending him back to the floor. Saying nothing, he turned away.
More blood poured from the Prime Minister’s mouth, this time with a broken tooth. He spat it out. His head reeled but he wasn’t done yet. “You won’t be allowed to get away with this! They won’t let you!” he shouted, finding his voice.
Edward’s eyes widened. He turned to face the fallen man. “Who?” he asked, but he already knew the answer.
“You know exactly who I’m talking about. It’s there, the fear in your eyes.” He said defiantly, between coughs, his head cold pressed against the flagstones.
Edward stormed over to him and dragged the man to his feet. Holding his face close to his own he whispered coldly, “No one is coming to save you. You exiled the only person who ever stopped me.”
A crimson smile crossed his lips. “I didn’t, I opposed it when it went through parliament years ago.”
“And it did you no good. You were not even a minister then!”
“It doesn’t matter, they’ll still come.”
Edward flung him to the floor, delivering a swift kick to the ribs. “Feel that? That’s just the start! No-one is coming to save you or anyone!” He grabbed the Prime Minister by the hair and pulled his head back again, pressing a blade to his throat. “You have failed your people.”
An explosion nearby knocked them both to the floor. Cursing, Edward stood and hurried to the balcony. “What the hell was that?” he shouted to the reanimated Alchemists who had been guarding the prisoner. The corpses had also been caught off guard and had fallen over with him and the Prime Minister. They struggled back to their feet, training large metal blades on the prisoner and looking about in confusion.
Edward peered into the dust cloud. There was a grinding scream, the sound of gunfire and then silence. He squinted, trying desperately to see what was going on only yards away.
Suddenly, a large metal head flew out of the cloud, smashing into the base of the watch tower. The stones held but a shock rattled upward through the ancient stones. The Monoglyph head rolled to a stop a short distance from the base, its metal eyes staring vacantly into the sky. Edward gestured to his puppets and four of the Alchemists gathered at either side of him, making ready.
Five silhouettes appeared through the dust. Edward steadied himself, shaking his head. It couldn’t be...
“Edward!” shouted Terry at the top of her voice, as the line stopped at the foot of the tower, the wind carrying her voice high.
“Kill them!” he shouted to the Alchemists. But they hesitated. “Kill them!” he shouted, shutting his eyes and clutching his hands to his forehead. The effort of trying to control them made him wince; when once their hollowed minds had folded so easily, now they resisted with the weight of eons of instinct behind them. The Alchemists crumpled to the ground, clutching silently at their heads. Feeling their life force vanish, Edward released his grip, cursing angrily. He booted one of the fallen in frustration. He looked back to the road. His eyes widened. Where did they go? Turning, he fled away from the balcony, abandoning the Prime Minister to his fate.
On the opposite side Edward jumped, sailing downward on a roaring wind. It seemed to howl even more as he flexed his hands, slowing his descent. He landed in a crouch. Taking one last look up the one hundred foot tower he had just leapt from, he hurried off among the low lying houses that clustered around its foot.
But his route was cut off by Lyle, who came leaping over a rooftop and into the empty street before him.
Edward frantically looked about for an escape. Taking a running leap, he propelled himself into the air and over the Alchemist. As he did, a shower of silver darts rained up at him. Flexing his body at unnatural angles, he managed to avoid all of the deadly blades.
Suddenly the world was wheeling around him. Pain exploded through his back as he hit the road. Lyle had leapt and grabbed him while he had been distracted, but the midair struggle had caused the Alchemist to land poorly. Lyle grabbed Edward by the leg. But a flick of the Phantom’s hand sent him flying across the cobbles by a blast of icy wind.
Gliding unnaturally to his feet, Edward made ready for the next attack. Lyle jumped to h
is feet and armed his blades. The Phantom twitched, sensing the approach of others from different positions. Outnumbered, he shut his eyes for a moment.
Opening them, he caught the flash of the general’s blade as it whirled toward him. He ducked underneath, carefully stepping behind the Alchemist. He flicked his wrist forward, releasing another blast of air. Anticipating the move, Lyle dropped to the floor. Spinning on the ground, he took the Phantom’s feet out from under him. Edward caught himself mid-fall and with a blast of wind from both hands, flipped backward through the air like a black dagger. A safe distance away, he landed gracefully on his feet – now with four of them in the street before him.
He readied himself for their next bought. He felt the ground shake beneath his feet. With a devious smirk, he took off. Lyle and Connor gave chase but were forced to retreat when a Monoglyph came crashing through the buildings ahead of them, cutting off their route to the Phantom. Grumbling, the Monoglyph stormed toward them.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Connor shouted as he turned tail and ran. Rounding the next building into an alleyway, he narrowly avoided being crushed by falling masonry as the giant took a swipe. Falling to the floor, he stumbled back. The Monoglyph continued on its path, clearly more interested in chasing Lyle than in him.
Slightly further on the giant lost sight of the general. He has disappeared behind a building, but on arrival was nowhere to be seen down the long, linear, alley. But death lurked silently from the spire behind. Lyle, now fully evolved, hid behind the tower, watching his target carefully. Crawling silently across the facets of the ancient spire, he positioned himself and leapt.
The two monsters fell to the floor, rattling the earth as they struck it with their incredible weight. The two grappled, entangled in a deadly scrap of giants. Battle cries rang through the streets and masonry crashed to the ground in all directions as the two Alchemists slugged it out. Hearing all the commotion, two other primeval Alchemists under the influence of Edward appeared on the scene. They were sneaking up on the general from behind for a surprise attack when they were struck from above by a shower of flaming projectiles.
A searing blue flame caught one by the foot, causing the first one to rear its head and bark angrily at its airborne assailant. Looping back round, Connor flung another wave of searing blue flames, this time catching it on the head and body in several places. The primeval flinched and backed away a short distance before shrieking again in protest, but the onslaught kept coming. It’s companion, having been caught by one too many flaming spikes, yelped and fled. The first called to it, but it kept running. Now on its own, it lost its confidence and retreated.
With one paw on the Monoglyph’s head and one on its shoulder, Lyle pulled the plates apart to expose the soft flesh on its neck. Plunging fangs deep into a vital artery, he disposed of the renegade Alchemist, rivers of dark blood spurting everywhere. It twitched for a few moments before growing still. Lifting his blood stained maul, Lyle darted his head this way and that. Connor waved to him from on high, gesturing in the direction Edward had fled. Growling, Lyle broke into a chase.
A pair of large hands pulled the Prime Minister upright. The battered man had trouble seeing his would-be hero for the sun at his back.
“Are you alright, sir?” Rufus enquired, concern etched across his alien face.
For a minute the dishevelled minister stared at him. “I know you...”
“Yes, we’ve met once before, many years ago. But I’m afraid now is not the most convenient time to talk about it.” He said hastily, helping the man to his feet. Moving around his back, he removed his bonds.
The Prime Minister grimaced, rubbing his aching wrists. “Thank you.”
“We must get out of here before we are seen. Is there anywhere safe we can go?”
The man shook his head. “He destroyed the emergency shelter in the parliament, that’s how he got me.”
“What about the other ministers? Where are they?”
He turned pale. “He killed most of them and their apprentices. I fear the only ones still alive are those who weren’t working today.”
“Let us hope they are okay, but in the meantime we must get down from here.” He insisted, hurrying the man along. The Prime Minister did not have to be told twice.
Edward glanced over his shoulder. He had dropped to a quick pace, making his way down deserted back alleys. As he looked back round, he came face to face with a wall of water. The mini tsunami carried him back down the way he had came, before smashing him into a building.
He picked himself up in time to deflect the next wave with a blast of air, steering it to crash over a block of flats to his right. He looked about as water rained down about him. “Why don’t you come out where I can see you Faye?”
The raindrops froze in midair. Suddenly they rushed inward, forming a solid ball around him. He spun around and around before the ball froze, sealing him in. A body of water reared up, shaping itself into Faye. Terry emerged from her hiding spot, somersaulting down from a nearby rooftop.
“Nice move.” She said, catching up. “Can you keep him like that while we get him to Rufus?”
“We’re not waiting for Rufus we need to finish this, now.”
Terry was affronted. “We talked about this.” She said, lowering her voice. “If you destroy his body, he’ll only escape again.”
“We’ll keep him frozen then.”
“For how long? You can’t keep him frozen forever. That body he’s in will still die and he’ll just escape again. We need to get him to Rufus.” With that said, she started to walk away.
Faye did not follow. “I told you, I’m not taking him to Rufus. He failed to kill him last time. How do we know he’ll get it right now?”
An explosion nearby caused them both to flinch. “We don’t have time for this! Rufus has a plan! It will work! Now let’s go!”
“I’m not taking him. He killed my boyfriend, I should get to do with him as I see fit.”
Frustrated, Terry stormed back toward the water elemental and jabbed a finger at her. “This isn’t the time for you to go off on one. We’re in the middle of a warzone!”
“Then let me do what I want and I will make sure he suffers!”
“He’ll kill you before you get a chance or escape before you get a chance! Now pull yourself together, we have a plan to stick too!” Having the final word, she turned away. The last thing Terry saw was the floor tumbling toward her.
Standing over the fallen Alchemist, Faye tossed the ice-wrapped stone aside. Grabbing her feet, she dragged her into the relative safety of a nearby, narrow alleyway. Hiding her poorly behind some wooden crates, she returned to her frozen prisoner.
******
“Fallo!” shouted Lyle as he arrived at the city gates, skipping the formalities. The King turned at his name, alarm falling across his face as he saw his brother and Rufus carrying his unconscious daughter; Connor running not far behind. The lieutenant he was speaking to bowed and withdrew, though no-one paid any heed.
Fallo sprinted to them, his movements unhindered by his thick, heavy, armour. Lyle and Rufus lowered her to the ground. “What happened?” Fallo demanded, lifting Terry’s head into his lap. His hand fell across the wet, bloodied hair at the back of her head.
“I tried to heal her, but the damage is too great. Her skull isn’t fractured but it’s dented in the way.” Lyle said, crouching down beside her. “I couldn’t risk going in there, I’m sorry. I’ve never dealt with head injuries before.”
“I see brother.” Fallo replied coolly, carefully examining his daughter’s head. “Have you seen any of her probes or the flesh trying to heal?”
“No.”
Fallo pulled her head higher into his lap, turning it so he could see the wound more clearly. One of his tentacles pushed free from under his plates and twisted toward her – hissing in alarm at the sight of the injury. Its jaws clamped shut and its head mutated into thousands of wiry tendrils. The silvery wires crawled under her hair, co
vering the wound in a mesh of pewter. Fallo shut his eyes as he held her head in place.
Rufus stared on in silent awe. He had researched the Alchemist race intimately, but he had never seen nor heard tell of what he was witnessing now. He knew of their inexhaustible regenerative abilities, but he had always believed they met their limit when it came to repairing something as fragile and complicated as the mind. Clearly there were some secrets that the ancient race kept to them alone.
The minutes seemed to drag by like an eternity. After what seemed liked hours Terry had failed to show any movement and Rufus began to doubt that she would pull through.
Then suddenly, like a switch being flipped, her eyelids shot open and she screamed, lurching forward. It took Fallo all his strength to hold her down; lest she inadvertently rip the delicate tendrils that still held her mind. The surge passed and she came to rest in his arms, her breathing ragged. Her gaze locked with his, her icy pupils welling with relief. Then she said something in their native tongue, to which Fallo smiled and replied.
After a few minutes the silvery tendrils began to withdraw; one of Fallo’s familiar probes taking over the repair. The device took a glance at the wound and digging its spindly legs into her scalp, began to stimulate the cells into regeneration. Satisfied she was fully healed, it withdrew, disappearing beneath Fallo’s armour, like his tentacle.
Terry sat up, gripping her dad tightly as he cuddled her. She shut her eyes and wept, speaking again in their ancient language. Fallo replied in kin. Then the King lifted his gaze, his eyes burning as they met Lyle, Rufus and Connor. “How did this happen?”
It was Lyle who spoke. “We found her in a backstreet behind some crates.”
“I know a wound when I see a blunt object to the head when I see one. Who did this?”