Until death?

by Andur

  “Then what other possibilities do we have?” -Arthur

  “We break the shield, bomb everything to pieces, except the building with the summoning circle. Then we invade and take a close look at the thing. Maybe we can cancel it safely somehow.” -Me

  “You don't sound convinced.” -Arthur

  “That's because I have no idea what we will find there. The only safe possibility would be to blow the whole city to smithereens. But that come with a serious risk.” -Me

  “Those Meltheim and Tulhelm fellows have already proven that they have some screws loose. I don't want to gamble on the possibility that they did something smart like installing safety mechanisms into the circle!” -Arthur

  “I don't think it's a question if they wanted to install something like that. It's a question if the blueprint for the circle came with something like that. I doubt that they understand the circle. I doubt even more that they would be able to modify it if they wanted to.” I lean back in my chair and look at the ceiling.

  “That makes me even more uncomfortable with a gamble like that! We will invade by foot if necessary! That's it.” -Arthur

  “I don't now Tjenemit well enough to take any guess, so we should really try it the safe way.” Celes gives her opinion too.

  I nod and take another look at the map. “Start the long range bombardment. I want the shield weakened when we arrive.”

  “Yes, Sir.” -Technician

  The fortress shudders, as a full salvo of blue energy balls is fired. They are pure plasma, encased in a magically upheld electromagnetic field under high pressures. Upon impact the field crumbles and hell is set loose upon the world.

  A few seconds later the screen shows blue flashes on the horizon. “Start the drones and give the command to swarm the city as soon as the shield goes down. We will use them as the first wave.”

  “We will loose many of them to our own fire sir.” An officer reminds me.

  “They are just metal and maybe some can find valuable targets in the confusion. Set them up to clear out the area around the summoning circle. I don't want any surprises there.” I point at the locations I want them to be.

  “I will order the troops to overrun the city as soon as the shield goes down.” -Arthur informs me.

  “They will run into our fire.” Celes interjects.

  “Everyone knows what's on the line. I have picked only veterans to serve here. They all know that this could affect the world. If I tell them that they improve our chances a little by throwing themselves into a firestorm, they will do it.” -Arthur

  I nod. “I hope it will be worth the risk.”

  The rest of the time we watch in silence while the fortress is shaken by our own artillery. After another hour our target comes into view.

  Located at the biggest mountain range, we can see the City of Seria. A white bubble over the city constantly lights up and disappears again while it is hit by our artillery.

  It looks like any other city, but a few structures stand out. First the big tower at the centre of the city, second is the dome, which most likely houses the summoning circle. And third are the smaller towers around the city which are similar to the big one.

  Around the city our besieging troops started to intensify their bombardment too and the whole city is constantly hit by projectiles.

  “Prepare the main cannon. The target is this tower at the edge of the city. Fire when ready.” I give my command.

  “Why exactly that one?” Nicosar asks with a curious voice.

  “I studied the city layout for quite some time and I guess it's the most likely place for one of the magic devices which create the shield. I don't think it's created by a single device, which would be hard to control. The central tower most likely acts as the power source which supplies the shield generators at the periphery. We will concentrate everything we have on that single tower. I hope we can overload the supply line for the mana. If we manage to blow out that part of the shield we will take out the big tower next.” -Me

  “That's the plan? And if we can't overload the supply line?” -Arthur

  “Then we will fly the fortress above the city, climb to the highest altitude possible ….. evacuate and cut the engine.” I answer with a sweet voice.

  “Target acquired! Firing!” -Technician

  A big red beam shoots out of the front of our ship and impacts into the enemy's shield, where it disperses and vanishes. But the beam of energy doesn't stop.

  “Output continuous. Raising it to hundred percent.” -Technician

  I watch the effects on the shield, but it seems like it isn't working. “Raise the output by five per cent every ten seconds.”

  “But... that could blow the cannon!” -Technician

  “Do it! If it can't break that shield, we don't need that cannon!” -Me

  “Raising the output to 105....... 110.......115....... we are overheating!” -Technician

  “120! Do it!” I scream. This fucking shield has to go down!

  “120” -Technician

  The beam of red energy starts to pulse while the city's shield starts to flicker. Suddenly a little beam of energy passes through and strikes the tower.

  Flickering again the shield vanishes and the disappears, being hit by the full power of the beam. The people in the room start to cheer.

  Our energy beam also flickers and turns off.

  “The main cannon burned out!” -Technician

  “Who cares! Open fire! Wipe the big tower from my sight!” I start to laugh like mad while our cannons pour their fire through the opening at the big tower. Explosions tear the other building apart and suddenly the whole shield goes down and the bombardment starts to ravage the city from all sides.

  Arthur activates a little communication device. “All units attack!”

  “Clear out the area around the dome and give the command to the drones. Get ready to teleport us to the dome.” I jump out of my chair.

  Some white balls of energy start to rise from the city, but they are few compared the bombardment of the besieging force. As soon as a ball of energy starts to rise the position it was fired from is torn apart by multiple impacts.

  Our army is doing a good job in taking out the enemy's artillery.

  “Start to teleport the troops directly to the dome!” Nicosar gives instructions to a technician.

  “I guess it's time get ready.” I nod at Celes and we start to make our way towards the weapon arsenal.

  A few minutes later we are equipped with the latest magically enhanced armour and weapons. A few technicians are helping us to correctly put on the golden armoury which looks like a combination of a knight and a space suit.

  Everyone has his own, but I still should have checked on the work of my people. “Why do we all have black suits combined with gold, while the regular troops are black and silver?”

  “Your majesties have to uphold the right appearance! It's unthinkable to dress you in the colours of the regular troops!” A technician explains shocked.

  “Hmpf. Get us normal ones the next time. We stand out like hell! This just screams to the heavens that we should be shot first! Well at least the black dominates, so it should just be a problem at close ranges.” I grumble to myself. You should always check everything for yourself!

  The technician bows to me while sweating a little. Then his communication device vibrates and he listens to it for a second.

  “The troops cleared an area around the dome and judged it safe enough. They are now entering, but there is heavy resistance. Drem thinks it would be okay if you follow on their feet while they are advancing. That's just if it's true that every second counts.”

  Suddenly Celes hugs me. “Don't do anything stupid!” After a few seconds she lets go of me and I kiss her forehead. “I promise.”

  Then I look at one of the guys at the teleportation controls. “Get us down there!”

  52 - What a god can do.

  We re-materialize at an open plaza in front of the main entra
nce to the dome. A quick look at the dead bodies and the destruction tells me that a really brutal fight took place here.

  There are our people, as well as enemy troops on the ground. Drem awaits us at the entrance and waves us in. “Hurry, you can never know if there are still snipers around here.”

  I walk up to him and enter the dome. “How is the situation?”

  “We cleared the area and took control over the dome, but there are several layers of safety doors. We broke through three so far and encountered heavy resistance. At the fourth we are at a stale mate. There are some really strong people protecting it. I already lost a few men to them.” Drem leads us through a labyrinth of corridors.

  “Is it possible that those guys are nobles from Tulhelm and Meltheim?” Celes asks with a curious voice.

  “It's likely, but we couldn't confirm it until now. I saw one of them fighting with his bare hands, crushing my people. That meets the criteria for one of the Meltheim brothers. But they all wear hooded robes and are masked like some kind of cultists.” Drem snorts with an expression of disdain.

  I nod and after three big blasted doors, we reach a fourth, where Drem's people are having a good old gunfight. They are taking cover to the sides of the door and behind whatever they could carry here and use as coverage. “I am sorry, but we couldn't break the stalemate until now. We tried to enter twice, but got crushed both times.”

  Walking up to the guy next to the door, I pat his shoulder. He looks at me and I signal him to make room. After he stepped to the side I go to the knees and take a quick look around the corner. I jerk back immediately and a few bullets cut through the air where my head had been. About twenty people with guns behind barricades. Some, who look like wizards are casting shield spells and about ten guys in robes, who look like the leaders. “Those guys are fast.”

  “They already got three of our best shooters. Placed the bullet right between their eyes. Even the new automatic healing devices don't help against that. Either you are fast in taking cover again or you are dead.” The soldier grimaces with pain.

  I look at the grenades in his belt. “Give me those.” After I have them, I unplug their safety mechanisms and look at the soldiers. “I will teleport inside and start a distraction. As soon as you hear the explosions you storm inside.”

  The soldiers nod and Celes starts to kick at the wall a few feet down the door. “I will make a new entrance here.” She grins at the dent in the wall.

  Arthur lifts an eyebrow and kicks the wall at another spot lightly. It dents in a little too. “The more entrances the better.”

  ….. Family of brutes.... oh, shit I belong to that family! Argh!

  “I will take the main-entrance! The day I sneak through a self dug hole is far in the future!” Nicosar seems to be undisturbed and lifts a gun in each hand. YOU AREN'T RAMBO!

  I nod at everyone and teleport, reappearing close to the ceiling of the dome above the enemies. While I start to fall, I throw the grenades and two fireballs before I teleport again.

  Reappearing again behind the enemy, I take cover and start to hurl spells at them to get their attention.

  The dome is turned into a hell of bullets and explosions. My people break the walls, while some enemies turn around to shoot at me.

  Everything turns into chaos, as our people storm the enemy. One of the hooded figures disappears and reappears right in front of me.

  A fist impacts my chest and I stumble backwards. But the shock is mostly absorbed by my armour. “Long time no see. I hope you can remember me!” The figure uncovers it's face.

  Sarda! I grin at him. “Did you join the priests?”

  “Insolence! You will come to fear the one true god too! Once he enters this world the people who don't believe into him will burn!” Sarda has a mad look in his face.

  “It looks like you guys locked yourselves up for far too long. Some screws seem to be loose.” -Me

  Sarda screams and draws a sword. Then he jumps at me and I dodge. Elsewhere I can see Celes, Arthur and Nicosar fighting with other hooded figures.

  Looks like they build up their own cult while they locked themselves inside this city. Fanatics can be truly troublesome.

  I evade another strike and realize that Sarda didn't really get better in all those years. Though it seems like he got the mana treatment. He throws the mana around like he has enough to waste. But I have seen to it that we all got a little charge up too.

  The armours are actually constantly converting mana from a small power cell and infusing it into our bodies. A little piece of technology I am quite proud of.

  Sarda jabs his sword at me again and I cast a fireball directly into his face. The strong aura he emits protects him but he is blinded for a second.

  A little rock, lifted by telekinsis blasts through his knee and while he falls, I twist the sword out of his hand and nail him onto the floor.

  I watch his big round eyes staring up at me. “Feels like old times doesn't it?”

  He grins stupidly at me. “Yeah. Feels familiar, but you will still lose in the end.” Then the life in his eyes fades and I pull the sword out of him.

  Taking another look around the room, I see that the chaos has lightened up a little. But six of the hooded figures are still fighting.

  Celes is smashing a guy into the ground like a doll. He is struggling but can't put up a fight any more.

  Arthur is surrounded by two enemies while he is using the feet of someone as clubs. It seems his first victim got the doubtful honour of being torn apart to serve as weapon.

  Nicosar is surrounded by three others. They are hacking in horror at his mangled body while it keeps trying to reform.

  “Just Die!” “Zombie!” “Unholy Monster!”

  I throw a lightning spell at them to fry them together with the geezer. They seem to be too occupied to mind me. It's wonderful if you don't have to mind friendly fire!

  When their colour turns to a crispy brown I release the spell and watch out for the next target. But the one who was unlucky enough to be Celes's opponent is just a bloody mess by now.

  Arthur has dealt with his opponents too, while the surviving soldiers sniped them from the side. He has a lone survivor grabbed at the neck. “Look who we have here! Odlef of Meltheim he looks a little mangled, but i am sure he is it.”

  The man struggles but can't break free. Both his legs are bent in an unnatural way. “The god will punish you all! He will clean the world!”

  Arthur shakes the guy a little and he starts to sob. “They really went insane. I hope it hasn't something to do with our bloodline.”

  For the first time I can take a close look at the inside of the dome. It's completely empty execpt for the barricades, which were put up by the defenders.

  The whole floor of the size of a football field is engraved with the complicated pattern of the summoning circle.

  The metal glows in fluorescent white light. In the middle of the dome is an altar with a box. Two soldiers are already securing it and one of them is taking a look into the box.

  Suddenly a mad grin creeps over his face.

  “There is only one true god! All who are unworthy must die!” He lifts his gun and shoots his comrade right into the chest, then he turns the gun into our direction. I throw myself to the ground but a storm of bullets punches more holes into him than I can count.