it.” She smiled
and put the necklace around her neck: a thin gold chain with a
pendant housing a bright green stone. “Ready?” asked Locke. “Sure,”
responded Alex waiting for Locke to lead the way, knowing what
waited for them down the hall.
They exited the blood
filled room of corpses and shut the door quietly behind them. They
walked side-by-side down the corridor. “So, how long have you been
with the Empire?” asked Locke. “Since birth. I was raised in the
army. All I know is that this,” Alex gripped her pendant, “was my
birth mother’s. Been a Returner long?” “Five years. How many
Returners have you killed, general?” “Hmm, I’m not sure. How many
of my friends have ‘you’ killed?” asked Alex patronizingly at Locke
who was giving off the assumption that he thought he was better
than her because of his choice of affiliation. Locke was quiet as
his nostrils flared, Smart-ass, he thought. They came to a T intersection and
looked to the left corridor, “That way,” said Alex as she pointed
down the hall. BANG! A bullet flew by Locke’s head and ricocheted
off the wall. “Shit!” screamed Locke, “Two to the right.” Alex was
looking back the way they came, “And three behind.” Locke violently
turned around to see three men running toward them, thirty feet
removed. “You get the right!” yelled Alex just before running
toward the three men with bolt-action rifles. Locke withdrew three
daggers from his side and turned the corner. The two men raised
their pistols and fired as Locke knelt down and flung all three
daggers in their direction; one landed in the neck of the man on
the left and the other two in the other man’s chest as they both
dropped down. Locke turned to see how Alex was faring and he
couldn’t believe his eyes.
Alex ran to the man in front and jumped into
him landing her foot into his chest and spring boarding against the
wall; she walked along the wall as if there was no gravity for a
few steps before leaping off and swinging her sword. The two men in
the rear froze in amazement and she decapitated the one on the
left, and then impaled the man on the right. She placed her hand on
his face as blood oozed from his mouth and pushed him off her sword
violently. She turned where the leader stood fifteen feet away and
thrust her sword so it was pointed at him. Locke watched on as a
bolt of lightning shot out of her sword and sizzled the soldier’s
flesh and boiled his blood; portions of his skin bubbled from the
heat and his inside ceased to function. All three men were lifeless
as Locke walked toward her. “Not as weak as I thought. HA!” laughed
Alex. Locke stared at her in amazement. “You’re a…spellcaster?”
asked Locke. “Locke!” yelled Alex as she motioned her palm behind
him. Locke turned to see a soldier crawling on the floor with a
knife sticking out of his throat aiming a pistol at him in a final
resort to take Locke’s life. The floor beneath his head puddled up
with water then began to sparkle with ice just before a spear of
ice shot up through the bottom of his chin and exited through the
top of his head. A stray bullet hit the floor, missing Locke by
several feet. “Whoa,” said Locke. “That answer your question?”
asked Alex
CHAPTER 8: CASUALTIES OF WAR
Terra had spent the
morning trying to avoid all the inhabitants of the Returner’s lair
who all seemed to have questions about her ‘abilities’ until Smith
found her and managed to keep everyone at bay. Now, Terra was with
Smith and Ruthie in the training room; a place where their soldiers
could practice their swordplay and target practice. Smith had set
up several wooden structures about six feet in height for Terra to
practice with that resembled that of large unpainted bowling pins.
“Okay, fire away,” said Smith with arms crossed waiting to see what
she could do. Terra reached to her side where her firearm sat. “No.
Use a spell,” ordered Smith. Ruthie
and put the necklace around her neck: a thin gold chain with a
pendant housing a bright green stone. “Ready?” asked Locke. “Sure,”
responded Alex waiting for Locke to lead the way, knowing what
waited for them down the hall.
They exited the blood
filled room of corpses and shut the door quietly behind them. They
walked side-by-side down the corridor. “So, how long have you been
with the Empire?” asked Locke. “Since birth. I was raised in the
army. All I know is that this,” Alex gripped her pendant, “was my
birth mother’s. Been a Returner long?” “Five years. How many
Returners have you killed, general?” “Hmm, I’m not sure. How many
of my friends have ‘you’ killed?” asked Alex patronizingly at Locke
who was giving off the assumption that he thought he was better
than her because of his choice of affiliation. Locke was quiet as
his nostrils flared, Smart-ass, he thought. They came to a T intersection and
looked to the left corridor, “That way,” said Alex as she pointed
down the hall. BANG! A bullet flew by Locke’s head and ricocheted
off the wall. “Shit!” screamed Locke, “Two to the right.” Alex was
looking back the way they came, “And three behind.” Locke violently
turned around to see three men running toward them, thirty feet
removed. “You get the right!” yelled Alex just before running
toward the three men with bolt-action rifles. Locke withdrew three
daggers from his side and turned the corner. The two men raised
their pistols and fired as Locke knelt down and flung all three
daggers in their direction; one landed in the neck of the man on
the left and the other two in the other man’s chest as they both
dropped down. Locke turned to see how Alex was faring and he
couldn’t believe his eyes.
Alex ran to the man in front and jumped into
him landing her foot into his chest and spring boarding against the
wall; she walked along the wall as if there was no gravity for a
few steps before leaping off and swinging her sword. The two men in
the rear froze in amazement and she decapitated the one on the
left, and then impaled the man on the right. She placed her hand on
his face as blood oozed from his mouth and pushed him off her sword
violently. She turned where the leader stood fifteen feet away and
thrust her sword so it was pointed at him. Locke watched on as a
bolt of lightning shot out of her sword and sizzled the soldier’s
flesh and boiled his blood; portions of his skin bubbled from the
heat and his inside ceased to function. All three men were lifeless
as Locke walked toward her. “Not as weak as I thought. HA!” laughed
Alex. Locke stared at her in amazement. “You’re a…spellcaster?”
asked Locke. “Locke!” yelled Alex as she motioned her palm behind
him. Locke turned to see a soldier crawling on the floor with a
knife sticking out of his throat aiming a pistol at him in a final
resort to take Locke’s life. The floor beneath his head puddled up
with water then began to sparkle with ice just before a spear of
ice shot up through the bottom of his chin and exited through the
top of his head. A stray bullet hit the floor, missing Locke by
several feet. “Whoa,” said Locke. “That answer your question?”
asked Alex
CHAPTER 8: CASUALTIES OF WAR
Terra had spent the
morning trying to avoid all the inhabitants of the Returner’s lair
who all seemed to have questions about her ‘abilities’ until Smith
found her and managed to keep everyone at bay. Now, Terra was with
Smith and Ruthie in the training room; a place where their soldiers
could practice their swordplay and target practice. Smith had set
up several wooden structures about six feet in height for Terra to
practice with that resembled that of large unpainted bowling pins.
“Okay, fire away,” said Smith with arms crossed waiting to see what
she could do. Terra reached to her side where her firearm sat. “No.
Use a spell,” ordered Smith. Ruthie
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