Kartega

Sid pressed her back into Dalrak’s and fired an energy burst at the two Starblades charging toward them. From the grunts at her back, she assumed the warrior had done the same. As two Starblades went down, two more ran down the corridor in their direction. It was as if they were multiplying each time. She knew the Queen’s Tower was drowning in armed men but at this point, she thought they would have at least gotten most of them. Three more heads whipped up and she wiped the cool sweat on her brow before firing again. If it wasn’t for the energy she was feeding on from their blades, she’d be drained by now. She felt an elbow nudge at her side, Dalrak checking to see if she was fine, and flooded the warrior with her magic to get him to back off. He’d been glued to her side ever since they stepped into the city and she was starting to get annoyed by it. She was fine. Better than fine, she felt invincible. Why did Colton stop her from using her magic? It made her so much stronger!

“How much longer, Ash?” She yelled out, not taking her eyes off her next targets.

To her left, Ashlan was furiously running code and has been since they pushed through to the throne room doors. There were no guards in sight but she could hear commotion behind the shatterproof, frosted glass. She knew Leona was on the other side of the doors with her guards and Magistras and they were going to get to them. She was going to get to her.

“Ash! How long?” She shouted again.

“Almost there!” He yelled back, slightly breathless. “Just hold them off!”

“What the muck do you think we’re doing over here? Having lunch?”

She shot two more energy bursts back to back, knocking her opponents off their feet and landing them squarely in the pile of bodies starting to form at the corridor barrier. Two more Starblades emerged and tried to drag some of their incapacitated teammates into the dark but she managed to knock them out before they succeeded.

“Tann! Get Serryl and the rest and starting defending the corridors! We need to get the entrances closed off!”

A scurry of feet ran past her, blades at the ready. Tann and the Freedom Runners rushed toward the small pile of unconscious Starblades and crouched, using the bodies as a barrier between them and the army charging from the darkness.

“Not yet!” Dalrak commanded in a guttural tone.

Sid trailed the magic to her fingers, readying her attack for his command. She could see Starblades begin to reappear from behind the wall of bodies, their blades glowing a familiar blue in the dark. Tann and Serryl looked her way, worry in their eyes but no one dared to move. “Dee? They’re coming through,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Not,” the warrior repeated, “yet.”

She rolled her eyes. His ‘man of few words’ act was another thing that was starting to get annoying.

When two of the Starblades she could see easily pulled apart the limbs of their fallen and stepped through, her body temperature rose past discomfort to utter fear. Sweat gathered over her lip, and under her arms, and in every crevice really. “Dee!” She hissed but the warrior said nothing.

Her hands shook and she could imagine the fear running through Tann and the rest at the front, so close to the blade tips of the Starblades.

Finally, when she almost lost consciousness herself, Dalrak lifted his shaking muscled arms.

“Now!” He yelled.

The Freedom Runners did not hesitate, flinging their blades forward at the incoming army. Unexpected yells rose over them as dozens of Starblades fell over the bodies, bloody puncture wounds covering their skin. They scrambled on the ground, some trying to regain control of the blades they lost and some simply orienting themselves to pinpoint the attack.

“Our turn,” Dalrak said quietly and she nodded and released her bridled magic.

Bursts of energy exploded from her and the warrior, flowing from them to the confused Starblades in waves of energy and heat. When her magic reached them, she used one hand to pulse the electricity into their bodies and the other to drag their blades to her. There were more screams, followed by loud pangs as the emergency lights on the walls burst one by one.

“Aaaaah!” Sid shouted as the blades screeched across the metal tile floor and collided with her boots.

She stood breathless, her eyes feeling raw and heavy in her lids and though she couldn’t see herself, she knew they glowed wildly. At her back, Dalrak’s tensed muscles shifted as he relaxed, dropping his arms to his side. The silence around them did not last long before the Freedom Runners started to move from their positions. Some pushed the unconscious bodies of Starblades off them while others rested against walls and columns, eager to catch their breath.

Sid looked around her, awe struck.

“Well, that was different,” Ashlan said and she jerked her head to face him.

“Please tell me you’re almost done,” she begged, “it won’t be long until more come. We need to get inside.”

“Oh, I was done a while back,” he smirked.

“You wha-” she started but was interrupted by a loud, repetitive clang from the corridor facing Dalrak.

Her back stiffened and she stood alert, eyes squinting to see into the darkness. There was a glimmer of light at the far end of the corridor and Sid tried to peer further in. Her eyes adjusted to the light, pupils shifting from a thin line to a thick mass, focusing on the growing blue glow ahead. Sid threw the balance of her weight onto her right heel and cocked a hip out, resting her hand on it.

“Here they come,” she said, beaming a smile in Dalrak’s direction.

The blue light intensified and took the form of strong, metal limbs as one by one, the army of droids Ashlan had taken command of marched forward. Their steps shook the vast hall, banging and clanging as their heavy legs landed on the floor. Sid tried to count them as they approached and stood side by side in front of the throne room doors. One, two, five, fourteen. She stopped counting when she realized that there were more droids than people in the hall.

The queen doesn’t stand a chance!

“Ready?” She asked.

Ashlan smiled and looked at Tann before shifting his gaze back to her. “You bet.” His index finger tapped on the screen and the droids took one collective step forward, arms interlocking and metal bodies tightly clenched together. “Are you?”

Hands in pockets, she squeezed through the wall of droids, careful not to let her magic interfere with their currents. Without hesitation, she placed a palm on the lock screen and waited.

“UNIDENTIFIED HANDPRINT,” a robotic voice screamed as the lock screen buzzed, trying to recognize her touch. “CLEARANCE NOT ADMITTED. PLEASE REMOVE PALM AND STEP AWAY IMMEDIATELY. GUARDS HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SECURE THE AREA.”

Sid laughed, thinking of the guards cowering with Leona behind the doors. No kidding!

A quick burst of her magic into the screen and the box huffed and hissed under her touch before the screen went dark. A light smoke rose from the fried lock screen and Sid flung her hand out of the way, wiping the singed skin on her suit’s pant leg.

“Did it work?” Serryl asked from behind the droid wall.

She nodded, “Give it a minute.”

A spark flew from the box and she jumped back, her back colliding with the droid behind her. She laughed at her own, foolish fear and straightened up, eyes widening as the throne room doors slid open, revealing a row of the queen’s guards with blades pointing forward.

Sid shot a glance at Dalrak, whose hand was already pressed onto the emergency fail-safe at the far end of the hall. He grunted and sent a shock into the small, metal casing. Alarms rang out immediately and the flashing, red emergency lights screamed over their heads. She noted the guards falter, adjusting their eyes to the jarring light and sound. Slinking away to get behind the droids, she joined Ashlan by his side. Within moments, he was typing in code, making the droids come to life.

In unison, their metal army marched forward, their bodies never swaying from the path.

It was difficult to see past their large bodies but she could hear the clang of blades on metal, followed by screams and shouts as the droid army walked forward — unencumbered.

The queen’s guards fought them valiantly but Sid knew it was a fruitless task. With the lights interfering with their line of sight and the screeching sound of alarms, the guards could do nothing but throw aimless jabs at the unstoppable metal shield pushing its way through them. Some tried to get around the droids but their attempts were unsuccessful. When the droid line reached a third of the way into the throne room, Ashlan entered another sequence and they began to taper in, forming a circle around the guards and closing them in. One guard realized what was happening and dropped his place in line, escaping the hold of the droids and rushing straight for Sid. She was about to hit him with a blast when Serryl pushed past her, striking her blade into the guard’s shoulder and knocking him to the ground. The club owner raised her blade, ready to deliver the final blow.

“No! Don’t kill him!” Sid yelled.

Ahead, the droids had successfully fenced the guards in. A prison cell built of metal bodies and unyielding limbs.

Serryl threw her blade down and Sid tightened her eyes shut, looking away. She heard a scream, followed by whimpers. She looked up to see the guard hunched on the floor, holding his leg, Serryl’s blade sticking out of it defiantly. Blood flowed from his leg, covering the floor in a deep maroon and leaving a tang of iron in the air. He screamed over and over, dulling the pain before his eyes closed and his body fell, blonde hair getting soaked in the blood of blood that made its way to his shoulders.

Slowly, the club owner walked away, knocking Sid to the side with her shoulder. “Sooner or later,” she said, “you’ll have to kill. Time to grow up, kid!”

There was no time to retort. Before she could say one word, a strong hand pulled her back, swinging her around just as a sharp knife flew past her. The blade nicked her shoulder and she yelped, pressing a hand against the gash. She looked back at the knife that lay on the floor then turned, facing the Magistra that had thrown it head on.

The girl was younger than Sid but the anger and hatred aged her bright features. Her eyes were bloodshot and feral, and her red hair hung in sweat-drenched pieces over her face, making her look like a fire that’d been put out. She curled her bottom lip, reached back, and pulled the largest sword Sid had ever seen from her skirts. Pointing the sword at Sid, the Magistra ran. Leaping over the body of the guard on the floor, she charged for Sid, a violent scream on her lips.

Behind her, twelve more Magistras emerged, running faster than a breath of air; swords swinging and clashing.

“Here we go!” Ashlan yelled and dropped the projector. Wielding his own blade, he ran forward.

Sid dropped her hand from her shoulder and followed; Dalrak, Tann and the Freedom Runners close behind her. They met the swords of the Magistras with their blades, slashing and ducking as they fought with all the strength they could master. Ashlan had taught them well and they held the attack.

The girl that met Sid’s gaze pushed her way through the crowd, her sword unrelenting. She raised her skirts, revealing muscular legs and kicked her way past the Freedom Runners at her side, her eyes never leaving Sid.

Oh, sweet star, she’s coming for me.

In a split second, Sid collected the power in her and ran forward, blasting bursts of electricity at the girl. Sid was quick, but the Magistra was quicker, ducking and rolling off the blasts with her sword. She soared through the air, yelling out what Sid could only describe as a battle cry, her sword raised above her head. The girl’s gem-covered heel dug with full force into Sid’s clavicle and she fell onto her back, holding her throat and trying to breathe. Her breath felt like it was trapped somewhere between her stomach and chest and she wheezed whatever air she could muster into her lungs with difficulty.

When Sid finally got a breath in, she felt the sharpened tip of the Magistra’s sword along her jaw and looked up slowly and carefully. The girl stood above her, fierce and unyielding, colder than the cosmos void.

Sid tried to move, tried to use her magic but the girl had her pinned. She needed to get her distracted, at least long enough for her to use her magic and get control of the sword. Why in the star’s name did she not let Ashlan give her a weapon? It was a stupid move and she was about to pay for it with her life. She was about to–

The girl raised her sword and whipped her arm down.

Sid closed her eyes then forced them open again. If she was going to die, she refused to do it blindly. She watched the edge of the blade reflect the red hue of the emergency lights as it ripped through the air toward her. Watched it pick up speed and rush, rush, rush to her neck. Watched as a blade tore its way through the girl’s arm. Heard her screams of terror and felt the blood that sprayed from her dismembered forearm land in blotches over her face and hair.

Her body reeled with horror as she saw the Magistra try to stop the blood flowing from her wound. Everything seemed to slow around her. The sounds of the battle disappeared into mindless echoes and all Sid could hear were the footsteps coming toward the injured girl. Footsteps followed by the scrape of metal on the floor, a sword dragging.

She looked over to see Serryl approaching, raising the sword she no doubt took from the body of another Magistra she had killed.

“Nooooo!” Sid yelled but she was too late.

Serryl’s sword tore through the air and sliced the girls head clean off.

Bile rose in her throat and she could no longer hold down the contents of her stomach. She turned away from the sight in front of her and wretched. When she was done choking up that morning’s meal, she wiped her mouth and face with the sleeve of her suit and turned to look at Serryl.

“Why?” She asked with a sob.

The club owner didn’t answer her question. Instead, she outstretched her arm, helping Sid get back on her feet. “Next time, you’re on your own,” she said and rushed back into the clash of weapons.

Someone called her name, the voice vaguely familiar, Dalrak perhaps, and she tried to find the source of it. Her eyes shot from side to side but all she saw were blurs of bodies and blood, so much blood. No one was supposed to die. That was her only rule and they broke it. Worse, she was the reason for the deaths. How could she believe that there would be no consequences? It was a foolish hope, the hope of a child who knew nothing of what these people had been through. Knew nothing of how deeply Leona’s control resonated on the star. She underestimated the Magistras, they all did. These weren’t just girls, waiting on the queen day and night. They were fighters. They were killing machines. And more than half of them were dead.

She took a step back, legs shaking and cold sweat running down the backs of her thighs. Then another and another until her back hit the cool wall behind her. Her breaths came in pieces, small ragged slips of air that barely filled her lungs. Sid stood against the wall, panting and digging her nails into her muddy palms. She heard her name again but didn’t bother to look up.

Instead, she filled her lungs, shut her eyes, and screamed.

Her yell rushed through the throne room, spilling her magic in its wake. The current that escaped her took no prisoners, rolling through the entire tower and blasting it to pieces. Lights shattered, machines died on impact, and every glass pane burst into a million pieces. The Queen’s Tower rained glass. Broken panes flew from every floor, showering the ground of the city below in a hail of knife-like shards. The Citizens that hadn’t already been hiding in their quarters ran for shelter, dodging the panes of glass that threatened to slice them in half. The city was in chaos.

The scream passed through Sid, dangling on her lips like it was standing on the edge of a cliff, contemplating the jump. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

No one moved. It was as though they had been frozen in time, watching her with wide eyes and open mouths. The Freedom Runners had the Magistras surrounded but she could see their blades were down. Ashlan and Tann held a girl each, arms tied behind their backs and they nodded in her direction before stepping away. The girls scattered, holding each other and running out of the throne room.

Behind them, Dalrak loosened his grip, letting two more Magistras escape.

She looked over the room, eyes landing on the tomb of droids around the guards. Though still in formation, their blue glow was gone and she could see their heads hung in off mode.

Did I… she thought, did I shut the whole tower down?

“How?” Was all she could mutter out loud. Her voice trembled but she regained her composure when the slow sound of clapping rose from the other end of the room.

“Well, isn’t this something?” Leona sang, moving slowly around the droids. Her long skirts dragged on the floor, smearing blood with each step she took. “Perhaps I underestimated you.”

“You think?” Tann shouted but she ignored him.

“We’ve known each other for such a short time, Sid. As I recall, it was right here in this room that we first met. I so cherish that moment.”

“The room where you killed someone I knew as a child,” Sid hissed.

“Yes, well, an unfortunate situation, though I do believe you should thank me.”

“Thank you? For what?”

“If we didn’t meet under those dire circumstances, we might not be here right now.” She smiled and Sid’s stomach turned. “And I might not know just how powerful you truly are. Colton was right to hide you; you just never know who you might meet.”

“He hid me from you!”

Leona looked around the room, her eyes scanning over the bodies. “Are you quite certain about that?”

Sid’s head was still spinning but she wasn’t about to let the sadist get in her head. They came here for a reason. Did it play out the exact way she was hoping? No. But did they get through the guards, Starblades and Magistras? They sure did! A feat that days ago, Sid never would have imagined to be possible for them.

“Are you going to make this hard?” She asked.

“Not at all,” Leona said coyly and raised her arms dramatically, “I am at your command.”

The queen’s words were filled with trickery and untruths but what choice did they have? She was the only thing standing between them and the Arcane, the only thing in the way of their freedom. Sid waved Dalrak over and tossed a lightline his way. Once the queen was restrained, he pulled on the line to drag her to Sid. She squirmed, clearly annoyed by the maneuver. Even without the electrical current running through the lightline, the wire cut through her skin with each strong pull from the warrior. When they reached her, Dalrak pushed the queen forward to face Sid.

“Take me to the Arcane,” Sid said, “now.”

Leona’s lips curled as she half-bowed with a smirk, “Anything for you, Sid.”