Her eyes fluttered as she chocked. “Please...” she choked.
“No.” He closed his fingers and she bent forward at the waist. Snap. He threw her lifeless body aside with no more care than a child throwing away an empty sweetie wrapper. He hurried back to the desk and scooped up the papers he had been looking over. He forced them into his pockets in handfuls as he hurried to the portal. Taking one last look at the dusty warehouse he stepped through. Moments later the portal closed, plunging the abandoned building into darkness.
The silent gloom was penetrated several minutes later. A clatter of metal and the warehouse door slowly ascended, allowing in a shaft of light. Terry and Lyle went in first, ducking under the door. Terry’s heart sank when she saw the deserted temporal device.
“Edward!” shouted Lyle, his colour rising. But the only reply he received was that of his own voice, ringing around the four walls.
“He’s gone.” Terry said.
Lyle looked at Connor as he ran in carrying the scanner. He shook his head. “She’s right, there’s no signal.”
“Damn it!” Lyle kicked an oil drum. The barrel fell, making a hollow boom as it made contact with the concrete floor. Lyle hurried to the portal machine. “He was just here!” he turned to Rufus. “Is there any way you can make it open where he went?”
Without a word the Acara stepped up to the controls. His fingers glided across the buttons at a rapid speed. After several moments he suddenly stopped. “The core memory unit is missing. It didn’t record the last co-ordinates.”
“Shit!” Lyle swore, running his fingers through his hair in disbelief. They had been so close...
“Is there nothing you can do?” Faye asked, walking up to Rufus’s side. He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid.”
Terry ran a hand down her face. “I can’t believe it...”
Connor turned off the scanner. “What do we do now?”
Lyle looked at him. “We return to the colony and gather the troops.”
The Pyrovite blinked at him blankly. “Why? We don’t know where he’s gone.”
Lyle shook his head. “No, that was always the plan. If we had not returned by tomorrow morning, Fallo was going to come through the portal with our soldiers and look for Edward here.”
Faye’s eyes widened. “What? Why? He could kill everyone!”
A flash of anger crossed the general’s face. He raised a finger. “Don’t Faye. Just don’t. You have no right to judge our King’s actions.”
“She’s right though.” Connor said, finding his voice. “If your brother came here he would likely kill everyone in the process of trying to find Edward.”
Lyle watched him from under a heavy brow. “If you want to keep your head on your shoulders I suggest you don’t say another word.”
Connor was about to rebuke, but Terry cut him off. “Enough!” Everyone stared at her. “We didn’t tell you about my dad’s plans because we didn’t know if either of you had been possessed by Edward like Darius was. I’m sorry but until we had the scanner it was the only way we could be sure he wasn’t still spying on us.” She looked around them all. “And I wouldn’t have let my father come here anyway, regardless of whether we found Edward or not. I would have gone home tomorrow morning and stopped him.”
The warehouse lapsed into silence. Connor stared at Lyle while Faye and Rufus exchanged worried glances. Finally Rufus broke the quiet. “So what do we do?”
Terry nodded at the portal device. “Does it still work?”
“Yes.”
“Then take us to Cresswell. I think I know where Edward’s going.”
******
The street erupted into a blind flurry when the portal materialised. Those standing closest jumped back in fright, some retreating several paces. A sense of the danger it posed suddenly spurred the Alchemists into action and they all took up arms, organising themselves into a defensive position a short way from the portals threshold. The only ones who did not heed their fighting instinct were two mothers with their young children. They were quickly whisked away to a safe distance by their fellow citizens. The primeval Alchemists in the street also formed a defensive line. They called to one another, co-ordinating a ring around the floating portal. Some clambered up the sides of buildings, while others stood with their human-shaped brethren.
For a long minute nothing happened. Then a screaming Terry emerged – falling from the hole in the universe that had manifested several feet above the ground. She made contact with the rocky ground face-first. She rolled over and coughed, taking a hand to her aching chest. Then Faye landed on top of her and she screamed again, winded. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Faye apologised, climbing off her. Terry winced and slowly sat up. “It’s ok...” she muttered, barely managing a whisper. The Alchemists had gathered around them now, hands offering help from every direction. Connor and the boys tumbled through, landing on top of some un-suspecting Alchemists who broke their fall.
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 his 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?”