When the three were on the cargo plan heading the three hours to Ashai, Anika broke the silence.
“Andrew, we are heading to Ashai. Your, umm, ‘ex’ isn’t going to be an issue is she?”
“SHIT.” Andrew said, burrowing his face in his hands. “I had forgetting about that little twit.”
“There is some talk that she may have had something to do with your assassination attempt.” Anika said.
“I don’t think she is that stupid.”
“You did try, simi successfully to convince her that the other fellow, Landry, was actually her intended. If she feels scorned by you… is there really any limit to what she might try? We saw what she was capable of with Roisin and Alexa.”
“Well it will be a fine time to impress upon her father the seriousness of the situation. Perhaps after we handle Nash’s issue we will stop in on them on the way back.”
Alexa followed Andrew and Anika into the command bunker. Men in uniform rushed past in every direction. “Nash!” Andrew called out. “Here!” Alexa recognized the man from the rescue mission that had saved her from the commander. He was in a much more formal green uniform and was pouring over maps on a large table. He looked up when Andrew called out and broke out in a large smile. “Ah Andrew! Glad you are here. Anika! Sorry this reunion is not under better circumstances.” Anika smirked at him, pressing a manual into his chest, “Nash, you need to have your manuals rewritten. Your guardsmen think that only those of O-3 clearance are allowed in here.” “Hu? O-3 and above right?” “No, he said just O-3” Nash flipped though the manual and cursed. He grabbed a passing officer, “Rewrite the dam manual for the guardsmen. Make sure it says those of rank and above have clearance to various installations. Make sure its proofread this
Alexa went outside and was helping one of the wolves load up a transport. “Are you and the men ready?”“Alpha, we are always ready to follow you.”Their loyalty after such a short time was touching. Alexa nodded, “I want our best climbers with me on the ropes tomorrow. You know the men’s strengths as well. Get our best sharpshooters ready to join Jackson. Nash will give them access to the base armory. Have them raid it for whatever they can scrounge. He should have a stash of some of the best remaining rifles. Ammo may be in short suppy but he can grant us access to what is left for a mission like this. Make sure everyone else is armed with the best crossbows we can find and plenty of arrows. The ground teams each have their blades with them.”“Yes ma’am. Oh, The Dragoness, Mistress Anika, her aid found us before we left. These arrows are for you.” He handed Alexa and thick bundle.“Any ins
The convoy left the fort through the northern wall, and entered a wilderness that looked strewn with sharpened sticks and blasted trees. Gunpowder may be increasingly rare, but the railguns the tech guys were coming up with could send projectiles at high rates of speed and takedown full-grown oak trees in a single hit, blasting the trucks to toothpicks. The sight made Alexa sick to her stomach as she stared out the window. The countryside could have once been beautiful. As they passed out of the destruction zone, the ancient trees took over once more and a sense of calm returned to her. However, it was soon replaced with a sense of eerie foreboding as a dense misty drifted across their path. As the convoy made its way down toward the lake, the fog rose from just covering the ground to a knee high layer. The trucks had to slow dramatically because the road was no longer visible, only an opening between the trees. It took several hours to reach the rally point wher
As Alexa lowered into the fog her descent stopped suddenly. A hand materialized from the fog holding the rope and she heard a quiet voice. Whispers she had learned, could carry farther then a soft voice in fog like this.“Miss, the ground is just below you. Lower your legs slowly.”It was John (#3), one of her best wolves, who had gone with Gad to the north.“Status?”“The enemy was or is sleeping. We took out about fifteen sentries on the north end without anyone being the wiser so far. The fog is dense but it lifts near the lake. Keep an eye on your sensors. You can see about a foot off the ground if you crawl.”Anika came up beside them and handed Alexa a helmet with a thermal lens over one eye. “Nash managed to send us out with an extra one for you. Unfortunately, they are still rather expensive so we couldn’t equip everyone with them.”Alexa gratefully put on the helmet and fli
“For fuck sake that could have gone better.” Anika spat as they set down two injured wolves. Anika sported a slice across her bicep but it didn’t look bad.“The numbers were agaist us. But they needed to be taken out. A unit that size moving around our back door?” Said Nash, appearing out of the dark.Gad materialized next to him, “Question is what now? They know we are here. We are not going to get that kind of surprise again.”Alexa tagged her communicator, “Jackson, can you those with Thermals get a count for us?”“Give us a minute.” Came the reply.“How are our numbers here?” Nash asked, looking around.Alexa grimaced, and started looking for her wolves. “Wolf pack, sound off!”All but one answered. 28 was MIA. Likely dead. “Minor wounds mostly. A few took bolts in that last volley.” She said to Nash.“They have a cav
Alexa walked along the cliff face, glancing over her shoulder at the rock debris that covered the cave entrance. Her stomach roiled as she thought about the wolf that she had lost. She vowed to visit his family and ensure Andrew and Anika would take care of the family from now on. Lost in thought she didn’t see the crack in the rock as she passed. The shlick of a crossbow bolt being released had her spinning around and dropping low as she looked for the attacker. Behind her # 26 slumped to the, a bolt protruding from his chest, as red blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. “NO!” she cried, her black blade flashing in her hand. “Down!” she waved at the men behind her and the took cover, but not before several more bolts flew, taking down several more of her men. Carter grunted as a bolt caught him in the gut. “Alert! We are under fire” Alexa barked into her mic. The whole squad rushed in her direction, cautious of the incoming bolts. To her horror,
Howls erupted around her as Alexa’s wolves went battle mad. The sound aroused a spark of consciousness. Raya was screaming in her mind as silverly wings enveloped her mind. Alexa’s eyes flashed with defiance as she reached up and gripped the flat top of bloodbane. Any mortal that tried this would be sliced or simply have the blade moved down out of their grip. Alexa’s grip however, viced onto the blade so tight, its motion toward her neck halted completely.The commander looked at her, shocked. Clearly he had intended on placing the blade flat against his fist and pushing it away from him, across the top of his hand, taking alexa’s head off in the process. He had maneuvered the blade a bit slowly. Perhaps out of caution, knowing its deadly power, or perhaps due to bloodloss. Either way, the blade was now frozen, inches from Alexa’s neck. She still dangled in the air, legs suspended by his massive grip but her defiant eyes were not dying like they
Alexa’s eye’s opened to light streaming into her eyes. Pain radiated around her neck. The light moved away and was replaced by Anika’s face.“Lay still, Alexa. Your windpipe is damaged, but you will be fine. Likely just some bruising. Here, I am going to help you swallow this pill.” Anika gently helped her open her mouth, which sent spasms of pain along her jaw. The pill dissolved instantly when it hit her tongue. She closed her eyes as the pill did its work.When she opened her eyes again, it was to the gentle rays of dawn peaking over the lake. They had moved her to the shore and had packed sleeping bags around her. Her neck felt stiff and when she reached up, she felt the rigid frame of a brace around her neck. Anika’s face loomed over head then.“Hey, sleepy head. Don’t try to talk, try squeeze my fingers to answer me.” Anika held out two fingers. Alexa obeyed. “Now, Are you hurting?”A