My blade skids across the Invaders armor but I expected this. I twist the lochaber in my hands rotating the blade up and pull it up and back. It slides into a crease in his armor and bites into soft flesh, severing the tendons that control the arm.
My opponent roars, turning to face me directly. He swings three arms, weaving his weapons so fast they form a shield, and all I can do is parry and back away. Behind him I see the young warrior retreating before the onslaught of the one Invader.
Mirtan. His name’s Mirtan. It comes to me, crazily, as I’m hard-pressed not to lose my head. Another of the Invaders joins the one already on me. I miss a parry and one of the clubs slams into my side. Crushing force that knocks my air out.
I’m thrown to the side, off balance. I drop to one knee dodging a blade and a club that would have taken off my head.
I swing my tail and connect with the newcomer’s knee. There’s a satisfying crunch as I connect and he stumbles, falling into his friend.
Jumping up I land lightly on my feet.
“Keep hope, Mirtan!” I yell. “Fight!”
Instantly I regret my words. Mirtan glances at me, and before I can speak again, the blade swinging for his neck connects. His eyes go wide as blood spurts, and then the light in them is gone.
My dragon roars and red covers my vision. His loss will not go unanswered.
I attack while the two are off balance. I whirl my lochaber up, around, swinging down, connecting with the blade side and the shaft. I stab the metal spike of the base into one of the Invaders.
I press the attack and my opponents fall back. With rage fueling my limbs, I rush them again, but the other two Invaders join them. Four against one are not odds any warrior should willingly face.
The red haze recedes. I take several steps back, returning to a defensive stance. They’re used to working together as a team, and it shows. They move their weapons in unison, some keeping up a constant shield while other weapons attack.
I’m hit more than once as I keep retreating. This area is lost. I glance at Mirtan’s prone form and say a short prayer, passing his soul to Tajss.
I try to block an incoming blade but it’s a feint and I take a club to the head. Stars fill my vision as I stumble backwards, swinging my lochaber wildly around to hold them at bay while I recover. When my vision clears, I’m almost back to the tunnel we entered from, almost where I need to be.
They form a semi-circle before me and are pressing in. I fall back, letting them think they have the advantage. When I cross the threshold back into the hall I smile.
“Tajss will never be yours,” I growl.
I punch the wall of the hall to my left. The concealing panel falls away and I grab the lever, pulling it towards me.
The Invaders stop their advance, looking up as something rumbles and dirt falls on their head. An instant later, the stone ceiling collapses, burying them and Mirtan. Dirt and pebbles fill the air as I turn my back on the ruin and run.
The compound is lost. I have to reach the record room, activate the Invasion protocols, and then save as many as I can.
2
Anna
BOOM!
“Wha--?” My head cracks against the floor as I’m tossed out of my bed and thrown awake. I snap my eyes open and sit up.
The ground rumbles under my butt and then there’s another explosion. Dirt falls from the ceiling as I climb to my feet. I can hear shouting and cursing. The ground rocks, and I’m tossed from side to side as I make my way to the door of my room.
There’s shouting and yelling on the other side of my door. Footsteps resound out there but stop at the same time as I touch the door handle. When I jerk the door open, I’m face-to-face with Petras. His tanned face is pale, his eyes wide, and he’s showing too many teeth.
“What’s happened?” I ask.
“Invaders,” he says. His eyes are wide and he’s shaking like a leaf in a storm.
“Again?” I ask. This isn’t the first time we’ve fought them off.
“Worse,” he says. “Come on.”
I follow him into the hall, and the world tilts on its axis. I’m thrown against the wall and bite my tongue. Coppery blood touches my tongue. The boom is so loud my ears are ringing. I push myself upright and there’s another explosion, throwing me to the opposite wall.
Dirt and debris pelt us from the ceiling. Ice-cold panic bursts through my body, taking control of my conscious thought until there is nothing but reactive instinct. Fear.
“Run!” I scream, grabbing at Petra’s arm. “Out!”
Have to get out. Tunnels bad. Can’t stay.
I’m stumbling forward as one explosion after another slams down. It’s as if some titan from hell is using the mining shafts for his steel. Slamming a massive hammer onto our home over and over.
“Get out of my way,” Petras screams, grabbing my arm and shoving me aside.
“Petras!” I yell at his retreating back.
The sound of my own voice is dim and distant, overridden by the ringing in my ears. I never liked him anyway. Asshole. Since Gershom died, he’s been more of a jerk than ever. He’s a die-hard anti-Zmaj douche.
“Screw you too!” I yell.
The ground keeps rumbling as more explosions come from above. I have to get out of the tunnels. I’m tossed from side to side as I run, bouncing off the walls. My blood runs cold when the sound of ringing steel is followed by a scream so high-pitched it can mean only one thing. They’re inside the tunnels.
I skid to a stop, frozen. I thought I was scared before, but that was nothing. The sounds cut through the ringing in my ears. Another scream that’s cut off short. This can’t be…
Idiot, run!
I don’t recognize the voice in my head but it’s reasonable. Running is the best idea I’ve got. I turn around and run the opposite direction. The tunnels that we call home twist and turn around on each other. They were exhausted mine tunnels until we arrived and got to work.
The buildings on the surface would have been the expected housing for us but the heat was too much. None of us are taking epis, the body-altering plant of Tajss that makes it feasible for humans to survive here. I would, if there was any to take, but I could never tell the others that. I’d be chastised at best and outcast at worst.
We tried living in those buildings, but then Jacob and Phillip had the idea to move into the tunnels and make our homes under the ground. Away from the brutal double suns that bake Tajss every day.
I skid around another corner. There is loose dirt and debris on the floor, making it impossible to stop myself. The wall looms large, then I hit in a tangle of limbs.
“Anna!” someone yells.
I whirl around to see Phillip. Awkward. Nothing like running into your ex while also running for your life.
“Hey,” I say.
Hey? Seriously, like it’s any other day? What next, how’s your love life without me?
“They’re in the tunnels,” he says.
“No shit?” I ask before I can stop myself.
The hurt is written so clearly on his face that I instantly feel bad. Sometimes I’m a bitch, but damn, someone stating the obvious is one of my biggest pet peeves.
“Have you seen Drosdan? Or Sarah?” he asks.
“Are you serious? You want a big bad Zmaj to save us now? Why would they? We treat them like shit. Besides, we don’t need them. Come on, move!”