Val ran a finger across one of her bikromi bracelets. “You know that isn’t in my future.”
“The Virtuous One smiling down on you once more, eh?”
“That’s not how the Pentax works. You of all should know this.”
“Finn, Wick, where you at?” he asked as he pressed the earpiece comm.
Wick answered first. “With the drakken now.” It sounded rushed, like he was in action. “Heading… docking bay.”
It was a few more minutes before Finn responded, though his words were broken by static. “Em, I’m… waiting… are you?”
It was now or never. Emre pulled Val into another hug. “Watch her for me, will you?”
“We have more time, Em, Bliss has shown me what will come. And don’t you worry about Finn, either. He’ll do what is necessary. If I know that brother-friend of mine, he’ll enjoy it to the fullest extent. Good luck.” With that, the elfirish bikrome dashed down the opposite hallway, leaving Emre alone.
Checking his pocketwatch, Emre dug out the last of his parch, downing a quad of vials. The familiar burning sensation inside strengthened him. Steel it, Benld. Remember why you are doing this. Be safe, Val. I’ll be waiting for you. Remember I trust in you.
Gunfire opened all around him, pelting the walls with rotating action from the aethecite-driven machine.
Emre weaved back and forth with the speed of a gale, the automaton plodding after at full velocity. He hadn’t a chance to see the sentry drone before making his run, but the fact it possessed a rotating gun upon its chassis meant it was a Predator model. And now that it had detected his presence, the automaton would stop at nothing until he was dead or found a way to bring it down.
He knew he could do the latter, but the former was definitely in the realm of probability.
Up a narrow stair Emre went. The lower levels, aside from the kitchen and stock rooms, consisted mostly of areas cordoned off by mechanized doors. Based off his inside information, they were dedicated laboratories to research and development, or vaults of conquest. Rooms such as where Lojen and Wick were to meet to find the Seal and Hammer, as well as Tevun’s horns. Other wings held the barracks and led to docking bays for the multitude of airgliders, others to armories.
But it was the uppermost floor where Emre needed to find: the command center of Gargantua.
As his boot hit the top step, aethecite bullets ripped through the banister and surrounding walls, resulting in a hail of plaster and wood. He dove into the adjacent hallway, catching his breath, hoping that the Predator was too unwieldy for the staircase. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as he heard the drone’s metal limbs crushing marble and carved wood. Up he got and ran onward.
The walls shivered as the Predator emerged from the stairwell, accompanied by gunfire. Emre covered his head while bent double, he zigged and zagged through the hall, avoiding the torrent of aetheric bullets around him. The onslaught forced him from the stairway that would lead him to the highest level.
His reserves started to fade, so he snuffed, saving what little he could. The Predator wasn’t fast, but it was merciless. It kept up the pace as it lumbered after, showering the compound with bullets.
Emre pressed the radio in his ear. “Finn, you up top?”
Chips of grey-painted plaster exploded over his right shoulder as he slid behind an open door, wood taking the brunt of the deadly projectiles. He regained his footing and raced through a library. The Predator crashed through the door, unleashing a flurry of gunfire, books and paper rained down like the leaves at the autumn solstice, destroying Solanine’s athenaeum.
“Finnus?” he panted, breaths coming ragged, tired he was without the aetheric energy feeding him. He fled the library past a row of pedestals topped with vases filled with flowers.
“Em? Em, can you hear me?” Finn’s voice sounded strained, as if he was running too.
“You shiny?” Static followed by gunfire, and not from the Predator behind. This was gunfire at Finn. A grunt of pain. “Finn?” His mind rolled with the thoughts of the elfir ripped to shreds.
Heavy breathing. “Em?”
“Finn, where are you?” The Predator burst into the hall; more bullets pummeled the walls. Running. Gunfire. Repeat. “Finn?”
“Took a shot in the leg. Bugger got me good. Got him back, though.” Another grunt. “Ahhh! That bloody hurts. Fucking scourges.”
Thoughts of Finn bleeding and dying flashed in Emre’s mind. He couldn’t take the sorrow if such a thing were to occur. He’d already lost Cadrianna and Brynn to the Fallen’s schemes, he couldn’t lose Finn either.
But you will, Benld. He will lose you if you finish this. Steel it! But Brynn can… He forced himself to go blank, to forget both of his loves. “Has Val found you yet?”
Silence.
Gunfire circled about him as he barreled into another room, cutting through what appeared to be a study. It was empty.
Where is everyone?
“Sorry, Em.” Sadness in Finn’s words. Gunfire in the radio, static and metal casings melding. “Got me pinned down… dropped… when they hit… only a few…” Thudding of bullets, embedded into the walls over the radio. “…trapped… control room… ten maybe, more… outside.”
A flare of voidfire pierced Emre’s flesh and spun him sideways. Crashing into the wall, Emre howled in anger as blood spattered the light grey wall, streaking crimson as he bounced off the plaster, tripping over a pedestal. The Predator dogged after him, bringing down the walls along with it.
Emre forced himself onward, the stair that would lead him to the highest level of Gargantua was just ahead. His feet tripped over each other, but he ran on. Dizzy in the head, legs pumping as if of their own accord. Blood flowed over his hand, through his fingers, arm going numb.
The wall opposite erupted, disappearing in plaster. Splinters struck his face, cutting streaks across his cheeks and forehead. Though he cried out, his bloodied hand found a railing. Determinedly, he climbed. He could hear the Predator behind, could smell the smoke of the internal furnace billowing aethecite fuel. It was at the base of the stairs; he could feel it on his heels. Instinctively he ducked, attempting to dodge the expected bullets.
But they didn’t come. The Predator went silent.
Risking a glance, he saw the beast’s rotating cannon still pointed at him, tiny orbs blinking within its domed head, smoke pluming soft grey. It was watching him, he knew, but for what? Why wasn’t it firing at him?
Emre burned the last of his aetheurgy reserves, the silver sheen roaring to life. Beyond the stairs, he could sense life, heartbeats pulsing in sterling. Voices pierced the argent glow, not words, but enough texture to spell out multiple speakers. Then came gunfire that pounded in his aether-enhanced ears like thunderclaps. The voices became yells.
“Finn!”
Chancing getting riddled to pulp by the Predator, Emre shot up the stairs to find Finn on his knees, blood slowly pooling underneath his black trousers. His hands held behind his head. Four wheellock rifle barrels pointed at him.
“Sorry, love,” the elfir gritted through clenched teeth, his face filmed with pain that turned to shock. “Wait… no… it can’t be you…”
