Contributed By
Chapter 7: Anu Orta Veniya
The city of New Zoah was not unprepared for the battle. Gash and his Seekers intended to make their last stand a glorious one, and bring to Sestren a fight which had not been expected. All in all, though, they were grieviously outnumbered.
They had no more than a thousand men, many of whom were not veteran soldiers, merely volunteers from the city. Against six million bio-creatures, some land-based, others airborne, the Seekers could only pray and hope that Edge would do his duty.
The walls were fortified, guns were loaded, and traps were set to hold back the rampaging creatures for as long as possible. From the moment that the dragon left the city, citizens were evacuated into the Seekers’ stronghold, soldiers were moved into position, and an hourly vigil was kept. On the second day out, the great mass of darkness was at last seen in the west and in the south. Far away, it seemed, but approaching at an alarming rate. At sunset, a shadow descended upon New Zoah. Sestren had come at last to its greatest assault against humanity. Gash moved all his troops into place and prepared for battle. The War of Dawn had begun.
Drala, who would usually be at guard duty on any regular day, had been recruited into the Seekers’ armed forces. And so there he stood on the wall-tops, leaning against the back of the west wall, trying feverishly to lift his SA missile launcher, let alone load it. Most of the other Seekers were checking their guns as well.
Drala had stood there since dawn, when the bio-creatures had been first spotted. He remembered the briefing that Gash had given all of them, the map, and the enormous red dot moving to consume the small blue one that was New Zoah. He remembered the terror he had felt when he saw that, and somehow, this was even more terrifying.
“Damn these guns!” muttered Drala to himself as he fumbled with the safety lock, which was the largest, heaviest lock he had ever seen on any weapon. He decided it would be a miracle if he would even be able to fire the thing. Finally, he clicked it back and forth a few times, and, satisfied, dragged his gun to the edge of the wall to watch the coming chaos.
The entire desert around New Zoah, just barely ten miles off, was covered with an army of bio-creatures. Many of them were charging through the desert, towards the city with a blind, bloodthirsty rage. The air was literally solid, packed with airborne creatures moving no slower than their land-based counterparts. There were dozens of enormous carrier types, which Drala had never seen before, a large as, larger even, than the Imperial battlecruisers of old. Riding on their backs and clinging to their many tentacles were hundreds more creatures. And the great, black curtain was swarming towards New Zoah.
“Holy shit…” Drala said, voicing the thoughts of all the Seekers, as he stumbled back against the wall.
As well-briefed as he was on the battle plans, as prepared as he was to fight, Drala was not at all ready for something like this.
He knew everything he needed to know for the battle. He knew that Gash was going to be defending the southern gate, while his sector was commanded by Lieutenant Rennoth, and that Ship-Captain Damad was overseeing the defense of the inner wall and the use of the platform missiles. He knew exactly when to fire, when to pull back, and all the lines of communication between the officers, every last detail of the defense of the city, but what he didn’t know , was how he was going to survive it.
With a long sigh, he picked up his gun and readied himself for battle.
Gash stood upon the southern gate to the city, watching the bio-creatures with a bitter smile on his face. At last, he picked up his com-set and said, “It’s about time. Let’s give ‘em hell, Seekers!”
“In positions! First rank down and front!” shouted Rennoth on the western front.
Drala was surprised by the sudden movement as the group of men ran into a double-rank formation. In a few moments it had managed to become unbearably loud. The sounds of creatures roaring and men shouting were about to be mingled with the sound of death as well. He managed, after a struggle, to get to the front and mount the launcher on his shoulder.
“First time with that thing?” said the man kneeling to his left.
Drala turned to see who it was. It was none other than the legendary Captain Paet, who, according to many in the city, had single-handedly destroyed the entire Empire! From what he remembered about Paet, he had survived the destruction of Old Zoah by the Empire as well.
“Yeah.” He managed to reply feebly.
“Well, stick with me, kid, and we’ll get through this somehow.”
Paet gave him a firm nod, and pointed to his gun.
“Get your back hand further down. Front elbow on the knee.”
Drala did what he was told.
“Back of the launcher against the ground; it’ll make it more accurate. Flick off the safety right about…”
“Take aim, get the carriers first!!” came the cry over the din of battle.
He shut his left eye, took measure…
“Now, and squeeze the trigger. Count to three, and…”
“FIRE!!!”
There was a resounding boom as two hundred missiles became airborne, soon joined by an arsenal from the platforms on the inner walls. The southern wall, too, burst into fire. Chain gun emplacements all over the wall-tops also opened fire on the approaching creatures. The air was choked with ash and smoke. Drala watched as the flurry of missiles met the oncoming carrier types.
Explosions lit the air as many of the monsters were hit dead on. Several carriers, hit by far too many missiles, dropped lifeless to the ground, crushing thousands of creatures below them and creating barriers. The other creatures, however, simply climbed over the monstrous bodies and continued their charge towards the city.
“Second rank!”
Drala picked up his gun and leapt back as the second rank came forward. With lightning speed, Paet began reloading his gun, knocking it open against the wall, throwing out the used shell, replacing it with fresh ammo, and slamming it shut. Drala managed to reload his own gun, but not nearly as quickly as Paet did, and he stepped back up just as the second round hit.
“Let the SAM platforms take the carriers. Aim for the ground forces! Keep them off the walls!”
The first rank moved back up to the edge of the wall. As Drala aimed downwards, he was shocked to see how close the bio-creatures on the ground had gotten; they were no more than a few hundred yards from the walls now. It could only take so long…
The line of missiles that flew into the foremost ranks of the bio-creatures delayed them not even for a second. Over a thousand stryder carcasses that were blown to shreds and shot to pieces were instantaneously replaced by a thousand more angry ones.
“Second rank, up!”
Drala stumbled back, stunned, as if finally aware of the utter danger he was in.
“Kid, load your gun! It isn’t over!”
Shaken, Drala began reloading the missile launcher once more.
It was no sooner than when the second rank had fired for their second time, that there came the horrifying cry.
“Shit! They’re on the walls! Get off the goddamn walls!!”
Just as this was said, one of the creatures leapt up onto the wall-top just a few feet from where Drala was standing. It thrust out its arm, from which protruded an enormous blade, and slashed through two of the men. There was a cry of pain as one man’s body was severed from left shoulder to right waist. With a flick of his wrist, Paet balanced his gun onto his shoulder and drew out a rifle. He shot the creature squarely into its head.
“Come on, kid, let’s go!”
Already, many of the men were fleeing the wall-tops, rushing for the stairs into the Liberal District as more creatures got onto the wall. Drala stood inert, paralyzed by fear.
“Kid, let’s get away from here!”
Re-holstering his rifle, Paet yanked him along by the shoulder, pulling him into the throng of men abandoning the walls. The only men who did not flee were the ones manning the chain guns. They continued to fire into the mass of bloodthirsty creatures even as more of them came from behind and slashed them to pieces.
As he and Paet ran for their lives, Drala suddenly heard a cry coming from nearby.
“Wait!” he cried to Paet.
He looked down, and saw a girl struggling to crawl away, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She clutched at her side, from where dark-colored blood was oozing.
“Here! Take my hand!” Drala said as he kneeled down to help her.
She looked up, her eyes mirroring both her pain and gratitude, and placed her bloody hand in his. With a pull, Drala brought her feet, only to duck back down at Paet’s command. There were a few gunshots, and Drala looked up to see that Paet had quickly dispatched of four of the creatures following them.
“Come on, guys, the sooner we get moving, the better!” he yelled over the deafening roar of mortar fire.
As Drala, Paet, and Azel, scurried their way off the walls, mortar squads were brought into position. Now, shells were falling all around them, outside the city walls, and on the walls themselves. As they finally entered the Liberal District, Drala turned around to fire at a few of the creatures that had escaped the shelling, but was stopped by Paet.
“Conserve your ammo. You’re gonna need it later.”
As they ran, Drala saw that the southern wall was also lit in flames and explosions. Gash had also chosen to pull his men out, and was retreating to the inner walls just as they were. The outer walls had been lost in what seemed barely a few minutes of fighting. However, the Liberal District was not abandoned, even as swarms of creatures breached the city walls.
The sort of warfare that was fought in the Liberal District was a fantastic type of warfare, the type fought in cellars and stables, from market stands and window sills. Every building was contested, floor by floor, room by room, inch by inch. Men armed with anything and everything, from laser guns to cutting knives, fought valiantly against the onslaught of enemies.
Dozens of the Seeker sharpshooters, carrying their powerful sniper guns, did their work from the rooftops of the city. However, the humans were far outnumbered, and slowly, one by one, buildings were destroyed and ground was lost. Eventually, every person in the city was withdrawn into the inner walls. The Liberal District was in flames, but the war was not over yet.
Three more explosions as three more Scorpitara were blown into nothingness.
“Right here, Lagi, this is the one,” said Edge, recognizing the passageway he had come through not so long ago.
The dragon landed carefully onto the platform, and Edge dismounted.
“Well. Looks like this is my stop, Lagi.” He said with a friendly smile.
It let out a low whimpering sound, as if to display its confusion.
“No, no way, boy. You’re not coming with me this time.” He said, stroking the dragon’s neck.
“And here.”
Edge un-holstered his gun and tied it to the dragon’s back.
“A memento from me. Plus, you’re gonna need that. I have my own.” Edge patted his belt to indicate that he had his own weapon.
Lagi let out a loud, sorrowful croon.
“Don’t worry about me, pal. You’ll see me again someday. Trust that.”
He hugged the dragon’s head.
“I’ll sure miss you though, buddy.”
Edge stepped back and prepared to go.
“Now, get moving, Lagi. You’ve got to get going. You know where.”
The dragon cried its farewell. Edge ran down the long hallway, refusing to look back until he heard it fly away. And then he turned back, and searched for the familiar flapping of the wings. When he didn’t hear any, Edge continued on his way.
Standing on the inner walls, Drala looked around for Commander Gash. When Gash could not be found, Paet explained that he was probably on the southern walls, just as he had been on the southern gate. Meanwhile, a medic was bandaging Azel’s wounds, and was having difficulty determining why her blood was so strangely colored.
The Holy District of Zoah, compared with the Liberal District, was much safer.
The monsters had trouble scaling the enormous walls, even with the blades on their arms, and were shot before they reached the top. Dozens of chain guns and missile emplacements shot down any trespassing airborne creatures. Periodically, the Seekers would fire missiles into the mass of creatures below, sending dozens of them flying. The remaining snipers picked off any creatures that managed to almost climb the entire wall. For the moment, it seemed as if the battle had come to a standstill, though it would not last for long.
Gash attended to the southern wall easily and sent men to hold the eastern and northern walls to stop any creatures from circling around. However, even though the Seekers were easily able to hold off the monsters, more and more of them continued to pour into the Liberal District.
But then, one of the monsters caught his eye. It was blue and shining, floating in the air. His heart froze for a second as he understood…
“Oh SHIT!”
Gash snatched up the radio and screamed into it.
“RENNOTH! GET YOUR MEN OFF THE DAMN WALL!! IT’S A GIGRALYPH!”
Then he threw it down, ran down the stairwell, and sprinted towards the western wall.
Gash’s voice over the radio seeded confusion among the men. Moments later, Rennoth re-opened the stairwells and ordered everyone to get away from the wall immediately.
Paet and Drala helped up Azel, who was still was still nursing her wounds, and they ran, gun in hand, not knowing what to expect. The three of them had just exited into the Holy District and cleared the wall by a few yards when the entire western wall, tower, and twelve missile platforms exploded behind them.
Gash was halfway across the courtyard, and had just seen his friends emerging from the stairs, when the Gigra emerged from underground. Instantly, the entire western wall was transformed into rubble. Ash and stone was thrown everywhere in the ensuing chaos. An entire missile platform, still intact, landed in a residential area and crushed three houses.
The enormous figure of the Gigra, standing upright, was even taller than the wall-tops, and seemed to be more of a mountain than anything else. Gash desperately scanned for any sign of the trio in the smoking ruins of the western wall. At last, he saw a small figure emerge, trying to pull Paet free of the rubble. Then, they together unearthed Azel, who seemed to be unconscious. Gash ran towards them.
“Paet, you’d better tell me you still have a gun on you!”
Flames leapt up all around them as the Gigra began launching its explosive projectiles.
“I do, sir,” Said Drala, trying to sound courageous, but not doing so very successfully.
“Then shoot the thing’s nose, kid! I’ll distract him!!
Gash ran through the rubble, firing at the monstrous creature with his rifle, as fiery explosions ensued around him. Drala shouldered the missile launcher, aimed, and…
“Direct hit!” he shouted as the missile exploded in the Gigra’s face.
The Gigra swaggered about for a moment, but then got back up.
“Oh, shit, kid! Hit it with one more!!” yelled Gash as he continued to dodge the projectiles.
“I’m all out!” Drala cried helplessly to Paet.
Gash ran left, and then leapt right.
The Gigra lowered its enormous arm and knocked Gash back against a pile of rubble with one swipe.
“SHIT!” Paet cursed and ran towards Gash’s crippled figure.
“Paet, watch out!!” Drala watched as the Gigra lifted its arm for another swing.
Suddenly, he felt an arm clutching around his shoulder, and felt Azel’s body leaning against his.
“Die, you bitch…” said Azel quietly.
And then there was an explosion.
“Sestren!”
Edge stepped forward into the golden light of the astral plane.
But he was instead greeted by the pale, cold phantom.
“Edge…”
“And you are?”
“The Anti-Edge, of course.”
“To hell with you.”
Edge lifted his gun and shot him dead.
There was the resounding laughter as Sestren asked, “What brings you back here, foolish mortal?”
Edge threw his gun forward and lifted his hands to show that he was unarmed.
“I have a proposal for you, Sestren.”
“Oh. Really? A proposal to save your flimsy human friends, I would guess? Speak.”
Edge sighed.
“I’m tired of all this shit going on. Humanity has no hope. They’re done for.”
Sestren was silent. Good, Edge thought to himself, he’s surprised. He continued.
“I’m tired of living in this world, being their saviour and all. My proposal to you is this: You kill me. You end it here. Destroy their only hope. Without me, those humans are nothing; you won’t have to fear them anymore. Destroy me, but on the condition that you cease your attack on them right now.”
There was more silence. Edge could only wait, and hope, to see if his plan would work.
“Very well, then, Edge. You make a wise choice. Less pain for you, and less pain for your friends as well. So be it.”
There was a low humming, like the humming of machinery shutting down.
“It is done. Your friends are safe. Now for your part of the deal, no?”
“Of course.”
It was an ice-cold sensation. Edge could feel it, beginning in his feet and his fingertips. He suddenly felt hollow, as if his will was being emptied out by Sestren. And slowly, that same feeling spread through the rest of his body, and it came to his chest, and Edge could feel it devouring his heart.
And then Edge closed his eyes, and he tried hard to think and feel…what was it? The only thing Edge could feel were his emotions and his thoughts being consumed, destroyed. It was nearly over, almost over…
Suddenly, Edge remembered. He remembered Gash and the Seekers, his friend Paet. He remembered the dragon and the gun that he had left behind. He remembered Azel, and he remembered the future. And he remembered Dawn, and Hope.
Edge’s eyes flickered open. And he stood tall and proud, and cried in a noble voice,
“Anu orta veniya, me semer a trancede me krythe, sona tu cognitu vertus!”
And with those last words, Edge felt his heart finally caving in to the darkness. And even then, it would still shimmer with the light of Hope. In these last moments, Edge still clung to what hope there was, and never before had Sestren ever been so afraid, so intimidated, as he was at Edge’s undying hope. But it would not be until many years later that Sestren would finally realize his great folly, his mistake in taking Edge’s life over the lives in New Zoah.
And there, in the golden halls of the astral plane, Edge passed from existence.
Both Drala and Azel were thrown against the rubble by the explosion. The second missile, which Azel had fired, struck its mark. The Gigra rocked backwards, then collapsed onto the ruins of the western wall. The two of them limped to where Paet was holding Gash, weeping into his cloak.
Hundreds of creatures were now swarming over the rubble where the wall had been, surrounding the four humans.
“DAMN YOU!!” cried Azel as she lurched around and fired another missile into their midst. Drala caught her as she fell to her knees. Her wound was bleeding freely now.
“Paet!! Help!”
But Paet did not hear them. He was silent, staring down at Gash’s dead body. His back was turned to them.
Drala turned back to Azel.
“Miss, please stop… Calm down…”
But Azel did not hear him either. With a cry, she punched open the gun, threw the empty shells out, reached into her satchel, and placed another missile. Then she shouldered the gun again, disregarding her hand, which was split open and bloody.
“AND THIS!!”
The missile sent a dozen more creatures flying.
She collapsed under the weight of the missile launcher, and Drala attempted to help her up.
“PAET!!”
Paet still did not hear him. He was still staring silently skyward, his back turned.
The creatures closed in. They moved forward with a rage. A rage to kill. A rage to destroy humanity.
The blades were almost upon them. This was the end…
Drala opened his eyes. The creatures were leaving. He watched in amazement as, slowly, they crawled back over the broken rubble in the Holy District. And they crawled away, out of the Liberal District, and over the outer wall. They were gone from New Zoah. The battle was over. There was silence.
Drala attempted to rise, but with a cry of pain, fell back down again. His vision was getting hazy now. He could see Azel, next to him on the ground. Her face was in the dirt, and she was sobbing. And he looked, and he saw Paet, his face tired and worn. In his arms he cradled the broken body of Gash. And Paet was looking skyward, skyward in the east. And from the east, the dark clouds were pierced by a single ray of light. The dawn had come.