Elaina. In search of a planet.

Somewhere on the edge of the universe, part 26

The storm, circling in place, again moved to the cliff. At some point, she began to clear up. These were three flying objects similar to large sea stingrays, on which riders sat. They stopped about halfway up the cliff. The ramps began to descend, the riders, without waiting for landing, moved out of the triangular wings to the surface.
"It's strange, why don't they fly up to us?" Max asked.
"I don't think these natives want to apologize for the wrecked car," Janos said as he readied his weapon.
"That's why...," Tanya took a small stone and threw it towards the rainbow wall. It first flew down, then, picked up by some force, changed its trajectory and flew into the shroud. It penetrated inside and dissolved into shiny snow. Then a clot the sparkling cotton flew back, scattering in different directions with a flickering light.
Elaina, noticing that her long purple hair was developing towards the giant barrier, said:
"Here it is, the local light generator."
"I don't want to interrupt you, the view is enchanting, but we have guests," said Amano. "We need to quickly descend into the cave."
At the entrance to the shelters, the boy was collecting stones, apparently preparing for a fight in his own way. Nearby, his friend lay unconscious, and only a pulsating vein on his head betrayed the vital activity of a large-headed alien.
At this time, hostile creatures were heading towards the cliff. They were very massive with a goril-like build. Red skin clung to ribbed muscles that intertwined with wires and iron inserts, joints and bolts. Their naked bodies were covered only by a torn leather patch at the waist. These monsters were similar to the techno primeval creatures of these singular lands.
Meanwhile, giant stingrays were landing on the surface. The large oval mouths were covered with an iron grating through which came the sound of air intake. And from below, from the gill-shaped nozzles, the roar of jet thrust came, scattering dust on the sandy surface.
At the top of the stingray's black mantle was an iron saddle. Giant wings waved in waves, ending in a long, metallic tail, which with striped divisions with rivets resembled a rat.
As soon as their flat bodies touched the ground, a sharp outburst of air lifted the sand up and sprinkled them at times, leveling them with the surface as if the giants had never been here.
Three massive horsemen came closer and from such a distance it was possible to see them well. They were ugly and probably not very smart to come so close in open country with such confidence.
Almatian could easily hit them from this distance, but she expected the approaching creatures to do something other than just aggression. Earthlings were also in no hurry to shoot, not knowing what range and power the alien weapon had.
The approaching warriors seemed to have primitive weapons. Those who walked on the sides; one had a huge hammer, and the other had a huge ax with a chipped blade. The one in the middle looked more intimidating. In his hands he held a long pin pointing forward. And at the back hung an iron knapsack, above which two balls towered above the head. They shimmered with short blue electrical discharges all the time and hummed like a high voltage transformer.
For a moment, Maxim looked back. He noticed that there were fewer shimmering particles in the cave. A turn was visible, going to the side and deeper. A breath of wind was felt from the depths. Moreover, the air was so clean and fresh that he had the idea that the burrows on the hills provide air to the district, and an oxygen mixture is formed in the bowels of this giant layer.
And just as an earthling wanted to share his ideas, one of the monsters fired a bolt of lightning. The crooked beam instantly reached the cave and collapsed part of the stone canopy. Nobody expected such an attack. Blocks of stone and cobblestones covered the right side of the cave. Before Elaina had time to take aim, a second shot from a lightning gun followed. This time, the lightning passed over the shelter, past the peak of the mountain and struck the rainbow wall. Which instantly reacted to the electric discharge with a bright beam, incinerating the shooter.
Black ash slowly fell into the air, breaking the integrity of the frozen figure of the monster. The rest of the warriors recoiled, began to run away and call the stingrays with an animal roar. The giant manta rays immediately soared upwards, raising a hurricane wind beneath them.