Battles Beyond (Book 1: The Fleeing Saga)

We Reach (8)

Wixin removed himself from the manifested lake. Saltwater dripped from his skull cap and dark skin as his head swivelled to find Cascachu.

He wasn't around.

An alert popped up from the lightweight mesh below his right sleeve that was standard issue.

'QUARANTINE!' was the word of crimson that revved his emotional and physical state. With every step, he gathered speed to reach Mago.

"Stop."

He looked left to see Deeli—drenched clothing and all.

"Girl, who you be? I not wasting time with you. You only he lackey."

"Advisor." She corrected him.

Wixin didn't care. He understood her strength from previous encounters.

Deeli prepped to engage him. Her mind relived the past as she did.

The early days of the War Troupe were not the best. Cascachu despised the weak, so he got them to train in the mangroves where creatures sought to snap them up if they weren't careful. The exercises were horrific. Many couldn't keep up.

She couldn't take it anymore. It was 'wickedness'—one of their favourite adjectives to describe their brutal regimen.

A certain day changed that. Delin's squadron was ambushed by three thousand Defence Force soldiers. Being outnumbered ten to one, they defeated them. Were they poorly trained? Exhausted? Inferior weaponry?

Of course not. The harsh training made the difference.

Her past stopped. She was defeated in one hit. Wixin could now resume his meetup with Cascachu.

* * *

There was a recall of kinetic rounds to attack the Commander of the War Troupe. A distinctive clank corked the innards of the Rebounders with rapid frequency.

The soldiers, prepped with flare rifles, pointed them without confidence. More met the Commander, who gushed fluid at the edge.

Durin and the rest of Veil felt thankful they avoided that commotion.

While still in the air, Durin reengaged the hook and placed it on the roof of a clothing store that was a part of the business district. They landed parallel to a starcraft with a singular white stripe over soft blue.

There is one main mode of transport on Leaflet: the hovercar. Yoskoe was tired but he had to continue imparting this information to them. Starcraft are generally too valuable to be used militarily or for regular transport.

That's peculiar they use hovercar there. I never thought it would be practical from the way you described it to us. said Durin.

It's already quite late. We have to move on to the next part. Teinova's hand mushed her left cheek as she supported her face.

* * *

Cascachu's hands rested on his cylindrical legs. Then suddenly, at great speed, it touched the petal. A shot blew off part of his forearm but he remained unfazed. Chaos flooded the streets to escape absolute confusion and insanity.

One.

Two.

Three.

NOTHING.