Stranded on a Tiny Planet

Fight to the Finish

Despite the pain, Merco tried to maintain an urgent pace toward Anashee. Pixie could tell he was struggling though. She kept telling him to stop or asked him if he was ok but he stubbornly kept going. If what she said was true and the other mercenary had found Anashee, he couldn't waste any time. Though he didn't know the mercenary's intentions he could only guess they were not friendly or benevolent to the little Ansheetans. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.

As he could visually see the arc of mountains that surrounded Anashee he heard the distinct cracking sound of an energy projectile being fired. His heart skipped a beat as his head perked.

"What was that?" Pixie asked from his shoulder.

"We need to hurry." Merco said, hopping a bit to gain some momentum to jog.

But when he tried to go faster his injured body protested with harsh painful lightning across his nerves. He grunted and stumbled, falling to his knees.

Pixie yelped, flew up off of his shoulder, and over his head. Merco's face was tightly scrunched with a pained expression as he tried to subdue the pain stabbing through him.

"Merco? Are you all right?" Pixie cried out with concern.

He breathed heavily but didn't answer her. The answer was "no" but he was determined to not convince himself to give up. Again, he forced himself to stand. His torso was wracked with burning pain. Pixie darted around him in an anxious manner. She kept protesting his forcible resolve to get to Anashee but he tuned it out. The last time he had to force himself through this much pain was during the war with half of his arm blown off. That was worse than this, but he was tougher, younger man back then.

Merco kept going with Pixie trailing close by. It wasn't until he exited the forest and neared the "gate" to the Anashee valley that the silence was shattered by a loud [BOOM!] Both Merco and Pixie jerked with shock. The hairs on the back of Merco's neck prickled with familiarity.

That wasn't an energy projectile...that sounded like a bomb.

"No...no nonono." Merco shook his head anxiously as he hobbled on.

When they were very near the outer rock gate they saw a huge crowd of Ansheetans gathered there. A group of EFP members appeared from over the rocky border; Coroc and Anu among them.

Anu flew down to him quickly, "Merco! He's within the city walls! He's by the Temple!"

Merco's face scrunched with concern in his eyes. Though the group of Ansheetans outside the valley was indeed numerous it wasn't the entirety of the population.

"Is this all there is?" he asked.

Coroc gestured to them, "These are the ones who fled the city after the Third Tower was attacked. There are many more in the First and Second. But these evacuees have said the mercenary deployed those stun devices we faced earlier. Many were paralyzed and are still in Anashee."

The man nodded, listening carefully, "He's probably wanting to collect a few of you if he's using stun disks."

"What does he want with us?" Pixie asked.

"Probably thinks you're worth something to others outside this planet. Money is the major motivator for guys in his line of work. Otherwise, he'd just be killing you for fun."

Coroc nodded, "I've sent several scouts along the perimeter. They are awaiting my command. What do you want us to do?"

Merco's eyes wandered slowly as he thought, "If I go through that gate he's going to see me...and he'll probably shoot me on sight. I don't know what he is, but I can almost bet he's going to use a weapon before he fights me hand to hand." He sighed, "And I don't think he'll let me get close enough to use this knife."