Hypernova Series: Worlds At war Page 7

  What?! Who the heck is this guy?

  Dragon Vs Lizard, Who’s the Cooler Reptile!?

  A set of Mecek fangs flash at Ron and I behind snarling lips. The new enemy stands several feet taller than us. His bright-green scales flicker beneath the distant fires. Lodged in his chest fitted with a metal plate is a familiar crystal. He glares down at us from the gigantic hole in the roof.

  I roll my eyes, so this guy is all beefed-up on evil juice too?!

  “My name is Zho-Zho, captain of the Raiders and proud servant of Lord Odium."

  His clawed fingers dig into the roof, sending debris to the floor. Zho-Zho’s purple eyes widen, his hind legs tense.

  “Lord Odium returned to the battlefield to destroy that worthless prince and his Aronevian Army. I was instructed to come here and ensure the Bates Brothers are dead.”

  Zho-Zho’s tail is thick as a trunk. It raises, only to be slammed into the ground in an intimidating gesture.

  “Also, to retrieve the crystal from your corpses!”

  “Well guess what ya’ dumb lizard?” Ron snaps. “We’re still alive! Whatcha’ gunna’ do about it?”

  “Uhm, Ron? We shouldn’t be intimidating this thing.” I say nervously.

  My head briefly gestures to my brothers many wounds. Immediately Ron finds his lower lip and bites it. His eyebrows furrow, the expression on his face immediately becoming tense. Meanwhile, Zho-Zho catapults from the roof. As the Captain of the Raiders stands high and proud, I’m able to examine him further.

  Zho-Zho is wearing a similar orange jumpsuit to those of his underlings. A burgundy vest hides his powerful muscles beneath the mass of cloth.

  “You look scared, child.”

  Zho-Zho flicks his forked tongue in my direction.

  “Judging by your uniform, you’re an Aster. A shame to kill one so young!”

  My mouth opens to shoot back a retort, but Zho-Zho interrupts me.

  “I’ll make this quick!”

  The lizard-man charges. Before we have a chance to pull out our weapons, Zho-Zho’s tail wallops us in our chests. Ron and I tumble into a large boulder. My head knocks against the solid mass, a groan forms on my lips.

  My body...is in so much pain!

  Every muscle feels rusted. I am barely able to lift my arm. Managing to find some leverage, I stumble to my feet. Ron does the same. He takes a knee catching his breath. His fingers lace around the fabric covering his chest.

  “Look at the two of you, how pathetic! I was excited to fight a pair of humans. I’m disappointed.”

  Zho-Zho’s sarcasm is starting to get to me. I feel intense anger building.

  That’s when the wildest thing happens…

  From the hole in the roof, a stranger fires their D.P.E. The cord wraps around Zho-Zho’s leg.

  “What?!”

  It’s the last thing he says before being lifted in the air and thrown out of the room like a fish on a hook. Now, Ron and I are alone in the throne room, baffled and utterly confused.

  “Who the h-e-double tooth-pick was that?!” Ron says aghast.

  “We need to go and find out.” I tell him.

  My brother doesn’t argue. Limping across the clearing we leap into Luna’s cockpit. Obviously, this is a one-man ship. So, Ron and I have to squish together like sardines in a can.

  “Watch it Finn, your foot is on my foot!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want to climb onto the roof by yourself?”

  “No.”

  “So shut up.”

  I raise Luna through the hole. Immediately, Ron and I are met with a baffling sight. Appearing through the clouds are Altair battleships. My eyes widen in amazement.

  “Those are...Altair reinforcements!”

  Man, my ships’ design pales in comparison to the platoons sparkling silver and blue Comet Series 500’s.

  On the other side of the rounded roof, where the drop-off curves to the western walls, Zho-Zho is curled in a ball. His hand massages a ginormous bump on his skull. A cord remains wrapped around Zho-Zho’s ankle. I follow the line across the clearing up to a familiar Drakkiinion face.

  “Miv!”

  Ron and I both let out a cheer. Miv’s battleship hovers several feet off the ground. Yet, Miv has made the decision to abandon her vessel. Opting to attack Zho-Zho head on.

  “Luna, raise the cockpit.”

  “Confirmed.”

  Ron and I peek our heads out like curious children. Below, the lizard and dragon go face-to-face.

  “Ulmu informed me you two were in trouble. I insisted I come join the battle.”

  Miv’s red eyes remain pinned on Zho-Zho. Her jaw gapes wide, sucking in a deep breath of air. She launches into the air. Despite her size she is amazingly agile. Sparks fly free from the back of her throat.

  “Allow me to deal with this villain!”

  Just as she’s about to attack, I trigger my Move Memorizer (best to keep as many attack patterns stored as possible, right?) With one powerful gust, a tunnel of fire launches towards Zho-Zho from her mouth. Miv lands with both feet on the ground as Zho-Zho desperately shields his face. My jaw goes slack with awe.

  Reaching into his sheath, Zho-Zho grips the handle of his knife. The blade is pulsing with purple plasma energy. In the blink of an eye he cuts the rope.

  Now free, he barrel-rolls away from the fiery blast. Zho-Zho stands mere inches from the edge of the roof. His hind legs are desperately clawing for traction.

  Ron chimes. “Shoot him again, girlfriend!” He pumps his fist in the air. I join in with a jab of my own.

  “What’s the matter, Zho-Zho? Not so brave now that our friend can breathe fire?”

  “Insolent humans…” Zho-Zho glances over the edge. “...I’ll prove you wrong.”

  He falls backwards, disappearing from my sight.

  He’s retreating? What a coward!

  Zooooom!

  A new battleship, oval, with a flat top, rises into view. Zho-Zho is at the helm, cackling behind the windshield.

  “Get down!” Miv shouts.

  She lunges towards her ship as a hailstorm of bullets whizz in every direction. Ron and I duck down into Luna’s cockpit. My ship rattles and shakes each shot penetrating the first layer of thick steel.

  “Luna, initiate protective measures!”

  “Shields activated. Closing cockpit and commencing mirror mode.”

  Using my right arm, I give Ron a crude shove on the chest. He tucks against the farthest wall, lending me enough room to grip the controls. Examining the several screens, I spot Zho-Zho twisting his ship towards Mivs’. Their dual-proton blasters face one another.

  Miv is the first to fire. Her volley of shots crack against the primitive steel Raider ship. Zho-Zho twists, his craft cartwheeling towards the Zara city center as he fights to regain control of his battered ship.

  “Zho-Zho knows he can’t win in a one-on-one fight with an Altair battleship.” I say triumphantly.

  “Those Raider ships are primitive and weak, that’s why we need to take him down now!” Ron says.

  My brother doesn’t wait for me to agree. His foot finds the turbo boost.

  “Wait, Ron don’t you da-”

  Whoosh! We swoop away from the rooftop.

  “You idiot!”

  I snap at him. I’m forced to tug on the yoke to avoid an incoming building. I twist to glare at Ron.

  “Stop acting like the annoying little brother, that’s my job-”

  He leans over and pulls on the yoke helping me steer clear of tumbling debris.

  “-and don’t be a back-seat driver!”

  In one of my projectors, I spot Miv’s battleship following close behind.

  “Don’t be a baby.” Ron dismisses, “You're a great flier. You beat me at a space-race, remember?”

  I can’t stop a small grin from creeping up my face, but I don't have enough time to jest. I dodge another skyscraper. We dip closer into the demolished city. By now, all the inhabitants have either been e
vacuated or taken deep cover. I aim my blasters at Zho-Zho, watching his frantic movements and reckless flying.

  “It appears that Zho-Zho is heading towards the war-zone.” I tell Ron.

  He nods in agreement.

  “He needs Odium to back him up. What a weakling. Take him out bro!”

  I’m well aware that my blasters only fire five rounds a second, making them not impossible to evade once the first couple of rounds hit their target, especially if it is moving.

  I need to take careful aim.

  Holding my breath, I watch the crosshairs on my heads-up display as I close the distance between Zho-Zho and us.

  Now!

  The first three shots crack against his ship's exterior. Zho-Zho manages to dodge the rest. He hides behind a skyscraper, reappearing a moment later. The belly of his ship faces us as he hurtles upwards into the sky. My grip tightens on Luna’s controls. I tug, hurtling Luna towards the ground. Using the rising speed of my descent, I sweep around a fallen vehicle and a burning tower, before rocketing up to catch Zho-Zho’s fleeing ship. Steadily, I close the distance between us. Unfortunately, Zho-Zho and I break into the middle of the war zone before I have a chance to fire off another volley of shots. Even if I have an opportunity to attack, I don’t see it, because I’m far too stunned by the amazing sight before me.

  A hundred Altair battleships are maneuvering through the air, sending down a shower of ammunition that tears apart enemy Raider ships. A large array of weaponry is criss-crossing the war zone with heavy fire. On the battlefront, Aronevian troops are armed with blasters and one-man tanks. They oppose a vast enemy army, double their size.

  From his dress, I assume that the person standing erect amongst the carnage, is Prince Zibrail. His long flowing black fur is like a cloak in the wind. Currently, he and his remaining troops are being charged by a swarm of Spawn and being flanked by hungry Raiders. Making a split-second decision, I aim my guns at the enemy below.

  “What are you doing?” Ron demands. “The general is escaping!”

  “I won’t let the prince die.”

  My answer is matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument. My forefinger finds my blaster trigger and pulls.

  All five shots bombard the enemy, splitting the mass of spawn in two.

  Zho-Zho’s ship twists from view but I don’t care. I fire again. This time, only two bullets take out a Spawn. The wolfish alien crumples into ash. Now, the attention is on me. (Better than it being on Prince Zibrail!) Three angry Raider soldiers look up at my battleship, firing off multiple shots. The enemy bullets crack against my shield and I’m forced to double back from my assault.

  As I twist around to face the city, I catch sight of Mivs’ ship attacking Zho-Zho’s. They look like a pair of leaves falling from a tree, twisting around one another in an enchanted dance. It’s not so beautiful though when Miv’s ship begins to send out a trail of smoke. She pulls away, blasting past my window towards the ground.

  “Miv’s in trouble!”

  I yell, adjusting my angle and blasting towards her crashing ship. I don’t know what my plan is to save her, but I have to do something!

  “Finn! Behind you!”

  Ron points to the rear projector. Before either of us can make a move to dodge, Zho-Zho shoots a well aimed bullet into the jet.

  Luna announces, “Major interior damage! Engine failing!”

  That’s when we crash into dirt, and everything goes black.

  My Team Member Makes the Ultimate Sacrifice

  The sound of the furious battle pulls me out from my brief episode of unconsciousness.

  Firstly, I make eye-contact with Ron. His lashes flutter to flush out specks of dirt and blood. My eyes trail up to the window. The windshield has shattered, allowing Ron’s wavy hair to sprawl in the dirt.

  “We flipped over?”

  My voice is a whisper. I clear my throat with a hefty cough, opting to place both hands on the control panel to hoist myself through the gap. Ron follows suit.

  We manage to crawl away from the wreckage. Ron’s hands lace around my armpits aiming to help me to my feet, but behind him I spot Zho-Zho’s parked battleship. The cockpit is empty causing a sinking sensation in my gut. Besides that, Miv’s own vessel is flipped belly-up. Her head lays upon the yoke. She’s unconscious.

  All around us, Prince Zibrail and his sparse remaining army of active soldiers are still fending off Odium’s army.

  Suddenly, I sense a warning tingle up my spine at the sound of sharp claws scraping against the concrete behind us.

  Looks like we’ll have little time to recover.

  A Spawn comes bounding over our vessel. Its sharp teeth are inches away from my face. Ron spins and fires a blast from his pistol into the enemy's neck. The Spawn explodes into ash, clouding our vision.

  “We need to help Miv!” I tell my brother from within the dust cloud.

  “I know!”

  Wiping dust from my eyes I struggle to get my bearings. Ron grabs my shoulder and pulls me from the cloud of dust. Running as fast as we can, we reach Miv’s fallen vessel. The Drakkinion remains comatose.

  “Miv, wake up.” I plead.

  I lace my fingers around the nooks in the cockpit and pull, to no avail.

  “She’s stuck!”

  We watch helplessly as smoke begins to fill the interior of her vessel.

  “We need help...”

  A sound from above us forces Ron and I to look up. Three Altair battleships descend, landing a few feet away. All three cockpits pop open at once. I almost tear up when I see who comes to our rescue.

  “Kisoi! Nuyen! Naki!”

  Nuyen is the first to reach us. She leaps, landing on Miv’s vessel then turns to glare at us.

  “You two idiots went on a mission without our help? Chit! What’s your problem!?”

  Her hackles rise in irritation. Meanwhile, Naki and Kisoi reach our side. As I turn to face them, I realize the looks of disappointment in their eyes. My heart sinks with the realization that if Ron and I had told Ulmu the truth, Mivs’ life wouldn’t be in danger.

  This realisation hits Ron and me at the same time. His hands reach to fumble with the cockpit.

  “We need to get her out of here. Where is the escape latch?”

  BAM!

  Ron goes flying over our heads landing in a heap several feet away. Zho-Zho is behind us, his hand now reaching out to grab me. In our shocked state we have no time to stop the inevitable. Zho-Zho’s claws dig into the fabric of my shirt and the world turns into a whirlwind of sight and sound as I tumble into the dirt several feet away.

  Now, I’m face-down. I spit grit out of my mouth and attempt to rise to my elbows. But it’s been a long battle and my body is finally giving up on me. My arms give one last shake but I remain pinned by exhaustion as Zho-Zho jumps towards us.

  “Give me the crystal!”

  Zho-Zho roars, pulling his dagger out from its sheath and pointing it towards me. Without rising to my feet, I manage to roll away. The dagger stabs the ground.

  Behind Zho-Zho, Nuyen and Kisoi have managed to hack into Miv’s internal ship functions and release the hatch. Currently, her head is resting in Kisoi’s arms.

  But where is Naki?

  The Tra’vaneer warrior comes bolting from behind. Naki kicks Zho-Zho in the jaw. He stumbles. Naki doesn't stop her assault. She raises her pistol and fires a shot into his gut. Zho-Zho roars in pain. Raising his clawed hand, he swipes for her face. Naki ducks. Zho-Zho swings his tail. Naki backflips, firing another shot mid-air. It hits his chest, sending him onto his back.

  Ron and I stare on in amazement. With little-to-no effort, Naki just managed to take out the general of the Raider army. She seems to take the victory in stride, padding towards my brother and me.

  “Come on, we still need to save Prince Zibrail.”

  “Not likely little one.”

  Odium materializes seemingly from nowhere. His hands are raised like a god demanding worship from his people.
Zho-Zho awakens, crawling towards his master and falling to his knees.

  “Odium, sire, I’m sorry. I failed you.”

  Odium lowers his arms, giving a shrug.

  “It happens, my loyal general. Besides, your endeavour hasn’t been for naught.”

  His finger points accusingly in our direction.

  “It appears we underestimated the Altair Outposts’ tenacity. I know now. They will be the first ones to die!”

  Odium snaps his finger.

  “Get down!”

  Without hesitation. I shield Naki with my own body. The explosion of psychic force sends both of us back to the ground. My head rolls, spotting Ron across the clearing. My elder brother is curled in a ball, holding his gut in agony. Just like me, he took Odium’s attack head on. My sight goes dark for a moment...as I fade in and out of consciousness.

  “Finn, stay with me!”

  Naki cries, slapping me in the face multiple times. I come to, realizing she’s flipped me onto my back.

  “Ha-ha, yes Finn, don’t give up now!”

  Odium’s voice teases from beyond.

  “You need to stay alive long enough, to watch me kill your elder brother!”

  My head rolls to the side. Ron and I make eye contact from across the battlefield. His are suddenly soft with understanding. It’s as if a magical connection is being formed through our stare.

  It’s ok, let me die.

  At that moment, Naki launches an attack on Odium. He waves his hand as if shooing away a fly. Naki is hit head on with a psychic blast, landing into an unconscious heap. Her head lolls to the side as her head tails cover a forming bruise on her purple skin.

  I flip to my stomach. Watching helplessly as Odium crosses the battlefield. Instead of using his dark magic, he pulls out the same dagger that he used to kill the King and Queen.

  “Don’t kill him!” I shout again, but Odium shows no mercy. Ron looks up at him, determination alight in his eyes.

  “You won’t win.” Ron calmly declares.

  His expression is soft, lips parted slightly to let his words whisper on the wind.

  “We’re tougher than you think.”

  “You’ll never know.” Odium replies.