Realm Wars

Chapter 1

The raiders attacked the child first.

Lightning flashed against the crimson treetops, illuminating the forest and revealing a group of fly-faced aliens; the Bush People. A chill trickled through Dash's veins. Although she'd never seen a buzzer up close, she had attended enough security briefings to know that she did not want to. The four-armed flesh eaters emerged from the bioluminescent foliage, equipped with primitive armor and technosticks. Raindrops fizzled against the taser-tipped weapons, as they converged on Astrea's position. Without thinking, Dash stepped in front of the girl. How in the realms would they get out of this mess? If Dash didn't come up with something quick, the raiders would turn her and the kid into star soup.

A heads-up display would have come in handy right about now. But that mucking explosion back at the lake ruins totally smoked her virtual vizard. Now she only wore the mask to keep the rain out of her eyes. And where exactly was the admin-drone? She sent that bucket of bolts back for help hours ago. Apparently, Dash and Astrea were all on their own, which meant she'd have to improvise. Dash raised her hands. "We don't want any trouble."

The lead alien pointed at Astrea and buzzed orders in an indecipherable language. The other three attackers raised their technosticks and gave acknowledgment. Their voices grated against her ears like a garbled microphone. Were they wearing facemasks? Dash couldn't tell.

Astrea inched backward, "Miss Dash, I'm scared."

"See star cake, this is why we can't go following dragons into the woods."

"Yes, ma'am."

The buzzers pressed forward.

Dash picked up a fallen branch and pointed it at the closest assailant. "Back off bug breath." She swung the makeshift weapon wildly. Snap. The front section of the stick went limp, then fell into the mud. The alien cocked its head, looked to the forest floor and back at Dash, then thrust his technostick at her.

Dash bobbed her head out of the way.

The electrified fork came micrometers from her mask.

She threw the remaining piece of wood at him.

It missed, completely.

Of course.

She grabbed Astrea's hand, "Get your aft in gear kid!" she shouted, then pulled the child into the bushes.

As they weaved through the maze of glowing brush, Dash couldn't help but think how entirely astro this whole situation was. She was an automaton manager for star's sake. By all rights she should be sitting at her workstation, sipping coffee and reviewing code. Not getting chased by rag-wrapped aborigines in a dark forest during the middle of a thunderstorm.

Clack. Boom.

A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. Dash's foot snagged a root. Or, maybe it was a rock? She couldn't be sure. Either way, she found herself falling face first into a thicket of thorns. As Dash braced for impact, Dash wondered how her boring life had come to this? Just yesterday she had been working on the server farms in the basement of the Hestia facility without a care in the world.

It was all those salvager's fault. She should have left that portal alone. Then she wouldn't be in this mess.

Dash scrambled to her feet and looked for Astrea.

Two buzzer's held the girl by the arms, while a third pointed a technistick at her. The fourth approached Dash, weapon raised.

At that moment Dash realized one thing was for certain. She would never agree to babysit again.