Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter twenty-six

Layla

We pass one of the three pubs in Lakeintown; 'The Odd Flute'. I stop and look through the pointed windows. Televisions inside detail a news report of what is happening in the city. Words scroll at the bottom that Mavlins were near the bakery and the 'Bar-net' skyscraper but have since been halted by the Guardians. Even as this goes on, people are still drinking and playing pool. A few watch the screens but don't flea. Mavlin attacks are very common so people have got used to these disturbances. 

With every news report, there is a threat indicator that rises and falls depending on what's happening. The indicator ranges from zero to fifty. It's dropped from twenty-two to fifteen now which is a promising sign that this Mavlin attack has eased.

     "We should head to the Spire Layla" Maylock comes from behind me. 

     "Yeah, okay. The indicator is dropping so it shouldn't be too bad" 

     "Keep alert though" Maylock instructs as we leave the pub and head over to the tallest building in Lakeintown. 

 As we pass the large park gate entrance and then a construction site, the twisted base of the Spire comes into view. The corkscrew design continues throughout the entire building. It's a breathtaking marvel. Near the top, a golden sphere is held by three curls that represent the ancient Guardian angels. They are held in such high regard figuratively and literally. A pointed antenna stands in the middle of the sphere which adds to the defying height. The engineering of such a building is admirable but it still doesn't motivate me to set foot on the viewing platform. 

     "Seems to be clear of Mavlins" Maylock announces when several of them suddenly intercept our approach. 

I jump, startled by their sudden, spontaneous showing. Where the hell did they come from? 

     "Well, spoke to soon" Maylock stands beside me.

     "Uh, what are we going to do?" The Mavlins slowly gain on us. Armour plates line their robotic human-like bodies and differ in grey and black. Red and blue cables flow in and out around parts of their bodies. Each Mavlin is different. The only similarity between them are two small horns that protrude from the sides of their foreheads.

     "Just pretend that they are that punching bag. I am" Maylock chuckles reminding me of what he did when he was at my shack.

     "You have got to be..." I abruptly stop mid-sentence as I can seem to sense movement behind me.

Bit odd.

Everything around me has slowed down and I turn to see a Mavlin heading right for me. I have ample time to anticipate it and I kick the Mavlin as soon as it nears me. It disintegrates instantly into small particles when it hits the ground.

     "...Kidding, you have to be kidding" My breath is heavy.

This added strength from the armour is really something.

     "Come on, let's kick some robotic ass" the adrenaline of what I did is fuelling me.

     "Couldn't have said it better myself. Now stick together"

The Mavlins attack first, making us have to deflect every onslaught they do towards us and they don't stop. They lash out at any opportunity and are not fazed by our defence. When I take a hit from a Mavlin, I respond with a punch and then another, managing to knock it down. I keep this up, always being on the offensive now as I go through three more Mavlins. This is really putting my self-trained skills and techniques to the test.

I clock where Maylock is and always keep him in sight. We combine some of our attacks and work together to eliminate five more Mavlins, but they just keep on coming. It's as if two are being added when one is disintegrated. 

I shove a Mavlin into the growing horde, creating a domino effect which topples a few to the floor, but the Mavlins don't seem to care for their own as they trample over the fallen ones, disintegrating them in the process. 

Maylock gets hit and a group of them congregate around him, sensing weakness so I go to aid him when I am suddenly knocked to the floor. A Mavlin looms over me and brings its fist up, ready to punch me but they stop. 

Why isn't it trying to hurt me? 

I use this hesitancy to my advantage though and swipe out its legs with my own. As they land on the ground, I carry out the move that the Mavlin was going to do upon me and my punch lands right in its face making it disintegrate into particles. These particles float up and I follow them, but then I lock onto something else in the sky. It's a bold white sphere. What the hell is that? However, it's not in the sky for long as it swiftly drops and smashes onto the ground.

++++++++++++++++

White covers my eyes and my ears are ringing loudly. What was that? A bomb? Questions whirl around in my mind.

I wipe my eyes, hoping to replenish my vision but that's when I realise that my helmet and armour are not on me. Still trying to gather some sense of what happened and wondering what that sphere was, a sudden grunt of pain alerts me and focuses my thoughts on the sound.

Maylock is on the floor with four Mavlins around him. Without thinking, I bolt over to him, pulling the Mavlins away quite easily and they fall to the ground with no retaliation. This is a bit odd, but I think nothing of it as it just made my job easier to help Maylock. 

I go to pull him up as he too has no helmet or armour on but he gets up himself. I'm not one for accepting help at the best of times but this takes me by surprise. Maylock didn't take my offer. He was just so cold in the way he got up and he didn't even look at my hand that was out for him to grab. Maylock's a good team player as we were working well together when we fought those Mavlins at least that's what I thought? Then again, I still don't know him so this could just be his normal behaviour. Assumptions are pointless to make when you don't know someone's true intentions and outlook on things.

     "Now let's go and meet the others" he suddenly announces while still not looking at me.

     "Are you okay?" I ask a little confused as he was just on the floor in pain because of what those mavlins did to him and he is somehow alright to continue in such a short space of time.

     "Let's go" he jumps up into the sky without any indication.

At first his wings don't come out which makes me slightly worried as he is a good quarter height of one of the skyscrapers but a few seconds pass and his wings pop out to keep him afloat and my anxiety level lowers. 

     "Come on" he beckons but I really don't want to go up there. "Just jump and you will have wings. Don't worry" he reassures but I don't want to do it. "Look Layla, the threat of Mavlins is still at large so screw the phobia of heights and just jump" he barks at me and I am taken aback by his harsh tone. "Just jump Layla!"

     "No. Why are you being like this?" I frown as he floats down to my level. "The threat level of Mavlins is dropping. I saw the indicator"

     "The more time you waste makes the indicator rise. So, if you're not going to fly, you can walk" he snaps, his voice almost growls. "Meet me at the bottom of the Spire" 

     "We were already heading there" 

     "Not since you stopped us" he argues. 

     "What?" I'm completely baffled. "Mavlins ambushed us" 

     "And now they have gone. So get moving!" he loudly demands and zooms off so fast. 

I'm left utterly spellbound by his odd sneering tone. How dare he talk to me like that. A mix of fury and confusion races through me. What on Earth is his problem? He just suddenly turned. I'm in disbelief and honestly don't know what to do next.

My first thought it to leave this all behind me but something is niggling me and telling me to stay here. By separating Maylock's words and spite, if the Mavlins threat has grown then I can't let them cause uproar in this city and allow the possibility for more civilians to get hurt by enemies that could have been prevented. I'll stay. I guess I will also be getting answers later, providing Maylock is in a more talkative and approachable mood but that makes it another point to stack up as a reason to stay so I make a move to the Spire.