The Games for Gaiathal (Part 3 of 'A Tale of People and Apples Trilogy')

Chapter 4: Retribution and Redemption

"What are you waiting for? Give them the Dagger and they'll leave," Julien said, his eyes glued on the slowly marching army and Generals who began to squeeze the shore.

"Will you shut up?" Maeve said back at him, with no time to deal with someone who had a fundamental misunderstanding of their situation.

"Julien, I know we've had our differences. But is there anyway you can get your army out of the fortress? To help us?" Rosaya pleaded as she readied her pistol. "That's not all of the Outlanders... but that's a lot of them."

"You mean open up the one large entrance to my fortress so my civilians get swallowed up by that Outlander wave? We are on our own, Raven. My military and people are not stupid like you."

Maeve opened the trunk to her vehicle frantically as it continued to fix itself, billowing smoke lessening but still not ready to set sail. She frantically grabbed items in her arms as the others watched on uneasily.

"Girls, these are prototypes and I was hoping we could test them... but given the circumstances I think we have no choice," Maeve said as she tweaked settings on each of the devices she brought forth.

The first was a rifle, streaks of blue glow emanating down the barrel of the dark silver weapon which was jagged at the butt of it and no bullets apparently inside. Maeve placed the strange device in Rosaya the Raven's hands.

The second was a wrist-band which also glowed blue within shining steel, and a small headset which Maeve placed on Talia's head. She switched a lever on the side of it, and a blue monocle hologram hovered before Talia's now icier eye.

The third was a long glove that Maeve rolled up Signey's arm all the way above the elbow, a thin fabric of silver and blue energy emanating down Signey's slender forearm.

Maeve began to give the confused Hosts their brief orientation on what they were now outfitted with. "What I have given you are alterations of my great aunt's Field technology."

The three Hosts looked at one another with wide eyes.

"Raven, this is a weapon unlike any you have had before. I have weaponized my great aunt's Field technology into ammunition. It should burn through anyone who hasn't eaten an apple, if they are without Sea Steel, and if they aren't the Dark."

Rosaya exhaled as her weapon began to whir and glow bluer.

"Tiger, this is rudimentary Field technology at your wrist. It cannot incinerate foes like Rosaya's rifle, but you can use it to build impenetrable Fields. In theory, this headset should trick your brain into thinking the Fields you create are metal. Meaning..."

"Meaning I can manipulate them?" Talia said, stunned.

"In theory. But as your energy drains from using your power, keep in mind the same will happen the longer your barriers stand. And Bear, what you now wear uses Field energy to transform your strength into... other energy."

Signey watched as her hammer began to shimmer in the same blue tinge her comrades now had.

"What about me?" Julien said to Maeve.

She rolled her eyes at him, and said, "You don't deserve such power."

Maeve, Talia, Rosaya, and Signey formed a huddle as Maeve devised a plan, the army and Generals continuing to close in slowly.

"Tiger, build two barriers with a hole between them, a bottleneck for our enemies. You will not be able to keep a complete barrier up for more than the time we need, so we will have to fight. Raven, open fire and shoot to kill when most of them are in the bottle neck. Bear, swing your hammer at the ground with all your might when the remaining Outlanders swarm us after the barrier falls."