Heroes and Monsters

Chapter 4

I was so focused that I narrowly missed the grenade flying into my cell. Years of Faith's training kicked in and my blood grew hot as I tapped into my bloodborne abilities to throw myself into a panicked dive. My inexperience showed when I overshot and collided with the lithe form of a blaster bearing Marionette. The force of the blow knocked us both to the ground in a tangle of limbs and cloth though my scrambling was more out of panic than any attempt to draw the knife at my hip. Cold, cybernetic hands gripped the back of my hood and wrenched me to the side where I felt my back skid across the dusty floor. A quick glance to the side showed that the other warriors were preoccupied with their own fights but Chester's familiar, if angry voice let me know that I was saved. 

"GOD DAM' ROBOTS! Healing that many bones hurts like a son of a bitch!" The westerner stomped forward in fury while his hands popped and elongated. "Ain't nobody gets the drop on ol' Chester!" 

His target brought itself up and withdrew a triangular dagger from a case on its thigh but by that point it was too little too late. A hefty paw gripped the grey metal of the Marionette's head while another tore the thing's arm off. Sinew popped and segmented tubing writhed around like snakes from its empty socket. Their fight ended with the sound of crushing metal. 

"Hope you aren't too scuffed up, little lady. It looks like the fight's about to end."

As if on cue the room began to quiet. Our surviving warriors tended to their wounds and watched Elora draw her sidearm and sink four blaster shots into the Blueblood's gut. He fell back from their sword lock and writhed on the ground while clutching his stomach.

"You fought well." Those were the only words she spared him before relieving him of his head. "Burn the bodies and pick up any of our weapons. We can't have the locals running around with a stray blaster." She approached Chester and I.

"How bad did he get ya?"

"Nothing major. He had no Terra weapons so I'm healing normally. How many did we lose?"

"Thomas and Cayden. Alexander finished his own fight and is gathering the dead. Looks like we got the worst of it. The Blueblood he was fighting ran away when he found out he bit on more than he could chew." The now eight foot tall werewolf's voice reverberated through my chest. 

"Have you healed enough to keep moving?"

"Aww hell, Guardian this is nothing. I once got thrown from a rolling scout bike during the Blood War and had to drag my sorry ass through the swamp. Those were some crazy days". He tried ending it with a laugh but only managed to break into a wet cough. 

"If you say so, Chester. Keep moving everyone!"

She led the way to a pile of rubble and threw a half broken storage case to the side, revealing a tall, dark tunnel of dirt. My eyes adjusted to the lack of light and I saw the tree roots that made up a majority of the ceiling and top half of the cave's walls. Soil became mud and eventually waist high water once we were halfway to the outpost. Anxiously, I gripped onto my bodyguard's robes.

"How did you find yourself in the Royal Guard? Pardon me but you don't seem to be the kind of warrior to find their rigidness or structure appealing." I blurted out, hoping that some conversation would soothe my nerves from the recent skirmish.

"And you'd be right about that. I was a marine during the Blood War cause I liked my action fast and heavy. Guard duty wasn't my kind of thing and I didn't see myself taking one of the non-combat roles at the center of the island. I wanted action but nothing suicidal like like the Rose or Scarlet battalions back in the day."