Of Gears and Humanity

| 30.1

[ELENA]

Damien's voice roared. The sound, his fear, rushed through me. I stumbled back, watching as Arvon took another blue to his face. And another. After the last hit, Eon raised both hands over his head; Damien tensed, searching the ground. His breaths became frantic.

"Weapon." Quickly, I turned. Next to Theo was his sword, having landed close by after he was thrown. Without a second thought, I grabbed it. "Damien!"

Breathing heavy, Damien turned and looked at me, his eyes wide. I tossed him the sword. He caught it effortlessly. And without another word, he gripped the sword in his hand and rushed towards Arvon.

As I leaned against the Gate's wall, I watched Damien's emotions explode. Before Eon struck another blow, a final blow, Damien slid under his body and caught the machine's arms with his sword. The collision pushed through Eon's arms, but not enough to sever them. He withdrew, clinging to himself.

"No!" he screamed, turning once to try and stop the liquid spilling from his limbs. "No!"

"No?" I watched as Damien held the sword tightly in one hand, his other opened beside him. He made sure to defend his father; he left little room for Eon to attack again.

But as Eon's eyes glowed red, I held my breath. The other Attributions fighting the guards stopped, turning to face us. Their eyes were just as bright and menacing.

The surroundings, injured and tired, straightened as best they could. They looked to me for confirmation.

I needed them to see me. I needed to be their light.

"What you're doing is wrong, Eon!" Damien shouted. He inched back enough to close the gap between him and Arvon. He made sure to be his father's shield. "All of this killing will do nothing!"

"It will do everything!" As Eon shouted, I turned and faced the Gate. The lines between the stone bricks were brighter than I remembered as if they reacted to the Attributions. The shimmering lights followed the cracks. Reaching out, I touched them.

"Will it?" Damien shouted behind me. I glanced back to see him step towards Eon with his sword raised. "If you come this way to kill the humans, who will give you children, huh?"

Damien's voice echoed in the growing silence. The Attributions stepped forward, and that sound echoed after his words dissipated. It faded with the wind, into me. The pain from the truth of what he said. Who will give you children? I refused to ruin families. But if Eon managed to kill us all, then no one would be there to help them. No children, no adults.

Would the Attributions wither away?

"We can make children!" Eon argued. He forced his hands down at his side. Blue liquid dripped to the floor. "We can make all of the children we need!"

"If you could have done that, then why haven't you!" With his sword lifted, he ran forward. As he swung his sword down against the enemy, I turned back towards the Gate. A part of me wanted to see his fight, but the rest of me reminded me of what was important.

My people needed me.

Touching the wall again, I dug my fingers into the cracks between the stones. "I need to climb." My gaze lifted, eyeing the top of the Gate. "I need everyone to see me."

My other hand pressed against the wall until I found a crack to latch onto. With my fingers secured, I tried to pull myself up. To climb. I got three feet up and found myself sliding back down to the earth.

"No," I hissed, forcing my fingers deeper into the cracks. I needed a bigger grip. But my foot slid once more as I tried to step up. Heat crept up my face. "I have to—"

Sword swung against metal. The sound so loud it rang in my ears. I slid back down, my feet sliding against broken rock from the Gate.

I looked back at Damien just as his sword strung another blow.

"Eon!" he screamed, swooping around to bring his sword for another strike. "You've got to die!"

As much as I knew Damien was right, I wanted no one to die. If Eon could live and we could get him to change his ways, then perhaps the peace I want could be achievable.

No, it will be. I can do this.

At the sound of another sword's swing, I looked back at the Gate. When the Attributions howled and the sound of my people readying their weapons once more hit my ears, I reached for the wall again. My nails dug into the cracks. I needed to climb and reach the top. The winds of Homestead—no, of Earth—would carry my voice for all to hear.

"Elena..."

I pulled myself up once but stopped when I heard Theo's voice. He pushed himself up from the ground, blood dripping down the side of his face. I gasped, positioning myself to safely drop back down to the ground, but Theo shook his head.

"Don't move." His voice was hoarse, scratchy, as he moved closer to me. One of his hands reached under my foot and pushed. The other did the same. "Climb, Princess," he looked up at me, "do what you need to do."

"Theo..." I didn't want to move as he placed my feet on his shoulders. "You're hurt, this isn't—"

"Climb, Elena." Theo positioned himself on his knees before struggling to stand. I pressed my hands flat against the wall, afraid I'd fall, but Theo's grip had me steady. With a pained grunt, Theo pushed me upwards. Not wanting to let this go to waste, I reached for a higher brick and pulled myself.

"Get to the top." Theo lifted me higher, arms stretched out as far as he could. "Do what you need to do, Princess."

A small cry left me the second I reached a brick higher than Theo's reach. Two more climbs and he wasn't near me at all. My muscles screamed as I reached the top, my fingers curling over the ledge. I hoisted myself, swinging my legs over. Settled at the top, I looked down at the mayhem, the fight.

My people were prepared to swing their weapons again.

The Attributions waited on Eon's word.

And I watched Damien, steadying himself to protect his father.

This needed to end. What was the point? An Attributions rage? Unjust and unprovoked. Humans had done nothing to them. But because Damien crossed over, Eon felt the need to teach us all a lesson.

I wouldn't allow it.

"Everyone!" Standing, I lifted my hands above my head. "Stop fighting! Stop and listen to me!"