Stormhaze

Chapter 5: Under the Aurora

Gillien looked back along the ridge of the mountain, tasting the ashen air on his lips. Though the quarry was out of sight, pillars of smoke could still be seen billowing out from its many facilities, illuminated a glowing green by the aurora borealis. Ash fell from the sky, slowly darkening the green and glowing night. The planet of Stamatis glowed faintly magenta behind the ashen curtain. It had a terrifying beauty to it.

Gillien, Kilas, Brodd and a handful of soldiers were making their way east, down a valley where mountains met forest. Though the landscape was dry and arid, even the dead shrubs managed to glow a shimmering haunting green.

Only a dozen of the two hundred soldiers had escaped with their leader. Other groups were likely scattered across the quarry, but without a working radio it was impossible to communicate over long distances. One thing was certain, however, only those without cybernetic implants had survived. They had all witnessed the horrifying effects of supercharged robotics just a few hours ago, and the fresh screams still lingered in Gillien's memory. His spine shivered by the thought.

In their escape they had managed to retrieve a few backpacks containing no more than the bare essentials: a few days' worth of food, bandages, ammunition, rope, and a few axes. Slowly they made their way down the dusty rockslide of the quarry, its sharp stones like shards of glass sticking out from the ground.

"The coast is clear," General Brodd said in his thick Mizdraki accent as he approached, sheathing his ivory blade as drops of blood ran along it and his golden medals. "We're sixty kilometers from the sea and should reach it in two days. The forest will provide some shelter until tomorrow."

"My sister Zenobia and her entourage were inspecting a recently raided town just across the canal yesterday," Kilas said, having regained his aura of calm and control. "It may take another two days to cross, but they will have a working gunship to take us back."

'Back?' the word reverberated in Gillien's mind, noticing Kilas didn't say 'home'. As the small group continued their final descent to the forest, navigating between rocks and slopes, Gillien spotted two ragged corpses lying on the ground. They lay in the thicket bordering the forest, eyes gouged out by what appeared to be a thick knife, and he lowered his gaze in deep silence as he walked past the dead bodies, feeling their hollow eyes staring penetratingly into his own.

Gillien looked around the valley as they entered the forest. The canopy was almost non-existent, without a single leaf to hide them from view save for the dry thickets that surrounded the woods. He gathered the group in a circle, speaking clearly. "There are twelve of us, and we can afford six hours of sleep. I suggest half of us keep watch tonight, and the rest tomorrow."

After some back-and-forth the group agreed to have a minimum of two soldiers awake at all times, changing guard every other hour to capture what little sleep they could afford. They also agreed not to light any campfires, as it would reveal their position to anyone with a view over the sparsely vegetated valley.

Somewhat surprisingly to the rest, Kilas himself signed up to take the first watch alongside Gillien while the others rested. They located a small stream of freshwater. But with no tents or shelter available, the group could only huddle together for safety.

"Like stray sardines." General Brodd said.

Dry twigs cracked beneath their shoes as Gillien and Kilas found a lookout point not too far away from the group, settling down and opening their single backpack. Without a fire there would be no freshly cooked food, and so Gillien did what he could and simply handed Kilas the least expired power bar he could find.

"If only there was wine." Kilas said, screwing open a water-filled canteen.

The temperature had finally fallen enough for it to be safe to remove their helmets. The mirrored visor reflected the glowing sky, and Gillien prayed it was not bright enough to be visible across the valley as he placed it on the ground.