Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 68: An Orchestrated Strike - Part 1

As Adelina speaks the words, a heat of excitement radiates from Kanaka, the lines across his skin and his lava pools for eyes practically glowing.

Adelina then looks to Aurea. "As much as you all will want to see this, I stress that you all must stay inside to stay out of sight. Please go and relay this to the others. We will take care of the rest."

Aurea, having an idea what she is talking about, nods and dashes back to Tessa and Mordecai.

Kanaka takes his headdress, which was resting nearby, and places it on his head, then hoists his club to rest over his shoulder. Near a balcony overlooking the mouth of the volcano, with piles of stone slabs nearby, Kanaka takes one under his arm, and Adelina follows behind him as they step out onto the balcony.

Kanaka bellows out a call that reverberates through the air, addressing the Ébo, who stop what they are doing to face the temple, which he rallies in their language.

"It's time to remind the Colonials of our strength and push forward with my love's plans. To your positions, just like we planned! For the home!"

The Ébo call back in response and begin to cheer with loud grunts. Guards already positioned at the large stone formations jutting out from the volcano wall also have slabs in hand. They dive from their perches onto the slabs, riding the flow of lava falls toward the magma lake below. As dozens start to move in a circular motion across the surface, they accelerate and form a massive whirlpool in the lake.

Once a funnel is formed, Adelina stands in front of Kanaka, who wraps one arm around her and lifts her easily, then strides onto the banister of the railing. Many of the Ébo who created the whirlpool sustain the funnel while others, armed with clubs, begin riding down it. Kanaka leaps with all his strength directly toward the opening's mouth. Before they reach the lava, he steps onto his own slab and sets Adelina down, holding her tightly as they speed through the swirling vortex behind the others.

When it took some time for Aurea and the others to walk from the closest gate to the volcano itself, the speed at which the lava travels can outmatch a braxl even without a sled. The end of the funnel leads to the river of lava that flows through the interior of the Wall, with those ahead let out rallying battle cries as they travel along the waves with their weapons in hand, Kanaka calling back in excitement as they draw closer to the Varenford Plains gate at breakneck speed.

As they draw closer, they see many more Ébo on small platforms near the ceiling of the interior, lifting their hands toward the surface and forming the top of the Wall back to lava. Meanwhile, others near the river have already been building bubbling pressure areas in multiple spots. The Ébo riding the lava group in pairs head toward the pressure sections, where they grasp each other's arms and hold tight as they spin rapidly, just as the bubbling areas reach their peak. Once the way above is clear, the pairs are then launched up magma pillars high into the air.

From at least several pairs of Ébo now high in the air, the columns of lava that launched them spew liquid heat and create a barrier; the once-invisible aircraft immediately become visible due to the scene's surprise, and they start to scramble out of formation.

As the Ébo fall from the sky, they position themselves and grasp onto the leading crafts, forcing them into a spin and causing them to start descending due to their weight. With the others falling without any craft nearby to grab onto, those holding onto one reach out to catch them. Then, using the momentum of the spin, they hurl the falling Ébo at the other aircraft when the timing is right.

It is soon that all of the aircraft except one, Ervin's craft, are being forced down to the ground, as one last column of lava bursts from the Wall, with Kanaka and Adelina riding atop it. Adelina kicks off and uses her wings to propel herself forward, gaining a burst of speed that carries her to the cockpit. She holds her claws tightly together, like a spearhead, and dives her hand through the glass with ease, startling the pilot.

For a moment, Adelina and Ervin lock eyes, a smirk on her lips while Ervin stares, his face half covered in blood and expression stunned.

It's only a moment later when the back of the craft jerks backward as Kanaka grabs onto its tail, his hulking weight pulling it down as it spirals towards the Colonial side of the Wall.

With Adelina getting out of Ervin's sight and climbing to the top of the craft, she holds on and uses her wings to cushion the descent, but the landing remains rough as the craft hits and skids along the ground.

It's a moment before Ervin crawls out of the wreckage, about to stand and face the two of them, when something is placed over his head, blocking his view except for the faint light at the bottom. It's a helmet made of cooled lava, with Adelina's feathers lining the inside.

Ervin tries to take it off so he can see, but then freezes when he feels sharp points pressed against his throat, straining to see down to the obsidian teeth of Kanaka's club being held against him.

"So we finally meet in person, Ervin Sullivan." Adelina greets with a stern tone as she uses one of her claws to press under his jaw, making his head tilt back, while Kanaka presses the teeth more firmly against his throat.