Mark of Odin: The Awakening

Chapter 14: Tears of Blood

37º 23' 56" North, 5º 59' 36" West
Los Viajeros restaurant, Alameda de Hércules, Seville
Ten minutes earlier...

Luis and his friends were still sheltering in the restaurant, their fear intensifying as the minutes went by. Since Luis had returned with Marta, announcing that the air force had arrived, the battle outside seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.

At first, everyone had shouted with joy and relief, cheering the pilots on to shoot down the horrible spaceships once and for all. But as the minutes passed, the explosions didn't come to a halt as they had expected. In fact, the opposite was true; the blasts only increased. It started to dawn on them that the nightmare was far from over. By now, the restaurant owner had decided they should block the windows and entrance. They lifted up the tables together and laid them on their sides to cover the windows. Then they barricaded the door with metal bars. It didn't amount to much, but at least they would be protected from broken glass if there was an explosion nearby.

On the television, the government spokesperson had just confirmed that several fighter jet squadrons were now battling the enemy in the skies above Seville. More squadrons were on their way, including Spanish aircraft and forces from allied countries such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom. The spokesperson had reiterated that civilians should not leave their shelters. All the main roads had been cut off and it would be some time before ground forces arrived to secure them. They flicked through the channels to see if they could find one with a live broadcast showing what was happening in the city. Finally, they switched to the local television channel. The presenter was just announcing that there would now be a link to a rooftop camera on top of the channel's main offices right in the heart of Seville. Seconds later, Luis and his friends had a full view of the terrible scene unfurling in their home town. The city was dotted with columns of smoke and raging fires. Up above, the evening sky was streaked with the white trails of fighter jets attempting to battle the terrifying smaller spacecraft. And high above it all, that enormous, imposing spaceship...

Luis gently helped Marta into a chair and then joined Eva who flung her arms around him in despair.

"Don't you dare do that again. Something could have happened to you... I don't know what I'd do without you..." she sobbed.

"It's OK, Eva... Nothing happened. I'm here, aren't I? I couldn't let Marta go out there alone... I'd never have forgiven myself if something had happened to her. Her, or anyone else I know," Luis clarified.

"I know, you idiot. I'm not angry. I know you've got a big heart... You always worry about everyone else. It's one of the reasons I like you so much," Eva said more evenly.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. OK? It'll all be fine... You'll see," he said, holding her tightly.

"Oh no! They just shot down a jet!" Jorge exclaimed.

They rushed over to the television. The camera was focused on the aerial battle and Luis had to admit that things didn't look good. Whichever way the camera turned, all they could see in every direction were Spanish fighter jets being destroyed by the alien spacecraft. He desperately hoped that none of the pilots he knew were up there with them. Suddenly, a series of huge explosions lit up the sky and the walls of the restaurant shook. The television camera almost fell to the ground but the cameraman managed to grab it in time and turn it back to the source of the blast. The huge spacecraft was engulfed in flames.

"They've attacked it! They've shot it down!" Lucas shouted ecstatically.

"No, they haven't... Look! It's exactly the same," Santiago sadly corrected him.