Sky Swimmer

The Guardian, Part 23

The Cloudcruiser crashes into the Soiler raised defenses and massive chunks of solidified cloud burst through the Soiler's mud and stone shields. Soiler warriors are flung in pieces through the air, their own bodies becoming vicious shrapnel that decimates their ranks yet further.

Dan, Bollingsworth and Olphina are caught up in battle as twoscore of the offspring of the once proud Aireon Palace Guard take on the horde of remaining Soiler warriors.

Transgressa is first into the thick of battle, her very first attack cutting a policeman in half, she spins to avoid a wind blast from another Aireon and suddenly finds herself behind one of the Walkers she had trapped in the Great Hall, this is not good, if he escaped then the girl may have escaped as well! No matter, first she must dissolve this Walker, then she will find the girl. She readies a blow upon Dan from behind.

Fuegar calls forth the Thickening of Air and propels himself at Transgressa with a blood curdling battle cry to distract her and warn Dan.

Transgressa turns, thwarts Fuegar's deadly battle axe blow. She chants a hail of stones toward the Aireon, Fuegar raises a Wind Shield, the stones hit like missiles, they are flung wide by the gyrating shield of air. Another torrent of stones are blasted toward him, one of the projectiles hits his helmet, knocks him to the ground. Transgressa leaps toward him.

Fuegar's men are losing, they are greatly outnumbered.

---

"Eric! Run! Get out of here!" Floe's voice is lost in the wind.

Eric tries again to pull her from the whirlwind, this time using part of a destroyed statue. The spinning wind sandblasts the stone and Eric is at a loss as to what to do.

"Eric!" she yells and points behind him. He can not hear her, but he definitely understands the warning movements of her pointing hand.

Eric turns, too late, the Guardian is too fast, in a highly ritualized jerky, stop-motion movement it slings an assault of mineralized blades and spikes directly at Eric. The young man is able to dodge the first few knives and spears. But there are too many projectiles.

Eric is skewered in a dozen places, he falls to the ground.

Floe's eyes flutter uncontrollably, a panic attack hits her like a feral pack of dogs, head on, mercilessly. She is suddenly afraid. Afraid that she has lost Eric. Afraid she will never find her mother, her father. Afraid that she will not enjoy the things of life that ordinary people all around her get the chance to enjoy every day, and yet they take these gifts of normality as givens, as entitlements; having a family picnic, introducing a boyfriend to parents. Any number of common, normal actions that she will never have.

Floe's lips unwillingly say a silent incantation, her hands a blur of signals.

She is afraid of what will happen now, it is not my fault, this is not fair, this is not what I wanted, Eric! Eric!

Floe releases a power that not only shatters the whirlwind around her but carries on and decimates the remaining statues in the Great Hall, their stoney beings explode into a meaningless shower of rubble, they never existed, none of this should exist! You should not exist! Floe concentrates on the Guardian.

The Guardian defends itself by hurling elemental weapons at Floe. Each missile of gas, or spikes or fire is quickly quenched by Floe's unfathomable power.

The large Guardian has no choice and attacks bodily. Its creepy, jerky movements increase ten times in speed as it now runs toward Floe.

But she doesn't seem to be aware of the danger, her eyes now closed, her hair flowing in the thickened air around her, levitates, bubbles percolating about her. Tendrils of energy twine about her body in a multitude of electric colors.