Fourth Earth

Siege of Lytle Cuckoo

        The noise rocked the ground. To my left, I could see one of the ancient steel ships is toppling over, groaning, drowning out the screams of the people below it. Many people have crouched in pain, covering their ears. The explosion is followed by a second, and a third. If it wasn't clear before, it is now: we were under attack. Nobark's face was expressionless as the realization came to him. He stood, paralysed. Then I realized that I had not reacted in any way but to observe; then I sprung into action. I unlashed the steel plates from Buck's back, and loaded my carbine. 

        "Nobark!" I screamed. He didn't move. "Bless-it-" I said through gritted teeth. I slapped him directly in the snout, bringing him back to me. He tried to speak, but words did not come from his mouth. I grabbed him by the shoulder, moving him towards Buck. He realized what I intended, and after I had swung unto Buck, he follwed suit, though clumsily. "Hold on!" I shouted, kicking Buck into a sprint. Nobark flaided hopelessly behind me. I held my gun in one hand, searching for any signs of the enemy, and in the other I less-than-gracefully steered the reins. Buck moved faster than any horse could, smoothly clearing obstacles, and dodging falling debris. A huge shadow fell over the town. 

        Foolishly, I looked up, and to my horror an immense flying machine hovered over the town. And then the earth shook even more violently as the great machine above unloaded on the ground. Buck was momentarily disorientated, and I had to correct his course. I checked on Nobark, who looked like he was about to puke. He managed, however. Left and right, the structures around me were demolished by red hot tank rounds. They left rubble and fire in their wake, and the shots were getting a little close for comfort. Nobark finally managed words.

        "Who the hell is attacking us?" he choked out. His face was filled with pure terror

        "You just answered your own question!" I shouted over the explosions.

        Nobark was silent as he continued to be jotsled by Buck's running. He face was contorted by the effort it took to remain saddled on the jackalope. 

        We had made it through the gates, along with a small group of other running people. Buck ran past them nearly three times as fast as they. The horror on their faces was immistakable. But they became shadows quickly. An explosion went off very close to us, and I could feel the heat burning on my back. I was firproof, but Nobark and Buck weren't. After over a half-hour of riding, Buck had gotten us safely away from the ensuing combat. A considerable distance had passed between us and the burning town. I jerked up on the reins, and Buck came to a stop. Nobark was the first to speak.

        " Ah- I um... I don't know how- tha-" he uttered before I interjected.

        "Don't mention it," I said casually. I stared at the desolation we had escaped. Three of the flying machines floated above Lytle Cuckoo, blasting it again and again. In the twilight, each shot glowed red, like falling stars against the darkness. Nobark and I stared blankly, utterly horrified, but glued to it. The shilouette of the town crumbled. The buildings collapsed. A final rumble shook the ground, and we felt it from here. In place of my home there was immense fire. 

        Nobark spoke. "What do we do now?" he said softly.

        My tone was dark and steely. "I have a friend who herds about a mile west of here. We're gonna go see if he made it out alive,"

        Nobark nodded, and gripped my torso a little tighter, preparing for the coming jostling of Buck's gait. I snapped the reins and Buck obeyed quickly. We fly by the countryside, manuvering around rocks and trees. The movement was swift though less than seemless. If I knew where I was going, We would be there in fifteen minutes, tops. Nobark was less than thrilled about it, but I didn't really care much.

        Nobark tried to make conversation above the sound of rushing air. "SO whose this friend of yours?" he asked a courtly as possible.

        "A herdsman! He's helped me with a few claims now and again, and I've helped him him in exchange. He's a Bison, so he gets a bit tempremental," I screamed above the wind.

        He was silent for the rest of the ride. We had made it finally. The shack semed untouched, and in a fenced area around it, little herd mantises wandered. Hitched to a post was a sleeping riding lizard. Bison were too big for jackalopes, so a lizard was the next best thing. I had forgotten the name of the hulking beasty. I swung off Buck, and ran up to the shack door, almost tripping on the lizard's tail. I didn't bother knocking, just with pracitically tearing it off the hinges.