Wolf Heart

Chapter 37

Planet: Eteran

RAYAN

No...

Sirens wailed with his heart as he dragged himself off the floor of uselessness, where Ava shut the door on him while ash fell in blanketed sheets, crawling through the clouds to spread the torment around the county. On his feet, he pushed into the door to free himself of his inability to catch her before she rushed into the fire. "I promised," he pleaded as he fought with the door handles. "I said..."

He let it go to rush over to the metal shutters to peek through them, to catch a glimpse. Flames danced within the cloud of smoke strangling Eastpoint, and Ava hauled herself over the gate and disappeared around the hedges without a second glance.

Out of sight once more.

He rushed back to the door to send his foot into it, but it pulsed while the SAI locked him in a prison. He pressed his shoulder against the door, fighting for freedom as he pressed his feet into the welcoming mat while fire chewed what he had come to call home. From all the times he hung out with those who embraced him with open minds and hearts. Full of life and happiness. He pressed his brow against the door, pushing for change, fighting for something to break. The handle reached the end of its turn, but he fought for it to keep moving. His heart squeezed against his ribcage while the sirens screamed with the artillery.

It never bent for his weakness.

Come on. Rayan bit on his tongue. Come on. I have to do something!

I have to.

He pressed his knuckle into the door frame and took a single breath for his last rest. Embers licked at his blood as he focused hard on nothing but the blood in his ears. Campfires spit out light, warmth, and something he should've done differently. He dug closer to the edge, where the barrier popped bit by bit, inch by inch, he stepped forward while the wave of brimstone licked at his knees, and he grunted when the barrier sprinkled into dust, with the door swinging on its hinges and sending his face into the front porch.

Ow. Rayan rolled off the steps and landed on his feet while embers danced along his yard. Eastpoint screamed out in terror while the ships continued to send endless edevic lazers through the roads leading out of it and the forests which curdled into nothing. He stood there while shadows loomed, and he clenched his fists at the no longer Sanctum dominated skies he grew too used to in Odaport, for who cared about a town in the middle of nowhere?

Rayan jumped when a fireball exploded from one of the ship's cannons, bouncing along the forest to come to a stop.

But they have to come.

Fiery irritation sent him back into movement, but not to chase Ava. He rushed to the small garage, where Mom's car and hoverbike remained. He stumbled to the hoverbike, swinging himself over the seat to lock himself in, with no time to grab Mom's safety gear, he placed her helmet over his head. Temperature and time flitted across the helmet's visor, but he brushed them off to find the starter. Without her keys, his only hope was a stroke of luck. He found the small panel of smooth edevium wires, slipping his fingers into them to disconnect the keypods protection. It hissed in response, and he straightened himself out to push the throttle.

It rumbled between his thighs, and he kicked his feet up while the sirens pounded in his ears.

I have to get to Roxton. Fast.

He sped out of the garage with the hoverbike's roar, where the gate opened at the sense of the hoverbike. Out of the cage, he swallowed on ashen dust and found the road out of Eastpoint, where patches of flames danced along the trees. Branches fell to the ground and a haze of smoke blocked his view, but the helmet investigated every obstacle in split second timing, and he drove through the death mist. His skin burned while he fought out of the ocean of flames, until it broke in a single sweep of cold air. Out of the bubble, he sped along the empty stretch of road, where the forest died into endless plains and rocky, shrubby cliffs. He stopped at the highest point, taking off the helmet for his breath, twisting around at the distant crying.