Chapter Nine

Ström and Ifri looked down at the battlefield.  Smoke was rising, even at their altitude, in massive columns over blackened husks of war machines.  "Well,"  Ström muttered, "At least they're giving them hell."

 

"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Ifri said as she strapped her knives on.

 

Ström checked his harness as he responded, "We need to figure out where our guys are first.  Looks like our tank is among the destroyed.  If I know Diz, he took one of theirs."

 

"I wouldn’t doubt it. Let's get down there to see what our men are up to. I want to make sure we aren’t taking too many casualties." 

 

Ström grinned wickedly, "If I know my soldiers, they are doing all the damage."

 

"Nevertheless," Ifri said. 

 

"There!" Ström pointed to one of the Ziege tanks blasting it.  "One of these," Ström smiled, "Is not like the others."

 

 

Ifri looked over the magnetic plate as Nyx yelled back, "She can't take much more of this.  I need to get away from the magnet before we cra-" Just then, an explosion rocked the entire aircraft and flak tore into the hull.  One of the crew jerked and let out a short cry, clutching his belly.  Blood seeped past his fingers, staining his uniform.  One of the others ran to him, whipping out a medical kit. "Out, NOW!" Nyx screeched as she attempted to keep the craft from moving erratically.

 

Ifri leapt out immediately, free falling through the smoke filled sky.  Ström looked back at the downed crewman.  He threw the other off him and snarled as he rose, grabbed the controls for the mounted gun and hung on to the trigger, spitting "Take this, mutherfu-" the weapon roared a thunderous barrage earthward.  Grinning, Ström plunged out as well.

 

The wind howled past their ears as they screamed downward.  Ifri glanced at her altitude meter, waited a few seconds then deployed her glider.  Wings sprung from the pack on her back and she swooped low, mere meters from the ground. She jerked out her sidearm as she sped towards a Ziege on foot.  She shot it twice in the chest.  As it jerked and twisted, she yanked on the second chord attached to her pack.

 

The fixed wings got the wind and were jerked upright, but she kept moving forward, the pack no longer attached to her.  She managed to tackle the Ziege, roll past it, spring up and snap off several more rounds, killing another.  Without hesitation, she pulled out a throwing dagger and sent it spiraling into the eye of yet another.  She dropped one magazine and slapped in a fresh one, whipping out another dagger and spun to face to her left.

 

Ström hit the ground twenty feet from her.  With his face.  He slid for another ten feet then came to an abrupt and painful stop at a rock.  He remained still.  Ifri called to him, "Hey knuckle-brain! You okay?"

 

Ström only moved his arm and made a rude gesture.  A Ziege soldier appeared out from a plume of smoke and dust, raising an axe.  Ström lifted his other arm, catching its arm.  He rose, and Ifri saw his face was masked in blood, and the left side was masses of pulped flesh.  The Ziege tried to pull the weapon away, but Ström brought his other fist into its gut, doubling it over.  He tossed the axe away contemptuously.  The Ziege was making piteous noises.  Ström roared as he brought his boot down on its head.  There was a sickening crack, and the creatures' head exploded like an egg.

 

"Animal,"  Ifri growled.

 

Ström turned toward Ifri and smiled.  She saw bloodstained teeth.  With a glint in her eye, Ifri saluted him and turned toward her next victims.  Before she looked away, she saw him repeat the rude gesture.

 

As Ifri turned, another Ziege ran out of the smoke and dust with a battered spear.  She jumped back, reaching for a knife.  As she brought the weapon up, an axe blurred by her hair and slammed into the soldier.  The axe imbedded itself into the head so violently, it flew back and crashed to the ground.  She cautiously walked up next to it and looked down.

 

The creatures' leg was twitching spasmodically.  The axe had sunk deep into the skull between the eyes, killing it instantly.  It had severed   optical nerve and the eye was just settling from a roll in the dirt.  The creature gave a shuddering groan and stopped moving.

 

"Well," Ifri muttered, "Back to work.  There's a war on." Before she had finished her sentence, Ström had bolted further onto the battlefield.  She moved to follow him, but another enemy stumbled out of the smog.  It saw her and started to react, but she was already moving.  She whipped a dagger up and twisted it back to her body, but the creature jerked back and staggered again.  She followed relentlessly, deflected clumsy blows with ease.  She got in close, planting a foot on the side of its knee and pushed, using her hips.  There was a sickening crackle and the knee plunged inward.

 

The Ziege howled.  She stepped up to it and drove her dagger to the hilt into her opponents' throat.  It gurgled and tumbled backward, very dead.  She felt its lifeblood spurt onto her hand, hot and thick. She took a moment to wipe the blood off of her blade before she advanced toward the rest of the company.

 

They prowled through the battle in the same fashion.  Her precision dropping foe after foe, while Strom executed everyone who got in his way with his trademark brutality.

 

The smoke and dust cleared briefly, leaving the roar of the bloody battlefield in full view.  The Monito Temples, in their pristine glory, stood in stark contrast against the tainted battlefield and the smoke choked sky.

 

White and gold striped columns marked the edge of the temple grounds.   Intricate flying buttresses connected each of the smooth columns surrounding the main temple tower.  'This is what we are fighting to protect,' Ifri reminded herself as she leapt agilely onto the nearest

tank.

 

Strom impaled another Ziege on its own spear and pinned it to one of the tanks.  "So," he called up, "what now?"
 

"We finish them," Ifri shouted. 

 

"Hoo-Ra!" the company roared, as the charged with renewed vigor toward the Ziege.