Chapter XXXIX: Return to Azurat (Cont. VI)
Thyrus grabbed Adelia by the waist and pulled her away with a strength surprising for him, “We have no time! Blackheart’s right this time!” He hurled Adelia onto the back of Kiki, who grunted as the new weight rose up on her. Thyrus, despite the dire circumstances, smiled, “This shall be interesting…never rode a feralite.” Kiki snorted and then, without being shoed, took off for the walls, leaving the two scrambling to get a hold on the fur as they were taken across the wastes.
“Hold on tight!” Thyrus yelled, pulling himself up right and leaning into the wind with a brilliant smile.
“Trust, me nothing could get me to let go!” Adelia screamed as she clutched tightly to Thyrus and Kiki. Behind them, as they streaked across the wastes, another shadowed streak began to move, curving away from Azurat and disappearing into the wastes. Adelia’s eyes were drawn to it, but only for a few seconds as she realized what it was. “War is heading for Cion Sky!”
“You can be sure of that!” Thyrus said, not quite aware of what Adelia meant. Kiki continued to fly across the wastes, Adelia glancing back at the tower that was now fading from sight as they went down a hill.
“Do you think they’ll be all right, Thyrus?” For the first time in a while, Adelia felt the worry in her voice that had faded away for so long.
Thyrus smiled, “I’m sure they will, Ms. Adelia. And it’s glad to have you back, fully.” Adelia smiled as she shoed Kiki on.
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Blackheart drew himself towards the tower, the others following behind him. “We’ll need a battle strategy for these warriors.”
“Haha!” West marched forward lighting a cigarette and placing it delicately in his lips, “Then I think that you might want me.” He grinned and slapped Blackheart on his back and loaded his pistol. “I’ve got a large satchel still of ammo for my pistol, though it’s half depleted by now. I can hole up in the tower with Laura and we can snipe from there if you like.” West glanced out at the flat terrain, devoid of any features. He glanced over at the tower and shook his head. “Samden, I want you to do a full inventory of that tower and tell me if there is anything in there.”
Samden raced off into the tower as West surveyed the remaining warriors. “All right. We have Gobudo, Eza, Blackheart, and Samden. Four isn’t going to be all that much against this horde of deadly warriors. Half of them are coming here and there are thousands of em, right?”
Blackheart nodded, “So we’re basically committing suicide.”
West shrugged his shoulders, “We’re heroes. That’s what we do.” He glanced over as Samden marched back, “What do we have?”
“Nothing more than bunch of smashed timber and a few swords. The tower still seems to be in working order, the mirrors aren’t smashed.”
“Good. That’s what I was really looking for.” West marched towards the tower. “The three of you are going to seal up the door and remain inside the tower. If they rush the tower, their swords won’t do anything to the rock tower. They can only force one or two through the door at a time and the room will get crowded. So we’ll try and cut them off that way.”
Eza fluttered down on West’s shoulder, “And me?”
“You’re the most important character in our attack, Eza. How swift are you?” Eza pulled herself up to her full little height and smiled with pride. “Fast, I take it then. I need you to wait down here in the crags of the rock and when the warriors draw near the tower, I want you to weave up and down in the cracks, taking them out by their horses. It will cause confusion. Stay down if they catch on and kill any warriors who hit the ground who aren’t dead. You got me?”
Samden thought about this for a moment, ” So we’re essentially buying time for Thyrus and Adelia?”
West shook his head, “No,” he said with a puff, “We’re buying time for a couple sets of friends to arrive. Gobudo, come with me.” West marched into the tower and went over, grabbing a map of the towers off the shattered table and hauling it with him up into the tower. “Laura get yourself ready! The rest of you get to work!” West climbed the ladder and set the map on the lip of the tower, glancing out at the horizon where a large cloud of dust was bearing down on them.
Gobudo rose after him, snorting and grunting at West.
“Yes, I know you don’t like me, but right now, we’re going to have suspend the fact that you’re a lying nasty Vasu and work together. I need to know what tower was taken down by your warriors. The reports came in that you had taken a tower….which one and why?” Gobudo crossed his arms in a huff. West sighed and glanced down the ladder, “Blackheart! Would you please tell your pig-headed friend to pull the Kintog out of his ass and help me keep us from getting slaughtered!?” Gobudo glared at West, but finally pointed to one of the towers.
“Excellent.” West glanced up at the horizon and traced his finger down until he located another tower. “This is where we are, so….” West reached up and grabbed the series of mirrors, directing them in one direction first and flashing off several signals. Afer that, he turned back to Gobudo, “Now flash your tower and get them to come help us.”
“You don’t think they’ll arrive on time, do you?” Blackheart’s voice echoed from within the tower as he pushed another board into place.
“They don’t need to be all that swift! They’re going to be the clean-up!”
“For us or for the enemy?” Blackheart grunted as he forced another board up against the door.
“That has yet to be determined,” West said with a puff, “But if I’ve got things planned right, them.” He smirked and stared out into the distance. Battle….god he loved it.
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