Earthburst by Dan Megill

Author:Dan Megill [Megill, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Published: 2023-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Part 5: The Gift of Hope

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They’d been travelling about an hour, and Airn was striking up a conversation with one of the miragists who was coming with him. The miragist was young, and thinking of joining Poru’s tribe, to give whatever support he could to Airn, who he was sure would be their savior. It was a bit awkward, actually, and doubly so since Airn had forgotten the miragist’s name. That, at least, Airn didn’t have to put up with for too long.

“I’m sorry,” Airn said, “but I’ve forgotten your name. Remind me?”

The young illusionist was about to respond when he was interrupted by a note of despair in the voice of another of their companions.

“Oh Rohi…”

Four silver blurs zipped to the sides of the worm, and Wowo’s arms were around Airn, clinging desperately. Another moment and the world became fire and noise and light. The supplies around them disintegrated. The earnest young illusionist disappeared. Links was reduced to a scorched hulk. And in the center of it was Airn and Wowo, a small, still, green bubble, clutching their bags and each other

“I… didn’t feel that at all. I didn’t. I—I barely saw it,” Wowo stuttered, shocked but untouched.

Airn nodded dumbly. He’d been the target of a destructing disc before, after all. Apparently, he’d gotten better at shielding, remembering to protect his eyes and ears, holding himself and his friend unmoved in the midst of it. He thought numbly through all of this, while he gazed upon the space that remained where, seconds ago, there’d been a new friend, a casual conversation partner.

There wasn’t time to dwell on things, though. In another moment, the air was thick with the larger battle discs, like the one he’d faced before, but this time dozens. They flew in fast, zipping nimbly through the still-burning trees, and immediately opened fire, energy lancing out and touching Airn’s bubble, stopping at its edge. Wowo reached out, within the perfect still of the bubble, almost touching its edge, and pushed out her own ru. It passed through Airn’s bubble, an odd thing, and she felt it push against the energy of the discs for an instant, before their greater power broke through her ru and again tickled the bubble’s edge.

“Airn…” Wowo said, breaking into his reverie.

And Airn responded, firing at the discs. They quickly began to maneuver, and a few of Airn’s shots went wide, bursting trees in the mid-distance. He switched to a beam, and, tracing it over the discs, mowed them down like so many clay targets. He continued for what seemed like a long time, but more discs kept coming, till finally Wowo interrupted him again.

“Let’s go,” was all she said.

Airn considered for a moment, then nodded his agreement. With a burst of power in all directions, he flew up and away. Discs surrounded him on three sides, but with a burst of acceleration he left them all behind.

It was useful, Airn reflected, to be running from something, at least for the moment, because he had no idea where he was running to.

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