Rash'Tor'Ri (Soulguard Book 4), page 17
Lyrica stepped up in front of me, "You know there are over five hundred people down there. The Marines won't be able to get them out before the Kresh get there. These don't have that hatred of you that will keep them coming at you. They'll go around us while the middle is fighting with us."
I looked at the growing darkness to the east. I wanted to be out there killing them.
"We need to gather those people and shield them," Lyrica said.
I knew she was right and there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. If we went with my plan and she was right, we would lose both the civilians and the Marines. Did I want to kill them so badly that I would do that?
"She's right, Sir," Hicks said. "We've gotten complacent with the Kresh falling for the bait of Rash'Tor'Ri. If they don't turn and face you, there's plenty enough of 'em to go around."
"Ok," I said. "New plan! We hit the ground and gather anyone we can find in this central building."
I pointed at a large storage barn for the farms located around Novaya.
"We get 'em in there and we'll build a shield to protect 'em. Lyrica and I will direct you to the ones hiding. Once that's done, and only after that's done, we'll go meet the Kresh."
The light by the rear door began to flash and the ramp dropped open. I moved to the back of the plane.
Prada and Trent followed. I turned to Trent and grasped his shoulder. "You know what your job is."
He nodded and shoved Prada out of the plane. I laughed at the cursing over the coms. She hadn't turned her coms off and there were things said that should never be repeated. I dove out after her. Close to three hundred forms dropped from the three C-130s into the night sky above Navaya. Two hundred and fifty eight Soulguards, forty two Marines, and eleven Shak'Tar. I had asked Hicks about his platoon some time ago and why there wasn't a lieutenant like most Marine platoons. They had chosen to use him as a noncommissioned officer to run it. The Marine Corp was growing as quickly as the Soulguard and there was a lack of commissioned officers.
"Guards take the outside buildings," I said. "Marines take the close ones."
"We need eyes on top of the water tower," Hicks added. "Corn, Santos, and Nucci, that's your position. Trip, your fire team is with me. When you hit the ground, spread out by fire teams and work fast. Listen for direction from the Soullords."
"Rostov," I said as we neared the ground. "I need you with me. I need a translator."
"Affirmative."
We touched down near the central building we would bring the civilians to.
"Go," I said. "Lyrica and I will be on top of this building to steer you toward people. They're concentrated toward the west."
They spread out and disappeared into the night toward the west.
I jumped up onto the roof of the warehouse, Lyrica seconds behind me. Rostov joined us. Lyrica immediately started scanning to the west.
"Fourteen souls in the house to your right, Adaya…"
"Three in the basement of the house on your left, Reyna…"
She continued to direct the others.
"I need you to translate as I use a mental message for the people, here. I need to tell 'em that the soldiers will help them and bring them to a safe zone."
"Da, this I can do."
As he relayed the message to me in Russian, I projected the same out into the darkness. I could feel the confusion from the people who were hiding but I could also feel the relief from many. It was the best I could do. Rostov relayed more of the message and I projected.
It wasn't long before the first of the people of Novaya arrived. They were with a single Mage.
"Get 'em inside and settled," I said. "They'll be here for a while."
"Yes, Sir."
More began to trickle in and then a large group, and another.
I started scanning the town, as well, and helping direct the Marines to various groups of scared humans. Everything unfolded smoothly as people closed on the warehouse. It finally came down to just a few marines and Guards outside of the warehouse.
"All right, guys" I said. "Come back in and we can set up a shield before we go east after the Kresh."
Lyrica was already working on a shield to tie to the Source as I called them in. It was a dome that surrounded the warehouse. She had almost finished it when the last Guard entered the perimeter. Our three lookouts had descended the water tower and I looked past them to the closing darkness with an anticipation that still scares me. What kind of monster loves to do this as much as I do? I could feel the beast inside poised to come forth and wreak havoc on my enemies.
That's when the night lit up bright as day in the east and the blinding light had me holding my hands over my face.
Chapter 34
Shields! Shields! Everyone raise shields! Support the shield! My mental voice boomed outward.
I have to give my Guards credit. Shields slammed out to reinforce the dome Lyrica had created. I could still see the three Marines running toward the dome and I knew they weren't going to make it. I bolted forward and ripped a hole in the layered shields. More shields raised behind me.
Lyrica!
I trusted she would see what I was doing. In a flash, I was right in front of Nucci and Santos. I grabbed both of them by the battle harness each wore and threw them back behind me at the shield. A few steps more and I grabbed Corn. Throwing him at the shield as I turned I could see a massive blast wave rolling toward us. I pulled from the Source as I launched myself back toward the shield. I saw openings as the Marines flew through the shield to be caught by other Mages. Corn passed through and I smiled, reinforcing my personal shield. I was moving fast and the dome was close when Hell slammed into my back and hurled me forward.
It was like a great fiery hand had swatted me like a bug. I felt the fires burning my back as I slammed into the shield at nearly two hundred miles per hour. It was solid for a bare instant but I felt my left arm break before the shield was out of the way. The fire at my back was suddenly gone and I was Pulling like a mad man. The Source was hitting the far side of the shield as I shot past the front of the warehouse. The power slowed me enough to survive the impact, but I had twisted to protect my left arm only to slam into the shield wall on the right.
More pain shot through me as my right arm took the brunt of it and I felt the shoulder dislocate. I came back to my feet with an inhuman roar as the pain washed over me. My back was on fire and I smelled burnt hair and flesh. I turned back the way I came to find myself staring into emerald green eyes and her hands landed on my chest.
I stopped. The minds of my Shak'Tar settled around me and the beast was shoved back down. Lyrica grimaced as she reached over and popped my shoulder back in place.
"Give me your arm," she growled.
The pain washed over my senses again as she took my left arm and found the break. It spiked again as she set the bone. Then we began to Pull. I could feel the burn in my back begin to recede, as well as both arms.
"There's radiation inside the dome," Adaya said, as she neared us. "People won't last long in this. We can withstand it but the Marines and the town folk can't."
"I'll be done here in a moment," Lyrica snapped.
"I'll survive," I answered. "We need to do somethin' about the others."
"Just what do you think we can do?"
"I don't know but we have to do something."
She took a deep breath and stopped Pulling through me, "Ok, I would ask what the hell you were thinking but I already know the answer."
"Does anyone know how much time we have to come up with something?"
"Ten minutes?" Adaya answered.
"Shit."
"Exactly."
I closed my eyes to think, "Could a regular Guard withstand it?"
"I would think so," Lyrica said. "What are you thinking?"
"The Squirrel King."
Years ago I had found a squirrel in the mountains of Montana that had a Soulguard knot done by a young Soullord who spent a lot of time in the woods as she grew up.
"There's over five hundred people," she returned as she immediately understood what I was talking about. "We don't have time. We may get a hundred done in ten minutes."
"Rostov!"
"Yes?" he returned as he approached.
"I need you translating again," I said. "Hicks!"
"Here," he said from my left.
"Come here," I said. "I need you to do somethin'."
He coughed, "Is it gonna kill me any quicker than this radiation?"
"This could help. Lyrica I need everyone in the shield's streams lit up. Get as many supports as you need."
She nodded and went to the Mages. In moments I felt the streams thrum as she lit up every Soul in the shield and they became visible.
"Rostov, start translating. If you want to live, follow these instructions to the letter."
He translated and I projected it.
What you see is called your Soulstream. This will make you strong enough to survive the radiation if you will follow my direction. I projected.
"We start with you, Hicks. Reach out with your mind and grasp it about two feet out."
"Ok."
"Move it."
The stream moved. I projected what was happening into the minds of everyone.
All of you will follow the instructions as I show them to you.
"Pull it back toward you in a loop to your chest."
Hicks pulled it back to his chest. As it touched his Soul it attached.
"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed as the Stream fed his Soul from two separate places. He could feel the difference already. I looked back to the Marines to see they had done the same.
"Reach out and grab it again."
Hicks did as instructed.
"Now bring this one around to your shoulder."
One by one we formed the loops that make up a Soulguard knot. I watched as over five hundred people became Soulguards without the Oath, including forty two Marines. The Souls began to strengthen instead of fade. At least the gamble had paid off this time. We had bought us some time. Not much, but some time. Everything outside the dome was radioactive. The air couldn't even be let in. I wasn't sure anything could survive that, maybe not even as Soulguards.
"What's next?" Hicks said and turned. His move wasn't with compensation for the new strength and he lurched sideways. "Damn."
"We need everyone out here," I said. "You need to experiment a little and get used to the difference."
He nodded and staggered back toward his men.
"All Mages," I said on coms. "Bring out all of the civilians. I have a plan."
"Oh dear," Reyna said. "He has a plan."
"Who's plan?" I heard Stone.
"Who do you think?"
"Your mics are on," I said.
"Oh bloody hell, him?"
"Maybe Lyrica helped with it," Adaya added.
"That might even be worse," Prada said.
"Can still hear you," I said.
"I had nothing to do with a plan," Lyrica said. "If I did it would be a wonderful plan."
"Sir," one of the Mages from inside the building spoke, "We have seven people in hear who didn't get the knot."
"Seven, I can handle," Lyrica said and entered the warehouse.
I nodded and turned toward Rostov and Adaya, "Ok, here's what I want…"
Chapter 35
"Does anyone know what happened yet?" Daphne Cavanaugh asked. "Who set off a nuclear bomb in the middle of Russia?"
"They're sayin' a mid level bureaucrat in Ufa did it," Kharl returned, looking out into the wasteland left by the bomb. "But, really, who knows?"
"Has there been any news of whether anyone survived it?"
"Not much news yet."
Daphne rested her hand on the big man's shoulder and squeezed, "If anyone could, it would be those two."
"They were so close to Ufa," Kharl said. "The planes had barely cleared the area when the blast went off."
His head snapped around toward Ufa as the hair stood up on the back of his neck.
"You feel that?" Daphne asked as her head snapped around as well.
"Oh yeah," Kharl said with a grin. "If someone out there is Pulling that hard, it means survivors."
The enhanced sight of a Soulmage allowed them to see far out into the waste. Both saw the plume of dust spurt into the air. Then another a little closer.
"Whatever it is, it's movin' fast," she said.
Kharl finally caught a glimpse of what was causing the plumes as it bounced along the barely discernable road left after the blast.
"That's my boy," he muttered.
Daphne's head cocked to the side as she caught sight of the giant, glowing sled that bounced along the road raising plumes of dust, as it hit the ground and bounced up. On the very front she could see the Russian, Alexei Rostov. He would turn his head and shout something, and a gout of fire would spew from the left or right to steer the behemoth. The rear of the sled was glowing as two forms could be seen standing side by side pouring Soulfire through a port that looked conspicuously like a giant rocket.
"Is he really wearing a red cape?"
Kharl was grinning widely.
"You think he's finally bought into the whole Superhero thing?"
"I don't know, but if he wants to wear a red cape and spandex, I guess we'll have to let him do it."
"Looks like they're gonna hit the safe zone a little north of here," she said.
"What say we go meet 'em?"
"Let's do."
"Your Russian will be glad to see you."
"He's not my Russian."
"He sure wants to be."
"So does half the damn planet, thanks to that damn guy with his camera."
"You could do a lot worse than Rostov, I think."
"Maybe so," she said. "But if he thinks that he wants me just because he's seen my ass, he better get in line. Seems everybody has seen that."
"I think he was much more impressed with the single-handed defense of Paris than the lack of clothing. Of course that was a bit of a bonus."
Even with Kharl's speed the punch to his arm knocked him sideways.
"Keep it up and I'll tell your wife."
Kharl grumbled.
"What was that?"
"You know, I can't believe he made her stream that much bigger than mine," he said. "He's supposed to have my back."
Daphne chuckled and started toward the north where it looked like the giant sled was aiming.
***
The sled slammed into the ground again, and dirt and ash exploded into the air. By then the screaming of the civilians was, for the most part, over. Now they just held on for dear life. At least the lady had given me a blanket to drape over my nearly naked backside. The blast wave had burned most of the clothing from my back. I'm pretty sure the straps of my combat harness was all that held my uniform on.
"Adaya!" Rostov yelled. "Three second burst!"
Adaya Pulled and fired the gout of fire out the left side of the rocket sled, pushing it a small amount toward the right.
Lyrica and I stood side by side and our Soulstreams were twisted together as we Pulled with our combined will. It was something discovered a long time ago. The two of us together could Pull so much more power than the both of us could do apart. Perhaps the combined will pushed deeper into the Source. We were Pulling a massive amount of power and steering it into the rocket. At first the sled had grinded forward but it wasn't long before we gained speed.
We needed to get out far enough that we could let the air flow through the shields.
"How far have we covered?" I asked.
"Maybe ten miles," Trent yelled back to me.
"Minimum safe is twenty out, best guess," Alec Brighton added.
"Do you think we have ten minutes more worth of air?"
"Possibly," he said. "Worse case, we open a little early. I think the new streams should protect the others."
"We'll go as far out as we can before cracking it open," I yelled.
The sled slammed down again and there was a scream as one of the Russians lost their hold on the handles I had crafted with the sled. I glanced back to see a woman bounce toward the edge of the sled. She was interrupted by Corn as he jumped between her and the shield wall. With a few lurches, he returned the woman to her handle and helped her hold on. The Marines had been surprisingly quick to adjust to the difference in strength and speed they attained with the Soulguard knot.
I grinned and poured the power into the rocket drive. I could feel the Source building dangerously high in me so I released an extra burst of power through the rocket from inside myself. I had needed to do that multiple times and Lyrica had done it twice.
"If you'd take the focusing training, you wouldn't have to do that," she said.
"I was just thinkin' about that," I laughed.
I heard Pelin chuckle from my right, Perhaps, you should listen to her, Master.
"I don't need any crap from the peanut gallery," I answered. "Don't call me Master."
Yes, Master.
"Use your words," Lyrica said. "That's disturbing."
Pelin laughed again.
"As you wish, Kilnyeri."
"Again with the cute and fuzzy bunny!" she returned. "I'm going to kick Kil'Sin'Deres ass!"
Rostov turned his head, "Reyna! Five second burst!"
Reyna let loose with a gout of fire out of the right side of the sled.
The air was getting quite bad. Some of the Russians were beginning to sag. If they passed out, they would be bouncing all around the inside of the sled.
"Gonna have to crack the shield!" I yelled.
"Agreed," Alec returned.
I opened the top of our sled to the open air. We were close to the boundary we had set for doing it. The air was cool and felt refreshing. Hopefully the radiation levels would be low enough not to hurt us.
"I see people ahead!" Rostov yelled.
