Hearts of Darkness - Plague of the Void Seeds / 13

This is an original, write as I go, Steemit adventure

Post 13

Present

Kesseca was elated. The effectiveness of the modified fighters was absolutely astounding. The Ziff inside the walls of Sserwessa, and no doubt the other cities, had exploded into song as light had suddenly streamed through the gaping hole in the Void Seed ranks atop the shield dome.

In all twenty of the Ziff cities, warriors were preparing to engage the enemy. They were not able to bring the full weight of their numbers to bear as there simply wasn’t enough white bone to go around. Without the white bone, a Ziff warrior, no matter how capable, was completely ineffective and a liability. They had had to be very creative with the white bone that was available. Kesseca looked down at his weapon, a fragment of Argantuan plate that had been broken off and roughly sharpened by a Blodhur. There was no blood gift. There was no longer enough Argantuan blood in the whole universe to provide the gift to all these fragments. His was now securely attached to the head of a carbon club. It wasn’t much to attack a Void Seed with, but at least it was something. He counted himself fortunate that he would be defending his people, rather than the thousands who simply had to wait.

Kesseca thought back to his father’s slithr blade, a fragment from an Argantuan leg or arm bone. What a weapon that had been, long and slender, almost entirely blue with the blood gift. With it, his father had decapitated and heart-speared over one hundred Void Seeds in the battle for Ren, home planet of the now very rare Derken. The Derken had been about to join the Alliance and a delegation was present on Ren when the Void Seed had launched a sudden attack. The Ziff warriors, with their incredible speed and slithr blades had mounted a devastating attack on the Void Seed, killing thousands. Unfortunately, the Void Seed had retaliated by draining the energy around them, partly neutralizing the Ziff’s speed. Only a handful of Derken and the Alliance delegation escaped. Soon after, the Derken’s star was consumed and their entire system fell to the darkness.

Well, they had what they had. The fighters had delivered a heavy blow to the enemy and a new weapon had been successfully field tested. Now the Ziff warriors would join the Alliance fighters in attempting to drive these monsters back into their abyss! The beautiful light from their suns had gradually increased the flooded Sserwessa as the Void Seeds pulled back. It was incredibly uplifting.

“Annsoooenemasssaaa sorasssennseraaawen Sserwessa!” He cried.

His carbon club held defiantly aloft. At that moment, signal was given to attack. Gates were opening all around the cities.

“Annsoooenemasssaaa sorasssennseraaawen Sserwessa!” Cried the other Ziff warriors.

Kesseca charged into the gated tunnel that would lead through the wall and out. The speed of the Ziff was breath-taking. They rushed through the tunnels and out onto the rock and sand of the planes like a liquid. They flew towards the massive ring of Void Seeds.

As he ran, Kesseca saw one of the remaining fighters explode overhead as a phased Void Seed struck the ship directly in the centre. The other fighter was clearly recalled as it sped off in the direction of the city. Too valuable an asset to throw away now there was less cover and the Void Seed were phasing all over the place.

The Void Seed were close now. A monstrous trumpeting roar went up from the ranks of the Void Seed, some of which were massive, at least forty feet high. Kesseca altered his course slightly so it would intersect with one of the larger Void Seeds in the front rank. He didn’t recognise the form but it was huge. Before he could engage the thing, it’s head exploded. How? It didn’t matter. He leapt up to it’s chest and rammed his club through it’s heart. Before it had a chance to fall, Kesseca was already standing on the shoulders of the next Void Seed and bludgeoning it’s neck…

Present

The Ziff attack was well timed and ferocious. Before the Void Seed had a chance to react, thousands upon thousands were destroyed. The Ziff had washed over sections of their front ranks like a wave, penetrating deeply into the ranks behind. The human snipers attempted to encourage penetration or prevent encirclement with well time shots of their railguns. The projectiles were proving to be highly effective if they struck either the head or the heart.

At the pinnacle of the Ziff assault, a wave of Alliance Ziff and Valhalconin attacked. Their aim was to meet the Ziff in the middle, thereby separating the Void Seed’s encircling ring into more vulnerable sections.
The Valhalconin and Ziff worked together. As they reached the enemy, the Valhalconin called their fire to life and burst into dark flames. With their internally generated energy well, they could withstand the Void Seed’s draining for much longer. Combined with their strength and durability, they would subdue or distract the Void Seeds whilst the Ziff dispatched them. It was highly effective.

As the Alliance squads smashed into the Void Seed, the Valhalconin flames surged in intensity and the ranks of Void Seed in their path crumpled from the intensity of the onslaught. It looked as though the two forces would succeed in connecting, they were so close.

Then without any warning, a massive shock rippled through the Void Seed ranks and the leading edge of the attackers was suddenly brought to a standstill. The Void Seeds changed formation, breaking the ring of their own volition and moving to encircle the Alliance fighters that were deep within their ranks. At the same time, they began to draw in all the energy from the space around them. The temperature began to drop precipitously. The Ziff began to slow and the Valhalconin flames began to lose it’s intensity. They continued to fight with ferocity but this was a well-executed trap….one that Ccceecccccquoccc had been aware of, yet unable to avoid given the relative disposition of their forces. Advantages had to be pressed when they had them, regardless of the risks and counter-measures of the enemy. The Alliance fighters were being surrounded and slaughtered.

Present

Joshua had left Click and moved down to the surface of Sserwellia outside the Void ring that was surrounding Sserwessa. Crikey this planet had beautiful light. He found himself staring into the distance, not thinking, just trying to drink it all in. He didn’t want to think too much. A terrible enemy was about to destroy this beautiful place and the life within it. The same enemy he was apparently turning into. It was an affront, an outrage. These fucking monsters were going to destroy everything. They were going to destroy him eventually, he knew it. He’d insisted in fighting and had been ordered to position himself with the primary reserve unit…..Dagr and Khal. Each reserve unit consisted of a single Shaddonos or Argantuan, there were simply too few. However, they were the strongest and most heavily armed fighters in the Alliance so their impact was generally extensive and most welcome.

Dagr was getting impatient. As a Blodhur and leader of his remaining people, he was known to be extremely patient, attentive, carful and wise. As a warrior, he was known to be the opposite. When he’d seen the incredible effects of the Ziff fighters, he’d bellowed so loudly, Joshua had spontaneously fallen to the ground with his hands over his head, it had been terrifying! The enormous Argantuan had been so excited, he’d also pulverised a gigantic boulder with one swing of his massive white bone mace. The bone had drowned long ago in that massive, ancient weapon. It had clearly been made from an Argantuan’s leg bone, one even bigger than Dagr…..which was very difficult to comprehend. Dagr had called it Wyrkk, meaning ghost. As far as he understood it, everything the weapon encountered would be dead long before the weapon itself was unmade.

While Dagr stomped about like a force of nature, causing rocks and rubble to continually shift about, Khal was crouched down, silently watching the unfolding drama. The Daxiste-agorian telepathy would let them know when to attack. They were all itching to help the Ziff and Valhalconin.

Joshua decide to crouch down with Khal and was walking in his direction when suddenly, his head exploded in agony.

He was back in that indistinct place and was immediately struck by the desperate gnawing emptiness within him. There were others around him, equally empty, equally hungry….no wait…something’s there. A slight pull. Suddenly a feeling of movement. A rushing toward the fragment of energy. It scintillated in the dark and a violent urge to possess it flooded him. He was struggling against the others, other forms in the dark. He had no arms to reach with so just pushed forward with greater and greater urgency. Suddenly blinding, agonising light burst though the gathered forms. Get away! He tried desperately to escape the source of searing pain. A sound erupted from the source of light…like a powerful voice that he felt, rather than heard. It was so loud and demanding, so form shatteringly commanding. The light seemed to focus on one of the other forms and intensify. Searing, burning, agony. Roaring, tearing, rending. He tried to escape and all the while, the form that was the focal point of the light’s attention was shaking, screaming, dissolving, gone.

Joshua came too with a scream of terror and rage.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Joshua! It’s ok. You’re ok. Joshua.” Shouted Khal, who was crouched down beside Joshua, pinning him to the ground.

“Ahh. What the hell?! I’m ok.”

“What happened?” Asked Khal.

“I was coming over to you when I had a vision. I’ve had one before….this was clearer. But I have no idea what it means.”

“You were screaming and thrashing about. I thought you were going to hurt yourself.”

“You wouldn’t believe how much pain I was in…..sorry.”

“No it’s ok. Are you sure you’re alright now?”

“Hell no. I’ll talk to Click if we somehow manage to live through this.” Joshua indicated the ongoing engagement.

“Indeed. First things first.” Said Dagr.

Joshua climbed to his feet and Khal patted him on the back.

In all their minds simultaneously, the order to attack was given.

“This is it then. As expected, they are trying to surround and annihilate them.” Said Khal.

“Finally. Even though he’s dead, Wyrkk is always thirsty! Until the bone drowns!” Bellowed Dagr.

“Until the bone drowns!” Roared Khal and Joshua in return.

They charged towards the enemy...