Whisper & Fury: Eydulan Series Book 1 (8 page)

“Katrice, you alright? Katrice!?”

She nods her head, “Yea I’m fine. I thought I was a goner, and I thought that you were dead.” Then slaps him on the chest.

“Yea ‘bout that let’s get out of here, and I will be more than happy to explain.”

“You’d better.”

“Promise.”

Kat looks around and doesn’t see Gwen anywhere. “What happened to the wizard?”

“I absorbed her spells. She got flustered, and I punched her. That won’t stop a Guild enforcer, but it bought us a few minutes.”

“You what!?”

“Look, like I said, we need to get out of here. Then I’ll explain.”

A bolt of lightning screams across the horizon. Before Kat could tell what was happening, she gets pulled away from the bolt. Gravan’s body shielding her own, and his hand was outstretched to catch it. A flash of light, and a clap of thunder were the only things that crossed through her mind for the next few seconds. Gravan slowly took a knee with her still in his arm, hand still stretched out, and focus still on where the attack came from. Steam rises from his hand, as the muscles in his arm quiver uncontrollably.

With concern in her words Kat asks, “Are you alright?”

He takes a sharp breath in though his nose and exhales quickly. “Yea. I’m fine. Hurts like hell, but can’t really do anything to me. Well, one thing. It gives me momentary superhuman like abilities.”

“You’re a mage too, aren’t you?”

“No I’m not, but my birth parents were. We need a plan, and I need back up for this. Think you can handle it?”

Kat’s face goes flush, realizing her emotions were taking over, and she wasn’t acting like herself. “Yes, I can help.”

“Thank who ever I can call God for that.” Says Whisper.

“Ha ha, thanks you too. I couldn’t ask for a better pair of women to back me up.”

“You at least have one of us to assist. Kat here was trying to leave this meaty existence behind.”

“I… what, hey now Whisper. Where were you when I called for help?”

“I was right here on your wrist like I always am, and you didn’t call for help. You went catatonic when that ball went flying for you, and apparently I can’t act of my own free will, unless you allow me.”

“Hush you two, she’s back.” Gravan says, keeping his voice low.

Kat turns her head to see Gwen walking back toward them, with two glowing balls. One in each hand.

“Crap, Kat brace yourself. I’ve got to slow her down, and you get ready for an opening.” He lets go of her, and she falls to the ground. He vanishes from her sight, appearing next to Gwen in the middle of a kick. The ball from her right hand disappears as she blocks the kicks. The ground beneath their feet cracks and indents. Kat feels the shock wave in her chest as it brushes past her, almost knocking her to her feet.

“Retched human, who to you think you are to touch me? Me, the Solar Queen!?”

“I am the black raider your people call Devourer, nice to meet you Solar Queen.”

Gwen’s eyes widen, “You, I’ve heard of you. You killed Gaia.”

Gravan takes a step backward, still in a fighting stance, he nods. “Aye, and it was either me and my squad or him. I chose, he lost.”

Her lips curl up her cheeks, “I kill you, and all doubts about my superiority will disappear. You will die here today Devourer.”

In front of Kat are blurs where two people once stood. Their bodies flash in and out of view as punches and kicks land, followed by shockwaves of force drumming against her chest like a concert. The only thing that she can think were the last words that Gravan told her,
look for an opening
. How was she supposed to look for an opening when she couldn’t see the two in the first place.

“Whisper, can you make out what’s going on, I can’t see a thing.”

“Not really, I’m trying to place their trajectories, but everything isn’t matching up.”

Fury wakes up, “Hey Kat, what’s going on?”

“Fury! Are you ready to go?”

“Yea I’m ready and loaded. The only thing left is to choose the load-out.”

“Kat, I just found a file that’s locked while I was looking for something to help with my projections. I need your ok to open it.”

“What is it Whisper?”

“It’s a new weapon configuration for me and Fury.”

“Go for it.”

“Accessing file, thank you monkey.”

Gravan appears in front of her, blocking a fiery blast. Flames scorch the ground on either side of her as she can feel the heat emanating off Gravan. He turns to look at her, and she can see the pain in his eyes. Steam flows off his body, and out of his mouth as he exhales. His once soft eyes seem hard and distant.

“I can’t do this much longer Katrice.” His voice comes out as exhausted as he looks.

“How can I do that, the two of you are moving too fast.”

“Wait for it. I’ll make the opening, I promise.”

His form blurs as he heads back toward Gwen to continue the fighting. Followed by flashing lights cycling through every color of the rainbow, and with each new color a shockwave. Her body starts to feel beaten down by the repeated blasts.

“Kat I’ve finished opening the file and loading it, unlatch me from your wrist, and hook me around the center of Fury.”

“How do I take you off without loading you into Felicity?”

“Oh right, let me change over for you.” Whisper expands around Kat’s wrist, and retracts the probes back into herself. “There you go, just slide me off and onto Fury.”

Kat follows the instructions, and with Whisper wrapped around Fury, Whisper extends out her probes into Fury. Each connects with a snap, and begins to take Fury apart, allowing her access to his nanite chamber. Whisper starts to spin with a blue glow.

Both Whisper and Fury’s voice say in unison, “Wrath online. Loading level one Magi-tech gravity shells.”

“Wrath, what happened to Whisper and Fury?”

“We still are, we are one.”

Kat takes hold of Wrath’s grip with both hands, taking a marksman’s stance, waiting for the opening. Blurs of motion are flying around the outside of the barracks almost faster than she can track. Gravan stops in place, watching Gwen circle about him. Foam dribbles down his chin as he snarls at her. His head snaps toward Kat, and they lock eyes. The soft blue had been replaced with a dull rainbow. His lips part, showing his teeth like an animal, and takes a few steps toward her. Attacks from every direction come in as Gwen lays out a barrage of beams and lances of magical power. Gravan keeps his pace, slowly advancing toward Kat. Gwen stops behind him.

“Ha, you are nothing more than a beast. The more of my power you consume, the more it consumes you. Go ahead, kill your partner like you did your squad during the Black Raid, Devourer.”

Gravan’s pace and attention did not waiver. Kat looks into his eyes, and she doesn’t see the man that she had gotten to know over the last few weeks. Her heart aches thinking about what she should do. Should she shoot him or trust him. She didn’t know enough about him or his abilities to make an educated judgment. She goes with her heart, and lowers Wrath.

“Gravan, It’s me, Katrice. Please, you don’t have to do this.” His eyes flash blue. “Remember, we are going to be a crew together. You, me, Whisper, and Fury.”

His pace remains constant, till he stands within arm’s reach. Froth now pouring out of his mouth, snarling with each breath. He reaches out with his right arm, and grabs Kat’s throat, lifting her in the air.

His grip is strong around her throat, but it isn’t enough to choke her. It’s hard to talk, but she says, “Please, Gravan.”

Gwen lets out a laugh, flinging her head backward. “Yes, yes, devour her like all the rest. Then I will finish you off myself.”

Gravan’s eyes soften as he gazes at Kat, and he slobbers out. “Get ready to take the shot.”

Kat’s eyes widen, and she nods as best she can. He quickly turns and flings her toward Gwen. She takes a step out of the way. Kat has a split second to aim as she passes by, and squeezes the trigger.

The gravity bullet hits Gwen in the waist. Her face contorts with surprise as the magi-tech bullet hits her. The black orb like bullet pulses as it starts to pull her around it. She strains her muscles as she fights against it, with no luck. Kat braces for an impact with the wall she is flying toward, but before she slams into it Gravan catches her. She looks back to see his features returning more to his normal demeanor. He looks down at her, the dull rainbow glow fading back to the soft blue eyes she remembers. He motions toward Gwen. Kat turns to watch, and can hear bones snap as Gwen’s body begins to wrap into a ball around the bullet.

Gwen yells out, “You will regret this, worthless humans.” She lets out a wail of pain. “The Guild will know of this, and will avenge me.”

Kat looks away as Gwen’s jaw is ripped away from her face. Gravan wraps his arms around her, and his earthy scent fills her nostrils making her feel safe.

“Not much longer now.” Gravan says in a whisper.

Kat sees he hasn’t turn away, and this makes her turn back to finish watching. It had been a very long time since she has watched someone die. Sure she did just kill a squad of mercenaries, but she didn’t watch each individual bleed out. It was not something that she enjoyed doing, but it seemed to her that she should witness Gwen’s last moments. The concrete, crates, and ground close by start covering what would have been Gwen’s body. The sphere created begins to shake, as it cracks apart. Gravan covers Kat with his body as the sphere explodes. Dirt, concrete, and organic matter splatter in all directions. The only thing that hits Kat is the concussion of the blast. She and Gravan stand up and look at the crater that is left, and she looks at him. His shirt is ripped to shreds, bruises line his back like leopard spots, and he turns to look back at her with a smile on his face.

“That was a good shot.”

She smiles, thankful that they are alive and he seems to be ok. “Thanks.” She says.

“I wasn’t expecting that Fury would be able to make magi-tech. Gravity bullets are seriously dangerous.”

“It wasn’t just Fury, Whisper and him combined to make Wrath.”

Wrath says, “We are Wrath.”

“So, how about we get those munitions now, and get the hell out of here.” He says with a smile on his face, and takes a few steps back toward the barracks.

Kat tries to stop him, pulling at his arm. “Hey now, are you alright?”

He turns to answer her, and collapses.

Kat screams, “Gravan!”

Kat walks into the medical bay, and looks over Gravan. During the fight he only looked badly bruised. With everything over it was much worse. Broken bones were the least of his problems, and Whisper had been operating on him over the past four hours. She didn’t want Kat in the room, because she didn’t know if she could save him. With the surgeries finished, Whisper unlocked the door.

As Kat walks up next to the bed, she tries to stay quiet. Gravan opens his eyes, and smiles. “What’s with that look on your face Katrice, I’m not dead yet?”

“I know but, you’re hurt really bad.”

“I’ll heal. The last time this happened my body healed on its own after a few days. I didn’t have the fancy medical facility like this.”

“Was that during the black raid?”

Kat only knew about it from the stories. The black raid was a rallying point for the Earth Forces. An outpost on the moon, made as a last defense point for earth, caught undermanned and unprepared. It would have been the fall of Earth if the rebels got control of it.

He looks away, “Yea it was. I didn’t want you to learn about it that way.” He pauses for a second, “I’m not that
thing
.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself. I just want to know how that happened.”

“It first happened at the raid. The mages had us surrounded, and tossed in a volley of fireballs. I threw Jack, Hanna, and Zane underneath me. I didn’t know I would absorb the spells, I just wanted my friends to survive. From there it was a bit of a haze. Blood, bodies, and some of my own unit were all around me. I had ripped out the hearts of a few of mages, and Hanna later told me I ate them.”

He pauses for moment, looking away from her face. Kat waits silently for him to continue.

“I know the way it sounds, but I go berserk with that magic inside me. A little magic absorbed and I am fast, strong, heal quickly, and I’m near indestructible. A prolonged fight though. Well you saw it.”

Images of his dull rainbow eyes come to mind. She had never seen or heard of anyone or thing absorbing magic before. It would make sense that if there was such a thing, the Guild would want it secret. They always were the type to show superiority over everything else.

Kat says, “I did, but you controlled it.”

“Not really, I snapped back to my senses looking at you. Anyway, I went back to my parents for recovery after the raid. I told them what happened, and they told me I was adopted, through a private adoption. My birth parents were members of the Guild, and I wasn’t a planned child with Guild authorization. When the Guild found out I was conceived, they ran a test on me while I was still in the womb. They showed I was going to have no magical abilities. This didn’t stop my parents, they still tried to show that I would have the aptitude for magic, but I failed. The Guild then forced my birth parents to give me up, in secret, or they would be banished from Guild space.”

“But your background says that you don’t have a family anymore. So your birth parents are still alive?”

“No they aren’t. Shortly after my parents told me about my birth parents, we scheduled a meeting in Corporate controlled space. Away from any Earth or Guild territory. A group rebels mixed with banished Guild members bombed the area they were staying at. I hadn’t gotten there yet, I was running late grabbing flowers for both sets of parents.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

Gravan cuts her off, “It’s ok. I found out who they were and I have been hunting down the men who issued the orders.”

…

Two weeks had passed since they left Tarus. The Guild didn’t even place an obituary for Gwen, and even went so far as to talk about her exploits on a recent wedding announcement to Mallory. It was odd, and something that Kat didn’t like at all. There maybe some fall out to it all, but she will have to deal with it as it comes.