unexpectedly popped from behind a corner. Elyssa seemed to be the only one who knew when he was about to make an appearance, but she enjoyed seeing me flinch too much to let me know in advance.
Deeper into the city, Nailan leapt from the branches of a tree and landed right in front of me. I leapt five feet straight up and nearly hit the branch he'd dropped from. As usual, he remained straight-faced, though I suspected he got a kick out of my reaction.
"Now I know you're doing it on purpose!" I hissed.
"There is a four-man patrol flying south one street over," Nailan said. "I believe this is our best chance."
Elyssa nodded at me. "Get in position."
I slid the rocket stick from its sheath and twisted the handle. The seat unfolded and the fins popped out of the rear section. "I'm going to drop a flier on you," I told Nailan.
He raised an eyebrow as if he had no idea why I would do such a thing. "Just don't damage the aether pack."
Elyssa pecked my cheek. "Be careful."
"Hey, I'm always careful," I said, hopping on the rocket stick. I hit the accelerator too hard and nearly rammed the tree, screeching to a halt just in time. I gave Elyssa a sheepish grin and jetted upward before she could sigh and roll her eyes. Rocket stick nearly vertical, I climbed steadily, the polished surface of a crimson skyscraper flashing past beneath me.
I rolled left and straightened out before I reached the top of the building and flew into plain sight of the mutant squad. Gliding serenely over the street, blazing wings spread wide, they noticed me, but seemed to take a moment to register I was an enemy. They wore spiffier outfits than their comrades I'd encountered yesterday—shiny black armor with the white and black of the Void emblazoned on their chests. The leader of their V formation veered my way without a gesture or a shout and the rest of his brainwashed minions followed.
I let them close within firing range then spun and plunged back down a perpendicular street. They dove after me, beams of Murk blasting from their fists. I pulled out of my dive just a few feet off the crystalline street and dodged back and forth like a drunken three-legged dog in a mosh pit as the pursuers did their best to hammer me into mush. Fist-sized balls exploded against the street, leaving divots and spraying shards into the air.
The plan was working brilliantly except for one major thing. The mutants weren't flying low enough, instead maintaining altitude about twenty feet above me, probably because firing from greater height gave them an advantage. Just a couple blocks away, two statues rose on either side of the street where my comrades lay in wait. I had to do something fast. The next building rose to my left. Sparing a bit of juice from the aether pack, I channeled a ramrod and blew a hole through the window.
Devoid of furnishings, the spare interior gave me plenty of room to maneuver. I paused inside a large room stretching from one side of the building to the other and glanced back. The mutants zipped inside, flowing from a V to a straight line without pause, and firing away the second they spotted me.
It worked!
Now I just had to make it outside without dying. The rocket stick proved nimble enough, and the enemy attacks plowed an opening through the opposite windows so I didn't have to use precious aether. I zipped outside and veered hard right to line up with the narrow strait between the statues.
My pursuers maintained low altitude and continued the chase. The statues whooshed past. I continued another thirty yards and spun just as the fliers streaked through. Elyssa and the others waiting on the other side struck.
Silvery darts sprayed from the wrist-mounted lancer Elyssa wore. One struck an enemy in the neck, finding the space between the helmet and the shoulder armor, and the Seraphim went limp. His body bounced along the street and came to a halt. Laneia creamed the last flier with a well-timed blast of Murk. Joss and Otaleon threw
Deeper into the city, Nailan leapt from the branches of a tree and landed right in front of me. I leapt five feet straight up and nearly hit the branch he'd dropped from. As usual, he remained straight-faced, though I suspected he got a kick out of my reaction.
"Now I know you're doing it on purpose!" I hissed.
"There is a four-man patrol flying south one street over," Nailan said. "I believe this is our best chance."
Elyssa nodded at me. "Get in position."
I slid the rocket stick from its sheath and twisted the handle. The seat unfolded and the fins popped out of the rear section. "I'm going to drop a flier on you," I told Nailan.
He raised an eyebrow as if he had no idea why I would do such a thing. "Just don't damage the aether pack."
Elyssa pecked my cheek. "Be careful."
"Hey, I'm always careful," I said, hopping on the rocket stick. I hit the accelerator too hard and nearly rammed the tree, screeching to a halt just in time. I gave Elyssa a sheepish grin and jetted upward before she could sigh and roll her eyes. Rocket stick nearly vertical, I climbed steadily, the polished surface of a crimson skyscraper flashing past beneath me.
I rolled left and straightened out before I reached the top of the building and flew into plain sight of the mutant squad. Gliding serenely over the street, blazing wings spread wide, they noticed me, but seemed to take a moment to register I was an enemy. They wore spiffier outfits than their comrades I'd encountered yesterday—shiny black armor with the white and black of the Void emblazoned on their chests. The leader of their V formation veered my way without a gesture or a shout and the rest of his brainwashed minions followed.
I let them close within firing range then spun and plunged back down a perpendicular street. They dove after me, beams of Murk blasting from their fists. I pulled out of my dive just a few feet off the crystalline street and dodged back and forth like a drunken three-legged dog in a mosh pit as the pursuers did their best to hammer me into mush. Fist-sized balls exploded against the street, leaving divots and spraying shards into the air.
The plan was working brilliantly except for one major thing. The mutants weren't flying low enough, instead maintaining altitude about twenty feet above me, probably because firing from greater height gave them an advantage. Just a couple blocks away, two statues rose on either side of the street where my comrades lay in wait. I had to do something fast. The next building rose to my left. Sparing a bit of juice from the aether pack, I channeled a ramrod and blew a hole through the window.
Devoid of furnishings, the spare interior gave me plenty of room to maneuver. I paused inside a large room stretching from one side of the building to the other and glanced back. The mutants zipped inside, flowing from a V to a straight line without pause, and firing away the second they spotted me.
It worked!
Now I just had to make it outside without dying. The rocket stick proved nimble enough, and the enemy attacks plowed an opening through the opposite windows so I didn't have to use precious aether. I zipped outside and veered hard right to line up with the narrow strait between the statues.
My pursuers maintained low altitude and continued the chase. The statues whooshed past. I continued another thirty yards and spun just as the fliers streaked through. Elyssa and the others waiting on the other side struck.
Silvery darts sprayed from the wrist-mounted lancer Elyssa wore. One struck an enemy in the neck, finding the space between the helmet and the shoulder armor, and the Seraphim went limp. His body bounced along the street and came to a halt. Laneia creamed the last flier with a well-timed blast of Murk. Joss and Otaleon threw
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