Author's Notes: It's been a small break for me, delaying the overall process by a week. I will be back to releasing a chapter a week if I can keep up with it. I hope you enjoy the read and review. Thank you.
Chapter 9: God's Eye
A large fleet of airships including smaller escorts of Dragon knights began the intrusion into Tristain territory. At the border airspace between Albion and Tristain territory, the Albion fleet of fifty ships engaged with the Tristain fleet of twenty. By default, the nature of Albion lands made airships the primary composition and gives a numerical advantage. Adding to the advantages was the attack was executed at dawn where a sizeable portion of Tristain's navy remained docked in Tristain's ports. Caught off guard and multiple ships out of position, the Tristain fleet was decimated with few losses to the Albion navy. The new longer ranged cannons that Albion possessed reported by the few survivors paid hardly any deed to the battle. It was clearly one sided.
The Tristain core fleet routed, the Albion fleet pressed on immediately at fleet maximum speed towards their target. Their goal is to establish a beachhead and create a supply line to deploy the ground forces that will initiate the stage two of the invasion of Tristain. The location for this beachhead is the small village of Tarbes. Albion navy generals planned after securing a beachhead to detour to La Rochelle to resupply with Albion logistic units which had deployed in place a few days before. Their secondary objective during this phase is to also hunt down the remaining elements of Tristain's fleet in order to remove any strategic options involving military movements and attacks. Thus, a small detachment of ten ships were separated to this task. The numerically superior strike force finds little trouble in their task.
The Albion fleet was sighted moving toward the border with the village of Tarbes. Tristain had rallied and deployed as much of its ground forces as it could within the time frame at full haste to meet in response to the air fleet invasion. The troops, primarily of cavalry have rested for the night and are prepared for battle. However, Tristain's strategists have a major headache in fighting off the fleet with an army made mainly of ground troops. Their air assets, the Griffin knights are outnumbered and without major air support. The cavalry have limited range and difficulty in terrain. Contact with the routed fleet could not be made. Those ships that were at the ports are being hunted down. The advantage of having their ships around would be overruled by the stronger strength to Albion. The night was a nerve wrecker on figuring an ideal strategy. Midnight oil burned and burned and burned.
Eventually, morning arrived and ideas resembling a plan had been forged in place. Troops were quickly roused from sleep and redeployed. Reports from recon units dictate that the Albion fleet will arrive from the west, the general direction for the coast. Tristain troops have been positioned within the forest to avoid detection and long range bombardment. The villagers likewise were evacuated into deeper parts of the forest, away from the village as much as possible. The time to prepare runs short. The solar eclipse will be the spectator to this bloody battle of Tarbes. The two sides move to meet each other. The battle was about to begin.
The sun has risen a fair degree. It is not yet hot, having yet to reach the afternoon. It would not be long for that to happen. A scout hurried through the columns of troops within the forests, standing at the ready. His goal was the command tent hidden within the forest neighbouring the village. The de facto leader of the army along with the other generals is inside. He went onto his knees and reported. "My Princess! The Albion fleet is in sight!"
Princess Henrietta had been discussing with her generals. Clad in her silver armour, she reached for her crystal wand on the table. "Very well. Let us show them our determination to protect our lands!" She exited the command tent and mounted her unicorn horse. Henrietta raised her wand with fiery determination. "Griffin Unit, start the assault!" The men roared with spirit. The Griffin riders already mounted and ready lifted off into the sky.
The ground troops held their position in wait for the order. The ranks were filled mostly with nobles due to the nature of the war being fought. The age gap was large from the oldest greying out to the youngest which was still studying in the Academy. For Guiche de Gramont, being in battle is something that is beautiful yet terrifying. He was clearly nervous but his fellow veteran soldiers eased him up with a few slaps in the back and lively chatter.
Alexia meanwhile tugged at the collar of her cloak. She and Louise had a night to sleep in a medical unit tent. Even so, she had not rested well throughout the night. The wait had been anxious for her. Louise stood as the Princess's personal guard while Alexia chose to assist the army. Guiche was unfortunately given no choice and was relegated to one of the units which Alexia now assists. Her horse was likewise restless. It shifted uncomfortably a few times but Alexia kept it in check with a few pats of assurances. "It'll be fine. Stay calm, will you?" The horse nickered in response and relaxed.
Moments inched by. To the naked eye, the Albion fleet approached very slowly. The wait was nerve wrecking. Their Dragon Knights provided escort. The Griffin Knights appeared from a forest and starting closing in towards the enemy fleet. Seeing the smaller numbers, the Albion commander decided to send most of the Dragon Knights forward to intercept them. The Dragon Knights, numbering hundreds surged forward like a swarm of bees. In comparison, the Griffin Knights numbered only a hundred. In spite of being both outnumbered and outgunned, the Tristain Griffin Knights remained daring and charged towards the enemy. They launched magic attacks from a distance against the Dragon knights. The bigger ships could be dealt upon with once the smaller more agile escorts are taken out.
Likewise, the Dragon knights launched magical attacks of their own back. Their salvos are more numerous, making it more difficult to dodge such a battery assault. Dragon and Griffin both took losses, units falling out of the sky in a dazzle of explosions and invisible attacks. This scenario is according to plan. Seeing the situation, the Princess called for the next phase of the defence. They will launch an assault at the carrier fleet from below by the cavalry Magic Knights. With the Dragon Knights mostly distracted, it would leave the airships more vulnerable from targets they could not see which are directly below.
Being at the edge of the forest, Alexia could see the battle raging in the air. Alexia bit her lip in distaste. "This doesn't look good." The Griffin Knights were being taken out quite quickly. It would be within several more moments before the entire unit would be routed or destroyed. Their window of opportunity is shrinking down rapidly. Alexia wondered what on Brimir is the Princess waiting for. Three thousand cavalry is useless if they can't get in position.
Alexia's worry was removed shortly. The battle drums sounded. The commander yelled for the troops to charge. The entire Tristain cavalry moved as a horde, exiting the forest and onto the open plains. From the mountain, another column of cavalry likewise began their charge. The cavalry units took a wedge formation, becoming the shape of a spear. The spearhead of the column aimed for the centre of the fleet. That ship in the centre happens to be the biggest one in the fleet. Tristain commanders planned to aim for the head. If the lead ship which likely carries the highest commander of the Albion forces was destroyed, the morale could be broken and the tide of the battle be turned into their favour.
As they charged, Guiche paled at the sight of their target. He recognized the flagship. "They want us to charge at that ship?!" Alexia looked up at their target and recognized it as well. It was the one that they saw during their infiltration into Albion. It was huge in comparison to the other ships within the Albion or even their own fleet. It was a wonder how a ship of that size could even fly even with hundreds of wind stones. She didn't go further for it would be depressing.
The entire Tristain army appeared into the open grassy plains, reaching the most dangerous point of the ground assault. It would take some moments at full cavalry charge to get in range. Alexia felt extremely anxious as they could finally view the entire battlefield properly. Her heart sank when she saw it. The Albion fleet had them outwitted.
Knowing that a ground supplement is necessary for Tristain, the Albion fleet had predicted this tactic. The Albion fleet had been separated into three groups. The three groups have been spaced out a considerable distance. This allowed the fleet to protect their weakness of being unable to shoot straight below. It would take some time for a cavalry unit to move from one fleet to another. This means a lot of shooting time for the airships and a lot of dead cavalry. In addition, their altitude was much higher than normal. It had certainly drained their resources and speed that probably led to the delay of the assault.
The commander of the cavalry noticed this flaw as well. He made a decision in a second. "Continue the charge! Expand the formation!" The spearhead wedge formation was broken into scattered segments, each spaced out as much as possible. The commander also made another split decision. "Relay to Aubert! Divert his assault to the other fleet!" A single messenger was dispatched to report the change of strategy.
Alexia heard Guiche say with fear and uncertainty. "How do we hit them? They're too high." The Magic Knights range is very limited compared to actual cannonade fire. If Jack was here, he would have quoted. No plan survives contact with the enemy.
The Albion fleet got a bead on charging forces. The ships tilted to give their guns the necessary angles. If you look carefully, you could see the small flashes coming from the ships. The leading cavalrymen dreaded the worst. The scream of projectiles came before the rain of metal began. Explosions upon explosions littered the plains, throwing up smoke, shrapnel of metal and soil. She could hear someone, probably a lieutenant yelling within her midst. "Steady! Steady!" The charge of horses remained unperturbed. The barrage became more intense. The gunners are getting their sights corrected and are adjusting. It will only be a bit more time before they can get a good hit. She heard the yell. "Just hold on until we get in range!"
An explosion happened five metres in front of her. It blew up three men and their rides into pieces of meat. Alexia pressed her head down against the mane of her horse. Her heart was skyrocketing, reaching near panic. She could hear screams of men and horses over the din of ringing in her ears. She saw her blonde classmate blown off his horse. She yelled his name as Guiche rolled across the plain. "Guiche!" She can't stop or she could be hit or the other horses behind her would ram into her. She can only pray that the young man would be alright.
Another moment more and the leading elements will reach the belly of the fleet. Fortune had something else in mind for Alexia. She couldn't even see what happened. One moment she was riding her horse. The next, the view around her was spinning out of control. She felt herself flying for an instant before smacking painlessly onto the ground. She saw the skies above, filled with explosions. The sounds faded out, leaving her to hear only ringing and her heartbeat.
Is this it?
The Princess and her childhood friend could only stare at the devastation that is raging before them. The medical unit couldn't get onto the battlefield without taking similar heavy fire. The Griffin Knights were broken and the few still in the air fled. The Dragon Knights did not pursue and instead started to prey on the cavalry units that were being ravaged. The Magic Knights without support and outmanoeuvred are now is taking their turn of being decimated. The fleet group on the right had diverted priority and instead begun shelling the forest. They only have cold silence in between them as they watched.
The situation for the Tristain army is bad or even better termed, dire. Those from Tristain who could watch the battle was losing hope. Those on Albion grew confident in their victory. The skies started turning dark. Eyes looked at the source. The solar eclipse is beginning. The death spectator has arrived.
Princess Henrietta was distressed at seeing defeat clawing its way. The cannon fire into the forest was still a reasonable distance from them. She was worried of the villagers who were hiding that might be hit. They themselves could be hit if someone managed a lucky shot off. Her distress was distracted by a particular sound. There was a distinct droning from somewhere far. She asked. "What's that sound?" Heads turn to find the source of the noise which was getting louder by the second.
The source was behind them in the sky. Louise pointed at the green speedy drone. "It's the Dragon's Plumage!" The Dragon's Plumage or the Mitsubishi Zero zipped past them at high speeds. The Dragon's Plumage being here, it can mean one thing. "Saito!"
The Zero kept to its steady course and speed, soaring over the village of Tarbes. Saito slid open the cockpit and observed the devastation of the battlefield. The amount of destruction marked by the black smokes everywhere. The number of corpses is staggering. He was disgusted. He was angry. "How dare Albion…how they dare cause this carnage!" Determined to put an end to this, he slid the cockpit close and dived in towards the nearest clump of Dragon Knights.
Saito pulled up the trigger and fired. The machine guns roared with bullets, the yellow tracers clearly visible in their path to attack. Six Dragons fell as the Zero dived past the surprised dragons. The few that could see the unfamiliar fighter tried to give chase. The Zero has double the speed in comparison to a Dragon Knight and easily got out of range. Saito pulled the yoke hard to bring the Zero about. Immediately, he put the fighter into a barrel roll, firing his guns as he crossed paths with the enemy. Another three fell but a ball of fire grazed at the right wing, leaving small burn marks.
Saito had to dive under a dragon to avoid a head on collision. His flight path brought him towards one of the smaller airships that was inclined to fire towards the ground troops. He lined up his sights and switched to the bigger weapons.
Dam! Dam! Dam! Dam!
The 20mm cannons fired with more bang than their smaller counterparts. The wooden hull was broken through like a hot knife through butter. Half a dozen rounds struck before the gunpowder onboard detonated. The portside of the ship went up in an explosion, brewing fire and loss of control.
Saito dived under and pulled up. His approach brought him under another ship which he peppered similarly with the 20mms. The ship exploded into half, both port and starboard ammunition stores destroyed. Wood splintered as crewmen fell screaming. Saito banked to the left, dodging the falling, burning remains. Saito noticed something to his left and reflex took over. He pulled up hard, taking the Zero into another dive to avoid a fireball. The Zero in a dive, Saito looked behind him. Another pair of dragons took up the chase, eager to get him.
Saito pulled on the yoke as he cut throttle and hit the brakes. The Zero slowed rapidly, letting the dragons shoot past before levelling again. The sky is full of targets, too many targets. These two in front of him are no different. Saito tightened the grip on the trigger. You have my undivided attention.
The sky is turning dark. The sun is slowly being covered by blackness. Alexia felt cold like the darkness is sucking the warmth away. Things were blurry. The ringing in her ears won't stop. Her heart was trying to burst itself free. She couldn't feel her limbs. She couldn't move. She felt paralyzed. She felt useless. She felt alone. She felt death. She felt… despair. I can't die here…I don't want to die…
Alexia…Alexia….
She hear something echo. It was faint. A blurry face appeared before her eyes. It was one of serious caution. The voice became louder until she could finally hear. "Are you alright Alexia?!" She could hardly recognize it.
Her voice was barely audible. "Jack…"
Jack was on his knees. He started examining from top down for any sign of injuries. He asked simultaneously to be sure. "Are you injured?"
Alexia didn't answer but instead she asked. "What… are you doing here?"
Jack didn't answer as he focused on task at hand. Jack saw the dark stain at her left sleeve. He pulled it up and had a look. The arm was bleeding noticeably and if it wasn't stopped, it could lead to serious blood loss. He tore off a strip of cloth from her bloody sleeve and tied it tightly on the wound. He noted her daze as a symptom. It's likely she's in psychological shock as well. He prioritized physical injury first. He rests her head on his knee to give a bit of comfort.
Boom!
He flinched when a cannon shot struck nearby. His horse neighed before running off in panic. Jack ignored it as he focused on treatment. The bombardment was intensifying. The Tristain army was only ahead by a small distance in comparison to the range of the cannons. A misaimed shot could strike them. He needs to move her ASAP.
Alexia was regaining her senses. The daze was wearing off. It was filled with something else. It was something more dangerous, panic. "I don't want to die…I don't want to die!"
Jack tightened his jaw at her words. That's symptom two of an emotional response. I have to do something. He chose to adopt a previous solution. He gently lifted her head to rest it against his chest. He soothed. "It's alright Alexia. I'll protect you. You'll be fine."
Her breathing was frantic. She said over and over. "I tried… I tried…I tried to fight this fear." Jack felt her grip tighten around his shirt. They were shaking.
Jack assured. "Everyone has it. Do not worry. I'll get you out of here." He showed her his smile to further strengthen it. It was a fake but it did wonders. Alexia nodded and he saw her started to ease out of the shock.
He heard the gallop of horses. He spared a look to see. There was a large carriage with a few women. Another horse accompanied it, ridden by a particular pink haired girl. The Valliere called out in alarm. "Alexia!" The carriage stopped and the women got down carrying and treating any wounded on the field. "What happened?"
Alexia could speak much better now. "Louise…"
A barrage of cannon fire peppered their location. The horses panicked but they were brought under control. There wasn't any damage at all, being shielded by the sudden appearance of a wall of ice. A blue dragon entered their view. Aboard the dragon are its teal haired master and a redhead passenger. Kirche gave a wave with a smile."Yo. Did you miss us?" Tabitha merely greeted with a nod. Kirche continued on. "We need to get some Dragon Knights. We'll see you in a bit." The dragon zoomed forward to the battle.
Jack gave the diagnosis. "She's in shock. She'll recover as long as we get her out of here." He lifted his master bridal style and gently laid her down onto the carriage. "Rest easy. You've done your part." The droning of the engine got louder. Drawn to it, Jack looked up to see the Zero in the heat of battle.
Dam! Dam! Dam! Dam!
Saito pulled into another loop. This is the sixth ship he took down. That sums with twenty dragons to make him already an ace twice over if he was in the modern world. By any means, he wasn't done yet. The flagship was still flying. The Dragon Knight escorts had formed a defensive screen. He couldn't break through without dealing with them first. More to it was the smaller airships which also churned out magic anti air fire.
Saito glanced at his instruments. He still had half a tank of fuel. He can fight for a while longer. He couldn't tell how much ammunition he has left though. He had been minimizing his burst of fire but that alone can only do so much. He kept to the 20mms and sighted down at another ship. His aim was thrown off by a gust of wind from his right. It caused him to lose control.
Saito controlled the ailerons and tilted forty degrees to the right, allowing him to just slide past his target. He looked back at his attacker. "Wardes!"
On a navy blue coloured dragon, it was his nemesis Wardes. The power at the tip of the wand increased. "This wind dragon is much faster than the others. You will not find this easy." Wardes casted a powerful lightning spell.
His sword warned. "Watch out for that Lightning Cloud!" Saito zigzagged to avoid the magic first but Wardes continued the pressure. His dodging could only do so much. He took hits along the hull. It didn't break anything yet but if it didn't let up, surely something will break.
Saito slammed the air brakes and pulled hard and to the left on his yoke. The entire Zero slowed rapidly into a dive. Saito felt blood rushing to his head from the G forces. He didn't let up, pulling up and to the right instead. As fast as it had dived, the Zero pulled up and to the right over the Dragon. He was behind Wardes now but the dragon sidestepped to the left with a cold stop. Saito shot past him and he countered by making a large loop around.
That however didn't throw Wardes off. "Here's my strongest spell!" Wardes was definitely good, being able to predict his flight path in only minutes of seeing the Zero in action. Seeing the imminent hit, he jerked the stick to the right. It shielded his cockpit but Saito felt the magic attack slam into the left wing. The metal plating had been punctured through. The wing left a trail of steam as Saito compensated for the loss of control. Dragons have a distinct advantage of manoeuvrability and point of attacks. Modern aircraft however had speed and armour. Saito increased the throttle to maximum before slamming the brake and pulled the Zero up. He kept the dive in a spiral motion. The Zero gained speed as he saw red swimming into his vision. He pulled harder as he hit the brakes, making a full loop. Wardes went past as Saito lined up his sights. He had the edge now. "Wardes, you're going down!" Saito pulled on the trigger.
Click Click
The guns refused to fire. He pulled the trigger to the same effect. Saito switched to the 7.7mms and fired to no avail. Saito cursed his luck, slamming a fist against the metal body. The guns have run out of ammo. Saito could see Wardes smirk as nothing happened. The dragon dived, causing the Zero to overshoot it. Saito saw lightning spells flying up from below him. He cursed as he banked hard to the right. Something caught his eye and his curse intensified. He has a fuel leak.
Jack noted the silence from the Zero's guns despite having an advantageous position. He understood the cause. Nothing else made sense. It was his chance. It was his chance to convince that young boy! He conjured two large orange glow sticks. He waved franticly at Slyphid for its attention. His quick motions were caught on and Slyphid dived towards him. Jack explained the situation. "Saito is having a problem! I need to get on it!" Tabitha nodded and Slyphid lowered its body to let Jack climb on. They shot up after the Zero.
The Zero was faster but Slyphid gave a good run for its money. Kirche sent a blast of fire at Wardes, forcing him to defend against the strike. The Zero's cockpit opened and Saito said. "Thanks! I'm out of ammo!"
Jack called out at the Zero. "Saito! Slow down and keep it steady!" Saito nodded and the fighter slowed down considerably. Slyphid kept parallel to it as Jack stood up.
Never would he believe that he would do such a daring act in this world. If his previous self few months ago had seen him, he would be chastised for being stupid. He jumped and landed on the left wing. He reached out to the damaged area and got a quick examination using his special eye.
He felt at the damaged hose line that was leaking fuel. His hands felt the dirty slick oil that was oozing out at a rapid pace. He used his ability to seal the hose. It would stop the leak long enough. Crosswind struck the aircraft, tilting it slightly. Jack slipped a little but managed to hold on and kept his grip.
Slyphid broke away, its attention on Wardes that was trying a surprise attack from behind. "Do not forget me!" Tabitha sent a lightning strike which was countered by Wardes's own. Sparks arc around one another before dissipating into the clouds.
Jack yelled at Saito. "You're a fool for risking our one chance of going home!"
Saito was steadfast on his decision. "We can stop this invasion!"
Jack tried to convince the boy to discard his goal. "You've done what you can! We can still make it if we aim for the solar eclipse now!"
Saito disagreed. "They can't win the battle without us! We have to keep fighting or they're all dead!" Jack looked at the state of the battle. He had to agree with Saito. It's only them and Slyphid that's pretty much in the air representing the Tristain army. There are more incoming enemies and they probably wouldn't let the Zero withdraw easily. The ground troops are ineffective and could only at best become cannon fodder.
Jack looked at the sun. It was at the halfway mark. There would be some time but it is very short. Saito had ultimate control of the Zero. Jack's goal had been forcibly changed. "As soon as we take out that flagship, we're leaving!" Wardes being occupied for the moment, Jack returned to work. Flicking his oily hand once, Jack turned to another important matter that needed tending. It's time to put this new theory to the test. He concentrated and imagined.
Imagine the bullet
The Case
The Propellant
The Rim
Lastly…the Primer
The 7.7mm ammunition was shaped in placed, identical to the original. He made more and more and more as fast as he could think. He made probably a hundred before his concentration was broken by a yell. "Hold on tight!" Saito warned as a Dragon Knight came in to attack. Jack tightened his grip as the Zero banked to the left, avoiding a fireball. The Dragon went past and circled around for another attack.
The oil on his hand made holding the fighter difficult as hell. Drops of oil spread across the wing. Jack lost his footing and slipped. It was all down to the strength of his hands to hold on. Jack grit his teeth as his muscles strained hard to hold onto a fast moving plane. His hands failed him and he felt air. The Zero shot forward without him as he started to fall. Saito yelled his name as he went out of earshot.
His heart rate shot through the roof as he thought death was imminent. He fortunately was mistaken. His fall was caught by Slyphid. Tabitha asked. "Is it done?" He nod and Taibtha directed the blue dragon to land quickly where Louise and Alexia was. Louise yelled for a similar need to get to Saito which Tabitha promptly gave a nod. As fast as Jack was dropped off and Louise got on, Slyphid took off again to their new task.
The Tristain army were given no quarter to recollect themselves. A large golem had emerged out of nowhere and begun attacking. The additional bombardment made organization almost impossible. Troops in disarray and morale disrupted and units were scattering to avoid the cannon fire. The appearance of the golem was the last straw, breaking the army into a rout. Jack looked back at the medical unit that was behind him. The women were too busy treating and carrying wounded men onto the carriage. Jack switched vision, clearly able to see a big energy signature several hundred metres ahead.
The broken army started running into multiple directions. A considerable amount of cavalry went past them in panic. The golem now started heading in his direction. Jack cursed his luck. He has to buy time. Otherwise, the nurses and the survivors could be killed. Jack moved ahead, forming a spear in his hands. The golem marched on, causing rampage until they met. Jack declared as he lashed his spear. "Have a good afternoon Miss Fouquet. I'm your opponent."
Fouquet, standing on the golem's left shoulder noticed something. She raised her eyebrows as she asked. "Where's your master?"
Jack gave small talk. "She's busy. She figured that I will be enough to deal with you." He put his right foot forward, his body lowered slightly and the blade pointed downwards. The long handle was kept close to his chest. He stood ready to move and attack in any direction.
Fouquet smiled. It was a bitter one. "I'll show you two not to underestimate me." The golem made the initial strike. It reached out and swung an oversized fist. Jack pulled back a few steps, slashing quickly in counterattack. The metal spear screeched but it wasn't even a scratch. Jack felt the impact jarring against his bone. Jack was forced to run in order to dodge the following up strike. He doesn't have the strength to cut through that kind of rock with what would be equivalent to a small knife. He reckoned he would break his hand instead in the attempts.
Having some distance between them, Jack switched vision. He could see the flow of energy going within the golem. That would help him predict what the golem is going to do next. Next off in the problem solving, how do you kill a golem? He does not have any weapons that can break through rock that probably masses up to a ton. Jack analyzed the situation and thought it through. He has to defeat the golem and there's one notable weak point. I need to take out the head. That meant he had to take out the squishiest part of the golem, Fouquet. How can he take her out? When he realized it, the golem was already swinging its hand down for a smash. It's fast!
Jack lunged to the side, barely avoiding the strike. Fouquet reminded. "Come on Jack! This isn't the time to think or you would be squashed like a bug!" The golem kept attacking with heavy swings and punches.
Jack was forced to dodge again and again. The grass was shredded with each punch of the mighty golem. He felt his stamina weakening from the intensive sprinting. He changed plans and conjured a large shield like the one he made in La Rochelle. The golem smashed again and again. He risked a glance up to the sky. The solar eclipse is almost in place. This is just not my day.
Alexia was leaning her back against the front of the medical carriage. The carriage had travelled some distance forward closer to the front lines. Many of the bodies that were inspected gave little fortune of life. Even so, the unarmed nurses moved quickly in attempt to save every possible life. Alexia looked at her palms. They were still shaking uncontrollably. She heard stronger sounds of horses moving. With a hand, she turned herself around and witnessed terrified men and horse running away from the battlefield.
The unit encountered more bodies and the carriage pulled to a stop. Alexia listened carefully to the front lines. There was a distinct sound. It sounded metallic. It sounded like something was hit again and again by something else. That sound was more blunt and brute. The first thing that came to mind was…
Jack…
She made a guess. He was on the battlefield and he disappeared from her sight after landing from Slyphid. He's fighting on his own isn't he…? Albion did not have any ground troops. The fighting forward could not be Tristain against Albion as the Tristain troops were broken. Who could be fighting? It must be someone and it is someone strong and dangerous.
She realized why Jack was fighting. He was fighting to protect them. Her blood went cold. Jack….I can't leave him alone! The fear in her stomach climbed up to her throat. She clamped down on it and she forced herself up. She got out of the carriage and started running on a little unsteady leg. Her exit was definitely noticed by one of the nurses.
The nurse protested. "You shouldn't be moving!" Alexia ignored her as she moved on. The nurse tried to stop her but Alexia pointed her wand at the elder woman. The nurse stopped and Alexia withdrew it immediately without a word. She moved on again and she was not stopped a second time.
Meanwhile, Jack is facing his own troubles. His shirt was stained wet from sweating. The sweat was also being troublesome to his eyes and glasses. I cannot get close enough. That is his predicament. Every time he tries to get close, the golem would attack. He would be forced to dodge or defend himself. The distance would not get any closer. I need a ranged weapon. Something small like a knife could be tossed but he doubt he has the motor skills to toss it accurately at such distance. A bow likewise was out of the question. The easiest answer came to him in such obvious manner. Since he could make bullets then a gun is much simpler to use! Jack concentrated.
Imagine the parts…
The Magazine…
The ammunition…
The Trigger…
Swoop!
Jack was forced to turn his attention away and reinforce the shield. The creation was cancelled, leaving only a piece of useless metal. He tossed it aside as he continued strengthening the buckling armour. Given this state, I can only defend! This is not going to win me the battle. What are my options?
In the midst of more thinking, he could not react when the golem stepped to the left, clearing past the shield. Jack was exposed to attack. Too careless! The golem raised its hand to strike as Jack focused on creating another shield.
The golem was distracted from its assault by a large blast at the left torso. Jack gave a quick glance as the rock beast staggered. Alexia was standing some metres away behind him, wand raised. He blinked in surprise. Alexia called out her opponent's name. "It's you Fouquet."
Fouquet said in a sarcastic manner. "Ah, I see that the master has finally arrived."
Alexia casted a bitter smile. "It's your misfortune. We'll have to stop you from being a nuisance here."
Fouquet goaded the younger girl. "Show me what you can do, Halcyon. I don't think you're much of an addition to your familiar here."
Jack was doubtful of Alexia's decision to return to the fight. "Alexia, while I appreciate the help, this isn't your time to fight."
Alexia aimed her wand at the green haired woman. "I'll prove you both wrong."She sent another blast of wind that struck the chest. She sent another and another in quick bursts. The golem was forced back a few steps, losing chunks of armour rock in the process.
Jack now had the time to focus. He created a silver coloured revolver with a brown grip. Gun aficionados would recognize the gun to be the Smith and Wesson 629DX. He had a total of six shots. He raised his gun and aimed for a shot. Seeing Jack aim, Fouquet called for a shield. Jack fired. A pillar of earth shot up from the ground, blocking the three bullets and ricochet them away.
Jack started into a run to find an opening. Fouquet moved the shield to compensate his position. Alexia shot another wind blast at Fouquet but the golem intervened, using its arm to absorb the attack. Chunks of rock were shattered but instantly regenerated. The golem marched forward towards Alexia. Alexia backed away as Jack took another pot shot without avail. Jack was finding the inability to do damage frustrating. "I can't hit her!" Fouquet was stuck between choosing one of them. Fouquet settled for Alexia since she wasn't as fast as to Jack.
Jack fired two more rounds before the gun clicked empty. He looked at the battle as he recreated more ammunition. Alexia shot a blast of wind at the leg, taking off half of its original thickness. It didn't impede the golem's movements but it stalled slightly to regenerate again. Alexia was tense at how ineffective their weapons were. Everything looks down to taking Fouquet out of the equation. The problem is that they can't hit her from her perch. Fouquet is a triangle mage, clearly surpassing Alexia's own abilities. Jack is no brawler and cannot engage the golem effectively as well.
"You're not the only one who can shoot from afar!" Fouquet raised her wand. Earth shot up from the ground beside Alexia to form a hand. It swung fluidly and struck her in the left side. Alexia was thrown flying with a scream to crash into the ground. Jack finished reloading and aimed while Fouquet was preoccupied. A second hand appeared in front of Jack and he was forced to dodge. The hand kept attacking, forcing Jack to form a metal buckler to protect against it.
Even so, the attacks didn't let up. It bought enough time for the golem to get close to Jack and attack. Jack had no time to curse as the golem's fist connected with the buckler. The shield shattered and it threw Jack into the air like a paperweight. Alexia, still down called out. "Jack! Are you alright?!" Her wound had reopened, blood dripping from her fingers. She couldn't feel her body but she struggled back up.
Jack was similarly rattled. Jack couldn't feel his arm. He stood up using the other good arm as support. "I'll…be fine for now." He held the revolver in the good hand but something else like a shield is out of the case. Fouquet had a large advantage over them both offensively and defensively. They can't last for much longer. They have to end this fight now!
The last remains of light were snuffed out as the darkness has fully settled in. The solar eclipse has started. Jack has entered overtime. He has only minutes to end this fight, get onto the Zero and fly into the Solar Eclipse. His mind went frantic as Alexia too knew the urgency to end the battle. Fouquet noted the change. "That's interesting. You're running out of time but for what?"
How can we break this thing apart quickly and effectively?! The obvious answer is obvious when he figured out the solution, explosives. He directed, not breaking sight of the golem which started approaching again. "Make a hole in the chest for me. Make it as big as you can. Put in everything you got."
Alexia nodded, understanding the plan without even a word of it mentioned. "Everything or nothing...I like it." She raised her wand to prepare her strongest spell. Fouquet moved to intervene but Jack put himself into a position of threat of attacking Fouquet. He aimed the pistol single handed and fired another few shots.
The rock shield appeared again. Jack charged forward, his right hand glowing as the imagination sets in. A large red stick was completed in his hand. A long copper wire was embedded into the stick. "This is the final step!"
Fouquet countered. "I won't let you work your plans." She raised her wand to cast a spell as the golem raised its left fist for an attack. Jack aimed the revolver at her general direction and fired. It forced the woman to defend herself with another shield. That left the incoming golem strike. He jumped forward and slightly to the left. Jack felt the wind brushing by from the punch. He felt the shockwave from the ground behind him.
Alexia closed her eyes as she concentrated all of her willpower into a single strike. Her hand was losing steadiness. She held onto the wand with both hands as she chanted.
To put an end to this!
Jack rolled under a swing from the large arms. He was now in position. Their words spoke of their resolve.
Wanton destruction and chaos!
She opened her eyes. The spell was excessively eager to be let upon. It was ready.
To return peace to this land!
WE WILL PUT EVERYTHING ON THE LINE!
INTO THIS FINAL STRIKE!
AND WE WILL WIN!
Alexia fired. Jack threw. The compressed blast of wind dug a large hole into the golem's chest. The open injury was regenerated immediately. The bomb flew into the chest and was promptly swallowed within. Jack sent an electrical charge down the wire. The bomb exploded instantly. The explosion burst the entire golem into pieces, creating a dust cloud in the process. Fouquet was thrown a distance, unmoving on landing. Alexia commented as the hot pieces of rock flew by her head. "That is powerful."
Jack, clear from the blast radius explained. "It is Trinitrotoluene, more commonly known as TNT." The dust cloud began to settle. "It is commonly used in…never mind." Jack gave up explaining. He was too tired to go any further. He looked up at the sky to find the Zero. When he saw it, he had to shield his eyes.
At that very instant, the sky above turned pure white. It was bright enough that it would blind if you do not shield your eyes. When the white flash vanished, the Albion fleet could not be seen. The battlefield was deathly silent. The solar eclipse ended as sunlight began its return. The silence was broken by a general. "The Albion fleet has been destroyed!" That sparked a cry of joy from the survivors of the Tristain army.
The remaining Albion troops fled from the battlefield immediately upon seeing the devastation. The regrouped Tristain troops stood fast, refusing to pursue the routed foe in order to tend to their injured and the devastated village. They are in no condition nor do they have any means to pursue airships after all.
The loss however had been staggering. The wounded and dead are numbered at the minimum within hundreds. This also excluded the numbers from the Albion forces. The victors celebrated the return of the banged up Zero fighter. Saito and Louise waved as they landed. Soldiers, both untouched and minorly wounded surrounded the fighter as they reached to a full stop. The Zero was damaged significantly than before. Jack and Alexia were at one of the busy medical stations, checking out their relatively superficial wounds. Seeing the return of the Zero, Jack stood up immediately and started walking to it. Alexia remained settled in her place with a smile. She'll celebrate with them later.
Saito noticed Jack approaching them. The crowd parted as orders were yelled from the nearby lieutenants. "We did it Jack. We stopped them!" Saito beamed. They had won the battle of Tarbes.
Jack did not say a word. Instead, he sent Saito a dangerous glare. Before Saito could react to the expression, his face met with a fist.