Fragmented Deamone [Heaven’s Curse, #0]: Prologue

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Gothalia Ignatius-Valdis regarded the soldiers before her deep in thought. She knew why they were on the lands of the Earth Reserve, but she couldn’t begin to describe the danger she felt clinging to the air around them. No one spoke of it, and she knew why. They were risking their lives for this country at the General’s order, that bloomed in black smoke silenced by death and uncertainty.

Gothalia observed the environment around her, sensing the danger and the unsteadiness of the terrain, but not once did she glance in the direction of where she knew the danger would be. It was strange; she was certain that the enemy was close, but how close? She didn’t know.

She felt the horse shift beneath her as she rode. She patted it, calming the mare, before her gaze drifted to Danteus in front of her with Asashin and Altair on either side of him. Beside her were Demetria and Leviathan, their posture tight with tension as they waited for the order. The order they all dreaded.

Causally, Gothalia cast her gaze over her shoulder at the rear squad behind her, where the other Centurions, including the faces of Anton and Maximus glowed. They watched her with worry and tightly clenched jaws, dressed in black and silver heavily armoured uniforms, like the others. Discreetly, she gently nodded towards them and held their gaze for a moment before turning her attention forward, forcing her posture straight. Almost desperate to remove the weight she felt seep into her bones.

Her mind recounted the events from within the simulation a month ago. Between now and then, it wasn’t easy to accept what had caused L’Eiron and Anaphora fear and why her people were inside the Fire Reserve as either a bargain or as a shield. From whom, Gothalia had no idea. Her gaze drifted to the back of Altair’s head, wondering if he knew who the Grand Elders feared, even if they hadn’t make it known.

He was more a Deamone than she was. At the thought of it, a sudden sadness gripped her. How much of her ancestry did she know? The answer: very little.

Gothalia shook her head, pushing the thoughts aside. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. They had a mission to complete. They needed to focus on the present. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill her lungs before letting it out slowly.

“Move out,” she said, her voice steady and commanding. Her small unit of Centurions moved forward in time with the unit and another Lieutenant ahead of her. All of them led by their specific Squadron Commanders.

As they rode, Gothalia couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. She knew they were heading into dangerous territory and would face many challenges along the way, but she also knew that they were prepared for whatever laid ahead.

Hours passed, and the sun began to set on the horizon. The Centurions rode on, their eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger in the eerie quiet landscape. The only sounds that were present were the soft rustling of the wind against the trees, the hooves of the horses as they trotted, the hum of the energetic vehicles as they glided over the earth and the rattle of armour as it shifted with their movements.

Finally, they reached their destination.

The gates of the Earth Reserve loomed before them. Its towering walls shot high into the artificial sky.

Gothalia felt a sense of dread wash over her as she gazed upon it. She knew they were in for a fight, but she also knew that they had to do whatever it took to rescue their people.

Gothalia glanced at a Centurion beside her who nodded. They rode towards the entrance of the Earth Reserve, their weapons ready. The moved closer to the gates. The Commanders leading. Until they paused. They scanned their environment for aliens and other threats as they observed the large open gates. No sight of any Excelians.

Unease washed over Gothalia.

It was too quiet and it was too easy.

She signaled for the Centurions to proceed with caution, as they moved further into Earth Reserve territory. As they made their way deeper into the Reserve, they saw no sign of their people and the people of this town. The buildings were empty. Abandoned.

Gothalia’s mind worked to make sense of everything. Had the Excelians moved their people to another location? Was this a trap of some kind? Or were they all dead?

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocketed the ground beneath them, and Gothalia felt her horse rear up in fear. Quickly, she regained control and looked around, trying to locate the source of the explosion.

In the distance, she saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky. Without hesitation, she signaled for the Centurions to follow her as they rode towards the smoke avoiding the onslaught of large foreign projectiles.

Gothalia felt a chill run down her spine as she met the gaze of the Xzandian pilot before her arming the mechanical creature. She had never seen anything like it before. Its cold eyes burned with an intensity that made her feel as though they were piercing her soul. She felt the danger. It was analysing her.

Immediately, she ordered her section to ready themselves, and countered the attack, before facing a mechanical animal towering over them—watching and waiting. Analysing them. In seconds, they avoided more projectiles until the projectiles halted. She knew her squad sensed the danger and saw of the alien pilot that lay ahead. It’s eyes on them.

The creature released a deafening roar, and Gothalia felt the ground shake beneath her horse as the machine charged. As such, she knew that they had to act fast if they were to have any chance of defeating it. She raised her sword, ready to strike then re-sheathed it. She needed to move. Leaping from her horse, the creature lunged at them, and the others followed. The horses ran out of the way as ordered. Light energetic tracks summoned by technology laid before Gothalia’s section as she and the others ran above the other Centurions at the front of the guard and leapt over the machine netting it with digital technology—slowing its assault. Gothalia conveyed that her section separate their forces once they returned to the ground.

Immediately, Danteus urged Leviathan’s and Demetria’s squads to spring into action. Their tactic, she noticed, was to surround the mechanical alien and the Xzandian Serfs.

Surround them, they did.

Gothalia watched as the Centurions sprang into action their weapons clashing against the creature’s metal armour while eliminating the Serfs. Explosions permeated the battlefield as fire utilisers and earth utilisers attacked and countered. The battle was fierce.

The Serfs numbers dwindled.

As they fought, Gothalia noticed something strange about the machine. It was powered by sound. Under the wave of coordinated attacks by her section and others, the mechanics of the machine started to weaken. She communicated with Danteus and informed him of the power source.

Once the energy source was dissolved by a single shot from Leviathan and the others, the front assault unit eliminated the Xzandian pilot and the machine. The creature fell to the ground defeated as the energy source exploded, eliminating the remaining Serfs.

After some time, the surviving Centurions continued further into the Earth Reserve on foot.

Gothalia felt a sense of frustration wash over her. They had come so far, and yet they still had no idea where the people of this Reserve were being held, if they were still alive. They needed a plan.

Instead, each minor section regrouped outside one of the buildings. The other Lieutenants lingered at the other end, opposite their squad members not too far from a Squadron Commander and Commander, as she knew he spoke to the other Squadron Commanders and a Peon Lieutenant above them.

Gothalia called for a meeting with Leviathan and Demetria. All of equal rank. They huddled together, discussing their next move.

“We need to find out where they’re keeping the survivors as the others are,” Gothalia said, her voice firm. “We’ve searched every building, in this region and there’s still no sign of them.”

Demetria nodded in agreement. “We need to gather more information and find someone who can confirm whether they’re alive or not and most importantly where they’re being held. The question remains is it wise to move further inland.”

Leviathan spoke up. “We split up and search this surrounding area. Maybe someone can help. That is if it’s what they propose.”

Gothalia nodded. “If we’re given the all-clear we can. Be careful. We don’t know what kind of traps they might have set up, and we need to inform the Squadron Comm—.” In seconds, her words were silence by another wave of energy soaring through the air and the death of the Centurions. They were no longer in the clear.