Book 2, Chapter 86 - The Dark Atom Invasion (2/2)

“We were going to leave a few of you alive so you could recover your clan, survive out here in the forest. Now that you’ve chosen annihilation, I’ll make sure you get what you deserve.”

From the first word to the last – no more than a few seconds – eight more sweepers were slain. Each one was cut down without a struggle.

Blackfang understood the language of his oppressors. Survive? Recover? What a joke! Could that sort of life be called surviving? What purpose would recovering serve?

In the eyes of the elysians, his people were treated worse than livestock! From the beginning Blight-tooth Clan kept to itself and lives in harmony with their surroundings. They had no interest in ever leaving the forest, but the elysians gave them no chance at a quiet life of freedom. They came and destroyed the paradise they’d built for themselves.

It was them who invaded their land. Them who imprisoned and enslaved his people. Over a decade of living in squalor, a fate worse than death. Was this the benevolence of the elysians?

Even as he bemoaned their fate, Blackfang watched the valley’s soldiers closing in. Only a handful of his people were still breathing.

But ahead… ahead there was light. The world beyond Deadwood Forest – a place even the devils who chased him wouldn’t dare follow.

Blackfang knew he wasn’t strong enough to stand against the sword-wielding instructor. Much less break free from the elysians once he was surrounded. There it was, the road of freedom stretching out before his eyes… but it may as well have been as untouchable as the sky.

“Blackfang!”

He turned his head toward the sound, a group of his clansmen. If they were still alive it meant they had to be what remained of his most elite warriors. He could see in their eyes that they knew what fate had in store. There was no fear in them, just faith and determination.

Blackfang said nothing. He read the meaning in their eyes.

The remaining riders stopped suddenly by pulling hard on their mounts’ reigns. They turned, facing the soldiers coming hot on their heels. With weapons raised high, they shouted at their foes at the top of their lungs.

“Blight-tooth forever! Freedom forever!”

Wild shouts rang out at the riders charged into the overwhelming enemy forces. They were quickly buried beneath the tide of steel and iron.

Hot tears burned paths down Blackfang’s face. It was the last opportunity, gifted to him by the last of his people. The chance at freedom.

The hazy light of the wastelands inched closer.

A shadow swept up beside him, too fast for Blackfang to react. A ruthless slice caught him at the waist and cut him all the way through. Like a butterfly without its wings he tumbled through the air until the ground came up to meet him. Still he didn’t stop. Without a mount he would run, without legs he could crawl. Inch by inch he clawed his way out of the forest.

He felt the scorching hot sun on his back, and with fumbling hands drew out the fangs he’d taken from his chief. Blackfang thrust them into the dirt, then rolled himself over. He took deep, greedy breaths – his first breaths of free air – and stared at the endless expanse of blue sky above. Fifteen years he’d lived, each one in darkness, never leaving the gloomy canopy of Deadwood Forest. He never imagined the sky would look so beautiful.

And then he died.

***

As Cloudhawk walked through the corpse-strewn paths of the forest he came across the upper half of Blight-tooth clan’s last leader. The last vestiges of this intelligent sweeper colony had been wiped out.

They’d been the victims from the beginning, fighting against cruel captivity. All they wanted was freedom, but time and fate conspired to keep them from it. Fighting against destiny in today’s day and age was an act of self-absorbed defiance that could only end one way.

These pitiful natives were no threat to the elysians, so why did they have to be obliterated? Was it merely the will of their gods? Just because they said that elysians and wastelanders could not coexist? What sort of god would demand such a thing?

Cloudhawk felt pity for these resentful souls. He felt not even a shadow of respect for the gods who did this to them.

This was how it was, this is how it is, and this is how it will be. Whatever miracles they provided, whatever nourishment they produced, however many faithful they delude, however strong they may be… Cloudhawk’s hatred for these beings and his doubt for their motives ran deep. Down in his soul he knew the gods were not here to save the world. They gathered up the ones they thought were worthy and created this pocket of plenty, this so-called ‘domain’. Wasn’t it just another sort of captivity? Cloudhawk didn’t know the whole story, but he was convinced that only humanity had the capacity to save itself. And the only way to do that was through strength.

Instructor Cutter shouted out his orders. “Send out teams to sweep the forest. Don’t let a single little minnow slip the net.”

No sooner did he make the call than a loud explosion erupted from the distant valley. Faces immediately darkened. What was happening? More explosions followed on the heels of the first, several in a row like bombs being dropped. The distinct pop of firearms followed.

Dark Atom’s assault on Hell’s Valley had begun.