Chapter 42
After Contegons Fresh and Element relayed what Fresh found in the forests, Contegon Protect doubled the number of Contegons at local towers: a precautionary move, perhaps to mollify those two and the dozen others restless warriors. Not that Element cared for the reasoning: she was just happy to be active.
Fresh and Element were given the towers nearest Tenth. Miles apart, Element could just about see Fresh across the sloped grassland. She hoped Fresh’s Contegon was as fearsome and boisterous as Plug Divine, with her enormous muscles threatening to burst from her robes and a huge, broad axe on her shoulder. The woman had welcomed Element like a sister, laughing and cheerful.
Carrying something so heavy as that axe should have been a burden, but Divine barely seemed to notice it. “This old thing?” she'd said when Element asked, jerking an oak-coloured thumb at the axe. Her grin, never far away, flashed as she spoke. “This is my faith: it's always there, but I only notice it when I need it.”
Divine ran her Shields through practice exercises as Element kept watch, taking advantage of another Contegon covering her vigil. The Contegon’s 'faith' lay to one side so she could dodge her cadre's attempts to injure her. When Element looked down, Divine was doing a better job of being a Disciple than the monsters ever could.
Disciples. Element shuddered. Would she get to see one? She hoped not, she hoped that every Disciple had destroyed itself in some great civil war... but parts of her wanted to see their golden armour, hear that terrifying movement. Those monsters killed her family, destroyed her home: though it led to her current Station, what the beasts did made her soul burn. She wanted to repay their evil.
Below her, the Shields continued struggling to match Divine. The match was unfair, but it represented the mismatch between a normal person and a Disciple: almost all would fail in that fight. Even a Contegon shorn of their Baptism would lose. Only the Acolytes stood a real chance.
Like Snow. Element sighed, happier for thinking about him. He had grown so much. It was wonderful to see, but it put such distance between them... Not that she harboured much hope: Snow must see her as the girl with the sodden blanket, a thin and starving weakling. The difference between then and now, the power she'd gained, would mean nothing in his heart. Her placement proved that: if he'd thought her alluring, he would have kept her in New Call. Damn the politics, or her career, he would've kept her close.
Really, he'd done the right thing. Even if there had been some spark between them, having it ignite would complicate the life of someone responsible for protecting the entire of Geos. And encouraging it at the expense of his Front would be an act of Lun. As far as she could see, the tiny towers dwindling away into the horizon, were under his command. He wouldn't want to damage that, or waste time doing all the things that people do when they're in love...
Not that Element had much experience in that realm. There had been flings, mostly notable for their transience, but nothing more. It was sad, for her and the young men who'd taken an interest, that her heart had never been available: Snow had taken it years ago and didn't even know that he had it.
Element shook away her mooning and melancholy. That was not Contegon behaviour. She tutted at herself and returned to scanning the eastern horizon slowly, watching the forest for any movement.
After half an hour, Contegon Divine called up, “Are you seeing anything, Elemental?”
“Nothing,” she replied, smiling at her nickname. “It's quiet as a Doctor's banquet.”
Divine laughed, a deep and throaty sound. “Is that a Call saying?”
“I suppose so. It was just something my Dad used to say.”
“I can see what he meant.” Divine clambered up the tower. Her umber skin glistened with sweat. “Doctors aren't keen on sharing, not when they think something might make their reputation.”
Element shrugged. “I don't know. It's just a phrase.”
“Keep using it. Maybe you'll make it stick with my cadre,” Divine replied, slapping her shoulder. “It'd be funny to see Boy's face when one says it to–”
Divine was interrupted by the pop of a firework. They both span: Fresh's tower had fired off a red firework. Metal on metal, people screaming, reached her when Element cupped a hand to her ear.
“What do we do?” Element asked.
“A red firework means we support them.” Divine leant over the tower and called to her cadre, “You saw that. Gather your things and prepare for a sprint. Contegon Wing needs our help.”
They climbed down from the tower, leaving the youngest Shield – a tiny girl, bald with pale skin – to guard the tower. The Brawler Shields were prepared in seconds: every day, they practised this mobilisation, racing to dress in full armour and have their weapons primed. This work was paying off now.
Element felt guilty: she had hoped to see Disciples, and Lun had granted her desire.
“Alright,” Divine said as she climbed down. “Watch yourselves and each other. Mind Contegon Insight if she has any orders, sees anything I don't, am I understood?”
“Yes, sire,” the Shields called back: men and women, tall and short, united by fear and Sol.
Divine nodded. “We run for the tower. Move.”
The Shields were so well-drilled that Element struggled to keep up with their pace. That proved to be a blessing, as catching up distracted her from worrying about Fresh. It took fifteen minutes to get to the tower. Element sweated profusely, her throat burned from panic for her friend.
“What are they?” one Shield asked. “They look like dogs.”
The remains of Contegon Wing's cadre were spread around the tower: a horror show of dismemberment, blood dripping from every surface. Three forms moved amidst the gore, sleek, scaled, prowling like cats. Two superfluous legs hung from their sides as the things knelt to chew another person.
“Get down,” Divine whispered. “They've not seen us, whatever they are, and they are upwind.”
The cadre flattened themselves against the grass. Element joined them, scanning the remains for white robes. There were no signs of her friend so far.
“Lun, fucking Lun,” a broad, tall Shield with a hairlip hissed. “What are they?!”
Element tightened her grip on her sword. “Those are Disciple creations.”
“What makes you so sure?” Divine asked.
“Do you think wild creatures could kill a cadre and two Contegons?”
Divine pointed to the tower. “They didn’t. Can’t you see?”
Element followed her fellow’s direction to a pile of white robes atop the tower. Of course! Someone had set the firework off, so a wounded Contegon must have made it up there and collapsed shortly after.
“We must get to them,” Element said.
“Agreed. And I also agree that these lions must be Disciple creations: Contegon Protect was right to send you out here.” Divine turned to her cadre, her expression pained. “We've no training on this, so rely on your instincts. Cover each other. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Expect surprise and vicious tactics.”
“Yes, sire,” the Shields whispered in unison.
“Element and I will lead the charge. Follow us and survive.”
With that, Divine pulled her Baptism from her robes, then nodded for the attack to begin. Element couldn't draw her Baptism whilst holding her weapons, but she charged with the cadre and her colleague.
The lions – Fresh's term stuck in her mind – saw the advancing warriors and tensed. They were silver monsters with sharp white teeth and pale green eyes. The lion at their head was the largest, its two extra legs thick and functional. It growled at the others, set them charging with feline grace and raw power.
With a grunt, Divine hefted her Baptism and struck one between the eyes. It burst with a horrible hiss. The beast howled as its scales and green eyes started to liquefy. The other lion came at Divine to avenge its mewling, fallen comrade, leapt at where she had been a moment before.
“I'm going for the leader,” Divine roared
, racing past her attacker.
“I'll take this beast,” Element replied, stopping.
She faced the lion, which skidded as it landed. Its eyes flashed. It screeched at her. Element had grown in cities, but she recognised a challenge when she saw it. “Come, you monster,” she shouted, smacking the butt of her sword against her shield. “Let's see what Lun has to show for his work.”
The lion’s powerful paws pounded the bloody earth. Element secured her footing. They clashed with ferocious force. Element thought her arm would break under the blow, but it held as she repelled the beast.
She swung her sword at the lion but it lowered its head, preventing a lethal blow. Element learned what the extra legs were for when the creature reared up, its back curving grossly, and used them for support as its forepaws raked at her. Serrated claws narrowly caught her robes, tearing strips from them.
Element ducked one blow, parried another, and rolled under its reach. She tried to chop into the beast's flank, but her sword just scraped against the thick scales. The beast dropped back down and rounded her, tried to strike at her back, but Element was constantly moving and it missed.
This beast had a fantastic cunning, though: it raised its back legs to trip her as she tried to round it again. Element stumbled and fell, landing awkwardly on her front. She immediately rolled to one side, slightly winded, avoiding a pounce from the clever beast.
She tried to stand and the beast bowled her over and stood over her. Its claws pierced her robes, pinning her to the ground. Believing it had her at a disadvantage, the beast reared up and roared triumphantly.
“Foolish thing,” Element hissed.
She reached for the Baptism on her belt and threw it into the creature's face, striking the thing's open maw. Acid sprayed across its mouth and tongue, melting everything it met. Which, owing to her positioning, included her, consuming her robes just as easily as flesh.
The beast backed away as though to avoid the inevitable death. Element used the space to scramble up and pull her robes and armour off. She wasn't quick enough: drips of her Baptism ate away at her stomach. She screamed, panicked that she would be eaten through as well. Fortunately, only minor drips had made it through her clothing, and she would only be scarred.
Gritting her teeth, she turned to Divine, whose 'faith' was buried deep in the large cat's head. Blood dripped from deep claw marks across her arms and stomach and five of her cadre were in pieces. There was no smile on her face, no triumph.
Element checked that the lion she fought was definitely dead before gingerly picking up her sword and stumbling over to the tower.
“Are you okay?” Divine asked, holding her gut tightly.
“I survived.”
“You weren't the only one,” Divine replied, pointing to the tower.
Element looked up and saw Fresh looking down. Her face was pale, slack, but she was definitely awake and alive.
“Praise Sol,” Element whispered.