Chapter 13 THIRTEEN

Ken super sped in under a second before the missile hit the ground.

The force of the explosion sent two bergons flying. But thanks to their wings, they regained control before they could land. Hard. Leo fired another missile to the first bergon Ken was trying to kill. It hit the ground next to it but it escaped in the next millisecond before explosion. The fourth flew towards Leo. He switched to bullets and began to shoot. Fifteen bullets per second. Yet it flew unperturbed. Each bullet heating it felt like sand particles.

It got close to it.

And swiped.

With a claw half the length of the jet.

It struck the side and scraped off all the conversion plating on that side. It swiped again but Leo fired a missile at the exact moment.

That was both useful and useless.

It flew into the bergon’s half opened mouth and exploded.

The result was that it sent Leo flying to one direction with no control and the Bergon flying to the opposite. He crashed into a tree and caught fire. Thankfully, he configured his hand to an extinguisher and stopped it.

Leo returned to his normal configuration. This time, with his entire back scraped off.

Ken was still on the ground with the three other bergons, dodging, sprinting and firing.

He saw Leo fall almost a mile from where he was standing. He raced over to help him.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asked, helping him up.

“Yeah I think” His voice was shaky. “Just some injuries.”

“That's a lot. My God. How did that happen?” Ken asked when he saw the abrasion on his back.

“It's fine. I can still fight. Let's focus.”

They turned back to the bergons which had all disappeared. There was no single trace.

The sky had suddenly become darker. The three suns were positioned in a triangular fashion and glowing blood red.

“She is here.” AIDEN said.

“Dude what is going on with you? Why do you keep turning off and on?” Ken asked with his inner voice.

“I apologize. It is the frequency the bergons were receiving. It was stronger this time.”

“Because I am here.”

They wheeled but there was no one there. Leo was perplexed. But Ken knew that voice and that the statement was a continuation of his conversation.

“Show yourself coward,” Ken snarled.

She laughed mockingly.

“You are not worthy to behold my presence mortal.” Her voice echoed as she talked.

“You think you are capable because I let you kill a bergon.” Not a question.

She appeared, latched on to Ken and her hands drifting over him. Leo bolted upright. But Ken remained still, trying to hide his fear, though he was shaking within. Her drifting hands stopped at his chest. “That's right. Give it to me.”

He spun around like lightning and pushed her off. She stood almost immediately and evoked a blast that dashed him on a pole.

She then slithered closer slowly.

He saw her fully for the first time. She looked almost like Medusa as he had always heard but was more frightening.

Her head was filled with serpents that grew further scalp.

Every part of her body except her head and forelimbs were covered in orange scales. She had no legs. They were replaced by a long tail that started from her waist, down to the tip as a continuation of her body. Parts of her arm like the shoulder had pointed edges and patches of scale. Her digits were fused into two long claws. She had two fangs that extended when needed and was constantly hissing.

“So you abomination of science, think you are worthy to see me?” She spat.

“Hanakem!”

~•~

Dave was sitting in his office looking at the navigators. His second was organizing the A-band in the training grounds. The red dots had increased to eight toward the East. And there was still one dot

om the North of the camp.

“More soldiers are needed in the North.” He stood and paced about his office. Worried for what that one dot was.

On the main battle field, the Z-band elites were being beaten to pulp. Mark and his three friends had been frozen by the bergon. He knew it but couldn't do anything. He tried to heat up and melt it off but it was extremely thick.

Worse of it all, the other soldiers were preoccupied with fighting and took no cognizance of them.

He watched as the bergon leapt over them and landed in front. It locked eyes with Sky. He shrieled through the mind link. “Guys! Can anyone help?” But all nearby soldiers were dead and only Mark and his other friends were close by.

Mark joined in. “Please let someone help us.” Their frequency was too low to be heard by anyone beyond three feet.

The Bergon charged at sky. It lunged forward. Sky was still screeching through the mindlink. Then it vaulted and crushed the ice.

Parts of sky scattered in different ice pieces. His blood could not even spread properly.

Edna was trying to yelp but you can't when you are inside a block at minus zero degrees.

“God please help me,” she cried within her.

As though it heard her, the monster faced her next. It brushed some dirt off the ground and lunged. The next few seconds were the worst for Edna. She watched it run, then jump. Fell. About to crush her and all her ambition.

Then it happened.

A humongous slab hit it mid air and knocked it a few feet away from her. Then it smashed its head and did not even let the bits scatter properly.

Out stepped Jethro.

He had been hiding behind a tree. Too scared to fight. Edna had been the one reassuring and motivating him. He thought he could not face the bergons but when he saw Edna about to die, he had no choice but to summon courage.

He melted the ice and the three remaining people stepped out, wet from bergon ice.

“Thank you Jethro.” Edna said. ‘I knew you could do it.”

She smiled. The other guys shook his hand instead. Too cold to speak.

They carried the blocks of ice containing parts of Sky and set it up somewhere farther from the fighting area. He would be buried later.