Hearts of Darkness - Plague of the Void Seeds / 15

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This is an original, write as I go, Steemit adventure

Post 15

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Present

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The battle for the Southern cities was not going well. The Ziff and Alliance fighters had mounted a heroic defense, but the Void Seeds were simply too many and too strong. The city traps had caused havoc, but the enemy had regrouped and regained the initiative. Finally, before all was lost, the order was given for everyone to pull back into the desert. The South was lost. Transports were in the process of being deployed to collect the survivors.

The Void Seeds allowed the defenders to disengage and proceeded to swarm all over the three intact cities. They drained the shield domes rapidly. As the shields collapsed, the Southern Daxiste-agorian flagship fired two white bone plasma rounds. It was a costly use of their most potent weapon but there was no choice. The Void Seeds, along with every Southern city, were vapourised.

The Alliance could not afford to expend the last plasma rounds. Sserwellia's Northern cities would have to be saved the hard way.

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Present

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Anna’s squads of Hoverflies were proving fairly effective at distracting the Void Seeds on the fringes but they were not inflicting much damage. The human fighters did not have the strength or speed to match the Void Seed in close combat. They had already sustained losses which she was finding difficult to bear.

Ahead, she saw a squad become embroiled within a mass of Void Seeds. They were rapidly being ripped from the Hoverflies and torn apart.

“On me!”

Her squad crashed into the Void Seeds, pushing them back with several of her fighters using the impact and momentum of the Hoverflies to leap onto the chests of a number of Void Seeds. They attempted to plunge their white bone weapons into their chests.

Some of the Void Seed went down, their hearts having been successfully speared, but others remained combat effective. One of her fighters, caught in the grip of a Void Seed, was crushed against it’s chest until his back snapped with a loud crack and blood poured out of his mouth, nose and eyes. The Void Seed’s trumpeting roar proclaimed it’s victory and then it threw the body into another of her fighters, knocking her from her Hoverfly.
Without hesitation, Anna throttled up her Hoverfly and rammed it into the Void Seed. She tried to leap onto it’s chest but her leg became tangled up and she fell to the ground. The Void Seed, smashed one of it’s three, misshapen arms into the Hoverfly which crumpled and cracked down the middle. She looked around and realised that within moments, the two squads would be annihilated.

“Pull back! Pull back!” She cried.

When they saw their commander lying on the ground, a Void Seed bearing down on her, the remaining fighters went into a frenzy, trying desperately to fight their way to her.

“No! Pull…..”

The Void Seed picked her up by one leg and with sickening force, smashed her body into the side of her demolished Hoverfly.

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Present

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Joshua had never been more filled with rage, but something was changing. The initial overwhelming fog seemed to be receding. In it’s place came clarity. He could think. The rage was ever-present, powerful. Yet he could see clearly.

As he ran towards the Void Seeds, he scanned the ground for white bone. It wasn’t long before he spotted a something. He diverted his course towards it and scooped it up. It appeared to be some kind of large, single edged, white bone katana. It would do nicely. He would be more combat effective now.

He reached the Void Seed and took the heads of the first two as he dove between them. Two others charged towards him. He rolled, taking a leg from each, then rammed the katana through each of their backs as they collapsed inwards.

He looked up and saw some of the human Hoverfly fighters mired in a vicious engagement with the enemy. He sprinted towards them. A large Void Seed had a human by the leg. Before he could reach them, the Void Seed brutally slammed her into the side of a busted Hoverfly.

“No!”

Joshua’s katana took the Void Seed’s arm as it was about to slam her a second time. Both arm and body flew up into the air. He spun and rammed the blade into the Void Seed’s heart, spun again and took it’s head. He caught the body before it landed.

Some of the other humans reached them as Joshua was carefully laying the woman down on the ground. They formed a perimeter and one of the fighters called for immediate backup.

“Who is this?” Joshua asked.

“It’s our commander, Anna.” Replied the frantic fighter.

Joshua looked down at the woman. Her injuries appeared to be severe. Joshua was not a medic but he could see she was going to die very soon. Her breathing was very shallow. She had several superficial cuts but the real damage was likely to be internal.

The other Hoverfly squads had begun arriving, desperate to save their commander. They loved her.
In that moment, Joshua made a decision. He took the katana and opened the chest of the Void Seed he’d just killed. He tore out its heart and brought it to Anna’s prone body. He ripped several small chunks off with his teeth.

“What are you doing?!” Shouted an older fighter grizzled hair.

Gary grabbed Joshua’s arm.

“I think it’s the only thing that might save her.” Joshua replied quietly.

Gary looked deeply into Joshua’s eyes. In that instant, Joshua saw the reflection of his own eyes. They were white. Gary’s eyes were full of anguish then acceptance, followed by a grim determination.

“Ok. Do it.”

Joshua began feeding small bits of the Void Seed heart to her, then gently rubbing her throat. Suddenly she arched back then forwards, her eyes wide and wild.

“More!”

She grabbed the heart and began to devour it. Black matter covered her face, mingling with her blood.

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Present

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Gary looked down at Anna, then at Joshua and back to Anna. There was no question she had been at death’s door. He knew it by the terrible throbbing pain in his chest. When she had reared up and begun devouring the heart, he had almost jumped for joy. He didn’t know what was happening, he didn’t care. He loved Anna and she was alive, she had a chance. There was only one thing left to do. Join her in her fate, whatever that may be.

“Our Commander has eaten the heart of a Void Seed. She is alive.”

The fighters all around the perimeter roared their approval.

“Void Seed heart just went on the menu. Every man and woman must decide for themselves, but I will follow Anna in her fate.”

He didn’t hear the response from the human fighters if any. He struggled to the battle front and attacked the first Void Seed that came within reach. It swept him up in a massive arm, so he plunged his white bone knife down into it’s wrist. As he was dropped to the ground, a leg swept out towards him. He spun to the side so that it missed him, then charged in close. He stabbed the inside of it’s legs and up into it’s groin. The Void Seed dropped down and transformed into a something like a bear, flinging him to his back. The Void Seed’s maw closed upon Gary’s shoulder as he thrust the knife into it’s neck. The Void Seed reared back and lifted Gary as he clung to the embedded knife. Then, before he could be dislodged, he rammed the knife deep into it’s chest, over and over.
One of the thrusts must have reach the heart because the Void Seed collapsed onto it’s back. Without stopping, Gary ripped out the heart and began to devour it.