Chương 171: Chapter 169 – By Starlight

A few days later, Cole stood in the portal control room with Moriarty and Director Bricker, watching the techs spin up the Lewis Field generators while the rest of his team waited below in full battle rattle. Even up in the overlook that controlled portal pits 1 & 2, Cole felt his hair start to stand on end as the generators kicked on and the enhancement field in the pit became active. His team straightened up, noticing the enhancements.

"So, how does this work?" asked Cole.

"Divine intervention," said Moriarty.

"We can create a mote here that dangles a line in the Starlit world. Their priests listen for it, commune with us, then stabilize their end with a ritual circle." One of the techs, Holden, tapped at his keyboard.

"Ready to send the signal now," he said.

"Do it, Holden," Director Bricker replied, leaning over and looking at the monitor. A mote of violet light appeared in the center of the pit down below. A few minutes passed, then one of the graphs on the status screen spiked.

"C'mon, you fuckers. Pick up," Moriarty muttered under his breath.

"Receiving a response. Running their voice through the deific filters," said Holden. Below, both Nona and Wayland's heads snapped up, looking around.

"They can hear it?" asked Cole.

"They're deific energy casters," said Bricker. He reached over and switched on the speaker." Are you there, spirits? We of Saltpeak seek communion with Moriarty." Moriarty leaned forward and hit the push-to-talk button on the microphone.

"We hear and acknowledge you, priest. This is Moriarty. What is your name?"" I am Ashfeather, High Priest of He Who Draws Salt from the Earth. We have prepared as you asked, but more of the Thunderwinged come every day. Even now, they attack us! Is the time of deliverance near?" Moriarty grinned and looked at Cole before continuing.

"It is, Ashfeather. I come with great and cunning warriors to strike down the Thunderwinged and aid in He Who Who Calls the North Wind's awakening. Rejoice and prepare to receive us." He clicked off the mic.

"That's the sleeping god's name. They're all whackadoos."

"Easy, son," said Bricker.

"That's one of their gods you're dealing with. The Starlit may be superstitious and desperate, but their priests aren't stupid. I'd wager neither is the bound god of Saltpeak" Moriarty nodded and pressed the mic again.

"Begin the ritual, that we might slay your enemies and pay favor with He Who Draws Salt from Earth."" We shall." Director Bricker's hand landed on Moriarty's shoulder.

"Well done, Moriarty. The technicians will take it from here, so you two head down and bail those priests out. I'll announce when the portal is stable enough for matter transfer. Good luck and good hunting. Bring Ms. Phillips home."

"Thank you, sir," said Cole. Moriarty jerked his thumb towards the stairwell. Cole followed him down and out into the portal pit.

"Condition one!" Cole shouted.

"Ingress point is not secure." His teammates glanced at each other before loading and charging their weapons.

"What are we looking at?" asked Roxy. Moriarty shrugged into his pack.

"If it's got feathers, it's friendly. If it's got scales, shoot it."

"Easy enough," said Besson, closing the top cover on his new machine gun." Cole's weapon woke up as well, stiffening its structure and dangling tentacles towards his vest. Cole gave it a drum and listened to the click-click of it extracting the rounds LouixCorp had delivered with the weapons and armor. The green rounds from the Arrowheads had a toxin affix, and he briefly wondered if that might be harmful to his rifle. His worry vanished when it sent him a ping of satisfaction and an impulse of…

satisfying flavor, maybe? Salsa verde bullets. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Bricker's voice echoed down on the loudspeakers.

"Handshake confirmed, navigable portal opening in ten seconds." The violet mote expanded, turning to a swirling, shimmering disk and a blast of cold air and mist poured out. Cole fixed the strap on his new helmet.

"Roxy, Besson, go. Wayland, Moriarty, on me. Howie, Nona, Alexa, rear guard." Besson whistled. Both Nutmeg and Clove shot forward and leapt into the portal, and Besson himself jumped in right behind them. Roxy was hot on his heels. Cole waited for Wayland.

"Stay close to me, observe, see how we operate. If I take off, stay close to Besson. Follow his orders. Ready?" Wayland took a deep breath.

"Let's get after it, Airborne." Cole clapped his newest teammate on the shoulder and pushed forward into the portal. His world became a swirling sensation of being yanked and spun in a dozen different directions until he felt a force grip him and steady him. Instead of the chaotic rapid eddies of typical portal traversal, this one felt almost guided, welcoming, even. They weren't invading. They were answering a summons from a world that had already stolen one child.

Hard stone flooring hit the bottom of his boots, and he found himself standing within a glowing ritual circle of paint and candles set into the floor of an ornate temple room. The air smelled like ozone and chicken coop, and the frigid air nearly took his breath away. Besson and Roxy had already moved to the door, ignoring the squawks of the Starlit priests supplicated on the floor. Moriarty and Wayland appeared next. Cole pulled them forward to clear the circle so the rest of the team could come through.

Moriarty moved toward the priests.

"Ashfeather," he said, reaching down and touching one on the shoulder.

"Rise. Take me to He Who Draws Salt from the Earth." A bright flash outside a window preceded a roar of thunder that shook the walls and dropped dirt from the rafters. The Starlit priest rose. Just like the pictures, they were slight, avian creatures with grasping hands at the joints of delicate wings. Their mouths were somewhere between a human's and a beak, but their eyes were distinctly predatory, like a raptor's.

"The Thunderwinged come!" the priest shouted. He looked at the circle as the rest of the team appeared.

"If they take the temple, they will kill He Who Draws Salt from the Earth, and the rest of us. These are the warriors of heaven? Please, we have met them in the air but their soldiers descend to the city." Moriarty looked at Cole.

"Airborne?"

"On it," said Cole.

"Howie, Alexa, with me. Nona, stay here with Moriarty and help secure the local god." Another flash and thunderclap shook the temple, and behind it, a deep, reptilian roar. Time to see what they were dealing with. Cole pulled one of the temple adherents to their feet. He was shockingly light.

"Take us outside," he said.

"This way, my lords," The temple itself buzzed with activity, and Cole started to hear the crack of gunfire, not just lightning, from somewhere above. They passed an aid station with wounded temple guards armed with long rifles protecting healers and wounded. The sounds of battle drew closer. All of the guardians, supplicants, and priests in the temple stopped to stare at Cole and his team, and especially at the dogs and Archie. Cole supposed they must look pretty strange to bird people.

"There, my lords!" said their guide, pointing at a wooden barricade blocking an otherwise open access. Maybe the temple had needed no doors before.

"Beyond that threshold, the Thunderwinged descend upon the valley." Cole waved his team on, and several of the Starlit hauled back on the barricade, rolling it to the side to make way. Roxy and Besson pushed through and cleared each side.

"Clear left," said Roxy.

"Clear right!" Cole had to duck to fit under the crossbeam. When he straightened on the other side, he got a full view of the battle taking place. The temple stood on the edge of a rise overlooking a sprawling Starlit city that filled a valley between two steep, forested inclines. In the air above the valley, sinuous forms twisted, lit only by a sun so dim Cole could still make out the stars near to noon.

Occasionally, one of the shapes spit a blast of lightning at small flying aircraft maneuvering between the tall towers of the city. Beyond, Cole could see the sheer edge of the floating island, and far beyond that, what looked like a distant mountain suspended in the air. Several of the temple guard hunkered in cover behind the stone walls at the edge of the plaza. Others aimed rifles down over the top, cracking off shots at targets moving below. Some of them started to notice Cole and the others.

"Warriors from Heaven!" some of them started to shout. Roxy scowled.

"I don't like that," she said.

"Me either," said Cole.

"Howie, get that mortar set up. It sounds like we've got incoming. And—" he raised his voice as his eyes caught a flash of starlight off teeth and talons.

"Cover!" he shouted, pulling Wayland down with him behind the wall. A roar and a blast of lightning scoured a stone structure just a hundred yards away and a pair of massive forms swept a few hundred meters directly overhead, leaving a vortex of frigid air as they passed and a crack like a giant bull whip as broad wings snapped in the air. Two small Starlit aircraft chased it on strange, pinkish contrails, guns blazing.

Several of the temple guards aimed their rifles up in the air, but there was no way their shots would bring the thing down. Each dragon was at least the size of a C-130, with wings that must have been fifty meters tip-to-tip.

"Is it too late to change my mind about the dragons?" shouted Howie. Despite himself, Cole barked a laugh.

"Just focus on the level-up when you bring one down." One of the temple guards pointed up.

"Praetor, Dragonguard!" he shouted, just before a snap choked off his words. The guard dropped to the stone. Cole looked up, eyes widening.

"Contact high! Enemy paratroopers!"