Chapter 203: Eagle attack on Fortress Four.
Nimo could not think straight. Her mind had just one thought, and it was to save her brother. And this time, she would not risk anyone’s life. She would head out on her own with a dragonoid and stand by her brother’s side.
Together, they would set the birds on fire.
Sunshine moved to stand before her, stopping her from leaving.
The action had some people gasping silently. Those who did not gasp held their breath as they looked on tensely. It was well known that Sunshine and Nimo were best friends. They had also gone outside the wall with a group of soldiers, risking their lives to find Alfred.
Now that the same man for whom they risked their lives was here, would Sunshine really stop Nimo from saving him?
What would that mean for their friendship?
Nimo was wondering the same thing as some of the people that were watching them. Would Sunshine stop her from saving her brother?
Sunshine already knew what questions people had or what assumptions some of them were making. But she did not care. Her sole focus was her friend. "Listen Nimo....."
"Not you too." Nimo jumped in, voice raised to match her rising blood pressure and panic. "Suni that is Alfred. He is my brother. He is your friend, your ex-boyfriend. Even if you two are not close anymore, how can you let him die out there without doing anything to save him? I can do it on my own. I am not going to make anyone risk their lives. I am going out alone. If we survive, then you can open the gates for us."
Sunshine rolled her eyes. "You really have no faith in me Neems and that stings a little. Who said anything about leaving him out there? Your brother is my brother; I would follow you to the end of the world to save him. Not for me but for you. I am stopping you because we you need to think rationally. Rushing outside in an emotional state is neither good for Alfred nor you."
Sunshine motioned for Nimo to exhale and inhale. "I have a plan, but we need to work together to pull it off_all of us!" She looked at each one of them. "I will personally lead the rescue mission."
Sunshine’s words were the law on the base. If she said open the gates, none of them could oppose it. At the end of the door, she owned the gates anyway.
Hadrian arched an eyebrow. "I cannot support that. A while ago, Nimo said that we cannot save those people because it’s a risk to the base." He said, a sarcastic laugh came from him. "And now because her brother is out there, we should risk it all? Sunshine, you are a mother now and a wife. Your decisions need to be weighed carefully."
"Hadrian has a point." Dwayne broke the silence. "I can go and we can send out others, not..."
Nimo’s fingers traced the back of her dagger, ready to fight anyone that would stand in her way. "I do not have time for this..." She screamed.
Every second that passed, her brother’s life was being risked. If he died while she was standing here arguing about her words, she would regret it her entire life.
"Alfred is family too, Hadrian. We save him no matter what Nimo’s former opinion was. Anyway, the decision to open the gates or not was never hers or yours. It is mine and Hades’s. I believe that Hades will agree with me on this. Grab the dragonoids, we bring him in alive." Sunshine’s voice was loud and final.
Nimo was shocked. They never used dragonoids around the watchers. She had been planning to use one and apologize to Sunshine later, if she survived death by eagles.
Sunshine saw the surprise in her friend’s eyes, and she said, "I did not want to use the dragonoids out here because the watchers are learning each defense tactic that we use or expose. But....the situation is different now. If we don’t save those people, they will all die. Alfred saved them for a reason. We are not just saving him but them as well."
Communications passed through walkies-talkies and a team was assembled quickly. The same team which went to search for Alfred plus a few others like Dwayne and Hadrian.
The team was armed, and they drove out in one large truck. As soon they reached within walking distance of the survivors from city hall, some soldiers started screaming for them to get in the truck.
Others set out to help the struggling survivors that were being swallowed by the snow.
Dragonoids roared fire to life furiously like mother dragons whose eggs had been stolen. With a hiss, they unleashed jets of fire aimed at the sky where the eagles were flying in circles, screeching fiercely like they owned the sky.
One eagle was burned around the neck, and the screeching became mournful as it flew further up, desperate to escape.
The watcher birds stood up, shaking snow from their bodies. Their eyes were no longer focused on the people and more on the weapons in the hands of the soldiers.
One watcher went as far as to fly up and place itself before the glowing orange fire to test its might. It did not live to tell the others the results of its findings as it dropped to the ground, barbecued to medium rear.
Four eagles had come to attack, one was dead in the snow, dark like charcoal. One was injured badly and two were still trying to attack.
The firestorm bought them time, enough for them to save some people. Some of the survivors hid in the truck while most poured into the open gates, stepping on those that fell, it was everyone for themselves.
"What a selfish bunch!" Someone muttered.
The creatures however were not done, they quickly learned how to dodge the fire, and move more strategically. They twisted in the air, wings unfurling in unnatural angles to dodge the flames. They circled wide and dove low, forcing the soldiers to dive. They were clever like predators on a mission to catch the prey.
Sunshine’s icicle fell from the sky and pinned one to the ground. Two more were added, passing through the eagle’s body like a knife in butter.
One of the eagles, was trying to enter the gates, forcing the soldiers to dodge by spinning and clawing at the air.
Morris stepped out, blocking its path. He morphed into his giant form and caught it by the neck. With unnatural strength, he pressed hard with his bare hands. This did not just stun the eagle which started to flap desperately but the people as well.
"Go! go!" Morris’ voice sounded outwardly.
Nobody understood what Morris was saying until they saw the villagers of Stone village springing into action.
Suddenly, there was another reason for their jaws to drop.