A Paradox in Retrograde (46 page)

"The last thing that I remember was that I was returning to my
post. When I turned the corner I met up quite suddenly with a
couple of old acquaintances. Before I could unstrap my weapon,
they were on me. I felt a sharp thud and that was it, lights out.
Ibsen this is turning out to possibly be the worst day ever."

Just then Xora returned. Seeing him there again awake she lowered down at Lex's feet a pair of burlap bags. Lex looked up at
her and asked, "What have we got here then?"

She responded with a broad smile then said, "Have a look for
yourself, you're the expert." Though still shaken from his ordeal
he was intrigued. He looked in the bag and the expression on his
face had changed suddenly from one of defeat to hope. "It looks
as though you've managed to secure a number of rather odd looking pistols." He lifted one out from the bag and gave it a close
inspection. It was different from anything he had before seen.
Between the barrel and the trigger mechanism was a cylinder. He
instinctually hit the button on the stock and the cylinder rolled
out of alignment and clear from the barrel. The cylinder itself had
six identical shafts that ran through its form. There loose in the
bottom of the bag were hundreds of metallic cylinders all exactly
uniform in dimension. Their form seemed to correspond with
the shafts bore into the large cylinder. "I've never seen anything
like it. You say you found this in here?"
"Yes that's right."

A small voice from behind them sounded. It was Ibsen and what
he had to say surprised them. "I know how to work them." He
stepped forward and reached into the sack removing on of the
smaller cylinders. They watched as he placed it into the empty
shaft on the larger cylinder. He gave it a turn and filled the next.
Before long he filled all six and secured the cylinder back into the
frame of the gun. "Now you cock the hammer, aim and pull the
trigger. The next round then rotates into the firing position." They
were both amazed at the knowledge possessed by one so young.
They looked at each other perplexed. They agreed by some form
of non-verbal communication that Xora should ask him how he
knew so much. "Well Ibsen, that some good news. I'd like to
know however how you came to know these things. "

"Well I've spent a lot of time wandering these halls. As my father
is The Colonel of the Guard I have spent many an hour exploring
among these rooms. The guards are used to having me around. It
would be nothing at all for me to follow someone into a room and
disappear. It was like a game to me. These guns I've seen before.
My father says they are experimental and not yet inproduction.
He said they'll cost too much."

Xora helped Lex to his feet. He was a bit wobbly at first, but soon
regained his steady composure. The blood from the injury to his
head had stopped flowing and he was ready for a little payback.
"These little things should even up the playing field a bit. Come
on let's load up on these bullets and grab a few guns we'll go get
them before they get us."

As they each began to gather the weapons together .Lex took note
of Ibsen doing the same and did not approve. "Oh no you don't
young man, you've gotten me into enough trouble today; you're
going to stay right here out of sight till this thing blows over. Do
you hear me?"

Ibsen stopped momentarily and said, "No I don't think I'm going
to do that. As soon as you leave I'll be following you. I'm not going to stay here all alone. I won't let you."

Xora and Ibsen looked at each other. They knew there was probably nothing they could do to stop him. Xora said tentatively,
"Alright Ibsen you win this one. But I' going to need you to stay
close to me. Your father would never forgive us if anything were
to happen to you. Is that a deal?"

By now the two teams led by Landaus and Grunhuf were making
their way up one of the stairwells when they came upon a group
of perhaps ten warriors. They turned to the humans like wolf to
its prey and descended upon them with swords and axes raised in
carnal intent. Just as they had drilled so many times before the
guardsmen instinctively formed a line on the platform where the
impromptu skirmish had developed. It now would form their fortress to defend with their lives if necessary. The action had unfolded so quickly that there had been no time for orders. Within
meters of their human prey the warrior encountered a withering
rain of musket fire. Their aim was true and the armor was no
match for steel shot at such proximity. The bulletstore flesh and
broke bone in a tremendous flash of flame and smoke. A mist of
blood tainted the air mixing with the notes of sulfur let loose by
the staccato of gun fire. The dead and mortally wounded fell forward of their own momentum, while still others pushed forward
to face the long steel blades before them. Time seemed to stop as
with each thrust and parry of their weapons as therush of adrenaline coursing through their bodies spurred them on. By the time
the warriors were among them on the platform, only two of them
remained alive. In hand to hand combat however they were formidable. They took two guards along with them to the beyond
before they too were dispatched, cut down most brutally with
steel blades. Barely half a minute had elapsed and their enemy to
a man was killed. They still stood hyperventilating drenched in
their own and their enemy's blood. There would be no time to recoup; they then by necessity would push forward. They reached
the top of the stairwell and a large hall way lay before them.
There at the far end the billowing of smoke began to gather. Landaus knew there was no other means of entrance they would have
to take their chances. He gave the men their orders. "Beyond that
hall the children had been kept safe we must do what we can to
rescue them. Let's go." In a quick march they waded through the
thick smoke, reloading their weapons as they went.

Since Xora, Lex and Ibsen had left the armory they too had begun
to notice the tell-tale signs of fire. These signs grew more intense
the closer they drew to where the children were being kept. Well
before the battle the children of Breideblic for safe keeping had
been gathered from their homes and brought into one of the many
large rooms built into the sturdy walls of the citadel. It was beginning to seem they had perhaps been a target of treachery. So as
they moved, they did so with an increasing anxiety and sense of
dread. They dared not speak what horrors their minds had conjured.

At one point the smoke grew thick and as they turned the next
corner Xora spied one of the offending creatures setting drapery
ablaze with a torch. She stopped dead in her trackshoping she had
not been spotted. It took her a second to realize she had not. She
stepped back around the corner and stopped the others before they
could be seen. "I've seen them! They're just beyond the turn." She
said low tone but with forceful intent. After ordering Ibsen to stay
back, Lex and Xora carefully checked their weaponsand began to
edge their way along the wall out of sight. They each cocked the
hammer and were ready. Ibsen dropped down on his hands and
knees and craned his neck around the corner. He watched as Lex
ran across the hall way with his gun extended out from his shoulder toward the creature. When he felt he was in range he pulled
the trigger once. The hammer came down and the sound of a deep
bang echoed though out the hall. His proximity ensuring success
he fell immediately. The torch that now lay on the ground beside
him began to set fire to his garments, He did stir. Lex gestured to
the others to move forward. As he did a sword wielding figure
lurched out of the shadows towards his blind spot. Xora was
there and saw first-hand as what was about to happen. She raised
her gun toward the moving target. She let out a scream and pulled
on the trigger as fast as she could. Before she knew it she had
found herself on her knees shaking. There was a ringing in her
ears and the smell of burnt cordite had suffused the air. Having
fired all her rounds in the chamber, she was alive and the creature
was dead.

Lex's voiced sounded through the fog. "Xora, shake it off we
must move, remember the children?" This thought again crystallized in her mind, driving her forward. She blinked her eyes as if
to reset her action and rose to her feet. "Come now, we're almost
there." She acknowledged with a nod and stumbled forward
through the smoke and flame. An instant later they came to the
source of their agitated cries. "It would seem that our enemies
have retained from their human origins some level of morality for
the kids were left unharmed and alone." announced Lex as he
crossed the threshold. "Perhaps they just could not do it by their
own hand, hence the fire." responded Xora.

"Either way we're wasting time. Alright children we're going to
need you all follow us slowly through the hall. I need you all to
form a line starting here and stay together. If youdo as I say I
promise we'll all make it out of here. Ibsen searchround for any
stragglers." Ibsen was glad to be of service and quickly made the
rounds of all the likely hiding places. Under one of the beds he
found a little girl there hiding. He called out to her, "Come on
now, it's safe to come out. Those scary men are gone we're here
to take you home." He reached his hand out to her and the girl did
obediently as he said without a word being said. Within a moment that had joined the cue out from the room and into the hall
way. Having made sure none had been left behind they pressed
on in unison toward the stair well. As the reached near the end of
the hallway they were suddenly greeted by the sounds of many
footsteps beating the floor before them. The space however had
grown so dark from smoke that they could only wait to see what
would visit upon them. Xora, Lex and even Ibsen sensing and end
were resigned to it. They raised their pistols then up toward the
oncoming sound and prepared for the worst. Just then Ibsen spied
the familiar uniform of the guard emerge from the smoke. A second later the details became clear that it was in fact his father. He
call out, "Wait don't fire its father." He dropped his gun and ran to
him. Never were two so glad to see the other.

By now the earliest tendrils of morning had appeared in the night
sky. To this backdrop, Aaralaat through his spyglass watched as
his enemies defenses were broken in two. With the Citadel aflame
and the imminent collapse of the primary defensive line, he could
sense now that victory was within easy reach. What he could not
see was even as these things unfolded, the tide was already imperceptivity changing.

From behind the defensive barricades the humans observed as an
effluence of their enemy emerged into the light of day from the
great hole that had been created in the earth. Dressed in full battle
armor, the image they presented rising from the ground was a truly fearsome sight for the human defenders. For Ananda and his
brother however, their pulses were barely present.For them the
image instilled only a deep fortifying sense of calm. They had
witnessed scenes unfold much like this one countless times before. This time they were resigned that it would be their last.
"What say you, my brother? Once more shall we join the fray?"

"It will be glorious."
The men of their cavalry brigade looked on anxiously awaiting
orders as the horses beneath them chomped at the bit in anticipation. Ananda turned toward the sergeant. Pointing at a position on
the line and gave the order, "Give the order; let the line break to
the secondary defenses. I want them all out in the open. So have
them move in a slow and orderly retreat."

"Yes Sir." The order went down and a horn gave the signal.
Sounded loudly all along the line the men instantly understood
the nature of this strategic retreat. In a quite deliberate and orderly fashion they gathered their mortars and muskets together and
scrambled away toward the rear.

Chief among the men of Nibaru, Eldred was secure in his abilities so he was not inclined to immediately make pursuit despite
his king's orders. Instead then he and his men chose to revel in
this apparent rout of the enemy.

Once again the defenders of Breideblic had managed by luck and
fortitude to put an end to the incursion; it had come however at a
great cost. Though most had survived with their lives, their fortress itself had not fared as well. In less time than would have
seemed possible, the whole of the citadel had come under threat
of destruction by the raging fires set there within by their enemies. But for the heavily falling sheets of rain pouring down from
the leaden sky, all by now may have been fully engulfed in the
inferno. From the safety of the court yards the survivors watched
as the flickering orange glow and the pillar of billowing black
smoke, rose up to mingle in the morning twilight sky.

Though still full with the exhilaration of having escaped with
their lives, a silent rage began to take its place in their hearts.
They watched helplessly as the landmark of their forefathers
seemed to consume itself. Landaus was incensed, yet due to their
current circumstances that they found themselves in, he could do
nothing to stop it. Despite forcing himself to look away so to
dampen his anger, this image had been burned there into his
mind's eyes. He knew though that if they were to survive he must
look past this and pour his full attention back into the task at
hand. He turned toward his men to see that they were all looking
now to him for some sign of to how to move forward. They were
waiting for his commands. It became crystal clear in that moment
that to fail them at this moment was not an option. He would first
need to find his bearings. He called out to his sergeant major,
"Sergeant, have reports returned of any continuing incursion
within the fortress?"