Wimblen was overwhelmed with rage the moment he got the scent of betrayal. Rutherford, Drasha and Umakerok were held as captives. The fellow alchemist of Industrial Piece surrounded them, waiting for the ordeal to break. That's when the two large metal screws hanging along the tin walls transfigured into scraped serpents.
Rutherford bashed one of it behind, commanding his fellow comrades "Leave the target and escape".
The three burst open the roof top to evade the enemies. The two serpents chased after, crushing every depot that pressed onwards.
"Look over there" Umakerok eye of justice caught something fascinating
The wheel houses were moving, but in an unusual manner. Some chased another, while few stood their marks.
"They are trying to trap us" Drasha examined the movements
The long tailed serpent was fast enough to dash from the rear. Rutherford summoned his shield, creating a barrier that broke pieces of the crawler.
But as if the two serpents and the wheel houses weren't enough, more rookies joined the exploit. It was a pure trap, and those three were right in the epicenter. Several cannons with hydraulic metals were ready, that would burst the instance they ignited over the land. There they swung high, heading straight towards the victims. It was the ultimatum from Industrial piece- or so they thought.
Hopes rose…
They came…
The people who held their hands once and never left off…
Fierce arrows as sharp as a dart could be, headed straight for the hydraulics. It gave a firecracking aftermath: justifying who were those from…
It was Silas, and he wasn't alone. Now it was a full fledged war between the Order Of Day Embers and Industrial Piece. A war which would only usher in destruction no matter which side wins.
"Destroy their formation" Silas ordered the reinforcement he brought.
Troops enraged to defend their people marched towards the Alchemist of Industrial Piece. While the Alchemist shot tremendously energised hydraulics, Day Embers were defending and waiting for a counter. But the unfolding events defied their expectations.
"This is my land… The Industrial Piece is my kingdom. A mere reinforcement can't change what's obvious" He smirked as he charged his weapons "You all will return as dust… as that will be the only remains of you"
Energy radiators- of heavenly height, pointed straight at the intruders of Industrial Piece. Drasha sensed the apocalypse, and a shift in power. If those radiators are fired, the menaces would be heavy.
"We are doomed" one of the Day Embers whispered
"No… never gonna happen" Silas was contemplating a solution.
"Take cover" Rutherford ordered
"No…no,no,no… you know that's suicide" Silas answered back
"You are the leader, Silas. Think rationally… let me be the shield I once pledged to be" he gazed at his toughened palms "I couldn't save them, but I can save our hopes"
Order of Day Embers formed a tactical triad formation, relying completely on Rutherford for their haven.
"Save us, our shield" Silas whispered as he clenched his hand on Rutherford's shoulder.
Drasha was clueless. Too willful to commit genocide by protecting his elder kin, but the love binds many. He stood among the triad, startled and withered to his soul.
Wroommmm….
The beam radiated straight towards the prey. Rutherford pressed hard against the concrete and excavated his shield over the entire formation. The radiant collided with ward energy from Rutherford.
Pain…
Severe pain stimulated straight through his body…
But he didn't cry it out, nor did he falter. The grip was resolute, as the fate of his comrades were in his hands.
"You can withstand it awhile"
"Yes you can do it"
His comrades kept the Elixir transfer stable so that Rutherford didn't drain himself. But the heavy radiation reflected its toll. Blood sprawled out from his nose and then his mouth.
Drasha knew it would seal Rutherford's fate, and was henceforth relentlessly bombarded by urge to break through. He tried to hold it in, but the desire finally tore the cage. He strided out of the guard straight towards the radiators.
"Wait… Drasha…" Rutherford shouted
Silas slid out, backing up every move Drasha made. Jumping off the wrongly enveloped wheel house, Drasha leaped towards the large dock. He was determined to reach the Radiators and crush it down. It was within his sight close enough to clutch it.
But, something held him off…
He was Wimblen…
Silas soon after shot two arrows straight at the hybrid Alchemist- only to be sacrificed on two workers who intervened in their trajectory. Wimblen, with his solemn force, banged Drasha towards the ground.
"See, that's why I asked you to imply automated sensors" Wimblen taunted his colleague…
Automated sensors would help radiators change their target during anomalies.
"This man would have been taken down immediately… no problem though, as I would take him down myself" Wimblen clenched his fist.
He laughed and spoke the deliquescent words
"But do you see that sight? Only two people rushed out of the shade. One is his brother and the other one seems to be the leader. Rest of you…" He smirked "you see there young man, everybody wants to live despite what others suffer through"
"So what's wrong" Rutherford whispered
"You said something there?" Wimblen made a crooked face
"I said so what's wrong in that" Rutherford screamed this one "an urge to live isn't selfish. It's what makes us human. Saving your own life is never selfish" he thought of the moment his parents sacrificed them to save their children.
"And I don't want anyone else to die. I swore I will protect my people. Afterall I'm their SHIELD…"
Those mere words infiltrated a change in their hearts. Every single human not of shame, but of respect for their man, burged out of the shed.
The two radiators were still locked on to Rutherford, so the time was still ticking.
"Crimator, turn off those big boys and switch them on again" Wimblen turned around "this way the sensors will repredict the target"
He smiled with a grin, cognizant about the victory. Crimator extended his hand, poised to give the final blow. But his head was blown off by Drasha's "Mindful fear"- a whiplash extended from the griefs of the target.
It was clash of the Mortals, waging battle for their duties.
Amidst that battle, the warrior being tormented the most was Rutherford. His legs were bag rocked, extremely heavy and motionless. His sight still blurry, kept peering at the destructive weapons. It wasn't a blank stare, instead it was an objective he quested.
But the sore body gave in. His knees bashed harder to the ground.
Drasha turned around and cried "Keep hold, brother"
He turned to Wimblen "I will resolve everything"
Rutherford was numbed, convulsing to the utter pain sensation. And that's when… his eyes went blank. But the danger wasn't just upon him. Rutherford getting unconscious would disengage his shield. This would redirect the target locked by the radiators. It was a losing sight for Day embers.
No matter what they resolved to, the result would come to stand fatal.
Rutherford would be the part of these casualties too. And for the mere second- he was wholly blank. But that's when he saw Saffaire, sitting beside her mother and father. Rutherford was just across from their lounge.
"Is it heaven?" He whispered
"Nope" Saffaire giggled "we are just the hallucination, your subconscious alter created"
"You have grown… alot" Rutherford's mother clenched her hands together
"He is my shield afterall" his father pumped his chest with pride
Their emotions were written plainly across their visage. They were barely holding back, Rutherford sensed it.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't protect Drasha" Rutherford stared down the floor.
"It's not yet done, Ruthi" Saffaire smiled "Have you grown soft? The Ruthi I know would never back down. He would keep going no matter what interferes with his path"
She turned to their parents "that day we died with a sense of relief… relief of you and Drasha getting out of that absurd situation. So long live brothers, both of you… we don't want you to be wealthy, we don't want to see you carrying burdens of others, we don't want you helping others… just love a happy and long life"
As Rutherford broke out of his unconsciousness, he heard the last whisper "no matter what, we will always love you"...
The vision returned from the blink. Drasha was about to swing a sharpened edge on Wimblen. Silas was guarding Rutherford and backing up his people. His comrades were enduring the harsh battle, so he decided to rise too.
A loud shout…
A cry of declaration that no matter what, Rutherford wasn't going down…
He pushed the film of energy above, and stood back on his feet. The pain wasn't adorable, but even the flame wasn't extinguished. He was ready for everything that came his way. No matter what adjoined the event, he wasn't ready to go down.
"Keep pushing comrades" He smirked "I will hold on to the radiators"
The declaration was motivating enough, but still the tables weren't turned yet. Industrial Piece was still under the control of a mad alchemist.