Pain,

Fear,

Anger,

Agony,

Sadness,

Laughter,

These are all ways one can scream to express their emotions,

Someone is screaming right now as I say this, as you read this.

How do they feel?

Why are they screaming?

…….

Why am I?

Why am I not screaming right now?

****

Beeeaaaaaammm!

Due to her sharp hearing and reflexes, Karina manages to dodge back, from a second machine emerging, or rather, revealing itself from pretending to be a part of the ground,

The black sooth falls from its sleek frame, in comparison to the bulky mechanoid tank we just escaped,

Instead of legs this one has tank-like wheels but human like arms, its entire torso to head is shaped like a flashlight

It radiates a bright red beam that scorches the spot Karina just avoided

“That could have been me!” she gasps

Smash!

It rams it fists towards the girl

“Get back!” Apollo darts forward blocking with his sword

Beoooowwww!

The machine’s body begins to glow as it prepares another ray,

“This is our chance,

We can run past it when it’s like this!” Lyra attempts to get past the machine,

“Wait Lyra!” I call

Beeeeaaaammm!

As the girl tries to skate past, the mecha releases a smaller beam aimed at her,

“Eeeyeyyyaaak!”

Lyra tries to dodge it though she isn’t fast as Karina

She shrieks in pain, just barley managing to avoid the attack, but all it took was a small glance of the beam…

“Lyra!” Apollo and Karina cry in unison

The slight graze of the beam was enough to burn Lyra’s entire back,

She sprawls over in a heap the heat instantly evaporated all her blood,

A small column of smoke emanates off her back,

I can even see the outline of her spine…

“STAY BACK!”

Karina shouts loudly her voice reverberates into a loud blast pushing the machine back,

Apollo runs in and scoops up Lyra

“Sorry,

I…really…thought…we…could…make…it…past…” she mutters painfully

Lyra stumbles out of Apollo’s arms,

“The…other…‘golem’…isn’t…following…us…so…if…we…combine…our…strengths…we…can…take…this…one…out,”

(How is she even still moving?)

“We have to go back to our supplies,” Apollo ignores her

“Lyra needs to be treated, I’ll tear up some more stone around us for protection,”

“I…can…bear…the…pain…don’t…let…me…hold…us…back…”

Lyra uses her magic to circulate a consistent stream of cold wind around her body, mostly to her charred back…

“Apollo, take her to the supplies!” Karina orders,

“Kage and I will keep this one back!” she nods to me

“I don’t think this is good pla…” I stop myself seeing the look on her face,

(What other options do we have?)

****

Clink!

The tip of an arrow bounces off the mecha’s ‘feet’, but it then transforms into a stream of water sweeping under it,

The machine slips back slightly

“Sound wave blast!”

Karina swings her hand fan blasting at the machine,

Beang!

It pushes back again slightly, slowly slipping down the mountainside,

“Kage dodge!” Karina warns

Beaaaaammmmm!

Karina and I dash out of the way from the incoming beam,

A simple strategy, but so far, its proven itself effective,

“Again!” I say preparing another shot,

Clingk!

Splash!!

Shrrrirrrrrriiiiiiieeeeeennnnn!

(Maybe just maybe we can topple this one down)

…..

Bam!

The machine jerks forward as if reading my mind, digging its arms into the ground supporting itself in a now quadrupedal position,

(Fu—)

“—Don’t get dejected now Kage we still have other ways to attack, well at least I do,”

“Are you going to do that earthquake attack again!?”

Karina nods placing her hands on the ground,

“Wait!” I stop her,

“I don’t think that would work, you’re making yourself an open target by using that,

it has to be a quick and direct attack!”

“What do you suppose, then Kage?”

(Leave them, let them die)

“Umm,

My bow, it can channel magic, though primarily I use magic stones,

I think I could do it with regular magic as well!”

“You want to use my magic?

I get what you are thinking, Kage, but I don’t know how I can send my magic through your bow,”

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrtt!

The sound of the other mechanoid tank firing at Lyra and Apollo in the background, increases both our anxiety

“Take my hand, Karina we can practice on the fly!”

………

Retracting my bow back onto my hand I outstretch it to Karina who grabs it,

“Not like that!” I pull away to readjust

Passing finger through hers our hands wrap tightly together like a knot

I’m not sure if its just her or he magic but a warmth flows through me….

“I can feel it, think it’s working!” Karina affirms

Beeeeeeaaaammmmmm!

A laser fires over our heads

We almost forget that we were supposed to be in a fight…

“Turn sideways!” I order

Karina complies allowing me to form the bow while still clasping on to her hand,

our chests press against each other,

I can feel her fast heartbeats and panickily breathes though her face tries to look as calm as possible….

“Ok here we go.”

Tapping the quiver strapped to my thigh, I pull out an arrow

(Only a few left)

Brrrrrrrrrrrt

Fwoo~

………

The wind blows calmy atop the mountain, the sky spins beautifully while the stars dance like they’re enjoying a rollercoaster ride,

There are no birds, no bats, not even an ant lives atop this mountain,

Only dust…..

……

Dust gathers in swirl below Karina’s and my feet as we both pull back and arrow

She winces a bit as the bow draws on her magic

(Does it hurt?)

Shhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!

We release the arrow and it fires like a bullet moving at the speed of sound with the force of a missile, the high pitch sound feels like it’s going to tear our eardrums apart,

“Eeeeyyuhh!”

Karina screams in pain as the arrow rockets away

Her face goes pale as the bow starts to consume her magic

BANG!

BOOOM!

The arrow makes contact with the machine which promptly explodes due to collisional force and magic power…

“Are you ok Karina!?” I let go of her

“Never….doing that again” she pants faintly

(The bow really drained her)

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttt!

We can’t even get a moment to rest as Lyra and Apollo are still under fire by the first tank,

“Stay here Karina!

I’ll go get Apollo and Lyra, then we can make our way down.”

……..

……..

Brrrrrrrrrrrt-Brrrrrrrrrrrt!

“Apollo we took care the other one!” I skate under the rock fort Apollo had dug up around our supplies

Lyra lays on her stomach shirtless as Apollo warps bandages around her, she breathes steadily trying to calm herself from the pain,

(Its freezing inside here)

“Is Karina alright?” Apollo looks behind me expecting to see her,

“She is catching her breath,”

“Lyra can you move properly, or should Apollo and I carry you?”

“I…can…move…on…my…own…”

…….

Despite what she says Apollo and I still help the girl up.

Brrrrrrrrrrrt-Brrrrrrrrrrrt!

“You all stay where you are do not move!!!”

Brrrrrrrrrrrt-Brrrrrrrrrrrt!

The shooting gets louder outside the fort.

A loud buzzing starts up again on top of that….

(Was it just me or did I hear Karina just now?)

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRT!

We step out from the stacks of stone surrounding us..

Apollo begins to scream someone’s name..

Lyra though weak also screams..

I stare in dismay….

An onslaught of bullets jump us,

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eig—

I don’t even know how many,

We are greeted by a small group of the robotic tanks, though smaller in size to the first one their fire power is just as great

Their bullet greet as we try to make an escape,

But so does someone else…

Right as the rain of fire began a body dove in front, shoving us back from the attack…..

Her body like shield or maybe a target board for the number of bullets that she just absorbed…

I stand quietly watching as the blood dyes my face and the bullets go through her into me…

Apollo and Lyra’s screams of despair ring through my ears now, but..

Why am I not screaming right now!?