The Eclipse of Power Read Free

he was covered in blood, not sure
whose. “Toren, are you alright?”
    “Yes, I’m great! Who knew going on a training mission would
produce such great results! We should train more often.” He gave me a pointed look,
which I took to mean he knew, or at least suspected my involvement.
    With all of the weird looks between Ash and I lately, it’s a
wonder no one else figured it out yet. I’m just grateful that my second power
to develop was done in secret and only Ash knew about it so far. He was smart
to have me practice away from the others.
    As the fight went on we lost a few more troops, and a
handful of rippers made it through the portal, including the ripper master who
had held me hostage. I hoped he never came back here again!
    Squad 5 was a well-oiled killing machine. “Ok Ash, we have
taken care of all of the hybrids, should we go through the portal to chase
after those that got away?” The Squad 5 leader was tough and on a mission.
    “Negative, we need to finish exterminating these rippers
here. Get close to the portal and help Squad 3 keep any more from entering.”
Ash ran past me to engage with a ripper who was coming at me from behind.
    I whipped around and reached out my sword to block the attack
coming at me from a ripper. But it wasn’t needed since Ash had just decapitated
him. Blood from the severed head splattered my face.
    Thankfully, I bent over to wipe my face on the bottom of my
shirt as I felt a blade breeze past where my head just was. I dropped down to one
knee as I turned around and drove my blade into the ripper’s stomach. Ash
brought his around and removed the head as I pulled my blade back.
    Ash and I both looked around and there were only a handful
of fights left.
    “Should we help those who are still fighting? Or start
gathering up the bodies, and heads?” I was looking around at the carnage on the
ground. We needed a dumpster to handle all of the bodies.
    As it all sank in, I made a beeline for a tree and barely
made it in time before my dinner came back up. Ash walked over to me and held
my hair back while watching our surroundings to make sure we weren’t ambushed.
    “Thanks,” I said as Ash handed me a handkerchief and I wiped
my mouth.

Chapter Three
     
    “B, no need to be embarrassed. This was your first major
battle.”
    “But I have fought the rippers before and even killed a few.
I don’t understand why it made me sick this time.” My face was really green,
and my skin crawled with disgust for all of the corpses at our feet.
    “Stop it…” Ash was interrupted before he could console me.
    “Ash! I have word from Sendryl and it isn’t good.” Toren ran
over to where we were.
    “Sendryl was attacked at the same time these rippers were
trying to go through the portal. They set off three bombs in the heart of our capital!
The city is in chaos, hundreds are dead, and thousands are injured. They can’t
send us anyone, not even healers. We are on our own until they can get more
healers and troops from outlying cities.” We all sat there and stared at Toren
as he told us the news. None of us understood the implications of what just
happened, yet.
    While everyone sat there thinking about the city, and
wondering if anyone they knew died, I jumped up and screamed, “Lancer! Do you
know what happened to Lancer? He was in the capital awaiting trial wasn’t he?”
Tears started to form in my eyes before I even finished my sentence.
    “Ash, can’t you find out what happened? Can you go over
there and check on Lancer?” As a tear made its way down my face, I pleaded,
looking up at him, eyes wet.
    “B’Lana, I’m sorry but I can’t go over there right now. If I
do, they will keep me there. As much as I would love to find out about Lancer
and help with the rescue efforts of my people, I am needed here. I can’t leave
my post unless they call for me.” Ash looked down into my face as the tears
started coming harder, flowing in rivulets
    He pulled me close to his