Page 4 - The Daily Builder - Day 04

thE WatEr BEnEath thE sand

Pain returned him to the living. children—the twins as different drew his attention. Above the meet a warrior from the stars,” she Solomon Fyre—the people from
Every part of his body hurt, like as day and night—and that dislike high spires of Solomon Fyre in added, nodding lightly. across the desert rarely visiting
he’d just been punched by his older had grown to adult animosity. the far distance, another fleet of “I wouldn’t say I’m from the such a large city—but he knew the
By Shawn brother, made foggy and weak. He He hated to admit he never Imperium warships bombarded stars,” Jak said, wary. He looked Will Masters among them tended
Speakman opened his eyes, shaking off the thought his brother would do the city. Solomon Fyre, the jewel about. No one else appeared, to riddle, the words quoted from
Bracing for impact, Jak Dreadth ringing in his ears. While the mech something like this. capital city, lay defenseless. The although he would have bet that their ancient book of faith.
raged, sand rushing to meet gear and goggles had retracted Anger fueling him, Jak crawled war would be over before it even very same thing a moment before “You sound like a Will Master,”
Viridian. when his mech died, the harness he to the large faceplate’s side panel. began. Jak realized the harsh the arabi appeared. “Solomon he said, hoping to pry information
Nothing he did returned power wore had kept him from hitting the And pulled the manual override reality the Dreadths would not Fyre, to the west and south.” from her.
to his controls, the mech dead sides of the cockpit. It had saved lever within the panel. be taking control of Erth as his “A city man then.” “I doubt you would know what
in every way that mattered, the him. The faceplate blew outward. brother and father had planned. Jak nodded, taking a closer look. a Will Master sounds like, city-
pilot able to engage the mech’s He squinted out of the faceplate’s Arid desert air rushed in. The He reentered Viridian, moving Like all arabi, she wore the black born,” the woman said, still
glide emergency systems as a last thick glass. faceplate pushed sand back just from the cockpit into the mech’s robes of their religion, the silks grinning. “I can hear the worry in
bastion of hope. He didn’t think Half the mech’s head lay in enough for Jak to squeeze through. center, searching for items he used to hide the feminine figure. your voice though. You are safe, I
it would matter. He had falling desert, hot sand covering it. He squeezed his way out into the would need. The mech was dead. He did not know the source of warrant that,” the woman assured.
minutes to live. Memories flashed He undid the straps. He fell to world, blinded like a newborn, But he would still fight. Only this the staff’s wood, but it had grains “I am Agnez al-Kol, a Walker of
as his grandfather said they would the cockpit’s side. He grimaced, already sweating and trying to get time, it would not be in battle. It running its length like ironwood, the Splinter.”
upon forthcoming death, unbidden. breathing, trying to make sense of his bearings. would be to survive. mildly gnarled at its top. Jak had a “And what does that ‘Walker’
Laurellyn Angelus, the leader of what had just happened. Above, concussions tore the sky The desert was a dangerous place. hard time taking his eyes from it. mean?”
Erth, giving a speech to raucous Dirk Dreadth. His brother. apart, shaking the Erth below. The As a prince of a Royal House, he The arabi’s eyes sparkled, bright “I tend goats.”
applause. At her command, mechs His betrayer. battle raged. A crimson mech far had never been in the desert alone. with his interest. The Dreadth looked about. He
taking to the air as the Imperium Laurellyn Angelus and her above him exploded, hurling fiery He knew several truths though, It left Jak feeling anxious. saw no goats. For a moment, he
entered the atmosphere. Pilots vaunted mech Saph Fyre had been titanium shrapnel in all directions, inconvenient but no less veritable. “How did you find me?” he wanted to ask if the animals were
from all Royal Houses answering the Dreadths’s target. Take her out, to fall to the desert below in He had limited food. Limited asked. “I just walked around my invisible—or if the arabi had
her call, their mechs spreading into replace her with someone stronger, hundreds of places. water. mech and did not see you.” merely lost her wits.
the azure sky. Adrenaline rushing and let the chaos of battle remove He ignored it. And limited chances to live. “Invisibility only exists between “Oh, they are nearby, making
through his veins, Jak flying any clue to who had done it. They Instead, he turned his attention Time was against him. grains of sand,” the arabi woman their way through the desert,”
Viridian even as the molecu-virus would take on the Imperium and to Viridian. His mech’s right arm He would have to cross the desert. said. Her eyes laughed at him. Agnez said, as if reading his mind.
hidden within Angelus’s Saph Fyre win, a family united. Dirk, his had taken the brunt of the crash, A perilous place few lived—and “One does not need eyes to hide.” “They enjoy the grasses here in the
activated, a deadly trap that would older brother, conceived of the everything from its shoulder down fewer survived. Jak frowned. “I see.” Splinter’s open. Sweeter than the
kill her, end her weak leadership, plan; their father, Bruss Dreadth, gone. Jak circled it, gauging his “‘A star falls from the heavens, “Do you?” the woman asked, rock grasses growing at the edge
and place the Dreadth family agreed. situation. The torso lay mostly the desert drinks its portents.’” cackling. of the desert.” She paused, looking
poised to rule Erth. These moments came along buried but the legs lay exposed. He Jak spun, heart racing. An arabi He didn’t. But he knew he wasn’t b a c k over her shoulder as if she
As Viridian tumbled from the every so often, they said. Jak could would have to get help, to remove stood above the tallest nearby meant to. He had met few arabi in could see them.
sky, Jak caught brief glimpses of not argue the logic. the molecu-virus that hindered its dune, black robes billowing in
the other mechs battling Imperium Seizing one’s destiny favored the operation. the day’s light wind, veil covering
warships the size of cities. willing. Help. A foreign word to him. her face—all but the old woman’s
The sky a war zone of chaos. The moment Viridian lost power, He just didn’t know where it black eyes and surrounding
It was the last thing he saw. Jak knew he’d become targeted. would come from. And the desert wrinkles. She leaned on
Viridian plowed into the desert Like Laurellyn Angelus. Dirk surrounded him in all directions. a long white staff,
with such incredible force it Dreadth had not only solidified He gazed back to the war watching him. She
whipped Jak in all directions his family’s rank among the Royal above, now gauging its events. had appeared out of
within his stabilizing harness like Houses but also eliminated his The Imperium had gained the nowhere, a wraith
a rag doll. only possible rival, Jak. The two upper hand. The mech battalions given substantive life.
The world went dark. had never liked one another as floundered. Behind, a loud blast “It is an honor to

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