Free A Warrior's Sacrifice by Ross Winkler Page A

half crescent moon hung just above the tree line and it cast its pale blue light over the forest and down onto the corpses that lay quivering on the ground.
    Corwin wiped his sword clean on a small patch of undisturbed leaves. He took a census first of himself. A few flesh wounds, but no major injuries otherwise. The nanites were already at work on his injuries, and the suit was taking care of itself.
    The remainder of his Void had not fared as well as their leader. Kai leaned against a tree as Chahal worked a compression bandage onto his injured ribs through a gap in his armor. After it was in place, Chahal thumbed the sensor pad on the bandage, and it constricted, applying pressure and a fresh shot of nanites into his damaged side. He groaned, the bass rumble like a peel of thunder.
    Phae limped up to Corwin. "Sir, could you help me? I can't get at my injury." Her left arm hung limp.
    Corwin took the tube of medigel from Phae with a nod. Phae turned so her back was to Corwin and, after a moment of silence, a fissure appeared up near her shoulder blade. Corwin worked his armored fingers into the loosening material and pulled it apart until the seeping gash in the flesh was visible. It was forty centimeters long and curved in a half-moon arc from the top of her shoulder around the scapula; in two places, he saw bone.
    "You need more than just medigel," Corwin said, squeezing the green gel into the wound.
    Her shoulders tensed as the analgesic stung even as it numbed, and nanites flooded the wound. "I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Sir."
    Corwin could order her return to base, Kai too, but he needed them even in their weakened state. Stowing the empty tube of medigel onto his utility belt, Corwin stepped back and opened a Void-wide com channel. "I'm continuing on. Make an honest assessment of your hurts and head back to the Medics if you'll be a hindrance rather than a help. No jendr in that."
    "I'm fine," Phae said.
    "Just a few scrapes for me, sir," Chahal said.
    "Good to go," Kai said. He almost kept the pain from his voice.
    "Fine. Chahal, go grab our bikes."
    "Sir!" she said, running off into the woods.
    Corwin turned to his injured Voidmates. "The two of you will ride while Chahal and I run; it will give you a chance to recover while we track the Quislings."
    "I said I'm fine," Phae said. She groaned when she tried to move her arm.
    Chahal returned with the hoverbikes in tow. She pushed one over to Corwin and Phae and turned to help Kai aboard.
    "No arguing. Get on." They stared at each other for a moment.
    Phae snorted and climbed aboard. Corwin held the bike steady.
    "All right," Corwin said. He turned towards the dark woods where the Quislings had fled. "Slave the bike to your suit, Chahal. The rest of you lock your suits down for stability. Here we go."

    Kavin bounced on the balls of his feet, weight forward, ready to pounce, to strike, to rend and become victor. It wasn't long now. The Quislings had contacted Brixaal about the upcoming delivery of the relic. Soon. Kavin would have it soon; then even the ongoing failures would be worth it.
    Over the last month, the Republic had pushed into Choxen lands, and Kavin, being absent, had left the running of the defenses to Its Base Commanders. Without Kavin's presence, they had resorted to fighting amongst themselves, and thus divided, they had failed.
    Now, every day the Republic forces made steady headway northward, and they'd almost retaken all of what they had lost back during the Grand Reclamation. The Choxen lands that served as a buffer between Kavin, the relic, and the Republic were shrinking.
    But it didn't matter. No. Kavin was in control, here and now, and It would sacrifice all the Choxen holdings of the world in order to deliver the relic unto the Makers.
    Rage jerked Kavin out of Its reverie. A Grunt stood confused, snuffling the edges of its pen, pulling at the gate with taloned hands, mouthing the bars that kept it secure. Under normal