Free Endfall by Colin Ososki Page B

a shaken moment, Mr. Charlie fell to his knees and spattered vomit into the snow. Rezzifer stood staring as Lyrah took another step forward, but then she collapsed. Rezzifer rushed forward.
                  Mr. Charlie began to rise again, grimacing and spurting horrid sounds. “Now,” he said, “You’ve made a mistake.”
                  Rezzifer snarled and viscously leapt forwards. His nimble body soared across the distance between them, and in the air Rezzifer drew his claws. But the sound of metal came through the blackness of night, and something stopped Rezzifer from his attack, putting him back in the snow on all four paws. A pain was in his side, he noticed, and he looked. A metal arrow had penetrated his armor. Somebody in the dark had shot at him. He looked around the scene for the shooter. Standing to the side of Mr. Charlie was Edgar, the Parliament member, dropping his bow and drawing a silver blade.
                  Rezzifer, ignoring the pain, burst into a sudden sprint towards Edgar, who swung his blade down heavily. Rezzifer dodged the slash and circled Edgar, and then turned to leap onto his back. Edgar swung his blade wildly in the air as his back was being pierced by Rezzifer’s reinforced, metal claws. Edgar reversed his grip on the blade and briskly thrust it behind him in hopes of hitting something. Rezzifer leapt off of Edgar’s back as the blade came near, snagging his claws on Edgar’s face on the way to the ground. Edgar let out a painful cry and dropped his blade. He fell, covering his bloody face with his hands. Rezzifer halted to catch his breath, and then stepped in front of Edgar.
                  “Creature! I’ve had enough!” Edgar pleaded.
                  Rezzifer stared coldly at him. He glanced up at Mr. Charlie, who was simply watching from a distance. He looked back at Edgar and raised a paw in the air.
    “It’s necessary,” he said. Rezzifer swung his paw down at Edgar’s face in a harrowing strike. The weight of the impact shattered his skull and spattered blood across the snow. Lyrah was standing again now. They both looked up at Mr. Charlie, who was now standing next to his chariot with a smirk on his face. He silently opened the door and stepped inside.
    Watching as the chariot drove away, Lyrah said, “We need to get to Artimus.”
    -----
                  Abraham spotted Rezzifer and Lyrah approaching. He turned to the others. Artimus rested on a large rock, beside Oslo. They were just South of the Bay, outside Salem. The burning was becoming nothing more than sparks, dying away quicker than they had expected.
                  “Doctor Artimus,” Lyrah said as she came near, out of breath, “I need to speak with you.”
                  He stood. “I’m afraid that is what I was most curious about,” said Artimus. “I am sorry, but how do you know me? We haven’t met before.”
                  Lyrah was quiet for a moment, while her eyes roamed the scene, as if searching for the right response. “Will you help us?” she asked.
                  “Help you with what?”
                  “Mr. Charlie is planning something. It’s going to be awful and it’s all starting soon,” she said. “Your knowledge is what we need.”
                  “I’m afraid I have a different agenda than you,” he said, walking back to the rock. “I am traveling elsewhere. Sorry.” As he walked past, a bitter look came to Lyrah’s face. “This must be goodbye,” he said. “But before I depart,” he paused, thinking. “I want to thank you for the message you gave me.” He walked with staggering feet. Lyrah looked at Abraham, who shook his head and turned towards the Bay.
                  “Alright,” said Abraham, “Rezzifer and Lyrah, go find Milo. I didn’t think he would be this extreme this soon. Meet us back