Chapter 2

"What's the plan?" Razion asked as he laid with his stomach flat on the ground.

"By the looks of it, they were probably around fifteen. It's nothing we cannot handle." Keron assured himself. "This was getting frequent." He added in a whisper.

"I heard that." Razion replied. "Are you going to talk to the Supreme-General about this?"

"Do you hear yourself? He only communes with the Tribune-Commander. That's whom I will take my sentiment to." Keron replied as he took aim at the advancing column. The shadow of the monolith obscured them all from immediate view, giving them advantage.

"Say he listened and he took your imploration to the V'rounian King. What if he simply ignores it?"

"Then this conflict will draw more days until something of significance take place. Maybe the end of this world." He sarcastically said. "Have we not seen enough planet lost because of incompetence?"

"Maybe it wasn't the Supreme-General's fault?" Aran said as she shifted. "There must be something that keeps him from deploying all of us in full force?"

"And what would that be, brother?" Razion asked. Female Protectorates are addressed with male titles despite their gender to equate them with the others so that the mortals will also view them with respect, especially in a planet like this one.

"I am guessing the monarchy was impeding our superior's decisions."

"Bullshit," Razion replied. "We have authority over mortals. Why can't we?"

"I guess the absence of an Archangel." Vieron replied. "The presence of the Archangel Michael would have shut that yappering brat up for good if he was only here."

"All of you, cease that." Keron said. "I get that we're all demoralized with the lack of progress but right now, halting their advance mattered presently." He let out a sigh as he waited for the first Dusk Raider to come into firing range.

He studied its appearance; a bi-wheeled vehicle with a saddle on top. The frontal wheel was shielded by a spiked fender. The mugs, as well as the casings of the engine were affixed with pointed spikes. Its Riders were muscular and green skinned with long sharp blades sheathed on their backs. The Riders were armored primitively, but Keron had been in enough encounters to know that their protection was strong enough to withstand direct hits.

The feet of the Riders were shodded in black boots with protruding spikes on the toe area. Above was their silver shin guards riveted in red bolts. Above were their thigh guards that looked like large skirts at first glance, followed by their utility belts where a pair of pistols are holstered, then the cuirass which were comprised of hexagonal iron-forged plates. They wore no arm guards, only pairs of leather gloves simply covered their hands and on their heads were pointed straw hats that fully obscured their features. Within, their eyes glowed in yellow, gazing past the hidden Protectorates, at the city behind.

The leading Rider carried the banner of his warband, displaying a red alien character or symbol in a cloth of white. Its pole was strapped alongside his sword. The zirobuta-oroi--the name of the Dusk Rider's armor in V'rounian mother tongue--had been a symbol of fear to the Humans living within the city gates, most especially when the Walls that surrounded the enclave were not constructed yet. The V'rounian Humans were plagued by the Riders for nearly five centuries.

When the Walls are finally constructed, the Humans retreated inside and built the New V'roun City. Other civilizations within the planet of V'rounsthan also did the same to protect themselves from the green menace. Due to the fact that New V'roun City was located farther ahead of other cities, it always received the brunt of the Dusk Riders' attacks in a frequent basis. Fear was still etched in the hearts and minds of the people of New V'roun City.

But the fear was replaced with hope, now especially when Heaven's forces arrived in-orbit. However, the V'rounian King had grown too confident with their presence, as well as the power he was bestowed with.

Keron slightly raised his aim at the leading Rider. He targeted the frontal tire of its vehicle after he set his Blast Rifle at high. He inhaled, deactivating the breathing filters of his helmet to prevent the vapors from escaping and, in turn, indicate their position to the enemy. He fired steadily; the Blast Rifle rattled in his grip as a beam of blue ray escaped from the muzzle of his weapon.

It lanced through the air, energizing it. The ray struck true with abrupt speed and devastating result. The frontal tire exploded; the bike flipped over with its raider thrown a few feet away from his ruined vehicle.

"Now, brothers. Onward!" Keron stood from the ground and charged at the disoriented column. "Engage bayonets!"

"Bayonet!" They exclaimed in unison, followed by the extension of their rifle's spinning knife located under the muzzle of their weapons.

The Protectorates charged at the stunned Dusk Riders, who began to disembark as soon as they realized that they are under attack. Keron opened fire at the easiest target among the remaining ones, perforating its cuirass with a couple of shots. The first streak of beam destroyed the chest piece while the second punched a hole through the breastbone to the back, revealing scorched innards. Barely the Rider had pulled its sword from his back when this happened. The suddeness of the event left the Dusk Rider standing, despite the fact that it should have fallen. Perhaps its brain was still comprehending what had just transpired.

Keron did not care as he raised his left armored foot and kicked the Dusk Rider away. He had exerted too much force that the Dusk Rider collided with his bike and flipped it. Keron almost smiled at the sight of it. He turned at three o'clock and saw another Dusk Rider with both of its pistols aimed at him. The Protectorate rolled to the left as his assailant opened fire and sent purple sands rising up in a geyser after missing him. Keron returned fire with a normal setting, his aim directed at the Rider's face.

Within three shots, the straw hat of the Dusk Rider flew to the ground but the next series of shots scorched its face beyond recognition. The Dusk Rider uncontrollably fell face first, staining the iridescent sand with its own gore. Movement was felt behind Keron and he whirled to respond to the threat. There, a Dusk Rider with his sword drawn snuck up behind and advanced at him, mouth agape and yelling a quiet cry.

He was surprised but he had already sensed the Dusk Rider's approach. Keron thrusts the bayonet of his rifle at the chin of the green skinned alien; the spinning jagged knife of his Blast Rifle visibly pierced through the roof of the Rider's mouth and flooded blood to its throat and out of its lips. The faceplate of the Protectorate was splashed with dark red but Keron cared not. He squeezed the trigger thrice, sealing the Dusk Rider's facial orifices shut with its own melted skin. He withdrew his rifle and sent the butt against the armored chest of the Rider, sending the corpse to the ground.

With no respect to the dead body of his enemy, he stepped on the top of the cadaver, allowing him view to engage another Dusk Rider from afar. He aimed and gunned his target down with light blue spheres of plasma. Heated balls of flames that energized the air in its tracks and slammed against the surface of the Rider's armor. At the first three shots, the primitive battle plates bent inwards as if exerted with high pressure but the next three softened it enough for the next set to burn through until the skin and muscles were penetrated and lethally terminated the enemy.

Keron never felt remorse. He watched as the last of the Dusk Rider fall to the ground by Razion's blade. His gaze went to the horizon ahead, towards the endless sea of sand where the southern mountains rose. There were no immediate threats that followed.

"Time to report this event to the Tribune-Commander." Keron said. "Casualties?"

"I hope you are humorous brother." Razion sarcastically said.

"Let's go." Keron replied back.