Chapter VII

“What do we do now?” asked Ark.

Lich, his adrenaline increasing, snarled. “Well, what else would you do if you had suddenly crossed a line into highly classified federal property, particularly that of a government that wants you dead?”

“Right,” Ark replied, a little shaken by the outburst. “Which way?”

They had been running for some time now, first one way, then another, zigzagging across the barren, rocky landscape. Ark grew tired with Lich’s sudden turns of direction, remaining quiet until he was sure he saw the same rock twice.

“You sure we’re not running around in circles?” he asked.

Lich didn’t answer. He was starting to grow tired with Ark’s questions. Most of the things he asked were common sense. What else would you do if you were at Ak’gorak? Stop and wait for the Koopas to hunt you down? It was a bad idea bringing him along.

No, it wasn’t; you need the extra firepower.

He doesn’t have battle experience. How’s he gonna survive out here?

He does have it.

How do you know that?

Lich paused and shook his head to clear his thoughts, bending over and placing his hands on his thighs.

“You alright?”

“As much as I can be at the moment, thank you,” Lich answered through partly clenched teeth. Why couldn’t Ark give some answers for once? Like, why couldn’t he tell him about why he saw him go off and fight on a Zerg battlefield? Why he had that memory in the first place?

He started running again. Ark picked up his brother’s hostility. An idea for a question formulated in his head.

“‘You know, if we’re going to do this together, you’d better stop being angry’…no, that’s too upfront,” he muttered softly. “‘You know, if we’re going to do this together’ – that’s good – ‘you should tell me what’s on your mind’…no, I don’t know what he’ll say. Er…‘You know, if we’re going to do this together, and everything…’ Nah, ask what’s on his mind and apologise.”

He nodded confidently.

“Er…Dy…” he started. He winced almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth – his confidence had fleeted as quickly as it had come.

“Yes?” Lich asked, still running, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Er…why aren’t you happy at the moment? With me?”

Ark winced again. This wasn’t going to plan.

Lich stopped and took a breath as Ark slowed behind him. He turned on his heel and faced him.

“You’re asking too many questions,” he answered calmly, “questions that I’d consider useless when I’m concentrating on trying to keep the distance in the zigzag relatively right. Now, I know you’re probably just making sure and everything, but everything is fine enou– did you hear that?”

“Wha–?”

“Shh,” Lich snapped, raising his hand and turning his head to the faint static-like noise. He stepped over a pile of rocks and peered behind a small boulder.

“Thank the Elementals! I’ve been looking for one of these…”

Lich bent over and picked up a small black plastic box. As soon as he took a step back towards Ark, it turned into a mobile of plastic cases, a speaker and circuit boards. The noise stopped.

He looked at it, crestfallen. “It’s a military radio, or it was…”

“Will be again, give it here,” said Ark.

Lich scooped the parts up in his other hand and handed the pile to Ark, who began studying it.

“Receiver, speaker…” he started, moving into murmuring.

“Can you do it while we keep going?”

“…Microphone, two-way switch,” he said softly. “Power walk at the fastest,” he told his brother, then murmured, “need a number-eight screwdriver for this…”

The two walked quickly, making a sudden turn that signified another point in the zigzag. Ark retrieved the screwdriver he needed from his storage, and set to work.

“Now, if I take out the microphone component,” he told himself, “as we won’t want them to listen in to us, and use the screws from that to keep it all together…should work…”

He removed the microphone assembly and Stored it away, keeping the screws out. As he was doing so, Lich took another GPS reading. Ark reattached the screws to the outside case. The radio roared into life again. As Lich consulted the map, his ears tweaked to the broadcast.

“Code 298c at 4837-1326. Squadron: re-route.”

Lich looked at the GPS receiver.

“Parakoopas!” he yelled over his shoulder and began to run.

“How, by Drepatos, did they know we were here?” Ark called as his feet pounded the sand.

“I did a 298c, apparently!” Lich answered ahead of him, his annoyance with questions put aside momentarily. “They must have intercepted the receiver’s request when I just used it then!”

“I guess we need these guys’ receivers then!”

Lich nodded as the radio roared into life again. “To’kak to base: targets spotted ahead, appear to be two Yoshies.”

“Subdue them, squadron. Proceed with caution.”

As they continued to run, Lich looked around him, but saw nothing in the clear blue sky. Just as he was about to check the Mana Field, jets of sand flew up with a “ptff-ptff-ptff” in a line towards him. He rolled forwards, his back sprayed with the sand. Ark leapt to one side just in time.

Coming out of his somersault, Lich fired off a burst of laserfire into the sky where the line had gone. There was a momentary glimpse of brown and white as one of the Parakoopas rolled to one side as the beams passed, its feathery wings disappearing back into the blue as it righted itself.

“To’kak to base: targets confirmed as Yoshies, one in possession of a laser-type weapon, orange skin. Other holds some sort of black staff or spear, magenta skin. Requesting tactical information.”

“Request granted, information undergoing retrieval from KBT database.”

Ark growled, and began to search the Mana Field. A target acquired, he brought up his hands to cast. Lich saw a shadow streaking across the sand towards him. As red flames of light began to encircle his feet, Lich tackled Ark as another line of sand fountains passed them by.

“Base to To’kak: Orange Yoshi target most likely identified as Dyluck ‘Lich’ Yoshi von Kippo. Wields hyper-fast boomerang-type weapon, maximum observed range of two hundred metres; laser capabilities.”

The two Yoshies had mere moments to roll to either side as another line of fountains sped down between them, a shadow passing nearby.

“Spell-caster with near-perfect lock-on ability: preliminary warm-up for attacks observed as average of four or five seconds. Other target unknown: expect likewise with staff or spear weapon. Tactical advice: prevent from completing spells.”

“Received, over. Squadron: form cross-weave attack pattern. On my lead.”

“Gulto!” Lich swore as he got up.

Ark dropped the Spear, stood and raised his hands. “Tell them we surrender.”

Lich turned his head and looked at his brother in sheer disbelief.

Ark nodded. “Trust me.”

Lich replied with a nod, and turned back. “Alright, we give in,” he called out in Koopan, putting the Boomerang back into his belt. He raised his hands. “We surrender.”

“Disengage attack pattern, form capturer defence circle. I am landing.”

A sand dune in the distance suddenly formed a Parakoopa-shaped indentation in its outline as he landed. His legs and arms were dressed in sky-blue material, while the underside of his shell, the bottom of his wings, and his face and boots were painted the same colour. He walked towards them, folding his wings, while he trained his similarly blue rifle on them. “Remove all weapons on you,” he commanded as he stopped. “Both of you.”

Lich took out the Boomerang, passed it into his left hand and flicked it to his right. It skidded to a halt nearby. Ark picked up the Spear and threw it into the sand next to it, burying its head in the sand, leaving it sticking out.

“That’s it,” Lich told the Koopa. “We have no backup weapons.”

“Really,” he replied with cynicism. “Remove your cloaks and throw them aside.”

Lich obeyed. Ark took his cue and did likewise. As he was folding it up, he muttered, “Four of them above.”

Lich gave a slight nod. He detected their Presences on the Mana Field.

“Good,” the Koopa spoke, approaching once more, taking some cord out of his shell.

“When I say so, you roll right and start casting Lucid,” Ark muttered. “I’ll guard.”

“You will be taken to the Ak’gorak military compound for questioning. Do not resist.”

Ark twisted his hand and pointed his forefinger at the Koopa’s pants. A spark shot from his finger and sailed across the distance in a blink of an eye. “Now!” Ark yelled as he leapt towards the Spear.

Lich rolled the same way as Ark and crouched next to the Boomerang. Ark pulled out the Spear, leaned backwards over his brother and spun it, forming his X-guard.

The squadron leader patted his pants wildly with a yell, trying to put out the flames while his subordinates fired from above, their bullets meeting the Spear and falling into the sand harmlessly.

Immediately, Lich moved his hands in their graceful summoning movement. As the white flames of light formed around him, Ark leaned back further, catching all of the bullets. The Parakoopas were aiming higher and higher, trying to make him either fall over or expose something to shoot.

Their leader rolled around in the sand as Lich began to form a half-circle with each of his forefingers, moving from pole to pole. Within the same movement, he rested his left hand on his chest while his right pointed at Ark, almost on top of him. He clenched his fist.

Ark finally lost his balance and landed on top of his brother. An orb of yellow light surrounded them each, before it broke apart and fell to the ground in a ring of yellow sparks. The barrier was invisible, save for where the bullets hit it, causing a yellow flare and a pling.

The squadron leader cried out as he finally extinguished the flames. Part of his leggings gone, he looked up to see the bullets have no effect.

“What is happening, To’kak?” the radio crackled.

He bobbed his head and took to the sky again. “Cease fire! Retreat!”

“Don’t let them get away!” Lich called out as he stood, making Ark roll off him, and grabbed the Boomerang. He tracked the now black and brown that was the leader’s legs.

It was now Ark’s turn to summon as he stood. He produced a red flare of light around his feet, and raised his right hand to eye-level. He flicked his middle finger four times, in slightly different directions, and then clenched his fist.

Lich threw the Boomerang. Within one second, there was a cyan flash, the Boomerang was back in his right hand and red joined the black and brown. Three shapes fell to the ground: the two distinct legs, and the rest of the leader, distinct a moment later as the ground once more pointed him out. Meanwhile, four fireballs sped from Ark’s hand, and sailed into the Parakoopas. There was a scatter of shell, cloth, munitions, feathers and scales from each one as the fireballs hit. The squadron tipped and headed straight for the ground.

“To’kak! Come in! What is going on?”

The leader screamed with pain: it was cut short suddenly as Lich gave him a coup de grâce in the form of a laser beam.

Up ahead, the Parakoopas crashed. One of them hit his head on a rock, the impact surely fatal. The other three slid onto the sand.

Lich and Ark approached them, their weapons ready to strike. There was a communal groan.

One of them rolled over and weakly raised his weapon, the impact of the fireball not as strong on him as the others. “Heh…don’t think we’ll give up,” it spoke, and fired its gun.

There was the plinging noises again, until there was a sudden click in the gun. He cringed.

“Neither should you,” said Lich.

“Never,” he replied.

There was a sigh as one of the other Parakoopas gave up its hold on life.

“You’re out of ammo, you’ve got a nice hole in your shell, and you’re in an unfit state to fly,” Lich told it. “Bad situation.”

He waved the point of the Boomerang and aimed it straight at his head. Ark kept the Spear pointed at the other Parakoopa.

“Squadron, what is going on? Come in!”

Lich fired a laser at the Parakoopa’s radio, making it fizzle and pop.

“Take care of the other one,” he commanded Ark.

Ark approached the other Parakoopa and turned him over with his foot. He kicked away his gun, then planted his foot on the chest area of its shell and pointed the Spear at its face, three inches away. He leaned down and ripped the other radio off, throwing it to Lich, who gave it the same treatment.

Lich looked at his brother for a moment. He had just saved their tails. This sudden burst of ingenuity was unexpected; yet, to an extent, it was. Ark tinkered around with robots, after all. However, in the face of battle with invisible enemies, he had held his ground and stayed calm. It did not seem to fit with the image of insecurity he had displayed over the past few weeks.

“Come in, squadron! Are you receiving?”

The radio snapped Lich back to the present. He looked again at the Parakoopa. “Gun over there. Now.”

It was thrown.

“Good. Now, I’m not a cruel Yoshi. I know you have families to go home to every now and again. I know you’re thinking about them right now. Would be nice to see them again, wouldn’t it?”

“Just cut the crap, Yoshi, and tell me what you want,” the Parakoopa told him.

“Your GPS receiver, or your life,” Lich answered coldly. He looked over to the other Parakoopa. “Yours, too.”

“Mine’s destroyed,” the second one heaved. He looked up at Ark. “Thanks to you.”

The first one reached into the remains of his shell and produced it. He offered it to Lich, who snatched it out of his hands and put it in Storage.

“Thank you. Arresting cord. Now.”

The Parakoopa sighed and produced it too. Lich took it, went behind him and tied his hands up. “You wait right here,” he said, and went over to the second one. “Cord, please.”

It was offered, and taken. Ark backed away, and Lich made him sit up. Another knot was tied.

“Great. Get all of the weapons around here, please,” he told Ark. “We don’t want them to get any ideas.”

Ark went around, took the guns and put them into his Storage. Meanwhile, Lich summoned a blue light, made the motion of pattering rain with his fingers, and cast a curing shower upon the two Koopas.

Ark looked at Lich. “What did you do that for?” he asked in Pandoran.

“I’m not cruel,” he replied, then turned back to the Koopas. He went over to the Parakoopas killed by the rock and retrieved his radio. He withdrew the GPS receiver and got the co-ordinates.

“Squadron, this is your final call!”

“Hello,” Lich spoke into it.

“…Who is this?”

He could hear some whispering at the other end. He checked the Receiver.

“You know who. I’ve left two of your squadron for you at 4830-1228. Please come and pick them up, they have family to go to. Over and out.”

He then turned it off and put it into Storage, before checking for his receiver – destroyed. He went over to the other dead Koopa and checked him for his radio and GPS receiver, a likewise fate.

“Right. I think we’ve taken care of everything here,” he spoke. “Guns are safely away, we’ve looted what we needed, and we’ve restrained our captives and stopped them from communicating to base. Good. We shall get our cloaks and be out of here. Nice meeting you two, say hello to your ladies for me.”

He ignored their curses and pleas as they left them hastily, grabbing their cloaks and running once more.

“Why did you tell them where they were?” Ark questioned him.

“I didn’t,” Lich replied. “I said they were about three kilometres southwest of here. So, I’ve bought us about…ooh, forty minutes to get away.”

A spiral of yellow lights ascended into the sky above them, signifying the barrier’s end.

“You know, that was pretty clever of you, Ark,” Lich said as he watched them disappear. “Almost diabolical. I didn’t think of that at all.”

Ark shrugged. “Gotta use my high IQ sometimes.”

The two continued to run, soon crossing Ak’gorak’s boundary.