290 Forward

"Forward!" Max shouted. With Marcus and Gaius injured and recovering in the Medical Tent, tonight it was his shift for command. "Iron Legion, forward!"

"Ho!" Surrounded by untold numbers of hostiles, even the Iron Legion was flagging. Even as they ran forward, they did so cautiously, and thus, lacked the full might that should have been in their charge.

Like this… mankind's central forces failed to make any headway into the Spectres' army. With a single glance back Max could see George at the end of his wits.

As the battle wore on and the Flame Emperor fell, even more people began to hold back, and withdraw, and skirt the edges. Some squads even fell back.

Max finally raised one hand, clenched into a fist. "Iron Legion, halt!"

"Ho!" the Legion stopped.

Max gritted his teeth. This could not go on. In that moment of silence, Max grimly held out his shield, and beat the flat of his sword against it.

Clank! The sound was a lonely one in the night.

But again, Max beat his sword against his shield. Clank!

This time it was accompanied by a scattering of others at his back. First a few, then more of the Iron Legion joined Max in timing and rhythm. Clank! Clank! Clank!

***

George was watching, half-tearing his hair out, when the clanking started. "What is he doing?"

Beside him, Father Kairos narrowed his eyes. "Based on what I know of the Iron Legion… he's issuing a taunt."

"A taunt?"

"It's like he's saying 'come get me!', or something like that." Father Kairos observed.

Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! The sound of iron upon iron was a wordless challenge to the Spectres.

That seemed to draw their attention. Hundreds of Spectres turned toward them, hissing, snarling.

Still, they went on. Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

"Excelsior!" Max roared as they finished.

"Excelsior!" the Iron Legio roared back, now completely fired up.

George glanced askance at Father Kairos.

"Ever upward." Kairos translated.

"Excelsior!" Max raised his sword.

"Excelsior!" the Legion responded.

At that, Max marched forward. He didn't issue any commands. Did not make any speeches. He just marched forward, alone.

Then he did something even more puzzling.

Taking up his sheathe in his left hand, Max threw it away.

"Why?" George could only ask Father Kairos.

Father Kairos' face was grim.

"Because… he would need it no longer."

With a wordless roar, Max charged. The Iron Legion charged. Their sudden ferocity stunned allies and enemies alike. The force of their advance slammed into the front of the Spectres and very nearly let out shockwaves.

"Excelsior!" the Iron Legion roared and rammed into the Spectres' ranks.

They cut into the horde, ripping their way straight toward the very center of the enemy forces. The Spectres absolutely could not ignore them at this point, and powerful figures began to converge on them. Dozens of Tier 6 Spectres equivalent to Lord Challengers began to tear at their flanks, and stood in their way.

"Excelsior!" the roar resounded as the Iron Legion charged onward, bursting past rows of Spectres, bypassing Tier 6s, heedless of the larger Spectres closing in on all sides.

BOOM! A Tier 7 Spectre on the level of King Challengers suddenly leapt in their way. Six monstrous limbs hammered at Max and his troops.

"AWOOOO!!" a wolf howl erupted, and then a flicker of black slammed into the Tier 7.

"Is that… Shadowflash?" George stared.

Kairos narrowed his eyes. "No, I think that's the Star Wolf King. Shadowflash's dad."

Right. This wolfcat was bigger, plus he had a white star on his forehead.

All around it, a hundred feral shapes suddenly lunged into the fray, tearing at the Spectres, blasting surges of Psionic energy in a flood. The Spectres fell back.

The Iron Legion advanced.

"All airships! Concentrate everything into fire support for the Iron Legion!" George ordered. "Move forward!"

"Forward!" The shout rang out on the entire human front. "Forward!"

***

Gary was nearly panicking as their escort dragons fell in rapid succession. Kor'ag-dras was flailing, the Pale Dragons were falling like flies, and more and more Spectres around and below were taking potshots at the airship. Several hits already tore holes in their hull, and it wouldn't be long before the entire thing fell apart.

But then, all of a sudden, the onslaught faltered. Easily half their attackers turned elsewhere. Loh was able to pilot the airship through the thinning bombardment, dodging Spectral blasts with difficulty, but at least now it was possible.

"What just happened?" Gary asked, stunned, as less and less Spectral blasts came their way. It was still dropping, down to one third what it was just now.

[They're going all-out.] George said, sounding uncomfortably pained. [They're really… really going at it.]

[But that's good, isn't it? Isn't it?]

[It's… going to cost us. Badly.] George grimaced.

Gary sobered. [I'm sorry.]

[Just get that space mage through. That's all that matters.] George said shortly.

Gary paused. [How is Mindy?]

[We lost contact. We're sending a crew to find her, but… are you the religious type?]

[Not really. Why?]

[Because at this point, all I can do is pray for her.]

***

Mindy felt her powers fading even as the remnants of the Flame Emperor dispersed into the cold, unfeeling night. "Chirpy…"

"Chirp." It was a pained sound from the small, flickering flame she held in her arms. Once more in her little bird form, Chirpy lay weakly in Mindy's palm, unmoving.

They fell out of the sky together, fire and strength draining away by the moment. Mindy concentrated, doing her best to slow their fall.

There. That patch of trees. The foliage was thick. Mindy aimed for it, tried to control their fall a bit more…

"OOF!" she crashed straight into a thick mess of branches that hit her like a hundred canes. She broke through all of them at once, and then bashed into another few branches until at last, everything came to a stop in a battered mash of leaf, branch, and fallen warrior.

Time seemed to stop, and then Mindy let out a deep, heartfelt groan.

"Chirp." Chirpy said consolingly.

"Chirpy…" Tears began to drop down Mindy's face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Chirp." Chirpy answered weakly.

"It wasn't just the power, you know. I liked having someone I could always talk to, someone who really knew everything I'd go through each day." Mindy said. "More than my source of power, you were my friend."

"C-chirp…" Chirpy answered feebly.

"You were my best friend. You were always there… I never told you how much you meant to me…" Mindy choked, sobbed.

"Chirp." Chirpy managed.

Above her, the last flame remnants faded into nothing. Mindy felt her powers droop to a trickle, and laid her head into Chirpy's feathers, crying into her tiny wings.

"Chirp." Chirpy said softly, as the warmth faded from the sky.

Mindy cried. She sobbed. She dripped tears and snot. She left both liquids all over Chirpy's little chick form.

Wait a minute. What?

Mindy suddenly raised her head, blinking at Chirpy.

Chirpy lay in her palm, somewhat sticky, looking weakly but still there.

"You… you're not dead?" Mindy blurted.

[Not unless you drown me first.] Chirpy said, grimacing at being covered in snot.

"T-then… you're not going to disappear?" Mindy scarcely dared to breathe in hope.

[Not as long as you're still alive. The bond goes both ways.] Chirpy explained.

"You're alive!" Mindy shrieked, and then hugged Chirpy's tiny form tightly.

[Urghk! Too tight! I'm dying… I'm dying…!]