Chapter 30: THE BOUNTY HUNTERS [PART ELEVEN]

Fragments of broken plastic plummet towards the canyon below, his breathing slowing as he pulls himself back up.

In front of him the Auditor’s eyes flash, energy pulsing as she raises her arms towards him. Head tilted in confusion, calculations faltering as the bridge itself slowly begins to crumble underneath incredible weight.

Taught cables screech, their frayed constructs tearing into strands of material. A supporting wire snaps, the entire form buckling as it falls into darkness.

With the force of mechanical lungs the woman barks an order, instinctual voice sharp in execution. “RUN!”

Two open palms, augments implanted within arms roaring as Auditor Manara manipulates the entire bridge’s gravitational footprint. Reality inverts, a wave of force brought up underneath the boy as his form scrambles towards the other side.

Even at reduced stress the entire structure begins to dissolve within the arcane bubble, the Mage herself struggling as expected weight clashes against true form. In the critical seconds of survival the entire gravitational field slips past her, an alien anomaly anchored directly upon the targeted boy disrupting her woven spell.

Absolute focus towards the singular task, her mechanical body effortlessly sliding across sand as the woman sends a flat faced wave of gravimetric energy towards the bottom of the bridge. A technique birthed by an ancient warrior tradition, lethal warcraft pushed to the brink of bare utility and desperate function from the hunting of Mages.

Vectors calculated, the fragility of humanity factored as the massive surge passes underneath the young body. Open hands slam together with insane force, the mechanical creature ripping back control as the wave of gravimetrics is redirected directly below Samuel’s scrambling form.

Plastered against a solid wall of immaterial the thin body is thrown skyward, rag dolling across wasteland air. Augments flare, delicate gravimetric forces reeling in a catch as Manara swings the boy towards her.

The beast centered upon him shatters the thin arcane wire, his tumbling form calculated too short of the required landing position.

“He will fall.” Samantha blinks as she throws her rifle aside.

“SAMANTHA NO.” The Auditor roars.

The girl sprints towards the cliff’s edge, arms outstretched as eyes pull skyward.

Augmentation crushes calculations in nanoseconds, ancient silicone processors burning as Manara’s focus splits between two critical parties. A barely tangible plan is set in place, priorities checked as the woman lunges forth into action.

The girl in her sprint miscalculates, distances faltering as from her periphery the sheer cliff vaporizes into existence. Instincts surge as precarious balance is broken, footing lost as she slides upon sandy rock.

Solid ground beneath her slips into endless void, the lethal fall stopped cold by an icy hand at the back of her neck. Manara rips Samantha away from the ledge, tossing her body back to safety as attention is turned to the falling form.

Samuel tumbles end over end, two meters off target as a new vector is calculated. Solid footing upon sand the Mage takes a deep breath, focus gathered for a singular burst.

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A plane of gravimetric force apparates beneath the boy, angled and timing executed with machine precision as he lands upon it flat on his back. Sliding uncontrollably, the boy is safely dumped upon rock, limp form tumbling in a cloud of dust.

With an otherworldly agility Samuel throws himself into a stabilizing spin, gracefully propelling the body onto its feet. A few steps away, Samantha coughs out sand as she drags herself up, the form of her brother standing above with an outstretched hand and anti-material rifle in the other.

An icy grip upon rough hands, the sibling pulling her onto her feet. Cold words spoken, his voice lowered as he shoves the weapon into her grasp with barely hinted anger. “Please attempt to recall the importance of this mechanism.”

“You were falling.” The girl replies.

“It was a survivable distance.” The boy stares with blank eyes. “And you would not have been able to catch my fall.”

Behind them the form of the Auditor stumbles onto her knees. Ice cold augmentation burning underneath the five suns, the form’s glowing eyes fade as the creature reels in arcane power.

Samantha levels her weapon against the creature, an undetermined threat from the elevation of ignorance.

Prostrating herself upon dust the woman remains in silence, the twins watching her as they exchange a glance.

“I have committed a grave mistake.” Auditor Manara of District Two announces. “I have placed your lives at risk of unnecessary termination. It is the fault of myself alone.”

A silence of deserts beyond, the boy carefully placing a gentle hand upon the barrel of Samantha’s weapon.

“You have committed no mistakes.” Samuel dismisses respectfully. “You have made a judgment in accordance with the tactics at your disposal. And you have protected your allies when those judgments failed. There are no faults of your own.”

An utter silence at the words, an immense forgiveness against the ancient culture shattering trained souls.

Looking up into narrowed eyes Manara blinks. “Thank you.”

“It is very rare for an Auditor to believe herself at fault.” Samuel smiles. “But I give my thanks, for saving both Samantha and I and also producing an added benefit of shorter transit times.”

Rising from her position, Auditor Manara takes a deep, centering breath. Lungs of alloy filling with heated air, a mental instability removed as the conscious mind crushes transient emotion. “Then let us continue our journey.”