Page 81 of Alien Warlord's Fury

Cold fury settled in my chest. I'd seen enough. The Aerie taught patience, restraint, careful planning—but they also taught that some evils must be confronted directly.

Hammond was such an evil.

"'Claire,' I sent the thought directly through our bond. 'The guardians. Can you disrupt them?'"

She nodded, her determination flowing through our connection. "The same frequency as before. But the younglings?—"

"One problem at a time," I replied, squeezing her hand. "Ready?"

The smallest youngling's lifelines flickered, weakening. We had no more time for planning.

I launched forward, blade singing through the air as Claire dropped to one knee, her markings activating as she directed energy toward the nearest guardian. Its surface rippled, momentarily destabilized by her attack.

My blade connected with its core, slicing through the corrupted material. The guardian shuddered, energy discharging in a violent burst that threw me backward.

Hammond shouted something, but the words were lost in the chamber's roar. The second guardian moved to intercept me as I regained my footing.

Claire's markings blazed silver-white, her face contorted with effort as she fought Hammond's influence while attacking the second guardian. Through our bond, I could feel her drawing on my strength, our energies intertwining in perfect synchronization.

"The console!" she shouted. "Destroy it!"

I pivoted, dodging the guardian's attack and driving toward Hammond. He backed away from the console, fear finally breaking through his smug composure.

"You don't understand what you're doing," he warned. "The energy is unstable. If you disrupt the flow now?—"

"You should have thought of that before torturing younglings," I snarled, bringing my blade down on the console.

The metal shrieked, ancient technology protesting the violation. Sparks erupted from the damaged surface, and the energy arcs connecting to the crystal flared wildly.

Hammond lunged for the controls, desperate to stabilize the system. "Stop! You'll kill us all!"

CLAIRE

Istood frozen as Hammond's lips curled into a triumphant smile. The three Nyxari children lay suspended in containment fields, their small bodies convulsing as energy pulsed through them into the corrupted Nexus interface. Their pain slammed into me through my connection to the Nexus—raw, primal agony that made my markings react across my skin.

"You've arrived right on schedule," Hammond said, his voice eerily calm amid the chaos of alarms and pulsing energy. "I knew you'd come running to save them, Claire. So predictable."

Nirako's body tensed beside me, his golden lifelines reacting with barely contained fury. "Release them. Now."

Hammond laughed. "I think not. They're far too valuable as conduits." He gestured to a console.

"Their connection to the Nexus is remarkable—almost as strong as yours, Claire. But so much more... malleable."

The smallest child—a girl no older than seven—screamed as another pulse tore through her. My vision blurred with rage.

"Enough," I snarled.

Hammond tapped something on his wrist device. "Guards, guardians—eliminate the intruders. But leave Claire intact enough to join my collection."

The chamber erupted into chaos. Two mechanical guardians detached from wall recesses, their metal bodies humming with corrupted energy. Four human guards rushed in from side entrances, weapons raised.

Nirako moved with predatory speed, drawing his blade in one fluid motion. "Get to the interface," he growled. "Free the children. I'll clear your path."

He launched himself at the nearest guardian, a hulking construct with articulated limbs and a glowing core at its center. The guardian swung a massive arm, but Nirako ducked beneath it, slashing at a joint Ravik had identified as vulnerable.

I sprinted toward the second guardian blocking my path to the control interface. The construct turned toward me, its central eye glowing an unnatural purple. It emitted a high-pitched whine as it charged an energy blast.

Ravik's words flashed through my mind: "These guardians operate on specific harmonic frequencies. Disrupt that frequency..."

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