Endless Worlds Volume 1

Chapter 5

The words Ashlyn spoke to us before we left remain fresh in my mind even an hour into our flight. I can feel her presence everywhere we go. That plan that she had, the fact that she knew what we were doing, and the Gleam Eyes. It's all too much right now. I must figure out her plan before something serious happens. The only problem is I can't tell the others because I know how Amy would react and I don't think the rest would react much differently.

Amy's voice then interrupts my thoughts as she announces, "We're here."

"And we aren't alone," Scorch announces over the intercom.

Looking out the ship's window, I see Ashlyn's soldiers on the lush, green surface of the planet-like area.

"Scorch, is there anywhere to land that is away from the battle?" Amy asks as she flies the ship around the planet, so far not being spotted.

"Yes, behind the tree. There's no one there for now." He responds. The tree he refers to is massive, probably about 500 feet tall. It stands towering above the rest of the area, making all the soldiers look like nothing more than ants. The vines from the tree dangle down and give it a more peaceful feel.

We fly over to the other side of tree until a catch a shine of something out of the corner of my eye. That shine came from the inside of the tree. It seemed Amy saw it as well because I see her turn the ship into the tree.

She then says, "Luna, reroute the ship. We are heading into the top branches of the tree."

Luna then responds over the intercom, "Got it. We'll follow you."

"Enemies incoming!" Scorch exclaims as a missile is sent flying toward us. The two ships dodge out of the way as it goes right in between us. As Amy and Luna pull the ships up, I turn around the bottom gun to get a good look at the enemy ship with the same shape and design as Scorch and Luna's ship.

"Epic," Scorch says over the intercom. "If you see an opening, take the shot. Don't hesitate."

"Got it," I say and then get the gun in position.

I then noticed the gun change shape. Instead of taking the shape of a gatling gun like before, it changes to fit the description of a rail gun. The gun then starts to charge with a blue aura before it lets out a bright blue beam that goes right under us.

Then a voice appears on the intercom, prompting, "Surrender now and you will be spared. Don't, and we'll shoot."

"As if!" Scorch shouts over the intercom.

"You don't have a choice," the voice responds as the gun starts to charge even more.

Scorch's gun then sends a rapid fire of bullets out of his rail gun, the ship dodges them and fires a beam right under his ship.

"That was a warning shot-" the voice says.

"You can't kill us even if you wanted to!" Scorch shouts, cutting the voice off, "We heard what Ashlyn said, she needs us alive."

"He's done it now," Amy says.

No sound comes from either Scorch or the voice for some time until the ship flies away.

"Well, that was easy-" Scorch says, this time getting cut off himself by Ashlyn's voice now over the intercom.

"Easy?"

Me, Amy, and Monika sit there dead quiet, knowing exactly why we hear her now. And from the silence of Scorch, I can tell he and Luna know too.

"Did you think that if you took my ships, I would have no control over them?" she says, I can tell she is mocking us now. "I can hear and see everything that happens in them. They were planted there as your only way to leave. So, I wouldn't recommend going into that tree to meet your friends. Even though I know both Jasmine and Lucy are in there and almost everything about what they are doing, you might not want to give away their exact location."