Cleave

Ch 1 - The Sword's Might

The skylit black of night gently gave way to the darkened blue of dawn as armoured trucks and jeeps shot across the open land. The wind gently lashed at my face as I bounced around in the back of a jeep, watching as the Barakhan cultists' outpost grew larger.

"Ready for combat Shields,we're right on top of the outpost!" Old man Spear's grizzled voice came through the radio. "Arrowhead! Advance and knock out those towers!"

"Copy!" Several drivers, including our own, responded.

V6 engines roared to life as the jeep shot forward, joining six others as they surged ahead of the convoy.

The machine gunner Daniel chambered a round. "The Shields are coming baby! We're fuckin' coming!"

"Check your gear!" Andre shouted over the engine's roar as he checked his rifle's chamber. "Vinny you make sure that rocket is set!"

Vinny nervously checked his rocket-launcher and gave a thumbs-up. I glanced at the runes etched into their guns, smiling a little at the fruits of my lesson. Without runes on their weapons, most of them wouldn't be able to harness enough magic to truly harm a demon. But teaching the Shields to use runes gave them power they desperately needed.

I touched the revolver holstered on my left thigh, stood up, and grabbed onto the rail Daniel's machine gun was mounted on as I reached behind my back. I gripped the hilt of my great-sword Darkfang and drew the massive weapon, resting the blade on my shoulder.

"Woo! That's a big got-damned sword!" Daniel glanced at me. "I bet Jesus Himself made that for you!"

"It's almost as tall as I am! Just right cutting for down demons!" I grinned at him.

Spotlights kicked on and shone blindingly on us as we neared the outpost. Daniel and several other machine-gunners opened fire, hurling accurate bursts of magic-charged bullets at the spotlights and their crews. Men screamed and demons shrieked as they were torn apart by bullets and the spotlights were shot to pieces.

"Arrowhead One to Arrowhead!" The vanguard lead's voice came in on the radio. "Break off and hit the towers!"

I lowered my hips and tightened my grip on the rail. The jeep swerved, threatening to toss over anyone who lost their balance.

"Vinny!" Andre shouted. "Get ready!"

Vinny's body thumped as it hit the left side of the Jeep. Then metal clinked as he braced his rocket launcher against the jeep's armor plating.

Condors, long-beaked, scrawny winged demons that sported vicious talons and  blackened eyes flocked in the air above the outpost, shrieking as they dove towards us. Gunfire rang out once more as Daniel and the others lit them up. Bullets tore through wings and smashed through frail bodies, sending them plummeting to the earth.

The outpost's walls lit up as the cultists opened fire on us, unleashing a hail of bullets and the towers roared to life as a volley of magic was cast on us. Angry wasps slammed past my ear as bullets pinged against the armour of the jeep or missed altogether. Magic raised the hairs on my neck as violent mystical energy slammed agaisnst the jeep. Blinding flashes of light pulsed as the jeep's magic wards held and repulsed the magic.

Andre and Cade returned fire, their bullets tearing epic holes in a few cultists' chests. Many others ducked to avoid being ripped apart by bullets that detonate with violent magical energy on impact.

"C-clear of the blast!" Vinny screamed as he fired.

Heat and wind ejected from the back of the launcher as the rocket surged forward, and the rocket streaked through the air in the blink of an eye and slammed against the tower. The first of many deafening blasts that overloaded the wards of the towers, causing multiple violent afterblasts as the wards' magic fields shattered and exploded. The screams of the cultists and the shrieks of several demons was barely noticeable.