Marcus navigated the upright toward the strange box that laid in the road. The object had slightly rounded corners, three large hooks bound the taller, angled top to a shallow flat bottom. The edges were darkened and one side was charred.

  "What do you think it is?" Layne turned to look at Marcus.

  Marcus tilted his head. "Looks like some sort of container. It's huge though."

  Arminius came in over the radio. "This should be the rendezvous, not seeing any sign of the caravan though." The Hastatus slowly pivoted to turn a full revolution.

  "It must be some kind of container." Marcus scratched his head. "But the question is, how did it get all the way out here?"

  "And what’s in it?" Layne followed up.

  "Contact bearing 053." Fenicks called out.

  Through the pitch black of night, a series of torches flickered in the distance farther down the road which led to Kourion City. The motes of light swayed back and forth rhythmically while drawing near.

  Marcus leaned forward and squinted.

  "Looks like they made it. Hopefully with less trouble." Arminius radioed.

  "We should get this off the road." Marcus motioned toward the box at the Firestorm’s feet.

  "There's a small meadow off the path." Arminius continued. The Hastatus gestured in the caravan's direction. "Maybe we can evade prying eyes should any unwanted by passers come through."

  "Good idea." Marcus responded over the radio. Then he looked to Layne. "Grab that, let's not leave it here."

  Layne nodded and grabbed the controls in front of him.

  The upright's arms reached forward and slid under two metal flaps on either side of the object. While lifting, the upright began to shimmy, and the engine started to sputter.

  "This thing's heavy, whatever it is." Layne clenched his teeth.

  Marcus shifted down and feathered the throttle.

  After some strain, the upright lifted the box and held it at waist height.

  "Analysis indicates this is part of the airship wreckage." Fenicks said.

  "That explosion knocked this thing all the way out here?" Layne gawked.

  "It may have been lost in flight. Simulated ejection patterns and existing debris signature are disparate." Fenicks responded.

  The Hastatus pivoted, starting down the right-side path of the 'T' intersection and started moving toward the convoy. After passing by an opening in the trees which led to a meadow, it turned and motioned, ushering the Firestorm to enter the clearing.

  With slow, lumbering steps, Marcus navigated the upright toward the clearing. He fought the controls to keep the machine steady as it advanced. Clumsy shuffling brought it to bear into the gap between the trees, and he brushed through the canopy, the arms shredding tree limbs off as the machine passed into the alcove.

  The small grassy area was just enough to fit both the uprights, the container, and the caravan snuggly. On a mossy outcrop near the far side of the clearing, they set down the container. Bent down, Layne readied to unlatch the container and see what was inside.

  But as the Firestorm reached, the arm suddenly and violently retracted and the machine dipped into a parking squat.

  Marcus looked down as the pressure against the clutch gave out and the engine fell silent with a low whine.

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  "Fuel reserves depleted." Fenicks said.

  The outside panorama faded away, now just a metal wall. Lights overhead turned on as the cabin fell completely quiet.

  "Preparing to hibernate, releasing exit hatch." Fenicks said.

  Just as he spoke, with a hiss, the hatch on the floor beside the gunner's seat popped open. Through the seam in the floor, moonlight reflecting off what little sheen there was on the container flooded in. The overhead lights dimmed to darkness.

  Layne continued to stare forward and exhaled sharply. "We got lucky, that could have gone way worse."

  Marcus stood up. "This is no time to relax. We still got a long way to get to Kourion City." He pulled open the hatch and slid down to reach the leg-mounted ladder, then descended. Through the much higher trees, he could see the glow of the city emanating into the distant sky, hiding the stars. By the time he reached the ground, the Hastatus maneuvered tightly into position next to the Firestorm and fell into a parking squat.

  Standing at the left foot of the Firestorm, the box was much bigger on the ground than it looked in the cockpit. The latches were about as big as he was tall.

  Arminius descended the Hastatus. While the uprights settled, the caravan entered the clearing and came to a stop. The myrmidon approached the lead wagon with Baldmund as its driver.

  "How did the road treat you?" Arminius sized up the wagon and crossed his arms.

  Baldmund dismounted and shook his head. "Got hairy on the last mile." He stepped away to look at the other wagon to the rear, driven by Ekkehard. "The group we were with lasted us a good long while. After we broke away, it seemed like everything was going to be a smooth ride out to our meeting place here but that explosion near the river caused all sorts of chaos."

  The beating of hooves afar echoed throughout the forest, in the direction from which the two wagons traveled. The noise drew closer.

  "Cut those torches." Arminius pointed at the rear wagon which had two mounted closer toward the front, facing out from each side.

  Simon pulled them down and smacked them against the ground, extinguishing the flames and leaving only embers.

  Arminius beckoned Marcus, then led Baldmund back toward the gap in the trees near the road. Caeso fell in line. Layne tailed the group.

  Arminius gestured and the five took up cover behind trees near the road. The three warriors took up separate positions. Marcus and Layne hid behind a single wide trunk together and eyed the direction of the noise.

  Arminius and Caeso drew their pistols, Baldmund with carbine in hand stood as a statue, his shoulder brushed against the tree.

  The beating of hooves drew nearer. A low rumble coursed along the ground.

  Baldmund carefully cocked his musket.

  A small group of ten riders galloped past the clearing. They bore no light, simply riding along in the twilight. As they opened distance, Arminius lowered his weapon.

  "As I was saying," Baldmund carefully lowered the hammer to rest on his carbine. "Whatever happened turned the roads into total chaos. Those were mercs; we saw plenty of detachments blazing the trails up and down the last mile here."

  Finally, the roar of horsemen dispersed quietly into the distance.

  "Do you think they're looking for us?" Marcus stepped away from cover.

  Arminius shook his head and returned pistol to belt. "They wouldn't send a handful of horsemen to chase down a pair of uprights."

  "Lookin' for someone." Caeso holstered his pistol. "A few other riders that passed by were hollering about it while we were on the road. Some girl."

  The dragon rider and the girl she pulled from the wreckage came to Marcus's mind. Despite her dishevelment from the crash, there was a regalness to her presence then.

  Arminius pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. After opening them he looked back toward the wagons. "I had hoped we all could get some rest before heading out. We'll have to double our watch tonight."

  Marcus sighed and nodded. "It's going to be a long day." He turned to Layne. "Let's get refueled as fast as we can."

  Layne nodded and departed.

  Arminius motioned with his head. Both Baldmund and Caeso departed to refuel the Hastatus.

  As Marcus started to follow Layne, the gauntleted hand of Arminius obstructed his path. The myrmidon watched the others walk back to the clearing.

  "That thing we encountered back at the crash. Was that what you saw in the forest?" Arminius continued to stare at the three departing.

  Marcus shook his head. "Not the black one."

  "The little one, gold?" Arminius lowered his arm.

  "That and a bigger dragon, just as huge as that thing at the wreckage." Marcus looked at the myrmidon.

  Arminius let out an exasperated groan. "I wish you'd just said the black one."

  "Why?" Marcus turned to him.

  Arminius crossed his arms. "Sarasen is sly but a devil that is well understood, at least in the circles I brush elbows with." He shook his head. "But the gold one, Aurufia, she's elusive, powerful but largely a known unknown. And those two being in close proximity can only mean awful things are on the horizon."

  Marcus scratched his head. "Is there anything we can do about it?"

  The myrmidon lowered his arms and rested his hand on his sheathed sword. "I'm hoping we gave that black dragon a good startle and that will keep him at bay long enough to get to Kourion."

  "If we didn't?" Marcus swallowed hard.

  "I don't know if we'll be able to get away unscathed again." Arminius began to walk back to the uprights. He turned his head. "This whole trip got a lot more complicated, keep your wits about you."

  Marcus stood alone after the Myrmidon left. He leaned against the tree he once took cover behind and stared at his feet.

  The Son of Stars Saga. In the coming chapters the brakes are going to fall off the freight train and a lot will happen to give some sense of scale. But the entirety of the series will start publishing soon. Different time periods in the universe which will have conflicts, figures, and events mentioned in Firestorm. Lots of different perspectives, environments, and characters to explore.

  Come take a look here!