Thirty Two – The lightning against the flashes

It is show time.

I am on the top of a building in the city's west end.

It is tall enough and currently unoccupied.

Many people had fled the city after the all the fighting broke out. At least the ones that could pay.

Olvad's forces were not letting many leave.

He was a coward.

He was holding hostages here to slow down the rebels.

Using civilians as human shields.

The west area is just a commercial area.

So it is empty in a time like this.

A perfect place to carry a plan like this.

I use my air magic to propel myself upward.

The wind and freezing rain offer some resistance.

I can see the entire city from here.

It is coming as planned.

Aiming for where I was standing, several beams of a white laser light fire from various points across the city, striking the top of the building and devastating everything in their path.

I counted at least ten.

The gargoyles are working.

I am faster.

That should be enough to catch the their attention.

I land on the scorch mark left by the lasers.

A chunk of the building had been consumed.

Smoke was rising from the ground despite the rain.

The smell of burning mix with the damp air.

Now, the second stage.

I use a remote control to detonate several bombs I planted yesterday on nearby streets.

The goal of these bombs is simply to make a lot of noise and create rubble on the streets surrounding this building, hindering the movement and preventing vehicles from approaching.

I need to draw everyone's attention to this area.

That should not be difficult.

I can already see the movement on the streets.

Guards are surrounding the building.

I am ready for combat.

I have my trusty combat knife.

It is the only thing I need.

The lasers fired by the gargoyles were my signal to start the operation on the other side.

I hope everything goes well.

The first wave of guards arrives.

Three guards stepped out through the building's terrace door and, the moment they saw me, started firing their lasers.

They did not even say “hi”.

Very rude.

I charged at them, dodging the shots.

I close the distance to point-blank range.

I used the shoulder of one guard, who was crouching, to launch myself upward.

I was faster than their reaction time.

Mid-air, I spun and struck all three at once with my weapon.

They were incapacitated.

Gunfire start coming from down the street and the building in front.

I take cover behind the terrace parapet. The second wave of enemies is approaching.

I move toward the fallen enemies I just defeated and search for something I can use.

I find six magic explosive capsules.

I grab three of them and toss them through the doorway they entered from.

On the staircase below, I can already hear more guards coming up.

The capsules explode.

Thick smoke fills the air.

The building shakes violently.

I do not think its structure will hold up through the entire fight.

More shots start coming my way.

Now from more other buildings around.

I chose the building I am in because it is not one of the tallest in the area, but the ones surrounding are a little bit taller.

I can spot troops positioned at windows on several floors, firing at me.

They think they got the advantage because they have the higher ground. But I planned everything.

I take cover behind the parapet.

I crouch and move to the edge.

They can not see me.

The shooting has stopped.

More guards must be on the way up here.

They are waiting for me to stick my head out so they can open fire again.

I am starting to get surrounded.

This building is not safe anymore.

I need to jump to the another one.

If I use my magic now, I will not know where the gargoyles are anymore.

I believe they repositioned after the first shot.

They must be surrounding me from various strategic points.

I do not know if using magic now is a smart move...

But it might be the only choice left.

Starting this battle was not a smart move to begin with.

I vault over the ledge.

I throw myself off the top of the building.

As I fall, I see the guards in the window of the building opposite shifting their positions and trying to hit me with their lasers while I am in free falling.

I have to wait until the very last moment and launch myself as far as possible so that no gargoyle hits me.

Almost there...

Almost there...

Now.

I use air magic in two directions.

First, on my feet to propel myself forward, using the side of the building as a support to shift my trajectory toward the rear of the structure.

Then, for the second part, I use the magic to cushion my fall.

I land on the ground rolling and unharmed.

White laser beams from the gargoyles strike from multiple directions, hitting all the surrounding buildings.

The third stage of the plan.

The buildings are starting to collapse.

I need to get out of here as fast as possible.

The structures are already giving way.

The destructive power of the gargoyles is impressive.

They have punched holes right through entire buildings, burning and disintegrating everything in their path.

The first building to collapse is the one I was just in. I am already on the street behind it.

A thunderous boom echoes through the streets.

The power of the collapsed structure is so big that a cloud of dust rises up, despite the heavy rain.

I start running.

The building next door building collapses too.

Now it is a chain of knock outs.

Crash after crash takes over the area.

I think five buildings collapsed in total.

Silence.

I can hear only the rain now.

Several guards begin marching around.

They are not giving up.

They climb onto the rubble, trying to locate me.

The dust cloud and the rain make it hard for everyone to see.

Myself included.

How I hate this rain.

I manage to move away from the nearby collapse.

I take cover behind a wall.

Just as I expected, the surrounding exits are all blocked.

The vehicles could not enter the wreckage area I created earlier.

They are all waiting at the edge for the guards to clear the streets.

I see four...

No.

Five armored vehicles and at least fifteen guards near me.

They are standing there, looking at the destruction.

They have not noticed me yet.

The commander shouts, reminding them to get back to work and clear the street.

I can not get through here.

It is too risky.

Should I turn back and try the other side?

I think the situation is the same there.

I am really stuck here.

Should I stay hidden and wait for them to find me?

Should I wait for the other group on the east side to blow up the prototypes creating a distraction so I can escape?

Do I even have time for that?

I hear guards moving in every direction.

They are hunting me.

I keep hiding behind rubble or walls.

I move whenever I sense them getting closer I change my position.

I am being cornered.

My time is running out.

Why are they taking so long on the other side?

The gunfire starts up again.

They have spotted me.

I run in a crouch, shifting to a new hiding spot.

They do not know exactly where I am.

I do not have many places left to run.

I have reached the wall that suffocates and encircles the city.

There is nowhere left to run from here.

I am out of options.

The shooting continues.

It is over for me.

Or is it?

I think I can climb the city wall.

It is taller than any building.

Taller than anything I have ever climbed.

A rampart encircling the entire city perimeter, theoretically here to protect the citizens from invaders.

Right now, though, it is stopping me from escaping.

Limiting my options.

I do not think I have much of a choice at the moment.

Damned if I do, damned if I do not.

I hope I am strong enough to pull it off.

I close my eyes and focus.

I use my magic to propel myself, running up the wall.

Up.

Up.

It is slippery.

Damn this rain.

I hope I can make it.

I have never used magic like this for this long.

It is working.

I need more power.

Focus.

Keep going.

Focus.

Lasers strike the section of the wall just below where I was.

The lasers do not stop.

Dozens of lasers begin to track my movements up, repositioning as I go.

Keep going.

Keep going.

I need to climb faster.

I can not let them catch me.

This wall is incredibly high.

My legs are already aching.

Maybe this was an stupid idea.

Almost there.

Keep going.

Keep going.

More power.

I can feel the heat of the approaching lasers.

Keep going.

More magic.

Help me.

Come on.

Come on.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Almost there.

Almost there.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

I did it.

A huge chunk of the wall…

Is gone.

I manage to dodge it.

I can not move.

My strength is gone.

I feel the ground is shaking.

I need to get up.

It is over for me now.

Stay strong.

I can do this.

My body is not responding.

The wall is starting to collapse.

I feel a tremor with every piece detaching.

I can not move.

My legs hurt.

At least I still have my legs.

This freezing rain.

Am I going to die looking at the rain?

Ironic.

This is the end for me.