Freedom, p.1
Freedom, page 1
part #3 of Mystical Slayers Series
Freedom
Mystical Slayers Trilogy Book 3
- Michael W. Huard
Legend says that in mankind’s fallen hour, a hero will rise.
In our story it shall be a sisterhood of kick butt women.
© 2019 Michael W. Huard
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
The novel is entirely a work of fiction Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. For requests, information, and more contact Michael W. Huard at michaelwhuard@gmail.com.
Available in ebook and print.
First edition: 2018
Table of Contents
The story so far:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
Personal note from Michael
About the Author
Get in Touch:
Mystical Slayers Glossary
The story so far:
In The Land of the Free, we learned about an elite sisterhood of freedom-fighting women out to make a difference in the world. These amazing women were able to strike a serious blow against the robotics corporation Y-Wood, who controlled most of the fallen United States. However, the sisterhood suffered great losses in doing so.
In the sequel Hope Bringers, the ladies, now branded outlaws, were able to stay hidden in a secret location, regrouping and discovering some much-needed allies. New members from all over now joined the women, including some special young Mystical Slayers recruited by the core leaders themselves.
Once more, with outside assistance, the women inspired a revolution of hope and patriotic spirit, leading to another attempt to dismantle Y-Wood and bring about freedom from the tyranny. Yet this time, the attack failed, and once more, the sisterhood suffered deeply.
How can these women keep at it? Will their new-found faith in God carry them onward?
It’s time we find out what happens as the final battle for liberty and justice begins.
We join the fight right where it left off, on the bridge where the future of America could be decided.
The former United States is on the brink of a rebirth, or perhaps the end is finally here. Are you ready? Let’s begin!
Chapter One
Make the call, Raegan,” screamed all the women on the bridge. Only Raegan herself had read the lips of the young boy across from them; his armor and helmet somewhat concealed his identity. She knew what they said.
He called out, “Mom.” It was her son, she just knew it.
Again, all her sisters yelled out, “Make the call.”
The choices were to try to back off and let the robots and Corporation heads move ahead and destroy the entire sisterhood beyond, or the women could blast them with their greatest missile yet and blow up the leadership right here and now, yet at the expense of her long-lost son. She could also just pause and pray, thinking of God at this very moment for such was an option if only she could have more time. She didn’t have much.
The leader of the Mystical Slayers simply said aloud, “If ever was a time I need you Lord, now is that time.”
Shots were fired back and forth on the bridge, laser beams bolted in the sky, explosions were all over the place—simply a war zone in the making.
Mahira was in a rage, screaming at the top of her lungs, “All the Corporation big dogs are on that bridge… This rocket will take them all out, we can win… Make the call quick.”
Chaya, blinded by smoke, fire, and gunfire, all knew that if they didn’t fire their special missile, they would be overwhelmed and killed by the onrushing black robots and their leaders. “We have to hurry. Make the call, Raegan,” she cried out.
Jansa stricken by grief, her eyes watering and burning from the smoke and fire as well, still knelt over Darren’s body. Everything had slowed down for her. It was like the world had stopped moving. She didn’t see the boy nor did the others anymore now, as the robotic troops continued at her and her sisters. She could only scream out in a screech of vengeance, “Kill them!”
The other sisters on the bridge took heavy shots now, and all about them, their flying allies and Y-Wood spacecrafts continued to blast one another. War was horrible, and death was in the air.
Tyne, with her excellent cyborg x-ray vision, zoomed in closer to the leaders of the Y-Corporation, and she now saw the boy with them. He certainly looked like Raegan’s son.
Tyne shouted through the noise, as she ran up to her sister, “I see him, Rae, and I will save him.” Raegan tried to grab her cyborg sister, but it was too late. Tyne Gem ran forward, dodging laser bullets and bravely moving ahead. She took several hits before she reached the oncoming black robotic soldiers, General Purcell and his silver eagle helm, and the blue and silver superbot Galax.
The boy was nervous by the fast-approaching woman. Who was she? he thought. She seemed familiar. Galax stepped in front of him, and he met Tyne straight on. He was simply the most powerful being on Earth. Tyne, already damaged, tried to avoid the tall robot and grab the boy to pull him back, but Galax grabbed her and lifted her straight up in the air, tossing her off the bridge. All the women across the bridge shrieked in agony at such a horrible sight.
It was all enough to take his attention away from shooting the women and when Raegan saw such, she wailed out a war cry and ran forward herself to try to reach her son. The others behind her, excluding Mahira, followed suit, charging and firing at the oncoming black robots and Y-Wood Corporation leadership.
Mahira knew the ground the woman had to cover was too long, and they would take too much artillery shots on route there, so she herself steadied the rocket launcher, still ready to fire the Texas missile. Raegan had now lost her mind. She ran on to save Johan.
And that’s when she saw something out of the smoke, fire, and steams of lasers. Whatever it was, it moved so fast down to the bridge from the sky that she only caught a glimpse of what appeared to be some sort of whitish wings.
A person or animal went straight for the young, armored boy. It grabbed hold of him and flew off over the bridge fast up and out into the sky beyond.
The girls in front of Mahira took shots and were all gonna die. She had no choice but to launch the missile over them, and she did just that. The rocket zoomed over her friends and blasted the clump of Corporation soldiers in front of them. It was a shot for the ages!
That mega-enhanced Texas missile blew up that entire section of the bridge on impact with a thunderous sound that echoed all about the area. Everything collapsed as the women stopped inches from dropping down with the falling metal structure.
The black robotic Ruthys, with their menacing green, glowing eyes blasted into pieces, they too falling below. Hopefully, the president and his super-thing were ripped apart, Mahira thought. She said, “How’s that for good timing!”
The explosion itself caused a great gap between the two sides of the bridge.
Raegan landed face-first on the ground but kept looking over the bridge to see where the winged thing had flown with her son. She could barely see anything now as debris, fire, and smoke took over the entire bridge area.
From the sky, Captain Raymond Hully and his air squadrons rained down laser beams at anything that remained still moving as the rebels took the advantage.
He noticed the silver and blue super robot flying backwards with President Purcell in his grasp. Captain Hully focused on the two, pointing his ship weapon’s scope perfectly at them and thus with a cry of, “Hah, hah, take this, you suckers!” He let loose a massive stream of laser beams to destroy the president and his bot.
The mega-bot suddenly put up some sort of force field; a bluish glow had appeared in front of him and all the shots dropped before they hit their targets. Galax flew off in the opposite direction, carrying his president away.
Captain Hully just shook his head. “So close, darn it, so… close.”
The most powerful soldiers of the Y-Corporation had been blown up by the deadly Texas missile as Mahira’s aim had been nearly perfect, yet the sky leader still was needed all about.
Madness broke out all along the sky and land surrounding the bridge area with many of the Y- Corporation ships grounded by the secret code Omagus had administered. Those still about took on even heavier damage from ally ships.
The remaining Corporation vessels, those last to arrive, and still in th
But there was no time for celebration.
Many lives were lost on the bridge, and many others were still crying out in pain as most of the smoke and debris cleared.
Jansa found herself now looking for Darren’s strewn-about body, her heart crying out still in agony. The blast had deafened and finally, things were slowly coming back to normal.
Chaya had been shot in the leg, but that didn’t stop her from running to her doctor friend and consoling her as they came once again upon Darren’s body.
Tyne was somewhere over the bridge, and no one knew if she was still functioning or broken to pieces.
Mahira spotted Raegan running past her towards the sisters on the ground flyers, and she ran after her.
“What are you doing?” she called out, chasing her. Her sister didn’t turn around… She made her way to one of the flyers, leapt in and elevated such upward, flying off to the left of the bridge into the sky.
The gladiator looked up, as Rae flew away, thus shaking her head. She scanned the area around the bridge, seeing the heavy carnage and so much damage… It was all so overwhelming. Everything had happened so fast. Mahira was tough, as tough as they come, yet she fell to her knees, holding her head. So much loss even overtook her in this moment.
She thought of her beloved sister Zaey and what had happened earlier. Her ship had been destroyed in flight to The Corporation stronghold. Her stomach was just twisted in knots, and she felt nauseous. Zaey couldn’t be gone. Maybe somehow, her ship never made it near New York, Mahira hoped. Tears of hurt though rolled down her cheeks as she sat on what was left of the bridge.
Time just stood still now.
Eventually, Chaya helped Jansa bring Darren’s body with them as they walked over to a flyer with all the other sisters and allies. Mahira too joined them.
Chaya explained to all still alive, “We need to get back to the vineyard as soon as possible and help the others. Who knows what will happen there next. All of you, head that way… We will join you soon.” The she added, “I’m hearing others saying that boy on the bridge could have actually been Johan; if so, this is all so crazy.”
She turned to Mahira and said, “We first have to go after Tyne down below; our cyborg sister has to come back with us.”
Mahira knew that her sister was correct, and she took the driving seat of their space flyer and flew down over the bridge, searching for the lost body of their sister.
As the woman searched about, many of the ally flyers came down to join them.
Captain Hully from Washington was closest and as they all exited their ships, each spotted Tyne’s body washed up on the shoreline. Mahira ran to her, scooped her up and brought her back to all. Tyne Gem had taken heavy damage as parts of her were broken off, yet she could be saved.
Captain Hully, whose ship was called the Dragonfly, came over to Mahira and Chaya.
“That was one heck of a fight,” he announced. “Sorry for your losses. The allies were hit hard as well. I’m going to pursue some of those Corporation ships, making sure they head far away.”
Chaya pointed in the other direction. “We have a ton of our people back at the vineyard hiding in the hills right now. We have to go back there first to check on them and do something to keep them safe.”
Mahira shook her head. “I don’t know if we’re ready for more fighting right now. Cap, go ahead and do your thing, but we’re laying low for a bit.”
“Where’s Raegan?” the captain asked. “I’m sure Miss Bends is going to want to speak with her about the situation.”
Chaya sighed. “Well, that’s another issue facing us right now… She’s flown off on her own; something or someone grabbed what we’re hearing could have been her lost son. The thing disappeared before any of us could see where it went.”
Captain Hully ran his hand through his thick hair and seemed a little bit confused as to what to say next. “Well, as far as we can all see now, the Corporation has retreated. Let me follow them for a bit to make sure and, I’m going to fly back to Washington and gather with all our other allies. Our next move must, I would think, be made as soon as possible.”
He saluted the women before he walked back to the Dragonfly.
Mahira and Chaya both looked at one another, nodding their heads. Mahira told the captain, “Hey, you did well up there. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible.”
He raised a fist at her. “Live free or die, right?”
Mahira gave him her best smile possible.
Jansa, still in their flyer holding Darren, cried out at her sisters as they boarded, carrying Tyne Gem. “Don’t you even care? Look what has happened. This man meant so much to me.”
“Of course we care,” Chaya announced. “What do you want us to do?”
Mahira added, “There’s a lot that just went down. I mean, it is what it is.”
That statement brought Jansa into a rage. “No, it’s not just what it is. You guys are just focused on yourselves like Sin always says. I mean for GOD’S SAKE, HAVE A LITTLE COMPASSION!”
The ride back to the vineyard after such an outburst, well, it was a quiet one.
Chapter Two
Raegan zipped her smaller aircraft up into the mountains. The range was called the High Pinnacle Peaks, and it was here, somewhere, Johan had been flown to. She circled about, looking frantically for her child. Her visions had come true—he was alive.
The mountains were extremely high, with various chasms between them and what looked to be openings where one could conceal oneself. It was a vast range and still, she couldn’t see that which she sought.
After nearly an hour’s search, she finally spotted movement between two of the higher peaks. Immediately, she grounded her ship on the flattest part of the mountain, and she ran out, hunting for what she had spotted.
Whatever it was, it had whitish wings. She looked all over but found nothing yet. It had now hidden itself. Raegan climbed down a few slopes and a higher ledge and suddenly slipped, falling nearly thirty-five feet. The landing was hard, and she undoubtedly had broken or hurt her leg. Frantically, she fought the urge to give up, and the pain still didn’t stop her. She crawled onward, between mountains and in a tunnel-like space she kept searching. Her instinct led her to an opening, a cave-like crevice that widened into a chamber.
She picked herself up and limped within. Before her was a pool of clear water. Its source cascaded from above, down the wall to her left, and the scene was lit by an open mountain roof space high above, revealing the blue sky as a stream of sunlight shot through it.
She pulled up near a large rock and was simply astonished by whom or what she saw near the pool. To her relief, Johan was there, yet the man holding him took her breath away.
Offering her son spring water and keeping him safe was a dark, brown-skinned, clean-shaven man, one with golden eyes and what appeared to be folded white wings. He looked over and smiled at Raegan.
The man was beautiful beyond words and seeing him comfort Johan made him even more of a sight that calmed the Mystical Slayer leader. He wore some sort of bronze armor on his shoulders and a woven Persian-like skirt the color of orange, gold, and black. Raegan also saw a curved sword at his side. Under her breath, she announced, “Who on earth is this person?”
The world before her stopped for a moment, and a great peace came over her. There was a moment when Johan smiled too at Raegan. Her fears faded, and as she sat on this big slab across from the pair, the pain suddenly became real again in her leg. She coiled back at touching the area and grimaced in serious hurt.
Johan’s eyes slowly shut now, and the boy fell into a quiet sleep.
Raegan could now only hear the sounds of the falling water touching the pool below and that of her own breath. Time passed and not a word was spoken. She couldn’t find the right thing to say… The man of color only stared back at her, studying her. He placed the boy softly to the ground and walked over to her.
“He will be okay,” he assured her. “I think it’s more shock than any of the wounds he took from the bridge with all that was thrown about.” The winged man now knelt by Raegan’s side. “May I see,” he asked, pointing to her injured leg.
Raegan looked deep into his amazing gold eyes. She felt a trust in him, and she motioned with a nod that he may look to her wound.
