Chapter 16: Freedom after Misery

Zyro's mind race as he thought of a solution. Unlike before, the conundrum his facing seems hopelessly impossible to solve. Being inside a dead metal aircraft falling from unimaginable height with horrifying speed. Only having mere seconds to think and act.

He quickly check the emergency power through the controls, only to see it drained. As it turns out, it's already using the last of its charge back then and now, it had completely run dry. Not a drop remain.

The dead vessel past through the dozens of Gricks airships and winged warriors, leaving after images. It was so fast even the flying Gricks with enhanced senses barely notice it passed by. The starship remnants speed and gravity only make it faster, that even the airborne experts fall behind. They could only watch as the metal vessel figure rapidly shrink in distance.

However, to Zyro, it's more of a treat than benefit. Sure, the current traveling speed erase the countless birds treat to his life. In exchange, only mere seconds is left before his flatten along the aircraft.

'Sh*t!'

The aircraft fall diagonally due the the remnant power of its thrusters. As it pass the sea of clouds, diving it deeper and exposing the land before his eyes. A lush of dark green shades filled the plains below, tints of warm dot lights gathered in particular spots akin to fireflies in the night. If one concentrated greatly in those lights, they could outline wooden houses forming a village. However, Zyro's mind don't have room for unessential thoughts as he switch to manual controls.

Unlike automatic control which need electricity and provide vast variety of options. Manual steering demand more labor to the pilot while only letting him slightly bend the wing to steer it's direction. Thankfully, humans were not fully drowned in modernization to disregard electrical malfunction or drainage issues. And still added the manual features to this starship.

He quickly get off his sit, leaving it's comport and jump to the side. The irresistible gravitational pull almost made him miss catching the iron lever. Fortunately, he did not. Gritting his teeth, Zyro stiffed his muscles as he pull with all his might.

The scene through the window zoom apace, tilting to a relatively large body of water - lake. It's tranquil crystal clear liquid luster the moon's pale blue light. It lay like mirror reflecting the graceful azure moon above.

As soon as he saw this in the aircraft front, Zyro let got of the iron lever. Letting his body trivial weight abruptly pull backward.

"Bam!"

His back slam in the heavy metal door. Zyro shook his head, chasing the remnant dizziness from the impact and stubbornly reach out for the red button on the side. Due to gravitational pull pressing him down, and extreme exhaustion. He could only slide his hand towards the emergency button, and even that took his all.

The pale blue lake Infront grew wider and wider, it didn't take long until it's surface water completely cover the entire pilot window sight.

Just in time, Zyro armored finger in black tap the red button surface, slowly pressing it down. Intense satisfaction electrified his fingers as he felt it pop, followed by a metallic clang sounding behind. Then, the heavy metal door burst open, ferocious wind greeted him as Zyro's figure flew out like a dove finally freeing from long imprisonment. Sadly, he cannot fly, thus, it more akin to a trash being thrown out.

The racing starship black figure produce after images as it dive in the lake surface. Breaking the night tranquility when it meet the serene lake. Giant glacier burst above. Sending rain in the surroundings verdant forestry and furious wave in the lakes surface.

With that, his precious Starship are gone. Drowned at the lake's dept.

However, he had a more dire problem currently. His falling.

Zyro didn't dare to watch as he spread his limbs and focused below him. Green leaves clustered together, shrouding the branches below. He dive through fully prepared for pain with fully spread body. His armor catch the leaves and branches as he plummeted, snapping the thin branches the moment of contact. Slowing the fall momentum bit by bit in the cost of pain. The thicker branches came into view as he dare catch some, only to break the moment of impact. Fortunately, his limbs were tougher than branches, but it doesn't go for all size. He felt his body bend, over and over again, finally losing his fall momentum, letting him grab on a fat body of wood that supported his weight. Bringing him down like a battered corpse in the ground with a thud.

Facing down, Zyro gasped for air, his eyes blank as he felt his already battered body be flogged, birched, clobbered and thrashed. He felt broken and sickening pain everywhere and exhaustion that demand century of rest. However, he cannot stop, the aircraft crashing were bond to attract attention. Sooner not later the airborne soldiers will reach this area and search for survivor.

Zyro gritted his teeth, as he forcefully commanded his joints to move. Disregarding their condition in the verge of breaking, gritting his teeth dyed in blood. With all his might, he stood and took a step after step.

Staggering away from the crash scene, each movement he made create broken sounds of steel. But the most dreadful thing is the feeling crashed muscles being forcefully move. Even though he have obtained surplus amount of pain resistance in a short expanse of time. It doesn't restore his condition for the better.

His only saving grace is his platinum tempered bones and exoskeleton that retrained his bones from breaking. If it were organic, it would had long been broken. Deeming him unable to move.

Dim rays of pale blue light past through the tall tree leaves illuminating his path, not knowing where to go, he walk. Resisting his body from breaking down, he keep going. Ignoring the pain and his body scream for rest. His vision blurred, as heavy eyelids urge to fall and shut the exhaustion away. Zyro's entire body begged to stop, fall and lay down, head to oblivion to end this misery. He had more than enough suffering for a day. Yet, his mind contradict his body's demand, and Zyro knew who to listen to. If he stop now and be discovered by the Gricks, then everything he've done will be in vane.

"Huf...Huf...Huf..."

With only his breathing to be heard, he staggered in the darkness for an unknown amount of time. The agony that envelop his body keep him awake the entire trip.

Sometimes his legs will tremble and fall, only to be force up again and again. This continue until he reach as rocky site in a mountain side. Different sized stones had fallen at it's foot, forming a rocky slope that roll under the towering trees shade. It's rubble's bathed in pale blue light. Seeing this, Zyro kneeled down in front of two large misshapen boulder clinging to each other.

Knowing his limit, Zyro decided to stop. And remove his armor.

Fortunately, cybernetic suit armor were easy to removed, the long history of advancement and constant modification only made it faster and efficient to peel.

Zyro trembling hands weakly reach out to different locks, detaching pieces of air one by one. Throwing the removed parts in the void under the rocks. That accidentally formed due to their disfigured shape, creating room in between for dark emptiness.

Soon, the bitting coldness assaulted his pale skin, as he removed the last remaining part. A boots made of black steel, it quickly detached and flew to it's kind. Blending in the shrouding shadows.

He heaved a weary sigh of relief, now almost naked with only a black underwear as cloth. Zyro lift a head size stone and placed it in the void entrance, he repeated the process until finally sealing the space from naked eyes.

Hiding the evidence for no one to find. He was rid of suspicion and clothing, letting the midnight chill bit his mostly naked body. However, he cannot rest just yet, Zyro pick at random and ambulate bare foot. Without the heavy armor burthen, his movement and speed remain the same due to prolong exhaustion. Truth be told, his body had long past it's limit and now on the verge of truly breaking.

After an unknown amount of time, Zyro's blurry vision went blank, his mind gears stop involuntarily along his limbs mechanics. Everything he owns gave in to oblivion, as he fall like puppet cut out of its strings.

"Thud"

With that, his left laying to the cold mountain rocks, motionless to do a thing with tightly shut eyes.

This is, the human limit.

...

After a minute, a chatter can be heard a distance away.

"I wonder what gotten to those Gricks to rain flaming arrows abruptly in the night." Said the man wearing a leather armor, and a wooden torch at hand with a bow in his back.

A man beside him wore similar clothing, holding a torch and axe replied "Who knows, maybe the argon's sudden assassination attempt rust their big minds."

The bow man didn't reply as he squinted his brown eyes, concentrating afar, frowning. Then said

"There's someone laying there"

The axe man trace his gaze only to see darkness and towering tree, it was too far and dark for him to see. He sigh and said.

"I'm not a half Grick like you, you know. Anyway, stop looking there, if you accidentally cought a glimpse of the blinker, were both dead, you hear me?."

The bow man chuckled, "You believe that sh*t, just go over there and check that kid. His badly injured, I don't if his still alive, but... His hair, it look like black"

"Seriously?" Blurted the axe man with wide eyes.

"We're pretty close to the fog, so his probably a lost wanderer. And you know how this goes right?"

The axe man eyes gleamed gold as he didn't hesitate to directly walk forward while his friend plant his torch to the ground and draw his bow. Prepared for any sudden attacker.

During this process, the man hold his axe with a stern expression as he walk toward the young man with his head hang low. Only looking at his wooden sleeper, moving to and fro. Soon, the torch radiance illuminated a unnaturally pale body covered in dark bruises everywhere. Laying motionless on the ground, haft naked. The axe man gaze directly flew to the young man hair, it was completely pitch black. He was momentary shock, but didn't waste time as he check the kid impulse first. Which is weak, but still persisted to beat.

His alive.

The man carry the youth body in his broad shoulder as he trace his tracks backward. Like before, his head hang low. Thus, he can't see ahead. After sometime, his friend planted torch came into view, it's flame dancing gently in the tranquil night.

However, it's owner are nowhere to be seen.

"Hey haft bird, were are you!?"

Sweat run down his forehead as he wait for response, but none arrived.

"It's not funny you know!"

Still, silent remain.

He sigh and walk forward, leaving his friend torch behind. However, he came to a sudden halt, noticing something in the rocky ground.

It didn't take long to identify the thing, it was.

Blood.

***

Somewhere near the lake, where the starship had sunk. A minacing four-armed armored demon stood, his abyssal eyes staring at the calm lake as if seeing what's beneath it with unknown intent.

He, too. Had ridden the starship to scape.