Jilid Short Story Page Four

One man pointed toward them and fear gripped Shelsa. The Earth people pointed their rifles toward her, and she could tell, despite the different technology, they were weapons. She did not know what power they held, but she could feel no need for them to react harshly. She was not Growar, there was no war for them to fight here.

“Hello,” she called out to the soldiers. “We are Jilid, there are no Growar here! There is fruit to share at my camp if you wish.”

The other two warriors stood up beside her, waiting for the Earth people’s response. One man pointed, and several men gave a curt nod. They lifted their rifles into action and rushed in unison toward her. She could not believe what she saw. One man shook his rifle up and down at her, but she could not understand what he meant. They began shouting, only a single word or two words, over and over in louder voices. Keswyn slung the immolation rifle from his back while Hargor, fully armoured, stepped in front of Shelsa. The giant of a man blocked her view of the Earth soldiers.

One sound brought her to scream in terror. There was a dull thump before an explosion tore grass and dirt upward, leaving a small crater. Hargor brought up his arm, now with rifle gripped tightly in it and pointed it at the Earth soldier that had fired.

“No!” Shelsa screamed out, tears filling her eyes. “Why are you doing this?” she yelled both at the Earth soldiers and Hargor. “Stop!” she said, whimpering toward hopelessness. She could feel Hargor slipping away when they could live together for years and years together in peacefulness, in the green fields where they could run free and breathe the sweet smells of flowers.

One Earth soldier shouted a single word, one that made him spit it out, and at once, the field erupted in fire. Earth rounds struck the ground tearing open a crater. Hargor stumbled backwards one step as two rounds slammed into his armour. They exploded in bright sparks and shattered metal, but he still lived even as blood trickled out from his suit. Hargor fired back, unleashing his fury on the soldiers. One white fiery bolt struck the ground expanding into a cloud of fire searing away the soldier standing above. The man shrieked only when the fires burned him black, but the plasma flames would not stop until he was but bone. The lead Earth soldier was struck in his chest. The blast lifted him from his feet and his body burst into flame as he spiralled backward. He would never stand again.

“Shelsa, come we must run to the others, we must warn them,” Keswyn said pulling her away from Hargor. The Earth soldiers fired more rounds, digging a trench in front of Hargor, and striking his armour more times. Fires raged around the Earth soldiers, but they seemed fearless and without remorse.