The Blind Gods
Copyright© 2025 by Wau
Chapter 104: The Ascent
An arm coils around the Anti-Wau’s neck: it is Tohil, who has leapt onto the giant from behind. Clumsily, he pulls out a combat knife sharpened like a razor, but it slips on the metal torso.
“Run, girl!” he shouts.
With a psi vibration, the Anti-Wau pins Ada to the ground in a prison of terror. He pulls Tohil off with one arm and throws him as if he weighed nothing. Upon landing, something cracks inside the admiral.
The Anti-Wau no longer looks at Ada. His eyes are fixed far behind her: on the road. The silhouette of another giant.
The Wau.
Even frozen in terror, Ada regains hope.
“I’m going to kill the girl,” the Anti-Wau declares mentally.
The Wau continues his slow predator’s walk. He extends a hand toward the Anti-Wau. He mentally recounts to him an episode of mutilation and horror that paralyzes him in return. Fear against fear-but above all stream against mountain: when the Wau closes his fist, his opponent collapses to his knees, then onto the ground, unconscious.
Ada stands up and runs into the Wau’s arms, and he does not stop walking ... he sets his hand on her head, simply saying:
“You’re all right, Ada. It’s okay.”
His walk is slow and his armor seems worn. Even his voice sounds like that of a half-functional robot. For the first time, Gorylkin has the impression that he is not well at all.
“Are you going to die, Wau?” “You want us to fight now, Gorylkin? Our final battle.” “No...”
The Wau kneels before Tohil’s body. The latter has his eyes closed, his face tense, his breathing wheezing. A scan shows a collapse of his ribcage.
He opens his hand and releases nanorobots that go repair the Admiral, while applying pressure points. A red signal appears in the visor display, never seen before: his reserve of repair nanorobots is nearly empty. It must be said that they have been working nonstop for weeks.
Ada approaches in small steps:
“I want you to live, Wau.” “Forever?” “Yes, maybe we’ll fight one day, but it will be pretend.” “May the Blind Gods hear you, Gorylkin. In fact, they certainly hear us. They are close.”
The admiral’s tension drops. He tries to speak, and the Wau interrupts him:
“You’re in bad shape, but you’ll be able to walk in a few hours. I’m going to hide you from the enemies’ sight. Focus on your breathing. You have done excellent work, Admiral. I’ll take over.”
The Wau picks up the body, trying to preserve the integrity of the skeleton, and sets it down in the cold recess of a large dwelling. With Wau art, he pulverizes the ground into a layer of dust more comfortable than hard stone.
Then he resumes the road, with Ada, Alpha, and Kukth, toward the great tower. They are exhausted and say nothing, but in some way, they are happy to be together.
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