Halo: Magicka

"Okay, we're stopping near this river to refill the hog," Dad said as he began pulling up to the side of the road. See cars in this day and age run on hydrogen fuel so any source of water works.

As he got out, he popped the trunk of the hog and pulled out...

Three pistols?

Where the hell did he get these from?

"Eli, take one, what about your family Mr.Locke? Who should have the other two?" Dad asks, trying to get a grasp of their abilities.

Jameson's father, Mr. Locke, stepped forward, his face grim and steady as he reached out and took one of the pistols. His hand didn't shake—clearly, he wasn't unfamiliar with holding a firearm.

"I'll take one. Jameson, you take the other," he said, his voice low and firm.

"Dad, are you sure—" Jameson started, but his father cut him off with a sharp look.

"Son, listen to me. You keep your eyes open, stay close to Eli, and if something happens…" He hesitated for a moment, his voice catching. "If something happens to me, you make sure you and your mother get out of here. Understood?"

Jameson swallowed hard and nodded, clutching the pistol tightly.

Meanwhile, Dad passed me the third pistol, and I hesitated for just a moment before gripping it tightly. The cold metal felt heavier than it should have.

"Stay alert," Dad said as he began unloading the water filtration system from the back of the Warthog. "This won't take long, but the Covenant isn't known for leaving survivors behind."

The river ran quietly, the gentle sound of flowing water mixing with the distant hum of Covenant ships still circling above the city skyline. The air felt thick like the world itself was holding its breath.

Mum and Mrs Locke lay down in the back of the hog, holding close to my little brother, holding him tight against her chest in the baby carrier.

I kept my pistol ready, eyes darting between the shadows of the trees and the reflections on the water's surface. My stomach churned with unease.

"Dad, how much longer?" I asked, my voice tight.

"Just a few more minutes, Eli. Keep watching the treeline," he said, crouched by the river's edge as he worked the filtration pump. As this was a wide river, I stood tense, my use of [Detect Life] only managed to extend 100m into the forest on the other side of the river.

Mr Locke stood near him, pistol raised and steady, scanning the same tree line.

Everything was too quiet. The wind had stopped, and the birds had stopped. Even the distant sounds of plasma fire in the city seemed to have faded.

And then—

Crack.

A single gunshot echoed across the river.

Mr. Locke froze, a shocked expression crossing his face as a thin line of red dripped down from his forehead. His knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first into the riverbank.

His knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first into the riverbank.

"Dad!" Jameson screamed, raising his pistol and firing blindly across the water.

"Sniper!" Dad roared, dropping the filtration equipment and pulling Mum behind the Warthog.

"Move! Everyone move!" I shouted, grabbing Jameson by the collar and pulling him toward cover.

Another shot rang out, striking the dirt inches away from where my dad had been crouching just seconds before.

"Eli!" Dad shouted. "Focus! Watch for the glint—snipers always have a glint!"

I swallowed hard, my enhanced vision from earlier spells still lingering. I scanned the treeline, and there—barely visible between the leaves—a faint, silvery glint caught the fading sunlight.

"There!" I shouted, pointing toward the sniper's location.

Dad aimed and fired his pistol, three quick shots in succession. A screech echoed from the other side of the river, followed by a faint thud as something—or someone—hit the ground.

But it wasn't over.

The treeline erupted with movement as three Kig-Yar—birdlike aliens with glowing energy shields strapped to their arms—emerged, hissing and barking orders at each other.

"Get ready!" Dad said, standing tall as he reloaded his pistol.

Jameson was shaking, his pistol trembling in his hands as he crouched behind the Warthog.

I felt the hum of Magicka rising in my core, my fingers twitching with power.

I couldn't let anyone else die here.

"Jameson, stay low, aim for their legs if they get close!" I barked, my voice sharp enough to snap him out of his frozen state. His eyes locked with mine, and he nodded, gripping the pistol tighter.

Dad fired another round, the sharp bark of his pistol cutting through the chaotic symphony of alien hisses and distant plasma fire. The Kig-Yar were closing in, their energy shields glowing a faint blue as they advanced across the riverbank.

"Eli!" Dad called, his voice tense. "Whatever trick you've got, now's the time, son!"

I didn't hesitate. The Magicka surged through me, pulsing like a second heartbeat as I raised my hand toward the incoming aliens.

I didn't hesitate. The Magicka surged through me, pulsing like a second heartbeat as I raised my hand toward the incoming aliens.

[Remote Manipulation]

The first Kig-Yar stumbled as its shield flickered, the faint shimmer of my spell destabilizing its energy barrier. I clenched my fist, yanking the shield downward with [Remote Manipulation].

Its reptilian eyes widened in confusion just as Dad fired a perfect shot into its exposed chest. It crumpled backwards, its weapon clattering to the ground.

"Nice one, Eli!" Dad said, a flicker of pride cutting through his fear.

But there were still two more.

The second Kig-Yar raised its plasma pistol, taking aim at Dad.

"No!" I screamed, throwing my hand forward.

[Remote Manipulation]

The Kig-Yar's arm snapped upward as if pulled by invisible strings, and the plasma shot went wide, sizzling into the nearby water.

Dad took the opening and fired twice, hitting it once in the neck and once in the side. It fell, twitching violently before going still.

The third Kig-Yar, seeing its companions fall, screeched in anger and raised its needle rifle. Its glowing, pink projectiles whirred to life, deadly and seeking.

"Eli, get down!" Dad yelled.

But I wasn't backing down.

[Fortify Speed x2]

[Fortify Agility x2]

[Water Walking]

The world seemed to slow as I dashed forward across the river, water kicking up beneath my feet. I closed the gap between me and the Kig-Yar in seconds, my pistol raised.

Bang! Bang!

Two shots rang out, and the Kig-Yar's shield flickered, cracking under the force. Its yellow eyes went wide with shock as I lunged forward, using [Remote Manipulation] to wrench the needle rifle from its claws.

Before it could react, I pressed my pistol against its chest and pulled the trigger.

Bang.

The Kig-Yar slumped to the ground, lifeless.

For a moment, everything was still. The only sound was the soft trickle of the river and my own ragged breathing.

Dad stood frozen, his pistol still raised. Jameson was crouched behind the Warthog, wide-eyed and pale.

"Is… is it over?" Jameson asked weakly.

"For now," Dad said, lowering his pistol. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and something else—something like awe.

"Eli… what was that?"

Mum and Mrs Locke emerged from behind the Warthog, my little brother still strapped to Mum's chest. She clutched him tightly, her eyes scanning the treeline nervously.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, my Magicka beginning to settle again.

"There's no time to explain, Dad," I said, holstering my pistol as I walked back across the water, "We need to move. Now. Before more of them show up."

Dad nodded, snapping back into action. "Everyone, back in the Warthog. Now! Jameson and Mrs Locke, I'm so sorry but we do not have time to give him the burial he deserves, at least the next city along is a megacity - it'll have at least three UNSC outposts."

Dad started the engine, the familiar hum of the hydrogen-powered engine filling the tense silence.

I climbed into the passenger seat, my hands still shaking slightly as the adrenaline began to fade.

The Warthog pulled away from the river, its tyres splashing through shallow puddles as we sped down the cracked road.

As the river faded into the distance, I couldn't help but glance back.

Three alien corpses lay motionless on the shore, the water running red around them.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.