Amidst The Rising Shadows (Book 3) (27 page)

The tension that drained out of them all on the airship seemed to creep back in. The main hall was filled with people from different places around Safanar. Jopher went to stand with his father, who narrowed his gaze when he looked at Aaron.

Colind came to his side, “When we’re done here, you and I need to speak.”

Aaron nodded. As they came to the front of the hall, he noticed that the throne had been removed. Hovering in its place was a large holographic map of Safanar with the major nations marked and color coded.

Prince Cyrus stepped up to him, “Welcome back. Thanks to you and the soldiers of the FNA, we were able to keep the High King from taking the Kingdom of Lorric. Now that you’re all here we can continue.”

“We’re planning our next move, or trying to,” Colind said.

Verona and the others had told Aaron about the High King’s attacks and their ability to use the focusing crystals to teleport their armies throughout the continent.

“You’re planning to attack the High King?” Aaron asked.

“That is one possibility,” Colind said.

Aaron turned to Gavril, “What about the Zekara? They're here.”

Gavril nodded, “We know they are here, but we don’t know where they are. We were hoping that you knew.”

“I only saw the portal they used to get here, but never saw where they actually went,” Aaron said.

Gavril frowned, “During the battle we detected strange readings on our equipment. They turned out to be two drones that were cloaked. There were no actual Zekara in the area, but we know they’re here because they took a shot at you.”

Aaron's throat thickened as he recalled the mournful howl of the Eldarin. “One of the Eldarin became infected with Ryakul venom; are they beyond hope now?”

Colind shook his head, “I would never count against the Eldarin.”

“They are a life form the likes of which we have never encountered before,” Roselyn said. “They are able to shift between physical forms and become almost pure energy.”

Aaron nodded, it was something at least. “I don’t know what’s already been done regarding the High King, but have you reached out to him about the Zekara threat?”

“I went to my father,” Sarah said. “He doesn’t believe the threat exists, and if he did, he doesn’t understand the threat that they pose for all of us. Khamearra is a kingdom divided.”

“That may be,” Colind began, “but they are firmly under the High King’s control. I don’t think we have any choice but to bring this war back to the High King. I am sorry, my Lady.”

Sarah nodded, and Aaron knew she understood what was at stake.

“We should give shelter and aid to anyone from Khamearra that wants it,” Aaron said.

“We have been, but our resources are being stretched thin as it is, and it’s the same with most nations who are allied with us,” Prince Cyrus said.

Aaron glanced around the room and saw the same resignation. He remembered the Resistance and people who lived in fear day after day in the High King’s city. “Send them to Shandara, or at least give them the option.”

There was a quiet murmuring, but Aaron knew that no one could make any compelling argument. Most of them believe that Shandara was his by right, and he didn’t see the harm in giving the people of Khamearra a safe haven.

“One thing at a time,” Gavril said. “We have the High King to face.”

“Whatever they do, you can be assured that my father will be present at the next battle,” Sarah said.

“Are we able to bring the Free Nations Army to Khamearra?” Aaron asked.

After a long moment Gavril shook his head.

“I have an idea.”

Aaron turned to see Jopher standing next to his father, who had spoken. “Firstly, my first son and heir speaks very highly of you.”

Aaron looked at Jopher and gave a slow nod of appreciation. “What’s your idea...uh...your Grace?”

King Melchoir Nasim drew his head up, “Jopher has informed me that you are not familiar with our customs, so I will grant that we can do away with formalities at this time and speak plainly. If we cannot take our fight to the enemy then we need to make our enemy take the fight to a place of our choosing. Knowing the High King, he will not take the slight of defeat lightly and will yearn for a crushing victory.”

“Until now he’s been hitting smaller kingdoms, but now we think he’ll direct his efforts at the larger ones,” Gavril said.

King Nasim nodded, “With Zsensibar and Rexel being among them.”

“You think he’ll attack one of those places?” Aaron asked.

“Or both,” the king said. “I proposed that Zsensibar quit the field and break with the alliance. Rexel will become an irresistible target for the High King.”

“I can see why you like this idea,” Prince Cyrus said. “It’s my city being used as bait.”

“Uncle, this fight would have come here eventually,” Verona said.

“Regardless of what we decide, we do need to move quickly,” Colind said. “There might not be an attack today, but it could come from anywhere in the next few days.”

Prince Cyrus looked as if he swallowed something bitter, “The reports from Lorric are that they are using Ryakuls to attack the cities.”

“Can we clear the city? Get the people who can’t fight out?” Aaron asked.

The question caught some of them by surprise, and Prince Cyrus’s eyebrows drew up, “Reymius would be proud of you, Aaron. He was ever one for placing the safety of his people among his highest priorities.”

Despite himself Aaron smiled at being compared to his grandfather, and for a moment his thoughts drifted to one of his last conversations with his father. “There are no perfect solutions. We can only do the best we can, but one thing we can all agree on is that the High King will strike. The question is what are we going to do to face his armies when they do come.”

“There is one thing that I don’t like about this,” Gavril said.

“Only one thing?” asked Verona.

“The High King is on the offensive, and besides the Khamearrian Resistance, hasn’t been attacked at all by the FNA. We can’t use the Keystone Accelerators to move an army big enough to challenge the High King, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hit him. There are other ways to wage war than large-scale battles,” Gavril said, drawing several nods of approval among them.

“I like the idea of bringing the battle to them,” Aaron said.

“What I propose is hitting their military camps, and I want them to know that the Free Nations Army is responsible. They need to know they are not safe,” Gavril said.
 

The old Hythariam soldier spoke as one who had fought many battles, and many had come to trust his judgment, including Aaron. They continued planning and making preparations. People still stared at him when they thought he wasn’t looking, and he could hardly blame them. Almost all of them had been fooled by Halcylon’s clone of him, and Aaron never expected it. Not that he could have done anything about it. This whole alliance would spiral out of control if they couldn’t trust one another. Prince Cyrus agreed to start moving his people to Shandara. King Nasim would order his armies to withdraw from the borders of the north and send word to the High King, offering his provisional support. Aaron wasn’t sure whether the High King would believe it, but it was worth a try.

The council session was about to end when a guard came racing into the main hall. He saluted the prince and spoke softly so that only he could hear. Prince Cyrus looked up in alarm and then turned to Sarah.

“My Lady, it appears that you have visitors,” the Prince said.

Sarah glanced at Aaron uncertainly. “Who, may I ask, my Lord?”

The prince hesitated for a moment, “They say they are Elitesmen. They’ve requested an audience with their queen.”

Aaron’s hands shifted to the swords that he no longer had and cursed their loss.
 

“They came through one of the main gates and surrendered themselves to the guards,” Prince Cyrus said.

“How many of them are there?” Aaron asked.

“Twenty,” the guard answered.

Braden hefted his war hammer, with more than a few of the guards following his lead.

“Stay your hands,” the prince ordered. “They are unarmed and have surrendered themselves.”

“Elitesmen generally don’t use the front door,” Aaron said.

“Look among you,” Verona said. “Even if the Elitesmen’s intentions were less than honorable it would be a path to a quick end for them.”

Aaron glanced at Braden, who lowered his hammer, but still kept it in his hands. Gavril’s fingers flashed across his comms device, killing the holo image of the continent.

“Please send them in, my Lord,” Sarah said.

Prince Cyrus gestured to the guards at the entranceway to the main hall. The guard saluted to his prince and unlatched the great doors and pulled them open. Several lines of men entered. Soldiers of the FNA flanked each of the Elitesmen, clad in their black uniforms. The Elitesmen’s hands were shackled in front of them.
 

Aaron studied the approaching Elitesmen, and none of them held the energy. Half of their number were quite old with the rest being near his own age or younger. Some had the pristine arrogance that Aaron had come to associate with the Elitesmen, but not all of them. The last Elitesman to come in wore a dark-leather duster and had long gray hair. Isaac’s gaze darted to Aaron almost immediately and then focused on Sarah.

Isaac came forward and sank to one knee with the other Elitesmen doing the same, “My Queen, we have come to pledge ourselves to you.”

Sarah stepped away from Aaron’s side, “You must be mistaken. Khamearra has no queen.”

Isaac’s eyes never left the floor, “You are Sarah Faergrace of the rightful ruling family of Khamearra. Many of our great kingdom will support your claim, my Queen.”

Aaron came to Sarah’s side, “Do all Elitesmen change their loyalties on a whim? Maybe not you, Isaac, but these younger men would have gladly killed any of us should we have crossed their paths.”

A young dark-haired Elitesman raised his head. “You speak the truth, Heir of Shandara. Until recently we have been loyal to the Order.”

“What, pray tell, has had such a calamitous effect that would lead you to change where your loyalties lie?” Verona asked.

The remaining Elitesmen looked up from the ground, and one their gazes shifted to Aaron, but when the dark-haired Elitesman spoke he addressed everyone around them. “The Alenzar’seth fought our brethren in the arena, bringing to a halt a practice that we of the Elite should have ended long ago,” the Elitesman said.

Aaron saw that some of the people were confused. “The Elitesmen recruit young initiates and as a rite of passage make them compete to save their families. The competition is designed to make killers out of them with none having a hope to succeed,” Aaron said.

There was a murmuring of general disgust sweeping through the room, and the Elitesmen paid it no more mind than the air they breathed. They did, however, remain focused on Aaron.

“You didn’t have to come here to change things in the Order of the Elite,” Aaron said.

“We didn’t. We came to pledge our loyalty to the rightful ruler of Khamearra,” the Elitesman said. “We will die to protect her.”

“Protect her!” Braden scowled. “Weeks ago you took up arms against her.”

“Warden,” Isaac said with a half smile for Braden, “that was not us or anyone else associated with our group,” Isaac said and looked at Sarah. “Your Grace, those of us who honor the old code of the Elite have watched over you your whole life, and when you came of age one of our order was sent to train you in our ways.”

 
“Please get off your knees,” Sarah said. “How many factions of the Elitesmen are there?” Sarah asked.

Despite being shackled, the Elitesmen rose smoothly to their feet. Aaron kept a wary eye on them, not believing for a second that those shackles kept them from doing anything they didn’t want to do.

“There is the faction that is loyal to your father,” Isaac began. “They compose the majority of Elitesmen. Then there are us, who were able to survive by staying out of the way. We aided the Resistance where we could. Then there are those who either follow the majority or are too scared to do anything different. For obvious reasons we are quite careful in our own recruitment.”

“Are there only twenty of you?” Sarah asked.

“No, your Grace,” Isaac said. “Our numbers are in the hundreds. Most of which are serving in the High King’s army. I thought a larger number to bring would be too risky, giving the current tensions between the kingdoms.”

Colind, who had been quiet, cleared his throat, “How can you expect us to trust you at all, Elitesman?”

Isaac glanced at the other Elitesmen and nodded. As one, the shackles binding their wrists fell to the floor, but the Elitesmen remained still. The soldiers around them drew swords and pistols alike and trained them on the group.

“As you can see, my Lord Guardian of the Safanarion Order, I think you will find us to be indispensable in the coming battle. By now you realize that the High King is preparing to strike,” Isaac said.

Sarah narrowed her gaze, “You tell us nothing we don’t already know. If you are truly loyal to Khamearra and would make me your queen, then you need to bring something to the table. I trusted Bek and the Resistance, but I never knew that there were so many Elitesmen who would break with the current regime.”