Amidst The Rising Shadows (Book 3) (30 page)

Isaac’s bushy gray eyebrows raised as he looked at Aaron, “What do you plan to do with these?”

“We’re going to set these around the High King’s camp in Khamearra,” Aaron replied.

 
“My Queen, there are those who would be loyal to you there,” Isaac said.

Aaron’s eyes darted to Sarah, who seemed to go cold in an instant; he knew this wasn’t easy for her.

“There are more loyal to my father, and these same soldiers have already been attacking other kingdoms. We cannot halt our actions on the chance that they may support my claim to Khamearra’s throne,” Sarah said.

Isaac considered this for a moment and nodded.
 

Tanneth cleared his throat, getting their attention. “We’ll be placing the explosives throughout the camp,” Tanneth said and brought up an aerial map of the camps outside of the city of Khamearra.
 

The FNA soldiers had long gotten used to Hythariam technology, but it was interesting to see the reaction from the former Elitesmen who all looked stunned at the display. Aaron watched the flash of recognition as they identified the landmarks unique to Khamearra, including the High King’s palace and Citadel of the Elite.
 

“How is this possible?” Rohnek asked.

Tanneth took a minute to explain how they had machines in the sky that recorded the images. He then entered a few commands into the holographic interface, moving the massive aerial photograph across the viewing area. “These targets in red are our high-priority targets. Ones deemed to have the most impact and are also the riskiest of places for us to plant these bombs. These other locations highlighted in yellow and green have a lower priority, but we feel it will get the message across.”

Rohnek frowned at the display, “Those marked in red are the command tents for the Khamearrian army, and those others are where lesser officers gather. You’re not hitting the common soldier areas at all.”

“That’s right,” Aaron said. “We’re attacking their leadership.”

“The plan is for us to enter the camp at these locations over here,” Tanneth said gesturing on one side of the map. “We make our way through. Plant the bombs and regroup over here,” he finished, pointing to another part of the map.

“They’re not going to just let you walk through the camp. What’s your plan for that?” Isaac asked.

“In those crates over there are Khamearrian army uniforms. We’ll wear them and should be able to make our way through the camp with little difficulty,” Tanneth said.

Rohnek and Zedya exchanged glances, and Aaron nodded for them to speak.

“They don’t let common soldiers up near the areas you have marked without going through checkpoints," Rohnek said.

Tanneth shared a glance with Aaron and nodded. Tanneth had already known about the checkpoints, but was testing the former Elitesmen's loyalty.

"It's a good thing we have two former Elitesmen who have the authority to get us through," Aaron said.

Rohnek glanced at Aaron, considering with the slow realization that he had just been tested and passed. Perhaps they were sincere in wanting to serve Sarah.
 

"We'll break off into teams,” Aaron said. “Rohnek and Zedya, one of you will be with either Sarah or myself. Isaac, you will go with Sarah.” Aaron went on giving the team assignments that they had agreed upon earlier. The part that he didn’t like was not having Sarah at his side. It wasn’t the former Elitesmen that bothered him...well not too much anyway, it was there was the potential for something to go wrong. Since his last trip into Khamearra had resulted in four of them getting captured, he didn’t want to take any chances. They were stronger now and better prepared for the Elitesmen, but still anyone could be overwhelmed.
 

“When do we leave?” Isaac asked.

“As soon as we can get changed,” Aaron answered.

Tanneth approached him while the others were changing into the Khamearrian uniforms, “I had this made for you,” he said, handing him a sword. “It’s well made and should serve you well until you get the Falcons back.”

“Thank you,” Aaron said. The sword had a slight curve and single edge. The handle was long enough for both his hands to fit. The style of blade was close to what Sarah carried. He pulled it out of its sheath and tested the balance. Tanneth was right: it was a remarkably well-made sword. Aaron thanked him again, and Sarah looked away from him.

Aaron came to her side, “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is. I should have kept them. They’ve been in your family for generations, and now they’re gone.”

“We’ll get them back. I truly believe that.”

“But we don’t know where he went,” Sarah said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Aaron gently caressed her shoulder, “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. Either he went back to Halcylon, or he’s been captured by your father’s army. There wasn’t a trace of him left in Lorric, or we would have found him. If he’s with you father then there is a good chance I will get the Falcons back again. The same goes for Halcylon.”

“How do you know that either of them won’t just melt them down?” Sarah asked.

“Oh, you can’t,” Tanneth said, who had been listening. “The Falcons aren’t made of ordinary steel. It’s some type of foreign metallic alloy that we’ve never come across. I looked into it when you first fought the Drake. No ordinary sword would be able to cut through our armor. Not that the Falcons with the holes cut into the blades could be ordinary, but still quite interesting.”

“I never thought about it before. My grandfather left them to me, but I don’t know much about their origins. Would you be able to recreate them?” Aaron asked.

Tanneth’s gaze drew downward as he shook his head, “I tried at Hathenwood, and while the blades appear to be like your swords they weren’t quite right. When I tried to add the holes into the each blade, they lost too much of their integrity to do you much good in a real fight.”

Aaron nodded, hiding his disappointment, but wasn’t completely surprised. “I appreciate you trying.”
 

He still had the rune-carved staff, which was leaning against the side wall of the tent. Aaron went to retrieve it, and as his hands grasped the staff he felt a deep pull from the pit of his stomach.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asked.

Aaron shook his head to clear it. “Yeah, I just had a strange feeling.”

“What about?”

“I’m worried about the Eldarin. One of them became infected with the Ryakul poison. I don’t plan on calling on them anytime soon, but then again I didn’t plan on calling on them that last two times either,” Aaron took a moment, thinking about what he wanted to say. “They healed me, Sarah. Took the Nanites from my system and reversed what Halcylon had done to my body. The Dragons and the Eldarin are going to be pulled into this again, and I’m afraid that we’ll see an end to them all because of it.”

“They chose to honor you, my love. You are Ferasdiam marked and her champion. If they come to your aid, they do so by their own intent,” Sarah said.

“Ferasdiam marked,” Aaron said. “I’m the possibility of what anyone can achieve.”

Sarah shook her head, “What will it take before you accept that the things you do is what puts you beyond ordinary men? It’s your heart that makes you great. Not the power that you’re capable of. You affect all those around you. They look to you and give better of themselves. They follow you, not because you’re Ferasdiam marked or the last scion of the Alenzar’seth line. They follow you because you light the way for us to have something more than we’ve ever had before. The Eldarin had it right, my love.
Yours is a light meant to shine.
And if they sacrifice themselves so that we might survive these times of trial then we should honor their sacrifice by remaining true and become something greater than we are today.”

Aaron lost himself in her eyes, “You heard them?”
 

Sarah nodded.
 

Hearing her speak the Eldarin’s words ignited their voice deep within. There must be a way that he could help them.
 

Verona came quietly to his side, “It’s time to go.”

Tanneth had them gather on one side of the tent. He brought out two metallic cylinders about a foot in length and handed one to Aaron. Aaron glanced at the Keystone Accelerator and gave it to Sarah, who looked at him questioningly.

“I’m not leaving without you. So you hold onto it,” Aaron said.

Tanneth opened a portal, and Sarah led her group through.

“Braden and Sarik will be with her,” Verona said.

Aaron nodded, “Let’s go hit them for a change.”

The soldiers of the FNA grinned hungrily, and Rohnek gave Aaron a firm nod. Tanneth opened another portal and handed the spent Keystone Accelerator to the soldier remaining behind. Aaron stepped through the portal with the others following closely on his heels.

C
HAPTER
20

TRAP

Khamearra had become a place where its citizens were required to contribute to the High King's war. There were still pockets of those who left messages urging the return of the Faergrace line, and Rordan wondered how his perfect sister felt about that. He hadn’t seen or heard from her since she openly defied their father, who had attributed her display as being under the influence of the Alenzar’seth. Rordan knew better; no one told Sarah what to do. He knew his father didn’t really believe that and was using Sarah’s open defiance as a means to get what he wanted. He had been watching his father closely, and for him it was a matter of pride and possession. His father yearned for the heads of his enemies, especially the Heir of Shandara; too many times the man had slipped through their fingers. He suspected that his father welcomed the challenge, as no one since the fall of Shandara had dared oppose Amorak. Not since Reymius Alenzar’seth and the fact that his grandson had returned to Safanar did something appear to have awoken in his father.

Rordan finished strapping on his light armor just as the Elitesmen would be wearing, choosing to rely on their powers rather than be weighted down by heavy armor. He engaged the travel crystal and emerged on the fields outside the city. Khamearra’s army was mobilizing, preparing to execute his father’s plan and end the insurrection in the Waylands and in Shandara before they could fester any further. Rordan nodded to the guards and stepped into the command tent.

“Have you tied up the loose ends?” the High King asked.

“There weren’t that many to begin with,” Elite Grand Master Gerric answered. “The ones we could find have been dealt with. The bulk of the Order have been preparing for the attack.”

“That’s something at least,” the High King said and lifted up two sheathed swords and put them on the table.

“Are those the Alenzar’seth's swords?” Gerric asked unable to tear his eyes from them.

“Yes, they are. One of my favorite trophies,” Amorak said.

“Your Grace, these blades are legendary,” Elite Grand Master Gerric said.

The High King glanced at him, “I’ll make them a gift to you after the campaign.”

“You honor me, your Grace.”

“Rordan, I see you’re ready,” the High King said. “You will be with the Elitesmen.”

Rordan nodded, “What of Zsensibar?”

“I’ve sent word that their offer was accepted,” the High King said.

Rordan frowned, “That’s it? You accept their offer?”

“Absolutely. I don’t trust King Nasim in the slightest, and I will deal with our friends to the south after we crush the Waylands and their Free Nations Army. Zsensibar is quite fond of its slave practices so let’s see how the entire kingdom copes with being slaves,” the High King said.

“Father,” Rordan said, “after we conquer the Waylands, won’t our troops be too preoccupied with holding Rexel to be able to fight a war in Zsensibar?”

His father turned to face him, his cold gaze could crack the heart of a stone, “I don’t plan to occupy the Waylands, Son, I plan to burn it to the ground. When we’re finished there, no other kingdom will dare oppose us.”

Rordan nodded and was about to say something else when his father knocked him to the ground. In a flash of light they emerged some distance away from the command tent. Plumes of orange blossomed throughout the camp, and soldiers closest to them collapsed, clutching bleeding wounds that appeared to come out of nowhere.

Rordan sprang to his feet, his sword drawn, and drew the energy into himself. Elite Grand Master Gerric was nowhere to be found.

"Stay with me," his father said.

Soldiers raced around, trying to keep the fires from spreading. There was nothing but scorched earth near the tent they had been in. The blast actually came from several tents over.

“Could it have been one of the crystals?” Rordan asked.

Soldiers recognizing their king and heir gathered around them grim faced and weapons drawn.
 

“This was no mishandled crystal,” the High King spat.
 

The armies had already been gathering to prepare their attack, and the forces remaining with the tents were scheduled to follow soon after.

“Sweep the area. I want them found!” the High King bellowed.