Echoes Of A Gloried Past (Book 2) (17 page)

“Interesting,” Tanneth replied. “I have a drone heading back to that chamber right now. Let’s see where it is and hopefully what’s inside.”

They were already in an alcove off to the side of the street. Tanneth hit a button, and a small holographic display appeared above the device with the image of a dark hallway. The drone hovered a few inches above the ground. Aaron winced as he saw people walk down the passageway, believing they would see the drone, but surprisingly they passed right by.

“The drone is cloaked, and in the waning light they are almost impossible to see,” Tanneth explained.

Aaron nodded and continued to watch the display. The drone zoomed down the hall and curved around several stone staircases. The inside of the tower was sparsely furnished, and looked to be more of a work area than a place where people actually lived. 

The drone approached a wooden door and paused for a second. Waiting. After a few minutes, Aaron realized that the drone couldn’t exactly open any doors. He glanced at Tanneth, who shrugged his shoulders. The drone moved along and came to an open landing near the very center of the tower. There were copper tubes along the walls, running in different directions that reminded Aaron of pipes used for plumbing, only these were about six inches in diameter. Tanneth was about to recall the drone after it had circled around looking for an alternative way into the room, when Aaron noticed something along the ceiling.

“Do you see that opening up there along the ceiling? I can’t tell if it is a shadow or an actual hole,” Aaron said.

Tanneth saw it and directed the drone toward it. As it closed in, they could tell that it wasn’t a shadow, but some type of ventilation shaft that ran inside the walls. The opening had a small screen blocking the entrance. Tanneth brought up a smaller secondary display that held symbols that Aaron didn’t recognize. Tanneth entered a sequence into the comms device, and there was a small flash from the display as the drone cut a perfect hole into the metal screen. 

The drone squeezed its way through and headed down the dark air shaft. The display was plunged into darkness for a few moments before a soft purplish glow appeared in the distance. The drone sailed along until it came to another screen, but they could still see the room beyond. In the center of the chamber was a large purple crystal jutting from a black boulder sized rock. The rock was pock marked with channels and holes. Aaron assumed it to be a meteorite that had crashed into the planet at some point. The purple crystal looked to be about ten feet tall and had offshoots protruding in different directions.

The drone used its laser to burn a hole through the screen, and it slowly moved inside the chamber. Secured above the purple crystal was a smaller yellow crystal that reminded Aaron of the crystals that powered the Raven. Along the wall there was a large window with metallic shutters, which were all closed, but Aaron suspected they opened to allow sunlight in to power the focusing crystal. The purple crystal flashed in a momentary brilliance as its discharge was sent to the smaller yellow crystal above and then dissipated. Along the floor were containers filled with different-colored crystals. Aaron noted one filled with crystals that were black, and he recalled when Sarah had shown him her blackened, spent travel crystal as a sign that she had no intention of leaving him.

“Jackpot, Tanneth. See the dark ones there,” Aaron pointed to the container with the black crystals. “Those are spent travel crystals, and I’ll wager that this one here has fully charged crystals, considering they're all glowing purple. You did it, Tanneth. You’ve found the source of travel crystals that the Elitesmen use.”

Tanneth nodded, muttering that it was nothing, “More luck than anything else. Now comes the hard part.”

Aaron frowned, “Getting inside … ”

He was cut off as the drone suddenly went dark. Tanneth frowned and tapped a few commands, and the video feed played back the final seconds before the drone went dark. They couldn’t see anything, so Tanneth changed the display to a panoramic view of everything around the drone. There was a movement in the shadows, only revealed from the glow of the crystals. Tanneth paused the feed at the drone’s final moments. A silver, blurred image showed something destroying the drone.

A blaring shriek could be heard from the towers, and the inside of the Citadel spawned to life before their very eyes. They shared a brief look and fled down the street away from the Citadel.

***

Nolan collapsed into his chair at his desk, utterly exhausted, but at least his family was safe, even if a little confused. The agents of the De’anjard were able to move quickly and intercept them all to keep them from harm's way. Part of him was a bit uncomfortable with of how easy it was to convince his wife and children to follow the agents of the Resistance simply because they donned a guard’s uniform. He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if the Elitesmen had reached his family first. He hadn’t been able to see them, but Anson requested that he write his family a note, which he hastily did, informing them that they were in danger and to trust the people they were with. It wasn’t elegant, but it got the point across.

“I’m sorry, Nolan, but it’s not safe for you to go to them now,” Anson said quietly.

Nolan sealed the letter and handed it to his friend. He was placing an awful lot of faith in the man. The very lives of his family were in his hands, but he understood. “I know. I just don’t like it.”

“They’ve already been to your house,” Anson said.

Nolan sighed, wishing he had a pint of dark ale in front of him instead of water. “What is to stop them from coming here and taking me by force?”

“Isaac, for one,” Anson replied. “He is right outside the door. He was part of the faction that left the Order of the Elite when Shandara fell. He survived the culling, and it was not because he was unskilled.”

Nolan glanced toward the doorway to his office and saw the shadow of the quiet old man that stood outside it. Isaac wore a dark leather duster concealing a heap of weapons beyond that were carried by ordinary Elitesmen. What made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end was the fact that people appeared to ignore Isaac’s presence, as if his imposing form wasn’t standing there in front of them. He found Isaac’s presence unsettling to say the least.

“Are you sure about him, Anson?”

“As sure as I can be. I’ve worked with Isaac before, and if he didn’t want to be here to help, he wouldn’t. You can trust me on that.”

Nolan nodded. “I don’t really have a choice now do I, but you already know that. I gave you my word. I’ll do what I can.”

Isaac gave a soft knock on the door, and they both looked up as a messenger from the captain commander’s office came in. The messenger gave Nolan a salute, retrieved a sealed envelope from his satchel, and handed it to him. Nolan took the letter and read it silently.

“Tell his Grace I will mobilize the guards at once,” Nolan said to the messenger, who then left the room.

“What is it?” Anson said.

Nolan reread the letter just to confirm. “Something big is happening. They’re mobilizing guards from three districts to converge at an inn. We’re to surround the inn and capture all those inside. The Elitesmen will be on site, and we are commanded not to move in until they have arrived. We have fifteen minutes to get there.”

Anson nodded and followed him out of the office as Nolan began giving orders for the night watch to gather in front of the station. The letter didn’t explain much, but Nolan had a sinking feeling that this night was about to get a whole lot more complicated. 

C
HAPTER
11

SACRIFICE

VERONA sat at the table talking quietly with Sarik and Eric. Braden left them, heading to one of the rooms they had rented toward the back of the Inn. Gavril stayed with them, occasionally surveying the room. He visibly relaxed when Roselyn joined them. She looked a little upset, but shook her head at Gavril’s questioning glare. Instead, she turned to Verona, and for a moment his heart thundered in his chest, and he felt the heat rise to his face.

“My lady?” Verona asked.

“Your friend is something else.”

Verona snorted. “He tends to have that effect. What has he done this time?”

Roselyn shook her head, and Verona drank in the sight of her black hair cascading down her shoulders.

“Nothing yet, but he’s gone off, so I’m sure we’re in for an eventful night. You’d never believe he nearly died a short while ago,” she turned to Eric. “Would you mind moving to sit right there, please?” 

Once Eric heaved his muscular bulk into the chair, Verona noticed that the view of their table was sufficiently obscured to keep most casual onlookers from observing. Gavril sat forward, waiting. Roselyn pulled a shining cylinder from her pocket, and Gavril gasped.

“Is that … ?” Gavril asked.

“Yes,” Roselyn answered. “Our absent friend had it. It appears this is how he was able to travel to Safanar in the first place.”

“What is it?” Verona asked. He was becoming quite proficient at not stumbling over his tongue when Roselyn spoke to him.

“It is called a keystone accelerator,” Roselyn said. “It opens a doorway to other dimensions. In this case, from Aaron’s Earth to Safanar.”

“I thought Iranus couldn’t account for its whereabouts.” Gavril said.

“It was a prototype,” Roselyn said and looked around at the patrons in the common room. “I’m going to my room to take a look at it in private.”

She nodded to all of them, her gaze lingering for a moment on Verona who failed to still his beating heart.

“You, too?” Eric asked after she left.

Verona sighed and glanced back at the men around the table, “What did Aaron say about being fortune’s fool? That is what I’ve become.”

Gavril was about to say something, but Verona’s gaze snapped to the front of the inn at the same instant as Sarik. He focused himself, drawing in the energy around them and stretched his senses away. Verona surged to his feet as he felt the presence of many men surrounding the inn. The rest of the men came quickly to their feet.

“What's wrong?” Eric asked, gripping the sword on his belt.

Verona glanced behind him in the direction that Roselyn had gone. “We’re surrounded.”

The front doors burst open, and men in black uniforms all bearing the silver dragon emblem of the High King poured in. Eric flipped the nearest table, scattering the men in front of them. Verona heard Roselyn scream from behind him, and he dashed down the hall as the common room erupted into chaos.

“Shandara!” Eric bellowed, bringing the shield of the De’anjard to bear as he drew his sword.

Verona nearly collided with Roselyn as she fled down the hallway.

“There are too many that way,” she gasped.

“Up the stairs,” Verona said.

They took the steps two at a time and came to the landing above the common room. Eric was in the center, drawing the attention of all the High King’s guards, using his shield to knock them back two at a time. Sarik was pinned down by a group, and Roselyn gasped as Gavril went down. He had to help them. Verona unslung his bow and smoothly fired an arrow taking down one of the guards holding Gavril down. The Hythariam joined Eric in the center of the fray, fighting the guards hand to hand. There was a growing number of wounded guards littering the floor.

“Go!” Gavril shouted up at them.

Verona grabbed Roselyn’s wrist and turned to flee. There were three flashes, and immediately before him were three Elitesmen with their weapons drawn. Verona swung his bow and hurled himself into the Elitesmen, knocking one of them off the landing. The other two spun out of the way and shot their hands in front of them. Two blazing metal bands appeared and closed around his wrists and feet, collapsing him into a heap. He heard Roselyn fall to his side. Verona growled, struggling to free himself from the bonds, but there was nothing he could do.

Eric was being overwhelmed as Braden came to his side, tackling three guards at once. The Elitesmen danced amid the men, immobilizing them as they went. First Gavril and then Sarik. Eric saw the oncoming Elitesmen and pushed Braden through a window out the side of the inn.

“Live free, my brother,” Eric yelled and turned to face the Elitesmen.

The forward Elitesmen thrust his hands forth, hurling an orb. The orb bounced harmlessly off the shield of the De’anjard back toward the Elitesmen. Eric roared and charged forward, launching himself into the air while bringing his shield down upon the first Elitesmen and swinging his sword toward the next.

The Elitesmen caught his wrist with glowing hands, and Eric came to his knees, crying out in pain as he dropped his sword. The Elitesmen sneered over him, and the other rained down blows upon his exposed back. Eric heaved to his feet and swung the Elitesmen that held onto his wrist into the other one and brought his shield down in a crushing blow to the man’s neck, killing him. 

Eric roared as he charged forward, plowing through the guards and shoving them aside. A third Elitesmen appeared at his back, and Verona cried out as twin daggers plunged into Eric’s side. Eric collapsed to his knees, unable to draw breath as the daggers pierced both his lungs.

Verona strained against his bonds as he watched his friend collapse stiffly to the floor, blood pooling at the Elitesmen’s feet. The Elitesmen turned to look up in his direction. Their eyes locked, and Verona pulled in the energy around him, wanting for the first time to lash out using what Aaron had taught him. The room darkened until he could only see the sneer of the Elitesmen and Eric dying at his feet. Verona projected his rage-filled scream into a thrum of force that sent the Elitesmen sailing through the wall of the inn. The last thing Verona saw was an armored fist that knocked him unconscious.

***

Nolan’s men had arrived at the Blue Lantern Inn on the heels of Captain Commander Josef’s men. The captain commander sneered in his direction and sent him to cover the back of the inn and alleyways, while his men made ready to storm the front.