Echoes Of A Gloried Past (Book 2) (13 page)

The Prince’s gaze found Vaughn, and he motioned for him to come forward. “I think we need to start with what happened after you left here.”

Vaughn stood up and motioned for Garret and Jopher to join him in the center of the room so they could address the crowd. They each recounted the events that brought them to Shandara, inserting their own take where appropriate. 

Colind found himself marveling at the profound impact that one man, Aaron Jace, had upon all of these men before him. By all accounts, Jopher had been the equivalent of a petulant child, only to become a man on this voyage thanks to Aaron’s influence. Aaron himself was barely more than a boy with the attitude of a much younger man when last he saw him on Earth. The trials of fate had not been kind to him, but they had forged him into the leader that Aaron had become. Men from all walks of life were lining up to follow the lost son of Alenzar’seth, and while some surely were endeared to the family name, there were a number of powerful men in this room that were attached to the man behind the ancient and powerful mantle of Alenzar’seth. 

The Prince silently listened to their tale and looked at Jopher with a knowing smile. “A touch of humility can be medicine for the soul,” Cyrus said.

Jopher’s face flushed for a moment. “Indeed it has your Grace.” 

Tersellis quietly came to the center of the room. “I would like to speak for my people at this point.”

Prince Cyrus nodded and thanked the others for recounting events. Colind decided to join Tersellis on the floor as he sensed he would be needed.

Tersellis swept his golden eyes around the room. “As you know, we Hythariam withdrew from the world shortly after the fall of Shandara. We aided the Shandarian refugees as best we could, and then our leadership voted to withdraw ourselves from directly interacting with the outside world until such time as it became necessary to return. I would like for you to understand that this was by no means a unanimous vote and one that our people continue to struggle with. However, recent events and the resurgence of our old alliances have forced a change within the Hythariam. I am honored to say that the time of seclusion for my people is over, and we are proud to stand along the side of men once more to whatever end we may meet. ”

Colind listened as Tersellis spoke at length of the origins of the Hythariam and how they came to be on Safanar. For the most part, the room remained quiet as all of them listened to his every word. They were joined by the visiting ambassadors from neighboring kingdoms who were already allied with Rexel. Some were learning the depth to which the Alenzar’seth had shielded their world from an invading horde, including Cyrus, who often glanced in his direction. He and Reymius had planned on bringing Cyrus into the Safanarion Order with the knowledge of the Hythariam and their true origins. So many plans executed and so many that didn’t see the light of day. He did feel as if he had returned from the dead. Waking up to a world at times only vaguely familiar and not at all like the one he had left all those years ago.

“My Lord Guardian,” Cyrus said.

Colind looked up. “Yes?”

“I think many of us would like to hear your take on these events.”

“They are true,” Colind said. “As real as I am who stands before you. You’ve all been privy to knowledge that was once only known to a select few, myself, and the Hythariam being the last. None of us were prepared for the High King’s attack on Shandara or the betrayals leading up to it. Betrayals by Tarimus, my son, who let the snakes into our beloved city and ultimately led to its destruction.” Colind stopped as the murmuring of the men grew in pitch. “Enough! We can talk about the past, or we can prepare and take hold of our future. There is an army on the other side of the barrier, waiting to invade your homes. It is my belief that the promise of power taken from the Hythariam is what motivated the High King to attack.”

Cyrus frowned. “It is common knowledge that Khamearra and Shandara have always been at odds, but how could they have known, and who could have made such a promise?”

“They were not always at odds,” Colind said. “Just recently.”

“Agreed,” Cyrus said, “but the actions taken by you few, one could contrive as provoking. The balance of power shifted between Shandara and Khamearra, which some would speculate that the Hythariam were the cause, but Shandara was a place of innovation. The first airships were made there.”

“I see your point,” Colind said. “It was always our intent to share the knowledge of the Hythariam with the resident nations of Safanar.”

“Nations?” Cyrus asked.

“It’s a term that Aaron taught me,” Colind said. “It’s another word for kingdom or empire. I prefer it because it implies a people as a whole rather than a few key individuals.”

Cyrus nodded knowingly. “I see the young scion of Shandara has had a profound effect on you my old friend.”

Colind chuckled softly. “He is quite passionate, but it was Reymius who first sparked the flame within me. I see you’ve begun preparations. There are a number of troops gathered outside the city here.”

“Yes,” Cyrus said stroking his beard. “After the Elitesmen showed up here, breaking the treaty we had with the High King to get to young Aaron, I knew the time had come. I had advised Aaron to seek out the Hythariam and hoped that his path would cross theirs in his travels. The High King and the Elitesmen grow more bold with each passing year, traveling through any of the kingdoms they choose, dispensing the
High King’s
justice. Reports of their appearance occasionally come from the more remote towns, but for them to come here in my city, I knew that war was only a matter of time. I would have expected to see Aaron and Verona with you, but clearly they are not. Where are they?”

Colind swallowed some water. “They are in Khamearra, attempting to infiltrate the Citadel of the Elite.”

Pandemonium. 

“It is true,” Colind’s deep voice rang out silencing the room. “It was not my idea but Aaron’s, and as Vaughn and Garret can attest, once the boy sets his mind to something, there is no dissuading him from it. Regardless, in this case I agree with him. He is exactly where he needs to be. Many who once called Shandara home will flock to the Alenzar’seth's banner, and as word spreads that number will grow. The High King will not sit idly by and allow this threat to go unchecked. Cyrus was right to see the signs once he believed that the Alenzar’seth had returned to Safanar. It falls to us to help prepare this world for an invasion of unknown proportions.

“You would have us fight a war on two fronts?” asked an ambassador whom Colind didn’t know.

Colind fixed the man with a hard stare. “If it comes to it, then yes, because we have no other choice. Surrender is not an option. We only suspect that the High King is in league with the Hythariam on the other side of the barrier. The very same faction that sought to rule this world.”

“How do we know if things haven’t changed on Hytharia?" the ambassador pressed.

“They have not,” Tersellis said. “Tell me, would an ally send a beast such as the Drake to your lands? Would an ally send the infestation such as the Ryakul?”

The ambassador grew silent, and Colind continued, “Khamearra is not united behind the High King nor are the Elitesmen. There are those who are allied with the old regime. I’ve been told upon good authority that Amorak’s daughter, Sarah, has been involved with the Resistance in Khamearra.”

“Good authority?” Cyrus asked.

“The best,” Colind said. “From Vaughn and Garret, who heard it directly from Sarah herself.”

“Your Grace,” Vaughn said, “you’ve seen her, but I don’t think you realized who she was as she was in disguise. Think back to when the Raven left the castle. A lone figure in black lent their aid to Aaron to help us escape and get you to safety.”

Colind watched as the memory came to Cyrus’s eyes.

“Ferasdiam,” Cyrus whispered.

“Is Sarah with them in Khamearra?” Cyrus asked.

“No,” Colind said. “The Drake has taken her prisoner.” He had no wish to divulge any more information regarding Sarah and the Drake, and he hoped that Cyrus wouldn’t press him right now. Something unspoken passed between the old friends.

“Aaron is in Khamearra, searching for the source of the travel crystals that the Elitesmen use,” Colind said. “His presence in Khamearra will be in direct conflict with the tyranny of the High King and the Elitesmen. I suspect he will be the spark to the powder keg of revolution brewing there. Hitting the enemy where he believes he is safe is a wise strategy.”

Cyrus frowned looking worried. “If it doesn’t get him killed.”

“I believe your nephew, Verona, put it like this,” Colind began. “Aaron has a knack for doing the impossible. I can tell you from my conversations with Aaron that he expects us to fight for this world. He makes a compelling argument that the invading horde is the real threat here. He also says that the barrier between worlds is failing. The Alenzar’seth have sheltered this world from the looming threat for almost a century, and now they call upon us to take hold of our future for ourselves. To do otherwise could plunge this world to ruin just as Shandara is now.”

The room was ghostly silent as no one dared to break the spell. Each taking a moment to gather their thoughts. 

“Aaron will fight, on that I have no doubts,” Colind said. “It falls to us to gather the nations of this world to fight with him. Though our fear might not pass completely, courage does not occur in the absence of fear, but in being afraid and still taking that first courageous step forward.”

The group chewed on this for a moment, and Tersellis once again spoke. “We will fight and share our knowledge with any nation who will stand with us against this most grievous of threats.”

“Should Aaron fall,” Colind began, “should the Alenzar’seth vanish from this world then we still need to carry the fight on.”

“Excuse me,” Tersellis said, and Colind gave him the floor. “I realize we’re asking you to take a lot of things on faith, but there are some things that we can show you to prove that our claims are, in fact, the truth.” 

Tersellis removed a gray box from his pocket and set it on the ground in the middle of the room. He placed a silver sphere in the middle, which immediately began to glow and rise several inches into the air.

“Are you able to dim the lights in the room please?” Tersellis asked. After Prince Cyrus nodded his approval, the guards drew the curtains down over the windows, and Tersellis glided a hand across the glowing orbs, dimming them throughout the room. 

Tersellis clicked the remote in his hand, and a glowing image of Safanar appeared, hovering in the air, causing some of the onlookers to gasp. The continents of a vibrant blue world teaming with life was displayed with perfect clarity, and the movement of the clouds shifted as the planet slowly spun upon its axis.

“This is your world,” Tersellis said. “Safanar as it is today. This image is built from one of our machines we have in orbit around your world. I can explain more later, but for the time being, accept that what I’m telling you is the truth. The next thing I will show you is Hytharia. Not as it is today, but from our last recording of it.”

Tersellis rubbed his thumb across the remote, and the image changed. Where Safanar’s blue planet vibrantly blazed a moment before, there was now an image of a tarnished sandy world, almost completely devoid of atmosphere with merely a few splotches of green. Colind watched as Tersellis slowly swallowed the pain of seeing his home world, and his two Hythariam companions looked on with stony expressions. Tersellis let the image of the dying world hang there for a few moments before he rubbed part of the remote again, and the image changed to that of many shining dots expanding the length of the room.

“These are stars,” Tersellis said. “Some are much like your sun here for this world.” He walked over to one side of the room and gestured to a glowing blue orb. “This is Safanar, and on the other side is Hytharia. We estimated that the ship that brought the Drake to this world took almost thirty years to make the trip.” 

The group looked on silently, and the moments dripped away until Prince Cyrus spoke. “What is that blinking light there? It appears to be heading for our world.”

“We’re not sure to be honest,” Tersellis said. “We only just learned of it two days ago. We are fairly certain that it is from Hytharia. We are still estimating the size and gathering additional reconnaissance.”

“When will it get here?’ Prince Cyrus asked solemnly.

“Three months,” Tersellis answered. He retrieved the gray box, and the guards opened the curtains, allowing the sunshine back into the room, but the men scarcely dared to breathe.

“You heard it right, gentlemen,” Colind said. “We have three months to prepare ourselves. It is an estimate, but I have the highest faith in the Hythariam, and while the timeframe could be off, it will not be by much.”

“What are you suggesting we do?” Cyrus asked.

This was the question Colind had been working toward. “Prepare as you’ve been doing. Allow the Hythariam and Nathaniel to upgrade the airships so they can move faster. They even have ideas for weapons, but we won’t have time to outfit and train all the soldiers in their use. Word will need to be spread to all the kingdoms. All of them, not just the ones that at this point in time you’re on good relations with. This must be a burden shared by all.”

“Where will this invading army be coming from?" the ambassador who spoke before asked.

“Shandara,” Colind said. “The barrier is near the capital city of Shandara. I’m proposing that in two months time we begin moving troops into the city. There are resources that can be used and something else. Throughout the city are hidden caches of weapons that were put in place for this very day. They are no ordinary swords and armor, but weapons designed by the great lore masters of the Safanarion Order, based in part upon knowledge learned from the Hythariam. The caches are hidden beneath the city, which there are parts of largely intact.”

“Three months isn’t very much time,” the ambassador said.

“You are correct, but it's the time that we have,” Colind answered.