Echoes Of A Gloried Past (Book 2) (16 page)

Aaron thought about Gavril’s words for a moment and sighed. “I understand. I’ll try to keep that in mind, but someone needs to wake these people up. Who will stand up for them if they cannot stand up for themselves?”

Gavril listened patiently. “I know your intentions are good, and my instincts agree with you, but there is a time and a place to make a stand. We’re in hostile territory, and our enemy has us outmanned. If we must strike, we must use the element of surprise. How long do you think it will take them to figure out that you are somewhere here in the city? Outside of overwhelming odds, you are the only person in a generation to go toe to toe with these Elitesmen.”

Aaron struggled to get his thoughts in order and took a moment to digest what Gavril was telling him. Other people’s lives were in his hands now, and he had to take that into consideration. “Perhaps my being here is the best way to put them off balance. Hit your enemy where he believes he is safe. Regardless, Gavril, I will keep what you’ve said in mind.”

They ate dinner and made plans for the next day. Throughout all of it, Aaron kept seeing the dark-haired boy being struck by the Elitesman’s orb and falling down in a heap before him. The sting of being powerless to help had affected him more than he thought. Tanneth was right. He would be going back out into the night, and if he could free those children tonight, then he would.

“Gavril, a word if you please?” Verona asked. 

Aaron had just left them, much to Eric and Braden’s dismay, himself included, but he understood why Aaron needed to go back out there, and it frustrated him that he couldn’t keep up with his friend. Not yet at least. He and Sarik shared a determined look. They had been practicing everything that Aaron taught them and experimented with things that Sarah had only hinted at. They had come a long way since the decks of the Raven, but Verona knew that they were quite a bit away from being as adept at these abilities as Sarah and Aaron. No, he and Sarik had a long night ahead of them. He glanced longingly at Roselyn, who had followed Aaron out, but said she would be back.

“Verona?” Gavril asked.

“I understand that you believe Aaron’s actions to be reckless and even fool-hardy at times,” Verona said.

“I just want him to act with a bit of caution,” Gavril answered.

“He carries the weight of his decisions quite heavily, I assure you,” Verona said. “He blames himself for failing to protect his family back on Earth. Part of him realizes that there was nothing more he could have done, but he still feels responsible. He lost someone important to him there. A mere flicker compared to the blaze he has with Sarah, but the dead weigh heavily upon him. He understands how precious a gift life is. It is something that I don’t think he can suppress because it comprises the very fiber of his being.”

Gavril took a sip of his ale, his eyes appeared haunted for a moment. “I understand, more than you can realize. I, too, was a boy thrust into a harsh world of danger and sacrifice.”

Verona nodded and sipped his ale in silence. “Perhaps if more did as Aaron and made a stand against injustice, then a situation like what we have here in Khamearra could be avoided.”

Gavril smirked. “If only life would cooperate in perfect little pieces. Most people just want to survive and be left alone. But I do agree that at some point enough is enough.”

***

Aaron stepped out from the inn through a side entrance. The air was growing cooler in the night, but the skies were clear. His staff rested easily in his hands though he didn’t think he would need it. This would be a night for the Falcons.

“Aaron,” Roselyn said, “A moment before you go.”

Aaron turned to face the beautiful raven haired Hythariam and inclined his head attentively.

“Must you go alone?” Roselyn asked. “Couldn’t one of us come with you? Verona perhaps … ”

Aaron smirked at the mention of his friends name on her lips, “I’ll be able to move better on my own tonight and I don’t want to put you in anymore danger if I can avoid it. There is something you can help me with though.” He reached inside his pack and pulled out the chrome cylinder. It still glowed with a faint bluish light at his touch. “Your father thought I should show this to you. This is how I was able to travel from Earth to Safanar.”

Roselyn’s eyes lit up, “A Keystone Accelerator.”

Aaron smiled, “Do you know how it works?”

“In theory yes, this one is still charging as it requires a certain amount of energy to open a dimensional doorway. This is my father’s design.” Roselyn said, holding it up and examining the device.

“He said as much,” Aaron replied. “Do you think you can take a look at it? It’s been used twice that I know of, one of those times by me, but I’m wondering if it can do more.”

“More?” Roselyn asked.

“Just a thought regarding the Nanites and whether the keystone could help,” Aaron said.

Roselyn’s eyes narrowed, “What are you saying?”

He should have known his intentions wouldn’t escape her notice. “Let's keep this between us, but I’ve been thinking about the Nanites. In the simplest of terms, they are machines with a purpose to fulfill. It just so happens that the purpose they are fulfilling is grotesque, but ultimately they either need to return to Hytharia or the barrier must be destroyed. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me, otherwise a dumb machine would have found another way to achieve its primary programming. The Nanites were created specifically with the barrier in mind. It’s a scary kind of intelligence if you think about it.”

Roselyn swallowed and nodded. “I see what you mean. Focusing the Nanites upon the barrier wouldn’t allow for them to create another craft and journey back to Hytharia through space. So you mean to go through the portal to Hytharia? I’m not sure if what you’re asking for is possible with a device this small.”

Aaron returned her gaze evenly. “Only if there is no other choice. Could I use the keystone to come back to Safanar?" He was taking a chance by telling her even this much. “Will you help me?”

Roselyn divided her gaze between himself and the keystone she held in her hands, considering. Aaron’s heart thundered in his chest as he waited for her answer. She slowly lifted her gaze to him and nodded wordlessly.

Aaron sighed in relief. “Thank you,” he whispered and put his hand on her shoulder giving it a slight squeeze.

Roselyn put the Keystone Accelerator away. “Be safe. I know many will flock to the name, your linage that is, but there are those of us here with you that truly are your friends.”

Aaron smirked and launched himself silently to the rooftop of the building. The sky was dark, and the shadows were many despite the bright lights of the city. He squatted down and scanned toward the direction of the Citadel of the Elite. The bladesong churned within as he drew in the currents of energy around him, strengthening his muscles beyond the capabilities of bones and sinew. His perceptions sharpened, and although the night descended upon the city, he could see clear as day. He picked his target. The top of a taller building along the path to the Elitesmen’s fortress, and launched himself into the air using his augmented muscles and the wind to push him along the great distance. His black cloak dragged behind him, rippling through the wind and he spread his arms to slow his descent and landed upon the stone building. 

Aaron scanned the area again and launched into the air once more relishing the freedom. To keep from a bone-jarring landing, he aligned the many particles hidden in the air to slow his descent. He landed with barely a sound and without damaging the rooftop upon which he now stood. Quite the difference from his clumsy trek through the forest with Sarah. He’d give anything to be back in the forest with her. The next jump brought him close to the Citadel of the Elite, and as he approached, he got his first look at the interior of the fortress grounds. To the far right was an open arena clearly visible by the ring of orbs circling the different levels. He pulled out the comms device and noted the rendezvous point to meet up with Tanneth and headed that way to wait.

The dark towers loomed overhead, and Aaron stared at them, unable to guess as to how tall they really were. The area nearest the Citadel was quiet, even on the inside as far as Aaron could tell. His grip hardened on the staff as his gaze bored into the Elitesmen’s fortress trying to rationalize a likely location for the travel crystals. A sharp pang pierced the walls in his mind through his connection with Sarah. She was in pain again, and the knowledge grated along his nerves. His hands clutched his staff, and the runes began to glow softly. Not being able to head straight to her and ease her pain tore at his chest. Unable to resist his need to know, he reached across the expanse and followed the sickening pain toward its source. He dared not go any closer for fear of causing Sarah more pain. He couldn’t read her thoughts exactly; it was more like feeling the undercurrents of one's intentions and what he saw in Sarah was a tangled mess of a mind at war with itself. 

He recalled the time on the Raven when he tried to open the others to the energy around them, where he had become lost in Sarah’s golden blaze that caressed every crevice of his skin. His mind purred at the memory for a moment before another bout of pain snapped his attention. 

The tangled mess before him now was a mixture of black and gold, and he watched in horror as the multitude of golden strands comprising Sarah’s lifebeat slowly turned black. The Nanites were visiting a fate worse than death in their assimilation of the woman he loved. Twisting her very love for him into its most potent weapon. 

The knowledge that the woman he loved was fading before his eyes sent his own core into shambles, breaking his concentration. He opened his eyes, and the runes flared brilliantly under his white-knuckled grip. His anger wound up like a coiled viper yearning to be released. Aaron drew in the energy around him, feeding it into the rune-carved staff. He turned to face the direction where the Drake was sure to be and brought up the staff. 

He stood poised, longing to unleash all the energy he hoarded within him and quench his thirst to kill the Drake. In this moment, he didn’t care who the Drake had been before. There was something animalistic inside him that demanded he protect the woman he loved and the ever-mounting frustration of not having done so grated away at him. Growling, he turned back to the towers of the Elitesmen and pictured himself launching headlong in their midst, bringing fire and destruction in his wake. The vision fed the beast inside him that craved to make the world bleed for his suffering. And then he saw Sarah’s deep blue eyes that seemed to drink up his soul, staring imploringly at him. The firelight caressing her face dissolved his rage to an angry hiss, and Aaron collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

I’m so sorry, my love, each moment you are in pain is my failure.

Aaron wept as he had not allowed himself before until the tears would no longer come. He knelt with shoulders slumped, giving into the darkness that threatened to overwhelm his heart into hopelessness. Time slipped by as he knelt there in the shadow of the Citadel of the Elite. The moons had risen, claiming the night sky above him. Aaron sucked in a breath and planted the knuckles of his fist into the ground and rose slowly to his feet. He would not allow himself to fail. He chanted it in his mind like a mantra and drew strength from it. He was here, and there was still time. He pushed aside the despair he'd once given into. Now, he would do what must be done. 

Aaron felt a presence off to the side and turned to see Tanneth patiently waiting. The young Hythariam’s golden eyes met his in silent understanding. Tanneth had seen the whole thing.

Aaron strode over and sat next to the mysterious Hythariam that Gavril had vouched for. He did say he had a knack for getting into impossible places.

“I hope you have some good news,” Aaron said still shaking off the remnants of his despair.

Tanneth’s lips curved into a slight grin, “Take a look,” he said, holding a small black sphere about half the size of a baseball. “These are our recon drones. As you can see, they are quite small, and I deployed several of them earlier today. They have active cameras so we can see everything they are seeing. Plus, they record where they’ve been. We can track their progress through our comms devices. Here, watch,” Tanneth said, bringing up his own comms device as a small video feed showed the drone hovering along the Citadel grounds. 

Aaron couldn’t help but be impressed. “This is great.”

“I thought you might appreciate it, but the drone’s capabilities go beyond video,” Tanneth said, and he flipped through the different modes, some of which Aaron recognized as infrared and others he didn’t know at all.

“I’ve found something,” Tanneth continued. “The base of the far tower is broken out into separate chambers, which are mostly being accessed through an underground network of tunnels that lead away from the city.”

Aaron frowned. “The mines would be my guess,” he said, thinking of the miners that the Elitesmen were so keen to take into custody earlier.

Tanneth nodded in thought. “That actually makes sense for some of these. There is a chamber higher up where I see some strange activity.”

“What do you see?”

“Well, it's some type of momentary spike in energy, only it has a pattern that I’m not able to measure. The spikes occur seemingly at random,” Tanneth said.

Aaron kept looking between the display on the comms device and the tower of the Elite before them, his brain making the leap. “Random you say. Were you able to get in there and see what’s in the chamber?”

“Things have quieted down now,” Tanneth said. “I wasn’t able to get a drone in there earlier because of all the activity in the area, but perhaps we’ll have better luck now.”

Aaron frowned for second. “Were you able to physically get inside?”

Tanneth nodded. “Only for a short while. I was able to get inside through that structure over there.”

Aaron’s gaze followed where Tanneth pointed. “The arena?”

“Yes,” Tanneth said and then asked, “arena?”

“I’m only guessing at the name. We have structures like those where I come from, but they are often referred to as an arena or coliseum,” Aaron said.