Echoes Of A Gloried Past (Book 2) (6 page)

“We need to start coordinating with the other nations,” Aaron stopped with a slightly amused expression. “I just realized that I don’t know about all the nations of this world, but I think starting with Rexel and … ” Aaron motioned to Jopher to step forward. “Will you return to Zsensibar and inform them of the threat to this world?”

Jopher brought his fist over his heart, “It would be my honor.” He looked like he was about to say more but remained silent.

“What is it?” Aaron asked.

“It’s just that I will need help convincing people of the threat,” Jopher said.

Aaron chewed on his lower lip in thought, “He’s right. Iranus, it’s time for the Hythariam to step back into the spotlight.”

“What do you suggest we tell them?” spoke a Hythariam man whom he didn’t know.

“I would suggest telling them the truth,” said Aaron. “They will find out soon enough if they don’t heed the warning.”

Colind raised an eyebrow, “Who did you have in mind to travel to Rexel?”

Aaron smiled, “You and Vaughn. Probably Garret.” Aaron paused, “And Jopher. Colind, yours will be the voice the Hythariam need to validate their story.”

The others started to protest, but Colind’s gaze remained fixed upon Aaron. “I can help with the other ‘nations’ as you put it, but what will you be doing while we travel?” 

An immediate hush swept over the crowd as they waited for his answer.

Aaron glanced at Verona, who nodded back to him. “I’m going to Khamearra to infiltrate the Elitesmen Order.”

Verona actually laughed and looked excited. Eric and Braden gave him challenging looks, daring him to leave them behind. Sarik looked concerned for a moment before Verona clamped his hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Sarik looked back at him and nodded. The others all shouted their protest, save Colind, who called for silence.

“Please explain to the others the rest of your plan,” Colind said calmly.

“I’m going to steal a cache of travel crystals,” Aaron began. “Then track down the Drake and escape with Sarah, using the crystals. Roselyn has a theory that using the travel crystals will confuse the Nanites in her system, allowing us to make them dormant.”

Iranus snapped his golden-eyed gaze toward his daughter. “Theories,” he spat.

“Yes, Father, worth a try I think,” she replied.

“One doesn’t simply trek into the capital city of Khamearra and knock on the doors of the Elitesmen Order,” Vaughn said.

“One doesn’t walk into Shandara, but we did,” Aaron replied.

Vaughn took a deep breath, gathering his patience, “I’m on your side, Aaron. I want you to succeed. I want to help Sarah, but what you propose is … suicide.”

“Suicide missions are our specialty,” Verona answered. “Hit the enemy where he thinks he is safe. I believe you taught me that, old friend.”

Vaughn shook his head, “I don’t believe this,” he said to Colind and then looked at Aaron. “As powerful as you’ve become, you are not unstoppable. Everyone has their limits.”

“I know I’m not unstoppable,” Aaron said softly. “What wouldn’t you do to protect the people you love?”

“It’s not as simple as that,” Vaughn replied.

Of course, not everyone has the strings attached that I do
, Aaron thought bitterly. People were looking for him to lead this fight and raise Shandara from the ashes. “I know what’s at stake, and I won’t debate my leaving with anyone else,” Aaron said, sweeping them all with his gaze, thinking of the family he lost to this damned war.
I won’t lose Sarah, too.

Vaughn nodded. “Okay,” he conceded. “How long do you think she has before whatever these Nanites are doing to her have finished?”

Aaron glanced at Roselyn, who shared a brief look with Iranus when another Hythariam dressed in a strange metallic armor whispered something.

“A week,” Roselyn said, “Two at the most.”

A week?

He recalled the map of Safanar he had seen in the map room on the Raven. Khamearra was almost across the continent. It had taken them about a month by airship to journey to Shandara. Aaron looked around at his friends and saw the same conclusion reflected in all their eyes. His plan was hopeless. There was no way he could make the journey in time, but it was even worse than that. He intended to return to Shandara with Sarah, this part of the plan he kept to himself. Aaron brought his gaze to Iranus, who immediately knew what he was going to ask.

“I need your help,” Aaron began. “You have the means at your disposal to travel faster than what is considered normal here. Khamearra is almost on the other side of the continent.”

Iranus appeared thoughtful for a moment, “I know there will be no dissuading you from this.”

“I’m going with him,” Roselyn interrupted.

Iranus’s golden eyes flashed angrily, “No.”

“Don’t try to stop me, Father,” Roselyn replied, and then she softened her gaze. “We owe our aid to the Alenzar’seth, whose shelter of protection we’ve lived under for these many years.”

Aaron watched as Iranus weighed his options, and he could tell that there were none that he liked. Iranus glanced at Colind, who cleared his throat.

“This is what I intend,” Aaron began. “For you to provide a way for a small party to accompany me to Khamearra. We will infiltrate the Elitesmen stronghold and use the travel crystals to return here quickly. We will also attempt to make contact with the Resistance in Khamearra.”

Colind narrowed his gaze thoughtfully, “What Resistance?”

“Sarah was working with a faction that is looking to overthrow the tyranny of the High King,” Aaron said. “A faction loyal to her mother. This faction sent a lone protector, who was loyal to the old order to the Elite. This man trained Sarah. After he died, she returned to her father’s court and saw it ruined by the corruption. We may be able to find help there along with the most abundant source of crystals. It makes it a worthy target.”

“What if you can’t get into the Elitesmen stronghold?” Colind asked.

“Then I will take out as many Elitesmen as I can and take their crystals.” Aaron said.

Colind shrugged and glanced at Iranus, “It’s not a bad plan.”

“Who will be in this ‘small’ party?” Iranus asked.

Aaron had anticipated the question and shared a brief look at his friends before answering. The fact that he didn’t even need to ask touched him. They would follow him anywhere, because they believed he would get them out of any hell that his path took them through.

“Verona, Sarik, Eric, Braden, and Roselyn.” Aaron said. He wasn’t sure about Roselyn, but he knew the others could hold their own against the Elitesmen. He hadn’t been able to reach Eric and Braden with the bladesong as he had been able to with Verona and Sarik, but hopefully there would be time enough.

“I will go as well,” spoke a Hythariam in metallic armor that Aaron recognized from yesterday. “I am called Gavril Sorindal.” He said, bowing his head slightly. “I assure you that I will be an asset. I am formerly of the Hytharia military. My rank would translate to colonel.”

Aaron took a long look at Gavril, who had the confident stance of an experienced leader, but he wondered if Gavril would be more of a hindrance than an asset. 

Gavril stepped before Aaron and extended his hand, “I was a friend to Reymius and fought by his side at the fall of Shandara.” Aaron nodded and shook his hand firmly as Gavril continued, “I would like to bring one other of my crew. A specialist. He’s got experience sneaking into impossible places,” Gavril said, sparing a glance at the others.

“Just seven of you?” Iranus asked, barely keeping the shock from his voice.

Aaron grinned, “Seven is considered a lucky number where I come from.”

“Well, you are certainly going to need a lot of it,” Colind said dryly.

“You as well,” Aaron replied. “Any thoughts on how you will convince people of the danger they are in?

“I’ve had a few thoughts, and Iranus will help with the rest,” replied Colind.

Aaron turned to Iranus, “I’d like to leave as soon as possible.”

“Indeed,” Iranus said. “It would be better to wait until nightfall. We should be able to get you near Khamearra by morning. Could I have a private word with you?”

“Of course,” Aaron said, and the others left with the exception of Verona and Colind.

Iranus started walking farther into the meadow, “Safanar is a beautiful world, don’t you think?”

“I do,” Aaron said, and his thoughts returned to Sarah dancing with the other women around the bonfires on the night of the choosing. He had lost the laurel crown she had placed on his head. It was on board the Raven … “Did Tolvar contact you?” he asked, remembering his encounter with the old man before they had reached Shandara. Tolvar had been able to shield them from the Ryakul until the Raven had caught up to them.

Iranus nodded and smiled, “Yes, that is how we knew you were in Shandara.”

“I know you don’t think much of my chances for saving Sarah,” Aaron began, but Iranus held up his hand.

“No, we’ve both made our points, and you’re right. It's time to move on. I wanted to talk to you about my daughter,” Iranus said.

“She appears to be able to take care of herself.”

“Yes, she can, but it doesn’t mean I’m not worried about sending her off,” said Iranus. “It is the burden of fathers, I’m afraid.”

“I will look after her as best I can,” Aaron promised. “I’ve faced impossible odds at Shandara with Verona, Eric, and Braden, and we would not have survived if we didn’t watch out for one another. In fact, the others will attest that I try too hard to bear the burden myself.”

Iranus looked at Aaron evenly, “Desperation has a way grinding the honor out of most. I don’t know you well enough to be a fair judge of your character in that respect, but it is a lesson we learned from our dying world. Desperate people take desperate measures. I just want you to try and be clear headed about this. None of this is fair, especially for you, but like it or not there is great importance attached to your survival. The people of this world need you.”

“Sometimes one can only do the best with the time that one has,” Aaron said. “And decide when or where to make a stand.”

Iranus’s face broke into a smile, “You sound very much like Reymius,” he said and then his face turned solemn. “I know what he sacrificed to save your mother and therefore you.”

“I didn’t know it at the time,” Aaron began, “But I saw the emptiness he felt and the scars he had. I don’t think he was equipped to deal with the Drake.”

“It’s worse than that,” Iranus said softly. “The form of the Drake you faced was once your grandmother, the Lady Cassandra, Princess of Shandara. It’s an unfortunate part of what the Nanites do. Not part of their original programming, I can assure you, but around the fall we came close to creating a true artificial intelligence. That is what I suspect the Drake is, in part. It was sent here to ascertain the barrier and remove it. When it figured out that the barrier was linked to the Alenzar’seth, it conceived this twisted cycle that you are part of now. You have no idea how much it saddens me that one of our most remarkable achievements could be perverted into something so vile and repulsive.”

My grandmother?
Aaron’s mind reeled at the thought. “My grandfather couldn’t have known. He wouldn’t have left otherwise.”

Iranus gripped Aaron’s shoulder. “He did,” Iranus said gently. “I know because I was there. I helped him escape to the planet you call Earth, but you will never see it in our night sky.”

“Why not?” Aaron asked.

“Because Earth is on another dimensional plane than Safanar,” Iranus answered. “While we were looking for a way to escape the destruction of Hytharia we figured out a way to open a doorway to another dimension. Same place just in a different universe. In each dimension we were able to open, Hytharia was already destroyed. There was nothing there. When it became apparent that the Drake could not be stopped here on Safanar, I built a new device. A cylinder that over time would charge enough to open the dimensional doorway, and that is how we found Earth.”

“Wait a second,” Aaron interrupted, “Are you saying that Safanar and Earth are the same planet but in different universes?”

“That is precisely what I’m saying,” Iranus answered.

“But nothing looks the same. The geography is all different. The continents are not in the same place. We have only one moon, and the stars don’t even match up,” Aaron said.

“Different universes. Different rules. Different everything,” Iranus said.

“And the Drake is my grandmother?” Aaron asked, still struggling to wrap his head around this.

“It’s better to think of it this way,” Iranus began. “The Drake’s previous form was your grandmother, but your grandmother is dead. She has been completely assimilated by the Nanites. Sarah still has a sliver of hope to avoid the same fate. There were no travel crystals here at the time that Shandara fell. They came from parts of a comet that grazed the atmosphere primarily over Khamearra.”

Aaron didn’t know what to think and shook his head.

“I thought you should know and have a better understanding what Reymius sacrificed so that your mother could be saved and that you could grow up on a world safe from the Drake. It’s the only reason I could think of why he never came back.”

Me. My mother.
Aaron sighed as he saw his grandfather, Reymius in a new light, “Thank you for telling me. I just don’t know what to say.”

Iranus nodded. “I know you have the cylinder in your possession. I would suggest showing it to my daughter and telling her its purpose. Perhaps she can figure out a way for it to help in your journey.”

Iranus left him to his thoughts, and Colind and Verona quietly approached.

“Did you know about this?” Aaron asked Colind. “About Cassandra, my grandmother?”

Colind looked at the ground with a pained expression. “I knew the Drake had taken her. At the time, we weren’t sure how it worked. We thought of the Drake as a separate entity. Reymius suspected it near the end, but at the fall it wasn’t just one thing that caused the destruction of Shandara; it was a maelstrom of events happening all at once. Mactar, along with the High King and the Elitesmen, were able to get inside Shandara with Tarimus’s help and bring down the walls from within. Mactar trapped me and … well, you saw the destruction.”