Heir of Shandara (Book 4) (32 page)

Aaron inclined his head, and Braden walked next to him while Verona followed. They headed just inside the palace walls and took the cleared path down to the command center.

“You’ve been busy, my friend,” Verona commented to Braden as they went.

“They’re good men. I’m only sorry I couldn’t have brought them to Rexel,” Braden said.

Verona nodded.

“Gavril has kept me up to speed,” Braden continued. “When do you think the Zekara will strike?”

“Soon,” Aaron said. “Are the De’anjard ready?”

“All you need to do is give the order. But there is something else,” Braden said.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked.

“Since you’ve been away, I’ve had several requests of former Elitesmen to join the De’anjard. It’s strange. I would have thought they would join the Safanarion Order after their service in the FNA was up. There haven’t been many, but enough for me to notice,” Braden said.

“What did you do with them?” Aaron asked.

“I put them to work and told them I would discuss it with you. What do you think?”

“We’re giving them a second chance. Let them earn a place just like anyone else would. We’ll need everyone we can get our hands on for the battle with the Zekara,” Aaron said.

Braden nodded. They made their way through the underground passages to the command center. The heart of Shandara’s defenses were there. Gavril met them as they entered. He was one of the few Hythariam with green eyes, which marked him as being of the military back on Hytharia. The tall Hythariam wore black armor with a few lines of cyan running along the edges, indicating that it was powered.

“Have the Zekara compromised these systems?” Aaron asked, gesturing to the room.

“No,” Gavril said. “Remember, the systems in Shandara are closed off. We ran communications from Hathenwood, and it was there that the Zekara were able to tap into our communications. I’ve instituted some coded messages, but otherwise we haven’t let on that we know they’re listening.”

“I want to go over the city’s defenses. We need to adapt them for facing the Forsaken,” Aaron said.

“Don’t we want to talk about what Tanneth has discovered, and Bayen—” Verona began.

“We will,” Aaron said.

Gavril led them over to a small group gathered around a holo display of Shandara. Vaughn came over and gave Verona a firm hug. Grief still shone around his eyes at the loss of Rexel and its prince, but relief also shone as Vaughn had also been tasked with watching over Verona. The two were close.

“We do have some good news,” Gavril said, drawing their attention. “This is something that doesn’t leave this room, but we may have found a way to prevent the infection of the Ryakul virus among humans.”

Aaron and Verona exchanged glances, which Gavril didn’t miss, but he continued.

“We’ll be distributing it to the troops here first and other essential personnel. After that, it will be released to the general population. There is one catch though,” Gavril said.

“There is always a catch,” Aaron said.

“In Hathenwood, they are working as fast as they can to make it, but not everyone will get it in time if the Zekaran attack sooner than expected,” Gavril said.

Aaron’s mind flashed to battling the Forsaken on the streets of Rexel. The ear-piercing screams of those falling victim to the virus. “We don’t have the luxury of time. The more time that passes, the more Halcylon will rebuild his Forsaken army. There is something else. The Eldarin that is infected with the Ryakul virus is in Rexel. She is on the brink of fully succumbing to the virus.”

“I knew you faced the Eldarin, but I didn’t know it stayed after the battle,” Gavril said.

“She’s not like the others. She attacked, but part of me thinks she is looking for a way to die,” Aaron said.

“Is that even possible? Killing an Eldarin?” Verona asked.

“They are a higher-order life form. I’m not sure what the natural order of things are where they are involved. Nothing lasts forever. Why would it be any different for them?” Aaron said.

“What will you do if that Eldarin comes to Shandara? You said the Forsaken were drawn to it in Rexel,” Gavril said.

Aaron had been racking his brain on that very question since Rexel. If the Eldarin attacked Shandara, he would have to defend the city.

“What is it?” Verona asked.

Aaron sighed. “If the Eldarin attacks, we will have no choice but to defend ourselves.”

“You make it sound as if that’s a bad thing,” Verona said.

“It is. They are an old race. They can traverse among realms and understand more of the great mysteries of the universe than any of us do. They’ve been protectors of this world. Is there a chance that the cure Roselyn has come up with would work on the Eldarin?” Aaron asked.

Gavril’s face drew down in regret, and he slowly shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. What Roselyn was able to do is reverse what the Zekara did in order to adapt the virus for humans in the first place. Calling it a cure is not entirely accurate. It’s more of a prevention.”

They spent the rest of the time going over the city’s defenses. A number of years had already been spent preparing Shandara for invasion before the city fell. A good portion of those defenses were being brought back into full service. Hythariam weapons had been built into the walls of the city and on the rooftops of various buildings. The natural terrain surrounding the city prevented an enemy from attacking from behind. At least not with any sort of real numbers.
 

Aaron, wanting to clear his head, left to take a walk. Verona came with him. They emerged to a starlit sky. Safanar’s moons shone brightly, making it easy for them to see.

“How come you didn’t tell them about Bayen?” Verona asked.

“I’m not sure it would help anything. Everyone in that room needs to focus on the battle with the Zekara,” Aaron said.

“I see your point, but surely Gavril should be brought into the fold.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Aaron said.

They left the palace grounds and came onto one of the main thoroughfares of the city. It was a wide-open street lined with large statues. The statues alternated between male and female, all depicting different stances of the slow-fighting forms. Sarah had brought him here. It was where they had found the first weapons caches. The place was quiet, almost serene. Aaron felt more centered here, under the watchful eyes of the statues lining the streets.
 

“If we tell everyone about Bayen, it will scatter them. Our alliance could come undone. Instead of uniting to face the Zekara, we will be driven apart. That’s why I want it to stay between you, me, and Tanneth,” Aaron said.

Verona’s eyes widened. “Doesn’t Roselyn know?”

Aaron shook his head. “She only knows that I wanted the sample I sent to her to be checked for signs of cloning.”

“I don’t know,” Verona said.

“Me either. If everything that Bayen says is true, will it change whether we fight the Zekara?”

“No, I suppose it won’t. But that AI was pretty clear about how keeping Halcylon alive was our best chance to cure the plague,” Verona said.

“Fifty-five percent probability rate. Hardly conclusive evidence. I still think this is tied to the Eldarin,” Aaron said.

“Perhaps it’s both.”

“You could be right.”

“It doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Me either, but can you give me your word that you won’t say anything about Bayen?” Aaron asked.

“I told you I would see this through with you to the end wherever our road takes us. You have my word that I will not reveal anything about Bayen,” Verona said.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, my friend.”

“Yes, I do.”

Verona blew out a breath and let his gaze drift to the moonlit statues lining the street. “What should we do now?”

“I need to think of a way to pick a fight,” Aaron said.

“Normally, I’d think that this would be the fun part, but don’t you think we should wait a few days? Give us a chance to regroup and catch our breaths?” Verona asked.

“It has to be tomorrow. With each passing moment, the Zekara grow stronger. They surprised us with an army of Forsaken at Rexel. I don’t want to give them a chance to do the same thing again. We need to draw their attention because we have the best chance to defeat them here,” Aaron said.

They decided to head back. Aaron took one last look at the majestic statues lining the streets of Shandara. He drew in the energy, and his perceptions sharpened. He sensed Verona’s lifebeat and those of the De’anjard nearest them. Aaron sucked in a breath. Coming from each of the statues was a soft azure glow. The effect was so subtle that you could miss it. This was no trick of the light. He sensed tiny energy sources within each of the statues. It wasn’t anything Hythariam made but something that matched the crystals inlaid in the pommels of his swords. Aaron’s gaze slid down to his swords, and in the moonlight there was a soft glow. He let the energy go and saw only the vague impressions of what was so vibrant before.

“Did you see something?” Verona asked.

Aaron glanced at the statues. “I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

“Perhaps it’s Thraw stalking us,” Verona quipped.

Aaron had little doubt that the mysterious maul-cat was close by. He seemed to always be in the background and would make his presence known when Aaron looked for him. Thraw had helped him escape the destruction of the Hythariam home world, but Aaron still didn’t know who had freed the maul-cat in the first place or why.
 

Instead of going to the palace, Aaron led them to a grove of trees. In the center of the grove were the remnants of a massive white tree. Reymius’s soul had returned here after his death on Earth. The majestic glow surrounding the tree was gone, but Aaron could still feel whispers of energy surrounding it. He sat down and leaned against the massive trunk, the past few days finally catching up with him. Verona sat next to him, just as tired. Aaron rested his head against the tree and gazed up at the night sky. Nighttime critters sang their songs into an otherwise normal night. The sound of deep breathing next to him told Aaron that Verona was already asleep. His thoughts drifted back to Bayen. Was he his son? If some future version of himself did send Bayen back through time to prevent the Ryakul virus from spreading, why would he give Bayen so little information to go on? Unless after all that time there simply wasn’t anything else that they knew. Sending Bayen back through time was a last-ditch effort at saving their future. The fact that he could think of a counterargument for everything that proved Bayen’s story was, in fact, the truth didn’t sit well with him. Halcylon could have conceived this and sent Bayen into their midst to throw them off balance. It was a leap of faith no matter which Aaron chose to believe. Before a numbing sleep finally swept him away, he heard the rumblings of the Eldarin. The Dragon lords watched and waited. Aaron knew that whatever he did next would have lasting effects upon all of Safanar. It was the duty of the Ferasdiam marked to defend the lives of this world. In defense of this world, could he strike down an Eldarin, the purest of creatures he had ever encountered, and one he didn’t fully comprehend? There must be another way. His eyes heavy, he let a numbing, dreamless sleep take him.

C
HAPTER
25

SABOTAGE

General Morag Halcylon walked among the ruins of the desolated city. Without his armor, his skin would have blistered in seconds from the searing heat that still clung to the rubbled remains of Rexel. He was impressed that his enemies had thought to use such a bomb. These many years hadn’t softened his old student in the least. Gavril was a grave disappointment since he chose to stand with the traitors and would die a painful death like the rest of them. This world would be cleansed of their taint so that it could be remade for his Zekara. His internal helmet display showed ten of his soldiers with him. None of the senior leadership was allowed to travel alone since the presence of the maul-cat had been detected. It wasn’t until after the battle that seemingly random acts of sabotage formed a pattern. The maul-cat was patient. It struck seemingly innocuous blows from the shadows, and before you knew it, you were hemorrhaging uncontrollably. Only this time the beast struck them where they were weakest. Their power supplies were draining fast. The maul-cat had been his blind spot, just as the Forsaken had been the humans’. Diagnostics of his powered armor and combat AI showed no defects at all. In the most simplistic terms, the human had defeated him just as surely as the Zekara had been victorious on this battlefield. Nanite augmentation, powered armor, and the most sophisticated combat AI created by the Hythariam should have been enough to handle one human. Should have been…