by Drew Wagar
‘Without external power, energy reserves will be depleted in approximately one spell,’ Caesar replied.
‘Could be worse,’ Mel said. ‘But that doesn’t give you a lot of time to find a landing site.’
Meru nodded. ‘Caesar, what happens if we’re over water when the ’tricity stops?’
‘In the event of landing on water, class 6 personnel shuttles are buoyant and will remain afloat unless damaged,’ Caesar replied. ‘Landing must be made at zero horizontal velocity.’
‘Will we be able to take off again?’
‘Class 6 personnel shuttles are able to lift off in that condition.’
Meru puffed out his cheeks.
‘Then I think we’re ready.’
‘Go there, fix this damn thing and get straight back to Amar, agreed?’ Coran asked.
Meru grinned. ‘No detours this time.’
Coran pulled him into a hug. ‘Safe travels, we’ll see you in Amar.’
‘We’ll be there.’
Coran turned to Zoella. ‘Please look after him.’
Zoella smiled and gave the Captain a hug too. ‘Don’t worry, I know what he’s like.’
Coran pulled back, still holding on to Zoella’s shoulders.
‘Thank you,’ he said, looking into her eyes. ‘I had my doubts early on, as did many of us. But you’ve proved yourself a loyal friend to us all. Without you we wouldn’t have convinced the senate to let us go, or saved as many people as we did. Proud to have you as a member of the crew. You’re part of this family now.’
Meru saw Zoella swallow and blink back tears.
‘And I want you back safe and sound, you hear?’ Coran put a note of mock sternness into his voice. Zoella rubbed her eyes and nodded.
Mel was next. ‘Look after each other, yes? I’d rather we were all together, but …’
Ren pushed forward, clinging on to Zoella.
‘I want go with you too!’
Zoella knelt down and hugged him. ‘I know you do,’ she said. ‘But this is too dangerous. You must stay on the Mobilis, Mel will look after you.’
‘I swear I will,’ Mel said. ‘Come on young Ren. If Meru’s not going to be about I need you to do all his chores. I daresay you’ll do them better than he did.’
Ren gave Zoella one more squeeze before he let go.
‘Be safe,’ he said and then went to stand by Mel.
‘Anything from you, Fitch?’ Meru asked, looking at the wizened old man, still sporting his wide-brimmed hat.
‘Can’t say I’ll miss either of you,’ Fitch said. ‘But sounds like this needs to be done and it saves me doing it.’
Meru laughed. Even Fitch had a small grin on his face.
‘I took the liberty of putting a rifle into your stores,’ Fitch said. ‘There’s about twenty rounds in with it. Hope you don’t need to use it, but just in case …’
‘I appreciate it,’ Meru said.
He looked at Zoella.
‘All set?’
She nodded. Meru gestured to the flying machine and she climbed up into the passenger seat. He jumped in behind her and pulled the door closed. Coran, Mel, Fitch and Ren stepped back out of the way.
Zoella had strapped herself in as Meru adjusted the controls.
‘Promise you won’t crash this time?’ she asked.
He looked at her. ‘I’ll do my best.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I think we’re ready. Sandra, can you hear me?’
‘Affirmative Meru,’ the disembodied woman’s voice answered him.
‘Activate flight systems.’
‘Flight systems activated. You may depart when ready.’
Meru waved out of the window and then grasped hold of the controls. The flying machine’s engines whirred up, the vessel tilted forward and they were airborne. In moments the hangar swept past them and they were climbing into the sky, with the green landscape of Scallia falling away beneath them.
Coran, Mel, Fitch and Ren watched until the flying machine was lost in the glare of Lacaille. With a faint rumble the hangar doors of Caesar’s facility rolled back and closed.
‘That’s it then,’ Coran said. ‘Our next step is to get all the other machines back to Amar.’
There was a soft mechanical clunk from a nearby wall and a hatch opened. Inside was a small black box with a tall metal pole jutting out of the top.
‘Secure this device to your vessel,’ Caesar said. ‘It will enable the hangar assets to autonomously follow your position. Provided with this tracking device are handsets which will allow instructions to be passed to the hangar assets to aide transportation. I suggest you familiarise yourself with the operation of these devices prior to departure.’
‘I never liked the way we get ordered about by a speaking table,’ Fitch grumbled.
‘Caesar is helping us,’ Coran countered. ‘Mel, think you can handle all that?’
‘Sure thing,’ Mel answered. ‘And Ren here will help, won’t you Ren?’
The boy nodded, his eyes bright with enthusiasm.
‘We have our work cut out,’ Coran said. ‘I’d like to be heading home as soon as we can. Jump to it, folks.’
The flying machine droned on through the skies of Esurio, heading sunward. Spell by spell and chime by chime the Scallian landscape rolled away beneath them. Zoella watched the familiar shadeward forests, hills and valleys for a while. They reminded her of life before all of her recent adventures, stuck in the Lord Tarq’s hall where she had grown up.
And Raga, dear Raga.
She recalled the times when she had fled through the forests, running from the King’s men, the loyal old carn at her side, living on her wits and cunning before she had encountered Ioric.
I was good at that … though it was full of fear. Those were almost happy times, without the weight of knowledge and sadness …
The thoughts led her to Ioric, to Torin and Liana, the high spires of Viresia, the palace glinting in the bright light of Lacaille.
The confrontation before the gates of the city.
He was a good man … and Ioric meant to lose the fight against Kiri. She was going to strike him but she herself was struck down. And then …
Zoella remembered how Kiri was writhing on the ground in agony before her huge reptilian beast had killed Ioric.
It could only have been Liana but they blamed me, locked me up. Liana herself intended to defy and then control the priestesses, but Kiri was too strong for her …
Zoella shivered as she remembered Kiri’s ferocious attack on Torin, the brutality and the blood. She hadn’t just killed him, she had tortured and mutilated him. She remembered feeling the fury emanating from the girl, white hot and blazing.
And Raga …
She could see her loyal carn in her mind, bounding to her rescue, launching its heavy body at Kiri despite Zoella’s protestation. Kiri had evaded the attack and brought Raga’s life to an abrupt end with a blow from her staff.
Zoella moved in her seat, wriggling to get comfortable.
She didn’t kill Ioric, the beast did – was it by her command or was it defending her, like Raga did for me? She had reason enough to fight with Liana and she hated Torin …
A memory came back, something Kiri had shouted at Ioric before the battle, when they were all standing at the gates.
I was there! Your precious prince murdered our people, your cowardly brother burnt the treaty, killed our people and burnt Taranda to the ground. You’re a filthy liar!
Zoella could remember the doubt that filled her mind at the time, but it was not the priestesses who were lying. Ioric had trusted Torin, yet if Kiri was speaking the truth then …
Torin forced the war with the priestesses? Kiri met him somewhere before and fought him. Liana tried to take Kiri and miscalculated her strength.
More memories surfaced. Guerren’s last words to her through the mental link she had forged.
Do not hate Kiri! Myana, she was Ioric’s sister, she was …
And then Kiri’s own voi
ce.
Stop, you’re hurting him!
Zoella shivered.
Could it be that I was mistaken about her? That she was wronged and sought to undo those wrongs at Viresia? Perhaps the blame for Ioric’s death lies with Liana. Raga attacked Kiri and she defended herself as anyone would. Even Guerren asked me not to hate her – and then Meru and her …
She looked across at Meru. He was still concentrating on flying, looking out of the windows of the machine as it flew onwards. Cloud billowed about them, the flying machine swaying in the air currents.
She could have killed him, she didn’t. She spared his life … and mine. Was it just to track us to Amar, or was there something else?
She shook her head.
No. Kiri thinks only of herself. She schemes and plans. I’ve felt her mind; cold and calculating. Guerren was wrong, Meru is wrong. I must find out what she is planning next …
She closed her eyes, sending her thoughts outward the way she had done before, straining her senses to see if she could intercept Kiri’s thoughts and visions. Forests, hills and vales sped through her mind’s eye, before deserts replaced them. She saw a huge river delta and a white city before …
There was a sickening mental lurch.
About her she could see a palace, built of bright white stone and decorated with coloured flags and glass. Two women stood, facing away from her, both dressed in flowing gowns, one yellow and one cyan. The first was blonde haired, the other dark.
The second woman turned.
Blue eyes, dark black hair! Kiri!
Zoella gasped. She saw Kiri frown.
And Liana!
Liana’s expression was blank, Zoella could see that her hands were bound with a cord, it seemed that Kiri was leading her away somewhere. The vision moved. Zoella caught sight of a big dark skinned man she didn’t recognised, dressed in lavish garments of bright colours. Kiri handed the bound Liana over to him.
She saw Liana thrown to a bed as the vision went black.
Then her vision swept out and away, across the city, down through its streets and towards the bright sparkling sea.
There she saw something else.
Endless rows of seagoing vessels, ships of all shapes and sizes, some were enormous. She could see men loading crates, food stuffs … and weapons.
A fleet …
She had only a moment to assimilate the vision before it was wrenched aside once more. Amidst a wave of nausea her gaze was dragged back to the city and down. She panicked as it dropped straight into the white paved streets and then sank below. For a moment there was nothing but the strange sight of rock blurring past before she was in some other place.
Rows upon rows of green plants were set in order in great containers. Above her mirrors reflected the light of Lacaille in all directions. Tending the plants were people, dressed in plain and dirty smocks. Zoella could see guards here and there, whips in their hands.
One whip lashed out and there were screams.
Her vision was wrenched again and she saw a face, a girl’s face. Pale, the flesh and hair white, the eyes a glaring reddish pink.
Like Ren!
Zoella reeled, trying to get her thoughts under her own control. The pale figure raised hands towards her, a cry of pain and despair ringing in her mind. There were no words, just images of pain, fear and terror.
‘Zoella!’
She felt a nudge. She blinked, her vision clearing.
She was back in the flying machine. A great gasp surged into her lungs; she’d been holding her breath.
‘Zoella? Are you all right?’
She turned to look at Meru.
‘I …’
‘What happened?’
She swallowed, trying to calm her beating heart and catch her breath.
‘I tried to locate her …’
‘Who?’ Meru demanded, ‘Kiri?’
Zoella nodded. ‘She’s near. Very near. She’s already in Taloon. Meru, they’re already loading the ships, they’ll be able to sail in just a few stretches!’
‘Shades,’ Meru muttered. ‘How can they be ready so quickly? It was supposed to take passes.’
‘And she has Liana too …’ Zoella cried. ‘My queen, bad things are happening …’
‘Hey,’ Meru said, grabbing hold of her arm. ‘Take it easy. Tell me what you saw. Woah …’
The flying machine lurched and Meru grasped the controls with both hands again.
Zoella took some deep breaths and explained what she had seen. Meru listened until she had finished.
‘We can’t ignore what you see,’ he said. ‘It’s always a warning or something. So, Kiri’s in Taloon, it sounds like she’s succeeded in making an alliance with them. It’s obvious that this city is by the sea and a fleet is making ready to attack Amar – and these other people below the city … slaves maybe?’
‘Whoever she was she had the gift,’ Zoella said. ‘Strongly too, she was able to move my gaze around, I couldn’t control it. There are gifted women there. We’ve got to help them.’
‘Wait a spell,’ Meru said in alarm. ‘We’re going to the Obelisk, we can’t change course now …’
‘Meru, if Kiri finds them she’ll take their gifts, she’ll be even more powerful. These people, whoever they are, might be able to help us defend Amar against the priestesses …’
‘You mean go to the city? Just the two of us? And do what?’
‘Rescue these people and escape.’
‘Under the noses of everyone in the city and Kiri?’ Meru asked. ‘She’ll find us, she’ll know …’
‘Not if we’re careful,’ Zoella replied. ‘I can hide my thoughts from her.’
‘What about the Obelisk? Caesar said we only had a few short passes to fix it before everything goes wrong.’
‘Your father calculated it would take the fleet twenty stretches to reach Amar, maybe less,’ Zoella answered back. ‘They’re almost ready to sail, the attack will happen much sooner … early in the next pass. The battle will be over before we even get back. We’ve got to save Amar first.’
Meru thought about it for a moment.
‘I suppose,’ he said. ‘But the risk of going to this city, if we get caught …’
Zoella continued. ‘We can’t leave these people, and they could be useful to us, perhaps enough to stop the priestesses’ attack. We need them on our side, not against us.’
‘But the risk …’ Meru argued back. ‘If we’re caught, Amar loses you – you’re our best defence against the priestesses. That’s what Coran will tell us when we call him on the radio, don’t take the risk. And I just promised him, no detours!’
‘Then we don’t tell him,’ Zoella answered after a moment. ‘There’s nothing they can do anyway. Their plan is to get back to Amar as soon as possible and make ready as best they can. Nothing we do will change that, let’s not tell them.’
‘We have to, we’ve got to warn them that the attack will be much sooner,’ Meru protested. ‘We need to check in. I can’t lie to Coran …’
‘You lied before,’ Zoella said. ‘You’re good at it. Why is this different?’
She ignored the hurt look on his face.
‘Meru, I can’t defend Amar all on my own. There’s a chance there are more gifted women here, if we can reach them, get them out before Kiri finds them, they might be able to help us …’
‘Woah, slow down! What if it’s a trap?’
‘By who? Kiri?’
‘Yes.’
Zoella gave him a tart smile.
‘You’re always telling me she’s not evil. Maybe you’ll get your chance to prove it. You can talk her out of attacking us.’
‘She wants both of us,’ Meru said. ‘She might try to take your gift …’
‘Then she’ll suffer the consequences, won’t she? We’ve got to try.’
Meru sighed.
‘Coran’s going to kill us when he finds out,’ he said.
‘I’ll call him if you’re that bothered,’ Zoel
la said, gesturing to the radio. ‘Switch it on for me.’
Meru swallowed and flipped the switches.
‘Try it,’ he said.
Zoella raised her voice and spoke.
‘Coran, it’s Zoella, can you hear me?’
The radio crackled and buzzed for a moment before they heard Coran’s voice by return.
‘Zoella?’
‘Yes, it’s me,’ Zoella replied.
‘Is everything all right?’
‘Yes, everything is fine,’ Zoella replied. ‘Meru is still flying, so you’ve got me.’
‘Good to hear, how goes the trip?’
‘We’re still heading sunright,’ Zoella replied. ‘I’ve sensed something though. The priestesses, they’re massing, ready to sail soon. I think they’ll be able to leave in just a few stretches.’
‘So soon?’ She could hear the dismay in Coran’s voice. ‘How do you know?’
‘I saw it, sometimes I can spy on what they see …’
‘We’ll double our efforts,’ Coran said, his voice heavy. ‘You carry on with the Obelisk, but get back as soon as you can.’
‘We will.’
‘Is there anything else …?’
‘No, we’re fine,’ Zoella said, keeping her voice light. ‘We’ll speak to you soon. Take care and love to everyone. Give Ren a hug from me.’
‘Will do.’
Zoella nodded at Meru and he flipped the switches off. He was looking at her.
‘I didn’t lie.’
‘You didn’t tell the truth either,’ he answered.
‘Nothing I said was false,’ Zoella replied. ‘Are we going to do this, or keep arguing all stretch?’
Meru sighed.
‘Which way do we need to go?’
‘To the sunright,’ Zoella said, pointing out of the window to her left. ‘That way. The land will become a desert.’
Meru pulled on the controls and the flying machine banked to the left.
The spells ticked away. The flying machine cruised onwards. Meru looked at the map on the display, zooming it out by changing the settings. The monotonous display had changed.
‘Look, I can see the desert and the coast line,’ he said. ‘You described a river, that looks like it there.’