The Panagea Tales Box Set

by McKenzie Austin

  Nicholai sat up in the bed Aggi gifted him. A comfort existed in the room, but he did not pay much attention to his surroundings. Too many thoughts of Lilac and her predicament ravaged his brain. And Southeastern’s predicament. And Panagea’s predicament. He ran out of ideas ... ideas he did not have to begin with. It was not the only thing he ran out of. The Time Father felt Revi’s words weigh on him. His optimism was fading, paving the way for reality to surface. It was as painful as it was uninvited. Nicholai lost himself to it, a victim of his thoughts until a soft knock at the door tore him from his reverie.

  “Nicholai?” Umbriel pushed the door open and peered inside. “Would you accommodate me for a visit?”

  The Time Father rubbed at his face to pull himself back to the present world. “Of course.” He slid his legs off the side of the bed and motioned her in.

  Umbriel slipped inside, strode across the floor, and found a seat on the bed beside him. Her eyes drifted down to the exposed injury on Nicholai’s leg, his parting gift from Jernal on Darjal’s ironclad. “I wonder,” she said out loud, “why you haven’t bothered to heal that yet?”

  Nicholai arched a brow. “A full day’s rest did me a lot of good, but I’m still not as capable in the medical arts as you or Elowyn.”

  The Earth Mother smiled, the picture of wisdom. “Time heals all wounds, Nicholai. Particularly physical ones. Why not speed up the process?”

  The Time Father withdrew. A hesitation splayed on his face. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought about it. If the principle of speeding up time applied to human skin as well as it applied to plants, it made sense he could isolate his injury and heal it. But he couldn’t pull the trigger. “You saw what I did to Darjal in Avadon,” he muttered. “I tried to isolate the time to the gun, but ... it spread. I didn’t know how to stop it.”

  Umbriel tilted her head. His concern stemmed from understandable apprehension. “It was a pity, what happened in that church, but it was an accident. I can see why you’d hesitate, Nicholai. I just don’t want to watch fear cripple your opportunities to enhance your gift.”

  He nodded. “I appreciate your kind words, Umbriel,” Nicholai thanked her with a small, sarcastic smirk. “But I think I’d prefer to practice on something other than myself.” Lest he ends up like Darjal. He joked to ease the discomfort, but that image remained burned in his mind and probably would for the rest of his natural-born life.

  “Understandable,” Umbriel smiled. “I could take care of it for you if you’d like.”

  The pain was uninvited. The throbbing hole in his leg where the bullet entered only reminded him of the lives lost on the ocean that night. Though he was relieved to disable the engine, as opposed to sinking the ship, he couldn’t help but wonder if the soldiers who survived the crew’s gunfire could survive being adrift at sea. “I would like that very much,” he finally said, hoping to rid himself of one more terrible reminder of a bad memory. He had enough of those floating around.

  As Umbriel laid her hands on his leg and manipulated the damaged tissues, Nicholai’s thoughts drifted to the crew. They all needed a few days to mend if Kazuaki allowed it. They were in good hands in Northeastern: Aggi Normandy boasted the highest ratings for advances in medical science. His brows knit together at the thought. “Umbriel,” he turned his attention to the Earth Mother. “Do you know if Aggi is available for a chat? There’s something I’d like to discuss with him, aside from the obvious.”

  “I think he’s getting ready to call a meeting soon.” She removed her hands from his leg after she completed her objective. “Now that everyone is awake and well-rested, he’s eager to discuss what the next plan of action will be.”

  “Great,” Nicholai slid off the bed and onto his feet. He looked down at his leg, flexing it as he stood. It was incredible what Umbriel accomplished on a cellular level with minimal time. “You’re a miracle worker,” he said with an appreciative grin.

  “I do what I can.” She smiled and came to a stand beside him. “Come on then, let’s go find Aggi.”

  “On a first-name basis with him, I see,” Nicholai joked, nudging her playfully as they exited his room.

  “He’s nice,” Umbriel laughed as they walked to the Northeastern Time Father’s office. “He’s been very accommodating since Granite and I arrived several days ago.”

  “I bet he has.” The Time Father chuckled, finding refreshment in sharing spirited banter with another individual again. He missed it. But all jokes aside, he guessed Umbriel’s presence came as a relief for Aggi Normandy. She had a calming presence about her, and the Northeastern Time Father probably saw little of that in the days since the disasters grew in frequency. Nicholai continued forward, his eyes straight ahead as he thought about it. “I’m sure he was delighted to have a beautiful woman in the room to offset the chaos he’s been dealing with as of late.”

  Though there were no attentive eyes to bear witness, the Earth Mother’s cheeks turned a shade of red. A long time passed since anyone had called her a beautiful woman. Though she knew in her heart he said it in innocence, absent of any lingering undertones, Umbriel could not deny how much she enjoyed hearing it come from Nicholai Addihein. “Here we are,” she announced, trying to quell her unusual wild nerves as they stood outside Aggi’s door.

  Before Nicholai raised his hand to knock, the door opened. Aggi appeared to be in a hurry, almost running into the two. He jumped with a start, but his anxiousness melted away when he realized it was Umbriel and Nicholai. “You’re awake,” the Northeastern Time Father said with a grin.

  “Yes, thank you for your hospitality,” Nicholai bowed his head in a show of gratitude. “We could sleep another week if you let us, I’m sure.”

  Aggi chuckled. “It was my pleasure. Anything to help those mounting the revolution.” His expression grew dim for a moment. “Really, Nicholai. Thank you for what you’re doing. Your methods are a little unorthodox, freezing Southeastern and all, but we’ve needed a change for years. It’s certainly one way to get everyone’s attention.”

  Nicholai forced a smile. Aggi believed he froze Southeastern out of strategy. Though he thought it might be best to correct him, he let it slide. “Speaking of Southeastern, Aggi,” Nicholai cleared his throat, “a lot of our people are stricken with black lung. I heard Northeastern’s researchers made a break-through in an experimental treatment.”

  Aggi tilted his head to the side. “You heard right,” he replied. “It performed well in early trials, but the release date to the public was abandoned. Everyone needed to put their efforts into ... this,” he said as he motioned all around him.

  “I understand.” Nicholai tried to summon charm from his still-tired body. “Aggi, you have gifted us with insurmountable kindness since our arrival, but I hope it would not be too bold of me to ask for one more favor ...”

  Aggi Normandy blinked, shrugging a single shoulder. “Of course, Nicholai. Anything.”

  The Southeastern Time Father stood taller as he asked. “Might I claim a vial of your black lung treatment?”

  There was evidence of confusion in Aggi’s eyes at the request, but he saw no harm in giving in. “It’s all yours. I have business to attend in town; the vials are all in a storage facility until these disasters sort themselves out, but I will find someone who can get one for you. When I return, I’d very much like to discuss our next move, if everyone is well-rested.”

  “Of course, we’ll make sure they’re all ready,” Nicholai nodded. “Thank you, Aggi.”

  “My pleasure.” He turned to the Earth Mother. “Umbriel,” he acknowledged her presence with a gentle smile and a tip of his hat before he slipped off to tend to his duties.

  Nicholai pointed at Aggi’s back, looking at Umbriel with a broad grin. “See that? He’s got it bad,” he teased, his expression shifting to a more mischievous nature when he saw her face. “Umbriel—are you blushing?”

  The stoic woman’s eyes widened at the accusation. “Let’s go wake the others.” She dismissed
his interrogation with a quick smile before starting toward the other rooms.

  Nicholai watched her depart, stifling a chuckle. The Earth Mother was always the picture of composure. Seeing her flustered entertained him in a way he couldn’t explain. It was nice to know she, too, despite being a 600-year-old maiden able to summon seeds and heal with a touch, was also human.

  Aggi wasted no time in town. Whatever his duties were, he performed them with great efficiency. It was hard for the crew to get themselves together, but they pulled their aching muscles from their beds and helped themselves to the hygiene products made available in the Northeastern Time Father’s residence. Aggi summoned the group into a large room for the meeting, making sure everyone had a chair around the large, wooden table in the center. He could not contain his eagerness to begin, but he investigated their comfort before they continued.

  “Is there anything else I can get anyone?”

  Brack grinned. “A bottle of whiskey and your finest Northeastern broad.”

  Elowyn swatted him. For a petite thing, she packed power behind her hit. She looked to Aggi as Brack whined and rubbed at his arm where she struck him. “Ignore him, Mr. Normandy.”

  “Please, Aggi is fine.” He grinned. “You’ve all made some incredible advances toward rerouting Panagea. Plants, growing again in Southern, Southwestern, and even those you seeded in Northeastern before you made your way to my home—it’s amazing. I never thought I’d see anything like it in my lifetime. I’d only ever heard the stories ...”

  Everyone watched as his once excited expression fell into one of regret. Aggi crossed the room to Umbriel and got down on one knee, taking her hand into his. “I knew of your plight in those stories. I knew the past Time Fathers left you to rot on that island, and I did nothing. I didn’t think one man could ignite such a huge change, especially after our loss in the battle with Northern.” He squeezed her hand and searched her eyes. “Umbriel, please accept my deepest, most sincere apology. I am a division leader. As such, I am a man of the people. I should have done the right thing, and I did not. Can you ever forgive me?”

  The Earth Mother seemed surprised by his grand gesture. His words were genuine; she felt it in his voice. Umbriel issued him a smile and patted his hand. “Of course I can, Aggi. None should punish the sons for the sins of their fathers; I harbor no grudge, not for you, or them.”

  Aggi released a breath he didn’t realize he held. There were no efforts made to disguise his relief at her forgiveness. “Thank you,” he said, sliding back to his feet and releasing her hand. “I will make it right. You all have whatever is at my disposal. I will help however I can. If we can get Avital, Nordjan, and Vadim to see the light, this will be much easier.”

  “And Edvard,” Nicholai interjected.

  Aggi quirked a brow as he tilted his head. “Edvard too? I assumed, as your father, he may be swayed if he was not already.”

  “No.” Nicholai laced his fingers together on the table to squeeze his frustrations back into his own hands. “I can say with a great deal of confidence he revealed our position to Darjal’s ironclad. There’s no other way that ship could have found us in a limitless ocean.”

  The Northeastern Time Father’s expression fell flat. “I’m sorry to hear this, Nicholai.”

  Kazuaki leaned forward at the table. “We must decide who to ‘persuade’ next.” Whether through means of discussion, or violence, it mattered not to the captain. “Speaking of Edvard, my vote is on him,” he added with an ominous tone. The heathen was responsible for losing his ship. Kazuaki hoped Edvard’s mind wouldn’t change with words alone, as he wanted to drive a dagger into the man’s heart. If he wasn’t Nicholai’s father, he wouldn’t have hesitated to do so.

  Aggi nodded, walking over to the door to close it, so listening ears would not be privy to any information discussed in the room. “We could visit the division leaders one by one, ladies and gentlemen ... or ...” He traipsed over to a desk, unlocking a drawer with a key he withdrew from his pocket. Aggi pulled out a few letters and returned to the desk, “ ... we could reach them all at the same place, at the same time.”

  Everyone’s eyes widened. “How?” Revi asked. “I thought those feckers were bound to their divisions?”

  “They are,” Aggi said. He flicked his eyes over to Nicholai. “But the gathering is upon us.”

  “The decennial,” Nicholai breathed. How could he have forgotten? The ten-year gathering of the Time Fathers at Panagea’s center. It would be the perfect opportunity to present their case. Darjal had been one of the major obstacles; he was as stubborn as he was delusional. But the personalities of the others still left him with some concerns. They were all stern; it made them good leaders, but would also make it that much harder to convince them to alter how they’ve done things the entire time they’d been in power.

  Vadim might relent if they presented the change in a way that highlighted monetary gain. He was a money-driven man, boasting the largest treasury of all the divisions. He hoarded every coin he earned. While there was no guarantee altering his leadership tactics would bring him an additional fortune, it would at least spare him from Kazuaki’s blade if he cooperated.

  Convincing Avital would take effort. As the eldest of all the ruling Time Fathers, he remained the most attached to the old world ideals. He modeled his division off the original Time Fathers’ foundation. No wasted space. Ultimate efficiency. Never stop progressing.

  Nicholai wanted to believe Nordjan could see the potential of change. Despite his rough exterior, the Southeastern Time Father grew to respect Nordjan’s powerful ability to rule with necessity in their meetings together. He was a stubborn man, but at the core of it all, Nicholai believed he was fair. If he convinced Nordjan it was for the good of his people, his mind could change.

  And Edvard ... Edvard was the wild card. Everything Nicholai thought he knew about the man, which wasn’t much to begin with, sank to the bottom of the ocean with Kazuaki’s ship.

  “It’ll be a good opportunity,” Aggi started, “but it won’t come easy. This won’t be like any other decennial I’ve attended.” His eyes shifted over to the stacks of letters. When Nicholai first betrayed Southeastern, Aggi received countless letters, detailing every aspect of what the other divisions endured to secure Nicholai’s capture. The invitation to the decennial also arrived in the post. But as time went on, and it became clearer Aggi Normandy did not supply as many resources into finding Nicholai as the other division leaders, the letters slowed. Even still, the Northeastern Time Father had a critical inside look into the goings-on of the others. It was that knowledge that concerned him.

  “What can we expect?” Nicholai asked. He only attended one decennial, the one where they inducted him. It was a tedious, hours-long endeavor detailing the state of Panagea, the people, whether they needed to start looking for potential Time Fathers if others wished to retire ... a whole slew of political chit-chat that went on for an eternity.

  “They’re scared, Nicholai,” Aggi’s face grew serious, and he lowered his tone. “Darjal’s and Carlo’s deaths have them reeling. They know you’re in Kazuaki Hidataka's presence and his immortality has proven dangerous in your battles. I fear they may act in desperation. They’re already taking their armies with them, leaving their divisions defenseless.”

  Nicholai frowned. It was a common show of respect that the Time Fathers showed up at Panagea’s center alone. The fact they were bringing their armies raised a red flag. Aggi was right; it was a desperate move. “We will have a hard time getting to them if we have to go through four division’s worth of armies.”

  “Indeed,” Aggi agreed with a sigh. “Avital’s army alone is insurmountable. The sheer volume of people in Eastern grants him an incredible advantage. Even if we take Northeastern’s armies, and Bartholomew of Southern and Emont of Southwestern send whatever men they can spare, we’re still outnumbered.”

  Brack sat up, shrugging a shoulder. “Ain’t some way we can bypass the mili
tiamen? A flying machine, perhaps? If we could get the drop on the Time Fathers themselves, that’d save us a damn bit of bloodshed.”

  Everyone turned to look at the Rabbit. Each face matched the others in the amount of confusion they displayed.

  “What?” Brack stared. “I got ideas rattling up there too, sometimes.”

  “A flying machine could work,” Rennington said, glancing over to Aggi. “Do you have access to any that would house us all? I don’t think we could all fit in a standard ornithopter.”

  Aggi stroked his chin, thoughtful. “A majority of the larger flying machines are housed in Northern. They’re mostly used here for recreational purposes. All single-manned machines. But I might be able to scare one up ... we confiscated one of Northern’s larger vessels when we battled years ago. It’s in sorry shape and it’s been locked in a facility for years, but it's repairable.”

  “Sounds like that’s our best bet,” Bermuda offered, trying to gauge everyone else’s reactions. The crew never minded a little bloodshed. Or a lot. But trying to engage the armies put many lives at risk. Losing Iani was tragic enough; if they could avoid any additional losses, they would take it.

  “The flying machines will get us close, there’s no doubt about that,” Aggi paced the room. “But make no mistake, Nicholai. They want you dead. I have every reason to believe bringing their armies to Panagea’s center is only the start of their desperation.”

  Nicholai’s brows furrowed together. “What do you mean?”

  Aggi's face grew serious. “I wouldn’t put it passed them to freeze their divisions too, Nicholai. They know Kazuaki Hidataka is their biggest threat and they will render him immobile. If they feel like they’re backed into a corner, they’ll do just about anything.”