“How do you engage in war?” Tordan asked curiously.
“On our small continent, the goal is not total war to obliterate the enemy forces. The goal has always been unification to take advantage of a larger system and give everyone a better way of life. In fact, in my youth, my own king warred with two neighboring countries to free their slaves.”
“Really?” Roihan looked skeptical, as if such a thing wouldn’t be done.
“Yes. Rumors came to us of their abuse, and after seeing a cart full of dead and nearly dead slaves that had been dumped in a ditch near our borders, King Alfertz had seen enough. By the end of the week, the kingdom was ours and their king’s head was on a pike in front of his castle, placed there by his own people.” Zordan shrugged. “Believe it or not, by the next moon, three other countries banded together to war with us, angry that we’d freed the slaves. And failure was not an option.”
Zordan stared back at the computer. “I found something deeply disturbing in the notes. It appears that the Ardak general contacted Carrus, who agreed to help him with human armies during the invasion in exchange for protection for their lands.”
“You mean the humans are going to fight against us?” Outrage pervaded Mordjan’s voice.
Zordan held up a hand. “The human armies will do what their emperor tells them to. And their emperor is now Carrus.”
“But the Ardaks have already tried to kill them with the Red Death,” Roihan said.
“Yes, but they don’t know that,” Tordan said mildly.
“Could someone catch me up here? What is the Red Death?” Zordan asked.
“It’s the red poison that came into the sky a while ago. It made everyone sick, and Roihan and Aria led the mission to find a cure.”
Zordan rubbed his forehead. “I remember everyone getting sick and some people dying, but they suddenly got well.”
“That’s because we put the cure in your water supply,” Roihan said.
Zordan kicked the computer table. “I wish you would have told us at the time.”
“Do you think you would have listened?”
Zordan paused, thinking back to the male he used to be. “Maybe not,” he acceded.
“Yes, well, we also had other things on our mind. We had to distribute the cure to everyone on the planet as quickly as possible, and we already knew then that the Ardaks would return.”
“All right, well, the humans are a lot less of a threat than the Ardaks unless the Ardaks equip them with weapons. They are only formidable in numbers, and we don’t know if they Ardaks are going to use them. So, for right now, let’s plan for the Ardak war and deal with the humans if they arrive.”
“We might also have some help from the resistance,” Tristin offered. “They can send a hundred ships and several thousand warriors in three days.”
“Then let’s hope the Ardaks wait that long. How are you coming with the pilot training?”
“We have all the pilots we need to fly the ships, and they are learning the weapons systems now.”
“Good. What about the cyborgs?”
“We’ve allocated extra computers for their training,” Roihan said. “The elves have been working around the clock to make their exoarmor suits as well as regular armor. They’ve actually brought in civilians for some of that work, so we’re getting the suits done more quickly.”
“Excellent. What about the elves?”
Aefin stepped forward. “We’ve made great progress with our air elves creating tornadoes and hurricanes. We’ve also paired up elves and cyborgs, and they are sparring each other in teams as we speak.”
Lohein held out a parchment. “Here are the numbers of elves we have and what area of magic they specialize in.”
Zordan stared down at the paper numbly. The numbers were so small. Too small.
“Do we have the numbers of warriors from the River people?”
“Yes.” Durstin stepped forward with another piece of parchment. “These are broken down by men and women, but you can use them interchangeably. Some of our women are better fighters than our men. We have sentries on lookout, and we’re placing traps in the forest from every direction.”
“Have you made any progress on enlarging the shield?”
Durstin shook his head. “Kiersten and Aielle are still searching the knowledge crystals, but they haven’t found anything yet.”
Zordan turned to Tordan. “What about the moat around Renwyn?”
Tordan’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “It’s already full.”
“Great. Let’s get the elves to start placing traps as they’re doing in the forest around Garthurian.” He caught Tristin’s eye. “Is it possible to put a ship or two in the air, searching for Ardak ships approaching the planet?”
Tristin nodded. “Yes, but if the Ardaks do show up, they might be able to take out the ships before they can signal us.”
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take.” Zordan folded the parchments and put them in his pocket. “Good work, all. I’ll be around to each location this afternoon for any last-minute questions or concerns. This morning, I’m going to visit each of the locations of the elven device. It’s a long shot, but maybe we’ll find something.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lielle
As the other cyborgs and elves dispersed, asking questions and discussing details, Zordan remained encouraging but realistic. She felt the weight on him as if it were a physical force, and she wished she could shoulder some of it for him. He had not only come to a new realm but also was commanding an army against the greatest force any of them had ever seen.
Zordan was discussing some final details about the cyborgs with Roihan, Tristin, and Aria, so she crossed to a window and looked out, surveying the great expanse of land to the south of the palace. It was so calm and peaceful that she found it almost unbelievable that soon the land would be invaded by enormous cat warriors, and they would be fighting for their lives.
After some time, Zordan approached, and she unconsciously reached for his hand.
Zordan looked down at their joined hands, then up at her face. His own expression was lined with grief. “Lielle . . .”
Suddenly, she knew what he was going to say. That his entire focus had to be on the upcoming battle. That he didn’t know if any of them would survive. All of the things warriors say to their mates before going to war.
She reached up, silencing him. “Don’t say it.”
His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “You already know.” It wasn’t a question.
A single tear fell, and she refused to wipe it away. “I do. You have to be the general now.”
He sighed, leaning his forehead against the glass of the window, his breathing harsh in the silence.
Slowly, she let go of his hand, ignoring the knife of pain that went through her heart. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
But this wasn’t about her, or even about him. This war was for all of Aurora—no, the entire universe. Millions of souls, and he was the one who had to lead it.
There could be no other thought.
No other focus.
Only survival.
Only winning.
Several minutes of silence passed, and she fought to center herself, to control her emotion, and to focus on what she had to do. Even though she’d finished her quest for the higher elven realm, she was still needed now by the Aurorans. Zordan needed her portals to get everywhere he needed to be to direct the warriors, and she needed to be available if he found the key.
Slowly, a semblance of peace came over her. She was a cog in a greater machine, and she could control only her part of it. She would trust him to lead them, and she would do her best to help them win.
Finally, he stepped back, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s start with the Crystal Cave.”
She raised her hands to make the portal. “Yes, General Zordan.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Zordan
They emerged at the top
of the high cliff again. He reached for Lielle and she jumped away, glaring at him.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“As you wish.” He raised a brow and gestured toward the edge. “After you?”
She raised her chin and walked to the edge. At the last moment, she turned and reached for his hand. They jumped together, landing on the small inlet of beach just outside the Crystal Cave. The timeless beauty of the canyon with its rushing river called to him. It must have called to all of them because Tordan was already standing on the bank with his elven queen and several others, all looking windswept.
As they approached, Tordan gestured to an elf with a very wizened, wrinkled face. “This is Geeeroo. He also wanted to see the Crystal Cave and take a look at the device.”
Zordan gave a deep nod at the elf in greeting, in deference to his age. He couldn’t imagine how old the elf must be to have such an appearance since, by all accounts, they lived for millennia appearing roughly the same.
Valdjan led them inside, opening the chamber inside with a golden key. Geeeroo stepped back when he saw the crystals, his eyes opening wide in awe. “There are no words,” he whispered.
Silence pervaded the room for long moments, then Valdjan stepped back and the rock reappeared. No one moved until it had closed, then Ithyll beckoned them to the left. “The device is in this room.”
They walked in, and Zordan looked once more at the small cavern, searching it for anything he might have missed.
Geeeroo focused on the device for several minutes, pressing the buttons on top, then hitting it with magic that made the crystal glow bright white. “Strange,” he said. “I have never seen anything like it.” He scratched at his fuzzy white hair. “Why didn’t Pharadis tell me what he was doing?”
“He said it had to remain secret,” Lielle said.
Geeeroo’s eyes met hers sadly. “Secrets have their uses, yes. But what will happen if we don’t discover the answer in time?”
When no one spoke, Zordan broke in. “The question is, what will happen if the Ardaks discover this cave and come here? This will quickly become a war of attrition. How long will the war last if they keep sending reinforcements?”
The others exchanged grim glances.
“Probably not long,” Tordan admitted.
“I am the Protector,” Valdjan supplied, gesturing to the golden sword and shield propped on a table by the door. “The sword and shield will give me enhanced ability to defend the crystals, but eventually, there will be a point where I will be overrun. Right now the merpeople are the backup strategy.”
Zordan examined the cave in all directions. “Well, since we know they’re going to get in here, we need to make it so they don’t get out with the crystals.”
“I don’t understand. How are they going to get in here? The magic of the cliffs protects this place, and those who don’t belong will die from the jump.”
“I have no idea. I just know we need to be prepared.”
“According to what Mordjan has told us, with just one beam of their laser they can take out this entire cliff,” Tordan offered.
“Yes, but they probably won’t because the cliff will either collapse on the crystals or crush them. Do the crystals work if they’re broken?”
“Shards will still work, but they won’t be as strong as they would be in their intact state,” Ithyll answered.
“Then they wouldn’t risk damaging the crystals inside. How are the merpeople getting in?”
“They can use magic and come in through the water,” Ithyll replied. “Although I doubt that would work for the Ardaks.”
“Even still, this place is too exposed.” Zordan glanced askance at the crystals, knowing the answer to his next question would probably be negative. “Would it be possible to move them?”
“Perhaps, but it would be rather impractical,” Geeeroo put in. “It would take a great deal of magic to move just one of them, and we don’t have anywhere as safe to store them.”
“What about the Cave of Knowledge? Hell, anywhere underground that the Ardaks may not know about is better than here.”
The others exchanged glances, mulling it over.
Then Geeeroo nodded. “It’s a good idea. I will remain here with the crystals. Should the Ardaks arrive, I will begin sending them to the Cave of Knowledge.”
“Tordan! Zordan!” Durstin’s voice yelled loud and clear over the frequency, making all the cyborgs jump.
“What?” Tordan replied instantly.
“The Ardaks are invading! Ardaks at Garthurian! We need—”
The voice cut off, leaving them in the deathly stillness of the cave.
“What are we waiting for?” Zordan said. “Geeeroo, see what you can do to move or hide these crystals. Tordan, get back to Renwyn and see if you’re under attack. If not, keep a tenth of your troops and tell the others to be ready to transfer to Garthurian.” He switched to the frequency. “Garthurian, if you can hear me, get shielders to the edge of the dome! Everyone else, get to your positions and update me every thirty minutes!”
With that, he gestured for Lielle to make the portal. “Get me to the western battlefield at the edge of the dome.”
Her eyes were wide, frightened.
He took her by the shoulders. “Can you do this?”
She swallowed and nodded.
“Then do it!” he commanded. “Make the portal. Now!”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lielle
Lielle raised trembling hands to make the portal. Zordan stepped through without hesitation, sword in hand, and she marveled at his speed and authority. This was Zordan the general in his element. He knew exactly what to do, directed with the authority of one who brooked no disobedience from those under his command.
She stepped through the portal to the space just inside the shield. The peace inside was unbroken save for a distant rumbling in the air. Then an enormous beam of energy crashed into the top of the shield, vibrating the air around them.
“Damn. They’re hitting the shield from the air. I need to get up to the ridge so I can see what’s happening on the other side.”
Another beam of energy hit the shield, and this time it was so powerful the trees trembled.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Fine, but stay behind me. I had you portal here because we don’t know what we’ll run into outside the shield, and I didn’t want to portal into a bunch of Ardaks. I’m sure they’re sending advance scouts to check the edges of the shield. It’s what I would do.”
Zordan led them at a punishing pace, hiking swiftly upward. But the speed was a benefit that kept anxiety from overwhelming her. In the slight space between the top of the ridge and the sky, she saw the cause of the rumble. Hundreds of spaceships were descending from the sky, dotting the air like giant spiders with invisible webs. Some seemed to hang, suspended, others going upward or downward until they disappeared from view.
Zordan made sure they stayed shielded by trees, but when they were close to the peak of the mountain, they looked down on a scene of total chaos, organized with military precision.
The spaceships landed precariously in the space between the enormous trees, and hundreds of Ardaks marched out in orderly fashion from their great, gaping mouths.
“Fuck. They brought everyone!” Zordan rubbed his forehead. His chest heaved for a few moments, and then he clenched his jaw and his fists, visibly regaining control of himself.
A portal opened to their right, and a group of elves emerged.
“Lohein!” Zordan called as the elf came toward them, his eyes darting between the growing number of Ardaks and ships, and Zordan.
“Isn’t this a cheerful sight?”
“That isn’t what I would call it,” Zordan replied. “Where are the air elves? We need those tornadoes.”
“They’re coming now. But from the looks of this, we’re going to need a lot more than four hundred troops.”
“Start taking the ships out with tornadoes
. Once they’ve been forced to land, use fire, ice, whatever you can to stop the troops from leaving them. I’m going back to Rewnyn to get my exoarmor. But if there are no Ardaks invading there, expect cyborgs and Renwyn elves by portal in the next fifteen. Ships in the next thirty.”
Lohein nodded, giving directions to the elves under his command.
Zordan turned to back her. “Portal us back to the chamber at Renwyn.”
She didn’t think this time, didn’t freeze, just raised her hands and made the portal.
“Good job,” he said, a flash of warmth in his eyes that quickly disappeared as they landed on his exoarmor. He ripped off his armor and she helped him don the new armor in minutes. He was silent, and she knew he was giving orders to Tristin and Mordjan.
“Who is getting the Renwynian elves?” she asked quickly.
“Tordan.” He put on the helmet that had just been finished last night. “I need you to portal me back to the battlefield, but I want you to stay inside the shield.”
She shook her head. “That is not how elves work.”
“Yes, but . . . there are too many Ardaks. If they get through these shields, we don’t stand a chance. I know I’m supposed to find the key, but we’re out of time and I have to fight. I want you to focus on the device, think of anything we might have missed. I will also reimagine it as I fight. Watch the skies. If I need a portal or think of something useful, I will shoot my lasers straight up.”
She didn’t want to remain behind, but he was right. If she could figure out another clue to find the key, it might save them all. “All right. I will. Be careful.”
“I will,” he replied. “Now take us back to the battlefield at Garthurian.”
She raised her hands, creating the portal, and Zordan ran through, sword out. When she got through the portal, he was already on the other side of the shield, running straight toward the trees, which were filled with screaming elves and yowling Ardaks.
An Ardak was looking straight at her through the shield, death in its eyes. It was so intent that she could almost swear it saw her, but then he looked away and she realized he hadn’t.
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