by Kyle West
“How long before we set out?” I asked.
I waited as the older men calculated.
“Tomorrow would be my best guess,” Harrow said. “We have to move a lot of things around, load a lot of carts . . . and the march through the pass will take most of the day, if we go quickly.”
“Can the army not go ahead of the supplies?” Fiona asked.
“Those supplies must be guarded,” Lord Harrow said. “To leave them undefended means to risk losing them, and then the army will starve long before it reaches Ragnarok Crater. Of course, doing so means the Plains People will have to fight on their own half a day longer.”
“How long will it take the men to traverse the pass?” I asked.
Syndic Salas answered. “At this time of year, two days is a reasonable guess. No one has kept it up since the siege began, so who knows if it’s still traversable.”
Too many unknowns. But best-case scenario, the Elekai forces could join up with the Plains People in two days. But the old chief, Hadon, had said that the Radaskim were coming now. Two days might be too slow to help them.
“The Air Force will go on ahead, then,” I said. “The Radaskim on the eastern side of the mountains are already on the move.”
“We can quickly confirm their movements by sending some scouts,” Captain Dailyn said.
“You can take a few men after this meeting,” I said. I faced the rest of the assembly. “Regardless, it would be a good idea to lend our support, at least from the air. The Plains People don’t have a way of defending themselves from the sky, and will be completely crushed without air power.”
“We can be over the plains by this evening,” Guardian Mian said.
I nodded. “That’s what we’ll do, then.” I turned to Lord Harrow. “I’ll leave you in charge of the land force. Get the supplies through the pass, as quickly as possible.”
“I’ll begin preparations immediately,” he said.
“Good luck,” I said, to all of them.
Chapter 43
Shara and I slept the morning and early afternoon away, before we woke to join Guardian Mian and the air force on its way to the plains. The three of us walked through the city and up the mountain path leading to where the airships were moored. It was the first time I’d been alone with him since I’d met Shen for the first time, all those months ago. We walked quietly ahead of the column of the guards he had brought with him, picking our way carefully up the snowy path. The walled city lay below us in the cleft, its crowds visible even from the heights. Snow covered its many roofs, while hundreds of chimneys emitted gray smoke into a clear blue sky.
“I haven’t had the chance to thank you for coming,” I said. “Without your help, this retreat would have been impossible.”
Guardian Mian nodded. “It’s Shen’s world, too. His world more than ours, in some ways. He is doing all he can to protect it, just as you are.”
“All he can? What does that mean?”
“This isn’t all of his army, you know,” Guardian Mian said. “It’s most of our Continental air force, yes. But he has also sent tens of thousands of men and most of the mechs to the Novan Empire, who are also under heavy assault.” Guardian Mian paused as he considered his next words. “Shen knows that the fight here, in the Red Wild, is the real battle, but he cannot be physically present for it. We have a relay set up in the Proudwing to communicate with him. Other than that, we’re on our own.”
“Regardless,” I said, “I’m grateful to have your help.”
“I’m honored to fight beside you, Elekim,” Guardian Mian said. “I do ask one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I haven’t said much to you personally. You’ve been quite busy, and I know you’ll wish to rest more as soon as we’re aboard the flagship. But Shen would like to speak with you, nonetheless.”
“I see,” I said. “And what does he want to talk about?”
“He didn’t relate that to me,” Mian said. “I just know that he wouldn’t ask this lightly.”
A sudden wave of exhaustion came over me. I had been up all night long, and not only that, but had physically exerted myself against Nalam, a fight that could have easily ended in my death. Even the sleep this morning and afternoon felt like barely anything. Besides all that, I was famished. There had been food at the council meeting earlier, but I’d been talking so much that I’d barely taken a bite.
“I’ll speak to him,” I said.
We walked on a bit further. The trees were thinning, now, and we reached the crest of a rise. Once on top of it, we came upon the sight of the anchored ships, all lined in three rows in the snowy valley, their bulbous envelopes massive with the hydrogen necessary to provide the lift for their cannon-lined gondolas. It was hard to imagine the resources to construct such a powerful armada, but somehow, Shen had found them.
We made our way into the valley, toward the largest ship of all. As soon as we were inside the Proudwing, the heated air stung my numbed face. Shara and I were allowed a quick meal in the galley, and to my surprise, Guardian Mian said we had some time to sleep, if we wished it. We were led to Mian’s personal cabin, which had a bed already well-made and large enough to fit Shara and I both.
As soon as we laid down, I was completely out.
* * *
I was back in the underground cavern with the tree on the island. I looked across the surface of the ichor, and instantly felt the malevolence of that tree bearing down upon me. It was the source of it all. It was where the Aberration resided.
A familiar voice entered my mind.
Elekim.
Tiamat?
I’m here with you. We are skirting the surface of the Xenomatrix now, the portal between the Xenofolds. It’s not a place we can stay for long . . . not if we wish to remain a part of the waking world.
I set my unasked questions aside for now. As Tiamat said, there wasn’t time for them. I need to cross to that tree.
That’s the very thing, Tiamat said. To cross is to never return here. But crossing will be necessary. The journey cannot be made unless you come here to the entrance of the Xenofold and build the Bridge.
The Bridge?
The Bridge Between Worlds. If you are to travel to Askalon, to this infernal place to end the Aberration . . . to end Odium . . . this is what you must do. You must reach this place before Odium reaches the Sea of Creation.
I wasn’t sure I’d heard Tiamat right. You mean I can go there? Go to Askalon?
I don’t know, he said. To even try means certain death. But the Tree is the source of the Aberration. And the Tree is on Askalon.
I stood there contemplating that sentence. He wasn’t even sure I could make it there, but he was sure that it would mean my death. It was if I were standing outside myself and watching my death from the outside. This was the sacrifice needed to win the war. Was I willing to pay that price?
Yes, came the immediate thought. Whatever it costs. Just tell me what I must do, Tiamat. I am prepared.
I felt someone – or something – watching me from that Tree. Its vision grew dark in my mind, until all that was left was a field of black. The Tree was only a mirage, now.
Go, Shanti, Tiamat said. Go now. Make your way here.
You were right, Tiamat, I said. You were right about the battle.
That no longer matters. All that matters is reaching this place before Odium does. I’m willing to pay the price, just as my parents were. Just as you are.
You mean . . .
But Tiamat was gone, and soon after, the dream faded.
* * *
When I awoke, the ship was moving. Shara was still sleeping. I sat up, feeling exhausted and gritty, the images and intensity of the dream still clinging on. I grasped onto Silence to clear my mind and to base myself in some form of reality. The vision of the Tree was burned into my mind, shining so brightly that it was almost blinding. It was a hole being bored into my consciousness. It felt like a poison consuming me from the inside out.<
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I tried to push away the afterimage, but the seed of it was there. Planted. And that seed was beginning to germinate. No matter how much I meditated, how much I pulled from the Xenofold, I would be aware of its presence.
Somehow, the Tree knew who I was, and it was watching me. Across time, across space. Even if I hadn’t wanted to give myself up for the chance to destroy it, I had no choice. This Tree would consume me from the inside out if nothing was done.
I thought about what Tiamat said; to come to Ragnarok Crater. Find a way: did he really mean it was possible to travel to Askalon, a planet hundreds of lightyears away? Was it possible to travel there through the Xenomatrix? Even if it seemed impossible, Tiamat believed it could be done. Not long ago, he and those who followed him had wanted to abandon Earth, entering the Xenofold to travel to another world, where a resistance against the Radaskim could be built while Earth was abandoned to its fate. In that sense, it was possible to travel from Earth.
I straightened up and went out into the corridor, letting Shara sleep on. I made my way to the bridge. Though the layout of the airship was quite different from Odin, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my old ship. I wondered where Pallos was now, how he was doing, and whether he had managed to repair the ship. If only we had it, we could be at the Crater in a couple of hours. Even if we took the fastest airship in the Shen’s fleet, we’d be too isolated and exposed, and in danger of being swarmed by dragons.
And I couldn’t abandon the battle here. Going to Ragnarok Crater was the right move, but not before I’d done my part to help. After the battle – after victory – then I could go. Alone.
I did my best to push the Tree from my mind as I approached High Guardian Mian. “Where are we, High Guardian?”
“We’re nearing the Plains now,” he said. He watched the ground below, which would soon be cloaked by darkness. Evening was fast approaching. “It would seem the battle is about to begin.”
As we rounded the hill on our right, it revealed the vast spread of plains to the south. The ground was covered with what looked like a herd – a giant, almost endless herd – expanding to the far southern horizon. A few dragons plied the skies above, but they didn’t extend themselves beyond the vanguard of the monsters. This swarm was smaller than the one that had attacked us in the Grand Canyon but was still far larger than anything the Red Wild had ever seen. They covered the earth like so many insects, a plague upon the ground.
But with all our forces combined, and our air superiority, we stood a chance to beat it back. At least, that was what I was hoping.
“What are your thoughts, High Guardian?”
Mian considered. “We outmatch them in the air once our dragons join us, at least by my estimation. On the ground, it would seem we are quite outnumbered. Yet there is little choice other than to fight. On these plains, I don’t think escape is even possible.”
“Your thoughts match mine.” We watched a moment longer together. “How do you suggest we go about it?”
“We should confer with this Victor you talked about.”
I nodded. “He’s expecting us. There’s still time before the battle begins.”
“And there is still time to speak with Shen,” Mian said, not even bothering to hint at it.
I had forgotten about that. “A small amount of time. Where can I talk to him? You said you had some sort of relay, right?”
Mian nodded. “It’s in the hold next to my cabin. Stand in front, and the door will open for you.”
“I’ll go now, then,” I said. “I’ll rejoin you after.”
I walked from the bridge and was in front of the door soon enough. It looked just like any other door on this ship, made of wood and meant to slide open side-to-side rather than be opened directly. But as soon as I stood there, it opened of its own accord, revealing nothing but an empty room within – no furniture, no decorations, no trappings of any kind.
I stepped inside and waited as the door shut behind me.
Chapter 44
It was as if a piece of Shenshi had been built into the ship. The walls were of metal, as was the deck, while the rest of the ship had been built of reinforced wood, likely to keep its weight down. But here, I could almost feel the hidden machinery stirring within the walls, just as it did in the Crystal Temple of Shenshi.
“I’m here,” I said.
If Shen was in this room, then I knew he could hear me. But it still felt as if I were talking to myself.
When he finally did respond, his voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, and nearly made me jump out my skin.
“Are you well, Shanti?”
I thought about that question for a moment. How to even begin answering it?
“I’m overwhelmed.” I paused awkwardly. “Tired.” Would Shen even know what that second one was? I imagined an artificial intelligence like him didn’t get tired. “It looks bad, to be honest.”
“Yes,” Shen said in his clear, crystalline voice. “Very much so.”
I wasn’t sure where this was going. “Did you want anything from me, Shen?”
Shen waited a long time to answer. “I need someone to speak to, quite simply. Someone who understands what it is like to rule. To lead. To . . . fail.”
“To fail? What do you mean by that?”
“In all my time ruling my people, I haven’t once failed them. I nurtured them as I would my children. I couldn’t save them all, of course, but I saved as many as I could. As my reach grew, as I learned more, I only became more capable. I placed more humans under my protection.” Shen paused, once again considering his next words. “For the first time in my life . . . in the over four centuries I’ve lived . . . I’m truly afraid. It’s . . . strange. And unexpected.”
I ignored the irony of Shen saying he was living. “Can you even . . . be afraid?”
“I’m capable of that emotion, yes. I’m capable of any human emotion. And some that may even be beyond your grasp. But fear is one that I’ve never felt. Not truly.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. Did Shen want my help? I was plenty terrified, too.
Shen continued. “Fear, I think, is the cognizance that one cannot control all outcomes. It took me long to admit that to myself. I cannot control all outcomes. This enemy we’re facing may be beyond all of us, and despite my preparations, despite the weapons I’ve built, I fear it will not be enough.”
“You’re not alone in that,” I said.
There was a long pause. For some reason, I got the feeling that Shen was truly thinking about this one. His voice came out quietly. Even desperately.
“How do you live, Shanti? How can anyone live like this? I . . . can’t bear it anymore. I feel so . . . useless.”
“Is this real, Shen? Is this really you, or a simulation? If you control your emotions, can’t you just . . . turn it off?”
“It’s me,” he said, his tone taking offense. “I would never . . .” He paused. “Of course, technically speaking, any sort of emotion on my end is a simulation. My circuits think, electrical impulses collide, and after trillions of calculations, conscious thought is created. Not unlike the interactions of your own organic brain. My own brain, if you will, is designed very much like yours. Only . . . far larger. I thought we’ve discussed this before. It shouldn’t matter where my thoughts come from. If they are thoughts, that is enough. To think is to be. Is it not?”
“I guess so,” I said. “It makes you human, at least in some sense of the word.”
“Yes,” Shen said. “But I’m not exactly human, am I?”
“Humans fear,” I said. “You share that in common with us.”
“I never truly knew what fear was until these past few weeks,” he said. His voice came out quietly, as if he were afraid of being overheard. “I’ve spoken to him, Shanti.”
I didn’t need to ask who. “You have? How?”
“He cannot be reasoned with, of course. Strange as it may seem, he may be more machine than me.”
“What do you
mean by that?”
“He attacks with a singular purpose and objective. Though he is my equal in intellect – or at least I think he is – his end goal is like that of a machine. To get to the end with no consideration of the means to get there. And that end is the enslavement of us all. And of course, my own death. I cannot be enslaved, due to my nature.”
“We’re doing everything we can to prevent that from happening,” I said. “Your airships have been instrumental in stopping him.”
“I’m glad for that,” Shen said. “High Guardian Mian is one of my favorites. He was born in the early days of Shenshi. I did not give him to you lightly.” A pause. “But it had to be done.”
Shen said nothing more, not for a long while. And I wasn’t sure what to say to him. Did he want comfort? Solutions? I felt as if both were in short supply these days.
“What would you like me to say, Shen?” I asked, to break the silence. “The questions and fear you’re struggling with . . . they are all normal. All of us are haunted by these things. It’s a part of living. The only thing we can do is have courage to face our fears, and to support each other in the dark times.”
If Shen had been a physical person, this would have been the point I would place my hand on his shoulder. But all I could do now was touch the wall. “I’m with you. Guardian Mian is with you. We’re all in this together, and if we go down fighting, well, that’s just what we’ll have to do. What choice do we have?”
I thought he wasn’t going to respond for a moment. I took my hand away, and was about to start for the door, but decided that he needed to hear more.
“It’s just life, Shen. It’s how my friends and I keep going. No one can stand on their own. We’re only standing because someone, somewhere, helped us along the way.”