by T J Marquis
They were nearly packed back up and ready to head out again when Jon heard the sound of hooves echoing between the hills. A sense of dread overtook him, and he hollered at his friends to mount up.
“Someone’s coming!” he said. “Horses! We’re fast enough to get away!” But he had no intention of fleeing.
Within moments, a dozen riders came careening around the hills south of the little valley. Beastmen in red painted armor, with wicked-looking helms and long bluesteel blades. Jon’s friends had made no move to escape. He growled in frustration.
“What are you doing?” he shouted. “I’ll take care of them, get yourselves safe!”
Dahm had drawn his new silver blade, and rested his hands on its pommel, blade piercing the dirt at his feet.
“If you’re not fleeing, neither shall we,” Dahm said. “It’s already been agreed upon.” He scowled playfully. Naphte nodded, Bahabe shot Jon a defiant look. There was no more time to argue, so Jon drew his sword, cloaked himself in light, and dashed off toward the beastmen, faster than his friends could follow.
Have to be careful, Jon thought. Hold back, don’t overdo it. Wearing himself out on one fight wouldn’t do his friends any good.
“We got him this time boys!” came the screeching of the beastmen’s wolfish leader.
He made to meet Jon’s charge head-on, but feinted away before Jon could get in range. Toying with him. Jon had to fight against his own momentum as he turned to chase the wolfman down. A wily one, this rider. Speed wouldn’t be enough, he’d have to outmaneuver the wolfman’s steed. Or maybe not…
Jon zagged to his left, as if to cut off the wolfman’s escape, but as his quarry swung his mount away to dodge, Jon reached out with his mind to ensnare the horse’s hooves, drawing energy from the grass beneath his feet, which withered, browned, and then burned. He grunted with the mental effort of lifting the animal up off the ground, flipping it over on its side to send the wolfman crashing into the dirt. The horse squealed in surprise and pain, and its rider snarled a curse as it recovered from the fall.
Jon closed the distance swiftly and slashed at the wolfman with a one-handed swing. The creature read Jon’s moves like a book, and dodged easily, countering with a feint and thrust. Jon managed to deflect the blow, enchanted swords glancing off one another with a musical ping, but the wolfman followed up with a strike to Jon’s upper arm. He felt the pain of cracking bone and dashed away to gain a few moment’s respite.
Not again, he thought. Couldn’t he make his armor of light a little thicker?
The wolfman kept his distance, teeth bared, ears flat. He was waiting for Jon to make another mistake.
Jon dared a glance toward his friends as he circled the wolfman cautiously. Dahm and Naphte had formed up to protect Bahabe, and had already slain a number of their attackers. They’d taken out the ones bearing rifles first, and Jon wondered how. Then he saw spikes of stone lodged in a few of their skulls.
Three beastman riders remained, circling the humans while trying to dodge stubby outcroppings of stone Dahm summoned from the earth. Bahabe kept firing off bright flashes of light to disorient them, and Naphte had scored a number of hits with a cobalt rifle. Jon felt a moment of shame as he realized the four of them would have been safer fighting together. He hadn’t even considered strategy when he’d dashed off toward this wolfman.
The wolfman read the pain on his face and spat out a laugh. “Maybe you burn with fire little man, but you ain’t no warrior. Come on, gimme a bite.” He snapped his jaws together and grinned.
All the combatants looked up as a sound like a cosmic chainsaw ripped into their ears. Four narrow lances of green light rained down from a shadow above, instantly incinerating the torsos of the surprised beastmen. They had only a split second to register their fates, and when the emerald beams dissipated, only their arms and legs remained. Their dismembered limbs tumbled to the ground as the unharmed horses fled toward the hills.
Jon started toward his friends, looking at the huge shape looming above them. When his eyes had adjusted from the bright flash of light, he saw that it was some kind of vehicle. The interlocking layers of its amber-colored hull were each shaped like individual flower petals, their narrow ends converging at the ship’s fore. The hull was dotted with portholes and stumpy antennae, and eight huge cavities ran in a line across its broadside. Jon could just see the large end of several cone-shaped protrusions peeking out from behind the petals at the ship’s aft section. Thrusters?
The huge hovering ship was magnificent. Yet as imposing as the thing looked, he wasn’t getting hostile vibes, so Jon raised his hands with palms out in a show of peace. Could the pilot even see him?
A strident greeting echoed between the hills.
“Hail, strangers,” a woman’s voice said. “I’m coming in to land, so stay clear.
“It’s the Throne,” Naphte breathed.
Jon scanned his friends as they waited for the big ship to touch down. Everyone looked okay. After the short fight at the Maw, he’d been hoping Bahabe wouldn’t have to face violence again - at least she hadn’t had to hurt anyone this time. She caught him holding a hand to his upper arm and wincing.
“Broken again?” she asked. Her tone hinted at a scolding, but she raised a hand to Jon’s arm and reached into it with her power. This time he was awake, and he could feel the tingle of her presence in his flesh, like a thousand tiny feelers inspecting every nerve. The fire of the broken bone washed out of him like ocean waves at low tide, his bruised skin faded into normalcy, and Bahabe shuddered briefly.
“You okay?” he asked. He didn’t really like the idea of her having to absorb his pain. He should have to pay for his mistakes, his lack of skill. Though he knew she wouldn’t let him alone if he’d refused the healing.
“I’m okay,” she smiled bravely, but the smile fell as she sighed wearily. They looked toward the large vehicle landing nearby.
The ship looked all the more imposing towering over them, its belly nearly touching the ground. If one of the hover barges had the dimensions of a football field, this regal ship must have been as large as a stadium. It did not truly land, but hovered perpetually in place as the ziri did.
The dull point of the ship’s nose faced Jon and his friends. A nearby airlock cycled open, and a ramp extended down to the ground. A tall, black woman in ornate purple robes emerged and strode toward them with an upraised fist. Was that her greeting? Naphte raised his fist in a reciprocating salute.
The woman’s bearing betrayed no fear of the strangers she approached, but her skin lay somewhat grey over soft facial features, and her dark eyes looked tense and weary. There was a large ring on each of her fingers, a different gem or stone set in each one.
She stopped before the little party and scanned them. Something she saw softened her demeanor.
“I am Rae-ka’al,” she said with a slight bow of her head. “Steward of Enkann.”
Jon introduced himself and his companions. “Only Naphte had a title,” he smirked.
“You’re the Wizardess,” Bahabe said, awe in her eyes.
“What gave me away?” Rae smiled amicably.
Naphte was staring up at Rae’s ship. “I never thought it was actually real…”
Rae pressed her lips in a line and said, “Well, call me Anekan, but I tried not to bring it out until the need was dire.” Naphte took no offense and chuckled. “I was out patrolling, sniping Nulian scouts when the Throne informed me there were vehicles below.” She pointed her chin at the ziri. “Rare to see such things about.” She seemed to be implying a question.
“I made a deal for them with the Zansari,” Jon said. Rae looked impressed.
“So you’re the wizard that routed the Nulian vanguard? I heard about you from a scout I interrogated,” she said. “I thought the magic professions had nearly gone extinct.”
“Well, I get the feeling I’m not the same kind of wizard as everyone’s thinking…” Jon said. “I am a traveler...”
&
nbsp; “Yes,” Rae nodded, “From Anek.”
“No,” Jon said, “not that kind of traveler.” He wasn’t sure if she’d get the hint, but understanding quickly dawned on her face.
“Oh, I see. Well then, we’d better sit and talk, away from these vile remains,” she said, gesturing away from the scene of battle. Glints of light sparkled on her many rings. “I think no more Nulians will accost us with the Throne standing guard.”
Dahm summoned short benches of stone for them to sit on, and the Wizardess raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. Jon noticed a tension in the man’s gaze he hadn’t seen before. He kept averting his gaze away from the woman.
“Would you care to share more, Jon?” Rae asked calmly, but he could feel her curiosity, and maybe a little worry.
Naphte broke out some hardtack and jerky for everyone as Jon started from the beginning, condensing his story even more this time, expanding details where he sensed she had the greatest interest.
“To see the mountain,” Rae mumbled at her feet. She looked at Jon. “And to meet our guardian! Your blessings are many, traveler.”
Jon gave a shallow nod. He hardly felt he deserved it all.
The Wizardess looked at Dahm and said, “And another wizard! You are a traveler as well?”
Dahm said yes as he continued to regard her in that odd way.
“Dahm Zhamann,” he said. “Elder mage of the world that bears that same name.”
Jon and Bahabe looked at him in shock.
“You’re the Zhamann?” Bahabe exclaimed. “You didn’t tell us you were the leader of your people!”
“It’s a small planet.” Dahm smiled and looked slightly sheepish. “Besides, people tend to look at you differently when they think you’re important.”
Bahabe huffed but smiled. Jon stared at him for a moment longer.
Rae regarded Bahabe now. “And a sarathi as well!”
Bahabe shook her head. She didn’t know what that was.
“Can’t you see the others around us? They’re all looking at you.”
Bahabe tensed and glanced around in suspicion.
“You don’t know,” Rae said. “Interesting. Sarathi - ministering spirits. They guide the elements of the world, make sure the whole machine is working.”
“And you’re saying I am one,” Bahabe said.
“Well I assumed, from the amount of attention you’re getting. I’d think you would know...” Rae looked to each side and narrowed her eyes conspiratorially. “Just think about it and keep looking. Maybe you’ll see.” Rae stood.
“Well this is nearly more surprise than I can handle,” she continued. “If you’re going back to the City too, I suppose we might as well get moving. We can keep talking on the ship. Will you come?”
None of Jon’s companions objected, so they waited as Rae boarded the Throne and opened the gates to a docking bay at midships. They piloted their ziri into the bay, left them with the dock workers, and the Wizardess met them there.
“Come on up to the bridge,” she invited. She led the way to an enclosed lift and said, “Deck one.” The lift began to move upward.
The ship’s interior looked much like that of the Maw, materials infused with an amber sheen rather than the cooler gunmetal blue of the old base. All the walkways, platforms and bulkheads sported angular designs and possessed a sense of great mass, like every inch of the structure was armored to the highest degree. The lift came to a stop at the bridge, and Rae led her guests out. Deck one was much more ornate than Jon had expected, and then he remembered the ship’s moniker - the Throne.
“It was the king’s own transport and command ship,” Rae explained. She led the way down a lavish hallway adorned with colorful tapestries and sculptures. Most depicted various middle-aged men performing feats of valor - fighting dragons, slaying ogres, holding great weapons aloft.
“It looks formidable,” said Dahm. “Why not use it against the Nulian army? They’ve had nothing that could stand up to such firepower.”
Rae looked back at him. “It is true. But only recently was I able to obtain the ship. It was moored high up in the Keep, where the air is too thin to breathe. I trained body and magic for years to make the climb. I’ve been testing its power against Nulian scouts, much to their frustration, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
They reached the bridge, whose entrance was barred by a thick security door, gilded with gold around its frame.
“Enter,” said Rae, and the door opened in obedience.
“Voice-controlled,” Jon commented.
“They have such magic in your world?” Rae asked.
Jon shrugged, “Kind of. Doesn’t always work very well.”
The bridge was styled after a king’s throne room, with a long purple carpet leading up to a dais and a stunningly ornamented captain’s chair. Parallel strips of lighting followed the heavily embellished curves of molding all along the ceiling’s perimeter. An array of consoles and chairs for crew sat in an arc behind the central dais. Sprawling, segmented display screens covered the walls, and showed a view of the hills and valley around the Throne.
“Let’s take off,” Rae said to the ship. “Take us home.”
“Acknowledged,” the ship’s voice responded. It was calm and velvety, just this side of neutral. Jon’s companions looked around as if they’d heard a ghost.
There was no sense of lift, but the screens displaying the land outside showed that indeed the ship was rising up from the valley. Once the Throne was above the level of the hills, it swiveled to face northward and began to accelerate. Again, Jon had no sense of motion - the ship’s systems must have been dampening external forces.
Rae invited her passengers to sit with her in the semi-circle of console stations.
“Now, I’m not assuming we have an alliance just because…” Rae began to say. Jon interrupted.
“We do,” he said. “I’m coming to your City to help. I believe my vision was clear on that count. Now I know the Nulians aren’t just monsters, but if this is an unjust war against Enkann, well… I feel I’ve got a duty to fight with you.”
“They’ve been itching to besiege us again for years,” Rae said. “Testing the borders, harassing our farmers, raising the dead… Our army is weak, we’ve got hardly any sense of nationality. I honestly haven’t figured out why they’ve waited this long.”
“I think I know,” said Naphte. “The City wall still stands?” Rae nodded. “It’s the cannons. They shoot a fire like what you used on those beastmen. Just one of them ruined the Road, and they looked to have several. They must not have thought they could break through before... But I don’t know how long the City gate will stand up to those things. ”
“So the Maw… they just got into it recently,” Rae said.
“Their leader,” Jon said, “he didn’t know where it was before.”
“I didn’t know,” Rae huffed. “And I’ve got access to some of the old written records.” She sighed and slumped in her chair before remembering to straighten in front of her guests. “So this is it. They mean to end it once and for all. Until you told me about the Centrifuge, Jon, even I didn’t know what they want with us. I assumed they simply wanted to conquer.”
“But why would the Nulians do what the dark man wants?” asked Bahabe.
“He offers them riches,” Rae answered. “Land, slaves, mates. He enchants humans that wish to serve him with the power of beastmen, and teaches necromancy to his elites. The system of rewards is generous and extensive, so they believe the dark man’s victory is their own.”
Low hills were flying past on the bridge’s displays. A small cluster of farms was nestled among them, and most of the buildings had been burned down, their crops plundered. Rae was watching with weary eyes.
“We won’t survive long in a siege,” she said. “Farms and villages are abandoned - their people seek refuge behind the City walls, but we’ve hardly any food stores. If so many of our great-grandparents hadn’t left Centrif
uge when the power failed, we’d be better prepared.”
“So what is the plan?” Naphte asked.
“Well we’ve got to find a way to even the playing field,” Rae said. “Their numbers are greater, so we’ve got to be better armed. The Throne itself will be a big help, and you Lord Jon.”
“Just Jon,” he said absently.
“And me,” said Dahm, smiling.
“I may not be a wizard, but I’m in too. At least that’s one man more...” said Naphte.
“You should bring a crew back,” Jon said to Rae. “Back to the Maw, and take everything you can. You could fit a ton of stuff in this thing.”
“I was getting around to asking if you’d show me the way,” Rae admitted.
“Absolutely,” said Dahm. “I can open it up for you. Is there time though? How far away is Centrifuge?”
“We’ll be there in a few hours,” Rae said. “A force that large, I’d say it’ll be a month before they arrive. Though we may see mounted raiding parties before then.”
The ship was now cruising over a broad lake, almost an inland sea. Jon could see people bustling around in the streets of a small city on the lakeshore, harnessing their horses and loading up wagons. The Nulian storm was coming, and everyone knew it.
The huge lake crossed the boundary from hilly country into a thick band of forest that Rae called Katal. She said it formed a ring around the highlands encircling Centrifuge. The road through Katal was to be barricaded once all the outlying towns were evacuated, and the Nulians would have to traverse not just the thick forest, but the rough highlands beyond.
The conversation wound down as everyone contemplated their place in the things to come. Jon wandered closer to one of the viewscreens, watching the land roll by. Though he had known Centrifuge was in danger - and Jeremiah had helped him to understand in abstract what was at stake - speaking with the Enkannite Wizardess and approaching the City itself made things more concrete. He tried to imagine being one of the people in that lakeside town, leaving homes and treasures behind to burn in the fires of war, to huddle in masses in an old City that was apparently considered living dead. It wasn’t the same as him leaving his homeworld - he’d had nothing left to lose. These people were on the brink of losing everything. He had to help them.