Sky Elf: The Anti-Matter Chronicles (The Matter Chronicles Book 2)

by P. G. Thomas

  “Can’t you hold him up? Give me a few hours of sleep?”

  Alron shouted through the door, “Zack, get up now and follow him.”

  “Can I get a cup of bean juice first?” When he opened the door, the look on Alron’s face said it all, “Okay, I’m going.”

  Walking back down the stairs, Alron was thinking that it seemed odd that Hoyle would leave, as there was a town hall meeting the next day.

  Showing up at the house later that day, John found Lauren and Alron talking in the office, “We can reduce the taxes by seventy-five percent. I’m having a hard time justifying why they were so high in the first place.” She opened the door behind her to the room that was still filled with bags of gold. “Well, that would be one reason. I’ve calculated out how many we need on the watch, and what we should be paying them. We also need city workers: both for inside the town and in the shantytown. We need to address some issues out back like sewage. If we don’t, it’ll only be a matter of time before some disease breaks out. About twenty-five percent of the residences are vacant. We can auction those off, which will add to the city funds. It looks like the mayors have taken most of the profit out each month, and it’s probably in that room behind you. I would also like to eliminate the passes, letting the main street be the commerce section, and let the inns make more money. We can go over the numbers in more detail if you like.”

  “Not going to happen,” replied Lauren.

  “I trust him,” Alron said, “but I would like more details if that is okay with you, Earth Mother?”

  “If you think you’ll understand one thing he says, then go for it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “I want to try.”

  Nodding, Lauren had the Ironhouse brothers send word to the clans that they would meet that night, having runners deliver the message to the Earth Mothers. After the meeting at Lauren’s hive, they wandered over to the post office two or three at a time, minimizing the possibility of generating any gossip. When all were present, they were led up to the map room, and all agreed that Pintar’s work was very impressive. Having stocked the map room with a large selection of liquids to meet all of the guest needs, as Lauren stood up, she set down her empty glass.

  “That which you look upon is too large for one… As you can see, we have a large territory… We need to assemble a…” Stopping, she took another drink from her refilled glass, “Friends, when I saw this last night, it made me realize how truly insignificant I am. I know we need to secure this town first, and then we need to find more allies to warn them what is going to happen. Beyond that, I’m speechless. You all know my good friend John who I appointed to be my Chief Council, so I’ll call upon him to explain that which I cannot.”

  Could’ve warned me, “When Earth Mother realized we would need the ability to find allies and communicate with them, she called them her Earth Scouts. Since that name would arouse suspicions, being passed back to the black-clad army, who would most likely be forced to act sooner, we’re calling it the Post Office: a service to transport letters between citizens. Most people will just think that Pintar has lost his mind, yet within the month, we should’ve two offices open in the major settlements, including people in place to start spying on the Royal House.” He then spent an hour explaining the mechanics of the riders, the purpose of the hubs, and the timetables amongst other things. He concluded with two requests: the first, directed to the dwarves, which was to confirm their mine locations on the map, including the routes to and from them. The second was for a volunteer to organize the initial defense framework for the west, dividing the map into smaller sections, appointing captains, and having them determine what was possible with the limited resources.

  Arora looked to the captain of her Earth Guard, “Send one from each Earth Guard into the shantytown to find more Earth Scouts. It shall be the Earth Scouts that will deliver messages to all elf. All need to send a voice to Newtown.”

  “Earth Mother. Time, how long do we have?” asked Del.

  “We don’t know,” began Lauren, “It’ll take almost two months before we receive our first message from the north. I know, even though I’ve only been in town for four weeks, much has changed in that time, yet I’ve no idea on what’ll happen in the next eight weeks. However, we have to start somewhere.”

  “Earth Mother, Bor and I both will volunteer,” advised Aaro, “Work with all we will to defend the west.”

  Bor raised himself onto a chair, “Toast all will. Painted is the dance floor, and actors will gather soon. The bards wait for the story unwritten. Set is the stage, curtain rise we wait for. The story will not be written with ink as the bards will use black-clad blood and much they will need. Born will legends be. To Earth Mother!” Raising their mugs and glasses, they drained them, and throwing them to the ground, glass and clay exploded around the table with the entire room cheering.

  Alron hoped that the show of support would fortify both John and Lauren, proving that not all was lost.

  As they left in small groups to avoid drawing attention to themselves, Alron and Panry were standing on the street, “Panry, do you still think Earth Mother is dangerous?”

  “A tree cannot change its leaves. She seeks council of others like she should, but her roots, they are like branches in strong winds. Change they do not without notice. She is dangerous.”

  “Panry, Earth Mother said much before she went to her tree. I tire this night, but tomorrow what she told me, I will explain it to you. Earth Mother does like she should. She pushes the shadows of deception back. Soon others willalso see, and support her they shall. Then we shall defeat the black-clad army. Earth Mother does that which she must, so trust my word on this,”

  “Trust Mother I shall, but her I will not. I shall wait for your words to change my mind.”

  “Good watch my friend. Tomorrow we shall talk.” Then Alron headed to bed, leaving the watch to Panry.

  *******

  The coach that Zack followed finally pulled over for the night. Watching the figures make a fire, IT slowly approached from downwind. Something wrong. IT not like. (“What do you mean?”) No bad smell. (“What?”) No bad men. (“Show me.”) Not him. (“It’s a trap, and we need to get back fast.”)

  Chapter 19

  Being nervous about the town hall meeting, Lauren, waking early, headed down to the kitchen.

  Gor smiled, “Earth Mother, good morning. You are well?”

  She saw the house staff. “I’m fine this morning, and how is the new help?”

  “Lighter is my work, more joy to share I have.”

  She looked at the table in the backyard, “That better not be just for me because I can’t handle that much joy.”

  “Others will join. What is left, to shantytown we will take.”

  During her meal, Alron came out, “John explained…what John explained. He understands what he speaks of.”

  “And did Alron?”

  “Hold my own I did, and then John talks about seventy-five aged perchance? I trust his number skills.”

  “Smartest person that I know. Is his plan solid?”

  “I do not know. He says his numbers are good, but I suggested a tax reduction less. He suggested forty perchance? It sounds less than half, does it not?”

  Lauren held in her laughter. Forty percent? Maybe I should get Logan to help him with math. “May I ask why?”

  “You can call it a war tax. We can always lower it later, but should we try to increase it, anger the citizens we shall.”

  “Makes sense. The Earth Mother mayors are coming over this afternoon to provide an update. It seems too quiet to me. What do you think?”

  “I am not sure, Earth Mother. I have not had much time to consider all. Much happens, and I seem to be shuffling my deck more than I see what I hold.” Suddenly, Alron thought back to when he and Lauren had sat on the log, as the vision of the Grave card appeared in his thoughts.

  “I know what you mean, but I think we’re winning, at least we should b
e forcing their hands. The Earth Scouts have a good start, and hopefully, we still have enough time. John’s recommendations should make many people very happy, but we still need a way to secure this town,” Lauren paused, “What’s going to happen at the town hall tonight?”

  “I am not sure. I want to see what the rest of Earth Mothers have to say.”

  “Any word on Zack?”

  “No, he followed the carriage yesterday, but he did not return last night.”

  “Let’s wait until the Earth Mothers show up later today, and then we’ll talk more.”

  “Yes, Earth Mother.” Then Alron left.

  After lunch, when Brook, Lindo, and Logan showed up, Alron, Aaro, and Bor joined them in the dining hall.

  Lindo started, “John has updated us on his budget and taxes. He did his best to explain it like it was a forest or garden. While it helped, there was much we failed to understand.”

  “Yes, John and Alron went over the numbers,” She smiled looking at Alron, “He agreed to trust him.”

  Lindo went on to explain, “Lo and Mane have been to visit us several times, and we get the impression they do not like the way the town is run. Hoyle still scares them, but we think you scare them more. If we were to vote for a tax reduction, they should vote with us.”

  “What of Camius?” asked Lauren.

  Brook shook her head, “He is completely loopy. If you took him to a tall structure in town, he would not be able to tell up from down. I figure we can tell him we are voting on the speed of how fast roots grow, and we have a fifty-fifty chance that he will vote with us.”

  “Well, Hoyle isn’t in town, at least not right now. I think we should try to have a normal town hall meeting. Let the people air their grievances, so we can get a complete list. There may be other issues that need to be addressed that could affect Johns’ budget and taxes.”

  “Yes, I think a pleasant change it shall be,” added Brook.

  *******

  An hour before the meeting was to start, when Lauren and her group showed up, the guards gladly opened the doors for them. Taking seats in the back rows, they wanted to watch everything, and an hour later, the mayors entered, greeted with applause. As expected, Hoyle was absent. Calling the meeting to order, Brook asked for the previous minutes, having to encourage the clerk to look back to when the normal events were suspended. They listened to the complaints about taxes, the wind from the shantytown, the passes, and much more. While going longer than expected, nobody asked about the expelled traitors at the last one, which Lauren was uncertain if that was good or bad. Afterwards, people slowly spilled out into the dim courtyard, which was lit by too few street lamps in front of the town center. Alron, thinking to himself that it had been too easy, was surprised when a large bird came hurtling down in front of him.

  When the bird went out of focus, naked Zack appeared, “Hoyle isn’t in the carriage! It’s a trap!”

  Alron let out a series of whistles, which both Earth Guard and dwarf calls answered. Before he could give his first command, his sensitive deer ears picked up the sounds of bow strings firing arrows, “Dawnfalcons, to roofs!” Whistling to retreat, the remaining Earth Guards surrounded all of the Earth Mothers, pushing them back into the hall, as the dwarves established a front perimeter. As the sounds of arrows hitting the ground were heard, including the occasional screams of pain, Alron dispatched two Earth Guard units to the courtyard, telling them to take to the rooftops also. Watching and listening from behind the slightly open doors, he heard a wolf attacking the enemy archers on the far roofs, and metal on metal from the courtyard told him that the dwarves were also engaging an enemy. Twenty minutes later, hearing the all-clear whistle, he cautiously walked out into the courtyard to judge for himself.

  “Brave they grow. They are no longer afraid of us,” advised Aaro.

  Nodding, Alron called to Erust to get carriages for the Earth Mothers and wounded. As he waited, he slowly walked through the courtyard, turning over the nighttime assassins who all wore black. They were sloppy, or Zack has warned us in time. When Erust showed up with the carriages several minutes later, they had them pull close to the doors. After several figures had rushed into them, Earth Guards jumped on the back and sides, and when Alron whistled, the carriage began to head out, being guarded by elves with bows and swords ready.

  Approaching the inner west gate, enemy soldiers appeared out of the shadows, rushing the carriages. When more erupted from two deserted stores, they swarmed the battle, but the Earth Guards countered without fear. Then, from the rooftop, elf arrows accurately thinned the swarming black-clad assassins. Even though the darkness concealed the true number of soldiers, it was safe to say, they outnumbered the Earth Guards, both in breathing and dead. When the crush of the black-clad made it impossible for the Earth Guard archers to continue to fight, as friend and foe were now too close to distinguish one from the other, they jumped off the roofs into the thick of the battle. Having the carriages surrounded, the Earth Guards on the ground attacked to the best of their abilities.

  With reinforcements running up the street, even though Alron was whistling his commands, it looked like they would never arrive in time. Suddenly, when the carriage doors burst open, Panry with a dozen dwarves jumped out, charging into the black-clad soldiers. With the nighttime assassins counting on the darkness to mask them, to the dwarves, having their vision sharpened in dimly lit mines, they could quickly distinguish friend from foe. Dwarf axes dug deep, severing limbs, crushing cheap weapons and armor. Being outnumbered and in close quarters, each dwarf worked his massive ax with precision, dropping two or three black-clad opponents with each motion, and in an instant, the tide changed. When some of the black-clad ran to the east, they ran to their deaths, as Eric with Tranquil Fury slowly walked up the street, his laughter announcing that social hour was over, and the massive sword harvested the black-clad that ran. Zack, the wolf, raced past to the carriage, leaping into the thickest part of the black-clad, who were too close together to counter his attacks.

  They make it easy. IT Like. (“Attack.”) IT like fresh.

  Eric then joined the Earth Guards, forcing the black-clad into a dead-end side street. Tranquil Fury, having been quiet for too long, had grown tired of the conversations he had heard. He liked it best when the discussions cut to the bone, being even better when they cut right through. Since it was night and too quiet, screams began to echo through the streets.

  When done, turning the carriages around, they headed back to the town meeting hall. Several of the Earth Guards and dwarves had injuries, which the Earth Mothers quickly tended. Whistling to the rooftops, Alron was answered with all clear.

  Lauren was pissed since John had warned her about a situation like this, but she never thought that they would be able to try something so large or quick. “Alron, we have to do something about this.”

  “Yes, Earth Mother, but first we need to get the wounded to safety.” Watching the injured get into the wagon, Alron called out, “Eric, Zack. You two will lead the way back to Newtown’s Earth Mothers house.” Then, letting out a series of whistles, the Dawnfalcons shortly appeared. “Ironhouse, you shall stay at my side, and let your dwarf brothers escort the Earth Mothers back.” The wagons and carriages then left the courtyard, advancing slowly up the street.

  “John, where is he?” asked Bor.

  “He still had work to do on the books,” advised Logan. Looking across the courtyard to the town hall offices, they saw oil lamps still burning in the windows on the top floor.

  *******

  John was sitting in the Earth Mother’s office, and Ryan had tagged along to keep him company. Horrified shock registered on both, when the office door burst open, showing them four black-clad soldiers advancing. John’s eyes grew wide as he tried to scream, but he was only answered by silence.

  Without fear and a cat-like grace, Ryan moved from his chair, taking up a position in front of the assassins. [Threat present. Nature. Hostile. Offensive options. None. D
efense Options. None. Engage Armor. Modify strength. Increase speed. Enhance reactions. Modify appendage. Adaptations selected. Implement.]

  John, scared to death, crawled under the desk. As the four black-clad soldiers approach, Ryan assumed a martial arts stance, his right arm transforming into a sword. When the first assassin rushed, Ryan blocked the lethal strike with his left hand, thrusting his right arm forward. As blood erupted from the assassin’s mouth, he pulled his ‘sword’ out of the black-clad assailant’s throat.

  Two more moved forward attacking, but their swords bounced off him. Grabbing the closest, he pulled him in front while the second attacked. When he saw the sword thrust through the assassin that he held, he dropped him, striking the third with his sword-arm. With the force so great, the head rolled out into the outer office, spinning like a top, before tumbling down the stairs. When the last assassin rushed with a flurry of attacks, Ryan stood looking at his sword arm opposing the blows. Moving so fast, it arrived to block the next swing seconds before the opponent’s sword hit his odd appendage. Turning his gaze to the one that still attacked him, he grabbed the sword, and pulling it from the assassin’s hands, he threw it to the side of the room. Unsheathing a long dagger, he lunged at Ryan, who caught him by the head, and turning him around, he pulled the struggling body close, slitting the assassin’s throat with his own blade. As the body fell to the ground, Alron, Lauren, and the others made it to the top of the stairs, but they only saw Ryan looking at his strange arm.

  [Threat negated. Disengage]

  Watching his ‘sword’ revert into an arm, they saw the cuts on his clothes but no blood. Hearing John crying under the desk, Lauren went to comfort him.

  “Ryan, what happened here?” asked Alron.

  “I’m not sure. They kicked open the door and attacked. I think I killed them.” He was still looking at his arm, “Did anybody else see that? Did you see what happened to my arm?”

  Lauren was walking John to the stairs, “Yes, we saw it change.”