The Bearer's Burden (Phantom Pact Book 1)

by Chad Queen

  Dol was right; Cade did have some responsibility to bear. “The war wasn’t going to fight itself. I could not stand by while we did nothing and had our world taken from us.”

  “It was not our business to interfere,” Dol fired back. “Our charge has been to fight for the phantoms so that they may pass to the Transcent. Using them for your own selfish ends is abuse. Bearers have no right to wield the Songs of others as they see fit.”

  “Without the Bearers, there would be no one left right now. The Wraiths would have wiped us out.”

  Dol laughed, shaking his head. “Do you really believe that? Strange things have been happening, Cade, more and more disappearances every month. The truce was just an easier way for them to get what they wanted.”

  Cade knew better than to argue. Besides, Dol was right.

  “I heard a rumor,” Cade said. Dol raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t planning on participating in the Taction, are you?”

  Dol stood up and turned to look upon the temple grounds. “Our Order will be gone before too long unless we recruit new members. The Taction is the best-known tournament in the entire world. If we can win that, perhaps we can start to grow our numbers again.”

  Cade shook his head. “This is not what Coda is supposed to be about.”

  “Coda stopped being about a lot of things after the war twisted everything around. You of all people know that,” Dol sneered. “Instead of being respected as selfless heroes, we now walk in fear amongst those we once protected.”

  After the military disbanded the Bearer Corps, Chalice was flooded with soldiers who did not know how to wield their new power. Most of these soldiers had no training in the guiding principles of Coda and could not cope with their newfound power. Bearer-related crime, even a year after the war, was still a problem.

  After his comment, Dol clutched his chest and gritted his teeth. Cade could see him encode, and Dol regained his composure.

  “But Dol, what about your…”

  Dol cut him off. “Don’t. Don’t you dare. I do not need you to protect me.”

  Cade knew there was no reaching Dol once he set his mind to a task. It was what made him someone you could always count on, but also what made him a real pain in the ass.

  After a moment, Dol spoke again. “You wouldn’t be here unless you needed something. What did you come for?”

  “I’m trying to find someone from the Foundation. Her name is Karessa.”

  Dol smirked. “They are not to be trusted. She’s one of them now.”

  Cade looked at Dol, confused. “Them?”

  “She’s an Acolyte. She was trying to solicit us to help join the Foundation’s cause a mere week ago, but now I find out she’s an Acolyte.”

  “Where is she?”

  Dol shrugged. “I’d imagine she’ll be with the rest of them at the Taction. You’ve overstayed your welcome. I’d like you to leave.”

  Cade stood up and turned to leave. “Let’s go, Ashlyn.”

  She ran after him as he exited the temple. “How could that man talk to you like that? You are the Protector of the Realm, Hero of the Wraith War. Who does he think he is?”

  “My brother.”

  7

  The Taction

  The Taction began its life as a sacred tournament allowing fighters from all martial arts the opportunity to compete on the world stage. Once revered and respected, the influence and pressure of organized crime lords has devolved it into nothing more than a brutal blood sport for those of considerable means to spectate.

  —From The Toltaire Times

  “Sold out,” the gruff woman said from behind the counter, not even bothering to look at him. She had the world-weary face of someone who had seen it all and was not interested in seeing it again. The dimly lit bar was quiet, or at least quieter than it should have been. Groups of men huddled at the small tables, voices hushed as they exchanged documents. This particular bar was nothing more than a lazy front for gamblers to place bets on the upcoming fights. But Cade had not come to place a bet.

  “Even for the Protector of the Realm?”

  The woman sighed, putting down her quill and looking up at him. “And I’m Princess Ashlyn, nice to meet you. We’re still sold out,” she said as she looked back down on the ledger before her.

  Ashlyn stepped up from behind Cade, pulled a diamond earring from her lobe, and set it on top of the counter.

  The woman paused, and her eyes grew wide, admiring the sparkling gem before snatching it from the table and pocketing it. “I suppose we can make room for the Protector of the Realm.”

  She handed him two entrance tokens and a folded slip of paper with directions to the arena.

  Ashlyn looked at Cade. “Do we really have to do this?”

  Cade brushed past her as he read the slip. “Karessa is the only lead we have, and if she’s at the Taction, we don’t have much choice.” That was only part of the reason for Cade, though. He was worried about Dol.

  “I suppose you’re right. Where are we going?” she asked wearily.

  He folded the paper and put it in his pocket. “Underground.”

  Solak, like many of the abandoned cities of the Ancients, was home to massive tunnels and caverns that ran underneath the entire city.

  “If the Taction is so popular, why all the secrecy?” Ashlyn asked as they wound through the streets.

  “Most of the fighters are Bearers. Even in here, of all places, Bearers could be hunted.”

  The Taction was once the most prestigious tournament in the world, held within the capital and attended by royalty. Now, after the war, it was an echo of its former self.

  They came upon a dead-end in an alleyway. A large man with fists like hammers stood next to an access portal on the ground, which had been sealed with a huge metal cover. A large sign was bolted on to the building nearby, depicting the letters “SSF” overlaid with a large red “X.”

  Ashlyn, puzzled, looked at the sign.

  “SSF is the Solak Security Force. The underground is off-limits to all citizens. The sign indicates the SSF does not patrol the area.” Not to mention they were paid well to stay away.

  “You sure know how to treat a lady.” She shook her head.

  They walked up to the wall of a man. “Token,” was all he said, face expressionless.

  Cade handed the man the small token. The man lumbered over to the seal and squatted, grasping the handles on each side. His arms began to shimmer like diamond as he lifted the heavy seal from the portal, which revealed a ladder descending into darkness.

  Cade gestured toward the opening. “Ladies first.”

  Once underground, Cade paused to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. There were thin strips of light running along the tunnel, but they only offered a soft glow. They did not need the map anymore; they followed the clamor of people gathering from a distance. The tunnel was as large as a railbus, and they travelled unencumbered.

  They followed the commotion down the access tunnel until they came to a clearing that would rival any open-air stadium in Chalice. It was a massive dome, ringed with hundreds of people who were finding seats and excitedly placing last-minute bets with the bookies working the crowds. Closest to the front of the arena gathered Solak’s wealthy and beautiful, resplendent in custom finery with obscenely large gemstones dangling from their necks and ears. Corruption radiated outward from the arena, with the most pedestrian of criminals being farthest from the action.

  The dome afforded them much more light than the tunnel. Cade looked up and saw why.

  “Stars!” Ashlyn exclaimed.

  Cade was awestruck. It was exactly as he remembered. For a moment, he allowed himself to be fooled.

  “Cade?” Ashlyn said, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

  He caught himself with his mouth open and promptly shut it.

  “This is the Stardome! I’ve read about this in my studies. Have you never been here?”

  Cade shook his head.

  Ashlyn continued,
“It’s one of the great Ancient wonders of Chalice. You see those colored stars there? Scholars believe it could be a map. I read that even before the Wraiths activated the Thread, the stars were fully lit.”

  They did not have much time to appreciate the Ancient-made wonder as a tall, well-muscled man wearing flowing red robes addressed the audience. On the other side of the arena stood Dol. Cade and Ashlyn pushed their way through the crush.

  “What you are about to witness is proof of the power of the Mancando church,” the man bellowed, silencing the crowd. “We do not take joy from what we must do, but know this: we will not tolerate the perverse way of the Bearers and the so-called Coda ‘masters.’ Our strength comes from within, not from the continued torment of the deceased.”

  That’s the real reason Dol is here, Cade thought. Dol said it was about recruitment, and in a way that was true. The reason recruitment had been difficult was due to the stream of propaganda being pushed by the Acolytes. Dol has come here for revenge.

  Ashlyn stood on her toes to try to get a better view. “Is that an Acolyte? I’ve never seen one in person. Is your brother in danger?”

  Cade remembered back to his fight with Rast in Wilks. Was this Acolyte a former soldier of the war too? “Yes,” he replied.

  The Acolyte continued, “Man is imperfect and cannot help but to use powers he does not understand for his own selfish ends.” He turned and pointed at Dol. “Coda is an affront to everyone here, a fabrication based on a book of profane magic tricks and no more credible than a child’s fairy tale.” The man raised his hands and faced the crowd. “If you wish for true power, I beseech you to look no further than the Church and its Acolytes.” Cade noticed the lines in the man’s face ran deep and dark, like they had been etched with a hot iron. He caught a glimpse of what he thought were eyes of dark gray.

  Cade stood up, trying to get a better vantage point. “I don’t like this.” He was the reason Dol had taken the burden of the Coda Order upon himself, when it should have been Cade’s to bear. And now his choice had put his only brother in danger.

  A giant bronze bell rang, signifying the beginning of the match.

  Dol raised his hands and took an offensive stance. His opponent, however, made no movement. The man’s hands were clasped together and his eyes were closed. Cade could sense Dol’s unease and could see his face turn red, flushed with anger at the man’s boasting.

  Impatient, Dol went on the attack, launching a flurry of strikes at the stationary man. The Acolyte moved, but only just, turning away each strike as though he were a cat batting away a mouse.

  “He’s playing with him. Something is not right,” Cade muttered under his breath. Each strike Dol threw was encoded; it would have been impossible to block strikes like that if the defender was not encoding himself. The continued ease with which the man turned away the attacks was unsettling. “Wait here,” Cade whispered to Ashlyn.

  He made to enter the arena to stop the fight, even though he knew it meant disqualification for Dol. He had grabbed the cord that ringed the edge of the arena when a slender hand fell upon his shoulder. He turned to find a petite woman draped in red robes, glaring at him. She looked familiar. “Karessa?”

  She responded by punching him square in the chest, sending him away from the ring and sailing into the crowd. The strike dazed him. Dodge left, a voice sounded in his mind. He dodged to his left, narrowly avoiding another strike from his attacker.

  So you can hear me. I was beginning to think there was a malfunction.

  He shook his head, as if to shake out the voice. It was the same voice, a man’s, he had heard when he fought Rast back in Wilks.

  He stood up and turned to see Karessa approaching him, expression cold and unmoving. The Acolytes got to her before I could, dammit. Another soldier turned against me. Just like Rast.

  The lights above the Stardome blinked out, eliciting gasps from the crowd as the entire arena was plunged into darkness. The star lights above them began to turn on, one-by-one, revealing a single constellation. Cade knew this pattern of stars: Hunter’s Way.

  I think someone is trying to tell you something.

  Cade recalled the Constellation Songs, the series of Coda martial arts forms he learned long ago. The sequences outlined the optimal combat techniques to utilize if you could discern an opponent’s Song—the one that played within them—based on the 128 constellations.

  The woman was upon him again, this time delivering an encoded roundhouse kick. Cade caught her off-guard by twisting into the line of the kick and using her momentum to throw her sprawling to the ground. It was a risky maneuver, but that was the point of using the Constellation Songs; you took bigger risks when you tried to anticipate your opponent’s moves.

  He blocked her next attack, a testing strike, and countered with a strike of his own. Karessa stumbled backward but recovered. As her head snapped back up, he noticed a marked change in her demeanor. She glared at him with burning eyes and leapt back into the battle with unnatural alacrity. As she continued her assault, he followed the techniques of the Constellation Song, trying to anticipate the next move. He intentionally exposed his left side to press forward with a takedown throw. Instead of locking her wrist as he expected, however, Cade took a devastating hit to his ribs. It was an encoded punch, most likely with lead. He encoded tungsten to try to dissipate the force of the attack.

  He stole a glance up at the Stardome and noticed the constellation had changed to Infinite Waterfall. He hadn’t seen the change, but it explained why she had taken advantage of his opening. Whoever, or whatever, was helping him had made a mistake. Or were they were misleading him? He had to make a choice. Cade started humming Infinite Waterfall. Karessa went straight for his throat. Cade, anticipating, locked Karessa’s arm, encoded his fist to lead, and struck her shoulder. His fist made a sharp “clink” as it connected; she had encoded to protect herself from the blow.

  After he connected his strike, the Stardome flickered and showed the constellation Vision Seeker. Cade looked at Karessa, and her gray eyes changed from a look of rage to a measured expression, one that seemed more calculating and thoughtful.

  Gray eyes. The realization struck him immediately. He had seen her before. She had been a Bearer squad leader during the Wraith War. It was rumored she was one of the few Bearers who had carried more than one phantom.

  Sensing his hesitation, Karessa pushed her advantage and carried Cade’s momentum forward. Pay attention, he heard the voice inside him say. Off balance, he was flung onto his back. The crowd roared at this and began shouting and hollering. Smiling, Karessa encoded her hand and closed it around Cade’s throat. Cade encoded his neck to prevent it from being crushed and used his other phantom to encode his fist with lead. This was one of the key advantages of having multiple phantoms. Each phantom you bore allowed you to hold another encoding to a material.

  He didn’t have much leverage, but he punched as hard as he could. It connected, but all he heard was a dull “clunk.” He noticed that Karessa had a silver hue about her; she had encoded her whole body. She couldn’t keep that up for very long, but if she had more phantoms than he did, she would outlast him.

  The world around him began the fade, and the dark tendrils that foretold of a Nocturne dream swirled at the edges of his vision. “Not now,” he croaked as his vision faded away to nothing.

  He found himself looking over Gigan’s Hill but facing the destroyed remains of Wythlain in the distance. The bodies of soldiers lay twisted and broken across the landscape.

  A lone survivor, a woman, plunged a sword as big as herself into the last Skex, which shrieked as it collapsed. The woman fell to her knees, tore off her helmet, and gasped for air. Long blond hair matted with sweat tumbled out, and her blue eyes, tired and bloodshot from exhaustion, welled with tears.

  The woman collected herself, taking slow, controlled breaths as she surveyed the aftermath. She stood and made her way to a fallen soldier only a few steps away. She said the words,
sealing the Pact. She got up, walked to the next soldier, and said the words once more.

  Cade ran over to her, urging her to stop, but she could not hear him. He tried to grab her arm, but his hand just passed through her as she sealed Pact after Pact. Cade could only watch, helpless.

  The woman formed the final Pact with the last of her unit. She grabbed her head, wincing under the collective burden, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

  She awoke moments later with gray eyes cold and purposeful, no longer the person she once was. She retrieved her sword from the carapace of the Skex and headed back into battle.

  Cade snapped back to reality, tendrils of pitch retreating to the edges of his vision. Karessa’s expression was wild with battle-lust, a soldier long forgotten, still fighting on a battlefield she still remained a part of, unable to break free. Cade could see himself in those eyes. He understood.

  Her mind was nothing more than splinters, each vying for control of its host. Without Nocturne to quiet the phantoms in her mind, they would eventually erode her identity until there was nothing left.

  Desperate, his mind raced to think of a way to bring Karessa—the real one—back. His windpipe constricted, he picked the first thing that came to him. He fumbled for the vial of Nocturne in his coat and flipped the stopper out with his thumb. Cade managed to put the vial up and drain its contents into his mouth. He encoded his arms with diamond, continuing to encode his neck to keep it from being crushed. He felt the familiar surge of strength course through him. He used it to pull Karessa’s face close to his own. Cade noticed her expression change, her eyes growing wide with alarm. Cade looked into her eyes for a moment and put her lips against his as he pushed the Nocturne into her mouth.

  The torrent of force that had threatened to crush on him abated. Karessa’s arms fell to her sides. She looked at Cade and then brought her hands up to look at them, as if seeing them for the first time.