by Cara Violet
“Tie him up and get him on his knees! We have a show to put on! Now, where is that damn Rivalex Mark!”
“No!” The voice came from thin air, and Darayan blinked as Xandou used his free time movement to punch Adrian in the face and send him flying backward.
“I will kill you,” the Giliou said azure aura blazing, as he swished in and out of ‘portation, dodging the blue aura beams coming at him and making his way for Daramid.
“Capture him, now!” Adrian ordered.
Darayan fired up in aura, bursting with vengeance to assist Xandou and rip Adrian’s head off. But someone latched onto his shoulder. He turned to face Narchisme.
“Is everything okay?” he said.
Below her, a young harpy was bloodied and barely breathing.
“I really wish I could help but—”
The sounds of ‘portation increased, Xandou must have been in and out of formation a hundred times. But what about Daramid? The huge brute, without his fellow Harpies to link with in aura, was useless against the Ledgers.
“I must go—”
“Hah!” Adrian had swept past Xandou’s last location and doubled back, reading his movement. “I’ve got you now,” with one swift action, he had Xandou by the throat. “So predictable. Didn’t they say Dersji Brikin taught you swordplay?”
Xandou spat in the Aquamorph’s face. Adrian’s face screwed up in heightened animosity.
“Lock them both up in fury chains and let’s see how many we can behead until our little Mark comes out.”
Darayan walked forward, only again to be held by the arm.
“I said I can’t hel—” he gulped. Arlise was glowing silver in front of him.
“My dear Harpies,” the Aquamorph strutted, along in front of several captives. “we don’t want to behead your beloved spokesperson, because we know how much you admire strength …” The Aquamorphs holding the captives held tighter to their prisoners.
“Archibel is over there,” Arlise said. “Please shield your eyes, and don’t come any closer.”
“What are you talking about?”
The Aquamorph went on.
“Now is the time to free Xandou,” Darayan said to a distracted Arlise. “Can’t you free him? Aren’t you some Conductor of power? What are you waiting for?”
“I can’t control it, you fool, not yet!”
“Queen Kaianan, we are waiting.” Adrian flipped his blade up and around in his hands, the noise of the crowd continued.
“Don’t come out!” Xandou shouted against the Aquamorph holding him hostage. “Whatever you do—”
Whack!
Adrian flung the back of his hand into Xandou’s face.
“Harpies, what are you waiting for? This is Daramid!” the Aquamorph yelled. He paced angrily.
“Queen!” Adrian seized Xandou by the neck, his blade was up, his contorted face and saliva flying out, “Where are you?”
The young harpy wailed from below them, Darayan felt he should be moving in the other direction.
“I’ll count to three,” Adrian spat, his blade hovering too close to Xandou’s neck.
“You must save him,” Darayan said “even if it means killing us all in the process.”
“That’s lunacy,” Arlise said still analysing the situation, “you don’t know what I’m capable of.”
But as soon as Kaianan fired up her aura and reappeared in the middle of the amphitheatre with her free time movement, Arlise went after her.
Darayan breathed out to follow, but he couldn’t keep up with their speed. He noticed Archibel also heading toward them—Darayan wanted to cut her off in case whatever Arlise hinted at took place. Maybe he would, in fact, kill them all.
“Aachi!” The Dartanyan was screaming from under Kaianan. Not before tripping himself up on his tail and flying through the air.
Kaianan was still running, suddenly she was there, before Adrian, sliding on her knees; Adrian’s blade was wavering, and sliding across the platform. Kaianan swung her blade upwards. A second later, she’d elbowed Adrian out of the way and took her raised blade to the Aquamorph who was holding Xandou and sliced.
A blue head rolled.
Darayan watched her: she fought as though possessed.
The Harpies were up and gasping; her fellow insurgents shouting; Darayan running for her.
“Get out of there, Kaianan!” Archibel fired up in aura right alongside him. Every trained aura user was fired up, spinning in flames of blue and white. Darayan and Archibel to Kaianan’s left glowed in dusty orange, the Sari colour, while Owen and his Kinsmen Rangers in emerald took on the blue Aquamorph Ledgers. Arlise burned in deep rage. Darayan could sense it then: it was clear the young Conductor had barely any control at all.
“MOVE!” Adrian screamed over the chaos.
Four Aquamorphs braced Xandou back to his knees; Adrian paced furiously towards him.
“This is your fault, Giliou!” Adrian whispered as he raised his blade.
Darayan could see Kaianan wasn’t going to appear in time. There were too many against her. Darayan stuck his blade out and sliced through as many Ledgers as he could, fighting to get to Xandou. Spotting Archibel, he tried to warn her that Arlise could erupt—but she kept fighting, as he expected.
And then everything drifted to a standstill. All Darayan could see was a flicker of images: A scream, a blade, Xandou moaning out blood, and the wave of hatred that rippled through the atmosphere—
There was nothing else to warn them.
Not even the hectic fighting could prepare them for Kaianan’s aura: it exploded like a force of nature had struck the planet, knocking them all off their feet. The mass of her power, funnelling out toward them—he’d never felt before. Or had he? Her pain screamed through her. Darayan couldn’t hold; he was thrown back through the air like the others.
Rubble flew through the sky and, after a few short moments, the amphitheatre became motionless.
Darayan could barely make out Kaianan’s hoarse breathing and sobs as he lay on the stone. The world was foggy around the edges, and all he could hear was the swish of a Vector opening, and the runting cry of the Dartanyan disappear.
Spinning debris landed on his fluttering eyes and everything subsided.
“Wake up!”
Darayan could barely lift his head.
“What happened?”
Over his shoulder, Darayan spotted Owen resurfacing.
“I’ve no idea,” Darayan said eyes on the huge, shallow hole in the amphitheatre where Kaianan and Xandou had been.
“That Felrin took them with him,” Owen said arriving to where Darayan lay.
“Gone?”
“Aye,” Owen said his vision also on the smoky amphitheatre. “What happened to Xandou?”
Darayan thought he saw the blade cut into the bleeding Giliou Shielder but couldn’t remember.
“I’m not sure,” he said “but the way Kaianan exploded into a raging banshee, I don’t think he went unscathed.”
An excruciating screech reached his ears. Daramid was raging mad. The Harpies were on a vendetta against the Aquamorphs, sucking back the Siliou and working as a group to manipulate it. After Kaianan’s power killed half a dozen Aquamorphs, including Adrian, the Harpies had violently ploughed through every remaining Aquamorph until they were no more.
Darayan rolled onto his side, comforted by seeing Archibel a few metres away. The Harpies’ rage frightened him: he feared Daramid would slaughter him when he approached—however, the brute stopped. Glancing from Darayan to Owen, who’d gone in search of his fellow Kinsmen, Daramid only nodded at them once, and then departed.
It took Darayan a few minutes. Then he was able to stretch his legs and rise.
Chapter Thirty-One: A Stale Salute
“You okay?” Archibel asked Darayan, as he brushed himself down.
The blood stuck to his chest; the bleak sight of blue blood and dead Aquamorphs made Archibel sick.
“I am,” he replied. “And
you?”
“Okay,” she said with a smile.
“And us?” he said quickly.
Archibel’s heart was poised and open. When she closed her eyes, the answer came straight to her.
“We’re okay, Darayan.”
The corner of his mouth went up and Archibel was met with ease.
“What happened to Xandou and Kaianan?” she asked. Darayan’s face dropped and the uncertainty of their immediate future suddenly seemed too real.
“I don’t know,” he finally voiced. “I think Arlise took them through a Vector.”
“But where? Xandou didn’t look—”
“He will be fine; we need to believe that much. Let’s get cleaned up and help these people get back on their feet.”
Even with everything that had been thrust upon them, and with the slight tension between them, Archibel nodded and for the millionth time she felt that bond between them was still alive and well.
“We will return to Dowaric,” Owen said after they’d spent the afternoon with Daramid and Narchisme assisting the Harpies.
“Home on the cards?” Darayan said to Archibel’s left, after they’d all washed up and sat on the thick mesh seats in Darayan’s quarters.
“I think I’m more worried about Janjuc,” Owen said his Kinsmen standing stationary at the door to the rear.
“We will come with you,” Darayan said.
“So will I,” Ryar stated, much to Archibel’s surprise. He was obviously feeling very much alone since Xandou was sucked through that Vector.
“Sounds good to me,” Nash said. “We could always use another high-spirited fellow around.”
Owen shook his head and stared back at Darayan and Archibel. “What about Sari?”
“It can wait,” Darayan said.
Archibel nodded.
“Are you sure your Princess has no further obligations?”
Archibel recognised he meant her, but she wasn’t going to give them any information. “I am not who you think I am,” she said trying her best to present some form of her truth. “Adrian was delusional. However, I believe we can help each other out. The universe and the galaxies are in turmoil, the Conductors no longer holding planets in Vector safety. If all this were to fall into the wrong hands, it would be nice to know Dowaric is a place we can escape to. And if you feel the urge, please, know Sari is a place you can lean on.”
“You ‘ave sanctuary ‘ere,” Narchisme interjected, sitting on a small chair on the opposite side of the room.
Forcing a smile, Archibel bowed to the woman. She knew Hilan might not be a place she would want to stay. Not after the Conductors were planning new lives here, separate from the Harpies. There would be no place for Archibel to belong.
Sensing her confusion, Darayan simply reached out his hand and placed it on hers, resting on her right leg.
“Our home is together,” he whispered, releasing her as chills descended down her spine.
“You’re right,” Owen said pulling Archibel’s stare away from Darayan and the anxiousness his touch brought her, to face the Kinsmen. “The time for change is upon us, although I am not sure what that looks like in this eerie time, I do believe our devotion to the Felrin Congress is coming to an end.”
“Will you support the Aquamorph Assembly if they reform?” Darayan asked, with confusion.
“No,” Owen said with a puff of air. “Not after what we’ve seen them do.”
“Who can be trusted then? Where will your support lie?”
“I don’t know.”
“In each otha,” Narchisme said gracefully.
It wasn’t the norm to live like the Harpies: self-governance and equal rights for all, even children, but they made it work. Archibel could only dream of that for the rest of the galaxy. She was a believer, and knew one day things would change. Kaianan had helped her see that.
“Something will have to give,” Darayan said “but now is not the time to discuss it.”
“Then when?” Owen said.
“When we win this thing.”
“What is winning? The Conductors don’t even want to partake in Vector travel anymore.”
“Let’s just start small.”
“And allow the Defeated King time to kill the Mark?”
“Kaianan can handle herself,” Archibel fired up.
“I agree,” Darayan said “on top of that, if she’s with that Felrin … well, Arlise is perhaps the most powerful Homo captiosus I’ve ever met.”
Nash sniffed. “We ain’t seen him do anything and it’s still the Defeated King.”
“We need to protect home first,” Owen said with determination. “Then I will help you.”
“We will support you,” Archibel said eyes on Darayan. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“Whether it’s right for you to have us an ally perhaps?” Owen said with a wink. Archibel ignored him.
“How we getting out of here, anyway?” Everett piped up.
“Delriq,” Owen explained. “Our Valendean Conductor: he’s willing to Vector us out.”
Darayan frowned. “I thought they couldn’t?”
“No, they haven’t wanted to since they’ve been free.”
“So, you’re saying this Defeated King fellow—”
“Set them free.”
“Nothing makes sense to me anymore.”
It didn’t make sense to Archibel either, but trying to solve that puzzle seemed futile.
“When you lot are ready?” Owen stood, as did the others.
Narchisme rose and bowed to them all before exiting. Archibel stared after her. The Conductors chose the Harpies. She knew that, she knew they were a safe haven away from the Felrin, away from the hierarchy of control; but would hiding be the only way to survive? She felt ashamed because, to her, it was.
Owen, Darayan and Archibel paid homage to the Harpies before departure. In the amphitheatre, Daramid ordered a standing ovation and salute, acknowledging that Kaianan, Xandou and Arlise had saved his life.
Darayan was not one to take to such displays but went along with the ceremony anyway.
He met up with Jahzara before Delriq let them through.
“You will, in time, remember,” she said to him.
“But why, Jahzara? Why did I do this to myself?”
Archibel shifted uneasily beside him, but she provided invisible support for him.
“We all want to forget sometimes, and sometimes it is the right thing to do: with the emotion, with the way your feelings shift, it can be a good time to let go of some things. The good thing is, with time, you can face them again in a manner of strength. You can be in the midst of the situation and feel no emotion whatsoever. Only then have you accepted your past, and only then do you have absolutely no need to dwell on it.”
“So, I haven’t run away from my problems?”
“There are questions, Darayan, and the answers you seek you will find when you’re ready. You can’t run anywhere that takes you from that: you always take you with you. That’s why the thoughts come back. Over time, you will have better control over the way you feel about them.”
“My family—they—they loved me.”
Jahzara nodded and placed her hand on his cheek. “Even without their physical presence, you should still feel their love for you: right here, right now.”
“I do.”
“Then you realise they never left you at all.”
A tear slid down his cheek, Archibel laced her fingers into his and squeezed tight.
“Delriq is ready,” Owen said.
“Thank you, Jahzara.”
“Great men, remember and cherish the moment: there is always value in every experience.”
Lips pressed closed, Darayan nodded and headed for the camaraderie, releasing Archibel’s hand and clearing his mind.
“What has become of Levon?” he asked Owen while Delriq spun a Vector.
“We’ve been gone a long time, Darayan.”
He nodded.
“
Levon did not continue to lead the Sprites of the South,” Owen said. “After he departed for Croone, alongside the Daem-Raal—as your friend Kaianan mentioned—he was apparently making some connections with the Necromancers.”
“Rivalex?”
“Perhaps.”
“I was there not long ago. There were so many Bones flying about; Forsda was burning; I mean it was just all up in the air,” he breathed out, thinking of Liege Jarryd and then of Chituma, struggling in the Swamp Lands. “I mean, we were lucky we made it out of there alive.”
“We mightn’t be as lucky on Janjuc.”
“There are only trained aura users on Janjuc though.”
“Admittedly, but I’ve only got seven decommissioned cruisers on their way there.”
“It will be enough this time.”
“I’m glad you’re so confident.”
“After everything we’ve been through, what’s one more stop?”
Darayan hadn’t walked through a Euclidean Vector in a very long time, so when Delriq widened the wormhole, and the smoke snaked out, he held his breath.
“Let’s go.” Owen went first, followed by Everett, Nash and Ryar.
Only after Archibel crossed the threshold did Darayan enter; he looked back to the Harpies. The Conductors waved him on as the opening deteriorated.
“This may be rough,” he said to Archibel.
“I’m ready to help the people that have helped me.”
“This exit here,” Owen said swirling his hands and generating an exit.
“So be it.”
The six of them piled through the exit. Shifting through the fall, Darayan ensured Archibel landed upright. And, just as he had anticipated, they landed quite close to the battle.
“I count four cruisers,” Owen said keeping his knees bent, hand on scabbard. He darted off towards one.
Using the uneven landscape as cover, Darayan and Archibel followed the others.
“Which one are we—"
Before Darayan could finish, a disembarking cruiser caught his eye. There in the distance, just a few hundred metres from them, Materid, Bodel, Lafael and Taelen, and their insect friend Cuki, emerged as excess military.