April 4, Fennel Bay
Teo
Teo fixed the night-vision goggles to his eyes. The world turned bright, a green hue covering everything. He glanced around and chuckled at the sight of his troops crawling all around him, almost blind. The second moon had already set, and the only light came from the anemic first moon and the stars. He patted his horse and spurred her forward, making sure the trot did not take him ahead of the large group entering the grove.
Sudden movement drew his glance away from the troops. It looked like a shadow darting behind the trees. “Over there,” he said, pointing in the specter’s direction.
The officer next to him spoke a fast set of commands and a group of troops split up to enter the woods. Teo trotted behind them, following from a safe distance.
A brief series of flashes almost blinded him. He tore the goggles as sudden screams broke the still of the night. A group of soldiers bolted out of the woods.
“I’m blind,” someone hollered. An officer’s bark cut off the man’s anguished cries.
A cold shiver ran along Teo’s spine. Despite the brisk night, sweat dripped on his back. “Report,” he hissed.
The officer trotted next to him. “We don’t know what’s happening, my Lord. The men reported a bright—” The man groaned mid-sentence and clutched his belly. He spun his neighing horse around.
“What’s going—” Teo started to say, then a wave of nausea hit him, making him hurl his dinner to the ground. He slipped off the horse and crashed on the sand. The world spun. “Help,” he whimpered. Uncontrollable shivers wrecked his body. He crawled on all fours and retched a second time. A thousand bees buzzed in his ears. His eyes searched frantically for a way out, but everything was covered in darkness.
He remembered the goggles and placed them over his eyes. A flash of light from behind a tree blinded him. He let out an inhuman scream and started running in the opposite direction, his bowels emptying as he ran. Twice, he tripped and found himself flying through the air. His mouth full of sand, he felt hands grab him. He flailed his arms, cursing at his assailants. Whoever was dragging him on the sand ignored his protests, stopping only when they placed him on a chair. Panting, he tried to stop his shaking body from convulsing.
“My Lord, you’re safe,” a woman’s voice was saying over and over again.
He realized the woman had been talking to him the entire time. “I can’t see,” he screamed.
“We know. The effects should wear off soon. The first of the wounded are already much better.”
His mouth twitched. Slowly, his body stopped shivering. Someone helped him to a drink of water. He used it to spit out sand from his mouth. “What happened?” he asked, wiping his mouth with his palm.
“We don’t know,” the woman said. “The Antheans have the woods covered with some sort of weapon. We’ve never seen anything like it.”
He blinked, barely making out a woman’s silhouette that stood out like a gray spot in the darkness around him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Slowly, black surroundings turned to gray. “I think my sight is returning,” he whispered.
“That’s a good sign,” the woman’s voice said. “You should rest, my Lord. By morning, your sight should be as good as new.”
He nodded his consent and let two shadows of men guide him to his tent. Hands removed his armor and undressed him. He recognized his aide’s sweet smell over his own stench.
“You had us worried, my Lord,” she said.
“It was nothing,” he growled. “A coward’s weapon. When I find the person responsible, I’ll skin them alive.”
The woman helped him into a warm bath. He let out a sigh when hot water soothed his skin and washed away the horrible night.
“Will that be all?” she asked. “Shall I wait to take you to bed?”
Her soft voice sent goose bumps on his skin. More than anything, he longed for her to comfort him with her warm embrace, to mother him, to tell him everything was going to be all right. Anyone coming close to you will know the truth about you, a voice in his head warned him. That you’re nothing but a coward. A loser. “No,” he barked. Then, in a softer voice, he said, “Leave.” He spat out more grains of sand while he waited for the sound of the falling awning. Only then did he let a stream of silent tears flow from his unseeing eyes. I cheated death tonight!
April 5, Fennel Bay
Teo
“How is it that no one knew of the Anthean weapon?” Teo roared. He paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back.
The officers that were gathered around the long table seemed to diminish in stature, looking like scared ants inside the large tent.
“We should have scouted the area before entering,” Teo continued, the heat on his cheeks rising with each word he spat. “Do I have to think of everything myself?” He whirled around to face them. They all avoided his burning gaze, focusing instead on their feet, the ground and the map on the table. “Once again, I’m let down by your incompetence. So, this time, we do things my way.” He thumped his fist on the table. “No more fancy plans. We follow the oldest strategy in the book. We outnumber them five to one. We have the world’s strongest cavalry. So, what are we waiting for? Why not charge and clear the bay from the Antheans once and for all?”
“My Lord, as general Gella’s failure in Ephia showed, it’s not as easy as that,” the general mumbled. “Were you not there to save the day, we might have lost the war.”
It’s true. I did save the day. Teo’s rage faded for a moment. He then realized that the general had just shot down his plan. He leaned forward, placing both his hands on the table to stare down the hapless man. “Ephia was protected by stone fortifications. The Antheans are hiding behind a wooden wall. Do you see the difference, or do I need to spell it out for you?”
“Still, they may…” The man’s voice trailed off. He lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, my Lord. I’ll prepare the men for the attack. Will you be joining us?”
This is your chance. Everyone remembers Ephia because of the canon, but they’ll praise me forever for Fennel Bay. He brought to his mind the layout of the area. It seemed almost too simple. No wonder no one had thought of it before; it takes a great mind to think outside of these career soldiers’ convoluted plans. “Yes.” He turned to his aide, who was waiting patiently in the back of the tent. “Prepare my armor. I’ll lead the attack personally.”
Sol
“Sol!”
She looked up from the map she had been studying. With Satori still guarding the grove, she had never felt so alone, despite the throng of people constantly surrounding her.
A man approached her, excitement painting his face red. “They’re preparing for attack.”
She jumped to her feet. “Now?”
“Yes. Their cavalry is getting ready as we speak.”
“Can it be a ruse?”
“Our spies have confirmed it.”
Her eyebrows shot upward. “He’s sending his cavalry on a frontal assault?”
“Yes, ma’am.” His eyes sparkled with the excitement of battle.
“Then you know what to do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The man darted out of the tent.
Moments later, horns sounded. Even though the preparations had been completed in time, they hadn’t been tested—at all. We’re placing an awful lot of faith on a few hastily built defenses. At least he’s not attacking with his ground troops first, or the battle would already be lost.
Teo
He ran his fingers through the horse’s bushy mane. The beast broke into a gentle trot. He made sure to keep in the middle, safe from arrows, the grove’s devilish weapon and the swamp. Up front, the Antheans’ puny fortifications loomed closer. From the distance, they looked as if built with twigs. I’ll huff and I’ll puff… The childhood memory of Paul’s father reading them bedtime stories made him chuckle.
He raised his hand in a swirling motion and spurred his horse. The animals started to gallop, sending thick clo
uds of sand to sting Teo’s eyes. Cursing, he raised his sleeve to his eyes, squinting to see up ahead.
He heard the arrows before he saw them. He raised his head and his jaw hung. There are so many of them! The sky darkened as myriads of shafts hid the sun. They flew all around him with a sickening hiss, sending men and beasts to crash to the sand. The sand swallowed shrieks of pain.
The first wave of arrows had thinned their lines, but they were now closer than ever. Teo let out a triumphant roar and waved his sword. The roar turned into a surprised yelp as the ground gave way from under his horse’s hooves. A trap! Countless spears formed an invisible wall in the sand, a thin layer of loose sand covering them up.
The beast neighed and sent him flying in the air. He crashed on the ground and cowered on all fours, covering his head with his hands as terrified horses whinnied and darted around him. Pits opened up under hooves, revealing spears hidden in the ground that tore through skin and armor. Mutilated bodies sprayed blood.
A second wave of arrows hissed in the air, adding to the screams as they found their targets. Pools of blood formed, which the hungry sand slurped up.
A wave of panic hit Teo. He raised his hands to surrender, when hands grabbed him and propelled him up on a saddle. Through the smog, he barely recognized the general’s face. The man was yelling something unintelligible as arrows were splitting the air, their hiss making Teo want to shut his ears and scream.
“Retreat,” Teo shouted. “Retreat!”
April 6, Fennel Bay
Teo
The officers exchanged shocked glances.
“My Lord, the cavalry is our greatest weapon. We’ll be defenseless without it.”
“Twice,” Teo roared, his voice trembling with rage. “Twice the Antheans have beaten our so-called greatest weapon. And yet, you did nothing about it.”
“But my Lord—”
“Enough!” He pounded his fist on the table. “We’re getting rid of Anthea once and for all.” His fingers twisted and turned to focus the projected map to the place he wanted. He pointed to a jagged gulf. “This is where you’ll land. It’s less than thirty clicks from here, which means you should meet with no resistance. Just double-back by land and attack from behind.” He glanced outside, where a team resembling busy ants was banging the metal of an awkward assembly. A grin parted his lips. “Although you might not find much to attack, if the cannon works as planned.”
“My Lord…” The general cleared his throat. “My Lord, what about the swamp? It’s directly on the path you want the cavalry to take.”
“Go around it,” he shouted. “Or go through it. Dig underneath. Fly over it. I don’t care what you do, just be here in two days at dawn, or you’ll have a lot more to worry about than a bloody swamp. When the bombardment is over, we’ll signal you to attack.” He sneered at the general. “Is waiting for our shields to give you the signal too complicated for you?”
The man’s face turned crimson. “No, my Lord.”
“Good.” Teo dismissed them with a wave of his hand. “Now, go!”
“Yes, my Lord,” one after another the officers mumbled, bowing their heads.
They remained around the table while he exited, heading for the monstrous contraption. He stood under the cannon’s long protrusion.
“How soon?” he asked a man in a blue apron.
The man wiped dark smudges from his face with the back of his hand. He ran his fingers along the weapon’s control panel. A slight tremor passed under the metal skin. “Let me show you, my Lord.” A nozzle lifted, allowing scalding steam to escape quivering safety valves. With a loud groan and a tremor, the nozzle lifted up like the beast were acknowledging his presence. “We need to run a few more tests, then try her out. If everything works as it should, she should be ready tomorrow. A flash of uncertainty crossed his face. “Day after at the latest.”
In time for the cavalry. Teo patted his shoulder. “Good man. You have the Capital’s gratitude.”
The man’s lips tugged upward, twitching his long moustache. “Yes, my Lord.” He returned to his task with renewed fervor, shouting orders at his aides.
No one will remember Ephia after this.
Satori
Satori was staring at the beach, pressing her eyes in disbelief against Sol’s battered binoculars. She blinked twice and squeezed her eyelids together to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Riders were leading their horses into ships. Are they trying to circumvent the swamp? She pushed the thought from her mind, fixed on a more immediate concern. One that sent cold sweat to trickle down her back. One that made her fingers shake: the horrific sight of Teo’s weapon. A sight that still haunted her dreams.
She lowered the binoculars and brought them behind her back to hide the tremor in her hands. “We’re screwed.”
Sol took the binoculars from her hand. With her other hand, she took Satori into her arms. “Don’t give in. I need you to focus.”
Satori shook her head to clear it. “Of course.” She felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment. “I apologize. What about Scorpio?”
“Our messengers returned this morning. Cleo will be here in three days.”
“It’s too late.”
“I know.”
Satori gently pushed away to face the beach again, her mind racing. “Do we know Altman’s plan?”
“He’s sending the cavalry to outflank us.”
“From the east.”
“Correct.”
The sinking feeling in Satori’s stomach lifted a little. “We’ve beaten him twice. We’ll do it again.”
“A lion is no less dangerous for removing two fangs,” Sol pointed out. “But I like your attitude. Go on.”
Satori’s mind raced. “The cavalry will need to go through the swamps. Even if they can manage it in time, they’ll be in no condition to charge us. We could stop them with nothing but pikes.” She shielded her eyes and glared at the cannon, her stomach sinking again. “It’s that I’m worried about. I thought he’d left it behind.”
“Apparently not. As soon as it’s ready, he’ll fire it up.”
“Why is he sending away his cavalry? Why not soften us with the cannon, then send in the troops to finish us up?”
Sol shrugged. “Perhaps his failures have made him lose his appetite for a frontal assault. He doesn’t know what other cards we’re holding up our sleeve, nor does he want to find out.”
A bitter taste filled Satori’s mouth. “What cards? We have none.”
“He doesn’t know that. Although we do have the suit. And the panic box.”
“Can we calibrate either of those to work at a distance?”
Sol shook her head, her face sagging. “I have no idea how they work. I just know enough to turn them on and off again.”
“Then, like I said, we’re screwed.” Blood rushed to Satori’s head. “Damn it, I’m not going without a fight. I’m not waiting here for Teo’s monster to pulverize me. If I am to die, I’ll do so on my own terms.” She faced Sol again and squeezed her hand. “Let me wear the suit and sneak into their camp. I’ll destroy the cannon. I know I can. It might be as simple as throwing a little sand in its gears.”
Sol shook her head. “I can’t let you do it. The suit can only protect you so much.”
Satori jutted her jaw in defiance. “Then I die trying. Please.”
A glint shone in Sol’s eyes. “All right.”
Satori’s mind screeched to a halt. “All right?”
A chuckle issued from Sol’s lips. “But you don’t go alone. We attack.”
“What?”
“You have the right idea. With his cavalry gone, it’s just ground troops we face. And we’re every bit as good as them. We know their strategies, their strengths, their weaknesses.”
A memory of a similar battle three thousand years ago on a different planet flashed in Satori’s mind, a battle her father had once described. “Our best chance is a double engagement. But it requires perfect discipline.”
“Yes,” Satori said with confidence. “I’ve trained them personally for such a maneuver. But I’ll need to go through the plan with every single one of the officers. It’s a hard trick to pull, but it’s our only chance.”
“How fast can you organize it?”
“We can be ready by dawn. But keep this in mind: if we attack, we’ll be leaving all of our defenses behind.”
Sol’s gaze darted around, a dismissive look on her face. “It doesn’t matter. They’re useless against the cannon, anyway. Besides, the cannon is devastating against a static target. How good is it against a moving target?”
Satori swallowed to push down the acid rising from her stomach. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
April 7, The Capital
David
I can’t do it.
Yes, you can, the voice inside his head said.
Frustration popped David’s eyes open. I’ve been trying for weeks. I can’t. I’m no shaman.
Being a shaman isn’t about powers. It’s about seeing things differently. It’s about adopting a new narrative. Now, empty your head!
David rubbed his hands together for a few seconds, until they felt warm. He placed them over his eyes, resting the fingertips on his forehead and the heels of his hands on his cheeks. His hollowed his hands to form a curtain of darkness in front of his eyes. Closing his eyelids, he breathed deeply. He envisioned his eyes absorbing the darkness like a sponge, at the same time welcoming the warmth from his hands.
Once his eyes relaxed, he turned his attention to how the hard floor under his crossed legs felt against his skin. Awareness of his two companions watching him gradually faded. Random thoughts flowed in and out of his consciousness. He ignored them, refusing to hold on to any one of them, and they faded away. His breathing gradually slowed down as he shifted his attention up his body, through his thighs, torso, chest, arms and neck. When he finally reached his head, he let out a relaxed sigh. He visualized the cell without opening his eyes. Parad was sitting opposite from him, mimicking his posture. The rest of the world disappeared.
Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Page 104