Hyperion's Shield

by Nathan Schivley

  The teens and their professor slowly set off on the winding path around the city. Wind and rain pelted them relentlessly, but they dared not shield their faces because they needed their hands to grip the rock. Several times Tinko slipped and would have fallen off the side of the cliff if it weren't for the quick reactions of Loras, who was walking behind him. The path snaked back and forth until it eventually reached the ground. For the first time in their lives, the teens set foot at sea level.

  At the base of the city of Reysa lay the Gartolian encampment. Over five hundred Gartolians lived here, along with the one hundred Gartune who patrolled Reysa. It was a city unto itself. Meticulous rows of several hundred tents surrounded the command center – a large, circular building at the center of the camp. A steady stream of Gartolians entered and exited the building through its front doors. Their pace was hurried, but not frantic, as if each one knew his duty and was eager to carry it out.

  Spaced evenly around the city were the four giant tanks that served as bases for the sun shield's mechanical arms. Each day, the shield’s mechanical arms unfolded, and at sundown the arms collapsed back into the tanks. Three of the tanks were on land. The fourth was anchored off the coast in the Delucean Sea, hardly visible due to the rain.

  Loras remembered looking down at the tanks from atop Reysa and thinking how small they had seemed. Now, on level ground with the machines, he could see how enormous they really were. Attached to the side of each of the tanks was a large red light. While the shield was up, this light would flash every fifteen minutes to alert anyone nearby that the tank was about to move. In accordance with the position of the sun, the tanks followed a circular path on the ground, thus adjusting the position of the shield above. Years of traveling the same path had produced two giant parallel ruts where the tanks' wheels had dug away at the ground. These trenches had grown to nearly five feet in depth and were currently half flooded with water.

  There was more commotion in the Gartolian encampment than normal for a rainy evening. Word of the escaped Reytana had just reached the camp and the Gartolians were rushing to set up a perimeter around the base of the city. The check points were nearly complete by the time Lucan and the teens arrived. The four escapees huddled under a small rock overhang while they surveyed the Gartolian camp.

  "You need to move fast," said Lucan. "It looks like there is a hole in their perimeter near the second tank, but it won't be there for long. Go quickly and you can make it."

  "But. Professor," said Tinko, "aren't you coming with us?"

  "I am an old man and would only slow you down. Speed is your greatest ally now. Use it!"

  As he said this, Lucan shoved his students in the direction of the tank and then, inexplicably, ran off in the direction of a large group of Gartolians.

  "What's he doing?!" gasped Regan.

  "He's providing a distraction," answered Loras. "We need to use it. Let's go!"

  Regan and Tinko watched in horror as their professor ran to meet the armed Gartolian squadron. Loras grabbed them both by the arms and dragged them in the opposite direction until the three of them were sprinting full speed towards the giant tank.

  But, when they got there, it was too late. An armed guard appeared at the side of the tank just as the teens were approaching it. Fortunately, Loras saw the guard in time, and threw Regan and Tinko into a nearby tent before they were seen.

  "What are we going to do now?" asked Tinko between heavy breaths.

  Loras looked around the empty tent. In true Gartolian fashion, it was sparse and perfectly maintained. There was a single bed, a clothes dresser and a lamp; that was it. Loras thought for a moment, then began rummaging through one of the drawers in the dresser.

  "What are you doing?" whispered Tinko.

  "I have an idea," said Loras. Out of the dresser he pulled a Gartolian military coat. He whipped the coat in the air in front of him and inspected its length. Then he winked at Tinko and threw him the coat.

  "This isn't going to end well for me, is it?" grumbled Tinko as he struggled to put on the coat.

  Outside, the rain was coming down even harder. The trenches were nearly three-quarters full at this point. The Gartolian sentry was forced to cover his eyes to see the figure walking towards him.

  "They sent me to help you keep watch," yelled the oncoming figure. He stood about fifty feet away with his coat pulled over the top of his head to protect him from the rain.

  "What?" yelled the sentry. The rain pounding off the tank next to him made it difficult to hear.

  "I SAID, THEY SENT ME TO HELP YOU KEEP WATCH!" repeated the newcomer.

  "It's about time you got here!" yelled the Gartolian. "There's been no sign of them yet, but I could use an extra set of eyes in this weather!"

  The approaching figure slowed his pace. He was about twenty feet from the Gartolian when he stopped altogether.

  "What is it?" yelled the Gartolian.

  "I... uh, forgot my umbrella. I think I'm going to go back and get it."

  "Very funny!" yelled the Gartolian. He motioned to the rear of the tank. "You take that side and I'll keep watch from over here."

  "Uh, actually... I was thinking that I would watch this side... if that's ok with you..."

  "What are you talking about?" yelled the Gartolian. "Get over ther—"

  Suddenly, loud, cranking sounds began to reverberate from the tank. The red light on the side of its shell pulsated brightly as the massive wheels began to inch forward in their ruts. The sound of gears grinding and engines churning was almost deafening.

  No longer able to hear what the newcomer was saying, the Gartolian stepped closer. As he did, he could see that something was wrong. For one, the newcomer's jacket was way too small. Moving closer still, he noticed that the man wasn't even a man, but rather a nervous, chubby-faced teen. Panicked, the teen stepped backward, looking frantically from side to side.

  "Who the hell are you?!" yelled the Gartolian, his voice barely carrying over the sound of the moving tank.

  Tinko's mind raced. for once in his life, he couldn't think of anything to say.

  "I... uh... I think I'm going to go back and get my umbrella..." he stuttered as he continued to walk slowly backwards.

  "Stay where you are!" yelled the Gartolian.

  Tinko stumbled backward and fell into one of the giant water-filled trenches. Before he knew it, he was underwater and gasping for air. He could see the Gartolian soldier looking down at him. Tinko didn't like the look on his face. It seemed that he was trying to decide whether to help him out of the trench or to drown him. The soldier's scowl seemed to indicate that the latter was more probable. Tinko pushed himself up. As his head rose out of the water, his hood fell back, revealing his face.

  "You're one of them," said the Gartolian. Tinko tried to stand up but as soon as he got to one knee the Gartolian soldier leapt into the trench and pinned Tinko back beneath the water.

  "Where are the others!?" shouted the Gartolian. Tinko's eyes bulged as he thrashed under the soldier’s strong arms. The Gartolian let him up and repeated his question as Tinko gasped for air. When he did not answer, the Gartolian shoved him back into the trench. "Answer or I'll drown you right here and now!" screamed the soldier.

  Through the water Tinko could make out the monstrous shape of the tank creeping toward them. Both the water and the ground began to vibrate from the intense sound of the approaching machine. Tinko could no longer hear the voice of the soldier. The Gartolian's watery form began to dim as Tinko's oxygen-deprived brain began to shut down. Suddenly he was yanked out of the water. This time he was too exhausted to gasp for breath. Instead, he hung limply in the soldier's grasp.

  The Gartolian began to shake Tinko. "Oh no you don't!" he yelled. "Not yet! Not until you tell me where they are!" The soldier slapped Tinko across the face. For an instant, Tinko's vision came into focus and he could clearly see his attacker's face. He could also clearly see the tank, now only a few yards behind them. The Gartolian was so focused
on his prisoner that he hadn't noticed.

  Tinko's eyes began to close again and he was abruptly slapped for the second time. It was no use. The little strength that remained in Tinko’s body left him. The soldier raised his hand one more time as he screamed a final plea, "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

  "RIGHT HERE!" bellowed a voice from above them. The Gartolian turned his head just in time to see Loras leap from the top of the tank. Tinko slipped through the soldier's arms as Loras' foot crashed down on the top of the Gartolian's head, knocking him unconscious.

  Loras reached under the water and heaved his heavy friend out of the trench. As he did so, Regan came running out from her hiding place. She had been watching the entire scene, horrified, from behind the tank.

  "Is he breathing?” she yelled.

  Loras placed his ear to the boy's chest. "I can't tell. I don't know!" Loras began to panic. "What do I do?!" He looked frantically at his sister.

  "Move over," she said as she slid in next to her brother. Steely determination now replaced the fear that had paralyzed her while the soldier was drowning her friend. She took her hands and placed them, one over the other, atop Tinko's chest and began to push. The boy's body shook from the weight of each compression, but that was all it moved. Tinko's face remained pale and lifeless. Loras began to shake uncontrollably.

  "You're doing it wrong!" he cried. "It's not working!"

  Regan continued with her compressions, each one strong and deliberate. Loras began to sob. "I'm sorry, buddy...I'm s-so sorry. It’s all my fault. I should never hav—"

  Tinko coughed. Water spewed from his mouth as he turned over on his side and wretched violently. He began to gasp for air as if no amount of it could ever satisfy the needs of his lungs. Slowly, his gasps became shallower. Regan flopped backwards and put her head between her knees.

  "You should never have what?" said Tinko weakly. He squinted at Loras through the falling rain. "Used your best friend as bait?"

  Loras threw himself on the ground next to Tinko and grabbed his friend's face with both hands. He began to laugh. "Whatever, umbrella boy! I knew you could take him!"

  "You're lucky I'm in such good shape," said Tinko and he allowed Loras to help him onto his feet. "Next time, you get to wear the coat."

  "Boys!" shouted Regan. "We don't have time for this. Let's go!"

  Loras and Regan made a break toward Dellwood Forest with Tinko following close behind. Whether they were being chased remained unknown, as they never once looked back.

  It did not take them long to reach the outskirts of the forest. Once inside, the undergrowth prevented them from traveling as quickly as they would have liked, but still they pressed only forward. The further into the forest they traveled, the denser the trees became until eventually, running in a straight line was impossible. They were also running uphill.

  The rain began to lighten, and the sun had almost set over the horizon. A few orange and purple rays of dusk penetrated the forest canopy and painted the wet leaves with a glistening brush.

  The teens ran into a small, elevated clearing in the forest. "Wait," said Tinko. "Look back there." Loras and Regan stopped and for the first time looked back from where they had come. Rising out of the top of the trees was Reysa. They watched as the sun dipped behind their home, splashing the tops of the buildings with a parting glow. It was the first sunset they had ever truly seen.

  "It's so beautiful," whispered Regan. There was a bit of sadness in her voice; a bit of longing. Now that the sun had set, something inside of Loras felt a little bit empty. He could sense his sister felt it too.

  As soon as the last bit of sun had disappeared, the sun shield’s panels began to retract into the four arms, which then, in turn, folded down into their tanks. It was quite a different experience watching the process from afar rather than up close. Watching all of the pieces work seamlessly together, and with such rapid speed was, well... awe-inspiring. More than anything else, it served as a stark reminder of the impressive capabilities of the Gartolians; the same creatures who were now pursuing them. An overwhelming feeling of fear and helplessness crept into Loras’ heart.

  "I'm exhausted," said Loras. "We need to find a place to sleep before it's completely dark."

  "We can't stay out in the open," Tinko said. "They might still be chasing after us. We need to find a place to hide." He rapidly began to collect dirt and leaves from the forest floor. "We can cover ourselves in this stuff, like camouflage." Tinko then laid down on the ground and covered himself with the leaves. Loras and Regan grinned at their friend. He looked ridiculous, and was no more hidden now than before, only now he was covered in leaves.

  "I've got a better idea," said Loras.

  "Yeah, what's that?" asked Tinko.

  Loras grinned and pointed to the tree above Tinko.

  "Great," said Tinko as he sat up and spit a leaf out of his mouth.

  "Calan knew that isolationism was one of the main deterrents to peace. He sought to bring the Reysene ‘off their mountain’ both literally and figuratively through technology. Reysa's great elevator and the hyper-rail were Calan's attempts to coerce the Reysene to travel outside the safety and familiarity of their city."

  - Chapter Three of The Crescent Wars, by Nicholas Baston

  Chapter Seven: Gartol

  Once the sun set, the search parties were recalled to the capitol building. Fifty ill-tempered Gartune stood dripping wet in the governor's quarters. The evening storm had passed, and the first light of the moon shone in through the windows.

  "Basecamp has just reported that a guard was found unconscious near one of the shield tanks," reported a Gartune soldier to Xander. "They think it was the twins."

  "Pathetic," seethed Rankin. "An entire Gartolian regiment and they can't even stop a boy and his sister."

  "They're no longer just a boy and his sister," said Xander. "Now that they have received their light, I would have been surprised if Loras and Regan hadn't escaped. A torman is no match for a Reytana, even a young one."

  "Still," said Rankin, "if it wasn't for this one's help," he jabbed his eüroc into Dario’s stomach, "we would have caught them within the city."

  Dario gave a small cough as he was struck in the stomach a second time. He was badly beaten and tied to a chair. Blood dripped from the sides of his mouth and from a dozen cuts on his face. His right eye was swollen shut. His left eye glared at Rankin. There was more life in the old Reytana's one eye than there had been in his entire body for many years. He had fought the Gartune search party valiantly and even managed to upend Rankin – in fact, he probably would have killed him if Xander hadn't stepped in at the last minute and tackled him from behind. Now that Dario had been apprehended, Rankin took every opportunity to inflict his retribution on the defenseless Reytana.

  "Which direction were they last seen heading?" asked Xander.

  "They think they were heading for the forest," answered the soldier.

  "That makes sense," said Xander to himself. "Dellwood Forest would be the easiest place to hide. But they won't last long. They have no food or shelter and they won't have a clue how to get either one."

  "Should we dispatch a search party to the forest?"

  "No," answered Xander thoughtfully. "Let's give them a little space... I want to see where they go." Xander gave Dario a knowing look. Dario tried to keep his face from revealing anything to the observant prince but found he could not return the Gartune's gaze. Instead, he simply let his head fall.

  "No need to say anything, old boy," said Xander. "I have no doubt that you pointed them in the right direction. And so, we will wait and watch where they go. Who knows, these two may lead us directly to the hiding place of our lost Reytana."

  "The king needs to be notified of this plan," said Rankin, "so that the army is prepared to mount an assault should the Reytana be discovered."

  Xander thought for a moment. This would have to involve some tact. The king's wrath was well known throughout Reysa and Gartol alike. News of the e
scaped Reytana would surely invoke his fury. But Rankin was right, he needed to be told.

  "I will tell my father in person," said Xander. "Notify basecamp to charge the hyper-rail. I will travel to Gartol tonight."

  "And what do we do with our governor?" asked Rankin.

  "Take him down with the others," replied Xander. "It is where he belongs."

  Rankin made sure that he got to personally escort Dario down to the cavern cells. He took his time, managing to get in as many kicks and jabs as he could along the way. This time when they arrived at the door to the cavern, the guards immediately let them through without question. One of them winced a little as he made way for Rankin and his prisoner. Dario noticed and grinned a little to himself even though it hurt his face to do so.

  Rankin dragged Dario down the dusty stone floor between the two rows of cells and deposited his limp body into an empty cage near the end of the room. Dario crumpled to the floor as Rankin slammed the door shut.

  "Finally, you're where you belong," said Rankin.

  "For once, we agree," said Dario as he spat blood onto the floor and lifted himself up onto his elbows. Rankin grunted.

  "Enjoy your new room, old boy."

  Rankin turned and walked back through the rows of cages. Several eyes followed him as he left. Some of them were glowing.

  It took two Gartolians to pry open the heavy iron door of the lift so that Xander could enter. The giant elevator could hold up to fifty tormans or half that many Tormada, but Xander stood alone at the center of the platform as it began to slowly lower down the face of the cliff. He looked down at the view below him. It was a clear night and two of the moons were full, so he could easily see the glow of the hyper-rail station as its thrusters began to charge. A Gartolian-operated crane lifted a single passenger car onto the loading dock. A small puff of steam rose from the car as it latched into place. Xander tried to recall the last time he had taken the rail. He couldn't remember.