Hyperion's Shield

by Nathan Schivley

  "But your highness—" started Rankin.

  "They are not to be released! Do I make myself clear?"

  "Of course, my king." replied Rankin, his head bowed.

  Hadrian took a few moments to compose himself, then continued. "I trust that the rest of the prison is ready for its new inmates?"

  "Yes, my king. Preparations are complete" said Rankin. He started to lift his head proudly but ducked it slightly when he saw that the king was not as impressed with the achievement as he was. "We are finishing it just today. It would be my honor to escort you for an inspection."

  "Very well," said Hadrian. "But first," he looked at Morlo, "what is the status of your project? Is everything in place?"

  "Yes, your highness. The project is complete. We are ready."

  "Good." Hadrian smiled. "Then the trap has been set. Find whatever glory you seek in the battle that is to come, for this will be the last of the Great Wars, and it will be a short one at that!" He turned back to Rankin. "Come! Take me to the prison. I want to see what eighteen years of Reysene labor looks like." The two started for the door. As they went through, Hadrian shouted over his shoulder, "And, Morlo, if that waif ever does show up, bring him to me!"

  "Of course, my king," replied Morlo with a low bow.

  Lucan clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back against the cold, steel bars. The remnants of that day's meal sat between his legs on a metal tray. Everything about his life was now made of metal or steel. Everything was cold. Everything was hard. Even so, he had learned to adapt to his new environment. Though he had only recently been caged, he had felt like a prisoner for many, many years – a prisoner in his own city. But he had learned to adapt to that life, and he had learned to deal with this one as well. His cellmate, on the other hand, was not doing as well.

  It was harder for a Reytana. Every ounce of their being yearned for the sun. It was their lifeblood. Being stuck underground for weeks without a single glimpse of the sun was slowly killing Dario. They both knew it, but they didn't speak of it – there was no need. Even if Dario had started his incarceration in perfect health, he would still be ailing.

  As it was, the ex-governor of Reysa entered captivity battered and bruised, and his wounds had not healed. If anything, they had gotten worse. Lucan offered to help, even though he knew there was little he could do. Each time Dario simply brushed him away. And yet, the old Reytana had not given up. Neither of them had. Perhaps if they had each been alone in their prison, they would have resigned themselves to whatever fate awaited them. But all they had to do was look out at their fellow prisoners and they had all the motivation they needed to continue to fight on; to continue to eat and sleep and breathe – to continue to live so that when the time came, they would be ready to do what must be done.

  A loud bang rang out from the cell two doors down from Lucan and Dario. Then a low moan and another loud bang, followed by a slightly louder moan.

  "Thumper is at it again," said Lucan. "Poor guy just can't help himself."

  "Don't call him Thumper," replied Dario stiffly as he rolled over to look at the cell where the bangs were coming from. A pale Reytana youth, clad only in a dirty loincloth, was rubbing his head while inspecting the ceiling of his cell a few inches above him. His golden eyes glowed angrily as he bent his knees in preparation of another jump.

  Suddenly, Dario raised his hand. The youth stopped to look at the old Reytana, still frozen in a crouch, ready to spring. Dario locked eyes with him and slowly shook his head. The youth's shoulders slumped, and he slid down to sit on the floor, putting his head between his legs. Tears began to stream down his dirt-covered cheeks, but he did not make a sound.

  Dario turned back to Lucan. "Don't call him Thumper."

  "You're right," Lucan sighed. "But they should have names. They aren't animals, they're Tormada. Tormada have names."

  "Their parents will give them their names," said Dario, "just like always." Lucan gave a small smile and nodded. Further down the row of cells, another bang rang out. And then another.

  "They get more restless by the day," said Lucan. Prisoner after prisoner began to get up and make a commotion in their cell. Some grabbed their cell bars and pulled back and forth as hard as they could. Others paced the tiny perimeter of their cage, back and forth and back and forth. Still others were imitating Thumper and banging their heads against the ceiling. Even though they had only inches of space above them, they still insisted on jumping. The need to jump was stronger than the pain of hitting their head. The only Reytana that remained calm was the one directly across from Dario and Lucan. He crouched at the front of his cage clutching the bars with both hands. His wide-eyed face was pressed hard against the bars. The boy watched Lucan and Dario's every move without blinking.

  "We should give him a name at least," said Lucan, gesturing toward the crouched Reytana across from them. "We may as well be his parents."

  Dario studied the youth. He’s one of the bigger ones. Although, I’ve never seen him stand up so it is hard to tell. But he looks strong. The boy’s eyes were always probing, always searching them for something. In a room full of emptiness, this Reytana was trying to absorb as much as he possibly could. Dario thought he knew why the boy didn't blink. It was because he was afraid he might miss something.

  "That one would chew his way through those bars if we asked him to," said Dario.

  "If you asked him to," corrected Lucan. The youth shifted his stance slightly, his gaze locked on Dario. "He knows you're talking about him."

  Dario looked into those searching eyes for a long time. "Would you like a name?" he asked solemnly. The youth blinked.

  "Well if that wasn't a yes, I don't know what is," chirped Lucan. The youth blinked again, excitedly this time.

  "Very well," said Dario. "I'll have to think about it. You deserve a good name."

  Just then, the sound of a door sliding open came from the far side of the cavern. Everyone immediately became silent and looked in the direction of the sound. Lucan and Dario both stood up and looked at each other, confused. Two shadows began to grow on the wall across from where the new door had opened. The familiar sound of a eüroc tapping on the ground echoed as the shadows became larger. Tap... tap... tap. The origin of the shadows revealed themselves as two Gartune appeared around the last prison cell and walked toward the wall at the back of the cavern. One of them held a torch. The prisoners in the cells nearest to the light covered their eyes. It was the brightest thing they had ever seen.

  "You said it was done," said Hadrian as he stared at the blank wall at the back of the cavern. "This doesn't look done to me."

  "I thought I would leave you the honors," said Rankin, gesturing toward the king's eüroc.

  "Hmmm...." the king smiled, then turned to face the rest of the prison for the first time. Rows of shining golden eyes locked on to his every move. As if in a trance, those that were sitting stood up and those that were standing moved closer to the front of their cells to get a better view of the king. His sheer presence overpowered them. They could not look away. A few reached out through the bars, reaching for him.

  "Look at them," whispered Lucan. "they can't resist." Another pair of arms grasped longingly for the king as he walked toward Lucan and Dario's cell. "Plucking those two from the river before they could reach him may be the greatest thing I've ever done," said Lucan.

  "Quiet!" whispered Dario.

  "Is that you, governor?" said Hadrian as he sauntered over to Dario and Lucan's cell. "I heard you were down here." Dario straightened himself the best he could but a quick squint of pain in his eyes betrayed him.

  "It's been a long time, Hadrian," said Dario with a labored breath.

  "That's King Hadrian!" shouted Rankin as he swung his eüroc at the bar that Dario was gripping. Dario did not remove his hand from the bar to avoid the blow, choosing instead to slide his hand just an inch below where Rankin's staff struck the cage at the last instant. He winked at Rankin.

  "Still got
a bit of fight left in you, I see," said Hadrian while holding back an enraged Rankin with one hand. He looked Dario up and down, noticing the cuts and bruises that covered his body. "Looks like you might be a bit out of practice, though."

  "Yeah," said Dario with a grunt. "Well, you should see the other guys."

  "Oh, I have. They are currently back at Gartol training to be real soldiers."

  "You might want to consider sending a few more back," said Dario. "I've seen them exercising in the courtyards for many years and I've got to say... I'm not impressed."

  Once again, Hadrian had to hold Rankin back. "Maybe you can size up my new army for me then," said Hadrian as he waved his free arm toward the prison cells. "You've been down here a while. You've watched them grow. That couldn't have been a pleasant thing to witness; a Reytana receiving their light while trapped in a cage. They seem to have all made it through. What do you make of them? Would they fight if they had to?"

  "Oh, I don't doubt they would fight..." whispered Dario. He looked past the king and into the cell behind him. Standing, for the first time, was their inquisitive friend. His eyes were still locked onto Dario whereas everyone else was fixated on the king. He leaned his head forward slightly, as if he was about to pounce. His eyes searched Dario's face, searching for an order. Dario gave a quick shake of his head and the young Reytana crouched back down into his familiar position.

  Hadrian looked around to see who Dario had motioned to. The crouched Reytana did not look up at the king.

  "Interesting," said Hadrian. He thought for a moment. "Open that cage. Bring him out."

  The youth jumped to his feet as Rankin removed a large keychain from his belt and unlocked the cell door.

  "What are you going to do with him?" shouted Lucan.

  "Back to your corner, torman," cracked Rankin. "This doesn't concern you."

  Hadrian shook his head. "See what happens when you put your faith in the weak, Dario? You end up sharing a prison cell with them."

  The young Reytana plastered himself to the back of his cell as Rankin entered. His eyes darted back and forth between Dario and the approaching Gartune. Rankin dragged the youth into the hall and threw him at the feet of the king. Dario couldn't help but think that the anger behind Rankin’s unnecessary show of force was directed toward him, not the terrified youth on the floor. He glared at Rankin but kept his mouth shut.

  "Now we'll see if they will fight," said Hadrian. He held his eüroc in front of him and motioned for the prisoner to take it. Again, the Reytana's eyes darted back and forth between Dario, Hadrian and the staff that was being offered to him. Dario gave a cautious nod and the youth slowly grabbed the eüroc then took two quick steps backward. "A little skittish," said Hadrian, "but I guess that is to be expected. Let's see how much light this one has." He motioned to Rankin.

  "No!" shouted Lucan from the back of his cell. Dario raised his hand to silence him. The frightened Reytana took another two steps backward as Rankin approached while twirling his eüroc in his hands. Dario didn't need to see Rankin’s face to know that he was grinning. The young Reytana looked at Dario. The older Reytana stared straight back at him and did not blink. He gave another small nod. A touch of fire began to glow in the young Reytana's eyes. He stopped retreating and faced his opponent.

  Rankin laughed and threw a light jab at the prisoner's stomach. The eüroc struck him just under his ribs. The Reytana coughed but he did not step back. Rankin laughed again and threw another jab, this time slightly harder. It caught the Reytana right under the chin, forcing his head backward. Still, he did not step back. The glow in the young Tormada’s eyes grew fiercer.

  "Here we go..." said Hadrian.

  Rankin's smile transformed to a scowl as he took two quick steps forward while raising his eüroc over his head. Just before he could bring it down on the prisoner, the Reytana lifted his own eüroc over his head and blocked Rankin's attack. The clang of metal on metal reverberated throughout the cavern. A few gasps came from some of the cages. Rankin's eyes widened as he looked through the crossed eürocs in front of him and saw pure fire emanating from the unwavering stare of the young Reytana. Suddenly, the Reytana disengaged from Rankin, bent down, and with one fluid motion, swung his staff behind the Gartune's legs and sent Rankin toppling backward. The surprised Gartune dropped his eüroc and it rolled over to the front of Dario and Lucan's cell. Rankin lifted himself onto his elbows and frantically crawled backward as the Reytana advanced upon him. Rankin stopped when he reached Hadrian’s feet. Hadrian delivered a sharp kick to his back. The now terrified Gartune looked up but he found no aid in the face of the king. Suddenly, the Reytana swatted Rankin across the face with his staff. The prisoner was about to deliver another blow when Hadrian caught the eüroc as it sliced through the air. As soon as the Reytana met the king’s cool, violet eyes, his fire left him.

  "Good," said the king, reclaiming his eüroc from the prisoner. "Very good." The prisoner lowered his eyes and backed up against the outside of his cell. "It's ok. You can go back in," said Hadrian. He motioned toward the cell door. The Reytana looked back at Dario for approval and he received it with another nod. He slid back into his cell, crouched down and grabbed the prison bars with his hands. Once again, he was a frightened Tormada in a cage.

  Hadrian casually closed the cell door. Then he removed the keychain from the lock and threw it at Rankin with disgust. The embarrassed Gartune stood quickly and brushed himself off with as much dignity as he could muster, then returned the keychain to its place on his hip.

  Dario watched the crouched Reytana in the cell across from him. The youth was rocking slowly back and forth on his heels. Instead of looking at Dario like usual, he was staring at the floor.

  "So, what now," said Dario.

  "Now, nothing," said Hadrian as he looked approvingly at the cells full of Reytana. "And, if all goes to plan, it will continue to be nothing. More than likely, none of you will ever see me again." Hadrian walked over so that he was standing only inches from Dario's cell. Rankin’s eüroc sat at the base of the cage. Hadrian toed it while staring Dario directly in the eyes and then kicked the staff up to himself. "But it's nice to know," said Hadrian with a smile.

  The king's violet cape whipped around him as he turned and walked back to the far end of the cavern. Rankin came shuffling up behind him, being careful not to pull abreast of the king.

  Hadrian stopped when he came to the foot of the wall. He looked back over his shoulder and shouted, "You're going to want to see this, governor. After all, it was your people that made it happen." Hadrian slammed his eüroc into the ground and the rock immediately cracked in front of him. A fault line zig-zagged up the wall until it reached the ceiling. Dust and small rocks fell from the crack for a few seconds, then a low rumbling started. The rumbling became louder until the entire cavern began to shake. Suddenly, the entire wall collapsed upon itself. Dario and Lucan watched in horror as the dust settled, revealing another, larger cavern behind it. It was lined with cages stacked on top of each other; hundreds of empty prison cells awaiting their occupants.

  A few Reysene laborers with shovels and pick-axes wandered throughout the cavern. Dario thought he saw Loras and Regan's parents among the group, but he couldn't be sure. Once they saw Hadrian and Rankin, the Reysene quickly disappeared around a corner in the back of the room, leaving the newly-revealed prison empty.

  Hadrian scanned the prison and then turned to Rankin with a satisfied look on his face. "Like I said, this will be the last war."

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Octavian's Pass

  Octavian's Pass was a tree-lined valley that skirted the base of the Crescent Mountains from Woodhaven to Reysa. Many years ago, a river had flowed through the center of the valley making it a convenient trade route for waifs looking to barter with the Reysene. But the river had long since dried out and filled in with dense forest.

  Several massive shadows in a "V" formation swept over the forest canopy as the Reytana fleet gracefully floated th
rough the valley. The tips of the trees gently bent and swayed as ship after ship flapped just a few feet above. Other than the rhythmic whooshing from their wings, the hovercraft were completely silent – an impressive feet for such a large armada of machines. It was a testament to the ethereal craftsmanship of the Reytana. The Gartune may have been known as the "builders," but the Reytana also had plenty of engineering prowess.

  Aboard the lead ship, Loras closed his eyes and tilted his head back. He let the warm breeze flow over his face, soaking as much of it into his body as he could before it rippled through his hair. Waves of golden light gently pulsed through the ribbon around Loras' forehead. Behind him, a pale-faced Tinko leaned over the deck's railing. His white-knuckled hands clutched the bar as hard as they could, but they could not prevent his hefty frame from swaying back and forth with each flap of the hovercraft's wings. Frequently, his cheeks would puff up, followed by a muttered "sorry" and then a wipe of his mouth.

  "Who are you apologizing to?" asked Loras, his face still tilted toward the sky.

  "The ship. The trees. Whatever is living in the trees," mumbled Tinko.

  Loras laughed. "Aren’t you empty by now."

  "Not quite yet. I swear I just saw a nimber shake his fist at me," replied Tinko.

  "Maybe he was just waving," continued Loras.

  Tinko wiped his mouth again and attempted to stand up straight, leaving one hand on the railing for support. "Well, if somebody kept throwing up on me, I would like them to apologize."

  "Fair enough," replied Loras.

  "I see at least one of you is enjoying the ride," said Gracien as he strode up the hovercraft deck and joined the two friends.

  "Oh, it's a lovely ride. Just lovely," said Tinko. Then his cheeks puffed up again and he quickly leaned over the railing. "Sorry," he muttered.

  "It's amazing," said Loras. "I feel like I'm being fueled."