Regan turned the wheel in the opposite direction and leveled herself out. Then she gently turned the other wheel, making sure to not force it too hard, and she gradually swiveled to her right.
"Ok, now how do you fire this thing?"
"Point yourself the other way and I'll tell you," said Xander. Regan didn't even notice that she was aiming directly at him. She quickly turned the wheel on her right in the opposite direction.
"The two levers in front of you. The shorter one primes the cannon. Hold it down for a few seconds and then pull the longer lever to fire. Simple as that."
"How do you know all of this stuff?" asked Regan incredulously.
"You forget I was only eighteen when I took over this place," said Xander with a shrug. "There wasn't much to do and – if you’d ever seen a Gartune get their metal, you’d know how teenage boys feel about weapons." He nodded toward the wall in front of Regan's seat. Someone had drawn a crude bullseye with a person at the center of the target. The person wore a purple cape and had long, black hair. Regan glanced over at Xander, but he was busy inspecting the controls of his cannon.
She looked down at her own weapon and wiped dust off of the various levers. She wondered how many times over the years they had been pulled. She imagined the Reytana who had sat in her seat before her, and glanced down the corridor, imagining it full of Reytana soldiers manning the defenses. Protecting the city. And now it was up to her; her and the prince of Gartol.
Suddenly, from down the hall, they heard an electric hum. Regan looked at Xander, her eyes wide. The hum got louder as it approached. Xander nodded his head. "Show time," he said.
All of a sudden, the corridor was awash with light. The pipes running along the floor to each cannon lit up with solar energy. Regan felt a jolt in her chair as her cannon was activated. The entire corridor hummed loudly as weapon after weapon sprung to life.
"Oh, I forgot one thing," shouted Xander. He pressed a button between his legs and a panel in the ceiling above him slid open. Regan did the same and both of their chairs rose through the ceiling into the open air. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the change in light. When she was able to focus her vision, she saw five open-mouthed Gartune staring directly at her. From behind her she heard a hum and a whoosh. She turned over her shoulder and saw a large cloud of purple dust slowly rising into the air.
"Regan, fire!" shouted Xander. She turned back to face the Gartune. They had snapped out of their shock and were charging toward her. Frantically, she pressed the small lever on her cannon down. The cylinder in front of her began to hum and spin rapidly. She counted in her head, one... two... the Gartune were almost on top of her... three! She pulled the other lever and a white-hot flare shot out of her cannon with a loud whoosh. The five Gartune in front of her disintegrated.
Regan felt like she was going to throw up. The purple cloud of Gartune aura floated into her eyes. She squeezed them shut and her stomach heaved. A strange smell filled her nose–one that she had never known before. It was acrid and smoky, and as it made its way through her nostrils and down to her tongue, she tasted death.
Her head began to swim, and she became dizzy. Suddenly, a voice cut through the fog. "Regan – look!" shouted Xander. She opened her eyes and spun her chair around. Xander was pointing toward the ground. Immediately, Regan's head cleared, and she remembered why she was there. She turned the wheel on her left and tilted her chair downward toward Octavian's Pass. As the scene below came into view over the top of her cannon, her heart skipped a beat.
The two armies stood on opposite sides of the Aeil River, only twenty feet apart. The swollen ranks of the Gartolian army more than tripled the Reytana troops. Neither side moved. Regan squinted and made out two figures, each standing in front of their respective armies.
Regan assumed that the Tormada in front of the Gartolian army had to be Hadrian. Even from far away he appeared larger than the other Gartune. The Reytana standing in front of the golden army was at first a mystery, but the longer Regan stared, the more she knew in her heart who it must be.
The two armies stared across the river at each other in silence. The trickle of slow-moving water between them was the only sound. Sunlight glittered off of the river's surface in a kaleidoscope of colors. It was by all accounts a beautiful day.
I would have liked to have learned how to fish, thought Loras. The right way, not…whatever I was doing back in the forest. I think I would have liked fishing. I wonder if Declin would teach me.
Across the river, Hadrian frowned as he sized up the young Reytana. He seemed particularly interested in the band around Loras' forehead. "You're a bit young to be standing in front!" shouted the king of Gartol.
"I couldn't see from the back," shouted Loras. The corner of the king's mouth curved upward for an instant, then returned to his normal grimace.
"Nice headband you've got there," said Hadrian. "What's your name, boy?"
"Loras. What's yours?"
The king's brow furrowed deeper. That may have been unwise, thought Loras. I wish Declin was here. He always seemed to handle dicey conversations with ease. Loras suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Declin since they left The Hole. He started to miss the little waif. If he had been there, Loras would have asked him what to do next.
"You're one of the twins – the ones who escaped, aren't you?" said Hadrian. Loras said nothing. "Well, now I know why they hid you from me for all these years. Tell me, why return? You could have hidden in the forest with the rest of your kind. You could have survived – for a little while longer anyway. Why come back?"
Loras shrugged. "I live here."
"Not anymore," snarled Hadrian. "I'll make you a deal. You don't have to die this day. Neither do the rest of you. Come over here and kneel to me, and I give you my word that you will live. I'll even let you stay in Reysa.”
Loras could detect a glimmer in Hadrian’s eye as he made his offer. I’ll bet you’ll let me stay in Reysa… you’ll let me stay under it with the rest of the Fallen Reytana.
“This is your only chance, boy. Cross the river and surrender to me or die where you stand.”
Loras looked down at the water between them and shook his head. "Sorry. I don't swim."
Hadrian stomped his eüroc in front of him. The ground peeled away and shot out over the river, forming a small land bridge. "There, now you don't have to," he said smugly.
Loras pretended to study the bridge. "I don't know, it doesn't seem too sturdy. Why don't you go first?"
"You remind me of my son," replied Hadrian. "His mouth always got him into trouble too." Loras bristled at the comparison.
"I won't ask again," continued the king. "Surrender, or I send you and all those behind you to The Scales!"
Loras looked over his shoulder at the army of Reytana. Six hovercraft gently dipped up and down above them. A seventh ship was barely visible behind the others, with Tinko peering over the bow. Loras lifted his fist to his chest and pounded it once, then gave his friend a small nod and the ship peeled off toward Reysa. As the ship departed, the entire Reytana army lifted their fists to their chests in unison and pounded once. They looked at their leader, waiting for orders. Loras lifted the fiery sword streaming from his palm and yelled with all of the courage in his heart, "For Gracien! For Reysa!" and leapt over the river. Before he landed, the rest of the Reytana were already in the air behind him.
"Good for you, boy," said Hadrian. He lifted his arm and the metal sleeve on his forearm expanded into a shield that easily deflected Loras' attack. Loras tumbled backward, but quickly stood and composed himself. Sparks flew around him as Reytana fire met Gartune metal, but Loras paid no attention. He only had eyes for one person: Hadrian.
The king did not advance on Loras, but stood and taunted the young Reytana, twirling his eüroc. He retracted his shield and left himself wide open to attack. Let him come to you, said a voice in Loras' head. Loras crouched in a defensive position with his shield arm up. Hadrian smirked and took a quick step
forward. Loras jumped back, almost falling in the river. Hadrian laughed.
"Do you even know how to use those things in your hands?" taunted Hadrian.
"Why don't you come and find out!" shouted Loras, embarrassed for having flinched.
Hadrian sighed. "Very well."
The king advanced slowly on the crouched Reytana. Once he was within striking distance, he began to circle. Loras turned his body, staying square with the king, but did not move his feet. Quick as lightning, Hadrian jabbed his eüroc at Loras' ribs. Loras barely raised his shield in time to deflect the attack. Gods, he's quick. Quicker than Gracien, even.
Hadrian swung his eüroc over his shoulder and grasped it in his shield hand then swung again. This time, Loras saw the strike coming. He jumped, allowing the staff to pass under his feet. His timing was right, but his jump was too high. Hadrian had enough time to perform the bodong. The king quickly stamped his eüroc into the ground, causing the dirt in front of him to form a small hill. He then used his eüroc to catapult himself onto the hill just as Loras was at the top of his leap. Hadrian met Loras in mid-air and hammered the unsuspecting Reytana in the chest, throwing him down into the river below.
The force of Hadrian's blow forced Loras down to the river floor. For an instant, his whole body went numb. He looked and saw the sun shining brightly through the ripples on the surface. As he continued to watch, the sun got closer and closer, rapidly growing in size until it exploded into a burst of light right in front of him. He could hear yelling from the Gartolians. Then, two more suns appeared in the sky and came hurtling toward them.
Loras leapt out of the river. As he wiped water from his eyes, two explosions erupted from the middle of the Gartolian army. Rocks and bodies went flying into the air in the midst of two plumes of light.
"Back to the camp!" yelled Hadrian. Immediately, the army fell back. Their retreat was not panicked, but organized and efficient. They were almost out of range before the next two volleys of solar flares hit the ground. Hadrian looked one last time at Loras, still standing in the middle of the river, before he joined his army in retreat. Two bright explosions landed right where he had been, sending rock and dirt shooting into the sky. When the air had cleared, he was gone.
A cheer erupted from the Reytana army. They thrust their swords in the air yelling, "Rey-sa! Rey-sa!" Everyone looked up toward the city. Two more solar flares flew down from the western wall but fell well short of the retreating Gartolian army. Nearly fifty dead Gartolian bodies littered their wake.
It only took Loras a moment to collect his thoughts. Miraculously, the six hovercraft were still intact and hovering above him. The soldiers aboard joined the Reytana on the ground in chanting, "Rey-sa! Rey-sa!"
Loras did not join in. He knew that their victory was but a small one, and if they did not act quickly, it would be inconsequential as well.
"Quickly!" he yelled. "To the ships! To the city!" Immediately, the chanting stopped, and the hovercraft landed, allowing the Reytana on the ground to board. Though they were forced to stand shoulder to shoulder, somehow, all of the soldiers fit onto the vessels. That's not a good sign, thought Loras. It means we lost a lot even in that short battle.
Loras climbed aboard last and the ship struggled to lift off the ground with its overloaded crew, but the craft eventually gained altitude and banked upward toward the city. Loras scanned the sky for any sign of Tinko's ship but found none. It's on you now, Tink, thought Loras. Or all of this was just a waste of time.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Help
Tinko was frustrated. The wooden sled that he had haphazardly constructed in order to transport the energy orb was barely holding together and making way too much noise as it slid over the cobblestone streets in the outskirts of Reysa. It was obvious from the sweat dripping down their foreheads that the four Reytana in charge of pushing the sled were not thrilled with Tinko's plan. I should have just had them carry the damn thing on their shoulders, thought Tinko. At least then it wouldn't have made as much noise.
Tinko raised his hand and the Reytana behind him came to a stop. He listened as several Gartune footsteps came running down the street. Immediately, Tinko jumped behind the sled to join the four Reytana huddling behind their precious cargo. It was fortunate that Tinko had ordered the orb's sled be constructed to look like a merchant's cart – tall, rectangular and covered with a tarp – in order to disguise the shape of the object inside. At least I did that much right, thought Tinko. This was now the third time that they were forced to hide behind the cart as a group of Gartune ran by.
The soldiers passed their location without even a glance at the large cart parked in the alley. The Gartune ran in the same direction as the previous two groups – toward the center of the city. Not a good sign, thought Tinko. They're going toward the capitol. So much for sneaking the orb in undetected. He began to regret his decision to land the hovercraft on the northern outskirts of the city, rather than just flying it directly to the capitol building. Even though it would have been the most efficient path, he felt it was just too risky. A vessel as large as the hovercraft would have been easily spotted and stealth was paramount during this part of the plan. So, he circumvented the perimeter of the city below the wall until he found an old abandoned warehouse with a roof large enough to land the ship. He had then ordered the Reytana to construct a sled out of scrap wood they found within the building. Not once did the Reytana question any of Tinko's decisions. Until now.
"What's your plan for when we get there?" asked one of the Reytana as he struggled to lift the back of the cart and push it forward. The wooden planks that served as the sled’s rails screeched as they scooted over the uneven road. The Reytana's tone was not angry or judgmental, merely curious.
"I don't know yet. I guess I'll think of something," said Tinko, scanning left and right before stepping out into the street. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. Currently, his entire focus was on getting to the capitol building. That task in itself was daunting enough.
The roads narrowed as they approached the center of the city. Each one was lined with sidewalks on both sides, big enough for two tormans to walk side-by-side, or one Tormada to walk alone. Apartments, shops and offices butted up against each other, occasionally making space for a narrow alleyway in between. Many years ago, it would have been a warm and bustling thoroughfare, alive with Reysene working and shopping. Today, it was dark and empty; depressing, but preferable for clandestine activities such as sneaking an energy orb through the city.
Just as the Reytana succeeded in pushing the orb's cart into the center of the road, four Gartune ran out into the street ahead. There was no hiding this time. The Gartune instantly saw the large cart, and more importantly, the four Reytana behind it. The Reytana immediately dropped the cart and sprung into a defensive position around the orb. One of them grabbed Tinko and shoved him inside of their little perimeter. Just then, more footsteps came from the opposite direction. It was another troupe of Gartune. Tinko and the Reytana were surrounded.
"Ok, I know that I’ve been making all the decisions so far," said Tinko as the Gartune approached them from both sides. "But I want you all to know that I am currently open to suggestions." The Reytana did not answer him. Instead, they all pressed the small pads in their palms and sword and shield sprung from their hands. They began to move clockwise in a slow circle, their eyes fixed on the approaching enemy.
Tinko's mind began to race. Think, you idiot! That's what you're good at. There has to be some way out of this. Tinko searched the buildings surrounding the street, not sure what he was looking for. They all appeared deserted – all except one. Tinko spied the face of a young Reysene peeking out of a second story window directly across from their location. Once the boy saw that Tinko had spotted him, he raised his arm up to show something clutched in his hand. Tinko couldn't make out what it was – maybe a rock of some sort, or a book? Whatever it was, it was heavy-looking, and the Reysene appeared as if he meant to throw it. The youn
g boy stared at Tinko as if asking permission. Tinko gave a quick shake of his head, hoping that the Gartune didn't notice the gesture. The boy in the window raised his hand a little higher, thinking, perhaps that Tinko hadn't seen what he was holding. Again, Tinko quickly shook his head, a little more forcefully this time.
The Gartune were almost on top of them now. One of the approaching soldiers noticed that Tinko was staring at something in the building across from them. He followed his gaze to the window with the boy in it. Without a word, the Gartune pointed his eüroc at the window, pressed something in the staff’s handle and a sliver of metal shot out of the end and sliced through the glass.
"Get down!" yelled Tinko, but the projectile had already shattered the window. Tinko couldn't see the boy anymore. It all happened so fast that he couldn't tell if he was hit or not. Rey, please let him be ok. Slowly, a hand rose out of the window. It was still holding the strange object. Then suddenly, the boy flung it out the window. The projectile landed at the feet of one of the Gartune. Tinko could see it clearly now, but he still did not recognize the object. It was a small, dark cube with white powder on the outside. The Gartune poked the cube with his eüroc. Nothing happened. The soldier bent over to inspect it closer. Tinko noticed little wisps of white smoke slowly emanating from the edges of the cube. The Gartune's nostrils flared as he sniffed the smoke. He jerked back, but it was too late.
The cube exploded in his face, immediately turning the top half of his body into purple dust. The bottom half fell to the ground and immediately dissolved into another violet cloud. The other Gartune started yelling and turned their attention to the building where the cube had come from. Suddenly, several other cubes came flying out of the surrounding buildings. The soldiers scattered. The cubes exploded quicker than the first one and by the time the last loud bang rung out, three more Gartune were down.
Hyperion's Shield Page 32