She saw what he meant. The towers connected to the ring.
“There are rungs on these things,” Dean said.
Jules spotted them too, and walked to the closest tower. Looking up made her dizzy, as it appeared to waver in the wind. The clouds moving overhead added to the effect. “I’ll climb it.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Dean asked, but Karo set a hand on his shoulder.
“I think it’s necessary. We’ll find what we seek atop these.” Karo went first, leaving Dean and Jules on the ground.
“Jules, you guys are acting strange. What is it?” Dean stared at her, but she didn’t know how to respond.
Jules’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She started to ascend, but Dean grabbed her arm. “Wait. This is like that time on Menocury L05. At the cliffside. You—”
She shrugged him off, unable to stop the compulsion to reach the ladder. Karo was far ahead of her, halfway up already. Jules heard Dean trailing behind her, and she smiled despite her fears. His comment lingered on her memory, but vanished as the desire to climb took over.
The rungs were solid metal but flaked off pieces of rust as she went. Concern that they wouldn’t hold was a minor thought at the recesses of her mind as she moved upwards, step after step.
Karo was at the bend, and he steadied himself, waiting for her. His eyes were unfocused as he spoke. “We have to walk the final section.”
The tip of the spire was narrow and had nothing to hold on to. They’d need to balance. Dean arrived at her heels. “You aren’t seriously considering walking that plank, are you?”
The wind was stronger here, blowing against their armored suits. Jules glanced at Dean and smiled. She didn’t feel like she was even in control, but it didn’t matter. She was safe. “Stay here. We’ll be fine.”
“Please let me tether you,” he pleaded.
Karo nodded, and they snapped ropes to the metal rungs before climbing to the top of the bent spire. From here, Jules could see forever in all directions. It felt like being on top of the world, and she closed her eyes, the wind waving her side to side. She found her balance and started forward. The walk was only twenty steps, but she took her time, hearing Karo advance at the same pace.
She stopped at the end, peering at the ring connecting the spires together. The size, the mountings. She knew what had once existed in the center of the Sovan city.
Karo said it first. “The portal spheres.”
There were four known spheres, based on the observation of four Deities. She knew the location of two of them. Jules had first discovered one of them at Menocury L05, where the local Nirzu had worshiped the stone as a god. The second had been unearthed on an island far away, and currently sat at the Alliance Institute at Terran Thirty.
This was where the third portal stone had been, and now she understood what had transfixed her since arriving on Duliv. She might not be a Deity, but she was connected to them, and they to her. She had the imprint of the gods inside her mind, just as the missing stone had left a trace of its power and energy behind in this location.
Karo tried to speak, but she shook her head. Jules stood on the ledge, the edges of her boots extending over the metal drop-off. She teetered there and closed her eyes.
Where are you? If she could tap in to the energy, maybe she could determine the location of the sphere stone. But she was only human, with all the limitations that came with it.
Don’t label yourself, she told herself. You’re connected. Use it. For a moment, she couldn’t decide if it was her own voice or that of a foreign entity speaking through her mind.
Jules kept her eyes pressed shut, and felt Karo’s secure grip on her rope, ensuring she didn’t fall forward through the stone’s mounting ring.
She changed tactics. What is your symbol?
And everything shifted. Jules saw an image: a thriving Sovan community. The stone hung like a precious gem in a ring setting, high above the Duliv city, and the people praised it. Once a day, thousands of Sovan gathered beneath this location, kneeling and praying to their god. Only it was a Deity they hailed, not Ovalax.
And something clicked. The stones. They weren’t meant to be portals. They were eggs. The Deities were hatched from these very spheres. That was how the portals were first created, a link together so the gods could visit one another no matter where they roamed. But they’d somehow separated from their eggs and had eventually discarded them as the Deities grew in strength and dismissed mundane things from their past. It was why the Nirzu had worshiped the piece of rock, and why the Sovan had done the same.
Her vision continued, showing the portal stone glowing a bright orange. The symbol was displayed in blackness over the round shape of the object. That was it. How she could track the third stone. Jules pictured the emblem as the image faded in her mind. The shape remained in position, and it spun around in 3D on the backs of her eyelids. It looked like two capital H’s side by side, with a dot between each series of lines.
She opened her eyes and smiled as she turned to face Karo. “I’ve seen it. Come on. Let’s get off here.” Her compulsion was gone, and suddenly, their altitude had her stomach flipping.
Karo didn’t appear to be fazed, and he helped her to the edge of the bend, returning to the ladder rungs where Dean waited.
His expression was worried. “Can we go now?”
They descended without talking, and when her boots hit the ground, Jules went to Dean, quickly able to tell he was upset with her. “I’m fine.”
“Until one day you rush off, and you’re not fine.” He averted his gaze, kicking a rock.
“What did you see?” Karo interrupted them.
“We found a portal sphere, one of the four.” Jules was glad when this caught Dean’s attention.
“You’re certain?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Do we need to search more? Find something about Ovalax?” Karo peered around the courtyard, as if seeking his next step.
“No. I have everything I came for,” Jules said.
“And what’s that? How does this information help us?” Dean chased after her while she walked toward the distant mountainside portal.
“Because the Sovan weren’t trying to seal Ovalax into a stone. They were hunting a Deity.” Jules kept walking and smiled while Karo and Dean chased after her with a million questions.
Twenty
Regnig limped down the corridor, pleased that Fronez had the decency to slow for him.
Where are we going? Regnig asked.
“You’ll see.” Fronez was in a good mood today, but Regnig knew that could change. His attitude shifted more often than the tides of Banod. For the last week or so, Regnig had had a difficult time not longing for what might have been. It was so unlike him, and he wondered if this was what it was like to die. To see your life before you, and to witness all the various threads that could have been.
They were only two days from arriving on Newei—slightly ahead of schedule, Fronez told him. Regnig believed he’d been lied to, so that the information he’d given Dean Parker would be inaccurate. Maybe Fronez could already tell the future. It was impossible to tell.
The ship wasn’t big, and the Shimmali man stopped at the end of the corridor, setting a palm on the door. “I haven’t shown anyone else this room. You are the first. Are you prepared for the responsibility that comes with this?”
Regnig considered his options. If he said no, what use was he? If he said yes, he was as good as part of the bargain.
Regnig’s curiosity won out. I am prepared for the burden.
Fronez grinned and opened the door.
Regnig’s beak spread wide in shock, and his heart fluttered in his ribcage. Where did you find this?
“You led me to it.” Fronez stepped into the gray-walled room, causing the lights in the ceiling to illuminate.
The round portal stone was about twice Regnig’s height, and he could almost taste the latent power residing inside the sphere. Ho
w did I do anything of the sort?
“The book. Sovan…”
Regnig had read that book ages ago, prior to meeting Dean Parker and his daughter. Years before he’d learned that these Deity stones even existed. How was it that he’d missed it? Of course the Sovan hadn’t been recalling a fictitious god. When he’d first read it, they’d sounded fanatical, trying to return a being to a stone. But now, after all they knew about the Theos, and then the portal spheres, it all made sense.
He groaned, wiping his brow with a wing. And you wish to bring something into the stone too.
“That’s where you come in. I understand you’ve discussed this with the Recaster. That you know how he managed to place an Iskios inside the crystal portals.” Fronez didn’t ask it like a question. He was stating a fact.
I do understand the principle. Regnig tried to step back, but the door was closed behind him. I thought you were planning on feeding me to the beast.
Fronez shook his head, causing his snout to wag. “I only told the Wibox that. They have a vendetta against someone named Sager, and I advised them it was you. They spent many generations racing around, seeking any Toquil they could. Turns out he had a hand in sabotaging an arrangement between the Gretiol and this Sect of Memories. King Uvid felt he was made a fool of. I’m sorry for threatening you earlier, but I had to ensure you were someone I could trust with this monumental task.”
Regnig stayed still, not willing to tell this man he was indeed the one named Sager, that he’d freed the young heiress and helped her escape the Wibox Runner all those years before. It would only put a target on his back. I appreciate the honesty. You expect we can use this to absorb the great mind of Ovalax?
“Ovalax grows weary. The sacrifices have gone from intelligent and honorable to pathetic and contrived. Few involved in the Sect continue to obey the rules and old customs. Only the Wibox are left trying to enforce an agreement that even Ovalax is no longer able to respect. With me in control of his memories and knowledge, I will predict the future. I will rule.”
It always returned to the same thing. Hunger for an elevated station. I will help you, Fronez. Together we will slay your beast.
Regnig hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because something as ancient and wise as Ovalax was a creature to be revered, not dispatched with.
He silently urged the Recaster to come to Newei sooner rather than later, because Regnig guessed Fronez wasn’t going to wait around to be interrupted.
____________
The sun rose above Terran Thirty, and I walked with Mary to the mess hall. We’d stayed in Jules’ room, Hugo sleeping on the floor, Mary and I cramming into the twin bed. Natalia had arrived that night and taken her son’s accommodations, and we were all meeting for breakfast before we departed for Newei.
“You sleep okay?” I asked my wife.
“Not even a little bit,” she admitted.
“Well, you look beautiful.” And she did. Her hair shone in the dull glow of the red sun, her eyes sparkled, and she walked with grace.
“Always the flatterer.”
“When this is done, can we go home for a bit?” I asked.
“Home? Which one?”
She was right. We’d had so many over the years, but there was only one I considered my true home these days. My parents had bought it when they were young, just starting out. Mom used to tell me how scared she’d been when they made the offer, taking the large loan from the bank. But my dad had assured her not to worry, that he’d do anything to keep the farm and the house on the land. And to his credit, he’d succeeded.
“You know which one,” I responded.
That house in Ohio was where we’d first raised Jules. Spent Christmases, and had the kids’ horses. The neighbors cared for Jules’ Belle and Hugo’s Casper, and it had been too long since we’d been able to enjoy the place.
Magnus had sealed off the mess hall for us at this early hour, and I bet he was the first inside. Suma was with Rivo, talking over coffee. Walo was pushing a finger into Sergo’s chest, meaning he was getting another earful. Slate and Loweck sat at a table with Leslie and Natalia. Nick and Clare had even made the trip, and I waved at everyone as we entered.
“Looks like a family reunion,” I said with a laugh, and they all stared at me. The only ones out of place were Emperor Bastion and his two guards. He sat alone, eating fruit with his fingers.
“We heard one of our friends was in need of some assistance, so we came,” Leslie said. She looked healthier since she’d joined the crew of Light, but the loss of Terrance still loomed over her head. Every day was a new chapter, and she seemed in good spirits.
“You’re correct. Regnig is gone, but Sergo and I spent the last few months tracking his position. We almost had him in our grasp, but he was transferred to a planet named Newei.” The doors closed and Mary dimmed the lights, while Suma activated the 3D projector. The planet’s image glowed blue, and it slowly rotated above the middle of the mess hall. “We don’t know a lot about the world, but there is a portal, and we’re planning on using it.”
“There was also some kind of monster?” Leslie asked.
“Ovalax is believed to inhabit this planet. We’re unclear what the creature is, exactly, but we’ve uncovered a conspiracy involving some of our partners and a group named the Sect of Memories. That may be for another day, because the priority is finding Regnig,” I said, leaving out the fact that I’d been selected by the thing. I didn’t want to worry anyone, especially my wife.
“Are we expecting violence?” Slate asked.
I nodded. “The Wibox, an old enemy of our new friends the Gretiol, are at the forefront of this entire Sect. They seem to do the grunt work, being hired out to escort sacrifices to Ovalax, among other things. They’re also involved in slave trade, which I’ve seen firsthand. We managed to free six such people on Ibarran D, and escorted them there.” I didn’t mention that one of them had died.
Slate cracked his knuckles. “I’m looking forward to this. We encountered the Wibox in Outpost a few days ago, and I’d like to show them who’s boss.”
“You’ll have your chance,” I told my good friend. “All of you. If you choose to join us, I’d appreciate the support. Regnig is important not just to me, but to all of us. He’s never hesitated to help us, and we will not fail him.”
I could sense the energy escalating in the room, and smiled at my loyal friends. “Sergo, would you mind updating everyone on Fronez?”
Sergo left Walo’s side and nodded to Suma, who flipped the image to show an image of a Shimmali man. He had a raised scar over his left eye and wore a white lab coat. “Fronez was a renowned scientist on Shimmal, until he was caught endeavoring to store patients’ memories in digital imprints. He was banned from studying, and consequently, he was banished from Shimmal. Rumor has it he went in search of a research partner. He met someone named Evors, a Motrill criminal mastermind, with more money than sense. Fronez used Evors’ contacts to fund his work, and we think Fronez has discovered how to steal someone’s mind. Literally.”
Slate’s eyes went wide, and he scratched his head.
“We expect Fronez to sacrifice Regnig to the beast, in an attempt at a barter. We’re unsure what Fronez’s motivation is, but it doesn’t align with our own. Expect a fight.” I concluded the back story.
“What about the recruits you interrogated last night?” Suma asked.
“Nothing much to report. They were low-level, enlisted to hack into Outpost so they could kidnap Emperor Bastion’s son, Malir.” I glanced at the Emperor.
“Please bring my son to me. I wish to break my pact with the Sect. It was not my decision, and I fear my ancestors made a grievous error.” Emperor Bastion seemed even older today, and it was obvious the loss of his son was weighing heavily.
“He’s alive, and we will get him home.” I made the promise, hoping I could carry through with it.
Rivo raised her arm to get my attention, and I gave her the floor. She was in charge of Al
nod Industries since her father Garo had died, and her dad was the one who’d housed and supported Regnig for a substantial time of his life.
“I have something that might help you.” She handed me a computer chip.
“What’s it do?” Mary asked.
“Plug it into your tablet, and it sees through the crust and mantles, then the core.” Rivo grabbed a tablet from the table and jammed it into the port. It hung over the edge of the device, and she flipped the sensor, aiming at the floor. “See how simple it is? Adjust the levels to shift the sensors deeper.”
I watched as she showed us the various layers beneath Terran Thirty, and eventually, we found an open cavern with a body of water in it. “This could prove useful for a lot of people. Especially dry and arid climates,” I told her.
“That’s why it exists, but when I heard what you were doing, I figured it might come in handy.” Rivo beamed and unplugged it, setting it in my palm.
“Thank you. Are you staying long?” I asked.
“You think I’d abandon you? Regnig is like a grandfather to me,” she said.
“Okay. The more the merrier.” I slid the tool into my pocket, thrilled to have it. If Ovalax was underground, this would locate him.
“What do you have for us, Magnus?” I asked.
Magnus rose and wiped his hands off, leaving his toast on the plate. “The Institute has been testing jetpacks for the purpose of ground cavalry attacks. If the Wibox want a fight, we’re bringing one. I have fifty of my best, personally trained by myself with the jetpacks, coming with us.”
“Is that overkill?” I was used to covert missions, not strong-arming the enemy.
“Not if they match it. They have to expect we’re onto them, and if they don’t, they’re even dumber than I give them credit for,” Magnus said with a smirk.
“All right. We leave this afternoon, so everyone be prepared. Regnig told me they were arriving in two days, and I want to be there early to scope out the situation. Maybe we can locate Ovalax first and strike a deal with him. If he’s as intelligent as we’re told, he might barter with the Alliance,” I said. Part of me was scared to meet him, after the tales of him absorbing other races’ minds, but I had to trust myself. I could stop him.
The Survivors | Book 16 | New Lies Page 19