“Are you with me or not?” I asked angrily.
“I’m with you, Pendragon,” he said. “To the end, whatever that will be.”
Discussion over. I twisted the sphere away from the river to face the opposite wall of the cavern-the wall that contained the tunnel that led to the flume. I twisted the handle of one joystick. The drill settled down in front of us. Squeezing the trigger got the drill rings spinning. With a low whine, the sharp cutting device came to life. It was the moment of no return. Once we started digging, there would be no turning back.
I pushed forward. The drill dug into the wall. Siry leaned back in his seat as if to get away, expecting dirt and rock to hit us. Of course, that didn’t happen. The drill cut through easily and we were on our way, forging a new tunnel beneath the sands of Zadaa. We churned through solid rock, occasionally passing through one of the existing tunnels. I kept pushing the machine forward, guessing at the distance we had to travel. After a minute of digging, I angled the dygo downward, and we descended. The only guide I had to know we were headed the right way was my sense of direction, and my Traveler ring. It wasn’t long before the gray stone began to twinkle. We were getting closer to the flume. It didn’t take long before we blasted through the last wall of rock and drove into the familiar cavern. I stopped to catch my breath. I was sweating. Not from exertion, from nerves.
Siry looked worse than I felt.
“That was interesting,” he said with a weak smile.
I spun the sphere around to see the tunnel we had just dug. It wasn’t subtle. All across Halla the flumes were hidden in areas that were next to impossible for people to accidentally find. That wasn’t the case on Zadaa anymore. People were bound to discover the new tunnel. They were going to see the flume. By breaking through that rock, I had broken down another barrier between the territories. I was definitely playing Saint Dane’s game now.
“This machine is a wonder,” Siry gasped. “How will it help us beat the dados?”
“It won’t. Not directly.”
I spun the dygo 180 degrees until we faced the mouth of the flume. I nudged it forward. The treads rolled slowly, until the tunnel to infinity filled our window.
Siry looked at me with confusion. “Then why are we taking it to Ibara?”
“We’re not. At least not yet. We’ve got another stop.” “Where?” Siry asked with wide eyes. I took a deep breath and called out, “Denduron!” The flume sparkled to life. We drove into the tunnel, and the beginnings of a new Halla.
(CONTINUED)
IBARA
There were two flume gates on Denduron. I had no way of knowing which one we’d be dumped at. One was on top of the snowy mountain that loomed above the Milago village. The other was buried deep below the ground, under tons of rock. Access to that flume had been destroyed when the vein of tak exploded, decimating the glaze mines. Either way, we were prepared. The dygo would either get us down from the mountain or dig us out of the crushed mine tunnels. Getting out of the gate was the least of my worries.
Flying through a flume inside a vehicle was a new experience. If we weren’t on such a dire mission, I’d almost say it was fun. I had no control over the flight, so I let go of the joysticks. The power of the flume sent us along. The only view we had was through the narrow window in front of the dygo. Just as well. I didn’t want to look out onto the sea of time and space beyond the crystal walls and see any changes that might have happened after what we did on Zadaa.
Since we were sealed inside the dygo, I couldn’t hear the musical notes of the flume. They usually gave me the warning that we were nearing the end of a journey. I had to keep my eyes ahead to look for signs of our arrival. I was afraid we’d hit the gate that was buried, and smash against a wall of rock.
I didn’t mention that to Siry. He had enough to deal with.
After traveling for several minutes, I decided not to take any chances and fired up the drill bit of the dygo. I figured the drill would chew us through anything. As it turned out, I didn’t have to worry. No sooner did the drill start spinning than we were dumped at the mouth of the flume. Bright light flashed in through the narrow window of our digging sphere. Wherever we were, it wasn’t under tons of rock.
“Let’s get out,” I said, and popped the hatch.
It was a familiar sight. We were in the cave on top of the mountain, where I had first set foot on a territory other than my own. Denduron. I immediately thought of Uncle Press. I wondered what he would think about what I was doing. It wasn’t a happy thought, so I stopped thinking it.
“Now where are we?” Siry asked. He sounded tired. I didn’t think anything would surprise him anymore.
“Denduron is the first territory where the Travelers beat Saint Dane,” I explained. “Here, put these on.”
There was a pile of leather and fur clothing near the flume. I didn’t care about blending into the territory. It wasn’t going to matter what we were wearing, if somebody saw us rolling along in a silver dygo. There would be no blending in on Denduron. I was more concerned about the weather. We were wearing lightweight tropical clothing from Ibara. We’d freeze on Denduron. I dumped my Ibara clothes into the dygo and once again strapped on the leathers of Denduron. I noticed a difference right away. The clothes were much better made than when I had been there before. It was the first sign that the Milago had improved their lives after Saint Dane was defeated. There would be more.
“This area has two tribes/’ I explained. “The Milago and the Bedoowan. The Milago are farmers. The Bedoowan are more evolved and intellectual. They lived in a slick castle-city where they commanded an army that treated the Milago like slaves. The farmers were forced to mine a precious mineral called glaze, which was the basis for the wealth of the Bedoowan. The mines were treacherous, and the Milago were dying off. They revolted and the Bedoowan were defeated. The Traveler here is named Alder. He’s a Bedoowan. He’s told me that the two tribes now live in peace. The Bedoowan provide modern expertise, the Milago more practical skills. Bottom line is that Saint Dane was stopped for the first time here.
We finished getting dressed by strapping on leather-soled shoes. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the clothes were almost comfortable. The leather was soft and well crafted. I’m not so sure I would have needed my boxers even if I had them. Which I didn’t. We climbed back aboard the dygo. I fired it up and gently nudged the vehicle forward. We rolled through the cave and out into the bright light of Denduron. Our first sight was the vast field of snow where the quig beasts had attacked Uncle Press and me. I’m happy to say there were no quig spines sticking out from the snow. Like on Zadaa, the quigs wouldn’t bother us here. The turning point had passed.
The dygo rolled easily across the snow, making deep tracks. Siry was mostly silent, taking in the awesome view of the majestic, snow-capped mountains that surrounded us. It really was a beautiful territory. Rugged, but beautiful. He only made one comment during our descent to the Milago village.
“Am I crazy?” he asked as he looked up at the sky.
“No,” I chuckled. “There are three suns.”
Siry blinked and sat back in his seat. The guy was dazed. When he set out with the Jakills to learn the truth, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
As we got lower, the snow gave way to grass. I stopped the dygo, and we got out to survey the scene. We stood high above the valley, looking down on the new Milago village. My last view of this place had shown nothing but devastation. The explosion of the mines destroyed the Bedoowan castle and tore apart the countryside. Much of the Milago village had been destroyed as well. Now there was no sign of destruction. Just the opposite. The Milago huts were rebuilt better than before. They looked larger and sturdier. The dirt paths that wound between them now looked more organized and solid. It looked like they were paved. Beyond the village I saw the vast farmland that fed the population. It looked rich with crops. It looked perfect.
There was something else that made me smile. It was
late in the day. The three suns were sinking low on the horizon. Down in the village, street lights winked to life. When I had been there before, the Milago didn’t have lights. They didn’t have power of any sort. It wasn’t until I entered the Bedoowan castle that I realized the territory was more advanced than I originally thought. The Bedoowan had been keeping the Milago in the dark ages. Literally. I was thrilled to see that the Bedoowan were now sharing their knowledge. The Milago village was alive.
“Let’s get down before it’s too dark,” I said.
We climbed back into the dygo and continued our journey. My thoughts went ahead to the next step. It would be the most difficult of all. I didn’t want to see Alder, for the same reasons I hadn’t wanted to run into Loor. I didn’t want him coming back to Ibara. Unfortunately, on Denduron we were going to need his help.
I found a dense stand of pine-looking trees and pulled the dygo beneath them. “We’ll walk the rest of the way. Don’t want to panic anybody.”
We got out of the sphere and covered it up quickly with branches and leaves. It wasn’t a very good job of camouflage, but it was the best we could do.
“We need to find the Traveler,” I said, and led him down toward the village.
I didn’t think anyone would recognize me. It had been a couple of years, and I wasn’t the same scared little kid who left there after the destruction of the Bedoowan castle. I was still fairly scared, but I wasn’t so little anymore. Siry and I walked through the streets of the busy village without getting any second looks. The community was thriving now. It was no longer the kind of place where everybody knew everybody else. The huts had become houses. The streets were no longer muddy, and lights made the place warm and inviting. It was nothing like the village I had left in ruins. Except for one thing. Along one street was an open square that, at first, looked like a park. A low, black fence surrounded a grassy clearing, where I could easily imagine people stopping for a picnic. But it wasn’t a park. It was a memorial. In the center of the square was a wide ring of stones that I recognized as the entrance to one of the old glaze mines. It was on this stone platform where Saint Dane conducted his sadistic Transfer ceremony, where a miner was chosen and weighed against the day’s haul of glaze. If the glaze didn’t weigh as much as the miner, the miner was tossed to his death inside the mine shaft. It seemed this stone structure was left there as a memorial, and a reminder.
We asked a villager where we might find the camp of the Bedoowan knights. I figured that was as good a place as any to look for Alder. The villager directed us to the bluffs overlooking the ocean, where the Bedoowan castle once stood. I knew the way. We made it through the village and across a grassy field, then we saw the glow of lights up ahead. I explained to Siry that before the battle, the grassy bluff went straight out to the ocean. From on top you’d never know that a massive castle was built into the cliff below. When the mines were destroyed the immense castle fell into the sea, taking much of the land above with it.
As we walked closer, we saw that the lights were coming from the destroyed foundation of the castle-city. It had become the compound of the Bedoowan knights. A set of ancient stone steps led down to a large, open area that I recognized as the ruins of the arena where we battled the quig beasts. The memory gave me a chill. I never thought I’d see this place again.
Siry and I stood on the edge of the ruins, looking down on what looked like some kind of game. Several knights were gathered around a circle, watching two other knights wrestle. It wasn’t an angry competition. The knights cheered and cajoled the two combatants. It looked like a bunch of guys having fun. It was an odd feeling. When I was there before, they were the bad guys. Not anymore.
“Care to place a wager?” came a voice from behind us.
I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.
“Only if you were the one fighting,” I said. “I only bet on a sure thing.”
I was suddenly swept up in a bear hug. If I didn’t know better I’d think he was trying to crush me. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Hello, Pendragon,” Alder said warmly.
“Man, I am glad to see you,” I replied.
Alder let go and backed off. I’d he was. Though I’d grown a few inches, he still towered over me. His brown hair had grown longer and nearly touched his shoulders. He wore light leathers, similar to ours, rather than the heavy, black leather armor of a Bedoowan knight. He must have been off duty. As I’ve written before. Alder was a trained knight, but his aggressive side only came out in battle. He was actually a gentle guy who always had a smile.
But not just then. Alder’s expression was dark. “I wish I could say the same. I saw the machine, Pendragon. Many of us did. I do not know how to explain that to my people. Why would you bring such a thing from another territory?”
“To save Halla” was my answer.
He was upset. I understood. I had to explain myself. After introducing Siry, the three of us sat on the rim of the old arena, and I brought Alder up to speed. I didn’t hold anything back. He listened to everything I had to say. It was for Siry’s benefit too. My plan for battling Saint Dane on Ibara went against everything we knew to be right, but it was the only way. When I finally told Alder why we had come to Denduron, I felt as if I’d hit him in the gut. He didn’t say anything for a long while. He sat looking down at his comrades, who were laughing and having a great time. I felt bad. If we hadn’t been there. Alder probably would have been down there with them. That wasn’t the way it was meant to be. He was a Traveler.
He finally took a tired breath and said, “By doing what you ask, we could harm the future of Denduron as well. Have you thought of that?”
“I have. But this isn’t just about Veelox, Alder. It’s about Halla. If Saint Dane overruns Ibara, you may soon be facing an army of dados right here.”
“What you are asking is dangerous,” Alder said gravely. “We cannot do it alone.”
“Can you get help?” I asked.
“People remember you, Pendragon. They remember how you helped save the Milago from the tyranny of the Bedoowan. The only person they revere more is Press. But he is not here, is he?”
Again I got the feeling that Uncle Press would not have approved of what we were doing. But as Alder said, he wasn’t there. It was my show now.
“I can get people to help you,” he said. “There is only one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You must take me to Ibara.”
“No way,” I shouted, and jumped up. “I won’t risk your life. Not again. Twice was twice too many.”
“Pendragon,” Alder said calmly. “This is not a negotiation. My place is with you, battling Saint Dane. Why would you refuse that, unless you question what it is you are doing?”
“Of course I question what I’m doing,” I shouted back. “I’m trying to figure it out as I go along. If something happens to me, to us, what will happen to the Travelers? It’s why I didn’t contact Loor. If three of us don’t make it through this battle, and with Gunny and Spader trapped on Eelong, that would only leave Patrick, Loor, Aja, and Elli from Quillan. They would need you, Alder. We can’t risk it.”
“If this battle is as important as you say,” Alder said calmly, “it would not matter how many Travelers were left. The war would be over.”
“Agreed, but I don’t want you to be part of this.”
“Why?” Alder asked. “What is the real reason? Is it because you fear I will be hurt? Or because you have doubts about what you are doing?”
“I don’t have doubts,” I said adamantly.
“Then my position is not negotiable,” Alder said with finality.
I was stuck. I tried desperately to think of another reason for him to stay home, but came up blank.
“I kind of like the idea of him coming along,” Siry added.
“Fine,” I finally blurted out. “You’re in. I’m against it, but you’re in.”
Alder said, “Or maybe you could say that
you are happy I will be there to help.” “Yeah, that too.”
I realized I was sounding pretty ungrateful. Alder was putting himself on the line for me again. He was a good friend and Traveler. I shouldn’t have been so angry.
“I’m sorry. Alder,” I said, softening. “I’m glad you’re going to help us. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Alder stood and put a hand on my shoulder, saying, “From what you tell me, the best way to make sure nothing happens to any of us is to beat Saint Dane on Ibara.”
It was getting late. We needed rest. Alder found us comfortable beds in the knights’ quarters in the castle ruins. It kind of creeped me out to be back in that castle, considering I was the one who blew it up in the first place. Sleeping was tough. The task ahead was going to be difficult and dangerous. I’m not talking about the battle with Saint Dane. I’m talking about the task on Denduron.
Alder got up early the next morning to make preparations. By the time Siry and I woke up and got something to eat. Alder had already gathered a group of twenty volunteers from the Milago village. We met them in the clearing between the village and the castle ruins. I recognized some of the men. The biggest difference from when I was there before was that they looked healthy now. Back then, all the men had the same gray look of death, from working in the mines and breathing the poisonous fumes that were emitted when glaze was torn from the rock. Now they looked strong and well fed. I felt bad for what I was about to ask them to do.
Leading these volunteers was a man I remembered well. It was Rellin, the chief miner and leader of the revolution against the Bedoowan. He was now the leader of the Milago. He was as powerful and confident a leader as I remembered. The one thing missing was the anger he once held. He was now at peace with his world. I hoped I wasn’t going to disrupt that too much.
“You’ve grown up, Pendragon,” he said while giving me a warm hug.
“I can’t believe what I see here/’ I said to the man. “It’s a whole new village.”
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