City of Steel (Chaos Awakens Book 3)

by Heath Pfaff

  "I am not a good person, but at least I can say I have done some good things." Xandrith said the words aloud. There was no reply, not that he'd really expected one. What would Kassa say if she was around? Xandrith would have given a great deal at that moment to hear her wry words of wisdom. She'd always been too good for him, and look where that had landed her?

  "Down that road, madness." Xandrith heard the words spoken, and he looked around for a moment, expecting to see his young-shadow sitting in the cell with him. It was empty though, which made him question whether or not he'd said those words himself. He shook his head. Madness indeed. The sound of footsteps in the hall roused the assassin from his dark brooding. He stood up and took a step away from the wall. He counted three distinct sets of steps. The time had come.

  Xan expected to see Rand amongst the men that approached, but as they drew within the assassin's line of sight he quickly determined that the captain wasn't amongst these three. They all looked like students of the mechanna, dressed in sensible work clothes with strange devices and tools hanging from their belts. Two of them sported glass eyes, and one wore a set of goggles with strange colored lenses on spring-loaded arms. The woman was missing a right arm and had replaced it with an articulate hand of metal that made a quiet whirring sound as it moved. These weren't the sort of folks Xandrith had expected to come torture him. None of them looked particularly intimidating.

  "Trast Gleamsteal, we've come to apologize for your imprisonment, and to set you free." The female spoke for the group. She was tall, heavily built, with a surprisingly square jaw line. Her right eye was a glowing pane of glass encircled by bronze. "I'm Ulina Wolcraft, my companions are Harkavol Bint," She indicated the shorter of the two men, one with a long red beard and a friendly, easy smile. He had two eyes of glass that radiated a blue glow. "And Milt Shooven." The other fellow was clean shaven with a heavily scarred face. He was wearing the goggles, having seemingly managed to keep both of his natural eyes. He seemed nervous, and despite being taller, he hunched behind the others as though trying to avoid attention. He gave a single nod in greeting.

  Xandrith was taken aback. "You're letting me go?" He asked, confused. "Captain Fortsmith said I was to be tortured and then executed."

  Harkavol's eyes flashed from blue to purple and then back to blue as his brows raised. "He said what? Captain Fortsmith wasn't to have any communication with you at all. He was only tasked with seeing to your care while you were being held and your appearance was investigated."

  Apparently there wasn't quite a consensus on Xandrith's status in Forge Haven. "He’s been questioning me since I arrived." Xan stated.

  Ulina looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Trast. We should have considered that possibility, but we thought Rand would put his duty before his own personal feelings. You see, before you arrived the first part of the caravan showed up in a panic. A few of the members of the caravan, one of them related to Rand, came forward with a claim that you had been responsible for drawing the trolls to the Forge. We couldn't ignore such a claim, so we set about further investigating the situation. We also ordered that, should you arrive, you would be secured and held until we could determine the truth. Rand was given that task, as he is the head of our enforcement division."

  Milt spoke up quietly from the back. "We specifically forbade him from harming you until the truth of your guilt was discovered."

  Ulina nodded. "Yes, you were to be held without harm until we could speak to the others from the caravan. We questioned everyone, and soon it became clear to us that you had never posed a threat. Lottan spoke highly of you, and many others in the caravan credited you with saving their lives. Those who distrusted you were a very small portion, and none of them could provide any proof for their stances. I hope you will accept our sincere apologies on this matter."

  The amount of relief flowing through Xandrith at that moment made him almost feel giddy. He still wanted to stab Rand in the face, but he felt much better than he had. "Your apology is accepted." Xandrith said easily. "I suppose Rand hasn't told you anything that I've told him?"

  Ulina waved to someone Xandrith couldn't see and the bars to the cell slid open soundlessly. "No, I haven't spoken to the Captain since giving the order for you to be held."

  "Then I should tell you, you need to evacuate the Forge." Xandrith spoke plainly. A general look of shock spread from face to face.

  "The trolls won't be able to gain entrance here." Harkavol said confidently. "They could lay siege for years and never penetrate this fortress. We’ve been ready for such an eventuality."

  Xandrith shook his head. "They're going to get inside. They have resources beyond the normal. It's easy to forget, but they're every bit as intelligent as we are, and they’re masters of their own brand of magic. They will get inside before long." Xandrith stepped from his prison and found himself in an open hall. There were cells much like his lining both sides of the hallway. They all appeared to be empty. "Can I get my things back?" Xandrith asked, eager to have his bone dagger back on hand.

  "Of course." Ulina answered, nodding to a guard who was only a few feet down the hall. He immediately took off for wherever such items were stored. "But I think you are underestimating the work that went into building Forge Haven. From beyond the wall, there is no way to force themselves inside. The walls, roof, and floor are all impenetrable. Even with the tools we used to build them, they were constructed in such a way that tearing them apart would be nearly impossible. The ducting and water works are built with hundreds of redundancies, and they are secure beyond any one person's understanding. The trolls haven't a hope of getting inside."

  Xandrith didn't feel nearly as confident about that. He didn't doubt that Forge Haven was amazing, and that any normal invader would never find their way inside, but the trolls were different. They had resources that couldn't be planned against. The bonesteel wielders had powers beyond even what the trolls could bring to bear. Then there was the god-thing, which could prove to be powerful as well as unpredictable. Xan also wasn’t sure where their lizard mounts had come from, or what else they might have picked up when they’d acquired them. If the trolls couldn't breach the walls, they would find another way in using one of their allies.

  Xandrith was about to speak these thoughts when the guard returned with his things. It didn't take the assassin long to notice that something was missing. "My bone dagger isn't here." Xandrith said quietly, his elation at release drifting away as though caught on a cold breeze.

  "Was this everything in the storage chest?" Ulina asked.

  The guard nodded. "I checked twice to be certain I didn't miss anything, Miss."

  "I'm sure it will turn up." Harkavol said, obviously trying to ease the look of worry that had fallen across Xandrith's face.

  "The Captain had it yesterday." Xandrith said as the memory came back. "He was asking me what it was."

  "Why would Rand be interested in your dagger?" Harkavol seemed confused.

  "It's not just a dagger carved from bone, it's a magical item." Xandrith tried to explain without going into too much detail. "It is part of the reason I needed to come to these mountains to begin with, and if we don't find it the trolls will be the least of our trouble."

  "I'm afraid I don't understand." Ulina looked confused. "What magical properties does it possess?"

  Xandrith opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the correct words to describe the situation. "I will tell you, but it's not going to be easy to believe, and the story may take some time. Please, can we send someone to find Rand and that knife while I explain?"

  Ulina looked to her fellows who all looked equally puzzled. "Alright." She said after a time. "That can be done. Let us adjourn to a more comfortable location, and you can tell us your story."

  Xandrith nodded, a sense of impending doom hanging over him, There was a storm ready to sunder the peace of Forge Haven at any moment and Rand was connected to it somehow, he could feel the clouds swelling.

  Rete
lling his story took Xandrith longer than he would have thought. So much had happened since he'd left Rewolla and his life as an assassin behind. He could feel time slipping away from him. Somewhere beyond the gates of Forge the god-thing was drawing closer to the source of magic that would rouse it fully from its sleep, and the trolls pressed in on the walls of the hidden city. Xandrith could feel the press of time upon his shoulders as he spoke. It made taking his time with the tale difficult, but he forced himself to be meticulous in his recounting.

  "When I finally came upon the caravan I was nearly starving to death. I was just trying to make my way north as quickly as possible." Xandrith finished. He'd left out a few details, mostly the ones that would make him seem insane. He wasn't going to tell anyone about the younger version of himself that popped up for conversations. Somehow he didn’t think he’d inspire any confidence by admitting he had a mirror image that might either be a sign of his insanity, or some haunting remnant of the intelligence he'd splintered from the bonesteel weapon. There had been many questions throughout his retelling, but once he’d finished there was only a heavy silence as the three mechanna considered what they'd been told.

  "You believe that you can kill this god, then?" Surprisingly, it was Milt who spoke up first. He'd been quiet through the entire recounting.

  Xandrith shrugged. "I have to try. I've seen too much, and I know too much not to do anything. Just because I was a killer, doesn't mean I want to see the world die."

  "We can send help with you, armed men. We also have equipment that might help you find what you're looking for. Magic gives off a certain radiation that we can detect and track. It might take a day or so to get things organized, but - and I believe I speak for all of us here - we are ready to aid this cause." Milt said and the others nodded their agreement. Xandrith was shocked to be taken at his word so readily.

  "You believe me?" He asked incredulously.

  Milt nodded, tapping the glasses he'd been wearing through the story. "Deception causes certain changes in the anatomy, and we've been watching you closely through your retelling. I haven't detected any attempt at deceit, and your story fits very well with the events that have been occurring recently. Besides, the risk of spending some of our resources to aid you is negligible when compared to the risk of ignoring your warning."

  Xandrith wasn't quite sure what to say. "Thanks, I guess." He said with a half grin. "I'm not sure we can afford to wait a full day for things to be sorted, though. The sooner we get moving, the better the chances that we will find the god-thing before it ascends. Also, you should be concerned with getting your people out of Forge Haven. The trolls will get in. It's only a matter of time."

  Harkavol spoke, his words hesitant. "I don't want to admit, I don't think any of us do, but I believe your concerns are justified."

  Ulina's voice broke in. "We have prepared for such an eventuality, but we'd hoped never to have need of the escape routes. Beyond these mountains there is a great sea. We have built ships that can be launched through tunnels out into the ocean, but beyond that we don’t know where to go. We have never found the time to properly explore beyond the mountains. It was our belief that this fortress would stand forever."

  "This has been a wondrous home for us, Xandrith. The mechanna have always had great difficulty finding places where we can be accepted. It will be hard to leave this haven behind." Harkavol's voice was low and heavy with notes of regret.

  "I will find someone who can accompany you." Milt spoke again. "Even if we don't have the time to organize an entire expedition we can send someone with you who will know how to use our equipment. You will be better served if you have some idea about which direction you should be traveling in."

  A knock sounded on the door.

  "Enter." Ulina called, and a moment a later a guardsmen entered.

  "Ma'am, we have been unable to locate Rand, but he apparently went to his home and gathered belongings in a pack. Since then he was spotted headed in the direction of the air exchange system." The guard reported.

  Xandrith's entire body twitched. He'd gathered his belongings? What was he doing? Why had he taken Xan's knife? Something wasn't right. The Captain's actions didn't make any sense, and that was worrisome.

  "Is he trying to leave the Forge?" Harkavol asked. "Why would he do that?"

  "There are escape tunnels out into the mountains in the air exchange system." Milt explained. "I don't understand why Rand would be trying to get out of the Forge with that knife. That doesn't sound like something he would do. Rand is known to be hot headed, but this is above and beyond anything he's done before."

  He wasn't sure how he knew, but Xandrith was suddenly positive that Rand's behavior had something to do with the trolls and the bonesteel wielders. He had no way of knowing exactly what powers each of the cursed men and women possessed, but it wasn't a stretch to imagine that one of them might be able to distort the reasoning of other people. It was quite possible that Rand wasn't in his right mind. That would explain the strange outbursts in the prison, and Rand's inability to even attempt to see Xandrith's side of events.

  "Was he traveling alone?" Xan asked.

  "We didn't specifically ask, but one of our witnesses, a worker who replaces air filters, did say he thought he'd seen a woman arrive with Rand. When he went to investigate further, the woman was gone and Rand quickly chased him away and left." The guard looked embarrassed. "We didn't pursue that line of questioning any further because we thought it was likely just another worker."

  "What is it, Xandrith?" Ulina asked. "What do you suspect?"

  "The trolls might already be inside your city." Xandrith said quietly. "That woman might be another bonesteel wielder using her powers to manipulate Rand. If Rand can get out through those passage ways, couldn't others be led back through them?"

  Looks of worry turned to looks of shock and horror. If Xandrith's guess was right, the trolls could be upon them at any moment.

  "How long ago did he leave?" Ulina asked.

  "About five hours ago." The guard answered.

  Xandrith could see the three mechanna running numbers in their minds, calculating how long it would take for someone to get out through the secret paths and then bring others in.

  "Sound the evacuation alarms!" Milt was to his feet. "I have to see to the ships. We need to move the families and Planners immediately!" An alarm sounded as he finished his words, and another look of terror swept through the room.

  "We're too late." Harkavol muttered the words with a sick expression on his face. Xandrith didn't need to be told that the alarm was one to be used in the event of a breach of security. Someone had already spotted trolls in the Forge.

  Ulina stood from the table, pushing her chair back to clatter over. "We must save the families! Sound the evacuation now, and order the guardsmen to the top levels. We need to seal the working levels before the trolls get further down through the structure." She turned to Xandrith with a look of sorrow on her face. "I'm sorry but we won't be able to send help with you after all. We must do what we can for our own."

  Xandrith just nodded numbly. He needed to find out where Rand had gone. If he didn't get that knife back all hope was lost.

  Harkavol turned to the guard who'd come to inform them of Rand's disappearance. "Yivlin, take Xandrith to any of the exits he'd like. See that he has a few emergency supplies, and then report to the evacuation deck."

  The guard nodded his compliance and then turned to Xandrith. "Where would you like to exit?"

  "I need to be as close to where Rand would have exited as I can be without wading through trolls." Xandrith answered quickly.

  Yivlin gave a sharp nod of his head. "Follow me, sir." He began to jog at a quick pace, and Xandrith fell in behind him. The sense of impending doom was still building up inside of him. Forge Haven was lost and many, many people were going to die. Xandrith felt a surge of guilt well up within him. It wasn't his fault, the trolls had already found the Forge. Still Xan felt somehow responsi
ble. He should have been able to do something to help all these people. In the end, even his warning had been too little, too late.

  Also of concern, the trolls were now aware that he was alive again. The advantage he'd won by being dead was gone, and Xandrith had told the Captain all of his plans. They knew what he intended to do, and they had the knife. He needed to get the knife back, and now it’d probably be well guarded. He quietly cursed himself for his lose tongue. He'd been a fool, even more so than usual.

  A disembodied voice boomed through the air, startling Xandrith from his thoughts. "Sections one through five of the Elite Guard are ordered to Level 10. Trolls have breached the upper levels. This is not a drill, trolls have breached the upper levels." The message repeated once more, seeming to radiate from the walls of the structure. "Full evacuation has been initiated. Everyone report to your designated evacuation ports immediately. Guardsmen, and Elite Guard section six report to the evacuation ports. This is not a drill." That message repeated again, and then both messages started to repeat from the beginning.

  Xandrith was far too concerned with his own escape to question how that voice had been projected. His instinct told him magic, but he knew that the mechanna had their own methods. It didn't really matter either way. He had his own tasks to be concerned with. He followed close behind Yivlin as they wound their way through an increasing flow of foot traffic. Mostly they had to dodge people running in panic to get to the evacuation ports.

  Even as rushed as he was, Xandrith couldn’t help but take in the magnificent splendor of the mechanna city. The buildings rose up from the ground as though the entire place had been one solid piece of steel and the buildings had been shaped from the block by some magical means. All made of the same base metal, the buildings could have been repetitive and dull, but the designs had clearly been seen to by someone with an artistic flare. Each building was organic to the environment, and though they all fit into the greater scheme of the city, each was unique in its own way. They rose up into the great darkness of the cave above, pillars in the darkness, their tops lit by the strange white glow of the lights that had been built into the stone ceiling to hang over the entirety of the city. The lights looked like stars, each surrounded with a halo of jagged stone.