Tufts of yellow hair fell across the Shieldwarden's face as she considered Eileen. "Maybe. Can't risk her detonating like those others."
Detonate? I'm not one of them! "You can trust me, I'm one of the Gold!" Behind the Shieldwarden the huddled shape of the Emperor drew farther away. "I'm supposed to defend His Luminance!"
The Shieldwarden ignored her. "Tie her up and let's keep moving."
"No!" she cried. "Take me with you. I can help. Let me help!"
They pushed her onto her belly, her cheek pressed against the cold ground. Eileen thrashed as the Flameguard produced a length of cord from somewhere and bound her hands. She did the same to her ankles, easily ducking away from Eileen's random kicks. Then the seminude guard was sprinting away. The others were already halfway down the corridor, fleeing with the Emperor. They disappeared into another compartment, the door closing behind them. The entire interaction had lasted only seconds.
Eileen screamed at them until the door closed, and then she screamed some more. She wasn't sure when her voice changed to sobs, but soon she was doing that too. I just want to help. I was supposed to help. Her tears dripped onto the metal floor.
She'd been useless in the Gold. A passenger to the battle, inhibiting instead of aiding. She imagined Oskar's lifeless body in the moon dust. Would he be alive if he hadn't needed to help Eileen with her harness?
She rolled onto her back to shake away the image. Through the clear walls she could see the battle, still raging high above. The Olitau's many turrets sprayed green in all directions, like some non-symmetrical firework. From here she could barely make out the shapes of Riverhawks, so tiny compared to the flagship, buzzing all around like flies. They surely weren't winning the battle. How could anyone withstand a ship so grand?
You destroyed the ordnance cannon, she thought. With that incapacitated the Emperor had a chance to escape, if the remains of the Gold could distract the other aircraft long enough. No, you didn't destroy the cannon. Oskar did. She'd just sat and watched from the co-pilot seat, no help at all. There was no pride in any of her action, no honor she could feel. She'd felt brave running across the moon surface, but that had been a selfish act, fleeing to safety. Stars, even that had been a hindrance on the Emperor's guard, forcing them to stop and deal with her before continuing on.
It all seemed a cruel joke. Why would the stars send her to Gold, where she would be nothing but a hindrance? Why was she here?
The sound of fighting drifted down the corridor, shouts and screams and gunblasts. Eileen twisted, listening. Although she could probably get to her feet and hop away, Eileen decided it was wisest to remain concealed behind her crate. She shifted her position, wriggling across the floor until she could see around the crate and down the hall.
One Shieldwarden was passing through the door, shouting commands, walking backward while holding his electronic barrier up protectively. Two uniformed guards stayed behind the shield, shooting through it at unseen targets beyond. Bursts of light, brighter and more fiery than lasers, exploded down the corridor beyond Eileen's view.
They passed by Eileen, glancing at her only momentarily. Laser beams followed them, whizzing through the air and striking the shield, where they were absorbed with flash and sizzle. The Shieldwarden bellowed more commands:
"Retreat. Three-by-two formation. Engage only as you fall back."
Someone jumped over the crate; Eileen craned her neck to see a male Flameguard crouching over her. He ignored her, eyes glued to whatever followed them. He muttered something under his breath. It sounded like a prayer.
Eileen heard footsteps. In the middle of the tunnel, twenty feet away, were four soldiers with rifles raised. They advanced slowly, firing at the retreating Shieldwarden and guards at the other end of the tunnel.
As quickly as he appeared, the Flameguard darted from the crates. Fire shot from his fingertips, striking one man in the chest, igniting him with a splash. He threw flame at another before tackling a third, grabbing his head and twisting it with a sickening snap. The Flameguard kicked the legs out from the final man before he too was enveloped in fingertip fire.
The Flameguard rose to assess the damage. A green beam struck him in the chest.
His body crumpled, head smacking against the floor. Eileen could hear him moaning, and his arms tried to move, but it was a pitiful effort. She wanted to crawl to him, to help him somehow, but fear stayed her feet.
Two more men entered the corridor. The Flameguard tried to raise his hand but they were on him quickly, crushing his arm to the floor with their boots. Eileen turned away as one of their rifles flashed, the high-pitched sound echoing through the cavernous tunnel.
Another dead while she did nothing. She closed her eyes shut but voices invaded her thoughts:
"Eileen," Jayce had said, "you worthless shit."
"Your father and I are so proud of you, dear."
Cara's bitter voice: "Wouldn't be able to fight off a forest cat. What have you earned, girl? What battles have you fought?"
"You show a lot of promise," Oskar had said. "You'll be a good pilot someday. But that day is not today."
Eileen's body shook with silent sobs. An emptiness ached in the pit of her stomach. Oskar was dead. Cara was dead. Jayce probably was too, by now. So many had died, good and bad, yet here she lay, alive and very alone. She struggled against the thoughts, squeezing her eyes shut. Desperately she searched her memory for something positive, for any virtuous thought to cling to.
"If your God lives, so long as you draw breath you will protect him from his enemies."
Those were Jayce's orders. A heat rose up in her stomach, filling the empty pit. It rushed up her chest and spread through her veins, the warmth of determination. She still drew breath. Her God still lived. And his enemies were right there.
She opened her eyes. Eight men now strode down the tunnel, spread out, rifles pointed in the direction the Emperor's group had gone. None looked her way. One of the men was only ten feet from her.
Protect him from his enemies.
She pushed herself to her feet, took two shambling steps, and launched herself at him.
Chapter 17
The force of her attack was enough to knock him off his feet. They fell to the ground together, landing with a thud. Something struck her in the face, blinding her with light.
When the light faded, returning her vision, two men stood over her.
"Fuckin' bitch."
"Kill her."
Without expression, he pointed the rifle.
Eileen waited for the gunshot. For the pain, or blackness, or whatever she would feel. But it never came.
There were other footsteps. She craned her head until she could see: another man had joined the two standing over Eileen. His legs were scrawny like a dead animal's, revealed by the torn pants that ended at his knees. His torso and arms appeared equally emaciated, and his cheeks had a hollow, starved look to them. His head was shaved bald.
"Who is she?" he asked with quiet authority.
"I don't know, Thorn," one of the others replied. "She came out of nowhere. I think that's a flight suit."
Distract them. Thinking quickly, Eileen said, "I'm one of you. I was in the Gold and my ship crashed. I tried to kill the Emperor but they tied me up."
The man--Thorn--gave a knowing smile. "The Emperor? The false god, you mean. I don't know who you are, girl, but we're not so easily fooled."
"Let's kill her and move on," the first man said.
Thorn stared down at her with curiosity. "Bring her along with the others."
The first man gave a start. "She'll only slow us down. The false god is right there. We can reach him if we hurry!"
Thorn laughed. "He is not ours to kill, Olyo. We are only to drive him forward. He will reach the Chain safely, where Saria will judge him. Her glory is near: the Ancillary is ready."
"But sir..."
"You will speak no more of this. Bring the girl along with the others, so they may witness our Mot
her's brilliance."
They cut the cord around Eileen's ankles and pulled her up, but left her hands tied. A dozen more men with rifles came through the door from the previous tunnel compartment. They led a handful of other prisoners with them: two pilots dressed like Eileen, and various other Latean workers.
Thorn paused over the bodies in the middle of the floor. Smoke drifted from one of them, skin black and crackling, chest still rising and falling with breath. "It is a great honor to be drowned by fire," he whispered, touching the smoldering man. He paused a moment longer before continuing on.
Eileen was shoved forward with the rest of the prisoners as they moved down the tunnel toward the Chain. She looked over her shoulder. The Olitau still hung above the shipyard in the distance, distracted with battle. His Luminance will reach the Chain safely. The Emperor will escape! Her effort had been minor--how long had she delayed them? Five seconds? Ten?--but she swelled with pride anyway, savoring the victory.
Her pride made her tongue bold, and something Thorn had said jogged her memory. "Are you... the Children of Saria?" The sun-worshiping fanatics were rumored to be small in number, but this attack was grand. She thought of all the men aboard the Olitau, how many must have been traitors for the flagship to be taken.
"We are all children of Saria," Thorn said, "including you."
"I'm not a terrorist."
Thorn smirked, still facing forward while they walked. "We are all born from her embrace, regardless of loyalty. Saria burns with beautiful purpose. Her light, her warmth, swaddles Melis and Praetar, giving life to what would otherwise be only rock and sand.
"It is from that warmth that all life grew. First in the oceans, tiny organisms observable only through a lense. On land and air they spread, slowly evolving, growing greater with every eon. All under the watchful gaze of our Mother, enveloping us with her love. Never demanding anything in return.
"Then mankind grew bold and sinful. They cast away our Mother's love, worshipping a false god of flesh. And now that man declares our Mother's death, and that we must flee her care to another system. But that is a lie, a lie told by men who wish only to ensure their own meager power." He turned around to stare at them, eyes wet. "Are we so quick to discard a mother's love? Are we so cavalier to abandon she who created everything the eye sees?"
"The Emperor created the oceans and the land," one of the other prisoners spoke up. "The Emperor has lived a thousand immortal lives, unlike your dying star."
Thorn laughed, facing forward again. "Soon my God will destroy yours. Then your blasphemy will cling to your skin like grease, and you will weep to behold your sin."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, through one tunnel compartment after another. Eileen squinted ahead of them as far as she could see down the tunnel, but there was no movement. At one point one of the Chain cars left the base, crawling up the length of the towering pillar.
Behind them the battle continued above the shipyard. The Gold is winning. They've kept the Olitau distracted while the Emperor escapes! A sense of calmness overcame Eileen as she returned her eyes to the Chain car, climbing to safety. Many of the Gold would die, but their God would live.
Thorn looked at his wrist-computer often. When they were still two compartments away from the Chain base he brought the group to a stop. "It is time."
Eileen was led to the wall with the other prisoners, pushed to her knees with her face against the glass. The man next to her, a worker, began whimpering. "They're going to kill us now. We're going to die."
Eileen felt none of his panic, at peace with whatever fate awaited. She looked through the clear wall. The Latean surface stretched away, black in the distance where there were no lights. A building peeked over the horizon, the control tower for the Acceptance Station. The Ancillary, the space station that orbited around Saria and harvested her energy, would be in alignment soon, she remembered.
Yes, there above them: a light was spreading along the curved outline of Melis, the sun rising behind the planet. Eileen realized all the armed men were on their knees too. Thorn still stood behind them all, his rifle held in both hands. He glanced at his wrist-computer again. He was waiting for something.
They're not going to kill us, she realized, they're praying. The sun-worshippers prayed three times a day: dawn, noon, and dusk. She supposed this was the closest thing to dawn here on Latea, when the sun rose behind Melis.
It crested the planet, brilliantly bright, the clear wall tinting automatically to protect their eyes. Light spread across the moon, illuminating the landscape. Eileen listened with curiosity as the Children around her began muttering prayers, incomprehensible incanting. They stopped when Thorn spoke.
"Saria, mother of all worlds, creator of all life. We raise our voices to your praise."
The others all repeated the words.
"Saria, bathe us in your judgement," Thorn incanted. "Show us your will."
As if on cue, a line of blue light streaked across space, striking Latea beyond the horizon. It was a continuous beam, thick, pulsing with energy. Gasps rose among the men. Eileen was unimpressed; she'd seen the Ancillary transfer its power to Latea dozens of times. Every student on Melis knew how the power station worked.
Dust rose in the distance, where the laser was striking the wide receptor plate. That's strange, she thought, squinting.
"Her will is known! Look at how she speaks!"
The dust cloud grew larger, and Eileen realized what was causing it. The laser appeared over the horizon, punching across the ground. It's not hitting the Acceptance Station. Dust and rock exploded into the air where it struck, shaking the ground underneath Eileen's knees. Onward the laser came, a sword of blue slashing toward them.
Thorn's voice rose to a scream. "Mother, bathe us with your light! Drown us with your fire!"
The laser crossed the remaining distance impossibly fast, striking the base of the Chain.
The tunnel shook from the explosion. The lights went out, but the ball of fire at the Chain illuminated the tunnel, showing the debris and metal flying in the air. There was a painful pressure in Eileen's ears.
No!
She watched with horror as the fireball continue up the Chain, enveloping the car retreating to Melis. The car containing the Emperor.
"She has struck down the false god with her glory," Thorn cried. "The Empire crumbles beneath her will!"
The fireball winked out, all oxygen consumed. Eileen focused on the smoke, praying. Please, Your Luminance. Please no. Debris was drifting lightly to the ground, and then her eyes saw it. The Chain car, broken in two long pieces, falling slowly to the ground. She stared, unable to look away as the charred pieces fell out of view. A shudder in the ground confirmed it.
Thorn's face glowed blue in the light. He gazed into the sky, eyes wide like a blind man seeing for the first time. "This is only the beginning, Children! As I speak our brothers and sisters begin their attack in Luccar. Soon they will rouse the false god's heir from his bed and reveal him as a mortal. With the truth confessed none will be able to dismiss our Mother's glory!"
Eileen's pride disappeared, replaced with despair. All their efforts were undone. Oskar's death, the other pilots of the Gold, all for nothing. Her Emperor, her God, was dead, and she'd done nothing to help. "Stars save me," Eileen whispered. Just then the prayer seemed more of a mockery.
The laser abruptly ceased, the damage complete.
The voices of Thorn and the other Children rose, a seamless cry of ecstasy and reverence. The prisoner next to Eileen jumped to his feet and sprinted away. The Children did not stop him.
Eileen slumped over, head resting against the ground. A growing light caught her eye. Two tunnel compartments away, where the Chain's base had been. Something fast approaching.
Fire.
She sobbed as the wall of fire spread, beautifully orange and red glistening in her tears. The voices berated her again, Oskar and Jayce and her parents, words of scorn and pride and disappointment. I'v
e failed. I failed you all. She screamed to give voice to her despair and to drown out the voices. She screamed until her lungs deflated and her throat burned.
The fire burst through the door into the segment adjacent to theirs, quickly spanning the distance. It reached the divider to their compartment.
The wall exploded outward, drowning out her screams and the prayers of the Children. They raised their arms high as they were consumed.
Eileen's last thought was of her parents, smiling proudly, before the fire took her.
About the Author
David Kristoph lives in Virginia with his wonderful wife and two not-quite German Shepherds. He's a fantastic reader, great videogamer, good chess player, average cyclist, and mediocre runner.
He writes mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy.
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Sneak Peek
of
Book IV: Drowned by Fire
Onero stood atop a platform in the middle of the square, arms spread wide, addressing the army of Children below him. "Saria, oh mother of worlds, giver of life. We once again renounce the false god of flesh and bone that haunts this city. We raise our voices to your praise!"
"We raise our voices to your praise."
Katy repeated the words along with everyone else, a cacophony of prayer that echoed off the buildings in the square of the old city, and the towering levee wall to their left. The men and women all around her stared at Onero with fervency, a religious lust that knew no doubt. Onero had a way with words, a way of speaking that made you think he was talking directly to you.
Katy glanced to the east, where the Wall separating the old and inner cities blocked their view of the horizon. This wasn't a proper dawn prayer because of that, so Onero had to estimate the time in other ways.
Sword of Blue (Tales of a Dying Star Book 3) Page 17