Blood Bond: The Anti-Matter Chronicles (The Matter Chronicles Book 3)

by P. G. Thomas

  Lauren closed her jaw, “Tranquil Fury didn’t fight?”

  “They’re trying to figure out their place in the puzzle.”

  Even though Lauren wanted to question Eric more, the Ironhouse brothers walked over, sitting down at the table. Greeting her, they never engaged her in conversation. After they had given their orders to the cook, she looked at them, “The bards will have a hard time writing this part of the play if you don’t say anything. Dwarf without words, surely the audience will think it’s some kind of joke?”

  “Worried we were,” began Aaro. “All dwarf concern was great. Better now is Earth Mother?”

  “Friend and brother Aaro, I look to the past and smile. I look to the future and don’t know how to greet it. I see visions that I both hate and like, but I’ve learned I cannot turn my back on the future. One day, when all this is done, everything will be better, but for now, everything is what it is.”

  “Earth Mother, to the town, please, apologize for us.”

  “Bor, did your concern for me cause other’s distress?”

  “Distress, you could call it that.”

  “Did you spill any blood?”

  “No, but bowels did empty.”

  Aaro nodded, “Bladders also.”

  “I think they’ll understand.”

  An hour later, when the Earth Mothers showed up, Lauren tensed up.

  Arora smiled, “Earth Mother, it pleases my eyes to see you again. Our concern was great.”

  “Earth Mothers, I’m sorry for any alarm my actions caused. I just needed some time to think, to be by myself.”

  “Next time,” began Brook, “please ask. Your absence disturbed all greatly.”

  Before Lauren could say anything that she would regret, John interjected, “Earth Mothers, could you provide an update?”

  “The sky elves have no new reports of any new threats,” Fritza advised, “The northern threat has been put to rest, and we are still trying to raise an army. Many of the elves brought here by the Earth Scouts seek audience with you, Earth Mother.”

  “I know. Please, give me a few more days, and then I’ll talk with them. What are their moods like?”

  “Divided.” Fritza looked at the ground when she spoke, “While half the dwarves want to protect the west, half want to take the battle to the black-clad. The elves and midlanders are even more divided. So many saw what you did in the valley and heard about what Eric did. They all want peace, but they just don’t understand why they need to go to war when you can do what you did.”

  “They are conflicted,” replied Brook.

  Lauren nodded, “Conflicted. That I understand. We’ll talk with them in a few days. Let’s wait until the town has settled down.”

  John and Lauren talked for the rest of the day, and other than the occasional laugh from Nur or Zack, the afternoon was quiet.

  It was after the last meal when Panry came into the backyard, “We have sealed your attic access.”

  “Panry, friend, protector. I’m sorry for the years that I have shaved off your life. I meant no disrespect to you or the Earth Guard, but I had a foolish idea that I could disappear. That if I did, somebody else would pick up where I left off, and they could watch their friends die. I know I need to finish what we all started.”

  “I am Earth Guard. I live to protect and serve, but it is easier when we know where you are.”

  “Panry, it won’t happen again.”

  As the first sun set, John called Nur and Zack over to the table, and he had the cook bring out a keg of ale. The four sat and talked about nothing in general, yet they managed to laugh and smile.

  Before they headed to bed, Lauren looked at John, “I would like a few days of quiet. Can you help arrange that? Then in a week or so, I’ll meet all of the elves, dwarves, and midlanders. See if I can convince them that war is coming. I have an idea, but I need some time to think about it.”

  John smiled, “I’ll let them know. If you need anybody to talk to, give me a shout. If you spend too much time talking to yourself, you’ll go crazy.” As Lauren turned to go into the house, he heard her mutter, ‘been there, done that.’

  *******

  Over the following week, Alron settled down. John helped Lindo and Brook draft up a statement to explain the events of the previous week, hoping to diffuse any rumors. Panry and his Earth Guards were enjoying the quiet at the house. Zack was frequently absent, and Nur was not seen with the other Earth Mothers. While nobody was sure of what was happening, none wanted to ask.

  The quiet before the storm had embraced Alron.

  Chapter 9

  Pintar looked visibly shaken, “John, I just received a post from the south port town. Something is wrong.”

  “A new threat?”

  “I do not know what it means. The south port town is sending a message from the Royal House. They say that army, which Eric stopped, was here to rebuild the fort that was destroyed, ensuring the plague stayed out of the west.”

  “It’s a lie, Pintar.”

  “Is it? The Royal House didn’t attack the south port town. They docked their ships and marched north. If they wanted to conquer the west, would they not have first occupied the south port town?”

  “Pintar, it has to be a ruse to buy them time. I saw the graves and the armies in the east. Hell, they captured and tortured me. They had spies here in town, attacked us. You of all people can’t be thinking this is a mix up?”

  “It is a pretty good plan to discredit an invading army theory.”

  “If they’re down half a million soldiers, it’ll take some time for them to move reinforcements in. If they can’t attack right away, talk is the easiest way to keep an eye on us, hindering us from raising our own army. I’ll let the others know. Don’t worry. We’ll try to use this to our advantage.” John stopped. It was a good plan to discredit an invading army, “Don’t send the fast horses back south. Wait until you have all six here, and then send two riders north. Have them bring back four witnesses from the north pass town. Right now, it’s our word against theirs, so let’s start to build our defense.” Once at their house, John sent one of the runners to get the Earth Mothers, as he wanted everybody to know what was happening. He needed them to start thinking of ways to counter the incoming message or at least a way to control it.

  When Mirtza, who arrived last, sat down, John began. “Pintar just advised me that the Royal House is sending a message to us, claiming the army that was marching north was here to rebuild the fort.” Jaws around the table dropped. “Here’s what I think is happening. They just lost three hundred thousand soldiers. If they do have reinforcements, they’ll need time to get them here. If they do nothing, there’s a chance that we can create an equal army. However, if they keep us busy with talk, promising everything will be okay, they’ll be able to execute their plans. Every day they talk, every day we listen is one day their troops march one day closer, and the creation of our army gets put off one day.”

  Lauren looked confused, tilting her head several times, trying to form words, “What?”

  “The post that Pintar received was short, stating that the army from the south was here to rebuild the fort. It was their continued effort to keep the plague out of the west, but it’s a lie, and they’re simply trying to buy time.”

  “When the message arrives,” began Lauren, “have somebody tell them the pass is blocked, and that we don’t need any help keeping lies out of the west.”

  “Lauren, they aren’t going to ask you. Messages about the Earth Mothers and us would’ve made it back to somebody by now. My best guess, they’ll use every trick they can to discredit you, as you chased their sympathizers out of Alron. They probably have sent spies to check on Hoyle and the others, and they would’ve heard what has happened. You’re the last person they’re going to ask permission from.”

  “Dude’s right. They’ll be like a divorced parent trying to win favors from the children. Lauren, you’re like the ex-wife to them, and they won’t want any
thing to do with you.”

  “Well, Zack, then what’ll they do?”

  “Lie, Dudette, lie. It’s all a big misunderstanding. We care about you and here have some candy. They’ll do whatever they need to make you into the villain.”

  Lauren shook her head in frustration, “You mean to tell me that we finally have everybody in the west understanding the invasion, and now they’re going to send a message that they want to talk. Have somebody tell us that the plague is real, and they’re here to protect us? The damned shadows we fought against for the last year are just going to swallow us whole.”

  John nodded, “That’s what they’ll most likely try to do. I asked Pintar to send all six fast horses to the north pass town, telling him to bring back witnesses of their attack. We can meet with the dwarves and elves also, letting them know what’s happening. Before they send anybody up to talk, we can send back a united message telling them to stay away. However, we need to be careful, as we need everybody in town to agree to it. If we force it on them, they may think we’re trying to hide something. We need everybody to agree that the west is protected, and we don’t need any help.”

  “I might be out of place.” Everybody turned to look at Ryan, “Can’t we use this opportunity to talk to them, and see if we can find out what’s happening?”

  “If they were coming to discuss peace that would be one thing,” began John, “but I doubt it. The whole premise of sending the army here to rebuild the fort, and to keep the plague out is a lie. I’m sure there will be an army of lies that follow that one. If the message hinted at peace talks, I wouldn’t know what to think, but they already wrapped the first message in an untruth. What we need to do is to keep moving forward with our plans to raise an army. That way, when the talks break down, and they are ready to invade, we’ll be prepared for them. The sky elves will help us find out where they hide, and then we’ll deploy our troops to surprise them.”

  “With eyes on us, where can we raise an army?” asked Aaro

  “Maybe the north pass town?” suggested John.

  Lauren stood to go inside, “I don’t believe it. They’re going to invade us all over again. The stupid part, the west will probably invite them.”

  *******

  The Earth Mothers backyard was too small to hold all of the dwarves, midlanders, and elves, so they had arranged two meetings. Having discussed it the night before, their biggest hurdle was the truth: three from their group had fought four battles, killing hundreds of thousands of Royal House soldiers. It was now common knowledge, which everybody in Alron agreed with, that the Royal House was the aggressor, using a hoax to win the east, and if there were any left, they would continue their invasion into the west. As for the elves and midlanders, they were more than willing to watch from the sidelines, cheering Eric and Lauren on, but they harbored no intentions of stepping onto the playing field.

  After the yard had filled, Lauren explained the message they would be receiving in a few days, and that the Royal House was making plans. She took a deep breath, “Right now, we don’t know what the message says, but we believe the Royal House is going to try to establish a presence in the west, to buy time, so they can move in new reinforcements. We need to keep them out of the west.”

  Before she could continue, the questions started when a midlander at the back stood, “What happened at the fort?”

  Lauren put her best foot forward, “I’m an Earth Mother. We all hold your best interest and safety close to our hearts. The fort was a staging area that the Royal House was using to prepare to attack the west. It was destroyed to protect you.”

  “But how?”

  “How is not important. If it remained standing, the Royal House would have attacked the west.”

  “Did the same thing happen, like in the valley?”

  “Sure, let’s go with that,” replied Lauren.

  An elf from the left spoke, “An army from the south was conquered, replacements for the fort. How can such an army be destroyed?”

  Lauren tried to remain calm, “That isn’t important right now. The Royal House is going to come here to Alron, trying to win your hearts and minds. They need to buy time so that they can send more armies to attack.”

  The same elf from the left, “Do you have an army?”

  “No, we don’t have an army, but we need to raise one to defend the west against the invasion.”

  A midlander on the right stood, “No disrespect, Earth Mother, but if you have the capabilities to destroy armies, why do we need to raise one?”

  “First, they have already attacked inside of Alron. If that attack had been successful, we wouldn’t be here to warn you about the treachery the Royal House is attempting. Second, if they attack multiple fronts, we can only be in one place at a time. If you’re able to defend yourselves, then we can go from one battle to the next. However, if the Royal House attacks, wiping out one of the settlements, there won’t be a reason for us to return. Last, the presence of our own army may encourage them to talk peace, especially if our army is bigger.”

  Everybody in the yard nodded.

  Lauren continued, “We don’t know what they’re going to say or do, but it’s our suspicion that they’ll want to put forces in every settlement. They’ll fabricate lies to support those reasons, but the real one is to hinder us from defending the west. We don’t know how long it’ll take them to redeploy forces here, but we need to be united in the fact that we don’t need them here.”

  An elf from the front, “You are sure treachery they come to seed. Blossom into harm for all those that call the west home?”

  “If they wanted to talk, they could’ve started a long time ago. They’ll most likely try to sabotage the plans we’re trying to make and even what we think. Most of you saw the evidence from when they attacked the Earth Mothers, and they had spies watching them also. The mayors were taking payments from them, and let’s not forget about Hoyle and his friends. The Royal House already had agents here, who could have done the talking. However, do you remember how they treated you? Also, I spent some time in the west, seeing the mass graves filled with slaughtered innocents. The only reason they’re coming to the west is to dig more graves. We have to stand united, telling them to leave.”

  A midlander from the right asked, “Can we talk to them?”

  Lauren shook her head, “If you want to, you can. They’ll most likely want to talk to you, using that ploy to open each door inch by inch, until you welcome them into your homes. Then it’ll be too late.” She kept talking for almost an hour, answering the questions she could, avoiding ones that would only generate more. As her frustration began to build with the repeating questions, the other Earth Mothers stepped forward, trying to rephrase spoken answers to questions already asked. At midday, they thanked everybody for participating, advising there would be a larger town hall meeting, where the same discussion would take place with the townspeople.

  When the yard cleared out, Arora was the first to speak, “That went better than I thought it would.”

  Panry shook his head, “They know the Royal House is a threat, but they also know that we are stronger.”

  “Well, they understand why we need an army,” Lindo added, “or they should, we answered that damn question a thousand times.”

  When the cook brought out several pots of hot bean juice, Lauren was the first to fill her mug, “I think what has them the most confused is the message from the Royal House. There’s a great curiosity to what happened in the east, and I think they hunger for answers. If the Royal House fabricates lies that they believe, they may just side with them.”

  John was looking at the ground, “You’re right. The Royal House isn’t acting like the threat that we described. There’s insufficient evidence to support either argument, and doubt is a very powerful influence. We’re going to need better proof, but that’s something we don’t have.”

  She threw her mug against the house, “We showed them an invading army. What more proof do they want?�
��

  “No, we didn’t, Lauren. We showed them an army in a mountain valley.” Somebody had to say it, but when nobody did, John did, “The one that you destroyed single handed.”

  “Fine, the next army that we find, I’ll let them invade.”

  After a quick lunch, they welcomed the second group of citizens to the backyard, having the same mixed results.

  *******

  Lauren was sure of two things: that she liked the new honey wine better than the spiced cider, and that she had not scored a victory at either meeting that day. Nobody said it, but all of the citizens were curious about any Royal House answers, which she understood. She also knew that John was right, and even though they tried to stress the Royal House was a threat, they lacked sufficient evidence to validate that conclusion.

  Logan strolled into the backyard, “Knock, knock.”

  “Who’s there?”

  “Royal House.”

  “Royal House who?”

  “That’s the question everybody’s asking in town,” began Logan. “News is running through the town like a wildfire in a stiff breeze.”

  “What’s everybody saying?”

  “The town is equally divided into two groups. One side believes the Royal House is a threat, one wants answers, and one doesn’t know what to think.”

  Lauren rolled her eyes, “Their plan is going to work. If they keep us divided, their armies march closer, and we remain defenseless. Damn it, Logan, I thought we were winning.”

  “Well, since we still control the town council, can’t the mayors just vote to deny the Royal House access to Alron?”

  “We probably could, but it should be their choice. If we say no, they’ll just think that we’re hiding something. They need to understand that the Royal House is a threat, and they need to understand it before it’s too late.”

  “Well, just tell them the truth. If they don’t like it, we can always leave.”

  “I thought of that, but sooner or later the Royal House will find us, and by that time, there’ll be nobody left to fight for.”