"And I would tell her no," I quietly replied.
I had left the door to the apartment open, and could hear footsteps coming down the hall outside. I was a little surprised when the Rock stepped into view, with Tersa right behind him.
The Rock said, "I thought I instructed you to return to Remaca!"
"I went there, and left," I told him. "You never instructed me to remain on Remaca."
The Rock gave me a dirty look, and said, "I believe you understood my intentions!"
I stopped and focused my thoughts. I was so filled with anger and remorse over April, that I was behaving poorly. I quietly asked, "What would you have me do?"
In a far gentler voice, the Rock said, "We need to return to Krashure Maug. Much has occurred. The Magi Council wishes to confer with you."
Nodding, I turned to leave with the Rock. Standing next to me, Dona quietly said, "Have faith in us Kaltar. Carl is right. We're working night and day to get them awakened."
I paused, smiled at Dona weakly, and said, "She is my beloved. Please help her."
Dona smiled back, and said, "We owe you so much already Kaltar. If it's in our power, April will be returned to you healthy, safe and sound."
Thanking her one last time, the Rock and I folded space for Krashure Maug.
Chapter 8
The Gratar Twelve
There had been changes since the last time I was on Krashure Maug. For one thing, there were Magi in uniforms. It was obvious they were soldiers, newly trained for combat. There were also soldiers from the Chosen, and a group known as the Guardian knights as well. The place looked like an armed camp.
As soon as the Rock and I arrived, Ramann Zanthros stepped out away from the city gates, and waved at us. He smiled as he walked across the open courtyard to us, loudly saying, "It's good to see you so soon!"
"Are you getting comfortable here?" I asked.
Ramann nodded, and said, "I've been visiting with old friends and having a great time."
In a warm joking voice, the Rock said, "Try not to blow the place up Banger!"
Ramann blushed slightly at the comment, and said, "I'll be good."
The three of us started to walk toward the gates to the city. We slowly worked our way in the gate. Behind us, I suddenly heard Vandahar yell, "Wait for us!" We paused, and could see Vandahar, Tersa, Urla, and Talara working their way through the crowd toward us.
A few minutes later, the seven of us were working our way through the city to the Council Chambers when we met up with Madias. He seemed to be waiting on us, and addressing the Rock, asked, "Are you aware the Council has summoned the Gratar Twelve?"
"Yes," replied the Rock. "The war is upon us! The Darkness has attacked Earth and Camelot itself in an effort to break our forward momentum. It's time we started to return the favor."
"So we will be going in to intervene directly?" asked Madias.
"We already have been, but more and more, we shall be in direct combat," said the Rock.
We had been walking as we talked, and before us we could now see the large doors to the Council Chamber. A mass of people stood before us, and Madias yelled out, "Stand aside for members of the Council!" The sea of people broke, and we moved through. The huge doors opened, and we stepped forward to stand before the Magi Council.
My Uncle, Carr Hammond, addressed us for the Council, saying, "The time line is in heavy flux! The old soldiers of the Gratar Twelve are being called in from the depths of space. Will you serve with us again Caleon Valcar?"
The Rock nodded, and said, "It will be my honor to serve again!"
Madias said, "The Guardians are in full attack mode. Even now our forces are engaged. Several hundred Magi trained for combat are now quietly serving within the ranks of the Guardians and the Chosen. The addition of the Gratar Twelve will give us a new set of weapons in our arsenal. How soon before the last of us arrive?"
Uncle Hammond said, "Messengers have been sent. The rest of us should be arriving soon." He hesitated, and then asked, "What of the Children of Satu-Ra, the Lady of Light, and the child she carries?"
"The Children of Satu-Ra are advancing by leaps and bounds," said Madias. "As for the Lady of Light, she and her child are safe for now thanks to Kaltar. They are guarded by legions of Guardians, and the Chosen are everywhere around them. They are safe as they can be."
An ancient Magi on the council by the name of Esteva, said, "Fleets of ships loyal to the Darkness have been trying to incur upon our sectors of space. The Guardians and their allies will soon need us to take a more active role. Are we prepared for this task?"
The Rock stepped forward slightly, saying, "We are not prepared, but we soon shall be. The job for now is to hold the Darkness at bay while we build or forces into a battle worthy force. In the beginning, this will be a battle fought among warriors! In the end, it will be a battle of minds! The Light shall shine upon the Darkness, and it shall know fear! When that day comes, the Magi must be ready to strike! It will be our task to subdue the evil that inhabits the Darkness! We must be ready! We will get no second chances!"
"What of the students on Remaca?" asked Uncle Hammond. "Can we speed the time spent in the school?"
"No," observed Ramann. "The students are getting only the simplest of training as it is. They have no way of being truly prepared for what they’ll be forced to face. The best we can do is try to sort out those that will never stand a chance in combat. Almost a third are washing out as it is. I'm afraid we may lose another third of them as they go into active combat for the first time."
"Only a third will survive the test?" asked Esteva in a hushed voice. "We need thousands! What can we do?"
"A little late for that now," said Tersa under her breath. The Rock gave her a dirty look, but didn't say anything.
"Very well then," said Uncle Hammond. "If we can't shorten the school, then more students must be started at once. The number of students must at least double to meet the need." The Rock nodded to acknowledge the comment.
Then Esteva said, "Finally, we must discuss the creation of a Dragon's Lair! Did nobody warn you not to do such a thing?"
I realized he was speaking me, and said, "I was warned! It is done now, and I feel it was the right thing to do!"
"The Council does not agree," said Esteva. "We feel the beasts and their spawn should be destroyed, and soon!"
"I will not tolerate that!" I said, "The beasts you speak of are cherished by myself, and the woman I love! I would view poorly any attempt to harm them!"
The Council chamber fell silent. Uncle Hammond cleared his throat, and said, "This is a long standing policy Kaltar. Dragons have the ability to fold space. They will not be confined to the planet you've given them. They’ll mass in their millions, and spread. We can't allow this to continue!"
"Then I shall be leaving the Magi!" I said. "I'll have no part of this!"
I turned to walk out, and the Rock grabbed my arm, saying, "Don't be a fool boy! This is being done to protect you!"
I gently pulled my arm free, and said, "You all wish me to lead the Council, yet you won't heed my words. I tell you, if the Council intends to destroy Drevins Spraug, I'll walk away, and never return! I'll not face April, and tell her I allowed this to happen!"
"Stop!" yelled Esteva. "We can't afford division amongst ourselves!" The old Magi lowered his voice and said, "I say now, you shall regret this young Magi! We shall obey your wishes, but when the Dragons are swarming from planet to planet, you may well regret this decision!"
Collecting my thoughts, I said, "I thank the Council for reversing its decision. I believe with time, you'll find you chose wisely. If you'll forgive me, I must rest now. I shall return and stand before you soon, so that we might better prepare our plans." The council all nodded to acknowledge the comment, and I walked out.
The entire group that had been standing with me followed, and as I left the Council Chambers, I stopped, and said, "We will need to spend the night here, Ramann. Can you arrange that for us?"
"It would be my pleasure," he responded. "Your quarters are already prepared. Shall I arrange rooms for everyone else?"
Madias said, "I must leave at once! The woman the Earthers call Maggie shall have her child soon. I have been attending her closely, waiting for that to happen." The old Magi paused, and then said, "I admire you Kaltar! I don't know if I could have taken such a stand against the Council!"
"I just hope you don't come to regret this," said the Rock quietly.
"It's going to be okay, Kaltar," said Tersa. "I have faith in you!"
Almost to himself, Vandahar muttered, "And he shall lead them from the Darkness!"
The Rock gave him a dirty look, and said, "We're going to need more than old legends to get us out of this!" He turned to Vandahar, and told him, "Take Urla, and scout along the rim at far point. Watch the worlds there for signs of enemy troop movements. They apparently have the resources to launch fleets of ships. We can't allow them even one safe stronghold in this Galaxy."
Vandahar folded space, taking Urla with him. The Rock smiled at me and said, "At least they still listen to me!"
Madias and I both paused on that comment. It could have been a jab at either one of us, but I felt the Rock was just joking with us. After a second, Madias looked at me, and said, "I shall return soon! I look forward to seeing you then!"
I nodded my agreement, and Madias folded space, and was gone.
Ramann had stepped away for a moment, and now returned. He said, "I have arranged quarters next to yours for your group. There is room enough for up to six people. Will that be enough?" I nodded yes, and we were soon being led through the castle to our rooms.
As we walked, Tersa quietly said, "I can't believe you talked to the Council like that!"
I said, "I can't believe the Council would destroy creatures that have done no harm. I thought the Magi were against the indiscriminate destruction of life!"
Tersa cringed slightly, and then commented, "Dragons have a well-deserved reputation for being destructive. Long ago, I saw dragons destroy a star system before they could be stopped. I realize you love Bitsy and Al, but they are deadly killers. You would be well advised to keep that in mind!"
The Rock said, "His mind is made up Tersa! You can see it in the link! Just let it drop!"
Right then, we arrived at our quarters, and each were led to our rooms. I personally hate Krashure Maug, but I must say, the sleeping arrangements were outstanding. I was exhausted, and within an hour I was cleaned up, and crawled into bed for a good night’s sleep.
Chapter 9
Attack on Krashure Maug
I had nightmares that night. I had been spared for several days, but on this night, the nightmares returned. April stood before me in the dream, and I could see the fear in her face. I wanted desperately to say something! To do something!
As I watched her, I slowly realized her fear was for me. I fought my way up out of the layers of sleep, and sat straight up in bed. I was drenched in sweat, and there was a profound silence blanketing the room. The air conditioning wasn't functioning, at least not in this room. I reached out, scanning the room, and saw no signs of problems.
I was tempted to fall back to sleep, but the fear in April's face came to mind. I got up, and pulled on my pants. Then I opened the door to my apartments, and stepped out into the hallway. I stood there listening, and scanning up and down the hallway.
Something just felt wrong!
I decided not to ignore my feeling, and ramped up the power in my scan. I could sense Tersa and the Rock sleeping. Ramann was sitting up in bed reading a book. Talara was missing. Not asleep, and not showing in a simple scan.
I forced more power into the scan, and focused my mind, looking for the problem. As I did, I realized something was in the hallway with me. Something alive, and invisible. At that moment I sensed Talara entering my scan range just outside the door. He opened the door to the building, and I screamed out to warn him. It was too late.
The creature had to be huge. The monster smashed Talara into the wall so hard he left an imprint in the wall. As the Magi started to slide to the floor, the beast struck him again, opening a huge gash down the man’s side.
Out of reflex, I raised my right hand, and threw all the force I could down the length of the hall. The doors at the far end bowed, as though a great weight had hit them. Angry now, I forced more power into the wave, repeating my attack. One of the doors cracked down the center, and something monstrous bellowed at the end of the hall.
Talara slumped to the floor, and appeared to be dead. I was scared and angry. I pulled up more power, and hit the thing again. The splintered door shattered, and suddenly I was afraid the thing would escape. I raised my other hand, and grabbed the monster with a locking energy wave. I was latched onto the thing, and I held it there, the creature began to glow, and become visible.
In effect, I had locked the thing in place. The down side was my body was heating up quickly from the energy that was passing through me. I could smell ozone in the air, and knew that soon I would be in trouble.
Then, Ramann stepped through his room's doorway into the hallway right behind me. He took one look at what was happening, and screamed, "There's a Fasck Construct in the hall! Get up!" Stepping beside me, he raised his hand, and slammed the thing I was holding with a blast of pure energy. The thing screamed again, brightly lit now, and just kept trying to break free.
The Construct was at least twelve feet tall. It filled the end of the hallway, and was struggling desperately, trying to free itself.
Right then Tersa open her room’s door. She was standing right next to the thing as she stepped out. It snatched her up, and slammed her into the wall with a sickening crunch. I screamed mindlessly, and stepped closer to the thing, pouring on more power.
The thing hit me. The pain was incredible, but my shield held. I reached for all the power I thought I could handle, and shot the creature again.
Almost in slow motion, I saw the Rock step into the hall behind Ramann. As he did, Ramann suddenly fell to the floor, crushed like a broken toy. For the first time, I realized there was more than one Construct in the hallway. In that moment, I was sure we were all going to die.
The Rock seemed to be very focused in what he did. Raising his right hand, the monster closest to him seemed to flash brightly, and vanished amid screams of agony. The other creature seemed to sense its demise, and lunged past me, trying to get at the Rock, but he suffered the same fate as the other construct. It was over in the blink of an eye.
I was lying next to Tersa on the floor. Her ribs were crushed, and so were several of mine. She was gasping for air as I took her pain. In a moment, she knew what I was doing, and shoved me away. She was too weak to struggle with me, and I took the pain from her. I wouldn't allow her to just lay there and die.
Weak, and unable to stand myself, I crawled toward the nearest Magi, Talara. I was sure he was dead, but I had to try. I couldn't just give up.
Then the Rock leaned into my field of vision, and said, "Not this time son! I won't let you die like this!" His hand covered my face, and I heard him softly say, "Sleep!"
And I did.
Chapter 10
Defending April
In my youth I had always enjoyed sleep. My favorite part of sleep had always been waking up to a fresh new day. As I awoke this time, I knew that was not going to be the case. My friends were dead. It was on my mind the instant I woke up. The only question was, how many of them?
My room was darkened, but I could sense movement right away, so I knew I was being monitored. After a moment, the Rock stepped into the room, and said, "You bounce back quick boy! I figured you would be out for a while!"
Reaching for the wall switch, he gently brought up the lights, allowing my eyes to adjust. When he turned to look back at me, he already knew what was on my mind. He said, "Tersa and you survived. We lost Talara and Ramann. The whole place is on lock down while they search for any more Constructs."
&n
bsp; "How did they get in the Castle?" I asked.
"That's a good question," replied the Rock. "The energy required to generate that kind of shielding would be prohibitive. It was as if they were being restructured from moment to moment. I never imagined they could do such a thing."
"Have you warned Dona and the Chosen of Earth of the attack?" I asked.
The Rock seemed to be caught off guard by the question. He told me, "It hadn't occurred to me to contact them."
"Please dispatch a messenger with a warning at once," I said.
The Rock seemed to hesitate, and I started to get out of bed. Realizing I'd force the issue, he quickly said, "Alright! Get back in bed! I will send someone!"
"I will send me," I replied.
I started out the door, with the Rock right behind me. He was speaking rapidly as we walked. He said, "You took a heck of a shot just an hour ago Kaltar! You need to be in bed!"
"I need to see April," I observed.
I was moving fast, headed toward the nearest exit. I wanted clear sky overhead so I could fold space. The Rock was yelling at me to stop, but all I could think of was April! She had warned me of the danger! She was in there somewhere! At that moment, I couldn't get there fast enough!
I approached the main gates, and waved for them to be opened. The guards hesitated, giving the Rock time to catch up with me. I started to say something to the guards. The Rock waved for them to open the main gates, and this time they obeyed.
Stepping up to me as the gates opened, The Rock asked, "What's the matter Kaltar? Why are you behaving this way?" All I could see was April's face! I broke into the clear, looked up at the sky, and folded space!
In an instant, I was at April's side. She looked just as she had in my last visit. I glanced around the room, mentally reaching out with a scan. I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built) Page 22