The Awakening (The Fempiror Chronicles Book 1)

by George Willson

  “‘I could see that you’re new to our world,’ he continued, standing in front of me, ‘I wondered which of my Redäl Kötz changed you. I have an idea, but you’ll have to help me with it. Was it Zechariah who found you initially?’ he asked. I nodded, and he smiled.

  “‘Well, this is a surprise. I was beginning to think that Rufus was completely useless out there. It was Rufus, wasn’t it?’ he asked me. I nodded again. Nikolai nodded in response and then laughed. ‘He might have been useful after all, but I imagine Zechariah killed him. He was always so devoted.’ Nikolai turned from me and paced.

  “‘His devotion and that of the others will be their downfall. Of course, they’ll know this is a trap,’ he told me. ‘There is not an idiot among them. However, this is a trap of conscience, not cunning. What would they not do for the innocent?’ He looked at me as if I was going to answer him, and then he smiled again.

  “‘Look around you,’ he said. ‘They won’t fall for it, but they won’t have a choice.’ Then he leaned in real close and said, ‘Enjoy the view.’ He laughed and walked away, and I saw the other fighters moving into position outside the doors and on the upper level. I watched for you for awhile, but I was beginning to think you might not come.”

  They had assured David that they would not have abandoned him in his time of need. He was one of them now, and they do not leave one of their own in danger like that – not without trying to bring them back. David asked if he could sleep without any further discussion, and Zechariah assured him he could now.

  There was some talk about Vladimir, and where he might have ended up. Ulrich assured them he would send some Elewo out to search for him so that the Rastem could finally rest. They agreed and lay down.

  Zechariah heard voices speaking not too far from him. He turned his head and saw Ulrich sitting in the main cave with Tiberius. He wondered when Tiberius had gotten up and walked past him.

  “This is a beautiful cave, Ulrich,” Tiberius said.

  Ulrich nodded. “It is rare we can take advantage of the sun,” Ulrich said, and it sounded like he was smiling, “but I always love it here.”

  “What will you do?” Tiberius asked.

  Zechariah sat up and watched them.

  “The Tepish have run us out of our home,” Ulrich said. “My hope was that Fertid could solicit a larger force.” His voice betrayed the severe disappointment of the number that had come.

  Zechariah stood and walked up behind them. “There wasn't much left of him when he got there,” Zechariah said. “We left as soon as we could.” Ulrich looked up at Zechariah. His strength had been exchanged for sadness in those deep eyes – an emotion that unlikely ever showed through, but he allowed it now that he was among people with a similar history.

  “We cannot stay in this place because they are intelligent enough to find it,” Ulrich said. “We have to leave.”

  “The Safe House at Cerebdim is small and easily compromised,” Tiberius said. “Who do you still know?”

  Ulrich shook his head. “I have been in scarce contact with anyone from the old days,” he said. “We live a lonely life, Tiberius. These Tepish brought the Levi-Carts with them. We did not have them before. No need.”

  “This place would have been perfect for a refuge,” Tiberius said.

  “Yes,” Ulrich agreed. He stared at the floor, apparently thinking very hard about what to do. “This place has been our refuge – the refuge for me, and the others who came with Shufrük when the Elewo decided to live a solitary life many years ago. He brought us here, and when he died, he placed the care of the new and old Elewo to me. Our new additions simply stumble into the caves, and we take them in. After four hundred years, I know nothing else.”

  Kaltesh walked up beside Zechariah. “Then why can't you remain here?” Kaltesh asked.

  Ulrich shook his head. “I know the Tepish numbers,” he said. “More than most. It is suicidal to remain here.”

  “Then let's get rid of them,” Kaltesh declared.

  Zechariah shook his head.

  “We do not have the numbers,” Tiberius said, echoing Zechariah’s thoughts. “If I had brought a larger force, perhaps, but not as we are.”

  “He said these people were captured in the last twenty-five years,” Kaltesh said. “That means they are inexperienced.”

  “Kaltesh, you are inexperienced,” Tiberius said with a sigh.

  “I have been practicing with you for the last one hundred eighty years,” Kaltesh said indignantly.

  “But consider the environments,” Tiberius said. “They were brought here to fight. They probably train daily in both practice and potentially deadly situations. It would not be unheard of for them to place real blades in trainees’ hands to weed out the weaklings. Their entire life would depend on their skill in battle.

  “By contrast, you learned your skills slowly over many years. We practiced regularly, but not daily. You came as often as you desired, and since we had no war looming, there was no urgency to it. Truly, today was your first actual experience in battle meaning that despite years of training, you have very little experience.”

  “But I held my own today,” Kaltesh pointed out.

  “As did I,” Yori said, appearing beside him.

  The younger Rastem appeared resolute in their intent to show off their skills in battle, and it was true they did very well today when it came to what amounted to their first live battle experience. There had not been any real chance to use the skills they had learned, and today allowed them to refine their abilities against live opponents. Tiberius looked at Zechariah, who held out his hand to show Tiberius he was fine with the idea.

  Tiberius shook his head. “Zechariah, this is folly.”

  “Perhaps,” Zechariah said, “but we have a responsibility here. It is only their goodwill that allowed the Tepish to move in after I found them. Undoubtedly, our presence sparked what just occurred. We owe it to them.”

  “If this seems wise to you,” Ulrich said, a glimmer of hope showing through, “the Elewo will welcome your help.”

  Tiberius closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and dropped his head. He took a deep breath and then let it out in a concerned sigh. “This is very risky,” he said.

  “It would put a severe dent in the Tepish forces,” Zechariah pointed out. This was the chance he had been hoping for when Fertid had first appeared in Cerebdim – a chance to stop the Tepish.

  “If we die,” Tiberius said, “we help no one. The council will dismiss the incident if they ever hear of it.”

  “We could win,” Zechariah said confidently.

  “How?” Tiberius asked.

  “You know how,” Zechariah said. They exchanged a look, and it was clear he saw Zechariah’s plan. From what they had seen, the Elewo had remained dormant since the Tepish arrival, so the Tepish would have no idea what the Elewo were capable of. It was unlikely that Nikolai even knew of the Elewo beyond stories considering his age, so the idea that the large Deldral whose home he had invaded was more like a sleeping dragon than a sloth had unlikely even entered into his mind.

  Finally, Tiberius nodded. “All right,” he said. “It will be the Elewo forces with the four of us, if Yori is well.”

  Yori nodded. “I'm ready,” she said.

  “What about me?” David asked, walking up behind them.

  “This area will be defended,” Ulrich said before anyone else could respond. “You may remain here with our medics since you are still untrained.”

  Zechariah nodded in agreement. Since this was a safe place, David needed to stay here away from the battle. He hoped that the boy might be useful at some juncture in the future, but Zechariah needed time to train him first. David also nodded and stood off to one side, continuing to listen to the conversation.

  Tiberius looked to Ulrich again, now changing his expression to one of preparation. “What is the strength of their forces?” Tiberius asked.

  “Over the past years,” Ulrich replied, “they have grown their
numbers to several thousand, but since they use this place as a training ground and send their troops elsewhere, only a few hundred are here.”

  “So as Kaltesh guessed, we're primarily fighting against new arrivals?” Zechariah asked.

  “Their advantage will be their numbers,” Ulrich cautioned, “so we must be careful not to get overwhelmed. My people treated them peaceably for they had never interfered with us.

  “I can set my Elewo to distract their forces throughout the plateau while we set ourselves to remove the leader here, who, as you have probably guessed, is Nikolai. I have never seen a colder heart in all my days. He will show you no mercy should you come against him.”

  “Where will we find him?” Zechariah asked. It grieved him to an extent that the people they would be fighting against were simply brainwashed by the Tepish way of bringing new people into their fold, but if the Tepish were going to fight, the Rastem would have little choice but to defeat them.

  “With this most recent development,” Ulrich said, “he will make his home in the throne room or in the quarters behind. He has been here for nearly twenty-five years. He knows the tunnels very well.”

  “Brief your people,” Tiberius said. “We'll start in a few hours. We will rely on you to lead us to the throne room.”

  Ulrich gave Tiberius a bow. “I am at your service.”

  The meeting broke at that point. Tiberius moved to one side with Kaltesh and Yori. Zechariah moved to follow them and noticed David standing alone watching them. This would be the first time Zechariah would leave him truly alone. He did not believe David would run into trouble surrounded by the Elewo who would remain here, but Zechariah was also the only person David actually knew, and that friendship was dubious at best. He had no doubt that David’s loneliness would overwhelm him in short order, but he would be safe until Zechariah returned. If Zechariah was unable to return, then he knew whatever Elewo remained would at least set him on a worthwhile path.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Rash Actions

  It had been two days since David’s funeral, and the town had been very solemn and quiet. Few people had gone out, and Abraham’s father had allowed him time from his apprenticeship to mourn for his friend. He had remained home the majority of yesterday and today, but he had decided to see his father this afternoon back at the shop. While his father was showing him something new, he had noticed Beth pacing the square spinning yarn on a drop spindle, appearing distracted and blank. His desire for her had drawn him to see her, but as he moved outside, she wandered into her family’s store.

  He stood on the porch of his father’s shop, which set on the north side of the town square, two stores to the west of the Carpenter family’s store, which made primarily furniture, but they could fashion most anything someone requested. Sunset was coming on, and Abraham hoped to catch her as she made her way home.

  She walked out of the store carrying her drop spindle in one hand and a pair of large wooden knitting needles in the other. She didn’t look that much different from the girl who had caught up to David and him eliciting “huff’s” and “tsk’s” from the women of the town only four days earlier while carrying the full ball of yarn she’d spent a couple of weeks making herself. Her days had become clear to him at that point. To require more yarn so soon meant she had holed up in her room and spent her days knitting an item she had dreamed that she and David would share together when finished: the “blanket for two.”

  The one thought that had given him any measure of comfort through this loss was that she would need someone to be with her now that David was gone. Their threesome had been reduced to two in a way that neither of them anticipated, but he loved Beth as much as David did, though she had never shown it to him beyond the friendship they shared. Could she find comfort in his presence? Could the idea that this tragedy had not completely dashed her hope for a family comfort her through her sadness? Could he be the rock she could cling to until her grief subsides? There was only one to find out.

  He stepped off the porch of the store and walked toward her. She glanced up and smiled briefly at seeing him, but continued her slow walk across the square.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Beth shrugged. He kept pace easily with her slow stride. She looked at her wooden needles.

  “I broke one of my needles,” she said with a sniffle. She laughed quietly to herself. “I asked dad for another one, and he made me two.” She gathered her spindle and needles and held them close to her.

  He nodded uncomfortably. He wanted to keep her talking and was unsure of what else to ask. “How are you holding up?” he asked, hoping this would not elicit too much of a cry.

  She shrugged again. “Good, I suppose,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” This made his heart race a little. It meant she was actually considering her future without David.

  “Well, you still plan on getting married and having a family, right?” he asked hopefully.

  She sighed. “I planned on doing all that with David.”

  “But what are you going to do now?”

  “Abraham, I don't think—“

  “Beth,” Abraham said, interrupting her, “I've tagged along behind you two my entire life, but inside, I've always wanted to be with you.”

  She stopped. He halted next to her, looking into her face. She did not look at him but stared at the ground for a long moment. She closed her eyes.

  “Abraham,” she began, but he interrupted her again. He could not allow her to talk herself out of the idea before he had his say in it.

  “I don't mind saying it,” Abraham said. “I will miss David. He was my best friend, but maybe ... maybe we were meant to be together instead.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off violently and took a few steps away from him.

  She opened her eyes and glared at him. “He was your friend,” she said incredulously.

  “He's gone, though,” Abraham said. He was feeling desperate already. “He's never coming back. I don't want to minimize your grief, but you have to move on.”

  “Abraham. It's not that easy.”

  “Why not? What did he have that I don't?”

  “He would never talk to me like this so soon after losing a loved one.”

  Beth turned to walk away from him, but Abraham was not going to let her go like this. He walked quickly in front of her to block her path.

  “Come on, Beth,” he said. “What are you waiting for? I

  lo-”

  But the words never came out. Beth screamed, “Get away from me!” and with unexpected strength, she pushed him to one side, dropping her spindle and needles. He crashed against Haugins’ statue, knocking the wind out of him.

  He coughed a few times, but Beth did not wait to see if he was all right. She angrily gathered her things and turned away from him.

  He watched her walk the rest of the way across the square to her house on the south end of town. He could see she was not ready yet, but at some point, she would be. He would bide his time and try again later. After all, they were going to be spending their lives together in this little town, so there was no rush in their trying to end up together.

  At some point, she would understand that David was gone and that his memory could not keep her forever. Abraham would not compete with his dead friend over the love of Beth. He did not know how long it would take her to come past her grief, but it would happen, and when it did, he would be there.

  Abraham sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. The sun was going down beyond the horizon, and there was still a curfew, but at this point, he did not care. He just wanted to watch the sun go down and be alone with the night and his thoughts, and since the stricter ban allowed no one outside, alone he would be. Not even the Whitt’s End Tavern was allowed open after dark during these times, so there would be no one to stop him. His parents would wonder where he was, but he would not be out that late.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  David leaned ag
ainst the wall of the main cave where hundreds of Elewo had gathered throughout the day. The crystalline structures on the ceiling reflected considerably less light than they had done when they arrived meaning that night was approaching. The primary source of light was turning to the lighting system that Zechariah had introduced him to a few days ago. Some of the Elewo were resting on more cots spread throughout the large chamber and in other small caves off the chamber such as the one he and his companions had been in, while others were simply talking amongst themselves.

  The Rastem he had come with had long since disappeared in the tumult of the Elewo after they had made their plans, and Zechariah instructed him to remain near their sleeping area. No one took notice of him – the only one not dressed in the dark colors of either Rastem or Elewo – as he stared at the warriors preparing for battle. Gone was the modern dress of Erim that he was used to; all these Fempiror were wearing black: their dark ancestral color of war to blend them into the darkness.

  Bored, he decided to walk along the wall to the right of the cave they slept in. After a short distance, he found a considerably larger cave that contained the Levi-Carts he and the others had left in the cave outside. Recalling what Ulrich had said about the interconnectivity of the caves inside and outside, he guessed that this was actually the inside of the cave they’d originally stopped in and opened to allow the Carts or anyone else to leave from this point instead of finding their way out through the Urufdiam labyrinth.

  He entered the chamber and recognized the Carts of Vladimir and Tiberius, and finally, ran across Zechariah’s that still had the Chaser lashed to the rear of it. He touched the small, thin variation of the larger Carts and remembered how quickly it had caught up to Zechariah outside of Erim. He glanced up at the wall and saw a small handle to one side and a hinge assembly on the other, and he grasped quickly how it operated. It was nothing more than a big door.

  They were not too far from Hauginstown, and he remembered roughly the way to get back there. He wondered how far he would get on this Chaser before they discovered he was gone and tried to come after him. The Chaser was faster than Zechariah’s Levi-Cart, but he did not know how fast the others were. They might be faster than Zechariah’s meaning they would catch him quickly. If they chased him immediately, they would be on him once he got to his destination without his being able to do anything.