by Kyle West
Isaru and I walked past the gate without opposition, into the wide inner courtyard from which rose both the Dome and the Bastion. The Dome of Annara came first, its wide marble steps leading up to an arched entry open to the night. Its high, golden dome still shone in the night, and its four turrets shot into the sky from each of its corners. The courtyard was deserted for now, but at any moment more Peacemakers could pass on their way down to the city. The Red Bastion itself was further up Red Cliff, at the very back, for now hidden by the enormity of the Dome.
“Let’s get inside there,” I said. “We can exit through the back and avoid notice.”
Isaru nodded his agreement.
“And hide your blade well,” I said. “No weapon is allowed inside the Dome.”
“It looks dark in there,” Isaru said. “That should be easy enough.”
Isaru and I ran up the marble steps, and before we knew it, we were both inside the Dome. Indeed, it was dark inside. The only light came from a ring of torches ensconced on the thirty-six sandstone pillars arranged in the shape of a perfect circle, pillars that held up the Dome itself. Additional light emanated from the hundreds of candles surrounding the high statue of Annara in the center. Her features were masked in the shadowy darkness, and I was thankful for that. I had no desire to see if she looked anything like me, though I couldn’t have told you how the Annarans would have known what she looked like, a woman who had lived four centuries ago.
At the top of the Dome was a wide circle that was open to the night. During the day, that opening allowed plenty of sunlight to stream in. Though the Dome was built to revere Annara, there were alcoves dedicated to each of the principal deities of the Covenant — Samal, Retha, Makai, Larana, and Elekim. The Elekai gods might have been the same as the Covenant’s, though they served a different ultimate purpose. Elekim, as the husband of Annara, had a larger alcove than the others, and each of the alcoves was situated on the periphery of the Dome, each lit with candles with offerings of wine, flowers, gold, perfume, and other luxuries. But Annara’s statue in the center had the most candles of all.
We made our way quickly along the periphery of the Dome, where the torches didn’t cast their light. We left the Dome by the back way, finding ourselves in the part of the courtyard that connected the Dome with the Red Bastion. An additional wall surrounded it, called the Bastion Wall, and it was only through its single gatehouse that we’d have to get inside. The Bastion itself rose high above the wall, its towers and turrets silhouetted against the starry sky. From behind us, one of Jorla’s screams echoed throughout the city.
This was where my parents were...this would be where the Prophecy was kept. It was hard to believe we were mere minutes away from finding the truth.
But that would only come if we could get inside and not get caught.
“It’s been easy so far,” I said.
“All that changes now,” Isaru said.
He gestured toward a large tree in a nearby meridian, which we both hid behind to be out of sight of the gate and wall. We hid just in time for a contingent of Peacemakers to march out of the gatehouse, their chain mail clinking. A distant shriek sounded again — Jorla was still fighting. No more dragons flew out of the Bastion courtyard.
“Just go in?” I asked.
“I see no other option,” Isaru said.
Once the Peacemakers had passed, we skulked through the shadows, heading for the main gate. Getting to the aqueduct, as we’d discussed with Elder Isandru, would be impossible without Jorla. Through this entrance was the only way.
More Peacemakers passed through the gate, and Isaru and I shot toward the wall. It didn’t seem that any of them noticed us, thanks to the darkness, but all it would take was for one of them to turn his head to see us both straddled against the wall. The column went on for a while, filled with men carrying harpoons, longbows, and crossbows — powerful ranged weapons designed to pierce a dragon’s thick scales.
“Jorla can’t survive all that...”
“Don’t underestimate her,” Isaru said. “I’ve seen her pull through much worse.”
Despite saying this, it sounded as if Isaru himself wasn’t so sure himself.
“Do we go now?”
Isaru was quiet. We had gotten this far, but this was our first major block. But the truth remained: we had to gain access to the Bastion, and the only way was through that gate.
“Let’s wait a bit longer, just to be sure.”
So we waited. Each minute that passed made me feel as if we were losing time. In the long silence, no more Peacemakers left the gate.
“I think that’s all of them,” Isaru said.
And like that, we were running. I sought Silence, which helped to calm my nerves. I kept my hand on the hilt of Katan, knowing I could need it at any moment. Running became merely an action, and my fear became something distant; an emotion to be considered rather than embraced. We passed through the threshold of the gate, until we were standing on the other side, in the inner courtyard of the Bastion.
I looked up at the gatehouse, hardly believing no one had stopped us.
Had we really done it?
“Stop!”
An officer stood behind us, having run out of the gatehouse. Isaru and I froze, saying nothing.
“What are you doing, skulking about? Get to the barracks and find your regiment! And change into your uniform! Move, move!”
“That’s where we were going,” I said, before adding a hasty, “Sir.”
It was the wrong thing to say. “What’s your name, Peacemaker?”
Without thinking, I gave him the first name I thought of. “Shara Laen.”
The man blinked, confused. “Lieutenant Laen? I didn’t recognize you in the dark...”
I blinked. His voice still sounded suspicious, but I was committed, now. Might as well play it until the end.
“Return to your post, soldier! You’re supposed to be watching the gate, not interrupting an officer on important business!”
There was a moment’s hesitation. “Right away, Sir. At once.” He placed a hand over his heart, the Colonian salute, before slinking back into the gatehouse.
“Well done,” Isaru whispered.
“Let’s move,” I said. “Before he realizes what an idiot he is.”
Isaru got moving, but the Peacemaker’s immediate obedience made me wonder what Shara had been up to.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
SINCE THERE WAS NOWHERE ELSE to enter the Bastion that we could see, Isaru and I went through the front entrance. The two oaken doors were wide open, and luck was still with us: there was no one waiting in the wide red hall lit from above with a fiery chandelier.
I wanted nothing more than to go straight to the dungeons to search for my parents, but the Prophecy came first. It would be easier to carry that around than try to go for the Prophecy with my parents in tow.
And then, everything hit me at once. The impossibility of this. The fact that we were both going to die attempting it.
“This is hopeless, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Nothing is ever hopeless,” Isaru said defiantly. “I will learn the Prophecy’s location even if I have to place my sword at the neck of the Pontifex himself.”
“Maybe he’s the one we should be looking for, then.”
“Honestly...that’s probably the most efficient way. But a high-ranking priest or officer could work, too.”
We walked forward and took the leftmost corridor. The red halls were empty and silent, something that wouldn’t have been the case had Jorla not caused her disturbance. The majority of the Peacemakers had left the Bastion, so it could not have worked out more perfectly. However, the Red Bastion was large, and there was no telling where the Prophecy might be hidden. Elder Isandru had suggested it would be contained within Colonia’s treasury, but we had to find that, first. According to the Elder’s schematics, it was somewhere in the back of the Bastion on the first floor.
That was why I was confused when
Isaru took a set of stairs downward.
“Where are we going?”
“I looked over Isandru’s blueprint of the building,” Isaru said. “The way we were going would have led us right past the barracks, so I’m taking us down to the dungeons to avoid running into anyone.”
What Isaru said made sense. We followed the flights down as far as they would go. It grew cold, and the silence thickened. The air was dank with condensation, and a rank smell filled the air.
We had arrived at the dungeons.
Now that we were here, though, I wanted nothing more than to look for my parents.
“Let me find them,” I said. “Please. I just want to know if they’re alive. After that, we can look for the Prophecy then return to get them out.”
Isaru looked for a moment as if he might protest, but in the end, he gave a single nod. “We’ll have to hurry.”
So, we began our search. This entire floor seemed to be dedicated to cells. As our footsteps sounded in the narrow halls, I heard the clink of chains, the sound of someone hacking, and another person wailing. Not many torches had been lit along the walls, so it was dim, but never did the light fully illuminate any of the cells. It made it hard to search, and I knew I might have to start calling them by name. But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I just had the feeling that my parents weren’t here.
We passed the thick, rusty bars, one cell after another. A prisoner in rags suddenly appeared from the darkness to the right, only stopping when he crashed into the bars. He wrapped his thin, ghoulish hands around the metal, his eyes wide and his lips trembling. His hair was wild, greasy, and long. He seemed shocked to see us, and he sputtered gibberish, spittle flying from his lips.
The disturbance caused other shouts to carry through the halls. Other prisoners came to the bars, watching us with strange, and almost inhuman, eyes.
“Don’t watch,” Isaru said.
“Free us!” a man rasped. “I have done nothing, they took me and my lands, they ripped me from my family! I did nothing, I swear, it was never supposed to be like this!”
The man was old and shriveled, with white, wispy hair. As he continued babbling, I hardened my heart. I was only here to free two people, and anyone would say anything for a chance to be free. Outside the Silence, against which my emotions battled, there were a hundred cries, a hundred broken souls rebelling against their containment. I fought to keep myself calm, but when I imagined my parents in this place, all I wanted to do was break down.
At the end of the corridor was another set of stairs, leading down into darkness.
“There’s another floor?” I asked, horrified.
“I have a feeling they are not among these,” Isaru said. “If they are as important as we think they are, they would be kept on their own away from the others. Perhaps in kinder conditions.”
“You give me hope, even now.”
“Let’s go further down.”
We took the stone steps, and as we left, howls of rage and pain followed us. Unlike above, the corridor on the floor below was completely dark. I ran back upstairs, grabbed the nearest torch, and took it with me, leaving an entire corner of the floor in darkness. The prisoners wailed, and it was the most horrible, soul-rending thing I’d ever heard.
I’m sorry, I thought. It’s for my parents.
Isaru waited for me, and together, we pressed forward, our shoulders touching. There were other torches on the wall, but they were unlit. I used my torch to light them, and soon, my surroundings were better revealed. This floor was like that of above, only most of the cells were empty. However, the fetid smell of urine and excrement told me that there were people down here. The urge to throw up was becoming unbearable.
I shone the light in front of a nearby cell. There was an emaciated body, half-exposed through rags, not moving. Flies buzzed around his head, and maggots churned in his open gut.
“Isaru...”
“Seek Silence,” Isaru said, through great effort. “We can do this.”
Isaru held onto my arm, which was a bit of comfort. We pressed forward.
How could people create such a monstrous place? No one deserved this — not even the worst of the worst. But apparently, Elekai and their sympathizers were among the worst of the worst. I realized the punishment that would have been meted out on me was a mercy compared to this.
After passing a few more empty cells and turning the corner, I called out.
“Mother? Father? It’s Shanti. It’s your daughter. Are you here?”
I heard someone cough, followed by a series of pained hacking. I followed the sound, hope growing in my chest. I didn’t know why I thought it had anything to do with my parents. It was just a feeling.
When I reached the cell, I raised my torch, dreading what I might see.
It wasn’t them. There were two people, an old man and an old woman, thin and wretched. But perhaps they might know something about my parents.
I fought to keep control of my voice. “Do you know my parents? Their names are Nick and Yasmin. Please...my name is Shanti, perhaps you’ve heard of them...”
They both stared with hollow, ghostlike eyes. The woman started to shake, her arm raising toward me.
“Shanti...” Her voice quavered. “My dear Shanti...you’ve come...I always knew you would...”
I realized the truth. These were my parents, who looked as if they’d aged twenty years in two months. I fell on my knees, crying, feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach. It couldn’t be. But looking closer at each of their faces, it was them, hardly recognizable from the emaciation.
“Mother...” I said, choking the word out.
Her horribly thin hands found mine, and I was surprised at how cold they were, nothing more than skin on bones, stained with spots that hadn’t been there before. Her cheeks were hollowed and ghoulish, her skin pale and gray, and her eyes seemed to protrude from her skull. She had once been so beautiful. Now, she looked like a ghost, something half-dead.
“Don’t be afraid, dear,” she said. “I don’t have long, now. Nothing can save us...but to see you again...” A tear forced itself from her eye, and it fell to the stones almost violently. “It is a treasure beyond words. Nick...Nick look who has come. It’s Shanti. She’s real, this time. I can feel her.”
My father only stared at the ceiling, his eyes seeing into another world. He was in far worse condition than my mother, horribly thin, looking more like a skeleton than a man. I could hardly even see him through the tears forming in my eyes.
“Yes,” he rasped. “Shanti. It is a fine name.”
“She’s here now, Nick. Won’t you speak to her?”
I couldn’t stop crying. A horrible weight pressed me into the cold stones.
“What did they do to you? Oh, gods...why?”
“Don’t cry, dear. You look so beautiful. You are a woman now...a woman grown. I always knew...I always knew...”
She seemed to lose her train of thought. Her hair, once lush and dark brown, had lost its color, and what few strands clung to her head were dried and dead. Both of them stank of death.
“We found her, in the xen...” my father rasped. “You always wanted a child, Yasmin. Yes...Shanti is a beautiful name...after your grandmother...”
“What is he talking about?” I asked.
“It’s nothing, dear,” my mother whispered, reaching a hand to wipe away my tear. “Don’t cry. Never you mind him. It’s madness...I am better because...he gives me his food...”
I wanted nothing more than to comfort them, but how to comfort this?
“Do we have food?” I asked.
Isaru knelt beside me, handing his canteen to my mother. “Here,” he said, quietly. “We have no food, but we do have water.”
“Please...” my mother rasped.
Gently, he raised the container to her lips, but she shook her head. “Hand it to me.”
Isaru did so, and my mother went to see to my father first. To my relief, he did dr
ink as soon as she held the canteen to his lips, only letting a small amount escape. Only when he was done did she drink herself.
“Here,” she said, handing it back. “They cannot find us with this in our possession.”
“That doesn’t matter, Mother,” I said. “We’re going to break you out of here.”
“Don’t...don’t speak such foolishness, Shanti,” she said. “The Hunter...the Hunter has the key...”
“Hunter? What Hunter?”
“He’s...here, somewhere...” As she spoke to me, her eyes never left mine. “Oh, Shanti. I’m so sorry...we never told you...we never believed it would come to this. Please...forgive us both.”
“There is nothing to forgive, Mother. I know the truth now...or at least a part of it. And it’s all right. I still love you as I always have. As I always will.”
“The truth?”
“I’m...not your child, am I? I’m adopted.”
My mother’s eyes widened. “Of course you are, Shanti. You’ve always been ours, from the day we first saw you.”
“Alone,” my father said. “In the xen...”
“You found me in the xen,” I said, wonderingly. “Is it true?”
“Always...you were always ours. Even...even when we found you there, lying in the xen, you were mine. I had only to look at you.”
“Mother...”
I was crying now; I couldn’t help it. She held on to me, such as she could though the bars. There was surprising strength in her frail arms.
“Don’t be mad at us, Shanti. Don’t...”
“I’m not,” I said. “This changes nothing. I love you, mother. I love you both. But we need to escape...I need to find that key to get you out...”
“I couldn’t move, even if I tried, dear. There is...no strength left.”
“Don’t say that,” I said. “I’ve fought so hard to get this far. We can’t give up now. No matter what.”
“I remember that night,” my mother said, suddenly thinking of something else. “You were a gift. A gift to us from Annara herself. I had prayed for a child...”
