by Kyle West
“He will recall Lord Harrow or be forced to split his own forces in the desert,” Amalia said.
“Or he could withdraw entirely to ensure he retakes Haven,” Shara said.
For some reason, I doubted he would do that. Isaru wouldn’t abandon the entire goal of his war, but it would probably force him to attack the city more quickly, before food and supplies ran thin. And then, there was his force of dragons that would literally be impossible to deal with. Even if I had inherited Elekim’s powers, I’d have to worry about fighting Isaru at the same time.
“We’ll leave as soon as we’re done here,” I said. I looked at my parents, who sat next to High Priest Markas. “All you have to do is hold out until Lord Harrow is forced to respond.”
“If what you told us is any indication, the man might prove more stubborn than that,” my father said.
“He’ll do as Isaru orders,” Fiona said. “At least, that’s the way it seems. He has honor, but unfortunately, that honor is dedicated to the wrong side.”
That honor could be his main fault. Something told me that even if Lord Harrow believed in my identity, he might stubbornly cling to Isaru, especially if he felt that he was promised land that was his right.
“We should probably get going,” I said, after a long silence.
We ate the food that had been mostly ignored during the earlier deliberations, and were soon standing outside near the ship. A crowd had gathered. I could hear them muttering their surprise that I was leaving so soon.
“I’m leaving,” I said. “But not forever. There’s a mission we need to accomplish that may very well lift the siege.”
There were exclamations, and even a few people applauding.
“But for this to happen, I have to leave the castle behind. I trust all of you to work as hard as you have been. I know this isn’t easy. I know it’s demoralizing, and from this one small part in the war, it seems hopeless. But I believe, in the end, we will be victorious. We are on the side of right, and without us, the Red Wild, and even the entire world, will fall into darkness.
“We are the only people who are stopping that darkness. And if you hang with me a bit longer . . . then I can promise that all of our efforts will be worth it.”
“Hail, Annara!” shouted one of the initiates, to several cheers from the rest of the crowd.
I nodded in his direction. “We’ll be back soon. Stand strong, and stand proud.”
We entered Odin and set course for the Seekers’ Sanctum.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
BY THE TIME WE EXITED the ship, there was a large gathering of Seekers in the courtyard, all armed with their katanas and many of them with short bows or crossbows, which could be deadly from the back of a dragon. Several carried long lances, used to counter other dragon riders, while the swords were for action once the dragon was grounded.
I waited as more Seekers came out. Once most of the Sanctum was present, I began.
“It’s time. Those of you who are coming, step forward.”
About fifty Seekers stepped forward, a good half of them bearing the sword of the Champions on their sash.
“We will meet in the village below an hour from now,” I said. “Bring enough provisions for three days.”
The Seekers rushed to obey my command. The three Elders eyed me, and I noticed they had been among the fifty to step forward.
Chief Elder Arminius approached me. “If you are to take Haven and hold it, you will need our help. Having every Elder of the Sanctum vouching for you and enforcing your rule will be enough for many people to second guess their loyalties to Isaru. Even if a few of his father’s lords defect, then it may be enough to turn the tide.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. I’ll leave Haven in your hands, but first, we need to take it.”
“That’s true enough,” Arminius said. “What’s the news from down south?”
I told him about how Kalear was besieged by Lord Harrow’s men, but had enough supplies to hold out for a few months.
“They will have to endure for now,” Arminius said. “We can’t think of lifting the siege until Haven is in our hands.”
“I agree,” Judge Lian said.
“The Novans worry me greatly,” Elder Draeus said. “If they’re able to take Sylva and push through the Webwood, we won’t have the numbers to resist them.”
“The roughness of the Red Wild is our greatest asset,” Elder Arminius said. “So long as we fight within it, we hold an important advantage.”
“We’ll have to take the fight to Colonia eventually,” I said. “I would do it while the Novan force is separated from Isaru’s. If they ever join up, there’s not much we can do against them.”
“Our success depends on our speed,” Elder Lian said. “And on that note . . . we had better go to Nava Village and mount the dragons, before word reaches Haven about our movements.”
The Seekers and priests we had brought from the Kingdom had left the ship while I was talking with the Elders. There was a tense moment as they faced across from their Seeker brethren. The white-robed Sphere Priests could have been mistaken for Seekers’ themselves, but for one difference: they had no Sects as the regular Seekers did, so their robes were pure white and without ornamentation, while the Seekers had the emblems of their respective Sects emblazoned on their sashes hanging diagonally across their chests.
I stood on Odin’s boarding ramp, and beckoned for everyone to gather round, so they could hear me shout above the idling of the engines.
“The time has come!” I called out. “The Seekers are no longer separated, but now form one body, as their founder intended them. The Sphere Priests have long lived and trained in the Ruins north of Colonia. They have joined us now, just as all of you joined me a few days ago. For the first time since the fall of Hyperborea, since before the Mindless Wars, the Seekers stand united.
“Tonight, we’re leaving to take over Haven. The garrison should be small, if the reports we’ve received are accurate. For the first time in many years, Elekai has turned hand against Elekai. Isaru has brought this upon us, and unfortunately, there will be more deaths before everything is settled. Those who follow Isaru do so more out of fear than willingness, so I ask you to remember that as we go into battle. Don’t strike to kill unless your own life is threatened, and if you are in doubt, then err on the side of caution and save yourself. Remember the Xenofold, remember the value of Silence in the moment of chaos. For long years, we’ve prepared for this moment, hoping it would never come.
“But almost every rumor you’ve heard in these dark times is true. Isaru is possessed by the Radaskim, Odium of the Dark. This will be everyone’s fate if we don’t succeed in stopping him. Our war is both physical and unseen. Battles will need to be won on the ground, and it will be important to take command of key positions and rally more troops to our cause. But beyond the physical, we are in a war that is larger than our world, a war that has been raging for eons, between the Elekai and the Radaskim.
“Four hundred years ago, we won that war . . . but just barely. Like that dark time, we are fighting not just for our lives, but for our right to freedom from Odium and the Radaskim.”
I paused and looked at all the faces looking up at me, hoping that all of this was sinking in.
“Each and every one of you dedicated your lives to the Seekerhood. You were called to lives of poverty and to dedicate yourselves to your Gifts, according to what the Xenofold has bestowed. That same Xenofold is now under attack, and if we do nothing, it won’t survive the year.”
I paused to let the words affect them.
“For decades, ever since our founding, our traditions have kept us from seeing the truth, have kept us from seeking our true purpose. The Seekers were an order founded by Anna, charged to never forget the fact that the Radaskim lurked out there in the dark, and that we were to protect our world from them.
“Today, we at last begin to fulfill that charge. Everything has been building toward this moment, ever
since the close of the Ragnarok War, and even before that time. Earth is but one battle in what is our eternal war, one world of many that has stood against the Radaskim.
“As you go into tonight, remember that. Overthrowing the Radaskim is your duty. What you were born to do. And if we work together, I believe we can achieve what seems impossible on the surface.
“I was born Shanti Roshar in Colonia, but the Xenofold revealed me to be Anna Reborn. I’ve been inside the Xenofold multiple times, and have spoken with Elekai long departed, and have spoken to Elekim himself, who imparted his powers to me, even now as he fights Odium in a realm that is beyond our eyes to see. That power is how I was able to defeat Elder Haris. That power is how I’m going to be able to defeat Odium himself.
“But we have to get there. When we attack Haven, you have your orders given to you from the battle plans we formed. You know exactly where to go and what to do. Do this, and victory will be ours.”
“To victory!” one of the Champions shouted, thrusting a lance into the air. Several others took up his call, only quieting once again when I spoke.
“That’s all,” I said. “Let’s fly.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
WE GATHERED ON A XEN-covered field outside Nava Village under the light of the stars and a clear sky. The air was frigid, though there was no breeze. No one in the village seemed to notice our coming as we circumvented houses and went directly to where the dragons were kept in a wide, open field at the edge of the forest.
I watched quietly as the Seekers mounted the dragons and took off one by one, with the three Elders at the fore. They flew low over the trees and were soon lost to view.
My friends and I turned around to head back to the Sanctum, where we had left Odin. It was quiet on the walk back, and we wouldn’t be flying south until later, since Odin could make the journey much more quickly. The dragons wouldn’t arrive in Haven until tomorrow night.
The Sanctum felt empty and forlorn as we entered it. We didn’t encounter a soul as we made our way to the ship in the courtyard. There were a few men keeping watch on the ramparts, but fewer than usual. I remembered, what seemed so long ago, a conversation I’d had up there with Elder Isandru. He had talked to me about Hyperborea for the first time. So much had happened since then; he had passed away, and now, I oversaw two fortresses, the Sanctum here and the one in Kalear. People were beginning to recognize my identity, an eventuality Isandru worked toward his entire life.
Without that work, what would I be?
“Thinking of him, huh?” Fiona asked, while the others walked on board to go to sleep.
“Of course,” I said. “We’ll never know what he did in all the years leading up to this. We never had the chance to ask.”
“He risked a lot,” Fiona said. “But I’ve been doing some thinking of my own.”
“What thinking?”
“I think Isandru was . . . content,” she said. She seemed unsure of the word. “He accomplished what he set out to do. Without him, none of this would have happened. He sheltered you, gave you guidance when you didn’t know what to do. He did much the same for me, though to a lesser extent and with less world-ending consequences.”
“I could never repay him,” I said. “When I entered the Hyperfold, it was desolate. Isandru never gave Rakhim a chance to rebuild it. Because of Rakhim’s weakness, Odium was forced to abandon him.” I shook my head. “None of that would have been possible without Isandru. And it’s giving us a chance against Isaru now.”
“Yes,” Fiona said. “But we should both get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”
I nodded, and we walked up the boarding ramp into Odin.
* * *
My dreams were fraught with fear and pain, with visions that seemed to come from outside myself. A dark presence overhung me like storm clouds marking my every move, making me forget all the reasons why I fought. All I wanted to do was hide and get a moment of relief, but no matter where I ran, the cloud followed.
Somehow, I came across the bunker Isaru and I had found in the Northern Wild several months back, and squeezed into its narrow maw. I thought I could hide in the darkness, but I only heard screams and gunshots as people died by the score. I knew I was witnessing an event that had happened to end this place, a history Isaru and I, thankfully, never got to fully explore.
How did I have this memory? Was this something that Odium knew and was tormenting me with?
Resistance is useless, came a voice.
Another whisper came from a different direction. You cannot win.
Join me, another whisper said.
I put my hands over my ears, but it was no good. Elder Isandru materialized from the darkness, shaking his head in disappointment.
“You couldn’t save me,” he said, his eyes dark and accusing.
“I tried,” I said. “You have to believe me.”
“I don’t. Liar. Imposter. You are not Anna. You are a scared little girl. You will be found out, soon, and they will turn on you.”
“Stop,” I said. “You told me that I was her.”
Isandru smiled, and his teeth were long and yellow, like a crawler’s. He evaporated and was replaced with darkness.
I tried to run from the Bunker, but somehow, the door had closed, shutting me in with the dying.
When I turned, it seemed as if there were dozens of eyes, glowing bright in the darkness. The eyes closed in, and I reached for my sword, but when I pulled it from the leather scabbard, there was only air. It seemed a symbol for my uselessness. It was a fantasy that I could ever be powerful enough to defeat a Xenomind as dark and as ancient as Odium.
This is a dream, I thought. This isn’t real.
The eyes came closer, and I could hear the hisses of the dead. I felt cold hands grabbing hold of me as I was pulled into the floor.
So long as I live, came Odium’s dark whisper, you shall never sleep in peace again.
* * *
Something was shaking me.
“Shanti. Shanti!”
I bolted up in bed, placing a hand over my heart in a vain attempt to slow it. I fought to catch my breath as a whimper escaped my throat. I felt hands all over me, and they reminded of the dead people’s hands.
“He killed them,” I said, knowing I wasn’t making sense. I pulled away, not at first recognizing my friends’ faces. All of them stared at me, shock written on their expressions.
I felt a presence in my mind, calming me. It’s me. It’s Isa. There’s no reason to be afraid. You were having a nightmare.
I felt more people joining into the bond, until everyone was a part of it. Somehow, that bond connected me to the real world and seemed to drive the madness from my mind.
I sat there quietly for a minute, trying to calm myself down. The others kept their distance, and waited for me to say something.
“I’m fine,” I managed, my voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
“What happened?” Fiona asked. “You must have been having a terrible nightmare.”
I nodded. Terrible didn’t even begin to describe it. “It was him. Odium.”
“What did he say?” Shara asked.
I shook my head. “I can hardly even remember. I remember he said that I wasn’t Anna, that none of it was true. Isandru was there, and he was disappointed in me . . .” I would have broken down and cried if I had not felt so numb.
“Now, we know all of that isn’t true,” Isa said, sitting down on the corner of the bed, a good distance away from me.
Hearing it out loud did make the dream seem a bit ridiculous, but still, the feeling was there. “He said he would never give me a moment’s peace so long as he lived, that he wouldn’t even let me sleep.”
None of them said anything. It seemed to me that there were at a loss on how to respond.
“The words could be empty,” Fiona said. “And if not . . . we can remain in the same room as you and wake you up if anything goes wrong.”
I was about to say that wouldn’t be necessary, bu
t just the thought of sleeping alone was too much to bear. “What time is it, exactly?”
“Early morning,” Shara said. “You were screaming so loud that you woke all of us up.”
“Sorry,” I said.
Shara ignored the apology. “I second Fiona’s idea. Let’s all stay together. I can bring a couple of the cots in here, and there’s enough room for one of us to sleep on the bed.”
“You really don’t have to—”
Shara cut me off by holding up her hand. “No arguments. Just admit that we’re right.”
When she put it that way, I had a hard time finding a response.
“Sleep,” she said. “Take the chance, because you might not get it for a while.”
I figured that lying down and doing what she said would be easier than arguing, and besides, I was still exhausted, even more so than when I first laid down.
I felt a comforting presence as I closed my eyes, never feeling for a moment that my friends had left me. I slipped into a dreamless sleep before I could have another thought.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
I AWOKE NATURALLY SOME TIME later, with Isa still asleep beside me, snoring softly. Fiona and Shara had gone somewhere. Looking at the bedside clock, it was two in the afternoon. I had slept the entire morning away, and apparently, so had Isa. We were due to lift off in just a few hours.
I got up, showered, and got dressed, using the time we had to eat with those left behind in the Sanctum, and to do some forms outside in the courtyard. It had been too long since I’d done any sword work. All of us practiced together while Pallos watched, sitting on the boarding ramp while making notes in a journal.
