by Tobias Roote
She didn’t recognise the shielding he was employing, and was now worried that her efforts to hide herself here amongst these other Watchers might have been a mistake after all. If he could hide himself, could he find her? Who was this new acolyte that could at one moment appear naive and untrained, and the next hold an impenetrable shield that allowed his mental presence to vanish. What was going on here that a tightly melded private conversation could leave her feeling nervous and unsure of her own plan.
Vash had no intention of staying here beyond finding Derril. Her elder brother had not been seen for over six months and was believed to have become an acolyte under the guidance of Krendar. Initial enquiries by her family had left unanswered questions and she had heard rumours circulating suggesting things weren’t quite what they seemed. Hence her secret search for any trace of his whereabouts. So far she had failed to discover anything, but now this new arrival might provide her with a fresh opportunity to find him - if he was here.
She decided that tonight she would set out to discover the secret of this new acolyte and would use that to enlist his help in finding her brother.
- 19 -
The council chamber was filling up and although acolytes were not normally allowed to remain in the room while Tower matters were discussed, Junto was in the mood to buck the system and push Krendar’s patience until he made a mistake. So, it was that Aaron sat behind Junto’s immense bulk, hidden from proceedings, but nonetheless present. He had been instructed to hide his powers, but get a feel for the mood of the Sentinels without giving away knowledge of his abilities.
Aaron felt the power in the room build as the arrival of the remaining senior Sentinels added their considerable mental strength to the security shield. It would be hidden from non-council members and outsiders who might want to hear what they planned. Mostly, the matters were of non-important Watchtower events, but this morning there was a definite air of anticipation. Something was afoot and from flitting amongst them, Aaron could glimpse excitement and trepidation. There were pockets of uncertainty mixed in and he desperately tried to identify those that might possibly represent allies. The trouble was in the mixed atmosphere he couldn’t place faces to mental signatures. He would have to memorise their patterns and attempt to identify those that might be swayed to Melbray’s cause afterwards.
There was a stirring of sorts at the end of the hall and the tall figure of Krendar appeared with a dozen guards positioned both sides of him. That was strange in itself as any attack on Krendar would more than likely be mental, rather than physical where guards would prove useless.
The men looked ready to deal with anyone who proved rash enough to attempt to challenge their right to be there. As they spread around the chamber the mood darkened and muttering could be heard across the room. Now, real concerns were emanating and the sense of dread or anticipation increased.
Junto tut tut’d mentally at Aaron. He looked worried and pale.
“This is a first, there have never been guards in council chambers before. I fear the worst.”
Aaron scanned the guards to gain some insight into their intentions, but they were not emanating anything. His blood ran cold as he recognised the nature of their shields.
“They are Nangarl!” Aaron hissed at Junto, drawing immediate scowling attention from those nearest who nonetheless looked around to see who he meant. They didn’t know the Nangarl and would not have recognised them. They twitched nervously picking up the vibes from around them. The arrival of the guards was unexpected.
Krendar’s eyes scanned the faces of those around him mercilessly as he marched towards his chair at the head of the room. Aaron sensed deep anger. Then, as Krendar’s eyes settled on Junto it spiked, leaving no doubt to anyone in the room that his ire was directed at the corpulent rebel that had publicly thwarted him the previous evening.
“We are in order,” Kreebo, the weasel-faced secretary called out as Krendar took his chair. It was high-backed and sturdier than the others. No ostentation was permitted within the council, but as first among equals, the leader's chair held prominence amongst them.
“We are here on a serious matter of order,” Krendar launched into his opening.
“There are issues at stake here that command our utmost vigilance in all things, and there cannot be any dissent amongst us while matters outside the Watchtower are so volatile. Yet, just yesterday evening, a request from me for a private meeting to remedy such disagreement was met with rude and obnoxious behaviour which publicly did much to damage the unity which we have so carefully nurtured these past months.
Not only did this Sentinel, of most senior rank undermine the authority of this office here within the Tower, but he also had the gall to bring in a talentless street urchin in a deliberate attempt to provoke matters after we had so recently agreed that all new arrivals would be screened by our own inspectors to ensure the recent weakening of the skills and talents within the Tower was brought to a halt.
Now, I’m a reasonable man, and if this matter can be brought to a conclusion this morning with an apology and agreement to adherence of the rules for Tower approval of acolytes, then the matter would be deemed resolved. So, I lay this before you so that the Sentinel in question might be given an opportunity to do so, or explain why they continue to promote discord amongst us at a time when we must present a unified front to the citizens that look to us for leadership.” He looked Junto squarely in the eye, a glitter of zeal shining from his, and a triumphant stance that informed all that he held the upper hand in this contest of political wills.
“What say you, Sentinel Junto? Are you prepared to apologise and conform to Tower rules, or must we acknowledge the matter as a more serious breach of council resolution?”
Eyes swivelled and landed on Junto. Behind him Aaron sensed the fear in some people’s minds, there was in others malevolent glee. There were many here today who wanted this confrontation and what was more, wanted Junto to comply and fold. Aaron knew they would not see that occur and wondered what would happen when Junto retaliated.
Junto pulled his corpulent frame up and pinned his thumbs and fingers on the table in front, to give him poise. He looked around the room seeking the mood of the room. He didn’t like what he saw and read in the ether, but neither could he back down and Krendar knew it.
“Krendar, you are a pompous fool! You are leader only by your own machinations and not the will of the Sentinels and you do not have the right to command me or others to attend you either here, or at the gate. The Tower guards are not your personal servants or private army and you cannot use them to carry out your personal wishes. There has been no full council meeting to agree any such matter as Tower approval of personal apprenticeships and I have no need of its approval to decide who I shall, or shall not train here, or outside the Tower.”
The secretary stuck his nose up at Junto and called a point of order by raising the gavel, another new contrivance to increase the power of the one over the others. He glared as he interrupted Junto.
“On the contrary, Sentinel Junto, the council here present agreed and authorised the pre-approval of new talent and so far the new system has processed over two hundred applicants, of which a good fifty percent have been found unsuitable for further training. That alone has ensured the long-term strengthening of our service. Your acolyte, who I detect sits behind you in contravention of our long standing rules shows no evidence of talent, and must be tested by our own inspectors to decide whether he should continue to reside here. Your approval is not required.”
The secretary stood partially and signalled to the guards who had quietly spread around the back of the room out of sight from the forward facing Sentinels. They moved on his signal and closed in on Aaron and Junto’s position.
“He will be removed now and taken down to be tested, while council continues with the important task of deliberating the breach of council regulation.”
“It’s a trap,” Junto tight-beamed to Aaron, “Beware, they have
blades.”
- 20 -
Even before the guards had moved, Aaron was being subjected to a mental attack from Krendar’s mind. It was broadcast to all.
“You insolent pup! You dare to sit in the chambers of your seniors as though you have the right to involve yourself in our affairs? You will be removed by the guards, thrown from this tower and never be seen or heard of again.”
Aaron was ready, he had sensed the power building while the secretary was setting the scene. He drew on the minds around him, but only a little from each, they would not notice the loss in the tension of the meeting. They might even think it was Krendar that pulled the energy from them. Collectively it amounted to a significant amount.
Krendar threw a powerful blast intended to leave Aaron without a lucid mind, but at the last second Aaron turned it aside and redirected it at the approaching guards. He had never done such a thing before, but it seemed the only way of dissipating such a potent force. If it connected with his mind he would be a gibbering idiot for the rest of his short life. Aaron had no doubt he would not survive a second once out of sight of the council and he also feared for Junto.
The guards crumpled under the redirected onslaught and bought Aaron and Junto some valuable time as they backed themselves away from the table towards the wall.
Krendar renewed his attack and this time was joined by a dozen minds that rallied to his aid. Aaron was forced to close his defences under the aggressive and powerful mental blade of Krendar’s might. Now beginning to appreciate how Krendar was maintaining his hold on the council, Aaron searched for a weakness that he could exploit. His new shield was holding, but as per Junto’s warnings, he held back his own power and made it appear he was weakening under the attack.
Junto melded him, “link to me and direct your attack through me, they must not guess that you are the real danger.”
Aaron did as he commanded and pushed his own blast of power through Junto and sent it back to Krendar. It stopped at the First Lord’s shield which was proving as strong as Aaron’s and through Junto’s mind the two enemies battled.
Krendar looked surprised at Junto’s strength and while the attention of the group switched to attacking Junto directly, Aaron was temporarily forgotten.
The secretary was looking desperately about for more guards, and must have been summoning them because reinforcements burst through the doors at the end and made directly for Junto’s position. They would be on them in seconds and Aaron wasn’t getting a good feeling about it, they could see their comrades bodies lying near them and were preparing for an aggressive take-down.
The onslaught from Krendar was now in danger of doing serious injury to Junto who was concentrating so deeply on the attack from the other Sentinels he was oblivious to the new threat coming at them. Aaron had no time to think, he needed more power to deal with both threats. As he prepared to take it from others, which would reveal his true nature, out of the blue another mind touched his.
“Take mine,” it said and instantly fresh powerful energy flowed into him building rapidly into something he could work with. Channelling the new mind’s power towards the guards he was dimly aware when they also collapsed from his mental assault on their weaker minds.
With the added energy, the attack on Krendar renewed, and just as Aaron thought Junto would break through, there was suddenly nothing to grasp onto. Krendar’s mind had erected what Aaron had come to recognise as a Nangarl shield and their attack just slipped off its surface.
The leader was shaken. His secretary who had added his weight to the attack was sitting pale and exhausted. Krendar must have pushed his followers harder than was healthy to break Junto’s defence. Aaron looked around and noted the faces of the attackers and made a note of them. He would discover their names later. He was looking for the mind that had linked with his, but he knew instinctively that he wouldn’t find it in the council chambers. The mind, whose ever it was, was not one of these. It had vanished as it had come to him - without trace. He had learned very little of its owner, so well shielded was it. The fact it was female and young was all he could discern.
The door opened again, a head poked in, then was pushed in further by a commotion behind him. It was Warbel preceding a bunch of Sentinels that had not been in attendance for the meeting.
“What has been occurring in these chambers?” he demanded in a tentatively authoritative voice. He was deliberately not looking towards Junto, but it was evident to Aaron that the state of his friend was uppermost on his mind as he sidled into the room moving over the unconscious guards in their direction.
“There has been an attempt to usurp the council by rebel elements within this room,” Kreebo wailed, his tiredness evident, but the growing strength of his voice as he warmed to his response indicated that his intent was to turn the new arrivals against Junto and the unknown parties who had turned back Krendar’s attempt to mute opposition. The presence of unconscious guards appeared to justify the assertion.
Krendar sat at the table, seemingly unmoved by everything that had happened. He supported his head on one hand, as he nonchalantly watched the proceedings. He smiled knowingly as he looked over at Junto, then at Aaron. The other Sentinels seemed nonplussed by events. Some of the murmurings suggested that there had been no such coup attempt, but they were quickly silenced as elements loyal to Krendar made their feelings known. In the absence of a strong leadership the rebellion withered before it had begun. Junto wasn’t strong enough to rally them alone.
More guards arrived. This time they moved cautiously. Amongst them was another, not a guard or a Sentinel. This person seemed intent on remaining in the background and Aaron forgot about him as events moved ahead. Krendar stood up.
He pointed at Junto and Aaron. “Take the rebel Sentinel and his puppy into custody, remove them to the basement. We will hold them until we get to the bottom of this conspiracy,” he ordered.
Aaron used his mind to halt the guards, but found his way blocked by a mental barrier. He couldn’t get past it and recognised the nature of it as that which hid the thoughts of Melbray. “The other new arrival must be a Nangarl, he is blanking the guards minds from my attack,” he informed Junto.
Warbel and the new arrivals were nonplussed. They could not openly take on the guards nor, without knowing what had transpired, could they contest the leaders commands. They stood helpless as the situation unfolded in front of them.
“Just let them take us, lad, they will keep on wearing us down until we can no longer fight them,” Junto warned him by tight beam and Aaron, against his better judgement, allowed the guards to approach and lift him bodily from his seat and escort him ahead of Junto’s big frame out of the council chamber, past Warbel and the others that had gathered hoping to defend them from further attack.
“I’m sorry I arrived too late to help you, my friend,” Warbel beamed to Junto, including Aaron in his mind link.
“You could have done nothing, Warbel. I’m afraid they are well organised and very strong,” Junto replied.
“You have allies here, they just need to know that Melbray and Gedrack are with us,” Warbel added.
“We will shortly find out where they are. I believe they are planning on taking us to the same location,” Aaron asserted. He had scanned the Nangarl’s mind and in a brief unguarded moment had pulled a picture of a darkened room and half a dozen prisoners. He believed the Nangarl had deliberately allowed him to see that image, supposedly to promote fear in him. Aaron was enthusiastic, but didn’t allow his enemy to sense it. He kept his own ability dampened as much as he could.
- 21 -
Aaron and Junto were frogmarched past amazed onlookers. Junior Sentinels, acolytes and Tower workers were all pushed aside as the guards escorted them to the lower levels. The Nangarl ‘blocker’ walked with them, not close enough to be attacked by Aaron, but providing an impenetrable barrier that ensured there was no interference with the guards. Whispers and murmurs followed them, the absence of others though
ts made it unnerving for Aaron who had grown used to the constant murmur.
Once they had moved beyond the ground floor there were no longer any spectators. There weren’t even any other people. It was eerily quiet. Although Aaron tried to track their movements, he couldn’t sense anything below him. The Nangarl that accompanied them looked at him and sneered, obviously picking up his mental searches and knowing he would find nothing. Evidently there was some shielding he was unaware of being used down here.
They passed through a guarded area and dropped down a further dark lit staircase, where suddenly Aaron could pick up mental signatures. Melbray was here, Gedrack too. Aaron looked across at Junto and he nodded. He was picking up their mental ID’s as well. There were others and Aaron realised the picture he had received from the Nangarl had been from the room they were now being escorted into.
A door unlocked and they were pushed inside and they were immediately aware of the other occupants, but no welcoming committee.
Behind them the guards retreated back into the corridor. The door locked and they were imprisoned with no recourse to any assistance from the outside.
Junto waddled over to his friends, ignoring any others for the moment. He bent over and shook them both without result.
Neither did Melbray or Gedrack respond to Aaron’s mental enquiry. There was something sorely amiss and their supine forms on pallets at the back of the room left him with a deep-seated concern for their well-being.
“They are kept drugged to keep their strength low and to keep them from breaking through the barrier.” A voice spoke off to one side.
Aaron looked from where it came and noticed an acolyte lying on the floor. A small bed had been placed there and a girl lay on it. Weak and sick looking, she had been badly treated. Aaron kneeled close to her and used his mind-sense to gauge her condition. She was alright, but had been beaten. He could see bruises, there had been blood spilled too. This was bad - violence was unheard of in their society and this could only be the work of the Nangarl. His list of grievances with these people was growing and he knew there would come a time when he would extract payment. He laid his hand on her shoulder and felt the skinniness of her. She needed nourishment, they had to be keeping people here for a reason, but it didn’t include paying attention to their welfare.
