by Tobias Roote
Aaron had a bad feeling about their situation. “Junto, this is not good. There is violence and evil intent here. These Nangarl... I sense they intend us serious harm.”
“I agree, Aaron. I believe we should make a serious attempt to escape from here, and take these people with us.” He was with Melbray and attempting to bring him round from his drugged condition. Gedrack was the same. They could go nowhere unless the two friends were conscious.
Aaron attempted in vain to reach some of the minds above, but found his attempts unsuccessful as though something were deflecting his efforts. So, this was why he couldn’t reach Melbray last night, he thought. They must have some kind of barrier between the floors. Drugging Melbray and other strong telepaths would reduce their ability to call for help and the psychic barrier helped them remain undiscovered. He must have been lucky last night, there must have been a temporary break in the system that allowed him to see through it, but Melbray would have been unable to respond.
There was a commotion down the corridor and Aaron stood back from the girl and walked to the cell door. He could see a small entourage forming.
“Krendar,” he beamed a warning to Junto.
As they got closer Aaron sensed the mind probe. It was strong, as powerful as it had been in the council chamber. Conversely, Aaron’s power seemed weaker. His shield was as strong, but he couldn’t transmit more than a weak signal to the others. Whatever was blocking his access to the Sentinels above, was also ensuring he could do no damage down here.
“Ah! If it isn’t the little puppy that Junto rescued,” Krendar sneered. “Tell me, boy, what is it you have that interests him so. Were you acting as a channel for his strength? is that your secret? or do you simply keep him warm in his bed at night?” Krendar sniggered. “Whatever, it won’t be for much longer, poor lad, you will be soon free of him and your troubles.” He almost patted Aaron on the head through the bars.
As Aaron contained his anger, Krendar turned his attention to the big man that came up behind him ready to defend him if he needed it. Aaron didn’t. He didn’t have the same strength to draw on from other Sentinels down here, but neither did Krendar.
“Ah! Junto. You put up a good fight up there. Three of my guards will never recover, but no matter, they will be joining you on your little adventure tonight. Astonishingly, you will escape and they will be murdered by you in the process. It will look realistic and the other guards, appalled at the needless slaughter, will hunt you down and eliminate you as rogue murderous rebels. The sheer act of violence will ensure your conspiracy will be as dead as you, come morning.” He rubbed his hands together in glee.
“Thanks to your little pantomime this morning we have identified all of the other conspirators who would side with you - if you were still here, but you’re not - at least as far as they’re concerned. Now, they are just weak talents with even weaker constitutions. No further threats exist and our plans will move ahead.” He was matter of fact now, having delivered his victorious speech and committed them to his endgame, he believed his business was done.
As he was turning to leave Krendar peered towards the back, perhaps making sure that Melbray was listening. He was, having just surfaced from his drugged state. “Melbray, your pain will end tonight, and unlike the last few days, you will meet it fully conscious. I hope you enjoy your last few hours. We will be back soon,” he laughed and moved back up the corridor, joking with his guards.
Aaron settled down to wait. There was nothing to be done and whilst he could probably hold his own against the Nangarl, he wasn’t ready to try anything until they had an opportunity of escaping and that would have to wait until the others recovered from the effects of the sleep potions.
- 22 -
“Where do you think they will take us?” Aaron asked somewhat naively. He guessed it would be away from here. They would meet with an accident a long distance from the Tower to ensure no blame fell directly on Krendar or his council. Was this why the Nangarl were here. What was the deal with them, Aaron wondered.
Junto was looking across at Melbray who was leaning back with his eyes closed, probably trying to clear his head. They had at best an hour before they were taken and Aaron was nervous. It only seemed a short time ago when he was cast out from his village with nowhere to go and certain death in the desert. Yet, here he was a few scant weeks later in the depths of a conspiracy and fighting for his life – again!
It was strange, he thought, how the Nangarl had featured in his recent experiences. They had for so long been only a story told around the village when people spoke of the old days. Yet, now he had learned that not only did they actually exist, but they were possibly more powerful than his own people. If they were let loose, their willingness to commit acts of violence would reverberate through Sar society. Aaron thought he knew why Krendar used them - they would do the work no other Sar would do - kill and maim.
It was evident to Aaron that Krendar intended to use them to eliminate those in opposition to his plans. The Watchtower was his now that immediate resistance was crushed. Aaron had no doubt that the Nangarl would be the guards that removed them. He looked at the condition of his companions and worried. They were defenceless under this blanket of suppression. Aaron couldn’t imagine the possibility of them being free of that for long enough to mount an attack on the Nangarl, nor was he certain they could succeed. He needed a means of bringing down the enemy that were maintaining the block on their mental abilities, then they could prevail against the rest. If he could draw power from others, then he felt certain he could save them.
He must have dozed, because he was suddenly aware that there was movement near the door to the cell.
It was thrown open and a single guard entered to check on them. He was then followed by others who brought ropes and chains and threw them down at their feet.
Melbray tried to mount a mental attack against them, Aaron felt the draw on his own power as he tried to confront the first guard. He must be the one holding the block, because he just gave an evil smile and folded his arms looking directly at Melbray as though inviting him to do his worst. Aaron didn’t want to give himself away yet. They wouldn’t be able to escape this room with these guards here and countless more around the Tower. He beamed to Melbray, including Junto and Gedrack in the conversation.
“Don’t Melbray, this is not the place. You only waste energy while under this Nangarl blanket and there are too many of them. Besides we're physically not capable of killing them to gain our escape.”
“We have no choice, Aaron, if they get us away from here we are as good as dead,” Junto replied. Melbray was straining hard to maintain his attack and the guards were approaching to rope them together in chains and bindings.
“You will gain nothing and only weaken us further,” Aaron submitted frustratedly. He knew they were expending valuable energy and they would need everything they could muster if an opportunity came.
“You have a plan, young Aaron?” Gedrack asked.
“I may have a plan, but it requires us to be away from here and out of sight of the Tower and reinforcements,” Aaron responded. In truth he didn’t have a plan, just a glimmering of hope and a thought that might turn into one if he could just get away from the Tower. He didn’t want to let the others know, in case Krendar had someone who could read their thoughts. He didn’t even dare think it openly.
Melbray broke off his attack at the behest of the others and they were quickly bound and roped to each other. Aaron was considered the least dangerous and the youngest so was placed at the end of the line where the rear guard would watch him. He was content to be there, it aided his plan which was slowly forming. It depended entirely on a possibility - a vague one, but it was their only hope.
They were gagged so as not to be able to shout for help or bring attention to themselves, then led out and down another level until they came to a dark tunnel at the end of a corridor running parallel to the one they had left.
It was damp and low han
ging moss brushed against his face and shoulders despite him being last. The way ahead was lit by the lead guard, his torch glimmering weakly against the wet walls reflecting the passageway. The cold increased as they descended. Aaron had a bad feeling that if they intended to deal with them in the tunnel, they would never be able to defend themselves or turn on their attackers. Despite the chill he began to sweat and his nervousness must have transmitted to Junto who walked ahead of him.
A tendril of thought reached him. “Calm yourself lad, I know about these tunnels. They lead to the outside and were used in the past to bypass the city limits when we had to leave on missions to other cities. There is nowhere for them to do anything inside. It will be in the forest they will take us down, like the grithspawn they are.”
Aaron realised he must have let fear carry his thoughts as a dig in his back told him he was also slowing too much. The pain of the shove brought him to his senses and he regained his mental balance just as the air pressure changed telling him they were moving out of the tunnel. He felt a breeze on his cheek, then as they moved further out into the open, the breeze became stronger and smelt of the woodlands around them. He felt better, less claustrophobic out here. He looked up and could see the stars, the night was clear.
They stumbled onwards until a worn trail appeared and they could walk more easily. Their speed increased, obviously some distance to go yet, or they would have maintained their pace.
Aaron pushed his mind outward trying to gauge the blanketing cover of the Nangarl. It was coming up front of them, one of the leaders was the blocker. A tendril of thought crept towards him and he tried to track it, but the guard closed his mind to Aaron and there was nothing there, like the day on the cliff. He knew now that was just their shield and he concentrated more on the one broadcasting the suppression of their abilities. He was to the left of the group and was walking alone, concentrating on maintaining the block and not watching them at all.
As Aaron watched his movements, trying to work out what kind of threat he would represent, he caught a smell on the breeze, just a whiff of something familiar. He smiled.
- 23 -
In the dark it was difficult to see anything beyond the path they were on, lit as it was by two moons above. It was enough to avoid tripping or bumping into each other. The forest either side was an impenetrable blackness that added to the malevolence they felt emanating from the guards. It would be soon now, Aaron thought to himself. Either their opportunity would come, or they would reach their destination and all would be lost. He had no doubt that the Nangarl guards could and would eliminate them all quickly. The injured guards from earlier were being led separately, still armed and in full uniform. They would be sacrificed to make the escape attempt look good.
Aaron thought again of the unknown female that had aided him in the council chambers. She was as strong as he, yet he knew nothing of her. Would he ever hear from her again. Where was she now. He was sure she wasn’t a Sentinel and if an acolyte, then she was a powerful one. How had she remained undiscovered? Was she like him, able to disguise her abilities from everyone? Maybe she had a benefactor like he had in Junto. He might never find out if they couldn’t escape and resume their rebellion against Krendar. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice the musty animal scent suddenly getting stronger .
The attack when it came was so fast in the darkness it went almost unnoticed.
There was no responding defence from the Nangarl guards, they had no opportunity to react. They were each hit at the same time. Within seconds the guards were down and the blanket of suppression was gone.
In the dark, he glimpsed a loping shadow as something approached him. Then, in a blink of an eye his bindings were in tatters as a razored claw sliced neatly between his hands. He pulled off his gag and hugged the creature that had appeared in front of him.
“You came.”
“Of course, A-ron two-legger. We never far. When you hidden, we think you killed, but not way endings happen. We watched tall two-legger building and felt you. When you come out of ground we see. These people kill many of our kind. We know their thinking. They would kill you, you are pack-kin, we keep you safe.”
“Gratitude, Den Mother,” Aaron emoted across and gave her a mental hug, which he could sense made her happy.
“We stay close, you safe now. Your friends not like us near,” she laughed as the sound of the pack began to move off dragging the dead Nangarl with them. One large Grith was sniffing a body ahead of them. It moved.
The man was wounded. It was the blocker, Aaron ran to his side and could see he was bleeding out from a large claw wound in his thigh. Aaron didn’t waste time. He entered the mind of the dying guard and searched for what he needed. There was no defence, no screen and his thoughts and memories were open to Aaron. The invasion of the man’s mind was complete. In seconds Aaron knew everything he needed to know about the enemy. He didn’t like what he saw - as he stepped away his face betrayed the revulsion he felt at being exposed to such vile aggression. He had killed many Sar and more Grith than he could count. He was a killer and not worth saving.
“Take him, he is yours,” he emoted to the large Grith standing motionless by his side. The Grith grabbed the blocker by the throat, shook once. Aaron heard the crack as the man’s neck broke. There was a gasp beside him and he looked to see Melbray’s pale face reflected in the double moon’s glow. He had walked up not expecting to see the Grith execute the Nangarl.
“You adapt to the ways of the Nangarl and the Grith so readily, young Aaron?”
“I saw his mind, he was not worthy, Lord. I did what needed to be done. These are our enemy, the Nangarl - I now know with certainty.”
“But, you ordered his death without a second thought knowing it would be as it was. This is so alien to the Sar, but...” he mused, “...you may be exactly what the Tower needs right now - a mind that has a strong will and equally strong constitution to match.”
They walked towards the others who were still loosening their bindings.
“How is it you can control such creatures so completely?” he asked.
“I don’t, Melbray. They are proud and independent, but I am a member of their family and they are loyal to the wishes of their den mother. Their telepathic abilities are on a par with ours yet we don’t communicate with them. If we did, things might be different.”
“The Grith? Are you serious? We don’t even talk to our ferrels except to instruct them on where to go,” Melbray was incredulous.
“You have never tried to talk with one?” Aaron turned on him, only part accusingly. He was sensitive to the injustices his people had piled upon the animals who had a better sense of balance in this world than his people did with all of their past.
“No. You’re right, of course. It never crossed my mind to even try,” and with that Melbray shelved the matter for another day. As any good leader he was already thinking on what needed to be done next.
Gedrack was now free of his bonds and helping Junto who had suffered greatly at the pace of the trek. He turned to them.
“We must warn the others and gather our forces. We will not be safe until Krendar is finished.” He looked none the worse for his ordeal at the hands of the Nangarl.
“Yes, I believe we must retaliate, but we are no match for these guards - these Nangarl that Krendar is employing. They will kill everyone if they have their way,” Melbray agreed.
Aaron didn’t believe they could match the mental and physical threat at the same time. Melbray was right. They needed a way of dealing with the Nangarl. The rest would be a matter of political expediency. If Krendar lost his support, his plans would fail and he could be dealt with in the Sar way.
He moved off from them alone, he needed to think. Something den mother had said, ‘these people kill many of our kind,’ had stayed in his mind.
He had an idea and the more he thought about it the better he liked it.
He turned back and rejoined his friends. “I may have a way of
handling the Nangarl,” he offered.
For the next hour he laid out his plan fine-tuning it with Gedrack and Junto’s aid. None of them were happy with the idea that Aaron proposed, but recognised it was the only means of overcoming Krendar’s defences. Melbray was quietly communicating with people in the Tower. More than once Aaron felt the tug as he drew a little power from each of them to help reach across the distance. Aaron felt that the distance wasn’t so much the problem as the recent ordeal that Melbray had experienced had left him weaker and less sure of himself. He kept these thoughts to himself, he owed Melbray and his friends much for saving him from himself.
- 24 -
Aaron reached the entrance at sunrise and sat back on his haunches while he mentally quartered the surrounding area. He waited expectantly. He wasn’t worried about discovery, he had excellent scouts and the area was secure. Besides, those inside the Watchtower complex wouldn’t be expecting company, not this soon and not in this manner; they were about to get a major awakening. One that would change things, probably forever.
He was marking time while Melbray and the others prepared their own response to Krendar’s attempted coup of the Watchtower council. Their job was more complicated in that they had to organise a resistance to the support network around Krendar and keep themselves safe from the guards and Krendar himself.
“Aaron, you’re still going ahead with this?” the voice in his head asked him.
“Junto, you know we have to do this. The plan will fail unless we tackle the Nangarl head on. I’m the only one that can do that,” Aaron responded.
