by Clayton Wood
Save for Dominus, of course.
The guard let down a rope ladder, and Dominus climbed it, passing through the trapdoor and into another tunnel above. The guard closed the trapdoor, turning about silently and leading Dominus down this new tunnel. Onward they went, passing through multiple series of heavy locked doors, then through a bewildering maze of smaller tunnels and rooms. These were the crypts below the Acropolis, the remains of the ancient castle whose ruins the Acropolis had been built upon.
Eventually Dominus found himself in the basement level of the Acropolis; the guard led him to the long hallway leading up to the Royal Chambers. More guards lined the walls on either side, all of them staring at him silently.
Dominus paused, then pulled off his boots, setting them aside, then following his guide. Without the numbing presence of his boots, the floor was cold and hard under his feet. He spread his toes out as he walked, enjoying the sensation.
His guard stopped, and he stopped beside the man. A guard standing in front of the huge double-doors of the Royal Chambers turned, placing the end of his hollow scepter into a small hole in one of the doors, speaking into it. A moment later, the doors opened, and a tall young man with long blonde hair stepped through, walking right up to Dominus. It was Tykus himself, reincarnated from the bones of the long-dead king.
“Ah, hello Dominus!” he greeted warmly, reaching out and embracing Dominus. Then the king stepped back, holding Dominus at arms’ length.
“My Liege.”
“Come now Dominus,” Tykus chided. “Did I not ask you to call me by my name?”
“My apologies…Tykus,” Dominus stated. “You did.” He glanced down at the man’s feet, finding that they too were bare.
“You look good,” Tykus observed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon after what happened to you.”
“You heard?”
“Of course,” Tykus replied with a smile. “I have eyes everywhere…literally!” He chuckled, putting an arm around Dominus and walking him back down the great hallway, away from the Royal Chambers. “Gave me quite a scare, actually. To think that a future such as yours was nearly nipped at the bud!”
“I woke up in the woods,” Dominus explained. Tykus raised an eyebrow.
“I know,” he replied, his blue eyes twinkling. “I was there. Or rather, one of me was.”
Dominus’s jaw dropped open, and Tykus chuckled.
“Who do you think dripped honey in your mouth as you slept like the dead?” he inquired. “And fought off the Seekers searching for your body to steal your Ossae?” He sighed, shaking his head. “A good thing your former guards were so lazy. They laid you down on your belly and threw oil on your back, and set it ablaze. If they’d been more careful, there wouldn’t have been enough of you to salvage.”
“I see,” was all Dominus could muster.
“Never underestimate a man’s capacity for laziness,” Tykus mused. “We leaders plan for it, don’t we? Order a man to do something and he’ll do it with the least effort possible. But make the man believe he wants something done and he’ll move heaven and earth to do it.”
“Indeed,” Dominus replied. “The essence of leadership.”
“Aha!” Tykus cried, slapping Dominus on the back. “Contributing to the conversation…I think we’re getting somewhere, Dominus.”
“Is that what you’ve done with me?” Dominus asked, stopping suddenly. “When you made me the protector of the Kingdom?” Tykus stopped with him.
“Did you want to protect the Kingdom before you ever spoke with me?” Tykus inquired. Dominus nodded.
“Of course.”
“Then you have your answer,” Tykus concluded. He continued their walk, almost at the huge metal double-doors at the other end of the hall now. He made a gesture, and the guards opened the doors before them, revealing a hallway continuing to a wide stairway leading upward ahead. “This place is too sterile,” Tykus stated. “Let’s go to the gardens.”
They walked up the stairs, their bare feet making little noise on the cool stone, and reached the floor above. There were guards everywhere, but none paid them any mind. Dominus felt a sudden pang of dread, half-expecting one of the dukes to be there.
“The dukes are still undergoing their metamorphosis,” Tykus stated, clearly sensing Dominus’s trepidation and guessing the source of it. The king had never failed to be frighteningly observant. “You have nothing to fear here.”
Tykus led them outside of the Acropolis, to a large flower garden. The grass was prickly and slightly wet under Dominus’s feet, the sun warm on his skin.
“Ah, that’s better,” Tykus murmured. He stopped, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out, closing his eyes and letting the sun bathe his face. Then he opened his eyes, turning to Dominus. “How are you feeling, Dominus?”
Dominus paused.
“I…fine,” he stammered.
“It’s a serious question,” Tykus insisted. “How are you feeling?”
Dominus considered the question for a moment.
“I don’t know how I should be feeling,” he admitted. Tykus burst out laughing.
“There’s no should or shouldn’t about it,” he countered. “Feelings just are, Dominus.” He gestured at Dominus. “So answer the question.”
“I feel…free, but lost,” Dominus admitted.
“Then you are,” Tykus replied.
Dominus nodded.
“But you didn’t come here to chat, did you Dominus?” Tykus deduced. “You’re far too businesslike for that.”
“No,” Dominus admitted. “I came because I have terrible news.”
“Go on.”
“I have reason to believe that the Svartálfar have returned,” Dominus declared.
Tykus’s eyebrows knit together.
“I have reason to believe they’ve returned because of Zagamar,” Dominus stated. “He has been reborn.”
Tykus stared at Dominus, swallowing visibly. Then he broke Dominus’s gaze, staring out at the garden.
“I see.”
“I was attacked by a group of Svartálfar,” Dominus continued. “We managed to kill them and take one of the bodies to study.”
“We?” Tykus inquired.
“Lady Camilla and I,” Dominus clarified. Tykus’s eyebrows rose.
“Ah.”
“The creature was confirmed dead,” Dominus continued. “Yet it revived and attacked us. High Seeker Zeno was seen by Camilla’s scouts entering the Crypt of Zagamar last week. He was in possession of the Ironclad head.”
Tykus sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. He lowered his gaze to his feet.
“Then we,” he replied at last, “…are in grave peril.”
* * *
The War Room was a long, rectangular underground chamber within the Ironclad caves, a room Hunter had been in before without realizing it. There was a long table in the center of it, with chairs all around. Xerxes and Vi stood at the head of the table, a huge map of the Kingdom laid out before them. There were a few armored Ironclad standing around as well, each of them one of Xerxes’ generals. Hunter and Sukri stood to one side, Sukri dressed in a simple shirt and pants. It was all Vi had for her, at least until the Ironclad’s resident blacksmith made her some armor. Kayla wasn’t there, naturally. A citizen of the Kingdom of the Deep helping to attack Tykus could present a diplomatic nightmare for the two kingdoms.
“Okay,” Vi began. “Two of Xerxes’ generals will attack the military base before sunrise. The walls are short enough to scale. Take out the sleeping guards first. Create confusion. No survivors, got it?”
Xerxes gave her a nodding grunt.
“At the same time,” Vi continued, “…the bulk of our army will go underground.” She pointed to dotted lines on the map, tracing them under the wall and into the Kingdom. “According to our calculations, the tunnels end just underneath several buildings in Tykus. The Ironclad will come out of those buildings, and no one will understand how they got there. This’ll co
nfuse the crap outta the City Guard.”
She pointed at a few marked buildings throughout the city.
“These are the main guard barracks for the City Guard,” she explained. “I want these hit simultaneously. Throw firebombs through the windows to force them out, then massacre them. Don’t let them organize or things’re gonna get a lot trickier.”
Another grunt from Xerxes.
“While this is happening, we’ll have a group of Ironclad rush to the wall surrounding the Acropolis. Take the western wall here,” she continued, pointing to the section of wall to the right. “Dig under the wall and open the gate from the inside to let the rest of the army through. If that doesn’t work, they’ll have to go under the wall. Either way, we storm the Acropolis.”
She turned to Hunter.
“Hunter, you’re our eyes in the sky. Your job will be to pick off archers at all these locations,” Vi continued, pointing to various ramparts and towers with blue stones marking them. “These are just the ones I remember seeing in the past. You’ll need to go early to scope out the rest of them. Take ‘em out quick, and make sure to stay out of range of their arrows in between runs. They hit your wings, you’re in deep shit.”
“Got it.”
“When you’re done taking them out, fly to the Acropolis and take out the archers on the wall. Wait until the Ironclad start digging, so the archers will be distracted. You’ll see me with the Ironclad then; pick me up and fly me on top of this balcony on the Acropolis. I’ll go in, make my way to the front door, and make sure they’re open for us.”
“Okay,” Hunter agreed. “I can do that.”
“You’d better take those archers out first,” Vi warned. “Otherwise I’ll be a sitting duck while you’re flying me up there.”
“What about once we get inside the Acropolis?” Hunter asked.
“Simple,” Vi answered. “We kill everyone we see, find Tykus, and corner him. Then I negotiate.”
“Isn’t he a Legend?” Hunter asked. “If you stay close to him for too long…”
“My suit has lots of layers,” she reassured, gesturing at her brown leather outfit. “It’s designed to keep me from absorbing wills. Besides, the king is just a clone of the original Tykus. His will probably won’t be any stronger than mine.”
“What if he refuses to negotiate?” Hunter pressed.
“Then he’s going to die.”
Hunter shook his head, staring at the map.
“I don’t get it,” he admitted. “Why negotiate at all? We’ll have him outnumbered, his whole kingdom conquered. Why not just kill him and be done with it?”
“Because that’s not what your mother wants.”
“Yeah, but…”
“No buts,” she interjected. “Any questions Blue?”
“NO.”
Sukri stirred.
“I have a question,” she piped in. “What do I do?”
“Like I said, you’re gonna have to sit this one out,” Vi replied. “Sleep with that necklace I gave you, and keep training with Kayla. That’ll go a long way towards getting you up to par.”
“All right,” Sukri grumbled.
“That’s it then,” Vi declared. “Get some sleep guys…you’re going to need it. We’re waking up a few hours before sunrise.”
And with that, they were dismissed.
Chapter 27
The sky was still dark by the time Hunter emerged from the Ironclad cave, Vi, Xerxes, and Sukri walking at his side. A literal army of Ironclad – thousands of them – stood at the ready, saluting silently when Xerxes emerged from the cave. The big guy saluted back, then stopped, turning to Hunter.
“BE…CAREFUL,” he admonished.
“I will be big guy,” Hunter promised. “Thanks for the extra goo, by the way.” He’d done as Mom had recommended, taking another gulp of the blue stuff. It was enough to make him heal slowly from wounds that would otherwise have been fatal, and enough to make him regenerate lost tissue, but nowhere near enough to give him anything close to Xerxes’ healing power.
Xerxes put a hand to his own chest.
“HEART…HALF,” he rasped. “NOW…FULL.” He shook his head firmly. “IF…BROKEN, EVEN MINE…NEVER HEAL.”
Hunter swallowed past a lump in his throat, nodding mutely at his brother. Xerxes knelt down before him, wrapping his four arms around Hunter and giving him a gentle squeeze. Then he stood, smiling down at Hunter. Hunter cleared his throat noisily.
“Thanks for everything,” he said. “For taking me to the Deep. And…for waiting for me, all those years.”
“FAMILY,” Xerxes grunted. Hunter smiled up at him.
“Family,” he agreed. “Take care of yourself, bro. And take care of Vi.”
“Probably going to be the other way around,” Vi countered with a grin. “Remember what happened to poor Blue at Wexford?”
Xerxes grunted, punching Vi in the shoulder. Or at least he tried to; she dodged out of the way, kicking him in the side of one knee, causing it to buckle. They both chuckled.
“All right, let’s go,” Vi prompted. “Hunter, finish saying your goodbyes. Then fly overhead. Remember, take out the archers on the King’s Road first. Take advantage of the darkness while you can.”
“Yes ma’am,” Hunter replied.
“Now give me a hug,” Vi ordered. Hunter did just that, and Vi squeezed him so hard it literally took his breath away. “Love you Hunter.”
“Love you too Vi.”
“Don’t you dare die,” she warned, giving him a strained smile. “Remember what I said about never giving up on yourself.”
“I won’t,” he promised. “Thanks for never giving up on me.”
“Yeah, well, we’re family, right?”
Hunter broke out into a big smile.
“I guess we are,” he agreed. “I’m honored you think so.”
“There’s nothing I’ve given you that you haven’t earned, Hunter,” Vi replied. She paused, then leaned in, kissing him gently on the cheek. “Bye kiddo.”
And with that, Vi turned to leave, Xerxes stomping at her side. The army of Ironclad followed suit, marching behind the two as they made their way into the forest. Sukri raised an eyebrow at Hunter, putting her hands on her hips.
“How come you get to have goo and I don’t?” she demanded.
“Well, I did offer you some earlier, technically,” he quipped. She rolled her eyes.
“Your brother’s goo,” she clarified.
“You’ll have to ask him,” Hunter replied. “Although if he gives you his, I’ll be jealous.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Hunter confirmed. He rubbed the back of his helmet, giving her a sheepish look. “I’m, uh…a little confused.”
Sukri frowned, and Hunter sighed.
“It’s just…we had a really great connection back there, when we made camp after falling off the bridge and all. Then you just…shut down. And shut me out.”
Sukri’s gaze dropped.
“Look, I understand if you don’t want someone absorbing your memories,” he continued. “I get it. But with my helmet on…”
“Hunter,” Sukri interrupted.
“I can keep it on,” he insisted. “I won’t absorb much of anything.”
“Hunter!” she snapped. Hunter grimaced, his mouth shutting with a click. She glared at him for a moment, and then her expression softened. “It’s not you,” she explained. “It’s me.”
“What do you mean?”
Sukri took a deep breath in, then let it out, her eyes on her feet. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes were glittering with moisture.
“Take off your helmet,” she ordered.
Hunter hesitated, then did so, setting it on the ground beside him. Sukri squared her shoulders, then stepped forward.
“Go on,” she stated. “Take my memories.”
Hunter hesitated.
“Are you sure?”
“No,” she answered. “Do it before I change my mind.”
<
br /> Hunter nodded, then grabbed Sukri’s temples, pulling her forehead against his, and closing his eyes.
Images flashed in rapid sequence in his mind’s eye.
He gasped, pulling his head away from hers. Then took a step back, staring at her. She stared back almost defiantly, her lower lip quivering.
“Well?” she demanded.
Hunter swallowed, then stepped right up to her, wrapping his arms around her. She stiffened, but he embraced her tightly, rocking backward and forward slightly.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear. She pushed him away, until he was at arms’ length.
“Sorry for what?”
“For what you went through,” he explained. “For what they did to you. And…what they made you do.”
Sukri’s face paled.
“You saw it,” she stated flatly.
“Yes.”
“What I did to those boys,” she pressed.
“What they made you do, yes,” Hunter confirmed. “And how you felt about it. How it kept you up at night. And how…it made you not want to be close to me.” He paused. “Because you were afraid of what I’d think of you if I found out.”
“And what do you think of me?” she inquired. He lowered his gaze, choosing his words carefully. Then he looked straight into her eyes.
“I think you deserve to be happy for once,” he answered.
“You…really mean that?”
“I do,” he confirmed. “It’s all I want too.”
“Hunter, you are happy,” she retorted. “You’ve got your family, and Vi.”
“True,” he conceded. “But I don’t have a girl. Honestly, I never have.”
“What about Trixie?” Sukri asked, arching an eyebrow. He grimaced.
“That’s my point,” he replied. “Every woman I’ve been with was just…using me. It was physical. Just sex, not…love.”
“So you want love?”
“Well, yeah,” he answered. “Don’t you?”
“Sure,” Sukri replied. “But it’s a little too early to tell me you love me. Makes you seem clingy.”
“Not what I meant,” he grumbled. “Asshole.”
She punched him in the shoulder playfully. But hard.
“Hey!” he blurted out. “Jesus…I forgot about how violent you were.”
