“What if to win you have to burn their farms and kill their children?” Aiden asked softly.
“That’s what I said, too. I mean, there are things that can happen in real fights. What if the only way to stop your enemy is to do something horrible?” Gavin paused, leaning on the railing a little more heavily. “He said that’s easy. Always ask if you are standing between the innocent and danger or if you are the danger to the innocent. Do the first, never do the second.”
Both of the friends ceased talking as they turned to stare out into the water and the rock wall.
“That’s odd,” Aiden said suddenly, pointing off to the right just ahead of the skimmer. “What’s that large clear thing? I’ve never seen a creature like that before.”
Gavin shrugged, so they both moved to the prow to take a closer look. Aiden still didn’t know what it was, but he felt Gavin stiffen next to him and grab his arm. When he looked at his friend, he was as white as a ghost.
“Aiden,” Gavin whispered, “let’s go back to the bridge, very quietly.”
“Why?” Aiden asked, suddenly nervous at Gavin’s reaction.
“Because that’s not a creature. That’s an eye.”
Aiden looked back, trying to see what his friend was talking about. How could something that huge be an eye? Then he remembered the massive Trench Serpent that had attacked the fair so many months ago and the reality began to set in. This wasn’t a wall they were resting next to, this was one of those massive beasts. One of the most terrifying creatures on the face of their planet and they had just woken the thing from sleep. It hadn’t moved yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Both of them hurried back to the bridge. Aiden was trying to figure out how to tell the crew what trouble they were in when he heard a faint beeping from one of the consoles. He looked up at the screen and saw the two red-circled craft change course and begin to head right for them.
The helmsman looked back, relief clear on his face as he saw Gavin come in. “We’ve got a problem,” the man said, gesturing to the screen. He must have seen the wide-eyed look on Gavin’s face because before he could say more, he trailed off. “Did you know about it, sir? The alarm just started going off.”
“Gavin shook his head, almost whispering the command. “We’ve got more problems than just those two. Turn us around and get us out of here as fast as you can.” Gavin pointed to starboard. “Take us up and away from this wall! It’s a Trench Serpent!”
Aiden could feel the skimmer began to move, angling away from the oncoming skimmers when he suddenly got an idea. “No! Wait, listen to me. Turn us right towards those skimmers. Take us right between them!”
Gavin blinked wildly at Aiden but suddenly he saw what his friend was trying to do. The helmsmen had set their course away from both threats. It was alarming to see the wall they had most recently been resting next to rise from the seafloor and begin turning to follow their craft.
Gavin moved up to his station, leaning down. “Do it! I know it’s back towards the creature, but it will lead it right to those other skimmers. Maybe we can give it a meal and get them off of our tail!”
Aiden thought the man might not do it as he turned to look at the screens which showed the massive beast begin to settle in behind them, obviously targeting their small craft. However, with a muted sob, the man punched desperately at his controls, and Aiden felt the ship turn.
Their course brought them on a course that took them closer to the massive sea creature, and it looked like they would have room to pass, but suddenly the thing surged forward, snapping its massive tentacles open. Almost as one, everyone on the bridge let out a cry of anger and fear, but the small skimmer zipped through, evading the maw of the monster by a hair.
The sea monster turned in far-to-agile of a way to pursue. Aiden wished they could turn the screens off so they wouldn’t have to see how close it was to their stern. He wondered if even without the sensors they could see the rugged, snub nose of it just behind them.
He was just turning around when one of the other crewmen yelled. “They’re headed right for us! They’re going to ram!”
Professor Reivus stumbled over to the helm, holding onto the chair with his boney fingers. “They will ram us! Some computer program is probably directing them which doesn’t care about its life. If we do it right, we can save ourselves and feed them to the beast as well.” He leaned over, his fingers flying over the controls. “Head right for them. When I say now, push this control. Don’t look at the screen, just this button!”
The man was almost gibbering in fear but nodded. He blinked a few times and then firmed his jaw, staring at his screen as if his life depended on it. Aiden knew that it did. That all of theirs did but what worried him was the professor wasn’t looking at the outside screens either and the oncoming skimmers. He was looking at one of the other floating terminals with his hand raised.
“Professor!” Gavin called, his voice rising. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be watching the screens?”
“No, Gavin,” The professor said calmly, his voice not even shaking. “The world is made up of numbers, and those are far more accurate than what you see on the screen. And those numbers are saying…NOW!”
The helmsmen hit the control, and all of them felt the skimmer begin to tilt to the port side. They were so close to the enemy that the true size of the oncoming craft was apparent, easily twice the size of their vessel. Even as he watched time began to slow, showing his widening eyes that their enemy was angling toward them, but just as they committed, Betsy jerked hard to starboard which made everyone not strapped in tumble to the deck.
For the second time that day, he felt himself sliding across the deck and slam into the wall. His armored shirt took most of the brunt, but the bridge was filled with screams and yelling. There was a massive tearing followed by another rushing sound that he recognized as the shield failing. The vision of the two oncoming skimmers was huge on the screens, and all was chaos as he was sure they were all dead. Then they shot past, screaming out into the water amidst the howling of the shield generators trying to come back online along with that of the crew.
Aiden turned, watching as the enemy skimmers both tried to circle back, but there was no possible way to avoid the yawning chasm that was the Trench Serpent’s open mouth. They didn’t have a chance as the tentacles closed, sucking them to their doom.
In the blink of an eye, the two skimmers disappeared. “Good job, Professor!” Gavin called out, pumping his fist at their escape.
Gavin turned just in time to see the Professor slump against the wall. The old man blinked and blew out a long breath, nodding to Gavin and giving him a thumbs up. The mood on the bridge began to lighten until one of the officers looked up. “It’s not stopping.”
“What?” Gavin looked at the man, then followed his gaze. The Trench Serpent hadn’t turned away as they had hoped, but had kept on swimming after them. The shield was still struggling to come back after their collision, so the water was offering a lot more drag. As a result, the massive Trench Serpent was slowly them.
“Okay, helmsmen,” Gavin said, turning his chair to face backward. “Now would be a good time to take us up and out of here!”
“Yes, sir!” the man said, and Aiden felt the skimmer immediately begin to ascend, tearing through the water as quickly as it could. The minutes dragged as they all watched the serpent getting closer and closer. Its massive maw began to open as it sensed its prey, revealing its myriad of giant grating spikes it used to crush and consume its food. All around its mouth, the water began to lighten and then turn a lighter blue, than turquoise when suddenly they burst from the water and rocketed up into the air.
The massive serpent followed, arching up after them as if trying to fly itself. It was close, but the thick tentacles on its mouth slammed closed just under the craft, eliciting cheers and screams of celebration. Aiden watched the monster smash back into the ocean far below, sending up a huge cascade of water arching in the sunligh
t before he slumped in relief. It was over, and they’d made it to safety against all the odds.
“Well, that was exciting!” The Professor said, grinning as if he’d just been giving candy. “I can’t say I’d ever want to see the inside of a trench serpent from so close ever again.”
Gavin laughed, swiveling his chair towards the old man. “Terrifying more like,” Gavin said, shaking his head at the old man. “I guess there is always a first time for everything, even in your extended life, right?”
“Oh, yes,” The professor said. “But you know, that was never something I’ve been looking to do. You’d be amazed about what we’ve postulated might happen. They say almost anything can and will happen in the entirety of the universe.”
“Well, let’s try to avoid things like that in the future, shall we?” Gavin said. “Helm, how far is Reid Island from where we are?”
The man looked at his console and shook his head. “Not far, sir. Shall I set a course?”
Gavin nodded to the relief of everyone. “Yes, please. Let’s get there as quickly as possible. I’m feeling a keen interest in getting some sand under my feet that isn’t wet.”
Chapter 17
“Why didn’t you attempt to contact us? Or perhaps the Stormdancer? They may have been able to help.” Oya Dihya asked as they walked down the carved-tiled streets of Jiada’s Turning. Each large stone was its own piece of artwork, handcrafted by the island's artisans. Aiden would have called the style of everything around him simple but elegant.
Aiden, Gavin, and Professor Reivus all exchanged the same wild looks while Markam trailed behind with his usually stoic face. “Oh, by the Gods, we are idiots!” Gavin finally exclaimed, smacking his forehead with the flat of his hand. Professor Reivus had a particularly self-recriminating look on his face as they walked along.
“Even you, Professor?” Oya Dihya asked quizzically though there was no accusation in her tone.
The old man closed his eyes and grimaced, then nodded dejectedly. “Oh my, and here I was thinking I was doing so much better. I didn’t even think of that. Not even once!”
Aiden wanted to comfort the old man, but honestly, he was angry with himself. He had made the com units. He should have thought of them, himself.
“Well, do not let it trouble you overly.” Oya Dihya said as she walked along, towering over them all. “It is still a new technology, or newly revived as the case may be. None of you are used to it yet.” She did not say more and let the silence linger, seeming to dismiss the issue, but Aiden knew that was a ruse. She’d used the same subtle technique on their fighting classes, letting the lesson float by and trusting the student to take its rightful emphasis. It was certainly working this time.
They walked along the intricately carved pathways in silence, each lost in their thoughts. The place had been intended to be a university where anyone could come and learn from the Naiadens. However, after the events at Riften it had taken on a secondary role as a crossroads for the Aidengates. The instantaneous travel had been an instant hit, especially with the traders of Riften. However, the Naiadens were still leery about opening up the rest of their island to foreign influence, so it made sense to combine the two locations into one, accompanied by a military camp for the Naiaden army to muster.
The Naiadens had walled off the area around the huge causeways where they housed the huge gates. There was a large amount of open, unused space due to the fact only two gates were currently in existence; the gate to Riften and the gate to Terek, which were already seeing traffic. There was room for up to eight other gates.
Each gate sat upon a raised dais with ramps approaching each side with several processing buildings near each to handle whatever traffic would come and go. One ramp was for the entrance of travelers, and one ramp was for exiting. The reverse pattern was on the other side. It was an elegant solution that so far seemed to be working well.
To the south of the gates sat the Naiaden military camp. It looked nothing like the sharpened log fort that Aiden had visited in Caitrel. Despite the short amount of time since its construction, its appearance was solid and as if it had stood there for a hundred years.
There were already hundreds of the massive women moving and training within its perimeter. Aiden knew that Carol intended to reinforce Caitrel as soon as possible and he supported her in this. Despite the news he brought about the strange floaters he’d found in that other dimension, he suspected it wouldn’t change her mind. As they entered the gates of the camp, they moved to a larger, two-storied building towards the center of camp overlooking a large training field. Passing drilling Exemplars, Aiden was again struck by the speed and strength they exhibited, admiring their movements until retreating into the dark interior of where they would meet with Carol.
As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, Aiden marveled at the scale of the building. It had been built primarily for Exemplars, so everything was twice the size of what he was used to, but there were also cleverly designed alternatives for normal sized individuals. As he climbed the interior perimeter of the stairwell which held steps he felt comfortable with, the outside and by far greater area held steps that the Exemplars would find comfortable. Seating and tables were equally maintained, with large walk up platforms at the ends of the tables for shorter peoples to sit, letting everyone be on an equal playing field for a discussion.
It was here that Aiden and his friends found themselves sitting alongside Carol Reid and some other Naiadens of both sizes. Aiden saw their friend Serilda, now wearing a four-meter-tall warbody, walk into the room shortly after they did. The ebony skinned woman looked the same from when he’d last seen her on her on her Denact, but writ larger and she smiled as she sat down next to him.
“Aiden, it is good to see you and some of your friends again. How is your day?” Her eyes crinkled slightly as her grin widened, bright against her skin. “Is it true what I have heard? That you were feeding a Trench Serpent? You do not do things by half when you are looking for a pet, do you?”
Aiden grinned back and shrugged. “Well, it looked hungry and sad, but I would have to be the size of an Exemplar to have had a chance of scratching its chin. Speaking of, I see that you are now one of them?”
“One of these again, you mean. Those that are predisposed take turns as an Exemplar over the centuries, but much more are resuming the mantle of responsibility these days. Since we have decided to rejoin this world, the danger the Mourning Lords pose has called many back to this form.” Her face grew more serious as she frowned. “Especially in light of the creatures they have unleashed on our oceans.”
“Do you know something about them?” Aiden asked, curious.
Serilda nodded. “Yes, we have more than enough information about them, but Carol will speak of it shortly. It is a concern for the entire world.”
As she finished, the last of the people filtered in. Duchess Ahnarad walked in with two other surprise guests. Just behind the elegant Duchess, Romald from Riften escorted Dame Tenadine, Aiden’s mother, helping her up the steps and taking a seat beside both of the Terek noblewomen. Romald was the spymaster of Riften and one of Duchess Emraldi’s spouses. Putting a finger to the side of his long nose, he winked at Aiden though they didn’t have time to speak. Dame Tenadine also gave him a long, searching look that Aiden found hard to interpret. It warmed him to see her, and he wished he could talk to her right then, but the meeting was beginning.
“Thank you all for coming. The meeting started considerably later than expected due to some troubling circumstances earlier today. The enemy is escalating their aggression and sent two large skimmers, called gunships, to attack one of Duke Terek’s skimmers earlier.” At the concerned murmuring, Carol held her hands up. “They escaped, and will tell us their story shortly, but first we must discuss the creatures that are appearing in our waters and the relief of Caitrel’s forces.”
Everyone nodded at that, including his mother and Romald. Apparently, the creatures had begun to make appearances
in other places, and Aiden wondered how widespread it was.
Carol nodded along with them, looking everyone in the eye as she did. “Let me say first that I believe this is a distraction to keep us from helping the other Duchies and each other. One we must not succumb to.”
“What do you mean by calling this a simple distraction?” Dame Tenadine interrupted, her severe features sharpening her anger. “Terek is suffering greatly, and our food stores are in jeopardy. We rely on the ocean for much of our food! I would hardly call this a simple distraction.”
“Yes, we know. This is exactly why it is such a brilliant tactic by the Mourning Lords. When you attack someone’s food supply, you attack their ability to focus on anything else but survival. And more importantly, it’s not something you can just send soldiers against when it’s something that lives in the ocean. But please, do not think that I am ignoring this. It is an attack on us all and truthfully if we do not stop these creatures, they will strip the oceans of all life.” Carol slapped her hand down on the table, giving emphasis to her words. “Everything!”
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