Retaliation (William of Archonia Book 2)

by Jarod Meyer

  There was another chain around her waist, connecting her to Samuel, Talisha, and even the monk that fought at their side. They all lost their freedom because she decided to be foolish. She should have simply gone back to the capitol with the Adjudicators. This crazy idea that they could hide from or fight the Archonian military was folly. Now she didn’t know what they would do to them, perhaps banish them to Dichonia.

  She looked up from her hands to her former companion Parsa, his purple cape teasing her. He was indeed a double agent, he hadn’t lied about that, however, he was a double agent for the Adjudicator Corps not the Guardian Corps.

  They were floating in the air, heading southeast, but not far south enough for it to be to the capitol city of Helios. They could only be heading to the valley with the crystal tower where her furry rabbit friend led her on their trip to Shambhala. She wished that she could kill someone by looking at them, because she would have no qualms about smashing Parsa’s head in.

  As if he could read her mind he slowly floated back beside her and Samuel.

  “Do not speak to me, traitor,” Katrina said through gritted teeth.

  “According to Archonian law you are the traitor, my dear,” he responded.

  “I have broken no Archonian laws. The only thing I can be accused of is being absent without leave from my duties. This does not constitute false imprisonment. Nor was it grounds for your excessive use of force. You are a liar and a betrayer and should be beaten for your crime,” Katrina spat back.

  “You seem to have forgotten that you attacked your fellow soldiers. You were a bit excessive in your use of force as well,” he replied.

  “I was defending my fellow guardians from being arrested without cause. I used nonlethal force only. I never drew my weapon, I merely disabled them,” she hissed in anger.

  The truth rang in every word and Parsa had no reply.

  “What, no snappy and noble comeback? No lie to make you feel better about yourselves?” Katrina yelled.

  The Adjudicator simply shook his head and floated back to the head of the slowly moving column. Four other souls marched with them, attached to their chain. Katrina couldn’t tell if they were soldiers, as they wore no armor. As the sun slowly began to sink behind the great mountains the guards called for them to stop. She wondered why, and then considered that some of the weaker soldiers needed meditation. Soon their captors had fires going and set up a watch on the prisoners.

  “I overheard some of the guards talking… they are stopping to meet up with another group from the south. Strength in numbers,” Talisha said, slowly sitting cross-legged upon a large boulder. The monk settled down nearby and closed his eyes to meditate. Katrina still didn’t know his name.

  “Talisha, I never got to thank you for coming to my aid today. You did not have to do that. It was not your fight,” Katrina said, sadly.

  “I will fight for what I believe in, Guardian. It was not right that you were accosted in such a way. Nor should it be within these soldiers’ power to detain us without trial. These are worthy causes,” she responded, kindly.

  “Didn’t help much,” Samuel said softly, looking at the ground.

  The grass on which they sat was cool and heavy with dew from the humid air of the wetlands. The sage colored blades licked at her feet which were still bare from training in Shambhala. Her gi was tattered and soiled and didn’t provide much warmth or comfort as the temperatures dropped.

  She thought about summoning her armor to keep herself warm, but they were warned against this. As long as they were prisoners they would be spared, but any further act of defiance would be met with immediate execution. And she knew they weren’t bluffing, especially those sentinels that she’d beaten and humiliated. She could see it in their eyes, the desire for revenge. Yet, they were being honorable, restraining themselves from treating their prisoners improperly She reminded herself to thank them for that, and apologize for injuring them.

  Tonight, however, she was simply too bitter. Like them, she simply returned their gaze with contempt. She decided that no good would come from dwelling on things and that she should get some rest while she could.

  Not a second after her eyes closed did she sense them, lumps of energy slowly approaching from all directions. She peeled back her eyelids carefully and looked around slowly seeing nothing but the tall grass around them. The wind whistled a soft tune gently rustling everything around them, masking what was coming.

  Too many of them to be the other prisoner convoy that was supposed to meet us.

  Her heart jumped as she spotted Talisha gazing at her, but soon realized that her friend was looking over her. She could sense the strongest of them, and he was about to make a move.

  A smile spread across her face and she gently nudged Samuel who had fallen into his meditative trance. Katrina watched in silence as the attack unfolded. It was almost comical. The guards posted for watch disappeared, one by one into the darkness, without a sound. Then a giant man strolled into the camp, like he owned the very ground beneath his feet.

  Parsa’s shocked face was priceless, as he leapt up from his trance and shouted, “To arms!”

  Some of the soldiers scrambled to their feet, drawing their weapons. As he did, the other hundred energy signatures appeared at the edge of the firelight, each holding a golden orb of energy, ready to wreak havoc on the small camp. Most were guardians.

  “Now, now, little Justicar, just ask your friends to put down their weapons. We do not want to hurt you

  “Are you threatening me, Guardian?” Parsa asked fiercely.

  The large man chuckled deeply. “It’s only a threat if ye do not do as you are told. Now you have some of my friends, and I’m going to take them from your care and we are going to go our separate ways,” Brock responded with a toothy grin.

  The effect was immediate. Many of the soldiers tossed their weapons onto the ground and put their hands up in the air.

  “Insubordination will not be tolerated, Guardian. I am a Justicar and according to the decree set down by the Synod….” But he was cut short.

  Brock’s massive hammer materialized out of thin air, its giant, square head swatting Parsa like a fly. He disappeared out into the night, his scream fading quickly into the distance. Any soldier still clutching a weapon immediately dropped it. Katrina would have done the same. She was fast, but she would never take on Brock. He was built like a stone wall. She had serious doubts that she could even injure the brute.

  The other rescuers closed in on the group and began detaining Katrina’s captors. Flashes appeared and she could only imagine that they were projected shackles similar to their own. Brock spotted the chain gang in the darkness and approached.

  “Little sister, how did you ever get yourself caught by this group of fools?” Brock asked, incredulously.

  “I don’t know, Brock, maybe if my friends came to my aid a little sooner I wouldn’t be chained up like an animal,” she said, holding her arms out to him.

  He looked over his shoulder and one of his men handed him a key. He quickly unshackled Katrina, who rubbed her wrists to make sure there were no holes again. Brock looked at her companions as he unshackled Samuel.

  “They are with me. They stand for what we stand for,” she said, quickly.

  “Yet they are not soldiers. You should return to your village in peace, friends,” Brock said.

  “We cannot go back until peace is found. We drew a line, and now stand on one side of it. Until that line is gone we will stay the course,” Talisha said, standing and bowing.

  Brock furrowed his brow and nodded his large round head.

  In a few moments they were all unchained. Katrina flexed her mind and armor gently closed around her body, giving her warmth and security. Her bow appeared on her back, its weight a further comfort. She looked around just as the last of her former captors were shackled, ineffectually stifling a chuckle.

  “Thanks for thumping that rotten bastard, Brock. I would have done it if you hadn’t
. Are you going to go get him and make sure he is secured?”

  “We can’t afford to take prisoners, we are moving too fast,” Brock said, walking back towards his group of soldiers.

  “What!? Brock, you can’t kill these men they are our brothers. We will need them in the fight against Dichonia,” Katrina said.

  “Little sister, I’m sorry. I mean we are not taking them with us. We will leave them here, securely shackled. No harm will come to them. We will not be the first to take a life, for that would start this war for certain. For now we are simply a movement. Not a rebellion, as we have been callously labeled,” Brock finished, laying a mighty hand upon her shoulder. It was heavy even for her, and her back strained to keep straight.

  “Ok, I was just making sure. I have been through it here. I am sorry if I’m a little off,” she replied.

  “No apologies should be necessary for any of us. We stand for what we believe in. And we have all undergone trials in the days since William’s departure.”

  With that she quickly took off into the night with the rest of the group. No longer needing to hide their presence, the group made great time. They were a force to be reckoned with, and Brock made it sound like there were more people at the destination.

  Flying southwest and moving away from the forest lands bothered Katrina. She knew that their fellow soldiers were being imprisoned there, but she trusted Brock. Not only was he her superior in the Archonian military, but he was also much wiser than he let on. The shimmering waters of the wetlands moved with the moonlight as Katrina finally broke the silence.

  “Brock, where are we going?” she asked, flying up beside him.

  “We had to pick a spot that would give us, a much smaller group, the best advantage,” he grumbled.

  Katrina thought about this statement quickly. The majority of the Archonian military couldn’t fly. That skill was reserved to maybe thirty percent of them. They were likely going someplace high and only reachable by flight. Then it dawned on her.

  “Tripura!?” she exclaimed and Brock nodded his large head. “I have always wanted to visit the city in the sky!”

  Katrina knew that Tripura meant “three cities” in an ancient human language. Supposedly one was on Earth and made of iron, while the second was constructed from silver, and the third made of gold. Naturally this was completely feasible in Archonia, and nearly a thousand years ago one of the great architects constructed the beautiful resort. Some lived there, but being such an exclusive location it mostly saw visitors.

  “Which Tier are we making our base on? Two or three?” Katrina asked.

  “Three,” Brock replied.

  “Is that wise with the city being so near the mists of oblivion?” Katrina asked.

  “Tactically it should give us an advantage, because it will eliminate that vector of attack,” Brock replied.

  “Sure, but they can still attack from all of the other sides,” Katrina whispered under her breath.

  Arguing was pointless, however, as the decision was likely made by someone of a higher rank. Soon she saw the great structure in the distance. Katrina had never actually seen it, only read about it in Archonian literature, and despite her reservations, felt a bubble of excitement form inside.

  No place but Archonia, she thought to herself.

  The morning light rose across the horizon, lighting up the tiers of the city. The lowest level, made of iron, was a deep grey. The structure lightened to the second tier, which shone silver. Finally, the top tier burned like a candle, bright gold reflecting back the morning light. This resort wasn’t nearly as large as the four great cities of Archonia. But they were still vast.

  A flash of light broke Katrina’s concentration, as a unicorn neighed and shot forth from the hand of a guardian to her right. It was chestnut with an excessively long mane, flowing behind it like a cape. The prominent horn upon its head twisted menacingly to a deadly point. The beast galloped through sky, as if running on clouds, and made its way towards the city of gold.

  “The signal for friend,” Brock said as Katrina threw him a quizzical look.

  They weren’t met with any opposition as they approached the city on the northeastern side. They soon began their ascent and though she did not need air her mind told her lungs that it was thin up here, similar to the atmosphere of Earth at such an altitude. Eventually they were level with the city and soon crossed the threshold where air met buildings. The white stone and the gold trim of the architecture was similar to much of Helios, so Katrina wasn’t as enamored as some of her counterparts.

  The group landed in a courtyard, where they were hailed by another guardian. Brock greeted the man with a salute. Katrina hung back now. She was never one for formalities anyway. She just followed as the rest of the soldiers found a place to rest. Brock left with the other guardian, who may have been a lieutenant, she wasn’t quite sure.

  Katrina found a seat at a long table where they were serving drinks. Samuel was already halfway finished with his first drink by the time someone served her. The other soldiers were deep in conversation about the events that passed and those to come. Katrina sipped her drink. It was ale, and had a light, salty flavor. The brew quickly quenched her thirst and relaxed her anxious mind.

  “I hear they appointed a new grand Justicar. Fool is locking up anyone and everyone he even thinks may be in league with us. Bloody shame that those boys are all locked up,” one man bellowed.

  “Aye, wish we knew where, so we could bust ‘em out. I’d give those bastards a right good thumping,” replied another.

  This surprised Katrina, and she butted into the men’s conversation. “How do you not know where they are being held? It’s a giant crystal tower,” she said, smirking, before chugging her drink.

  “What in Dichonia did you just say?” one of the men asked.

  “A giant crystal tower in the forest? You mean to tell me you all didn’t know that?” Katrina asked, skeptically.

  “The tower of Reningad?” another soldier asked incredulously. Katrina nodded.

  “Bloody hell, woman, this is no laughing matter. Some of my mates are being held captive,” said one of the larger soldiers, standing up and rocking the table.

  Katrina stood slowly.

  “I’m not laughing, am I?” she said, putting her hands on the table and leaning toward the large man. “Call me woman again and I’ll shove this tankard up your backside,” she threatened.

  “What goes on here, soldiers? We have enough enemies right now. Do not tell me that we are fighting amongst ourselves,” they turned to find a Guardian Captain Katrina didn’t recognize. His hair was buzzed into a Mohawk, while a scar marred his head from temple to jugular on the left side.

  “Captain, this guardian is making wild claims that she knows where our brothers are being held. And I was simply trying to explain that this is no joking matter,” the large, gruff soldier stated.

  “What is your name, soldier?” the captain asked, looking towards Katrina.

  “Katrina of Valhalla, Captain, designation scout 501 Icarus division,” Katrina responded immediately, kicking her heels together and crossing one arm over her chest in a salute.

  “Report 501, do you know where our fellow supporters are being held?” he asked, stepping forward and picking up a drink off the table and finishing it.

  “Yes sir, during my flight from the capitol I took a path through the forestlands in the northeastern quadrant and encountered a group of adjudicators escorting guardians, in shackles, to the tower of Reningad, in the valley of Jharana,” Katrina reported evenly, eyeing the soldier across the table.

  “And why have you not disclosed this information sooner, Guardian? This is important.”

  “Sir, I was not aware that this information was unknown. Also, I was recently held captive myself and only just arrived here in Tripura Gold minutes ago with Captain Brock,” she replied quickly.

  “Very well, soldier, you will come with me and make your report to the General. The rest o
f you may go about your business,” the captain ordered, firmly.

  Katrina gave a sneer to her new friend across the table, and walked off with the captain. Talk already erupted and hope filled the air. No doubt they would be planning some sort of rescue for these captive soldiers. She followed in silence as they trod along solid gold tiles to the city’s temple this must be headquarters.

  They marched through ivory doors, Katrina immediately spotting Brock. Their footsteps looked to interrupt an intense discussion. Brock spotted them, throwing her a quizzical look. Many other brows furrowed as they approached a group of thirteen men who were all high ranking officers in the military.

  “Captain, have you something to report?” asked a man with slicked-back brown hair and a mustache that dominated his upper lip.

  “Yes, General, this scout knows the location of our captured brethren,” he said stopping short of the group and saluting the general.

  The man nodded in approval but didn’t bother to salute back. “Then, Scout, 501 report,” the general said, looking back at a table and a map of Archonia.

  Katrina was flabbergasted that this General new her scout number. “Sir have we met?” she asked.

  “I do not believe so, Scout, but I have seen you run and you have been on lists that have crossed my table. I do not, however, believe that I gave you an order to ask questions,” he said, lifting his eyes momentarily to look at her.

  Katrina flushed with embarrassment. “Sir, I believe the captives are being held in the Tower of Reningad.”

  “You believe they are, Scout 501?” the General asked, his tone impatient. Katrina winced.

  “I know they are, Sir. During my flight from the capitol I flew through the forestlands in the north eastern quadrant and encountered a group of adjudicators escorting a guardian lieutenant in shackles through the valley of Jharana to the tower of Reningad,” she loudly and clearly, repeating what she’d already told the captain.