Resigned Fate

by West, Shay

  “A lot has happened since we last spoke,” Fa’ Vel said with mock sincerity.

  “The last time we spoke you forced me to order the deaths of all the seers in my land and to help fund you and your Tribunal. People were calling for my head,” Cheye snapped.

  “I can explain—”

  “Save it. I don’t care anymore why you did it.” She fixed him with a hard glare. “Why are you here?”

  “I’m going to try to save our hides.”

  ***

  Saemus walked back down the Shadow Mountains, heading toward the flat plains below. The deafening noise from the Mekan drilling in the mountain forced the villagers to shove pieces of cloth in their ears. It made it difficult to speak to anyone, so they traveled in silence.

  Everyone was forced to walk. All of the horses and ponies were laden with tents, food, and other supplies. The children and the elderly were loaded in wagons.

  Saemus glanced at his twin as she walked by his side. She had been morose since her husband, Brad, had left to return to Earth. Saemus had encouraged her to contact the clone on that world, find out how Brad and the others were.

  “What does it matter? If they are fine, does that mean he will come home? If they are in danger or dead, what good will that do me? I’d rather not know,” she answered.

  Saemus’ throat clenched as he watched Kaelin. The faces of his family flashed through his mind and guilt caused his stomach to roil. They are all going to die and it’s my fault.

  The heavy cloak of shame slowed his steps. Kaelin didn’t notice when her brother fell behind. Saemus wracked his brain trying to see where they‘d gone wrong, hoping to salvage the mess the Chosen had made of things.

  It’s not your fault.

  The voice spoke truth but the guilt didn’t go away. It spread through his body like a wildfire. He moved off the path and sat down on a large rock, his legs no longer able to hold up under the weight of all that lay on his shoulders. The sorrow went bone deep. Mixed with the sadness was anger: anger at the unfairness of it all, anger at the Masters for meddling with the prophecy, anger at the Mekans for coming here and slowly destroying his world.

  He looked up as a shadow moved to block the light from the sun.

  “Are you going to sit here all day feeling sorry for yourself?”

  “I don’t need a lecture, Keera.”

  “It sure looks like you do to me.”

  Saemus wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve. “I’ll be along shortly. You don’t have to wait for me.”

  “I think I’ll stay and keep an eye on you. Between you and Kaelin in your own little worlds, I’m left to try to stay strong and brave. Well, blast it all, I don’t want to be strong and brave! My husband is gone and may not survive, the Mekans are all around us, we have no idea how to stop them. Why do you two get to fall apart while the rest of us keep it together?”

  Saemus stared open-mouthed at her outburst. His face flushed at her accusations, mainly because he knew she was right. Maybe I’m tired of being strong.

  Saemus stood. “I’m getting up now, see? Happy now?”

  “It’s a start,” Keera stood with her arms crossed.

  He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and how gaunt her face looked. Saemus sighed and rubbed his face. Will the guilt never end?

  Keera stood and waited for him to begin walking back down the path. “Rome said we’ll make camp at the base of the mountains.”

  Saemus nodded.

  “I think I’ll go walk with Feeror and Moylir. At least those two are more talkative than you.” Keera walked back up the trail.

  Suddenly, the ground rumbled and moved sharply, throwing Saemus off his feet. He landed in the dirt with a harsh grunt. The sound of screams and squealing horses surrounded him. It took him a few seconds to get back on his feet, the ground was shaking so badly. The side of the mountain was a jumble of falling trees, bouncing boulders, and injured people.

  We’ve got to get out of here!

  “Run! Get down the mountain as fast as you can!” Saemus ran toward the people still on their feet.

  He stopped to help a young girl that had fallen and twisted her ankle. Saemus drew on his power and sent it into her ankle. The boulders continued to bounce around them, making it difficult to maintain his concentration. After a few second of using the power to heal her, Saemus helped her to her feet.

  “Can you walk?”

  The girl took a few hobbling steps but was unable to move quickly enough to escape the pieces of the mountain falling around them.

  He scooped her up in his arms. She clung to his neck, crying for her momma and papa. It was almost impossible to keep his feet. Boulders and trees crashed around him as he ran down the mountain.

  Saemus cried out at a sudden shift in the ground beneath his feet. He kept his arms around the girl, trying to protect her as they both fell. He stood and grabbed her once again, moving as quickly as he could.

  He had fallen so far behind the main group that he could barely make them out as they passed between the trees. The dust from the shaking ground and the falling boulders obscured his view, leaving him isolated and alone. He could hear the boulders falling behind him, coming faster and faster.

  His muscles burned as he stumbled down the mountain, hoping he was going the right direction. The girl whimpered. Saemus glanced down at her. She pulled back from clinging to his neck and met his dark brown eyes with her baby blue ones. Her eyes filled with tears.

  Gasping for air, Saemus tried to maintain his footing while looking behind him. His heart sank as he spotted even more boulders and rocks rushing toward them. He drew on his power, knowing he was at the end of his strength. A shield enveloped them both. He hoped it would be enough to deflect any rocks that came directly at them.

  His chest burned and his muscles were on fire. Part of him wanted to drop the girl and bolt down the mountain to join the rest of the group and get away from the danger falling down the mountain, coming right for them.

  Saemus cried out as a boulder hit the shield and bounced off. The impact sent him reeling off to the side. The girl in his arms screamed as Saemus almost dropped her. Gravity helped propel him forward even when his body cried out for a respite. The first tendrils of panic threaded their way through his mind. He was alone on the mountain carrying an injured girl and he wouldn’t be able to maintain the shield much longer.

  The trees thinned somewhat and he breathed out a sob of relief. Saemus gritted his teeth and ignored the pain in his arm joints, the hope of seeing someone from the villages spurring him on.

  Another boulder struck the shield and Saemus hit his knees. He cried out as he fell, trying in vain to keep hold of the girl. She wailed in pain as she hit the ground. Saemus got slowly to his knees, panting in exhaustion. He was dimly aware of more boulders and smaller rocks and pebbles rolling down the hill. The girl cried out to him, holding out her hands.

  He got unsteadily to his feet and tried to pick up the young girl. His arms refused to cooperate.

  “I can’t carry you. You’re going to have to keep going on your own.”

  “You’re leaving me?” Her eyes were wide.

  “No. I’m going to be right next to you. But we have to hurry.”

  “Can you do that thing that protected us?”

  Saemus swallowed hard. “I’m not sure I have the strength.”

  He helped the girl to her feet and together they trotted ahead, eyes straining for any sign of the villagers. The trees continued to thin and the mountain continued to rain down rocks and earth.

  “I can’t go on. My ankle hurts!”

  “You’ve got to. I can’t get us both down the mountain.” Saemus panted as he held her up by one arm.

  In a few moments, they moved past the tree line and moved out onto the flats. His heart leapt for joy at seeing the wide expanse of scrub brush and grass. He could barely make out the villagers fanning out and staring at the mountains, which now lay behind him. He forced himself to ke
ep going, to keep a hold of the girl’s arm, to make it to safety.

  “Cassie!”

  A woman ran toward them, arms outstretched, face beaming.

  “Momma!” The girl hobbled toward her mother.

  Saemus smiled as the woman swept the girl up and covered her face with kisses. She thanked him and walked away with her daughter in her arms.

  “Saemus!”

  His breath left in a rush as his twin threw herself at him, almost knocking him down.

  “I thought you were right behind us. If I had known...”

  “It’s alright. I’m fine.”

  “You need to see something.”

  Saemus followed Kaelin further from the mountain. The boulders still fell, but they stopped short of where the villagers were huddled, pointing at the Shadow Mountains, their faces tight with fear.

  He turned and gasped. Kaelin’s hand trembled as she gripped his hand tightly.

  The sun reflected off the Mekan’s metal skin. Saemus could clearly see the spindly legs anchoring the metal beast as it drilled into the ground. After drilling for a few minutes, the tool disappeared into the belly of the Mekan and two of the legs rummaged through the pile of rubble, tossing some material into a pile and throwing the rest in front where it rolled down the mountain.

  Saemus blinked slowly, his brain trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He had always thought nothing could be larger than a mountain.

  I was obviously mistaken.

  “What do we do now?”

  Saemus looked at his twin, wishing he knew what to say to take the fear from her eyes.

  “I don’t know, Kae.”

  ASTRA

  JON STARED AT THE FIRE BURNING MERRILY in the fireplace. He tried to ignore the throaty laughs and murmured whispers coming from the adjoining room. Fa’ Vel and Queen Cheye had enjoyed several glasses of wine with their meager dinner, drinking so much that Jon had thought they were trying to drown out the fact that they were eating leathery meat and crusty bread.

  The voices grew louder as Fa’ Vel and Cheye came into the room.

  “Still awake?” Fa’ Vel asked.

  Jon didn’t answer but continued to stare at the fire.

  “Don’t mind him, my dear. He’s always peevish.”

  “I remember. Although it didn’t take him long to warm up to me,” Cheye purred.

  Jon flinched as she ran her hand along his back, but relaxed under the soothing touch. He ignored that tiny part of his mind that screamed at him to run back home before it was too late. It was getting easier the more he used the power. He turned his chair to face Fa’ Vel and Cheye who were already seated in high-backed chairs in front of the hearth.

  “So do you really think you can save everyone?” Cheye asked.

  “Do you doubt me?” Fa’ Vel smirked.

  “You have been known to over-reach. How are you going to succeed where everyone else, including the strongest magicians and Mystics, have failed?”

  --How indeed?--

  Jon sympathized with the look of confusion that passed across her face. He had felt much the same the first time the Kromins had communicated directly into his mind. There were differences between what Fa’ Vel did and what the telepaths did. They used a combination of symbols and complex ideas and somehow implanted them directly into the mind. Fa’ Vel’s method was a voice that spoke only to the brain.

  “You know how to talk to them?” Cheye asked.

  Fa’ Vel shrugged. “I don’t know for certain that what I propose will work. But it certainly can’t hurt.”

  “What if you make them angry?”

  “They are slowly destroying our world. I’d say they were already angry.”

  “They aren’t angry and they aren’t sad. They are machines that are doing what they were programmed to do,” Jon said.

  Fa’ Vel waved his comment off. “Yes, yes, so you say. But they obviously speak to each other somehow. Who’s to say it isn’t similar to what I can do?”

  “Nothing, I suppose. It’s your head.”

  “You mean our heads. I expect you to be right there with me when we make first contact.”

  “Why me?”

  “We might have a better chance if there are two of us. Besides, if it works, you’ll be a hero. It will be difficult for your girl to ignore you then, eh?” Fa’ Vel nudged Jon.

  His stomach fluttered at the thought of Kaelin’s face when she heard that he had saved everyone from the invading machines. She would see that he was a better man than Brad, stronger and more worthy of her adoration.

  “So when do we speak to them?” Jon asked.

  “Tomorrow at first light. We’ll get as close as we can while still leaving ourselves enough distance to run if they come toward us.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Cheye stated.

  “Are you sure that’s wise?” Fa’ Vel asked.

  “I’m not staying behind while you two run off to save the world.”

  “Thinking of getting in on the fame and glory, eh?”

  “My palace is destroyed, my people scattered. The Patriarchs will be grateful. Grateful enough to pay handsomely.”

  “Perhaps.” Fa’ Vel narrowed his eyes. “You can come, but you’re on your own. If things go sour, I’m not responsible for you.”

  “I can take care of myself.” She gulped once but refused to back down.

  “Well, that’s settled. I suggest we all get some shut-eye. I’ll be taking the Patriarch’s quarters. You two are on your own.” Fa’ Vel walked out of the room.

  ***

  Jon groaned as a pounding on the door woke him from a deep sleep. He rolled over and pulled the blankets up over his head, hoping the offensive noise would go away. When the racket continued, he threw the blankets off and stumbled out of bed.

  He yawned as he wandered to the kitchens to find something to break his fast. Fa’ Vel and his men had already eaten.

  “Best eat quickly. We’re leaving soon.”

  “Where’s her Highness?” Jon mumbled around a mouthful of eggs.

  “She’s decided to stay behind after all. The thought of seeing one of those metal beasts face-to-face was more than she could bear.”

  Jon grunted in answer as he continued to eat. It was bland and tasteless but he was hungry and there was no telling when he would be eating a hot meal again. The thought of confronting the Mekans frightened him but not as much as he thought it probably should. Mixed in with the fear was excitement at doing what no one else had thought of and actually beating the enemy before his world suffered more damage than it had already.

  And finally winning the heart of Kaelin Barlow would be the grand finale.

  After breakfast, Jon followed Fa’ Vel and several of his men to the city gates of Faerow. He had decided against taking horses from the abandoned city, as the animals became difficult to handle as soon as they got close to the Mekans. The party traveled in silence. Jon was on edge, ready to pull on the dark power. It was there, a presence he could sense just over his shoulder, as though he would catch sight of it if he turned around quickly enough. It comforted him.

  Jon stopped short when he realized Fa’ Vel and his men were no longer walking. His pulse raced and he looked to the surrounding countryside, wondering if Fa’ Vel had spotted something dangerous.

  “Do you feel that?” Fa’ Vel asked.

  “Feel what?”

  “That!” The dark magician waved his arms toward the ground.

  “I don’t feel any—” His eyes widened. He had grown used to the slight vibration moving through the ground and didn’t notice it. But something was different.

  “You see? It’s stronger now.”

  “I wonder what’s going on?”

  Fa’ Vel shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  The dark magician led the way once more. The tension was evident in his posture. Jon drew a little of the dark power inside himself, his fear draining as the forbidden magic oozed in. His thoughts stopped whirling and
his heart slowed to a nice even rhythm, pulsing in time to the magic flowing through his veins.

  The rumbling in the ground grew more intense with each step they took. Fa’ Vel’s men walked more and more slowly, drawing out the lead between themselves and Fa’ Vel. Jon didn’t blame them. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go any closer to whatever was making the ground shake like that.

  “It’s Fire Mountain!” One of Fa’ Vel’s men pointed to the billowing smoke in the distance.

  Jon’s mouth went dry and his stomach churned. The volcano had been dormant for centuries. The last time it had erupted, many thousands of people had died after the initial eruption, and the resulting long winter had killed tens of thousands more.

  Are the Mekans doing this?

  An explosion ripped through the top of the mountain, sending rocks, dirt, and debris into the air. Thick grey smoke roiled forth with each new blast. Fa’ Vel’s men cried out and ran back toward Faerow, fear of the volcano outweighing their fear of the dark magician.

  Jon ran to Fa’ Vel. “What do we do now?”

  “Keep going.”

  Jon stared at the man. “In case you didn’t notice, going forward means going toward the exploding mountain.”

  “We’re not in any immediate danger so I say we keep moving.” Fa’ Vel smirked. “Not having second thoughts are you?”

  Jon puffed his chest out. “Of course not.”

  “Good. Let’s get going.”

  Jon kept his eye on the pillar of smoke pouring out of Fire Mountain. It sat on an island in the middle of the Sea of Solace. Jon hoped Captain Morden and his Lucian’s Fury were nowhere nearby.

  The pair walked until dark, stopping at an abandoned farmhouse to stay the night. There was no food in the house so they ate from their packs, being careful to eat sparingly.

  Fa’ Vel woke Jon before the sun had even risen. Fire Mountain glowed red gold against the dark sky and the smell of sulfur hung thick in the air. Thick flakes of ash fell like snow, covering everything in a drab grey blanket. Jon half-expected the ash to burn as it landed.