It was a swift and powerful machine, and Aubren felt privileged just to be able to ride in it. Yet what he really longed to do was pilot it, test its deadly power with his own hands …
Perhaps he could at least get a sense of what it was like. He leaned far forward, sliding his fingers down Lanaya’s arm. She looked at him and her red eyes narrowed, but there was an amused smile on her face.
“I want to feel what it is like for you,” he whispered, placing his fingers over hers on the controls.
There was a tingling there. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, his excitement getting the better of him. But no, it was definitely real—he could feel warm pinpricks dancing over his hand.
“Yao buer tuaed?” she asked.
“I want to feel it,” he repeated, hoping she might somehow understand what he meant from his tone.
To his surprise, she lifted her hands from the panel and nodded towards it, standing and moving back to offer him the controls. He took the pilot’s seat, reached down and spread his fingers over the crystals …
Hot pain coursed up his arms, like a thousand fiery needles piercing his skin and muscle, scorching the ends of his nerves. He bit his lips and stifled a cry, fighting to keep his hands on the control panel.
From behind him, Lanaya laughed.
No! I will not show weakness …
If this was a test, he would pass it. He would withstand the pain!
The flyer veered left, then shot directly upward as it slowly rotated. Pressed into his seat by the momentum, Aubren took a deep breath and tried to steady the craft as he had seen Lanaya do. He touched the pattern of crystals that he hoped would bring it upright.
As he did so, the fiery pain shot through his entire body, pulsing.
He realized that the pain was throbbing with the surging of the craft around him; when the craft veered or climbed or descended, the feel of the sensations changed, blunt pressure becoming sharp cutting fire inside him whenever the craft made a violent motion.
“Tuaed, hmm?” Lanaya whispered behind him. She sounded amused.
He couldn’t resist the pain after all, he realized.
But he didn’t have to resist.
It wasn’t something to be overcome. Rather, it was essential to controlling the flyer. He was connected to the nerves of the ship itself, and those nerves were enflamed.
But he would master it!
Wetness welled in his eyes and his heart pounded. But he laughed out loud, embracing the sensations as they burned through him.
While his hands spread smooth over the crystals, he reached out to the pain with his mind and willed it towards blunt, heavy pressure, taking the weight of it upon himself. The flyer steadied itself, flying straight and smooth.
He had done it!
Then, Lanaya’s hand was on his shoulder, and she gently pulled him away from the controls.
Sweating and panting, he took his seat behind her as they switched places. Once he was seated, she reached back and poked a finger at his chest, slid it up to caress his chin, nodding her approval.
They flew onward, miles of jungle speeding away beneath them as they penetrated further and further into a vast, verdant green wilderness. Aubren was quiet, recovering from his trial, basking in the feel of the craft around him and the presence of his glorious Lanaya.
Her hands danced on the controls and the flyer dove sharply. For a moment it appeared that they were going to crash into the trees below, and Aubren had to suppress a shout.
He couldn’t second-guess his Pai Lanaya; she knew what she was doing, and he had to have faith.
The flyer descended into a shadowy gap in the trees, an opening that was nearly impossible to see from a higher altitude. Aubren had a glimpse of grey stone below them, and then they were diving straight down into a dark shaft.
The flyer slowed, and they emerged into the huge interior space of some kind of structure.
Four great, grey stone walls rose to a meet at a point high above a pit a hundred feet deep and hundreds across, creating a vast space bigger than anything Aubren had ever seen.
A jungle of ropes and silver cords dangled down from high on the walls, and from some of these lines jagged crystalline components hung suspended, as if waiting to be put to use. On the floor of the pit, brown-skinned men tended flyers of varying shapes, some claw-like, some blunt, a few featuring the distinct axe-head shape of their own craft. There must have been a hundred ships in all.
So many flyers, so much power …
In the center of it all was the gigantic blue-black mass of an awesome crystal-hulled ship, stretching the length of the chamber and dwarfing the flyers scattered around it.
From above, it looked like a wide-bladed sword, with squared crystalline projections where the hilt would be in the rear, and a sharply tapered point at the blade end. As they descended, he saw that it was several storeys high.
Viewed from the side, the inward-curving hull did indeed give it the look of ocean-going vessel, but he knew what it had to be: a flyer. An incredible flying fortress, a weapon of untold might.
Silver lines and hoses ran to the ship, and men clambered upon it and around it, reaching inside recessed openings to make adjustments to the innards of the beast.
“Sharpening the sword for battle,” he said aloud. “That is beautiful.”
Lanaya landed their own craft close by, and a cluster of men ran forward to attend to her as the door in the side of their flyer slid slowly open.
Lanaya moved past Aubren to the rear of the craft, picked up the long wooden case which she had stowed there, then exited down the ramp which the opened flyer door had formed.
Aubren followed her, his heart pounding.
He hadn’t thought about it until now, but his own fate was still unknown to him. Now that they’d arrived at this main fortress, what would she do with him?
He wanted to serve her, the need to do so made him ache …
Lanaya spoke to the leather-clad man who headed the group, handing him the wooden box and whispering what seemed to be careful instructions for the handling of the object. Aubren stood straight and silent, ignoring the curious glances of the men in the men as they studied him.
At last, Lanaya herself turned to him. Her expression was unreadable as she said something to her men, gesturing to Aubren, then pointing towards an axe-head shaped flyer nearby.
The group’s leader nodded, then moved forward and took Aubren’s arm.
The man tugged at him, but for a moment Aubren couldn’t move, stunned by the realization …
They meant to show him how to fly the craft. She was going to let him control one of the things.
He would indeed wield such power, and he would wield it for her!
#
Compared to the massive hall outside, the throne room of Phaedon Arcaeon Culcras was almost cozy—though it was still large enough to accommodate a hundred people or more, with plenty of space to spare.
Charcoal braziers filled the room with a glowing warmth, and fine tapestries depicting lions and birds and other animals covered the walls.
The Phaedon climbed marble steps to take a seat in his golden throne, which was set upon a raised platform against the far wall. A gilded and bejeweled hook-sword hung on the wall over this seat, and Ralley wondered if it was a symbol of the ruler’s power.
The guests sat down on silken cushions on the floor, and servant girls attended to them, bringing chunks of dark bread with honey, and beer in small pottery jugs. The drink was sweeter than any Garataynian brew, thick and warm, but it went down smoothly.
“I think I might get used to this,” Jack said, taking another swallow—though his eyes were on a nubile serving girl in a nearly transparent muslin gown.
Ralley saw Jack’s hat shift forward on his head as brown blur landed on it, a small animal suddenly there, pawing at the yellow plume.
Perplexed, Jack reached up and shook the hat, and a small creature fell into this lap.
Like a cross between a small cat and a bushy-tailed squirrel, the brown creature sat up and squeaked inquisitively at him, staring with little dark eyes. The, without warning, it snatched his honeyed bread from him and scampered off into the crowd.
Taxamia laughed and explained the thing to Ralley, who translated for Jack: “She says it’s a chebae, Jack. They’re a nuisance, used to be pets but they infest the palace now. We get can get you more bread?”
Jack nodded. “Thank you, yes. You know, it’s one thing to be outfoxed, but to be out-squirrled as it is … truly humbling.”
Once they were settled, Phaedon clapped his hands. “Come now, my son—Ralley—tell us everything, and we shall give you our full royal attention.”
And so, Ralley began. He told them the story of how he had come to Damerya, and how he and Jack had found the Princess.
While he spoke, the Xai Ashaon Jarlus scowled, while the aon master Gaelti listened with cold fixation. But Phaedon leaned forward in his throne, his eyes going wide at every peril that was described, begging for more details like an excited child.
When Ralley was done, Gaelti explained how they had been located after the destruction of the stone tower. The young aon pattern seer, Daen Rakotis, had seen the link between Ralley and Taxamia as a bright “ribbon in the sky” just before they left the cliffside fortress.
Once they had recovered from the attack, Gaelti had convinced Jarlus and the Flying Squad Captain Neron to go in search of the newcomers, with the hope of locating Princess Taxamia as well. Rakotis had provided them with a general bearing for their flight, and they had finally found them when the young seer had seen Ralley and Taxamia’s link as a brilliant flare radiating from the rocks where they’d been camped.
“Such an epic tale!” Phaedon exclaimed. “We must have every detail written down soon, and I’ll commission artists to illustrate it. A fresco would be nice, don’t you think?”
Ralley smiled. “Highness, I feel unworthy of your praise. But … can you do me one favor? Tell me all that you know of Oberkion’s prophecy. I feel that I must understand my place in this.”
“Of course!” Phaedon clapped again. “But I’m not the expert here. Master Gaelti would be a better teacher in this regard, I think?”
Gaelti nodded, his face impenetrable behind the wooden eye-shield, and set down his cup. “If you wish, Highness.”
“Yes,” Phaedon said, “I do wish, though please—keep the language simple for those of us who are not aon Technicians, hmm?”
Gaelti rose from his cushion, then strode up the marble steps until he stood near the throne, his head higher than that of the still-seated Phaedon.
This gesture was not lost on Jarlus—Ralley saw him curse silently before giving Gaelti a stare that might kill a lesser man.
Gaelti began: “Five hundred years ago, his Highness’s ancestor, Phaedon Oberkion Culcras, rediscovered an ancient philosophy—the knowledge of aon science. He learned that everything in the universe is made up of infinitely small particles called aona. Each aon is unique, and yet each reflects the pattern of the entire universe in its own state.”
“Moved by his discovery of the interconnectedness of all things, Oberkion declared a policy of peaceful relations with all other nations. He withdrew Dameryan forces from other lands, and sought to abandon the empire that his predecessors had built over centuries.”
“The nobles of the time were not pleased with this plan. They conspired against Phaedon Oberkion, planning to murder him. Fleeing to the desert, he spent his final years learning to use the aon technology of the ancients.”
“Foreseeing a time when Damerya might finally be ready for his philosophy, he planted the seeds for such an enlightened age. He used the ancient devices to affect the bloodlines of two families: one in Damerya, on this world of Merphaen, and one in another world to which he had found a link.”
“This second world is your own, of course,” he said, sweeping his arm towards Ralley. “That link was an aon teleportation device which we now call the Key of Oberkion.”
“When the time was right, a child would be born in each world with their master aon—the root of their consciousness, their ‘soul’ if you will—linked to their counterpart in the other world. Their master aona would be so similar that these individuals would naturally be drawn together, would even be linked in mind and consciousness. Oberkion hoped that this link between these two-as-one—the da’ta se—would usher in an age of cooperation and understanding between the worlds. He dreamed that the close contact between these two alien cultures might be an example to all of humanity of what might be peacefully achieved.”
An example to all of humanity? Ralley was stunned. It was a tall order. Could he really fulfill such a role?
At that moment, he felt Taxamia’s slim hand tighten its grip on his arm.
With her help, maybe I can, he thought.
“Nearly five hundred years later, I, Orcus Gaelti, High Priest of the Order of Kion, discovered a small cache of ancient technology myself. With Phaedon’s blessing, we of the Order began studying the technology. We developed aon devices such as the flyers, and made quick progress, but certain vital knowledge was lacking …”
“And then my Mia opened the way!” Phaedon exclaimed. “I always knew that she had a special destiny.”
“Yes, Highness,” Gaelti nodded. “As you say, two years ago, Princess Taxamia, already a member of our Order, was drawn to the so-called Tomb of Oberkion in the Valley of the Honored Dead. The door, which had been sealed for centuries, slid open at her touch. Inside was the Key of Oberkion. Beside it, we found scrolls left by Oberkion himself, explaining the purpose of the da’ta se and the philosophy behind the aon science. Though badly damaged, the writings were an invaluable help to us. And that is what lead us to where we are today, with the Order of Kion ever-deepening our understanding of aon principles.”
“There is still one thing I do not understand,” Ralley said. “What did Lanaya want with the Princess? Why abduct her?”
Gaelti opened his mouth to answer, but an angry Jarlus was already speaking: “Can’t you guess? That one—the one whose name we do not mention!—is a rogue General who has betrayed her family and her people. She sought her own twisted revenge! She is an animal.”
“But yet I was not tortured—not as such,” Taxamia said. “She did not touch me herself, ever. It was the traitor Sai Benion who placed me in an aon amplifier. I believe he was investigating my link to Ralley. The process was painful, but yet it remained a scientific inquiry.”
Gaelti nodded. “She must be anxious about the link. She could not allow an alliance with the other world to form. The sharing of resources and troops between the worlds would present a great threat to her. Especially if the other world had aon technology and weapons.”
“But we don’t,” Ralley said.
“But she does not know that. And you do have some valuable resources—Oberkion has recorded as much.”
Ralley was surprised to see Gaelti walk over to Jack, then reach down to point at one of the silver buttons on his Dragoon’s jacket.
“This metal—it is common in your world?” the aon master asked.
“Not exactly common,” Ralley said. “But Garatayne is known for its silver mines, yes.”
“Here it is quite rare. Most of the veins were exhausted centuries ago. This puts us at a grave disadvantage. The Baek Tayon have apparently uncovered a large cache of ancient machines, but we must make our own. And for that we need silver.”
“Master Gaelti,” Taxamia said, her voice soft and her eyes downcast, “speaking of ancient machines, as I’ve told you, the fortress in which I was imprisoned contained an aon forge. From what I overheard, my sister was using it to create a weapon.”
Gaelti nodded. “That would be the logical assumption. The crystal needle you described would appear to be part of an ambia gun of a type unknown to us. We can assume that this weapon is now located at a base somewhere in the southern jungles.
It is imperative that we locate this stronghold soon. Another major attack could cripple us for good.”
The Phaedon leaned forward in his throne, a look of confusion on his face. “Gaelti, you told me there was some problem finding that base. An aon mist or something like that?”
“Yes, your Highness. We have thus far been unable to locate the base with our own devices. There is some kind of artificial cloak over the area, covering hundreds of square miles of jungle, which prevents us from focusing our aon sensors.”
He turned to look at Ralley and Taxamia. “However … I believe that the synergy of the da’ta se may be able to overcome this. With Taxamia’s knowledge and their combined sensitivity, they could be our only hope of finding the enemy base. We should form a scouting party and begin canvassing the suspected area as soon as possible.”
“You do NOT have the authority to order a scouting party!” Jarlus growled, springing to his feet. “And I will not let you lead the Princess into danger again, not so soon after we nearly lost her!”
Phaedon leaned forward, his hand on his chin. “Yes, that is a worry. But shouldn’t we ask the da’ta se what they think, eh? Perhaps it is not for us to decide.”
“I will go,” Taxamia said. “If Ralley is with me, I will not be afraid. I feel that this must be done.”
Ralley turned to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I will stay close to her, and I will do whatever I can to keep her from harm—unto my own death. I swear it.”
“Then it is settled, yes?” Phaedon said.
“No, it is not settled!” Jarlus shouted. He stepped forward until he was looking down at the seated Ralley. Ralley felt a shudder run through him as those hawk-like eyes glared down at him.
“Xai Ashaon,” Ralley asked, “Have I offended you?”
“Jarlus?” the Phaedon asked, confused. “What is this about?”
Jack turned to Ralley, whispering: “Is there a problem?”
Ralley shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s angry …”
Battle Across Worlds Page 14
