The Temple of Arrival

by Matthew Olney

  Marcian walked into the room and tossed a book onto the table. He touched the silver amulet around his neck.

  “That’s what I intend for us to discover and I’m sure it has something to do with the Temple of Arrival,” he said.

  “That’s the place Vavius is searching for,” said Lizella.

  Marcian nodded and slid the book towards her.

  “The crazy bastard is onto something, I’m sure of it. This book the Seeker was carrying says that’s the place where those people were sent. We’ve discovered the Supreme’s most closely guarded secret.”

  Lizella flipped through the pages before looking at him a determined glint in her eyes.

  “We need to find Elian and Rea,” she said with conviction.

  Erin held her hands up and stood.

  “We’ve just captured the North and I say ‘captured’ tentatively and now you want to risk that by heading all the way to Aeranyth? We need to secure our position here Marcian.”

  “You’re right, we do. Which is why I’m putting you in command of all northern forces. You will secure the region and establish a base of operations and production.”

  Erin raised an eyebrow at his words.

  “And what will you be doing?” she asked.

  Marcian looked at Lizella.

  “I’m going to take what men and equipment we can spare and march south. I’m going to rally as many Liberators as possible on the way and then I’m going to draw General Rickon into a battle.”

  Erin laughed in disbelief.

  “You’ve gone mad!”

  “Perhaps. But whilst I’m marching south and gathering troops, Rickon’s focus will be fixed on me. You said it yourself, our mobility is our advantage. We will stay ahead of the Imperium Army and draw it away from the north. We will give you time to grow in strength and prepare defences. I’ll dispatch messages to the cells in all the towns and cities telling them to cause as much havoc as possible. If we can stretch the Imperium behemoth in all directions, Rickon won’t be able to focus his full strength upon us.”

  Lizella reached across the table and took his hands in hers. She looked at him seriously with her big blue eyes.

  “How far south are you planning on marching exactly?” she asked.

  Marcian smiled.

  “I was thinking all the way to Aeranyth and perhaps a quick stop at Olandis.”

  ***

  Chapter 14.

  Getting into Olandis should have been difficult, but for Vavius it had been incredibly easy. His plan to sneak in via the crowds of workers that came in from the surrounding countryside had gone far better than he could ever have expected. A disturbance at the gatehouse had resulted in him being swept into the city by the panicking masses. Gunshots had rung out and for a split second, he had been sure that he’d sensed a familiar presence. He’d followed the crowds until he’d been able to slip off down a side street. Now, he stood in a narrow alleyway. He was dressed in the clothing of a slave, dirty rags and sandals, but now that he was inside, he had to make it to the rendezvous point. Wendal had contacts inside the city as well as the means to smuggle anything he wanted past the corrupt city watch, including Vavius’s equipment.

  It was strange to be back in the city. Memories of his time running with Skit, Kasdar and Cleo came to him.

  Despite the danger of it all, those days had probably been some of the best of his life. He’d been a younger man then and one that had still believed the Mentors when they told him that the Supreme could be overthrown through their actions. The old fools could not have been more wrong. Hiding away in their fortress in Arikar, exiled from the real world they couldn’t comprehend her power. Slowly, his idealism had turned from one of naive optimism to something darker. At seeing the Supreme in action, he knew that no one could challenge her and win. He’d seen more friends die at her hands and those of her acolytes than he cared to remember. It was that realisation that had caused him to commit to his current course of action. He had to be ruthless, uncompromising to attain the power needed to defeat her, something that his former friends and allies couldn’t understand. To defeat such an enemy, he’d had to learn as much about her as he could, which was why he had surrendered himself to her. Years later he now realised that being under her thrall had been invaluable to achieving that aim. He had learnt much, including the importance of the Temple of Arrival. It was the key to everything. He would find it or die trying. He walked down the alley and followed it around a corner that led to a dead end. At the far end of the alley was a stack of crates, no doubt used for storage by one of the nearby carpenters’ workshops. He clambered on top of one of the crates and smiled. Just as Wendal had promised, a wooden chest had been hidden between them. During the night, one of Wendal’s servants had bribed his way into the city and hidden the chest. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small iron key. Placing it into the chest’s lock it clicked open. Lifting the lid revealed a change of clothing and boots. Folded neatly next to the clothes was his dark green cloak and atop of that his Caestus. The gems inlaid into the gauntlet glinted in the morning sunlight. Satisfied that everything was there, he dropped down behind the crates and got dressed. His next stop; the Venerable Chamber Archives.

  *

  He knew the layout of the city like the back of his hand and so took a route he knew would ensure he’d draw the least amount of attention as possible. Back alleys, underground tunnels and rooftop walkways, he utilised them all until he stood atop one of the buildings located across the wide paved street from the Archives. Armed guards stood watch outside the main entrance and he could sense over thirty Seekers within. To his right and up the street was Olandis’s main barracks.

  “I wouldn’t be too concerned with the barracks. It’s the troops that arrived in the city last night that you should be more concerned with,” came a female voice from behind him.

  Vavius almost swore. He spun to face the woman. His eyes widened in surprise.

  “Cassia?”

  She’d always had a talent for stealth, but even he was impressed with her ability to sneak up on him. Very few could achieve such a feat. The way she masked her presence was unlike any other.

  “I can’t be gone long. They’re already suspicious of me,” Cassia said as she joined him at the rooftop’s edge.

  “If you’re here then that means he is too. Why are you in Olandis?” Vavius asked.

  “You told me to find the boy and that’s what I did. If I recall, you also told me to not let him out of my sight and to win his trust. Which, I have done. As for why we’re here, he’s come to help one of his friends bring you down funnily enough,” Cassia explained. “They know you’re back in the Western Imperium Vavius. They intend to stop you from finding the Temple.”

  He frowned. Elian was in the city. Skit’s revelation that Elian was his son had shaken him, but he could not allow it to distract him from his mission.

  “I’m sure they will try,” he muttered. “I’m surprised he was willing to leave the side of that girl. This may complicate things.”

  Cassia placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of him. From what I’ve seen he’s not very impressive. He’s so unsure of himself, it’ll be his downfall. If he tries to stop you; I will stop him.”

  Vavius tapped his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps she was right? But then again, Elian had defeated the First Fear, the most powerful of the Supreme’s Hollowed.

  “I’d be more worried about the Hollowed. There’s at least two in the city. I can feel their emptiness,” Cassia said as though reading his thoughts.

  “Then I’d best be quick.”

  She stepped closer and took his hand in hers.

  “Just get what you need and go,” she said softly before reaching up and turning his head to face hers. She looked at him with her big brown eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. Without another word, he let her go and leapt from the rooftop.r />
  *

  Elian sat at the Happy Chancer’s bar his eyes staring into the bottom of his glass. His stomach was a riot of nerves and the Fear he felt was almost overwhelming, it took all of his strength to keep it in check. Vavius had come to Olandis, he could sense his presence. It was unmistakable. His mind was fixed on the man he had trusted as a friend and who had left him to die. The others were in the bar area, save for Cassia who had excused herself to her room complaining of one of her headaches.

  “- he’s here for a reason. The fact that he went to the trouble of finding Skit must mean he needs him for something. My guess is Skit knows something about the Temple,” Garen was saying.

  Kasdar paced the room his hands knotted into fists. Elian could see the man was barely keeping his anger in check.

  “If Vavius needs Skit to read the map, why don’t we rescue him?” Garen said. The older Gifted was slouched in one of the armchairs next to the fireplace. The expression on Kasdar’s face showed exactly what he thought of that plan. His face betrayed his desire for vengeance.

  “And how would we do that, we have no idea where Vavius has stashed him,” said Rea. “Has there been any word from Cleo? I’m starting to worry.”

  Garen shook his head.

  “Not a peep. I swear if she’s been harmed, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Kasdar placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

  “Cleo can handle herself. I’m sure she’ll return soon. If Vavius is in Olandis, I say we take him down. Together we can beat him. We have two Empowered Ones and we’re no lightweights when it comes to a fight,” Kasdar growled.

  “You’re forgetting the army of Seekers that will be drawn to any confrontation, not to mention any Hollowed that are in the area,” Rea interjected. She too had a fire in her eyes, but as usual, she was the voice of reason.

  “Perhaps we should do nothing.”

  A silence fell over the room at the words. Cassia stood at the bottom of the stairs that led to the upper floors. She had been listening to the conversation before joining them. They looked at her, Kasdar scowled and confusion was etched on the faces of the others.

  “Think about it. If Vavius succeeds he can lead us to the Temple of Arrival and perhaps a way to defeat the Supreme. And if he fails, well, then-” she said leaving the sentence unsaid. Elian stared into the flickering flames of the fireplace. What Cassia had said was true, but could they take such a risk? He had fought Vavius before and he’d been defeated before he could even react. He shook his head, his mind made up.

  “No. I’m with Kasdar. We must stop him here. If he does succeed in getting the cypher, we cannot risk him getting to the Temple. We could lose his trail or worse, he could kill us all-” he paused as he sensed his former master close by.

  Suddenly, the inn shook violently causing dust to fall from the ceiling.

  “Earthquake?” Rea said.

  Gunfire sounded in the distance and alarm bells rang out across the city. Elian stood.

  “No. It’s Vavius. He’s launched his assault on the Archives!”

  ***

  Chapter 15.

  The smell of smoke and blood filled the air. Screams from wounded Imperium soldiers reverberated down the street. Vavius strode through the carnage, dispatching any man who was foolish enough to engage him. Using a barrel of gunpowder hidden in the city by one of Wendal’s men, he had blasted his way through the Archive’s defensive walls. Body parts and debris had been sent hundreds of feet into the air. It was liberating to be free to unleash his full power. He stepped over the broken bodies of a dozen guards and through the still smoking hole. Panicked scribes fled in all directions, he ignored them. The room containing the cypher was in the heart of the imposing structure. Wendal’s informants had played their part well. He sprinted through the exterior grounds and straight toward the semi-circular stone arch that marked the Archive entrance. Alarm bells tolled and panicked shouts sounded, soon the Seekers would arrive, and the real fun would begin. A squad of musket-wielding soldiers hurriedly took up positions in front of the heavy stone doorway. To a normal man, such a sight would have caused them to turn tail and flee, but not Vavius. He pressed on. Channelling the emotion of Fear, he picked up speed until he moved like a blur to crash into the men like a bowling ball and sending them in all directions like scattered pins. Bodies crashed into the stone pillars with sickening crunches, others crashed to the ground in a tangle of broken limbs. Switching back to Anger, he could feel his arms grow in size and strength poured through them. Pulling back his right arm he fixed his gaze on the meter-thick doors and with a roar punched the stone. The impact shook the entire building and a huge crack appeared on the door’s surface. Again, he punched, and again, until with a final blow the barrier exploded inwards taking down a score of guards who’d taken up defensive positions behind it. He ran through the dust and rubble dispatching anyone who opposed him with almost casual ease. He was an Empowered One in full flow. Within moments the interior lobby lay quiet save for the groans of the wounded. He continued to advance deeper into the structure. He could sense that other Gifted were converging on his location. He faltered and tilted his head. Elian was among them.

  *

  Elian bounded over the rooftops towards the sounds of battle. Behind him and struggling to keep up was Rea and Kasdar. Garen approached via the streets below and Cassia would circle round and attack from the north. It was difficult to concentrate as he sensed at least forty other Gifted converging on the Archive. The Seekers would be determined to halt Vavius, but as soon they became aware of Elian and his allies’ things were sure to get interesting. His red cloak billowed behind him and the stones in his gauntlets glowed brightly as he focused his emotions. Excitement merged with Anticipation, here was his chance to bring Vavius down.

  With a final jump, he landed on the rooftop of one of the Venerable Chamber’s administration buildings. From his new vantage point, Elian could see the wide square located outside the Archives. The scene was one of utter carnage. Dozens of soldiers lay unmoving and smoke spilt skyward from within the Archive building. Fighting in a blur was the green-cloaked Vavius. Elian watched as the Empowered One reached out with a hand and used the power of Fear to spread terror throughout the ranks of soldiers preparing to attack. Scores of them threw down their weapons and fled screaming from the square, others drew their pistols, put them to their temples and pulled the trigger. Another squad of musket-wielding soldiers charged at him, but this time Vavius used Disgust. The charge faltered as every man collapsed to the ground vomiting and coughing up blood. A horn sounded, signalling for the battered soldiers to retreat. As they fled the Seekers arrived on the scene. There must have been at least twenty of them, their attention fixed on Vavius who stood defiant.

  Elian crouched, intrigued to see how his former teacher would handle the new threat. Even to him, it seemed as though the chance of survival was slim. Rea and Kasdar leapt from the building to join the others in the alley below. Their plan was to launch a simple hammer and anvil attack. They would attack Vavius and Elian would act as the anvil. His attention turned to twenty black cloaked figures who’d formed a line at the edge of the square and faced Vavius. Each of them visibly grew in size as they tapped into Anger. Below him to the left, Elian could see Rea and the others in the street below. She looked at him and gestured for him to wait. He wasn’t going to argue.

  *

  Vavius rolled his neck, savouring the clicks it made. It felt good to let loose his full power against the Imperium’s forces. The soldiers had proven to be mere irritations, the Seekers, however, could prove to be a challenge. Getting the cypher, which was now tucked safely into the inside pocket of his tunic had been easy. He’d overpowered the Archive’s security forces, unfortunately, in the fighting, a lantern had shattered igniting the vast libraries carpeted floors. Centuries worth of knowledge would be lost to the flames. He had to escape, not just for his sake but to allow the fire to be extinguished.

  Th
e twenty Seekers advanced, their Anger giving them immense physical strength. To anyone else, they would have been an impossible foe to face, but to Vavius they would merely be a challenge. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the power of Anticipation. His breathing quickened and the world around him slowed to a crawl. Immediately the figures shimmered, and ghostlike apparitions appeared in his vision, he could see what they planned to do. The first Seeker charged with a roar a fist aimed at Vavius’s head. To him, the attacker moved in slow motion allowing him plenty of time to dodge. Soon all twenty Seekers were on him, he evaded them all. Vavius ducked between them, barely seeing where the Seekers attacks would fall, evading fists, feet and blades. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, he lashed out with his own blows. Thanks to their Anger, the Seekers could take a lot of punishment, his attacks were merely staggering them. To tap into his own Anger would require him to drop Anticipation, something that would leave him vulnerable. It was a stalemate. Every moment that went by gave the Imperium forces time to bring in more reinforcements.

  Ducking a fist, he glanced behind him and switched to Joy. Immediately, new energy coursed through his body and he launched himself backwards twenty feet into the air. He landed in a crouch some distance away from the now exhausted Seekers. Free of their grip, Vavius appraised the scene. Soon the area would be swarming with the Imperium troops that Cassia had warned him about. It was time to leave. The Seekers formed up and charged at him, but this time he tapped into the power of Positivity. He focused on the broken iron door that lay nearby and channelled the emotion into his fingertips. The door shook as his invincible telekinetic grip took hold. Rotating his wrist, he lifted the iron from the ground and with a malicious smile thrust his palm forward. The door shot through the air striking the Seekers and turning them into bloody smears on the street. Even their Anger enhanced bodies were no match for twenty tonnes of iron striking like a meteor. With a deafening crash, the iron door scattered the remaining troops. With another gesture, he lifted the gate into the air and wedged it into place so that it would block the street. Satisfied that the coast was now clear he turned and walked towards another side street, all the while alarm bells tolled.