by M. L. Greye
He winced as his new friend placed a hand on his shoulder. “Time to go, Wend.”
“Right.” Legann noticed the Ethons were slowly backing toward the door, their faces pale. They weren’t going to attack after all. Legann wondered if the men were simply hired hands. That would explain their lack of enthusiasm toward a fight. “Are you able to run?” He asked in Eveon.
“Briefly,” came the reply.
That would have to work. They didn’t really have much of an option. Legann tightened his grip on the pistol. “Let’s run.”
: : : : :
“Where’d they go?” Zedgry exclaimed.
“Is there another camera angle we can follow them on?” Will asked.
Hillary’s fingers flew across the keyboard, clicking the keys, as the laptop shifted images, pulling up multiple security videos. “I’ll try to find them again.”
“Stop! There they are.” Zedgry pointed.
Legann and Dagon appeared – Dagon with his arm around Legann’s shoulders and Legann’s arm at Dagon’s waist. They were no longer in the white clad room. Their hallway was paneled in a rich, dark wood. Red carpet covered the floor, and old-fashioned lamps, like those that were once gas powered, lined the walls.
“I’ve been there before,” Hillary remarked. “That’s in the basement.”
“What’s down there?” Will frowned.
“Just the offices of the instructors.”
As Legann and Dagon left the camera shot again, Olinia took a step backward, away from the table, while keeping her gaze locked on the screen. Hillary hurried to find them again, and a thought struck Olinia. “Why aren’t they being followed?”
All the instructors should be up in their classes for another fifteen minutes, Hillary thought.
“That doesn’t really answer my question,” Olinia mumbled.
Zedgry scratched his chin. You’ve got a point. Those four thugs couldn’t have been the only guards.
“Found them,” Hillary stated as the footage switched again.
Will grunted. “I guess that sort of answers your question, Olinia.”
Legann and Dagon were cornered in what appeared to be one of the offices Hillary had mentioned. At one end of the room – blocking the only exit – stood two tall, thin men, who looked to be in their late thirties. Legann had his back to the desk with his stolen gun targeted at the men. Behind him and the desk, Dagon was focusing on a flat round object that appeared to be a paperweight.
Hillary pointed at the men on the screen. “Hey, I know them. That’s Lyam Frilk and Evvot Wuble. They’re instructors.”
“Interesting names,” Will noted.
“They’re foreign,” she replied. “They speak a rare language with some of the other instructors.”
“And they’re still just two people,” Olinia added. “Shouldn’t there be more?”
“DS doesn’t have that many instructors,” Hillary thought and said simultaneously. “Even though the plantation was the first, it’s a lot smaller than the California school and labs.”
“What sort of rare language?” Will asked. “Did they ever tell you the name of it?”
She shook her head. “But they repeat this one phrase between themselves a lot. I think they say netha neme corecna.”
“What?” Zedgry blurted. “They call you an ignorant child?”
Olinia exchanged glances with Will. “They speak Eveon.”
Zedgry pointed at the screen again, “What’s Dagon doing?”
She turned. Dagon had picked up the paperweight. One of the men said something causing him to look up and Legann to toss a quick glance over his shoulder. Olinia frowned. “Hillary, can you get the sound to this?”
“No, sorry,” she shook her head, “DS only records images, not sound.”
“Why do they even have a camera in the offices?” Will leaned forward over the table beside Hillary. “Isn’t it more common to stick cameras in hallways and lobbies?”
“This is the only office with a camera,” Hillary told him. “It belongs to the new director.”
“Aeorin,” Olinia said.
Just then, Dagon slid his thumb across a sheet of paper, drawing blood. He then smeared his thumb over the top of the paperweight. It took a moment for Olinia to understand the gesture.
Zedgry must have figured it out sooner. “Is that a Sinith?”
: : : : :
Something felt off to Legann. His new friend stood behind him, rustling some papers. Even though Legann had his gun aimed at the two men in front of him, they were staring straight past him, as if he weren’t even there. Legann decided to repeat himself.
“Let us go and I won’t shoot you.”
“Quiet, Lantz. We’ll deal with you later,” the one on the left muttered in Eveon.
“Drop the Sinith,” the one on the right barked.
Legann wasn’t really sure which man had surprised him most. He felt like he didn’t know anything anymore. The two men spoke Eveon and knew who he was. Also, there apparently was a Sinith in the room. Legann threw a quick look at his new friend and recognized the device immediately. It was a Velvitor-made traveling tool. The Kendrens had used Siniths to open portals to different worlds.
“All these turns, I’ve thought you dead, Evvot,” Legann’s new friend remarked casually in Eveon. “So nice to see you in such good health.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual,” the man on the right, Evvot, murmured. “I was not supportive of the king’s idea to bring you here.”
“You believe he should have killed me.”
Evvot sneered. “Of course.”
“Wend, don’t let them get near you,” his new friend ordered. “Use your weapon if they do.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Evvot replied. “We know better than to phase in front of true High Royalty.”
Legann had the vague inclination that that comment was meant to be an insult to his new friend. He felt thoroughly lost. The only time he’d heard someone speak of phasing had been Archrin. Were these men Craeles?
“True High Royalty?” His friend repeated slowly.
Evvot exchanged looks with his companion for a moment before he released a somewhat grotesque laugh. “You don’t know who this boy is.”
LEGANN!
Olinia’s inner voice screaming inside his head caused him to flinch. Yes?
His new friend stepped up beside him, frowning. Legann noticed he still held the Sinith. “Who is he?”
Legann felt Olinia’s shock course through him. That man is NOT your friend. He’s using you to help himself escape.
Who is he? Legann employed the same question just asked about himself.
He’s Dagon, she answered just as Evvot said, “Allow me to introduce the Lantz Legann Reien of Caprith.”
The next minute was a blur. Dagon – the man responsible for the death of his birth parents – tossed the Sinith at the floor-to-ceiling wall of books to his right, just as the two Craeles leaped toward Legann, morphing into their animal forms mid-air – despite what they’d previously stated about not phasing. Out of instinct, Legann pulled the trigger to his gun twice. In one fluid movement, he shot both Craeles, sending them into heaps of fur and flesh at his feet. Being only half-phased, Legann couldn’t discern the animals they were supposed to have become.
“Vrenyx.”
Dagon’s voice rang clearly and the Sinith widened into a portal, eclipsing the wall of shelves. Legann whirled to aim his pistol at his uncle, but Dagon had gripped onto his shirt’s collar, yanking him to the side.
Legann’s elbow hit the desk hard, causing him to fumble with the gun. He watched it fall away from him, his fingers only able to grasp at empty air. Olinia shrieked his name inside his head again as he landed on gravel, stinging his already throbbing elbow. Jumping to his feet, he spun around just in time to see Dagon extend his hand to the portal.
He uttered one word, “Return.”
The portal snapped shut, Olinia’s mind silenced, and the Sin
ith floated into Dagon’s hand. Legann winced as the realization of what had just occurred fully dawned on him. He was back in the Other Worlds.
: : : : :
Sazx’s apprehension was growing. With each mile the airplane traveled, it took him that much closer to the Velvitor king. Sazx’s relationship with Talik had been rocky at best. Neither trusted the other. Their last encounter had been in the Vrenyx, a few weeks before. Sazx remembered it vividly. Unfortunately, it had not been pleasant. Sazx had reminded Talik of his place below Dagon. The Velvitor king did not take Sazx’s point very well.
Now, he was careening through the sky toward the leader of a race Sazx had never truly respected. Sazx passed a hand over his eyes. Across from him, Tiara slept on Archrin’s shoulder. Archrin the Craele, Sazx mused.
Before the fall of Balinorre, Craeles intermingled with the other breeds freely. Since the destruction of Balinorre, however, most Craeles had migrated home to their world of Zeedyr. Today, to discover a Craele outside of Zeedyr was not unheard of, but it was indeed rare. In fact, Archrin was the first non-Velvitor Craele Sazx had crossed paths with.
Prior to Archrin, Sazx had held the assumption that Craeles were a lesser breed – devoted to strange rituals and animal instincts. Craeles and Velvitors had been one in the same to Sazx. Because of Archrin though, he no longer believed this. Archrin was a true Craele, yet he was no Velvitor.
The Craeles in the Other Worlds were often the odd breed out. Most worlds could be attributed to either Eveon or Saerdian majority. Only the world of Zeedyr contained a significant Craele population. In truth, Zeedyr was a world of only Craeles, as far as Sazx knew. The advantage of having one solitary breed within a world permitted the Craeles to develop into a society completely unique from any other in the realm. Every brush with the Velvitors Sazx had ever experienced had taught him that they were an anomaly amid the Other Worlds.
What always surprised Sazx about the Velvitors was that, for being such a small race in comparison to the Eves and Saerds, they honestly considered themselves the most intelligent, strategic, and formidable group of people in all the worlds.
Velvitors were innately arrogant. It was his insolence that led Talik to send Dagon a petition for war all those generation ago. The fool had believed that even with his lack of troops he would be able to overthrow the Vrenyx. He’d boasted of his devices as if they would level civilizations with the wave of his hand. Even though Velvitor devices were advantageous in combat, Talik had vastly overestimated them.
When Dagon received Talik’s epistle stating his intention to attack unless the Vrenyx surrendered, he found it to be an absurd challenge and immediately sent troops to deal with an overly confident Zeedyr. By sheer force alone – due to outnumbering the Velvitor armies – the Vrenyx claimed Zeedyr.
Dagon did not subject the Velvitors to his rule, though. Their devices had caught his attention. Instead of killing Talik as punishment for his impertinent demands, Dagon united with Zeedyr as allies in exchange for the use of all Velvitor devices, including the elixir of long life. Had the merger not been Talik’s only other option than death, he would have refused such a proposal. However, since he wished to live, Talik agreed to Dagon’s stipulation. It was an arrangement that Sazx had never fully agreed with. He personally despised the Velvitors. His dealings with them had been anything but amiable.
If Dagon had simply executed Talik and taken the devices, Sazx doubted he would be in his current plight. It was almost embarrassing for Talik that he chose Lady Aeorin as his new queen. Among the Nagreth, who rarely encountered her name, she was known as the beautiful babbling wench. It was widely rumored that she was only a pretty face with a lust for power. She practically threw herself at any man with a title, using her looks to snatch as much sovereignty as possible.
Sazx had always thought her supposed beauty as nothing more than that of an exalted Saerd. In addition, her eager acceptance to the man guilty for her doting father’s death proved that she was nothing more than an excessively spoiled, selfish child, who cared not about that which was right and wrong. No, she only prized herself on consuming as much of the Other Worlds as she possibly could. Perhaps she and Talik were well-suited after all.
With a sigh, Sazx tilted his head back against his seat. His thoughts were leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He was anticipating his own death. The feeling of absolute repulsion was mutual between he and Talik. Without the position of Nagreth Captain to protect him, Sazx was certain Talik would finally act upon the secret threats they had shared together.
Death by a Velvitor, Sazx grunted to himself. He’d always believed he would die in battle. To die at the hand of a Velvitor was an insult. With any luck, he might convince Talik to duel. If Sazx were slain by Talik’s sword, he deserved to die.
Just then, Archrin straightened slightly, as if he were startled. Sazx frowned. Did the Craele hear something his own ears could not? Before Sazx had the chance to ask, Archrin shook Tiara awake.
She blinked up at him. “What’s the matter?”
Archrin glanced at Sazx. “Olinia’s in my head. She wants to know how she can help us.”
15
------------------
Thirty minutes before, Olinia – along with the rest in the room – was rooted in place. From the two minds she could hear, the same disbelief mirroring her own was overwhelming any other thought. Zedgry was stunned that their uncle had taken Legann, while Hillary was utterly astounded that two people could disappear through a wall. Also, Legann shooting the instructors evidently answered a previous inquiry of Hillary’s about whether or not he had ever killed. Olinia had no idea why that had ever been a question, nor how it had come up in the past.
Will touched her arm. “Olinia?”
She shook her head to release herself from her daze. “Ohreen doveem naunt. Legann’s gone.”
“I was an idiot for thinking that coming to Ethon would be an in and out job,” Zedgry grumbled. “I never should have listened to you, Will.”
“W-where did Legann go?” Hillary stammered.
“To our realm,” Olinia answered. “He’s not here in your world anymore.”
She turned away from the group around the table, facing the still napping Trenton. It was odd to see the youthful old man so tired. Perhaps his age was finally catching up with him. Or it was jet lag. Olinia released her breath out in a rush.
The shock from Legann was wearing off, leaving a repulsive cold throughout her. The worst part was that it wasn’t really upsetting to her that Dagon had Legann – Dagon was in a weak condition and she knew where they’d gone, since she was in Legann’s mind at the time of his departure. No, what was actually bothering her the most was that Legann was no longer in Ethon. He was in the Other Worlds. Olinia felt sick.
For the past couple weeks, basically ever since Will returned to her life, an uneasy sensation had been quietly growing in the pit of her stomach. It was the fact that one day in the near future she would have to go back to her old life – she would have to be queen in a realm she might not belong to anymore.
In the Other Worlds, she had blindly accepted her planned destiny to reclaim the throne her uncle once stole, and avenge her parents’ deaths in the process. How could she have been so naïve to honestly believe that everything would turn out just the way she’d wanted it to? Since coming to Ethon, she’d spent a great deal of time pondering over her role in the Other Worlds. She had come to the obvious conclusion that in order for her to reach her goals she would need to do a lot more than simply win Caprith.
A lifetime of warfare awaited her if she were to continue on the path to becoming queen. What would that mean for those she cared about? She worried for Legann and Zedgry, and even Will for that matter. She knew he wouldn’t leave her side unless it killed him, and if she were murdered then it would. He only lived as long as she did. The fool should’ve never given her his Silver Heart, and she never should have let him fall in love with her.
The pressure
of a hand on her lower back made her jump. Only Will could sneak up on her so silently. She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes?”
“I think we need to get Tiara and the others as soon as possible.”
Olinia moaned inwardly. She was doomed to be a princess no matter what she wanted. “You’re right. Hillary can find out where in the labs they’ll be held. Then we’ll figure out a plan of action from there.”
“I think you should talk to Archrin,” Will advised. “We should make sure they’re alright.”
“How exactly?” She lowered her eyebrows “I doubt Sazx still has his cell on him.”
“I was talking about going into his thoughts,” Will replied slowly. “Haven’t you been inside his head before?”
“I have.” Olinia blinked, remembering that day in Evedon. It had been so long ago. Having found herself alone with Archrin, she’d secretly ventured into the expanse of his mind only to be detected a moment later. She’d forgotten all about it until now. “Actually, he’s the only one, out of the three of them, that I have.”
“Really?” Will raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t listened in on Sazx?”
“In the Other Worlds, I never quite managed to get past his mental barriers,” she admitted. “But here, in Ethon, I never had to try – his thoughts came to me whether I wanted them or not.”
“Great. Find out how we can save them and the Nagreth,” Zedgry muttered a little more bitterly than he’d intended to. He was replaying inside his head some scene from Dagon’s throne room he’d experienced.
Hillary wondered what a Nagreth was. They kept using the term. To her, a Nagreth sounded something like a hooded, soul-sucking monster. Olinia smiled slightly at Hillary’s description, and rolled her eyes at her twin. “Sazx isn’t a Nagreth anymore, Zedge.”
