by M. L. Greye
“Do you really believe I would tell you?” Aeorin snorted out while a single word flashed through her head.
Letting out a short laugh, Olinia grinned and spoke the Eveon word for terminate, “Veekendo.”
The next thirty seconds slowed down to a mere crawl for Olinia. She watched the Seekers stumble backwards as they regained consciousness. Camille somehow entangled herself with Porter and in her confusion released her gift on him. Porter shrieked from the pain. Aeorin panicked – afraid that the Seekers would turn on her – and threw out her Sinith, shouting the name of the Velvitor world. As Aeorin dove through the portal, Hillary leaped inside past Olinia, hand outstretched. She meant to remove Camille’s Bead to distract her from harming Porter, but Olinia caught onto the opportunity.
Quickly connecting her mind with Hillary’s, Olinia added her own strength to Hillary’s endeavors, switching the single focus on Camille to all three Seekers for one mass Bead removal. At first, Hillary’s energy resisted Olinia’s help. She’d obviously never pair-gifted before – not that Olinia was any pro at it. Olinia had only dabbled in it briefly with Zedgry in Sivean. It required twice as much focus to accomplish a gift with another person. For simple tasks in Sivean, pair-gifting had been pointless. Now though was a perfect occasion since doing so would save time and limit chaos.
As Hillary began to pull at Camille’s Bead like a magnet, Olinia surged outward toward Jeremy and Braxton as well. Porter’s cries gave way to those of his fellow Seekers as Olinia and Hillary ripped through their flesh with the Beads. Hillary was completely unaware of her connection with Olinia, though. She was wondering why it was requiring so much of her to remove just Camille’s Bead.
Finally after another moment, the three Beads rocketed out into Hillary’s hand, startling her. She’d only expected one. The sudden release of the Beads sent both Hillary and Olinia stumbling to the floor, panting slightly.
“Good work,” Olinia grunted.
Porter jumped up, coming to Hillary’s side. “You keep surprising me.”
She swore, pushing herself onto her hands. “I was only going for Camille’s.”
“The director went through a black hole, like your brother did,” Porter told Olinia.
“Other Worlders call it a portal,” Will replied, crouching down next to Olinia. “Need a hand?”
She accepted his offer and permitted him to pull her to her feet. “I know how to defeat Talik.”
“With the necklace?” Will asked, nodding to the amulet in her hand.
“No,” she shook her head, “we take out all the Beads.”
“How?” Hillary frowned.
Olinia smiled at her. “Care to see where the aliens live?”
21
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Zedgry had risen early enough this morning to catch the sunrise. As the sun peeked at the Crystal Castle, casting the sky in orange and pink hues, Zedgry couldn’t ignore the apprehension he felt. It was in part the reason why he’d gotten up at dawn. After several hours of tossing and turning, he quit his attempts at sleep.
Once Treveri and Caiden appeared in Willowvale the evening before, Zedgry left for the Crystal Castle with them. He’d opened a portal with the shimmer stone just after dark. Even though it hadn’t been very late, the Silver Heart and her husband retired to bed shortly after their arrival. Zedgry stayed up a few more hours with his grandparents and Fuladrik. Yrond had agreed to warn the castle army about the future attack.
It made Zedgry feel a little better that the Eves wouldn’t be surprised by a Velvitor attack. Yet, he still felt like he was missing a lot of information. He needed his sister. Not only was she somehow more informed than he was, he also missed her. Since his capture by the Vrenyx, he’d been with Olinia less than a full day.
He released a sigh and sunk his head into his hands. He was out on the balcony attached to the room he’d been given for the night. Archelda had directed him there after their long conversation. From the balcony, he had a perfect view of Water’s Pathway. In the distance he knew lay Grennich, but he wasn’t able to see it.
Some Eves, including Arynn, could see the city that sat at the opposite side of the seas. They held the gift of Farsight. Arynn had been trying to teach Zedgry her gift the past few weeks, but he was learning slowly. He’d only managed to see a mile out at the most. It was a gift he intended to master eventually. Farsight was extremely useful, especially in battle.
To distract himself for the moment from his anxiety, Zedgry lifted his head from his hands and gazed out at Water’s Pathway. He knew the two beaches at its opening were a little over a mile distance. He should be able to see it clear enough. With some effort, Zedgry’s eyes slowly zoomed in closer, focusing on the mouth of Water’s Pathway. He nearly jumped at what he saw.
Two gaping wide portals emerged out of the air in front of both the Dantean and Crellin Seas. Less than a moment later, violet clad men and women stepped through onto the beaches. They were of various sizes with an array of skin and hair colors. The group could not have been more different, and yet it was their individuality that seemed to unite them as one people.
Zedgry knew almost instantly who they were. Violet was the color of the Velvitors. He knew this must be the first of the armies from Zeedyr, but they wore no chainmail or armor – only the simple violet tunics and trousers. They must have needed to be free to morph into their animal forms at will. Armor would confine them.
Just then, a singular man walked through onto the beach of the Crellin Sea. Unlike the others in their plain garb, he was dressed in flowing ornate robes of violet. A sword was clasped at his side and a yellow amulet dangled around his neck on a thick gold chain. He also had a scar that went down the entire length of one side of his face. Zedgry frowned. This must be Talik.
It was time to get dressed for the day. Zedgry’s vision snapped back to normal as he turned to his room. Now he really longed for Olinia. Cursing under his breath, Zedgry ran to the wardrobe in his room. At his grandfather’s request, the night before he’d tossed some chainmail, a sword, and an Eveon war tunic beside Will’s blade – Alonavess – that he’d brought with him from Willowvale.
Figuring there wasn’t much time until his grandparents would need him, Zedgry began dressing himself without calling for a squire or page’s help. It wasn’t like he’d never put on armor alone before. As an Edyrion slave, he’d learned the art of hasty preparation. His fingers became quite deft at it over the turns. Even though of late he’d grown a bit rusty, he was managing just fine at the moment.
After the chainmail was fastened, Zedgry pulled the tunic over his head and glanced at himself in the mirror that had been built into one of the wardrobe’s doors. He made a few adjustments, but, for the most part, he’d done his work well.
Over the course of his slave warrior days, he’d worn the colors of many worlds, but to now see himself in the royal blue of the Eves with the crest of High Royalty emblazed across his chest in silver filled him with a sense of pride he’d never experienced. The Eves were his people. Their emblem was one he’d worn on his shoulder since birth. He would sooner die than see the Eves fall to Talik.
Zedgry finished his ensemble with his sword at his side. Knowing that Will would be needing Alonavess eventually, Zedgry decided to strap it to his back. If Will were to arrive during the ensuing battle then Zedgry would have Alonavess ready for him. Should Will not arrive at all, it wouldn’t hurt Zedgry to have two swords.
One last glance around his room led his eyes to the shimmer stone on his nightstand beside his unmade bed. He frowned. The last time he’d brought the shimmer stone into a fight, he’d lost it. It’d be better not to bring it along this time. There was an Enblith tucked into the satchel he’d brought from Willowvale. He’d hold onto that instead so at least he wouldn’t be going into the battle without an exit strategy.
He retrieved the Enblith and slipped into his trouser pocket beneath his chainmail. Ready now to leave, Zedgry headed for his room’s
door. As his hand grasped the doorknob, he heard the Eveon horns.
: : : : :
Legann was held hostage in the same room Dagon had left him in for several hours after his departure. He’d given up waiting for Dagon and Lillie long ago and had ended up falling asleep on the sofa. He figured if someone was going to kill him it would’ve been done by now so he was safe to doze under the presence of his Nagreth guards.
Sometime during the night Dagon exited the estate with Lillie. Legann didn’t discover this, though, until morning when he woke. The Nagreth were kind enough to inform him of his uncle’s parting. Also, according to the Nagreth, Dagon wouldn’t be returning to deal with Legann for a few days, maybe less. It just depended on Dagon completing his business.
Now, Legann was once again sprawled out on the sofa he’d slept on, gazing up at the wood paneled ceiling. He was restless. The Sinith in his pocket was practically burning him to get out. He kept feeling this immense pull toward Evedon. His family was there. He desperately needed to leave the Vrenyx. Olinia’s desperation from their last conversation was weighing heavily on his mind. Legann wasn’t sure he could handle much more of being a prisoner.
Releasing a grunt, Legann pushed himself up to a sitting position again and rubbed his eyes with his hands. There were two obstacles blocking him from getting to Evedon. The first was that his Sinith still needed a drop of his blood to work for him, and the other was the Nagreth. The best, easiest solution to his issues that he could concoct was to prick his finger on a nearby object and open a portal before the Nagreth could stop him. It wasn’t a very clever plan, but he didn’t really feel like he had time to scheme. It would have to do.
Legann stood and yawned, acting like his only reason for rising was to stretch. The Nagreth barely tossed him more than quick glance. They were seated on either side of the only exit out of the parlor. Legann didn’t really have anywhere to go. After another moment or two, Legann casually made his way over to a silver water pitcher that had been laid out for him and the Nagreth by a servant earlier. He poured himself a small glass and took a big swig while he scanned the room for anything sharp.
As far as he could tell, the only object easily accessible was a letter opener on the small writing desk at the wall opposite Legann. He didn’t really have a reason to venture over there. If he wanted the letter opener he’d have to use a gift to retrieve it. Unfortunately, the Nagreth would notice the item flying through the air. Legann sighed. So much for subtlety.
Taking a deep breath, Legann set down his cup and extended his hand to the desk. The letter opener darted across the space, causing the Nagreth to jump to their feet. In one fluid movement, Legann punctured his thumb, reached into his pocket for the Sinith, simultaneously rubbed the fresh blood over its smooth surface as he yanked it out, and then threw it at the wall to his left.
“Crystal Castle, Evedon,” he said.
The Nagreth leaped for him just as he dove toward the new portal, headfirst. He slipped through, beyond their grasp, and landed on hard stone. He called out, “Return!” The portal snapped shut before the Nagreth could follow him through it, and the Sinith drifted into his open palm.
Legann grinned as he got to his feet. He owed Lillie for his escape. As he slid the Sinith back into his pocket with one hand, he brushed off his jeans with the other. That actually went better than he’d anticipated.
The sound of horns brought Legann’s head up with a snap, waking him up to his surroundings. He was in the courtyard of a glistening fortress – between the exterior wall and the keep. At the resonance from the horns, the courtiers and other robed dignitaries fled toward the keep.
Part of Legann wanted to do the same, figuring his grandmother was most likely inside, but the warrior in him led him in the opposite direction – toward the wall. He needed to climb the battlements to get a view of what gave reason for the horns. He feared it was Dagon outside – here to try his hand at conquering the Eves before Talik had the chance.
He took the steps two at a time on his way up the wall to the battlements. He’d taken this route only once with Yrond, a very long time ago. But being back now was like he’d never left. Nothing structurally had changed as far as he could tell.
Once at the top, Legann headed for the nearest crenel. Pressing his hands against the wall on either side he peered down at the field between the castle and Water’s Pathway. He winced. Eves were emerging from beneath the portcullis marching in synchronized, straight lines, toward several groups of violet clad men and women. They almost seemed to stand in disarray. There were hundreds of them simply glaring at the approaching Eves, all unarmed.
Velvitors had always confused Legann growing up. They were Craeles, but not like those who dwelt among the Saerds and Eves. Looking at them now didn’t really help to clarify any of his old questions, though.
“Boy,” a voice hailed Legann in Eveon, causing him to turn, “you should not be here.”
Legann raised an eyebrow at the Eve who was making his way toward him. Legann was seventeen and in the Other Worlds. Boy wasn’t really a term he’d expected to reference himself here. “I think you’d find this is exactly where I should be,” he replied in Eveon. “Could I bother you for a bow?”
“A bow?” The Eve blinked.
“Lord Legann?”
Someone recognized him? Legann’s gaze flickered past the Eve to a young woman he’d last seen in the Vrenyx. What was her name again? “Caiden?” He hoped he was right.
She looked like she’d been yanked from sleep early and dressed for battle in a hurry. The pale blue chainmail of the Eves hung from her shoulders, slightly askew, with a royal blue tunic thrown over it. Beside her, another familiar face stood in a similar state. Treveri noticed Legann’s gaze and bowed at the waist. “It’s good to see you again, milord.”
The Eve appeared confused. “You are the Lantz Legann Reien?”
“I am.”
He bowed. “Forgive me, sire, for not knowing you.”
Legann shrugged that off. “No worries. Where are you taking the Silver Heart?”
“To the front,” the Eve answered.
“To fight?” Legann frowned and glanced between Treveri and Caiden. “But they’re not warriors.”
Caiden straightened, lifting her chin up a little. “We have a duty to fulfill.”
Treveri looked grim, but added with a nod, “For High Royalty.”
Legann admired their bravery, but knew they weren’t meant for the ground. He frowned. “Can you shoot a bow?”
“Yes,” Caiden nodded vigorously.
Her companion pulled a face. “I have once.”
“That’s good enough.” Legann turned to the Eve. “Could you retrieve us some bows and quivers please? Also, if you know of any other archers, send them our way.”
“Yes, milord.”
After the Eve left, Legann stationed Caiden and Treveri between two crenels next to each other. While he was in the middle of giving them some pointers, a devatte of Eveon archers arrived with the requested weapons. Legann was then told that the devatte was under his command by order of the King. Yrond had been informed of his return to Evedon.
“Where’s my grandfather now?” Legann asked, slipping a quiver over his shoulder.
“He has departed for the front with the queen and your brother.”
Legann frowned. “Send a message to Yrond that Dagon is coming. Talik won’t be our only enemy today.”
As the messenger ran off, Legann organized his devatte into positions around the front side of the castle wall. He stayed toward the middle while keeping Treveri and Caiden near him.
He noticed the sheen of sweat across Treveri’s forehead. “Are you afraid?” He asked him.
“A little,” he admitted. “Your sister has asked me to do some dangerous things, but never directly fight a war.”
Legann chuckled. “Don’t be scared. That chainmail you have on was crafted by Eves. No known weapon can pierce it.”
Treveri e
yed him wearily. “Shouldn’t you be wearing it as well?”
“I won’t be needing it.” He shook his head. “We’re not going to let our enemies get close enough.”
The marching of the Eves below came to a deafening halt, catching Legann’s attention. Three figures stepped forward through the Eves to stop in the open space between the two forces. Legann recognized his grandparents as part of the three. The third was a young man that shockingly resembled Dagon. Legann stared. Was this his brother?
“I hail Talik, king of the Velvitors,” Yrond called out, his voice carrying through the field. It had to have been a gift of his. Legann doubted a Saerd could ever speak so loud.
A robed figure emerged from the Velvitors’ excuse for a front line, followed closely by a woman with long blonde hair and a silver circlet around her head. Legann felt himself gaping a little. It was the social worker who had drugged him in Harney’s office. The woman was an Other Worlder?
“Fair morning, Yrond, High King of the Eves,” Talik sneered, his hands on his hips. His words were also somehow amplified up to Legann at the castle.
“Why have you come to Evedon?” Yrond asked.
Talik grinned. “To accept your surrender.”
“I refuse.”
“Then, so be it.” Talik spun on his heels, and the social worker did the same, returning to the cover of their people.
Yrond, Archelda, and Zedgry drew their swords. Legann noticed Zedgry had another sword strapped to his back. Unlike Talik, the three didn’t budge from their spots. Legann realized it was about to begin. He turned to his archers and shouted, “Ready yourselves!” As they drew back their bows, Legann did the same to his own. It had never felt so good to hold a bow before in his life. He’d missed it immensely.
There was a single moment of silence. Then, the inhuman roars of several vattes of Velvitors all cried out at once. That was followed quickly by another blast of the Eveon horns, and then chaos.
