“If we get a portal that drops us close to the nexus we can create choke points and stop them,” said Raquel. “Force them to take the passages we want them to take.”
“One problem with that plan,” said Hiram. “The nexus is in a state of flux at all times. You can’t open a portal near it or you won’t know where that portal will lead.
“So then what do we do?” asked Raquel. “How are we going to get there if we can’t even open a portal without being spotted or sent who knows where?”
“The portal has to be outside the nexus influence,” said Hiram.
“How far is that?” asked Raquel. “I’m guessing you have the answer?”
Hiram shook his head. “I only know that we can’t open it in or near the nexus.”
“I have a better question,” said Raquel. “Who is going to open this portal?”
“I am,” said Franca. “I may be a little rusty, but I still know how to use glyphs. Why don’t you?”
“Never had the time to learn and no one took the time to teach me,” said Raquel.
“I’m going to have to fix that before we go,” said Franca. “This is a skill you need. Much more practical than a soul cannon, don’t you think, Hiram?”
“We still need the cannon,” said Hiram. “You don’t know what we will be up against.”
“You only say that because you have never seen one used,” replied Franca. “Raquel, here, let me show you a simple return glyph.”
“Return glyph?” asked Raquel. “Return where?”
“This glyph will return you to the last plane you were on, so you have to be careful if it’s a plane that is dangerous,” said Franca. “It can be useful in tight situations and takes little thought to execute.”
She showed Raquel the sequence and had her repeat it several times.
“Good. Now when you are ready to use it you infuse it with chi,” sad Franca. “You have used a handcannon, yes?”
“Yes, a few times,” said Raquel.
“This will be just like that, just without the cannon,” said Franca. “Let’s put that aside while we get the others. I have a feeling you may need that glyph in the future.”
“What if I want to get somewhere that is not the last plane I was in?”
“That would take in-depth study of the plane glyphs, which we don’t have time for now,” said Franca. “If we survive this I will make sure you learn them and can use them.”
Snipe and Rico approached the trio.
“Did you bring everything I asked?” said Franca.
Snipe nodded as he pointed to the large backpack strapped behind him.
“Good. We are going to need it all,” said Franca. “There is a good chance some of the old ones will join us once the action gets started. They know where we will be and how to get there and some of them could never resist a fight.”
“That would help our chances, since I don’t like the odds of five against everyone,” said Hiram.
“I would have preferred more as well, but five Deadeyes is a considerable distraction,” said Franca as she traced a glyph in the air. “Let’s go get some attention.”
She opened a portal and Raquel could see the entrance to the hub in the distance.
“That’s outside the hub,” she said.
“I know,” said Franca. “This is as close as it’s letting me create the portal. It’s the best we have.”
The five Deadeyes stepped in and disappeared.
THIRTY-THREE
“WE WILL NOT stand by and just accept this fate,” said Mariko. “We must help them, Father.”
“And we will, but you cannot help them if your home is in disarray, and right now we are facing the eight clans.”
“What will it matter if Wheel is successful?” said Mariko. “All of the clans will fall. The Mikai will be destroyed.”
“We are not so easily destroyed, Daughter,” said Ono. “But she does have a point, Husband. We cannot allow this to fall to chance.”
“And whom do you suggest we send?” asked Zanshi. “All of our forces are engaged with those cowards who chose this moment to attack.”
“That is not a coincidence,” answered Ono. “Not all of our forces are engaged. We still have the house guards.”
“Who will protect you?” asked Zanshi. If something were to happen to you—”
“They will,” said Ono. “Mariko cannot leave, but I can. I will take the house guards and go to the hub and help them.”
“No,” said Zanshi. “I cannot risk you in this.”
Ono remained silent and looked at Zanshi with understanding in her eyes.
“You do recall who held Mariko’s place when we met, my dear husband?” said Ono quietly.
“It’s too risky,” answered Zanshi. “The variables are too many. You don’t know what you will be facing.”
“I am Mikai,” said Ono. “I was raised on the edge of a sword like all Mikai.”
Zanshi turned his back on Ono. “I can see your mind is made,” he said, looking into her eyes. “You will do something for me then.”
“Yes, my love?”
“You will take the fan,” said Zanshi.
Behind Ono, Mariko gave a short gasp.
“The fan?” said Ono. “I cannot imagine the danger is that great?”
“You insist on going, then you will take the fan,” said Zanshi. “This way I know you will be safe.”
“Father, no one has used the fan since… the original Mariko,” said Mariko.
“If there is anyone that can use it and retain her senses it’s your mother,” said Zanshi. “Those are my conditions. What say you, Wife?”
Ono drew close to Zanshi and caressed his cheek gently.
“I will listen to your counsel, Husband,” said Ono. “Mariko, please get the fan from the family vault and summon our guard.”
“Yes, Mother,” said Mariko and then left the room.
“You make sure that you return to me, Ono,” said Zanshi as he placed a hand on her cheek, returning her earlier gesture.
“Husband, I will return with my sword or beside it,” said Ono with steel in her voice.
THIRTY-FOUR
THE GLYPH BURNED in the air before Aron and he reached out and touched it. Images flooded his mind, but his hand did not burn.
The third focus has found a vessel.
“Father is gone,” said Aron. “I know what his last wishes were, but we will not remain here hiding like cowards.”
“I agree with you but we can’t,” said Cara. “If Father is gone we are the last of the Smoke Samadhi.”
“All the more reason to avenge his death,” said Aron.
“Was that his last request? Vengeance? What would you like me to tell our daughter?” said Cara. “Her father disobeyed her grandfather’s last wishes and rushed to his death for vengeance, alone.”
“Alone?”
“Do you wish us to carry her into battle with us?”
“Of course not,” said Aron. “There was a message in the glyph.”
“Did he say who killed him?” asked Cara with an edge to her voice.
“No, the third focus has found a vessel.”
Cara’s expression changed as she absorbed this news. She moved to the other side of the room and picked up one of the three packs that rested on the floor and handed it to Aron.
“Then it’s time. You must go,” said Cara. “We will remain hidden, but you must find this vessel. Do you know where to look?”
“I have an idea, but it’s only a guess,” said Aron. “I received the image of the nexus, so I will start there.”
“Be careful. The nexus has never been friendly to our family and less so after Father refused the summons.”
“I will tread carefully, but I don’t like the idea of leaving you here alone.”
“No one will find us here. Only we know the glyph to this place,” said Cara. “Father wouldn’t send you that glyph if he didn’t want you to act on it. It means that…he can’t.”
Tears came to her eyes as she spoke. She wiped them away with the back of her hand as Aron came close.
“Cara—”
“Stop it,” she said. “There is no place safer than right here. Father saw to that. Go find the vessel, show him what you must, and then find who killed him.”
Aron made a gesture and formed a portal. He kissed Cara and then bent down to kiss his sleeping daughter.
“I will be back,” he said and stepped into the portal, leaving them. “Stay safe and wait here.”
**********
Cara looked off into the portal as it closed. When she was certain it was gone, she packed her things and grabbed the other two bags.
She traced a glyph and formed another portal.
“I will stay safe, but I can’t wait here, my love,” she said to herself.
Father, I never thought it would come to this, but I will do as you asked, she thought. With her daughter in her arms, she stepped in and disappeared.
THIRTY-FIVE
ROMAN REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS in the hallway. He shook his head slowly as he took in his surroundings. At the far end of the hallway, what was once a steel door was now solid stone.
“How the hell did that happen?”
The memories rushed back as he got to his feet.
Lucius is in there with Kenji and there is no sign of Aurora. Did he kill her? No, I would have felt that.
He walked up to the door and placed his hand on the cool stone. Glyphs raced across its surface. He swung his hammer beside him and prepared to strike at the stone.
“Yeah, not your best idea there, hammer-boy,” said Rael from behind him. “You’re about to open a whole room full of pain if you bring down that door.”
“Aurora—is she still alive?”
“Mommy?” asked Rael. “Oh yes, mommy is still very alive. Something about her being family and all that.”
Roman sighed in relief at those words.
“Not that he hasn’t erased his own family in the past, but for some reason he likes her…for now.”
Roman felt around the stone, looking for a weakness.
“And Kenji?” he asked as he searched for a way in.
Rael shook his head. “Not so lucky. Turns out he works for someone else. Not your mommy.”
“For someone else?” asked Roman. “Kenji serves another?”
“Wheel, it would seem is pulling his leash,” said Rael. “This is bad news for him because right now the shadow in there has a serious bone to pick with Wheel. See what I did there?”
“You can be quite irritating, Harbinger,” said Roman. “What do you want?”
“I’m just giving you a warning. Don’t go in there if you want to stay alive,” said Rael. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to hop over to this circle and go meet someone about a staff.”
“I can’t leave her,” said Roman as he lifted his hammer.
“Any moment, this whole level is going to be ground zero for some serious destruction.”
“All the more reason to stay and protect her,” said Roman. “You can help me.”
“Help you?” said Rael. “Do you know what you are asking? Are you insane?”
“No more than you,” replied Roman.
“You aren’t seeing it, hammer-boy,” said Rael as he headed to the room with the battle tre. “That shadow—or echo or whatever you want to call it—is powerful, but it’s not even close to the power the real Lucius wields.”
“And this means?”
“It just withstood an inversion glyph and erased three mini Watchers without blinking,” said Rael. “And you intend to do what with your hammer? You can’t face him or stop him.”
Rael let the words hang there for a few seconds.
“I have to try,” said Roman as he swung at the stone door. The stone remained unchanged.
“Good luck with that,” said Rael. “I will drop flowers on your grave, if there’s enough of you left for a grave, that is.”
Rael entered the circle and formed a portal.
“Stupid idiot is going to get himself killed,” he muttered under his breath. After a few seconds of hesitation, he closed the portal and walked back to Roman.
“I thought you had to meet someone?” said Roman as he paused his hammering to catch his breath.
“That isn’t going to be half as interesting as this,” said Rael as he manifested his swords and aimed them at the stone. “I would step back if I were you.”
With a few words, he unleashed a torrent of energy that arced across the hallway and into the stone, destroying it.
“Why did you do this?” asked Roman as they headed for the door. “He will kill you.”
“I can only hope,” said Rael as they entered the cell.
THIRTY-SIX
I CAME TO and found myself lying down on the floor. The cool marble felt good against my skin and I laid there for a moment, just enjoying the sensation. I finally opened my eyes, looked around, and took in the room. A musty aroma drifted over me and filled my lungs. It was a familiar and pleasant smell. It reminded me of every library I had ever visited. My breath was suddenly forced out of my body by a sudden and sharp pain, which clamped down on my entire left side.
In an instant, I felt myself disconnected from my chi. I tried to access Shadowstrike and found nothing. I took a shallow breath through the pain and let my awareness expand. I was able to sense the room, but what came back was minimal, I was blind.
“Welcome back, warrior,” said a voice. “Do you know what this is?”
An object came into my teary field of vision. It was a short rod about two feet long. On the end of the rod was a bulb that pulsed red. I had hoped never to see one of those again in my life. An auric flail. I only knew of one group that carried those rods of pain—the Sherfym.
“Yes,” I groaned.
“Good, then I won’t have to demonstrate what will happen if you don’t follow my instructions,” said the voice.
I looked to the side in the direction of the voice. A small woman dressed in brown leather pants with a white top looked down at me. She was crouched down next to my head. Her angelic face held an expression of distrust and she swung the flail a little too close to my body as she rocked back and forth. I made a move to slide away from her and the flail—mostly the flail. She must have been no taller than three feet. Other than her height, she was an exact replica of a Watcher.
“My name is Ula and I am in charge of your well-being until further notice,” she said. “I am surprised you can move. Most cannot withstand the touch of the flail without losing consciousness.”
“I’ve had some experience with them,” I managed after I got my tongue working again. “Why am I here? How am I here?”
“She wants to see you,” said Ula. “She will answer your questions.”
“You mean Mia?”
Ula nodded. “It was on her request that we removed you from the null plane and the men who beat you,” she said. “It was close. They almost finished you like the other woman.”
Nina. Those Lotus killed her and took Meja somewhere. Before I could find her, I had to deal with the leader of the Sherfym, Mia.
A sinking feeling gripped my stomach. I remembered her words from the last time we had seen each other. We needed to use the entrance through her plane and she had granted us passage on one condition.
At the time of my choosing, I will be compensated one favor from the warrior.
Looks like the time must have arrived. I stood up on shaky feet and gestured to Ula to lead the way.
She shook her head in admiration. “You must possess great power,” she said, amused. “Look, you are standing.”
I took a step and felt like throwing up. The floor appeared to tilt back and forth under my feet. I made my way to a wall and leaned on it for a few seconds with my eyes closed. I breathed in a few deep breaths and waited for the room and my stomach to settle down.
“Can you walk?” she asked. “It’s not v
ery far from here. Should I send for a medical officer?”
I waved her suggestion away, not trusting my voice to give her a coherent response. She walked down the corridor and entered a large doorway. Inside, the room was furnished as a lounge. A large sofa covered one wall. The center space was dominated by a round table, around which were several comfortable-looking chairs. The rest of the room contained rugs and throw pillows spread out in no apparent order. It was clear that this room served to receive people other than the Sherfym.
In the center of the room, at the table, sat Mia. Ula waited by the door along with two other Sherfym I didn’t recognize. Mia gestured to the chair opposite her. She appeared childlike in the chair. Her feet hung from the edge and dangled a foot from the floor.
“Welcome, Dante,” she said. “I trust you are not injured?”
She was dressed in the manner of all Sherfym. She wore brown leathers and a white top. Her leather pants had gold stripes down the sides and her shirt was embroidered with a fine gold thread I didn’t notice the last time we met. A long scar running down one side marred her face, though she was still angelic like all Sherfym. The scar continued down her neck. She did not attempt to hide her disfigurement as she looked at me. Despite the pain, I tried to remain calm, remembering that they were partially telepathic.
I felt the connection to my chi return somewhat as I expanded my awareness around the room. There were several Sherfym in a waiting room behind Mia. Reinforcements, no doubt.
“No, warrior, not reinforcements. Shock troops should you decide to become…difficult,” she said. “I am aware that you now possess the third focus. The fact that you can sense my men even after being flailed is proof that you have grown in power.”
So much for my calm stopping her from reading my thoughts. She cocked her head to one side and smiled at me. It transformed her face from stern to radiant. As I looked up past the smile, the eyes stopped me…the smile never reached them as she looked at me with a deadly menace.
“Your outward appearance is calm, but inside, you are an open book,” she said. “I will refrain from reading you, however, as I sense this makes you uneasy.”
Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy Page 82
