Shadow Seed

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Shadow Seed Page 3

by Rodriguez, Jose


  Janah threw her canteen and stormed off further into the city.

  “I want to marry her,” Kadir whispered.

  Nedim handed the canteen back. “Typical,” he said, before moving on. Exiting the corridor, he looked around as he stretched his slender arms and legs.

  Though it was midday, inside Siriso it may as well have been midnight. The only source of light within its closed walls came from torches.

  The city sounded busy enough with people chattering, animals whining, and construction going on.

  “Good day,” a merchant said as he passed by, pushing his cart of bread down the street.

  “To you as well,” Nedim said. “If only it looked that way.”

  A low humming sound kicked in as a streak of daylight pierced through Siriso’s large crystal cap. Slowly, huge sections of the city’s walls began to open, letting in more of the sun’s brilliant rays. After almost a minute it looked like large square sections had been carved out of the walls.

  Outside, all was calm.

  Nedim could now see some of the multiple tiers and support structures, as well as Anubians and Persians mingling about. Looking to his side, he was startled to find Janah standing right next to him chewing some bread.

  “Figures,” Janah said flatly.

  Nedim sighed. “I’m going to the Palace. Are you coming?”

  “Yes,” Janah answered. “But I’m just going to be nosy. If the Vesuvians were here, then something big is going on.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up. They come here as much as the others. You just don’t see or hear of them because it’s usually at nighttime.”

  A loud squawk in the distance could be heard as two Khothu on wyverns flew through an opening in the city’s wall, and landed in a wide-open area surrounded by shops.

  Janah watched as the Khothu set their store up. “I wonder what they’re selling this time.”

  “Probably the usual,” Nedim said. “Overpriced items you’ve never heard of that you’ll never need…like those things that float around.”

  Janah clasped her hands. “Oh, I love those!”

  Nearby was a corral with several kalecs, a desert creature similar to a two-humped camel, but with a broader head and longer hair.

  Janah took Nedim’s canteen. “You get the rides. I’ll be right back,” she said, running off to an oasis.

  There were lots of people at the corral. It took Nedim a minute before he found the rancher. “Excuse me. Do you loan these out?”

  The rancher held two fingers up. “Yes, two silver coins.”

  At the oasis, Janah filled both canteens with water before running back.

  “Go easy on this one,” Nedim said, passing the reins of a kalec to Janah.

  It was a relaxing ride as they strolled through the almost empty streets. People walking on foot mostly used the upper tiers to get where they were going.

  The Palace was located at the center of Siriso. It had a step design with outside gardens on every level. None of the tiers connected with it, only a few surrounding support beams for the ceiling of the city.

  Nedim and Janah dismounted from their kalecs and found an Anubian woman and a Persian male talking in a garden on one of the lower steps. Like most Anubians, the woman was tall and slender, dressed in wrappings of cloth and gold jewelry.

  Janah hardly looked at them as she sat on a bench. “Hello, Amarna, Sayar.”

  Amarna bowed. “Welcome back.”

  The Persian, Sayar, resembled a half-human half-lion. He stared disappointedly at Janah.

  “Greetings,” Nedim said, bowing. “We heard of the Vesuvian emissaries. I can assume you know what happened.”

  “Yes,” Sayar said suddenly. “You should have told us about it before accepting the quest. We must be careful when dealing with the other races.”

  Janah smiled. “We didn't accept anything. We volunteered.”

  “You've got a smart mouth,” Sayar snickered.

  “It was I who volunteered us,” Nedim said, “I'm sure we can all agree that considering we-”

  “It was necessary,” Amarna interrupted. “Time is another factor to consider, a luxury we don’t have.”

  “Everyone has to gather their forces,” Sayar said. “And it may take a few days. Tomorrow we'll submit our battle plans to the others so we can coordinate our attacks. Both of you are to continue your current task.”

  Janah threw her hands out. “But we're done!”

  “You're done when I say you're done!” Sayar snarled.

  Amarna handed a letter to Nedim. “The Vesuvians have also informed us that Pelasgians have been sighted in Rhea.”

  “What?” Janah said in disbelief. “Why would they come back to Rhea?”

  Sayar crouched down in front of Janah. “Your guess is as good as any. Maybe it’s me, but you sound scared.”

  Feeling slighted, Janah said nothing as she stood and walked away.

  “Have they abandoned their invasion of the Netherworld?” Nedim asked.

  “Maybe,” Amarna answered. “Our scouts there have reported that the Pelasgians are gathering, either to leave, or attack their last city.”

  “Their last city,” Nedim said bleakly. “What about the humans?”

  Amarna shook her head. “The letter states it was near their cities the Pelasgians were seen. New Haven may be able to withstand the assault, but I fear the other two don't stand a chance.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Under an increasingly cloudy sky, Arthur hacked away at some branches as he pushed his way through a dense section of the forest. Thomas, Richard, Jacob and William followed in-line behind him.

  When they came to a small stream, Arthur crouched down, paying close attention to the surroundings as his team gathered around him.

  Thomas picked up a pebble and tossed it into the water. “With all due respect, I don't believe it was necessary for you to resign your post. I could have led this assignment.”

  Keeping his eyes on the thicket ahead, Arthur whispered. “I don't doubt your ability. Maybe one day you'll be a Preceptor and understand.”

  “Boring would be the word,” Thomas said, speaking as he would anywhere else. “I can't believe the Marshal allowed it, not with the fine job you did on Sara.”

  Arthur looked hard at Thomas for a moment before concentrating back on the forest. “You know, you talk an awful lot, and loudly, too. As far as Sara is concerned, she can take better care of herself more than most men I know.”

  Richard sniffed the air. “Is it me, or does it smell kind of odd?”

  Jacob inhaled deeply and almost choked. “What is that, brimstone?”

  “Pelasgians,” Arthur said, staring in the direction the smell was coming from.

  “Wow,” William said, with a hint of sarcasm. “How many are there?”

  Arthur wasn’t amused. “Shut up, nitwit. Vesuvians said it could be a sign. Tread carefully now.”

  Moving as quiet as possible, they soon discovered a small Pelasgian camp. Three Corinthians, two Centaurs, a Minotaur and a Satyr were either cooking or sharpening their blades.

  Arthur looked back at William. “We're outnumbered, so somebody is going to show off. Let's see if you're as fast as your wits. Nail one, then turn back the way we came.”

  As William equipped his bow, the rest of the squad fell back, staggering themselves as they hid in trees and bushes.

  After waiting a short time, William took aim and fired. The arrow struck a Centaur dead in the chest, and alerted the camp.

  William stood, giving his position away. “I'm so good it's pitiful!” he shouted, before taking off like a frightened gazelle.

  The Pelasgians roared after William.

  Running through the bush, a Corinthian at the rear didn't know what hit him when Jacob slit his throat from behind with a dagger.

  Richard waited for the last moment to spring a simple trip wire made of vine, and the timing couldn't have been better as the last two Corinthians fell flat on their sto
machs. He jumped out and used his equinox to impale the one with no armor in the back. The other Corinthian tackled him and both wrestled on the ground for a brief moment, until Richard managed to free one hand and use a talon to stab his foe through the eye.

  Thomas watched from a tree as William dashed by, with the Minotaur in hot pursuit followed by the Satyr. When the Centaur came by, he jumped down landing on the back and snapped the Pelasgian's neck with his hands.

  When Arthur spotted William, he grew concerned seeing the Minotaur and the Satyr.

  As Arthur jumped out from around a tree swinging his equinox, the Satyr was nimble enough to avoid it with only a cut to the arm.

  Grunting in anger, the Satyr lunged with his spear.

  Arthur was barely able to dodge the attack as he spun and thrust his equinox into the creature's chest.

  William glanced back and found the Minotaur too close for comfort. There was no way he could fire off another shot. He grabbed his halo and spun around, swinging the weapon in a downward arc, but the Minotaur caught his wrist and easily tossed him aside.

  Landing with a thud, William scrambled backwards on his hands and feet as the Minotaur closed in for the kill.

  “No!” Arthur cried, as he leapt through the air and slammed both of his talons into the back of the Minotaur's neck, impaling it several times until the creature fell over dead.

  The rest of the men quickly caught up as William got back to his feet.

  “Are you okay?” Thomas asked. “I thought I heard you scream.”

  Arthur was a little winded, and his chest was covered in blood. “Yeah, I thought the boy here was about to steal my kill.”

  William laughed, grateful for the rescue. Though at the same time, he hid his face pretending to scratch it. He was embarrassed at not being able to take on the Minotaur. “Thanks, Arthur. I owe you one.”

  Richard sniffed the air. “Oh man, the smell is a lot stronger now. The main camp must be close.”

  “That's not good at all,” Jacob said worriedly. “New Haven isn't two hours away.”

  Thomas blew his nose to try clearing the smell. “We should go back and report this.”

  Arthur didn’t think long about it. “No, we have to find the camp. That’s why there’s five of us. Once we locate the main force, we need to send a constant flow of information to our people.”

  “I strongly disagree,” Thomas said, harsh in his tone. “This camp was probably a forward lookout. If the Pelasgians don't hear from them soon, they'll know something is wrong. We should have just gone around it!”

  “There's no time,” Arthur said. “We'll deal with any scouts we come across. William, go to New Haven and report what happened. On your way back, one of us will meet you halfway. Okay?”

  “You got it,” William said as he ran off.

  Richard moved ahead. “I'll take point.”

  Arthur turned to Jacob. “Bring up the rear. Thomas, you cover the left.”

  The men swiftly and silently hustled between trees and bushes.

  It wasn't long before Richard picked up a very strong scent of Pelasgians. He peeked through some bushes as he waited for the rest of the team. What he couldn't see or smell, he could hear, and it sounded like a huge gathering of wild animals.

  Arthur slowly crept up from behind. “Pelasgians?” he asked.

  “Yeah, probably,” Richard answered. “It's hard to make out anything. There's no way we're getting any closer without being spotted.”

  “What choice do we have?” Arthur asked.

  Richard looked around. “I've done some patrols out here. There should be high ground that way,” he pointed.

  The thick wooded forest hid the men perfectly. From their vantage point, they could see the area was swarming with Pelasgians.

  The source of the dark clouds came from hundreds of terrosaurs throughout the camp. They were enormous four-legged creatures veiled in black smoke. Crystal-like spikes protruding their skin burned off at a tremendous rate from exposure to the sun. Their long necks, and much of their skin was armor plated, as was the ball at the end of a whip-like tail that was nearly the length of their body.

  “Unbelievable,” Thomas said. “How big do you think this army is?”

  “I don't think I can count that high,” Jacob replied. “But those oversized lizards are going to be a handful. How on earth are we supposed to deal with that?”

  The camp began to burst with a lot of activity.

  Arthur could see the Pelasgians falling into formation to begin their march. “They're on the move.”

  “There's only one place they can be going,” said Richard. “And I don't think it's home.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “I think that's enough for today,” Leon said, opening the door to let Chris and Delia out.

  “Bye, see ya later!” Chris hollered, as he ran out.

  “Later,” Sara said.

  Delia looked back nervously at Sara. As the door began to close, she quickly turned and darted past Leon, running up to Sara. “Can I be a Ranger?”

  “Delia!” Leon said, flustered.

  Sara was speechless. Somewhere between the time she'd eaten the fish and told her story of how she arrived in Vesuvia, Delia had become fascinated with her.

  “Sure, why not?” Sara finally answered.

  Delia jumped back delighted.

  Sara winked. “When you get older, come see me when you're ready.”

  Leon grinned. “Hey, Delia, I dare you to ask your parents that.”

  “Don't be mean,” Sara laughed. “Okay, Delia, I'll see you later.”

  “Bye,” Delia said, running outside.

  Leon closed the door. “Kids…”

  Sara relaxed back on the couch. “I was kind of wondering why you don't have one.”

  Leon sat next to Sara, leaning back to rest his head and closing his eyes.

  “You don't like them, do you?” Sara asked.

  “I like kids,” Leon said. “It's just...I don't know. I never had a desire for them, I guess.”

  “So you don't plan on having any?”

  “I'm not saying it won't happen. I'd be lying if I said I never thought of what it'd be like.”

  Sara leaned in slightly. “Girlfriends?”

  “I've had a few, but...”

  “But what?” Sara asked straightening up.

  Leon opened his eyes, looking at Sara. “You know silly things. Like my lineage. Never fails. It always gets in the way, with the parents at least, a lot of old fashioned statues.”

  “That's a problem with humans too, sometimes,” Sara said. “I can only imagine what that means for a Vesuvian.”

  Leon closed his eyes again. “Well, it's the least of my problems.”

  Sara stretched her arms and legs before standing. “Let's go to the promenade. We've got a few hours before I have to report back to New Haven.”

  Leon was not nearly as physically tired as he was mentally, all from dealing with the Vesuvian children. He got up lazily, holding his hand out for Sara to lead the way.

  The short stroll through Leon's yard took them to a street packed with people coming in and out of stores. The only way Sara could tell what they sold was by an advertisement, or a display in the window. Many of them sold clothing or trinkets, but one that caught her eye was selling goblets.

  “Let's check those out!” Sara said.

  Made from clay, wood, glass or metal, there was a wide selection to choose from. Some were plainer than others, but the nice ones were elaborately enameled and jeweled.

  Sara picked one up made of wood. It had a red tinge and was carved to look like a person holding a large bowl across his back.

  The shopkeeper moved around the counter, closer to his valuable customers. “Our soldiers are a great part of the good life we live today.”

  “I like the symbolism,” Sara said, placing the goblet down.

  “Check this out,” Leon said, handing over a gaudy one that was all black, shiny and dec
orated with onyx stones.

  Sara was amazed with the craftsmanship. “Now this looks expensive!”

  “Not really,” the shopkeeper said. “That one in your hand there is just a regular chalice. The one you were just holding was enchanted by a Remian elder. A sip from that goblet and you'll have the speed and strength of ten men.”

  “Doesn't have to be blood either,” Leon added. “It can be anything from alcohol to water.”

  Sara looked around, imagining what many of goblets were capable of. “I didn't know you could do that.”

  Leon picked another goblet up. “Only a handful of these do anything. It takes a very powerful Vesuvian a lot of time. That's why they're pretty expensive.”

  “Guess I better start saving my money.” Sara said.

  The shopkeeper laughed.

  “Maybe I’ll start a collection,” Leon said. “Let’s go see what else is going on.”

  Leaving the shop, Leon and Sara went two blocks down the street where a small crowd of people watched a man painting on a large canvas.

  The landscape painting was at nighttime with two cliffs opposite each other, overlooking a valley filled with trees.

  Sara was hit with a sense of déjà vu. “Why do I get the impression that's a perfect image of a real place?”

  “It's just outside Vesuvia,” Leon said.

  The painter examined his work for a moment before drawing a vague depiction of a man standing at the edge of one cliff, and of a woman at the other. With that, he turned and bowed to polite applause from the crowd.

  Suddenly, every Vesuvian stopped talking and froze in place.

  Sara was bemused. “What is it? What's wrong?”

  Leon answered in a trance. “Pelasgians. The northeast. There's a portal.”

  “Here, now?” Sara asked.

  As quickly as it happened, Leon snapped back to reality with the rest. “Sorry about that. I have to go.”

  Sara followed Leon. “That's some trick you got there.”

 

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