Secrets of the Elders Kindle Version

by David Matthew Almond

  “Looks like your best arrangements yet.” He complimented the decorative topiary she was working on.

  “Aw, thank you, I want to top the last Culhada celebration’s floral displays.” She replied.

  “Well, with what you have here it’s sure to…ugh” Alan backed away gripping his temple, swaying slightly, clearly off balance. Deeply concerned Lady Cassandra steadied him; it was not like her husband to get tipsy off so few drinks.

  “What is it dear, was it the wine?” she asked, trying to look him in the face.

  Alan steadied himself, the moment of dizziness past. He wore a grim expression, staring out solemnly over the roof far to the south. He was quiet, contemplating the sudden surge of emotions that had rocked him.

  “Something just happened to Elder Morgana…something awful.” The implication of his words carried a heavy weight. Lady Cassandra grabbed his chin, forcing him to look down into her fearful eyes, the question written plainly on her face. Alan pulled his wife in to console her tightly against his broad chest.

  “Is it…?” she asked fearing his answer.

  “Elder Morgana is dead, my love.” He groaned in despair, as the bloody thorned gardenia she had been holding was caught up by a gentle breeze, drifting off over the rooftop.

  Corbin started awake, violently slashing out to his left, catching his brother square in the jaw with a clenched fist.

  “Ow, what in the Crystal has gotten into you?” Logan scowled at his little brother as he gingerly rubbing his jaw.

  Corbin’s eyes were wide open and bloodshot. “I don’t know, man I think I was having a terrible nightmare.”

  “Who ever heard of having a nightmare in the daytime? What the heck was it about?” Corbin just replied with a shrug, the dream fading off into the foggy corners of his mind. He knew every Culhada his dreams were plagued with horrible visions and wanted to tell his brother, but they had more pressing problems to deal with at the moment.

  “I do not remember…the battle back in Riverbell, perhaps? I am sorry about that, did I hurt you?” He asked with sincere concern.

  Logan was too proud to ever admit that, and shook his head in denial. Corbin looked up the road from the carriage window they drove in as it sped across the rocky hill heading for the gates of Fal. The captain of the ship had seen to getting them his own carriage the second they were docked, abandoning the ship himself to travel with them. He whipped the horned red elks pulling the carriage, shouting at them to move faster. Captain Higgins had grumbled that the boys were too young to commandeer the carriage and said they needed a real man to do the job. Ahead the capitol city came into view, peeking over the treetops.

  Neither of them had seen the city with their own eyes before and both were instantly stunned by its grandeur. The place rose up, in tiered sections, from the cavern’s walls almost all the way to the ceiling of New Fal itself. The capitol was carved right out of the ivory white marble in this area. Each section sat on a higher tier, in gradually smaller layers rounding out from the ground beneath. The walls were dotted with the city guard assigned to defending against any would-be predators. For a second Logan had to wonder if the city even needed the warning they had risked life and limb to deliver.

  His concern was quickly put to rest. As they made their way closer, he could see that the wall was indeed manned, but not by brave soldiers who were alert and prepared. Instead, they seemed to have two dispositions, one of being drunk and asleep, the other of being lost in some sort of celebration. He reasoned the men and women stationed along the perimeter were no doubt lax in their duties since there was realistically never a real threat coming from within the kingdom and there were probably festivities of Culhada raging all over the city by now. It was most uncommon for insects to be in this part of the cavern anyway and even when it had happened, there had never been more than one lost beast, which had strayed from the swarm.

  “Logan, look at the city’s defenses.” Corbin remarked, referring to the gigantic artillery units on either side of each level. Logan had heard that when the city was originally built by the first pilgrims, massive machines known as mechs, which had long since been lost to the strains of time, were used to carve out the walls. When the building of the kingdom was completed, they had no use for them anymore and so they were disassembled, broken down to use their parts in constructing the giant man-operated crossbows his brother was drooling over.

  “Captain, how will we alert the Elders in time?” Corbin shouted through cupped hands over the racket of wheels grinding over the rocky path, coughing on the dusty cloud raised in its wake.

  Higgins shot him a wild-eyed look “Son, don’t you worry about nothin’.” he shouted, pulling hard on the reigns. Logan almost flew over the side of the carriage as it swerved around a sharp bend in the road.

  “We are headed straight to the Praetorian himself!” The captain pointed up the dirt road to the base of the city. White walls were all they could see going for miles in either direction and they headed straight for the gates into Fal.

  “What is a praetorian?” Logan asked his younger brother, trying to speak quietly and nudging him to get his attention.

  “He is the captain of the city guard!” Corbin replied loudly. “He should have some sort of direct communication with the council!”

  Since they had come over the hill, in plain view of the towers, the captain had been blowing hard into his bullhorn, causing his cheeks to turn beat red.

  Not showing any signs of slowing as they came closer to the gates, the brothers feared he meant to carve a hole clean through the city walls with the vehicle. At the very last moment, they were only slightly relieved when he pulled hard on the reigns, spinning the carriage sideways to a dead stop. They were out of the vehicle in a dash, all three running like madmen for the gates.

  The two soldiers standing guard looked extremely perplexed as to what the expectations of defending against raving lunatics were. In all fairness at this point the captain did look like a wild man, with his red hair all frayed and spittle foaming at the corners of his mouth, clinging against his beard.

  “Get the Praetorian ye daft fools, we be under attack!” He shouted still running with his fist pumping in the air. One of the soldiers turned to run inside and alert the men, when he bounced off a giant of a man that had just walked out of the tower’s double doors.

  The captain of the guard towered over Corbin, who in his own right was considered to be one of the tallest men in his village. The man did not wear his usual cloak and armor to represent his status, as he had clearly been in the middle of some celebrating. Instead, he was clothed in his long johns from head to toe.

  “What is the meaning of this racket, Captain Higgins?!” The praetorian demanded, clearly in no need of cloaks or armor to fill his station.

  Higgins was about to explain, when Corbin jumped in front of him to retell the tale. He explained everything, emphasizing the need for swift action. When he finished with the rushed story, the man looked down at him, taking in all he had heard. “Hundreds of the foul beasts, you say?” he asked slowly.

  “Yes sir, hundreds, though it only took twenty or so to wreak havoc on our village.” Corbin replied.

  The praetorian took them all in, under a withering gaze; measuring their worth before finally settling his eyes on Captain Higgins. “Bah, drunks, the whole lot of ye…out here wasting my time!” He spit on the ground at their feet and turned to leave. Logan glanced at the captain, who did look like he was piss drunk with his hair all disheveled and that crazed look in his eyes.

  “Praetorian, my brother Corbin speaks the truth you big oaf! We have run here nonstop for close to two nights now, risking life and limb to bring you this message in time!” Logan shouted at the barrel-chested man, pushing his face up to get as close as he could, toe-to-toe with the hulking leader. He jabbed his finger into the praetorian’s chest with each word, to accentuate his point. “Now get your ass moving and inform the counci
l before it is too late!”

  Perhaps it was the sheer audacity of this little man to approach Banner like this, something no man had dared in years, or perhaps it was the ring of truth in the little guy’s words, backed by the cold resolve in his eyes. Either way, the praetorian shifted his thinking and without a word, ran inside the great tower.

  Logan stared helplessly after the man, at the empty doorway, which was now without guard. He wondered if at any moment the praetorian would be running back out with an axe in his hand to cut him down. Instead, he heard the deafening sound of a horn booming from the top of the guard tower. It reverberated along the marble walls, echoing across the cavern as far as Riverbell, where Elise heard it with equal parts of relief, knowing the Walkers had made it, and dread at knowing what they were surely soon to face.

  No sooner had the alarm sounded than it was answered by responding horns blasting all along the wall, up and down the levels of the city. Soon all the towers blared their war sirens, causing Corbin to cover his ears from the deafening roar. With a sigh of relief, Logan slumped against the wall. He stumbled, realizing the captain was pulling his arm to lead him inside the city as the men all along the watchtower raced to their posts.

  “Best to get on the other side lad, less we want to become pincushions?” he reasoned.

  Shouting commands and quickly falling into defensive positions, the city guard leapt into action. Arrows knocked and ready, aimed for the outside as other four-man teams also clambered into their massive crossbow ballistae units. Corbin turned to regard the road they had journeyed for the last several days, looking back at him so serene and inviting. One would never guess that death was on its way through that quiet, rocky, forested landscape. Somewhere under the blare of the city alarm, he could distantly hear Captain Higgins urgently calling to get inside before they sealed the gates. With one last look, Corbin bolted for the doors of the tower.

  Chapter 6

  Arch Councilor Zacharia was pondering some last minute details sent up to him for the night’s festivities in the Fourth level square, when he heard the clicking coming from the library. Curious, he stood, rounding his desk and entered the room. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling neatly set in their shelves with masterful organization. Passing his leather armchairs, he flipped the hidden wall switch, opening a mechanism that was emitting the insistent clicking racket. Behind this panel hid a glass screen and several dials, he flipped one and the screen flared to life.

  “Arch Councilor Zacharia, I have some strange news.” Magistrate Fafnir spoke to him from his office.

  “I take it this is important enough to disturb my preparations for tonight’s ceremonies?” Zacharia questioned the man, tapping his lips with a forefinger.

  “Arch Councilor…” the man paused, his face flickering in the static of the communications monitor, “there are a couple young men here from Riverbell that claim they were attacked by a swarm of skex.” Fafnir explained, deep concern edging his voice. Zacharia furrowed his brow at this news. “Milord, they say th-the skex are on their way here in a mass horde!” the magistrate had trouble keeping the uncertainty out of his voice.

  “Fafnir, sound the alarm immediately. Treat this as a very real threat and may the Crystal save these Walker boys from Riverbell, if they prove to be false.” The Arch Councilor commanded, not even waiting for the man to respond before flipping the switch to disconnect the line. Another flick of the dial opened the lines for all the Elder’s quarters at once. He had to alert everyone.

  Meanwhile, many miles down the wall below him, the magistrate was calling all men to arms. He wondered fleetingly how the high councilor had known the names of the men at the gate when he himself had not known them. He told himself this was no time to ponder the strange ways of their leader, making his way to the armory where the praetorian was pulling his chitin-armored breastplate over his head. Now was a time to put to use the skills of his men, skills they had trained in all their lives. He ordered the man to lead the walls’ defense. With deadly determination, Praetorian Banner accepted the mantle, draping his heavy battle-axe over a shoulder and heading up to meet his destiny.

  Through the still calm, Corbin could hear his heart beating, throbbing like a drum in his head. Every vein in his body twitched with anticipation, as he peered out over the wall, deep into the darkness. Soon the Great Crystal would slink into its three-day slumber. The initial attack would hopefully come before that great event, otherwise the city would be hard pressed to defend against an enemy none could see. All around the landscape below had gone quiet an hour ago bringing with it a cold sweat on the skin of all those men and women who waited with dread-filled hearts up and down the walls, on all levels of the city. Watchers peered out to the forest and canyons, searching with bi-scopes for some sign of the promised incoming threat. The cool night air was still filled with the wafting aromas of food as the festivities had come to a halt once the war horns were blown. Inside, citizens stood huddled together in their homes, fearing for what was coming next. Leaving the feasts behind, every able-bodied man and woman was ordered to the walls and other defensive towers built around the inner city.

  Logan’s stomach felt queasy and he was gripping his bow so tightly that his wounded palm ached. He could not help but wonder if maybe this was all a huge mistake, and the swarm had not actually been headed for the capitol after all. Why had they not struck yet, what were the beasts waiting for? There was no way for him to know that the swarm had found a nest of antrocs and had stopped to feast upon them or that through sheer dumb luck alone, he and Corbin had narrowly missed bumping paths with the monsters when they crossed the ruined chasms. Maybe he should just go inside the city walls and leave all this defense nonsense to those more capable like the praetorian who was crouching to his left and growling. Logan could not think when the man had begun the growling but was sure it was a new event. He shot his brother a questioning look, but was ignored as Corbin was peering quite intently out over the wall. He scratched a tickle on his head with the tip of an arrow, searching the tree line for what could have them in such a trance.

  Out into the darkness, Logan could see only the still trees with their leaves shivering in the cool breeze. The canyons were completely still, like a graveyard of departed monoliths, which had fallen in weird angles along the floor. Banner’s growling rose an octave as the man tensed up, gritting his teeth with a chalky grating sound. High above the cavern their Great Crystal began its flickering blue light, as it made ready to shut down, marking the beginning of the Culhada. In the flickering, slightly strobe lighting, Logan thought he saw something move below in the trees. Craning his neck forward he tried to focus, looking around all the shaking leaves on the forests edge, trying to get a grip on what he was seeing. He could not get a sense for it and nudged his brother’s ribs with his elbow. He too was peering at the moving shadows, up on the tips of his toes to gaze over the wall’s edge. Refocusing his vision, Logan realized his mistake as the praetorian howled to his men.

  “Ready your arms lads, here the bastards come!” The leaves were not leaves at all, but hundreds and hundreds of swarming insects feasting on everything they found in their path among the trees.

  No sooner had the realization hit him then the swarm burst forth from the forest with lustful fury. Corbin took a step back at the awful sight working his way behind his brother, whose jaw hung slackly open while his eyes looked ready to bulge out of their sockets. Corbin was not sure if it was to snap his brother out of it or to pump himself up, either way he decided to give Logan a good hard slap to the back of his head. Logan’s bow let loose a stray arrow, which floundered straight up into the air and came back down between his legs.

  “What in the…!” Logan scowled at him, the proclamation cut off by the first insect to reach their wall.

  “Now lads, let’s show them that Falians are no easy lunch!” The praetorian howled, as he heaved his battle-axe through the air tearing into a monster’s torso.
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  There was no time to cheer Banner’s kill as four more of the beasts came buzzing over to their section. One man’s gurgled screams were sickening, as an insect ripped its barbed tail into his spine, pulling the poor wretch howling into the night air. An insect came plunging down at the large praetorian, who pumped his arms at the beast, beckoning it to fight.

  As it swooped past through the night air, Logan could smell the foul odor of the insect, like pond water rotting a corpse, gagging him. The thing pummeled the giant man to the smooth stone ground as it landed, with its side ramming into him, throwing Banner off his feet. Logan let his first, second, and third arrow fly in rapid succession, quicker than most men would even be able to steady a single shot. The beast screeched as they ripped through its plated exoskeleton, exposing its left flank. Quickly the monster shifted its ravenous focus to the little man that had just stung it, flinging its tail at Banner as an afterthought. The praetorian was just getting to his feet as the tail came at him and had to throw his body into a mad roll to dodge the deadly barbed stinger.

  Skittering across the wall, the beast reached a pincer out hungrily for Logan, who let loose another arrow, which bounced harmlessly off the monster’s clawed appendage. He considered making a run for it then and there, when something hit him squarely in the spine. Almost bowled over, he barely caught a glimpse of his brother jumping off his back, flying head over heel arcing through the air over the insect. In the flickering strobe light of the Crystal, he looked like some monster himself, slashing up and down on the beasts back with his spear, wrenching guts all over his torso with a sick splattering while he pumped away like a demon. Logan thought that he would keep his complaint of ‘being used as a launching pad’ to himself as he watched his brother dispatch of the foul creature.

  Behind the dying monster, the praetorian and his men were working on another skex; this one slightly smaller than the first. Again, the screech resounded in the air as Logan let loose another volley of arrows, fatally wounding one of the monsters flying overhead. As it fell past, he saw that it was carrying the remains of a torn up woman. He raced to the edge of the wall to watch the plummeting monstrosity with the soldier standing beside him, just peering over the edge at the falling beast, helpless to save her. One of the insects who had been skittering up the sheer face of the wall was just below them. It swung an oversized pincer claw up across where they stood. Logan reflexively grabbed the soldier beside him and flung them both backward, landing on his pack as the man fell next to him.