Wren broke the uneasy silence after a few instants. “Come on, I’ll help you find Marna and Gaea.”
The whole group trailed after them. Wren led him through the ward to some doors at the end which opened into yet another ward identical to the one they came from, this place too had dozens of injured. There had been a lot of warriors in the battle, hundreds it seemed, from the number of injured people occupying beds. The three mecha healers obviously could not attend such a large number of wounded, so there were numerous creatures moving about assisting in the treatment process. Though many were still injured themselves, faces composed and wings gleaming, many of those helping out were valkyries. Every day he worked with the Chosen, his respect and appreciation for them grew.
There were some who were dour and unwelcoming, but the majority of those he had met were truly noble and brave creatures, blessed not only with a warrior spirit but with compassion as well.
Most of the winged ladies nodded to Wren and Euriel and bowed to Idun as they passed. Many of them touched hands with Ziedra and smiled as she called them by name. The dark-haired ascendant seemed to know a lot of names.
Wren turned and went through another set of doors that opened into yet another ward. How big was this place? He didn’t remember seeing anything like this in eternity’s heart.
“Damn,” he said. “Where did all these people come from?” He did a turn in one row to look back the way they had come. “There must be five or six hundred injured. How many were in the final fight?”
“Close to ten thousand,” Wren said. “More than two thousand were from Nonna’s personal retinue. Thor and Sif brought two legions of Asgard elites. Many of the Shael Dal have small armies of their own. After you, uhhh…retired from the fight and pointed the way, it didn’t take long to throw everything at them.”
“Your last hit was truly worthy,” Idun remarked, trailing after them with her hands behind her back. She nodded to a pair of young-looking valkyries dressed in red who bowed to her. “It was a hammer-strike that they were still recovering from when we fell on them.”
“So, does that mean the Baronians are out of the fight?” he asked.
“Quite a few escaped,” Euriel said. “They were on the retreat though and not falling back to muster. Their threat is greatly diminished, and most of the ships they were using to evade us were seized.”
“That’s something I suppose,” he murmured.
Out another pair of double doors they entered a short passage that opened out after only a ten paces. A bluish light bathed the area at the end and the air grew warmer as they approached the threshold. Music, conversation, and a whole host of different sounds grew audible.
They stepped out into an expanse at least five hundred paces on a side. The exit lay on the bottom-most tier of series of terraces each more than a hundred paces wide stair-stepping up into the distance. The counter-strike army was sprawled throughout the vast space. Some ate and chatted in the large dining areas, others lounging amongst arrays of couches placed around the bowl of the chamber. Bannor caught sight of barracks areas through open doorways in the terrace walls.
Wren lead them out onto the floor past a group of a dozen or so soldiers sharing battle experiences. The men and women, most of whom looked like veteran warriors from campaign tattoos on their faces and shoulders, saluted their group as they walked by.
They turned and climbed a ramp up to a terrace where hundreds of Kriar artifices of various sizes and shapes had been set up. An airy rhythmic sound, that vaguely reminded Bannor of music, chimed and tittered above the hums and rumbles of the machinery. Glowing strands bigger than Bannor’s wrist were strung along the floor connecting many of the different apparatuses together. A dozen of the tables and cylinders like in Wysteri’s treatment room were arranged in two rows adjacent the ramp. Eladrazelle, Marna’s friend from Fabrista homeworld was there along with Octavia, Wysteri, Mercedes, and the two combat healers from the T’Evagduran subnet. A handful of valkyries and Kriar seargas were helping to treat several critically injured people.
Something that looked like the gate they had entered the Daergon enclave through stood to one side, blue mist trailing down onto the platform around it. Several Kriar warriors sat in elaborate chairs around the eerie machine, staring into glowing crystals displaying unfamiliar symbols and pictures.
Side by side, Marna and her daughter Dulcere, sat in similar chairs off a little ways from the big portal machine, their gold faces illuminated by what they were looking at. Gaea, Senalloy, Dominique, Cassandra, the gold twins and their giant black-haired mates stood behind them looking over their shoulders.
Wren pushed that direction. Bannor noticed some of the Kriar pausing momentarily to glance at him. Some put hands to weapons but obviously determined him to not be a threat.
As they stepped up, the frowning face of a male Kriar was looking out of the crystal in front of Marna. He had the look of some kind of government official from the little bit of his clothing that Bannor saw in the picture. Lips pinched tight, dark eyes narrowed, he spoke in harsh tones that didn’t require translation for Bannor to understand their meaning.
“…Counsel Braegor,” Marna said, in a voice that sounded calm but forced. Though the actual words were in the Kriar speech, Bannor understood them through the shaladen. “Counter accusations are a waste of time. You should instead focus on answering why the outlawed weapon, Garfang, was spotted on properties owned by you, along with quite a large number of Daergon insurgents and Baronian spies.” She rubbed her hands together and tilted her head. “You can disavow any knowledge or connection to them, but I assure you, such a connection is being documented as we speak. That proof will be presented to the Kriar High Judiciary as well as the Guardian Triumvirate. My advice would be to cooperate in this investigation and seek leniency. You can fall hard alone, or share the blame and take whatever windfall you can negotiate. It is your choice.” She paused. “Oh yes, a last thing, Braegor. Tarkath Diliaysus and Tarkath Shargris are currently working under my employ and rest assured they know exactly where you are. It might be easier if you just turned yourself over to them. Shortly after the report of Garfang’s sighting, I granted eternals access to Homeworld. They have been given white seal authority to police criminals associated with this issue, so there’s a possibility some of them could show up on your doorstep…”
Braegor’s gold face paled but he kept his belligerent expression. The words he snarled in response were not flattering. Bannor saw all of the observers save Gaea and the D’klace twins stiffen, especially Dominique who gripped the back of Marna’s chair with white knuckled hands.
Marna didn’t turn a hair at his blistering rhetoric. “Three kilorevs, Counselor. After that, your fate is out of your hands.” She touched a crystal and the image of the Braegor winked out to be replaced by symbols and diagrams.
“Arrogant wight! I’ll rip out his eyes,” Dominique growled. “How dare he say that to you!”
Marna raised a finger. “Dom, you will do no such thing. I appreciate your desire to defend my honor, but oratory abuse from such parasites troubles me not at all.” She reached out and punched a few crystals on the board in front of her.
In an instant, Eclipse’s serious face appeared in the crystal. “Vatraena?” he said in his deep voice.
“Eclipse, I just put a fire under Councilor Braegor.”
“Understood, we’re standing by,” he responded.
“Stay in the light,” she praised.
Eclipse nodded and faded from view.
“Interesting,” Gaea said with a smile. “Then things are going as you expect?”
Marna swung around in the chair which swiveled, and put a hand on Dominique’s arm. She rubbed the woman’s shoulder and the lady’s steely expression softened. “Well,” she answered. “It’s still early. The other councilors who accepted Braegor’s payoffs are now backpedaling. I’m going to let the divisive nature of traitors do a little work and see who feels the heat.” She
focused toward him. “Bannor, your appearance is well timed. I assume you want out of Daergon Rhajgon?”
“You assume correctly, Milady,” he answered.
“Well, I brought my mentor Eladrazelle here for the express purpose of taking care of that for you. A few officers from the Kriar Judiciary are going to be present when she extracts Rhajgon’s critical information. That will take only a short time, after that Gaea informs me she can get you and our Daergon guest sorted out. I would rather like to have Rhajgon alive and in hand.”
“It’s not trivial, but it is doable,” Gaea said.
“If it will help,” he said. “You know I’ll do it.” He folded his arms and looked toward the crystal that she had been speaking into. “So, was that person you were speaking to the author of all our trouble?”
Marna glanced back. “Braegor?” She pursed her lips. “He is more facilitator than author. He doesn’t have the imagination or courage that this plan would have required. This whole thing with the Daergons and Baronians has bothered me from the start. Surr’s position was always to demonstrate Kriar strength—to rely on outsiders like this couldn’t have been put forth by any of his true followers. That’s what I’m hoping Rhajgon will reveal.”
“It’s crippling,” Marna remarked, eyes going narrow. “However, until we do like Koass says, get the head of the snake, they’ll find other sympathizers and rebuild.”
“Well, if it’s possible that I can lead you to that key person, perhaps we should get started.”
“Indeed,” Marna said. “ ‘Cere, coordinate with Eladrazelle, I want whatever Rhajgon knows as soon as possible.”
The daughter of the Vatraena rose from her seat and nodded to her mother. She gestured Bannor ahead of her toward the area where Eladrazelle and the mecha healers were working.
Gaea and Senalloy followed him. The others who had accompanied him trailed after, obviously curious about the whole matter.
“How is Corim, Sen?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Fine,” the silver-haired Baronian answered. “A bit disgruntled at being chained to the bed.”
“Chained?”
“He refused to stay put and rest,” she answered. “So, I shackled him to the bed with a spell. He’s been whining at me to come let him lose.”
“You shouldn’t tease him,” he chided.
“Who’s teasing?” She grumbled. “He almost died, he needs to rest even if his wounds are healed. Thank you for saving him, by the way.”
“Sen,” he said with a frown. “Thanks are hardly necessary. He’s a comrade. He would do the same for me. He saved Vera. I save him. That’s how it works.”
“Well, I’m thankful it works that way,” she said with a grin.
“That sentiment works for me too,” Wren added. “Dane and I—” She looked to the younger woman, who looked back. “All of us really, would have died if you hadn’t come up with something to stop Garfang and get us out of there.”
“Dumb luck,” he mumbled. “I almost blew us all to pieces. If Koass and Nethra hadn’t been ready, we all would have died. There would have been nothing left.”
Eladrazelle sat at one of the devices much like the one Marna had been using.
Eladrazelle, looking tiny in her huge chair peered up at Dulcere. She brushed back her hair and frowned.
Dulcere drew a breath.
The older Kriar hopped out of her chair, and came over to Bannor, looking him up and down. She then glanced to Gaea and smiled.
Fascinating wasn’t the word Bannor would have used…
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* * *
Chapter Thirty-Four
Marna started as a great student and
later became a better friend. The millennia
have been kind to us, and many are the
fascinating and exciting discoveries we have
made together. Her latest experiment with
Gaea’s children promises centuries of
interesting research…
—Eladrazelle Delarn,
Fabrista High Council Advisor
(retired)
Bannor stood looking around, feeling uncomfortable around the array of Kriar artifices. Marna’s friend, smallish Eladrazelle, rubbed her hands together, face lit-up like she were contemplating attending a feast. Wren, Ziedra, and Daena stood nearby, casting shadows over the little Kriar. In their ascendant bodies they looked huge compared to slim elfin lady. Even Gaea who was only a little taller than average, seemed big. Euriel and Idun were the only ones she didn’t have to look up at.
Dark eyes sparkling, she met each of their eyes.
A green light lanced out from one of the boxes along the wall of the terrace and stitched back and forth with a whining sound over the spot where Eladrazelle had pointed. Beginning at the floor and rising, a diagnostic table like the others materialized in a spinning shower of sparks. She pointed again and in less than a breath a healing chamber also came into being.
“I don’t care how many times I see it,” Ziedra said behind him. “That is totally wizard. Those machines can make nearly anything you can think of.”
Eladrazelle remarked, fiddling with the buttons and controls on the diagnostic table.
<‘Cere call Nethra and have her approve entry for judge Vraedan, and judge Jhorsis. They are standing by as witnesses. We have to do this so no claims of tampering can be offered as excuses when what Bannor knows is recorded.>
Dulcere nodded and closed her eyes, obviously focusing.
Eladrazelle glanced to the rest of her audience.
“Isn’t that a lot of information?” Gaea asked.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
Eladrazelle focused on Dulcere and nodded.
The daughter of the Vatraena nodded. She pulled a box off her side, punched somethi
ng on it, and held it out in front of her. A thin line of green light stabbed out from that same spot on the terrace, tracing back and forth in a sparkling dance of creation, bringing into being another artifice that had a seat and one of those viewing crystals. She punched a few times on the hand held mechanism, and held out her arm. The green light flashed, describing circles around her arm and depositing several loops what looked like strands of shiny glass rope.
These clear cords she strung along the floor, attaching the ends between the diagnostic table and the new machine.
The tall lady swung around and went to another device nearby, opened a panel, and pulled out some black cords that she inserted in receptacles in the device’s side and played out along the floor and plugged in to spots on the side of Dulcere’s apparatus.
A flash near the center of the field below heralded the arrival of the two Kriar judges. The two Kriar, a male and a female were accompanied by four soldiers in heavy armor. The newcomers had the stiff postures of figures who conducted themselves with extreme formality. Dressed in simple black and silver coats with the gold Fabrista emblem over the breast the two strode forward across the field. Hair slicked back and knotted, clothing creased and spotless, both judges wore hard, unyielding expressions that were anything but friendly.
“Your judges appear to be here,” Gaea remarked. “They don’t look happy.”
Eladrazelle looked up.
Gaea nodded.
The judges and their entourage of guards proceeded up the ramp and came into their work area. The guards formed a perimeter, obviously to secure it while the judges did their business.
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