An Echo of Things to Come

by James Islington

  “My friends are missing, and we think that they might be in Talan Gol. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t give them a chance to get out.” Asha found that her voice was steady. “But if I need to do this sooner, then I won’t hesitate.”

  Scyner studied her, then gave a single nod of acceptance. “Very well.”

  He turned away to face the cold luminescence of the Boundary, breathing deeply.

  “Then we wait.”

  Chapter 45

  Wirr leaned against the north-facing parapet, pretending not to see his mother’s irritated-looking approach from the corner of his eye.

  He continued gazing out over the brightly lit wasteland, his absorption in watching the vision-filling dome of the Boundary only partially put on. In the little time since he’d arrived, he already felt as though it had weakened. Faded. Was that his imagination? In the distance to the west he could see another patrol returning, thankfully with the slow, determined walk of men with a purpose but without an urgent message.

  “What can I do for you now, Mother?” he asked as Geladra came to a stop beside him, not looking up, knowing that his cynicism came through in his tone but too tired to care.

  “You can tell me how you intend to deal with your Augur friends. And the Representative who helped them,” Geladra said, barely concealed anger thick in her voice. “They don’t have any right to be taking actions without proper supervision, and—”

  “Fates, Mother.” Wirr turned, sighing. “Are we really still doing this? I don’t trust the Augurs, but I sure as fate trust Davian and Asha. I trust them more than I am ever likely to trust you, given how embarrassingly emotional and vindictive and petty you have been about this entire thing.”

  He grimaced as he fell silent. It was harsher than what he’d meant to say, harsher than he’d wanted to be. Regardless of the truth of the statement.

  Geladra flushed, not responding for a moment.

  “You think that me being angry over your father’s Control—his murder—is petty?” she eventually asked disbelievingly.

  Wirr closed his eyes.

  “When it makes you more interested in vengeance than saving the fates-cursed country? Yes.” He turned now, facing her. “Maybe you’re right, and maybe I’m more conflicted about it than you are, because it probably saved my life. But that’s not a bad thing. If anything, it gives me perspective.”

  Geladra’s eyes flashed. “Don’t you talk to me about perspective. You’ve just let—”

  Whatever she was about to say was cut off by an abrupt, overwhelmingly loud whining screech that echoed from all directions at once. Wirr and Geladra both flinched and Wirr’s heart dropped, argument forgotten as he turned to look northward.

  The Boundary flexed, rippling like rain on calm water.

  Then it became thin. Translucent.

  Wirr felt the blood drain from his face as he could suddenly see beyond the barrier, into the vast wastelands beyond. It was impossible to make out specifics from this distance, but the dark mass that broke the dusty horizon was unmistakable.

  There were figures lined up behind that curtain of energy, waiting just beyond in Talan Gol.

  A lot of figures.

  They were quickly lost to view again as the Boundary flickered, flashed blue and then solidified. Wirr caught movement to the side as Gifted and soldiers from around the outpost began rushing to the top of the wall, staring out northward, each one silent and wearing expressions of varying alarm and fear. Karaliene emerged from the keep, too, spotting him and Geladra and hurrying over to join them.

  Geladra’s frown changed slightly as she nodded to Kara, watching the people around them. Even she, angry as she clearly was, could pick up on when others were genuinely nervous. “What’s happening?” she asked, gaze returning to Wirr.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it do that before.” Wirr turned to Captain Muran, who was standing nearby, having been one of those to hurry to the top of the wall. “Captain?”

  Muran licked his lips nervously, not taking his eyes from the Boundary. He shook his head. “This is the first time that’s happened since we arrived.”

  He said no more, and Wirr joined him and everyone else in watching the pulsing curtain of blue-white light in the distance. The silence was eerie as they stared out over the expanse, as if everyone present were holding their breaths. Thirty seconds passed. A minute.

  A low murmur started along the wall as tensed muscles began to ease, and a few people turned away. Geladra frowned northward a moment longer, then opened her mouth to say something to Wirr.

  Another shriek split the air.

  This time the Boundary just … faded. Not everywhere, but sections of it went so clear that for a heart-stopping moment, Wirr wasn’t even sure it was still there.

  Everyone along the wall spun back to watch as explosions of light started everywhere along the near-invisible barrier, accompanied each time by odd, whining thrums of released energy. Wirr watched in horror as he realized that those bursts were from distant figures throwing themselves at the Boundary, disintegrating in violent flashes of Essence. Farther to the east a series of brilliant explosions rippled higher up on the dome, though he couldn’t specifically see what had caused those.

  He squinted toward the more distant detonations for a moment, but gasps from next to him drew his attention back to the ones closer by.

  Some of those far away figures hadn’t stopped when they’d hit the Boundary, hadn’t evaporated in flashes of light like the others.

  They had kept going.

  There were several moments of stunned silence as everyone on the wall processed what was happening. Dark silhouettes were streaming through the Boundary now, fighting past the cascades of explosions and into Andarra. Motionless forms began to collect at the base of the wall of energy, where people or creatures—Wirr couldn’t tell which—had clearly fought through, only to succumb to whatever injuries they had sustained in the process. But even with the casualties, there were perhaps four hundred figures now sprinting toward the cliffs, and tens more were breaking through with each passing second.

  “You should go.” He turned to his mother, tone urgent. “You won’t be of much help here. You and the other Administrators need to get out.”

  Geladra was frowning down at the scene, pale but curious. She shook her head.

  “I’ve seen the defenses. This outpost is impregnable,” she said confidently. “You brought me up here to understand the threat, but I cannot see how those men down there could possibly get past these cliffs.”

  “Those may not be men,” Kara observed to her quietly.

  Wirr nodded in frustrated agreement and glanced east again, but the flashes in that direction had stopped. For a moment he fancied that he could see something darkening the sky, but if there was anything there, it was too distant to make out. “And it’s not just here. They have eletai—creatures that fly, Mother.”

  Geladra snorted, though Wirr could at least see an element of uncertainty in her eyes now. “So you bring me up here to observe the threat, then don’t want me to see just how dangerous it is?”

  Wirr stared at her in disbelief. “You still think that I’m trying to fool you?” He balled his hands into fists, shaking his head. He wanted nothing more than to walk away right now, but he knew that he’d regret it if he let his only surviving parent stay in danger simply because they were stubborn. “Fine. Watch.” He licked his lips, touching the Oathstone in his pocket. “But the moment that you realize just how dangerous it is, you and the others must leave. You are to just get on your horses and go.”

  Geladra studied her son’s face, seemingly not feeling the binding taking effect, but perhaps for the first time understanding just how serious he was. “Very well.”

  Wirr gave a sharp nod, turning away. It was the best that he could do for now.

  “Prince Torin!” It was Captain Muran, breathing heavily, evidently having just returned from another part of the wall. “We could
use your help. At that speed, they’ll be here in ten minutes.”

  Wirr nodded, gazing out pensively toward the Boundary. It had solidified again but explosions of light still thundered, the enemies beyond clearly hoping for a repeat of its abrupt weakness.

  “Let me know what I can do.” He turned back to his mother. “Perhaps you should gather the Administrators. You’ll want to be ready to—”

  Movement caught the corner of his eye. He turned, frowning, as the first warning shouts echoed across the keep.

  The sky to the east had turned black.

  He squinted, his mind taking a moment to comprehend exactly what he was seeing. When it did, his heart dropped and he turned to his mother, clasping the Oathstone again.

  “Get out of here. Now.”

  The swarm of eletai was a minute away, maybe less; they’d used the sun to conceal their presence until they were close. Wirr got only the impression of wings blurring and black sharp-edged blades glistening.

  He focused upward, building a charge of Essence within himself and aiming at the lead creature. Some nervous archers had already loosed a couple of shots but they were well short; not knowing exactly how big the creatures were made judging their distance difficult. The rest of the archers, Wirr was relieved to see, had assembled in disciplined fashion and were being overseen by Muran, shading their eyes as they gazed upward, but none having yet drawn.

  His mother wore a scowl but was hurrying reluctantly away, compelled by his words. She would doubtless have some hard questions for him later, if they both lived long enough for her to ask them.

  He turned back, holding his breath as the first volley was let loose by the archers. Arrows sang with an eerie whistle as they sliced through the air.

  Many connected with the first of the eletai, and there were some scattered cheers as a couple of the creatures faltered and then spun toward the ground.

  Wirr waited for a moment and then began firing blasts of Essence into the sky, imitated by the several other Gifted who had taken up positions behind the archers. The air was abruptly filled with fizzing, blinding bolts of power streaking upward, exploding wherever they made contact.

  And then there was chaos.

  Wirr gasped as the Gifted standing next to him rocked back, a thin black spear suddenly protruding from his neck. Blood spurted across Wirr’s shirt as another glistening black spike ripped through the man’s shoulder, dripping viscous dark ooze as the red-cloaked man collapsed, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

  A body crashed into him, forcing him to the side as more spears sliced silently out of the sky at where he’d been standing a moment earlier, so thin that they were barely visible. He stared dazedly as Karaliene scrambled to her feet after diving on him.

  “Thanks,” he gasped to his cousin.

  She nodded, hauling him up as screams echoed around the courtyard, archers beginning to fall before they even got their second shot away. Thin black projectiles were raining down everywhere now; a few Gifted tried to raise Essence shields to deflect the spears, but the eletai weapons sheared straight through them. Wirr scrambled for cover, watching in horror as he saw a couple of the eletai make it to the courtyard. Those black spears were embedded in their bodies, protruding through the skin like ghastly broken bones; once they were close enough the creatures chose not to fire them but rather used them as blades, spinning and slicing and tearing at anything that moved.

  He caught motion to his left and spun to the side, just in time to see two of the needle-like black spears arrowing toward his face.

  They froze in place.

  He yelled as he fell backward, wide-eyed, not understanding what had happened until he saw Erran standing a couple of paces away. The Augur’s face was pale and drawn; from his expression, Wirr could tell that he was expending an enormous amount of concentration to include both him and Karaliene in the time bubble.

  “Go,” Erran gasped. “I’ll follow.”

  Wirr nodded, then turned to the courtyard. His mother had made it most of the way to the southern gate, but eletai now blocked her path.

  He frowned. She should have been turning to run—she’d be dead in moments, otherwise—but she didn’t appear to be changing course.

  “Fates,” he muttered, a chill running down his spine as he realized what was happening. He turned to Erran. “We need to get my mother.”

  “There’s no time, Tor,” said Karaliene softly.

  Erran followed Wirr’s gaze, then squeezed his eyes shut. Wirr felt certain that the Augur was about to agree with Karaliene; the chaos in the courtyard looked a hundred times worse than it was even up here.

  Eventually, though, he just nodded.

  Karaliene grimaced but didn’t resist as they snaked their way through the near-frozen madness, Erran keeping one hand on each of their shoulders, half leaning on Wirr as the strain of whatever he was doing clearly continued to take a toll. Wirr’s stomach churned as he hurried past a soldier falling backward, blood spurting in slow motion from the hole in his chest where an eletai had just skewered him.

  They descended the stairs, then made their way over to Geladra. She was staring wide-eyed at an eletai rearing up in front of her, mouth open in what was undoubtedly a scream even as she tried to push forward.

  Erran nodded to Wirr, who grabbed her by the arm.

  Geladra’s shriek of fear was piercing as it entered the bubble.

  “Mother!” Wirr forced her to meet his gaze, trying to calm her. “We need to go.”

  Geladra stared at him for a moment, panic still clouding her vision. Then she looked around in bemused wonder, slowly beginning to breathe again.

  “You’re … doing this?” she asked Erran.

  Erran just nodded grimly. “But I’m at my limits. We need to get out of here.”

  Wirr turned to the exit, then blanched. Eletai had completely swarmed it, making it impossible to get out the southern side.

  Erran saw the same thing; with a groan he nodded back toward the entrance to the keep, where the door was smashed in but currently unguarded. Time began to stutter around them, frozen one second and then a moment of everything happening at full speed, making Wirr’s heart stop every time. There was no doubt that if they couldn’t get free of the courtyard now, they wouldn’t leave alive.

  Wirr, Erran, and Karaliene all began heading for the keep but Geladra pulled in the opposite direction, nearly wresting herself free of Wirr’s grasp.

  “What are you doing?” hissed Erran to her.

  Wirr paled as he understood. “You don’t have to leave anymore, Mother. Come with us.”

  Geladra instantly reversed her direction, falling in step with he and Erran. She didn’t say anything, but Wirr could see from the way that she looked at him that she’d figured it out.

  “I’ll explain later,” he muttered to her as another leap forward in time sent a spear gliding across their path, forcing them to skirt it awkwardly.

  Once through the door they allowed Erran to lead them down a narrow flight of stairs, into the depths of the keep. Wirr hadn’t been in this section before, but he noted with some relief the narrow passageway, which with his broad shoulders he almost had to turn sideways to fit through. The larger proportions of the eletai wouldn’t allow them down here.

  There was a warping of the air around them as Erran sagged a little, and suddenly the torches on the wall were flickering and stuttering in regular motion again. From up above there was still the occasional muffled shout, but for the most part the outpost had fallen eerily silent.

  Wirr and Karaliene quickly supported the Augur as he stumbled. “We can rest,” Wirr said quickly. “Those creatures can’t get down here.”

  Erran shook his head grimly. “The dar’gaithin can, though. I saw them on my way here. Hundreds of them got through.” He took a deep breath, straightening. “It didn’t look like there were any more coming from the other side of the Boundary—at least for now—and I cannot imagine that they’d bother much with the
outpost beyond passing through it, but they’re still going to be here soon. You need to stay hidden for a few more hours at least.”

  Wirr paled, but nodded.

  They pressed on, soon enough coming to what looked to be the outpost’s cells. They hurried inside, Wirr relieved to see that the sturdy steel door was able to be barred from the inside.

  Geladra slumped to the ground, back against the wall, looking dazed and exhausted. “What were those things?”

  “Eletai.” Wirr didn’t see the need to elaborate. He turned to Erran. “Where’s Asha? And Dav?”

  “Asha’s getting ready to strengthen the fates-cursed Boundary, I hope,” said Erran grimly. He hesitated. “Davian … we think he might have been stuck on the other side. That’s why I’m here. To try and make contact before Asha seals everything off again.”

  “What?” Wirr’s heart dropped. “Fates. These things are getting through. You need to let her know to seal it now.”

  Erran shook his head.

  “Fessi’s out there, too. And Ishelle,” he said grimly. “We can’t assume that Asha can keep the Boundary up forever—and fates know that I can’t fix the El-cursed thing on my own. If they’re stuck out there, then we need them back.” He held up his hand as Wirr opened his mouth to argue. “This reunion’s been fun, but I don’t have any more time. I have to go.”

  Wirr gritted his teeth, but nodded. Even if he’d wanted to stop Erran, he knew that he couldn’t. “You tell Ash to seal it as soon as you can,” he said grimly.

  Erran gave a short nod and turned to go.

  “Wait.”

  It was Geladra. Wirr turned to see his mother had stood again and was watching Erran narrowly.

  “Was it you?”

  Erran blinked, then flushed, suddenly looking flustered. “I … I don’t know what you mean.”

  “It was you, wasn’t it.” Geladra’s eyes were wide as she gazed at Erran, a mixture of fascination and rage in her expression. “I didn’t notice it at first, but just now … I can see it in your mannerisms, see it when you look at me. I can see it.” There was cold certainty in her tone.