Resonance: Harmonic Magic Book 3

by P. E. Padilla

  “Did you find the ruins you were searching for?”

  “Yes, and no,” the commander said. Other soldiers had noticed her by now, but when they recognized her and saw that she was already conversing with their commander, they went about their own business. “We found some ruins, but they had been picked through. We spent quite a bit of time there, trying to find hidden buildings or underground facilities, but they didn’t yield any of the things the Gray Man wants: books, scrolls, and other objects of knowledge.

  “We did see a great fortress along the way, several hundred miles from here. It didn’t appear to have anyone occupying it, but it was shut tight and we weren’t about to try to break in. Owners of fortresses don’t usually care for people who do that. I figure when we tell the Gray Man about it, he may send us back out with other troops to see what’s inside the walls.

  “Yeah, about that,” Ix said, dropping her eyes to her hands. “The Gray Man was killed a little more than five months ago. Almost all his forces died with him. You are the last unit of any kind, the last of the Gray Man’s soldiers.”

  Ru Wilkes’s head snapped up, eyes alight. “What? You’re joking, right? You have a reputation for being a trickster. You’re just yanking my chain.”

  “I’m afraid not,” Ix said, her face neutral. “Shordan Drees, the Gray Man, just about everyone else is dead and gone. The fortress belongs to someone else now.”

  The commander dropped to the ground as if his knees had turned to water. He pulled his hand through his hair and his gaze became unfocused for a moment. He whispered, “All that time on this mission. For what?” as if he was arguing with himself.

  When he turned his gaze to her again, his eyes held a dangerous glint. “Who would have the power to do that? Should we try to avenge the Gray Man? Why are you still alive if everyone else is dead?”

  “It was a group of people,” she said. “A small group, but powerful. It included the remnant of the Zouyim and the Sapsyra, along with another powerful rohw user. They battled through all the soldiers and even Shordan Drees, all the way to the Gray Man himself. I am alive because I was defeated by the Sapsyr but allowed to live and teleport away. If you think that means I’m a coward, so be it. I am alive, and all the others are dead.”

  Wilkes shook his head. “No, I don’t think you’re a coward. I don’t see things as black-and-white as Shordan Drees does…did. It’s hard to believe anyone could defeat the Gray Man, though. It’s easier to believe that someone could kill all the soldiers than to beat him.”

  “It’s…complicated,” Ix said. “The other powerful rohw user? He’s the Gray Man’s nephew. They were somehow able to bring up some old memories, show him who he used to be before the Arzbedim tortured the humanity out of him. Once he realized what he had become, he gave the fortress and everything in it to his nephew, and then took his own life. Did you hear nothing of this in your travels?”

  “No. The areas we traveled were, for the most part, isolated. Even when we did find towns or villages, even cities, they were too far removed from our little corner of Gythe to have heard about such a local issue. I had never realized before how truly large the world is. Spending my life within a few hundred miles or so of where I was born made me believe things were more important than they actually were. The Gray Man was supreme in our area, but completely unknown in others. It was a sobering—and humbling—realization.”

  Ix nodded. She hadn’t remembered Ru Wilkes being so wise, so grounded. But he was always one of the few commanders for the special units she’d respected. He wasn’t the bloodthirsty kind of soldier that was so common in the Gray Man’s forces. He had grown, it seemed, because of the harsh conditions to which he’d been exposed. She wondered if the Collectors under his command had the same attitude.

  “What should I do, Ix?” Ru Wilkes asked, looking deflated and still more than a little shocked. “I’ve spent nearly a decade in service to a man who is no longer alive. True, no one loved the man, but some respected him and most feared him. I disagreed with some of the things we had to do, but I’m a soldier and I followed orders. There are no orders anymore.”

  Ix looked at him carefully, the defeated posture with his shoulders slumped and his head hanging down. She wasn’t sure how receptive he’d be—let alone the soldiers in his unit—but she figured it was worth a try. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I have a suggestion. All of you are basically free to do as you want. If that means going home to your families, that’s fine. If it means joining or forming packs of brigands, that’s also your choice.” The commander was waving his arms as if to protest.

  “Wait,” Ix said. “Let me finish. I said you could all do any of those things, but that’s not my suggestion. If you want to continue to be a soldier, and maybe for something more in line with your viewpoint, you could join the forces of the new government that is being set up as we speak. It’s based in the Gray Fortress, though the stronghold has a different name now. I can bring the person to you who can give you the details, if you’re interested.”

  Ru Wilkes eyebrows rose at that. “They would take former members of an enemy army?”

  “The ones responsible for setting up the new government don’t judge people by their former associations, but weigh each person individually. They accepted me, though I did my best to kill them when we previously met. If they allowed me to be part of their cause, I’m sure you will have no problem.”

  “Hmm.” The commander scratched his head. “A chance to continue to serve, but without the irrational commands. It sounds interesting. When can I meet this person you referred to, the one that can give me details?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  His eyebrows rose higher at that, then drew down again as he realized something. “That’s right, you can teleport him here.”

  “Well, no,” Ix said. “He’s actually about a half mile or so that way.” She pointed toward the southwest.

  “Go get him. I’ll talk to my Collectors, tell them what you told me. He can speak with all of us, and then we can figure out what to do.”

  “I’ll go and fetch him. Be warned, though. If any of your soldiers decide to try to avenge their master and attack, they will be killed as quickly and efficiently as you have ever seen death come to another. Two of the five I will bring are a Zouy and a Sapsyr. I am no slouch in combat either.”

  “I will make sure there are no problems,” Ru Wilkes said. “If someone tries, I’ll take care of them myself. My word on it.”

  “Good. I’ll be back shortly. You may want to give the call for the sentries to come in. Or would you rather I tap them on the shoulder and scare them before telling them myself?” Ix wore a wicked grin.

  “Uh, no. I’ll go ahead and give the signal.”

  Ix left, strolling through the edge of the camp and out into the thick forest, snatching a branch from a bush as she went and twirling it in her fingers idly. She wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but she had high hopes. If they could get even the commander to join the army, he would be a great asset to Danaba Kemp. The way she saw it, they could use all the help they could get.

  Chapter 21

  Sam was a little nervous. He knew Ix could take care of herself, but with the potential for some of those weird teleportation traps around and a whole squad of Collectors, he was a little tense.

  “It will be fine, Sam,” Nalia said to him, coming up and rubbing his neck. “There is no reason for the Collectors to attack her. They were all the Gray Man’s creatures.”

  He gave her a half-lidded sidelong glance. She hadn’t really taken the opportunity to say derogatory things about the assassin lately. She could have, certainly, but she didn’t. He wondered why.

  “I know, but it’s a whole group of soldiers. Some of the Collectors we met in the past were not…completely rational. What if this group is bloodthirsty and attacks as soon as they see someone who isn’t in their own group?”

  “Ix will not be seen if she does not want to be seen. She i
s experienced and skilled. She will be fine.”

  Sam turned his head and looked into her eyes. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. Praise? For Ix? He decided he wouldn’t ask about it. If felt like one of those things that might disappear like fog in the summer sun if examined too closely.

  Luckily, he didn’t have to say anything. Ix suddenly appeared at the edge of the trees ten feet away. She didn’t teleport, just used her stealth to come into the camp unseen and unheard. Even the rakkeben gave a start when she spoke, not realizing she was there. Of course, the slight breeze was in her face, so the wolves hadn’t caught her scent. Still, it was impressive.

  “Let’s go,” she said to Sam. “I talked with the commander, someone I remembered and who knows me. We are lucky. He’s actually a reasonable man, unlike many of the Collectors I’ve met in the past. I told him about the Gray Man’s defeat and told him that you would talk with him.”

  The others had gathered around. Sam wasn’t sure how he felt about talking to a group of Collectors. “Why didn’t you just tell him everything?”

  “I am not an official representative of the new government,” she said.

  “I’m not either,” Sam answered.

  Rindu took up the conversation. “Technically, Sam, you are. All of the leaders have requested that you take part in the government, most wanting you to lead it. Dr. Walt relies on your opinion and advice. Maybe more importantly, Whitehall and all in it belongs to you. Grayson himself gave it to you, not to mention that you are his nephew. These things will be important to men who just found out they are masterless.”

  Sam understood what the Zouy was saying. For better or worse, he seemed to be in a leadership position. There was really no use fighting it. “Okay, fine. We’ll go talk to them. Can you tell us about them?”

  Ix explained briefly about their extended mission and the hardships they faced. She gave her impression of the man Ru Wilkes and what she had seen briefly in the camp, how the other Collectors comported themselves.

  “The soldiers themselves should be given the option, I think, to join the new government’s forces or to simply go their own way. I would suggest offering Ru Wilkes a leadership position in the army. He is a shrewd, experienced commander, and Danaba could really use his abilities.”

  She looked off toward the east. “I also think he has an attitude that will fit in well with what Dr. Walt and the others are trying to do. He was never a good fit for the Gray Man’s army. He always seemed too principled for it. He was so competent, though, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use his talents.”

  “He sounds like an interesting man,” Sam said. “Well, let’s get over there and talk to him. We still have traveling to do today.”

  As they followed Ix to where the Collector camp was, Ix cautioned them. “I made a point of telling Wilkes that any hostile acts toward any in our party would be met with swift death. From my experience with the Gray Man’s forces, there are always those in any squad who have their own agenda and think they can act as they desire. The commander said if any tried to attack, he’d kill them himself. I believe him.”

  “Okay,” Sam said. “Thanks for the warning. We’ll keep on guard.” As if the members of their group were ever anything else.

  They arrived at the camp and saw the men lined up in ranks. As Togo Cairn said, there were just over twenty of them. The big dark-haired man at their head would be Ru Wilkes. Sam looked him over as he approached. He was fit, though a little haggard, with arms twice or more the size of Sam’s. Like Emerius, he was well-muscled yet held himself lightly, as if he could move in a blink. Sam didn’t doubt he was fast for his size, fast for any size, really. Scars on his arms, hands, and even a few on his face, caught the sunlight. None of them were from deep cuts, but it was obvious the man had seen battle. A lot of it.

  As he was appraising the man, Sam saw in the blue eyes facing him that the commander was judging him, too.

  “Ru Wilkes, this is Sam Sharp,” Ix said, gesturing toward Sam. “He is the Gray Man’s nephew. The Gray Man gave him the entire fortress—now called Whitehall—and everything in it. He speaks for the new government.”

  Sam gave her a look of frustration when she said that last, but he supposed he needed to get used to it. He would try to sound official and get right to the point.

  “Commander, let me just say that I’m sorry for the hardships you have suffered on your long mission. Ix has told me about it and how long you’ve been gone from home.” The man nodded, still scanning Sam, still apparently making up his mind about him.

  “I would like to tell you briefly of our situation so that you have the information you need to make a decision. We are at a critical time right now. The new government is still being set up, with the cooperation of many of the cities and communities within a few hundred miles, more in some cases. It’s slow work, but I don’t doubt it will be successful.

  “Maybe more importantly, there is another powerful person who wants to follow in the footsteps of my uncle and become the sole ruler of at least one section of Gythe, perhaps the entire world. Chetra Dal is an energy user much like Grayson—the Gray Man—was. He is looking for the third of three powerful artifacts that will allow him to crush all resistance, and we are in a desperate race to stop him.

  “At the same time, we have word of a large army that is being arrayed against us, an army whose only purpose is to crush the new government and all resistance to Dal’s rule. We, in turn, are trying to build our own army.”

  As he spoke, Sam’s eyes passed over the other Collectors, judging their reaction as well as Ru Wilkes’s. Many of the men stood rigidly at attention, their faces unreadable, but a few showed distaste. Whether of Sam, the new government, or what he’d said about the enemies set against them, he didn’t know.

  “The point I’m trying to make,” Sam continued, “is that each of you have the ability and the experience to be valuable members of the forces of the new government, to be able to take part in protecting the peace of our friends and family from tyrants and other dangers. We need you and would like you to join us. We are able—”

  There was a flicker of motion off to Sam’s right, and before he knew what he was doing, he felt the rohw pulse within him. Time seemed to slow, each second becoming an eternity. He was vaguely aware of his left hand lightly gripping his staff while his right swung in a circle back to front. In his slowed-down state, it seemed as if he was moving at a normal, leisurely pace, but he knew that to an observer, he was moving faster than could be tracked by the human eye. Midway through his circle, his hand intercepted and closed around the hilt of a dagger as it spun toward him.

  Time sped up, and Sam watched as Ru Wilkes’s sword cleared his scabbard and lashed out in one motion. The head of one of his soldiers, a man in the front row off to the side of where Sam had been facing, rolled across the ground with a spray of blood.

  Wilkes held his sword at the ready, scanning the other men for any hint of motion. Sam looked down at his right hand and was surprised to find it holding a knife, balanced for throwing.

  The commander, once he was sure no others would attack, looked at Sam with his mouth open. He shook his head and snapped his mouth shut before opening it again to speak. “I…I’m sorry. I had no idea, though I should have been watching Crendan more closely. He always did take too much joy in the bloodier tasks we were given.” The man looked nervous, as if Sam or the others—who Sam had just noticed were on alert, Rindu and Nalia with their weapons bared, Emerius with an arrow knocked and drawn, Ix on the balls of her feet and ready to pounce—might punish him for the attack. The wolves had their hackles up with teeth bared, and Oro growled softly. The manu bird cocked its head at the people, the same posture it used when begging for food.

  Sam flipped the knife to grab the blade then held it out to Wilkes. “It’s not your fault, Commander.” He gestured with the knife until Ru Wilkes took it from him. “Everyone relax. The man responsible for that interruption won’
t bother us anymore.” He was proud of the way his voice sounded so calm despite the fact he felt like his bones would shake loose.

  The others relaxed marginally. At least, they put their weapons away, but their postures, though seeming relaxed, were like coiled snakes, ready to strike if there were any other “interruptions.”

  “As I was saying…” Sam noticed that almost all the soldiers were paying closer attention. In fact, he saw a few slight nods and looks that could only be respect on some faces. It was a start. “My uncle, the Gray Man, did some horrible things. In the end, he realized who he was and what he had done because of the years of torture by the Arzbedim. He told me to use the fortress and all in it to do some good. That’s what I’m trying to do.

  “The way I see it, all of you have a choice. I would like it if you would all join the forces of the new government, but I don’t expect that will happen. Some of you may be tired of the violence, tired of living by your skill with weapons, and you may just want to go home. I can respect that. Some of you may want to do your part to make Gythe a more peaceful place to live, and to you we will welcome you and anything you may do to help us be successful. Others may not like either of those choices and may choose another path. That’s fine, too.

  “Any who do not actively oppose us, or me, as Crendan here did, can go their own way with no hard feelings. I will transport any who wish to go back to the fortress, either to join us or to leave from there to go elsewhere. Any who wish to stay here or leave from here, that is your choice and we won’t argue with you.

  “One thing must be clear, however. The Gray Man is no more. His soldiers are no more. His Collectors are no more. As of right now, your future is in your own hands, your own choice. In a half an hour, I will teleport those who want to go back to the fortress. You have until then to decide if you want to go with us or not. Think about it, discuss it if you want to, but make a decision. Things are moving quickly, and we can’t wait long.”