by Morgan, SL
Reece was immediately drawn to the paintings on the walls. The one that interested her most showed a dozen men dressed in black standing alongside their horses. Both the men and the horses were armored as if for battle.
As she looked closer, she could see more detail. The men wore swords on leather belts. Their capes were folded back on one side, displaying black polished pads on their uncovered shoulders. Black boots went up to their knees; black gloves went up to their elbows. The only color they wore was the red lining of their capes. The men looked as fierce as their warhorses.
“These are men from the time of my grandfather’s reign,” said Navarre, coming up behind her. “This,”—he pointed to a man who was the spitting image of Levi— “is my father. Levi resembles him, does he not? It is intriguing to see my father, in my own son.” He smiled down at her. “Shall we have you sit over here?” He pointed toward the desk. “I suppose Levi prepared you for what we will be discussing?” He offered his arm, and led her over to one of the empty chairs situated around his desk. Levi, who had been having a discussion with Samuel since their arrival to the study, walked over to where Reece sat, and took the chair next to her.
Navarre walked over to his seat, “Where’s Harrison?” He asked as he sat in his chair.
“Harrison is safe—”
“Where are our men—what has happened? What information do you have?” Navarre interjected.
“Our men have been imprisoned at Castle Ruin. It is where they have arranged a council for you to attend, to present Reece.”
Navarre gazed somberly toward Samuel, and then back to Levi. “Scotland? So they have remained on Earth? You have been on Earth this entire time?”
“Yes.”
“How were they able to capture you and Harrison?”
“They were waiting for us outside the vortex with an army of Ciatron defenders. They used a mechanism to shut down our car, but when we got out and tried to fight, they overtook us.” He shrugged apologetically. “They brought us to a holding area, where we found other Guardians. We had no idea, at the time, what was happening. More and more Guardians joined us; they were hunting them down throughout Earth. Then, without notice, they took Harrison and me away from the others. When we protested our being separated from the rest of the men, they told us they were relocating them to Castle Ruin. They told us that, because we were the closest relations to Emperor Navarre, we would receive ‘proper treatment,’ and would join our men in Scotland soon enough.” Levi’s face grew distant. His tone of disgust implied that there was much detail about their treatment that he was not mentioning. “It was at this time that Movac sent for me. He was in a room with six other Ciatron defenders.”
“Movac is on Earth?” Asked Navarre. “The leader of the Ciatron has left his protected domain? Their leaders have always been cowards—Movac must be very confident about whatever plan he has formed against us. Tell me, what did Movac have to say to you?”
“He knows that we have the Key with us in Pemdas. He has contacted all the leaders of the other dimensions and led them to believe that our reason for taking Reece into Pemdas is to gain ultimate control over all of them.” Disgust was apparent on Levi’s face.
“But they can’t believe that!” Samuel said. Until now, he had remained quiet throughout the entire conversation, listening and a few times had scribbling on a pad of paper.
“I wouldn’t have thought so, but they brought me into a council chamber with most of the leaders. They do believe it, Samuel. I tried to dispute it; I reminded them of our services to them, but—”
“Reece,” said Navarre.
“Yes. I couldn’t deny that we had Reece in Pemdas, and that we’d replaced her with a stand-in. With Movac’s persuasion, they regarded that as proof of our bad intentions. They instructed me to return, and bring you their terms.”
Navarre sat back in his chair, and stared at Levi. Resting his elbow on the arm of his chair, he leaned his chin on his fist and sat quietly. “It astounds me,” he said finally, “that these leaders, who know of our cause to protect the Key, should so quickly allow their minds to be changed. It is as if they have longed for an excuse to make us their enemy. But there is no purpose to try to analyze the foolishness of other worlds. I must protect our own. What is this negotiation they present?”
“It’s really Movac’s requirement, but all the leaders agreed. They want you to return Reece to Earth, and present her to the council there. They have given you three days to make your decision. If you choose to return Reece, they will decide, at that time, whether or not the Pemdai are to be trusted again. If trust is restored, they will release our men in trade for Reece.”
Navarre stared at his son. “And if we do not?”
Levi looked at his father darkly. “First, they will take action against those of our men whom they hold. Second, they will attempt to prevent our ever leaving Pemdas again, by heavily guarding our vortices into all dimensions.” Levi leaned forward. “Father, the Ciatron are no longer our only enemy, they have turned all worlds against us.”
Navarre inhaled deeply and leaned back into his chair. “So it would seem. Now we have the reason for Movac’s presence on Earth. That coward would never leave Ciatris unless he was confident he had other worlds defending him against us.”
Navarre looked over at his commander. “Samuel, what are your opinions?”
Samuel looked at Reece, and then at Navarre. He seemed uncomfortable with her in the room, but he answered calmly enough. “We are at a disadvantage. There is no way we can retrieve our armies from Castle Ruin with the few warriors we have left. Either we keep Reece amongst us, ignore these demands, and hope that they will return our men,” Samuel inhaled deeply, “or we consider their demands.”
Levi scowled at Samuel.
“I can see that this information as taken you off-guard,” Navarre said, “I am equally surprised by this turn of events. Let us not forget that the Pemdai, under no circumstances, accede to coercion. We never have, and so long as I stand as Emperor, we never will. Reece will not be traded. We are not cowards, and we will not stay behind our secure borders and hide in the hope that our men will be returned. Our brave warriors are depending upon us to take action on their behalf. We must remember the soldiers we are, form a plan, and develop a strategy.”
Levi addressed the two men. “Samuel…Father, allow me to provide you with an option to consider, as I believe it may be our only alternative. Harrison and I have formulated a plan. I am confident it will work, and with your approval, we can bring Reece and present her before the council as a distraction.”
“Harrison? How is he? Where is he?” Navarre quickly asked.
“He is well. He brought me through the vortex, and returned to Earth. If we agree to bring Reece back to Earth with us, we will need a distraction at the vortex that she will be returning through. As I sit here with you now, he is in the process of arranging this.”
Light had returned to Navarre’s eyes. “Son, please enlighten me. How is Harrison running freely around Earth, and what is this plan you have come up with?”
Levi remained serious. “Forgive me for misleading you earlier, but I would not speak in front of Simone. Harrison and I have been free since early this morning. After they released me to return to Pemdas, I used that opportunity to free Harrison. They probably should have guarded him more heavily, as I was easily able to take their defenders down and retrieve him.”
“Are you still in communication with him?”
“Yes, they returned my communication device to me, along with the car. Harrison drove me back through the vortex so that he could keep the car and device with him. It served us well that you allowed Areion to stay down at the gates.” Levi shifted in his seat and looked at Samuel. “I couldn’t contact anyone; I didn’t have anyone I could trust. I was still struggling to understand how Simone could have contacted the Ciatron by herself.”
Samuel nodded heavily. He seemed to have aged ten years since he’d fou
nd out about Simone’s transgressions. “I have offered my resignation—”
“And I have refused it,” Navarre said. “Samuel and Catherine have suffered enough. Levi, are you aware that Michael Visor, and possibly Magnus Sterlington, was involved as well?”
Levi’s expression was steely as he stared intently at Navarre. “How was Sterlington able to plan something like this? I thought he had been removed from Pemdas?”
Navarre returned Levi’s stern expression, “Believe me when I say that we are trying to solve that mystery as well. I should have never granted that man’s passage to leave our land! I should have handled his abominable behavior differently. However, Simone has still not admitted that he was involved. She only told of us Michael’s involvement, and we could only assume Sterlington is behind his nephew’s scheming.”
Levi exhaled and stared out of the window behind his father. “Why would Michael consider plotting something like this? Sterlington’s motives are transparent, but Michael’s?” He shook his head as he muttered to himself. It was clear that Levi was hurt that an old friend would be capable of such treason.
“Your father and I have relentlessly questioned Michael’s motives. Regardless of whether Sterlington was involved or not, we cannot understand why either Michael or Simone would have wanted to go into the Ciatron dimension. It is all inexplicable to us.”
“Sheer spite,” Levi responded. “I’m sorry to say it, Samuel, but I’ve seen it in Simone before. Everyone knows the Ciatron do not negotiate, especially with a Pemdai. If there was no malice involved, either Simone or Michael would have told us what they had done to ‘resolve our problems’ right away. Instead, not a word was mentioned, and Michael is still missing. Michael has always had a streak of envy in him, but I thought he’d grown out of it. Could that be a reason for his betrayal—to outdo me? But why Simone? Why would she—” Levi’s face became fierce and he turned toward Reece. She immediately knew that he understood Simone’s motive.
He didn’t say it, though, and Reece was thankful.
“But,” he said, “We waste our time by sitting here and deliberating why we were delivered into the hands of our greatest enemy. We must decide what to do. You say Michael is missing. Was he questioned before he disappeared?”
“No,” Samuel said. “Simone claims he went back to Earth. We certainly haven’t been able to find him in Pemdas.”
Levi’s eyes were fierce, and with filled purpose. “Then that settles any idea of remaining here with Reece, hoping they return our men to us. If Michael Visor and Sterlington are among the Ciatron, they must be retrieved and brought back to Pemdas. I am fearful of the knowledge they may have obtained already, if those traitors are amongst them. Even though I didn’t encounter either of them while we were being detained, we can’t be sure, so we must assume they are. We are forced to initiate the plan Harrison and I developed to return with Reece.”
“If we return with Reece,” Samuel said, “they’ll expect us to trade her. There’s no point in bringing her, unless that’s what we intend to do.”
A tiny smile drew up the corner of Levi’s mouth. “That is precisely my point.” He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. “On no account would I consider trading Reece, but we will make it appear as though that is what we are doing. We are defeated in every way, and are forced to bring her back; but if we can release our captive men, and regain our armies while she is being presented to the council…we will reject their demands, and return home with our men and Reece. In bringing Reece back to Earth, the hardest part will be getting her through the vortex without the Ciatron overpowering us; it is where all the guards will be waiting. This is why Harrison is arranging a distraction at the vortex, to give me a chance to get her through.
Navarre looked at Levi with concern. “They have guards positioned at all of our vortices?”
“Not currently, but when Harrison and I came through the Philadelphia vortex, they were in the process of deploying them. That’s why Harrison had to return immediately after bringing me here, before they noticed him. Right now, the Ciatron will stop at nothing to intercept Reece. They know we are outnumbered, and they have no intention of letting us make it to the council with her. They plan to intercept us at the Bonnybridge vortex in Scotland, and that’s where the heaviest guard will be. So, of course, Reece can’t be brought through that one, and we can’t use it.
“Instead, Harrison and I plan to return Reece through the Philadelphia vortex. Even with Harrison’s distraction, we know they will pursue, but with enough of a diversion we can get her to Washington, where our aircraft is. After that, we’ll have her safely in the air, until we land in Scotland and bring her to the council.”
Navarre’s eyebrows drew together. “Son, I can appreciate this plan…but I am not convinced it is wise to bring Reece back to Earth. If we do, as I believe it is our only chance at getting our men back, we must be certain this will work.”
Levi nodded. “I would not entertain any idea of returning her to Earth if I was uncertain of the outcome. Either way, we must force ourselves to realize we have no other option at this time. As Samuel has mentioned, we do not have enough men left to be successful in any attempts made to retrieve our men. As you have declared, we cannot sit here and be cowards. We must trick them into believing that we will trade Reece. You must present her before the council, Father, as if you were adhering to their demands. This plan will require us to be careful in every way, because there is an enormous risk involved. Samuel must be successful with the release of our men.”
Samuel looked at Levi. “This will be complicated, but with Reece as a distraction, we should be able to manage it. If she is a distraction, that is—how confident are you that they will be distracted?”
“Once Reece is at the castle, I promise you the Ciatron will focus on her. Given that their dearest goal is to take her, they’ll be relentlessly trying to prevent her from walking into that meeting.” Levi looked at Navarre. “As long as they are trying to capture Reece, they will not think that we might come through their back doors to recover our men.”
“Levi, this may work,” said Samuel, “but I will need every last Pemdai guard with me. You and Reece will be on your own going into the castle. Are you prepared to handle that?”
Levi gazed out of the window and exhaled. He turned back to Samuel, “I will need at least one other Guardian with us. I need to have someone else protecting her, if I become distracted by an unexpected attack.”
Navarre exhaled. “Do you believe that you will be that easily overtaken, Levi?”
“Navarre,” Reece spoke for the first time, “Is there a possibility that someone could possibly help to prepare me, so that Levi is more confident about bringing me through the castle alone? I mean—I don’t know if I can really defend myself against anyone, but—”
Levi immediately interjected, “Reece, I will not put you under that kind of pressure. The training you would have to undergo will be demanding, and I’m not sure—”
Reece stared intently at Levi, “I want to help. If Samuel needs all his men, then it’s the least I can do. If there is some way you can prepare me, I may be able to do this.”
Levi exhaled as Samuel spoke, “Levi, I will need all of my men, as it stands now, I may not have enough. If Reece is willing to undergo some training, it will help us.”
Levi’s features darkened. “No! I will not put her in a position to protect herself if I am unable to do so.”
“Levi, I am stronger than you are giving me credit for, at least let me try.”
Levi looked over to Reece, studying her. After a moment, he looked back to Samuel. “All right, but I’ll be the one to prepare Reece for whatever we may encounter. If I’m confident that she’s ready, I’ll be fine to bring her through the castle alone. It will not be easy, but as long as she is prepared, I can protect her on my own. If, for any reason, I am not confident that she’s ready, I will need Harrison, or at least one other warrior, to go with me. I
understand that you need every man available, and it is vital that we free our captive men. However, we must make sure there are no weak areas in this plan, or we will fail, and possibly lose Reece.”
Navarre looked to Levi. “Levi, do you have any idea about how many are being used to guard our men at Castle Ruin?”
“That is unclear to me, Father, but I would presume that they are being heavily guarded. We must remember their collective minds will all be preoccupied with Movac’s thoughts about Reece. They will never consider that we have our guards on the way to attack them and retrieve our men.”
Navarre nodded. “This may indeed work. You must understand, though, that I will be forced into a holding area until Reece arrives. I assure you that the very moment I set foot in Scotland, I will be their prisoner, especially if Reece is not with me. There will be nothing that I can do to help any of you.”
“Then we will plan for no less than six of your personal Imperial Guards to go through the Scotland vortex with you,” said Samuel. “The warriors and I will enter separately to secure the airport where Harrison and Levi will be landing. If anything is done in haste, the Imperial Guards will protect you. They may not be trained the same as the Guardian warriors, but they are highly trained to remove you from hostile situations.”
Navarre laughed in return. “The Ciatron will not harm me, Samuel; if they did, they’d lose their hold on all the other worlds. I’m only concerned because I won’t be able to help Levi, if he’s having trouble coming through the castle.”
“If Levi is unsure about bringing Reece alone, I’ll arrange for a Guardian to go with him. I’ll need Harrison,” Samuel said to Levi. “He is superb at tactical planning, and I will require his skill. Be sure you tell him that.”
Levi nodded.
Navarre spoke again, “We must not forget that Reece is our highest priority. We cannot allow her into the hands of the Ciatron.” He looked at Levi with pride. “Son, you and Harrison have proven yourselves to be Pemdas’s finest warriors. For that reason only, I approve of this plan of action.” Navarre leaned back into his chair, and exhaled loudly. “Indeed, I believe this will work. We already have the advantage, being at a disadvantage.” He let out a soft laugh. “They will not expect us to try and fight with the thirty Guardian warriors we have left, and therein, we will take them by surprise.”
