“I’m five,” Ben mumbled.
Remi laughed. “Oh my! You’re so big!”
“This is Jacob,” Zaiya said, pointing to her husband. “The kindest man you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting.”
“Oh, stop,” he chuckled as he whipped at the reins, letting the biulo know that it was time to get moving. It took the creature a couple minutes to realize it, but once he got going, the wagon was off to a brisk pace.
“If you don’t mind me asking…why are you going to Cimmerian of all places?”
“It’s not as terrible as it sounds,” he replied. “At least from what I’ve heard. I get messages from my cousin who went to Cimmerian ten years ago. He actually loves it there.”
“What’s so great about Oblivion? Aren’t we at war with them?”
“I haven’t seen war yet.”
“Well, no, it hasn’t started yet, but it’s still coming. And we were attacked by Cimmerians recently.”
“Cimmerian is simply another place where people live. Yes, those at the top have their own political and personal motivations, and they use the lives and resources of the people for their own gain, but that doesn’t mean the people themselves are to blame.”
“But they could overthrow those at the top, can’t they?”
“No one in Paragon overthrows the King, and that’s because there’s a hope that he has the people’s best interests in mind, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Cimmerian is the same. The people hope that they will be taken care of.”
“I still don’t get what’s so great about Cimmerian.”
“Maybe you should go sometime and see for yourself.”
“But you can’t explain to me what’s so appealing?”
“You’ll just have to see for yourself.”
“I’m okay,” Remi said, ready to change the subject.
“I’ll say this,” Zaiya replied. “In Paragon, people never have to fight for anything. They think of themselves as the elite, and therefore, they never actually grow into who they should be. In Cimmerian, there might be a lot of negativity, but it also builds character in a way that Paragon can’t provide. As long as you can withstand the heat, of course.”
“Excuse the pun,” Jacob said.
“It’s okay,” Remi said, feeling a little uncomfortable.
“We won’t talk about it anymore,” Jacob said as they all fell silent. Remi sighed and took in her environment. The forest was quiet, and it was getting darker as night began to descend upon them. She felt a little tired, but she didn’t think falling sleep yet was a good idea. The family had honestly creeped her out a bit, and the last time she had been unconscious on Terra, she had ended up in Paragon. She didn’t want the same to happen to her now.
“I think I’m going to get out here,” she said to the family’s surprise.
“That’s fine,” Jacob replied as he began pulling at the reins.
“No need,” Remi said, leaping out of the wagon. Ben was sound asleep so he didn’t see her leave but Zaiya waved to her as they continued on.
Alone again, she thought as the darkness descended upon her.
She unleashed her eidolon and let it serve as her torch.
“Remi!” someone called out from behind her. She was surprised to see Ian’s smiling face. “What are you doing out here?”
“I might ask you the same thing,” she said. “It seems like I’m pretty popular today.”
“I went out for new materials after you left,” he said. She noticed that his hair was slicked, his shirt was tucked in and his vest was back on.
“Find anything good?” she asked and he sifted through the pockets on his belt. “Nothing serious. But I can restock some things. Um, what are you doing? You’re still wet.”
“Yeah,” she muttered. “It’s been so cold that it’s been impossible to dry.”
“You’re scavenging for something too?”
“No, I’m…I was heading out.”
“Without me?” he said in disappointment. She wasn’t sure what to say. “It’s okay,” he said. “I understand. It’s not like we really know each other.”
“Still, I did give you my word.”
“Don’t worry about it. Seriously. I’m okay.”
“Hey, who’s this?” someone asked from behind Ian. Remi craned her neck to see another boy. He was wearing a tank top and dirty baggy pants. His hair was caked in mud but his green eyes still sparkled from behind them.
“Remi, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Harlan.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, giving her a curt nod.
“We can’t spend too much time together on the inside,” Ian said. “Since he lives in the countryside and I reside in the city, but we manage to find scavenging time together. He’s been my best friend since childhood.”
“Because you ass needs saving all the time,” Harlan replied. His voice was husky but light-hearted, and his demeanor was the same. It was as if he worked hard but not to the point he couldn’t drop what he was doing and hang out at a moment’s notice.
“That it does,” Ian laughed. “Although, I’ve saved yours plenty enough.”
“That’s different. That’s when I get in trouble with the authorities on the inside.”
“I’m more socially inclined,” Ian said to Remi. “And Harlan has the nasty habit of selling his mediocre crops in Virga when the merchants there have already established themselves. I have to end up calming everyone down.”
“I could calm them down too if you’d let me.”
“Yes, we all know what that means.”
“You own a farm?” Remi asked, her eidolon still being used for lighting.
“Not really,” Harlan replied. “More like a garden, but I still like seeing if I can sell my goods. I like gardening because it forces me to use a more delicate touch.”
“He has Langoran hands,” Ian said and Harlan pushed him aside playfully.
“Hey, stop that. She’s going to think I’m a Langoran. Which I’m not.”
“Then what’s Ian talking about?”
“My ability,” he said. “I have an epic grip.”
“An epic grip,” Remi snickered. “That doesn’t sound intimidating.”
“Depends on what I’m using it for. I can render a man unconscious just by squeezing.”
“Well, there ya go.”
“Don’t ever arm wrestle him,” Ian said. “Or shake his hand. You might lose it.”
“So you’re really traveling alone?” Harlan asked.
Remi nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all, but Ian was telling me about your quest, and I was thinking that if you would have me, I’d like to go too.”
“Why? It’s not going to be fun.”
“Because there’s someone out there I need to find.”
“Oh yeah, who’s that?”
“The strongest man in the world. I need to talk to him, and maybe even challenge him. See where I measure up.”
“Of course I would like to go too,” Ian replied. “And I have one more person if you’re willing, but that requires going back to Paragon. Not to mention that we really, really need some supplies.”
“Okay!” Remi said in exasperation. “We’ll get some supplies before we go!”
“So I’m going?” Harlan asked, turning to Ian. Then he chuckled and crossed his arms. “Of course I am. Who’s going to be the bodyguard?”
“I might,” Remi said, pursuing her lips.
“Oh yeah? Shake my hand.”
“No, thanks,” she laughed and his face fell in disappointment.
“You sure you’re okay going back?” Ian asked.
“Yeah,” she said. She realized quickly that there was no way she could go on the journey alone. Perhaps the other Sage weapons were used to being alone, but she had been around others since childhood, and if there were people that loved her enough to accompany her on her quest, who was she to deny them?
“It won’t t
ake long,” Ian promised.
Just as he finished his sentence, an arrow whistled behind him and flew right through his left shoulder.
Chapter 28 – Frontline
“Ian!” Harlan shouted as he grabbed his friend and let him down gently. Remi snapped her head around to see a group of Langorans coming toward her, but that wasn’t what scared her. It was the horrible machinations they were towing behind them.
“Catapults,” Remi whispered. “What do they need those for? I thought I was the only one they wanted.”
“Apparently not,” Ian groaned. “Can this hurt any more?”
“Shush,” Harlan said, then he turned to Remi. “We need to get Ian out of here, and there’s no way we’re going to be able to take down a force that large. In this darkness, we don’t even know how many there are.”
“Agreed,” Remi said as Harlan threw Ian over his shoulders. “Where are we heading?”
“Sage Academy,” he said. “You have friends there that can help?”
“Yeah,” she said. “At least I hope so.” Her eidolon shrieked and Remi managed to slice an arrow in half before it hit Harlan in the back. “Let’s hurry.”
The three of them took off running, and Remi’s thoughts suddenly fell on the family of three that she had left behind. Had they made it? Were they slaughtered? Or did they join with the Langorans and tell them where she had headed? Why would anyone leave Paragon to side with Cimmerian? It didn’t make sense.
“Can you get this out of me?” Ian mumbled before he went unconscious. Harlan and Remi kept running. Because the Langorans had the catapults to pull behind them, they were able to lose them easily, but it didn’t make her feel any safer.
They were still heading right for Paragon, and no one had any idea that they were coming.
***
“Close the gates!” Remi shouted as they neared, but to her horror, there was not one guard stationed on the wall. The entrance to Paragon was wide open, and not a single person was there to stop them. “Keep going to the Academy!” she shouted to Harlan as they ran through.
Remi turned around and threw her eidolon into the stone wall. She leapt on top it and then jumped again, willing her eidolon to vanish and reappear at her hip. She stabbed the surface in front of her, and then she performed the same action until she had scaled up the wall.
It had taken far too long, but at least she was able to reach the levers.
She ran to the first of the two pulley levers and pulled at it with all her might but it was stuck. She crouched down and rammed into it, using her body weight to push it to the side. Thankfully it worked, but there was still a second lever on the other side of the entrance.
Remi grunted in frustration, eyed the gap between the wall and took off running as fast as she could. When she reached the edge, she leapt as high as she could into the air, knowing she wasn’t going to make it.
She had to use her eidolon again to catch her fall. She slammed it into the wall’s side and began scaling up it just like the other one. By the time she reached the second lever, she could already hear the rumbling of the catapults in the distance. She glanced in the Langorans’ direction only for a moment, and she saw trees being knocked down in their path.
Remi turned her attention back to the second lever. She rammed it and finally the gate came crashing down. Depending on what the catapults were carrying, the flimsy thin steel gate wouldn’t last long, but it would give them some time.
Remi didn’t feel like getting hit by an arrow so she turned back toward Paragon and scanned the ground below. It was a long drop, but as long as she transformed before she leapt, it would be okay.
A large rock hit in her the back and she went sprawling over the edge.
So much for waiting, she thought as she willed her Sage robe to cover her. She landed on her feet hard, but at least her muscles were able to take the shock. She had made sure to land more on her human leg than her artificial one.
Once she was sure her artificial leg didn’t have any cracks in it, she took off running, heading straight for the Sage Academy. Behind her, she could already hear the first volley of boulders crashing against Paragon’s gate.
***
Remi jumped onto the stone platform quickly and willed it to ascend. She glanced behind her but there were no enemies yet. That would probably change within the hour.
Remi sucked her teeth as the platform rose up to its destination—the Sage Academy. She didn’t wait for it to lock in place. She leapt up as soon as she was close enough to clear the opening. She ran up the spiral staircase, huffing and puffing the entire way, and when she hit the main walkway, she was shocked to see how casually everyone was acting. They were sparring. They were talking and laughing. They were eating and doubling over in laughter.
“HEY!” she shouted, gaining the attention of a few. “We’re under attack!”
“What are you talking about?” someone muttered, going back to their sandwich.
“The Langorans are here!” she shouted, but even fewer paid attention this time. A hand slapped her right shoulder and she jumped up in surprise.
“Remi?” Olivia asked, carrying her sword in hand and wearing nothing but a fluffy red bathrobe. “Are you okay?”
“Livi, we’re under attack!” Remi said frantically, grabbing her shoulders. “They’ll be here any minute. We have to evacuate or fight or something. Langorans and Cimmerians I think. They have catapults that are—”
“We would have gotten word they were coming from the wall,” Olivia replied.
“No one’s at the wall. Where’s Catherine and James?”
“They left to get information about something,” Olivia replied.
“Then who’s in charge?”
“No one,” she said, taking note of the sweat on her friend’s face. “We’re governing ourselves.”
“Someone needs to order everyone out of here now! Where’s Ian and Harlan?”
“Who are they?”
“They didn’t make it?” she cried out, running down the small steps to one of the platforms facing out toward Paragon’s wall. She couldn’t see it, but if the Langorans were coming, they would be over the hill at any minute.
But where were Ian and Harlan? Surely she would have seen them on her way to the Academy…unless they didn’t know the way.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “They’re still out there somewhere.”
“Wait, what’s going on?” Kace asked, appearing at Olivia’s side.
“Remi says we’re under attack.”
“But we haven’t heard…” Kace’s voice trailed as he saw the silhouettes roll over the first hill in the distance, trampling the flowers and grass underneath. Remi’s face fell as the small army appeared, heading straight for the Sage Academy. One by one, the students stopped what they were doing and came to look as well.
The rumblings of the catapult’s wheels and massive frames created an echo across the countryside and many stopped talking in mid-conversation, curious as to what was the cause. Eventually, the entire student body became frozen in fear.
“Who’s the best we’ve got?” Remi asked as the small army approached.
“Me,” Olivia said. “And to be honest, I’m sure that’s enough.”
There were a dozen Langorans, but the army was mostly made of Cimmerians hidden under massive armor. There were hundreds of them, and at least a dozen catapults, each of them carrying a boulder that was as big as six people. There was also a separate compartment underneath each raised catapult, where more boulders were stored.
“The Langorans have to go first!” Olivia shouted. “They’ve got to be the ones loading the catapults.”
“I didn’t think it would come to this,” Kace whispered. Remi looked at him and saw his face turning pale. She knew he wasn’t ready for this. Few of them had been prepared, and she wasn’t sure if she was included in that number.
“Of course James leaves now,” a student muttered and Olivia turned around to slap him
across the face. The student yelped and grabbed his cheek.
“It doesn’t matter,” Olivia snapped at him. “What if James and the others were dead?! We’d still have to handle this ourselves. Now stop whining and tell everyone to prepare for war. Someone needs to head to Cirrus and tell the King’s officials of what’s happening here.”
Before a number of hands could go up she chose someone and the chosen one left the walkway happily, heading straight for the western tower.
“You can’t keep us here,” another student replied. “We’re leaving.”
“You can’t be serious!” Remi exclaimed as she glanced over at Kace. She knew he was on the verge of losing it.
“This isn’t our fight,” Berto shouted from within the slowly dispersing crowd. “We didn’t sign up for this.”
“Then what did you sign up for?!” Olivia shouted. “Cowards! I thought we were Sages!”
“We already died once,” Berto said. “I’m not going through that again. Kace, are you coming?”
Kace’s lips quivered as they stammered over a reply, but in the end, his eyes fell upon Remi. He shook his head. “I’m not,” he said to Remi. “I’m staying right here with you.”
She couldn’t lie. She wanted to kiss him in that moment.
“I’m sorry,” Berto cried out as he began taking his place in the crowd, all of them scurrying for the exit.
“I could kill them all,” Olivia muttered. “If I had the time and energy to spare.”
“COVER!” someone shouted, and the first boulder crashed through the west tower, taking several escaping students with it. The Academy sounded like it exploded as another boulder hit the west tower right after the first, sending the platform leading to the ground into a spiral.
“That’s not good,” Kace said, wiping the sweat from his face. “If we lose the east tower’s exit platform, we won’t be able to leave.”
“They want us to head for the exits,” Olivia said. “But it’s not like we can just wait here until they run out of boulders either…what I wouldn’t give for a manifestation right about now.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Remi asked as a third boulder whizzed over their heads. The Sage Academy had nothing they could fire back with and the Cimmerians knew it.
The Complete Seven Sorcerers Trilogy Page 27
