by T. A. White
Now that their greeting was over, the real fight could begin.
The older Tuann bared his teeth, whipping his en-blade around. Graydon evaded, parrying as Harlow pressed his attack. Faster and faster until their blades were a blur—fluid and graceful in a beautiful dance as they tried their utmost to kill each other.
Graydon raised his blade, blocking the Overlord's downward strike. The blades screamed as the combatants locked together
"You've gotten old," Graydon said through gritted teeth, his shoulder and biceps screaming as the Overlord bore down.
"Did I train you to talk or fight?" Harlow aimed a vicious kick at Graydon's knee.
A toothy smile spread across Graydon's face, ki flooding him as he strengthened his body. The strike stung, but it failed to break the knee as Harlow intended.
Graydon shoved the Overlord's sword away. He didn't give the Overlord time to recover, stepping into his space and hammering a punch into the other man's exposed side before ducking out of range.
"That's how you trained me," Graydon said with no small amount of satisfaction.
Appreciation glittered in Harlow's eyes as he touched his injured side. "Now that your focus has returned, perhaps we can get serious, Little Storm."
Graydon chuckled as he settled into an offensive stance, weight evenly distributed, his arms loose and relaxed. "It's you whose focus is lacking, old man."
Harlow didn't respond, the tip of his blade lowering.
Graydon's legs tensed, his front foot sliding the slightest bit in preparation for his attack.
They burst into movement at the same time, charging each other. Graydon's name ripped through the hall in a scream. As one, Graydon and Harlow shifted to meet this new threat, blades coming up.
The oshota placed themselves between the two inside the room and the screamer.
"Graydon!" a familiar voice shouted.
Joule barreled into the Warrior's Hall. His gaze frantic as he searched. Spotting Graydon, he ran toward him, only to find his way blocked by oshota.
He pushed forward anyway, resisting when they tried to force him back.
Graydon straightened, noting the panic and determination on Joule's face even as he tangled with warriors who had centuries of experience on him.
Ice spread through Graydon. There was only one reason he could think of for Joule to behave in such a manner.
Kira.
"Let him through," Graydon barked.
The oshota hesitated until Harlow gestured for them to relax their guard.
They shifted aside, allowing the barest gap for Joule to pass. He stumbled toward Graydon; his clothing disheveled. There was blood on the knee of his pants, and his sleeve was ripped. He’d been in a fight.
Graydon had been right. Something was wrong.
Joule stammered, his words not making sense.
"Enough," Graydon ordered. "Calm yourself."
He waited as Joule took a deep breath. The boy was nearly shaking, his chest heaving from exertion. Now that he was closer, Graydon saw the sweat on his forehead and the terror in his eyes.
Whatever had sent him here, he'd used every bit of his speed to get to Graydon as quickly as possible.
When Joule's breathing had steadied, Graydon set a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, knowing it would steady him. "Good, now give us your report."
Some of the terror leached out of Joule, and he straightened, his expression reflecting a determination and strength that would one day make him a fine leader.
"It's Kira. She's in the Trial of the Broken," Joule said.
Harlow frowned. "She should have hours yet before her time comes."
"She's not alone," Joule said. His composure cracked, grief and shame warring as he met Graydon's eyes. "Wren sent me to tell you they're after Devon."
The mood in the room plummeted, growing heavy and tense as Harlow and Graydon traded a look.
"What of Kira?" Graydon asked.
Joule flinched. "She went after them."
Graydon should have expected as much.
"She's not alone," Harlow said at his back. "Wren is at her side."
"He was injured. I don't even know if he's still alive." Joule's face crumpled, reminding Graydon for all that the boy possessed maturity far beyond his years, he was still a boy.
"And you left her there?" Harlow asked, a dangerous rumble in his voice.
"Ease up," Graydon warned as ki built, saturating the room.
"You're a long way from being able to tell me what to do in my own House, Little Storm."
Graydon faced his former mentor, not in the mood for threats. Kira was in danger; he didn't have time for this.
Joule surged forward. "It's our fault. She wouldn't have come here if she hadn't saved Ziva and me. She'd be safe. They would never have gotten close if they hadn't threatened me."
His action stemmed the rising tension, reminding them there were several lives at stake. Finger-pointing and blame could wait until afterward.
Harlow inclined his head. It was the best apology Graydon was going to get.
There was respect on the faces of the oshota around them. Joule's actions had cemented his place among them. They would not soon forget his loyalty to a daughter of their House.
"Who was it?" Harlow asked.
"Aeron." Joule seemed almost hesitant as he added. "And Loudon."
There were small sounds of dismay from those around them. It turned to grief and acceptance as Graydon stood.
"It looks like you've finally uncovered the traitor of your House," he told Harlow.
The Overlord's face was frozen as grief and rage battled for supremacy. The emotions flickered and guttered, extinguished as they left nothing but an implacable determination behind.
Graydon rose. "Stay with Veer."
Joule lurched, his expression earnest. "I can go with you. I can fight."
Despite his intentions, the boy looked on the verge of collapse. Escaping the trial before it was finished would have likely sapped all his reserves.
"You can barely stand," Harlow said. "You've done enough. It's our turn."
Dejection settled on Joule's face, a naked vulnerability that Graydon couldn't walk away from. He picked up Joule's arm, turning it so the boy could see.
There, carved in blue and silver lines, was the mark of the broken, proof Joule had passed his trial. The boy probably hadn't even felt the emblem rise to the surface in the fury of everything that had happened.
"Congratulations," Graydon said.
Joule gazed down in shock. "I don't understand."
"There are more ways to fight than with en-blade or ki," Graydon said. "You recognized that. The trial has rewarded you."
Joule traced the lines of the emblem with reverence.
"Watch over him," Graydon ordered Veer. Harlow’s oshota gave him sharp nods of respect. To Solal, he said, "Find the human male. I have a feeling we're going to need him."
Harlow considered Graydon. "Why?"
"A hunch."
Harlow dipped his chin, well used to Graydon’s hunches. He strode toward the courtyard and the cliffside exit, saying over his shoulder, "There is no time for the long way. Let's take the short cut."
*
Painful howls, the type one might make if their soul was being ripped from their body, greeted them as they stepped into the trial.
"Mea'Ave guide us," Indya whispered.
The screams held an agony so deep it broke the person you were before, leaving behind a pale shell.
It'd been a long time since Graydon had heard screams like that. Not since the Sorrowing when so many had lost so much.
Graydon doubled his speed, careful to stay quiet. Alerting the enemy to their arrival would destroy the advantage of surprise.
While dropping down the cliffs and then using the undersea entrance had cut a lot of time off their journey, it wasn't enough. Every second counted.
Graydon and Harlow's oshota moved quietly with them. Their passa
ge nearly silent as they headed for the sounds of agony.
The uhva na sped their way, almost as if it sensed their urgency. The trial was known to test even the Overlord on his rare visits. The rooms constantly changed as the place tried to lure Harlow into staying. That’s what it was meant for.
Today, those little gut checks were absent, and the trial allowed them to pass with an unheard-of ease.
In a very short time, Graydon and the rest approached the only room in the structure that always remained the same. A place where memories and dreams intertwined.
This room intended to coax you to stay, its lures nearly irresistible. Graydon had always thought this place was the real test. This was where a person's true colors could be seen.
They spilled into the room, the sounds of dripping water and the pain-filled cries of those caught within the depths of a nightmarish realm greeted them.
Graydon took the scene in with a glance. Kira floated in a bubble, liquid spinning in two separate directions around her to create something that was eerily beautiful. Columns of the watery liquid had speared Aeron and Devon through the chests, raising them to float in midair.
"She's pulled them into her mind," Amila breathed in shock.
Hers wasn’t the only surprise. It took an exceptionally powerful mind to swamp another's in this fashion. That Kira could, spoke of a discipline and strength even the members of Roake hadn't been prepared to attribute to her.
Loudon coughed, sucking in air as he sat up from where he'd collapsed. He looked up at them, unmistakable shock on his face. "Harlow, what are you doing here? Even you can't interfere with the uhva na."
No one moved for several seconds, realizing Loudon didn’t know they’d been warned of his betrayal. He either thought Joule wouldn't make it out, or he didn't know the boy had survived whatever he'd done to Wren.
Harlow stepped forward, Graydon circling to his right, putting space between them as he tried to flank Loudon without the other man realizing it.
The boys abruptly seized as whatever Kira had shown them caused their minds to buckle. Loudon barely glanced at them, keeping his attention on Harlow.
If Joule hadn't warned them, Graydon wasn't sure he would have been able to spot the other man's deception. His acting was perfect, not even a hint to show the traitor within.
"I would argue circumstances aren't normal, wouldn't you?" Harlow said, taking another step toward Kira and the rest. "The Trial of the Broken isn't meant to be taken with others."
Loudon hesitated. "The trial opens to whoever it pleases. It isn't my place to second guess its will."
"Is that why you're here?" Harlow asked.
Loudon drew himself up. "As a herald, it's my duty to observe."
Graydon nearly cursed as Loudon retreated a step. The Overlord stopped, frustration in the tightness around his eyes and mouth. Both of them knew they were still too far and Loudon too close to Kira.
Devastation filled Loudon’s expression.
"You know, don't you?" Loudon asked finally.
Loudon didn’t wait for an answer, whirling and bringing his hands together. Ki wrapped around him, boiling the air before surging toward Kira.
Graydon's blood turned to ice as he charged, yanking at his ki. Denial roared through him. He was going to be too late.
Out of the watery depths, the ghostly form of a small lu-ong appeared. His jaw dropped, swallowing Loudon's ki, leaving the man staring open-mouthed at the apparition.
The baby faded as quickly as he'd come.
Loudon remained frozen as Graydon powered toward him.
He seemed to come to himself, reaching for the blade at his side. He never got the chance as Finn shot from the darkness, his en-blade a streak of motion as it bit into Loudon's shoulder.
The traitor screamed as his arm fell to the ground. Sobs echoed in the room as he clutched his wound. Loudon staggered before sagging to his knees.
Finn stood over him, his expression merciless.
Graydon nodded at him. "Well done."
A grunt was Finn's only response.
Graydon put Loudon out of his mind as he walked toward Kira, knowing the oshota wouldn't let the other man out of his sight. It allowed Graydon to focus on what was important.
Harlow joined him, staring up at the watery cocoon Kira had wrapped around herself. "Someone find Quillon and tell him we have a second patient for him once he’s done with Wren.”
Loudon laughed from his spot on the ground, the sound nearly insane. "You won't be able to save her. There's no way to break the link, and if it persists, she'll kill them all."
Finn kicked the other man in the stomach, satisfaction skating across his face at the sight of the other man’s pain.
“How did you get here?” Harlow asked.
“He came with us,” Raider said, stepping into the room with Solal at his back. “Wasn’t expecting him to race ahead without a by your leave, but it appears it’s a good thing he did.”
The room was quiet as Raider’s lips quirked. “I see the Phoenix is rubbing off on you. I'd watch that if I were you, or you'll end up being just like her."
Finn’s expression was stony as he remained locked on Loudon.
Seconds later, Raider blanched at the sight of Kira hovering in her sphere of water. "What the hell is that?"
"The trial," Graydon informed him.
Agonized cries ripped from Devon and Aeron as hazy images flickered in the water's depths. Insubstantial and faded but growing more pronounced with every second they lingered.
Kira was silent and still, even as the other two twisted, unable to stifle their pain.
Raider frowned. "I know that place. It's Atlas right before the battle for the planet." His gaze found Graydon, his eyes hard. "Why is my captain trapped in a nightmare?"
"I have a feeling she did it to herself," Graydon said grimly.
"Why would she do that?"
Graydon's attention moved to Devon and Aeron.
Raider caught his hint. "They're living this too?"
Graydon nodded.
Raider grimaced. "Poor bastards. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone."
Graydon's hands clenched, frustration at his helplessness eating him up inside.
"I didn't realize she'd held onto this battle so tightly," Raider said softly, his gaze moving over the images.
"You wouldn't." Jin drifted out of the shadows.
The oshota went on the defensive, en-blades appearing in hands. The tension in the room ratcheted up as arrows of energy formed in the air around them.
Raider grimaced. "I forgot to tell you. He's the reason I was able to get here so fast. I was already on my way when Solal found me." To Jin, he said, "You were supposed to stay out of sight."
Jin harrumphed. "Like I was going to listen. Really."
"What abomination is this?" Makon asked.
Jin made an aggravated sound. "These guys are a touchy lot, aren't they?"
"Perhaps it's the fact you're not supposed to be here," Raider suggested as the room hovered on the edge of violence.
All it would take was one jumpy oshota, one misconstrued gesture from Jin, and Graydon would lose control of the situation.
He couldn't afford that with a helpless Kira in the mix.
"He's Kira's friend," Raider said in explanation. "I wouldn't try to hurt him. He's far more dangerous than he looks. Not to mention if you're successful, Kira will likely kill you when she wakes."
"Aw, you say the sweetest things, meat sack," Jin crooned.
"I hate you so much, Tin Can," Raider said without heat.
"Enough," Makon said, his voice holding a bite.
Raider and Jin fell silent, neither seeming afraid. Impressive, since Graydon knew how intimidating the marshal could be.
"What is that thing doing in our home?" Makon asked.
"Where Kira goes; I go. The end," Jin said. "Now, can we get back to saving her?"
Graydon stifled his smile, for once in agreement with th
e machine.
Jin spun toward him, his voice turning serious. "I practically forced her to come here with the understanding you would protect her. I had to endure her feelings of betrayal. If you can't keep her safe, I'll be more than happy to take her back."
Any common ground Graydon had found with Jin vanished at those words, leaving Graydon to bare his teeth at the pest. He'd like to see him try.
Jin chortled, unintimidated.
Harlow shifted, the small gesture calling their attention like a magnet. "No one is taking her anywhere, and his presence can be addressed at a better time. Right now, extricating her from her own mind takes priority."
Graydon agreed whole-heartedly.
"Tell me about this memory," Graydon said, buying himself time to think.
Raider glanced at Jin. "I don't know why she would be lost in it. This was an early battle. One of the few we won."
Jin floated next to Kira's bubble, seemingly ignoring the rest of them. An illusion, Graydon knew. The drone was a threat. Sooner or later he would need to be addressed. But not now.
"And you?" Graydon asked.
The drone was too quiet. There was more to this story.
"Kira's right," Jin grumbled. "You see too much. It makes you dangerous."
"I suspect the same could be said of you."
Jin might play at the fool. His utter ridiculousness was a shield used to keep others underestimating the drone. The façade hid a deceptively dangerous being.
"What happened there?" Harlow asked.
"We were tasked with safeguarding a planet evacuation," Jin started.
"By the time we arrived, the Tsavitee were already on the ground. They had set up an angel class destroyer in orbit and were picking off any ship that made it into the air. Kira led a strike team to take it down. Successfully, I might add," Raider said with a glance at Jin.
"But not before we lost over a dozen ships," Jin said calmly. "She'd spent time on Atlas. It was her home for a short time after the camp. She knew people there, and she had a lot of friends on those ships."
Dismay crossed Raider's expression. "I didn't know that."
"You wouldn't; she never told you. It was our first engagement as a team. She wanted you to focus on the success of the mission rather than what had been lost. It doesn't mean she didn't feel every one of those losses," Jin said.
