by Alex Leopold
“We have maybe a minute before the portaller bridges the portal with Sancisco.” Malthus added. “We must destroy the machine, now.”
“At your service.” Ellis responded and presented a satchel filled with the explosives that his men had been dropping from their dragons.
“Get ready to run.” He added as he began to swing the satchel over his head, intending to launch it at the gateway.
“Wait!” Cooper croaked.
She felt her father in her head. He told her that destroying the machine would be a wasted opportunity.
The Archon had used them to conquer the nation. If they had one, then, just perhaps, they could use it to start bringing freedom to it.
“We don't need to destroy it.” She began quickly, repeating what he’d told her. “We can take possession of it.”
“The shell is closed.” Malthus argued. “We can't stop the portal from opening now.”
Cooper agreed with a nod as she reached for the satchel that was strapped to Acadia’s back.
“We don't need to stop the portal.” She replied as she pulled the accumulator from the satchel. “We need to steal it.”
“I've got two questions for you.” Acadia said as he helped carry her across the gangway to the shell.
“One, how are you going to do this?”
“I don't know, but father will tell me.” She replied and made no move to acknowledge how crazy that sounded.
“Okay, then my other question is, after you steal the portal, where are you going to go?”
She hadn't thought about that but knew the answer in an instant. As did her father and they spoke it, like a shared joke, in her mind at the same time.
“I'm going to go and save Riley.”
90
Riley came to screaming.
After leaping from the tower, she remembered plunging through the sky and saw the roof of a lower building quickly leering up to meet her. As the wind began to howl in her ears, she switched once to shorten the gap of how far she’d have to fall. Then with only a few yards separating her from hard stone, she punched the rush from her arms.
The massive plasma-ribbon tore a hole in the two hundred and fifty year-old roof and started a chain reaction of collapses on the dilapidated floors below.
Riley fell through them all, her body bouncing off falling rubble as she descended. She punched out more ribbons. Like an echo, they rebounded off the floors and walls below into her, slowing her down.
She still hit the ground hard when she reached a stable floor, and the impact must’ve knocked her out.
When she awoke, she felt a sharp pain running along much of her right-side. Sitting up, she found her arm to be unresponsive. Broken, she determined, maybe in more than one place.
“Get up.” She heard a man say
Varick was standing nearby, his body hidden behind a vail of falling smoke. He’d used his abilities to levitate down to her.
Stepping into the light she saw he held her staff in one hand. In the other, was the necklace that had been stolen from her in the Borderland souk. Her mother's signet ring, stamped with the sign of the Torchbearers, hung from the middle of the chain.
“That's mine.” She heard herself bristle.
“Come and get it then.” He told her, throwing the staff at her feet and placing the necklace around his neck.
She stood slowly, biting her lip to stop herself from crying out from the pain.
“I know what you want me to do.” She said when she was on her feet. “But, I'm not going to make killing me easy for you.”
She kicked her staff away. “If you want me dead, you’re just going to have to come over here and do it yourself.”
He drew in a deep breath and clenched his jaw.
“As you wish.”
He made a claw-like motion and used the shift to drag her across the floor to him. She didn't resist, nor did she fight him when he placed the palm of his bare-hand against her chest and began the hack.
This time Redtail was not there to stop him and she felt her soul continue to grow cold as he tore the strength out of her. Yet, she saw in his contorted face that the effort seemed to be hurting him just as much. It was as if he was forcing himself to stomach something his whole body instinctively wanted to reject.
And it was an inner battle he was barely winning.
If she could only find a way to tip the balance of this war within him.
In response, her mind showed her a vision of the two of them sitting together on a small bed in a darkened room.
“I’m sorry.” He told her.
“It’s okay.” She replied and sensed that she had an overwhelming urge to kiss him.
“Don't.” He said, flinching away from her when she tried to press her lips against his.
“Why?” She pouted, feeling rejected.
Yet, their bodies continued to be pulled ever closer to one another, as if by some invisible force.
“Because you were right, I am a monster.” He admitted. “And I am losing my ability to protect you from me.”
In the same moment she kissed him in the vision, Riley used her working arm to grab Varick’s uniform. Before he could stop her, she brought her lips to his and poured her love into him.
Immediately the hack stopped.
Riley showed him every memory she had of them together, and they practically paralyzed him. No more so than when she showed him the first vision she’d had of the two of them. The one that had come to her in the burning warehouse, when she’d seen herself lying in his lap.
“We’re almost there.” He told her.
“I'm so tired.” She replied.
“You can do this. You know you can.” The tip of his thumb stroked her cheek at the same time.
“Tell me again.” She begged.
“I love you.”
That hit him harder than any of her punches ever could and he almost stumbled back from it.
“I love you.” He heard himself repeat as she let the memory loop in her head. It fixated him and while he was distracted she hit him with the rush.
The plasma-ribbon tossed him across the floor and he hit a wall with such a force she thought it must’ve killed him. Yet, when she checked on him she heard a faint breath escape from his lips.
Picking up his sword with her good hand, she pressed the sharp end against his neck. This was the man who’d killed her father, she thought as she studied his face, he didn't deserve to live. Yet, instead of pushing the blade into his flesh, she threw the sword aside. She was no more able to kill him than he had her.
“What the hell are we to each other?” She asked him as she reached for her necklace which was visible in the opening of his uniform.
“Live free, or fight on.” She whispered to herself as she read aloud the inscription written on the inside of the ring’s band.
91
As Riley traced the outline of her mother’s ring, she reflected on where she’d been, who she’d been, the last time she’d worn it around her neck. Had she let her mind carry her away, it would've opened a dam of emotion from within her she would’ve been unable to close. Instead, she was brought back to the present by a faint voice that called for her from inside her head.
The words were blurred but Riley could tell it was Cooper.
“I’m here!” She tapped back, and the moment she did she saw a ghost-like hand grip onto hers.
Cooper tumbled out of the blue-capsule with Acadia and Mayat at her side and the three of them swept their weapons back-and-forth as they searched for the enemy.
“Where’s Control?” Acadia asked with nervous excitement. Then his bow and his eye fell on Varick’s body.
“He's not dead.” Riley explained. “Just unconscious.”
“How did you beat him?” Asked Cooper asked.
“I kissed him.”
Everyone looked at her with stunned amazement. Then Cooper said. “That's one way of doing it, I suppose.”
They chuckled. Then they
were laughing, almost uncontrollably as tears of joy streamed down their faces. In the midst of it, the two sisters wrapped their arms around each other.
“Did we win?” Riley asked not letting Cooper go.
“We sure did. We beat the …”
Riley felt Cooper’s body tense.
“What is it?”
“Look.”
Riley followed Cooper’s eye.
“I can’t see anything.” She said confused.
Then, she saw it. And every nerve in her body stood on end.
“I don't believe it.” She muttered.
They were partly covered in debris which was why Riley hadn't noticed them to begin with. Yet, there was no mistaking it. On the other side of the floor were two statues. One was an eagle, almost the size of a dragon. The other was a grey man, as big as an ursinian, with angel’s wings. And almost directly behind them was a metal door.
Riley didn't have to fight to remember what Nakano had written in her journal.
|| A vault-sized large metal door is guarded by an eagle the size of a colossal, and a god-like man with angel’s wings. Behind the door something important is hidden. Through a nearby window a lost civilization city is spread out far below ||
“Go, take a look.” Acadia prompted them. “Me and Whiskers will stay and watch sleeping beauty.”
The vault door was not locked and it groaned loudly from age as the two girls forced it open. Inside they found a steel room no bigger than their own bedroom, with a long metal table running down the center and rows of secured metal boxes along the walls.
Riley had expected it to look untouched by time, but it was the opposite. The vault had been looted long ago and empty metal containers were strewn all over the floor.
“There’s nothing here.” Cooper said confused.
She kicked an empty box across the floor.
Riley didn't say anything but systematically began searching through all the safe-boxes. They were empty. Every single one of them.
“Do you think the Directory beat us to it?” Cooper asked.
Riley shook her head. “This vault was ransacked hundreds of years ago. It hasn’t been touched since then.”
“Then, what the hell?” Cooper seethed and banged her fist on the table. “Why is the first part of the Key not here?”
“I don’t know, we must be missing something.”
Riley continued to pick through the room. This had to be the vault, it had been described too perfectly to be anything else. If that were true, then the first part of the Liberty Key must be here.
“We’re not missing something?” Cooper spat back with fury as she pushed one empty box after the other to the floor. “There's nothing here!”
Riley was ready to agree when something caught her eye and she realized her sister was wrong. In the reflection of the rusted vault door she saw what they’d been missing.
“We’re here.” She said.
“What?” Cooper snapped.
“We’re here, Coop.” She said again and pointed to the two of them.
Suddenly it made sense. This was never the place where they’d find part of the Key.
It was the moment.
The moment when two women would discover who they really were and what they could be.
It was here – at this time – where they’d win a battle against the Directory. Here, where they’d beat the Archon’s most lethal Myrmidon agent. Here, where they’d begin to understand how powerful they truly were.
All here, all in front of a vault guarded by an eagle and a man with angel’s wings.
“I don’t get it.” Cooper said.
“We’re the first part of the Key.”
92
The first evening was spent securing the city and putting down the final skirmishes with the Directory. On the second evening they said goodbye to the dead, and continued to try and save those who’d been badly wounded. It was not until the third day that they could finally reflect on what they’d achieved, and as the sun slowly set into the western sky, they all began to gather on the rooftop of the Manhattan’s tower.
Before the Directory invasion, the City in the Clouds counted itself over four-thousand strong. Now, less than two-thousand remained. The number of dragons slaughtered was even worse.
These were somber numbers, yet tonight would not be one for sorrow. Tonight was a time for celebration. Even though many had died, their deaths had not been in vain. The Skymen were free, and they’d taken back their city. That was worth rejoicing.
It was a party! Instruments had been unpacked and were being played loudly, though – everyone agreed – not well. Old hooch, that dated back almost to the time of the lost civilization itself had been found and was being distributed generously anytime an empty cup was presented. And a few wild pigs, that had been caught the day before, were crackling on a nearby fire. No one could’ve asked for more.
Wherever Riley and Cooper went they were greeted with open arms. By now, everyone had heard their story, knew what they’d been through over the last week, and all wanted to hear it again – especially if it came directly from the girl’s mouths.
This was no more true than for the children of the city, who’d taken to following the twins every move.
“Did you really fight a dinosaur in Harvardtown?” A little girl asked with wonder when the twins were dragged into another circle and Riley was ushered to an open chair so she could take the weight off her bad leg.
“I wouldn’t call it fighting, more like trying not to get stomped.” She replied as she massaged the broken arm that was now mending in a sling.
“What’s it like having a Sekhem for a friend?” Another asked Cooper.
“She’s not much for conversation, but, you certainly feel safer.”
“Can you really talk to animals?” A boy wanted to know.
Cooper had become good at this trick now, and had Goose on her shoulder to help her answer. After stroking his wing, the macaw replied.
“Yes, but we don’t like talking to her.”
It never failed to make the children gasp in amazement.
“I had a feeling I’d find you here.” Malthus called out as he tried to make his way through the sea of small people.
“It’s time.” He whispered when he was by their side. “Actually, it’s been time for the last hour.”
“I’m afraid we have to go.” Riley announced to the young crowd as she stood.
A chorus of disappointed moans went up from the children’s mouths.
“Maybe you’d like to see a magic trick before we leave?” Cooper asked them.
She reached for Malthus’ and Riley’s hands and switched the three of them away.
“There are my other two generals!” Cooper called out as she helped Riley climb onto a platform where Ellis and Acadia were waiting.
It had been made official now and each man had the single metal-star buttoned on their coats to signify their rank. Ellis was the general of the air. Acadia, the general of the ground. And Malthus, the general of the anomalies.
“Having fun?” Acadia asked as he admired the way Cooper was rocking back-and-forth on her heels.
“I might have had a little too much to drink.” Cooper replied and held up her thumb and forefinger so he could see the narrowest of daylight between the two.
“Well, you couldn’t have had as much as the mutt.” Mayat noted as she motioned to where Redtail was dancing.
“You’re only upset with him because he hasn’t asked you for a dance yet.” Acadia teased, then held up his hands in defense when she gave him a salty look.
“Come on”, Riley interrupted them. “I don’t want to wait another second, let’s start.”
Everyone agreed. This had been a long time coming.
“Here you go.” Acadia passed the lit torch to Riley as Ellis got the band to stop, and the crowd began to draw near.
“Cooper and I agreed, that the honor should be yours.” She pushed the torch back into
his hands.
“You might be the last surviving Torchbearer. We couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate.”
“Thank you.” He said. It was the only time in her life Riley thought the grizzly might cry.
“Hurry up”, Mayat playfully nudged him. “The night won’t last forever.”
“Right.” Acadia said.
He shook his boulder sized head to compose himself. Then he marched to the front of the platform to address the crowd.
“In the time of the Torchbearers, the army would light beacons in every city they freed. It was a signal for anyone who’d spent their life living in darkness and fear that freedom had returned.”
He stepped to a large stone fire pit filled with cut wood.
“The Torchbearers light has been out for many years. On this night, we light the beacons again and announce to the nation that the Torchbearers have returned.”
He threw his torch into the pit. When it caught, the crowd began to cheer.
“So what’s next?” Ellis asked as a dozen other beacons on towers across the city were lit in response.
“We finish building the Liberty Key.” Cooper said.
She chuckled to herself. Nakano had been right, once they’d found the first part of the Key, they’d know where to go to find the rest of it.
She held up the notebook. “Which means, we follow the clues Nakano gave to us.”
“The Archon won’t make it easy for us.” Malthus said.
“That’s because he knows we can beat him.” Cooper replied.
Hundreds of dragons were now circling the building, attracted by the beacon’s light.
“You okay?” Riley asked Acadia. He hadn’t moved from where he’d thrown his torch into the fire.
He just stood there with Mayat loyally by his side.
“It’s been over eighteen years since the last beacon was lit, I wasn’t sure it would burn as brightly as it once did.”
“The fire remembers.” She told him. “And this time, it knows we’re never going to let it go out again.”
THE END
