Magnificent, the Empress observed.
Is he hurt? Tris was anxious.
He will survive. But I will leave him here, to avoid polluting the Elder’s waters.
The other guard had backed off, drifting slowly towards the far side of the cavern.
Tris was still a bit shocked at what he’d just witnessed. His heart was racing, and the binding jelly felt more confining by the second. He was suddenly aware of the group of Siszar that had entered with them — now a significantly smaller group than it had started out. They were floating just behind Tris, watching…
And behind them, hundreds — if not thousands of hostile aliens looked on.
Will we have to fight all of them? Tris asked.
Unlikely. Such a display has proved our dominance.
But what if more of the Elder’s guards attack?
Guards? The stench of her laughter washed over him. There are no ‘guards’ here. Those males were simply waiting here in the hope of finding a worthy challenge.
I thought they were protecting the Elder?
If she were in need of protection, she would not get much older! Any one of us can attempt to kill her, if we believe we can prevail. The same is true throughout all of society. How else does one progress in life?
Tris wasn’t sure what to say to that. He wasn’t really prepared for a philosophical debate. Humans tend to help each other. The strong protect the weak. Well they’re meant to, anyway. Some of the physically weakest people are actually the wisest.
The Empress considered that. We are different. For us, wisdom and strength grow in equal measure as we age. She paused, as though reflecting on that statement. Not including males, obviously.
With that last bit of excitement over and the coast now clear, Tris steeled himself for the next step. This audience, with probably the oldest being he would ever meet, could very well change the fortunes of the entire human race. A permanent end to the war with the Siszar was what Balentine was praying for most fervently; Kreon, on the other hand, had his sights set on the Black Ships. And with good reason; time was ticking down for the Earth, and they still had absolutely no clue how to save her.
Hopefully, this Elder person will have a few ideas…
They moved towards the frond-covered entrance, the Empress steering the bladders containing Tris and Kreon. They reached the fronds and pushed through…
Into darkness.
17
The Elder’s cavern was pitch black.
The only light was a faint glimmer coming in through the entrance, and it vanished as soon as they were all inside. Tris couldn’t tell how big the room was, what it looked like, anything.
As for who was in it…
He reached out with the Gift, noting that the Empress had gone still and watchful as well. It suddenly occurred to him that she had never been here either; the orders that sent her scurrying to find Kreon must have come by a more indirect method.
Is she in here?
She prefers the dark and the quiet.
As answers go, it wasn’t much.
He quested out, tentative at first, but it wasn’t long before he found her; a huge, ancient and immeasurably alien mind, hovering perfectly still only a few metres away. In a panic he reached out for the others, finding Kreon beside him, Balentine further back, and Ella… gone?
Don’t freak out, he reminded himself. She’s hiding her mind. Which is not a bad idea, come to think of it.
None of the other Siszar seemed to have accompanied them; he could feel several of them lingering just outside the entrance, but presumably the Elder’s cavern was invite-only.
A new sound grew in his head, a rumble like a distant avalanche. He felt the Empress answer in kind, and when the sound returned, it had become a voice. Deep, cold and gravely… yet unmistakably female. These demons are poor offerings! There is no meat on them.
Tris swallowed. Part of him believed this was the Elder’s idea of a joke, but she was close enough to swallow him before he could scream. May I address you as Your Highness? he tried.
The familiar smell of rotten eggs made him gag — but with relief, as he recognised the sign of Siszar humour. To be high is to expose one’s underside. I prefer to stay low.
Tris reached out to Kreon, finding the Warden’s connection weak, but his presence reassuring. He should be able to follow the conversation, although Tris wasn’t sure the Elder would hear him if he tried to contribute.
With a swirl of water, the Elder moved. Although her bulk was still cloaked in darkness, he could follow her with his mind. She paused above them, still invisible but close enough to touch.
This one is rotten, she growled, drifting over Kreon. And this one nears the end of its lifespan. Tris couldn’t tell, but he assumed she was now above Balentine. And this one… her voice had taken on a silky, almost purring tone. This one is a predator. A killer. A woman after my own hearts…
He didn’t need any clues on that one. Ella’s ability to hide from his Gift was clearly no match for the Elder’s strength.
You have brought me interesting specimens, Empress. She continued to move, prowling around them like a shark circling its prey.
We are here to discuss the end of the war between our peoples, Tris explained. He figured it was best to start with the easy stuff.
Demons who negotiate? Her amusement reeked. I have never seen a human with my own eyes before. In all the aeons I roamed space, I encountered none of your kind. Now you are popping up everywhere.
I’m sorry about that, your… Elder… ness? We have no intention of attacking you.
This time, the waft of her stink was overpowering. Nor could you! Such tiny, insignificant creatures. However, now that I see you, I know you cannot have defeated the Great Ones.
Tris wrinkled his brow. It was the only gesture he could still make. Defeated who? My species fights mostly amongst themselves.
That much is apparent.
The Elder settled behind them, causing the skin to prickle on the back of Tris’ neck.
The Great Ones who made us warned of a coming cataclysm. Their prophecy told us that the demons they fought against would return, long after they were gone, to extinguish all life in the galaxy. That time has drawn ever closer, and is finally upon us. Some took you to be these demons, as you spread through space like a plague, unchecked.
Tris sensed evasion in her answer. You can’t honestly believe that! Otherwise you would have attacked the Lemurians, too.
The humans you refer to share our beliefs, she pointed out. To our eyes, your species appear similar — but why should we care? Some amongst us adopted this crusade, and the bloodshed proved enticing. When young men wish to vent their aggression, it is easier to offer them a target than to try and restrain them.
Tris frowned in confusion. So there was no real reason for the war to continue? You could have ended it at any time?
It would have died out much sooner, had your scrawny species not continued to press so close to our borders. Few amongst us have the patience to hunt far away. Keeping your distance, and not providing such a tempting target, would have sufficed.
Tris gulped for air. He was sweating, despite the suit maintaining an ideal temperature. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Humans could be plenty aggressive too, and would never stop fighting if they thought an enemy was trying to wipe them out. But what if the whole Earth/Siszar war was nothing but a way to let off steam for these creatures? He didn’t know how many lives had been lost on either side, but it was a lot.
The Empress’s words came back to him; Anyone can kill anyone else at any time.
So, as far as they were concerned, that was business as usual.
He would have shaken his head, but the close-fitting helmet was gelled firmly into place. So the war between our species is over then?
Most have already forgotten it. We are solitary by nature; large groups only form when the possibility for killing is large. If your males do not seek to provoke co
mbat, mine will quickly lose all interest.
Tris’ mind was blown. At least ticking that one off the list would impress the folks back home. Still, it was too massive to gloss over without confirmation. The war is over? Forever?
If you wish it.
Tris sighed, relief tempering his nerves. It was deeply disturbing having her back there. Not that she was any less intimidating right in front of him.
But you haven’t answered my question, she hissed.
Tris blinked. Had he missed something? Sorry? Which question?
The one you were brought here to answer. The demon-tide has finally arrived. How do we turn it?
My master has… a strategy. Tris tried not to think about what a blatant lie this was. Kreon had strategies beyond count piled up inside that scarred head of his; surely one of them would be appropriate?
Fortunately, the Elder took a different tack. Swirling through the water with incredible agility for one so huge, she brushed past him and vanished into the darkness directly ahead. He got the feeling she was poised there, motionless, just beyond his sight. Studying him.
You serve this lesser being?
Tris pictured Kreon in all his monster-bashing glory. I serve an older, wiser, more complex individual, with physical abilities that far exceed my own.
Well spoken. But you are both inferior beings to me. What is to stop me from consuming you to gain your knowledge for myself?
It doesn’t work that way with humans.
Then what is to stop me from causing you pain until you tell me what you know?
Tris sighed. It wasn’t the way he’d hoped this would unfold, but he did have a card to play. “Kreon?” he said over the comm. “She wants to know why she can’t cause you pain.”
“I am aware of that, Tristan.”
He felt the Warden’s mind re-establishing its grip on his. It was a feeble connection compared to the one he shared with the Elder, but it would be enough.
He sucked in a deep breath, and braced himself in anticipation.
And as Kreon relaxed his guard, a wave of agony washed out from him. Even prepared, Tris was bowled over in the current, jagged shards of pain stabbing into the core of him. Every fibre of his being screamed in protest as his nerve endings burned with overload. He felt his knees buckling, and gasped for breath — as Kreon clamped down on his pain, walling it up in the vault of his mind.
Tris, finding himself able to breathe again, took advantage of the Elder’s stunned silence. You cannot cause him more than he endures every moment of his existence.
Pinpricks of light blossomed around the gigantic Siszar as she surged forwards, her thick limbs propelling her towards them faster than Tris would have believed. She stopped dead within touching distance, and for the first time he could make out the scale of his adversary. She was vast; thirty feet across at least. Her beak, cruelly hooked, was taller than he was.
I can end it.
Kreon borrowed Tris’ amplification to broadcast his own defiance. You can try.
The sudden stench of her mirth was overpowering. I did not advance to such great age by eating spoiled food! But you have resilience, that much is clear. Very well. What is it that you request in turn for this information?
Tris suppressed a triumphant grin. Nothing at all, Your Highness. The information we will give you freely. However, it will do you no good. Only my Master and I can vanquish the foes that assail you.
Her skepticism came across as loud as her words. How is this possible?
With nothing concrete to offer, Tris took a flyer. Our ways will mean nothing to you.
There was a thoughtful silence before she responded. That is true. Your entire race means nothing to me. Yet you understand these demons in ways that I do not. Perhaps you are better equipped for this endeavour. She swished away, retreating to the point where he could just make out the shape of her. Immense limbs splayed out around her like the legs of some monstrous spider. And you are prepared to attempt this on my behalf?
Tris cleared his throat. On all our behalves. The demon-tide has affected my people as well. Many of our planets have been lost. But we know where the demons live, and we know how to get there.
And the madness? It has claimed many thousands of my children, all who survived the attack.
I cannot cure, them, Tris admitted. But I am immune to the madness.
How? She surged forwards, so close that he could see the pores on her leathery skin. That giant beak, huge and powerful enough to crush a car, hovered mere inches from his face. Your mind is strong, for a human, but you cannot resist if my children cannot.
I have a device that protects me.
And he did, he suddenly realised. The pieces came together in his head. His dad’s pendant had been a booster the same as Kreon’s, but it had reversed polarity when attacked by the Black Ships madness! The same had happened again, only in reverse, when Tris went through; in both cases, the device had stayed locked to its most recent mode. Because we don’t know how to change it!
But Tris did. It was simple… and terrifying. He had to enter the Portal again. Take the fight to the demons’ dimension. If he was right, the pendant would flip again, providing him with just enough protection… to do what? He’d figure it out. Kreon could come too — if he took his pendant off, he had no psychic talents at all. Kyra couldn’t, unless she borrowed Tris’ pendant… Ella wasn’t Gifted, but Tris felt queasy just thinking about taking her into that nightmare dimension.
Well, that was an argument for another time.
The Elder was still uncomfortably close, towering over him without moving a muscle. You believe you can enter their territory, and defeat them in their own realm?
Tris gulped air, and tried to steady his racing heartbeat. Her intensity was almost painful, and her sheer presence and proximity was triggering his body’s fight or flight reflex. I do. But only if you convince your followers not to kill us first.
The stink came again, making him gag. My followers! They do as they please. But I shall make it known that causing harm to you will be construed as a challenge against myself. That should deter all but those upstart rebels.
For the first time since steering Tris in there, the Empress spoke up. These rebels you mention, Eldest. Are they the followers of this ‘Skinless One’? I hear their numbers are growing daily, and that they respect no-one.
The Elder’s thoughts turned sour. My other human problem! This pathetic excuse for a meat-sack seeks to build his nest in our territory! I have no time for him.
Wait — a human? Tris interjected.
Just like you, she confirmed, though I have heard no accounts of his wisdom. He draws the youngsters and the unblooded to him with promises of protection. Ha! He wishes only to dominate, to control those around him and make them his slaves.
How can a human become a leader of our people? The Empress asked. Tris could tell she was appalled by the idea.
He has accepted a great many challenges, and he has won every one. His right to rule is established, until someone manages to kill him. If you have the inclination, you are welcome to investigate. Perhaps your humans can challenge him? He is a stain on our honour. I would consider it a personal favour if you were to remove him.
Is he a threat to our people? The Empress asked, aghast. To you?
He dare not challenge me! She sounded angry, but not as arrogant as before. And I have no interest in seeking him out on land. He has chosen to live amongst his own kind on one of the breeding worlds. Many old males have sought to challenge him, but all have perished. I will wait; human lives are short.
The Empress’s temper flared, perhaps at the thought of allowing such a travesty to continue. Then we shall seek him out, Eldest. I will see that this indignity does not go unpunished.
As you wish. The Elder retreated a short distance, her massive tentacles rippling. Now go. She swirled away, vanishing back into the blackness of the cavern.
Thank-you, Eldest, the Empress sent after her. Her
relief at having survived the audience was palpable.
A last whiff of the Elder’s amusement reached them as they turned to go. Take good care of your charges, young lady.
“Wait — we’re leaving?” Balentine sounded flustered. “But… we’ve only been in here for two minutes! I haven’t even said a word!”
“Tristan has negotiated the cessation of all hostilities with the Siszar,” Kreon informed him, “and secured safe passage for us whilst we remain in their territory.”
“What?” Balentine was incredulous. “How?”
“Easy,” Tris replied. “I just promised her that we’d defeat the Black Ships.”
It was hard to judge a man’s reaction without being able to see him, but Balentine’s silence spoke volumes.
As the Empress and her consort shepherded them back through the bowels of the palace, Tris felt a ripple go through the atmosphere. Though he couldn’t understand it, he could tell that some sort of psychic command had been relayed throughout the population — and maybe even further. He thought about the web of energy the Empress had used to guide them here, and wondered what role the Elder played in maintaining it. Did it come from her? Or was it like any other network, with hubs and routers? It was something he could ask the Empress, but probably not until they were safely out of here. He couldn’t wait to get back to the shuttle, and spent several minutes trying to get his fingers to cross inside the jelly.
Please let the ship be in one piece…
To say nothing of it being able to fly again.
Were spaceships even meant to go underwater?
The return journey was spent repeating the conversation for Ella and Balentine’s benefit. The old Warden was apoplectic at how casually the war had been dismissed; Tris could already see how humanity had inadvertently encouraged the aliens, by refusing to back off from territory they felt they’d claimed. I guess humans always fighting over ground is our species’ worst trait, just like their insatiable bloodlust is theirs.
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