Awakenings

by C. D. Espeseth

  “Smashing the gameboard, Father. The thing which I told you to do, but once again you never listened.” Thannis spun his father around, held his shoulder and kicked him in the back of the legs, buckling his knees.

  “On your knees. If you play along, you just might live to see another sunrise.”

  Thannis threw open the satchel with his incendiaries and tossed all of them out in front of him, ensuring he held the fuse wires in his hand. Each wire had been cut to a slightly different length.

  He pulled the horn-shaped relic from his hip and depressed the button on its handle as he held it up to his lips.

  “ATTENTION! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?!” Thannis spoke loudly into the device, and his voice echoed across the square at the screaming mob. He then siphoned a burst of energy into the fuse wires and threw them expertly over the heads of the rioters in front of him.

  They clanged off the shield wall like a shower of harmless gravel with bits of fizzling string attached to them.

  They landed amongst the feet of the two competing sides.

  “CRACK, CRACK, CRACK...” and on it went for over a dozen more detonating explosions, the force of which reverberated through the chests of everyone in the square, with each one emitting a flash of coloured smoke up into the air.

  People dived for cover, hundreds of eyes turned towards him, and even the fighting at the shield wall paused for a moment as they all checked themselves for wounds, yet found none, as Thannis had made the devices specifically for this purpose – to get people’s attention, not to maim or wound.

  “STOP FIGHTING! I HAVE THE MAN RESPONSIBLE!” Thannis pointed to his bound and kneeling father.

  “YOU’VE ALL BEEN TRICKED! STOP FIGHTING! THIS WAS ALL AN ELABORATE PLAN TO OVERTHROW THE THRONE! AND XINNISH SOLDIERS, HE MEANS TO BETRAY YOU ONCE THE FIGHTING IS DONE,” he continued yelling into the horn-shaped relic and his Jendar technology enhanced voice created a tense silence between the warring sides.

  “Ah, much better. I can turn this down now. Can you all hear me?” Thannis fiddled a brass knob on the loud-speaker device. “Yes, all right.”

  “Thannis Beau’Chant?!” a familiar voice yelled from behind the knights’ shield wall.

  “Ah, Senior Prefect Stonebridge,” Thannis continued speaking into the device, but at a more reasonable volume. “I was hoping you hadn’t bled out. Tell them, John, tell them how all of this was a plot to overthrow the throne.”

  “What’s he talking about!?” an angry voice yelled. No doubt the self-righteous and arrogant Sir Vyktor, if Thannis placed the voice right. The one-eyed Syklan was pointing his giant blade at Thannis accusingly.

  Thannis saw John Stonebridge push to the front of the shield wall. The rioters and the knights eyed each other warily, yet no-one made a move to re-join the fight.

  Thannis could see the hatred in John’s face and saw how much the senior prefect wanted to denounce everything Thannis said and find a way to kill him, yet Thannis thought he knew this man.

  “Come on, John, how many more people need to die here today because of my father’s scheming?” Thannis nodded down to his captive. “Don’t let your unwarranted hatred of me cloud your judgement. I have all the evidence you need right here,” he said as he tapped the messenger’s satchel. “All the dirty secrets the Beau’ Chants have been using to blackmail the other families. The secret payments he made, documented and then kept safe in case his fellow conspirators tried to turn on him and rat him out, along with all the cyphers needed to read each. There’s even the contracted agreement with the Vinda witch, Esmerak.” Thannis let the device drop from his lips so John could see him, and Thannis spoke directly to him, “You know what she could do, John. I did the world a favour by ending her. She has been in my head ever since I was a child. If I ever defied my father’s sick orders, she was there to force me to behave.”

  John was shaking his head, but Thannis knew he had won. He had sown just enough doubt to turn the tables.

  “He’s telling the truth.” John Stonebridge shook his head and ground his teeth but repeated it loud and clear to stop any further killing. “He’s telling the bloody truth!”

  The collective mob was stunned.

  “Take King Remus Beau’ Chant into custody!” John Stonebridge yelled over the silence.

  Two dangerous looking Syklan’s slowly walked through the crowd, making sure not to push anyone too hard and before long, the crowd began to move out of their way.

  “You cannot do this; my son was the one who murdered all those people. He enjoyed it!”

  “Tell it to the judge,” the large Syklan knight pulled Remus Beau’ Chant to his feet. “Though if those documents say you were behind the murder of High King Mihane, it won’t matter one bit.” The big man roughly marched Thannis’s father away into the crowd and was joined by half a dozen of the constabulary.

  John Stonebridge had pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Thannis now, watching him carefully.

  “Senior Prefect,” Thannis nodded to him respectfully, and there was no hint of mockery in it because he truly did respect this man. John Stonebridge was a man of singular intent and unique intellect.

  Thannis handed over the satchel of documents. “We’ll want to get into Keef’s quickly. I have no idea what the assassins will do now that their paymaster has been imprisoned. They still have Princess Echinni.”

  John was squinting at him in thought, and Thannis knew the man’s instincts must be straining against the evidence Thannis had just produced and was still raw about what happened between them earlier.

  “I’m sorry, John, it was self-defence. Your partner attacked me, I defended myself,” Thannis said and knew he might have mis-stepped.

  “You don’t get to talk about her,” John growled. “This isn’t over, and I’m taking you in as well after this is done, but you bloody well know we need you to help get the ‘High Queen’ out of there now. The assassination of the High King has already happened.” Stonebridge was fuming, and Thannis could see the man was barely restraining himself from going for his weapon.

  “Yes,” Thannis said evenly. “You do need me, now more than ever if the High King is already dead. Unfortunate, I have a way to deal with this new threat to the west, a way to end the invasion from this foreign Kutsal Empire.”

  John seemed taken aback by that, and Thannis was pleased he was keeping the Senior Prefect off balance.

  It was then Sir Vyktor pushed his way up to Keef’s doors. “Open these bloody doors and release the High Queen or we are going to execute every last one of you in there!”

  “Good to see we have such high political acumen at our disposal,” Thannis whispered conspiratorially to John but was disappointed not to get any reaction from the man.

  It was then he heard a familiar whine begin to rise behind him and his new symbiotic companion began to thrum upon his chest almost in pain.

  It took him a moment to recognise the sound and where he had heard it before.

  “No!” an angry voice yelled, and the high-pitched whine grew to a shriek. “He’s a murdering lying bastard!”

  Her angry words broke whatever spell Thannis had cast on the crowd and rekindled the bubbling anger that had been temporarily halted.

  Naira O’Bannon, Thannis growled to himself, and a primal hunger grew within him. She was prey which had gotten away from him.

  “Get back in position, O’Bannon!” a strong military voice called.

  Thannis searched for the surge in the crowd because he could feel what was coming.

  It was time to fight.

  He saw her then, shoving people out of her way. Naira’s eyes shone with righteous anger, and Thannis grinned in anticipation, his hands yearned to grab his knives. Yet, in a small corner of his mind, he knew he could not make the first move, not with an audience like this, so he forced himself to remain still.

  “Restrain your people, John,” Thannis said loudly. Though every fibre of his body wanted her to charge him
so he could taste that unique energy beneath her skin.

  “O’ Bannon put that weapon-” John held his hand up to forestall Naira but then had to cover his ears as the piercing sound emanating from her screamed an octave higher and threatened to burst ear-drums.

  “No!” Naira screamed, and then to everyone’s amazement, she vanished right before their very eyes.

  Thannis gasped as he felt more than heard someone behind him.

  “Die!” Naira yelled.

  Thannis felt cold steel slide into his gut, and his good mood suddenly evaporated as he felt Naira twist the knife, yet as the gelatinous ooze warmed on his chest, he knew just how he could twist things to his advantage.

  41 - No More Running

  The most remarkable ability to date has manifested itself in a young girl in Test Site A-2, the new village created by the second son of the elder in Test Site A. This girl has apparently used quantum coupling somehow to step outside our time and space.

  Uruz observed the girl in one place and then reappear nearly one hundred yards away in a split second.

  Close analysis of the recording of this event has revealed the young girl was actually in both positions at the same-time for 3 milliseconds.

  Another sign of the Tiden Raika manifesting itself?

  -Journal of Robert Mannford, Day 084 Year 39

  Naira

  Square outside Keef’s Tavern, New Toeron, Bauffin

  Naira gasped as she felt the blade push into Thannis’s gut. She felt it skip off a rib near his spine, and she saw the shock on his face. She twisted the blade to inflict maximum damage.

  “What have–” Thannis tried to say but was cut off as a spout of blood burst from his mouth.

  “Die!” Naira screamed in his face. She brought her foot up and push-kicked Thannis off her blade. He fell to the ground. Her heart pounded hard, and blood and rage surged through her like a hurricane.

  “This place was meant to be my dream! Meant to be the end of men like you thinking they can do whatever they want to people like me!” Naira spat at the gasping figure laying on the cobblestones. Shock still covered Thannis’s face as he stared back up at her.

  The Academy had meant to be her new beginning, the place where she could finally stop bowing to the horrible people of the world. It was meant to be the place where a person could claw back some respect for themselves after getting kicked all their life. Thannis had taken that from her, so she had killed him for it.

  “She’s killed him!?” a man from the crowd yelled sounding confused and outraged.

  “That was the Prince of Nothavre! He said he knew who was behind the killings!” a woman with a Xinnish accent yelled. “Why did she do that?”

  “Who is she?” someone else yelled.

  “Just some soldier! Why did she kill Prince Thannis?”

  “Grab that man!” Jerome Dangstrom yelled, pointing to a bound man sprinting into the crowd.

  Remus Beau’Chant had somehow gotten loose of his Syklan guards in the confusion and was making a run for it.

  “Stop him, that was the man who started all this!” another voice screamed.

  It was then Remus Beau’Chant slammed into a woman’s shoulder trying to bar his way. His foot caught as he barged past and sent him reeling off balance and straight onto the spear of a nearby soldier.

  The King of Nothavre’s eyes widened in surprise as the force of his run skewered him. The man holding the spear let go in confused horror, having had no intention of killing the fleeing man.

  Naira watched Remus Beau’Chant pitch sideways from the blow which she already knew was fatal. The spear had been driven up past his ribs and into his lungs.

  Confusion, hysteria and deafening noise descended upon them.

  Naira’s moment of triumph began to evaporate as she looked into the angry and bewildered eyes of the mob around her.

  “They were both the murderers!” Naira yelled. “It was both of them all along! You don’t understand!”

  “Where’s your proof?! The man you just killed said he had proof, and you murdered him for it. Are you covering this up?” someone yelled angrily.

  “No! No! It’s not like that–” Naira tried to explain. It was all going wrong. She had felt vindicated against the violation Thannis had inflicted upon her, but now that was gone, and she was left gaping at the mess she had made all around her.

  A rock flew from within the crowd and struck the side of her head.

  Naira staggered, dropping to a knee.

  Angry yells from those all around her erupted, she felt something warm flow down the side of her head and across her cheek. She put a hand down to the ground to stop from falling flat on her face.

  “Who threw that! By the gods, you’ll pay for that!” Jerome Dangstrom roared at the crowd as he strode up beside her, forcing himself between her and the mob which had pushed in around her and Thannis.

  She took a shuddering breath, but then saw something flash from beneath Thannis’s coat. His body shuddered, and Naira watched, horrified, as he rolled away from her and began to get up.

  “No!” Naira tried to yell, but her words came out sluggish. “No, you have to be dead.” Naira rose to her feet unsteadily and slammed an elbow into a man’s face who tried to grab her. “Get back! He’s trying to escape!”

  “Keep her away from me!” Thannis yelled, looking for all the world like a frightened victim.

  Naira knew better, she fought through her dizziness and forced herself to stand. Blood dripped onto her shoulder from her head wound.

  The crowd responded to Thannis’s miraculous rise. They cheered his recovery and moved to help him. Angry calls for her capture and death rang out all around them.

  In the back of Naira’s mind, she knew Thannis was acting, and that he had read the crowd perfectly. He had said just what they wanted to hear, somehow twisting circumstance to make him look like the good guy. How can he be alive! The thought screamed through her mind.

  “The prince lives!” a woman yelled, and a cheer rose up from those around Thannis.

  “Naira! Don’t!” someone yelled from behind her. Matoh. She thought. That had been Matoh.

  And it was then Naira felt the energy rise and begin to scream its high-pitched keening through her once again. Her body vibrated, and she knew what had to be done.

  She had to kill him. Damn the consequences, because deep down in her soul she knew Thannis enjoyed the killing, she had seen it in his eyes when he had grabbed her. He loved every minute of it and whatever lies he had found to confuse everyone with didn’t matter. He had to die.

  The energy reached its high pitch. She felt her body sing and move into the in-between state she was beginning to understand.

  “Naira! No!” Matoh yelled from behind her, and in her mind’s eye, Naira could almost see Matoh trying to reach her, trying to push through the confused mob around her and Thannis.

  She let the energy take her, and her body flashed out of existence and shot forward after Thannis. She flashed back into the world right behind him, her arm already swinging her sword for his throat.

  “Got you,” Thannis said as he whirled.

  His one hand slapped her blade away almost contemptuously, and Naira saw the big hunting knife in his other hand flash across her vision. Something burned as it tore across her throat. She felt warm fluid flow down onto her chest, and the screaming energy coursing through her was sucked away.

  “Naira!” Matoh’s scream was desperate.

  “He’s beaten her! The prince lives, he’s beaten his would-be murderer!” a happy voice cried from the mob around them. “All hail–”

  “NOOOO!” a horrible wail tore out of Matoh, and the pain in that cry made Naira’s tears flow one last time as she felt her life slipping away.

  Naira closed her eyes and let Lady Death claim her as the whole world seemed to explode in shattered rock and white electric light.

  42 - Symbiote and Promises

  Questions haunt my waking thou
ghts and follow me into my dreams.

  Did I follow the path of the Tiden Raika or alter it?

  What if the destructive path humanity was on was meant to be?

  Were we meant to self-destruct so that something new could grow naturally from the ashes?

  -Journal of Robert Mannford Day 101 Year 60

  Thannis

  Square outside Keef’s Tavern, New Toeron, Bauffin

  The world exploded in white light as the screaming knight seemed to pull a bolt of lightning right out of the sky. The entire square was engulfed in energy, and the shockwave of the power blew people right off their feet, but the bulk of the electrical onslaught flew straight at Thannis.

  The electric force smashed into him like a hammer blow, and with some sort of instinct, the symbiote on Thannis’s chest reacted immediately, siphoning in with such speed and healing him as he took damage at the same time. He felt his skin burning and healing almost at the same time. It was agony, but he was living through it. Thannis recovered enough to tuck into a roll as the force threw him backwards.

  Finally, the burst of energy dissipated, and he was left looking at the man who had called the lightning. Thannis had never seen anything like it in his life. The man should be a smoking hole in the ground, but there he stood, seemingly unscathed and staring bloody murder at him.

  Thannis tried to catch his breath and saw he was nearly a dozen yards from Naira O’Bannon’s bleeding form.

  Hundreds of people lay gasping for air, stunned or knocked unconscious on the ground around him. Some even had clothes which were still smoking and more than a few had severe burns.

  Any further thoughts of continuing the battle and riot had been flattened in one massive, decisive blow, both sides had the shocked look of those just wanting to survive another few heartbeats.

  Thannis got to his feet but then noticed the door to Keef’s Tavern had been thrown open. Three figures were watching him with malice and intent. Two had swords drawn, one dark and shimmering, the same blade Esmerak had said marked the Arbiter, and the other sword massive and golden with archaic runes running its length and glowing blue.