Balmythra

by Linda Palmer

Chapter Thirty

  Battle for Balmythra

  "Gilmarden's ghost!" Cadrow's curse shocked me almost as much as the sight of the enemy, bearing killer weapons and headed straight toward us. Men, women, children—it made no difference. They were like androids heading our way, with one thing on their minds. Murder.

  I turned to yell, "Run!" but there was no need. All the poPs, Ionians, and Sairons had scattered, dashing for whatever cover the surrounding boulders provided. Cadrow and I did the same, accompanied by bursts of gunfire so loud my ears rang. I don't know how they kept from killing us all in the first few moments of attack.

  Instinctively ordering any Ionian who could to throw a psychic barrier against the barrage, I watched as it surged upwards, arching over us, a bullet-proof dome that shimmered like a mirage. The next round of ammunition ricocheted and littered the ground around us, though the explosions still deafened me.

  I relaxed slightly until I registered Cadrow's visible concern. "What?"

  "More Dagonel are exiting from the Xephyr Stream and headed this way." Spitting gunfire in the background made his words even scarier. "They're coming from Vannarius, too, ready to fight."

  Cadrow inserted the image directly into my mind. Instantly I envisioned military tanks rolling from the Stream. Following Cadrow’s inner guidance, I saw trucks and more heavily armored vehicles crossing the plain from Vannarius.

  My morale slipped more than a notch, and just for a second I felt like a helpless, teenaged poP again. "So many of them."

  "Too many." Cadrow's cool angst just made mine worse. "Surrender may be the only way. Perhaps we can then negotiate."

  Surrender and negotiate? As if. Frantically, I searched my memory bank for information I could use to persuade Cadrow otherwise. A rush of images resulted—images of Vannarians being murdered even as they gave themselves up to the enemy.

  I transmitted these disturbing visions to Cadrow’s mind. "We can't. They have no mercy."

  Completely at a loss, I did the only thing an eighteen-year-old Guardian with no experience could do—draw on the strength of all my people everywhere, something I'd never tried. A new surge of energy shuddered through the shaky shield, reinforcing it.

  But the Dagonel had violent weapons gentle Balmythra didn't know as well as minds sick enough to use them. Would our energy be enough to withstand attack?

  "Ah, the nexus." Cadrow had tipped his head back and was looking upward at the newly reinforced dome.

  An idea, sudden and clear, sent a thrill up my spine. "You know its power?"

  He nodded. "But even that won't prevent this invasion, Alleana. I fear Balmythra is doomed."

  How could he accept such a fate? "Not if you nexus with us." While my gesture included the Sairons present, I referred to inhabitants of the farthest corners of Balmythra, and Cadrow knew it. "All your people must join in!"

  Clearly surprised by the unique suggestion, Cadrow stared hard at me. I saw his eyes narrow speculatively, knew the exact instant he gave my idea real merit. "It's never been done before...."

  "No harm in trying." Without waiting for his answer, I transmitted the plan throughout the Ionian population. A tremendous wave of hope assured me that I was onto something.

  Cadrow, briefly allowing his own mind to join with mine, felt it as well. "All right. We'll help."

  I smiled my relief and thanks even as I glanced back at my people. My gaze landed on Matt, who still lay on the ground, but seemed to be better. Close by, Tirafalen drew her mist-self inward to coalesce into her human form. I could only hope the Ionian and Sairon nexus wouldn't hurt us.

  As I turned back to Cadrow, I caught sight of Rocc, doubled over in pain, face ashen. With a startled cry, I moved toward him, only to halt when comfort cascaded through my fear like a waterfall. Tirafalen.

  "No...I...you...will...do...care...what...for...you...him...must."

  I felt that unique motion sickness once again, but still guessed what Tir had just communicated: she'd take care of my brother. I turned to the other poPs, hunkered behind a boulder and watching Rocc anxiously. "Kenny, will you and John help Tirafalen?"

  Both nodded and edged toward her. Closing my eyes to the chaos, I forced my mind to shift to that inner stillness I’d achieved while in the void. It wasn't easy with all that noise—gunfire, shouts, screams—but I still managed a strong link with my people, proof I was getting better at it. In seconds, the Sairons joined us, resulting in a unique mingling of the familiar with the foreign.

  After just a few moments of this, I once again felt Tirafalen's presence intruding in my thoughts. "Rocc...I...will...could...join...okay...also...nexus...."

  Join the nexus? Tirafalen?

  "No!" I blurted aloud, fighting the immediate vertigo that undoubtedly resulted from this mind sharing. I experienced an involuntary shudder throughout the Ionian nexus and guessed I wasn’t the only one affected by the intrusion of Tirafalen’s tumbling thoughts. I noted that the Sairon connection seemed oddly unaffected by it. "Thanks, but I'd really rather you just looked after the guys."

  I tried to refocus, but was again distracted, this time by the sight of the Dagonel charging the barrier. Men and women alike attacked, their eyes burning with hate, their faces scary to see. And though their efforts failed for now, the tanks and trucks were now in sight, bringing reinforcements.

  I closed my eyes and redoubled my attempt to reach the deepest part of my psyche. Finally attaining it, I opened up my mind completely. I felt a wave of joy that didn't match the situation. And though my eyes were shut, I knew my ring's glow had intensified and expanded outward.

  We have to work together. On my signal…

  My thought shot through the collective consciousness of Ionians and Sairons alike—one giant mind thinking one single thought. A power surge put me at the center of our universe. I'd never felt so totally connected, so alive.

  "They’re in!" John shouted in obvious panic. "They’ve broken through!"

  I didn't have to look to see what happened next. Clearly emblazoned in my brain were the Dagonel, plowing through the energy field on foot, in trucks, and in tanks. I saw more closing in from behind us. In fact, thousands of the enemy swarmed the mountain, surrounding everyone.

  My consciousness hovered like a cloud over the scene, letting me see everything with crystal clarity even though my eyes were closed. My heart hammered. My concentration slipped. I pulled myself together with difficulty and, using everything I had, gave one last mental and verbal shout.

  "Disarm them!"

  A tremendous explosion shattered my trance. My eyes flew open. Blinding light burst from my ring, at first copper in color and then so brightly white that it momentarily blinded me. An eerie silence fell over us. I saw that Dagonel bodies were strewn everywhere amongst immobile attack vehicles.

  "You did it!" Kenny leapt into the air, pumping his fist. "Your ring zapped them."

  Gasping, I shaded my eyes and took in the amazing sight of hundreds of people—Sairons and Ionians alike—congratulating one another. Several rushed to speak to me, smiling, laughing, and offering congratulations. As the world heaved a collective sigh of relief, peace settled over me. I began laughing, too, but not for long.

  Black shadows now oozed from the victims and spread across the ground. I knew what could happen next.

  "Watch out for those!" I pointed to the parasitic entities headed our way. "Don’t let them touch you."

  Cadrow's gaze found what I was talking about. His eyes widened in shock. "Umbrae? But this is impossible..."

  Even as he denied their existence, one of the shadows reached an Ionian senior, who instantly tried to stomp it off his feet and legs. He failed, of course. The shadow quickly engulfed him until his face flushed and rage flashed in his eyes. Strangling, he dove at Cadrow, who easily sidestepped him.

  "Your Sairon arrogance caused this disaster!" The old man stumbled on some loose stones and fell hard. I noted the horrified disbelief of my fellow Ionian
s. Remembering how I'd attacked Jor, I sent out a mental order for positive thoughts to protect the others from shadow penetration.

  Clearly baffled by this turn of events, Cadrow bent over the unconscious old man and felt for a pulse. The black entity immediately slithered up his arm.

  I tried to shove it off me.

  But Cadrow simply shook his arm, dumping the thing on the ground, where it then lay inert. Stunned, I swiftly assimilated two facts at once: these umbrae did not affect Sairons, and, with the help of positive energy, the Ionians were holding them off.

  But what about the Nodyrans?

  I pivoted to see black shadows attacking Tirafalen, Rocc, and the poPs.

  "Watch out!" I screamed even as the Sunsanean transformed herself and engulfed us all in her protective mist.

  The moment her mist touched the shadows, they writhed and slithered away, but not before I saw that gaping holes, like acid burns, now marred their creepy silhouettes.