by Ania Bo
“It looks like it’s time for us to leave,” Dwade said to Shasta.
“Yes, it is,” she replied.
Since the battle, something strange had taken over Shasta, and for the first time since they met, Dwade couldn’t reach her. Something dark surrounded her heart that wouldn’t allow Dwade to penetrate through. She was like a wild animal, ready to lash out at any second. It was obvious she wasn’t in control of herself anymore. Her tone was harsh, her attitude was wild, and even her energy burned like a fire. Every time she talked, it sounded like someone else was talking and sometimes she was screaming and doubled over with pain. During those moments even Dwade saw the energy flow in her body. Lucidum described the situation to Dwade as the transformation of the Balance. Nature was uploading energy into her body to prepare her for something about to come. Dwade was upset to see her in such pain.
Desperate, Dwade gave up trying to make conversation with Shasta. He had to do something, and he needed all the help he could get. He took out the little bird Kajleh had given him. He could have used the captain’s help several times along their journey, but he always waited as if he knew worse was coming. Now he knew he needed help. With the hope of Kajleh supporting balance against the Chancellor, he rubbed the bird against his Kama and threw it up into the sky. The bird landed at his feet, and a hologram appeared before Dwade and Shasta. As clear as day, there was Kajleh standing in an obviously practiced pose.
“Hello, Protector! Nice to see you again. How may I serve you and the Balance?”
Dwade tried to hide his astonishment as he stared at Kajleh’s image. Here was another form of technology he had no idea existed. He reached out to touch Kajleh, but there was nobody, just an image hanging in the air. Oh my Balance, he thought. Then he realized from Kajleh’s reaction that he was seeing him, so Dwade tried to get a hold of himself, closing his mouth.
“Hello, Captain. I hope we can trust you. Things got messy. We were betrayed.” Dwade stared at Kajleh’s face to see his reaction. He hoped to understand if the captain was trustworthy.
There was no sign of surprise or confusion on his face, only sadness. “Which one, Protector? Han or Violen?” he calmly asked as if he had known from the beginning.
Dwade hung his head in anger. “Han.”
Kajleh nodded. “No surprise then, he has always been like a scared dog. What did he do?”
“He kidnapped the Regenerator and is on his way to the Chancellor now. Maybe he’s already arrived in Atlantis. I think from the beginning the Chancellor was playing us like pawns. When we ran after Han, a small contingent of Dvay and Jatuk was waiting to take him. The Chancellor doesn’t want to protect the Regenerator. She wants the baby for herself.”
Kajleh gave a sardonic smile. “I am not surprised at all. That woman has always had mysterious and dark energy to her. And I heard so many stories about her sending Reader soldiers to Zaend lands, but nobody came back. I’m sad to hear the stories are true. What do we do, Protector? Do you have a plan? I am ready to serve you in the name of the Balance,” he said with a bow.
Dwade was surprised that Kajleh was so ready to turn on his leader, but he decided not to question it. Like always, even Kajleh knew more than Dwade since the beginning. Dwade remembered his words right before he gave him the little bird, Please, don’t trust anyone or anything, only your instincts, Protector. Your intuition will not fail you. Everything is not as it seems. Lucidum, Kajleh, and so many people tried to warn him through his journey, but he still failed. Dwade wished he had been more careful. It was too late now, and he needed all the help he could get to save the Regenerator. Hearing that Kajleh was ready to support him was a relief.
“The Zaend are with me, but we need more time to save the Regenerator. She could very well give birth soon. The war has already started or is about to start. If the Readers remain loyal to the Chancellor, Zeus will lose the battle, and they will kill every human they can find. If the number of existing humans dramatically decreases, the ones who can stay alive won’t be able to compensate for the energy that the Balance needs and they will die. I included. Then the Chancellor will have the baby. I need you to buy us time. I don’t know how but Zeus has to be supported to resist."
Kajleh was thoughtful, trying to come up with a plan. “The Chancellor has sent Kelleph’s units to the battle. His loyalty will lie with the Chancellor. That’s the problem with so many Readers. They trust and believe in Atlantis so much they never question anything the Chancellor does. They prefer believing in everything she does because it is easier and more convenient. She washed their brains to control them. They are deceived by the illusion of Great Atlantis and the Great Race of Balance. However, I can speak to my father. He is a wise man and a great soldier. The Chancellor was already thinking about sending in a second unit, and my father may be able to convince her to send him and his men to the battle. There he can help Zeus and buy us some time.”
Dwade was somewhat relieved. “Thank you. And there is one more thing, do you know where they might be keeping the Regenerator?”
“I imagine the Chancellor won’t let her out of her sight. You’d do best to search her private quarters.”
“Right.” Dwade paused for a moment as he tried to formulate a plan. “Can I ask you for something very important?”
“Anything you like. I am at your service.”
“I’m not certain what the outcome of the battle will be, and I don’t even want to think about what will happen if the humans are destroyed. On the chance that everything takes a turn for the worse, I want you to take into your ship as many people as you can from every race, by force if necessary. I promise that we will get the Regenerator safely to your ship, but we must try to save as many people as we can from every race. Nobody really knows what may happen if one race is annihilated, we have to be prepared for anything.”
Kajleh nodded. “What you say shall be done, Protector. I am on my way to start my duty. May the Balance protect you and enlighten your way.” He saluted the Protector and the small bird sucked the image of Kajleh back into itself.
Drawing a deep breath, Dwade allowed himself to relax. He was a bit more relieved now. Although he knew Kajleh wouldn’t be able to hear him anymore, he saluted the brave commander as he said, “May the Balance protect you, Kajleh.” From now on, it was almost impossible to stop the war, and Zeus might have a chance of winning it, and even if not, Kajleh would see to it that some lives would be spared. He bent down to pick up the bird and placed it back in his pocket.
“Dwade,” Shasta called.
He looked at her and approached tentatively. This new Shasta scared him, and he no longer knew what to expect from her. Lucidum was busy gathering his troops, so he had no one to turn to for advice. He had to figure out how to deal with Shasta on his own. He remembered the day when the Chancellor had connected them, mixing their blood so they would become one. He held onto that memory and his belief that he could help Shasta overcame whatever it was that had consumed her.
“Take my hand,” she said. Dwade took a deep breath and held her hand as Shasta closed her eyes. He did the same, and when his eyes were tightly shut, he noticed a wave of energy as scalding as the Zaend’s hot springs flowed from Shasta to him. His organs seemed to boil in his hot blood, and he tried to pull away from Shasta to relieve the pain, but she held tightly.
What’s going on inside of you? he asked as the pain continued, but she didn’t give him an answer. His vision was obscured by darkness, and he felt himself falling into one of Shasta’s visions. The world had been destroyed, and the land was dried and cracked. Suddenly, a tree grew up from a single seed that had somehow survived the searing heat, and the shade from this tree gave peace to Dwade’s spirit. Then a cold wind threw Dwade from Shasta’s vision. Opening his eyes, he waited for her to explain the vision to him, but she continued to hold his hand and would not let go as though there was more she wanted to show him. Dwade obediently closed his eyes once more.
What he saw
next was difficult to describe. It was as though they were traversing between dimensions and had ended up in a black void. With every step, they passed through a chain of possibilities and an infinite number of futures. As they walked on rapidly over very fragile layers of time, they were surrounded by years of destruction and generation after generation filled with pain and uncertainty. There was nothing but pain.
And then the vision ended. Dwade opened his eyes to meet Shasta’s frightening stare. He searched her eyes with a renewed fear. “If there is a border between us and madness, I think you’ve crossed it,” he told her. Her visions were so strong, and he understood she was seeing them all the time. Her perception wasn’t only for this world but for more. She had started to see twelve dimensions which meant the end was closer than Dwade thought. The universe wasn’t showing her the way anymore, it was screaming for help.
Shasta rose with a look of indifference. The barrier between her and Dwade was as rigid as any wall. “If you held within your soul not only the pain and frustration of every living being but of every creature that had ever walked this earth, you’d be far worse off than I am now.” She turned and walked briskly away, not even bothering to tell Dwade where she was headed.
He desperately followed her, afraid to leave her alone, and soon they caught sight of Lucidum as he barked orders at his many commanders. Shasta approached Lucidum without a thought to the other commanders who were vying for his attention. “The battle will begin soon. We must leave as soon as possible before Zeorgan and Violen make it to Atlantis.”
Lucidum gave her a confirming nod then turned to his soldiers and ordered, “Let all troops be ready to take off in an hour.” Upon hearing their leader’s commands, they quickened their pace and took care of final preparations. Lucidum looked at Shasta and nodded approvingly. He gave a wave toward Dwade indicating he should come forward, and he leaned to whisper in his ear. “The strongest form of the Visionary Reader is now among us. Do not fear her but delight in what the Balance has created.”
Although Dwade did not quite understand what Lucidum was talking about, he nodded, but he couldn’t find delight as the Zaend leader suggested. This wasn’t the Shasta he had come to love, and it killed him to see her so filled with torment.
An hour later, the entire army had taken off on their dragons. Shasta and Dwade rode at the front of the host on Lucidum’s dragon. The sky was suddenly filled with fluttering green wings. Some of the larger dragons carried in their claws large cages which contained warriors atop giant deer. The size of the army lent hope to Dwade. With these numbers, maybe they could stop the Chancellor before the humans were wiped out. He was trying to find meaning in all that had occurred, but nothing made sense. For what did the Chancellor and her allies risk the existence, why were people still loyal to a leader who was evil? Was the real problem the humans’ population or did they plan something worse? He had no answers, and he was in a fight for no reason he could fathom. The only thing he knew was he had to do everything in his power to create a better world.
After flying the whole night and into the next morning, Lucidum’s dragon was approached by a pair of familiar wings. Zeorgan smiled and waved as Dwade tried to catch Violen’s gaze. She smiled with genuine happiness, and he couldn’t wait to hear of news from Zeus’ army. The news must be good, they are happy, he thought.
Filled with hundreds of wings, the sky was about to fall dark over Atlantis. Unsurprisingly, the alarms sounded on the island at their approach; Atlantis prepared its defenses. Their entrance into Atlantis was anything but covert, and a protective shield enveloped the island like a glass hemisphere. Soon after, ten aircraft lifted from the city center. They floated above the city and looked as if they were sizing up the intruders.
A loud humming sounded, and small lights appeared on the sides of the ships. It took a moment for Dwade to comprehend what was happening, but by the time he understood, they had already opened fire. Many of the dragons were forced to barrel roll out of the way as the shots flew past them. Some of those Zaends who tried to lead their mounts to the ground were cut off by another stream of fired shots. The dragons struck fell on Atlantis’ protection shield, their bodies appearing to hover in mid-air. The Readers would not let the dragons head for the safety of land.
When Lucidum’s dragon shot a ball of fire at the clear barrier, causing little to no damage, he saw the wounded and dead dragons on the shield. The anger in his heart turned into a fire in his eyes. He shouted at the ships as if the Readers within them could hear. “You leave me no other choice, Readers. So be it! Zaends, get ready to attack!” He put both hands up and moved them left and right, up and down, until he caught a rhythm. The blue and white force field that was formed covered the front of the entire Zaend army. Thanks to this defensive shield, the Zaends were no longer affected by the firing aircraft. Their shots exploded into great fiery lights as they hit Lucidum’s barrier.
With the force field in front of them, the Zaend army approached the shield surrounding Atlantis while the Readers’ airships continued to fire unsuccessfully. Looking down, Dwade and Shasta saw the panic that spread throughout Atlantis. There were Readers running through the streets as they tried to reach the safety of their homes while soldiers marched obediently to their designated posts.
“You think you are prepared for this, Amel, but this old man has many tricks hidden even from you,” Lucidum snarled. He lifted his right hand, and forty dragons formed a circle around a single spot above the barrier. When Lucidum dropped his hand, they all let out a concentrated stream of fire as Lucidum chanted, “Infinite heat that powers existence and ensures destruction, overcomes all impediments and make way for the Balance.”
Once Lucidum completed his words, the defensive shield surrounding Atlantis cracked under the dragons’ fire, and a wide hole opened. It was big enough to fit five dragons at a time. Dwade witnessed the magic and true power of good souls. He had no fear in his heart anymore. He didn’t even care if they would win or lose the war. He knew they were fighting in the name of existence and balance of the twelve, there couldn’t be a higher aim in the universe. He was ready for anything now. He just hoped Shasta was too. He glanced at her to see there was no expression on her face. Dwade held her hand in hopes to feel something from her since he didn’t know what she was thinking anymore.
On Lucidum’s signal, the army rapidly entered through the hole, protected by Lucidum’s shield, and darkened the skies of the splendid city of the Glass Pyramid. Dropping the cages they carried onto the ground, the dragons returned to the skies while the cages burst open, allowing over a thousand soldiers on the backs of deer to charge into the city streets. They wore imposing metal helmets while some carried swords and arrows, while others wielded spears and axes.
Making rapidly for the Glass Pyramid, the cavalry headed toward a wall of Readers who strangely stood still with one finger placed on their temples. Thinking that they could stop the advancing Zaends with their telepathic abilities, they concentrated, trying to break into their enemies’ minds, but to their surprise, the Zaends plowed on unaffected.
The Readers’ efforts caused a smile on the Zaend commander’s face. “Poor souls of the dark will be drawn to the light by the Balance Keepers,” he shouted to his soldiers, raising his sword while marching through Reader soldiers, Zaends started to sing the song of Zaend, “Keepers, keepers, keepers, we are the balance keepers!” The Readers were forced to take up their weapons as a last resort and instead used their telekinetic energy to throw objects into the advancing armies’ path.
Once all the dragons had entered the city, and the Readers were preoccupied with the battle, Lucidum and Zeorgan landed their dragons close to the Glass Pyramid. “Find the Regenerator, Protector. I think Shasta and Amel have some things they need to hash out. Keep yourselves safe. May the Balance protect you, our bold warriors.” Lucidum patted Shasta’s shoulder. She sneered at him darkly. Lucidum and Dwade nodded to each other as if they had had an unsaid agreement.
Dwade understood what Lucidum meant. He had to stay away from the Chancellor. Dealing with her was in Shasta’s power, not his.
Getting off the dragon, Violen quickly took off her suit and rushed to Dwade’s and Shasta’s sides. She embraced Dwade in a warm hug, and her eyes shone brightly, but when she went to greet Shasta, she stopped abruptly seeing a disturbing change in her friend. Dwade slightly moved his head and rolled his eyes to sign Violen to move on.
Zeorgan and Lucidum took off rapidly to join the battle. Lucidum shouted to Zeorgan with unrestrained glee. “Let’s teach a lesson to these young Readers who think we are too old for combat.” Zeorgan let out a laugh, and they both disappeared as they joined the other dragons fighting about the city.
Shasta, Violen, and Dwade began their own mission to find the Regenerator and confront the Chancellor. As they snuck through the Pyramid, it was not hard for them to avoid the Readers. Still, they had to kill three soldiers who noticed Dwade. Shasta didn’t move a finger to support them. Dwade and Violen had to fight until they killed them all.
As they rounded one of the corners of the Glass Pyramid to reach the entrance, Dwade halted, and the others ran into him as he pushed them back.
“What are you doing?” Violen asked.
“There are four soldiers guarding the entrance.” Dwade reached into his quiver and pulled out an arrow.
Violen reached out to touch his arm. “You can’t take out all four of them.”
“I know, but if I can get rid of one, there will be one left for each of us.” Violen relented, and Dwade drew back his bow. Violen held her breath as Shasta looked on with mild interest.
“I don’t think Shasta will be a real help, but let’s get on with it,” Violen said to Dwade, making him lose his concentration. He aimed for the soldier closest to him again, took a deep breath and let the arrow fly.
