Chapter 28

The Siege of Aledo (public domain)

Ony'a takes a hold of Erut and together they force their way through the fighters to get to the center of the Temple courtyard. There Ony'a combines the three compounds from the ritual stuffing them into small sack. She ties those off and lights one on its way into the crowd. It blows up and leads to an opening to the temple. She yells at her brother Lagos to gather everyone inside. Thinking they were now safe, they quickly realize they are now trapped inside and will be put under siege just as Lyrin's people were earlier.

A snippet:

Lagos was near the entrance and heard the blast. He turned around to catch a glimpse of his sister. She was shouting and pointing toward the temple.

“Get everyone inside the temple, now!” she shouted. “C’mon!” she said to Erut and to any other Myshkan nearby who could hear her. She headed toward the temple grabbing fellow worshippers as she went. She stopped to lob another handmade grenade opening a path closer to the temple doors. Lagos got the idea and started moving people toward the doors. Another few explosions and Ony’a had a large number of Myshkans at the door and was heading inside. She guided them inside then went back to the door to help get as many as they could get inside. Lagos was there fighting off the Kevutians while he helped to push his own people inside. It wasn’t long before the Kevutians figured out the plan and their officers barked orders to stop anyone else from getting inside. They formed a barrier of shock wands and short swords and the flow of incoming Myshkans was promptly stopped. The soldiers prepared to storm the doors.

Ony’a looked toward her brother. “Get inside and bolt the doors we can’t let the soldiers in here.”

Lagos looked out beyond the doors and saw that his sister was right. Once the Kevutians established a barrier to keep the others out they tasked a band of soldiers with getting inside the temple as well. He pulled on one of the heavy wooden doors to get it closed.

“Get the other door,” Lagos yelled.

Ony’a ran to the other door and pulled hard on it until it began to move. They moved toward each other and tugged on the doors as Kevutian soldiers reached them and tried to pull the doors back open. Seeing that the two were struggling, others joined in the fight to get the door closed. The combined force of the people inside was working and the doors once again moved to a closing position. Kevutian soldiers tried to stick their wands and swords between the doors. Some of them even found they had placed body parts like arms and legs in the path of the closing doors and were panicking at the sight of the two great doors coming together. Myshkans worked feverishly to get the weapons and appendages back through to the other side. At the same time the people inside heard their own people on the other side of the doors call out to them when they realized they were about to be shut out. It broke Ony’a’s heart to hear them and she could feel the panic run through her like a shock, but there was little they could do. When the doors were nearly closed she heard a roar and a rumble come from the other side.

“Wait!” called Lagos and the door stopped moving. He listened. Again the grumbling sound was heard. “Open the doors. Quick!” he demanded. “Open the doors!”

“What?” Ony’a called out.

“Just do it!”

Ony’a pulled back on the door just as Lagos did the same. Some of the Kevutian soldiers fell inside from the sudden change of direction. Ony’a and a few others took advantage of their surprise and threw them back out beyond the doors. Lagos was looking into the crowd. Ony’a followed his gaze and saw a furrow being plowed through the line of soldiers.

“Is that...” Ony’a asked.

“Yes!” replied Lagos.

Flying through the line like an arrow through water appeared the hulking mass of Lyrin. He was pushing and shoving his way through and though many shock tips and sword were directed towards him he deflected them off as if they were no more than bothersome leaves falling in the forest.

Chapter 27

The great ritual scheduled for the Day of Awakening is about to begin. Ony'a takes in the view with awe. It has been so long since the ritual was actually allowed to take place. Lagos is nervous about leading the ritual but is ready to begin. Ony'a promises Erut they will leave before the light grows too bright so that no one will see him there. Lagos prepares the three sacred elements before him and begins the ritual which includes blessing each person assembled. Before he can too far, however, the rising sunlight reveals the presence of two banners representing the leader of the Kevutian invasion force: Yavech Yaves. He and the others are infuriated and attack the temple. Heavy fighting ensues as the Kevutian soldiers were hiding nearby.

A sample of the manuscript:

Lagos put his arms down and turned around. Before him was the temple. A swath of bright light had worked its way from its base and was rising up the columns and the front portico the way water can fill a dry and thirsty river bed. As it climbed it revealed the soft undulations of two large banners attached to the front columns. The banners were colored a light red with gold markings in its middle. The breezes were soft so the banners moved slowly and made little noise but their great size assured that they fluttered in great rolls and waves. The gold inscriptions were bright enough to send flickers of light out into the few remaining shadows and onto the faces of the onlookers. The constant folding and unfolding of the banners made it difficult to make out the full shapes of their symbols and all the faces below were trying to decipher its shape and significance.

“Oh no,” whispered Erut in a hushed but deeply troubled voice.

Ony’a looked up toward the banners and studied the shape that was trying to assemble itself in the moving breeze. “What is that?”

“The Double ‘Y’ Diamond.”

“Double ‘Y’?” Ony’a thought about it for a moment then looked at Erut. “Yavech Yeves, the Supreme Magnate of the Conglomerate?”

“Yes.”

Ony’a could see the same thought process going in on the head of her brother until the realization came to him.

“The Banner of the Conglomerate on the walls of our most sacred temple?” He called out to the crowd. “This is a sacrilege!”

Erut tugged on Ony’a’s bodysuit. “You better get to him before he goes into an outrage.”

Ony’a grabbed on to Erut and started pushing her way through the crowd. “We may already be too late.”

Ony’a did her best to ramrod her way through the pack of confused faces with one hand and hang on to Erut with the other while Erut did his best not to get pressed between two or more increasingly angry Myshkans. Ony’a knew she was already too late. Lagos’ temper was lit and its heat was spreading. He was stirring up the emotions of all those around him. The feelings of horror and disgust were palpable and growing. Before she could even reach him, he had already started to lead a flow of people toward the columns.

Chapter 26

Ony'a has another dream. She sees her father again leading a battle: what her people used to call the Feuds. They were battles fought between provinces long before the invasion. The Masters encouraged them to have these feuds to keep the people fit. They were like a kind of competitive game but the fighting was real They fought for glory, honor, and the banner that proclaimed their province the best. They may not have fought to the death but they did fight to win and sometimes that meant injuries, sometimes fatal ones.

This dream, however, turns different. Ony'a sees a stranger in the distance. It seems to be trying to warn her. She does not understand until she sees a horde of fighting Kevutians coming her way. Mixed in with them are several strong and determined mercenaries from the planet Pa'Crolas. They are powerful fighters as well.

She wakes to find herself at the house of Moku, the merchant and Myshkan spy. She tells him of her dream. He explains to her about the Crolats and opines that there may be someone out there trying to send her a message.

From the chapter:

Then she sees the cause of the hysteria. Following the rush is a horde of people she has never encountered. They are large with long dark hair pulled high and tight into a round knot at the tops of their heads. They are full of muscles and their dark brown skin is adorned with dark wavy and curled lines. They cry out a high pitched wail as they run towards her and the fleeing fighters. They carry pointed spikes and swing them above their heads. Mixed within their frightful ranks are scores of Kevutian soldiers with their ubiquitous shock wands. As they move toward her the sky opens above. Dark projectiles rain down through the canopy of dipda branches and kova leaves. Her people are hurt, injured, killed. Those not hurt by the falling debris are chased and attacked by the Kevutians and the strangers that have joined them. Her comrades fight brave and strong but they are no match against the sheer number of attackers–both large and small–the debilitating surges of electrical energy, and the speed and fury of the missiles. They are cut down, captured, destroyed. And through it all she is unable to offer aid or defense. She is blown about by tides of movement, but is unable to affect change herself. She prepares to fight but can do nothing. She cries out in anguish.

Her body bolted upright in the bed and sent layers of blankets flying. Her face was locked in horror. Her arms flailed trying to defend herself but there was no one there in the room with her. She stopped swinging and relaxed. The room she was in was small but comfortable. Its walls were hard stone but the flickering torchlights attached to them softened their texture. Tapestries hung along most of them adding to the peaceful effect. The bed, too, was small but high and soft. Thick plush quilts and sheets lay about her in a heap and drifted down to the soft carpeted floor. All the gentle lines and airy textures so carefully placed in the room and its furnishings helped Ony’a relax and settle into her surroundings–until a knock came at the door.

She gasped and her body jolted before she caught herself. She knew she was still within the influence of her dream and struggled to gain control. She focused on her breath and a feeling of inner warmth. A second knock came and she barely reacted.

“Come in?” she said with some uncertainty. She still was not sure where she was and who might be on the other side. The door opened gingerly.

“Excuse me,” said a voice pushing the door aside. “I thought I heard sounds. Are you alright?”

Of course, the house of Beyna-Moku nestled within the rock face of the gorge in Kodok province, it all came back to her.  After the leadership meeting Moku had invited her and Lagos to stay with him. Since she and her brother had no place to go and since Moku and his wife lived so close to the temple, it made sense to accept his gracious offer.

Ony’a collected herself. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry to have woken you.”

“Oh, think nothing of it.” Moku looked at her. Lines of stress remained etched into her face. “Bad dream?”

Chapter 25

The Ambassador meets with the Myshkans and tells them the new maceoran will allow them to have their annual ritual at the Day of Awakening. They debate whether or not they should go through with the ritual without the Masters as was the tradition. They have not celebrated the ancient ritual since the invasion. Lagos describes his revelation about the independence of the Myshkan people and encourages them to go through with the ceremony. They decide to go through with it.

Here is a bit of the chapter:

“Are you sure, Ambassador?” Avin asked the man seated at the head of the conference table.

“Yes, I am quite sure. I just spoke with her recently and I was assured that we could celebrate the Day of Awakening at the Temple.”

“This is great news,” beamed Ony’a. “We can once again hold our most sacred ritual in its rightful...”

“Just a moment,” Mirov broke in. “I didn’t ask permission to engage in any extensive ritual.”

“Why not?” asked Avin.

Ambassador Mirov looked down the length of the conference table at the faces staring back at him. To his right sat the majority of the Myshkan Leadership: the representative commander from each province except Lukva. To his immediate left sat Lagos who had been asked to join this meeting because of his recent raid. He, in turn, asked that Ony’a, Lyrin, and Erut be allowed to join him. Getting Ony’a and Lyrin to sit at the table was not a problem, but the appearance of Erut was making a few attendees uncomfortable.

Mirov straightened himself. “I had only just met the new maceoran. I did not want to strain the relationship.”

Lyrin’s thunderous voice cut across the room as he leaned forward. “Strain the relationship? She’s a maceoran. You think she’s going to invite you over for tea now? Maybe you two will talk about the latest design in bodysuits while you nibble on cookies.”

On the other side of the table from the him the commanders of the other provinces gave Lyrin an incredulous look. Lagos, trying hard not to laugh, saw them and then shot his friend a look as well, one that asked him to kindly hold his tongue. Lyrin settled back into his chair.

“What was your impression of the maceoran?” Ony’a asked the ambassador.

“She’s stiff and formal, but tolerant. She seems to be most concerned with maintaining order,” Mirov responded.

“Well, if that is the case,” said Lagos. “The re-institution of our sacred rituals may be in line with that goal. Do you know anything more about his new maceoran, uh…”

“She calls herself Rin,” Mirov added.

Lagos nodded to the ambassador. “Do you know anything about this maceoran Rin, Erut?”

Erut glanced at the faces looking in his direction. It was hard not to miss the animosity that prowled just behind the eyes of many of them. “I’m just a lijun. I know very little about the goings-on in the halls of the officers and leadership.”

Chapter 24

A new maceoran has arrived on Myshka and Ambassador Mirov is on the way to meet her. They discuss the upcoming celebration of the Day of Awakening. The new Maceoran Rin also tells the ambassador that she plans to make improvements to all the systems and establishments of the planet much to the ambassador's delight.

A snippet:

The maceoran continued to look through her papers taking the chance to learn as much as she could about her new post. When she noticed that the ambassador was just standing quietly, she looked up. “What can I do for you, Ambassador Ry?”

“Well, uh, it’s Mirov, Ambassador Mirov. Our first names are our family names.”

“I see,” said the Maceoran as she made a few notes. “Well, then, Ambassador Mirov, what can I do for you?”

Mirov took the chance to look at the new administrator of the planet. She was average height for a Kevutian, but appeared thin and strong. There was nothing on her that did not serve a specific purpose and her frame and attitude demonstrated her pride and service to the military. Only her dark rimmed glasses displayed any sign of decoration. Even her short silvery hair, cropped high and light, appeared as if no hair moved in any different direction that she did not deem proper.

“I have to admit that your arrival so soon has taken us all by surprise, Ambassador, uh...” said Mirov.

Looking a bit perturbed the maceoran collected her papers in her hand then put them at her side. “Rinishetti, or Rin, if you prefer. I had been dispatched to this post before Maceoran Kotygal met his early demise.”

“You were sent to relieve him?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

The maceoran moved to a point behind her desk set against the far wall and flung down her papers before taking the simple chair behind her. She motioned towards another plain chair set in front of the desk and sat. “Suffice it to say that there have been reports of erratic behavior concerning the leadership here. The Supreme Magnate felt that it was time for a change and I was asked to fulfill the position.”

Mirov moved to the chair shone him and sat. “Well I hope that this may mean a greater degree of peace and harmony between our people.”

“In my experience, ambassador, peace and harmony are not the result of wishful thinking. Cooperation will be maintained through discipline, clear lines of information, and well defined responsibilities for each member of the Conglomerate and its custodians.”

Chapter 23

A debtor on Fleet Street (public domain)

The prisoners of the Detention Center are released. Ony'a finds Erut in the midst of the crowd. She also manages to get to her brother. He tells her that their father died in the prison.

An excerpt:

Amidst a crowd of others rushing out of the Detention Center and into the arms of freedom, Ony’a walked the few steps that separated the Center from the surrounding landscape. That background reflected the gloom and abandon of the building it held: it was nothing more than the burnt out remains of what was once one of the largest and most beautiful provinces that the land once called Rishivon had known. Here the dipda trees had grown to their mightiest height creating a ceiling twice as high as those of any other province. Their mighty branches reached out across the sky like the arms of parents welcoming home their children. There was plenty of room for them to grow so a dense forest of the trees developed in great clumps large enough to house multiple families. The kova vines, too, had been thick here with some leaves so large that people often used them as hammocks.

That had all changed when the Kevutians arrived. They first approached from the east of Lukva province and turned that great forest into a raging tinderbox simply to demonstrate to their new captors that they could. The high ceiling made them decide to turn that entire province into their own military base complete with a landing port for their ships. That port was the gateway for the Kevutians and, even  now, a warship with two escorts from the home planet was on its way into the port to deliver an important passenger.

The invaders built up the fourth province for their own needs but did little to return it to its original beauty. Naturally, the residents were upset with being displaced to other regions and when they rose up to challenge the new occupants of their province, they were quickly put down and a detention center was built to house and question them. All that remained of the great forest were charred remains. None of that mattered to the former occupants of that detention center. They had been given their freedom. For what reason? They did not know, nor did they care.

Ony’a looked out across that landscape. Much of it was obscured by the waves of people that flowed out of the center and into the sunlight. It was a scene full of stark dichotomy. There were people moving about in joy and excitement,  joining and embracing their families after the extended absences. There was life. Against that commotion stood a bleak background of burnt trees and low hanging vines. What made it even more so was the muted light of the sun. This was one of the last few days when the sun continued to send its light across the land but that light was weak and feverish and it gave the countryside a jaundiced appearance. The sepia light mixed with the images of the depleted landscape. There was death.

Chapter 22

The Torture Chamber at the Castello di Amorosa by David Ball

Ony'a is about to be tortured by Riahn at the detention center, the same man who witnessed the suicide of her father. She is able to use her perception as an empath and get into his head. She reads within him his confusion and fear about the religion of the Myshkans. What is even more frightening to him is her total acceptance of the possibility of death. He becomes even more confused. He asks about her religion. She uses the opportunity to make him think about all he has done which causes him to have a break down but not before he promises to release the prisoners.

An excerpt:

She was frightened, more frightened than she ever remembered being. Learning to fight in the provincial feuds in her youth, gliding through the gorge for the first time, seeing the Kevutians arrive on her planet: these were all terrible events in her life but none were like this moment because she knew she was about to be subjected to pain beyond anything she had ever known, pain so intense so would beg to be killed or, worse, she would reveal all she knew to the curious Kevutian now before her.

Oyn’a had every reason to be scared except that fear inhibited her strongest asset and that was the one thing that might help her survive the situation.

What was even worse than pain, of course, was the anticipation of receiving it. Up until this moment she had been handled roughly and was the subject of ridicule from arrogant Kevutian guards like the rest of the Myshkan prisoners, but nothing more. But now she was in the bowels of the detention center itself, in an interrogation room, and placed in the care of their lead questioner–the one in charge of the facility. It was no wonder her imagination ran rampant with fear.

What seemed like cycles of time had passed while she sat there strapped to a chair in the middle of the room. The room was all stone with a single window slit up above. Chains and restraints were set about the room in various places. She could have been strapped and stretched into uncomfortable standing positions but, instead, she had been forced into a cold hard chair and restrained. The man in front of her had been doing nothing but pacing: no words, no questions, just pacing. In one hand he carried a single shock wand and tapped its end into the ground with a rhythmic click that echoed throughout the room like the ticking of a timepiece counting away the final moments of life.

“What will happen during the Days of Darkness?” the man muttered between floor crossings.

Ony’a said nothing.

“Come now. Let’s not pretend like all the others that nothing is in preparation,” Riahn said without stopping to look at her.

A tinge of something strange broke through the sea of fear roiling inside her. The man’s persistent strides allowed her to calm down. She worked to slow her breath and let go of her fear but it was not so easy. The dread within her was like the honey of the kova vine: so thick, so sticky that, once it covered you, it was difficult be free of it. Fear is not a solid substance like a stone or a wall, it is viscous like wax and has to be patiently and conscientiously melted away. Ony’a was working to ignite a psychic crucible and something had come through. This man before her was known for his cruelty, his ability to break the will of his victims without remorse or regret and, yet, he appeared to be acting with… what? Caution?

“Look!” The man before her broke her concentration and stood directly before her. “This is all pointless, really. You will tell me what I want to know or I will be forced to hurt you to the point where you will eventually want to tell me every detail about your life from your earliest recollection. Why not just tell me before we have to go through all that ridiculous torment and agony?”

Still, Ony’a said nothing. She felt small tendrils of fear crawling into her consciousness.