Chapter Twenty Four
Kenny slowed as they exited the shelter of the trees and she dropped from his back. She hurried to keep up with his ground devouring strides as they moved towards Mazaran’s office, the most likely place he’d meet them.
When they approached the door she saw lights flickering inside. She paused at the door, knocked, then entered with Kenny when she was bidden. Three people were already within. Mazaran, Borreal, and the head of research, a short, dark woman named Engail with sharp, intelligent eyes.
Mazaran’s expression flashed almost imperceptibly, showing unease, before it returned to his perfectly schooled, neutral manner. Even Borreal was unable to hide a small amount of startlement as she entered the room with Kenny. Only Engail seemed unaffected. Dahlia saw the head researcher was holding the metal one of the intruders had stuck into her leg during the attack. A bit of her blood still shone on it.
She bowed formally before Mazaran who inclined his head. They waited for him to speak.
“Captain DeMorra, I have a report from your lieutenants as well as the construct you sent with them. I would appreciate if you could give me the full report and an idea of what this construct is.”
Dahlia addressed the commander, “Yes, Captain. The men my lieutenants delivered to the holding cells entered my room roughly half an hour ago. Their minds were well guarded and I was not alerted to their presence until the first one had already entered. He was able to take a psychic hit from me and still remain semi-functional.”
“Five others followed and were subdued. In the attack one managed to embed that construct into my leg which created some sort of block on my abilities. My shield went down and it became extremely painful to expend any energy into putting it back up until I removed the construct.”
“One of the men was able to escape back out of the window, Captain Ravin pursued him. My lieutenants entered and I instructed them to take the prisoners and the construct to the holding cells and then to alert you. I caught up with Captain Ravin but we were unable to apprehend the enemy. By the time I arrived they had already vanished.”
Mazaran’s expression remained neutral as he turned to Kenny, “Thank you, Captain DeMorra. Captain Ravin, can you add your report?”
Kenny responded, “I pursued the man who was able to evade us. I saw signs of two men fleeing so it looks like there was a seventh waiting outside the window. I was able to track them easily until about half of the way to the perimeter. Their tracks stopped there and I was unable to sense them any more. I continued to the perimeter and back in hopes of picking something up but there was nothing. At this point I encountered Captain DeMorra and we returned here.”
“You said you were unable to sense them. Captain DeMorra used the term ‘vanished’. Was it a sudden loss of their presence?”
“Yes, I was fully able to sense them and then they were gone. They must have had a way to escape waiting for them but I didn’t find any hints as to what that might have been.”
Mazaran allowed his face to register concern, “If our enemies have the ability to invade our force then vanish without a trace that is indeed concerning. Professor Engail, assign a team to that construct immediately and take a second team to the site where Captain Ravin found the tracks end. See what you are able to discern about the nature of this. Ravin, if you would escort Professor Engail?”
“I’ll do that,” Kenny turned and left with Engail on his heel.
Mazaran turned back to Dahlia, “It seems safe to say that you were the target of this attack. It was your room and you were hit with the construct they had. Please remain with Borreal and answer any of his questions.”
“Yes, Captain. If I may?”
“Yes?”
“The men we took prisoner, they may be set with a trap to destroy them once their team members return without them.”
“That’s a reasonable assumption. In that case, place one in your trap for protection and assist Borreal with the interviews before answering his questions.”
“Yes, Captain.” She inclined her head and then left with Borreal.
“You know,” Borreal said once they were outside, “I used to have this lieutenant. She was smart, quiet, and talented but had a knack for attracting trouble.”
“I wasn’t that bad, was I?”
“You summoned a flock of bats that refused to leave,” his mouth quirked up in a smile.
“They were a very effective diversion tactic.”
“Yes, for the next two days until you convinced them you weren’t their leader and then they tried to drive us out of ‘their’ nest.”
“You complain too much,” she laughed, “you should see what Rezzi’s capable of. It’s like living with a pyromaniac with a lust for explosives.”
His voice got suddenly serious, “But then you had the times that were less bizarre and more troublesome. You were followed and attacked by muggers in the night market.”
She frowned, “I dealt with them.”
“Yes but I’ve never had any other soldier attacked by muggers, they tend to prey on people who look like they can’t defend themselves. Maybe I’m still used to looking out for you and I shouldn’t be now that you’re a captain in your own right, but I can’t help seeing dangerous events and people circling around you.”
Dahlia didn’t have a response. She certainly couldn’t disagree with him.
They walked the rest of the way in a soft silence. As they entered the holding area he said to her, “Let’s trap the leader, assuming he’s still alive, and save him for last. We need to know primarily what their goal was, who sent them, what that construct was, and any future plans. Secondarily I’d like to know anything regarding their forces but that can be left to our guards. We’re using your tactics so it’s your show. Let the guards know what you need.”
Dahlia nodded as they approached the first set of guards. They bowed low to the two captains.
“Are they all conscious?” she asked.
One guard nodded his head, “Yes, Captain.”
“Ok, bring them all into one area. Then have a cell ready for individual interviews.”
“Yes, Captain.” They both bowed again and set about it.
Dahlia stalked into the large cell the prisoners had been dragged into. More guards stood at ready. She dropped a portion of her shield that restrained her innate ability to project and amplify towards others and let her fury build. She’d been attacked in her own room. She’d been hurt, her abilities cut off to her. One had escaped with information on how to hurt her. She wanted to kill the people responsible, eliminate the threat.
She saw the effects of her fury on the prisoners and guards. The guards were able to push it off, sensing instinctively that it was directed at the prisoners. But the prisoners couldn’t help but react. Brave soldiers they might be, but when pure fury, many times more tangible than anything you’d felt, pounded at your psyche the animal instinct within you begged to run and hide.
She borrowed the predation she’d felt when she and Kenny had hunted the first intruders. She let it seep into her and amplified it with the frustration that their last quarry had eluded them. Fear showed clearly in the back of the men’s eyes.
“Who led this attack?” Her voice was a growl, low and full of aggression. No one responded, they didn’t need to. As unsettled as they were two of them thoughtlessly glanced in the direction of a scarred, wiry man whose arms bore heavy tattoos. She pointed at him and he slumped over, sobbing.
She felt the fear in the room turn electric. “Do you want to know what happened to the last prisoners we took?” She pulled her memory of the screams from that day and allowed it to whisper into their minds.
“The best part?” She spoke to them, her voice carrying over the screams as she looked around. “No one here did that to those men. They all had a trap set in their minds before we captured them. It went off, ripping their psyches to shreds when they failed to return.”
She paused, “Have you had a superior work inside your mind? All those men are dead, do you want to die like that?” She let the statement ring in the air over the screams then stopped them, the silence was as deafening as the screams had been.
“I was able to save one man during the slaughter,” she motioned to the guards. “Bring him in.”
They hauled the man, whimpering and giggling to himself, into the room.
“Once it starts, this is all I’ll be able to save of your mind, if I even care to try. So I have a one time offer: I will give you each ten minutes to spill your guts to me and drop your mind’s shield. If you give me anything useful then I’ll take a few minutes to look for that trap and attempt to remove it before it detonates. I don’t know how long you’ve got but I can pretty much guarantee that if either of you don’t take my offer you will be dead so it’s not like you can return to your commanders anyways.”
“So,” she spat out, “who’s first to volunteer to save his miserable skin?”
There was silence for a moment then a one man struggled up and addressed her, his head bent low in defeat, “I believe I can offer you something useful. I don’t want to die like that.”
“Good. Guards, escort him to the room.” She pointed to the second man. He flinched. “You, rack your brain and come up with something that will save your life. If you’re fast enough a guard will bring you to me.”
Dahlia prowled back out of the room with Borreal behind her.
“That was very effective,” he said to her. “Once you’re done we’ll turn them over to someone else to interview. I’ve called for a member of my team who can detect lies if their shields are down.”
“Once we have an idea of what happened, we can visit the man I placed in my trap,” Dahlia said coldly. These idiots had invaded her home, they could die screaming for all she cared right now.
Borreal placed a hand on her arm for a brief moment, “They don’t deserve your pity, but neither do they deserve your anger. They are merely pawns. Let it go and you will not give our enemies power over your emotions.”
He was right. She settled herself, let her rage burn cold and searing for a moment more and then it was gone.
She faced the door as the first prisoner was brought in. He was chained to a ring in the middle of the room where she faced him.
“I want to know what your mission was, who sent you, and any future plans you know of. Drop your shield and start.”
The man dropped his shield. Defeat, shame, and fear radiated from him. She watched him lightly with her ability to catch any indication if he began lying.
“We were given a metal construct by our captain along with instructions on where to find you. We were to slip in, embed the construct in your skin, and then escape. We were to take you with us only if possible but our primary objective was to report the effects.”
“We were told that the construct should neutralize your abilities so long as it stayed on you and cause intense pain. We were told that if you were not alone then we should attack quickly, neither you nor he should have had sufficient close combat skills to hold us off without time to focus and summon additional fighters.”
Gods, Dahlia thought, he’s talking about Traedon. Not only that but they’d have been right if the men had been able to block her abilities before the fight started. Both she and Traedon relied heavily on their abilities to summon additional fighters when they were outnumbered. It was a powerful strategy but difficult to use in close quarters when caught unawares. She felt her skin crawl at the idea that their enemy had been watching her so carefully.
The prisoner went on, “We were to retreat back and meet with another member of our party who held a tool that could get us out should we be pursued. We were not given any more information about that tool or the construct we were to use on you. One member of the team did not enter the room so he could report back even if the rest of us were captured.”
Dahlia kept a neutral expression on, “And what was your commander going to do with this report.”
He lowered his head even further, “I don’t know. I suspected it would be handed off to part of the research team. I heard that other reports from attacks on your force have been given to them.”
She dismissively brushed at the sleeve of her wrap, “Anything else?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know about our force,” the wretched man offered.
“Thanks but you can give someone else that information. I suppose you’ve given me enough to make it worth my time digging through your head for that trap. I’m a bit angry with you for interrupting my night so this probably won’t feel pleasant. Try not to scream.”
She plunged sharp probes of energy into his mind and felt around for a familiar trail. The prisoner groaned and shifted uncomfortably but did not cry out. She found what she was looking for, isolated it, cut through the root, then released energy through the bands she had crafted before. She felt the trap come alive and consume itself.
She turned to Borreal, “There was a trap in his mind, same as the others. I removed it.”
She heard the prisoner let out a sob of relief and Borreal had the guards take him to another room for tactical questioning.
The next one only offered additional tactical information and confirmation for some of what the first man had told her. Dahlia removed the trap in his mind and released him to the men Borreal had assigned for additional interviews.
She turned to Borreal as the second man was taken away. “I have a strategy now for their leader, let’s visit him.”
Borreal nodded and walked with her in silence to her office where Dahlia once again removed the mirror containing a door to that part of her labyrinth and placed it on the table. She touched Borreal’s hand and took them both into the maze.
The leader of the intruders appeared a short distance from them and they saw him stumble through the fog, dazed and disoriented. As they approached the tears on his cheeks became evident and the fear in his eyes flared brightly as he saw them. It bespoke how disquieting he found the maze that, rather than running into the mist, he dropped to his knees before them and bent his head.
Dahlia altered the projection he would feel from her from predator to benefactor. “Do you know who I am?” she asked the man.
He nodded, his head still bent, “Puppet Master.”
His reply surprised her. She was not used to hearing that title outside of a select number of people within the force. The connection was not common knowledge.
And he seemed fully cognizant. This man must have been much stronger than the archer to have no breakdown of his sanity from his time in her maze. He hadn’t been there long though.
“You may call me Captain DeMorra and, though I doubt you’ll accept this unquestioningly, I am going to offer to help you.”
The man did not move, did not respond.
Dahlia continued, “I have already saved the two surviving men from the traps your commander allowed to be placed in their minds. I will offer you the chance to keep them safe and save yourself. Let me show you what your commander forced me to witness last time your men were unable to return to him.” She gestured and the scene around them changed. They were dropped into her memory, watching in the holding cell as she and Lenoi struggled to save one man while the rest screamed. The man fell to his elbows and placed his palms over his ears to block out the screams. It didn’t make a difference.
“I had to face this and worse,” she said calmly, her voice carrying above the scene. “Are you a lesser soldier that you cannot stand to witness what your commander has done? I entered one man’s mind in attempt to save him and experienced the destruction first hand. Would you like to see that?”
The man shook his head miserably, “No, no, you lie, you killed these men. They warned me, warned me you could make me see, hear, and feel things that were not real...force me to think they were true.”
Dahlia stopped the memory and the maze reappeared. “They were right, I can. Here, in a world I control, I could break into your head and dismantle your mind piece by piece and even their trap won’t activate and kill you here without my say-so. So ask yourself, why would I bother bargaining with you?”
“I don’t know,” the man moaned in despair.
“Because I wouldn’t wish that death on my worst enemy. So I’m giving you a choice. You can either take your shield down and talk to me or I’ll let you watch your men die then rip your psyche apart and pull the pieces from what’s left. My only goal is to protect myself and those around me. The choice on how I do that is yours. I hope you don’t make me rip you apart, I don’t enjoy tormenting a defenseless man.”
She watched the man on his hands and knees panting and shaking his head. She really, really didn’t want to deal with the scarring breaking his defenses would cause her but time was short and she’d rather break him than have Borreal and herself go into this blindly. She hoped he’d take her offer. She reached out lightly and pushed on his fear of death, making it weigh stronger in his decision.
“O-okay,” his voice was shaking, “I know enough to see you’ll get what you want whether I give it or you take it. I don’t want to die like they did, especially if that was my superior that ordered it done. The gods will judge if you’re lying to me.”
“Very well, drop your shield.”
The man grimaced and the whispers she heard floating around him became clearer, his fear and disgust for his situation became tangible. She’d forced him into an unwinnable position. The only reason he was capitulating was that he was convinced she’d get the information with or without his consent. He would betray his friends and his superiors, the only option he had was whether he wanted to save his own life and those of his soldiers.
“Who ordered this mission?”
“My captain, Soone.”
“Don’t play games with me. He put you on the mission, who ordered the mission?”
“I don’t know but I suspect it’s Dr. Ahriman, the metal disk we used to neutralize you came from his labs and he was responsible for whatever may have been placed in our minds. We were told it was simple tracking and memory wipe if absolutely necessary.”
“You suspected it was more.”
“Yes, but I did not question. I have some psychic abilities, I’m gifted in shielding.”
“You were the one who shielded the men before entering my room.”
“Yes, obviously it wasn’t enough, you woke sooner than I’d hoped.”
Dahlia control her anger, he was likely the one who had hit her when her shield went down, too. “Why was I targeted?”
“I don’t know for certain, our main objective was to place the construct on you and report back. Capturing you would have been secondary.”
“What is Ahriman’s lab researching?”
“It’s kept extremely confidential, something for the emperor.”
“Give me a guess.”
“Something to do with military power. Since you were targeted I would guess it’s either something you could prevent or something they’d need from you.”
“What else has Ahriman shown interest in?”
“The original Puppet Master. People, not soldiers but civilians, with minor powers resembling yours and his have been rumored to disappear and sometimes turn up wandering about with no memory, their personality changed. The story has spread that the Puppet Master has returned and would remove potential rivals but a few soldiers have seen people taken into Dr. Ahriman’s lab. There are whispered rumors that say that he has promised the emperor great power and so those in command turn a blind eye.”
“You were to meet someone in the trees who would help you escape, who?”
“I was not told, no hint.”
“A researcher of ours was taken, have you heard anything of him?”
“No.”
She looked at Borreal who came forward and crouched down to look at the man. “Is there anything else,” he said softly, “that you can tell us in exchange for your life and those of your men?”
The man on the ground shook and stayed silent. Then, “I was given very specific instructions that you were to remain alive. He said he’d rather every single man be captured or struck dead than you be killed.”
“Well that’s very interesting,” Borreal whispered. “Captain DeMorra, if you could please remove the trap and then return this man’s mind to his body.”
Dahlia nodded, located the familiar pattern in his psyche, removed it, and destroyed it with ease through the band on her finger. She then sent him from her maze. The mists faded and she and Borreal were returned to her office.
They returned to the holding cells in silence where Borreal gave instructions on the men’s treatment. Then they walked to Borreal’s office.
“Can I make you some tea?” Borreal asked, his voice gentle.
“Thank you,” Dahlia replied, wishing this was over with.
Borreal poured two cups before placing the teapot on the table and taking a small sip of his.
“Captain DeMorra,” he began, his voice soft, “you must know that I trust you.”
“I do,” she replied.
“But,” he continued, “you must also know that the idea of you being compromised is a fearsome thought and one that those who do not know you as well are likely to entertain as a worst case scenario.”
Dahlia remained silent. She could be angry but why? What he said was true. There were very few captains that could hope to match her in a one-on-one fight. Those that could had no guarantee of winning, even with her abilities not fully mature.
“Given that the attack was focused on you, that lends credibility to the fact that you are not compromised. Some could argue that it was staged to do just that but, seeing as you were only loosely connected before, that theory would not be taken too seriously. I tell you all of this to show you why this interview is not an interrogation rather than asking you to simply take my word for it.”
“It is undeniable now that you have a part, however unknowing, in these events though. So it is necessary to search for a connection. I have read through the journal we recovered countless times and the only explicit connection to you that I can determine is the reference to your ability to amplify and project emotions that prompt responses in others and the account of your description of your labyrinth. Neither of those seem related to gaining power for the emperor’s troops to me but they are all I have to go on. It is possible that I am missing any other connection that is indirectly stated in the text. Is there anything else Dr. Ahriman focused on in your time with him?”
“I was still coming into my full abilities then. My only other abilities were the manifestation of a puppet, which was never mentioned because Master Ko kept that close to his chest. Most people assumed I had a minor ability with illusions. My ability to perceive the feelings and thoughts of others he was aware of, but that is not remarkable. The strength of my abilities was also downplayed.” Dahlia answered as openly as possible. She trusted Borreal was on her side and she also believed him when he said fear would be a natural reaction when people found out that she was the focus of a recent attack that involved an enemy’s bid for increased power.
“Given that your abilities to summon puppets and create a mental labyrinth are unique and he has been allegedly taking people with similar abilities I will hazard that the answer lies either in your ability to amplify and project emotions or to perceive thoughts and feelings. Both are useful but I cannot see how they would give power on the scale that would interest their emperor. Do you?”
“No. Emotional manipulation is a potent weapon, but it is not an attack I would expect to warrant this level of interest or effort. Perhaps his intent was to capture me, break my mind, and turn me against this force? It seems rather simplistic and wouldn’t require the researcher or the journal. Did you discover what the researcher was working on?”
“A number of things, I gathered, but he specialized in ancient artifacts that we hold.”
“Is there any mention of a unique artifact in connection with the original Puppet Master?”
“Not that I have heard of but it’s an interesting theory. I’ll have someone start reading through the stories. It’s frustrating that I haven’t been able to even start fitting the puzzle together. We should have all the pieces. You, the research into ancient artifacts, the journal that focuses on your ability to project and to perceive thoughts. If I knew which artifact…”
Borreal pondered for a moment. “I will look closer into the researcher’s time before he was taken, though it will likely be futile. His connection with Macada could have happened at any time or ever through a third person. In the meantime, I cannot predict what he might do. A second attack seems unlikely since you’ve been alerted now and will be on guard but we cannot rule it out. I will have someone sent to place a physical ward on your window and door that activate when they are locked but I cannot do anything beyond that.”
Dahlia chose not to mention her door’s lock was broken.
He continued, “So far we have lost one researcher to them which is unfortunate and regrettable but not enough to deem this a high level threat. And that is even unconfirmed. Truthfully we still have no idea what happened to him. I’m afraid I must continue to play defense though we’ve gotten very little for all our success at it.”
Dahlia rose, the wound from where she’d ripped the metal construct out of her leg burned. “I’m going to have this wound closed up. After that I am at your disposal should you have any need.”
Borreal winced and nodded and she left.
Once her leg had been healed by one of the members of the infirmary she returned to her barrack to find Sabir overseeing Rezzi setting explosive traps in a pattern around their area. She swelled with pride for her team.
Sabir reported that Genji had set multiple covers that would trigger at any of the barrack member’s command and Raschel had created traps in the woods by creating giant holes and then laying a thin, tight layer of rock that would crumble if someone stepped onto it. Dahlia sent Nel off with a report to the other Captains to instruct them to announce themselves before going through the area around her barrack. With their training in the past this hadn’t been an unusual request so there was a chance not too many people would read into it. Dahlia retreated to her room to clean, straighten, and purge the negative energy that had collected there from the intrusion. She was relieved to find her team had had someone take care of the bodies and any blood. The barracks employed servants to clean and to care for the soldiers. An unlucky one must have been corralled for this task. At least she didn’t have to deal with it.
Then she went to her garden and ran through her rituals to focus and prepare herself for work. She knelt down and pulled off another of the bands she wore on her fingers. Melee tools were not her strong suit but last night had proven that she needed to stop using it as an excuse and better prepare. Had Kenny not been there it would have been a hell of a fight. She’d have been willing to flip a coin as to whether she could have alerted her lieutenants and had them arrive in time if she had been alone and woken up thirty seconds later. If they’d gotten the construct on her before she’d woken up it would have been game over for her, no question, even if she’d had the tool she was currently working into her band.
Into the ring she poured and shaped energy into a pattern that would scatter any energy poured through it rather than concentrate it as her other band did. The structure required did not come as easily to her and by the time she had it in place she could feel sweat beading on the back of her neck. But she did complete it and the construct felt solid. Then she held it in place as she performed the familiar pattern of rooting the energy into the ring. The connection she built was intricate and she used considerable strength to seal it against time and energies that would cause it to unravel. By the time she was done the sun had fully run its course and had begun to set. The silver band glowed with the twining patterns of energy creating a small light in the night.
Dahlia slipped the band back onto her finger then allowed herself to lay in the grass where she dropped off to sleep, unable to resist the demand of her mind and body for rest after the extended exertion.
She woke as dawn’s light fell across her face. So much for checking on the second shift, she thought. After everything that had happened it had fallen pretty far down her priorities list. She didn’t have any idea if Sabir and Arreal had managed it either. The barrack was on high alert after the previous night anyways.
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed off some of the dew that clung to her. She made her way silently back to her room, listening to the creatures around the barrack stirring. There she discarded the now-damp wrap she’d been wearing since the previous night and replaced it with pants and tunic.
As the sun began to climb she meditated: taking poses to balance and renew the energy in her body. The calming flow of the practice became a balm to aching limbs and worn nerves. She felt her energy rise, remove blocks that had formed, and flow freely. She focused inward, centering her awareness. The different parts of her psyche united, whole again. As she opened her eyes and rose, ready to meet the day, she felt renewed. Her step was light and confident as she strapped on her weapons and went out to face whatever was thrown at her.