Chapter Seven

One month before capture…

Aegeus could feel the tension in the room around him. It was nearly palpable, as if he could reach out and scoop it into his hands. The days felt numbered now as they started their descent toward the inevitable. Their battleplans were laid out now and they had begun to discuss the specific maneuvers that they would use when they walked onto the field. They had to stay exactly within their plans. They couldn’t vary from them even the tiniest bit or it all could come crashing down around them. Aegeus felt a twinge of guilt knowing what the rest of the men were going to have to go through on the battlefield. He was going to be gone within minutes of the fighting starting, but they were going to have to stay and see the battle through until the end. He could only hope that they all got through it safely and were able to join him back at the war room as they intended.

He was beginning to say something to Athan when he heard a knock on the door to the hidden lounge. He stilled, his body tightening. No one knew of this place. At least, no one was meant to. His hand slid toward a weapon sitting at the edge of the table and he listened for another knock. When it came, his body relaxed slightly. It was a code, a rhythmic knock designed not just to identify one of their group, but to tell those inside exactly who it was. He jumped to his feet.

“It’s Martin,” he said, rushing up the stairs toward the door.

He opened the door and the man who hadn’t been seen or heard from in weeks stumbled inside. His face was drawn and discolored. One eye was closed and a gash down his cheek was closing into a deep, angry-looking scar. His body seemed weak and battered as he made his way down the stairs, and Aegeus felt a sense of dread settle over him.

When he got Martin into the lounge he set him into one of the chairs and went for a cup of water and some of the food that Ellora had given him. Martin drank as though water hadn’t touched his lips in days and ate in what seemed like a single breath.

“What happened to you?” Aegeus asked.

Martin shook his head.

“There’s no time to tell you about that. There’s more that I need you to know. I found out more about the being on the ship. The one that wasn’t detected and that was responsible for Etan’s death.”

“What did you find out?”

“It was an extremely powerful Klimnu, one with the ability to cloak himself. He disguised himself as different members of the crew throughout the journey so that he could go unnoticed.”

“Why would he want to do that? And why did Etan have to die?”

“I don’t know,” Martin said. “I still don’t have all of the information. But it must have been something very important for them to go to those lengths. It wasn’t just a situation that unfolded that way. This was intentional. It was the plan all along.”

“But who sent him? Who put the Klimnu on the ship? And how did they know that it was going to be Etan piloting rather than you?”

Martin looked at Aegeus with a pained expression in his eyes that told Aegeus the man didn’t know if that was the case at all. It was possible that the Klimnu wasn’t onboard the ship to kill Etan, but to kill Martin.

“I have to go,” Martin said.

“But you just got here,” Athan argued.

“I know. But I can’t stay in one place for long. They’re tracking me. I can’t let them find you.”

He stood and took a final swig of water. Aegeus wrapped the remaining food in a cloth and handed it to Martin who gratefully tucked it into the bag that he wore.

“Do you still have what I gave you?” he asked.

Aegeus nodded. Through all the chaos that had happened in the last few weeks he hadn’t even thought of the package again.

“Yes.”

“Good. Protect it. Leave it where it is until I see you again. Don’t let anyone else know that you have it.”

“I will,” Aegeus said.

Martin nodded and rushed out of the room again. Aegeus heard the doors above him close and wondered if that was the last time that he would see him.

Three weeks before capture…

Aegeus set the fabric-wrapped bundle of weapons on the floor of the cavern and pushed it up against the wall to ensure that it was out of the way but easily accessible.

“Is there anything else that you need?” he asked.

Casimir shook his head.

“No. I don’t think so. Declan and Astaria visited me yesterday and brought enough food to last me through until I return to the Kingdom.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded.

“I’ve gotten fairly adept at hunting here. There isn’t much available, but when I see any of the animals that live here, I am able to harvest them. I keep them frozen in the snow until I need them.”

Aegeus hated to hear of the stark conditions that his friend was enduring, but he took hope in knowing that it would soon be over. In only a matter of weeks, he would release Casimir from the bond that he had to this place of exile, allowing him to move through the portal that would bring him back to the Mikana Kingdom. Once there, he would go to Aegeus’ house and wait in the war room for the battle. That was where Aegeus would meet him after he left the battle, hidden by the Irisa. Together they would gather up the weapons and wait for the rest of the army. From there, the real war would begin.

Two weeks before capture…

Aegeus felt a chill roll down his spine as he looked out over the badlands. They burned and hissed, the ground tumultuous even still, even after generations had passed since the weapons had been buried that had destroyed this once-beautiful land. What had once been one of the most desirable and fertile areas of all Uoria had been reduced to ashes, rubble, and bones. This was the work of the Valdicians, the remnants of their first destructive encounter with the planet. It was here that Aegeus meant to repay them, to bring about the destruction of those that they had warped and bring down the species that intended to bring the entirety of the Universe under its control.

To one side Aegeus saw a group of massive men approach. These were the Denynso, the lingering bloodline of those who had lived here when the Valdicians came. The group had split, some choosing to remain while others sought a new life. For those who stood before him now, it was that new life, established on the land that was once home to the Irisa, that ensured the survival of those who left and enabled this generation to be here now.

He approached them cautiously, unsure of how they felt about being involved in this battle. They, of course, knew of the corruption that was spreading rampantly through the Mikana. The Klimnu had focused their wrath on the Denynso before and swore to continue to. He didn’t know if the Denynso knew the full extent of their influence, however, and doubted they could fully appreciate it in the short time that he had to make them understand. For now, he didn’t need them to be as invested in the fight as he was. He didn’t need them to be fully informed or to grasp the enormity of what lay ahead of them. He just needed them to be willing to stand alongside him, to walk into battle with him and face down the enemy together. The call of the Denynso would be enough to draw out the corrupt but would have no meaning for the other Order members or the rest of the Kingdom. Those who were familiar with the Denynso at all, which was a number rapidly dwindling, knew that they were ferocious warriors and often trained brutally. If they even noticed the call to war, they wouldn’t have any reason to suspect that it had anything to do with them.

Aegeus approached Creia and greeted him.

“Thank you for coming,” he said.

“The Klimnu have been a burden to our kinds and on this planet for long enough. If you believe that you have found a way to eradicate them and ensure that they will no longer threaten any of us, I have no choice but to help you. You understand, though, that this does not change the status of the relationship between our kinds. The Mikana and the Denynso have not been allies in many years and this will not change that.”

“I understand, King,” Aegeus said. “This has nothing to do with the Mikana and everything to do with the Valdicians and the destruction that they have caused to our kind, to this planet, and to you.”

Aegeus knew that Creia was all familiar with the destructive influence of the Valdicians and what they were truly capable of doing. It was because of them that the Denynso split and because of them that they had suffered extensive losses in war. It was also because of them that the once powerful and peaceful link between the Denynso and the Mikana had ended. Though he hoped that they would be successful in bringing about the end of the influence that the Valdicians had on Uoria and cleanse the planet and the rest of the Universe of the evil, corrupted creatures that they had manipulated, he didn’t know if that would truly change anything. The break between the two species had occurred so long before and was now such a deeply ingrained part of their existence, he didn’t know if there was a way to bring them back to what they once were.

One week before capture…

The light of the candles flickered over the faces of those gathered around the cloth stretched across the floor of the cavern. They sat in a tight circle, as if their proximity could somehow further their connection and allow them to offer their own energy and strength to one another while protecting their shared knowledge within just the space that they created. Aegeus looked into the faces of the men around him. They were so few in number, and yet he could feel the power and influence that they had. They were stronger than anyone knew and they would lead the rebellion, bringing them to victory.

“There is danger ahead of us,” he said, looking into the faces of each of the men. “What we are really facing, none of us actually knows. But we are ready. As ready as anyone could ever be. I believe in every one of you. There were so many times when any of you could have walked away. You could have simply been done with all of this and followed the easier path. You could have bowed to your fear or your exhaustion. You could have let uncertainty control you. But you didn’t. You remained strong and you continued on with what all of us know is the truth and the right thing. Each of you has my faith, my loyalty, and my thanks.” Each of the men nodded at him and Aegeus reached for the cup in front of him, picking it up and holding it high. “Tonight, we don’t think of what lies just ahead of us, but what is beyond that. Tonight, we plan for victory. Tonight, we celebrate.”

He lifted his glass higher as the rest of the men cheered their agreement and lifted theirs to meet his. He drank deeply, refreshing his body as the time that he spent rejoicing with the men refreshed his soul. They had only days. Only days until all that they had planned for would finally come to fruition.

Three days before capture…

Aegeus walked into the meeting hall with greater confidence than he had the last time that he visited. Vyker and Galadriel waited for him at the long table and greeted him as he approached.

“Is everything in place?” Vyker asked.

Aegeus nodded.

“Yes. The Denynso will call them to battle in three days. We will meet in the badlands and I will enter the battle to ensure that they see me there before the Eteri picks me up and the Irisa conceals me. It will happen in a matter of seconds. We have practiced the maneuver several times and can do it seamlessly.”

“Has anyone heard from Martin?” Galadriel asked.

Aegeus shook his head.

“No.”

She drew in a breath and nodded. He could see in her eyes that she was as afraid as he was about the fate of the human man, but there was little that he could do. They had to continue moving forward and simply hope that Martin was still running from whoever had been chasing him and would make his way back to them. He had so much of his own to fight for.

“Has Mhavrych had any luck?” he asked.

“No,” Vyker said. “Our only hope is that when he comes of age and can fully take on his role of Protector, the greater access he will achieve will allow him to find it.”

Aegeus looked at Galadriel.

“Tell me again,” he appealed. “Tell me that in your time, years from now, Uoria still exists.”

Galadriel gave him a smile that was veiled in tears. Her existence was subject to the same complex reality as Vyker and Mhavrych, but the truth was that she wasn’t like them. She was human, a former inhabitant of Earth. In the time that Aegeus standing right at that moment, it was still countless years until she would be born on Earth, yet she had been in this realm with Vyker for more than twenty. In the same way, Aegeus had not yet been born, his planet a different stream that brought him into a different place and time when he came to visit his allies.

“You know that that can change,” she told him regretfully.

“I know,” Aegeus said. “But tell me.”

“When I was on Earth, before I came to live in this realm, Uoria was still strong.”

Aegeus nodded, the words giving him a sense of reassurance even though he knew that what Galadriel had said was true. Though they had once believed that time was what it was and could not be changed, they had learned that that wasn’t true. Vyker had been able to manipulate the future, changing things thought permanent, in order to communicate with Galadriel when she was stuck in her time, unable to get back to him. He knew that just because Uoria was safe when she was on Earth didn’t mean that years in the future, when that time would come again, things would be the same. That future still relied on him. The continuation of the Universe as he dreamed it to be rested on the back of the rebellion. Hearing that it was possible, though, encouraged him and helped him to believe, even more, that he would succeed.

What happened? How did this happen? How could it have fallen apart so quickly? Was this already in motion then? Was the one who would betray him already in place, already revealing him and his plans to Ryan? Aegeus closed his fists, balling them up so tightly he could feel his fingernails cutting into his palm. The pain was almost a relief. It was something of his own control that he could exert on himself rather than allowing it to be exerted onto him. The fury was building within him, sharper and more detailed now than even that dark, bitter day. He had had so much time to think, so much time to wonder. It was no longer just about him.

In those first moments he had thought of himself, pure, adrenaline-fueled desire for survival pushing him forward. Now that that had drained away, though, he thought of those he had left behind. What had happened to them? How many were still alive? What had they told Ellora and his sons? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, pushed toward the brink of control over his mind, driven to near-madness.

This was what Ryan wanted. It was what he had planned. He was beginning the transformation, the very thing that Aegeus hated, and the more that he allowed his anger to take over, the more that he fed into the change. He couldn’t let it happen. He had to remember what brought him here, what he believed. He had to remember who he was if he was going to have any chance to stop it.