Chapter 39: Empowered

Sara moved as far away as possible from Nanashi, a futile action given her current degenerated state. “So then...you’re the person in my dreams...the person responsible for all this...how is it you’re Darren’s enemy and yet you look so alike?”

Even at a close distance, it was easy to mistake Darren for Nanashi...or worse, Nanashi for Darren. Nanashi was similar to Darren in build, facial features, and voice...though his voice differed more than the other characteristics. It had the harsh, abrasive tone of Darren when he was tired or severely irritated. It made Sara wince every time she heard it, and here it was constantly used.

“Let me explain, if I may. I am Darren. Darren is me. You cannot separate the two of us, which is what Darren tried to do by creating Shirn. It is supposed to be an escape, yes...an escape from reality, and an escape from himself. Unfortunately for me, he realized I was part of him and split us in an attempt to lose me.”

Sara’s head was still cloudy. “So...what are you, then?”

Nanashi smiled unpleasantly. “I am everything Darren is not. I am the anger that he never allows to surface, the fear he never shows, the power he never dares use. I am his darker side, the blackest of black.” Glancing at Sara, his smile widened. “You see, for every side he reveals, another is hidden. You didn’t think you could change that, did you?”

~

Darren spread a large map across the heavy table. “They’ll hold Sara at the rear of the army. They know we won’t risk an assault from the rear because she’ll get caught in the middle of it, and so they’ll only have to defend two sides because they’ll have the mountains on the east. They’ll be strongest at their north position, but west will only be slightly weaker.”

He glanced around the small room where not too long ago they had gathered to report their success in finding the Stone of Naugan.

“I want at least two messengers to all towns within a day’s walk. Get them there with horses, send letters by bird, do what you have to do, but get them there quickly.” Darren marked several key spots on the map with wax. “Outposts and patrols go here, here, and here. We attack as soon as the scouts give a report on the enemy’s numbers and strengths, and hope that the reinforcements arrive swiftly.”

He sat down, rubbing his eyes. I feel so tired...so drained. Looking around him, he half-smiled and said “We’ve got the advantage depending on when we attack. Daylight is best, but we need to know what day.” Motioning to Thendat and Fraydon, he stood and said “I’d like you two to lead different scouting parties to the spots I’ve marked. You have your pick of people from the town. Start as soon as you can.” They nodded and left, Fraydon shooting glances back at Darren.

Darren waited until they left and turned to the Destiny survivors. “Tim, Celia, I’d like you to help manage troops. Form cohorts, find veterans to train the rookies, place them in manageable units. I know you two can do it well.” He smiled a little more and then moved at last to- “Abuwan. Have you chosen someone to lead for you?”

Abuwan smiled. Darren grimaced internally; the smile was one of sarcasm, purposed and mocking. “I have chosen Zak as my general.” The comically-dressed man cowering behind Abuwan stepped forward, jingling.

Darren nodded slowly. “You send your court jester? Very well. This may help me more than you know, Abuwan...much more than you know. They say the only one wiser than a king is the king’s fool.” He burst out laughing and motioned for Zak to come forward. “Come. I have a use for both you and, surprisingly, your former master.”

~

Several hours later Sara’s mind was returning, gradually becoming less cloudy as she rested. But even if her power had been returning, she was neither physically nor mentally ready to use it just yet...and it was beyond her reach, kept from her by Nanashi’s strength. At least now all her dreams made sense, all but a few. She could understand the relationship between Darren and Nanashi, but...if Darren and Nanashi were two halves of a whole, then she was married to one half, and the other...the other half taunted her, prevented her from being strong, insulted her, and subjected her to nightmares.

Where do they join? Sara sighed in frustration. If Darren was without his completely dark side, but still felt its influence...did that mean Nanashi was still influenced by Darren? And if that was true...

She avoided conscious thought as she felt darkness draw near. A few seconds later, Nanashi entered the tent and looked at her with a small amount of respect. “Even if you mask your thoughts from me, it won’t help him. You don’t know anything about Darren that I haven’t already known. He hasn’t revealed anything to you that I haven’t experienced myself.” Sara closed her eyes and ignored him, still clearing her mind.

To her ears, the wind picked up slightly, but Nanashi jerked as if someone had slapped him. Rushing outside, he glanced up as his troops did the same. The only clue he had was a slight displacement in the clouds, almost as if...

Nanashi re-entered the tent and smiled at Sara, though with her eyes closed she couldn’t see it. “Darren’s gone for a little flight.” He closed his eyes and focused on the displacement, trying to scry intent from Darren’s mind.

Sara felt, rather than saw Nanashi flinch. Opening her eyes, she smiled slightly as the man stood up, mumbling curses at Darren in a strange language. “What happened? What did he do?” Sara asked with the tiniest note of triumph in her voice.

Nanashi glared at her with unconstrained hatred. “He has hardened his will to fight and won’t let anything get in his way. Rocks or blood...I wonder, which he will choose?”

Sara said nothing, but her mind ran through events on Destiny in fast-forward. Nanashi stared at her thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “I also wonder whether he’ll be able to avoid killing as much, or even the rocks, as he told you he would...” He laughed unpleasantly upon seeing Sara’s startled look.

“But...I thought he couldn’t read minds! He said so himself...why would he lie about that? How can you...” Sara narrowly avoided a quaver in her voice.

The smile she got in return was malevolent. “He won’t let himself read minds. He told no lie; he can’t. But it’s not for lack of ability...no, he could destroy reality as you see it, if only he allowed himself the full extent of his power!” Nanashi exited the tent, still smiling. “You really would have been better off with that Antonio boy. He may be a bit controlling, but at least he doesn’t have a God complex.”

~

Darren soared over the enemy camp, concealing a small leather bag strapped to his back. Abuwan’s scribes had been kept busy for the past couple of hours, writing messages to the more remote towns of Shirn. Though he could find nothing wrong with the principle, something inside him rankled at becoming a messenger. Even if it was the fastest way, Darren was sure there was more he could be doing than this. He sighed as he dodged a mountain and adjusted a strap. Still, it was better than sitting back and staring at a map for days. More than anything else, he wished with all his heart he could speak to Sara, if only for a second. But any communication would be intercepted, mental or otherwise. He was just going to have to wait until he had rescued Sara and destroyed the enemy. His hand tightened into a fist, clutching the strap. Every last one.

Fraydon glanced up from her cover of trees just in time to see Darren fly over. Where does that man draw his strength from? Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, she slipped towards the west side of the enemy encampment, looked over the formations and shelters briefly, and then dashed back to the trees east of the camp. After scribbling some figures and notes onto a loose scrap of parchment, she motioned one of her faster scouts over and whispered “Show this to Tim and Celia right away. Avoid Abuwan if you can help it. Fast!” The scout nodded and sped towards the city, always keeping her distance from the shifting mass of armor and banners.

Thendat saw the scout from his position north of the camp and intercepted her. After scanning the message quickly, he added his own notes and let her finish her run to the city. Looking back over the army, his heart sank. Logistically, we shouldn’t even be thinking of fighting. Thendat looked up into the sky and sighed. Darren...I sure hope you know what you’re doing.

~

Sara stumbled out of the cot and towards the tent door, catching herself on the flap to support her trembling legs. With the sound of ripping cloth, the flap fell to the ground as Sara collapsed in the entrance. Pushing herself up with both hands, she stood and left the tent. The sentries outside didn’t bother her; they were meant to keep people out. Nanashi had assumed she’d be weak from his earlier attacks...and she was. Sara doubted she’d make it out of the camp, but she had to try. Inconveniencing people with her rescue was getting old.

There seemed to be fewer tents to the south...but which way had Darren gone? Sara closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember. She hadn’t seen which way Nanashi looked...opening her eyes, she found herself sprawled on the ground. Odd. When did I fall? How long have I been here? Realizing it could be minutes or hours and she wouldn’t know, she forced herself to her feet and moved in one direction, never looking to the right or left. With any luck, it would be some time before Nanashi-

“Noticed? Sorry to disappoint, but I’m quite good at keeping track of what’s going on in my camp. That includes you, little Sara.” There he was, still smiling that irritating smile. “The only reason I don’t simply kill you now is because you provide protection for my entire rear flank, not to mention the possibility of your usage as a valuable bargaining tool. Doesn’t having a use sound nice?”

His last remark hit Sara deeper than she’d expected. Silently seething, she gritted her teeth and continued walking in the same direction.

“It would be easier to just let yourself be used, Sara. Just stop trying to struggle. Stop trying to carve your own path. Let circumstances go on without your interference, and there won’t be any more pain for you.”

Sara spoke for the first time in hours. “Do I appear that selfish to you? Selfish enough to throw away an entire world just for my well-being? I’m going to enjoy watching you die, Nanashi.” She sped towards Nanashi suddenly, a burst of energy fueling a desperate attack.

The latter merely sidestepped and was about to slash at her exposed back with a short sword when another sword blocked his. Nanashi lashed out furiously at the new foe, only to stop short when the enemy jumped back and held up a hand in deference. Glancing back at an unconscious Sara, Nanashi glared at Antonio. “You are interfering in my plans again,” he hissed.

Antonio bowed. “I apologize, commander. I came to deliver news of the army, and thought it was a bad idea to throw out such a good card from our hand so early in the game. If I misunderstand, then do whatever you want.”

Nanashi smiled in spite of himself. Antonio wavered between his usual manner of speaking and a polite style used to address higher-ranking officers with little regard for either, succeeding only in entertaining his listeners. “And what news do you bring, young general?” Noticing the way the younger man’s eyes sparkled at such a title, he chuckled to himself. To keep such a man loyal, all it takes is a well-fed ego.

“Several of our villages report to us that Darren has sent messages to almost every inhabited place on Shirn, requesting assistance of any kind for his army. We’ve already begun countermeasures and the spreading of misinformation, so this is only a formality.”

Nanashi pondered this for a moment, and then walked towards the outskirts of the camp. “Return the woman to her tent, and occupy yourself with something until I return.” Noticing the look of uninhibited lust that appeared briefly on Antonio’s face, he sighed. “Just remember that Darren will discover any harm done to her. Any harm. And seeing as she is his wife...” The amount of surprise this new information caused Antonio almost caused Nanashi to laugh as he turned and walked away from the camp.

Once Sara was again placed in her tent and inside the cot, Antonio turned to leave. Glancing back at her sleeping form, he stopped just inside the doorway and sighed. A wave of anguish washed over his features again, and he took a labored step towards Sara, then another. Reaching her, he extended a shaky hand towards her face, as if to touch her, then suddenly clenched his hand into a fist and raised it with the full intent of bringing it down into her face.

Sara’s hand shot up and gripped Antonio’s wrist with a strength that seemed to fill the room. Her eyes flew open, shining with a clear blue fire that burned without heat, covered her face, and extended to her hand. The grip on Antonio’s wrist became vice-like, slowly crushing it and contorting Antonio’s face with more pain. A heavy voice echoed in the air, neither male nor female; Sara’s mouth remained closed.

“Your actions betray your thoughts. You are an unworthy and unwelcome addition to this reality.” Antonio felt his consciousness being forcibly weakened, and his eyes became heavy as the voice throbbed inside his head. After a moment, he fell to the ground, unconscious, and was carried out of the tent on a wave of blue mist. The last thing he heard was the voice whispering quietly, disturbingly, “There must be...a lack of balance...”

The blue light left the tent and faded from Sara’s eyes. Her arm fell back on the cot and she lay quietly, in a dreamless sleep, unaware of all that had just happened.

Some distance away, Acerin smiled and let the magic fade from his hands, blue light dying in a quiet triumph.

~

Darren sighed as he landed on top of the castle back in the Royal City. With all the messages delivered, he could only hope the responses he received weren’t any indication of the warriors the towns and villages would send.

As he walked the long, quiet stone hallways towards the war room, memories of unrelated places surrounded him with every step. Would I give all I have now to rejoin the world of waking? Given the choice- he stopped and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. Do I...even have a choice? Could I escape my nature even if I tried? A small smile played on his lips. Can he?

Tim interrupted his musings with a quiet “Darren?”

Darren stared at the ceiling a moment longer before looking at Tim. “Yes?”

“Have you noticed the color of my eyes?”

Darren squinted slightly and tilted his head to one side playfully. “They seem...brighter.”

“They’re constantly silver!” Tim glared at him accusingly. “Don’t tell me you didn’t have anything to do with this!”

Darren chuckled. “I can honestly say that I had no direct involvement in this.”

Tim was still suspicious. “And indirectly?”

Darren grinned. “Indirectly, I know who helped you throw that knife. It was she who gave you your silver eyes and whatever abilities they bestow upon you. However...I didn’t ask for her help, and I can’t tell you anything more than that.”

Tim sighed and leaned against a wall, facing Darren. “Putting that aside for the moment, what are you going to do? There’s no time to think before all-out war. We’re low on resources, low on allies, and extremely low on motivation to fight. I’ve been listening to what the people have to say, and they’re unhappy. To them, just because an army is three miles away, it doesn’t mean it’s a threat to them, mostly because it’s not moving and it’s not interested in them. No, it’s a threat to you.” He shifted slightly and continued. “I’m not blaming you...Fraydon and Thendat told me a lot about you, and frankly...I’m impressed at your mental capacity. But even though almost everybody in this place is fake...doesn’t something inside you resist the slaughter of thousands?”

Darren nodded slowly. “Yes. And that is why war is inevitable. As impressive as my mind may be, a human brain will never be enough to win this battle. We’ll need help. And I’m not without allies that I’ve been careful to acquire and treat well. There’s always an element of chance involved with any game played...war is no different. The player who treats each pawn like the king will lose. Sacrifices must be made.”

Tim stiffened. “With Sara’s life on the line, how can you say that?”

Darren seemed about to say something, and then stopped. Turning away, he resumed his journey down the halls. At the end, he hesitated and turned back towards “Tim! Don’t lose hope. Without hope, you lose your desire to act. Your will is broken. And in this place...that means death.”

~

Celia rubbed her eyes and stared at the ceiling of her room dully. The stones blurred and swam in her field of vision, leaving her with a raging headache and more than a bit irritated. Even the quiet knock at the door seemed like a battering ram to her indignant ears. Grumbling, she stumbled to the door and yanked it open, mouth open to rain down curses upon whatever foolish soul dared disturb her rest – only to find Daniel Welm standing there, calmly leaning against the doorway.

After a moment of wishing for the ground to swallow her whole, Celia smiled politely and invited him in. Daniel declined, also smiling. He was merely a messenger, he said. His village had sent him and several others, and he was told to report to one of the two top strategists with their logistics. Tim was nowhere to be found, so...

“I got it, I got it. Do you have the numbers with you, or are you going to make me go out in the cold, dark night?” Celia considered pouting for a second, and then realized it would do no good.

Daniel laughed and handed her a bit of paper. “Here you are.” As if suddenly realizing she was fully clothed, he wondered “It’s been many hours since night fell. You okay, or just a night person?”

Celia smiled in spite of herself. “If I had to pick between the two...then I’m a night person.”

“What a coincidence! I take my walks through the city late at night. Perhaps you’d like to join me? I’ve been told I’m a great listener, or if you prefer, I can talk about myself all night.” He grinned and winked at her, which under normal circumstances would have made her swoon. Instead, she rolled her eyes and stepped back into the room.

”Give me a moment to grab something warmer and I’ll be right out.” Closing the door, Celia ran to her cloak, threw it on, and then paused for a moment. Daniel was certainly being friendlier than usual...or more forward. And why didn’t she feel as...nervous around him? Maybe it’s because our lives have changed. He’s not a leader anymore; it seems...like we’re equals. Opening the door, she smiled despite the continual throbbing in her head and followed him through the castle.

~

Thendat and Fraydon lay out in the tall grass of an open field halfway between the enemy camp and their home base. Thendat had spent some of his time carving a small wooden instrument with randomly placed holes, while Fraydon was sharpening various parts of her arsenal.

Suddenly, Thendat turned to Fraydon and said “Did you ever think about finding a husband?” The long knife that Fraydon had been sharpening slipped, barely missing her left hand.

Glaring at him, she brandished the weapon. “You’d better have a good reason for asking that.”

Laughing quietly, Thendat held up his hands. “I do, actually.” As Fraydon turned her attention back to the knife, Thendat tossed the instrument back and forth in his hands. “You and I both know what place we hold in this world. We’re not real in any sense of the word.” Fraydon nodded and waited for him to continue. “Idle thoughts, really...but is everything we think pre-ordained?”

Fraydon looked up at the stars. “What do you mean? We’re thinking of this right now, aren’t we?”

Thendat sighed and stood up. “Yes, but what if Darren created us...sort of pre-made? And we’re just wound up springs, living our lives as the spring turns, slowly unwinding a pre-set course until the end...and it’s over. We’ve served our purpose. Following that train of thought...if he wanted to, he could make us more than friends, or even enemies...it seems so surreal.”

Fraydon yanked him back down into the grass. “You forget, though...he seems genuinely surprised by some of what we do. He doesn’t expect what we do sometimes. And if he did, he certainly wouldn’t feel the need to act surprised...right?”

Thendat sighed again and shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. For as much power as he wields, and considering his claim to Shirn...he seems powerless over certain events and people.” His eyes seemed to brighten for a moment. “Unless...he chooses to be that way.”

Fraydon glanced at him, and then smacked his shoulder. “That’s just stupid. Why would he choose to subject himself to this if he could choose to end it?”

Once again, Thendat turned to Fraydon. “Go ahead and ask him.”

“Ask me what?”

The pair on the ground leapt to their feet and glared at Darren, who smiled politely and repeated himself. “Ask me what?”

Thendat nudged Fraydon, who glared at him and, sighing, turned back to Darren. “We were thinking, and-“

“No.” Darren cut off the question with an answer.

“But then how-“

“I just do.”

“And we-“

“Can’t tell you that.”

Fraydon threw a tuft of grass at Darren, who surprised her by letting it hit his chest. She started to speak. “What was-“

“I know more than I could explain. I couldn’t even begin to tell you...at least, not now.” Darren smiled helplessly. “I’m sorry.”

Fraydon stooped to kick Thendat, who had already begun laughing uncontrollably before Fraydon had thrown the grass, and then turned back to Darren. “At least tell us that you know what you’re doing.”

Darren silently sighed. “I wish I could.”

Fraydon sighed loudly and was about to head back to the castle when she stopped suddenly and looked hard at Darren. Suddenly, she grinned and turned back around, sitting down and resuming her watch.

Thendat looked from her to Darren to Fraydon again, completely confused. “Why is she so happy?”

Darren smiled cryptically and floated slowly skyward in the direction of the city. “She knows.”

~

Tim wandered the city, his mind a chaotic mix of confusion and amazement. His vision was better, his hearing was sharper...but he seemed to lose a sense of self. Humanity seemed an elaborate hoax, a lie to herd people like sheep.

Coming across a park, he noticed a large oak tree by a bench. Clambering up one, he relaxed against a large branch that extended over the bench, hiding it from his view. Climbing trees was still a new experience, one he hoped never got old. There was a simple pleasure in enjoying nature. He did miss technology a bit, but nothing that couldn’t be dealt with.

Voices floated up from below him. It sounded like people sitting on the bench. Well, no matter. It wouldn’t bother his private reverie. Though the voices seemed oddly familiar...

“Do you come to this park often?” A woman’s voice, powerful but quiet.

“No, I tend not to walk here...it reminds me of my old life, something better left behind me.” The man speaking...there was something odd about the voice, something that went beyond familiarity.

Tim peered over the edge quietly, squinting in the light of the torches lining the pathways. Just as he had thought, it was Daniel and Celia. Out for a walk, no doubt. He had been attracted to Celia, but realized that there was no way she would understand the way he wanted to care for her.

Sighing, Tim rolled onto his back and closed his eyes as the conversation became quieter. It doesn’t matter anymore...Daniel’s there, and he can do a better job than I ever could. Besides, it’d be wrong to butt in now. Still...I wonder if he understands, if he cares like I do.

Cursing himself silently, Tim sat up and stared upward through the leaves. I can’t let my emotions get in the way of this.

{Your heart says yes. Your head says no. Your head will use reason and rules; your heart will use truth. Your emotions can be misguided, misused, and misinterpreted. However, they are never wrong; it is merely the distortion of truth that prompts most people to discourage trusting your heart.}

Tim almost fell off the branch as the voice drew nearer with each word. It was quiet and raspy, an odd combination that didn’t seem to fit any mold he tried to put it in. Finally, a silver bird about the size of his head, with a wingspan of at least three feet and about two feet long emerged from the upper branches of the oak tree.

Did I just hear a bird talking to me? {Indeed, you speak with your mind. This is good!} The voice rasped louder in what could only be thought of as a laugh of sorts. {You wouldn’t believe what some people try doing...yelling as though we’re deaf, talking as if other people can understand us and getting all sorts of strange looks...it’s a lesson in intelligence, it certainly is.}

Tim extended an arm tentatively and the bird hopped onto it, surprisingly light for its size. Quietly, he said “I’m...Tim. And you are...?”

The bird opened its beak in what Tim felt as a smile. {I don’t really have a name, sorry. I can tell you that I’m a Peregrine falcon, though much larger than any normal bird, that much is certain. Some humans would think of me as a familiar. I prefer the term “animal companion.” You may call me what you like, provided it’s not insulting, demeaning, or foul.}

Tim chuckled at the joke, and then thought for a moment. “Mercury sounds decent enough, eh?”

{I can tell you’re a bright one, yes. I accept the name Mercury, and will do my best to remember it.} Mercury hopped off Tim’s arm and onto the oak branch he was sitting on. {However, getting back to your woman troubles...}

Tim glared at the bird for a moment, and then sighed. Remembering to keep his voice down, he glanced down at the pair below. “It’s just...they seem happy. Why should I interrupt that?”

{Many reasons I could give you, egret.} Ignoring another one of Tim’s indignant looks, Mercury continued. {However, the most prominent one, and one I think you’ll agree with, is that something is seriously wrong here. Not only did you know both of them beforehand...but you can hear something in his voice, can’t you?}

Tim grudgingly agreed, then whispered “So why ‘egret,’ huh?”

Mercury gave the impression of a grin. {Your skinny legs, mostly.}

“Hey!” Barely remembering to keep his voice down, Tim swatted at the bird. “My legs are just fine.”

{Yes. Fine. Fine and skinny. Skinny like leftover chicken bones.}

Tim just stared at Mercury for a second. “There is something seriously wrong with you. How can you talk about a fellow bird like that?”

{Chickens are good for one thing: eating. That, and their eggs, which also happen to be quite edible. Coincidence? I think not!}

Suppressing laughter, Tim glanced down once more at Celia and Daniel, who were now moving away from the bench and deeper into the park. “We’d better follow.”

{Yes, an excellent idea. A masterful plan. Your powers of ingenuity are so magnificent; one might never realize that we are, in fact, doing the only thing we obviously can do.}

Tim slipped down the tree and followed, keeping a safe distance. Mercury flew ahead, keeping a close eye on all three. {I shall keep watch over you, Egret. Fear not.}

~

Darren stood on the highest point of the kingdom, at the peak of the castle tower. With the wind whipping his cloak around him, he stared off towards the south, leaving his vision unfocused, his memories vivid, and his spirit undaunted.

“All this I will give to You...if You will fall down and worship me.”
- posted by Nick @ 9/24/2005 06:16:00 PM

 

Chapter 38: Judged

“Darren Kinsley. I’ve heard so much about you from the former chancellor, also the former king. Your deeds are told far throughout Shirn’s history. Yet here you stand before me, barely a man, and I hold your fate in my hands.” The throne room had been redecorated since last Darren stood in it. Gaudy curtains and tasteless art littered the palace like garbage. But with a change in government, it was to be expected. To the group’s surprise, the people of the royal city had clamored for the removal of the previous chancellor and king within days of Darren’s departure. “Too soft,” they said.

Darren stared at the new king, a man fair of skin, wide of girth, wealthy, and a pitiless face. There could be no mercy from such a man. “You profess to hold my fate in your hands. That’s interesting. Tell me, what would you do with such as I, hmm?”

“You will address me as ‘Your Highness’! And very simply, my dear lad...I would put you to work at whatever task I had need of you for. Perhaps a simple execution, an assassination, or guard position...I’m sure none of those are too tasking on your skills, are they?” The king leaned forward and smiled unpleasantly.

Darren barely contained his disgust. “No, Your Highness...none of those are too tasking on my skills. What tasks my skills is giving me meaningless clean-up jobs that further only one man’s ends. I prefer to serve the people in small, but essential ways.”

The king burst out laughing. “Oh, oho, ahh...that’s rich. You’d be surprised how detailed some of these stories about you are, Darren Kinsley. The amount of blood stored in a single body was thought to be minimal, before you came along and showed us just how wide a range it could be spread across.”

Darren gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to hand Sara to someone else and destroy the fat man. “A man can change, Highness. Pardon me for asking, but I don’t even know your name.”

“My name is Abuwan. Of the Larendabard lineage, I am the ruler by choice of the people. Now that we’re acquainted, down to business.” Abuwan stood and pointed at Darren. “The people are all claiming you destroyed their ‘city in the sky,’ what we all know as Destiny. Yes, I know of the place. The previous chancellor was very informative after learning he could be executed for not sharing all the ‘royal knowledge.’ Did you destroy Destiny, or not?”

Darren nodded. “I destroyed Destiny, Highness.”

“Oh, then that’s that. You will die to satisfy the people’s lack of technology, since you believed in it that much.” Abuwan waved a ring-adorned hand and a servant approached with a cup of wine. Downing it at a single gulp, he turned back to Darren. “You’re still here. Shouldn’t you be throwing yourself on your own blade, or something similar? I did command you to die, after all.”

Darren blinked, astonished. Were the people really this blind, to think that brash and loud airs would make a good king? “I was just wondering whether you’d like to hear my reasons for destroying Destiny...Highness.”

The king yawned. “Your reasons don’t concern me. Or the people, for that matter. All they know is that you destroyed their hopes, and so somebody has to pay. Since you willingly admit to it, you must face them. Would you like to try to reason with an angry mob?”

Darren stared at him. “No...I wouldn’t. However-”

“Enough! I tire of you and your rag-tag following! Guards!” In came four armored and armed men. “Take Darren Kinsley and execute him publicly at the tallest point in the royal city! If his followers attempt to leave before this is done, execute them as well!” Abuwan noticed Sara and focused his leering gaze at her. “Is she drugged or merely sleeping?”

Darren’s teeth hurt from clenching them so much. “She is very sick and will not survive without my care.”

“I don’t believe it. Guards, take her from him and set her in my private chamb-”

Darren passed Sara to Thendat, tore a sword away from an unsuspecting guard and was beside the king instantly, a visibly powerful aura twisting the air. “Listen to me, you lazy irresponsible pile of human waste. I served every king Shirn had because I cared about order. When people see the most influential and dangerous man alive submitting to the king, they follow suit and respect him. I don’t-“

Darren’s voice suddenly rose in volume but dropped dramatically in pitch, a near-growl of threatening proportions. “Don’t touch her.” The music from the cathedral, known throughout Shirn as the Song of the Feladána, the Eternal Symphony, and the Baroun, began to drift through the minds of all present. One of the guards who had been inching towards Thendat backed away slowly, his face a mask of frozen fear.

The point of the blade inched closer to Abuwan’s throat. “I don’t respect you. I will never bow to you. You live only because I choose not to kill as I used to. And when the people see this, they themselves will kill you. Now,” he dropped the sword beside the throne and walked back to where his friends were standing. “There is one more option for you. I will abide by the laws of the former king, Adytlan, this woman’s brother. I will submit to a public trial by the people and also submit to their decision, as long as I am allowed to explain myself and my actions, and my friends are allowed to watch over the trial to ensure there are no corrupt activities. If, as you say, the people do not concern you, then there is no reason to think I will not be found guilty, correct?”

Abuwan didn’t like the way this man in front of him spoke. Clearly he overstepped his authority when he felt like it and had already broken about five different royal laws in this previous speech alone. But there was something in his tone and demeanor that frightened Abuwan to the point where he would almost take the blame for the destruction of Destiny, rather than risk a tortured death at the hands of the Feladána. “I accept.”

“Excellent.” Darren’s smile was somewhat forced. “Set guards outside the quarters we shall stay in if you must. Send people to watch if you feel the need. None of us shall leave the palace until the trial is prepared.” Bowing, he led the group past the stunned guards and towards the private rooms. Picking the first one on the right, he opened it and waved them all inside quickly.

Once inside, he surveyed the room and chuckled unexpectedly. “This room’s the one Sara and I stayed in...it hasn’t even been that long and yet it seems like forever.” Sighing, he placed Sara on the bed and pulled up a chair next to it. By now, she was rarely conscious and slept most of the time, occasionally calling out incoherently.

He sat there quietly for a couple minutes before Thendat walked up behind him. Not unkindly, he asked “Don’t you ever get tired of saving her?” Darren glanced up at him, smiled, and then looked back at Sara’s tranquil form. “Simply put, no. She is my Icklethe, The One I Live For; she is my Beloved. The bond we share is never broken. Distance only strengthens it. Attacks only bring us closer together. I will always be here for her as long as she needs me, and she will always be able to bring her troubles to me.”

Celia spoke up from her sitting position on the floor. “Doesn’t it seem...weak? To run to someone else with all your problems, to hope that they can solve what you cannot; doesn’t that ever annoy you?”

Darren smiled again. “On the contrary, she seems stronger to me than ever. She trusts me enough to know that even if I can’t help, I can still listen. She does whatever she can for me, even asking if there are any problems she can help me with. She tries her best, and if her best fails, she realizes she can’t do it on her own. Admitting you need help takes a tremendous strength of character.”

An unmeasured amount of time passed before Darren turned his eyes from Sara and retrieved a blanket from his pack. “They won’t come until morning. It’d be a good idea to get some rest...or even better, leave. You’re not the one on trial, and Sara would be safer with you all.”

The group exchanged glances, weighing his words. Thendat voiced his thoughts. “Darren, I think we would all rather die with you than either hear of your death elsewhere or learn you lived and try to face you again. I just wouldn’t be able to.”

Darren grinned. “Oh, I know. I figured I had to say it, though, just in case Celia or Tim wanted to go.”

The two mentioned people looked at each other and shrugged. Tim spoke up first. “Where would we go? We don’t know anybody, and you’re probably the most understanding person on Shirn when it comes to where we came from.”

Darren nodded. “A good point; it’s one that I keep forgetting. Well, since you’ve decided to make your fate with me...then get to bed.” He smiled and leaned back in the chair, his breathing slowing almost instantly.

The others smiled as well and laid out blankets, trying to relax on the hard stone floor. Before long, all of them were asleep except for Tim, who was near the door. He was having more trouble sleeping than ever before. After growing used to air conditioning and constant temperatures, the environment of Shirn was a huge adjustment for him. And right now, it was far too stuffy. Creeping to the other end of the room, he opened the window, wincing more than once at the creaking it made.

The fresh air cooled him instantly and he breathed in deeply. The moonlight bathed the windowsill and a few trees outside. Losing himself in it, he almost didn’t hear the door open quietly. Something inside him sounded a warning, though, and he flattened himself against the wall. A shadowed figure walked without noise towards the bed where Sara lay and Darren sat asleep.

Tim crouched and slid his left hand down his leg towards the combat knife. In retrospect, his side would have been a better place to strap it, he thought to himself. But the time for that was later. Even though he’d trained in the ISP room and had been a rather big weapons enthusiast, he wasn’t sure he could hit a trained assassin in the dark.

He drew his left arm back and was about to throw when a barely discernable padding of paws caught his ear. He glanced over his shoulder as long as he dared, seeing only the outline of some large creature watching him from the nearest hill; a pair of glowing yellow eyes was the only thing visible. What astonished him was the gentle voice of a woman that spoke directly to him. “Fear not,” it said, or seemed to say. “I will guide your aim.”

Tim looked back towards the room, hesitating for only a brief moment before tensing his muscles. The moving person had almost reached the bed. Sighing mentally, he threw as hard as he could and immediately ran towards the figure, hoping to catch it by surprise if the throw missed.

Darren moved as soon as the sound of metal sinking into flesh reached his ears. Instinct made him reach for his sword; the absence of it made him grimace. Instead, he flooded the room with light, waking Celia, Fraydon, and Thendat, but also revealing Tim sitting atop a bloody body, fist raised to pummel it into submission.

The scene was so comically absurd that Darren smiled. The smile turned into a strange sniffing sound, which grew to full-blown laughter as he leaned back in his chair. When he was done, he stood, and ignoring the stunned looks of his friends, knelt beside Tim. Removing the mask from the intruder, Darren nodded in affirmation. “It was an assassin, all right. Sent to eliminate Sara first, the rest of us later. It seems our enemies are growing desperate.”

He turned to Tim, who was in the calm stage of shock. “You did well, Tim. I would never have expected you to be able to throw a knife that well.”

Tim nodded slowly, still dazed. “Me neither. I don’t even think it was fully me.” Darren’s last sentence hit him and he focused a half-glare at Darren. “You knew I threw the knife. You weren’t asleep.”

Darren’s smile showed teeth. “I was fully aware of everything that happened from the moment you left your blanket. I prefer to know exactly what happens while I sleep...it prevents nasty surprises later. By the way,” Darren motioned to the closet containing a full-length mirror. “It seems you’ve accepted more than just a life on Shirn.”

Tim walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He was nothing special, just an average boy with black hair and pale green eyes...but his eyes seemed a lighter shade somehow. Even as he watched, they changed hue from green to the lightest shade of brown he had ever seen, to a dull gold color, to a slightly darker shade of blue, then to gray and finally to silver. Without moving his stare from his own eyes, he said “Darren? What exactly did I accept?”

Darren shrugged. “Beats me. Could be anything from an animal bond to sensitivities outside normal human ranges. I really have no way of knowing, and neither do you until you call it out. And don’t ask me how...you’ll understand it eventually, when the need is real and the time is right.”

Tim rolled his eyes as he shut the closet door. “You sound like a horoscope. ‘Friends will need you; you must help them quickly.’ ‘Time is of the essence, and your work is essential.’ Random pieces of vague riddles that don’t really help anybody out.”

Darren shrugged again. “Like I said, I really have no way of knowing. I’m not omnipotent...I just pretend I am.” Grinning, he leaned back in his chair and moved the hood of his gray cloak slightly to cover his face. Waving a hand, he extinguished the light.

The others were already in their beds, so they simply lay back down. Tim coughed softly from his position at the foot of the bed. When that go no reaction, he tried a little louder, finally saying to Darren “And the body?”

Without moving his hood, Darren sent the body and blood trail out the now-open window, flying off into the distance. Tim smacked his face and shook his head. “Don’t tell me some poor peasant’s going to have to deal with that mess.”

Darren’s grin was evident in his tone. “I’m cruel, not heartless. I took the liberty of cleaning and retrieving your knife for you. You’ll find it at your feet. As for the body, I know who sent the assassin. What better way to say “You failed to kill me” than to return the hired man dead on the employer’s floor?”

Tim shook his head again. “You never cease to amaze, Darren...and disgust, and amuse, and overlook, and laugh...” He stopped talking, shrugged in a gesture of dismissal, and lay down near the door.

Darren’s chuckle set him at ease and lulled them all to sleep.

~

Pounding on the door awoke Darren rudely. He stood up and looked around the room, confused. There was nobody there except him and Sara. None of their supplies remained in the room. There was nothing to suggest that anybody else had been there the night before. The sun was high in the sky, and judging by the light, it was blazing hot outside.

Darren rubbed his temples and answered the door groggily. “Who is it?”

“I’m the cleric of the jury, your assistant in this trial. Would it be possible to speak with you for a few minutes before we head to the sentencing?”

Darren woke up completely as he opened the door, allowing the tall, thin man entry. Giving him the only chair, Darren sat on the foot of the bed. “What would you like to speak about? You are defending me, correct?”

“In a sense. I am merely here to make sure you understand the proceedings. Though I warn you, you have to be absolutely careful of what you say. When people get angry, they are most irrational beings, something which I simply do not understand.” The cleric stood from the chair and paced back and forth. “Now, tell me your side of the story, from beginning to end.”

When Darren had finished laughing, he smiled at the puzzled cleric. “My story would take years to tell. But I’ll fill you in on all the facts about this case.” So he started from the moment Adytlan had requested he find the Stone of Naugan, leading all the way up until the confrontation with the commander in the control room.

The cleric simply could not believe his ears. “To think, I’m helping Darren Kinsley himself. I will certainly do the best I can.”

Darren smiled reassuringly. “I don’t doubt it.” Noticing the cleric’s confused looks around the room, he shrugged. “I don’t know where my friends are...maybe they took my advice and decided to leave while there was still a chance of their safety.”

Whatever the cleric had to say to that was cut off by a trio of soldiers that filled the doorway. “Darren Kinsley.” Darren looked at them expectantly. “Your trial will be held now, in the public square in the center of town. You will follow us in accordance with your agreement.”

Darren nodded, walked over to the bed, and picked up Sara. At the doorway, he paused for a moment, scanning the room for something he couldn’t quite place. Shaking his head, he turned back to the guards. “Lead on.”

~

Sara’s mental condition was far more complex than anyone could understand. Even Darren couldn’t figure out what ailed her, and he had spent years by her side and seemed to know her better than she knew herself. Wavering between consciousness and a sleep that never gave rest, she was constantly fighting for her sanity as illusions mixed with reality.

She found herself floating in a gray ocean, clinging to a board that appeared to be the only thing keeping her afloat. To her horror, the board began to crack and split, pieces breaking off and drifting away. Something grabbed her leg and dragged her under, churning the water and making it impossible to see what was pulling her.

Holding her breath as long as possible, Sara finally let it out and breathed in air, surprising herself. Whatever was grabbing her leg let go and she floated to the surface, breaking free of the water and waking briefly. Darren was leaning over her, shading her sensitive eyes from the pounding light. She smiled and reached up, touching his face for only a moment as her arm became impossibly heavy and her eyes closed of their own accord.

Sara fell back into her unconscious state as Darren turned to the seven randomly selected people who would decide his fate. Here he stood on a small platform in the public square, having just told his account a third time, his only chance of survival. Though I suppose I should be grateful I get any chance at all. “You have heard my story. You have heard my reasons. And you have heard my deeds.” As a formal closing, he announced to all present, “You will judge me.”

~

Celia, Tim, Thendat, and Fraydon made their way quietly throughout the city. The gates were wide open and unguarded, so none noticed their leaving. Five steps down the road away from the royal city, the dirt exploded to the side of the path. Those with weapons had them unsheathed and out in a second, but there was nobody to be found there.

Instead, Acerin came up the road towards the city, his face unreadable and still. Nearing them, he asked “Where’s Darren?”

Thendat answered him. “Standing trial, as he wishes.”

Only Tim and Thendat’s sharp eyes noticed Acerin’s face change briefly to panic, then back to calm again. Unexpectedly, he smiled and continued up the road. “Why aren’t you all with him?”

The group turned back and began to walk with him. Celia answered, “He wanted us to be safe, and after thinking about it for a while, we decided that not only could he handle himself, but he’d be better off without protecting us. We’ll meet up with him later, no doubt.”

Acerin glanced at her. “And the blonde? Why isn’t she with you guys?”

“After what Darren almost did when the king tried to separate them, we also decided not to make the same mistake, even if he did trust us with her,” replied Tim.

“The fool!” Acerin burst out loudly to no-one in particular. “He still thinks the rules hold!” He stopped and stared at each the confused four. “Darren will die unless he is helped.” With another explosion of dirt, he was gone.

Thendat, Celia, Tim, and Fraydon were left staring at each other in confusion as tension began to rise.

~

The four men, three women, and child that made up the jury observed Darren, each musing on their own thoughts. The child had been Darren’s choice; both he and the king had the right to select four random people from the crowd. As Darren had expected, the child had no reason to believe Darren was lying and wasn’t inherently suspicious. He took Darren at his word.

The others were a bit more...unforgiving. As they had pinned hopes on Destiny, they felt a bit more betrayed. And would I be any different? If I had hopes for a better life in Silver Lake and one man’s crusade took them away, I’d be angry too...but at least I’d take the time to find out why he did it. And I’ve given them their time.

~

Thendat raced through the city, heading for the square. He had no idea how to help Darren even once he found him. What could he do against a mob with arrows and blades? Fraydon had stayed with Tim and Celia, guiding them to an inn that was safe and easy to find. He’d meet up with them after...after whatever happens.

~

Each member of the jury was given two pieces of wood, one with a large “G” on it, the other with a large “I”. If the boards displaying the letter I outnumbered the boards displaying the letter G, he would be innocent. If not...then the topic for years to come would be Darren’s execution.

The jury began displaying the boards as Thendat reached the fringes of the crowd. There was no way to get a clear shot at anything that threatened Darren from where he was. Looking around, he spotted a bell tower and ran towards it, hoping to scale it in time to help.

Darren blinked in surprise. Two men and two women showed the boards with “G” on it. The other two men, the remaining woman, and the child all had “I” proudly displayed. A hung jury was not something he’d expected. The king’s laughing drew his attention.

Sitting in a golden chair supported by four well-muscled and shirtless men, Abuwan sat with obvious glee. “So, Darren Kinsley, your fate is still mine to control.”

Darren looked at him with growing suspicion. “What do you mean?”

Abuwan’s grin was ghastly to behold, triumphant and gloating. “The laws of the king state very clearly that in the event of a jury being unable to decide the fate of the tried, the king has the final word.”

Darren glared at him. “That’s never been a law. The case is retried-“

“I made it law myself! I am king, and as such am allowed to make, retract, and rewrite laws as I please.” Abuwan’s smug smile was almost enough to push Darren over the edge. But he had promised to abide by the results of the trial, hadn’t he? Abuwan leaned towards Darren and smiled ingratiatingly. “But of course, I will show mercy...provided you swear your services to me.”

Darren took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Abuwan had probably made that law the previous night, to assure his victory in any outcome. “I will never swear allegiance to such as you.”

Abuwan shrugged and leaned back. “So be it. You shall die, then.” They had already raised a platform in case of such an event, and Darren was lead to it. But before he went, he leaned down over Sara for one last kiss. The little boy in the audience groaned loudly, making Darren smile at the boy. Ah, to be young again. He almost chuckled. Almost.

Once he reached the platform, his head was rudely forced into a block made for that purpose. A basket waited for his head, a twisted way of turning away the wrath of the people of Shirn. Darren closed his eyes as the executioner’s axe was raised. The crowd’s jeering swelled. Something’s not right...never before have the people been so hungry for blood. It’s as if the odds are-

He could sense the axe about to fall as the noise increased steadily. Blocking out the outside world, time slowed as he examined his own thoughts. What is wrong with me? Why did I think that my enemies would play fair if I did?

A collective gasp went up from the crowd and Darren turned to look where they did. Sara staggered slowly up the steps to where he knelt, the executioner’s axe poised and ready to fall. Falling next to him, she looked into Darren’s eyes. The clarity he saw there was startling.

“It’s not time to die,” she whispered to him in a strong, yet soft voice, even as the axe fell. Sara’s hand shot up and gripped the shaft of the axe, holding it up with a strength that clearly should not exist in her form. Her arm began to quiver with the strain of holding it, and as her grip failed and the axe fell towards him once again, Darren’s mind changed in thought pattern.

Why should I even bother playing fair or ‘by my own rules’ if it won’t help anybody and evil is allowed to go free? I made the rules...and I can smash them. Welcome to my world, peons.

His eyes flickered black for a moment and the axe shifted slightly to the right and sank into the raised wooden dais. Standing up, Darren faced the screaming mob and began to speak. But the more he tried to speak, the more the people drowned out his voice.

Frustrated and rapidly growing angrier, Darren lifted his hand and sent the Baroun through the ears of every person, animal, and insect for miles. Nothing could save the entire city from a deep-rooted fear of the reputation Darren had gained, and even his friends felt cold at the sound of it. Abuwan covered his ears and shrieked, though it did nothing to save him. Thendat shuddered as he reached the top of the tower and peered over the side, trying to figure out just what had happened while he climbed the many stairs. He readied an arrow, but waited patiently.

Once the last scream of terror had died, Darren raised his voice and spoke to all present. “People of Shirn! You forget the principles of the kings before you. You forget how patient, compassionate, and caring they were. It was not too long ago that you were all bereaved upon hearing of the bitter loss of Adytlan, a truly kind ruler. I myself helped carry his coffin, mourning the loss of my newly found brother-in-law.”

That made more than a few people sit up and take notice, and Darren continued with a hint of anger in his voice. “The only reason I do not simply kill you all off right now is because I have saved you countless times, many open and many more secret. I have protected all of Shirn from many threats; why would I do something that doesn’t benefit you all? I’m a Guild Guide! I’ve dedicated myself to helping people, instead of becoming an assassin of the king.” He almost spat out his last few words.

Something distracted his mental focus and he stopped his speech. Something was coming...no, something was here. Looking around quickly, he saw nothing of interest...wait, what was that? Something or someone leapt from rooftop to rooftop towards the square, moving at an incredible rate.

In seconds, it landed beside Sara and picked her up. Darren moved to intercept the being, but even as he moved the figure lifted a hand and a massive surge of energy collided with Darren and slowed his velocity. Darkness swirled around this new foe in an unholy vortex, masking his face and figure. As Darren fought against the wave, the being leaned closer to him and unveiled its face, causing Darren’s eyes to widen in recognition. You...

“Me.” The voice was painfully familiar. “You will find me outside the city, three miles to the south. She will be there. Your destiny lies with me, Darren Kinsley...you know that. Come. Embrace your future and the new world of Shirn.” With that, the dark figure leaped from the platform and flew to the south, away from the city and the palace and into the wilderness. The field Darren that fought against disappeared as his enemy did.

Thendat watched them go from his vantage point, then saw them settle amidst a dark mass and gasped. He raced down the tower steps and was beside Darren in seconds panting. “There’s...an army massing...it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen! That’s where...Sara is. Behind the huge army. It’s not moving now, but who knows when it’ll march on this city?”

Darren nodded; no expression was on his face. “Sara was right. War is here.” He turned to the people. “War is here! Will you surrender or will you fight?”

“Whose side are you on?” someone shouted from the crowd.

Darren pointed right back at them. “I am on the side of the people. I will fight against the army.”

“And we will fight with him!” Darren’s friends came and stood beside him on the platform. Fraydon smiled helplessly at Thendat. “Sorry. We weren’t able to stay at the inn and had to come.” Thendat shrugged.

Darren turned to the king. “Will you lead them into battle or will you cower as you sit on your throne?”

Abuwan glared at him, then at the people, then back at him. “I will plan strategy, rather than risk my important life at the frontlines.”

Darren’s smile was condescending. “As you wish. I will lead your people into battle. Thendat, Fraydon, Tim, Celia, you all have skills I need to command. We need to meet at the palace now, while the people take time to arm themselves and assemble here in this city.”

As they walked away from what was almost Darren’s execution, Darren glanced back at the direction Sara had been taken, resolve hardening. I must face him now. I didn’t think he would be here. I made this a perfect world, after all. I guess it would have happened eventually...

~

Sara felt the experience of being carried while flying, but she was facing down, so all she could see was the land traveling beneath her, and that was while she was conscious. The line between illusion and reality was becoming even more blurred recently, and it was hard to tell what things were anymore.

She heard the sound of a tent being opened, felt herself being carried inside, and felt the softness of a cot with pillows. With a tremendous amount of will and effort, she opened her eyes and tried to look around the room. All she could see was the pulsing blackness that surrounded the one man in the room. If she forced her eyes to focus, it almost looked like...“Darren?”

An all-too-familiar chuckle rolled throughout the tent. “No, Sara...my name is Nanashi.”
- posted by Nick @ 1/20/2005 11:13:00 PM

 

Chapter 37: Home Away From Home

The idea that she was there came to Sara with startling certainty. Never before had the cliff in her dreams felt this real, or the darkness seemed so hard to push back. Nanashi’s voice was there, but he was not visible. Then again, not much was. Sara didn’t even bother climbing down from the cliff; Nanashi could come to her this time. And he did.

“Why, Sara...one might think you were beginning to despise my company. It’s been so long since we last talked, and we were so rudely interrupted by that pyromaniac who struts about like he owns the place. A minor setback, but that will also be dealt with later. I see by your ring that you’re married.” Nanashi chuckled, a grating sound that made Sara wince. “How painfully you people buy happiness and cling to it like toddlers refusing to be separated from their toys.”

Sara glared at the spot where the voice seemed to be coming from. “You’re a part of his imagination, like almost everything else I’ve seen on, in, or above Shirn.”

Judging by his tone, Nanashi was smiling. “Oh, am I? If that’s so, why can’t you simply push me away? Why don’t your powers hold as much sway here? If I am, as you say, only an illusion of Darren’s mind, a phantom of his unused brainwaves...why am I able to do this?”

The silence that had been unbreakable in so many previous dreams was gone, split by the sound of fires burning, an occasional crow cawing, and a low groaning that set Sara’s teeth on edge. Her eyes slowly widened as she realized what exactly it was she was hearing, and as the fog lifted...seeing... “No...NO!”

She woke up screaming incoherently and flailing her arms. Fraydon held her arms down while Celia pinned her legs, trying to calm her. Fraydon looked into Sara’s eyes, seeing something that triggered a silent oath in her own mind.

Darren pushed aside the tent flap and stepped inside backwards, his arms stacked high with different plants and more stuffed in the concealed pockets of his gray cloak. “You’re awake. Good.” Seeing the way the three women were sitting, he set down the plants and was by Sara’s side in an instant. “Sara...what’s wrong?”

Sara turned to him with tear-filled eyes and an unsteady voice, barely able to utter a single word. “War.”

~

Thendat coughed as he inhaled a wisp of smoke that drifted up towards him from the campfire a dozen or so yards away. Okay, so maybe picking a tree downwind of the fire wasn’t the best idea for scouting. They had set up camp after crashing in a forest, finding enough supplies in the ruined ship to last quite a while. That had been at mid-day; it was fast approaching evening. Sara had saved them with her piloting and the wind she had summoned. And everyone had been okay, except for...

A leaf rustled and he turned to his left. “Darren. Shouldn’t you be looking after Sara?”

Darren’s eyes would haunt him forever. “She’s awake and uninjured...at least physically.”

Thendat pushed down the cold ashes he felt in the pit of his stomach, asking “And mentally?”

Darren turned away slightly, pain obvious in his features and stance. “She...she doesn’t seem to understand much...much of anything. She’s alive...and conscious...but there’s not much of a reaction to voices, to anything Fraydon does, or...to me. When she does speak...it’s mostly incoherent. I don’t know if she hit her head in the crash or if she used too much of her power, or...I don’t know. I...I just don’t know...” He stood and stared straight ahead. “All I know is that Shirn no longer seems friendly to me. I used to feel so at home, and now...it seems so foreign. The wind, the earth, and the rain that’s going to start soon...it all hints at rebellion, at...” He trailed off, understanding beginning to show on his face.

Thendat nodded. “So you’ve felt it too.”

Darren clenched his fists and looked up. “I should’ve known...I should’ve known she would be targeted...because of me.”

Thendat’s tone showed his obvious surprise. “Then you know who it is that did this?”

Darren smiled unexpectedly, though bitterly. “It’s not as much a mystery as it seems, once you’re deep enough to understand.”

“But how-” Thendat’s question was cut off by Celia calling Darren’s name. Darren was down the tree and headed for the camp in an instant, leaving Thendat to his wonderings as rain began dripping through the leaves.

Celia whispered into Darren’s ear for a moment. The latter nodded and quietly entered the makeshift shelter, one of three they had made. Kneeling beside Sara, Darren felt her forehead.

“No pain. No response. No fever. No warmth at all. She just lays there, eyes closed but not asleep. It’s as if someone blocked all her conscious thought.” Fraydon spoke in a dull tone of voice, the same way Darren’s eyes looked. “I wasn’t able to find any traces of mental manipulation or attacks. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes sense.” Darren’s calm voice made Fraydon sit a little straighter. “I think I understand a little better why Destiny was such a protected place. Up there, with the rules and laws...there was no dispute that protocol couldn’t handle. It could have been a perfect environment, the safest place in the universe. And I destroyed it...to preserve a way of life that almost everybody hates.”

Fraydon shook her head. “You couldn’t have foreseen this. Nobody could have. You did what you thought was right, and I still believe your idea was the best. Though we may not see the effects now...technology would have destroyed the lives of these simple people.”

Darren nodded slowly and stood, mentally emblazoning Sara’s bedridden form into his mind. “I know. And it’s time we headed back to civilization, if for no other reason than to face what comes.”

Fraydon looked startled at his words. “You expect something. Something...bad?”

Darren smiled bitterly as he exited the tent. “They’re people.” A quick jump, a swing through the trees, and he was next to Thendat again. “We leave as soon as there is light to see by. Wake me first. Where’s Tim?”

Thendat pointed to a branch above him. “Up there. He wanted to see the rain and the surrounding area...he says he’s forgotten what this place was like.”

“I was on Destiny an awful long time.” Tim slid down a branch and perched awkwardly near Thendat. “Darren...I’m sorry.” Darren dipped his head in acknowledgement. “If there’s anything I can do...let me know.”

Darren nodded again. “Just be ready to move out at dawn. We’re in for a half-day’s hike back to the palace at the least, and I’d like to get inside before it really gets hot.”

He reached up and pulled himself higher in the tree and was almost at the top when Thendat called to him. “What about Acerin? He disappeared soon after we set up camp.”

Darren paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t worry about him. He can handle himself...and besides...we’ll see him again soon enough.” He began climbing again. “Fate is funny like that.”

Thendat stared upward at the canvas of wet leaves and blinked as drops of rain fell into his eyes. “Not staying to watch over her?”

The rustling above him stopped. “No...I’ll know if anything changes. I need some...fresh air.” The tree shook as Darren leaped from the branches and hit the ground running. Cresting the nearest rise, he left the ground and soared towards the east, out of sight in no time at all.

Thendat sighed and was about to climb down the tree when Tim stopped him. “Listen.” The wind had started to blow rain further and further towards the east, causing the rain to hit the tree at a different angle and changing the sounds made by hitting different leaves. The next instant, Darren passed overhead, coming from the west. Thendat was at the top of the tree in seconds, staring at the path Darren had taken. Did he really just circle all Shirn?

His answer came shortly afterwards, when Darren flew by again. Over and over he flew across the sky, lighting it up with a fiery trail.

As Darren’s speed increased and he covered more and more of Shirn, his mind reached out and connected with various others. Losing his thoughts in the bliss of speed, he was able to concentrate on fewer things, but with a greater focus. The time has come...evil is here.

Thendat watched for a bit, and then motioned for Tim to follow as he left his perch. “We’d best get sleep. We’ll need it if we’re going to make it to the palace in half a day.” Noticing Tim’s hesitation, he smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, he’ll be alright. We all have different ways of dealing with pain and grief...his are publicly private. Everybody can see...but nobody understands.”

Tim nodded slowly and followed Thendat to the tent they shared. Rather than undressing, he lay down and closed his eyes. After several hours of tossing and turning, unable to sleep, he crept out of the tent, wrapping a spare blanket around himself as he walked a bit. The rain had stopped after a short time, so the ground was soft but not muddy. It was perfect ground for moving about quietly. A curious movement caught his eye and he traveled towards it quietly.

Darren sat cross-legged in the middle of a circle of rocks, moonlight illuminating his features. Every now and then, one would float up to eye-level, hang there for a moment, and slowly sink back down to the ground.

Tim stepped forward. “Darren Kinsley, the Feladána...and his rocks. So the rumors have a bit of truth in them after all.”

Darren didn’t move. “Most usually do. You should be asleep.”

Tim shrugged, causing the blanket to move and a chill to seep in. He shivered. “Why aren’t you in the tent? You must be freezing, and you’ll need-“

“Sleep?” Darren smiled and stood. “I won’t need sleep. Why would an immortal being sleep? If I don’t sleep, I won’t wake up...and the waking is always worse than the constant dull pain.”

Tim bowed his head. “I see. You think there’s something you could’ve done differently.”

Darren nodded. “When we crashed, I didn’t think she’d use so much of her power to save us...I didn’t think to help. Do you know what the last words I said to her were? ‘You’d better focus on getting us all down alive.’ Not ‘I love you,’ or...or anything even remotely conveying how I feel...”

“Darren...even if you had said something like that, would it have been enough? Would you be satisfied with yourself if you had said ‘I love you’ before this happened, or would you still be moaning about it?” Tim’s words rubbed Darren the wrong way, but he couldn’t deny the truth in them. “Then all you can do now is worry about what to do next, rather than what you ‘should have done.’ Besides...she’s not dead.”

“Yet.” Darren sat down again. “They’re toying with all of us...in a world of my own creation.”

Tim blinked. “What?” Darren shook his head and waved it off, burying his face in his hands. Tim sighed and stepped forward. “Darren, I know right now the darkness seems incredibly deep. Like your only light has been extinguished, it seems so hard to go on. But...Sara still lives. You have immense power, more than any and all of us. There is a chance for you both.”

Darren moved a finger and glared at Tim with one eye. “Tell that to my mind. I’ve thought through this, you know. It doesn’t change or take away the pain at all.”

Tim nodded slowly. “You’re right...the pain is still there. Nobody can help you with that right now. But sleep will make it easier to withstand the pain.”

Darren smiled unexpectedly. “Funny how you keep changing the subject back to me going to bed.” Tim sighed, prompting Darren to add “Don’t think I haven’t been listening. I know what you’re telling me is important and true, but it won’t sink in until later.”

Tim ventured a small smile. “Exactly. It takes time to adjust how you view your life once someone you love and care about has been removed from it.” He turned and started to walk back to the camp, but stopped for a moment. Glancing back, he spoke quietly, forcing Darren to listen carefully. “You’re lucky, Darren Kinsley...Sara has only been removed from you temporarily. Remember...remember that others have suffered far worse when it comes to losing loved ones.” With that, he padded back to the tent and climbed in.

Darren stared after him for a moment. Others have suffered far worse...so why does it seem like my pain is the worst? Is it human nature to be so selfish and concerned with yourself? Always wanting the best for the ones you care about...so that they love you? Is that all love is...convenience?

He cut off that line of thinking abruptly and stood up. No...there is more. Sara taught me that much, just by living. Tim’s right...I’m grieving as though Sara were already dead...I have no right to complain. Now...I think of what to do next. The circle of rocks left his control and became animated, spinning around him without any sense of direction, momentarily startling him. So...that’s the way you want to play. A chuckle escaped his throat. Okay, but only tonight. After this...

One flew towards the back of his head. Darren spun on his heel and smashed it to dust with his palm. Three spiraled towards his chest and disappeared as they hit a barrier. Turning to a small clump, Darren easily obliterated half a dozen rocks with a single kick. By this time, an uncontrollable grin was spread across his face as he realized the irony of destroying more rocks, but this time against his own will.

When the last rock was gone, Darren stood staring at the stars. In a world of my own making...a world that has turned against me, its creator...will my own strength be enough? Against the world, perhaps...but what about...him?

He headed towards the camp, his thoughts confused, yet strangely calm.

When the rest of his group woke, most of the supplies were already packed, with Darren nowhere in sight. But as soon as Tim and Thendat finished tearing down the camp, he walked over to the packs and shouldered one. Then he walked to the blanket where Celia and Fraydon had laid Sara, picked her up like she weighed nothing, and faced them all. “Let’s go.”

They followed him, trusting that he knew the way. Fraydon and Thendat had both been unable to determine their location, despite having an extensive knowledge of Shirn and its terrain. Tim had no knowledge of Shirn whatsoever, so Thendat did his best to teach him what he’d picked up over the years. Fraydon conversed with Celia on various experiences she’d been through, the differences involved in being a Receptor, and other topics.

Darren looked neither to the left, nor the right, but traveled in a straight line. Occasionally, when his pace seemed to lag, he would glance downwards at the often-sleeping form in his arms and seem to gather determination from somewhere deep within himself.

A small town came into view slightly to the left of the group, yet Darren didn’t even look twice. The noise of people reached his ears from the right, however, and that caught his attention fast. Running his eyes over each person off in the distance, he stopped instantly and turned to Thendat. “Go find cover quickly. Don’t let yourself be seen with us.”

Confused, Thendat hurried off to the nearest tree, looking back every so often. Fraydon, Thendat, and Celia were all watching him as he left, so Darren took the opportunity to use illusion. His features changed, his clothing colored and became like Thendat’s, and by the time his group looked back at Darren, he looked completely like Thendat. Even his voice had changed slightly. After reassuring them it was him, Darren ignored the usual questions about why and how and headed for the village, deviating from his previous path.

~

Daniel Welm ducked a rock and backed away from the mob of angry villagers, shielding the few people behind him. “What’s wrong with all of you?” To think...this used to be my village.

One man brandished a pitchfork and stepped forward. “You tell us you come from the sky in a strange vehicle, survived, and expect a hearty welcome and shelter? You’re either a demon or a liar, and we don’t like both.”

Daniel waved his hands frantically. “But I lived here for so long! Don’t any of you recognize me?”

Any further words he had to say were cut short by a different man running from the direction Daniel’s group had come from. “Chief! Chief! I saw it with my own eyes! He’s not lying, there’s a strange vehicle made of a strange metal and with lights! Big, unnatural lights, like individual suns!”

The chief turned to Daniel, his face hardening. “I know what they are. I have friends in the palace that whisper of a town high in the sky, supported by magicks and exotic machines. They also said that something’s happened up there, and everybody’s fleeing for their lives. Did you have something to do with it? Did ya?” He jabbed in Daniel’s direction with the pitchfork.

“No, he did not.” Darren stepped out from the shadows, still disguised as Thendat and still carrying Sara. “I did, and I have my reasons.” Most people recognized the form of Thendat and left confused, but a few stayed, including the chief and several of his armed friends. Celia, Fraydon, and Tim watched from around the corner of a building.

Daniel stared at Darren, not recognizing him in his disguise. “You...you destroyed Destiny?” Darren nodded and was met with unconcealed anger. “Do you realize the full consequences of what you’ve done?”

”I believe I do, but go ahead if you’ve thought of something else” replied Darren.

The former leader of the Gray Knights strode forward until he was within reach of Darren, who told Fraydon and Tim to back down even as they stepped forward with hands on their weapons. Tim had scavenged a combat knife from the ship. They complied, and Daniel stared into Darren’s eyes. “You have ruined the lives of every employee on Destiny. Their entire lives were spent in a sheltered environment, without any idea of what life is like here. They will die here.”

Darren shook his head no. “The people on Shirn are kind and will teach every misplaced person a trade or ways to survive. They will come to love the simple life.” Seeing Daniel’s disbelief, he continued “Or perhaps you were wishing you were a war hero, decorated with medals and ribbons, prized and paraded about?”

That struck a nerve. Daniel’s arms shot out and gripped Darren by the throat, lifting him into the air, Sara and all. “You dare suggest I do this for self-gain? For self-profit? What would you know about being a hero, traitor?”

“More than you could learn in a lifetime, Mr. Welm.” Darren dropped his illusion and watched recognition, horror, and a smattering of other emotions travel across the other man’s face. Still cloaked all in gray, showing his face for the first time, Darren was unmistakably familiar to everyone present.

“You...you can’t be...who are you?” Daniel choked out as he dropped Darren and cringed, throwing up an arm to shield himself. The real Thendat crept up behind Celia, Fraydon, and Tim, watching silently.

“My name...is Darren Kinsley.” Understanding dawned on Daniel as Darren continued. “Your own squadron was named after me, after your ‘rescuer and hero.’ You would know me as Peregrin...the Gray Knight. ‘If I can do even one small portion of what that man has done for others, then I can die a happy man,’ you said. What will you do now, Daniel Welm? What goes through your mind when you can’t reconcile your hero with this ‘villainous’ act of destruction of one man’s little world?”

Darren waited for an answer and was met only with a stunned silence. Softening his tone, he pressed on. “Destiny was Commander Garcia’s last-ditch effort at controlling his own world. He believed himself to be above the rules he had made, and so there had to be a balance...” Darren trailed off as his mind raced. I sound...exactly like Jared...exactly like my father.

Shaking his head to clear it, he sighed and looked Daniel square in the eye. “I saved you years ago. Since then, you valiantly pursued your ideals and I have no problem with that. The only reason I destroyed Destiny is because I believe the people of Shirn will be better off without the technology we could have used if the Laecans were defeated.”

Darren shifted Sara in his arms and kept talking. “You owe me nothing, Daniel...and neither do I owe you anything. You are free to come back to your shop here in this little village, or free to fight me if you choose. Your path is not chosen by a system of government, by a computer, or by anyone else but you. You are truly free of the burden of technology.”

The chief butted in angrily. “He may be free to come back here and welcome to him, but we were promised easier lives because of this city in the sky. The king promised us that if we worked harder and paid just a little more in taxes now, there would be far less work and much less to pay for in the future. If you destroyed it...you must face the judgment of the king on behalf of all the people!”

The several people remaining from the mob that carried weapons edged towards Darren, who grimaced. I saved them all once...and they repay me thusly. Fools. Reaching into his mind for strength to attack, he stopped suddenly. “Wait. I will come peacefully, on three conditions.”

The advancing men glanced at the chief, who rubbed his chin and eyed Darren. “Name them.”

Darren jerked his head towards the group that he had seen earlier. “You will accept these people as refugees, treat them with kindness, and teach them how to live peacefully here on Shirn. They will learn. You will also show great respect for Mr. Welm, who fought valiantly for your cause up in the city in the sky, never losing a single battle as he did his best to make real the promises the king made.”

He turned towards his own group and bid them step out of hiding. “These people are my friends and followers. Though they would die for me and I for them, they had no part in the destruction of the sky-city and are guiltless of any charge you would bring against them. They will be allowed to follow me to the royal city and speak with whatever leading official still rules. Whenever they choose, they may leave in peace and safety.”

The chief nodded slowly. “Acceptable terms so far. And the third?”

Darren looked down at the quiet body in his arms, then up at the chief as his eyes became cold and hard. “This woman is my wife and is sick with a disease that no Shirnish healer can cure. She will come with me, I will always have her near, and nobody will be allowed to lay a hand on her. No matter what happens to me, she will not be moved or touched by any except those I trust: my friends and followers.”

The chief found no fault with this in his own mind, but still had to keep up his bravado in front of his village and friends. “And what if we disagree with this last term?”

Darren’s eyes flashed angrily as he recognized the bluff. “Then you will find that the Gray Knight no longer fights for you, but against you.” An image formed in the chief’s mind; gray armor superimposed on Darren’s form, and coupled with the air Darren exuded, it made him look even more formidable than the villagers remembered.

The chief backed down quickly and agreed to Darren’s terms, pointing Daniel’s group to various houses that would shelter them. Before he left, Daniel spoke to Darren. “I don’t understand you or your motivation completely...but your self-sacrificial nature speaks highly of you. You remain my rescuer and hero; I realize you know more about these people than I do...and though I may not fully realize why until later...I thank you.”

Darren smiled and nodded, then followed the chief as he led a few of the remaining armed villagers towards the royal palace. Thendat, Fraydon, Celia, and Tim followed Darren as he carried Sara, a somber procession towards an uncertain future.

- posted by Nick @ 1/16/2005 01:50:00 AM

 

Chapter 36: Unable to Wake

Time...

It seemed like he was always waiting for other people. Waiting for them to finish their business, waiting for them because they were so slow...

Then again, I’m just that much faster.

Friendly brown eyes altered colors briefly.

I know you’re there.

He could feel dark blue pressing in on him, trying to sense his movements, trying to see what he’d do next...

But at this point, that’s all you can do, isn’t it?

A quick surge of mental focus ended the watching. It would be back later, but until then, he would wait for the appropriate time.

Time...

~

All eyes turned to the medical lab door as it melted completely. Sara stepped through calmly, pointing at Celia, Fraydon, and Thendat. “If you have anything here, gather it up quickly. Our ship has been located and we’re just waiting for Darren to finish up what he’s doing here.” The lights flickered and Sara glanced up. “Ignore what I just said. We’re leaving now.”

The lab assistant cheered up considerably. “So does this mean we’re all going to die?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Celia and Sara glared at each other. Sara eventually shrugged and walked out the door, clearly expecting the others to follow. After a moment’s hesitation, the others headed after her. The doctor blinked a few times. “Well...that was interesting. I guess we’ll just...stay here then.”

Thendat caught up with Sara in the hallway. “Where are we going and what are we doing?” Sara ignored him and quickened her pace.

Fraydon walked on Sara’s other side. “What happened, and what were the soulcries I heard?”

Sara glanced at her with a look of frustration. “I don’t completely understand it myself. The only thing Darren showed me was what happened on Vearid.”

They walked in silence for a minute or two before Thendat ventured a quiet “And what happened?"

Sara’s smile left a bittersweet taste in her own mouth. "He learned who he really was."

The hangar spread open before their eyes as the hallway transitioned into a large room similar to the hanger on Destiny. A single ship waited with engines warmed and waiting. Darren leaned out and waved them all forward. "We need to get going, or they'll try to shoot us down."

Celia looked around. "Where's that guy...the one who didn't like Sara...Acerin, right?"

Sara glanced at Darren. "Are we going to wait, or can he handle himself?"

Darren smiled. "He'll be here in a bit. I sent him to retrieve a couple things I didn't want to lose."

Acerin strode into the room holding a purple bag embroidered with gold. Tim entered hard on his heels, voice raised in mock-hurt. “Nice of you to fetch me, Darren...but really, I could have been a little more useful.” Acerin tossed the bag to him and entered the ship without a word.

Darren glanced inside the bag and nodded, satisfied. Turning to Tim, his smile changed to a grin. “There will be plenty of things for you to do if you keep traveling with me.”

Sara followed Darren inside the ship quietly. The rest filed in and found places to sit. The alien ship was not unlike their own, save for the language used. Sara, Darren, and Acerin entered the cockpit while Tim met the others. Darren waved Acerin over and pointed to various parts of the screen. "Understand anything?"

Acerin stared at the fast-moving array of words and numbers. "Some. It's mostly data on Destiny."

Darren nodded. “We’re going back.”

~

Venom stood atop a small hill, covered with soft grass. A small dip about a quarter-mile in length stood between him and the next hill. This continued in every direction as far as he could see.

Leaning slightly into the wind, he pitched forward and ran down the side of the rise. Down, down, down into the valley, a moment of level ground, and then up...just him, running through constant scenery in the bliss of speed, with nobody watching.

He liked it that way.

A distant figure appeared on the horizon, facing away from him. Venom shaded his eyes against the setting sun and squinted to make out the outline even as he sped towards it. There shouldn’t be anyone in the ISP room...it was against the rules at this time. Thankfully, he’d learned how remote accessing worked...and also dug up a fair amount of dirt on most high-ranking officers because of it.

The distant shadow turned to face him and Venom’s heart sank. The commander waited as the hills behind and to the sides of both people disappeared, replaced with a wall. He’d already blocked the escape routes Venom had put in place. There was nothing to do but keep going towards the commander.

But something had changed. There were still only two of them in the simulated plains...so why did it feel different? With every stride Venom took towards certain doom, his senses told him something was definitely off. The faint whisper of running feet through grass reached his ears and he glanced quickly over his shoulder, almost tripping once he saw the third person.

“Darren!?!”

The transparent being smiled and faded within seconds, but that short glimpse was enough to change Venom’s strategy entirely. Strengthening his will and diverting all available memory into himself, he created a circular warp in the commander’s blockade.

Garcia laughed as Venom drew closer. “You don’t realize just how powerful my control of the ISP room is, do you, little hacker?” The warp changed shape to an oval. “Rather than being your escape, it will become your prison! Only by adjusting me could you possibly adjust this place!”

Venom laughed quietly as his running took him within ten paces of the commander. Lowering his voice until Garcia could barely hear him, he never wavered as his path headed straight for the warp - and Garcia blocking it. “That’s just what I plan to do.”

Venom collided with the commander, knocking him through the warp. His momentum also pulled him through, but by then it made no difference. The commander’s blockade dissipated, the hills were gone, and Venom opened his eyes to find himself in front of his laptop in his own room. But soldiers would be there in minutes. He had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Tossing the laptop into a shoulder-bag, grabbing a backpack from the closet, and throwing on his favorite pair of faded shoes, he headed for the door. He was always prepared for something like this, though he didn’t actually expect it to happen. Flinging open the door, he walked out hurriedly and stopped.

Soldiers lined the hallway in both directions as far as he could see, guns trained on his doorway – and now him. Approaching footsteps could be heard down one end of the hallway. Crap. They’ve done some preparing of their own.

“Venom! Ah, I finally meet you in person...the illustrious hacker who has caused countless problems for me – and certainly Destiny - in mere months. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Venom glared directly into the commander’s eyes. “The honor is somewhat diluted on my part. Nice to see your little regime of control and fear is still in place...though that’s not too surprising; it’s far easier than simply trusting or helping people out, don’t you think?”

Garcia’s eyes darkened. “I’m doing what I think is best for the people.”

Venom laughed. “Don’t tell me...you’re quoting Hitler. Wait, Stalin. Hussein?”

“Disrespect will get you nowhere, impudent boy!” The sound of readied weaponry echoed throughout the passageway. “You’re only alive as a formality, so people can feel the full effect of an execution in front of their faces, rather than a dead body on a screen.” Venom noticed new cameras in the hallways, all trained on him. “You see, boy...you’re more of a liability than we can afford now. We can’t have that...so you’ll have to be terminated. Goodbye, Venom.”

Venom half-closed his eyes and tensed as he waited for the tell-tale signs of shots. Instead, a thunderous crash rolled throughout the station, knocking everybody to the floor. Garcia was up first, shouting at various officers and swearing in three different languages. Venom strained his ears. Is that German?

As the station steadied, the guns pointed once again at Venom. But a low rumbling could now be heard...much different than before. This rumbling wasn’t the station shaking...this was something shaking the station. And the noise was growing constantly.

Darren flew down the hallway past them all, led by a beam of light and followed by a rapidly growing cone of fire. Strangely enough, the fire didn’t scorch or melt anything, but clung to the walls and burned without fuel. Laughing as he flew, Darren extended a hand and sent lightning into every camera in sight. Sparks showered down and temporarily blinded all present. As expected, all the soldiers followed him once they could see, with Garcia trailing and yelling something about keeping him out of the control room.

Venom chuckled as he ran the opposite way, towards the hangar. Better get off Destiny before something explodes. It took longer than expected to get there; people were running about and screaming like they’d never seen an emergency before. When he came to the hangar, he stopped and looked around, taken aback.

Most of the ships were ready and waiting to launch. Sara waved to him from one of them. “Hey, Venom! Over here!” Venom shuffled over and looked up at her questioningly. Sara smiled and nodded in response to an unasked question. “We’re getting everybody off Destiny. Darren’s orders...and right now, I don’t think it’d be a good idea to go against them.”

Venom grinned. “No...I would think not, judging by the way he sped past me. Saved my life, too...so I guess we’re even. Are all of these headed back to Shirn?”

Sara shrugged. “Most. We weren’t able to access the navigational systems of each one, so we’re also telling people how to reprogram those. Heading out?”

Venom nodded. “Might as well. There’s nothing left for me here...I’ll be better off on Shirn, though the technology there is...somewhat lacking, I hear. Anyways...that one looks good.” He pointed to a vacant ship at the far end of the hangar. “No time for goodbyes, so...I’ll probably run into you guys back on Shirn. See ya.” And he was gone before Sara could say another word.

~

The commander entered the control room alone. The soldiers outside had asked, pleaded, and even begged to come with him...but he knew what was going on. There were only two reasons for this...and one was now out of the question. Garcia touched the pistol concealed inside his coat for comfort and reached the top of the platform, where everything on Destiny was seen and recorded. The low crackling of white noise on every monitor proved Darren’s words to him: Destiny wasn’t his to control.

“Commander Garcia. I would advise you to leave Destiny immediately and seek shelter on Shirn.” Darren stood with his back to the commander, staring out the large clear panel that Garcia had looked through so many times before. Garcia pulled the pistol slowly from its hiding place and pointed it at Darren’s head, which bowed slowly. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, commander.”

A shot rang out and the commander fell to the ground, clutching his side. The cold metal floor seemed warm compared to the ice creeping through his side. A moment later, the left side of his jacket began to turn a dark red. Garcia struggled to his knees and glared up at Darren. “You used my own weapon against me.”

Darren turned on his heel and looked down with expressionless eyes. “Actually, I didn’t. I only reflected the shot. I didn’t think of where it would reflect to...it’s a sad, yet poetic justice, don’t you think?” A snarl from his opponent was the only response. Darren sighed and offered his hand. “Come on. Shirn is the only place left to go now. In half an hour, Destiny will be nothing more than a lifeless shell, floating aimlessly among the stars. Don’t let your body be among the debris.”

Garcia knocked away his hand and crawled over to the nearest control panel. Sitting with his back against it, he smirked up at Darren. “There’s no self-destruct sequence on Destiny. There aren’t any explosives. How do you plan to destroy this place, hmm?”

Darren held out a palm and let a small flame spring to life. “Remember this? I spread these all throughout this space station. When I feel the time is right...” The flame suddenly split, assumed a consistency similar to a metal, and extended in two directions, piercing a monitor and a chair with no resistance.

Garcia’s smirk slowly disappeared, replaced by the look of a man who has no other options. “But...why? Why would you destroy Shirn’s only chance at technology, at freedom?”

Darren smiled. “A fair question. My answer is that Shirn’s chance at technology is a chance at Pandora’s Box. Hard work and long hours make better men than sitting all day with your feet up. History itself has proved this. Technology will only lead to Shirn’s inevitable destruction. As for freedom...the Laecans aren’t attacking Shirn. They’re trying to help it by using their advanced knowledge to save them...from themselves. Once Destiny is gone, the Laecans will withdraw and leave forever. There won’t be any more space travel or needless deaths up here.”

Garcia sighed. “You know you what you believe. Just like your father, you have a reason for everything...and now with your hair, you even look like him. Unfortunately, I see it differently. Do what you have to do; I won’t leave here. This is my Destiny.” He chuckled at his own use of irony.

Darren smiled sadly, repeating his earlier words. “‘A good leader goes down with his ship; is that it?’”

Garcia’s half-hearted chuckle led to a coughing fit that left him breathless for a few seconds. “...No...a good leader doesn’t go down with his ship. A...a good leader wouldn’t let his ship be destroyed in the first place.”

Darren bowed his head. “Commander, please leave this place. For Sara’s sake, if for nothing else. Despite all that has happened, she will feel the pain of your death.”

Garcia nodded. “That’s right. And she’ll need someone to blame for that...”

Darren felt anger kindle inside him. “You would use your own death, your last act as an immortal being, your soulcry....you would use that to separate a happily married couple?”

The commander’s eyes softened briefly and he held Darren’s gaze. “Darren...I tell you now from experience: you will feel incredible pain and anguish because you married a mortal woman. Because you share closeness, as she ages and you do not, you will feel her pain as well as yours. When younger women realize you don’t age and Sara will eventually die...they will pursue you, and it will wear you down.”

Darren stared at Garcia for a solid minute as his resentment diminished. There was no lie in his voice, his eyes, or his demeanor. After a while, Darren spoke slowly. “Regardless, I hold to my vows.”

Garcia closed his eyes and leaned back. “Then go. I have said my piece; there is nothing else I can tell you. Go.”

“I’ll make sure a ship is left behind just in case you change your mind.” With that, Darren bowed in respect and left through the door, speeding past the soldiers as they yelped in surprise.

Commander Steven Garcia pulled himself up against some controls to get a better look out the clear panel at the stars. “I’ll make sure a ship is left behind...just in case you change your mind...” He closed his eyes again as his mind replayed Darren’s last words to him over and over. “Just in case you change your mind...” Was he being mocked? Did Darren doubt his resolve and willingness to die? If he chose to go to the hangar, would there even be a ship, or would Darren watch and laugh from the last one?

“I’ll make sure...” No. There’s no deception. Just an act of kindness...after all I’ve put him through, after all the backstabbing, lies, and betrayal...he still extends a hand. What integrity...what forgiveness...

Garcia opened his eyes and watched the stars became blurred circles of light. Faint “plinks” could be heard every few seconds as the tears streamed down his face and fell to the metal floor. He shows great mercy, even to the enemies he knows, allowing them the chance to escape death. However...

The tears slowly stopped and the commander’s face relaxed. A peaceful air settled over the ruined control room. Death is also a great mercy.

~

Darren spent the next twenty minutes racing around Destiny, dodging soldiers and gathering friends and allies. Thomas and Diana were given charge of loading people onto ships, and were then loaded onto a ship themselves along with Daniel. One by one, ships were launched from the hangar and fell to various places on Shirn.

Sara glanced at her watch nervously. Twenty-three minutes. Darren was doing one last check to see if any soldiers wanted to leave on the second-to-last ship. Some did, and eagerly clambered aboard. The rest proudly filed towards the control room to die with their leader. Darren passed them on his way back and saluted briefly before taking Sara by the hand and entering ship 56, shutting the door behind them.

Celia was in front of him instantly. “With all of your group plus me and Tim, it’s a little cramped in here. Why can’t we take the ship next to us?”

Darren glanced at Sara before replying. “The commander may change his mind and decide to leave. I left that ship there just in case.” It took a moment for Sara to grasp what he was saying. The many questions on her lips died as she turned to him and saw his pain-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, Sara. I tried to convince him to come...but he’s so hardened in his ways that he hopes you will blame me for his death here. Even now he tries to come between us...even now...I’m sorry.” He sat down in a corner and leaned back against the cold metal, closing his eyes.

A few seconds later, he felt warmth on his cheek and reached up, touching Sara’s hand. She sat down next to him, turned his face towards hers, and kissed him slowly. “Darren...that man may share DNA with me, but he is not my father. The man who raised me in Silver Lake and died years was my father. Commander Garcia was a cold, calculating, deceiving man who tried to separate us numerous times and failed...all because of you.” She kissed him again and stared deeply into his eyes. “Don’t ever think you killed him...because until the end, you gave him a choice.”

Darren nodded slowly. “Thank you.” After a few moments of quiet thought, he turned to Celia and Tim. “We should go now. Sara, if you would pilot, it would help the journey greatly.” Sara nodded, kissed him one last time, and headed for the front of the ship.

Darren stood and turned towards the rear of the ship. There’s still time, commander...there’s still time...

Destiny was out of sight in less than a minute. Darren sighed deeply, weariness filling his voice. “Time is up for Destiny.” Concentrating briefly, he sent a mental detonation towards the almost-empty space station, wincing as the feedback registered on the ship’s instruments.

Tim looked up from his navigational panel. “Darren, shortly after you spoke, there was a small, brief energy surge from the station. It’s over...Destiny is now adrift.”

Darren nodded tiredly and reached into a nearby compartment, drawing out a gray traveling cloak. Rolling it up and using it as a pillow, he laid down in the same corner he’d been sitting in. “Wake me when we’re about to enter Shirn’s atmosphere.”

Sara glanced back. Fraydon and Thendat noticed her eyes soften, but said nothing. Celia and Tim talked in hushed tones while Celia stole glances at Acerin, who seemed to be watching everybody in the room at the same time. Countless minutes passed without anybody thinking or caring about what time it was.

The ship tilted unexpectedly and then straightened out. “Can’t you at least keep a steady hand during re-entry?” Celia yelled over her shoulder.

“I’m doing the best I can!” Sara returned. “But there’s a bit of a problem with stabilization...this ship wasn’t made to be an escape pod!”

Tim looked back at Darren’s corner. “Shouldn’t somebody shake him or something? He did ask to be woken up...”

“Well, when I said I wanted to be woken up, yes, I meant for somebody to shake me.” Darren rose, gathered his cloak around himself, and walked up to where Sara sat. “You didn’t have to shake the ship.”

Sara turned towards him, about to apologize and deny that she’d done it on purpose, when she saw his smiling face and sleepy eyes. Heart melting, she leaned up and kissed him gently. “Good morning. We’ve just entered Shirn’s atmosphere.”

He chuckled. “I had no idea.” They both winced as the ship tilted again, this time to a sharper angle. “You’d better focus on getting us all down alive.” With that, Darren headed back to his corner and shielded his head from the hard metal walls with his cloak.

Sara gritted her teeth as they began to descend faster and faster. She could only level out so much before gravity took over and pulled the nose of the ship down again. It was more than a little bit different than the complete maneuverability she was used to.

A sudden jolt rattled the ship and Sara glanced back. “Sorry. Bird.” Darren’s quiet laughter eased her heart.

The jolts became more frequent as the ship continued to plummet towards the ground. Sara braced herself and advised others to do the same. Trees seemed to rise towards them faster than she’d ever seen or ever wanted to see. Thinking of the people onboard without any self-protective skills, she summoned a powerful wind to push against the ship in hopes of slowing it down.

But the strain of mental focus and force of multiple Gs caused her brain to cloud. Her head lolled to one side as the room began to blur. She could swear someone was calling out her name...

Sara blacked out just before ship 56 hit the ground in a shower of metal, wood, and earth.

- posted by Nick @ 1/10/2005 10:43:00 PM