Aberration Read online

  Isaru nodded. “That’s as it should be. Though I wasn’t in control of myself at the time, I’ve lost all rights to the kingship. Whatever I need to do to abdicate my claim in favor of my cousin, I’m ready and willing.”

  Everyone was quiet at these words, some perhaps being shocked. It was not often that a king laid down his birthright, but knowing Isaru, I knew he never wanted the power. Besides, a change in leadership at such a pivotal time could prove disastrous.

  “Sylva . . . gone,” Isa said. “I just can’t believe it.”

  “Some of their troops have joined us, including the Dragonriders wise enough to flee and fight another day,” Fiona said. “Their numbers have been added to the Annajen Dragonriders. More still chose to die defending their home, refusing to abandon their king. I loved my Uncle Arius, but I can’t forgive the decision he made. How many thousands lost their lives because he refused to abandon his seat?” She shook her head. “But I must leave that in the past, however difficult it is.”

  “I thought ending the Hyperfold would end Odium too, somehow,” Shara said. “I guess that was just wishful thinking.”

  “He can no longer use the Hyperfold as a source of power,” I said. “But he is powerful in his own right. Odium is an old Xenomind, and the form he’s chosen to take is physically powerful. With the Hyperfold’s dissolution, however, we won’t have to watch our backs to the north and can fully focus on Odium and the south. Which means saving Kalear. What progress has been made on that front?”

  “I gave Lord Harrow orders to extricate the garrison from Kalear,” Fiona said. “Along with any refugees, and to bring them here. However, I never received confirmation of that order, and Lord Harrow’s army has been on the march here ever since, having now just arrived.”

  “How could he ignore you?” Shara asked, her mouth twisting in distaste. “That’s low.”

  “I don’t think he’s ignoring me,” Fiona said, her eyes troubled. “Odium controls the skies, except around Haven.” She paused. “I’m afraid the greatest possibility is that my message never arrived, confirmed by the fact that we haven’t heard word from Kalear since the fall of Sylva.”

  “How do we know they’re still alive?” Isaru asked, bluntly.

  “I’ve dreamed of them,” Fiona said. “There is great fear to the south. But so far as I can tell, they are still alive. Desperate, but alive.”

  “We have to rescue them!” Isa said.

  “I agree,” Fiona said. “But our Dragonriders can’t hope to match Odium’s host in the air. Perhaps with your dragons, Shanti, we can do something. But they won’t follow anyone except you, and they’re still trying to regroup after the Battle of Sylva.”

  “Where are they?” I asked.

  “Most of them are in the forest north of here,” she said. “But the Elder Dragons that survived the first battle at Dragonspire are still missing.”

  “Any news of where they are?” I asked.

  “No one knows.” Fiona heaved a tired sigh. “There have been reports of them heading north, but no one knows their actual location.”

  Back to Ragnarok Crater, maybe. “Any word from Pallos?” I asked. “What about the Odin?”

  “Just before the attack, he managed to repair the ship enough to try to fly toward Shenshi,” Fiona said. “Whether he actually made it, I can’t say.”

  “What makes you think he wouldn’t?” Shara asked.

  “He himself seemed skeptical that Odin could make the entire journey,” Fiona said. “And the skies were rife with Radaskim dragons. I’d like to think he made it, though. I’ve tried to Call him, but the distance is too great, and he may not know how to answer that call.”

  Pallos was one of us now, and Elekai in the full sense of the word. If he was in trouble, we’d need to help him, just as he had helped us.

  “There is a lot to do, but I can tell that all of you are cold and tired,” Fiona said. “And probably hungry and in need of refreshment.”

  “Yes, to everything,” Isa said.

  “I can wait for Lord Harrow out here,” Elder Arminius offered. “I’ll bring him myself once he arrives.”

  Fiona nodded. “That works, Elder Arminius. Thank you.”

  She motioned us to follow her into Haven Palace.

  Chapter 3

  It was well past midnight by the time we settled down for a hastily assembled meal of meat, cheese, and bread. All of us scarfed it down while Fiona caught us up on everything that had happened.

  “There are thousands of refugees gathered south of the canyon,” Fiona said. “General Tertullian has entrenched himself about ten miles from here.”

  “What’s he doing here?” I asked. “Is he going to help us?”

  Fiona gave a bitter laugh. “If only. He claims there have been no orders from Nova Roma authorizing him to suspend military actions here. So, he’s only fortifying his position.”

  “Military actions?” Shara asked, incredulous. “Against us?”

  Fiona heaved a sigh. “Who knows? Whatever the case, it seems he’s just looking out for himself.”

  “How many men does he have?” I asked.

  “We estimate forty thousand,” Fiona said. “We can’t challenge his men on the ground, not without grievous losses. So, he’s taken the liberty of gathering and controlling a lot of the harvest. People will start going hungry if nothing is done.”

  “As long as there haven’t been any hostilities yet, there’s still hope he’ll work with us,” I said.

  “More than that, it’s necessary for him to commit to Haven’s defense,” Fiona said. “There’s no way for him to withdraw back to Nova; Odium’s host stands in his way. And we need his legions, ballistae, and cannons to fight the crawlers and dragons.”

  “What does he want, exactly?” Shara asked. “He must be holding out for a reason.”

  “I haven’t gotten much out of him, but he wants guarantees that we’ll cede much of the Southern Wild to him, especially the parts that border the Gulf. The Emperor has long had a goal of connecting the Empire’s homelands to its northern colonies east of the Red Mountains, but some Makai territory stands in the way.”

  “What do the Makai stand to lose if they give that up?” I asked.

  “Everything, apparently,” Fiona said, in a sarcastic manner. “Many of the Makai nobles would see any cessation of territory to the Novans as the greatest humiliation imaginable, worse apparently than all of our deaths at the hands of the Radaskim. Worse, if I give in to the Novans too quickly, I lose the support of the Makai. You’d think they’d be grateful we’re allowing them to stay here, sleeping in our quarters and eating our food. The Makai Dragonriders have threatened to not help us if any of the Novans’ demands are met.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Larre, which the Novans still occupy, would itself be turned over as well.”

  “That’s almost half their territory,” Isa said. “I can understand them being upset.”

  I saw that, too, but what was that compared to all of us dying to Odium? It was hard to believe that there were people quibbling over whose land was whose when Odium was on the move.

  I forced myself to remain calm. “Anything else Tertullian is asking for?”

  “Aside from a yearly tribute to be delivered to the Imperial Palace at Nova Roma by the first of each year, no,” Fiona said drily. “He doesn’t want much at all.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s a very stressful situation, and one that seems to have no solution that makes everyone at least somewhat happy. I think Odium’s lack of movement is starting to make a lot of people complacent. Some are even thinking that he just means to stay there.” She shook her head.

  “Well, at least you won’t have to deal with this alone anymore,” I said. “We’re all here to help.”

  I wanted nothing more than to immediately set out and save my parents, but I saw now that this would have to be taken care of first. Word would soon reach Tertullian that I’d returned, and he’d be expecting to enter talks, probably immediate
ly. An army of forty thousand men stealing all the food wasn’t something I could just ignore. The threat had to be neutralized as soon as humanly possible, and without violence.

  Negotiations with Tertullian, I saw, would have to be opened before I set out with the dragons to save Kalear.

  But before we could discuss the matter of the Novans further, Elder Arminius appeared at the entrance to the inner courtyard, with Lord Harrow in tow. The general’s face was grave and narrow, while his thin mouth was turned down in his characteristic, perpetual frown. As they both approached, Harrow’s eyes widened upon seeing Isaru, his sworn king, sitting next to Fiona, the new monarch. There was a moment of confusion in his features, as if he didn’t know who to address first. He only spared me a short glance, and ended up deciding to give Fiona a small bow, with hand over heart, and was about to turn to Isaru to do the same, when Fiona impatiently cleared her throat, which brought his back straight up.

  “My Queen,” he said, his voice graceful and his eyes low, “I await your pleasure.”

  “We want news of the garrison at Kalear,” Fiona said. “Did you receive my orders to get them out?”

  Lord Harrow raised his cunning brown eyes to meet Fiona’s. “From you, my queen, we’ve heard not a word. My only orders were to withdraw when the threat seemed too great, given to me by the previous king.” Harrow looked at Isaru briefly, and then back at Fiona “The garrison gave a great cheer at my departure, and appeared as hale and as strong as it ever had. Indeed, not a single arrow was loosed by our men, in accordance to King Isaru’s – err, the former king Isaru’s, orders, and there was no loss of life on either side.”

  Lord Harrow related this all coolly and mechanically. Though he hid it well, I could still see the confusion painted on his face. Fiona was the unquestioned ruling authority of the Two Kingdoms, and who he had been summoned by, and yet his former king was here, a king who was rumored to have gone mad after abandoning his troops at the siege of Colonia. He had also surrendered his dragons to Elekim, the very same Elekim that Isaru had proclaimed a false prophet. It must have been jarring to see us on the same side with no real explanation.

  “You did do as I ordered, Lord Harrow,” Isaru said. “And I thank you for your loyalty. Fiona is now the undisputed monarch of all lands belonging to the Annajen and the Makai.” He looked at him seriously. “I trust that you’ll join all of us in uniting behind her.”

  Unsure of how to respond, Lord Harrow elected to give a bow. “As you wish. I stand ready to serve the kingdoms, however best I may.”

  “However, I meant every word I said to the army outside Colonia,” Isaru continued. “I have no doubt you’ve heard that conversation by now, or at the very least, a rumor of it.”

  “I’ve heard a version of it,” Lord Harrow said cautiously. “But I don’t know if it’s actually the truth.”

  “What’s the version you heard?” Isaru asked.

  Lord Harrow looked at me, and wasn’t completely successful at hiding his distaste. “That you believe this girl is Annara Reborn, and you ceded the authority vested in you and your line, and gave it to her.”

  “And you don’t believe that she is Anna Reborn?” Isaru asked.

  Lord Harrow shook his head. “With all due respect, I remain skeptical. This girl, who calls herself Shanti, has said you have given yourself to madness.” He looked at him pointedly. “Talking to you now, however, you don’t seem mad at all, but if you still insist she is Annara Reborn, then I can only conclude that this madness has not completely passed.”

  “I see,” Isaru said. “I can understand how that might be confusing. You deserve a full explanation.”

  Lord Harrow continued. “You told me that this girl,” he nodded toward me, “is your father’s murderer. If she is Annara Reborn, then she could not have done this.” Harrow’s icy glare was uncomfortable, even if I wasn’t the focus of it. “That begs the question, my liege. Who is King Taris’ murderer? Are the rumors true, rumors which I’ve closed my ears to, out of loyalty to you?”

  All were fair questions, but how to explain them? Would Lord Harrow even accept the explanation when he had so much difficulty believing who I was?

  “During my short time as king,” Isaru began, “I was possessed by Odium. The very same who is attacking us now. But because of Shanti, I no longer am possessed. I am my former self.”

  “The murderer,” Lord Harrow said, almost desperately. “I must know who killed him. Because if it was you . . .”

  Harrow trailed off, his neutral mask completely gone. It was clear from his twitching brow and intense gaze that he was in inner turmoil.

  “Yes,” Isaru said. “It was me, and at the same time, it wasn’t me.”

  “Because of your . . . possession.”

  Isaru nodded. “Though such things are not unheard of, they are uncommon in our world. I understand if you find it difficult to believe . . .”

  “I do.”

  “It is the truth,” I said. “We destroyed the Hyperfold, along with the man who controlled it, Rakhim Shal. That man used Odium’s powers to control Isaru, the same way an Elekai can tether a dragon and control it. During the time of his possession, Isaru could not control his actions. The actions you saw were Rakhim’s, who sought to conquer the Red Wild in Odium’s name.”

  Isaru nodded. “Despite the fact I know none of this is my fault, I still feel responsibility for it. I cannot bring my father back, Lord Harrow, as much as I want that. Even so, I don’t expect people to understand. Because I don’t expect this to be understood by people at large, I’ve given all my power to Elekim, and defer to my cousin as the rightful ruler of the Two Kingdoms.”

  Harrow was quiet for a long while as he considered all this. Elder Arminius watched from the side, his hands hidden within the sleeves of his robe. It wasn’t clear from Harrow’s face whether he understood the explanation.

  “You’re right about one thing,” Lord Harrow said, at last. “I could never follow such a king. I cannot make sense of any of this, to be quite honest, and feel as if I’m out of my depth.”

  “Fiona has related to me all the particulars,” Elder Arminius said. “Perhaps you can meet with me and the other Elders. We can answer any questions you might have.”

  “It seems as if everyone has come to the same conclusion,” Lord Harrow said. “I feel as if I’m the one given to madness, as if this is all some outlandish dream.”

  “You aren’t mad, Lord Harrow,” Fiona said. “You’re just trying to survive, like the rest of us. I apologize if you feel these things have been kept from you, but this isn’t exactly something that can be explained in a letter, and as you said before, none of mine even reached you. It’s impossible to put a puzzle together when you’re missing the key pieces. Even we don’t have all those pieces yet.” She looked at the Chief Elder. “I like the idea of you filling him in after this meeting, Elder Arminius.” She looked back at Lord Harrow. “Perhaps when you’ve listened to him in full and have had a day or two to think things over, you’ll be better equipped to decide whether or not we’re telling the truth.”

  Lord Harrow swallowed; the lump in his scrawny, wrinkled neck was almost comically big. “Perhaps so, my Queen. Is there something else you require of me in the meantime?”

  “Yes. Though you may not be fully convinced of Isaru’s explanation, nor Shanti’s identity as Anna Reborn and Elekim of the Elekai, I will ask you to conduct the rest of this audience as if you believe those things are true. Because all of us here do. Can you do at least that?”

  It was a moment, but Lord Harrow swallowed. “I shall do whatever my Queen requires of me.”

  Fiona nodded. “Good. I understand that you were under orders from the former king to return with your army . . . what were the conditions of that order again, Lord Harrow?”

  “That if I judged the army to be in any sort of grave danger, I was to abandon the siege at once and withdraw immediately to Haven, unless given another order by my liege.”
/>   “And I take it you judged the Radaskim host to be such a danger?”

  Lord Harrow nodded. “Yes, Queen Fiona. Most assuredly.”

  Fiona nodded toward me, which I took as my cue. Lord Harrow looked at me, equal parts interest and skepticism.

  “I need you to turn your army back around and march south for Kalear.”

  I watched to judge his reaction, and from a widening of his eyes, I saw that he hadn’t expected that. I could tell from the twisting of his lips that even pretending I was Anna was a struggle. “Of course, I’ll do whatever is required. But . . . why, if I might ask?”

  “To rescue the garrison you left behind.”

  Lord Harrow’s face blanched. Seeing the stares from everyone else, he recognized that this was an order he couldn’t disobey.

  “I will get my troops ready as soon as you wish, but they are weary from a forced march already. To tell them that they have to go back, right into the jaws of doom . . .”

  “They traveled some one hundred fifty miles in three weeks, did they not, Lord Harrow?” Fiona asked.

  He nodded to affirm this was true.

  She seemed to do some mental calculation before resuming. “That is an average of seven or eight miles a day, is it not?”

  Lord Harrow cleared his throat. “It is, Queen Fiona.”

  “They are to set out tomorrow,” I said.

  He frowned. “Surely, the Radaskim will have reached Kalear by now. I have four thousand men under my command. These are my men, with families and homes . . . why commit them to death and destruction?”

  “Because there are people trapped in Kalear right now,” I said. “My own parents are there, and besides the civilians, there are good soldiers and Seekers, along with those under their care, that have committed themselves to my cause. But don’t worry. You’re not being sent to engage the Radaskim directly, and if all goes well, you won’t even see the Radaskim swarm.”

  “What do you mean?” Lord Harrow asked.

  “I’m going to go on ahead to Kalear with the dragons, as soon as I’m done talking to General Tertullian tomorrow morning,” I said. “Hopefully we can put up enough of a fight to get the garrison out safely. You mentioned a forced march. How fast can you get your men to Kalear, if they were to pack light?”