Kingdom Read online

  I turned from the mirror, realizing that I’d probably never get my looks back again.

  I stepped outside, carrying my old clothes with me. I ignored everyone’s looks as I walked across the wardroom, feeling foolish in the clothes I was wearing. To my relief, no one made a comment. Thankfully, the boys weren’t out here. I was sure one of them would have said something, but from the sounds of clanging pots and pans and boisterous conversation, Fiona had them busy in the galley.

  I walked into my cabin, throwing a clean cloak over the clothes, both for warmth and to hide the ugly clothes beneath. I dug through the clothes container for a pair of socks, which I slipped on. My boots were dirty, but still in good shape. I wouldn’t have time to clean them before addressing the crew, so I slipped them on. I stashed my dirty clothes in a corner, to be forgotten or dealt with later.

  CHAPTER SIX

  AS I WALKED OUT OF the captain’s quarters, I could hear voices emanating from the direction of the conference room. From the galley connected to the wardroom drifted the aroma of coffee, eggs, and fish.

  That spurred me on to the conference room. As I passed the galley, I looked in to see Ret, Samal, Nabea, Isa, and Mia rushing to get breakfast ready. How all of them could fit in that tiny kitchen was anyone’s guess, but somehow, they were making it work.

  Ret was the only one to see me standing there, and called out, “Hey, Captain! You look a lot better.”

  “Not dead,” Nabea said with a smile.

  “Not dead is a start, I suppose,” I said.

  “You’ll feel even better when we get this done,” Samal said, stirring some scrambled eggs.

  I watched as Nabea chopped up some fish, already cooked and steaming.

  “What is that, trout?” I asked.

  Nabea nodded. “Should be ready soon. We caught some in the stream while we were waiting on you.”

  “I wasn’t gone that long, was I?”

  “Long enough to get six of these for everyone,” Samal said. “There’s a lot of fish here. This Hollow could feed an army.”

  Well, with the rate it was dying, it wouldn’t be able to for much longer. “It looks good, guys.” I chuckled. “Feel like I should be in there helping you. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

  It was true that just a few months ago, all of us had slaved away in the kitchen for the benefit of serving our elders. The only exception was Mia, who was getting plates ready. It was likely she hadn’t worked all that often in a kitchen, given her status as the princess of Hyperborea.

  “Thanks for getting it ready, guys.”

  “No problem,” Isa said, pouring steaming water over some coffee grounds. “We’ll see you in the conference room. You’ll have food in your belly in no time.”

  I left them to their work. When I entered the conference room, the Seekers and Pallos had already gathered. Their murmuring died as soon as I entered. The tone here was much more somber than in the galley.

  The two Elders, Isandru and Tellor, looked equal parts solemn. On the opposite end of the table sat Fiona. Pallos, instead of sitting, leaned against the wall, with one leather boot against the surface behind him. His bespectacled eyes looked quizzical, if anything.

  I took a seat at the head of the table. “What were you discussing?”

  I already knew the answer before Tellor spoke. “You. Fiona was telling us that you’d gotten better.”

  “I’ll be even better once I eat,” I said. “How long until breakfast?”

  “It’s here!” Ret announced, the first one in the door. He set a heaping plate of scrambled eggs mixed with trout, onion, and spinach before me, with a generous helping of potatoes with butter and herbs and a large mug of black coffee. Mia gave me a fork, spoon, and a cloth napkin.

  “Thank you,” I said to both. “This is something else.”

  In addition to the food and coffee, Isa poured me a glass of water.

  I waited for everyone else’s food to come, and last of all, the former initiates of the Sanctum served themselves.

  Within a couple of minutes, everyone was seated.

  “I feel like I should say something before we start,” I said, “only, I’m too hungry. Talk can wait until after we’re done.”

  This brought a few laughs. And like that, we started. I cleaned up the eggs first in between swigs of coffee sweetened with honey. There was little talk between bites. The trout was moist, flavorful, and fresh as could be. I next cleaned up my potatoes, not leaving a crumb of anything behind.

  Once done, I was stuffed and waited for the others while drinking the rest of my coffee.

  When everyone was done, or nearly so, I began, “This is our first meal together, and it will not be our last. All of us are bound by something deeper than being just a crew. All of you chose to follow me for a reason. All of you believe in who I am, for one . . . but perhaps you have your own reasons for following me, too. I want you to know that I’m grateful for every one of you.”

  The others nodded and waited for me to continue.

  “The task we have before us is nearly impossible. We need to stop the Hyperfold. That is our priority. That is the reason I met with the dragons earlier. They said they knew someone who could stop it . . . someone named, of all things, the Nameless One.”

  I explained everything they had told me about the Nameless One, how he was above even the Radaskim and the Elekai, along with the Xenomatrix and how it connected all the worlds the Elekai and Radaskim were on.

  “They said he was beneath the lake. I even remember that day, four hundred years ago, from my memories of Anna. Elekim—Alex—went underwater and met with him. The Nameless One told him how to stop Askala, the Radaskim Xenomind. Alex took that knowledge and he did it. He stopped Askala.” I paused to let the point sink in. “Similarly, Quietus and Askal believe the Nameless One knows how to stop the Xenofold.”

  “Did you meet with him?” Samal asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I tried. I dove and searched for the same light Alex found four hundred years ago. I didn’t make it, though. Quietus saved me before anything bad happened.”

  Isandru’s face tensed. “You should have called for us first.”

  I nodded. “Yes. I should have. But I didn’t think it would be dangerous.”

  “All the same,” Tellor said, “it was a risk. One of us could have gone in your stead.”

  “As much as I appreciate that, even the dragons said that the Nameless One wouldn’t speak to them. It was their theory that he might be willing to speak to me,” I paused a moment to gauge his reaction. “Anyway, I don’t think he wants to see me, either. I found nothing.”

  “What then?” Isa said. “How are we to destroy the Hyperfold?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “The Nameless One is the only lead we have. All we can do now is resume what we were going to do before—stop Isaru from reaching the Mindless swarm. The dragons told me that they’re keeping tabs on the Crater, keeping it clear of fog so Isaru can’t slip in unseen. The most likely spot for him to come out is on the northern edge, at the end of the direct line between the Hollow and the Crater wall. Our job is to wait for him to emerge, subdue him, and then go with the Elder Dragons to Dragonspire. There could be enough of them there to heal him.”

  Isa’s face brightened. “He can be healed?”

  “The Elders Dragons admit the possibility, but it’s not a sure thing. In either case, Isaru—or I should rather say, Rakhim Shal—must be stopped.”

  Fiona cleared her throat. “If there are dragons in the Crater, won’t it be dangerous to wait?”

  “True, the dragons are a threat. But we’re going to have the Elder Dragons to back us up. They’re outnumbered, but without Isaru to hold them together, they won’t be able to coordinate and the Elders can tear them to shreds. What’s more, we can’t sustain a hover if we’re waiting for what could be hours, or even days. Our water reserves are only good to last another week, so we need to conserve. You may or may not know that water is th
e fuel that powers this ship. I don’t have time to go into the specifics, but Pallos can give you a primer on how it works later, if you’re interested. For that reason, we’re going to have to park on the Crater’s edge.”

  There was silence as everyone thought about what I said.

  “He’s . . . not himself anymore, is he?” Ret asked.

  I took a moment to find the right answer. I wasn’t sure if there was one. “I believe he’s still in there, deep down. I believe that if we look for an answer, we’ll find one. It won’t be easy, but I refuse to believe that our friend is gone. I hope that all of you feel the same way, too.”

  There were nods from everyone around the table.

  “There’s only one thing I can promise: things are going to get very difficult from now on. From this day forward, things aren’t going to let up. We can’t give up, no matter how hard this gets. I’ll fight with every breath I have—for you, for the dragons, for this world. We’re all in this together. The Radaskim don’t care about our petty divisions. They didn’t care about that the first time around. Rakhim Shal has been in contact with them, and through Isaru, has a way to touch the world for the first time. He’s going to do as much damage as he can before the Radaskim arrive.”

  “How are we going capture him?” Ret asked. “Even the dragons weren’t able to hold onto him for long.”

  “Good question. We will have to face him, there’s no question about that. Askal and Quietus said the dragons have a way of subduing him mentally, but until they’re able to do that, we must hold him off. Once all that is done, we can board him on Odin and keep him under guard until we get to Dragonspire.”

  “What if . . .” Fiona began, as all eyes went to her. “What if—and I’m sorry for suggesting it—what if he is threatening someone’s life?” She looked around the room. “I know I can’t be the only one thinking of it. He is my cousin. I, just as much as anyone, want to save him. But we all must acknowledge that it’s possible there is nothing left of him to save.”

  “There is,” Isa said heatedly. “You can’t be serious in suggesting—”

  “Allow me to finish,” Fiona said somewhat sharply. “We must plan for all possibilities. Hoping for the best doesn’t mean we can’t plan for the worst.”

  “We must do everything in our power to save Prince Isaru,” Elder Tellor said, coming out of his silence. “Remember, the world doesn’t know what happened to him. His death would make enemies out of the Annajen when we need them on our side.” Elder Tellor looked around table sternly. “However, what Fiona has said cannot go unanswered, either. Isaru is dangerous, even without a swarm behind him. This may be our best opportunity to catch him before he is all but unstoppable.”

  “And if we cannot catch him?” Ret asked. “If he is about to kill one of us . . . do we let them die in the hope that we can capture him alive?” He shook his head. “I cannot do that. He is my friend, but if it’s his life or one of us . . . we have to choose one of us.”

  “Isaru must get through me before he touches any of you,” I said. “Killing him is the easy way out, a choice I will not make unless I’m the one to take his life. I want that decision to be mine. I’m fighting him, all of you are backing me up.”

  “You won’t kill him,” Isa said. “You can’t. I know he can be saved.”

  “I will do everything in my power to avoid it, Isa. I can promise you that much.”

  She crossed her arms but said nothing more. Her blue eyes were like ice, and I knew the promise hadn’t been enough to make her happy.

  “That’s the plan now as it stands,” I said. “There are other matters, such as delegation of tasks to keep this ship running. We’ll have to worry about that later. For now, you can expect the hierarchy to function much like the Sanctum. Elders on top. Seekers below that. And everyone else answers to them.”

  “Where does that leave you?” Samal asked.

  That, too, was a good question. “You got your answer when you decided to follow me, Samal.”

  “And Pallos?” Nabea asked.

  I looked at Pallos, who smiled sheepishly under all the gazes that turned his way.

  “Pallos is my co-pilot, and he is a special case. He isn’t really under my authority since he is a—” I almost wanted to say ‘spy,’ but knew Pallos would be offended by the term, “. . . a representative of the Shen Collective. This is my ship; I trust that he won’t cause any trouble, and if he does, he has to answer to me.”

  The others nodded, even if the boys seemed somewhat confused by that arrangement.

  “Are there any questions?”

  It was silent. With ten others in the cabin, I thought there would have been at least one, but . . .

  “Yes, I have one,” Isa said. Her voice was strained, as if being kept calm by force of will. “What about Northold? If we fail in our task of stopping Isaru or catching him . . . what does that mean for the Northern Wild?”

  I knew this question was personal to Isa. After all, her family and relatives lived in the Northern Wild, and her mother in Northold.

  “If we fail, we do everything we can to evacuate the North. There won’t be much time because Northold would be the swarm’s obvious target. It’s isolated from the rest of the Wild, and help would be too late in arriving. We have to do everything we can to stop Isaru for that very reason.”

  “We can’t fail, then,” Isa said.

  I nodded. “We should go. Every second we wait here is another second Isaru could be leaving the mist. I want everyone seated in a secure location. All seats on this ship come equipped with safety harnesses, which all of you will wear until we have reached a cruising altitude.”

  “Cruising altitude?” Fiona asked.

  I realized I had just used a term that simply didn’t exist in the present age. “Basically, until it’s safe to stand up without falling over. If there’s nothing else, let’s move.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “YOU SURE YOU DIDN’T FORGET anything?” Pallos asked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, strapping myself into the pilot’s seat.

  “No dragons that need errands run? No last minute swim?”

  “Very funny,” I said. I moved my mouth closer to the intercom of the speaker. “Prepare for liftoff.”

  I pushed the main and retro throttles forward, providing a gentle lift to levitate off the ground. Though it was a ‘gentle’ lift, I still felt myself pushed down into my seat. If anyone on the deck had been standing, there was a good chance they weren’t anymore.

  I swerved the ship to port, piloting more by feeling than by any practical knowledge. I found it strange that no one else felt as nervous as I did about piloting, but then again, I hadn’t made any major mistakes.

  None yet, anyway.

  A memory came back to me. This ship, the Odin, had crashed where Mia and I had found it in the mountains. Every other ship that had been under our command during the Ragnarok War— Gilgamesh, Perseus, Orion—had met a similar fate, ships far more capable than this vessel. Even if I retained all of Anna’s former piloting skills, that wasn’t saying much for the skills themselves.

  Maybe it was for the best not to mention that.

  “Standby,” I said. “We’re going to hover close to the ground, and navigation says the Crater is less than a hundred miles away. At our speed of three hundred miles per hour, we should be there in less than twenty minutes.”

  I paused just a moment before changing the direction of the thrusters to point aft. As they adjusted, the ship pushed forward through the sky. I changed the LCD display to the rearward cameras and watched the tall trees of the Hollow shrouded in mist slowly pull away.

  It was probably the last time I’d see the place before the Northern Reversion claimed it as its own.

  * * *

  During the short flight, I managed to think of a surprising number of ways the operation could go wrong. First, Isaru might not emerge in the place we expected him to. In theory, he could emerge anywhere along
its some two-hundred-mile diameter. A lot of this depended whether he was walking the shortest route there, Point A to Point B. If he wasn’t—if he took a detour in the mist that led him somewhere else, we’d miss him entirely and had to count on one of the Elder Dragons finding him. Even with a lot of dragons scouting the place, two hundred miles was a long distance to cover.

  If Isaru didn’t want to be caught, all he had to do was change his route.

  Of course, maybe he wasn’t going to Ragnarok Crater at all, and we were completely wrong to assume that. But the dragons certainly seemed to think he was.

  The topography readout suddenly shifted, measuring a sudden drop in elevation, even if nothing outside the windshield visibly changed.

  I turned on the intercom. “We’ve arrived. Prepare to disembark.”

  I slowed the ship, swinging back around to find a suitable location to touch down. Cutting through the fog, I could, at last, see the rocky, bare earth. At the rim of the Crater, it was clear enough of fog—though the swirling mists got awfully thick just fifty feet away from the rim. That left a very small area in which I could land.

  I remained at a hover above a prospective landing site, deciding to scope things out a bit longer. There wasn’t much to see. The sky was gray and dismal. The cliff coming down from the Crater’s rim fell steeply, its depths hidden by yet more mist, thicker even than the mist clinging outside the crater’s edge. The radar was picking up nothing aside from the land itself. It was anyone’s guess where the Elder Dragons were, and it was possible the fog was interfering with the readouts.

  “Isaru could be anywhere,” Pallos said. “Are you sure about this?”

  I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to tell Pallos that. “This is my best guess. Unless you have a better one?”

  Pallos shook his head. “It’s just a lot of ground to cover.”

  “Well, we’ll do our best with what we have.”