Path of flames code name.., p.3
Path of Flames (Code Name Viridian Book 2), page 3
Layani felt the same excitement. This was the moment everything changed for the better. Their long fight against the Vishari was coming to an end.
Thank the gods.
A loud snapping sound drew everyone’s attention back to the ramp. The hydraulics hissed one final time as the pressure released. There was a click as the lock opened and the ramp descended. Asa motioned to tell the warriors to stay calm.
Fog filled the entrance to the ship. Layani couldn’t see anything. Slowly, the fog cleared, and she stepped back.
It was a trick. One of the Vishari in some new armored suit.
How could she make such a big mistake? The only consolation she would receive was the fight would be over quickly, and her people wouldn’t have to suffer a leader with such catastrophic judgment.
The large mechanical monster moved down the ramp. Their deaths were assured.
A spear flew from the side, and the demon snatched it from the air.
After turning toward the thrower, the demon tossed the spear to the ground at his feet. “I was hoping for a more diplomatic solution.”
When the man didn’t answer, the monster turned to Layani. “I come in peace.”
Layani heard the words. Almost unintelligible. Their language was so mundane it almost sounded like gibberish. It was also a speech pattern she never heard before. Primitive and devoid of emotion. One thing became rapidly clear to her. Whatever these creatures were, they weren’t the demons. The heavy armor skewed her perception.
These new creatures were only endowed with the normal set of arms and had no tails. They were something different. The unexpected. She felt herself smile.
Layani stepped toward the new creature and tried to stay calm. Asa hissed from behind her, but she waved away his concerns. If this didn’t work out, they’d have more to worry about than what happened to her. The fate of her people was on the line.
First contact. Every moment of her life, every breath since she stepped into the world, led to this moment. She wouldn’t let it slip through her grasp.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a translator chip. There was a chance it wouldn’t work. No way to tell how compatible their technology would be. It was worth a shot, though. The meeting would take much longer if they couldn’t understand each other. So far, the gods had smiled upon their efforts today. Why not one more time?
After moving to stand in front of the massive armored creature, Layani held up the chip. She motioned how to insert it like she was speaking to a learning-disabled child. The movements were exaggerated and easy to follow.
She looked into the machine’s faceplate and put words to her actions. “So you can understand us.”
The creature plucked the chip from her hand. The massive armored fingers were more dexterous than Layani would have imagined. It held the chip up to its mask for examination. Then, the huge warrior shrugged. It was such a normal, everyday gesture that it caught her off guard. The creature lifted the chip to the side of its helmet. A little panel slid aside, and the chip went in. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but the creature smashed it into place.
There was still hope.
Not liking the results, the monster smashed the chip again and closed the panel to cover it. Some of the warriors lifted their spears at the sudden movement, but Layani waved them down. Asa echoed the command to all the warriors. Any warrior who didn’t follow orders quickly enough was about to get chewed out.
The warriors might have fixated on the one in front of them, but Layani spotted at least ten more like the machine in front of them standing on the ship.
There would be no battle. Only a massacre.
“I don’t think it’s going to work,” the creature responded as if it had spent its entire life speaking their native tongue.
Layani bowed. “It already is.”
“You can understand me?” The creature’s posture straightened.
Layani looked up and grinned. “Perfectly.”
“Mind explaining why your people shot at my ship?” The creature’s posture remained neutral.
Interesting.
The creatures didn’t know they were working against the Vishari. Layani would set them straight. In this, they were united. The Vishari were a threat to them all. If she wanted their help, she would have to explain things.
However, this conversation would take longer than she expected. “I must insist that my people didn’t attack your ship.” She looked at where she expected a face to be. “The Vishari laid claim to our world. If they secure victory, ours won’t be the only world they seek to conquer.
“Do we have the time to speak?” The creature looked around the cavern. “Are we safe here?”
Asa moved forward. “We should be safe enough for now. If anything changes, I will let you know.”
Layani inclined her head. “Thank you, Asa. Time is what we need. There is much for us to discuss.”
“If it will take a while, you might as well come inside.” The creature looked at her, then at the gathering of warriors. “Maybe only a few of you.”
Asa whistled, and two warriors ran forward. “Stay with Layani. Make sure no harm comes to her.”
The creature ignored her guards and turned to Asa. “You have my word. Nothing bad will happen to her aboard the Horizon.”
The warrior nodded. “If it does, I will hold you personally responsible.”
“Fair enough.” The creature motioned for Layani to join it. “Follow me.”
Layani looked up the ramp and realized there were more than ten of them. Thirty of the creatures stood inside. Some were considerably bulkier than the others. They looked like they could have taken down a city by themselves. All of them carried massive weapons. They sealed off the ramp behind them. There would be no escape if the aliens wanted to keep them here.
The leader of the group led them deeper into the starship. Layani’s heart raced. This wasn’t the way she’d always imagined this moment.
Their group moved into what felt like a tight tunnel. The being in front of them barely fit in the space. The thick grates beneath their feet bounced slightly with each of the creatures’ steps. They exited the tunnel and emerged in a wide open space. Two more of the monsters sealed off the doorway.
The aliens’ leader moved toward the edge of the space. A large machine stood by the wall. Oddly enough, two giant footprints were painted on the ground. Everything became clear when the creature backed into the space. A mechanical arm descended from above. More attached themselves to the creature from several angles. Whirring noises came from all around.
One by one, the arms removed heavy metal plates from the creature. Then, the suit cracked open. Out of the massive suit of armor crawled a woman. At least she would have been if she were a Ziva. The alien didn’t look much different than them. Smaller in stature, and of course, there was the weird skin color.
Promising.
“My name is Helen, and I have a lot of questions.” The woman extended her hand.
Layani shook it. “Layani. I hope to have the answers you seek.”
“Are you hungry?” Helen looked at her belly as it rumbled. “It’s been a busy day.”
Layani smiled and motioned for Helen to lead the way. “It would be rude of me to make you wait.”
Helen grinned. “Welcome to the Horizon. I’m about to introduce you to the best food money can’t buy.”
Layani didn’t have a clue what the woman was babbling about. “Intriguing.”
“To die for.” Helen waved them onward. “Let’s go.”
Layani followed her deeper into the ship. Her expectations were so much different than reality that she took a step back to appreciate what was happening. Their common enemy was the Vishari. Her job was to welcome the newcomers and get this Helen to believe in their cause. Their people were doomed without her help, but she would secure it.
This was her moment.
CHAPTER THREE
Layani Hikiki
“So you want to know about the Vishari?” Layani looked into the hooman’s eyes and found nothing but rapt attention staring back.
Hooman was a weird word. They probably felt the same way about what her people called themselves. If Layani was being honest, she thought Ziva was a much cooler name for a species. It wasn’t her place to judge. These hoomans were already more than they appeared. There simply weren’t as many of them as she had hoped for.
Helen leaned forward with an intense glow in her eyes. “Everything you know. Starting with why they shot at my ship?”
Layani nodded. It was good to know your enemy, and she did. They’d paid for the knowledge with the lives of her people. Giving it away freely almost seemed sacrilegious. If she wanted allies in her fight, the information had to be freely given. However, it didn’t mean she would rattle off a list of facts. Information without context was almost as useless as no information at all.
A fool with an idea was more dangerous than a man with a plan.
If the hoomans wanted to know about the Vishari, she would tell them a story. A story about the day she lost her home. In the end, Helen would know exactly what the Vishari were and how little they valued life. If they were going to fight together, the hoomans needed to know everything. Even the parts Layani was ashamed of.
It took her a moment to relax. To let the guilt of the day fall away. Layani was younger then. Nothing like the seasoned tactician she became with time. Losing the battle wasn’t her fault, but she carried the loss inside her like a tumor. It was the day the demons took her home. Thinking of the day gutted her. The dark memory was better left in the past.
There was a time when she would have considered lying to save face. Such things were beneath her at this stage of her life. Everyone knew her worth and where she was lacking. Today, she would tell Helen the unvarnished truth. They deserved to know all the facts.
Just as she deserved to be free of the burden.
“I will tell you all I know about the Vishari, but first, I want you to understand what it cost us to obtain the knowledge.” Layani felt a frown spreading on her face and fought against it. “Before I divulge our secrets, I am going to tell you a story.
“The Vishari see their purpose here as divine. They will never stop coming. Not until they get what they want.” Layani let her words sink in. “We cannot give it to them. The path of flames must remain hidden.”
The hooman woman’s eyes were wide as she tried to take in everything Layani was saying.
“Are you ready to listen, Helen? To hear about the day our greatest city fell?”
The woman nodded. “I would hear your story and all you have learned since then.”
A wise woman.
Layani drew a deep breath. When things were hard, it was better to keep them simple. She would start at the beginning and leave nothing out. Twenty years of guilt. It was time to let it go. The past could never be changed. Dwelling on what was lost was a waste of energy.
She extended her hands, palms upward, as she started speaking. “They come in the day. The Vishari want you to see the destruction. They want to break your will. Give me your hands, and see what I’ve seen.”
Helen looked unsure but placed her smaller hands into Layani’s. Trust. It never came easy in trying times, but Helen took the first step. Layani would honor her trust with some of her own.
She closed her eyes and let the memory wash over her. The weight of it made her gasp in pain. The story poured from her. It came out in stops and spurts at first. Then, the events of the day took hold of the story for her. With each passing moment, the words were easier to say. With that freedom, Layani laid her soul bare.
It was noon, and the midday sun was making things uncomfortable. This wasn’t the dry, sweltering heat of the desert, but on days like today, it felt close. The windows to the palace were open. The slight breeze only served to dry out her skin. At night, it would be cold enough that she would need to wear something with sleeves. She hated the weather here, but this was where they needed her most.
Layani’s mind wandered over a million trivial pursuits as she tried to keep herself occupied. Thinking about her real problems seemed like too large of a burden. Who in their right mind would put someone so young in charge?
Despite being trained since birth for the job, she felt lacking in experience. Practical experience couldn’t be overlooked when it came to making good decisions. She had none of it. The biggest problem she faced was that neither did any of her advisors.
There hadn’t been a battle on their planet in centuries. Everyone who’d been alive the last time the demons came was dead. All their practical experience died with them. It wasn’t that her soldiers didn’t train. They all did, constantly.
However, it was simulated training. None of them were hardened warriors who faced regular battles. The most action they ever took part in was fighting each other. She wasn’t sure how they’d hold up against an enemy who wanted them dead. Layani was afraid their overconfidence would get them all killed.
She moved out onto the balcony. It gave her a view of the city’s walls. Almost all their troops were stationed at the front of the city. The Vishari were coming. Today or tomorrow, they would be here. The enemy wasn’t pulling any punches. They were moving up the main road, sacking every village along the way. The people who stayed behind didn’t stand a chance. If only they listened when she pleaded for them to come.
They’d balked at leaving all their possessions behind. It was funny how people grew attached to things. If you lived on a piece of land long enough, leaving it behind felt a bit like dying.
Maybe she should have forced them to come. More of them would be alive. She was quickly learning that the burden of command didn’t make the choices any clearer. It only meant making more of them. Time would tell if she’d made the right decisions.
There were never many refugees from the sacked villages. The handful of people who managed to escape were in no state to talk. When they did, it was only to say things too terrifying to be true. It didn’t feel like they escaped. It felt like the Vishari let them go to spread fear through her people.
They wanted to send a message. It had been received.
All their strength was gathered in Keeva. The great city was the last beacon of hope for their people. The best weapons they could produce were mounted on their walls. All their soldiers were in brand-new armor, their weapons fresh from the forges. The city of Keeva was where they would make their last stand. The Vishari would break against their walls. They would turn the demons away.
“You shouldn’t be out in the open,” Asa commented from behind her.
Layani turned to look at him. “I will not hide in the palace.”
“At least wear your protective gear, then.” Asa held a bulky chest piece toward her.
She shook her head and moved past him, back into the room. “I already know my fate. I will not die here today.”
“Unless those useless old priests at the temple are wrong.” Asa wasn’t a big fan of prophecy.
It was an argument he’d repeated more than once.
“Then I will find out the hard way.” Layani hoped her tone said to drop it. “Tell me about our defenses.”
The old warrior set Layani’s protective gear down. “The city walls are secure. We have enough food stored to last the entire populace a year. Longer if we ration.”
“We should ration now before things get harder.” Layani gave him a sad smile. “Then it won’t feel like such a burden later.”
Asa puffed his chest like a child proud of an accomplishment. “We will turn the demons away as our ancestors did. There is nothing to fear. Our walls will hold.”
Layani wasn’t so sure.
“All the same, start rationing now.” Layani was learning to lead.
Asa nodded. “I’ll make sure it’s done.”
After moving back onto the balcony, Layani looked down at the men stationed around the outer walls. “I should take a tour of the walls. Try to boost morale.”
“The morale of the soldiers is high.” Asa came to her side. “They are eager for battle.”
There was something in the distance. Layani stared for a moment and dismissed whatever she thought she saw as nothing. The stress of the moment was playing tricks with her.
If she was feeling pent-up and crazy waiting for an army to descend upon them, how were the soldiers feeling? Boasting to each other about coming glories, most likely. All the while worried they might actually be called upon to fight. How would they hold up when their friends started dying? They would need something to rally behind, a cause to fight for.
Layani would be that symbol. Something to give the soldiers hope in the darkest of moments. They wouldn’t really be fighting for her, but their friends and families. This war would touch them all. No one would leave unscathed.
“I will be going to the walls.” Layani stepped back inside. “Would you care to join me?”
Asa shook his head in frustration. He was clearly thinking about the security nightmare in front of him. She didn’t care about her safety. If she was the right one to lead them, her immediate future was assured. If the elders selected wrongly, it was better if her people discovered the mistake quickly.
“I will be waiting downstairs to escort you.” Asa fought back whatever he wanted to add and stormed from the room.
Petulant as ever.
Layani clapped her hands and summoned her assistant. Kaia ran into the room as fast as she could. She stopped in front of Layani with a smile on her face. Her childhood friend might not have looked the part or played it well, but Layani knew she would always have her back. Even more importantly, she could keep a secret. Layani needed someone to confide in.
Beaming at the flush of excitement on Kaia’s cheeks, Layani wondered what her assistant was doing before she ran into the room. A mystery for later. “I need to wear something inspiring,” she announced
“I have just the thing.” Kaia ran toward the closet.
One thing they never told her about leadership was how many people it took to get her dressed. Two women worked on her outfit, another on her hair. A third one tried to freshen her makeup around the others. Layani almost forgot about the fourth woman until she felt the heels pinch her feet.
