Clem ran as fast as she could, despite the weight of her pack and the uneven ground. She glanced back and saw Magdalene running with her robes gathered up in her arms. Behind them, the dust cloud grew larger. Clem could hear it now. It sounded like hundreds of stones, clacking and smashing together. Clem ducked her head and ran harder. Khalil and Oren had almost reached the crystals up ahead. Khalil got there first, turned and shouted, “get behind the crystals!” Oren was next and ducked behind them. Khalil looked past Clem and his eyes widened. The clacking was deafening. A high pitched ringing filled her head. Just a few more steps!

  She reached Khalil, panting wildly. He grabbed her roughly mid-stride, and shoved her behind the crystals. Magdalene was there seconds later. Khalil wrapped his arms around her and dove for cover, landing beside Clem and Oren. A torrent of thunderous CLACKING and mindless chittering shook the ground, driving all thought from Clementine’s head. A high pitched ringing persisted atop the cacophony.

  Clem pressed her palms to her ears. Huge, brown insectile shapes flowed like a hurricane around the crystals. They were a horrifying blur of dust, hair and limbs, buzzing by like a hive of angry wasps. She closed her eyes and continued pressing on her ears, waiting for it to end.

  Clementine opened her eyes. There was a dust cloud in the distance, shrinking off toward the horizon. She jumped up. Where am I? How did I get here? There were three others with her. A young man with curly brown hair wearing a sword, an older man, also armed with a sword, and an older woman in elaborate robes. They all looked at each other in bewilderment and suspicion. Everyone appeared ready to either run or fight.

  “Who are you people?” The younger man asked, stepping backwards with a hand on his sword. “And what is that ringing?” He put his other hand to his head.

  The robed woman backed up, trying to look at all of them at once.

  The older man was staring at a massive crystal structure nearby. He looked like he was trying to recall something important.

  The young man drew his sword, and Clem found herself searching for a weapon of some sort. Her hands found a pair of daggers strapped to her vest. She unsheathed and held them defensively.

  The robed woman looked angry. She reached a hand into her robes and held it there.

  “Does anyone know where we are?” Clem asked.

  “Shouldn’t you know?” asked the curly haired young man. “You’re the reason we’re here,” he accused.

  “Me?” Clem was affronted. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking, dimwit. How do you know it wasn’t her?” Clem pointed toward the robed woman.

  The young man looked at the older woman with narrowed eyes. “What did you do to us? And what are you hiding under there?” He pointed his sword toward her.

  “I suggest you stay where you are, you little whelp,” she warned.

  “Quiet!” The older man commanded. They had all forgotten about him momentarily. “Listen, do you hear that ringing?” he asked.

  “I hear it,” Clem said. It was hard to ignore

  “Yeah…me too,” the curly haired young man reluctantly acknowledged.

  “We must move away from these crystals,” said the older man.

  Clem looked at them closely for the first time. They’re alive, she thought. There were intricate red veins threading through them.

  “I agree,” she said. “Something is…wrong here.” She stepped away from the crystals, and the ringing immediately lessened. The older man nodded and did the same. The younger man and robed woman slowly began taking steps backward.

  Clem shook her head. It ached fiercely. Everything came rushing back…the stampede of nightmare creatures…sprinting to hide behind the crystals. My friends! She thought with horror at what had almost happened.

  Oren stood nearby, sheepishly sheathing his sword. Magdalene was brushing off her robes. She looked her normal, collected self.

  “Anamnesis crystals,” said Khalil. “Anything near them remembers nothing of the past or present. The creature hunting us—”

  “You mean creatures?” asked Clem.

  “No, it is a single, collective organism. The crystal erased its memory of our existence as it passed around us.” He removed his pack, set it down and unzipped it. He reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of waxed paper. “Here, chew these.” Khalil unfolded the paper and handed each of them a green leaf from inside it. “It will help with the pain.”

  Clem took her leaf and popped it in her mouth. It was bitter at first, then salty as she chewed. Her head felt better almost instantly.

  “We must continue. We have wasted too much time already.” He strapped on his pack and began walking toward the hills.

  Oren came over to Clem, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey I uh…sorry about what happened back there.”

  Clem had to smile. “Don’t worry about it…dimwit.” She grinned and shoved him playfully before following after Khalil.

  The day on Eros wore on as they traveled the peculiar landscape. The hills were just up ahead, and the orange star hung high over the horizon behind them. At this distance, Clem could see that the hill’s yellow-green color came from a peppering of shrubs across its surface. As the ground they traveled began to slope up, it changed from stone to hard packed dirt. The scattered shrubs were nearer now, and appeared to be swaying, although there was no wind. Clem moved closer to one to get a better look. It was wispy and dreamlike, waving its porous leaves in slow motion. She took another step and it instantly shot down into the ground. Shy little fella, she thought.

  Clem made her way back to the group and they trekked up the hill. Nearby shrubs tucked down into the ground as they passed. Clem looked back and saw them cautiously peeking back out again.

  “Come, we should be able to see the waygate from the hilltop.” Khalil beckoned, hurrying them along.

  It wasn’t long before they crested the hill. Clem took the last few steps to the top and looked out. Her breath caught. The view was stunning. A turquoise ocean stretched out to the horizon. Beyond it, the same swirling, banded brown planet she had seen from her shop in New Arcadia peeked up over the seascape. At the bottom of the hills, packed dirt turned to white sand. Waves were lapping against the shore below. They stood in awe. Even Khalil seemed to be admiring the otherworldly view.

  “There,” he said pointing.

  A long sandbar stretched out before them into the sea for at least half a mile. At the end was a stone structure—an archway.

  “We must hurry,” he said, before starting down the other side of the hill toward the beach. Wispy shrubs disappeared into the ground around them as they shuffled down the steep slope. Khalil was first to reach the sand. He turned and waited for the rest of them to catch up.

  “Quickly!” he said. Clem was next, then Oren and finally Magdalene. They continued towards the water’s edge in a small group, leaving footprints in the sand. Soon, they reached the narrow sandbar.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Oren pointed out toward the ocean. There was a dark line along the horizon.

  Khalil stooped and looked where Oren pointed. Clem’s heart dropped into her stomach. She recognized it from the last time she saw this place. It was a vast wall of water. The same kind that threatened to slam into her the last time she activated the portal stone.

  “RUN!” Khalil shouted, sprinting toward the archway. Clem and Oren glanced at each other, then bolted down the sandy path. By the time they were halfway to the archway, it was obvious that the dark line was indeed a mountain of water, relentlessly rushing toward them. The sea level rose, and the sandbar began to shrink until they were forced to run single file.

  Almost there. Clem panted, pushing herself harder than she could remember. The sandbar was now completely submerged, and their feet splashed in the shallow water. The wave cast a huge shadow, thrusting them into darkness. It would be on them in seconds.

  Khalil reached the tall archway and gathered an enormous amount of kai. The space inside it liquefied and became like a mirror, then faded to darkness. The wind was whipping, and she barely heard Khalil shouting, “It is ready! Hurry! Hurry!”

  Clem ran as best she could through the rising water. Up ahead she saw Oren throw his arms up over his face and careen into the darkened archway. Clem reached it next and leapt through. She was racked from head to toe with the icy sensation, before tripping and falling into a shallow pool of water. Someone, she assumed Magdalene, tripped over her and fell as well. More footsteps splashed around her, and the waygate vanished.

  22

  A Difficult Truth

  Oren went to push himself up, but was fully pinned and out of breath. Brilliant, he thought. Fortunately the shallow water seemed to be draining; otherwise his head would still be submerged.

  Wherever they were, it was pitch dark. The ground beneath him felt cold, hard, and…furry? Someone pushed down on his shoulder. “Hey!” he griped.

  “Sorry!” Clem’s voice came from above.

  He was halfway up when a bright blue light flared into existence. Shadows danced on the walls. They were in a large, natural stone chamber, and there didn’t appear to be any obvious exits. Oren squinted as his eyes adjusted. The last of the seawater drained away, revealing an uneven, natural stone floor, rife with fuzzy green moss. Lush vines with tiny white flowers covered the walls and hung from the ceiling. Oren stood up the rest of the way and turned to see Clem holding a blue tube of light overhead.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw everyone had made it. The archway they had just come through looked ancient. It stood in the center of the chamber, its highest point nearly twice Oren’s height. Vines wrapped around it, obscuring much of the engravings. A quail symbol peeked out from a bundle of flowery vines on the keystone.

  “Is everyone alright?” asked Khalil.

  “Yeah,” Clem answered.

  “I’m fine,” said Magdalene.

  “A little wet and bruised, but otherwise I’m okay too,” Oren said.

  Khalil nodded. “There must be a way out of this room,” he looked around. “Check the walls for an exit.”

  Oren walked over to the left wall and began pushing the vines aside, feeling for a door. There didn’t seem to be anything here. He glanced back and saw that Clem had set down the glowing tube and was pulling some kind of black armor onto her forearms.

  “I think I’ve got something,” Magdalene called from across the room.

  Khalil walked over, and Oren followed. She pushed the vines aside and revealed a fist sized indentation, encircled with intricate symbol engravings, similar to those on the archway. Khalil eyed it for a moment, then made a fist and pressed it into the depression. Oren felt him gather, and the engraved lines around his fist began to glow.

  A deep rumbling filled the chamber, and part of the natural stone wall sank down into the floor, revealing a set of stone steps leading up.

  “A kai-lock,” whispered Magdalene.

  “Kai-lock?” asked Oren.

  “It can only be opened by gathering. Their making is unknown to any alive today,” she answered.

  Oren glanced back at Clem. She was clipping on a belt that matched the rest of her black body armor.

  “What’s th—” Oren was cut short by Clem’s glare.

  Khalil eyed her briefly, and then waved them all over.

  “Clementine, may I?” he asked, holding a hand toward the light tube. She handed it over to him. Khalil turned and began ascending the stairs. Oren followed behind. The walls were cracked and rough-hewn, as were the stairs. Moisture dripped from them, and patches of moss grew where the stone had split and crumbled.

  Eventually the stairs ended, butting up against the top of the corridor. The ceiling here was made of wooden boards. It looked to Oren like some kind of cellar door. Khalil braced himself and pushed up against it. He strained, and it creaked loudly. Trails of dirt and dust fell, but the doors didn’t open.

  “Sa’di.” He beckoned, and Oren moved up beside him, bracing his shoulder against the wood.

  “On three,” said Khalil. “One, two, three!”

  Oren pushed with all his strength. He grunted and shoved with a burst of vigor, and there was a crack from the other side. The doors gave and wheeled open, bathing the corridor in afternoon sunlight. Khalil shielded his eyes with one hand and held up the other, signaling them to wait. He poked his head out and looked around, then ducked back down.

  “We appear to be within the outer core,” Khalil reported.

  “Finally, a bit of luck,” muttered Clem.

  “Most of the surveillance canisters should be operating along the outside perimeter. This will increase our chances of approaching without detection.” He cocked his head. “Do you feel that?”

  Oren felt it alright. It was like an invisible sun giving off waves of energy. He turned toward its general direction.

  “There is a considerable measure of gathering taking place,” said Khalil.

  “The shadowgate?” asked Clem.

  He nodded. “Most likely, yes. It will provide cover, but there is still risk. Gather only when absolutely necessary. Does everyone remember their job? If there are any questions, this may be your last chance to ask.”

  Clem nodded and said, “Disable the shadowgate as quickly as possible.”

  “Distract the wards…gently,” said Oren.

  “I will deal with any Breakers that appear,” Magdalene recited impatiently.

  Khalil nodded and turned to her. “Magdalene, should Besamael appear, be ready with the portal stone. We may only get one chance.”

  She nodded.

  Khalil looked each of them over one last time.

  “Stay close,” he said, and crept up out of the corridor. Oren followed, with Clem and Magdalene bringing up the rear. They emerged in what looked like a long neglected, small enclosed garden. Above the high garden walls, Oren could see the spires and conical rooftops of a dilapidated mansion.

  Most buildings in the outer core were extravagant, and this one was no exception. Weeds and small bushes covered the ground. The doors they’d emerged from appeared to have been grown over and long forgotten. The stone walls ended on either side of a rusted iron gate.

  Khalil pushed the gate gently. It squealed as it swung outwards. “We continue from here in stealth. Place a hand on the shoulder of the person before you. This will help us stay together once we are no longer visible.”

  Oren reached up and put a hand on Khalil’s shoulder. He felt Clementine’s hand on his. Khalil turned and nodded to Magdalene, who was last in line. He felt her gather, and his arm lensed out of sight before him, as did Khalil. He looked back and saw only the walls of the garden. Unreal, he thought.

  They crept out of the enclosed garden and made their way across levi-tracks and through vacant palatial courtyards, until they eventually reached the central core. The opulent homes were replaced with tall functional office buildings. A surveillance canister whizzed by overhead and they froze. It continued along its cable, unaware of their presence.

  Oren breathed a sigh of relief. His nerves were firing on all cylinders. He felt like a vast well of potential energy, ready to explode in every direction. He could sense that they were getting closer to the power source. They crossed a dual lane levi-track and snaked between two office buildings.

  The Pillars of Ascension dominated the sky overhead. Their golden domed spires, crested with marble embellishments, glistened in the late-day sun. Oren peered forward through the alley and saw the courtyard preceding the Praeconis Amphitheater. It was a broad open space, paved in marbled stone. Flat benches of the same material lined the sides. Everything here was extravagant. Even the small security building at the far side of the courtyard up ahead was made from marble bricks, embossed with acanthus leaves.

  Just past the security building, elaborate iron palisades encircled the amphitheater. Their silver and gold bars wove between marble Corinthian pillars. The entire thing was a work of art, adorned with emeralds and other jewels throughout. The ornate beauty of the palisades made it easy to overlook the sharp golden spikes lining the top.

  They halted at the mouth of the alley, which butted against another set of levi-tracks. The sound of marching boots came from around the corner, and Oren froze as a troop of wards marched synchronously down the tracks.

  When the troop was far enough away, Khalil led them across. They crept through the courtyard and approached the guard building, which was now only a few feet away. A ward appeared from around the corner.

  They froze. He was walking directly toward them, but no one dared take a step for fear of being heard. He approached to within inches of Oren, but stopped when a voice crackled on his radio. He pulled it from his waist belt, sighed and gripped it.

  “Go ahead.”

  Oren could smell the garlic on his breath.

  A voice crackled through the static, “We have an unconfirmed report of trespassers spotted in the outer core.”

  Clem’s hand tightened on his on his shoulder.

  “Huh,” said the ward. “I thought the outer core was evacuated. Civilian report? Over.”

  “Affirmative. You know civvies, probably just some raccoons, but keep an eye out just in case. Over.”

  “Roger that mark-two, over and out.”

  The ward holstered his radio and scanned the courtyard before pulling a toothpick from his mouth. He held up his hand and flicked. The toothpick flipped end over end before hitting Oren in the shoulder and bouncing to the ground. The guard furrowed his brow. He looked directly at Oren, then down at the toothpick. He took a step forward and picked it up.

  Khalil’s shoulder slipped out from under Oren’s hand and the ward grunted, grabbing at something invisible around his neck. He lensed out of sight, but Oren could still hear his boot heels scuffing the ground several times before they slowed and eventually stopped.

 

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