Earthbound, p.3
Earthbound, page 3
Knox half-choked on a laugh. Any time spent with Tehran’s miserable father was a sacrifice worth noting. “Well then, we are all the more thankful.”
Emilia sat down in the chair and let it roll back on its rockers, a contented smile settling across her face.
“We know it’s been a tough season, but you’re not alone,” Maven said. She held her hand out to Emilia, who took it and gave it a squeeze.
Knox looked away, letting them share their moment as mother and daughter. Gorrde clapped his back and then turned to gather the scattered blankets used to wrap the chair.
As an orphan adopted by the Order, Knox continued to marvel at the security found in Emilia’s family. As Acolytes, he and Tehran had always been outsiders in Rikken, except with Gorrde and Maven. Joining their family when he married Emilia felt as natural as breathing.
“Have you tried the supplements I sent over with Lin the other day?” Maven asked Emilia.
Emilia made a sour face. “Not yet. They smelled funny.”
“Where are they? I’ll make you some now. If you add them to some pomea juice it will help, but it’s important. They have nutrients you and the baby need.”
Gorrde’s chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “You’d think you’d know better than try to dodge your mother.”
Emilia sighed and moved to join her mother in the kitchen. “Hazards of having a healer in the family, I suppose.”
“Benefits,” quipped Maven.
A single, loud thump sounded on the landing, and a knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Knox called.
The door remained motionless. Emilia let out an annoyed huff and she shot Knox a look. “Why does he insist on knocking in the middle of the day?”
He shrugged and pulled the door open. Tehran’s bulk filled the frame, his broad shoulders blocking the light. Amber eyes glinted with humour as he dipped his head and stepped through the entry, obviously having heard Emilia’s complaint. “I’m being polite. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you and Knox having a moment—” He stopped mid-sentence, noticing Emilia’s parents. “Maven. Gorrde. I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Overseer.” Gorrde nodded in return. “Not a problem. We were on our way out.”
“Good to see you, Tehran,” Maven said, with a hint of amusement. “We’ll see you two later. Be sure to drink that whole glass, Emilia.”
Knox held the door for Maven and Gorrde as Emilia returned to the large sheet of paper at the table and narrowed her eyes at Tehran. “You’re such a child, Tehran. In front of my parents, no less.”
“Aww, Em. It’s not like they don’t know what’s going on here. You’re having their grandbaby.”
She levelled a glare at him. “It’s no excuse.”
Knox bit back a laugh and motioned Tehran to take a seat at the table. “How did it go with the Council?”
Tehran shook his head and grunted. “What we expected. A hand-wringing competition.” He sat as Knox poured a golden liquid into a squat glass before him. “Although, I can’t really blame them. We have our work cut out for us. Those granits were far more aggressive than anything we’ve ever had to contend with before.”
“Any idea what drew them here?” Emilia asked.
“That was all the Council debated. Food shortage, loss of territory, some long-forgotten rhythms of the beasts.” He leaned back in his chair. “Cursed timing for our communications to be down. Any luck on that front? I could use a line to the Order.”
“The Order,” Emilia snorted without looking up from her work.
Knox and Tehran shared a glance.
“If more earthbound show up, we’ll be thankful for the Order’s help,” Tehran said.
She continued sketching, her jaw set. “We’re better off looking after this ourselves than waiting on a bunch of grasping, ladder-climbing, self-serving bureaucrats. Between the Order of the Sky and the Rikken Council, it’s a wonder the world hasn’t fallen to chaos while they sit debating what fruit is or isn’t holy.”
“I am a part of that Order, Em.” Tehran raised his voice a step. “And I am not a bureaucrat.”
“You know that’s not what she’s saying, Tehran,” Knox interjected.
Emilia looked up from her work, surprised. “I didn’t mean you, Tehran. You and Knox are different.” She flinched at the error and her cheeks flushed. “I mean, Overseers are different.”
Silence hung over the small table for several moments. Knox reached over and squeezed Emilia’s free hand. “The Order could send Overseers to help protect the people, even engineers to work with you on weapons and defences.”
With a reluctant sigh, Emilia met his gaze, her dark eyes holding more worry than anger.
Tehran frowned. “It’s help I’m going to need sooner rather than later. The Rikken Council’s grand plan is for me to destroy any and all earthbound that threaten the cluster.”
Knox’s brow shot up. “On your own?”
“That’s ridiculous,” Emilia said, her voice hardening once again. “By all accounts it was sheer dumb luck you managed to kill the one you did. Earthbound are of the earth. Even the small ones have near impenetrable skin.”
Tehran’s mouth twitched at the dismissive comment, but he let it pass. “Loghin was sure to provide a detailed, if not exaggerated account of how I defeated the beast before he carried on to the high plateau with his crew. He convinced them I could clearly do it again.”
“Of course he did,” Knox said, shaking his head. “Anything to set you up for failure.”
“Hateful bastard,” Tehran agreed.
Emilia tapped her pencil on the paper, her forehead creased. “Then, we will make sure you succeed. How do we keep you from being swallowed, Tehran? Something to counter the liquefaction? Or maybe we can find a way to repel them?”
Tehran’s amber eyes flashed with interest. “Is that possible?”
“I think so.” She pointed towards a rough sketch she had been working on as they talked. “It’ll take some time, but in theory if we create large pulse emitters and dig a perimeter with deep probes, it could deter the creatures. All earthbound have sensory pits to detect vibration. A properly modulated electrical pulse works to keep the small earthbound clear from around the cluster foundations. With enough power, it should scale.”
“How much power?” Knox asked.
“I’ll have to run some numbers. We’ll need several more generators at least, which will mean a supply run to Rook, unless we want to cannibalise parts from other systems and lose some infrastructure.”
Tehran sat up straighter, looking energized. “If we have to lose a few lights to keep the cluster safe, so be it.”
Emilia nodded and showed him some of the finer points of her designs and what they would require.
Knox watched them, his heart swelling. The two could clash in a spectacular fashion, but when push came to shove, both would move mountains to protect those under their care.
They worked through rough details and a rudimentary plan for the better part of an hour before Emilia finally sat back, looking satisfied. Even so, she continued to jot down formulas, her pencils scratching numbers and functions around the schematics.
Tehran folded his hands behind his head with a relieved huff before falling pensive.
“What?” Knox asked.
“The Council wants you to go to the Capital and alert the Order,” he blurted. “They don’t want me leaving—”
“—but I’m expendable,” Knox said, sensing Emilia tensing next to him.
Her expression turned stony. “You can’t go back. Didn’t Elevated Dareous warn there would be consequences if you did?”
Knox frowned. How does Emilia know what the Elevated said? He’d kept the details of that particular conversation to himself. He shot a questioning look at his friend.
Tehran held his hands up defensively. “I told them to send another messenger, but they insisted. But—” His amber eyes narrowed meaningfully.
“But if I can show the Rikken Council I can work with the Order, it could go a long way to getting Loghin and the others off my back,” Knox said.
“It could.”
Emilia cleared her throat, drawing Knox’s gaze. The rich brown of her almond-shaped eyes bored into his. “Can we stop pretending like nothing happened when you were in the Capital?”
“I chose a different path and renounced my vows.” Knox kept his voice light, but at Tehran’s uncomfortable shifting, his suspicions solidified.
Tehran shot Emilia a pleading look. “You promised, Em.”
Knox groaned and tipped his head back, looking up at the rough planked ceiling. “You told her?”
“You should’ve been the one to tell me,” Emilia said, arms crossed.
Knox pulled in a deep breath, missing the hum of adrenaline that used to course through his veins in such moments. He could use the Sky’s strength right now. He glared at Tehran. “Changes within the Order happen. A new assurance here and there is to be expected. I made my choice. That’s all.”
Tehran’s square jaw tightened, and brows dropped. “There is nothing expected about being disavowed, Knox.”
Emilia stopped sketching and dropped her pencil. “And I deserve to hear the truth of it from you.”
Knox tried to shrug off the confession, looking between the two. “I told you, Em. A new Book of Oaths was found, new assurances uncovered. Every Overseer had to choose if they would take on these new requirements or relinquish their vows.” He shifted uncomfortably, letting his fingers cover a puckered scar on the back of his left hand.
She didn’t miss the motion, eyes narrowing.
A flush of shame crawled up his neck, heating his ears. The truth cut too sharp for the soft-pedalled lie to find purchase.
“Tehran told me you had to renounce your vows before the full conclave and Dareous stripped you of your strength in front of everyone,” Emilia said. “As if you were being punished.”
He didn’t answer and instead took a long swig from his glass, keeping his gaze perfectly fixed on Tehran. His friend at least had the decency to look at the table in shame. Given the opportunity he wouldn’t change a thing, but the cost of his choice had been high. Higher than he wanted to admit.
Emilia’s voice dropped low. “You said you chose to lay down your oaths, but Knox, they disowned you before the Sky. That is reserved for criminals!”
“I abandoned my vows. In their eyes, I might as well be one,” Knox said.
“But you’re not!” she protested. “You were a dedicated Overseer. They forced you out over nothing. You still observe every assurance—”
“Except one,” he said softly, his eyes drifting to her abdomen. “I laid aside my oaths because I was not willing to give up our future. Oaths and their power hold our souls. For those in the Order, there is no greater sin than an unfulfilled oath. The consequence is mine alone. I saw the Book of Oaths they recovered. I read the pages for myself. Marriage for an Overseer is a grey area, but this new text makes it clear that having children of our own is forbidden. It made my choice easy.”
Emilia’s back stiffened at his words, and she hissed, “Don’t. This is on them and has nothing to do with oaths; it’s about politics. Elevated Dareous didn’t like the influence you were gaining, so he found a way to undermine you.”
Her distrust of the Order sent a deep disquiet through him. How could he explain this trust that had been built over a lifetime and burned into his bones? Without a doubt, he knew this failing was his own. He’d walked away from the very oaths that had shaped him. Yet, for him, there was no circumstance that justified abandoning Emilia or his child. The Order saw it differently, and their word was law. “Oaths are the most powerful force created. The conclave ensures this power is not corrupted; it’s the very soul of their calling.” Emilia scowled at him, but he pushed forward, “And when deeper knowledge comes to light, it is for everyone. I could not have ignored it, even if I wanted to.”
“I don’t care who’s responsible—the Order, the Conclave, or the Sky herself—what they did to you was wrong.” Her voice broke over the last word and she pressed her lips tight against the building emotion.
“I chose the future I wanted.” He held his wife’s gaze, willing her to believe him, even as he ignored the cold, hollow ache within his chest where fire once burned.
Emilia’s shoulders softened. “It’s still not fair.”
A smile curved the edges of his mouth. “I have you. It’s fair enough.” He moved closer to her and pulled her to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder.
Tehran gave him an apologetic look, and Knox returned a nearly imperceptible shrug. He’d kept the details from Emilia to spare her this very conflict. The harsh realities of the Order were difficult to understand for those raised outside of it. Oaths, by necessity, were exacting.
“I’ll go,” he said, shifting the conversation back to the matters at hand.
Tehran leaned back with a look of concern. “You sure? There won’t be a warm welcome.”
Knox smothered a curse, glaring at his friend, but Emilia perked up. “I can go with you. Like you suggested, we can stop in Rook and speak with Daedan about the communications. If we can fix the breach, we can send the Order a message directly; if not, we can continue on.”
Knox’s heart stuttered in his chest, the Elevated’s final words echoing in his mind: “Your continued breath is an insult to those who carry these vows. If I see you again, I will remedy such an affront with all speed.”
He shot Tehran a pleading look; Emilia could not join him. Elevated Dareous would be out for blood if he returned, and he would not endanger her needlessly. Tehran cleared his throat and came to his rescue. “Emilia, we need you here. Gorrde can build anything, but the cluster will be relying on your designs.”
Knox almost let out an audible sigh, but Emilia protested.
“I’ll leave plans. I’m not letting Knox return to the Order alone.”
“Lives may depend on you being here,” Tehran pushed.
Emilia turned in her seat, holding Knox’s gaze in challenge. The words lodged in his throat like dry meal, breaking free in a rush. “I need to go alone.”
Her hopeful expression crumpled before hardening. With a shove, she pushed back from the table, gathering her paper and pencils, and stood. “Apparently I have work to do.”
“Emilia—” Knox reached for her, but she brushed past him without a backward glance.
Guilt and relief mingled, and a weight lifted from his chest. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I shudder to think what Dareous would do if we both showed up in the Capital.”
Tehran swirled his glass of golden liquid, eyes fixed on the movement. “I could tell the Council to send someone else. The two of you could go to Rook, wait until things quiet down.”
The suggestion tempted him, but his gut rebelled at the idea. Knox’s eyes rested on the rocking chair near the hearth. “I can’t give up our home so easily. I need to do this.”
Tehran pursed his lips, nodding. “Emilia will be a bear if you leave without her.”
Knox sighed, taking a swallow of the sharp liquid in his cup. The familiar warmth echoed the burning power that used to push through his veins. “But she will be safe. I can deal with the rest later.”
Tehran gave a slow nod. “I’m sorry I told her about the Capital.”
Knox raised an eyebrow. “You owe me for that one. How could you?”
Tehran groaned, and the tension of the moment broke. “She’s relentless. As soon as she sensed you were keeping something from her, she wouldn’t let up.”
“She is a force,” Knox admitted with a wry smile. It was one of the many reasons he loved her as much as he did. He lifted his drink. “Here’s to the forces that bind us.”
Tehran met it with his own glass. “And make us their own.”
Earth’s Tempest
Emilia
A blaring horn sounded, and the deep tone coursed through Emilia like adrenaline.
She dropped her pencil onto the papers spread across their bed and ran out of the room. “Earthbound?” Her hands deftly worked her long hair back into a thick braid.
“Must be,” Knox said, already pulling on his boots. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
“Like Sky, I will.” She shot him a withering glare.
Tehran held up his hands. “Both of you should stay—”
“Oh, for all the Order holds—no one is staying. Now move!” Knox pushed him forward, and Emilia followed them both out onto the raised porch. A simple guardrail edged the boardwalk connecting their home to those around it.
The horn continued to pulse its warning and those not commissioned for the defence of Rikken hurried to take shelter. Worry-pinched faces lifted at the sight of Tehran, shouting words of encouragement as they passed.
“Don’t wait for us. Go!” Knox urged Tehran. “We’ll catch up.”
With a glance back, Tehran grabbed the railing and jumped over in a fluid movement, easily absorbing the several-metre drop. The sight of an Overseer using their strength made Emilia’s pulse quicken. Knox used to move like that. The impossible strides and airborne leaps mimicking flight. Knox tried to convince her he didn’t miss it, but she saw how his eyes tracked Tehran’s movements, and the pain he tried to hide.
Rikken was a modest size cluster for the Reaches, with stilted buildings built into the contours of the low foothills. They did not dig into the earth if it could be helped. As with most places, the cluster was a blend of function and form, old and new melding together. It manifested in stilted wooden structures linked by boardwalks and packed dirt roads. Generators and hover tech that coexisted with wood-fire hearths and long poles.
Knox reached for her hand and pulled her in the opposite direction. “I have a plan.”
A couple of months ago, Knox would have run off with Tehran, and she would have been left chasing after them on her own. He’s here now. She gripped his hand tighter, trying to squeeze out the guilt of such a thought. He looked back at her. “Do you need to slow down?”
