Heir of Shandara (Book 4) (6 page)

He called a meeting for the leadership council here. It was time to move things along. Some of their number were losing the will to fight. They were being pulled into the peace of their new world, lulled into a false sense of security, but Halcylon knew better. He joined the council inside one the temporary structures they had built. A holo display of the map of Safanar highlighted the major cities. As they were wiped off the face of the planet, the fallen cities would be renamed. Khamearra lay in the heart of the west with Rexel almost in the middle, but their sights were set on Shandara. Shandara was the biggest prize and posed the most risk to them.

“Chinta, give us an overview of Shandara’s defenses,” Halcylon commanded.

Chinta’s scarred face lifted at being called upon. The Zekaran rose to his feet and saluted Halcylon.

“Passive scans have shown that the city is heavily fortified. We know the city was all but destroyed around twenty-five cycles ago. However, they are rebuilding it. The scans show armored shafts inside the towers along the wall and throughout the city. Our guess is that there are several different types of cannons, which would make an air assault on the city unwise at our current capability,” Chinta said.

Halcylon nodded. “The outer shell of Shandara is similar to other cities on this world, but its infrastructure is much more in line with what we left behind on Hytharia. I agree with your assessment of our chances with an air assault. That’s why we won’t be leading off with that when we attack the city.”
 

In the silence, Halcylon could sense the hesitation within some of the military leaders around the table. They were a silent minority but if left unchecked could fester and spread.

“Speak freely,” Halcylon said.

It was Chinta who cleared his throat. “The Safanarions are stronger than we thought. They rally behind the Alenzar’seth.”

Halcylon ground his teeth for a moment. “The failure of the Alenzar’seth is mine. It was my suggestion to the tribunal that he remain alive to watch us escape to Safanar.”

The Hythariam around the table immediately started to protest.

“I thought that he would have surely perished upon Hytharia. How could he have escaped?” Halcylon asked, and took a moment for his hardened gaze to settle upon each of them. The question had come up before this, but there had been too much to do. Now the issue had to be addressed.

“He must have had help,” Ronin, his chief science officer, said.

Halcylon’s gaze settled upon the white-haired Hythariam in his gray uniform. The Hythariam was brilliant, and at times he wondered whose interests he served. Still, Halcylon needed him.
 

“That would mean we have a traitor in our midst,” Halcylon said.

They’d had to purge their ranks in the past, but he would find other ways to use the traitors once he found out who they were.

“I will rally my forces, and we will root out anyone who is not loyal to the Zekara,” Chinta said.

The others around the table gave their assertions as well, and in the silence that followed they waited for Halcylon to address them.

“I want a list of suspects brought to me as soon as possible. Unless you catch a traitor in the act, do not take any action against them. I want them watched, and I will insert them into my plans. We could always use a few infiltrators,” Halcylon said.

His team recognized the value in the modifications to soldiers in the Catalyst program. They had all reaped the benefits without suffering from any of the long-term effects. Sacrifice a few to make many of them stronger.

“Do you still have need for us to capture more humans?” Chinta asked.

Halcylon glanced at Ronin, for whose experimentation the humans had been required.

“I have enough for now. I’m ready to give my report if you’re ready, sir,” Ronin asked.

Halcylon nodded.

“I’ve been successful in adapting the Ryakul virus to human physiology, using additional protocols that I think you will find interesting,” Ronin said, and a list of attributes appeared on the holo display.

Halcylon scanned the list, as did the others.

Ronin continued. “We’re all familiar with the tenacity with which the original strain seeks to spread itself. What I’ve been able to do is to encode a prime directive into it, similar to what we normally do with the Nanites. The virus seizes control of the central nervous system, in particular the brain. We’ve added a mechanism for delivery in each of the infiltrators we’ve sent out,” Ronin said, and the holo display changed to show the small canisters equipped by the infiltrators. “Humans caught in the direct cloud will change almost immediately. Those with less exposure will change, but it can take some time.”

Chinta frowned. “What happens when your toxic cloud dissipates?”

“Think of it as adding a spark to some tinder. Those coming in direct contact with a human already infected will become infected themselves,” Ronin answered.

Brutal images of the various ways the virus could spread through humans played for them. Halcylon killed the display and drew the attention from the others. “Our path will take us through the most heavily populated areas. They will soften our enemies before we arrive. We cannot cloak our main force for much longer. The power requirements are draining our reserves faster than we originally thought. Any more than that will affect our ability to fight.”

The Ryakul virus was something new he’d added to his plans after seeing how effective it was against the Dragons of Safanar. Ronin was the scientist, and he was the general, but what he’d kept secret for the length of their isolation was that he had built quite an understanding of applied science. It was a weakness the traitors had exploited before the barrier cut off their access to Safanar eighty cycles ago. He trusted Ronin as much as any other scientist, which wasn’t all that much. Within Ronin’s modification to the Ryakul virus were his own protocols that would automatically trigger under certain circumstances.

Halcylon changed the holo display to show a map of the land. “Militarily, there is no army that can stand against us. Our reckoning with the human race begins now. We will use every means at our disposal to make them suffer for what they have done to us. They are weak, scattered, and without strong leadership. And they will all fall before the might of the Zekara.”

Chinta and his other commanders studied the map that showed a simulation of the troop movements in his attack plan.

“I hate to lose the element of surprise. Won’t they realize where we are heading in the end?” Chinta asked.

“I’m counting on it,” Halcylon replied.
 

C
HAPTER
6

WOUNDED

The Eldarin were of a higher order of Dragons known as Dragon lords. Their domain went beyond the realm of Safanar. They were both spiritual and physical beings, and their fate was tied to Aaron.
 

The Eldarin honored a sacred trust with the Ferasdiam marked. In saving his life, an Eldarin had become infected with the Ryakul virus. The effect on a normal Dragon was to become a Ryakul. A beast devoid of a lifebeat. The Dragon ceased to be, but for the lifeless husk of what once was. Aaron remembered the Eldarin changing before his eyes and attack one of its own. The mournful howl of the other Eldarin still plagued his dreams. His stomach clenched at the thought, and Aaron suspected more and more that his fate and that of his people was tied to the Eldarin.
 

The Dragons and Ryakuls were enemies that had been fighting a war for survival for the past sixty years. The FNA hunted the Ryakul, but Aaron was afraid it wasn’t enough. There was no cure for the Ryakul virus. Roselyn, a Hythariam scientist and healer, had explained that the virus permanently changed those infected at their fundamental level. If Halcylon was truly able to modify the Ryakul virus so that it affected humans, then all the people of Safanar were in danger.
 

Night had fallen over their camp. There were more than a few suspicious glances toward Bayen and at each other. The few Hythariam with them kept a careful watch on them all, looking for signs of being infected. No one wanted to talk about what they would do if one of them was.

“Not sleeping?” Verona asked.

“I doubt anyone is going to sleep tonight,” Aaron said, and glanced at Bayen, who had positioned himself away from the others.

“The watch has been set, and I’ve sent four to scout the area a bit,” Verona said, and watched Bayen for a few seconds. “Not your biggest fan, I’d say, my friend.”

Aaron frowned. “He’s hiding something. I just can’t guess what it is. His answers raise more questions.”

“He does seem rather familiar,” Verona said.

“He’s supposed to be our best hope against this plague. Not sure if I believe that, but he believes it. I don’t know whether to have him bound or reach out to him.” Aaron returned his gaze toward Verona.

“How long are you going to avoid carrying it?” Verona asked.

“What do you mean?”

“The staff. The rune-carved staff to be exact. You’ve barely touched it since the battle with the High King.”

Aaron shifted his gaze away. “So many Dragons fell at the battle, and the Eldarin… I can hear their call, Verona. When I sleep. When I’m awake. It’s like they’re reaching out to me, but I don’t know how to help them. I’m afraid.”

“I have an idea about that—” Verona began but was cut off by a scream.

The clouds shifted past, distorting the moonlight, and beyond the campfire they heard another scream echoing. Aaron drew his swords and moved to the edge of the firelight. Tanneth engaged his helmet, which covered his head instantly, and trained his plasma rifle into the gloom. A foggy mist rolled in around them. The night erupted into a series of growls coming from directly ahead of them. The FNA formed a circle around the fire and kept their weapons at the ready.
 

Four of their number who had been patrolling the area were missing. An FNA soldier stumbled from the fog, calling for help. His uniform was shredded across his chest, and blood covered his hands. The soldier hunched over, gasping.

“What happened to you?” Aaron asked but didn’t move any closer.
 

The soldiers raised their weapons, and the terrified man kept glancing over his shoulders.

“He’s infected,” Bayen shouted.

“We don’t know that,” Aaron said.

The man collapsed to the ground, his body going into convulsions. Behind him, three large figures emerged from the gloom. Tattered remnants of their FNA uniforms were the only way to tell they had once been men. Their eyes glowed yellow, and their elongated features stretched upon blackened skin that still held a pasty whiteness. In the split second that it took for Aaron and the others to realize what they faced, the infected bounded forth, using their arms to propel them forward with inhuman speed.
 

Aaron charged, bringing his swords to bear, and was joined by Bayen moving just as fast as he. Aaron dodged the black claws and hacked away at the vicious attacks of the infected. Grisly body parts still twitched on the ground, and Aaron was careful not to get any of the black liquid on him. Aaron heard Bayen’s halberd whirl through the air as he dispatched the infected nearest him. Flashes of golden plasma bolts lit up the area as Tanneth tried to shoot the third infected. The infected man bolted to the side in a twisted leap, his claws raking across several men in his path. Attack orbs from a former Elitesman tore through the infected man, engulfing him in flames.
 

Aaron saw Verona standing over the infected man who’d come just before the attack.

“Verona, please, help me,” the infected man cried, and curled into a ball.

Verona froze with his sword hanging loosely by his side. The man lashed out and clawed Verona’s leg. Several plasma bolts struck the man, and he fell back. Verona looked down at his leg, seeing the blood mix with the black liquid in the wound. Verona rubbed at the wound with his sleeve. His eyes darted up and met Aaron’s as he stumbled to the ground.

“He’s infected,” Bayen said, coming to his side.

“We don’t know that,” Aaron replied.

Bayen leaned in so only Aaron heard. “Killing him now would be a mercy,” Bayen whispered.

“I’m not killing him!”

“He’ll kill us all. If you won’t, then I will,” Bayen said, and moved forward.