Kastori Devastations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 2) (31 page)

“Illusions, be gone!” she screamed.

She opened her eyes and was on her knees outside the now-closed cave. In front of her, her sword stuck in the dirt. Celeste stood and grabbed her sword. She looked back and saw the sun had set, throwing the familiar sea of stars from Anatolus up to view.
If it’s all truly fantasy, then I’m fighting through. I’ll die in that world before I question my existence any further.

“Foolish girl!”

She paused when she heard the voice of Typhos in her head, much more distinctly than before.

“Did you think I was bluffing? Did you think I would lie? Sense the world through my eyes, child.”

She hesitated but dropped to one knee and closed her eyes. Typhos locked her gaze on a massive pile of ashes at the front of her father’s temple.

“Do you see the power I possess? Do you see the deaths I have brought about to Monda?”

No…

“Yes, child, yes. The same happens tomorrow at the same time if you or Erda do not surrender yourself to me.”

Typhos threw her out of his vision.
I went in too late. I’m ready, but we lost already.

Biting her lip to handle the guilt, Celeste ascended.

67

“You saw,” Celeste said, her voice weak.

“Yes,” Erda said. “I knew this would happen.”

All eyes turned to her.

“Celeste, we discussed this. You cannot go until you proved yourself. And you did by passing your test, your fear of the uncertainty of reality. But you hadn’t before, and unfortunately, Typhos murdered a hundred humans while you trained.”

It’s my fault, then.

“Was it quick?”

“By massive fire,” Erda said. “Quicker than it usually is with Typhos.”

The method of death provided only a fleeting moment of relief for Celeste.

“But if I wasn’t training…”

“No,” Crystil said. “No, there’s no ifs anymore. It’s done, you’re not going to bring them back. But we can make sure another hundred don’t die, and we have until sunset tomorrow?”

Erda nodded, and Celeste saw the direction of the conversation.
Planning for the confrontation.

“So we get as much rest as we can,” Cyrus said. “Sleep in as late as we can. Eat meals that will nourish us and provide all the energy we need. Use Erda’s magic to make sure we are at full health.”

“And we make sure no one else dies,” Celeste said emphatically, the image Typhos had given her still burning her conscience. “And we do that by planning. Cyrus, Erda and I can attack Typhos.”

“And his army,” Erda added. “He will have brought back his troops. Many of his men will rally around him, most out of fear but all for the purpose of defeating us.”

Celeste pondered what their chances were, an army of three against hundreds.
We need more numbers.

“I can gather troops,” Crystil said, her arms crossed with a confident smile on her face. “Emperor Orthran told me about the hidden weapons. I will go alone to gather people in advance—Erda, can you teleport me away from the temple without Typhos knowing?”

Erda nodded, but without a great deal of confidence.

“The only way such a move would work is if we place you several miles, if not hundreds, away. I fear much of your day will be spent running instead of preparing for battle.”

“There’s not much to prepare for,” Crystil retorted. “I give the humans guns and we shoot the magicologists from a distance. We strike quickly and run to a new spot, and repeat. There are no tactical strategies to be gleaned other than that.”

Ever the soldier, Crystil. And I’d be dead if not for it.

“I don’t mind it at all anyways. It won’t be the first time I’ve traveled on foot to fight these guys.”

Crystil’s voice left no doubt to her intentions, and everyone silently nodded.

“And Dad,” Celeste said, turning to the last person in the group and the only one who would not join them. “You—”

“I’m coming, too,” he said, cutting her off in as polite a tone as possible. “My people suffer on Monda. I am not going to abandon them.”

“You already were held captive for two years, Pops. Take a little vacation,” Cyrus said.

The emperor shook his head aggressively.

“When I came to rescue you, Celeste, I talked to men who had no idea who I was. They all expressed hope that they might get a human back in charge of the planet, but also disappointment and feelings of resentment that some of us got to escape, and some of us had to suffer. We’re all human here, so we either all triumph or we all die.”

No. He’s not dying. Stand firm, Celeste. He may be your father, but you’re the one who has the power on this mission.

“Dad, I appreciate it. But no.”

Much to her surprise, a faint smile formed.
He wants me to stand up to him.

“I thought I’d lost you once already. I’m not going to go through losing you once more in a battle where you would just be an aide to Crystil—and there are people better trained for that.”

The emperor looked with pride at her, and she began to feel a well of emotions.
Never thought I’d see him this way. Never thought I’d get to banter with him again.
He approached her as her eyes moistened, and he held her tightly for a prolonged hug.

“Don’t leave again, Dad,” she said as the tears fell freely from her eyes. She swore he cried too, as she felt something warm and wet fall on her forehead, but she had placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, embracing the sensation of his hug.

“OK,” he said, his voice firm as he still held her. “But if you guys don’t return within a day, I’m going to have to punish you.”

“Deal,” Celeste said with a laugh and a few sniffles.

With renewed vigor, she looked around and was surprised to see everyone staring at her.
I just spoke up out of frustration. But they see me as the leader here. That’s… wow.

“So we leave tomorrow evening?” Celeste said.

“Say it like you mean it,” Crystil said with a wink.

Celeste cleared her throat, locked eyes with everyone, and delivered her message.

“We leave tomorrow just before sunset. No one else dies on our watch.”

Cyrus roared in approval as Celeste felt a lot better about the course ahead of them.

68

One day isn’t enough. And I need the cover of night.

Crystil loved seeing Celeste take charge, and she loved how everyone rallied around her.
No qualms giving up my title to her. But I have to go soon.
She approached the younger Orthran after the cheering had settled.

“Never thought I’d see him again,” Celeste said.
The emperor.

“I didn’t either, which might be terrible to say as a bodyguard,” Crystil responded warmly. “But we all thought the same thing when we saw the blast. And now I need to make sure that there aren’t any more people we think we’ll never see again. Celeste, I need to leave tonight.”

Celeste spun to her, positioning her body for an argument. But the young girl froze, contemplating her thoughts, and her body relaxed.

“I’m not going to change your mind,” she said with a sigh through a smile. “Nor, really, should I, with you being the best soldier alive.”

“This is why you’re in charge and not Cyrus; you’re flexible,” she said with a wink. “But this is for the best. Erda can cast a spell which will make me invisible to the senses of the magicologist, and I can use the night to shield me from their eyes. Plus, it’ll make it easier to take out the guards.”

“OK,” Celeste said, but she seemed deep into thought, staring at the ground, her body still facing Crystil but her mind elsewhere.

“What’s up?” she said.

“Just… thanks, Crystil,” Celeste said. “You’re our commander, and you’ve guided us, rescued us and battled with us from the day we came out of hibernation. I’m sure you played one of the biggest roles in rescuing me.”

If only
, Crystil thought with an appreciative memory for what Cyrus had done.

“You don’t have me to thank. Thank your brother. If you want to thank the person who most acted like a true soldier, one on a mission that would not be ignored or compromised on, he’s the one. He became something I had never seen before—a somewhat green new soldier turning overnight into a grizzled, resolute veteran. When you two go into battle with Typhos, you won’t need me. You both have the grit and determination to do what needs to be done.”

“I just hope we agree on that,” Celeste said, but her acknowledging smile put Crystil at ease. “Go whenever you are ready.”

“I am always ready,” Crystil said, and she went to Erda as Celeste followed closely behind.
I am ready because I go and make myself ready. This is my role in the battle, and this is how I can help. If it means no rest and no food…

Nothing I haven’t handled before with the magicologists. And I didn’t even have a spell to hide myself.

Erda, Cyrus, and the emperor all faced Crystil, and they all immediately acknowledged her plan. Crystil didn’t even feel the need to explain her accelerated decision—Celeste probably expressed as much behind her.

“I need a sense-blocking spell,” Crystil said.

Erda closed her eyes, and Crystil felt a warmth around her belying the gentle breeze of the peak.

“That will be good for about one day,” Erda said as she opened her eyes. “But be careful, Crystil.”

Crystil nodded and shared an embrace with Erda.
Just in case. But I’ll see her again.

She shifted right and came to the emperor, her boss and, in many ways, the father she never had. She squeezed him tight, not quite becoming emotional, but feeling the old sensations of pride and gratitude. The two of them exchanged a simple nod, having long developed silent communication.

She shifted right once more and faced Cyrus in front of everyone.

“Ever the soldier, huh?” Cyrus said with his ever-familiar cocksure smile.

“Don’t you forget it,” she said.

The two lingered for a few seconds.
Is he going to hug me or… do something dumber here? Or just play it too cool for—

He came forward to hug her, and the two shared a surprisingly tender hug. She rubbed his back gently, and he squeezed her as if refusing to let her go.

“Just don’t win the battle by yourself, I want a piece of Typhos.”

She winked at him without a word, and turned to Celeste and gave her a strong hug.

“It’s your battle now, you can do it,” she whispered into her ear.

She turned to Erda. Erda closed her eyes, and Crystil hers. She looked to the night sky of Anatolus and as far out as she could on the planet.
If we defeated Calypsius here and made a new home out of this place… we can beat Typhos.

She stole one last glance at her friends, leaving with a warm smile. She shut her eyes, felt the rush come up to her neck and head, and cold air embraced her. She opened her eyes and saw a massive tree in front of her, along with a few others sparsely populated in the area. A road curved up ahead of her, and she quickly climbed the tree both to avoid any patrolling magicologists and to see how far she had to go.

She’d only climbed about fifty feet when she saw the center of the storm, far off, so far she could not make out the palace itself. But she could make out the raging lightning and thunder, even as the thunder claps seemed to lag behind about three lightning bolt flashes.

She descended the trees, took a deep breath, and quietly moved through the trees, prepared to take cover or to kill anyone with her bare hands.

69

Find any human settlement you can. Kill the guards. Gather forces and weapons.

Crystil repeated the mission steps in her mind. She ran down the road, completely unpopulated, even by animals of Monda.
There should at least be a patrol. Or maybe they don’t need to patrol because… this spell had better work.

After running for an hour, she found another large tree and climbed. The palace had come into view, though it remained a distant small cube, looking less like the center of Monda’s imperial rule and more like a run-down home. She cast her gaze down and saw her first target—a small settlement, with three buildings and a large field. Out in the field, men and women in barely any clothes toiled away. Crystil’s rage rose to her hands as her grip tightened on the branches. A quick breath calmed her as she descended the tree and rushed over.

She pressed her back to the wall of the first building and slid along the side. She did not hear the sounds of anyone close by and peered around the corner. Two magicologists stood with their back to her, both in black robes.
The black magic kind. Gotta be quick.

She looked around for a distraction of any kind and found a rock, small enough to be thrown but large enough to create noise. She prepared to throw it when they spoke.

“Think they’re coming back?”