Reborn (The Cartographer Book 2) (37 page)

The two people seated before them were Hydrophants with their hands shackled behind their back. Standing behind them were two creatures which could only be Shreen. I had been briefed on their tribal history as well as their ferocity in battle but I never in my wildest dreams imagined their hideousness. Their grotesquely oversized claws clutched enormous battle axes which were at least as long as javelins. They rested them over their shoulders and listened to Corvus addressing the Hydrophants.

“I would love to hear what he was saying,” I muttered.

Grillick held up his index finger. “Ask and ye shall receive.” Next to the slot on the ramp was a switch which he pushed up like a dimmer switch. The holographic scene was soon accompanied by sound.

“You are forcing me to do this,” Corvus stated to the nearest Hydrophant. “Your planet provides a strategic location to strike at Caelum. Your allegiance with the Consortium is just a ruse. I know you are upset with their actions of late. I can see through it, so why not join your forces with mine?”

The Hydrophant, slightly smaller than Satou and with shorter tentacles fixed his hard eyes on Corvus. “Because of what you did to our people,” he replied icily. “Your 'allies' as you so eloquently refer to them are nothing but murderers and criminals. Vaire is proud. Vaire is strong. But Vaire will not align with you.”

Calypso moved in between them. “Please,” he urged. “You know me, Ajox! Vaire is critical to victory and I promise your planet will be spared in the upcoming battle. We will only use the planet as a flyover base. I promise no war will touch Vaire soil.”

Ajox turned his head slowly. His eyes locked on Calypso's and he uttered a dry laugh. “Your promises are as empty as your soul, traitor.”

Calypso turned and looked at Corvus with a frown. The image faded. “What happened?” I asked.

Grillick smacked the machine and cursed under his breath. “Infernal machine,” he grumbled. “Remind me to liquidate the mechanic.” He paused and scratched his head. “Delete that last remark. I'm the damn mechanic!” Suddenly restless, he rubbed his hands together. “This is much worse than I thought.”

“What's wrong?” Seeing Grillick nervous made
me
nervous.

“Corvus managed to gain the trust of the Shreen. This is not good.” He looked across the desert. “The meeting is taking place just over that dune.” He pointed toward a hill approximately a quarter of a mile away. “You must stop them before Vaire falls.”

“But you saw what happened. Ajox will never submit,” I argued.

“Vaire will fall with or without his consent,” Grillick explained. “His death will be no different from his submission. In the end Corvus will get what he desires.”

Sergeant Cantrell exited the ship carrying several items. He described each as he handed them over to me. “Strap this on your wrist,” he said and handed me a wide metal bracelet attached to a glove. The brace was forged from a thick metal which was bulky and awkward at first until my wrist could adjust to the weight. At the top of the bracelet there was a metal cavity where something no bigger than a pencil could fit inside. The glove had small, metal disks stitched into the fingers. “This item is called a
voltaic chain
.” He attached it to my wrist and I proceeded to slip my hand into the glove. “The metal disks on the fingers are contacts,” he explained. “Squeeze your hand so your fingers touch the palm.”

I did as asked and a gray metallic chain erupted from the cavity and extended three feet in front of me before dropping to the ground. As soon as it hit the ground it became charged with electricity. The dull humming sound reminded me of power lines. “Whoa,” was the only word I could manage as I flicked my wrist to the left and right. The chain moved like a snake along the ground. “Vanth never trained me on this.”

“That's because he didn't want you killing yourself in the process,” Grillick warned. “One incorrect move of the wrist and we will be replacing another appendage.”

I stopped and opened my hands. The chain retracted into the bracelet. Cantrell handed me a round black cylinder about the size of an egg. It had a pull tab similar to a soda can except it was located on the side except the top. “Slide that into your belt loop there,” he said, pointing to a loop near the belt buckle.

I slipped it in and made sure it sat snugly. “So what's this?” I asked once I secured it.

“To activate it all you need to do is pull the tab,” he replied grimly. “But be careful, we call it the 'last resort'.”

“Do I even want to know?” I grumbled.

“Basically, if you are going to use it then you are already dead,” Grillick explained somberly. “Once you pull that tab you will have about five seconds to make your peace with whatever god you believe in.”

I tapped it lightly with my index finger and swallowed. “Okay, I understand.”

Cantrell glanced at Grillick with an expression that looked to be a mix of indigestion and irritation. “Are you sure you want me to give him this?” He held up a multi-colored cube with a small green button on top. It reminded me of the Rubik's Cube I had back on Earth, but about half the size.

Grillick nodded. “Yes. It could prove to be useful.”

I took it from Cantrell and stuck it in another belt loop. “Please don't tell me this is a second 'last resort'. I might take that as a lack of confidence in my ability to complete the mission,” I remarked dryly.

Grillick rubbed his stubby fingers together anxiously. “Let's just say it's a fail-safe in case you don't feel like dying.” He quit rubbing his fingers together and fidgeted with his beard instead. He looked at the cube eagerly. “I just hope it works better than my Mechanical Gene Sequencer.”

I glanced at him nervously. “What happened with that?”

Grillick looked as if he just ate something bad. “All I have to say is we are still looking for the remains of Test Subject number four. But that is neither here nor there. I can say with 97.4 percent accuracy that the cube will work as intended.”

“This is the last,” Cantrell muttered and held out a communicator no bigger than a deck of cards. “It works just like a cellular phone. Just push the yellow button on the side and talk to communicate with us. If you turn it sideways and adjust the dial on the bottom, it acts like a pair of binoculars. Its range is one thousand yards which should give you plenty of room to scout.”

“Our scanners are not picking up any Shreen in the area with the exception of those on the other side of the dune,” Grillick added. “You should be clear all the way to the oasis.”

“What do I need to do once I get there?” I asked.

“Stay out of sight, whatever you do,” Grillick urged. “Try to gather as much information as you can.” He started up the ramp but turned before reaching the top. “If possible try to save Ajox just don't go getting yourself killed in the process.”

“Easier said than done,” I grumbled. Cantrell remained at the bottom of the ramp, studying me intently. “What?” I asked with minor irritation.

He held up his hand innocently. “I just wanted to give you some partin' words of wisdom, if you wanna call it that.” He motioned toward the weapon strapped to my wrist. “That weapon will take down an Orgellian landshark. The Shreen, however, are a completely different foe.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared past me toward the horizon. “It's believed that they fight even after death.”

“Are you messing with me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

He shook his head firmly. “No. Prior to coming under Grillick's employ I was a mercenary for hire. Back in those days I fought more people than I could count and killed more than I care to remember.” He took a deep breath. “Anyway…without boring you with details, I had an assignment on Vaire. An expedition of researchers from Charr had been killed by the Shreen while trying to disable weapons which had been left behind. I was hired by the Hydrophants to go in and get the weapons back from the Shreen, who had confiscated the cache. I managed to sneak in unopposed and grab the case, but I didn't get out unnoticed. Two of them engaged me in combat. The only way I survived was one of them accidentally beheaded the other during the fight. While he was stunned at what he had done I shoved a frag grenade down the other's throat.”

“Well, I'd say you escaped that battle pretty easily,” I said, smiling broadly.

Cantrell scowled. He pulled his left pant leg out of his boot and rolled it up. A thick, angry scar ran from his ankle to his inner thigh. “This was done by the one who was beheaded. He had no goddamn head and still managed to shove his claw into my leg before he stopped moving completely. I nearly bled to death,” he explained. “The only way I survived was by tearing off my shirt, tying off the wound and securing what was left of my shirt to the handle of the cache. I dragged it
and
my ass halfway to my ship. If it wasn't for my pilot spotting me laying half-dead in the desert, I wouldn't be here right now.”

The smile fell from my face. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry, be diligent,” he shouted gruffly. “Absorb what I just said and maybe you will come out of this mission with all your limbs intact.” He scowled at my right hand. “Well most of them.”

I nodded and headed toward the dune before he stopped.

“One more thing,” he said. “If you do find yourself backed into a corner with no way out, just remember that the 'last resort' is truly a last resort. You only get one chance to make a first mistake.” He walked up the ramp and entered the ship.

Death is just a portal which leads to the next journey
. Vanth taught me that during my first month of training, right after I almost died fighting four of his holograms. I scampered across the desert like a scorpion. As I approached the dune I pondered what I would do once I reached the oasis. There may never be another opportunity to eliminate Corvus. Stopping him would be a great step toward ending this entire conflict.

When I reached the dune I noticed it was actually made of stone, and much bigger than originally thought. The rocky outcropping rose about thirty meters high. Centuries of windblown sand eroded the surface enough where footholds pockmarked the angled surface which allowed for a much easier ascent. When I reached the top I heard several voices below. Corvus and his troupe dotted the landscape below. I grabbed the binoculars for a closer look.

From my current position I was able to see the entire landscape. Shai's ship was off to the side, behind a group of trees, but he was nowhere to be seen. Behind the ship stood a smaller vessel which may have belonged to either Corvus or Calypso. It resembled an Explorer's League vessel which may have been commandeered during a raid. I also noted that one of the Shreen left, leaving one standing behind the Hydrophants. That would prove to be a godsend if I were forced to engage them.

I carefully made my way down the hill until I came to a large, round boulder sticking from the hill like an oversized zit. After propping myself against it I studied the scene through the binoculars. Calypso was still speaking with Ajox but I couldn't quite make out the words. There were only four Scarlet Moon soldiers standing behind him and Corvus. The rest must have returned to the ship.
Six Ascended and one Shreen
, I calculated. The odds weren't bad, but then I recalled Cantrell's story about the Shreen. I was torn between the chance to take out the leaders of the Ascended and fear of facing a Shreen warrior. “
Fear makes the enemy bigger than he is,
” Vanth whispered in my brain.

The Shreen's back faced me which would allow me an advantage.
When you face a situation where you are outnumbered, eliminate the biggest threat first.
I closed my hand and the electrified chain fell to the ground with a heavy clang. I winced, expecting the sound to alert the Shreen. He didn't move so I inched forward, dragging the chain behind me.

I weaved my way around the boulder but before I could pass a river of sand and rocks flowed past my feet. I turned around but it was too late. Something flat, hard and heavy slammed into my jaw knocking me down the hill. The world spun out of control. The sky gave way to the ground only to become sky again as I rolled down the hill. The world eventually stopped spinning when I slammed into the soft earth many yards below.

“Wow, that's gonna leave a mark,” I remarked before spitting out a mouthful of sand. I jumped to my feet as soon as I came to my senses. Fortunately the chains returned to the bracelet when my hand opened during the fall so I escaped serious injury but my face felt as if it had been hit by a bus. I looked up to see the second Shreen crawling down the hill. “Go big or go home I guess,” I muttered.

“Nathan?” It was Calypso who spoke. I stepped sideways so I could see him but be able to keep an eye on the advancing Shreen. “What are you doing here?”

I closed my hand and he took a step back when the chain appeared. With a deep breath I locked on his eyes.
The eyes often betray a man's intentions
. The tone of my voice was even, just as Vanth taught.
Be the calm before the storm
. “I'm here to put an end to this.”

“Get out of here, boy,” Ajox growled. “Whatever suicidal task yer plannin' is sheer madness.”

The Scarlet Moon soldiers raised their weapons. The Shreen standing behind the Hydrophants lowered his axe and took a menacing step forward. The other Shreen sidestepped his way down the hill, axe in hand.

“I gave you every chanced to join us,” Corvus fumed. “I have no choice but to eliminate you from the equation.”

“
Wait
!”

Shai exited the ship. In front of him stood a woman with a hood over her head and her hands bound in front of her. In his right hand was the same sword he used on Kedge. “Don't kill him yet,” he purred. He poked the sword in the woman's back and led her down the ramp. “I want him to see this.” They reached the bottom of the ramp and he pulled off the hood. Even though her head was lowered, I could see it was Deena.

I took a step toward him. The chain followed me, raising sparks as I pulled it across the rough sand. Before I could get close, Scarlet Moon soldiers blocked my path with their rifles raised. In my peripheral vision I saw that the Shreen had stopped their advance. Apparently they were more interested in seeing what would happen. “Let her go!” I growled.