The Shattering: Omnibus by Van Allen Plexico

Author:Van Allen Plexico [Plexico, Van Allen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Rocket Books
Published: 2015-07-22T23:00:00+00:00

16

“I don’t know how you’re doing this—how you’ve done any of the things you’ve done,” Tamerlane was saying to Teluria, even as he clasped her hand in a firm grip, closed his eyes, and concentrated. “But there is obviously more to you—much more—than you’ve let on.”

The mysterious woman in red only smiled enigmatically.

“Whose side are you on?” the general asked her, opening his eyes and meeting hers. “In truth.”

“You must concentrate, General,” the woman replied. “Focus all of your thoughts on Colonel Arani.”

Scowling, Tamerlane closed his eyes again and did as he was told. “As soon as this business is resolved,” he murmured, his voice already growing distant, “we will have a reckoning between us.”

“As you say, General,” Teluria said. She didn’t appear particularly concerned.

They sat at the table inside Arani’s office tent. Elaro, meanwhile, had been ordered to reorganize the remaining troops for immediate action. Tamerlane, though, had been determined to make one more attempt to contact his missing soldiers and Inquisitor Delain before they took any new action. If any of those forces remained alive, the intelligence they might offer could make the difference between a repeat of the ambush they’d walked into the first time and actual success.

“Arani,” Tamerlane whispered, even as he pushed that thought through the Aether in what he hoped was the direction of far-away Ahknaton. “Can you hear me?”

Channeled through the higher dimensional realm of the Above, the Aether provided a virtually instantaneous link across great distances of the normal universe. No one, though, had ever tried to send a message through it across anything like the distances involved now. Or, if they had tried, they had entertained no hope of success, and had found none. Tamerlane, however, believed that in this one case he might be successful. Teluria had demonstrated remarkable powers when it came to manipulating the fabric of reality; one might almost describe her as a god—as one of Those Who Remain. If so—if she truly was a creature of that variety—she must possess untold personal reserves of power—of the Power. The Power of the gods. With that energy now at Tamerlane’s disposal, as he clutched the woman’s hand, he hoped it might act as a sort of booster to his own signal, forcing the message through to—

“General!”

Tamerlane recoiled, nearly severing the connection. Arani’s voice had come loudly—very loudly—back through the connection. He clung to Teluria’s hand and called back over the untold light years, “Yes! Arani! Yes, it’s me! Are you alright? What’s your situation?”

A pause, then, “I’m sorry, General—your signal is barely reaching me. But know: I’m still alive, as are some twenty-four other soldiers of the Nizam Legion. Sister Delain is with us, as well. She has done an amazing job of camouflaging us, helping us to avoid the Sand Kings patrols.”

Tamerlane’s guts churned at this news. Arani and Delain—alive! And with a decent-sized force behind them. It was the first good news the general had received in quite some time. But—so many others were dead. So many.

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