The moment the Sun Tribe Chief announced Emberon’s proximity to the vault site, something in the room shifted. Adan was not alone in her apprehension; the documents in Duke Kimba shook, the King’s expression hardened and even the Head Keepers stiffened, shifting nervously. The war outside suddenly felt much closer.
The only one seemingly unaffected was the A.I. Chief himself. He nonchalantly turned toward Lynn.
“This one has an additional directive,” the hologram said, its voice flattening into something even more formal. “A protocol authored by my previous mistress. It is to be executed only under a specific set of conditions.”
The surface of the central table pulsed. A narrow, metallic column rose from sudden crack in the table. It opened up and revealed a small black case, no larger than it could fit in the palm of a hand. It was matte and unmarked. Unimpressive.
And yet Lynn’s skin prickled.
Adan went very still beside him.
“This device,” the Chief continued, “contains a method. A contingency prepared for any Amazonian who becomes stranded beyond Federation reach.”
A pause.
“Including a path home.”
Lynn’s throat tightened. His fingers curled involuntarily. He glanced sideways at Adan. Her jaw was clenched, eyes fixed on the case, her expression carefully neutral. Her hand twitched slightly before curling into a fist.
The case was offered to him rather than her.
“Why me?” Lynn asked quietly.
“Because only you meet the operational parameters.” The hologram flickered, eyes dimming as if assessing him. “And because—should the protocol activate—Amazonian Adan will not be in a position to choose her course of action.”
Lynn’s breath caught.
Adan’s eyes snapped toward the Chief in sharp warning. “Elaborate.”
“Negative. Full explanation requires successful unlocking of the device. Until then, only this may be disclosed.” The AI shifted its attention back to Lynn. “If you manage to open this case, you must be prepared to complete the protocol inside. And you must understand that doing so will require sacrifice.”
The AI’s words landed like a cold stone.
Lynn felt them lodge under his ribs—fear, clarity, inevitability.
He thought of Adan’s charred body in his arms. Of the way his world had narrowed to the sound of her rasping, impossible breath. Of Sai’s calm voice telling him she would die if she didn’t go home.
Lynn accepted the case with both hands. It was cold to the touch but it felt like it burnt as he held it tight.
“Understood,” he confirmed.
Adan whispered his name, barely more than a breath, but another AI’s voice cut through his mind sharply.
“Priorities,” Sai insisted firmly, but a sliver of excitement still slipped through. “Civilians in the castle district are at high risk. If Emberon succeeds in accessing the Plasma Rifle, the weapon’s range and the man’s previous behavior suggests a high likelihood of collateral damage in a two kilometer radius around the castle. Evacuation must begin immediately.”
Adan’s body shifted slightly, clearly also hearing Sai’s warning. She reiterated the message to the people in the room, seemingly unaffected by the news that there might actually be a way for her to find a way home after all – a way to survive.
“We must act,” she continued. “King Fenix, if we are to evacuate the city and reclaim your command, we must first reestablish the people’s faith in you.”
“Indeed,” the King nodded. “But it is not like we have the time or the manforce to explain everything door to door.”
Adan tapped the stack of papers on the table in front of her. “The answer lies with the Chief.” She gave the AI a pointed look.
“This one retains three functioning amplifier networks within Fire Isle. With redeployment of two projection arrays, a sky-wide broadcast is achievable.”
Adan tossed the documents to King Fenix, indicating for him to read up on the details. “You focus on the people’s hearts and the soldier’s loyalty. Lynn and I will focus on Emberon.”
“And the Plasma Rifle,” Sai added dryly in Lynn’s mind.
After a few more tactics were discussed, the illusion of stillness shattered. With the plans locked in, the chairs withdrew into the floor, and urgency filled the room like rising water. Everyone had a place to be and time was short.
Lynn wrapped the black case in a thin foil of ice, more for a sense of comfort than actual necessity, as if it could somehow cushion the weight of what the case held. He tucked it carefully into an inner pocket and hurried to catch up to Adan who was already on the move down a hallway, her new, long ponytail swaying behind her.
Lynn reached out and caught her wrist, stilling her momentarily. Adan turned, gaze questioning, but a small smile spread on her lips as she noticed what he was doing. Ice—or rather hardened water—swirled around her wrist as Lynn reformed the bracelet that had been destroyed in the earlier explosion.
The slight pulsating resonation within the bracelet comforted him somewhat, but Lynn still didn’t really want to let go. The two held each other’s gaze for a moment, but time was too short.
As they broke apart to head out, Lynn kept one thought pinned down amid the chaos:
‘Whatever the cost, if it means saving Adan, I will pay it gladly.‘
Behind them, the command bridge was left empty as the group gathered there moved forward with the efficiency of people who knew that the next hour could decide the course of the entire kingdom.
In a hidden chamber beneath Fire Isle, King Fenix stared at the odd panels lining the walls – lights flashing in incomprehensible patterns – with a complicated heart as he fiddled with the pendant hanging around his neck. There was a similar room, locked in the depths of the royal castle and he clearly remembered when he had first been taken there as a boy.
His father had worn a stern and solemn face as he showed it to Fenix on his twelfth birthday. His father had talked about the Ancients and what they left behind. About weapons so strong they must never be used but also about protective amulets capable of stopping an ball of fire mid-air, just like the one Fenix was wearing now.
The former king had been proud of the Ancient trinkets that were hidden beneath their Kingdom, but too much knowledge had been lost. Most of the items left in that room were no longer usable, either because they had lost their power or because no one living remembered how to activate them. His father had pressed the importance of not playing around with this inheritance, or they might activate something they couldn’t stop.
For the young Fenix, those trinkets had been too alien. Fascinating for sure, but lifeless and not as important as learning to rule his nation with pride.
Now, Fenix watched as the Sun Tribe’s Head Keepers moved from one panel to another with well trained ease, breathing life into more and more of those flashing lights. The Sun Tribe Chief had disappeared, but Fenix knew he was watching them somehow because, every so often, commands were spoken to the the Head Keepers from some unseen place. Directing their movements whenever they faltered.
Colonel Dallas stood to his right, arms crossed. There was a look of suspicion in her eyes that had been present there ever since one of the Head Keepers had brought her in just as he had been rounding up the meeting with Lynn and Adan. When she fist laid eyes on him, that suspicion had vanished, replaced by first pure relief, followed by a flicker of pity. She had then quickly knelt down in heartfelt reverence.
King Fenix smiled a bit at the memory. He knew how he looked right now, okay on the surface but the past few day’s strain showed in his eyes. Colonel Dallas on the other hand was immaculate as always, looking energetic and tidy even when she clearly hadn’t slept properly for days and with a purple bruise coloring her cheek. A blow she had willingly received when making her way into the city to better cover for Lynn and Adan’s entrance.
However, only the Royal family and their closest guards knew of the technology left behind by the ancients, so Dallas couldn’t quite get used to the odd environment she found herself in now. Her eyes kept darting around the room, shifting with every new sound or light.
“Power rerouted,” one of the Head Keepers called as a new section of a spider web-like grid of lights lit up. “Duke Kimba has successfully deployed the the first projection array.”
“Are we sure this will work?” Dallas asked with a low voice as she shifted her weight slightly.
“Ancient Adan and the Sun Tribe Chief are certain of it,” the King answered with conviction, hiding the doubt he felt all too well with ease.
“The churches will not like it,” she said quietly. “They might try to spin this to their favor.”
Fenix snorted.
“Of course they will! A divine miracle bestowed by the Heavenly Entities themselves,” he bellowed, raising his arms theatrically towards ceiling. “Let them spin their tales, as long as it gets the people to safety and puts Emberon at a disadvantage, we can deal with the aftershock later.”
He tried to make it sound flippant but even he could hear how tired he sounded.
Dallas studied him for a moment. “If I may be so bold, Your Majesty. We don’t have to do it like this. We could rally the loyal regiments quietly. Play the long game.”
“While Marquess Dalila dies at the border and Emberon digs his way to a weapon of mass destruction?” Fenix shook his head. “No. I gave him too much free reign before, too much time to prepare. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Another section of the glowing web lit up and the Head Keeper working on it waved them over. “King Fenix, the scouts deployed by Duke Kimba have activated the last array. The system is ready.”
The woman practically pushed the king and his colonel up on a slightly raised platform and then started to fiddle with a black orb, positioning it in front of them. Soft light swirled around them-scanning, calibrating. In the next second, a mirror image of himself and Dallas flickered to life on a screen next to them. Dallas hid it well, but Fenix noticed her flinch back ever so slightly in surprise.
“On your command, what you see on this screen will be projected across the sky outside. Everyone on Fire Island will be able to both see and hear what you say. However, don’t rush to start speaking. It might take time for people to realize what is going on.”
Fenix straightened his back. Years of rituals and speeches had trained his posture, his voice and even his expressions, to perfection. He had addressed his people countless times but this was different. As he spoke, he would not be able to see his people’s reactions, nor be able to make any alterations to better grab their attention. And yet, this would probably be the most important speech in his lifetime, perhaps even in Solmani’s history.
It might also be his last.
“Your Majesty,” Dallas voice had softened. “You are my King. Speak freely, I will have you back. Now and always.”
He looked at her. She had a hint of trepidation in her eyes, but her face was determined. The King sighed, pulling a slightly shaking hand through his hair.
“I must admit, I am a bit . . . shaken.”
Dallas said nothing, but her determined gaze didn’t falter.
Fenix smiled, small and grim. “But I am indeed your King. Their King. As long as my heart beats, I will not give up on my people.”
Dallas briefly returned his smile before taking a step back on the platform, giving him the center.
Fenix drew a deep breath, feeling the weight of every soul that depended on him for their safety: Marquess Dalila at the border. Marquess Hayden in the dungeons. Lynn and Adan, somewhere in the underbelly of the castle. The countless citizens whose homes lay too close to Emberon’s ambitions.
“Begin,” he commanded and the light around him flared white.
Emberon had always been a patient man. If not, he wouldn’t have been able to spend all those years serving King Fenix so obediently, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. He did, however, hate being interrupted.
He particularly hated being interrupted when he was so close to his target.
Emberon had not wanted to pause his progress toward the Ancient’s vault. The ancient amulet still rested in his pocket and he could almost feel it’s excitement as it pulsed like a second heartbeat, urging him towards the depths underneath the castle. A faint ringing in his ears mirrored the ancient alarms that still wailed at odd intervals, making it feel like he was still down in the tunnels.
Unfortunately, he was no longer in the tunnels. The Priests of the Sun and Priestesses of the Moons had insisted.
“The people are frightened,” the Holy Mother had urged, her dimples clear as she frowned. “There was an earthquake that shook the entire eastern district and reports are pouring in of mysterious sirens wailing in people’s basements. If you disappear now, without a word, your authority as acting regent will no doubt be questioned!”
So here he was, headed for the great Church of the Moons, surrounded by a group of religious representatives and nobles, swarming around him like a bunch of headless chickens.
“Regent Steward Emberon,” a corpulent noble pushed himself closer, fear evident in the wriggling of his double neck. “What is going on? Is the heretic ice bender attacking the city?”
“Calm down, Lord Barkly,” Emberon replied, pushing back at the man to create some distance between them. “Everything is under control. Even if the Ice Bastard would attack, I am ready to defend the city.”
A handful heads bobbed in acceptance and relief but many still frowned.
“When will we get to see King Fenix,” an elder priest asked, ignoring Lord Barkly’s fears. “It is custom to display a fallen King for public grieving within a day.”
An agreeing murmur spread among the clergy, and Emberon suppressed a twitch in his eye. He took a deep, calming breath and stopped, turning to face the crowd. Forced tears filling his eyes.
“Trust me, ladies and gentlemen, no one wishes to grieve King Fenix more than me! However, the risk of displaying His Majesty is currently too high.” Emberon sighed before straitening his back. “For the sake of order, for the sake of our blessed Solmane’s future, I have taken the burden of stewarding this kingdom in His Majesty’s tragic absence. I promise you I will bring King Fenix’s killer to justice and make sure this wonderful country is kept safe until the king’s heir can be determined.”
A ripple of murmurs. Some faces shone with fervent adoration. Others, mainly the older clergymen and noble veterans, watched him with the cautious eyes of those who had survived too many shifts in power.
Emberon supressed a sneer. The King might have escaped his grasp but that would only be temporary. He would gain power, power so overwhelming that even these old prunes would be unable to protest.
He forced his expression to remain smooth.
“Have faith,” he continued, “the Sun and the Moons watch over us and will surely guide us through this trying time. I am but a loyal servant to the crown—”
My crown, Emberon thought as he smiled humbly, missing the shimmer of light starting to spread in the sky behind him. A few in the gathered crowd glanced up, frowning in confusion while Emberon pushed on.
“—and I know for a fact that the late King Fenix would have wanted us to unite against—”
“Moons bless us!” The Holy Mother’s gasp cut through Emberon’s speech. He focused his gaze on the crowd and noticed that everyone was staring—wide eyed—at the sky behind him. Their eyes filled with a mix of shock, fear and awe.
Confused, Emberon turned around and looked up at the sky. There, high above the Church of the Moons’ blue temple roof, the sky itself had changed.
At that moment, a low bell rang out all over Fire Isle. The sound was similar to church bells, but the tone was way deeper, older, than the citizens where used to hearing.
Curious inhabitants made their way out on the streets and immediately noticed the alien light glowing intensely in the sky. The grey clouds that covered the island had shifted in color and the visage continued to change. Slowly, some colors became more prominent, morphing into a colossal, translucent visage, hovering in the sky above the castle.
King Fenix.
Not as he had been on his coronation day. Then, he had been all youthful arrogance and untested charm. This king’s face was thinner, drawn by pain and worry, but undeniably, it was King Fenix. The supposedly dead, King Fenix.
The city froze.
In the market square, a woman dropped her basket; nobody caring about the oranges that rolled across cobblestones. A young boy pointed up and managed a short, joyful laugh before his mother yanked him down to his knees, forcing him to pray with her. In the courtyards of the city barracks, soldiers stared, half in awe, half in terror. A loyal knight ignored the chaos and silently knelt down on one knee, ready to listen to his King’s command without doubts.
Outside the temple, the priests and priestesses that had gathered around Emberon were deathly silent. They had never seen anything so unreal in their life. Subconsciously, many of them started to recite the old texts from the Book of Elements, hoping to find an explanation.
“People of Solmani,” the vast image said, its voice resonating from every direction at once, gentle and implacable. “Fear not, this is your King.”
Deep underground, Fenix could not see his people’s faces, but somehow he could still feel them. Years of speaking to crowds gave him an instinctual sense of when a silence was full of attention and when it was empty.
This silence was full. Packed with held breath.
“What I have to tell you now might be hard to believe, but I hope the years of my rule have proven to you that I am a trustworthy King.”
He took a deep breath.
“As you can see, I am alive. I have been held in secret,” Fenix spoke, voice steady. “Tortured in the depths beneath my own castle, betrayed by the very man I trusted most. The man you know as Lord Protector Emberon.”
Fenix hand trembled, just once, but he let it show.
“Emberon faked my death. He captured me, drugged me and tried to break me. He failed.” Fenix paused, letting the statement hang. “Emberon has gone so far as to colluded with Valdmanic forces, who are attacking our southern border as I speak!”
Far away, Emberon’s face had gone chalk white. Every muscle in his body had tensed and he glanced nervously at the group surrounding him. He started to look for a way to escape the crowd.
“You might wonder why, Emberon, our respected and beloved Lord Protector of Solmani, would stoop to such lows. I must admit, I still doubt it myself at times. Emberon is obsessed with power. He demanded that I give him the location of an Ancient weapon, buried under Fire Isle centuries ago. If legend is true,” Fenix went on, “it is a device of such destructive power that a single strike could level entire districts of this city.”
“Such a weapon—which Emberon would call a gift—is far from a blessing. He would have you believe that the mythical Ice bender is the bigger threat, but it is clear that Emberon does not care how many burn in the process of obtaining that weapon.”
The King thought of Lynn’s mother, currently holding the border against Valdmani pressure. Of the letters she and her husband had sent him over the years, crisp and formal but with warmth and loyalty between the lines. He straightened his back even more.
“I know this is a lot to take in, but I speak to you now to inform you of three things,” Fenix continued.
“First: as I have already said, I am alive. I will not yield my throne to a liar who usurps my name while I yet breathe.”
“Second: I hereby name Emberon traitor to the crown and realm. Any who continue to aid him in his pursuits will be treated as accomplices, traitors against both King and Kingdom.”
“And third…”
He drew a breath.
“Third, I call upon all soldiers still loyal to Solmani to move. Those within the city, begin immediate evacuation of the districts around the castle. Remove civilians from the streets. Protect them from the disaster Emberon is courting. Duke Kimba will be your acting commander.”
Besides him, Dallas nodded towards the Head Keepers by the consoles, who quickly added a overlay map of the city to the projection in the sky. Red areas highlighted the danger zones requiring evacuation.
“To the regiments stationed outside of the city: our southern border is at risk. Colonel Dallas will join you with more detailed orders shortly, acting under my full authority. You will at once march to reinforce Marquess Dalila against the Valdmanic threat. We do not abandon our own to die for our safety.”
King Fenix paused, letting the information sink in. He knew the part to come would perhaps be the hardest.
“Finally, I must address the topic of the ice bender, Lynn of Gakkvisa. I know you fear him. You fear him because you were taught to fear a male ice bender. That such an existence would bring destruction to our world.” Fenix took a breath. “I ask you to not look at prophesies of old, but to consider what he and his family have done for us instead. What they are still doing for us.”
“At this very moment, Lynn’s mother is fighting Valdmanic forces at the border, with nothing but their own family forces. His father and brother where captured by Emberon while trying to defend me. As for Lynn himself, he risked everything to save me from Emberon’s torture, and he is fighting, even now, to save all of you from that same man’s deadly ambitions.”
King Fenix paused, pushing no further. More would likely be counterproductive at this point.
“It is up to you who you will believe and follow,” he finished. “The man who betrayed his King for personal gain, or your King, who stands before you now, ready to fight for your safety.”
He dropped his gaze slightly, letting the Head Keepers cut out the feed on his nod. The light dropped away from Fenix and as he moved to step of the platform, his knees buckled before he could stop them. Dallas caught his arm, steadying him with efficient, impersonal care.
“Well spoken, Your Majesty,” she said, sounding calmer than before.
“I just hope it was enough,” Fenix rasped, glancing over at the nearest Head Keeper of the Sun Tribe. “Any indication how the people took it?”
The Chief’s projection flickered into being next to the old lady, causing both King Fenix and Colonel Dallas to flinch back in surprise. The Chief didn’t seem to even notice their reaction, motioning instead to the streams of symbols spilling down the screen. “This one does not have enough functioning sensors to know for sure but, courtesy of Adan’s BioArmour sentinels, some trends can be deduced.”
The symbols stopped moving, settling in a fix form.
“Although slow, some citizens have started to move out from around the castle district. Many still remain however so the local soldiers will have to go door-to-door for the remaining individuals,” the Head Keeper read out, interpreting the symbols with ease. “As for the military districts, several regiments are in disarray. Colonel Dallas will have her work cut out for her, but more seem to favor the King over Emberon.”
Fenix turned towards Dallas and she answered him before he could ask.
“I can work with this,” she confirmed, straightening her back. “I will head for the outer barrack and aim to move at least three full regiments south at once. The full force will take time to move but I will send a forward cavalry to help buy time for the Marquess.”
“Very well, Colonel.” Fenix fiddled with the signet ring on his finger, removing it and pressing it into Dallas’ palm. “Take this, it represents me and will be recognized at the border. You will speak for me and I will stand behind whatever orders you give.”
Dallas curled her fingers into a fist and placed it over her chest in respect. A flash of emotion cracking through her professional mask.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She bowed, then turned and strode out, already barking orders to messengers waiting outside. The room’s energy shifted as Kimba stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, what about the capital?” the Duke asked. “Emberon will not sit idle after that.”
“No,” Fenix agreed. “He will run faster.”
His thoughts turned to Lynn and Adan, who had already left in an attempt to catch up to Emberon’s advance towards the weapon he so desperately sought. He thought of the small box Lynn had been given and the look of determined hope in the young man’s eyes as he looked at it.
They both looked so young, but he could tell that they both carried more than just Emberon’s threat on their shoulders. The King really hoped they would succeed, with all their endeavors. He could only do his best to support them.
“You and I will take to the streets,” the King decided. “Someone has to keep the city from tearing itself apart while Lynn and Adan hunt him. We will help coordinate the evacuation, keeping as many people as possible away from the blast radius.”
Kimba thumped a fist to his chest. “By your will, Your Majesty.”
Fenix gave a short laugh. “Oh, and let’s keep an eye on the clergy. I am sure they will try to make their own spin of things in the chaos.”
“Indeed,” the Duke agreed with a wry smile.
Deep under the castle, Emberon ran towards the one of the oldest doors in the kingdom. The Ancient Seal burning in his hand like a second sun.
He had started running long before that blasted King had finished his speech. Emberon knew his control over the situation was slipping. He had felt it even as the priests around him whispered of hearsay at the mention of Lynn’s name. Clearly, the two churches would not agree with the King’s leniency towards the Ice Bastard, but Emberon could tell that they still trusted the King more than him.
They would not let Lynn go, but neither would they follow Emberon. He could see clearly it in their beady little eyes as they stared at him with fear and disgust.
Well, let them fear. Let the entire city fear.
He would give them good reason to be afraid. Something far older and stronger than the Ice Bastard.
Snowy Publications 