then melted away to a sky filled with Ryakuls. The scenes were all disjointed, but all of them had been of events in his life.
“Explain this. How are you able to do these things?” Halcylon asked.
Aaron sucked in a slow breath, “All Safanarions can do this. They’ve been preparing for you for the last eighty years. When you bring your army to Safanar you will be hopelessly outmatched. If you come peacefully they may even allow you to live.”
Halcylon’s golden eyes narrowed, “You lie, human. We can see your memories. We know what’s waiting for us on Safanar. You spread ideas like wildfire.”
One the Zekara soldiers jammed the end of his rifle into Aaron's stomach.
Aaron collapsed to the ground, his limbs failing to work properly. He struggled to his hands and knees.
Halcylon squatted down to be eye level with him, “This shall be the pose of all the Safanarions.”
The bladesong flickered inside him, coming from deep within. Aaron could hear the deep growl of the Eldarin. His mind cleared, and he looked into Halcylon’s baleful gaze. He struck out with his hand, grabbing the Hythariam by the throat and surged to his feet.
“We will never kneel before you,” Aaron growled.
Halcylon’s eyes widened in shock as he gasped for breath. The soldiers rained down blows upon his back, and Aaron collapsed to the ground. The bladesong went silent inside him, and he writhed on the floor, in pain. When the soldiers stopped beating him, he found himself staring at his feet. The breath caught in his throat. His feet looked deformed, sticking out at odd angles. He blinked his eyes, and they returned to normal. Aaron shook his head, trying to clear it.
“Will it be ready, Ronan?” Halcylon asked, his voice sounding gravelly.
Aaron couldn’t even raise his head to see the Hythariam.
“Oh yes, sir. The Akasul won’t last long. Maybe a month at the most. We’ve rushed its development,” Ronan answered.
“Will the memories stick?” asked Halcylon.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of even the Nanites, but yes, it will work.”
“Excellent, the best weapon is the one they’ll never see coming,” Halcylon said.
The Hythariam walked away, their voices fading. Even the soldiers left him. Chained and weakened as he was, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Aaron lay upon the ground, staring up at the column above him, his eyes tracing the lines of it. Something appeared out of place. He closed his eyes, trying to draw in the energy around him, but it was getting harder to do. What once had been so easy was being stripped away. Two green eyes opened and stared at him. The rest of the creature’s body blended in with the column.
“Someone is always watching, human,” the creature hissed at him.
Aaron tried to speak, but he couldn’t form any words.
“Don’t try to speak, human. You and I have the same goal,” the creature said, and for a moment its body quivered. It crept down lower along the column. Its body was small, only about four feet in length, but its claws were able to penetrate the rocky column with ease. The creature’s face was dark, but Aaron could see the points of its teeth when it spoke.
“We both wish to kill Halcylon,” it whispered.
Aaron struggled to open his mouth, but couldn’t.
“Don’t consume what they bring you. It is bad,” the creature said.
“Name?” Aaron asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.
The creature cocked its head to the side listening. The creature turned its gaze upon him and moved its head as a hunter studying its prey, “I have no name, only what my captors used to call me...Thraw.”
Thraw came inches from Aaron’s face, sniffing.
“You smell bad. I’m not sure you will be much use,” Thraw said.
“...Fight...” Aaron croaked.
The door of the stadium opened, and the soldiers were heading back his way. Aaron glanced up at the column, but the creature was gone.
C HAPTER 8
RETURN HOME
Sarah and Braden stood on a hill just outside
“Explain this. How are you able to do these things?” Halcylon asked.
Aaron sucked in a slow breath, “All Safanarions can do this. They’ve been preparing for you for the last eighty years. When you bring your army to Safanar you will be hopelessly outmatched. If you come peacefully they may even allow you to live.”
Halcylon’s golden eyes narrowed, “You lie, human. We can see your memories. We know what’s waiting for us on Safanar. You spread ideas like wildfire.”
One the Zekara soldiers jammed the end of his rifle into Aaron's stomach.
Aaron collapsed to the ground, his limbs failing to work properly. He struggled to his hands and knees.
Halcylon squatted down to be eye level with him, “This shall be the pose of all the Safanarions.”
The bladesong flickered inside him, coming from deep within. Aaron could hear the deep growl of the Eldarin. His mind cleared, and he looked into Halcylon’s baleful gaze. He struck out with his hand, grabbing the Hythariam by the throat and surged to his feet.
“We will never kneel before you,” Aaron growled.
Halcylon’s eyes widened in shock as he gasped for breath. The soldiers rained down blows upon his back, and Aaron collapsed to the ground. The bladesong went silent inside him, and he writhed on the floor, in pain. When the soldiers stopped beating him, he found himself staring at his feet. The breath caught in his throat. His feet looked deformed, sticking out at odd angles. He blinked his eyes, and they returned to normal. Aaron shook his head, trying to clear it.
“Will it be ready, Ronan?” Halcylon asked, his voice sounding gravelly.
Aaron couldn’t even raise his head to see the Hythariam.
“Oh yes, sir. The Akasul won’t last long. Maybe a month at the most. We’ve rushed its development,” Ronan answered.
“Will the memories stick?” asked Halcylon.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of even the Nanites, but yes, it will work.”
“Excellent, the best weapon is the one they’ll never see coming,” Halcylon said.
The Hythariam walked away, their voices fading. Even the soldiers left him. Chained and weakened as he was, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Aaron lay upon the ground, staring up at the column above him, his eyes tracing the lines of it. Something appeared out of place. He closed his eyes, trying to draw in the energy around him, but it was getting harder to do. What once had been so easy was being stripped away. Two green eyes opened and stared at him. The rest of the creature’s body blended in with the column.
“Someone is always watching, human,” the creature hissed at him.
Aaron tried to speak, but he couldn’t form any words.
“Don’t try to speak, human. You and I have the same goal,” the creature said, and for a moment its body quivered. It crept down lower along the column. Its body was small, only about four feet in length, but its claws were able to penetrate the rocky column with ease. The creature’s face was dark, but Aaron could see the points of its teeth when it spoke.
“We both wish to kill Halcylon,” it whispered.
Aaron struggled to open his mouth, but couldn’t.
“Don’t consume what they bring you. It is bad,” the creature said.
“Name?” Aaron asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.
The creature cocked its head to the side listening. The creature turned its gaze upon him and moved its head as a hunter studying its prey, “I have no name, only what my captors used to call me...Thraw.”
Thraw came inches from Aaron’s face, sniffing.
“You smell bad. I’m not sure you will be much use,” Thraw said.
“...Fight...” Aaron croaked.
The door of the stadium opened, and the soldiers were heading back his way. Aaron glanced up at the column, but the creature was gone.
C HAPTER 8
RETURN HOME
Sarah and Braden stood on a hill just outside
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