Light of Epertase 01: Legends Reborn by Douglas R. Brown

suits hissed air from vents along their necks with each movement.
    It was the middle of the night. The racket of his workers had not subsided one bit.
    “Ready, sir?” one of the armored soldiers yelled.
    He nodded with a grunt. They followed him down a ladder and into his command vessel at the side of the ship while two other soldiers lowered his armor display case into his boat. The small motor whined as they bounced along the turbulent waves created by the army’s advance. Zaffka didn’t speak. His guards knew better than to speak, either.
    As they approached the Wastelands, they saw the shores were alive with Tek commotion. Heavy mechanical digging machines as large as small castles worked at frantic paces. Massive ground movers carried sand from new holes to fresh mounds. His Teks were efficient and hard-working and he was proud.
    He knew that within five moons, the first pits would be finished and the pumpers would be siphoning their treasure. Early tests of the soil showed plenty of black blood to fuel the rest of their invasion. He surveyed the horizon. Thousands of Tek bonfires littered the landscape as far as he could see.
    Now was a good time to be a Tek. Now was a bad time to be anyone else.
    General Rayles met Zaffka when he exited his vessel and spoke to him in their shared tongue. “Our spies were accurate. This land is indeed desolate. The Machine God has smiled upon us.”
    “Do not let this emptiness mislead you. Epertase is reported to be powerful and we mustn’t take them lightly. Well,” he paused, “as powerful as any primitive country could be, I suppose.”
    Rayles’ top lieutenant approached. “Sir, we found a few local men trying to flee. We were able to dispose of them. We think they were scouts.”
    Zaffka answered, “Very good. Set up defensive parameters at once.”
    “Of course, my liege.”
    “And what of the water supply? Is the river called Danduke plentiful enough for our needs?”
    “It is, sir. We will leave it dry when we are finished.”
    “Perfect.”
    Day and night, the rumble of machines relentlessly echoed in the air. Seemingly bottomless pits filled with thick, black fluid that replaced the desert land.
    Zaffka would be amazed at the speed in which entire Tek cities were formed if he hadn’t witnessed it so many times before.
    Several days passed. A Tek spy returned from his explorations. “Sir, the country called Lithia has begun movements to strengthen its western borders. It appears its scouts have seen us and prepare for war.”
    “Let them prepare. We will have patience. We will advance on them soon enough.”
    “Perfect, my liege.”

C HAPTER 18

T HE D AY OF M ATTHEW
    The Day of Matthew the Peaceful dawned a brisk morning, as was typical that time of year, though the cold wouldn’t likely slow the celebrations. The fervent citizens had already poured into the decorated Thasulan streets before the suns had even risen.
    Princess Alina strolled through the streets as merchants prepared their temporary booths for the flood of shoppers. They gathered clothing, fresh food, trinkets, and about any other handmade novelty that could be imagined or sold, for today would be more prosperous than any other day of the year.
    By mid-morning, a large crowd had formed in the field of Cecil Park, where Alina was headed. Soon, one of the town’s storytellers would tell the tale of Matthew and, like every year before, there was no way she was going to miss it.
    Three members of the Elite guard escorted her to the front of the crowd. The citizens bowed and curtseyed as she passed them by, all with warm wishes. The gray-haired storyteller was at the front, appearing to await her arrival. He lowered his head and greeted her with a grin. He had a few more wrinkles on his face than last she saw him and his teeth were stained a brighter yellow than she remembered but as long as he could still weave his special tale, she would enjoy. She smiled with a touch of tardy-embarrassment