An hour later, Nilia was in a bright room with a high ceiling on the twenty-sixth floor of a building. She was standing in front of a huge picture window that served as the exterior wall. Feeling drowsy from the conversation taking place behind her and wishing they would get to more interesting topics, she let her eyes roam over the view of London laid out before her.
A red bus, equipped with a steel plate across the front, was plowing the street, pushing the snow to both sides as a line of cars followed faithfully behind the makeshift snowplow. Two blocks to the north, three Minors were having a heated discussion around three vehicles that had apparently been involved in an accident.
Like birds with no fixed course, Nilia’s eyes continued scanning the city. They looked out over Hyde Park and then down to the southern part that wasn’t affected by the Fog. Two women with excessively light clothing for the temperatures London was currently registering were trying to catch the attention of a man by revealing various parts of their anatomy. Not far from them, between two trees, three guys were beating the hell out of someone. Another individual walked past the fight just a few yards away, glanced over at it indifferently, and continued on his way to a bench where he sat down. Shortly thereafter, a woman sat down next to him, left a briefcase on the ground, picked up a sack that had previously been deposited by the other occupant of the bench, and then walked off in the same direction from which she’d come. The man on the bench opened the briefcase and anxiously counted the money inside.
Nilia’s eyes, glazed over with boredom, took flight in search of some other prey with which to feed her increasing need to occupy her mind. They floated over the still-frozen Serpentine Lake in the middle of the park and then came upon the Hyde Park Fog. Not even her highly developed sense of sight was capable of penetrating the obstinate cloud. From above, a few roofs could be discerned, and even a few upper floors, sticking timidly out of the Fog and insinuating that nothing unusual was going on below them. Then, her eyes landed on . . .
Nilia turned her head toward the interior of the room when her sharpened sense of hearing noted something that sounded more interesting.
“ . . . the preparations for the war are moving more quickly,” explained Urkast, in far too much detail for Nilia’s tastes. Urkast had a strong build and his head rose above everyone else’s thanks to his towering height of six feet, six inches. His head was shaved except for sideburns that extended down to his jaw. Two small gold earrings shimmered in his earlobes. His most distinctive feature was his eyes, one green and one blue. And, because of this blue eye, Urkast was able to see behind him.
“I can’t speak for the rest of the Barons,” Urkast continued, “but my legions are organized just as they should be.”
“Finally we’re talking about something that matters.” Nilia slowly approached the table and sat down. The rest of them stared at her, annoyed by the interruption, especially Urkast. “If you’ve finished with the trivialities, I’ll join the conversation.”
“Show a little respect, Nilia,” warned Tanon sharply. His voice was dark and serious and, when combined with his square jaw, conferred on him a hard, cold expression. He had an average build with broad shoulders. His long, chestnut hair cascaded to the middle of his back and was gathered in a braid. “We, the Barons, decide what is important, not you. I don’t think I should have to remind you of your position.”
“I think I should remind you that my Baron is not present, and that, in his absence, I represent his interests. It is not you to whom I owe my loyalty.” Looking at Urkast, she added, “I apologize for the interruption.”
Urkast’s expression made it appear as though he did not accept her apology, but he said nothing. In Nilia’s opinion he was a weakling who did not deserve to be a Baron. He only kept the position because his clan was the largest of all. Of the six Barons, Urkast controlled almost forty percent of the total population, a more than sufficient reason for his occupying the post. Of course, Nilia had no doubt his brain could not possibly be the reason. Tanon was another story. If it had been he who was speaking, she’d have thought twice about interrupting him. But she had to admit to herself she probably still would have done it just the same.
“We are glad you are representing your Baron, Nilia,” interceded Dast. He was a tall man, though not as tall as Urkast, and a bit lanky. His hair, which was short and brown, hung in curly locks that appeared to be in perpetual motion. His eyes seemed too big for his face and his lips were so thin that his mouth looked like nothing more than a slit below his nose. His odd appearance was topped off by an excessively long beard. But what Nilia most disliked about him was his voice; it sounded like a hissing whisper.
Dast went on.“But you should respect the hierarchy. We are all in this together. And contrary to what you may believe, that war that you are so anxious to talk about will destroy us.”
Nilia nodded, but reluctantly and with plenty of attitude. Dast was so perplexing. He wasn’t a Baron, and yet was the seventh Baron. He had no one under his command, but attended all the Barons’ meetings and enjoyed the same privileges they enjoyed. Nilia assumed it was because he’d been the Favored One’s advisor. She didn’t have a strong opinion about him one way or the other. His face and his voice annoyed her, as well as the fact that he may very well have been the weakest of all of them. In the first war she didn’t see him fight a single time, and didn’t doubt she could take him down with one hand tied behind her back and no weapon. Still, something about him intrigued her. He shared the highest possible position with the other Barons, except for the Favored One, of course, and he’d done it on his own. It was true he always spoke with common sense, unlike Urkast, and his comments were infused with intellect, but it seemed to her that wasn’t enough to have kept some other Baron from trying to do away with him, especially since the Favored One had disappeared.
The last one at the table was Capa. He was sitting opposite her and was silently taking in the conversation with an amused twinkle in his eyes, and that half smile whose meaning Nilia could be never quite discern.
“Let us proceed,” said Tanon firmly. “The offensive will be possible as soon as our work in London is finalized. Capa, bring us up to date on the current status.”
Capa leaned his head forward with a quick yet ceremonial motion.
“With great pleasure, my lord.” He was the only one who addressed his Baron with the title “my lord.” Amongst their people, superfluous titles with no significance were not necessary, but Tanon was nonetheless pleased by it. “It is always a joy to present you with news such as this. The construction of the buildings is on the established course. Three buildings are finished and the other two will soon be finished.”
“I hope that will be within a month’s time,” said Nilia softly but threateningly. “It will only work on one specific day. It will all be useless if you’re delayed.”
Tanon made a move to intervene, but Dast’s hand on his shoulder caused him to refrain. Nilia doubting Capa was the same as Nilia doubting him since he belonged to Capa’s clan. It was clear Tanon did not like this one bit.
“I am thankful that our most beautiful friend is calling my attention to such an important fact,” replied Capa, unfazed. “You need not fear, Nilia; the deadline shall be scrupulously respected. My dear Minors work with great efficiency and dedication.”
“I don’t like them, and I like even less that our plans depend on them. They are incapable of seeing beyond themselves. You should not trust them. Or are you doing it this way so you can cast the blame on them if something goes wrong?”
“My esteemed Minors are worthy of the most absolute confidence. I daresay that perhaps you do not see this because you do not know them as I do. I will not deny that your arguments are all quite true when applied to the general population of the human race, but when Minors are happy, they are extremely efficient, and I happen to be in a position to guarantee that all those beside me are infinitely happier than before the Wave. If need be, they would fight to defend our five properties.”
“If you like them so much, you can fight along side them when the time comes. I’m sure Tanon wouldn’t mind putting you in charge of a handful of Minors to see how you do against the enemy.”
“That’s enough,” bellowed Tanon. Capa’s smile widened discreetly. “Do not ever suggest how I should manage my people. If you can’t stop this, I recommend you go back to looking out the window.”
“The Minors are indispensable, as we were discussing before,” sighed Dast. “It doesn’t matter if Capa is right or if you are right. We need to remain unnoticed as long as we possibly can; that is the only reason we are using them.”
Once again, Dast had thrown out a comment that was impossible to dispute. Nilia wanted to catch him in a mistake just to see how he’d manage it.
“I believe, deeply and profoundly, that I have nothing more to contribute,” stated Capa. “Being that our ignorant enemy has still discovered nothing, then with your permission I would like to reiterate,” he locked his eyes on Nilia, “that in no more than one month’s time, happily the two remaining buildings will be completed.”
“Isn’t it true that just a short time ago a Minor sneaked into one of our properties?” Nilia returned the stare that Capa had just drilled into her. “Do we know for sure he isn’t working for the enemy?”
“What is she talking about?” Tanon questioned Capa.
“It was an altercation of not the slightest importance, my dear Lord.” Nilia noticed Capa’s smile faltered, though almost imperceptibly, for a split second. “It is true that a Minor, a Richard Northon, entered one of our buildings, but since he completed only a simple and harmless investigation, I can conclude with no doubt that he has nothing do with the enemy. Our activities led to a small annoyance in the plans of another Minor named Jack Kolby, who sent the aforementioned Richard to check out a site. They are simply a flock of pathetic humans who do not comprehend what is going on. Unless, of course, Nilia deems necessary that we elevate the Minors to the category of ‘possible threat.’”
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
“Careful with your insinuations, brat. What I deem necessary is that you take care of security as you should.”
“Of course, my gorgeous comrade.” Nilia was disgusted by the gratuitous flattery. “I would never intentionally insinuate anything that would make you uncomfortable.”
“The point is quite clear,” decreed Tanon, regarding Nilia most seriously. “We all know what we’re playing at. Our plan can only work on one specific day, and before that day Capa will have finished everything. We’ve been waiting eons for a chance like this. Without the Elder, they don’t stand a chance.”
“That’s assuming the Elder has really disappeared,” interjected Urkast, doubtfully. “Just because the Favored One has vanished doesn’t mean the Elder also has. It would be advisable to make sure that is truly the case.”
“Do you think we’d have come this far if the Elder were still present?” challenged Tanon, annoyed.
“You cannot be sure he’s not still there,” insisted Urkast. “It would not be a bad idea to proceed with caution. Perhaps we should remember we lost the first war.”
“That is true, Urkast. I propose we surrender immediately,” sneered Nilia, curling her lip. “That way we wouldn’t have to be afraid of another defeat. We can just return to the Hole and languish there for all eternity.”
“Are you insinuating that I want to surrender? I don’t give a damn how strong you think you are, Nilia.” Urkast was red with rage over the insult. “If you want to clash with me, just keep it up. You aren’t a Baron and you don’t make decisions.”
“You can do whatever you feel like.” Nilia stood up after pounding the table with her fist. “But I’m going to finish what we started, with or without your help. And if you want to have this discussion with just you and me, alone, I’ll be happy to add a new notch to my collection,” she added, tapping her arm.
“Enough!” Tanon got up, furious. “Are we not able to hold a meeting without you two fighting with each other? Nilia, we are all aware of your well-warranted desire for vengeance, but save it for the war. This is the last time I will warn you about threatening a Baron.” Nilia made a face and sat back down. “And you, Urkast, that’s enough about doubts regarding the Elder. He’s gone and that’s that. Do you really believe he would have allowed us to leave the Hole? If it weren’t for Dast, who discovered the way to escape, we would still be penned up there.”
Urkast tightened his jaw and sat in silence while Tanon took his seat again. Capa couldn’t conceal a smile after the show of authority Tanon had demonstrated by shutting up the other Baron. Tanon’s eyes were bursting with pride, in spite of the fact that the rest of his face still wore traces of anger.
Time did not leave its imprint on immortals; it merely floated around them, never daring to confer its mark on their physical being. However, it did not show the same respect for their minds, and Nilia was surprised to see how it had shaped Tanon’s. He was possibly the most influential Baron and, after the Favored One, perhaps the most powerful of them all. During the War, his bravery and strength dazzled both sides equally, and he was one of the few that Nilia respected as a warrior. He was the only one who had managed to kill one of the Justices in a daring act that had earned him his position. Now, however, with the Favored One out of the game, Tanon seemed more worried about standing out among the Barons than about rewarding those who’d imprisoned him with bitter revenge.
“The plans for the war will continue as anticipated,” Tanon emphatically declared. “We have only one chance to make the circumstances play out in our favor. If we let that day pass us by, we will have to wait three hundred years before we can attack them again, and that is not acceptable. The discussion about the Elder is over.” He paused and waited, a defiant look on his face, to see if there was any objection. No one spoke. Capa’s expression exhibited great satisfaction that his Baron was imposing his will. Dast remained indifferent. “Nilia, it is your turn to bring us up to date.”
“I am finalizing preparations for capturing one of them.”
“What more do you need?” inquired Tanon.
“Not much. Just to find the right candidate and tie up a few details. I’ll be ready soon. In fact, as soon as we finish here, I’m going to look over a few prospects to see if I can find the one I need.”
“What can you tell us about Raven?” hissed Dast.
“I have him safely locked up in a basement. As of right now I don’t know why they’re so interested in him,” lied Nilia. “He’s suffering from amnesia and can’t remember anything before the Wave. The only thing unusual about him is that he possesses some of our abilities, which is unheard of for a Minor.”
“Any problem capturing him?” asked Urkast.
Nilia cursed Urkast for being the one to ask that question. She’d formulated a response ahead of time in preparation for the exaggerated performance she was sure the Baron would deliver as a reaction to her response.
“No problem at all. Diago and his group had captured him but I was able to get him out of there.” Nilia forced herself to speak confidently. “And since the opportunity presented itself, I killed one of them.”
“Did you allow them to see you?” Urkast gestured angrily. “The element of surprise is essential. There are fewer of us than there are of them. You should not have let them see you.”
Nilia was glad she had taken the time to prepare for this. “My orders, which come from another Baron,” she replied quite calmly, “were to keep Raven from falling into their hands. I am lightning fast but even I can’t make myself invisible. Besides, we all know they would have detected us sooner or later. It’s enough that we’ve managed to stay unnoticed for this long. Do you think anyone else could have snatched Raven from five enemies?”
“They may have been alerted to our presence. They may now be preparing for our arrival,” Urkast stubbornly insisted.
“Perhaps.” Nilia was trying to contain herself. “But they’ve only seen one of us. They’ll stay confident. What do they have to fear? They won the first time, just as you said before. They’ve never lost. And they believe the Citadel is impregnable. And anyway, they’re not like us. They’ve never made any decisions without the Elder. So let’s stop talking nonsense. It’s impossible for us to bring an army to the Threshold without them seeing a single one of us. It was only a matter of time.”
“That does not justify us giving them an advance warning.”
“Does that mean I should have let Raven fall into their hands? You’re forgetting something important. The first step is capturing one of them. Do you also expect me to do that without them seeing me, Urkast?” Nilia’s patience was wearing thin. “If you think you can catch one of them without being seen, I’ll gladly let you take over for me. That way we can keep them from getting a second warning.”
“Raven doesn’t know why they’re chasing him?” interceded Dast, changing the subject.
Nilia didn’t know if Dast’s question was due to an intense interest in Raven, which didn’t thrill her if she wanted to keep her surprising findings a secret, or if it was an attempt to avoid another confrontation with Urkast. Either way, the question annoyed her.
“That’s right. The amnesia is preventing him from remembering what happened. He mentioned that, when he was being pursued, he heard Diago say they wanted him alive. That’s all he knows.”
“If I may be so bold,” said Capa, “why have you denied us the pleasure of his company? I adore Minors.” He broke into a wide smile.
“I didn’t want to risk them intercepting us on the way.” This was another of the lies Nilia had prepared in advance. “Diago will undoubtedly try to get Raven back.”
“Hmm . . .” mumbled Capa, still smiling.
Nilia hated that smile.
“I think I may have a possible solution for the Minor’s amnesia.” Dast stroked his long beard, not looking at anyone or anything in particular. “Zegen can deal with Raven. His mind won’t be able to hold out against Zegen.”
“I thought he was still in the Hole.” Nilia needed to find an excuse to keep Zegen from talking to her prisoner, but nothing came to mind that wouldn’t sound suspicious, and Capa’s expression indicated he already had his doubts.
“We can send for him,” agreed Urkast. “It won’t take more than one day, two at the most. If he is able to find out why Raven is so important, it would be worth it.”
Nilia racked her brain to find a reply that would change their minds. Nothing occurred to her. With the trouble they’d gone to to catch Raven, it was normal that they wouldn’t want to give up easily.
“So, it’s decided,” announced Tanon, placing both hands on the table. “We’ll send for Zegen and have him try his luck with Raven’s mind. Just one thing though, Nilia; as soon as Zegen finishes with the Minor, and regardless of the results, I want you to kill him. If Diago wants him alive for some reason, then we are not going to allow that to happen.”
“We should hold on to Raven,” hissed Dast, his eyes opened wide. “Who knows how useful he might prove to be to us in the future.”
“Even at the risk of—” Capa began.
“I said I want him dead!” Tanon’s voice revealed both his anger and his determination. “Dast, the future is the war. It is the only thing we should be worried about right now. If the enemy wants Raven alive, they had better start studying the art of resurrection because it will be the only way they’ll get him alive. Nilia, you know what to do as soon as Zegen has finished with him.”
“No problem,” agreed Nilia.
“Proof of his death,” underscored Capa in a casual tone, "would be immensely appreciated.”
Nilia repressed the urge to shoot a look of hatred at Capa. But for the moment, she didn’t want to arouse his suspicions even more. His subtle insinuations and his indirect ways of making an argument disgusted her intensely, more than she cared to admit. In general, she considered anyone who hid behind their words a weakling, but something else about Capa was disconcerting to her. In a way, he vaguely reminded her of Dast.
She stood up from the table and left the room as if everything that had been decided suited her just fine. She hurried down the stairs as she concentrated on the next issue she had to resolve.
There were six people in the room. As soon as Nilia came in the door, five of them hurried to line up in a straight line in front of her and looked at her with serious faces.
“These are the five stealthiest Runners we have,” the sixth occupant of the room informed her. His name was Miwin, but Nilia barely knew him. “Just like you asked. I hope one of them will serve your purposes.”
“As do I.”
Nilia took a few steps toward the line of candidates.
“The two on the left,” she said, pointing, “won’t do. They’re blond. I believe I clearly specified I wanted them to have brown hair,” she fired at Miwin.
“They are very fast and hiding is their way of life,” he replied under Nilia’s inquisitorial stare. “I thought their hair color was a minor detail. It can be dyed or—”
“Dyed doesn’t work for me.” Nilia snapped. “They have to be natural brunettes.”
“If you had told me what you needed them for . . .”
“That is none of your business.” Nilia went up to the three remaining as the two blonds stepped out of line. “You’re too tall,” she said when standing in front of the first candidate. She moved to the second, put her hand on his face and stroked his cheeks. Then she slid her hand behind his neck and lifted his hair off it. “You’re almost perfect. Too bad you have bulging eyes. Still, all things considered . . .” Nilia took a step back and quickly looked over the last candidate. “In fact, it’s not that important, . . . yes, it’s almost better like that.”
Nilia contemplated her choices. She’d found the best option of the five, and he was actually better than what she thought she’d come across when she’d first entered the room. There was just one detail that she wasn’t thrilled about; he was from Urkast’s clan, not hers.
“Do we have a winner?” asked Miwin.
“Yes, I’ll take this one,” she said, placing her hand on the shoulder of the man she’d chosen. “Tell Urkast I’m taking him. He knows what I need him for. If he has any complaint, you can tell him to talk to my Baron. Stil will explain it to him.”
She turned and gazed at the new member of her team. “Tomorrow I want you right here and ready. If there’s anyone in your clan you really care about, I suggest you say goodbye to them. After tomorrow morning it will be a long time before you return to your previous post . . . assuming you even make it back alive from the mission I’m entrusting you with.”
