Bayne

Bayne moved the golem in place, just outside the reach of the Goblins' arrows in front of the stronghold gates. The sun was high, following the great line of converging planets overhead. A thin layer of clouds pulsed with purple lightning. Bayne wasn’t sure if the weather patterns were normal or due to the crystals’ terraforming influence. He wished he’d spent more time destroying the gardens around the camp—the swelling pods and twining tendrils unnerved him—but the transformers would be needed inside the golems when the army made its push inside.

“Rubies be with ye,” Bayne told the Emperor as the boy swung behind Bayne, out of the cockpit and onto the great machine’s shoulder. Bayne spoke into the communicator to the other golems, telling them to turn up their volume so that all could hear an important message from the Emperor of the Imperials, then he handed the communicator to the boy.

“Imperial subjects,” the boy began, his voice high-pitched and youthful. “You have been deceived.”

Bayne wasn’t sure if there was a better way to kick off this speech, but the Emperor certainly had their attention. “And I apologize that it is now, on the brink of the greatest battle of Terris’ history, that I must confess to you a terrible yet important truth.The Sentinel has told you that the Emperor perished days ago at the attack on our camp. This is not true. Emperor Thaddeus Rostaflem Paladendum the Third has been dead for months! But your true Emperor lives! I am Emperor Thaddeus Rostaflem Paladendum the Fifth, sworn in as Emperor in secret on the night of my grandfather’s passing, my father being unable to fulfill the duties. But I am able to fulfill these duties! The Sentinel Kenji Zamora has spoken for me for far too long. But after he left me for dead on that battlefield and chose to betray our allies the Elves, he no longer speaks for me!”

The battlefield rumbled with confused Imperials and Dwarves.

“Behold! I show you the Imperial medallion!” The boy fished the necklace from beneath his tunic and held it up. “Any who doubt may come and see it for themselves. But don’t take too long about it, because we have a war to wage. For Terris is not dead, despite what the Alchemist would have you think! I have seen a living Elemental with my own eyes. However, our world is in danger, under siege by this new and foreign magic. And we, my friends and allies, have a part to play. We will adhere to our original plan—when the gate behind me opens, we will charge! Kill any Wizard or Goblin who gets in your way. But most importantly, this golem on which I stand must find its way inside the gate. We must protect it, with our lives.

“Now I know I am asking much of you. It is a lot to swallow—to put your trust in a boy Emperor and a young Elf Queen. But Terris itself is on our side. And if we do not protect our world, what spoils will go to the victor? Nothing but destruction.”

More rumblings. It was difficult to tell if the crowds were in favor of the boy or against him. Bayne pressed his lips to the red rings on his fingers and prayed they would listen. It was all he could do.

“No! Don’t listen to him. The boy is not fit to lead!” Kenji Zamora's voice overtook the coms.

“Ah, the traitor speaks,” the Emperor replied. “The man who left me for dead. The man who poisoned me for months to keep me ill and quiet!”

“Lies, all of it!” the Sentinel boomed. “The Elf Queen murdered an Elemental. She is the reason why Terris suffers! Why would we help her overcome her enemies? She is the enemy!”

“You speak of enemies, Kenji Zamora, and yet you feed our most powerful one. Using crystals only spurs on the destruction of Terris. You think they make you stronger, but in the long run, they weaken us. And they will be the ruin of us, for they are terraforming our world, making way for an alien force that would take over Terris. Our peoples may bicker amongst ourselves. We may live in the shadow of the Rift War. But in choosing to cling to the past, we sacrifice our future. Do you want to hand over Terris to these aliens? Because I do not! If you stand with me, my people, my Dwarven allies, adhere to our original plan! When I give you the sign, we fight! When the gate opens, we charge!”

Kenji Zamora began to protest again, but was drowned out by the flapping of powerful wings and the shouts of wonder as a creature twice the size of a golem took to the sky. The griffin’s great tawny body blocked the sun, its bird eyes peering down on the Goblins who scattered like insects, launching useless arrows at it.

“Now!” the Emperor shouted. “Now it begins! Now we fight for Terris!”

A pregnant pause hung over the camp, and Bayne felt his heart leap into his throat. They weren’t listening. The boy Emperor had failed to inspire them.

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Then the war cry rose up and the first arrows flew. Goblins tumbled from the castle wall. Dwarves and Imperials, clinging to the outsides of golems, launched an assault as the forces swarmed into no man’s land.

“Well done!” Bayne called to the Emperor as he climbed down from the golem to take his place amongst the Imperial leadership. Now it was time to wait. Inside the griffin’s mouth, Ivy and the baby Elemental were being safely whisked over the stronghold walls, tasked with opening the great gate. And Bayne’s job was to march his golem inside, all the way to the heart of the meteorite, plug the crystal garden into the transformer, then curl up inside the golem’s protective cockpit during the massive conversion of energy that followed. Hopefully it would be enough to shield him. With the crystal deposit here destroyed, the Dwarven, Imperial and Elven forces should then be able to get the upper hand. And these aliens, whoever they were, whatever they wanted, would see that Terris did not succumb so easily.

A Goblin scrambled up the front of the golem and shoved its sword through the bars with a squeal. Bayne leaned to the side and aimed his crossbow. It was a point blank shot that couldn’t miss. A second Goblin scampered up on the first one’s heels, and Bayne dispatched it as well.

What was taking Ivy and the Elemental so long? They needed to open the gate. He needed to get inside.

Two Goblin arms reached in and snatched at the crossbow, knocking it off his shoulder. Bayne pounded at the skinny wrists until they let go and the creature fell to the ground.

Hurry, Ivy, hurry! he thought, taking aim again.

Then, the rasping creak of metal pulleys cut the air. With a chuff, the gate lifted off the ground, its spikes rising out of the soil. They’d done it! Bayne set his crossbow aside and grabbed the golem’s controls, vaulting the machine forward on its powerful legs as the gate rose.

Get out of the way, he willed the soldiers on the ground around and in front of him. They were battling Goblins, but Bayne did not have the ability to move around them. He was surprised to see Kenji Zamora, the Sentinel, among them. Had he decided to support the rightful heir to the Empire after all?

The Sentinel gave Bayne a sneer as he spun out of the golem’s way, but then he grabbed onto the machine’s leg and swung himself up. What was he doing? Bayne didn’t have time to figure it out; he was launching the golem forward in an all-out run. He was barely through the gate when an explosion rocked the golem, and he was thrown against the starboard side of the cockpit. The metal chassis crumpled, and Bayne fell with it, the belts pinning him to his seat as his head rattled against metal, his crossbow tumbling inside the metal cage, slamming him in the face as they both plummeted.

What the..?

Bayne lifted his head just in time to see the Sentinel brushing himself off from where he’d jumped and rolled.

The Sentinel had sabotaged the golem!

***

Kashur

Kashur awoke without even realizing he’d fallen asleep. He’d simply lain down on the bed, hands pinned under him in their shackles and closed his eyes, just for a few minutes. And now there was mayhem in the hallways. Feet running. Wizards shouting. The creepy th-th-th-th sound of the Goblins chattering to one another.

Rolling his stiff shoulder as much as the shackles would allow, he kicked a table over to the door and hopped up on it so he could peer through the decorative vents carved into the lintel above it. Things were just as chaotic as they sounded.

“Yo, Moyshec!” he cried, spotting his friend. “Up here!”

The Dwarf Wizard peered up at him.

“Let me out, will you?” Kashur whispered, lips pressed against a flower-shaped opening.

“Sorry, friend. We’ve been told you’re a traitor.”

“I’m not a traitor! Let me out. Please!”

Moyshec shook his head and turned to go.

“Wait! At least tell me what’s going on!”

His friend looked over his shoulder at the commotion, but no one appeared to be paying them any attention.

“The Dwarf and Imperial forces have breached the gate.”

“How?”

“With a griffin, apparently?”

“Wh-what?” Kashur thought he must have misheard, but it didn’t matter. How they got in was irrelevant, as long as they’d gotten in. But they would need help. He lowered his voice. “Moyshec, I need you to get me out of here! My friend! Come on! I’m not a traitor!”

But Moyshec fled into the crowd.

“Moyshec, come back!” Kashur rose up on his toes, trying to shout louder, further. The table faltered and flipped, sending him toppling to the floor where he landed hard on his shoulder.

“Bloody bones!” Kashur cursed.

He had to get out of here. He banged his shackles against the floor. No use. He kicked at the door, but it was reinforced with magic. He tried to move his hands in a token, any token, but it was impossible with his wrists pinned behind him.

He had to get out of here. He had to help Bayne and Ivy and Yelora. He couldn’t stay trapped in here.

He tried to get up, but his cloak was pinned by the fallen table leg. Grabbing the cloth with his teeth, he yanked it free, and something small and brown went rattling across the floor. A wooden bee—the one Ronith had sent Yelora with the recording of Sochee’s screams.

That was the ticket.

Kashur scooched until he was lying beside it, cheek to the cold stone floor, and began to speak.