Cities of Power Ch. 04

The thirteen bikes roared to life as the first rays of the sun touched the horizon. Talon led the way out onto the plain his mind firmly on the mission and its completion. He had stolen back to the home of Trix in the small hours of the morning to check on her and to leave her the gift he had brought to give her should he have the opportunity to see her on this mission. Taken over entirely by the feel of the young woman in his arms he had forgotten its existence until he returned to camp. Mica had created the jewelled unicorn for him with exquisite delicacy, and he wanted Trix to have it as well as the small packet of seeds Mason and Mica had collected for their village.

Trix had clung to him through the window and begged him to stay. He in turn promised to return for her as soon as the mission reached it completion. She filled his mind and his world, and he knew that should she return to Phoenix with him he would happily take his place within the council and settle down to ensure the future generations of his family and clan. The thought gave him a sense of urgency as they set out across the vast plain again. The warriors rode hard barely stopping for food at the highest point of the sun before Talon had remounted and called them all back to the ride ahead.

The last rays of the sun were sliding beyond the horizon when the gates of Pegasus were opened to them, and they rode through the small inner bailey of the castle style city. Talon knew through his education that each of the healing disciplines wore different colours, but he had not paid enough attention to know which class in the cities hierarchy had been sent to meet them. They followed the red robed healers through the maze like castle to a large vaulted room with several fireplaces burning along each side to add warmth to its stone walls.

The heavy boots of the thirteen warriors sounded loudly in the vaulted room as the marched as one to greet the seven rulers of this city. Talon went to one knee ceremonially and held out his empty hands in the traditional greeting of peace when entering a neighbouring city.

"Be welcome children of the Phoenix," Intoned an elder woman in green.

"We bring greeting from the Great Lord Zhou and our clan leaders," Talon said formally handing over a scroll and stepping back to his place at the forefront of the thirteen. The woman briefly scanned the scroll and looked up.

"We thank you for heeding our summons and give you a short time to rest, should you need the healing hands of our people ask and you shall receive," the woman clapped her hands and once again a small group of red robed healers approached the group to lead them to their rooms.

"The rest would be appreciated after a long ride. We shall be at your service during our brief stay," Talon responded, turning to follow his fellow warriors from the room hoping he put enough stress on the words to expedite the sharing of their Mystics concerns and reason their reason for summoning the warriors.

An hour later, Edge wandered into Talons room exclaiming, "How does the food here taste so much better than at home? We have the same fruits, yet these, he held two peaches in one hand, are succulent!" Reiki healers had massaged their tired bodies as fresh fruits and cheeses were brought in on platters by soft spoken servants. Talon had shrugged off the healing hands sometime ago and sent a servant to find his three friends. He felt fully restored and while grateful for the marvel that was the healer's gift, he was anxious to find the answers he came for and return home, "With Trix," he thought to himself and the healers could not take that anxiousness from him.

The four men sat in a small room alternating between speculating on when they would be summoned, why they were here and teasing Talon on his anxiousness to get back to the princess. It was another full hour before they were called to the hall of mystics. Rather than the thirteen warriors though they asked that only one representative from each clan attend them as well as their leader.

So it was that Talon and Sirrus along with Briny, Glow and Kaolin approached the group of Pegasus leaders and mystics. "Well met, young hawk," an ancient seeming mystic greeted the party, "Please sit and be welcome."

They each took a seat around the oblong table separated from each other by at least one member of healers. Discomfort with separation was clear on the faces of the warriors who from the earliest of ages were taught of safety in numbers. It was clear that they had been separated purposefully and while respectful of their hosts' customs Talon was on the verge of speaking to the matter when the ancient woman addressed them again.

"We thank you all for coming so swiftly to our call; I will not beat around the bush and I ask you to take what I say and give it the full consideration of the night, until we reconvene in the morning, before making your comments and decisions," She paused and continued. "We are more pragmatic than legend would have you believe and we have real facts and eyewitnesses to back up out claim that a disease once eradicated from the face of the world has returned again to those wanderers of the void beyond our territories. Red Plague has reached our ends of the earth and recent accounts have been brought back from the void that tells us it is spreading virulently through each community it touches.

I am sure you and the leaders in your city will be as concerned as we, but there is hope. The disease was once eradicated from the world by inoculation before the cataclysmic wars and their reshaping of our world. It is our hope that more information about how this was achieved lays buried in the void," there was surprise on the faces of the warriors at this. "We deal with the treasure hunters as we need much the same as the people of your cities do, but rather than technology and innovation we have always sought knowledge of the past to learn from it and not make similar mistakes."

"We have over time, in our dealings with treasure hunters reasoned the location of a buried and preserved section of a university our elders once resided in," she was tiring as she came to the end of her carefully prepared speech for the sharing of information. "We can give detailed maps and the services of some brave seers but you, the children's of Phoenix, only you have the means to get there and the bravery to undertake the journey."

Sirrus, the scholar and politician among them, spoke up, "I understand we are in your home, and we are very respectful of that point; however we must be allowed to ask questions that will affect our decisions and thought processes." Talon knew if his friend could be pacing, he would be as he worked his way through all of what the elder had said.

"You may ask young falcon but we may also choose whether to answer now or in the morning, agreed?" the leader of the City dresses in blue robes responded.

"Agreed, I understand the morning when everyone is refreshed is the time for debate but I feel I have need to ask the pertinent questions," Sirrus was thoughtful and polite but he would not be dissuaded. "Have the men of Gryphon been similarly summoned and given the same information?" For some reason, it was important to him that the Techno's had been informed first.

"They will not come to a summons from a woman they have asked that we send our delegation to them," The blue robed leader shook his head sadly, "We are not gifted in the modes of transport as you so it will take some time for us to impart the message."

"Our technology may be able to help you with that, Maester," Sirrus used the archaic term for teacher, "But that is a discussion for the morning."

"My friend and colleague is a lover of knowledge like yourselves, and I am sure he has many more questions he would believe to be pertinent to the moment; however, I want to speak plainly and clear away any doubt that I or my party might hold about what you are asking of us," Talon stood looking to Sirrus, who sat his expression thoughtful.

"You want us to return to Phoenix and persuade our leaders that we should send our best warriors into the void to seek out a long forgotten store of knowledge in the hope, not surety, but hope, that some information still remains about this disease that our ancestors eradicated," he glanced around the table at his team as well as the leaders, "Do I understand the request?"

"You do," the ancient Mystic nodded.

"Then what more is there to be discussed? We should leave in the morning and ride with haste to deliver your request," Talon turned as if to leave the room.

"Young hawk," a soft spoken purple robed man addressed him causing him to turn back to the group. "Perhaps I can help ease your mind about the elusive unicorn you seek and lessen your rush to leave our walls before we have imparted all of what we know." The young man smiled benignly, "You have now the crux of the situation to think over as you rest through the night, but you must know the whole scope of the threat before you dismiss it as merely another battle to be fought or won. I will be at your service should you wish to know more of your unicorn, at a later time."

Talon was startled but remained stony faced. "If you could give us a communal room where we can inform our team of what has occurred this evening we would appreciate it. I will discuss the need to stay an extra day with them, but I feel they will be as eager as I to depart." He turned then to the purple robed leader, "You may seek me out at a time convenient to you to tell me of this unicorn."

The rest of the techno's stood as one and followed Talon from the room. In truth, he was tired of the words within words and hints of mystery and more. He spoke plainly and expected the same courtesy from those he dealt with. Sirrus was the politician amongst the group of warriors and had shown himself worthy of being amongst the group tonight by being the first to speak when the healers had wanted nothing more than to include them in their own concerns.

The thirteen warriors lounged in the comfortably furnished salon as Talon allowed Sirrus to take the lead in their deliberations. This was the man's strength; he could see through the pretty words to the truth of the matter and could see that there was more to the situation than met the eye or ears of the others. He encouraged Talon to meet with the purple robed leader as he may have information he would be willing to divulge privately rather than before the other leaders.

Talon found the in depth discussions of his companions tiresome as they talked in circles, he was more a man of action and he found himself grateful when the soft knock announced the arrival of the purple robed healer who suggested a walk along the ramparts to view the night sky as they spoke.

Talon guarded his thoughts as he walked in silence with the man ascending several staircases before they reached the final floor of the tower and stepped out onto the rampart. They had walked a small way before Talon asked with genuine interest, "What do you know of my unicorn?"

"She dances always just out of your reach which is why you think of her so, almost mythical in her beauty and innocence she has ensnared you young hawk," his voice was soft and melodic and Talon felt the tell tale tingle in his mind as the mystic attempted to discover his thoughts. Most would not have even been aware but his small amount of power from the air that gave him an elemental awareness of the changes in the forces of nature. While mystics held a different type of power, the tingling was still present.

"I know you are searching my thoughts," Talon challenged the man, "Do you have a premonition of my future life or shall you tell me what I already know and confirm that the mystics are only powerful in legends told to children while at school."

If the man was surprised he didn't show it, instead he looked up to the sky. "A comet is a rare sight you must agree and portends something momentous is occurring in the lives of men. Over centuries, they have been revered and documented along with prophecy."

"I am the keeper of my own fate, the mystics can keep their prophecy and potions and powers of sight. I believe in what I can see and touch and hear. I do not believe the tale we heard downstairs tonight and I wonder why we were called for and why you wish to delay us for yet another day from our mission if it is so urgent. Perhaps you have underestimated us. Pegasus is not the only city to revere knowledge and science." This time, the healer, did look surprised, but it was more a look of chagrin Talon realised as if he had been caught out in a lie. "Perhaps you should tell me why we are truly here," Talon suggested.

"It was a comet such as the one we see tonight that led our ancestors to seek out these lands and these people and form our new world order in the chaos that was left after the cataclysm. It is said that all three of the leaders dreamt of each other and the place in which they would meet. They gathered those closest to them and travelled to that place, so strong was the pull of their dreams. When they met they dreamed of what could be and how to lead their chosen people here, creating what we have today," the man looked out over the ramparts into the city and smiled.

"I am not disputing the wisdom of our ancestors for bringing us here," Talon said simply, "Only that the mystics have more at play than they are saying with their pretty words and riddles. If the red plague is truly upon us, surely you would not want the delay of another day."

"The reappearance of the comet is troubling and dreamers have been sharing the same dreams once again. It is important that you are here at this moment, though we are not sure if it is you or one of your companions bears the comet's mark." Talon still looked expressionless, and his mind was now closed to the man. "They dream of a jewelled unicorn in addition to a young hawk," he offered to see if it made an impression.

Talon flinched involuntarily but said nothing, his thoughts firmly on the picture of a unicorn rather than the image of the girl herself. "You are fishing for information now. Maybe your mystics truly are only the stuff of legend after all. Your parlour tricks and pretence at friendship are lost on me. Speak straight what is it you wish to learn, I will not play your word games?" In truth, he was disappointed to learn that the mystics were not as powerful as he had been taught. The elemental powers of his own city's clans seemed to appear sporadically at best in the newer generations and had diminished in intensity over time, perhaps it had been the same with the mystics.

"I had hoped to discover your unicorn, who is it that dances out of your reach, young hawk?" he asked.

"My betrothed betrayed me. She now belongs to the family of the man killed in a battle of honour over her," Talon said softly. Instinct told him to protect the girl he thought of as his unicorn, but he kept his mind closed concentrating only on what he was telling the man beside him. "If you wish to know more of her you would perhaps be best to ask the warriors that are here from the water clans. An image flashed into his mind of his friend, Sirrus, being asked similar questions and the thought worried him.

"I have no further answers and the night grows late. We shall be leaving in the morning, but we will deliver the messages you wish to our council. If you would show me the way back it would be appreciated," Talon said abruptly ending the conversation as if wounded by the thoughts of the betrayal.

"Certainly," the man nodded and led the way back through the descending staircases to the rooms they had been assigned.

Talon found his companions in the room he had left them. Closing the door behind him, he asked, "Any other visitors tonight?"

"Just one who wished to talk to Sirrus," Bay rumbled in his deep baritone, "We were in the middle of a heated debate over whether we would allow them the use of my recording machine, so I declined on his behalf." There was a crooked smile on Bay's broad face, and Talon realised the hulking water warrior was suspicious of the motives for this quorum, as well.

"I suggest we stay here tonight and sack out as we would on the road, something is not right about this mission and we need to be watching each others backs, no one goes out alone, stay with your clan members at the very least," Talon looked around at the twelve other members of his quorum.

"I for one am going to sleep in a bed," Briny announced moving towards the door of the room.

"If you wish princess," Eddy growled, "But Bay and I will carry it in here for you so you can enjoy the companionship of being part of this quorum."

Talon raised an eyebrow realising there were issues between the members of the water clan.

"What a great idea!" Blaze turned to her fire clan companions and batted her eyelashes, "Please, guys, I would kill for even a mattress to sleep on." The two men shrugged and nodded not seeming to be bothered by the request.

"The women can use the bathroom first; its been a long ride and the hour grows late, stay together and take two of the men with you to stand guard," Talon started issuing orders, "Best to be over cautious than regretful." He added as he saw a couple of the warrior's look at him with unease. "If you feel a tingle to your scalp try to close your mind, think of the night sky or the sea something you can use as a blanket, we all learned this at school I don't have to tell you, I know, but they continue to try and read me because they are not as good at it as legend would hold."

There was chatter amongst the clans as they gathered their packs and rolled out their blankets. Talon pulled Sirrus to the side and motion him look out the window turning his back to the room. "Your agile mind makes you their best target for the information they seek, if you are in a situation where they ask questions of our acquaintances keep your sister foremost in your mind, as my betrothed and my betrayer. They seek someone or something related to someone in the group, they asked about my unicorn more than once, Clove is that unicorn, she is out of my reach and out of my life," Talon explained carefully not daring to mention even in passing his love for another, and he relaxed as Sirrus nodded his understanding and asked nothing more. As if by unspoken agreement, the four clans took their turns at watch during the night realising something bigger and more sinister than the reason they had been given, was behind this mission.

******

It was with more than a little surprise that Trix listened as her mother explained that she was still not well enough to go to the orchard and that the two women would stay home today. She looked down at her breakfast plate not daring to show her face to her father's scrutiny. Spar grunted his assent and Flint quickly volunteered to stay home and run the forge to catch up on the work that had built up while they had all worked on the wall.

Spar farewelled his family as he and two of his four sons went to work on the wall. His mind as always filled with the community that he led and protecting them from the cruel world beyond their small village. Within the house, it was his wife Opal, whose mind was firmly on keeping her children safe and protected, and she worried about her daughter, seduced and bedded by a techno warrior, her innocence gone and though Trix assured her mother that the warrior would return for her, that they were in love, Opal knew better and her heart broke for her only daughter.

Flint went to stoke and bring the forge to roaring life as the two women cleared the table and cleaned the breakfast dishes. Opal said nothing as she considered how she would say what needed to be said to her daughter and Trix felt the tension emanating from her mother believing her still distressed by the events of the evening before.