Destiny (11 page)

Kane squatted next to the Mayor to look into his beet red face. “Lad, I don’t think you want to piss the Lady off anymore. If I were you, I would tell her what she wants to know.”

“Two …”

“Thr …”

“WAIT!”

Looking down at his feet, Sean was surprised to see the Lieutenant weakly pushing himself up to his knees. Looking at Doctor Evans and the Mayor, he spoke haltingly. “Don’t hurt Father Aixi. I will tell you what you want to know.”

“Xion-” The Mayor’s exclamation cut off before he could say anything more by Doctor Evans as she caught the young Lieutenant’s eyes. Locking gazes with the young man, Doctor Evans spoke evenly.

“Continue.”

Looking back and forth between the two of them nervously, the young man slowly started talking. “It is because Nea Kameni is a sacred place for my people.”

Sean scoffed loudly. “Hundreds of tourists visit the island every day during tourist season, and you’re not trying to kill them.”

“That is because the Labryaden Guardians always escort them.”

Sean was about to laugh again at the young man’s words when Doctor Evans spoke quickly. “Labryadens are the guardians of the Goddess Britomartis.” For a long moment, Doctor Evans froze deep in thought when her eyes suddenly snapped towards the Lieutenant as she spoke sharply. “Show me your chest!”

Sitting on his knees, the young man hesitantly unbuttoned his white linen shirt and slowly bared his chest. Tattooed over his heart was a stylized double-headed battle-axe with a large tree stretching across both heads.

“That is the symbol of the Order of the White Moon.”

Sean was surprised to hear the awe in Doctor Evans’ voice. “Your order has guarded the Crypt of Britomartis for all of these centuries?”

Not waiting for the Lieutenant’s response, Doctor Evans released the Mayor. Rolling quickly to her feet, she ripped open his torn dress shirt. Tattooed across his broad chest was a matching tattoo.

Sitting up painfully, the Mayor moved his arm tenderly as he spat at Doctor Evans. “There is no such thing as a Crypt of Britomartis.”

Reaching behind her, Doctor Evans threw a thick envelope at the Mayor that she’d pulled from her back pocket. “Really, then what do you call that?”

Tearing open the envelope like a crazed man, the Mayor sucked in a sharp breath as he flipped through the pictures inside. Looking up at Doctor Evans in horror, he leaped at her screaming.

“You must stop what you’re doing.”

Moving quickly, Sean caught the Mayor by his collar, yanking him back to the ground hard. “Why don’t you just sit down and tell us calmly why we should stop what we are doing before someone really gets hurt.”

The Mayor’s eyes took on the gleam of a fanatic as he met Sean’s gaze squarely. “There is nothing you can do to hurt me without the entire island of Santorini rising up against you. Leave now while you still can.”

Doctor Evans cut off the Mayor speaking harshly. “We’re not going anywhere. By now those pictures have hit every Associated Press Office around the world. By tomorrow afternoon this island will be crawling with reporters, biologist, archeologists and Atlantis fanatics and there is nothing you can do-”

The absolute look of horror in the Mayor’s face brought Doctor Evans up short as the man suddenly cried out terror. “You have doomed us all!”

Chapter
Fifteen

Location Irlendria / Tiberius Decius Lupus:

Turning around at the shrill warning, Tiberius took one look at the situation and began bellowing commands to the bulls around him.

“Brace the rear!”

“Brace the rear!”

Throughout the formation, legionnaires spun around to face the new threat. Grabbing the hooks on the back of the armor in front of them the bulls locked their elbows bracing for impact. A second later the other half of the Praetorian phalanx slammed into their formation at a fast trot.

The clanging sound of metal on metal was the only noise from the Praetorians attack as Tiberius felt the whole formation rock backward from the force of the impact. Straining with all their might, the legionnaires slowly slid to a stop as Tiberius heard Decanus Marcellus bellowing orders to his contubernium.

“Clear the walls at will!”

Hacking sounds of blades slicing through metal and flesh filled the air as Tiberius saw his rearguard slam their shields into the compact, silent wave coming at them. Following standard tactics, the legionnaires punched through the gaps in their shield walls with their gladiuses.

Instead of falling back like any sane enemy would do. The Praetorians simply threw themselves atop the shield walls. Ignoring the blades piercing their bodies, they clutched at the legionnaires’ scutas in a death grip as the next wave began climbing over their shoulders in an overwhelming mass.

Seeing the entire rear of the formation suddenly collapse into a chaotic melee of struggling bulls, Tiberius triggered his gauntlets once again. At once the tinnearlian metal of his scutum began reforming into a second gladius as the next rank of his legionnaires was bore down by the silent wave.

Tiberius’ vision narrowed as adrenaline began pumping through his veins. Squaring his shoulders, he bellowed new commands.

“Legionnaires to me … Attack formation Omega!”

Triggering their gauntlets, the legionnaires still standing rushed to Tiberius’ side as the next silent wave leaped at them. Crossing his gladiuses across his armored chest, Tiberius prepared to strike.

“Head strikes only!”

“Hhhuuurrraaalll!” Tiberius’ legionnaires answering shout echoed off the walls around him as a bull charged past his shoulder. The berserk cry was the only warning Tiberius had before Centurion Vitruvius Aquila charged past him. Swinging his battle-axe with the force of his entire body, Aquila slammed into the wave of Praetorians blade first slaughtering all in his path.

Oblivious to the carnage before them, the next wave of guards leaped forward only to meet the old Centurion’s deadly backswing. Once again the great battle-axe cleaved through the Praetorians’ wave as bloody chunks flesh flew through the air. As the old bull leaped atop the pile of fighting Minotaurs, Tiberius’ bellowed to be heard over the raging battle.

“Legionnaires advance!”

Striding into the melee Tiberius’ glowing blades flashed as he struck the heads off the nearest Praetorians. Next to him, his legionnaires followed suit as they fought to help their embattled comrades fighting for their lives. With battle-axe leading the way, Aquila threw himself at the next wave of guards with a wordless bellow of rage as Tiberius struggled to catch up with the old bull. Scrambling over the pile of grappling Minotaurs, he called out to the legionnaires behind him.

“Legionnaires to me!”

Before Tiberius could catch up to Aquila, the enraged Centurion slammed into the last Praetorian formation. Blinded by his berserker rage, Aquila waded into their ranks with his battle-axe as ironidium spears slashed at him from every direction. At first, the old bull’s fury seemed to drive the Praetorians back, but it was only an illusion. A second later the packed guards bore Aquila to the ground in silence.

Going to the rescue of this long time mentor and protector, Tiberius charged into the fray as his legionnaires followed in his wake with their blades slashing around them in a deadly wave of death. Within moments, they surrounded the old Centurion in a defensive ring. As his legionnaires stopped the last Praetorian rush, Tiberius slaughtered the guards piled atop Aquila with precise strokes. Clearing the last of the dead Minotaurs from atop the old Centurion, Tiberius heard the shrill call of Decanus Cornisus’ whistle suddenly cut off as a rasping voice rang out behind him.

“You dumb animals disgust me.”

Turning around, Tiberius froze at the sickening sight of Centurion Brutus’s misshapen maw tearing off the head of one of his legionaries. Somehow the Centurion’s muzzle had stretched to encompass the bull’s entire head! A gasping murmur ran through Tiberius’ soldiers as the headless corpse was casually tossed aside without a second thought.

“Worthless meat sacks can’t even follow the simplest of orders.” Bile rose in the back of Tiberius’ throat as he watched the Centurion finish his grizzly meal with a loud slurping gulp. Pointing his oversized jagged sword at Tiberius, Brutus spat on the ground in contempt. “You will learn the consequences of defying the Emperor’s comm-.”

The grating tirade cut off suddenly as Decanus Cornisus rushed forward with two bulls of his contubernium at his side. With a guttural shriek, the Centurion’s arms shot out from its body.

“On your knees worms!” The great two-handed sword smashed into the legionnaires shield walls with a resounding metallic clash that blasted the bulls off their hooves. Bouncing off the wall behind them, Cornisus and his soldiers crumbled to the ground unmoving from the force of the impact.

Swiveling around, Centurion Brutus suddenly grew another foot taller as his entire body began to swell into a misshapen muscular mass. As his glowing red eyes focused on Tiberius, the Centurion began striding forward.

“I’m going to rip your still beating heart from your chest, prince meat sack!”

Ignoring the Centurion’s threats, Tiberius’ powerful voice called out to his legionnaires.

“Attack formation Alpha … shields on me!”

Alarms went off in Tiberius’ head as the Centurion began growing larger and larger. He had seen this before, but he just couldn’t remember where. The loud clanking sounds of metal plates shifting into place rang out around Tiberius’ as his legionnaires triggered their Wolf Gauntlets. Immediately their second gladiuses began transforming back into scutas once again. Before Tiberius could trigger his gauntlets, the Centurion’s clawed fist shot out as if fired from a ballista.

Tinnearlian blades crossed instinctively across Tiberius’ chest as the deadly missile impacted his heavy armor. There was a bright flash of light as the world suddenly spun out of control. The next thing Tiberius knew he was lying on his back against the hard stone of the alley.

Rolling to his knees with a wordless grunt, Tiberius gasped for breath as the battle raged around him. With growing horror he realized his veteran legionnaires were being slaughtered as the jagged blade brutally tore gaping holes in their ragged formation when it suddenly dawned on him. The creature was a godforsaken Tuonellian Hulk!

Leaping to his hooves, Tiberius raised his gauntlets before him charging in a blind rage. Pivoting suddenly, the Hulk immediately turned to face him as a wicked smile spread across its distorted face. A part of Tiberius’s mind registered the fact that the creature seemed to have difficulty holding its mask in combat when its clawed fist launched at his chest at almost point blank range.

Ready this time for the attack, Tiberius drove his fists forward, punching out with both gauntlets. The impact reverberated through his whole body as an earsplitting shriek split the night. A split second later Tiberius was yanked off his hooves as the Tuonellian’s fist whipped away blood sprayed across his muzzle as he was flung to the ground. Rolling with the motion, Tiberius leaped back to his hooves only to be slammed into the nearest wall by the creature’s spinning backhand.

Instead of being blasted off his hooves, the Hulk’s ruined fist yanked Tiberius into the air and slammed him against the wall of the alley. Coughing up blood, Tiberius watch weakly as the creature drew its jagged sword back for the killing blow when Aquila’s great battle-axe cleaved through the Hulk’s arm holding Tiberius.

Dropping to his knees, Tiberius watched the enraged Hulk pummel Aquila to the ground with the pommel of its blade. As the Tuonellian raised the jagged sword into the air to split the Centurion in two, Cornisus appear from out of nowhere leaping onto the Hulk’s broad back with his gladiuses flailing.

Spinning around in confusion, the creature roared in agony as Tiberius lurched to his hooves. Staggering forward, he slammed his blades deep into the center of the Tuonellian’s chest. With a screeching roar, the Hulk smashed Tiberius back into the wall, but before the creature could jam the blade down his throat, Aquila’s battle-axe was in motion once again.

The Hulk’s second arm went flying away as the Centurion’s battle-axe hewed the malformed limb off at the elbow. Spinning around to face the old bull, the Tuonellian staggered as Cornisus’ blades hammered into its spine. With a howling shriek, the Hulk collapsed to the ground.

Limping forward, Aquila’s lifted his great battle-axe once more above his head with both hands.

With one last mighty bellow, the old Centurion cleaved through the Tuonellian Hulk’s thick, misshapen neck.

***

Location Irlendria / Gaius Vitruvius Aquila:

“They are all dead.” Centurion Gaius Vitruvius Aquila silently stood by his Prince as silent sobs racked the larger bull’s frame. “It makes no sense!”

Older than the prince, Aquila knew well the terrible fury that was building inside Tiberius’ heart. Aquila had lost his entire family herd at the onset of the Tuonellian War when the Horde first invaded the city of Garrona. Throughout the long war, Aquila had held out hope that somehow his family had survived the invasion. It wasn’t until the Tuonellians had been driven back into the Scar that the true horror of what happened to the cities’ inhabitants had come to light.

On that day, Aquila’s nightmares were given life. When the Legions had entered the first freed cities, they had learned that most of their people had been slaughtered in cold blood like cattle to feed the Horde’s armies. By the time the Legions had driven the Tuonellians from the cities like Garrona, which had been taken first, there was no one left alive to be freed.

After holding out hope for so many centuries, Aquila had nearly lost his mind from grief. His only prayer to Akras was that his young bullock and beautiful wife had a quick death, but later on even that small solace had been lost to him once it had become common knowledge that the Tuonellians consumed their prey alive. If not for his duty of guarding the young princess Aquila would have gone insane from grief, but over the last twenty-five years, Tiberius had become a son to him.

Looking around the blood-soaked courtyard, Aquila gripped Tiberius’ shoulder firmly. “We must go, Legatus.” Aquila saw Tiberius’ shoulders flinch at the title, but it had the desired effect. Slowly Tiberius seemed to pull himself back together. Rising to his hooves, Tiberius wiped the bile from his black lips as he looked around the courtyard of his walled domus before his voice croaked harshly.

“So the Tuonellians have returned to Irlendria.” The words were not a question, but a statement of fact.

“It can mean nothing else, Legatus.” There were no reports of Tuonellian Hulks having the ability to transform into other creatures, but unlike most of the younger bulls under his command, Aquila had faced the savage creatures in battle. He could, at least, identify the creature’s true form.

“I don’t think they ever left.” Aquila and the Prince both jumped hearing Decanus Cornisus voice come from behind them. Seeing their hard looks, Cornisus snapped to attention, fist hammering chest. “Troops bandaged and ready to move out, Sire.”

Waving away Cornisus’ formal response, Tiberius’ eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Explain yourself Cornisus.”

Seeing Cornisus’ nervous glance, Aquila nodded for the smaller bull to continue. “Sire, I had always wondered why the Alliance of Aurenko fell apart before we completely destroyed the Tuonellians.”

Aquila saw Tiberius’ sour look as he spat angrily. “Because my father tried to wrestle control over the Alliance after the Klavikians were destroyed.”

Seeing Cornisus bit back his words, Aquila rested a calloused hand on the Decanus’ shoulder. “Go on son, tell us your thoughts.”

Struggling with the words, Cornisus tried once again. “Everyone talks about the Emperor’s madness, but it never made sense to me.” Looking back and forth between Aquila and Tiberius, Cornisus spoke passionately. “After everything that happened to our people, why did the Emperor not wait until after the Tuonellians were destroyed to drive a wedge between the races? I can’t stop thinking that maybe the Klavikians were not the only ones betrayed.”

Aquila felt the hackles of his mane stand on end as Tiberius gave the Cornisus a quick nod. “Form up the bulls, we’re moving out.”

Giving a quick salute, Cornisus took off at a quick trot as Tiberius met Aquila’s eyes incredulously. “That would explain everything! The Alliance, my Mother’s death the insane laws coming from the Palace! If this has been a Tuonellian Plot all along …”

Aquila cut Tiberius off in midsentence as the enormity hit him. “It could mean only one thing …” Aquila’s mind rocked at the implications as Tiberius finished the sentence for him.

“There’s another Tuonellian invasion coming.”

“We must get you out of the city, my Prince.”

Savagely, Tiberius slammed his fist into his palm. “We’ll get the Thirteenth and slaughter this imposter.”

Grabbing Tiberius by the shoulders, Aquila bellowed. “You will do no such thing!”

Seeing the rage in Tiberius’ stare, Aquila continued in a rush of words. “Where will the invasion come from? What must be held at all costs?”

Tiberius rocked back on his hooves as Aquila’s words penetrated his anger. “By Akras holy sickle, it was never about the rebellion in Tulskana, but taking control of the Citadel!”

Aquila’s fist thumped against his chest as he saluted stepping back. “Now you are thinking like an Emperor!”

Seeing Tiberius’ confused look, Aquila explained. “If an imposter has replaced the Emperor that means …”

Tiberius slowly finished the older bull’s sentence in a shocked whisper. “I’m now the Emperor.”

***

Location Irlendria / Tiberius Decius Lupus:

It took longer than Tiberius would have liked to make it out of the capital, but they could only move so fast with their injured. Keeping to the shadows of the outer defensive walls, they made their way towards the main gate and the safety of the Thirteenth Legion waiting outside.

Fires burned out of control throughout the city, while dead Praetorian Guards and citizens littered the streets everywhere. In the distance, the city growled as rioters and guards fought in the streets. Passing the dead, broken bodies of the females and young strewn about the city’s streets, Tiberius felt the rage growing inside of him. He couldn’t begin to understand what had happened to the Praetorians to make them slaughter their own people.

It was madness beyond comprehension! The Imperium was built upon the beliefs of civilization and the precepts of law. Wholesale slaughter such as this went against every moral fiber of his people. It was as if the entire world had been turned upside down.

Moving through the dark streets of the city, Tiberius mind churned over his conversation again and again with Aquila. He knew the old bull was right. It was the only thing that made sense. The imposter that had taken over his father had successfully destroyed the Alliance for a reason. Now he was trying to destroy the Imperium’s war machine. No matter what, Tiberius couldn’t let that happen.

The Tuonellians must have realized that even with the destruction of the Klavikians, the races of Irlendria could still destroy them. The knowledge that Ilmarinen Ironwolf had shared with the Alliance ensured the races still had a fighting chance. Aquila was correct in his belief that the Citadel must be protected at all costs, but that was only the first step. The Imperium could not defeat the Tuonellian’s alone. If there was going to be any chance of stopping this evil, the races of Irlendria had to fight together as one.

Tiberius thoughts were yanked back to the present as another Praetorian patrol came into view. Scrambling into the dark shadows, he and his bulls hid until the guard patrol passed out of sight once more, while, in the night’s sky, Romulus’ red evil light gave the dark streets a sinister glow.

The patrols were becoming more numerous the closer they came to the city’s gates. Coming around the last bend, Tiberius and his bulls suddenly ducked for cover. Standing guard in the plaza before the gates stood two cohorts of Praetorian Guards blocking their escape.

Looking back at the seven legionnaires left from the nineteen that had originally entered the city with him earlier that morning. Tiberius saw the smoldering rage burning in their eyes at the senseless carnage they’d witnessed throughout the capital. Fighting back his urge to accost the Praetorians responsible for his people’s senseless deaths, Tiberius led his bulls further back into the alleyway. Finding a darkened corner they silently debated what to do next until Decanus Cornisus held up a heavy coil of rope. Moments later, they were scaling the defensive wall surrounding the capital making their escape before Remus could join his smaller brother in the night’s sky and give their position away.

The city hadn’t been attacked in over two decades and few guards, if any, looked down towards the base of the wall they guarded. Moving quickly, Tiberius and his legionnaires sprinted from shadow to shadow making their way towards the massive gates of Gravida. Tiberius hated feeling so vulnerable. The hollow between his shoulder blades itched as he waited for a bolt from a crossbow that never came.

As they reached the entrance to the city, there were no signs of the Thirteenth’s camp anywhere to be found. Moving farther out onto the rolling grasslands before the city, they spread out in search for any signs of the Legion. About a half-mile out Tiberius found what he was looking for, the scuffed earth of a hurriedly packed camp and tracks of several thousand bulls headed north at a quick trot. Hanging his head in frustration, Tiberius forced himself to finally accept the truth he had been fighting so hard to disbelieve. The Legion was gone.

With a harsh whisper, Tiberius called for his legionnaires to him. As the males gathered around, Aquila’s experienced eyes took in the trampled earth thoughtfully before addressing Tiberius. “Commander Scipio wouldn’t have left if there’d been any other possible choice for him to make.”

“I realize that, but it doesn’t change the situation.” Looking towards the North Tiberius spoke sourly. “You know as well as I do that the Thirteenth is being led to their deaths just like the First and Second Legions.”

Aquila’s face hardened at Tiberius’ concern. “It doesn’t matter. The Thirteenth is on their own now.”

“The Thirteenth doesn’t matter?” Sputtering in outrage Decanus Marcellus lunged for the old Centurion as his fellow legionnaires grabbed him by the shoulders pulling him back. “Has guarding the Prince rotted your feeble mind old bull?”

“The Tuonellians have returned you stupid cow!” Shoving legionnaires out of his way in outrage, Aquila lunged for Marcellus’ heavily bandaged face only to be held back by more hands. “Would you jeopardize the entire Imperium for just one Legion?” For a stunned heartbeat, everyone froze at the old Centurion’s words as Tiberius stepped into the middle of the altercation.

“Enough!” Tiberius bellowed under his breath. “We are not going to leave the Thirteenth to their fate.” Seeing Aquila suck in air to argue, Tiberius overrode the older male. “Nor are we going to let the Citadel fall into the hands of the traitors.”

Seeing that he now had everyone’s attention, Tiberius continued in a low whisper. “Aquila, Decanus Marcellus and the rest of the second contubernium will head back to Tulskana and begin reactivating the Legions. Your primary objective will be to reinforce the Citadel while the rest of us head after the Thirteenth.”

“You would place the entire Imperium at risk for just one Legion?” Tiberius heard the betrayal in Aquila’s voice as he tried to comprehend the young Emperor’s reasoning.

“Did you raise me to be a sentimental fool such as that, Centurion Gaius Vitruvius Aquila?” Seeing the seething anger in the old Centurion’s eyes, Tiberius' voice tore into his longtime mentor. “If all of Irlendria falls, how long will the Imperium be able to stand against the Tuonellian hordes alone?”

“The Citadel has never fallen!”

“Then tell me something.” Tiberius shot back fiercely. “How long will the Citadel stand if there is no Imperium left to reinforce it or even to feed it?”

Seeing the sudden doubt in Aquila’s eyes, Tiberius hammered the point home. “Don’t you get it? We need the Alliance if there’s going to be any hope for the future of our people.”

“Who is the only person that can make peace with the races of Irlendria in the name of the Imperium?” Grabbing the old bull by the shoulders, Tiberius shook the Centurion as he spoke. “Tell me who?”

His voice filled with dread, Aquila reluctantly answered the Prince’s question. “Only the Emperor of the Imperium.”