CHAPTER 12

ESCAPE

Shamar had told us of his mind-to-mind communication link with Aron The Eldest and to expect release from our prison cell very soon. I asked the Kevan just how Aron intended to accomplish that from so far away in Keva and he just smiled at me and said, “Wait and see, my friend. They have powers we can not even imagine. I have never before flown a Vognar airship, but I now know precisely what to do to fly such a vessel.”

“That is uncanny,” Zaor said amazed.

“It surely is,” the Kevan replied with a sly grin. “They have their ways. Be patient, my friends.”

I nodded, we waited. Zaor and I held back on our own plans of escape for the moment.

The prison was dark and quiet when two blue-skinned men in Vognar warrior harness came to our cell, unlocked it, and released me and my two companions.

“I am Beel, and this one, is Corvo. You are free. Come with us,” the first of the blue Vognars said, speaking bluntly in a rather mechanical tone as if in some dream trance. It was as if his words were spoken by another. Aron The Eldest?

Shamar told us the two Vognars were held under tight mind control by the Old Ones of Keva. The Kevans controlled every action of these Blues, their every thought, word, action and deed.

I nodded and we followed our guides.

Zaor commented to Shamar as we were led out of our cell, “That’s a nice trick. When we reach Keva I will have to have Aron teach it to me.”

Shamar smiled, “The secrets of Keva were not for the likes of non-Kevans.”

Zaor returned a grim smile of warrior guile, for I was sure he would not let the subject drop nor allow the people of Keva to keep such powerful secrets only to themselves. Military secrets are the most fleeting of all.

Soon our two Vognar guides led us to a secluded section of the palace roof, where we were taken to some kind of vessel. The place was surprisingly devoid of guards and here I thought I saw the hand of Aron and the Kevans once again. The vessel was some kind of flying ship, though much smaller than the one we had originally been in when we had first been abducted by Vaar and his men. We quickly entered the small ship and soon through Shamar’s piloting knowledge, which had been borrowed from the Vognar’s memory via Aron, we were aloft and racing through the blood red sky into the atmosphere of Ares towards freedom and the next battle.

* * * *

Soon after, in the vast audience chamber of the palace of the Vognars, all stood by quietly and in terror as Supreme Leader Okvon spoke to the assembled throng of Blues.

Actually, the Supreme Leader did not speak—he yelled and screamed like a raving maniac, full of rage heaped upon his trembling officers and nobles, for he had just been told that his three most valuable prisoners had somehow escaped.

“How did they axccomplish this?” Okvon demanded in fury. “We do not know, My Lord, but…” a junior officer began, then stuttered nervously. He had been pushed forward by more senior officers to give the bad news to the Supreme Leader. Everyone knew the Supreme Leader did not ever like to hear bad news.

“But…what?” Okvon screamed in rage once again.

The junior officer withered, shook, said softly, “My Lord… the…”

“Speak up!” Okvon demanded, his anger growing—if such a thing was possible. He decided he would have them all killed, all of them who had been involved in this fiasco. He thought about it some more—even some who had not been involved. He did not care, he was Supreme Leader, he could do whatever he wanted to do to anyone he liked. “Well!”

“My Lord, the prisoners stole an airship.”

Okvon just screamed a long chain of vile curses, heavily chastised his officers, calling them all traitors and cowards, fools and idiots. This was the final insult as far as the Supreme Leader was concerned. The prisoners had escaped in one of his own airships! Enraged, he suddenly began to call out names apparently arbitrarily and ordered the men to be put in chains and then they were ordered butchered by his guards in his very throne room right in front of him. The nobles and warriors, men and women of his court stood by aghast, forced to stay there and watch it all. It was horrible. It was hours before his taste for blood and revenge had been fulfilled.

Those of his officers and nobles who were left alive after the bloody carnage were utterly terrified, trembling with fear, wondering if they would be the next target of the rage of their insane and murderously despotic leader.

“What news of Lord Mentep?” Okvon now demanded suddenly, his thoughts quickly having turned toward the invasion fleet.

A brave young noble spoke up nervously, “We have good news to report, Supreme Leader. Very good news. Lord Admiral Mentep, with his great fleet of airships and hordes of warriors have left our capital city and by now are flying over the province of Lanar. Soon they will cross the deadly Serpent Water and then make landing on the eastern continent.”

“So all is going according to plan?” Okvon asked harshly. “Yes, My Lord, all is going according to your glorious plan,”

the nervous noble said trying to be positive, hoping this good news would save him from the wrath of his violent despotic leader for the time being.

It did not.

Okvon looked at the young noble, shook his head with a motion that indicated impending doom, “Not good enough, Sofon! Guards, take him away. I will deal with this one later.”

Sofon screamed, “No! My Lord! Please! I have done nothing wrong! I did nothing but serve you honorably and loyally!”

Okvon nodded and allowed a death-head smile. This was a loyal young officer but he was terrified because this action taken against him had been so unexpected and unnecessary. Totally arbitrary. Okvon liked arbitrary. Sofon really had done nothing wrong. That is what made his treatment so delicious to a fiend like Okvon.

The Supreme Leader brightened and spoke up, “Take him away. Let him stew upon his fate for a time. He might offer us all a few hours of entertainment before he dies later this evening.”

* * * *

Piloted by Shamar, the stolen Vognar airship with the cloak of invisibility device, quickly streaked through the thin air of Ares, taking us across the Serpent Water until we were upon the continent of Cos racing toward the gleaming city of Tarcos. After an hour we landed secretly upon the roof of the royal palace of Tarcos just as the red sun had set. It was the night before the attack on the city by the Winged-men horde the next morning and a gloom of dread covered the city. Zaor and I were anxious to get into the fight.

Shamar quickly opened the ship’s airlock and Zaor and I left the vessel. The Kevan wished us good luck in our coming battle, then he got back inside the vessel and the ship took off. Zaor and I watched knowing he flew the ship towards his city of Keva. Where ever that might be.

Now Zaor and I watched the ship fly away and we sighed with relief, delighted to breath the cool crisp air of Tarcos, happy to be in our beloved city once again.

“It feels good to be back home and alive,” Zaor told me in an intense tone, for I knew though he was relieved to be home there was much on his mind about the upcoming events and the battle tomorrow.

“Yes, and now we bring the fight to the enemy,” I said grimly. I had waited for this moment for many weeks and it was good to be back in action again. However there was one thing that had to be done first. “I must be reunited with Sirah.”

“And I too miss my mate, Manalia. The women have been very brave,” Zaor stated.

“Yes, they are always brave, it gives us strength,” I said as we left the rooftop.

Then Zaor and I entered the palace, walking by surprised guards who let us pass with cheers of joy at our return, and we made our way to Sahn Jor’s apartment. There we found the First Minister seated with Empress Sirah and Zaor’s wife, Manilia. The reunion was an emotional and teary-eyed event.

“Jon Kirk! I knew you would come back to me,” Sirah cried, running to me and hugging me to her tightly. I held her firmly in my arms. It had been too long that we had been parted. It was a sweet reunion.

I saw Manalia run into Zaor’s open arms and he flung her around in a mad dance of sheer joy.

“I have come back to you, my love,” I said holding my dear wife closely. She felt so good, so warm, so tender and sweet to be with again.

“Yes! Yes you have, my love!” Sirah cried.

Once our sweet reunion was over Zaor and I gave our wives and Sahn Jor a short report on what we had been through the last few weeks. We told them much about Shamar and the people of Keva; the Blues, the Vognars of the western continent; and of all their super secret weapons. Then I told them about the Vognar invasion and what I planned to do about it.

“It is a risky venture, My Emperor,” Sahn Jor said thoughtfully. “Perhaps, but it will buy us time, time that we need desperately to win this war,” I stated firmly. “I will lead the mission, Zaor will come with me. Sahn Jor, you must remain here, for if I am unsuccessful in this plan then you will need to rally the troops to defend the city in a last ditch effort against tomorrow’s attack.”

“It is a bold plan, my husband,” Sirah told me softly, nervous for my safety and fearful she might lose me, even as I had just returned to her after so long a parting.

“Yes, but a bold plan is needed,” I responded with a slight grin. “It will be all right. If I am successful there will be no attack tomorrow.”

Empress Sirah nodded, accepting the danger that I was willing to place myself in to save the city we both loved and the people who needed us so desperately.

“Here is my plan,” I stated calmly to the group of four people around me. “Zaor and I will immediately and secretly go forth from the city with twenty of my Black Dragons. We will enter the Zaran encampment and assassinate this Grusus and all other winged monsters and Vognar allies who are with him that we can find. For they are working together now. With Grusus dead it will throw the enemy army into turmoil. They will be in total chaos.

No way will they be able to launch an attack tomorrow without a leader. That will buy us the time we need.”