IV – Trials

As Deia shuffled mindlessly into the village, her shadow trailed long behind her. Her chest ached with guilt for finally leaving her parents’ bodies behind. She should still be there with them… but for what? The sun had dropped considerably in the sky while she convinced herself to leave and come to the village. Each time she rose to leave, a racket of sobs pulled her to her knees again. Her shadow traced her tears back on the path to Tel.

Stopping, she looked around the unfamiliar town. More often than not, Deia was left in Metson to handle affairs while her parents traveled to the neighboring towns in the Mahn. She had never traveled farther than the outlying Metsonian farms. She stood silent, looking at the village and the townspeople, dirty with the ashes of their homes, moving to and fro. Everyone was too caught up in what they were doing to spare her a glance, and she did not have the slightest clue who to ask for help. Deep down, there was the desperate hope that someone would walk up to her and tell her to not be silly, her parents were just fine. Impossibility did not stop her from wishing it.

The fleeting thoughts of her parents brought another unbidden tear to her eye. Must hold it… got to… find… Deia focused and looked at the townspeople in more detail. She saw several young men and boys as they worked together to lift large pieces of debris that had not completely burned, looking for survivors under the rubble. Shouts cried as survivors were found, cries that rushed pairs of men carrying makeshift stretchers, made from brooms and spare blankets. The wounded were collected from where they were found and then hurried off to a small building near the gate where Deia was standing. Injured were laid out on the ground in rows, being tended to by an older man, moving from person to person, bending down, patting shoulders, and checking injuries. A young woman trailed behind him, carrying carefully on a platter a small bowl of water and various tools and bandages.

Beyond the rows of injured townsfolk, she saw the much longer line of people laid out on the adjacent side of the building. They were covered from head to toe in shrouds, laid so their heads rested under the shadow of the building. Several men with kerchiefs tied in front of their mouths labored, neatly laying more down as they were brought in from around town. Not people. Bodies. Those covered in the pale shrouds far outnumbered the injured lying outside the front.

Mother and Father… Bodies… Her eyes welled with tears, and she balled her fists. Falling to her knees, Deia struck the hard path under her. “I couldn’t do anything! ANYTHING!” She put her head down, and cried into the ground. “Mother… Father…”

Deia was barely surprised by the arm that grasped around her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. Looking up, she saw a uniformed man–no, a boy, no older than she–covered in the dirt and smudge as the rest of the townspeople, looking through the grime on his face at her with sincere concern. “Are you okay?” The boy asked, but Deia just stared at him blankly. “I’m going to help you, dear. I’m Fenix. What’s your name?”

“Deia,” she replied. She started crying, and clung to his arm while he slowly walked her towards the town. She heard his voice, trying to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay. But Mother… Father… they’re…

* * * * *

Fenix approached Victor’s office, navigating the young girl towards the doctor and Danni, bent over examining one of the patients. “Doctor, I just found her coming in the gate. She seems alright, but…” Fenix motioned to the bruise that covered the side of her head. Victor and Danni looked up from the man they were tending, and, at a signal from the doctor, Danni rose and approached them.

“Thank you, Fenix. Let’s have a look at her.” Danni held her hand out to the young girl. She stared at the hand, as if deciding what it was, before gripping harder to Fenix’s arm and staring at Danni blankly.

“Her name is Deia. I don’t know what happened, but I haven’t seen her in town before now.”

Danni pulled her hand back as it became obvious that Deia was not moving, and pity crossed her face. Danni stepped forward instead and gently grasped her head, and was surprised when Deia did not flinch. She began inspecting Deia’s body, moving her hands deftly through her dark hair and on her face, delicately handling the bruises that covered her. The adept nurse checked her arms, her torso, and then her legs. Standing up, Danni leaned backwards and knuckled her back. “There are indeed a number of bruises and cuts on her. Nothing broken, thankfully, but those bruises will take a while to heal.” Thoughtfully, Danni traced the large bruise that was swollen on the side of her head, again, without a flinch from the young girl; she possibly did not know she was injured. “What happened to you, dear?”

Deia nodded and looked at the ground. Tearing up, she slowly told them about the urgent message they received from Lord Mensch early in the morning yesterday, claiming all three of them needed to come to Tel right away, “a matter of the farms”, it read. A carriage bearing Lord Mensch’s mark was already waiting for them outside Metson.

She told them of the man with bright red hair forcing her parents to help him into town, and her being bound by those bandits he had hired. “‘A guarantee’, he said I was, to make sure my parents complied.” Fortunately, Deia was able to cut her bonds and escape from the bandits. Her initial plan was to run to town, but in her condition, she realized she would not be able to get far without being caught. Instead, she lost them in the surrounding trees, climbing a tree to stay hidden. Her parents arrived shortly after. “He was horrible… he pulled out…something… from the carriage and used it on one of the bandits, and then my parents.” Tears ran down her face as she spoke. “It… burned them! It killed them! HE killed them!” Fenix let out a small grunt as Deia turned and pounded him in the chest. “And it was all my fault… they said they were going to let us leave when my parents came back… I should have stayed…”

Danni put her hand up to her chin and spoke to herself. “Lord Mensch… that doesn’t sound right. What would be wrong with the farms? After such a large harvest?” She looked to Fenix, who shrugged. Then another nagging thought surfaced in her mind. “Wait, red hair? Was he wearing a brown robe?”

The girl sniffed and nodded.

“Is your father Master Farmer of Metson?”

The girl nodded, and teared up. “My parents, Trab and Lara Venger.”

“Damn it all!” Danni stomped her foot on the ground as she recognized the names. “It was that… bastard! He…tricked us!”

Fenix put his hand on Danni’s shoulder, and then nodded at the young woman still clutching to him.

Danni shook her head and took a deep breath. “Alright, Deia… Let’s get you to lay down for a bit.” Danni moved and slid her arm around Deia’s waist, allowing Fenix to move away after detaching Deia’s arms from around him and placing them around Danni. Situating herself to help support Deia, Danni leaned close and whispered to Fenix. “I want you to take care of her parents for her. From what she says, they should be easy to find.” Fenix nodded. As the two walked to some open space in the doctor’s yard, Danni called over her shoulder. “And find Cerberus. I think he’s going to want to hear about this.”

Fenix nodded and turned away. He was exhausted. He had already run half the distance to Chalen just to get here, and had been waist-deep in debris since. Looking up at the sun just lowering over the far horizon, he realized he would not be getting much sleep tonight, either. Yawning, he began making his way back to the gate. Not that I’d get much if I tried anyhow.

At least it was a break from moving the caved-in roofs across town, and the eating fear of finding what may lie beneath them. He had found far too many bodies. Each survivor gave him a small burst of hope that he would find others, but it was not enough to remove the feeling of death that had settled into his bones. He had lived in Tel all his life, and now everything he knew lay in ashes, ground by the soles of his boots as he dug through the remains.

Very few houses still stood. The largest buildings were unable to be saved; they burned down, or were still too encased in flames that getting near them was dangerous. The inn, his father’s foundry, the smithy’s, the stables, all reduced to smoldering ashes. It was only a matter of luck the doctor’s office was saved, but it mattered little by then. The few beds inside were full, and the remainder of the injured flooded outside. Bodies continued to be laid down. And the Mayor’s Residence… Fenix shuddered. It simply did not exist anymore. As many people had died from the shards of wood fanning outwards from the Mayor’s Residence as the fiery explosion itself.

At the gate, Fenix conversed with two of the guards. One of the young boys set off to gather the necessary things to carry Deia’s parents, and the other to find an extra pair of hands to carry them. Fenix shook his head. There might not be an extra pair of hands, but it did not hurt to check. Almost everyone else was involved in the cleanup of the town.

From the gate into town extended two paths, one that led north to where the inn and Mayor’s residence had stood and the other, west, to some of the smaller houses in the town. Fenix paused, taking another look at horrible sight of the smoldering Inn, caved in on itself, and turned down the latter.

The homes, although very small, were very close together, and the limited water supply they had channeled from the lake nearby was not enough to save much. Families stood huddled together on the path away from the burned houses as their fathers and husbands dug through the remnants. Various burned furniture and containers littered the sides of the path, whatever belongings that could be rescued. Occasionally, Fenix would stop and lend a few words of encouragement to children who recognized him, or a hand to the movement of some large object or piece of debris. Even still, he felt helpless, useless to these people. Their homes would be repaired, in time, but not their lives. There was nothing Fenix could do.

The path turned in slightly, and Fenix caught sight of several men with large builder’s hammers standing in a circle in front of one of the damaged homes. Moving across the grass to them, Fenix spoke. “Ho, Father.”

The builders all turned to face Fenix, and moved to permit him into their circle. “Ho, Fenix,” his father replied, “it’s going to be dark soon, but do you think Xia would have a problem with us continuing with the repairs? I don’t think any of us would sleep right, at this moment.”

Fenix blinked at the question. “Well… I don’t see what asking Xia would have to do with it…”

“Well, we just want to be where we’re needed most.” The other builders nodded in agreement.

Fenix looked at his father incredulously. “You’re the builders. I’m sure that if Xia needed anything else from you, he’d have come and told you all by now.”

A sigh of relief sounded from the group. Coole reached forward and put his hand on Fenix’s shoulder. “You’re right. We’ll keep doing this then. Let Xia know that we can do whatever else needs to be done though, alright?” He stepped back and turned to the house they were looking to repair. It had survived to a greater degree than the rest of the homes on the path, and they were looking to fix as many homes as quickly as possible. Coole began barking orders, each of the builders taking a task and moving about it quickly.

Fenix shook his head and moved on. Xia’s father had not survived. No body was found, but everyone had known that the Mayor was in his office with “the injured man from Metson” when the explosion happened. The absence of his corpse was not surprising: nothing else was found, either. The books, the furniture, everything had been reduced to fine ash. Those who had seen it—and survived the rain of fiery shards of molten wood—only saw the Mayor’s Residence, and then Tailz standing in an empty plot, his skin glowing a deep red that seemed dark compared to the glow of the man’s eyes.

Once Xia returned to Tel, everyone started looking to him immediately for guidance and support. Being the type of man Xia was, he was determined to do his part. Fenix did not like the pressure they were putting on him, and was working to take as much of it onto himself as possible, to relieve Xia. The man just lost his father, but they expect him to keep everyone ELSE going? Xia, oddly quiet, threw himself into working for the good of the town, but Fenix could tell it was eating him inside. It was only a matter of time before he would need to let it out.

To make matters worse, townspeople approached Xia with the smallest concerns, concerns that Xia and Fenix never thought would be asked of the town’s Mayor. What to do with the extra medical supplies that townspeople had stored in their homes for first aid, what to do for food for the townspeople, what to do with the burned homes, and what each person should be doing to help. Xia would blink and give them obvious solutions, and the townspeople would smile and be grateful to him. Fenix, in particular, got a good deal many more of those, especially when they thought their concern so little that Xia should not be bothered with it. They’d ask him what Xia would say they should do, and Fenix would try to not become angry while telling them what they should have already thought of doing.

“Fenix! Hey, Fenix! Help!” Fenix heard a call further down the path ahead of him, and looked to see a man waving to him. As Fenix jogged towards him, the man pointed at a burned, caved-in building. Cerberus, Xia, and nearly a half dozen other townsmen were straining under the weight of a large piece of roof that had collapsed. Fenix flew over to add his strength to theirs and lifted up on the roof. After several attempts, they managed to lift it up several hands from the ground. Once there, they shifted their weight, bracing to keep it up.

“Fenix…” Cerberus said with gritted teeth, he was holding a lot of the weight, “Get under there… there’s someone…”

Fenix understood at once and dropped to his knees. Making sure everyone was braced holding the roof up, he squeezed into the tight space, crawling into a caved-in room. As he came in and got to his knees, he looked around. A slim window at the top of the opposite wall filtered in the only light. Other than the half of the house that had caved in, the house looked untouched from the chaos. The table was set for a midday meal with three plates and flatware neatly arranged. A pot, hung over now-extinguished embers, gave a faint aroma of a stew. Looking beyond the table, Fenix immediately picked out the young girl huddled in a corner. “Come on now,” Fenix said. “Everything will be fine. Let’s get you out of here.”

Looking up, the girl recognized Fenix and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his leg. “Where’s Mother, Fenix? Where’s Father?” Fenix looked around, but saw no one besides her.

Smiling, Fenix led the girl over to where he had crawled in, and the two of them got to their knees. “Crawl underneath there, and we’ll find your parents, okay?” The girl nodded, reassured. “Go!” Fenix said, and the little girl quickly made her way through.

The roof dropped behind him as Fenix exited the house. Standing up, he looked at the other men knuckling their backs and dusting their hands. Several started attending to the little girl. One took her by the hand, and walked her towards the village gate. “I’ll think she’ll be fine.” Fenix said to himself.

“We hope so…” Xia’s voice came from behind him. Fenix turned to face his friend. Xia’s eyes were clearly bloodshot, and he moved slowly and deliberately, as if moving too quickly would cause him pain. Fenix could also see something deeper in his demeanor that weighed his entire body down. “Her parents were upstairs when the roof collapsed. They were trapped on the second floor, and did not make it out.” Xia turned and stared at the building for a moment. Lowering his head, Xia followed the other men to the next pile of debris.

Fenix shook his head. Fenix was amazed Xia had made it this far after losing his father, trying to not think about it, but this had just given Xia a huge reminder. Plus, although they had retrieved the girl, Fenix knew Xia had added this to his list, keeping tally of the number of people whose lives were affected forever. Fenix wondered if he was actually keeping count of the dead and wounded, too. Fenix knew that he himself had no heart to do it, not a constant count in his head.

Looking around, Fenix caught eye of Cerberus, standing apart from the others, picking through the debris, ignoring the glares the others sent in his direction. The fact that Tailz had wanted Cerberus dead had made it around town today, though Fenix was unsure how. But now, many in town blamed him for the events of the day. Fenix supposed the only reason their anger had evolved no further than glares was because of Xia working and relying on Cerberus as if he trusted him. Cerberus did not show any signs of being bothered by it, though. He just did what he was asked.

This, in turn, struck Fenix as odd. Fenix figured that Cerberus would have started chasing after Tailz as soon as he had heard exactly what had happened. He had his little tracker device, but he had put it away upon getting back to Tel, and had not mentioned it since. It made Fenix curious, and he was going to ask about it, but then he remembered the reason he had come down here in the first place. “Uh… Cerberus?”

“Yes?” Cerberus did not turn to answer; he kept digging into the debris.

“Danni wanted to see you. We found a girl who we think saw Tailz on his way out of town.”

Cerberus paused for a moment, twisting a small shard of wood around in his hands. Then he tossed it back into the pile and looked at Fenix. His look was intense and focused, even now, and Fenix took a step back from it. Cerberus noticed the reaction, and blinked his dark brown-eyed gaze elsewhere. He was becoming accustomed to the people not being used to his demeanor. “Where?”

Fenix pointed in the direction of the Doctor’s. “Danni’s with her.” Cerberus nodded and then jogged away on the dirt path.

Turning back, Fenix looked for Xia, noticing that he had walked in the opposite direction, and trailed after him.

* * * * *

As Fenix silently walked alongside Xia, Xia quickly went through his mind and came up with several tasks that needed overseeing, and he half-turned to his friend to entrust him with them. Sighing, Xia instead decided it was comforting having someone walk with him that was not asking what to do. So he left it alone, and the two slowly made their way from debris pile to burned house to debris pile, offering what assistance and guidance they could.

A young boy, barefoot and in mismatched clothes ran up to Xia, pulling on his pants leg. The poor child was covered in grime, as dirty as the adults. Wanting to help with the cleanup, many children had tagged behind their parents, and the adults had no shortage of smaller tasks that they could delegate, carrying water, tools, messages, and the like. Xia looked down at the boy. “Yes, Reets?”

Little Reets barely came up to Xia’s waist, and a white-toothed grin showed through the dirt on his face at being recognized. “Master Lants is back with his cart, and he wants to know what you want him to do with it.” The young lad took a step back, looking at Xia silently, awaiting the reply.

Xia looked at Fenix, who shook his head. Looking back at the boy, Xia spoke irritably. “Tell Master Lants that he can either find a buyer for his vegetables here, or he can begin distributing food to the injured.”

Reets stood there for a moment, visibly going over the message in his head. Xia shook his head and took a breath, placing a hand on the young boy’s shoulder. “Forget that. Tell Master Lants to give food to whoever needs it. Miss Toolin can help put aside food for cooking.” The boy nodded and sauntered off. Watching him leave, Xia asked quietly, “Why can’t they figure this out on their own?” Fenix shook his head.

Xia looked at his friend. Fenix met his glance, and remained silent. Xia finally noticed that Fenix had not said a word since joining him. In tough situations, Fenix usually had a wit about him that eased Xia’s mind. For him to remain silent meant he had something important to say. “What?”

“Xia, you can’t keep going like this. You can’t keep this in like this.”

Xia turned abruptly, glancing away from Fenix. Taking in where they were, he realized they had circled halfway around the village, and was on the opposite side of the Inn from where the Mayor’s Residence had stood. Father… He shook his head. He already felt a tear forming in his eye, so he did not turn to face his friend. “I know Fenix… I know… I just have to get through tonight… They just started… coming to me, looking for direction. They were lost, and it made them confident and relieved to have someone tell them what to do. Every one of them had that…look…in their face. Like they knew very well what had happened to Father, and they were sorry…but…but…” A small sob escaped him.

“But they need somebody, and you’re who they have. I understand that, Xia. But if you’re going to be the Mayor, you need to put your foot down too. We’re making allowances for those grieving, and the others are out there working as hard as they can, but you have just as much need to put your head down for a while as they do!”

Xia spun around, tears pouring down his face. “What do you expect me to do?!”

Fenix approached Xia, and put his hands on Xia’s shoulders. “Xia. Your father’s dead. We know you loved him. Do you think anyone is going to hold that against you?”

With that, Xia dropped to his knees and let his tears flow. He found himself holding on to Fenix, who put his arms around his friend. “I do… I love him…” Xia sobbed. He cried, and Fenix consoled. And, for once, those who approached, turned elsewhere to find a solution to their problems. Xia felt selfish, but Fenix was right. Father…

* * * * *

“There, there… Its okay, everything will be okay.” Danni said to the young boy. She and Victor had just finished bandaging the poor kid, who would live with permanent scars from the burns he received. It was a miracle he was found alive, underneath one of the village houses. She rose after patting his head, and knuckled her back.

A tap on her shoulder startled her, and she jumped around and let out a yelp that was stifled as she laid eyes on who touched her. Cerberus did not show any sign that she had done anything out of the ordinary. “Fenix told me you had information on Tailz.”

Danni took a moment to gather herself before answering curtly. “Yes, he found a young girl whose parents were also murdered by Tailz on his way out of town.” She balled her fists. The whole notion made her so irritable and angry, and incredibly snappish. There was no reason Cerberus should get any slack. She drove her finger into Cerberus’ chest. It was like pushing on a stout tree. “That’s two more lives taken by him. Do you realize how many people are sick of you now? How many people are talking? They’re blaming you, you know.” Several of the patients sitting and laying around all looked towards the pair, and then found someplace else to lay their gaze upon.

Cerberus looked at her finger calmly and then back to her, eyes unblinking. “Tailz never brought his rifle into town. He passed successfully as a traveler from another village. The only way they would associate this traveler with me would be if someone told them.”

Danni’s face turned red. “What are you saying?!”

Cerberus stare seemed to go right through her, too knowing. “It makes no difference; their opinions matter not to me. Where is the girl I can speak to?”

Danni’s anger completely disappeared into her thoughts. Did he hear…? I didn’t mean… I didn’t think it would… He’s not mad at me? She blushed deeper, ashamed.

“Danni?”

She blinked out of her thoughts. “Oh, right, she’s over here.” She led Cerberus to one of the rows of people lining the small building to a girl, staring up at the sky, her eyes red, and out of tears. Looking at her from this angle, Danni realized she really was not that much younger than her after all. She was put off by the girl’s height, remembering that she had only come up to Fenix’s chest. A couple of years difference, maximum. So a woman, not a girl. “Her name’s Deia.”

At the sound of her name, Deia looked over and watched Danni and Cerberus approaching. She stood up warily, putting an arm behind her to balance herself as she raised, and took a step back to keep space between herself and the pair. Cerberus stepped up to the spot she had been laying in and eyed her up and down. “You saw a man? Red hair? Called himself Miles?”

Deia’s eyebrows drew together. “Why?”

Danni wanted to admonish Cerberus for not being a little more sensitive, but something made her watch as Cerberus and Deia stared at one another. Nearly a minute passed as their eyes were locked together. It seemed as if Cerberus was considering how to approach this.

Eventually, he sighed and crossed his arms. “His true name is Tailz. I’m going to track him down and kill him.” Danni saw Deia’s eyes widen, and then focus on Cerberus. She was listening intently. “You are the last one who saw him out of town.” He paused and tilted his head. “I need to know everything you know.” He looked at Deia, waiting.

Danni interjected. “What he says is true. Cerberus has been searching for the man for some time. Tailz knows that Cerberus is here for him, and he’s already attempted to kill Cerberus once.”

Deia looked at Cerberus. “What do you need from me?”

“I don’t know. Whatever you’ve got. I need anything from you that helps explain what he’s doing. I know him well, and I can track him down. But I don’t know what his goals are…” Cerberus motioned to the smothered buildings throughout Tel. “He could leave at anytime, and yet, he stays, and accomplishes… what?”

“And that will help you kill him?” Deia’s focusing glare turned to a look that Danni did not like.

“It may. Depends on what you know.”

Deia hesitated for a moment, obviously thinking, and a shrewd smile crawled across her face. “On one condition.”

Danni rolled her eyes and started forward. “Listen, you, he’s trying to help…” She ran into a practical solid wall.

Cerberus’ arm held Danni back, effectively cutting her off. “What’s your condition?”

Danni gasped. “What could she–?” Cerberus’ gaze cut her short.

Deia shared her smile between both of them. “I want to go with you when you do it. Kill… Tailz.”

Danni could not believe her ears. “But–! You–! Bah!”

“Done.” Cerberus offered his hand. Deia looked at it for a moment, and then put her hand in his. Cerberus let go of her hand and nodded, and then started walking down the path towards the center of the destruction. “Let’s go talk about what you know.”

A flabbergasted Danni watched as they moved away. She can’t be serious!

* * * * *

The wooden carriage rumbled loudly down the path leading south from Tel. Tailz, with one hand on his phasic rifle and one in his sack, sat back, contemplating. The two lesser idiots actually had some bandages on hand, which was fortunate, as he had used most of them. His chest was the worst of his injuries, burnt so that the slightest movement pained him. He had various burns and bruises on his body from the initial surge, but all in all he was comparatively unscathed. Thinking of the carnage that had taken the village, he was surprised that it had happened so, but he was not about to start complaining.

He pulled his hand out of his sack, holding in it his treasure. Something so small, and yet, so powerful. A small glass sphere, the inside a translucent crimson, bathed the small cabin in a soft red light. Within its center Tailz could make out a small marking, but it was nothing he had ever seen before. It did not matter; he could hear it, resonating in his head. Once he had silenced the village’s leader, he was able to hear it in the room, locked in a small box inside a chest. Its reverberations drew him right to it. It sang to him… called to him…

Smothering that line of thought, he shook his head and placed the sphere back in his sack. He did not need another outburst. Listening to its sweet melody reverberate in his head was what had ignited it the first time. He had to learn how to control its power. But that could come later. Once he had them all.

He had to learn to control himself first. Sitting there, besides the faint hum of the sphere that he toned out, he heard the random thoughts of the two men above him. Nothing useful. He never heard anything useful. Tailz only grasped random thoughts and images, and rarely was it coherent. If only I could actively use it… I probably could’ve left the village intact.

He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He had enough blood on his hands as it was. Adding more made no difference now. The Union could not reach him out here.

…The Terra Scouts marched in rhythm down the main hallway of Union Command. Fully armed and in battle dress, every officer that crossed their path literally dived out of their way. It was rare enough that one Scout was seen at all, and a sight that, but today something was up. They had all been summoned to the Will of the Union, and they obeyed without hesitation. The Terra Scouts were the arm of the Will, to do as the Will pleased. None ignored the call of the Will, and the Scouts led by example.

Tailz walked in line directly behind his commander, a taller Scout named Cerberus. They had talked at length the night before on the importance of this summons. Neither one had a clue what was so important that required the full strength of the Scouts. They would not—could not—ignore the summons, but it did not make much sense.

Wow! That’s a lot! Scouts! What are they doing here? They’re so young… Why so many? Better keep moving… The random thoughts Tailz could hear echoed in his mind. For the last few months he had been having trouble separating their thoughts from his own. At first Tailz thought they were his thoughts, until one of his missions landed him in a roomful of women. Blushing slightly, Tailz marched on. He did not think the other Scouts had this…ability…and he was not about to start waving it about. They would likely think he had gone crazy. They never mentioned anything similar, and Tailz never caught a whiff of thought from them saying otherwise. Tailz knew they selected the most elite Humans for Scout status, based on tests and training exercises. If anyone would end up with the ability to hear others’ minds, it’d be a Scout.

As they approached the Chamber of the Will, six guards, armed with phasic rifles, spread out, and lowered their weapons at the Scouts. Cerberus glanced back at Tailz, who obviously was as baffled as his commander. Only six guards, pointing weapons at the entire squad of Scouts? Two Scouts would easily win, and all of them made it tamer than a training exercise. Cerberus held his fist up, ordering a halt to the other Scouts. “What is this nonsense? We have come on a direct summons to the Will. As the Will commands, so do we obey, and no one will obstruct us. Lay down your arms and move so that we may enter the Chamber.”

The men held their arms steady. One of them spoke in a loud clear voice. “It is the order of the Will that only one has been summoned into the Chamber itself.” Cerberus blinked, and looked back again. This had not been in the orders. Tailz shrugged and motioned back to the guard, who had continued. “Terra Scout Tailz is to approach the Will. The others are to remain outside the Chamber.”

Tailz went wide-eyed. “Me?” Formality went out the window. “What the hell are you talking about? I was the first one here for the summons! Why didn’t you tell me this before? I waited for nearly a month for the other Scouts to arrive? They come from all over Union’s reach, and now they’re all supposed to just sit outside?!”

Cerberus reached back and put an arm on Tailz’ shoulder. “Calm down, man. It’s the Will we’re talking about here.”

Tailz’ eyes flashed, then he closed them. He sighed and nodded. “You’re right… sorry.” Tailz stripped himself of all weapons, and presented himself to the guards. “I stand ready.”

One of the guards nodded. They lowered their weapons and pulled open the wide double doors enough for one man to enter at a time. After Tailz walked in, all but one of the guards followed in behind him. The one left outside approached Cerberus, apparently talking. The doors swung shut.

Tailz looked at the guards. “Hey, you’re not supposed to have weapons in here.”

The man who spoke earlier answered him. “You follow your orders, I’ll follow mine.” With that, he stood at attention looking into the chamber. A thought wafted to Tailz from him. Freak… Startled, Tailz stared at him for a minute before walking into the chamber.

Along with three old men in the center of the Chamber, the Willers, he saw a dozen other people in the chamber. Normally, the Willers convene with only themselves and the summoned. They were all talking amongst themselves, a dull whisper of conversation that faded away as Tailz entered. The thoughts overwhelmed him, focused at him. Here he is… he doesn’t look so scary… He should not be allowed to walk around! The rules are clear! Tailz recognized them as some of the highest officers in Command. He had never heard such things as he was hearing in his mind, and for the first time since becoming a Scout, felt uneasy.

He approached the three men, and lowered himself to his knees. Tailz leaned forward and kissed the floor. “As you have summoned, I have come.” He kissed the floor again. The thoughts raced in his mind. He must die! He must die! “The Union gives me great honor.” He kissed the floor a third time. “How may I serve the Will of the Union?”

“Rise, Terra. The Children of the Will always stand in our presence.” Tailz stood, and looked at the Willers. He could not hear any thoughts from them. Tilting his head for a moment, Tailz realized he could not hear any thoughts at all. Oh, great. NOW they stop. They had always come in and out without control. “Are you listening for the whispers that speak to you inside?” Startled, Tailz jumped and stared at the Willer, who nodded satisfactorily. “I see. You have developed the gift. We had thought so for some time.”

They know… How…?

Because we hear the whispers too, Terra.

Tailz staggered back holding his head. That was not just a whisper. It resounded, echoing into his mind. “Wha–?” He shook his head, and stared defiantly at the Willers. “What does this mean?”

“Before the Disaster, Humans frivolously used devices that amplified the Human mind. They were able to speak directly to each other, but without speech.” Tailz nodded impatiently. He knew this already. “When the Ruins were found deep within Earth’s crust, the scientists who went to investigate were also equipped with these devices. There, they communed with the gods, and the gods found them unfit to speak for the planet, and unleashed the powers that would destroy Earth. Thus began the Disaster.”

Tailz had never heard this part about gods before. “Excuse me Willer, but I use no such devices. What does this have to do with me?”

The three Willers looked down upon Tailz. “We cannot risk anyone unworthy speaking to the gods again, regardless of whether they use such devices or not. Terra, you know that your life is bound to the Will. We gave you life only to serve us, and we may end that service when necessary.”

Tailz blinked and looked about. “Gave me life? What are you talking about? Wait… end my service?” Tailz took a step back as all the talking and thoughts came together in his head. Everything happened in a flash. At the last minute, he noticed the door guards sneaking up behind him.

“Restrain him. He must be given a termination fitting for those who served well for the Union.” The Willers pointed in unison at Tailz.

Tailz’ reflexes put him into action. Grabbing the first guard, he kicked high into the man’s head, sending him sprawling. Snatching the guard’s rifle on the way, he got four blasts into the other guards before they had a chance to react. He ran for the door to the Chamber. He could hear commotion from those watching as he exited.

“HOLD!” cried Cerberus. Tailz looked to see every Scout aiming their phasic pistols on the door. At Cerberus’ command, they lowered their weapons. “Whew, we almost killed you, Tailz! What’s going on?”

“It’s crazy! Wait, why were you all ready to shoot?”

Cerberus shrugged. “We were told to kill anything that came out if it wasn’t one of the guards. Then we heard those blasts and…” Cerberus eyes lit on the rifle Tailz had in his hands. His eyes narrowed. “Tailz…?”

Tailz panicked. He had to leave, and quickly. He ran past the other Scouts and down the hallway. As he retreated, he could hear them talking.

“So what are we supposed to do, Cerberus?” asked one.

Silence.

“Cerberus?”

“Tailz… Tailz is our target.” A collective gasp. “Alright, Scouts, move!”

The carriage stopping broke Tailz from his reverie. He glanced at the door as it opened, and one of the idiots stuck his head in.

“Uh…boss,” Jif stuttered, “it’s too dark to keep traveling anymore… we might break something…”

Tailz flew over and grabbed Jif’s collar. “Keep moving! Get a lamp, you lazy bastard! We don’t stop ‘til we get to Srynn!” Tossing him out of the carriage and slamming the door shut, Tailz went back to the small bench inside the wooden carriage. Not comfortable, but sleep was not close by anyhow.

* * * * *

Xia felt nervous summoning the council instead of his father, but he felt it the right thing to do. Several salvaged benches that had been used around the village’s stage constituted their seating for their meeting. Several standing torches were lit in the dark twilight to illuminate the area, their soft orange light lapping and dancing on the faces of those present. It was a solemn meeting; most of the council members were simply staring at the ground beneath them, or off at the sky, refusing to look at the damage that had infiltrated their lives, as if they were not covered in soot and ashes themselves. The town decidedly appeared much cleaner than it had earlier in the evening, but it would be a long time before anything would be close to normal. Houses had to be rebuilt, and the Inn and other larger structures were still being hosed down from the pump that ran to the lake.

Fenix leaned forward on the front bench, his sword drawn and using it to draw in the dirt in front of him. Ternagis had found the time to attach the small medal to him that showed his new station as Master’s Apprentice. Looking at him, Xia knew now how effectively Ternagis had chosen when he picked Fenix. Fenix used the town guard effectively, and was a major factor in accomplishing a lot of the work in the town. Xia was able to entrust larger tasks to Fenix, and he in turn would delegate portions of the task throughout his force. At one point, Fenix was running multiple operations: distributing food, rescuing the injured, putting out fires, and so on. Fortunately, a good portion of the town guard were on the outskirts of Tel during the chaos, and were mostly unharmed, and well to assist. Even Ternagis deferred to Fenix’s suggestions at several points in the evening, stating that “Logic overruled rank.” Many a survivor could be attributed solely to Fenix and his squad. Xia had actually called Ternagis to this meeting, but the Captain insisted Fenix attend, claiming he was too busy handling several of Fenix’s tasks, and that Fenix would better use any information gathered.

Fenix and Danni’s fathers sat together, their heads together, speaking softly. Terov’s farm had not been directly affected by the disaster, but he had willingly, without hesitation, donated the remainder of his vegetables and crops to the people of Tel. As wonderful a gesture it was, even farmers had to make money, and he would be feeling that gesture in his pockets eventually, especially come tilling season. Xia had decided to remove all taxes from Terov’s farm and his sales until he earned back the amount he donated. It was only fair.

Fenix’s father, on the other hand, had been directly impacted. The foundry used to construct the tools and parts needed to construct houses had been one of the first buildings to fall, following the Inn and Mayor’s Residence. Coole and his builders had spent all night, working to put out fires, and making the minor repairs to the buildings that had not been badly damaged. Fenix had suggested to his father that all the houses that could be fixed quickly be done so, and then double up families into those homes. Repairs to the foundry would immediately follow, and then construction on new homes.

Victor sat straddled on one of the benches, also keeping his mind occupied, staring at the charred remains of the stage they had built less than a week earlier. According to him, the worst injuries were those immediately surrounding Xia’s home when it split apart. Victor compared it to cloth splitting. Those who had not died immediately, died in the hours following from deep piercings from flying wooden shards. More people died from that initial blast, he said, than the other damage around town.

Xia had assumed that the damage around town had happened in one large explosion. Arriving in the chaos, he had no time to stop and ask what had happened, but later, after speaking with Victor, he realized the true nature of events. Multiple explosions, happening independently of one another, burst randomly throughout town, igniting many things, from houses to carts to clothing hanging to dry. He had even seen two people who had burned to death; they had just…ignited. They panicked until they passed out, and those nearby feared to approach them. The chaos was absolute.

These people deserved a right to answers to what had happened. He looked to the one he summoned who was not on the council, but who was their hope to answering these questions. Cerberus stood at the far end of the benches, away from the others who had collected here. The girl who came to town this evening, Deia, stood at his side. The two of them were looking at the tracking device Cerberus had fashioned together from the spare parts in his spacecraft. He had not seen Cerberus more than three feet away from her all night long; she insisted on shadowing him, and, odder still, he allowed it. For the past two days he had been here, he had been focused on his duties, and stayed apart from the others. Cerberus allowing Deia to be so close to him was… interesting to say the least.

But what was also interesting was his assistance around town. Xia half-expected him to immediately run off, chasing after Tailz. Xia knew Cerberus was losing valuable time by staying here and helping. Even with the uncomfortable silences and voids of people that followed him when he moved about the town, his dedication to helping the villagers and his effectiveness directing people rivaled Fenix’s. Xia just did not understand why. Grief… Sadness… Pity… He dismissed the different ideas that came to him. Whatever it was, the villagers of Tel owed him for his assistance.

“Well, let’s get this underway.” Xia said. “I’m sure you all know why we’re here.”

“Well, I don’t.” Terov grunted. “At least not him.” He pointed at Cerberus, who, along with Deia, had approached the benches to join the others.

“Cerberus is here because he helped us.” Fenix stood up, sheathing his sword and facing Terov. “He does not have to be here.”

“Damned if he doesn’t!” replied Terov. “If he hadn’t been, none of this would’ve happened!” He turned to Cerberus, shaking a fat finger.

“That’s enough.” Xia said. Terov rounded on Xia, but before he could speak, Xia put his finger up. “Don’t start with me. We’re holding committee, and I am the Mayor.” It felt odd, saying that.

Terov’s face twisted, hesitating, then he sat down on the bench, fuming.

Xia continued. “However, that’s not the main reason I called you here. My main concern is the status of the town, and what we’re looking at here. First, Doctor Johens, how are the patients recovering?”

Victor stood up and spoke. “As to that, I can pretty much say that we have helped everyone that we have gotten to. No one has died under my care. As I said before, a majority of the fatalities happened in the opening moments. That’s not to say nothing bad hasn’t happened yet; the injured are still coming in at a steady stream, and I’m doing what I can. I’ve been sending the less injured away so I can treat those who need me more. I’m running low on supplies though; I’ve used a year’s worth of salves and medicinal herbs. I think it may a good idea to send runners to Chalen, Srynn, and Metson.”

Xia nodded. “Done. Fenix? Arrange for the runners.” Fenix saluted. “Good. That brings me to the next topic. Where are we putting everyone? We need to find everyone a place out of the winds. Master Down?”

“The houses that need only minor repairs will be completed by week’s end.” Coole said as he stood, and Victor sat down. “That will let us double and triple up families in homes. The foundry will be completed in a month’s time, and we can get started on new homes.”

“Good, good. Fenix, how goes it with you?”

Fenix spoke from where he was still standing. “The flames will finally be out by morning. There’s still quite a bit of rubble to go through. A lot of people were saved thanks to the town guard, but the number of people found alive is diminishing as the hours go by. As for the guard, although most of them are personally affected by this, they keep working hard and tirelessly. When this is all said and done, we need to relieve a lot of them for extra personal time.”

Xia nodded. He had not thought of that. “Good again. Keep up on that. And finally, I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work. I think in light of things, we are handling the situation rather well. I will take any positive I can get.” Of course, no one mentioned the number of graves being dug just outside the town. It was just too painful. “Also, thanks to Master Lants for donating all his food to the town. It has been a great help.” Motioning to Terov, everyone nodded. The twisted look fell from Terov’s face, replaced by a small smile. “In thanks to all your effort, I’m going to waive all taxes for this year to help repay you for your time and goods.” The looks on everyone faces were thoughtful. No one was thinking of the monetary repercussions of this tragedy, only caring for the others in the village. Xia beamed with a sudden pride. I’m so lucky to have grown up here.

The others obviously came to the same conclusion. They all took a moment to look at each other, and then turned to the village, taking it in. In silence, the small congregation stood, watching the wisps of smoke rise up into the dark sky, blanketing out the stars in the sky. It seemed no different than a foggy night, with the exception of the downed buildings, of course. It was nothing the people could not handle. There was nothing the people of Tel could not overcome. Victor reached over and put his hand on the rough farmer’s shoulder. Terov looked back at the doctor and nodded.

After a few minutes, a clearing throat turned everyone back to the meeting. Cerberus had moved next to Xia at the head of the group. Deia took a seat on the front bench nearest to Xia and Cerberus, keeping her gaze either on the ground in front of her, or on Cerberus himself. For the first time, Xia took a moment to really look at them. Cerberus had somewhere found clothing that fit him in town; no trace of the uniform he had worn was seen. He had dark, almost black, pants pushed into soft brown boots, tied to his waist with a thick black cord. His pistol, holstered on his side by that same cord, looked both out of place by his clothes and a natural part of the man by his stance. He wore a woolen coat that hung to his thighs over a plain white shirt. If it was not for the way he flittered his gaze all around, constantly watching for threats, you would think he was a normal villager. Well, that and his pistol.

He had not expected Deia. When she arrived, she had on a torn blue dress. Now, she looked identical to Cerberus, the same pants, boots, and coat. Her hair, previously long and dark down her shoulders, was tied back behind her head. She had gotten a small blade from somewhere, and had it tucked into her pants. Xia shook his head. She was definitely dedicated to Cerberus. He was going to have to ask Fenix what happened between those two. And where she got the blade from.

“I know many of you are confused as to exactly what happened today.” Everybody stood transfixed on Cerberus’ words. “To be honest, it’s hard for me to explain, but I will try as best I can.” He cleared his throat, and launched into his story.

Cerberus told it from the beginning. Cerberus and Tailz met one another when they were selected for candidacy to become elite soldiers for the Union at a young age. Supporting one another though their training, the pair were selected to complete the current complement of Scouts.

Cerberus, having scored higher in leadership ability and tactical thinking, was placed at the head of the unit. Tailz was selected as second-in-command, being unequaled with his lightning reflexes and skill with weaponry. The two served several years together on various missions for Union Command.

Tailz himself was the hardest thing for Cerberus to talk about. He seemed angry one moment, sad the next. He explained that Tailz was the closest thing to a friend Cerberus had ever had. Scouts were kept usually separate from one another, communicating over long distances and organizing complicated operations without catching sight of one another. The Terra Scouts were told to forego emotion and friendship; it was a hindrance to their overall mission.

Tailz and Cerberus interpreted that to mean outside the Scouts themselves. Cerberus believed there was a bond between them that he could not understand, but regardless of the distance between them, he took comfort in the fact that he would have a familiar face to see at some point in the distant future. Tailz seemed to share the feeling.

It would come back to haunt him, it seemed. Cerberus made a fatal mistake hesitating for his friend, and did not order the death of Tailz as he should have done. Tailz had been cornered by the full force of the remaining Scouts, and Cerberus, unwilling to kill his friend, attempted to reason with him. The end result was three Scouts killed that night. He would not make the same mistake twice.

The stealing of the prototype craft that moved faster than light was what set events in motion for Tel. Tailz had penetrated a secure battlecraft that had been experimenting with the craft, and the Scouts were there behind him. Four more dead Scouts later, Tailz found a way out to this solar system. Cerberus’ traced and followed Tailz, effecting Cerberus’ arrival on Landing and to Tel.

“We know already that Tailz must have seen me go down, or was nearby to detect the signal of my ship. What we did not expect was what else he found on his way down. As he came closer to the planet, he picked up other signals from all over the planet. These were strong, stronger than anything we’ve ever known. He saw them, and recognized them. I became a secondary priority at that point.”

“Recognized them?” Fenix asked.

“I’ll explain in a moment. The closest signal to where he came down was located right here in Tel. I believe him trying to kill me was more of an added plus for him. He had always wanted to stop me from trying to kill him first, but he was interested in this energy he saw, and needed me away from Tel to investigate. Unfortunately, I went to find my ship, allowing Tailz to slip into town. He is very persuasive and convincing, and we know now that he got help from outsiders to make his way into the village causing little to no comment. He found whatever it was that created the signal, and then used it to destroy the village.”

“What he found there, where Xia’s father resided, is a rare item indeed, only thought to exist on Earth many years ago, before the Disaster. One of four unique items in a set that contain unimaginable power. Scouts are taught to recognize the signatures of the power’s energy, and to report them immediately. You see, it was the four of these things brought together and having them that caused the Disaster in the first place. Men equipped with devices that allowed them to speak to each other through their minds reacted with the power, igniting it.” Cerberus turned and motioned towards the village. “You see their power. This is nothing compared to their force together. The Spherics are the greatest sources of energy known, and they were thought to be unique to Earth. Knowing that they were not manmade and hidden deep within the crust of the planet, the Union could not risk the chance that they may others in existence, so they trained their top soldiers and commanders to identify them, or other similar objects.”

“If this is the case, how come you didn’t see them first?” Coole demanded.

“Well, first, I didn’t have the use of this tracker,” he held up his small black box, “until we arrived at my ship. At that point I only calibrated it for the local area, and only saw the one Spheric Tailz was after. Earlier tonight, I changed my tracker to view a much wider area, and I’m picking up three other faint signals. I can’t pinpoint their exact location, because they are too far away, but I can give a direction, because the Spherics react to one another, no matter how far apart they are. Seeing all four signals is what reminded me of the Spherics.”

Cerberus cleared his throat again, and continued. “What I do not understand is how Tailz can use them, or even if he can. For all I know it set off on accident. To be honest, I don’t think he would kill a village full of innocent people. He had not hurt any bystanding innocents during the entire time I’ve been after him until recently.”

“Bullshit!” Deia cried. “He murdered my parents in cold blood! Don’t you dare have sympathy for him now!” Everyone started at her outburst, and looked at her, standing, poised on two feet.

Cerberus put his hands up. “I said until recently. Until arriving here, he only killed those who put themselves against him or were pursuing him. I’m just saying it doesn’t make sense. He will die one way or another for his actions, but I need to know why.” Staring at Deia for a moment, he lowered his voice. “If only for my own sanity.” Deia relented, and sat back down.

“What are you going to do?” Xia asked.

“There are still some traces of the energy left behind. I’m going to study them first. Then, I’m going to follow after Tailz.”

* * * * *

Fenix and Xia walked slowly down the path, following Victor to the doctor’s office. As they came upon the lines of people laid out in the grass, Danni stepped deftly among everyone to approach them. “How did everything go…?” Xia heard the unsaid ‘since it’s your first meeting as Mayor.’ He bowed his head and shrugged. Danni stared sadly into his eyes. Xia had not been able to speak to Danni since everything happened, she kept looking at him with those eyes, and he could feel that she knew his sadness, that she wanted to help, but did not know how. He knew that he would not be able to keep his composure if he stopped to speak to her, so he kept avoiding her, waiting for the right time. It just never kept coming.

Fenix spoke for him. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’re doing all that can be done. There’s nothing we can’t rebound from. It’s just going to take time.”

Danni nodded vaguely, still meeting eyes with Xia.

“That, and Cerberus is going after Tailz. And he’s taking that one girl with him.”

Danni blinked, and moved her gaze to Fenix. “He’s WHAT?” Fenix explained the meeting and what they had discussed to her. “He’s just going off, like that? What if something happens? He could get himself killed!”

“I think he knows that,” Victor said, trying to soothe Danni, “but he’s been through a lot too, chasing him through space and all. I think he’ll be fine. Plus,” the Doctor sighed, “it may be best for the townspeople that he leaves, so there is no outsider in the midst, one could say. We should leave well enough alone and continue our work. Let him do what he needs to do, and then send him on his way.”

Sighing, Danni nodded. “You’re right.” Turning to Xia and Fenix, her face softened. “Xia, and Fenix,” she added as an afterthought, “you look really worn down. You should both go find a soft place to lay down for a while.”

Xia looked at Danni, but just could not open his mouth. He felt worn down. He felt like finding a nice rock somewhere and hiding beneath it for the rest of his life. But this town was his duty now. They needed him. His father would expect him to step up and give what little he had back to the village he grew up in.

Danni took one of Xia’s hands into hers. “Please?”

Xia nodded vaguely, but it took Fenix putting his arm around his shoulders to pull him towards the clearing where spare blankets and coverings were making makeshift pallets. “Don’t worry, friend.” Fenix said. “We’re right here for you.”