Chapter 3 Clan #2
“Besides,” Mei stated, pushing off from the wall, “this fight will not be a physical one. We already know what happens if it is. And Illarion and Mephous are blunt instruments.”
“Yes, I know, but--”
“You picture us all together, as a clan,” Jahara said with a soft, sad smile. “It is such a beautiful dream. But like my own of having us all in one territory, it is… a pipe dream.”
Kaila came over and hugged him. “Mephous and Illarion are big dummies. They should stay. You asked them. But they can’t get past their own ego.”
“It truly is as Tez said, dear,” Esme added, “that Illarion has been looking for an excuse to leave that has nothing to do with the truth of why he’s really going.”
“Which is?” Caden asked.
“Unrest, dear.” Her expression was sad. “Illarion made himself into a tyrant. Fear breeds resentment breeds violence. He’s going to lose control of his territory to war sooner than later.”
“So the longer he’s away…” Caden realized then what she was trying to say.
“The further control slips from his fingers,” Esme finished with a nod.
“A war will be just what the Behemoth wants.” Jahara shook her head in despair.
“And it could pull in my territory too!” Mei gave an angry shake of her head. “I am risking the security of my territory by being here.”
“What of your mechanical men, Mei? You are not just down to Adama, surely,” Esme pointed out. “Even with the slag fest that occurred here.”
Mei shook her head. “No, but Illarion got some of his hackers to breach my firewalls. I haven’t patched that up yet. And I need to make more if there’s going to be a civil war right beside me.”
Mei’s hands fisted at her sides. Caden went over to her. She eyed him warily at first, but then that bled away and she accepted his hands on hers.
“I know this is hard, Mei. I understand you want to protect yourself and your people, but--”
“Illarion is nothing compared to the Behemoth.” Mei gave him a faint smile.
“Yes, I know. But we can’t stay here forever, Caden.
The Behemoth has waited decades yet, they may wait decades more before acting.
I know that sounds like a long time to you right now.
But it isn’t for a creature like the Behemoth. ”
Caden understood what she meant, but he was just as certain that it wouldn’t wait that long to attack. But he had nothing but his gut to rely upon and someone like Mei wouldn’t be persuaded by that. So he just nodded and released her.
“I can do some of my work here,” Mei said. “I need to get to it.”
“I am still tracking down Serai’s possible contacts. I’m finding some connections, but nothing that I want to share quite yet, but soon!” Esme said and bussed Caden’s cheeks that did bring a genuine smile from him.
“My people are looking into whether there is any way to track Spirit energy. Perhaps there are swells when the walls are opened or will show us where the Behemoth is,” Jahara stated.
“I have nothing to offer but my fists,” Kaila said. “But I will use them to defend the people of this world against evil.”
“I welcome your and Lana’s strength, Kaila. Everyone brings something to the table,” Valerius told her genuinely.
Esme, Mei, Jahara, and Kaila all left the tower room with promises to be ready at a moment’s notice if something happened at the wall.
“My people are at your command, Valerius,” Tez stated. “Like Kaila, I feel I do not have much else to offer, but my friendship and loyalty.”
“Perhaps Marban could use your people to find more walls,” Valerius suggested.
Marban nodded slowly. “Yes, yes, I could always use more warm bodies. Tez, join me for a drink. Have you ever had Ambrosia?”
“I haven’t!” Tez blinked.
Caden chuckled, remembering how drunk Valerius had gotten on the stuff.
Tez allowed Marban to lead him out of the room as well. Anwar went over to Valerius. “While you look for the human counterpart, I am going to comb through my territory’s histories to find out something about the original wall. Maybe that is the key to finding out the makers of these new walls.”
Valerius nodded. “Thank you, Anwar. If not for you we would not have known any of this.”
Anwar gave a graceful bow and came over to Caden. He put both hands on Caden’s shoulders. Caden tried to brighten for him, but he couldn’t help but feel he had failed in keeping Illarion here.
“I can see that you feel badly about Illarion choosing to leave,” Anwar said with a knowing look. He had been here the shortest amount of time, but seemed to know Caden so well already.
Caden nodded. “I realize that Illarion has issues. There are things about him that I object to. He can be a bully and a cretin and cruel but…”
“But you feel he can be redeemed?” Anwar gave him a crooked smile and nodded.
“Yes, few have thought as you do, but I think you are right. To be honest, Illarion has been more honest and thoughtful with you than I have seen him before. But Esme is quite correct that he has made a terrible mess and he will reap the whirlwind in time.”
“I just want…” Caden pressed his lips together. They were trembling and he felt the absurd urge to cry. He couldn’t believe he was considering crying about Illarion!
Anwar embraced him and soothed him. “It is all right, White Dragon. Let it out. So much has happened. It has been very hard.”
Caden tried to hold the tears in, but he found himself ugly crying on Anwar’s shoulder. Surprising, for one so beautifully dressed--and he remembered what Esme had said about Anwar being particular--Anwar seemed not to be concerned in the least for snot on his clothes.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Caden pulled back as he tried to get a hold of himself. “It’s just… as long as we’re all together there’s hope that this can be stopped. If we break apart…”
Anwar nodded as if his left off sentences made sense.
He appeared calm and collected. Caden suddenly felt the gulf of their ages.
He caught sight of Valerius out of the corner of his eyes.
The Black Dragon King was preparing two glasses of wine for them.
Caden was surprised that he wasn’t acting jealous.
And then Caden felt over their bond and realized that caring outweighed jealousy by a mile.
Valerius knew that Anwar was being his friend.
“When I arrived here, Caden, I was expecting to find my fellow Dragon Shifters at each other’s throats,” Anwar said with a broad smile.
Caden lifted an eyebrow. “And you think they’re not?”
Anwar’s laughter was rich and musical. It reminded Caden of vast open deserts and brilliant clear skies.
“Oh, yes, but not in the way we have been. There was sniping, of course. Our personalities contrast and sometimes cause issues between us, but the moment I arrived, I felt something was different.”
Rose handed him a Kleenix, which Caden gratefully used. “What was that?”
“There was a camaraderie I had never felt before. We were a clan. We were connected. It was not Dragon against Dragon, but the Dragons together against a common foe to protect our people.”
“That’s what I want,” Caden got out. He grimaced. “I know that’s not my call. I’m coming in here and acting like what I think should have some weight--”
“Of course it should!” Anwar grinned. “We’ve been too long on our own. We came together during the war because of the sheer force of Valerius’ personality and the need to do so. But wanting to be near one another? Seeking each others’ counsel? I think not. But that’s there now.”
“It’s falling apart though. Illarion is just the first,” Caden got out. “All of you will have to go back to your territories and the threat of the Behemoth will still be out there.”
“Even when we do go back, we are still connected. Not only does this shared threat connect us, but so does you and Iolaire bring us together.” Another bright, beaming smile lit Anwar’s face.
“We have a baby Dragon to take care of. A new member of our clan that both needs our help and will help us see ourselves.”
Caden found himself smiling through his tears. “I’ve felt since all of you are here that the world is safer.”
“It is. And physical separation won’t change that,” Anwar assured him, squeezing his shoulders. “Illarion is a troubled soul. But you have reached him. Valerius can tell you that most of all. I did not think it was possible. But… Illarion is Illarion.”
Caden’s head bobbed as he understood the heart of that message. Illarion was who he was. Caden could not change him. Illarion could only change himself if he so chose, and maybe there wasn’t a lot of room to make that change.
“Now, rest. Take comfort in Valerius and we shall meet again in the morning,” Anwar told him.
Again, Caden nodded. Emotions clogged his throat to the point where he could not speak. Anwar hugged him again, waved at Valerius and Rose before taking his leave.
Rose had gotten awkwardly to her feet. Her expression was shadowed. Caden feared it was because she still was blaming herself for not reporting the wall to Marban, but there was something more to her look. She was troubled.
“Hey, Rose, what’s up?” he asked as he tried to rub away the emotion of the day from his face.
“I’m… I’m not sure. I need to ah… I need to go,” she said.
Caden blinked. He had sort of been hoping she would stay with him and Valerius a bit as they watched the video feed of the wall. But she wouldn’t even meet his gaze.
“Uh, you don’t have to. We’d love to have you--”
“Thanks, but I… I have to go.” Realizing that the sharpness of her tone might have hurt his feelings, she quickly added, “Another time. I promise.”
“Okay…” Caden wasn’t sure what was going on here.
Clearly, there was something on Rose’s mind, but she wasn’t going to share the burden of what it was.
He hugged her and she gave him a firm hug back, but then she was pulling away and heading out the door as if something haunted her footsteps.
When the door closed behind her, Caden turned to Valerius.
“Well, I guess no one wants to be with us!”
Valerius chuckled. “I guess not. Good thing we have each other.”
The Black Dragon King opened his arms and Caden eagerly went into them, but as he did so, his eyes caught movement on the screen. His head snapped towards it even as his body froze. Valerius did the same.
The wall quivered.
Caden was reminded of a still pond when a stone was thrown in and the concentric circles that spread out to the water’s edge. That was happening here. Except nothing had been dropped into the wall, something was coming out.
It was a figure. A man was stepping through the wall and into the corridor. In some ways, Caden wasn’t surprised by who it was. After all, he’d always believed that Jasper Hawes had wanted power for power’s sake, not because he was really inclined to help humanity.
“Of course… wait… what?” Caden gasped.
Jasper wasn’t the only one coming out of the wall. Landry emerged next. Then her brothers. Then people Caden didn’t know. Dozens upon dozens of people emerged from the wall. It was then that Caden realized that all had eyeshine. All were Shifters.
Except…
“They are all the Behemoth,” Valerius hissed between his teeth. “There are hundreds of them.”