Jean Lorrah - Flight to Savage Empire

But she moaned, sweat beading her face, her mind caught in some distant horror. Then she gave a despairing cry and went limp in his arms.

As Zanos was trying to rouse her, the earth shook.

In the Settlement it was no more than a vibration, as of a herd of horses galloping by. But in Tiberium-

Astra opened weary eyes, but Zanos was relieved that at least she was now looking at him. Then she looked over at Javik. “You Read?”

He nodded. “Part of it-but I was able to withdraw. “

“What happened?” Zanos demanded.

“They were trying to save Tiberium from the earthquake,” said Astra, “but-oh, Zanos, hundreds of people died!”

“They-the savage alliance?”

“Yes. Lenardo, Aradia, Lilith-all their allies. There is no question about it: their intentions were to save Tiberium-but they could not avert the prophecy.”

“But… the prophecy was about the eclipse, and that’s not till Summer Festival.”

“No,” she replied, shaking her head sadly. “The moon was the Dark Moon; the sun was the symbol of the Emperor and his family-including Portia. The whole royal family perished. Portia and Marina are dead. The senate was in an emergency session concerning corruption in the Academy system-and the whole building collapsed on them! Zanos… I have just witnessed the fall of the Aventine Empire!”

Even Zanos, who had so hated the country that had held him captive, felt a twinge of sadness. And for Astra it had been home, the land of her birth. He held her, and let her tell him of what she had witnessed, purge herself of the terrible details of her homeland’s destruction.

The Emperor had been reviewing his troops in preparation for another assault against the savages.

Lenardo and his cohorts were spread the length of the empire, trying to ease the strain on the underground fault which ran right down its center. To aid them, they had recruited hundreds of Dark Moon Readers-people dissatisfied enough to listen to the strangers, and willing to aid in saving their homeland when they were shown the genuine danger.

Until the actual event.

Lenardo’s astonishing powers had not only pulled Astra into the rapport; they had united all those hundreds of Readers into one group mind. Through the Master Reader’s powers they had Read the proof of betrayal-and taken their revenge, using the mind-blind Adepts they guided not to ease the fault, but to set it off, centering on Tiberium-crumbling the buildings around the forum, destroying the senate, pouring out their hatred for Portia-attacking everyone they blamed for their circumstances-

“And hundreds of innocent people as well,” Astra finished bleakly. “Citizens. Common soldiers.” She shivered, although the day was warm.

“So Tiberium is no more,” said Zanos. “Serafon-”

“No,” Astra said quickly. “No, Zanos-the worst destruction was all there around the forum. I could Read the struggle-but Lenardo and Aradia confined the damage, even if they could not avert it. Most of Tiberium was just shaken up, not destroyed. I will go out of body and Read for Serafon.”

“But you were Reading directly a few minutes ago.”

“Through the power of that gigantic rapport,” she replied. “It’s gone now, dissolved back into its individual parts. Let me Read now-in a few days’ travel we will be too far from Tiberium for me to Read it, even out of body.”

To Zanos’ relief, Astra reported that the Temple of Hesta still stood, that the priestesses were taking in the injured and the homeless… and that Serafon lived, and was quietly applying healing powers along with bandages.

“But who now rules in Tiberium?” asked Trel, who had listened with the rest of the villagers in shocked silence.

“The alliance,” replied Astra. “Or they will soon.

Conquest wasn’t their intent, Trel-but they can’t leave the country leaderless.”

“But they’ve left their own lands unprotected!”

“I know,” said Astra. “They thought all the Lords Adept would go right home after the fault was eased.

Instead-”

“Instead it now looks as if they attacked the empire!” said Trel. “Once the news reaches their neighbors to the north, those Lords Adept will arm themselves, thinking that after the alliance has conquered all the lands to the south, it will start looking in the opposite direction.”

“And they may decide to strike first,” said Javik, “while the alliance has its energies dispersed.”

“And if Vortius takes Lilith’s castle, ‘ added Zanos, “that will be a sure sign that the alliance has spread itself too thin-an invitation to attack!”

“Then let’s move!” said Astra.

Despite the lateness of the day, they did, traveling until well after dark, Astra and Javik Reading for the news to reach this far.

But even by morning it hadn’t. The watchers reported the same innocuous events as always-including now the movements of a troupe of entertainers.

At midmorning they arrived in a village on market day. Despite their desire to forge northward, they had to act their parts-and their performance was such a success that the coins thrown at them were enough to buy another horse!

Most of their group was afoot, the only horses being Javik’s and the ones Zanos and Astra had brought.

The White Crow had stolen the rest. Now, however, they saw the chance to mount everyone and move faster.

So their performance in a small town that evening was even more enthusastic; they netted enough to buy food and two more horses, and their reputation began to precede them. Astra laughingly reported the watchers advising their fellows to trade duty time with those who hadn’t heard yet, and go see the show.

It was difficult to rest nights when they wanted to reach Lilith’s castle before Vortius struck-yet they would be in no condition to fight if they traveled both day and night, stopping only to perform.

At least this way they could move freely on the main road. They were greeted at each new community by children running out to meet them, eager to see the phenomenon they’d heard so much about.

And still no word came out of Tiberium-not even a report of savage victory.

They were now beyond Astra’s ability to Read to Tiberium, even out of body. She could still Read to the Aventine border, where the guards accepted orders from their commanders to let no one in or out-

Until official word arrived that the savage alliance had put down an insurrection of the officers of the army. Now the army, too, was in the hands of the alliance; the border gates were opened, and news began to trickle out.

The traveling entertainers drove their horses all that day, knowing the watchers’ messages would catch up and then pass them. By the next day, they did- and the troupe were able to skirt around communities too busy celebrating their rulers’ latest victory to wonder what had happened to the entertainment they’d been awaiting.

But Lilith’s people were no fools-they knew the dangers of living in a border territory-and when the happy news of victory also brought the information that their Lady Adept and her son were several days’

ride away, they put their citizen-army on alert pending their leaders’ safe return.

Zanos was fascinated. There was only a small standing army, with a disproportionate number of officers.

But when the alert was called, an officer or two went to each nearby community, and all the able-bodied citizens spent part of each day drilling… but had the rest of their time to tend to their normal duties.

Vortius’ army was also on the alert. Astra Read that it had grown a little, and the watchers-now sending scouts beyond the border, since they knew Liliths enemies would be watching for signs of vulnerability-located the massed troops and sent a message speeding southward as fast as the flashes of light could flicker from one lookout to another.