Chapter 10
All was silent in the Circle. The cold, baleful green lamplight shone down on empty alleyways covered in a thin layer of dust. Moving silently, his torch of Cold Fire held tightly in his clawed hand, the Kranr guard grimaced, his scarred, pitted mask reflecting off the wall of cold, mirror like steel.
He'd been on watch for far too long now. While the Kranr's Inner Watch still patrolled the edge of the Spire, he was the only member of the Outer Watch still on duty. His commander had told him his replacement would arrive in two hours. He'd been on watch for five.
The Kranr suddenly heard the sharp sound of steel on steel. He tensed, drawing his sword, and moved slowly and deliberately toward the source of the noise. It was unusual for the gangs that battled in the lower parts of the city that the plague had devastated, but rare for their battles to spread so far into the Circle's heart.
If it's really the gangs, the Ix'll deal with them, thought the Kranr, shivering slightly. While he tried to tell himself it was because of the chill air of the Upperdark or the torch he carried, he knew the truth. Just the thought of the cold-blooded, veiled beings made his blood run cold, as though Cold Fire was flowing through his veins.
No, they'll have my head if I don't deal with this, he decided, and then moved toward the source of the noise. Creeping through the darkness, the Kranr steeled his nerves and strode down the alleyways.
Nothing. He thought, confused more than angry now. He'd have sworn he'd heard footsteps only minutes ago.
You've been on watch too long, that'll all. He told himself as he walked back to his post. There's no need to get the Ix in on this. It's nothing.
"Excellent job." whispered Kyhrex as she and Shardak slipped by the Kranr guard. "You covered the mistake well."
They'd been creeping past the Kranr guard when his armored hand had slammed against a lamppost. He'd immediately walked toward the Kranr, rather than away from him, so when the guard had searched for the noise, he'd found nothing.
They'd managed relatively easily to bypass the Outer Watch. Very few guards were still on duty, and the lampposts where dimmed. However, as they drew closer to the center of the Circle, Shardak had realized the invisibility power was failing. If someone looked closely, they could perceive the faint outline of the two beings.
Fortunately, the cold green light gave everything an ethereal quality, so shadows flickering in and out of existence were not uncommon. No one had been able to spot them, though the Kranr guard had come dangerously close. Shardak sighed in relief once they were past the guard.
"We're almost to the Spire." said Kyhrex. "Then-"
"Melnox?" a new voice interrupted her. "Is that you?"
For a moment, the voice distracted Kyhrex. The invisibility shield wavered, and then failed altogether.
"Barit?" gasped Shardak. "What are you-?"
"I saw you come out of that dark house. Then you vanished- it was as though something swallowed you. I followed you past the Outer Watch's gatehouse, and I realized you were going to the Spire. How'd you break out of the Slave Compound?"
"I-" Shardak began, at loss for words. Kyhrex motioned for him to stay silent. "Matoran-" she began.
"Barit." corrected the Onu-Matoran.
"Barit." said Kyhrex. "Why did you track us here?"
"Because you're going to free your friend. The Glatorian prisoner."
"How did you know about Blast?" gasped Shardak, unable to believe what his senses were telling him. The chances of running into Barit here were astronomically small, and the Toa was at loss for words.
"It's not exactly science." said Barit. "You knew nothing about the Circle, and you're obviously not a Glatorian. Why the Ix didn't figure it out is beyond me. I'm almost surprised you managed to evade them this far."
Barit paused, his eyes full of pain and regret. "I'll now have to call the Inner Watch. Nothing personal." He opened his mouth to scream.
A bolt of jagged fire shot from Kyhrex's fingertips, striking the Matoran with such force it lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the wall. Barit's eyes rolled back in his skull, and he collapsed against the wall.
Kyhrex quickly resumed the invisibility shroud, but now it was in worse condition than ever. They were now almost completely solid, like specters or wraiths. Realizing this, Kyhrex grabbed Shardak's arm and dragged him beneath one of the lampposts.
Shardak saw three Kranr appear on the ramparts above, crossbows at the ready. They whispered something unintelligible, and then vanished behind the parapet.
"Run! The Inner Watch is coming to investigate." whispered Kyhrex. "They'll be here any minute."
"Why did you knock out Barit?" asked Shardak angrily. "He was innocent. Will he live?"
"He was about to kill us both." said Kyhrex. "And yes, he'll live, if the Inner Watch is in a good mood. Now get moving before we're caught."
Shardak raced after Kyhrex, his mind in turmoil. Had they sacrificed Barit's life to buy time to save Blast? Would the Ix torture Barit now, because of their actions?
Toa are the heroes in every legend, thought Shardak. A true Toa wouldn't sacrifice an innocent to save his own life.
Then he remembered Blast, languishing in the Spire with no escape. For a moment, Shardak wondered what the Ix had done with the Blade of Arcturas and Blast's scythe. Were they still in the possession of Banrax? Or had the Ix also sensed the power within those weapons and taken them to further their own ends?
"We're here." said Kyhrex quietly. "The spire."
Shardak stared up at the massive spire rock, feeling very small. The spire, carved from the twisted obsidian column at the heart of the city, it towered over them like an avenging shadow. Flickering lights danced like ethereal specters across the smooth surface of the sheer cliff. Even the massive walls, patrolled by armed guards, suddenly seemed very small in the face of this massive formation. In one hand, the Shadow Orb throbbed with power, flooding his aura with darkness. The last time he'd been here, he'd been Banrax's captive, a prisoner of the Ix. Now, to save his friend, he would have to once more enter the realm of his nightmares.
Stepping up against the barred iron door, Shardak realized he'd reached the moment of decision. Drawing back a hand, he felt a hard, cold sphere of auric energy materialize in his hand. For one moment he hesitated, then released the energy and the door shattered.
Shards of cold metal exploded from all directions, and Shardak heard the shouts of the guards as he and Kyhrex entered the Spire. A crossbow bolt slammed against the Spire, inches from his shoulder. Shardak raced into the Spire, Kyhrex close behind.
Then the world exploded into chaos. Instantly alerted by the shattered door, a patrol of Copies burst from the darkness of the Spire. Their spears, cold and sharp against the stark blue light, stabbed out at Shardak.
Raising the sword Silencer had given him, Shardak brought it down on one of the Copies' pikes, severing the tip from the hilt. As a second Copy charged him, he blocked three blows from the spear with his sword, and brought the weapon down on the Copies leg. Shardak felt the sword sink through armor, then bone. With a screech, the Copy tore himself away, limping into the shadows.
Kyhrex, however, had been surrounded by Copies with spears, and as he raced toward her, stunning several Copies with long sweeping arcs with his sword, the wounded Copy attacked. Shardak fell against the wall of the Spire, and watched as the Copies' spear readied to impale him.
Then Kyhrex struck. Her long protosteel claw slashed the Copy from head to foot. Pieces of the construct scattered across the floor. Two more Copies charged Kyhrex, but she sidestepped nimbly and, using the same bolts of fire she'd used to stun Barit, destroyed the Copies. The flames danced across the floor of the Spire before flickering out.
Any living foe would have stopped then, or called for reinforcements. But the constructs, oblivious to the losses they'd suffered, continued their relentless attack.
Then Shardak realized more Copies were appearing, and masked Kranr from the Inner Watch were pouring through the Spire door. Any minute now they'd be pinned between the Copies and the Inner Watch, with no hope of escape.
"Kyhrex! Run!" Shardak yelled, as a crossbow bolt struck her in the shoulder. Kyhrex grimaced in pain, and drew a new weapon- a laser crossbow. Shardak saw the Inner Watch step back slightly, then Kyhrex shot one in the neck and he fell to the ground. A second bolt of fire eliminated the Copies, and Kyhrex raced over to Shardak.
Behind them, the Inner Watch was taking in casualties, preparing for the next assault. Shardak saw Kyhrex's attack had destroyed the three remaining Copies, and at least three of the Watch were killed or wounded.
"They'll be back, with more reinforcements on the way." whispered Kyhrex urgently. "We have to get Blast, and then escape into the Labyrinth."
"How will we get out?" asked Shardak frantically. "The Inner Watch will have the door barricaded again. We'd never get through."
"The Spire is a fortress." Kyhrex answered. "But without at least several exits, it's also a death trap. I know another way out." She looked weak and tired, and Shardak realized the invisibility shroud and the fire bolts she'd used against Barit and the Inner Watch had weakened her badly.
"How many of the Inner Watch is on duty?" he asked, once they were out of sight.
"Many, perhaps forty, but they're all so scattered it'll take a long time to rouse them all. They won't pose a problem, as they've probably never even been within the Spire. It, along with the Ix Citadel, is the most secret of all buildings."
Shardak nodded, trying desperately to remember the directions to the holding cells. The idea that more Copies or worse, Ix would soon appear only served to confuse him further.
"This way." he said finally, grabbing a Cold Fire torch from the wall. He felt both exhilarated and terrified after the skirmish. Shardak and Kyhrex turned down the tunnel, and Shardak's guess was confirmed when he saw the cells in the distance, as well as the Glatorian sitting trapped within them.
"Blast!" He said, his voice ecstatic. "You're alive!"
"Shardak?" slurred Blast, his eyes tired. It was as if the appearance of his friend was not at all a surprise. "Can we go now? Who's this?" he said when he saw Kyhrex.
"She's on our side." Shardak assured him. "We're here to get you out."
Blast nodded, as though tired. "Are you okay?" asked Shardak, alarmed.
Blast's eyes suddenly regained some of their old intensity. "Shardak." he said, grabbing the Toa's leg. "There's something-"
Then a new voice cut in, and Shardak had to brace himself against the cell in order to keep from falling over in complete shock.
It was a voice he knew very well.
Too well.