Chapter 8

Roy gazed up the trunk of the Great Tree, staring longingly at the makeshift handholds worn smoothly into the bark over many years. Sighing he adjusted the sling holding his left arm and continued on, searching for an alternate way up the trunk. There must be some stairs around here somewhere. Roy stepped off of the wide branch and onto the ramped walkway that encircled the trunk, connecting nearby branches.

The next branch was more promising, an offshoot grew a third of the way down the branch, curving up and around its parent tree. Smooth steps were worn into the bark. Roy made his way up the steep stairs, stopping only once for a breather. Healing crystals were in short supply, and those that they could steal from the Cyclonians were low grade so the break in his left arm was the only thing healed, and minimally at that. He would have to let it, and his bruised ribs to heal completely on their own.

Levelling out, the greenery began to thicken as the branch thinned. Cradled in the foliage at the end of the branch was a simple platform with several suspended walkways leading off of it, each of those walkways led to another platform in a different tree.

Roy stopped to lean against the low railing that enclosed the balcony. Looking out through the criss-cross of walkways, platforms and tree paths, he could see the morning break, crisp and clear. He missed the chatter of people going about their day, the musical hum of life that used to fill the camp. But things had changed in the past few years, the pressure from Cyclonia was growing and families decided it was safer elsewhere, far away from the camp that had formed after the takeover. Hope was fading, and now the largest rebel camp lay abandoned, but only to the Cyclonian eye.

All paths and walkways eventually led to a single tree at the heart of the camp. The tree was a giant among the others, twice as thick and stretching into the sky high above the forest. A scorched scar split the tree in half almost to its base. Lightening struck. The Great Tree had paid the price for its loftiness. Walkways high and low merged into the crack.

Roy ignored the sharp whistle that sounded somewhere above him. Sentries were posted all along the lightning's scar but he knew if he looked, he would never see them.

He stepped through the blackened opening into the center of the tree. The heart of the Giant had been burned out by the lightening and years of insects, weather and hard work had hollowed it out even more. Now, bridges stretched across the inside of the trunk, from the base of the hollow to the top. Levels upon levels of carved staircases, platforms and walkways leading to small alcoves and rooms dug directly into the wood, all silent.

More stairs fell deeper, into the very roots of the Giant; this is where the Therans in the camp lived now, in a glorified warren.

Roy started down the tunnels into the labyrinth, hoping he could get to the Med. Root before he collapsed from exhaustion. Crystal lanterns lined the walls at regular intervals and signs carved into exposed root at intersections kept anyone from getting too lost. Though the tunnels were spacious Roy still felt a little claustrophobic; Therans were not meant to live underground, hiding away.

"How's the arm?"

Roy looked up as his twin brother exited a side tunnel on his left. Just a little annoyed that he let anyone sneak up on him, even if it was Rayn. I must be more worn out then I thought. "Better, the ribs are still a little sore though." Rayn may have been born just a few minutes ahead of him but he acted like it was years. He was always looking out for him.

"Good, now how are you?" Rayn asked seriously as he walked beside him.

Roy avoided looking at him. "What do you mean?" He lied. He knew exactly what he meant, they both did.

Rayn stole a quick glance at his brother through matching electric blue eyes. "Roy," he began hesitantly, "I heard what happened. Sonya and Bhoom… they knew what they were getting into, more than anyone."

Roy bit back a wave of emotion. "I know," he said quietly. He still couldn't help but feel partially responsible. It was his plan to begin with and everyone trusted him. "It doesn't make it any easier."

"No, only time can help you there."

Roy nodded wordlessly. The two continued to walk down the tunnel. In the end Roy broke the silence. "Speaking of time, it's been two days since I saw you last. You were supposed to meet Thunder and Twila right after your mission."

Rayn combed claws through his red-brown hair guiltily. "Uh, yeah… about that, I kind of hit a bit of a snag."

Roy looked at his brother and arched an eyebrow. "Define snag."

"Just a few dozen extra Talons," He shrugged, admiring the claws on his right hand. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

Roy smirked. "Okay, I'm guessing that's not what held you up then?"

"…No." He said finally.

"What is it?" Roy questioned, a little concerned. Something was wrong, he was holding back.

Rayn stopped and grabbed his brother by the shoulders and glanced around checking the tunnel for any other Therans before facing him. "I found something, something big." He whispered.

Roy couldn't discern the look on his brothers face, whether he was excited, scared or both. "Well, what is it?" He repeated, almost afraid to ask.

He opened his mouth to speak when the sound of distant talk reached their ears. Rayn pulled his brother into a dark side-tunnel where they waited for the voices to fade.

Satisfied, Rayn turned back to his brother. "When I made it to Kest, the city was completely overrun. More Talons must have been shipped in without our noticing." He said his voice still low.

"The Triplets said the same about Thesse, Skya and Screea had to help pull them out." Roy added, thinking about the younger Airak, Airan and Aerial, those three were almost more trouble than they were worth. He would have liked to see the fierce sisters drag them out by their tails.

"I found out why." Rayn continued, pulling his brother out of his weary wandering thoughts. "I took a detour through their hanger on the way to my objective." Rayn shook his head and leaned against the tunnel wall. "The amount of skimmer s and weaponry they have stockpiled screams war, and I bet it's the same story in Thesse and Essiri."

A feeling of dread welled up inside Roy. "War. With who? They can't be gathering all these forces just to fight us."

"No, it's for the rest of the Atmos."

Knowing his brother, Rayn would have most likely searched the entire town twice over to find proof he needed, but still, Roy had to ask. "You are sure about this?"

Rayn didn't answer, "I made it to the communications tower in time to eavesdrop on a broadcast, it was high security and from Cyclonia direct." Rayn paused and fidgeted restlessly, not wanting to continue "Cyclonia is using Terra's they control as strategic points to launch a massive invasion on the rest of Atmos." He finished in a rush.

"This is your news?" Roy said a bit confused. "Atmos has weathered worse things."

Rayn began shaking his head before his brother even finished. "Not like this, think of it, this has been building for months behind our backs without even our knowledge. No one will see this storm coming, it will be a massacre."

Roy cursed and ran a hand through his shorter red-brown hair then over his face. "When do they attack?"

"I don't know." He said regretfully.

"What?" Roy's shout was louder than he expected. His voice echoed through the tunnel.

Rayn raised his claws in defence. "I was spotted before I could learn more, by the time I took care of the Talons it was too late, so I finished the mission: cut out communications, raised hell and concentrated on getting out of there alive."

Roy growled in frustration and began to pace in front of his brother. The sling around his neck was uncomfortable and began to irritate him. He reached up and cut the sling with a claw, casting the bit of cloth away from him. He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of Gryphon and the plan to confront the council on Atmosia. If only we had known of this earlier.

Roy stopped and leaned against the tunnel wall, hanging his head in defeat. "I sent her to her death Rayn."

"Gryphon…" he said, immediately understanding.

Roy looked up and stared through his brother, getting an idea. "We have to warn them somehow." He decided and, forgetting his exhaustion, pushed away from the wall and headed back into the lit tunnel, continuing towards the Med. Root with a quicker pace.

Rayn jogged to catch up with his brother. "Roy, all Cyclonian radio towers are encrypted, we'd never figure out their codes in time."

Roy grimaced. The codes could be letters, numbers, or both, between eleven and twenty-six digits and changed every ten days. "Then we'll just have to warn them in person."

His brother skipped a step in shock. "Oh, well, of course! You can see how well that went the first time. We had planned for weeks and they were still expecting it!"

"They won't expect this."

"And what is 'This' pray-tell?" Rayn asked sarcastically.

Roy ignored him. "Gather the others, meet me at the Med. Root in Breeze's room, we'll fill in the details together." He smiled to himself. "We're going to steal an Airship."


All the city/town/outpost/ landmark names on T. Skythern are from The Language of the Making from the Wizard of Earthsea books by Ursula K. LeGuin. I do not claim them as my own!