Book 5

Siha: Rise of Rakhana

Part III

"Silver and Fire"

(: This has gone on long enough. :) Crindelann strides towards the Archives' doors, (: …I'm going after them. I'll make certain they come back, or if they should try and flee. :) He shoots Tetonbaum a look of ill content, holding out a hand to Vr'iathe as he passes, (: …Give me her collar. :)

(: You are not in charge. :) Vr'iathe hesitates, however, issuing a glance to Brinustilon before relinquishing the tool to Crindelann, who would be his superior in level at any rate—then Brinustilon, Tetonbaum, Grenald in such sequential order of lowest to highest and with a variety of reasons. (: Brother Tetonbaum? :)

Tetonbaum is not oblivious to the glance by the th'ane to Brinustilon, who so only receives the request by gesture due to Tetonbaum's prior absence—and Crindelann's mistrust in a th'ane recently reinstated.

Evidently I am not in charge, Tetonbaum thinks, and sees Brinustilon look to him once Vr'iathe seeks his confidence.

Brinustilon is not ignorant to the insubordination, (: …Brother Tetonbaum, I understand your desire to play fair with our objective, and applying a mindfulness to the spirit of such is a compliment of your character…Brother Crindelann as you may see, perhaps construes your alleviated efforts as less than the enthusiasm for this mission— as he expected of one with your calibre and reputation. :)

(: He thinks I am favoring them because of my relation to Casnar and the twins? :)

(: I leave it to you to weigh your tactics, what in trusting the family to return, and be amenable to a collar for the female. You will decide what is best. Crindelann will be punished for disobedience, :) he nods towards the departing th'ane.

The smile does not leave Tetonbaum's lips, (: …I hate to see my brothers dissatisfied by my lack of enthusiasm for a capture. Brother Crindelann's mistrust may be understood. I must prove myself…Let us accompany the aspiring colleague of ours. I hate to renege on an offer to quarry… :)

Brinustilon nods as they fall into step. (: I think your choices fair and with the wisdom of experience, Brother Tetonbaum. Crindelann, what with his being hasty… :)

(: I fault him not. :) Tetonbaum says, holding out his hand for the collar as they catch up with Crindelann, (: …Allow me to make amends with your faith…I will collar the bitch myself. :)

They run back towards the entrance of the Archives, Braith following her snippets of the children as their connection shows her glimpses of playing among moving walls…"Jenner! Jaspin!" she calls out as Jaspin is seen climbing the tracking on the metal walls shifting like conveyors towards a vent opening at the top, Jenner racing to catch up with his brother, and dangling from toothlike dentils.

Just beyond are the doors, and beyond the doors, Tetonbaum and his th'anes wait for the Archives to open.

The gears controlling the great panels begin to crank...

They all gasp as Jaspin climbs up into the vent and shrieks, his little cry barely heard over the din, "…Shit—That's not good," Feron says as he runs with Braith, Casnar, and Ylyssus for the wall under which Jenner is nearly to the same vent above...Braith reaches the base of the moving wall first.

"Jenner—come down! No—"

The twin looks passed his shoulder at his mother—just as the wall carries him into the dark mouth.

She doesn't dare use her power to pull them out, what with her being unable to see what other moving parts exist up there with them…Braith leaps onto the wall.

Their voices can be heard shouting for each other, the children's names mentioned with building levels of panic...Tetonbaum and his th'anes can hear these, joined by others, as the doors part wider, spilling more golden light out and onto their faces...

"The doors!"

"Hold onto the wall, Braith!" She had pointed at the Archives' moving doors, through the part of which were the four th'anes and—almost falling—regained her grip.

Diogenes warns from below with Wrex, "…The th'anes with your sibling are breaking from their decision to wait, it would seem!"

"Councilors," Casnar, Ylyssus, and Feron begin climbing the wall faster to catch up with Braith—who has since disappeared into the vent, "…we'll find another way out…Right now, I advise—for the sake of your positions—to do nothing while we follow the leader!"

"You mean the kids!" Feron quips with aggravation as he is carried up and climbs simultaneously the large dentils.

As Casnar lunges up the wall with the others, he glances to the doors—catching the eyes of his half-brother, striding through the moving entry slabs with the other intimidating th'anes in their vestments. Tetonbaum's expression is one of grim disappointment. The sapphires share a shine of golden light and something more…

A predator come to find the meal it had intended to swallow in its sure jaws—breaking away to escape the closing fangs.

Braith, inside the vent and with an inkling of what Tetonbaum and his colleagues must be thinking of the sight, shouts with her voice bouncing off the metal over the cacophony inside there with her, "…Move your asses, Casnar, Ylyssus, Feron!"

"You see the twins in there?" Ylyssus calls back.

Braith sees Jaspin and Jenner ride by on another wall—this one with larger ledges, the kids smiling at her on their way by, "...Got sight of them—"

The wall dumps both twins into an adjoining shaft. Their giggles turn into high-pitched shrieks, echoing from the metal chute.

"…Damn it all," Braith balances over the moving dentils towards the shaft itself and peers inside.

The dimensions she sees are big enough to fit a body—standing from head to toe even—but is steeply-steeply inclined into darkness, or darkness rarely abbreviated by a few lights below…

There is no sight of the twins.

"Casnar, Ylyssus, Feron, I'm going into this…" Braith sees them come towards her as she climbs up into the shaft opening and settles her hips on the metal ledge, trying to grip the smooth surface with her boots, "…We all suddenly die—"

She loses her grip.

"Braith, wait!" Casnar and Ylyssus—dancing over the moving dentils—lunge for her, "—Braith!"

"Go after her!" Feron shouts, pointing to the opening they came in by…The shape of a th'ane climbing inside the vent.

( "They're escaping!" ) Crindelann sees all three drells hurtle themselves into the shaft halfway down the treacherous interior, the noise of their tumultuous thumpings and cursings within it clear above the din.

Tetonbaum pushes passed Crindelann, pointing him to the shaft.

The game begins…