War at the Wall (The Watchers Trilogy, Book Three) Read online

  War at the Wall (The Watchers Trilogy, Book Three)

  T C Edge

  ©2016 T C Edge

  This book is a work of fiction. Any names, places, events, and incidents that occur are entirely a result of the author's imagination and any resemblance to real people, events, and places is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2015 T. C. Edge

  All right reserved

  First edition: April 2015

  Cover Design by Laercio Messias

  No part of this book may be scanned, reproduced, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.

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  Book One - The Watchers of Eden

  Book Two - City of Stone

  Table of Contents

  1 - A City in Mourning

  2 - The Fading Light

  3 - A Hope Rekindled

  4 - Battle Looms

  5 - A Caged Animal

  6 - An Offer From Eden

  7 - An Impossible Choice

  8 - A Stark Warning

  9 - The Council Decides

  10 - Battle Plans

  11 - Countdown to Death

  12 - Riding to War

  13 - Back Up

  14 - Born to Fight

  15 - Valley of Blood

  16 - Aftermath

  17 - A Powerful Force

  18 - Journey Back Home

  19 - Lured to the Trap

  20 - The Turning Tide

  21 - Counterstrike

  22 - Infiltration

  23 - The People Come

  24 - Desertion

  25 - The Golden Girl

  26 - Sneak Attack

  27 - A Camp in Ruins

  28 - Priscilla Graves

  29 - Death from Within

  30 - The Coming Knight

  31 - Suicide Mission

  32 - Confrontation

  33 - To Kill a Snake

  Epilogue

  What's Next?

  1 - A City in Mourning

  I stand out on the plateau of Petram, the great mountain city of rock. A step behind me, Drake, Ellie, and Jackson hover, heads bowed, hands clasped together behind their backs. Behind them are others; Markus, Stein, Leeta, Athena, Generals Richter and Sharpe and Professor Lane. And then the thousands of refugees and city dwellers, gathered in a giant throng, here to pay their respects.

  It's quiet, a minute of silence observed. The only sound is that of light breathing and quiet fidgeting, of the flowing wind pouring through the high mountains. Wrapped in winter gear, I think of the boy lying ahead of me. Think of the sacrifice he made. How he gave his life for Jackson. How he gave his life for me.

  Theo lies in a coffin on a raised platform, his body cleaned of its wounds, wrapped up in clean white sheets. Only his face, so pure, so youthful, is visible; his eyes closed, his lips a frozen blue against his pale white skin. I look at those lips I kissed and feel warm tears gathering again.

  Behind the coffin, the Master stands in silent reflection. His hands held in front of him, head low, he waits, counting the seconds before raising his head up high. His voice, creaking and old, strains as he calls out to the gathering of mourners as the minute's silence ends.

  “Today,” he calls, “we say goodbye to Theo Graves. A young man who gave his life for our cause. Who many of us didn't trust, didn't understand. Now, we do.”

  His words ring out, echoing around the plateau.

  “Theo was a boy from Eden, the son of two Councillors. He was misunderstood, mistreated...and now, he will be missed.”

  I hold myself firm, forcing the tears back.

  “He was a brave boy beyond measure. He had the courage to turn away from the comfort of his world, to see what Eden had become. He was vilified by many, including, I am ashamed to say, myself. But he has proven me wrong. He did so with his valour, with his bravery in the face of danger, and with his willingness to lay down his life to save others.”

  I spare a glance back at Jackson to my immediate right. He looks at me quickly and then his eyes dart away, dropping low.

  “As you all know by now, the mission to assassinate High Chancellor Knight failed. Our brave soldiers were outmatched in every way. Yet they still escaped against the odds to live, and fight, another day. Theo lost his life in their battle to escape the den of injustice that Eden has become. He will be remembered forever for the part he played in helping the others escape unharmed.”

  I listen closely, and watch the Master as he speaks. His words are quite touching, his tone genuine. When we first came here, his feelings for Theo were well known. Most didn't trust him. Some even hated him. But now...now it seems his mind has been turned.

  Among the crowd, I see the same convictions, the same change. Theo, a boy hated on all sides. Hated here, hated on Eden, always reviled for the birthright he didn't want, for the life he turned against.

  Now, finally, accepted.

  As the Master continues to talk, speaking of our escape, of the part Theo played, I feel the tears slipping from my eyes. Tears of pain, of sorrow, but of happiness that, even if only in death, Theo has finally gained the respect and recognition he deserves.

  I turn, and look over the crowd, and see hung faces and drawn out expressions. I see mourning eyes, some of them guilty for not believing in this wonderful boy before. Tears fall, emotions running high, a feeling of fear and desperation pervading the assembly.

  And I know, looking among them, that this is more than about Theo. Everyone here fears for someone, fears the same fate befalling their loved ones. Many have suffered pain already, many are sure to do so soon.

  This war, this unwinnable war, will continue to drive pain and suffering into the hearts of all around me. Everyone out on this plateau, and the many more enclosed within the mountain, know that the worst is yet to come.

  The Master's eulogy ends with words of defiance. Rarely does he stand before the people and address them, preferring to hide away in the bowels of the mountain, plotting from within.

  But today, he does. He stands as tall and proud as his old frame will allow, setting his jaw and hardening his words.

  “We will not let Eden win,” he calls. “We will not allow Theo's death, and the countless other deaths of our comrades, to go unpunished. We will defeat Augustus Knight, and all of you, every one of you here, will be reunited with your loved ones again. You will all be free citizens.”

  His words are followed by silence. Cheers don't rumble, roars don't rise. No murmur, no ripple of noise, flows over the gathering.

  Because today is not the day. And despite his powerful words, I know that so few people believe him.

  And I'm one of them.

  When the Master steps off the stage, Drake, Jackson, Stein and Markus step forward. I watch as they lift up the coffin and place it on their shoulders. Walking slowly towards the mountain wall, I fall into a sombre step behind them, Ellie joining me by my side.

  The crowd part as we go. They spread to the left and right, opening a gap before us for the coffin to travel. Heads bow low as we pass, and among them I see some faces I recognise from our travels through the Deadlands.

  One, in particular, jumps out at me. A long, thin face, fitted with a craggy brown beard and sunken eyes. He was one of the men who attempted to kill Theo one night out in the desert. A coward who would take a life through his own fear, his own prejudice.

  He locks eyes with me as I pass, and I note the regret hidden beneath his heavy eyebrows. He doesn't need to speak, to do anything but look at me to show his shame. I offer him the weakest smile I
can. It's my way of saying, 'I forgive you'.

  Through we go, passing under the arches and into the central chamber of Petram. Inside, thousands more gather, the city having swelled further during the days of our mission to Eden. They clog other chambers and passages, spilling out deep into the mountain. Thousands, tens of thousands of fearful eyes and hungry mouths, waiting here for the inevitable.

  The procession moves on in silence. Ellie takes my hand and squeezes it tight. She of all people knows what I'm going through. She lost Link, only to have him return. There is no hope of the same happening to me.

  Hand in hand, we walk, following the coffin as it passes through the chamber. We reach a passage at the far end, begin moving deeper into the mountain. People follow in step, caught up in the misery of it all. I begin to hear weeping as we go, desperate faces everywhere. Reminded of those they've loved and lost. Of those, like Theo, never to return.

  The lights grow lower as we go, fixtures on the rock walls providing pale illumination in the darkness. Down we go, deeper, the steps of the many creating a dull soundtrack of thuds as we march.

  Soon, we reach the catacombs, the rock walls dug into, creating recesses for the storing of the dead. Drake leads us on, into a private chamber, and signals for the coffin to be placed into an empty crypt. Gently, the wooden casket is slid into place. Then the men turn and slip away towards the chamber opening.

  Drake stops where I am, and places a hand on my shoulder.

  “Would you like a moment alone with him?” he asks.

  I nod, staring at the box.

  “Come on Ellie, let's go. We'll be at the catacomb entrance,” he says to me.

  With a soft kiss to my forehead, he walks off, leading the party away. I stand, and listen until the sound of steps fades, and I'm left in total silence, surrounded by death.

  The most recent member lies ahead of me. I creep forward and place my hands on the cold rock wall of the crypt.

  “I'm sorry,” I whisper. My words echo through the chamber. “I wish it was me in there, and not you, Theo.”

  I think of what he'd say in response, imagine him there, talking with me.

  “No, you need to fight,” he'd say. “You will live a long and happy life, Cyra.”

  A happy life, a long life. Neither are possible now. I know I will die soon. If there is an afterlife, I'll join him there in months, weeks, maybe even days. Me and Jackson and Ellie and Drake and everyone else. None of us will live long enough to be free, to be happy.

  I stand there for some time, enjoying the solitude, the silence. So rare is it now for me to find time alone. My life stretched between so many, no respite given from the company of people.

  Only in sleep am I alone. But not alone, not really...

  Sleep provides my sternest test, as it always has. The domain where I relive my most painful experiences, recall the memories I most want to forget. Where I see death, see suffering, see the agony of the world play out again and again.

  And now, after Theo's death, my mind is in a constant state of turmoil, my world falling apart.

  Knight is alive, Theo is dead, and once more we're back at square one. I know now how futile it all is. I've seen first hand what we're up against.

  Never have I seen, felt, such power as when I'm near Augustus Knight. He is a man who has shaped the world to his own vision, been one step ahead of everyone at all times. How can I, how can we, possibly compete with that?

  “We can't,” I whisper in the cave.

  My words come back to me, bounding off the walls.

  We can't. We can't.

  I look once more at Theo's fresh grave, and rest my hand on his coffin.

  “I'll see you soon, Theo,” I say. “Of that I am sure.”

  Slowly, I step back, retreating from him. The boy who loved me from the start, and who I loved at the end.

  I wonder, had things been different, whether we might have been happy. Whether, if we'd have just stayed on Eden, we could have committed to our Pairing, started a family, built a love from the most unlikely of sources.

  Would that have been so bad?

  It was never an option. Not really. But out here, maybe, who knows what would have happened. Who knows whether Theo would have stolen my heart completely from Jackson, the one person to own it for so long.

  His words come to me again, those that flowed on his dying breaths.

  I want you to be happy with him.

  He knew of the bond between me and Jackson. It's what tore me from Eden in the first place, set all of this in motion. And despite following me, helping me, he never believed I'd love him.

  He was wrong.

  I continue to walk backwards, knowing that in this place, in this world, love is as empty as a dry well. A pointless emotion, one that only causes pain, suffering. Because soon, we'll all be destroyed, and those that are left behind will have to deal with the terrible residue of loss and misery.

  Knight will ruin us all.

  I reach the opening to the chamber, and still struggle to pull my eyes from the crypt.

  “Goodbye, Theo,” I whisper once more. “We'll all be back together soon.”

  And with that, I turn, exhausted and drained, and begin making my way back up through the catacombs. Towards those I care about, those I love, all soon to share in Theo's fate.

  2 - The Fading Light

  The strain in the city is palpable.

  A dull throb seems to flow about the place, like a slowly fading heartbeat. This city, this great city of rock, is starting to die.

  The excitement felt when I first came here has diminished. No longer is our presence, the presence of the Watchers, greeted with interest, with hope. I don't hear the same whispers as before. Whispers that told of a belief among the people that we'd save them, that we were the chosen ones, here to bring the world into balance, to defeat evil and set the people free.

  Now, they're starting to see that this isn't a fairytale. This isn't a fair fight. It's a fight that I no longer believe we have a chance of winning.

  And I don't see many who do.

  After escaping from Eden, only several days ago, our flight back to Petram was simple. The aircraft we stole was fast, agile, and unlike anything else I'd ever travelled in. We cut through the sky like a knife through warm butter, the world melting around us in a blur. Before I knew it, we had returned, and the people were waiting.

  Out on the plateau, the Master came forward with the other city leaders as we descended through the clouds. When we stepped down from the plane, battered, bruised, beaten, it became immediately clear that our mission had failed.

  Across the plateau and into the mountain we walked, Drake and Jackson carrying Theo's body on a stretcher, draped in white sheets soaked in blood. Our faces told it all to those who saw us cross and pass through. A stirring spread through the refugees inside the central chamber. Calls of weak hope rang out.

  “They're back...”

  “Did they do it...”

  “Is Knight dead...”

  “Is that him...”

  No one answered. No one needed to. Our sunken posture told the story as we walked. All I wanted to do was hide away, run, escape. Ellie saw me on the verge of breaking down. She took my hand and began leading me away towards our accommodation down the main passage to the right.

  I tried to resist, watching Theo taken off in the other direction. But eventually I relented, escaping the growing clamour of the people as questions were raised, called out, desperate answers sought.

  As we disappeared down the passageway, I stole a glance back to see the Master and Stein stand toe to toe. Two old friends, old Councillors, drawn apart decades ago by Knight, sent away to die. Now, reunited, they embraced as old friends.

  For the next day, I stayed in my room and didn't speak. I couldn't. I just lay there, staring at the rock wall, just as I did on Eden when I thought Jackson had been killed. Once more, I started to lose myself to the blackness, give up on life, let it fade away f
rom me. Only Ellie, helping me as I once did her, kept me back from the void, spoke softly to me about what Theo meant to her, how it would get easier in time.

  After a day, others came. They offered their condolences, speaking kind words of the boy from Eden. Drake, Jackson, Markus, Stein. Those who hardly knew him would come with kind words. Theo's death, it seemed, had galvanised the grief of the entire city.

  One person didn't come, however.

  Link.

  When I asked Ellie why, she spoke with a heavy heart.

  “He's being held in isolation,” she said. “The Master doesn't trust him.”

  When she told me that, I realised just how self involved I was being. Other things were happening here outside of Theo's death. I rose up on my bed and saw the dull pain in Ellie's eyes.

  “They won't let me see him,” she told me. “I don't know what's going to happen.”

  It was my turn to comfort her. I wrapped my arm over her shoulder, as I so often had, and immediately began to feel a little better. Stewing on Theo, I knew, would only turn me down a path I didn't want to travel.

  The following day, we buried Theo. I said my final goodbyes, and walked from the crypt.

  And now, as I wander through the central chamber, that feeling of dread permeates all. A sickness has engulfed us, an empty, hollow feeling that the inevitable will soon be upon us. That Knight will starve us all out of here, end our pitiful resistance, and the world will continue to turn as it always has; between the hands of its grand master.

  I sleep that night in fits and starts. Never in my life have I felt so troubled, so entirely helpless. I have no direction, no purpose all of a sudden. A lull has taken over, no energy remaining in this giant rock we're hiding in.

  In my sleep, I see only blurred and scattered images. The typical vision of pain, but nothing clear, nothing concrete. I wake to a strange thought, one that is almost comforting; my powers, my abilities, seem to be waning.

  I find it hard to focus the following day. Athena comes to me with her brief from my short time away. She tells me she's discovered another two potential Watchers, one who might even be able to see into the Void. She speaks with a rare excitement, saying her own abilities are sharpening. How she'll be ready when we next strike out at Knight.