The beast that sleeps in the Temple at Usekht Maati can not be named.  It is better for the universe to believe that he is dead.  We will have to come up with something to tell them.  Something close enough to the truth they believe it.

Atrributed to Valeryn Kamau, Fate of the Ara’lu

Faroh slowly walked back to Dov Lavan’s tomb.  Nothing had ever scared him as bad as seeing Adir Radd walking the streets of Usekht Maati.  It was a primal fear, an instinct buried deep in his unconscious mind.  Where there is fear, there is weakness.  Weakness can always be exploited.

He had spent his entire life honing his skills as a warrior.  He had faced so many savage creatures that saw him only as food.  He was steady as a rock.  Why did the image of Adir Radd trouble him so much.

“Could it be guilt?”  The voice of Lavan asked.

“Why would I be guilty?  You killed him not me.  I’m sure you had a good reason.”

“Things didn’t happen exactly the way you think they did.”

It would never happen again.  Faroh was sure of that.  He had known fear, and nothing happened.  It was unfounded.  Remove the foundation, and the tower must fall.  Obedience was all that should fill his mind.  From now on he would be on guard. 

Stooping to enter the Ara’lu’s tomb, he found Cythraul talking to a frail, female Raewyn.

“Welcome back, Faroh,” said Cythraul as he beckoned him into the antechamber, “Was your night productive?”

“Not as such,” said Faroh, “Who is this?”

“This is Lawh-ren Gunda, she is one of the few who joined in my rebellion against the throne that is still with us.”

“Where are the others?”

“They are dead.  War is costly after all.  That won’t matter soon, will it?  She has been my envoy to several governments that are sympathetic to our cause.  She was just reporting her progress.”

“Well, how goes the effort?  And why haven’t I heard anything about this.”

“Because they are a safe guard to keep you in line!”  The voice of Lavan laughed.

“First things first,” said Cythraul.  “We have our work to do here before we can go down that road.”

“What were you able to find out?”  Gunda asked, “Are they ripe for the picking?”

“Not exactly.  There is no sign of the Enmadra.  It appears they have yet to return.  I saw no patrols on the walls and the towers were empty.”

“So what’s the problem?”  Gunda asked.

“I ran into Tara Lael.  She was a fellow servant of Panthera.  She recognized me.”

“That’s minor,” said Cythraul, “That can’t be what’s troubling you.”

Faroh sighed, “I saw Tien Shaa and Adir Radd.  I don’t know where they came from, but the sight of Radd filled me with a terror that I’ve never known before.”

Cythraul shuffled around on the stone bench.  “There is no way they could have found them so quickly.  You said this Tara was there, did you see anyone else?”

“Ianus Akeru, and some woman that I didn’t recognize.”

“Ianus Akeru?  By all rights he should be mine.”

“What’s going on?” Faroh asked, “Has this happened before?”

“Tien Shaa, Adir Radd, and Dov Lavan are each reborn in every generation.  If they are reunited with their former periapts they can resume the work they had left unfinished.”

“You’re talking about reincarnation?”

“If that is what you want to call it,” Cythraul smiled.  “We have been through this many times.  There is no way they could have found Shaa and Radd so quickly.  Did you see Valeryn Kamau?”

“Yes, I did.  Lavan tried to kill him.”

“And the others stopped you,” Cythraul shook his head, “He is the luckiest person in the universe.  He has been a thorn in my side for a long time.”

“Our plans must change,” said Gunda.  “This is unforeseen.”

“The Parcae said Faroh is the key to opening Usekht Maati.  If we can take the holy city they will be at a disadvantage.  This is the advantage we have never had.  We have to take the city.”

“Should I call in our allies,” Gunda smiled.

“No, they are still our secret.  We should not tip our hand too soon.  This battle belongs to Faroh.  Without him, we can do nothing.  He bears the spirit of Dov Lavan.  He is the key.  Perhaps he will need that army after all.”

“What army?”  Faroh asked.

“This will be like the old days.  An army of Eidolons marching across the face of Tai-wer.”

“Eidolons?  Substantial holograms are going to be an army?  Have you forgotten how easily I dispatched the gate keepers of Tai-wer?”

“Only because you destroyed the hardware.  We can leave the crystals here, then the Eidolons themselves must be defeated.  Gunda can be their mind.”

“Are you sure you want to rest our fate in the hands of crystallized light?”

“No, we are resting our fate in you.  You shouldn’t think so lowly of Eidolons.  They are a convergence of energy and force, blind to everything but their mission— their purpose.  They do not feel pain and they evolve with every failure making a stronger army for the next offensive.  Surely you can see their advantage.”

“Very well, let us raise an army the likes of which this world has never seen.  Tai-wer will be ours.”

Ianus walked the labyrinth with the white lion, Paytah.

“What makes you so sure I won’t listen to you?”  Ianus asked.

“It is your personality,” said Paytah, “It doesn’t really matter.  This is your life, you have to live it as you see is best for you.  No one can tell you what is best for you to do.  You already know that, but you still long for the approval of others.”

“Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Not if you understood that it is not necessary.  Every one wants to make their parents proud, but if they are not proud of you when you are the best you can be, then there is nothing you can do to bring them around.  Your problem is that you crave validation.  You need someone to tell you, ‘You’re doing a good job.’  That is your weakness.  What will you do when no one is watching you?”

“I never thought about it like that.  I don’t know what I’d do.  I didn’t realize how often I look to see who’s watching me.  I have to do something about that.”

“There may still be hope for you yet,” Paytah bowed his head and walked away.

Ianus continued to wind around the twists and turns of the labyrinth.  The hedges opened up.  A simple marble fountain was in the center.  Arun sat on the edge of the fountain, rubbing his thumb over his right palm.

“Hello, Ianus,”  he said without looking up.  “It’s a strange thing isn’t it?”

“What is?  Do you have something in your hand?”

“It was Ihy’s periapt.  When Selwyn put us together, he embedded it in my palm.  Sometimes, I almost feel like I’m myself.  It is strange.  Can you imagine not being yourself?”

Ianus sat down next to him, “Yes, I can.  I’ve felt like that a lot lately.  This is not the life I wanted, but it is the life I was born to live.  Once I realized that, it got easier.”

“Easier, but not easy.”

“You once told me that nothing easy is ever worth doing.”

“You mean, Ihy told you.  I’m not Ihy.”

“Yes, you are.  You are Ihy, and you are Arun.  Together, you are a match for the world.”

“I can almost remember the last time I was here.  It is elusive.  I wish I could remember.”

“Do you really want to remember?”

“More than anything.”

Ianus laid his right hand on Arun’s forehead.  A soft, green light flashed from the periapt.  

Arun closed his eyes.  “I remember.  I remember everything.  How did you do that?”

“Tara healed me last night when the memories of Adir Radd flooded my mind.  For a while I forgot who I was.  I thought if it worked for me, it might work for you.”

“Thank you, son,” Arun smiled broadly.  “I cannot imagine a better gift.”  He wrapped his arms around Ianus and held him tight.

“I thought I’d lost you forever,” Ianus whispered, a tear ran down his cheek.  “It is you isn’t it?  You are back aren’t you?”

“Yes, my boy.  I’m back,” Arun took a deep breath, “I remember everything.  Did you say you have Adir Radd’s periapt?  I thought you were destined for the To’asaa.  That’s why I had Pryor bring it to Shiloh.”

“No, that was for Tara.  You said you were here before.  Why?”

“They— the A’nath-ari believed I was destined to replace Dov Lavan.  They wanted to get to me first.  That’s when I started working with them.  It was a good relationship.  Helping both our orders.  I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t risk anyone else finding out.”

“There was a lot you didn’t tell me.  You knew about all of this and you kept it a secret.”

“About that, you have to understand, I was afraid the truth would weaken you.  If you knew you had a destiny, you might not work hard enough to prepare for it.  A destiny is nothing but an opportunity and a choice.  What ever happens is always up to you.  So many don’t understand that.”

“You could have explained it to me!  I’m not stupid.  I am trainable.”

“Would you have listened?  Honestly think about it.  What age would have been appropriate to tell you?  What would it have done to your ego?  You were hard enough to handle with out the knowledge that the Vaticinars had prophesied over your birth.  It was the right choice.  It may not be what you would have liked to have happen, but it was the only coarse of action open to us.”

“I know.  I know you had your reasons, but it felt like such a betrayal.  It felt like you didn’t trust me.  That hurt me.”

“You have to know that I’m sorry.  I never meant to hurt you.  I’ve only ever wanted what was best for you.”

Eman and Hinun left the temple and headed for the town square.

“Are you sure it’s wise being out on the streets.  What if Cythraul sends someone else in to see if we’ve returned?”  Hinun asked, glancing around nervously.

“This won’t take long,” said Eman.  “We have to prepare, we have to know.”

“I think we are taking too great a risk.  No guards, no patrols, he could attack at any time.”

“The Vaticinars have been consulted.  The council has spoken.  For better or worse, this is our strategy.”

Hinun was not satisfied, but he knew there was nothing to gain from an argument.

They entered the town square, and walked straight over to Tara.

“I hear you’ve been practicing with the To’asaa,” said Eman, “Has it spoken to you?”

“Yes,” said Tara, “It has been advising me, and teaching me, why?  Is something wrong?  You are here to take it from me, aren’t you?”

“No,” said Hinun, “Why would you even ask something like that?”

“Master Barami says I don’t have a right to use it.  He says I have to face trial for all that I’ve done.”

“O really,” said Eman, “Doesn’t he know you already have?”

“I didn’t know.  When?”

“Yesterday, the governing council met to hear your case.”

“Don’t I get a chance to defend myself?”

“Hinun defended you, and quite well I must say.  You were found guilty of two counts of theft and one count of hijacking.”

“So you are here to take me away to jail?”

“No, the council felt you would benefit most by doing your penance here.  We feel that you must help the people you have harmed,” Eman smiled and winked at her, “Consider it a form of community service.”

“But he said he would take it to the Camarilla itself.”

“We have already informed them of our decision.  We made our position quite clear.  I can assure you that they won’t bring up the subject again.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” said Hinun, “There is still a lot more to go through.  You might prefer jail to what is coming.”

“It is more than I deserve.  Why are you doing this for me?”

“The To’asaa chose you.  You cannot steal what is yours to protect,” said Eman.  “You really shouldn’t take the things people say to you so personally.  You have to be surer of yourself.  Stand up for what’s yours.”

“I’ll try.  It’s hard sometimes.  I’ve never really done anything to be proud of.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” said Hinun.  “You underestimate yourself.  Humility is a virtue, but any virtue taken to an extreme is a vice.”

“He’s right,” said Eman, “The To’asaa would not have chosen you if you weren’t special.  It knows what it’s doing.  You do trust it, don’t you?”

“Yes.  It has not led me astray.”

“Has it shared its memories with you yet?”

“No.  It says I’m not ready.”

“Follow us,” said Eman, and he turned and walked back toward the city.

They made their way through the streets to Valeryn’s house.  They led her into the lounge and encouraged her to have a seat.

“This could overwhelm you, so remember no matter what happens, just breathe naturally,” said Hinun.

“In the dark time to come, you will be instrumental, but only if you are open to the mysteries set before you.”

Valeryn walked into the room, tapped Hinun on the shoulder, and they walked out of the room.

“I have to warn you,” said Valeryn, “A ship entered our air space and landed within the walls.”

“Did they know the codes?” 

“Of course they did or they never would have survived the flight.  Are you sure it wasn’t one of ours?”

“We checked the registration.  We are sure it wasn’t one of ours.  It must be reinforcements for Cythraul.”

“How big a ship was it?”

“Not too big.  It could hold five to ten people at most.  We have to get ready.”

“Eman is preparing Tara now.  Something about this doesn’t feel right.  He must be very confident, or he wouldn’t be moving so openly.  The attack on the guardian.  Allowing a ship to fly through the defenses.  He’s letting us see too much.”

“He’s always been overconfident.  He’s just making another mistake.”

“I hope so.  We’ve had a problem gathering intelligence about this Faroh Raanan.  He’s good.  Everything we’ve found out about him is an obvious forgery.  He may be more of a threat than we had originally presumed.”

Ianus and Arun emerged from the labyrinth and ran over to Maya and Pryor.

“I’m back,” Arun shouted, throwing his arms open.  “All my memories, my personality, everything!”

“What do you mean back?”  Maya’s eyes widened.

“Ianus healed me.  He made me whole.”

Arun and Maya embraced.

“Is this real?”  Maya whispered, “Please tell me this isn’t just some wonderful dream.”

“It’s real,” Arun kissed her on the cheek.  “It’s all real.”

“I thought I lost you forever.”

“You could never loose me.  I will always be with you.  Even if it’s only in spirit, I will always be by your side.  Forever and Always.”

“Always and forever.”

“It’s a beautiful thing.”  Pryor nudged Ianus with his elbow, “They belong together.  You did good work.”

“Thank you, but I only did what I had to do,” said Ianus.  “It is good to see them together again.”

Ianus looked around the garden.  He watched a beautiful silver and gold butterfly going from flower to flower.  It flew toward him, and landed in the palm of his hand.

Pain shot up his arm; he couldn’t breathe.  Falling to his knees, he felt his chest tighten.

“Hello Ianus,” Cythraul’s familiar voice echoed in his ears, “It has been a long time.  You have not called on me.  Is everything all right?”

“I don’t need you.  Leave me alone.”

“O, but we need you.  A great warrior like you would make a wonderful asset for the side of truth.  Come join us, and we will give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed.”

“I was born with all that I need.  There is nothing you have that I need.”

“What about glory?  If you would leave the A’nath-ari and join us, your name will be remembered forever.”

“That isn’t true.  The greatest flaw of all societies is they forget the tyrant, and do not learn from their mistakes.  If I joined you, my name would be forgotten- and even if it was remembered, it would be nothing more than a curse.”

“When we have finished, our empire will stretch from one corner of the galaxy to the other.  You could have your own kingdom.  All you have to do is accept the truth, and turn from your errors.”

“What errors would that be?  Believing that everyone should be allowed to have the freedom to believe as they wish?  That is not an error.  It is the central pillar of all liberty.”

“You do not understand,” said Cythraul, “We serve the same Master, you and I.  I have learned that debate is nothing but anarchy.  One voice must rule them all.  There is but one truth.”

“Who is to define that truth, you?  We do not serve the same master.  I serve life, limitless and free to evolve into higher forms.  You only serve death— death of conscience, death of hope, death of freedom.  You serve to the death of all who would oppose you.  It is always the same with your kind.  You speak with a golden tongue, but there will be blood on the streets before it is over.”

“I cannot control what my followers do.  I merely teach the truth.  They govern their own lives.”

“When your version of the truth includes litanies of people that don’t deserve to live, what do you think the end result will be?  You may not encourage the slaughter, but you encourage and condone the beliefs that cause them.”

“Are you blind?  To deny me is to deny yourself.  Without me, who will tell you what is right and what is wrong.  I give your life meaning, you must see that.  Come now.  Serve the truth.”

“History teaches us what is wrong, and guides us ever closer to what is right.  We learn and grow over time.  You have not.  You do not give our lives meaning, you rob it of meaning through your blind acceptance of the song.  You say that all our lives have a particular meaning and purpose.  You do not see that sheer life is without meaning.  It is the individual that brings meaning to it.  You rob them of that opportunity.”

“You can’t really believe that, can you?  You know the song as well as I do.”

“How are you doing this?  You have to be close.  Release me!  I don’t need your chains.”

“I will never leave you.  I am the first thought you have in the morning and the last you have at night.  I am a part of you.”

“You may be, but I don’t have to listen to you.  You’re using the butterfly, aren’t you.  It’s an eidolon.  I have made my decision.  I will never join you.  Leave me alone.  You are less than nothing to me.”  Ianus crushed the silver and gold butterfly in his hand.

Tara sat on the soft chair, and breathed slowly.  The full force of the To’asaa’s memories had abated.  She felt drained and exhilarated.  A new strength welled up in her heart.  The voice that had once whispered softly in her ear had taught her in the space of a few minutes everything that it knew.  The wisdom seeped through her mind and melted seamlessly into what she had already known.

She opened her eyes.  Eman and Hinun stood on the other side of the room talking to each other.

“You’re awake,” said Hinun.  He walked over to her and handed her a mug of toffee colored liquid.  “Here, drink this, it will help you feel better.”

Tara took a sip.  The spicy, rich flavor warmed her very soul.  It tasted like a warm winter morning around the fireplace.

Valeryn walked in with Kanu.

“Are you ready?”  Eman asked.

“No!”  Kanu said, “I don’t think this is a good idea.  You know quite well that a Raewyn can see the unseen.  It is too risky.”

“We have no choice.”  Eman’s breath quickened, “We have to know what he’s planning this is the only chance we have.”

“Ask the Vaticinars!”

“You know that they can only see the big picture.  We need details.”

“And you think Cythraul is just sitting around reciting his plan over and over again?  At best, we can only be there a short time.  We might hear a word here or there, but we are not going to be able to get the amount of detail you want.”

“We’ll take what ever we can get— a time, a place, anything.  Cythraul has demonstrated more bravado than is justified, even for someone like him.  He is planning something big.  We have to be ready for it.”

“What about the risk?  Forget for a moment the chance that we’ll be discovered.  Do you understand what they could do to her if we’re caught.  They could tear her apart, and what would that do to our cause then?”

“I am in the room,” said Tara, “Why don’t you ask me?  From the sound of it, you are arguing over my fate.  I have a say in it, don’t I?”

Eman sighed, “There is a technique that we can use to eavesdrop on Faroh and Cythraul.  You have a connection with Faroh, and we can use that to allow you to see through his eyes.  But if Cythraul catches you, he could shatter your mind.  You would never be whole again.  The chance of that happening is slim.  The choice is yours.” 

“I’ll do it,” said Tara, “I’ll take the risk.”

Eman pulled a chair in front of Tara, Kanu sat down facing her.

“I will allow you to see,” said Kanu, “All you have to do is concentrate on Faroh.  I will take you to him.  Now be careful.  While we are linked, I will be able to see everything you see.  If you get into trouble, just think of me and you will return here.  Do you understand?”

“I think so.  Will it hurt?”

“You may feel a little disoriented, but other than that you will be fine.  I won’t allow anything to hurt you.”

Kanu held out his right hand.  Tara did the same.  Their periapts almost touched.

Tara felt like she was falling asleep.  Her eyes were heavy, she slipped away.  All of her muscles relaxed.  They were like stone, solid and unmovable.  She fell through a long tunnel.  The wind rushed past her.

A dark room came into view.  Torches hung on the wall.  In the distance, someone screamed, and the sound of a lashing whip echoed.  She could feel the walls of someone else’s mind holding her in.

“This will only be a minor set back.  Everything else is happening as we had planned,” a metallic voice said.

“You are sure this won’t be a problem?”  Another man said just out of view.

“To the contrary, this could be to our advantage.  You cannot find what you’re not looking for.  Don’t worry.  We have gotten the people to rally to our cause, bless their short attention span.  They will give us all the power we have longed for.  In the end, they will turn on themselves like wolves.  The order of the Jade Moon is ours.”

“Pull back!”  Kanu said, “This is not where we need to be.  An eye is looking for you.  Focus on Faroh.  Hurry!”

Tara felt the floor fall out from under her.  The hollowness of the winds pulled on her.  She focused on Faroh.  Sorrow stormed her.

Cobwebs and carved granite met her eyes.  She had found her target.  He was frantic, pacing back and forth.

“We should attack now!”  He roared, “We are ready, they are not.  The longer we wait, the more we invite defeat.”

“You need to learn patience,” said an elderly Raewyn, “We have a few details to work out.  Besides, only a fool would attack under day light.”

“Cythraul, this is the time for action.  I can feel it deep down in my bones.”

“You are right.  We attack tonight.  Any further delay would be foolish.”  Cythraul closed his eyes and rolled his head.  “I can feel something.”

“Pull back,” said Kanu, “He senses you, focus on me.  Come back to me.”

Tara felt her muscles twitch; she fled from Faroh’s mind.  She hit her own body hard, and gasped as she opened her eyes.

“Is she back?”  Hinun asked.

“Did you hear anything?”  Eman asked.

Tara caught her breath, and stared at Eman.  Her lips quivered.  “They are attacking tonight, but there’s something else.  Someone is plotting against the Jade Moon.”

“What else is new?”  Eman said.

“Tonight?”  Hinun said.  “That doesn’t give us a lot of time.  We have to hurry.”

Daru ran up to Ianus, and grabbed him by the arm.

“Are you all right?”  She said, “I just heard what happened to you.”

“I’m a little shaken, but otherwise I’m fine.” 

“I can’t believe that Cythraul got an eidolon into the city.  How are we going to stop Faroh from sneaking back in, if we can’t stop an eidolon from getting in.”

“It was only a butterfly.”

“You don’t know what it’s like having that man rummaging through your mind.  It is a violation no one should ever experience.  Can you imagine having someone in your mind, pressuring you to bow to their will.  Can you imagine having your free choice threatened?”

“No, I can’t, and I hope I never do.  You can’t let it effect you like this.  For all you know, this is exactly what Cythraul wanted to happen.”

Ianus huffed, and squared his jaw, “You’re right. Peace of mind brings clarity.  Clarity yields power.  Power serves life.  I cannot forget my lessons.  That is what we are fighting for, isn’t it.  The preservation of our way of life.”

“I’m not sure we are ready for this.  Eman and Hinun have been helping Tara, but the rest of us are completely unprepared.  What am I saying?  Nothing could prepare us for this.”

“Don’t say that.  We have to be ready.  If we loose this city, we will loose the war.  Eman has made that clear.”

“But why?”

“He didn’t say, but there has to be a reason.  Why else would Cythraul keep attacking here?”

“You really trust them don’t you.”

“Yes, I have too.  They saved our people so many times over the last four thousand years.  All of our cities would be in ruins if it wasn’t for them.”

“That’s not exactly true,” said Daru, “I suspect they do it out of guilt.  They taught us the Maker’s art.  The first war was between their disciples.  They brought this nightmare to us.”

“No, it was our fault.  When they taught the Sen, the Inarus, or the Djati, they didn’t fracture and begin millennia of strife.  We started these wars, and we have to finish them.  Don’t blame our inadequacies on the Enmadra.”

“Are you ready to die for them?”

“If they kill me in the service of life, so be it.  We have to draw a line here.  We have to find a way to stop this from ever happening again.”

“How?  There is always a period of calm, but Cythraul always returns.”

“Then we have to stop him from coming back.”

“How do you kill a Raewyn?”

“Valeryn must know.  There has to be a way.”

“You shouldn’t dream so big.  Make a manageable goal.  Focus on stopping him this time, we can work on the rest later.”

“No.  Dreams are what move us forward.  Dreams are what matter.  I’m going to stop all this.  I have to.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t let someone else go through what I have.  This ends now.  No more.  Never again!  Do you hear me.  Never again.”

“I hear you, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do to stop it.  A pebble is not a dam.”

“It may not be a dam, but it is a start.”

Sakkara thundered down the street, “Ianus!  Ianus, Sakkara has to speak with Ianus.”  She stopped, bent over, resting her hands on her knees.

“What is it?”  Ianus asked.

Sakkara gulped to catch her breath.  “Faroh attacks tonight!  Master Fallon wishes to speak with Ianus at the east guard tower.”

“Which Master Fallon?”

Her eyes darted around, “Sakkara is not sure.  The one who smiles.  That Master Fallon wishes to see Ianus.”

“Tuun.”  Ianus chuckled, “Or do you mean Aashen.  I’ve seen both smile.”

Sakkara bit her lip.  “The nice one.”

Ianus nodded, “Aashen.  We will go to the east gate.”

“No, no, Mistress Isann wishes to see Daru at the North gate.”

“All right.  Do you know what to do?”

“Sakkara is a warrior from a long line of warriors.  She can take care of herself.  She will be with Master Kamau.”

“Very well then,” Ianus turned and grabbed Daru’s shoulders.  “You take care of yourself.  Don’t do anything I would do.”

“I guess this is it,” Daru said glancing off toward the gate, “See you on the other side.”

“Just remember.  Nothing can hold down a person who can fly without wings.  Watch out for Maya.  Tomorrow, we will raise our glasses in victory.”

The city came alive with Enmadra and A’nath-ari preparing for battle.  Every inch of the wall was covered.  They took turns napping so that everyone would be rested when the time came.  No one knew what to expect.  Rumors circulated that the Vaticinars could not foresee the battle to come.  Whether it would be one man or a thousand, no one knew.  Whispers of armies approaching from every direction ran up and down the walls.

After the sunset, Ianus woke Aashen up.  They were stationed in the east watchtower.  Silence followed the coming of night.  The attack could start at any moment.

“This reminds me of the night you first came to the Monastery at Shiloh,” said Aashen, as he joined Ianus at the window.  “Word had come that the transport had been attacked.  We didn’t know who was alive and who was dead.  We waited for the hospital ship to arrive, until late in the night.  They brought you out first.  We were all so excited to see you alive and doing well.   When we found out about your mother, it was like all the joy had been taken out of the world.  But you didn’t understand.  You were too young, I guess.  You ran up to Ihy and jumped into his arms, and said, ‘Mom says I’ll be staying with you for a while.  Do you have any games?’  We all laughed.  We really needed to laugh right then.”

“What brought that up?”

“You have always been there to help when the world seemed dark.  Here you are again, making everything better.”

“I hope you’re right.  I don’t feel ready for this.  Have you ever faced battle before?  I’m not talking about a duel, I’m talking about war, where more than just your honor is at stake.”

“Yes, I commanded an army during the slave revolt on Sinon.  We fought many battles.  None of them were easy.  It is easy to fight when you feel slighted, but when you’re facing another army, you suddenly realize your mortality.”

“What do you do about it?”

“Remember what you’re fighting for, and pray.  If the cause is just, you will gain more strength than you need.  It’s not easy, but if it has to be done, it has to be done.”

“Do you think we will be facing another army?”  Ianus asked.

“I don’t know.  Cythraul has something up his sleeve.  That much is certain.  We have to be ready for anything.  He won’t pull his punches.”

“Do you smell that?  There is incense in the air.  Are the A’nath-ari performing a service?”

“Not that I know of.  I think they would have told me.”  Aashen sniffed the air.  “It’s coming from the mountains.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Someone is praying for us.”

“Do you know why this city is so important?  Why does Cythraul focus his aggression here?”

“Because it is a symbol of everything that the people believe in.  If you can destroy the faith of the people, they will never recover,” Aashen said.

“I understand.  This is where it all started, this is where it must end.”

“Something like that.  Cythraul believes that submission and obedience are the highest virtues.  People are more willing to conform when their spirit’s broken.”

“Do you know how to kill a Raewyn?”  Ianus asked.

“No.  They are practically immortal.  As long as a part of them survives, they will return.  I’m not even sure they can die.  Why are you asking?”

“I thought if we killed Cythraul this would never happen again.”

“It’s a good idea, but I don’t know how realistic it is.  Maybe Valeryn would know I’m sure a Raewyn would know.  I don’t know how easily they would give up that information though.”

“You are probably right.”

“Let me give you a little advice.  Don’t let them frighten you.  The first task of a good general is to put fear in the hearts of their enemies.  If they put fear in you, they win.”

“How am I suppose to stop that from happening.  Fear is an instinct after all, isn’t it?”

“Fear that makes you run or fight is natural.  I’m talking about the kind of fear that won’t let go of you.  The terror that freezes your heart.  That kind of fear saps your courage and steals your strength.”

Ianus leaned out the window and stared at Adrakaya’s three moons.  They loomed over the horizon, casting an eerie glow over the land.

The sky was remarkably free of clouds.  Tonight, they would face their fate under the stars.  Nothing could be hidden.  If Cythraul had an army, they would be easy to see.  If Faroh came by himself, the A’nath-ari would catch him on the walls.

There was no way to surprise them, so that would not be the objective.  Cythraul chose tonight for a reason, there had to be some advantage.  Maybe he just wanted to catch them off guard.

“What is he hoping to accomplish by attacking tonight?”  Ianus asked.

“He thinks we’re unprepared.  The Enmadra made sure of that.  The first target will be the temple.  If they defile the temple, and destroy it’s meaning they will win.”

“What’s the advantage of destroying the temple?”

“Do you know what is in the temple?”

“The only thing I saw was a small gold box.”

“Exactly.  In there is all of the wrath of the A’nath-ari.  You know they waged a terrorist war for over twenty years.  In that time, they developed Eidolons of such unimaginable destructive force with only one thing on their minds— vengeance.”

“Why weren’t they destroyed?”  Ianus asked.

“If even one of the Nanites survived it would replicate the Eidolon.  Each one possessed all of the knowledge necessary.  They were the perfect weapons of terror.  They were easy to conceal and would cause massive casualties.  If that can be shattered or stolen, not only will Cythraul score a symbolic victory to demoralize the people but they will be a major step closer to achieving their goals.”

Ianus lowered his head, “If they were shattered, they would multiply, wouldn’t they?  They would rebuild thousands in their place.  That’s why the newer warrior eidolons do not have minds of their own.”

“Exactly, this way that war could not happen again.  We have to stop them, no matter the cost.”

“Why would Cythraul want to release them?”

“They would be an indestructible army raging across the galaxy, diverting our resources from fighting him.”

“He’s insane.  He would be at risk of attack too.”

“More martyrs for the cause,” Aashen lowered his eyes.  “He doesn’t value life like we do.  You see, by winning here they score a double victory.  Only one thing is certain.  After tomorrow nothing will ever be the same again, but you have to realize that the stakes are high.”