Markram Battles: Omens of Doom (Part II) Read Online Free Page B
Author: M.C. Muhlenkamp
crowd and toward quieter surroundings when I find myself face to face with Seven.
“Commander.”
“Seven.” The irritation from the previous encounter with Senator Six still vibrates through my limbs and I have to force my thoughts into focus before speaking again. “Have you learned anything new regarding the prior relationship between tonight’s fighters?”
Seven lets out a displeased grunt. “They met during the occupation years. I have not learned the details yet, but their disagreements seem to date back to that time period. I can press the subject further if you require it.”
I shake my head. “It is of no importance now.” I look up toward the sky. The full moon shines brightly against the starry vastness beyond and the crisp breeze works its way through my lungs, cooling any vestige of irritation left. “Go. Enjoy the rest of the festivities. I believe more than one of the guests would love to keep you company for the remainder of the evening.”
Seven takes a sharp inhale, bringing my attention back to him. “I will be retiring immediately.” I raise my eyebrows, questioning him without a word. Seven doesn’t respond. His head bows. “Permission to be dismissed.” Something about his tone makes me wonder if he is simply requesting to leave my presence or, if he is in a very subtle way, trying to validate his desire to withdraw from the social gathering.
Either way, I move aside to let him pass. “Granted.”
He walks past me and works his way through the clusters of people. Two women approach him, but he dismisses them with a respectful inclination of his head. Still, the two women, one of which is the daughter of Senator Thirty-Two, couldn’t look any more displeased, maybe even offended, by the gentle refusal.
My eyes move toward the ocean of faces. Both the Major General and Eleven are nowhere in sight. My insides ripple with the jovial atmosphere that flavors the night and I let my gaze scan the sea of black and white uniforms. In spite of my efforts to keep the memories of my past entombed, my thoughts begin to drift, wandering farther and farther away from the man I have become, and closer to the woman I once loved and the man I was then. So many emotions linger in those memories. So little of that man remains.
Krana’s words resonate inside my head, bringing back the painful memory of her farewell. “It would seem the universe is conspiring against our weakness.”
I took her hand, pressing it against my chest. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that. We aren’t weak. We don’t have to agree with the notion that there is anything beyond our own wills that has any control over our lives. All we have to do is fight; push back until this supposed universe collapses at our feet in surrender of our strength. Don’t give up, Krana, please.”
She looked up, her eyes glossy with tears. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” She pulled her hand away, gripping it against her neck, and turned around. Days later I enlisted in the army, seeking refuge from the news of her betrothal.
My hands ball into fists, remembering the sting of her goodbye. I drag her image down into the rocky floor of my inner thoughts and bury it deep within the darkness beyond. I wasn’t weak then and I am not weak now. My only weakness was her. Without her I am stronger than ever. I think about Seven and I can’t help seeing the similarities. Thirteen. His bane. His curse. She will continue to be a threat as long as she lives, tormenting him until the end of his days.
Fire and Ice
The city of Velkram, capital of Sector 32, ex pands as far as my eyes can see. Like a warped maze of white concrete and glass, it bends and turns, consuming everyone inside its straight and narrow streets. Glass towers bend on themselves, coiling through the city like the dancing limbs of a sea creature. The crystal structures rise high above the clouds, only to dive back down and
“Commander.”
“Seven.” The irritation from the previous encounter with Senator Six still vibrates through my limbs and I have to force my thoughts into focus before speaking again. “Have you learned anything new regarding the prior relationship between tonight’s fighters?”
Seven lets out a displeased grunt. “They met during the occupation years. I have not learned the details yet, but their disagreements seem to date back to that time period. I can press the subject further if you require it.”
I shake my head. “It is of no importance now.” I look up toward the sky. The full moon shines brightly against the starry vastness beyond and the crisp breeze works its way through my lungs, cooling any vestige of irritation left. “Go. Enjoy the rest of the festivities. I believe more than one of the guests would love to keep you company for the remainder of the evening.”
Seven takes a sharp inhale, bringing my attention back to him. “I will be retiring immediately.” I raise my eyebrows, questioning him without a word. Seven doesn’t respond. His head bows. “Permission to be dismissed.” Something about his tone makes me wonder if he is simply requesting to leave my presence or, if he is in a very subtle way, trying to validate his desire to withdraw from the social gathering.
Either way, I move aside to let him pass. “Granted.”
He walks past me and works his way through the clusters of people. Two women approach him, but he dismisses them with a respectful inclination of his head. Still, the two women, one of which is the daughter of Senator Thirty-Two, couldn’t look any more displeased, maybe even offended, by the gentle refusal.
My eyes move toward the ocean of faces. Both the Major General and Eleven are nowhere in sight. My insides ripple with the jovial atmosphere that flavors the night and I let my gaze scan the sea of black and white uniforms. In spite of my efforts to keep the memories of my past entombed, my thoughts begin to drift, wandering farther and farther away from the man I have become, and closer to the woman I once loved and the man I was then. So many emotions linger in those memories. So little of that man remains.
Krana’s words resonate inside my head, bringing back the painful memory of her farewell. “It would seem the universe is conspiring against our weakness.”
I took her hand, pressing it against my chest. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that. We aren’t weak. We don’t have to agree with the notion that there is anything beyond our own wills that has any control over our lives. All we have to do is fight; push back until this supposed universe collapses at our feet in surrender of our strength. Don’t give up, Krana, please.”
She looked up, her eyes glossy with tears. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” She pulled her hand away, gripping it against her neck, and turned around. Days later I enlisted in the army, seeking refuge from the news of her betrothal.
My hands ball into fists, remembering the sting of her goodbye. I drag her image down into the rocky floor of my inner thoughts and bury it deep within the darkness beyond. I wasn’t weak then and I am not weak now. My only weakness was her. Without her I am stronger than ever. I think about Seven and I can’t help seeing the similarities. Thirteen. His bane. His curse. She will continue to be a threat as long as she lives, tormenting him until the end of his days.
Fire and Ice
The city of Velkram, capital of Sector 32, ex pands as far as my eyes can see. Like a warped maze of white concrete and glass, it bends and turns, consuming everyone inside its straight and narrow streets. Glass towers bend on themselves, coiling through the city like the dancing limbs of a sea creature. The crystal structures rise high above the clouds, only to dive back down and
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