THE KEEPERS RISE

Chapter 18 - Meet Your Maker - Part 1

*Remember to click the play button to listen to the soundtrack as you read!*

Councilor Archimedes Quin woke up underwater and almost completely undressed. His eyes stung as he opened them, and he reached up to rub them blearily. He was in a humanoid-sized rectangular tank, floating slightly above its glowing red bottom. Surprised and delighted, he briefly ignored his surroundings and took a deep breath of the oxygen-filled liquid that he, as a kathumis, was so much more comfortable with. It was warm and comforting, like a hot spring, surprisingly easy to breathe, and a deep, almost unrealistic blue.

Then, he noticed a figure facing the metal wall opposite him, and his memories of the Red Wolf prison rushed back to him. The man's features were distorted by the liquid and glass, but Archimedes could make out that he was wearing a typical Red Wolf uniform and a black cape with a large red triangle on the outside. Archimedes had seen enough cape designs to know that their patterns were another symbol of rank. He was still groggy, but he thought he remembered seeing this particular pattern before.

When the person turned and stepped towards the center of the room, his fears were confirmed. "Councilor Quin," Nicolai sneered, his features flashing with amusement. His voice was muffled by the sound of bubbles in the Councilor's ears. "We meet again."

Archimedes sarcastically responded, "Charmed," but was quickly reminded that liquid couldn't transmit sound very well. He frowned and crossed his arms, analytically observing the room. Despite knowing that it was likely another repurposed area of the spaceport, it looked well-designed and sturdy. He glanced at the top and bottom of the tank, which appeared to be smoothly connected to the solid glass walls. Peeking behind him, he saw that the glass continued all the way around without any seams. It was unclear how he'd been put into the tank in the first place.

Nicolai finished what he was doing at a control panel on the wall and approached him with calculated slowness. "That isn't water you're breathing," he said. Archimedes raised an eyebrow apprehensively. "It's very similar, of course, likely enough that you can't tell the difference. I call it Aqua, and the only difference is that any being that breathes oxygen, whether in air or water, can breathe it, and I can control very precisely how much oxygen is in it."

With attention drawn to his apparently limited supply of oxygen, Archimedes started hyperventilating slightly. He glanced around himself at the Aqua, where tiny bubbles seemed to appear of their own volition, floating up past his face as if to taunt him. The warmth around him now felt smothering. He glared at Nicolai, daring him to go on.

"I'll answer the questions that I assume are most pressing on your mind. Trycho is in the same situation as you, and most likely still alive. Unfortunate that he isn't free from that common natural fear of drowning, though, don't you agree?" Nicolai smiled innocently, and Archimedes's heart dropped. "Four Keepers are loose on Myusaria but soon to be captured again, as they have nowhere to go, and the other four are contained on your flagship, which will soon arrive one way or another and be added to the armada that is headed for the Dark. Oh, and Dameon tells me that Laryssa Rohana is well-" Archimedes interrupted him with an emotionless snort, sending bubbles shooting around his face, and Nicolai laughed and cocked his head in mock concern. "He just thought you should know."

He paused, watching the Councilor's face pass through several layers of emotion. "Anyway, I think you know why you're here, but I'll spell it out for you. Dameon has the firepower to completely overwhelm the Dark's forces, but he'd much prefer to stop them at the source and avoid any unnecessary bloodshed."

Archimedes rolled his eyes at this. "On his side," he murmured with scorn.

Nicolai ignored him. "The Dark fleets are still holding off the smaller Light and Red Wolf forces that have already attacked, and one of many reasons for that is the continued existence of the rest of your Dark Council, which eludes our searches and continues to command the fleets that remain. They also keep many of the Dark's mobile military bases heavily shielded and cloaked, presumably with their own magic."