The Last Knight (An Awakening the Lightforged Novel)

Chapter 14: Last Shadow

Even slipping our people in one by one over the years wouldn't work. The Imaia's systems might allow for a few dozen dark spots, but not almost thirty-thousand.

C. 7 days, 19 hours since the assassination of rebel leadership

Koruuksi stopped his speeder a short walk from Last Shadow's mountain base. He stowed the long, slim vehicle under an outcrop that would keep it hidden from aircraft and auroras, then took a moment to simply admire Last Shadow's chosen locale. The high mountains of Old Atonga rose before him, piercing the blood red sky with peaks high enough for snow to fall and give them brilliant white caps.

The entrance to Last Shadow wasn't visible from his vantage, like most of their bases, but he knew where to look.

Koruuksi started toward one of the crags that cracked and split the rocky land, opening as it neared the base of the mountain.

Ancient rains had likely carved out the crags, though they could have split open after Yrmuunthal's destruction. Koruuksi shivered thinking about that. He'd been on Darkside then, and seen the worst of it. Here, they'd only found a few fissures and cave-ins in some sections of the old mining tunnels and lava tubes. He still didn't know how to feel about that. The goddess he had trusted and fought for had betrayed them, destroying the world and vanishing with no explanation just when it seemed they had a chance.

Frowning, Koruuksi tried to shove the thoughts from his mind and focus as he climbed down the rock wall into the hidden depression; it didn't work well.

He knew that was part of the reason Estingai was so angry right now. She'd been outwardly worse after the destruction when they'd learned that Kweshrima, not the God King or his armies, had destroyed Yrmuunthal. Now, he believed she'd just learned to keep that all inside. She'd actually spoken with the goddess. He didn't know what Kweshrima had said to her, but he imagined those words just made things even worse than they already were.

Stop it. Focus on this. Get it done as fast as possible so you can get back home.

He worried about Uuchantuu. He knew she could handle leading the team, but...

Neither of us do well when we're apart from one another.

Koruuksi shook his head, then took a deep breath and adjusted his bag before he headed toward the dark opening at the base of the mountain.

That, at least, had been carved by Natari hands. It was an old iron mine from the days of the Iron Empire. Now that all the harmful, extremely useful metal had been cleared out of it, it made a perfect hidden base, especially with the help of emerald Auroramancers to move the stone around and reinforce the tunnels where needed.

As Koruuksi drew closer and saw no guards just inside the opening, he hesitated, brightening his clearnodes. Still nothing.

He frowned.

Is this the wrong mine?

It could just be a side-entrance to the base rather than their main one.

Or it could be a trap.

Koruuksi studied the opening, considering using his orangenodes to check. That hadn't helped Estingai and her team, though.

Taking a deep breath, Koruuksi brightened his yellownodes for luck, and primed his greynodes and bluenodes, just in case.

He crept forward, silent, and found himself unimpeded as he entered the tunnel and continued deeper inside.

Still, he didn't let himself grow too comfortable.

The smooth rock walls picked up even the quietest sounds, so Koruuksi brightened his greynodes just enough to give him a bit better balance and finer control over his movements. Most people just used their greynodes for strength or speed depending on their heritage, but Koruuksi's teachers had shown him that there was so much more to each ability.