Death of the Elements

CHAPTER 25

"They're moving." Ranim said, staring at the blip on the screen. "Heading right for us."

"Where's Faldin!" Cirella shouted back.

"He, he said he'd be back by now."

"Go And FIND HIM!"

Ranim gladly turned away from the radar towards the door. This was his chance to run; get out of this damned office and to the interplanetary station as fast as he could. Fear gripped the thought; she would find him and do much worse to him than she had done to Faldin. Cirella needed the High Regent and had broken his back to prove a point, what would she do to a lowly page?

You're over thinking this Ranim; just get out of the room. His hand was shaking as he reached for the door, another few steps. His heart was pounding, waiting for her to call him back. His fingers wrapped around the vertical handle, bracing his arm as he leaned his weight into it. The door flew open, Ranim's feet knocking together as he clung on to stop himself from falling over. The new High Regent entered, giving the page a nervous look. When would his next chance for escape come now?

"Where Have You Been?" Cirella screamed.

"I wanted to get the speech just right." Faldin said subserviently, looking at his feet the whole time as he came into the room; his room.

He was wearing the time honored High Regent's armor and cloak but the elegant black, red, and gold garb looked strange on him, too elaborate to be believed. The cloak barely scraped the floor but Faldin still managed to catch it underneath his feet with almost every step as he approached.

"You have more to do than soothe the people." She answered harshly. "I need you to get your men ready."

"Why?" He said, his default roughness coming back through his humility.

"Jazun's coming." She said with a smile, Ranim couldn't see her face but he could hear the maliciousness in her tone.

"What!" He shrieked. "What are we going to do?"

"You are going to stop panicking and do what I tell you."

"Yes, of course." High Regent Faldin said, remembering his place.

"How many gunships do we have left?"

"Six. Four of which are armored."

"I should have baited Jazun enough to go to his dead kin. Assuming the princess is still alive to tell him where to go. Send one of the armored to the site and have them hold there out of sight. If they can shoot down his ship have them do so but under no circumstances are they to engage him in direct combat.

"Still alive?" Ranim cut in. "Jazun said she was dead."

"If Jazun tells you something it's a safe bet that the opposite is true. And send one of the unarmored ships out to where Jazun was when we spoke. The elemental camp was out there somewhere and I want to be sure what happened to them. If anyone is still there kill them."

"If we know where he's going why don't we just send the army?" Faldin said haughtily. "My men and women will kill him and anyone with him before they even get to the city."

"Your fellow Regent said much the same." She rebuked.

"I have more than four times the men under my command than Tillin did and my soldiers are all loyal to the death."

"As were Regent Torno's. You will send one ship, that is all. No matter where he goes first he will come back to Loordania to kill me."

The High Regent didn't argue this time, giving her a nod instead.