The Spade Chronicles Book 0: Eagles Rising

About halfway to the border I called up the Eagles, dialling Atalanta’s communicator. She picked up after the third call.

“What in Spade could be so important that you have to call in the dead of night?”

“Tide knows where Lance is. Where are you?” I inquired curtly. She straightened.

“We’re two hours away from the Valley. How about you?” She asked, waking the others.

“Same here.” I responded, vaguely remembering the last flight and the landscape below me.

“We’ll meet directly north of the Gate, on the border of the Forest of Trials. Then we can plan our next move,” I clarified before signing off. Putting the communicator away, I sighed and leaned back, gazing at the stars above me. I felt a twinge of anxiety form in my chest. It was one thing to defend against an attack on your own turf, it’s another to venture into their territory with little to no idea as to what we would find there.

On my shoulder, Kyrie sensed my anxiety.

“It’ll be okay.” She assured, brushing my cheek. “They’re probably weakened from their failed attack, and they won’t be expecting you.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ll succeed.” I mumbled, not convinced.

“True, but you should cheer up, leaders aren’t allowed to be pessimists.” Tide noted, winking at me, and while I appreciated the vote of confidence, I still had no idea as to what we would do once we find where Lance’s being kept. I knew that I wasn’t expected to have a complete game plan when I met up with everyone, but I wanted to at least have an idea.

“Do you have any idea what their hideout is like Tide?” I questioned, and we tilted his head, thoughtful.

“The only thing I could really tell you for certain is that it’s underground. But if I had to guess, I’d say that it’s comprised of multiple small chambers, judging by the lack of echo. I tried to listen to see how many people there were, but it was difficult to tell. I think it’s pretty safe to assume there are about thirty people in there.” I took all this in. Going against that many hostile without knowledge of the battlefield would be foolish at best.

“Where is this place again?” I questioned Tide.

“It’s east of the Gate, in the bordering mountains of Club.” He responded, and I took out my communicator once more and called Kennedia.

“Where in the name of Spade did you go, I had to mingle all alone because of you! And don’t get me started on covering for you with the teachers.”

“Sorry but I need you to look something up for me.” I explained, trying to appeal to the curious side of her..

“Alright, what is it?” She asked, and I relayed the location of the hideout.

“Is there any chance the Observatory Map can pull up a blueprint or something?” I questioned, and she considered for a moment.

“It’s possible,” she mused, “I could also look through the old atlases and see what I find. I’ll call you when I’ve got information.” She hung up, ecstatic to have a new topic to chew on. I opted to sleep for the rest of the flight, not wanting to charge into battle needing a cup of coffee.

I woke up when Tide touched down on the grass at the rendezvous point. I slid down to the ground, and the Eagles melted out of the trees a moment later, silent as the night.

“You three certainly have stealth down,” I commented, impressed.

“Yeah, well, we’ve had practice.” Atalanta refuted, giving Daedalus a withering look.

“One time! One time I accidently lead Vipers into our camp and she won’t let me hear the end of it!” He protested indignantly.

“I just don’t know why you felt the need to wake up the most obnoxious bird known to man.”

“I thought it was a part of the log!”

“Wonderful, now we know you are not only dreadfully clumsy but also blind as a bat.”

“Okay settle down.” I intervened before the banter escalated. “Need I remind you why we are here? We came to rescue our teammate and blades cut it that’s what we’re going to do.” They sobered, and I received a call from Kennedia.

“I checked the map, turns out there’s a button that allows is to view the ground beneath the surface. Anyway, there is an underground compound in the area you described. It’s entrance is easily accessible, if hard to spot. Just look for an outcropping with a oak tree growing on it, the door is disguised five meters south of it.”

It took us about an hour to find it, but once we did, we finalized our plan of action. We would split up into two teams, Daedalus and Robin made up one and Atalanta and I made up the other. We would try to make our way through the tunnel system undetected as long as possible. For the sake of stealth, we would maintain radio silence until one of the groups had found Lance. Then they would call to brief the other team and formulate a plan of action from there.

“If we’re all clear, let’s head inside.” Atalanta suggested after I made another failed call to Lance. Daedalus fumbled around the cliffside where Kennedia described, and a hole the rough size and shape or a doorway appeared. We made our way inside, weapons drawn and sand glowing as softly as possible to prevent any tripping. After a ways down we came to the hallways end, where it branched out in two directions. I motioned for Atalanta and I to go right, and the boys went left.

“Any idea where they could be holding him?” I asked, watching my steps so they didn’t make any noise.

“Probably deep in the compound, they’ll want to make it as difficult for him to escape as possible.” She replied in a whisper, opening any doorways we came across and peeking through them. Closing the door silently, we continued on. After we combed a few more hallways, something stuck me as odd.

“Where is everyone? If this is Viper headquarters, there should be sentries right? I haven’t seen anyone since we came in.” I questioned, feeling unease.

“There probably shorthanded after their failed attack, but you’re right, this is eerie. I would be on high alert.” Atalanta answered cautiously, and not a moment too soon, as right when we turned the next corner, we found the Vipers’ nest.

I stumbled backward, hoping to retreat behind the turn to avoid notice, but only managed to collide with Atalanta, both of us crashing into the stone wall. We had entered what must be their dining hall, and all heads looked up from their meals to look at us. They all wore their own version of a dull grey ensemble, along with burgundy scarves or other strips of cloth. Whether it was around their neck or tied to their wrist, they all wore some sort of marker.

“And who might you be?” One inquired accusingly, arching her brow and drawing a knife from her scabbard. Shocked into silence, I stood there as she rose and began to make her way towards us. She was beautiful, but cruelly so, with white and snow blonde hair that shone like a beacon against bronze skin. She had smeared burgundy paint in smooth, thick lines under her high cheekbones. Behind me, I heard Atlanta’s sword slide from its sheath.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall, lanky man stood up in a rush.

“Wait I know who she is! I recognize her from the forest! That’s Allie Sage!” He cried, producing a weapon from somewhere under the table.

“She’s the reason we were defeated!” Cried someone in the back.

“You were defeated because you’re incompetent.” Atalanta corrected before adopting a ready stance. Finally snapping out of my daze I readied my halberd, forming a dagger in my left hand for good measure. Right when the girl was about to charge a door across the chamber opened to Robin and Daedalus being shoved into the room, followed by six Vipers.

“Found these two wandering the halls on my way in.” The largest one said. He had a gruff voice, with ebony skin and huge biceps. He was not unlike a professional wrestler in appearance, but he carried an air of a trained killer, an impression highlighted by a scar over his right eye.

“Congratulations, Constrictor, actually finding and detaining prisoners might show you’re not completely useless.” The girl said, voice dripping with mocking superiority.

“Why don’t we set our rivalry aside and focus on the matter at hand, eh Cobra?” the man now known as Constrictor responded cooly, and tossed Robin and Daedalus to the center of the floor with terrifying ease. They crashed to the floor, now visibly restrained with their hands behind their backs.

“I think we’ll have more than enough information after we kick it out of them.” The girl, who I could only assume was Cobra said, coming to a stop in front of them. Upon closer inspection I could see she wasn’t much older than we were and I estimated that she couldn’t be older than eighteen.

“Well aren’t you a sore loser?” Daedalus sneered from his place on the floor. Cobra’s face stilled, and grew cold. Without warning, she coiled and dealt a savage kick to his ribs, causing Daedalus to curl into himself in pain.

Chaos followed soon after, beginning with Atalanta charging forward to his defense. She slashed a Cobra, who sloppily blocked, surprised at the sudden attack. Not a moment later everyone in the dining hall rose and grabbed whatever they could use as a weapon if they weren’t already armed. It was almost comical, the sight of a battalion armed with silverware and dinner plates. I rushed to free Daedalus and Robin, switching out my halberd for another knife to saw through the ropes binding them. Once they were free I formed a sword for each of them and turned to face the onslaught.

It didn’t look good. I knew that surrendering wasn’t an option, because by the looks of things, they would have killed us anyway, but fighting to the death wasn’t much better. I blocked and parried as best as I could, but I couldn’t keep up with so many assailants at once, as soon as I pushed one back, one more took its place. Before I knew it I was locked in combat with Cobra, I traded one dagger for a sword and the other for a halberd and slashed down with both. She barely managed to pull away in time, her face draining of color.

“Where did you . . .?” She questioned disconcertedly, likely shaken by the sudden appearance of a new weapon. I ignored her and swung again, this time bringing my blade down on her right shoulder. She cried out as blood began to flow from the wound. She had dropped her weapon and backed away in a gesture of surrender, so I moved to help the other Eagles. I quickly realized that it was far worse than I had predicted. Atalanta was facing three different opponents at once, and Daedalus tried to see through blood pouring from his forehead into his eyes. Robin didn’t fare much better, his hand pressed into a gash on his side.

This was a losing battle, and I began to panic.

I swung my halberd savagely, cutting into those unfortunate enough to be within its extended range. With a wide arc of my sword I sent knives flying, sinking into the arms and heels of Vipers, bringing down a quarter of the opposing side in one fell swoop. I ran across the room towards the other Eagles, slashing at knees and thighs on my way, only to have Constrictor get in my way. Undaunted, I jumped up, using a nearby dining table as a springboard, twirled my halberd around, and plunged it into his shoulder. We fell, but where he crashed onto his back I landed on my feet. I left my halberd in his shoulder before forming another to face my next opponent. I saw Cobra had gotten up and was swiping a knife at Atalanta, who was slouched and panting with exertion. I could see the knife was aimed at the neck, and I knew that unlike us, she was fighting for the kill. Before she could land a hit, however, I hurled a half formed shard of blade at her, and hit home in her bicep. She shrieked in pain and turned to face me. I strode toward her and grabbed her injured shoulder to slam into the wall behind her.

“Where is Lance?” I seethed, but she only shook her head, face white with pain or fear. I couldn’t tell which.

“I asked you a question!” I shouted. She flinched before answering.

“He’s not here, we moved him an hour ago, I don’t know where. Ouroboros didn’t say where! I’m telling the truth I promise!” She whimpered, and I let her go. She fell to the floor and cradled her shoulder. I saw Kyrie fly through the doorway that lead deeper into the compound. She must have slipped away during the fray.

“I looked everywhere, but Lance isn’t there, just a few sleeping Vipers.” She reported as she took her place on my shoulder. I turned face the others, and my blood ran cold.

It was a sight out of a nightmare, everyone was sprawled out on the floor , with cuts bleeding out until the floor was almost entirely covered in red. I looked down at my dress, it was torn and stained with blood I knew with a sickening feeling wasn’t mine. The Vipers that were closest to me were shaking in fear and trying to discreetly cower away.

There were at least thirty people in this room, and I had incapacitated them all.

I can’t believe you!

I know it looks bad now but-

No! No! This is the girl you want to take out of Tale? The human armory?

There’s more to Allie than her power and you know it.

There’s always more to a person than their power but this would be too much! Even without us she has the power to subdue entire nations! If we give her mastery over time she’ll be a walking apocalypse! How can you even suggest this?

Because if things are as I expect the alternative is so much worse.

. . . What do you mean worse? What did you see?

Not yet, first watch Allie, she gets better.

“Robin,” I began with a quivering voice. “Go around and check everyone’s wounds. Make sure their injuries aren’t fatal if you can help it.”

He didn’t argue, and began checking the laceration lacerations of the nearest Viper.

“Atalanta, Daedalus, can you keep watch? I’ll be right back.”

I left without waiting for a response. I had Kyrie lead me to the Vipers she had found. There were five of them, although one was beginning to wake from the noise.

“Who are you?” Said one boy about my age.

“Your enemy.” I replied. “But right now you need to care for your wounded.” Without a word I walked out, and didn’t look back when I heard their footsteps following mine. We emerged into the dining hall, where Robin was bandaging a few Vipers. I heard horrified cries from the ones I had woken.

“I don’t see any injuries that will cause death, but some might not fully recover. You’re a beast, Ally, going for knees and heels like that. But I guess it was merciful given who they are and the current circumstances.” He brushed his hands off and rose. Raising an eyebrow upon catching sight of the Vipers behind me.

“They’re no threat. They should care for their own,” I said, turned on my heel, and lead the Eagles back into the brisk night.

See? If she can respect her power she can respect ours.

Even if you’re right I still want to know why such an action would be necessary.

But you trust her? Allie?

. . . I suppose she has potential, but I want to see more before agreeing completely.

We parted ways once more to make our way back to Eagle Bastion. I rode back with Tide, who was dejectedly silent the whole trip.

“I’m sorry,” I morosed, regretful of the failure. And now that the lead had proven barren, I had no clue as to what to do next.

“It’s not your fault,” he consoled glumly. “If anything, it’s my fault for giving you a false location.”

“The location wasn’t false,” I corrected. “He was there at one point, they had just moved him by the time we arrived.”

He didn’t look as guilty after that, but he was still down trodden.

We arrived back at the palace just as an hour before dawn. There wasn’t enough time to justify going to sleep so I walked to my bathroom instead to wash up before breakfast. I caught a look at my reflection. My dress was covered in a an alarming amount. I went to the sink. One of the few things that I was pleasantly surprised to find was the same on Pangaea and Ivaline was the plumbing, although Ivaline plumbing had more of a roman feel. There were even multiple public baths in Lailoria. The Hatchling baths were above the common room. My mind wandered to my first week as I was scrubbing off grime that had settled in my skin. I guess it was easier to recall happier memories rather than process what had happened in the last few hours.

When I finally emerged the sun was rising. I tossed my soiled dress down the laundry shoot and pulled a new set of clothes from the closet. I pulled on a black pair of silk pants and a long sleeved amethyst shirt underneath an off shoulder crop top made out of chain mail. The weight of the armor, even if there wasn’t much, was comforting. A butler intercepted me on my way to the dining hall.

“The Queen wants to see you in her office,” he informed curtly, and went on his way. I followed him into the Inner Palace. This time she wasn’t sitting behind her desk but leaning against it next to the chair she had me sit in.

“I have received word that the rest of the Eagles, as everyone seems to call you, are on their way back without Hatchling Pendragon. Report,” she ordered, arms crossed over her chest.

“Tide, his companion dragon, came to me last night saying that he had found Lance, but he couldn’t get to him because he was underground. So he flew me down to the Valley of Avalon where we met up with the others and infiltrated their lair. It didn’t go well,” I began, looking down at my fingers as they wove together.

“I heard there weren’t any casualties on our side, I would say it went well enough,” she mused, then looked down at me. “But there’s something else is bothering you? Isn’t there?” Underneath her piercing gaze I broke down. I told her about what happened to most of the Vipers in their dining hall.

“There must have been dozens of them in that chamber, but I incapacitated them all without a second thought. And it was just . . . so easy I-” I put my head in my hands and stared at the floor. “I feel like I’ve been given to much power and I don’t know how to control it. How am I supposed to lead others when going out of control has such devastating consequences?” There was a long silence before she spoke again.

“Wars have been waged that brought chaos and horrifying destruction. Battles fought where death marches across the field, indiscriminately claiming innocents and combatants alike. In those circumstances, there is a heartbreaking loss of life, often in vain. What you did was different. You saw your team, your friends, in dire need, and you responded with what you saw as the quickest solution. That alone speaks to your sense of responsibility, one that is befitting someone in a position of authority.”

I straightened to look at her as she continued.

“It is also worth noting that while you did do a significant amount of damage to those against you, and some may never regain their full physical abilities, no one died by your blade.” She took my hands in hers and gave them a firm squeeze.

“It’s not that you can’t control your power, it’s that you know the consequences of misusing it, and you are rightfully wary. You can lead because you know the value of life, even that of your enemies. That’s more than can be said for many leaders history has honored,” she put a hand on my shoulder. “What happened in that dining hall was justified. You were faced with difficult decision and dealt with it the best way you could. There’s nothing wrong with that,” she smiled as she reassured me, and I found myself grateful to have someone to talk to who was willing to listen and understand. With gratitude came guilt as I remembered the argument I had with my mom the night before.

As I walked back through the North Corridor I braced myself for what I hoped would be a reconciliation. I emerged into the Hatchling wing and headed to the dormitories. Kyrie came to my shoulder, stroking my cheek.

“How’d it go?” she questioned as I passed the stained glass windows that filled the hallways with color and light.

“I just had to explain the events of the night, and she gave me some advice. So not bad,” I responded, turning a corner into the girl’s corridor. I walked to my vanity and sat down. Reaching for the calling compact from where I had left it, I accidently knocked my diadem to the floor. I didn’t feel like wearing it this morning, but after talking to the Queen I was feeling up to the burden. I took my hair out of its ponytail and with a silver hair comb swept half of it back in an eagle shaped hair clip. Once I was done I placed the circlet on my hair at its usual place above my hairline.

I gazed at the mirror. Last night I had looked ragged and worn, weary from an argument I never wanted to start. Now I drew myself up, and tried to make myself look calm and confident. The leader I knew the Eagles, and the rest of the Eagle Bastion student body, deserved. The circlet gave me a much needed boost of confidence I needed to accomplish anything. I don’t know what drove Lance to craft it for me, but I’m glad he did. My heart stopped as an idea hit me.

“Kyrie, how did you say the Auroria portal worked?” I inquired in disbelief.

“They used an object that originated from the desired destination, throwing it into the water before jumping in after it.” She answered while preening her feathers. “Why do you ask?”

“What if I used Lance’s diadem? Do you think throwing it into the Pool of Tears might bring me to wherever he is?” I brainstormed trying to think of a reason it wouldn’t work, but lacked enough information to determine if such an attempt would be dangerous or not.

“You should consult the others before making a decision.” Kyrie advised. “They may know something we don’t.”

to I made my way to the Observatory alone, but Kennedia was already there, along with the other Eagles.

“Hey Allie, sorry you had no luck last night, but we can still look for him. We just have to keep trying.” She tried to reassured me, and I gave her a smile for her efforts.

“I might just have an idea.” I informed her, and turned as I heard the others enter the Observatory. They all looked tired and weary from hours of travel.

“Man, why couldn’t we ride the dragon home?” Daedalus groaned as he fell into his chair.

“Just because Allie can fit on the dragon doesn’t mean we all can,” Robin responded, taking his seat by Kennedia.

“I would appreciate a brief meeting myself.” Atalanta said to me as she sat down by my side. I took a breath before leaning forward to address everyone,

“I know we’ve all had a long night, and I realize turning up empty might be discouraging, but I think I may have a solution.” Everyone perked up a little at the possibility for further action. As tired as we were from the Viper infiltration, we were just as eager to find our missing brother in arms. I could feel the excitement in the room build as I presented my idea.

“So you think we can use this to get to Lance, wherever he might be?” Daedalus inquired, picking up the diadem from where I had placed it on the table.

“Yes, unless you guys think something might go wrong?” I looked for confirmation, but no one seemed to have many objections.

“I don’t see a problem with using the Pool of Tears, but my concern is where we might end up.” Atalanta mused. “If we finally get Lance back, how do we get back afterward? We don’t know if we need to pack supplies or not.” She brought up a valid point, one that sent Kennedia rifling through pages.

“I have to agree with Atalanta, none of these books tell how the people of Auroria made it back into the city. Just how they got out.” She reported, brow furrowed in frustration. I leaned back, not wanting to give up just yet but unable to deny their argument.

“There has to be something we can do,” I insisted quietly. Daedalus put his hands together.

“If only we could find some way to make our way back through the portal, then we could go without having to worry about getting back to Spade.” He mused. drumming his fingers next to where he set down my circlet. After a few minutes of silent pondering, I called it.

“Alright, we’re all tired, why don’t we sleep on it and meet again after we’ve all had rest.” I called, standing and moving to the staircase. The Eagles were all grateful and hurried behind me. Before heading to bed I climbed up to visit Hawthorn and Ash to give them an update. Even if they couldn’t fight with the others I still valued their input and considered them close friends.

“Hello Allie, could you be a dear and grab little Acanthus for me? He’s been trying to escape all morning and it’s time for him to sleep for a bit.” Hawthorne called from his nest. Chuckling, I gently picked up the ball of gray fuzz and moved to place him next to his siblings. He wriggled out of my palm and tried to scale the wall of the nest to move towards the door again. Hawthorne blocked him with his wing before he could get very far.

“I heard you had an eventful night.” He whispered quietly once all of them had fallen asleep.

“Yeah, eventful but unsuccessful,” I lamented, earning a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry to hear it. Do you have any idea what to do next?” He asked, coming to rest on my forearm. His grip was stronger than Kyrie’s, and I was grateful I took that into account when asking Daedalus to make my leather gauntlets. He had made them on his own accord when he notice how much avian company I kept. Sarcastic as he was, Daedalus was always thinking of and making devices to make our lives a little bit easier. Leather guards to protect my arms from friendly talons or padded gloves for Atalanta to wear so she was always ready to fire a bow. He also fashioned a collapsable first aid kit for Robin.

“We were thinking of using the Pool of Tears, but don’t know how to come back.” I explained, using my free hand to pinch my nose.

“In Auroria?” He asked, causing me to pause, I looked up at him.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“I’m older than I look, and with age comes knowledge. If you want to know how to return through the Pool of Tears, I can tell you.” He shuffled a bit, getting more comfortable before he continued. “The people of Old Spade used the portal quite often, so they had it down to a science. Getting through is self explanatory, but to get back is a little trickier. They kept small containers on their person when they traveled. They would set their destination by throwing an object in the water, but before they jumped in they would take a bit of water with them. That way, when they wished to return, they would pour the water on themselves. The water transports any living thing it touches, so they could take the containers with them wherever they wished so long as they didn’t spill it,” he explained.

“So if I were to throw in an object created by a specific person, would that set a destination?” I asked, causing Hawthorne to nod.

“When programming the portal people used branches or stones from the desired locations. Using and object crafted by a specific person the portal tracked the person’s location. It’s how the people of Old Spade found a missing person.”

As he finished, I felt the exhilaration of an obstacle overcome. I thanked him and hurried down to the dorms, knocking on Kennedia’s door and eagerly awaiting her answer.

“What is it?” She asked as soon as she saw the look on my face. I quickly repeated what Hawthorne had told me, and soon we were walking down the halls in search of supplies. We decided to use canteens found in the pantry.

“Before we go anywhere you need to head to bed.” Kennedia insisted after we carried them to the Observatory. “At this rate you’ll doze off while walking. The others need rest as well.”

So reluctantly I went to bed. As classes had let out for the year, to resume in three months, I had no obligations for the day.

Sleep came quickly, glad for the reprieve after such an exhausting night.