The Marenon Chronicles Collection - By Jason D. Morrow Page 0,224

one of the western gates of the city, so those captured on the wagons could be ushered out. When he had come up with that plan, he was thinking solely of his wife, and when it came down to it, he would leave the battle with her and never look back. He wasn’t there to free all the slaves. He was there to free only one. Coffman had told him that it wasn’t Dink’s priority to help destroy the Sphere. Dink wasn’t sure how much he could really help in destroying the weapon anyway.

He had left his Stühoc uniform behind, and washed the dried blood from his face and neck, thinking it would only make him a target of both sides. Now he was truly one of the slaves and he would have no chance of escape unless the uprising was successful. He, along with hundreds of others, made his way to the Pyramid. He could see a pedestal resting on a raised platform in the middle of the giant room. He knew this was the platform he had been told about. The stairs led up to the pedestal, void of any Sphere at the moment, but he knew that would change. To the right side stood a newly constructed viewing platform where Dink figured some more of the important people would be watching the demonstration.

Two large doors on the other side of the Pyramid opened wide, allowing the carriages full of the recently captured Humans roll through. As the caravan made its way into the structure, he tried to spot Emma’s carriage, but was unable to see it clearly from the long distance. With guards all around him, he wasn’t sure how he would make it across, but he had to find a way. The faces of the prisoners were clouded with confusion and worry. None of them knew what was going on, but all of them knew it couldn’t be good.

After the carriages, came Anithistor and Mintuk, surrounded by guards. Behind them were the three prisoners that Coffman was there to save. There was a man, a woman and an Erellen. Dink couldn’t imagine the fear gripping each of them in that moment. They didn’t know that a rescue attempt was planned. All they knew was that they were there to die and no one could stop it.

The three prisoners were ushered into the middle of the room, as nearly a thousand slaves were crammed against the side walls. Mintuk and a few guards marched to the top of the viewing platform while Anithistor moved toward the center where the pedestal stood. Two guards followed closely behind while several more guards prodded at the three prisoners to move forward.

This was it. Everything would start within a few moments. In his mind, Dink was frantic to make it to his wife, but he then thought about her being in the carriage. She might actually be safer in the carriage at the start of the battle, but he would need to get her out at some point. He walked inconspicuously behind the crowd of people toward the carriages on the other side of the giant chamber. It would take him several long minutes to get to where he needed to be. He knew he probably wouldn’t be able to get to her before the battle began, but he shuffled through the crowd anyway.

He was stopped in his tracks at the sound of Anithistor’s amplified voice.

“Welcome to today’s first demonstration.”

*****

Coffman’s head jolted upward at the platform when the voice spoke. It was time. A crowd of slaves surrounded both he and Darren. He looked back down at the ground as Darren set the harpoon in place.

“How’s it going?” Coffman asked, wanting to ask him to hurry, but not wanting to make an already nervous man more nervous.

Darren cursed under his breath as he fiddled with the device. “I’m going to have to line up the shot,” he said.

Coffman wasn’t exactly sure what the best method for this would be. The slaves in front of him were ready to move when instructed, but he didn’t know if it would be obvious to the guards around them.

“Today you are about to witness the beginning of the end in the war against those that have tried to destroy us for so long,” Anithistor continued. Coffman wondered if the other slaves would find his words hypocritical. Anithistor was obviously speaking to the Nestorians and Stühocs.

“Move,” Coffman said quietly. One by one, the slaves in front