Chapter 37

Luke

Freeing the eunuchs and slaves was the easy part. Convincing them that they did not want to remain in the building once our Fire Mageia began their work was hard.

Smoke had begun to fill the room we were in. Most of the slaves were so traumatized from past punishment that they were literally too terrified to leave the House.

Maia ended up losing her patience and began shooting small fireballs at them to get them to leave the basement through the tunnels I created. Once underground I finally felt like I could breathe easily once more. I sealed the opening behind us so that the fire and smoke wouldn't follow us.

Shortly after we heard a thunderous "BOOM!" and dust and rocks fell from overhead.

"Luke?" I heard Master B's voice through the headset. The thing was amazing!

"I'm here," I responded.

"That was the wagon. You should be safe from pursuit for a while."

The bottom of Master B's wagon had been packed with explosives. It had been parked strategically near the building to help cover our escape.

"Meet you at the rendezvous," I replied.

"There are fire alarms going off all over the city," Hel said, grimacing. "They're playing havoc with my sense of hearing."

"We know where we're going, don't worry," I said, nodding at Elex.

My brother smiled at me.

"All those hours cleaning out the sewers finally pays off," he said.

I couldn't help but grin.

Our Fire Mageia created balls of fire to light our way, and we began the trek to the Legion. Shedding the Poseidon persona had been a lot easier than putting it on. Having Rhu's support had made all the difference to me. He had kept me from freezing up in the Gold Room and I would always be grateful to him for that.

A few blocks away from the House I found an exit that led to the surface. We left Kyris and Stergiou with the other slaves and eunuchs, along with a few Air Mageia to keep the unwilling bound until we returned. We couldn't take the chance that one of them would alert the Elusians to our plans.

We reached the Legion and paused to consider our plan of attack.

"I can create tunnels wherever we want them," I said. While killing Aurelius had been emotionally exhausting, physically I was in good shape.

"Do we burn it, too?" Rhu asked.

I shook my head.

"The Legion buildings are primarily made of stone. Unless we went room to room setting fire to combustibles, it would be pointless."

"So we need a way to evacuate the Mageia and take out the guards," Elex said. I nodded in agreement.

"Do you think the Air Mageia can silence and control all the guards at once?"

Elex shook his head.

"We kill them. We had to leave a lot of the Air Mageia to guard the slaves and eunuchs. Water isn't as good at holding someone. Ice works for a while, but it's warm enough here that it would be really challenging for the Water Mageia to keep them bound."

We would work our way through the Legion. Elex would protect us from the Elusian Suppression ability while I used my powers to immobilize and silence the guards. That would give Rhu and Hel the opportunity to take them out.

I thought of Allard, and a pang of regret struck me at the thought of the imminent deaths of so many guards. I was sure that while most of them were just horrible human beings, at least some of them were just following orders, doing what they could to survive day after day. Some of them might have even been kind enough or tried to help from time to time, but we had no way to know which were which. I knew that the King's punishments were legendary, and while I might be able to just immobilize the guards, I could imagine what punishments the King would come up with for them for not preventing our escape. Personally, I'd rather die fighting. Still…

"We need to give them a chance," I blurted out, bringing everyone to a halt.

"What the fuck do you mean?" My brother challenged me.

"The guards. Not all of them were hardened assholes. Some of them weren't that bad," I said. "Like Allard."

"We don't have time for this," Elex responded, starting to turn away.

I grabbed his arm and jerked him to a halt.

"We make the time," I said, my voice with an edge of steel in it. I saw my Bonded smile approvingly.

Elex huffed. I knew these assholes had been torturing us for years, but I couldn't help but think of the ones like Allard that tried their best.

"What are you thinking?" he asked finally.

I took a breath, my eyes catching Rhu's. I felt his confidence in me, and the reassurance that he felt I was doing the right thing. He smiled and nodded at me.

"Look, we have two Somas with us. We release the Mageia first, then secure all the guards. We tell them we're here to rescue them. Then we ask them two questions: Do you support Cyrius Alexus and the Elusian government? So long as no one here intends you harm, will you promise not to harm or alert anyone to our escape?"

"Who the fuck cares? They helped keep our people in slavery their entire lives. Why should we care what happens to them?" Maia said angrily.

"Because maybe they aren't all here by choice," I said in exasperation, my mind wandering to Stergiou and Allard. "Or maybe they were here because they were trying to prevent worse things from happening. Or to protect a family member. Regardless, if we eventually want the people of Alexandria to realize we are on their side we can't start this out with a bloodbath."

"It seems pretty risky," Elex said doubtfully. "We aren't going to have much time."

"I know. But we can't leave anyone to Cyrius' mercy if we can avoid it," I insisted.

"I don't think we should question only the guards," Hel spoke up, his silver eyes shining in the darkness. "I've run into Mageia in the past who were so brainwashed they only wanted to return to their masters."

I saw Elex nod thoughtfully, and I remembered he had run into a Fire Mageia in the Machi who had tried to kill him and Hel instead of being rescued.

"That's… That's actually a smart idea," he said.

"The majority of that will fall on Hel," Rhu spoke up, and we all looked at him.

"A lot of the ability to sense truth from lie is auditory," he said, tapping the side of his head with a shrug. "Hearing heartbeats, breathing, etc. Scent plays into it some, but it isn't foolproof."

Elex's lips compressed to a thin line as he considered what we'd said.

"Okay. Luke needs someone to watch his back in the fight anyway," Elex said.

I felt myself bristling at that.

"I can take care of myself, ‘Lex," I said in exasperation.

"I know you can, adelfos," he responded, patting me on the shoulder. "I'd just feel better if you had someone else to watch your back. Especially since I'll be busy countering Suppression and Hel will be interrogating people."

I started to argue, but Rhu's stopped me.

He's agreeing to your plan, he signed.

I halted in shock as I realized he was right. He was. Elex was agreeing with my plan.

"Um, okay," I finally mumbled.

We quickly handed out the Prometheus equipment and showed the Mageia with us how to use them. Using the new equipment we should be able to communicate so that we could all act in concert.

"You promise me you'll stick close to Rhu?" Elex asked me, handing me a new receiver. Aurelius had knocked mine off somewhere in the Gold Room and I hadn't realized it.

I rolled my eyes at my brother's overprotectiveness, but I let it go. At least he felt that I would be better protected with Rhu at my back, which was progress at least.

"Of course," I agreed. "You stick close to Hel, right?"

He nodded back at me, his face grim. Of course, it didn't stop him from approaching Rhu, and I saw his hands move in sign language, his blue eyes ice cold as he stared into Rhu's green.

He dies, you die,he signed.

I wouldn't have it any other way, Rhu responded grimly, casting a quick glance at me.

Okay. Baby steps.

We decided that it would be best to place the escape tunnel in the central practice area, which was in the middle of the complex. We would send the Mageia out to their respective element's living areas and urge them to send everyone to us. The central practice areas was the one area that everyone, even the youngest kids, would know how to get to.

We had made good time, so when I slowly used my Earth powers to finally open the tunnel into the courtyard it was still pitch black out. We filed out of the tunnel, tension highest among the Mageia we had just rescued from the House of Eros, but I even saw Elex wince as he stepped out of the tunnel. This was a house of nightmares for both of us.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. I'd never tried anything on this scale before, and I couldn't help the hitch in my breath.

You can do this, Rhu signed as I took a deep breath. I have faith in you.

I felt the truth of his statement deep in my chest. He really did have faith that I would be able to pull this off. I pulled him in for a quick kiss, then stepped back. I could do this. I had to do this.

I sent my awareness of the earth out into the Legion complex. As a first step, I sealed all external exits to the Legion. At this time of night there should be no one coming or going, so no one should notice if a door or gate was "stuck" in position. I slowly unfurled my power and sensed the location of each guard in the buildings.

Next came the tricky part. I needed to move quickly. If I let even a single guard escape, they might be able to raise an alarm.

I used a less intensive form of the spell I'd used on Aurelius earlier. I called Earth to wrap and enclose each guard rapidly in a stone scaffolding. I melted the metal of their own weapons around them to help. It wasn't like the complete encasement I'd done with Aurelius, but it would keep them from moving.

At my signal the Mageia took off at a run, each heading to the living areas of their respective primary powers. It was their job to get the Mageia out first. I began using my powers to "pull" the guards to us. I figured it would at least speed things up if we could get them into the same area.

The sight of the first kids stumbling through the halls toward us made tears well in my eyes. Some of them were holding tight to each other or to the older Mageia with them as they ran. These were the youngest, kids who had only just been brought to the Legion. Some of them still wore the rough white tunics that showed they hadn't been made cadets yet.

The number of kids had slowed to a trickle when the first of the adult Mageia started into the training grounds. The adult Mageia came more warily, using their powers to deafen the sound of their movements, stepping cautiously, eyes open for any potential threats.

Some of the faces were familiar, but I had to keep focusing on the spell sealing the Legion off from the rest of Alexandria and pulling the guards through the halls.

The first sharp pain of Suppression hit me and I gasped. It only took Elex a minute to find the Elusian hiding in one of the watchtowers over the training area. I had missed him. I felt a pulse of power from Elex and the Suppression abruptly cut off, then I saw the man's eyes go wide as a knife of Air cut his throat.

"Thanks," I said to my brother, clenching my teeth at the amount of concentration this was taking. Elex nodded in grim acknowledgement.

With a push of power I sealed stone over all the windows facing the courtyard so if I missed anyone else we wouldn't have to deal with that kind of attack again.

"Shit, I should have thought of that before," I said.

"Not like we had a lot of time to plan," he said.

Hel was standing at the entrance of the tunnel, speaking to each person. He had gotten through the youngest of the kids already with no problems and had started on the teens.

I saw him hesitate as one of the Mageia answered him and he glanced his head at Maia and shook his head. Before the Mageia knew what had happened Mageia had shoved a dagger between his ribs. Fuck.

Some of the others saw it and began to scream. Others began to back away from us. This was a disaster. I had to do something.

I called on my power to pull me up above the crowd, almost like a stepladder of stone, so that I could see everyone.

"Listen!" I called out, using my powers to modulate my voice over the crowd.

"Most of you know me. I'm Luke Alexus—I was called Vlakas in the Legion. I'm Earth Mageia. You know my brother, Elex, by the name Kataramenos."

All eyes turned toward me, some of them beginning to lose the wariness.

"They told you we died in Machi, but they lied! Elex and I escaped to a country named Illyria. It's a place where Mageia are free! They are equal citizens."

"Yeah, right," someone yelled in disbelief the darkness.

"It is right," I said. "We came back, and we're here to rescue you, to free you and take you to Illyria."

"Why?" I heard a voice call from the crowd, a man stepping forward. I dimly remembered him. "Why would you risk coming back for us?"

"Dris, right? Water Mageia?" he nodded, though he seemed surprised that I recognized him. "I remember you. You joined one of joint sessions and taught me how to keep from falling on my ass every time someone threw ice under my feet."

He chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember that, Vlakas. And you taught me how to roll and land without breaking a leg," he responded. "But that doesn't explain why you're here, or what happened to you after the Machi. This could just be some complicated Elusian test. Maybe they just want to see if we're loyal."

More and more Mageia poured through the hallways into the courtyard.

"I can't prove a negative. Some things you need to take on faith. Illyria is fighting Alexandria with everything it has, but they need our help. I've been in the capital city of Illyria for the last few weeks. You've heard the rumors: Alexandria is running out of Mageia. We rescued a fifteen-year-old boy from the House of Eros tonight. You've all seen them sending kids younger and younger to the Machi. They're getting desperate."

Maia jumped up next to me.

"You know me! I was the Fire Mageia leader until they decided I was more trouble than I was worth and sent me the House of Eros three days ago. Luke and Kat— sorry, Elex—" she said, looking over her shoulder at my brother. "They rescued me from the House, along with about a dozen other of us that had been sent there. You need to trust them!"

"We won't force anyone!" I shouted as folks began muttering. "We want your help, but it's your choice to stay or not. It's your choice what you do with yourselves in Illyria."

"They'll just Suppress us!" another voice called out. "We'll all die anyway!"

"No!" I called out. "They can't Suppress us anymore, not as long as a Tesseris Mageia is around."

"Tesseris Mageia? That's a legend!" someone called out.

"Is it? Explain this then! You all know I'm an Earth Mageia!" Elex called, spreading his arms out, allowing the glowing rings of power to circle his forearms as the wind lifted him into the air. Fire and water glowed around him as he held himself aloft.

I did the same, though I used Earth to lift me higher instead of Air. I still wasn't that good at using Air.

"There's a lot more to it than just this, but we can protect you from Suppression!" I yelled. As if on cue, the captured guards began floating into courtyard, their eyes wide and muffles exclamations sounding throughout the area.

I had to admit, I was a little impressed at my own handiwork. Each guard was imprisoned by a stone or metal cage that kept them trapped. When they spied us some of them obviously started to use their Suppression on us. The pain was sharp and immediate, and I saw those Mageia nearest to us begin to wince and fall to their knees, but a sound like the crack of lightning made the ground rumble and my brother lit up like a Christmas tree. Suddenly the Suppression disappeared and the eyes of the Mageia around us went wide with wonder, finally seeming to believe us.

"Whatever you're going to do, you better do it fast," my brother hissed at me as he sank back to earth. Countering Suppression was hard, especially when there were this many in one place.

"Okay, so Mageia, if you want your freedom, head down the tunnel. Hel will ask you two questions. Don't try to lie to him, he'll know. Answer his questions then head down," I yelled. "No retreat!"

No one said anything for a moment, then Dris stepped forward.

"No surrender!" he called out.

After a moment the rest of the crowd began taking up the chant.

"No surrender! No surrender!" I heard thundered back at me.

The Mageia began moving quickly. I had expected chaos, but if nothing else our years in the Legion had taught us how to move large numbers of people quickly. We only lost two more Mageia as they went through the line.

"What about them?" I heard one of the last Mageia say, pointing at the guards. There was a murderous gleam in his eye and I saw him call Fire to his palms. "I want to roast them!"

"No!" I yelled out. "They'll be asked the same questions. If they pass, they come with us. If they don't…" I let my voice trail off as I glanced at the bodies of the Mageia we'd had to kill.

He didn't seem happy, but at least the fire fled from his palms and he departed down the tunnel without further argument.

There were actually only about thirty guards in the buildings and they now all stood in front of me. Most of the senior Legion Elusians lived near the headquarters and commuted back and forth daily. I realized to my surprise one of those within the cages was the Vestal for the Legion. I'd never had much to do with him. He was the one who handed out the assignments for Callings. I saw Elex's eyes land on him, and I swear blue fire started leaping from my brother's eyes.

Hel was quickly questioning the caged guards. He would give me either a nod or shake of his head as he got done with them and I either released them or slid them over to a separate cage. The ones who remained in the cages I secured so they couldn't move and covered their eyes so that they couldn't use their powers to try to Suppress us.

By the time we were done they were split with ten in cages and twenty headed into the tunnels. By that time predawn sun was beginning to lighten the eastern skies.

The Vestal was one of the last ones Hel spoke to. Hel looked at him, confused, and turned back to Elex.

"I can't tell with him," he said. "He might be okay, but I don't know."

I saw my brother's eyes narrow but Elex finally nodded and turned toward Hel to say something. I felt Rhu's rush of alarm as he raced forward, pushing me to the ground and past me, between Elex and the Vestal. My Bonded leaped into the air in front of my brother, a dagger suddenly sprouting from his shoulder as if by some magic trick. I spotted the Vestal, arm still outstretched.

"No!" I yelled, and I just… reacted.

The ground beneath the Legion shook with a mighty roar and the earth jerked up and down as my magic—exploded.