Red Smoke Rising. Rick Psy.D. Anthony

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СКАЧАТЬ his aura slowed its wild, spinning pattern until it eventually normalized. Altering his aura caused his body to twist and change shape. He cringed as he shrank. His skin and bones burned as they changed; pain seared through his body. After a few moments the discomfort subsided and he returned to his regular size.

      Adan was a large man, standing about six and a half feet tall in his un-augmented state. Even in his normal state he was still too large to fit comfortably in the stupid bunks, but at least his legs didn’t hang off the end.

      He was still on duty and wouldn’t be able to return home until the matter of the students was resolved and they could be officially turned over to Stern.

      What am I going to tell him?

      As he lay restless in bed, he recited the day’s events over in his head. His instincts had been off. It wasn’t until Kale had resisted questioning that Adan realized something was seriously wrong. It was at that moment he realized the day would be a bloody one. Under the circumstances, he had no choice. The students had stupidly questioned the authority of the Empire in front of a crowd. No self-respecting Myrmidon would have allowed such a thing and Adan was certainly no exception. As he lay awake in his bed, he wondered if it had been a test. Deep down, he wondered if Stern knew what they were walking into.

      Stern was a powerful Kuvaleer known for the cruel tests he put his augments through in an effort to grade them. Adan had been in Empire employment long enough to have survived his fair share of the Kuvaleer’s tests.

      Adan gritted his teeth. Even if it was a test, Stern wasn’t going to be happy about the men Adan had lost in the encounter with Mia. The man was known for his temper. His ruthlessness had gotten him to where he was.

      Stern was one among a very elite group of Kuvaleers who were also generals. They had been charged with keeping peace and order in the name of the Empire. Each such cadre held a portion of the Empire’s lands under their control. Southern Muoro was Stern’s charge. Being one of his Myrmidons carried a great deal of prestige.

      Adan yawned and rolled over again. Another Master—Mir—was scheduled to arrive at the prison early the following day and Adan’s presence had been requested. Mir was a special guest, a member of the Empire’s elite, a person even Stern held in high regard.

      Adan knew little about Mir’s background. In fact, he knew nothing about Mir at all outside of the rumours that spread from Myrmidon to commoner alike. Mir was the one the Empire sent when they needed answers. Adan cringed as he thought about it.

      Disgusting… He shifted in his bunk.

      The time and concentration involved in manipulating auras made it impractical for most techniques to be used on a battlefield so it was rare to hear of someone being manipulated against their will. The thought of someone bound and manipulated maliciously made him feel sick.

      The longer he thought of Mir’s techniques the queasier he felt. There are other, more practical ways to interrogate people, he thought. He had a strong stomach and had seen his fair share of carnage throughout the years, but the thought of being manipulated in such a manner was unbearable to him. The rumours were dark and graphic. Deep down, Mir and his methods terrified him. It was just one more thing adding to his restless night.

      As he stared at the ceiling, Adan wondered why Stern would call for Mir before interrogating the students himself. Sometimes Stern’s judgment angered him. Adan wasn’t fond of any of the Masters, although he would never have said such a thing—especially to his own Kuvaleer. Stern had given Adan his augmentation. Such insolence would result in Adan being stripped of it.

      Stern’s an arrogant prick, even by Kuvaleer standards. Questioning him wasn’t an option.

      Without so much as a knock, another man entered the room.

      “Adan?”

      It would have been a welcome reprieve from the frustration of trying to sleep had the man’s message been a different one.

      “Adan! You need to get up. You need to see this.” The Myrmidon’s voice sounded panicked as his eyes fluttered around the dark room.

      Adan let out a sigh. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Without a word he rose from his bunk, dressed and followed the man out.

      “They’ve escaped!” The guard’s words echoed over and over again in Adan’s head as the two jogged down the prison’s hallways past row upon row of steel cell doors. He strained to understand.

      How?

      “What the hell are we dealing with?” The man’s words seemed to project from Adan’s own mind.

      “Whatever it is, we’ve underestimated it. Again!” Adan was furious.

      The two moved rapidly down the corridors of the prison as they approached the cells that were supposed to have held the prisoners. Adan pushed past the men milling about the doorway. He couldn’t believe what he saw when he walked into the middle cell.

      The walls on either side had been punched through, leaving jagged holes. The outer wall was breached in a perfect pattern. It was as if the bricks had simply been missed when the prison was built.

      “Assemble a team,” Adan bellowed at the others and stormed out of the cell. “Get me horses and a tracker. We leave immediately.”

      Marching back to gather his supplies, Adan passed the room where Stern usually worked. To his surprise the light was on and he could hear the sounds of a conversation inside. He peered in to see who was up at such an hour. His eyes met Stern’s.

      “Adan, come in,” Stern said, noticing him in the doorway. Questioning the invitation with only a look, Adan did as he was told.

      A tall, beautiful, dark-haired woman sat across from Stern. She was well dressed, a few years older than Adan but far too young for an old man like Stern.

      “Oh, sir, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. . .” Adan headed back to the door.

      “No,” Stern insisted. “Adan, this is the esteemed Master Mir.”

      Adan felt ill as soon the words registered in his brain. It took only a moment to get over his shock before his stomach sank. The stories he had heard about the interrogator’s techniques were so vile, perverse and cruel that he never imagined the possibility of Mir being a woman. Somehow that made it even worse.

      She showed no emotion as she reached out her arm to reveal a perfectly manicured hand. Her fingers, like the rest of her, were slender and petite. Her hand was tiny in Adan’s as he shook it.

      “I...” Adan was at a complete loss.

      “She arrived early,” the Kuvaleer said as he looked up at Adan. “We’re just about to get her settled. By the way, why are you up at this hour?”

      Adan stared at Mir as he grappled for words. He looked back at the Kuvaleer and then at the floor before he spoke. “Stern, the prisoners from the university have escaped. I’m assembling a tracking party.”

      The room went silent. Stern and Mir exchanged a glance.

      After a moment, Stern spoke. The whine in his voice cracked a little more than usual under the stress of this news. “I’m sorry, Mir. The Myrmidon outside the door will see you to your quarters. I’ll have someone retrieve СКАЧАТЬ