Chapter 86

I’d sort of been under the impression that the valley that Megiddo was based in was small. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The prophesy of Armageddon states that all the armies of the world will fight there; there’s certainly enough room for them and to spare; after all, it covers over 320 square kilometres.

What I was doing, was a scouting mission for Morgana and I was accompanied by Talshish, one of Verenestra’s armsmen, as well as by Abi who needed to scan the Sidhe as well as get us into the area undetected. Back-up was being provided by Arch and Róisín who were with a small unit of technical staff controlling a UAV or predator drone.

“We need to get a lot closer, Talshish,” I sighed as the binoculars I was using augmented by my Mage powers along with a whole host of other senses weren’t telling me anything other than a jumbled mass of conflicting results.

“I realise this, John, but it’s simply not safe,” he replied. “The medallions we use give the impression that we’re rodents which we Sidhe do not hunt. But physically you don’t look or act like rodents and a scouting party from their encampment will know this.”

“How about using the predator drone?” Abi asked. “We can optimise it to be scanned as a bat.”

“Only as a last resort, Abi. We don’t want to give the Daoine Sidhe ideas if they do manage to spot it and shoot it down,” I chuckled.

“That’s true,” she sighed and then grinned, clearly delighted to be out in the field with me.

“We’ll give it a shot, Talshish, but we’ll bug out if they start closing in. I’m pretty sure Abi can get us out if that happens,” I stated, making the decision.

“If we do then I suggest doing it in daylight. My people only tend to scout in the night, trusting our ordinary senses to spot anything untoward in daylight,” he replied.

“Agreed,” I replied and signalled Abi to let Arch and Róisín know what we were about to try as they were the ones in control of the predator drone unit.

We very carefully made our way towards the centre of the valley where a vast pavilion had been set up outside the royal township of Keldravan to house the court of Queen Oonagh. This was where they presumably discussed what they intended to do next under what they called Na Tanta, which roughly translates as a binding conclave and can last for years with the Sidhe. Being immortal, they obviously see no need to hurry things along.

Nor was what they were discussing or doing obvious either. No one gave orders, yet scouting was clearly being done; no one was asking opinions, yet something was being discussed. I’d asked Talshish and all he could say was, ‘it’s the way things are with us.’ Carefully removing any traces of our passage we moved towards an area where we could possibly hide up for the night.

I figured a lot of the debate had to be mental, but was corrected on that by Abi. “They’ve formed a group-mind,” she said. “There’s no debate at all. They’re forming a thought or opinion.”

“Like the Seers in gestalt?” I asked.

“No, John. When we’re in gestalt it’s all inclusive. This is ... just a part of all of their minds formed into a whole and set a task to resolve whilst they go about their tasks,” Abi explained.

“Is there a control, or guiding instinct?” I asked.

“Yes, there’s a group who are in gestalt and it’s those I need to get close enough to scan,” Abi replied.

“I think you pissed Arch off when you insisted that I come with you,” I chuckled.

“That was Jemima, not me,” Abi replied softly so her voice didn’t carry.

“She asked you to take me?”

“No, she forbade Arch to go with me. Besides, he’s not as good at sneaking around as you are,” she giggled.

“We must be silent now and prepare a hide,” Talshish broke into our conversation. “This area will be scouted and my people are not easily fooled.”

“No problem,” I murmured and broke out an entrenching tool.

Following Talshish’s instructions to the letter, we formed a shallow hide and covered it with scrub as he set about disguising it as a rodent run. We then covered ourselves under the scrub and prepared to wait out the night as even I could feel several of the Daoine Sidhe stirring and preparing to scout and/or hunt.

‘Can you scan the control?’ I mentally asked Abi using a very low powered obscure channel.

‘No, John. We need to get a lot closer’ she replied with a mental sigh.

We then went very quiet as we could feel the presence of a Sidhe party approaching the area we were hidden in.

“Are you sure you detected something,” a voice said in the liquid Daoine Sidhe high tongue.

“Nay, twas but a feeling, nothing more,” came a reply.

“I detect jerboas, nothing more,” came the first voice.

“I trust my feelings,” came the reply.

“I don’t.”

“Nadorhuan!”

“Guronět!”

“This gets us no meat for the pot, let us carry on with the hunt,” the first voice chuckled.

“Aye, though it pains me to admit my lack of success,” came the reply.

“We must dice later then.”

“Indeed we must. I’m rarely wrong a second time,” chuckled the second voice as they moved silently away.

This pattern carried on for the next few hours, though in the end I suspect that any traces of us had been obliterated by all the hunting parties passing through.

“What on earth can they be hunting?” I asked to no one in particular.

“Birds, wild goats, even rabbits,” Talshish replied. “Although most food is transported in from the slave plantations that are kept to the north and south.”

“So it’s symbolic more than anything?” Abi asked with a frown.

“Yes, though we now attack the supply trains and free any slaves we find,” Talshish replied.

“Every time I think I’ve got a handle on this place...” I sighed.

“These were humans and others native to this planet from before the Accords with other worlds,” Talshish explained. “We ... my people that is, exploited the facts that Mages in general do not interfere on other worlds. This is ending for those Sidhe like me under Titania’s banner, though the legacy will no doubt remain for aeons.”

“Can’t change the past ... they won’t let you,” I chuckled ruefully as we set off carefully in the direction of the pavilion.

It took a further two days before our progress brought us close enough to the pavilion to feel the presence of the Daoine Sidhe high guard who surrounded it. Even daytime movement was difficult now as there were often Sidhe wandering around the area doing various tasks which were more often than not obscure, ceremonial or to do with maintaining the encampment in pristine condition.

“Anything?” I murmured to Abi as I visually and passively scanned the area.

“They’re blocking any and all channels I can use,” she sighed. “But I suspect they’ll have to relax soon, such a block is difficult to maintain, even for a Sidhe.”

“She is correct, John,” Talshish confirmed. “Soon they will rest and need guarding, that is when Abi can attempt to read them.”

“Glad someone knows what we’re doing,” I chuckled.

Suddenly we all stiffened as a mind probe of immense power scanned the area in general.

“Oonagh,” breathed Talshish.

“Ye gods that ... the sheer power!” I gasped.

“Power yes, but she didn’t detect us. Though I suspect she knows we’re around,” Abi stated.

“Hope this hide works then,” I groused, knowing I was well out of my league here. “Wonder how she knows?”

“We Sidhe see a pattern in all that is around us. The more powerful we are, the more slight variations in the pattern warn us of something not quite right ... Think of it as paranoia writ large,” Talshish explained. “Oonagh knows something isn’t quite right, but not what, hence the scan. We should expect extensive patrolling now as she looks for the itch she cannot scratch.”

We spent a very uncomfortable daylight period as the Daoine Sidhe extensively patrolled and searched the area. Several patrols came near the hide. One probed the scrub we were hiding under with a spear point, though fortunately without puncturing our skin or collapsing the hide on top of us.

“Tell me why we’re here again?” I murmured to Abi during a quiet moment. “Particularly the part where I have to have a Seer with me.”

“We need an idea of what they’re planning via the Na Tanta,” Abi said patiently. “Only a Seer stands a chance of getting it.”

“At this rate it will be never,” I groused as another patrol approached.

“Sooner or later they’ll drop their guard. All this activity is interfering with the group mind’s ability to function,” Abi replied snuggling into me and sipping from a water bladder.

Finally, with night a modicum of calm came over the area as hunting parties rather than patrols went out into the valley.

“It will be soon now,” Abi stated.

“Agreed,” Talshish replied.

“Then all hell breaks loose?” I enquired with a sigh.

“I’d like to think you’re wrong, John,” Abi giggled softly. “But yes, all hell will break loose.”

“Hope we can get out,” I murmured.

“As do I,” Talshish added.

“Quiet now, they’re settling,” Abi admonished us.

We both fell silent as Abi began her probe, and the seconds stretched into minutes and finally into an hour before cries in the direction of the camp started up.

“Got it,” Abi stated.

“Good, but I suspect we aren’t getting out of here any time soon,” I replied as I detected several Sidhe moving in our direction.

“I’ve sent the information to Arch,” Abi nodded.

“Can you ask him to launch a hellfire missile from the drone to the centre of the camp?” I queried.

“Yes, he’s nulling it up now,” she replied, looking thoughtful.

The drone accelerated from the edge of the valley towards the centre where Arch and Róisín had kept it refuelled and ready in case it was needed. Even knowing what to look for it was difficult to detect as it cruised at four miles above ground level towards the centre of the camp. All around us was activity as the roused and enraged Daoine Sidhe were ripping apart anything that might hide a spy when a streak of light flashed down from the sky to hit the pavilion with a massive explosion and caused the Sidhe to turn and race towards the centre of the camp.

At this point we slipped out from under our cover and moved at a steady trot away from all the activity, guided by Talshish, as we avoided contact with the jittery patrols.

“Did we get anyone?” I asked.

“Three of their controls,” Abi replied with a shark like grin.

“I’m presuming you left a ‘calling card’ too?” I chuckled as we raced away from the area, guns drawn.

“Oh yes, John. They’ll have to start from scratch if they want to rebuild their consensus,” she said with a grin as we silently and passively scanned ahead of us.