\u201cNow, all that\u2019s left,\u201d sighed Empria, \u201cis to disconnect the last two wires, red first, then green.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need to remove the less-active line first,\u201d guessed Twirja, \u201cthen the other line can\u2019t complete the circuit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d answered Empria. Thangred took care of the wires, and the cloaking device was fully disconnected, this time with no explosions. He then noticed a small light fade and opened the device. It looked like a crystal was inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh HA!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cSo THAT\u2019S how it still got power! There\u2019s an Engine Crystal inside it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat must be why it exploded during the first attempt,\u201d mused Twirja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I was so against them disconnecting it in the first place,\u201d explained Empria. \u201cYou boys worked with plenty of Engine Crystals in your day. You know how reactive they are if they\u2019re not disconnected properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHoo BOY, do I!\u201d agreed Thangred. He got to work extracting the crystal and placed it in a safe-box once he was done. \u201cNow this thing can be destroyed without\u2026\u201d He then heard the sound of a spell charging up. \u201c\u2026That better be you, Twirja.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSorry to disappoint,\u201d muttered Twirja as he raised his hand over his head. Thangred did the same as he got up and both of them looked to Empria as she pointed her wand at them. \u201cMadam, what do you hope to accomplish?\u201d asked Twirja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am finished now, you lot have ruined me,\u201d replied Empria. \u201cThanks to you, my name is forever shamed! But, if you and I keep the workings of the thing to ourselves, we can be RICH!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit late for that!\u201d remarked Thangred. \u201cI already copied over the schematics and gave them to Aldarval and Endram! There\u2019s no point to this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Do you have any idea how unstable you\u2019ve made the Realms?\u201d asked Empria as tears streamed down her face. \u201cYou DO realize some of the mutineers survived?!\u201d Twirja\u2019s eyes went wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re\u2026they\u2019re alive?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd some of the survivors joined Oyed\u2019s side! Once this gets out to our side, there will be a mass exodus of people flocking to the Realm Trinity Empire!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat other conclusion can be reached?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou use that phrase too often for my tastes. Not only are you a traitor, but you\u2019re also a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTHAT\u2019S IT!\u201d Empria fired, distracting the two men, and taking the cloaking device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSTOP!\u201d called Thangred. She didn\u2019t listen as she tore down the hallways of her old ship. As she ran, she bumped into Erudsa and Aldarval. She dropped the device and tried to pick it up, but Erudsa grabbed her wrist and forced her to look into her eyes. They glowed yellow, she hissed, and the snakes making up her hair then all faced her and hissed, their own eyes glowing yellow as well. At that point, Empria felt something rocklike on her body. She looked down and her eyes widened in horror as she realized she was turning to stone! She then stood there, a gray, rocky statue with the eyes still moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou will be released once the prison transport arrives,\u201d hissed Erudsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen a Gorgon perform their trademark petrification stare,\u201d mused Aldarval. Erudsa then wobbled. Aldarval caught her before she fell to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2026requires\u2026concentration,\u201d panted the Gorgon Queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA lot of it, by the look of things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prison transport arrived and Empria was placed into it before Erudsa and her snake hair stared at her with green eyes instead of yellow. The stone crumbled away and released Empria. The former Captain of the Crelima<\/em> glared at Erudsa and growled, then proceeded to growl at Aldarval. The transport then shut its doors and then took off. \u201cWith all that you\u2019ve shown me,\u201d Erudsa chuckled to Aldarval, \u201cI think we can easily repurpose the Crelima<\/em> now that we can see the doors.\u201d The Crelima<\/em> was being looked over by a troop of Gorgons. \u201cAldarval, thank you for what you\u2019ve done. You\u2019ve prevented a nasty war between us and the Falchineve Colony.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope the same can be said of the Gryphons,\u201d muttered Aldarval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGiven who surrounds you, I think it can.\u201d Erudsa then remembered something. \u201cWe MUST give credit where credit is due for the woman who came up with this team formation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed, we should. Captain Royana, would you come here for a minute?\u201d Arsha then approached them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, Admiral?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArsha, you are a credit to Realmfleet,\u201d praised Erudsa. \u201cYou organized a team that solved a problem in a satisfactory manner and brought the truth to light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I always strive to do, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor that, you need to be rewarded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no need, I simply did my duty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHumble as well, I like that. In this instance, though, I must insist. You shall be the first non-Gorgon to be awarded the medal of the Diamond Scale.\u201d Erudsa then pulled out a scale shaped diamond tied by a strap. She placed the medal around Arsha\u2019s neck, then bowed to her. \u201cLet this be the action that signifies the Gorgon race\u2019s willingness to fight against Oyed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Your Majesty, I am honored,\u201d thanked Arsha. Aldarval then got a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026What?! How did\u2026?! \u2026Oh my, can he\u2026? \u2026No?\u201d Aldarval sighed. \u201cWhere is he? \u2026By Gryphon? \u2026So they ARE joining us against Oyed? \u2026Good to hear, I just wish he hadn\u2019t done that. We\u2019ll be there straight away, Aldarval out.\u201d She hung up and sighed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdmiral?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Gryphons took over the fort and are flying the Realmfleet banner,\u201d explained Aldarval. \u201cThey\u2019re joining us against Oyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerfect!\u201d cheered Arsha. She then recalled what happened during the call. \u201c\u2026Was there a casualty?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNone of the team you put together lost their lives\u2026but Orbak lost the use of his legs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWHAT?! WHERE IS HE?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s in the Endeavor<\/em>\u2019s Sick Bay. We need to go back there now and get the whole story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe and my guards shall escort you back,\u201d offered Erudsa. \u201cI would like to know this story myself. After that, Hanjar and I will meet with Hekcho and Yumbii to apologize for our rash actions and how we can make reparations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen let\u2019s get going,\u201d suggested Arsha. \u201cI want answers. \u2026Ones, who knows what Malnar\u2019s feeling! Did she even see it happen?!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cNow, all that\u2019s left,\u201d sighed Empria, \u201cis to disconnect the last two wires, red first, then green.\u201d \u201cWe need to remove the less-active line first,\u201d guessed Twirja, \u201cthen the other line can\u2019t complete the circuit.\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d answered Empria. Thangred took care of the wires, and the cloaking device was fully disconnected, this time with no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-4165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4166,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4165\/revisions\/4166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}