There was no day or night on Dronish to mark the passing of time, only the sliver of moon which drifted across the sky. From this they knew when to rest in their meditative state and when a weekly cycle had passed so they wouldn’t miss Marl’s next chance with the crystals. Sapha wished they didn’t have to go into Arotia at all, but Marl wore tracking bracelets, as did all the other Drones. If someone did not show up for feeding time, they searched for them. The priest said it was protection for the masses, but it was really about control. The trackers were deactivated, the lights along the edge of the ankle brace dull and lifeless. They would light up if activated. But they only did that in rare occasions. The priest wouldn’t waste power unless he needed to find you. Sapha dreaded the day that Marl’s lit up. She didn’t have one of course, she’d been hidden since birth.
It was the next moon when she approached Marl. She’d been working on a plan all night. It felt like now was the time to break all ties with Arotia, especially if a battle was coming. “I think I’ve figured out how to remove your ankle tracker. I just have to be sure that my power won’t be detected.”
Marl shook his head, his eye blinking as he stared. “Why bother? They won’t call it in. No need to risk exposure.”
Sapha clenched her hands together. “What if those other Drones have infiltrated the city? They might have the energy to activate every tracker. They could find us out here. We risk detection either way now.”
“Can you sneak back in under your shadows and see what’s happening?” He crouched down on his pillow. It wasn’t time for meditation, but he often sat and absorbed the fine particles of energy in his surroundings. “That way we know the true risk either way.”
“I already planned on going,” Sapha said.
She had not rested for the entire meditation period. She had to know what was happening and she had to know now.
She left Marl, after making him promise many times he would not leave the cave, and made her way back to Arotia. She called her shadows to her the moment she was in the clear plains. It was nice when the shadows wrapped around her, warm and comforting, giving her the touch she desperately craved. Yes, they were not solid, but had been there her entire life; she would have gone crazy without them. She slowed outside the fence hole, pausing for a moment to make sure there was nothing or no one to worry her on the other side. It seemed to be clear.
She slipped through. There wasn’t anyone close by; she could detect life force pretty easily, except on those who were close to death. Wandering toward the town center, her eyes flicked left and right, waiting to detect the presence of the town’s people. Arotia was not a spread-out city. To conserve energy, all of the inhabitants lived in large buildings. Each dwelling had layers on top of the other; literally thousands inhabited each of the stacked-on structures.
Staying close to the edges of the buildings, hidden by the shadows under the overhanging eaves, Sapha crept her way toward the front gate. She ground to a halt about a hundred yards out. She couldn’t move any closer. It looked as if the entire populations of Arotia was surrounding the gates. Kan and his men still sat in the watchtower. No one moved or spoke.
What the hell is going on here?
It was hard to get closer without running into anyone, but sticking with her darkness Sapha managed to get herself right into a small corner of a dwelling. From here she could climb a lattice decoration and make her way to higher ground. The first level she reached wasn’t high enough, so she continued to climb, working hard to keep her movements silent and hidden. Finally the second story of this particular building allowed an uninterrupted view.
Holy mother of all energy, Sapha cursed under her breath as she blinked out into the darkness.
The crowd of others outside the barriers had grown to massive proportions. They had at least the same numbers as Arotia, and they had moved closer to the city. Sapha couldn’t tell what was happening, but it looked as if they were preparing to enter.
Shouting broke the silence. The words of the ancient Drones’ language. Not the tongue Sapha preferred, but one she understood.
A young Drone stepped forward. He wore a long, dark cloak like the rest of their society, his pale skin lit with red carvings which accentuated his very red eye. “We warned you. Surrender your city and energy to us, or we will end you all.” He wore his energy like a cloak, and he was filled to the brim. In fact, all of the people outside the gates looked flush with strength.
“You have one more circle of the moon.” This was his last warning before he turned and gestured to his people. They all backed away, moving to their camp.