The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*66

I was ready to vacate my machine, but I knew once I did, I'd never be able to get back inside. "What do we do now?"

"We have to act fast," said Kooper. "I'm going to lead these men to Zone 28 and tell the people of the village it's time to fight back!"

"Kooper, we barely survived. We can't keep pressing our luck."

"Nonsense," said Kooper with bravado. "The majority of the airdrones lack weaponry. If the Thrall rise up now, we may have a chance to take The Walled City while the Privus are still reeling from losing their stilt striders."

I shook my head, wishing my brother could see my frustration through my black cocoon. "Be realistic! The Walled City will have ten times more reinforcements than the Obsidian Tower."

"We have to try, Danth. We'll run to every zone we can before our stilt striders are drained of energy. We'll tell the Thrall the time has come for revolution!"

"Kooper...stop. It won't work!"

"Coward!" said Kooper, angrily, "I—"

"Please, just listen!" I interrupted. My brother's idealism was admirable, but his bravery paled next to his ignorance. "Did you know grandfather died?"

"Yes," said Kooper, becoming solemn for a moment. "I watched it happen on the citadel's circle screens. I nearly lost my resolve after watching him get the Rake. What does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm getting to that," I said. "I'm not sure if you knew this, but Granddad wrote a book...a people's history of the Thrall."

"A book?"

"Yes. He risked his life to keep the knowledge within the book safe. You can't dismiss what I'm about to tell you."

"Hurry up," said Kooper, growing impatient.

"The Ten Tomes is all lies. The Final Lesson wasn't a heroic victory for a handful of super hero survivors, it was a horrific massacre perpetrated by the Privus! There was no great plague. There were no monsters. Our people—our parents—were wiped out for wanting nothing more than equality.

"No way," said Kooper. "How could they—"

"The Privus have weapons that make stilt striders look like chipmunks," I interrupted. "It's all in Granddad's book!"

Kooper's machine slumped, betraying his feelings.

I continued. "The Privus have village-sized cannons mounted at the top of their white walls. A parade of angry serfs would be annihilated in seconds trying to take the city, even without having to deal with the stilt striders."

"Dammit!" yelled Kooper. "What can we do?"

"Run," I told him. "Go back to Zone 28. Find Annie, Marta and her new lifemate, Sams. Carry them while your stilstry still has power and flee to the snow-topped mountains to the east. There's rumors of people there who somehow live beyond the reach of the Privus. Maybe they can help us."

"They're just rumors!"

"It's the best we have. Go. Now."

"What about you?"

"I love you, Kooper. I'm so happy you're alive. Take care of our family. If I survive what's coming, I'll find you." I started running to the north, toward The Walled City.

"Danth!" I heard Kooper yell. I didn't turn back.