The Iron Pillars

Chapter 2

"What?" Brant asked with a wrinkled brow. 

Ace narrowed his eyes. "Exactly what about that was hard to understand? We were wrong. They're alive, and I know where they're at." 

"You're kidding." 

Ace facepalmed. "Holy cow, dude! Do you want them dead?" 

"Well, no, but...I'm just—" 

"Do you wanna get them back, or not?" 

Brant nodded. "I do, but I'm still not sure if this is really—" 

"Of course it's true. I said it." 

Brant squinted. "Debatable. But where are they?" 

"Kookaburra's refurbished the old Ferangian parliament building for his own purposes. A palace of sorts. Anyway, they're being held in there." 

"Well, let's get moving." Brant said, marching toward the sliding door. 

"Woah, hold up, bud. There's no way we're gettin' in there, just the two of us." 

"I know. That's why the festivities down there have to wrap up now." 

Ace shook his head. "No sir. Dude, listen. We don't have the firepower to crack this nut open. Too dense. So instead, we'll have to opt for strategic infiltration." 

"And how do you propose we go about that?" Brant asked with crossed arms. 

The dark-skinned man sighed. "It's time to put the band back together." 

"And by that, you mean...?" 

"You know good and well what I mean." 

Brant inhaled a long and deep breath. After holding it for a second, he finally released it. "I don't even know where they are." 

"Well, good thing for us, I do. Baird went back home in Antapeño. Aaron and Wendy went somewhere in Odego." 

"I don't know, Ace." Brant said, "Facing Aaron's the last thing I wanna do. He thinks I'm responsible for his sister's death, for goodness' sake." 

"Do you hear yourself? What exactly are we setting out to do?" After a second of silence, Ace answered his own question. "We're saving his sister!" 

"I don't care!" Brant snapped, "He lost much more than just that. There's no way I'm going there." 

"Even though we need to. Really?" 

"He's gonna wring my neck, Ace!" 

Ace sighed and scratched his chin for a moment. "Then we'll get Baird first. Logistics-wise, it's less practical than making a straight shot through Odego to Antapeño, but maybe he can help calm the beast." 

"I sure hope so." Brant replied with tightened lips. 

Ace sighed and laid a hand on Brant's shoulder. "We can do this." 

The blue-eyed man nodded and led the way back inside. The duo descended a flight of stairs into the celebratory crowd of Innutukians, peppered with Kemarians for variety.  

Brant and Ace stopped behind the Innutukians' sharply-dressed general, a robust man with a well-trimmed beard lining his jaw. He stood before a semicircle of his men who guffawed constantly at his animated storytelling. He sloshed a half-finished bottle of brandy around as he punctuated his statements with wild gesticulations. 

Brant laid a hand on the general's shoulder and turned him around. A pair of jolly hazel eyes stared back at him, accompanied by a matching grin rarely seen on the man's face.