The Excalibur (Space Lore Book 2) by Chris Dietzel Page B

this works. I don’t have much faith that it will, but I have to do something, and this is the only thing I can think of.” She smiled then before adding, “It can’t go any worse than when I accepted the Green Knight’s challenge in that bar, can it?”
    Traskk didn’t share in her sense of humor. He merely grumbled and looked out at the stars.
    Years earlier, when she accepted a random knight’s game of chopping off his head in exchange for him to be allowed to do the same, it had never crossed her mind that the knight might bend over, pick up his head, and live to collect on his half of the deal. Now, speeding toward the Vonnegan fleet of over two hundred Athens Destroyers and over three hundred total ships, she was fully aware of what she was getting herself into and yet was still doing it.
    Did that make it better or worse?
    She had no idea.

12

    Outside the walls of Edsall Dark’s capital, fields of grass waved in lines as the wind passed over the land. Unlike years earlier, when Vere and her companions had raced across the fields of Aromath the Solemn, there were plenty of people out and about.
    In three different parts of the field, automated plows moved over the ground, harvesting crops. Everyone knew the Vonnegan fleet was approaching. The farmers wanted to make sure they had as much grain as possible stored within the city walls in case a prolonged siege began.
    A group of five hovering robot hybrid vessels, each the size of Fastolf, flew across the field, returning from collecting minerals from the Forest of Tears and the mountains beyond. Like the farmers, the tradesmen who owned these hybrid mechs knew that if they needed anything for their metal work, woodwork, or any other type of project, they had better get it before the sky was blotted out by Athens Destroyers.
    There were even dozens of children playing games. A girl with a bouncy ball as big as her arms chased after human, Lerk, and Yern-i-gan children, trying to touch each one with the ball before they were able to collect all of the orbs floating around her. Unlike the farmers and the miners, the children were able to play their games anywhere. When the Vonnegan fleet arrived, they could just as easily play a game behind CamaLon’s walls as they could out in the fields. But they relished the chance to play amongst the breezy rolling hills while they could.
    Further out in the fields, the hills gave way to rocks and caves. The sound of children could be heard there as well. One cave in particular, filled with green moss and going deep down into the earth, was a favorite place for children to explore. Vere and Galen had ventured into the same cave countless times when they were children.
    And just as they had explored the cave then, a boy and girl slowly made their way through the dark expanse of rock and dripping water, careful with each step, because of the slippery moss and the angled rocks that made it easy to twist an ankle.
    “How far do you think it goes?” the girl asked, holding her ion-powered lantern up to illuminate the way ahead. No matter how far they could see, the cave never seemed to end.
    “I’m not sure,” the boy said. “Maybe if we keep walking and walking we’ll come out on the other side of Edsall Dark!”
    “It doesn’t work that way, silly,” she said. After a cold breeze washed past her, she shivered and added, “I think I want to go home.”
    The boy could have made fun of her, could have told her that he wasn’t scared like she was. But then a second draft rushed out from the depths of the cave, causing both children to shiver, and the boy nodded. After an hour of walking back toward the entrance there was still no sign of daylight.
    Behind them, a rock clattered across the ground.
    “What was that?”
    “Probably just the wind,” the boy said.
    “I didn’t feel any wind that time.”
    “Come on, let’s go.”
    Another rock moved from where it had been balanced on top of two other rocks. It slid down