The Last Silver

The war council ended without anyone leaving the room.

No one said it aloud, but they all understood the implication of Asha’s discovery.

The Ashen had not merely attacked the Preservation Initiative.

Something had gotten inside it.

Aurelius stared at the final transmission from the missing colony.

ASHEN BREACH: INTERNAL.

“Arcturus,” he said quietly, “where was that message transmitted from?”

Arcturus checked the coordinates.

“Preservation Site Seven.”

Tiamat immediately looked toward him.

“That’s one of the missing facilities.”

“Yes.”

“Then someone is still alive.”

Asha shook her head.

“Maybe.”

Gilgamesh frowned.

“That wasn’t an encouraging ‘maybe.’”

“The transmission wasn’t sent through the colony’s normal communications system.”

Asha enlarged the signal.

“It came through an emergency preservation channel.”

Aurelius stepped closer.

“What does that mean?”

“It means someone bypassed every normal system and activated a channel that should only be accessible from the original command level.”

Arcturus looked at Aurelius.

“That channel hasn’t been used in ages.”

Aurelius’s expression hardened.

“Then we find out who used it.”

Dinraal stepped forward.

“We go there.”

Isolde looked at him.

“Together?”

He nodded.

“Together.”

Aurelius considered it.

Then he looked at the others.

“I’ll authorize a reconnaissance team.”

Gilgamesh smiled.

“You mean us.”

“I mean people capable of surviving whatever is waiting for us.”

Alexander folded his arms.

“Then yes.”

Julius nodded.

Johanna checked her weapon.

The First Weapon gave a single bark.

Rhiannon sighed.

“Apparently that’s a yes.”

Tiamat looked at Dinraal.

“Then I’m coming.”

Dinraal immediately shook his head.

“Mother—”

“I have lived with the Ashen threat longer than any of you.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“And I will not sit here while my son walks into it.”

Aramaeis stepped forward.

“Then I’m coming too.”

Tiamat looked at him.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

He smiled faintly.

“But I’ve spent sixteen years believing I would never see you again.”

He looked toward the coordinates.

“I’m not losing you now.”

Tiamat embraced him.

“Then we go together.”

Aurelius looked around the room.

“Fine.”

He turned toward Arcturus.

“Prepare the fastest ship we have.”

Arcturus nodded.

“And who commands the colony while you’re gone?”

Aurelius looked toward Rhiannon.

“Rhiannon.”

The succubus queen raised an eyebrow.

“You’re leaving me in charge?”

“You already run an entire kingdom.”

“And now I’m apparently running an Imperial colony.”

Aurelius smiled.

“I trust you.”

Rhiannon sighed.

“Fine.”

She looked toward Isolde.

“And you.”

Isolde turned.

“Me?”

“You come back.”

Isolde smiled.

“I will.”

Rhiannon pointed at Dinraal.

“And you.”

Dinraal nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t make me come looking for you.”

Dinraal smiled.

“I wouldn’t dare.”

Three hours later, the ship departed.

Dinraal stood near the observation window as the Imperial colony disappeared behind them.

Isolde stood beside him.

Tiamat and Aramaeis were across the bridge, speaking quietly.

Gilgamesh, Alexander, Julius, and Johanna were studying the tactical displays.

The First Weapon sat in the command chair.

No one had managed to convince the corgi to move.

Asha entered the bridge.

“We’re approaching Site Seven.”

The display changed.

A planet appeared.

It looked ordinary.

Blue oceans.

Green continents.

Clouds.

No visible signs of destruction.

Dinraal frowned.

“That’s strange.”

“What?”

“The colony should be visible.”

Arcturus’s voice came through the communication system from the Imperial colony.

“According to our records, Site Seven had a population of nearly four hundred thousand.”

Alexander looked at the planet.

“And yet there is nothing.”

“No cities.”

“No ships.”

“No communications.”

“No energy signatures.”

Asha shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Gilgamesh looked toward Dinraal.

“Could the Ashen have erased the entire colony?”

“Possibly.”

Tiamat stood.

“Or hidden it.”

Dinraal looked at her.

“Can you sense anything?”

She closed her eyes.

For several seconds, she remained completely still.

Then she opened them.

“Yes.”

Everyone looked at her.

“What?”

Tiamat pointed toward the planet.

“Something is calling us.”

Asha immediately looked at the sensors.

“I’m getting a signal.”

The First Weapon suddenly stood.

“Woof.”

Everyone turned toward it.

The corgi stared at the planet.

Its fur had risen along its back.

Dinraal looked down.

“What do you smell?”

The First Weapon growled.

“Grrrrrr.”

Dinraal’s expression became serious.

“Everyone brace yourselves.”

The ship entered the atmosphere.

Nothing happened.

They passed through the clouds.

Still nothing.

Then the clouds parted.

The colony appeared.

Except it wasn’t on the surface.

It was underneath it.

A massive structure extended across an enormous underground cavern.

Asha stared.

“How did we miss that?”

Tiamat answered.

“Because it was designed to remain hidden.”

Dinraal looked toward the enormous facility.

“Who built this?”

Asha scanned the structure.

“I don’t know.”

Then the ship’s systems began screaming.

Warning symbols appeared across the bridge.

Asha’s eyes widened.

“Energy spike!”

Dinraal stood.

“Where?”

“Everywhere.”

The cavern lit up.

Thousands of silver symbols appeared across the walls.

They were identical to the ancient symbol discovered in the Preservation Initiative files.

Tiamat stared at them.

“I’ve seen this.”

Aramaeis looked at her.

“Where?”

“Long ago.”

She stepped closer to the window.

“Before the Empire.”

“Before the dragons?”

Tiamat shook her head.

“Before most of the civilizations we know.”

Dinraal stared at the symbols.

“What were they?”

Tiamat whispered:

“A warning.”

The lights suddenly changed.

A voice echoed through the ship.

It was ancient.

Weak.

But unmistakably alive.

“To whoever has found this facility…”

Everyone froze.

The voice continued.

“If you are hearing this message, then the Preservation Initiative has failed.”

Aurelius’s voice came through the communicator.

“Keep recording.”

The ancient voice continued.

“The Ashen cannot be destroyed.”

Dinraal’s eyes narrowed.

“It can only be contained.”

Asha stared at the console.

“That’s not what the Imperial records said.”

“They were incomplete,” Tiamat said.

The recording continued.

“We learned too late that the Ashen is not a species.”

A pause.

“It is not an army.”

Another pause.

“It is not even a force of nature.”

The voice became quieter.

“It is a hunger.”

Dinraal felt the silver energy inside him stir.

The voice continued.

“And it remembers.”

The transmission suddenly ended.

Nobody moved.

Then the First Weapon began barking.

Loudly.

It jumped from the command chair and ran toward the rear of the ship.

Dinraal followed.

“Wait!”

The corgi stopped beside the cargo bay.

It stared at the sealed doors.

Then it growled.

Dinraal slowly raised his gauntleted hand.

Something was on the other side.

Something they had brought with them.

Asha checked the ship manifest.

Her face went pale.

“That’s impossible.”

“What?”

“We’re carrying no cargo in that compartment.”

The doors began to shake.

Once.

Twice.

Then something struck them from inside.

BOOM.

Everyone drew their weapons.

Dinraal stepped forward.

“Open it.”

Asha stared at him.

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

He looked toward the others.

“But whatever is inside already knows we’re here.”

Another impact.

BOOM.

The door buckled.

Tiamat moved beside her son.

Aramaeis raised his weapon.

Gilgamesh smiled.

Alexander and Julius took positions.

Johanna stood ready.

The First Weapon bared its teeth.

Asha reached for the controls.

The door opened.

Darkness poured out.

Dinraal’s silver light immediately flared.

The darkness stopped.

It recoiled from him.

Then a figure stepped through.

A human.

An old man.

He was covered in dust and blood.

His clothing bore the ancient symbol of the Preservation Initiative.

He fell to his knees.

Dinraal caught him.

“Who are you?”

The man looked up.

His eyes widened when he saw Dinraal.

“The Silver.”

Dinraal froze.

The man grabbed his arm.

“You survived.”

Tiamat stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

The old man looked at her.

For several seconds, he simply stared.

Then his eyes filled with tears.

“You’re alive too.”

Tiamat’s expression changed.

“You know me?”

The man nodded.

“I know what you are.”

He looked at Dinraal.

“And I know what your son is.”

Dinraal’s eyes narrowed.

“Then start explaining.”

The man coughed.

“The Ashen have found the original Preservation Vault.”

Aurelius’s voice came through the communicator.

“What is inside it?”

The old man looked toward the ceiling.

“Everything.”

Asha frowned.

“Everything?”

“The original records.”

He swallowed.

“The first history of the Ashen.”

Tiamat stepped closer.

“And?”

The old man’s expression became one of terror.

“And the weapon that was built to stop them.”

Dinraal’s silver eyes brightened.

“Where is it?”

The man looked directly at him.

“Below us.”

Then the entire cavern shook.

The lights went out.

And somewhere beneath the colony—

something enormous woke up.

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