The Last Silver

The entire underground colony shook.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

Emergency lights flickered on and off, illuminating the enormous cavern in brief flashes.

Dinraal tightened his grip around the old man's arm.

"What woke up?"

The old man stared into the darkness.

"The vault."

Tiamat stepped forward.

"You said the weapon was inside."

"It is."

"Then we go get it."

The old man shook his head.

"You don't understand."

Another tremor rocked the cavern.

"The vault wasn't built to keep people out."

He looked at Dinraal.

"It was built to keep the weapon in."

Dinraal's expression hardened.

"Then we'll make sure it stays in our hands."

Gilgamesh smiled.

"Now that sounds like a proper adventure."

Julius looked toward the old man.

"Before we go anywhere, we need to know what happened to the colonists."

The man's expression became grim.

"They're alive."

Everyone stopped.

Aurelius's voice came through the communicator.

"Repeat that."

The old man looked toward the ship.

"They're alive."

Asha stepped forward.

"Where?"

"Below."

Tiamat's eyes narrowed.

"With the weapon?"

The old man nodded.

"Most of them."

"Most?"

The man looked down.

"Some didn't make it."

Silence.

Aurelius spoke again.

"Explain."

"The Ashen reached the colony six days ago."

The old man took a shaky breath.

"It didn't attack us immediately. It appeared in small patches. Corridors. Maintenance tunnels. Empty rooms."

Dinraal listened carefully.

"What happened when people entered those areas?"

"They disappeared."

"Erased?"

"Yes."

The First Weapon growled.

The old man looked at the corgi.

"You understand."

The First Weapon barked.

The man continued.

"We evacuated the surface facilities and moved underground. The deeper we went, the safer we became."

Aramaeis frowned.

"Why?"

"Because the ancient defenses still work."

Asha looked at the facility.

"So the people are hiding."

"Yes."

"How many?"

The old man looked at the floor.

"Three hundred and eighty thousand."

Aurelius exhaled.

"Out of nearly four hundred thousand."

"Yes."

Dinraal looked at Tiamat.

"They're still alive."

"For now," she said.

Aurelius's voice became firm.

"Then our priority is the colonists."

Dinraal nodded.

"Agreed."

Gilgamesh looked toward the enormous doors at the far end of the cavern.

"And the weapon?"

Aurelius paused.

"If it can help protect them, secure it."

Dinraal stepped forward.

"Then we do both."

The team descended into the colony.

The underground facility was enormous.

It had been built beneath the entire surface settlement, extending through layer after layer of reinforced stone and ancient metal.

The deeper they went, the older everything became.

Modern Imperial technology gradually disappeared.

In its place were structures that none of them recognized.

Tiamat ran her fingers across one of the walls.

"This is ancient."

Aramaeis looked at her.

"How ancient?"

"I don't know."

She looked at the symbols.

"But older than anything I've seen in the Empire."

Asha scanned them.

"They're generating energy."

Dinraal stopped.

"From the walls?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Asha looked at the readings.

"Because something is powering the entire facility."

A low hum filled the corridor.

The First Weapon stopped.

Its ears rose.

Dinraal noticed.

"What is it?"

The corgi stared down the corridor.

"Woof."

Then it began walking.

Dinraal followed.

Everyone else followed him.

The corridor opened into a massive chamber.

Hundreds of thousands of people filled it.

Families.

Children.

Elderly people.

Soldiers.

Scientists.

Workers.

Entire communities had been forced underground.

The moment the colonists saw the newcomers, the chamber became silent.

Then someone shouted.

"Imperial!"

Another voice cried out.

"They came!"

People began moving toward them.

Aurelius's voice came through the communicator.

"Tell them we're here to get them out."

Dinraal stepped onto a raised platform.

He looked across the enormous crowd.

"My name is Dinraal."

Whispers spread.

"The Last Silver?"

Someone asked.

Dinraal nodded.

"I've come with the Imperial rescue team."

The crowd erupted.

Some cheered.

Others cried.

Many simply stood there, unable to believe that someone had actually arrived.

A woman pushed through the crowd carrying a small child.

"Are we safe?"

Dinraal looked at her.

"We're going to make you safe."

The woman began crying.

Dinraal crouched down.

The child stared at his horns.

"Are you a dragon?"

Dinraal smiled.

"Partly."

The child reached toward one of his horns.

His mother quickly pulled the child's hand back.

"I'm sorry."

Dinraal laughed softly.

"It's fine."

The child stared at his wings.

"Can you fly?"

"Yes."

"Really high?"

"Very."

The child smiled.

For the first time since arriving, Dinraal felt the weight of the situation settle on him.

These weren't numbers.

They were people.

Families.

Lives.

Everything the Preservation Initiative had been created to protect.

He stood.

"Arcturus."

The communicator activated.

"I'm here."

"Prepare evacuation transports."

"How many?"

"All of them."

Arcturus hesitated.

"That will require the entire available fleet."

Dinraal looked across the chamber.

"Then use the entire fleet."

Aurelius answered instead.

"Do it."

While evacuation preparations began, the team continued deeper.

The old man led them through a sealed passage.

"What is your name?" Julius asked.

The old man looked back.

"Theron."

"And you were?"

"Chief archivist."

Asha looked at him.

"How did you survive?"

Theron smiled sadly.

"I didn't."

Everyone stopped.

Theron touched his chest.

"This body died three thousand years ago."

Asha stared.

"What?"

Tiamat's eyes widened.

"You're an echo."

Theron nodded.

"An artificial memory."

He pointed toward the walls.

"The original archivists stored portions of themselves inside the Preservation Network."

Aramaeis frowned.

"So you've been here for three thousand years?"

"I have."

"Waiting?"

"For someone capable of understanding the weapon."

Dinraal looked at him.

"And that's me?"

Theron nodded.

"Yes."

Dinraal didn't like the answer.

"Why?"

Theron stopped.

"Because the weapon was designed around the Silver."

Dinraal looked at Tiamat.

She looked just as surprised.

"The Silver isn't merely energy," Theron explained.

"It is a key."

Asha stepped closer.

"A key to what?"

"Many things."

They reached the final door.

It was enormous.

At least fifty feet tall.

Seven symbols were carved into it.

Tiamat recognized the central symbol immediately.

"The same symbol."

Theron nodded.

"The original Preservation mark."

Gilgamesh examined the door.

"And how do we open it?"

Theron looked at Dinraal.

"With him."

Dinraal approached.

He raised his right hand.

The silver mithril gauntlet began glowing.

Nothing happened.

He placed his palm against the door.

The chamber went completely silent.

Then—

BOOM.

Silver light spread across the door.

The seven symbols illuminated.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

The doors opened.

Cold air rushed outward.

Beyond them was an enormous chamber.

At its center stood a pedestal.

And above the pedestal floated a weapon.

Everyone stared.

It wasn't a sword.

It wasn't a spear.

It wasn't a gun.

It looked like a sphere of silver metal surrounded by countless rotating rings.

Lightning moved across its surface.

Asha whispered.

"What is that?"

Theron answered.

"The first weapon created specifically to fight the Ashen."

Dinraal stepped closer.

"What does it do?"

Theron looked at him.

"We never found out."

Gilgamesh frowned.

"You built a weapon and didn't know what it did?"

"We knew what it was designed to do."

"What?"

Theron pointed toward Dinraal.

"Amplify the Silver."

Dinraal stared at the weapon.

Tiamat stepped beside him.

"Don't touch it yet."

He nodded.

Asha scanned it.

"There's an enormous amount of energy stored inside."

Julius looked around the room.

"Where is the danger?"

Theron pointed upward.

"Everywhere."

The ceiling suddenly began glowing.

Black veins spread across the ancient walls.

The Ashen had found them.

Theron's expression changed.

"It's here."

Dinraal turned.

"Everyone back."

The darkness poured into the chamber.

It crawled through the ceiling.

Across the walls.

Down the floor.

The First Weapon barked furiously.

Gilgamesh drew his weapon.

Alexander followed.

Julius and Johanna took their positions.

Tiamat's wings emerged.

Aramaeis raised his weapon.

Dinraal stepped toward the pedestal.

"Theron."

"Yes?"

"How do I use it?"

Theron stared at the approaching darkness.

"I don't know."

Dinraal looked at the weapon.

Then at the Ashen.

Then back toward the evacuation chamber.

Hundreds of thousands of people were waiting above them.

He reached toward the sphere.

Tiamat grabbed his arm.

"Dinraal."

He looked at her.

"Mother."

"Whatever happens, remember who you are."

Dinraal smiled.

"I know."

He touched the weapon.

Silver energy exploded through the chamber.

Every ring surrounding the sphere began rotating.

The Silver inside Dinraal responded.

His eyes became brilliant white.

His wings opened.

And for the first time, the ancient weapon spoke.

Not in words.

In a voice that sounded like thousands of people speaking at once.

THE LAST SILVER HAS RETURNED.

The Ashen stopped.

Every trace of darkness froze.

Dinraal stared at the weapon.

"You know me?"

The weapon responded.

YES, FOR YOU ARE THE LAST.

Tiamat's face went pale.

Theron whispered:

"That's impossible."

Dinraal looked toward him.

"What?"

Theron stared at the Silver weapon.

"It was waiting for the Last Silver."

He looked terrified.

"That's why we couldn't activate it."

Dinraal's expression changed.

Theron pointed toward the weapon.

"The weapon has been waiting for its true wielder."

The Ashen suddenly moved.

Dinraal turned.

"Everyone!"

The darkness surged.

The weapon's rings accelerated.

Silver light erupted.

And somewhere deep beneath the colony—

another ancient system awakened.

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