The Dream Shifter

Chapter 182

Demosthenes gave a small nod taking in the information. His features still maintained the same stone unflinching expression through the report. Considering his strength as a warrior and a Meso Presecho the threat could be seen as minor to him. "How many intruders have you confirmed?"

"I've been able to confirm from my men five all about teenage in appearance. Three males and two females, if appearances are to be believed. I believe there to be more that have not revealed themselves."

"A feeling?" the General inquired.

Simonides stiffened a little with the sense of suddenly being stared at with greater interest. Which side the interest laid upon he wondered and feared a bit. He knew a gut feeling to be ill rational, but he grew to trust it over the years of service. "…yes…sir…"

Demosthenes gave a grin that a grandfather would have been proud to wear. "No need to be so stiff, Captain! In fact, I trust someone's gut over something well calculated. It won't fail you. Calculations can underestimate our opponent. You won't be underestimating your opponent, will you Captain?"

"No, sir! I know my actions are highly irregular, but I believe this to be the greatest threat Atlantis has faced since its founding."

"Indeed. Removing all of the troops off of the border patrol would normally have you before the council for recklessness and abandonment of duty. However, the situation is different. I've already calmed down the council, but you cannot fail again, Captain."

"We won't, General! The South Gate Division will stop their invasion of our land!"

"Glad to hear it. If you have nothing else to report."

"Sir!" The fountain returned back to its original shape. All of the tension in the room finally let out allowing Simonides to let out a long sigh. He leaned back in the chair letting it groan a little from the full weight he placed on it. His exhausting night had turned into a fatigued morning after his report with the General.

Simonides stood up from the chair pausing a moment to let his thoughts collect. The sparse nature of the tent gave him the space that he needed. So much had happened in a short amount of time that he had not allowed his mind to process everything. He knew well enough the problem that he faced, but despite what he said to the General he had misgivings about some of what he reported. Something bothered him about what happened in the village.

He thought back to the night with the two teenagers he saw. They argued with each other over something that he did not understand. 'What was the argument about? Was it a disagreement over their plan?' Their foreign language made him originally believe them to be young scientists. 'Yet the strength and reflexes the one had seems too coincidental. It makes more sense to be exiles and not rebels. They would have training, but exiles shouldn't be able to return. The mark should prevent them… Does it not work?' Considering that their exiling mark failed made him swallow painfully. He decided to reserve that possibility last as he deemed the consequences far too dangerous.

'Unmarked exiles would be more likely. I can't assume our system has failed.' The new line of thought spun him in several directions to explain the intruders. 'They could be dissidents from within helping outsiders…' He could not ignore the fact that signals from the barrier reported an intrusion. Even if fellow Atlanteans were involved some of the group had to be outsiders, normal humans. 'From Kalliope and Philon's reports the ones they face definitely had Meso Prosecho abilities. No matter how I turn the situation those are the facts. I have theories, but nothing solid.'

He still had too many questions to feel confident to attack them in earnest. Failure was not an option for him. They had to be stopped, but he knew too little still. 'I don't know if we were fortunate or purposely spared. Or did they not consider us a threat worth killing? I must understand the way they think…'

Simonides stared at the exit of the tent. A degree of certainty appeared in his eyes knowing his next move. The Atlantean Captain marched out of the tent giving a glancing nod to the White standing guard. He passed between gaps made from his men setting out small camps waiting on orders. In the distance he found the man that he sought. Closing to meet with him, Simonides came up behind him as the man finished giving out an order to a soldier. "Commander Abeiron!"

The young man in his late twenties turned around immediately recognizing his Captain's voice. A bit of a stiff step caught him at the end of his foot rotating around. "Captain! Do you need something?"

"Yes, Abeiron," Simonides said pacing out his words still finishing his thoughts. "Gather up your team. We're moving out."

"Sir?" Abeiron gave him a confused look more on the part that he spoke as though the Captain was going with him. He knew the Captain preferred to be personally involved, but the entire division was moving. "You're coming with me, sir? What about the men? Who would keep command?"

The Captain scanned his head about the camp. They were his men and he had trained most of them since coming under his command. He trusted them. "The men will be fine. I have someone I can leave in charge. It's more important that I see our foe fight. I must understand them to plan for the final offensive when the troops have finished gathering here."

Some hesitation built in Abeiron hearing the way his Captain spoke to him. Abeiron never knew him to casually toss his men into certain danger. The fear ran away from him for a few moments before he managed to wrestle it under control. 'The way he speaks sounds like he's got some plan in mind.' A curious expression came upon him staring at Simonides.

Picking up on the Commander's stare, Simonides focused directly on him. "I've got a feeling about our enemy. I think I have a way to capture them, but I need your help. You with me?"

"Of course, sir!"

From the small communications room in the Military Command Center, Demosthenes stood up ignoring the communication disc fading out. He released his field disconnecting the line before stepping out into the hall. A raised hand to the communication officer at the door signaled him to return back into the room and his post.

The large stone halls of Command remained as imposing as they were artistic. It almost seemed proud the way the stone stood showing off its detailed carved curves and lines. Each curve worked extra to strut and cast the most delicate shadow possible to accentuate the others form. Age only improved its appearance, much like the man that walked its hall.

Demosthenes broke his brisk pace as the hall opened into a balcony running along the hallway. Opposite to him, a middle aged man in his late thirties surfaced from shadows. The narrow steady eyes of the man said he had business with Demosthenes. His eyes fixed him with a deep stare that worked on most individuals to instill unease and a sense of inferior within the man's presence. Such tactics failed to work against Demosthenes, as the man knew, but in a lifestyle such as his it became habit.

Taking up a post against the railing of the balcony, Demosthenes held to a stoic expression cutting off any chance to read him. "Good morning, Dimitris."

"Demosthenes," he replied curtly, "Have made your decision?"

"My answer is the same as it was yesterday."

A puff of annoyed air came from Dimitris' lips reacting to the answer. He had been trying to wear the old General down for more than a month. Frustration from continually failing started to weigh on his reason. "You're stalling is going to cost the kingdom gravely. Are you prepared for that on your shoulders?"

Threatening did as much as speaking rudely to him. Demosthenes brushed it off maintain his unwavering tone. "We still have ten days left. It is Atlantean law."

"Still hung up on tradition. The King has no heirs and everyone knows it. There's no need to carrying on tradition when there's no one to take up the Kingship."

"In ten days. Only then can we begin the Rite of Succession. You know as well as I that Atlantis isn't so weak to collapse without a King after a month."

"Stubborn fool," snapped Dimitris.

Demosthenes tilted his head over to the council member. "My stance will remain unchanged."

Tired and frustrated with the futility of debating with Demosthenes, Dimitris turned on his heel starting to leave. While still barely in ear shot of Demosthenes he let out a final insult. "I wonder if you're really human in the cold heart of yours."

Focusing back on the morning horizon, Demosthenes spoke long after Dimitris left the hall. "More human than you…" He stared out at the vast green plains that stretched out over the lands of Atlantis. His eyes seemed fixed on something in the distance unseen, yet knowing with certainty that something was out there. 'So you've returned Eudokia and with the child. Show me your strength… Show me that you're worthy to be King…'

Demosthenes stared out at the vast green plains that stretched out over the lands of Atlantis. His eyes seemed fixed on something in the distance unseen, yet knowing with certainty that something was out there. 'So you've returned Eudokia and with the child. Show me your strength… Show me that you're worthy to be King…'

Yuki tilted his head up searching out into the horizon suddenly feeling something strange. 'Hmm?' He could not place the feeling, but it passed just as quickly. Giving a shrug of his shoulders, he continued on with their march through the morning hours of Atlantis' endless grasslands.

They had agreed on leaving Skoupa, but it certainly did not mean that they agreed on everything else. Silence became the method for voicing the discontent in the group. Both sides knew that the other disagreed as strongly as they felt, so not speaking turned into the simplest solution to not having to listen to a side that they did not want to hear.

Only Yumi and Haruo felt like they were in a third party (though it was unlikely Haruo actually felt that way). Ending the fighting in the village had succeeded for Yumi. She thought that once they left the village everything would sort itself out. The arguments before she had solved by taking command of the situation, but the same method did not work for her again. Her silence came more from unease in the tension and waiting until she found a solution to their problem. Yumi knew well enough that speaking openly without a plan would only rekindle the fighting. So silence almost felt preferred to her, even if it did delay the resolution.

Late morning finally came with the first spoken word by anyone, from Yumi naturally. "…anyone hungry?" wavered Yumi, trying to keep her nervousness down. Tension among the group reached a new high at that point that she regretted even considering speaking. All of them stopped to look at her as though accusing her of interrupting something far more important (even though they simply stared at her). The longer they glared the worse Yumi became, sweating from the heat of being the entire focus for everyone. '…I shouldn't have said anything after all!' Unease dragged on even further almost seeming like they were doing it on purpose out of malice (still making things appear worse than they actually are).

As though the torturer had his fill, Yuki broke rank and mood with a typical cheerful response. "You have no idea! I've been wanting breakfast for hours!" Rather than waiting for any reaction of the others, he started in on the pack he carried plopping down in the grass. Not knowing what his pack carried, he searched through pulling out anything that stood in his way or might be considered edible.

The rest of the group fell in line almost immediately. They spoke between each other about finding the food and sort out what was meant to be eaten or saved. Yumi stood on the outside sweating a little in confusion. 'What just happened?!' Her mouth hung agape staring trying to understand what happened.

With a stick of something like bread popping out of his mouth, Seiji leaned around seeing that Yumi remained out of the group. "Hey why aren't you eating?! I thought you were hungry?"

"Huh?"