THE SECOND CRADLE - BOOK TWO OF THE IRON CRADLE SAGA Chapter 17: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - In The Spirit of Things to Come

Read chapter 17 of THE SECOND CRADLE - BOOK TWO OF THE IRON CRADLE SAGA by JE PAYNE on NovelPedia.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN In The Spirit of Things to Come. Ten thousand kobolds knelt, their armor catching the late afternoon light. The chant had stopped. The world had gone quiet except for the wind through the formations and the soft sound of earth still settling. I felt ARi's hand grip mine tighter. She was watching the gates of the Keep. The massive bronze doors began their swing inward, the sound of ancient hinges groaning to life after centuries. Erica and Maddie didn't wait for them to open all the way. They phased through the gates before they'd finished swinging and broke into a run across the courtyard toward the field beyond. Tony was kneeling with the cohort. She rose to her feet when she saw them coming. They tackled her, and all three of them went down in a tangle of limbs and armor and laughter. "Why didn't you come with us?" Maddie said, grinning as she pulled back. "Seriously, three hundred years?" Erica was shaking her head, laughing. "You're insane. You know that?" Tony pulled both of them close, and her eyes were bright with tears. "I'm so glad you're here," she said, her voice thick. "I'm so glad you made it back." She held them for a long moment before letting them step away. "We heard about Desmond," Tony said. "I'm sorry." Maddie nodded. "You should've seen the way he was leading the Praetorians into battle... But you know what? Let's talk about that later, okay?" The gates swung fully open. Yumi and Tanya walked through, their pace quickening when they saw the reunion on the ground in front of the gates. They jogged over, excited to talk with Tony. The cohort legion began their march through the gates, their formations parting smoothly around the group, soldiers moving past without breaking their disciplined stride as the legion that contained the cohorts moved toward the keep. Hannah came through the gates after them, moving at her own pace. The formations split around her as well, soldiers adjusting their march to give her space, keeping their focus forward toward the courtyard. Squad leaders and captains turned as they marched by, their fists pressed to their chests in salute. They held her gaze for just a moment as they passed, acknowledging her without breaking stride. The legion continued their advance, flowing through the gate until the last of the formations was in the courtyard. Outside the walls, the other two legions remained kneeling in the field, waiting. I felt ARi's hand in mine and I raised it above us, lifting her arm up where the remaining kobolds could see it. The response was immediate. Cheers roared across the field. The two legions outside the walls turned toward their work. Unloading supply containers from the airships. Setting up tents in neat rows. Establishing supply lines. The machinery of a military camp taking shape with practiced efficiency. Tony found us on top of the wall. She stepped forward and came to attention in front of us, her fist pressed to her chest in salute. "Ward," she said formally. "Architect. I've brought the remaining cohorts from Malune. The city sends its greetings and has placed all three of these legions under your command. The remaining forces of the Kobold Empire will remain in Malune." The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the field. "Tony, this is a lot more than we had asked for," ARi said. "My apologies, Ward. The new Kobold Council has sent one of the legions to garrison the keep. The other will move with us toward the mouth of the Ridgeline Pass, where they will establish fortifications and protect the valley. The remaining legion will move with us and support the expedition." "It seems like the council has already made some decisions about how we're going to be proceeding," I said with a chuckle. "With respect, Architect, we've been preparing for your return for a long time." I sighed, shaking my head. She was right. Malune had been preparing for this since we'd left. The entire Kobold civilization had poured their efforts in