Fall of the Spectrum

Chapter Twenty, Part One

Lonali wrung her hands together, peering nervously around the table. Finally, just when Gwen feared she'd developed something like stage fright, she began to speak, reaching out to trace her finger over the flickering, spectral map in front of her.

"As you all are no doubt aware by now, Commander Asclepius and more than half of the Fifth Unit were ambushed during a special operation. You may not know the specific nature of the mission, but under current circumstances, I trust you will understand that our venture must remain secret. However, what I can tell you is they were last seen here, in this area." The section of the map she touched changed from indigo to red, enlarging slightly beneath her fingertip. "According to the reports Commander Gale received," she nodded toward the woman standing next to Gwen, "Asclepius's energy signature faded out just about here."

It took Gwen a few seconds to recognize the continent Lonali jabbed with her finger. But even when she did, there wasn't any hope of making out just what the one, red dot in a sea of indigo dots might be.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long for the answer, Lonali's voice ringing clearly throughout the room. "It seems Asclepius and the rest of his team got as far as Toledo, a moderately-populated city in the northwest region of Ohio State. After that, all contact was cut off."

Gwen fidgeted uncomfortably, exchanging a glance with Forneus. She wanted to ask if Toledo was one of the entrances to Drevni Misteros or if it was merely part of the route intended to throw off pursuers, but thought better of it. The council still hadn't found the traitors Horus had warned of, and until they did, it wasn't a good idea to go around asking questions like that. If the council had wanted the full nature of the Fifth Unit's mission to be common knowledge, it would have been.

I'll just have to ask Forneus later. Gwen absently twisted the golden band on her right thumb, tuning out the voices around her as her thoughts wandered to Astral. Lonali hadn't said so explicitly, but she had a feeling that Astral had been one of the operatives to go with Asclepius to retrieve the artifacts. There were only a few of the unit's high-ranking operatives in the council chamber, Chester among them. Gwen tried not to worry, tried to remind herself that Astral was only a private and as such, seldom invited to council meetings in the first place—but she couldn't shake the feeling that her suspicions might be right.

Unease writhed in the pit of her stomach. Astral was out there somewhere, and with the way their luck had been running lately, he was probably in the enemy's clutches. What if Sitri's attack had merely been intended as a diversion while another one of Apophis's detachments went after Asclepius's group? What if they were being tortured for information on the artifacts' whereabouts right now? Worse, what if the information had already been dragged out of them?

"Assuming Asclepius and the others were intercepted before they got to the rendezvous point," Forneus's voice broke through the haze of Gwen's thoughts, startling her, "would it also be reasonable to assume they are being held at one of the two enemy headquarters we're aware of?"

"We can't know for sure until we send someone to scout." Gwen glanced toward the far end of the table where Artemis stood, hands pressed firmly against the strategy table, her brow furrowed. The goddess wasn't looking at any of them, her gaze focused solely on the crimson pinpoint Lonali had highlighted on the map. After a moment, she looked at the goddess to her right. "What do you think, Athena?"

Athena drummed her long, pale fingers against the tabletop. Her eyes, greener than the sea and containing just the barest hint of violet, were narrowed in thought. Long, strawberry blonde hair fell across one shoulder as she bowed her head, the rest secured in delicate braids and a flowing plait behind her ears. Gwen had seen Athena before, but had never heard her called by name. Now that she was looking at her, seeing her muscular, yet regal build, the way she held herself with such dignity and poise, she found it hard to believe that she hadn't guessed at her identity sooner.