Nemesis

by Christian Kallias

  “You definitely did a lot of thinking.”

  “A year’s worth as a matter of fact. And I concluded that there’s no reason to fight destiny. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying one must surrender to it. I think we create our own fates with our actions, but parts of our lives still feel like a destiny is attached to it, for better or for worse. Take our trip here, for example, I chose a random place for our first jump, simply by trusting my instincts, and we’ve ended up finding a potential new ally.”

  “After almost being swallowed by a seven-headed hydra.”

  Chase winked “Details, details.”

  Argos chuckled. “I like the new Chase. I hope he sticks around.”

  “You and me both. Like I was saying, a blind jump put us into the path of a race of beings at the brink of extinction in need of our help. You can’t tell me you don’t see the irony in that?”

  “True, the thought had occurred to me.”

  “And that’s how it all started for me when you were intent on destroying Earth with your Zarlack armada. Back then we needed quadrinium to power our rag-tag fleet if we were to have a shadow of a chance to stop you. So Sarah and I went into the mission blind, and we met Ryonna. The rest is history.”

  Argos put his palm on the side of the table and a holo-screen popped up, he interacted with it, and two small glasses filled with colorless liquid materialized in front of them.

  Argos picked his up, as did Chase.

  “To destiny, then” said Argos.

  They clinked glasses, and Chase replied, “Bottom’s up.”

  19

  The vegetation on board the Iron Fire awed Ka’Rij. It reminded him of his beautiful but now lost world of Kyria, a world full of colors and once teaming with life. That is until the demons rose and war claimed the planet.

  If it weren’t for a ship arriving near the end of the last battle, Ka’Rij and the several hundred Dragonmen that were crammed into the ship would have perished, along with their planet.

  Light footsteps approached the wooden bench where Ka’Rij was sitting. The youngling sat next to him.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” asked Chris.

  “Not at all.”

  “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Chris.”

  “I know who you are, son of Dragonheart. I’m Ka’Rij, son of Pyros.”

  “How could you possibly know about me?”

  “Our prophecy mentions you as well.”

  “Is that why you called me the Defiant One earlier?”

  Ka’Rij nodded. “You are mentioned by another name too.”

  “And what would that name be?”

  “Heart of the Tiger.”

  Chris laughed. “I think I prefer that one.”

  “I can see why. But even if you weren’t mentioned in our prophecy, when I intervened with the hydra, I sensed a father’s love and his fear of losing you above all else.”

  Chris made a face. “I didn’t sense that. And we Furies can sense emotions. Sometimes even see them as clear as daylight. So perhaps it was your imagination.”

  “That’s because you’re angry, a state of mind that often happens to younglings.”

  “What happened to Heart of the Tiger?” Asked Chris with a playful smirk.

  “I mean no disrespect. That’s how we address our young ones. When you’ll be over thirty-six thousand years old, maybe you’ll understand what I mean.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Ka’Rij saw Chris turn his head and size him up.

  “You sure don’t look a day over fifty. I didn’t mean to overreact. I guess there might be some truth about me being angry.”

  “It’s okay to be angry from time to time. I understand. I’ve also been angry in the past, but nothing good came out of it.”

  “And I’m supposed to listen to advice from a stranger I just met why, exactly?” asked Chris with a smile.

  Ka’Rij laughed. “No, and you are neither obligated to listen nor learn from anything I say youn—, sorry, Chris.”

  “I don’t enjoy being angry at my father. I just can’t help it.”

  “It means you’re probably not ready. Let time do its job. Sometimes it’s the only thing that can heal deeper scars.”

  “Not ready for what?”

  “Forgiveness. Sometimes I think it’s the most beautiful thing in the universe, but it can be difficult to master.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. May I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why do you need our help? I understand that you’re not as powerful when world-bound, you made that pretty clear…But even in this form, I still sense a tremendous amount of power emanating from you. Perhaps not as much as a Fury, but not too far behind either.”

  “That may be because I’m the most powerful Dragonman among the survivors. My fellow warriors are both brave and strong, but they’re not as strong as I am. That’s because none of them started their journey as warriors. I fought the demon war on Kyria, and as such, I’ve been trained to fight since a young age. My fellow men were innocent souls trying to escape a dying world.”

  “Well then, you and I have something in common. I’ve also fought since a very young age.”

  “We’re soldiers. And while I trained my people ever since we escaped Kyria, and while I’m proud of how strong they’ve become, they’re not soldiers, they were never meant to be. There’s just too many enemies for us to fight. And while I could defeat them one by one, I can’t ask them to line up in single file and fight them one at a time.”

  Chris chuckled, “Yeah, I can see why they wouldn’t. I’m just not sure how three more soldiers will help you.”

  “Your ship seems powerful. That’s another advantage we can use.”

  “You don’t have ships?”

  “Do you think I would have been flying through space on my own if we did have ships similar to yours? No, the last of our warships were destroyed long ago, and we’ve been engaged in battle for so long, with dwindling resources, so over the centuries, we’ve all but abandoned our pursuit of technology.”

  “I see. What can you tell me about your world?”

  “Which one? The one I originated from or the one we’re heading to now?”

  “I guess I’m interested in both, but for now, let’s talk about where we’re going.”

  “When we found it, it used to resemble Kyria, our birthplace. But that was before the Hellion Empire came and tried to drive us away.”

  “Why did they do that? What do they want with…what’s the name of your new planet?”

  “It’s unpronounceable in your tongue, but basically we call it New Kyria.”

  “So what does your enemy want with New Kyria?”

  “Its resources. Well, one, at least. The planet is mostly dead now because of the wars waged through the generations and the heavy mining of the planet’s resources. When I entered this hydroponics bay, it brought back many memories. I haven’t seen such lush vegetation for a long time. It calms my mind sitting around this many living plants, just as it should be, really.”

  “If New Kyria is in such a desolate state, why don’t you all just leave and find a new world to settle on?”

  “We’d love to, but the reason is twofold. Not all Dragonmen can turn into full-blown dragons, only a select few of us can do that. That’s why we stopped fighting the enemy from orbit. At first, there were enough of us to match their fleet of ships, but over time, both sides incurred heavy losses. While the enemy can build ships to replace those we destroyed, we couldn’t grow enough dragons to keep up with them. It takes tens of years for a Dragonman to reach maturity, and even more to see if he or she will be able to transform. The second reason is that we’ve lost the heart of Kyria, and we can’t leave the planet without it. First, we need to get it back.”

  Chris raised an eyebrow. “What’s the heart of Kyria?”

  “It’s a large jewel, forged in fire, that was once part of our birthplace. It’s the last thing
that remains from our world. It holds an amazing power for those who know how to wield it. But that knowledge has been lost through the eons, even to us.”

  “What makes you think the enemy hasn’t destroyed it? Perhaps you’re fighting a war to recover something that’s long gone.”

  “It is said to be indestructible. But maybe who knows? Maybe you’re right. Maybe we’re fighting for nothing. Sometimes I wonder what it all means. Why can’t we all just live in peace?”

  “I’m obviously too young to hold the answer to that question. I for one know what I’m fighting for, and it works for me.”

  Ka’Rij cracked his jaw a couple of times, which startled Chris.

  “Sorry, I do this sometimes. It helps me think. What do you fight for, young Chris?”

  “I fight for those I love. Ever since I was born. In fact, even before.”

  “Before? How is that possible?”

  “That’s kind of a long story.”

  “I have nothing better to do at the moment.”

  “Very well…you asked for it. It all started when I was inside my mother’s womb…”

  “Oh, I think you know very well what I am,” said the Spectre. “You killed one of us a year ago, which was the biggest mistake your kind ever made. For this, your entire universe will burn. I’m Ergon’Kar, and I serve Asrak’Vor, my master. He has sent me here today to bring back your head.”

  Athena’s heart raced, and a sense of dread filled her soul.

  “You’re a Spectre?”

  Ergon’Kar smiled.

  How the hell was a Spectre standing in front of her? The implications were massive. The last one they fought almost wiped out her entire family. She survived because Menelas made sure she never faced the threat. In the end, Chase had prevailed, but he almost accidently killed both his brother and son in the process, and the battle left his wife, Sarah, at death’s door.

  How was Athena supposed to dispatch a Spectre on her own? Even though she was one of the most powerful Olympians still alive, she was nowhere near as powerful as her half-Fury sons.

  Her fear levels increased exponentially, but she would not succumb to the fright.. Instead, she let the Spectre’s presence feed her aura and soul with anger and thirst for payback. Tanak’Vor had taken Menelas from her, the love of her life and father of her children, and she wouldn’t let any harm come to her family.

  Athena’s blue eyes shone brightly as her aura increased. “You’re mistaken, Ergon—whatever the fuck your name is. There’s only one person dying here today, and that’s you.”

  The Spectre laughed as Athena launched two fireballs at him, which he easily deflected with the back of his hand.

  “Then you’ll have to attack me with a little more than a child’s attack. Let me show you what true power is.”

  The Spectre aimed an open palm toward Athena, and a black fireball came to life. Smoky snakes danced around the center of the attack as crimson lightning bolts sizzled on its surface. The engine room was plunged into darkness. Athena’s blood froze.

  Ergon’Kar smiled from ear to ear. “Goodbye, Athena.”

  The attack was as fast as it was powerful, and Athena was acutely aware she was standing inside the room containing the jump engines. She would have to be very careful about how she dealt with her enemy’s attacks.

  So Athena stood her ground and quickly drew an invisible circle in front of her with her index fingers. “Athena’s shield!” she shouted.

  A transparent, golden-energy shield materialized just before the Spectre’s massive fireball advanced toward her. The shield blocked the assault, but the sheer power of the attack made her skid backward.

  Athena used all her energy to plant her feet into the hard metal floor, so much so that her feet dug into the metal in order to stop her momentum. The shield blinked madly, informing Athena that it had trouble diffusing the black energy. The fireball kept spinning against her shield but then started waning in size.

  Athena fed more energy into her shield, accelerating the process. Then she heard Ergon’Kar’s evil laugh as his eyes shone red.

  “And you wanted to kill me. Look how much you’re struggling dealing with my very first attack. Olympians are pathetic. Your kind think you’re so superior, but, in fact, you’re nothing more than children who have been given too much importance in a universe not truly fit for powerful beings. And that’s why we’ll take great pleasure wiping out whatever is left of your dying race.”

  “You talk too much, asshole!” spat Athena between clenched teeth.

  She put all her strength into her next move. While keeping her shield up, she drew another circle.

  “Perseus Mirror Shield!” she cried.

  The golden shield turned blue and sent the remainder of the black fireball hurtling toward its sender at five times its original speed, giving the Spectre no chance to dodge his own attack.

  Athena caught a glimmer of surprise in the Spectre’s eyes, informing her he had not anticipated her tactic. Even though he tried to get out of the way, the black fireball burned through his flesh and ripped through both his left arm and shoulder.

  The scream the Spectre released was equally satisfying as it was terrifying. It felt as if a thousand people all screamed at once in reaction to the pain.

  Athena didn’t wait to see if her move worked. She knew how difficult it was to kill these things, so she didn’t intend to underestimate her enemy. She raised her right hand.

  “Athena’s Justice Spear!” she said.

  An energy spear formed in her hand, and the bright white light emanating from the energy weapon illuminated everything in the room.

  “Now you die, motherfucker! This one is for Menelas.”

  Athena thrust the energy spear, and it took a fraction of a second for it to leave her grasp and impale the Spectre’s chest, dead center.

  It didn’t go completely through, but instead, half the energy spear protruded out of each side of the Spectre, whose dark, viscous blood continuously spilled from his missing left shoulder and arm. The screaming of the thousand voices also stopped the moment the spear impaled him.

  When the Spectre stumbled and had to put a knee on the floor to not fall fully, Athena knew she managed to defeat her enemy.

  But her victory lap felt premature when Ergon’Kar lifted his head and looked her straight in the eyes with a crooked smile that terrified her.

  That’s not possible, he should be dead!

  Athena panicked and unleashed dozens of golden fireballs toward the Spectre in the hope of finishing him off. The Spectre’s red eyes lit up with so much intensity that the light they cast forced Athena to squint.

  The fireballs continued to slam against the Spectre’s thick skin and disappear inside his body as if swallowed by an invisible miniature black hole.

  Athena’s attacks grew in size and intensity for more than a minute, but then she finally gave up this tactic when she saw it wasn’t working.

  Ergon’Kar rose back to his feet as the light inside his eyes changed color briefly and flashed gold.

  He took a deep breath and smiled. “Thanks for the power up, Athena.”

  “What do you propose we do, Ares?” asked Nyx, not sure she really wanted an answer to her question.

  Her instincts told her that whatever Ares meant by another way of sharing information wouldn’t sit well with her.

  “Let me invade your mind so I can add my own engineering expertise to your understanding of the alien language. Together we’ll understand the puzzle more efficiently.”

  “No fucking way!” she protested. “I’d rather die than let an Olympian inside of me.”

  An alarm blared.

  “I guess you may get your wish sooner than expected. They must have figured out the projection inside your cell was a hologram.”

  “It was bound to happen, at least it bought us some time. We still need to get the hell out of here, it just means we have to do it sooner rather than later.”

  “No, you
don’t understand. They’ll keep hunting you down. You can run, but you can’t hide, not forever. As long as you stay in this dimension, you’ll never rest, they’ll keep hunting you down.”

  “That’s my problem!”

  “Tell me Nyx, even with your hatred for me and my kind, what sounds better to you? A life where you’ll always be looking over your shoulder, and possibly worse, be captured over and over again until they get what they need from you and finally take you out of your misery, or a chance to return to your original dimension, meet with other Furies, and fight for a worthy cause?”

  “We don’t have time for this, they’ll be all over us in a matter of minutes, we have to go Ares, now!”

  “I’m projecting other holograms of us all around the ship; it is, however, quickly expending my energy reserves, so you can take a minute to make a decision. Do you want to run or do you want to fight for a chance for true freedom? That’s all that it boils down to in the end, but I’m afraid you have to decide now.”

  Nyx stayed silent for what seemed like a long time. Her mind felt under attack by a thousand arguments, and for a moment, she felt overwhelmed and as if she would have a nervous breakdown, but then she heard her father’s voice inside her mind. Recalling a memory from her childhood. After a fun day with her family, she had asked him a question: “What’s the most important thing in the whole word, Daddy?”

  “I think you know it, child. Freedom. In every sense of the word.”

  Nyx winced and her eyebrows drew together. “You’d better not be fucking with me about this, Ares.”

  “I just want to give us a fighting chance. We need to stop them from invading our dimension, or at the very least, delay them so we can prepare. I’ve seen firsthand what one Spectre is capable of, and I can only imagine the horror of what millions could do to a defenseless universe.”

  “They’ll kill everyone and everything in their path. Like they have done in their dimension. They only keep enough civilizations alive to use as their slaves.”

  Even though there was no love lost for the rest of the inhabitants of her own universe now that Erevos was gone, Nyx still hated the Spectres and arachnoids with a vengeance.