Alan Brickett
CONVICT FENIX
This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, software, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © Alan Brickett 2016
Cover Illustration © Deanna Cathcart Art & Photography
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The right of Alan Brickett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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For my wife who loved Fenix from the first draft.
PROLOGUE
DAY 1…
VAGUE RECOLLECTIONS…
DAY 2…
A MEMORY OF A VERY LONG TIME AGO…
DAY 7…
MAP OF THE PRISON
A MEMORY OF BEING SPECIAL…
DAY 9…
A MEMORY OF LESSONS…
DAY 27…
A MEMORY OF EXHILARATION…
DAY 34…
A MEMORY OF DISCIPLINE…
DAY 41…
A MEMORY OF PAIN…
DAY 56…
A MEMORY OF FEAR…
DAY 59…
A MEMORY OF A GREAT TASK…
DAY 64…
A MEMORY OF LOVE…
DAY 127…
A MEMORY OF BETRAYAL…
DAY 152…
A MEMORY OF THE PRISON…
DAY 215…
A MEMORY OF CONVENIENT…
DAY 243…
A MEMORY OF REVENGE…
DAY 297…
EPILOGUE…
EXCERPT FROM “FUGITIVE FENIX”.
EXCERPT FROM “THE BOLOI”.
EXCERPT FROM “ABDUCTEES” THE FIRST BOOK OF THE GRAVITONICS CHRONICLES.
EXCERPT FROM “CONLIN SHAW AND ORION’S ARROW”.
PROLOGUE
The trial was going to be short.
Not a single one of the members present from every known region of the realms was likely to change the verdict. It was already decided to Fenix, and he had no doubt that it would be to the judges as well.
He stood on the podium in full view of the audience, the metal floor under his bare feet was cold, the orange trousers and sleeveless shirt a bright contrast to his scaled grey skin. The natural flowing white hair of his race was loose down behind him, down to the small of his back it was wild with its own energy.
He had known that if he succeeded, he would be in court, so Fenix had adopted a roguish beard, cut close to the jaw with a thin mustache. Handsome features offset by the piercing grey eyes that would turn a bright blue-clear and even white depending on his mood or his magic.
The podium had sixteen columns, four to each side which elevated a bar around his waist. Seemingly an inefficient barrier to hold any of the supremely powerful beings who would require this array of judges.
But the podium, with its mix of powerful alloys, was also inscribed with layers of runes, embedded sigils in the layering of metals, wrapping on top of wrapping inside and on the outside. Spells inlaid around the podium provided added levels of protection should the unlikely event of an escape from the podium’s magical protection come to pass.
Even if Fenix could break free, his odds against the judges and the audience were non-existent.
Every one of the judges was a significant power in his, her, or its own right.
The only time that Fenix had won out over one of the greatest of beings was to use decades of careful planning, supremely powerful enhancements to his magic, that he had procured or devised. An increase to his power a thousandfold and the destruction of an entire planet.
Which was what had brought Fenix here to receive judgment for his actions.
An announcement to all the realms that he wasn’t playing in the little leagues anymore. Fenix only wanted to do it this one time, revenge was like that, but these beings had not survived this long without taking notice of the new fish.
Being ignorant at this level was the same as leaving yourself open to attack.
So many agendas, circles within circles. Who knew how Fenix could be used to advantage, played as a distraction, and what he would, or could do if left to his own intentions.
That wasn’t the only reason they took such an interest in him. If Fenix had just risen to this level, if his efforts had been required to kill a minor being or group, then it would have been judged against the effect of his actions.
No, this trial was a certainty because they were afraid of him.
There were very few examples in the millions of cycles of the realms where a single being had risen from behind the scenes and killed a significant power in a single attempt. Fenix had the uncomfortable honor of now being listed among those.
Most of the few on that list hadn’t survived for very long after their success. But those beings hadn’t planned things out the way that Fenix had.
He was, of all things, at all times, a survivor.
Fenix had known what would come, he had thought his plan through a hundred steps ahead of these beings. They were focused on the problem he presented, and Fenix had taken the utmost care to shape that problem very carefully.
“Order to this court.”
The command wasn’t loud, it wasn’t abrasive and trying to get attention. It had attention automatically from every being in the room. At once the collective entities fell to silence, out of respect.
“We bring before the court one Fenix, no other name nor title.”
Fenix nodded in false respect to the owner of the voice.
It was seated at the center of the sixteen judges’ chairs which formed a crescent around the podium. The being was massive, the courtroom itself bent time and space to allow its piece of conscious attention to fit into the chair it sat in. Perhaps some of the oldest of beings, the original gods of the realms, would know this being’s name.
Then again they were a secretive lot, they didn’t keep their own company and never spoke their own secrets or what they knew of each other. Some time, perhaps before there was time, they had come to an agreement of some kind.
In appearance it wore a grey robe of shifting material, the depths of the material contained the dimmest of stars, lights winking out as the landscape moved slowly past. The mantle fell so low that no feet could be seen, the hood reached up higher than the heads of anyone else and fell forward so far it could have collapsed over its entire body.
Absolutely nothing could be seen inside the hood. It wasn’t just darkness, it was the absence of anything.
The sleeves fell limp across the arms of the chair, with the handle of the metal hammer disappearing into one hole where a hand should have come out. So far as anyone knew that gavel had never been used. Rumour said that if the hammer hit the base, there would be disastrous consequences for whoever had disrupted the court.
A guilty sentence had never been important enough in the greater scheme of things to need that hammer fall.
The court was not convened to ensure a guilty verdict, not at all, this was possibly the fairest court in existence. Fenix knew and had planned, that t
he odds would be stacked against him.
Just not so far that it would be a death sentence.
“How does the defendant plead?” The deep whispering voice asked.
Fenix stood up straight, not showing he was proud, he kept that hidden with the only device he had left. Otherwise, most of the beings in this room would read his mind like a book. So he only allowed them to see what he wanted.
“I plead guilty before this court.” He replied.
Expressions around the room turned to various reactions from grim, sad, confident and malicious to outright relief. Most importantly were those whose faces became determined, and Fenix knew why.
It could be said that the audience seated themselves in the same arrangement as the podium that Fenix faced. From his left, the judges and the audience were established from primarily good beings, through the neutral entities, and to the far right the evilest.
It would be near impossible to explain the big through tiny differences that made up each being or attributes that made simple statements like good or evil. So the general cliché worked well enough for now.
The most powerful entities in the cosmos were known by many names to many different races, planets, and planes. There were the winged ones with holy light, holy for the powers of good by reference of their audience.
There were those in simple brown robes, filled with humility.
Other beings, as you looked along the crescent behind him, were benevolent but not completely zealous in their ways. The trend moved on to nobility over single-mindedness, great wolf-like beings which took up several seats of their own.
In fact a lot of the chairs needed to be bigger or smaller.
In the center and both sides of it were the ones in grey, those with strange things they carried and wearing coverings over their eyes. Those who honestly stayed within the other similarities that the two sides shared.
Yet the races and beings which looked up to them may call on them for good or evil as well.
It was a complex reality.
In each area the primordial gods of gods had their own smells and sensations, barriers kept them from mingling with the others, or there would have been dire consequences. For Fenix, who could see so many differences, it might as well have been a sterile room from where he stood.
Plant deities, trees, and giant animals with majestic antlers, other beings which represented the same for water, earth, and the planes, empty space, even black holes. Moving along the crescent, they turned into the more aggressive, short, strong creatures and larger sharp-toothed ones.
The bringers of plague and disease of so many kinds, from the health of races to the blood rain to meteors from the skies. Complete devastation wrought by entities without any common allegiance at all.
All the way to the far wall where the pit fiends, devils, and much more complex evils sat. Some openly worked for controlled chaos, others for planned, ordered evil. All of them bent to their own interests, some had plans so long term no mortal could possibly comprehend them.
But Fenix made no mistake.
This room did not hold a collection of minor deities, not the gods of single worlds, not the makers of tragedy along one plane or another. Each of these beings was the embodiment of the cosmos’ full complement of all of these members.
To be at the center of attention of the most significant forces of the cosmos, it would take the breath and perhaps life away from any normal man.
Fenix was not a normal man.
The judges conferred briefly, as far as the rest of the court knew it was quickly. They could have taken themselves out of time and discussed the situation for millennia for all anyone else would know.
“We accept your plea.” The Cowl responded.
That was unexpected, he hadn’t thought that the judges could argue a plea. But it was past now, so he kept the rush of satisfaction to himself.
Then he realized.
These most powerful even among the most powerful had likely taken a look into what might happen next. Fenix did have a plan, and they knew it.
But would they stop him?
The echoes of its voice went around the room, followed by Cowl’s words.
“We will move on to the sentencing.” It paused.
“There are those who wish to speak against this man.” A bony finger pointed at Fenix, even with all of its power controlled the Cowl almost destroyed Fenix in that one moment.
He felt the certainty, the invincible force of it.
Then it was gone.
Two of the beings stood up to speak, one on each of the far sides of the chamber.
Cowl nodded, and the two beings eyed each other for a moment, the extreme politeness between their two factions kept the cosmos in harmony. It wasn’t hard for them, it was natural for such powers.
The one on the right spoke first. Eyes blazing, a cold red flame, horns with complex magic inscribed into them nearly touched the vaulted ceiling.
“We submit the call for execution.”
The being to the far left stood in silver white robes, a simple circlet on its head made from some other silvery material. Its eyes glowed with a white flame, and it spoke in a voice so potent it put the other being’s tones into a depth more profound than the void.
“We also submit for execution. This being has committed murder on such a scale that the single realm the defendant performed the act within should have their justice.”
Fenix watched over his right shoulder. The more chaotic beings, a select group, in particular, had started to prepare themselves to speak. They noticed his gaze, and their voices hissed back and forth in anger.
Fenix smiled, both at them and that his plan was going well.
Cowl spoke. “Noted.”
Then it looked towards the center at the beings who valued neutrality, those who exemplified the complex rules of justice among the many plans and realms of the cosmos.
After a moment when none of them chose to speak up, Cowl looked around the room.
“Are there any others who wish to speak for or against the criminal?”
Fenix liked that description.
From amongst the group he had looked at stood up a man, he looked old as if he neared the end of his lifespan and held to him a staff of gnarled white wood. Tangled grey hair complemented the long beard with grey eyebrows which framed piercing blue eyes.
“I would speak if it pleases the court.”
Oh, that must hurt to be so polite Fenix thought to himself with glee.
“The court recognizes the leader of the chaos hags, Menlyne.” Cowl responded with no emotion whatsoever.
The chaos hags, manipulators of nations and gods in all the realms, they lived for only one purpose: to create as much disruption as possible. They existed for just that reason, they had no long term goals, no specific intent to gain power and influence. In fact, they had no fear of interfering in any higher power’s affairs either.
They created chaos, pure and simple.
The old looking man spoke very carefully, grinding his teeth with every word.
“This man has killed one of our own. We believe that we have a say in the means of his punishment.”
Fenix had, one of their best among the small group of chaos hags, he had defeated and killed her.
Not that any of the chaos hags were interested in working together, not ever. They fought and squabbled among each other endlessly, without any hard feelings. Alliances formed and were betrayed, attacks on their territories were familiar, some invited by strategy and some defended just for the sake of it.
Even among themselves, they existed for chaos, there was no feeling behind it, no plan.
They just did.
Fenix was notable in the cosmos, to the entities in this courtroom, in that he had allied the hags in one purpose for just this moment in time.
They wanted him.
Menlyne confirmed it with his next words.
“We ask the court to give the man Fenix over to us for his
punishment.”
The other hags leaned forward in their excitement, breathless for the answer. Several of their servants in waiting had to step back or risk being destroyed out of hand.
He had been one of those servants, his race created to serve, just like many of the worlds were populated by the hag’s minions. Designed instruments to send in and sow chaos on other planets, other realities.
He had been a loyal servant.
Cowl responded. “We acknowledge your request. Would anyone else speak up to back the chaos hags, or speak in a comment?”
The room paused, the chaos hags waited in hope, if no one spoke for either question then they could push for their advantage. As one they turned cold hard gazes on the blindfolded lady who stood up from the center of the room.
“If it pleases the court.” She spoke softly but firmly, her presence a command to be heard, her word a promise of binding authority.
Cowl nodded. “You may speak.”
“This man deserves a punishment fitting to his crime. His crime has been both to the chaos hags in the murder of one of their own but also to the billions who died at his hand. There are two parties to receive justice here.”
Just as Fenix had planned, aside from needing all of those souls for his murder they were also a part of his crime, he had wanted the extra charge against his guilt.
Cowl looked back over at Menlyne.
“Our kind has been affronted and one of our number removed. Surely the loss of a greater power is of higher standing than the lives of a simple race on one world in a single realm?” Menlyne tried his best to stay polite and keep the contempt from his tone of voice.
“We agree.” Replied the woman.
“We wish to hear what punishment you suggest, do you require that this man die by your own hands?”
Menlyne looked around the court.
“No, we desire that he be given into our custody so that we can handle his punishment at our leisure.”
“You wish to imprison and torture him?”
“We do.”
Both of the significant beings looked to Cowl for the judges to answer.
Convict Fenix Page 1