by Lee Watts
"You're… you're one of them - one of the Dridmor, aren't you? Oh mercy, please, mercy. No more; I beg you. I can't bear it. Please… please. Let it end. Kill me. Kill me!"
Her words were choked out by her increasing sobs, causing Shania's heart to catch in her throat as the woman pleaded in a mixture of fear and grief.
"O mighty Elder," the woman began to pray, "protect me from this evil one. Help me not to betray your name. Help me, oh help me," she muttered in deep fear while weeping.
Shania stepped forward to the bars of the woman's cell.
"Fear not, Dear One, for the Elder has heard your prayers this night. I am… not a Dridmor."
"But, but you're not a Ramillie, and they are the only other ones who come to us."
"No, I…" Shania hesitated, not wanting to reveal her true identity. It wasn't by commandment, though she'd always found it easier to walk among the humans if they didn't know what she really was, but seeing this poor woman and hearing her plea for help, Shania felt pressed to reveal the truth.
"I am… a Guardian."
The woman looked at her for a hint of insincerity but found none.
"Truly?" she asked with the last bit of hope she had in the universe.
"Truly," Shania confirmed and for proof allowed her eyes to begin softly glowing. They continued to brighten until they shown as two stars gleaming in the night then she let them dim and return to normal. The old woman's mouth was agape.
Falling to her knees, she woman began worshiping the immortal.
"Arise," Shania instructed. "For it is written in the Codex, Thou shalt worship the Elder, and Him only shalt thou serve. I am but a fellow servant."
"Has the Elder sent you?" the woman asked while feebly rising to her feet.
"I believe so. At first, I thought finding my way to this place was an accident, but now I see the Elder has guided me here. Be strong, Dear One. I don't have the means to free you now, but I'll soon bring others, and by the Elder's will, we will free you, soon. Be-"
"Who are you?" came an angry voice from behind her.
Turning fast, she saw a Ramillie guard. He charged, and she sent a powerful front kick to his stomach that doubled him over. Reaching for his pistol Shania kicked him again, which slammed his head against the steel bars and knocked him out. The noise of the impact resounded loudly.
"What's going on down there?" came a voice from up the stairs.
Shania knew she had to run, turning back to the woman she told her it was vital she not let the Ramillie know what she told her about more Guardians coming. The woman nodded and with no time to belabor the point, Shania pulled her battlestaff out and separated the blades then turned to leave. The prisoners were in awe of her burning blades.
"A Guardian," the prisoners whispered in amazement.
Another Ramillie guard came barreling down the steps. Seeing Shania, he reached for his weapon. Too distant to slice, Shania rolled one of her blades to a backhand position and threw it like a spear, skewering the man.
"I'll return for you," she called to the prisoners then retrieved her weapon and darted up the stairs.
That night, and throughout the following day, the prisoners were given "special attention," but to the torturer's consternation, the prisoners would sing hymns of praise to the Elder when returning to their cells. It defied the Ramillie's comprehension.
"Don't try to land at the complex, there're too many guards," Shania advised to Merrick over the communication line. "Put down on the other side of the desert. Go north of the village; my ship is there. Contact me when you arrive. I'll work on a plan to get us in the Citadel by the time you arrive."
"Alright. Be careful, Shania."
"I will be, Merrick. I have no intention of dying on Dalban II."
CHAPTER 21
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." – Titus 2:11
Thrown into a foul-smelling, dimly lit, elongated metallic room with a heavily barred door, Aulani was overjoyed by what she saw.
"Papa," she exclaimed as she and her brother Jaiden rushed to the half-starved man huddled with the other prisoners.
Strength long since depleted, Sev weakly embraced them, and they wept at the reunion. A few minutes later, Merrick was dragged into the cell by two Ramillie guards who deposited him on the unforgiving floor. Christina, one of the Morningstar survivors and unofficial healer of the group, went to tend to the unconscious Guardian as best she could.
Aulani explained to her father what happened in the temple and how the flower clued Merrick where to go. In a somber tone, she relayed what became of Didymus.
"We're going to get you out of here," Aulani assured him. She then turned to the rest of the group. "All of you," she added.
Merrick moaned in pain as he roused to consciousness. Though the blaster shot wasn't fatal to one of his kind, his every muscle still ached from when it hit him.
"Try to lay still," Christina said. "Are you going to be alright?"
"Yes," Merrick assured her. "In time, all will heal."
"Merrick," Jaiden began, "that other guy, the Dridmor-"
"Koraden," Merrick inserted.
"Yea him - what was all that about giving him something and a portal opening?"
"Koraden is a Dridmor overlord. At the end of the last age, he summoned others and together they tried to open a gateway allowing the Dridmor from the spirit realm to cross into the physical universe while retaining their true forms. If that were to happen, all life in this universe would be destroyed. There will be no means of stopping them once they're through. There are twelve items called crown stones used as keys to power the gateway device. I and some other Guardians took these keys and vowed to spread out across the galaxy so it would take longer for the Dridmor to regain them."
"Maybe they never will get all of them back," Jaiden proposed.
"I wish that were so my young friend, but a seer from long ago was granted a vision of the future and prophesied that all the keyholders will die and one day the portal will be activated. He was of the Elder so the prophecy will come to pass… Koraden knows that too. So, you see, it's only a matter of time. It was said the opening of the imprisoned ones would mark the end of this age. Many have interpreted that as the return of the Ramillie from The Cloud, and for a time I thought so too, but we've misread the prophecy. The ancient enemy is not the Ramillie, but the Dridmor. They're the ones who will escape, and hearing what Koraden mentioned, they've regained ten of the keys."
"That only leaves yours and one other. Who's the last keyholder?" Jaiden asked.
"I'm not sure. It's impossible to know who the Dridmor have already hunted down, but I've got a strong guess who they can't find. He was our failsafe, the one who was to remain hidden until the time of the end. They can't use the portal without all twelve keys, as long as they can't find mine or the last one, there's still hope."
"Why didn't you just destroy the portal?" Sev asked.
"It's not made of material from this universe. It can't be destroyed. So, it was hidden in The Vault where the Treasures of Ages are stowed."
"The Vault of Ages," Sev echoed in amazement. "I heard about The Vault when I was a child, but I never thought the stories were true."
"Oh, they're true, but The Vault has remained hidden for a thousand years. Even I don't know its location."
A hint of recognition came to Christina.
"Wait, that's what Dr. Quace was looking for," she announced.
"Dr. Quace?" questioned Merrick.
"Yes, he was the archeologist I was doing my post-graduate work with when we crashed on Acatus. He'd discovered a site of the first Ramillie Empire and collected some items. We were on our way to do some detailed research when the pirates attacked," she explained.
"So, he found The Vault?" Jaiden asked.
"No," she corrected. "But he had found some devices with part of the map leading to it. And there was something else… a prism. It was disk-shaped. He told me it was the
key to everything. When the pirates came, he thought they might be after the artifacts. He managed to hide the prism in a wall of the ship, but the pirates got a map device."
"So, the prism is still on Acatus?" Jaiden asked.
"I guess," Christina said with a shrug. "We didn't have time to get it back out before we ran to one of the escape pods."
"Then it's lost where no one will find it now," Jaiden reasoned. "Merrick, where'd you put your key to that gate thing?"
"I'm sorry Jaiden, but I don't dare tell you. I know you're strong, but the Ramillie can be very… persuasive. "
"I don't understand," Jaiden puffed. "If Koraden hates you so much, why doesn't he kill you?"
"Because that would release me. He knows when I die I spend eternity with the Elder and Elkanah in Paradise. But as long as I'm here-"
As they were speaking, a pair of red-armored Ramillie guards came to the door of the cell.
"He's awake," one said through his closed-faced helmet.
Merrick leaned in closer to Jaiden and Sev, speaking quietly.
"I may not have much time, so I want you to listen carefully. Make a run for the ship first chance you get and do it soon. Each day in captivity you only get weaker. Jaiden, do you think you can fly the ship out of here?"
"Sure," he answered confidently, but then a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute, what if I don't make it or get hurt and can't do it?"
"What about Aulani piloting?" Merrick asked.
"I travel a lot with Alexander," she answered, "but most of the time I do translating. I wouldn't have a clue on how to work the controls."
"Sev?" Merrick asked hopefully.
"When I was a young man, I used to work for a shuttle company that made runs back and forth to our moons, but that was forty years ago."
"It'll have to do," Merrick realized. "If something happens and you can't take off then call for help. Once the message is sent, go hide in the forest. After Acatus, the wilderness of this place will be a cakewalk."
"You're coming with us, aren't you?" Jaiden asked.
"If I get half a chance to get out of here, I'm taking it, but I don't think-"
He stopped speaking as Koraden, accompanied by four Ramillie guards, appeared at the mouth of the cell.
"Time to go, Merrick," Koraden said tauntingly to his ancient nemesis. I've been waiting a long time for this."
Merrick glared at the Dridmor with strength and yet in resignation.
"Bring him," Koraden ordered then the guards came in and took the battered Guardian away for Koraden to exact his revenge. For the next two days and nights, no one went to the door of the cell. Checking the cell thoroughly, the prisoners found no means of escape. Jaiden thought somehow everything would eventually work out, but it didn't, and he never saw Merrick again.
On the third day a guard tossed into the cell a sack with some rotting fruit and a single bottle of dirty water to be shared with the entire group. Suddenly, in the late afternoon of the third day of the confinement, the outer door of the cellblock opened, and in stepped a well-toned man in a jacket that reached his knees. He had straight, auburn hair extending to his breastbone, and gloves going halfway up his forearms. His cream-colored skin immediately indicated he wasn't Ramillie. A black leather strap slung across one shoulder housed a metallic staff across his back. Drawing out the arm-length weapon, he pulled it apart revealing a flaming pair of short swords. He typed quick commands into the keypad that unlocked the cells.
"Where's Merrick?" the non-human asked in perfect Theeran.
"We-" Jaiden began, unsure whose side this stranger was on, or how he knew they spoke Theeran. "We don't know. They took him days ago."
"We've got to find him before they force him to reveal the location of the portal," the swordsman insisted.
"Who are you?" Jaiden asked.
"Imenand."
"You're a… friend of Merrick's?"
"Sort of, I was his mentor. I can't search the compound with all of you with me," Imenand said. Because of Jaiden's youth, he was clearly healthier than the others. Imenand told him to take charge of the group.
"I'll take you to the east side of the compound," Imenand instructed. "Head straight out and get these people back to your ship. I'll meet you there."
"Where are you going?" Jaiden asked the man in the long, smoky colored jacket.
"To find Merrick. I can't leave him here."
"I'm going with you," Aulani insisted.
Imenand paused for a moment then, assessing the young woman, nodded his agreement. As they headed out, he instructed the group to stay quiet and close together. Sheathing his swords, Imenand led the way. Sneaking through the halls, the group made nervous but quick progress until at last reaching the exit. Having lost all sense of time, Jaiden and the others only realized it was night when they saw the darkness outside.
"Can you find your ship again?" Imenand asked.
With years of experience finding his way through a darkened island-jungle, Jaiden nodded confidently then headed into the night with the others following him. Turning back, the immortal headed into the compound in search of the missing Guardian. Aulani kept pace with Imenand but felt uneasy about being unarmed. Hearing talking and approaching footfalls she ducked behind a corner. Pressing her back against the wall she noticed Imenand wasn't with her. She dared a fast peek around the corner and saw him waiting with hands poised to quickly draw his blades. As the pair of Ramillie came into view, Aulani was relieved to see they weren't wearing armor. Imenand immediately drew his swords, pierced one man through the chest, killing him instantly and sent an elbow smashing against the other's skull, sending him to the floor. In one fluid motion, Imenand sheathed his swords and knelt beside the stunned man, placing a knee on his throat.
In the Ramillie tongue, Imenand ordered the downed man to tell him the location of Merrick. Suffocating, the Ramillie guard turned a tint of purple as he tried to rasp out the answer.
"Guar-," he inhaled with tremendous effort. "Guardian... transported a-… away."
"Where?" Imenand demanded.
"Don't… know. Overlor….Koraden saw to… per…sonally."
The man's eyes rolled back into his head before he went limp.
"Koraden," Imenand seethed.
Just then, the door at the far end of the hall opened revealing two more Ramillie. Beholding the immortal with the two dead guards on the floor, the soldiers immediately drew their weapons. Imenand dove for cover behind the corner where Aulani was just as red blasts of energy slammed into the wall. A second later, alarms began blaring, and warning lights flashed.
"They've taken Merrick off-world," Imenand shouted to her over the sound of the sirens. "We've got to get out of here!"
Imenand picked a grenade from a leather pouch at his belt and lobbed it around the corner. The blast shook the floor, and immediately the laserblasts from the other side stopped.
"Come on," Imenand directed and began running down the hall.
Aulani took a second to reach down and collect the pistol from the guard Imenand had stabbed before she raced after the immortal.
As the haggard prisoners were making their way into the ship, Jaiden saw searchlights streaming from the compound.
"HURRY," he yelled. "We don't have much time!"
In addition to his group's sounds, Jaiden heard the noise of pursuers crashing through the brush.
They'll be here in seconds, he thought with rising panic. We're not going to make it! Weaponless, Jaiden scanned the ground for anything to use in defense but found nothing. Out of time, two forms bounded from the brush. It was Imenand and Aulani.
"TAKE OFF," Aulani shouted while running. "They're right behind us!"
Immediately, a series of red blasts lit up the night, slamming into the waiting ship. Aulani returned fire, but in the cover of darkness couldn't see the attackers so fired blindly. Jaiden rushed aboard, Imenand half a step behind him. Aulani blasted away at the general direction of the enemy then rushed
into the ship as Jaiden powered up the engines.
Rising from the darkened forest, the thrust of the ship's engines caused the trees to bend and wave as if in a mighty storm. Knowing the Ramillie would quickly dispatch pursuing fighters, Imenand told Jaiden to get them out of there as fast as he could. Slamming the throttle forward, Jaiden piloted the craft high into the atmosphere then out into space. With the Ramillie pilots caught off guard, by the time their fighters reached space the escapees were long gone.
CHAPTER 22
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." – Ephesians 4:14
Undergoing repairs from recent damage the battlecarrier HMS Dauntless was docked at a Realm space station. Many in Fleet Command believed that Balin should relinquish command of the ship and lead the war effort from the capital, but he refused while insisting that everyone was needed at the frontlines.
On the space station, a bulky Marine stood cross-armed and stared at the three choices before him. If he guessed wrong, all was lost. He'd been in tight spots before, but confident in his skills, he'd always come out the victor. This time, he wasn't so sure. His squad was near, each member desperately calling out instructions and a choice they thought could save their leader. Teeth grinding, sweat trickling down his face, the weight of the decision pressed upon him. Indecision was crippling, he knew the longer he waited, the weaker he looked to his men. If only there were some clue as to the right choice to make, but everything happened so fast. He'd lost track of his target and knew it could be a dreadful error. Around him, voices were shouting, and his heartbeat thundering in his ears. Reaching the breaking point, he took a leap of faith, committed himself, and made his decision.