“Of a truth, he will be fine,” Volnomy agreed.
Chapter 12
Mirsux opened his eyes and stared into blackness. Gradually his eyes adjusted to rest upon the gleaming black walls of a cave. He was lying on the damp earthen floor. A metal lattice enclosed the entrance and there was a dull light coming from a distance outside of his cell. He tried to stand, but his body had lost strength. The last thing he recalled was standing in the garden with Ariella.
“Ariella,” he whispered, looking around frantically. Did they take her, he wondered to himself.
He closed his eyes and brought to mind the events of his capture. They were about to return to the palace when he felt the presence of other beings. He’d left his Ysark behind, a foolish decision.
A beam bore down from above and affixed him in the spot. He tried to move but he was rendered immobile. His voice also seemed to have ceased. Gradually the energy from within him started pouring from his core into the light beam. He could feel the energy vacating his being. A few seconds, and he too started to fade with it. After that, everything in front of his eyes distorted before darkness descended.
Mirsux pushed himself up with all his strength. There was hardly anything left inside him, only his will to survive. He must survive. The fate of his people depended on it. He had to survive for the sake of his love.
Footsteps sounded outside his cell and he weakly stood. His knees wobbled badly and his center trembled with the tension of him trying to stand on his own. He fought against the debility and stood erect. Soon, the white robe and white hair of the Xygor prince appeared. His sapphire eyes sparkled and his tall frame filled the entryway.
There were three guards behind him dressed in black, figure-hugging suits. Their light golden skins gleamed in the dull light. They all looked the same, like clones of each other. Long dark hair slicked back behind the head, pale blue eyes vacant of emotion. Their hands rested lightly on their weapons, awaiting their prince’s command.
“I see the Nabalar Prince has arisen,” Julkaz’s loud voice resonated throughout cave.
“What do you seek?” Mirsux inquired. His voice was weak, but he stood his ground.
The Xygor prince ignored his question and beckoned the guards to take him. They passed a crystal over the lattice and it disappeared into the wall of the cave. Two of the guards came inside and flanked him on both sides.
“I will come with you willingly,” he said, when they would have manhandled him.
He followed Julkaz through a maze. He knew immediately this was the dungeon he’d heard existed on Xygor. This dungeon housed many prisoners that were sent by the Galaxy Council. His eyes scanned the cells and saw countless prisoners along the way. He felt certain that many had been imprisoned by Julkaz as well.
They’d reached the end of a long line of cells when he detected a familiar presence. He turned and peered into the cell from which the vibe emitted. There, lying on the ground facing him, was the captain of the shuttle in which Ariella had arrived on his planet.
“McTaggart?” he stopped.
The man raised his head and slowly stood to his feet. His slate colored eyes stared vacant at him a minute and then slowly, recognition dawned in them.
“Mirsux!” the captain’s voice was hoarse and weak. “What are you doing here? Where is Ariella?”
“She is safe,” he replied as the guards grabbed his upper arm and pulled him along.
“There is no time for friendly chat,” Julkaz bellowed. “You will have enough time to reminisce later.”
Mirsux was half dragged by the Xygor guards through the meandering passages, up a stone path and onto the planet’s surface. It was night…a dark one. There was no moon to light the way. As far as Mirsux’s eyes could adjust to discern, the land stood bare of trees or any growing thing – barren, just like its people.
He halted and perused his surroundings. “What is this place?” he wondered aloud.
“This,” Julkaz raised his hand and swept it in a circle. “This is my domain, The Barren Planet they named it. As you can see, we have no source of food here. We have to get all we need from imports.”
Julkaz continued on a trodden path that led to a tall castle like structure, which stood dauntingly against the night sky. Mirsux presumed this to be the palace. As they neared, a pair of large double doors eased open to allow them entrance and then closed behind them once they were securely inside.
Compared to the exterior of the building, the inside was brightly lit and lavishly decorated. There were plush sofas and bejeweled chairs, high windows with satin drapes and a wall with a mounted sword. On another wall was a table with a device that looked like a small vacuum and at the end was a large basketball-sized crystal ball.
Mirsux affixed his eyes on the contraption. Drawn to it, he moved towards the instrument when the guards held him back.
On a raised dais to the far end of the room sat a female replica of the prince. As her eyes caught sight of them, she stood and floated towards them. Her hair was as white as her son’s with a slight golden hue only reflected by the fluorescent lighting. Whereas Julkaz’s eyes were deep sapphire, hers were pale in comparison. The skin of the Xygorians was a paler shade of golden than was the people of Nabalar.
“Julkaz, what have you done?” Almost breathless, taken aback from what she now witnessed, the queen vehemently scolded her son.
“Not now, Mother,” his voice softened.
The Xygor prince brushed past her and came to stand next to the machine with the crystal ball. He picked it up and held it. Then he pressed a button and threw his head back. Whatever charge was inside the ball flared and glowed, but apparently, it displeased Julkaz.
“It doesn’t work!” Julkaz replaced the device and glared at the Nabalar prince. “How do I inject your power into me?”
Mirsux could feel the connection with the device and his energy started to return.
“What are you asking?” Mirsux knitted his brow.
Julkaz caressed the contraption lovingly. “This is the Pligsog. I created it just for you and now I cannot get it to expel your energy into me!”
Mirsux laughed. He threw his head back and let out a boisterous sound that echoed loudly in the large room. All eyes turned to him and watched. When he’d had his fill, he turned to Julkaz.
“You trapped my power because you think it propitious to do so?”
“I came to know that you have acquired extraordinary gifts. You have awakened your inner energy and I need it to save my own kingdom!”
Mirsux shrugged off the hands of the guard and stepped towards Julkaz. “And you think my powers are suited to you? How ignorant can you be? You know nothing about the Z’raschein and how to awaken it!”
“Don’t try to school me on this darn Z’raschein you speak of. I have yours trapped and I will find a way to infuse it with mine.”
Mirsux eyed the Pligsog. His energy was trapped in it, but not for long. It would wane after some time. So long as he was alive and Ariella was his bride, his inner force would replenish.
“You and your people will perish if you do not wish to know the means by which they must survive,” Mirsux said.
“Take him back to the dungeon,” Julkaz informed the guards and turned to Mirsux. “When you are ready to answer my questions, you may call for me. Otherwise, you die.”
A smile brightened Mirsux’s face while Julkaz looked in puzzlement. Mirsux walked to the door with the guards in tow. The Xygor prince was frowning as he left the interior.
“Wait!” Julkaz commanded.
Mirsux kept walking towards the path from which they arrived. The guards caught up with him and blocked his path while his captor strode up to them.
“What amuses you? Tell me,” he demanded.
“I will tell you nothing. Return me to my cell and allow me to die. Know this, when I die, so does your entire planet, including your mother, the queen.”
Julkaz searched his eyes and Mirsux looked into the sapphir
e pools with conviction. He was certain that the Xygor prince believed him. It was not the entire truth, but if he died, the truth about the Z’raschein would die with him and Julkaz would not be able to save his people…for the time being. Mirsux had to tell him something to buy time.
“Let him be,” Julkaz ordered the guards. “He cannot escape without a craft. Follow him everywhere and use your weapons if you must.”
He was referring to the Astral Cosmic Diffuser. It was more than just a laser weapon. It annihilated every living organism with three shots of laser-like bullets.
Chapter 13
Ariella turned restlessly in the huge bed she should be sharing with Mirsux. They would have made love upon their return from the garden. That he had promised her. Now he was gone. Was that a tele-transporter that took him? What was it? She had many questions but foremost on her mind was the prince of Xygor. Julkaz was now, not only Nabalar enemy, but her adversary as well.
As her memory served her, he caused the ship’s failure and the death of their colleague. This prince was responsible for their shuttle hitting the wormhole and them ending up almost eaten by the Migrels.
She flung her feet from the bed and her eyes rested on her Diainspar jewel. The fire inside was burning brightly giving the sphere a luminescent presence. She touched it and the glow intensified. She felt its energy charge her and gave her added strength.
If it was war the Xygor prince sought, then it was war he would get. She was not the fulfiller of the prophecy for nothing. Her role in the replenishing of an entire planet must count for something.
The Diainspar radiated its glow even more intensely at her musings, and this gave her the courage she needed. If there was one ally she required, it was the king. The look on his face a few hours prior did not go unnoticed. She must speak with him alone.
Ariella left the chambers and went first, in search of food. She was hungry. It was weird. For days she had no appetite, and suddenly after her visit to the garden she was starving. In addition to her hunger, she needed strength if she was to save the prince.
There was an attendant in the great hall whose face enlivened at her entry. He looked like the usual alien server. He was tall, slender, with short dark hair and very pale eyes with flecks of gold. His skin was darker than the royal family, but he looked strong and healthy.
“Can I help you, Princess?” he asked with a bright smile.
“Why are you up this late?” she asked.
He bowed slightly with his reply, “I am part of the night staff, Princess.”
“Oh, yes. I’m famished. Will you make me something? The meat that looks like earth chicken and bread will do, some fruits and a salad.”
“Yes, Princess, please take a seat while I bring your meal.”
Within minutes after sitting at the table, which seemed larger now that she was alone, the server brought a tray with her meal. There was the chicken she liked, with the other items she requested. He also poured pink liquid in a golden goblet and handed it to her. Upon tasting it, her eyes darted to his and he smiled and beamed.
“Pink lemonade?” she asked.
“Our version of it, Princess,” he smiled. “The prince would want you to taste of it first. We took samples of the earth version of your lemons and made ours.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
He moved off and then hesitated. Ariella waited to hear what he wanted to say. The man turned. “Princess, please forgive my forwardness.”
“What is it?”
“We appreciate your presence and are indebted to your graciousness. Please save our Prince as you have promised to save our people.”
He bowed at the most reverend forty-five degree reserved for the highest officials.
“I will try, now rise and tell me your name,” she said, swallowing a lump that had arisen in her throat.
“Gulk, Princess.”
“Okay Gulk, I will do my best to save the prince.”
With that promise, he left her alone to eat. She devoured everything, including her pink lemonade. The promise she made to Gulk was a promise she already made to herself. She would see every stone unturned to bring Mirsux back, even if it meant defying the king and queen.
After her meal, she hung around the great hall, thinking of how to get the king on her side. He held the ultimate power, but he often allowed his queen to rule. Heffun was over-protective. She was certain that she would not allow her out of the palace. She had to get the king to see reason.
“What are you thinking about so intently, my dear?” the king’s voice both startled her and brought a smile to her face.
“My king,” she exclaimed. “Am I happy to see you!”
“Oh, I have a feeling that Heffun won’t like this. Come with me,” he walked away summoning her to follow.
He reached the front door and spoke with the guard. Several of them gathered and led them to the side of the building. She was familiar with this section of the grounds.
It brought back memories of her imprisonment and the humiliation she suffered. The ground opened as she expected and the platform appeared. They stepped on and while it lowered, the ground closed above them.
“We can talk without interruption here,” Volnomy stated as they reached the judgment chambers near the prison cells. He led her past the court hall and into a tiny room that looked like an office.
“I know this place reminds you of your imprisonment and for that we beg your forgiveness. You must understand how desperate we were to save our planet and when you arrived,” he looked skyward and clasped his hands together. “A new day arrived.”
“I know all of that, Father,” she said impatiently.
“Princess, you have got to go to Xygor. I believe you have the power to save our king,”
“King?” she asked, dumbfounded.
“Yes, he will be king at some point, might as well assume it now. He will be more powerful than I ever hoped to be. He has skills I never knew existed. The sword responds to him,” he paused and a light shone in his eyes. “When I was given my own Ysark, it never even sparked. Did you see how it connected with my son? HE IS THE SAVIOR OF OUR PEOPLE!”
“It is a special saber, is it not?” she inquired out of curiosity.
He nodded. “Yes, each Ysark is prepared by the Oracles and presented when the prince has found his bride. I received one as well. You humans call it a wedding gift. However, it is more than that. The Ysark is a part of the nexus that binds you together. That, also along with the Diainspar.”
Ariella listened to the king speak with wonder and animation in his voice. His face alit with the joy he felt for his son. She could see the love shining in his eyes and she knew she could save him. She had to save him, if only with the love she felt for Mirsux.
She summated that what he professed just now was truth. She had seen how the jewel and saber responded to them both. This only confirmed what she had surmised and it gave her courage that she would be able to save her prince, the soon to be king.
“I love him and I must save him. I haven’t even told him how I feel,” she blurted out.
Volnomy gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “You can do it. All you need to do is bring him his sword. You have got to get close to the Xygor prince and make him get you to see Mirsux.”
He paused, dropped his hand from her shoulders, walked to a cabinet on the wall and opened it. From it, he took a black leather belt and brought it to her. It was about six inches wide and thirty inches in length, by her estimation.
“You must wear this. You see this?” he pointed to a circle in the belt. “Place the Diainspar here and it will snap into place. Without it, you are vulnerable. With the Diainspar, you become formidable. The guards will be ready in a short while. Go change into something befitting and bring the prince’s saber.”
She took the belt and hurried through the courtroom and unto the platform. The guards took her back to the surface, but instead of the front door, they took her to the secret
entrance she had left the palace with Mirsux earlier that evening.
Once inside her chambers she searched her closet and found several figure hugging pants suits, which went well with the belt. She chose a black set, along with knee high boots that hugged her feet. To complete her ensemble was a long dark coat that would hide the sword well.
As promised, the Diainspar snapped into place in the belt. When she buckled the belt, it hugged her waist snuggly as though it was made for her. Once ready, she sheathed the saber, snapped the sheathe into place on her belt and left the chambers.
There were ten guards waiting for her at the secret door. They were dressed in the usual uniforms with the high neck. Added to their garb was armor with swords and diffuser guns. They led her away from the palace, close to the crash site where she landed. There was a craft awaiting them.
Chapter 14
Heffun twirled to face the king, her eyes sending daggers his way. “How could you defy me this way?” she blared.
She had gone to see about Ariella’s welfare some time after the incident. When she did not find the princess in her chambers, she inquired of her whereabouts. The attendant informed her about the meeting with the king after which Ariella returned to change, and then left Nabalar in the war craft. She was angry. Ariella should be safe inside the palace where she belonged.
Heffun’s primary concern was that the one to save their planet was safe. Ariella was the promised one and she could be with child. Sending her off to fight the Xygor prince was reckless. She needed to protect her for the sake of Nabalar.
“Defy you?” Volnomy’s voice echoed her own harshness. “Have you forgotten who is king? I have given you too much elbow room it seems.”
She stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. “What are you saying?” she whispered. “Am I not your queen?”
“Yes, you are my queen and I value your decisions. I’ve allowed you to make many. However, there comes a time when the king must stand his ground.”
Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1) Page 12