The Beginning of the End (Universe in Flames Book 4)

by Christian Kallias

  Am I annoying you? Good!

  Chase smirked.

  Miseo crossed his arms across his chest. “It’s too bad you aren’t fighting on our side, though; you’d be a great ally.”

  “I bet you’d think so. Your former friend Arkoolis also voiced his disappointment about which side I chose.”

  “Where is general Arkoolis? Your brother told me you are not a killer.”

  “Afraid I’m gonna have to disappoint you on that one. You and I are the only two remaining Furies on the surface of this planet. The only ones with a beating heart, anyway.”

  “General Arkoolis is dead?”

  “Afraid so, unless he can regrow the heart I ripped off his chest.”

  Miseo frowned.

  “My father will be displeased. He was very fond of him.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to attach an apology card when I send him both your heads.”

  “Enough! You may have bested the general, but this planet will be your tomb. I will make sure of that.”

  “Like I said, walking cliché. But you know what? I’m sure you’ll give it your best. Doesn’t seem to me you’re nearly fast as I am at the moment.”

  “My best? Very few adversaries ever lived to see my best. It does look like I might have to push myself more than usual, though. But between you and me, it’s been so long that I find that thought particularly enthralling. General Arkoolis was a great warrior, but there are many more strong Furies still alive today. They are all aching to see this universe burn for what it did to us.”

  Miseo grew his aura as he powered up and the entire planet shook. Every stone within a ten-mile radius started levitating upwards.

  Looks like he wasn’t kidding when he said he hadn’t shown all he is capable of. I’ll have to tread carefully. I’ve spent a lot of energy in my first fight. I’ll have to be smart in how I manage the rest of it.

  Chase extended his consciousness and checked Miseo’s power level. He was still at more than ninety percent.

  Yep, definitely not a good sign when one factor’s in that he received a Droxian destroyer full-on not long ago. I had hoped the experience would have drained him much more than that.

  Chase also brought more power to the surface. Blue lightning bolts danced and crackled all around him.

  He was surprised how naturally he did that nowadays. It briefly reminded him of his first training session with Ares and how difficult and frustrating it had been to access even a slight portion of his power. He had certainly come a long way since then.

  Miseo made the first move and sent a powerful black fireball at Chase, who blocked it with his right hand. But something went wrong. Dark-red lightning shot from it and hit Chase on the torso, head and left knee. He lost balance and had to put a knee on the ground. By then Miseo was already upon him and landed his own knee on Chase’s left cheek, which sent him crashing hundreds of yards away, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

  Chase got up and wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.

  I guess this is gonna be a tougher fight.

  Miseo walked towards Chase with a smirk on his face.

  “Still thinking you’re gonna save the day, hero?”

  Chase wanted to answer something sarcastic but he knew he was mistaken in thinking that because he dispatched the general, he could take care of Miseo with ease. Clearly these two were in a different category, and this would be the most difficult fight of his life. But he had no choice now. The only way out was to defeat his new adversary, no matter the cost.

  Billions had died today on Droxia and Chase knew that it was all his doing. He hadn’t meant to, of course. He hadn’t seen Argos’ bigger picture at the time, but the fact remained: every new life lost on Droxia would be on his hands. He couldn’t reconcile himself with the thought of letting one more person die today because of his actions. While his heart still beat, he would fight to avoid any more casualties.

  “You’re fast and powerful, but this fight has only begun.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve spent almost half your energy killing the general. So you’re already dead. It’s just a matter of time. How long do you want your suffering to go on? I can make it quick for you, if you like, if only for the respect I have for the abilities you’ve displayed today. You’re a true warrior, which I frankly did not expect. At least you should be proud of how far you’ve gone before you die.”

  “I’m not dead just yet.”

  “Very well, shall we continue then?”

  Chase answered by adopting an offensive combat stance.

  * * *

  When Saroudis came back on board the Destiny with his family, he felt something that he thought he had forgotten in the last few months: hope. They would have to send another fleet here soon and try to locate more survivors, but right now it was time to go to Droxia. Last news they had they were still under attack. The commodore had no doubt that by the time they reached there the main battle would be well over. It was a very long jump, after all.

  But that family reunion also meant a real feeling of grief in his heart. His two boys were gone, forever. He would never see Joshua and Ethan again. At first he had been so happy seeing Alexandra and Sendra, but upon returning to the ship he realized the full implications that both his sons were gone, forever. It hit him hard and he had to force himself not to show his emotions.

  He didn’t want his crew to see him weak. It wasn’t a matter of pride. Saroudis knew they had all lost everything and everyone they held dear with the fall of the Star Alliance. And he came back on board with part of his family, so he wasn’t sure how showing sadness in that moment would be interpreted. There would be time for grieving later.

  He made a conscious choice to bottle up his emotions for the time being and contact the Hope.

  Sarah’s worried image filled the holo-screen.

  “Commander? I was expecting Chase.”

  “Chase is on Droxia.”

  Saroudis looked dubious. “How can he be on Droxia already?”

  “Ares beamed him there, or something.”

  “Looks like Ares is way more powerful dead than when he was alive.”

  “Yeah, it’s disconcerting, I agree, but at least he’s on our side.”

  “Do you have a status report on what’s happening there?”

  “Sort of. Oh boy, how do I explain this without sounding like a total nut job . . .”

  “Sarah, with everything we’ve been witnesses to since we met, I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will surprise me at this point.”

  “Alright then. My unborn son appeared to me in a vision. In that vision I was standing on Droxia. The place looked utterly destroyed, leveled really. I got the feeling that billions died today. He told me he needed to send some of his life force to Chase to help him fight the Furies on the surface responsible for all the destruction. Which I guess he did. And to say the whole experience was weird is to put it mildly.”

  Saroudis chuckled. “I stand corrected.”

  “Tell me about it, sir. I heard you brought your family on board? I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thank you, Sarah. I . . . It still feels surreal, but I’m overjoyed. I never thought I would see any of them alive. Of course, I’m also grieving for my two boys that weren’t so lucky. It’s one thing thinking your family is dead. It’s another when you know.”

  Saroudis wiped a tear from one of his eyes.

  So much for bottling up my feelings.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. My condolences, Commodore. At least your wife and daughter made it.”

  “Thank you. Yes, it’s already more than I could ever have hoped for.”

  “We’ve also lost Fillio today, amongst the hundreds that died onboard the fleet at the same time.”

  Saroudis’ expression darkened. So many deaths. And this was just the beginning.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. She was such a kind person.”

  “And a great wing comm
ander.”

  “We must ready ourselves to lose many more people in the future. This war has only just begun.”

  Saroudis saw Sarah’s hand move to her belly. He regretted voicing his last remark. She was probably worried enough as it is, with her unborn son already in contact with them. That had to be scary in and of itself. Then there was the world they would bring the child into. The same world in which he had to try and protect whatever was left of his family. For a brief moment he wondered if perhaps they wouldn’t be safer on the surface of Alpha Prime. He brushed the thought away.

  “So, Commodore? Can we jump to Droxia?”

  “Absolutely. What’s the status of the Hope?”

  “The damage is extensive, but she’ll fly. We’ve got power back to seventy-five percent and we should be back to full power by the time we end our jump.”

  “Very well, Commander, slave your jump engines to ours. We’ll jump within the next five minutes.”

  “Roger that.”

  Saroudis ended the communication and rose from his chair. He approached the viewport and, for just a moment, he let his thoughts get lost among the stars.

  * * *

  Ronan got up and saw Arknon doing the same.

  “Arknon!”

  “Hey, Ronan, I take it I have you to thank for still being alive? Thank you, my friend.”

  “I don’t really remember much.”

  “Glad to see you both up,” said Ryonna.

  “How did we get healed?” asked Ronan.

  “Chase. He arrived in the nick of time.”

  “Where is he? I want to thank him for saving us.”

  “He’s outside, fighting with that Fury that almost killed you.”

  “I really thought crashing the Phoenix on him would take him out.”

  “I second that,” added Arknon.

  “Let’s hope it injured him enough so Chase can finish him off.”

  “I’m worried about that, Mom. When he rose from the furnace he was burned to a crisp and he healed himself like it was nothing. How are we supposed to defeat an enemy like that?”

  “By never giving up. But I won’t lie to you, son, this is going to be the most devastating war . . .”

  Ryonna hadn’t had time to really think about anything but Ronan these past few hours, and she was happy he was alive, but she felt a sense of urgency in her soul. This was not over, and they would still have to find some sort of shelter or get evacuated if any of the ships in orbit had survived. Right now, staying so near a battle involving two Furies was not safe. She knew it with every fiber of her being.

  “We need to get out of here. If one of Chase’s or his enemy’s attacks comes our way we’ll be obliterated.”

  “Right. Can the ship still fly?”

  “I was about to go check that with Keera. I’ll be back shortly. Please don’t go outside just yet.”

  As if to enhance her warning the planet started to tremble.

  Ronan nodded. “Right.”

  When Ryonna entered the cockpit, Keera was hitting her controls with both her fists.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Yeah, the Valken isn’t going anywhere I’m afraid.”

  “We couldn’t have flown into space anyway, not with half of the cargo bay’s ceiling missing.”

  “That’s for sure. I’ll miss this ship. It got me out of many jams.”

  “If Chase manages to defeat Miseo my people will help you repair it.”

  Keera raised an eyebrow and gave her a look.

  “That’s sweet, Ryonna, but I don’t think so. Your people have almost been wiped out today. It will take years to rebuild your planet and that will only happen if Chase defeats his opponent. Too many things can go wrong.”

  “Then the Alliance will.”

  “Ryonna, what’s wrong with you? It’s just a ship. You do realize that your world is in ruins, right?”

  “I don’t think it’s fully sunk in just yet.”

  That’s when it actually hit her and she changed color.

  “What is it, Ryonna?”

  “Jonas . . . My late husband’s brother, he . . . he lived in one of the destroyed cities.”

  “Perhaps he left before it was attacked. As soon as this is over I’ll help you look for him. But we need to get out of here.”

  “Yes, that we must.”

  A minute later the four of them exited the Valken on board the all-terrain buggy Keera owned for planetary exploration. The moment it was down the ramp Keera caught a glimpse of something moving a hundred yards in front of her. She veered to the left abruptly, skidding and drifting heavily. Two of the vehicle’s wheels left the ground for a second. They reconnected at the end of her turn.

  The passengers looked at the fight between Chase and Miseo. Their eyes only saw blurry shapes traveling way too fast to follow.

  * * *

  Argos made a flyby near general Arkoolis’ last position. Upon descending near the planet’s surface he had seen the extent of the damage inflicted in the area. It wasn’t pretty. Almost every city had been leveled and fires still burned as far as the eye could see.

  Droxia had been obliterated in only a few hours. It had been thanks to his ingenious plan of distracting their large protection fleet, most of which had been destroyed by only a handful of Zarlack destroyers. Argos caught himself feeling bad for the Droxians.

  What the hell is happening to me? Why would I even care . . .?

  He landed the Dark Star. A battle had clearly occurred in the area. When Argos stepped out of his ship he saw obvious traces of fighting, not only with Droxian military but also between two Furies. The landscape had been devastated, with crevasses and craters in the ground, as well as large trails that went for miles. These were clear signs of two powerful beings fighting. Argos wondered who had won, but was again surprised when he hoped Laiyos had been the victor.

  Could it be that I’m losing respect for my own race? I wonder . . .

  After all, they had treated him like nothing while he was clearly the only reason for their resurgence. No matter how badly he tried to put his public humiliation behind him, he hated the supreme commander with a vengeance. Miseo was a more tolerable Fury to work with, but he had sensed something a little off about him as well. Perhaps the son aspired to replace his father. He wouldn’t put it past him.

  Argos took some altitude and scanned the area. Then something caught his attention. It was pretty far away, but it definitely looked like a humanoid body. He flew there and landed near Arkoolis’ corpse.

  Argos smiled.

  Impressive. Looks like Chase is getting better by the day.

  Good for you, brother. I take it you’ve now moved on to fight Miseo. But if that’s the case, if you’re not dead already, it won’t be long now.

  He felt a sting in his heart and clenched his fists. Rage filled his entire being.

  I hope that nosy brat remembers that he promised me the final blow.

  Argos flew back into his ship and vectored towards Miseo’s last known location.

  C H A P T E R

  XVIII

  Ares stepped inside’s Athena’s temple on Olympus. The place was huge, with large white columns all around, but also inside the temple.

  “You’re not exactly welcome around these parts. But you know that, right?” said a beautiful yet intimidating woman with long, golden hair.

  Athena was a tall and lean Olympian. She was dressed in white, with flower motifs embroidered into her beautiful gown. Above her throne, mounted on the wall, stood her golden shield. It caught the sunlight from the outside and diffused it nicely into a soft, warm light all around it. It gave the entire area around the throne an ethereal quality.

  “But I would be remiss if I didn’t say it’s good to see you. Well, whatever is left of you.”

  “Hello, sister, you always had a way with words.”

  “Some things never change.”

  “They ought to if we want to survive.”

  “Don’t
waste your time. Artemis and Apollo both told me you visited them not long ago.”

  “I see. Can we still discuss the issue, though? Father was not very receptive, to say the least.”

  “What did you expect, Ares? You broke the old man’s heart.”

  “I was unaware he possessed one.”

  Athena laughed for quite a while. “Now who has a way with words? But thank you, it has been a long time since I laughed that much.”

  “I wish I could tell you I came so we can reminisce about the past and have a few good laughs, but the hour is grave.”

  “So I hear. Your protégé singlehandedly managed to free the Furies from their timeless prison,” said Athena, shaking her head from side to side.

  “Well, in his defense, he didn’t know he was helping his evil twin brother achieve that objective.”

  “We sure don’t have the monopoly on family feuds, even though ours are legendary.”

  Ares smiled. Of course, in his current energy form, she couldn’t see it, but evidently she sensed it.

  “I’m glad to see your sense of humor has improved. You were a much less fun Olympian in the old days, you know? Pre-banishment times.”

  “I try to not think of those days too much.”

  “I bet. You wreaked havoc. But let bygones be bygones, I say.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Athena rose from her throne and went to a beautiful marble table nearby to serve herself some wine.

  “I would ask you if you want a glass . . .”

  “Funny.”

  “I’m teasing.”

  “I know, sister. Believe me, there are things we said to each other in the past that I wish I could take back.”

  “You’re were blinded by your thirst for power. I don’t think you need to worry about that now.”

  She walked back to her throne, sat back down and took a sip of the delicious beverage.

  “How is it, being in a non-corporeal state?”

  “It has its advantages. And I’m still learning everything I can do as days go by.”

  “Except you’re not supposed to stay here, at least not forever.”