Alliance

by Andrew Stride

  The lounge was filling up and David had the feeling he was being watched. He’d felt it for a while, but hadn’t bothered looking up, since he was so engrossed in his comic. In the end, he gave in to this rather bothersome feeling and his eyes were drawn up to the floor above, where he could see people standing and chatting. A few, like him, were people watching, leaning on the glass balustrade, viewing the crowd below.

  Then he saw it, a shadowy figure drifting down a supporting column. David took a sip of his drink and tried to focus on it, but it must have been his imagination because it vanished. Someone called his name and he looked over at his parents, but neither of them had said anything. He must have imagined that too, so he returned his attention back to his comic, only to see that one of the characters, a dog, was moving across the page. David gasped and couldn’t believe what he was seeing and was on the verge of disturbing his parents, when the dog started talking.

  “David.”

  It knew his name!

  “David, listen. This is not a genuine memory of yours.”

  “Not a genuine memory?” whispered David.

  “The Formless Ones are trying to discover your secret and break your spirit and if they do, the message will be lost. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” said David, but he didn’t understand.

  “Please try and remember. With the help of Hidden Ones, you were meant to deliver this message, but there was a change of plan and now you’ve been taken captive. I’m here to get you out,” the dog was panting and wagging its tail. “Look out for me on the beach.”

  David blinked a few times and his comic returned to normal and this memory fast forwarded and he was now sitting on the plane, hearing the roar of its engines, then the dash along the runway and they were airborne.

  How could this not be a genuine memory? He could even tell what was coming next. They would land and the hire car would have a puncture and they wouldn’t get to their hotel till late. That was their bad luck out of the way and most days were filled with activities on the beach, exploring rock pools and building castles out of sand, while others were spent swimming in the huge pool back at the hotel.

  David liked the sea, but he wasn’t a great swimmer, so he and his father would head out in an inflatable. Today they were at a new beach and there was so much to explore. The inflatable was on the beach ready for their morning adventure. Air pressure, check. Paddles, check. Suntan lotion, on. Goggles and flippers, loaded. Oh, and a bucket for their finds and they were off or at least they should have been.

  There was something different about this beach, but David couldn’t put his finger on it and then he heard something. A dog was barking and he looked up and down the beach, but he couldn’t see it.

  David’s father was standing by the inflatable, paddle in hand, waiting for him, but David was in two minds, as the barking had got louder. Looking along the beach for a second time was rewarded by the sight of a small white dog. If this was his memory, then he must have forgotten about the dog and as it approached, David was reminded of the dog from his comic. This was impossible of course and his rational mind started to push it away.

  The dog was persistent and after a few moments, David stopped hearing its bark and started hearing words instead. “Hurry, David. Follow me.”

  What should he do? He was torn between what he knew to be a memory of a holiday with his family or following a strange talking dog from his comic.

  “If this was a genuine memory, then how could I be here?” asked the dog.

  The dog had a point and David looked deep into the animal’s eyes and realised that this was no dog, but he didn’t have the words to describe exactly what it was. A connection was established and David became aware of so much, which included the disturbing fact that his body and soul had been separated. The dog assured him that all was not lost and that someone was here to help.

  The entity had located David and not a moment too soon. Any later and he would have revealed his secret to the Formless Ones. Having found David, it was now up to Laja to free him and a combination of notes from his flute sent ripples of disturbance through the halo. The orb tried to compensate, but it was too late, they were in.

  Now he was through the orb’s defences the sound from Laja’s flute resonated with David’s spirit and he was whole again.

  When David opened his eyes he immediately thought he was underwater and held his breath. He was confused, his memory fragmented and then quite suddenly it felt like someone had filled him with air because he was rising rapidly towards a light. He imagined this to be the sun and it was getting rapidly brighter.

  Any minute now, he was going break through the surface of the water and take a much-needed breath.

  Nothing was feeling the way it should and his mind struggled with the situation once his body realised it was not being starved of oxygen and since the orb could no longer contain him, he was rejected.

  David’s ejection from the orb saw him deposited miles above the planet’s surface, just this side of The Divide and he couldn’t understand where the Balacoback had gone, since his last recollection was of him riding one. David’s heart was racing and he was having difficulty catching his breath and since he was falling without the aid of a parachute, he couldn’t imagine how he was going to survive this.

  Below him, all hell was breaking loose. The Formless Ones had appeared in their droves, covering the orb like a disturbed colony of ants, in an attempt to work out what had just happened. Having released David from the orb, Laja and the entity were moving away at speed, ascending to David’s location in a bid to help him and it seemed they weren’t alone.

  The Balacoback they’d spotted earlier was with them and they quickly established that it was here for the same reason. The Harmonic Ones had not put all their eggs in one basket.

  David was just coming into view, a black speck directly above them and it was decided that the Balacoback should continue, while Laja and the entity faced the horde of Formless Ones rising up from below.

  The Formless Ones were like a swarm of locusts, intent on devouring anything and everything in their path and in these kinds of numbers they could strip a mind and turn a soul in a matter of seconds.

  David could see a black object coming in fast and he wasn’t absolutely sure what it was until it was right below his position. The Balacoback rose up and took David in its embrace and with him safely aboard, they took off.

  David was in shock and gasping for breath, a mix of fear and relief from having been saved from certain death, but spotting the approaching horde made him re-evaluate the situation because death looked to be back on the agenda.

  David felt sure they would be running from this horde of Formless Ones and yet he noticed they were doing the opposite and he questioned why. David still had a job to do and the Balacoback directed his attention to a ring of bright objects, which seemed to be holding off the Formless Ones or at least giving them something to focus on instead of him.

  Laja and the entity were taking quite a hammering and by the time the Formless Ones realised what was happening, the only option open to them was a defensive one and the horde spread itself across the sky, effectively blocking a direct path to the orb.

  From David’s perspective, it looked like a black hole had opened up ready to devour them and he was fearful because it was the exact same thing he’d seen back at the cathedral. David was right, the Formless Ones had created a portal, so on impact, the enemy would be teleported elsewhere, but the entity was wise to the ways of these beings.

  The entity expanded its ring formation in anticipation and David was suddenly aware of what it was they were about to do. The Balacoback was in on it too of course and had aligned itself with the ring of bright objects.

  The Formless Ones worked feverishly in an attempt to break this shinning ring of hope, but today it was their turn to experience defeat. Although it must have come as a shock to see their best efforts fail.

  Once the Balacoback had flo
wn into the ring of silvery objects, they continued to fall as one and together they punched a hole through the swarm of Formless Ones and now there was nothing between them and the orb.

  Having penetrated the Formless Ones defences, David’s attention shifted to the ring of silvery objects they had picked up and he watched as they moved slightly ahead of their position. Where it had come from and what it was doing here was a mystery, but regardless, it appeared to be on their side, which was just as well, since the Formless Ones had regrouped and were hot on their heels.

  David was only moments away from impacting with the orb when he suddenly began to glow. He was resonating like a tuning fork and this was affecting every molecule in his body.

  Knowing that David was primed and ready, the Balacoback began to sing, as it too had a part to play. They may have been seriously outnumbered, but their combined efforts had seen them through and with total commitment, they hit the orb.

  Just as the entity had helped them penetrate the Formless Ones, it now provided them with a safe passage through the orb’s defences. This left the Balacoback free to focus all its energy on getting David to where he needed to be and he was finally able to deliver his message and the core of the orb ignited.

  The Formless Ones came in strong, returning to the orb in a desperate attempt to reverse the work of the messenger, but on contact, they were now seen as the enemy and quickly dispatched.

  The orb was going through a rapid transformation, starting with its black heart and those that had been trapped inside were released and took to the sky like birds experiencing freedom for the first time. The Formless Ones battled to bring the orb back under their control but were powerless to stop their captives from escaping.

  Since the humans were resonating at a different frequency, they were like poison and any attempt to block their transit, resulted in a sudden death for the Formless Ones. Their wispy bodies turning to liquid and falling like black rain.

  The orb was glowing with a brilliant white light and almost nothing of the original black material remained and in a last ditched attempt to reverse the process, the Formless Ones spread themselves across the orb. But the energy that was still building was far too great and shards of light began breaking through the Formless One’s barrier and their stranglehold on this place and the human race was coming to an end.

  Since triggering this change, David, Laja and the Balacoback had distanced themselves and could see the battle raging below them, between the powers of darkness and light. The planet was about to be wiped clean of the Formless Ones and the entity advised them to prepare themselves.

  The orb finally lit up in an explosion of light that eradicated the last of the Formless Ones and purged this place of any allegiances to the dark ones, so that the healing process could begin.

  This light of transformation was not confined to Ruma alone, it travelled to every dark place the Formless Ones had touched. There was no escape.

  On this day many beings perished, leaving mourners to describe them as innocent, condemning the light, not realising how close they had come to being consumed themselves.

  Having been cleansed of the Formless Ones, Ruma needed time to heal and the orb that had once been at the centre of so much unrest was now the centre of regrowth and hung in the sky like a giant crystal ball.

  The Divide, another creation of the Formless Ones, had vanished and the planet was able to generate its own defences to help protect new life. Turning Ruma into a safe haven.

  Ruma may have never recovered had the Formless Ones not found a way back. Despite an element of uncertainty, Ruma had been planning for such an outcome and had actively encouraged new lifeforms to come forward so that when the time came they could be considered for the lofty position of modulator. A position that had been vacant for so long.

  There had been a few lifeforms in the running for the modulator position and in Ruma’s hour of need, there was just one that had come to the fore and proven its worthiness. The actions of this life form confirmed to Ruma that it had chosen well and it was awarded the highest accolade.

  Things could have turned out very differently had it not been for the influence of the Harmonic Ones, the messenger and those that had come to his aid.

  The actions of these outsiders had not gone unnoticed and future collaboration looked possible.

  The dark shadows had been lifted and yet the Formless Ones essence would reverberate for eons, remembered for generating darkness wherever they went, but going out in a blaze of light.

  Chapter Twenty

  A New Beginning

  In the beginning, he wondered where this adventure would lead him. Little did he realise that he would emerge again reborn. This time could have been the first time, but there was no chance of that, since his mind was filled with wonder and his heart overflowed with love.

  A friend came into view, his colours as vibrant as ever and they took a few moments to reflect upon their time together and the sadness of when they were apart.

  His work here was done and he climbed those well-worn steps and felt the energy of the waterfall wash over him and with total commitment, he took the plunge. His journey to the land below was pretty instant and he opened his eyes to a familiar landscape.

  The Blue Mountains stretch out before him and he knew that a short walk would take him to a beach. Joe was as eager as always, although Robin was still having trouble adjusting. Some things never change.

  The sand was predictably hot and after a hop and a skip, Robin made it to the surf and a short distance from where he was standing, rested a small boat. Joe was already there, waiting for him to catch up.

  Robin stepped into the boat and sat down and from memory, he knew that a map would be inside the wooden box and without hesitation, he reached over and opened the lid. Those hinges were still in need of some oil and then the surprise, the box was empty.

  Robin closed the lid of the box and looked over at Joe, whose display of horizontal lines suggested he hadn’t a clue, but then a blank look from Joe could mean many things.

  Well, there was nothing else for it, they would have to proceed without a map and while Robin struggled with this concept, Joe cast off and the boat rose into the air. During their short flight, Robin quizzed Joe and Joe reminded him that they had already walked this path; only their journey had been cut short.

  “Cut short!” “You mean I didn’t make it?”

  Joe explained that not many Ammarla got a chance to return to a path they were familiar with and to be honest Robin couldn’t think of anyone who had.

  “So what makes me special?”

  Joe could not answer that question, but he could explain what had made Robin’s return possible, by reminding him of a Shamozolt named Boroc.

  “Boroc,” said Robin thoughtfully. “Yes, I remember now. What became of him?”

  They came to rest on the soft white sand of a deserted beach and Joe left the boat without answering Robin’s question.

  “Wait a minute.”

  But Joe was off and if Robin wanted some answers then he had better get after him. Robin left the boat still feeling the effects of this vibration and slowly but surely his body was coming back to him.

  Shielding his eyes against the glare, Robin could see Joe waiting for him. He was up near a natural stone arch that reached over the beach and into the sea and as he walked through the surf towards him, more of this puzzle began to fall into place.

  The name Mica came into his mind and a sudden rush of emotion hit him and almost knocked him off his feet.

  “Mica,” whispered Robin.

  She was the reason he was here and he recalled with such clarity the last time he saw her and was immediately concerned for her safety. Joe confirmed that Mica was the reason he had returned, but that wasn’t the only reason and he guided Robin into a cave with a window to the sky and in no time they were standing in a lush green valley. Robin remembered that at this point on their previous visit, Joe had given him a scare by head
ing off on his own.

  Mica lived nearby, Robin reminded himself and with a little guidance from Joe, they stepped into a clearing. There it was, Mica’s seedpod and it was just as Robin remembered and this gave him hope.

  He recalled his tumble on the steps that led up to the front door and how Mica had come to his aid, but Joe was leading him around the pod, to a part of Mica’s garden that he had not seen before.

  There was an interesting balance to Mica’s garden. It was orderly, but also quite wild, while its focal point was a sunken circular pool of crystal clear water.

  Joe left Robin’s side and settled in the centre of the pool, where his colours danced across its mirror-like surface. Quite unexpectedly, the circular pool became a window, a window that put Robin right at the centre of a battle.

  Robin couldn’t believe what he was seeing because there was Mica, Boroc, and David, with a stranger he had seen once before. They were all aboard a Balacoback and things were looking desperate. Robin could feel their fear and with such a high concentration of Formless Ones, that was hardly surprising.

  When the Formless Ones struck, it took his breath away and Boroc was the first to go, followed by the stranger and then Mica. Robin could barely contain his emotions and Joe quickly focused him, as it was essential that he act and act quickly.

  Suddenly, Robin knew what he had to do, Boroc, Mica and Sha were plummeting towards the turbulent river and he was to focus on opening a water portal and with only moments to spare he achieved what he had believed to be impossible.

  Boroc was the first one through and his splashing had brought the search party over to investigate. Boroc rose from the murky water, his feet sinking in the mud and it was difficult to say who was more surprised, him or the seven members of the search party.

  “Boroc, is that you?”

  There was a brief delay before Boroc replied because he was still having trouble coming to terms with what had just happened. “Of course, it’s me.”