by N. I. Snow
“Where are you off to so early, brother?” came Salianos’s icy voice.
Lutianist felt Emma stiffen underneath the confines of the cloak, however the Elder remained calm. “To watch the sunrise, like I always have. Never know when it will be my last.”
Lutianist looked up into the cold, violet eyes above him. “And you left the cub unguarded?”
The Elder smiled, “Oh I am sure she will be still sound asleep by the time I return. Now if you don't mind, I do not wish to miss the sunrise.”
“Very well. If you care more for sunrises than Tazalian rule, I won't stop you.” Salianos mumbled.
Lutianist bowed his head to the High Elder and resumed his walk, while Salianos watched his every move until the old one disappeared into the tunnels. Once the High Elder was out of sight, Lutianist pulled back his cloak and helped Emma out. The girl looked curiously at the Elder as he straightened out his back, cringing as every vertebrae in his spine cracked.
“What's wrong?” Emma questioned him with a worried look on her face.
Lutianist grabbed hold of her scarred arm. “We must hurry now. Salianos will be going to wake you even without me there. He knew you were hiding something from him, and I am sure that he is planning to force you to tell him. We must make it to the hangar before he finds out that you are not there. I just hope your brother and Kahluna make it before we have an army on us.”
“They are here?” Emma asked excitedly as Lutianist pulled her down the hallway.
Despite his age he was able to move much faster than Emma could keep up with. He helped the girl regain her balance when she stumbled, “They came to rescue you. I was hoping that we would arrive at the hangar when they did, but now we will arriving much sooner than they will.” A ear-piercing screech filled the catacombs, and Lutianist quickened their pace. “Time's up.”
Rage filled every faded blue scale on Salianos’s body. The slits of his pupils were slivers in a sea of violet fire. In one fist he crushed the holodisk left by Lutianist as though it were made of dirt. His long tail cracked the air like a whip, creating a thundering echo in the room. Lutianist would pay for his treachery. He would have the ancient one's hide as a cloak once he got his claws on the traitorous reptile.
“Find him! I want Lutianist and the girl alive! They will suffer under Tarline's claws for this!” he shouted to the three Seekers who had gathered at his outcry. He did not bother asking where the other two were.
The cloaked Seekers nodded and disappeared through the doorway. Salianos watched them go, a dark haze clouding his vision. In the past the old one would not have done anything as rash as this. So, why now? Salianos clenched his fists. Kahluna! The decrepit lizard must be working with her. Letting out another rage-filled screech, the High Elder ran after the Seekers. Tarline can have Lutianist and the human cub, but Kahluna was his.
Alarms blared as the two shadows raced across the residential area. Neither of them understood why the alarm had been raised. They had not been spotted by anyone. No one ever shouted to stop them. Yet somehow the alarms had been triggered. Now with stealth thrust aside the pair ran as quickly as they could towards the tunnel leading to the hangar. They still had a chance to grab Emma and escape.
Inside the wide-open hangar, Emma stumbled to the ground. Lutianist hurried to help her up only to be stopped by a blue plasma bolt passing only inches from his snout. The Elder looked up to see Abilasso and two Seekers blocking their path to his ship. Emma could hardly believe at what she saw. Abilasso was Lutianist's friend. Why would he stop them?
“Because he is still a servant to Salianos.” Lutianist spoke solemnly. He raised his voice so that Abilasso could hear him, “Tell me, brother, how did you manage to reach the hangar before us when Salianos raised the alarm only moments ago?”
Abilasso shook his head, “I found it odd when you had agreed with me to remove the Seeker guards. After all, why would you have any qualms with having a guardian. That was when I realized that your early morning route brought you past here. I put the two together and decided that you were indeed planning to help this girl escape. I came here yesterday; but of course, you only went on to the surface. I began to think I had misjudged you, but here we are.”
Abilasso nodded to the two Seekers. The two cloaked Tazalians rushed towards Lutianist, but the old one was ready. Like lighting he unsheathed the two daggers at his waist and countered the first Seeker's attack. For a brief moment, both Seekers were stunned by the Elder's quick reflexes giving him time to slice the throat of the first Seeker. The rose-scaled Tazalian gripped his bleeding neck before his dead body fell to the ground.
The second Seeker shook away her shock and rushed at the ancient Tazalian. Each of her attacks was easily blocked by the faded black Elder. Every swipe of her claw was met by a painful block from a dagger. Blue blood from the wounds on her arms splashed the ground as she continued her relentless onslaught. No matter what she did, she could not out maneuver the old reptile. Lutianist sprang towards her and thrust both daggers into her chest. He slid both blades upward slicing through organ and scales before removing them from her dying body.
Before the Seeker’s body even hit the ground Lutianist ran towards Abilasso. The faded green-scaled Elder was ready. In both clawed hands he wielded a pair of curved blades that looked like miniature crescent moons. The sound of grating metal echoed around the hangar as the Elders' weapons struck together.
Fangs bared Lutianist growled to Emma, “Get to the ship, little one, and start the engines. I'll be there shortly.”
Emma looked from the calm-eyed Abilasso to the stern-faced Lutianist. Standing up, she hurried towards Lutianist's ship, her heart pounding in her throat. The ancient Lutianist never took his eyes from Abilasso's.
“It does not have to end this way, my old friend,” Lutianist pleaded in hopes that the Elder of Clarity would listen to wisdom.
Even as Lutianist's milky eyes gazed into Abilasso's calm amber orbs, he knew that there would be no reasoning with his old friend. Abilasso unhooked his crescent blades from Lutianist's daggers. Swinging his body around, he whipped his strong tail towards the ancient Elder's frail-looking chest. Lutianist bounded away from Abilasso narrowly escaping the blow.
Now at a bit of a distance, the pair watched each other cautiously, one waiting for the other to move. There were few that had ever bested Abilasso in a fight. Lutianist knew very well that Abilasso would not move first; it was part of how he bested his opponents. Neither would he be able to bluff the green- scaled Elder, who focused on his opponent’s movements, never allowing himself to be distracted. Due to his unwavering concentration, he would be able to tell if Lutianist tried to fake an attack and Lutianist knew it. For Lutianist this would be an interesting challenge. Abilasso's clarity matched with his own ability to read minds could cause their battle to become unending as each Elder’s attack would likely be blocked or parried by the other. Salianos would arrive in the hangar and recapture Emma long before their fight ended. Lutianist had to plan quickly.
The grizzled Elder’s eyes darted from shuttle to shuttle. An idea formed. In a bounding leap he jumped towards a nearby cruiser. Abilasso followed him. Flipping his body head over tail, Lutianist leaped up onto the side of the cruiser using his daggers to attach himself to the ship's hull. When Abilasso tried to do the same, the ancient Tazalian pushed himself off the ship gliding through the air above the amber-eyed Elder. As the faded black-scaled Elder fell past Abilasso's exposed back he brought his daggers down.
Abilasso let out a howl of pain as Lutianist’s daggers sank in his back and as Lutianist twisted his body towards the ground. In a thunderous crash the pair landed on the hangar floor, Lutianist on top, crushing his former friend beneath his sandaled feet. Removing the daggers from Abilasso's back, Lutianist stepped off his fallen brother. Straightening himself up, his misty eyes gazed solemnly as the faded-green Elder struggled to keep what hold he had left on life. Each breath wheezed through his slackened jaws as his r
uined lungs desperately worked against his broken frame. Blue blood rushed like a canyon river from the dagger wounds on his back.
Lutianist knelt down and placed a soft hand on Abilasso's shoulder, “I am sorry, my friend.”
Abilasso tried to raise his head, but it fell to the ground like a weight. His normal calm voice strained to speak as his amber eyes began to lose their focus. “No, this is how it must end.” Each word became more painful, each breath more labored. “Too long have I lived under a lie. My last wish was to die in combat…and you have given me that wish. I will die, as you said, a servant of Salianos.”
Lutianist watched as Abilasso's amber eyes clouded over. One last breath escaped his mouth before death embraced him. From the murky depths of his golden eyes, tears trickled as Lutianist stood up. “No my friend, you died a Seeker. Noble, powerful, and now free.”
Over the roar of his ship's engines, Lutianist caught the sound of someone approaching. He did not raise his daggers at the two cloaked figures. Even before the taller one removed her hood to reveal her blue- green features, he knew who they were. Kahluna's solemn red eyes gazed down at the still form of Abilasso. Kahluna opened her jaws to speak; but before any words could escape her thin jaws, a cruel, icy laugh echoed through the hangar. Both Lutianist and Kahluna looked over to see Salianos and the three remaining Seekers.
A hungry look played in the High Elder's violet eyes. “How is it I am not surprised to find you here, Kahluna?” The cruel eyes turned their gaze to the body of Abilasso and a sneer played on Salianos’s snout, “Ah, Abilasso, you old fool. You wasted your life and that of two of my Seekers in order to slow our wayward brother down. Could you have not warned me of your suspicions?” The High Elder looked into Lutianist's near blind eyes. “Or do you think he was too torn between his loyalty to me and to your friendship to have made such a misguided move?”
Lutianist did not answer; instead he gave the High Elder an icy glare. Across from him, Kahluna lowered her voice so that only he and Jonah could hear her, “I'll hold them off, both of you leave and get Emma out of here.”
Lutianist remained silent as he turned and darted to his ship with Jonah following. Behind them he could hear Salianos yell at the Seekers, “Stop them. Do not let them escape!”
Lutianist never stopped to look back at Kahluna; he didn't need to. As he and Jonah hurried aboard the cruiser, the Elder could see Kahluna in his mind’s eye stopping the first Seeker with a rounding kick from a booted foot. The Seeker had hardly landed when Kahluna lifted him by his tail and sent him hurling towards one of the other remaining Seekers. Ignoring Emma's look of concern and Jonah's pleas to wait for Kahluna, Lutianist hurried to the pilot compartment. The ship's engines roared louder as the loading ramp sealed for launch. All the while Kahluna battled with the third Seeker, Tigret, ignoring the fleeing cruiser that left without her. Lutianist fell back in the pilot's seat, the events in the hangar playing still within his mind's eye. Even as the ship's lotardrives activated, sending them far from Tazal, he watched as Kahluna fought valiantly.
Tigret glared through icy blue eyes at the former Seeker. Blood streamed down a gaping wound on her bronze snout. Kahluna was crouched, ready to spring upon the Seeker should the latter attack once more. However the bronze Seeker backed away by a command from Salianos.
An eerie silence fell upon the group as the High Elder and former Seeker locked eyes. The tension between father and daughter was sharper then a dagger’s tip. There was no emotion on either face. The tip of Salianos’s tail twitched, whether out of irritation or rage was unclear. The two fallen Seekers picked themselves from the ground. Silently they crossed over to stand beside Tigret. All three watched the events that unfolded between the faded-blue High Elder and the blue-green traitor.
Salianos made the first move. In a streak of blue scales, he lunged toward Kahluna, claws outstretched. Kahluna was ready. Bracing herself, she met Salianos's claws with a forearm. She ignored the pain that shot through her arm as Salianos’s claws buried themselves deep beneath her scales. Pulling her arm away she brought a foot into his chest. The powerful kick sent him flying into a nearby shuttle. His body dented the metal plate protecting the ship's hull. The High Elder fell into a painful heap on the ground. He lay there for a brief, stunned moment before rolling to his feet. He barely had time to regain his footing when he was set upon again by Kahluna.
The faded-blue Tazalian backed away from the furious tail that flew towards his thin snout. He grabbed for and caught the end of Kahluna's cloak as it whipped around her. Yanking the cloth, he threw her to the ground. When the former Seeker fell to her knees, her vision exploded into a multitude of stars from a kick to her head landed simultaneously by the High Elder. Her body rolled across the ground with Salianos standing triumphantly before her.
Kahluna lifted her head to glare darkly at the grinning demon as he walked towards her. “Do you honestly believe that I will be stopped here? I will kill you just as I should have long ago; and once you are finished, I will track Lutianist and the human child down. I will have the Gaia's power!”
Kahluna answered by flipping onto her feet. She did not attack Salianos directly; instead she darted towards the body of Abilasso. Sliding to a stop she quickly reached down and snatched one of the curved weapons from his dead hands. In smooth motion, she leapt for the side of the very same shuttle Lutianist had scaled earlier. Digging her claws into the hull she began climbing. Salianos quickly tore the remaining blade from Abilasso's body before following after her.
Standing on top of the shuttle, Kahluna crouched, ready to strike when Salianos appeared at the edge. The High Elder noticed her waiting and strafed to the right as he scaled the framing. However as he began pulling his body onto the upper hull, Kahluna was ready for him and he found himself deflecting her curved dagger with his own. The action caused him to lose his footing. Claws flailing in an attempt to regain a hold, the High Elder fell from the ship. Anticipating the landing, the faded-blue Tazalian twisted his body into a roll as he neared the ground. Head over tail he tumbled until he was able to pull himself to his feet.
Not pausing after regaining his footing, Salianos quickly scaled a nearby shuttle. Kahluna watched him briefly before leaping from the roof of the ship she was on to one in front of her, then another. Each jump brought her closer to the large opening leading to the canyon rift outside. Salianos barred his fangs and pursued the blue-green Tazalian. She would not escape him again.
Metal platings furrowed beneath him as he leapt from ship to ship in pursuit. His violet eyes blazed with fury at the sight of his prey escaping. When Kahluna disappeared down the side of the ship near the hangar exit Salianos doubled his speed. His jaws clenched with fury. Upon reaching the last shuttle, he hurled himself from it towards Kahluna who stood near the edge of the opening. He realized his error too late.
Kahluna had been waiting for him. Swinging her curved dagger up she hooked it into Salianos’s chest, just below his faded-blue scales. Combining her own strength with his momentum she rotated her body towards the hangar exit. Salianos’s eyes and mouth widened with shock as he found himself propelled through the air with Kahluna's dagger still embedded in his flesh. His long tail whipped out in attempt to stop his flight only to wrap around Kahluna's neck. The three Seekers watched as both High Elder and traitor tumbled out of sight into the rift below.
Silent minutes passed over the scene. Finally, the Seekers quietly glided over to the massive aperture. As they neared the cliffside, they caught the sound of claws scraping the rocky wall outside. A blue scaled hand appeared over the ledge, then another. The gaunt muzzle of Salianos followed as he lifted his body into the hangar. The High Elder sat at the rim, feet still hanging over the dark oblivion below. With one hand, he pulled the curved dagger from his bleeding chest. Twisting his head around, he peered over the ledge into the infinite fissure below him.
Lutianist closed his tear-filled eyes. He already had known Kahluna's fate before Salianos rea
ppeared in the hangar. The bearded Tazalian had watched as Kahluna and her accursed father fell from the cliff—had witnessed the cruel High Elder gain hold of the canyon wall while his long tail tossed Kahluna like a ragdoll away from safety's reach. The calm look on the blue-green Seeker's thin features as the ground raced up to meet her nearly tore Lutianist's soul in two. Desperately he hoped as he opened his milky eyes and gazed into the stormy gray eyes next to him that Kahluna’s broken body was hidden in the murky depths. Emma bowed her head as the Elder shook his head solemnly.
Behind them came Jonah's voice, “What's wrong?”
Emma looked over to her brother, her gray eyes unable to mask her sorrow. “Kahluna is dead.”
From his spot near the doorway of the pilot's compartment, Jonah looked from Emma to the elderly Tazalian, then back. His voice was thin with uncertainty, “What do you mean? How do you know that?”
Emma bit her lip waiting for the old reptile to give her permission to answer. When Lutianist nodded his bearded snout, she replied, “Lutianist can see events that have already happened, like a psychic.”
Jonah snorted, “If he's psychic then why was Salianos hunting you down, and why is Kahluna dead now? Shouldn't he have been able to have seen what that creep was planning?” Jonah's questions came out more harshly then he meant them to.
Emma stood up and rounded on Jonah. “He can only see the past, not the future. Another thing, if he were to keep his mind to what was going on all the time, it would wear him down.”
Jonah frowned and looked Lutianist over. Indeed the faded black- scaled Tazalian appeared much older than when he first encountered him. It probably did not help that only moments ago he had spent a great deal of energy fighting off a pair of Seekers and an Elder. Jonah grimaced. The old reptile looked to be nearing the end of his years. Couldn't he have sacrificed himself instead of Kahluna? The young man bit back on the thought as he looked at Emma helping the old Tazalian to his feet. Was it spite he felt for the Elder? Or was it jealousy? Since taking off, Emma had been paying more attention to Lutianist than her own brother. Did she not realize that he was here? That he had risked his own life to save her?