by Riker Kane
“Save you from what exactly?” I said. “Everybody in this town seems to be in a good mood. I’m sure Lyra isn’t the only one who knows how to defend herself. The walls are high enough to protect from the predators out in the open field. And the raiders don’t seem very skilled.”
“There is more than just the threat of violence that has torn our people apart.”
Joris sighed softly, his eyes shifting away from me.
“Few of us survived Qashia. There were thousands of us but we have been reduced to hundreds. Many of us lost the will to keep going. Looking up at the stars and seeing how different from what we’ve all known… For some, it is a fate equal to death.
“And so our people scattered. Some went their own way to create their own factions. Others became raiders fending for themselves. Others searched for what else this new world has to offer.”
“Iorus,” I said.
“Iorus… Yes, that is the name we saw in one of the ancient scripts we discovered. Where it came from, we don’t know. Regardless, I would like to think the most reasonable of us remained here in Haven to continue our simple lives. Qashia may be gone but we can begin anew.”
“Right…”
The disappointment in his eyes was clear. Lyra, who’d been silent this entire time, wasn’t as energetic as she’d been since I met her.
“I don’t know what I can do to help,” I said. “But if there’s something you need. Protection. Supplies. I can bring all of that from Navica. It may take some time—”
“Come with me,” Joris interrupted. “There is something you must see.” He walked out of his hut without saying another word.
I looked to Lyra but she didn’t give me an answer to his sudden change of heart.
We both headed out and followed Joris to the edge of town. We scaled the hillside and got to the stone wall that had been built. Joris stood next to it, waiting for me to get to the top. And when I got to the top, there was no need for him to point it out to me.
“What…” My mouth hung half-open, unable to finish the thought.
Deep in the open valley below, there was a steel structure in the shape of a cube. It looked like a small Nerve Center back at a Legion District. It was surrounded by a black aura flowing around it like smoke. The darkness emitted a ray that went straight up toward the clear blue sky, darkening everything in its path. The more I stared at it, the less it made sense. It looked completely out of place in a land like this.
“Guillard did risk himself because of our scattered people,” Joris said. “There is a greater threat to all of us. Something that is a danger to all of Iorus. I believe it is those from the other world.”
“Pandora…” I whispered under my breath.
“Pandora? Is that what you call the others?”
I nodded. “The other dimension where the beasts come from. My world, not just Iorus, have been battling them for decades.”
“Your world?” Lyra raised an eyebrow at me. “You mean you’re not from here either… I guess that’s not so crazy.”
“Do you not sense it?” Joris asked me. “There are those from the other world here. The power emanating from that structure… It is a great evil. Something must be done about it. I would do it myself but I barely have the means to help the others regain a semblance of their old lives.”
My eyes stayed locked on the glowing black structure. It was just sitting there but the energy flowing around it made it seem alive. My stomach twisted into a knot with an unnerving feeling I’d known all too well. I was getting pretty sick of it at this point. There was only one way I could get rid of it.
7: Operation Reconciliation
With the powers of Ultima, I could transport myself to Zion directly without expending too much endurance. After staring at the structure in the distance to realize it was really there, there was no better place to start looking for answers than the one responsible for Iorus itself.
“I sensed the power surge,” Cybil’s voice spoke. “After witnessing it with your own eyes, you have confirmed what I had already anticipated. This structure is indeed the makings of those from Pandora. I cannot tell you the specific intentions of this ‘fortress,’ however, I can tell you that those responsible for its creation have nothing but ill intentions. They are draining the Mana from Iorus. Beyond that, I regret to inform you my power is limited.”
“That’s okay,” I sighed. “Just looking at the thing tells me everything. The Heralds are up to no good. Things must’ve screwed up for them when I took out the World Destroyer. Now all I’ve gotta do is take out that thing. Should be simple, shouldn’t it? I’ve got the power of Ultima.”
“Though you are Ultima, you have not yet released the full potential of your strength. You do not have the means to break the dark barrier surrounding that fortress.”
“Hmm…” I crossed my arms to think about it. “I’d ask the LOD for help but they can’t transport that many units to Iorus without an incredible amount of resources. Not to mention, the Heralds would notice and see how vulnerable Earth was. I don’t think calling our friends in Dragonpine, Chenai, and Malora will help much either. Am I right in assuming this power is otherworldly?”
“You are correct. However, this power is not indestructible.”
“And I suppose you’re gonna tell me how to ‘destruct’ it?”
The display representing Cybil’s voice shifted. There was the outline that looked something like a gun on it. Some sort of blueprint for a weapon. There was text running along the side of it that I read to myself.
“The Holy Light Cannon…”
“The Holy Light Cannon can be used to destroy the barrier surrounding the fortress,” Cybil explained.
“Okay! I’ll take one of those.” When Cybil didn’t respond immediately, I knew it wasn’t gonna be that simple. “That thing exists… right?”
“This is only the design. To harness that much energy, you would need to construct the chassis for it. And then, you would need to power it. Only then will the Holy Light Cannon function. I can only direct you on how to create it.”
“Well, having the blueprint’s nice at least… Is this the only way?” I asked a question I already knew the answer to.
“After transferring our power to make you Ultima as well as constructing the Omnirune, I am afraid I do not have the means to make you any stronger. But enough power resides in this world that the Holy Light Cannon can exist. It will be up to you to make it with the untapped resources of the Sol Lands.”
“No telling how long it’ll take…”
The image on the screen was my only solution at this point. It was a longshot but it was better than nothing. If there was a chance, I had to take it.
“The Mana in this world is slowly being drained,” Cybil said. “I do not have to remind you that whatever results from this fortress will have grave consequences not just for Iorus but Earth as well.”
“Not to mention whatever dimensions are out there. Don’t worry. I’m not interested in letting the Heralds win, even if I have to do everything myself. I swore an oath to do everything I could to protect Iorus.”
“I will be here to advise you. I wish you luck on your journey, Ultima.”
Luck. I hated knowing that I was going to need every bit of it.
~ ~ ~
I returned to the ship to bring Rhiannon and Zafina to Haven. By the time we’d arrived, the sun was already beginning to go down. We sat quietly within a small hut of our own on the dirt floor. A bonfire burning at the center of the room kept us warm and gave us light. Even without the amenities of Haven, we had enough supplies to take care of ourselves.
That didn’t stop Lyra from bringing a tray of assorted meats and fruits for us to share. The smell from the food was almost enough to distract me from the problem we had to deal with.
“We picked these from the bushes just today,” Lyra said as she held up a berry. “Make sure you fill up on them while they’re ripe.”
“Thank you for y
our hospitality.” Zafina bowed her head politely.
“From what Virgil tells us, the people outside of Haven are not friendly,” Rhiannon said.
Lyra shrugged as she chewed on a handful of blueberries. “That’s just how it is. When we arrived from Qashia, there was dissension. People couldn’t agree on who should lead or where we should go.”
“I figure most of that was frustration from having to flee your world,” I said.
Lyra nodded. “A lot of people are angry, upset, scared. You name it. If it wasn’t for Joris being so level-headed, we wouldn’t have founded Haven.”
“And what of the others?” Zafina asked.
Lyra dusted her hands off and pulled a scroll from her waist. She unfurled the parchment on the floor where all of us sat around.
“This isn’t official,” the silver-haired girl said. “But I’ve been going out tracking and trying to map this place. It’s a big land, so nothing is exact. I’ve talked to some other people on patrol and we’ve got a rough idea of where everything is.”
She pointed at the center of the square-shaped drawing on the brown paper. “These are the plains,” she said. “That’s what we walked across before we got here. This is where most of the raiders make their living, fighting and killing each other for resources. These are the ones who were really scared about what happened. We left Qashia and everything descended into chaos and anarchy.”
“How many of them are there?” Rhiannon asked.
“I don’t have an exact count. But there must be twenty or so raider groups.”
“If there’s about ten to every group…” I said. “That’s about two hundred raiders.”
“They won’t cause us much of a problem but there are larger raider groups.” Lyra shifted her eyes away, hiding her frown behind another handful of berries. “Are you planning on killing them?”
“I won’t if I don’t have to,” I said. “Our objective is the Holy Light Cannon. Cybil presented the blueprint to me, which she so kindly made in paper form. Gods are amazing, aren’t they?” I placed the piece of paper down on the map.
“There are two things we need, the base and the chassis,” I continued. “This is the list of materials we need to put it together.”
Rhiannon looked it over and nodded. “All of those are naturally occurring resources. I’m sure they’re all available in the Sol Lands. Some of these richer minerals may require us to go into the mountains.”
“The northern mountains,” Lyra spoke up suddenly, her eyes widening. “That might be tricky.”
“Why’s that?” I said.
“Do you remember how those raiders were calling you a ‘Noble’? That’s where the Nobles are. The Nobles are the ones who split off and formed their own group. They’re elitists who believed they were chosen to serve Qashia’s memory and begin a brand new society. And they decided to build their new society in the mountains. There’s at least a hundred of them, so if you plan on going there, we’ll run into them.”
“Running into them doesn’t necessarily imply conflict,” Zafina said. “If we can explain the situation to them, they can be reasoned with.”
“Well…” Lyra shifted her eyes to the left. “It’s funny how leaving for another world can change your view of things. But if you’re up for it, I’m up for it.”
I sighed a deep breath and shook my head. “We’ll get the resources, Nobles or not.”
Rhiannon pointed her finger to the south of the map. “We need adhesive. Perhaps this marsh area will provide us with mud from the swamps and sap from the trees.”
“Those are indeed the marshes,” Lyra said. “You’ll find more of my people there. Not Nobles but, uh…”
I let out another sigh of frustration when she hesitated. “And what kinda crazy quirk do these people have?”
“They call themselves the Warriors of the Serpent. They’re entrenched down there. At least a hundred of them.”
“Anybody who calls themselves Warriors of the Serpent doesn’t sound like somebody who can be reasoned with… but if we can’t get the resources we need, we’re gonna have to try.”
I already had my work cut out for me. But at least I had some direction on what to do. “We’ll get what we need no matter what it takes. But it might be easier to convince them to be on our side.”
“The Nobles. The raiders. The Warriors. If you can get through to them, it’d be a miracle.”
Lyra stared at me like it was an impossible task. Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t know any better.
“Back at the Districts, they have operations,” I said. “A name for every mission they have with a set objective. That’s what this operation will be. Operation Reconciliation. I’ll unite your people back together.”
“Ha!” Lyra nearly fell back, laughing hard enough she had to put her hands over her stomach. “Good luck with that!”
Rhiannon and Zafina remained quiet, letting the silver-haired girl have her moment. When Lyra stopped laughing, she let out a sigh and looked at me with a shrug. “Operation Reconciliation… It’s got a nice ring to it, at least.”
“Our only way of getting this done is by working together,” I said. “Once we do that, all we have to do is power the Cannon. I can do that as Ultima.”
“That should be easy,” Rhiannon said. “If the Heralds sense what we are doing, they will send Shadows to come for us. You will undoubtedly grow stronger.”
“I go out hunting on the plains from time to time when I’m bored,” Lyra said. “I can tell Joris to build a small militia to stay on guard, in case activity picks up because of you being here.”
“Do it,” I said. “There’s no telling how long this thing will take to build. But I want this thing ready to fire once it’s up. If the Heralds realize exactly what we’re up to, they’ll try to stop us.”
Zafina smiled softly at me. “It appears our plan is straight-forward, even if a bit overwhelming. Once the cannon is built, we can destroy the barrier and whatever resides within the fortress.”
“As long as you’re around, Haven will have you,” Lyra said. “Consider this place your home. Now there’s something else I want to show you, Virgil.”
“Okay.” I got up from my seat. “Zafina. Rhiannon. Start making preparations and map out our path. We’ll head out in the morning.”
Outside, Haven was even more peaceful than it was during the day. Some fires were still burning but all of the townsfolk were either sitting or lying down. There was enough food to go around and the weather was perfect. One man sat quietly next to a fire, blowing through a recorder and sending a soft tune through the air for everybody to hear.
I followed Lyra through the village toward Joris’s hut. She led me around the back of it and pointed at the small clear orb sitting on a podium.
“I don’t suppose you know what that is,” she said.
I took a step closer and put my hand on it. A rush of energy flowed through my arm, making me sigh.
“It’s a Mana Point,” I said. “It allows me and the others to travel here without draining our endurance.”
“I figured it was important. It’s the reason Joris decided to build his spot right next to it.”
“It might’ve been a million years ago, but there was someone here before you. That’s who put this here.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “You said your people know how to harness Mana. I don’t suppose you know how to transport yourselves.”
She shook her head. “On our world, Mana was mostly used for attacking. Funny, it didn’t do much good in saving us…” She said it was funny but she wasn’t smiling about it. “But we can learn…”
Seeing how down she’d gotten was only another reason for me to want to do this. “I can’t bring back your world, Lyra. But as long as you’re on Iorus, you’ve got a home. I’m sworn to protect it, so I’m sworn to protect you and everybody else here.”
“Hmm…” She twisted the corner of her lips skeptically before it turned into a smile. “Strange. I almost believ
e you. But maybe you should just get some rest for now. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.”
“Yeah… Thanks, Lyra.”
She winked then started skipping back to our hut with the youthful exuberance I was more used to. “Come on, Virgil. No point in standing there doing nothing.”
8: The Raiders Of The Sol Lands
Counting all of the men, women, and children, there were about a hundred people in the small village of Haven. Despite their numbers and being secluded in an unknown world, the town they’d established allowed them to live in enough abundance to put a roof over everybody’s head and food in everybody’s belly. When I woke up the next morning, there was plenty of food to stuff myself with.
I headed back west onto the open plains with Zafina, Rhiannon, and Lyra with the sun just beginning to come up over the eastern horizon.
“There.” Lyra pointed at the northern mountains. “It’s about a half-a-day’s travel before we get to the base. And scaling it might take longer. Those mountains should have the ore you need for that fancy weapon of yours. You sure about this, Virgil?”
From a distance, the towering green mountains were as daunting as anything. “The start of a journey is always the hardest,” I said. “The more we think about it, the harder it’ll be. Let’s get moving.”
I dug my cane into the grass and started the long walk across the plains. The deer were already up, prancing around on the grass without a care in the world. Wild boars roamed in packs as they dug their snouts in the soil for something to eat. Fluffy white rabbits would pop their heads up on occasion to see what was out there before burrowing back into their homes. There were wolves out, too—but most of them lounged underneath the shade of boulders and trees, too tired to worry themselves with chasing prey.
It was the perfect day for a walk with how clear the sky was. A few clouds drifting by made sure the sun’s rays didn’t burn too hot. The breeze was cool, matching the perfect temperature you’d find at any District. I knew it wouldn’t last for very long, so I enjoyed it as much as I could.