Sol Lands

by Riker Kane

  I raised my palm and fired a Frozen Jet at its legs. “Come on…” The concentrated beam began to stiffen the fiend’s legs in place, slowing it down enough to stop. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “Break free!” Erasmus shouted as he hopped up and down. “Break free and escape!”

  “The only thing breaking free is this bastard’s head.” One hand continuing to freeze the fiend’s legs, I summoned an Ice Owl and sent it charging. The bird crashed against fiend’s head and knocked its upper body back, its legs frozen in place against the cavern floor.

  I summoned a Fire Bird and it burned through the fiend’s head, scorching through it completely and leaving a hole behind.

  “No! What are you doing? You’re ruining everything!” Erasmus’s complaints told me I was doing everything right.

  “You’re not as scary as you look.” I raised both of my hands. The fiend continued to writhe and struggle to break free but with every passing second, its violent movement slowed until it was a giant, seven-foot ice statue. I raised my hand for one last Rock Burst and shattered it into pieces.

  “No!” Erasmus screamed out as he fell to his knees.

  I looked down at the broken shards and watched them melt before my eyes. “So much for your fiend.”

  “You idiot! You have doomed yourself! Iorus will fall! There is nothing to stop the other world! You will suffer—”

  I flew over to Erasmus and decked him with a punch that knocked him flat on his back.

  “Crap.” I knelt next to him and put my hand to his face. “Still breathing… Whew.”

  I walked over to Zolie and gently picked her up from the ground. I deactivated the Life Rune so I could put my bare hand to her neck. “Cold… But she still has a pulse.”

  Her eyes widened suddenly as she gasped. She struggled in my arm but I held her tight.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “It’s okay.”

  She stared at me before slowly calming down.

  “It’s okay,” I said it again to reassure her. “You’re Zolie, right?”

  The brunette nodded softly. “Who are you?”

  “Virgil. I’m here to take you back to Asrath.”

  26: The Powers That Be

  Vacindra sat quietly in her throne, looking down on Erasmus with a disdain so clear it made the darkness of the room more uncomfortable. Just from the way she looked, Vacindra didn’t appear to be the type of woman someone would want to cross. Erasmus brought out the worst in her.

  In contrast, the pudgy man had his head down, focused on the floor as if the answer he was searching for was hidden in the stones. A bulky black chain wrapped around his neck, connected to iron shackles that bound his hands in front of him completely. Just the weight of the chain seemed to be too much for him to bear, his body hunching over like he could fall at any moment.

  I touched the chain to see just how heavy it was. “Is this really necessary? He seems harmless.”

  “Though you have witnessed his crime, you are still not aware of what he is truly capable of.” Vacindra didn’t take her eyes off him. “Isn’t that right, Erasmus?”

  The older man stayed quiet, his eyes in a daze.

  Vacindra stood up and walked toward us, her hands behind her back. “Erasmus was one of our greatest minds. He was working hardest to prepare us for the next inevitable attack from the other world. I believed he would do it and this world would not suffer the same fate as Qashia. But he betrayed me.”

  Erasmus slowly lifted his head. “You come to this world and worship the new gods. You forget your roots. It is you who is the betrayer!”

  “I will not have you speak to me in such a tone!” She furrowed her brow then sighed deeply through her nose. “I could have destroyed you. I could have asked Ultima to do the same. Yet I have brought you here. You have one last attempt at redemption. Tell me what you did to Zolie.”

  I eyed Erasmus curiously. “He was trying to create a fiend. Something that would help us combat Pandora. He was using Zolie just like the Heralds use the animals to create the Beastmen that have started to attack the Omegas in Junctions.”

  “Is that what he told you?”

  “I saw it with my own eyes.”

  The raven-haired woman took a step closer to Erasmus, her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “He is lying to you.”

  “…What?” I exclaimed. “What else would it be?”

  “Tell him the truth, Erasmus.”

  I looked at Erasmus and saw the grin forming underneath his thick facial hair. “The truth? The truth is we are all doomed. Nothing will stop the other world from coming for us. We can escape from one world to the next but they will continue to follow us. We have only one chance to escape.”

  “One chance?” I said. “And what’s that?”

  He turned to me with a stare so unnerving he almost didn’t look human. “We must join them.”

  “What?”

  “We must prove to them we are on their side. Only by fighting with them will they spare us.”

  “I would rather die than join those who destroyed my world,” Vacindra said, her face full of disgust.

  “And you will die. That is certain.”

  Vacindra moved closer to him, a line from anger deepening on her forehead. “You who would side with those who destroy us—”

  “I was trying to save us all!” Erasmus raised his voice loud enough for it to echo. “The darkness is coming. The only way to survive the darkness is to become one with it.”

  “You don’t really think the ones in Pandora would spare you, do you?” I said.

  “I favor the certainty of that than I would fighting back and surviving.” Erasmus kept staring at me with that grin of his. It was enough I had trouble looking back at him.

  Vacindra moved back, her head turned away in disgust. “The other world ravaged Qashia so badly it turned our people against us. Such a shame, Erasmus. You could have used the knowledge you possess for something greater. You could have been there when we triumphed.”

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “I will leave him to Aeona’s judgment. Do you have anything to say for yourself? You have one last chance.”

  Erasmus stood quietly. His knees buckled like the weight of the chains was too heavy. But I knew something was wrong because of how much he was shaking so violently. He fell to his knees with a hard thump.

  I grabbed his arm to stop him from falling flat on his face. “Hey, are you all right—”

  He turned to me. His eyes had suddenly changed, his pupils suddenly becoming pitch black. Something was definitely wrong.

  “You are all doomed.” He spoke with a deep voice that sounded nothing like him.

  Even Vacindra was taken aback, her eyes wide in shock. “What is this? What is happening?”

  Erasmus turned to her. “Your death is inevitable. Your life will be taken and your essence will be absorbed.”

  The sound of his voice alone was unnerving. I kept my wits about me, trying to figure out what was happening.

  I leaned in closer, trying to see if there was something in his eyes. “…You’re not Erasmus.”

  “Erasmus is dead. He has sacrificed his being. The only correct decision.” His head rolled on his neck as he turned back to Vacindra. “Do not lament the death of this one. You will be joining him soon.”

  “He’s been possessed,” she said. “Someone from the other world has taken him and he’s allowed it.”

  “You…” Erasmus turned back to me. “I sense the power in you. I know of the power you are trying to gather. It will not be enough to save this world.”

  I clenched my jaw, trying my best to hold back.

  “I have had enough of this!” Vacindra said. “If Erasmus is gone then you will face Aeona’s judgment.”

  “Aeona’s power will not be enough to save you.”

  “We shall see.”

  Vacindra walked by my side and grabbed my arm. She tugged me hard enough that I stepped away.

>   “What?” I stared at her in confusion. “What’s going on?”

  “Step away,” she spoke sternly, her eyes widening.

  I did as I was asked and moved a dozen meters away from Erasmus. He stayed on his knees, only a few feet from the throne. I watched closely, trying to figure out what was happening.

  The silence was broken from the darkness behind Vacindra’s throne. I couldn’t make it out clearly. It was like rocks shifting. When I looked at the walls, I noticed they were moving slightly.

  Vacindra kept her chin up, her chest heaving as she took slow, deep breaths. Her eyes didn’t move as she continued to peer into the darkness.

  I stared curiously as the sounds from the darkness grew louder. Then I saw something moving. It moved into the spotlight shining down over Vacindra’s throne. Even though I could see it, I wasn’t sure I was looking at it right.

  “What…” My jaw lowered but the rest of my words didn’t get out of my throat.

  A serpent’s head took up the entire space behind Vacindra’s throne. Its scales were thick and black, dull like the walls around us. Empty white eyes the size of my whole body blinked as it turned its focus on Erasmus. A long, black forked-tongue extended on the ground as it reached toward the man on his knees.

  Erasmus didn’t react though. He was already gone, his body a vessel he’d given to Pandora.

  “By your decree,” Vacindra spoke suddenly. “We, your humble servants, ask you to pass judgment on this one.”

  The snake raised its head and reared back before extending its mouth open. Four ivory fangs jutted out, long enough to skewer someone from their head to their toe. I stared into the darkness of the snake’s throat, trying not to lose myself in wondering what lurked beyond.

  A loud hiss filled the room and shook the walls. The snake darted its face out like a bullet and took Erasmus whole into its mouth. In one motion, Erasmus was gone and the snake receded into the darkness with its mouth sealed. The room stopped shaking and the silence returned.

  I blinked my eyes as if waking myself up from a dream. “What just happened?”

  “Aeona has passed her judgment.”

  “Right,” I sighed. “Erasmus seemed like a smart guy. It’s a shame it had to come to that.”

  “It is unfortunate. He could have contributed to Asrath’s growth. But Erasmus had given up. There was nothing we could do to save him.”

  Vacindra sighed a deep breath to collect herself then bowed her head to me. “You have proven yourself an ally to Aeona and the Warriors of the Serpent. I will assist you in dealing with the threat of Pandora. My people will begin gathering resources.”

  “And the alliance with the others?”

  “I will keep it in consideration. If you succeed in this endeavor, I will have more reason for the reconciliation you seek.”

  “I guess I can’t ask for anything more.”

  “You are welcome in Asrath. Please take a moment to recover.”

  “Speaking of recovering, I should probably go check on Zolie to make sure she’s all right.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Zolie was nearly still, her chest rising and falling softly with every breath. The brunette looked so peaceful sleeping there. Her skin was pale but besides that, she showed no signs of injury.

  “She is exhausted.” Maris sat by her bedside. “Whatever Erasmus put her through nearly drained her life completely. If it were to continue, I shudder to think of the result. But there is no need to think of such things now. She will recover.”

  “That’s good to hear.” I took a seat next to Maris and sighed.

  “You speak as though you are still troubled.”

  “It was Erasmus. I don’t agree with what he did but I understand. He was desperate for a way out.”

  “If joining those from the other world was the only way to survive, would we truly be saved?”

  “That’s one way of looking at. Too bad Erasmus didn’t agree.”

  Zolie shifted in her bed suddenly. Her eyes flickered before opening slowly. She looked at me with large brown eyes, a smile forming on her face.

  “You,” she said in a soft voice. “You are the one I saw in my dream. The one who saved me.”

  “It’s flattering to hear someone had a dream about me. But it wasn’t a dream.”

  “Then you did rescue me from Erasmus… Where is he?”

  “It’s all right.” Maris put a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to worry about him any longer.”

  Zolie sighed deeply then sank back into her bed. “That is good to hear. You… I’m sorry, what is your name?”

  “You can call me Virgil.”

  “Yes… I remember now. Thank you, Virgil.”

  “No problem. If I hadn’t done it, somebody else here would have.”

  “Modesty.” Maris looked to me, smiling as she nodded in approval. “That is rare to see in someone these days.”

  “I try,” I said with a shrug.

  “The sun has gone down. Mistress Vacindra said you will be staying in Asrath. You may treat this town as your own.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to living somewhere with a giant snake big enough to swallow me whole but hey, if you can handle it, so can I.”

  27: Ambrosia

  Nighttime in Asrath was different from every other village in Iorus I’d been to. For one thing, everything seemed a lot brighter with the moonlight shining down on the cabins made from the pale wooden logs. Then there were the walls surrounding the city. Even at the center of town, the black rocks shifted back and forth like they were moving. Now I knew they weren’t rocks though.

  “That’s Aeona,” I said. “A giant snake surrounding the entire village. That’s… intimidating. You guys aren’t afraid?”

  Maris sat next to me as she tended to a cauldron bubbling over a small bonfire. “Aeona’s judgment is just. She has already proven she is benevolent if nothing else. She has sheltered us. She has provided us food. She has provided us safety from invaders. Vacindra speaks her will and there is no reason to doubt her.”

  “Seeing as how Aeona could kill you in an instant, I get why you trust her.”

  “It is not only to our benefit. We have begun cultivating the land. Though you see an undead forest and a lake where no living thing survives, these marshes are thriving more than you realize. See for yourself.”

  Maris scooped a ladle full of the broth she was cooking into a stone bowl then handed it to me. It had a pungent aroma, as savory as any meat I’d ever smelled. Some of the spices hit my nostrils and made my head jerk back.

  “Always look forward to trying new stew. This one’s… spicy.” I spooned it around, moving around all of the ingredients bobbing up and down inside of it. There were some sliced carrots and cucumbers in it along with balls of a kind of meat I couldn’t identify by its spongy texture.

  Maris eyed me curiously along with a couple of the other Asrath villagers, each one of them leaning forward to see my reaction.

  I heaped the spoonful into my mouth to quell my rumbling stomach and chewed on it. “Not bad. Pretty hearty. It’s—” I stopped chewing when it hit my throat. A stinging sensation made me tense. It wasn’t just spicy. It didn’t just burn like alcohol. No, it was something else.

  “How are you feeling?” Maris asked.

  I raised an eyebrow at her and coughed. “It feels like…” I coughed again. “It feels like someone is poking me in the neck with a needle.”

  “Yes, I know that feeling. It has been long since I experienced it.”

  The other villagers grinned at me. The way their faces were lit-up by the bonfire made me think the worst.

  “You know, Maris… If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you just poisoned me.”

  She bowed her head as she continued to stir her cauldron. “As a matter of fact, I did.” She stared at me, her face solemn. The other villagers had suddenly turned serious as well. My heart stopped for a moment before they all burst into laughter.

 
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “You almost had me there,” I said, joining in with their chuckle. I took another spoonful into my mouth and felt the prickling sensation again.

  “You should know, there is venom in there,” she said.

  “…Wait… You’re serious?”

  “In order to build a tolerance to it, we had to experience it. Over time, our resistance grew. You don’t have to worry. The lethal amount for even someone new to it is much more significant than what’s inside this entire cauldron.”

  “You say Aeona’s judgment is just.”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Well, if you kill me, she’d better bite your head off.” I winked at her and Maris smiled in response.

  Maris was a dark-skinned woman with short hair but the others looked nothing like her. In fact, nobody looked like anybody else. So many different skin tones. So many different hairstyles. Men and women. Their trust in Vacindra as followers of Aeona was the sole thing unifying them. Even out in the middle of nowhere, I’d never felt safer.

  “This meat,” I said. “I don’t remember seeing any animals around here. And I didn’t see anything in the forest.”

  “The animals are sparse but they appear on occasion. This, however, is not an animal you are eating.”

  “I’m not?” I brought the bowl closer to my face to look at it. “You know, I had some of that Impossible Meat back when it first came out. I could tell the difference. Did you guys get some of that synthetic stuff out here, too?”

  “It is not synthetic. That is ground meat from the beetles we farm from the dirt.”

  I looked closer at the stew. “Beetle stew. I think that might be worse than the venom.”

  “When we came to this land, it was not what you see now. Muddy waters flooded the terrain, drowning everything and not allowing anything to thrive. Only Aeona survived. She consumed the waters, draining them enough for us to establish our settlement. From there, we destroyed the pests that remained. We cleared the land to form our home and Aeona provided us a natural barrier. As time goes on, we will be able to till this land. We will hunt livestock on the plains and domesticate it. The soil will become fertile so that we may grow a plethora of vegetables beyond what you see in your bowl. What was once a barren, poisonous swamp will become the most thriving community in all of the Sol Lands.”