NovaSiege

by Scott Toney

  Through the smoke she finally got a better look at the two. They were smaller than the rest of the men below. For a second… No, it cannot be them. She squinted, trying to get a better look as she soared above.

  “Julieth!” a youthful voice shouted up from below. The young man held a hand up at her.

  It can’t be. Julieth’s heart raced. That is Bayne. It has to be. Is the other Andral? “I have to land. I believe those two to be Andral and Bayne.” She spoke to Elias.

  “They could be possessed,” Elias warned.

  “I have no choice. I practically raised them. I’m sorry I can’t take you closer.”

  “Don’t be. I lost my wife and son to the beast horde.”

  As Julieth landed Elias leapt to the ground and ran hard toward their allies. She ran toward the youth who had called to her. “Bayne! Andral!” she shouted at the boys. She stopped running, leeriness creeping through her. “Is that you? I feared you dead!”

  To her horror, the one who was behind the first struck that youth in the head, knocking him to the ground. He beat on the other’s skull.

  “No! Stop! Andral, do not allow Samuel to control you!” She ran fast, as quickly as her legs would carry her. Her emotion was so strong that she forgot about her wings, about the essences, about Riad and the world. All that was in her mind were the boys… her boys. They were alive. She could see Andral’s face as he pummeled his brother and then began choking him. “No!” she screamed desperately. It was no use. It would not stop.

  When she had almost reached them Andral froze, perfectly still. Bayne reached his hands up and pushed Andral off him.

  Andral lay flat on the earth. Motionless.

  “You dare defile me, brother.” Bayne’s voice was full of hate.

  Andral stood.

  Bayne reached inside his clothes and withdrew a dagger, placing it in Andral’s hands.

  Julieth screamed as she continued to run, but Bayne seemed deaf to her. It took a long moment for her to comprehend what was happening. Then her heart ran cold. Samuel’s essence. It is in Bayne.

  Andral took the blade to his throat and spliced it across his flesh. He fell to the ground with a thud, blood pooling on the sand.

  “No!” Pain burned in Julieth’s chest. She could see the gash was deep. “Bayne!” she shouted. Her body was frozen in its place. Her feet would not move. “Bayne! The essences are controlling you! Fight them! He is your brother!” Tears streamed from her eyes and she found strength again to move. Bayne stood over Andral, motionless. “Bayne!” she pled.

  He turned to her, his eyes hard and dead. Then something broke behind their depths, emotion.

  Julieth was soon at Andral, kneeling and touching the side of his neck. Blood pooled, staining her knees and the tips of her wings as they rested on the ground around her. “There is no pulse.” She shuddered, watching Bayne. The boy she had raised almost as her own son, the boy she had fled Kaskal with when Samuel’s army attacked, even leaving Andral behind to rescue him, was so hollow. “Not you,” she spoke to him, laying Andral’s dead skull on the sand before she stood and walked backwards in disgust. “Tell me Samuel controls you. Fight it. Come back to me.”

  Bayne had little emotion. “This is me. It has always been me. I killed Samuel and took his essence. I control Riad. You always thought me so weak.”

  “No, you were strong once. You were strong when you stayed alive in Kaskal with little food… when we had nothing but each other. You were strong when you insisted on not leaving the beasts’ lair without Andral. What has happened to you?”

  “You were wrong. You never knew me. The world will see.”

  He was weaponless but for the dagger he had given Andral. He could not harm her, but she could see his desire to in his eyes. Why could he not control her? Was it because of the essence which spoke to her, or was it because of some deep love he carried for her that blocked it?

  Bayne held out his arm toward the army he possessed. “I command them. I control them. Each one. Do you know what it is like to exist in a thousand bodies and yet not die when one falls? I am a god.”

  “Samuel thought himself a god. God’s do not die. You are a boy, a blind boy.” Julieth lifted into the whipping wind, tears dripping from her eyes. Her bloodstained wingtips refracted crimson in the sunlight.

  “I will kill you! I will kill you all!” Bayne’s voice cracked as he screamed in anger. “This whole planet is mine!”

  “That is what the essences say in your mind!” Julieth called to him.

  The boy picked up his dagger, now sopped in his brother’s blood, and lobbed it at the woman who raised him.

  Julieth flew from its path. “I love you, Bayne! I will save you! I will not surrender you to them!” She flew swiftly, pivoting in the wind and soaring a vast distance until she was above the two armies. Her heart ached for Andral and Bayne, both boys lost.

  She heard Bayne shouting incessantly behind her. “I will kill you! I will kill you!”

  My boys, the thought burned through her soul. My boy.

  *

  Behind her, heat and voices pounded Bayne’s mind. He fell to the earth. “I love you.” He spat at the ground in disgust of himself… of his weakness. “I hate you.” His mind weakened. His control over his army fractured. No, I do not love her. I will rule them all. He stood then; his will set by the voice in his mind. His skin burned with fresh scars. Bayne pressed his army, more importantly Riad, against his enemy. They were pinned against the lava sea.

  *

  Julieth flew above Ragoor, Elias and the rest of their army, the beasts who were now flesh. Bayne’s army shot arrows at them, maiming some, though most arrows missed their marks. Bayne’s swordsmen advanced but found their foes unwilling to fight with them because they were not in beast form. What made Julieth distraught the most were the electricity charges Raid blasted into the fleeing warriors. With each blast several unarmed men fell, writhing in death throes on the ground.

  THOOM! Julieth watched another blast burst out below.

  How do we defeat them other than kill Bayne? No… I can’t consider that. The lava sea behind her exuded heat, waves lapping against the shore. Sweat dripped down Julieth’s back. Far below, pinned against the sea, she saw Faiyror in his frail mortal form. She dove for him, swirling and landing quickly by his side. Faiyror shaded his eyes as he watched her.

  “It is no use. I have failed you, Julieth. My people have failed you.” Faiyror looked helpless. She had never thought she would see that in his eyes, the eyes of such a powerful man.

  THOOM! Another blast struck through the men, almost hitting Julieth.

  Static charged though her back. “We cannot fail. We cannot give up.” She met Faiyror’s eyes in an attempt to build his confidence. “If we die here then the essences may take all of Solaris.”

  “The essences?” Faiyror asked. “I know Samuel is possessed by an essence, but usually you use his name.”

  “Samuel is dead. It is Bayne who attacks us, a friend of mine who is also a youth I raised. The essences control him. He took Samuel’s life, or so he claims. I must help him. I must strip the essences from him.”

  “Solve the problem at hand first,” he spoke. Then a strange look came over his eyes. Their warriors were backing close against them. They would be forced into the lava sea soon. “Kneel!” Faiyror shouted to their entire force. It was the voice of panicked command. “Kneel!”

  All of the would-be beasts knelt. Just before Julieth was going to take flight she felt earth rumble beneath her.

  “Kneel,” Faiyror spoke to her as he knelt low. His hand reached up, touching the low of her back. “There is no time. Trust me.”

  The earth quaked again and Julieth knelt low.

  The sea itself moaned as great heat bloomed over both armies. All went silent.

  Again the sea moaned. Then the sound of liquid falling echoed behind them. What? Julieth twisted her head around and watched the lava sea.

  A great veined pl
atform rose from the lava. Molten rushed from its form… no, it was two forms, mirror images of each other. As the molten rushed away she saw the black, onyx hue of the platforms.

  Again the sea moaned and the earth quaked.

  Wings… Julieth was breathless.

  A vast head and fanged maw rose from the lava, somehow unscathed by the killing fluid. Then a tail thrashed in the lava, splattering those close to the sea and singeing their flesh.

  “Dragon!” The call came out. Julieth did not know where from. She felt Faiyror’s hand on her back.

  “Stay,” he assured her.

  With a thrust the dragon flew from the sea. Its black form was vast, larger than any creature Julieth had ever imagined. As it flew above the beast army it blocked out the sun, allowing them to morph back into beast form. They howled to the thing above even as drops of lava still dripped from its wings.

  The air sucked from around them as the thing breathed. Julieth’s ears popped. Then wind pummeled over her as the dragon assaulted Bayne’s army with flame.

  There were no screams. She watched the bodies of men melt away as they stood at ready, fire pulsing around them.

  But within the fire she also saw Riad and a shield he projected from his mechanics holding back the flames from others in the army. Those that the flames did not reach fled, all except Riad.

  “Did you know of the dragon before battle?” Julieth asked Faiyror quickly.

  “No. I have seen dragons. Never that one.”

  Julieth pulsed her wings and flew toward the flame wall and Riad. “Do not kill him!” she shouted to the ancient creature, hoping it had intellect.

  The dragon sucked back in its flame, which again popped her ears. It then breathed deeply again and let loose an inferno.

  Riad held his shield.

  THOOM! He shot at the dragon just as he let his shield down. The blast struck the dragon’s maw and knocked it backwards.

  “Feeble insects!” the dragon thundered, its voice guttural. It dove for Riad, its maw wide, clenching down on an invisible shield Riad projected.

  Julieth flew near the two. Both, she knew she could not trust.

  She saw Riad’s mind break and his shield collapse.

  The dragon’s maw closed on him, its fangs pinning his limp body. Then the creature shook its head and thrust Riad to the ground. It took flight as Faiyror’s army surrounded it, shouting hatred at what they did not know.

  Riad… Julieth ran for the cyborg, bracing her hand strong against his chest. If Bayne’s control has been broken then we have a chance. “Come back to me, Riad. It is Julieth.” His heart still beat and his mechanics began to whirl and blink with life.

  “No! Bayne!” Riad convulsed to life, sweat dripping from his flesh as his mechanics clawed the ground. His eyes filled with horror as he looked on Julieth. “No.” He stood quickly, stumbling from Julieth. “What? No. I cannot be here. Where is Bayne?”

  His eyes were maddened, though Julieth was glad to see true emotion there. “He took Samuel’s essence and controlled you. You almost killed us all except for the dragon. It is what broke Bayne’s hold on you.”

  Ragoor and others surrounded them now, ready to attack Riad at Julieth’s signal. They were worn but lurched in a circle around the two.

  Riad stared at the black dragon cutting the sky above, keeping them in complete shadow. “Orpheus.” He said the word in awe. “Where are Ivanus, Andral, Carcos and Vrax?” His eyes did not leave the dragon.

  “Vrax turned on us.” Julieth watched the sky. “I destroyed it. Andral is dead at Bayne’s hand. I had hoped you knew of Ivanus’s fate. Who is Carcos? Why do you call the dragon Orpheus?”

  “To think I put our hopes on Bayne’s head.” Julieth saw fire in Riad’s eyes. His cybernetic eye was a haunting red. “My mind is foggy… Ivanus… disappeared before Bayne took control of me. Carcos is a friend.”

  The dragon eyed them as if they were a meal. It dove low, but out of the beasts’ reach.

  “Orpheus!” Riad shouted at it, his gun braced at the thing’s head.

  “Riad!” the thing boomed. “A dept repaid for our freedom!”

  The beasts howled, some leaping in attempt to clasp to the winged behemoth’s hide.

  “I rescue you and this is my payment! Off of me, pests!”

  The dragon lifted up and unleashed a sea of fire over them. The flames halted just above head level but overwhelmed them with heat. It was a constant assault.

  Riad looked to Julieth and then to the beasts surrounding him. “It will not harm us. It only wishes fear and to be left be. We should harness it and use it against Bayne.”

  “Neither of you can be trusted.” One of the beasts surrounding him and Julieth spoke.

  Ragoor then approached, first on all fours and then rising to Riad’s level. “No, I have watched these people a long time. I observed the borg from a distance. I believe we can trust him now. I am not so eager to invite a dragon into our fold, though. Let it fly away.”

  “It is no mere dragon, boy. And how am I to trust you? I only do because of the woman. No, within this dragon are a man and an essence which seals their bodies in one form. I can lure the dragon down and bring out the man. Then you can imprison us until you trust our intentions.” Riad looked to Julieth with eyes that spoke without words.

  He is reminding me of our first meeting in Kaskal and how he allowed us to think he was imprisoned when he could have killed us at any time. He wants my help. “Do not call me ‘woman’.” She broke Riad’s look and turned to Ragoor and the others. Above, the dragon sucked back in its fire and then scorched the air above them again. “Yes, Riad can be contained. Without his weapons he will not be nearly as strong. If this dragon can also change to mortal form then surely we can cage it as well. You have my word. Riad is brash but intelligent.”

  Ragoor nodded. She was not sure he bought her lies but he at least trusted her. “I will speak with Faiyror. Until I return keep an eye on the borg. Keep your heads low.” He bounded in Faiyror’s direction.

  Riad was gaining in irritation. Julieth could see it in his eyes as he stared through the sea of fire above.

  “How did you become aligned with the beasts?” he asked Julieth in a tone so low she was sure he was hoping she would be the only to hear.

  “They are not the same beasts we faced before. Surely you can tell that by their intelligence.” Her voice was the same level as always. “And do you think they cannot hear you? They have the hearing of animals. Whatever you speak they will know.”

  One of the beasts in the nearby group eyed Riad, its fur blowing back in the smoldering wind.

  Julieth looked to Ragoor and saw him giving the signal for them to lure the dragon down. His clawed hand was raised high. She looked back to Riad. “Do what you need to get the dragon down and in human form. The beasts will hold back. They trust Faiyror but will attack the dragon if he flares at them.”

  Riad watched the sky. The black dragon’s body wove above them, a dark silhouette through the flame.

  “And there is something else before you call him down.” Julieth walked before Riad, attempting to command his eyes. The borg did not look to her. “Elias is one of the beasts now, as are many of Gest’s surviving people. You will accept them. It is our only hope.”

  Riad ignored her. Instead he waited for the dragon to suck back in its flame. “Shaun Dune!” the borg bellowed upward. “Come down! Meet me! These creatures hold no true opposition to you!”

  The dragon wove a large circle in the sky and then approached them in low flight. It breathed a swarm of fire over their heads, lower this time, and then curved high into the sky. “You goad me, Riad!” Its voice shook the air around them.

  “I do not speak to you, dragon! I speak to Dune!”

  The dragon dove fast. The beasts and Julieth crouched as it pummeled down. Only Riad remained standing. “Leave me be!” it bellowed as it dove, snapping its maw just above Riad and then retracting upward and hovering just
above him.

  The wind from its wings blew the beasts in the shadow below it, knocking some from their feet. The beasts that had fallen braced their arms on the ground but could not stand in the wind.

  Julieth’s wings were carried in the force and she beat them rapidly, attempting to land once more.

  “Dune! Cease this childishness! Gain control of the monster and meet me! Are you still a man at all?” Riad walked three steps and then held out his gun. He knelt and then laid it on the ground before standing again. “Dune! Can you truly let Solaris burn under Bayne’s rule? Will you surrender it to the essences or will you help us? Come to me! Speak with me!”

  “You are a child as well!” the dragon boomed. “But this planet is not theirs to take.”

  The dragon lowered slowly. As it did, its black scales morphed and a white light shone through their crevices. As the dragon touched to the ground its massive black form morphed into the white silhouette of a man, shimmering an almost blinding, star-like light.

  Julieth squinted as she flew toward the man and Riad. The wind was gone and the beasts had once more returned to human form. She landed in a run beside the two men. “Dune?” she questioned, not knowing anything about the man. What all happened to you after you left me? She eyed Riad. Clearly there was much they needed to speak of.

  “I am Shaun Dune.” The nova man held out a hand.

  As she shook it Julieth noted that although Dune’s flesh glowed, his hand felt like any other.

  “The dragon and I possess two separate minds, and yet share one body. You need not fear me. I share the dragon’s memory and understand what has happened here, but I am in full control now.”

  “Samuel is dead but his essence is forged with another now, Bayne, the boy who traveled with us,” Riad spoke coldly. “I know you had a vendetta against Samuel. Can we count on you to help fight the boy and that same essence?”

  “Can you?” A smile was in Dune’s voice, though Julieth could not make out an expression on his face. “Bayne has controlled you since your battle with Samuel. I have already set myself against him.”

  Riad hefted his gun and held it at his side. “Then you need to do as I say. These beasts, or men, whatever they are, are insistent that they take us captive until we prove our allegiance to them.”