by James Somers
On the ground just behind the boy leader, words etched themselves into the thick layer of dust and ash. An unseen finger wrote: Don't Harm and Diversion in the Barudii language of old that Wynn had been teaching him. Some of the other armed children had come to encircle them and stand guard.
"We'll move you to our secret location, where the Agonotti can't reach us," the boy leader said.
Wynn wasn't listening anymore; instead he was focused on the surrounding room. Things began to move in the dark around them-pieces of debris pounded into the walls and bounced across the floor out of view. The children reacted immediately with fear. Their eyes searched for targets with weapons pointed into the darkness around them; their hands trembling with anticipation born of experience with the Agonotti.
The dust on the floor and all around the room suddenly churned into a fog. The lights that the children carried and those mounted above flickered. Many of the children screamed uncontrollably, expecting dark horrors to pop up beside them at any moment and kill them as they had seen happen countless times to other people over the last few months.
The boy had removed the gun from Kale's temple as he searched for materializing attackers. In the chaos, his prisoners disappeared. The lights quickly returned to normal and the swirling storm of debris and ash began to settle as the boy tried to quiet the others. "They've tricked us! They're getting away!"
Kale and the others ran at breakneck speed ascending to the street level of the building. They weren't running for fear of children, but for the lives of all of their people left onboard the Equinox. Mere moments passed like hours as the group sprinted through the ash covered streets and leaped over the dead and debris.
When the team turned the last corner and saw the ship still sitting in the street unharmed, they all breathed sighs of relief. They slowed and walked cautiously toward the entrance ramp-it was no longer extended. Everything seemed just like when they had departed.
"Those children must have been mistaken, everything looks fine," Emil said.
They all holstered and sheathed their weapons as they approached the entrance ramp at the underside of the ship.
Wynn tapped a code into his uniform keypad. The ramp complied with his access code and unlocked itself. Kale continued to survey their surroundings as the ramp lowered. Had the boy really been wrong about the Agonotti? The city certainly looked dead enough. Other than the children, who had managed to survive somehow, nothing remained but decaying corpses and the burned out remnants of civilization. And of course there was the fog of ash that lingered in the air coating everything in gray soil.
He noticed something as he looked at the ground-footrints for the team headed toward the ship. They had been made only moments ago. The unusual thing about it was that at a certain distance from the ship he could see the imprints they had left in the ash when they had departed earlier and yet closer to the Equinox there weren't any. Somehow they had been covered up, but only close to the ship.
The ramp tapped the ground behind Kale and the others began to walk up toward the entry way door. Insight suddenly hit as Kale turned to see the opening in the ship.
"Wynn! Close the door now!!"
The dark ash on the ground all around the ship burst upward in a great cloud that instantly cut visibility to zero. Men formed from the molecular contents of the living fog. Shots could be heard from inside the ship as the others left onboard reacted to the breech by the Agonotti.
A man formed in front of Kale as he ran blindly toward the sounds of battle. He ignited two kemsticks and continued running right for the attacker. Kale blocked several strikes and then he took the wraith down. Someone else stood behind him. Kale reacted but this one got a hit in knocking Kale to the ground. He rolled and recovered with his weapon at the ready.
The cloud spent itself birthing the physical forms of Agonotti warriors. Kale saw the others from the boarding team engaged in the fight to defend the ship. These dark warriors had come well-armed like those they had run from only three months before. The Agonotti use weaponry formed from their matrix.
Explosive shells sailed into the fray from down the street. Agonotti torso's exploded and shadowy wraiths fell dead in the street with each good hit. Kale's team members sought cover behind any debris available as the children who had captured them earlier reigned down a firestorm against the ghost-like Agonotti warriors.
Kale looked back at the ship to see the prophet standing in the entryway with his staff in his hand. He owned a confidence that didn't come from faith in man's efforts. When he spoke, his voice rose above even the exploding shells coming down all around them.
"Here the Logostus of the Eternal One, ye cursed and fallen from Mithrium!"
The words ignited a thunderclap that boomed throughout the city. The battlefield suddenly became quiet as all attention turned to the prophet. Kale noticed about forty Agonotti warriors still standing and another twenty lying on the ground beginning to lose their physical forms and turning to vapor again.
"Does a mere man speak for the Eternal One?" said an Agonotti warrior that appeared to be leading the attack group.
Aija turned an eye to him and said, "A mere man, yes, but I trust in Elithias alone."
"Elithias has abandoned you, old man. You should abandon him, and perhaps I will show you mercy."
"You do not know of mercy, neither will it be extended to you."
The Agonotti warrior sneered at the prophet and walked toward him with his great battle axe raised to strike.
"Your time is not yet, saith the Logostus!"
The wind suddenly roared through the streets, sending debris and dust through the air like a storm. The Agonotti warrior stopped when he noticed his weapon and his hands losing form and substance.
"The breath of the Eternal One shall take you from us," the prophet said, as the physical forms of the Agonotti disintegrated against their will. In a moment, the Agonotti and the wind that carried them had gone and the streets became quiet again. All eyes focused on the prophet.
"Come little children!" he said to the group down the street. "Do not be afraid. The Lord Elithias is our help and our stay!"
The children began to emerge from their hiding places among the ruins slinging their weapons as they approached the ship. The boy leader walked among them, but he didn't even glance at Kale or the others-they all were transfixed upon the prophet. Aija greeted them as they made their way up the boarding ramp. "Please, come inside. We will help you. Elithias will protect us."
Kale and the other members of the landing team followed the children as they entered the ship. As Kale's team came near, Aija turned his attention to them. "Gentlemen, I'm pleased to see you well. Come, we must talk."
TEN
The shields remained at maximum, just in case the Agonotti returned. It had been quite difficult to fit one hundred children and adolescents into the Equinox. Every corner seemed to be packed to the max. They had decided to leave the stench of death in Sector City for a more remote area. Aija meant to speak to everyone at once and considering the situation, they needed sufficient room and some place where a surprise attack was less likely.
The Equinox had been cruising through the atmosphere at approximately thirty thousand feet to try and avoid being spotted by gazing eyes. A remote area had been spotted-a grassy area with a lot of open space. They had decided to set the ship down and assemble for Aija's address. Anything the prophet had to say was worth hearing, but especially under these circumstances when direction from the Almighty was anxiously awaited.
The ship settled on the grassy plain, pressing down great swathes of greenery under its landing skids. The ramp lowered and people poured out into the fresh air and sunshine. It smelled of recent rain. Everyone was glad to escape the cramped confines of the ship. They moved out into the field wading through the tall grass, stretching their legs-some of the children chased one another.
Tiet and Mirah walked outside and mingled among the children. It had been Merab and Jael wh
o had protected the ship while he was under sedation. That would be the last time he allowed his wife to give him something for pain. He was the king and he had a responsibility to protect his family and his people, no matter how few.
These children, they were his responsibility now. He had to protect them somehow from the fate of their parents. Tiet looked out across them to see his own son standing not far away. Kale watched the ship, waiting for the prophet to emerge and speak. Emil stood with him.
Kale and Emil remained good friends and excellent warriors. Tiet was proud of them both. Kale seemed especially taken with Aija. He had always longed to know more of Elithias, but Tiet hadn't known more to tell him. Having grown up without his own father and training under Orin all those years had been more mechanical than spiritual and Tiet simply didn't have as much knowledge of the scripture as he would have liked. The Logostus had been lost to his people during the war and according to Aija's preaching, the Gunirans had been the ones preserving it.
Tiet had felt relief after committing himself to Elithias through the pajet, but Kale seemed invigorated. The young man was stoked for the fight ahead. It made Tiet proud, but worried him more. What was in store for his son in this war? What would Elithias make of him-a martyr or a conqueror? Either way, he knew Kale would fly full force into it and not look back. That scared him.
0
When Aija emerged, Grod and Merab stood beside him. All eyes found him. Now, they would see. What did The Eternal One have in store for them?
When he spoke, all ears heard. "I know you all must be anxious to know what's going on and for the crew of the Equinox, why we are here on Draconis. The Lord Elithias has led you here, my King, because judgment is about to fall on the enemies of man. The Mithri that left their first habitation have been in existence for millennia under a curse from the Eternal One."
Everyone remained motionless. Mithri? What was going on? How could this all be happening? Facing the Baruk and the symbyte takeover of Castai-Rex-these were bad enough, but cursed Mithri? How could it get worse from here?
"The Agonotti that have been ravaging this world are in fact that host of rebels, cursed to half physical forms and allowed to prey upon man because of man's unwillingness to turn and believe on Elithias," the prophet said.
It was inconceivable-man being punished on this planet by the Agonotti. Kale was astonished. He could not grasp the fact he had been facing off with Mithrial beings.
"In their cursed state and partial dependence upon physical forms, the Eternal One has made these Mithri vulnerable to attack, and once killed their spirits are reserved for the final judgment," Aija continued. "Now, that the balance of power here has been disrupted, they have run amok and caused this destruction. Elithias will soon end it."
Murmuring filtered among the group now. The news of Elithias' intervention on man's behalf was so welcome to them after the pain they had all endured. They could barely contain shouts of joy.
"There is more, much more." Everyone stilled their excitement to listen. "My King, the takeover on Castai was not merely a symbiotic organism. This was the Wicked One himself, Lucin."
That name brought chills crawling up and down Kale's spine. Lucin's reputation as the enemy of Elithias and man had survived even with the loss of the Logostus to them.
Kale realized that he had been a pawn to the archenemy of the Eternal One.
"Lucin was cursed to exist among men in the form of the symbyte creature. He had been jealous of the creation of man and rebelled against Elithias. The Lord made him to bear existence from within a human host from that point on. Once again, Lucin's power among his hosts has tipped the balance point with his takeover of those on Castai. Elithias has put a hook in his mouth to draw him here and bring an end to his dominance…but not to him, not yet. my King, you must lead an army against the Agonotti."
0
Now, Tiet had to respond. He looked around at his supposed army-a few left of his crew and family and a group of one hundred adolescents and children. "Aija, this is no army. These are only children and there are thousands of Agonotti-we're hopelessly outnumbered."
Aija gave a stern look that reminded Tiet who was really in control. "The Eternal One will provide you an army, my King. You must trust Him."
Tiet felt scolded and appropriately so. Aija reached a hand for someone standing back behind him. A young boy emerged to join the prophet. It was the boy leader that had held his son captive in the basement level of one of the abandoned buildings back in Sector City.
"Young Jayce has provided me with information concerning a resistance movement underway here on Draconis. He will take you to their leader and you will find your army among them. Elithias will provide, but the battle will not be easily won. Within the Logostus is found the prophecy of the empty hand. The prophecy tells of one who will come to fight against the rebellious host and shall defeat them with no weapon in his hand. He will be the rod of Elithias' judgment. The power of Lucin's hold on your people shall be destroyed and the Agonotti will be carried away and reserved for judgment."
"So you're saying I will be victorious over them?" Tiet asked.
Aija looked at the king. Then his eyes turned to look at Kale. "The rod of Elithias' judgment will be victorious, my King."
This satisfied Tiet, even if Aija still sounded a bit cryptic in his replies
"There is no time for delay," Aija said. "You must get underway to the place that Jayce will lead you." Aija walked down the ramp and through the crowd. Tiet stepped to him, meeting his son and Emil there as well.
"Where are you going?" Tiet asked. "You talk like you're not going with us."
"I can't go with you, my King. The Lord has called me to depart to a place apart in order to intercede for you."
Kale spoke up and said, "But we can't-"
"Master Kale, you must go on without me for now. I will see you again, when it is time. Remember that the arm of the flesh will fail, but when hope seems gone, pray."
The prophet is certainly mysterious, if nothing else, thought Tiet. The promise of victory comforted him. Aija walked on past them. "We'll see you when you return, Aija," Tiet said.
Aija paused, but did not turn. Then he continued on through the children and proceeded to walk beyond the group through the tall grass stalks toward the hills in the distance.
"I can't believe we have to go on without him," Kale said.
"We'll just have to trust Elithias," Tiet said. "Let's get everyone onboard. Like the man said, we don't have time to waste."
0
Lucin felt the dull roar of the Vorn cruiser's engines throughout the entire ship. He lay on the bed in his quarters, but he could not sleep. His fleet remained twenty four hours away from planet Draconis and his prey. That's where they would be. He knew it. Time was growing short and the prophecy said Draconis would be the place. He had seen the Logostus many times. It was engraved upon his mind. But it would end up differently than the Eternal One intended-at least this time.
He stood and walked over to the large transparisteel view-port at the rear of the compartment. The starscape spread out before him into the distance. The massive transport ships that had been retrieved from old Vorn stockpiles were capable of carrying up to two hundred and fifty thousand people-they were little more than engines and crew carrier pods that could be dropped from orbit and take troops to the surface. They had been used by the Vorn for invasion purposes when sending their armies to Castai many years ago. He had a total of four allowing him to transport the majority of the remaining population as his new symbyte army.
The transports were useless for atmospheric fighting and too heavy to escape gravity under their own power-built, launched, and used in space only. Fortunately, Lucin still had six Vorn warships at his disposal.
He felt restless. This mortal form-this creature he was forced to be made him cringe with disgust. He wasn't meant to be this way. He had been so beautiful-adored by the host of Mithrium and a favorite of the Eternal One. I
t was an injustice for him to be reduced to this, but Lucin planned to reclaim his former glory and rise above Elithias in adoration upon these mortal worlds.
He realized Mithrium would never be his, but these created worlds, they would be his to rule forever. Without men to redeem, the Lord would have to leave it alone or destroy the existence of man and surely he wasn't willing to do that. Perhaps, Lucin thought, I might even be able to convince the greater portion of those that have not rebelled with me to finally take their places at my side and know true freedom. He had convinced many before-perhaps it would be possible again.
Dirge had always been an upstart. To think he had actually assumed leadership in Lucin's absence. How presumptuous his brother had been, how naive. Lucin had quite enjoyed the matter of using the boy, Kale, to assassinate the Agonotti leader. He would have his place of leadership among his brethren restored soon enough, but he still wanted the boy. He couldn't assimilate him again, but he could have revenge and remove a key power among the humans. Lucin stretched out his hands before him and the knuckles popped.
This mortal form was not nearly as useful for his needs as the boy could have been. His host body, the man Zurig had never been a warrior. He had always been a politician. The uniform he wore now was more window dressing than anything. Lucin still needed a real warrior of the highest degree, but he wasn't sure who qualified.
Lucin looked out through mortal eyes at the universe beyond the transparisteel. How he longed to stretch his glorious wings again and take flight among the stars. To know no boundaries, no limitations-if this mortal flesh was anything, it was a prison. Perhaps he might bargain with the Elithias-mankind in return for the restoration of his former glory. Lucin caught sight of his own reflection in the window, but it was only the pale reflection of mortal flesh and nothing of his former glory in Mithrium. He clenched his fist and shook it, spitting out words of venomous accusation at the unseen Eternal One through locked teeth. "Look what you have done to me."