KAHARI

by Dean Kutzler

  “Well, this is it. We’ll discuss a plan once we’re on the other side.”

  “It looked pretty civil from what I remember on our tour.”

  “Don’t be fooled. The most civil people can turn out to be the most evil,” Saren said, thinking about Faelar. She was on to his game. She just didn’t know how much trouble he was going to cause them.

  “Daxton, go through first, so you can help Mr. Brody when he comes out. I’ll be right behind in a second.”

  Daxton slipped into the darkness, disappearing, while Saren moved to help Ensign Brody.

  “I’m ready, Commander,” he said, hobbling his way over with the staff under his arm.

  Ever the trooper.

  Saren carefully guided him into the door and turned back into the room.

  “What a sick fuck,” she said to herself, looking around the room and shaking her head.

  She raised her wristcom.

  Twenty-five percent.

  It doesn’t matter much at this point, she thought, aiming it at the suffering couple on the poles and ending their pain, each with a short blast.

  She stepped aside as the black liquid ran down the poles and into the door.

  There’s a few more for the meter.

  If Faelar turned out to be what she suspected, no amount of power left in her wristcom was going to help. She had a plan which would at least keep him busy, but she still didn’t know how they were getting off Kahari.

  She backed into the door.

  OUTER—AND FINAL—RING

  SAREN stepped into the world of the Outer Ring almost as quickly as she’d left the door of the Middle Ring. No disorientation, vertigo, or even souls milling about—quite peaceful actually.

  This is new.

  She walked to the edge of the street and took in her surroundings. The land was the same as in all the Rings, but this city was as clean and beautiful as she remembered on the walk-through with Faelar, only no people bustling about the streets.

  Not a single one.

  Where are Daxton and Ensign Brody?

  “Looking for your friends?” Faelar stepped out of the Outer Ring door.

  Saren spun around.

  So much for my plan.

  “Yes,” click-click, he said. “So much for your little plan. Have you missed me, Commander Saren Thorn? How foolish was I in feeling sorry for the fate I thought awaited you? You have been very resourceful despite your handicap.”

  It was useless trying to hide her thoughts from him, so she kept them silent as best she could.

  “What have you done with them and what do you want with me?”

  Click-click.

  “Ah, straight to the point! Commander Thorn wastes no time. That is what I think I like most about you, Saren. You always have the goal in sight. Your friends are safe for now. What I want from you is a little complicated, I am afraid.

  “You see,” he said louder, stepping around her onto the street. “In such short time, you have undone eons of work.” He spread his arms out to either side. “Work incomprehensible to your little mind in its current state—destroying the natural order of things I have created on Kahari.”

  My mind in its current state? What did he mean by that?

  “Since you have been so smart, Commander, I’ll leave that up to you to figure out. In the meantime, if you want to see your friends again, you are going to have to undo what you have done.”

  “You’re talking—“

  “Yes, yes.” Click-click—stepping closer. “You bore me with your dullard act. The machine you let Daxton damage on purpose. You knew what he would do, as he had repeatedly done. As you have figured out, it is what has kept the Rings separated, pulling chaos close to the center, and leaving this world in peace—my peace.

  “There is purity in the nothingness, sanity—at least for a God. Yes, I am a God, Saren and we were never meant to be kept in this place designed for the misbehaving creations. It is the hell we constructed just for them, but for us, it is more than that. The souls trapped within are like blips on your star-screen to us. We cannot ignore them or turn them off, just as you cannot keep me from plucking the thoughts from your head.

  “What you do not know is that one of us, a very foolish God gifted our creations with free will. The ability to choose their own, individual paths. Every time a human or Delnorian or any one of the billions and billions of species has a change of mind, a whole other world, or path gets created from the possibilities existing alongside the one not chosen; a duplicate world of beings with the same number of paths to choose and from which to differentiate.

  “Combined all those damned souls from the ever-multiplying realms of dimensions and the blips become a maddening stream of chaos, truly unbearable—turning us into mindless, raging beasts just to escape the pain. There was only one resolution. But the others—those fools would choose madness over sending the souls of the creations back into the nothingness with the knowledge of what they had lost—“

  “So,” Saren said, determined to get a word in with the mind-reading freak. “You somehow trapped the other Gods and created a paradise for yourself.”

  Faelar shook his head.

  “They were trapped at the center of Kahari until that fool tampered with the machine. Now they are probably clawing their way to the surface. I do not know. We can only see into the minds of our creations.”

  Click-click-click.

  “Once the other Gods make their way to the surface, and the machine finally expires, releasing all the souls and sending us into a black sea of madness, what will become of Kahari then?”

  “The hell it was intended to be,” Saren taunted.

  The veiny pattern on his forehead wrinkled as rage filled his features and he moved in to strike her like an angry parent hits its child.

  She backflipped out of his reach, nearly slipping back into the door.

  “Is that the fate you wish for yourself?” he roared.

  Why would that be my fate?

  “I told you. Figure it out!”

  “Why did the Scarab imprison you?” she asked, catching him off guard for the first time.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, quickly turning from her.

  Strike a nerve? What are you hiding you ugly fuck?

  “If you’re afraid to stand up to the other Gods—your own kind—what chance do you think I stand against them.”

  “You do not need to fight the other Gods. That would be insane, more insane than I assume they are after all this time down there. You merely need to make it back to the Inner Ring, to the machine.”

  “That’s impossible! Kranlax is waging war against your Cyborgs.”

  “You made it here against impossible odds. Probably an added bonus seeping through because of what you are—you will do it again.”

  “How? I didn’t do it alone. I had help.”

  Razor-sharp teeth flashed inside Faelar’s mouth as he laughed. “Ah, yes! Your poor beast.”

  “Even if I made it back to the machine, how would I fix it?”

  Faelar looked down at her wrist, then back up.

  “You’re joking, right? It doesn’t even have enough juice to—“

  She checked the meter—one-hundred percent.

  “I don’t care if I had ten of these. I can’t fight a war of raging demons and Cyborgs.”

  “It is not filled with plasma, Saren Thorn. I have imbued it with the simplest magic, but it is only enough for one shot, so you must be precise with your aim and use it on the machine. The magic will undo what has happened, putting the machine back to its original state.”

  “What guarantee do I have you’ll release Daxton and Ensign Brody? We want out of this place if I do this.”

  Faelar laughed, again. “You do not make demands here, Saren Thorn. I have told you once already. No one leaves Kahari. If you complete your task, I will allow you and your companions to reside here, in the peace of this Ring for the rest of eternity.”


  How comforting.

  “Good luck, Saren Thorn, all of Kahari is depending on you,” he said, disappearing.

  Saren headed for the door wasting no time.

  She wouldn’t accept the fact there was no way off the planet, but if she had to choose between living in hell or the Outer Ring, there was no question, she would do her damndest.

  She thought about the injustice Faelar had brought about the other Gods. They had wanted to save the poor souls of their creations and go mad, instead. Saren had never been a believer, favoring science over religion, but she couldn’t deny what she had seen in Kahari.

  And what did he mean when he said her mind in its current state and what she was?

  She was a bad-ass bitch and nothing more. She couldn’t think about it.

  First things first.

  If she could reach the Inner Ring before it became an impossible war zone, she might have a chance. Then, she would figure out a way off the planet. She wasn’t buying Faelar’s ‘Trog-shit about no one ever leaving Kahari. Maybe he was stuck here—she’d flip him off when she left.

  One of the Gods had gifted her free will, and that was a dangerous thing. She would use it against Faelar. She just had to figure out how.

  She jumped in the air, slipping through the darkness of the door and hitting the ground running on the other side into the Middle Ring.

  She pumped her legs harder, willing them to run faster through the streets, backtracking the way the demons had brought them.

  Suddenly, Saren remembered what was lurking in the Middle Ring.

  It was too late.

  She made the fatal error of stopping dead in the street and leaving herself vulnerable.

  Fuck!

  A tin-can rolled out into the street, and she whipped around.

  The beast was in the alley between the buildings, feeding on the woman Kranlax killed. It darted out, slithering after Saren.

  FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

  In a frenzy of bloody black tentacles, the beast was out on the street in a heartbeat.

  Saren began to turn and run but changed her mind.

  She couldn’t outrun the thing. The only reason they’d gotten away before was that it had Maddie to chew on and it just finished the poor woman in the alley.

  Saren looked down at her wristcom, then back at the mindless beast.

  In seconds she would be lunch.

  She lifted her arm and pulled off a single shot.

  A beam of pure white light left the wristcom and hit the beast dead center, knocking it backward. It began twisting and writhing all over the street, tentacles flailing, spinning in the air and morphing into a solid form before twisting back again, then dropping to the ground in one cylindrical mass.

  The mass changed color from black to gray and eventually remained in a flesh tone. The shape shrunk, reorganizing, and limbs sprouted out on either side of the form while the bottom split in two, forming legs. The top of the figure melted, and a head appeared with facial features of dark hair and eyes taking shape.

  Saren stared in amazement.

  The beast had transformed into a naked male humanoid shape.

  Silver clothes formed over the body, and he sat up.

  Saren quickly brought her arms in front of her face forming an X, then snapped them down towards her sides, releasing both blades concealed in the cuffs of her armor.

  The man hopped to his feet, quickly rubbing his temples as a veiny pattern snaked up his brow, and said, “There will be no need for that, Saren Thorn. I will not harm you. My name is Dahl-Rem, and I am indebted to you.

  “I, along with my brothers and sisters have been trapped inside Kahari for longer than I can remember. I was the first to escape when the machine began to collapse. Once its power is fully extinguished, they will be able to rise from the depths, and this reality will be no more.

  “You were wise to use the magic on me and undo the madness this place had created in me. But it won’t last long. I feel the overwhelming chaos the closer I am to the Inner Ring. The war between the demons and Cyborgs is sending more and more souls back into the chaos. Kahari must return to its original state.”

  Saren retracted the blades.

  “Dahl-Rem, Faelar has my friends. We didn’t die to end up here like the rest. We have been brought here against our wills. We just want to get out of here. We don’t belong. Faelar says no one can leave Kahari.”

  “Yes, I understand, and there may be a way, but first I need to get as far—“ He threw both hands up to his head. “I have got to get away from—“

  Dahl-Rem fell to the ground unconscious.

  “Shit!” Saren yelled.

  The madness created by the souls in the chaos had overwhelmed him. He needed to get to the Outer Ring where there were far less.

  She was agile, nimble, and strong, but she couldn’t carry him all the way back to the door.

  Her eyes roamed the streets, looking in between houses, praying for something—anything—she could use to help get him into the next Ring. Then she saw a flash of white coming up the street.

  Limping along, carrying a cyborg arm like a club, Grôk ManGhoura had made it out of the Inner Ring alive!

  Tears fell down Saren’s face for the second time, and she didn’t care as she ran for Grôk. His fur was matted with blood, and he might’ve been missing some teeth—but he was alive!

  She forgot all about Kahari and jumped for him.

  “Grôk! You’re alive!”

  He threw down the cyborg-arm and caught her in a big hug.

  They stood arm-in-arm for a long time until he saw Dahl-Rem’s stirring body and gently set her down, taking off running.

  “Grôk, no!” she shouted. “He’s a good guy! There’s so much I have to tell you, but first, we have to get him into the next Ring.”

  Without hesitation, Grôk scooped up the man clad in silver and jogged alongside Saren toward the Outer Ring. Along the way, she filled him in on all that happened.

  Once they approached the door, Dahl-Rem started waking, and Grôk placed him on his feet.

  “Thank you, Grôk ManGhoura. I will forever be indebted to you both,” he said, looking back and forth between them. “Once we step through the door, Faelar will be aware of my presence. All this time on Kahari has changed him, erasing what little compassion he may have had. There will be no reasoning with him, for unlike the fate of you and your friends, we are bound to the planet as long as it exists in this altered form. He will know I will attempt to overtake him, and whether that is possible or not, he will not succeed in saving the paradise he has built for himself. You have sealed that fate, Saren.”

  “But he has our friends—” she said.

  “Once I step through, I will quickly regain my strength. I can feel it pulling at me through the door. I’ll do everything in my power to see you and your friends get safely off Kahari. Just stay clear and be ready.”

  Saren looked up at Grôk who was staring down at her, and she snaked an arm around her friend’s wrist, grasping his hand, and said, “We’ll be ready and thank you, Dahl-Rem.”

  He calmly smiled at her and nodded to the door, stepping in with Saren and Grôk right behind.

  When they came out the other side, Faelar was waiting with Daxton and Ensign Brody.

  He blinked once, click, then twice, click-click, before his brow lowered and a sinister snarl took over his face, then a black, elongated snout popped out with jagged, razor-sharp teeth dropping down either side. Faelar’s body grew fifty times its size while dark scales replaced his skin with a tail unraveling behind.

  Daxton hooked his arms under Ensign Brody’s, dragging him away from Faelar before large, leathery wings sprouted from his back, flapping to life.

  “He’s a—Gods are dragons?” Saren asked, turning to Dahl-Rem who was undergoing a similar transformation in silver.

  Daxton finished dragging Ensign Brody to safety near Saren and Grôk.

  Grôk helped Daxton support Ensign Brody’s weight
, and they both wrapped their arms around him.

  “We thought you were a goner, big guy,” Daxton said, looking up at him. “You’re still greasy, though,” he added, hugging him tighter. “Yep, still greasy.”

  Ensign Brody couldn’t find the words, so he just kept hugging tight.

  “Who’s the silver-dude?” Daxton asked Saren, pulling away from Grôk.

  “His name is Dahl-Rem, and he and Faelar are Gods.”

  Daxton’s face grew serious. “You mean? Dragons?”

  She nodded. “Apparently they’re the same thing. Dahl-Rem is going to help us out of here—if he survives.”

  Faelar released a blood-curdling roar and dove for Dahl-Rem’s throat.

  The silver dragon stepped aside, swinging the full length of his tail around, hitting Faelar across the neck and sending him rolling over the ground.

  Faelar rolled to a standing position and leaped into the air, breathing fire down over Dahl-Rem who flapped his mighty silver wings, propelling himself backward, away from the stream of flames.

  The battle raged on closer and closer to the homes along the streets as both dragons seemed equally matched.

  Faelar rose higher into the air and reared back his head. He snapped forward to increase momentum, and a gigantic ball of fire spat from his mouth as he landed on the ground.

  Dahl-Rem frantically flapped his wings, lifting in time as the ball flew beneath his tail, scorching the housing complex behind.

  People darted from the building and out into the streets, screaming and scrambling to get away from the raging fire.

  Dahl-Rem kept flying higher and higher into the sky, then suddenly dove straight down, aiming towards Faelar with razor-sharp claws extended. The black dragon realized there wasn’t enough time to fly out of the way and awkwardly tottered on two feet towards the burning building.

  Dahl-Rem pulled up, straightening his wings and letting gravity drop the weight of his body onto Faelar’s back as he dug in his claws. Faelar collapsed to the ground, and the Dahl-Rem dug in harder, flapping violently, lifting off and tearing bits of Faelar’s wings to shreds.

  Faelar howled, rolling over the ground and smashing into the burning building.

  Dahl-Rem lifted back in the air, soaring near Saren and the others. He opened his claw, and a silver box dropped down, as he said, “In time, Saren Thorn, you will come to know what you are.”