Atlantis Quadrilogy - Box Set

by Brandon Ellis

  The Agadon had taken over Taiyo. They had taken over Leonia. And it was easy. Now they were here to take over Callisto, following Jaxx everywhere he went.

  “Watashitachi za sorera zo tomeru tame zi inoru.”

  Jaxx stood, eyes watching the unstoppable Agadon force. “Yes, Kiyo-zan. We must pray to stop them. Yet, I think we must do more than just pray. Maybe this is why we need the Kelhoon to help us fight. That’s in the prophecies, is it not?”

  “It is,” confirmed Zara. “It’s time to get them on our side. They may have no choice.”

  The ground shook as more ships entered the atmosphere, heading toward East-Rise, a place that was most likely as dead as the place where Jaxx stood now.

  If a Kelhoon camp was there, then they were about to get a rude awakening.

  Jaxx searched the energetic waves that ebbed and flowed around him for Rivkah’s signature again and gripped it tight when he found it. Bogle was close by and joined them in the ether with a smile. The three of them linked hands and let the song of the Universe dance through them, elevating them to a different plane. Only then did Jaxx understand what Abdu had meant about the space between. He opened his pineal gland as wide as he could, activating Rivkah’s third eye, and Bogle’s chakric center. Between the three of them, they had enough positive energy to punch a hole right through the center of the Agadon’s black-hearted plan.

  There was a blip in a distant corner of Jaxx’s consciousness. Earth. She was under attack. He homed in on his beloved planet, the one that had given him shelter for so many years. He smiled. Earth was in good hands. A young girl, Mya, would protect. Mya could repel. Mya would lead the people of Earth from the darkness.

  He turned back to his beloved, Rivkah. Her smile was radiant. She and Bogle had escaped with Abdu’s help and they were on the run, but her spirit was right here, with him. Together, the three of them would be able to halt the march of the Negatives, even if they couldn’t close up the portals permanently without Fox.

  The second he thought of Fox, Jaxx saw him racing after Abdu, Bogle, and Rivkah, a weapon the size of a small country in his hand. He dropped to one knee and aimed for Rivkah.

  Jaxx yelled to warn her, but it was too late.

  Rivkah went down, hard.

  Jaxx dug his energy into the soil, up to the stars, out to the firmament and sucked every ounce of love, hate, and everything in between he could find from any source available. When he pulled the trigger on his rage, empires would tumble and nothing – not Abdu, not Zara, not Kiyo-zan – would stop him. He was Kaden Jaxx, the one who brought death to Death’s door.

  Beyond Atlantis

  Ascendant Chronicles Book 4

  1

  J-Quadrant, Solar System - Flood of Dawn, Callisto

  Jaxx eyeballed the East. He closed his eyes and sent out a blast of energetic waves in all directions. The cold wind buffeted his body. A sprinkling of snowflakes landed one after another against his bare arms, head, and neck.

  His heart plummeted when he found Rivkah’s energetic signature. She was northeast of his position, miles away, running in the wrong direction, and in big trouble. He homed in on her, zooming in closer and watching from above. A halo of etheric colors surrounded her – the way his third eye saw things beyond the veil.

  Abdu, the lion from Leonea, ran by her side, prompting her along, urging her to move faster. Katherine Bogle too. They were all panicking, struggling to break out of a Kelhoon camp. Half-lizard, half-human, the Kelhoon were a race hell-bent on enslaving anyone other than their own blood, their own kindred. Their taste buds were happiest when they feasted on human flesh. They were determined to steal Callisto from its current inhabitants, the Atlanteans, and would stop at nothing to secure their bloody victory.

  Rivkah and Bogle halted and leaned up against a domed building, their breaths coming fast and heavy. Abdu stopped in front of them and moved to one knee, raising his long bamboo phaser. He closed one eye and squinted through his weapon’s scope with the other.

  His phaser pushed back against his shoulder and a hot, thick purple energy blast shot outward, tagging a Kelhoon in pursuit. The Kelhoon’s shoulder ripped out of the socket and green blood spewed in all directions. The Kelhoon’s rifle flipped in the air and in one sweeping motion, the Kelhoon caught it with his remaining hand and continued his attack.

  The Kelhoon raced forward, aiming its weapon. Coming closer and closer. Another Kelhoon powered up behind him. Then more, and more.

  And then Captain Richard Fox, Jaxx’s brother, rounded a building and rushed toward Rivkah, Bogle, and Abdu. He was in kill mode, his energy black, and enraged. Jaxx could tell his main target was Rivkah and he’d tear every head off to get to her. But why was he after Rivkah? Why was he now on the Kelhoon side?

  Abdu took a steady breath, gathering himself, and pulled the trigger several more times. The Kelhoon with one arm jerked back as a bolt, then another, landed square in his chest. It lost its balance and dropped its rifle, going listless and falling to the white, snow-covered terrain. It lay motionless.

  A Kelhoon came from behind, snagging the fallen soldier’s rifle. It now held one in each hand.

  Rivkah pushed off the dome and thrust her hands forward. The land around the Kelhoon exploded. Snow-covered rock and soil erupted, throwing the Kelhoon several yards back.

  “Go, go,” yelled Bogle.

  Rivkah turned, rushing past the building and out into the open. A camp wall was only twenty yards away. To Jaxx, it would be an easy run, an easier jump, and the best means to escape. They all could do it, even Bogle. All they needed to do was not look back.

  Abdu and Bogle moved, their feet pounding against the earth.

  Fox shoved a Kelhoon out of the way and came to a stop, placed his K10 rifle in the crease between his shoulder and pec, and targeted Rivkah.

  She glanced over her shoulder.

  Phhhzzoooopa!

  The charge sunk deep into Rivkah’s back. She stumbled forward and crashed to the ground.

  Jaxx gasped and opened his eyes. “Fox! You piece of shit.”

  Kiyo-zan – the Taiyonian friend who always had Jaxx’s back – pressed his hands on Jaxx’s shoulders. “Daijōbudesuka?”

  Jaxx had picked up enough Japanese, during his time on the planet Taiyo, to understand Kiyo-zan. Kiyo-zan, in turn, had learned English from Jaxx. So it was that the friends spoke to one another in their native tongues, without misunderstanding.

  Jaxx was filled with fury. He clenched his fists. “No, I’m not okay.” No more being nice. No more trying to find his way with his magic, his powers, his Chi. He was going full force now. Fuck the Kelhoon, those lizard-headed pieces of shit. Fuck the Agadon, the artificial intelligence assholes. Fuck anyone standing in his way.

  A rumble pierced the sky. A ship, black and diamond-shaped, ripped through the dark clouds. Lightning struck the craft, illuminating it in a brilliant silver glow. It was the Agadon, the galaxy killers, the race destroyers. They were here by way of a glitch in their central processing units, programming them to rid the universe of anything breathing, anything sentient.

  “We need a ship of our own,” said Jaxx.

  “We need to find the Kelhoon base camp, Jaxx. We need to make them understand that they have to fight with us to defeat the Agadon threat. That is our next mission, our next prophecy to fulfill,” said Zara. She stood proud and tall, her whiskers twitching as she stared Jaxx deep in the eyes.

  Zara always spoke the truth, Jaxx knew that. She’d never steer him wrong. Not deliberately. But his mind was on Rivkah. He couldn’t turn from her. And it wasn’t just because she was the love of his life. If they were to save the Atlanteans and secure Callisto, he and Rivkah had to be reunited. “The prophecy is nothing without Rivkah, Fox, and Bogle. Those are our targets. We’re heading northeast, then we fulfill whatever the prophecy wants us to fulfill.”

  The prophecy was a thorn in Jaxx’s side. He had to give his entire life, all his new-found energy, to riddi
ng Callisto – and perhaps the galaxy – of the Negative Beings, namely the Agadon, from invading planet upon planet, and decimating race upon race. But that was cosmic justice in action. He hung his head. It was his fault this pestilent scourge had been let loose. He’d opened the pyramid network with Rivkah and Fox, but not with Bogle. The prophecy had been clear: all four of them were required to work together to open the network. Only then would the Light and Bright Beings, with positive and peace-loving vibrations, be permitted to travel the network at will.

  Jaxx straightened himself and faced his fate, head-on. It was what he was created to do, it was the reason he was born – to fulfill this prophecy. The combination of his human and Atlantean DNA sequence was the key to the network. He was born to give his life, to die for the benefit of the galaxy.

  “Get the Kelhoon on your side. I am telling you that is what is most important right now,” explained Zara.

  Jaxx gave her a sharp look, a look that would shatter most human souls. It didn’t faze Zara in the least. “Trust me, Zara. The Kelhoon will never be on our side. No convincing will do any good.”

  They were in Flood of Dawn, Callisto’s capital city. It had been shot to hell. Remnants of the glass dome that had once encased this lush, fertile area, were broken and smashed throughout the grounds. The glass was the barrier from Callisto’s cold, outside environment – an environment that had now stolen the life from the vibrant trees, rivers, and plants that had once thrived there.

  A few Atlanteans, the inhabitants of this moon and creators of the many pyramids, coliseums, and obelisks that graced the landscape, were slumped on the ground, dead, half buried in snow. Some had burn holes in their bodies, others were half eaten by the Kelhoon.

  Jaxx could barely contain his disgust. His stomach flipped and he bit back the urge to vomit. He bent down, touching a dead saber tooth tiger’s head. It was Queen Liberty Spiedel’s pet and companion. He closed the majestic creature’s eyes. “Where is your master?” He knew the animal was dead, but the tiger’s body still held cell memory, even if its brain wasn’t functioning.

  An energy swirled into his hands like electricity. He stiffened, and his arms went rigid. Static filled his ears. To his surprise, Liberty spoke through her animal. I’m in my palace, Jaxx. I know you’re searching for your friends, and a ship. Rivkah is still alive, but you feel that. I’m in the palace with my transport ship. My ship is yours now.

  Liberty’s energy was low. Too low. The transmission quickly faded and Jaxx was left staring at his hands. He stood and waved his friends forward. “Follow me.”

  Zara the lioness, leader of the Leonians, and Kiyo-zan, his Taiyonian friend, hurried up the hill and around a murky pond filled with rotting pine needles and bloated fish.

  Zara dashed forward, her long legs pushing her past Jaxx. “I can feel the Queen, Jaxx. We need to get to her quickly.”

  They ran for several minutes, dodging debris and circling columns and obelisks until they rounded a corner and came upon the palace. Its crystal structure spiked toward the heavens, the immense building’s translucent walls gleamed, and its mighty towers reached far beyond the city’s rooftops.

  They burst through the two doors, moved past the great hall, and into a dome chamber. Liberty was on the floor, her body bloody, her clothes half torn. Fresh slash marks riddled her chest and face. A transport craft was next to her, its engines idling and purring, its ramp open and ready for Jaxx and his friends to board.

  Jaxx reached Liberty, laying his hands on her shoulder. “We need to get you to a doctor.”

  She shook her head. “None are near Flood of Dawn, Jaxx.” Tears ran down her cheeks, her lips quivering. “I’ve failed my people.”

  “We can save you,” said Jaxx. He glanced at Zara, hoping she could do some type of healing magic. His eyes fell on one of the items hanging from the chains that crisscrossed her torso. “That liquid. Would that work?” It was the same liquid he drank before teleporting to Callisto. It gave him vital energy, almost too much energy. He wasn’t going to tell Liberty that the mighty Golgath beast roamed Zara’s planet, only to have their piss collected for medicinal purposes.

  Zara stepped forward, unclipping a round vial full of red fluid. “It would do well for her, but it may be too late to heal her.”

  Liberty closed her eyes. “Let me move to the next transition in life. Take my ship. Find Rivkah. Save what you can of Callisto…what you can of the galaxy.”

  A thunderous roar vibrated the palace.

  “More are coming, Jaxx,” said Zara. “We need to move before they find you and surround this building.”

  Liberty took Jaxx’s hand and squeezed. “Go, Jaxx.”

  Jaxx dug under his rage for the Agadon and Kelhoon to find some nice words. “Come with us, Liberty. We’ll take you to safety and find someone who can help you.”

  Liberty looked away, gazing up at the ceiling. “I’m on my last heartbeats, Jaxx. I wouldn’t make it and I don’t know if I want to make it.” She coughed. Blood coated her mouth. She wiped it with her hands. “Go, Jaxx.”

  Screw it. He bent down and slipped one arm under her knees, the other on her back. He stood, holding her like a bride. “We’re getting you to safety. You’re going to live.” He knew what he was saying was probably bullshit. She didn’t look like she had much life left in her.

  Liberty coughed, then managed a smile. “Cool your fire, Jaxx. Let your heart lead, not your anger. It will do you well.” She continued to gaze at the ceiling. “Open.” The ceiling split in two, opening like an elevator door, the gray, smoky sky displaying before them and casting light into the large room.

  Zara pushed Jaxx forward. “Move.”

  They ran up the ship’s ramp, Liberty in Jaxx’s arms. He placed her on the floor and took another look at her. Her skin was pallid, her eyes clouded, her chest still. She was already dead.

  He punched the transport ship’s hull. “Dammit!”

  He wanted to kill every Kelhoon, every Negative, to rid the Galaxy of all evil, to exterminate it forever.

  Kiyo-zan went to one knee and touched Liberty’s third eye, whispering words Jaxx couldn’t hear.

  Zara crossed her arms and stood in a wide stance. “She died a noble and honorable death.” She eyed Jaxx. “Energy never ceases, Jaxx. It moves from one vehicle to the next. You’ll cross her path again one day.”

  Jaxx turned. “What the hell does that mean?” He slammed his fist against a button at the top of the ramp. The ramp hissed, steam rising from the hydraulics that lifted the ramp to a close. Right now, he couldn’t care less what it meant. In reality, the Queen of Callisto, the Queen of all the Atlanteans on this Jupiter moon, was dead. Jaxx spun around and hurried to the pilot’s seat and sat next to his two friends who had already taken their places. They were waiting on Jaxx to get this transport up and into the sky.

  He pressed several holographic buttons, brought up the display screen online, and revved the engines to a louder purr. The craft lifted and he maneuvered it so the ship’s bow pointed toward the open ceiling and the dark gray sky beyond.

  He pushed the anti-grav unit on and thrust the throttle forward. The transport shot out of the palace as if propelled by cannon fire. He leveled the craft and banked right, heading for the hills separating East Rise from Flood of Dawn.

  He bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes. The last thing the Kelhoon wanted was a pissed-off Jaxx. He was coming for them, ready to kick some Lizard ass.

  2

  J-Quadrant, Solar System - Flood of Dawn, Callisto

  Rivkah tumbled to the ground, heat sinking into her upper back. She screamed. Her legs lost all sensation. Her arms were no use. She couldn’t break her fall. Her face skidded across the rocky snow.

  She struggled to push herself back up, but her limbs weren’t complying, they weren’t moving. She closed her eyes and conjured up a vision of electrical impulses zipping from synapse to synapse. They wouldn’t zip, no matter how she tried. In fact, they weren’t
struggling at all. They weren’t even fucking firing.

  She knew she had been shot, but did it sever her spinal cord?

  Her nose was buried in the snow. She quickly moved her head, laying her cheek against the frigid ground.

  At least there was something that could move.

  Her lip was split open. Blood dripped on the snow. Her nose oozed red. She could feel the snow, cold on her cheek but freaking frigid as the arctic on her forehead. Something else was going on there. Perhaps it had been stripped of skin when she took her fall. The pounding in her skull suggested a possible fracture.

  This was the last thing she needed.

  Someone lifted her up. The movement sent a pulsing pain coursing up her back and into her brain. She cringed. Who the hell had picked her up. Was it a Kelhoon?

  She felt deep, warm fur against her limp arm. It was Abdu, her Leonian friend. The sensation was good. It meant her spinal column hadn’t been severed, but why the hell couldn’t she move her limbs?

  Abdu threw her over his shoulder. “Bogle is using her Chi. She’s holding them off for the moment.”

  An explosion kicked up the snow and dirt next to Abdu’s feet, barely missing him. He pushed toward a Kelhoon camp’s wall and leaped.

  Rivkah’s weight shifted and she floated an inch off of Abdu for an instant. Her head came up from the jump and she glimpsed Bogle running ten yards behind them, a whole mess of Kelhoon on her tail. More of the enemy were flat on their backs, from whatever carnage Bogle had inflicted upon them.

  Fox, on the other hand, was in full pursuit. It was the old Fox she remembered. The one with evil in his eyes and vengeance in his heart. His whole “buddy-buddy” thing, when they’d landed on Callisto, had been a front. Figured.

  The wall blocked her view as Abdu landed. Her stomach dug into his shoulder, knocking the wind out of her.