Xen'tarza: Book Two of the Twelve Dimensions

by Paul Centeno

  “We’re approaching the queen’s location,” he said. “Also, she has just informed me that she’s found Del Vayso.”

  “What?” Shirakaya exclaimed.

  “For his own protection, she has hidden him in a bunker nearby. While we initiate an aerial strike, you can assist from the ground. I’ll open the hatch now. Beware: There are countless augmented entities in this vicinity.”

  “Time for carnage,” Xorvaj said.

  “Fuck yeah,” Dojin agreed with a smirk.

  Myris rolled her eyes. “You guys are mental.”

  Acknowledging the AI’s warning, Shirakaya reactivated the ZX-9000. Once it started up, Vokken opened the cargo bay’s hatch. The freelancer accelerated down Marauder’s ramp at full speed, leaping off and using substructure thrusters to slow her descent. While she descended, Xorvaj used cannons to blast apart small pieces of floating granite. Not long after, a couple of mercenaries spotted Eladoris who flew above them, summoning bolts of lightning and striking several creatures.

  “There she is!” Myris said, pointing up.

  “So what?” the renegade retorted.

  Myris frowned. “We need to help her, twit face!”

  “Vokken’s got that covered,” Shirakaya said, watching Marauder launch missiles. “We’ll focus on rescuing Del Vayso.”

  Just then, a gargantuan flying beast emerged from a dense cloud. Shirakaya’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of it, activating emergency thrusters to avoid the creature. Ascending toward Eladoris, it unleashed a biochemical wave of energy akin to an electromagnetic pulse. As a result, the EMP deactivated Marauder and the tank.

  “Vokken?” the freelancer called out, watching the vessel plummet. “Vokken!” Shirakaya cursed under her breath. She then saw Eladoris approach the battleship, witnessing her use magic to negate its fall. She sighed with relief, grateful for the necromancer’s assistance. “Seems like Marauder is in good hands.”

  “Yeah and we’re in shitty hands,” the renegade said.

  “How endearing of you to say so,” Shirakaya replied, strapping on her seatbelt. “Prepare for a rough landing.”

  “You mean prepare to explode?”

  “Dojin, you’re not making me feel any better,” Khal’jan said.

  Without power, the tank plunged at an incredible speed. It flipped in three-hundred-sixty-degree movements on numerous occasions, vibrating and displacing the crew. The ghensoth drooled, purple foam coming out of his mouth. Dojin vomited and farted at the same time. Even the assassin couldn’t help but groan.

  “Something smells nasty,” Myris said.

  “That would be me,” Dojin said in a tone mixed with pride and fear, eyes widened and fixed on the pane that revealed terrain.

  “Ewww, you’re so disgusting!”

  Despite his apprehension about blowing up, he grinned at her comment. Meanwhile, the others grunted and wheezed from the extreme plummet. Mere kilometers away from smashing and exploding against the contaminated soil, the tank slowed down and maneuvered away from a pit. To their astonishment, it landed gently beside a tilted skyscraper.

  “You’re on your own from here,” Eladoris said, extending her wings and rising back to the obscured heavens.

  “Good to always have a witch on our side,” the sandstalker said.

  Shirakaya didn’t move or speak for a solid five seconds. “That’s an understatement,” she finally said. “Listen up, mercs. We need—”

  “I am back online,” Vokken interjected. “Jai’ryndar has attempted to convey the following message: Rifts keep opening. Data particles from the virtual dimension are continuously pouring into our universe. This bizarre manifestation is a form of augmented reality. It will only worsen. We must detonate all nuclear missiles and destroy this planet.”

  “Destroy the planet?” Khal’jan said. “And lose all this history?”

  The renegade scowled. “Fuck history. These fags need to be blow up before they rape our universe.”

  “Unfortunate but true,” Rah’tera said.

  “Fine,” the freelancer said, walking toward the ladder. “But first things first: rescuing Del Vayso. We’re only going to survive this hellhole by sticking together. Let’s move out and get to the bunker ASAP.”

  She climbed up and exited the ZX-9000 with her crew. Realizing the bunker stood across from the pit, they had no choice but to find a way across. Shirakaya led them near a collapsed building and strode along a ledge, avoiding the abysmal hole. Halfway across, a tremor struck and caused all but Myris to stumble. Dojin grabbed Khal’jan, preventing him from falling to his death.

  “Watch it, bub.”

  Leaning against a part of the fallen structure, Khal’jan gulped. “Thanks...”

  Passing the pit, they saw the bunker ahead. As the squad charged toward it, a digital entity resembling a uganda appeared from a rift behind them. Conjuring augmented power, it hurled a wave of energy straight at them. The discharge knocked them off their feet. Yarasuro’s helmet cracked; yet the radiation did not mutate him further.

  The augmented being floated toward them, unleashing another shockwave. This time, the wave of energy reshaped and manifested into digital manacles that shackled them against the bunker whose wall cracked upon impact. Shirakaya, like the others, struggled to move. At that moment, her KLD vibrated. Glancing at it, she noticed Xethren on the screen.

  “Can’t you see I’m busy?” she snapped.

  “I have another mission available,” he said, observing the obscure fiend approaching her. “But it looks like you’ve got your hands tied. Quite literally. Contact me if you survive whatever it is you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  As the transmission ended, the powerful entity drew closer to the mercenaries, conjuring yet another wave of energy. Before it could unleash the full extent of its devastating power, an old man attired in an environmental suit emerged from the bunker and hurled an AMG-467 antimatter grenade at the augmented being. The detonation temporarily disrupted the creature’s form, which bought Shadow Mercs the time they needed to free themselves.

  “There’s a time to fight and a time to retreat,” the old man said, his mutton chops sizzling a little from the radiation.

  “It’s him!” Myris blurted, ecstatic. “That is Wyneim Del Vayso!”

  Xorvaj took full advantage of the explosion, breaking free of his shackles. Unsheathing his energized battleaxe, he slashed everyone else’s manacles. The freelancer gave him a grateful smile, porting her enchanted ghanis sword. She then signaled her fellow mercenaries to assault the hovering entity.

  “Del Vayso!” she called out. “Get behind us!”

  The scientist glowered. “Do not battle what you cannot slay. An infinite number of those entities will keep manifesting from the virtual realm into augmented reality, striking until we’re dead.”

  “Right,” the archeologist said. “There’s no shame in staying alive.”

  Hesitating to launch an attack, the freelancer considered their words. “Vokken,” she said via KLD. “Del Vayso is with us. We need immediate extraction. I repeat: we need immediate extraction.”

  “Calm yourself, fleshling. I am on my way.”

  Despite the bombardment that caused the augmented being to implode, more creatures approached from all directions in a seemingly relentless stream. Shirakaya and her bodyguard struck with their blades, dispersing a couple of them. The ghensoth unleashed a shockwave from his axe while heaving it in arcs, tearing through a dozen beasts. Rah’tera used his cloaking device to get near his foes and then revealed himself, stabbing them from behind with dual plasma daggers.

  Dojin and Khal’jan shot from a distance, using cryo ammo to slow down their enemies. Yet more airborne creatures swooped down, attempting to claw the mercenaries with static-like talons. Other beasts scuttled forward at them from the ground. Another tremor caused the squad to stumble. The humyn scientist and uganda engineer stood in the middle as the others encircled them, fending off the incoming swarm of augmented e
ntities.

  When the battleship arrived, a colossal hand emerged from the nearby abyss. To the slack-jawed crew, it appeared like some kind of demigod rising up from the depths of the planet. As soon as Xorvaj forged a path from his sweeping strikes, the others followed him back to the tank. Once they were inside, Shirakaya activated the tank and initiated hover-thrusters that lifted it just enough to land on Marauder’s ramp.

  “Get us out of here!” she shouted.

  Vokken accelerated the battleship, zooming into the hazy heavens. A multitude of entities pursued him until Eladoris flew downward, conjuring a tremendous gale that sent them crashing into the rising titan. She then returned to the starship, regrouping with everyone. Once united, Shirakaya and her companions went to the bridge. They watched, mostly with anxiety, as the AI attempted to escape.

  Passing clouds and floating granite, Jai’ryndar pulled out a device from his backpack. He waited until they reached outer space, which seemed like a miracle to him, and then inputted a code on his device. Moments later, mass explosions erupted throughout the planet. Everyone witnessed the menacing explosions and watched the planet crumble into oblivion, deducing that Jai’ryndar had detonated every nuclear missile.

  “Don’t know why we had to run like pansies,” Dojin said. “Xorvaj and I could’ve fucked them bitches up.”

  Myris gave out a sarcastic laugh. “Sure.”

  “I was confident until seeing that giant,” Rah’tera commented.

  Khal’jan wheezed. “You said it. That thing was even bigger than Vokken back when he was an asshole.”

  Some of the crew laughed.

  Shirakaya was the only one who paid any attention to the regretful-looking uganda. “You did what needed to be done,” she said, aware that he couldn’t understand her. Yet from the tears he shed, she had a feeling that he at least comprehended her intentions to comfort him. “Vokken, tell him: Your race may be gone, Jai’ryndar, but they live on within you. And now you’re one of us. Welcome to the family. Welcome to Shadow Mercs.”

  “Enough pointless banter,” Del Vayso intervened while Vokken translated Shirakaya’s words. “I think it’s time for a proper introduction, and that includes explaining how you found me and why you have come.”

  Masquerade

  Beware of the deceivers—they who are birthed from the throes of Chaos with the innate curse to delude my children. One must be fully aware and in touch with the six senses of divinity to weed out hidden pestilence. With the faculties of faith, devotion, and hope as allies, you shall discover the festering blight and eliminate it, restoring Order to the cosmos.

  Proverbs of Discord 54:8

  Chapter Seven

  Theoretical Neurosis

  I

  Tall Tales

  Eladoris destroyed the elemental particles in space that were threatening Marauder. As she created a safe passage, Vokken flew the ship out of harm’s way. In the meantime, Shirakaya conversed with the scientist, explaining everything she and her crew had been through since her initial confrontation with Ashkaratoth and his minions; the AI simultaneously interpreted the intense tale using the ugandian dialect, allowing Jai’ryndar to also be kept up to speed.

  “That can’t be possible,” Del Vayso said, his wrinkled face blank as he sat in a chair.

  “Even one of the Ruzurai believes me,” she said. “The threat is real. We’re the only ones working on a plan to stop them. But to stand a chance, I need my power. You found this book,” she added, revealing Medeix Et Victum to him. “Surely you can finish translating it. In fact, I wouldn’t even be surprised if you made a copy before the Tal’manac Order confiscated it. You must know a way for me to regain my magic.”

  “How did you get a hold of this?” he asked, taking the book.

  “My former mentor,” she said. “Owendar entrusted it to me.”

  “You know Owendar? He is the Ruzurai who believes your story?”

  “I...knew him,” she said, trying to keep herself together. “He was like a second father to me. He’s...he passed on to the Drift Void.”

  Eyes downcast, the scientist grumbled. “I see. That is most unfortunate.”

  “I’m sure it was Owendar’s intention for us to find you. Please join us and help make his untimely death mean something.”

  “Untimely?” the renegade muttered to Xorvaj. “The guy looked dead a hundred cycles ago.” While he made the ghensoth cackle, Myris shoved an elbow into his stomach. “Ow! What the fuck, kid? My ribs still hurt.”

  Dojin walked off, returning to his quarters. The oracle merely shrugged and then picked Xeza up, petting her.

  “Will you help us?” the freelancer asked Del Vayso.

  “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to produce a copy of this book. I never finished discerning all its secrets.” The scientist remained silent for some time, pensive. Eventually, he continued, “Nonetheless, there is vital information that I uncovered. Tell me, spiritual kin of Owendar, are you familiar with the mythos of Xen’tarza and the Spectral Pulse?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am. While it seems farfetched to me that there would be a deity other than Maz’hura, we’ve been searching for a rift into the Spectral Pulse.”

  “We were hoping you could shed more light on the legend,” Khal’jan intervened, anxious.

  Del Vayso frowned. “I am speaking with Owendar’s spiritual kin...not you.” Turning his attention back to her, he went on, “Open your mind to the limitless possibilities of our divine universe. The god of time may be your only hope.”

  Shirakaya softened her glare, revealing an expression of intrigue. “What were you doing on Ruegan’Uganta?”

  “Seeking the very same portal you’re searching for.”

  “Was it there? Did you find it?”

  The scientist shook his head. “My research led me here. But, as you witnessed, what we experienced was a doorway into an artificial dimension. In the end, the virtual world combined with augmented reality proved to not only be false hope but detrimental to existence. However, thanks to you and your brave crew, the artificial dimension has been sealed for good.”

  “Do you think you’ll be able to track another rift?”

  “Without a doubt. But first, we need an enchanted artifact of sorts that has the ability to detect arcane portals beyond our dimension. Mine was unfortunately destroyed by that planet’s radiation.”

  “What about that Eye thingamajig your brother and I almost died getting?” Rah’tera asked.

  Shirakaya raised an eyebrow, porting the mystical relic via kinetic link.

  Del Vayso gasped at the cube. “By the twelve dimensions! You found the fabled Eye of Soth’yugon!”

  “Hah! I knew it would come in handy,” the archeologist said.

  “I take it this artifact will get the job done?” Shirakaya asked.

  The scientist gave a subtle nod, approaching it with reverence. “Though it may take a few days, with this relic—and a little help from one of your esteemed researchers—I may be able to pinpoint an arcane gateway from our dimension to the divine.”

  “I’m your man,” Khal’jan said.

  The scientist looked at him, skeptical.

  “Khal is my brother and an outstanding archeologist,” Shirakaya stated, patting him on the arm. “If it weren’t for him, we probably would’ve never found you. He’ll help with your research in the conference room.” Turning to the others, she went on, “In the meantime, the rest of you can stay here while I contact Xethren to find out what crazy mission he has in store for us this time.”

  II

  Beyond Science

  Settling down, the mercenaries returned to their stationed seats on Marauder’s bridge. The oracle guided Jai’ryndar to sit next to her. Xeza sniffed him from her lap and gave out a happy urp. Sitting in her armchair, Shirakaya activated the vessel’s relay system and sent a transmission to Xethren. After a minute, he appeared on the screen.

  “Well, hello there. I see you survived whatever trouble you
got yourself into. Bravo! Bravo! Ready to be professional now?”

  “Professional? Just because I couldn’t…never mind. What do you have for us?”

  “Learning manners? Good. Humility and respect were what you lacked prior to being a freelancer. Nice to see that your departure from the military taught you something. Anyway, down to business: There’s a teenage boy suffering from—wait! What in the flipping universe is that?”

  Shirakaya saw him point in the direction of her newest ally. “Who? Jai’ryndar? Oh, he’s the last surviving uganda from Ruegan’Uganta in the Syichi-Photh Kos Galaxy. He’s sort of a mute but an extraordinary engineer specializing in experimental metaphysics such as augmented reality and artificial dimensions.”

  The contact looked dumbfounded. “You do impress me, Shira. That I’ll admit.” He sighed, turning his attention away from the bizarre alien. “I digress. There’s a teenage boy suffering from something mysterious. We sent another freelancer to investigate but she hasn’t resolved anything yet and the benetarians are getting upset, so I figured you would be able to shed some light on the mystery. No one has proof. Most people think he’s crazy. Many believe he has an irreversible illness. A few say he’s faking it for attention. One person has a very different belief.”

  “Do tell,” Rah’tera said.

  “His mother can tell you what she thinks. But perhaps a hint is in order. They are located in a colony on planet Omav in Zesga’De Xanam. Now, you know how benetarians are. Magi-phobia. Considering their Imperial Majesty governs that galaxy, no one’s going to side with the boy’s mother.”

  Shirakaya lowered her head, groaning. “No freebies, Xethren. These days we need serious reons.”

  “Eighty thousand isn’t enough?” The number got her attention as he continued, “Don’t assume because the mother is living in a colony that she’s poor. Margia Ve’Sar is His Imperial Majesty’s third cousin and Countess of Omav.”