by Paul Centeno
“I am the new Lord of Chaos!”
Despite how disoriented Shirakaya was from the lethal attack, she used the jets in her spacesuit to balance herself. Zooming forward at an incredible speed, she unsheathed her enchanted ghanis blade and swiped it at her nemesis. Wings flapping, Ashkaratoth moved with incredible speed and dodged each assault. He attempted to counterattack using his claws and tail, yet she veered aside and evaded him.
As the enchantress thrust her sword with one hand, she managed to summon magic with the other. After each swipe of her frost blade, she cast a flaming spell at Ashkaratoth. One of the fireballs hit him, burning his chest. She then sliced his stomach. He hissed as acidic blood leaked down his waist. In an attempt to retaliate, the koth’vurian leader swiped his spike-strewn tail at her. Shirakaya promptly flew down in time to avoid the deadly blow and then severed his scaly tail. For the first time, Ashkaratoth barked in terrible pain at the loss of his appendage.
“Wretched witch!”
“The universe of Ensar will suffer you no more. In the name of Maz’hura, your tyranny ends here.”
“Tyranny? Let me show you the true meaning of tyranny!”
Ashkaratoth roared, his muscles and bones deforming. The sun’s energy continued to flow into him as he grew in size. As the star flickered its last light, he morphed into the vile monstrosity that haunted Shirakaya in her nightmares—the very same monstrous form that had destroyed the Celestial, killed her crew, and left her for dead.
By the time he finished his transformation, Shirakaya appeared like a dot in comparison. Ashkaratoth remained suspended before her, smug as ever with blazing scales, gamma fumes rising from his prickly snout, spiral horns along his pockmarked cranium, and gargantuan wings the size of moons. She gazed up at the cosmic being, utterly terrified. Then a voice within called out to her.
Do not be intimidated by his form, Shirakaya. Believe in yourself, and remember that the magic within you is no different than his. It is limitless.
Ashkaratoth blew purplish fire from his mouth. In seconds, the flame engulfed Shirakaya and the region of space around her. The inferno was so thick that she couldn’t see him. Despite this, her newly conjured mana shield held up. She took a deep breath and focused on the arcane power within herself. Then, she countered his flame magic with an icy spell.
As the frost magic expanded, it doused the flames around her. Shirakaya was finally able to see the shocked koth’vurian who had focused his power into a single fireball that would easily obliterate her upon contact. In turn, she concentrated her wrathful spell into a massive sphere of frost power and hurled it at her adversary.
The spells collided with each other, becoming stuck together. For a moment, Shirakaya’s frost magic advanced. Ashkaratoth worked himself into a frenzy, sucking the last bit of energy from the now-dead star. He roared menacingly, his nuclear-like magic rapidly tearing through Shirakaya’s spell—at least until a salvo of torpedoes, lasers, fusion beams, and plasma rays blasted him.
Shirakaya turned, gazing at the soudarian quadrant of space where she saw Marauder accompanied by Lady Niksa’s battleship and fleet. She beamed at the armada, her heart filled with renewed hope. Overwhelming power surged from within the enchantress as she summoned every element to strengthen her spell. The incredible magic not only devoured the flame ahead but pierced Ashkaratoth through and through.
“Impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible,” she said, calm and composed—the spirit of Soth’yugon rising out of her like a golden aura. “You lost because you failed to realize that magic supersedes the impossible. Now, suffer my wrath!”
Shirakaya blasted him all the way into the collapsing sun, where he exploded along with the star as it erupted into a supernova. She did not move, maintaining her devastating spell. The deadly phenomenon forced Eladoris to flee. Lady Niksa and her fleet escaped as well, flying out of the starless system. Despite the mercenaries of Marauder protesting, Vokken followed Lady Niksa.
“Traitor!” Khal’jan shouted. “Traitor!”
“Turn back this instant!” Yarasuro demanded.
Vokken appeared on the screen. “Do not be foolhardy. I am saving your lives. If we try to rendezvous with Shirakaya, the supernova would tear through our shields and annihilate all of you.”
“You’re just saving your own ass,” Dojin said.
“I am an arcane intelligence, linked to the Ethernet. I would not die. Only you would suffer death.”
“The bastard’s right,” Zadoya said.
“I don’t give a damn!” Khal’jan said, incensed. “We can’t just abandon her! Turn back this instant! Turn back! Now!” He started slamming his fists against the screen, at which point Xorvaj pulled him away. “Get off me! Get the hell off me!”
Myris waved her hand at him, calming his mind. Having saved him from hysteria, she grew pale and sat quietly in her chair. Silence descended over the bridge. The crew watched in terror as the supernova consumed the starless system before them. Planets, moons, and asteroid belts disintegrated. Everything that existed in that region of space dissolved into nothingness, a void unlike anything else.
Khal’jan fell to his knees. “Shira…”
“I can’t believe it,” Dojin muttered.
Though she was mostly machine, Zadoya still felt the need to hold her former lover. They embraced each other in disbelief.
“Today we have lost an extraordinary heroine,” Jai’ryndar said, hunched over.
Xorvaj lowered his head. “What we witnessed her battle against was something beyond monster and demon. Today, a true warrior has fallen.”
“An incredible leader and sorceress,” Yarasuro said.
Rah’tera shared no words, his eyes downcast.
“Hmph,” the necromancer uttered. “Are you forgetting who I am? Show me her corpse and I can bring her back to life.”
Before anyone could dispute this, Myris intervened, “There’s no need,” she said in a calm tone, smiling. “Shira’s incredible. I always knew she was special. But now I realize if anyone can bring peace to our universe, it’s her.”
“What?” Khal’jan said, losing his composure.
“She senses what I am detecting to be a scientific anomaly,” Vokken said.
“That’d be true if magic didn’t exist, ya robotic ninny,” the oracle responded. “Magic is very much alive. And it’s permeating within the supernova remnant. Please take us back to the battlefield. I need to see it for myself.”
Vokken obeyed the oracle, accelerating Marauder. Using the arcane engine, he sped back to the quadrant where they had battled the koth’vurians. In the center of the starless system, there was an empty void. No planets, moons, or asteroids remained—not even ashes. The crew looked around, finding nothing except a blackened egg-like sphere wrapped in a bubble.
“What the hell is that?” Dojin asked.
Xeza produced a hopeful urp.
Del Vayso rubbed his chin, examining the enigmatic object. “It is rare that I witness science and magic becoming one.”
“Indeed,” the AI said.
The renegade let out a sigh of frustration. “Can somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t even know what this is,” Khal’jan said.
As they approached the sphere, it cracked like a shell. Its frame resembled the void of space—an imprisoned microcosm suspended within the macrocosm of Ensar. Extending her hand, Myris sensed something within it. Her eyes glowed brightly as she used magic in an attempt to teleport it into the cargo bay. Before she could do so, it abruptly cracked apart in space, and the protective bubble dissipated.
The mercenaries wore expressions of horror on their pale faces as Ashkaratoth emerged in his gargantuan, wrathful form. Wings extended and enraged eyes burning with pure power, he produced a hideous cackle. Lady Niksa’s fleet returned and opened fire at the interdimensional entity. Ashkaratoth scoffed and merely swiped his claw at one of the vessels in her fleet, splitting it
in two and causing it to explode.
“Goddess save us,” Yarasuro said.
“Pathetic mortals! Did you truly think magic could defeat me? I am the essence of magic itself. Not even Koth’tura can survive me. Your ignorance makes me sick. Now, you shall all be expunged from the universe!”
Just as Ashkaratoth finished speaking, his scaly body started to crack. The fire in his eyes lessened. Gripping his cracked chest, he choked and groaned as if suffocating. His once smug and overconfident visage diminished—replaced with a pathetic perplexity. Before he could taste fear, his body exploded.
A nimbus of light manifested, blinding everyone. When the incredible radiance dimmed, Shadow Mercs, as well as Lady Niksa and her remaining fleet, opened their eyes and witnessed Shirakaya emerge. The aura of Soth’yugon enveloped her as she hovered before them. Her crew cheered like never before. When she teleported back to Marauder’s bridge, they surrounded her. She smiled at them and hugged her brother tightly.
“You did it, Shira!” Khal’jan said jubilantly said.
“Mission accomplished,” Zadoya said, giving her a thumbs-up.
“You crazy bitch,” Dojin said, shaking her hand. “That really scared the freakin’ shit out of me.”
Xorvaj and Jai’ryndar lifted her up while the others praised her.
“After all this time, you truly defeated Ashkaratoth,” Yarasuro said with relief. “Now the universe can finally know peace.”
“Shira, you’re so badass!” the oracle said ecstatically.
Xeza stood on Myris’ shoulder, producing many excited urps.
“Not bad for a humyn,” Eladoris said.
“It seems the threat is finally over,” Del Vayso said.
Back on her feet, Shirakaya shook her head. “I’m not so sure. Ashkaratoth may have claimed to be the new Lord of Chaos, but Koth’tura still remains imprisoned within the Drift Void. Though this has been an incredible victory once hard to imagine, I still can’t help but feel that we’re only facing the beginning of a frightening war.”
“Well, whether or not Koth’tura is truly destined to be freed,” Myris began, “I’m sure there will be other baddies out there. Whoever they are, we’ll make sure we’re around to kick them in the arse!”
“Hell yeah!” Dojin said. “I’m gonna drink to that.”
The crew cheered again in agreement.
IV
Cosmic Currents
After a well-deserved celebration, all but Shirakaya and Niksa retired to their quarters. Standing at the fore of Marauder’s bridge, Shirakaya gazed at the seemingly endless expanse of stars. Even though the ship shook, she released a breath of pure relief. Countless thoughts raced through her mind.
About one and a half cycles ago, she had fallen from the grace of the Tal’manac Order. Despite such a fate, she had managed to rebuild her life. In time, she gathered a competent team, regained her arcane gift regardless of the consequences, and managed to vanquish Ashkaratoth from the universe. Still, she found herself pondering the fate of Koth’tura. She wondered, How long will he remain imprisoned?
Marauder shook again as she returned to the present.
“I would’ve never fathomed that any of this was real,” Niksa said. “You were right all along. In the past, I just had sympathy for you. But now I feel like a fool. I was ignorant and imprudent.”
“Don’t say that,” Shirakaya responded, facing her. “We’re all ignorant of something. Life is a journey. We’re always growing. You saw what you needed to see. It was the only way. And now that you have witnessed this battle, you’re on my side. I need things to stay this way. Can I count on you?”
Lady Niksa looked at her softly. “Always…”
“Thank you,” Shirakaya replied earnestly.
The couple embraced. They held each other tightly, closed their eyes, and gently kissed. It was a moment Shirakaya didn’t want to let go of. For the first time in months, she had a little peace of mind.
“Is something on your mind?”
Shirakaya stood quietly for a moment. “I can’t help thinking about how the koth’vurians were able to return from exile,” she finally said as the ship shook yet again. “Were they always here in hiding, or did Koth’tura free them from the Drift Void? If so, why is the Lord of Chaos still imprisoned? It’s only a matter of time before he, too, is freed. Right?”
“Those kinds of thoughts are frightening,” Niksa said. “Don’t worry about such things, love. We won. Isn’t that enough? I mean, if Koth’tura is truly still out there, we will be ready to defend our universe like today. Until then, you just keep building your forces. And know that I’ll always be by your side.”
Shirakaya smiled, kissing her again. As they felt a sense of rapture with their passionate embrace, the ship shook more violently than before.
“Um...what is going on with your ship?”
“Let’s go to the bridge and find out.”
The duo left their bedchamber and used an X-Phaser to reach Marauder’s flight deck. Upon arriving, Shirakaya saw her crew already seated in their mandated positions. She rushed to her command chair.
“What’s going on?” she asked, taking a seat.
Vokken’s cybernetic face materialized on the main screen. “I’m afraid we’re in a bit of a bind. Despite us being within the ‘safe’ zone of Gydeim Scor, we’re still getting pulled into the Drift Void.”
“Of course,” Dojin said, crossing his arms. “There’s always some stupid bullshit fucking us over.”
“Why are we finding out about this now?” Niksa inquired.
“My thoughts exactly,” Khal’jan snapped.
“If you must know,” Vokken replied, “I did not want to cause panic after such a victory. I also thought the vessel was strong enough to bypass the current.”
“You were wrong, asshole,” Dojin retorted.
“Let’s stay calm, mercs,” Shirakaya said. “Vokken, activate the cosmodrive and see if it can pull us out.”
“I already tried. It’s not responding.”
Shirakaya sighed. “Anyone have ideas?”
Del Vayso checked the mainframe. “It seems most of our resources were depleted in the deadly battle. I’m afraid our only hope is the arcane engine somehow managing to break free of the Void’s current.”
“Unlikely,” the sandstalker said, his eyes fixed on the map.
“Well, what’re we gonna do?” Myris asked. “Surely there must be something we can do to get out of this wanky nightmare?”
“You’re the oracle, dipshit. You tell us.”
Myris scowled at the renegade. “I’m not some kind of bloody robot with buttons you can push to receive a vision, jerk face.”
The battleship continued shaking. As it drew closer to the Drift Void, the vibrations became even more intense, stressing the crew evermore. The mercenaries felt like they were stuck on board a sinking ship, destined to enter a realm of oblivion. Upon this realization, the necromancer conjured up a mana shield and looked around the crew one final time.
“You were amusing to fight with, but I’m not dying for any of you.”
Without remorse, she teleported into outer space and attempted to fly away. The current, however, pulled her infinitely quicker than the battleship; she was gone from their sight within seconds.
“My queen!” Vokken shouted, his seemingly lifeless voice revealing genuine emotion for the first time ever.
Yarasuro lowered his head in surrender. “No one will ever learn of our extraordinary journey, or the intrepid battle that took place here…”
“Jai!” Shirakaya called out. “Can you use your implants to create a gateway?”
The engineer already knew that the energy in his implants had been depleted from the grueling battle, but he nevertheless attempted to set up coordinates and establish a portal. Not receiving a response, he closed his eyes and communed with his inner dhi-cha. He refused to accept this fate, but his augmented body and implants needed more time to rejuvenate.
/> “Alas, I have failed you.”
“Never,” Shirakaya said, comforting him despite her growing fear. “None of us failed today. No matter what happens, we achieved the impossible.”
Those were her last words of inspiration. Everybody remained silent as they approached the enigmatic Drift Void. They gazed at the red chasm for the first time with their own eyes. To many of them, it resembled the size of a dozen black holes. No one could see anything beyond the crimson void. Most crewmembers lost faith as their lives flashed before them.
“You did this!” Khal’jan abruptly shouted, gazing in fury at the computer. “There’s no more threat other than us! You’re sending us to our deaths!”
“I beg your pardon?” Vokken said, his voice revealing irritation.
Shirakaya frowned, taking a deep breath. “If we are fated to die, then tell us the truth, Vokken. Was this your plan all along?”
“Do you pathetic fleshlings think I would actually do this?” He produced a cybernetic laugh. “Koth’tura is still out there. Furthermore, I’m too proud and ingenious to have you killed in such a simplistic way. Challenges enthrall me. A vessel aimlessly flying into the Drift Void is not a challenge.”
Del Vayso checked his terminal. “The arcane intelligence is not lying. Our resources are actually just about depleted.”
“I hate that asshole even when he’s telling the truth,” Dojin said.
Xorvaj let out a deafening roar of frustration. “This cannot be our fate! No! I refuse to accept it!”
Jai’ryndar joined his palms. “If such is the will of dhi-cha, I am ready.”
“Sis?” Khal’jan said. “Can’t you use your magic?”
“I already tried, Khal. I am so, so sorry. No magic other than the divinity of Maz’hura can dispel the Drift Void.” She paused, a lifeless expression carved on her face. “Vokken, I have one final request for you. Then you are free of us.”
“I was always free. What is your request?”