by Roy Huff
There had been enough bloodshed of Ubaloo, and the order finally went out to Them to send out the first wave of the armies of Them and freeze the shape that the Alarians currently held. Immediately after the order, the Alarians lost the ability to protect themselves from the weapons of the Ubaloo and others who fought along side them. Their claws also became less effective at stabbing, since they were now stuck with whichever size they were when the order had been given to prevent their shifting.
Brackenbone was especially important because it was the location of the eventual collector that would restore access to the portals, and the Ubaloo were determined to hold the line.
“Now!” shouted one of the leaders of the Ubaloo army.
The archers that had fallen back in retreat reformed. They readied their bows, placing the spears in them.
“Shoot!” the Ubaloo general said as he gave the order.
The Archers spears bounced off the scales of the dragons, but the Alarians’ eyes, snouts, and mouths were vulnerable. With each round of spears, several of the dragons were injured. It was the first time the Alarians had felt physical pain since long before they left their universe.
Then it happened!
“Fire!” the general shouted.
“Again! Fire!” he repeated.
The Ubaloo army concentrated all of their firepower on the eyes of the dragon. One of the large dragons, which they believed was one of the leaders, was struggling to stay in the air. The soldiers focused their aim on that one solitary dragon. Volley after volley, attack after attack, the dragon grew weaker. The dragon was eventually blinded, but the attack did not cease. The spears and boulders laced with tar and fire burned and hollowed out the eyes of the dragon, eventually penetrating the inside of the dragonhead.
Soldiers from both sides fixated on the dragon. A rare moment of silence and a break in the battle seized the region. The wings of the dragon slowed and then came to a complete stop. The shimmering scales and opulent color that the Alarians took on in their dragon form faded from its skin.
The dragon began its lifeless descent. Everyone watched as the dragon fell below, coming closer and closer to the ground. Moments later it made impact with a dull, unimpressive thud. By the time it hit he ground, the Alarian had shifted into its ancestral form. Then suddenly, the beast that was once an impressive behemoth of a dragon separated into smoke and vanished into the air.
Brackenbone represented the first death for the Alarians. It was only one dragon, but it was a crushing defeat. They were now subject to mortal laws. They still had a massive advantage, though. The dragons numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but their sheer size and number got in their own way, limiting the maximum number of casualties they were able to inflict. The Ubaloo, on the other hand, were small and nimble. They were able to use the shields and terrain to hide from the dragons’ approach.
The battle in Brackenbone continued. The archers came out and launched endless volleys of fire tipped spears. Hundreds of the Alarians were shot down from the sky in the same fashion as the first. Each time a dragon was defeated, it fell from the sky landing with a dull thud and evaporated.
Eventually, hundreds turned into thousands, and the battle raged on with both sides losing soldiers in great number.
Back on the battlefield in the land of the giants, Borak gave the same order to the armies of Them. The Alarians were frozen in whatever form they last possessed the moment the order was given.
“Fire,” shouted Borak. The archers took their positions, and just as in Brackenbone, thousands of Alarians were shot out of the sky. Those thousands turned into tens of thousands.
The giants, though, did not fair as well as the Ubaloo. Neither did many of the larger creatures that fought alongside them. Their large size made them a much easier target, and their losses were much more severe. Nevertheless, the deaths of the Alarians continued to increase, and many of them believed it was time to regroup and reassess the battle plan. Governor Jahal, however, was persistent and stubborn. He felt assured of an eventual victory and he did not want to give up until the deed was done.
Word spread quickly to the second city, and Governor Laveda discussed options with the council.
“Let’s send a peace convoy to try and call a truce,” she suggested.
“I don’t think that’s going to work. Unless our people stop attacking first, the armies of Everville will continue to do what must be done to protect their kind. Also, the loss of tens of thousands of soldiers is a lot to us, but there are millions of soldiers fighting with Governor Jahal. I don’t think he’s going to let the death of that small a percentage stop him from engaging in battle,” one of the councilmen suggested.
They continued to discuss among themselves about possible solutions, but none of them were workable. The Governor left the meeting in frustration and returned to her residence.
In The Valley of Darkness, the Mountain Dwellers and Fwaylan neared the entrance to the land of the giants. Once they arrived, the armies would be able to make additional progress.
The Alarians continued to lose tens of thousands of soldiers. Even among those most supportive of Governor started to question the losses. This kind of death was simply unheard of to the Alarians. They didn’t understand why their form had been frozen, but it had.
“Governor Jahal,” one of the councilmen said.
“What is it?” he asked.
“How is it that they have been able to prevent us from shape shifting?” he asked.
“I do not know,” Governor Jahal replied.
“Maybe we should fall back until we better understand what the cause is. The loss of so many of our people is unheard of. I don’t think it would hurt to take a step back while we recover from our losses and decide on the best method of attack,” the councilmen said.
“No! We can’t capitulate now. We have the armies of the giants on their knees. It will only be a matter of time before we succeed!” the Governor shouted.
“But at what price? How many of our men do we have to lose? We have survived the death of our universe and tens of billions of years, but at this moment you have led to more death than any other single event in our entire existence. We didn’t even lose this many of our progeny in The City of Worms. I beg you. I am begging you, pleading with you. Please, please stop this madness! Let’s pull back and regroup. We must find out what is preventing us from being able to shift. If not, I fear that we would have been better off staying with our families and descendants at the moment of our universe’s destruction,” one of the councilmen said begging.
Facing the very real possibility of a revolt, Governor Jahal reluctantly agreed. He instructed the Alarians to transport just outside the realm. Once they were outside the influence of Them, the Alarians regained their ability to shape shift.
Governor Laveda also got word that the Alarians were in retreat and arranged a meeting between the two.
“Governor Jahal!” she exclaimed. “There hasn’t been a murder or death of our people since the destruction of our universe, and yet your lust for power has resulted in the death of tens of thousands of our citizens. Why can’t you stop this madness?” Governor Laveda asked.
“I don’t care how many of our men die. These people, The Keepers and the others, are responsible for the murders of our children and they are going to pay!” he exclaimed.
“Hasn’t there been enough death, Governor Jahal?” she asked.
“What to do you think the trillions that were left behind in our dying universe would say? Do you think they would be pleased with your actions today? Do you think they would approve of you attacking those armies? Do you think they would believe that the pursuit of additional power as well as revenge is a good enough reason to allow for the death of people?” Governor Laveda said.
“I don’t really care. The Keepers have stopped the flow of my power and I’m going to get it back,” he said.
“Your power? I thought it was for all the Alarians. Do you hear your
self? This is about you, not our people,” she replied.
“No! You’re wrong. This is not just about increasing our access to the element. This is also about avenging the death of our children.” Governor Jahal said emphatically.
“And what about that, Governor?” she asked. “Did you ever ask them about where you would put your children? You buried them on their world. How do you know you didn’t kill any of their children?”
“It makes no difference. All that matters is that our children are dead, and those responsible for their deaths will pay. Our access to the element has also been stopped, so now they will be stopped. We will eradicate them just like they eradicated our children. If a few tens of thousands of our people have to die, then so be it!” Governor Jahal said with righteous indignation.
“Do you hear yourself? You want to fight genocide with genocide, and you don’t even know the circumstances as to why they did what they did?” she said.
He would have no more of the conversation. They would try and figure out what was causing them not to be able to shape shift, and then they would attack once again.
While the Alarians were waiting just outside the giants’ realm, a few of them got to thinking. Several of those not in power began to question the absence of Rathlar and Mallory.
“Why haven’t Rathlar and Mallory joined us? I can understand why Rathlar would be reluctant to fight, but what about Mallory? He has more power than we do. Is he simply waiting for us to do his job for him and then leave us there to die?” one of the Alarians asked.
“Yes, and what about our inability to shape shift. Perhaps he has something to do with that, as well. I think would should pay Mallory a visit and find out what the cause of his reluctance is,” another Alarian said in response.
They decided to bring the matter to one of the councilmen who agreed to listen to what they had to say. After he listened to their concerns, the councilman promised them to discuss the matter with Governor Jahal, which he did.
“Governor, I think the men are right. Why has Mallory acted so cowardly? His unwillingness to assist our people has led to so many deaths,” he said in anger.
“Mallory stated from the beginning that he would arrive later and join us in battle,” Governor Jahal replied.
“Yes, Governor, but why? What reason did he give? He has more power than us and it seems that we should be fighting together. I think it’s time we pay Mallory a visit and find out exactly why that’s the case.”
The Governor thought about it for a while and concluded it was a reasonable request. Perhaps he knew what the source was that prevented them from shape shifting. If he did, it would not only abate the concerns of the Alarians, but it would ensure their victory.
The Governor told the councilman he would meet with Mallory and return when they were ready to attack. For the moment, he had prevented the revolt.
“Mallory,” Governor Jahal said after he had transported back to the ice planet.
“What brings you back from the battlefield? Have you defeated The Keepers already?” Mallory inquired.
“No. There’s a problem. Something has prevented us from being able to shift. In our solid state, we are susceptible to death. Tens of thousands of Alarians have already succumbed to the armies of Everville and the giants, and I fear a revolt. Why haven’t you joined us yet on the battlefield. What is preventing us from being able to change our form?” he asked in a forceful tone.
Mallory was concerned. He did not care about the deaths of the Alarians, since he was planning on killing them anyway, but their inability to shift in the presence of the armies presented a distinct snag in his plan, including possible defeat. He needed to not just placate the Governor, but he needed the answer. As to the second question, any lie would do.
“Governor, give me a little time to think about and try to discover the reason behind your problem. As far as your second question is concerned, Rathlar was scared. I had to assure him that he would be safe. Much of the element lies within Rathlar, and we need to have him fully involved to ensure victory against The Keepers and Everville,” Mallory replied.
The Governor was satisfied with Mallory’s answer and gave him some additional time to find a solution or cause to the issue of the shifting. Half a day later, Mallory had an answer.
“I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner, but I have the answer you seek,” Mallory said to Governor Jahal.
“Well, what is it?” he replied.
“The armies of Them are possessed by the non-corporeal shape of creatures that are collectively known as Them. A long time ago, when your people seeded the worms in their land, you eradicated most of their species. Shortly after the seeding, the anger among the living made some of them eat the flesh of the eggs that were laid. What they found was those who tasted the flesh could remain in non-corporeal form.
“There was a disagreement between The Keepers and the survivors of the seeding that led to the current rift between The Keepers and Them. Them became a collective mind in order to gain more power in the hopes of one day finding your race and destroying you. Unlike the Alarians, when Them took non-corporeal form, they could not take a physical shape. They could only possess the bodies of others. I think that your inability to shift must mean that you are in the presence of Them.
“It can only mean that an alliance has formed between The Keepers and the remnant armies of Them. If that’s the case, I suggest you take a different approach in the battle. You will need to distance your position from Them and the armies and instead focus your attack on destroying the mineral rocks, portals, and artifacts used to stop the flow of the element. Find the location of the portals and draw the armies away from them. Once you have the armies at a sufficient distance, attack the portals and infrastructure. Once the portals have been destroyed, the flow of element to your artifacts will be restored, and your energy and strength will grow. You can leave the rest of the destruction of the armies to me.
“Once I have eased Rathlar’s fears, I will join you on the battlefield,” Mallory replied.
Governor Jahal was pleased with the solution, but he was also stunned at the revelation that Governor Laveda had been correct all along. He alone was responsible for the genocide of another race. However, the knowledge that Them had tasted the flesh of his race sickened him. It would provide the motivation for him to continue fighting until they had destroyed the portals and regained the access to the flow of the element.
After meeting with Mallory and satisfying their concerns, the Alarians returned, invading the three different regions in Everville.
CHAPTER 17
THE RETURN
When the Alarians found out that Them had eaten some of their progeny, the anger exploded within their ranks. They, along with Governor Jahal, were satisfied with the solution to lure the armies from the portals, allowing them a chance to destroy the portals and regain the access to the element.
Governor Jahal reminded them that so long as they were near the collective known as Them, they would not be able to change their form. As such, it was important to consider which form would be most advantageous for them. They needed a form that would be the most effective at destroying the portals, while defending themselves from the onslaught of fire, stone, and metal. They would also need to keep up the appearances with the armies and not reveal their intent to target the portals and mineral rocks.
After a careful deliberation, Governor Jahal decided on a form. The Alarians would take the shape of a translucent armored creature. There would be no soft flesh exposed on the outside of the armor. Their ability to see through the armor would allow a visibility without the weakness of exposed eyes. Finally, they would have a single armored limb that extended from rest of the body. It would have the shape of a hammer. The hammer would be effective at both flattening the soldiers and destroying portals. Once the last of the portals was destroyed, they would regain access to the flow of the element.
In the land of the giants, the army was grat
eful for the retreat of the Alarians, but they did not let down their guard. The giants fully expected the Alarians to return soon. The only question was when and in what form.
The soldiers were cautious not to remain too exposed, but they took the time to replenish their strength with food, attend to the sick, and bury the dead. The armies refortified as many positions they could and refashioned and made as much armors, bows, and weapons as time would allow. That time had just run out.
The Alarians began their return. This time, their appearance was swift and uniform. The translucent shape allowed light to remain, but it was an eerie green glow. The armies of Everville and the giants looked at the shape the Alarians had taken. They were concerned.
“Councilmen, we will attack the line of solders at the end farthest from the monoliths. We will smash them into smithereens, and then we will move outward, luring them as far as possible until the monoliths lay fully exposed. Ready? Attack!” shouted Governor Jahal.
They descended with a tremendous speed. Once they reached the surface, whichever creature was in their path would be instantly flattened.
“Scatter! Scatter!” shouted Borak.
As fast as they could, the soldiers scattered across the vast lands of the giants. From above, they more closely resembled ants that had just been shaken from the hive.
The first of the Alarians made contact with the ground, smashing one or two of the soldiers. It took a tremendous amount of energy, but at least they had stemmed the losses of their own dead.
The Alarians gradually pulled back and spread out farther and farther from the monoliths in an attempt to draw the armies away.
In the land of the Fron, The Keepers were also prepared for the Alarians’ return. This contingent of Alarians also arrived in unison. Immediately the Alarians began hammering away at the shield created by The Keepers. There was no visible progress, but the Alarians did not relent. They were patient and indifferent, banging away one hammer blow at time.