D'mok Revival 4: New Eden

by Michael Zummo

  “The transports and additional fighters should be here in five minutes.”

  “Keep moving,” he yelled, looking for any beasts that pursued them.

  Ichini and Mencari unleashed a few blasts, driving them back into the darkness. Then he heard it, a yowling screech that echoed down the corridor toward them. In moments, the sound of clacking joined the beastly cries.

  “One of the security doors deployed! The corridor is blocked!” Minea yelled through the communicator.

  Minea was right; they came to a dead stop, thick metal doors sealing off the way back.

  “They’re still coming!” Allia yelled.

  Even in the dull light of the corridor, Mencari spotted shadows closing on them quickly. “We might not have a minute.” He gathered energy in his hands and unleashed a few pulses down the corridor. Maro stood by his side and took another clear cylinder from her pocket. She threw it at the wall by them, and a fog of nanites quickly dove at the metal superstructure. “What are you doing?” Mencari yelled.

  Sections of the wall began to discolor and bubble. Before his eyes, the very metal began to change. What initially looked like serrated edges that ran along the floor, walls, and ceiling continued to extrude out in long barbs. “Buy us some time, I hope.”

  “Pet,” Katen said, turning toward Decreta. “Hellfire the corridor.”

  Without pause, Decreta took up position in front of Maro. The dragon-man opened his mouth, which began to fill with a hellish light. The beast shrilled, and a torrent of fire streamed out, landing just beyond Maro’s metal spires, causing sections of floor and wall to catch fire. Mencari witnessed Decreta’s breath attack before. Its biological fire must have some sort of chemical composition that bonded to the target and immolated it.

  Cerna moved to the front of the group. “We don’t have time to wear down the door. Concentrate your attacks through me. We’ll punch through like we did to get inside the bay!”

  Among Cerna’s many talents, the most incredible was her ability to funnel the energies of other D’mok-enabled abilities through her, and transmute them into a new attack. Mencari knew it took a lot out of her to channel such large amounts of energy, but they needed to get through the barrier.

  With arms outstretched she closed her eyes, and a golden aura pulsed from her body. “I’m ready,” she said, her tone confident and prepared.

  Mencari gripped his fists, calling forth a white light that surrounded them. He reached toward her saying, “Incoming.” His energies streamed forth in a streak of blazing light. What came next never ceased to amaze him. As his power struck her, the beam grew thin and anemic. Her golden aura began to flare with tiny sparks, which intensified into ribbons of blue energy that crackled across her body.

  Allia and Ichini followed, firing their own beams of energy. Cerna grunted, absorbing more power. Small orbs of white energy appeared and floated around her, opposite the motion of the ribbons.

  Naijen was next. Even without Speru’s boosting ability, he could throw a tremendous amount of power in his attacks. With one hand holding his wrist, a globe of energy pooled in his open hand moments before elongating into a beam. Mencari maintained his energy flow and watched in awe as Cerna’s physical body appeared to vaporize before them. In its place was a cosmic entity of pure power containing swirling vortexes within her.

  The ribbons of blue and orbiting globes of white were drawn into the vortexes, which took on a cerulean hue. Her cosmic arms reached toward the metal door. The energies within were drawn up to her cosmic hands. Twisted bands of cerulean and white plasma streamed toward the metal security door. Where it struck, the metal buckled then ripped open. When the hole was wide enough she unleashed one final blast, emptying herself of the energy. In doing so, her body and clothing returned. Thick rivulets of sweat poured down her face, and her radiance dimmed to normal.

  “Good work,” Mencari said.

  Panting, she nodded in return.

  “Scanners are detecting more creatures,” Minea said.

  Mencari looked down the burning corridor. “Where?”

  “Everywhere,” Minea said.

  Not wanting to wait, Mencari yelled, “Keep going—through the door!”

  They had only taken a few steps when Maro shrieked and pointed up. “Above us!”

  In the enclosed catwalks above them creatures were scampering about frantically, looking for a way down. A glow around Naijen’s hands drew his attention. “NO!” Mencari yelled, grabbing Naijen’s arm. “If you blast a hole, others will come right down on top of us. We need to scare them back.”

  “By your command,” Katen said. He looked up, squinted eyes filled with an evil pleasure. The creatures began to shriek as if their limbs were being torn off. Two fell dead to the grating, bodies writhing. Wailing in pain, the other beasts made a mad scamper away from the Mencari and the others.

  “Let’s move!” Mencari barked, noticing the heat, and the firelight creeping down the corridor toward them. Decreta’s attack appeared to have done far more than they intended.

  As they approached the bay, the sensation of his son being near returned. He isn’t here. Why can’t I shake this feeling?

  “There’s the landing bay!” Cogeni yelled, pointing ahead.

  One at a time they disappeared through the door into the bay.

  “Go, GO!” Allia screamed from just inside the bay, where she was helping the prisoners through.

  Decreta’s fire had consumed the far corridors, and was already moving their way. Through the flames Mencari saw the shadows of those creatures. Somehow they were immune to the fire. Or perhaps adapted to it?

  Mencari pivoted and dashed through the door. Allia shut it behind him.

  He’d reached for his communicator to contact Una when a brilliant flash of light struck the ground before him. With a thunderous crash, a blast blew him off his feet and tossed him like a rag doll. He thudded against door, then crashed to the ground. A loud ringing filled his ears, along with the muffled cries of his friends. A moment of confusion was consumed by pain. Every fiber in his body shrieked, the kind of pain that felt like razor wire and lightning ripping him apart. His soldier instincts drove him to find cover, but it took everything he had just to stay conscious.

  His attempt to call out ended in a pathetic wail. With his eyes still clamped shut, he could feel Cerna, Cogeni, Allia, and Ichini close ranks around him. They were protecting him from something. Then he sensed the presence of another, a powerful and angry foe that hovered meters above him.

  The ringing in his ears began to fade, replaced with the sound of maniacal laughter.

  “Oh, the mighty Rhysus Mencari. Don’t disappointment me. You were supposed to be so much more of a challenge,” the distorted but youthful voice chided from above.

  A radiant warmth bathed his skin. As the seconds passed, the pain dissolved away. He opened his eyes and saw Cogeni kneeling beside him. His ancient relic illuminated, casting healing light down upon him.

  “Yes, please help him. No one would believe me if I said I took him out with one little blast,” the youth said, followed by cruel laughter.

  Floating above him were three beings, not one. There was no denying the creatures before him. Nukari beasts! The largest’s head looked like a shriveled mushroom with a beetle-like face protruding out the front, along with two hooks protruding from powerful jaws. Its bulky body looked like pulled bands of thick, charcoal-colored muscle wrapped around an immense ribcage. Unnaturally broad shoulders branched down in spindly arms, which ended in elongated, bony fingers. Meaty legs also tapered down into anemic stubs for feet. Beside it floated an aqua-tinted fish-man. Overdeveloped gills stretched from behind the ears and down around its neck. Sunken eyes glared angrily toward him. Its bumpy skin looked more frog than fish, and its large flappy lips stretched down in a permanent scowl. Both radiated a muddy-blue aura, and were twice as large as the smaller one in the middle. While smaller in stature, it looked no less fearsome. Large spikes jutt
ed from its head, shoulders, and hips. There was no face to speak of except tiny glowing slits for eyes, and an unnaturally narrow mouth. Its charcoal-hued skin showed through sections of black carapace covering its shoulders, forearms, and legs. Unlike the other two, this one glowed with a golden tinge.

  Mencari knew that, at some point, perhaps soon, they would run into their old nemesis: the Nukari Beast Warriors. Strange that he could only feel the smaller one and not the other two.

  “Laugh at this,” Naijen bellowed, unleashing a sizable blast of energy. Despite the surprise, the attack only scattered the beasts. Time appeared to slow for Mencari as he watched the beasts come around and then attack together, converging their attacks into one beam that headed directly at Naijen. There was no time for Mencari’s warrior to dodge. He couldn’t even summon his own power to extend a protective D’mok field around Naijen. Their combined attack was going to hit.

  A small blur streaked in front of the giant. Light flared, and an explosion billowed around him. Rather than the warrior’s bellow, Mencari heard Allia cry out. As the debris cleared, he stared in disbelief at their youngest member holding off the beams through a combination of her deployed wrist shield and her own D’mok energies.

  “Saved by a child,” the youth taunted. “You’re all a disappointment—except for that girl there.” The Nukari beast looked across the group, stopping on Katen. “As for you, brother—traitor …” He tapped a clawed finger on his temple. “You won’t be getting inside here.”

  Mencari heard Katen’s voice echo in his mind. He isn’t lying. I can barely feel their presence, as if they are not here. Look at their temples, I think those might be creating the interference.

  Looking more closely, Mencari saw the small, glowing bumps on either side of each beast’s forehead.

  In a fit of fury, Naijen resumed his own attacks, all of which the Nukari beasts dodged with grace. The youth laughed.

  “So much for legends,” the youth added.

  Mencari slowly stood, amassing his power, glowing with a golden radiance.

  “Oh?” the youth said, in a combination of surprise and delight. “So you’re not done yet.”

  Behind Mencari the screech of claws on metal grated his nerves.

  “Bit of a tight spot you’re in,” the youth said and snickered.

  Katen’s voice echoed in Mencari’s mind. I can’t reach their minds. They’re protected somehow.

  No easy way to deal with the Nukari, then.

  Cerna’s voice whispered in his mind. I’ll protect the prisoners. They’ll be sorry if they direct their energies my way.

  “Decreta, Naijen—take the rear two,” Cerna said. “I’ll take the middle one.”

  “Oh, I’m so scared,” the boy said, mocking.

  “Take the runt—it’s a good fit for you,” Naijen sneered as he radiated light, bared his Skar, and flew at his prey.

  Mencari followed, along with Decreta. The Nukari beasts scattered, the youth laughing in glee.

  CHAPTER 9

  Cat & Mouse

  “We have to get them to safety,” Allia yelled, motioning to the prisoners.

  “There!” Cerna pointed to a small room on the other side of the bay. “Get them in there, and we can protect the area.”

  Allia bobbed her head. “This way!”

  Above them the Nukari beasts soared with a beautiful grace, while her teammates did their best to keep up and land their energy attacks. Something was different about these Nukari beasts, Allia realized. They moved with a mastery not seen in creatures like them before.

  She tapped her communicator. “Una, can you pick us up?”

  No response. She continued to lead the group toward the room on the far side of the bay.

  “Why isn’t she answering?” she called out.

  Toriko called forward, “She’s still out there. But there’s a lot more Nukari fighters out there. Maybe she has her hands full—”

  “Watch out!” Mencari yelled down to the group.

  Allia looked up and saw the gigantic sphere of throbbing energy streaking toward her. It was too late to try to dodge it. Even if she did, the prisoners directly behind her would take the hit. She skidded, bracing behind her round wrist shield, while projecting her golden D’mok field.

  A shadow moved in front of her. It was Mencari? But no, the blast!—

  She felt a scream rise in her throat as she watched the ball of light strike him. But instead of hurting him, it exploded in a shower of colored light. The smaller Nukari beast scoffed. Mencari looked briefly back, his eyes reflecting the confusion she felt. What just happened? Did someone do something?

  “Let me lead,” Cogeni said, pushing to the front of the group. He gripped a small artifact that radiated a serene cream-colored light. “Great Protector, Lord Demas, grant us your divine favor against these beasts.” With that, a peaceful light fountained over them, encasing them in a dome of energies. “We’re not far now.”

  Above them, Mencari growled, “This ends now!” A pure white light poured from his fists. He moved in a blur toward the smaller Nukari beast. His fist connected with the youth, who was sent flailing backward. Staying with the attacker, Mencari followed up with a glowing punch to the gut. With a grunt, the smaller Nukari smashed against a weaker section of wall, which shattered as he hit. Both of them disappeared into the darkness beyond the hole.

  “Keep moving,” Cogeni yelled, grabbing Allia’s attention.

  “Are all the missions like this?” Maro yelled.

  “Pretty much,” Toriko quipped. “You get used to it.”

  The darkened bay strobed as volleys of energy blasted back and forth. Naijen and Decreta’s attacks seemed more powerful than their adversaries’ were, but the Nukari outflew them. The remaining beasts fluttered around a flurry of attacks, then dove into the hole made by Mencari.

  “We’re going in after ’em!” Naijen barked.

  In a flash, Decreta and Naijen disappeared into the wall.

  “Up there!” Maro screamed, pointing to the exposed walkways in the rocky wall levels above them. Creatures continued to burst through the vents, pouring in like water across the catwalks.

  “Keep moving the prisoners, I’ll buy us some time,” Allia said, raising her Flower Blade and summoning her golden aura. Beside her, a brilliant light enveloped Ichini. In moments, large hooves emerged from the light. Followed by clawed hands, and thick bony blades that jutted from muscular arms. Long ridged horns pierced through the top, followed by a furry mantle and a gargoyle’s face. As the light faded, Ichini stood and roared, towering three times its original height. A glow radiated from its mouth, ready to attack.

  Beasts from above dove over the side railing directly at them. Opening fire, Allia and Ichini picked them off as though shooting clay pigeons out of the sky. The ones that leaped at them were easy to hit. But the flood of creatures that simply dropped to the next level closer to them, they could do little about. Soon there would be a horde of beasts upon them.

  Allia looked back, and saw Cogeni entering the control room Naijen had inadvertently pointed out, along with the prisoners. At least he’d be able to keep them safer there. Flashes of light drew her gaze to the hole Mencari and the others had gone into. She wondered if they were okay.

  “They’re going to come over those rails any second,” she said, observing the massing beasts on the level directly above them.

  “Fall back!” Maro said, her hand on Allia’s shoulder. In Maro’s hand was another cylinder of nanites.

  “What are you going to do with those?” she asked.

  With a smirk, Maro said, “This!”

  She smashed the glass cylinder on the ground before them. A black cloud spread across the metal floor. “Move back—let’s get into that room with the others.”

  In seconds the metal bubbled and split. The entire floor shifted under their feet as they ran back to the room. Behind her, Allia heard sections of the metal groan, then break free, crashing down. She look
ed back in time to see the creatures streaming down, trying to jump the chasm and falling to their deaths. For the moment, they were a bit safer.

  * * * * * *

  Mencari snarled, ricocheting off a rocky outcropping. Flying at full speed through a dark fissure was suicidal, but he wasn’t going to lose the little beast. Something whiffed past his head—another near miss. This was madness. There were seconds between seeing a chunk of wall, and being able to dodge it safely. Though it gave him some comfort to see the Nukari tumbling from his own mistakes, smacking against the rocky walls, struggling to stay ahead.

  He’s running blind. Good, this can’t be some elaborate trap, then.

  Gravity was far weaker here, nearly nonexistent. At least it took less effort to move faster through here, even if moving fast wasn’t a good idea. His body tensed as he commanded more power. With that he burst ahead, closing the gap. He was close enough to hear the youth mumbling, “I can’t shake him.”

  A soft female voice answered back, “I’ll keep you safe.”

  Who will keep him safe? Mencari wondered. He glanced over his shoulder expecting to see another Nukari beast on his tail. Nothing. Still dark and empty. If other beast buddies were close, he’d see the glow of their auras.

  Let’s up the difficulty a bit, Mencari thought. Reaching forward, his hand balled into a fist washing with white light.

  That female voice was talking again. The only words he could make out were, “Pulse detected behind you.” She was warning the beast. Unfurling his fingers, the energy streaked like lightning ahead of him.

  “Incoming!” the female voice yelled as the youth abruptly, and unnaturally, changed his direction upward, scaling the fissure. Mencari’s eyes grew wide as his attack riddled the wall ahead. Fragments of stone plumed out, sending fragments directly at him. Following the Nukari beast’s lead, he tumbled and redirected his momentum straight up.

  He had to be smart about using attacks. Anything not hiding the youth would quickly become a problem for him.

  But wait: if that female voice was going to help him dodge the blasts, maybe hitting him shouldn’t be the target.