by Mikayla Lane
“I am Tarona, welcome to my chamber,” the lights above and below the rock blinked in sync with the words that echoed around them.
“What the fuck?” Shane asked as he took a step back.
“Holy shit is that a mummified body and not a rock?” Elias asked in horror as he stared at the cylinder.
“Respect!” Alderic roared in anger.
“Sotier, you must understand that they do not know their history because there has not been a Dranovian on this world for thousands of years. Haruki is the first to come to the Talunaha, and I refused to acknowledge him while he was with the humans,” Tarona explained.
“I warned them,” Alderic gritted out as he glared at Shane, which did no good because Shane was staring at the cylinder.
“In the beginning, there was one beast world and the Prime beings inhabited it. When the world was sundered into thirteen pieces, each of them struck a new world where the beast species rose again in varying degrees of evolution,” Tarona explained.
“We know a Prime. Abexis. She told us this story,” Shane said with a grin, glad to understand something about this whole situation.
He was completely oblivious to the rising frustration of the Sotier.
“Then how do you not know that Tarona is a soul from the piece of rock that initially struck this world?” Alderic shouted out in frustration.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Mikal asked, turning to face Alderic.
That can’t possibly mean what I think it does, Mikal thought in shock.
“The rock is the Talunaha and the original source of power from the Prime world. Tarona is the ancient soul that resides within the Talunaha and channels the energy of the planet through the pyramid to you, the Dranovians,” Alderic growled as he gestured to the tube.
When everyone just stared at him in open-mouthed shock, Alderic shook his head and threw his hands in the air.
“This is a beast world. In the time before time on this world, it was the beast bound who ruled this planet. Why else would you think Dranovians needed to be here?” Alderic asked.
Chapter Thirteen
The brothers stared at one another with varying degrees of shock and confusion. Finally, they collectively shook their heads, and Mikal turned to Alderic.
“I mean no disrespect, but how the hell do we know any of this is true? If this place is a beast world, then why are the humans the only species found here? What happened to the beast bound? Why have you only come to our planet now?” Mikal asked, struggling to understand.
“Sotier, if I may?” Tarona asked.
“Please,” Alderic replied, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve a headache the brothers were giving him.
The lights in the chamber dimmed, and a laser display of planets appeared around them.
“In the time before time, the Talunaha crashed into this world and broke into 12 pieces. Two hit North America, Antarctica, Eurasia and Africa. The others each hit the remaining continents,” Tarona began as the display around them showed the impacts.
“Another Talunaha crashed into Mars, breaking up in the atmosphere and landing in different areas as happened here. A third hit a long forgotten world that lay between Mars and Jupiter, whose partial remains are what you know as the asteroid belt,” Tarona continued as the display showed the events to them.
“It was during this time that the early evolution of humans consumed the pods of the beast thrown into the atmosphere and within generations, the beast rose and became the dominate species. They bred with the un-evolved by necessity and created the humans you know today,” Tarona explained as the scenes unfolded like a movie around them.
“The beast built the pyramids around the Talunaha and used it to power the technology they were rapidly creating and to protect the energy of the Xaratia within. Your history speaks of this time as the Golden Age,” Tarona said as the display disappeared.
“Oh, hell no, that ain’t the end of it! What happened that caused the beast to die and the humans to rise? What happened to this other planet?” Shane asked, confused over a history taught nowhere on Earth.
“Respect!” Alderic growled.
“It is all right, Sotier. I understand their frustration and confusion, this world is nothing like yours remembers,” Tarona said, siding with her warriors.
“You are correct, Shane,” Tarona agreed. “It is not the end. As the beast rose, there became three forms of humanoids on the planets. There were hybrid humans with beasts, hybrids with no beasts, the original unevolved and those who were hybrids but rejected by their beasts in the womb.”
“Holy crap! A beast can refuse a host? Why? How?” Elias asked, having never heard of such a thing before.
“Upon entering the brain during gestation, if the beast finds that the host's brain is woefully inadequate to support it, the beast will self-terminate or refuse to bond. It doesn’t occur often, but when it does, it is usually with good reason,” Alderic explained with a snort of disgust.
“I don’t get it,” Luca said. “So the brain isn’t evolved enough to sustain it?”
“It was more than that. These were dark and twisted minds with mental defects that even the beast could not overcome. Within a few centuries, the original inhabitants were almost entirely eradicated. The remaining ones were placed in protected areas where they could thrive and flourish,” Tarona explained.
“What happened to everyone else then? I still don’t understand how we got here,” Shane said, annoyed that this was still so confusing.
“Patience!” Alderic growled.
“The world became full of many wondrous things created by the rising beast species among the three worlds,” Tarona said. “Even though they weren’t as evolved, the beastless hybrids were treated no differently and afforded the same privileges as the beast bound, but they were jealous and angry that they had no powers or heightened senses given to them by a beast.
“They protested and raged until it was decided to try and force the bondings through genetic manipulation in the womb to ensure the beast could not self-terminate. Within a generation there became a wave of anomalous that cut a swath of destruction and chaos throughout the three worlds and the program was swiftly ended,” Tarona explained.
“Those not killed by the Dranovian Order went into hiding, initiating attacks on the three worlds and stealing the technology to continue their genetic manipulations in secret,” Alderic added.
“Wait! Hold on people, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this third world that was destroyed!” Elias shouted throwing his hands in the air. “Can we take a few steps back for a second?”
“The Tri-worlds of this star system were Terra, Mars, and Phaeton. Terra, of course, being where you are now. How you came to lose Phaeton was being explained before you interrupted!” Alderic snarled, a vein throbbing in his temple.
“Dude, do you have anxiety meds on your world?” Luca asked. “I think I have some in my medpack if you’re out.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Alderic snapped.
“Never mind, just fucking continue the story,” Elias muttered, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I’d like to know what kind of life was on the other two worlds before the Talunaha struck the planets,” Mikal said, defiantly staring at Alderic.
“Is there a reason you're so obstinate?” Alderic asked Mikal, barely containing his growing irritation.
“Yeah, there is!” Mikal snapped back taking a step towards the Sotier. “You come in here telling us you’re going to kill us if we don’t learn, then act like a bad tempered child when we try to understand it by asking questions! You may not give a shit about the details, but we do! Especially when our lives are threatened.”
“Sotier, they must ask questions to understand the magnitude of what they will face. It has been long since I have spoken with warriors under my power and protection, and I am glad for the time to teach them as is my right,” Tarona said in a harsher tone of voice
than she’d used to that point.
Alderic sighed heavily and crossed his fist over to his left shoulder while bowing to the Talunaha.
“Xaratia Tarona, please forgive me for the same disrespect I have accused them of. If you will excuse me, I believe I need to check on the humans and ensure their well-being,” Alderic replied quickly and exited the chamber.
The brothers widened their eyes, surprised that the Sotier was so quickly put in his place by the soul in the rock.
“There were other humanoid beings on Mars and Phaeton,” Tarona continued as if nothing had happened. “Those beings were different from the Terrans and much more evolved. The rate of self-termination among the hybrids of those worlds was very minimal. To answer the question you’ve yet to speak, as the strongest Talunaha in operation on this world, I hold the power of the Dranovians, including Sotier du’ Castine’s.”
“Whoa, I did not see that coming,” Shane whispered in awe. “How does that work?”
“The Talunaha’s on each world are attuned specifically to the energy produced naturally by the planet it is on so that it can feed the native Dranovians properly. The Sotier cannot use my power on this world, he uses the power of his Talunaha through the portal I allow to be opened between our world’s. It is the same on all beast worlds to ensure that one world cannot overpower or subjugate another,” Tarona explained.
“Damn! Blocked by a rock!” Shane exclaimed with a laugh.
Mikal and the others weren’t amused and glared at him until he wiped the smile from his face.
“Tarona, can you please continue explaining what happened to Phaeton?” Mikal asked, desperate for answers.
“The beastless continued a campaign of unrealistic demands, and the beast bound tried to accommodate them. Eventually, the beastless and the anomalous succeeded in forcing the beast bound to leave Terra and flee to Phaeton and Mars,” Tarona explained, and paused as if knowing someone had a question.
“All of the beast bound fled? Dranovians didn’t stay?” Luca asked.
“It was a condition of the surrender of this planet to them. It was I, and the other eight Talunaha who monitored the planet and discovered that within days of the exodus of the beast bound, the anomalous began murdering all those they promised to protect. They ultimately wiped out the indigenous population and subjugated the weak,” Tarona said, her voice displaying how much the memories still upset her as she paused.
“When the Dranovian leaders of Phaeton and Mars found out they wanted to come and eradicate the anomalous once and for all, but the anomalous had already taken control of the planetary defense systems, and they couldn’t be breached without causing a full-scale war. Instead, sanctions were placed upon Terra and no new technology or weapons were shipped to the planet.
“Within two short years, two-thirds of the planet was killed by the anomalous and those not considered good enough to socialize with them were turned into slaves,” Tarona paused.
“And you allowed this? The Dranovians and other beast bound allowed this senseless slaughtering? Why?” Mikal growled in anger at what was once his world.
“They did not know. After the slaughter of the original inhabitants, the anomalous strictly controlled all communications to Phaeton and Mars. All planetary social and information sites were also strictly controlled to ensure that nothing was released that they didn’t want to be known. It wasn’t until long range sensors picked up the complete destruction of a major city that the other worlds became aware of the seriousness of the situation,” Tarona replied.
“You turned a bunch of anomalous loose on innocent people! What the hell did you expect them to do?” Siggy barked.
“You must understand, the beast bound were still young in their own evolution and had tried to do everything they could to appease their brethren. These were siblings and parents, and no one wanted to believe they were capable of such horror and atrocities. Families were torn apart by this, with the beast bound trying their best to still communicate with their anomalous or beastless loved ones to no avail. Whereas the beast bound are a loyal and dedicated species, the anomalous have no loyalties to anyone but themselves,” Tarona said patiently.
“So what did you finally do to stop them?” Dante demanded with a disgusted shake of his head.
“It was they who sealed their fate with their arrogance,” Tarona said. “No one worked because they didn’t think they should have to, except for the slaves they were starving and beating to death for their amusement. Food became scarce, the technology failed because no one maintained it or knew how and the slaves began to revolt against their oppressors.”
“So the beastless took back their world from the anomalous?” Shane asked incredulously.
“No, it was not that simple. The one thing the anomalous still controlled that worked, were the defense systems. When a Dranovian fleet came to free the enslaved and destroy the anomalous, they were attacked and the war they attempted to avoid became a full-scale assault that lasted for a day before the anomalous used the most powerful weapon in their arsenal to destroy Phaeton. Thousands were able to flee, shielding themselves behind the other planets while the debris and shockwave pummeled Mars, destroying it’s atmosphere and rendering it uninhabitable. The scars of that time still mar the once beautiful landscape as a reminder,” Tarona explained, her voice filled with sorrow.
“Holy fuck,” Shane whispered.
“Why the hell would anyone leave them in command of such weaponry?” Mikal growled.
“It was a harsh lesson to learn and a mistake that cannot be made again. Phaeton and Mars weren’t the only casualties. Terra was also struck with debris large enough to flip the poles and cause a tsunami of water to engulf the world. When the water receded, there were only small patches of humanity that survived and being completely unable to care for themselves, the anomalous didn’t make it,” Tarona said, sympathizing with the Dranovians and their anger over the mistakes done in the past.
“If everyone was destroyed, then how did we get here? Where we’re back to having anomalous, hybrids, and beastless?” Shane asked, still confused over that.
“Not all of the beast bound fled to Phaeton and Mars. Some stayed behind for their beastless family members. It was those who remained that helped to teach and lead the surviving humans, where again, hybrids were created. This time, they didn’t allow their children to bond with the beast so no one else would know. They wanted to avoid the jealousy and the problems they’d faced before that tore their world apart,” Tarona explained and continued.
“With the poles flipped, the beasts didn’t recognize the new song of the earth so there was nothing to feed its soul and call to it. Over generations the beast became silent and remained dormant until no one even knew they had one,” Tarona finished. “Over many generations, it buried itself in the deepest part of the brain.”
“So what’s waking them up now? How many humans are actually hybrids and don’t know it?” Dante wondered aloud.
“The conversion is coming. The poles are flipping back into their correct positions and beginning to generate the energy that once fed the souls of the beast bound, and their beasts are recognizing the call,” Tarona explained before shocking them speechless. “They number in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions. But the anomalous I detect range in the tens of thousands and higher.”
“Holy shit! Are you fucking serious?” Shane blurted out.
“Wait, you can detect the anomalous on the planet?” Mikal asked, wondering if she could find the Dark Prime.
“I cannot detect a Prime. Only a Prime can hide from the power of the Talunaha, but I can detect all others within a thousand mile radius,” Tarona stated proudly.
Mikal was a little bothered that the Xaratia had known he was thinking of the Dark Prime, but let it go, too intent on learning more.
“So as the conversion gets closer, the beast and anomalous are rising among the humans?” Mikal asked, hoping for clarification.
“
Yes,” Tarona replied.
“What happened to the survivors of Phaeton and Mars?” Elias asked.
“Hundreds volunteered to remain on the planet and assist the humans. The rest were scattered among the other known beast worlds,” Tarona explained.
Haruki rubbed his hands over his face and sighed before looking at his brothers.
“I need a fucking break. I think my head is going to explode, and I want to check on Deanna. How about we break for coffee or something?” he suggested.
“I will await your return while you go refresh yourself,” Tarona said.
“Thank you, Tarona. We really appreciate your patience and knowledge,” Mikal said with respect.
His brothers immediately agreed with him and thanked the Xaratia before filing back out of the pyramid. The moment they stepped outside, Shane hit his knees and shook his head like a dog.
“I think my brain is bleeding,” Shane said with a groan. “And all those wasted years learning a history that isn’t true or is being purposely buried!”
Haruki shook his head at Shane before heading directly to Deanna’s pod. He didn’t like that the Sotier had been wandering around out here alone while he was in the pyramid. Haruki still wasn’t sure what to think of the strange and powerful man.
Despite what Alderic had said about Deanna not awakening until her energy was restored, he crept silently into the pod. His breath caught as he looked down at her sleeping peacefully in her bed. He gently sat beside her, and when she still didn’t stir, he brushed her hair out of her face and pulled the covers over her shoulders.
Haruki rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands as he considered everything he’d learned from Alderic and Tarona. It was all a little overwhelming, and he shook his head before beginning to stand.
“You going to leave me alone again?”
Haruki sucked in a sharp breath as he turned to look into Deanna’s sleepy eyes.
“I came to check on you. Are you all right?” Haruki asked with a smile.