Chaos Mortalitus

by Mark LaMaster

  Xenom does his best to help the slaves of Seithux get away from the oncoming carnage, to get those weakened by bondage to safety. Through the flames that litter the surrounding area, he watches the one mysterious figure challenge the entire massive enemy force assembled before his very eyes. Alone this creature stands, facing the certain doom yet remaining motionless, allowing the Xxirian army to surround him, giving them a glimmer of victory. Incoming battle cruisers land in the combat zone as General Raithus emerges from one, his patience now pushed to its limits. Fortunately most of the Xxirian officers escaped the destruction of the central tower in the nick of time.

  "Trivusk! Make sure the air strikes are synchronized with my orders to attack! You're going in first, our forces will storm the area at your backside! The honor is yours to take from the field brother! Understood?" General Raithus asks.

  "Yes General! Understood!" General Trivusk replies to the great honor bestowed upon him. "I will wait for your signal."

  "Honor yourself brother. We will crush these fools here and bring news of our victory to Lord Erazux himself."

  "For the Monarchy of Chaos! For the everlasting pages of Xxirian history!" Trivusk says to his brother with a warrior's salute.

  General Trivusk returns to the Xxirian battle cruiser that delivered General Raithus and once again lifts off the battleground. He joins countless other war ships and cruisers to the rear of the assembled Xxirian army. "Orders have been received fellow Xxirian warriors! We are to attack this singular enemy first head on with all aerial forces. General Raithus has made it clear to go in and hot blanket the entire area, terminating all creatures. Primary target is the lone creature called Mortalitus that attacked the central tower. Focus all fire power on this creature, our ground units will take care of the rest." General Trivusk says relaying orders to his aerial units.

  "Yes General!" The pilots respond in unison.

  The aircrafts begin to arrange in attack formations, arming their pulse cannons and tactical systems. Patiently hovering over the battlefield for the attack order as the feelings of overconfidence increase, an honest mistake. General Raithus walks to his front line, fully covered in Xxirian body armor with a vicious look. Facing his daunting army that will soon begin to march, he encourages the impending charge with enthusiasm and conviction. This is not his first engagement with destiny and come what may, it won't be his last.

  "My fellow Xxirian brothers! The moment is at hand. Here before us is this pitiful attempt to strike fear into the heart of our empire. This one creature mocks us and rebelliously presents himself against our king, who we all hold so dear to our hearts. Xxirian brothers! We will show this defiant creature the strength of our race! We will rip this Mortalitus apart and present its pieces to our mighty king! The slaves of Seithux will be sacrificed today, in the name of Lord Erazux, ruler of all creation!" General Raithus says as he raises his Xxirian blade into the air.

  The entire military coalition lets out a roar that can be heard by all, shaking the very ground. Xxirian soldiers draw their blades and weapons beginning to arm themselves. Plasma cannons with a self-replenishing ammunition source make waging war ongoing, relentless. Xenom stands in front of the many crowded for cover, this army of slaves he must now defend, the last line of defense. He holds, poised for the impending invasion, having made peace with his heart as he welcomes the honor of death in battle.

  "Trivusk! Destroy this vile creature Mortalitus!" General Raithus orders. "The kill is yours brother!"

  "Yes General! All units, hold back until I give the signal. I want Mortalitus for myself!" Trivusk relays. "After my first initial attack, fire at will."

  General Trivusk arms all his primary weapon systems and sets his crosshairs toward the cloaked figure standing alone to face this massive military force. He begins to accelerate at lightning speed toward this cloaked figure, locking onto his position. The armies below cheer as the ships weapon systems begin to unleash hell toward the creature dressed in black. On all sides the ground explodes with flames and soil, quickly engulfing my position. I calm my thoughts; feel myself become slow, tranquil as the detonations surround me doing little to shake my focus. Try as they may, they cannot slow my approach, nor halt the imminent destruction these Xxirian warlords now face.

  Trivusk feels the pride of a warrior as he plunges toward the creature that mocks his meager attempts at mounting an offensive. One after another, the explosions spread across the open valley as I feel myself engulfed in thick clouds of smoke and fire. No longer visible to my enemies, yet their celebrations unfortunately are premature. "Brother! I got him! I destroyed Mortalitus!" Trivusk radios back with excitement.

  "You're honored in the eyes of all Xxirians! Our family name is held true once more!" General Raithus replies.

  The battle cruiser continues toward the site of destruction to revel in the glory of battle. Xenom's focus remains acute, for he is ready to die now for those that huddle together behind him, those left for dead. The cruiser comes right up to the burning attack site when time suddenly begins to slow, the flames moving slower and slower as all things feel the shift in the moment-to-moment ratio. General Trivusk stares through the large transparent visual display in the battle cruiser as a vision unlike any imaginable begins to reveal itself. I sit silently knelt down within the fireball that consumes my surrounding environment; for this is one moment no onlooker should soon forget.

  Lunging forward from my fiery sanctuary, I watch the flames divide in front of me in slow motion, yet I move with stellar speed and agility. The Xxirian battle cruiser holds silently right in the middle of my path as I emerge from the attack site. Flames reach out to me as I spear forward toward the alien machine. Lifting the Blade of Edoxus into the air, heading straight for the Xxirian pilot. Trivusk watches in horror as the cloaked figure now heads straight for him, sword cocked and ready to slice through the cruiser as it begins to give off a mesmerizing glow.

  "Forgive me brother." Trivusk reveals in his last moments.

  Driving the blade through the front of the hull on this battle cruiser, it is crushed in this heavy blow. Trivusk remains in the pilot's chair; hand on his Xxirian war blade as I cut through the vessel causing the entire aircraft to explode. The Blade of Edoxus pierces the heart of General Trivusk in the last moment, the true deathblow. Debris litters the sky as the fiery wreckage falls to the terrain below while I exit the backside. Flipping forward I land back on the ground crouched down, right knee forward with my blade planted firmly in the soil, stained with Xxirian blood.

  Every living creature stares in awe at the moment that has just unfolded before their very eyes as this figure stands once again, motionless and silent. Returning the wicked stare to the Xxirian military that still holds position, even more cautious of this mysterious threat. Sadness is felt in the heart of General Raithus, for his brother is dead, his life force extinguished at the hands of a warrior called Mortalitus.

  CHAPTER: 16

  AND FREEDOM THAT FOLLOWS

  "KILL THEM ALL!!!" General Raithus screams as he begins to charge with his ground units. "KILL MORTALITUS!!!"

  The aerial forces quickly begin their approach toward me as I face this massive force, now moving as one. Battle cruisers begin firing one after another, continually unleashing hell's fury. I jump forward high into the air as if to meet them on their own turf. As I lunge forward, my blade remains solitary in the soil below as blast shards fly about from the explosions of open fire. Extending my arms back, I channel the limitless power that churns deep within my heart. Glowing beams of light revolve around me in the darkened night sky as wisps of energy stream off my armor with this power continuing to grow.

  Enemy battle cruisers take evasive positions as they charge me head on high in the sky. Pushing my arms forward a loud blast wave is generated toward the approaching aircrafts. The sound is deafening as energy beams fly off sporadically in the direction of the incoming battle cruisers. One by one, the explosions are continuous as the blast wa
ve rips through each enemy ship. The power burns through the vessels with ease as the entire aerial force is eradicated in a matter of moments. Debris rains down from the heavens on the Xxirian soldiers as I continue to hold my position staring at the army below.

  This is quickly entering into a realm the Xxirians have never seen, a playing field they've never contemplated. The creature they face is dangerous, intimidating and more importantly, here for the sake of the slaves belonging to Seithux. "YOU ARE A COWARD MORTALITUS!" General Raithus screams to the ominous figure floating in the sky. "YOU HAVE NO HONOR!"

  "General Raithus, you've been warned. Honor is the only reason you've come this far." I reply. "You are beaten, surrender your forces. Now!"

  "TO THE DEATH! KILL EVERY LAST SLAVE IN YOUR PATH XXIRIAN BROTHERS!" Raithus screams. "LEAVE NONE TO MERCY, SOUND THE CHARGE!"

  The Xxirian forces begin their charge toward the thousands of innocent souls on the other side of the camp, as they remain cornered with nowhere to run. Anxiety builds as the slaves watch the hordes of alien creatures charging their positions, with death and revenge in their hearts. Xenom holds his stance and will fight to his last breath, finding honor standing by those declared weak and pathetic. "And freedom that follows." I whisper.

  Echoing through the souls of the enemy creatures, these words will be their last will and testament, save one soul. A vow for the virtuous, a promise for the just, an oath for those footprints, forever carved in dust. They were warned and now the moment is finally at hand for I am no savior, merely the one to undo these nightmares and spear the heart of this evil. Floating high above the army as it moves like ants to overtake a wounded enemy, these sadistic minds that go to crush the essence of life all together. All who oppose the ways of peace will face my justice, on whatever battlefield of their choosing.

  These creatures have a will that's unshakable and an honor that to them is unbreakable. An example must be made as they make their mad dash into the depths of hell. Xenom stares up at the mysterious figure as the enormous army heads straight for him. Watching the creature, wondering what to expect next, when suddenly everything he's ever known is broken in a single instant. The creature begins to energize, producing far more power than before as the neon streams of color have a brilliant contrast against the backdrop of night. The creature draws power from the very structure of existence as the fabric of space flexes with the intake of this universal energy.

  The essence of the stars burns in the eyes of the stranger as he fixes his gaze on the enemy position below. I feel the moment arrive as I lunge forward on a downward spiral toward this insatiable enemy. The Xxirians have only a moment to watch the oncoming force as I dive toward them, streaking across the skyline as I burn my image into the cosmos. Stretched forward, I watch the energy surround my arms like raging flames, pure, unforgiving. As I near the Xxirians below, with each passing moment the ground trembles to the drum roll of enemy footsteps.

  From a distance away, the slaves of the death camp on Seithux watch the figure diving toward the massive army that surrounds them all. The creature begins glowing resiliently, the purest form of light as it streaks across the sky with the sounds beginning to shift toward silence. Pandemonium waits, for the alien slaves of Seithux could never have expected what would happen next. "Forgive me…Father." I whisper once more.

  Plunging into the heart of the Xxirian coalition, I unleash a massive blast of gamma ray energy. Releasing the fuel of the stars, the explosions quickly expand engulfing the entire enemy force. The blast begins to mushroom upward as the shockwave travels at the speed of sound in all directions. Every creature in any direction is knocked to the floor from the sheer velocity of the impact. The damage is catastrophic, as the warriors that would show no mercy are laid to rest in this final moment. Not the largest Xxirian fleet in the cosmos by any means, but a statement nonetheless.

  Debris kicks up in all directions as the Xxirian military is wiped out, consumed within the monumental explosion. The slaves that feared the end in this moment struggle to return to their feet as they finally witness a hope that's remained hidden in their dreams.

  Fires rage with wreckage scattered about as the once powerful Xxirian army, these warriors of darkness, are consumed by light. In the center of the carnage, the cloaked figure stands over the once proud warrior General as he searches for any signs of life from the military units he commanded only moments ago. I stand glaring down at General Raithus, no words, just this silent stand off. A creature of honor the General does not expose his fear, locking it deep within to hold his chin out, defiant even in the eyes of defeat.

  I've saved this commanding officer of the Xxirian military from the fates of his fallen comrades. His purpose is not yet finished, his duties remaining unfulfilled. Thoughts race through the mind of General Raithus, wondering what this enemy might be, for he has never seen anything with this kind of power. "WHY? WHY HAVE YOU SPARED ME?!?!" General Raithus screams.

  "You will deliver a message Xxirian."

  "And if I refuse?"

  "You won't." I reply. "It's in the best interest of your Lord Erazux."

  "DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME INSECT! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS INSULT!" General Raithus warns. "ALL OF YOU WILL PAY!!!"

  "As said before, tell your king that war is coming. Tell your king that Mortalitus seeks his head and his throne. Tell him Vexicus sends his regards."

  "You will pay for this Mortalitus. I swear it!"

  "Till then Xxirian. Go now, before I change my mind. Make haste Raithus, time is against you."

  The Xxirian General stares for a few moments and then rises to his feet, towering over the cloaked figure, his anger beginning to get the best of him as his muscles flex hard. I peer back at him with the energy seething from my eyes flashing, my armor giving off a steadily increasing glow. Intimidation takes effect and the large reptilian creature realizes its need for withdrawal as he walks backwards slowly, never taking his eyes off me. General Raithus heads to a nearby hanger and boards a vacant Xxirian battle cruiser.

  As his ship launches it quickly escapes through the atmosphere into the safety of deep space. Watching his vessel disappear through the heavy cloud cover, I turn my focus to the grounds lit up by large lighting structures. Scattered watchtowers that would scan the slaves in the late evening, carefully monitoring their every move, reminding them of futility. It's late as the slaves make their slow approach toward the figure that has turned this particular day into one they'll not soon forget. Xenom Bairix walks ahead of the massive group of refugees to meet Mortalitus as he stands amongst the burning wreckage. "Why have you done this Mortalitus?"

  "There are many answers to the question you seek Xxirian. Many sacrifices unknown to you that make such freedoms possible. Now your desires are your own, as are your choices, for this life you've all come to know dies with these warriors fallen."

  Gathering closer to the figure, the slaves all crowd to hear the voice of the black-cloaked figure that fell from the sky to liberate them. I raise my arms and ascend into the heavens once more as the creatures continue to watch in amazement. Higher and higher as they gaze from the ground and for these souls that have held onto hope for so long, a noble gift. "Brothers and sisters. Too long have the chains of bondage held you, too long have your cries gone unheard. I've come to remind you of courage, of true honor. To break these chains that bind you." I say to the liberated creatures below.

  The alien creatures speak among each other bewildered at today's current events. Suddenly a glowing aura begins to surround them all as Xenom stares down at his body for he too begins to give off illumination. High in the skies above my hands release a powerful energy as I lift them all upward toward my position. Below the thousands of refugees begin to slowly rise high into the skies as a sense of confusion grips them, struggling to understand this creature with such mystical power. Together, we all float gracefully away from the savage camp they once called home.

  I stare down at the large camp for a few more mom
ents and then look to my side at the frightened humanoid girl Xenom had protected earlier, terrified at what she does not understand. "A gift for you young one." I say to calm her nerves. "A gift for you all."

  Sliding my armored hand across the open sky, the entire camp begins to explode violently section-by-section, leveled in an instant. Tears stream from the eyes of those born to this torment, for most could never imagine such possibilities. The day when they could watch this place burn to the ground, when peace might find them lost in this dark world. The rancid slave quarters are incinerated with a mere passing of my hand as these death camps of Seithux are destroyed and this alien planet is given a chance to return to its former natural glory.

  The blast continues for mile after mile as the precious military cargo and artillery are destroyed. Finally this ends, the despicable horrors buried in the rubble of remembrance. We all slowly begin descending toward the planet's surface as the glow from the burning wreckage becomes brighter. The large group of alien creatures gently touch down to the surface below, standing in awe of the amazing force that just destroyed the evils inhabiting this world with a mere wave of the hand. Staring in disbelief, Xenom Bairix and thousands of refugees are lost in a moment that has been visualized for many generations.