Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction: Astra Lux: The Ancient Power (Dystopian Medieval Science Fiction)

by R. J. Miller

  “Hey,” A voice said to Deric’s left, “You in the market?” He turned and saw a mousy looking bald man wearing nothing but an oversized jacket. Deric noticed that the man seemed not to mind that his privates were flopping out for the world to see.

  Deric faked a smile, “Not really.”

  The man got so close that Deric could smell his rancid breath, “You don’t even know what it is yet.”

  Deric stared at the man, “I’m still not interested.”

  “What if it’s gold?”

  “You clearly are lacking.”

  “Clothes.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Love-“

  “Alright, that’s enough friend. If you haven’t noticed I’m rather busy.” With that, Deric turned his chair away from the nearly naked man and continued observing the drunk council member.

  But that didn’t hinder the man’s advances, and within a second he had dragged a wooden chair from the other side of the room and sat down, blocking Deric’s view of his target. “Let me make you an offer.”

  Deric sighed and looked down at the chair, “Aren’t you afraid of getting a splinter?”

  “Nah, it’s been through worse. There was this one time down in the south-well you probably don’t want to hear about it.”

  “I really don’t.” Deric was frowning impatiently at the man. If he wasn’t careful, he would have worse things to worry about than not making a sale. In response to that thought, Deric put a firm hand on his dagger, gripping the hilt. If he did this right, most people would just assume he passed out in a dark corner and wouldn’t notice the blood until the next morning. “And if you say anything else I’ll make you regret sitting next to me.”

  “Don’t you even want to help a poor old man down on his luck-“

  Deric stood up and dragged the man closer to him, the dagger penetrating his loose skin, “I said not another word,” he whispered and then aloud, “It seems you’ve had too much to drink my friend, go lay down!” In a single movement he lifted the dying man from his chair and dropped in the corner. Turning around he was greeted by the laughter of the whole Tavern except for Baric who seemed more invested in his next flagon than what was going on behind him. Sitting back down once more, Deric smiled. At least the fool didn’t break my cover.

  Another hour passed until Baric stood up from the bar and began to waddle to the door. He had two barmaids wrapped around his arms, telling them stories of his youth.

  It’s a shame, Deric thought, that’s probably all the action he’s gotten in a few centuries and I am about to deny him of it. Standing up from his table, he waited for the old man to finally make his way out the door; he seemed to have gotten himself stuck. Placing a few coins on the table he nodded to the barman and left out of the back. It would take Baric at least an hour to get home in his drunken state. This gave Deric time to break into the mansion, find a spot to hide and wait until the council member got home. Taking the backdoor and the small alleyways behind the houses, Deric made his way up the street, occasionally stopping to check Baric’s progress.

  “Have you ever seen the inside of a lord’s mansion,” Deric heard him say loudly, “It’ll blow the clothes off your back it will.”

  “Ooooh is there a bath?” He heard one of the barmaids asked.

  Baric laughed a heavy drunk laugh, “It’s big enough for ten, young lady. And there’s still enough room to do other things as well.”

  “As long as I can try some of that expensive wine I don’t care what you do to me,” The other barmaid chimed in.

  “Then it looks like I’ll need more wine!”

  Deric continued up the street to the hill that led to all the lord’s mansions. That conversation was enough to remind him why he did what he did. If he counted the number of people he had killed in his life, it would number two hundred and ninety-nine pigs and one honest man. It was a good enough record to have.

  Taking a deep breath, he began to jog up the steep hill. The lord’s mansions were set on the plateau at the center of town. He was just about to finish the first leg of the trip when he heard a rustle from the nearby bushes.

  Deric crouched behind a nearby tree. He had to be careful, as he didn’t know who or what was watching. Slowly, he drew the dagger from his belt and waited. The rustling had steps but Deric could hear the pitter patter of small footsteps approaching his direction. By the time the footsteps were right on the other side of the tree he had raised his dagger for killing blow. He had to shut down any form a conscience in these situations. The stranger was a small child or some old women and he would show little remorse.

  As emerged from behind the tree to strike, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt. Maybe he was getting old or the vicious nature of his trade had started taking a toll, but Deric pitied the poor soul who was about to meet his blade.

  But a poor soul never did. Instead, he was surprised to see that someone had reached out and stopped his downward strike in mid motion. It was a strong grip but the odd thing was the hand that was holding the bottom of his forearm was small, delicate and petite. Letting the adrenaline in his system die out, he gazed at where he was going to stab. There was no one there. He could make out Baric and the two barmaids in the distance but other than that it was just him and whoever had gripped his arm. “I trust you know what you are doing,” he whispered to the stranger.

  As if responding to his declaration, the hand weakened its grip and disappeared behind Deric’s back. Seeing that it was now or never, Deric turned around to see who had assaulted him.

  “Oh, my.”

  She was dressed in a white blouse and long dark pants that were tight against her frame. Her long red hair was pulled back into a rough ponytail and she stared into Deric’s soul with cold green eyes.

  It was Emilia Aelfstan, the daughter of the late King.

  IV.

  It felt like they had walked for what seemed like an eternity. After their encounter on the hill, Emilia had threatened him.

  “If you want to live I suggest you don’t lay a finger on Lord Baric,” she had said to him.

  Deric rolled his eyes and drew closer to her, watching as she tried her best to stop her legs from shaking. “And are you going to be the one to stop me?” He had pointed the dagger at her and glided the dull end across her cheek.”

  He could tell she was scared but even with all the fear he sensed in her, she stood her ground and spoke calmly. “I know it was you.” she has said.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’re the man who killed my father.”

  “And where did you get an idea like that? Your servants? You shouldn’t trust their-”

  “I know because I followed you!” she had shouted taking Deric off guard. The scared little girl was gone now and what replaced was a grown woman filled with pure malice. “After you…killed him, I ran off in tears to my room. Before I made my way up the stairs I saw the guards leaving down the opposite stairwell. I wanted revenge. I wanted to watch them cut you up like the pig you were. The guards were fools and easily tricked by your means of escape, but I wasn’t. I saw that the door to the pantry was ajar and stumbled inside.” she took a deep breath preparing for the finally, “And that’s where I saw you Deric Heorulf, the Butcher of Kings, Maerec’s Hand of Justice, unmasked, sneaking through the window like a common rat!”

  Deric was speechless, how could he have been so foolish. Was his heart beating so fast in his ears then that he hadn’t heard the footsteps of one girl? “Then if you think I am who you say I am, why do you not want me to kill Lord Baric. If you're aware of my so called part in your father’s death then you must also be aware of his.”

  “Baric was the only one to not vote for my father’s death. He’s my uncle. We’re you aware of that?”

  Deric wasn’t and he felt a little foolish that he hadn’t fully investigated each of Maerec’s counseling lords. If he had known, he could have warned Maerec a little earlier about this treachery
and he wouldn’t be stuck on the receiving of the Lady Aelfstan’s tantrum. Deric took a step back, turned away from the stupid girl and started walking away. She followed him. She followed him for miles because Deric had begun to walk in circles, thinking of a way to throw her off his trail.

  She was stubborn and had stamina to boot. “Are you going to be heading home at any point this evening?” she asked. For someone who wanted revenge, she wasn’t doing a very good job of taking it. What was she planning to do, exhaust Deric so he would be an easier target? Or was she just a silly girl who had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

  “Is that where you plan to kill me?” he asked. “I honestly thought you had forgotten and decided to join me on this pleasurable stroll.” Deric had a plan formulating in his mind. Most people would have killed her by now, added it to their list and move on. But to be honest, Deric didn’t want another honest person’s death on his hands. Not out of regret, it was just when an innocent person is killed, the whole world seems to care. The King was a great example of this. “Or are you just waiting till I take my hand off my dagger. I see you haven’t brought any weapons for yourself.”

  Emilia stopped in her tracks and looked a little ashamed, “I didn’t think I would need one.” She rubbed her hands together nervously as if she was realizing that wasn’t the best idea.

  “Oh, I get it,” Deric said smirking. He was enjoying this now. As long as she followed him around, he would have a new form of entertainment for the rest of his life. “You were going to beat me to the ground with the linen gloves you call hands.”

  “That’s not it!”

  “I’m pretty sure it is.”

  He was pushing all the right buttons because her face had turned so a bright red that Deric couldn’t tell where her face ended and her hair began. “If you must know, I was supposed to have some help. If there hadn’t been a problem with the circuits-”

  Deric stopped dead in his tracks. “You want to run that by me again?” The only people who have used the word circuit were Lord Maerec and the unstable zealots in the street who preached about the Old World. It wasn’t uncommon to hear tales of the Old World, but the circuit was one of the things no one really talked about. It was one of those taboo words that had anyone who said it fearing for their very lives. It was the catalyst that brought upon Nature’s Fire and, like most people, Deric had thought most of them had rusted away completely.

  Emilia realized her mistake and covered her mouth, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  Deric drew his dagger and turned around. “No more games girl. It was fun while it lasted but when you start throwing out words that usually mean an immediate death sentence, I feel as if you’re hiding something.”

  Emilia stayed silent as she stared at the ground. Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak but no sound came out.

  “You should have stayed on the hill like a good girl.” Deric approached her, ready to strike. Her life was forfeit now, she had let loose something that only a traitor would know and that was enough for him to drive the blade into her chest.

  But before he was an arm’s length away she screamed, “Stop! Please!”

  Deric paused, “And why the hell should I. Because you’re a girl? Sorry, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re a woman. Everyone dies the same way.”

  She held her hands in surrender and took a deep breath, “I’ll take you to it.”

  “To what?”

  “The circuit.”

  Deric huffed, “Isn’t in one of the Voltage Chambers? If it is I know where all five of them are.”

  “Six.”

  “What?”

  Emilia smiled, “There are six chambers. I can take you to this one.”

  Deric was perplexed. He didn’t understand this change of heart. If he followed her would he be running into a trap? “Why would you take me there. A few seconds ago you wanted me dead.”

  Emilia had the look of someone who was about to give a sermon at one the large temple Masses. “I’ve been thinking. If I show it to you, I’m convinced that you’ll take your own life out of guilt.”

  “I don’t feel guilt, child.”

  “We’ll see.” And with that, she beckoned Deric to follow her back the way they came. They had been walking for quite some time and had ended up in the fields outside the city. Wherever this sixth chamber was, it was going to take them a hell of a long time to get there.

  V.

  “Why the hell are we back here,” Deric said. They had traveled back into town, past the tavern and back to where they had started by the hill towards the plateau. “Were you following me just to waste my time so you could eventually take me back here?”

  Emilia gave a sly smile, “If you remember I was actually trying to kill you, but when this opportunity arose I figured that boring you to death would be the next best thing”.

  “And how discourteous of you that was. Are you trying to make me mad?”

  “You shouldn’t have walked so far away!” They were arguing again. In the few hours that they had known each other, a good portion of that was wasted on trying to see who was better at shouting.

  “Well, maybe if you didn’t change your mind so fast and so often, I would be dead and at peace instead of babysitting you!” If they weren’t careful someone was probably going to hear them and call the guards for disturbing the peace. And he would just love having to explain to the Lord Regent why he was fraternizing with the daughter of the man he had just recently killed.

  “Look,” Emilia said, “Let’s just go okay? We can argue more when we’re actually there. Right now I just want to get inside and away from any wandering eyes that may plague the streets at this hour.

  Even though he really wanted to argue, Deric nodded and motioned for them to continue up the hill. She did have a point. He would feel a lot safer inside than outside where he knew that some of the wandering eyes were spies for Lord Regent and the council. And who knows, maybe Lord Baric hadn’t made it to his mansion yet and spent his night sleeping with the barmaids in some dark alley. “How much further?”

  “Another mile and we’ll be ther,” Emilia whispered, “It’s near the edge of the plateau.”

  Onward they walked for another mile until they reached the edge of the plateau. Most of the lights in the city were off, except for the few occasional glimmers here and there. Deric could see everything, from the gates of the keep all the way to the farmland that he and Emilia were walking through a couple hours previously. “Nice view,” he muttered.

  Emilia appeared next to him and let out a huge sigh, “It wasn’t always like this,” she said. “This all used to be flat land, as far as the eye can see.” She kneeled down and dusted off an oddly shaped rock near the edge with her hand. “All the underground facilities rose to the top.”

  “I’m aware of this,” Deric muttered. After Nature’s Fire, there were seven days of earth shattering quakes that made the landscape of the region what it is today. He was also aware of the number of holes that had appeared from under the ground, revealing hidden chambers of homes and large facilities of the Old World. But they have been empty for centuries now, having been cleaned out by the thieves and explorers of the past. Deric didn’t understand why she had brought him this far just to confirm something he already knew. “If you’re saying that the sixth chamber is in one of the holes, I’m inclined to believe that you’ve been lying to me this whole time.”

  Emilia huffed and approached a nearby boulder. Reaching behind it, she pulled out what looked like a rope and a large steel hook. “That’s not what I am saying at all. You are correct in assuming that most of the chambers that rose to the surface have been cleaned out or blocked off. I never said that this one joined them.”

  The realization hit Deric immediately. How could he have been so stupid? There was the possibility that there were more underground chambers that still haven’t been unearthed. He was taught to believe that any other chamber found after the five would be of no conseque
nce to the region, that only architects and explores would have any incentive to investigate the world under them any further. He watched as Emilia screwed in the hook to the odd shaped edge of the rock she had unearthed. Then, with both hands, tied a tight knot around the steel with the rope and began to lower off the edge of the plateau. She checked one more time that the line was secure before she stood up and turned to face Deric. “It’s about half a mile down. You’re not afraid of heights are you?”

  Deric rolled his eyes and held out his hand for her to place the rope in. “I once scaled an entire waterfall just to cut the throat of an ambassador from the south. This is nothing.” He held the rope tight but before he descended looked cautiously back at the hook stuck in stone. “Is that really going to hold both of us?”

  “I don’t really know how it works,” she said. “I just know that if a guy three times the size of us can go down with two other people, we’ll be fine.”

  Before the tempting notion of asking how big the man she was talking about really was, he shook off any irrational fears he had and slid down the rope. He moved a few feet every few seconds, rappelling down and using the cliff side as leverage as he descended. In a few moments, Emilia joined him on the rope and Deric had to keep himself from looking up at her behind. Easy now, he thought, you can barely tolerate her presence as it is. So, he focused on the downward descent, watching the ground get closer. Eventually, he understood why they had to enter from so odd an angle. Deric could see the small hole now and surrounding it was a line of shattered boulders and rocks that would block anyone from entering the old fashion way. When he reached them, he placed the balls of his feet on the soft side of the nearest flat piece and let himself slide off the rope. He landed with a thud on the soft soil below him.

  It didn’t take Emilia long to follow him down so when Deric stood up, he found her brushing the dust off her brown pants. “Easy enough,” she said with a smile.