by Andrew Gates
The Metamorph was secure. Jallah felt himself let out a deep sigh of relief. He did not even realize that he had been holding his breath the whole time.
And then… Saratti’s convulsing stopped.
All eyes in the room stared at Soh Saratti as he slowly stood straight up. He no longer seemed to be in any pain. In fact, he stood straighter now than he ever did before the experiment. It was as if the chemical had somehow made him stronger, younger.
Saratti’s eyes looked different too. There was no color to them. They were as black as the deepest depths of the ocean. His mandibles were open wide. Drool dripped down onto his neck and chest.
“Oh my,” Dan said with an exhale. He withdrew his hand from Jallah’s and held both palms before his open mouth in disbelief.
“Did it work? Has his mind been destroyed?” Ukhrani asked.
Silence.
Soh Saratti stepped forward until he was right up against the glass. He raised both claws and brought them down, snarling as he did so.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Soh Saratti!” Sylus said, moving toward the glass. He held out his claws and pressed them against the outside of the chamber.
“Soh Sylus, do not go to him,” Dan warned.
“He knows,” Ukhrani confirmed, holding out her claw. “We all know. He is simply mourning the death of a friend.”
Moments passed. The zombie-Sorrevahni continued to snarl and bang as Sylus trembled and cried by the glass. No one interrupted him. This was his time. All were respectful of that.
After a few minutes, Sylus finally withdrew from the glass and calmly nodded his head to the scientists. He closed his eyes and faced away from his former friend. He dared not watch what happened next.
Flames suddenly rained down upon the quarantine chamber from above, covering everything inside in hews of intense oranges and black smoke. The heat was so intense, Jallah had to take a few steps back. He felt himself sweat all over.
Then a humming sound echoed through the chamber and the flames quickly died away, leaving a blackened smoldering corpse upon the floor.
“What just happened?” Jallah asked, turning to Dan.
“They burned everything with the flamethrowers,” Dan explained. “Then they sucked all the oxygen out of the room, starving the fire and eliminating the toxic gas.”
“So… the toxic gas is gone?” Jallah asked.
“It should be. Keep your helmet on though. Something could always go wrong.”
Those words were not comforting.
The two scientists approached the quarantine chamber again and read the data from the monitor on the door. After a quick double-check, they nodded to one another and then slowly removed their helmets.
As soon as the scientists removed their helmets, the rest of the room followed suit. Jallah started undoing his straps too, eager to free up his neck. Once loosened, he lifted the helmet over his head and placed it on the nearest table.
“It worked,” Ikharus declared as he set his own helmet down. He walked up to Sylus, who now had the strength to turn around and face the room again. “You saw what I saw,” Ikharus continued. “Soh Saratti’s mind was destroyed by the chemical. We now know that the weapon works across multiple species. You have your proof.”
Sylus nodded his head, then removed his helmet. He held it next to him and wiped a tear from his eye with his free claw. He responded to Kho Ikharus in words Jallah could not understand, then slowly walked out of the laboratory, paying Jallah no mind at all. His two guards followed him out.
“That was quick,” Jallah said.
“He just lost a friend. Something tells me he is not in the mood to talk,” Dan replied.
“Well… what did he say?” Jallah asked, turning to Ikharus now.
Ikharus calmly nodded his head, then looked up to meet Jallah’s gaze.
“He says he agrees that it worked,” Ikharus explained.
“Did he say if the Emperor will go through with your plan?” Jallah asked.
“He did not say,” Ikharus answered. “But I hope, for all our sakes, that the answer is yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emperor
Sup-Chief. Kho Ikharus
“Well… what did he say?” the young evolved-one asked, his gaze slowly rising to meet Ikharus’s.
Ikharus calmly nodded his head, then met the curious nymph’s eyes.
“He says he agrees that it worked,” Ikharus explained, referring to the horrific experiment they had just witnessed. The experiment had claimed the life… nay, the mind, of Soh Saratti, but in doing so, it gave Ikharus and Sylus the proof they needed that the chemical could work on another species. It was a heavy sacrifice for Saratti to make, but one of incredible importance.
“Did he say if the Emperor will go through with your plan?” the curious nymph continued.
“He did not say,” Ikharus answered, regrettably. He let out a sigh. “But I hope, for all our sakes, that the answer is yes.”
After those words, Vylan formed up next to him. The guard stood resolute, as if unphased by the horrors that he too had beheld. Ikharus took one last glance behind him as the two scientists slowly moved to retrieve the vial, then he turned away from the quarantine chamber. He hoped he would never have to lay eyes on it again.
Ikharus quickly moved out of the laboratory and back into the cold halls of the mountain lair. He caught the back of Sylus a few kotans down the tunnel flanked by his two female guards.
“Soh Sylus,” Ikharus shouted, hoping to catch his attention.
Sylus turned and waited.
Ikharus moved forward. Vylan kept pace by his side.
“You left so suddenly,” Ikharus noted. “I must know. What will you tell the Emperor?”
Sylus let out a sigh, then motioned to a room at the end of the hall.
“Follow me,” he said.
Sylus and his guards led the way until they reached the room at the end. The door opened before him and they stepped inside. Once the five of them were in, the door shut behind them.
This room was smaller than the others and like most rooms here, it was circular. The ceiling was low and, aside from a desk and a few chairs, there was not much in the way of furniture.
“Is this your office?” Ikharus asked.
“It is,” Sylus responded. He sighed again and motioned to a nearby seat for Ikharus and Vylan to sit. “Or at least, it is temporarily while we reside here in the mountains.”
Ikharus and Vylan both sat. Sylus walked to the other side of the desk and sat down. His two guards remained on either side of him, standing.
“I apologize for my lack of answers. I know your people prefer directness. You must understand, Soh Saratti was a friend of mine. He has been close to my heart for planet-cycles.”
“I understand. His death must affect you dearly.”
“Not only his death, but the circumstances surrounding his death. I fear that when he meets the Creator, his mind will not be what it once was. I fear that what we did to him in that chamber was permanent, even into the afterlife, for our mind is all we bring with us when we go.” His voice trailed off into silence.
Ikharus waited a few respectful seconds before responding.
“It is difficult for me to relate to such concern. In my Chiefdom, we are unfamiliar with concepts like the afterlife or the Creator. My people have no word for what happens beyond the day when one dies. We simply view it as the end.”
“Between your Chiefdom’s lack of belief in the Hive and now this, it is clear to me that your people must come to learn that just because you cannot see or touch something, that does not mean it is not real,” Sylus shifted in his seat. He stared out into the blankness before him for a moment, before turning his gaze to Ikharus. It seemed he was still struggling to push the thoughts of Saratti out of his mind.
“My people take great pride in what they can see and touch. As a result, we have made great strides in scientific discovery. Think of our medical tech
nology, engine propulsion, gravity wells, khalasynthe. Our affirmation in what we can see and feel is not our weakness. I view it as a strength.”
“A strength that left you blind to the Hive,” Sylus rebutted. He sighed and rested both claws atop the desk before him. “You view the tangible and intangible as mutually exclusive, as if to believe in one means you cannot believe in the other, but that is not true, for my people have lived this way for generations. To believe only in the tangible limits one’s ability to believe what is possible and what is not. If anything, your way of thinking only rejects possibilities, not affirms them.”
Interesting point, Ikharus thought as he shifted. He would need more time to think on that notion, but now was not the right time to discuss philosophical viewpoints of the world.
“Our cultures and ways of thinking are clearly different,” Ikharus said, hoping to move the conversation along.”
“You mention culture yet again,” Sylus said, leaning forward. He subtly eyed up Vylan, then returned his gaze to Ikharus. “For one who speaks of culture so much, you are a bit of a cultural anomaly yourself.”
“You mean because of the circumstances around my rise to power?” Ikharus asked.
“No, no. That is not what I speak of. I speak of your name.”
“My name?”
“Kho Ikharus,” Sylus said, making sure to pronounce the end of the word with added emphasis. “I imagine there are few within your Chiefdom who take an interest in etymology. Even Kal Ukhrani, with her impressive language skills, likely does not understand the origins of the words she speaks so much as she knows how to speak them.”
He knows, Ikharus thought, suddenly finding himself nervous.
“Do any among your council know?” Sylus asked. Then he paused for a moment. His eyes widened. “Do you know?”
Ikharus shifted in his seat.
“I have had my suspicions,” he admitted. He turned to look at Vylan, then back to Sylus again. “But none on my council know, or if they do, it has not come up.”
Sylus turned to Vylan, making an obvious point of it this time.
“Do you know what we are talking about?” he asked the guard.
“I do not, Soh Sylus,” Vylan responded bluntly.
“Your Supreme Chieftain’s name shares its origin in the roots of the Sorrevahni language,” Sylus explained, revealing the truth now. “It is not something most would notice, not even in these lands, but for those with a keen knowledge of linguistics, it comes as a most unique name.”
“You are right to question it. In truth, I never knew my parents,” Ikharus said, finally sharing his side to the story. “I was raised in a military orphanage, but my name had already been given. It is a mystery I have held with me since as early as I can recall.”
“Fascinating,” Sylus said, shifting in his seat again. “And had you ever tried to reach your parents?”
“Never,” Ikharus replied, bluntly.
“Why? Were you afraid of what you would find?”
“Perhaps I was, perhaps I did not care. I cannot say, for it was long ago.”
“Were you ever able to learn anything?”
Ikharus sighed and shifted again.
“There were whisperings that my mother was a crossblood, half Kholvari and half Sorrevahni. Her name was Sahl Iserus.”
“A crossblood living in Kholvaria who chose to live by a Sorrevahni name?” Sylus said in surprise.
“Again, these are only whispers,” Ikharus replied, “but if the words be true, that would make me a quarter Sorrevahni.”
“Well, that would certainly explain your name,” Sylus replied, sitting back. “And I can see why you chose to keep this secret from your council. The knowledge that Sorrevahni blood flows through your veins would surely cast doubt upon your entire Chieftainship. I presume I am the first you have openly expressed these facts to?”
“That is correct,” Ikharus confirmed.
“Then I am glad to have your trust,” Sylus replied.
“You discovered it on your own. You knew the origin of my name without my aid.”
“Still, you supplied added details. For that, I am grateful.”
“None of it matters anymore anyway,” Ikharus said. “Meeting with you here, now, has done more to fortify a connection between our people than any etymological discovery. If my people take issue with the Chiefdom involving itself with Sorrevahni influence, my actions have passed far beyond that threshold now.”
“I suppose that is true,” Sylus said, nodding.
Sylus seemed better composed now. It was as if this talk had taken the death of his friend off his mind for the time-being. Ikharus was glad that he was able to provide the distraction.
But still, there were important questions to be asked. He could only distract for so long.
“If you do not mind, Soh Sylus, I am curious to know, have you given any thought to what you will tell the Emperor?” Ikharus asked, finally getting to what he wanted to know.
Sylus slowly removed the antlers from his head and set the ornate piece down on the desk before him.
“You will have the full support of the Emperor’s fleet,” he answered quietly.
“Full support? That is wonderful to hear, but how do you know for sure? Have you already discussed it with the Emperor?” Ikharus asked.
“I know because I am the Emperor,” Sylus replied. He slowly stood up from his seat and placed his antlered crown back atop his head. “Welcome to my domain. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am High Emperor Soh Sylus of the Sorrevahni.”
“Your Majesty,” Ikharus responded in a gasp. He suddenly stood up from his seat, then bowed low.
“Your Majesty,” Vylan added, doing the same.
“You may rise, both of you,” Sylus said, waving his claw.
They did.
“I do not understand, your Majesty,” Ikharus began as he rose back up. “I thought Emperor Rosan sat the throne. Why have you kept your identity secret from me and my people?”
“Sit, sit, you need not remain standing for me,” Sylus started. Ikharus followed his directive and sat back down. “Emperor Rosan was our ruler, yes, but his reign ended with his life only days ago. He was aboard one of our Teceron-class warships during the battle in orbit.” Sylus paused as he reflected on the death of his predecessor. “I know you have put a great deal of trust in me over these past few days, as have I put trust in you, but despite it all, you are still unknown to me. You are a foreigner from a land that has existed as a threat to my people for so long. Forgive me for my deception, but this was yet another test. It was my way to prove that you were worthy of my trust.”
“I understand,” Ikharus replied. “And you can be sure, you have my trust.”
“I can see that now,” Sylus said, nodding. He let out a deep breath, then sat back down.
“You can be sure that I shall not tell the others of your identity,” Ikharus continued.
“Further secrecy will not be necessary, Kho Ikharus. I will reveal my identity to your acquaintances myself upon this meeting’s end. As the final pieces of our mission come together, further secrecy will only slow down the operation,” Sylus said.
Ikharus nodded in agreement. He was glad to see it the same way.
“The last of my ships should be arriving as we speak,” Sylus continued. “Our force is nearly assembled and I see no reason to delay. I propose we initiate our assault on the morrow.”
Tomorrow. Perfect. No more delays, Ikharus thought.
“Then tomorrow it shall be,” he agreed. “The final battle.”
“Our two sides united as one,” Sylus added.
“Thank you, Emperor, for everything you have done. On behalf of the people of Kholvaria, we are eternally grateful.”
“Your kind words are not needed, Kho Ikharus. I do this because it is the right thing to do. It will be an honor to fight by your side.”
Ikharus let out a deep breath and shook his head.
“By the Chi
efdom, how was it that our people came to be so separated? How could a difference in philosophy split us apart as if a chasm existed between us?”
“I have wondered that same question over the course of these last few days.”
“Now that I have met you, met your people, learned about your Empire, I dream of a world united, where Kholvari and Sorrevahni can one day live together. I see now that our differences are naught but trivial folly.”
“I share in that dream, Kho Ikharus. Promise me that if we survive tomorrow, we will do what we can to bring peace between us.”
Ikharus smiled and nodded. This decision would shape the entire course of world history.
“I promise,” he declared.
Blang, blang, blang! In that moment, a siren suddenly blared and the two guards standing beside Sylus sprung into action, drawing their swords and taking a defensive position around their Emperor.
Vylan lowered his spear and quickly stood by Ikharus’s side, protecting his Supreme Chieftain.
“What does that sound mean?” Ikharus asked.
“A distress signal,” Sylus answered. “It could have been triggered by rebels or intruders or…” Sylus’s voice went silent, but Ikharus did not need to be told what else it could be. He could already envision the Hive in his mind, rapidly descending upon the snowcapped mountains.
“I must take you to safety, your Majesty,” Vylan said. “Two hierarchs in one place. This room will be a target. It will be better to split you both up.”
Before anyone else could add their own response, the door to the office suddenly burst open. Jakhu and two Sorrevahni soldiers stood on the other side. Jakhu was already garbed in full Kreed gear, mission-ready. Obviously these two Sorrevahni must have had the override codes to unlock the door whenever the need called for it.
“Your Majesty,” Jakhu said, wasting no time. “We need to move.”
“What is it? We have not heard any word on what triggered the distress signal,” Ikharus asked.
“The Hive has found us. They must have detected the final warship as it arrived,” Jakhu explained.