by Paul Ormond
“It’s complicated,” Mitch said after he leaned.
“What about Drak? He must be able to explain the situation to them,” SoHee asked.
“Drak is gone. They dragged him off to some kind of headquarters,” Mitch said, rubbing his head. “It seems that he wasn’t as forthright about Chalthantar as we thought. Yes, he is a part of the resistance, but our captors are not. And we have not escaped our problems. The Masters are still active on this planet and the leader of this outpost is threatening to hand us all over unless I do what he says.”
“What does he want you to do?” SoHee asked.
“Take out the resistance?” Mitch said.
“You mean kill Drak’s people?” SoHee asked.
“That’s what he said.”
“That’s horrible. What are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know if I have much of a choice. The captain said the resistance sold Drak out, but we cannot be sure of anything right now.”
“That’s just typical,” Gerald said. “What else did this captain say?”
“He told me that I need to leave immediately,” Mitch said as he looked up. “I told him I can’t do it alone, but he refused to let me take SoHee. They know everything about you. He thinks he can use you as some kind of bargaining chip with the Masters.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, but how does he expect you to kill off the resistance?”
“I have no idea. It could also be a trap. He’s going to let me use my weapon, but it still seems like a suicide mission. There is some kind of control grid disabling our abilities. That’s why we don’t have any power. They use it to suppress any uprisings. I don’t quite understand how it works, but that may be why your powers aren’t working, SoHee,” Mitch said. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have a choice. It’s either do what he says or he hands us over to the Masters.”
“There’s got to be something we can do. You are not a murderer, Mitch,” SoHee said.
“I’ll figure something out. We’re not dead yet, so don’t lose hope,” Mitch said, standing up. “I need a couple volunteers. Who wants to go sightseeing? Maybe take on a rebel army?”
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE SOUND OF grinding stone tore KiGuan out of his slumber. Still unable to see, he strained against the darkness in a vain attempt to glean any information from his surroundings.
Without warning, the sound halted and KiGuan found himself enshrouded in an icy silence. Across an undefinable distance, a clacking sound echoed through the darkness. Honing in on the sound, KiGuan tried to place where he had heard that noise before.
“Your heart rate suggests that you are a little confused, frightened perhaps,” Mother’s voice echoed in his ears.
“What is happening? What have you done to me?” KiGuan shouted out.
“There is no reason to panic, no reason to worry,” Mother said, from overhead. “Everything is under control, under control.”
“Where am I? And why can’t I move?”
“Oh, my dear KiGuan, my heart is filled with joy. For today is a special day. A day we shall cherish for eternity.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am talking about your destiny, of course. We have come to a sacred place, a holy place, and you are about to embark on a journey.”
“How can I travel in this state? I cannot move and I cannot see?”
“Soon you will move and see in a way you never thought possible.”
“I cannot move or see at all. Why won’t you explain to me why I am here, and what you plan to do with me?”
“If you would only listen, you will understand that I am doing everything I can to prepare you for your journey. In a moment, I will free you from your bonds, but you must remember that you are in a weakened state. You must not strain yourself or move too quickly, or you will damage what is left of your being. But, do not despair, the journey you are about to take will be like nothing you have ever experienced, and when it is over you will be reborn as the Emperor’s true son in his purest form, purest form.”
“This is all madness. You continue to talk about destiny, but all I have seen are illusions.”
“Patience, KiGuan. This is the problem with youth: you are in far too much of a hurry. It is in haste when we make mistakes. Soon, I will reveal to you what has become of your physical body. We have kept you in a state of unconsciousness while our medical team did its best to stabilize your condition. Unfortunately, the damage cannot be undone. Therefore, it is best that we remake you in a new form.”
“A new form? How is that possible?”
“As much as it pains me to admit it, I am afraid I made a mistake concerning your development. I felt it necessary to shadow you from the Emperor’s love in order to prevent your kind from being spoiled. If you knew of your divine origins, you would have been burdened with the hubris of royalty. I wanted you and your people to be resilient and self reliant, but in hindsight I see the error of my ways. The Emperor needs pious and devoted followers, fully aware of their role in his divine plan. But do not get discouraged. You are about to make a fresh start, my darling boy, and it begins with a meeting with your father, the Royal Emperor.”
“My father? How can such a thing be done?”
“There is so much you are yet to learn about this network you are a part of, KiGuan, but first you must accept the Emperor into your heart, for you are the fruit of his loins. In a moment, you will return to the womb of the Empress where you will be enshrouded in her love again.”
“Forgive me, but I am unable to fathom what you speak of. It all sounds like some fantasy you are spinning.”
“I know what I speak of sounds difficult to believe. But, if you will allow me, we will release you from your containment unit so that you can behold the glory of the Emperor and Empress with your own eyes. But be forewarned: your body has been decimated. What remains will be unrecognizable to you.”
“Just let me out of here. I am suffocating in this blackness.”
“As you wish, but once again, you have been warned.”
“I understand. Let’s get this over with.”
“Release him.” Mother said, before she moved away, feet clacking against a metallic flooring.
KiGuan heard the sound of latches popping, followed by the release of a thick cloud of gas. A blinding light burst through a narrow opening at his side and he winced as the light bore into his retinas. Squinting against the glare, he felt a cold wind blow over his body and he opened his eyes to discover a horror show laid out before him on a steel gurney. Two short stubs protruded from the base of his torso where his legs should have been and he looked to his right to discover a fleshless limb glistening under the bright light bearing down from overhead, still clutching a long metallic staff with a bulbous end. All that remained of his left arm was a short stump cut off just past his shoulder.
Crying out in agony and horror, KiGuan gasped for breath in the thin air outside the container.
“I told you it wouldn’t be a pretty sight, but fear not,” Mother said appearing above KiGuan, her long neck moving serpent like behind her skull. “Your Emperor awaits you. Behold the source of your existence with your own eyes.”
The sound of whirring gears filled the air, and KiGuan felt his body tilting upward. Mother’s head pulled back after the doctors stepped away and KiGuan felt his heart skip as he stared across a wide expanse at two massive spears rotating in the distance.
“All hail the Emperor and Empress,” a voice shouted out from above.
“Hail to the Emperor. Hail to the Empress. May they reign forever,” a chorus of voices responded before a heavy gong rang out into the ether.
In agony, KiGuan craned his neck to see who spoke and discovered several cloaked figures clutching elaborate weapons standing over him on a stone forum.
“The Masters welcome you to their sacred meeting ground,” Mother’s voice said.
“Welcome, brother KiGuan,” one Master said and butted his go
lden staff against the stone.
“Yes, our brother has come home,” a voice said while heavy footsteps approached the gurney.
“It is time for you to step into a new skin,” Commander Holrathu said, peering down upon KiGuan’s mangled form. “Return to your creator’s embrace and be reborn.”
“This is insanity,” KiGuan rasped.
“It is difficult to face the truth, but you must know that you have always been one of us,” Holrathu said. “It was unfortunate that you were made to suffer as you did, but it was necessary for your growth. The Emperor has great plans for you. In time, you will realize and appreciate all that you have struggled for and fought for.”
“My entire life is a lie, and that is all thanks to you and your twisted plan,” KiGuan shouted. “I watched my people die at your hands and now you tell me to appreciate it?”
“The tragedy you speak of tears into my being like a knife driven into my chest,” Holrathu said. “But that is the burden of leadership. We must make decisions for the group at the expense of the individual. This is a lesson that cannot be taught. It must be experienced. And you KiGuan have the scars to prove that you have suffered and lost, but you have endured. This perseverance will be a boon to you when you assume your new role within the Emperor’s Regime.”
“You are assuming a lot about me.”
“It is not an assumption when it has been preordained. KiGuan, you must understand that this is always how it was meant to be. The Emperor does not make mistakes.”
“So this was all a part of his plan?” KiGuan said, gesturing at what remained of his body.
“We simple beings cannot fathom the Emperor’s process regarding future developments. But you must accept what has come to pass. I’m sure you will discover that your suffering was not in vain.”
“I am in this state because of your endeavors on Jarkadu. It is you who are to blame for all my suffering.”
“KiGuan, get a hold of yourself. It was your actions that brought this about. You chose to fight against the Emperor’s forces and now look what your insubordination has wrought,” Mother said as her head snaked in above KiGuan. “You are lucky that the Emperor has forgiven you for all your wrongdoing. You may have been dismembered, but the destruction brought about by your rebellion alongside Mitch Mythic is irreparable. We know that you were deceived by the traitor Teron, and for this you are forgiven, but in order for you to be fully reinstated and reformed you must embark upon your journey immediately.”
“I am not the one who needs forgiving. It was your lies and deception that brought about this travesty.”
“You can go and tell that to your Emperor, your Empress,” Mother said as her head pulled back and she addressed the Master’s assembled overhead. “It is time for KiGuan to return to his birthplace. Let us send him off with warm wishes for a healthy return.”
“Praise for KiGuan. May he find his way back to the light,” Master Sulvaney said, raising his sword into the air.
“Yes, Praise for KiGuan,” Commander Holrathu said as he turned to face his entourage. “He has suffered much in service to the Emperor. He may have thought of us as the enemy before, but he fought against us with valor and courage in the belief that he was following orders, for that he deserves our forgiveness. When he returns to us reformed, we shall celebrate his newfound acceptance of the Emperor’s love.”
“Yes, KiGuan, you will go to the Emperor now,” Mother said. “There you will discover the truth of your origins, and the full scope of your destiny.”
“You act as if I have some kind of choice in this matter.”
“No one said anything about choice. That is the nature of this cruel universe we live in. As much as we would like to believe that we are free to pursue whatever ends we like, that is simply not the case. Those that oppose their destiny are left to wallow in obscurity while the true of heart rise to the occasion and fulfill the will of the universe. In that there is power.”
“If you are going to send me off, then send me off,” KiGuan said. “I think I’ve listened to enough of your insanity.”
“Once you have been received by the Emperor and Empress, I think you will sing a different tune, my dear boy,” Mother said as Commander Holrathu pounded the butt of his ax against the stone floor beneath his feet. “You must stop this needless protest and cast off your veil of doubt. Once you see your existence for what it is, you will understand all that I have said. Allow the Emperor into your heart and all will be well.”
Pulling her head away from KiGuan, Mother turned to Commander Holrathu and nodded. “It is time. Release him into his father’s embrace. Do not resist your destiny, KiGuan, or you will certainly Perish.”
“I’m not one to perish easily,” KiGuan said before two guards approached and unlatched the restraints holding him to the gurney. As the guards stepped away, Holrathu moved forward and pulled back his ax. In one swift movement, he struck the deck before the gurney, and a sensation of weightlessness overcame KiGuan.
Struggling to right himself, his dismembered limbs floundered against the ether in a vain attempt to gain control as the Emperor’s gravitational pull drew him in at an alarming rate.
In what felt like an instant, the stone structure where he began his journey appeared like a speck against the vast nebulae billowing into the infinite expanse.
Giving into the forces pulling against his form, KiGuan let his body go limp. He no longer possessed the strength to struggle, and he was overcome by the pain of his injuries.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“THERE. THAT LOOKS like a good spot,” Candace said as she angled toward a narrow gap in the rocks.
“I don’t know if I can stick that landing,” Sage said, following after her.
“You’ll be fine. Just think of it as splitting the defense in a hockey game.”
“I’ll try, but there aren’t any sheer cliffs in hockey.”
“Then I guess you’ll just be dashed against the rocks and have to re-spawn back in town.”
“Not gonna happen. I’ll make it work, but we never talked about landings, and now I’ve got to shoot into a tiny hole in a cliff.”
“If we stay out here any longer we’re going to get picked off. The suns coming up and I don’t like the idea of being somebody's target practice. The last time I did this spell, I got bombarded by flaming stones shot at me by a couple trolls and catapult. As I tried to get away one of those NPC sky dragons spotted me and chased me across the entire continent. I only got away when the spell wore off and I fell into a lake.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of that before we took off?”
“I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Well, I’m scared now. When did you say the dragon showed up?”
“When the sun came up.”
“So you mean like now.”
“Yeah, I heard the game will figure out if you’ve been using a flight spell too long and it sends them in to mess with you,” Candace said before a large shadow passed overhead.
“Uh, that better not be what I think it is,” Sage said.
“If we’re gonna make that gap, we’d better do it now,” Candace shouted after she spotted a winged shadow tracing over the rocks of the cliff. “It’s coming in hot.”
“I’m right behind you,” Sage shouted before a burst of fire broke out of a cloud bank overhead. Dodging to his right, Sage looked up to see an enormous winged dragon drop out of the cloud as a stream of fire shot out of its mouth.
“Don’t look back. Let the spell take over. The eagle knows what it’s doing,” Candace shouted before she dove toward the narrow crack in the wall.
“Trust the eagle, huh,” Sage shouted, pinning back his wings and diving after Candace. Hot flame licked at his tail as the dragon closed in on him.
Bearing down upon the opening, Candace extended her wings in one quick motion, breaking her fall. She flapped once and thrust forward, disappearing into the opening.
Without looking back, Sage
attempted to mimic her actions. He pulled out his wings, but he mistimed his approach and he found himself hovering in the air as a hot wind blasted against his body. Flapping his wings in a panic, he pushed with all his might toward the narrow opening while the dragon descended upon him.
Under a blanket of fire, Sage shot into the opening and crashed face first into the stone floor. Tumbling across the ground, he found himself immersed in an explosion of light. As he came to a halt, he looked down and saw that he had returned to human form. He breathed a sigh of relief and laid on his back.
“Having a nice rest?” Candace said from further in shadows. “Don’t get too comfortable. Our new friend still wants to play.”
“What are you talking about?” Sage said, rolling to his left. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he spotted a winged form moving toward the opening.
“Uh, I think he’s planning on barbecue for breakfast,” Sage shouted after he got to his feet. “We’d better run.”
“You think?” Candace said, leaping over a set of boulders.
Chasing after her, Sage found himself in a narrow passage before a terrific roar tore through the opening followed by a burst of flame. As the cave was lit up by fire, he dove over a large rock and crawled into a crevice. The flames receded, and he peered out of his hiding spot to find a large eye looking into the hole.
The sound of claws grinding into rock filled the narrow cave before the dragon shoved away from the wall. With a swift and sudden flap of its wings, the dragon pushed away from the opening and flew across the valley.
“I think it’s gone,” Sage said, climbing out of his hole.
“You might want to check your pants,” Candace said as she emerged from her hiding place behind a thick boulder. “You were screaming like an elfling.”
“I wasn’t screaming,” Sage said, rising to his feet. “Well, I might’ve been yelling, but that was really scary. I’m sorry if I’m not as stoic as you.”
“Relax, we made it,” Candace said before she turned toward the dark mouth of the cave. “Wherever we are.”