Exhumation: An Epic of Existentia (Acts of the Sojourner Book 1)

by S. A. Chapman

  A streak of lightning crossed the sky and struck the portion of the sky bridge between Pious and the Frystians. It exploded in a blast of light and rain, revealing a powerful, four-legged scaled Naga – the Epitome of Air – glowing with a sky–blue radiance.

  The formidable Naga let out a thunderous roar and a burst of wind, throwing the Frystians to the ground. The large, cobalt–blue–scaled, wolf-like head turned to Pious, peering at him with a large, golden eye either side of its face. A large scar swept down its face, and over an eye socket, the wound missing the eye itself.

  Protruding from the sides of its head were two silvery–white antlers, branched in such a way that they appeared like forks of lighting. It had a long silvery–white moustache, which parted over either side of its long muzzle.

  Its head was set atop a long and slender, yet muscular neck. It looked straight at Pious and gestured with its head as if beckoning Pious towards the magnificent beast. “What waiting for?” it said in a deep, rumbling voice – almost chastising him for his hesitance.

  “What?” said Pious, entirely bewildered by the creature. Pious and Tana quickly turned their heads to the Ecclesiasticum Focal Tower, as a frighteningly familiar scream bellowed behind them. Nochuros held a Attaran in each hand – by sickeningly crushed throats in his mighty fists, as he used the two corpses as flailing weapons to strike at his opponents.

  “Let’s get after him!” said Pious, as he pointed to Jacq disappearing into the distance.

  Tana smiled, spun her blades in her hands and returned them to her scabbards with swiftness and accuracy. She withdrew a curved dagger from her belt and threw it at an oncoming Vespax. The dagger landed in the exposed neck area between the rider's brigandine and its full faced helmet. The Attaran reached for his throat and slumped to the side, as he fell from his mount.

  As the Vespax flew low, Tana jumped, took hold of the reins and leapt into the air, throwing herself into the saddle. She pulled back on the reins, and drove the Vespax straight downward, disappearing in an elegant trail of white silk.

  An eight-legged Stelion climbed onto the Sky–Ring from the Magistratum, its bristle-covered legs moving about in jerky and unnatural movements. It began projecting venom from the venom gland underneath its carapace, landing on some Frystian warriors, blistering their skin in painful boils and lesions. One of the two Attaran Dragoons atop the Stelion was firing bolts from its mounted bolt–launcher into the Battle-Bishops and the other was firing into the air towards the Seagles.

  “Move, hesitant one!” Commanded the Naga.

  Sheathing his sword, Pious ran towards the Naga – a deep and compelling urge drove Pious towards the wise and mighty looking creature. A bizarre sense of familiarity with the creature welled within. The Naga was waiting for him, with its head held low in readiness. Pious jumped onto its back and slid down its neck, then grabbed hold of the set of antlers that sprang forth from the side of its head. He placed his feet into two ridges on the side of the Naga’s neck and tucked his legs in tight.

  “Go!” shouted Pious, as a bolt from a Stelion barely missed Pious – and the Naga vaulted off the bridge and dived.

  The Skies above the South–Way

  “As long as these Emanators remain operational – no insect or beast of the air shall penetrate the unseen dome of Aetherical Force. The counter-rotational action of the Emanators will likewise refresh the airs as well.”

  A brief explanation on the Aerial Protection System,

  Unknown Khyramic Order Engineer,

  Unknown date of record.

  In their deep dive, Pious and the Naga were heading rapidly towards a buttress when he spotted Tana atop the Vespax ascending towards the sky. The Naga twisted itself mid-air and grasped the buttress with its hind legs, then used the buttress to pivot itself and took off at greater speed towards the Vespax heading south.

  From above, the scene below was phenomenal. Far below them, heated battles raged on, the sound of conflict carrying into the empty skies, their locations marked by flame or lode. Torch and building fire blazed, spewing forth the smoke of destruction from within the districts into the fog of Tenebrae.

  Wind blowing through his hair, Pious turned to look back at Sanctum. Flames engulfed many parts of the grounds. The Ecclesiasticum had a plume of smoke pouring from its Focal Tower.

  The lights of Elysia’s major walled cities stroked the fog – Karajan, Tharlugia, Aspiration, Hopeton, Crucius, Bonewallis, Pinespeak, Timberslane – all readily distinguishable, with the lights from all the other townships and villages creating a collage of illuminations.

  A conflict raged at the Western Stately Gate and Sanctuary Docks, where huge forces were revealed by torch fire and lanterns. The Union Army, while still laying siege to the Southern Gate, had also routed to the West, where it appeared to be fighting against the Alliance forces alighting from their ships, which had slipped through the blockade and made land.

  Blasts of cannon fire illuminated the fog above the Hydraen, revealing a tremendous sea battle – countless blasts of light erupted in the fog from the muzzles of cannons, followed by the distant sound of detonations.

  Pious looked towards Landsbeach and saw a constant flow of people leaving Sanctuary and heading in a snake-like march of firelight towards Landsbeach. However, at Landsbeach – judging by the twinkling of light and the flash of swinging steel, Pious couldn’t help but surmise that a battle was taking place at Landsbeach.

  He summoned the resolve to believe that everything would be all right. Sincerus, the Scythians and all the forces available to them would easily repel the Redemption's Glory Auxiliary – and Serana would be safe. The large force leaving Sanctuary would provide more than enough numbers to quell whatever unspectacular force was skirmishing against Landsbeach.

  Pious leant forward, looking over the antlers of the Naga. He felt curious about the feelings of familiarity he was having towards the creature, which was gently undulating through the sky as if it were riding a wave. “Why do I know you?” Pious asked stupidly as if talking to himself.

  The Naga turned its head slightly, peering at Pious with one of its golden eyes, as Pious and the Naga ascended into the clouds.

  “As much as I expected,” said Pious, feeling disappointed.

  “Why you forgotten Takshakhan – is better question,” said the Naga with scorn, as minute ice crystals – more irritating than painful – struck Pious in the face.

  “You do talk! I’m not hallucinating… am I? How are you speaking to me?” asked Pious with self-doubt.

  “We are Kinbound, forgetful one!” replied Takshakhan. “We have been looking for you – all over land, you are missing long time! Dark science kept Takshakhan and Naga away from finding you!”

  Takshakhan turned his head once again, looking at Pious. “Takshakhan hear your call – and with towers not working, Takshakhan come to you – and Takshakhan very happy Kin–bound still have moving blood,” said Takshakhan, as he looked ahead to the three Vespaxes in the distance.

  “Takshakhan…” said Pious with an amused humph, smiling at the back of the Naga’s head.

  “Who are you talking to?” shouted a voice alongside Pious. Pious turned his head and saw Tana, illuminated by the radiant blue light of the Naga, as she removed her helmet. Her flaxen hair poured forth from under the helmet like liquid and trailed behind her in the wind. She threw the helmet over the side of the Vespax, the helmet spinning slowly on its descent to the ground below.

  Pious looked at Takshakhan, still unsure whether the creature had actually been talking to him.

  “That’s better,” Tana said, smiling as the cold winds bit at her freckled and reddened cheeks. “I’m not even going to ask how you managed to summon a Naga.”

  Pious distracted himself from anxious thoughts about his potential hallucination by turning his attention to the Vespax ahead. Takshakhan let out a roar of thunder, causing an eruption of lightning in the distance, which illuminated three Vespax, one carrying Jac
q and the other two flanking it. The crackling lightning, like two small worms, flanked and followed the Vespaxes, keeping them illuminated as they travelled through the clouds.

  “Tana – you should get to Landsbeach; it looks like some kind of attack is occurring there. It looks like the exodus from Sanctuary should reach them soon enough, but they may need two extra and highly efficient blades to help them,” said Pious.

  “But what about you?” asked Tana. Suddenly, Takshakhan disappeared from underneath Pious with a flash of light and wind, shooting forward as a strike of lightning. Pious fell rapidly with a startled shout – with Tana watching helplessly as he plummeted.

  As he fell, Pious saw the Vespax to the left of the centre get smashed from the sky in a thunderclap. Then Takshakhan appeared underneath Pious again in a flash. Pious grabbed hold of the Naga's antlers as Takshakhan climbed once again to the same elevation as Tana.

  “All right!” shouted Pious, with a smile on his face and his heart pumping from the quick burst of adrenaline. “I’ve got this,” he said to Tana, as he tapped Takshakhan on his soft, velvet-like neck scales.

  Tana laughed. “That scared the life out of me – you crazy bastard!” she yelled at Takshakhan.

  “Take out the one on the right, leave the one on the left. It has Jacq!” said Pious, pointing to the Vespax on the right. Takshakhan disappeared again from underneath Pious with a flash of light and Pious began falling once more. Unlike the last, this drop was expected – and exhilarating. The Vespax on the right was smashed from the sky in a thunderclap, and Takshakhan appeared underneath Pious again. Pious laughed as they flew past a dragoon plummeting to an inevitable death below.

  “That is a neat trick,” said Tana with a smile.

  “Go. I won’t be long!” shouted Pious, giving her an approving nod – with both Tana and Pious looking impressed by the Naga’s power.

  “You had better not be!” said Tana. She pulled the reins of the Vespax to the left. It veered towards Landsbeach and darted full speed ahead.

  The remaining Vespax quickly dived through the clouds, as did Takshakhan in pursuit. As they descended through the clouds, an Aetheric Lift land train came into view, illuminated in the darkness by many Khyramic Order manufactured filament lights. At the front and rear of the train were two mechanised ploughs, which cut through and cleared debris from the track as it sped along the line.

  “Where in the Nine did that come from?” Pious shouted in amazement.

  Takshakhan made a rapid dive towards the train, gaining much ground. Pious held tight, the wind surging past him, stinging his face, blowing his hair and trailing his mantle behind him.

  As they closed in rapidly on the train, Pious’s attention was drawn to something dashing past his side with a whizzing sound. Pious looked again towards the rear of the train and spotted the Vespax landing. The dragoon dismounted, taking Jacq with him.

  At the rear of the train was a polybolos. The Attaran operator at its control was aiming it towards Takshakhan.

  Takshakhan rolled gracefully to the side as another bolt flew past them. Then Takshakhan made another ascent, while Pious kept his eyes on the artillery unit below before his flying mount lowered his head and began his rapid descent towards the rear carriage. The wind rushed past Pious’s head as another bolt flew overhead.

  They closed in fast towards the rear of the train, with the Attaran tracking them in his sights. As they drew close to the left-hand side of the train, Takshakhan rapidly darted to the right-hand side, avoiding another bolt.

  Takshakhan drew close to the side of the train, slightly above the Attaran, who was busy loading another round of bolts into the feeding tray of the polybolos. Pious lunged off Takshakhan’s back, grabbed hold of the Attaran and pulled them both to the surface of the carriage rooftop with a heavy thud.

  “Must help fighting, birds crush bugs,” said Takshakhan, as he seemingly stopped mid-air, wheeled about on the spot and with a flash of lightning and several deafening roars of thunder, shot back towards Sanctuary.

  Pious regained his footing, as did the Attaran. They briefly stared at each other, and then the Attaran pulled a war–axe from the sheath on its back. The Attaran rushed headlong towards Pious, brandishing the elegantly curved war axe overhead.

  Pious sidestepped and grabbed hold of the axe handle before punching the Attaran in the ribs and side–kicking him off the train. He watched the figure disappear over the edge, before looking at the axe he held in his hand. “A Frystian war–axe?” Pious said to himself, staring at the script written on the axe–head and at the landscape–motif inlays.

  He threw the axe over the edge of the train. Pious looked to the front of the carriage, where he saw a Attaran climbing the ladder from below. Pious ran to the polybolos, set the misaligned bolt in place, spun the device and fired the large bolt right into the chest of the Attaran, sending him backwards and under the train.

  Pious stepped to the side of the polybolos and grabbed hold of the tension release lever for the metal bowstring. He drew open the lever, and did the same for the other side of the spring frame, and followed up by drawing out the bowstring and throwing it off the side of the train.

  He looked towards the direction of the train’s bearing and saw the Jagged Ranges far in the distance, with the Barren Heights in their centre. The train appeared to be heading towards the Chasm Valley that led to the Shaydean Lands through the Barren Heights, along the long since derelict Aetheric Liftline. He felt an uncertain sense of relief in the concept the Crucius lay some distance ahead of them – hopefully, the train could go no further from there.

  Pious carefully walked to the start of the carriage, where he found a ladder that led to the entry platform below. He descended the ladder and jumped down to the platform. He crossed the carriage connection dock and was halted by an ornate door, adorned with panels of stained glass in geometrical patterns, which led into the carriage's interior. Pious took hold and depressed the brass handle and began to open the door, at the same time reaching for the hilt of his blade.

  The Aetheric Lift Train

  “There is a disused Aetheric Lift train, stranded in the middle of the Barren Heights – lying buried in Cycles of ash and dust. Like the rest of Aurania’s machines, it was unusable – as no readily accessible Contrivance stones are known to exist.”

  Discussions on the restoration of the Barren Heights Lift train,

  Unknown Khyramic Order Engineer,

  Unknown date of record.

  As Pious was drawing his sword, he deftly dodged to the side as a sword thrust passed his waist. The attacker was a Attaran, who was already in the process of attempting a jab with his mail and plate piercing spike–dagger.

  Pious parried away the dagger, whilst grabbing the Attaran by his gold-embroidered silken lapels and driving his forehead into the Attaran’s nasal bridge. The Attaran let out a scream, which was rapidly muffled by the torrent of blood falling down his throat.

  Pious placed his own leg behind that of the Attaran and pulled him off balance, then spun him on the spot and threw him out the door. As the hips of the Attaran hit the rail, he started to tip over the side towards the rapidly moving ground below.

  The Attaran managed to grab hold of the rail and save himself from the definitely fatal fall. The Attaran regained his composure and tried frantically to climb back on board the train. Pious stepped forward and thrust his right foot forward with a push kick, crushing his opponent’s hand and splintering the carriage's balustrade into a multitude of pieces. The Attaran disappeared below the carriage.

  Pious entered the carriage and swiftly shut the door. There were many children inside, scared and huddled into small groups. Pious looked at the children, lowering his sword slightly. “Are there any others in here?” asked Pious, as he took a few quiet steps forward. The children shook their heads in unison.

  “Who is the eldest of you here?” asked Pious, looking at the children, who were all Sanctum Pages.

  A
girl stood up. She appeared to be no older than an early teenager. “I am,” she said, with some apprehension.

  Pious walked over to her. “What’s your name, child?” he asked, crouching slightly, as he scanned the insides of the carriage, keeping an eye on the door ahead of him.

  “Hathima Aurelian,” she replied. “This is my sister, Nairne,” she said, indicating a small child no older than three cycles, partially hidden behind Hathima’s leg.

  “Aurelian? You are the daughters of Kazier Aurelian?” asked Pious with a smile.

  “Yes, master,” she replied, bashfully. “They adopted us last Cycle, and we were soon to move to the Magistratum to live with them,” she added, with obvious signs of sadness in her eyes, most likely at the disappointment of not reaching that wonderful dream of every Page-Ward – having parents.

  “What an honour it is to meet you,” he said, kneeling in front of her. She smiled at him shyly. “I am Pious,” he said.

  “I know. You are Lady Parabellum’s sweetheart,” said Hathima, with a shy smile. A soon as he heard Serana's name, a surge of energy welled within him and a smile crossed his face.

  “Yes, I am,” he replied with an amused smile. “How did you get on this train? Who brought you here?” asked Pious, scanning the insides of the carriage. It appeared as though the children had not come to any harm – in fact, it looked quite the opposite. They had been given blankets to keep them warm, and bowls of fresh fruit were scattered around the carriage.

  “The strange men – not from Sanctuary. They came looking for the Sky–Eyes, straight after the big explosions. They took us outside and lowered us into the big hole outside the Dome and into this train. It all happened so fast,” said young Hathima, somewhat unsure about what was transpiring.