Star Legion

by Tripp Ellis

  "You were saying?" Nolan asked, his curiosity piqued.

  “Let's just say this isn't a popular tourist spot. The indigenous population is rather… unwelcoming," JT said, putting it mildly.

  Nolan had a disconcerted look on his face.

  The thick green canopy of the jungle made it impossible to see the ground, from above. JT circled the area, looking for a clearing to land. He set the skiff down about a mile from the entrance to the tomb that was carved into the mountain. "Well, here you go!”

  Nolan looked out the window at the dense jungle with trepidation.

  JT held out his hand, expecting the other half of his payment.

  Nolan glanced at it perplexed for a moment, then realized. "Oh, right. He handed JT 150 credits.

  "Do you want me to wait for you?"

  "That would be nice. I don't think there is another way off this planet." Nolan was a little surprised, of course he wanted JT to wait for them. It seemed like a silly question.

  "The fee we negotiated was for a one-way trip. Round tickets will cost a little extra."

  Nolan arched an eyebrow at him. "How much extra?"

  JT shrugged. "600 credits."

  Nolan's eyes widened. "What? You charged 300 to get here."

  "Law of supply and demand. If you think you can find another ride off this rock, then be my guest."

  Nolan's face tensed, and he clenched his jaw. "Fine. 600."

  JT flashed a smarmy smile.

  Nolan unbuckled his safety harness and started to climb out of the seat.

  "I require half up front," JD said.

  Nolan dug into his pouch and gave him 300 credits. It was all he had. He figured he’d work out the rest later. "You're going to wait right here, correct?"

  "You got it, boss."

  Nolan frowned at him, then moved toward the back hatch. JT pressed the button and the hatch opened. As the ramp lowered, they were hit with the hot muggy air of the jungle. It was like being slapped in the face with a wet sock.

  Nolan and Mia descended the ramp and stepped into the lush green grass.

  JT sealed the hatch behind them. He knew the dangers of the jungle, and was going to keep himself safe and sound inside the skiff. Having traveled far and wide across the galaxy he knew better than to get out and explore strange planets. There was no telling what you might encounter. Everything from ferocious animals to poisonous plants. In a place like this, the insects would be thick, and likely carrying disease. JT didn't want any part of that.

  Nolan and Mia marched through the high grass into the jungle. It was alive with sounds of birds and small creatures. Wind rustled the leaves on the trees. The buzz of insects whined. Creepy crawly things slithered about.

  Nolan unsheathed his sword and used it to hack his way through the dense foliage. It took mountains of effort to move a few feet. Nolan was heaving for breath and dripping in sweat. The jungle was the kind of place that could take you down in less than an hour if you weren't careful. There was a reason the planet had remained uninhabited for eons—it was nothing short of treacherous.

  There had been several attempts to colonize it in the past, which were always met with the same fate. If the colonists survived disease and infection, they only lived to become food for the predators.

  It made an ideal location for a hidden tomb.

  Nolan kept plowing through the thick underbrush. He cut the trail, and Mia followed behind him. They descended downhill and came to a small stream. The water rushing over the rocks sounded soothing. But there was no telling what was in that water.

  Nolan paused to catch his breath. "Do you think we’ll find anything in the tomb?" Nolan was beginning to have doubts. “Or do you think this whole thing is just some fairytale?”

  "It's not a fairytale," Mia said defiantly.

  “How do you know?"

  "Because I have faith. Something you should have a little more of."

  Nolan could see she was getting agitated. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just saying, what if we get there and there is no sword?"

  "Then we find another way to defeat Valdovar."

  Nolan liked her spirit.

  He was about to cross the stream when he heard a twig snap. His head twisted in the direction of the sound, and his eyes narrowed, scanning the foliage. It was hard to tell what was out there, but Nolan could sense a presence.

  "Let's keep moving," Mia said.

  Nolan agreed.

  They crossed the stream, sloshing through knee-deep water. They climbed up the bank on the other side, using roots and vines to pull themselves up.

  Going down the ravine had been a challenge, going up the incline was even worse. Nolan felt he was taking two steps backwards for every step forward. His lungs were on fire, and his quads burned as he climbed through the forest. He kept hearing rustling leaves on either side of him, and behind. There was no doubt about it, something was definitely following them.

  Multiple somethings.

  It reminded him of the way the vygars hunted in packs back home. But he had a sneaking suspicion these were far worse than vygars.

  38

  Razor-sharp teeth, golden eyes, and blue and green scales emerged from the thick foliage in a ferocious blur. The creature was somewhere between a snake and a lizard. It stood about 15 feet tall. Its powerful hind legs rippled with muscle. Its forearms had talons like carving knives. The creature's long neck allowed it to strike like a viper.

  The overgrown snake-lizard spit venom at Nolan. He sidestepped and prepared to attack the beast. The slimy venom had landed on a nearby plant, disintegrating it like acid. Wisps of smoke wafted from the leaves as the plant dissolved.

  Nolan wasn't sure whether his armor would withstand such a substance. He zigged and zagged as he charged the creature. He hacked at the beast’s neck, chopping with lightning speed. The steel carved through flesh and bone, severing the lizard’s cervical spine. Blood spurted from arteries. The creature’s body writhed and convulsed while its head squirmed on the ground, still snapping its jaws.

  Nolan spun around to assist Mia, who was fighting off another one of the creatures that had attacked from the opposite direction. The beast spit a streak of green venom that was heading straight toward her.

  With the wave of her hand Mia produced a spell shield that deflected the acidic saliva.

  The creature hissed at her, his reptilian tongue flickering.

  Mia formed a ball of energy in the palm of her hand and threw it like a fastball at the creature. It smacked him right in the mouth, wedging into the back of his throat.

  The beast looked like it was about to have a seizure as it choked on the ball of energy. It tried to cough it out to no avail. An instant later, the blistering ball of energy exploded, spewing fragments of bone and blood in all directions. The creature's lifeless body flopped to the ground, still twitching.

  Mia breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Impressive."

  "I wasn't sure if that was going to work or not." Mia smiled.

  "This place isn't so tough after all," Nolan said with a cocky grin. But his grin faded as the snap of branches and tree trunks crackled through the jungle. Another reptilian creature, towering three stories in the air, plowed through the trees. It was a bigger version of the snake-lizards, and it was pissed off.

  Nolan suspected this was the parent of the two smaller ones. Perhaps they had been out on a family hunting expedition?

  Even with Mia’s magic, and Nolan's swordsmanship, standing and fighting this behemoth would have been suicide. Nolan's eyes rounded at the site of the terrifying creature. "Run!"

  He pulled Mia out of harms way and ushered her forward. The two plowed through the underbrush as fast as possible.

  The creature kept steamrolling through the forest, knocking aside trees and other foliage in his path. The thick trees were slowing down the creature as much as they were slowing down Nolan and Mia.

  The two barreled up the side of the mountain, heading for the e
ntrance to the Tomb of Eldür.

  The towering creature hissed and spit a glob of venom. It was like a storm of acid rain.

  Mia created a spell shield behind them, deflecting the deadly venom. The acidic slime bounced off the shield and dripped down its domed shape, disintegrating foliage that came into contact with it.

  Mia and Nolan continued racing through the jungle as fast as they could. They streaked past two totems guarding the entrance to the tomb. Hieroglyphics carved into the stone warned of the dangers of entering the tomb and the consequences of desecration.

  A stone face was carved into the mountainside. It was intricate and stylized. The open-mouth of the face was the entrance to the tomb.

  Nolan and Mia dashed into the entryway as the creature behind them crashed through the totems, toppling the stone structures to the ground.

  The overgrown lizard rammed his head into the tunnel, chasing after Mia and Nolan as they ran through the passageway. The beast’s long neck penetrated the tunnel, but its shoulders slammed against the mouth, stopping it in its tracks. The creature screeched and its neck wiggled. It spit another glob of stinging venom, but Nolan and Mia were already well out of range.

  The demon’s angry hisses and screeches filled the passageway, echoing throughout the tomb. It was enough to wake the dead.

  The creature was in an uncontrollable rage at the loss of its young. It kept ramming into the temple, attempting to force its way in, but its thick torso prevented access. The mouth of the tunnel carved into its flesh as it kept trying to squeeze through. It couldn't make itself small enough to fit. After exhausting itself, the demon slowly retracted from the entryway.

  Hieroglyphics lined the walls of the passageway. Cobwebs dangled from the ceiling. Sconces that had long been extinguished lined the walls. The passage ahead lay in total darkness as daylight from the entrance faded.

  With a wave of her hand, Mia ignited the sconces. A wave of amber flames cascaded through the entire structure as the sconces lit up one by one. Mia moved forward, sword drawn.

  "I have got to learn how to do that," Nolan said, envious.

  "It comes in handy at birthday parties,” she said with a sly grin.

  Nolan chuckled at the thought of someone continually blowing out candles that re-ignited.

  His amusement was short-lived, however. An eerie groan echoed throughout the chamber. It made the hairs on the back of Nolan’s neck stand tall. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, as if the tomb itself was exhaling. Nolan felt a gust of wind against his face. "What the hell was that?"

  Mia shrugged.

  The wall sconces flickered out, and Nolan and Mia were enveloped in complete darkness.

  Mia waved her hand and the sconces re-ignited again. The two exchanged a wary glance then inched forward down the passageway.

  39

  A stone door at the end of the main passageway sealed the burial chamber. There was a depression in the stone that matched the shape of the medallion.

  Nolan grabbed the artifact from his pouch and placed the medallion into the depression. The massive stone door that had been sealed for centuries slid open, revealing Eldür’s burial chamber. It was a circular room with a domed ceiling. The crypt sat atop a riser in the center of the room.

  Mia waved her hand, and the wall sconces within the burial chamber flickered to life.

  Nolan took the medallion from the depression and slipped it back into his pouch.

  The crypt looked as if it was made of marble. It had intricate carvings, and ornate designs. The chamber was fit for a king, and no expense had been spared in its creation. Gold and rare gems adorned every aspect of the chamber.

  Nolan and Mia took a cautious step inside.

  It smelled damp and musty. Everything was covered with a thick coat of dust. Spiders and centipedes crawled along the walls.

  Nolan expected the tomb to be booby-trapped, but so far they had encountered no such resistance. It seemed a little too good to be true, especially after everything he had heard.

  He moved to the crypt and attempted to push aside the heavy lid. "Give me a hand with this, would you?"

  Together they pushed the heavy slab aside. It fell from the crypt and slammed against the stone floor, cracking. The thunderous impact rumbled through the entire tomb.

  Nolan and Mia exchanged a guilty glance.

  "Whoops," Nolan said.

  They both gazed into the crypt to see an ancient skeleton, clothed in tattered fabric that had long since disintegrated. The skeleton clutched the Sword of Destiny across its chest in peaceful repose, untouched for centuries.

  Nolan was about to reach for the sword when trouble manifested itself. He wouldn't have believed it if he didn't see it with his own eyes—two spectral knights appeared out of thin air. They were translucent phantoms, dressed in full battle armor and wielding swords. Restless spirits who’s sole purpose was to defend the tomb, bound to an existence in between life and death for all eternity.

  The two knights charged Mia and Nolan. They attacked, hacking and slashing with their swords. Nolan brought his blade up to block the attack, but he wasn't sure what good it was going to do against an apparition. They were non-corporeal beings. They had no flesh, no bone. How could you kill something that wasn't alive, Nolan wondered?

  Nolan cringed as the knight’s blade struck down. But he was pleasantly relieved to hear his blade clink against the knight’s sword. These knights may have been specters, but the damage their blades could inflict were very real.

  Nolan and Mia continued to defend themselves against the spirits. The sound of clashing steel echoed off the stone walls of the chamber. The spirits were highly skilled swordsman. Their attack was testing the limits of Nolan's ability. He dodged and parried, deflecting furious blows. He stabbed the tip of his sword through one of the specters at the first opportunity, but it was like stabbing into thin air. It didn't seem to affect the knight in the least.

  Nolan's attack had left him vulnerable. The knight spun around and slashed at Nolan's thigh, carving through his armor. Nolan could feel the edge of the specter’s blade slice through his thigh. It wasn't deep, but enough to draw blood and let Nolan know that the specters could be deadly.

  Mia met the same difficulty as she fought the other knight. She tried to protect herself with a spell shield, but the knight passed through it unhindered.

  She tried attacking him with balls of energy, but each throw passed through the specter and impacted the walls of the burial chamber. Bits of stone and debris showered from the impact, rumbling the tomb.

  "Hey, go easy with that," Nolan shouted in between attacks. "We don't want this tomb collapsing."

  "I don't see what difference it makes," she said. "At this rate, we're not making it out of this chamber alive!”

  “That’s what I like about you. Always full of optimism."

  The specter’s blade hammered down, clanking against Nolan’s sword as he blocked the blow. Nolan and Mia continued to defend themselves against the incessant attacks. The knights were good.

  Too good.

  Nolan found himself pushed back against the crypt. The knight moved with blinding speed and precision, hacking and slashing. It was everything Nolan could do to block the attacks. But despite his talent, he was outmatched. His muscles grew weary, and his reaction times were slower. It all happened in a blur. He was holding his own, then he wasn't. He felt the sharp sting of the specter’s blade pierce into his abdomen.

  The specter thrust the blade through until Nolan could feel it exit through his lower back, severing the quadratus lumborum. It was a miracle it didn't sever his spinal cord. But it didn't make much difference. For all intents and purposes, Nolan was dead. Or, at least, he would be in a matter of moments.

  The specter withdrew his sword, and watched his victim falter.

  Nolan hunched over, clutching his belly. Blood poured from the wound, trickling down his armor.

  Mia shrieked with terror, but she had n
o time to address his injury. She was fighting for her life.

  Seeing that Nolan’s life force was flickering away, the specter turned his attention to Mia. The two ganged up on her.

  Nolan dropped his sword. It clamored to the ground. Something told him to grab the Sword of Destiny from the crypt. He who wielded the sword was supposedly invincible. It was time to put that to the test.

  Nolan grabbed the hilt and yanked it from the skeleton’s hands. Dust flew from the blade as he lifted it from the crypt. Nolan felt a surge of energy rush through him. The wound in his stomach stopped bleeding. He felt no pain. It was if the sword had renewed his life force. He pushed away from the crypt and stormed toward the knights. He stabbed the mystical blade into the back of one of the specters. This time it wasn't like stabbing into thin air—Nolan felt the resistance of flesh and bone.

  The knight materialized around the blade, no longer a phantom, but a real flesh and blood human being.

  Nolan pulled the blade from the knight’s back. It was covered in blood. The warrior fell to the ground, writhing in agony, blood pooling on the stone floor.

  Nolan wasted no time engaging the last remaining specter. The apparition turned to defend itself. Now it was a fair fight. The playing field had been leveled. Blades clashed as the two fought furiously. But Nolan no longer felt tired. His injury had seemingly healed. He was quicker, and the sword felt light and effortless in his hand. His mind seemed more focused. He could somehow anticipate his opponent’s move.

  He attacked the knight with newfound skill, driving him back. Nolan plunged the blade into the specter’s chest. His corporeal form materialized, just as the other knight’s had done. Blood spurted from the wound. Nolan withdrew his sword and watched the guardian collapse.

  Nolan had a slight pang of guilt as he looked over the bodies of the fallen defenders. There was no telling how long they had been the guardians of the tomb. They sacrificed their lives in defense of something they believed in, and Nolan found that to be honorable. He hoped that taking the sword from the tomb was the right thing to do.