"Listen now," the Oracle said. "There is much I must tell you and time is running out. The corruption eats away at me, events move apace in the real world and the specter of a greater darkness shall one day soon gather on the horizon like a terrible storm."
"Then tell me why we are here," Kara demanded.
"You were born to do great things, and in your own way—you will both become the saviors of humanity. Each of you will face great peril and will need to find the strength within yourselves to face it. You now have the knowledge of both the past and of your own time to help you in this task."
Relief flooded through Kara. Finally, she might find out how she could return to her body and snatch it back from Imogen. "Then tell us what we must do."
"First, you must save your father. He is important to me and to this world. I tethered him in place with a fragment of my power in the form of a tree. But the wild ones came, and you and I unleashed our energies, and he was swept away."
Semira edged closer to the arcing electricity. "Tell me where to find him."
The light pulsing from the cube dimmed. "He was plucked from the channels of code flowing through this place like blood through an artery. Now he is deep within the lair of the wild ones, imprisoned in a veil of gossamer strands of shadow. The wild ones congregate within a great city, far, far to the south, on a continent wreathed in ice. Free him, and bring him to Ryhana."
Kara shook her head. "But we need to get back to the real world and—"
"This task is important. One day, you will learn why."
Kara swallowed her impatience. With Ryhana's porting ability, the search might be over quickly and they could get back to the important business of returning home. "Then what?" Kara asked, eager to learn of the way out of the visiondream. I'm coming for you, Imogen.
"You already know the task laid before you. The war against Imogen's children has come again and you must lead the fight against them and do whatever is necessary to defeat them. Sacrifice as many lives as you need, but be warned. Do not harvest too many souls, as you cannot allow yourself to become Imogen. She wanted to destroy humanity to save it. That way is not the answer."
"But how do I leave here?" Kara had no intentions of harvesting anyone. "Please tell me."
"Bend the powers of this world to your will. You have already tasted a fraction of what it is capable of providing. Use it."
Kara's hope dimmed. "I need more than that."
Electricity arced. "You have all the knowledge you need inside you. As you journey to your father, turn your mind to searching for the answers you seek. Work with your sister, and you will learn how to escape this world and reclaim your body."
Kara quickly searched her mind, but there was a lot to put together and not all of it was helpful. "Give it time," the Oracle said. "You will find your answer."
What if I don't? What if I fail? Then Imogen or the Firstborn will win and humanity will die. Aemon, I wish you were here with me. You always set my mind at ease. I feel so lost without you.
"What is my task when I return to the real world?" Semira asked, staring up at the cube, her eyes alight with the blue light of electricity.
"Semira, know this: Kara will be the one to stop Imogen and defeat the enemy. Not you."
"What?" Semira's hurt cry pierced Kara's heart. Her sister seemed heartbroken and it was hard not to feel a little pity for her. Tears started streaming down Semira's face. "Then I do nothing? I just... go on... useless to everyone like I always was?"
Kara fought the unexpected urge to hug her sister and stroke her hair. My heart is ice. There is no pity in me. Yet her feelings of terror, uncertainty and dread at the task laid before her made it ever harder to maintain the hard-as-stone façade. I have no one else to turn to, except my sister. And she has no one either.
"When Kara fights the final battle, you must take whatever remains of humankind and lead them to the surface," the Oracle said. "The sun shines once more, and waits for life to return to bask in its warmth."
"But wouldn't it be better if we use all our strength to fight the enemy?" Semira snapped. "Can't someone else do this? I don't want to run from a fight."
The Oracle's voice became sad. "Many will die in the coming war, and the little that remains at the end are all that will survive of humanity. The other outposts that were hidden underground have gone dark over time, and I have seen no sign that anyone survived. The pocket of life that is Stelemia must not be allowed to fall into darkness until the war is won."
Energy arced; the blue light flared. "Gather whomever you can, including animals and plants, and journey to the surface. If Kara defeats the enemy, you and the other survivors will inherit the earth and rebuild human civilization from the frozen ash. This task is as important as Kara's."
"How is it as important? Anyone could—"
"Only you, Semira. You will become a leader, greater than your father ever was. There are things out there buried under the ice that were once locked away but could soon threaten us all. Shadows loom in the distance of time and space, shadows once defeated when the world still lived, now soon to wake from their timeless slumber."
The cube dimmed. "But humanity is a shattered fragment of what it once was, and will not have the strength to hold back these threats while still living underground. Thus, you must bring your people to the surface and rebuild, repopulate, spread. Use your knowledge of past and present to aid you in this. Humanity must survive."
Semira lowered her head and took in several deep breaths. Then she looked up. "I will do as you order." Her voice was proud and full of purpose. "I will return humanity to our Lost Sun."
"When your father is safe, you both must leave this world together. Take back your bodies from the twins, and do everything I have instructed. Any deviation from this... will doom us all."
Kara touched Semira on the arm and her sister turned to her. They shared a wordless look. Each had found the purpose of their existence, something most people would never discover.
The task set before them was great. Did they have the strength to face it?
How long must my heart remain ice? Can I let my guard down around my sister and work with her, watching her back while she watches mine?
Kara lowered her head. No. It had to remain ice. But I can't allow my hatred of my sister to jeopardize our mission. The Oracle had said sacrifices would need to be made in order to save humanity, and Kara must be willing to make them. If I allow myself to falter, I could endanger everything.
But Kara would not allow herself to become Imogen. That vile woman had her chance to defeat her Firstborn—and failed. Soon it will be my turn and I will win.
She looked at her sister, then took a deep breath and held out her hand. "We will need each other in the days ahead. Work with me, sister. It is up to us to take back our bodies and save the human race."
Semira studied her for a long moment, the Oracle glowing bright. Then she reached out and took Kara's hand in hers. "Let's find Father, and then take back what was ours."
CHAPTER 36
AEMON
Limping on his injured leg, Aemon was not able to keep pace with Radashan, and the Founder soon disappeared around a corner. Aemon had entered a dark hallway and had to feel his way along, only the wall and Imogen's enraged cursing to guide him. Rounding the corner, he found himself at another entrance leading out onto an overlook, high above the lake of fire. At the center stood a giant obsidian anvil.
Beyond the anvil, Radashan moved quickly toward the edge of the overlook. There was no wall and no other protection to stop him from going over the side. In a panic, Aemon raced after them. He did not know what the ancient planned, but if he decided to throw himself and Imogen into the lava, then every part of Kara would truly be gone.
Maybe a small part of him still held out hope Kara was still alive, somewhere deep inside Imogen. Maybe the love she claimed to have for him was the only part of Kara that remained. If Aemon removed the genkey, maybe Kara would return.
If Radashan killed her, all chance of that hope would be gone.
The panic drove Aemon on, his injured leg forgotten. Now faced with Imogen's imminent demise, he realized, deep down, he never would have been able to kill her. Oh, he would hate her, rage at her, and dream of killing her, but in the end he would not take her life. The thought of Imogen's vacant eyes—Kara's vacant eyes—staring up at him as her blood dripped from his hands was more terrible than any hideous monster living out in the Great Dark, more terrifying than any nightmare and far worse than living with Imogen until the end of his days. Just take the genkey and this will be over.
"Wait," Aemon cried. "Stop, please..."
Thank you, Aemon thought as Radashan turned to him, several feet from the edge. The Founder watched him approach through Imogen's and Asura's attacks. His face was scratched and dented and one eye was hanging by wires. Aemon raced up to them.
Imogen turned to him. "Stop this madman, Aemon. I love you. I love you."
"Do not kill her," Aemon roared as he reached them. "That body belongs to Kara." Aemon fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "If you throw her over the side—"
"Yes, listen to him, Radashan," Imogen said. "You know Kara is not dead and only exiled to the Void. If I die, she will be trapped there forever."
"What?" Aemon shook his head. "The Void? Kara is still alive?"
Imogen said nothing more.
Asura tore out Radashan's damaged eye, but he made no sign that he felt any pain. "I loved Imogen. All these years I regretted what I did to her. I made myself into metal so that I would live to see her again."
"And I love you too, Radashan. We can be together like we once were." Imogen waved Asura away and the bird flew and landed on the anvil. Asura watched Radashan with eyes reflecting the harsh orange glow of the lava.
"That's why I promised I would find a way to free you from your pain," Imogen cried.
"I delivered this temple to you. I created the covenant of scions so you would have a host to return in. I created your holy order so if you ever returned, you would have willing servants to make into your machines." He glanced at Aemon with his one functioning eye. "Then you kiss him in front of me. It should have been me. Not him."
Imogen pulled his head down to hers and kissed him on his scarred metal lips. After a long moment, he pulled away. Dropping her to the ground, he watched her crawl away from him. "I could not feel your lips on mine." His monotone voice was slow, as if each word was said with a great struggle. "The love I thought I felt for you was nothing but a dream of flesh long transcended to metal. He looked down at his metallic hands, and opened and closed them. "All these years of suffering and it has taken me this long to finally accept the truth."
He gave Imogen what might have been a pitying look. "You are an evil, twisted, manipulative whore that is incapable of feeling love. Like your brother, you are driven by insanity and fear." He pointed at her. "I always knew the truth, but I never allowed myself to believe it."
Imogen stopped crawling away from him. "Truth?"
"The truth you kept hidden from us, even when all hope was gone."
"What are you talking about?" Aemon asked, not understanding. These two beings were ancient, and had lived lives long removed from his.
Radashan met Aemon's gaze. "There are many truths you will never know about her. But this one you must. The enemy, her Firstborn, gave her an ultimatum that could have saved us all—but she refused it."
Aemon stepped toward him. "What was it?"
Before Radashan could answer, Imogen lunged at him and sent him toppling over the edge. She watched him fall, then swung her eyes to Aemon. He backed away as fire reflected in them, the genkey so bright it almost blinded him. "So ends the tale of the Metal Man," she spat.
Aemon backed away from her. "What was he about to tell me? What ultimatum where you given?"
The genkey slowly dimmed. "That messenger, whose head sat outside my tomb, came to me long ago. It told me that if I gave up the fight and allowed the rest of humanity to perish, it would spare me."
"I do not believe you. Radashan said—"
"Never speak that traitor's name again."
"What ultimatum were you really given?"
Her hands turned into claws, and she leapt on top of him and pinned him to the ground. One hand on his throat, she dug the nails of the other into his cheek, drawing blood. "Don't question me, boy. Your place is to remain at my side and do whatever I tell you."
Grunting in pain, he tried to reach up and snatch away the genkey, but her strength was far greater than his. Her nails dug deeper. "Stop fighting me. I am humanity's savior, their divine of sacred light. All I ask is that you stay by my side and love me like I love you." Her rage dimmed, and she drew back her nails.
Imogen reached down to brush back his hair, a dribble of blood running from her mouth and dripping onto his lips. It looked like Kara staring down at him, and now her eyes were shadowed, the fel light in them gone. There seemed to be genuine love in them and in her tender touch.
"You are insane. You want to turn us all into your machines. You love no one but yourself." Aemon tried to take the genkey again.
She grabbed Aemon's wrist to stop him. To his surprise, a flicker of pain crossed her face. "Please stop. I love... I have always loved. I love you."
Aemon stopped fighting and let out a bitter laugh. "You love nothing."
"This body, this scion creation. It knew love and now I know it too." She climbed off him with a troubled look. Asura flew from the anvil and landed on her shoulder, hissing uneasily.
What was going on? Imogen had never been like this before.
She turned her back to him and stared at the door leading into the temple. Aemon staggered to his feet and leaned against the anvil. For a long moment, he watched her, uncertain what to do. Then he decided now was the time to take her genkey.
Asura squawked at him as he approached, but Aemon ignored her. When he placed a hand on the silver chain around Imogen's neck, she did not move. He went around to stand in front of her, ready to take it.
His heart leapt into his throat. The anger and madness on Imogen's face had been replaced by something he could not put his finger on. A wonderful thought came to him. Could it be Kara standing there?
Imogen's eyes focused on him, her lips forming into a bloody smile. "Aemon... Can you hear me?"
"Kara?"
Asura flapped her wings and took flight and headed out over the lava lake. "Oh, Aemon. What has she done?"
Aemon had no idea how—but it was Kara. How? How was she here? He could not believe it. My love, I have missed you. I have missed you so much. He embraced her and kissed her on the lips, her sweet, soft lips. How he had missed them. Dreamed of them. Kara is back!
After too short a moment, she broke away. "No time for that. Tell me what she's doing."
He did not want to let her go, so he held onto her as he spoke. "She killed the Order, she killed Radashan, and now no one is left to stop her." Lydan, help me! "She means to—"
"I can't hold contact much longer." Kara's face contorted in pain. "Know that I'm alive and—"
She fell forward and he caught her. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around Aemon, trapping him. "I am back and that ghost is no more."
No, Kara. Come back. Help me!
He tried to pull free, but Imogen held him close. "Because she loved you, now I must too. For that reason, you must find a way to love me back." She kissed his cheek. "For if you don't, there will be nothing left for me to fight for and I will let humanity fall to my Firstborn."
Aemon barely cared what Imogen said. Kara was alive, and he had to find a way to help her. I love you, Kara.
EPILOGUE
JAMINA
Life had become much tougher for Jamina after her shoulder had been shattered in combat back at the village of the bone-people and the encounter with the machine worshiper and the vile alchemist. Her shoulder and arm ached terribly, and sometim
es she fought not to lose consciousness.
Jamina had run out of food, and had resorted to eating the orange sludge growing in the damper places of the caves. She'd eaten it before and it provided little nourishment, but it did fill the empty void that was her stomach. Once, she'd caught a small furry creature she had no name for, and after cooking it using her torch, scavenged enough meat off its little body for a day's worth of food.
But then, she'd slipped on a wet rock in one of the countless passages she'd traveled through. She'd landed on her broken shoulder and passed out when the pain hit her full-force. When she'd woken, her torch had burned out and another had fallen into a crevice with no way to retrieve it.
She was down to three torches now. Enough light—used sparingly—for another day and a half, two at most. If that wasn't bad enough, she had no idea where she was, had no idea if she was even heading in the right direction and had no way of knowing if the scion had brought about the end already.
For all she knew, she was the last person left alive.
Jamina's journey was one of darkness, silence and despair. She'd endured hardships in the past, but this journey had taken far more out of her than any before it. Already she could tell she was losing weight, and the near-constant headspins threatened her with a fatal fall every waking moment. She had become weak, and she no longer had the energy to hunt.
If she ran across one of the monsters of the Nether now, she would be done for.
The pain is too much. I can't go on. Dwaycar, my lord, my love, please let me die. Let me go.
Jamina focused her mind. It had wandered off again. Don't think like that. I must return home and warn the Shadow Trainer. I must push on. I can't give in.
She was the last knife who had set out to kill the scion. I am the only one who can warn my people of what is to come. The scion will kill us all.
Entering a small chamber, Jamina, half dazed with hunger, fatigue and pain, collapsed where she stood and slept for an indeterminate time. When she woke, she gathered her meager supplies and trudged on.
The Lost Sun Series Box Set 1: Books 1 and 2 (Lost Sun Box Set) Page 70