The River of Time (The Shiva XIV Series Book 4)

by Lyra Shanti

  Fola raised her brow and said, “Hold on. I think I’ve got something that might work.” Grabbing the plasma-gun from the holster at her hip, she set the gun to its highest level. She hoped it would melt through the plasma-field, but when she took the shot, the effect stunned her. Absolutely nothing happened.

  “Dearest, Sister,” said Sterek over the com-link, “you’re a great warrior, but please, leave the science stuff to me.”

  She smirked and shrugged. “Fine, Brother, do your thing.”

  “It appears to be a sound-regulated force field. It’s using the radio waves from the plasma encasing the tower. I think I can adjust it though… once I penetrate its frequency.”

  “When you talk all sexy like that, it’s a wonder you don’t have a lover,” gibed Fola.

  Ignoring his teasing sister, Sterek said, “Alright, the force field should be low enough for you to blast through it now.”

  Fola motioned for Zin to stand back, then shot at the tower. She couldn’t tell what had happened at first, so she slowly walked forward. “Feels fine to me,” she said with a shrug.

  “I don’t feel anything bad now either,” said Zin. “I’m glad you have that gun on silent. That gunshot could have alerted everyone in the palace.”

  “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I know what I’m doing.”

  Zin smirked and walked with her through the diamond-shaped entrance of the tower. He had forgotten how immense and beautiful the inside of the tower was.

  Looking at the mysterious circular carvings above the inside area of the entrance, Fola turned to Zin and asked, “What are those symbols for?”

  “They’re the old Ri symbols. This place used to be a temple in ancient times… when my people worshiped Gods.”

  “Ohrians used to be religious?” asked Fola, confused.

  “Yeah… believe it or not. In our history, we used to be a lot like Deiusians, choosing Gods to follow and fighting each other is useless wars about it. Ri, the holy sea-serpent, was eventually declared the supposed son of the ocean Goddess, and his symbol was carved into the Linthil of these walls as a beacon of light… or something like that.”

  “These walls are made of Linthil?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I was told anyway.”

  “So…” said Fola as she folded her arms, “according to what Lady Kiyana told Pei, Linthil is the strongest, most plasmic substance in the galaxy… and we’re going to somehow destroy it?”

  “No,” Sterek interjected through the com-link, “you’re going to destroy the control it has over the drone creatures. If our intel is correct, Vax has been using some kind of device at the top of the tower to control the drones. If we can dismantle that device, then the creatures should, in theory, stop functioning.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” said Zin as he headed for the crystalline elevator within the tower. “Let’s go!”

  Fola nodded and followed the impatient Ohrian king into the elevator. She didn’t like the way her brother had said “in theory,” but she trusted him - more than anyone else - and if he said he could destroy the drones, she believed him without a doubt.

  --

  Armed with Linthil-crafted swords and plasma-guns, Ayn, Pei, Reese, and the handful of soldiers who accompanied them all made their way to the top of the western part of the beach. Pei pushed open the secret hatch-door, which usually lay camouflaged under the sand.

  “Reese and I will take the East side,” said Pei, “and we’ll meet up with the Tirleni soldiers. Maisy, you stay here and wait for our Tah reinforcements. Ayn, you stay here too and take cover.”

  “What?” said Ayn, annoyed. “Have you forgotten that I am your king? I will come with you, and I will give the orders.”

  “Sorry, Your Majesty,” said Pei, “but you’re sick, and I think it best if-”

  “I don’t care what you think,” Ayn replied, stern-faced. “I’m coming with you, and that’s final.”

  Pei had no time to further argue with his king as their conversation was interrupted by explosions in the sky, followed by an Ohrian fighter ship falling into the ocean at high speed.

  “Take cover from the debris!” yelled Reese as they all hid behind trees. “Come on, Pei, we’ve gotta go. If the king wants to follow us to our deaths, just let him do it.”

  Pei shook his head and said, “Alright, fine. But if you feel weak or tired, Ayn, please just take shelter in the underground Tirleni camp.”

  “I’m fine,” said Ayn with gritted teeth. “Now let’s go help Zasaban stop those Ohrian bastards. He can’t do it all himself!”

  Surprised by Ayn’s brazen language, Pei raised his brow, then nodded in agreement.

  Reese looked ahead to see if the beach was clear and motioned for Pei and Ayn to follow her as she ran off, heading East down the shore.

  As they ran they saw an Ohrian battle cruiser landing on the beach right in front of where Zasaban was standing. From what they could see, the wizard was reaching out with one arm, ready to fight with his magic. However, it appeared that he would soon be overtaken by the force of Linthil-clad soldiers that poured out of the cruiser.

  “Zas!” yelled Ayn as he watched the Ohrian army surround his flame-wielding adviser.

  After a few moments, the soldiers flew back into the sand as Zasaban chanted again in the strange language from before. In his hands were what appeared to be blue lightning. Ayn was amazed.

  “What were you saying about him needing our help?” said Reese with a smirk.

  “Wait,” said Pei, pointing at the sky with a shocked expression. “What the hell is that?!”

  All three of them looked up and saw a sight that made their stomachs churn; it was a drone flying toward the beach, black as night and bigger than any of the surrounding Ohrian ships.

  “Oh, Gods help us,” said Ayn. “It’s one of those vortex creatures from the battle three years ago. Zin told us that more were controlled by Vax, but I didn’t want to believe him.”

  “There was no trace of them to be found on our plasma-radars!” added Pei, beginning to panic.

  “Well, we managed to fight it off before,” Reese calmly said while placing her hand on Pei’s shoulder. “We’ll do it again.”

  “I wish I could be so sure,” said Ayn as he watched the drone land on the beach only about twenty feet from where Zasaban stood. “I had Axis with me before… and the power of the trident.”

  “What about your medallion?” asked Pei. “It still holds power, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, I suppose,” Ayn replied, a little shaken, “but without Axis, I…”

  “You don’t need him!” Reese interrupted with stern eyes. “We’ve got our Viha and the strength of our hearts. Come on, Your Majesty, let’s go get those giant squids!”

  Ayn smiled as he unsheathed his Viha, “You’re right, Reese. We did not start this war, but we will finish it!”

  The three of them grinned, then raced off to the middle of the beach to aide Zasaban, the Tirleni, and all whom the Ohrians sought to destroy.

  --

  “Do you see it?” asked Fola as they entered the control room. Stepping over the two Ohrians she had just knocked out, she watched Zin as he looked at the many dials and knobs on the control board.

  “I don’t know,” said Zin. “Uh… Sterek, you have visual on this, right? I have no idea which one controls the drones.”

  “Let me see,” said Sterek over the com-link. “Ah… yeah, I see it. Zin, look for the black and white, diamond-shaped dial to your right.”

  “I see it!” Zin happily replied. “Now what?”

  “You’ll need to hover your hand over it. It will auto-link to your body’s plasmic energy. This is a different kind of Ohrian tech than I’m used to, though I have read about it. Once it locks onto your energy, you’ll be able to sync with the drone creatures… I think.”

  “You think?!” Exclaimed Zin.

  “In theory… yes. It should immediately link your brain waves to the drones’ ne
urological programming, then you should be able to think your thoughts to them, as if they are direct orders. But it’s all theoretical. I honestly don’t know how these creatures work. They are far from your average robotics, and we haven’t been able to study them yet,” Sterek replied.

  “Fine,” Zin said in an exhale. He then hovered his hand over the dial, closed his eyes, and thought, Stop it, you weird drone things! Waiting for a moment, Zin opened his eyes and said, “Now what? Am I connecting to them?”

  “Hold on,” said Sterek. “Ten drones were last seen heading toward the Eastern side of the Tirleni Beach. I’m looking at my radar, and I see no change in their movement.”

  “The Eastern side?” said Fola as she approached the control board where Zin stood. “Isn’t that where you are inside the Tirleni ship, Sterek?”

  “Yeah, I’m still on the ship with Lady Kiyana giving me orders in my other ear. In fact, I’ve just received word that King Ayn and Generals Pei and Reese have just stormed the beach. The drones will hit here in about four minutes. Kiyana is sending the rest of her Tirleni warriors to meet the Tah who have just arrived in fighter ships overhead. My radar has just picked up about twenty Krian X-Class ships as well.”

  “Great!” said Zin with a big smile. “If I can’t stop the drones, then we might still have a chance to win!”

  “Wrong,” said a voice from the doorway. Quickly, Fola and Zin spun around to see Prime Minister Vax holding a gun up against Raven’s head. “You will not have a chance once the drones attack,” said Vax in a cold, calculated manner. “They are unstoppable, death-machines, as you will all soon find out. Now, young and arrogant boy, step away from the control board and tell your Sirini bodyguard to put down her weapons - and slowly. If you don’t, I will be forced to end this beautiful woman’s life.”

  Zin breathed hard and shook his head. “I knew you were a murderer, Vax, but this level of depravity surprises me. Do you really have it in you to kill with your own hands?”

  “Test me, Your Majesty, and you’ll soon find out. Now, step away from the controls!”

  “Alright!” Zin replied with his hands up while backing away from the control board. “Come on, Fola. Do as he says.”

  Fola sneered and slowly put down her gun. Vax smirked and said, “The Viha as well, please.”

  She smirked in return, then slowly unbuckled her Viha and lowered it to the floor.

  “Good,” said Vax, “now both of you will follow me to the prison cell on the bottom of the tower.” He tightened his grip on Raven’s arm, then slowly walked backwards with her toward the entrance of the control room.

  “No, Father!” came a panicked voice from the other side of the entrance. “Let her go!”

  Vax turned around and saw Miara holding a gun, pointed at him. Stunned, he let go of Raven and lowered his gun for a moment. “Daughter?” he sputtered. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to stop you from making any more mistakes!” she cried.

  Using the distraction to his advantage, Zin made a break for the diamond-shaped dial once again. He held his hand over it and focused hard. STOP MOVING! SHUT DOWN! STOP! he thought with all his might.

  “Zin?” said Sterek over the com-link, “What did you do? The drones stopped moving! It seems they have powered off!”

  About to clap Fola’s hand in the air, Zin’s pride turned to fear. Vax was holding the gun straight at Zin.

  “You are not the one to control them!” said Vax in an uncharacteristically aggressive tone. Even the rainbow-colored horn-crown on his head turned violently dark-purple, and his usually handsome face appeared to Zin like a demonic monster. “You are not worthy to be their leader! Only I am the rightful heir to Mother Osha! It was I who found her only living child and cloned it to perfection! I am the only one in the kingdom who believes Osha even exists! Your father thought I was crazy, but he was a dull, stupid king with no royalty of spirit. He tried to stop my vision for a clean new world, then Atlar tried, now you! But I will not stand for it!” Grabbing a long, metal syringe from the inside of his turquoise coat, Vax suddenly lunged at Zin and yelled, “Die, you unworthy child!”

  Miara screamed as she witnessed Raven throw herself in front of her beloved king, taking Vax’s stab directly into her heart.

  Immediately realizing he hadn’t hit his intended target, Vax withdrew the syringe and took a few steps back, shocked at the outcome.

  “Raven!” shouted Zin as he gripped her shoulders. Looking at Vax with raging eyes, he yelled, “You sick bastard! What have you done? What did you do to her?!”

  “I… never meant to hurt her,” said Vax as he stepped further back.

  Ignoring Vax’s meaningless words, Zin held Raven to him and helped her to the floor. “My love,” he gently spoke, “stay with me.”

  Raven, who was paler than her normal shade, wheezed, then whispered, “I’m sorry, my only love, I just… couldn’t let you die.”

  “Zin?” said Sterek through the com-link. “Zin? What’s going on? The drones are moving again! Zin?! You’re supposed to be concentrating!”

  Unable to deal with the pressure, Zin threw off his headset and cradled Raven in his arms. “Stay with me, Raven,” he cried. “Please, don’t leave me!”

  “What did you do, Father?!” shouted Miara, unable to take the tragic sight any longer.

  Vax turned to his daughter and shook his head. “Miara, I’m sorry… but you do not understand what’s at stake. We must find a cure for this epidemic at all costs, and anyone who stands in our way, or dilutes our healthy bloodline, must be stopped.”

  “What? You’re not even making sense, Father! You’re the one who’s sick… in the head! You killed Zin’s father and King Atlar, didn’t you? You poisoned them with Plasma Sickness, and now, you’ve done it again to Raven - an innocent woman! How could you?!”

  “I did it for your mother!” said Vax as he backed out of the control room. Miara followed him, shaking her head. “She died from this horrible disease,” he continued, “but the king refused to get her treatment. He refused to believe that Undaniasis could happen to anyone of noble birth, and his arrogance cost your mother’s life! He deserved the death I gave him, and so did Atlar for getting in my way. Don’t you understand? After your mother died, I vowed to find a cure, and we are so close, Miara. Once we finally dispose of our enemies, we can openly experiment on the regenerative genes of the Tirleni people, who have no right to their abilities, being of primitive, lesser minds. I will take their power and cleanse our own race with Osha’s blessing. Then, Ohr will finally rule the galaxy with purity and grace!”

  “You’re insane!” shouted Miara, stepping forward, causing Vax to step back. “I wanted to believe in your good intentions, Father, but you used innocent people to experiment on in that dome! And now you want to use the Tirleni like they are lower lifeforms to be sacrificed?!”

  Vax grinned and said, “But they are lower life forms, Daughter. We are the ones who evolved properly. It is the way Osha has planned it, and there’s no shame in the survival of the fittest.”

  “No! I won’t let you!” yelled Miara. “You will turn yourself into the authorities right this minute!”

  A sadistic smirk crawled across Vax’s lips. “My dearest daughter,” he replied, “I am the authorities.”

  “Not anymore,” came a low, female’s voice from behind. It was Fola, aiming her plasma-gun directly at Vax’s horned head.

  --

  “Don’t get too close!” yelled Ayn as he led the Tah and Lirhan soldiers toward the giant drone. “It has plasma beyond our comprehension, located at the base of its tentacles, so hit hard and fast, and don’t get caught in its grasp or you’ll be sucked into its dark vortex! Remember, we are not just saving the Tirleni, or even just this planet, but the entire galaxy! For The Un!”

  “For The Un!” yelled Reese and Pei, as well as the hundreds of soldiers who surrounded Ayn on the beach.

  Ayn turned to face the direction of the bl
ack, gigantic drone coming out of the water, then ran to it with his Viha firmly in hand. Feeling the plasma rising from his sword and into his arm, then to his medallion hanging by his heart, he swung his Viha at lightning speed, slicing off one of its many tentacles.

  Amazed, Pei watched his brother-in-soul, and felt more than just inspired. He was proud of the glorious warrior and king Ayn had become. If only I could go back in time to the child you once were, Ayn, and show you the man you are now, thought Pei as he unsheathed his Viha, following his king with tears in his eyes.

  Slicing the drone from all angles, Ayn and his Tah were sure that they had the monster in their grasp. However, as soon as one tentacle was cut off, another one grew in its place, becoming a repetitive, endless battle.

  To make matters worse, Sterek had spotted several more drones flying in from the West side of the beach, and they seemed to be targeting everything and everyone, Ohrians included.

  “No one is safe from these monsters!” yelled Maisy as she shot her plasma-gun at the drone nearby. Ships were crushed and bodies went flying into the air as the drones picked up the closest object to them, throwing them far across the beach.

  “Use the plasma-cannons!” ordered Pei in between thrusts of his Viha. The Tah obeyed, and resounding shots were heard as the cannons fired at the drones.

  “It’s no good!” yelled Ayn. “We need to hit the sensitive parts of their brains - in between their eyes!”

  Pei shook his head and quickly jumped aside, avoiding a swaying tentacle attack. “How are we supposed to do that? They’re too big, and they keep regenerating!”

  For a moment, Ayn thought about how ironic it was that his own body was failing to regenerate from the illness in his cells, yet the monsters he was fighting could do it easily. What do they have inside them that can withstand destruction? he wondered as he jumped and ducked, barely avoiding their wild attacks.

  Just then, it dawned on him. Plasma! It uses plasma to regain its strength! I too gain power from my Viha, and I can use it against them… if I’m precise.