The leader reached his lower two arms down to his side and pulled forth the dual luminous broadswords. Holding them in front of his head, he offered a silent prayer for Karolina, for Seraphim and for the child he had never met. He hoped that whatever God or being was still out there would listen. Both of his hearts thundered within his chest cavity and he could feel his body prepare itself for battle. He took in a single deep breath as he strode towards one of the walls and his own demise. He hoped that he would see his love again along with his child, if there was any justice still left in this universe, it would grant him that small mercy.
CHAPTER FIVE
Karolina followed Sepital through a labyrinth of dimly lit corridors, as red emergency lights cast everything in a ghostly maroon glow. Around every corner she could see troops racing into defensive positions, preparing to make this final stand. Males and Females of various races, hugged each other, prayed and some simply cried. Each prepared in a different way, for this last battle that was to come. She wanted more than anything to tell them to abandon this lost cause and join her. Yet she knew that was not the way of these people, they would fight and hopefully buy enough time for the children and the remnants of this once mighty domain to escape to safety. They would make the ultimate sacrifice to allow those they loved most to have a chance of life somewhere else, far from this place and the Dark Ones.
Around another bend they came upon an immense, circular blast door.
Sepital arched towards Karolina, his reptilian features seemed devoid of emotion, “It is time for us to part. I will go and take up my position with the leader.” He murmured, every syllable calm and measured even though he knew he was going to his death.
“May luck journey with you,” for an instance she thought she saw the old warrior beam.
Karolina looked upon him with admiration even now at the very end, when all hope was lost he would stay and fight. Never before had she borne witness to such bravery. Even though she already knew the answer, she posed the question, “Will you join us Sepital?” She locked his gaze, “one more warrior will not change the outcome here.”
The war chief’s grin was clear this time, “My place is here.” For a brief moment he stared past here to the blast door, “However my son will journey with you, he is already on board the ship. He will make a good War-Chief to you and more importantly he will live. One day I hope he and the others will begin the council again and knowing this will mean when I finally meet my death, I will do so on my feet and with a smile etched on my face.”
“Then I wish you luck War-Chief, may you walk within the light and find the peace you deserve.” She bowed slightly as she spoke, the customary farewell to someone heading off to battle.
Sepital returned the obeisance, “To you also child, I have not known you long, but the leader has helped me to see in you the future of the council and perhaps this universe. Your journey will be difficult, but know that you will always walk in the light and may the spirits of the elders walk beside you.” Without another word he turned and strode away purposefully down the hallway; to where the sounds of battle were not reverberating.
Karolina swung around, knowing that she would never see this place or the people she had begun to think of as family again. She barred her eyes and allowed the pain, sorrow and regret to wash over her. Her body shock uncontrollably as she sobbed. It was her final farewell to the Council and to all those that would be left behind here.
The lucky ones would die quickly, those that were less fortunate would be dragged to the Dark ones feeding pits and if it was possible to endure a fate worse than death then that was it.
She drew in a final deep lungful of recycled air and dried her eyes. Then she stepped towards the blast door, it rolled open silently and once through it she found herself in a cavernous hangar. Her stare fixed on the ship that took up almost all the space, it was like nothing she had ever seen before, it was not boxed shape like the vessels she had known back on Earth, rather it looked like some kind of artist had sculpted it. It had no wings, no tail section, no visible engines or weapons, instead its surface was smooth and to her it appeared to be more like a bullet than a ship. Its hull glimmered and rippled in a similar way to the walls that made up this underground city.
Two Alas warriors approached her on all fours and they seemed every inch like the Council’s most fearsome soldiers. She had been told they had originally come from a feudal and primal planet; where you had to fight just to survive and even though they had grown into a civilized race, the natural combat skills, which were hardwired into them, made them the perfect champions.
As they neared her, they both came up on hind legs, each stood clear over seven feet tall, with powerful torso’s that were covered in thick matted grey hair, which was daubed with battle paints of various hues and colours. These were used to designate rank, family, age and honour. The front legs, which looked to her more like arms, culminated in clawed talons, while elongated faces, gave them the look of the werewolves she had seen in so many teen horror movies, yet it was the large, elliptical azure eyes that she was drawn to.
“War leader,” the first Alas growled, leaning forward slightly. “I am Yodat, we must hurry, there is little time the Dark Ones have breached the shield and will soon be here.”
“It is time for us to go then,” Karolina retorted as she craned her neck and peered back towards the defenders, they hunkered down just outside the entrance, preparing for the bloody climax to this conflict. They must know that they would die, that there was no escape from this fate, yet there was no panic, no rage or fury, just a calm and steady attitude. She offered a silent prayer and just hoped that when she was finally forced to meet her end, she would be able to possess even half the strength and dignity that they did.
She followed the two warriors towards the underside of the ship, where they were enveloped within the transporters glare, a moment later she stood on what she thought must be the bridge. It was vacuous, except for two small metallic cocoons that were occupied by cyborgs, gleaming fingers raced over unseen screens and it was clear these machines controlled some part of the vessel.
Lessai slid next to her, a mournful expression etched upon her face, “what are your orders war leader?” As she spoke translucent fluid welled in her eyes.
“Take us away from here,” Karolina replied as without warning a clear glass seat shimmered into existence next to her.
Lessai nodded briefly, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Without another word the ship came to life and began to drift up through the hangar.
“How did you do that?” Karolina asked her own confusion clear.
“I have a neural implant that is connected directly to the replicants as well as the ship, it makes navigating and control of the vessel far easier”
The ship came to a halt at the roof of the doomed structure, where it was engulfed in the gleam of the council’s transporter. In an instance the ship was outside the last city, flying high into the dark clouds of acrid smoke that now almost encircled the entire planet. A rippling screen emerged in front of Karolina, it flickered to life, and suddenly showed the view from the front of the vessel. As it flew majestically through the stratosphere of the planet and out into the black vault of space. Without warning shadows began to mass and whirl around the ship.
“WARNING, DARK ONES APPROACH!” A computerised voice echoed around the still bridge.
Before Karolina could speak, she felt jolts of pain, as if something was trying to claw at her mind, she screamed and collapsed to the floor. Blood oozed from her ears, nose and eyes.
“War leader!” Lessai cried as she rushed to her side.
For Karolina it was at if time itself has been suspended, she feels her own breath catch in her throat, a bubble of blood and spit escapes her lips. Once again the music finds her, the chords now so familiar to her. She feels her own power pulse, ripple and finally be unleashed. She feels nothing else, no pain, no fear, to her there is only the all-encompassing
light and the melody.
The leader wiped the cold, glutinous blood of one of the Dark Ones from his face with a gloved hand as another one of the creatures lumbered into view, it had to crouch down just to make its way along the narrow tunnel.
The beast was every inch the monster, like something loosed from a child’s nightmare, in fact from anyone’s nightmare. Its heavily muscled body was coated in thick ebony scales, two powerful arms, which ended in clawed pincers dripped with a clear, gelatinous fluid and behind it a segmented tail whirled angrily. As it trudged along the passageway its expansive wings unfurled until they reached the walls and then they began to retract slightly.
The leaders eyes though were drawn to the narrow, pointed head, which was a mass of jutting, harsh angles, as if some impressionist painter had forged it with paint and canvas. Three eyes burnt a fiery red and for some reason he thought of logs aflame amid a fireplace.
As the fiend neared him, its nostrils flared, like some kind of ancient predator unleashed now upon this new world. It opened its gaping mouth, to reveal three sets of sharpened fangs, from which thick clumps of pine-tar black goo fell and pooled on the floor.
Around the leader the battle for the last city raged, a cacophony of sounds echoed through the dimly lit warrens. The clash of steel upon steel, the high intensity blast of laser rifles, the screams of the injured and dying; along with the high pitched cries of the Dark Ones, which stung his very soul.
His eyes narrowed as the creature drew near and his senses were impregnated with the familiar reek of his enemy. Once again he felt deaths warm embrace on his shoulder, he could feel his hearts hammering within his trunk, while sinews and muscles tightened. His swords were suddenly heavy in his hands and he knew that he would soon die.
He conjured up a long forgotten memory, he was a child again sitting at his father’s feet staring up at him, he had seemed so tall then, a giant of a male, that nothing could topple. He would be told heroic tales of the first days of the council, of mighty space battles and of brave, armoured knights fighting against the darkness. Of course in reality war is never as it portrayed in the great stories, it is rarely heroic or beautiful, it is vicious, violent and bloody.
The Dark One attacked, bounding awkwardly down the corridor and the light glinted from its pincers. It leapt the final few feet towards him. Instinctively he swung out with the broadswords; the sharpened, treated steel pierced the monsters body with ease, sending thick, cloudy fluid across the walls and ceiling. As the leader nimbly darted to one side, the beast’s thrashing body fell onto the ground next to him.
The Fiends colossal frame was quickly enveloped in a pool of murky liquid. Its tail thrashed out, furiously attempting to strike him, yet the leader was too quick he used his two free hands to grip the scaled flesh and then with a single swing dissected it from the creature’s body. As he held up the still twitching mass, his own mind was racing, he felt a smile spread across his face, yet it was at this moment he failed to notice the creature’s talons shudder.
The Dark One struck out, its sharpened claws easily tearing through his armour as if it was little more than paper. He felt the searing pain, like a red hot poker boring into his flesh, as he was sent reeling back, clear blood poured from the gaping wound in his chest. Waves of sheer agony, ravaged him, as with the last once of strength he possessed he drove his blades into the creatures head. Thick slime, gushed from the beasts wound, as it let out a small gurgling sound and its lifeless frame collapsed to the floor.
The leader slumped against the cold wall and his vision became clouded. He knew that death had finally caught up to him and it felt like a warm blanket enveloping him. There would be no more war, no more suffering, perhaps finally he could find some peace and he would be able to see Seraphim again and the child he had only been able to dream about.
“Leader,” a soft voice hissed over the din of battle.
“Sepital?” the leader asked, trying to lift his head so he could look upon his old friend, and war chief just one last time.
“It is leader, try not to move you have been wounded.” Sepital answered slowly as he knelt down next to the leader, tears welled up in his eyes as he saw the liquid pouring from the gaping wound. He removed a purple bandage from a compartment on his hip and placed it on the deep lacerations. It acted almost like a second skin, it immediately began to spread and seal the lesion. Yet already he knew it was too late.
Crimson froth, burst from the leader’s mouth as he tried to splutter, “Is she away?”
“Yes leader she and the others are safe,” Sepital replied calmly, trying to mask his feelings. “My son is among them, he will make a good war chief and one day hopefully far from here they will begin all that we have lost again.”
“I am glad old friend,” the leader spat a mouthful of coagulating blood out onto the ground and then reached up his hand and placed it on Sepital’s arm. “Then it is finally over, the council will die here today with us,” his other two hands gripped the hilts of his swords tightly as another wave of discomfort wracked his broken body.
“Yes leader however the best of us will live on, Karolina who I know you think of a daughter will lead them as you have lead us. They will destroy these black hearted monsters and one day they will return here and the council will begin again.”
“I hope they do not return here my friend, nothing can be salvaged from this dead place, let it be our resting place for we deserve that, for to many years we have been fighting.”
Sepital laid a paw on his friend’s shoulder, as the sounds of fighting echoed down the corridor.
“They are coming?” The leader enquired calmly.
“Yes my leader,” Sepital retorted as he glanced down the passageway to where the Dark Ones were gathering.
“Help me to my feet then, old friend, I do not want to die lying upon this cold floor. I will die on my feet facing these beasts as my father did before me and perhaps if I am lucky I will be able to see him again on the fields of heroes.” The leader stretched his arms up, Sepital gently lifted his friend to his feet. Locking one of his puissant arms round the leaders back and he held him steadily. His eyes narrowed as the Dark Ones advanced clumsily towards them, seeming to fall almost, rather than walk.
“It has been an honour to know you leader and serve you,” Sepital spoke the words calmly as his fingers moved over the hilt of his glistening sword.
“It has been an honour to know you…my…..fri,” With that the leader’s body went limp.
Sepital shuttered his eyes as warm tears streamed down his scaled face. He thought for a moment of the son he barely knew, safe now far from this place. Then the Dark Ones were upon him and the world fell into the gloom.
On the surface far from the battle, the wizened old woman leaned upon her ornately carved staff and observed the destruction in silence. Around her a retinue of Dark Ones, her pets, stirred anxiously, they could smell the blood in the air even from the distance and their desire to feast was almost too much for the spell she used to control them.
“It is finally over,” she sighed.
For longer than she cared to remember she had fought this war against the council. On thousands of worlds she had borne witness to the same destruction and bloodshed, gaining strength and power with each life lost. Yet even she had grown tired of this constant fighting, it was in her nature to seek out life and destroy it. Yet after thousands of years of conquest and feeding she could rest now. Even if was only for a short while, the respite would be appreciated as even her own tainted soul had grown bored of this endless slaughter.
“Mistress?” a soft voice hissed, both seductive and dangerous at the same time.
She turned to see the two lesser demons, in some cultures they would be described as her children, yet to her, ideals like that were so foreign as to be beyond her comprehension.
“What is it?” she replied curtly.
“A ship escaped the planet,” the second of the demons spoke. He had the look
of a bygone gladiator, a creature built for one thing, battle. She had given neither a name although he had christened himself, War.
“How is that possible?” The Mistress spat, her voice doused with fury. Her gaze found the first demon, she was a tall, willowy and beautiful creature. Her chosen name was Lust.
“We do not know master,” Lust purred almost playfully, tilting her head slightly to one side. “The seekers had no picture of it and swear that it could not be.”
“They are useless creatures,” War shouted, his face set in a stern scowl. “I have personally put one hundred of them under my sword the others will try harder next time.”
The Mistress peered over the blackened and burnt landscape and once again the familiar craving began to manifest itself inside her sullied heart, “Where are they going?”
“To a distant star, billions of lights years from here,” Lust danced to her side and lowered her voice so only the Mistress could hear. “I have seen it in my dreams, they go to Earth, to the humans.”
The Mistress didn’t reply instead she simply shuffled away from her offspring and towards the still burning metropolis. She would feast on the souls of the dead and the dying and once she had her fill, she would begin to move her army for the final battle, which would soon begin. She had hoped this would be the end that the destruction of the council would be enough; yet deep within her she knew that was false, she would have to finish this task that had been given to her. The human race would have to join the council and their souls would join the others in her feeding pits.
CHAPTER SIX
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse:
and his name that sat on him was Death
and Hell followed with him”
The First Dawn (The Sci-Corp War Saga Book 1) Page 5