The Return of the Watchers (Armageddon Rising Book 1)

by Denny Bennett

  Off in the distance, some twenty kilometers away, a group of three large vehicles traveled with haste towards the little village of Villalba. “The link is becoming stronger. His Shi is not concealed here; we are close. He may not be alone. Tell the others to prepare,” Arita'el said to Ehasar, the driver of their vehicle. As the group approached the town, Arita'el began to bounce his spirit energy off the few villagers still awake who had darkness in their spirits, in a futile attempt to see how many were traveling with Dorian. A couple of pub patrons were heading back to their cars and he was able to see Yelnisha in their recent memory. “He travels with one other, possibly more. We are close. Turn down that road.”

  Yelnisha's car wound around the road as if they were descending deep into the ground. Further and further down they drove until almost twenty minutes had passed. Lights floated in place on both sides of the road with an ethereal, greenish-grey hue to them. The tunnel itself had alien symbols carved into the rock every so often--either some sort of warning to would-be unwanted guests or travel markers. The symbols also glowed with an unnatural light that reflected off their faces as they made their way inward. She checked her wrist and looked up, then suddenly stopped the car. “Woah, that was close. Ana Harrani Sa Alaktasa La Tarat Talamu Enir,” she said, with both hands forming a triangle. The road ahead disappeared. Instead, a trail led to a large open are on the left and a set of double doors of immense size on the right. “It's a unique lock. You only learn the combination as you leave and it only works for that person. All those symbols in the cave are part of the lock.” She waved her hand over her wrist and a dozen symbols appeared, glowing with bright colors that matched the ones on the ceiling. “If I didn't get out at the right time we would be traveling down that road forever. It can trap you if you don't pay attention. So when you leave and plan on coming back you're going to either have to use what the road shows you or wait for someone who left the sanctuary to bring you back in. This is going to be your home for the next several months. Are you ready?” Dorian did not answer as he was still wondering who had created such an elaborate entrance. She pulled the car up alongside the double doors and got out. “Okay, give me your hand. They need to see what's in our minds, so you'll have to open up to them, otherwise we're not getting in.” She took his hand in hers and whispered something while placing one hand along the door. A faint glow of amber surrounded her. “All right, here we go. You can let go now- that is, unless you don't want to,” she said with a flirty smile. He smirked and shook his head in disbelief at her carefree personality. The doors didn't move at all. Instead, Yelnisha walked completely into one until she was not seen. A few seconds later her head poked through to face Dorian who was standing at the doors, unsure of what to do. “Grab your stuff, c'mon,” she said, disappearing back into the unknown. He picked up his bags and proceeded into the adjacent door- which was quite solid, knocking him on his butt. She peeked her head through the other door again, trying to contain her laughter.

  “What the bejabbers are you doing? This is no time for a lie down ghost post. Get in here! This side, ya plonker, the other one's just for show.” “NOW YOU TELL ME! Arrgh, I'm gonna. Oooh you...you...,” he grumbled, imagining her being thrown into a lake. After rubbing his head where he had run face first into the door, he picked up his bags and used his foot to make certain the other door wasn't solid, which (thankfully) it was not. Stepping through, he immediately felt a pulling sensation similar to when he was sucked into the black hole on his travel to Verdes Seventeen. It lasted a couple of seconds, then it was over.

  The group of SUV's came to a stop at the unusual gate at the foot of the small mountain. Several of the fallen with their grey cloaks left the confines of the vehicle to inspect the unusual lock as Arita'el approached it with caution. “Sa Belet Ersetim Ki'Am Parsusa Amelatu Peta,” he said, waving his hand over it. A moment later it began to shine with a dark red light. “It is finished. The opening is masked with Magick. Lahash, I feel his Shi in that mountain. A spell has obscured my vision; cast a reveal so we may continue our pursuance,” he said to the tall being with long white hair and olive skin.

  “A simple task. One moment,” Lahash replied. He paused for a moment, mumbled something inaudible, then clasped his hands together causing thunder to rumble in the distance. “I will lead us through. The opening is just beyond those rocks, which are nothing more than an illusion. Come, we tarry no longer,” Lahash said, moving back towards the vehicle. They all climbed inside their transportation and carefully made their way over the wide path through the obscured opening until all vehicles were inside. Arita'el looked over to Lahash with concern. “The entrance lacked a circle of protection; this troubles me.” “Perhaps this is not the entrance to their lair; we may have yet to see it. There can be no doubt they are aware of our pursuit,” Lahash replied to everyone with radio communication. They continued their journey down what they thought was the same path their quarry had travelled for almost ten minutes until the road forked. They followed the fork on the left for another ten minutes before stopping at the request of Arita'el. He paused for a moment, concentrating on Dorian's spirit energy. “We are undone. I do not sense his Shi; a faint resonance lies within, as if it were before me but out of reach. These symbols that we have ignored; I suspect they are the requirement for entrance. We can only hope to return from where we came from, yet I have my doubts,” Arita'el said over the communicators to the group. “Are you certain, Arita'el? We have only travelled for twenty minutes. The trail is still shifting; perhaps we must continue further down,” Ehasar said, his glowing grey eyes piercing the darkness within the vehicle. “We are trapped, my friend. I suspect this was their intent from the outset. It is pointless to continue. You have done well, Lystad. When I have finished destroying you, I will polish your skull ever so bright as a reminder of your cunning.”

  Fourteen

  When Dorian reached the other side there were approximately fifty or so beings of various sizes, shapes, and origins to greet him and another two hundred or so in the vicinity going about their business. Advanced technology was on display everywhere around him, well beyond anything currently on Earth, yet somewhat dissimilar from that which he had seen on Verdes Seventeen and Erustian Prime. Daylight appeared to be coming to a close; the sky was beginning to display a beautiful panorama of an unknown galaxy highlighted by a pair of moons, one yellow, one crimson. Colors danced in the atmosphere, not unlike the Aurora Borealis, bathing the enormous city in the distance with their ethereal light. A grassy knoll stood nearby, covered with amazingly beautiful flowers. Dorian could sense a sort of greeting coming from them, a feeling which he found slightly unsettling. The trees also gave a positive energy of welcome, as did some of the smaller life forms. One thing was for certain- he would never look at plants the same way again. About a dozen or so beings were in floating chairs at a designated covered security area off in the distance, with screens that also floated all around them. Uniformed security patrolled the area, in addition to what looked like small flying vehicles. There were no spirit guides to be found there, which struck him as odd. He was able to pick up some of the surface thoughts from those going about their business in the distance, but nothing from the group standing before him. The majority of the beings appeared human; there were about four in the group of fifty that had human bodies with animal-type heads, and two that were composed of light, which he surmised were of celestial origin. It was difficult for him not to stare, given the unusual life forms present, so he focused on the human faces to avoid insulting his hosts. Yelnisha stood off to the side, smiling. A tall figure with an olive complexion and grayish-brown hair pulled back into a ponytail moved forward. Dorian recognized him from his vision as his father Urieth, who was accompanied by two of the angelic beings. Urieth was dressed in a loose-fitted burgundy shirt with black pants and tall boots. “Welcome, Dorian. We all welcome you to our sanctuary, our home, Anidon,” Urieth said with a smile, while putting his hand on Dorian's shoulder. “S
hadom ni ana,” the group said in unison. Dorian stood still, astonished by his newfound surroundings. “Thank you,” he replied, feeling like a piece of meat on display. “I wasn't expecting all this....Can anyone tell me where we are?” Everyone in the group laughed. “We are standing in an extra-dimensional space on the Earth, or more accurately, within the Earth,” Urieth answered. “There are several dimensions of reality, and Anidon is located in the second. We are not on a planet, rather a large piece of land that stretches out with its own atmosphere and gravity. It is a self-contained country where we create our own food, have our own schools, library, and government. There are several lakes and rivers here, as well as many parks, theaters and sporting arenas. In addition, we have multiple training facilities throughout the city which you undoubtedly will become acquainted with. As you can see, we use various methods of transportation which are significantly different than what you find on present day Earth. There is much to see and do here. “Now, I think it's time for some introductions. Standing over to my left is Commander Yelnisha Reid, whom you are already acquainted with; she will be your introductory instructor on the basic fundamentals of Shi. Assisting her will be the twins, Tiddi and Osokas. Standing next to her is Sargent Simon Newell. There he is,” he said, pointing him out as Simon peeked his head through the crowd and waved. “Standing to my left is one of our advanced trainers, Eshri'el, and to my right is Caphri'el.” The two beings resembled Amprodius, with white hair and glowing amber bodies standing close to seven feet in height. The entire group stood apart from them, in a sort of reverence to their stature and significance. They both were wearing loose fitting clothing over their bodies, which had an iridescence about them, and they gently smiled at Dorian. “They will be your advanced instructors when you reach the appropriate level of understanding.

  “Our head of security is Zeracon, over there. Raise your hand Zeracon,” Urieth said with a smile. One of the mixed humanoid beings roared very loudly, making Dorian freeze with a shocked look on his face. Zeracon had the head of something close to a lion and a body resembling that of a muscular human, with the exception of fine fur and claws. His eyes were yellow and slightly glowing. Everyone, including Zeracon, laughed out loud and Dorian just shook his head and muttered “You people,” under his breath. “Mishka,” Urieth said, pointing to a dark-haired ruddy boy standing behind him, “will show you to your quarters and give you a tour of the city after you've had some rest. “Last, but certainly not least, the people you see standing behind me represent a small part of our elite field operatives, warriors, and experts in Magick and science, known as the Avavago. They will be your brothers and sisters, guiding and helping you along the way.

  “Welcome home, Dorian,” he said, followed by applause from the group. Dorian smiled and nodded uncomfortably and they slowly began dispersing.

  Urieth walked over to him after the introductions. “It's good that you joined us here, Dorian. This is where you belong. We have much catching up to do, but I know you've had a long journey and recent events have been unkind, so I think it best you get some much needed rest and we can talk tomorrow. Good night, my son,” he said with a smile, patting Dorian on the shoulder. “Oh, okay, good night then,” Dorian replied.

  A young boy about the age of twelve walked over to Dorian and touched his wrist. Warm greetings emanated from the lad. Dorian attempted to return the same, causing Mishka to giggle with laughter at his poor attempt. “Okay then. Apparently I've got a lot to learn. Mishka. Isn't that Russian for 'mouse'? Is that where you're from?” he asked. The boy tried to speak with his hand and grunted; more like pushed air through his mouth with a guttural effect. Shaking his head as if to say 'no', he pulled down his scarf to reveal a large scar across his throat. Yelnisha was standing a short distance away, talking with some of her friends. Dorian looked her way with raised eyebrows and a smile, hoping to get her attention. She noticed him looking her way and knew what he was saying without words. “It's all right, he can speak to your mind. You just have to open up to him. Don't worry, just keep your thoughts clean, okay? We don't need any bad influences corrupting him,” she said with a devilish smile. He gave her a mock frown and pursed his lips causing her to laugh out loud. As Dorian opened his mind, the boy was in the middle of communicating to him about where they would be traveling to. Dorian interrupted Mishka so he could start at the beginning. “Sorry about that, Dyadya. We will drop you off at your house and then we can look around the city tomorrow,” Mishka said. Dorian's eyes widened and he moved his head back a bit. “My house? My house is in Michigan, very far away from here. You mean where I'm going to stay tonight?” “Come, I will show you. Come,” Mishka said, motioning with his hand. The boy led Dorian towards a platform that was a some kind of lighted force field; orange in color, that was floating a few inches off the ground. They both stepped onto it and the boy waved his hand around the center in a peculiar fashion, moving his lips but making no sound. The platform raised itself off the ground with the two of them onboard, forming a small enclosure to prevent them from falling out, along with several seats that enveloped them. Looking back at the remnants of the disbursed crowed, Dorian watched several of them wave goodbye as the two sped off into the unknown. The flying vessel was quite fast and Dorian held tight to the seat as it whisked them around the outskirts of the city towards the sections that contained the living quarters. Several other flying platforms could be seen in the distance moving about with occupants on board. From their height above he had a better vantage point to view Anidon in all its splendor. Off to the east, an enormous crystal lattice sphere floated in the air, shimmering with a multitude of colors. The lights from the structure produced a dazzling array of colors on the adjacent buildings and the sky. There were many floating signs near buildings that seemed to advertise various businesses of some sort or another, not unlike billboards found on Earth. The architecture was quite futuristic to his eye, and he felt as if he was in a science fiction movie come to life. As they travelled away from the heart of the city he could see the housing communities lit up with people moving about. They began to slowly descend as they came closer to the vast series of structures that housed the residents of Anidon. Most were composed of astounding materials of various kinds; some were made of onyx, some of diamond, others of emerald, sapphire, gold, pearl, and unusual substances found outside of Earth. A few were arranged side-by-side in gigantic spherical, obelisk, and pyramid shapes; while others were freestanding, similar to castles and other Earth dwellings. It was truly a spectacle to behold. In the distance, separate from the main housing section, three large structures stood apart from the rest. Equally unique in their construction, they were seemingly comprised of the elements themselves. The first had the appearance of solid crystal with lightning arcing about it. The second was the most unusual of the three. It appeared to be composed entirely of black fire; there was no color in the flames other than black with a faint grey silhouette within that danced and flicked about. It was quite striking in its appearance. The third structure was simply made entirely of light, a brightness and beauty that shone all around itself spectacularly. Despite its incredible brightness, it did not seem to illuminate anything beyond its immediate area, which he thought odd until he observed the dwelling with the black flames consuming the light that radiated outwards. It was as if the two buildings were designed to hold each other in check. “The Hashmallim live there; that area is forbidden. They frighten me; I mean, they are kind, but their power is terrifying. Eshri'el has watched over me though, I like him. We are almost at your house. I think you will be happy with it,” Mishka said as he piloted the platform while scouting ahead. The area they were moving towards was separate from all the other housing communities. They passed over rolling hills that stretched across a meadow, culminating atop a hill that overlooked a forest surrounding it from all sides. There appeared to be a large fire off in the distance. “Hey, you might want to call the fire department. What do you people use to put out fires here? Looks l
ike something is burning,” Dorian pointed out while trying to see exactly what it was that was on fire. Mishka smiled and laughed a wispy grunt. “That is your house, Dyadya. Do not worry; I brought some marshmallows and hot dogs.” “Everyone's a comedian,” Dorian replied with a sigh. They casually approached the giant structure in the shape of a castle which was completely engulfed in flames. The fire itself looked like the fires seen on Earth, but with more reddish hues to the flames. From afar, there wasn't any visible damage to the structure. Floating lights, similar to those in the cave he and Yelnisha had travelled in, lit up a walkway that led to the threshold. The walkway itself was made completely of cut chrysolite and emeralds with incredible luster and beauty. The surrounding landscape consisted of an array of tropical flowers and plants that were not be found in Sicily, or Europe for that matter, as well as an unusual assortment of trees from all over the world. Nothing seemed out of place or overdone; it was simply perfect in its beauty. Flames roared off the house with all of the sounds that would accompany an actual fire, yet there was no heat at all, which he found quite remarkable. No source for the flames could be observed, yet they enveloped the entire structure. The two disembarked from the platform and slowly proceeded towards the entrance. “Well, what do you think?” Mishka asked with a smile. “Takes cozy fire to a whole new level. I hope everything isn't burning on the inside also,” he quipped. He slowly put his hand out and touched the flames that made up a supporting pillar. “Aaaaaaghh!” Mishka's face went blank for a moment and his eyes widened like saucers as Dorian quickly pulled his hand away, holding it gingerly.