Spectrum: Breaking Light

by Darren Sloan

Chapter 20

  The Desert with No Name

  I wasn't sure what had happened. First I was running down a path with Panther, and the next I was smack dab in the middle of a sandstorm in the middle of some desert. The wind was whipping against my skin, causing harsh, jagged particles to cut at me. I thought of releasing the suit again, but I didn't have much more time with it. I tried to form a plan, but since I didn't know where I was or where anything was in relation to my location, I wasn't sure what I could do. I just looked around and chose a direction and started walking.

  I pushed forward against the intense winds and kept my face covered as best I could. I was thinking about the flash of light that I saw before I landed in the desert and I realized it was similar to the light that was given off when those Wurmhole things would open. It must have been Gunther's Comm-sphere that transported me. He may have intended to transport me and Panther, but it seemed to only have claimed me.

  I climbed up to the top of another dune and I looked around, hoping to see something, but all I saw was miles of more arid desert. There was nothing. In fact, I don't think I had ever seen so much nothing in my entire life. The sun was beating down on me and there was nothing I could do, other than walk.

  I kept on making my way to some unknown destination for hours. The winds began to die down and the sky was becoming dark. I felt some bit of relief before I realized that it was going to go from unbearably hot to unbearably cold.

  The air began to clear and I had hoped to see some sign of salvation, but I was still surrounded by endlessness. My legs were killing me. I was lost. Completely, totally and hopelessly lost. I fell to my knees and I decided that I had come to the end of my journey. I had hoped I was strong enough to see it through, but from where I was, I saw no way out. I fell down onto the sand, staring up at the darkening sky. It was as good a place as any to die. The cold would come and I would freeze. I just hoped that whatever my end was to be, that it would come fast. Every moment I was conscious was another moment where I was forced to think about everyone I had failed. I closed my eyes and hoped the next time I opened them, I'd be somewhere better.

  I finally did open my eyes after some time, but I was still stranded on top of the sand dune. It was freezing cold as I sat up and ran my hands up my arms in hope of getting my circulation going. The only light available to me was coming from the moon above. It was dim, but it was good enough to see where I was. I figured I had rested a bit and my legs felt a little better, so I got up and tried to continue on my journey. I thought maybe the walking would warm me up, but I didn't get past two steps before I fell back down to the ground. It was truly the end. I wondered if there were any animals in the Xenosian desert that would be good enough to eat me. As my eyes began to close again, I noticed something. I looked up and I could see a light in the distance. It was some small amber hue far off. I forced myself up and I headed toward it.

  As I got closer, I could see the amber hue was moving and flickering. It must have been a fire and if it was a fire, there was a good chance there was someone tending it, and there was an even better chance that person would have some food. I picked up my pace as I struggled toward the fire. I finally got close enough to see that it was indeed a fire. It looked like some kind of makeshift campsite in the middle of nowhere. I ran the rest of the way and fell on my face as I finally made it. The fire was warming and comfortable. I got to my feet and curled up closer to it. I looked around for some sign of who had built the fire, but there was no one around. I decided not to care right away. I just wanted to get the feeling back in my feet.

  "Hello." A voice came from behind. I spun around and there was an old man staring back at me. He had dark skin with white hair covering his chin and sprouted over his head. He looked as though he was just wearing a long cloth wrapped over his body.

  "Oh. Hi. I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I saw your fire."

  "It's fine. In fact, you're rather late. I was expecting you much sooner than this."

  "You were?"

  "You're confused."

  "To say the least."

  "You are searching for your way back to Xenos, aren't you?"

  "Yes."

  "The test, right?"

  "Yes. How did you know?"

  "They all come to me eventually."

  "They do?"

  "The Intended. I suppose I should tell you who I am."

  "That would be helpful."

  "I am the first. I was the first to pass the test."

  "You?" The old man sat down in front of the fire with his legs crossed and he scooped up some sand in his hand and allowed it to spill from his fist. He was watching the tiny grains fall down into the flames.

  "It's true. I endured the first test to prove my worth of the God's Blood. I traveled across miles of rock and water. I danced with the grimy Grogs of the Ne'vr Moore. I felt my soul mingle with the soul of Xenos itself. So many try to live up to the mantle, but they fail because they don't know what is truly needed to wield the power. Those who are open to learn, find me."

  "So, you're going to tell me how to be worthy?"

  "I can't tell you that. It's not something that can be taught. It is only something you can be."

  "So, by the fact I'm here, I must be open to learning what you have to teach."

  "I have nothing to teach."

  "You just said you did."

  "No. I said those who were open to learn would find me. I never said I had anything to teach."

  "So what am I doing here?"

  "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. After all, I have no idea where you've been."

  "I got zapped here through a Wurmhole. I was on my way to Xenos, but now I don't know where I am."

  "Have faith that where you are is where you're supposed to be."

  "What does that even mean?"

  "Perhaps you needed to come here."

  "I don't know what's going on anymore. Four bounty hunters were trying to kill me and my friend and now I'm stuck in this desert talking in circles with you. Why am I supposed to be here?"

  "You may only know once you leave."

  "For being the first, you don't really have a lot of insight."

  "I know that it's a hard road to prove yourself worthy and that there are no two roads alike. The journey is different for us all. Your journey has brought you here, and from here you must go forward."

  "The wisdom of Facepage in an old guy. Super."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Nothing. Sorry. How big is this desert? I mean, I can fly with the suit. Do you think I could fly out of here?"

  "I cannot say. You may rest here tonight, but I'm afraid I won't be here when the sun rises. I wish you luck though."

  The old man said and then he turned away from me and lied down. I was about to nudge him awake, but he started to snore. I just rolled up close to the fire and allowed myself to sleep. I would figure things out in the morning.

  It felt as though only seconds passed, but when I opened my eyes the sun was up and the old man's camp was gone. The heat was already building up and the winds were beginning to start up. I knew it was probably foolish to use the suit again, but it was my best shot. Even if I couldn't get out of the desert, maybe it would let me see where I was. I activated the suit and shot up like a bullet. I didn't want to waste a second. I rose up into the sky, above the sandy winds and I could see Xenos far in the distance. If I could just get out of the desert, I'd be able to make it the rest of the way. I blasted forward as fast I could go. I was fighting the wind, but I was able to cut through, thanks to my aerodynamic design. I wasn't sure how much time I had left with the suit, but I wasn't afraid to use it all up. I just had to get out of the desert.

  I was shooting along for a good while before I began to feel the tremble of the collar. I realized my time was nearly up, but then the suit shot back into my body abruptly and I tumbled forward through the air. I landed finally on my back on the desert floor. I was exhausted again. The sun was burning into my eyes,
but shadow crept across me. I saw a figure over me. Whoever it was had a cowl over their head and I wasn't able to make out their face.

  "Here!" The figure barked. It sounded like a girl. "Take him back with us."

  "Who are you?" I asked.

  "Rest. You are saved now." She said and my vision went black.

  Part 3

  Chapter 21

  Arkane

  When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer out in the desert. I didn't know where I was. It was dark and cold. It felt like I was sleeping on a rock and when I got up and looked down, it turned out to be the case exactly. My eyes began to adjust to the dim light and I could see I was in some kind of cave. It looked like a cave, but there were small torches near the opening and some odd looking tapestries hanging from the wall. I got up but my head began to spin and I fell back down. A figure appeared in the opening of the cave. It was the dark figure that I glimpsed before I had passed out. She ran up to me and helped me back onto my rock bed.

  "Please. Don't strain yourself." She urged. I was able to get a better look at her. She was wearing an odd looking hood that hid her face well and wrapped around the full length of her body. I tried to get a better look at her, but the hood threw shadow over her entire face, except her mouth. Her eyes were hard to miss, though. They were bright and popped against the darkness across her face.

  "Who are you?"

  "My name is Arkana. I found you and brought you here."

  "Where is here?"

  "Please. Try to rest. You were stranded in that heat for far too long. You're still weak."

  "I feel fine."

  "Just rest. There will be time enough for your questions later," She then turned from me and brought over a small table that had a bottle of water and a cup. She poured me some and held it to my mouth. I sipped and it was cool and crisp. I started to suck up the water more furiously. I pushed away the cup and grabbed the bottle and guzzled as much as I could. Arkana took the bottle when I started coughing more water up than I was swallowing. "I'll bring you more water. For now, rest." She said again. I set my head down and my eyes began to close. I didn't know where I was or how long I had been there, but I didn't have the strength to worry about it.

  I woke up once more and I was feeling much better. I sat upright and I saw a new bottle of water nearby. I grabbed it and chugged it down until it was empty. I got up off the bed and I was fine at last. I felt my energy returning. I walked over to the opening of the cave and I peered out. It looked like the cave I was in was carved in the wall of an even larger cave. In fact, I couldn't call it a cave. It looked like an underground city. I stepped out and I saw people going about their business in the large open area that made up most of the area. My gaze moved past them and I saw what looked to be like a castle carved into the very stone walls of the cavern. It was a little hard to make out, since the only light was coming from the many torches burning. I took a step back and I felt someone close by. I spun around and I saw Arkana standing before me.

  "You're awake. Good."

  "And I'm feeling much better. Can you tell me where I am now?"

  "You are in the last refuge of truth and freedom."

  "Long name."

  "There really was never any name for this place. I suppose you could call it Utopia."

  "Fine. Now that I know where I am, can you tell me how to get out of here?"

  "Why would you want to leave?"

  "I was traveling with a friend and we got separated. We were on our way to Xenos."

  "The city above?"

  "Yes. Wait. Above? Above here? We're under the surface of Xenos?"

  "Not right under, but our people have lived beneath the surface of this planet for a long time." I started to fully understand where I was. Denwall had mentioned the losers of the Xenosian civil war had been living like moles ever since. This was it. This was where they had been living for all those years.

  "Your people were driven down here by the New Technologists." I said. Arkana tipped her head toward me.

  "I'm impressed. I wouldn't expect an off-worlder to be aware of our history."

  "I've been told some stories. How do you know I'm an 'off-worlder'?" She simply smiled at me and took my hand.

  "Come. There's someone who is most anxious to meet you."

  Arkana led me toward the castle. We walked past the people who all seemed to be in some kind of daze. They looked up at me as we passed, but they didn't seem to have much of a reaction. They were all very pale and sickly. I wasn't sure if they were under a spell or if they were all just dying.

  When we walked into the castle, it was clear that the facade outside was made to look like a castle, but on the inside it was just a really big cave with a lot of strange decorations, as if someone were trying to make it something it could never be. There were stairs and doorways carved into the stone in some attempt to make it seem more like a real castle. Arkana took me through a series of chambers until we came to a large hall. It was surprisingly tall with well carved pillars reaching up to the ceiling. It looked like that room was the one they had spent the most time cobbling together, since there was an almost unreal level of detail in everything there. Including the throne.

  We approached the throne and I saw a large, imposing man sitting upon it. He had dark hair on his head, with a white streak going back along the left side. He was also sporting a rather sharp looking goatee that framed his mouth perfectly. He was fit, too. His tunic was split wide at the collar, offering a generous view of his well-developed chest. It looked just fine to me, except for a rather large shard of crystal jutting out from between his two meaty pecs.

  "This is him?" He asked. His voice was deep and powerful.

  "It is, my lord." The man's eyes fell upon me and he smiled. He stood up from the throne and he rose to his full height, which looked to clock in at just shy of seven feet. He approached me and I could feel something as he got closer. He was powerful. Something about him made the God's Blood twinge in my body.

  "Who are you?" I asked.

  "I am Arkane." He said.

  "Arkane? That's impossible. From what I was told, Arkane ruled Xenos, but that was a long time ago."

  "And you were told that the rivers of magic flowed in abundance here as well, weren't you?"

  "Not in those exact words, but yeah."

  "I am Arkane. I held the very power of all magic on Xenos in my soul, and I continue to do so to this day. My power sustains me in ways you could not imagine and has elongated my life greatly."

  "You're Arkane?"

  "I have seen the fall of my people at the hands of the so-called 'New Empire' but we have not been defeated. My people have found new life here beneath the surface and we have lived and worked, waiting for the day when we would find the power to allow us to return and reclaim Xenos." He then placed his hands upon my shoulders. His grip was tight and strong.

  "That's very nice, but I need to get out of here. I need to get back to the city."

  "Yes. You are the new Intended."

  "You know about that?"

  "I've been keeping a very close eye on you, my friend."

  "You have?"

  "You are the power we have been waiting for. You were meant to come to me. You don't need to prove anything to those above. With your power and my skills, I can retake Xenos and any reward will be yours for the asking."

  "I don't know."

  "You don't need to know. This has been foretold. Everything you have endured has brought you to this place for a reason."

  "I don't know."

  "What allegiance do you have to The Council and their ilk? They invaded your home and took you from your loved ones. They have set you upon this dangerous journey all to prove your worthiness to them, and I am almost positive that when you have met this challenge, they will still put you to death. They are logical and single minded, but that is true in all respects. They will never accept a non-Xenosian as The Intended. This is just one of their sick little mind games. Trust me, J
ason Randwulf. Our system in the past wasn't perfect, but it served us all well. I must be able to retake this planet before those above destroy it." I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't know enough about what really happened to make any judgment. I had seen so much through the visions the suit had fed to me, and everything Denwall and Panther had said; but I didn't really know Arkane's side of it. Everything I had heard so far seemed to skew against Arkane, but who could I believe? Arkane was right. Xenos invaded my home and took me away from everyone I cared about, all to be put through this dog and pony show just so they could give me their stamp of approval. What if I did get back to the city? What then? Would they let me go or just butcher me, as they had planned to in the first place? My head began to ache and my legs began to shake. Arkana came up to me from behind.

  "He is still very weak, my lord."

  "So I see. Take him where I told you. Let him rest. I think once he's had time to think about my offer, he will know what to do."

  "At once, my lord." Arkana said as she led me back out. I turned to face Arkane and his eyes glowed with dark power.

  Chapter 22

  The Royal Treatment

  Arkana had taken me to some kind of royal bed chamber. I almost forgot we were inside a cave. The room had actual furniture in it. There was a large wardrobe standing in the corner, a table in the middle of the room and a rather large, soft looking bed that drew it all together.

  More ornate tapestries were hanging from the ceiling and walls and there were more torches placed strategically around, casting dancing orange light over everything.

  I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, although I felt very rested, as well as confused. I was tangled up in the blankets. It was the first time in too long that I had been on an actual comfortable bed. I wasn't a fan of living under the ground, but Arkane was definitely doing everything else right. I got up and checked myself out in the mirror on the wardrobe door. I figured for being through Hell over the past few days, I wasn't looking too bad. I stepped out of the room and walked over to a nearby balcony and I could see out to the whole cavern. It looked like Arkane's subjects dwelled in huts and caves that lined the edges of the cavern and in the middle was where they toiled. I saw large patches of crops. It didn't look all that impressive, but then I wondered how many good things could grow underground and without the benefit of sunlight.