Artifact of Creation: The Awakening

by D James Larsen

  Chapter 1

  Asher shoved his tool into the dry ground, splitting the hard soil in preparation for the spring planting season. Beads of sweat dripped off of his face and onto his dirtied shirt. He and his grandfather had labored through the course of the day, clearing new land to expand the area to plant more food. Their village had grown considerably over the last few months, most of which were refugees from the Federation Wars near the southern border. There were many more mouths to feed and barely enough cleared land to sustain them.

  “I believe we did a good day’s work laddy,” His grandfather said. “Let’s call it a day.”

  Asher shoved the tool into the dirt, more than ready to be done. His stomach rumbled for want of food, his body ached and his skin was burned from the heat of the day.

  He brushed by his grandfather and sat on a nearby stomp of wood. His grandfather followed after Asher, concerned by his grandson’s sudden change of behavior.

  “What’s wrong laddy?” His grandfather asked. His joints cracked and creaked as he sat beside Asher. Asher shrugged in response, he was lost in thought.

  Below the field that they tended to, Asher could hear the sound of blacksmiths clinking metal amid the buzz of conversations that took place from the people in his town. He watched farmers tend to their livestock, taking special care for them in order to sustain the village. Asher loved the town he grew up in but he no longer wanted the simple life that his small town offered. Often times he would spend his wishing he could find a more meaningful purpose for his life. He could not tell where the need to leave the comforts and security of home originated. Perhaps it was the stories his mother would tell about the distant lands she and his father had seen while they served together in the Federation Wars. Or perhaps it was the tale his grandfather recounted about searching out an ancient artifact that was a fabled myth, told as stories meant for amusement by travelers that would pass through his small town. Asher loved the stories when he was younger, but as the years of his childhood left and he matured into a young adult, he doubted the validity of his grandfather’s stories. Asher was drawn to the realism surrounding the stories his mother told.

  Asher sighed and looked to the sky as he often did, and watched scuffs of clouds float by. The white of the clouds were intermixed with hues of oranges and purples, the colors were reflections from the setting sun in the late afternoon. On the horizon, Asher could see the glistening waters of the ocean. It reminded him of how vast the world was, it only furthered his desire to search out a new life for himself.

  “I suppose I don’t feel like I belong here.” Asher finally said after a few moments of silence had passed. “I want my life to have more meaning then just...” He trailed off feeling ashamed for what he was about to say.

  “Then what laddy?” His grandfather asked. “You can tell me it’s alright.” He rested his callused hand on Asher’s shoulder with a smile of reassurance. Asher let his gaze fall.

  “I want something more meaningful in my life then just clearing trees and planting seeds.” He turned to his grandfather. “Perhaps I should enlist in the Federation Wars. I could be a pilot on a Federation Airship like my father was.”

  His grandfather sighed. “Asher we each have our place in the world. Those soldiers would not be able to fight in battle without the food we provide for them. Your place is here in Shady Vale working beside me and helping your mother.”

  “But that’s not fair. Father, mother and even you had a life beyond the Vale. How can you expect anything different from me?” Asher saw that his words had an effect on his grandfather. His grandfather now seemed lost in thought as he considered the weight of Asher’s words. “Grandfather you left the Vale to seek out the artifact. You followed ‘him’ ... the one you called Gaphii’el .... because he asked you too. You know I could not do anything less than what you or my father have done. Or were the tales you told, simply bed time stories for my sister and I?”

  Asher’s words were heated, and to his grandfather, they felt full of accusation. His grandfather left the stump of wood he sat at and paced in front of Asher, trying to decide what words of wisdom he could offer his grandson. “Asher, those stories I told you and your sister are true. Asher you must understand, I did not seek out the artifact because I felt some desire to explore a new life, I left because I was convinced of the growing evil that Gaphii’el had spoke to me about. Your father and mother had no desire to be soldiers either, they were asked to. Your father and mother, even myself, did not go looking for danger, we went because we did not have a choice.” Asher looked at his grandfather, and then let his head drop to his arms that were folded about his knees. He saw little point in arguing with his grandfather, his words did not change who he was or what he felt.

  Just then, a terrible roaring sound echoed above them in the sky. Asher and his grandfather looked to the source of the sound. A great airship flew overhead. Its outline was a massive silhouette of dark metal, it was large enough to block out the light of the sun, it cast a shadow upon all of Shady Vale. Wind funneled from its thrusters as it made a gradual descent and rested upon the outskirts of the Vale. Men and women from the town, abandoned their chores to investigate the airship after it landed.

  The cargo door of the airship opened and armed men, dressed in grey armor, marched out of the ship. The soldiers quickly circled about the ship and held their weapons pointed at the town’s people. Orders were shouted for the people to keep their distance. Among the soldiers was a masked man with a long trailing cape. The masked man descended from the airship, his cape billowing in the wind.

  Asher felt his grandfather’s hand pull him down. The two ducked behind the tree stump they had been sitting on. “Who are they?” Asher whispered to his grandfather. His grandfather held a finger to his lips, an indication for Asher to remain silent. They peered over the stump and watched the soldiers form a perimeter around the airship.

  The masked man studied the crowd of people. “There is a man who lives among you, who has an ancient artifact in his possession, where is he?” The masked man demanded. “Bring him forward and you will not be harmed.”

  Asher watched the people cower and tremble before the soldiers. They were simple farmers and most had never been in life threatening situations before. The masked man gave a hand signal to one of his soldiers and the soldier grabbed the nearest woman by the hair and drug her screaming from the crowd. The soldier threw her at the feet of the masked man. The masked man lifted her up by the neck. The woman struggled to break free and gasped for air. “The artifact now! Or she will struggle for her every last breath until she dies.” The masked man demanded.

  There were fits of screams and sobbing from the women in the village. Three more people were drug from the crowd. A woman, a small girl and an elderly man.

  “They have my mother and sister. We can’t just sit here and watch!” Asher said and almost sprung up from his hiding place before his grandfather pulled him down once more.

  “There is nothing we can do.” His grandfather lectured. Asher returned to watching the caped man interrogate the other three. He watched with anger growing in his chest, as his mother and sister were struck multiple times by one of the soldiers as they were interrogated. The beating was so brutal, that both his mother and sister collapsed to the ground, sobbing for mercy. The soldiers then started beating on the elderly man. He struggled to stand straight but the soldiers brutal blows were too much for him to bare. Finally, the elderly man caved in and admitted that he knew something of value.

  He pointed a finger in the direction of Asher and his grandfather. “There over the hill at the edge of the forest. There is a man who has what you seek. Please...leave us be...”

  The masked man turned quickly toward the direction of Asher and his grandfather. He shouted orders to his soldiers. “Over there! Find them!”

  “Asher, they found us. Here take this quickly.” He handed Asher the silver necklace. Asher took the necklace in his hand and stared at
the ornament that hung from the chain. It was a sphere laced in a delicate design of metal workings. Inside the sphere, clouds of deep red auras whirred about as if it were a living creature. Asher was mesmerized by the artifact.

  “Asher! This is the artifact from my stories. Do not let anyone have it. Take it to the Temple Anin’Nar. Hurry!” He pushed Asher away, urging him to leave quickly.

  Asher hesitated. “But I can’t just leave you here.” He watched his grandfather step out from his hiding place. The guards were close. “You will die.”

  His grandfather turned and smiled. “I have lived a full life Asher. That artifact is worth more than all of our lives. Now go!”

  Asher ran to his horse at the far end of the field. He quickly untied the horse and hopped on. Behind him he could hear shouts from the soldiers. With his feet in the stirrups and hands on the reins, he took off at break-neck speed toward the forest. He raced across the field of yellow grass which lined the forest’s edge.

  Asher quickly risked a glance behind him. He saw one of the soldiers end his grandfather’s life, with a plunge of a blade through his grandfather’s belly, his grandfather fell to the earth, dying from the loss of blood. The tears began to stream down Asher’s face, his heart sunk with a sickening feeling, still he continued fast through the field and into the forest.

  After they ended his grandfather’s life, the soldiers took chase after Asher. Technology and speed were on their side as they rode speeders, vehicles developed by the Federation to navigate treacherous terrain. Asher could hear the whine of the speeder engines behind him. Another quick look behind, revealed that the soldiers had cleared a considerable distance between them and Asher, they were nearing the edge of the forest. The gap between them narrowed quickly.

  Asher’s horse continued at a brisk speed, Asher whipped hard on the reins determined to put distance between him and the soldiers. He continued swiftly through the forest, branches and trees were just a blur in his vision. He ducked beneath limbs of trees, careful to avoid them, then a branch appeared in front of his face. A sharp pain radiated across his forehead, blood trickled into his eyes, and his vision blurred and then there was blackness.