Jaxx took a step, crunching glass beneath his boot, Zara and Kiyo-zan behind him.
Jaxx looked over his shoulder, eyes sad and dreary. “Where are they?”
“We can’t fulfill the prophecy without them, Jaxx,” explained Zara. “Abdu is looking for them.”
Jaxx tightened his fists. “I know.” He picked up a charred piece of rock and chucked it at a blackened crystal dome. It ricocheted off and tumbled down a small hill, the hill’s grass brown and dead.
“Nani shiyou za?” asked Kiyo-zan, his cape whipping in the breeze.
“What are we going to do?” Jaxx dropped his head. “I don’t know.” He closed his eyes, searching for Rivkah’s energy field in his mind’s eye. He perked up when he saw a faint, reddish-purple trail of ethereal smoke. It led over a desert hill, over a mountain range in a place he’d never been before. He followed it to a base in the northeast. Kelhoon ships surrounded the base. Several Atlantean starfighters and battle tanks were broken and torn apart from what must have been a terrible battle. A battle the Atlanteans had most certainly lost.
In his mind, he saw a Kelhoon standing over a dying soldier with golden armor, holes pierced through it, blood oozing out. The soldier was crawling away, moving to what he thought was safety. The Kelhoon leapt, landing on the Atlantean warrior’s back, then knocked his helmet off and kicked it down into a ravine.
The Kelhoon roared, threw his weapons to the ground, and widened his mouth, lunging at the Atlanteans head.
Jaxx opened his eyes before he saw the death bite. Kelhoon ate people, ate just about every Being out there.
It was sick and Jaxx needed to end this, end this for all those who suffered under the Kelhoon rule and torment. They were savages, plain and simple.
Jaxx bared his teeth, anger piercing his eyes. “Rivkah is alive. If Rivkah is alive, then maybe Bogle and Fox are as well. There might be a chance. Those Kelhoon must die, if it’s the last thing I do. Abdu went in the right direction to find them.”
“A fine arrow separates a killer from a warrior, Jaxx,” said Zara. “One is swayed by reason. The other by purpose. A warrior fights to live and stand up for those less fortunate. A killer only lives to fight. You’re not a killer, Jaxx. Don’t become one. If you do, it will be like throwing you to a pride of starving lions. There’s no telling which lion will consume you first.”
Jaxx looked past Zara and toward the east, the Chi rising up through him, fire coursing through his veins. He thrust the energy at a dome and cracked it in half, the sound echoing across the valley. “Throw me to the lions then. And I’ll return leading the pride.”
Zara stepped forward, smacking Jaxx on the back, interrupting his visions of conquest. Her purple eyes sparkled. “Every day I’m liking you more and more, Jaxx.”
An engine roared across the sky. Jaxx dropped to one knee, glancing to the heavens. An Agadon carrier, along with their mechs and starfighters, came barreling through the atmosphere. Blue fire from their boosters glowed upon the darkened sky. It was a sight that had become too familiar. Rage burned in his chest. He harnessed it. Didn’t matter if the power came from good or bad sources; power was just power.
“They found us,” said Zara. “They ended planet Taiyo.” She gave Kiyo-zan a sorry look.
Kiyo-zan bowed his head, staring at his feet. “Watashi zo hitobito wanaku natta.”
“Yes,” said Zara. “Your people are no more but the spark inside your heart. Do not lose it. It will guide you strong.”
The Agadon had taken over Taiyo. They had taken over Leonia. And it was easy. Now they were here to take over Callisto, following Jaxx everywhere he went.
“Watashitachi za sorera zo tomeru tame zi inoru.”
Jaxx stood, eyes watching the unstoppable Agadon force. “Yes, Kiyo-zan. We must pray to stop them. Yet, I think we must do more than just pray. Maybe this is why we need the Kelhoon to help us fight.”
“It’s in the prophecies,” Zara said. “And they may have no choice.”
The ground shook as more ships entered the atmosphere, heading toward East-Rise.
If a Kelhoon camp was there, then they were about to get a rude awakening.
Jaxx searched the energetic waves that ebbed and flowed around him for Rivkah’s signature again, and gripped it tight when he found it. Bogle was close by and joined them in the ether with a smile. The three of them linked hands and let the song of the Universe dance through them, elevating them to a different plane. Only then did Jaxx understand what Abdu had meant about the space between. He opened his pineal gland as wide as he could, activating Rivkah’s third eye, and Bogle’s chakric center.
Between the three, they had enough positive energy to punch a hole through the center of the Agadon’s black-hearted plan.
There was a blip in a distant corner of Jaxx’s consciousness. Earth. She was under attack. He homed in on his beloved planet, the one that had given him shelter for so many years. He smiled. Earth was in good hands. A young girl, Mya, would protect. Mya could repel. Mya would lead the people of Earth from the darkness.
He turned back to his beloved, Rivkah. Her smile was radiant. She and Bogle were on the run, but her spirit was right here, with him. And Fox…
The second he thought of Fox, Jaxx saw him racing after Abdu, Bogle, and Rivkah, a weapon the size of a small country in his hand. He dropped to one knee and aimed for Rivkah.
Jaxx yelled to warn her, but it was too late.
Rivkah went down, hard.
Jaxx dug his energy into the soil, up to the stars, out to the firmament and sucked every ounce of love, hate, and everything in between he could find from any source available. When he pulled the trigger on his rage, empires would tumble and nothing—not Abdu, not Zara, not Kiyo-zan—would stop him. He was Kaden Jaxx, the one who brought death to Death’s door.
Epilogue
Jaxx eyeballed the East. He closed his eyes and sent out a blast of energetic waves in all directions. The cold wind buffeted his body. A sprinkling of snowflakes landed one after another against his bare arms, head, and neck.
Rivkah was northeast of his position, kilometers away, running in the wrong direction, and in big trouble. He homed in on her, zooming in closer and watching from above. A halo of etheric colors surrounded her—the way his third eye saw things beyond the veil.
Abdu ran by her side, prompting her along, urging her to move faster. Bogle too. They were panicking, struggling to break out of a Kelhoon camp.
Rivkah and Bogle halted and leaned against a domed building, their breaths fast and heavy. Abdu stopped in front of them and moved to one knee, raising his long bamboo weapon. He squinted through his bamboo rifle’s scope.
A hot, thick, purple energy blast shot outward, tagging a Kelhoon in pursuit. The Kelhoon’s shoulder ripped out of the socket and green blood spewed in all directions. The Kelhoon’s rifle flipped in the air and in one sweeping motion, the Kelhoon caught it with his remaining hand and continued his attack.
Fox rounded a building and rushed toward Rivkah, Bogle, and Abdu. He was in kill mode, his energy black, and enraged. Jaxx could tell his main target was Rivkah and he’d tear every head off to get to her. But why was he after Rivkah? Why was he now on the Kelhoon side?
Abdu took a steady breath, gathering himself, and pulled the trigger several more times. The Kelhoon with one arm jerked back as a bolt, then another, landed square in his chest. It lost its balance and dropped its rifle, going listless and falling to the white, snow-covered terrain. It lay motionless.
A Kelhoon came from behind, snagging the fallen soldier’s rifle. It now held one in each hand.
Bogle pushed off the dome and thrust her hands outward. The land around the Kelhoon exploded. Snow-covered rock and soil erupted, throwing the Kelhoon several yards back. “Go, go!”
Rivkah turned, rushing past the building and out into the open. A camp wall was only twenty yards away. To Jaxx, it would be an easy run, an easier jump, and the best means to escape. They all could do it, even Bogle.
All they needed to do was not look back.
Abdu and Bogle moved, their feet pounding against the earth.
Fox shoved a Kelhoon out of the way and came to a stop, placed his rifle in the crease between his shoulder and pec, and targeted Rivkah. He shot.
She glanced over her shoulder.
The charge sunk deep into Rivkah’s back. She stumbled forward and crashed to the ground.
Jaxx gasped and opened his eyes. “Fox! You piece of shit.”
Kiyo-zan pressed his hands on Jaxx’s shoulders. “Daijōbudesuka?”
Jaxx was filled with fury. He clenched his fists. “No, I’m not okay.” No more being nice. No more trying to find his way with his magic, his powers, his Chi. He was going full force now. Screw the Kelhoon, those lizard-headed pieces of shit. Screw the Agadon, the artificial intelligence assholes. Screw anyone standing in his way.
A rumble pierced the sky. A ship, black and diamond-shaped, ripped through the dark clouds. Lightning struck the craft, illuminating it in a brilliant silver glow. It was the Agadon, the galaxy killers, the race destroyers. They were here by way of a glitch in their central processing units, programming them to rid the universe of anything breathing, anything sentient.
“We need a ship of our own,” said Jaxx.
“We need to find the Kelhoon base camp, Jaxx. We need to make them understand that they have to fight with us to defeat the Agadon threat. That is our next mission, our next prophecy to fulfill,” said Zara. She stood proud and tall, her whiskers twitching as she stared Jaxx deep in the eyes.
But his mind was on Rivkah. He couldn’t turn from her. And it wasn’t just because she was the love of his life. If they were to save the Atlanteans and secure Callisto, he and Rivkah had to be reunited. “The prophecy is nothing without Rivkah, Fox, and Bogle. Those are our targets. We’re heading northeast, then we fulfill whatever the prophecy wants us to fulfill.”
The prophecy was a thorn in Jaxx’s side. He had to give his entire life, all his new-found energy, to ridding Callisto—and perhaps the galaxy—of the negative Beings, namely the Agadon, from invading planet upon planet, and decimating race upon race. But that was cosmic justice in action.
He hung his head. It was his fault this pestilent scourge had been let loose. He’d opened the pyramid network with Rivkah and Fox, but not with Bogle. The prophecy had been clear: all four of them were required to work together to open the network. Only then would the Light and Bright Beings, with positive and peace-loving vibrations, be permitted to travel the pyramid network at will.
Jaxx straightened himself and faced his fate, head-on. It was what he was created to do, it was the reason he was born—to fulfill this prophecy. The combination of his human and Atlantean DNA sequence was the key to the network.
“Get the Kelhoon on your side. I am telling you that is what is most important right now,” explained Zara.
Jaxx gave her a sharp look, a look that would shatter most human souls. It didn’t faze Zara in the least. “Trust me, Zara. The Kelhoon will never be on our side. No convincing will do any good.”
Remnants of the glass dome that had once encased Flood of Dawn’s lush, fertile city, were broken and smashed throughout the grounds. The glass was the barrier from Callisto’s cold, outside environment—an environment that had now stolen the life from the vibrant trees, rivers, and plants that had once thrived there.
Jaxx could barely contain his disgust. His stomach flipped and he bit back the urge to vomit. He bent down, touching the dead sabretooth tiger’s head. It was Queen Liberty Speidel’s pet and companion. He closed the majestic creature’s eyes. “Where is your master?” He knew the animal was dead, but the tiger’s body still held cell memory, even if its brain wasn’t functioning.
An energy swirled into his hands like electricity. He stiffened, and his arms went rigid. Static filled his ears. To his surprise, Liberty spoke through her animal. I’m in my palace, Jaxx. I know you’re searching for your friends, and a ship. Rivkah is still alive. I know you feel that. My transport ship is in the palace with me. It’s yours now.
Liberty’s energy was low. Too low. The transmission quickly faded and Jaxx was left staring at his hands. He stood and waved his friends forward. “Follow me.”
They hurried up the hill and around a murky pond filled with rotting pine needles and bloated fish.
Zara dashed forward, her long legs pushing her past Jaxx. “I can feel the Queen, Jaxx. We need to get to her quickly.”
They ran for several minutes, dodging debris and circling columns and obelisks until they rounded a corner and came upon the palace. Its crystal structure spiked toward the heavens, the immense building’s translucent walls gleamed, and its mighty towers reached far beyond the city’s rooftops.
They burst through the two doors, moved past the great hall, and into a dome chamber. Liberty was on the floor, her body bloody, her clothes half torn. Fresh slash marks riddled her chest and face. A transport craft was next to her, its engines idling and purring, its ramp open and ready for Jaxx and his friends to board.
Jaxx reached Liberty, laying his hands on her shoulder. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
She shook her head. “None are near Flood of Dawn, Jaxx.” Tears ran down her cheeks, her lips quivering. “I’ve failed my people.”
“We can save you,” said Jaxx. He glanced at Zara, hoping she could do some type of healing magic. His eyes fell on one of the items hanging from the chains that crisscrossed her torso. “That liquid. Would that work?” It was the same liquid he drank before teleporting to Callisto. It gave him vital energy, almost too much energy. He wasn’t going to tell Liberty that the mighty Golgath beast roamed Zara’s planet, only to have their piss collected for medicinal purposes.
Zara stepped forward, unclipping a round vial full of red fluid. “It would do well for her, but it may be too late to heal her.”
Liberty closed her eyes. “Let me move to the next transition in life. Take my ship. Find Rivkah. Save what you can of Callisto…what you can of the galaxy.”
A thunderous roar vibrated the palace.
“More are coming, Jaxx,” said Zara. “We need to move before they find you and surround this building.”
Liberty took Jaxx’s hand and squeezed. “Go, Jaxx.”
Jaxx dug under his rage. “Come with us, Liberty. We’ll take you to safety and find someone who can help you.”
Liberty looked away, gazing at the ceiling. “I’m on my last heartbeats, Jaxx. I wouldn’t make it and I don’t know if I want to make it.” She coughed. Blood coated her mouth. She wiped it with her hands. “Go, Jaxx.”
Screw it. He bent down and slipped one arm under her knees, the other on her back. He stood, holding her like a bride. “We’re getting you to safety. You’re going to live.” He knew what he was saying was probably bullcrap. She didn’t look like she had much life left in her.
Liberty coughed, then managed a smile. “Cool your fire, Jaxx. Let your heart lead, not your anger. It will do you well.” She continued to gaze at the ceiling. “Open.” The ceiling split in two, opening like an elevator door, the gray, smoky sky displaying before them and casting light into the large room.
Zara pushed Jaxx forward. “Move.”
They ran up the ship’s ramp, Liberty in Jaxx’s arms. He placed her on the floor and took another look at her. Her skin was pallid, her eyes clouded, her chest still. She was already dead.
He punched the transport ship’s hull. “Dammit!”
He wanted to kill every Kelhoon, every Agadon, to rid the Galaxy of all evil, to exterminate it forever.
Kiyo-zan went to one knee and touched Liberty’s third eye, whispering words Jaxx couldn’t hear.
Zara crossed her arms and stood in a wide stance. “She died a noble and honorable death.” She eyed Jaxx. “Energy never ceases, Jaxx. It moves from one vehicle to the next. You’ll cross her path again one day.”
Jaxx turned. “What the hell does that mean?” He slammed his fist
against a button at the top of the ramp. The ramp hissed, steam rising from the hydraulics that lifted the ramp to a close. Right now, he couldn’t care less what it meant. In reality, the Queen of Callisto, the Queen of all the Atlanteans on this Jupiter moon, was dead.
Jaxx spun around and hurried to the pilot’s seat and sat next to his two friends who had already taken their places. They were waiting on Jaxx to get this transport up and into the sky.
He pressed several holographic buttons, brought up the display screen online, and revved the engines to a louder purr. The craft lifted and he maneuvered it so the ship’s bow pointed toward the open ceiling and to the dark gray sky beyond.
He thrust the throttle forward. The transport shot out of the palace as if propelled by cannon fire. He leveled the craft and banked right, heading for the hills separating East Rise from Flood of Dawn.
He bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes. The last thing the Kelhoon wanted was a pissed-off Jaxx. He was coming for them. He was coming for Rivkah.
Beyond Atlantis
Ascendant Chronicles #4
Beyond Atlantis
Ascendant Chronicles #4
Copyright © 2020 Brandon Ellis
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Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Page 71