by C. M. Carney
“You’re going to Earth?”
“Well, it ain’t written in blood yet, as the saying goes, but once I add the skull of a servant of order to my belt, I’d say my chances are looking up. Hence why my murdering of you must commence immediately.”
“What makes you think I’m a servant of order?” Another chill ran through Lex. At this rate, he’d freeze solid within the hour. Just how much does this asshole know?
“Duh. Did you not see that big ass beam of light shoot all uppity into the sky when you done cast your spell? It was a lovely ‘please come kill us’ beacon that everyone for hundreds of miles could see. Me and the boys were lucky we was so close. Now we gets you all to ourselves.”
A scaly underling, resembling a chicken ineptly bred with a gecko, leaned in close and whispered in Krenaaz’s ear. The chaos fiend scowled, and a low series of grunts passed between the two. Krenaaz nodded his head and the chicken lizard preened. Its joy did not last as a foot of Krenaaz's sword introduced itself rather violently to its abdomen. The fowl creature squawked in surprise, but Krenaaz cut its death rattles short when he yanked the sword up, bisecting the chicken lizard. Krenaaz kicked the body over the edge and it splatted onto the decking in front of Simon.
“My associate has just informed me that we are about to have company. Lots more folks looking to slurp the marrow from your bones, I suspect. So, I’ll make you a deal. Come quietly, and with minimal fuss, and I’ll kill you quickly, or is it slowly? I can never remember which way you mortals prefer.”
“You don’t want to mess with us,” Lex said. Next to him, Simon shifted his weight and cast a desperate glance at him. The undead teen’s nervousness grew infectious, and Lex sputtered. “I can assure you of that. And what’s more, you do not want to mess with Earth.”
“I don’t? Why not? You been there or sumthin’?”
“Why yes, I have in fact been to ... there, and I brought back many terrible awful Earth weapons that could … you don’t know how deadly and terrifying they are.”
“Oooh, really. Tell me. I love deadly almost as much as I love terrifying.” Another henchman leaned in, trying to stay as far from Krenaaz while delivering its message.
Seraphine leaned in close and whispered. “Should I assume that you don’t have a plan here?”
“Of course, I don’t. Who the hell can plan for this?” Seraphine’s mouth pursed, and she spun her blades in her hand, a gesture Lex realized was her tell when she was nervous. She glanced up to Vonn with ‘a little help’ look.
“The man makes a fair point,” Vonn agreed.
Lex never took his eyes from the chaos fiend and watched as Krenaaz’s expressions ran the gamut from anger to fear and finally settled on panic. He turned towards Lex, and the smallest bit of hope pushed the cold back. Krenaaz’s fear has to be a good thing for us, right?
He cast a quick glance Vonn’s way, half expecting his friend to rib him for his silent stupidity, but for all the rogue’s talents, mind reading was not one of them. By the time Lex turned back to Krenaaz, the chaos fiend had regained his composure.
“Well, crud, it looks like we’ve run out of spare chit-chat time, so quick and violent it is. Shame. I've upped my game of late, torture-wise. Plus, all this talk of weapons has put the tingle back in my dingle. But, look on the dark side I always say. When I get to Earth, I’ll have plenty of new playthings, now won’t I?”
Krenaaz did not wait for Lex's response as his entire body expanded in both girth and over-all hairiness. Crack-like fissures spread across his skin like a cooling magma field and a pair of massive leathery wings exploded from his back. His head grew and his girth increased. To Lex, he looked like a buffed-up version of the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.
Krenaaz opened his simian mouth wide and a guttural howl of challenge burst forth. Lex took an unsteady step back, bumping into Errat and exposing his fear. The chaos fiends sensed it and they raised their weapons above their head and roared, screeched, chortled and spat from their various orifices.
The cacophony was unnerving, and Lex feared his bladder would fail. Krenaaz pointed his two-handed sword at Lex and a bolt of chaotic energy exploded from it and raced towards them. Lex and the others scattered, diving aside all willy-nilly. Simon and Lex cracked heads, but the bolt missed them and seared the deck of the ship.
Before Lex could regain his senses, tendrils of red-orange protoplasm burst from the impact point like strings of puss from a popped zit. They wrapped themselves about Lex’s legs and dragged him to the deck. His kneecaps cracked, firing pain up his legs, and he would have pitched forward had Errat not grabbed him.
But, the protoplasm was tough and stickier than taffy. Despite the warborn’s strength, the tendril yanked Lex down towards a throbbing orifice at the protoplasm’s center. Lex’s Analyze triggered, revealing nothing but the creature’s name. It was a chaos devourer, and Lex did not need the full function of his dormant skill to know he had no interest in making the thing’s acquaintance.
The tendrils pulled Lex ever closer to the beast’s maw when three flashes of metallic white sliced by his face. He and Errat fell back. Lex turned to see Vonn spinning away from the chaotic muck, as agile as a gold medalist gymnast, his sword raised in a defensive stance.
Lex looked up at Krenaaz, who sneered down on him. “Good, I like a bit of a challenge when I’m in a murdering mood. Time for some ultra-violence lads. Are ya with …” Krenaaz never got to finish his question as he disappeared in a silver-white flash of light.
Lex’s attention went skyward, and his jaw hung open as another pair of car-sized Order Bolts blasted from the clouds, slamming through the deck of the chaotic ship. A moment later, a furious rush of air exploded down upon Lex and the others, pushing the clouds aside to reveal an 800-foot long crystal ship. It glistened as flashes of black lightning thrumming through the clouds both near and far reflected from its multi-faceted surface.
Lex raised his hands above his head and cheered. A booming explosion cut his joy short as a burst of fire ruptured the side of the pirate ship. Lex suspected the fuel tanks had burst but had little time to ponder that fact as the pirate ship listed and plummeted towards them.
The pirate craft sliced across the prow of the Master’s pleasure barge. Under Lex’s feet, all along the length of the ship, a rumble built and then a thundering crack announced their keel had snapped. A few dozen chaos fiends that had survived the explosion jumped from their doomed craft, some landing on the deck of Lex’s ship, while others disappeared over the side into the mist. About twenty of the pirates got to their feet, pseudopods, tentacles or other motive appendages and rushed towards Lex and the gang.
Another volley of Order Bolts flashed over Lex’s head, atomizing several of the approaching fiends and forcing the others to dive for cover. Lex spun around to find the crystal ship had eased up next to their own. By comparison, the Master’s skiff looked like a lifeboat clinging to a cruise ship.
A shimmer like the concentric ripples of a stone thrown into a calm pond flowed outwards from the side of the ship and the crystal parted revealing a circular aperture. A humanoid figure made of living lighting and metallic crystal assessed them with a dispassionate gaze.
Lex did not need Analyze to know the mechanical man was an archon. Archons were surges of sentient electricity contained within a mantle of crystalline plates that resembled armor. He’d encountered several of the servants of the Lords of Order in his day, but this one looked much the worse for wear.
Where other archons were pristine, having the shimmer of a well-cared for crystal goblet, the silver-white crystal of this archon had turned a dull gray. Chips marred the arm and shin guards of the archon, but it was the breastplate that bore the most damage. The arrow-like sigil, the symbol of the Lords of Order lay across its chest, bisected by a long gash as if something had tried to force its way inside the archon. Connecting all the physical parts were streams of electrical pulses that resembled a human nervous system illumin
ated from within by blue-white torrents of energy.
A single plate of malleable crystal formed the archon's face, generating the archon's stark features. A long gash across the archon’s cheek gave the automaton a sinister look. But it was the sparks of power gazing from the eye sockets bearing a deep, almost calming, intelligence that was the most disturbing.
Without a word, the archon jumped from the opening and landed in front of Lex. Its forearm flashed up and met the blade of a massive axe with a loud clang. The archon’s other arm flashed forward and punched clean through the skull of a chaos fiend. Lex hadn't sensed either attack coming.
The archon met Lex’s gaze and spoke. “It appears you require some assistance,” the man said in a cold, even tone.
“I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my life.”
Before the archon could respond, another explosion from the dying pirate vessel sprayed a cloud of fire and thick smoke over their ship, knocking Lex to the deck and reducing visibility to near zero. He heard Errat roar in pain.
“Errat!” Lex yelled, but he could not see his friend through the acrid smoke.
With a rush of air, the archon disappeared into the smoke, moving towards the sound of the wounded warborn. Lex stumbled to his feet and searched through tear strained eyes for the others.
“Vonn! Simon!” Lex shouted, readying his maul. Something bumped into him from behind and he spun, ready to smash.
“Woah, relax man, it’s me,” Seraphine said, daggers raised in a defensive stance. Lex nodded, then went back to back with the wiry assassin. “And don’t think I didn’t notice your lack of concern for my well-being.”
“Shut it, body thief. Where are the others?”
“To the left somewhere, I think.”
A yelp of pain and the clang of weapon-on-weapon came from the left and the two rushed towards it, squinting through the acrid smoke. They killed several chaos fiends en route and soon found Vonn. Simon stood next to him, a fresh hole in the side of his abdomen, but otherwise none the worse for wear.
“Where’s Errat?” Lex roared above the din.
“I heard him scream that way and then the archon rushed by me.”
“Stay close,” Lex said and looked to the others. He saw them all nod, for the smoke had cleared somewhat. Several blood orange flashes coming from Errat’s location illuminated what remained of the smoke. They moved quick and silent. Several more pained screams flowed over them and then went silent.
Please be okay. Please be okay, Lex thought over and over.
They passed several bloodied corpses, all chaos fiends and soon found the archon kneeling over the prone form of Errat, his hand hovering just above the warborn’s chest. Errat’s eyes were closed, and he bled from several wounds. Blue-white light flowed from the archon’s hand and the worst gash across Errat’s chest stopped bleeding and began to knit closed.
Lex slid to the archon’s side and looked down on his giant friend. “Is he all right?”
“A virulent form of chaotic necrosis infects him. The bonds between his cells are already beginning to lose their cohesion. I fear he does not have much time left.”
Lex dug into his bag and pulled out a healing potion and extended it to the archon. The mechanical man’s expression told Lex the potion would not help, but the NPC pushed it forwards like a child proffering a toy medical kit.
“His condition is beyond the ken of mortal medicine. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do for him here.”
“We cannot let him die.” Lex’s pleading gaze turned from Errat to Vonn and then to the archon.
“Nor can you mighty archon,” Vonn said. “The Convention compels you to render aid to the enemies of chaos whenever requested.” The archon’s eyes turned to Vonn and the mechanical man nodded.
“We may be able to help him onboard the ship.” Without another word, the archon extended a hand and a rectangular plank of silver-blue energy formed under Errat’s prone form and lifted him from the deck.
The archon turned and raised his other hand and a pulse of force pushed the smoke aside revealing a clear path. Without further comment, the archon walked towards the ship, the plank supporting Errat following behind him like a self-powered gurney. A ramp flowed from the crystal ship towards the decking of the Master’s ship.
“Thank you…” Lex said, rushing to keep up with the archon whose name he realized he did not know.
“I am called Jurredix, syndic archon in service to Grandmaster Odymm Tal, Arch-Deacon of the Circle,” Jurredix said without looking at Lex. He stepped onto the ramp just as it met the decking and ascended. "Please come aboard. The Grandmaster is most eager to meet you."
32
The archon said nothing as they walked through the vast hallways of the ship. The spark of order that powered the mechanical man gave him a swift pace, forcing the others to walk faster than was comfortable. This was especially true for Lex and Steve the bläärt, who’d disappeared during the battle only to show up just as help arrived.
Lex walked with one hand laid upon Errat’s shoulder, willing his friend to hang on, to fight the ravaging chaos in his system. The warborn looked peaceful, but inside his body a battle waged. You beat the Phage. You can beat this.
Lex tore his eyes from his slumbering friend and inspected their surroundings. A deep sense of familiarity filled Lex, and he reached a hand out to touch the crystalline walls of the hallway. He cast a sideways glance at Vonn who nodded. Their suspicions had been correct. The crystal ship was an Order Lance, almost certainly the one lost during the Xygarrion's destruction.
Order Lances were infinitely malleable. The decks they walked had once been the vertical walls and floors of a building, shifted to become horizontal decks of a ship. The distances contained within were vast, especially when one added the dimension expansion capabilities of the lance. As large as the ship appeared on the outside, it was even bigger on the inside.
Silence hung as a Port Circle came into view. They stepped within the short-range teleportation device, but instead of activating it, the archon paused. Fury built inside Lex and he wanted to scream at the machine. Errat did not have time to waste.
“You will show the Grandmaster the proper respect and abide by his wisdom. On this vessel he is master. Do you agree?”
The despotic overtones of the archon’s demand filled Lex with unease, but he could not see a path to disobedience that didn’t result in them being tossed back into the maelstrom of chaotic space, so he nodded.
The archon held a hand over a square pad on the wall. A moment later they shimmered and disappeared, only to reappear a second later in another circle. Jurredix exited the Port Circle with Errat’s floating gurney following behind him. Lex and the others followed to find themselves in a familiar room.
The Order Lance’s control room was an exact replica of the one where Gryph had defeated the Scourge of Souls. A massive view screen that showed the smoldering remains of the pirate ship and their pilfered vessel dominated the far wall.
Beyond the destruction lay the vast, swirling turmoil of the Realm of Chaos. Several points of interest were highlighted by spinning circular data streams. The red circles expanded to reveal several other vessels and a massive bloated beast heading towards them.
A tall man of powerful bearing stood at a semi-circular console. He worked the runic controls with the practiced ease of a concert pianist. He did not look up from his work as several more circular markers popped up on the screen, each highlighting another enemy.
“Jurredix, your assistance please,” the man, who had to be Grandmaster Odymm Tal, did not turn as the archon moved to his side. “Please take your seats, my new friends. It is bound to get bumpy.”
The plank of energy supporting Errat lowered to the deck and then flowed upwards cocooning the warborn. A tinkling of crystal rose behind Lex and he turned to see a chair like shape flowing up from the deck behind him. More chairs appeared behind the others and they sat. The chairs were far more comfor
table than Lex would have suspected, but before he could make an appreciative comment, several alarms blared.
His eyes snapped up to the view-screen to find two of the data streams flaring brighter. They expanded, bringing the approaching ships into clearer view. Both shuddered and streaks of energy blasted from them, zipping towards the crystal ship.
The Order Lance surged forward and then spun around the first and then the second weapon’s volley. The G-forces increased, but some unseen force akin to the push of static electricity held them in place. Tal and Jurredix did not move as the lance rolled and up became down. Lex guessed that the same field that held him in place was securing the Grandmaster and the archon.
Man, I gotta get me one of these, Lex thought, but then the ship rolled again, and pressure built inside his skull. Breathing in grew harder as if a giant were standing on his chest. Black specks filled his eyes and then his vision turned blurry. A moment later Lex passed out.
Sometime later Lex’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked around in confusion. The viewscreen was blank, suggesting that Tal had outrun the approaching vessels. Lex’s head hurt and his knees wobbled as he stood. To his left, Simon got to his feet, none the worse for the experience. To his right Seraphine and Vonn, both stood, each stumbling as they tried to regain their balance.
At least I’m not the only one who feels like crap, Lex thought. Steve bumped into him, nearly knocking him off his feet. The bläärt spun away like a child playing smack the piñata and fell onto his face. On instinct, Lex bent to help the small, blue man to his feet but regretted it as the rancid stink excreted from the bläärt’s skin assaulted his nose.
The buzz of the static field around Errat ceased, drawing Lex’s eyes, and he rushed to his friend’s side. Before he could ask for help, Jurredix was there, hand hovering over the ragged gash in Errat’s chest. Beneath the skin red-orange rivulets had expanded from the wound like tributaries from a river.
