Return to Earth

by Brad Stucki

  It was then that Sauros, Kokos, Rolla and Darzeen burst forth into the throne room. They had Moved here, joining with Javin, and drawing on the might of the 3rd Article of Power Sauros held in his hand, to reach out and throw a shield around Nemesis, and to hold him inside Javin's essence, trapping him, and holding him fast.

  Javin had not been privy to this part of the plan lest Nemesis sense it at the very beginning. And it had worked. Sauros and the others had been left to come up with the rest of the plan, and now Javin joined in. They needed to hold Nemesis and retrieve the two Articles of Power.

  Nemesis had proven he couldn't be trusted so they were going to take the Articles by force then deal with him. Then Javin sensed Sauros had other plans as he moved beside a struggling Nemesis, reached out a clawed hand and took Nemesis by the throat. His intention was clear. Not only was he going to take the two Articles of Power, he was finally going to kill Nemesis.

  Chapter 43

  The Aquarian guards started to move towards Nemesis and Sauros, their weapons drawn. Rolla jumped forward from Javin’s side to stand in front of the guards holding up her hand. Javin could feel her mental commands to stop. And they hesitated, confused. She was the Keeper, not the king, yet the force of her command stopped them in their tracks. Javin could sense Rolla’s resolve. She needed to bring her people back from following Nemesis.

  Then the Aquarian king, Rolla’s father, started to move and even though Javin was locked in a mental combat with Nemesis, who was striving to push Javin away, to escape and to gain the upper hand, Javin still could sense the control Nemesis had over Rolla’s father.

  A loud squeal erupted from Rolla, startling all the Aquarians, including her father, so seldom do they make any sound except in the most dire extremes. Then Javin felt Rolla command even her father. “Hold father! You are in the thrall of this monster. You must not interfere!” Javin felt a contest of wills between father and daughter begin. But it was enough the Aquarians were not coming to Nemesis’ aid.

  Sauros continued to tighten his grip on Nemesis’s throat while Javin continued to assault Nemesis mentally, striving to wrest control of the two Articles of Power Nemesis still held in one hand. His other hand had reached out to grasp Sauros’ hand at his throat, trying to tear it away.

  The struggle continued. Javin felt they were at a stalemate. There must be something he could do to gain the upper hand. If he could sever Nemesis’ hold on the two Articles of Power, they would win and could keep Nemesis from disappearing, traveling to another place and time. Javin knew how to do this now. Something within his thoughts had clicked, and he knew how to do it.

  Javin fought for a way to turn the tide. Darzeen had yet to enter the fray. He stood still beside Javin, staring at what was happening. Javin slowly turned to look at him and Darzeen at once understood, and he moved forward towards Nemesis and Sauros. Darzeen needed to use his special abilities and disrupt Nemesis’ concentration. That would turn the tide.

  Just then a dark spot appeared in the middle of the air in front of Darzeen causing him to jump back. The dark spot grew, swirling in its blackness until Fallon appeared. He shoved Darzeen aside and lifted a finger pointing at Javin. “You”, he said and Javin felt him reaching out with his own dark power, taking hold upon Javin and beginning to shred, pulling him out of phase, causing agony, pain. Javin fought to hold on, fought to counter this and still grapple with Nemesis. If Nemesis broke free, it would end everything.

  “Aaaaa”, Fallon roared and redoubled his efforts, pulling Javin further out of phase while now grappling with Darzeen, who had regained his composure and was attacking his brother.

  It was too much.

  Nemesis slipped through the combined grasp of them all. Pulling free and building his power immediately, casting Sauros aside while snatching the Third Article of Power from his hand. Holding it apart from the other two, yet drawing on its power so all three were now combined.

  Javin found himself shielded and frozen tight, as was everyone else in the room.

  “Everyone will hold,” Nemesis said in the silence. His voice trembled with anger. “We have now Shared, Javin, and you have taken what you wanted. Except I now have these!” Nemesis held up the three Articles of Power in both his hands.

  “You will now follow my lead. We will determine if the Ancients were speaking the truth, and then you will do as I say. If there are any further attacks, know I will have no hesitation in joining these three Articles of Power together!”

  Javin heard an audible gasp from Darzeen and Fallon. They knew what that meant.

  “And you,” Nemesis looked at Fallon. “Know that the servant has now far outstripped the master.”

  With that, Javin felt Nemesis reach out and pull Fallon slightly out of phase, stripping him as had been done to him.

  "Feel a taste of your own punishment," Nemesis snarled. Fallon groaned in agony but was frozen in place and couldn’t move.

  “Stop it!” Darzeen shouted mentally. He couldn’t move his mouth enough to speak, yet all heard through the bond they all Shared.

  “What? Are the estranged brothers brought together in extremis?” Nemesis chuckled. “Well, you will be together again whether you want or not, simply because I command it. The Ancients looked to all you Promised Ones to save the galaxy, and not one of you had the will or strength to do what I, one person alone, will now do.”

  Javin was probing for any weakness to break free of his shielding. It was more powerful than ever and enhanced such that he could not Move either. It appeared Nemesis had gained that knowledge in the Sharing; and armed with power of the Three Articles there was no way he could break free or escape.

  At least Nemesis was talking about doing something to save the galaxy. Though Javin knew, also from the Sharing, Nemesis was only concerned with saving himself, and perhaps discovering and harnessing the power the Ancients had obviously developed.

  Through his probing, Javin felt a small tickle in the back of his mind. Guardedly he explored it, realizing Nemesis was no longer present so closely in their mental bond. Obviously, he was fearful of being captured again by the combined mental might of Javin and his friends. So, he would not detect what Javin was feeling through that bond.

  He glanced quickly at Rolla, who was standing near her father, arms still held up, frozen in place by Nemesis' shielding -- as was her father and the two guards, frozen where they had stood in motion.

  There was something Rolla was doing. Javin could barely follow it through the bond. Rolla had discovered, through the bond with her father, he was still directly connected with Nemesis, and through Nemesis to the Articles of Power. It was a path Rolla was preparing to mentally traverse, to get inside Nemesis’s guard. If she could distract Nemesis enough, it would weaken the shielding, and they could all attack together.

  Javin turned back to Nemesis. He directed his thoughts, his essence, striving to part a way through the shielding directly at Nemesis. It was a full on mental attack to create a diversion while Rolla did what she must.

  Nemesis chuckled, feeling Javin’s attempt at reaching him. “Give it up my brother. Apparently, the copy turned out stronger than the original.”

  Javin ignored the barb, focusing instead on striving to break through, to re-establish a bond with Nemesis . . . and it was working slowly. Javin didn’t know how he was doing it, but he was. Something in the Gestalt Stone warmed his breast. Something deeper than he had felt and had access to before, like something was being unlocked.

  And then Javin felt something even deeper, someone even deeper doing the unlocking. Javin didn’t know who. Didn’t know how. But it was giving him what he needed to break through the shielding.

  Nemesis’s eyes grew wide, and Javin felt him focusing an even stronger power from the Three Articles on Javin's shielding, reinforcing it, strengthening it, to no avail.

  It was then Javin felt Rolla strike! She sent a powerful surge of anger, rage and retribution through the link with her father to the cent
er of Nemesis' mind, disrupting his concentration.

  It was enough!

  As Nemesis reeled from the impact of that violent onslaught, Javin broke free from his shielding, and strived to grasp control of the Three Articles of Power.

  He leapt to the dais, grappling with Nemesis by each wrist, striving to wrench away physically, as well as mentally, his hold on the Three Articles of Power.

  Javin felt a new surge of energy, of strength, of hidden power bursting forth. It again, was coming from the Gestalt Stone, from something that had been unlocked, something hidden and dormant until just now. And even through his focused fight, Javin felt a definite presence of another!

  He couldn’t focus on that! His attention needed to be on Nemesis, on his struggle. And he was winning! Slowly, he was bending Nemesis’ wrists back, forcing him to relinquish his hold on the Articles. Javin sensed Rolla continuing her barrage. Though now she had fallen to her knees. Everyone else in the room were still frozen in their shielding and hadn't been able to break free.

  Now through the bond, Javin could sense Sauros’s rage joining with Rolla’s, and then Darzeen’s and Kokos.

  Nemesis was weakening, growing more angry, and more terrified. The longer the struggle went on the more he could see he wouldn't win.

  Suddenly there was a violent surge in the Three Articles of Power. Nemesis had drawn on their energy more deeply than ever, giving him a sudden thrust of strength to slam both hands together. All three Articles came in contact with each other, though they weren't physically joined in their intricate fashion.

  A blinding surge cascaded out, throwing Javin back onto the floor, his hands reaching up to cover his eyes from the blinding light!

  Chapter 44

  Javin blinked. A white glare was transposed on his vision. Only slowly did his vision start to return. He was a bit surprised to still be alive. Maybe they had all been blasted into another dimension by the touching of the Articles of Power.

  He looked where Nemesis had been. He was no longer there.

  Javin could make out through his slowly returning vision that Rolla was embracing her father. The two guards were standing by, apparently no longer in thrall to Nemesis.

  He looked to Darzeen who had regained his feet, and was helping his brother, Fallon, to stand. Both were so shaken they didn't realize what they were doing. They glanced around furtively wondering what they should do next.

  Sauros stood from where he'd been blasted by the wave. Other than Javin he'd been closest. He stared glumly where Nemesis had been. Clearly, he was no longer shielded. Noticing Javin’s gaze, Sauros said, “He’s gone.”

  Quickly Javin reached out as he had done before, this time without the benefit of the Third Article of Power bolstering his search. He could detect nothing.

  Had Nemesis been annihilated? Or had he simply been blown into a different phase . . . a different dimension? Or had he simply escaped again?

  Clearly the Three Articles of Power had not been joined, merely had touched. Even that surge of power should have destroyed them. Luckily all in the room had been shielded, even if it was by Nemesis.

  Javin wondered how he survived, seemingly unhurt.

  Then Javin felt something. Something he had felt before, and never had time to identify. It was growing this time, emerging. It was that other feeling.

  In the center of the room, next to Javin, a being started to materialize much as they would when Moving from one place to another. Kokos was also near, having moved toward Javin to make sure he was okay. She now stood back, away from this new being.

  Javin’s vision was clearing now, and he could make out details. The newcomer was as tall as Sauros, and as powerfully built. Humanoid in form and shape except with the head of a bird and an elongated beak.

  "An Ibis," Javin thought. He could feel the bond strengthening with Sauros, Kokos, Rolla, Darzeen. And yes, even Fallon had joined in, curious . . . and a little afraid.

  And there was also the presence of the other, the newcomer as part of their bond. Javin now realized he had been with Javin on those several occasions deep within, observing.

  "I am Thoth." The thought resounded in all of their minds. It was strong, firm, yet not harsh.

  "Of course," Javin said aloud, recognizing why Thoth seemed familiar. With his memories unblocked he recalled his history studies of ancient Egypt, remembered their pantheon of gods.

  Thoth was one of them. The god of wisdom.

  "Among other things, I am flattered," Thoth thought to them all, “But, I’m not a god.”

  Chapter 45

  “I am what you called an Ancient," Thoth said to each in their minds. "I remained here when my brothers crossed over. My mission was to help all of you to enact the Grand Plan.”

  Then Thoth turned directly to Javin. “You are the Prime. For some reason you have been blocked until just recently. And I wondered at the other, who strangely was the same as you.”

  “It's a long story”, Javin said, suddenly tired.

  "I know it", Thoth said. "For I have Shared with you all." Javin looked at Sauros, then Rolla and Kokos. He hadn't felt it, but a quick search confirmed that each time he had been touched by Thoth, it could have happened. Yet in that same search he couldn't detect any memories from Thoth.

  "I apologize for Sharing only one way," Thoth said. "I had to be sure of your true characters . . . And you are not yet ready."

  "Ready for what?" Javin asked.

  "Ready for all you can receive." Thoth said. “The knowledge and memory of the Ancients. It would destroy you.” Thoth looked around. “It would destroy all of you. In time you will receive it, but not now. Only what is allotted for you to survive the coming Dark.”

  “Javin”, Kokos spoke up, “This is the seventh race! We have now identified all of us. All of the Promised Ones.”

  “So, he is,” Javin said, now recognizing Thoth as a replica of the image drawn on each of the Chronicles he had seen.

  “So, now we are all together, except . . . a couple of our group . . . and we have an Ancient here, apparently to help us. There is still a big problem among the many we have." Javin took a deep breath. "The Three Articles of Power are gone. They are critical this this effort. And I can't tell whether Nemesis is alive, dead or otherwise.” He was wondering what dimension he may have ended up in.

  Sauros stepped forward, looking carefully at Thoth, and rested a hand on Javin’s shoulder. “You should know I have sought the memories Fallon had deep down. Mouhra’ lah is alive, as is Chazhuu. The Dark Guardians have them.” He looked pointedly at Fallon. “Though Fallon does not know where they are, at least they are alive.”

  “That is great news, my friend,” Javin said. “We’ll find them.”

  “Yes, we will,” Sauros said, again eying Fallon.

  “I will have them none of this!” Fallon suddenly said, stepping back.

  “Wait brother!” Darzeen said holding out his hand, “You have Shared. You have seen disaster awaits us all unless we join."

  "You forget . . . brother,” Fallon said, snarling. “Our kind are not in the same phase of existence. Unless we are able to return to normal reality, we cannot participate in this Grand Plan.

  "Unless this so called Ancient has a means of returning us to our physical realm, the Grand Plan is frustrated anyway.” Fallon started to dissolve in a swirling mass of black until he was completely gone.

  Everyone was so startled no one tried to stop him. Didn't know if they should stop him.

  Rolla stepped forward, arm in arm with her father, the guards trailing behind. In a flood of relief and gratitude, Rolla thought to them all, “We must return my people to our home world. We have stopped the invasion as we desired.” A new-found confidence flowed through Rolla. Javin could sense she was now ready to take her full place as a leader of her people. This leadership she had hesitated to assert in favor of her father, deferring to him. Now, though, Rolla knew it was time for her to take a mate, as was their custom, so she co
uld ascend to be queen, and lead her people fully. The time was at hand. They needed a Keeper, and the bond she held with all the Promised Ones, to help her people fulfill their destiny.

  “I wholeheartedly agree,” Javin said, having followed her mental reasoning. Javin turned back to Sauros, “As usual we wrap one thing up and three more jump out to take its place.”

  Sauros furrowed his brow, “Your manner of speech is still curious, though it pains me to admit, I know what you are talking about.” He grinned, well knowing the effect it had on the others.

  Javin turned to Thoth, “I believe we have a lot to discuss.”

  Thoth inclined his head. “Just so, and much to do. Time is extremely short.”

  “That’s always the case, it seems,” Javin said, taking a long, slow breath.

  The End . . . Almost.

  Ancients Rising: Guardian War #5, the last book of this series is coming soon.

  If you liked “Return to Earth: Guardian War #4,” please leave a review and tell your friends. If you’d like to be notified when the next volume is published or of new releases by Brad Stucki, email bradstucki62@gmail.com. Your information will never be shared, nor will you be inundated with emails.