It was surreal as the fleet was moved around, many of them entering the asteroid base or leaving the Nal system for the Emerilia station for repair or to be put on patrol as leave schedules were sorted out.
Is that it? Is it finally, all of it, over? This thought filled the minds of thousands as they watched the information coming from the scout ships.
Chapter 19: Look to the Future
The people of Emerilia were like a spell, readied and waiting to go off. They had defeated the Jukal emperor, something that many had doubted. And although they had hoped for it, they had never thought that they would be able to do it.
The truth of the matter came to light, how the leadership from the Stone Raiders had been imbued with the power of the Affinity Pantheon, moving with the Blood Kin to gain access to the emperor’s palace.
Once they were inside, they had removed the emperor’s ability to call down spells and act on the battlefield. Dwayne and Kim had distracted the Jukal and Josh had landed the last attack.
With his orders, everything under the control of the emperor was destroyed. The emperor of the Jukal Empire barely trusted those in their own family. Through the ages, they had seeded kill switches into nearly anything of importance.
The portal network that they had tried to seed through the rest of the Jukal Empire was destroyed, as were key Mirror of Communication relay stations and infrastructure. The Jukal home system, the seat of power for the Jukal Empire, had been a seat of plots and treachery. Many of the clans found out that their power crumbled overnight without the backing of the emperor and found that what they did have was destroyed. His “favors” to them had always come with an option for him to tear the power out from underneath them in a moment.
The Jukal home system was in chaos as Jukal were fighting over control, rights, settling old debts and killing one another.
They had been repressed as much as the people who were under their command. Now without the stature of the emperor, someone who had existed for as long as these clans’ varied histories, they were able to act out again. The peaceful Jukal race showed just how much they could tolerate one another as they devolved into savagery. Clans started to take command of stations, ships, and anything they could get their hands on. The clans started to use them as their own weapons and started their own fights with one another, leading to them destroying even more of the strength they had built up.
Some tried to leave, only to find the Emerilian and Deq’ual fleets following them. The combined forces of Deq’ual and Emerilia easily picked them off. The overseers had their work cut out for them as they processed hundreds of Jukal a day, with many awaiting trial. Shard, Jeeves, and Anna all had long been inserted into the Jukal Empire’s information networks, making it possible to put together profiles on all of them, sorting out those who had committed crimes and those who had not.
Those who were innocent were given the option to go to Emerilia and the Nal system. Sending them to a planet that was part of the old Jukal Empire was akin to sending them to their deaths.
Arks and destroyers moved from the still occupied systems, dropping off portals and allowing the Jakan to fight out battles with the Jukal forces that remained.
The people of the empire were grateful to the Emerilians and many were working to establish governments and sorting out trade routes now that they had the ability to support themselves. But still they needed more than they were able to make by themselves.
They started to adapt. Ships that had been captured from the Jukal and merchant vessels that had remained in their ports once again had work. Some people went back to their old jobs; others used the Mirror of Communication school to gain a greater understanding of all things magical.
Nanite injections went through the roof as game AIs mirrored off the ones on Emerilia were added to systems, allowing them to also be able to calculate stats and of course to have interfaces and party chats and cast magic.
The Jukal were on their way to being defeated, while the empire was now blossoming more than ever. The people were searching out new opportunities; people were coming together from multiple systems, pooling their efforts and creating things that would change star systems.
Portals were placed in different systems; a hub was created on the Nalheim’s planet Nal. People from across the galaxy were able to walk from one planet to another with ease.
It had the potential to lead to a crazy explosion of ideas and possibilities.
As this all happened, the people of Emerilia helped where they could, with some going to different planets; others created businesses to expand across the entire system. The nations and empires of Emerilia all had a seat within the Alliance of Terra and there was a move to create a new system of government that the AI would pick the candidates for. Most of the leaders were fine with this. With all they had gone through, seeing the stress that came with being a leader and the possibility to regress, they agreed. Those who didn’t agree found that their people didn’t care much for what they thought. They cared little for the nations and groups they were part of, besides the fact that they were Emerilians. They’d stood as one in the face of their greatest enemy and nothing would wipe away those ties.
***
Dave sighed as he put down the project he was working on. It had been two months since the Jukal emperor had died. The Jukal system had very few remaining ships capable of flight left anymore; the orbitals were nothing more than wreckage and the ground had been turned into a wasteland. The fight for the emperor’s seat had caused them to destroy their own planets and people.
“Lunch, you three!” Deia’s commanding tone made it clear that they were to hurry up.
“We can get to this afterward,” Malsour said.
They were covered in dirt and grime, with smiles on their faces. When they had been working on creations before, they had been tired and worn out, forsaking food, drink, and sleep in order to gain the Emerilians an advantage in the coming war.
Dave looked over what was his first house, the one he had built with his very hands so very long ago. He stepped out of the door with Malsour and Bob.
Bob let out a sigh filled with memories as he stepped on the porch and overlooked the fields that surrounded Cliff-Hill. Among the fields, the glowing soul gem growing apartments could be seen; past them, the gentle stream curved around them with bridges connecting the fields to the wilds of Opheir and the Kufo’tel forest.
“Strange to think that this was where it all started.” Bob smiled to his two friends.
They each thought back on past events, both good and bad, sad and happy.
After some time, Bob moved first. “Well, we should get a move on before Deia comes to find us!” Bob chuckled. The other two showed content smiles and pushed their memories away.
Dave stepped off the porch, looking to the Mithsia Mountains and the region where the Kufo’tel elves lived.
Malsour and Dave walked from Dave’s first house that had now been turned into a workshop, to his second house, that now housed his family and friends. The rest of Party Zero were there already, enjoying the wild boar sausages and timber wolf burgers.
Deia, Fire, Mal, and Quindar were talking to one another as they nursed drinks and watched the kids as they played. Steve was manning the grill. He wore a massive apron and thankfully, after the battle, he’d returned to his normal size. Lox and Gurren were laughing with Kol, Jung Lee, Induca, Suzy, Josh, Esa, Jules, Dwayne, Kim, Lucy; Josh and Cassie were retelling adventures and ridiculous moments they’d had.
Dave couldn’t help smiling, his heart filled to the brim.
Water, Ela-Dorn, her husband Ela-Gal, and Air appeared in the sky—of course with Venfik trailing after her. Jung Lee waved to Venfik. The two of them had made fast friends, finding out the other was interested in potions.
Air and Water moved to join Deia and her group.
“All right, now everyone’s here, tuck in!” A mischievous smile appeared on Deia’s face. “Though, it does seem some people
weren’t able to clean themselves up!”
Dave stopped in his tracks, a feeling of unease filling him.
Water and Air turned to Dave with smiles as Water descended from the heavens.
“Ahh, it’s cold!” Dave and Malsour danced under the rain before Air blasted them. Bob had quickly chosen to run out of range, a satisfied smile on his face.
Fire waved her hand; heat fell on the two, their clothes drying in just seconds.
“Grandma!” Malsour yelled indignantly.
Water, Fire, and Air looked to one another, guilty looks on their faces, marred by a look of “well, it was fun, wasn’t it?”
The group laughed at the others’ misfortune while Bob lowered himself from the sky. Suddenly, rain descended on him.
“You rascals!” Bob yelled, his curse filled with laughter as he was blasted with air and dried.
He had a displeased look on his face as his fur was in a poof. He narrowed his eyes at them, promising to get them back for their prank. His body changed, no longer the wolf, but rather Bob the gnome, his clothes changing as he pulled out a pipe and lit it.
“All right, you lot! We’ve got dirty dogs and sloppy stacks. Come and get ’em!” Steve said, doing his best impression of an old grill house cook.
Dave and Malsour couldn’t stay annoyed for long as they joined the masses in heading for the food.
Dave and Deia sat beside each other.
After a moment, Dave frowned. “Where’s Anna?”
“She’s gone to see Alkao,” Deia said with a heavy expression.
They knew how much it tore at Alkao’s heart to see Anna but knowing that she had few true memories of him, all she could rely on was the recordings she had watched.
Dave squeezed Deia’s hand. They all cared deeply about them both. It hurt them to see the pain they were both going through.
Deia smiled to Dave as there were no words to say.
“So, have you decided what your dress is going to be yet for the wedding?” Dave asked.
“Dress?” Deia asked, her voice raised in confusion.
Heads at the table seemed to snap onto Deia, who turned around slowly as the table descended into silence.
She looked at them all. “It’s just a dress,” she said, confused by their reactions.
“Just a dress! You’re Oson’Deia, lady! You’re going to be getting THE dress!” Fire said.
“Shouldn’t you be getting one of those soon too?” Mal seemed to ponder aloud.
Fire’s face went red as Bob chuckled.
“Shut it, old man,” Fire snapped before she looked to Mal. Her eyes shone as she bit her lip, excitement filling her.
“Seems we’ve got a lot to organize for the wedding.” Dave laughed.
“The wedding—now?” Deia said, her anxiousness showing.
“Well, I did make a promise,” Dave said, his eyes soft as he looked to her. In that moment, they stared at each other and the world seemed to fade away.
A red blush appeared on Deia’s face as she looked away, looking nothing more than an innocent girl once again. Dave squeezed her hand and laughed, the sight causing his heart to move in joy.
“When’s the date?” Jules asked. Her question seemed to set off a chain reaction as they were inundated with questions.
***
Anna had gone to the spiraling towers that rested in the middle of Unity City at the center of Devil’s Crater, only to find out that Alkao wasn’t there.
She’d been given a waypoint to where he was and she’d set off, flying toward him.
He was helping out with some of his people with establishing a new mine. He and some other members of the Devil’s Crater Army were assisting the miners to create an opening for them to place the automated miners in. Once they were placed in, then they would carry out the hard work and start to pull out the resources buried deep in the ground.
Anna glided down from the sky as she watched Alkao swing an axe that caused the ground to shake and left a crater behind. After the strike, he and others worked to pull out the debris, loading them onto the automated carts that populated Terra and the other bases made by the Pandora’s Initiative. Now that the war was all but over, the Grahslagg Corporation that controlled the Pandora Initiative was selling off their carts at a reduced cost.
They could have charged twenty times the price they had and people would still buy them. However, Dave and the leaders of the Initiative wanted the people of Emerilia to grow. They were the power behind many projects that were underway across Emerilia and the stars. Already, the dwarves were eyeing their own asteroid and making bids on the resources coming out from the asteroid refinery.
It seemed inevitable that the dwarves would head out into space to become asteroid miners.
Alkao wore a simple shirt and pants; on his wrists, he had the coded bracelets that Dave had created.
Anna’s eyes roamed over Alkao’s body.
“Like what you see?” Alkao said in an amused tone, looking at her as he drank from a canteen. The corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile.
“Hmph, can’t I enjoy the sights?” Anna propped her fists on her hips.
“Pfft!” Alkao sprayed water everywhere as the others laughed at his actions.
“It came out of my nose,” Alkao complained. As he wiped his face, a necklace fell out from his shirt, a spiral that sparkled in the light.
Anna’s eyes stuck to the spiral as she moved forward.
“Thought you were just admiring? It’s more to touch,” Alkao joked.
Seeing there was no reaction, he frowned. A hint of pain flashed through his eyes, as if remembering that the woman he loved had been lost.
It quickly disappeared as he smiled to Anna. Even if she didn’t have the same feelings, his heart was full seeing her alive once again.
Her hand reached out to the necklace on Alkao’s chest.
Alkao and those working froze. All of them knew of the relationship between the two and how Anna had lost her memories. Many people in Devil’s Crater could only look to their king with sad smiles, wishing for him to find happiness once again. But none of them pressed him. There were many women who were interested in him but they rightfully left him time to recover.
Now, a bit of hope showed in those around their king. He had become the pillar of their crater and they only hoped for him to find happiness.
Alkao looked at Anna. Her eyes focused on the necklace, a confused look on her face as if hints of memories were peeking through. However, there was a wall blocking them.
Her hand touched the spiral.
It shone with brilliant light. Runes and spell formations appeared around the necklace, appearing in front of Anna.
Anna’s face appeared in front of her, projected by the spell matrix within the spiral necklace. It was Anna but it wasn’t. There was a difference to them—they looked identical but their experiences had created two different women.
“Remember,” the projected Anna said, fading into magical runes that drifted forward.
Anna took a deep breath as the runes passed through her eyes, absorbed through her mouth and lips.
The light on the necklace started to dim, the last of the power transferring to Anna. She slumped forward.
Alkao caught her and looked at her with worry and concern, pushing her hair out of her eyes as he looked to those around him. “Get a healer!” Alkao yelled, using spells to increase his senses, searching through Anna’s body to check her condition.
Anna, meanwhile, was lost in her own world. It was as if her mind had been opened up and memories were unlocked. What had been broken was now reformed and absorbed. A rush of memories filled Anna.
She opened her eyes, looking at the frantic Alkao, who paused, his eyes captured by hers.
His heart lurched as she smiled up at him. This smile was completely different from the smiles she had given him since she had awoken to her new body.
“Silly man. Didn’t I say that I wanted to stay with you fo
rever?” Anna’s hand touched his face.
Tears fell down Alkao’s cheeks, as a dam seemed to break. He pulled her into an embrace.
“Anna, my Anna.” Alkao’s voice filled with incredible joy and released the pain of before.
“You dolt.” Anna hit him lightly on his shoulder, her smile enough to brighten the heavens. Tears appeared in her eyes as she pressed her face into Alkao’s shoulder, smelling his familiar scent. Her tail moved in happiness, wrapping around him, and her ears twitched.
His wings wrapped around her, unwilling to let her go.
Chapter 20: A Promise Realized
Sato stepped through the portal. With him, there were Admiral Adams, Edwards, Councillor Wong, and a heavy security detail.
He exited the asteroid base where he had arrived, touring the facility before he and his party met up and traveled via portal to Terra and then through an ono and teleport pad to Cliff-Hill.
There was a festive feeling in the air. Cliff-Hill had expanded in just a few months. There were soul gem-created inns; the roads to Cliff-Hill were packed and people were swarming in through the onos and teleport pads.
There were two dozen flying citadels arranged around Cliff-Hill. Their weapons were secured, as banners covered them.
All of Emerilia seemed to have come to Cliff-Hill.
It was now six months since they had killed the Jukal emperor. The combined fleets had returned to what was left of the Jukal home system. People were evacuated and relocated from the terrible conditions in the system. Those who had crimes were taken by the overseers, who now had multiple races within their ranks, turning them into a police force of all the various races, backed up by the combined fleets of the Deq’ual and Emerilian people.
The Deq’ual system had built their own portal, connecting to the Nal planet’s hub. They were still hesitant but it seemed that they had finally broken through a barrier. People were interacting with the other races, and the Deq’ual system, although not accepting general visitors, were in talks with different ambassadors and creating ties with the people who had been part of the Jukal Empire.
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