“Ferrus, listen, I-”
“He knew my name,” Ferrus interrupted her. “I’ve never told anyone that name, not even you.”
“Do you think he could truly be your uncle?”
“He is a fraud,” Ferrus answered. “He uncovered the information necessary to break down my guard and earn my trust. I will not make that mistake again.”
“Ferrus, trusting someone is a risk, but it is not a mistake. Sometimes you get hurt, but most of the time, you gain a new friend, or even family.”
Mara reached towards her and brushed her hand soothingly against her cheek.
“Do you regret trusting me?”
Ferrus gazed at Mara, her emotional barriers faltering slightly.
“No,” she admitted. “Never.”
“Then please, for me, don’t let this experience stop you from making new friends.”
Ferrus sighed, then nodded.
“Um, guys,” Raiden called from a distance ahead of them. “I think we’re here.”
“The map requires us to continue for another kilometer,” Ferrus replied.
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Raiden chuckled sarcastically.
Mara and Ferrus rode up to where Raiden and Sable had stopped, finding themselves facing a vast crevice dropping hundreds of feet to a rocky stream below. Skarai hovered above the crevice, flying back and forth.
“I can fly across with Skarai,” Sable said, “but I don’t know how you guys will make it.”
“Do you think the raptors can jump it?” Raiden asked, estimating the crevice to be about twenty-five feet wide.
“We could try to go around it,” Mara suggested. Looking to her right and left, she tried to make out the ends of the crevice, but it continued as far as the eye could see.
“Something is not right,” Ferrus grumbled, ignoring their suggestions. She pulled out the map and studied it.
“This crevice is not on the map. The map details every mountain, valley, and canyon. This would be an odd thing to leave out, especially so close to the destination.”
“You think it is an illusion?” Mara asked.
Remembering Maximus’s trick uncovering the illusion of the Shadow tribe back on Earth, Raiden scooped up a handful of leaves and dirt and began throwing it over of the crevice in different directions, but they simply dropped to the stream below.
“If it were an illusion, the entrance could be anywhere along the edge of the crevice,” Mara pointed out. “It could take hours to find, even for a Shadow like me.”
“Wait, there is something else,” Ferrus said, pointing at the map. “There is a tree sketched beside the Shrine.”
Raiden rode over and peaked at the map, seeing the pine tree she was referring to. A peculiar star was drawn over its trunk. He looked out at the forest around him, then across the crevice.
“You know,” he said. “There are a bunch of pine trees over here, but none across the crevice.”
“You think if we find that tree, we will find a way to cross the crevice?” Sable asked him.
“Exactly. It could be the entrance to an illusion even.”
Raiden looked at Mara, raising his eyebrows.
“It is worth a try, I guess,” Mara said. “We should split up. Mark any trees that have already been checked.”
“Sounds like the perfect job for Skarai,” Raiden grinned, whistling for the bird. Skarai swooped in and perched onto Raiden’s arm.
“Can you find us this symbol on a pine tree, buddy?” Raiden asked, pointing to the star on the map. Skarai cawed in acknowledgment and took off, swirling from tree to tree. The four of them set out searching as well, marking each checked tree with a long scratch in the bark. A few minutes later, Skarai returned to Raiden, squawking enthusiastically.
“Found it?” Raiden asked.
Skarai hovered in front of him and cried out happily in response.
“You’re the best!” Raiden smiled. “Show me.”
Raiden followed the eagle past a multitude of trees until reaching a towering, densely branched pine tree surrounded by fallen leaves and pinecones. The unique star insignia was branded onto its thick, wooden trunk, highlighted with fading, gold paint.
“Hey guys,” Raiden exclaimed with excitement. “It’s over here!”
The others rode over to Raiden as he moved his raptor slowly around the tree, examining it carefully from all angles.
“Find anything unusual about it?” Sable asked as she arrived.
“Not yet,” Raiden said, analyzing the symbol closely. “I think we should try-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Skarai tried landing on one of the tree’s lower branches and instead vanished into thin air.
“Skarai!” Raiden shouted with worry.
“No need to worry,” Mara assured him, approaching the tree. “This tree is an illusion.”
She placed her hand against the symbol, and it disappeared behind the bark. Then, as the others watched with wonder, she pushed her raptor to walk into the tree trunk. The dinosaur refused for a second, confused where she wanted him to go, but finally obeyed. It trotted directly into the tree, its entire body vanishing within it.
“This is crazy,” Sable muttered, and she moved in next, followed by Ferrus and Raiden.
A moment later, they found themselves in the tunnel of a giant underground cave. Luminescent, blue rocks shined throughout the walls, casting a haunting glow upon the chamber. Ahead of them, a stone bridge stretched across an endless, dark chasm, supported by towering columns of shimmering, wet stalagmite. Skarai was waiting for them above the bridge, crying out happily at the sight of them.
“I supposed we need to go that way,” Raiden said as Skarai returned to him, landing on his shoulder.
“Did we just teleport?” Sable asked in confusion, disoriented by how fast her surroundings had changed.
“According to my navigational sensors,” Ferrus said, “we are hundreds of feet below where we’d started.
Raiden rode his raptor onto the bridge, advancing slowly, but pulled back as the surface shook beneath his raptor’s feet.
“Guys, I think we should cross without the raptors,” he said to the others. “They’re too heavy; they’ll collapse the bridge.”
They dismounted, tying the dinosaurs to a stalagmite column, and began crossing the bridge on foot. Raiden’s heartbeat with fear and anticipation, not knowing what lay ahead. He looked down into the abyss, gulping nervously at the thought of falling.
“Raiden,” Sable nudged him as they walked. “Your amulet.”
Raiden looked down at his chest, noticing the gemstone had begun to shine.
“It has a mind of its own sometimes,” Raiden shrugged.
They walked for fifteen minutes, hopping over the occasional crack in the floor. As they reached the end of the bridge, Raiden could make out the roaring sound of a waterfall. Stepping off the bridge onto stable ground, he peered through the darkness.
“Guys,” he said softly as he walked. “I think we found our angel.”
Standing ahead of them, surrounded by a thunderous, circular waterfall, was the enormous, chiseled figure of a golden angel. Its vast, magnificent wings spanned the periphery of the waterfall, surrounding it from the outside. Sparkling rays of sunlight shone majestically onto its pure golden body from a hole in the ceiling, hundreds of feet above it. It seemed almost like a statue, its frozen, naked form seemingly carved to perfection.
“The angel Gavriel…” Sable muttered in awe.
Suddenly, a burst of energy shot from the stone on Raiden’s chest, through the waterfall, and struck the angel, connecting them in a stream of energy.
“Raiden!” Mara yelled urgently, but before he could even try to stop it, the stream dissipated on its own.
“Phew,” Raiden sighed. “That was a close one.”
“You have awoken me,” a voice thundered throughout the room, echoing across the cave walls.
Raiden’s jaw dropped as the angel’s eyes
snapped open. The celestial being stretched its tremendous, golden arms and stood upright, shifting positions.
“Why?” the angel bellowed.
“We came here seeking your help,” Mara quickly answered as the rest of the crew just stared, dumbfounded. “The angel Mikael has returned, and he is ravaging the Kingdom with an army of Decrepit.”
“That is impossible!” Gavriel stormed, causing the entire cave to tremble. “Without Azarai, my brother is powerless! Unless…” the angel paused, his gaze falling upon Raiden’s amulet. “Unless the pieces of the Electus Prime have been reunited on this planet.”
“This amulet came from Earth,” Mara replied. “Is that the cause of all this?”
“The cause of all this…” Gavriel sighed, lowering his voice. “The cause of all this, dear mortal, was the jealousy of a single man, thousands of years ago. Jealousy so strong, it poisoned the hearts of the angels for all of eternity.”
“But not you,” Raiden chimed in, recalling Jaaro’s sermons. “You resisted the urge and helped Agius save the universe. We need you again, Gavriel, we need you to fight for us.”
“Resisted the urge, I did indeed, along with my two elder brothers,” Gavriel said sadly. “But the universe is not safe, not until it has a ruler. A new God King must be chosen. As the angel of honor and justice, I swore my loyalty to Harmonius, our father, and respected his wishes in choosing the human prince Agius. Mikael, the angel of order, sided with Azarai, believing it was his birthright. And my poor brother Rafael…” Gavriel sighed again. “The angel of healing and life, our eldest. He took his own life, unable to watch his brothers slay one another.”
Gavriel opened his left fist, revealing a shining, white feather. He gazed at it solemnly.
“But that is the past, and this is the future,” Gavriel said, tightening his fist. “The final order was issued, and so the prophecy must come to be. The Electus Prime shall be reunited, and a new God King shall rise. Either Azarai will ascend from the ashes, or Agius will claim his god-given throne.”
“But Agius is dead,” Raiden said, confused.
“The Prince may be dead,” Gavriel answered. “But his legacy is not. Another worthy human shall take his place and face Azarai’s challenge.”
Gavriel stared intently at Raiden, analyzing him carefully.
“Are you that human?” he asked finally.
“I-I don’t think so,” Raiden stammered.
“No, I don’t suppose you are,” Gavriel agreed, leaving Raiden feeling somewhat humiliated. “I sense the spirit of Agius in you, but there is another who is stronger, here on the planet. I can feel it, which means my brother can too. We must reach him before Mikael does and help him resist Azarai’s power.”
“Does that mean you will help us?” Raiden asked, not completely understanding the angel’s puzzling words.
“I will do what I was created to do,” the angel replied, glaring intensely at Raiden. “Ensure that this universe is not run simply by the cage of order, but by the sword of justice. Now,” he said, stepping out from behind the waterfall. The ground shook with every step. “Bring your beasts to me, and I will take us from this place. We must set out to find the chosen one.”
◆◆◆
“I-I am sorry, Your Holiness,” Jaaro stammered as he entered the grand throne room of the Palace of the Gods. Mikael sat on the mighty throne, his eyes closed in meditation.
Jaaro threw himself onto the stone floor before the angel.
“Although you displayed weakness,” the angel muttered, “the battle was hardly a defeat. I have been wrong about everything. I believed I was fulfilling the prophecy, cloning Agius with a drop of his blood and planting his fetus in the Queen’s womb, when the true chosen one had simply not arrived yet.”
“Forgive me, My Lord,” Jaaro whimpered. “But I do not understand.”
“It is not your job to understand, only to follow my commands,” Mikael replied. “I no longer need the Prince, but he has escaped me, taking the Electus Prime with him. He will no doubt go scurrying back to his fish-brain of a father. We will kill them both.”
Jaaro’s eyes widened.
“My loyal priest. How would you like to be king?”
“Your G-Greatness,” Jaaro stuttered in shock. “I would be hon-”
Before he could finish, Mikael’s eyes shot open with a sense of urgency, even fear. Jaaro fell immediately silent.
“My brother,” Mikael uttered with a sense of dreadful realization.
“He has awoken.”
Chapter Sixteen
The King’s Plot
4 days before planet’s destruction
“Assemble the entire army!” The King fumed, standing up from his throne as he addressed a committee of white-robed royal advisors. “We will kill every living soul living between those walls if we have to, but I will not negotiate with terrorists!”
“But sir,” one of the advisors managed to say. “They threaten to hang the Prince.”
“He is your only heir,” another man chimed in. “If he were to die-”
“He will not die!” the King cut them off angrily. “We will make sure of that, or you will all die!”
The advisors lowered their heads, cowering in fear.
“Yes, your majesty,” they whimpered.
“Well then,” the King huffed. “Now that we are all in agreement, run me through our military strategies.”
“Sire,” another one of the men stepped forward with a courteous bow. This man was younger than the rest, with slim, clever eyes and dark, combed hair. “The people of the Dinges have been accumulating black market weaponry over the past few years, united under the command of a man they called Rio.”
“And we let this happen?” the King growled, his voice rising again.
“With all due respect, Your Highness,” the man cleared his throat nervously. “I informed you of this two years ago. I believe your response was, in your words: ‘Those damned rats could not organize a rebellion any more than they could scavenge a block of moldy cheese.’”
The faces of the other advisors grew pale with fear as they awaited the King’s response to their colleague’s bold critique.
“Hmph,” the King grunted. “I believe I did say that, Bron. At least one of you useless fools has the balls to speak his mind. Go on.”
“Thank you, My Lord,” Bron continued, hiding a grin. “As I was saying, Rio has assembled a formidable force of fifty-thousand hungry, desperate, and angry Enlai. He has acquired enough medicinal supplies to support half that number, and enough food to feed a quarter. That is why I propose we hold a siege.”
“You want to starve them…” the King said slowly, pondering the idea.
“Precisely, sir. Their main food source comes from the suppliers we allow to enter once a week, and their only source of water is the Katrat canal, which we can block from our end.”
“How long would it take?”
“To crush them completely, I estimate a week.”
“A week?” the King asked, losing his temper again. “We do not have a week! They threatened to kill my son in one day!”
“The barricade would last a week,” Bron said calmly. “However, my plan to retrieve your son should only take a matter of hours.”
The other advisors stared silently at Bron, astounded by his political savviness.
“And what plan is that?” the King asked, intrigued.
“We will agree to meet with the Prince. We will scan your DNA and give it to a skilled Coder, who will go in your place, wearing a tracking device.”
“They will detect it,” one of the advisors warned.
“Not if we cloak it with biological signatures,” Bron replied.
“That is impossible,” another advisor insisted.
“The technology is experimental, I will admit, but I believe it is ready. It was modeled after the PD’s effects on the brain. The Dinges do not have PD’s, they are not familiar with the technology. Once we have his locat
ion, we can send in a rescue team from above. This could work.”
“It is too risky,” one of the advisors shot back.
“Does anyone have a better idea?” the king asked, raising an eyebrow.
The advisors were silent.
“Well then, congratulations Bron. With Kain absent, you are my new Right Hand. I grant you full command of my forces. I want this operation in action within the hour.”
“Thank you, My Lord,” Bron said, sneaking a gloating grin at his colleagues. “I will see it done.”
◆◆◆
Kiara lifted her head from Suriel’s shoulder as the clang of footsteps against metal flooring echoed from beyond their cell wall. She heard a door open and close, and Pete walked into view bearing a tin tray containing two thick, plain pieces of bread, a jug of water, and a dried-up excuse of a fruit.
“Come on, Pete,” Kiara complained, standing from her seat beside Suriel. “You are serving us prison food? Is that really necessary?”
“Prison food?” Pete laughed, shaking his head. “This here’s what we all eat. And that fruit is a delicacy. Folks would kill for it, and I mean that literally.”
He opened a hatch at the bottom of the cell and slid the tray under.
“I’m sorry we gotta keep you all locked up like this,” he sighed. “It ain’t right. But we all gotta follow Rio’s orders.”
“It’s alright, Pete,” Suriel said from the floor. “I understand why he must do this.”
“Still…” Pete said slowly with a heavy heart. “Well, I come bearin’ good news. Your Papa’s agreed to come chat.”
“That’s great!” Kiara smiled excitedly. “You hear that, Suriel?”
“It is pleasing news indeed,” Suriel grinned slightly. “However, convincing him to step down will not be easy.”
“You can do it.” Kiara bent down beside him and squeezed his hand. “I know you can.”
“His transport will be arriving on the hour,” Pete informed them. “I’m gonna go help Rio with the preparations.”
As Pete turned to leave, he paused for a moment, turning back around. “You’d best start thinkin’ ‘bout what your gonna say. I don’t mean to pressure you, but whether this war happens or not is in your hands.”
The Chamber of Genesis Page 24
