"Ah yes, the talking pets." The woman focused on Snark. "So cute!" She thought for a moment. "We've been hidden away on the edge of the sector for some time. A hand to mouth existence, persecuted and struggling, we made our way."
Snark was thinking they must have been particularly inbred, and madness such as this was the obvious consequence, and was ready to say it, hopefully maddening her enough to make a mistake. Snark was ready for a fight.
"I would never have survived though, if it wasn't for my friend and ally."
She looked towards the hunched figure in black.
"The Brotherhood," spat Snark.
The black-clad figure cackled, and the hair rose on the back of Anna's neck and back, as Snark and Sissness stiffened, Snark ready to attack.
A voice came from the folds of the hood, almost a whisper, quivering with age, but purposeful.
"The Brotherhood. Ah yes, cat. We came to Anastasia's aid, and she has been very useful to us. We've had mutual interests, and they are now coming to fruition."
"Brother Prime," Anna said under her breath.
The figure cackled again, and made a mock bow.
"Sister Prime," corrected Anastasia, laughing. "The misogynistic brothers would be appalled if they knew."
Prime said nothing.
The opposing forces were at a stalemate. If Prime and Anastasia knew how to get to the amulet, they would have pushed the team aside, and it would be theirs already. Were they waiting for Anna to miraculously know how to reach it, and then steal it? It was three against two though, and Prime in front of them didn't look very robust. In fact, she looked quite frail.
"So, what now?" Anna asked bluntly.
"Yes," whispered the figure in black. "We seem at a stalemate. The 'gods' seem to have deserted you."
It cackled again. As her hissing voice finished, a bird flew into the hall, through the entrance pillars, across the central table, and directly towards them. Another bird followed. The first was a large white bird, and the second was black.
They perched on different pillars, close to the tableau in front of the table, and squawked at each other.
At the same time, a bright light fell from the ceiling, and shone in a round spotlight just in front of the table. Anna moved aside, as a figure appeared in the light. The 'god' of her visions.
"Welcome to the Hall of Peace."
The figure was again obscured by the brightness of the light. Anna shielded her eyes with a hand. The figures before the table with the Amulet of Truth, froze in place.
"You have come here searching for the Amulet of Truth. Together with the Destiny Stone, they form the Talisman of Tomorrow. Only those judged righteous, will be granted access to the Amulet of Truth. Only the righteous can bear the Destiny Stone. Only the righteous can wield the power of the Talisman of Tomorrow."
Anna and the older Anastasia glared at each other.
"Our great civilisation has ended. All that's left are the ruins of a better time. The wheel turns, as it must. We have travelled across galaxies, across time, across worlds, and observed other civilisations. Some at their birth, others at their end, and we have seen much, and understood more."
"But we couldn't let our civilisation and race die. We began the genetic imprinting of ourselves into other races, other civilisations, in the hope the good in ourselves would be preserved, and in time, lead to another great civilisation, as the wheel turned back again."
"And still we guard the power of our civilisation. The Talisman."
There was another pause. Snark wondered what would happen next. He readied himself.
The 'god' continued.
"We hoped, when they were ready for the responsibility of the Talisman, the 'chosen' would follow us, and come to the Hall of Peace. We hoped they would bring the Destiny Stone, to reunite it with the Amulet of Truth, and create the power of the Talisman of Tomorrow. Only those truly at peace with themselves will be able to wield the power of the Talisman."
The figure paused, and then almost whispered.
"Be careful what you wish for."
The light dimmed, and as it did, Anna saw the features of the 'god' she had smiled at, in her vision at the Standing Stones on the dog world.
The light snapped off.
The tableau remained frozen in place.
Sixty Seven
The Kingdom fleet was idling along towards the first of the enemy fleets coming at them.
"Did I choose the correct first action?" Warspite asked Jane, in AI mode.
"Why did you choose this one?"
"The Saurians are unknown. Their ships are larger, and as far as the sensors can tell, they fire explosive shells instead of solid shot. The shells are large too, bigger even than our battleship pulses."
"Defences?"
"Hulls seem to be thicker than normal."
"About what you'd expect for a species evolved for war and subjugation?"
"Yes, at least within the bounds of the technology here. They are essentially a bigger version of old Earth Battleships, although on a Heavy Cruiser scale."
"So why doubt yourself?"
"You told me to?"
Jane laughed.
"No, I told you to do what you do best."
"I'm not sure my best is enough now. Having your combat droid buried under alien troops, and not being able to move until they decided to let you up, is something of a self-doubt inducer."
"You realize in battle you can do everything right, and still lose?"
"I read that, yes. It doesn't make me feel better."
"Good. It's not supposed to. But it helps you deal with the aftermath, assuming you survived."
"Do I have your approval for the attack plan?"
"You do."
On all the ships of the small Kingdom fleet, Warspite's voice rang out.
"Battle formation one please. Execute."
Sixty Eight
In the space above them, the birds launched themselves from their perches on the pillars, and met in a crash of beaks and talons. At the same time, Anastasia sprang at Anna, her hands like claws, finding her hair, and twisting it brutally around. Anna tried to fight her off. Anastasia, although old, was strong, and Anna found it difficult to dislodge her. The two forms struggled together.
Snarling, Snark leapt on to the figure in black, claws and teeth tearing at the material of the coverall, and at the face hidden by the hood. The figure staggered back, and flung Snark away from him, with great strength. Snark cannoned into a pillar, and slid down, bruised, and winded. Sissness also leapt into the fray, and tugged at the coverall with her teeth, claws flashing. The figure whipped around, and Sissness also went flying, crashing into another pillar, stunning her momentarily.
The figure in black stood upright, shrugging the coveralls off. They split down the middle, and the form inside was released.
Long legs splayed out of the cloth, touching the floor, while a black torso reared upright, and more long segmented legs stretched out. The body above the torso sprouted arms with grasping hands, and the head and neck was that of a snake, and as it reared back, it fanned out into a cobra like cowl.
Sissness, still dazed, looked on in complete disbelief and horror. It was moving towards Snark. Sissness jumped up, and leapt towards Snark. At the same time, Snark got to his feet, and they both scrambled back away from the enormous figure of the creature.
Above them the birds were flying apart and together, in a dangerous and seemingly choreographed battle. They screeched and fought, feathers and droppings raining down around the beings on the ground.
Anna, while struggling with Anastasia, was shocked almost into immobility by the sight of the centaur-snake creature emerging from the coverall, uncurling its body and head like a bug from a chrysalis. Snakes haunted her nightmares, and were one of the few creatures she couldn't face.
Anastasia took advantage of her shock, and wrapping Anna's hair around her fist, pulled her down on to the ground, as she kicked Anna's feet from under her. Anna fell heavil
y. She grabbed Anastasia's legs, and pulled her over, both grappling with each other on the ground.
The strange centaur-snake creature moved nearer to the table, and Snark and Sissness moved out of its way. While Snark felt his teeth and claws were more than a match, and his reflexes fast, the creature was so large, he couldn't see how he could avoid its fangs. Snark had fangs, as all cats did, but these were a whole order of magnitude larger, and demanded a healthy respect.
Anna and Anastasia had rolled further away from the table, and Anna staggered to her feet, Anastasia following suit. They gasped for breath, and faced off, readying to fly at each other again. Anna's suit had prevented her from suffering the facial scratches Anastasia now had down one cheek from Anna's fingernails, the blood oozing and dripping from her chin. She was dishevelled, but intent on Anna.
Prime moved to the table, two hands clutched the side of the table, and one experimented with the force field. She felt its bite, and pulled the hand back. She considered for a moment, and reached into the force field again, taking the pain of the field, the hand getting closer and closer to the amulet. At one point, she pulled the hand back, before trying again, grimacing from the pain, but absorbing it.
The black bird swooped down, flapping its wings around Anna's head, and stabbing at her with its beak. Anna tried in vain to ward it off with her hands, but it persisted, and she screamed. Anastasia laughed, and tackled her to the ground. She punched Anna in the face twice, taken by her suit but still disorientating for her, followed by standing up and kicking her in the ribs. Anna lay gasping, feeling bruises quickly forming on her face and ribs, and slowly got to her feet. Anastasia's smile left her face.
The white bird swooped on the black bird, and they fought once more, soaring up into the cavernous ceiling of the hall, a blur of black and white together. Then the white bird fell, and landed on its feet on the floor, one wing held out, obviously injured. The black bird circled above it, cawing in victory.
Prime still had no luck penetrating the force field. She let out a scream of fury. Grabbing the sides of the metal table, she heaved, and overturned it, the crash echoing through the hall, and starting all the pillars to chime in an anguished cacophony of sound.
The force field snapped off, the amulet sailed through the air to hit the back of the hall, slipping down the window to the ground.
All eyes were suddenly on it.
The Black bird swooped through the air, and picking the amulet up its beak, soared back up into the ceiling. It circled once, twice, and swooped back down, dropping the amulet at Anastasia's feet. She clutched it up, triumphantly. The bird turned, and roosted on a pillar close to the now upended table.
Prime turned, her legs straddling the fallen table.
"The amulet! It's mine!" she cackled, and scuttled forward.
Anastasia suddenly realised her peril. She staggered backwards, still holding the amulet in her hands. As Prime reached her, she flung the amulet at her, and turned to try to escape.
Prime scooped up the amulet with one hand, and flinging her snake-head forward in a whip like motion, buried her fangs in Anastasia's neck. She stiffened, Prime released her, and struck again.
Anna had leapt out of the way of Prime, and skidded across the floor into a pillar. Snark immediately jumped forward across the space towards her, Sissness right behind him. They huddled together against it.
Prime moved away from Anastasia's body, now convulsing. It seemed this snake's bite was poisonous.
She turned, and they could see her snake mouth part in a gruesome smile as her fangs dripped, and a forked tongue flickered.
"Now you will give me the Destiny Stone."
"What makes you think we have it," Snark snarled.
Prime cackled again, and Snark felt Anna stiffen in fear.
"Of course Anna has the Stone. She would never have come without it."
Snark looked at Anna, and saw confirmation in her face.
Anna reached into her backpack, and brought out the Destiny Stone. It glowed brightly in her hand, turning a myriad of colours, cycling through them repeatedly.
Prime gasped, and moved slowly forward towards them. Snark readied to attack the giant centaur-snake creature. Sissness took Anna's hand in her paw, and they both looked at each other, ready to get up and run.
A clang rung out, and echoed around the cathedral-like space, another sounded, and another, setting the chiming of the metal pillars peeling like a ripple of bells, again and again. Anna, Sissness, and Snark put their hands over their ears to block out the noise.
Prime turned, and the cackle came from her again.
Sixty Nine
Jamie stood at the entrance pillars, a large rock in one hand, and a makeshift pointed staff in the other, which he'd quickly made on his way to the hall. He'd used the pillar like a gong, and had broken the momentum of Prime towards his friends. It was all he could think of doing in the moment, given he was too far away to help them in any other way.
Anna gasped, and stood up, Snark and Sissness flanking her.
Brother Prime turned fully towards Jamie, and cackled again.
"So the hero comes riding in on his white charger to rescue the damsel in distress."
Jamie looked towards Anna, and grinned. She grinned back. He nodded at Snark and Sissness, who also grinned to see him, even though they had no idea how he was here.
"No charger, I'm afraid. I'm not that guid with horses anyway."
Prime's mouth sneered.
"I have the amulet. Give me the Stone, and I'll let your friends live."
"And Anna is no damsel in distress," Jamie continued. "She's more than capable of looking after herself."
"Pah!" Prime spat. "We're wasting time." She turned again to Anna. "Give me the Stone."
Anna held the Stone, and let herself relax. She focused with all the force of her mental powers on the Stone. It glowed even brighter, now a deep red, then orange, blue, and white. She formed a picture in her mind, and focused on it.
Snark gathered his muscles to leap forward, as Jamie ran towards them across the space.
Prime screamed, and whipped her body forward, fangs bared. Snark leapt, burying his teeth and claws into the centaur-snake creature's neck. Prime screamed again, and shook herself, trying to dislodge Snark. Snark buried his teeth and claws deeper, and held on. Black blood flowed down the centaur-snake's body, as she tried to get rid of Snark. Her long legs and arms reached towards Anna and Sissness, who ran in the other direction, the outstretched hands just missing them.
Anna still held the picture in her mind.
With all his might, Jamie flung the staff he had with him at the centaur-snake's body. It soared across the space like a javelin, missing several pillars, and burying its point into Prime's neck just above where Snark was grimly holding on, and where Prime's body armour didn't protect her.
Jamie was surprised. He'd never been very good at athletics at school. It was as if the stake had been guiding itself.
Prime shrieked, and thrashed her body. Snark flew off, and crashed into a pillar, stunned. Black blood splashed off the centaur-snake creature from her wounds, and lay on the floor like puddles of oil.
Sissness ran to Snark, and helped him up. He was bruised, but still functioning.
Maddened, Prime thrashed, her arms grappling for a purchase on the stake. She pulled it out, and more black blood flowed out of the wound. Prime flung it away, and it clattered to a stop at the overturned table.
Jamie ran to Anna, caught her up, and both ran out of the way of the centaur-snake creature, joining Snark and Sissness. They all backed off, back towards the table, and Jamie picked up the stake again. It was slick with the black blood, and Jamie tried to get a proper grip of it, the stench of the blood making him gag.
Anna closed her eyes, and focused.
Prime staggered towards them, once more reared up, and threw herself forward to bury her fangs into Anna, while grasping with arms and hands to capture the others and the S
tone. Fangs sunk into Anna's chest, through her suit, releasing, and then reared back for another attack. Jamie screamed, and thrust the stake upwards with all his strength towards a point where the body armour overlapped, and had pulled apart in Prime's backward motion, forcing the stake in between the body armour panels, into the centaur-snake body, and twisting. Prime screamed again, this time thrashing with the point of the stake still embedded, and fell on them both, crushing them down onto the floor. Prime tried to rise, fell back, and went still.
Jamie emerged, pushing his way out, and frantically searched for Anna. He found her arm, and pulled her body out from under the creature. Snark, spitting out black blood, rushed back to the creature, to make sure it didn't move, and attack them again, while Sissness ran to Jamie and Anna.
Anna was still. Unlike Anastasia, she hadn't convulsed. Just gone limp. Jamie could find no holes in the suit, but he'd seen the fang sink right through. He placed fingers at her neck to check her pulse, but couldn't find anything. He moved his fingers around, frantically trying to find signs of life.
Sissness crouched next to Jamie, willing Anna to be alive.
Snark was checking Prime for signs of life as well, and not finding any, picked up the amulet from next to Prime's body, walked over to Anna, and placed it on Anna's hand, which still clutched the Destiny Stone.
Nothing happened.
Sissness took the Stone from Anna's grasp, and placed it in the opening in the middle of the amulet. Metal pincers immediately clasped the Stone in their grip, the completed Talisman glowed brightly for a moment, and she placed the Talisman in Anna's hand.
The song of the pillars immediately played a beautiful soaring melody, like a bird floating and disappearing into the heavens. The singing of the 'stones' surrounded them, and enveloped them in its magic.
Anna sucked in a breath, coughed, and breathed again. She opened her green eyes, looking up into Jamie's green-flecked hazel. She smiled.
"You came," she said
"Nothing was going to stop me," he replied.
A.I. Destiny 5 Talisman of Tomorrow Page 26
