by Thomas Fay
Cassandra slowly bowed.
‘Disciple’
He smiled at her. Then he remembered the female Guardian. Running over towards the two support columns, he knelt next to her prone body. Turning her over, he pulled back in surprise.
‘What in the name of the Flame?’
Gone was the old woman with the silver hair. In her place was a young woman with flowing black hair and flawlessly youthful skin.
‘That’s new,’ Cassandra said.
‘What happened to her?’ Izikiel asked.
‘When you severed the temporal flux created by the Void Lords you must have restored her to her own time period.’
‘That’s incredible. Wait, she’s not breathing.’
Moving his hands across her neck, he could feel no pulse. He placed his hand on her forehead. With a blinding flash of light, he channelled the healing vapour into her body. Sitting back, he watched as she stirred. Slowly, she sat up and looked around the inner vault. Finally, her green eyes came to rest on him. Then she frowned.
‘What took you so long?’ she asked.
EIGHTY TWO
It took Jenevieve, the female Guardian, a few moments to bring their companions into the present. Izikiel marvelled at her ability to control time. If he weren’t able to perceive the effects of the Eternal Flame’s power then it would have seemed as if Te’Anne, Xavier, Jonas, Vorn and the little girl simply materialised out of thin air. But he was beginning to understand the energy manipulations required to affect time travel. He also knew the words now. There was only one that he was still unsure of.
‘Numquam’
‘Excuse me?’ Izikiel asked, startled.
The female Guardian smiled at him.
‘You were wondering what the word for the present was. It’s numquam. It translates roughly as no time, which makes sense if you think about it for a moment.’
‘Thanks, I...’ Izikiel began but stopped when he realised what she had just said. Staring at her, he asked, ‘You can read people’s thoughts?’
Jenevieve shook her head.
‘No, of course not.’
‘Well that’s a relief, for a moment there I thought -’
‘Only yours.’
‘What?’
‘I’m just messing with you now. It didn’t take a mind reader to figure out what you were thinking. You’re a disciple; it’s in your nature to be curious about the Eternal Flame and the ancient language.’
Izikiel nodded. He deliberately tried not to think about anything specific given that he still didn’t fully believe that she was telling him the truth.
‘So, what did we miss?’ Jonas asked.
‘Oh, not much,’ Cassandra replied in a sweet voice.
‘Really?’
‘Well, apart from a fight to the death with a temporally displaced Void Lord citadel which had landed in the middle of the Interstellar Library,’ Cassandra said. ‘But that’s about it.’
A stunned Jonas turned to Izikiel.
‘Is this true?’
‘Yes’
‘Are you alright?’ Te’Anne asked.
Putting his arms around her, Izikiel nodded.
‘Yes. You?’
‘We’re fine. The time shift took us to the future again but only for an instant before we appeared here.’
‘Glad to hear it,’ Izikiel said. He was about to say something else when he saw a strange expression on Jenevieve’s face. Following her gaze, he saw that the little girl’s features mirrored the female Guardian’s. For a split second, it seemed that the little girl would say something. Then her eyes regained their vapid expression and her head slumped forward.
‘I’ve got a question,’ Vorn asked, looking around strangely.
‘What is it?’ Izikiel asked.
‘If we’re here and you’re there, then where’s the ship?’
As one they all turned to look at the female true believer. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked at them.
‘Ship? Oh, you mean that smouldering pile of junk that you were travelling in?’
‘Yes,’ Vorn replied. ‘Do you know where it is?’
She nodded.
‘Yes. But you’re probably not going to like the answer.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, you remember how the ship was positioned on a landing pad in the past? For some reason the Tellusian government decided that particular part of the city would benefit from riverside properties.’
‘What? You mean to tell me that the ship is on the river?’
The female true believer shook her head.
‘Not unless it can float.’
Vorn’s eyes opened wide for a moment as he realised what she was saying.
‘Oh, that’s just great. So the Valiant Crusader is not only heavily damaged but is now at the bottom of the river?’
Jenevieve smiled at him.
‘See? I told you that you wouldn’t like it.’
EIGHTY THREE
They left the Interstellar Library and caught the futuristic monorail back to the park. Walking across the neatly manicured lawns, Izikiel found himself wondering about Jenevieve. The female true believer appeared to be human, although he had been deceived before. She also looked like she was in her late twenties. Glancing over at the little girl, he realised that this too could be a deception. Despite his doubts, his instincts told him that she was what she appeared to be. That troubled him greatly as each of the three Guardians had one thing in common; they had all been personally recruited for their task almost a thousand years ago by the second disciple, Sofija.
‘Is this it?’ Vorn asked.
Jenevieve nodded her head.
The river stretched out before them, sparkling in the sunlight. A number of hovercraft moved this way and that, churning up the water. A flock of small white birds circled above searching for food. Of the Valiant Crusader, there was no sign.
‘You’re sure it’s down there?’ Vorn asked.
‘Yes. This location corresponds exactly to the ancient landing pad,’ the female true believer replied. ‘Like I said, it’s at the bottom of the river.’
‘How do we get it out?’ Jonas asked.
‘Will it fly under water?’ Cassandra asked, turning towards Vorn.
‘No,’ he replied, shaking his head. ‘It’s sustained too much damage. We’d need to repair it first and I can’t see how that would be possible under so much water.’
Izikiel had a sudden thought.
‘What if we moved the ship back in time? Surely they could repair it easily back then?’
‘No,’ Jenevieve stated firmly. ‘You cannot bring those parts into the future for you would interfere with the flow of time. I’m afraid that you’ll have to find a way to repair the ship here.’
‘Any ideas, Vorn?’ Izikiel asked.
‘There is one but it’s not something that I’m very keen on.’
‘Why is that?’
‘Because it involves going to the authorities, the same ones who threatened to kill me for stealing their ship ten years ago and then blackmailed me into transporting the nuclear flare bombs.’
‘But you did what they asked?’
‘Yes, but we also lost the nuclear flare bombs,’ Vorn replied. ‘So I’m not sure how I can go to them and tell them that not only did I lose twenty five of the most powerful weapons known to mankind but that I also need their help to repair a ship which I stole from them in the first place.’
‘Good point,’ Izikiel said. ‘How do you get yourself into these situations?’
‘Just lucky, I guess,’ Vorn replied, grinning.
Izikiel considered the problem for a moment. At least if they still had the nuclear flare bombs then they’d have a valuable bargaining chip. Without them they would be walking into a potentially hostile confrontation with an already suspicious Tellusian government. If only there was something else they could offer instead.
‘Wait, what exactly did they want with the nuclear flare bombs?’ Izikiel
asked.
Vorn spread his hands.
‘I honestly don’t know. There are plenty of conventional weapons which are nearly as devastating and Tellus has the largest fleet of functioning star ships of all the colonies.’
‘But they wanted flare bombs specifically?’
‘Yes’
Izikiel smiled as realisation dawned on him. Looking around at the towering steel and glass sky scrapers he remembered the devastation caused by the Void Lords in the future.
‘Call whoever you need to and tell them that you need to speak to the Tellusian government,’ Izikiel said.
‘What? But what if they ask about the nuclear flare bombs?’
‘Tell them you have something far more powerful to offer them instead.’
‘And that is...?’
Looking at the ship captain, Izikiel’s gaze flicked to Jenevieve and Cassandra standing next to them. Both appeared to be attractive young women without a care in the world. But looks could certainly be deceiving as he had learned over the past couple of days. Turning his attention back to Vorn, he said, ‘Tell them that you travel in the company of three true believers who are here to help them fight the Void Lords.’
EIGHTY FOUR
It took about five minutes from the moment Vorn contacted the Tellusian government until a quad-winged transport ship alighted on the grass next to them. Its metallic hull sparkled a deep shade of blue as a rear hatch peeled open and a dozen heavily armed soldiers filed out. Surrounding them, they lowered their weapons to a firing position and waited. Moments later, a man dressed in black leggings with a long black coat emerged from the transport ship. His narrow grey eyes took in every detail around him as he ran his hand through his thick black hair. Walking towards Vorn, he stopped in front of the ship captain. A slow smile spread across his face as he spoke.
‘I must say that I never expected to see you on Tellus.’
‘You mean after you ambushed me and threatened to kill me if I didn’t deliver twenty five nuclear flare bombs to your government?’
‘Why yes, that’s exactly right,’ the man replied as his smile widened. ‘Yet here you are and now it appears that you need my help.’
‘Believe me, this wasn’t my first choice, Gavin.’
‘I bet. So tell me; why should I help you? What can you possibly have to offer to compensate for your acts of piracy and inability to fulfil a simple government request?’
Vorn cast a guarded glance at Izikiel and then at Cassandra. The reluctance was evident in his eyes as he seemed unable to give them up to this unknown government operative.
‘Just as I thought, you have nothing,’ the man named Gavin snarled. ‘Arrest them all and take them for processing. We’ve wasted enough time here.’
The soldiers moved forward. Vorn still seemed unable or unwilling to reveal who they were. That left only one thing for Izikiel to do.
‘Wait!’ he said.
Gavin stopped. Turning around, his grey eyes focused on Izikiel.
‘Who are you?’ he asked.
‘My name is Izikiel and I have something far more valuable to offer you than the nuclear flare bombs.’
The man laughed. It was a sharp and stinging sound which made Izikiel flinch. Looking around at his companions, he realised that there was a lot at stake here.
‘There is nothing more valuable than a nuclear flare bomb at the moment. If you knew what we were fighting against then you would understand that.’
‘You mean the Void Lords?’ Izikiel asked.
Whatever form of government operative Gavin was, he had certainly been trained to keep his emotions well hidden. He didn’t even flinch at the mention of the creatures of the Void. Instead, he moved closer to Izikiel.
‘You know of the Void Lords?’
‘Yes and I have defeated one of them already. We can help you fight against them.’
‘Preposterous. No one man can defeat a Void Lord,’ Gavin said, shaking his head.
‘I am a true believer of the Eternal Flame, the only force in the Universe capable of stopping the creatures of the Void.’
A faint murmur passed through the soldiers surrounding them as the government operative fell back a step. He stared wide eyed at Izikiel for a moment. Just as quickly, his eyes refocused and he called out.
‘Seize them! If they truly are what they claim to be then we will not give them another opportunity to deceive us as they did centuries ago.’
Izikiel’s mind reeled as two soldiers grabbed him roughly by the arms. How could these people believe that the true believers had acted against them? To accuse those who had laid down their lives in defence of the rest of humanity was preposterous. Not only that, it was insulting. Izikiel thought of all those who had perished on Vesta defending their belief, those that had stood as a bastion of light against the darkness of the Void. Then his thoughts turned to Da’Amo and to the fall of New Babylon. He would not allow their memory to be perverted in this fashion. He felt the heat building within him as he reached outwards.
(‘Don’t’)
Looking around, his eyes focused on Jenevieve. The female Guardian shook her head.
(‘Why? They insult the memory of those who have fallen and desecrate the sacred name of the Eternal Flame,’) he shot back.
(‘I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do anything, just not now. Another way will present itself. Trust in the Flame, disciple.’) Izikiel frowned. Had she looked into the future and seen what would happen? He was fairly certain that she hadn’t disappeared during their entire exchange with the Tellusian government forces. Then again, he barely understood the time travel ability, certainly not to the extent that someone who had been using it for centuries did. That’s when he realised how Jenevieve had survived for so long. Her unique ability allowed her to skip in and out of time at will. She could very well have met Sofija nine centuries ago and still be as young as she appeared to be.
(‘Alright,’) he agreed.
The soldiers led them towards the transport ship. Pushing them inside, they seated them on a narrow bench and stood on the opposite wall with weapons drawn.
‘Captain, make sure your men keep a close eye on the captives,’ Gavin instructed as he disappeared into the forward portion of the ship.
Moments later, the floor below Izikiel’s feet shook and the vessel lifted into the air. The lush green trees of the park disappeared behind them as the ship flew over the river and past a series of blue green buildings. Banking left, it followed the course of the river until a familiar looking domed structure materialised out of the city sprawl. Izikiel was only slightly surprised to find that the statues looked the same as they had over a thousand years ago. Realising that the force field must keep the effects of the environment at bay, he allowed himself to be led inside the Calligrates Palace along with the others.
‘I thought you said that the Calligrates family no longer ruled over Tellus?’ Izikiel asked.
‘They don’t,’ Vorn replied. ‘But their ancient family home has been preserved and now serves as the seat of government.’
They reached the central audience chamber. A number of similarly dressed men stood at one end of the chamber. Instead of the dais, there was now a long table with identical chairs at one end, while the rest of the chamber looked just as it had the first time Izikiel had seen it. A thousand years ago, no less. The time travel ability was certainly the most awe inspiring of the Eternal Flame’s gifts to its followers, Izikiel realised.
Walking forward, the government operative addressed the grey suited men.
‘Prime Minister, this is the merchant ship captain, Vorn, who stole our finest ship the Valiant Crusader. Following our apprehension of him we offered him the chance to redeem himself by procuring for us twenty five nuclear flare bombs. He failed to do this and has now returned to Tellus. Not only has the ship sustained heavy damage and Vorn failed to deliver the specified items but he has brought true believers here.’
A murmur ran through the grey su
ited men. After a moment, one of them spoke. There was something very familiar about his long, curved nose and defined cheekbones.
‘If these people are really true believers as they claim to be, then we will not tolerate their presence for another moment. My ancestors were deceived by them, which almost led to the downfall of the Calligrates family. I will not allow the same fate to befall our people now.’
Realisation hit Izikiel like a bolt of lightning on a clear summer day. The Prime Minister was a Calligrates. Which meant that he was descended directly from the Matriarch. He smiled inwardly as he realised that Jenevieve had been right. There was another way.
Closing his eyes, Izikiel suddenly realised that he had never used the time travel ability before. Or had he? If he was about to travel back in time, that meant that he would also return to this time. Which meant that he had used the ability in the past. That sort of thinking is really not going to help, he realised. Here goes nothing.
Focusing the power of the Eternal Flame, he uttered a single word in the ancient language.
‘Antequam’
EIGHTY FIVE
The time shift was instantaneous and barely perceptible. One moment, Izikiel was standing in front of the Prime Minister. The next, he was looking at a startled group of officials. Seeing the surprise evaporate from their faces, Izikiel knew what was coming next.
‘Guards!’ one of them called out.
A dozen heavily armed men sprinted towards him from the other side of the vast chamber, their reinforced boots echoing on the marbled floor. Izikiel remained perfectly still as the Calligrates’ guards surrounded him.
‘Stay where you are,’ a commanding voice rang out across the chamber.
Izikiel spun around, not sure what to expect. A sense of relief washed over him as he beheld the familiar countenance of the Matriarch. She looked the same as the first time that he had met her. Once again, he found himself marvelling at the fact that such a small and seemingly fragile person could rule over the most advanced world in the human colonies.
‘Stand down, captain,’ the Matriarch ordered as she descended the steps from the raised dais. Turning her attention to Izikiel, she added, ‘I will see you in my private chamber.’
