The Marilians

by Beth Worsdell

  By the time we arrived in the angels’ hanger, my sense of dread was back. I couldn’t bear to be away from James and the kids, and the thought of James walking away and leaving me made me feel distraught. James didn’t need to sense what I was feeling because it was written all over my face.

  “You have to do this, baby,” he said.

  I felt like my heart was being crushed in my chest.

  “I know,” I told him, “but that doesn’t make this any easier, does it.”

  My husband pulled me close, and he wrapped his arms around me. I could hear his heart pounding when I laid my head against his chest. It was taking all my emotional strength to keep my tears at bay.

  When he released me, I turned away, unable to look at my husband again for fear of breaking down. I boarded the waiting craft with the other women and kids who had been on the main craft working or seeing their angel friends. It didn’t seem real that it was happening; the Marilians were finally arriving.

  As I sat on the craft looking at all the women and kids’ scared faces who were boarding or who had already sat down, I realized that I couldn’t go to Cubanaz. I wanted to protect my husband and kids, and I knew that being in the underwater city without them was going to be torture. Right there and then, I made up my mind ‘I’m staying to fight,’ I told myself. I knew it was the right decision the moment I made it. I rose from my seat, and I had to push my way through the people who were still trying to board as gently as possible. One or two gave me curious and worried looks as I struggled to get off the craft.

  As soon as I was free from the small ship and away from the people, I stood for a moment, bent over with my hands on my knees, desperately trying to catch my breath and steady my pounding and racing heart. I could sense that my baby girl felt like I was doing the right thing, which made it a little easier to calm down. ‘What should I do now?’ I thought as my mind reeled with fresh uncertainty. ‘Get some battle gear on, yes that’s what I need to do,’ I told myself.

  I felt a determination that I hadn’t felt for a long time, and the kids and James kept popping into my head, making the feeling grow more intensely. With the newfound purpose coursing through me, I began to stride out of the hanger to make my way back to our rooms. I passed so many angels on my way down the pearlescent corridors, and many of them looked utterly surprised to see me, but none of them said a word. They only looked at my face and felt my emotions before continuing on to wherever they were going, ‘yeah, nothing’s going to stop me protecting my family.’

  When I reached our rooms and went inside; there was no one to be seen. Without wasting any time, I went to the bathroom area where James had left his spare battle gear. His fighting gear was made up of army and navy combat kits from the bases, where the guys had got their supplies from. The men didn’t care whether it was army gear or navy gear, they just took what looked to be the best protection. It was a true blessing that I was slight and athletic in build with a normally smallish waist, and that James was a large muscular man in comparison. Otherwise, there was no way that I would have been able to fit into the battle gear before me.

  Bit by bit, I put everything on, the combat trousers, which were snug around my bump, to say the least. The combat top was tight around my now very pert and larger breasts, and luckily, the holders for ammo were adjustable. I used a lace from a spare pair of boots to tie my hair in a French braid, and by the time I was finished, I felt ready to take anyone on.

  Chapter 18

  As I stood in the back of our main living area, I felt like a badass pregnant version of Lara Croft from Tomb raider. Something deep inside was telling me that my baby girl and I were protected, and I trusted that feeling. I knew that James was going to be furious when he discovered that I hadn’t left with the others to go to Cubanaz, so I decided that I would need some back up before facing him.

  I touched the communication device at my throat, and I reached out to the elders, ‘Lindaz, Evest can you hear me?’ I asked with my mind.

  ‘We can hear you Mel, and I can still feel you on board,’ Lindaz said with confusion ringing in her words. ‘Where are you?’ She asked.

  ‘I’m in our rooms, I couldn’t leave with the others,’ I told them both, knowing Evest could still hear everything, ‘Something was telling me to fight and that I’d be needed.’

  There was a pause before they spoke again, and I suddenly felt nervous. ‘We understand, Mel. We will come and get you,’ Evest said kindly. Within seconds, there was a tap at the archway entrance to our rooms, and when I reached the archway, both of the elders were stood there waiting for me. Evest’s face wasn’t giving anything away, but Lindaz had a slight smirk on her face as if to say, ‘Yeah, as if you were going to stay behind’.

  “Shall we go?’ Evest asked with a warm smile.

  “Yes, let's do this, we need to kick some Marilian butt,” I told them both.

  Lindaz turned and smiled at her other half.

  “I like this feisty human,” she said as she actually winked at me, taking me by surprise.

  Her small gesture made me feel even more confident that I was doing the right thing.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as I followed the gliding angels, trying to keep up with them. They were so much bigger than Christik and the other angels, and they always seemed to glide quicker too.

  “We are going to the main meeting room first, to speak with Christik our one, and the viziers,” she explained.

  I wondered why they didn’t just flit us to the meeting room, but then I remembered how thoughtful their daughter was, and she’d probably already told them both that I wasn't too keen on doing it. When we reached the meeting room, it was filled with Christik and our angel friends. Christik, Hulaz, Harrik, Livik and Zanika were there, as well as Nalik. They all nodded in respect to me as I entered the room with the elders, and none of them seemed that surprised to see me apart from Nalik.

  “Mel, what are you still doing here?” He asked with concern, “James thinks that you are safe in Cubanaz!”

  “You didn’t really think she would not stay and fight with us, did you Nalik?” Christik asked with a smile on her beautiful face.

  I returned her smile as her eyes connected with mine. Nalik didn’t say another word. He only smiled as if to say, ‘I should have known better.’

  Christik turned to Hulaz, who was standing next to her in front of the large wooden meeting table.

  “Hulaz, if you would please.”

  Hulaz faced the table, and she began to raise her arms with her palms facing outwards, and they began to glow the silvery-white as she tapped into her power. Straightaway, the communication orb began to appear before us, filled with shimmering squares. One by one, the squares filled with the faces of the viziers from all the other main crafts that were scattered around our planet.

  As soon as the last square was filled in the shimmering and glowing orb, Christik began to address them first, dipping her head in respect.

  “Viziers, as you are all aware, the Marilians are here, and it is a matter of hours before they arrive. Are all our friends who are not fighting safely in our underwater cities?” She asked them.

  One by one, they all confirmed that the other human survivors were safe, and the holding structures were empty, apart from angels who were lying in wait.

  “We will be leaving shortly to be with our human counterparts; please make sure that your camouflaged angels and your ambushes are ready for action,” she ordered, “Also, make sure that the water supplies are full for our use.”

  The viziers all acknowledged her orders, and the elders seemed suitably impressed with how Christik was handling the whole situation. As I stood with them, I could feel their pride as they watched their daughter with interest.

  “Make sure all our angels stay with their human counterparts, Viziers, we cannot lose any more life,” Christik told them before dipping her head in farewell.” The angels exchanged dipped heads in respect to their leader, and one by one, the
squares inside the orb disappeared. As soon as they were all gone, Hulaz lowered her dimming hands back down to her sides, and the orb was gone.

  When Christik and the angels turned to leave the meeting room, Evest held up his slender but large hand to stop them.

  “I know we have not used them for a while off our planet, but I think we should bring the Longs to earth to help us,” he told Christik, “Tianlong, Shenlong, Yinglong and Qiulong.

  All of the angels were suddenly wide-eyed with surprise or maybe shock. I wasn’t quite sure which.

  “They have not been off our planet since the ancient Chinese era,” Christik said in a definite surprised tone.

  “We may need them, Christik, and I think it would be wise to err on the side of caution, do you not think so,” Lindaz told her.

  I stood there like an idiot, looking between the elders and the angels, wondering what the hell they were talking about. When it didn’t seem like anyone was going to say anything, I couldn’t stop myself.

  “So, what are these long things?” I asked, not able to remember the words properly.

  Christik turned to face me.

  “They are what you would call dragons,” she said, “We have not brought them here since our last visit with your ancient Chinese civilizations.”

  Things were really starting to fall into place and make more sense with the angels. My mom had always loved anything oriental, and I believed it was due to my grandfather having traveled all over the world when he was in the navy. She still had gifts he’d brought her from his travels up until the day she died. Most of the gifts she had were decorated with stunning dragons. I was totally stunned to find out that they were actually real.

  “I can't believe dragons are real, this is crazy, James and the kids are going to go nuts,” I told them.

  I knew they didn’t understand what I meant just by their faces.

  “You know what they’re like around animals. Can you imagine how they’ll react when they find out that mystical dragons are actually real!” I blurted out.

  They all smiled at the thought of my family's reaction.

  “So, how are we going to get them here and quickly?” I asked as I looked at Lindaz.

  “The Longs, or dragons as you call them, will come through the same star passage that we arrived through,” Lindaz said calmly.

  “Then let's get going,” I said to them, still feeling like a true badass.

  Before long, we were all on a small craft heading back to Peru with Christik piloting. I was stressing out about James and my kids, wondering where they were and what they were doing. I wanted to be with them desperately, but I knew we needed to get the dragons first. The thought of the dragons still didn’t seem real, and I couldn’t wait to meet them. I could feel that my daughter was excited, her emotions felt very strong as she wriggled around.

  Harrik was sitting next to me on one side, and Hulaz was on the other; she reached over, and she took my hand in hers. Her calming power gently flowed into me from my hand, up my arm and through the rest of my tense body. I could feel all my tight and tense muscles relaxing immediately. It was better than any massage my husband had ever given me, ‘Not that I’d tell James that, ‘I thought.

  “You do not need to worry about your family, Mel,” Hulaz told me quietly, “They are with their angel counterparts, don’t forget, and they will be protected.”

  It didn’t really matter how reassuring Hulaz was because I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully relax until I was with them.

  “We are here,” Christik said as the craft began to slow down.

  The craft descended smoothly, and it touched down on the arid, dusty ground without even the slightest jolt. Christik disconnected with the craft, and I watched as the silvery vines melted back into the sides of the ship. Christik turned and faced us all.

  “We all know how feisty and mischievous the Longs can be, so we need to tell them immediately that they are here for a battle,” she said with a slightly worried tone.

  The angels and elders nodded in agreement, and as Christik passed me to open the craft, I heard her in my mind. “Stand with the elders Mel, the Longs are very powerful, and I do not want you to get accidentally hurt.” I nodded to her, and my nervousness began to grow. I let the angels and elders disembark the craft first, and I followed behind Evest.

  Peru was hot, and the sun was high in the sky; its heat warmed my skin within seconds. We walked and glided the short distance to the Gate of the Gods, and as we approached, I was again in awe of its size and natural beauty. The sun shone on the pink stone and glistened against the gold that was still embedded in the grooves and the disc inside the alcove. Without saying a word, Christik approached the gate while the rest of us stopped about fifty feet away. Lindaz and Evest flanked me instinctively, which made me feel a little safer.

  Just like before, Christik raised her arms with her palms facing the Gate of the Gods, and her hands started to glow bright white as she tapped into her power. The hieroglyphs in the long, gold groves began to melt, and the disc started to heat and become molten too. Within minutes, the gold was a fluid liquid, and I watched in amazement as the golden shining disc started to swirl. The wind whipped up around us, and I could feel the dry soil being blown against my legs. Faster and faster, the gold moved, making a whirlpool; then all of a sudden, the gate was gone and in its place was the shimmering barrier.

  “Tianlong, Shenlong, Yinglong and Qiulong, we summon you to this world. You are needed!” Christik bellowed above the noise of the wind.

  My heart was beating faster in my chest, a mix of nerves and excitement. Sensing what I was feeling, Lindaz placed her hand on the center of my shoulder, letting her calming power flow through me. I was too anxious to look at her to say thank you, but I knew she would be feeling my gratitude through her touch.

  We waited and waited; the anticipation was palpable in the air. Then the shimmering barrier seemed to pulse with power, and a bright green scaled foot slipped through and landed on the ground. Its talons were long, sharp and deadly. The other front leg of the dragon slipped through and then its sleek green head. We watched as it looked around with fiery red eyes. Its tendrils on either side of its face moved around as if trying to get a sense of its new environment. I could see two large horns protruding from the top of its head, and it looked very fierce.

  “Come forth Tian, we request your presence,” Christik said firmly.

  The dragon moved forward, allowing the rest of his body to come through the gate, and as it arrived, its whole body pulsed with energy while it grew in size before our eyes. As soon as it was through the star passage, it walked around us, lifting its head in the air as if it was taking in the scents in the air. Its body was long and almost snake-like, and its legs and the top of its body were a bright vivid green. Its underbelly was pale brown, and its dark brown horns stood out proudly against its brighter colors. When it reached Christik, it stopped and looked straight at her.

  “Why am I here?” Tian asked in a dry masculine and gravelly voice.

  Christik didn’t appear to be intimidated whatsoever as she held his gaze.

  “The Marilians are coming to try and destroy this planet, Tian. You have been summoned to fight with us,” she told him respectfully.

  Tian actually smiled at her words.

  “I will fight with you, Christik. The Marilians have taken enough,” he said forcefully.

  The barrier began to pulse and shimmer again, and this time, it was a dark blue dragon leg that came through. As the sun hit its scales, they turned pearlescent with a mix of blues and greens. Another leg came through, and I noticed that its feet were a pale green, and it had gold metal bands around each ankle. Next, the head slid through the barrier, and it was stunning. It had huge white horns with gold bands around the tops of them and longer scales on its forehead, making the dragon look as if it was wearing a crown. The dragon also had longer deep blue tendrils from its nose as well as leather looking frills on the back of it
s legs down its head and neck.

  Suddenly, the dragon raised its head, and it roared to the heavens. My whole body vibrated with the power of it. If its roar was any indication of what a powerful dragon it was, then the Marilians were going to get their arses kicked. The thought made me smile. As I watched, the dragon lowered its large head, and it slipped all the way through, again it grew in size as it emerged.

  “Welcome, Shen,” Christik said as she dipped her head.

  The dragon lowered its head in a bow before striding gracefully towards Tian. When it reached the other dragon; it brushed itself affectionately against Tian as if it was in love. I was so busy watching Shen and Tian that I didn’t notice that the third dragon was already coming through the star passage. The dragon was even more intimidating than the first two if that was possible. It was already three-quarters of the way out when I saw it and within seconds, its tail slipped through as its size doubled.

  “Wow,” I said in awe.

  “That is Qiu, he is the most powerful out of all of the Long,” Lindaz said with pride.

  “I can understand why” I replied as I took in his long muscular body

  All three of the dragons had long lizard type bodies, but Qiu’s body was rippling with powerful muscles under blood-red scales. His dark brown, almost black horns were twice as big as the others’ horns. His claws were gold and so was his nostrils and trim under his chin. Qiu’s whole head was surrounded with large razor-sharp scales and at the tip of his long tail were the same golden scales. Tendrils stuck out from the backs of his ankles, and all down his head and neck was a trail of sharp steel-colored scales rising along his spine.

  No sooner had Qiu’s tail come through than the next and last dragon came through, although not as elegantly as the others. We suddenly saw a blur of golds and browns spilling and spinning from the star passage. Suddenly, massive wings spread out from the dragon’s body, and they pierced the dry ground acting like anchors, stopping the dragon in its tracks.