Retaliation (William of Archonia Book 2)

by Jarod Meyer

  As they made their approach William spotted hundreds of souls roaming freely around the island. Many appeared filthy and unkempt. Fresh souls from Gabe.

  His boots hit the ground and he spied his recruits. They looked like a group of thugs out in the yard of a prison. Even the brands upon their chests made them look like a gang. They huddled together, but when they saw William they opened their circle and approached the guards unafraid of them. huh maybe I can be their gang leader.

  He was forced forward by the guards who jerked the chain around his neck. The collar dug into his neck uncomfortably. They made their way through the only entrance in the tower. He could see the diamond teeth of the portcullis ready to drop at a moment’s notice to keep things out. Or keep them in I guess. He said to himself after he passed a barred cell. This whole place must be some sort of prison. He admitted the geography would be able to keep anyone but an Archonian soldier trapped

  Gabriel had once told him that to be imprisoned in this world was merely symbolic. This must have not always been the case. He had never heard nor read about this place because it had probably not been used for a very long time.

  William stopped when he saw Katrina in one of the cells. She was bound with chains. As he stopped the whole battalion leading him jerked to a halt.

  These men were supposed to be Archonian. Why were they so feeble?

  The strength that Karma had given him coupled with the training he had undergone with Meredox had put him out of everyone’s reach it seemed. He had seen enough already. The men leading him were sentinels not meant to be the most powerful warriors. They were merely keepers of the peace. This troubled him. Should Dichonia somehow make it through the barriers these men wouldn’t be able to stand against the sheer numbers again. They had gotten lucky the first time.

  “Warriors of Archonia. Thank you for your service. Leave this place, and tell your master Mikael that I have reclaimed my people. These tainted souls will be taken to a safe place where we will live in peace. I pray that your lord will leave us alone,” William said courteously, but abruptly.

  The guards looked at one another and laughed. He spotted Juarez in a cell. To his complete surprise, Brock was in another. The spectacle was obvious to anyone in the cells, and he heard his friends begin shouting. The guards began beating against the cell doors, telling them to quiet. Whoever made the restraints securing his friends must have been powerful. The same people must have created his, because he strained and couldn’t break them.

  “You must be joking, tainted one. These chains were forged by Vulcanus himself at the Greige forge,” a guard said.

  Oh I know they weren’t. William had spent all of the previous night thinking of a way to escape these strong bonds that they had placed upon him. These chains wouldn’t lightly be broken if they were forged by Vulcanus, but they would bear the physical similarities to metal that Vulcanus loved so much.

  Still smirking at the sentinel who had commented William released his inner energy, and his aura engulfed him. His eyes and his mouth spouted the energy, and his body became superheated. Nothing happened at first except for the guards being startled, but slowly he felt a change in the metal. It began to expand, and melt. He pushed harder, and his energy increased so much that it shook the foundations of the tower.

  Brock, Katrina, Juarez, and some of the other guardians began to follow suit. Their chains were much smaller.

  “Come, my brothers! “Break free!” he yelled triumphantly as the manacle surrounding his neck, arms, and legs fell free, smoldering red with heat. Some of the guards tried to fight, but William and Katrina were already free, and zipping through the small, enclosed tower space, taking them down. They made sure not to kill any of sentinels, but they were also making sure they wouldn’t get back up in a hurry. Brock was out next then Juarez, and the rest of the captured guardians.

  They swept the room, and others helped free the lesser tainted souls who hadn’t been able to project yet. The remaining sentinels fled to carry William’s message on to the leaders of Archonia. His friends raced to him, nearly suffocating him with hugs and shouts of joy.

  “William, you made it back,” Juarez said.

  “We thought we had lost you,” Katrina said, kissing him on the cheek. Brock even grabbed him in a hug, and was surprised he could barely move him.

  “Your armor, little brother!” he shouted as he realized the change.

  “Are you still one of us?” the giant man asked.

  “To the death, my friends, and beyond,” he assured him.

  “William, what happened to you in the underworld?” Samuel asked.

  “I will tell you all the story, but we must get out of this place first,” he said.

  How many are there?” William asked.

  “At least one hundred guardians. They would not stand for this. Achilles could do nothing. He had to side with the Synod so that he could stay in control,” Brock said.

  “How many new souls did Gabriel send us?” William asked, but the room filled up quickly as more dropped from the sky or were floated down by guardians.

  “Gabriel has been busy,” William exclaimed, surveying the crowd.

  “I spoke with him,” Brock said. “He came to me in a dream. He swears that all of these men are good men. They need the right push.”

  “Well, we will give it to them. Let us go,” he replied.

  Though the new souls outnumbered the guardians each one could carry at least three if not more. Brock had six scooped up in his arms and on his back. They looked terrified, but the situation was explained to all of them upon arrival, and they all agreed to leave.

  William recognized some of his original recruits who still had shaved heads, and their six brands upon their bodies. They saluted him, and he bowed his head in approval.

  “Follow me!” William shouted, and took off. William took the long way around Helios. No sense in trying to provoke anyone, but his new refuge was on the opposite side of the city to the southwest. By the time the sun was almost halfway behind the mountains they descended like a flock of birds upon the river that William picked.

  To his amazement he found small structures already constructed out of stone. The refugees had begun to make themselves a home. He saw Georgia and approached her.

  “Innovative,” William said, looking around as he glided to the ground. The many hundreds of others touched down behind him as well, and the small group of refugees stopped their working, and approached.

  “These are my brothers, and they are now yours as well,” William said. The two groups came together almost immediately, mingling and shaking hands.

  “It seems that you have found us a new home,” Georgia said, hugging William. Katrina walked up beside William and glared at her.

  “Don’t worry, Katrina, she is just a friend,” he said. They slowly shook hands.

  For the next few days William was on edge. He kept an eye on the horizon, waiting for the armies of Archonia to descend. Buildings went up with unnatural speed. The older veterans projected the materials, and the new souls built with them. They weren’t the same intricate houses and buildings made by the rest of Archonia, but they were sturdy.

  The large stones projected by the veterans were heavy, moving them was much like recruit training, and William wanted these soldiers to be ready for what was coming. Whether it was the forces of Archonia or the forces of Dichonia, they would need to be able to fight. When they weren’t working on the new settlement they were training, and William worked as hard as any of them.

  Juarez walked up from behind William and patted him on the shoulder as he wiped some sweat from his brow. The sun was setting and William gazed out at the horizon.

  “This is a great society that you are building here. What will you call it?” Juarez asked.

  “A place for tainted souls to find a new start. To make up for things they did on Earth. I think we should call it Redemption,” William said.

  “A fitting name, amigo,” Juarez
responded.

  It was a fitting name.

  For now it would do, anyway. Katrina soon joined the two, then Brock and a few of the refugees. They all looked up to him as he stood on a half-finished building with the sun setting behind him. Katrina jumped up and pecked William on the cheek, and wound her hand between his. He smiled to himself. He finally had a little piece of heaven to himself. After all his trials it seemed that he had friends, a home, and happiness.

  The question was how long would it last. With the threat of Luxor still looming, and the forces of Archonia waiting for a chance to retaliate, this small band of tainted souls would look to him for guidance. Could he really lead these people? Brock and Meredox had been around much longer than he had. Perhaps they could aid him. He quickly dismissed these thoughts from his mind, it still weary from his trip to Dichonia. For now he would enjoy the time he had and spend it with the people he cared about.

  End

  Epilogue

  “Commander Achilles, how will you address this new threat to the realm?” Ibrahim asked the Guardian lord.

  “The armies of Archonia will not move against the tainted rebels. They pose no threat. William of Archonia, though he was hostile, did not kill any of our soldiers. Provoking him would only serve to bring death to our world. He can and still will be a powerful ally. Not only this, but he has made a secret pact with the enemy of the realm. His purpose for entering Dichonia was to act as a double agent to trick the fallen Archonian Luxor into an attack. William has arranged this meeting, and only he knows details of it,” the ancient warrior explained.

  “You put far too much trust into this tainted soul, Achilles,” Athena said.

  “I was never the one to trust this soul. It was your Archon Gabriel. I have gauged the man on his honor, courage, and decisive action. He has saved this world once already. He is now ten times more powerful, and capable of destroying it or saving it. The choice is his, and it would be wise to keep him on our side,” Achilles finished.

  Just then the doors clattered open, and Mikael, lord of the sentinels stormed into the room.

  “My lords, the sentinels are ready to move against the tainted souls, and their settlement,” he said, coming to an abrupt halt next to Achilles, and saluting elegantly. Achilles turned, watching the veteran leader curiously.

  “The forces of Archonia will not be moving against the tainted ones. Thy pose no threat to the realm,” Achilles finally said. Mikael turned to face Achilles, looking him square in the eyes.

  “My lords I pray that you will allow me to dispatch our enemies, beginning with this tainted soul in front of me,” Mikael stated.

  Achilles quickly summoned his armor the Synod members gasping.

  “Enough! I will not have civil conflict within this realm!” Socrates shouted, astounding even the council members around him.

  “Lord Achilles is still in command of the armies of Archonia, Mikael, and you would do well to remember that. Achilles, the threat that William poses to the realm cannot be ignored. We must learn the particulars of Luxor’s plot.”

  Achilles and Mikael nodded, slowly, neither taking their eyes off the other.

  The William of Archonia series continues in Desolation - coming 2018.

  SPECIAL THANKS

  I would like to thank all my friends who have supported the William of Archonia series thus far. Each purchase and review left means the world to me. Thank you to my Beta readers: Sasha Hendrickson, Alexander Gibbons, and Brenda Meyer for being such great friends that I could count on to help me complete this book. And finally to Mr. Aaron Bunce, who has been a friend, mentor, and has put many hours of time into this project. Please do me a huge favor and check out his Overthrown Series.

  ARCHONIAN CALENDAR

  Days of the week: Archonian clock:

  1. Sunday day of the sun 50 seconds – 1 minute

  2. Moonday day of the moon 50 minutes – 1 hour

  3. Archday day of the Archonia 100 hours – 1 day

  4. Dichday day of Dichonia 10 days – 1 week

  5. Earthday day of earth 10 weeks – 1 month

  6. Windday day of wind 10 months - year

  7. Waterday day of water

  8. Fireday day of fire

  9. Sabbaday Sabbath day

  10. Mediday day of rest

  Months of the year:

  1. Benetoch Brahma

  2. Militoch Othin

  3. Sedetoch Gaia

  4. Antioch Ammun

  5. Protioch Prometheus

  6. Valetoch Allah

  7. Lucetoch Lucifer

  8. Gabioch Gabriel

  9. Kronioch Kronos

  10. Helitoch Creators

  ARCHONIAN MILITARY

  The Guardian Corps:

  Commander: 1

  Generals: 10

  Lieutenants: 100

  Captains: 1000

  Warriors: 100,000

  Recruits: as many as needed

  The Adjudicator Corps:

  Grand Justicars: 10

  Justicars: 100

  Judges: 1000

  Arbitrators: 10,000

  The Purge: as many as selected

  The Sentinel Corps:

  Commander: 1

  Chiefs: 100

  Officers: 10,000

  Captains: 1,000,000

  Peacekeepers: 1,000,000,000+

  LOCATIONS:

  Archonia: The immortal world outside of the physical boundaries of the universe. It was created by the Archons as a place for mankind’s souls to dwell after their mortal life.

  Astoria: A dense and unyielding forest covering the northeastern reaches of Archonia, surrounding the valley of Jharana. Trees as old as mankind spread their roots in this land, their highest arms brushing the clouds.

  Dichonia: The immortal world that was created by the Archon’s Kronos and Othin on the same plane of existence as Archonia, made as a prison for their brother Lucifer who betrayed them all.

  Earth: The mortal plane of existence bearing physical boundaries of a massive universe.

  Garden of Medina: a place of life, and great beauty in Archonia. Every plant in it was created by an Archonian’s projections.

  Greige forge: Where Archonian warriors go to create their armor. Found at the peak of Mt. Olympus. This is the final trial to become an Archonian soldier. Home to the ancient Archonian Vulcanus

  Helios: The city of light where the majority of untainted Archonian souls dwell in peace. It is the home of the great Synod and the location of Valhalla the center of military forces of Archonia.

  Ionia: Another city that dwells within the light. It is the location of one of the obelisks of protection created by the life force of the Archon Brahma.

  Jannahamn / Refuge: A city which floats in the great abyss. Once a fortress for the tyrant Hades it now stands as a safe haven to unbroken souls of Dichonia. The sprawling urban utopia offers all the comforts of a modern life in an otherwise unforgiving wasteland.

  Oblivion: beyond the great mountains surrounding Archonia there lays an endless fog. Space where time has no meaning and even the immortal souls of Archonia can’t exist. Perhaps a way to contain the power of the Archons set down by the creators. Little is understood about this place.

  Ovaria: Another city that dwells within the light. It is the location of another obelisk of protection created by the life force of the Archon Ammun.

  Scione: pronounced (zion); a great city that houses the soldiers that guard the white ward, a great wall of stone separating the light and shadow. Enchanted with the power of the two obelisks of protection it is the barrier that keeps the evil of Dichonia at bay.

  Sepulcher: A territory in Dichonia ruled by the master Vanity. On the north eastern side of the great abyss Vanity’s minions live a tribal lifestyle surrounding his fortress providing comfort and safety to its owner.

  Shambhala: a peaceful mountain community deep in the northwestern mountains of Archonia. Monks from all different religions and creeds dwell here seek
ing peace, quiet, and solitude. It is the quietest place in Archonia.

  Tripura: (Iron/Silver/Gold) This resort was created to mimic the mythological city in Hindu made of three cities: One on earth, one in the sky, and one in the heavens. In Archonia this three tiered city has become a reality and is a popular vacation spot for a land that is already in a state of continuous rest and celebration.

  Valchonia: The spirit world between the mortal and immortal worlds. Archonian essences that have not been chosen to live in Archonia linger here until they are either taken to Dichonia by demons known as reapers or are destroyed.

  Valley of Jharana: A place in Archonia where all the waters flow. The mighty falls usher a never ending torrent of water which scours and protects a small island where the tower of Renningad stands. A crystal fortress used as a prison during the war of souls.

  Soul forms: (from whole to most broken)

  Archonian: A soul that has never been broken twisted or otherwise damaged. These are most often seen right at the end of ones mortal life as long as the soul was not damaged due to perverse acts on the mortal plain.

  Fallen Archonian: This is the same soul state as Archonian except that this title is given to souls who appear gray or impure. Often these souls are mistakenly labeled Dichonian.

  Dichonian: A soul that maintains its Archonian abilities but has been fundamentally broken in two by one or more heinous acts usually committed by the soul itself.

  Demon-Hybrid: A soul that has been damaged multiple times and begins to take on forms that seem humanoid but bear clear signs of corruption.

  Demon: A soul that has completely lost its original identity. It is now something of pure anger and hatred. It takes the form of small decrepit goblin-like creatures, large brute-like creatures and the floating sinister wraith-like Reapers.

  Spawn: the lowest form of a soul which has been so twisted and damaged that it is scarcely a soul at all. It may even be only a small piece of a soul. Forms appear as Tera-Spawn, Wyrms, zombie-like walking corpses, and small sludge-like puddles of black tar.