Phoenix Rising: The Covenant (Phoenix Rising Infinitology Book 1)

by Angela Timms

  The final stand option proved fairly futile as the Prince’s fleet exited the corridors to join those already there and the Follower ships were hopelessly outnumbered. As their pilots had had instructions to arrive firing and there was no time to countermand that order they fired on the remaining ships until everyone was destroyed.

  Rennon just stared open mouthed at the scene in front of him. He scanned and scanned again. According to his scanners what he was seeing was what was there. His eyes and the screens were not deceiving him but he still tried alternative forms of scanning, checked and double checked. He smiled and mumbled to himself. “That went well.”

  The four stood ready to teleport. Joniel held Kyla’s hand and squeezed it tightly. They gave each other a very covert smile when they were sure that Kel wasn’t looking and broke hands as soon as he turned around. The Prince was checking his equipment and putting scanners into his boiler suit’s pockets.

  The Prince stood up straight as they all seemed to be finished with their preparations. “Well, if we are ready?”

  Everyone nodded.

  The Prince took a deep breath and held it. Let it out slowly. “Let’s go then.” He took a last look at the blue ball suspended in orbit around the fiery sun with its two moons. He took a deep breath and pressed the teleport and they disappeared from the Argo and appeared on the planet surface.

  The planet was tropical, the sun was warmly beating down and they were on the other side of the planet from where the fire fight had been going on. There were bright sparkles of light in the sky but these were mostly invisible due to the sunlight. None of them looked up, they focused on the area around them.

  They had arrived in a clearing in the undergrowth outside the entrance to a cave. The ground was bare, old shells and stones littering the golden sand. The cave was cut from sandstone and the entrance was bare of vegetation although around it there was a thick green moss with tendrils with orange buds at the tips. Weapons at the ready they formed up even though they knew there was only one life sign. Joniel put his hand on Kel’s arm and slipped into the darkness of the cave. Kel looked around at the Prince, his expression questioning. The Prince smiled. “It’s how he works best. We’ll leave him to it.”

  Joniel stepped into the darkness of the cave and moved around the walls. Once out of the glare of the sun and the entrance to the tunnel system he was able to stand for a moment, his back pressed against the wall. He let his vision get used to the darkness and to adapt so that it allowed him to see the temperature of the rock around him. He couldn’t see any detail but he could at least see where he was and where the side passageways were and anything warm and living in the cavern system. When he was satisfied that there were no changes in heat and no obvious traps either

  device in his hand

  electronic or manual he moved on. He had a which would have alerted him if it had detected anything, it was set to silent running. He grasped it carefully sensitive to its gentle warning vibration if it sensed anything.

  He moved forwards, blaster in hand, silently. He activated his personal shield and his feet rose up so he no longer left footprints and he could move forwards without fearing falling over any stone that remained unseen. He walked swiftly, moving from left to right along the tunnel and smelling the air as it became stale. He turned back and tried another side passageway until that became stale then he tried a third. This took him to a small cave. He could see there were things on the floor but as they were neither a threat nor living he continued on. To the right there was another tunnel and he could see a vague glow at the end of it.

  He turned the corner and slipped down the shadowy side of the corridor and came up to the cave entrance. He stopped and watched.

  Inside the cave an old man was sitting on a log. He was whittling a boat out of a piece of wood. Around him there were many other wooden sculptures of plants, animals and boats. He smiled to himself. “You think I can’t see you? Just because I’m old doesn’t mean that my eyesight is going. Come out into the light so that I may see you. I’m no threat to you.”

  Joniel stepped out into the light, turning off his shield. “I do not wish to harm you.”

  The old man looked into his radiant blue eyes. The old man’s eyes were watery and the lids were red. He had distinct bags under them and he looked tired. “I know you don’t. I’m no threat to you either, I’m no threat to anyone.”

  Joniel smiled but he looked stunned as he took in the old man’s age. “How long have you been here? By the way are you Erasimus Deck?”

  The old man looked at him and thought for a while. “I am, I haven’t heard that name spoken in such a long time. I have been a prisoner here for just over fifty years. You know who I am, who are you?”

  Joniel smiled as kindly as he knew how. “I am Joniel D’Aliachi which will mean nothing to you no doubt.”

  Erasimus shook his head. “You are right. You can’t leave you know. Nobody can. If you have come with others you are just as trapped now as I am.”

  Joniel smiled. “You don’t need to worry, I have devices that can get us out of here. May I bring my friends in to speak with you?”

  Erasimus smiled. “You can bring them all in, it won’t change anything and we might as well start getting to know each other.”

  The Prince, Kel and Kyla entered the cavern. Erasimus stood up when he saw Kyla. “Well this is an unexpected treat. I haven’t seen anyone in years and then I get all of you in a day. I’ll say the same again though, you can’t leave here.”

  Joniel smiled. “I don’t think that is correct.

  Erasimus smiled kindly. “Try it. If you believe you can leave then I’d love to be proven wrong.”

  Joniel pressed his wrist pad but nothing happened. He tried again and looked in horror at the others. “It is not working.”

  Erasimus smiled. “Oh its working alright, but you are caught between the dimensions here so it can neither get a lock on you or where you are going to. You, like me are now trapped. I should know, I created the device that trapped me here in the first place.”

  Joniel looked at him. “Was it a device?”

  Erasimus smiled. “It was. It was intended to provide me with my island paradise where I could start a community who lived with the earth in a way that was sustainable and self- sufficient. I came here to try out the device and I thought something had gone wrong. Then I realised that there had been nothing wrong with it that hadn’t been set up by my assistant. He had long been my right hand man and I had trusted him completely. He came here with me and I found something in his bag when it fell off of the table.”

  The Prince looked at the old man kindly. “What was in the bag?”

  Erasimus got up. “I’ll show you but you must promise not to touch. It would be devastating for us here if you do not keep well away from what I am going to show you. Come with me.”

  He picked up a brand from the fire and took them down a small narrow corridor. At the end of the corridor there was a small cave with a makeshift table in it. On the table there was a bag which was lying on its side. Laying around it and in it were spherical pods. They seemed to be purple balls with holes in them. Through the holes they could see a gelatinous ball with worms swimming around in the liquid. Erasimus pointed to them. “They will not hatch until they make contact with a living being. Then they will hatch and take over that being. This was where the accident happened. My assistant found them on a visit to a planet looking for botanical samples. He had brought them with him here to study them. When the bag fell over one of them touched him. He was sick for days but as I watched he began to change. The gentle and loving boy I’d known became a selfish tyrannical monster. Then I realised that the ball that had touched him was now empty, the worms had sought him out and had somehow got into him. He began to physically change as well. He began to grow a bony like structure over his whole body.

  We weren’t trapped then. I saw what he was becoming and I knew he would be a threat to anyone he came into contact w
ith so I sabotaged the equipment hoping to trap him or us here. Well I succeeded but I had no idea he had a teleport device so he teleported out when he realised what I was doing just as I activated the device, leaving me here. He took my work, my writings about Utopia and my notebook. He got out but I couldn’t, I activated the device the moment he teleported out and that left me here on my own. He was very lucky, the timing was split second. He left me with nothing, not even paper and a pen to write with.” The old man slumped down onto a chair then got up quickly. “We must not stay in this cavern. There may be another accident. Come on lets go back to my cave. We can talk about what we are going to do next.”

  The Prince sat down on a log by the fire. “I’ve really screwed up this time haven’t I?” His head was in his hands and Kyla sat down beside him and put her arm around his shoulders.

  Joniel stepped over and put his hand on the Prince’s shoulder. “Not yet. We have the answer, now all we have to do is get home.”

  Kel grunted. “I wish Rennon was here.”

  The Prince looked up and a flash of a smile shot across his face. “I’m glad he isn’t. He may be our only hope to get out of here. How does your device work?”

  Erasimus thought for a while. “It originally worked to shift this whole planet out of phase. When I broke it, it shifted it out of dimension as well and its flashing between the dimensions so it is never in one dimension long enough to get a lock with my equipment. You don’t think in all these years I haven’t tried to escape?”

  Kyla looked down at her hand. The silver ring with the leaves around it was still on her finger. “My Prince, you weren’t with us when we first met with Nai though I know he has had a meeting with you since then. Do you trust him?”

  The Prince looked quizzically at her. “What do you mean? He has been one of our greatest allies. I would almost hazard to say that I trust him with my life.”

  Kyla smiled. “Good as you may have to. When we were on Lundy and met with him he gave me this. Is there any chance that it is more than just a ring?”

  Kel grunted. “You know when we came back from Lundy I totally forgot about that.”

  Kyla smiled. “I forgot to log it in when we got back and I forgot to put it in my mission briefing. It is as if I’m only remembering it now.”

  Joniel picked up her hand and looked at it. “Kyla, you weren’t wearing that ring before.”

  Kyla looked up at him. “What do you mean? I’ve had this ring since Lundy.”

  He looked down at her, his eyes fierce. “A faerie gives you a ring, you don’t remember it, none of you remember it, I haven’t seen it before and I’m pretty good at noticing things.”

  The Prince ran his scanner over it. “It has a signature, there is definitely power there. I’m amazed that it hasn’t shown up on any of the scans on the base.”

  Kyla looked at him sideways. “I’m amazed none of us remembered it. That is unless it only exists out of dimension.”

  The Prince hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “That is how they move things in and out of phase. They are there, but not there. If it’s here then that means we’re on a similar plane or planes as Nai.”

  Kel grunted to get their attention. “I suppose that was why they were keen to get us here, it was a trap, just not the sort of trap we expected.”

  The Prince got up. “I don’t know how it will help us but it is possible that Nai may be able to pick up that we are here. We could try activating the ring.”

  Joniel grabbed Kyla’s hand as she went to touch it. “Be very careful, it’s a faerie thing and they are notoriously dangerous.”

  Kyla touched the ring and felt around the leaves. Nothing happened. Kyla looked up at Joniel. “I want you to cut my hand.”

  The Prince jumped over to her and glared down at her. “What? Are you mad? The last thing you need close to those pods is an open wound.”

  Kyla smiled. “That is why I want Joniel to do it, with a bite. He can seal the wound as soon as he makes it. Why would Nai give me a ring other than for it to be for when I’m in danger?”

  The Prince smiled. “I like your logic. If it’s not an inappropriate thing to say, Joniel, bite her.”

  Joniel glared at the Prince. He took Kyla’s hand gently in his, looked at her lovingly.

  The Prince caught his other hand. “No, I want you to terrify her and then bite her.”

  Joniel looked furious. He glared at Kyla and pushed her back against the wall. Immediately his eyes turned a blood red and his pupils dilated to cat slits. He opened his mouth, his fangs distended, their points razor sharp and ferociously white in contrast with the blood red of the rest of his mouth. His eyes were wild and he hissed at her. She backed against the wall, the breath knocked out of her. He bore down on her hand, biting hard. The pain coursed through her body and she screamed. He had not injected the venom first. The pain was almost unbearable as he tore into her hand. He let go of her hand and held her against the wall, his face close to hers. His fangs touching her neck.

  There was a flash in the cavern and Joniel flew across the cave and hit the back wall. The Prince acted like lightning. He leapt in front of Joniel and between him and Nai who stood in front of him with a flaming sword illuminated by Anathorn. Kyla is not in danger. Joniel is her lover. We needed to get you here as we are trapped out of phase.”

  Nai stared in disbelief. He turned to face Kyla who was leaning against the wall holding her hand. “Is this true?”

  Kyla nodded. “We were lured here and trapped as is Erasimus there. It was all we could think of doing to bring you to help us. We couldn’t work out how to activate the ring.”

  in his hand. The Prince took a deep breath, his face the flames from the sword. “Nai, it’s me, Prince

  Nai looked at her questioningly. “The ring? What ring? Oh that ring, it’s pretty and used to be a communication device. I gave it to you because it was pretty. I had been watching the mission and I was on my way here to get you out but I was giving you time to talk to your father.”

  There was a stunned silence. Anathorn looked at Erasimus who looked totally stunned.

  Nai looked slightly uncomfortable. “I guess you haven’t talked. Well you can, later. I had better get you out of here. You are flicking in and out of phase, that is true. But so are the fey.”

  Anathorn realised he was holding Joniel against the wall. He stepped forwards and Joniel slid down the wall. “That hurts”. He was trying to get his hand to his back where he had hit a protruding rock.

  Kyla ran over to him and crouched beside him. He smiled at her. “Ok my love, can you fix this one?” She lowered him to the ground and laid him on his front. She took a scanner from her bag and ran it over him. “Do not move.” Her voice reflected her panic. “His back is broken. I’m going to immobilize him and hopefully we can do something when we get him back to the ship.”

  Anathorn turned to her. “When we get him back to our ship, I will get the finest surgeons. We will do what we can.”

  Kyla had pulled out a folded thin packet from her medical bag. As it unfolded it was large enough for her to lay it over Joniel. When she was satisfied it was laid out properly she pressed the activation switch. It molded around his body, tendrils clasping around his front and then went rigid making it impossible for him to move even a muscle.

  Anathorn turned to Nai. “There’s more. This is Erasimus Deck as you know. He was trapped but it was his assistant who I would assume became the first Follower. He was infected by a pod.”

  Nai looked concerned. “Show me.”

  Anathron took him to the cavern.

  Nai looked at the pods on the table. “I haven’t seen anything like these. They are not of any dimension I have ever encountered but I haven’t seen all the creatures and plants of this or any other world. You are now going to want to analyze them and that is going to give us all a dilemma. How do we transport something so obviously dangerous?”

  Prince Anathorn thought for a moment. “Can you ta
ke them out of phase so we can get a containment unit over them before we bring them back in phase? That would seal them completely with no danger of contaminating anything.”

  Nai smiled. “I suppose you also want me to contain them and bring them to your laboratory?”

  Prince Anathorn smiled. “Yes, I would. After all you are immune to the Follower drug and I would assume that is the source of that drug?”

  Nai looked about the cavern. “I’ll take you all back now. I’m going to take Joniel to my kingdom. Time passes differently there and it will give your surgeons longer to prepare themselves. With his injury time is of the essence. I will give you as much time as you need.”

  Prince Anathorn looked concerned. “Thank you for that. He is a loyal friend.”

  Nai smiled. “That is a high compliment for a Prince to pay to one of his kind.”

  Prince Anathorn’s communicator went off. Both Anathorn and Nai jumped. The Prince looked at Nai. “How can that go off?”

  Nai looked terrified. “You had better answer it. Even I can’t get a message to you here.”

  The Prince hit the comms button and the hologram keypad appeared above the device. “Prince Anathorn. RC456934 Queen Isis”.

  Prince Anathorn nearly dropped the communicator.

  Nai’s eyes were wide. “Now there’s a lady I haven’t heard from in generations. Answer her immediately and be very polite.”

  Anathorn’s fingers were already flying over the keys and he hit send. The hologram crackled. “Prince Anathorn, I send you greetings and I must congratulate you on your great success. It comes at great cost but you have struck a blow that will have a resounding effect. I am contacting you to make sure that you do not lose a valuable warrior for our cause. That is not something that we can allow to happen. A Daughter of the White Light is with you, she knows me as the White Lady. I will give her the power to help him and I bless their union. The Dark Lord will now speak.” Prince Anathorn, Queen Isis KO046893 King Osiris. The voice clearly changed to a deep male voice. “I also send you our congratulations on your success. Our vessels are far from here and we are unable to assist you in your fight as we are bound by an ancient Covenant that binds us from interfering on any world at any time. I would see my most loyal subject safely restored to health. I also bless their union.” King Osiris KO46893 Prince Anathorn. Queen Isis RC456934Prince Anathorn. Transmission ended.