by A A Warren
With a grinding squeal, another crystal shard burst into the stairwell. The razor-sharp tip of the gleaming spire pierced the squirming beast’s lone eye. The shard kept moving, dragging the creature off Talon, lifting it into the air. Talon gasped for breath, and staggered to his feet. To his right, the creature kicked and screamed, its gushing eye pinned to the rock wall by the jagged crystal formation.
Talon turned and raced up the stairs, as the horde squirmed its way through the maze of crystal shards. The stairs led up to a square chamber. Dark, craggy stone rose up into the shadows, and another pair of giant statues flanked the stairs behind him. Chips and cracks marred the bodies of the lofty sculptures. Chunks of debris pelted the floor around him, dislodged by the quaking of the ground.
The room shook again, and more cracks rippled through the towering stone bodies. Talon heard a loud snap overhead. He dove forward, as a stone arm the size of his body fell, striking the floor and exploding into a mass of jagged fragments.
Behind him, he heard the beasts howling and scratching their way up the stairs. He turned and saw their shadowy forms, lurching closer and closer in the narrow, dust-filled frame of the stairway.
He raced towards the fractured statue. Raising his plasma axe over his shoulders, he slashed sideways. The burning blade melted though the legs of the stone giant. A groan sounded from the rocks. The statue tilted towards him, leaning away from the walls.
The howl of the beasts grew louder… they had almost made their way to the landing.
Talon swung again, sending beads of sweat flying from his skin. He launched the glowing blade into the stone with all his might. More cracks exploded through the statue. The towering monolith swayed further away from the wall. Then, with a final grinding crunch, it toppled over.
The massive stone figure crashed to the ground, crushing the lead creatures as they scrambled into the chamber. The impact shook the landing, and a cloud of dust flew up into the air. When it settled, giant fragments of stone blocked the stairway. Talon could hear the remains of the horde, wailing and scratching on the other side. They could not get through the fallen rubble.
Talon!
He grabbed his head, as the sudden shock of her voice burned through his brain. It was her… he could feel her presence. This time he was certain… This was no illusion, no phantasm.
Salena…
Talon, I’m here…
He peered through the chalky haze in the air. More stairs curved away through the rock face at the opposite end of the chamber. The flickering crimson glow of the beam above cast rippling waves across the passageway’s narrow rock walls.
Powering down his axe, Talon raced across the landing. He leapt up the steps two at a time, ascending into the looming shadows above.
Chapter Thirty-Four
A hot breeze whipped through Talon’s sweat-soaked hair as he emerged from the stairwell. He stood at the top of the rock plateau, looking out over the vast, ominous landscape below. A temple of some kind stood on the flat surface of the rocks. Stone slabs circled around him, like the bars of a cage. A domed roof perched overhead, but the center was blown out, leaving a jagged hole in the middle. Chunks of stone and debris littered the ground.
In the center of the columns, a pool of water shimmered on the ground. The crimson beam burst up from the dark, rippling waters, and through the domed roof. Looking up, he saw the ray of light travel up into the sky, piercing the swirling vortex of clouds. Against the black sky, he saw the glowing green planet of Vendaru. The colossal tentacles had latched on, and were pulling the planet closer to the crimson maw. It loomed overhead. Half its dense atmosphere was gone, jetted into space by the gravimetric disruption of the maw. It looked like a lopsided, half-deflated sphere.
Dust fell from the shattered roof, as the ground rumbled again. Talon advanced towards the pool.
“Salena!” he called out, peering into the shadows between the stone pillars.
I am here…
He approached the beam. There was something moving, shifting inside. The shadowy figure drew nearer, reaching out to him. He could made out her glowing eyes, and her long hair whipping behind her in the raging energy… it was Salena!
She smiled. “Once again, Talon the Slayer has fought his way to the prize.”
“When Sartarus took you, I thought…” His voice trailed off.
“The bond between us saved me, Talon. It gave me strength, kept me from losing hope.” She raised her hand, and placed it against the edge of the beam. “Such a connection is rare… it is something to cherish. I will miss you, my friend. But now, the time has come…”
“Miss me? What do you mean? Avra is here, with the Star Claw. We should leave this place before—”
She gave him a sad smile, then looked up at the glowing heavens. “It is too late for me, my warrior. This pool is a portal, a mirror. I am a reflection, trapped between this world and ours. Once I entered, there could be no leaving its grasp. The power of Daizon surrounds me, and it is taking all the energy I have left to resist. And we’re running out of time. Look, above us.”
Talon glanced up. Vendaru was rotating on its wobbling axis. The great green swirl of clouds was spinning closer to the devouring tendrils. Soon, the planet, and Prince Lucian’s forces, would be devoured, and sucked into the Crimson Maw.
Talon could not suppress a grimace of disgust, as he imagined the hideous, dreaming creatures trapped below. Would the prince and his followers become like those things?
“Every atom of matter Daizon consumes makes this place grow larger. Every soul it traps in its endless dream gives it power. If it continues devouring Vendaru and the fleet above, this prison will no longer be able to contain it. Daizon will be unleashed upon the galaxy.”
Talon stepped closer to the crimson beam. He looked into her eyes. “We can’t let that happen.”
She raised her hands, and her glowing eyes opened wide with concern. “Talon, stay back. If you touch the beam, you’ll become trapped, just as I am. The shard of R’kur… it’s the only thing that can safely penetrate the energy wall. I can use it in here, to close the maw, and trap Daizon once and for all.”
Talon shook his head. “Salena, I don’t even know if I have the shard. I touched it, felt it burning in my hands. But when I awoke, it was gone.”
She smiled. “Gone? Of course it’s not gone.” She lifted her fingers, as if she were caressing his face. The crystal in his eye pulsed with dark energy. Through their bond, he could feel the gentle touch of her fingers against his temple.
“The Eye of R’kur guided us here,” she said in a calming voice. She lowered her hands, and he felt her warm, smooth touch move across the tattoo on his chest. “His claw gave you strength, allowed you to survive inside the Maw. But here…” The sensation of her fingers settled on his chest, pressed against his beating heart. “Here is where his power became a part of you. Now, it is time to release that power, Talon. Release the heart of R’Kur!”
Talon felt a wave of heat rise in his chest, but it did not burn. Looking down, he saw a circle of light on his skin, radiating from where he felt Salena’s touch. Inside the beam, she drew back her hand. As she did so, the glowing crystal shard seemed to slide forward, emerging out of Talon’s body.
For a moment he felt like he couldn’t breathe… It was as if his body was suspended in a state between life and death. He was neither one nor the other, and a cold chill settled over his limbs. His arms and legs went numb, and he could barely move. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out… No breath was drawn in.
Then the sensation passed. The circle of light on his chest faded away, then vanished. The blood circulated through his limbs, and he gasped for breath. The glowing crystal, the shard of R’Kur, hovered in the air before him.
He grabbed it in his hands. As he plucked it from the air, he felt its sudden weight in his grasp, as if gravity had once again laid claim to the long crystal shard. As before, it pulsed with an inner fire, but now it was cool t
o the touch. He could see his face, his glowing crimson eye, reflected and multiplied in its infinite facets.
He stared at it in awe. “How did you—”
The chamber shook, as another tremor raked through the ground. Dust and chips of stone fell to the ground, as the stone pillars rattled and shifted. A dark fissure tore through the stony ground behind Talon.
Salena glanced around at the chamber with a worried look, as the stones shook and crumbled. “Hurry, you must give me the shard. Then find Avra, and leave this place while you can. Once the maw closes, you’ll be trapped in here with Daizon.”
“But what about you?”
She tilted her head, and offered him a sad smile. “Don’t worry about me, Talon. I will finally be free. And so will you.”
Talon clenched his jaw and fell silent for a moment. Another shockwave rumbled beneath them. He sighed, then nodded. “Very well. I… I will miss you.”
He angled the shard before him, and touched its jagged tip against the crackling beam of energy that surrounded her. The energy wall seemed to ripple, and flow around the glowing crystal as it pierced the barrier. It sank in a few inches, then met resistance. It felt like pushing a metal blade against a powerful magnet.
“That’s it! Just a little more, hurry!”
Talon grunted as he pushed harder, forcing the crystal through the glowing haze. A chunk of debris fell from the ceiling, and struck the ground next to his leg. He paid it no mind, and dug his feet into the shaking ground. The shard sank deeper into the beam. Salena reached out for it.
Glancing up, Talon saw movement in the glowing haze behind her. “Salena, look out!”
Before she could grasp the shard, a slim, snake-like tentacle coiled around her throat. Her hands shot up to her neck as it yanked her back from the edge of the beam
A dark, towering figure loomed over her. It was just a shadow, a faint outline in the swirling energy. Then the figure stepped closer, and the image cleared.
It was Sartarus.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The tentacle that curled around Salena’s throat emerged from the madman’s arm. She struggled to breathe as Satarus retracted it into his flesh, drawing her closer. He peered into her eyes. “Still you forsake us, my wife? You deny your husband, your children?” He reached out and stroked her long hair. “Do not fear. Soon, we will be with you again. We will forgive your weakness.”
“Sartarus!” Talon bellowed. “Let her go!”
Sartarus reached up and grabbed his golden mask. With a hiss, he removed it, and let it clatter to the floor. The withered, scarred flesh of his face turned, and he regarded Talon with his intense, sunken eyes. “The Claw of R’kur. I was wrong about you, it seems. My apologies.”
He raised his free hand. A bolt of lightning flew from his outstretched fingers, and pierced the beam. The crackling energy struck Talon, flinging both him and the shard through the air. With a grunt of pain, Talon struck a pillar and fell to the ground. The shard rolled from his hands, and clattered across the stone floor.
A tremor shook the plateau. The dark crevice that tore through the floor now lay between him and the pool. It gaped open wider, and the sound of shearing rocks filled the air. Talon looked up, and watched as the crystal shard rattled across the ground. He staggered to his feet, but he was too late… the shard bounced over the edge, and plunged into the dark abyss of the fissure.
“Talon the Slayer,” Sartarus growled. “All this trouble, caused by a mere slave. I should have killed you in that derelict temple when I had the chance.”
Salena choked and gagged, gasping for breath. Her fingers scratched at the tendril looped around her throat. Sartarus lifted his arm, and the tentacle drew tighter as it lifted her into the air. Her glowing eyes bulged, and her legs kicked beneath her. “At least now you will bear witness. Before you die, you will watch Salena join with me, once and for all. She is mine, slave. Your so-called ‘bond’ means nothing. Together, we will become one with Daizon.”
Talon looked up… the glowing green planet in the heavens above was half gone. Explosions lit up the night sky, as the remains of the two fleets were torn apart by the force of the maw.
“Vendaru is almost gone. Daizon’s power grows. Soon, nothing will be able to stop it. And I shall have my reward.”
Talon raced to the edge of the crevice, but another shockwave tore through the rocks. He reeled at the edge, struggling to keep his balance as the floor crumbled around him. The gap grew wider, and one of the pillars on the far side of the chamber room snapped in two. A torrent of stones fell to the floor, filling the air with dust.
Peering down into the dark abyss, Talon saw something glint and sparkle… the shard lay perched on a narrow ledge of rock, running along the far side of the cracked earth. It shook and rattled on its perch, as another tremor rippled through the rocks.
Talon stepped back, and took a deep breath. Then he charged forward, pounding his boots across the trembling floor. With a wild cry, he leapt in the air, and sailed into the gorge. As he plunged down, he threw out his arms, and caught the jutting wedge of rocks on the other side. His fingers dug into the ledge. His shoulders screamed in pain, and his arms jerked in their sockets as his body slammed against the unforgiving rock wall of the gorge.
He slid down a few inches, but held his grip on the narrow ledge. Looking down, he saw his legs, dangling above a black, yawning darkness. Far below, a minuscule thread of lava and molten rock cut though the heart of the planet, and cast a dim light against the walls of the crevice.
The muscles knotted in his arms as he pulled himself up onto the ledge. He pressed himself against the wall, as another tremor shook the rocks. To his right, the ledge crumbled, and fell down into the abyss. The shard slid a few inches closer to the edge…
He sidestepped along the narrow rock protrusion. Sweat beaded on his skin, as plumes of heat rose from below. He knelt down, and reached out… his fingertips were inches away from the jagged, glowing shard.
The crevice shook again… more rocks fell, pelting his head and shoulders. The crystal shifted, sliding towards the end of the ledge. He took another step… his grasping fingers touched the cool, smooth facets of the shard.
He snatched it in his fingers, and spun around, grabbing the rock wall with his free hand. Then the ledge crumbled beneath his feet, and he was falling. He plunged into the infernal abyss below.
His fingers flailed desperately for a handhold as he scraped against the rocks. Suddenly, he jerked to a stop… His fingers grabbed a protruding rock, and arrested his fall. Sliding the shard into his harness, he reached up, and began to climb the rock face, hauling himself up a foot at a time.
Salena, he thought… Just hold on a little longer!
The wall was a steep, vertical climb, but the craggy rocks provided plenty of hand and foot holds. As he neared the top, he saw the crimson glow of the energy beam, cutting through the dust and haze in the air. He heard a sound, faint at first, then growing louder and louder… it drowned out the roar of the trembling rocks and crashing debris. A low howl rose from below him, echoing in the dark chasm.
He turned and looked… At first he saw only darkness. Then there was movement in the shadows. Spindly arms, clawing at the rocks. A sea of eyes, each giant orb staring at him as they drew closer and closer.
The dreamers of Daizon… Another horde of the monstrosities were crawling up from the chasm after him. Gritting his teeth, Talon renewed his climb, forcing himself to go faster. The edge of the gorge was within reach. One of his hands slipped, and he fell back a few inches. Grasping fingers wrapped around his ankle. He felt the sting of sharp claws, digging into his flesh.
He roared in fury, as he pulled himself up over the ledge and heaved the shard onto solid ground. The beast dragged him back into the gorge. The howl grew louder, as other creatures scurried closer, more and more limbs flailing after his kicking legs…
Suddenly, a brilliant white light fell upon the chasm. The creature that had
grabbed him pivoted its single eye. Its giant black pupil shrank beneath the intense glow of a searchlight. The roar of engines filled the chamber, drowning out the howling creatures below.
The Star Claw rose up, and hovered a few meters away from the edge of the plateau. Avra stood on the open landing ramp, clad in a battered enviro-suit. She raised a pulse rifle and opened fire.
The weapon screamed as she sprayed a barrage of glowing energy bolts into the horde. The head of the nearest creature burst, splashing Talon with milky white pus and glowing blood. Its lifeless body fell away from him, and plunged back into the gorge. As it fell, it knocked two more creatures loose. They followed it down, kicking and wailing as they fell into the dark oblivion.
Avra continued laying down a curtain of suppressing fire, as Talon pulled himself up and out of the crevice. Stumbling to his feet, he grabbed the shard and ran towards the beam. Inside, he saw Salena, still struggling in the tentacle's choking grip. Sartarus raised his free hand. A second tendril snaked out, joining the other wrapped around her throat.
At the sight of Talon, her eyes glowed brighter and she ceased her struggling. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her arms… A curtain of blue energy wrapped around her. The spinning force wall severed the tentacles of Sartarus. With a pained cry, he limped back a few steps, and dropped to the ground.
She threw out her arms, launching a beam of blue light that struck Sartarus in the chest. The powerful energy blast hurled him back into the crimson haze.
Salena turned and raced to the edge of the beam. “Talon, there’s no more time! Give me the shard!”
Talon hefted the long crystal shard in both his hands. He drove it forward, pushing with all his strength. The walls of the beam rippled and tore, as the shard pierced the barrier.
