“Well, listen to me now. Place your hands on the crystal, the capsule is heat activated and will open at your touch. No need to do anything else but stand back and be amazed at the powerful being that emerges,” Diego said with reverence in his voice.
“Listen, Diego, I don’t think you’ve thought this through. You are asking me to release a being, that has been imprisoned for whatever reason in this tomb, into the world when we have no idea what he is capable of. How do you know he won’t kill you in his search for power, huh?” Kiya pleaded in desperation.
“As I was just explaining to your friends out here, I have nothing to fear. I am his direct descendant. He’s been waiting for me and I will be rewarded with riches beyond your puny imagination, as well as a place by his side as he conquers the Thrall of this world and takes his rightful place as the god that he is,” Diego crooned.
“After telling me the world is doomed, you expect me to help you. You really are crazy,” Kiya said, stepping back a bit from the rock wall that separated them in disbelief.
“Did you forget I hold two of your dear friends, Kiya. I’ll have no problem shooting one and letting the screams of their pain push you on, as you rush to do my bidding anyway, just so you can find out which of your friends was the unlucky bastard at the end of my gun. Hurry along now. I grow tired of your questions and might just end one of your friends now to stir things up in here,” Diego said with a hiss.
“Don’t listen to him, he plans on killing us anyway, let the motherfucker do his own dirty work,” Luke screamed out, before she heard a scuffle and the room grew quiet.
“Aarik? Luke? How do I know you haven’t already killed them? Answer me!” Kiya yelled in fear.
“They both live, but I believe we’ve come to an understanding that if they speak, the guns against their temples will be pulled. So...you can do nothing, like the stupid kid suggested, but know this, I will get through that wall soon and how nice do you think I will be to you or your friends if you make me wait?” Diego said in a dangerous tone.
Kiya stared at the wall in determination, before she retreated to the stasis room and contemplated her choices. In her mind she only had a few different choices that swirled around her brain like a tornado wreaking havoc regardless of what path she took. If she did nothing and waited, her death would be prolonged by a day at most and would require time without food or coffee. She would rather die than sleep on the cold stone floor only to wake up to the same without the promise of the life saving elixir to push her on. Her second option was to open the capsule and hope she had enough time to bash the guy's brain in. With her luck, she thought, she’d only do enough damage to piss him off and death would be quick and sure. The only bonus she could think of was the thought that she wouldn’t have to go without coffee that way. The last action was the scariest of them all. She could let him out and hope that they would all somehow miraculously live another day for her to find a way to defeat him.
None of the options guaranteed her survival, but anything that bought her some time to solve the riddle her ancestor left, and allowed her to save the world in the process, was really her only choice. She stepped toward the crystal stasis machine and before she touched her sweating palms on the lid, she stared down at the man and shuddered at the uncanny resemblance he had to Aarik. Diego claimed to be his direct descendant, but this ancient being could be construed as Aarik’s twin from a distance. Conscious of the time, she placed her hands gently onto the cool surface and waited for something to transpire.
Seconds passed and nothing happened, making her think the capsule was broken, but just as she was about to give up the crystal pod hummed to life. The lid cracked open, breaking the pressure seal of the pod, venting pressurized steam in the process. Kiya jumped back in shock and watched in horror as the man who moments before looked peaceful in rest, popped up in a defensive stance with cat-like reflexes. He scanned the room slowly before his soulless eyes fixated on Kiya and he smiled deviously. Cocking his head to the side he studied her for a moment before he rose from the capsule and jumped down to the ground with ease.
“You have too many clothes on. Take them off!” ordered the ancient man in a strange accent, dressed only in a loincloth with a metallic medallion hanging from his neck that looked similar to the one Aarik had earlier.
“I don’t think so, mister! I’m only here to wake you up, not get you off!” she stated vehemently, when she noticed the tenting of his loincloth.
“You deny me? Yet you are a Thrall and shouldn’t be able to resist my voice. I don’t understand this get me off? I already got myself off?” he said, looking at the capsule in confusion before returning his gaze back to her.
“Well, I’m glad to have missed that one. It must have been a quickie because it was over in a blink. Been holding that one long?” she replied with sarcasm as a defensive measure she learned growing up, before she realized she probably should have kept her mouth shut. A slight building pressure behind her eyes caused Kiya to cry out in surprise and cover her eyes with the palms of her hand.
“Your premature language is a nuisance, but from what I can gather you are insulting my manhood. Take me to my throne, Thrall, I require sustenance to gain my full powers,” he stated with authority.
“I hate to break it to you, whoever you are, but this is the twenty-first century. You have no throne for me to take you to. In fact the only way out of this room is blocked by mounds of rock and it leads to a deserted chamber and a crazy man, but by all means let me take you there,” Kiya retorted dryly. She knew baiting him was a terrible idea, but his insistence that she was worthless struck a bitter chord.
“I, my subject, am Th’ael, God of Darkness. I created the Thrall for my people, and when my full powers are restored, I will make you beg for my cock before I choke you with it,” Th’ael growled in a deep voice.
“Oh God, please forgive me, I had no idea I was standing in the presence of such greatness,” Kiya said in a fake voice, before she laughed out loud. “Sorry to break it to you, but you’ve been asleep for too long. Society has grown and advanced without your help, your parlor tricks will not work like it once did. And just so you know, there is nothing on Earth that would make me beg you for anything. Follow me, Mr. Darkness,” Kiya finished with conviction, before she spun around and walked out of the room.
“A mere man, you say? How do you think I learned your language in seconds?” boomed Th’ael from behind. “I bring much more than technology to this world, Thrall,” he paused before he added in a sinister voice, “I will enjoy breaking you over time, I believe I will let you keep a small amount of will. Just enough to know what is happening, mind you, but not enough to resist me.”
Chills danced through her body as she realized the truth in his threat. She wasn’t one to lay down and play dead but needed to ensure she was alive to fight another day. She needed backup and if she had to physically bite her tongue she was going to keep quiet. She stopped in front of the rock wall and spread out her arms. “We’re here, Diego. Now what would you like me to do?” she said in a raised voice.
“Move aside, Thrall!” Th’ael said in a commanding voice.
Kiya bit her tongue and stepped aside. Diego must have heard Th’ael because it was quiet on the other side, which made Kiya nervous that something might have happened to Aarik and Luke. Th’ael approached the rock wall, looked over at Kiya and nodded with his head like he expected her to move further back. She took a few steps back, glanced up and noticed he was still staring at a spot further back. She moved back and didn’t stop until he faced the rock wall again.
Th’ael recited the word “Om” in low varying tones. Each time he started again he stretched the word out for longer periods of time to the point where she wondered when he would run out of breath. She felt like she was losing her mind because the longer his chant continued, his voice became multilayered as if more than one person was chanting. The sound waves could be felt throughout her body and the familiar tingle flowed
smoothly until the volume increased to the point it overwhelmed her. Just as she brought her hands up to cover her ears, Th’ael brought his hands up in prayer but when he parted them the rocks blocking their path crumbled to dirt and the silence that followed was eerie.
When the dust settled, Diego walked through the destruction with his hands behind his back and a look of admiration on his face. He knelt before Th’ael and bowed his head, “Grandfather. I am Diego Gershom, a direct descendant of your son, Ni’al, and solely responsible for your escape. I hope you find my accomplishments worthy of a place by your side, when you take your rightful place and rule once again.”
Th’ael walked around Diego as if unimpressed and halted as he surveyed the ruins of the massive hallway. He ignored Diego’s men standing guard in the room as if they were insignificant and stepped to the left of the hallway out of Kiya’s site. Kiya barely stopped herself from laughing as she watched Diego crane his neck around with his mouth wide open in disbelief. Diego stood up slowly and stalked after Th’ael quietly, but with a determined look on his face.
Not wanting to bring attention to herself, she followed Diego from a distance and when she reached the hallway she hugged the wall to the right as she observed her surroundings.
“I’m so happy to see you right now, that I’ll wait until later to rip you apart!” Aarik whispered from her right side. The sound of his deep toned voice was a soothing balm to her erratic thoughts and when she turned her head to see for herself that he was unharmed she smiled in spite of their circumstances.
“I’ll hold you to it, but I’m afraid you’ll have to get us out of here first in order to follow through with that threat,” Kiya muttered softly back, before she winked at him. Kiya spotted Maximus out of the corner of her eye and noticed he was distracted by the newcomer, Th’ael. He no longer looked so big and tough, in fact it appeared the wet spot building on the front of his jeans was a good indication that he was literally scared peeless, if that could be considered a word.
The moment that psycho started chanting, they would only have a few minutes to make a move, and the only way out was blocked by Diego’s goons. Kiya was thankful Luke was close to the exit, it would make it easier to grab him on the way out once Th’ael began his chanting. Nudging Aarik with her elbow, she pointed to Maximus and whispered, “Get ready to move, we won’t have much time once he begins.”
“Stay behind me please and don’t do anything stupid,” Aarik murmured back.
“Only what’s necessary, I promise,” she said breathlessly.
“Grandfather. We need to leave before you are discovered and have had time to plan the destruction of these weak people. I beseech you to listen to me,” sputtered Diego. “There is no reason to keep going further into the chamber if it is gold or money that you are after. I have more than I would ever need and then some. Use me, I won’t let you down” Diego whined and then looked like he regretted his approach when Th’ael whipped around to face him with anger on his face.
“I am not after gold, you fool. This is the only exit I am after,” Th’ael boomed, before he turned back around and started the ritual to bring down the rock cave-in.
Moments after the vibrations started, Kiya did something she hoped she would not regret. Leaving the safety of the wall she crept over to Maximus who was frozen in place as he marveled at the being in front of them. She carefully pulled the gun free from the hip holster without his knowledge, and when she peeked back to look at Aarik she was surprised to see the look of anger on his face that quickly changed to one of shock. The sensations in the room changed as the intensity of the sound waves moved through his body and it appeared he was reveling in the feelings it brought about.
Kiya knew the effect of Th’ael’s voice would become debilitating if they didn’t get moving, so she grabbed Aarik’s arm and pulled him towards Luke near the auditorium entrance. She hoped the other goons would be just as distracted when they made their escape but what she wasn’t expecting was Th’ael to stop mid-chant breathless and for everyone around her to snap to their senses before they even had a chance to try. “Shiitt,” Kiya breathed out on a whisper while she shoved the loaded gun into her waistband and pulled out her shirt to cover it.
“I need nourishment, too much time in stasis and a descendant with no training,” Th’ael finished in a pained voice.
“I promise it was not by choice and I look forward to the day I can bring down anything in my path. We can return to this place once you have properly rested and you can finish what you have started, if that is what you desire, but we must leave soon.” Diego crooned in a sickly sweet voice.
“Enough. Lead the way and bring the woman. I have other needs as well,” Th’ael growled and turned his head to the right to stare at Kiya. She swallowed hard at his suggestive leer as her mind scrambled for options.
“Over my dead body,” Luke said, and stepped in front of Kiya protectively. Kiya tried to step around him but was stopped by Aarik when his arm scooped her up and held her close.
“I don’t think so,” Aarik said, as he pulled the gun, she had concealed free and pointed it at Th’ael. “Nobody move.” One of Diego’s goons either didn’t understand the meaning, or he had a death sentence, because the moment he went for his holster Aarik cocked the gun and said, “I might not be an expert marksman but I can hit you anywhere I want from this distance.” The goon raised his hands slowly before Aarik continued, “Excellent choice. Now do me a favor and take that rope over there and tie up your buddies. Now!” Aarik released Kiya and pushed her behind him as he watched his orders being followed. “Luke, when he finishes, tie him up and grab their weapons,” Aarik said in a rushed voice.
“What do you think you will accomplish, Aarik? Do you think you can escape? Do you think the authorities can save you? Do you think that you will ever be safe from me or my kind? Do you think you can take a life? Because that is the only way you will be free, I will hunt you down and ensure all presence of your DNA is wiped from the Earth!” baited Diego, as he watched his plans crumble.
“You and I will both be surprised at what I am capable of when it comes to protecting what I believe is mine. In fact I know I will have no problem killing you, or him either, if you come anywhere close to laying your hands on Kiya,” Aarik said with vehemence, as he cocked the gun with ease.
“You shouldn’t expose your weaknesses so easily, Dr. Landon. It makes my job too simple and takes all the fun out of torturing it from you. I will take pleasure in making her scream,” Diego said in a psychotic voice.
“You’re wrong there, Diego, I wouldn’t call it a weakness at all,” Aarik said, glancing back at Kiya with affection. “I’d call it a force, one that shouldn’t be fucked with because the moment I feel an outside action I have an immediate reaction to protect and defend. In fact, I feel stronger and more powerful than I ever did without it. You should try me,” Aarik said with conviction.
Luke walked back with a few guns tucked into the front of his jeans and handed Kiya the smallest of them with a smile on his face. “Quite an adventure to tell when I get home, nobody is going to believe me though,” Luke said with excitement.
“Luke, take Kiya back to camp and have Taylor call the police. I want these men locked up in a looney bin before the night is over,” Aarik said over his shoulder.
“No way, Aarik! I am not leaving you here alone with these freaks. Who knows what that guy is capable of?” Kiya said firmly.
“It’s not up for argument, Kiya. Please just go with Luke,” Aarik gritted out in exasperation.
“Oh look, a lover’s quarrel,” teased Diego.
“Shut up!” Kiya and Aarik both screamed in unison and then looked at each other for a moment too long.
“Times up. You should have shot me when you had the chance,” Diego uttered before he pulled out the gun, he had hiding in his suit jacket and fired.
Everything happened in a fraction of a second. The moment Diego made his threat, Luke screamed, “Look
out, Dr. Landon!” before he pushed Kiya out of his way and shoved into Aarik with his shoulder. As the sound of the shot continued to bounce off the walls with a deafening roar, Luke slumped to his knees and Kiya screamed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aarik
“Oh look a lover’s quarrel,” teased Diego.
“Shut up!” Aarik screamed in unison with Kiya and then looked at her for a moment, which proved to be the perfect distraction Diego was waiting on.
“Times up. You should have shot me when you had the chance,” Diego said in a devious voice and fired a gun he pulled from his suit pocket. Aarik reacted as he fired his own raised gun hoping that he wouldn’t be the only casualty that day, only to be shoved aside at the last second after hearing Luke yell, “Look out, Dr. Landon!”
Aarik staggered to the side and watched his shot miss Diego by inches but luck was on his side when Th’ael cried out in surprise grabbing his shoulder as blood seeped through his fingers like lava sluggishly flowing from an awakening volcano. It was then Aarik noticed the medallion swinging from his neck that looked eerily similar to the one hidden beneath his shirt. From the corner of Aarik’s eye he watched Luke sink to his knees as Kiya screamed, “No!” Dropping to the ground beside him she caught him as he slumped to the side and grabbed his chest.
Aarik, enraged by the loss of such a young and vibrant life, roared out his frustration. Feelings of guilt poured into his cry as he recalled Luke asking to get help before they entered the tunnel. The tone took on a life of its own and reverberated around the room with such force that Diego dropped to his knees cradling his head. Aarik, stunned by his own voice, stopped abruptly when he noticed blood seeping from Diego’s hands and whipped around to make sure he hadn’t done the same thing to his friends. Kiya cradling Luke’s upper body in her lap, had removed her shirt and was using it to hold pressure to his wound with her hands from behind as she rocked back and forth desperately trying to save his life. They appeared to be unfazed by his outburst, lost in the moment, fighting for Luke’s life. He needed to get them out of here. He hoped it wasn’t too late for Luke, if they didn’t get him to the hospital soon they would lose him for sure.
Sounds of the Forgotten Page 15
