by J. C. Fiske
“Very well. I believe Narsissa must be clinging to life to pull off something of this magnitude, and she didn’t do it on her own. She must be channeling Falcon’s Drakeness, as well. It is the only way. Normally, such strain on the body would be unbearable, but if one does not feel pain, anything is possible. Her paralysis, the result of her battle with Gisbo’s mother, seems to be doing her a favor,” Foxblade said. Then they noticed a man draped in the priest’s clothes of the Holy Chosen being dragged past them through the snow.
“We have found thirteen of these men scattered all around the dome. All of their hearts exploded from their chests, leaving only black splatters in the snow. What do you make of it?” Will asked.
“I knew she could not maintain this alone. Just as I feared,” Foxblade said.
“What is it?” Gisbo asked.
“Heaven’s Shelter and all its inhabitants, our family, our friends, are all within this darkness. To put it simply, Narsissa used the very thing that protected Heaven’s Shelter to also trap them,” Foxblade said, feeling the black dome’s base.
“Trap them? They are alive, though? But can’t they just get a Naforian to drill under it?” Gisbo asked.
“The dome reaches beneath the earth as well; I can sense its power beneath our very feet. They are surrounded on all sides,” Foxblade said. “Gisbo, did Jackobi ever tell you what his secret mission was?”
“No, he never told me,” Gisbo said. Foxblade stepped back from the dome and faced Wiltell and Gisbo, sighing deeply before speaking.
“As you both know, Jackobi is the only one who is not susceptible to the addictive nature of the Drakeness. More so, the substance cannot even harm him. If he were here, he could pass through this dome as if it were air,” Foxblade said.
“But, okay, please tell me what is going on. I saw him get impaled back there and you weren’t even worried. What is so special about him?” Gisbo asked.
“To put it in simple terms, half of Jackobi’s soul is not of this world. So in turn, it is extremely hard to kill him, even if he takes a mortal wound as you saw. The only way for him to die is if his entire body was dismembered and the pieces were burned up. Only if you destroyed the entire vessel his soul calls home would his soul leave the body and return to where the other half resides . . .” Foxblade said.
“The, the other half? What is he?” Gisbo asked.
“He is half Mystical, Gisbo, half spiritual being that does battle with Maras, IAM’s winged helpers some call Angels,” Foxblade said. “That is why my son is not dead to us, and because of his sacrifice to stay behind, you just might be able to see your father alive.”
“How is that even possible? That is just . . . crazy,” Gisbo said.
“That is a longer story. As you know, the Renegades are totally clueless about the Drakeness. We know how it works and what happens when somebody is infected with it, but as for its power and abilities, we are in the dark. When we go up against a master of the substance, like Purah, using Shax as a puppet in the cave last year, we are helpless, like trying to reach a destination, victory, without a map,” Foxblade said. Slowly, it started to click within Gisbo’s brain.
“So, you guys injected Jackobi with the Drakeness, then? To study it and find weaknesses?” Gisbo asked.
“Very good, Gisbo. Its regenerative abilities make it even more difficult to kill Jackobi. He is fine and probably fully recovered by now. You are not as slow-witted as everyone makes you out to be,” Foxblade said.
“Ugh, thanks . . .” Gisbo said.
“And yes, we have been studying Jackobi all this year and the effect the Drakeness has on him. We also had a vial of pure Drakeness, much like the one Narsissa is close to getting, since the days of Vadid, hidden deep within our tower. We have learned much and Jackobi has also learned much, as well, especially from the intel your father gave us. We are no longer blind. As always, in every fight, surprises will happen, but now at least a lot fewer of them will occur. Without my son and his heritage, none of this would have been possible. Everyone else would have succumbed and been a danger to themselves and all around them,” Jackobi said.
“That’s good news, at least a little. But, what now? How can we get them out of here? I’m just so glad they are safe,” Gisbo said. Foxblade then gazed up at the globe and shook his head.
“They are safe for now, but soon this globe will explode, killing everyone within it,” Foxblade said, looking at Gisbo with grave eyes.
“EXPLODE!? How long? How long!?” Wiltell asked. “I mean, frankly, don’t think of me being selfish by saying so, but my people are right next door. What magnitude of an explosion might there be if we do not stop this?”
“Massive. It just might tear asunder your very home from the mountainside,” Foxblade said. Wiltell went white and turned away for a moment, his mind racing.
“To estimate, one of the things we discovered about the Drakeness, is Jackobi could infuse any protective force we emit with the substance. Also, the problem with the field is once the Drakeness injected itself, you could not cast it down. It remained up and, within minutes, it exploded in black fire,” Foxblade said.
“Oh my gosh, how long do we have? What the hell can we do to stop this!?” Gisbo asked.
“From what we have studied, off the top of my head, I know the blast for a normal, 6 by 6 foot area of a front protective field, you have no more than five minutes until destruction. For a full, all around forcefield, it is ten minutes. Multiply that by the volume of Heaven’s Shelter and double it for the portion under the ground, I estimate we have two weeks. Two weeks to get a LOT done.”
“Two weeks . . .” Gisbo muttered. “Two weeks and everyone could be . . . dead?”
“Yes,” Foxblade said.
“But how do we stop this?” Wil asked. “Tell me you have a plan, my friend. The Soarians here are not warriors. They will fight, but that is all. We have lost touch with our Soarian brothers in the sky city, but perhaps I could try to reestablish a relationship.”
“The solution is simple. The execution will be complicated, as well as the resources. All we must do is kill Narsissa. Her life force is connected to this field. One thing we found out is that Drakeness users are able to summon forth helper Maras from the Reath. Little ones are as easy to summon as igniting your essence; big ones, like the one we faced that called itself Goryelrack, are much harder. One, with much control, can send these tiny Maras to possess people with low essential energies. If the Mara’s energies are greater than that found within, they overlap and can take over the vessel for their own.
“For something of this magnitude, it seems Narsissa infected thirteen of her priests with these helper Maras and ordered them. Once the Mara takes you over, it absorbs your menial elemental essence and turns it into something greater. With this, Narsessa increased her power thirteen fold and sent them here to release their powers and form this barrier. In turn, the power was so great it killed them and the Maras, as well. Even so, her life force was attatched to those helper Maras and their power still resonates here. When Narsissa dies, the Drakeness will disappear. But killing her will be no easy task. We will need an army to distract the guards while we send in a small force to kill her, save Falcon Vadid, as well as my son, and with it, we save Heaven’s Shelter and our neighbor Soarians,” Foxblade said.
“A sick woman . . . As I said, you have what little men I have. Mere security guards if anything, but when fighting for their home and their lives, they will make up for their inexperience with heart,” Wil said.
“How many can you offer?” Foxblade asked.
“About twenty, give or take a few,” Wil said.
“Better than nothing, but we will still need much more. Just one full-fledged Renegade equals roughly the strength of thirty average fighters. At the least, do these men have the essential energies to fly?” Foxblade asked.
“Possibly fifteen of my men can fly, yes, not well, but can,” Wil said.
“Excellent, we will need them
to take out the watchtowers and raise the gates. We have much to do. I will be back, Wil. We will get through this together. I grew up with you, I’d like to grow old with you, as well,” Foxblade said, stretching out a hand. Wil smiled and clapped hands with his friend.
“I will make preparations and try to reach the floating city of our elders. Let us see what we can get from them. I know a few of your Renegara friends are up there training with them now, Gisbo. Is there any way you can contact them? If anything, they are more chummy with them than we are,” Wil asked. Gisbo thought for a moment.
“I have a friend who is a Sybil. It is supposed to be a secret, but I think secrets are out the door now. Perhaps he can find them for us. I’ll do my best,” Gisbo said with a thumbs up. Wil gave a short bow.
“Thank you. Then I leave the rest to you. I have two weeks to get my men in fighting shape. We haven’t a second to lose. Till we meet again, my friend,” Wil said.
“Come, Gisbo, we have much to do,” Foxblade said, utter confidence in his voice.
“You make me almost believe this is all so simple, when I know it isn’t,” Gisbo said.
“Confidence can carry you a lot further than doubt,” Foxblade said without turning around. “Now come.”
Gisbo followed, and they both floated up the mountainside to where the transporter was located. Gisbo laid a hand upon it and started it up.
“Do you know where Rolce would be training in Naforia? Should we see him now?” Gisbo asked.
“Let us rendezvous with Nina first. There are some things I would like to question her about before we continue. We need a place of meeting, too. Much to prepare and, before we prepare, we need everything to be clear and organized. Back to the cave, Gisbo,” Foxblade said. Gisbo nodded and chanted the poem and, after sporatic jumps, they were back in the cave. Nina lay on the lion’s back, sleeping soundly. The lion, however, lifted her mighty head at their presence.
“Should we let her sleep a while? She has been through a lot,” Gisbo asked.
“Sure, because we have so much time to waste. Get her up,” Foxblade ordered. Gisbo rolled his eyes and made his way to the sleeping girl. As he made his way closer, he found himself stopping just to stare. She was beautiful. Her bangs spiraled down while the rest of her hair was long, straight, and immaculate, even if she did seem a bit dirty. Gisbo ruffled her gently and her long-lashed eyes fluttered awake.
“Gisbo?” Nina asked groggily. She quickly stretched and Gisbo noticed the broken chains that hung from her wrists.
“It’s me, yeah, so, ugh,” Gisbo stammered. Now that her big, ice blue eyes were locked onto his, he felt his tongue swelling and his heart racing. Gisbo knew she knew what kind of effect she had on him as she smiled gently at first, and then showed all her gleaming teeth. Gisbo felt his knees wobble.
“Get on with it, Gisbo,” Foxblade said. The sound of Foxblade’s gruff, strict voice snapped him out of it immediately.
“Oh right, uhm, Nina, just who are you?” Gisbo asked.
“Uhm, that is quite the vague question,” Nina answered. At this point, Foxblade made his way closer.
“Don’t mind him. Gisbo, when you get yourself under control and fix the bulge in your pants, you may return,” Foxblade said. Gisbo looked down and turned a deep shade of red. Gisbo immediately turned around and walked away, embarrassed, and fished his hand in his pants, grumbling to himself. Foxblade sat upon the ground across from Nina.
“Nina, is it?” Foxblade asked.
“Yes, that’s my name,” Nina said.
“Nina, we are in the dark about a lot of things and I feel you could shine some light for us. Obviously you were a prisoner, and obviously you felt compelled to save us for a reason. Whatever our motives, right now we both share a common enemy, or dislike for the Holy Chosen. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I am Foxblade Dreadka, Renegade,” Foxblade said, extending a hand. Nina took it gladly. Gisbo was amazed at the change in the tone of Foxblade’s voice. He almost sounded . . . kind.
“I knew you were a Renegade. I always knew you warriors existed, no matter how much my mother said you weren’t real,” Nina said.
“Your mother?” Foxblade asked. Nina turned away for a moment, and then looked back again with ashamed eyes.
“Yes, my mother is the High Priestess Narsissa,” Nina said. Gisbo’s eyes widened in surprise, but Foxblade’s did not.
“I already assumed as much. You look just like your mother, but I feel, inwardly, you are nothing at all like her,” Foxblade said.
“We are oil and water,” Nina said.
“I would also assume your father to be Vice Dastard?” Foxblade asked. Nina’s face brightened in surprise.
“How, how do you know all of this?” Nina asked.
“Falcon Vadid is my synergy mate. I was the opposite set of friends to your mother and father,” Foxblade said.
“I see. That’s all my mom talks about, you know. The days of her youth spent with Falcon and my dad. She can’t let go. It’s what drives her forward, anything to be with Falcon again,” Nina said shamefully. “She hates me, looks at me like some form of abomination because of the quick fling she had with my father. She was desperate at the time, as she always tells me, and doesn’t consider me her true daughter. Her true daughter, she says, will only be born from Falcon’s loins. She’s terrible. I have always been a nuisance to her. A living mistake, so I don’t know why she is so keen on keeping me around,” Nina said, scratching at her chains.
“Let’s be rid of those forever; let me see your hand,” Foxblade said. Nina gladly offered it and Falcon grabbed hold of her wrist gently. He reached into his back pouch and retrieved a small steel appendage, followed by a tiny screwdriver. He bent the appendage at a tip, making it look like an L, and placed it within the lock while he used the screwdriver to shimmy around behind it. A few moments and several clicks later, the lock gave way and fell off her wrist. A few moments later, the other one fell neatly beside it. Nina rubbed at her wrists and brandished a thankful smile.
“That is so much better, thank you so much,” Nina said.
“It is my pleasure. Now, I want you tell me why you were chained. I believe I have a theory as to why your mother was so keen on keeping you around, but I would like to hear your side to the story. Leave no detail out. What you tell me could be the difference between life or death for our people. I will fill you in on the details later,” Foxblade said. Nina let her eyes wander over to Gisbo for a moment and then back to Foxblade.
“Okay, I’ll do my best, even though it is hard for me to talk about. I understand there is much at stake. I . . .” Nina said. She stopped a moment before continuing. “I haven’t talked to anyone about this. Forgive me if I am uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine. It’s pretty tough to spill your guts to a couple of strangers after breaking from a cult on a lion,” Gisbo stated with a sheepish grin. Nina laughed at that.
“Yes, Arielle here is part of my story, but, you see, both of you don’t seem like strangers. I have known of the Renegades and I have known of you for most of my life, Gisbo,” Nina said as she pet the great lioness, who purred loudly, sounding like an engine motor rather than an animal.
“What?” Gisbo asked.
“Yes, my mother always spoke of Falcon’s son and how she wanted to be rid of you. In her eyes, as long as you lived, a part of your mother lived on as well. Her hatred doesn’t just run deep, Gisbo, it’s what she worships, it’s what keeps her alive. My whole life I have been trying to escape from her. While I was with her, all she did was ignore me, and only when I tried to flee from her did she pay any attention to me. Part of me wanted to win her acceptance. Just to hear ‘I love you,’ once, just once.
“But, over the years, I have become my own woman. What kind of woman that is, I don’t know. I just feel so cold inside. I have no purpose in my life, nothing, other than just living to see tomorrow. I was restless and, because of this, my mother tried to give me purpose through the Holy Ch
osen religion. At first it was wonderful just to feel something! Anything! I was so lost, just looking for some answers, and when I was there, chanting with them in my robes and feeling the presence of the One and being with my mother, it was more than I’d ever felt before.
“But, over time, I began to see what was really behind the curtain. I did not know of the Drakeness and how, for so long, all I was feeling was a quick rush of unpure Drakeness powder flooding through my body. I thought I really was feeling the One. You see, the thing about the stuff is, over time, the body becomes used to it, dependent almost, and you no longer feel the same intense feeling. You almost become immune, and at that point, you wake up to what is actually around you. A scam, a hoax, to prey on the weak and keep them lost in an attempt to keep their minds busy while their body is enslaved for half the day, working underground in the mines,” Nina said, holding out her scarred hands for proof.
“Why do they force you to work without gloves or tools? That’s utter cruelty,” Gisbo said.
“You don’t feel it. While under the Black high, as it is called now, you feel no pain and only euphoria. They force you to dig without tools as you may ruin or break the crystallized Dragon’s Blood. That is what we are digging for. Once these crystals are found, they are carefully deposited into a machine that drains the purity into an airlocked vial. Soon, she will have enough to inject somebody fully with the Drakeness. Whatever that vial is intended for, it is a process to bring Drakearon back to this realm.
“I didn’t feel it for many months, until the haze started to go away. Everyone’s tolerance is different, though. Some take years or never rise above it. At the point they do, to erase the risk of one waking up from the dream and telling those around them, they kill them and simply tell them they were not worthy and they just go along with it. You’re not a zombie, you are in control of yourself, but you just can’t help it. It feels way too good. So many vistors have come to our home and have seen nothing wrong. It is a cover-up. Warlord Karm has supported them all along. In turn, his soldiers are allowed to stay there free of charge and hunt down the Flarians,” Nina said. Suddenly, her eyes started to well up with tears. Foxblade put a hand on her shoulder.
