by P D Ceanneir
She unholstered the blaster, but the Sentinel took it from her grip and crushed it until it broke in two. He then grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.
‘Have you ever seen the tentacles of the Dark Tanis pulverise a planet into extinction?’ he said with a grin, ‘I have, it is quite a sight. I may let you live long enough to see your home planet destroyed.’
‘You,’ she said through a constricted larynx, ‘you will… not be alive long…enough…to see it either.’ Her eyes flicked over to where the Kytor lay in the ground. The Sentinel looked also. Something was flashing on its light display just above the grip stock. It began to hum and whine loudly.
‘Power overload…’ explained Vlaren with a grin, ‘…self-destruct.’
The Sentinel’s eyes widened.
22
Havoc reached the tomb entrance when the whole world lit up. A bright white light bloomed out of the ruins in the area where he had left Vlaren. He hoped she had done enough.
‘I won’t forget you,’ he said and slipped into the tomb. He pushed at the door, but only managed to close it to within an inch. He left it and ran towards the sarcophagus. It was only then that he noticed the brass plaque attached to the foot of the stone coffin.
King Havoc the First of Assasi-Al
King of the Roguns and the Vallkytes
Conqueror of the Brethac Ziggurat.
The House of Cromme has lost a son
Freedom has lost a champion.
He was taken aback at the inscription. He knew he had no time to ponder what it said, but it seemed he would be king and defeat the Order of the Brethac. Although, that could be the mistake Verna spoke about that caused the Dark Tanis to exist in the first place. He did not have time to second guess. He reached into the coffin and placed the Ring of Lorena onto the skeletal finger of his own corpse.
‘Gross!’ he said.
There was a sudden roar and the tomb entrance ripped apart. The Sentinel pulled out the supporting columns at the entrance and stepped into the breach just as it crashed to block the exit behind him. His armour was badly dented and scorched. His face was a mass of blistering flesh, yet those black eyes burrowed into Havoc’s with abject hate and evil intent.
‘No way out,’ he grinned, ‘time to go home.’
‘Not for you,’ said the prince as he reached out towards the ring, ‘I hope we don’t meet again.’
The Sentinel screamed in rage and charged as Havoc touched the ring.
The walls closed in and spun in a variety of dazzling hues. The Sentinel leapt into the air and evaporated before he could reach the prince. The roar of the twisting patterns closed in on him and he clutched his head in pain. He yelled and fell back and…….
…….then the sound and the colours disappeared and he was on the floor with a group of familiar faces looking down at him
‘Boss?’ asked Little Kith, ‘are you alright?’
Powyss and Tia were helping him to sit up. Tia offered him her skin of water, but he refused.
‘What happened?’ he asked.
‘Strangest thing,’ explained Lord Ness, ‘you just reached into the coffin and fell back yelling.’
‘I did?’
Everyone nodded and looked worried. Even the Blacksword, inside his head, showed him fleeting, incorporeal images that came to nothing and he continued to look through Havoc’s eyes in confusion.
There was something…but…no…what’s happened?
‘There is nothing inside that could make you…’ began Lord Ness.
‘Is there a ring?’ the prince said suddenly.
Debdil was closest to the coffin. She looked in and then shook her head.
‘What did the ring look like?’ asked Powyss.
Havoc frowned, ‘I…I don’t know.’ He lifted his right hand and flexed it; ‘ouch!’ He took off his gauntlet. Lord Ness reached out and pointed to the scars on the prince’s palm.
‘How did this happen? It looks like some form of lexicon glyph.’
Havoc stared at his palm, ‘I…don’t know, but I feel I should.’ He shook his head.
The Blacksword could not offer any explanation either and so remained silent.
‘Yet another mystery to add to the collection,’ quipped Powyss, ‘all the same, we should have the ship’s doctor take a look at you.’
‘Yes…yes, of course.’
They all exited the tomb and mounted their horses. After a short distance, Havoc turned in his saddle and took one last look back at the tomb. He then looked up at the clear blue sky and wondered what he was looking for. He also wondered why he felt so relieved.
‘Is everything alright?’ asked Tia with some concern etched on her face.
He smiled back at her, ‘yes, yes everything is perfect.’
Beyond the Marrows the Cybeleion waited, she waited in anticipation of the next journey and the group rode to meet it.
THE END
The quest continues in
The Rawn Chronicles Book Four: The Dragon and the Daemon.
