With everyone aboard, Anastasia closed the ramp and made her way up to the bridge, reaching out with her mind to connect with the ship's core. By the time she was reclined in the captain's chair, the ship was humming nicely and ready to go.
Anastasia powered up the Flux Drive and focused it on shifting from the Null Realm back to the Material Realm, choosing their exit point carefully.
Around them, visible through the main viewer, the scene outside the ship changed from the hanger bay to high Earth orbit with the planet off to the left side of the viewer. In the distance, high above New York, Anastasia watched the Dragons fly up, away from Earth before Gating out and disappearing. With a quick thought, the view zoomed in, and a small Aetheric Craft came into view. It seemed to be chasing the Dragons away from Earth, firing at them, but it didn’t seem to be doing them a lot of damage.
Anastasia recognised the ship, though, and stared at it with a frown.
‘Amanda,’ she muttered under her breath.
She found herself lost in the moment, staring at the ship before she shook her head and silently cursed at herself.
Becoming obsessed with revenge was Yasmin’s mistake, she would not make the same one. Amanda was just another in a long list of Arcadian Magi who had been thorns in her side, and there would no doubt be more in the years to come.
Amanda would get what was coming to her in due course, but she would not be going out of her way to hunt Amanda down. If Amanda left her well enough alone, their paths might never cross again…
Yeah right, she thought, who am I kidding?
Ultima Thule
Enceladus, Saturn
~Ultima Thule?~ Shaun asked through the Link Amanda had with him.
~That’s right; looks like they’re under attack by the same people. I’ve no idea if it’s the Dragons who just left Earth or a splinter group, but I’m heading out to Saturn now,~ Amanda explained.
~Okay, good luck,~ Shaun replied and closed the Link.
‘What’s up now?’ Valerya asked.
‘Dragons have attacked Ultima Thule as well,’ Amanda said.
‘What’s Ultima Thule?’ Valerya asked.
‘You’ve never heard of it?’
‘Should I have?’
‘Well, it is the seat of the Magi Council. Where they meet and work,’ Amanda explained.
‘Okay. So, an important place, then,’ Valerya stated.
‘For the Magi of Earth, yes.’
‘Sounds like your version of the Nexus.’
‘Or the Nexus is your version of the Magi Council?’ Amanda challenged.
Valerya shrugged. ‘If you like.’
Amanda sat back and smiled. ‘I think the Nexus came first, though, by a few thousand years at least. The Council’s not even two thousand years old,’ she said as she put the Arkady on an approach course to Ultima Thule.
‘So, where is this Ultima Thule?’ Valerya asked.
‘It’s on Enceladus, one of the moons of Saturn.’
‘Aaah, so you Earth Magi have explored your system a bit, then?’
‘We have. I think there are other settlements dotted around the solar system, but I’ve only been to Ultima Thule and Sol Prime.’
‘Now, I’ve heard of Sol Prime. The Ormond Dynasty, right? They run the Sol Protectorate?’
Amanda nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘I wonder what happened there, then? Isn’t the Protectorate meant to defend and protect Earth from this kind of thing?’
‘They are…’ Amanda said, wondering if they had been assaulted as well.
‘Maybe they’ve been compromised,’ Valerya wondered out loud.
‘Or attacked,’ Amanda added. ‘This was well-coordinated, and with that many Dragons, why wasn’t this noticed by the Nexus?’
Valerya sat back in her chair, which she’d swivelled around so she could talk to Amanda. ‘Politics. Complacency. Hubris. Take your pick. The Dynasties, and by extension, the Nexus, has been dismissing the Crux for millennia. They don’t see them as a threat anymore.’
‘Why not? I mean, they clearly are,’ Amanda asked.
‘You know that and so do I. I’ve been living in Crux space and watching them rebuild for as long as I can remember. I gave up trying to convince the Nexus that I needed support a long time ago. They’re just not interested. They’re too consumed with their own territories and petty squabbles. Meanwhile, the Crux withdrew and rebuilt. I knew they were up to something. I knew they had a goal in mind. Maybe this is it?’
‘Freeing the Archons?’
‘Joining forces with them. I’m fairly sure they want the same things.’
‘Domination over humanity?’
Valerya smiled and nodded.
‘So, what’s the relationship between the Crux, the Dragons, and the Nomads?’ Amanda asked.
‘The Nomads who serve the Crux are known as the Corpus Nomadica. The Crux are like gods to them, I guess? They serve them in return for power.’
‘And the Dragons?’
‘Created and bred by the Crux.’
Amanda sat back. ‘That sounds like the Archons and their relationship with the Scions and Nomads on Earth. The Archons are each responsible for creating a lineage of Scions, a bloodline, such as the vampires or werewolves,’ Amanda explained.
‘Like the Dragons.’
‘It sounds like the Dragons are basically Scions, which makes sense. Earth’s Nomads, however, served the Archons in return for power. The Archons were able to communicate with the Nomads from their Aetheric prison and grant them greater Magical power by pursuing the Archon’s goals.’
‘Death, destruction, corruption, the usual?’
‘That’s right. As far as we understood it, when people were killed in the name of the Archons, the Anima of those sacrificed people went to them. The Archons ate those souls, making them stronger and waking them from their enforced slumber. Plus, I think they were trying to prepare the Earth for their return.’
‘Except, they haven’t stayed on Earth.’
‘Looks that way. Although, I only really saw one of them leave Earth. But I am willing to bet that Lilitu wasn’t the only one who caught a ride from the Dragons.’
‘Do you think the Crux and the Archons are basically the same things?’ Valerya asked.
‘I think they’re similar at the very least, and they could not have pulled this off without the help of the Crux, which means they’ve been talking to each other for a while.’
‘They’re reinforcements…’ Valerya muttered.
‘Were some of the Crux killed?’ Amanda asked.
‘A long time ago, yes. They came out of nowhere with a burning hatred for the Magi. They sewed corruption and propaganda amongst the Magi and plunged the galaxy into war. A war which they ultimately lost. We killed most of the Crux and the remaining few fled deep into the core of the galaxy where they stayed, slowly consolidating their power, building their resources back up again, breeding more Dragons and no doubt infiltrating the Dynasties and Nexus. I dread to think how far the Crux has wormed their way into the halls of power.’
‘This feels like the start of something big. The first move in a greater game,’ Amanda said.
‘I’ve suspected as much for a long time. Seeing this play out today and learning what’s happened on Earth just confirms my suspicions,’ Valerya agreed.
Amanda sat back and thought through the events of the last day and what this might mean. She’d been hunting these Archons for months. Tracking them down until today when she finally found one of them, only to have her slip through her fingers.
She couldn’t pretend she was happy about that, even if the Archon in question apparently let Amanda find her.
But the Archon’s had left Earth behind and moved off into the stars. On the one hand, this was good. The direct threat to Earth was over and providing the Arcanum could clean up after this Dragon attack, and somehow stop it from becoming general knowledge, then maybe Earth could continue as it had done for
millennia.
But maybe not. Deep down, she knew something had changed. The conflict had shifted, and it would never be the same again. She also knew that the Archons weren’t finished with humanity, not by a long shot. The only thing that had really changed was the scope of their plans for humanity. The Archons were no longer satisfied with enslaving only the people of Earth. They were now aware of the vast interstellar community of humans, Magi and Riven alike, that were spread through the galaxy unknown to the people of Earth.
This was just too tempting for the Archons.
Earth, even as isolated as it is, was still located deep in the heart of the Nexus, and should the Nexus fall to the Archons, then Earth would fall as well. It might not be aware of the Magi or the Nexus, but Earth was part of it whether it liked it or not.
Following the release of the Archons, Amanda had dedicated her life to hunting them down. She had promised her mother she would see this goal through, but things had just become a lot more complicated.
Amanda looked down at her two guests, Valerya and Aris. ‘So, tell me a little about yourselves.’ Amanda asked. ‘We’ve been thrown together, and I don’t feel like I know you at all.’
‘And us you,’ Valerya commented.
‘That’s true,’ Amanda said. ‘What would you like to know?’
Valerya shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Um, so your name’s Amanda, right?’
‘Amanda-Jane Page, yes.’
‘So, what do you do, Amanda-Jane?’
‘Err, that’s a good question. Well, I guess I’m an Arcadian Magi, and I’ve been hunting the Archons ever since they were released from their prison in the Aetheric Realm.’
‘A noble cause. So, what happened with that? I wasn’t really aware of these Archons before, or this prison they were in.’
Amanda nodded. ‘I guess they weren’t really a concern for the Magi beyond Earth before today. Well, they sound very much like the Crux you mentioned. They’re ancient and powerful creatures. Dark gods, basically, that the Nomads served and, in some cases, worshipped. They were imprisoned deep in the Aetheric Realm millennia ago by a being known as the Demiurge.’
‘I’ve not heard of the Demiurge either. Is he another Archon?’
‘No, something different. I honestly don’t know much about him other than his name and that he came to Earth and saw the Archons ruling humanity with an iron fist. He didn’t like what he saw and banished the Archons to the spirit world. He put a barrier around the Aetheric Realm of Earth, stopping the Magi from crossing into the Aetheric, probably so that we wouldn’t go and try to free them before he left.’
‘Aaah, I knew about the Earth’s barrier around the Aetheric Realm, but not how it had been created,’ Valerya commented.
‘Well, it’s not there anymore. A Nomad called Yasmin built up enough power and knowledge to travel into the Abyss and free the Archons, which in turn destroyed the barrier. I’ve been hunting the Archons ever since,’ she said, choosing not to go into the whole thing with her mother. The story was complicated enough as it was without adding in all that stuff. Besides, that was a little more personal and not general knowledge. She’d only just met these two, so that story could wait.
‘Personal vendetta?’ Valerya asked.
‘Something like that. I guess I feel a little responsible for releasing the Archons.’
‘Why?’
‘I was hunting Yasmin at the time, trying to stop her, but I just wasn’t quick enough. She was always one step ahead of me.’
‘I understand,’ Valerya replied.
She wasn’t lying. She did feel a little responsible for the events that led up to the release of the Archons, but there were all kinds of reasons why things had played out the way they had, and she had come to terms with most of it.
Even so, between her failure to stop Yasmin and her promise to her mother to hunt these Archons down, she was not about to give up now just because they had taken to the stars.
‘So, how far have you travelled, then? Out here in space, I mean,’ Valerya asked.
Amanda smiled. ‘Did you not expect an Earth Magi to own an Aetheric Craft?’
‘It was something of a surprise, yes. The Nexus Magi opinion of Earth is less than favourable.’
‘I’d heard that. We’re seen as a little backwards and behind, right? A backwater.’
‘Something like that, yes.
‘I’m aware of that view. I’ve travelled a bit. Mainly around my solar system, but I have visited Axia and Sirius and a few other places briefly, like Sol Prime.’
‘Okay, so you’ve seen a little of what’s out there.’
‘A little,’ Amanda smiled. ‘What about you, Valerya?’
‘Argent. Valerya Argent. I’ve been around for a long time. I fought in the Crux War, and when we won, I was one of the few who wanted to keep pushing. I wanted to hunt them down, but Dynasty politics took over. The Crux withdrew, disappeared into the core of the galaxy, and was forgotten by most of the Nexus as they returned to bickering over territory. I couldn’t let it go, though. I knew they would be back one day, even if it took them hundreds or thousands of years. I found them eventually. Discovered the small area of space they called their own and watched. Around seven hundred years ago, I noticed an uptick in their build up. Something had happened, but I didn’t know what. Whatever it was, it got them focused and preparing again. I tried to warn the Nexus, but no one listened to me, no one took it seriously.’
‘I did,’ Aris commented.
‘Alright, sure. Yes, you did, but those who did listen were few and far between. Most of the Nexus and Dynasty officials were not interested. I’ve got informants throughout Crux space, but they’ve been disappearing as well. One of them came to me and told me about the flight of Dragons heading to the Earth, so I came as quick as I could.’
Amanda nodded to Valerya, and then looked over at Aris. ‘And what’s your story?’
‘I was a soldier within the Axia Foundation. Special Forces. I heard Valerya’s story and wanted to help. I wanted to fight the Crux, so I joined her crew.’
‘That’s it? You just wanted to kick some arse?’ Amanda asked.
‘I’m a simple man with simple tastes,’ Aris answered her with a slight smile.
‘Aren’t all men?’ Amanda answered with a smirk.
Aris raised an eyebrow, and Valerya let out a brief laugh.
‘I agree with you, though,’ Valerya said. ‘The Crux has been building up for something. This was part of it, but I think you’re right, this is just the start. The opening gambit.’
‘Do you think they want war?’ Amanda asked.
‘I think they want power, and I think they will do whatever it takes to get it. Open warfare? Maybe. I think they might be wary of that, though. At least, at first. They lost the last time around remember. It was a long time ago, but there’s plenty of people around who were alive back then and still remember it.’
‘You think they will be more subtle?’
‘Perhaps,’ Valerya answered, not offering much else.
‘There was nothing subtle about this attack on Earth.’
‘No, there wasn’t, but perhaps they think they’ll get away with this? No one cares about Earth. It’s just kind of… there.’
Amanda frowned. She didn’t like the idea that the Nexus didn’t care about Earth. The thought didn’t sit well with her. She wondered if she might be able to do something about that one day. A moment later, a proximity alarm went off.
‘We’re approaching Enceladus,’ Amanda said. ‘Valerya, can you take her in?’
The woman in black turned back to her console. ‘On it.’
‘Ready with weapons Aris,’ Amanda called out. ‘Let’s give these Dragons a surprise.’
‘Way ahead of you,’ he answered as the ship boosted around the planet, slowing as it followed a curved trajectory and approached the south polar regions of the icy moon. As they neared the celestial body, they could clearly make out the geysers that we
re always erupting from the surface, and then in the distance, the large gothic edifice of Ultima Thule rose up from the landscape. Amanda quickly made out several fires burning through the building, but most obvious of all was the colossal Void Dragon perched atop the taller spires.
Using a second set of senses that allowed her to look all around, Amanda scanned the landscape and the inky black space above, but saw no more of the creatures. Amanda felt slightly surprised there was only one of them, but then, they probably had a better chance against just a single opponent.
Amanda focused on the creature and summoned her Magic, imparting her intentions to hurt it on the energy around her.
Essentia flew out from her followed by several snaps of lightning that crossed the void between them and smashed into the Dragon. The creature roared and leapt from the castle as the ship fired. Particle and electron beams flashed, crashing into the beast as it beat its vast wings.
A gout of fire rushed from the mouth of the beast towards the Arkady as it approached the castle. Valerya jinked the ship right, skirting the edge of the Magical fire that played over the ship's shields, damaging them but not seriously. Turning back towards the castle, the Arkady swung around it as the ship’s beams found their target once more, catching the Dragon as it rose into the air, its Aegis flaring in Amanda’s Aetheric Sight.
Amanda concentrated again and threw more Magical attacks at it, causing the beast to roar as it tried to get away. As she watched, the Dragon wasn’t even retaliating any more, and after another moment, the now familiar sight of a Wyrm Hole flared into life before it, and the Dragon Gated out, disappearing into nothing.
‘That was easy,’ Valerya commented, sounding a little perplexed. ‘The way you said this place was being attacked, it sounded like there would be more than one of them.’
‘I was thinking the same,’ Amanda said. Wondering what was going on, she focused on her Link with Trevelyan and sent an alert pulse through to him. The Link opened.
Star Magi: A Space Opera Fantasy Adventure (Star Magi Saga Book 1) Page 9
