by Lee Watts
Immediately, the Chariot lurched as it dropped out of lightspeed. Both crew and passengers were jerked from their places by the sudden deceleration. Koraden pulled a small transmitter from his belt sending a coded signal of their coordinates. Eagerly striding from the room, he went to take his long-awaited revenge.
Merrick unceremoniously tossed from bed by the ship's sudden jolt, rushed to his feet and to the communication panel. "Bridge, this is Merrick; what's going on?"
"This is the captain; we don't know yet. It looks like there was an explosion in the engine compartment. I've sent a team to investigate. I'll let you know what they… It can't be…" he uttered in disbelief. "Shields up!"
Merrick noticed brilliant crimson light coming from outside the window of his compartment. Going to the window, he saw what looked like an enormous rip in the fabric of space. It was as if someone used a dagger to tear through the ebony cloth of the great void and a bright flickering torch was on the other side. Reptilian-like warships zoomed out from the hole with weapons blazing. Their shots pounded the Chariot. Shuddering against the mighty blows, the royal ship's interior lights blinked a moment, and the captain's voice blared over the intercom.
"All hands to battle stations! All hands to battle stations!"
Merrick grabbed his battlestaff and ran out the door to the king's quarters.
"What's going on?" Darius asked as Merrick burst in the room. "We're under attack?"
"Yes, Sire."
"Who is it? What do they want?"
"The Ramillie, and what they want is you and Alexander dead."
"That's absurd! We've no quarrel with the Hegemony. Ambassador Nexos-"
"Sire, it's the only reason they would attack. There's no time for discussion; I need to get you to the center of the ship; it's the most protected section. We'll get the prince on the way. Hurry!"
Darius quickly dressed, and the two rushed down the wide corridors of the Chariot toward the prince's quarters. With a thunderous rumble, the entire ship jerked so violently Merrick, and the king lost their footing.
"WHAT WAS THAT?" Darius asked while climbing to his feet.
"It didn't sound like an energy blast," Merrick answered. "More like something rammed us, but-"
Before they could speculate further, the captain's voice came over the speakers.
"Intruder alert! Security teams to forward sections!"
"We're being boarded," Darius exclaimed as he and Merrick resumed their sprint down the hallway. Alexander, unwilling to sit by and do nothing, was already in the white-walled passageway.
"ALEX," Darius shouted.
Through the smoky corridor, Alexander saw his father and dashed toward him and the bodyguard.
"SOMEONE'S BOARDING THE SHIP! THEY'RE-"
"I know, Son. Listen, Merrick is taking us to the center of the ship. It's safer there."
"Change of plan," Merrick announced while checking both ends of the hall to see if any boarders were coming. "This ship isn't going to make it. I've got to get you two out of here. Follow me!" Darting down the passage toward the docking bay, the two royals followed close.
In the docking bay, the voice of Lord Edric Canton came over the personal communicator of Commander Cale Rayne. "Commander Rayne, this is Lord Canton. Get something ready for us to leave."
"What is this?" Cale protested. "You didn't say anything about-"
"Do as you're told," Edric insisted while cutting him off. "I'll be there shortly."
Cale let out a curse while looking for what would give him and Edric the best chance to stay alive when launching into a battle. Edric, suspicious that Mara had sent Koraden to possibly kill not protect him, had sought out a separate confederate. Searching the files of the Chariot's crew, Edric found the perfect candidate. With a history of insubordination and outspoken in his opposition to royal policies, Cale was quite amenable to joining the conspiracy. The commander was bitter about being passed over for promotion time and again, hated having to deal with the inferiority of others, and was not going to let anything stop him from getting all he could in this life.
In his quarters, Lord Canton retrieved the pistol from his luggage. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He never thought he would really need it, and only brought the weapon in case things didn't go well. Things were far beyond anything he ever imagined, but now was no time for second guesses. A pounding at the door jolted him from thought. Reasoning invaders wouldn't knock, he hit the button unlocking the door. Koraden was there.
"Time to move," Koraden hissed.
Edric nodded and followed him out. The hall, as each passage of the royal craft, was brightly lit and wide. Oval shaped, it gave the feeling of spaciousness.
"Where are we going?" Lord Canton asked.
"To take care of some unfinished business. Don't worry; we'll get off the ship in time."
With the internal power systems failing, and three decks above the docking bay, Merrick knew better than to use the lift tube. Leading the royals to the stairs, he checked if it was clear. He motioned for them to follow, and the trio bolted down the steps.
Leading Edric to the level of the royal quarters, Koraden pulled apart the short metal staff he carried and, to Edric's surprise, the twin blades burst into flame. Further astonishing him was that the fire didn't consume the weapons that burned without apparent fuel source or reason. Before Edric was able to ask about the odd weapon, Koraden darted into the king's quarters, but quickly reemerged, scowling.
"What is it?" Edric asked somewhat scared of the man with the flaming swords.
"He's already come and got him."
"The king is dead?"
"No, he's moved him already. There's only one place they could go. Come on!" Koraden began running down the hall, Edric struggling to keep up.
"We're not getting in the lift tube at a time like this," Edric blustered. "We could get trapped."
"He wouldn't risk it. I have to if I'm going to stop him in time. Now, get in!"
"Absolutely not. I'll take the stairs."
"Suit yourself," Koraden sneered haughtily as the doors shut and the tube quickly descended.
Reaching the level of the docking bay, Merrick extended his hand letting Darius and Alexander know to stop. Opening the stairwell door, the royal guard peeked out. Crewmembers ran in all directions while attending to some part of the emergency. Detecting no immediate sign of the enemy, Merrick signaled for the royals to follow.
Hastily, they made their way down the hazy corridor with the sound of weapons fire coming from the surrounding sections. Racing toward the docking bay, Merrick unexpectedly slowed to a stop. Alexander stared in wonder at what obstructed them. Blocking their entry to the docking bay stood a figure with two burning swords.
"Who's that?" Alexander asked in trepidation.
"Koraden," Merrick seethed.
The captain of the guard drew the battlestaff from the sheath on his back and pulled it apart. Alexander was stunned to see Merrick's blades glowing brightly and burning with such intensity as if doused in petroleum. The flames were held tight to the blades - never extending more than ten centimeters from the shining, cutting portion of the weapon. Never taking his gaze from his foe, Merrick instructed the father and son to go back and circle around to the bay entrance on the far side of that deck.
"But Merrick-" Darius protested.
"Go! I'll meet you there."
The ship rocked with an internal explosion from a few decks up, and the sound of firefights grew closer. Alexander turned to leave, but Darius remained. The prince put a hand on his father's arm, the king reluctantly turned, and the two fled back down the vast hall.
"Surprised to see me, Merrick?" chuckled Koraden as he swaggered nearer.
"I should've known it was you."
"You know, that's the same thing Shania said right before I killed her."
By the look on Merrick's face, Koraden could tell Merrick didn't know Shania was dead. He relished the anguish it caused him.
&nb
sp; "Oh, it's true," Koraden gloated. "She said it was all your fault, and she never should have listened to you. She was right of course, but you always do make the wrong choices, don't you?"
"You're the one who made the wrong choice, Koraden."
"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Merrick. I've dreamt of this day for a thousand years."
"Keep dreaming, Koraden. I'm not the one dying today."
"We'll see," he said as his eye sockets turned completely black then he lunged at the Guardian.
Running toward the secondary entrance of the docking bay, Alexander noticed Edric at the far end of the hall.
"Lord Canton! Lord Canton, over here. Come with us, hurry!"
Hesitating a moment, Edric looked at the royal pair; committing himself to the act, leveled his pistol and fired. Missing, the shot blew between the king and prince. Immediately, they began scurrying back the way they came. Alexander outran his father by several steps, went to a side door and hit the control to open it.
"IN HERE," he called to his father.
Edric fired twice more, missing both times as Darius ducked into the storage bay with Alexander. The expansive room was crammed with stacks of large metallic containers. A virtual maze, the father and son split up to hide among the crates. A few seconds later, they heard the door open as Edric entered and the hunt began.
In the hallway by the docking bay, flaming steel whirled at a furious pace as two ancient warriors battled using weapons from the spirit realm. Driven by a madness born from bottomless depths of hatred, Koraden screamed in rage with each powerful stroke he lashed at his rival. Almost giddy with the idea of realizing his goal, Koraden felt the strongest of his mortal life.
In contrast to the Dridmor's shouts, Merrick was silent, concentrating on his opponent's eyes and letting his peripheral vision guide where and when to deflect or strike. Simultaneously attacking and defending, the master swordsmen each employed two short swords, using both in perfect harmony. Merrick dropped and spun while extending his leg. Letting the weight of his body aid him, Merrick's leg-sweep caught Koraden off guard and sent the unholy warrior slamming hard to the deck. Completing his spin, Merrick quickly rose, drew back an arm, and hurled a flaming sword toward the chest of his floored opponent. Rolling to the side, Koraden avoided the killing blow but didn't escape the blade slicing and burning a wide streak across his back. He roared in anger more than pain and leaped to his feet. Released from Merrick's grip, the sword's flames died, but the weapon remained firmly lodged in the floor. Ignoring his wound, Koraden gathered his hatred and fed on it.
"I showed you mercy, Koraden!" Merrick said while thinking of Shania. "We chose to delay your fate for a time, but now I see I should've killed you when I had the chance."
Koraden smiled.
"Yes, you should have. You won't get the chance again."
With one of Merrick's weapons gone, Koraden pressed his advantage and hacked at his opponent with renewed fury. Pushing his skills to the limit, Merrick had to move twice as fast to parry the two burning blades slicing at him.
In the dimly lit storage bay, Edric's heart pounded in his ears. Pistol shaking, he tried to calm down; reminding himself he was the armed one. The thought did little to settle his nerves. Shaken but resolved, he continued through the labyrinth of containers.
"There's nowhere to run," Edric called. "Come out, and I'll make it quick. I doubt you'll get such an offer from the Ramillie."
His words resonated off the metallic boxes without an answer. Darius figured he could use the disorienting echo to his advantage.
"Why are you doing this Edric? Do you really think this will get you the throne?"
As the king's voice bounced off the walls, Edric slinked his way to where he guessed the sound originated.
"I don't want the throne, let the boy have it. All I want is what's best for the Realm. Right now, you're the opposite. Oh, and I need that trinket on your wrist too."
Darius and Alexander reasoned 'the boy' Edric referred to must be Salazar. Alexander heard footsteps nearing and looked for something, anything, with which to arm himself but found only a wayward bolt. He picked it up and tossed it in a high arc over three of the tall crates. It clanked to the floor, and the footsteps grew fainter.
Trying to add to their pursuer's confusion, Alexander called out to him.
"What about Vivica?" he asked from his hiding spot. "We're to be married. How do you think she'll react when she finds out you tried to assassinate me?"
"She's not going to find out, and this is for her own good. It's for the entire Realm's good. We need someone on the throne who will listen to the Council, and not risk our entire future based on what some crazy old man says or writings from a book of fables."
Edric's words made Darius think of how he'd started, and how much Caedmon, Elkanah, and the Codex of the Elder used to mean to him. He was different then, with different priorities. In those early days, he didn't care about approval poles or economic outlook indicators. He looked to the Codex and Elder to make his decisions, and somehow, often miraculously, things always worked out. During his rule, the Realm expanded greatly in strength, wealth, and influence. Over time, relying on the military might and wealth he had attained, Darius eased away from reliance on the Elder. He had been with Mara against the tenets of the Narrow Way, resulting in a child. He had lied to Caedmon about the device and how he intended to use it. Now the consequences of his errors were upon him, and they were likely to cost not only his life but Alexander's. The weight of his choices pressed at his heart. He had gone much farther than he ever intended, stayed in his error much longer than planned, and now it was costing him far more than he expected to pay.
"What have I done?" he softly lamented. "What have I done?"
Readying his weapon, Edric closed in on the king.
***
A Ramillie boarding party entered the far end of the hall where two swordsmen were engaged in a duel with flaming weapons. Not sure what to make of the spectacle, the red-armored invaders looked to their squad leader for a decision. A group of Chariot security forces burst from the other end of the hall, charging the intruders. Immediately, both sides started firing. The battle caused an explosion sending Merrick and Koraden flying in opposite directions. Using the falling debris as cover, the Realm troops advanced. Smoke and a fountain of sparks separated the opposing sides. Recognizing Merrick, a master sergeant with the name Gibson on his uniform grabbed the bodyguard and pulled him away from the danger. Dazed from the impact, Merrick shook his head to clear it; Gibson helped him to his feet.
"Thanks," Merrick hurriedly said stepping to free his sword that was lodged in the floor. It flamed to life at his grasp. Gibson's eyes darted inquisitively from the odd weapon to its owner.
"No time to explain," Merrick dismissed then willed the blade to extinguish before sheathing it. "Listen, I know where the king and prince are heading. I need your unit to come with me."
Gibson nodded, signaled his troops, and Merrick led them toward the secondary docking bay door as an assassin was only steps away from the king.
Hearing muffled sounds, Edric knew at least one of his targets was on the other side of the nearby crate. He took a deep breath, readying himself for the deed. He wasn't supposed to get his hands dirty, but it was too late to turn back. He eased closer then heard a loud bang and grunt. Turning, he saw the three-meter-high canister falling toward him. He shouted in panic and fired two blasts at it. Unaffected, except for a pair of holes, the heavy, metallic crate continued its rapid descent. Edric crouched and threw his hands over his head as the container came crashing down. It impacted the container behind him and rolled to the side. While Edric was safe, his exit was now blocked, at least momentarily.
"FATHER! THIS WAY!" Alexander shouted.
Wasting no time, Darius sprinted for the exit. He and Alexander rushed from the room and headed toward the docking bay. The fleeing pair rounded the last corner and was nearly at the entrance when a blast from the
ceiling caused huge chunks of twisted metal to rain down on them. Merrick and the Realm troops saw the royals as they were buried by the falling debris. Rushing to their aid, they frantically hurled away the objects. Reaching Alexander first, they pulled his bloodied and bruised body from the rubble.
"AHHH," he shouted in pain as they freed him from the debris.
"Father!" he cried out, pulling free of his rescuers' grasps and turning back to the pile of shattered components. Desperately, he clawed at the wreckage in search of Darius. Uncovering the king, the group saw a metal beam protruding from his chest. Dark blood oozed from his body as he gasped for air. There was no hope.
"No! Father… NO!" Alexander choked out, tears streaking his smudged face.
Darius' face contorted from the pain, and he shuddered while struggling to inhale. Pushing the pain aside, he motioned for Alexander to draw nearer.
"Don't… weep for me… my son," he panted. "This is my arrogance… my pride. I should have listened… should have obeyed. It's too late for me."
"No, no! We'll get you out of here. You'll make it. We'll-"
"There's no time. Alex… Alex, listen to me," he rasped as his lungs filled with blood. "Take this," he gulped, removing the bracer and passing it to his son. "It's… the key. I was going to save it for us, our family… He…he wants it. Caedmon warned-"
His sentence broke as he coughed up blood. Gulping air, he was only able to continue in shallow breaths.
"Alex, don't… make the same errors I did." With all he had left he whispered, "Tell your mother… I love her, and… I'm… sorry."
With that, he fell limp, and his spirit left him. Alexander heaved great tears as he clutched his father to his chest.
"FATHER… Father… no."
Merrick stepped close, putting a hand on the prince's shoulder. No one dared speak, but the sound of the weapons fire was nearing.
Rounding the corner of the hall, Edric saw Realm soldiers huddled around something on the floor. Noticing Alexander, Edric took a few quick shots then ducked for cover.
