“We got you in. We are the only ones to get you out. Fight, or die with us.”
Fia’ra and Fio’tro leaped into the sky, attacking the still vulnerable creature. Katen hesitated, debating his disappearing options. He looked to Seare and saw his body shake. If they were going to do something, it needed to be now. With a scowl, he reached out and summoned his staff, then joined the others in the sky.
* * * * *
“Die!” Katen screamed as he continued his attack, but it all felt like a losing battle. He watched the weakened Seare fall to his knees, the protective dome around the island ruptured and dissolved away. The spider creature landed hard, digging its legs deep into the island.
Seare forced himself to his feet and donned his own sabre-shaped weapon before attacking the spider with greater fury. Flanking the spider creature, Katen and the others battled on.
The tide seemed strongly against them. A powerful energy radiated around the spider as it poised for a massive attack. Before it unloaded, a wind kicked up, disrupting what could have been the creature’s final onslaught. The outline of Decreta appeared across the sky, and he shrieked, “Noooooooo more!”
The space around the creature filled with blinding light. It squealed as small explosions erupted across its skin.
Using the reprieve to their advantage, Seare directed them back to the fountain and quickly recharged.
“Hit it with everything you have!” Fio’tro yelled. Combining their restored powers, the four unleashed immense blasts, striking the beast from every angle. Its outer shell ripped open. A harsh red light radiated momentarily before the entire body exploded. While its remains fell upon the island, the image of Decreta dissolved.
Seare led the others back to where the floating island merged into the land. As he lifted his arms, the island’s mass pulled away and headed back into the sky. He took them back to where the temple once stood. The four walked down the light-bridge to the bottom of the ruins.
Where the foundation had been showed only charred ground. Though partially covered in debris, they made out the same pattern that was once embossed across the side of the temple. Seare stood over the center and outstretched his arms. A soft green light surrounded him, as did the symbol below.
The ground began to quiver while a soothing tone resonated around them. A green light suddenly shot into the sky, striking the pieces of the destroyed mindscape. Slowly, the mindscape’s sections began pulling toward each other. As the fragments touched, the edges glowed green and fused together.
Slowly, the entire tapestry of the mindscape was restored. But the beauty they saw before was gone. Charred regions appeared where the engrams were permanently destroyed. The mountain from where the creature emerged, the area that used to house the temple, and the place the beast facility stood, were among the areas destroyed forever.
Seare lowered his arms and the light faded. He motioned to the portal in the sky, the way back to the upper level of the mindwalk.
“There’s nothing more to learn for now,” Fio’tro said.
* * * * *
“How long will it take?” Mencari asked.
The beast’s body shuddered, then slumped to the side. Katen’s eyes opened, meandered without focus around the room, then he smiled. “It’s done.”
“But you just closed your eyes.”
“Much can be done in mindtime.”
“What did you learn?” Eyani said.
Katen’s eye twitched as he looked over to Mencari. “That the Nukari are still as vicious as I knew them to be. Sadistic, bloodthirsty, power-hungry. Even when there’s an exception among their kind, they’re slaughtered by those with evil ambitions.”
To the confusion in Eyani’s eyes, he sighed and said, “The beast is called Decreta. They have a breeding facility, run by a vengeful mistress named Kajlit’ga. She’s feared by her creations, and punishes them often. This one, Decreta, hated her, and was looking for a way to escape.”
“Would he fight for us?” Cogeni asked.
“He might have been willing.”
“What does that mean?” Mencari said.
“The Nukari laid traps in the beast’s mind, ones that activated and ravaged him. It might be a while before he’d be of any further use. I could try to … help him.”
“Do you know where they’re coming from?” Eyani said.
“The facility, but not the location. There’s much more you need to know.” Katen reflected on the mindwalk, then felt a tingling sensation near him. His eyes traced the feeling to Decreta. He frowned, curious. How is that possible? “Its consciousness is rising.”
He’d seen with his own eyes the damage done to the beast’s mind. What type of being would emerge from that experience?
Cogeni gripped the Demas Beads as the glow of containment surrounded the beast’s body.
Decreta’s deep blue eyes fluttered open. His childlike gaze cast about the room and paused on Katen. Could it even speak? Unlike before, the beast showed no signs of tension, or intent to escape.
“Katen?” the beast said in a gritty, guttural voice.
He remembered. Perhaps the essence of D’mar, the source of the beast’s abilities and power, healed the mindscape enough to maintain the beast. “What do you remember?”
Decreta’s stoic face grew pained; he struggled to form words. “Atri, Degnit … Kajlit’ga … Fio’tro, Fia’ra … and … you.” Their eyes met. “You … helped me. You … are like me?”
“Yes, beast.”
Decreta looked at the others beyond Katen. “Who … are they?”
“Only I matter now.”
The creature hung its head in obedience. Katen smiled. Kajlit’ga taught it well; even after its mind was nearly destroyed, its instincts to obey were intact.
“Will I … be returned … to Master Kajlit’ga?”
“You are mine, beast. You will never suffer Kajlit’ga again.”
Katen looked to Mencari. “There’s much more to share.”
Novelette: The Aloan Conspiracy
Author’s Note
When revising the third manuscript for D’mok Revival: Descension, my amazing editor Arlene Robinson identified a segment that interrupted the flow of the main storyline. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, but the sidebar detracted from an otherwise focused flow and progression. My first novelette, Mindwalk: The Taming of Decreta was born from the two chapters removed from that manuscript.
Now, while revising the fourth book, D’mok Revival: New Eden, I’ve encountered a similar situation. Unfortunately, the content slated for removal provided answers to questions many fans had inquired about. Specifically, what happened on Speru’s world after he and Rhysus Mencari left?
While this detail does have a significant impact on events in the fourth book, the way events are introduced when they happen provide enough information so readers will still understand what is happening without the earlier context.
Technically, the action of this book takes place between the first chapter of book 3, and the beginning of book 4. Because of this, I've included this in this anthology.
To ensure that readers not familiar with the other books can understand the following segment, I’ve provided a primer that explains what happened on Alo up to the point where Rhysus Mencari and Speru Chew leave.
I've also included a prologue sneak peek of the next two novels in my literary universe.
I hope you enjoy this novelette. Without further ado, allow me to take you on a journey!
Primer
The Nukari were an infamous, ancient, and aggressive alien race. Eons ago, after eradicating the space-faring and superhuman D’mar, the Nukari abandoned this region of space.
Eons later, Rhysus Mencari, a member of the Human Coalition, stationed on their deep space platform, detected the presence of ships in phased space. Within hours, a viscous attack destroyed the deep space platform and slaughtered thousands, including Mencari’s family. The attack ended when Mencari manifested an uncon
trolled blast of energy destroying several ships, marking the emergence of superhuman abilities. In the aftermath, it was determined the attackers were Nukari in origin.
After being trained to use his abilities by Osuto, a surviving D’mar, Mencari set out to find others like him and hunt the Nukari.
During his travels he formed a team called the D’mok Warriors. Each member wielded their own unique abilities. Among them: a tech-geek and catgirl, Toriko, her robotic canine creation Spark, a child assassin and her morphing companion Ichini, an ancient D’mar, Seigie, with crystal skin and the ability to summon power from gems, a brutal, single-minded warrior named Naijen, the exotic dancer and empath, Nikko, her priestly husband, Cogeni, who manifested power from holy relics, the military scout and sniper Kiyanna, the ability boosting Speru, the towering and statuesque power-transmuter Cerna, and finally the mysterious Nukari beast and turncoat, Katen with the abilities of telepathy, molecular manipulation, and plants control.
Mencari also found additional allies like: Eyani and Tenrl, leaders of a xeno-intelligence organization called Eden, Ghn’en, commander of the Be’Inaxi space force, Ujaku, and weapons designer and equipment diviner, the eclectic band of aliens known as the Nomads, and a new superpower group of Humans led by a man called Anrik.
After encountering the Nukari deeply embedded in numerous worlds, and squaring off against their mercenary allies, Mencari and the D’mok Warriors faced genetically enhanced Nukari beasts that wielded similar super powers.
At the beginning of the third book in the Nukari Invasion Trilogy, D’mok Revival: Descension, Rhysus Mencari found himself stranded, his ship drained of its energy due to an anomaly in space. Using his superhuman D’mok abilities, he was able to enter the rift and found a world encapsulated inside a pocket in space. There he discovered a world of ancient D’mar, the ancient alien race and source of the genetics that gave Mencari his superhuman abilities.
Sealed away by their own volition, a desperate move to protect them from the deadly alien race known as the Nukari, Alo became a self-contained world of super beings. Their leadership labored with how to handle Mencari’s appearance, and the threat an outsider brought to their formerly protected pocket of space.
A cadet, Speru Chew, was assigned to Mencari, to accompany him until Aloan leadership determined what to do with him. What was unusual about the boy was, unlike the other inhabitants of Alo, Speru lacked superhuman abilities. He was infamously known there as “The Freak of Alo.”
During their time together, Speru Chew shared the rich history of Alo with Mencari.
As leadership wavered in their support of Mencari, a senior councilmember named D’abar chose to ally with him. To gain the council’s favor, D’abar, Speru Chew, and Mencari found evidence of a common ancestry between Humans and Aloans through the ancient D’mar race. When this failed to solidify council support, Speru Chew orchestrated a plan to have Mencari use his abilities during Alo’s wildly popular coliseum challenges. When Mencari won the event, the approach backfired, drawing the council’s ire.
They finally agreed that if Mencari could help repair the field that created their pocket in space, they would consider helping him in his fight against the resurging Nukari. Upon repair, D’abar’s rival in the council, D’gorra, used his standing to accuse D’abar of inciting the public and undermining the council’s leadership.
When D’gorra attempted to arrest D’abar and capture both Speru Chew and Mencari, D’abar unsealed the boy’s true powers. Leveraging Speru Chew’s unique boosting powers, Mencari escaped with Speru Chew before the pocket of space closed for good.
D’gorra was furious. D’abar was left behind, trapped back on Alo, inside the pocket of space.
The aftermath of these events follows below.
The Aloan Conspiracy
“I did …” The old man shuddered, his hoarse voice taken by emotion. A burning swell of pain struck him, like barbs of stone plunged deep into his heart.
A torrent of damning thoughts ravaged his mind. How could this have happened? What should I do? Can’t think ... Somehow he had to quiet the storm, find reprieve.
Learned words from his mentor echoed through the madness.
Become the master your mind, D’abar. Be here, in this moment.
Yes, he needed to redirect his thoughts to the here and now.
Exhausted eyes closed as his other senses soaked in his surroundings. A cold prick of conditioned air wafted across his skin. It smelled stale and dank, a clear sign the room had infrequent use. From just outside his cell window drifted the melodic trill of tiny Larkens. How he loved the small yellow-chested birds with pink wings and enormous black eyes.
His focus drifted inward, muscles of his face still held in a smile by the thought of the Larkens. He felt his heart pound in his chest. Parched lips and sandy tongue longed for but a few drops of water. Thick bands of vibrating crystal bound his wrists and ankles. And his thigh muscles ached from sitting too long in the same position.
A gentle warmth gave him pause. Like a ray of shining light, it emanated from the kind soul seated beside him—from Jeyla. This must be confusing for her too. His loyal assistant deserved answers.
Answers …
A renewed deluge of bitter memories flooded his mind. Idiot! Any other thought would have sufficed. He shook his head lamenting, overwhelmed.
Again his mentor’s words echoed. Mind over matter can also be reversed. Physicality too can rule.
Such wisdom. There was another way to trump an ill of the mind.
He took a short, desperate breath and held it. As the moments passed, an acute awareness of growing discomfort burned away all other thoughts.
Encouraged, he clamped his mouth shut, further denying his body. A tingle fanned out from his chest. Every muscle tensed, his body building strength to break free from whatever denied him oxygen.
He felt every synapse and dendrite tune in to the moment. The tingling turned to electric pulses that surged through his limbs. His body grew desperate to move—to breathe.
Building intensity curled his toes as survival instincts demanded to be enacted, only to be willfully inhibited.
Jolts of pain now raked across him. Even his conscious mind buzzed with dire awareness. Head shaking, he pushed, holding it longer.
Finally, he lurched forward, gulping air. But the tactic worked. The mental storm was but a breeze of its former self. Looking to Jeyla, he found semblance of mind to speak again. Words were slow and disjointed. “I did … what I … had … to do.”
“D’abar, I don’t understand,” Jeyla said. Frustrated, she flapped long brown locks streaked with blue from her face. Her patience waned and he detected growing tension in her tone. “You’re a senior councilmember, High Dome can’t treat you like this!”
You’re wrong, dear girl, so very wrong. The council had absolute authority over everyone and everything on their world, Alo. In fact, they had deposed him as a conspirator, and incarcerated him without any real evidence. D’gorra, his rival on the council, spun a few threads of truth into a web of doubt. That alone was enough to set this chain of events in motion. He should have been more careful. He underestimated D’gorra’s audaciousness—a fatal mistake in their political theater. In one misstep, a lifetime of carefully choreographed moves were undone.
“No one will even tell me what’s going on!” she said, desperate.
What’s going on? Speru …
The memory of a handsome youth came to mind. He wore a cadet’s uniform: ornate white coat and pants, silver sash, and half-cape. Strawberry-blond locks, styled in a reverse Mohawk, blew in a gentle wind. He recalled the boy headed to his first day of guard duty, a commission he personally secured for the youth. His face beaming, Speru had said, It’s really happening—my first step.
So ambitious. Speru had his sights on becoming an Aloan Defender. A Defender! When others in his situation would have been content at finding mere purpose for their lives, Speru aspired to the pinnacle of
Aloan greatness.
The old man’s eyes burned. “I watched him for so many years. Protected him—told him to always hope … hope one day he’d … he’d … When it was me who ensured he’d never ...”
“D’abar, please, you’re not making sense.”
“They wanted him dead, Jeyla.”
“Who?” Her voice fell heavily with frustration. “Who wanted whom dead?”
“I was just doing what was best for our people. He was so confused … unprepared.”
“He?” she asked, suspicious. “Is this about Speru?”
He winced at the name. Did he do the right thing? There was no turning back now, no way to change what was done. “He’s beyond their reach now.”
He felt tiny hands grip his arm like a vise. “Look at me! D’abar! Look at me!”
His vision blurred with tears. He couldn’t look at her. “I’m sorry,” he choked.
“What happened to Speru?”
“He’s free, Jeyla.”
“What does that mean? Where is he?”
“Beyond the lie that has been protecting us all this time.”
“I don’t get all these riddles!” she said with a moan.
D’abar grew quiet, his guilt choking his desire for life.
“Guard!” she yelled.
He didn’t bother to look up when he heard her leave his cell. Perhaps he should have said more, but he didn’t care now. Everything felt numb.
Where was Speru now? Sending him with the alien Rhysus Mencari was a risk. Yet, while he seemed strange, Mencari had a good heart, much like Speru.
Was it the right thing to do? Yes. It was safer away than being hunted by the council’s dogs.
Hot tears cleared his eyes. He looked upon his shaking hands and cursed. The now useless limbs were the very tools that had sealed Speru’s fate when he was born. Much to D’gorra’s chagrin, the same aging hands had liberated the boy and unleashed the most powerful of all Aloans.
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