Temple of the Light

by Antoine Henderson

  3

  General’s Order

  Avon held Eloy tightly as she walked down another corridor. Following Roga’s lead, Avon stayed close as the young Light Bearer wrapped his arms around her neck. Carrying him was the only way they could continue to move at a steady pace.

  On their journey, they encountered dozens of soldiers, who stood no match against Roga, who he cut them down with ease, using only his glaivecaster and without conjuring Starlight. Qapa and Furi would often stop to engage soldiers who approached them from the rear, preventing the group from being flanked. The closer they got to the Archive, the more they encountered the lifeless bodies of soldiers and various ranked members of the Order alike scattered in the halls, a result of a fierce battle.

  “We’re almost there,” Roga called out, keeping his voice low before turning another corner to enter another hall. Avon stayed close on his heels with Eloy in her arms, followed by Qapa and Furi, who trailed behind turning occasionally to see if they were being followed.

  “I hope Tuya and the others made it in time!” Furi shouted from behind the group.

  “The Light will protect them, Furi—have faith, brother,” said Qapa.

  Passing another group of bodies, Avon was quick to Eloy’s eyes, shielding him from the horrified faces of the dead.

  The sound of blaster fire and screams waned as they arrived at the end of the hall and came to a stop. Roga peered around the corner cautiously with his glaivecaster poised to strike.

  Avon held Eloy’s head close to her shoulder, still shielding his eyes. Her hand was wet, covered in the Light Bearer’s tears. She silently spoke comforting words at him as they awaited Roga’s next move. Her thoughts shifted from consoling Eloy and the surreal situation she never imagined she’d be in.

  Her heart ached for Eloy. He was so young—too young to experience something like this. Avon’s basic survival instinct kicked in and she felt an overwhelming sensation to protect him with her life.

  The sound of marching footsteps and soldiers shouting orders alerted them.

  “We’ve got to move, Roga!” said Furi through gritted teeth. “They’re almost upon us!”

  “The door to the Archive door is opened,” said Roga.

  “So, they made it?” Qapa asked.

  “So it seems,” Roga answered. “I’ll make sure it’s safe, hold here,” he ordered.

  Roga stepped around the corner with cautious steps. Avon watched as he strode toward the Archive’s mechanical sliding door. Positioning himself in an offensive stance, he etched to the opening, peering slowly inside. After a moment, he raised a hand and with a gesture, signaled for Avon and the others to follow.

  Avon, holding Eloy turned the corner and joined Roga with Qapa and Furi on their heels. They entered the door and onto the third floor balcony that encompassed the entire Archive. Once everyone was safely inside, Roga used the door’s terminal on the wall inside to close and lock the door behind them.

  “Down there,” Roga pointed a finger at a bookcase on the lowest level of the massive Archive. “The hidden passage is behind there.”

  The sound of the doors sliding open on the lowest level alerted the group, causing them to duck under the balcony’s railing. They peered through the gaps in-between the stone of the railing to get a visual of who was entering.

  A tall, black-cloaked figure wearing a white mask entered the room with a squadron of soldiers on his heels, their weapons drawn. His cape billowed out behind him as he moved, revealing thick black armor around his chest and shoulders. The armor covered a black tunic with clean black boots covering his feet as he walked with long strides.

  The soldiers that followed aimed their blasters in all directions, forming groups of four as they performed a detailed sweep of the Archive, entering every aisle and looking in every corner until finding no threats in the room. With the hood of the cloak drawn over the white mask, a soldier approached the tall and imposing figure, kneeling before him before he spoke.

  “The Archive is clear, Lord Ju’be,” said the soldier as his voice trembled. “There’s no sign of the terrorists.”

  Avon’s heart raced. The man they addressed as Lord Ju’be struck fear in her for some reason. Strength and power radiated off of him, washing over her like a tidal wave, making her visibly shaken. When Roga noticed, she covered her hand and narrowed her vision on the man.

  Turning to the soldier slowly, Lord Ju’be raised his head. “Find them; they must not escape with the boy or the stone.” His voice was muffled through the mask, but there was a mechanical clarity to it masking his real voice. It sounded almost robotic, and the soldier winced at the end of every sentence.

  Avon and Roga shared a concerned gaze.

  “They know about the Solarstone?” Avon questioned in a hushed whisper. “How is this possible?”

  They turned back to the gaps between the railing, watching the soldiers, hanging on to every word, as they hoped the enemy would leave so they could get Eloy out and as far away from them as possible. They could not allow the Solarstone to be taken by the soldiers no matter what.

  “Sir—” The soldier hesitated briefly. “The men have done a sweep of the entire temple, there’s no one left.”

  “Then do another.” Lord Ju’be ordered. “Do I need to remind you what the price of failure is, Captain Bliddik?”

  There was silence as the soldier trembled and sweating, struggling to answer out of fear.

  “It seems that I do,” Lord Ju’be answered coldly.

  The group watched as he pointed his right hand at the man, arching his fingers toward him. A purple sphere of light appeared in front of it, swirling quickly as it popped, echoing around the Archive.

  He’s using Darklight?

  Avon swallowed a lump in her throat and her heart raced when she and the others realized how grave the threat now was. For everything good that Starlight represented, Darklight represented the opposite. She to the sudden realization that their situation was direr than they initially believed.

  Captain Bliddik became surrounded by Darklight and lifted into the air, arms and legs stretched and head pulled back.

  Avon covered Eloy’s eyes while the man cried out, begging for mercy. The other soldiers watched in indifference, backing away slowly.

  “I want every corner, corridor and room searched thoroughly and I want the boy found now!” Lord Ju’be ordered. “Or the price you will pay will be so severe, that you will beg for death. Do you understand?”

  Captain Bliddik struggled to raise his head between his cries of pain. “Yes! I understand!”

  Closing his fist, the light disappeared and Captain Bliddik dropped to the floor, shaking and gasping for air. The other soldiers stood at attention, unmoving, and not being foolish enough to assist their superior in front of such a powerful being, for they might suffer the same fate if not worse. Captain Bliddik struggled to pick himself up, only gathering himself to a kneeling position before Lord Ju’be.

  “T-thank you, My Lord,” said Captain Bliddik.

  The main doors of the Archive slid open, and another soldier entered the room carrying a holoscreen. He came to Captain Bliddik’s side and knelt before Lord Ju’be unaware at the display of power and obedience that occurred moments earlier.

  “What’s the status of your search, Captain Treag? Have you located them?”

  “The men are searching the north tower, My Lord.”

  “And why aren’t you searching with them?” Lord Ju’be demanded.

  “I was instructed to come and see you at once, My Lord.”

  “Instructed by whom? You have your orders, Treag.”

  “General Madox, My Lord. He wishes to speak to you at once.”

  There was a brief pause and a barely audible grunt that came from beneath the mask before Lord Ju’be motioned for him to rise. Captain Treag rose and activated the holoscreen, holding it in front of Lord Ju’be as a flickering imagine materialized on
the device.

  An old man appeared, wearing a standard uniform of a high ranking Solarium officer. His salt and pepper hair was covered by the black officer’s hat casting a small shadow over his sunken brown eyes and wizened features.

  “General Madox,” Lord Ju’be greeted plainly.

  “Arcknight Ju’be.” General Madox returned the greeting, struggling to keep the smirk from curling his lips.

  “Do Generals always call from their perch while soldiers are out in the field?”

  “Only when said soldiers aren’t able to complete the tasks given to them,” General Madox answered coldly. “Tell me, what is the status of the mission? The last update we received was confirmation that the beacon was activated. He is growing impatient, especially after being promised uninhibited success. So, tell me, Ju’be, have you been inhibited?”

  “No,” Lord Ju’be said coldly. “Everything is going as planned. We’ve taken the temple and have all but wiped out the Starlight Order.”

  “Yet, the child evades you. I needn’t give you a reminder of what will happen if the boy escapes?”

  “He won’t.”

  “I intend to make sure he doesn’t. This is why Commander Quilla and her squadron have been dispatched to assist you and your men. I believe her methods are more reliable in this situation,” said General Madox coldly. “I’m sure you don’t mind the help.”

  “Does this order come from him or you? If it’s the latter, it won’t be necessary. I can handle it myself.”

  “From me of course, our Master merely agreed,” said General Madox. “The way it stands, it seems you can use all the help you can get, Ju’be. I expect the boy to be found within the hour and the stone retrieved. I will be in touch soon. Commander Quilla should arrive soon. Get it done, Ju’be.”

  The image flickered and disappeared as Captain Treag shook from fear as he retracted the holoscreen.

  Roga turned to Avon, motioning for the door. Avon nodded in understanding as she waited for him to make the first move. Roga knelt low and made his way toward the door, leaving his glaivecaster leaning against the railing. The soldier’s couldn’t see the door opening from their position in the Archive and it was their only way out. Avon held in her breath as Roga unlocked the door, opening it before peering into the hall to ensure the coast was clear.

  Without speaking, he raised a hand and signaled that the hall was clear. Qapa nodded at Avon, motioning for her and Eloy to go first. Avon followed his signal without protest and held Eloy tightly. She knelt low to stay hidden behind the cover of the balcony railing, but her foot hit the end of Roga’s glaivecaster knocking off of its perch. The impact of the blade crashing onto the floor echoed throughout the Archive, alerting the soldiers to their position.

  “Up there!” A soldier called out. The sound of blaster rifles being brought to bear pierced Avon’s ears.

  She retreated to the cover of the stone railing and peeked around it. Her panicked gaze fell upon soldiers ascending up the stairs of the Archive firing their blasters at the door as Roga lunged from the door to the railing for cover, avoiding their plasma blasts.

  Avon’s heart sank as her eyes met with metallic eyes of Lord Ju’be’s mask. He stabbed a finger at the balcony.

  “There! The boy is there—do not let him escape!”

  Blaster fire rained upon the group, ripping it apart with every second that passed. Avon shielded Eloy and realized that it wouldn’t hold for much longer. Soon, they would be exposed.

  Roga struggled to crawl back to his glaivecaster as soldiers arrived on the second story balcony, flanking them on both sides, making it before he was in their sights. They focused their blaster fire at the door to prevent the group from escaping.

  Some soldiers tried to turn the corner of the balcony, Furi and Qapa kept them at bay with torrents of Starlight from the blades of their glaivecasters, launching the soldiers against the wall, knocking them unconscious with the force of their attacks.

  The group couldn’t escape from their position as a group soldiers kept them pinned low from the main floor while other soldiers that were keeping their distance behind them on the balcony focused their fire on the doorway across from them.

  The worst was yet to come as Avon turned to see Lord Ju’be aiming his hands out and his arched fingers toward them as purple Darklight swirled in front of them once more.

  Qapa and Furi continued to keep the soldiers from reaching them as Roga aimed his weapon through a gap of the railing and attacked soldiers below with torrents of Starlight. When he noticed Lord Ju’be preparing himself for an attack, Roga stopped his assault and put himself between the railing and Avon while she held Eloy, preparing to block the impeding attack.

  Waving his hands around, Lord Ju’be retracted his arms, and with a swift and forceful motion aimed his open hands at the railing that shielded the group. Darklight arching from the circles aimed at the railing caused the group to brace for impact. Roga knelt behind them holding his glaivecaster out as its blade ignited with golden Starlight.

  Behind them, three large golden circular-shaped symbols of Starlight appeared in a row, covering the length of the balcony, blocking Lord Ju’be’s powerful torrent of Darklight. As the two forms of light collided a large explosion followed, rocking the balcony. When Avon turned, her gaze saw that the Starlight shields protected them from impact, absorbing the attack.

  She raised her head to the door and stared at the bottom of long golden colored robes, covered by a brown cloak. As her eyes wandered up, Master Enbu stood before her, his hands were aimed above the group’s heads with Starlight circles swirling in front of them.

  “This way!” Master Enbu ordered.

  4

  Escaping Metamora

  Without hesitation, the group bolted for the door, passing by the old Master as he held his position. Once they reached the hallway, the circles disappeared. Master Enbu hit a command on the outside of the control panel, slamming the steel door shut, preventing the soldiers inside the Archive from pursuing them.

  He exhaled deeply before turning to the group.

  “Master Enbu, you’re still with us!” Avon said with elation.

  “I am, but many of our brethren are not.”

  “How did you find us?” Roga questioned.

  “The security cameras are still active. When I arrived in the Council chambers, I checked the security cameras and saw you were in the Archive.”

  “Master Enbu, did you see our comrades Tuya and Baru? They left with a Paladin named Jaha to open the Archive doors,” Furi questioned. Hope filled his eyes while beads of sweat fell from his bald head and lined his face, meeting at his black goatee.

  Master Enbu shook his head.

  “Pray the Light guided them to safety. But we have no time to waste; we have to get Eloy away—this way!”

  He led the group down the hall and through several corridors until they reached the main hall of the temple. Arriving at a pair of statues, Master Enbu used Starlight to activate a symbol on the floor that revealed a hidden passage underneath the temple. The group entered the passage and down a winding staircase. They arrived in a dimly lit tunnel, as Master Enbu continued to lead the way, presumably to safety.

  Avon had so many questions, but they were moving so fast she didn’t have the time to ask them. They ascended another winding staircase at the end of the tunnel that led to a door. The doorway led the group into a storage room filled with various furniture covered by white sheets that lined the walls. Here they caught their breaths and regrouped.

  “Master Enbu, how did they find us?” Avon asked.

  “I do not know, but my suspicion leads me to believe one of our own assisted betrayed us. To coordinate an assault of this magnitude? One would need to know detailed information about the temple.”

  “That explains how they knew where to find Eloy,” said Avon.

  “As they did the Masters and other members of the Order,” said Ma
ster Enbu solemnly. “It was because I was speaking with you, Avon, I was spared the same fate as the other members of the Council. When I arrived in the Council chambers, they were already dead. It was then, the assault on the temple began,” he added.

  “The man in the Archive, he used Darklight,” said Roga. “And the General on the holoscreen called him Arcknight Ju’be—”

  “Arcknight? Are you sure that’s what you all heard?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Yes, Master,” said Roga. “I’ve heard of Arcknights before, they are vaguely mentioned in old texts.”

  “Quickly, tell me everything you heard in the Archive,” Master Enbu requested in a panic.

  Avon sensed the urgency in Master Enbu’s voice. She shared a glance with Roga as he sensed it too.

  “He used Darklight to torture one of his subordinates for not finding Eloy. He then spoke with a man named General Madox, who addressed him as Arcknight Ju’be. They talked about a beacon being activated—”

  “The Beacon?” Master Enbu questioned as his eyes widened. He collapsed against the wall before Qapa raced to catch him from hitting the floor.

  “Master, are you okay?” Qapa questioned as Furi assisted him in lifting the old Master up.

  “Our greatest fear has been realized,” Master Enbu warned. “They have returned.”

  “They, Master?”

  “Many years ago, before the Darkness came and while the System suffered under the rule of the old Empire, the Starlight Order was much bigger back then. Because of their extremist views and corruption of their Starlight into Darklight, the Council at the time exiled a small group of Seekers. They took their knowledge to the Empire who welcomed them with open arms,” said Master Enbu. He took a deep breath before continuing. “They became known as Arcknights of the Empire. The color of their light comes from their corrupted ways in which they attain its power and use it,” Master Enbu said, sounding weary.

  He took a moment to catch his breath while Avon and the others waited for him. She still held Eloy, his arms wrapped around her neck and his head resting comfortably on her shoulder. The concern Master Enbu expressed worried Avon as she’d never seen him, a Master in this condition.