Temple of the Light

by Antoine Henderson

  “We didn’t know it then, but they took with them the Solarstone that Eloy holds now and with it, they were responsible for many System’s in the galaxy, falling into the hands of the Empire. We were powerless to stop such a foe. Even the Iron Knights fell to them. That is when the people turned on us, blaming us for their suffering and pain, and it is why we stayed hidden for all these years. During that time, the Solarstone disappeared, until it was brought to us thirty years ago by an old ally. I fear, they have returned to take the Solarstone back, but now they have the aid of the USS military to help them.”

  “How come we never knew about this, Master Enbu?” Avon questioned. “Had we known, we could have done more to prepare for something like this,” she added.

  “The Council thought it best to keep the dark history of the Order secret to stop it from happening once more, but it seems we’ve failed. There’s only one hope left, we have to get Eloy to the Hidden Temple of Nano & Rimo on Pluh-Toh—if the beacon is activated, is the only safe place for him right now.”

  “What will we find when we get there, Master?” Avon asked.

  “In the city of Aeris, there is a man named Pias. He can lead us to those who will protect Eloy with his life and keep the Solarstone safe from the hands of the Arcknights,” Master Enbu explained before getting his bearings. “We must get to the hangar at once.”

  “No doubt they have that covered, Master. It is two kilometers away, a great distance on foot,” Furi said.

  “There’s only a dozen or so stationed there from what I saw on the cameras. Surely a dozen soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance against us. But we must move with haste, no doubt they’ll suspect we will head there and descend upon us before we arrive.”

  The group nodded while Eloy clung to Avon.

  Readying their weapons, Roga took point, with Master Enbu by his side, while Furi and Qapa once again took their position in the rear, with Avon and Eloy in the middle. They exited the storage room and entered the hallway, never looking back and moving at a quick and efficient pace. The first leg of their journey was easy, and they met no resistance, but the closer they got to the hangar, the soldiers seemed to appear.

  Several groups of soldiers blocked their path as they raced through the temple and even though it was easy for them to stop the soldiers, it slowed them down as they raced to escape the besieged temple. Turning left, they arrived at the hangar doors, gasping for breath. Their respite was brief, but Avon’s arms grew tired and she had no choice but to set Eloy down a moment before they continued.

  Avon felt Eloy shaking and saw his eyes with tears forming and running down his cheeks. He didn’t truly know what was going on and only wanted to stay as close to Avon as possible. He grabbed her hand and ran as fast as he could at her side. Although tears rolled down his cheek, he didn’t cry out or stop, he kept moving forward and Avon admired his courage.

  Master Enbu unlocked the doors to the hangar and entered cautiously, leading the group inside.

  The hangar itself was smaller compared to those of Solaris Prime or any other major metropolitan city. The six freighter ships were beyond use; destroyed and burning from the inside out. There was no doubt in Avon’s mind that the soldiers sabotaged the ships to prevent anyone’s escape.

  “Where have the soldiers gone?” Furi asked.

  “They’re gone, or so it seems,” said Master Enbu, leading the group around the burning freighters. “There!”

  Master Enbu alerted the group to three smaller, but heavily armored dual-cockpit ships, used by the Order to travel around Metamora for commerce. Furi and Qapa raced toward the first one, examining them, checking their hulls damage.

  “These are Skyglider’s, Master—they weren’t built for space flight,” Qapa warned.

  “No, but they’re modified just in case,” said Master Enbu. “Enter, quickly!”

  Furi and Qapa entered the ship, waiting for more orders.

  “Set a course for Pluh-Toh. Avon and Eloy will be right behind you, Roga and I behind them, understand?”

  “Yes, Master,” said Furi.

  “See you soon, brothers,” said Roga.

  Qapa and Furi nodded as they strapped themselves into their seats before pressing several commands on the computer navigation terminal when the cockpit dome-shaped windshield closed above their heads. Igniting the engines, the ships’ landing gear retracted, and the ship hovered above ground as Qapa grabbed the steering wheel yoke, preparing to pilot the vessel.

  Avon felt Eloy’s grip loosen, and she turned to him to see his watering eyes widen and his mouth agape. He gawked at the ship as it rose high above their heads and out of the hangar bay, ascending at full speed toward the sky.

  Avon didn’t know where it came from, but the sound of cannon fire shook the hangar, and a trail of blue plasma energy launched across the sky, barreling toward the Skyglider, hitting its wing.

  “No!” Roga shouted, the shock and fury resonating in his voice. Master Enbu fought to hold him back.

  Avon grabbed Eloy, holding him close as the boy’s eyes filled with tears and his lips curled into a frown. “Don’t watch, Eloy,” she said as she turned his head away.

  “Qapa! Furi!” Roga called out.

  The ship spiraled in the sky, descending as it fell toward the forest, until it was gone from sight. The explosion in the distance shook Avon as Roga fell to his knees.

  “We must go, Roga!” Master Enbu said. He turned to Avon and Eloy. “Get into the ship, Avon—we will cover your escape, do it quickly!” Master Enbu pulled Roga up and Avon nodded.

  “Take another step and the girl dies!” The booming robotic voice that came from Lord Ju’be’s mask echoed off hangar walls as he walked toward the group. His cloak billowing out behind him with a squadron of soldiers on his heels, weapons in hand. A few steps behind him, was Captain Treag, leading a handcuffed Tuya in front of him. Captain Bliddik carried her glaivecaster next to him. Avon and the others took a step back, gazing at the imposing force.

  “I will make this simple for you,” Lord Ju’be said, coming to a sudden stop. “Hand the boy over and your lives will be spared. You will be placed on trial and spend the rest of your life in the Void Prison.”

  “Even with the threat of the eternal darkness of the Void, we will not give up, arcfiend!” Master Enbu roared.

  “Arcfiend? I’ve heard that was an old insult, and to hear it now from the great Master Enbu, tsk, it is a wondrous day,” said Lord Ju’be. “And here, I thought you escaped already—it was quite a surprise when I saw you in the Archive, and I am not easy to surprise. When I slaughtered the other Masters, I thought to myself that someone was missing—you, and here you are.”

  “You seem to think you have a choice and you don’t!” Captain Treag shouted. His attention shifted to Tuya. “We gave her a choice, too, and she’s alive because she made the right choice. She gave up! Now, will you follow her example or are you going to make things difficult?”

  “Tuya, where are the others?” Roga asked.

  Tuya lowered her head while turning away from Roga.

  Avon gasped. “Jaha’s dead?” Avon asked. Her eyes widened and chin trembled as she spoke.

  “They stood no match against our forces,” Lord Ju’be said. “Now, surrender the boy and drop your weapons or—”

  The scream of a soldier pierced through the air as four members of the Starlight Order let out a loud battle cry from behind the enemy, using bladecasters radiating Starlight—another weapon used by the Order—flanking the enemy. Seizing the moment, Roga pointed his glaivecaster in the enemies’ direction, firing a wave of golden energy from its blade, causing Lord Ju’be to roll to his side to evade the attack. His soldiers didn’t have his reflexes and were knocked off their feet from the impact of the attack.

  “The Paladins!” Master Enbu shouted, as the men engaged in combat with the soldiers.

  Avon grabbed hold of Eloy as Master Enbu joined in, waving his
hands, summoning the power of Starlight in circles and casting its energy in the form of golden arcs which shot out against a group of soldiers.

  Captain Treag released Tuya and fired his blaster at the group, but Roga parried each blast, running toward him, striking him down with such force his blade ripped through the armor that covered his chest. As Captain Treag fell lifeless to the floor, Roga sliced the cuffs that bound Tuya’s hands. She grabbed her weapon and joined Roga as they raced back to Avon’s side.

  Master Enbu waved his hands toward Lord Ju’be as the Starlight came barreling toward him as he rose to stop Roga and Tuya from advancing. The masked Lord raised his hands, summoning Darklight as purple circles formed around his hand, engulfing Master Enbu’s attack as the two struggled for control. Darklight versus Starlight.

  “Avon, get Eloy to the ship!” Master Enbu ordered, as he struggled to keep Lord Ju’be on one knee.

  “What about you, Master?” Avon called out.

  “Forget about me—Remember, Avon, Eloy must not fall in their hands no matter the cost! Go!”

  Avon hesitated for a moment, but Master Enbu’s words were true. If Eloy’s power would fall into the hands of the enemy, it would mean the end of everything they knew. She picked Eloy up as Roga held Tuya steady, rushing toward them.

  Avon ran towards the nearest Skyglider, leaving the battle behind her. Opening the cockpit, she placed Eloy in the back and prepared to jump in herself, when a familiar voice cried out in pain.

  A small dagger had buried its way into Roga’s armor, covering it in blood. Time seemed to freeze for Avon as her wide eyes met with the blade while it was slowly being removed from Roga’s back. Dropping his glaivecaster, Roga fell to his knees and Tuya stood behind him, watching him with empty green eyes and her lips curled into a smirk.

  “Tuya!” Master Enbu cried out, having witnessed the horrifying behind him. “What have you done?”

  Lord Ju’be used the distraction to overtake Master Enbu, engulfing his Starlight with his own Darklight and within seconds the old Master became enveloped with it. He writhed in pain, falling to a knee. The Paladins were tiring and fell to the soldier’s volleys of blasts one at a time as more soldiers entered and overwhelmed them with their numbers.

  Avon froze in shock as Roga collapsed onto the ground, holding one hand to exit wound of her blade on his chest while holding himself up from the floor with the other.

  Tuya looked at Avon and smirked before turning to Master Enbu and raising her glaivecaster to deliver the final blow. Avon’s eyebrows arched as she balled her fists so hard her nails bit into her palm. Her lips curled as she planted her legs wide when Starlight appeared around her balled fists. She opened her hands and the summoning circles appeared before them, spinning with such velocity it made her cloak billow around her.

  Just as Tuya slashed her blade toward Master Enbu’s back it was met by a Starlight shield Avon conjured. The Darklight engulfed blade collided with the protective shield with such force that a loud boom echoed inside the hangar and knocked Tuya on her back, several feet toward Avon.

  Stepping forward, Avon readied herself as Tuya picked herself up from the floor.

  “You should have left when you had the chance,” said Tuya wiping blood from her lip. “I’m going to make sure you end up like, Baru, your Paladin friend and Roga, all bleeding on the floor, dying slowly by my hands!”

  Tuya charged at Avon who stood still. She raised her glaivecaster above her head, and slashed it Avon, who instinctively knelt to one knee and raised her palm to block the blade. The sound of the blade clashing with her Starlight symbol rang in her ears, but she ignored it and with her free hand pointed it at Tuya’s stomach. She cried out as she released a wave of Starlight from it, sending Tuya flying against the ship and knocking the glaivecaster from her hand. The woman fell to the floor unconscious.

  Avon rose to check on Master Enbu who had fallen to his knees, trying to hold himself together as Lord Ju’be drifted toward him one step at a time. Master Enbu struggled to turn his head to Avon as the symbols disappeared from her palms. He carried a smile on his face, but said nothing, only motioning with his head for her to flee. She nodded with hesitation and ran to Roga’s side. A pool of blood formed underneath him as it dropped from the wound through his fingers.

  “Let’s go,” said Avon, picking him up.

  Roga did his best to contain the pain and not cry out when Avon threw his arm around her neck and carried him to the ship. “There isn’t enough room, Avon.”

  “We’ll make room,” she insisted. “I don’t think I can do this alone.”

  “Roga’s bleeding! Is he going to be okay?” Eloy asked with tears in his eyes, watching Avon place him in the passenger seat.

  Avon was relieved to know Eloy stayed down while in the ship and didn’t witness what Tuya had done to him. “He’s going to be okay, Eloy—help him up,” said Avon.

  With the Light Bearer’s help, got Roga inside the ship, strapping him in as he ripped off a piece of his cloak to cover the exit wound and slow down the bleeding. Avon stepped into the ship, and climbed into the pilot’s seat, placing Eloy on her lap. She turned to see Master Enbu still watching her, shaking as Lord Ju’be was now upon him. He gave her a quick smile before facing Lord Ju’be and slowly rising to his feet, holding his arms out.

  The Darklight that engulfed him dispersed as Starlight surrounded him. With a thrust of his hands, the hanger was overtaken by Starlight, knocking Lord Ju’be and the remaining soldiers off of their feet.

  With Starlight surrounding his entire body he turned to the ship. The cockpit closed and Avon started the engines. The ship lifted off the ground before she retracted the landing gear while Master Enbu waved his hands and surrounded the ship in a dome of Starlight, aiding its liftoff out of the hangar and into the sky.

  Avon’s heart sunk when she saw how Meta temple, her home was burning from the inside out, the smoke billowing up into the night’s sky.

  An enemy starship hovered south of the temple and fired its cannons at the ship. Avon concluded it was the same starship that destroyed Qapa and Furi’s Skyglider and readied herself to evade the cannon fire. Eloy clutched her tightly and closed his eyes.

  A cannon blast came barreling toward them and she had no time to evade it when it connected with the Starlight dome surrounding the ship. Not only was he protecting the ship, he increased its speed at the same time.

  Avon brought up a holovideo on her screen that showed her Master Enbu still holding his hands high guiding the ship until Lord Ju’be appeared and struck him down with Tuya’s glaivecaster.

  Inside, Avon cried out in anger and sadness as he watched. She bottled her emotions as she didn’t want to alarm Eloy, he already seen enough.

  The Starlight disappeared when Master Enbu fell to his knees. For a moment, Lord Ju’be looked down upon him, then turned and looked toward the sky. Avon watched while still struggling to contain her sorrow, staring into the empty circles of Lord Ju’be’s mask. He brought his attention back to the Master and raised the glaivecaster.

  Avon turned off the holoscreen, tears falling from her eyes. She exhaled slowly as she passed through the atmospheric layers of Metamora and entered into space when the ship stopped shaking.

  Eloy opened his eyes to see the emptiness of space around him, wiping away tears of his own. “Did we make it away safely?”

  “We did, Eloy,” said Avon, holding back more tears and punching coordinates into the ship’s navigational computer.

  “Is Roga going to be okay?”

  “We’re going to get him help,” said Avon.

  “Where are we going?” Eloy asked, as he looked at the ship’s navigation screen that also served as the cockpit’s front windshield.

  “A planet called Re’Kar. It’s the closest planet we can get to with this ship in time to save Roga,” Avon answered. “There, we’ll get Roga help and get a ship that can get us to Pluh-Toh and ge
t you to safety.”

  Eloy retracted in Avon’s lap as she spoke. She placed her hand on his head, rubbing it softly. “Get some rest now, Eloy.”

  She took a final look at Metamora as it became smaller in the distance and spoke in a low somber voice.

  “Thank you, Master.”

  Continue the story...

  Want to know the fate of Avon, Eloy and Roga?

  Read Rogue Star: Guardians of the Light