Into the Fire Part II: To End All Wars (Universe in Flames Book 10)

by Christian Kallias

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she makes a full recovery.”

  “I wish I could say the same, but Chase told me she asked him to let her go.”

  “I could see why he would be reluctant to do that if there’s a way to bring her back.”

  “I would like her back as well, but is it right to go against her wishes? She’s suffered for so long in that machine, do we have the right to prolong this?”

  “She’s not suffering in suspended animation.”

  “That we know of.”

  Thor thought about it and put himself in her place. Would he want to be artificially kept alive if his wish was to die and enter the gates of Valhalla? Probably not.

  “It’s a tough call. My people believe that when we die, at least when we die honorably in battle, we are reserved a place of honor in Valhalla. It’s a glorious place where gods and legends from Asgard are resting for all eternity. When my time comes, I will gladly go there. Do you have a similar place?”

  “We do. It’s called Elysium, or so our legend tells us. If it weren’t for Chase and his friends, I would probably be there already.”

  “As I would be in Valhalla, and perhaps my father, as well. Thanks to Chase, Asgard is still whole. I owe him and the Earth Alliance my life, and I will gladly risk it to end the Furies. For good this time.”

  “As would I. I’m angry that my brother hid the fact that they hadn’t been destroyed ten thousand years ago. If we had known, we could have prepared for their eventual return. Instead, our people were complaisant, and we stopped growing our military power and technology. Things might have been different if we hadn’t.”

  “There’s nothing but pain in that way of thinking. The past is the past, and there is no point rehashing it. It won’t change because we will it to change.”

  “Chronos would tell you differently.”

  “Who’s Chronos?” Thor asked.

  “A Titan who can alter time. He can travel back and forth and affect change.”

  “That would be a powerful weapon at one’s disposal. You’d never lose a war; you could just ask him to revert time after a battle. The dead would rise again, to fight once more, but this time win.”

  “That’s partly why the Titans rebelled against the Olympians. We took them for granted and used them as cannon fodder in the first Fury War.”

  Thor nodded. “I remember fighting side by side with them, they were indeed formidable warriors.”

  “We used their kind, so fewer Olympians had to risk their lives in combat. Yes, they were formidable warriors, but we have the blood of an entire race on our hands now.”

  “Where is Chronos now?”

  “Nobody knows. Zeus might have, but he’s gone.”

  “Perhaps Chronos is dead. I mean, why else wouldn’t he go back in time and change the fate of his people?”

  “I don’t have an answer for you. Perhaps he was prevented from doing so. Perhaps my brother made sure that scenario would never happen.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t make any sense. I would think Zeus would be the first to want to go back in the past and change his destiny.”

  “It’s one of these mysteries that might never be resolved. Then again, going back in the past might not be an option either. If we did, and the Titans rebelled, or worse, joined forces with the Furies, then we might have lost the war. Playing with time is something no one should ever be allowed to do.”

  “Then Chronos may be long dead because if his entire race had been wiped out, he would do anything to go back and change that; wouldn’t you?”

  “Probably.”

  Thor’s stomach growled.

  “Are you hungry?” asked Poseidon.

  “I could eat…a horse.”

  “That’s gross.”

  “Just a figure of speech; I thought I heard humans use that expression before.”

  “Okay then; let’s get some food. All this talk of time, the past, death, and the afterlife is depressing. Let’s grab a bite and reload our batteries so we can train more. We still have a war to win.”

  Chase stepped onto the platform where he needed to stand to create the black hole. He felt nervous. They needed the time-dilation training facility, but playing with forces like black holes was not something he was comfortable doing.

  Sure, they had put safety measures in place, but Chase knew that even brainy people like Yanis, Cedric, and Kvasir had no way of knowing if the Asgardian ship would manage to beam them out with a black hole forming in the vicinity, and that was just one of the things that could go wrong.

  Chase closed his eyes and took a long, slow, deep breath. When he reopened them, he was in a place he knew all too well, and one he was not keen to revisit.

  Things were a little different from his last visit, but he instantly knew that he was inside Ares’ mind. The moaning and suffering and melting bodies on the ground were a dead giveaway. Ares levitated over a sea of suffering beings, their arms reaching to the sky, trying to grab him. Black lightning bolts pierced his body over and over again. With each strike, chunks of gray flesh exploded and froze in the air, before reabsorbing back into his body. This was a mental image of eternal pain and suffering.

  Oh boy.

  “Hello, Ares. I’d ask how you’re doing, but that would be redundant.”

  “Chase, how’s my sister doing?”

  “I haven’t had time to go see her.”

  Black tears formed in Ares’ livid eyes.

  “We have to end this war. Afterward, I promise, I’ll find a way to bring her back.”

  “You already know of a way.”

  “Asclepios?”

  “Yes. Just find him, and have him make you another elixir.”

  “Do we have any idea where he went? What if he was on Olympus when it exploded?”

  “That is a possibility, but he hated Zeus with a vengeance; somehow I don’t see him staying on the same planet. Plus, you could use my sister’s gift of foresight in these troubled times.”

  Chase had thought about that. There was something strangely comforting not having someone telling him what he needed to do. He wouldn’t just abandon his aunt because of that feeling, though. But, he feared that knowing too much of what was to come would block him from going forward.

  Aphroditis had already told him that he should be prepared to make some sacrifices to win this war. Chase hadn’t liked hearing the words, but he had not forgotten them. And with Spectre Arakan now unleashed in their lives, Chase knew very well that there could be more casualties.

  Deep in his heart, he hoped that if they could train inside the facility, then they would be better prepared to deal with that monster.

  “She said that even if we found a way to restore her health, she feared she might have lost her gift; the machine did too much damage.”

  Of course, Chase knew what that meant. Ares’ sacrifice might have been in vain if Aphroditis didn’t get better. Chase was determined to save her, but he felt it would have to wait until the war was over to do so.

  “Even so, you owe it to her to save her life.”

  “She doesn’t want me to. She asked that I let her die.”

  “Chase! You can’t.”

  “I know, Ares. I have no intention of granting her that wish. But she might resent me for the rest of her life.”

  “If that’s the price to pay, then so be it, Chase.”

  “Look, I know this, but if you were in her place, would you be happy if I disobeyed you?”

  “She was in pain, and her thinking was clouded. Once she’s brought back to the living, I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

  “I’m not so sure. But, don’t worry, I promised I would bring her back, and I always keep my promises.”

  “Good. Now I understand you’re about to do something very dangerous. Something I can feel you’re not even sure you’re able to do.”

  Chase nodded.

  “Fret not, Chase. You have it in you. You know that already.”

  �
��Do I?”

  “Search your feelings; do you think you could have gone as far as you have if you didn’t believe in your abilities to defeat the Furies against all the odds?”

  Chase still hurt from losing Oryn and having Ares, his mentor and friend, put in such a dark place with no guarantee that he would be able to get out of there unscathed once Chase took down Erevos. That didn’t mean he was sure everything would go as planned.

  “My feelings are a mess lately. I want to avenge Oryn, Zeus, Saroudis, and the others.”

  “Revenge can’t be your only motivation, Chase.”

  “It isn’t. My love for my friends and my family is. I want to offer them a future free from Furies.”

  “It’s no longer just about Furies. That Spectre has more power than all the Furies put together, I can feel you know this.”

  A bitter smile crossed Chase’s face.

  “Why are we having this discussion if you already know everything I feel?”

  “Because part of you needs to hear it; you need to hear that I don’t hold you responsible for my current predicament, just like my sister didn’t.”

  Words are one thing…feelings are another.

  “I know that this is the most powerful being that probably ever existed, and unless we can train at an accelerated rate, we don’t stand a chance to defeat him. But, I also know that by defeating both the Furies and Spectre Arakan, I may be signing your death warrant.”

  “Argos did that a long time ago. The only reason I stayed behind was to guide you in this journey, and you’re about to fulfill your de—”

  “Stop. Don’t, just don’t, Ares.”

  “You still think destiny has nothing to do with it? That’s ironic, the very ship you came to Earth on was called Destiny.”

  “Well, technically, I jumped to Earth, at least the last part, on board a Manticore-class starfighter.”

  “It amazes me to what extent you’ll go to avoid seeing things a certain way.”

  “I just want to feel that my destiny is my own.”

  “And who says it isn’t?”

  “You, your sister, and some days, it feels like the whole universe.”

  “Very well. I can’t stay much longer; it took every bit of energy I managed to save to establish this link with your mind. You probably won’t hear from me for a while or…”

  “Or at all, depending on how this all goes.”

  “That’s a possibility, but know that I have no problem with my soul ending in Elysium after this. You should be happy for me.”

  “I’d rather we saw each other and said goodbye before then.”

  “So would I. But, perhaps, we should do so now.”

  “Do we have to?”

  “I think it’s best, Chase. Just in case.”

  Chase sighed. Part of him didn’t want to say goodbye. He wanted to hold on to the hope that he would see his friend again. But, if he didn’t say his farewell now, he would regret it. Chase also hoped that if Ares didn’t make it out alive, that he would be able to go to Elysium. Who knows what would happen if his life ended after the planet shifted into the dimension. If it were destroyed in another dimension, would Ares’ soul come back to this one?

  Chase considered asking Ares about it, but that would add to his already difficult predicament. Chase would have to hope for the best for his mentor.

  “Goodbye, Chase. Be strong, be well, and, most of all, follow your instincts.”

  “I’ll try, Ares. You have been an incredible mentor to me, and I will never forget that. But, beyond that, you’ve been a true friend. I will see you again. Goodbye, Ares.”

  Chase’s vision faded back into the cargo bay training facility. Words resonated in the distance, but it took Chase a moment to hear them clearly.

  “Chase?” asked Sarah. “Chase! What’s going on?”

  “I’m okay; sorry, I was somewhere else.”

  “Whenever you’re ready, boss,” said Yanis.

  Chase aimed his hand forward. A loud humming sound could be heard as a blue force field engulfed the area around Chase. A trap door on the wall in front of Chase opened, and the air was sucked away. Space tried to swallow him along with the artificial atmosphere, but he stood his ground and erected his own force field around him. Once all the air had been sucked out, the trap door closed and the force field sealed.

  “Containment field working at peak efficiency,” said Kvasir.

  Let’s do this.

  Chase closed his eyes and brought up the memory of when he stopped the plasma attach from Miseo’s ship and focused on creating the same energy with his mind. Without realizing it, he transformed into an Ultra Fury. When he opened his eyes, a small anomaly had formed about ten feet in front of him.

  “Containment field working within predicted parameters,” added Kvasir.

  “Get out of there, Chase,” said Argos.

  Chase teleported out of the force field and joined his friends. His eye color returned to purple.

  “How are we doing?”

  “Inverting polarity now,” said Kvasir. “Cedric, deploy the secondary containment measure.”

  Cedric smoked a cigarette as he input commands on his holo-terminal. Thick quadrinium walls, with three layers of force fields radiating around them, rose from the ground and engulfed a large portion of the cargo bay.

  “Hopefully, this is enough surface for you to train in,” said Yanis.

  “We’ll make do with what we have. Did it work?”

  Yanis raised a finger. “Just a moment.”

  A bright flash illuminated the entire cargo bay for a split second.

  “Is that supposed to happen?” inquired Chris.

  “Nobody ever witnessed a white hole, so who knows,” said Yanis. “I have no idea if that’s normal. But since a white hole can be compared to a Big Bang, let’s just say I’m not entirely surprised.”

  A line of blood ran down Chase’s nose.

  “You all right?” inquired Argos.

  Chase wiped the blood away and smudged it between his fingers.

  “I’m okay; considering how hard it had been to do this last time, I can live with a nosebleed.”

  Chase’s head hurt and he felt the room begin to spin, and before he knew it, he collapsed to the ground. As his consciousness faded to black, he heard his friends and loved ones shout his name.

  10

  Ryonna felt more pain than she thought her body could endure. The guards were having a field day punching her, and every second she received dozens of punches thanks to the male Gorgar’s super-speed abilities.

  On their own, each punch wasn’t that powerful, but the fact that her body had been tortured for gods knows how many hours, Ryonna felt deprived of her senses. She had no idea how much time had passed since they started hitting her, and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

  She wanted to open her eyes and look at her aggressors, but the pain was keeping them closed.

  Ryonna focused on her anger. If she survived this, she would rip Tar’Sian a new one. She had to survive, though; she couldn’t leave this world without seeing her son one more time. So, she summoned the image of his face, and soon the pain disappeared. She knew it was still there, but because it had reached such excruciating levels, it overloaded her senses and mind, and all she saw was a white veil.

  Ryonna centered her attention on the noise and the wind generated by the Gorgar hitting her with such velocity; if she could sense their presence in space, perhaps she could do something about it.

  As she did so, she perceived two shadows moving. They were fast, but she narrowed her focus on them until she saw a pattern in their attacks. When she felt there was an opening, she took it.

  She grabbed her chains and used them to catch the Gorgars by the necks. The white veil disappeared and beyond-imaginable pain coursed through her body once more. It felt as if a starship had rammed her at hyperspace speed.

  Her eyes opened, and she could feel both guards trying to escape her
grasp; she was holding the chains so tightly that they were suffocating. Ryonna caught a glimpse of fear in Tar’Sian’s eyes.

  “Guards!” shouted the queen.

  Ryonna smiled; her impressive Droxian body was an imposing display of bruises and scars.

  In one swift motion that hurt like hell, she snapped the necks of both Gorgars. She bit one of the dead Gorgar’s ears and spat it toward the queen.

  “You’re a fucking bitch, Tar’Sian.”

  “That’s impossible; you shouldn’t be able to move!”

  “I’m going to kill you,” said Ryonna.

  “I think not.”

  Tar’Sian took out a katana blade from her back sheath.

  “You were right, Ryonna. I’m not going to get anything of use out of you. I’d rather scare your friends away by floating your body to space as a warning. May Tar’Lock forgive me.”

  It looks like I won’t be seeing Ronan again.

  Ryonna was exhausted and hurting so much; she was ready to meet her maker now. She let herself fall to the ground, releasing the dead Gorgars at the same time. Ryonna was on her knees and hanging by her chain-bound arms.

  “Close your eyes!” ordered Tar’Sian. “This will soon be over.”

  The warrior in her would not give that cowardly bitch the satisfaction of taking her life while she wasn’t looking. So, instead, Ryonna opened her eyes as wide as she could and locked her gaze on Tar’Sian.

  “No, you’ll have to look me in the eyes when you kill me.”

  “So be it!”

  At that moment, a man rushed into the room and pointed a blaster at Tar’Sian.

  “Drop your fucking weapon, now, or I’ll blow your head off!” shouted a familiar voice.

  Blood had covered Ryonna’s vision, but she was sure she knew the man’s voice. She blinked her eyes rapidly multiple times to get some of the blood away.

  “Last chance; drop it!” said Emperor Altair.

  Ryonna must have been dreaming, as there was no way he could be there. She wondered if perhaps her previous feelings for him were the result of her current hallucination. It was a good way to die though.