“Well, your attack failed after the Muetus arrived. The Salum have been eradicated and your soldiers left for dead. I managed to rescue the new Healer though. PTong saved my life. You know, the Salum doesn’t seem as bad as you made them out to be. My crew could use a man like him.” She said smugly. “There are many deadly things that have a peaceful appearance my child.” He retorted, unphased by her taunting.
“Gala, please abandon these rebellious antics. Come back.” Gala continued entering the coordinates. “Now you know I can’t do that. I’ve committed treason multiple times.” She said in a joking nature.
“Jesh will grow stronger. He will become his father. There is no future where both he and I exist. We’ve always known that.” Gala halted before jumping into light speed travel.
Her thoughts dwelling on her friends and her father. She knew he was right. A tear welled up, but she refused to let it fall. “Yea. I’m still working on that.” She said. “If the Salum are gone, things are worse than I previously imagined. I need your help. I can’t win this war without you. I’m stretched too thin.” He pressured.
Gala’s hand hovering over the lever to enter lightspeed. “I’ve found a way to win the war. I can show you how we end it all. Please. If you don’t believe me after, I will give you my personal vessel to return to your friends.” Magnus Paused.
Gala tried to fight the urge to stay, but if there was a means to save his life before her friends returned, she wanted to try. She knew exactly who her father is, still owing him nothing, she decided to turn his heart. “I will have no issue taking the Nova with me.” She said, before cancelling her jump to lightspeed. Gala turn the ship around and headed toward the capital.
Chapter Twenty-Two
L ife reappeared before him. Images replaced the void and darkness, together with the sound of death. Fire rolling over the Earth. Screams of people suffering the apocalypse. Fei saw their pain yet felt nothing. He wasn’t sure what was happening or how he had reached such a place. Humans running for their lives, but somehow, he knew their efforts to save themselves were in vain.
He stood motionless among the fearful. Fei Zeall feared nothing. The sky covered in ashes with only one source of light. The Earth’s dying star. “Lalen?” He thought. Suddenly, his life and memories flooded his brain. He cared not to decipher everything, only to find her. With her in his head, he felt fear again.
Fei tried to move, but his body would not budge. He struggled again and again, but his limbs would not obey. “Lalen!” He called out amongst the chaos. He wasn’t sure if his voice projected a sound. The faces of all the people were lost on him. Their features meaningless.
Then he noticed her. She wasn’t running away from the flames. She stood gazing at the sky, at a ship leaving the surface. His heart fluttering. He smelled a scent he had never smelled before, yet its aroma was the most acquainted his senses had ever felt.
He took his first step. And another. Moving toward her. This sensation of connection was different, unlike Lale, but just as much of a bond. He came closer, moving slow against his will to speed up. Fei approached her.
“A child.” A deep voice spoke, the words like a thousand echoes. The screams ceased. The masses froze. It was if the void was about to return. Fei could sense he had regained all control of his body. Fei surveyed the scene. As he searched for the author of the voice, the people disintegrated around him, leaving only the woman and the destroyed landscape.
“She stares after a child.” The deep voice recited again. Fei returned his focus to the woman before she too dissolved away. The scent of her departing as she whither from his view.
“Is this the torture of Death?” Fei asked, unsure of whom he was speaking to. “Death is not torture. Only the fear of it is.” The voice answered. Fei was in no mood for games or parables. “Are you the creator? The being who created the universe?........God?” He asked bluntly.
“I am of no celestial lineage. One does not need the power of your understanding of a deity to transcend the constructs of human knowledge.” It answered.
“I am not in awe of your presentation of power.” Fei stated. He searched for another being, but nothing was revealed among the dark sky and fiery land.
“Only the foolish and weak would look upon me and become awe inspired. Behold, you are no fool. Pity that you possess the might, but toil with those who are not worthy.” The voice expressed.
“What a privilege. Yet, you consume yourself with the dealings of the lesser, rather than to transcend them.” The voice continued. Fei’s eyebrows deepened. His rage pouring out of his body. “The Audacity. I am….” He thought, before being interrupted.
“I am aware. I know to whom I speak.” The voice said. Fei could see an outline on the edge of his visibility. It possessed the stature of a tall and muscular frame. After a blink, the being appeared right before him. Being in his normal form Fei looked up at the now confirmed man.
The man embodied an imposing figure even opposite Fei. His eyes somewhere between a red and brown color. Shoulder length burnt red hair. Fei couldn’t help but see a resemblance.
“I have communed with every direct descendant of mine. Centuries I waited. Only your mother, displayed a modicum of my character. I delighted in few before. But she unknowingly charmed my heart. A descendant I am most proud.” The man said.
Fei took in the image of his ancestor. So many questions. About him, the past, his mother. He wasn’t sure where to begin. “This power. The source of which you seek. Absolute and unchallenged. What will it provide?” The man asked. “A means to conquer. To annihilate my enemies and their seeds. Rid humanity of the weak and bring about our enduring evolution. Revenge. Against those who tried to kill me. I will become perfect. A God.” Fei answered. His ancestor audibly scoffed at his answered.
“Have you considered beyond power? Creation? Governance?” He asked Fei. “I will create a world of peace by my design. A place ruled justly by true benevolence and virtue. Ordained by my just guide.” Fei answered.
His ancestor scoffing again even louder. “Your obsession with the means clouds your judgement. Those in constant expedition for power is merely an indicator they will never possess it. You focus on one planet.
A solar system. You cannot begin to perceive the power of the universe. Your lack of vision insults me. Insults who we are. What we are.” He snarled after Fei.
“To fashion a reign of power through fear will bring about absolute catastrophe. Cyclical in nature. You speak of benevolence and virtue. Foolish constructs that only exist under your narrow view of this creator.” He continued.
“Peace. Virtue. Benevolence. These things only exist mutually exclusive with the idea of your creator. Blind and hidden from the lenses of others, humanity will fall into anarchy. As they always have before.” His ancestor admonished.
Fei couldn’t help but feel he was being strung along by this man who claimed to be his ancestor. “You speak as if you are all powerful, yet here I stand in front of you. My theory would be you too were defeated.” Fei growled.
The man was unmoved by Fei’s disrespectful tone. “You have many things to learn of our existence. The creator. The universe. Do not concern yourself with affairs beneath you. Earth. Pratham. Tetcht. No one planet can contain what you can become. It’s time for you to grow beyond your reality.” The man said.
He began to walk away. Fei boiled beneath the surface, no one had ever talked to him in such a way and lived. “Who are you?” Fei barked out after him. “I am Adamu. Your history will remember me as Adam.” He said walking into a passing cloud of smoke.
The clouds slowly began to separate. The dying sun looked to return to normal. Grass sprouted all around Fei. The sky once again blue. For the first time Fei witnessed the beauty of Earth. Then her scent called to him. This time he knew exactly who the originator was. He turned to lay eyes on her. She was in full sprint toward him. Fei opened his arms to catch Lale against his chest.
He no longer cared
if any of it was real, only the feeling of holding her in his arms again. They squeezed as tight as they could, both refusing to let go. “How?” She asked in his ear, sobbing through her word. “I’m not completely sure.” Fei answered.
The two shared their first kiss in what felt like a lifetime. “Are we dead?” She asked. Fei shook his head. “I don’t think death is what we initially understood it to be.” He answered her. “Did you meet Adam? Did you see my mother?” Fei asked enthusiastically.
Lale’s look of bewilderment spoke for her. “Fei, there has only been me. Then you appeared. I have been running to you for what seemed like forever. But, no matter what, I couldn’t reach you. But I never gave up.” She said continuing to let her emotions show.
Fei held her close again. His curiosity of their circumstances would not matter for now. As if a diabolical ploy, he could feel Lale pulling away from him. “Fei!” She cried out, being ripped out of his grasp. “No! Lalen!” He roared. The two beings separated again.
The unknown force, slowly dragging them apart. He cleaved onto her, whatever was pulling her away would have to take him too. He transformed into his feral form, hoping it would make a difference. Or so he thought. “Please don’t leave me!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Fei’s vision was becoming watery and distorted the further he was pulled. His eyes closed, and the slushing sound of liquid filled his ears.
Chapter Twenty-Three
T he traveler sat idle in space with an undecided location to which to plot a course. Jesh and the heroes of Tetcht broke away from the citizens to discuss the plan amongst each other. Locked in a room until they could decide their next action.
Dara ended her idea about creating chaos in order to destroy Magnus and the Council. They had all taken small doses of Iku to help speed up the process from their wounds. The twins still sipping from their vials as they hated the taste of it. It often took them longer to drink, unlike the others who could guzzle it down without a second thought.
“If we destroy the entire army and tribes, there will be nothing to build upon. There will be no life after the war.” Kyah began. “Besides, the other Councilmen would return with their armies and we would undoubtably be routed.” Kyah explained.
She had been in open rebellion from the beginning of Dara’s words. “I agree. The citizens of Tetcht, your people, would still be alive. I cannot see reason in the proposed destruction of my family for yours. Pratham’s achieved some sort of balance for a time. To upset it….” Da-Xia argued.
“The Salum, has never been on equal footing in the war. This might actually give them a chance.” Yaffa joked, interrupting her fellow crewmate.
Da-Xia found no humor in her remarks. “Perhaps the hundreds of Muetus shifters I slaughtered would disagree, if they had breath still left in them.” She responded. The twin’s joyful expressions quickly wiped from their faces.
“Enough. We will not waste time. The Council holds the best position. They will not expose themselves and pursue us again. The only plan is a strategic assassination, with as little casualties as possible. A planet wide brawl would only draw attention to ourselves.” Kyah reasoned with the others.
The group would go on to discuss matters further. Sentry 19 listened closely to the many points of view and squabbling. “Take us home.” He spoke up. His tone shaky and uncertain. 19 looked everyone in their eyes. He and Sentry 3 were by far the weakest of the assembly and felt they probably had no right to speak.
But he would have to speak on Tetcht’s behalf. “Before your people came, we lived peacefully. No wars, no plotting or politics. No god-like beings. We were okay.” He said, looking toward Sentry 3 for validation.
Kyah attempted to interject his thought process. “You are our people too. We all descend from Earth.” She said. “Earth decided they didn’t want us anymore. So, let us go. We don’t want to be involved. Tetcht’s people have grieved more than we can handle. We’re not like you anymore. So just let us go home.” 3 added.
The crew stood quiet for a time. Allowing the sentiment to marinate. “Our people have suffered enough. It’s time for us to go home.” 19 said looking directly at Dara.
The last time she had seen 19, he was willingly turning her over to Fei. To her death. She owed him no harmony. Dara tried to allow her emotions to flow freely but, in his eyes, she saw remorse. She found herself forgiving him. “It is clear why you all were deemed unfit. You obviously are born from a lineage of weaklings.” Jesh broke the silence.
His eyebrows sinking to express his fury. “We fought for you and your people. Rescued you from your fate multiple times. My father and mother gave you the power of the Sun in the form of Dara. And you spit on their honor.” Jesh shouted.
Dara stood in front of him. “There is no dishonor in their request. We haven’t considered what my people want.” She protected, placing her hand on his chest. Her effort to calm him was quickly rejected. Jesh forcefully shoved her hand away.
“Your people? The people that allowed you to be ran out? Allowed your mother to be killed?” Jesh’s disgust raising with each word. “By your mother. Remember?” Dara retorted sharply. “And you defend them! The one responsible for my mother’s death and my father’s disappearance? They gave you eternity!” His voice now raised.
Dara was completely taken off guard by his response. “They gave me pain!” She returned. Kyah seized her nephew by the shoulder, which he aggressively shrugged off. His rage growing. “Pain in exchange for power is an equal price. A power you never deserved.” He berated her with all his being.
“Who needs power in time of peace? Your parents didn’t deserve power either. They were deserters! They fled. You don’t even know them. Your mother’s ability was inflated. Parading like she truly cared. And your father was the weakest of all. I’ve defeated him twice. So, it actually seems it is you who are undeserving.” Dara shouted back.
Jesh’s eyes burned with hatred. The ship began to rock. His power swelling. He stared deep into Dara’s eyes, unable to blink. The twins rushed out the room to gain control of the ship. Green aura encompassed his body.
“You ungrateful peasant. How dare you speak of my family like that. You are all beneath dust. It is an insult to share air with you.” Jesh’s senses were heightened. He could feel 19’s urge to protect her. He quickly met 19’s eyes. “Move and I will remove your heart from your chest.” He growled. 19 remained still.
Jesh returned to his verbal onslaught against Dara. “My only regret is not getting to kill Tumakako myself. So, Go! Run! You don’t belong with us. If you would have it, I can return you to your mothers’ side. You’re clearly the only person from your clan that misses them.” He spouted.
As soon as he finished his words, the back of Kyah’s fist landed on his cheek. Jesh stumbled into the wall. Slightly dazed, his rage only subsided after he realized who had struck him.
The twins managed to level the ship as Jesh’s unleash of power subsided. Jesh looked around the room before settling on the face of Dara. Her eyes filled with tears. He had never been so embarrassed, never had reason to before this moment.
He couldn’t take it all back, he didn’t want to, but the look on Dara’s face hurt him more than keeping his pride. Dara could no longer hold back her tears as she ran out of the room. “Leave us.” Kyah demanded.
The remaining crew exited to leave the two alone. Kyah looked down at her nephew. Jesh refused to make eye contact with her, staring at the floor. He tried not to cry, he much rather her hit him again than hear what she had to say.
“Your allies will never deserve your fury. You would do well to remember that.” Kyah said. Jesh regrettably could not stop one tear from escaping his eye. “She called them weak.” Jesh said. His voice quivering.
“She is right.” Kyah responded, much to the dismay of her nephew. “You don’t know your parents. They failed. Your mother and I failed many times during the war. They both ran from the war after they lost you. You’ve only served the
Council as a child. You’ve only survived. You don’t know what it is like to lose your family. The only family you know is me, and I’ve been with you every moment. Everyone is capable of being weak. Even you.” Kyah admonished. Jesh found it difficult to continue to look at his aunt, the disappointment heavy on his chest.
“There is more to you. Allow yourself to become more than what everyone thought you would be. We’ve seen that before in your father. Who will you choose to become?” Kyah asked, leaving her nephew alone to his thoughts. For once, he felt the feeling of loneliness. He imagined existing without Kyah, the twins, Gala or Da-Xia, and even Dara.
Dara gave him a connection he didn’t think existed. He had mistreated her. He wanted to be like his father, the respect he commanded and reverence for his strength and power, even to those who had never laid eyes on him. But now he was slowly beginning to understand.
The means to which his father earned that fearful admiration caused pain for so many others. Even those close to him. Jesh couldn’t accept hurting Kyah, his crew, 19 or anyone who chose to stand by his side. Most of all, he couldn’t hurt Dara ever again.
Beast of Xeriel Page 23
