by Brad Stucki
There came a gentle nudge in the back of his mind. Sauros. "Let go . . ." There was a strong sense of worry that came with the 'feeling / thought.'
Javin came back to himself, remembering. The plan surfaced again through his pain fogged mind. He was about to black out. What was he supposed to do?
Suddenly a jolt hit him and he felt as if he were mentally and spiritually thrown about in a strong psionic wave that had come out of nowhere.
The pain had ceased! Javin fought to clear his senses, to find out what had happened. In the back of his mind, he could 'feel' Sauros reaching out to him, trying to communicate something. Javin fought for focus.
'The shielding is down!' came the thought, finally making sense. "The shielding is down?" Javin asked, trying to find sense in the thought. He shook his head and it started to clear and he realized what Sauros was trying to tell him. The shielding, the power holding them captive was down. He could 'feel' Sauros making his way down the hallway toward them. He looked up from where he still lay and saw Nemesis shaking his head, trying to clear his senses also. Now was the time!
Javin mentally reached out to try and wrest control of the 2nd Article of Power still held in Nemesis' hand. Nemesis must have 'felt' what he was trying to do because Javin felt his mental touch severed cleanly and then 'felt' Nemesis' anger at being disrupted and 'felt' him gathering power from whatever source he could gather. The hand not holding the Article rose, glowing with power that Javin knew would be hurled at him long before Sauros could come to his rescue. Javin was still too weak to move and he knew even if he could raise his personal shield, it wouldn't withstand the bolt of power that would cut through and surely destroy him utterly and completely.
Javin watched helplessly as Nemesis' hand rose up, glowing with power, ready to cast the bolt of energy forward. Time seemed to freeze. Images of the last time this very thing happened flashed into his mind. Javin was in another place. A woman, Sauros' betrothed, cast herself in front of the energy bolt Nemesis had directed at him, shielding him from the blast, but killing her. Then remembering Sauros' rage in trying to kill Nemesis for what he'd done to his beloved. He'd somehow summoned that selfsame power and hurled it at Nemesis.
But Nemesis had survived the blast! How had he done that? In that instant, Javin knew, and time speeded up again.
He watched as the blast flamed forward to . . .
Chapter 31
Sauros knew he needed to get to Javin quickly as soon as the shielding dropped. He didn't know where that psionic wave had come from, but it had been enough to disrupt all that Nemesis had been doing. Then he realized it must have come from Kokos. She had figured a way to break the spell on her people. That must be it! And now they had a chance. If he could get to Javin before Nemesis could regain control, then together they could overwhelm and capture him!
The corridor was short in distance, but Sauros was still weak from the interrogation. He stumbled, all the while trying to maintain his mental contact with Javin, trying to bolster him.
Through the bond he felt Javin's sudden apprehension. Something dire was happening. Sauros tried to move faster and stumbled again. His prodigious strength was failing him right when he needed it most. He tried to strengthen the bond, see if he could discern what was happening. Then a sudden disorienting wave hit him as if Javin were phasing out of existence. He'd never sensed that before and it slowed him even further. Still he struggled on.
Sauros was almost there. His bond with Javin suddenly solidified again. There was a spike of . . . then the bond was severed. It was like Javin had ceased to exist.
With a roar of rage filling his heart Sauros finally stumbled to the room and turned inside. Nemesis was standing there, one hand raised and still glowing. Sauros looked where it had been pointed. Against the far wall was the charred outline of a being. Sauros had seen that mark before and instantly knew what it meant.
Hot insanity boiled up in his breast. Sauros called up the memory of his beloved being destroyed by this creature. It was too much! From somewhere deep within, his primordial anger summoned a power such as he'd drawn only one other time. This monster had somehow survived his blast before. Not this time!
Nemesis looked up, just as Sauros hurled a double blast of power at him. There was a brilliant flash that blinded Sauros, causing his vision to swim. Blinking furiously to clear the white spots in his eyes, he continued into the room, feeling for his enemy, pleading for there to be something left he could rend and tear in his anger.
When he could see, there was nothing left. There was a char on the far side of the wall and damage to its incredibly hard surface, but no outline or imprint. Sauros fell to his knees. Either he'd completely obliterated Nemesis or he'd escaped yet again . . . and taken the Articles of Power with him.
Even in his weakened state, Sauros reached out with his bond. He didn't know where to send his thoughts. Searching, seeking for any sign he could detect of his friend, his comrade in arms. Nothing . . . It was all empty. And with that emptiness Sauros' heart began to fail him. If Javin were truly gone then all was lost! Javin had been the key. He'd seen a 'vision' of that when he'd received his crystal on his own world. Sauros' task had been not only to assist Javin, but to protect him. Now he'd failed.
Sauros felt as if he may collapse. Then arose a slight glimmer of hope. If Nemesis had survived his blast before, then perhaps Javin had too. The hope was small, yes, but hope nonetheless. He continued to try to sense Javin. Maybe he was just too weak. He needed to rest. Needed to regroup, then he would figure out how to search for Javin . . . if he was still alive. How could he know? If Javin was still alive, where would he have gone? Then he knew. He would have returned to the Archive room. He would know Sauros would return there also.
Struggling to his feet, Sauros trudged back down the corridor to its far end. He fumbled with the mechanism and finally the wall swung wide and he was able to enter into the main temple chamber again where the archway stood.
Inside were several of Kokos' people. They stared at him as if recovering from a foggy haze. Sauros realized that's exactly what they were doing. Their stares were curious, confused, like they couldn't quite recognize him. Like they needed to do something, but couldn't remember what it was. Sauros ignored them and moved down the three tiers to stand in front of the archway. He focused his thoughts on wanting to return to the Archive room. The stone slabs started shifting and the warriors quickly moved aside as they moved, dodging them as they reset. Then the portal 'popped' and the shimmering gray, then blackness covered the plane of the portal.
Sauros didn't hesitate. He stepped through.
Chapter 32
Again, the trip through the portal was short. Sauros stepped back through, hoping he come face to face with Javin again. No one was there to greet him. His heart sank another level. Still a glimmer of hope remained.
Sauros made his way to the main chamber. There he found Kokos just sitting up from her reclining couch. Manos stood beside her and turned at his approach, coming to guard until he realized it was Sauros.
Manos looked behind Sauros, seeking Javin, no doubt.
"He's not here then?" Sauros asked, though he knew as soon as Manos looked behind him, that Javin wasn't here. The hope was starting to fade.
"What news?" Kokos asked, allowing her brother to help her to sit up.
Sauros was quiet a moment trying to gather himself. No matter what, they must go on as best they could. There was still hope, though slight. Sauros clung to that.
"You broke the spell. You're people are free. Nemesis has fled and I don't know where he is. Hopefully he will not return."
"What of Javin?" she asked.
Sauros took a deep breath, and then related all that had happened from the beginning when they left the Archive room together. When he finished they all stayed silent.
"We must share, now," Kokos finally said. "I have the Archive information we were seeking. You have the memories of Nemesis. We must each have what the other h
as, and then we can decide what must be done."
"Are you strong enough?" Sauros asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Kokos said. "You don't look well."
"I am well enough. We must share, and then I will start my search. Javin may still be alive but hurt and unable to reach us." An idea had started to occur to Sauros.
"I can use the portals to find him if . . ." he hesitated a moment, unable to speak the rest of his thought. "We found Nemesis by 'thinking' we wanted to be taken to him. I'll use the same method to find Javin."
"But what if . . ." Kokos began. Sauros stopped her with a raised hand.
"You know there is a possibility he's alive. We have to find him if there's even the slightest chance. This is the best way. You know this."
Kokos finally nodded her head. "I'm ready to share, then. Also, I have a mission as well. I think I know where the 3rd Article of Power is. I have to reach it before Nemesis, but if anything should happen to me, you'll at least have the knowledge 'downloaded' from the Archive."
Sauros was about to protest. Surely Kokos should not take any chances! What if both of them lost their lives? At least one of them needed to be protected in order to protect what they knew, what they had sacrificed so much to obtain.
Kokos raised her hand to stop Sauros' protest. "If Nemesis gets the 3rd Article of Power and puts them all together, it won't matter what anyone knows. It will be the end of us all."
Apparently the knowledge she'd gained told her something about this, Sauros realized. Also, there was no time to argue. He nodded. "I'm ready." He moved forward and knelt at Kokos' feet. She put her hands on his head and closed her eyes, focusing on what she needed to do.
It was completely different than what he'd experienced with Nemesis. He was sure that the same thing was happening but in this instance he was completely open, completely willing to give what Nemesis was taking by force. And since Sauros had opened himself up, he was also 'receiving' as well as relinquishing. There was a tingling through his head, his mind, and spreading through his arms, down his torso and into his legs and feet. Instead of pain, there was warmth. Instead of a stripping, there was a flow that comforted.
Why was the simple act of being completely 'open' making this experience the total opposite of what Nemesis did? Sauros wondered how he had the presence to think these things deep down as so much knowledge was passing between them. He started to feel as if he were floating and went with it, losing track of time, losing track of feeling, losing track of . . . himself. But it was safe to do so, because in willingly giving all he was, he was also 'receiving.'
"There." The voice sounded as if it were coming from a long ways off.
Sauros shook his head, allowing it to clear. He was still kneeling in front of Kokos. His knees were sore from the hard ground. Kokos fell back, Manos catching her and helping her recline back on the soft couch which immediately conformed to her body.
Sauros tried to move and started to fall sideways. He grabbed the edge of the couch to steady himself. Manos helped him stand, and move over to the nearest couch for himself. He wouldn't let Manos push him back to a reclining position.
"How long?" he asked.
"Nearly a full cycle," Manos answered. He turned and looked at Kokos, making sure she was still reclining, still okay. "There must have been much information conveyed. While you were 'downloading,'" Manos chewed on the unfamiliar word, "I was able to see on the screen that my people have come back to themselves." He said this loudly enough so Kokos could hear also.
"They have organized for the harvesting and storage of the fruits. The people will not starve, but it will be a near thing. Hopefully now that Nemesis is gone, things will get back to the normal growing cycles."
Sauros didn't answer. Neither did Kokos. Yet Sauros could see she was immensely relieved. For now, he needed to regain his strength and then be out searching for Javin. It had taken so long! If he'd known how long it would have taken and how weak he'd be after, he never would have agreed. He would have started right off seeking Javin.
Then he caught himself. Kokos had been right. The knowledge gained had been too valuable. It was right they shared. More than likely both would need the others' memories and knowledge to accomplish what they were separately intending to do. And from what he realized upon returning, it had taken more than two full days for Kokos to get the information from the Archive anyway. At least the transfer between Sauros and Kokos hadn't gone that long. He'd wonder why later. For now, he needed to gain strength, and then they could move forward.
Manos brought them both some drink, then he went back and brought some of the paste. Sauros' mind was swirling, trying to assimilate what he'd been given. All he could do was sit on a couch, eat, drink and close his eyes for fear all that information swirling around his mind would blur his vision.
He didn't know how long, but eventually his mind started to settle. The swirling images slowed and seeped into the recesses of his mind. There was also a slow smoldering burn in his breast right where his crystal lay. The thought came to his mind. The crystal was helping him to assimilate and organize all that he'd been given. Then another thought occurred.
"Perhaps the crystals we have are tied to the Archive. They were given to us to help us sort and store the information for when we'd need it."
Kokos looked over at Sauros. She was sitting up now, and Manos was pacing, alternating between looking at the view screen, at what his people were doing, and coming back to check on Kokos and Sauros.
"I believe you are right," Kokos said, tilting her head as if listening to something she didn't hear with her ears. "I feel it too," she said placing a hand against her breast. "And thoughts along those lines are occurring to me as well."
Sauros brought a hand up to his temple and lightly touched it. "And now that I'm thinking about it, I'm able to recall not only the memories of Chahzuu and where he was seeking the 3rd Article of Power, but also, now, I'm sensing information about it, probably coming from the Archive knowledge; what it does, and why it was constructed . . ." He shook his head and clenched his eyes shut. "It's coming too fast. Too jumbled to make much sense of. But I do understand how critical that it not fall into Nemesis' hands. I think I now feel as you. We need to go retrieve it, even before seeking Javin."
"Have you recovered enough?" Manos asked, walking to stand between them. "I do not believe either of you is ready."
"I am ready," Sauros argued. His apprehension over finding the 3rd Article of Power was growing. The slight bit he'd comprehended from his jumbling thoughts and memories gave him grave concern. He was only slightly mollified knowing Nemesis hadn't the information from the Archive he and Kokos had. It's what had made the difference in their being able to find where the 3rd Article was hidden. Nemesis didn't truly understand what he held in the other two Articles of Power either. That was comforting but only slightly so. Nemesis still held them.
Sauros tried to stand. A wave of dizziness and fatigue swamped his body and mind. He fell back to the couch, grasping his reeling head.
"I am ready," Kokos said, having watched Sauros try. "One of us needs to leave right away."
"Then stand on your own and walk the length of this room without needing to be supported," Manos said.
Sauros opened his eyes. At least the room had stopped spinning. He watched as Kokos tried to stand, straining and pushing with her arms. She got a ways up, and then collapsed back down. Sauros understood why. He'd not been connected to the Archive as long as she. He'd only gotten the information second hand through their crystal-aided bond. Kokos had taken the brunt of the 'download.' If she were even half as exhausted as he felt, she wouldn't be moving any time soon. But the need was so great! And they needed to find if Javin were still alive!
"I'm sorry, but both of you are not yet ready. I understand it is important. I would even support you if I could, but if neither of you is able to walk on your own, it would be foolhardy to attempt such a thing."
Sa
uros grudgingly nodded and lay down on the couch closing his eyes not only to try and still his racing mind, but to allow his body the rest it needed. He could not fight this one. He'd never been so tired. There was nothing left to give until he regained some measure of strength.
At least he hoped he would regain his strength. This was new enough to him he didn't really know what to expect. If he could not will himself to get up, then he must yield and allow his body to quickly get the rest it needed.
He looked up at Manos standing again between him and Kokos.
"I will try and sleep. Kokos should do the same. The quicker we can gain enough strength, the better."
"Can you not tell me where to find it? I have plenty of strength having done nothing but stand guard here."
"I would that you could," Kokos said. "But you must have the 'Gift' to retrieve it. We could tell you where it is, yet in order to retrieve the Article, you must have the 'Gift' or you would be destroyed."
"Aaahrr!" Manos slapped his breast. "Can you not give it to me? I too was trained. I cannot bear to just stand and wait while you constantly put yourself in danger!"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. In order for me to yield the 'Gift' at this point, I would have to die."
Manos stood rigid as if slapped! "I am sorry. I did not know. Forgive me!" he knelt at Kokos' side. "I truly have never wanted the'Gift'until just now. You must know it was only because I felt so helpless in aiding our cause. Please tell me what I can do!"
Kokos patted his hand resting on her arm. You already have done a great work in your sacrifice and in being here to guide us. You have also stood guard, though not taxing you physically, it has enabled us to safely gather the information the Ancients intended for us."
