The Renewal

by Joseph Ferguson

  Chapter 34

  EnCharles spoke, “my name is EnCharles and I am from the world on the other side of the portal, but I have come to shut it down before the army from my world can step through.”

  Big John stepped forward, “you don’t much look like an alien.”

  “Yea you look a lot like us,” the woman with the AK47 shouted.

  “I don’t have time to prove who I say I am. I am here to warn you just in case I fail,” he said.

  “I believe you,” the Galdar said, “but why would you help us?”

  “Because they want to destroy every living thing on this planet so they can fix ours. There are few of us who disagree with the type of thinking, but a lot of those are tired of living on a dark planet that has to be artificially lit and warmed,” he answered.

  The Captain spoke up, “what can we do to help you? Shutting down that portal would stop a war.”

  EnCharles looked sternly at him, “I have in place the technology that should bring down the portal. It’s what happens if I fail that we need to talk about.”

  “If you fail what chance do we have,” asked Shaun?

  “If I fail, the odds of us defeating the army that will come through the portal are slim. That’s why you need to hear me out. Any weapon that fires a projectile is useless against them,” he said pointing at the gun in the blond woman’s hand.

  “What do you mean bullets won’t hurt them,” Shaun said laughing.

  “I don’t have time to explain it, but I will show you,” he said as he stepped back against the wall and tapped the back of his gloved left hand. Pointing again to blond woman holding the gun, “shoot me” he said.

  “Gladly,” she said raising the barrel of the gun up and pulling the trigger. A short burst erupted from the Ak47, but the bullets stopped about two foot from him and fell harmlessly to the floor.

  “Just to make it clear,” he said as he motioned to Big John to stand over by his right side. “You stand over there and both of you fire at the same time.”

  Big John moved to where he was about six feet from EnCharles’s right side, took aim and at the count of three they shot at the same time. Again the bullets fell a couple feet from him dropping on the floor.

  “The only effective combat that can be employed against them is hand to hand. Any type of close quarters fighting will do like swords, clubs, knives or even fists. They on the other hand know you do not have projectile shielding so I’m sure they will use that to their advantage. ZonTaylor, my planets leader is ruthless; he is liable to do anything to win.” EnCharles looked serious when he spoke, “They will take no captives. Make no mistake about it they will kill everyone on the planet.” He turned to leave speaking on his way out the door, “if the portal still stands in the morning I have failed.”

  “We are in trouble,” Big John spoke up, “all we know on this planet is guns.”

  The blond woman laid her AK47 on the table, “guess I won’t need this,” she says then pulls out a large hunting knife from a sheath on her belt and smiles.

  “We will have to change our strategy,” Alanasse said. “We will need to move closer to the portal and fight them as they come through.”

  “Maybe I should go through the portal and search for Treyson and the sword,” Shaun said.

  “And my sister and Ye Min,” Elisabeth added.

  “No one is going through the portal. We don’t know what is on the other side,” Alanasse commanded.

  “The sword is lost and the heir to the scepter has never come forward. We have to assume the uniting will not happen so we have to protect the scepter we cannot allow its capture. I’m not sure what will happen if we lose them both. I’m sure they would employ technology to destroy them both then Earth would be lost for sure,” the Galdar spoke gravely.

  “Let’s not worry about some uniting we have to concentrate on fighting what comes through that portal. We need to set up a defense, a plan to win this war. If they would come through right now we would lose for sure. We need to speak to the people and organize before it’s too late,” the Captain demanded.

  Agreements came from around the room.

  “Ok then, it’s settled. We organize those that will fight, arm them, and then form them into squads. We will place squads according to their fighting ability hopefully spreading those with skill near enough to the front to catch the brunt of the battle. Morwin I need your group to take lead position right away, yours is the most skilled. Leave three of you men here to help train, not much time for that but we must try,” Alanasse spoke with authority which those in attendance accepted. He dismissed the meeting urging those chosen to lead to get organized quickly.

  Organizing the people into squads took almost four hours and was like picking sides in a sandlot baseball game. The few people at the end wanted to, but had no fight ability whatsoever. Alanasse decided their best bet was to be used as runners between squads, carrying information and filling in where needed. A group that was dressed like former mercenaries who the blond woman was part of took position to the right of Morwins’. The Captain and his group were stationed near to Morwin’s left flank. Two rows of vehicles were brought in to give an initial barrier between them and the portal.

  Big John searched for Leon and his equipment, walking the full length of the portal and not finding either. He couldn’t have just disappeared, he thought and he would have had to have help moving that much stuff that quick. Searching again he found a spot where it looked as if things were drug into the portal. Upon closer inspection he saw what looked like blood. Spooked now, Big John decided he would move away from the portal and find the Captain telling him what he had found.

  The Galdar led Elisabeth back up the mountain and sat in an open space overlooking the people and the portal below. A cool subtle breeze blew through the trees giving Elisabeth a chill. The Galdar also seemed to feel startled by it, “We will both sing and try to find the scepters heir. With all the new people who have come maybe he is here.”

  “What good would that do, Treyson and the sword is on the other side,” Elisabeth asked?

  The Galdar smiled, “Child, the heir would be able to command the scepter and he would be able to call on the magic it possesses.”

  Elisabeth laughed at being called a child, “the scepter has magic?”

  “Great magic, he would have the ability to command not only people, but also animals and plants. Legend has it he can even command the elements,” The Galdar’s pretty eyes looked intently at Elisabeth as she spoke.

  “Wow! We could sure use that person right about now,” Elisabeth said as she sat on the road with the Galdar.

  Taking Elisabeth’s hand the Galdar said, “You are searching for a blue light. Look for it with your eyes but sing for it with your mind. The song is about a very powerful shining star, which is the heir. You will know the song when you find it, join me when you do.”

  The Galdar started singing almost immediately though Elisabeth couldn’t make out what she was singing. She thought about the blue light she looked down across the people, but no blue light. She looked up towards the sky yet still no blue light the sun was still shining. She closed her eyes thinking of a blue light, thinking of a shining star, searching her mind then she glimpsed a book opened with words. Her mind ran towards it, seeing the words she started to quietly sing, but the words moved into the distance away from her as if it was bored with her voice. She again ran towards it this when she sang the words she raised her volume, but it seemed to sigh and ran off into the distance again. She wanted to sing it now. She wanted to know these words so she ran again catching up to the book. This time she stood up, raised her voice and sang from her heart. The book stayed this time before her eyes as she read and sang. The words came through her mind and out her mouth as she sought for the heir to the scepter. She could feel someone, sense someone, but they were unreachable, but close. She cried because of that as if hope was close yet slightly out of grasp. The song came to an end making her eve
n sadder she was bawling when she opened her eyes. Again the Galdar was staring at her.

  “Why are you crying child,” she asked?

  Amidst sobs she answered her, “I saw someone, the heir I think, yet he was not here, but somehow close. It made me sad for us and for him, for the gorge which separates us is deep and wide; it seems as all hope is lost.”

  “As long as they are alive and we are still alive there is always hope, young one,” she said with a smile. “Maybe they are on their way here,” she added.

  Elisabeth thought on what she said and it was true there is still a glimmer of hope, but she also knew from what she saw and felt while singing, there was a force keeping them and the heir apart, she sniffled and agreed with the Galdar, but fear was still there. As they walked back to camp she told the Galdar of the book and how it ran from her. It seemed like it thought her singing was boring she told the Galdar who laughed saying she had never heard of a singer experiencing that before. “It’s probably just your lack of experience and the fact that magic hasn’t been around in a very long time,” she told her.

  Elisabeth asked, “Is there was a song to see beyond the smoky portal?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know it or have the ability to learn it. Portals pass through great distances of space therefore it takes strong magic to penetrate the expanses. Maybe if I have another life maybe then I will be able to learn it,” she answered as they walked down the mountain road.

  Alanasse met them as they entered the camp, “I think something is getting ready to come through,” He said pointing at the portal. “The portal is starting to brighten and the swirling pattern is moving faster.”