The order Rising Vol II

8

Thomas sat beside the small mountain stream that fed into the roaring river nearby. He was enjoying his first morning free of the urgent call of his bowels. His system was functioning well, as far as he could tell, and the food was becoming tolerable. Some of the treats Uri brought him were even enjoyable.

She had almost taught the drone her entire language, and provided him with food almost daily. She used the drone to tell him all about the village, and its people. She told him about the warm season that was coming soon, and the concern of the villagers about their farming lands.

At the beginning of the warm season many of the families who owned land in the valley below, migrated down to plant crops along the river banks. The neighboring kingdom, which Uri was actually from, also farmed the plains. Uri's people were from a coastal region across the mountains, and traded with the people who lived in the village they were in.

The people, who she called "Of the blue mountain" were set upon by the Drasos beasts at the end of the last warm season, and had been offering them meat, hoping they would be spared. Uri didn't know why her people suddenly stopped traveling to the Blue Mountain, but the bridge that connected the trade road was burned, leaving her, and many others stranded.

Thomas started walking back towards his camp where he was sure Uri would be waiting with their first meal. She had essentially moved in with him and Corey. She didn't speak much to Corey, and called him a name that the drone couldn't translate. Thomas inquired as to how far Uri's home was, and why they didn't rebuild the bridge.

She told him it was a day for a messenger to run, if the bridge was still up. When he asked how long with the bridge down, she shook her head, and changed the subject. He flew the drone the next day across the village, and followed the road. He found out why she had changed the subject.

The bridge crossed a river just beyond the adjacent ridge-line. The river cut a deep and wide canyon in the mountains. He supposed it joined the river flowing through Blue Mountain Fortress, and ended at the coast. He asked if there was a crossing in the valley, and she told him it was days, and days of travel, and no one that left for it had returned yet.

Corey suggested they try to capture one of the beasts, but quickly remembered they were without gear, or advanced medical equipment, in case Thomas was injured in the attempt. Uri said she was sure the craftsmen at the fortress could make the part for their ship, but it would cost more than she knew how to earn.

She suggested they meet the local authority at the fortress to ask for assistance. Thomas started compiling all the language knowledge into a program; he could upload the way he did updates for his communicator. He was convinced if he could make the device believe it was a language program, he could upload the language directly to his E.N.M.S. The External Neural Memory Link served as a database for knowledge. He used it instead of having a port installed the way Corey had.

If he could upload the program, he would be able to speak the language naturally. He hoped his coding skills were as good as he thought they were. He knew what could happen if a poorly written program was introduced to the mind. He may forget how to speak any language, or nothing might happen at all.

He would find out later, when Corey and Uri were both awake, and the first meal was over. Corey was concerned that the physical differences between them might cause suspicion. He, and Uri had agreed on one point, they should create a believable place of origin. She hardly believed Thomas when he said they were from the sky, and fell to the ground in a metal bird.

Corey was experimenting with poisonous plants every night to find a way to create a natural barrier for the camp, but the Drasos always came right to the barrier. They circled the camp at night. It was only a couple at first, but the most recent nights it had grown to a crowd of the beasts.

From inside the shield, they could see out as if there was no barrier. Thomas left it transparent from their side to study the Drasos reaction to the poisonous plants Corey spread each day. Every night the Drasos would come, and walk right past the piles of vegetation, without any reaction. Thomas suggested putting up a small stone wall in the entrance, but Corey said they needed to get off the planet, and the more comfortable they were the more likely they would never leave.

Thomas reached the Camp to find it empty. The morning was a little warmer than any he had experienced since their arrival and the sun was peeking through the clouds enough to warm his skin. He sat on his travel bag. He kept it packed with everything he would need if he had to abandon the camp. The drone came down from its daily charging flight, and landed on the rock he designated as its post.

He piloted it over to him, and linked to it. If their meal was going to be late, he was going to work on the language program. He was almost finished, and excited to see how well he could communicate with Uri. After a short time, the sun was up, and Thomas began to sweat in its direct light. He moved his seat to the shade provided by the overhang, and finished his program.

He rubbed his eyes. He was becoming fatigued, and unable to concentrate without having ingested any sustenance. He began to worry about Corey, and Uri, and activated the communicator in his visor. With it down, he could still call Corey. Something about the Drasos standing outside the barrier before the sun came up had unnerved him, and he suddenly felt the same feeling.

He knew he was being watched by someone. He activated his visor, and realized he was helpless. There were a dozen signatures in the tree line, and they were all watching him. He thought for a second, and then winced, as he uploaded his language program. He opened his eyes, and looked around. None of his mental processes seemed to be degraded by the upload, so he tried thinking of a few Blue Mountain terms.

He smiled as the words came to his mind easily. He was happy that he would at least be able to communicate his surrender. He took a deep breath, as he started to walk toward the tree line.

"I would like to see the Guard Captain" He said when he was close enough to see them. "I will go without fighting."

There was no response as he approached the group. He walked slowly, with both hands open, and empty. The drone attached itself to his suit, and remained active, to continually update his language database. Thomas could probably function without the drone. He would soon be fluent, having uploaded a strong language base to build from, but he kept it active for dialogue he wasn't able to hear, or wasn't paying attention to.

He was a few paces from the group when he noticed Corey standing between several large Blue Mountain men. They were armed with short swords, but none were drawn. Thomas looked at Corey, and then he looked around at the men. They all wore leather armor, and held a strong posture.

One smaller male stepped forward, pushing Corey out of his way. Thomas caught a glimpse of Uri leaning against a tree. Her calm, but interested expression reassured him. The male who came forward stopped just an arm's length from Thomas, and studied him for a moment.

"You wanted to see me Devil.." He said tapping a claw on Thomas's chest. "Here am I."

The group shifted a little, and several snorts were issued from the armored men. "We are not here to harm you" was all Thomas could think to say. He had been expecting a hostile capture, and had no idea how to proceed. His statement garnered a confused look from the Guard Captain, and some snickering from the men.

The Captain placed his hand on Thomas's arm, and looked him in the eyes with a smile. His gentle gesture turned into an attack, as he pulled Thomas toward him, and rotated his body. The Captains technique was so smooth, Thomas hardly realized he had been hip tossed, until he was landing on his back.

The ground knocked the wind out of him, and he looked up at the faces around him. "We can see that" The Captain cheered. Even Corey laughed as the Captain extended his hand to Thomas. He accepted the offer for help, and rose to his feet.

"Uri told me your story, and we have been watching you for days." He said with a sly smile. "I think..." He said pausing for a moment "...we can help each other". He motioned to the group, and they all turned. Corey turned with his two large escorts, and began walking. As they made their way through the village, the people stopped to look, and children ran along beside them out of curiosity.

They reached the village center, and the road gave way to a smooth stone courtyard where villagers gathered to socialize, or make trade transactions. The stones used to make the courtyard were around the size of Thomas's head, and fitted together masterfully. There were grooves in the ground for water to drain out of the streets, and stone benched, and tables.

A large chant could be heard from a crowd along the edge of the market place. "What's happening there?" Thomas asked the Captain, pointing to the crowd. The crowd cheered loudly, completely unaware that two beings from the sky were passing through the village center.

"The twentieth annual climbing games" He answered without looking. "It's a celebration of physical and mental agility. It takes place on the Blue Mountain Cliff face, and we decided to celebrate despite our current dilemma."

The entourage made its way through the market, and came to a small door. The drop was only a short distance from a large sturdy looking main gate, and was somewhat off the main path. An armored warrior was waiting at the door, and opened it as they approached. Thomas was startled, as a fur was wrapped around his face, and he was led by the arm up several flights of stairs.

He understood the concept of secrecy, and also realized the Captain wasn't aware Thomas's drone was recording everything. If he activated his helmet, and visor, he could find his way all the way back to the ship, provided the fur didn't obstruct his vision. The Authorities were being civil enough, that he decided it was best to go along with whatever they had in store.

After trudging around corners, and up more, and more stairs, they finally came to a halt. The fur was yanked back from his face, and his arm was released. Uri had led him through the fortress by the arm. He smiled at her, knowing she had probably made him traverse more obstacles than were necessary to reach their destination. She gave him a teasing expression in return.

It amazed Thomas how similar the people of the mountains were to his people, despite their obvious differences. He supposed any life form too different from his own, would either try to kill him, or would have been of no interest to him in the first place. He supposed it was the similarities to his people that gave contrast to the differences that he came to observe.

They were on a large balcony made entirely of stone. An oblong round stone table was the centerpiece of the balcony. It was mostly covered with a thick fur blanket. Two long bench type seats ran the length of the table, and the Captain stood across from Corey, and Thomas. The table was between them, and the Captain gestured for them to have a seat.

"We will eat before any beneficial arraignments are discussed." The Captain announced. Thomas sat, and Uri sat on one side of him, Corey on the other. Food was served to the group, and Thomas ate ravenously. He was feeling the effects of his gluttony heavily and almost shut his eyes more than once. When everyone was finished eating the Captain dismissed his Guards, and walked over to the edge of the balcony.

Thomas and Corey walked over, and stood beside him. The air was noticeably warmer than it had been since their arrival. Thomas noticed the sound as he approached the edge of the great balcony, and then he smelled the fresh water. He looked over the edge, and felt his stomach turn. He was not expecting the height to be so great, and quickly leaned away from the edge.

The Captain laughed a little, and leaned his back against the stone railing. The water from the river ran under the fortress, and beneath their feet it plummeted thousands of feet to the river below. About half way down the water met the side of the multiple pitched cliff, and continued its cascade. Thomas smiled, and leaned lightly against the railing.

"My family built this fortress as a symbol of hope for the people of these mountains" The Captain said looking out over the valley below. "We have always overcome hardships by weathering within its walls." He continued. "We lost many Guards in the beginning when we thought we could fight the Drasos. Soon I fear we will lose more than just warriors." He turned to Thomas, and looked him in the eye.

"The food is running out, and we have nothing left to offer the beasts." He said.

"Will you try to fight them again?" Thomas asked.

The Captain smiled, and waved to an old and rugged looking man with singed hair, and rough features. "This is our metal worker, Krag" The Captain said.

Thomas nodded to Krag, Who remained silent. The Captain handed the broken linkage from Thomas's ship to the old man. Krag studied the piece for a moment, and tapped the two pieces together. He listened to the sound for a second, and then handed it back. "It can be made, but it will not be this hard" Krag said, and he walked away without any sign that he wanted a response.

"It will have to work" Corey said from behind Thomas.

"I suppose it will" Thomas agreed.

Corey walked over, and looked from Thomas to The Captain. "So, what is the price of freedom?" He asked in accented Blue Mountain. Thomas didn't know Corey had taken an interest in the language.

The Captain answered without hesitation. "We need the help of our neighboring villages to fight the Drasos. If we can rally together, and find their lair...." He trailed off, and then spoke again. "Uri tells me you are a powerful man" He said. Thomas looked to Uri, who was looking away, and had a bad feeling.

9

Xarie had two compact jump rings crafted, and notified her advisor that she was going to be making another appearance. This time she planned to show her people that they were safe, and could enjoy their lives, by setting an example. She was so excited to be preparing for a jump that she awoke early.

Marcus was just getting his gear fitted when she went to his room, so she went back to her balcony to check her gear again. She would be recording her jump, flight, and landing with a very special set of drones. They would follow her, and record the air temperature, wind speed, elevation gains, losses, and many other details. The special recording allowed for a more realistic full immersion video experience.

Any of her people would be able to download, and experience, a high quality rendition of the event. She hadn't told Marcus yet but they were going to Venga Luna. The planet was a full time nature preserve, and full time habitation was restricted to only the planets natural inhabitants. Many sports enthusiasts dreamed of going to Venga Luna to angle reptilian predators in its oceans, or descend its snowy peaks on this, or that vehicle, but not Xarie.

She sat beside her gear, and stared out at the infinite kingdom before her, and smiled. She was going to jump from the second highest peak on Venga Luna, and fly a specially designed wing suit out of the mountains, and into a beautiful paradise. With all the technology in her kingdom, people raced through the skies on thousands of worlds without fear, but few experienced the pure rush of falling completely independent of any other object.

She could hardly contain her excitement. She checked her jump program on her communicator. The Drone that was delivering jump rings to the Venga planets was scheduled to deposit a ring at the peak of M1177. The Venga planets were named for the general who led the campaign to conquer them for the Greatian kingdom, and M1177 was the 1,177th mountain cataloged on the planet.

Xarie arraigned to jump to the peak, hike down to the southern face, and make her leap there. The initial free-fall would be only a few moments, then the air particles would slow them down enough to allow forward momentum, and control. They would travel around the Mountain, and descend at a steady rate just above the tree line.

If the wind was at their back they would make the distance almost twice as fast as it was planned. Xarie had to reach out to the most extreme athletes in her kingdom to find gear that would make the flight, and a flight evaluator modified for the type of activity she wanted to do.

Marcus was nervous when he reached the balcony. She could tell by the way he continually checked his gear. "Are you sure we shouldn't use a kinetic device, or something automated to make this flight?" He asked gesturing to the super thin material his suit was made of.

She couldn't help but take a little joy in his discomfort. He was always so calm, and in control, and she never go to see him on edge. Not trying to hide her delight, she walked over, and grabbed his face. He swatted at her hand, and she released him with a friendly nudge.

"I'll sing at your memorial little sister" She teased.

"I see you are all playful spirits" He said shaking his head. "Odd attitude to have on the day we plummet to our deaths"

"We have your genetic material on file, I'll have you remade" She chided smiling the way she had been all morning, and just becoming aware she was doing it. She had to admit he had grown into an attractive, broad shouldered man. She hated feeling self-aware around him. They had been as close as kids, and she had never felt like he was judging her then.

His features were still soft for a military man, and his short cropped hair had just enough length to it to appear slightly messy on top. His dark eyes matched his dark hair, and complexion. She looked away, and smiled again at herself this time. She brushed the anxiety off, reminding herself she was the Queen, and if she decided to desire any man, she could have him, even her personal Guard.

"You're not getting out of this one, so buckle up" She said. The message she had been waiting for appeared in her communicator. The rings she carried lit up, showing they were active. One was for getting back to the ship, and the other was a backup. After the jump, and some time at the waterfall, they would return to her ship, and prepare to jump to the ruins of the Order's Headquarters facility.

Xarie worried desperately for Rhea, and Commander Wren, but she had seen them survive many seemingly insurmountable situations. She pushed her concerns out of her mind, and returned her attention to the present.

"Ready?" She asked. Marcus looked at her for a second, and then sighed.

"On your order my Queen" He said shaking his head again. She activated the Jump ring, and jumped through. The air was very cold at the high altitude, and the wind behaved wildly. She turned around, and reached a hand out to Marcus. He took it, and stepped through.

"You know these rings can be held open, you don't have to jump through them." He said as he pulled his thermal cap over his head.

"I'm excited" She answered heading off in the direction of the south cliff face. She decided at that moment that she needed to catch up with Marcus, and find out what he had been doing in the years since she had taken the crown. She would wait until they were at the waterfall, when the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Come Mr. Vrands" She called over her shoulder. He only paused for a second to give one last sigh in surrender, and then followed. Venga Luna seemed frozen where they stood. The clouds filled in the area between the peaks. There was a break in the clouds, but there were only more clouds far below.

The elevation change was so drastic that they had to be injected with altitude serum. The air was so thin where they were it was impossible to survive in naturally. The serum. would work its way out in matter of hours. It mimicked the function of certain cells in the blood to maintain optimal levels of oxygen, and nitrogen.

The snow started to thin as they reached the south face. Some high altitude plants refused to yield to the snow, and even grew out of pockets of dirt on the cliff face itself. The dirt rode the wind up the cliff, and collected in small imperfections in the rock. The seeds were brought by migratory birds, and dropped while the birds were riding thermal wind currents across the planet.

Xarie liked to consider the magnitude of small, and seemingly unimportant lives, and the amazing events that led up to their beginnings. She imagined that there was a higher form of life staring down at her, and she hoped it was as captured by her existence as she was by the resilient plants.

Xarie turned her jump ring up parallel to the ground, and started tossing her climbing, and excess thermal wear into it. They would be cold for the entire ride, but they couldn't make the jump wearing expedition gear. Marcus tossed in his gear, and pulled his wind suit on. The suit went on loose, and began to constrict until it reached its preset tension.

In a moment they were both perched on the side of the cliff. The material of their suits fit their forms so precisely it felt like they were naked. Xarie caught Marcus admiring her form, and he quickly looked away. She smiled, and started the recording drones. The drones would follow her, and were set to ignore Marcus altogether.

The royal advisor said having the identity of the Queens personal travel Guard was too big of a risk. She agreed after thinking about the level of unrestricted access he had to her. An impostor would have been able to carry her off her own balcony while she slept recently.

The drones hovered around her, and she stood. Marcus stood, and checked over both of their suits again. He was visibly nervous, and his hands shook from the adrenaline. Xarie looked into his eyes, and smiled. He returned her smile, but he failed to reproduce a convincing expression. She laughed out loud as she leapt backward from the cliff face.

Marcus's expression was convincing as he reached out in shock, and then anger. His hands made fists as he summoned his courage, and hurled his body off the cliff. Xarie turned around, and opened her wings. Her fall backward with no resistance changed her flight path. She would follow a path that more closely resembled Marcus's.

She hadn't planned it, but found it amusing that he would have to watch her the whole way down upset that she had made him drop his cool exterior facade. She plummeted through the clouds. The cold air stung as she began to gain forward momentum. She had lenses fit over the surface of her eyes, and her flight path was displayed on them. They allowed her to see the most direct route to her destination.

Her path had recalculated due to her delayed wing deployment, and now involved a technical flight through a canyon. She would have deviated from the flight path when she saw it below her regardless. The path curved, and she leaned her body slightly to the side. It was a very minute adjustment that took almost no effort compared to keeping the wind suit stretched out.

As she dropped through the first layer of clouds, and out into the open air again, the cliff that was just to her left became a reference to judge her speed. It seemed like a waterfall of stone as she soared by. Some smaller peaks were visible through the patchy clouds. Trees had no issue finding a home among the lower mountains, but they were still at an extremely high altitude.

The geography allowed them to descend at an incredible rate, without the fear of meeting the planet's surface. The air temperature was becoming tolerable, and the ride enjoyable. Xarie tucked her wings to her sides, and rolled. She completed two full revolutions before she spread her wings again. There was virtually no change in her flight path, but she felt as if her entire world had been accelerated.

She could see Marcus's shadow and her own as they soared toward the final layer of clouds. There would be scattered collections of moisture as they passed over the steeply declining landscape, but they would be through the two altitude range that held the majority of the evaporated water. As they approached the clouds, Xarie felt a surge of fear.

The wall of clouds looked so solid at the speed they were traveling, she braced instinctively. At that moment she thought she saw three shadows in line with hers. The first thought she had was one of the drones must have cast the shadow, or she was mistaken. The thought was pushed away by the overwhelming view.

The clouds ended suddenly, and the flight plan instructed her to veer away from the cliff. She leaned, and tucked her wings a little to descend at the same rate as the tree tops below her. She settled into the ride, and couldn't hold back a triumphant laugh as the landscape rushed by.

It almost seemed that their flight plan would lead them into the ground, when the river appeared. The river carved its way from a glacier, through the forest, and rocks. It plummeted over a fall line, and cut a canyon in the ground as it rushed toward the ocean. They would enter the canyon at the fall line, and follow its path until it dropped into great bowl shaped lake.

The lake was created by the converging rivers coming from the mountains. Hundreds of waterfalls poured their content into the lake at its northern edge. The water left the lake at its southern end, and reached the ocean shortly after. Xarie passed over the river where it was calm, just before the fall, and caught a glimpse of her reflection.

She noticed the owners of the additional shadows she had seen, at the same time that one of them passed Marcus. She had no idea what she was seeing, as she entered the canyon. The water followed a predominantly straight path, but cut its way around several large rocks.

As Xarie entered the first turn, she activated her rear-view camera, and stole a peek at their uninvited companions. She switched the rear-view off, quickly to regain her full field of forward sight. She could only tell from the quick glance that they seemed to be large flying creatures, and had both passed Marcus without incident.

She relaxed out of the turn, and leaned the other way for a slight bend in the canyon. It straightened out, and she glanced back again. Both creatures were riding in her wake, using her to block the air. She tucked just a little, and held just enough air to stay on her flight path. She accelerated to her theoretical maximum, and to her surprise, was surpassed by one of the creatures.

As the large winged creature pulled along beside her, she glanced over, and noticed something on its back. Perched on the back of the animal was a person. The person was tucked tightly against the creature, and appeared to be strapped into a saddle. Xarie had never seen anything like it before, but she would never forget it.

The creature had dark piercing eyes, and a curved beak. It had no ears, and slick silver feathers. It's shape suggested it evolved for diving, and she noticed one of its feet tucked for less resistance, was webbed. They rounded a sharp turn, and then plunged down the canyon. The bird dove beneath Xarie, creating an updraft pushing her off course. She thought it was just being reckless, until it happened again.

The rider pulled its bird up, and pushed Xarie completely out of the canyon. Her shock became anger as the rider looked back, and gestured hello. Suddenly both birds dove again, and Xarie could see her flight path again. It adjusted to her new position, and she glanced back to see where Marcus was.

The birds pushed him out of the canyon, and back into position behind her. One of the riders pulled alongside Xarie, and pointed to her communicator. She used the lenses that she was flying with to connect to her Communicator wirelessly. After the two programs were introduced, she set her communicator to search. It would find any nearby devices, and she could allow them to connect to her.

The helmet she was wearing had a very primitive communication set up. It was such a low quality setup; she and Marcus had decided not to bother connecting to it. She decided that would not be happening in the future. Her communicator had very special security functions, and her identity would not be shown to the rider.

Marcus's communicator and two other signals appeared in the search results. Xarie connected to all three devices.

"Well hello pretty lady" One of the riders said in a heavily accented Ifrian.

"Identify you" Marcus demanded.

"Be silent Marcus" She ordered. She wanted to let the riders say what they had to say before she revealed her identity. She suddenly wondered if any of her gear had insignias on it. She found it doubtful any of her craftsmen would be foolish enough to endanger her.

"My name is Air Patrolman Gall, and my lieutenant is called Jean" Said the rider.

"Continue" Xarie prompted as their flight was almost over. The lake was getting bigger by the second.

"We were patrolling the area, and noticed the Greatian drone dropping a ring on the peak" Said the Air Patrolman. "We were just notified that jumping was possible again today." He added.

"Unfortunately it's the Grand Falcon mating season" Added Lieutenant Jean patting his mount.

"What does that have to do with us?" Marcus asked.

"I said be silent Marcus" Xarie commanded firmly. They all pulled up slightly abandoning the fall of the landscape, and gliding over the edge of the lake. Xarie noticed the falcons at that moment. They were swarming the lake, diving into the water, and circling above the waterfalls.

"The short answer involves aggressive males tearing you from the sky, and offering you as a tribute to a mate" Jean answered.

"At the height of the hormone fueled ritual, Males kill any flying creature or shallow water fish they can" Air Patrolman Gall Said.

Xarie sighed She had to admit being pushed off course was preferable to being eaten by birds. She admired the metallic luster on the wings of the giant birds as they passed high over the lake, and the whirling swarms of Grand Falcons.

"Are we safe to land on the east side of the lake?" Xarie asked.

"We will escort you to the ground" Jean announced.

Xarie was preparing to protest as the Great Falcon dropped back, and wrapped its webbed feet around her. She noticed the polished claws on the end of each digit barely avoiding her flesh. The super thin material her suit was crafted with would offer no protection if the falcon decided to kill her.

The birds flew them to the waterfall Xarie originally intended to land at, following her direction. They landed, and She removed her helmet. The recording drones hovered in front of her as she pulled her collapsible rings out, and opened one up. She pushed the drones through, and retrieved her, and Marcus's Gear.

"Xarie" Marcus said. She turned quickly, caught off guard by being addressed so casually. The two Air patrollers were lying face down in a position of surrender. It was a gesture reserved for offenders of Greatian law when pleading for mercy. They had both recognized her when she removed her helmet, and panicked.

"Get up Air patrollers, and tell me whose authority you operate under" She ordered. Both men stood, and removed their helmets. They assumed a very military posture, and held their helmets hath their left hand. The Falcons recognized the position, and stood still, and straight like statues.

Xarie was impressed by the level of discipline they were exhibiting. She decided to enjoy her authority, and waited for one of them to answer her. Jean was the first to speak, but Xarie cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth.

She loosened her wind suit, and peeled it off. Both men closed their eyes instantly. To her surprise, and slight embarrassment, Marcus continued changing into his casual uniform as if nothing unusual was happening. She took Air Patrolman Galls hand, and raised it until it was straight out in front of him. She hung her wind suit on it; she grabbed her hiking suit from her pack, and pulled it on.

Air Patrolman Gall opened his eyes for a moment, and noticed she was clothed. He seemed to relax a bit, and tapped Lieutenant Jean on the arm. Both men looked paralyzed. Xarie laughed a little at their shock, and decided she had caused them enough stress.

"Relax, and tell me what I asked," She said adding, "You two have seen a naked female before"

"Yes My Queen" Jean said quickly. "Just not our supreme leader" He added.

Xarie smiled to reassure them.

"My position is mostly a novelty in this age" She said closing her jump ring. "Now answer me." She commanded.

Both men flinched at her sudden change in tone. They had undoubtedly seen the public executions she ordered when some of the crowns representatives challenged her rule. In the beginning many of her people were frightened by the sudden death of two leaders, and loss of their jump capabilities. Xarie had always been known as the people's Princess, and many doubted her ability to lead.

She rounded up everyone she could prove to be plotting against her, and had they dematerialized in a live broadcast, mass execution. She sometimes regretted starting her rule from a position of intimidation, but failed to think of an alternative to her choices.

She could see how the men might fear her. Some of her representatives committed atrocities in her name when they thought they could get away with it. She tried to keep that type of behavior under control, but found it difficult to completely prevent. Her Kingdom was just too immense to rule directly over all of it.

Lieutenant Jean licked his lips, and answered her question. "We operate under the authority of the Que...Your Natural Resource Protection decree" He said.

"You protect the Falcons, and their environment?" She asked.

"Yes My Queen" They both answered. Xarie thought for a second, she had never heard of the Decree, but thought it likely someone slipped it into a request for finance at some point.

"Very good men" She said "Carry on"

They both stood frozen for a moment, and then quickly mounted their birds. They leapt into the air swiftly, and were soon out of sight. Xarie could feel Marcus staring at her, and met his gaze.

"Say something." She demanded taking a fighting stance. His only response was a smile. He turned and started walking toward the waterfall. Xarie grabbed his arm. He stopped, and looked from her hand on his arm to her eyes questioningly.

"I wanted to catch up with you while we are away from everyone" She said releasing her grip, but interlocking her arm with his. They started walking alongside the stream that leads from the waterfall to the lake. "This is the only waterfall here that falls onto the land, and not into the lake." She said before he could respond.

He looked up at the falls, and then back to her. He stopped walking, and looked into her eyes. For a moment Xarie thought she saw anger behind his expression. His features relaxed, and he touched her face. She was surprised by the sudden intimacy, and by the strength of her desire for it.

She didn't recall having any romantic feelings for him when their time training together had ended.

"We don't need to catch up Xarie" He said. "I've always felt very strongly about you."

She shied away from his gaze, and felt an irrational anger at him for knowing what she had not until just then realized. She felt vulnerable, and suddenly remembered disrobing in front of him moments before. Her face burned.

"You should have told me" She said slapping him on the chest. Her embarrassment faded as the relief of certainty replaced it.

"I wasn't sure we would see each other after you became Queen" He answered. "I was trained to be the Princesses traveling Guard, and dismissed when my position became unnecessary."

"So you would have me if I offered?" She asked.

He turned her face to meet his, and kissed her deeply. The galaxy and all its surrounding space whirled for a moment as her heart leapt. Marcus lifted her up, and carried her to a large rock. They pulled at each others clothing as the passion of the moment took over, and they made love below the misty waterfall.

They jumped back to the ship, and made love again, holding each other in her sleep module until they both slept. Xarie woke up alone, and activated her hygiene program. Once she was dressed, she noticed the blinking alarm on her communicator. A runner reached the site of the attack on the Order of light, and she could travel there immediately.

10

The Captain proposed a steep price for the part they needed. Thomas argued with Corey about finding a suitable part they could cannibalize on the craft. He insisted they only needed to get out of the reserve area, and they would be able to summon help. To his surprise, and irritation, Corey seemed to have his mind set on helping the Captain.

Thomas was becoming weary of his immortal companion. They were laying on the edge of a destroyed bridge. The sun was just cresting the mountains, and the Drasos had returned to whatever layer they came from every night. Corey only requested a length of rope, and a strange hook.

The metal craftsman studied the drawing Corey made, and laughed for an uncomfortable amount of time. Regardless of the unknown reason Krag the metal worker had found the item humorous, it was ready when they departed. Uri had to be locked in a room at the fortress to keep her from following them.

Thomas wasn't sure what Corey's plan was, but he flew the drone over the canyon to see if the bridge truly was at the narrowest part of the canyon, or if it was just the narrowest in a convenient distance from the fortress. He found that it was the best that was within traveling distance.

Corey attached the small three pronged hook to the drone, and Thomas watched as he piloted it to the other side. The Drone wasn't designed for performing any laboring duties, so it took quite a bit of maneuvering. The drone carried the end of the rope across. It made it all the way to within an arm's reach of the hook before the length of rope became too heavy, and slipped from its tiny appendages.

Corey retrieved the rope, and stood at the very edge of the canyon. He managed to reach out, and the drone made it to the hook. Thomas let out a breath he held in concentration. The drone managed to thread the rope through the eyelet on the hook. Corey made a strange loop in the rope, and whipped it across the canyon.

Thomas had never witnessed anything so coordinated before. The loop followed the rope to the hook, and formed a loose knot in the end. Corey pulled until the knot was tight, and then leaned his weight on the rope to test it. To his dismay, the rock the hook was wedged behind separated from the canyon wall, and took the hook with it.

Corey held tightly to the rope, and allowed the rock to swing to their side of the canyon. It slammed into the side, and crumbled. Thomas got a little nervous at the sight of the rock that likely weighed close to his weight smashing to pieces against the wall.

Corey retrieved the rope, and found that the hook had been severed from the rope when the rock struck the wall. He stared at it for a while, and then drew the blade from its sheath. Every time he touched it, Thomas had a terrible feeling, and Corey became distant. He began to mumble, and agree with himself, as if he were talking with the blade.

He quickly attached the hilt of his blade to the rope, and started walking away from the canyon. Thomas stood, started to collect his gear. The drone attached to his suit, and began charging in the warm morning sun. Thomas looked up startled by the sound of several quick steps.

Corey sprinted toward the edge of the canyon. Thomas was unable to move as he watched the man sprint at what seemed an impossible speed. At the height of his sprint, he turned his blade up like a spear, and launched it with all his unnatural strength.

The sword reached the opposite wall almost too quickly to see, and sank deeply into the rock. Corey stood on the very end of the rope, and all except the very last length of it was stretched across the canyon. Corey tied the rope around his waist, and sat behind a large rock. He pushed off the rock with all his might.

Satisfied that the blade was anchored well enough in the wall, he tied it around the rock, and fell to his knees. Thomas knelt beside him. Corey pushed him away, and glared at him with disgust. His eyes were no longer those of a man, but wild, and dark. All the color was gone, and two empty pits of darkness were all Thomas could see staring back at him.

He pushed away from Corey in horror. The immortal stood, and refused to look at him. "Our journey together is coming to an end" Corey said still looking at the ground.

"What does that mean?" Thomas asked keeping his distance.

Corey looked up, his eyes were once again normal, and he had a slight sadness behind them. "I made a deal a lifetime ago, and my end is close to being upheld." He answered blankly. He started to walk toward the rope, and stopped. "When I finally die, I have a feeling it will not be...good" He whispered.

Thomas placed his hand on Corey's shoulder, and searched his mind for the right words. Corey grabbed his arm tightly, and pulled him close. He almost couldn't hear the words. "When it comes back, it won't be me, and it can't be free." He looked intensely at Thomas, and Thomas nodded.

He had no idea what Corey was talking about, but he seemed for a moment more alive than he had been in years. It dawned on Thomas that it was the first time he had ever witnessed the man separated from the blade intentionally. He wondered if it could be the blade that he meant when he said it.

Corey released his arm, and grabbed the rope. He lowered himself until he was hanging over the canyon. He lifted his feet, and wrapped them around the rope. He quickly reached the other side, and perched on the sword. He stood, and lifted himself onto the opposite ledge.

Thomas wondered why none of the villagers had found a way across the canyon as he worked his way across. He supposed the hike would take them well into the night, and that had made it seem hopeless to them, but he still couldn't figure out why no one from Uri's people had reached the canyon. He supposed many had probably made unsuccessful attempts.

He took the help Corey offered, and was standing safe on solid ground. He backed away from the edge, and felt instantly more relaxed. Corey reached over the edge, and grabbed the handle of his blade. Thomas was suddenly aware of the running figure moving toward him.

Uri reached the rope, and never stopped running. She cleared the canyon in seconds, never losing momentum. She smiled as she leapt to the ledge. "My people have exceptional balance" Was her only explanation.

Corey seemed satisfied with it, and pulled at his blade. To Thomas's astonishment, it slid free of the solid stone with little effort. Corey held it in his hand for a moment, and Thomas knew the blade was the cause of his immortality, and at that moment he was aware of another truth.

He could see the blade was Corey's master, and Corey a slave to it. All the time he thought it was the other way around, but Corey was the instrument. Thomas wasn't sure what the blade was using him for, but he would be sure to keep his distance from it.

His concentration was broken when he realized he was staring at it, and that Corey was staring at him. The Immortal's eyes were once again hollow pits of darkness, and Thomas had the feeling the blade was the one studying him from behind them. "Let's get moving" He prompted, trying to break the awkward standoff he was having with Corey.

Uri seemed concerned for a moment, and then she returned to her typical happy demeanor. She started into the trees, and Thomas followed. As they traveled along the neglected path, some things began to occur to Thomas. They were walking toward an unconfirmed location, with no plan for shelter after dark. He supposed they would use the drone's shield to conceal their presence, but no one mentioning it made him nervous.

The topography was similar to that of the village, as they proceeded down the winding trail. Uri talked non-stop about the landmarks they passed, and the animals they encountered. Thomas would have been overwhelmed by the new and interesting facts she was throwing at him, if it weren't for the growing feeling of despair.

He relied heavily on technology his entire life, but he never distrusted the power of instinct. He was getting a terrible feeling on a beautiful day. It was a beautiful day, and he was on a hike through the woods, and dread filled his senses. It seemed, as he thought back to feeling nothing but excitement, and wonder just before his ship crashed, something terrible must await them at their destination. He tried to read his companions, and determine what stimulus could be aggravating his animal instincts.

They stopped to relieve their biological waste, and it struck Thomas. He knew what had him on edge. It was such a tiny gesture, but he knew it was the cause of his discomfort. He had witnessed the immortal draw his blade many times, and devastate the most fearsome, and deadly of enemies. The question in his mind was why if Corey was immortal, and had always returned his sword to its holster immediately after fighting, why it was partially exposed.

He thought back to the canyon. He had never fully stored the blade. Thomas thought hard, and couldn't think of a time during the whole day when Corey had relieved his tight grip on it. A fear crept into his mind threatening to paralyze him. He checked the charge on his rifle. Either Corey was planning to kill them, or he was alert to a threat Thomas hadn't realized.

Thomas activated his visor, and returned to the trail. Uri was sitting beside a tree, playing with a stick. The helmet highlighted tracks of small animals, and several larger tracks, but nothing seemed to be extraordinary. Nothing he could see in the area justified Corey's alert posture. The only thing he could think would cause an immortal to be wary would be something that could kill Thomas.

Corey returned from the woods with his hand tightly gripped on his blade handle. Thomas started scanning higher, and in different directions, but nothing he saw registered as a threat. Nothing except Corey himself had the agility, and proximity to Thomas to cause him any harm. He paused for a second at that thought. There was one other person within striking distance of Thomas, but he couldn't believe Corey would consider Uri a threat.

Uri stood, and started walking as the sun reached a point between mid-day, and the most intimidating night of Thomas's life. He longed desperately to be off world floating among the stars, and free of his aching stomach. Corey was getting farther and farther ahead of Thomas as they passed through a particularly winding section of trail. Every time he rounded a corner, it seemed Corey was a little farther away.

He sped up his step, and almost missed a turn. If he hadn't had his helmet visor down, he probably wouldn't have noticed Corey standing perfectly still in his peripheral. The more obviously traveled path continued at a slight decline toward the coast, but Thomas was the only one on it.

He backed up, and looked down the narrow and partially overgrown trail. Into the fading sunlight, he could make out the outline of Corey. He realized Corey was staring back at him, and completely unmoving. Thomas started to move down the path when Corey walked out of sight.

Thomas sprinted down the path. He noticed a building overgrown with vegetation. It had obviously been uninhabited for a long time. Thomas called Corey on his communicator. He caught a glimpse of him rounding the corner of another old house. He could make out a well, and three other small huts. It appeared to be an abandoned settlement.

Thomas rounded the corner, and almost collided with Corey. He was still again as he had been at the fork in the trail.

"What is it?" Thomas asked.

Corey only nodded slightly. Uri was kneeling on the floor of one of the huts. She held a small bag in her hands. She quickly stuffed the bag in her pack, and wiped at the tears on her face.

"They aren't here" She said pushing past them.

Thomas was confused, and certain he was being watched from the darkness that was settling in around them. "Who isn't here" He asked. Uri continued walking back toward the trail, and gave no answer. Thomas grabbed her arm, but she pulled away.

"We have to keep moving." She said without looking back. They reached the trail, and continued toward the coast. The eyes Thomas felt watching him at the hut were starting to show up on his visor. Drasos flanked them, but made no move to attack as they continued.

"Why are they just watching us?" Thomas asked. He was talking to himself more out of discomfort, than the need for an answer, so it shocked him when he received one.

"They are either evaluating us, or they know we are so far from safety, they feel no rush" Corey said offering Thomas no relief. "They will send a group to challenge us if they decide we are enemies." He added.

"And what if they decide we are not a threat?" Thomas asked, wishing he hadn't.

Corey stopped, and looked at Thomas for the first time since the Canyon, and seemed to consider the question strongly. He snapped his own visor down, but Thomas could still feel the black hollow eyes behind the reflective shield staring back at him. "If we are not a threat..." He said with a smile on his voice, "...we are food"

Thomas turned the safety off on his rifle, and started moving again. He switched between watching his step, and watching the Drasos on in the woods. They were only a small group, but more than he wanted to face. The drone had taken images of the monsters many times. Thomas had evaluated them until as much as he could, without actually interacting with them.

Their physical traits were extremely predatory. He couldn't explain some of their characteristics. It was as if they had evolved to only chase, kill, and eat other creatures. Every predator he had ever seen had at some point in its evolution developed a need to eat some roughage, or catch aviary, and marine food. The Drasos had evolved in a way that neglected their needs for the sake of effective killing ability.

If the planet wasn't under preserve status, Thomas would say the monsters were engineered that way. Natural law would almost never make anything so destructive. He suspected something must have mutated a local predator population, speeding up their evolution. With no natural enemies, and a limited Eco system, they seemed to have evolved to fight, and eat the inhabitants of the mountains.

He watched them move with the help of his visor. It registered their location, and tracked their movements. He could see excellent because of the visors optical enhancements. It used ambient light, heat readings, and several other light detection sensors to read light outside his range of detection to enhance his vision.

Uri looked around frequently as they made their way through the narrow path. The terrain was beginning to take on a more rolling feel. Thomas thought he had caught a glimpse of light reflecting off water through the trees, but couldn't be sure.

"How far are we from your village?" Corey asked Uri. He was looking at a projection on his communicator, and a large blinking circle was the only thing Thomas recognized on the display. Corey shut the program down quickly when he noticed Thomas looking.

Thomas could remember Corey in his earliest memories, and never had he known him to hold back information. They walked a little farther, and the trees gave way to sky. The coast was visible in the distance, and the hills rolled all the way down. Uri pointed toward a small rounded mountain.

"It is there, but..." She said. Dropping her hand, and looking to Corey, then to Thomas, she continued. "...there are no torches."

Thomas looked to Corey. He was checking his communicator again.

"What are you not telling us?" Thomas demanded. Corey turned to him, and then to Uri.

"It's not me you should be concerned with" He said. Uri simply glared into the darkness. Thomas was confused by Corey's statement, and stepped closer to him.

"I want to know everything now, and I want to know what that is on your Communicator." He commanded.

Corey tossed a small sack to Thomas. Thomas opened the sack without removing his trigger hand from his rifle. He felt the object inside, and failed to recognize it. He glanced inside, and what he saw offered him no answer.

"So what?" Thomas asked. Uri turned around curious at the tension brewing behind her.

"I made another deal" Corey said. "The blade has leaded me to this place, and the Captain of the Blue Mountain Guard has kept his word."

Thomas had no idea what Corey was talking about, but he moved between Uri, and the Immortal. "I don't understand" Thomas said backing away from Corey.

Thomas looked into the sack again, and a thought struck him. He pulled up the ship on his communicator, and froze. The locator placed the ship behind him, somewhere in Uri's village. Thomas spun around, and looked at the small mountain. He realized Uri was gone, and turned around again.

"The Captain didn't care if we made contact with the people of the coast Thomas" Corey said. "He gave me the piece for the ship, in exchange for freedom."

Thomas held Corey's gaze, as he waited for him to clarify.

"The blade tells me many things Thomas." He continued. "The ship was moved to that village just after we arrived, and the blade knows why.

"Why?" Thomas asked.

Corey smiled, and drew the blade. Its magnificent design shimmered in the dim light. "The Captain wishes freedom from the Drasos, and the blade needs to take life." Corey yelled.

Thomas stumbled back, and then he noticed them. They gathered at the hilltops, and behind rocks. They were in every shadow, and more were emerging. They were standing in the center of a bowl shaped dale, and The Drasos were all around them.

Thomas looked around, and understood. The Captain wanted Corey to kill all the Drasos, in exchange for their freedom. He wondered if Uri had known about the deal, or just Corey.

"You should be going now" Corey said. He removed his helmet, and the upper half of his suit. He stretched, and took a deep breath. Thomas stood watching as Corey took a strong stance, and cried out as loudly and monstrously as he could.

There was an answer to his battle cry. It started as a low growl. First it was to their left, and then their right. The growl built, until the night was full of snarling, and vicious guttural noise.

It all stopped suddenly, and there was only silence. Thomas turned his back to his friend, and ran. He heard the fighting start, but he didn't stop. He ran until he reached the base of the small mountain, and he sank to the ground. There had been hundreds of the monsters.

He held his rifle tight. The Drasos seemed drawn so strongly to Corey, they had hardly paid Thomas any attention as he fled. He was hungry again, and dehydrating. He stood, and checked the ship's position. He was so close to getting out of the nightmare they had fallen into, he felt a renewed strength.

He rounded the rock he was standing against, and noticed stairs. Something grabbed him, and he struck out instinctively with the butt of his rifle. He spun, and prepared to fire. Uri lay on the ground unmoving where he expected to see a monster.

He slung his rifle, and pulled her to a seated position. He struggled for a moment, but managed to get her onto his shoulders. He headed up the stairs toward his freedom, carrying Uri, and holding tightly to the linkage for his ship.

11

The monster that called itself Seven walked along the bridge. The sun was extremely bright, and hurt Commander Wren's eyes. It reflected off the surrounding hills. All the stone, natural, and carved was bleached by the intense light.

"In our beginning, we were slaves" It said stretching a long thin arm toward the bridge. "Our creators lived among us, and dictated our existence."

The scene fell away like sand in the wind, and reformed again. The bridge was only half built, and Croans were carrying slabs of carved stone toward the edge. A large Croan collapsed under the weight of his slab. The impact sent dust up into the air.

Two Croans came, and lifted the stone. Commander Wren expected them to collect, or at least cover the remains, but neither happened. One Croan helped the other shoulder the load, and the work proceeded. After a line of workers passed, the body was unrecognizable.

"They do not feel empathy yet" It said reading her face. "In that regard they are to be pitied, and admired."

"Admired?" She asked.

"Don't you think so?" It asked rhetorically. "They do not know loss, sorrow, anger, or humiliation.... yet."

The scene dissolved again, and they stood among a crowd of Croans. They were all crowded around a strange stone. Commander Wren walked over to the stone, and searched for the cause of attraction. She could hear a faint cracking sound from within, and backed away.

"This is One" The monster called seven said. The stone cracked, and pieces fell away revealing a strange creature. "A series of debates began around the birth of One" Seven continued. "For the first time in our existence, there was difference. "Before One, we were interchangeable, and generic."

A series of scenes faded in, and out showing One refusing to carry stone, and destroying statues. A scene faded into view, and Commander Wren stumbled back a couple steps. One was being held down by two larger Croans. They were all standing before a throne.

The thing on the throne was what caused commander Wren to step back. It was similar to the Croans, but extremely tall. It stood, and began moving stones around on a podium. A light was emitted from the floor, illuminating the Croans, and One. The Croans began to glow a dull blue. One started to glow blue, and then green. The tall one leaned toward them, and reached its hand out.

The two Croans writhed in agony, and crumpled to the floor. They stopped moving after a moment, and their bodies crumbled. One struggled to stand, and the tall one roared at him. It stretched its other arm out, and by some invisible power, forced One back to the floor.

The floor began to shake, and One struggled back to a standing position. It roared at the tall one, and raised two of its three arms in defiance. The tall monster lowered its hands, and the light from the floor faded. The two creatures stood for a time unmoving.

The tall one reached with its long arm. Its motions were quick, and powerful. Commander Wren noticed it didn't actually have legs. Its lower half was an energy that looked like white fire. It seized One by the head, and struck with its other hand. One was destroyed in a fiery explosion, and the scene faded.

Seven faded into view, and then another room full of Croans. Once again they stood around a strange stone.

"That was one of our creators" Seven said. "One was the first of my kind."

The stone fell crumbled the way it had before, and Commander Wren thought she was seeing the same process.

"This is Two" Seven said. "It was born with the memories of One, and changed our history."

New scenes poured into Commander Wrens mind. She saw more Croans being hatched that looked more like One, than the original slaves.

"Many have speculated as to why the change occurred, but that is not relevant." Seven said. "Two lead an army of my kind against our creators. They managed to destroy some of them, and something extraordinary occurred. The ones that obeyed that Creator became ours to command."

Seven walked through a crowd of Croans who were frozen. They were beating a Creator savagely.

"How does any of this justify trying to wipe us out?" Commander Wren asked accusingly.

The room they started in came into view. The two Croans remained where they had been.

"We foolishly believed we were free of our masters." Seven said returning to its control center. "They were merely puppets, being used by, It, to conquer the stars."

"Used by what?" She asked.

"We don't know what it was, or where it came from." Seven answered. "It arrived on every world that we controlled, and issued the same warning to us all."

Seven paused, as if lost in an ancient memory. Commander Wren sat feeling weak, and confused.

"Many believe it was the creator of our creators. We fought it with all our might to no avail." Seven continued. "When it came for the ones like me, that could control the others, we had no choice. We sacrificed many lives to trap it. Encased in the fused bodies of our people, we locked it away."

Seven sat against a column, and turned its head slowly to look at her again. She couldn't bear to hold its horrible gaze, and looked at the floor.

"We didn't think of it until it started influencing our workers from inside the prison." Seven said. "It started as a whisper, and soon it would make them promises in exchange for release from its prison. It claimed to require souls to escape."

The monster called Seven slammed its fists against the floor.

"We were so foolish" It yelled.

"You let it out?" She asked.

"We exiled it into the abyss of the stars" It answered. She listened to its story of the immense time that passed before its kind developed. It told her how the Croans had noticed the growing energy caused by The Greatian, and Ifrian population. The Croans set out to find, and finally destroy the powerful monster they exiled.

She thought hard about the story being told to her, and suddenly became overpowered by anger. "Why destroy us?" She screamed at its emotionless face. "Why kill all those innocents?" She asked quivering with rage.

"At first we thought of making contact with your kind, but we decided to observe" It answered.

"And when did you decide we didn't deserve to exist?" She whispered, trying to control her voice. The words were shaky from her trembling lips.

"We watched many civilizations, looking for the imprisoned one." It said. "We couldn't take the chance that a divided and violent kind would come into contact with it."

It paused, and walked over to the two Croans frozen in place. It laid its horrible hands on the creature's stone-like flesh. Commander Wren cringed at the disgusting display of affection.

"Many worlds were wiped away in the beginning." It said. "Convinced we were witnessing its influence, we destroyed much violent civilization. We decided to wait for it to reveal itself, and trap it again. We were unmoving for twice the length of your recorded history."

"What changed?" She asked.

It grabbed her by the arm, and lifted her to its height. The feel of the atmosphere changed, and it leaned close to her. It looked deep into her eyes.

"The whispers awakened us from our slumber" It answered with disgust in its voice. "Only there were many, and the whispers were foreign to us."

It held her against the wall tight enough to hamper her breathing.

"Even now we hear them" It said "The imprisoned on was busy while we slept, sculpting petty, and pathetic creatures to suit it's needs. Your evolution has been so influenced by it; you even carry its stink!"

It tossed her to the floor, and spat. The saliva evaporated into a gas, and dissipated into the darkness. Commander Wren stood tall, and defiant. "We are our own masters." She said defiantly.

It whirled around, and smashed a Croan into dust with a single strike. It was so close to her she could smell its musk. "Hold onto that fire Worm." It said quietly. "its power is growing, and we will all be united in the fight for survival when your weak minded infestation liberates the destroyer of light."

It cast her aside, and the remaining Croan grabbed her from the floor. It pulled her to the cell, and tossed her inside with her crew. The exhaustion finally broke her, and she collapsed onto the cold cell floor, glad to be free of its presence.

12

The search teams had been working to recover all the Order's tech after the Croan presence suddenly vanished. Xarie was personally sorting through the recovered rubble with them. She scanned data storage and communications recorders for countless hours without a single trace.

Her engineers were celebrated all the high tech toys they were finding, but Xarie valued her operatives above all else. She knew the Orders secrets were effectively worthless, when compared to the character, effectiveness, and dedication of one of its members.

She jumped back to the palace to sleep in her bed for a change. The palace was almost foreign to her after her trip. She pulled off her armor, and lay across the amazing soft fabric. She thought of Marcus, and checked her communicator.

She had sent him to look for Commander Wren's son at a black market ship shop, in old Ifria. The burnt husk of a planet was almost uninhabitable. The moon was still being devoured by the planet, and a debris trail had formed into a ring around the world's equator.

There was nothing in her in-coming message from him, but Mr. Jan was sending very persistent messages about an injured lab technician frequently. She set an alarm, and sent him a notice to expect her after she was well rested. The stress of searching for answers was weighing on her mind, and she drifted to sleep.

Her eyes were open, and she realized she had suddenly become fully awake. It was an odd feeling, but she couldn't understand why she was suddenly awake, so she closed her eyes again. She heard a shifting sound, and she opened her eyes again.

She listened intently, trying not to move. She barely detected the second noise, but she was certain she wasn't dreaming. Her heart rhythm increased, beating loudly in the quiet room, and obscuring any subtle noise.

She leapt out of bed instinctively upon feeling it shift under the weight of another person. Whirling around with her fists raised, she recognized Marcus. He tried to control his laughter, but failed. Her heart raced, and she was suddenly angry from embarrassment. Marcus stopped laughing, and climbed the rest of the way onto the bed.

He had removed his clothes, and knelt before her in the dim light. She reached out, and touched his face with her hand. He grabbed her arm, and pulled her back into the bed, where she punched, and then kissed him. They roughly made love on the hand carved wooden bed.

She didn't remember going to sleep, only her alarm, and the light shining through the open balcony door. She had an appointment with Mr. Jan, and then she was going to check in with the investigation. Marcus was already dressed, and sitting on the balcony. He was reading a local news document, and watching the royal city wake up.

She wrapped the soft thermal cover around herself, and sat up. The air blowing in from the balcony was cool, but it felt great. She stood, and attended her hygiene regiment. She felt the entity that followed her suddenly, and she paused. She hadn't noticed the presence in so long, she had almost forgotten about it.

She always lost her nerve when she felt the impulse to ask the visibly empty room a question. It bothered her that she didn't have the courage, and that she wasn't sure why. She thought it was because someone might hear her talking to no one, but she wasn't sure. If she spoke, and there was no answer, that wouldn't disprove the suspicion she had, but if she was answered, that was what she feared.

She turned around, and smiled nervously. She opened her mouth, but suddenly felt embarrassed, and left the room. She tried to shake the feeling of being watched as she donned her suit for the day. She chose something more suited for the palace to wear while she visited Mr. Jan's lab technician.

Her palace attire had all the protective qualities of her royal armor, without all the bulk, and it was visually programmable. She could upload any garment shape, and color she wanted, and it would appear to anyone passing by that she was wearing whatever she had chosen.

The application had many uses, and she appreciated the idea of camouflage under the correct circumstance. She didn't feel very much like hiding at the moment, and chose a rare blue obsidian adorned short dress, that appeared to come down to just below her knees. It was accompanied by a full sleeve stocking that made her arms appear to have a blue flowered vine wrapping its way around them.

When the suit was in storage mode, it just appeared to be a black one piece suit, and she sometimes wore it that way. She walked out onto the balcony, where the sun had warmed the morning air a bit, and she assumed a pose to draw Marcus's attention.

He pretended to continue studying his news display, but she knew he wasn't. What her choice in dress lacked in revelation, it made up for in fit. It was tight in all the places it needed to be. She had worn it once to an opening ceremony for an elite school, and she had received more than her desired amount of attention.

He finally decided to stop pretending to read, and closed the display.

"Are we going to an event?" He asked knowing fully what her schedule consisted of.

She sat across from him, placing him between her, and the city. "After I meet with Mr. Jan, I would like to make a trip to Ifria personally." She said.

His posture changed quickly. Before he could protest, she held a hand up. She felt the need to remind him that she was still Queen, regardless of their relationship. She also saw an opportunity to strengthen her bond with the former citizens of Ifria.

"I am going to coordinate an assault on the former Capital, and announce my plan to return it to those it belongs to." She stated with confidence. "In addition to a once again criminal free Ifria, I want to organize a demolition team to remove the planets orbital debris."

Marcus looked into her eyes, and remained silent for a moment. He smiled, and folded his hands. "I'll prepare for the trip, my Queen" He said.

"Good" She said. "We can use the assault as an opportunity to obtain the information we need on Thomas Grey."

"That won't be necessary" He said. "I was able to spot him on a surveillance feed, leaving an illegal craft shop. His destination was unknown, but I think we can deduce what he was doing."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It took some bribery, but I managed to find out what he was there to procure." He answered. He leaned across the table, and projected a graph onto the smooth surface. "One of your investigators compiled a map of all Mr. Grey's known travels."

"So what did he need from an illegal shop?" She asked, knowing the Order was sanctioned to do most anything they felt the urge to.

"He could have easily acquired the orbital surveillance equipment he had installed, so that lead us to believe he wanted to look at something he wasn't supposed to." He answered.

"What could he have wanted to observe from orbit?" She wondered aloud. "The only places no one can enter are Royal installations, and a handful of reserves."

Marcus tapped the table, and a web of red lines appeared. He touched his forearm, and an assortment of icons appeared. "The investigators couldn't understand why he always chose routes that seemed to go out of the way." He said following a particular line with his finger. It illuminated as he traced it.

"Almost all of his registered flights take detours through sparsely traveled space." He said.

"Was he smuggling something." She asked.

"We don't think so." He answered. "The surveillance equipment leads us to believe he was searching for something on preserve planets."

Xarie shifted in her seat, resting her chin in her hands. She could understand a young man with access to advanced technology could have an interest in exploring the galaxy, but she couldn't imagine why he was out watching reserve worlds. She supposed he could have been searching for enemy encampments on the Orders behalf.

"I still intend to restore Ifria, and return it to its rightful owners, according to property records." She said. Marcus nodded in agreement.

"I'll oversee the preparations while you visit Mr. Jan." He said.

She stood, and kissed his cheek. She headed to the Engineering complex first. She had an idea for an expedited cleaning project for the debris around Ifria, and wanted to get started right away. After her visit to Mr. Jan, she was going to stop in the medical wing of the Engineering complex, and see an injured lab technician Mr. Jan was hassling her about.

She programed a ring that was custom built into the doorway of her room, to transport her to the engineering lab. It took a second to link with the engineering ring, and suddenly she could see into the lab. She stepped into the room, and quickly noticed an unusual amount of excitement.

Mr. Jan was standing between two very engaged young men. He appeared to be having a device fitted onto his face.

"What have I walked into Jan?" She asked with a smile. She was genuinely happy to see the lab excited again. For what seemed like a lifetime, they had been failing to solve the transportation crisis. With its new jump technology functioning, and freedom to pursue new ventures, the lab was alive with activity.

"When we know what it is, and more importantly, that it is real, I will be able to answer that" He answered with what she assumed was a smile behind the device firmly fitted over his eyes. "It is too early to speculate." He added.

Xarie pulled up a stool, and leaned against it, not fully sitting. One of the technicians snapped a small connector into place, and the device on Mr. Jan's face opened. It emitted a blue glow, and had many moving parts. When Mr. Jan blinked the light changed color.

"There is someone who I would like for you to meet" He said taking her hand, and leading her, and the two technicians through a ring, and into a room in the medical wing.

"Have you received my proposal for the Ifrian ruins?" She asked as the technicians turned on devices positioned around the room. "It is a big project, but I have some ideas for an expedited process."

"As you know Highness, any plan you have put together will be made our top priority, but this, I believe will interest you greatly." He answered from behind the pulsating mask. The light that it emitted was rapidly changing color, and reacted differently depending upon which direction he looked.

"Queen Xarie Banth of the Greatian Royal bloodline, Meet the only confirmed being to have ever left our universe." Mr. Jan said gesturing to a tired looking younger man.

"This is the one recovered from the fourth space?" She asked. She was shocked to see how well he seemed to be healing. His medical report described a man covered completely in burns. "It's a pleasure Ray Leo." She said reaching out to greet the lab technician.

"It's a pleasure" He answered in a coarse voice that made her wince.

"Ray has been experiencing some concerning visions after returning from his unfortunate journey." Mr. Jan said. "At first we couldn't be sure he wasn't suffering from a psychological break, but he has continued to express his belief that he is being contacted by an invisible being."

Xarie completely lost interest in her projects, and goals when she noticed Ray's eyes glancing toward a corner of the room. She held her hand up to stop Mr. Jan. He was still explaining his progress with Mr. Ray's condition, and recovery.

She wasn't interested in the lab tech's recovery at the moment, because she could feel the presence in the room. She could feel it emanating form the empty corner of the room where he was glancing form time to time.

She pointed to the shadowy corner, and everyone looked. "Concentrate your efforts there." She instructed.

Mr. Jan lifted the mask up so he could look at her. "Are you saying you can see it too?" Mr. Jan Asked.

"No" She answered, "but I can feel it. I have been feeling the presence of something for a long time, and it is just now being confirmed."

The technicians exchanged glances, and then started rearranging the room. All the instruments were focused on the corner where she could feel the presence. She could feel the anticipation of finally knowing what was watching her building in her chest. She caught herself breathing heavily with excitement.

Mr. Jan raised his hand, and the room was lit with every color, and pattern of light She had ever seen. There was no shape to anything, it was only pulsating colors. The device on Mr. Jan's face began to emit a growing buzz. It sounded like an explosive charge building energy.

Xarie took a step back, but stopped, because she could barely keep her balance. The light in the room was very disorienting, but she didn't want to miss anything. Slowly there was the faintest outline in the corner, just as it had been the first time she had caught a glimpse in her mirror.

The room went completely black, and the device on Mr. Jan's face came apart in a flash of white. Xarie covered her eyes, and knelt down in the darkness to avoid falling. Mr. Jan was telling his lab technicians that he was okay when a voice caught everyone's attention.

It sounded far away, and then it was so loud the room seemed to be completely engulfed by it. She covered her ears. In the room where nothing stood before, was a being made completely of energy. It reached toward Xarie, and then the light faded away.

The lights in the room returned to their normal level, and everyone was silent for a moment. The lab technicians cleaned debris from the queen before attending to anything else. Mr. Jan was mostly unharmed. He had What she considered an interesting arc tan as a result of the explosion.

He explained that it was a buildup, and release of energy that he had not been able to predict. His team was preparing a device that would serve as a pathway for excess energy to dissipate through. They assured him it wouldn't happen again.

Xarie explained her idea for Ifria, and using jump rings to direct the moon's debris onto the pull of a nearby star. Mr. Jan assembled a team to begin on the project immediately. He would be managing two teams, one working on the Ifrian restoration equipment, and the other focusing on the invisible entity investigation.

Xarie was becoming excited about the project. She would be able to strengthen her people by returning their world to them, and create new employment opportunities. An entire fleet of cleanup personnel would be required for what she intended to accomplish.

She wasn't only planning to give the world back to the former Ifrians; she was going to do it in her lifetime. She had been so consumed by a kingdom merging with a former enemy nation, and fighting an enemy that wanted to wipe them both away, she hadn't had the time to rule the way she wanted.

Some days she couldn't help imagining the ways she could improve the lives of her people if the bulk of Greatian resources weren't being poured into defense. Her forces would always have to maintain a strong presence, but many of them could be appropriated as soon as the Croans were defeated.

She called her advisor, and scheduled a mobilization address. She was going to announce her plan to the troops, and her people all at once. She fully expected the illegal inhabitants of Ifria to struggle, but she wanted them to know she was coming. She learned from dealing with criminals to expect three things after threatening them.

Most intelligent beings surrender to the crown for leniency, some run, and are picked up by Greatian bounty hunters. She was hoping the majority of the population on Ifria was just squatters, and would promptly leave. The organization selling stolen ship upgrades would likely offer to cooperate in the face of unbeatable odds, and she could have them put to work somewhere.

On a very rare occasion, there would be a third type of reaction. Some groups that opposed her father, had believed it was better to fight, and die for their beliefs, than to surrender, and live. She couldn't blame them in a way. Her father was well known for making an example of surrendering, and combative enemies alike.

She found that by dismembering organizations, and absorbing them back into her workforce, a great number of lowlifes could be converted to loyal citizens. She was going to give them until the cleanup was complete to find refuge. A final evacuation would take place before the rightful owners of the land were allowed to return.

She was excited about appointing new representatives to manage New Ifria. She received a message, and her thoughts were pulled away from her plans. She hadn't given a thought to how she ended up back in her conference room, but she was sitting in her favorite chair, and the name on her communicator blinked steadily.

She stood in shock when she read the incoming call Identifier. It was from Thomas Grey.

13

Thomas collapsed against the cold metal. He had exhausted his rifle, and his body. Uri was becoming conscious, but she was far from responsive, or useful. The Drasos would be on them in moments. They had either taken Corey down, or split up to chase an easier prey.

He tried to slow his breathing. It was causing him a great deal of discomfort. He was going to be sick, he wasn't sure when, but he could feel it coming. He climbed onto his knees, and vomited onto his rifle. He looked at it, and tossed off a hill side.

The people of the coast had taken his ship, and placed it high on an altar in the center of their village. It was painted with symbols he didn't recognize. He summoned the strength to open an access hatch on the ship. He froze with the linkage in his hand.

The linkage in the ship was whole, and appeared to be undamaged. It was hanging from one end. Thomas grabbed it, and attached the other end. It snapped into position. He didn't have time to consider what he was seeing.

He turned to find Uri standing perfectly still, with an unblinking expression. She was staring at him through the hair that had fallen around her eyes.

"Uri" Thomas said, "We have to get in the ship" "We have... to..." He started, but the words escaped him. He popped the cabin open, and shoved Uri inside. Something was nagging at the edge of his mind, upsetting his thoughts.

He climbed inside the ship, and closed the door behind him. The eerie feeling he was having wasn't completely foreign to him. He had glimpses of it throughout his life. Small unsettling feelings about his choices, and why he was doing what he was.

He leaned back in the pilot seat, finally able to hope that he might escape the mad planet alive. He began to see visions of his past. Seemingly unrelated moments in his life were suddenly connected. Corey was there when he was a child, encouraging his sense of exploration.

He realized Corey had been there nudging him toward young civilization exploration from his earliest memories. He couldn't imagine why he would disable their ship, until a thought threatened to crush him under its weight.

Corey had told him the blade needs souls, and that he had made a deal. It seemed impossible to him, but it was the only answer. Corey had been grooming him to search reserve planets for acceptable circumstances. Thomas didn't know what the circumstances were, but he realized suddenly the blade was feasting.

He wondered if something powerful enough to make a man immortal, and influence his entire life was capable of more. If it needed souls, and it was willing to sacrifice Thomas for them, he shuddered at the thought of what it might be contemplating for when it was sufficiently powerful.

He engaged the command console, and initiated a systems check. The instrument panel flickered to life. Thomas punched his control panel which flickered in response. He was enraged at the thought that he was stranded on an alien world in danger of dying, and his ship had been fully functional.

Corey had been manipulating him from the beginning of his life. He started to strap Uri into the third seat. She was completely motionless. He hoped the damage was repairable. Her eyes suddenly snapped from straight ahead to directly on him. She seized his arm, and bit down hard on it.

Her teeth cut through the fabric of his suit, and sank into his flesh. He punched her out of shock, and manipulated the safety harness into a configuration meant for non-ambulatory passengers. In the event he needed to move an unconscious passenger, he could strap them into the seat, and secure their head to minimize risk of a neck injury.

The strap worked as a restraint. Uri seemed to return to her state of shock suddenly, and Thomas's suit resealed itself. He fired the ignition for the propulsion system, and strapped himself in. He watched as the engines warmed up on the instrument panel. Just as they reached full function, something slammed into the ship.

Thomas activated the pilot visual assistance, and the sensors recognized the conditions outside the craft. ambient light, thermal imaging, and echo-location was combined instantly, and projected onto the screen before Thomas.

He instantly recognized Corey standing on the ship's bow. He faced away from Thomas, and held his damned blade above his head. The Drasos were along the edge of Thomas's visual range, and made no motion to attack. Corey raised his blade until the point was above his own chest. He leaned back, and as he fell shoved the deadly instrument through his own body.

The action was so powerful, it penetrated the ship's shield, and hull. Corey was pinned to the ship, and lay unmoving. Thomas wasted no time questioning the actions of a man obviously under the control of an evil, soul-hungry entity. He set the ship on a course for gravitational escape, and launched the craft toward the morning sky.

He saw the landscape disappearing below before he lost consciousness. he dreamed of his mother, and of a spectacle she had taken him to see as a child. A species of energy based creatures called the Rumal traversed the night sky above several Old Ifrian worlds on their never ending journey around the galactic center.

She told him that no one had lived long enough to see the spectacle twice, even the immortal creatures from Zalarium died because of accidents, or self-termination before the Rumal made their trip twice. Thomas watched as the Rumal seemed to sit idle in the sky. They were giants, and comprised of every color light he could name.

For two generations the world would be able to see the Rumal passing, and then they would be legend. Most of Thomas's professors agreed the planet would likely have been destroyed by some cosmic force or by self-destruction before they witnessed the living lights again.

Thomas had seen the phenomenon at its climax. His mother told him of a time when the ability to jump across space made following the Rumal possible across three planets. He realized suddenly that the migration had likely passed by now, and the thought woke him from a deep sleep like he had not experienced in some time.

He blinked his eyes trying to focus his vision. Something was wrong. He felt hot, and anxious. His health monitoring system was flashing on the instrument panel. He could tell it was alerting him to something, but his eyes were not responding to his commands.

A sharp hot jolt ran through his limbs chased by an intense heat. He could feel the perspiration rolling down his face. He laughed at the irony of his situation. As far as he knew, the day they crashed, he might have contracted something. He thought it comically ironic that he might die after escaping a hostile world.

The jolt of pain shot through him again, and he saw a flash. Again it came, but the pain stayed longer, as did the flash. The flash became a vision when the pain was constant. He was standing beside the ocean. A young girl stood before him. She turned revealing the side of her face.

It was Uri, but she was young. Thomas was sure he was dying of a parasite. He could hardly feel the ship seat beneath his body. The wind tasted of the ocean, and carried mist up from the rocks below. The girl closed her eyes, listening intently to something.

Thomas didn't hear anything at first, and then he closed his eyes, or imagined that he had. Faintly he heard the whisper. Once he heard its cold wispy encouragements, he realized it was familiar to him. It had always been with him. From the earliest memory he had, to his most recent moments.

The whispering voice had never been part of his consciousness, but he suddenly remembered it. When he decided to study certain subjects in school, when he decided to travel on a whim, any time he felt a pull toward some distant planet, it had been whispering from near.

The blade was speaking to the girl. It spoke to Thomas all his life, and Corey made deals with it. He suddenly felt indignant, and embarrassed at the thought of being manipulated by a damned tool.

Uri nodded, her eyes still closed. Her mouth moved half forming words. She reached toward the ocean, and turned toward it. Thomas reached out just as she stepped over the edge. As her body disappeared over the edge, the sun set, and a red moon became faintly visible in the sky.

Thomas didn't know why, but he felt that the Red Moon over the Blue mountains had some kind of deep natural power over the inhabitants of Uri's world. A hand startled him suddenly in the crimson light. It grasped at the cliff edge. Uri pulled herself onto the rock. The water dripped from her painted red by the moonlight.

When she looked up from the ground, Thomas could see the evil behind her eyes. She had been tricked into the sea to drown, and made a deal for her life. Thomas wondered what terrible price the blade asked from her. As he followed her along the shore, they approached the village Thomas had recently escaped from.

In the moonlight it seemed almost peaceful, but he couldn't match what he was seeing with what he was familiar with. He would always remember it as bathed in moonlight, monsters, and blood. They climbed the stairs toward the village center. Several young boys ran past with a joyful air, and an adventurous stride about them.

Uri fell, and struggled to her feet. a woman passing with a bundle of some kind of dried grasses stopped to help her stand. Uri pushed her away, stumbling toward the busy center of town. She shook violently, and Thomas could hear audible cracking coming from her as she screamed in agony.

They entered the crowded square where his ship had been placed upon the altar. It was absent, but what stood there was a well. The well was surrounded on three fourths by a fountain. Animals that were tied nearby drank from the fountain, but stopped to stare at the approaching girl.

An extraordinarily loud snap was audible across the then quiet square. People stared from every side of the market as Uri fell to her knees from the pain. They could all see her back was broken. No one should be bent as to look at the sky while they knelt.

Uri convulsed, and hunched over with her head on her knees. The shift from bent the wrong way to kneeling produced more uncomfortable sounds. Some people looked away, or made horrified expressions. A woman appeared in the crowd holding a basket; she was obviously concerned for Uri.

It became obvious to Thomas the Woman was Uri's mother when she dropped everything at the sight of her. She knelt where she was, and called to Uri. Uri looked up from the ground drawing a collective gasp from the crowd. The woman on her knees let out a shriek, and fell on her face in the dirt. She wailed into the ground as Uri stood only to fall again to one knee.

The look of the crowd changed suddenly. Thomas walked around the Girl as the red moonlight peaked over the rooftops, and landed on Uri. The dim lit square was alight with red light, and the crowd no longer looked just concerned. When Thomas saw her face, he knew why the people were beginning to look afraid.

Thomas realized then that Uri had been the first Drasos, and the people of her village were all her victims. The scene faded away, and he watched as Uri burned the bridge to the Blue Mountain Village just as the guards were readying to investigate.

He watched as she led the Drasos around the canyon to a river in the plains, and to the Blue Mountains to imprison the people behind their walls. He remembered the bite on his arm, and then he was back in the ship.

His heart slammed the side of his chest. He was suddenly aware of Corey in the pilot seat, and Uri tied up beside him. He could feel the monstrous disease inside his body, aching to break free, and feast. Corey reached back, and injected him with a syringe.

"Not yet old friend" He said as Thomas faded into darkness.

14