Chapter 5: The beginning of the end
Zorya was at Gyro's house when someone knocked on the door.
"Zorya, it's the High Priest!" shouted Gyro, running to the living room.
"The High Priest?" asked Zorya, surprised.
"Yes, he wants to speak with you!" replied Gyro, excited.
"Alright, I'm coming!" said Zorya, getting up from the bed and heading toward the door.
When he reached the living room, he found a tall, bald man wearing a white robe. It was the High Priest, Constantine.
"Zorya, how are you?" asked Constantine with a gentle smile.
"I'm fine, High Priest. And you?" replied Zorya, still a bit confused by the visit.
"I'm well too, Zorya, but lately, with this war..." said Constantine with a tone of sorrow.
"At least General Marcus is here now," commented Zorya, trying to lighten the mood.
"Speaking of which, that's actually why I came. General Marcus wants to speak with you before the battle against the Kizarians. Right now," said the High Priest.
"Now? Then let's go," replied Zorya, determined.
"Let's go," said Constantine, standing up. He was very tall, but compared to Zorya, he was a head shorter. The two left Gyro's house and headed toward the capital.
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When they arrived in the capital, **Aurelon**, Zorya and Constantine made their way to the palace. The city, once vibrant, was now in ruins. The towers that once reflected the sunlight were broken, and the streets, once full of life, were deserted. The great lake in the center of the city, once crystal clear, was now dark and polluted, reflecting the state of mind of everyone in Helar.
"Good afternoon, my lords," two guards greeted the priest and Zorya as they passed through the castle gates.
"Did you see the size of that kid? He's monstrous! If he had muscles, he'd be terrifying," commented one of the guards.
"That kid is famous in the military academy. They say he's a child of the stars," said the other guard.
"From the legends? Wow!" replied the first guard, impressed.
Zorya and the High Priest arrived at a simple room. Constantine knocked on the door.
"Sir, it's me, Constantine. I've brought Zorya with me."
"Oh, High Priest, let the boy in. You may go," an extremely authoritative voice responded.
"Very well, sir. Go in, Zorya," said Constantine, leaving Zorya alone.
The door opened by itself, and on the other side, sitting in a chair, was a man dressed in a red military uniform with an insignia of the Republic. Zorya entered, and the door closed behind him. Intrigued by the action, he thought, "This must be one of the powers of a child of the stars."
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"Zorya, you truly are a herald," said Marcus, looking directly at him.
"A herald?" asked Zorya, confused.
"Yes, a herald. I see you know nothing about the users of stellar energy," said Marcus, observing Zorya with a penetrating gaze. Zorya averted his eyes but was involuntarily forced to look back at the general.
"Zorya, do you know anything about the 7?" inquired Marcus with a smile on his face. He loved it when these little tricks with his ability left people frightened.
"Yes, I... know," replied Zorya, nervous, with terror written on his face.
"Then go on, explain it to me, son of Nyxar," said Marcus, leaning forward.
**BOOM!** An explosion echoed, leaving Zorya even more frightened and the general visibly irritated. Marcus stood up and said, looking at Zorya:
"Another time, we'll continue our conversation. I have to fight another herald. It's a..."
BOOM! Another explosion occurred, preventing Marcus from finishing his sentence. He leaped, destroying the palace roof and landing outside the city to the north. There, he found a tall man with gray eyes and black robes.
"Marcus," said the man with a cold and calculating voice.
"Marduck, so you've come to die. I just didn't expect you to abandon your men at such a critical moment. They'll never make it to the surface," said Marcus, assuming a combat stance. A red energy began to emanate from his body, and a long spear appeared in his right hand.
"You're the one who's come to die, Marcus. And besides, I'm never alone," replied Marduck, raising his hands. Two portals appeared beside him, and from them emerged five undead.
Marcus was not intimidated. The aura around him changed from red to transparent, and he moved toward the undead in the blink of an eye. The man who summoned them had no time to react. Marcus raised the spear and drove it into the ground, drawing the undead toward it. With a quick movement, he destroyed one of the undead, but at that moment, he felt a dizziness that almost made him faint. When he recovered, one of the undead conjured a sword and tried to impale him, but was repelled.
"It's hard to face someone from the constellation of Uranos, but today I will kill you," said Marduck, advancing toward Marcus with a sword. The two began to exchange blows, with the undead being repelled and drawn back, trapped in a deadly snare.
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While Marcus and Marduck waged their epic duel on the ground, an equally intense battle was taking place in space. Marduck's black, angular ships faced the Republic's fleet, led by the Gaia Wrath. The Republic's ships, known as War Falcons, maneuvered swiftly, avoiding the Kizarian ships' fire and launching precise counterattacks.
The Gaia Wrath, with its gleaming cannons, fired incessantly, destroying several enemy ships. However, Marduck's forces were numerous and well-organized. The Kizarian ships launched plasma missiles, creating explosions that lit up Helar's night sky.
"Hold the formation!" ordered the commander of the Gaia Wrath over the radio. "Don't let them divide us!"
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While the battle raged in space and on the ground, Zorya and the rest of Helar's population watched the epic confrontation between Marcus and Marduck. Zorya, in particular, felt a mix of admiration and fear as he watched the two warriors fight with powers he could barely comprehend.
"He's incredible," whispered Zorya, watching Marcus deliver precise blows against Marduck.
"Yes, but Marduck is powerful too," replied Gyro, who was standing beside Zorya. "We must have hope."
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The battle between Marcus and Marduck continued for hours, with both warriors demonstrating incredible abilities. By this point in the battle, the undead were already destroyed. Marcus, with his ability to repel and attract attacks, faced Marduck, who used his necromancer powers to summon undead and read his opponent's mind.
"MARDUCK, enough games! This is where you die—Helios Wrath!" shouted Marcus as his aura turned red and his body began to radiate fire. Marduck was caught completely off guard, trapped in place as the gravity around him increased several times. Marcus leaped toward Marduck, conjuring a sword and impaling him.
"You were a worthy enemy, Marduck," said Marcus as he conjured another sword and decapitated Marduck.
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### Author's Note:
In this chapter, we explore the idea that a Herald is the same as a **user of stellar energy, someone who can channel the power of the stars. The 7 refer to the Setting Star Lords, legendary beings who shaped the cosmos in its early days. These Star Lords are associated with specific constellations, and those born under their influence are said to possess unique abilities linked to the stars.
We have already seen some abilities of certain constellations:
- Uranos: Repel and attract, conjure objects, manipulate fire. But things are not as simple as they seem; there's more to it than meets the eye.
- Thanatos: Necromancy and other abilities we will explore later in the novel.
Thank you to everyone who reads the novel.
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