The General
Chapter 1
The Convoy moved south through the barren wastelands of Hyox. Canyons sliced through the desert, cut by the seas that had long since dried up under the three suns.
The assortment of vehicles followed the path of the 400, pilgrims that had gone searching for the lost waters forty years before.
They ran from the rule of the Great Leader and the sin that soaked the cities of Hyox. Went in search of the Promised Land as detailed in the Great Book of the Old World.
The Convoy moved towards the settlement of Zatal, established by Holy Men over a hundred years ago, dedicated to the service of the three gods; Phavon, Thunderra and Quantune.
There was still three hours between the Convoy and Zatal, and Ekker was growing impatient, didn't like being this close to darkness while still out in the wild.
He was the appointed leader of the Convoy, had organized the great escape from the city, managed to get all 150 of them out, but five weeks had now past and already their numbers had almost halved.
"What's that boy doing?" Ekker slammed the wheel as he caught sight of Talse, the party's scout. Talse had pulled up in the desert, had a shovel in his hand and was working something over.
"Looks like he found something." Rik sat shotgun, seemed intrigued by the find. Ekker didn't share his passion.
"There's nothing to find out here but death. That boy is going to get himself killed."
Ekker pulled up along side Talse who took a moment, offered Ekker a smile.
"What you doing Talse?" Ekker wrapped himself up to protect him from the Suns that scorched the land and jumped from the truck.
"I found something. Looks like a relic."
Ekker edged closer, got himself a look. In front of the two men sat the end of iron box covered in strange writing, was unknown to Ekker.
"It seems to go down someway," Talse added.
As the two men took in the strange object, the Convoy ground to a halt. The rest of them sat, didn't want to risk the heat.
Only Lydia was foolish enough to get out. She stormed over, was less than happy with the unexpected stop.
"What the hell you two doing?" she spat.
"Talse thinks he found something," Ekker responded. Lydia took a look, asked what it was.
"Perhaps it's a relic of the old world," Talse said, seemed proud with his find.
"This was all ocean back then, what the hell would be out here?"
"Well you help me dig it up and we'll see," Talse said, was keen to go back to the excavation.
"We ain't got time for that, we're still a couple hours off Zatal and nightfall ain't that far behind." Ekker chewed on the side of his mouth, hated the heat.
"If it is a relic, it might be useful in trade." Lydia reluctantly sided with Talse, didn't like it but saw the sense.
"Damn," Ekker sounded, gave in to the two of them and called back to Rik.
"Hey get out here, we got some digging to do."
/
The four of them heaved one last time as they dragged the large metal box onto the back of Lydia's truck. It was bigger than they had imagined, over 8 feet tall in the shape of a giant cross. The whole thing was covered in the unknown script, didn't mean nothing to them and they wondered if the Holy Men of Zatal could add some clarity.
"Now if we're finished, can we please make a move? Soon it will be dark, and we all know what awaits us in the darkness." They did, they had lost too many already to the creatures that came in the night. There was no more room in Ekker's heart to lose anymore.
The settlement of Zatal was the last place the 400 visited before disappearing into the uncharted lands to the north. They stayed for a week and consulted with the Holy Men and the stars, offered up scarifies to the gods in hopes of a blessing on their search for the lost seas of Hyox.
"Welcome brothers, it is a blessing." The Holy Man they called Enjald welcomed the Convoy as Ekker disembarked his vehicle, felt good to be out of the wastelands.
"It is a blessing just to be here Holy Man."
"Has your journey been a difficult one?"
"It has been one that not enough of us have been able to finish," Ekker said, caught the words in his throat. The Holy Man nodded, understood the pain.
"We only have a little water and food, but what we do have we are happy to share."
"Thank you, but we have our own food, though some of your water would be appreciated." Ekker gave the Holy Man a bow and watched the old man shuffle back inside the mud and sticks they called a temple.
"So this is Zatal, the last spot of the 400 before they disappeared into the north."
Talse put his hands on his hips, gave the place a good look. "You know when my mother read me the stories as a kid I always imagined it bigger," Talse continued.
Lydia counted the gun turrets on top of the great wall that surrounded the settlement. Twenty-five in total, each of them past their prime.
"We safe here?" she asked Ekker.
"We're safer here than we are out there," he told her. It did little to calm her nerves. Lydia had made the great escape with her husband and children, had lost them all to the creatures since. Everyone was waiting for her to break, to shed the tears for the family she had lost, but still she stood strong. Told herself she would mourn their lost when they arrived at the Promised Land. Till then she had her gun and would kill as many of those creatures she could.
The Convoy made camp, the children emerging from the trucks and allowing themselves some play time before chores.
Phave and Quinn, nine and twelve respectively, sat around the giant iron box that Talse had discovered.
"Do you think it's a lost relic of the old world?" Quinn asked her brother. He shrugged, dared himself to touch it.
"What do you think the writing means?" he asked, his little fingers falling into the groves of the words that appeared as little more than scrawl.
"Perhaps it's the words of the gods, lost scriptures," she said, her words breathy and full of awe.
As Phave continued to stroke the box a light began to fill the words as he touched them.
Both children froze. The light grew stronger, the children needing to shield their eyes as it broke through the windows and became visible to those outside.
Talse saw it first, called to Ekker and Lydia as he began to run towards the truck in which it was stored. A noise now high-pitched and loud followed, filling the settlement with its song.
Talse threw open the door to the truck, went to yell for the children to get away but it was too late. The box rose into the air, separating in two and revealing the contents.
A man laid there, his eyes opening suddenly, a look of horror in them. And then he spoke, a voice full of terror and rage.
"Rassilon!" He cried.