CHAPTER TWO IS UP! Man, it took a while! Sorry about that!
All right, we have some authoritative changes I must discuss. Silver the Wolfwrath has now become E-Mir the Luminoth17, so just a heads up to anyone still following this.
The second installment of Hollowed Moonshine gives a little insight to those who were confused at the Emperor's actions in the previous chapter. It'll hopefully educate you, but still keep you guessing. :) Have fun! I loved writing this, and the dialogue is superb, in my opinion. Woohoo!
I hope anyone who reads this is entertained, provoked, and most of all, enjoys it. I really appreciate the time you take as a readers to view my work. It means a lot to me!
Thanks! Read and enjoy. As always, forgive me of my errors.
Part Two: The Bearer of Grim Tidings
The droplets of rain felt like the frozen pins of death upon me. The heavens darkened in the heavy downpour, their spills singing against Aether in a lament of U-Mos' life. My heart miserably sung along as I continued to stare onward at the terminating claw of the Emperor, traumatized and virtually stricken hollow.
U-Mos was dead.
I couldn't believe it. His kind, understanding face lingered within my mind. The tender tone of his voice echoed in my ears, as did his laughter. The pleasant warmth of his fur when he embraced me burned my chest remorsefully.
The Emperor Ing released his claw from my Sentinel's chest, and as he did, the reality of his death bursted painfully, my skull throbbing from the smashing of his bones. U-Mos' final words of, "...This is the end..." battered my knowledge that I would never speak to him again. No matter what I tried to convince my hopes of, the blaring fact resurfaced repeatedly: my Sentinel was gone. Gone by the efforts of that accursed Emperor Ing.
When the rain carried U-Mos' blood into the pools, I was overcome by a crude rage, which billowed throughout me hungrily. My own blood boiled in my veins, my antennae shivered angrily, and my fingers cracked around X-Tsr's wall decoration in my hands. The streams of rain pouring down my face blended with the hot tears that were escaping my eyes.
A single word blazed within my mind: Avenge. It heated me through to the bone.
Over above U-Mos' corpse, the Emperor stood pensively. His tentacles swished in a matter as if he shook his head, and he sighed, "Body parted from ghost, and reaped from bone to bone, take the corpse that matters most and march as victor home..." He seemed to be reciting something. My stomach churned. He continued with a doubt in his voice, "Huh. Looks like she was right." To my shock, the Emperor stooped, and began to gently slide his frontmost legs beneath U-Mos' body.
Take the corpse that matters most and march as victor home, the Emperor's voice repeated to me. I took in a sharp breath. Without even thinking about my actions, I had risen from my perch, leaping above the lip of the plateau with decoration in-fist. I sprinted towards the Emperor through the puddles, a savage yell ringing from my mandibles.
"FIEND!" I shrieked, extending my arm above my side. My muscles tensed before I hurled the decoration like a discus, where it sailed powerfully through the air in a blur directly at the Emperor. At the chime of my voice, he turned, unprepared for the decoration as it rocketed at him and knocked him on the skull with a nauseating crack.
"Argh!" He stumbled and reeled, backing from U-Mos' side. I utilized this time to speed to my Sentinel's body, where I crouched above him protectively. Beneath me, he lay empty-eyed, staring into the rains lifelessly. His mandibles were loose, and his fur was soaked from the rain just as his antennae were. I had to cringe away from the jagged, open wound in his abdomen, which stretched from the edges of his chest fur down to his pelvic bone. It was a hideously deep gouge under his broken carapace.
When the Emperor recovered in the slightest and faced me, growled, "I won't let you take him, monster! He does not belong to you!"
He froze, gawking at me. "What'n the-?" My appearance baffled him to the extent that he backed a few steps more, his bottom lid twitching as he stared at my face. "The crescent-moon! You're the...!" He remained quiet for a few moments before composing himself. A stern look burnished his eye as he approached, lowering his bloody-red stare to me. "Now listen here, I'm on a tight schedule, Moony. So back off of U-Mos," he ordered rashly above the thunder.
I cackled villainously, watching the veins under his hide bulge at the sound. Courage was feeding into me from seemingly nowhere. "That's E-Mir to you, Emperor," I mocked. Continuing on, I said, "And if I don't?" Knotting my fingers in U-Mos' soaking fur, I tensed, preparing for an outburst from him.
His expression dimmed darker. The Emperor's rear leg reached behind him, where it scooped up the wall decoration I had lobbed at him. He juggled it to his front claw, balancing it on its edge. "Now I wonder what this'll look like jammed down your throat?" he wondered grimly. "C'mon, chick, let's find out!"
He lashed out at me, and I could sense that the swipe of his claw was far more aggressive than when he attacked U-Mos. I ducked, only to be driven to lurching backward to evade a second, and then a third swing of his numerous front legs. He bellowed fearsomely.
I was already stretched backward as far as I could go, and since I was trying to remain positioned above U-Mos, the Emperor's third claw met its mark. The honed edge of his claw scraped across my cheek, digging into my flesh and catching on the bridge between my eyes. Small pieces of my skin were propelled off of my face and into the puddles.
The Emperor seemed crazed and at wits' end in his stripes. The brilliant tailwind clinging to his shin as it swept by my head was strong enough to fling my sopping antennae. Before I could cry out, his rock-hard knee impacted my cheekbone, tossing me on my side onto the flooded plateau, and away from U-Mos.
He was immediately upon me, pinning me to the chilling ground and fastening his claws to my mandibles, where he pulled them away to expose my mouth beneath them. Brandishing the decoration with a malicious glister in his eye, he forced it extremely close to my bleeding face. I wriggled and screamed at him to release me, but just as U-Mos had failed, I did so as well.
The Emperor began gloating. "I know that was harsh, 'cause I don't typically strike females," he cooed in a creepy, cordial voice. "I have henchmen to do that for me, you see... But seeing as you're the second girl to interfere with my strict, strict schedule, then I have no choice, now do I?"
He glanced at the decoration. "Ooh, this thing is bigger than I thought. That'll make it that much more interesting!" He lowered the decoration towards my mouth. "Open wide, Moony!"
I closed my throat and struggled, but my weight against his was impossible to liberate. He also stunk horribly of the blood, sweat and rot that I had tasted in the wind upon my Aether landing. The stench was dizzying, and it strained my lungs as I writhed with held breath. Eventually, I succumbed and sucked in a breath, but instantly choked on both his rancid smell and his thrusting of the decoration into the small space of my mouth.
When his cruel laughter shook me, I did the last thing that occurred to mind - burrow my toes into the mud.
Why was I doing this odd act? Well, during my time alone, I had discovered a curiosity within me pertaining to the Light of Aether. I had learned about it during my schooling, yes, but the knowledge we had gathered wasn't enough to satisfy my mind's cravings. I was always brimming with questions that the instructors could not always answer. Was it just an energy? Could it think like a Luminoth? None of them knew. Thus, I sought to answer them myself.
By training with the Light of Aether, and researching the inner Lights of surrounding planets in the Dasha Region, I had found at a young age that each planet has veins that carry planetary energy. The energy differs from planet to planet, depending upon what inhabits the planet's surface. For example, Aether's Light was pure and bright, since none had settled it prior to the Luminoth's coming. It was untainted by the spots of warfare, pain and grief that other planets' energies had fallen prey to.
Knowing these facts endowed me with the ability to channel the internal planetary energy into myself. Which, while under the powerful restraint of the Emperor, was what I was relying on.
As soon as I burrowed my toes into the mud, the familiar pulsing, fervent energy of Aether rose from below me, diverting itself into my feet. Tickling warmth casually traced its path beyond my toes and into the rest of my body, cleansing the vindictive blood in my veins. I was soothed, even in my current predicament.
The warmth soon traveled throughout me fully, condensing eccentrically in my palms. They tingled sharply. While the Emperor endeavored to make me swallow the decoration, I propelled my arms around his legs and slapped my hands against the sides of his face. Focusing till my vision vibrated, I vented the Light in my hands, and watched his skin beneath my fingers sizzle and steam due to the immense amount of it they were saturated with.
His body jolted. The Emperor yelped and tore away from me, violently ramming the decoration into my forehead in his scramble. I held the seeping gash on my cheek and sat up, observing his act of plunging his burning face into the deepest pool he could find. Bubbles erupted the pool's surface after a great splash, and steam twisted between his spiny crown and his tentacles lining his back.
He remained there, recuperating for several moments. In his distraction, I stumbled back over to U-Mos' body, kneeling beside him and painstakingly cupping his head in my hands. A small flicker of hope inside me wished for him to be alive and breathing, but was quickly snuffed at the glacial touch of his skin.
The reminder resurfaced, and my conscience was beaten. Brushing away the droplets of rain that were collecting in his antennae, and stroking his fur, I was suddenly smitten with guilt as I stared into the sad expression that had overtaken him during his final moments. I felt almost as if I had delivered this horrid end to him.
My anger from before had utterly vanished, and I was swallowed by gloom in its place. "I could have saved you..." I whispered. "If only I had acted... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." My voice broke. "I'm sorry, U-Mos..." I softly bore my face into his chest, shaking from the frozen rain and mourning, my throat sore.
An enormous gasp startled me. I raised my head towards the only other breathing creature on the plateau, weak despise leaking into my tears.
The Emperor jerked his face out of the puddle of water, sucking in the chill air. I noticed with hints of pride that the hide lining his eye was coated in a silver-ish sheen - a series of burns from my hands.
He immediately whipped on me, glaring at me toxically as I knelt beside U-Mos defensively. He screamed, "YOU CRAZY BROAD!" A large vein in his head drummed. "YOU COULDA KILLED ME!"
I gathered the volume in my voice. "It was a shame I didn't." His brow skyrocketed. "We would have been even, you and I!"
The Emperor growled impatiently, deflecting my comment. "Even shmeven! Who cares if one Luminoth is dead?"
I rose and screamed back, "How dare you say that? That Luminoth was U-Mos! He is worth a thousand of your kind!" I jabbed a finger at the Emperor, then swiped it down to my side. "You filthy Ing!"
"Well, look who's calling who filthy!" he backfired with a swift flourish of his crown. "I'm not the one playing in the mud with my toes! I'm royalty, you hear me, Moony? I'm an emperor!"
"An emperor, you say?" I chortled humorlessly. The Ing's tentacles rattled, and his crimson eye slitted. "A true emperor would be a benevolent and trustworthy leader. He would be virtuous! He would be a seeker of good report! He would guide his people with valor and courtesy, not head a bloodthirsty horde of slaughterers!"
He was silent, standing as if he were a statue. I thought that for a moment, my remark had stricken him dumb.
But I was wrong.
The Emperor laughed. The noise was hollow, callous, and began in a sonorous boom. It gradually crescendoed to a crazed, beating wail, fluttered by sick enthusiasm and joy. He threw his face to the clouds, his body shuddering with each of his roars of laughter. It disturbed me to my core.
When he finally spoke, the remnants of his humor dappled his words. "You honestly think that this was slaughter?" he asked darkly.
I had to recover somewhat to answer him. "U-Mos' bones and blood surround us!"
The Emperor surveyed the deluged plateau, his eye tracing the rocks and puddles till it rested upon U-Mos at my feet. "But my dear, that is where your judgement falls blunt."
Was this all a lie?
"Know this, missy, that everything you have seen has only been the beginning of an elaborate, meticulous operation," the Emperor continued reticently. "I didn't kill U-Mos for the fun of it. The entirety of my actions in the past, tonight, and the future have all been carefully plotted in prior, and there is nothing you or any other slithering creature on this planet can do to change its course!" The Emperor's words were spit out of his mouth harshly, the shrouded meaning behind them igniting an avid fire in his eye.
He went on, slowly taking steps towards me. His claws reflected in the puddles, flashing in the distant, passing lightning. "The reason of U-Mos' fair Sentinel blood spilt tonight is one of miraculous glory," he murmured with a fond tone. I stiffened. "You may or may not have seen what sort of otherworldly nightmare that he crumpled beneath day after long, tormenting day, but let me assure you, that burden has been abated on his soul."
The Emperor stopped his advancement a few paces from where I stood. He gazed into the paling face of U-Mos almost apologetically. "Poor moth... Sometimes, when the moon's just right, I feel a little sorry for what I did to him." He winced at a memory. "I felt like a jerk after he had that staff carved for him after our... episode. I probably shouldn't have possessed him either, but that was predestined, so, what could I do?"
I gaped at him, horrified. "Possession? You did what?"
He rolled his eye in agitation. "Moony, as much as I'd love to share story time with you, I'm still in a vise-grip on my schedule." He squinted into the clouds. "I'm already stretching my precious time as it is, talking with you." The Emperor turned back and blinked at me in a manner that seemed tender. The manner was likened unto something U-Mos would give."Let's stay on task, shall we?"
He resumed his lecture while I envisioned the grisly face of a darkling-possessed Luminoth, feeling bilious.
"Typical Luminoth are born with the Light of Aether glowing inside them. It remains with them all throughout their life. I can sense it in you, and I could also sense it in U-Mos before he, well... changed." A haunting thought made the Emperor pause for a hesitant moment. He exhaled roughly and went on, "Alluding to this, you should know that a drop of Light has two opposing characteristics. The first is radiant and bright, shining for all who clutch its purity. The second lurks behind it; a shadow, an itch, and a looming reminder of the gleam that it has been deprived of.
"The shadow is like a plague to the Light, and vise versa. The opposites constantly fight each other for dominance - have you ever watched open flames? The shadows and sparks that they produce? It is a never-ending cycle of barbary and thievery. Light and Darkness cannot thrive together. It has never been done."
The Emperor peered into me keenly. "No one can bottle up that caliber of mayhem for long. It slowly consumes them from the inside out. One side will eventually cripple, and the other will blot it out ravenously." His eye glittered with a foreboding secret. "Your U-Mos was a perfect example of the toll of internal Shadow Poisoning."
I gasped, disbelief gnawing at me coldly. "No. No, not him. He could never-" I cut myself off and looked down into U-Mos' face, fearing terribly. He seemed so perfect, so luminous. Could it really have been true? Shadow Poisoning... I-Impossible... Not U-Mos...
The Emperor drank in my distrust. "It has been cursing him for a staggering six months. Ever since-" He stopped himself abruptly. "Never mind. In fact, I was surprised he held on for as long as he did, really." I gazed up at him, my mandibles hanging open. "The incessant pain must've been excruciating."
My body began to shake as I swallowed my defiance and gathered my courage, asking in chopped words, "Why-is-U-Mos-dead?"
"Because, little lady, there was something inside him that I needed. I needed it badly." He stroked U-Mos' cheekbone with the blunt end of his claw mildly. "He couldn't willingly give it up, so all that was left of me to do was ease his pain and take it." He seemed lost in the fathoms of his mind when he murmured dreamily, "He'll forgive me, someday... for my sins... But until then, let's hope he's comfortable."
His meaning was bogus and foggy with confusion in my mind. I stared at him when he cleared his throat and refocused onto me. "He may not have peace for a while, once we're through with him."
"Through?" I echoed, raising a brow. "His life is already through! You finished it yourself! We can do nothing but mourn for his passing; his soul has been gathered within the Light of Aether!"
He grinned deviously. "Ah, but that doesn't mean I can't... so to say... fish him out." The Emperor bent on his knees, reaching for U-Mos' body. "As I told him, this is only the beginning. Death is not final with the Ing."
Rage overwhelmed me, and I slid in front of his claws. "U-Mos is not an Ing! You have no right to take his corpse! You are not the victor of this night, Emperor!"
He chuckled, casting me a sly glance. "Then you didn't know him as well as you thought you did."
His remark stunned me. "What?"
Ignoring me entirely, the Emperor lightly brushed my numb frame aside, and began to scoop up U-Mos. "And as a matter of fact, I have every right in the Dasha Region to take this corpse wherever I please because one, everything that he is more or less belongs to me; and two, I'm the Emperor Ing," he said gallantly.
"But-"
He stood, three of his legs supporting him, while his front, right and middlemost legs cradled the limp form of U-Mos. For some reason, the thought of refusing to let him take my Sentinel had been defeated, and I merely stood in the downpour, the rain soaking me through forlornly.
The Emperor looked at me with an air that seemed genuinely concerned for my being when he noted my broken hopes. Again, the look was reminiscent of U-Mos. Or, perhaps it was the tears clouding my vision that made it seem that way? "So here's what's gonna happen now, Moony," he said calmly. "Listen closely - we absolutely cannot afford any mishaps, understand? Iot will kill me if this goes wrong."
I couldn't believe myself when I nodded stiffly.
He visibly excited. "Good to know we're both on the same page." Clearing his throat again, he said, "Because you interfered with this operation, you now have a role to play for the Horde."
The Horde. The words were disturbing.
He continued, "You will descend this mountain, go down to Tempest and gather the Luminoth. You will tell them that U-Mos has been killed. Nothing more, and nothing less. Is that clear?" He didn't wait for my response. "And I'll bet those pompous moths won't believe you, so, I recommend..." He reached one of his free legs behind me, making certain he balanced himself. Taking something into his claw, he tossed it before me."...using this as proof that you aren't lying."
U-Mos' staff rested at my feet, its gorgeously-carved wood soggy and stained with his blood. A section of the text carved into it read Unbreakable. Bitter irony soiled the word with its bloody tainting.
The Emperor finished, "After that... well, we'll see where the Prophecy blows us."
His speech and the staff had been a lot to take in, but I was paying close attention when he muttered prophecy. I tilted my head. "What Prophecy?"
The Emperor automatically droned,
"When the Sentinel's mind is shrouded
As those of clouds coming in,
And his soul is bound and doubted
Is when the Ing shall rise and win.
Together, both shall fight him
As Dark opposes Light.
Overwhelmed by evil tandem,
He's no hope to survive the night.
Body parted from ghost
And reaped from bone to bone,
Take the corpse that matters most
And march as victor home."
In those three stanzas lurked the horrible stream of events that I had already witnessed. As the Emperor spoke each word of the Prophecy, I relived the entirety of my Aether homecoming, every remembrance burningly vivid. I began to shake again. The blazing knowledge was prominent throughout every corner of my mind...
Every second of the past hour had been completely and utterly real.
U-Mos was dead, and I was the one who was going to announce it to the Luminoth.
The Emperor snatched my attention from my thoughts. "So far, everything is going according to plan. I intend to keep it that way, and if you so much as stick one of your glowing toes out of line, then I will personally mutilate that pretty little face of yours cell by cell. We wouldn't want that, would we?"
I didn't respond. Moments drifted in silence.
Our business concluded, the Emperor turned from me.
"Wait!" I called. The word bursted from my mouth.
Swiveling around, he faced me again, and this time he was less than kind. "What? What else? I told you, time is short!"
Silently, I reached forward, where the Emperor lowered U-Mos to my level. Gingerly placing my fingers on his eyelids, I closed the Sentinel's eyes. He appeared to be more peaceful than prior, but I still recognized that he was burdened internally by the dreaded Shadow Poisoning. Even in death.
Rest well, U-Mos, I uttered mentally.
The Emperor stared at me once I was finished like I was a raving lunatic. "You're curious," was all he said. He hurriedly turned again, swiftly striding towards the end of the plateau. "Do as you're told, E-Mir!" he barked in farewell.
From my position, I watched him depart. The last I saw of U-Mos was his hand as it dangled off of the Emperor's shoulders, waving in his strides as if in goodbye.
In a flash of lightning, the Emperor's crown had disappeared beyond the plateau's edge, and I was once again alone.
So there I stood, baffled, numb, and sopping in the rain at the zenith of Sentinel's Summit. The spires of black, slick rock surrounded me, sealing my fear and the cynically-hallowed incident that had taken place upon the mud of which I stood. The storm clouds churned around me, their spills of moisture waning into a weeping drizzle. All was silent but for the grieves of rain against Aether, and the light, frantic rushes of my breath. My mind sprinted at breakneck pace the commands of the Emperor Ing, You will tell them that U-Mos has been killed.
I was to be the bearer of grim tidings to my people. Would they think I was the culprit? How would they cope with the news? What would be done then?
The weight of my forthcoming task was so great that I fell upon my knees to the bedraggled sludge of the plateau. Gradually, as my thoughts skyrocketed in panic, I bent over into the plateau's grime, squeezing it between my fingers weakly. My heart shattered, suffocating me. Tears gushed from my eyes as if a weir had ruptured.
I sobbed and I sobbed.
I didn't know how much time passed while I was upon that plateau. The rain seemed endless, dragging my time and my sorrows. Each brush of thought blurred my inward perspective. The dread of the message I was to deliver prolonged my idleness as I stared meaninglessly into the sloppy mud beneath me, my mind thwarted.
Through my delaying, the voice of the Emperor nagged at me constantly. Do as you're told, E-Mir! and Time is short! I tossed over the commands again and again, but nothing sensible surfaced. I still didn't quite understand what he meant by them. U-Mos' time had been sliced into oblivion, how was there a shortage of time? What exactly was the motive behind hurrying this along?
The Ing worked in strange ways, I concluded. I would come to know that fact by heart when this day was over and passed.
Before long, I could no more stand the leadened feeling of my legs, nor the uncomfortable gross texture of the mud. Taking U-Mos' staff in my shaky hands, I heaved myself to my feet and stumbled, wading through the grim, and faced the edge of the plateau. The vast expanse of the rain-washed Tempest Valley was far below, and instead of it being purified, it seemed rinsed with foreboding.
I groaned, I have to go... For the better of U-Mos... I reminded myself when I became doubtful. The reassurance was uttered several times.
Taking my first careful steps, I began my descent. As I progressed, I knew even without a reflection that I was a shocking sight. My carapace must have been strewn with hardened globs of the blackish, silty mud from the plateau. My antennae were heavy and brittle from it. On my face was a repulsive gash that made my left eye appear to be blackened. I was no doubt pale from what I had both witnessed and heard from the Emperor Ing, and my posture was stiff. I flinched at nearly every shadow that crossed the corner of my vision as I descended the mountain with vacant eye and mind.
While picturing my appearance, I also tried to envision how the Luminoth would react. Would they worry for me in my present, vulnerable condition? Would they disregard my tidings? Or would my ravaged appearance be direct evidence of all that had taken place atop the plateau? Would they even believe me?
The Tempest Valley's floor was distant, so I locked away the questions. Time was the only answer to them, anyway. The possible answers made me nervous.
U-Mos' staff had become a treasured trinket to me since I grabbed it to take along. I held it tightly in my left hand, close to my heart, and obsessively rubbed its Light Crystal garnish with my thumb. The beautiful staff was a fond memento of U-Mos that I could keep with me after his death; it soothed my strain as he would with his words. It still bore his smell. It also bore his blood, which would be another important proof of his inopportune demise.
Just thinking about his pain and his death further made me into a nervous wreck when hopping down the rocks, since my wings were too damp for a quick flight. But I was in no rush. Each one of my steps was faltered by hesitation - it took miraculous goading on my part to continue onward, all the while repulsing my eerie imaginings of the Ing's tenebrous plot.
What was it, exactly?
I sifted through this thought as I trekked on slippery rock. Judging by what the Emperor had said, I knew it involved U-Mos heavily. It also involved something that he had had inside of him before the Emperor stole his life. Was it the Shadow Poisoning? What use would that be to the Ing? I asked myself. How did U-Mos get infected with it in the first place?
I kneaded my forehead, my thoughts swirling in a mighty maelstrom. There was another fact that had bothered the corner of my mind since U-Mos was killed. The demonic voice that had shouted, "Let me out! Let me out!" still struck me to the marrow.
Who belonged to that voice? It wasn't U-Mos. I knew that because U-Mos' voice was warm and sonorous. That voice was nothing short of a growl, and backed with festering evil. They were desperate, whoever they were, and lusted for a way to be freed.
Could it have been the Shadow Poisoning? It would want to spread, so... it seems possible... But then again, nothing makes much sense anymore.
Sense. I wondered if the Luminoth would sense some form of wickedness was churning in our midst when I told them the... news. Would they do anything about it? Again, the questions reeled and boiled, making it difficult to decipher whether I was really understanding the gravity of the situation I had been entangled in. My mind was so full it was tearing the fabric of my goodly conscience.
The storm of my thoughts still eddied as I slid off the last rock and planted my feet onto the Aetherian soil. After climbing for about a half hour, my body was rigid, and my palms were riddled with small, harmless cuts. The irritating stinging of my left hand around the staff was maddening, but I stemmed the annoyance and held the staff tighter. I looked about the base of Sentinel's Summit and to the Luminoth dwellings not far off with a sense of loneliness.
Over the course of the night, the rain had dissipated into a feeble mist, barely making sound. The wind - previously a rampant hurricane - had become mild as well, and playfully meandered about the Valley, brushing against anything it passed gently. The ground here was moist, as was the air and the taste that lingered on it. The thick cloud covering overhead was merely the back-end of the storm, weak enough in some areas to allow the bleak moonlight to bleed through. Everything around was tinted a quiet, bluish-gray.
Although the drastic change was relaxing, the fact that the brutal storm had vanished so quickly was unnerving. Surely, while the storm was at its peak at Sentinel's Summit, some other damage must have devastated the Valley? But as I inspected, nothing but the smoking generator atop X-Tsr's building was ruined.
Had the weather been concentrated solely for the sake of U-Mos' death?
When he was dealt a final blow, the rain dumped from the clouds. His life had gone, and... so had the raging storm.
My mandibles curled into a dull frown. Knowing the scheming craft of the Ing, it seemed to be possible. After all, the Ing that the Emperor had spoken of predicted the entirety of the events that would lead to U-Mos' doom, and exactly who would take part in it. I suddenly bore no doubt that everything that had happened tonight had one way or another been manipulated by the hands of the Ing Horde.
That truth made me think further. What else had the Ing planned?
Twisting the wood of the staff in my hands, I murmured, "I guess I'll find out soon." Taking in a preparatory breath, I began walking to the Luminoth homes. "This is much more intricate than I thought."
In the minute that the homes became close enough to touch, my mind raced again. What was I going to say to them? U-Mos was dead, yes, but how was I to deliver the message without uprising a potential panic? Was I to be blunt? Indelicate? Should I reveal the identity of his killer or keep the Emperor's harrowing deed a secret?
A small voice floating in the back of my mind instructed me to be blunt, but to keep the Emperor's name unknown. Strangely, I obeyed that voice, since I knew it from somewhere. I thought up the sentences to be used when I gave my message to the Luminoth.
Upon entry to the familiar, grass-covered bed of the dwelling alcove, an upper window bursted open. It startled me enough to make me give a squeak, and I held U-Mos' staff like one would a sword, aiming it at the window.
To my surprise, the opener of the window was none other than X-Tsr. Clearly, he had been expecting me. It seemed as though I hadn't seen him in eternity. He looked the same as he had when I left him for the Summit, except for the stress rings under his eyes. Beyond his features, I noticed that he wore an expression that was an unusual mix of relief, shock, and worry at my sighting.
He looked me up and down, his dull eyes smitten with disbelief. "Good Rezbits, E-Mir, what's happened to you?" My voice caught in my throat. I merely stared at him. "Are you all right? Say something!" he prodded, flinging his hands about.
"I-I think I'm a-all right," I stuttered, my voice rough.
X-Tsr then did something that I wasn't expecting. He somehow managed to wriggle himself out of his window, then land on the grass less-than-gracefully. He quickly shook his sore ankles then rushed for me, taking me by the shoulders and ogling at my appearance.
"You're filthy, girl, where have you been?" After furrowing his brows at my grungy carapace, his eyes wandered to the gash on my cheek. "Wha-? Who did this to you? Answer me, E-Mir! Tell me what's going on!"
I swallowed. "I can't tell you, X-Tsr." His brows shot skyward, and he looked about to scold me. I quickly intervened with, "Yet. There's..."
"There's what?"
Finally, X-Tsr laid eye on U-Mos' staff in my hand, and he visibly hardened, his face flushing partially. "The Sentinel's... staff?" X-Tsr's head shot in my direction. "What is the meaning of this?"
I weakly said, "There's something I need to tell the Luminoth." He didn't seem to understand, so I added, "It's very important that they hear what I have to say, X-Tsr. Can you help me and gather them? I know it is late, but this matter simply cannot wait for morning. Time is short."
His face became desensitized as he thought vigorously. "Short for what, exactly?" he droned. I sighed softly, "I don't know. But please, X-Tsr. I have to do this. Go and wake the others, tell them to go to the Meeting Grounds. I'll be waiting there." Smiling feebly, I stroked U-Mos' staff, which fed me courage.
X-Tsr softened and obliged. "Whatever you have to say, let it bring Light to our people."
Oh, how wrong he was.
I shirked his words, knowing that my statements would only bring turmoil. "Go. Bring them to the Meeting Grounds," I said, urging him on.
X-Tsr was nervous, but he trusted my judgement. With a parting nod, he jogged by me, making for his alerts at the first dwellingplaces. He began shouting and banging at the windows, informing all occupants to evacuate and head for the Meeting Grounds. Lamps were ignited at his shouts, and many eventually sleepily left their homes; parents with young children in their arms, and other parents dragging their adolescents behind. Their faces were burdened by tiredness, but also with confusion.
Knowing that X-Tsr would serve his assignment well, I proceeded from the alcove and towards the Meeting Grounds, where the Emperor's chore for me beckoned nigh. My stomach fluttered nervously, my hands became sweaty, and my heart beat rapidly as I advanced. The distance shrank ever faster.
Proclaiming the death of the Sentinel would be an arduous task, but a small speck of bravery reassured me that all would run well. I battled against that reassurance, denying that anything well would come from the murder of a great and honorable Luminoth such as U-Mos.
At the same time, however, an accompanying warmth eased my tattered worries. It stayed within me long enough for my arrival at the Meeting Grounds, where the shadows of the twilight hours basked the ground and the large, thick roots of the trees. Up in the distance, the jewel of the Great Temple shone bright with the glows from the Main Energy Controller. Perhaps the Great Temple was where my ease was coming from?
Finding a suitable place for my declaration (the center of the half-pipe in the Meeting Grounds), I stood anxiously, U-Mos' staff in-hand. I drummed my fingers restlessly upon its engraved surface as I waited for the procession of the oncoming Luminoth, my nervousness overcoming me like a wave. The time seemed to fly, but in reality, their coming spanned well over an hour.
It was not long after the multitude of my people filing into the place did the warming feeling suck itself from my body, and I was shivering at my spot like I were at Aether's poles.
X-Tsr had done his job too well. He must have darted throughout the Valley floor, inviting any Luminoth willing to listen to my words. There were so many Luminoth present that the extra members resorted to clinging to the walls. Everyone was crammed in so tightly that the sea of multicolored eyes and antennae melded together in rows to me. My head started to swim. I had never been one to gain courage as a public speaker.
The crowd was churning with hushed questions. Several of the Luminoth in the crowd would watch me with interest, while others were confused and trying to shake their sleep. I rubbed the staff's wood tensely, scouring the faces for X-Tsr, whom I found peeking at me from the farthest end of the throng, beside his mate, holding his sleeping sons in his arms. His presence and the small smile he flashed me drove me to begin.
I swallowed as a solid fog of silence settled over the gathering, and all eyes spotlighted onto me. The rain had stopped, and the entirety of the Meeting Grounds was still with apprehensiveness as it and its occupants waited for me to speak.
"My brothers, my sisters," I began, my voice miraculously carrying over the heads of my audience, despite my timid conduct at that moment. "A tragedy has befallen us this night. I saw it through my own eyes." The many close at hand drew in with rigid anticipation, and as I prolonged my message, they grew uneasy. "Our Sentinel U-Mos was killed."
Nothing more and nothing less.
The most unpredictable thing came subsequent. Both an incredulous outrage and a woeful groan from those attending issued in a mighty torrent. The crowd was in a distrustful and saddened state as questions and shouts were flung at me from all directions, many of them angry, and many others pleading.
"But U-Mos was unbreakable!" came a denial.
"He stood behind the weighty threat of the Ing Horde. He was young and strong!" sounded another.
"This cannot be true!" exclaimed one, then ten, then more than I could count. This refusal was the most repetitive I heard while standing in the half-pipe. I was, needless to say, astonished.
Somehow, the Emperor had known that they would deny my tidings. They thought I was a liar.
Using the Emperor's methods, I brandished U-Mos' blood-stained staff for all eyes. They all numbed at its sight, just as X-Tsr had. "You do not believe me? Then how would one explain this?" The dissent of the Luminoth diminished slightly at my words. "I did not kill U-Mos, but I watched as his life faded."
"And you did not save him?" someone hollered.
"How could this happen?" another cried.
"By whose hand was U-Mos slain?" one called.
"Sentinel, Sentinel!" someone bawled.
I raised my hands to calm them all. "Please, please! There was nothing I could have done, nor any way he could have been saved! It was fate's hand!"
A tall, rather tough-looking male in the crowd piped up. His sapphire markings shimmered in the moonlight that had managed to filter through the clouds. The pale light illuminated the assembly. "You saw who killed him, did you not?"
"Yes, I did, but-"
"Tell us who!" He suddenly unsheathed an Annihilator Beam out of a strap on his hip, cocking it with tenacity. I flinched, a tad disturbed that he would carry one of those weapons with him. "We must avenge our Sentinel's spilled blood!"
A chorus of agrees from supporting Luminoth sounded. Most of them were likely veterans of the Shadow War; veterans, who had once been peaceful soldiers, now turned vengeance-seekers.
Others, who sought a more docile approach to the issue, became nervous, hanging their heads and conversing with each other in undertones. While this moment of disorder lasted, I caught the eyes of X-Tsr. He looked at me with an eye of support, yet, barely touched with unbelieving. His mandibles firmed against his face, and his brows furrowed.
Waving my arms to regain the attention of the Luminoth, I spoke again. "I will not tell who killed U-Mos." An air of appalling reverberated through the bodies of the crowd. "No, I won't. But I would advise that none of you pursue any suspects, either. It would be foolish! Your very lives could be in jeopardy if anyone tried! U-Mos' killer is unlike any creature you have imagined." Shock then begat paranoia within my people. "I fear him."
I fidgeted uncomfortably, going silent. I didn't know what else to say.
After a lengthy silence, passed, a questioning voice came from the congregation, "Then what do you propose we do? Where is his body? Do we bury it? Do we carve a statue for him? Are we to elect a new Sentinel?"
Before I could respond, another voice did for me. "Allow me to answer that."
A chill ran along my spine at the tone of the voice, which issued from the shadows behind me. It was a low, masculine voice, and behind it was a proud gusto of arrogance. There was also the twinge of a sharp hiss when he said a word containing an 's'.
The Luminoth before me became scared and alarmed when they saw the being behind me. Ever so slowly, I turned around to face him.
I nearly screamed. Barely visible amongst the shadows of the tree roots, he leaned casually, watching the gathering. His Luminoth figure was lean and sharp-edged, highlighted with the cold blue moon rays. What stole my breath was the color of his carapace - it was an ink-like, dusky black that shone with an unprecedented sheen. Curling tribally all along his limbs and torso were stark orange markings, which glowed with an eerie fire. His eyes were that same piercing orange, smoldering with conceit. On his chest was a blanket of snow-white fur, and topping his head were antennae that seemed to be comprised of smoke.
I stared at him, fear shuddering my words. "Who are you?" I asked reverently.
Whoever-he-was smiled. It was a terrifying smile, in fact. When his mandibles curled, I discovered that they were lined on their undersides with jagged, pearlescent fangs. "Aw, Moony, shouldn't you recognize me? That kinda hurt."
Taking in a shrill gasp, I tensed acutely, my hands quivering beyond my control. The staff's end clattered upon the ground, loudly rattling the suffocating silence of the Meeting Grounds. I stuttered, "E-E-E-"
"Shh," he whispered, crossing towards me. The Emperor's Luminoth-form bore sharp-ended fingers and toes, and his wings were veined and thick. When he wrapped his arms around me to collect me into his chest, I couldn't help myself from whimpering. "Don't be that way. You've done very well," he murmured into my ear, his mandibles tickling. His breath was hot and smelled of corpses. I gagged a little. "I admire your commitment, but I figured I'd share this last bit of what's gonna happen. After all, it's the juiciest."
The Emperor let me go and turned towards the Luminoth multitude, who were as horrified and disturbed as I was. "It is truth, all that E-Mir has bestowed upon your minds tonight, my fair Luminoth." He said fair with some difficulty. All who were present listened with shy interest as he spun his end of the news. "Whether you believe her story or not, the fact is clear - U-Mos is dead." The word pricked the hearts of many. He said it with delight.
"But, contrary to your beliefs, death is not the end," he proclaimed. Piqued by his words, the Luminoth listened further, all the while cringing from his insane smile. "You see, U-Mos had many roles in his lifetime. He was a son, a student, a warrior, an apprentice, a Sentinel, and eventually, a martyr." The Emperor spoke rather visually; he would wave and raise his hands as he stated off his words. This entranced the audience. "Now, even in death, he plays another role. The role of one resurrected from his grave."
Shock wavered the crowd at his feet, and even in me. Resurrection? Is that possible?
Then I was reminded. The Ing Horde had resurrected from the collapse of Dark Aether. The Emperor Ing himself stood not two paces from me, resurrected from the penalizing blasts of Samus Aran's weaponry.
How was he to do this extraordinary phenomenon?
I listened now with intensity, drinking in every syllable that escaped the Emperor's Luminoth mouth. "U-Mos will rise from his tomb and walk along this planet in exactly three days. On the evening of the third, he will present himself to you and for all to see that he has fulfilled his roles and providences. Wait for him, and you will know."
He smiled at the gathering, then said in a confident tone, "When finished through and way, with his skin chilled as death, then on the passed third day, U-Mos shall renounce his breath. Reach into the specters' court to retrieve a soul you crave. He laid below to bestow the sort of rising from the grave." I knew by the way his words rhymed that he was quoting the Prophecy again, which haunted me. What else did the Prophecy tell?
A perturbed silence saturated the Meeting Grounds as the Emperor ceased talking. He gazed with his startling eyes into the faces of the Luminoth, seemingly reading into their minds. "Do not appoint a new Sentinel. Govern yourselves for the time being. Now off with you!" he growled loudly, causing a wince throughout the meeting. "The countdown of three days starts now!"
With that, the gathering slowly left the Meeting Grounds in a disquieted fashion, only their footsteps sounding. I was hurt to find that X-Tsr had vanished along with them.
After a seemingly endless time, the Emperor and I were alone.
He immediately turned to me, jovially smiling. It was slightly creepy. "That went well, don't you think?"
I didn't respond to his question. "How are you going to resurrect U-Mos?" I prodded. "Resurrection isn't natural, Emperor! What's dead is dead!"
"Pfft. That's what you think," he mocked. "Look at me, Moony, does this seem dead to you? Heck, I'm as healthy as a Grenchler!"
"That's not my point. Where in the world are you going to do this? And how?"
He sighed, looking into the sky. "I've got some great resources under my belt, girl, so this resurrection thing won't be difficult at all. You can trust my word as an Emperor."
"That's reliable," I muttered sarcastically, but since he was thinking, he didn't hear me.
Provoked thought flowed into his face, inspiring him with some wild idea. "As for the location... Hm..." His brows rose. "Since you've been such a dutiful little lackey, why don't I let you in?"
"Let me in?" I echoed, extremely confused.
"Precisely. You could come and see what we've been doing these past months. E-Mir, when I look at you, I see a profound potential; not as a Luminoth, but as an Ing. One of my own. A member of the Horde." He became giddy. "Such an invitation! And by the Emperor himself, even! Doesn't that just entice you?" he dragooned alluringly.
"How could you even-?" I tried to say, but he cut me off fluidly.
"Yeah, yeah... What a stupendous idea! I'll thank myself for thinking of it later. You, coming to the Horde to watch over U-Mos as we prepare for the next three days... We could use the Luminoth-anatomical insight, after all... You'd be a special guest, dear! What an honor it would be for you to play in our midst during these ever-so important hours of our existence."
He leaned closer to me, his fangs glinting. "What do you say, E-Mir? Why not leave behind the Luminoth who thought you a liar, and come to a new family? As far as I know, the Horde and I are all the family you've got left."
I shook my head, determined. "My parents are still out there, Emperor. I'll find them. Mark my words."
He snorted under his breath. "Sure you will. Anyway, you still haven't answered me."
I stared at my feet, indecisive. "..."
"U-Mos will be there..." the Emperor tempted. "You'll get to watch his resurrection first hand."
Half of me had then decided, but the other half was still awaiting convincing. I had to see U-Mos alive again for myself. Even if it meant diving into the maw of the Horde. "Where is the Horde stationed?" I asked, looking into his fiery eyes.
The Emperor smirked. "Eager, are we? Well, I'd love to tell you right at this moment, but seeing as I still don't know what you'd do if you found out, I'm keeping that bit of info secret. What if you sic the warrior Luminoth on us? What if you suddenly have a change of heart and try to steal U-Mos' body from our home?" I glared stubbornly at him. "Yeah. No, I won't tell you, but later, you'll see."
"Then how will I join the Horde if I can't find them?"
His antennae shivered, spewing wisps of smoke into the air. "You won't have to, sweetie. I've got that all taken care of." He glanced around him, then up into the twilit horizon towards the mountains. "I'll send a team to collect you. Should be painless - they're precision experts."
"Collect me? You've got to be kidding! You're going to seriously kidnap me?" I goggled.
"Did I say kidnap? I don't think I did!" He fingered my mud-crusted antennae. I swatted his hands away madly. "You need to clean those, Moony. They must be mucking up your hearing." The Emperor chuckled at his joke. "No, a team of Ing will collect you and bring you to the Horde's hideout at midnight. You've got a few hours to, er, prepare for it." He eyed my mud-caked carapace. "You should use that time to take a bath."
"Why can't you just take me with you now?" I forced, already shrinking away from the shadows. "Why are you so reserved on this matter?"
"I've already stated my reasons. Now please, don't make this hard for yourself. Even if you try to hide, we'll find you. Don't try to run, 'cause we'll catch you. Make it simpler for my boys, would you? Just stay put so we won't have to chase. Capisce?"
He didn't wait for my confirm. "Good. Now then, I have business back at home." The Emperor, in parting, caressed my scarred cheek with a knuckle. His touch chilled my skin. "I'll see you later, Moony."
He vanished into the darkness.
It was minutes to midnight.
Time had flown.
The moon, peeking in and out of the clouds, watched me, apprehensively on the lookout for any sign of the Emperor's collection crew. I waited under its rays, eyes flashing to any moving thing in the dull shine.
I was tired after waiting fretfully over those long, grueling hours. A quick, cleansing bath in a body of water had widened my eyes for a moment, but paranoia and stress soon overcame the effects. Yes, I was excited to be back in the presence of U-Mos, but the way that that would come about was ebbing away my sanity.
The rock I sat upon was located in a grove of trees in an unsettled part of the Tempest Valley. I sat beneath the shady canopy filtered by faint wind and moonlight, thoroughly alone. U-Mos' staff rested across my lap, stable even in the tapping of my toes. My fingertips were raw from rubbing them into the rock over the course of the time I had waited here.
How many Ing would I see at midnight? I asked myself. What breeds? I knew Warriors, Hunters, and Inglets from the tales I had heard during the war, but in reality, I could only imagine them. What did these various Ing look like in the flesh? Were they as daunting as the Emperor Ing? Only time could educate me.
Time was very prompt this night, as it had galloped through the hours till midnight was nigh on striking. I waited and waited, my chest churning with anxiety. My breathing was pressured, and my eyes were dry and stinging from exhaustion.
Finally, a long beam of light from the Great Temple flashed into the sky, indicating that the previous day was over, and that the new day had begun.
The Light Breaks, I murmured in my mind, watching as it faded back into the Great Temple. It is only a matter of-
My thoughts ground to a halt when the series of hissing and scratching issued from the tangled bark of the grove. Whipping my head about and getting to my feet, I watched the quartet of enormous Ing melt from the shadows, each of their large garnet, topaz, emerald, and peridot-hued eyes brighter than the moon.
I noticed that the three with the green, gold, and lighter green shimmers had no legs, and were merely floating masses of black tentacles enveloping their glowing cores. The one that did have legs largely resembled the Emperor when I had first seen him, with five, rather skinny legs, tentacles lining the forehead, and a short, stubbed tail between the pair of hind legs. This Ing, with the garnet-hued eye, however, was rather plain, and unadorned with extravagant body-plating.
A startling sound came from that Ing. It was feminine, and of higher octave than a male Ing. The hissing backing her tone was dramatic. "My name is Delain," she introduced with a barely-visible bow. "This is my team. I presume you are E-Mir?" She said my name with obvious struggle.
I nodded mutely, holding U-Mos' staff as if it would keep me from dying. Delain, as she was called, said further, "We have been instructed to take you to our home. Our Emperor asked specifically for closed-vision escort."
"That means," said one of the floating Ing in a youthful tone. He must have been younger than the others, for he was smaller in size. "that we cannot let you see where we are going. You'll have to be blinded momentarily."
I swallowed, wondering what blinding me entailed. "That seems reasonable," I said uneasily. "A-are we leaving soon?"
Delain's shrewd stare was stunning. "We'll be leaving immediately." She retreated a few steps, lowering her frontmost trio of legs and elevating her rear two. "Hold her firm, Jaire, Xel, Mendt. I reckon she'll react radically."
Suddenly, the three floating Ing wrapped slimy, rugged tentacles around my arms and tightened them, hovering around me. They looked onward at Delain solemnly.
"What's she doing? Someone tell me!" I panicked just as Delain charged, her body vanishing gradually into a barreling column of purple fog, which exploded into me once we met. The fog seeped into my skin, and a painful cold crept its claws inside of me. My innards froze, and my knees buckled. The three Ing above me caught my limp form.
I screamed shrilly, trying to force Delain out, but her power within my body was dominant of my own will. My throat tightened and my heart felt as if it would burst, which was followed by a strike of pain as if acid were flowing through my veins.
I screamed louder when the forest before me was engulfed in pitch, and the Ing supporting me lifted me into a realm of shadows.
I couldn't see where they were taking me.
I didn't know what would become of me while I lived amongst the Ing Horde.
What have I done?
These questions dissolved under the authority of Delain as she seized me entirely, and plunged me into a lagoon of gloaming.
I love the Emperor Ing. So much.
Yes, if anyone has read The Ing by myself,you'll see what I recycled a few names. I couldn't think of anything fancy at the moment I was writing this, and since I never finished The Ing, I figured I'd give them a second chance!
Anyway, how was it? Did it satisfy? Was it all right?
Tell me if you wanna. :P Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!
See ya next chapter!