CHAPTER 19:
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE?
Baal was standing upon one of Gaia's massive wings, and had witnessed the adventurers defeat the five Gaia Battlers.
"Impressive," he said to himself. "I see they have gotten stronger." He looked towards the enormous army of Gaia Battlers that he had called forth. "But, no matter. Our army is made up of a million strong. And if we begin to run out of Battlers, Gaia will make more for us to command." He turned back to Justin's group running away at the sight of the reinforcements. "They've made a wise decision, retreating like that. They don't stand a chance against that many Battlers."
"So," Sethylos began. "How do you plan on achieving victory?"
"Our goal is to create a better world. In order to do that, the people of the world must bow down to Gaia and me. Once that happens, we will know that we have achieved world domination."
"And how will you get the entire world to bow down to Gaia and you."
"How else? We'll make them! A little intimidation is all it takes to bring someone to his or her knees. Gaia is the most powerful weapon in existence, having the strength of a thousand hydrogen bombs. It is not a weapon of mass destruction...but a weapon...of total destruction. But first...we must kill all of those who oppose Gaia...starting with the two Heroes and Icarians. Once those four are out of the way, the world is ours for the taking. I shall rule a new and improved world, with Gaia as the almighty god."
* * *
Justin watched the army of Gaia Battlers come closer and closer. "RUN!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. They all turned and began sprinting away as fast as their legs could carry them.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Leen suddenly grabbed her leg and fell to the ground. Everyone else stopped to see why she had screamed.
"Leen!!" Mullen shouted, turning around. "Leen, what are doing?! Get up!!"
"I can't! I've got a cramp!!" The Battlers were getting closer at an alarming rate. "Just leave me, Mullen!"
"I'm not losing you again!!" They all wanted to keep going, but they just couldn't leave Leen behind for those Battlers.
Leen noticed a large shadow move over her. She looked up, and right into the face of a Gaia Battler standing over her. She shut her eyes tightly, as hot, stinking globs of saliva fell from the Battler's pointed teeth.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" Mullen shouted as he charged straight for the creature.
The Battler swung its massive arm at Mullen, knocking him to the ground. Turning back to Leen, it wrapped its long, blue fingers around her neck, and pulled her up into the air, forcing her to look into its snarling face.
Suddenly, and without warning, a large fireball hit the Battler, knocking it off its feet. Leen flew out of its grasp and fell to the ground. Justin looked up to see who had shot the fireball and, to his surprise, saw Liete hovering in the air! Justin looked in front of him and saw that the rest of the Battler army was almost upon them.
"Hang on!" Liete exclaimed. She raised her staff, and it emitted a blue light, which surrounded the group and formed a barrier between them and the Battlers.
The Battlers pounded fiercely on the barrier, but it remained strong. Liete raised her staff again, and an intensely bright light engulfed Justin and the others. When the light subsided, Justin saw that he was in the Great Library of Alent. Liete had obviously teleported them there.
"Is anyone hurt?" Liete asked, concerned.
"Not yet, at least," Justin answered. "How did you know we were still alive?"
"I didn't. You're lucky I was passing by when those Battlers attacked." She paused. "I'm really glad you're still alive."
"Liete," Feena began. "You're not going to like to hear this. Gaia's back."
"I know," she answered. "Actually, I've known for quite some time that Gaia has not completely disappeared." She suddenly became very gloomy. "I...I feel...that we cannot win. Even the Hero and Icarian couldn't save us."
"No! Liete, you've got to think positively!" Justin exclaimed. "We can beat this thing, I know we can!"
"Justin, Gaia has advanced to its fourth stage of metamorphosis. At this high of an evolutionary stage, Gaia is practically invincible."
"Stop it! There's a way to do this! Good always conquers evil!"
"Until now. Come, look what I've found." She stepped up to a nearby wall and touched her staff against it. The wall opened up into a brightly lit portal. "I've recently discovered this portal. In all of my three thousand years in this library, I didn't even know that this was here. It's a portal to the near future...and it looks bleak. Follow me." She disappeared into the portal.
"You think we should?" Sue asked. "Even if time travel is possible, I hear that it's very risky."
"I'm going," Justin announced. "Anyone else?" They all stood still for a moment, but then Feena stepped forward, and the others hesitantly followed.
Justin's eyes were filled with the intensely bright light as he stepped through the portal. Finally, the light subsided and, in its place, was a horrifying scene. They were in the city of Zil Padon, but it was very different looking. The buildings were almost completely destroyed. Gaia Battlers were marching up and down the streets like terrifying law enforcers. The air was so thick with Gaia's spores that the sun could hardly be seen. Gaia's enormous tentacles stuck up out of the ground here and there. The city wasn't deserted, however. People could be seen walking up and down the streets, but they looked very fearful. Rain was pouring down from the dark clouds.
"Liete! Where are you?!" Feena called out.
"Over here!" She appeared from behind a building and ran up to them, plodding through the mud from the rain. "Welcome, my friends. Welcome...to the future."
"W-we've lost, haven't we?" Justin asked Liete.
"I'm afraid so, Justin. And this future isn't distant. As unbelievable as it may seem, this is only a few days from our time. Gaia and Baal have succeeded in conquering the world."
"What about the rest of our friends? Gadwin? Guido? Milda?"
"All dead...even me. Once Gaia had achieved world domination, Baal ordered the Gaia Battlers to kill all who have ever opposed Gaia."
"Make way for Emperor Baal!!" someone shouted.
"Emperor Baal?!" Justin repeated. 'Emperor Baal' emerged from the crowd and walked towards the group. The citizens of Zil Padon bowed down in fear as he walked by.
"He's coming this way!!" Feena screamed.
"You need not fear," Liete told her. "No one here is able to see or hear us." She was right. Baal walked right past them.
"Hey," Nana began. "Th-that's...us!!" She pointed to the Nana, Saki and Mio of the near future. They were following Baal, but they didn't seem at all pleased to be doing so.
"Sergeants," Baal began. "Order your squads to burn the church of Zil Padon."
"Excuse me?!" the future Nana exclaimed.
"That is an order! We must leave no traces of any original religions. Gradually, we shall abolish every religion in existence. It's time for the world to begin praying to their new God, Gaia!"
"Sir, I...." Saki protested.
"That is an order!! Burn the church." He pointed to a large, temple-like church twenty feet from him. "Then, do the same with Laine, then Cafu, et cetera, until the church of every city in the known world is burned."
"But...but...." Nana began again.
"Imbeciles! Fine, I'll do it myself!!" He held his hand up to the church, and in minutes, it was magically set ablaze. People screamed as they ran out of the burning church, some clutching severe burns on their bodies.
The future Mio, who had remained quiet this whole time, quickly went into rage. "That...that's it, Baal!!! You...You're out of control!!!"
"Sergeant Mio, you will address to me as either Emperor Baal or Sir!"
"I won't help you, anymore!! This is just wrong!!!"
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO YOUR EMPEROR IN THIS FASHION!!!!!"
"You're not an emperor!! You're a tyrant and a madman!!!"
In one swift movement, Baal unsheathed his sword and shoved it through the sergeant's body.
"MIO!!" Nana and Saki shouted.
Mio clutched the blade of the sword as it was slowly driven deeper and deeper into her body, rupturing vital organs and shredding tissue. She looked up into Baal's merciless face. He yanked the bloody sword from the girl's body, and she fell to her knees, clutching her fatal wound. She swayed from side to side, and fell face first into the mud.
Nana and Saki ran up to their fallen comrade, and rolled her onto her back. Saki placed her index and middle finger under Mio's jaw to feel for a pulse. She slowly turned to Nana and shook her head in disbelief. They both looked up at Baal.
"Stupid girl," he muttered out loud. Then, he walked away, leaving the sergeants grieving over their lost friend, her blood coloring the mud and puddles around her crimson red. The real Mio watched the scene in terror, knowing that her death was only a few days away.
Feena smelled something like a rotten carcass, and turned around to see what it was. Suddenly, she screamed, and clasped her hands over her mouth in shock.
They all turned around, and gasped at the horrifying scene that lay before them. Feena wrapped her arms around Justin's neck, and buried her face in his shoulder. Right in front of them were the mutilated bodies of Justin, Feena, Mullen, and Leen. The corpses were completely disemboweled, and impaled on large stakes sticking up from the ground. The stench of the corpses was unbearable, indicating that they had been dead for quite a few days.
"Oh God!" Rapp blurted out. "I...I think...I'm gonna be sick!!" He ran behind a building, clutching his mouth and stomach, to regurgitate.
Liete turned back to the corpses. "Baal put those up as a warning of what will happen to anyone else who tries to oppose Gaia," she explained. "And I'm pretty sure that it's working."
Justin kept staring at the bodies. He could see his own eyes staring back at him blankly. He watched as a group of vultures flew around in circles up in the sky. They descended down to the ground, and began to yank bits of rotting flesh from the corpses.
"I won't let this happen!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I WON'T!!"
"This is what will happen, Justin," Liete replied. "Whether you like it or n...."
"No!! Whoever said that the future is etched in stone, anyway?!"
"You should know by now that you can't win. Look all around you. Look at what the future shows us all."
"I know. This is what the future shows us right now...but that doesn't mean that we don't have any power to prevent it! You may not be able to change the past...but you can change the future!! It's been done hundreds of times throughout history!!!"
"And what if we all fail to change the future, Justin?" She waved her arms all around her. "This will happen, that's what!"
"That still doesn't mean that we shouldn't try! Be honest, Liete! Are you really just going to sit back and let this happen, or are you going to get up and do something about it?!!!"
"I don't know, Justin," Feena spoke up. "This future is sort of convincing."
Justin grabbed Feena by the shoulders and angrily glared into her eyes. "Feena! That's why the future looks this way right now!! Because none of us believes we can do it!!!" His face and voice grew softer. "Believe in yourself, Feena!" he whispered. "Believe!"
"L-Liete," Feena began. "Justin's right. We can't just let this happen. This isn't just our problem. This is the entire world's problem! Do you want to see us impaled on stakes? Do you want the entire world to be forced to worship Gaia?"
Liete just stared back for a long time.
"Let's go, guys," Justin said, leading them away. "We don't need her."
"I understand, Liete," Feena called back. They went back towards the portal, and were about to step through it when Liete called back to them.
"Wait!" she called. "I'm coming, too!!"
"You mean you'll help us?" Justin replied eagerly.
She shrugged her shoulders. "What do I have to lose?"
Justin smiled back at her. Then, they stepped through the portal, together.
TO BE CONTINUED
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE?
Baal was standing upon one of Gaia's massive wings, and had witnessed the adventurers defeat the five Gaia Battlers.
"Impressive," he said to himself. "I see they have gotten stronger." He looked towards the enormous army of Gaia Battlers that he had called forth. "But, no matter. Our army is made up of a million strong. And if we begin to run out of Battlers, Gaia will make more for us to command." He turned back to Justin's group running away at the sight of the reinforcements. "They've made a wise decision, retreating like that. They don't stand a chance against that many Battlers."
"So," Sethylos began. "How do you plan on achieving victory?"
"Our goal is to create a better world. In order to do that, the people of the world must bow down to Gaia and me. Once that happens, we will know that we have achieved world domination."
"And how will you get the entire world to bow down to Gaia and you."
"How else? We'll make them! A little intimidation is all it takes to bring someone to his or her knees. Gaia is the most powerful weapon in existence, having the strength of a thousand hydrogen bombs. It is not a weapon of mass destruction...but a weapon...of total destruction. But first...we must kill all of those who oppose Gaia...starting with the two Heroes and Icarians. Once those four are out of the way, the world is ours for the taking. I shall rule a new and improved world, with Gaia as the almighty god."
* * *
Justin watched the army of Gaia Battlers come closer and closer. "RUN!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. They all turned and began sprinting away as fast as their legs could carry them.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Leen suddenly grabbed her leg and fell to the ground. Everyone else stopped to see why she had screamed.
"Leen!!" Mullen shouted, turning around. "Leen, what are doing?! Get up!!"
"I can't! I've got a cramp!!" The Battlers were getting closer at an alarming rate. "Just leave me, Mullen!"
"I'm not losing you again!!" They all wanted to keep going, but they just couldn't leave Leen behind for those Battlers.
Leen noticed a large shadow move over her. She looked up, and right into the face of a Gaia Battler standing over her. She shut her eyes tightly, as hot, stinking globs of saliva fell from the Battler's pointed teeth.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" Mullen shouted as he charged straight for the creature.
The Battler swung its massive arm at Mullen, knocking him to the ground. Turning back to Leen, it wrapped its long, blue fingers around her neck, and pulled her up into the air, forcing her to look into its snarling face.
Suddenly, and without warning, a large fireball hit the Battler, knocking it off its feet. Leen flew out of its grasp and fell to the ground. Justin looked up to see who had shot the fireball and, to his surprise, saw Liete hovering in the air! Justin looked in front of him and saw that the rest of the Battler army was almost upon them.
"Hang on!" Liete exclaimed. She raised her staff, and it emitted a blue light, which surrounded the group and formed a barrier between them and the Battlers.
The Battlers pounded fiercely on the barrier, but it remained strong. Liete raised her staff again, and an intensely bright light engulfed Justin and the others. When the light subsided, Justin saw that he was in the Great Library of Alent. Liete had obviously teleported them there.
"Is anyone hurt?" Liete asked, concerned.
"Not yet, at least," Justin answered. "How did you know we were still alive?"
"I didn't. You're lucky I was passing by when those Battlers attacked." She paused. "I'm really glad you're still alive."
"Liete," Feena began. "You're not going to like to hear this. Gaia's back."
"I know," she answered. "Actually, I've known for quite some time that Gaia has not completely disappeared." She suddenly became very gloomy. "I...I feel...that we cannot win. Even the Hero and Icarian couldn't save us."
"No! Liete, you've got to think positively!" Justin exclaimed. "We can beat this thing, I know we can!"
"Justin, Gaia has advanced to its fourth stage of metamorphosis. At this high of an evolutionary stage, Gaia is practically invincible."
"Stop it! There's a way to do this! Good always conquers evil!"
"Until now. Come, look what I've found." She stepped up to a nearby wall and touched her staff against it. The wall opened up into a brightly lit portal. "I've recently discovered this portal. In all of my three thousand years in this library, I didn't even know that this was here. It's a portal to the near future...and it looks bleak. Follow me." She disappeared into the portal.
"You think we should?" Sue asked. "Even if time travel is possible, I hear that it's very risky."
"I'm going," Justin announced. "Anyone else?" They all stood still for a moment, but then Feena stepped forward, and the others hesitantly followed.
Justin's eyes were filled with the intensely bright light as he stepped through the portal. Finally, the light subsided and, in its place, was a horrifying scene. They were in the city of Zil Padon, but it was very different looking. The buildings were almost completely destroyed. Gaia Battlers were marching up and down the streets like terrifying law enforcers. The air was so thick with Gaia's spores that the sun could hardly be seen. Gaia's enormous tentacles stuck up out of the ground here and there. The city wasn't deserted, however. People could be seen walking up and down the streets, but they looked very fearful. Rain was pouring down from the dark clouds.
"Liete! Where are you?!" Feena called out.
"Over here!" She appeared from behind a building and ran up to them, plodding through the mud from the rain. "Welcome, my friends. Welcome...to the future."
"W-we've lost, haven't we?" Justin asked Liete.
"I'm afraid so, Justin. And this future isn't distant. As unbelievable as it may seem, this is only a few days from our time. Gaia and Baal have succeeded in conquering the world."
"What about the rest of our friends? Gadwin? Guido? Milda?"
"All dead...even me. Once Gaia had achieved world domination, Baal ordered the Gaia Battlers to kill all who have ever opposed Gaia."
"Make way for Emperor Baal!!" someone shouted.
"Emperor Baal?!" Justin repeated. 'Emperor Baal' emerged from the crowd and walked towards the group. The citizens of Zil Padon bowed down in fear as he walked by.
"He's coming this way!!" Feena screamed.
"You need not fear," Liete told her. "No one here is able to see or hear us." She was right. Baal walked right past them.
"Hey," Nana began. "Th-that's...us!!" She pointed to the Nana, Saki and Mio of the near future. They were following Baal, but they didn't seem at all pleased to be doing so.
"Sergeants," Baal began. "Order your squads to burn the church of Zil Padon."
"Excuse me?!" the future Nana exclaimed.
"That is an order! We must leave no traces of any original religions. Gradually, we shall abolish every religion in existence. It's time for the world to begin praying to their new God, Gaia!"
"Sir, I...." Saki protested.
"That is an order!! Burn the church." He pointed to a large, temple-like church twenty feet from him. "Then, do the same with Laine, then Cafu, et cetera, until the church of every city in the known world is burned."
"But...but...." Nana began again.
"Imbeciles! Fine, I'll do it myself!!" He held his hand up to the church, and in minutes, it was magically set ablaze. People screamed as they ran out of the burning church, some clutching severe burns on their bodies.
The future Mio, who had remained quiet this whole time, quickly went into rage. "That...that's it, Baal!!! You...You're out of control!!!"
"Sergeant Mio, you will address to me as either Emperor Baal or Sir!"
"I won't help you, anymore!! This is just wrong!!!"
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO YOUR EMPEROR IN THIS FASHION!!!!!"
"You're not an emperor!! You're a tyrant and a madman!!!"
In one swift movement, Baal unsheathed his sword and shoved it through the sergeant's body.
"MIO!!" Nana and Saki shouted.
Mio clutched the blade of the sword as it was slowly driven deeper and deeper into her body, rupturing vital organs and shredding tissue. She looked up into Baal's merciless face. He yanked the bloody sword from the girl's body, and she fell to her knees, clutching her fatal wound. She swayed from side to side, and fell face first into the mud.
Nana and Saki ran up to their fallen comrade, and rolled her onto her back. Saki placed her index and middle finger under Mio's jaw to feel for a pulse. She slowly turned to Nana and shook her head in disbelief. They both looked up at Baal.
"Stupid girl," he muttered out loud. Then, he walked away, leaving the sergeants grieving over their lost friend, her blood coloring the mud and puddles around her crimson red. The real Mio watched the scene in terror, knowing that her death was only a few days away.
Feena smelled something like a rotten carcass, and turned around to see what it was. Suddenly, she screamed, and clasped her hands over her mouth in shock.
They all turned around, and gasped at the horrifying scene that lay before them. Feena wrapped her arms around Justin's neck, and buried her face in his shoulder. Right in front of them were the mutilated bodies of Justin, Feena, Mullen, and Leen. The corpses were completely disemboweled, and impaled on large stakes sticking up from the ground. The stench of the corpses was unbearable, indicating that they had been dead for quite a few days.
"Oh God!" Rapp blurted out. "I...I think...I'm gonna be sick!!" He ran behind a building, clutching his mouth and stomach, to regurgitate.
Liete turned back to the corpses. "Baal put those up as a warning of what will happen to anyone else who tries to oppose Gaia," she explained. "And I'm pretty sure that it's working."
Justin kept staring at the bodies. He could see his own eyes staring back at him blankly. He watched as a group of vultures flew around in circles up in the sky. They descended down to the ground, and began to yank bits of rotting flesh from the corpses.
"I won't let this happen!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I WON'T!!"
"This is what will happen, Justin," Liete replied. "Whether you like it or n...."
"No!! Whoever said that the future is etched in stone, anyway?!"
"You should know by now that you can't win. Look all around you. Look at what the future shows us all."
"I know. This is what the future shows us right now...but that doesn't mean that we don't have any power to prevent it! You may not be able to change the past...but you can change the future!! It's been done hundreds of times throughout history!!!"
"And what if we all fail to change the future, Justin?" She waved her arms all around her. "This will happen, that's what!"
"That still doesn't mean that we shouldn't try! Be honest, Liete! Are you really just going to sit back and let this happen, or are you going to get up and do something about it?!!!"
"I don't know, Justin," Feena spoke up. "This future is sort of convincing."
Justin grabbed Feena by the shoulders and angrily glared into her eyes. "Feena! That's why the future looks this way right now!! Because none of us believes we can do it!!!" His face and voice grew softer. "Believe in yourself, Feena!" he whispered. "Believe!"
"L-Liete," Feena began. "Justin's right. We can't just let this happen. This isn't just our problem. This is the entire world's problem! Do you want to see us impaled on stakes? Do you want the entire world to be forced to worship Gaia?"
Liete just stared back for a long time.
"Let's go, guys," Justin said, leading them away. "We don't need her."
"I understand, Liete," Feena called back. They went back towards the portal, and were about to step through it when Liete called back to them.
"Wait!" she called. "I'm coming, too!!"
"You mean you'll help us?" Justin replied eagerly.
She shrugged her shoulders. "What do I have to lose?"
Justin smiled back at her. Then, they stepped through the portal, together.
TO BE CONTINUED
