Chapter 18
Will Volu and Bae do the unthinkable? And what of Phai? Read on to find out!
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Ettwanae's knees buckled, sending her to the ground.
"No, Volu! P-please, don't!" The sobs came violently. It was a knife to the soul when the blue-black monster sneered as if she were something vile.
"Weak!" it growled in a foreign voice, nearly spitting the word.
Ettwanae sensed both Bae and Volu powering up. The monster sensed it as well, and looked at the two hovering Eshaar'ne. Even more darkness drew across his face. With suddenness that made Ettwanae jump, it was slammed to the ground, snarling and straining against invisible shackles.
Then it seemed as if the two Eshaar'ne drew a collective breath. Ettwanae's heart stopped.
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Warren threw open the dimensional portal. No time for subtlety. Power gushed through, instantly turning his metaphysical self into blinding light. The construct shook with screams, and the blue-black shrank back.
He felt Den-neer collapse against him, but couldn't stop to check the man's condition. He pulled in Source. It swirled wildly within him. As Den-neer's mental shield dissolved, Warren unleashed the energy. More. Brighter. And still more.
Warren stood. He pulled energy in and channeled it out. Still more. Stronger and still stronger. Brighter. Brilliant.
The construct writhed and tilted. Dark retreated from Light.
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The blue-black monster unexpectedly stiffened. Its red eyes going blank.
Ettwanae blinked. She thought she saw something. There – again!
"Volu!"
"We see, my Poda!"
The sight was mesmerizing as the dark figure began to glow more and more brightly. Suddenly, beams of intense brilliance shot from various places on its body, almost as if a shell were cracking to let light out. The creature staggered, then roared in agony. Silver wings snapped taut to their full glory – sharp points and long, thin shapes reminiscent of the feathers they replaced…gleaming, flashing…sun glinted off razor edges. Beautiful in their own way, but so very clearly lethal.
With another anguished roar, it flicked the wings and a hail of deadly blades impaled themselves everywhere – the stony wall, ground, door of the mountain fortress, and most frighteningly, into the shield protecting Ettwanae.
Stunned, Ettwanae held her breath as the blades dropped harmlessly to the ground in front of her.
/ Ettwanae, do not move! / Volu warned sharply.
/ I couldn't if I tried! /
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Warren pulled more and more Source into himself and funneled it outward in increasing quantities. He felt invincible. Any sense of having a body, physical or otherwise, evaporated. Identity left him as the screams of the blackness faded. He became the thrumming power and the light…and something…someone else – another gentle presence.
The construct dissolved, leaving only radiance. A small being sat at their feet, looking up in rapture. Its soul was troubled, but not to the point of harm.
Sensing others nearby, they reached out – two identical beings, one different. They touched their souls and found them well. Tenderness flowed within as they brushed the different one, but did not understand the accompanying sense of intimacy.
Turning awareness toward the retreating blackness, they searched it. Soulless. Of no consequence. Move on. Another essence burned darkly, nestled puzzlingly within themselves. Parasitic infestation.
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Hope filled Ettwanae as dark blue and black gave way to ivory skin. Golden locks of hair sprouted and grew. Silver blades became white feathers. Warren collapsed to the ground.
'Ozshi'wanae, if that is you, continue. Please bring Warren back to me!'
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Attempting to draw the dark essence in, it eluded and retreated to a psionic bubble. No matter. There was nowhere to hide. They grasped the small globe. It crackled and sizzled as if trying to ward him off. Amusing. Curious. Perhaps further exploration to satisfy curiosity.
/ What are you? /
The entity tucked more tightly within what it illusioned as protection.
/ I am the apocalypse! / it snapped back in bravado.
/ You are but a small thing. Do you not belong here. /
/ Not small! This body is to be mine. I am destined to bring a new age. /
Body? New age? That confused, yet mattered not. The entity hiding within the egg-like sphere was black and not salvageable. Light would only be tainted by its continued presence.
Pulling deeply from the endless well, he gathered Source, held it, and shaped it into a brilliant dagger. Then holding the egg beneath the point, they tensed.
/ What are you doing?! / the small entity shrieked in sudden terror.
/ Banishing darkness. /
###
Light continued to intensify until it consumed Warren, and Ettwanae could no longer see his form. She had to cover her eyes – he had gone as brilliant as a star. Then like a tidal wave, euphoria hit her with almost physical force. Instantaneous, she was in heaven – floating; cradled in a bliss that defied description.
Then the feeling melted away just as quickly, leaving her gasping and trembling.
Coming out of her reverie, Ettwanae's heart nearly stopped when Warren let out a piercing scream. His body seized; his back arched. Den-neer cried out as well, but not nearly as loudly. Then as if the telepath hadn't been breathing, his body shuddered as it drew in a ragged, deep gasp.
As the screams ebbed, Warren went limp and deathly still. Ettwanae panicked, scrambling to her knees. The force field remained.
"Volu, let me go! It's Warren – that was his voice. Please!"
The field held for several long seconds; then, "Very well."
When the barrier fell away, Ettwanae crawled to the man she loved, tears streaming. She saw his chest rise, then fall. Alive! More tears.
"Warren! Please, goddess…please let him be back with me."
As she reached her beloved, Den-neer sat up, at first looking confused, but then quickly collecting himself. "He's alive."
"Yes!" She gently took his once-again beautiful face into her shaking hands. "Warren, can you hear me? I love you. Please, wake up," she encouraged, so afraid of what damage possession by the nannites may have done. She scanned his face, combed fingers through his silky hair, touched his lips – he felt right, looked right. But was he all right?
"He's coming out of it," Den-neer announced, just as Warren stirred. "Volu, any sign of bionite activity?"
"None. They are dormant. For now."
"But he is still infested." It wasn't a question.
"Unfortunately, yes."
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Warren felt someone touching his face and heard people talking. What happened? Where was he? He recognized a voice.
"Ettwanae?" His mouth felt dry and pasty.
"I'm here, Warren."
He opened his eyes to a blurry world, but vision quickly cleared. A tearstained but beautiful face greeted him. He managed a small, reassuring smile. "Hi, there," he whispered.
With that, she fell upon him, clinging and crying. Something very bad had happened, but what? Her weight, though light for her size, still pressed his wings uncomfortably into the hard ground. He endured it for a bit, giving the young woman time to release the worst of the intense emotions. "Sweetheart, I need to sit up," he finally said into her ear.
Immediately, another pair of hands was helping from behind, and he looked back. Den-neer. Once upright, he noticed Volu and Bae's large forms looming off to one side above the garden. 'What the hell?' He did remember being in the garden. They were mediating. Then something went wrong. Bits and pieces started coming, but it was confusing and filled with flashes of black tendrils reaching and grabbing.
Ettwanae didn't look up to talking. He pulled her in close and turned back to Den-neer. "Do you know what happened?"
The man gave a single nod. / After you are done here, come find me. I will explain everything they, / he gave a slight gesture to the others, / do not know. / The telepath stood, albeit somewhat unsteadily, and returned to the facility.
Ettwanae leaned away upon hearing Den-neer leave. She wiped her tears and then touched his face as if trying to confirm it was really him. "Warren, you scared me so. I- I thought I'd lost you! But you're back and…and we will go to Etxan'Ir, and it will know how get rid of the nannites. Then you'll be safe."
Nannites? Oh my god! If what he thought happened, did… Glancing around, the silver evidence sticking out of the ground and garden wall could not be denied.
Taking her face into his hands, he looked deep into her watery, blue eyes. "Ettwanae, I…" He swallowed, trying to get pass the cotton in his mouth. "I fully transformed, didn't I?"
When she nodded her head and blinked back new tears, it confirmed his worst nightmare. He felt like vomiting.
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Ear-splitting screams. As consciousness rose, their echoes rang clearly. She thought she may have heard her own amongst them. Another recalled fragment of blinding light sliced through the mental fog. Confusion swirled; then images flooded her of the vicious attack. Eyes jumped open and she jerked violently, sending a spasm through her low back.
"No!"
A familiar rusty-red, triangular face hovered above. Elder Kel. But she wasn't real – no sense of mental presence. Holo-image.
"You are safe, Phai. The Eilu assassins are dead. The healer has performed well and you are mostly mended, but you must rest a while longer. You are weak."
She worked to make sound from her parched throat. "Who? How?"
Kel leaned away. Phai was instantly worried. The Elder's Yat form didn't allow for many facial expressions, but the eyes revealed much if you took the time to learn their nuances. She wiggled fingers and toes; touched her face – everything worked and felt fine. It wasn't her physical condition causing the pain in those yellow eyes.
"You are whole, Phai."
"Kel, I know you well. There is something more – tell me."
"We summoned more guards when we got word the Eilu were targeting the Council."
Phai remembered the urgent message she hadn't opened. "Ayr tried to reach me."
"Yes, and when you did not answer, we feared the worst, but security was already dispatched. Your own guards were dead when Etagllot forces arrived. They found you in the garden. Eilu had overwhelmed you."
Memories of her screams… "They were draining my Aru." A single dip of Kel's head confirmed. "If the guards been slower…"
A holo-hand of four very long fingers rested on her arm. "Thank the Goddess they were not."
Kel's eyes said 'But…' Phai's body went tense. "Who else was attacked?"
"Sequi."
The eyes answered her next question before asked. Her breath caught and emotional shock rocked her. "Not Sequi!" Kel remained silent with deep sadness darkening the yellow eyes to amber. Disbelief. Denial. Stunned. Reactions to which even an Elder of Elders was not immune. She brought hands to her face and silent tears flowed. Sequi often disagreed with her, and they frequently argued, but it was not behavior meant to be difficult. Sequi was logical, analytical, of strong opinions, and a highly valued member of the Council. Often the devil's advocate, he helped keep her sharp. But once the Council made a decision, he supported it fully.
Her fellow Elder sat quietly as Phai dealt with the emotional aspects of the news. True to form, Phai reined in grief, wiped her face, and steeled herself. To lose an Elder this close to the final battle was a huge blow, but not as devastating as losing two would have been.
She sat up; the room whirled, but then resettled. Kel watched her closely. "They knew exactly whom to attack." Phai was not being arrogant; it was simple fact.
Kel rose up on the four delicate legs that supported her long, thin torso and began to shuffle in a way that told Phai she'd been sitting too long and needed to stretch. Kel was dear to Phai – if the Eilu had killed her instead…
"Everyone's secure? The rest have checked in?"
The triangular head perched on its lengthy neck bobbed. "They have. We do not believe there will be any more attacks, at least not immediately. The Eilu may have focused on you and Sequi as your sectors are the most critical in our Trient."
Suddenly, Phai's chest clenched. "Taer? What of her?"
"Safe. I spoke with her myself before you woke."
Phai eased back down into the soft pillow. She was weak as Kel warned. "Thank the Goddess. How did they find us?" Kel's shuffling legs indicated she was growing restless. Why? Just as quickly, the answer came. "We need to move everyone."
Again, the head bobbed once. "The others are already relocating. My ship waits in orbit, as does yours." As if given a signal, several guards entered her bedroom, light cannons resting in the hands of all but the burliest one. "Go with the guards, Phai. Uulophar is ready to depart."
Kel's holo-image was moving away. The Elder was likely following her own guards. Phai eased up, suddenly feeling very much out of control – an uncomfortable sensation. "For where?"
The Elder turned back; her mantis-like body held high on delicate legs, a sign of tension. "Secrecy is our best defense at the moment. You will learn of your destination once aboard. If you do not agree with Ary's selection, change it." The Elder's delicate arms came up in a gesture of mild surprise. "He has been remarkably unruffled through the last hours. Perhaps Ary is better in a crisis than many of us believed." Phai raised eyebrows at that, but held her tongue. "As soon as you are able, Phai, convene the Council. We await your signal."
Kel's image winked out and the bodyguards closed in. The largest swept her off the bed before a single protest could be uttered. Thusly, the Elder of Elders of the Shozen Council was carried to an idling shuttle. Phai was too preoccupied with new troubles to feel any indignities.
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A short installment, this one, and no cliffhanger at chapter's end, but many new questions. Next time, another shorter chapter in which Warren wants some answers and Phai regroups.