Chapter 27

The sun continued its steady descent behind the mountain, casting shadows in its wake. The group did their best to stay within the rapidly dwindling sunlight and avoid the shade. Dylan’s eyes glazed over, his thoughts elsewhere, gliding effortlessly up the slope. Despite his appearance, he was more aware of the world around him than ever before. His companions might have worried, had he not occasionally drifted out of his trance long enough to share a glance with Zalee, the young girl with whom he shared a mysterious connection. Dylan would watch her for only a few seconds and smile before returning to the assimilation of his surroundings.

Norm groaned with every step, pushing his fatigued body upward. “I can’t believe how hungry I am.”

“I showed you the meal grubs,” Z’Keni said, chuckling mischievously.

“I’d rather eat dog crap,” Norm replied.

“The coyotes have a den beyond those trees.” Z’Keni pointed.

“Enough. The tree line is just ahead.” Zalee said, pointing. “The Terovian’s and the void may be-” Almost on cue, Zalee’s words were cut off by the thud of the hummingbird hitting the ground at her feet. “Enri!” She scooped up the tiny bird, his body already stiff. “Protect the Scion!” she exclaimed, her eyes darting between the trees.

Dylan snapped out of his trance in time to see a void bearing down on him. He braced for impact, when a snarling blur of gray fur flew over the top of him. Lyca barreled through the void, catching it in mid-air, driving it into the ground. The wolf flailed wildly, gasping as they rolled into the shadows.

“Lyca!” Zalee shouted. The void clutched the dire wolf’s mane in its icy talons. Dylan leaped first, his fists ablaze, plowing into the void. They tumbled down the hill, a flurry of fire, fur and foulness coming to rest in a patch of sunlight. Lyca snapped to her feet and pounced, the beast within taking over, shredding whatever piece of the weakened void she could sink her fangs into. The demon hissed, maniacally clawing its way back to the shadows. Dylan grabbed the void by the neck, driving its head into the ground. He knew any let up would be fatal. Desperate, the demon shrieked, a call to its horde before Z’Keni stabbed the crystal tipped staff through its head. The demon trembled and exploded, a black dust storm in its place.

“Zucchini!” Norm cheered. “Nice work, little guy.” They exchanged a triumphant glance when a collective screech echoed across the mountainside. “Uh-oh. Maybe I spoke too soon.”

“They’re coming!” Zalee said, scanning the trees, Lyca pacing protectively at her side. “We must go, now!”

They dashed toward the tree line a hundred yards away, the last patches of shade as dark as night. The hiss of the hunters straddled the breeze, its icy caterwaul cutting through the warm air. They were almost through when Z’Keni gasped.

“Black ones.” He struggled to keep his feet. A void dropped from the branches above, knocking him backward.

Su’So was almost to the edge of the trees when he heard Z’Keni. Taking a breath, he back-flipped, landing just above his brethren. He plunged his glowing staff through the fiend’s neck, partially decapitating it. Su’So pulled Z’Keni up the slope, his legs churning faster than would seem possible. With the sunlight ahead, another void closed fast. Su’So tapped his staff alight, hurled it like a spear, catching it flush in torso. Light erupted through its body, then its eyes, its mouth, before it disintegrated into dust. Su’So barely reached the sunlight when the massive blade pierced his back and out the front of his chest. He coughed up blood, his arms limp. Z’Keni gasped, looking into Su’So’s eyes as the last glimpse of life drifted from his gaze.

“Su’So!” Z’Keni murmured.

Vorgan stomped his armored boot into the tiny Menehune’s back and drew his weapon slowly from the lifeless body. Z’Keni snapped into a flip-spin, drawing his staff mid-air and smashing it across the Terovian’s welt-covered face. Vorgan howled, swinging wildly, slashing trees and rocks alike. Barely dodging his blows, Z’Keni landed hard, his injured leg buckling. He hesitated just long enough for Vorgan to slice him across his torso. Z’Keni grunted, fell to the ground, awaiting the death blow.

“Vorgan!” A detachment of Terovians flying on what looked like hovering jet-skis arrived, their weapons drawn. “Bane wants the rest alive.”

Dylan, Norm, and Zalee sat on the ground with cannon sized blasters aimed at them. Four Terovians pinned Lyca with an electromagnetic mass increasing net.

“Z’Keni.” Zalee said. “Do not-.”

“No words, girl!” The raider rammed the underside of his hover-jet into her shoulder, burning her.

“Leave her alone!” Dylan snapped protectively.

“Or what Scion,” Vorgan dragged Z’Keni up by the hair. “Stand. Protect your friends. I would strip the flesh from your bones and feed it to my blood-gutters.”

Dylan’s eyes narrowed. “Listen, spike face, if I didn’t have a gun pointed at me, I’d love a shot to see what you’re made of.”

Vorgan smiled at the challenge. “I would-”

“Thank you, Vorgan,” Bane’s sleek, arrogant voice broke the tension, while adding a touch of its own. A larger hover craft lowered into view, carrying Bane and Craven, the former at the helm. “I’ll do the talking from here, grunt.” Bane sighed as if this were all a distraction from something more important. “Well, we are all here now. I am Bane, and I must apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused you, Dylan Maximilian, but Necromanos has instructed me to remove your head. I’m here to fulfill his wish.”

“I dreamt about that guy last night.” Norm whispered, leaning toward Dylan. “He said his name was Ben Arnold.”

Dylan nodded, hearing a name he’d heard before.

“He tried to get me jealous of you and Lucy, then turned into a void.”

Dylan stared defiantly at Bane, his black eyes pure evil. A natural hatred between them, like two opposing polarities. Yet, he sensed a familiarity similar to what he had with Zalee. Dylan’s anger surged, surprising even him. “Wow! All of you want to kill me? But none of you could. Crazy, isn’t it? Raiders, void, the turtle things. All trying to get little ol’ me and my friends. Maybe you just can’t.”

Vorgan kicked Z’Keni into Zalee. “I will-”

“I assure you, Dylan,” Bane interrupted, “I am very capable of killing a Scion. Just ask Max.”

“Necromanos killed him.” Dylan’s face twisted angrily.

Shaking his head, Bane grinned. “In some small way, that is true. However, I poisoned Max.” Bane drew his hands apart, a twisted black two-pronged scepter materializing between them. Glowing with an ebony aura, it emitted an energy similar to the void. “With this scepter, a gift for my loyalty, I planted the seed of Necromanos in Max as well as his crazy old friend. You should know Dylan, he lived in excruciating pain, fighting every day of his worthless life to keep from becoming a void. I killed Max slowly, in a most agonizing way.” Surprisingly agile, Bane jumped from the hovercraft and landed a few feet from Dylan.

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“What crazy old friend?” Dylan asked.

“Chevro?” Norm whispered.

“Wait-a-minute-” Dylan snapped his fingers. “You were Max’s friend, who was with them, aren’t you? You’re his friend, Ben. I’ve heard Nan talk about you.” His face twisted to shock at the man who was once considered Max’s friend. “You betrayed him?”

“He stole from me!” Two Terovians pushed Dylan on his knees in front of Bane. “He betrayed me. He was my friend, and he betrayed me!” Bane gritted his teeth. “Everything was for him and the one thing that was mine… he took.” Bane seethed, his hatred oozing from every cell of his being. “You would not even be here if it weren’t for me. I found her. Me.” He poked the scepter into Dylan’s neck. An electric flash of white, blinding, engulfed the area.

“She was never yours to begin with!” Alaris’ voice boomed. The Praesidium’s light-whip slashed Bane across his torso.

“Praesidium!” Zalee’s eyes widened with hope.

“Run, Dylan!” Alaris said, dual whips striking with perfect precision. In only a few seconds, the knight scattered the Terovians, forcing them to abandon their hover-jets and regroup behind the rocks.

Dylan rushed Z’keni to his feet, looking for an escape route.

Z’Keni pushed his hands away. “No, I will only slow you down.”

“We will not leave you.” Zalee said, helping Dylan, pulling him upright.

“You can, and will,” Z’Keni found his staff and tapped its base. His whole body shimmered. “Now go,” he said, his body fading until it blinked and disappeared.

“Where’d Zucchini go?”

“He is safe. Follow me.” They freed Lyca from the net, and with a shake of her broad shoulders, was ready to run.

Wielding the light whips like a samurai, Alaris tore through the Terovians, creating a diversion for Dylan. They scurried along the tree line, the void still lurking beneath the shroud. Running on adrenaline, they covered the rocky terrain until. “Wulph-” Norm fell hard to the ground, a metallic whip tightening like a tourniquet around his ankle.

On the other end, Vorgan snapped the handle, dragging Norm backwards on his belly.

“Don’t stop Dylan,” Norm called, but he knew better.

“Now you get your wish!” His fists ignited, eyes crackling.

“Indeed.” Vorgan’s icy grin did nothing to hide his anticipation. Dylan charged recklessly. The raider yanked the whip, pulling Norm into Dylan, tripping him. Vorgan pounced, plunging his blade through Dylan’s chest, locking his gaze on his opponent.

Dylan gasped, eyes darting, searching. Dark globs of blood oozed between his lips. Vorgan twisted the metal deeper. Crimson fluid bubbled and dripped from Dylan’s mouth. His hands flickered, the fire fading. He mouthed something to Norm before his eyes rolled to a lifeless stare. Zalee’s scream echoed across the mountainside. Every combatant paused for a second to witness the fallen Scion.

Vorgan raised the blade over Dylan’s neck. “For the glory of the kill, I claim-”-Thunk-.

A baseball size rock smashed the Terovian in his temple.

“Your ass is mine!” Norm glared, reaching for another rock. Vorgan yanked the whip again, pulling Norm’s feet from under him, and raised his blade again. From the side, Lyca tackled the humongous Raider, snatching his forearm in her jaws. She tore at Vorgan’s armored gauntlet, dragging his massive frame to the ground. She chomped, crushed and twisted the metal glove until it broke into pieces. The enormous wolf looked like a normal dog compared to Vorgan, but kept him pinned through sheer ferocity.

“Dylan!” Zalee knelt beside him, blood pouring from his wound too quickly for even his healing ability. She tore a piece of her robe and stuffed it deep into the gash and held it firm to slow the blood loss.

“We gotta get him outta here.” Norm unwrapped the whip from his leg.

Zalee whistled for Lyca. The wolf halted her attack and dashed to the Lemurian warrior’s side. “Lyca, we have to get Dylan to the avalanche gulch, now!” She and Norm balanced Dylan as best as they could across the gigantic wolf’s broad shoulders. “Dylan, if you can hear me, hold on. Lyca, go now!” Norm and Zalee ran alongside Lyca, each keeping a hand on Dylan to keep him centered. His limbs dangled helplessly, blood staining the wolf’s fur.

Dazed, Vorgan spotted the Scion’s accomplices running across the mountain face. He tried to refit his gauntlet, reduced to scrap metal. The Terovian tore out its well-worn blade and sprinted after them. He was closing fast on his quarry when a black bear emerged from the tree line, blocking his path. He surveyed the bear and angled to its side. But the apex predator stood on its hindquarters and mirrored his foe, roaring a challenge at the alien invader. Simultaneously, five coyotes slipped from the trees behind him, snarling. Vorgan seethed as the Scion and his friends increased the distance between them.

Desperate, he charged the bear when he heard the screech. The eagle’s talons tore into his face, gouging one of his eyelids. Disoriented by the aerial assault, he swatted and flailed until he drove the eagle away. Wiping the blue-black blood from his face, he spun around, but the bear, coyotes, and the Scion were gone.

The Praesidium’s light-whips struck from every direction, wreaking havoc on the alien invaders, but the numbers were becoming too much for even Alaris. “Is this what you’ve become, Bane? Another minion of the Hate Bringer?”

“Call me what you wish. In the end you’ll call me master.” Bane blocked the energy whip with his scepter. “Why do you persist?”

“I made a promise,” Alaris said, blocking their deadly blasts.

Bane dropped his scepter to his side as if he were surrendering. “Pity.”

Alaris slowed for an instant.

“Those you protect in the galaxy have done nothing for you.”

-Crack- Vorgan crushed Alaris’ helmet with a branch the size of a small tree. The knight staggered forward. Bane coiled his scepter.

“Orion, protect Dyl-!” Alaris lifted into the air from the next blow. Vorgan struck the stunned Praesidium again as Bane joined the beating. They took turns pounding the fallen knight. A line of blood dripping from the helmet’s visor.

“Bring me the Scion!” Bane pressed his scepter firmly against the Praesidium’s neck.

Eager to impress, Craven jumped onto the nearest hover-jet and sped after Dylan.

“Vorgan, come to me.” Bane circled the battle-scarred Raider. “Why did you neglect communication with us?”

“I am sorry, Bane.” Vorgan bowed his head. “I wished to kill the Scion myself. I suffer from a lust that drives my desires. I assure you, I only wish to serve you and-”

“Enough. You may have succeeded, but if he still lives, the Scion is mine.” Bane waved his hand nonchalantly. “You are a warrior. One who takes ownership for his actions.”

“Yes, Bane.”

“One who does not rely on others, but sees the end, justifies the means.”

“I do.”

“I have a task for you.” Bane smiled wickedly. “Create a camp within the trees, a rally point for the raiders until I have disposed of the Scion. We will remain there and continue our assault until the armada and my ship, Diobal, arrives. Then, I want you to deal with the Praesidium. I want its armor cracked open and whatever is inside…. kill it.”

“Thank you, Bane.” Vorgan bowed, hardly disappointed he would not get another chance to kill the Scion or take the Praesidium’s armor for himself. Still, through his bloody smirk, he couldn’t contain his joy at the thought of torturing Alaris.

Craven spotted Zalee and Norm in the distance. “Send the Raiders to this position,” the Terovian commander spoke into his com-link, angling his hover-jet after Dylan.

“They’re right behind us.” Norm struggled to keep pace.

“Get ready to fight.” Zalee said when a whooshing noise drowned her out and a blast of air rushing over them. In front of them, waves materialized into a silver spacecraft, its door already open.

“Inside, quickly,” a metallic voice hummed from the vessel.

“Lyca. Go!” Zalee ordered, directing the dire wolf, and the unconscious Dylan, into the craft. Blasts careened off the ship before it faded out of sight.

“I am Orion. I am assigned to Alaris, the Praesidium who rescued you…who I have just abandoned.” The voice trailed off.

“The Scion is hurt. We need to get to the gulch, just to the North. It is marked by a cluster of stones at its base.”

“I have the location. Arriving in ten earth seconds.” Orion said, speeding to the coordinates.

“What of the Terovians pursuing us?”

“Terovian arrival, at least forty-one seconds. You may stay on board. Alaris orders were-”

“We must get to Telos!” Zalee shouted. “That is our best chance to save… the Scion.” Zalee pressed the blood-soaked cloth over Dylan’s wound.

“Affirmative, opening landing ramp…now.”

Zalee repositioned Dylan on Lyca’s back and stepped into the loading area. “Thank you, Orion.”

“Drop zone coming, now!”

The door flapped open a few meters over the gulch. They jumped together and landed awkwardly. Dylan slid off Lyca’s back. Norm and Zalee hoisted his lifeless frame around their shoulders.

“This way.” Zalee moved a few feet to her right, catching sight of the Terovian hover jets. “Stop here. Stay close to me.” She pulled Dylan into her arms, holding him tight against her. “Lyca, Norm, be still. Ra’ Na, Ra’ Na Mu.”

“Feels like- uh-oh” The ground shook and softened beneath them, sucking their feet downward until they disappeared into the mountainside.