As humanity reached the stars, they went off in search of planets and moons to inhabit and colonize. They colonized the galaxies and planets they could find. While on their mission to also find intelligent life, they quickly discovered that there were no other species capable of thinking and acting like them. Only mindless animals that roamed wherever they liked. They alone were the only ones capable of using their minds.
Then, war between humans came. Factions formed as an interstellar war reached the far reaches of the known universe. 30 centuries of war brought devastation on an unprecedented scale. Then, as the war raged on, Naxari-2A, the largest star, exploded. The power of the explosion caused severe disruption to every machine and form of technology.
Thousands of ships were lost in space, and millions died as the generators' cooling brought forth nuclear destruction. Millions of ships fell from the sky. Planets were lost as communications stopped.
The Great Darkness had come.
In the 200 Centuries that the Great Darkness reigned, civilizations devolved into religious and primitive beings. New culture and beliefs were formed. And when the Great Darkness finally stopped, they remained their ways while they discovered the technologies again.
Earth was the first to reach the stars again. There, they began the Great Unification. In less than a millennium, all but the ones in wasteworlds were regained through diplomacy or war. Many of the planets were recaptured by different factions. And in order to maintain peace, the Emperor of Earth gave the factions autonomy over their regions. Some obliged while others refused, leading to another war that saw the Empire over Earth be victorious.
The factions that obliged became houses. There were nine;
House Karadon, the brutish fighters in the Noxor region.
House Ballanor, the men of the northern winterworlds.
House Galdia, a technocracy and industrious ruler of many factoryworlds.
House Tallania, religious and loyal fighters in the Sea of Graves.
House Aran, merchants in the overworlds.
House Tharabyss, a militaristic house that watches over the Bexiliam Sea.
House Eruan, spacefighters that rivalled none.
House Goran, the most controversial of the houses, as they practiced blood sacrifices.
FInally, House Hallan, rulers of the Milky Way galaxy, and the rulers in Earth [or Terra Prime, as most houses refer to it.]
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“Aiuk, Tau’sha, Indil, Magthohk. Sinbil. Agthan.” A priest wearing a red robe all around, spoke, chanting with a throaty voice that was being enhanced by a nearby mic. The crimson-red silk also covered the priest’s face.
The priest was on top of a stage that loomed over legions upon legions of Goran soldiers. Ten battalions worth of soldiers, to say the least.
The soldiers were standing in a formation that saw all of them at a fixed distance, away from each other by 2 feet. The soldiers were wearing dark, crimson armor. The design was terrifying yet beautiful. It gave off a brutish aura, yet it was pure and clean. A murderous yet loyal feeling.
Those can be said for the soldiers of house Goran. They were seen as terrifying soldiers. Terrifying and loyal. Others would not assume the latter, though.
As the priest stopped chanting, he crept towards the body at the center of the stage, where it was laying on top of a stone table riddled with inscriptions and glyphs. The body was that of an old and shriveled man. Nude all over except for his private parts. His body was pale and his head was bald.
As the priest stopped in front of the body, the thousands of soldiers dropped down and groveled, simultaneously and silently.
“Aiauena.” The priest chanted aloud. His voice was joined by the thousands of soldiers reciting the same words. The sound echoed throughout the place.
Gray clouds gathered around as the chanting continued. The sky was dry. No rain fell. No calamity ensued.
The melody became complex as the soldiers joined the chant. Low and high pitches formed with harmony. Their voices were more than ritualistic or ceremonial chants. Inside the voices were sadness, agony, regret and sorrow. Pain filled their voices.
It may have been hard to recognize it but the emotions were there through the monotone chants, unnoticeable to weak ears
And as the chanting reached its summit, the priest took out a knife and slit the corpse’s throat. Red liquid escaped furiously from the wound. A wave of red flooded the neck.
“Azar, I Faltohk.” The priest muttered loudly before holding out their hand to bathe their finger in it. The priest dragged his finger from the center of the chest to the neck, slowly and hard. The priest felt the wrinkled skin of the dead on his finger. He could feel all of the wrinkles as he made his way to the neck.
Eventually, his finger was drenched with the blood of the corpse. Like sauce, he drenched more of his finger in the blood. And when he was satisfied, the priest placed it in his own mouth before licking it all from his finger as if it were a delectable snack.
The soldiers stopped groveling and stood up.
From beneath the stage, servants wearing the same colored robe walked towards the soldiers, carrying a bowl filled to the brim with fresh blood.
It was the blood of the corpse.
The blood reached the table, and as the fluids got into the table, they were being sucked in by a vacuum that was responsible for filling up the bowls of blood.
The soldiers removed their helmets, which resembled a hornet’s head, revealing skin as pale as the moon of Terra Prime. The servants came to them, offering the bowl. Without hesitation, the soldiers drank it.
From a balcony inside the palace, Ackerson watched the whole ordeal. He was disgusted at such animalistic ceremonies that the Goran’s did. He has never seen these ceremonies up close or with his own eyes, but he has heard of them from others. And he had never heard of something so true. It was gut wrenching to know that these kinds of things were common in the Ganthal region.
“What a horrid thing.” Ackerson said as he stared out from the balcony.
“Do not slander them while you’re in their territory, boy.” A man came to him from behind. A person with dark skin was wearing fine silk clothes draped over a red cloak that touched the floor. That man was Regent Tolgor Unkid, the overseer of House Goran. “Saying that within Goran territory is idiotic enough, but saying it here? In Axaldor II? In their capital planet?! Absurd.”
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He had been the overseer of House Goran for nearly a century, He knew who they were and what they could do. He knew their ways more than anyone.
“You do not have the voice of opinion here, boy.” Tolgar warned. “Learn their ways, or you shall forever be blind.”
“Their ceremonies are absurd on their own. What kind of culture would do such a brutish funeral?” Ackerson retorted. He was not the type to be fazed by threats, and he was the type to speak his mind when he wanted to. ”Barbaric.”
“These are not barbaric. They only follow their own religion.”
“And why can’t they be like House Tallania?” House Tallania and House Goran’s religion were like black and white. Complete opposites. While House Goran believed in funerals that had them drink their own people’s blood, House Tallania believed in funerals that had their dead be burned to ash.
One sought to destroy, and one sought to preserve. Figuring out which House Goran was was quite a predicament.
“Their religion has nothing to do with House Goran’s.” Tolgar said. “Now quickly, you have a meeting with Lord Estellan. It is urgent, right?”
Despite his quarrels with the Regent, Ackerson never forgot why he was here.
After the 104th's descent, they had no communication with them for over two weeks. The storm clouds that gathered were too disruptive. And given the number of rations they had, they needed to find a way to extract them. Though they couldn’t just fly their ships into the planet. The storm also disrupted radars and navs, making it hard to evade mountains and rocky terrain. They had no other choice but to send a search party.
The only territory they were near was House Goran. So, Admiral Stern had no choice, it was them or the fresh 101st recruits. This was the safest option.
Ackerson walked through the dark hallways of the palace where Lord Estellan the Plague Hand resided. The convoy of bodyguards accompanied Ackerson and the regent as they made their way to the large dining hall.
The great doors separating the hallway and the dining hall opened with a guttural noise. The room was spacious and capable of housing multiple families. The long table spanned from one end to the other. And at the other end of the table were Lord Estellan and his family, his wife, Queen Barda, and two children, Princess Astanya, and Princess Loriel. Lord Estellan was sitting at the head of the table with guards just behind him.
Behind Lord Estellan was an enormous painting of the Great Lord of Goran, Lord Urshan the decapitator. The painting had him looking out at the distance on top of a ridge. This was no mere painting, though. It was the painting of Lord Urshan overseeing the siege of Kalldor. One of the greatest battles of his time.
Lord Estellan and his family were eating their food like dogs, eating them till they were all gone or bones. The food varied from meat to vegetables. None were safe, as nearly all of them were nearly eaten.
“I-” Ackerson tried to speak but was interrupted as Lord Estellan raised a finger, gesturing him to wait.
Lord Estellan was not a sight to behold. He was obese and ugly. It was contrasting to how his daughters were all beautiful. When Ackerson saw Lord Estellan’s face, he saw that he had nearly his entire face scarred by an explosion, leaving him looking like an abomination. He too was bald and pale, like every other male in House Goran.
Lastly, the thing that caught everyone’s eye was his prosthetic left arm, which resembled a hook. He was using it right now to eat. Lord Estellan chewed with an open mouth, Disgusting, grotesque, and barbaric were the words Ackerson would use to describe it.
“Have I seen you at the ceremony?” Lord Estellan asked with a voice so disgusting. Ackerson didn’t want to answer, but he needed his help.
“I was on one of the balconies, sir.”
“The visitor?”
“Yes.”
“What brings you here again?” Lord Estellan asked himself before answering it a moment later. “You come to my place for aid?”
“Yes, Admiral Stern requires assistance.” Ackerson said, trying to hide disdain in his voice. “We require one company to help our efforts in retrieving the 104th company.”
“My men? Does the fleet have no men left to spare?”
“We do not, sir. Though we have the fresh 101st, an experienced group would better suffice for this. Otherwise, casualties would amount.”
“You’re Tharabyssian.” It was not a question, but a statement.
“Y-yes sir, but if I may, w-why bring that up?” Ackerson saw that Lord Estellan’s eyes were filled with anger.
“You come here?! Of all places? A Tharabyssian?! Asking for my help? Absurdity!” Lord Estellan could only laugh pridefully. In all honesty, Lord Estellan had a grudge against House Tharabyss. And the fact that Ackerson was one did not help. Although Lord Estellan wasn’t hot headed, he had quite the grudge against a select few. One of those were Tharabyssians.
Knowing things might heat up, Tolgar came to Lord Estellan’s side and muttered words to deflate the tension.
“Lord Estellan, this man may be Tharabyssian, but he is part of the Expeditionary Fleet. He is on House Hallan’s orders.” he whispered.
“The Emperor?”
“Yes, my lord.” Lord Estellan turned to Ackerson, his face still tainted with a tint of hatred.
“A company?” He asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Sadly, we cannot. The Seventeenth Month is coming to a close. That means the season of mourning comes next.” Lord Estellan spoke honestly. “My people are fervent believers in our faith. Even the military cannot stop them. So, until the month ends or volunteers accept, no help can be reached. And of course, I can’t just redirect the ones fighting in rebel sectors to your aid. I am speaking the truth, boy. The fact that you are their kind does nothing to change it. I am fair, and I am just. It is just as it is, pardon our unavailability.”
“That is…a problem for us.”
“I am sorry, but no help can be given at this time.”
“I see.” Ackerson said before saluting. “Could you help with volunteers, sir?”
“Volunteers during this time are scarce, so it will take time, but not within a few days.”
“So, in other words.”
“Tharabyssian, you’re on your own. The fate of your company may already be decided within those few days of inactivity.”
“I see.” Ackerson stood upright. “Thank you for listening to me, sir. I must take my leave now.”
With that, Ackerson saluted again and left the dining hall. Tolgar followed. As the two left, Lord Estellan made a remark towards the Vice Admiral.
"Not bad, that one is."
“Good, you didn’t disrespect the Lord of the House.” Tolgar said as he caught up to him. Ackerson was headed back to the airport.
“I may be straightforward, but not all the time. I’m Tharabyssian. ‘Practicality over all’ is basically our motto.” Ackerson retorted. “Besides, I’m not the one who had an outburst.”
“Pardon Lord Estellan, he has his history with the Tharabyssians, just like his bad relations with others like House Galdia.”
“Is it true? Is it true that he does not act upon his emotions during such matters?”
“Lord Estellan may hold grudges, but he does not let that affect him. Lord Estellan knows better than to let his hatred push him to war. Otherwise, we would be enemies right now.”
“He is capable, I must say that.”
“Everything that House Goran decrees is carefully examined first by their Lords. So, to say that he is capable is a common statement.”
“He prioritizes his people. I commend that. Tharabyss could never.”
“They watch over the Bexiliam Sea; why is that?”
“Pirates, rogues, rebels. Anyone could hide there. And anyone could die there. So, it’s being watched by the soldiers of Tharabyss.”
As Ackerson finally reached the entrance of the palace, he turned to Tolgar.
“This is goodbye, Regent.” Ackerson said with a salute. Tolgar bowed.
“Though it has been quick, it has been a pleasure.” Tolgar replied. Ackerson then headed toward the hoverlift station. There, he would ride one of the VIP lifts as he was a Vice Admiral of an Expeditionary Fleet.
As the hover lift left the station, Ackerson could take a look at the whole place. The skies were bland with gray, yet the place felt peaceful and quiet. There are no raging storms on the horizon. There is no dangerous debris everywhere. The city was in sight, and the houses that came into view were quite bland as well. For a capital planet, the world seemed like no other common world.
He then took a look at the coastline. Waves crashed against the sand, and more would do the same. But it was neither too violent nor weak. It was the perfect mix of the two. Ackerson thought that he could live here and finally be at peace.
“Despite their religion, they aren’t that bad.” Ackerson said to himself. He then realized that he needed to report everything to Admiral Stern. Quickly, he grabbed a circular disk inside his uniform. He pressed one of the three buttons, causing a small red light to emerge and blink.
After a while, the blinking stopped, and out of the center emerged a holographic display of Admiral Stern.
“What is it?” The hologram asked.
“Reinforcements aren’t expected. They’re too busy with their own stuff.” Ackerson reported.
“I see. Did you get out alright?”
“Yes sir…” Ackerson realized something. “Did you expect me to be in trouble?”
“What?!” Stern acted surprised. “No! Of course not!”
“Lies.”
“Yes. I expected you to get in trouble. To be honest, I thought you would have been in trouble once you came out of the ship.”
“Why do you guys expect me to do that?”
“You’re brutally honest at times. Problematic.”
“I apologize.”
“Don’t. You did good.”
“Sir, if I may ask, how did you get an audience with Lord Estellan?”
“Favors. I called in favors.”
“I see. Though, sir, we have to call in the 101st.”
“Don’t worry, I already called them in when you reported your failure.”
“It’s not…I-” Ackerson wanted to deny those allegations. But he didn’t want any more trouble. “I’ll be there within the day.”
“Copy that.”