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STAR CHILD
RETURN TO THRAE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lady Friah groaned as she tried to move.
"Hold still." Someone said in a quiet distressed voice.
The attack had caught them completely unaware. Thousands of robots swarmed through the Lost Encampment without any resistance. Lady Friah had to laugh at the incompetence of the human race. Here they gathered in all their glory, last survivors of once great Houses, only to be ambushed like ignorant child. Lady Friah dared to raise her head to see what was happening. The horrific sounds of battle bombarded her from all directions. Her tent had partially collapsed, leaving her in a small pocket of open space. Her companion in the tent was a young boy, dressed in peasant clothing. She didn't like the fear that painted his face. There were no openings for Lady Friah to see outside, but the sounds of slaughter continued. How quickly encouragement can change to terror. Sir Illion, so brave and ready for war, was the first to die. Right in front of Lady Friah, as Illion called to his warriors, a blast from the advancing robots disintegrated his chest. The look that painted his face as the remains of his torso fell to the ground was forever seared into Lady Friah's mind.
"What is your name?" Lady Friah asked as she mentally searched her body for injuries.
"Liam Ember, Ma'am." The frightened young man said still whispering.
"Of what House did you reside in Liam?" Lady Friah asked, she lay her head back down on the ground. She needed to talk, needed to hear her voice, from what she could figure out, her legs were either broken or perhaps missing. She couldn't move her head high enough to see for herself, but truthfully she didn't want to know the full measure of her injuries.
"I'm. I'm from the House of Cleas. Lady Friah, we need to be quiet." Liam said as something heavy marched past them.
"House of Cleas." Friah said, ignoring Liam's concern. "Lady Patnea is a brave woman."
"Please Lady Friah." Liam begged for her to be silent.
"I need you to honor the House of Cleas and all other Houses." Lady Friah inhaled deeply. "What I'm about to ask of you will be dangerous, but for all Thrae this quest could mean the difference between extinction and salvation."
"Lady Friah, I'm just a cook's apprentice and a bad one at that." Liam said.
"Apprentice or not, you must find Grand Master Ochen of the Rose Konig Clan. Tell him. tell the Grand Master that Prime seeks the Star Child and Prince Asrais of Soldaat. It is dire that Ochen stops this
maniac."
"I can't do this. please Lady Friah. I'm too scared." Liam hid his face in his hands.
"We are all afraid, Liam, but it is time for both of us to contain that fear and do what is right."
Liam could only nod his agreement.
"Liam. I am about to cast a spell. I need you to leave now."
"Lady Friah." Liam said desperately.
"Run Liam." Friah started to weave her spell; the finger movement was so complex that Friah screamed from the pain. Liam was in a panic, he didn't want to leave the safety of the tent, but he could see that Lady Friah was combining attack spells, weaving it into a magical shell that would explode with more power than Liam could imagine.
"RUN LIAM!" Friah screamed the pain of the casting was almost to much for her. Liam pushed his way out of the tent, ran over to a dead horse to dodge detection of several robots. He wanted to cry, his fear was so overpowering that he had to close his eyes to get himself to move again. By sheer luck, Liam made his way out of camp, just in time to be thrown through the air as the Lost Encampment erupted in a blast of pure magical destruction. Liam staggered to his feet, blinded by the brilliant flash of energy Lady Friah had released with her spell. As Liam stumbled over the hill, to his horror he watched as the robots emerged from the still blazing encampment. Lady Friah's sacrifice had been in vain, her spell hadn't destroy even one of the miserable robots. Liam's fear boiled away as he glared at the departing robots. Nothing would stand in Liam's way, through the pits of Thannox he would travel, Grand Master Ochen would get Lady Friah's message. Liam swore his allegiance to Lady Friah; her sacrifice would not be forgotten.
"PRIME!" Dei-Monk Sarone screamed. He staggered out of the Dwarven cave and stumbled towards the motionless autonoid. "Sir, we are defeated. The Dwarves have power we did not consider."
"I do not care for your evaluation of the battle Dei-Monk. I only want possession of Prince Asrais."
Sarone looked around in confusion. "We are dying inside there Prime, the Dwarves have weapons of great magic, and nothing will stop them."
"I. Do. Not. CARE!" Prime screamed, in a swift, supernatural speed Prime grabbed up the Dei-Monk and threw him down the jagged mountainside. "I want Prince Asrais NOW!" The autonoid yelled to no one in particular.
Lord Aero smirked as he watched Prime storm off the silver chariot and march toward the cave opening.
"Grem?" Aero said once he was alone.
"Yes Master, I am here." The invisible boy said, appearing next to Lord Aero.
"Prime will not find Prince Asrais here." Aero said confidently. "Continue your vigilance on Prime. I believe his robots have a weakness. Find that weakness Grem."
"I will do my best, Master." Grem said proudly, puffing out his impish chest.
"Why have an army, but not use them? What fault could Prime's robot hold?" Aero said rubbing his chin as he thought. "Go now, Grem, become Prime's shadow. I must discover this intriguing secret. It is the nexus to my destroying Prime, of that I am sure."
"I will make you proud Master." Grem said and as he bowed low, his body shimmered into nothing, turning invisible once again.
Aero grinned, with all those centuries of existence; Prime was still a pompous fool. Lord Aero was an expert in patience, something Prime had never learned.
Sovereign Abto swung his axe, grunting as the blade sliced through the nearest Monk.
"Die ye scrawny cretin!" Abto cheered. "Invade my kingdom will thee? Damn Darellers, ye no better than ye naked cousins."
Abto marched forward over the dead or dying Darellers, he had seen the miracle bestowed upon all Dwarven weapon, and knew was a gift of the Star Child.
"Sword master Apak, move thy arse and stifle this flow of Darellers. It will take weeks for us to clean the stench of them out of here." Sovereign Abto grinned as he looked around at the dwindling combat. "We crushed the insolence out of these sneaks."
"Sovereign. An autonoid has entered the Golden Mines." A Dwarf yelled as he came running up to the Sovereign.
"Then do away with him. No need to babble about to me." Sovereign Abto shook his head at the ignorant Dwarf.
"No Sovereign, ye don't under." An explosion interrupted the Dwarf. "The autonoid is relentless!" The Dwarf yelled, pointing up to the level above them. Sovereign looked up and muffled a cry as twenty or more Dwarves fell into the blackness of the pit.
"I will not be defeated. Assemble forth as many warriors as ye can and follow me!" Abto commanded. Though Dwarves were short in stature, with stubby little legs, they were amazingly fast. Sovereign Abto raced up the level without breaking a sweat. Abto had seen many forms of evil in his long life, but this creature was ultimate sin. The autonoid waved his mechanical hand and six Dwarves burst into intense flames, consuming them completely. With a wave of his other hand, four other Dwarves shot into the air and over the edge of the pathway, falling quickly to their demise.
"Cursed beast." Abto growled. "Cursed blasphemy of existence, ye dare attack us?"
"Brave words." Prime laughed and pointed to the angry Abto. The Sovereign gasped and fell to his knees, as he felt his ribs crack and crumble. Abto tried to scream, by the pain was too strong.
"Tell me where Prince Asrais is and I will end your pain." Prime said indifferently.
"To. Thannox. with thee." Abto spat, it took all his strength to remain conscious. "There. is nothing. here for ye, demon."
"So very brave for a dead man." Prime weaved another spell and Abto screamed again. Blood oozed out of Abto's ears now as he gasped for precious breath.
"If Prince Asrais isn't here, then where will I find him?" Prime asked. "Tell me and I will end this torment."
Sovereign Abto coughed up blood; his head was spinning as he felt his eyes begin to melt.
"Sem ..Sememman Sea." Wheezed Abto. "To. the blackened beach."
Ash lost count on how many levels they had traveled. Had it been fifty or sixty, he wasn't sure. Thankfully Otto never tired, giving in to his pride, Ash allowed Otto to carry him as they descended deeper and deeper into the pit.
"I believe we should come to a bridge, which will be the tunnel we need to take." Otto said more to himself than to Ash.
"Why is it getting warmer?" Ash said wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Enjoy it while you can, I'm afraid the tunnel we will be taking will be deathly cold. The Caverns of Erland are rumored to be made from an ancient glacier."
"Oh that's fantastic." Ash moaned. "I'm going to freeze my butt off for two days?"
"I will do my best to keep you warm." Otto said hugging Ash closer.
"Hey." Ash laughed. "I'm burning up now, wait for the loving later."
"There's the bridge." Otto said.
"Let's go." Ash looked up, though he hadn't been able to hear sounds from above for hours now, he wondered how the Dwarves had managed. Ash stared at the mystical hilt in his hand, no matter how many times he looked at it; it still amazed him how beautiful it was. The trick he had done with the war hammer, had surprised him. However, it was a comforting surprise. Ash couldn't have lived with himself, if he had to abandon the Dwarves the way he had the Fly Boys.
Ash wiped more sweat off his brow; he was ready to welcome the cold. The heat was unbearable. His underwear clung to him and his shorts were damp from sweat.
"How long do you think it will take us to get into the caverns?" Ash asked.
Otto stopped walking and gazed forward into the tunnel ahead of them. "From the map Sovereign Abto showed me, I believe it will take us approximately two hours."
"Two hours?" Ash groaned. "I think I'm melting here."
Otto put Ash down and gave him the water container. "I do register a higher temperature here." Otto added as if Ash needed reassurance.
"Oh man." Ash said as he gulped down the water. "This really is painful. I don't think I've ever been so hot." Ash unzipped his shorts and slipped them off. "Auntie Emma would die if she knew I had on the same underwear this long." Ash tried to laugh.
"I have an idea." Otto said smiling down at the near naked boy. "If I carry you, we could travel quicker. If possible you could journey the entire trip in my arms." Otto picked Ash up. "If you could sleep while I carry you, we could travel straight through and cut our time in the caverns to only a day or so."
"I'll try anything. anything to get out of this cavern." Ash said.
"Then it's settled. Let me know if you become uncomfortable and I will slow down." Otto said. Before Ash could reply, Otto began running, the breeze felt wonderful against Ash's sweat covered skin. He relaxed back into Otto's large arms and stared again at the hilt, trying to imagine the Star Child whole.
Otto was amazing, Ash barely felt a judder or bump as the zipped through the tunnel. Ash hated to admit it, but he would mind traveling this way forever. It didn't take long for Ash to become sleepy, he tried to stay awake, but he kept nodding off. Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Save me, Prince of Soldaat." The voice said. Images of a meadow filled with bodies, a gross combination of flowers and blood, in the distance a shining city burned. Ash floated above the bodies, searching, hoping that they all weren't dead. Finally, he spots movement, a hand thrust into the air, and then the survivor forces himself to stand. Dressed in firm fitting armor, the man looked more like an astronaut than a soldier. Covered in blood, the man stumbles away from the meadow, eyes wide in despair. Though the man's hair was gray, he was young; it felt to Ash as if he was looking at a relative.
Gone were the meadow and flowers and the endless bodies of dead. All replaced by dull metal walls and control panels. It looked to Ash like something from a sci-fi movie, in the center of this odd room was a large glass cage. The gray haired man walked into the odd room, no longer covered in blood, but looking drained as if he hadn't seen sleep for weeks. Ash watched as the man leaned over the multicolored blinking and beeping control panel, almost too tired to move his eyes across the endless displays of information. Ash floated over to see what the man was looking at, but the digital readouts were beyond Ash' s understanding. The man looked up towards a glass cylinder next to the control panel. With a quick guided movement of his hands, the room came alive with a deep vibrating hum. Inside the cylinder, a spark appeared. The spark grew and expanded, lurched and dimmed.
"Damn you, stabilize." The man cursed. Suddenly a woman walked into the room. Ash sighed at the beauty this woman possessed. She hugged her swollen belly lovingly, Ash didn't know how pregnant she was, but it looked like she was ready to explode.
"Lazar, you should be resting." The woman said rashly, but she smiled and gave Lazar a quick kiss.
"I'm full of Biomeds Gwenia, anyway you know I can't just sit around and do nothing."
Gwenia frowned, but nodded her understanding.
"Any luck with your experiment?" She asked turning her attention to the glass cylinder.
"No matter what I try I can't stabilize the gateway." Lazar groaned. The woman called Gwenia looked over the control panel and pressed a few buttons as Lazar stared frustrated at the pulsing spark.
"Could it be the Dark Matter interfering with your breech?" Gwenia asked.
"I believe I've studied very possible problem. Since I am attempting to crack open the subatomic structure of the Dark Matter, into an unknown element, I think it maybe beyond anything our science can achieve." Lazar shook his head.
"Come now Lazar, you aren't giving up, are you?" Gwenia laughed. "All the years I've known you, you've been too stubborn to give up. If this new energy could save the world as you think, then Lazar you can't quit now."
Ash floated between the two people, these were his ancestors, his family. He so wanted to hug them, to tell them all about his life and adventures. The pains of losing his parents before he got the chance to see them or talk to them suddenly hit him hard. Ash closed his eyes and savored the sound of Lazar's voice, the laugh of Gwenia.
"Damn my inquisitive mind." Lazar cursed. "Only I would go looking for Light Matter inside Dark Matter." He chuckled as if he was acting stupid. "But can you imagine Gwenia the power Light Matter would give us?"
"Oh yes Lazar, you have told me many times. Since Dark Matter makes up over 80% of our universe, regulating our reality. Light Matter being the opposite, would almost be like magic." Gwenia patted Lazar's shoulder. "But first my sweet, you must steady the breech."
"If I only knew how." Lazar gazed across the control panel and frowned.
"Perhaps you just need to increase the magnetic field." Gwenia asked. Ash watched as the woman turned a dial. This seemed to worry the man.
"That's too high Gwenia." Lazar said.
"Stop being so cautious." She laughed.
The humming noise turned into a deafening screech. The room exploded in burning light, Ash forced himself to look over at the glass tube, the spark had changed, no longer made of light, it was a solid glob of pulsating plasma. Tentacles of light shot out from the glob, striking the control panel. Lazar pulled his wife to him, protecting her from the spray of sparks as the panel exploded. Another streak of light flashed out from the plasma ball. Ash screamed as he watched the light tentacle struck Gwenia in the stomach.
"Gwenia!" Ash screamed and almost fell out of Otto's arms.
"What's wrong?" Otto said panicked.
Ash looked around at the dark cave tunnel, blinking his eyes to make sure this wasn't the dream. However, the chill brought him back to reality; he shivered suddenly as the cold breeze sucked the heat out of his body.
"How long was I asleep?" Ash asked, hugging his chest in an attempt to subdue his shaking body.
"Eight hours and twenty three minutes." Otto said efficiently. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"I. I guess. Otto, I'm freezing m.m.my ass off here." Ash shivered uncontrollably. The only light was from the Star Child hilt, which made the nearby walls shimmer and sparkle. "The. The walls."
"We are in the Caverns of Erland. this tunnel is formed from a glacier." Otto said almost nonchalantly. "I'm sorry to say we have at least another sixteen hours of these caverns."
"Sixteen hours? Otto. I'll freeze to death before. before we get out of here." Ash moaned, with shaking hands he tried to pull on his shorts, but he was too drained. Going from burning up to this unbearable coldness, was a torture Ash wasn't prepared for.
"I could increase my speed, but it still would take over ten hours. Perhaps we should turn back."
Ash nodded, he couldn't think of anything else to do. "I'm sorry Otto. I just can't stand this cold any longer."
Otto stopped running. Ash looked around, still only able to see a small area of the cavern.
Ash shivered harder, his teeth chattering, was it Ash's imagination or was it getting colder. "Can w.w.we go now?" Ash almost begged.
Otto didn't move, didn't speak.
"Otto? Please, can we go now?"
"Ash." Otto finally spoke, though it was slow and cautious. "Something is moving towards us."
Ash quickly looked around. "Which way are they coming from?" Ash whispered.
"Behind and in front." Otto cocked his head and grimaced. "Ash I need to put you down." Not waiting for Ash's response, Otto carefully lowered Ash to the frozen floor.
"Do you know who it is?" Ash said as he tried to balance himself on the ice ground.
"No." Otto said sharply. "But I determine from the vibration registered, they are large."
Otto held up his axe and slapped it into his open palm. "I will try to make an opening for you Ash. I want you to run away as fast as you can."
"I won't leave you." Ash said quickly.
"Ash I'm not going to argue this. Here they come!" Otto swung his axe behind him, even before Ash could see anyone. A horrendous scream filled the dark tunnel, so terrifying that Ash forgot all about being cold. Finally, Ash was able to see the creatures and he wished he hadn 't. There wasn't anything that could describe the total horror Ash felt as these creatures surrounded Otto and him. They were huge muscle bound hulks, with long narrow heads and mouths filled with dagger teeth. Ash couldn't tell how many were behind Otto, the first one he had struck with his axe lay dead on the ground and hindered the approach of the others. However, hovering over Ash were four monsters and it was all Ash could do to keep dodging their snatching fingers. Otto swung his axe again, stopping a creature from grabbing Ash.
"RUN!" Otto screamed. Without hesitation, Ash darted through the four monsters, one screaming madly as its chest oozed foaming blood. It was hard to get any traction on the icy ground, Ash slipped and slid, but managed to stay on his feet as he ran. There were several more loud screams, telling Ash that Otto was taking care of these grotesque monsters. Ash continued to run, though he could only see a few feet ahead of him. He stumbled slightly and had to glide to a stop.
"Screw this." Ash whispered. He held up the hilt, using it like a torch and looked around. No sign of monsters, though he could still hear Otto fighting. No longer running, the cold clung to him once more. Ash rubbed his hands together in the attempt to warm them. He was determined to wait for Otto; there was no way he was getting separated again.
"Come on Otto." Ash said to himself, impatiently staring back into the darkness.
"Freeeesh meeeeeeeeeeat." Something growled behind Ash. He turned to see two monsters stepping into the dim light.
"OTTO!" Ash screamed, but before he could move, one of the creatures grabbed him. Ash tried to break the monsters hold, but it was too strong.
"Foooood ta' night broth'r." the one holding Ash grumbled.
"Ta'night? I is hungry now." The other one barked. "Me say we eat it now."
"Let me go!" Ash managed to say as he struggled to get free.
"No go, ya"s our food . not much meeeeat, but bet it still tasty." The monster tightened his grip on Ash and lifted him off the ground.
Ash kicked and clawed, trying everything he could to get free, but the monster was too powerful. He was about to give up hope when suddenly a naked boy walked out of the glacier wall.
"Unhand the child, foul Fomorian." The boy said calmly.
"Away wit' ya, stupid Eller. This be our meeeat." The Fomorian holding Ash barked. Ash looked over the thin boy and wondered how the Eller could look so calm.
"Release him now Fomorian or my brothers will slay you." As the Eller spoke, six more boys walked out of the wall and into the tunnel.
"No fair Eller. no fair!" The Fomorian protested, but released his hold on Ash.
"Come over to me child." The boy said softly and confidently.
"My friend is in trouble. do you think you could help him too?" Ash asked quickly as he walked towards the group of naked boys.
"I'm all right Ash." Otto said as he appeared behind the men. Ash would have hugged him, but Otto was covered in Fomorian blood.
Ignoring the arrival of Otto the boy stepped closer to the worrisome Fomorians.
"Leave these caverns now, return to your prison in the sea." The Eller commanded. The Formorians snarled and growled, but there was no fight left in them. Slowly the monsters back out of the light and disappeared.
"Thank you for saving Ash." Otto said silently. "May I ask who you are?"
Ash noticed that Otto hadn't relaxed, he held his axe at the ready and glared towards the seven men suspiciously.
"I am Nazarus and these are my brothers." Nazarus turned to the six boys behind him. "This is Eyre, Kodith, Munear, Taiga, Kier and Tinen. We are the Oaken Warriors of the Rose Konig Clan."
"The Rose Clan? How did you happen to be here in the Caverns of Erland?" Otto asked suspiciously.
Nazarus's jaw tensed and he looked gravely to Ash. "We have come for Prince Asrais."