Star Rising: Heartless (19 page)

Chapter 19

Amlaidh felt like a ten ton weight was crushing his chest as he accepted the incoming hail. He sat on the bridge of the
Egmont
.

He pressed the button and the image of Yashvir took form. The frown wasn’t real. Amlaidh knew the scowl was just a projection of light. Nonetheless he could feel the cold scrutiny that bore down at him.

“You’ve floundered once more,” uttered Yashvir, his voice was edged with iron. “Even with the aid of the Dearg I provided, you failed utterly.”

“My apologies, Father,” said Amlaidh. There was a part of him that yearned to put some blame on him, to tell him that had not been for the Dearg’s interference, the boy would be in his possession at this very moment. But despite his contemplation, he checked his tongue.

“I grow tired of your apologies.”

“I will not fail you again. I’m your son.”

“You’re no son of mine!” Yashvir’s words were followed by a series of coughs. When he was done, he said, “I will find someone who can complete the task that is obviously too daunting for you.”

“That won’t be—”

But the image was gone. Taking with it the approval he had so long craved.

“Arghhh!” Amlaidh fell to the cold steel floor, slamming his fist into it. There was a crack, followed by a stab of pain, and then by a pool of blood. He didn’t care. He continued to beat at the ground, hoping the pain would ease the hollow feeling on his chest.

It didn’t.

ΩΩΩ

Beatrix sat on the ship’s bridge, looking out the window at the alien stars. Unlike the star patterns back on Palek, everyone here was strange to her. They didn’t make sense. As she watched them, homesickness overcame her.

“This entire mission was a waste,” she said to no one in particular.

“On the contrary,” countered Sophic. “We learned a great deal. The presence of a Dearg makes it clear that they were being controlled. Didn’t you notice that it was going after the boy a well?”

“No. Not really,” said Beatrix. She had been so invested in her own thoughts that she had almost forgotten that Sophic was with her.

“Oh, yes,” said Sophic. She sat, tending to a cut that ran down the length of her right arm. “We will report this to Gavin. Perhaps he will be able to make some sense of it all.”

Sophic continued talking, but Beatrix was no longer listening. Her thoughts dwelled on Palek. When she had left her family, she had made it clear that she was going to make the Alioths pay for stealing her home. But on her first mission she had failed miserably.

Nonetheless, as the ship entered the Outer Ring, Beatrix felt a newfound sense of determination. She was a Palek; a mighty descendant of the plain warriors. This small hiccup in her plans was but a stepping stone on her path to reclaiming her home planet for her people.

And now, the once-faceless entity that was the Alioths had a tangible form. The silver-haired boy and Nandi. Those two Alioths had hindered her plans today, making them the two who would be the first ones to die in her quest for justice.

ΩΩΩ

Grand Sensei Kayos’s office felt much colder than the last time Xalen found himself in it.

Kayos sat on her seat, looking back at Nandi and Xalen.

“Fortunately Reave was able to intercept the Black Sanction’s encoded message and warn Sensei Barteau of the Sanction’s plan,” said Kayos in her slow, frail voice. “Which was fortunate. I doubt any of you could have dealt with the dual threat that the presence of a Dearg and Sloe Grimm presented.”

“What was a Dearg doing there?” asked Nandi. “The planet was supposed to be devoid of them.”

“We thought so, too,” said Kayos. “Reave has a theory that the Black Sanction has control of the Deargs. The fact that the Dearg that attacked you on Boilye, yet didn’t go after any of the Black Sanction members adds credibility to his claim.”

“Is that what you’ll be reporting to the Bastion, ma’am?” asked Xalen.

Kayos looked up at him with old, tired eyes. “No. There is no need to bother the Bastion with baseless assumptions. Besides, Sensei Barteau was able to kill the Dearg. There was no harm done.”

No harm done?
thought Xalen. A Dearg had come after him and attacked a group of Alioths. Why would Kayos not report such an incident?

“One more thing,” said Kayos. “In their reports, both Sensei Barteau and Sensei Wize mentioned that you seemed to absorb the toxic liquid the Dearg emitted. Do you have any idea how you accomplished such a feat?”

“N...no, ma’am,” said Xalen truthfully. “One second I felt as if I was burning alive, the other I felt energized by the poison. It was almost as if it had given me its life source, making me stronger that I previously was.”

Kayos examined him gravely. Then her usual smile formed on her lips. “That is all then,” she said abruptly. “You’re both free to go.”

Nandi and Xalen bowed slightly to the woman and scurried out of her office.

ΩΩΩ

The weather was absolutely atrocious. A frosty, harsh wind beat at the trees, swaying them to the side, forcing their leaves to the ground. Lightning fell from the skies, repeatedly creating a spectacle of power through the dark skyline.

Xalen remained undeterred by the rigid winter. If anything, he rather liked it. This was the perfect weather to remain indoors, sitting by the window with a warm mug of steamed milk.

“Nandi!” called Xalen. The Mordered had rushed out of the office and was now moving urgently toward her room. “Ifi is holding some kind of gathering at the cafeteria. Want to come?”

“I don’t think so,” said Nandi. Despite the harsh winds, her skin remained silky smooth, devoid of any goosebumps. “I need to go to my room and train. I couldn’t defeat that Black Sanction girl. Obviously, there is still a lot of room left for me to improve.”

“C’mon,” insisted Xalen. “That girl was freakishly skilled and you held your own. Besides, Ifi asked for you to come.”

“She asked for me?” Nandi could not camouflage the shock in her tone.

“Yes.”

“Me? Are you certain?”

“Yes. She wants you there.”

A smile formed on her lips. “Errr … okay. I have to do something in my room really fast. But I’ll be there in a little while.”

“Sure. I’ll see you there.”

Nandi seemed to be struggling between a smile and a frown, before either could win out, she turned and darted away.

ΩΩΩ

Nandi took all usual precautions. She closed the window. Made sure the door to her room was locked. Lowered her voice and steadied her breath.

“I’m here,” she said, speaking to the voice that emitted through her datapad.

“How is your progress coming along?” asked the voice at the other end. The voice was rough, and she recognized it immediately as that of Njabulo, the leader of the Legendary Ten. “Have you gained the trust of the Alioths?”

“Well, sir. The Alioths suspect nothing. They still don’t trust me fully, but many of them have come to accept me, somewhat.”

“Somewhat?”

“It is difficult, sir. Many of the Alioths are wary of Mordereds. They believe us to be a group of traitors, and honestly, I can see why they do. I mean. Isn’t that what I’m doing now?”

“Is that doubt I hear in your voice?”

“N…no. It’s simply that I came into Alioth believing that they were all the same, but…” She thought of Sensei Barteau and Xalen. Strangely, the annoying face of Ifi flashed in her head. “The truth is that some of them aren’t that bad. They’re kind, even.”

“Kind? Have you forgotten who it was that led Thoko to her death?”

“Of course not. I will never forget.”

“Keep in mind who it is that you serve. You belong to the Mordered kin, not the Alioths.”

“I will never forget. I’m a Mordered, like my sister before me.”

“Good. Continue to gain their confidence.” Then the voice was gone, replaced by a low hum of static.

Nandi thought back to Xalen’s invitation. She walked out of her room and headed toward the dining hall.

“This is part of gaining their confidence, just like the training with Xalen.” As she whispered the thought to herself, a small voice in her head told her that they were empty words. Her subconscious told her that she liked the Alioths and wanted to be part of their group. That she wanted to be close to them and share in those moments of carefree conversation.

“Just part of the mission,” repeated Nandi, drowning her treasonous thoughts.

ΩΩΩ

The dining room looked much different than usual. The long tables had been pushed against the wall. Hundreds of balloons bounced on the ceiling above. There were a number of colorful banners stretching from one end of the hall to the other.

“Welcome, friend,” said Ifi. She ran to the table at the end and poured a mug of milk. She ran back at him, spilling most of it on the floor.

“Thanks,” said Xalen, taking the nearly empty mug. “Where is everyone?”

She shrugged, throwing her neck back. “I guess we’re the only ones coming. Can’t really blame them. No one knows me here.”

“Don’t you feel bad that no one showed up?”

She smiled innocently. “You’re someone.”

“Errr …yes, I suppose you’re right,” said Xalen, opting to forgo any more conversation about the empty dining room. “So … what is there to eat?”

Ifi grinned from ear to ear. “I’m glad you asked. I made my famous creamed tart. It’s a delicacy from my home planet.” She took him by the hand and pulled him toward the table on the left end of the room. “See?” she said pointing at a brown and white mush that looked as tantalizing as Veridian slugs.

Xalen tried his best to not gag. “It looks … um, interesting.”

“Oh. It’s more than simply interesting. It’s indubitably splendid.”

Thrilled, she served him a spoonful. The gunk made a loud ‘plop’ sound as it settled on the plate. She handed it over.

“Try it. You’ll like it. I promise you there is no one more jammy than you.”

“Jammy?” Xalen gave a nervous laugh. “What is that?”

“It means you’re lucky.”

Xalen brought a spoonful to his mouth. Surprisingly, it didn’t smell half bad. It had a sweet cinnamon aroma with a tint of Yingue.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared, Whiz Spark. I would think after battling Deargs and the Black Sanction, a dessert would be easy pickings.”

Xalen turned to the sight of Nandi. Despite her smile, she seemed troubled by something.

“Oh. This is no problem.” Xalen took a breath and stuffed a spoonful of creamed tart into his mouth. The slimy delicacy stuck to his tongue. After a few licks it struggled down his throat. He found that he rather liked it, and took another spoonful.

Ifi served Nandi a plate and pulled up to chairs for Nandi to sit. “I will now entertain you.”

“That really won’t be necessary,” said Xalen. “Let’s just talk.”

“No. No!” said Ifi eagerly. “You’re my guests, and I’m the host. I must entertain you.”

Nandi motioned for Xalen to sit, which he did.

“Her people get like this,” said Nandi. She gave him a look somewhere between a mischievous grin and a defeated shrug. “They feel like it’s their responsibility to make sure their friends are taken care of at all times. Of course, you already found out a little about that back at Boilye.” She gave him a wink, which only made Xalen’s face flush with heat.

“Let’s just watch Ifi,” said Xalen sharply.

He settled down and kept his eyes glued on the Krington girl, who was relaying a story about the animals she saw during a trip she’d taken. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t feel hollow inside at times. That he didn’t feel alone and utterly unwanted. He was a freak, after all; an anomaly that many in the universe wanted to get their clutches on. However, right now, as he gazed at the two girls, he felt a sereneness wash over him. The Deargs, the red-skinned Zander, and the Black Sanction might all be after him, hunting him as if he were some sort of prize. But at this moment he forgot all that, opting to let those problems be a dilemma for another day.

He took another sip of his milk and chuckled a bit as Ifi continued with her over-the-top impersonation of a Toles chimp.

“Those twats circle like this,” she said, struggling to hop on one foot. “The great Sensei Wize and I saw them on our trip to Tenka.”

From the corner of his eye, Xalen noticed that Nandi was having a hard time stifling her laughter. A tear of joy escaped her eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

Ifi fell on the floor with a loud whimper.

They all broke out into a string of laughter.

Many problems and tribulations no doubt awaited the trio of Alioths, but today, they were simply three teenagers lost in each other’s companionship.

Epilogue

A ruffle in the air. A scent of decay in the winds. A morbid aura emanating from the end of the cave.

It is in this ambiance that the bounty huntress felt more at ease.

She had been summoned here by her newest client. A being that simply referred to himself as Mr. Black. Usually she her reputation was such that her clients came to her, but the advance in credits deposited into her account had been too great to ignore.

Of course, there was always the chance that this was just a trap, a ploy to lure her to a remote planet. She had made many enemies throughout the cycles, it was a hazard that came with the profession. But she feared not. If it was an ambush, it wouldn’t be the first one she’d experienced, and she was certain it wouldn’t be the last. Like the ones before it, she would deal with it quickly and efficiently.

She caressed the colored jewels that adorned the necklace around her neck. Those little beauties would never let her down. With them, she could conceive any sword in the known galaxies. It was a lost art of energy metamorphosis only known to five others in the galaxy. And it was her absolute mastery of this ability that made her the best.

“They say you’re the best,” came a slow, grim voice from the tube in front of her. It was a misty black, making impossible to see inside. “That no one ever escapes your grasp.”

“That is correct,” was the bounty huntress’s only response.

“Good. I have an Alioth that must be brought to me.”

The bounty huntress licked her eager lips. “Alioths. My favorite targets.”

“The one you seek is known as Xalen Blangi. He resides at Zizor.”

The bounty huntress turned around and walked out of the cave. “Say no more. This Xalen is as good as yours.”

End of Book One

Book 2 of Star Rising Series coming soon.

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