Part VIII

Lyla watched Etian hobble onto the stone platform and subconsciously ran her pale fingers along the band of the sepulca resting on her neck. The polished metal felt freezing cold against the silver Allon pooled at her fingertips.

‘Etian we cannot just leave them here.’ She said looking to Tosh for assurance.

Tosh cleared his throat and began to speak but Etian interrupted. ‘I know she is right, Tosh.’

They all patiently waited, silently watching as the massive red orb passed over the horizon and out of view. As the moments passed Etian’s vision slowly returned and he began to study the tiny markings covering the edge of the hatch. From behind him he could hear Lyla moving to each of their pursuers checking to make sure none were seriously injured as Tosh gathered their remaining equipment and prepared to breach the site. Etian felt a strange tug as his hands passed over a symbol resembling a small fork and suddenly the hatch came to life as cascading patterns illuminated the cover.

‘What is that?’ Tosh asked his eyes going wide in wonder.

‘I think he is opening it.’ Lyla responded as her jaw slacked.

The top of the hatch vibrated in his hands as Etian traced his fingers in the same patterns as the cascading lights before it clicked loudly and popped open spewing out stale rancid air. He gasped and barely kept himself from retching up the little food he had eaten before retreating to the grass of the mound.

‘That is a horrible smell.’ Lyla said turning to gather a piece of cloth from her bag.

She also retrieved a handful of small berries and mashed them into a pulp slowly ringing them inside the cloth before wrapping it tightly over her nose.

‘Smash some of the agavu berries and cover your noses. It helps.’ Lyla said handing them both a few berries.

‘We should try to find out what is in there. They will be waking up soon.’ Etian called moving into the hatch.

Beneath he could see a large room still illuminated by blue crystal as he slowly climbed down the ladder to the floor. Etian felt uneasy waiting for his companions as he peered down each of the four long hallways exiting the room.

‘We look to be the first here in a very long time.’ Tosh said stepping down from the ladder behind Lyla.

‘Why would they send us here if they are not here?’ She pondered aloud looking at the thick layer of dust covering the room.

‘We will have to answer that for ourselves. We may not have much time so we should get moving.’ Etian said before turning to walk down the southern corridor. ‘We can try this one first.’

Blue chirped from above before climbing down the ladder hanging onto the rungs with short black claws before landing gently on the tile floor.

‘Stop messing around.’ Lyla said pointing at the darting blue fur that shot past her feet down the hall.

The passage stretched out as far as they could see when they began moving quietly down the length of it but before long they reached the end and stood atop a large stone platform overlooking a massive room. The floor of the room below them was littered with strange devices that appeared to Tosh to be full of materials not found in the lands of the empire.

‘My father spoke of things such as this but I never believed it.’ Tosh whispered scanning the floor below. ‘Do either of you see a way down?’

Etian helped Lyla onto the ladder and soon they were all safely on the floor below. He watched as Tosh tried to manipulate one of the devices while Lyla propped herself up with the dull Mishun staff.

‘I have never seen anything like this.’ Tosh said trying many different combinations of the strangely coded keys covering the control panel.

‘Are you sure that is such a good idea?’ Lyla asked watching him begin to smash his hands against the pad depressing multiple keys at once.

‘No but it is something.’ He answered as frustration covered his face before smashing the panel once more and walking away from it. ‘Etian you try it. The door opened for you.’

Etian stood silently for a moment wondering what had changed inside of him. It felt like forever since just days before when everything came crashing down. It started in his stomach as a growing bubble of fear and quickly expanded upwards through his shoulders like a stampede of anguish rushing past his arms drawing in electric sparks from the air around him. As it reached his hands the silver tracing pathways along his palms began to glow a burning white and he reached for the control panel before him. The air between his fingers and the softly glowing keypad hissed and crackled with electricity as he brought them together in a roar of knowledge that flowed up his arms and into his subconscious. Instinctively he clicked the correct keys and sent the device into motion releasing the object trapped inside.

‘Can you understand all of that?’ Tosh asked him watching as Etian worked on the strange control panel.

‘No not exactly.’ He answered as the crystal tank shuddered before releasing a hiss of air and then slowly retracting.

Etian reached into the machine and withdrew the small metallic fragment from the green gelatinous goo that held it in stasis.

‘What is it?’ Lyla asked him looking at the small shard he held between his dusky orange fingers.

‘It feels warm in my hands.’ He said looking at her with question clouding his eyes.

He wrapped the small piece of metal in cloth and placed it gently inside his pack while Tosh and Lyla looked over some of the remaining devices.

‘We need to check the other passages while we have time.’ Etian called to them beginning to climb the ladder.

They followed him up the cold dusty rungs and onto the platform above silently moving through the long passage as Blue slalomed between their feet. Without notice the roar of an eruption flooded the chamber pounding against their ear drums and sending them all crumpling to the ground beneath. It felt like an eternity that Tosh knelt against the tile as dust and small pieces of debris harmlessly fell around him. Placing his hand down on Etian’s shoulder Tosh nodded and they all began moving back to the center. The central chamber was still in one piece when they stalked through the square cut opening that led down the passage.

Ahead in the northern hall Etian saw a strange form moving through a large cloud of dust and motioned for the others to look that direction. Tosh and Lyla watched as the stocky creature gathered large pieces of stone and easily cleared a path through the newly formed destruction.

‘What is that?’ She whispered.

Above them the grass was still littered with broken protectors and the fallen forms of Talin and his crew. He lay motionless on his back slowly opening his eyes to see the afternoon sky above and no sign of the red pulsating orb. As he sat up Talin realized all of his companions were still slumbering around him and he began cautiously trying to wake them.

‘Shari, Nhari, wake up girls.’ He called watching to make sure they both responded before continuing. ‘Piet, Sumas. The event has passed.’

Piet stood trying to maintain his mask of icy calm but inside his fear of the orb still resonated as he struggled with the dark images flashing past his subconscious. He quickly pulled his hood up to cover the shiver trickling up his spine.

‘You look like out of sorts.’ Sumas said adjusting the main flow value on the control panel mounted to his belt.

Piet watched as glowing green liquid flowed through the tubing connected from small tanks on Sumas’s back to the polished joints at his hips. A low groan escaped Sumas as his massive leg muscles rippled and increased in girth empowered by the liquid.

‘We must find them now Talin.’ Piet said watching as Sumas finished recharging himself.

‘Boys, what is that?’ Shari asked pointing in the direction of a large column of smoke.

Just a few meters north of them a large sinkhole pouring smoke tore the ground wide open between two of the pillars.

‘How long could we have been out…’ Nhari began before Piet interrupted.

‘There is no time!’ He shouted stalking to the top of the platform.

Standing atop the dais Piet could see the hatch had been opened and quickly rushed to hurry down the ladder calling to his companions to follow.

‘What has happened down here?’ Talin asked covering his mouth to block some of the smoke.

Seeing Lyla lay motionless against the tile Shari tugged at his sister’s hand and began pulling her towards the pale form. As they reached her Lyla coughed up a mouthful of dust and tried to clear her throat.

‘They have them.’ She managed between quick coughs.

‘Who has them?’ Nhari demanded with anger obviously covering her features.

Lyla coughed loudly and Nhari watched as she pointed towards a broken opening in the passage. Inside the fragment chamber she saw what Lyla drew her to. Crumpled against the tile floor a stocky snout faced creature lay lifeless in a pool of black blood.

‘Oh my, that is quite peculiar.’ Shari said tilting her head to one side as she studied the scene.

Piet slammed his black glove against the wall of the passage sending out an echoing thud as a snarl passed over his lips.

‘Sumas, take the girls and this… thing and figure out what the council has neglected to tell us.’ Talin said before continuing. ‘Piet you come with me.’

Sumas opened his mouth in protest but seeing the look on Talin’s face he kept quiet and gathered the disgusting corpse in his arms.

‘The transceivers will not work down here without modification, Talin. You two may be on your own until we can find answers.’ Sumas grumbled looking back over his shoulder.

Behind him Nhari and Shari followed as they gingerly helped Lyla stand and supported her uneasy steps back to the ladder.

‘You just worry about getting communication restored and finding answers. Contact us as soon as you can.’ Talin called following Piet into the opening as he withdrew both of his blades preparing for an ambush.