They hadn’t seen any other dark warriors in a long time. It was like meeting with an estranged brother for the first time in ten years. For some of them, they hadn’t seen each other in a century or two. Tristan usually met with the other team leaders every two years or so but with the Malus dialing back their vigilance; they hadn’t met in a decade or so. Tristan stepped off the plane and watched the six figures standing near the small airport entrance. A tall icy blonde male came toward them. An angry expression seemed to be fixed on his face. He held almost no emotion as he silently took in the warriors as they appeared behind Tristan from the plane. Technik, who stood just behind him, let out a loud whoop in acknowledgement to the tall lean, barely muscled man that stood further from them. The two ran at each other like young siblings, Technik stopping just short for a chest bump. Ignoring the racket behind him, the icy blonde man locked eyes with Tristan.
“It has been a while, Tristan Omen. I’m surprised we haven’t had this meeting before now.” They clasped arms in the Dark Warrior greeting, grasping each other at the opposite elbow. The power between the two was so strong the life source glowed just under their wrists, illuminating their hands. The man’s strong British baroque filled the air and rang above the yelling.
“I know, we hadn’t a reason to meet. Everything down here seemed fine but now times are changing; now we need to start making plans.” Tristan released his arm and stretched out his hand, palm up, to the warriors behind him. He introduced them each, with their skill, motioning to each in turn. “Team, this is Anglo Shepherd, leader of the European team. This is Vectio, our transporter. There’s Technik, our techy, the guy who’s screaming like a little girl. Our healer is Julius Constantine and Mendax Andana, our storyteller. Our tracker, Chase Hunter, isn’t here with us currently but you will meet him later, I assure you. I think Vectio is the only one that you’ve previously met. The final battle on Malus, just under ten years ago, I believe?”
“Yes, I am sorry for the loss of your previous team, Vectio.” The Shepherd’s words held no change of tone and his sentiments held no emotion and yet just the speaking of the words meant a lot. Vectio nodded, not speaking, as usual. “Meet my team.” He stepped to the side to motion behind him. “Ace Drake is our Techy, the other half of the screaming duo. I’m assuming the two fools know each other.” His eyebrow twitched slightly as the two men ignored the rest of them, garbling on about some new technology that Spiritian had invented using life source from their planets trees, incredulous. The others chuckled as the men started the most immature slapping match between men, obviously over a disagreement on technique and mechanics. “The man with the blue hair and piercings is Tyler Shaman. He’s our healer. He doesn’t look like one but he easily fits in with the rocker crowds, and we do have many occurrences with them in Europe. Hawk Trapper, the man with the bird on his shoulder, is our hunter. Ranrund Raconteur is our storyteller. He, believe it or not, just discovered that he can also bend the life source in air allowing him to control weather. Who knew?” His tone was dry but the announcement of the ability impressed them all, especially Mendax who immediately made a comment about learning the skill, which received a nod from the other storyteller.
“Aren’t you missing a warrior? I count five. And who’s this lovely woman?” Mendax spoke up, his voice filled with charm, eyeing her. Vectio looked over the woman and nearly choked on his silence, she exuded the power of elfin beauty. Her soft features covered smooth skin and her large blue eyes complemented the soft white of her long hair. Just the tips of her pointed ears poked out from her hair, she looked like an ethereal Elvin princess. Her Spiritian background was evident in the elegant way she stood with her hands clasped at her waist and her head tilted up. There was a glimpse of the hilt of a dagger just at her hip.
“The woman is Ida Courier. She’s our transporter. I know, female Dark Warriors are mostly uncommon but she was born with the ability and the Light Warriors decided not to mess with fate, this time.” The woman smiled shyly at the dry joke but stepped forward to allow Mendax to kiss her hand. She glowed and she almost chocked on a laugh as Vectio slapped him in the back of the head when he walked by. She peeked up at Vectio from beneath her lashes but ignored the fire that blazed in his eyes. She’d felt it also, the connection between them.
“Now, let’s eat and then we can talk business. My team is up and ready.” Tristan spoke to Shepherd. He ignored the groans that rose from his team at the mention of talking business. Sleep would be good for them; he might suggest doing that first. There was nothing more dangerous to itself than an uncomfortable team of Dark Warriors that hadn’t eaten or slept in days. Last time that happened, Julius had to help reattach a hand or two, more than once. “Actually, we could eat, sleep and pick up business in the morning.” None of the warriors said anything but he knew they were silently celebrating.
“Great.” On the way back to the airport terminal they discussed the sleeping arrangements and eating locations on the facilities.
“So, how far are the sleeping quarters from here?” Julius asked.
“They are here.”
“Here, as in the airport? Is there a hotel attached?” Julius looked around but didn’t see anything insight that resembled a hotel.
“It is below us. We own the Airline. We’ve built a safe house beneath it. You’d never find it unless you are a Dark Warrior or someone that knows where to look. Well, and are able to get past the barriers. There are no other ways to get there than to be transported.” Ida’s sweet voice rang out against the wind just as they stepped into the terminal. “Here.” She waved a hand over them all and jumped as Shepherd grasps her hand in his. Vectio almost growled as the other man touched her. Clearing his throat, he shifted on his feet.
“You have to warn them first, Ida. They aren’t used to you like we are.”
“Oh,” she giggled, her eyes shining bright, “I’m going to transport you all below.” They all nodded and braced as the seconds rolled by.
Opening his eyes, Technik noticed they were in a facility much like a hotel once they appeared underground. Opening his mouth wide, he gasped looking up at the ceiling that allowed them to see the inside of the airport and further up past it to the sky.
“Wow, this is amazing. Did you hear that? They own the Airline. It seems like their time on Earth has definitely been more lucrative than ours, Tristan. Maybe, I should switch over...” Technik joked but straightened as Shepherd stepped in front of him.
“I believe our team is full.” He spoke softly; seriously, his piercing blue eyes stared into Technik’s. He then turned and left the hall swiftly and silently. Technik stood there with his eyes wide and his head tilted back a little.
“I think…he just used his Influence on me so I don’t try to come on his team!” He gaffed as his pupils deflated to their normal size. The other warriors burst into laughter and began separating, going to their separate sleeping quarters. Ida, the only woman of the group, made her way to the left as opposed to the right.
“You don’t sleep in the same area as we do?” Mendax spoke, charm and pout sounding from his voice.
“No.” She smiled sweetly at him. “I have my own suite.” She then turned and disappeared. Mendax shook his head and scratched the back of his neck.
“That woman,” He gasped.
“You do know she’s a Sprite right? As in, she’s from Spiritian? She could kill you just by looking at you if you tried to bed her. She seems sweet but she’s a fire, waiting to happen.” Tyler Shaman, the healer from the European team, spoke with laughter in his voice.
“Well, I guess I’ll die happy.” Mendax smiled ruefully as he stepped into his private room. Vectio didn’t speak but the small twitch in his cheek and clenching of his hands spoke volumes, it was good no one was paying attention.
***
She knew what was going on before the meal had come to an end. The Intelligence that ran through her mind alerted her to the small hitches in the couple. Adrian, sitting just to her right, seemed to be oddly quiet. Her hands were a little shaky as she ate the food Arinth had prepared. Her posture was relaxed though, chest turned slightly towards Chase as if she was open to him. Chase, who usually gave in to her banter, replied with only small talk and seemed to be off on his own mind adventure. She’d recognize the signs anywhere. When she’d walked into the room before and had noticed the glow of their eyes behind their lids as they’d kissed and the day before when the electricity had transferred between the two when they’d bumped. They’d experienced the Codra Mauma; it was the joining of the memories. She knew gaining new life mates, amongst the Dark Warriors, was contagious. Once one gained a life mate, the rest of the team usually followed suit not shortly after. Just like that, love will enter the lives of the darkest, hardest, most immortal men of the galaxy. She’d seen it with the last group; exciting times.
She just couldn’t wait to be a part of it. She’d help them find their love mates, she was sure, and knew there was nothing better than being a part of the Mauma. The Mauma is the blood bond, first discovered by the Jungas. It would join the mates for life, giving the lesser life form the extension of an immortal. It was like a gift from the Light Warriors, a present to them for finding someone that could love them for all of eternity. Unfortunately, not all of the mates joined survived the length of their new life span. They would have the Malus to thank for that. There was nothing sadder than a mate preforming the Mauma and then losing their other half in battle and having to live out their new extended life alone. Fortunately, there is a chance of multiple mates but it was very rare and often times the survivor is so distraught or feels such pain that they’d hardly search for another match.
Dinner had gone on without a hitch and they’d separated, each going about their own plans for the rest of the day. Arinth hummed as she dug through the plants in her garden. She’d treasured her life as a Woman of Ganesha. She’d loved the life of a spy, she’d seen many lifetimes but she’d never really experienced life the way she now lived it on Earth. It seemed like a nice way to retire after all the fighting, violence, secrets and betrayals. She’d spent the better part of the last millennium fighting for the Council, holding their secrets and guarding their Intelligence, she was done and now the only thing she protected were her bell peppers.
The Dark Warriors didn’t know her back ground or who she was but they knew they could trust her. It was one of the first abilities the women chosen to follow Ganesha would form. They easily gained the trust of anyone around them. It was one of the reasons gaining secrets was one of the easiest things they could do. Holding them was a different story. Only the strongest actually made it to become a full woman of Ganesha. They were tortured, beaten, drugged and shown their worst nightmares and yet the power they exuded from the life source that flowed in their veins and the Intelligence that ran through their minds kept them safe; most of the time. The ones that broke were never strong enough to receive the darkest secrets of the Council and therefore were done away with immediately after their treason. Often times instead of killing them, their minds were wiped, the torture probably having turned the Intelligence to mush anyway. The Council would wipe their mind and then send them to live down on Earth, on Arinth or find something useful for them to do in Senatus. However, if you served well and served your time, the Council would send you anywhere you liked to go. It was a pretty good deal, like a retirement plan. Arinth had lived almost her entire life on Arinth, Senatus and a few more no-name planets hidden in her Intelligence. It was about time she experienced life as just a human and nothing special; nothing more. She smiled as a ripe red bell pepper appeared amongst the green blow her feet. She picked it, rubbed its surface and smiled wider. Yes, she’d done well, she’d retired well and hopefully the Dark Warriors would allow her to be with them forever.
A sound came from behind her and Arinth turned to face the figure blocked out by the sun, a small cleaver clenched in her hand.
“It has been a while since I’ve been in a garden, around actual produce living and breathing the same air around us. I tell you, the few times that we get to travel outside of the caves, I gather something new.” The figure spoke just before bending down just beside her and helping her pick a pepper hanging from a stem and placing it into her basket.
“Saga!” Arinth gasped as the Light Warrior chuckled as she tackled him to the ground, the cleaver forgotten on the ground.
“Arinth, I’ve been watching you. I’m very proud! You have made a home for yourself here, not that I didn’t know you would.” He barely could get the words out as she tussled with him amongst the plants. A soft sheen of tears touched her cheeks as she kissed both of his.
“I have missed you so much! I can’t believe you’re here!”
“I know, I know, I missed you too. It has been a while, what, with our busy schedules. It’s not every century that a Light Warrior is best friends with a Woman of Ganesha! It’s like we were doomed to be friends from the beginning!” He hoisted her to her feet, the strong muscles of his arms showing in the light.
“You’re bigger! When do you get time to exercise? You should be off changing lives, not trying to be hot! So, is there a new man in your life? Tell me!” Arinth giggled as they headed back to the safe house, arm in arm, the peppers and basket forgotten.
“Unfortunately, no there isn’t,” he pouted, looking gorgeous despite the pushed out lip and furrowed brow. Arinth made a sad face as she rubbed the skin between his eyes smoothing out the wrinkles there. “There is just so much to do. I barely was able to get away to come see you. Seer has been working me hard; that old man should take a day off and let me be.”
“Well, you know he just has everyone’s best interest at heart. I’ve never seen a Light Warrior so dedicated to his job in my life.” Arinth washed her hands and began taking down cups from the cabinet. As if he’d been there millions of times, Saga reached up into the cabinets closest to him and began pulling down fixings for a kettle of tea.
“I know and you’re right. I just wish things were different somehow.” The seriousness of his tone, sadness in his voice, caused pause for Arinth. She slowed her movements and turned to him. “Arinth, I know we are supposed to be strong and unaffected but…I don’t know if I can be as emotionless as my job requires me to be.”
“You’ve been doing it for what, almost a thousand years now? You’re strong, Saga. I understand your pain and I understand your job may very well be impossible but you do it. You do it and you do it well.” Leaning forward, Arinth pressed a small amount of Influence in his direction. “You are living and breathing, you’re a walking being. Down here on Earth they use a term; “I’m only human”, I know you’re not human but it makes plenty of sense if you think of it in a not so technical way. You will make mistakes, you will feel sad and feel distraught, often times you will also feel like you want to give up; but you won’t.” The Influence she pressed on him seemed into his skin and smoothed the worry from his face.
“Unfortunately, me being “only human” could destroy the life source of a planet. My job isn’t one that you could mess up today and hope that you will be forgiven. The horrors…” his voice broke as a soft glisten of tears shined in his eyes. Arinth looked down at her feet and shook her head. She knew her friend had demons worse than hers but she also knew no matter what he was strong.
“Believe you me, Saga; you are stronger than this storm, stronger than all the fates in the world. The Light Warriors need someone that isn’t so objective, that isn’t so black and white. They need someone to take an emotional look at the changes they are making and realize they might need to rethink their decisions. Just think, you and your team are in charge of the fates of all these people, species, plants and life forms. You have done a great job up to here! You should trust yourself because of that alone. You should trust because who is in charge of your fate but you?” Arinth stared into his eyes, hoping he’d understand his value; his greatness.
“Arinth” A voice sounded loudly, just outside the kitchen door. Arinth gasped and turned to see who entered. “I have discovered the greatest thing ever!” Adrian came lopping into the kitchen with a book secured tightly to her chest by excited fingers. Arinth’s head whipped around to look behind her but Saga was already gone. He’d disappeared, probably transported back to the caves of Senatus where he lived with Seer. Sadness filled her for her friend; it’d probably be another century or so before she’d be able to see him. ‘I guess that’s a good thing, means he’s doing his job,’ she thought. Quickly throwing on a smile, Arinth turned her face back to the over ecstatic Adrian. She laughed out, the mirth not quite reaching her eyes.
“You seem excited, what did you find?”
“I found a book! It looks like it’s about the history of Earth before it became, well, our Earth!” She flipped the shinning pages and opening to a picture of a gorgeous mountain covered in purple flowers. Its peak seemed to disappear into golden skies as the sun set. The bind of the book held the words True Earth in beautiful cursive. Even the binding and cover of the book held an elegance she’d never seen before. “True Earth?”
“Yes, Adrian, that is what Arinthians call it along with every other species, except humans of course. True Earth. That book has the very Essence of Earth embedded in its spine, the Centre of our galaxies life source, before the previous generations of Arinthians made it to this planet. The beauty of Earth far outweighed the marble building of Senatus or the jungles of Jungelus. It was just the natural form of everything; untouched by man, unchanged by the Light Warriors and free to grow as it pleased. Come and see.” She smiled outwardly, trying not to let her dampened mood ruin Adrian’s happy one. She turned toward the kitchen table and took a deep breath as she sat in one of the wooden chairs. Patting the spot just beside her, Arinth smiled as Adrian almost skipped to the table. The girl is in love, she’s found her mate, for Light’s sake, even if she doesn’t know it, she thought.
“It looks so different! Purple water, yellow trees, lime green grass! Either the colors are different because of the book or Earth used to be a paradise!” Adrian flipped the pages to the beginning of the story. “Before the beginning, the life source of our Mother Planet grew beautiful and extravagant.” She read aloud. She could barely read the first paragraph as the greens from the grass beneath it began to flourish and cover the ink. The blades rose from the pages and skimmed the tips of her fingers. Adrian gasped as a clear, healthy, gust of wind seemed to form from the bind of the book and blow through the grass. From, somewhere, a small yellow leaf blew through the pasture. Adrian felt a wetness touch her thumb and almost yelped aloud as a tiny but loud pond sprouted by the corner of the page.
“I don’t understand. I thought magic wasn’t real. This is incredible and unbelievable.” She sighed as the soft sounds of nature seemed to rise from the book. A loud hiccup from an unseen frog resonated throughout the room. A giggle rose in her throat as it was returned by a belching sound from something, somewhere, hidden in the grass.
“Magic? No, I’m afraid I don’t know of any magic.” Arinth smiled, genuinely now, as Adrian pressed a manicured finger into the mud just at the edge of the pond. Her finger came away clean as the Essence stayed within the confines of the book. “This is the Essence of the Earth.”
“You said that once before but I didn’t understand what you meant.” Adrian listened as she flipped a page and was confronted by a deep heat. A soft shake came from the book just before an eruption from a small Volcano, which had sprouted on the left page, sent lava cascading down the paper and onto the grass on the right page. Despite the beautiful lavender and crimson hues of the fire, she quickly flipped through the book just as it reached the edge. A strong burning stench filled the air before depleting seconds later. An hour passed before Arinth answered her question. So immersed in the Essence, Adrian was, she couldn’t quite fix her mind to interrupt the moment. The books Essence poured from each page as they flipped. True Earth became more and more beautiful as they glanced at the gorgeous remnants of the life source the humans had replaced.
“When you capture the life source of an item, idea or a person you can harvest it in something else. Here, the Light Warriors had visited Earth and harvested its life source just before the Arinthians escaped and landed here. They knew they couldn’t stop the invasion but they could keep the Essence alive. This True Earth was given to the previous Dark Warriors team that lived here before along with the Abasha Shield you nearly destroyed a few days ago.” She turned up a scolding nose, voice harsh, but softened when Adrian frowned. “It’s alright. You just have to be more careful with the items that belong to the Dark Warriors. You might stumble across something that is more dangerous or more valuable than you think. Everything you see before you might not be what it is.” The last sentence melted from her lips like a mantra. “Egeria Shen said that to me.”
“Egeria Shen?” Adrian had flipped to the end of the book and whimpered at the last chapter. Large buildings, tall and beautiful, erupted from the pages. Below them streets formed and replaced the soft grass and the clear, clean air was replaced by a cloudy substance. The name of the chapter hung from one of the buildings like a broken billboard; After Earth. A tear slipped from her eye as she recognized the building where she currently had an apartment. “How?” Standing, Adrian held her hands to her chest as she sobbed. She could see the light from her bedroom window on the sixth floor, contributing to the muck and disgust they’d done to the world. Arinth had stood and turned away.
“The book shows you what you want to see and what has come to past. And yes,” she spoke with her heart in her throat “Egeria Shen is a prophet. She is a seer, an oracle, a believer and a fate changer. You will meet her one day, I just know it, and that day will change your life.” Arinth pulled a necklace that had remained well hidden from beneath her shirt and rubbed the medallion there, between her fingers. “She knew what Earth would become and knew that the Light Warriors wouldn’t be able to stop it.”
“You said I would meet her. How will I, when humans have at least been here on Earth for thousands of years?” Adrian watched as a car drove up the building where she stayed, it looked really familiar. A light dawned in her mind as the driver sent from her boss, Candice, that had come to pick her up every day, stepped from his seat. He came around and opened the door. A miniature ‘her’ came out of the building clutching a briefcase in one hand and a coffee in the other. A small puff of light shined around her just as she got into the car, her aura?
“We’ve always lived long. Humans here on Earth die every day, they die young and some die old. Adrian, most Arinthians lived to be thousands of years old. Egeria Shen, however, is immortal. She has lived over a millennium at least.” Suddenly over drawn with the story and the days events, Arinth walked over and closed the book. She lifted it from the table and handed it softly to Adrian. “Here, that’s enough history for today. I’m sure the library still needs a little more dusting and I have got to get back outside to my peppers before the days over and wasted.” She nodded absent mindedly before turning towards the back door and placed her hand on its handle.
“Oh and Adrian? Don’t stare at that book for too long. What it did just now is only a small portion of what that Essence can do. Looking at the Essence of the past could only take you down a dark path. You could get lost in it.” She waited until she received confirmation she’d been heard before closing the door behind her. She glanced down at the medallion that hung between her breasts. Its Essence almost burned her skin as she remembered…nothing. Whatever the Medallion had once meant to her Arinth could no longer remember. It was locked away along with other secrets in her mind that had been hidden from her. One thing she knew, though, was that this secret didn’t belong to the Council. No, this secret was hers and hers alone but why have they kept it from her?
"The only way to be a writer is to write, write and write. The only way...is to write." -Jade Elyzabeth
No comments:
Post a Comment