Chapter 25

 

Kevin’s point of view

 

A year had passed since I arrived on the Soul Creature’s planet. They had called it Karnak, after a city in Egypt – after all, we had been created by a parody of an Egyptian God, however deceitful. I had learned long ago that Anubis was not welcome among the Soul Creatures, but I had never been told why – my question was always avoided or shrugged off. A feeling of Déjà vu, crept over me; Flyer had always avoided my questioning about my Armband and the Soul Creatures. I sighed sadly: I missed Flyer, but had been too busy, or too ashamed, to visit him. Unable to shake the feeling that he still felt bitterness for abandoning the Dragon Empire, I assumed all too often that I wasn’t welcome there anymore.

I stood outside on the surface of Karnak, the night silent around me. In the distance loomed the ashen grey mountain complex where we all lived. Native plants and trees were growing up the sides, the greenery giving a sense of life to the grey stone. Above, the midnight-blue sky held countless stars, and among them was the third moon of Karnak, called Aswan. The other two moons, Cairo and Memphis, weren’t visible at this time of the Karnak year. The three moons were like our lookout posts. The Valedrons were often too curious to ignore this mysterious planet, and we had to keep watch for them, and their Armbands. Right now, Figaro the Insectoid, Jabbarah the Small Gecko and Dougal the Giant Gecko were posted on the distant moons. We could travel at the speed of many small fighter craft in slow warp, so it didn’t take long to switch places. Luckily for me, I wasn’t due on Moonwatch, as we called it, for another month at least.

I looked down from the dark sky and then around me. I knew Solin was out here with me, and could sense her presence nearby, but I couldn’t pinpoint her. The feeling of acute aversion to the presence signalled that she was getting closer. I turned slowly, trying to sense the direction, diverting my full attention to searching. It wasn’t like I needed to spot her first, but I needed the practice. I rotated left, but the feeling got fainter. She was coming from my right. I turned that way, but again, the aversion was from a different direction. Bewildered, I started again from scratch, but now the feeling seemed to be from all directions simultaneously. I looked about frantically, worried I was being ambushed with some new Valedron trick. Whatever it was……. was now definitely within 5 metres. I braced myself for any attackers.

All was silent.

Nothing stirred.

Tension strained my essence.

“Boo!”

I jumped, crying out in alarm, whirling around and tumbling over. Solin stood there in her normal shadow from, grinning at me.

“Solin!” I moaned.

“Aww, I was just joking around with you.” She defended. She offered her paw to help me up, and I accepted it cautiously. “Nice to see you practising.”

“Yeah, well some of us need it.” I retorted. “I’ve only been here a year, you know that.”

“Still a Rookie, huh?”

I groaned in despair – she took every opportunity to call me a ‘Rookie’, since I was the youngest, most inexperienced Soul Creature in existence.

“I hate it when you pull that aversion thing from everywhere on me. You know I can’t see past that yet!” I exclaimed, half peeved half amused.

“That’s why I keep doing it!”

“Let’s just head back!” I suggested sullenly.

It was a general rule that flying was quicker than walking, so she became an eagle and I became a falcon, and we soared upwards through the chill of the night air.

“Why were you out here?” Solin asked me curiously.

“I was thinking about my friends, and my family.” I answered.

Solin glanced at me, frowning. “I still don’t understand why you cling to those mortals.”

“’Cause they’re my family!” I stated bluntly.

“All mortal ever do is chase us! We changed but still they don’t want us!” Solin exclaimed, more to herself than to me. “They’re ignorant!”

“I should tell you,” I began angrily, “that you’re insulting my family by saying that.”

“You don’t get it do you, Kevin? They caused us nothing but suffering despite our reform!” She looked ahead, at the mountain. “Meddling in mortal affairs – it brought their revenge down on us, and then it brought persecution!”

I could feel my talons twitching in anger now: “Not every mortal is the same! Many humans are good creatures-”

She cut me off sharply. “So, I see you’re still holding on to your mortal tendencies! Still think you belong with them? Do you seriously expect them to take you in again when you return? They’ll just fear you – just like everyone else fears us!”

“They’re the reason I still exist! I would never have become a Soul Creature if they died too!” I narrowed my eyes to emphasise it. “They mean more to me than any Soul Creature powers I have now.”

Solin unexpectedly turned and banked towards me, causing me to flap about in surprise. I twirled my head about to try and spot her again after regaining my flight pattern. She flew right over my head my startled me purposely.

“Son of Anubis!” she spat.

I snapped my beak as a sign of peeved dejection. Technically, we were all Sons and Daughters of Anubis – he created us – but we had renounced him and his attempts to manipulate us. This meant that the greatest insult to a Soul Creature was to call them a “Son” or “Daughter of Anubis” – it was being compared to their evil former selves.

I flew ahead to catch up to her as she glided closer to the mountain: “Ah, abuse is it?” I accused. “First you insult my family, then you insult me!”

She remained stubbornly silent.

“Huh!” I grunted. “Maybe you’d like to hear my part of the story?”

I didn’t wait for a reply, and dived right into arguing my case.

“I’m betting that you have the same detachment to the mortal realm that I do. I’ve been a Soul Creature for over a decade, and I can feel myself becoming more and more desensitised to the mortal realm. Emotions are less intense – and it scares me……..”

I was honest about it – the idea of losing my emotions was unnerving to me. I shook myself and continued.

“Have you ever loved somebody, Solin?”

Her wings twitched, and I knew I was getting somewhere.

“And have you ever felt that when you were separated, you could never let the chance of losing them slip away?”

Silence.

“You may be more desensitised to love than I am, but I know that you’re still capable of it – you can remember it!” I claimed.

More silence.

“I love my wife and family, and I still have a chance to find them – I’m not gonna let that chance slip away!” I stated grandly. “No matter what you, or Fotuf, or anyone else says!”

I flew way ahead towards one of the cave entrances, shouting behind me: “Remember what it’s like to love, Solin! Think about it!”

 

I bitterly flew down tunnels and caves to the central cavern. Fotuf, the Dragon, was not busy for once, and was resting calmly in the sleeping quarters. He was usually preoccupied with defence and morale – being the leader of the Soul Creatures and all – and I rarely got the chance to ask him important questions.

I changed back into my human form as I reached the ground, and he opened one eye and grinned.

“Good to see you practising!”

I didn’t return his smile, but sat nearby on an irregular formation of stone used commonly as a seat.

My energy was low from all the changing forms and flying, so my eyelids drooped as I lay down sleepily.

Fotuf sat up properly now, noticing my displeasure: “I sense Solin had played her little Aversion trick on you again?”

“Yeah….” I nodded, yawning. “….that…”

“Anything else bothering you, young Kevin?”

“Nothing important.” I shrugged it off.

“You are strong in your silence as well as combat.” Fotuf observed. “I can see why she likes you.”

I glanced up: “Who?”

Fotuf’s expression implied guilt – he’d said too much. “……… Your wife.”

He was being dishonest – I could tell - but I really couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. I looked up from my seat of stone at Fotuf, curious for different answers.

“Anubis created all of us, didn’t he?” I quizzed abruptly.

Fotuf gave me a glance filled with loathing. He drew his muzzle into a snarl, teeth showing.

“Anubis?” he growled. “What’s that fool plotting now?”

“All I know is that he tried to make me into his dark servant. He tried to make me follow orders.” I informed Fotuf.

“You’re not the first!” Fotuf raised his claws in anger, incensed by the thought of the Ancient. “He did that to all of us! Dragging us away from our true homes”

“You mean he tricked you too?” I asked, astonished. “He fooled you into becoming a Soul Creature and then tried to make you into slaves?”

Fotuf frowned, still angered. “What are you talking about, Kevin?” he fumed. “Anubis dragged us…… tore us away from our place in the afterlife! As our mortal bodies died and our soul drifted free, Anubis ensnared us and brought us back to the mortal realm!”

I gasped in shock, as Fotuf continued.

“He turned us into Soul Creatures against our will! Now we are cursed to exist as the living dead – living souls with no mortal essence!”

“He tore you away? But he-” I began, unable to believe Anubis’ true colours. “He didn’t tear me away.”

“What?!” Fotuf exclaimed. “You became……… this,” he gestured to me, indicating Soul Creature-ness, “…willingly?”

“Well, not exactly, no, but-” I paused thoughtfully. “He tricked me into thinking that I was finding a way back to my mortal friends and family. He never told me I’d become this!”

Fotuf’s expression softened. I scanned his face for hidden reply, but found nothing clear.

“After he kept me trapped for half a year, I deserted him, but got captured by the Valedron Empire. The next time he contacted me, he tried to manipulate me – even turn me evil!”

“You refused,” Fotuf guessed.

“Of course.” I replied.

Fotuf looked away in wonder and sympathy.

“Then you really are quite different from us.”

I stood up curiously, walking to his side. “Different? How?”

“Anubis tore us away. The bitterness and the isolation destroyed our morals. We became…” Fotuf looked away, eyes closed in mental pain. “…… evil…..”

“Evil?” I echoed. Realisation dawned on me –“That’s why everyone thought I was a curse to them….”

“It’s our greatest shame.” Fotuf admitted. “In rage, we tore free from Anubis’ grip and terrorised mortals. In the end, they learned how to retaliate. They trapped us with Armbands and persecuted us for our crimes.”

“Then how’d you get here.”

“I suffered so long I changed my ways. I escaped the Valedron Empire’s clutches and hid from mortals. In the end, I found other Soul Creatures like me who had changed and wanted peace. The mortals would never accept us, so we travelled to this planet, finding and helping other Soul Creatures as we went. We formed a new society here for our safety.”

I listened intently to his story. It sounded a bit like my own journey – I had helped the slaves from the mines, and aided them as they built a society that was my home for 12 years. For this reason, I could empathise with his doubts and troubles. Yet there was one important difference – he wasn’t trying to get back to his real home, as he had none. Mortals would never accept the Soul Creatures.

And most of my friends were mortals…….

“It sounds like all the living creatures have brought you nothing but pain and misery.” I stated. “You must hate them.”

Fotuf’s expression softened. “They have been very prejudice and cruel to us, yes, but …..” He turned to face me thoughtfully. “No, I don’t hate them.”

“Solin hates them.” I stated.

Fotuf inclined his head thoughtfully: “Solin has suffered much. She cannot forgive them.”

“Do you think they should be forgiven?” I probed, curious.

He slowly shook his head. “I know both of your views, but I agree with Solin on one point; the mortals are ignorant. They don’t understand that we have changed, so we cannot begrudge them for that.” He held his arms open as a sign of clarity.

“There is nothing to forgive.”

He opened his scaly fists, and patted me on the shoulder.

“Get some rest, Kevin.” He told me in a fatherly way.

I merely nodded, and slowly rested my head on the cold stone, drifting into sleep.

 

Solin’s point of view

 

I quickly forgot my argument with Kevin as I rushed down a maze of stone corridors, almost forgetting the way in panic. I reached the central cavern ledge and threw myself off it. I changed to an Eagle with practised ease and flew around, crying out in alarm.

“Wake up!” I shouted. “Everyone, wake up! The Moonwatch has signalled us!”

Cries of surprise drifted up to me as I continued: “The Valedrons are coming!”

Fotuf slowly spread his wings and surged up to me. “Which Moonwatch, Solin?”

“Figaro’s.” I stated quickly. “He said there were a wing of ships heading this way! Why do you think they’re coming? They know we’re stronger.”

“I’m uncertain.” Fotuf claimed thoughtfully. “We’ll just have to find out.”

We both flew across the vast chamber, spreading the alarm to everyone.

I passed the sleeping quarters, and saw Kevin was sleeping deeply, and had not yet been awakened. I pushed aside my previous anger and darted down to him.

“Kevin, get up!” I cried urgently.

He did move at all. I tried again.

“Kevin, this is important!” I yelled, irritated. I changed to my normal shadow form, and prodded his shoulder roughly with my paw. He just groaned sleepily and turned over.

I frowned, but persisted. I brushed his long hair out of the way to find his ear, and shouted right next to it:

“GET UP!”

Kevin jumped up and his head darted about in surprise. “What?”

“Good, you’re awake, sleepyhead.” I commented. “C’mon, this way.”

“Hey, wait! What’s happening?” he questioned groggily.

“I tell you on the way, but we have to move now.”

He rubbed his head and followed me, as we both changed into Eagles and flew upwards.

“Where are we going then?” he asked.

“To find Fotuf again. Figaro says Valedron ships are heading this way.”

“But don’t they know that….”

“… we’re stronger, yes. They might be bringing some new weapon, but we don’t know what they’re doing yet.” I explained.

Fotuf descended from the upper caverns and joined us. “Take a dozen Creatures, Solin. If the ships land, confront them.” He ordered. “And take Kevin with you. Maybe some practical learning could help him out a bit.”

 

Figaro met us on the surface.

“I think you ought to know that not all of them are Valedrons, but I can tell you wouldn’t be interested in something like that.” He sulked.

“Wait!” I alerted. “If they’re not all Valedron’s….”

“I sensed Valedron, and Small Gecko life forms.” Figaro cut me off impatiently. “Not that I wanted to.”

“Where are they going to land?” Solin questioned.

Figaro pointed to a ridge a few hundred metres away. “Up there, if they don’t change course.”

We all began to walk towards it – there was plenty of time, and it saved energy.

“Not that’d I’d land there.” I heard Figaro moan. “A whole bunch on no-fun, if you ask me. Not that they’d be able to take off again – the gravity of Karnak is too strong.”

I remembered with amusement how I’d come to land here: I crashed because of the gravity.

“What are you supposed to do with a maniacally depressed giant insect?” Solin whispered to me.

“I heard that!” Figaro hissed. “And you think you’ve got problems! What are you supposed to do if you are a maniacally depressed giant insect?”

Solin told everyone to stop about 100 metres away from the ridge. We silently waited.

 

It didn’t take long for the ships to land. Five ships, all of Valedron design, yet sure enough, Small Gecko figures clambered out as well as Valedron ones. I remembered that the Valedron Empire hired conquered races for odd jobs and as guards in the mines, but never as pilots.

It was night, so it was very dark. Even with my keen vision, I had trouble making out the figures on the ridge – because I was still young, I was weaker than the others with many enhancements. I soon lost sight of any of the five silhouettes.

“Where’d they go?” I whispered the question.

“They went over the other side of the ridge. I think they spotted your crashed ship.” Solin answered casually.

I glanced around quickly. Sure enough, this was near to the spot where I had crashed my ship. We had left the wreck, as Soul Creatures have no use for such material.

“They’ll spot us when they come back this way.” She added.

I frowned: “How do you know they’ll come back this way?”

“Can’t you sense it?” she looked sideways at me. “Their Aversion. It’s getting stronger, so they’re heading back this way.”

I just nodded. From this far, I couldn’t tell so well and so just took Solin’s word for it.

A minute passed, and if I tried hard enough, I could almost hear the footsteps and wingbeats of the five creatures as they appeared over the ridge.

“A few of them look pretty upset.” Figaro droned. “So would I if I landed over there, though.”

“Can it, Figgy!” Solin snapped. “They probably think that Kevin’s ship belonged to one of their wingmen or something.”

The five figures stopped. They had spotted us. To them, we only looked like hazy, glowing silhouettes, unless we took on physical form. We began to walk towards them, and I could now feel the Aversion kicking in. Aversion was something all Soul Creatures had: a sense that repelled us from other creatures (even other Soul Creatures). Soul Creatures began as loners, sneaking about alone to terrorise the living, and Aversion was the instinct that warned us of approaching creatures, but like fear, it was an instinct that we all had overcome, and now used to our advantage.

The five of them stood still, but four of them grabbed their energy rifles and aimed at us defensively. The fifth, a Valedron, hovered nervously.

He barked out commands to the others, and so I assumed he was the leader of the pilots. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear every word.

“Put those down, all of you!” the leader snapped.

The others looked at each other, perplexed.

“This cycle would be nice!” he barked. They dropped their rifles without further hesitation.

“What are we doin’, Capt’n?” a Small Gecko questioned nervously.

“They’re Soul Creatures!” the leader explained.

Solin could hear every word too. I knew she’d be stung by it, and so put my hand out to stop her rushing forward to attack them.

“Don’t!” I urgently begged.

She looked at me with disdain, but complied.

“You don’t provoke Soul Creatures, Ensign. Nothing can match their power.”

“Captain, do you think maybe….?” The other Valedron trailed off.

“Perhaps, Lieutenant.” The leader landed on the Gecko’s shoulder. “Let them approach and we’ll find out.”

Solin stopped us about five metres away, and stepped forward to speak to the pilots.

“This is Karnak, mortal creatures! You have trespassed on Soul Creature territory.” She snarled viciously. “Take heed: you cannot leave without our consent: this planet’s gravity is too strong for you to pull free from.”

They all shifted nervously.

Solin continued, “What brings you to our planet? Speak truthfully, or face the dire consequences.”

Though nervous, the Valedron leader flitted forward and hovered before Solin bravely.

“We only seek an old companion.” He claimed. “We fear that the crashed fighter over this ridge was his ship. But we did not know that this planet belonged to you. We will leave peacefully if you wish us to do so.”

“Just as Soul Creatures are unwelcome among mortals, mortals are unwelcome here – yes, we do wish you to leave non-violently.” Solin stated. She noticed my hateful glance.

“As you command, higher being.” He nodded respectfully. “I therefore request permission for my team and I to leave your planet. Do we have you consent?”

Solin began to look perplexed and bewildered. “You….. have our consent.”

She hesitated before closing her yellow eyes and telepathically telling Fotuf what had happened and to let the strangers leave.

Another ability of the Soul Creatures was to be able to work together to alter a planet’s gravity. We increased it to trap ships and their pilots and this meant they couldn’t leave or retreat if they came with harmful intent.

“You now can leave, mortals.” Solin calmly stated, finishing her mental message.

The five of them turned to leave.

“Halt a moment.” Solin blurted out. I could tell she was bursting with curiosity to ask the question, and I mentally urged her to. The Valedron leader anxiously waited.

“You show us a great amount of respect – even refer to us as ‘higher beings’. Why?”

“Well …… you are higher beings. You’re on a higher plane of existence.” He explained cautiously. “And… and, well, this is your planet, not ours.”

“You immediately ordered your team to drop their weapons. Isn’t that a dangerous move?” she probed further.

“You think we hate you, but we don’t.” he replied. “Not all Soul Creatures are bad.”

“You know this?” she exclaimed in surprise, and glanced guiltily at me.

“Yes, I had a friend who was a Soul Creature…. But I think he’s dead …… erm… double dead….erm…” He fumbled for an accurate description. “He wasn’t evil, so you might not be.”

“You are the first to come here peacefully.” Solin claimed in disbelief. “Your respect will not be disregarded, and you will not be attacked by us if you return in future. What are your names, so I may tell our creatures?”

“I am Captain Flyer of Alpha Wing, from the Dra-”

“Flyer!” I exclaimed in shock, cutting him off.

All heads turned towards me in surprise.

 

***

 

 

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