Chapter 32

Kevin’s point of view

The fifth day. With a sigh, I finally reached Orion’s Belt. I was tired, and alone, but not for long. Looking beyond the glare of the blazing star, I saw the spiral of stars winding inwards like a giant pattern. I didn’t know which star it led to, but I would soon find out.

There was a small planet in orbit around the star. One day to go, and my energy was running low. My confrontation had drained more energy than I thought – holding the energy shield up and charging an attack that I never used had been costly. Resting now would ensure I had plenty of energy to go the rest of the way. The entire planet looked a bit like a barren desert from up here, so I didn’t have to worry so much about any natives.

I swam closer. As I neared, I felt a faint Aversion.

So much for no natives…. I grumbled to myself. Can’t the Universe give me a break for once?

Still, I could find some isolated spot and hide to rest without interruption. I paid no more attention to the others down on the planet. I just moved to an accumulation of rocks and boulders, where I couldn’t feel the Aversions anymore, and lay back against one of them, dozing off.

From the darkness of sleep, something prodded against my shoulder. I flinched, but ignored it, still tired. The prodding returned, more roughly than before. I heard urgent, whispering voices. I flailed my arm wildly in the general direction groggily, then drifted back off again. It stayed nice and quiet for a while longer, but then it was rudely shattered again by something hard smashing me across the face. Pain shot right through my face, and I roared in pain, snapping into wakefulness. I grabbed the side of my head tenderly, but as I did so, my other hand was unwillingly dragged up as well – they were chained together. I pulled my hand away, seeing blood smeared on it where it brushed my mouth. I felt the inside of my mouth with my tongue, and tasted the familiar metallic substance. My gums were bleeding. I expended a little energy to heal it quickly. Groaning moodily, I looked up.

“Stay still!” a voice snapped.

Five Valedrons were sitting nearby, glaring at me angrily, torn between fear and hate. I recognised their uniforms instantly. They were from the Valedron Empire. Definitely not natives.

I panicked inwardly. What were they doing here? There were far too close to Earth! How did they manage to touch me to tie me up? I didn’t fall asleep in physical form. Why was I in pain? I wasn’t meant to feel pain as a Soul Creature.

One look at my wrists made my heart sink. I was wearing an Armband again.

Damn it! Not again!

I glared back at the nearest Valedron to me; he was holding a strange device I only just recognised. It was a small hand drill that Valedron geologists used to test the soil on a planet. I felt slightly relieved – they were explorers, and weren’t heading to Earth. They were charting new planets that could be colonised.

The Valedron’s drill had small specks of blood on it – my blood. He was the one who had hit me, obviously too afraid to hit me directly. He was right to be cautious.

I stood up with pain, wary of the aliens holding me prisoner.

“What are you doing way out here, evil spirit?” the leader of the group interrogated.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” I retorted arrogantly.

“I’m asking the questions!” he snapped.

“I don’t have time for your games!” I stated. “Stand back before I find time for you!”

I started lumbering groggily forward, but another of the creatures grabbed the nearest weapon and fired it at me. The shot struck my shoulder, drawing more blood. I reeled back from the hit, but just growled and swung my arm out at the Valedron. I struck him before he had time to move, and he was sent spinning backwards. The others cried out in surprise and flapped out of my way. I snapped the chains binding my wrists, and then tore at the Armband – Fotuf had done it, and so could I. With human hands, it wasn’t as easy as I imagined, and the metal bit into my palms as it bent and contorted. Before long, I had thrown the now-useless device to the ground with a thud. I flickered into spirit form. I stopped bleeding there, and therefore stopped losing energy. My confidence grew as I saw the look of fear cloud over the Valedrons’ features.

I remembered Anubis’ gift – the Blue Flame. I hadn’t used it yet, and it sounded very powerful and versatile from Anubis’ description. I glanced back up at the Valedrons. I was eager to see what it would do to these creatures. I had to be in physical form to use it, but it was worth the risk.

I became solid, and summoned the Blue Flame with malice. I took a moment to examine it more closely, knowing the Valedrons would be too frightened of me to attack.

It felt like it had its own consciousness, as if it was another being symbiotically attached to me. I sensed that I had only limited control over it, but it reacted to me obediently. If I wanted it to do something it refused to do, I wouldn’t be able to do much about it. At first glance, it seemed like my hands were on fire, but at closer inspection I saw the flames were hovering just around my hands, not actually making contact. It was placid now, gently flickering up my wrists harmlessly.

I looked back at the now terrified looking Valedrons. I felt the side of my face, remembering the pain that shot through it moments before. My anger grew, and the Blue Flame sensed and reacted to it. It grew more intense, the flames licking up my hands more greedily and more quickly, and is roused by my hatred. I thought about throwing a telekinetic bolt infused with Blue Flame at the nearest Valedron. Incensed by my intentions, it flared mischievously, as if agreeing with me.

I raised my arm to attack, as one of the creatures found its voice.

“The Blue Flame!” He exclaimed in terrified awe. “The sign of Demons!!”

Immediately, all five of them threw themselves to the ground. Lying prostate, they covered their long faces with their wings, and trembling, began to whimper and whine.

I held back, confused by their words and actions. Demons? What were they talking about? Anubis hadn’t mentioned that to me. I cautiously took a step forward, and the flames flared again, as if anxious to destroy and burn. This snapped the Valedrons out of it and they all started to take to the air and fly in the opposite direction.

I just watched them leave, my anger dying as they fled. The flame flickered away and died too, letting it become dormant.

A rushing feeling of vertigo suddenly overwhelmed me. I wondered groggily if this was a side effect of the Blue Flame. I lurched forwards dangerously, but managed to regain my balance before I fell. I rubbed my head and looked around. I began to feel an Aversion, and realised what it was. Some very powerful being was heading in this direction very fast. That was what made me light-headed. My mind didn’t usually have to cope with this kind of situation: the Soul Creatures usually took their time, and only travelled fast when they needed to. Even then I usually went with them, so it didn’t make me dizzy.

It abruptly stopped moving, and the being appeared right in front of the fleeing Valedrons, knocking them back and blocking their escape. It took me a moment to realise what it was.

“You again!” I yelled over to the persistent Ancient, herding the Valedrons back towards me.

I could hear the Valedrons approaching, seeming as scared of him as me.

“Anubis!” they cried. “The Dark Ancient Anubis has returned!”

I summoned the Blue Flame defensively. The Valedrons stopped not far off, confused and afraid beyond belief now. They didn’t seem to like the option of facing me any better than facing Anubis, but they were trapped between the two of us.

Anubis’ dark eyes shone with black hatred, glaring unblinkingly at me. His composure had dramatically changed: no longer was he the humble, enlightened creature who had given me the Blue Flame, but a dark sorcerer intent on some immoral mission.

I stumbled back a step – his Aversion was strong: as strong as mine.

“You… you said they stripped you of your power!” I stammered.

“The fools failed to realise that I can still attain more! Every passing second my power grows again!” he snarled, looking down at me disdainfully.

He turned his gaze towards the Valedrons, who instinctively shrunk away.

“Creatures of the sky!” he bellowed. “Your race has been chosen to aid my hallowed mission! I return to banish all Demons from this mortal world.”

I looked on in disbelief as he continued, his arms raised dramatically.

“Only mortals can wield weapons to destroy and banish the evil spirits, so I must use your wings to carry forth their doom! With my power, you can eliminate all Demons.”

The Valedrons began to timidly edge closer to Anubis, wondrously believing his every word.

“You must take me to your people!” he instructed. “Only then can we begin our cleansing of the mortal worlds.”

I suddenly realised what had happened: he had once again tricked me. He used me to gain face among the Valedrons so he could take them over for his plans. I profound sense of loss and betrayal rushed through me relentlessly.

“You backstabbing bastard!” I snarled at him contemptuously. “You played on my good heart for this opportunity!”

All of the others present turned towards me. Anubis disregarded his new followers for a moment, revelling in my compromising situation.

“You’re pathetically predictable, Zakkar!” he jeered. “Just like Jerald, it seems. It didn’t take long to convince him into talking you over to me!”

Wide eyed, I just stared blankly in disbelief. Had he planned this all along?

Anubis grinned wickedly at my expression, “Like father like son.”

I started forward to rush at him, but he raised one paw and effortlessly stopped me in my tracks. By some unfamiliar power, he had taken control of my mind, and seized up all of my joints. Paralysed, all I could do was vainly struggle to break free while I listened to his triumphant bragging.

“See how this Demon falters before my power?” he yelled with victory. “The Blue Flame of his evil Demon brethren holds no danger for me! As allies, we will be unmatched!”

Anubis causally released his telepathic hold on me, and I fell weakly to my knees. Struggling to get loose had wasted a lot of energy, and I had already used up some to break loose of my Valedron captors. My vision hazed, and I couldn’t stand up again. An intense weariness overcame me, and I realised fearfully that I was reaching Bodai’ran, and would die without refilling my energy.

“It is true!” the lead Valedron gasped. “The Ancient Lord has returned to lead us to victory!”

“Hail, Lord Anubis!” they began chanting religiously, flying around his head with glee.

“You have defied me for the last time, Zakkar!” Anubis stated bluntly. “By my power, I consign you to Oblivion!”

Though my eyesight was blurry, I could see the entire world around me twisting and contorting. All colours drained from the landscape, and one by one, Anubis, the Valedrons, and eventually the sky, had all turned a forbidding, unfathomable black.

Minutes passed – or had they? Had moments passed, or hours? I had the strange sensation that I was floating. Not like in water, or even the void of space. Here it seemed….. thicker… harder to move about. A sudden numbing thought jolted through me:

Maybe I was dead……….

It seemed to make sense: I had reached Bodai’ran, and could have easily been completely drained. I definitely wasn’t in the familiar Universe I knew. But was this the afterlife? I had imagined it to be more… well, light.

Once again, Anubis’ voice invaded my troubled, confused thoughts.

“Comfortable, ‘friend’?” he mocked.

I tried to speak, but no sound emerged from my mouth. Instead, I mentally transmitted my words in the hope that Anubis would hear them.

Where am I? Where have you sent me, you lying cheat!

“Oblivion.”

Oblivion?

“Yes, an abnormal parallel dimension.”

What?!

“Abnormal in the fact that instead of being similar to our dimension, it is completely empty.”

Empty? So you didn’t finish me off.

“Don’t be simple. This is punishment, not murder. You think I’d grant you so quick an escape?”

When I catch up to you, you’ll wish you had!

“Playing the fool again, are we, Zakkar? You really didn’t think I’d throw you somewhere where you could escape!”

There has be some way out of here!

“There is no way! Being consigned to Oblivion is a one way trip! The only way you could get free is if another Ancient managed to pull you out. But they don’t know I’ve sent you here….. you’ll soon learn that you’re doomed.”

No! I have to reach home!

“Abandon these petty thoughts! You are trapped now in a prison where time and space do not exist! All senses are numbed completely and your powers are useless in Oblivion.”

…………………………..

“Lost for words? Well, you’ll have plenty of time to brood over anything you want here. You are immortal, Zakkar. This imprisonment will last forever!”

…………………………..

“Enjoy your eternity in Oblivion!”

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

***

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