Van Laven Chronicles (29 page)

One of the gruesome flying Karukii soared down before the battle line. He continued to bark out orders with a horrible chorus of voices. The multitude responded with bloodcurdling cries and deafening roars. She watched, mesmerized, as he worked the horde into a frenzy. The Karukii descended low enough so that Vaush could clearly behold his visage. Unlike the dark eyes of their Kait brethren, his eyes glowed bright white within the ornate helmet. When he lifted his head to issue more orders, she noticed a jagged long scar at the base of his neck.

She was startled by the sudden banging of swords against the Karukii’s breastplates. It started out slowly at first, then built to a dizzying crescendo. Vaush turned back to the flying Karukii leader, who now sped across the field toward the enemy. He rose into the air, then plunged into the heart of the enemy. At first he seemed to be swallowed in a sea of warriors. The crescendo peaked as the Karukii eagerly awaited their leader.

After an immeasurable amount of time, a blaze of light burst forth as their leader soared back into the air carrying a large object with him. Upon recognizing the object, the Karukii warriors’ frenzy bordered on sounds of ecstasy. Horrified, Vaush withdrew when she realized their leader carried by the hair, what she assumed to be, the opposing army’s commander. Or what was left of him, since he was sliced in two with nothing left below his waist. The Karukii cried out as one when their leader dropped the torso into their midst, igniting a feeding frenzy. With utter revulsion, Vaush watched as they removed the vital organs and savagely feasted upon them.

The flying Karukii leader gave the order to charge and the warriors mounted upon their fiery-colored steeds swept down upon their enemy, masterfully slaying them with little effort. The carnage was more than Vaush could bear, but there was no way to shield her eyes from the mental pictures.

She was mystified to hear a hauntingly beautiful melody wafting through the air. The Karukii were singing a war song honoring their fallen brethren. The sound of it made Vaush ill as it accompanied the unprecedented slaughter of multitudes. How could such barbarians be capable of such achingly beautiful music? It was an obscene abomination.

Never had she known of such bloodlust. Such precision killing, as if they’d honed it to a fine art. Though the enemy used weapons vaguely similar to Vaush’s world—laser rifles, missile fire, and aerial attacks—the Karukii countered defensively with their shielding and offensively only with cunning and vicious-looking swords and daggers. Outwardly, it appeared that the Karukii were severely outgunned. But it quickly became apparent that they were merely attempting to even the playing field. For soon she would learn that Murkudahl weapon’s technology was vastly superior to anything she’d ever beheld.

After departing this scene, Bhedrus proceeded to take her on two more journeys to witness further carnage. Finally, he showed her what sort of fates the leaders of the conquered worlds suffered. Taking her to the inner court of the supreme Murkudahl Karukii leader’s palace, Vaush beheld sights that made her physically ill and petrified with horror. She begged Bhedrus to take her away; she could bear no more of the mind altering, hellish visions.

Obeying her command, Bhedrus mercifully withdrew the visions from her head. Vaush opened her eyes to find Chaiyse and Bhedrus’ kneeling before her, holding her hands. At the sight of their Murkudahl faces, the full impact of their warning hit her anew. She trembled at the apocalyptic images burned forever into her psyche. This was the ghastly prospect that awaited her people. Consumed with a sense of foreboding, she sat speechless for a time.

“Are you well?” asked the chorus of voices emanating from Bhedrus’ mind. He tilted his head awaiting a response.

When he did so, Vaush noticed a long jagged scar at the side of his neck, just like the scar… She jerked her hand away from him.

“You are one of the Karukii. You were one of their leaders!” she accused.

“That is true,” he replied without hesitation. “Those were mostly my memories you were seeing. Those events took place over 700 years ago.”

Glaring at him as if he were a reptile, she replied, “But the atrocities you committed, all of the blood you spilled.” She shook her head in dismay.

“I do not know if I will ever be forgiven for my sins. I only know that I have given my oath never to take another life. I now live to promulgate the message of peaceful co-existence.”

Vaush slowly turned her gaze upon Chaiyse. “Were you also a Karukii warrior?”

There was a strange flicker in Chaiyse eyes. “Yes, I was, as are the vast majority of the Kait brethren. Only our children have never known warfare.”

Uneasiness filled her, clouding her mind. Could such people truly be capable of reform and rehabilitation? Was their new course in life enough to make amends for their past crimes? In the eyes of the Murkudahl Karukii their acts were just and honorable. If that mentality were inculcated in them from infancy, how were they to know that they would be condemned by all other sentient beings? Once the iniquity of their acts had been brought to their attention, these Murkudahl before her responded with a moral conscience and repented of their transgressions.

When the Kait could have squashed their human abductors like bugs crawling beneath their feet, they laid down their lives before them, preferring death to taking more life.

My God, she thought, we have no idea what we’ve unleashed!

“You’ve been in communication with the Karukii all of these centuries?”

“Yes,” replied Chaiyse. “Although the Kait broke away nearly a millennium ago and were transplanted to the hinterlands of the Sellusion system, every century the Karukii come to check on their dash’j, their little brother,” she explained.

“And during their last visit, they learned of the abductions and were understandably outraged,” Vaush conjectured.

“Yes, they intend to bring a legion of Karukii warriors.”

Vaush’s mouth dropped open. “A legion…of them?”

“They do not feel that your galaxy is worth an all out campaign. They will send only what is necessary to destroy your entire empire in a matter of weeks.”

“When will they arrive?”

“They are due to return within ten of your years,” replied Bhedrus.

Rubbing her eyes at the onset of a migraine, Vaush asked, “Why are you even telling me this? Even if we had fifty years, we could not prepare for this invasion.”

“No, there is nothing that your people can do to stay the judgment the Karukii have rendered. You have only one hope of survival.”

“What is that?” Vaush asked in desperation.

“The Kait.”

Confusion flashed across her face. “But you said that you will not fight.”

“We will not fight, but neither will we step aside to allow your world to be slaughtered. Our Murkudahl brethren would be forced to spill Murkudahl blood before they can prevail upon you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The only thing that is forbidden or taboo to the Murkudahl, is the spilling of Murkudahl blood. It is a thing they will not do.”

“But why would you do this for us when we’ve done nothing but exploit and murder your people?”

“Vaush,” Bhedrus interjected, “you are going to change that state of affairs once you are enthroned. This also allows us the opportunity to make amends for our past crimes.” He lowered his head. “You merely saw a glimpse of the carnage I wreaked.”

“Take courage, Your Grace,” Chaiyse added. “Your empire will be greatly indebted to you. Your convictions moved us to believe in your people. There is good here, there is much worth saving.”

Vaush was deeply touched by the sentiment. Reaching out for their hands, she asked, “Do you really think there is hope? That the Karukii will listen to you and turn away from us?”

They gently squeezed her hands. “A hope, yes. A guarantee, no,” replied Chaiyse.

“But we can guarantee this,” Bhedrus said, “Chaiyse and I will personally protect you from the Karukii when they come. The only way they will get to you is through our blood.”

“We want you to know this because you’ve seen the Karukii’s method of attack. They start from the head down. Once you will be the empress, you will be their first target.”

A chill ran through Vaush.

“But know that you are not alone. You will have the one weapon that no Karukii enemy has ever possessed: the Kait.”

Vaush had never been more terrified in her life. Somehow the threat of Recaban’s men almost made her laugh now.

She peered at them. “You speak of my enthronement as an absolute certainty. You’ve seen the odds I’m up against?”

“We have learned that you have a very powerful ally who is eager to render you assistance. We must be on our way to make certain this happens.”

“An ally? Who?” she asked eagerly.

“We have already said too much. All will be known soon enough.” Chaiyse turned to Bhedrus and took an object from him. “Before we leave, we have a gift to bestow upon you.” She held out two small vials.

Vaush gazed at the light blue liquid content. “What is it?”

“The very thing for which we are being exploited. I believe your people call it Murkudahl Essence.”

Her eyes went wide with astonishment. “The essence,” she softly repeated. She looked up at them. “But it is poisonous to our people.”

“That is because they do not know how to refine it, to make it compatible with humanoid DNA.”

“What am I to do with it?” Vaush asked, almost afraid.

“Accept it as a gift from the Murkudahl. It will greatly enhance your physical and mental abilities. The road ahead of you is a perilous one, but with the help of the essence and your clandestine ally, you’ll have a real chance at reaching Novoxos alive.”

“Thank you,” Vaush said, accepting the vials. “You have brought me much hope…and unfortunately, much trepidation.”

“You will consume the first dose now, and the second four hours from now,” Chaiyse instructed.

“Vaush,” Bhedrus cautioned, “this essence was designed for you and you alone. It cannot be synthesized by any of your current medical technology. It is meant only to be consumed by you.”

She nodded. “Yes, I understand.” She stared at the two vials. “Is that the only way that the essence will change me?”

“We lack the time to go into sufficient detail. However, there will be harmless side effects, but these are greatly outweighed by the benefits,” Chaiyse told her. “Now, please,” she gestured at the vials, “we must be on our way soon, but we will stay to monitor you.”

Vaush quickly removed the cap from the first vial and held it to her lips. “I assume this is to be orally ingested,” she asked.

“Yes.”

She turned up the vial, emptying its contents into her mouth. Her taste buds were assaulted by the bitter, then salty taste. She grimaced but swallowed. A warm burning sensation started in her chest and spread outward.

“You will temporarily lose consciousness as the essence re-writes your DNA code.”

“How long?”

“Nearly an hour.”

She nodded. “You’ll stay with me?”

“Until we are certain the transformation has successfully adhered.”

Her brows furrowed. “Is my life at risk?” She thought it absurd that she hadn’t asked before she swallowed it.

“No more so than if you had not taken it,” Bhedrus replied.

Vaush closed her eyes. “That’s not very comforting.” Beginning to feel lightheaded, she asked, “What about the Elpanf in my head? Are you going to remove it now?”

“The Elpanf will alert us when the first phase is complete. At which point we will retrieve it, I promise,” Chaiyse assured her.

Chaiyse and Bhedrus seemed to sway and dance before Vaush’s eyes. Straining her vision, she tried to make them stop. Soon the whole room swayed before her.

“You should lie down now,” Chaiyse said, helping Vaush stretch out on the second row seats.

“Good idea,” she said dreamily, then started to laugh. “I feel a little tipsy.”

“It’s the essence taking effect.”

“If you say so,” she laughed, “but it feels pretty drunk to me.” She moaned, “I’m so sleepy.” Struggling to keep her eyes open, she tried focusing on Chaiyse. “When will I see you again?”

“I do not know for certain, but I hope it will be soon.”

These were the last words Vaush heard before drifting into blackness.

CHAPTER 55

In the cold wintry night, Comron pulled his hood closer around his head as he trudged through the snow, making his way back to Vaush. In Monteras he’d managed to contact a merchant willing to sell him a ship with unregistered credits and minimal questions. To ensure the man’s trustworthiness he left his personal com-unit under the table when he went to relieve himself. He’d listened in and though the shifty character laughed at finding a stupid bastard desperate enough to pay twice what his vessel was worth, he didn’t seem to suspect anything more about Comron. When Comron had returned to the table, he transferred the credits to the man’s account and the man gave him the security access codes to his ship.

The snow was coming down in a heavy blanket, making it difficult to locate the cruiser. But he finally saw a little light emanating from it and his spirits lifted.

Entering the cruiser, he found Vaush curled up on the back seat. Despite the temperature outdoors, it was rather toasty in the cabin. Pulling off his heavy parka and faceguard, he climbed over the front seat to get to her. Sitting on the edge of the bench, Comron gently stroked her hair, rousing her.

“Hello, angel,” he said as she began to stir. He watched her yawn and stretch. She looked incredible. Before he could say another word, Vaush suddenly shot up, looked at Comron and then gazed about as if searching for someone else. “Chaiyse? Bhedrus?” she called out. “Chaiyse!”

Startled, Comron looked around, halfway expecting someone to answer. “Vaush, it’s me. You’re just dreaming, honey.”

Her eyes fixed upon him. “Comron,” she lunged forward and hugged him. “You’re back, thank God.”

“That must have been quite some dream you were having.”

“No, I wasn’t dreaming,” she said as she swung her legs around to the floor. “I hardly know where to begin or how to explain what I’ve seen.”

“What are you talking about?” He looked at the door, then back at her. “You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I never left here…physically.”

“Physically?” he chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you were able to get some rest. Now to business, I was able to make arrangements for our transportation. He has it docked near the main warehouse. He’s unloading his merchandise as we speak and we should be able to take possession in an hour.”

“Excellent, the sooner we get moving the better,” she said rather absently and went to the window to peer out.

“There’s more…Vaush?” he said wondering why she seemed so preoccupied.

“I’m listening,” she said over her shoulder.

“I also learned that my father has mobilized half our naval fleet to hunt us but left half behind to defend Nethic should Thalonius send his forces to attack.”

“Is that a concern?” she asked still gazing out into the darkness.

“Yes, it is…Thalonius has already engaged Ti-Laros in battle in their search for you.” When she still didn’t turn he added. “Word has it that Larrs’ ship was destroyed, his whereabouts are unknown. I’m only grateful that you weren’t aboard the vessel at the time.”

She finally turned to him, her expression was a mix of grief and anger. “They killed him? What of Skarus and Hellena?”

“I’m sorry, love. I don’t know any more than what I’ve told you. I gleaned what I could from the tavern talk, but I couldn’t press without drawing attention to myself.”

Her eyes were hollow as she processed the information. Her feelings would be ambivalent, she’d loved the man as her father all of her life, yet now despised him for lying to her and for the death of her mother. He wondered if this news would prove to be the thing that finally caused her to break. If so, he would be here to hold her together and see her through it.

She lifted her eyes to him. “You didn’t happen to see anyone on your way back did you?”

“No…I took great precaution to assure that I wasn’t followed.”

“Of course, but what about as you were approaching the cruiser, you didn’t see anyone running off?”

“No...” he said, perplexed by her questioning. “Why, did you see someone?”

She winced and grimaced at some unseen threat.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

“Comron, I was visited by the Murkudahl while you were gone,” she blurted out.

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“Two Murkudahl came to speak with me. They stood right here. Their names were Chaiyse and Bhedrus.”

His eyes narrowed. “You let some strangers in here?”

“No, of course not. I hid back here with the rifle.” She pointed. “When I refused to let them in, the locks popped and they entered on their own.”

“From where?”

“There,” she said, pointing to the side door.

Comron examined the locks. “There is no sign of forced entry.”

“The Murkudahl’s technology is far more advanced than ours, it might as well be magic for all we can comprehend of it. They must have used some mechanism to unlock the doors.”

“Vaush, there was no one here when I returned, not even any tracks in the snow.”

“I know it sounds insane, but I was sitting in the front seat waiting for you when I saw them on the horizon. I tried to start the engine to escape, but it wouldn’t turn. They moved with great speed, and before I knew it, they were at the door. I took the rifle and hid between the seats over there.” She pointed at the back row.

“So when did you fix the engine?” he asked without hesitation.

“I didn’t, I—”

“How is it that it’s running perfectly now?”

Vaush was silent for a moment. “You didn’t start it?”

“No, it was running when I arrived.”

She endeavored to find another explanation. “Of course, Chaiyse and Bhedrus must have fixed it.” She snapped her fingers and smiled. “I bet they temporarily disabled the engines so I couldn’t escape before they had a chance to speak with me.”

“Don’t you think a more plausible explanation is that you were having a very vivid and intense dream? For all we know it could have been induced by the herbal concoction Nacum’s wife gave us.”

She raised her voice, “Comron, stop it and listen to me. You saw them too on Patheis, the tall hooded figures, remember? They’ve been following us this whole time.”

Her words rang true as the most logical explanation for what he saw that morning. Part of him was relieved that Vaush wasn’t losing her mind or finally succumbing to the pressure of all the horrible revelations.

“Com, they gave me the Murkudahl Essence,” she stated flatly. “The very thing for which they are being exploited.”

Comron’s heart leapt and his eyes went wide with fear. “Vaush, the essence is poison. Every single test subject has died horribly after being injected with it. Every last one of them!”

“That’s only because our biochemists have lacked the knowledge to make it compatible with our DNA. The essence was crafted by the hands of the Murkudahl, designed specifically for me.”

She moved closer to him. “Look at me, do I look ill? Every passing moment I’m feeling more alive and energized. I’m not dying, Comron.”

He looked at her healthy vibrant glow. “But why would the Murkudahl visit you? They never leave their world.”

Vaush’s smile fell away. “They came to deliver a dark message.”

“Which was?” he prompted her when her thoughts seemed to drift off to a troubling place.

“Now is not the time to speak of it. But you need to know that we have a powerful ally,” she said.

“The Murkudahl?”

“No, it’s against their basic tenets to take up arms. But they told me that with the help of this ally and the essence, our chance of making it to Novoxos was practically assured.”

Comron was skeptical about this mysterious ally. What demands would they make in exchange for their assistance? Were they someone Vaush would want to be beholden to? “I understand why the Murkudahl wish to see you crowned Empress since you’ve written extensively against their exploitation. But what of this alleged ally? What interest do they have in seeing you enthroned?”

The terrified look in Vaush’s eyes alarmed him.

“Vaush, what’s—”

“I can’t lose you,” she said fiercely. “You’re the most precious thing in my life.”

He was having difficulty following her train of thought. “You’re not going to lose me.”

Her mouth drew into firm line. “I don’t want you to go back into Monteras. Something horrible will happen to you there. I know it.”

The resolve in her manner and her strident tone unsettled Comron. Did this have something to do with the new ally? “Vaush, everything is going to be fine. We have a ship waiting on us and soon we’ll be on our way to Novoxos.”

“Darling, listen to me, you mustn’t enter Monteras. Go somewhere safe and hide yourself there until I’m established on Novoxos and then come join me there as my royal consort.”

Anger flashed in his green eyes. “Do you really think for one seconds I’d let you go to Monteras alone to meet some dubious ally?”

“Comron, if you go back there, you will die!”

“Better I die protecting my wife than running away like some gutless coward.”

“I don’t want—”

“Enough!” he said sharply. “You’re not going there alone and that’s final.”

She bristled at the challenge in his voice.

For a tense moment, there was nothing but silence between them. He was at a complete loss as to what was driving her erratic behavior, but two things were clear – he’d never let her go without him and this standoff was getting them nowhere.

Comron sighed and his expression softened. He reached out and traced the line of her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Beloved, don’t you know that being parted from you is death to me?” He drew closer to her. “Wherever you go, I have no choice but to follow.”