James Somers - The rise of Lucin

"Yes, and we also have faced casualties in the fight with the boy and in the city. And your leadership has done nothing to stop them, Dirge!" protested one named Illian.

No one blinked. The challenge had been put upon the table. Dirge bore down on the challenger with looks that could kill.

"Do you wish to challenge me for the right to lead, Illian?"

Illian looked around. Perhaps it was not wise to posture as he had just done. No one appeared ready to stand with him against Dirge. Instead he lowered his own gaze in submission.

"Well then, we Agonotti are great in number when we are united. I not only believe I can lead us to victory against the off-worlders, but we will also rid ourselves of Elam. We must not cower in the face of man. We are higher beings-we are superior!" Dirge cried confidently.

"But we have been cursed by Elithias!" shouted one of the others.

The agitated council member stood as he broadcast his reservations to everyone in the room. He ruffled his midnight, tattered apparel and beat upon his chest. "We are no longer what we were. Our greatness has been reduced to this semi-mortal existence!"

Before anyone else realized his movement, Dirge plunged a blade into the chest of the Agonotti council member. "Then die in your mortality and await the judgment!"

He let the body fall to the ground and did not regard it further as the molecular structure began to disintegrate. "Will anyone else join him or will you stand and fight to take the dominance we deserve over men?"

Some of their fists pounded the air approvingly. The reluctant others joined them as they watched their fellow Mithri's physical form decay on the chamber floor.

"Good," Dirge said. "When the time is right, we will strike Elam down and control the human population ourselves from now on."

"But what about the off-worlders?"

"We will give Elam another chance to kill them. If he wins, then we've not had to deal with it. But if he fails then he will be out of the way and we've not had to do that either. Then we will carry out a slaughter against the off-worlders and overwhelm them."

The others seemed unsure of the plan, but what else was there?

"When we are rid of Elam and the off-worlders, we will ravage the race of men on Draconis whenever we please-no more dividing our numbers to various regions to feed as Elam demanded. Tomorrow, when we descend upon Odem, we will have thousands of our brothers with us."

The restaurant owner watched the two cloaked strangers as they ate their breakfast meal in the booth next to the main window. He didn't have any idea who they were and he didn't like it. Of course, being a stranger in town wasn't against the law, but most townsfolk didn't appreciate having people they didn't know among them.

Their robes were a little upscale for this small town. The farmers made up the majority here would never be found in such garments. The only consolation the restaurateur had was seeing enough of their faces to recognize their humanity-at least they weren't Agonotti. And they had paid in cash, always a welcome sight, even if it was a large piece of currency. "City folk," he mumbled under his breath as he went back to wiping the serving counter.

Elam peered out from under the edge of his hood toward the robed boy sitting across from him. He sure doesn't look like he's possessed, he thought as he watched Kale wolf down his food. Glad it's him rather than me!

Dawn had come in Odem, but no one else was in the restaurant except for them. It was normal for farmers to eat at home in the mornings while doing chores and caring for their livestock. In the city it was just the opposite. People worked outside of the home and stopped along the way for their breakfast.

The Agonotti will be arriving soon, Elam thought as he looked down the main street toward the crowded market area. The Agonotti knew by now when to find the most people milling about in the streets and market day was certainly the time in these small towns.

"So when do the Agonotti show up to feed?" Kale asked quietly.

"It won't be very long. I want you to stay out of sight until I have Dirge face to face. If he spots you he may try to dematerialize before you can strike him down. You must get him by surprise while he is preoccupied arguing with me. He will no doubt want to know why I'm here."

"He won't know what hit him."

"Good. Now, after Dirge is dead, I will pretend to attack you. After some brief sword play to build it up well, I'll knock your weapon away then you will appear to attack me kinetically, knocking my sword away as well. Then I will pretend to attack you mentally, overcome you and kill you that way. There won't be any need for wounds to show the other Agonotti that I have killed you for striking down their leader."

"Neat and tidy, but how will you get me home?" Kale asked.

"How do you think I got here with my family years ago? I told you I have long range vessels at my disposal. I can get you back to Castai with no problem."

Kale sipped on his water after finishing the last of his food. Elam looked down the main road again at the people gathered in the market area. There were several hundred-all waiting for the Agonotti to pluck them away. Then he noticed a shadow, so ominous it threatened to blot out the sun. The dark veil moved steadily down the street and over the buildings.

"Something is wrong." Elam got up from the booth and headed out into the street where he could get a look at what was approaching. Usually when the Agonotti attacked, they comprised a cloud that rolled into a city or town-one or two hundred at best in number. This Agonotti cloud moving in over Odem was absolutely massive. It must have been a number in the thousands to be so large and so dense-full to the brim with the molecular structures of an army of Agonotti.

Kale stood beside Elam, in the street, gazing up at the monstrous cloud. "I have never seen anything like it," he said.

"Neither have I. They'll kill every living thing by attacking this way."

"Does this change our plan?"

Elam looked at the boy again. "Not at all, but if you fail to kill Dirge with your first strike we might not leave this place alive."

Kale did not reply. He remained focused on the massive vortex of terror moving in over the town. The civilians had noticed it by now. Chaos ensued. Most screamed at the top of their lungs and ran for cover anywhere they could find it.

"Go ahead and get away from me," Elam said. "We don't need to be seen together. Find a place where you can strike from quickly."

He had not even finished his instructions before the cloaked young man sped away and vanished within the crowd of screaming people. Elam removed his cloak to expose his garments underneath. People running by looked at him with a small measure of hope, recognizing him now as Lord Elam, the leader of the Guardians, but it wasn't enough to cause them to stop panicking.

It's going to be a hot day, Tiet thought as they continued their jog toward Kale. The night before Kale had seemed so distant from them, but now it was as though he were just over the next rise.

Tiet and Emil had gotten up before dawn as planned and had gotten an early start back on the hunt. Emil picked away at the last of the previous nights meal as he ran beside Tiet, tossing away small bones along the way. A small road intersected their path and soon they found themselves running along it. They passed a sign as they jogged along that read, City of Odem: 2 miles.

Tiet suddenly stopped and Emil, over shooting him a little, stopped and came back to him asking, "What's wrong?"

"That city up ahead, Odem, I think Kale is there!"

"Great! Let's go!"

"Wait, something has happened."