James Somers - The rise of Lucin

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Well then, don't hold back. I'll do my best to answer."

He took a half second to consider a polite way to address it, but couldn't think of any. "Why did Elithias destroy the Horva?"

Aija stopped chewing the food in his mouth and looked up at the soldier with a slightly puzzled look on his face. "He didn't destroy your people. You're still here aren't you?"

It was too matter-of-fact for him to hear. "What I mean is," he struggled with the words a moment. "Our families, all but the four of us were killed. Why did Elithias let that happen? We were created as slaves to the Vorn military-all we wanted was our freedom."

"Elithias has created beings with free will, but it was not His will for them to rebel, and yet he did not stop them. Both Mithri and man alike rebelled against the Creator. If the Eternal One had prevented it by overpowering our free will, then, would we not say our right to choose was impinged upon-our freedom removed completely? And if Elithias allows us to make those choices and we rebel, then we wonder why he didn't prevent it."

"I know, but still-"

"Jael, the Fallen One started this war among men, against the will of Elithias, but still the He has directed the events in such a way that his purposes will ultimately be accomplished. He is turning what was meant for evil into our good."

"But how? How is that going to be good?"

"The Logostus prophesies of a clan that is removed for its great rebellion and that would be the Baruk. But when the prophecies tell us of the kingdom to come, they include among the clans, the Artemae to take the place of the Baruk."

Now, Jael was really confused. "Who are the Artemae?"

"The word means: taken out of us for bondage. It is the Horva alone who are the fulfillment of this prophecy," Aija said. "The Eternal One has left you a remnant to begin again. Your people will ultimately be accepted and free forever in the kingdom of Elithias."

Hope rose in Jael's eyes now. In the midst of all the talk of judgment, mercy still prevailed in Elithias' plan for them.

"In fact, my friend," Aija continued, "it is only the remnant of any of the clans that will survive this war."

He was right. While concentrating on his own people's destruction, Jael had not really considered that the other clans faced similar circumstances. Only three Barudii remained now and even Aija's Guniran clan would be a smaller remnant after the attack they had just witnessed back on Kosiva.

The Horva soldier drummed his fingers across the table as he sat back in his seat. His eyes were moist, but a smile abided on his face. Jael picked up his food tray and placed it in the waste container. He turned to look again at the prophet.

"Thank you, Aija," he whispered, and then he grabbed his rifle from the other table and went to the bridge.

Lucin surveyed the smoldering ruins of the Guniran province before him. Death meant nothing to him. He felt no regret and no sympathy. He waited for news on the structure he was searching for. The boy had apparently escaped with his family. He had sensed it when the young Barudii had departed the planet. The portion of his symbyte form previously implanted in Kale had been destroyed, but not his ability to sense the boy.

The Vorn warships hovered over the province. Their antigravity generators kept them aloft and their sonic emissions thundered continuously over the landscape. Some of the structurally unsound buildings had collapsed due to the constant resonance of the mighty engines in such close proximity.

"Sir!" One of Lucin's soldiers came running up to him. "I think we have found it."

Lucin followed the man. The soldier led him beyond the greater portion of destroyed buildings nearby. Lucin's bodyguards followed along with them as they walked briskly through the street toward a tented complex not far in the distance. He recognized it immediately. It was the same design as the one from the days of old-a tabernacle.

Lucin's pace quickened at the sight of it. People marched into captivity all around them and shots still rang out at random as his symbyte controlled soldiers went about the business of tearing the Guniran province apart.

Lucin stopped abruptly at the entrance to the tabernacle. A veil hung between two poles comprising the entryway. Did he dare? He had once dwelt in Mithrium itself, the dwelling place of the Eternal One, though not with these mortal members. He had walked in the garden of Elithias, oh so many ages ago. Had Elithias' presence been here, the province never would have been taken. He dared.

Removing his blade he slashed through the poles and the veil between, and walked through. His people had a number of priests secured as prisoners inside. When he walked inside the tented complex the priests were forced to their knees before him.

"These are the books we found inside," said one of his men.

A pile of old parchments and copies of various sorts were strewn on the ground before a wash basin and a table with other artifacts overturned. He picked up one of the documents. Opening it, his eyes fell upon the old language. "…And the one that deceived them, was cast into a lake of fire that shall never be quenched, and so shall he be tormented day and night forever and ever, amen."

Fury welled up within Lucin from the very foundation of his being. He shredded the parchment and then glared at the others before him. "I want all of these burned!"

"Yes, sir!"

Lucin turned to leave the tabernacle. Elithias wasn't going to tell him. The Eternal One would only mock him in his search through the prophecies.

"Sir, what about these prisoners?"

Lucin paused before leaving. "Kill them…kill them all."

He headed back down the street to his private transport. His bodyguards followed their master's every step. Sporadic pulse laser fire erupted behind him from the Tabernacle of Elithias. He really didn't need to consult with the books at all-he knew the prophecies well. He knew that his time was short.

Lucin climbed back into the transport and his bodyguards seated themselves next to him. One of them took the shuttle controls and closed the entry door while powering the engine.

"Commander?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Have all of the ground forces finish up here quickly and report back to the cruisers. I want to be underway for Draconis within the next five hours."

Something, other than the total destruction of the city around them, was not right. Kale felt something, as though they were being watched. Nothing but the wind made a sound any louder than their footsteps. It generated a continuous fog of ash from the burned out ruins of the city.

Then it happened-a feeling really-a whisper of danger on the wind. Kale dodged behind a burned out vehicle in the street as explosive shells strafed the pavement where he had been standing. They potted the concrete with miniature craters upon impact. The others had sensed it also, except for Grod, but Emil had pushed his father out of the way just in time.

The air became silent again. Nothing moved. "Who do you suppose they are?" Grod asked from behind a chunk of demolished building.

"I'm not sure," Wynn said. "Probably not Agonotti with that kind of weapon. They're probably scared and don't realize we're on their side."

"Maybe we should tell them," Emil said. "Hello!" he shouted from his hiding place. "We are humans. We don't mean you any harm!"

Another volley of shells strafed across the concrete and steel the group was hiding behind. "So much for that," Kale said as he activated his E.M. shield. He set the parameters to keep the repulsor field on constantly, since it normally only repelled energy weapons.

He looked back at Wynn, who gave a look of doubt about the tactic the young man was about to employ, but he didn't have any other suggestions to pose. Kale jumped up from behind the burned out transport and ran at the source of the weapons fire. Almost immediately, they set upon him with more explosive rounds. Some impacted his shield and burst while he managed to dodge the majority.