James Somers - The rise of Lucin

Kale made himself move. He walked cautiously toward his father's body; praying in his mind that the man would suddenly move and get up unharmed, but it didn't happen. When Kale reached him, he knelt down beside of him. He was still breathing and Kale's mind raced with the possibility that Aija was wrong about his father leaving this world, but faith and growing experience kept telling him it wasn't true.

Kale rolled his father from his side to his back carefully. When he was at rest in that position, Tiet shuddered and his eyes opened and sought out his son's face.

His voice was strained as he asked, "Kale?"

"Yes, Father, I'm here."

Tiet's face was bruised heavily on one side and the eye was swollen shut. He was hemorrhaging from both of his ears, his nose and his mouth. His good eye found Kale's face as he continued to try and speak saying, "I think I lost this fight, eh, son?"

The boy in him was welling up-Kale may have passed the trials of manhood, but this anguish was more than he could contain. Tears began to flow down his cheeks.

"How did we fair against the others?"

"We won, Father," Kale choked upon the words. "The Lord Elithias gave us a great victory."

Tiet tried to smile. Then he turned his attention just beyond Kale saying, "Oh, how beautiful it is… Yes, Lord, I do want to go…"

Kale looked over his shoulder, following his father's gaze. He expected to find Wynn standing there, but there was no one. "What do you see, Father?"

"He's coming with your mother for me," said Tiet with a peaceful smile. "He's coming-"

And then, Tiet Soone was gone.

Kale laid his head down on his father's chest and put his arms around his battered body. This would be his last opportunity to hold the man in this life. The others maintained a respectful distance, but all were saddened by the passing of their king.

Then a voice was heard from inside the Equinox saying, "Mirah! Are you there?"

Kale got up and leapt to the shattered bridge window of the ship and went inside. Wynn followed the youth into the ship. They found Mirah on the floor of the bridge. Her eyes were open and lifeless. "That's what Father meant," said Kale. "He said the Lord was coming for him with my mother."

Wynn squeezed Kale's shoulder; a gesture meant to express his sorrow for himself and Kale at the death of his parents. They heard the voice again coming from back in the ship somewhere, it was Ramah. The two Barudii warriors proceeded cautiously, in case Lucin was still on board. Kale held a kemstick hilt in his hand, hoping he would find his parent's murderer still onboard. Mithri or no, Kale wanted vengeance.

They got as far down the corridor as the infirmary. When they opened the door, they found Ramah inside still confined to her bed. She was safe, but frightened. "Kale, what happened?" she asked. "Your mother went to the bridge to see what was happening and then I heard gunfire. She never came back. Is she alright?"

Kale didn't answer her question. "Ramah, did you see anyone else onboard?"

"I heard heavy footsteps in the corridor after the gunshot, but they went past without coming in here."

The two warriors looked at each other and Wynn voiced their insight. "The transgate?"

"Stay here, Ramah," said Wynn and the two headed back out of the room and down the corridor toward the transgate control room.

"Is Emil safe?" she called after them.

Kale and Wynn opened the transgate chamber door cautiously and moved in with their weapons ready for anything. A quick survey of the room from top to bottom assured them that it was empty, but the control board was active.

Upon inspection, they found that someone had just made a jump. "It looks like Lucin escaped through the gate. He has jumped to planet Demigoth," said Wynn.

The scriptures came alive in Kale's mind; it's coming to pass just like the Logostus says.

"Of course," said Kale in a whisper.

"What is it?"

"Demigoth is where Elithias is supposed to come the second time with his redeemed ones to establish his universal kingdom of peace, according to the prophecies," said Kale.

"What do you want to do?" asked Wynn.

Kale was surprised by the question. He wasn't used to being asked by his elders what course of action they should take, but he realized Wynn was now addressing him not as his pupil, but as his king.

"We can do little right now," said Kale. "Let's take care of our wounded and regroup. It will take everything we've got to go after Lucin."

His words show wisdom, thought Wynn. The two headed back out of the chamber to assess the damages to their people and take care of Emil and Ramah. Kale tried to fight his emotions, he was going to have to bury his parents and truly become a Barudii warrior.

AIJA stood with Kale next to the newly prepared gravesites for Tiet and his wife. The whole company of soldiers that had survived the battle was assembled for the funeral of the king. Those that had been led there by Lucin under the domination of his mind-bending parasitic symbyte seed had been freed by the same Mithrial cavalry that had destroyed the Agonotti. There were far fewer rebel soldiers among the congregation, but some had survived.

Kale stood silently as Aija spoke to those assembled. It was very odd to him; he felt nothing. Only being near to the beginning of his fourteenth year, he had expected to be more emotional about all that had happened and especially the reason for their being gathered here. His parents were gone, but at the same time, he knew that they really weren't. Had he only had hope of them living on in his memory alone, he would have been sobbing at this point. But he had the assurance from a prophet of Elithias that his parents were now safe in His arms-there was no reason to weep for them.

Kale was only half listening to what Aija was saying to the people. He was looking at the graves where his parent's mortal bodies had been placed. Kale was wondering what they must be feeling now, for the Logostus was plain that believers would receive a new body to dwell in. His father had been seriously wounded when he had come looking for his son on this planet the first time. Lucin had used Kale to nearly kill the king during his rescue attempt. Those injuries had continued to plague his father ever since. Now, he would be free from all of it and enjoying a body that could not be pained or suffer death-these thoughts were far more comforting than the words being spoken by the prophet.

One thought was heavy on Kale's mind. Without a king, this army would need new leadership. He was the natural choice, but would the people want him? And once they were settled on that matter, there would be the issue of Lucin himself. The Mithrial-man had escaped. A careful search of the Logostus showed it to be in the plan of Elithias after all. This army would have to face the Wicked one again.

When Aija was done speaking, he nodded to Kale. It was time for him to give the final farewell gesture. Kale stepped between the freshly covered graves of his father and mother and gathered a handful of dirt from the top of each one. When Kale stood again, he cast both handfuls to the wind and said, "The Eternal One took man from the ground and to the ground he must return, but the faithful shall dwell in the house of the Elithias forever."

A cascade of "Alum" swept quickly through the crowd and the service was concluded.

Kale looked at Aija and asked, "What do we do now?"

"The people God has assembled here must confront Lucin on Demigoth. You must be the one to lead them."

Kale had thought that was what he was going to say.

THE constant low pitch hum of the large Vorn Cruisers stretched across the entire plateau. It had been a full week since the burial of King Tiet Soone and his wife Mirah down in the valley of Sayir and thousands of people were gathered to be a part of the ceremony taking place today. The majority of those in attendance had been under the direct control of Lucin, only days before, but Elithias had freed them completely from his influence, cleansing their minds and bodies of the symbyte organism.