James Somers - The rise of Lucin

He sensed something and the brush could be heard rustling somewhere behind him in the dark. Lucin turned to the sound and it was increasing. Whatever was out there was watching him and he was able to perceive one overpowering thought in the minds of the creatures beyond the visible foliage-Prey!

One thing caused him alarm. He was there in full symbiotic armor with weaponry at his disposal and these creatures felt absolutely no fear whatsoever. Lucin was definitely outnumbered and more predators were joining the others out there in the night beyond his physical sight. His instinct was to run and he followed it.

Lucin was sprinting away at top speed. It may have been a reaction brought on by his human host body; nevertheless it seemed the most rationale course of action. Lucin didn't want to make his start here on Demigoth with his host body chewed to bits and digesting in the belly of some indigenous predator.

He was heading for the city. The terrain was uneven making it difficult to run effectively and the vegetation was course and whipping at him unmercifully as he tried to make his way through. Lucin could sense the predators behind him and they seemed to be gaining. It was difficult to determine the number, but he could hear their breathing and the ravenous growling they produced while on the hunt.

Lucin spotted some taller trees up ahead as he came out of the undergrowth into a clearing. He thought for a moment that he might climb one of the trees, but he would only be trapping himself. As Lucin ran near to one of the trees, a creature leapt out of it and pounced on him. It took only a second to realize that it was a Horva and one of the brute unintelligent late generation types of clone. Anger flooded Lucin as he grappled with the creature; the others were closing fast. He had to get off of the ground or they would be piled on him killing his host body.

Lucin quickly turned the fight in his favor and laid into the Horva with several well placed strikes that nearly incapacitated the creature. He snatched the feral clone up by its throat and held the naked man aloft. Tendrils from his symbyte skin latched onto the Horva as the others became visible at the edge of the underbrush surrounding the clearing. It was time to give these brutes a dose of fear and respect for the angel-man.

Lucin crushed the trachea of the feral Horva struggling uselessly in his grip. In moments the body went limp and he deliberately tossed the body out in front of the others. If they didn't understand his speech, they would certainly understand that the stronger rule the weaker.

His perception of the creatures appeared to be accurate-they kept their distance from him, but seemed in awe of the one that had so easily vanquished one of their own. It occurred to him then, that these Horva would be his new army. Once he assimilated them, he would easily be able to conquer their primitive minds and control them as he had hoped to do with the normal humans back on Castai. And if cloning technology was still readily available it wouldn't take him long before he would have a sizeable fighting force to command. He would begin the systematic takeover of Demigoth with one of its most valuable assets-clones.

AFTER a week of hiking through the jungle area surrounding the jump point left in the transgate memory by Lucin, Kale and Wynn entered into a shining megalopolis. This was the massive Vorn city of Gaj. The Barudii had waited until nightfall to enter the city. But a problem quickly became apparent as they walked the crowded streets.

"We stick out like a sore thumb," said Kale in a harsh whisper.

"We are wearing robes and hoods, young master," replied Wynn.

"Yes, but we're the only ones wearing them," said Kale-he was clearly agitated. "Everyone is looking at us."

Wynn glanced around from beneath the rim of his hood. Everyone they passed was clearly eyeballing them. "I see your point. Perhaps we should take a more covert approach."

The pair ducked into an alleyway. Kale tore away the cloak in the shadows. "I think our lack of melanin is a dead giveaway here."

"Calm down, Kale," said Wynn. "Let's take to higher ground and use the shadows."

Wynn removed his cloak and leapt the distance to a high ledge above them. Kale followed the elder Barudii, finding a perch next to Wynn on the ledge.

The city was monstrous in size; much bigger than any of those they had left back on Castai. None of the twelve Vorn-founded cities left during his father's reign was even remotely comparable. As far as the eye could see was a technological landscape, complete with massive electronic displays proclaiming various news, updates and entertainment options. There were huge buildings reaching for the sky in every direction where the two men looked. If the city had suffered during the attacks of the sphere weapon unleashed so many years ago by the Barudii of the twin Castai before their ultimate defeat, it was not apparent now.

"How are we supposed to find Lucin in all of this?"

"Patience, Kale," said Wynn, "Remember, Lucin was not in a dark skinned body when we last saw him on Draconis. He must have the same problem that we have being here."

"But he can switch bodies at will and only the Horva appear to be immune to him."

Wynn was trying to be the optimist, but he was beginning to wonder if they had been overzealous in their plans to follow Lucin to this planet in this manner. Clearly it would have been easier for Grod to make the trip and he could have blended well with the native populace.

"I wonder when the sunrise will come," said Kale. "When that happens we had better be hidden away somewhere."

"You're right. We probably wouldn't receive a warm welcome from anyone here whether influenced by Lucin or not. The peace your father achieved with the Vorn and Horva did not reach this planet to my knowledge."

Kale sat to one side of the building's corner on the high ledge while Wynn stood just beyond the corner on the other side. He was watching some of the news reports, at least the visuals that were being broadcast to the large monitors on the sides of many of the buildings, to see if he might catch something related to Lucin's arrival in the area. He surmised that the archenemy of Elithias and man would not go unannounced for very long and Lucin had been on the planet for nearly two weeks prior to his and Kale's arrival. That gave him plenty of time to do something.

A fierce looking dark skinned man with multiple braids running off of his head and down his back watched as two light skinned males positioned themselves on a high ledge across the airway lanes from the building he was hidden on. He watched the pair through a telescopic site from the shadows cast by the large video monitor adorning the face of a high rise apartment complex. The targets had been spotted earlier on the streets below and when they appeared nearby, he had expected a more difficult shot as the strangers walked among the civilian populace. To his surprise they had made his job easier by separating themselves from the crowds and now they were at a more level height with him, making his shot easier to obtain.

The dark skinned sniper adjusted the cross-hairs to fix on the older of the two men. The white haired man was on the ledge facing him while the younger sat in the shadow of the building just around the corner. The white haired man was quite visible in the light of the massive video monitor. With its light shining in his face, there was no way he could see the attack coming from the shadows just beneath the monitor.

The sniper spoke into a com-link attached to his lapel. "Master, may I take the shot."

Over the com-link came the reply, "You may take the shot. We are in position."

The sniper touched the trigger of his long rifle and an infrared beam, visible only through the telescopic lens, appeared on the chest of the white haired male standing on the ledge. He waited for the right moment as traffic from the airway lanes passed between him and his target. A nice break between vehicles provided the perfect opportunity and the sniper squeezed gently on the rifle trigger.