Fated to the Alien Chieftain (The Klendathian Cycle #3)

11. Roxanne

Chapter 11

Roxanne

Sacrifices

I suppress the urge to tap my foot impatiently, waiting for Aenarael and this Dagdorix guy. She went in to help him ten minutes ago, or at least it feels like ten minutes. But I remain still, making every effort to appear the regal queen, as I stand with a straight posture, not making any unnecessary gestures. I probably look silly and stiff. I’m just glad they can’t see my face, because I might look constipated.

“Is anyone injured?” The blue-haired female called Dranuxia asks, while examining the soldiers. I learned the new Exarchs’ names as they ran into our room, full of terror.

“No, injuries are easily avoided when you have the gift of foresight,” Ecneius says, while examining the back of his gloved hand.

Dranuxia snorts, “I’ve healed you plenty of times, Ecneius.”

“We lost eight of our soldiers,” Arawnoth says, bustling in before leaning closer, pulling away from the troops. “Dagdorix is not himself. He’s acting strange, not using his full powers.”

Ecneius, briefly glances at me, causing a flutter of anxiety in my stomach, fearing he might accuse me of the same. Thankfully, he lowers his head without uttering a word.

“I suspect it’s the temporal displacement, or maybe he’s conserving power?” Dranuxia suggests.

“I’d rather he conserve our lives,” Arawnoth remarks, folding his arms. “What’s taking them so long, anyway?”

Good question.

“Maybe they need help?” Dranuxia inquires, her voice full of concern.

Ecneius scoffs, “I’m not going into a room brimming with nanophage. No, thank YOU!” he says, for emphasis. The soldiers all mutter in agreement.

“I’ll check,” I state coldly.

I project my awareness into the other world of emotions or spirits or energy or whatever it is as easily as switching on a light. Machsin’s abilities come naturally to me, like I’ve always had them. I float through the darkness briefly until the roaring purple flame of Dagdorix manifests itself. Pushing into his light, I can feel his confusion and wonder with a hint of awkwardness.

He’s safe at least, and not too worried. Beside him is the flame of silver denoting Aenarael, where Dagdorix’s flame is a blazing purple inferno. Her light flickers like the flames of a campfire.

Curious about her thoughts, I propel my awareness into her silver hue. A mix of wonder and a sense of fear washes over me. But lurking beneath them both is the sultry sensation of... lust? Light like a dumpster fire is more like it. What the hell is she doing?

They’re clearly not in any danger, well, except maybe for Dagdorix’s modesty. I project thoughts of urgency and haste into Aenarael, hoping to hurry them along. Snapping back to reality to see the wisps of green from my eyes evaporate into the air, I blink in surprise to see all the veiled faces looking directly at me.

“They’ll be along shortly,” I state, trying to mimic the slow, haughty way the Exarchs speak.

The sound of the circular door being pulled open draws the room’s attention as Aenarael walks in as gracefully as a cat, with Dagdorix following close behind. He’s much taller than the rest of us, not unlike Krogoth with raven colored hair and purple eyes that mist gently. Were it not for his slender frame and the obscured face behind the warvisor, I might’ve mistaken him for Krogoth.

A pang of anxiety flutters in my stomach. Should I be formal? Give him a hug? What is expected? “Greetings, Patriarch Dagdorix. I, the Matriarch Machsin, have been expecting you.” My awkward greeting causes me to wince even before finishing the sentence.

I reach for the comfort of my necklace before remembering I don’t have it, as Dagdorix reaches to scratch the back of his head in a way I’ve grown to love.

“Krogoth?” I ask, feeling my heart leap in my chest.

“Pebbles?” He asks simultaneously, jogging towards me laughing. “Hah! You look so different, a female Klendathian with green hair.” He picks me up under my arms and swings me around, making my head spin. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

I smile, feeling the weight lift off my shoulders, at having Krogoth beside me again. “Not sure I’d say safe. But it’s so good to see you,” I state as he lowers me to my feet again.

Ecneius tuts “You two have gone quite mad and such a ghastly display of public affection.” His voice drips with disdain.

Dranuxia chuckles. “I find it endearing. The world may end, but love persists,” she says.

Aenarael scoffs. “Always the hopeless romantic Dranuxia,” she says, shaking her head.

“Who are you two? What have you done with the true Patriarch and Matriarch?” Arawnoth demands heatedly, his eyes mist red, causing my pulse to race. Unsure what powers he may have, I instinctively press feelings of trust and loyalty into him. He freezes as if rooted to the ground before he shudders, with his head cast downward. My eyes glow green as I enhance my powers further, propelling the same thoughts into all the others except for Krogoth.

Krogoth glances between me and the group during the stretch of silence. Suddenly everyone else bows deeply before us. “We live to serve,” they say in unison.

“Very impressive, my Pebbles,” Krogoth says, his voice full of wonder.

“Thank you. But watch this.” I smile before looking at Ecneius. “Tell us, Ecneius, can we defeat the Void Bringer?”

Ecneius’ eyes glow golden. “Many paths, Matriarch, many deaths.” He presses both hands to his head. “I see one path to victory, but it will warp and change our very nature.” His voice sounds strained as his hands glow gold. “Beyond that... It’s too much! Too much future. It stretches on forever. Ah! It burns my thoughts and sears my mind! Make it stop, make it stop!” He screams,

Krogoth projects some kind of force into Ecneius that forces his hands down, causing him to collapse to the floor as he whimpers in a crumbled ball. Dranuxia cries out in shock as she runs over to him, her hands and eyes glowing blue. “Poor Ecneius,” she says sadly, stroking his brown hair.

My stomach lurches with regret. I would never have asked him had I known the pain it would have caused.

Krogoth places a reassuring hand on my back, before speaking, “We go to kill the Void Bringer. We will lead the way to victory, for it’s our destiny to save not just Klendathor, but the very universe itself. Our strength and power are both a blessing and a curse, for it falls to us to face this terrible enemy, but we will not fail, because we are Klendathians. We are the greatest warriors to have ever lived!”

Krogoth’s rousing speech sends tingles down my spine. As the soldiers cheer, I can feel their fear subsiding, replaced with hope and aggression. I reach out with Machsin’s gift, stoking those feelings even higher while suppressing their sense of fear and uncertainty. In response, they stamp their feet and bellow even louder. If the machines didn’t know where we were before, they’ll for sure know now.

I breathe a sigh of relief when Ecneius gets back to his feet with the help of Dranuxia. Reaching out with my senses, I can still feel the ominous, empty presence of the Void Bringer not far behind us. “Follow me Krogoth, I know the way.” I turn, walking towards the third spiraling iris doorway in the room.

Before I reach the closed door, Krogoth rips it open like a tin can, using his mind, causing a gasp of shock to escape me. Wonder what other powers he has? He takes my hand in his as he leads me into a vast room that looks like a strange manufacturing plant. Murky oil, green and molten, shimmers and hisses in the center, feeding its liquid through tubes that pulsate and bubble, leading to hundreds of capsules.

Machines are being constructed within the capsules. My warvisor detects tiny nanoscopic machines knitting the green molten liquid into shapes at the molecular level. I’m rudely pulled down as Krogoth roars, “Incoming!” My heart thumps in my chest as I frantically glance about, not daring to peek out from behind our cover.

The soldiers rush into the room, ducking for shelter as green bolts come blazing overhead. I wince as shots stop inches away from their target, caught in a silvery white aura which deflects the attack. The scene is total chaos with the sound of ballistic rifles, the panic shouts of soldiers and the zap and buzz of whatever weapons the enemy has.

I peek my head out to see strange machines streaming into the room and releasing from metal containers, robotic platforms that hover above the floor, brandishing twin mounted green weapons.

They float menacing like miniature spaceships, firing bolts of strange green colored blast that appear gooey. Fire rages at the other end of the room, but the machines are nimble and dart away from the constantly shifting inferno.

With rapidly panicked breaths, I aim my rifle carefully from behind cover at one machine. Remembering to keep the weapon tight against me, I squeeze the trigger for a quick burst. I yell in triumph, watching my bullets land, before noticing a green shield forms around it, absorbing the attack. My elevation turns to disappointment as my attack merely nudges it.

We can’t harm them! I can see hundreds of the machines zooming around unloading their weapons at us. Only Aenaraels forcefield placed in front of our position has halted them. All over the room our bullets snap and whiz but every shot is absorbed by their green shields, I can feel the despair and hopelessness of the others. Closing my eyes I project feelings of bravery and hope into them, wishing I could do the same for myself.

“I can’t hold this much longer,” Aenarael shouts out, as her shield shimmers less brightly, absorbing a barrage of green bolts.

Krogoth has a look of concentration on his face as he waves his hands unusually. I peek out to see a large swirling vortex overhead, stretching to encompass the entire ceiling beyond Aenarael’s shield, before it descends like a sliver of space itself. There’s no escape for the machines as they attempt to dart lower and lower to escape the falling cosmic blanket. But eventually, each one blinks out of existence once they touch the strange floating void. Krogoth’s power is crazy!

As suddenly as it began, it stops, filling me with relief. The others cautiously peek out from behind cover, seeing the danger has passed. Krogoth stands proudly, offering me a hand. Getting to my feet, I see the piles of green goo where Aenaraels’ shield had been. My warvisor fills my senses knowing that the goo contains nano machines, probably some kind of localized nanophage. Fortunately, no one is hurt.

“You all fought well—” Krogoth begins before a massive crash erupts from somewhere behind us. I leap down instinctually as my heart pounds in my chest and my ears ring from the noise. A heavy floating platform, much bigger than the last, has punched a hole through the wall. This one also has another segment that sits atop, bristling with glowing green weapons. I watch in horror as it releases a barrage of green, radiant lance of fire through the air into a warrior.

The poor soldier doesn’t even have time to scream, hit in his side before he can even turn. His body from the waist down just ceases to exist, taken or consumed in an instant. The weapon platform unloads a barrage of this lancing green fire from its four rotating turrets. The others leap from their cover, seeking refuge on the other side as green blasts erupt everywhere. Unlike the green goo of the smaller machines, this terrible robot’s weapons punches holes through everything they touch.

A warrior peeks out, firing some kind of rocket launcher at the machine. Scoring a direct hit, the explosive erupts into a fiery conflagration. I breathe deeply, hoping maybe it has been stopped. But as the smoke clears, I can see a thick green shield. The machine is unfazed, undamaged, unstoppable and mercilessly pouring more lancing blasts into our cover. A green lance penetrates through, hitting a warrior with his back to a metal bench, instantly disintegrating him.

Suddenly, a swirling orb appears, resembling space itself, directly beside the massive machine, causing it to shudder and bend. I look at Krogoth beside me, his eyes glowing purple, completely still with concentration.

The terrible machine breaks and compresses, the sound of metal popping and bending rings out amongst our heavy breaths. Pieces of the robot crush down and break off, getting sucked into the vortex, until finally the whole thing is swallowed by the void.

There is no time to celebrate as another of the monstrous machines crashes through the other wall, grinding twisted metal as it hovers closer. Before I can think of running, Krogoth has placed another vortex beside it. It attempts to fire a barrage at us, but already its body and turrets are bending and twisting. Krogoth grips me around the waist, pulling me deeper into the room. “Keep moving!” He roars.

The blood roars in my ears, as I struggle to catch my breath. More green lance fire passes overhead, deflected by a silver shield. Ahead of us, the smaller eight-legged drones emerge from the walls, hundreds of them skittering menacingly, intending to bar our path. Panicked, I aim my rifle, watching some erupt into shards as I pull the trigger. I’m vaguely aware of more heavy platforms entering the large room.

I can’t keep up with the sheer carnage, as more and more machines pile into the room from all directions. Everything seems to move in slow motion as I keep firing at the smaller drones, while Krogoth pulls me towards the far end of the room. He continues roaring commands, beckoning us onward as he creates vortexes and crushes hundreds of the robots with his strange powers.

We’re surrounded. The enemy presses in from every direction, even sections of the floor and ceiling release floating machines and skittering drones, as the larger weapon platforms crash in from outside. I freeze in terror as a heavy turret points directly at us, spitting lances of green murder, expecting the worst. I blink back, surprised at seeing Krogoth has placed a vortex in front of us, sucking in the oncoming death.

The horde is endless, for every one destroyed another takes its place. Krogoth and I push ahead as he continuously crushes the machines before us, creating a safe flank. As we reach the end of the room, I notice from the corner of my eye a huge circular door, much bigger than the others. Many of the warriors are dead now, as the rest scramble towards us under constant attack from the relentless machines.

Only Aenaraels’ silver shield provides some protection from the onslaught as it deflects and absorbs specific attacks. She stumbles forward, almost falling, in her exhaustion, no longer able to maintain a solid wall anymore. I project feelings of strength and abundant energy into her and the others, hoping it might help. Arawnoth's raging infernos melt and twist some of the slower moving heavy weapon machine, but he too moves as if exhausted.

Krogoth reaches out with his powers, destroying hundreds of the machines, filling the room with swirling vortexes and shimmering void meshes of destruction, but the stream of metal is endless. He projects his powers, pulling the other stragglers towards our end of the room. They quickly reorientate themselves, taking cover and returning fire.

I fire my weapon aiming for the smaller drones, those at least I can destroy, firing burst after burst until my weapon clicks empty. My hands shake, searching for a way to reload, when I notice Krogoth’s eyes glowing bright purple. To my amazement, he’s summoning a giant spinning orb so large it stretches the entire width of the room and has torn through the ceiling and floor, creating a cosmic barrier between us and the assault.

Still, some smaller drones emerge from the pulsating tubes and holes around us, but their numbers are diminished, for now. “Leave us Patriarch and Matriarch, you must confront the Void Bringer quickly. It is the only path remaining,” Ecneius says, as his eyes glow golden looking between the two of us.

I stare at the ragged survivors, feeling their fear and hope. “Thank you all for fighting so hard.” I bow towards them.

I feel Krogoth placing a hand around my waist, guiding us towards the massive looming doorway. He turns back to the others, shouting, “Your deeds here will echo through the ages.”

Some nod while Dranuxia waves goodbye. A pang of apprehension clutches my stomach as we stand before the massive door, knowing a terrible horror lies beyond. I squeeze Krogoth’s hand, seeking his reassuring presence.

The Void Bringer, it’s in there. I can feel its emptiness lurking.