TWO OF SEVEN
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The Xenpirians have their cowls removed from their head. They can see better. The night brings darkness to the eyes, but Xenpirians can see. Their gold, menacing eyes can see through the night! For them, the lack of light does not relinquish their sight.
They all gaze at the octahedron. The lake is calm. The splash of water did not cause any disorder. The octahedron begins to VIBRATE!
Small unnoticeable waves can be seen coming from the octahedron. Waves of water spread uniformly from the bait.
The bait tries to alure something.
Xlr breathes heavily. He moves his palm towards his abdomen. He tries to intend his breathing towards his abdomen for a more harmonic and efficient breathing. So, he would not become agitated.
The tension between the situation rises. The Xenpirians are focused, and they wait.
Nothing happens.
The waves of water begin to increase. They are greater in size and length. They are not coming from the octahedron! Something else causes them. There is something beneath the lake that begins to move!
The lake begins to shake.
The large waves reach the shore. They hit and grab the sand and pull them back in the lake. The water retreats an unusual distance from the shore. It goes back to the shore and hits and grabs the sand again as it does so.
The sand trembles and a quake sound can be heard. The sound increases as the water retreats and decreases as it approaches the shore. As if it the lake breathes!
The muddy water does not allow the Xenpirians to see what lies beneath. But they know! A muddy bulge rises somewhere in the lake. Rexar and Bartax prepare their claws. They hold their hands open with their sharp fingers stiff, curved, and distant between them. Ox and Xlr hold, with both their hands, their spear weapon and walk slowly to gain a better tactical position.
The bulge suddenly decreases, and the muddy water follows the shrinking! The water goes quickly and unnaturally beneath. It reaches a point and then within an instant it RISES, AND SOMETHING COMES OUT!
A limbless creature emerges from the muddy lake! A massive serpent, greater in width and length than any other creature, reveals its presence. The monstrous beast has thick armored scales. The scales are rough, harsh, and rigid. Its head has two intimidating eyes, terrifying jaws with fangs and an intimidating appearance. In the creature’s gaze can only been seen menace and terror. The serpent is a WYRM!
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The Xenpirian bends his knee and places it on the ground. Rexar gazes upon the land. Upon the deserted land filled with sand. Rexar grabs, with his claw hand, some sand and rises on his feet.
Rexar: But it wasn’t always like this…
With an imposing, confident posture, and a raised chin, the Xenpirian gazes upon the desert from a different perspective. From the memories of the past. Rexar slightly lets the sand fall through his fingers.
Rexar: Once it had grass… I have seen it… thousands of years ago… It was beautiful!
The Xenpirian moves his gaze upon the sky.
Rexar: Then, the bombs fell! They were targeting the MOUNTAINS! Missiles design to devastate the hiding spots… They turned the mountains into granules… The desert you see before your eyes now hides a lost world…
The Xenpirian sighs. There are no more mountains on the planet. They were all turned into the yellow-reddish granules.
Rexar: Creatures started to appear… Monstrous creatures… with hideous aspect… You can easily notice them. They did not have the aspect of anything natural… they were created…
The Xenpirian moves his gaze towards the Impaler. There is nothing natural on this planet.
Rexar: As we were…
The Xenpirian moves his gaze towards the horizon.
Rexar: We couldn’t leave the planet… We fought for thousands of years… Between the creatures… and between ourselves…
The Xenpirian gazes upon the horizon. It remains the same. The same at it was thousands of years ago. As if nothing has changed. As if the horizon reflects the ongoing battles that remained the same throughout the passing of time.
Rexar: Until someone came… Someone who looked… as a human!
The Impaler’s pointy ears start to move! His eyes open wide! Nix has an unusual curiosity about this species!
Nix: A human?! How did he look like?
Rexar: It was a SHE! She had dark skin. Her eyes were plain simple black. Her hair was long and white! She was as tall as we were…
The Xenpirian elegantly moves the hand holding the sand while he describes her.
Rexar: At first, we thought it was easy food…
The Xenpirian forcibly closes his hand! Rexar crushes the sand in his palm! He crushes the granules! They remind Rexar the power of MOUNTAINS! OF HER POWER!
Rexar: But… Her soft skin could not be cut! Her bones could not be broken! Her flesh could not be pierced…
The Xenpirian becomes amazed as he continues to describe her. Rexar remembers how she was.
Rexar: I know the gaze of the warrior… The gaze that frowns and does not blink…
The Xenpirian takes a deep quiet inhale.
Rexar: Her black eyes changed… They became NEON! They turned… into a glowing red light! We were hundreds of warriors…
As the Xenpirian speaks, he remains amazed. Rexar knows what he saw and continues to lack understanding or belief of what happened.
Rexar: …She was merciful… She did not kill us…
That one single being could withstand, in a battle, countless Xenpirian warriors.
Rexar: I could not understand… Why?!…
The Xenpirians were taught that warriors that lose a battle are not worthy to remain alive. Rexar does not understand why they were allowed to live.
Rexar: We were killing machines… metallic endoskeleton beings covered with metallic fibers train do to nothing but to kill! She did not view us as such…
The one that looked as a human knew what the Xenpirians were.
Rexar: She told us that we are more than lost warriors… That She will teach us the ways….
The Xenpirian continues to speak about her with a tone of enthusiasm. Rexar uses his hands to gestures his words.
Rexar: She taught us who was the enemy… and She pointed at the SUN!
The Xenpirian points, with the index finger from his claw hand, to the SUN.
Rexar: She gave us knowledge of darkness and how it manifests! How can we protect from it and how we can fight! How can we become greater warriors!
The Xenpirian bends his fingers and forms his claw hands. There is an odd behavior in Rexar’s reaction. The Xenpirian speaks and his gestures reflect his intended words!
Rexar: She united us!
The Xenpirian begins to relax. Rexar breathes more calmly. He smiles in a grateful way.
Rexar: She taught some of us how to speak with the Oracle!
Nix: What is the Oracle?
Rexar: She said… it is a voice that speaks from the Crowns! A voice that guides and offers answers! Not many can hear her voice…
Nix: How can you hear something this far away?
Rexar: She told us… that this voice does not travel by sound… but by light…
The Impaler listens with attentive ears and with curious eyes.
Rexar: …by thought… Some of her teachings were confusing…
The Xenpirian turns his gaze towards the Impaler. Nix’s dream is not an unordinary one.
Rexar: We asked her what was her purpose on this planet? She moved her gaze towards the sky… towards the SUN! She was staring at the Crowns! Her eyes gain that red-light glow! It turned into VIOLET! She told us that there is a weapon inside one of the Crowns! Far greater than the ones built by our father! That weapon is conceived of light! A chakram of light that keeps the Crowns in order!
The Xenpirian turns his gaze towards the sky. Towards the unseen Crowns.
Rexar: She said She might know where the Architect is!
For many millennia, the galaxy has not seen the presence of Architect! All the Xenpirians wonder where their creator and father might be. Nix wonders as well.
Rexar: We could not see what She saw… we could not do the things She could… but She said… one day we will!
The one that looked as a human has given the Xenpirians something they never had before. She gave them HOPE!
Rexar: She also told us something… that has remained with us and it is known as the Prophecy! She said one day… the SUN will not rise! It will vanish! It will completely disappear! It will be unexpected! Unpredictable! We won’t be able to anticipate it! We won’t be able to know when it will happen, but it will happen!
The Impaler listens attentively. A planet without its source of light and heat offers terrifying thoughts to the mind.
Rexar: She explained to us that the SUN was not a star… IT was something else… something malevolent… something far more dreadful than all the monsters we have fought…
The Impaler does not quite understand what a SUN is, but he trusts the words of the Xenpirian.
Rexar: We do not know what IT is… but She said one day… IT will vanish! And the long darkness will begin! A night so long that we will forget the notion of heat, light, and time! It is known as Nightlast!
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An unusual wind touches the travelers and the Impalers. This wind carries and moves the granules of the sand anywhere it desires.
The tension of the situation has been shifted. Into a more aggravated one!
Xlr and Nix move their gaze from each other towards the source of the ROAR! Rexar and the other Impalers do the same.
THEY BEHOLD! Far from them and IT approaches. BIG WIDE WINGS. THEY ARE TERRIFYING AND MADE OF HARSH FLESH! Its chest its imposing and it is covered with armored scales. IT has a long serpent tail. IT has legs. IT has arms. They have tremendous claws. IT has sharp pointy teeth! This fearsome monstrous creature shares the color of its blood, and it is GREATER IN SIZE THAN ANY ORDINARY SERPENT.
ITS EYES ARE BLACK, and they are fixed on the six Xenpirians! Its rumbling growl can be heard from great distance! IT FLIES TOWARDS ITS PREY!
The Impaler gazes at it without blinking or moving. Nix is greatly intimidated. He does not understand what approaches them. He sees a great monster! One that is an anomaly! ONE THAT FLIES! One that has wings and arms that are separated! The wings are at its back, and they are greater in width!
The Impaler has never seen such a red creature with such an anomaly! Except one!
Nix: It’s a DEVIL!
The Devil creature approaches rapidly towards the travelers and Impalers. The six Xenpirians are between the DEVIL and the THORN.
Xlr: We cannot kill this one…
Xlr turns his gaze towards the Dark Mountain! Towards the only possible chance of protection that they have against this creature!
Xlr: RUN!
Without any further thinking, Xlr runs as fast as he can towards the Thorn! Towards shelter! Rexar and Nix follow him as well! The three Impaler run as well towards the Dark Mountain!
THE DREADFUL CREATURE ROARS!
IT is not pleased that its prey runs from it! IT flaps its wings, and it begins to reach them even more!
The three travelers run as fast as they can! They do not gaze behind! BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY DEATH! The three Impalers are behind the three travelers! They run as fast as their breath and legs allow them. They do not stop! They do not look behind. They see only the Dark Matter THORN! Their only salvation!
The monstrous Devil approaches! It is above! In the sky! The clouds move aside. The ground does not reach it. There are no mountains to halt it! Nothing can stop its hunt!
The three travelers are ahead! The three Impalers are behind them! They know they are the first to be attacked! The Impalers begin to split as a group! They continue to run ahead, but one runs diagonally to the right and the other to the left! They try to confuse the beast! To divide and distract!
The Devil sees this separation. Its growl rumbles of anger! The terrifying creature flaps its wide flesh wings and flies towards LEFT!
The Impaler that has chosen the left side continues to run! It runs as fast as it can! It runs to safe its life! An unusual wind can be felt behind him! As if something softly pushes him! Something strong as if a storm is behind!
As the beast flaps its wings forward, the wind pushes the sand ahead! As IT flaps its wings backwards, it drags everything behind!
The Impaler senses the danger! He does not look behind, but he knows IT is there! He knows the RED MONSTER is behind!
The Devil opens its jaws. There are no fangs. But there is a place where venom comes out! THE DREADFUL CREATURE SPITS VENOM AT THE RUNNING IMPALER! As the substance is released, IT IGNITES!
THE DEVIL SPITS FIRE ON THE IMPALER!
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Onyx: You are not Vertex.
The faceless Impaler’s walk stop. He gazes with scowl gaze into Onyx’s eyes.
Onyx: You are a commander indeed. But you are not a leader.
The faceless Impaler stands with his hands open, and fingers bent in front of Onyx. Behind Onyx, Nix stands on his knees. Onyx gazes at the faceless Impaler but asks Nix a question.
Onyx: What is his name?
Nix: Xinrod.
Onyx, Knox and other few Impalers know this name! Somehow a revelation has offered clarity to their minds! Somehow the unanswered questions got their answers! This faceless warrior is an imposter!
They followed someone who they thought wanted their best interest, but they were wrong.
Onyx, Knox aim their spear weapon towards the faceless Impaler. Tharnax does the same. The other Impalers do not have sympathy for the faceless Impaler and aim their weapon as well at the imposter.
Onyx: I shouldn’t have let you enter the spacecraft!
Xinrod: What are you going to do?
The faceless Impaler smiles. The metallic dark blue skull can reflect the witched smile of his spirit.
Xinrod: Kill me?!
The faceless Impaler speaks with a confident tone and a wicked smile.
Xinrod: You want to be the ruler?
The faceless Impaler moves his gaze towards the other Impalers.
Xinrod: You forgot what we saw in the Crowns?! Our names… our faces… are irrelevant!
Neither the body nor the mind represent one’s true identity.
Xinrod: The spirit is our identity!
No one can deny this statement. The Xenpirians that have not heard of this word remain silent and listen.
Xinrod: My attire shares many bloods! One of them is red! It belonged to an ancient spirit…
With his menacing hands, the faceless Impaler touches his attire. Xinrod presents throughout the many unnumbered black bloods, the hidden most important blood of them all. THE RED ONE!
Xinrod: The older the spirit, the more powerful it is! I’ve killed it.
The red blood is well hidden by the countless black bloods. But it is there. The Impalers know the story. Onyx and Knox and other companions that were in the battle of VYLKION saw the blood.
With his gesturing hands, the faceless Impaler gazes at Onyx and speaks.
Xinrod: You know what we are… We are not old. We are not natural… we are outcasts…
The journey of the spirit is endless. Its destination changes as time passes. From plant to animal. From animal to human. From human to giant! From giant to something GREATER! This harmonic journey starts from a very low state. Sometimes, the spirit cheats! It starts from a greater state! Thus, taking the UNNATURAL PATH!
Xinrod: We are dissonant spirits!
Dissonance can occur in the unnatural events of nature. An unexpected resurrection. The rise of a devil! A temporary death. Or creation without birth!
Xenpirians are unnatural creations. They know what they are. But they are spirits! Without density in their structural energy and without ancient experience. But their structure is the same!
They are not unprivileged. They are just without experience.
In a world of experiences, sometimes the ones that lack it are left behind.
Xinrod: If you want justice, you must make it yourself!
The faceless Impaler gazes at Nix. Xinrod offered Nix the possibility to fight for the safety of himself and his warriors. A ONE-ON-ONE COMBAT! Xinrod was fair. The faceless was a just warrior! He wanted this. So, that no one would dare fight the faceless Impaler in a group.
Xinrod: WHO DARES TO CHALLENGE ME?!
The faceless Impaler has proven his strength and might in combat. The Impalers do not dare to challenge him. The Xenpirians from the Reservoir have lost their leader. Nix is wounded. There is no one else.
Xinrod: WHOSE BLOOD WILL I SHARE WITH MY TROPHIES?!
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The warriors sense and feel a warmth connection with the chakram. As if it presents no danger. As if they have an intuitive trust in it. Xlr’s curiosity pushes him to reach with his hand towards the chakram of light.
Xlr: This is the relic?
Nix’s spirit recognizes this pure energy. He recognizes the warmth feeling and connection. Nix’s mind also remembers the instant burst of energy that passed through his body and made him fall unconscious to the ground! This conflict between the mind and spirit makes Nix to agitate and react!
Nix: DON’T TOUCH IT!
Xlr suddenly stops his hand from reaching the relic. Xlr and Onyx see the confusion and unclarity in Nix’s eyes. They do not understand if the relic is something dangerous or something safe.
The density in the fog increases. Beneath the warriors’ knees the fog becomes colder and colder. They can feel unusual winds passing by.
A SHARP PIERCING SCREAM IS HEARD!
The warriors turn their stare towards the source of the sound. It comes from the depth of the unexplored chamber. Far from the entrance and far from the sarcophagus, the sharp scream travels through the warriors and throughout their spirit. The scream pierced the warriors’ spine and leaves a chilling feel. Anger and fear were felt by the warriors. They now know that hidden in the unexplored place of the chamber lies DANGER!
Silence embraces once more the dark chamber. The cold fog does not allow the warriors to see the floor. The darkness of the place does not allow the warriors to see far ahead. They can only see their fellow near warriors’ shape, the entrance of the chamber and the sarcophagus with the relic.
The senses of their vessels do not sense anything but cold, quiet and darkness. Their spirits sense a presence! A rather large one. The pressure in the chamber is felt differently. As if a great entity hides in it and approaches.
That presence feels as if it overtakes the surroundings of the chambers. A slight of claustrophobia is felt. As if the place becomes more and more confined. Darkness begins to infiltrate into the metallic warriors’ spirits. The lack of awareness creates chaos. The scream carried fear and anger into its voice. The presence is not a good intended one. Chaos ignites fear into the metallic warriors.
The Impalers control their spirits. They are warriors. They know danger. They know death. Onyx, Xlr and Nix bend their fingers and form the claw-hands. They do not know this enemy. They do not know where it might be. But they feel it.
The Impalers position themselves in a tactical way. Each one stands at equal distance between themselves with their backs positioned at the least presented danger – at the sarcophagus.
The Impalers wait. Nothing happens. The tension grows greater inside them. The lack of unknowing leaves the warriors without an offensive approach.
Suddenly, Onyx’s chin rises. His gaze and body became numb. As if something impaled him. Something that is unseen. Something invisible! Xlr and Nix hears Onyx’s gasp! ONYX RISES IN THE AIR! He rises as if something lifts him!
This is impossible. Nothing in the laws of the physical realm can do this. Nix does not understand how this is possible. He sees it but he cannot believe it. Onyx rises progressively in the air, without any strings to pull him or without something beneath to push him. Without any logical ways. Nix does not understand from where this is happening. He constantly searches for the source of this change but cannot find it. He does not understand what type of danger this is – he cannot see it. He does now know how to help his friend. There is no solution to this. Nix’s spirit is extremely agitated and without answers. Thus, making him blocked. Nix does not move. Does not react. Nothing makes sense. Nix just stares in complete oblivion on the outside and with an extreme agitation in the spirit, that tries to find an explication, in the inside.
Xlr opens his arms to have a large area to his grab. With his hands open and his claws formed, Xlr runs towards the invisible thing and tries to grab it! He runs towards Onyx and jumps ahead and below the entrapped Impaler.
Xlr jumped into nothing. He did not feel anything. He did not grab anything. The Impaler’s tactic was without success. Xlr cannot see or find this enemy. He changes his tactic. XLR TRIES TO GRAB ONYX!
Onyx is highly risen in the air. His mouth begins to open and exhales with convulsions. A jump from the metallic warrior is not enough to grab him. Onyx stands suspended in the air near the Impalers and the sarcophagus.
Xlr runs towards the sarcophagus. With one leg, he jumps on the sarcophagus and pushes himself higher above AND GRABS ONYX’ LEG!
Xlr tries to pull Onyx down from anything this invisibly grab might be.
A POWERFUL FORCE PUSHES XLR far from Onyx and plunges him into the wall of the entrance. Xlr hits the wall in a violent way and falls to the ground. This force was invisible. It did not come from a physical object but was felt as if Xlr was pushed by a mountain!
Nix continues to stare and does nothing. The power of this invisible entity is incomprehensible. Nix does not know what to do.
ONYX FALLS TO THE GROUND. He was released from the grab. Xlr quickly reaches the warriors and goes to aid Onyx. Xlr searches, in an agitated manner, to see if Onyx is okay.
Onyx does not breathe. His eyes do not move. His body is numb and without reaction. Nix approaches Onyx and Xlr.
Xlr: What were you doing?! YOU JUST STOOD THERE! You cannot block yourself in the heat of the battle! We lost Onyx!
Nix: He has no wounds…
Nix studies Onyx’s body. Xlr does the same. Onyx is dead. But his body did not suffer any injuries. Xlr sees this. He does not understand what kind of thing kills without leaving traces.
THE SHARP PIERCING SCREAM IS HEARD AGAIN!
What ever that thing was, it is coming back! There are only two Impalers left, and they do not know how to fight this being! Xlr opens his arms and forms the claw-hands. He faces towards the source of the sound and prepares for battle. Nix makes few steps backwards. The lack of solution for this battle compels Nix to listen to his fear and out of fear Nix becomes scared and moves away from the imminent danger.
Nix does not want to leave his friend. He stops and moves his gaze randomly to find anything that might aid him into finding this unseen entity or any forms of countering it!
XLR IS VIOLENTLY AND SUDDENLY PUSHED TO THE DARK FLOOR! Xlr screams! Xlr is pushed to the floor as if something ginormous has struck him! Xlr screams in pain! That something has sharp peripheral things.
Chaos increases tremendously in Nix’s spirit. There is nothing he can do. The entity cannot be seen. Cannot be sensed. Cannot be understood. Cannot be countered! The cold fog beneath his ankles increases the chaos. The darkness of the chamber increases the chaos. Only the chakram of light is the singular distinct thing in this chaotic moment.
The conflicting debate between Nix’s mind and spirit have reached a final resolution. It might be a good thing or a bad thing, but the situation is desperate. Nix does not have any options.
NIX GRABS THE CHAKRAM OF LIGHT!
Nix grabs the relic and aims it towards the unseen entity. Suddenly, in the complete darkness, the entity is beheld! DECAYING FLESH CAN BE SEEN! TWO BLACK EYES! THE SKIN APPEARS ANCIENT, DRY, AND THIN. IT DOES NOT RESEMBLE A FACE BUT A SKULL! The entity is an apparition! An invisible manifestation of a living creature! A GIANT LIVING CREATURE! It has two arms. Its resemblance is humanoid. Its long thin and horrifying fingers have deadly nails! One hand stands with the palm on Xlr! The nails are impaled into him! The apparition has torn garments. Black torn robes with a cowl conceals its presence!
The apparition is recognized by Nix! It is the one from his dream! The feeling Nix felt during his sleep is the same as now! HORROR AND CHAOS!
The apparition sees the chakram of light! It is disgusted by it. But it also knows its potential danger! The apparition releases its fingers from Xlr and moves back defensively! The legs cannot be seen. Only a dark shade of fog covers its unclear presence from the chest below.
The apparition moves backwards but keeps its terrifying black eyes on Nix. THE APPARITION RELEASES A PIERCING SCREAM TO FRIGHTEN AND INTIMIDATE! Nix is not intimidated. He slowly approaches Xlr and keeps the relic of light aimed at the apparition.
Xlr does not see the giant dreadful manifestation. He has no wounds on him, but he feels great pain.
Nix keeps his gaze on the apparition. He feels the warm truthfull connection with the chakram. As if the energy of relic immediately synchronized with the energy, vibration, and frequency of Nix’s spirit. As if somehow, IT accepted him!
The apparition observes something unusual. The two rings consisting of the chakram, continue to move the same as they were on the sarcophagus. Their cyclic frequency has not been altered. The apparition understands one thing from this! NIX DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THE RELIC!
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