Heaven Saga 1: The Lost Hero (29 page)

Jabril joined her. “No. The only thing we found was
the body of Lady Delne. We also found a blood stained
Kai
chamber. DNA
checks have found the species doesn’t match our own, so we suspect Brian may
have been the one to suffer
Kai
.”

“I hope he can forgive us,” said Celestia.

An attendant came into the room. “My lady, a number of
the ambassadors would like a word with you. Strangely enough, they seem more
concerned with Brian than our present political situation. They want to know
more about him from you personally.”

Celestia sighed. “I’ll go meet with Lord Jita. I think
it’s best if I meet with him first.”

“I’ll inform him immediately,” the attendant said
before walking out of the room.

“Lord Jita?” Jabril asked. “His kind is as mysterious
as Brian.”

“The Mylor are the oldest member of the Confederation.
After the Greys, they were the second species to reach space. Lord Jita can
reveal what he knows about Brian and his kind.”

“Is he really Terran?” Jabril asked.

“He told me he came from the heart of the Great
Dragon. That constellation on our planet matches to Terra Prime. I’m hoping we
can resolve the civil issue quickly, even if it means change,” Celestia said.

* * *

Lena Obril stood on the bridge of the Heimus. On the
monitor appeared the image of Dega Jul.

Her helmswoman turned to her. “We’re in position
captain. All channels are open.”

“Thank you lieutenant,” Lena said. She sighed before
sending her message over all communication channels within the Degan system.

“This is Captain Lena Obril of the Heimus, calling all
Kalaidian vessels residing within the Degan system. As you know, our home world
is in turmoil due to political disputes between the noble families. Queen
Celestia is in need of all able bodied warships to defend the home world at
this time and is willing to grant a pardon to any former ship of the royal
fleet. She also has a message to the Kein noble family.” Lena read the text on
the monitor. “Six years have passed since our dispute on the teachings of
Gaelic Kein. Having time to reflect on that mistake, I believe it’s in the best
interest of people of Kali we join together and form a new future. Let us meet
and forge a freer, stronger Kalaidia than the present.” She stopped reading.
“If you wish to aid the Queen, please contact my ship as soon as possible. I
should also mention your ships will be considered an independent fleet. As
such, you may assign your own commander. Thank you.”

* * *

Valis sat in her room and listened to Captain Obril’s
message. “It looks like things have gotten really bad,” she said to herself.
Kivi called her over the com.

“What are your orders?” Kivi asked.

“Prepare the ship immediately,” Valis said as she
slipped on her uniform and headed for the bridge. When she got there she
noticed everyone ready to go.

“I figured we might have to leave on a moment’s
notice,” Kivi said. “I had the crew prepare everything ahead of time.”

Valis slipped into her seat. “That’s just like you,
always one step ahead of the game. I hope we’re not the only ship to show up
for the party.”

“I’m betting the port authorities are hoping for just
that. If every Kalaidian vessel launches they’d have to deal with a couple
hundred ships at once,” Kivi said.

* * *

Lord Jita hovered above the ground, his small meter
sized body levitating by his will alone. He looked like a mix of a human child
and short haired cat, with large round catlike eyes and ears. His size defied
his power because he was a Mylor. Other races quivered in fear when the Mylor
attack, for there was no mercy amongst them. He heard the sounds of war around
him, sensing the vibrations from his compound. He hovered into a larger
metallic suit of similar size and shape to a human‘s body. The suit was jet
black and full of computer equipment more advanced than anything the younger
races had ever seen. Closing the suit, the red cat eyes lit up as he readied
himself for the visitor.

Celestia entered the small dark room. “You wished to
see me Lord Jita?”

He hovered forward. “Yes,” he said in a metallic, deep
voice. “My superiors are interested in seeing this Brian that’s appeared on
your fair planet.”

“I know,” she said. “My contacts have told me two
Mylor fleets have been dispatched to the Terran border. But why would I know
anything about him?”

“He speaks your language with ease and appears to have
been trained well. Many of us suspect he was trained onboard one of your ships
and worry more of his kind is here in space. Terrans aren’t scheduled to reach
us for at least two hundred years. Also, their DNA is close to your own,” Jita
said.

“You’re worried about us taking them for our own
purposes, aren’t you?” she asked. “Don’t get me wrong, survival takes
precedence over everything else, but do you think we would keep it a secret to
the Confederation?”

“Personally, I don’t believe that’s the case. But my
superiors are concerned. What worries me more is the sway he has amongst your
people. One word from him and they’d die for the Herald,” he said.

Celestia shook her head. “No Terrans live amongst our
people. I promise you that.”

“What’s he like?” Jita asked.

“He carries himself with the strength of a
Maigar
and speaks from the heart. There’s a grace and kindness to the man that defies
what we’ve been told about Terrans. I’m sure he came here for the right
reasons. His character speaks to that.”

“If Brian isn’t the Herald, what reason would bring
him here?”

She turned to leave. “If he’s alone, he probably came
here because of how we look. Isn’t it natural to seek out those you perceive as
allies?” She paused to gather her thoughts. “Also, it seems my daughter, Seles,
has a connection with him. I wish I knew more, but I haven’t heard word from
either of them.”

“Thank you for telling me this Queen Celestia,” Jita
said. “I hope you’re right about his character.”

“As do I,” she said.

Brian woke up feeling sluggish. When his vision
cleared he saw Mira and Seles sitting next to him. He still felt pain, but
noticed his wounds were healed.

“I feel like I just woke up from a long dream,” he
said with a weak smile. He sat up to rest against the wall.

“Are you alright?” Seles asked as she hugged him. He
looked to Mira.

“You’ll be okay,” Mira said. “You’ve been asleep for
almost two days.”

“I’m sorry for making the two of you worry,” he said.
“By the way, where are we? And how did I get here?”

The two ladies stepped away from his bed.

“Myden told me what happened to you,” Seles said. “I
contacted Mira and we went to save you.”

“I’m glad we found when we did,” Mira said. “If we’d
gotten there any later, I don’t think I could have saved you.”

He shook his head. “Thanks Mira. Would one of you tell
me who Myden is?”

The door opened and a cloaked figure walked into the
room. “I’m Myden,” he said with his raspy voice. “I’m glad you’re alright.
They’ve watched over you the whole time.”

“You’re not Kalaidian, are you?” Brian asked as he
stood up.

“No, I’m quite different from these lovely ladies,”
Myden turned to Mira and Seles, “Would the two of you excuse us? I need to
speak with him alone.”

They hesitated for a moment and looked to each other
before Seles went to the door. “I trust you Myden.” She looked at Mira. “Let’s
go.”

“Yes,” Mira said as they left.  After the door closed
Myden turned to Brian.

“No doubt you know what I am,”
Myden said telepathically.
“But don’t mistake me
for the fools you killed over a year ago. I’m like you Brian, cursed to never
set foot on my home ever again.”

“You’re a Grey, aren’t you?” Brian asked. “Why did you
help them? Your people are trying to take control of Kalaidia, aren’t they?”

“I helped them because I’m trying to prevent Kalaidia
from suffering the same fate as my home. My people were driven to madness long
ago. I’m the last survivor who left, at least, that I know of. I had to live,
to protect the Maidens, as well as the Warrior.”

“Remove your hood,” Brian said. “I want to speak to
you face to face.”

“Alright,”
Myden said.
“Please turn the light levels down, it hurts my eyes otherwise.”

“Lights dim fifty percent,” Brian said.

Myden reached up with his three fingered hands and
removed the hood. What Brian noticed first were the large almond black eyes,
but Myden looked different from the others. He had a light blonde beard and a
mustache, as well as long blonde hair. His mouth was larger and he had a small
nose.

“You don’t look like the others, at least, everything
other than the eyes,” Brian said.

“Yes, and I can speak like your kind. We call
ourselves natural Naerendi. Others simply refer to us as the Greys. I hate that
name really,” Myden said.

“Are you saying you’re different from the others?”

“Yes, in more ways than just physically. Long ago, my
people were much like yours. We loved, we warred, and we reproduced naturally.
Everything changed fifteen hundred years ago, when my people chose the path of
madness. Only a few hundred thousand of us escaped that fate. Now, all these
years later, I’m the last one left. The beings you encountered and suffered at
the hands of were modern Naerendi. Pitiful creatures really, I’m happy you set
those onboard that ship free,” Myden said while pain showed in his eyes.

“Path of madness?” he asked. “What do you mean by
that? And how old are you?”

“In two months I’ll be twenty eight hundred and fifty
six years old, Terran time,” Myden answered. “As for the path of madness, I’m
referring to the awful creation my people made. As you know, my people are
telepathic. This is a boon and a bane. All those years ago my people created a
God of their creation to rule them. To this day that God resides at the center
of the capital city and controls every Naerendi through their telepathic
powers. Above all else, the God desires control and power. It looks down on all
other forms of life, believing them useful only for enhancing Naerendi
genetics, as well as absorbing new technologies. The God desires the conquest
of all other life forms. What you’ve seen Brian, is the beginning of the
Naerendi conquest of Kalaidia.”

“Why would your people do such a thing?”

“War, destruction, pain,” Myden said. “My people were
much like yours, warriors who couldn’t put down their arms. The civil wars had
gotten so bad it was determined only control could beat the chaos. So the
people gave up their dreams, their ambitions, and their freedom for the greater
good. They gave into the fear and enslaved themselves. Since that day the
Naerendi have had no contact with outside races and have no ambassadors. A few
of us believed differently. We believed in the freedom you hold so dear.
Happiness can’t be created by a machine, but must be earned as one works
towards it.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head while trying to
imagine what the god Myden spoke of looked like. “That’s terrible. I hope my
people don’t ever choose to go to those lengths. Before, you said something
about the Maidens and the Warrior. What did you mean by that?” Brian asked.

“I lived this long to see the prophecies of the Teacher
fulfilled,” Myden said.

“Who’s the Teacher?”

“He was the first of your kind to travel the stars,
long ago. Before he disappeared he gave us a number of predictions. He said two
others would follow him into space: the Warrior and the Goddess.” Myden walked
up to Brian and pointed at his eyes and hair. “The Warrior will be a fair
skinned man of the north with long brown hair and blue green eyes. He’ll be
young and foolish, but good at heart. I have no doubt Brian; you’re the one he
spoke of.”

Brian laughed. “What? Am I supposed to buy these
prophecies? What you’re saying sounds crazy?”

Myden narrowed his eyes. “When the time of darkness
nears, the Warrior shall gather the Five Maidens and the Three Wiseman. The
Maidens will be of Passion, Song, Wisdom, War, and Life. The Wiseman will be of
the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Teacher himself told me what you’d
look like. Long ago he entrusted me with the task of finding you and protecting
the Maidens until the day you appeared. Without even realizing it you’ve
already gathered the Maidens.”

“How is that possible? I came here without any of this
knowledge, let alone a choice,” Brian said. “Anyways, who are the Maidens you
speak of?”

Myden paced back and forth in the tiny room. “You know
all of them very well. Seles Daevon, the Maiden of Passion. Mira Kein, the
Maiden of Song. Valis Kein, the Maiden of Wisdom. Kivi, the Maiden of War. And
finally, Celi, the Maiden of Life. Each carries the mark of the maiden on their
body. I suggest looking for it next time you and one the ladies, you know,” he
said, laughing afterwards.