The Silver Sphere (17 page)

"Yes, a tremendously long way you have traveled to return.
You are a Kin?"

"Yes, I'm Zach. Return?"

"I sense Meridian blood in your veins. I am Baku. You are
in trouble, dear Kin. This is a powerful nightmare, a curse thrown upon you. I know
this witch. She is strong and experienced. Eating this nightmare for you may be
risky."

"You are the dream-eater the Fugues spoke of?"

Baku studied him. "I am." The dream-eater continued
to circle Zach with regal grace. "I will need you to concentrate on the witch
who placed this spell upon you. Think only of her. Push everything else away. Do
you understand me?"

Zach nodded and closed his eyes. He thought of the repulsive
hag, the yellow pus oozing down her face, and her blood-drenched, twisted metal
teeth. He opened his eyes.

Baku was gone now and she stood before him again.

"You think you can reverse my spells, poor Kin? You are
doomed, and I'll eat your soul as a sacrifice to Biskara." She wailed a monstrous
laugh.

He dropped to his knees again, weak and powerless. Pressure pressed
on his head, all movements suspended, and his vision clouded. She was using some
sort of sorcery to force him down, he was sure of it.

She pulled an axe out from her tattered robes.

What odd grace for such an ugly creature.

She stalked him and lifted the hatchet high.

"The soul of a Kin... mine to eat."

Behind her, a large shadow loomed. She whirled around and stared
into the glowing golden eyes of the dream-eater. Baku was even more massive than
before. The witch wailed in fear as he opened his grand jaws and let out a deafening
roar.

"Please, please, Baku," she begged in a small child's
voice.

Baku closed his gaping maw with no hesitation and swallowed her
whole. He tilted his head to the sky, his stallion legs lifted high, and he roared
into the night. He landed, towering over Zach, emitted a loud belch, and licked
his lips.

"The nightmare spell is eaten now, Kin. You will sleep soundly."

"Thank you. How can I repay you?"

Baku let out a vigorous laugh. "One of the finest meals
I have had in ages. No further payment required." The dream-eater examined
him as if pondering something. "Some of your Kin are in danger, not far from
here. The Aulic Assembly is held near an ancient battleground. You must find them
and regroup with the rest of the Kin. I must go."

"An ancient battleground? Where are my fellow Kin?"

"I am only the dream-eater, and I must leave you now. Good
luck, dear Kin. You will need all the well-wishes I offer and many more." Baku
turned and disappeared into the forest before Zach could speak.

A flash of bright light burst from the woods. Zach closed his
eyes.

His body jerked. When he opened his eyes, Throg was kneeling
over him, poking him gently.

"Wake up, Zach. Baku has feasted, and we are not safe here."

"Baku informed me some of the other Kin are in danger and
are nearby."

"Interesting that he told you. Baku liked you, or perhaps
he was happy with his meal."

"He also said the Aulic Assembly is being held at an ancient
battlefield. He said I must regroup with the Kin and find them. He sensed Meridian
blood in me."

Throg nodded. "Hmm, your link on the Assembly mentioned
the word 'valley.' Tomb Valley opens up into Canopus Hills. A legendary fight occurred
there, the Battle in Canopus Hills, with Hideux's Nightlanders. The Meridian Army
was being overrun and was rescued by the Stonecoats. Other ancient battlefields
exist, but this one makes the most sense."

His earthy hair was matted from days of travel, and his stubble
grew rough around the edges. "I still think the prudent path to take is back
to Meracuse and Lord Achernar. The main road to the city is not far from here, and
we can follow the course straight in. We'll report our findings to Lord Achernar,
and he will know where your fellow Kin are."

Zach's guts ached but he knew he must push on. In a steady, deliberate
motion, he got to his feet and balanced himself. Throg handed him some chud to chew
on as they walked.

The faster they traveled, the more his strength returned. A question
burned at him, one he'd been meaning to ask. "Throg, who are the truth seekers?"

"Ah, the inquiry of the century. The truth seekers appeared
during the war against Hideux."

Nick trudged into the fog, continuing in the direction of the
Denon clone. The mist dissipated and the Denon twin appeared ahead. Several others
stood with Denon, and Nick recognized Captain Spiro among the group.

"Welcome, Nick. I hope the walk cleared your head."
Denon said.

"Yes, thanks. You look like Lucas Denon. He was an unbelievable
musician."

"I am Lucas Denon."

"H-how can that be? You were in a car wreck. Your body was
f-found." Nick took a step back, his eyes wide.

"My time on Earth came to a close. I was chosen for a higher
calling."

"You... you're dead?"

"On Earth, yes. I am no ghost, Nick. I'm a celestial being
now, a truth seeker. We are the protectors of the celestial universe. The southern
hemisphere may be under siege, and we must protect it as best we can. Even though
we are no longer mortal, we can die on the celestial battlefield and reach an elevated
plane. Yet we're here for a reason, chosen because of special qualities we exhibited
in our corporeal forms."

Stepping closer to him, Nick asked, "Spiro, you are one
of these truth seekers?"

"Aye. Just found out myself. I'm well aware of who the truth
seekers are. In my culture, it is an honor to be one."

"What? Wait.... Do you mean I'm a truth seeker, a celestial
being?" Nick waffled on his feet.

Denon said, "Yes, Kinsaver. If you allow your instincts
to control your emotions, you'll find you're comfortable here. You always possessed
an inner goodness. You are a truth seeker now, though you will need to be educated.
The truth seekers promoted from Earth usually do."

"A truth seeker is a protector of the celestial universe?"
Nick arched his brow.

"Yes. A long time ago, the hemisphere we're in, between
the Fornax and Eridanus systems, stood in grave danger. A powerful and evil being,
Biskara, conducted a war against the benevolent cultures of this sector through
his first son. Hideux, in mortal form, led an army called the Nightlanders. Due
to Biskara's celestial involvement and his tremendous resources, Hideux prevailed
during the conflict.

"At that point, a celestial adversary to Biskara named Atum
created the truth seekers and assisted the Meridian forces against Hideux. The truth
seekers fought Biskara on the celestial battlefield, which left Hideux on his own.
They developed a device to identify the coordinates of Biskara in the future, and
to summon the truth seekers when Biskara attacked. The truth seekers can only communicate
with the mortals through this tool. It is called the Silver Sphere."

Nick paused as he registered this new information. "But
what's my role in this?"

"We suspect renewed danger with Biskara. The Silver Sphere
is currently inoperable, and search recons are being sent out to find Biskara. My
calling is to greet you, a task which I have done many times in the past when a
chosen one from Earth is involved. And... you are the Kinsaver."

"What does that even mean?" Nick ran his hands through
his shaggy locks.

"You're a good person. We've had our eye on you for quite
some time," admitted Denon. "But it takes more than a strong heart to
become a truth seeker. Nick, you've done the one greatest thing anyone could—you
rescued a Kin, and died so she could live."

"What's a Kin?"

"All in time, Nick."

"Well, shoot, you're really Lucas Denon."

Denon smiled and nodded.

Nick gazed out into the distance. "Okay then, what's expected
of me now?"

"We'll travel back to Horologium, the truth seekers' home
base. There you will be further briefed on our cause and prepared for battle, as
I was."

"Have you ever fought against Biskara?"

"No, I have had other more minor celestial confrontations,
but this will be a war, Kinsaver. One we cannot lose. We are off to Horologium to
regroup. Welcome aboard. We're proud you're joining us."

Throg said, "So the truth seekers created the Silver Sphere
and attacked Biskara on the celestial plane. The United Forces helped to defeat
Hideux and the first army of Nightlanders on Azimuth."

"An amazing story." Zach rubbed his head. "I think
Atum was a big Egyptian god or something. I read about him in a book on the old
pyramids."

"Sure, Atum moves around. Who can guess where he is today?
Even though he is the founder of the truth seekers, they elect a new leader every
so often."

"Okay, Throg, now who are
you
?"

Throg hesitated a moment as if making a decision. "My name
is Axel Throg. I was a member of the Meridian army, specifically the captain of
the Aulic Assembly's personal guard."

"I could tell you weren't just a woodsman. Why did you leave?"

"Perhaps a broken heart had much to do with it. I found
it more comfortable in the wild." His eyes carried a sad tinge.

Zach twirled his blade a few times, not wanting to push Throg
too hard about his past. "Wow."

"What?"

"You have a heart."

Throg grinned and released a branch he held, swatting Zach in
the face.

"Ow!"

"My
sincerest
apologies."

Zach glared at Throg, who grinned and motioned for them to continue.

"You're a powerful adversary now, as you have inherited
the abilities and strengths of your link on the Aulic Assembly. You'll need a little
practice to sharpen your skills, and won't be as polished as your link. Members
of the Assembly are among the most dominant soldiers on Azimuth, along with Milo
Morgante and the Stonecoats. The war ahead, however, will be dangerous for all."

"You mentioned the Stonecoats," Zach said.

"Yes, Milo is their current leader, and a good man. The
Stonecoats are an elite outfit of warriors. They are adventurers, a freelance club
with a long history. It's fortunate their allegiances are usually with the Aulic
Assembly, although Milo disagrees on some issues with Lord Achernar."

"What kind of issues?"

"Well, he says they are political in nature. I think the
problem is more personal—tension over a woman. Lord Achernar spends a fair amount
of time with Bianca Saddler, a member of the Assembly. She happens also to be the
representative who's served longest on the Assembly. Milo is fond of her from their
youth."

Throg knelt to the ground and ran his fingers through the dirt.
"We are close to the Dorado Path. We should keep quiet from here on in."

They paced silently for several minutes. Had Throg not insisted
on their hush, Zach would have burst out with more questions. An oversized butterfly
with spectacular shades of green, yellow, and red lines on its wings fluttered nearby,
hovering gracefully alongside them while they trekked. Zach spied it, but froze
the instant his eyes fell upon the being in their path.

"Throg," he began.

"It's okay. He's a Leshy. They're forest spirits, guardians
of the animals and trees. I happened to befriend this one, whose name is Drake."

The Leshy gazed at them with large emerald eyes, and stroked
his green beard with blue hands. As they drew closer, Zach noticed the Leshy wore
his jacket and pants backward. His face was as pale blue as his hands.

"Good day, Drake. How have you been?"

"Been better, Throg. Huge disturbances in my sector."

"I'll bet."

"Is that a Kin with you?"

"Yes, this is Zach Ryder. We're looking to reunite him with
his fellow Kin."

"Oh, yes, the sooner the better. The disturbance started
with the nasty hag Baba Yaga coming down from the Cark." Drake shook his head.
"Now the Nightlanders are ravaging the Dorado Path. His Kin are in danger.
Quite a battle they're having at the moment."