Alyza stirred, her mind still groggy when her eyelids disobeyed her. She tried again as clarity returned but found them unresponsive. Panic seeped into the teenage girl’s consciousness when she finally realised that she was paralysed.
“Do not be afraid,” said a soothing feminine voice from within her head.
“Where am I? What’s happening?”
“You are safe, that is all that matters.”
“What’s going on? Why can’t I see or move?”
“So many questions, what is the last thing you remember girl?”
Alyza took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I jumped in front of a rock that would have hit Zed. Is that what this is? Am I in some sort of coma?”
“Why did you jump in front of the rock?”
“What do you mean? If I hadn’t, it would have struck Zed.”
“And you would rather injure yourself than have him hurt?”
“Yes,” answered Alyza without hesitation.
“Why?”
“I thought it would be obvious, because I love him.”
“Good,” said the voice seemingly to herself.
“Now would you please start answering some of my questions?”
“Very well, what is it you would like to know?”
“For starters, where am I? Why can’t I move and who are you?”
“You’re in a . . . protective chamber of sorts, which is also incidentally the cause of your temporary paralysis.”
“Ok, but why am I in a protective chamber?”
“To protect you until you’ve been adjusted.”
“Protect me from what and what do you mean by adjusted?”
“So you could survive the environment.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Enough questions, sleep now.”
A strangely familiar sensation washed over Alyza when it occurred to her that she was submerged in water and that the liquid was slowly being heated. The warmth seeped into her muscles leaving her relaxed and sleep soon overwhelmed her.
Zendrius ducked as the creature tried to pounce on him. Nessha had been busy explaining how and when the people from Earth had invaded Los-Reinar when the dome-shaped creature seemingly appeared out of nowhere and attacked them. Its dome was 10 ft in diameter and covered with spikes the length of a man’s arm, while a forest of two inch thick tendrils sprouted from its base.
The creature aptly used its strange limbs and avoided getting lodge upside-down as it missed its fiery target.
“What is it?” asked Zendrius as he quickly backed away.
“It’s a lobventor, my lord,” said Nessha as she easily dodged the creature’s attack.
A jolt of pain ran through Zendrius’ mind before he remembered that a lobventor’s spikes were poisonous and that it had an incredibly hard shell. It had no eyes or ears and hunted by using the vibrations it felt through the ground with its tendrils. The best way to kill one was to shove a sharp object through its mouth which was located at the centre of all its tendrils. The lobventors were the sixth race of the Newious, which meant it was the weakest race among the Newious.
The lobventor lunged forward and Zendrius instantly responded but the creature extended its tendrils at the last minute, enfolding his left arm with fleshy ropes. The force of its fall ripped him off his feet as it was unable to land deftly with its few remaining tendrils.
Nessha watched the struggle impassively as the smell of searing flesh filled the air.
Zendrius struggled to loosen the creature’s grip as it slowly pulled his arm towards its circular mouth. “Let go!” screamed the teenager as the lobventor opened its maw, revealing rows upon rows of teeth.
Nessha maintained her impassive mask as she replied to Zendrius’ cries for help. “My lord, Los-Reinar is a realm that revolves around one thing, power. Here the powerless and weak are none existent, I understand that you are not yet in your true form but you are still one of the Dannar. You would forever be disgraced if I were to help you kill some lobventor who hasn’t even a name or rank.”
Zendrius winced as he recalled the Dannar. They were the first to be created and to say that they are a composition of all the nightmares in existence would be an understatement. Zendrius shook his head to clear it and found that he had lost some time as the lobventor was about to dine on his arm. “I said let go!”
The sanguine flames intensified, turning the sizzling flesh into charred meat. Zendrius ripped his arm free and before the lobventor could react it was consumed by the flames.
Nessha started towards her lord when five more lobventors jumped down from an outcrop. Four of the five were dead before they touched the ground as her blade effortlessly tore through spike, shell and flesh. The last surged forward in desperation but Nessha simply sidestepped the creature, giving it a slight kick from behind, causing it to botch its landing. Nessha absently strode forward and plunged her sword through the lobventor’s mouth and into its brain.
Zendrius regarded the dead creatures. “You know it wouldn’t hurt protecting my pride too.”
“It is best not to needlessly drag out a fight, my lord.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Nessha regarded the corpses. “Even if one considers their ignorance, they still should have known who I was. Starvation must have driven them to madness. Are you hungry my lord?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then I suggest we move on, the blood is already drawing those who are.”
“Where exactly are we headed?” asked Zendrius as they departed.
“For the nearest nexus, my lord.”
Zendrius waited a moment. “It seems I have no memory of it.”
Nessha contemplated this briefly. “Yes, of course. The nexus has only been around for roughly 50 genia. I suppose it is one of those things that after you’ve gotten used to it, you can’t imagine life without it. Do you know what I mean, my lord?”
“Yes I do, so what is it?”
“Well my lord, the nexus is a network of points throughout Los-Reinar owned by Oriax. If the toll is paid, Oriax can instantaneously move you to any of them.”
“So we can teleport from one nexus to any other?”
“Exactly my lord.”
“How does it work?”
“I don’t know, my lord. To my knowledge, Oriax is the only one to have mastered that particular field of magic.”
“Hmmm, and what exactly is used to pay Oriax’s toll? I assume gold and such has no value here?”
“As I have said before my lord, Los-Reinar is driven by power and the quickest way to accumulate power is by collecting souls.”
“Souls? Whose souls?”
“The damned, my lord. The lives of humanity are brief and man itself is constantly shortening their time with war, arrogance and greed. Those who did not achieve salvation while in the mortal coil gather in the Pits of Despair.”
Zendrius fell to his knees as his senses were assaulted by images of blue orbs endlessly spiralling in a cone-shaped crater. Its edges were littered with the bodies of those who fought over it, while the condemned did the only thing they could; wail in despair.
“Are you alright, my lord?” asked Nessha with concern as she helped him to his feet.
“I’m fine, it was just a bit overwhelming. How does collecting souls make you more powerful?”
“Well my lord, souls are pure inextinguishable energy and Los-Reinar is dominated by magic as Earth is dominated by technology.”
“I still don’t see where the souls fit in.”
“Magic is in essence the art of manipulating energy, having inextinguishable sources of energy enables you to accomplish more impressive feats.”
“Ah, ok I suppose that makes sense.”
Nessha led her lord to a massive rune carved into a relatively level surface of rock. “Yolphilious.”
Before Zendrius could inquire to the purpose of the word, a 13 ft creature materialised at the centre of the rune. It was humanoid with a chitin exoskeleton and wings similar to an atlas beetle.
“Nessha, I haven’t seen you in a while,” said the creature.
“Oriax, business has been good I take it?”
“You know how it is, always room for expansion. Who’s the new face?” asked the violet-eyed being.
“This is Lord Zendrius,” said Nessha as she indicated her flaming companion.
“Oh? The Fire Child in the flesh, I guess you Living Blade lot were not insane after all. It is an honour to meet you, my lord,” said Oriax with a slight bow. “I hope I will enjoy your patronage as well.”
“That would depend on your service,” replied Zendrius stoically.
Oriax smiled, revealing a startling amount of teeth. “Ah, but I think you will be sufficiently satisfied with my services.”
“About that, do you know where the Garden is at the moment?” asked Nessha.
“Perhaps.”
“Might you have a nexus close to it?”
“I might, but why do seek the Agrarian?”
“I have a lot questions that needs answering.”
“About who attacked your fort?”
“So there was an attack? Do you know anything that could help me?”
“Not much, just that a few cycles ago something attacked the Living Blade stronghold. I don’t know what it was, but whatever it was it took only a moment for it to win. I haven’t seen a Living Blade since, well until now, honestly I thought you would be able to tell me what happened.”
“I wasn’t there when it happened,” said Nessha frustrated.
“I see, well it just so happen that I have a nexus that’s unusually close to the Garden. Want to take it?”
“How much?”
“On the house, a token of my respect to the future Lord of Los-Reinar,” said Oriax to Zendrius.
“Thank you,” said the teenager when suddenly the world fell away being replaced by a different landscape an instant later.
“You are very welcome,” said Oriax before disappearing.
Zendrius slowly took in the terrain. The glowing maroon rocks were now replaced by a plane of pitch-black soil. However in the distance was a forest of orange and gold.
Nessha started off towards the strange sight. “Oriax was right, it is strange that the Garden is this close to a nexus.”
“What do you mean? Oriax must have created it near the Garden.”
“No my lord, the Garden isn’t found in a fixed location.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It moves, my lord.”
“Moves?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“How – wait nevermind,” said Zendrius as a nearby tree slithered into the ground before reappearing at another location.
“There is one thing you should know, my lord.”
“What?”
“The Agrarian is one of the Six.”
The utterance came into context surprisingly without pain. “Oh right, about that, you mentioned I am one of the Dannar but there is only six of them, which if you think about it logically would mean that I am the result of a union between two of the Six. Which would then also mean that I am the product of incest, since they are all related, and let me tell you the idea doesn’t exactly have me jumping for joy.”
“I understand your cause for concern my lord, but only your mother were of the Dannar, your father were of the Fallen.”
“Like you?”
“Yes my lord, his name was Mastema and he was our leader.”
“Was? He’s dead?”
“Yes, my lord. He died the moment you were conceived.”
“Why?”
“My lord the Fallen are all infertile, your existence is a miracle but I can only speculate that it came at a price.”
It surprised Zendrius that he felt no sense of loss at the news. “While we are on the subject, I would like to ask you a few questions while we have the time.”
Nessha indicated he should continue.
“I grew up with priests so I have a decent grasp on Christianity, but since coming here there has been a few things I don’t quite understand and it seems dear old mom didn’t think any of it important enough to file under need-to-know. Firstly, I was under the impression that Lucifer ruled hell, granted that this isn’t exactly the hell I pictured, but still; care to clarify?”
“My lord, what you need to understand is that Los-Reinar existed long before we were cast out of heaven and so did those who live within it. When we entered this realm our bodies were twisted, back then we thought that it was part of our punishment, but it was actually an act of mercy for it allowed us to adapt. However the residual pain of the transformation also left us vulnerable and weak.”
“And there is no place for the weak in Los-Reinar,” added Zendrius.
“Exactly, a Dannar known as Uvall set his starving legions upon us while he himself joined the feast. We fought hard but waves upon waves of famished demons fell upon us and ultimately most of my kin sacrificed themselves so a fraction of the host could survive, Lucifer were among those who stayed behind. He was cast as the villain because humanity would not be able to otherwise comprehend the existence of Los-Reinar.”
“I suppose it makes sense, but why did you rebel in the first place? It is something that has been bothering me my entire life. You angels were created by God and lived in his presence which means you had front row seats to his awe-inspiring power, why then would you do something as stupid as start a rebellion? I mean you couldn’t have possibly thought your uprising had a chance of success.”
Nessha smiled slightly. “To say we rebelled is overstating it, my lord. God has infinite patience and understanding with mankind who He created to love Him, but we were created to serve with absolute obedience. It is true that Lucifer started everything, he gathered like-minded individuals to his side then approached God. You see all we wanted was the freedom to make our own choices, a blessing that humankind as well as demon kind grossly take for granted. The next thing we knew we found ourselves here on Los-Reinar. It is as you said my lord, it wouldn’t have made sense to rebel against God.”
Zendrius studied Nessha’s face. “You don’t seem particularly pissed off about it.”
“Why should I be, my lord? God granted our wish, for although it is a much harsher existence, those of us who are left, do indeed have the freedom to make our own choices.”
“Nessha! You brought my nephew!” said a voice suddenly from above.
Zendrius looked up in surprise.
Alyza absently listened to the rhythm of her heartbeat. She didn’t know if it was due to the surrounding liquid, but it was as if she had pushed her ear against someone’s chest. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for what felt like days, sometimes the voice was there other times it wasn’t. Despite her numerous conversations with the voice she still wasn’t sure where she was and how she had come to be in her current state. The voice seemed more interested in her relationship with Zed which made their periodic chat oddly similar to common girl talk.
“How are you feeling?” asked the voice suddenly.
“Fine, just wish I could move around a bit.”
“Soon you’ll be ready.”
“When is soon and ready for what?”
“Where did you first meet Zed?”
Alyza did a nice long mental sigh. “At a park near my house, I was being teased by three boys when Zed suddenly attacked them. I swear he would have killed them if I hadn’t stopped him.”
“How did you?”
“What?”
“Stop him.”
“At first I tried to pull him off one of the boys but he was deceptively strong even back then, I finally just hugged him from behind and told him to calm down.”
“And that worked?”
Alyza laughed. “Like a charm, I don’t know who was more stunned at that moment, him from being hugged by a random girl or me hugging a boy for the first time, an unfamiliar boy at that.”
“Did he get into a lot of fights?”
“Oh constantly, it took me a few years to get him to stop.”
“And each time you hugged him?”
“At first, but he started to listen to me as the years passed,” said Alyza with a chuckle.
“Why did you care?” asked the voice confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you care about a boy you hardly knew?”
“I don’t know, there was just something about him that drew me in, plus he was so kind to me. He always comforted me whenever I got teased at school.”
“I see, when did you realise you were in love with him?”
“I’m a sappy romantic so I’d like to think since that first hug, but who knows? It kinda just happened.”
“Interesting, I think that’ll be all for now, you need your rest.”
“Wait! Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you so interested in Zed?”
There was a pause then the voice said, “A mother should know her child.”
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