Zardin allowed a small pause to trail his
words, before heaving a breath and speaking in a completely calm
tone:
“The Nyon temple is located in the planet
Farnor, in the seventh level of the outer spectrum.” He thought for
a moment and added, “Just thought you’d like to know.”
A stunned silence dropped over the entire
place.
The entire batch of cloaked Xeni had their
eyes strapped to him, widened in shock. Redgarn slowly turned to
face him, his jaw hanging wide open. Looking as though wondering if
he had heard right.
“There are enchantments placed to protect
it,” went on Zardin, completely unperturbed by the effect he had
made on the others. “but they are meant to protect against non
mystics. The masters would be alerted if any non mystical energy
force enters the planet. And the temple is invisible to all non
mystic eyes. In other words, they saw a threat only from the Naxim
… and not from us. Sadly for them.”
Redgarn continued to stand on the spot,
gaping at Zardin through the stunned silence. Then, taking a step
forward, he whispered, “
How the hell did you know?
”
Zardin gave a casual shrug. “I just took a
wild guess.”
The shock drained from Redgarn’s face, and a
look of savage fervour came upon his red features.
“Well, it seems that fate has evened the
pains of my past with a new pleasure for the future.” He turned and
gazed across the rough lands at the cruiser. “We’ll take everything
we have and attack them.”
As the shock of Zardin’s announcement passed,
the cloaked figures looked about at each other with a new
excitement. A steady anticipation could be felt climbing over the
air.
Redgarn turned about the entire batch of Xeni
and called in a loud, commanding voice:
“Men, prepare yourselves, and get armed.
We’re attacking the Nyon temple. Take everything you have, from
bows and arrows to Sparklers and spears. Arm up for the single most
important event in the history of our order.” He turned and looked
about the entire group of Xeni standing around the tunnel. “Today,
we attack our long hated enemies and scour their existence forever
from the face of this world. And when we’re done, there will be
nothing of the ancient brotherhood but ashes…”
He turned to Zardin. “How far away is Farnor
from here?”
“Just a few minutes’ space jump away.”
replied Zardin, giving a moment’s thought. “I’d estimate not more
than four.”
A mad smile lit Redgarn’s face. “Excellent …
we’re getting there, and showing them that we’re back with a bang.”
He turned and boomed for the entire lot of them to hear, “Let’s
head out!”
And together, the entire group of them,
Zardin, Redgarn and all of the Xeni, boarded the large cruiser. And
less than a minute later, the giant vessel was ripping through
space towards Farnor, carrying the Xeni order and an entire
battalion of armed forces that they now commanded. To attack and
bring about the fall of the brotherhood of Nyon at long last…
Ion looked past the greenery sprawling at the
far end of the green expanse. The three of them now stood outside
of the temple. Resting right before them, tranquil and beautiful,
was the lake that they had crossed earlier on.
After showing Ion all over the temple, the
other two had brought him here. Ion was struck by an air of
calmness and serenity unlike anything as he stood here amidst the
natural wonder, feeling his messy crimson hair ripple in the gentle
evening breeze.
The sun was still high on the clear blue sky,
but waiting to dip towards the canopy of trees on the other side
with the approaching dusk. Hazy white clouds were frozen around it,
some of them drifting across pleasantly.
The cluster of trees across the other side of
the lake was pressed together in a dense green clog, with nothing
visible amidst the thick tree trunks. Little could be seen through
the faint spaces between the trees in the feeble light slitting
through the gaps in the jungle of leaves above.
The only meek sounds heard were the rustling
of the wind, and the flapping of wings as occasional groups of
birds went streaking past the sky.
The beauty of the place was spellbinding. For
some reason, Ion was drawn back to those days he had spent with
Jedius. A time where he had found a short glimpse of peace amidst
an entire life of chaos.
“This is awfully good for meditation.” said
Qyro, looking at him.
Ion gazed at their reflections on the lake in
front, as still as it would have been in a mirror. Not a ripple
broke out over the water surface, which glittered and sparkled in
the light from the sun above.
“Yeah,” admitted Ion. “I thought it would
be.”
Vestra was looking past the canopy of trees
opposite to them, her gaze thoughtful.
“Mantra looks strangely troubled off late.”
she said, sounding worried.
Qyro, who was also looking ahead, nodded
slowly.
“I noticed too.”
“Why, is that bad?” Ion asked the two of
them.
The only sound heard for a long moment was
the gentle rustling of Ion’s cloak in the wind.
“
Very
bad.” Vestra said finally.
Qyro shook his head. “Mantra’s the one mystic
you don’t wanna see troubled.”
“What do you mean?”
“You remember him taking you back to the age
of the empire,” Vestra asked Ion. “when there were Nyon who had the
ability to
sense
trouble and rush to stomp it out?”
“I do.” Ion nodded.
Qyro looked at Ion with a grave smile. “Well,
Mantra’s one of them. He’s got the power to sense trouble brewing
around.”
“He’s got the power to sense more than just
that.” Vestra looked at Ion and Qyro. “There are times when he can
tell exactly what happens in another far off place.”
Ion gazed past the lake, feeling an eyebrow
lift on his face.
Impossible.
“But even for his powers, he can’t pick up
everything
going on elsewhere.” Vestra shook her head.
“Sometimes he can make out bits of an event happening somewhere far
off.”
“But how?” asked Ion.
Vestra frowned. “I don’t know how these
powers of his works, nor do I think I ever will. But basically, he
can sense shifting energy fields. I’ve known him for many years
now. And I can tell you, his mystical powers are more attuned than
imaginable.”
“Well, considering that our most dreaded
nemesis has returned,” Ion shrugged. “I’d be disturbed too if I
were him.”
But Qyro shook his head. “No, it’s not that.
I think it’s something else.”
“What do you mean?” Vestra asked.
Qyro looked at her, his fur rippling faintly
in the wind. He gave a soft sigh.
“He’s the only master remaining from the age
of Sirengard. He’s the oldest of our brotherhood and it’s his
responsibility to keep the Nyon alive, or so he believes … the
dwindling of students in the brotherhood’s upset him, I think.” He
looked ahead, scowling. “I remember him talking about an earlier
student of his. And it made him rather … well, emotional.”
“An earlier student?” asked Ion. “Where is he
now?”
“He isn’t one of the Nyon, obviously” Qyro
said, folding his arms.
“He was trained by Mantra, but he isn’t one
of us?”
“Unlike me and Qyro, not all the students
trained here stay here after the training, Ion.” Vestra informed
him. “The masters can only train the students. But the students
have the choice as to whether or not to then carry on and serve our
brotherhood … or to leave. Most of the students that are trained by
the masters decide not to join us. If that wasn’t so, if all of
them stay behind and help the Nyon, then we’d have ten times the
members we’ve got now.”
Qyro ran his eyes over the grassy ground, in
search of something. Hopping two feet away, he bent down and picked
up a small flat stone. He spent a few seconds to examine the stone,
looking at it intently.
“Most of them believe they’re safer without
joining us.” he said, still examining the stone. “They think the
Nyon are more trouble than the already troubled life of a mystic
needs.” Looking up at Ion, he gave a shrug. “Well, guess they’re
right. Half of our number’s been either tracked down and killed by
the masters, or died from missions to the inner spectrum.”
He held the stone it clenched in his hand and
shook his wrist heavily, before sending the stone flying across the
lake’s surface. Ion followed it as it skipped one, two, and three …
seven times over the water, before sinking. Ripples burst out
across the water surface, distorting the serenity of the lake.
“I’ve been living a lot in the inner spectrum
in the last few months.” Ion said, still watching as the seven
waves of ripples slowly spread out across the lake’s surface.
The two of them looked at him, the same
surprise reflecting in both their expression.
“Well, you’re pretty lucky to be breathing,
in that case.” said Vestra.
“How’d you manage it?” asked Qyro.
Ion flashed back to those days, the days
coming after Jedius’s training. Where he had vowed to tear down
countless infamous crime organisations, terror groups … and do his
part in amending the evil of his past with good.
“It wasn’t easy, I’ll guarantee that.” he
said finally, heaving a deep breath. “And yeah, there were a dozen
or more times where I’d been found and chased by the Naxim. But I
kept moving from cluster to cluster. I travelled in the shadiest
public transport systems, where they’d have almost zero
security.”
Qyro bent and scooped up another small rock,
examining it for a second, before looking up at Ion.
“I made sure to keep my tracks hidden as best
as I could.” Ion paused, his tone now falling a shade darker.
“Because I knew what I had to do … and if I died doing it,” He
shrugged. “I figured it was hardly very far from what I’d
deserved.”
The two of them continued to quietly look at
him for a few seconds.
Sighing, Qyro turned, shook his wrist and
tossed the second stone across the lake. Ion watched as it skipped
nine times, almost reaching the very other side of the lake.
Vestra’s eyes lingered on him, and Ion felt
the same tenderness reflect within her deep black eyes as that day
two years back, when they had met.
“You’re making up for it, Ion.” she said
softly. “And I that, in the end, is what I believe counts.”
“If there was a true reason to hate who you
are now,” Qyro said. “we would have killed you.”
Smiling, he thumped Ion on the back.
Ion nodded absently.
Qyro walked back up, and picked up a third
rock. Ion wasn’t watching how many times this one skipped. Inside,
he felt a glow of true happiness unlike very many instances in his
life. This was a moment where he had discovered something he had
been quietly asking for, over all his life. He had discovered
something in his life that would remain precious to him all
throughout…
Friends.
Real
friends.
Smiling to himself, he joined Qyro in tossing
stones across the lake, and the two of them competed with each
other in the number of times their stones skipped, while Vestra
watched and held count.
If there was one moment,
Ion paused to
think, as he gazed at the swath of greenery spreading at the end of
the lake.
It would be now…
__________
Lurking behind the trees across the lake,
stood a giant group of cloaked, hooded Xeni. They were standing
concealed behind the thick tree trunks. Having arrived in the
planet just less than a minute back, they had parked the cruiser
closeby and crept up till here.
They were all hungrily watching the large
temple standing across the lake and the three youngsters tossing
stones across the lake happily. The same brutal thrill filled them
as one as they stood there, armed and ready for the kill…
Some of them strung arrows into their bows,
while others held their razor edged spears out, pointing.
At the very front of the group, one of the
men kept his hand raised, gesturing for the others to wait…
And for a few seconds, they all stood hidden
behind the trees, gathering themselves. Preparing for the attack
which would end everything…
And then, the man at the front of the group
lowered his hand, turned to the men behind and hissed, “Time to
move.”
And at once, all of the men could be heard
rustling their cloaks in mild motions, moving their weapons into
aim … towards the three Nyon sitting right opposite to them, their
first three casualties.
__________
Ion felt a moment of wild incredulity, his
eyes flying wide, as he saw it…
A shower of arrows burst towards them, from
the other side of the bank.