《No Angels》


 Sodom

    Pillars of black smoke puffed into the air and everything seemed to rumble. The sky was a dull and lifeless gray, matching the ash that covered the ground. Pieces of concrete broke from their crumbled remains of the skyscrapers that had once dotted the city and the body parts that weren¡¯t burnt and blown into the wind laid in scattered bloody heaps. This was the price of war, Simeon Grey thought, And it was a damn mess.


    Kasira had once been a beautiful city, with sprawling exotic structures that had been otherworldly in their design and appropriately so. The so-called Devils of Kasira, named by the xenophobic Tribune of Blancus and media for the fact they descended from the sky and were perceived as harbingers of darkness, had been a remarkably advanced people with odd dark brown skin and a strange language. As a child, Grey had often traveled to Kasira with his father when he conducted business, watching the Devils from afar and smiling when he sometimes received a gift from them. He had never known the Devils to be anything but kind, though he considered that now, all they wanted was a way to influence Blancus through his father.


    From the top of the hill where he used to look at the lake, Grey watched his small squadron of soldiers as they traversed the ruins. He could smell the charred flesh, even though the soot and smoke from the fires that burned around him were filtered through the helm of his Tarsus armor. The internally installed AI communicated to him the dangerous levels of radiation on the horizon and warned for him to steer clear.


    Grey made his descent, stepping over small craters and fires as he approached a large building, split completely in half. He looked up as he walked past and noticed strange carvings in the wall of people kneeling, their hands uplifted towards the sky. Splattered blood dripped from what appeared to be the sun. Grey stretched his hand to touch the odd hieroglyphs.


    ¡°Captain Grey?¡± a voice called. Though modulated by the Tarsus suit, Grey had enough experience with his unit to know their voices. The Captain turned his armored head fractionally and saw his subordinate, Sergeant Liora Sawyerstumbleforward. The younger sister to FLOCK¡¯s head psychologist, Liora had risen quickly through the ranks with the talent and intensity of a once in a generation type soldier. Adding her to his personal squadron had been a no-brainer and an easy way to get Anais in his good graces.


    Sergeant Sawyer¡¯s armor seemed to be covered in soot and debris. Grey¡¯s Tarsus helm quickly analyzed her vital signs. Her heart rate was ridiculously high.


    ¡°Before you speak, soldier, you need to calm yourself,¡± Grey said sternly. His charge straightened herself and took in a deep breath.


    ¡°Permission to speak, sir?¡±


    Grey waved his hand. ¡°Granted. What¡¯s going on, Sergeant?¡±


    The young woman gulped. ¡°We¡¯re finishing up our sweep of the city. Void Moon seems to have been a success,¡± she said. Grey nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡¯ he replied. ¡°I am sure the Tribune will be pleased to hear that.¡± Grey¡¯s AC-8R blinked, adhering to his nerve impulses. The rifle separated into metal pieces, folding until it was the size of Grey¡¯s hand. The Captain placed it on his magnetized belt and stepped over blood-splattered rubble to exit the fallen building. His Sergeant followed behind him onto the bomb-riddled streets.


    Recent rumblings of disappearances of Blancus¡¯ civilians, odd interstellar golden light displays and drought had worried the religious officials of Blaucus, who were represented by one member of the Tribune. After a swift debate, the Tribune as a whole deemed that these Devils were attempting to destroy their home, as told by some ancient bullshit prophecy. Thus, Grey¡¯s favorite city to gaze at over the lake had been reduced to a smoldering heap of debris before his very eyes and he felt the smallest inkling of sadness.


    ¡°Captain Grey?¡± the sergeant said. Grey hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d stopped walking. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The Captain turned to her and cleared his throat. Grey had to remind himself that he had done what was necessary. He served FLOCK and if these invaders had been an evil presence that eventually would have destroyed the planet, he had done a great service.


    ¡°Yes, we should mo¡ª¡± Grey started.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± a modulated voice called. There was a distinct sense of fear and urgency in his voice. Grey¡¯s AC-8R, colloquially referred to as an Acclimator, came to his hand. The metal parts formed to create a rifle in his hand and the Captain darted out on the street with Sergeant Sawyer on his heels. The rest of his unit stood a few blocks ahead, all of them aiming their AC-8Rs into a thick cloud of dust, smoke, and fire. Grey ran through his men and stepped to the front. His Tarsus helmet read the surroundings and with a neural input, Grey caused the visor to zoom and scan further.


    Ultraviolet. X-ray. Thermal¡­


    He did not believe his eyes or the reading that the Tarsus helm reported. There was no way¡­


    ¡°Captain, is your helmet saying the same thing?¡± Sawyer said softly. Grey didn¡¯t answer. He only stared.


    ¡°There!¡± another modulated voice called. ¡°Something¡¯s coming from the smoke!¡± AC-8Rs locked and prepared to fire.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Grey could hear the cries of a child. How could a child survive a carpet-bombing, even if it was one of them? The cry was a long, sustained wail. To Grey, it sounded more like a wounded animal than any human he¡¯d ever heard which made sense. The devils of Kasira weren¡¯t men, after all.


    ¡°ERU, on me. We are moving,¡± Grey said. His white armored soldiers gathered behind him, then fanned out into a V-shape, with Grey taking point. Captain Grey primed his AC-8R. He and his unit traversed through the rubble and fire. The closer they grew to the screams of the toddler, the thicker the smoke seemed to become. The Tarsus suit made a series of clicks, alerting Grey to the growing heat of the fire and the poor air quality. Grey regarded it but continued to press forward. He would not leave his mission undone.


    The Captain raised his fist and his unit halted. He quickly scanned the area, looking for places with ample cover. He did not want to spook this devil child. Grey split his unit into separate groups of three. He continued forward, beckoning Sergeant Sawyer and a senior officer to his flanks. His small cell remained silent, their AC-8Rs arcing across the street.


    Pebbles and other debris rolled toward them and Grey stopped. The wailing had also. From the midst of the smoke and fire, Grey saw someone emerge. The tiny thing walked on shaky legs, befitting the toddler that it was. Though covered in ash and smoke, Grey made out the characteristics of the child. Dark caramel skin covered in blood. Light platinum blonde hair, layered with soot and debris. Golden-amber eyes, clouded by shock. The toddler wandered forward. His clothes barely hung on to him. Grey¡¯s Tarsus helm scanned the child and to the Captain¡¯s shock, it did not find any injuries to the boy. Not only had this toddler somehow survived the bombing, but he was also uninjured. Whatever blood was on his skin was the blood of those around him.


    The child stopped in front of Grey and looked up at him. The Captain gripped his AC-8R uneasily. He was confused by the impossibility that stood before him. The child sniffled. Then, he spoke.


    ¡°Ame kumat.¡± It wasn¡¯t a language that Grey knew. His Tarsus helm, spoke in his ear, silent to everyone else.


    ¡°Translating to Canter¡­¡¯Everyone has died¡¯,¡± Tarsus said.


    Everyone except you, Grey thought. His first instinct told him to put the barrel of his AC-8R to the child¡¯s head and pull the trigger. His neural readings gave his weapon life and Grey raised his weapon.


    ¡°Captain Grey,¡± his senior officer, Lieutenant Peter Gottschalk, spoke.


    Grey paused. ¡°What is it, Lieutenant?¡±


    The slender man¡¯s high and sharp cheekbones rose and fell as he chewed the inside of his mouth in thought. ¡°Forgive me, sir, but perhaps it would be best to bring the child with us.¡±


    Grey turned and stared at his Lieutenant. ¡°Gottschalk?¡± Grey asked, his voice barely rising above a whisper. Lieutenant Gottschalk continued to speak.


    ¡°Captain, wouldn¡¯t you want to know why this child survived a bombing that killed the rest of the population?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. The order is the annihilation of Kasira and all its inhabitants. That is all.¡± Grey turned back towards the boy and Gottschalk moved forward.


    ¡°Sir, what if he could be of use to FLOCK? He survived a bombing that killed everyone except him. There has to be a secret ability he has, one we could use. If Anais could mentally recondition him, we would benefit from having him.¡±


    Grey frowned. ¡°And if we cannot? What then?¡±


    The Lieutenant pursed his lips. ¡°Eliminate him.¡±


    The barrel of Grey¡¯s gun remained at the child¡¯s head, while his mind wandered off, considering Gottschalk¡¯s words. His mission was near complete, save this one child. A child that for some reason hadn¡¯t been killed. Grey thought of the men he sent out to die on a daily basis, handling uprisings and terrorist acts and how much it cost to train and replace such assets. Grey settled on the idea that perhaps it was true that FLOCK could benefit from having this young devil as a weapon.


    The rest of them had mysterious physiological advantages over humans and analyzing them as the boy grew would be interesting. Grey could create a personal weapon for dealing with threats to humanity, one that was completely obedient to him and should this experiment fail, they could dispose of him once they analyzed his weaknesses. Pragmatically, it made sense to Grey, though, he knew his mission directive and the fear he had for these devils made his trigger finger even antsier. There were supposed to be no survivors of this mission and the Tribune would take an incredible amount of convincing to let this slip by.


    Grey¡¯s mental impulse causes his AC-8R to prime and cock. It¡¯d be safer to just kill the boy and be done with it all.


    ¡°Please, Captain,¡± Sergeant Sawyer said. ¡°He¡¯s just a baby¡­¡± Grey could see that her eyes were pleading. He looked back at the boy and sighed deeply. Then, his sergeant said, ¡°Anais¡¯ test failed. She needs this, Captain. Please.¡±


    Grey looked back at Liora and he felt his heart tighten in his chest. Anais¡­ he thought. He closed his eyes. Compassion. During wartime, it was a critical weakness, one that Grey had worked hard to push out of his system. He simply could not afford to be weak, but when it came to Anais, he couldn¡¯t help but to feel. He tried to rationalize. If their lead scientist and psychologist was in a critical state of weakness, so was FLOCK and the organization came first above all else. That was one of the very first lessons Grey had learned as an Initiate.


    ¡°The strength of the flock came from the individual birds flying in correct formation,¡± his instructor had said. Now, it was time for him to ensure that he kept everyone in line and strong.


    Grey¡¯s AC-8R folded and the Captain loomed over the little savage. If the boy was of use to FLOCK, his memories would be wiped and Grey knew that the child would forget this day. Yet, he felt compelled to speak to him.


    ¡°Tarsus, translate from Canter to the language the boy spoke,¡± Grey said. Tarsus chirped in his ear and He began to speak. ¡°You, child, are now the property of FLOCK. You will obey without question. You will comply with my every order. Or, you will be killed. That is your fate.¡± When Grey had finished, his AC-8R unfolded into an electroshock rifle and his Tarsus suit sparked with an electric field. He placed his hand on the toddler¡¯s neck and fired two rounds from his rifle into his chest. The toddler fell and Grey grabbed him then passed him to Gottschalk.


    ¡°Tarsus, send HQ a message. Tell them that they can scorch Kasira. We are returning with the spoils.¡±

 Shunaam

    Dr. Anais Sawyer sat in her quarters, gripping the bridge of her nose, trying her best to keep the tears from falling onto her tablet. As much as it pained her, she read the doctor¡¯s report again only confirming what she had known. The surgeries had failed. Her pregnancy simulation hadn¡¯t even made it past the first phase, where the hypothetical sperm found an egg. Her body had failed to produce even those and all Anais could imagine was that her body was a well whose water had dried completely.


    The news had come earlier right before the AI news anchor told the citizens of Blancus¡¯ capital, Asticus to stay indoors. Minutes later, a bright light had come from across the lake and the electricity went out. Anais suspected that the message was meant to be sent before but came later.


    She fell back on her bed, crying again. She had accomplished so much in her life, getting three degrees before her twenty-third birthday, serving with the Blancus military before being promoted to head psychiatrist for their special ops organization FLOCK in recent years. But the one thing that she wanted, the things she had dreamed of creating for herself to make up for the childhood she hadn¡¯t had was unattainable. It was a cruel twist of the knife of fate.


    ¡°Incoming call from ¡®Lio¡¯,¡± Anais¡¯ house AI, Mary said. Anais sniffled and wiped her eyes, sighing softly. She had no idea what her little sister could want at this hour and she had half a mind not to answer. However, it was her sister.


    Gathering herself, Anais waved her hand and answered. ¡°Hey,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ana? Are you okay?¡± Liora asked.


    Anais sighed softly and rolled her eyes. ¡°No. Not really.¡± There was a brief and awkward silence before Liora spoke again.


    ¡°I have something for you. Captain Grey wants you to meet him at the FLOCK facility ASAP,¡± she said. Anais shook her head.


    ¡°For what?¡± she asked irritably.


    ¡°Ana...it¡¯s important. Please.¡±


    Anais rolled out of her bed and sighed softly. She wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, eat whatever Mary produced and sleep. But, she knew if she stayed in this place, nothing good would come of it. Channeling the professional part of her brain, she got up and went to her closet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there, Li,¡± she said. ¡°This better be worth it.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    The FLOCK helipad appeared in Anais¡¯ view as her transport shuttle lowered itself from the clouds. The Facility was illuminated by bright white lights, a few flashing signaling for the shuttle to come to the pad. It looked quieter than usual, which was saying something considering the secrecy that surrounded FLOCK on a regular basis. Anais herself barely had any idea what the organization was developing most of the time and she mostly preferred that. It gave her at least some semblance of plausible deniability.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After exiting her shuttle, Anais saw her sister waving at the bottom of the stairs and she walked down towards her. Liora grabbed her in her arms and pulled her close. Anais felt tears well up in her eyes but she tried her best to hold it in.


    Liora looked at her and gave her an empathetic smile. ¡°I love you, Ana,¡± she said. Anais smiled back.


    ¡°I know.¡± Adjusting herself again as they walked into the elevator, Anais sighed softly. ¡°What do you have for me?¡± Liora looked at her as the doors closed and the elevator descended to the lower levels. Anais tried to read the look she was giving, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp it before the elevator doors opened again. They were now in the sub-levels of the facility. The walls were pure, untouched white and glass. Lining the walls, FLOCK soldiers in Tarsus armor stood at attention with the AC-8Rs at the ready. This sterile, stifling environment made Anais feel uneasy.


    At the end of the hallway, she saw Simeon Grey facing a room, his arms held behind his back. Anais¡¯ heart fluttered slightly seeing his strong features in a profile view and slick black hair before it dropped when she realized the news she would have to share. As she and Liora approached, Simeon turned to her and she saw the slightest hint of a smile.


    ¡°Doctor,¡± he said, cordially.


    Anais dipped her head. ¡°Captain.¡± Simeon gave Liora a look and she saluted before winking at Anais and walked away. Simeon waited until Liora was down the hallway before he spoke again


    ¡°How are you, Ana?¡± he asked. Anais sighed softly, melting at the sound of his voice.


    ¡°Not well. I got the results back,¡± she said. ¡°The surgeries didn¡¯t help anything.¡±


    Simeon looked down at her. ¡°Is there anything more that can be done?¡±


    Shaking her head, Anais looked up at him. ¡°Maybe, maybe not. But it¡¯d probably be expensive and it may end up causing more harm than good.¡± Simeon nodded, his hard face revealing no emotions at all. If he did feel any disappointment, Anais couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± he said, placing his palm on the panel next to the glass, causing it to hiss. ¡°I have a project for you, Ana.¡± He entered the glass room and beckoned for Anais to follow him.


    ¡°What project?¡± she asked, her eyes drifting some Simeon¡¯s face before pausing in the room, her mouth slowly opening in shock. At the center of the white room, there was a boy, garbed in black. When he heard them enter, the boy turned quickly and stared up at them with bright amber eyes. The boy¡¯s skin was a rich, dark brown and his curly platinum blonde hair sharply contrasted with it. He was small, barely three years old. Though he had odd features, Anais recognized what he was immediately. ¡°Why is one of the people from Kasira here?¡±


    ¡°We found him on our mission to investigate the explosion in the city. He was the only survivor,¡± Simeon said. He knelt down and looked at the boy at eye level. Anais watched the boy retreat into a corner, then heard Simeon suck his teeth as he rose back to his feet. ¡°He is a bit skittish, but that is why I made this your project. I need you to work with him and recondition him. Get him associated with us so that he may better work with us.¡±


    ¡°Work with you how?¡± Anais asked.


    ¡°I want to learn about these devils and what they are capable of. I can only do that once he accepts us.¡± Simeon stood up, keeping his eyes on the boy before he handed Anais a small metal earpiece. ¡°This is a piece of Tarsus tech that will help you translate whatever he says. Use it to teach him his purpose.¡± Simeon turned and started to leave before he paused. ¡°I have also given him a name. Osin. He is a devil after all.¡±


    Anais watched Simeon leave, frowning slightly at the comment he made. She looked back towards the boy, Osin, and saw that he was no longer cowering in the corner, but walking toward her. His bright eyes locked onto her and held out a hand towards her. Anais looked behind her and saw no one. Tentatively, she reached her hand out towards the boy.


    Osin walked up to her and placed his little palm into her hand. He was very hot to the touch and Anais thought the boy had a fever but he didn¡¯t look sick at all. Perhaps that was a part of his odd alien physiology.


    The two looked at each other, Osin never breaking eye contact. Once a few moments of silence had passed, the little boy blinked. ¡°Iyas¡¯um,¡± he said softly. Anais¡¯ Tarsus earpiece translated the word and Anais raised her hand to her mouth to keep from crying.


    ¡°Mother,¡± the AI said.

 Horeb I

    The small, brown-skinned boy sat at the table dressed in black clothing, causing him to stand out against the small white room that was his home. His golden eyes looked Anais over and he blinked, his mouth curved slightly in a polite smile. The ginger woman entered the room, sighing softly as she sat down and pulled her chair in. ¡°Good evening, Osin.¡± Anais said, adjusting her white lab coat and pulling up her virtual interface display. The wispy holographic images floated just below her eye level.


    ¡°Good evening, Dr. Sawyer,¡± he replied.


    Dr. Anais Sawyer smiled back and nodded. She made a check on her VI, noting that Osin¡¯s Canter skills were still coming along. Despite her ten year long work to eliminate ¡°devilish¡± influences from the boy¡¯s mind, Osin still occasionally slipped up and spoke his native tongue. He often referred to Captain Simeon Grey as yasur and when Tarsus translated the word from its original language to Canter, it was defined as meaning, ¡°father; master; king¡±. Naturally, Grey had taken quite well to being addressed as such, even if it was derived from a ¡°lesser¡± culture¡¯s language. Anais inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought.


    ¡°Captain Grey briefed you on your new assignment, correct?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Jinn lo kuua¡­¡± Anais gave Osin a glance and the twelve-year old boy gulped. ¡°That is to say, kill the traitors.¡± Anais sighed softly and made another mark in her VI. ¡°Traitors¡± was a subjective term, she felt. ORION operatives were a mixture of archaeologists and terrorists who held no loyalty to the Tribune run government of Blancus, only, they claimed, to ¡°the blind and deaf babes, the people¡±.


    Recently, they had threatened to bomb entire cities on the eastern coast of the country if they didn¡¯t receive coordinates to some ancient secrets that they felt the Tribune of Blancus hid from them. That information had been given to them this time, but from Sawyer¡¯s understanding, it was all a trap to lead them like sheep to slaughter with the twelve year old boy in front of her being the designated butcher.


    The young boy nervously looked over at Sawyer and then outside of his room. Perplexed, Anais followed his eyes and saw Captain Grey standing outside. The fear and respect on Osin¡¯s face looked deeply ingrained. Anais found the oddest part of her job was observing a child with the power to bench press a small military tank cowering next to a man with barely a fraction of that strength.


    ¡°It looks like Captain Grey wishes to speak to you, Osin. I¡¯ll go get him,¡± Anais said with a smile. Osin¡¯s eyes never left the looming figure of Captain Grey outside his room.


    Anais gave a brief, awkward smile before she rose from her seat and left Osin alone in his room. When she faced the Captain, her smile faded.


    ¡°What is the problem, doctor?¡± Grey said in his deep, cold voice.


    Anais sighed softly. ¡°You. You¡¯re interfering with my session with Osin.¡±


    ¡°And what of your session?¡± Grey asked. ¡°Is he psychologically cleared for the mission?¡±


    Anais frowned. You don¡¯t even care, she thought before she said, ¡°He¡¯s as psychologically cleared for killing as any twelve year old could be.¡± Her tone caused Grey to raise an eyebrow and he stared deeply into Anais¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Do not allow your compassion for the little devil to cloud your view of FLOCK¡¯s greater purpose. You are a psychiatrist...¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s my job to tell you or anyone else that what we¡¯re doing...¡± Anais paused to glance at Osin through the glass before sighing and looking back at Grey. ¡°You don¡¯t think that sending him to Kasira could undo what I¡¯ve worked so hard to do? It could break him. There¡¯s nothing but violence etched into his brain and the resulting explosion could be extremely damaging to all of us.¡±


    ¡°That is all he knows, anyway. He is a devil. Or have you forgotten what he is capable of?¡± Grey said.


    Anais balled her fist and turned red in the face. ¡°And who the hell made him that way? He¡¯s a child and he responds to the way he¡¯s treated. You can¡¯t beat him and torture him, then not expect him to react violently.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you tell yourself to rationalize what he did to your sister?¡± Captain Grey asked. Anais¡¯ jaw dropped and her body shook. Without another glance her way, Grey said, ¡°You are relieved of duty for the day, doctor.¡±.


    Anais¡¯ eyes widened and she swallowed a strong ¡®fuck you¡¯ that attempted to climb past her teeth. Calmly, she turned and looked at Osin through the glass. Golden eyes flashed from Anais to the Captain. The doctor turned away and walked down the hallway with her head down, tears welling in her eyes.


    She remembered receiving the call that something had happened in the lab with Osin, only a few days after they had received him. When she had arrived, the boy had broken free from containment, a small wailing toddler with Liora dead at his feet. Anais had wanted to quit that day and write him off in her grief until she saw recordings of Simeon torturing him, Osin reacting and Liora attempting to step in. When Anais arrived later, Osin kept screaming, calling her ¡°Mother¡± until she sat with him in his room and held him, weeping in her arms. She knew then that the boy would need her every day regardless of how she felt.


    In her mind something awful clicked. She had the strangest feeling that she wouldn¡¯t see Osin again for a long time. Sighing softly, she headed to her office to gather her things, fighting away the urge to grab Osin one more time and hug him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Osin kept his eyes down when his yasur entered his glass and white room. The king in white armor stood over him, casting a shadow that covered the young boy.


    ¡°What did Dr. Sawyer discuss with you?¡± Grey asked.


    ¡°The mission,¡± Osin replied. He gulped. ¡°And my bad words.¡± He heard his yasur breathe hard.


    ¡°I have spoken to you on that, devil,¡± Grey¡¯s voice rumbled. ¡°Do you want me to punish you?¡± Memories flashed of the shock collar that Osin wore as a toddler until he spoke fluent Canter and the electro-bolts from Grey¡¯s AC-8R that traveled through his body to distribute pain. Of the many punishments he had received, electricity hurt more than anything.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Osin cowered and dropped to his knees to bow. ¡°No, yasur!¡± the boy said, hoping that his term of affection didn¡¯t set the Captain off. He heard Grey take in a deep breath, but a clubbing blow didn¡¯t follow.


    ¡°It is time for you to leave.¡± Osin rose to his feet and stood at attention. When Grey turned and began to walk away, Osin followed.


    The FLOCK facility that Osin had called home since he could remember was white, glass and metal, as cold as a winter day. It was small and secluded, with the only source of light being a massive skylight hundreds of feet above that gave access to the outside world, which Osin only saw during missions, which were in themselves few and far between. The only other people that Osin ever saw on a regular basis were Captain Grey and Dr. Sawyer. Others filed in and out of the building, usually potential pilots for Osin¡¯s personal carrier and even then, they never spoke to him nor were they ever the same from mission to mission.


    It made Osin feel uneasy. He recognized that everyone, except for Sawyer, treated him like he was different from them. And he was. Osin had never seen anyone with skin as deep and dark a shade of brown as his or anyone that possessed the golden amber eyes he found staring back at him when he looked in the mirror. That disparity between he and the people around him filled Osin¡¯s young heart with a deep seated loneliness and sorrow that he barely comprehended. Captain Grey constantly called him ¡°devil¡± and though Osin didn¡¯t fully understand the meaning of the word, he felt venom whenever it left the Captain¡¯s mouth. Osin couldn¡¯t determine why someone he loved so much could speak with such malice towards him.


    In his mind though, he had attempted to rationalize these odd emotion. His yasur was cruel, yes, but Grey¡¯s cruelty shaped him and him stronger. He had prepared Osin for every sort of discomfort or pain he¡¯d feel on missions until the boy was ready for anything. Grey¡¯s methods readied Osin for combat and that made him inherently good and valuable in his view and despite what other emotions he felt towards the king in white armor, Grey gave Osin power and purpose, something that he had never felt he had.


    Osin and Captain Grey stopped in front of a white paneled wall. The Captain raised his hand and pressed against it, causing the wall to emit several high frequency clicks. Osin heard the machinations behind the wall turning and unlocking until finally, the wall hissed and split open. A black, metal suit was racked up on display and pushed out towards Osin. The young boy felt a jolt of excitement.


    He stepped forward and touched the black armor that had become synonymous with an adventure away from the trappings of the white walls. Called Corvus, the AI adaptive armor attached itself to Osin and closed around him. A thin, spongy cloth layer wrapped around his body first and the black metal plates followed. The helm came down last, hissing as it secured itself on Osin¡¯s head and his vision blacked out. When it reset, Osin could see Grey¡¯s resting heart rate as well as several counters indicating his own bodily functions, his level of elevation above the sea and the current level of the armor¡¯s energy and life support.


    When the suit had fully activated, Corvus spoke into Osin¡¯s ear. ¡°Combat Optimized, Reticent Visibility, Utility Suit online. DNA recognized. Welcome, Osin,¡± it said in a soothing woman¡¯s voice, not too dissimilar to Dr. Sawyer¡¯s. Osin smiled underneath his mask and then looked up to Grey.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, yasur,¡± he said, noting the heavy modulation to his voice that sunk it down several octaves. Grey nodded slightly and tapped a few buttons on his own white AI gauntlet piece. Corvus let out a barely audible chime and a map display appeared in Osin¡¯s view, showing several markers that appeared to be on the move to the south.


    ¡°Board your bird. You should have a comm-link to this facility,¡± Grey said, folding his arms behind his back. Osin obeyed and walked out of the door to the carrier docking bay. His personal carrier, a small Harpy-class stealth fighter, rested in the center of the flight pad directly below the skylight. Several engineers looked it over before noticing Osin making his way forward. The crew of mechanics backed away and Osin didn¡¯t look at them as he passed. His ship¡¯s engines, though clearly on from the heat that Osin felt when he approached, were relatively quiet. When the boy boarded the ship, his pilot jumped in the front seat and turned towards him.


    ¡°G-good evening, sir,¡± the man said. Osin emulated his yasur¡¯s body language when addressing his subordinates, straightening his small frame before he nodded his head curtly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± he replied, his high voice deepened by Cori¡¯s modulator. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The pilot blinked and quickly pressed a few controls and pulled back on the stick. Osin¡¯s carrier slowly began to ascend, hovering as Osin tapped into Corvus. ¡°Upload the map coordinates to the Harpy,¡± Osin said. Corvus did as he said and the pilot looked down and saw the virtual display.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± the pilot said.


    ¡°Follow the moving dots and¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, sir. Captain Grey briefed me,¡± his pilot said. ¡°However, the insurgents have all converged on a single location. Far south, away from Asticus and across the waters to Kasira. Even further south than that from the looks of it,¡± the pilot said. Osin paused. He didn¡¯t even know what the hell Asticus or Kasira were, but he assumed that they were locations.


    ¡°Fly me there.¡±


    The pilot looked back at him as the skylight opened and the moonlight hit the carrier. ¡°South of Kasira is completely irradiated, sir. Even your suit will do very little to keep you safe from the toxic air and this ship isn¡¯t designed for¡­¡±


    ¡°Please. Drop me near Kasira if you must. I can track the targets further from there,¡± Osin replied quickly. The pilot dropped his head and pressed a few key codes. The Harpy¡¯s engines shifted towards the back of the fighter and with a flick of the pilot¡¯s wrist, propelled the plane forward at breakneck speeds. Osin heard a chuckle from his pilot and imagined that he was admiring the machinery. Osin had been on the Harpy so many times, he had gotten used to the sudden jolt in speed. The young boy stared out of the window as the plane ascended into further into the sky. His eyes widened underneath his helm as he saw a massive cluster of buildings and vehicles below him. People the size of ants shuffled below. In his head, Osin asked Corvus to switch to telescopic view and zoomed in on everyone below him. He saw women like Dr. Sawyer except some had yellow, black or brown hair. Some were fat and ugly, indistinguishable from the males around them. He saw little people, seemingly smaller than even he was running around. Osin¡¯s smile faded when he noticed one thing.


    None of them looked like him.


    Osin sat back in his seat and watched the clouds passing, growing further distraught at how white those were as well. He stared down at his suit, using the x-ray view of Corvus to stare through the metal plates at his own skin, the brown that wrapped his bones like dirt. What was he and why was he so different than everyone around him? Where had he come from?


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re over Kasira. Do you want me to set the bird down?¡± the pilot asked, his somewhat garbled and loud voice breaking Osin¡¯s train of thought.


    The boy looked outside of the fighter, taking in his surroundings. The city of Kasira below was nothing but dry, grey rubble and buildings that looked as if they were going to crumble at any moment. Craters dotted the cityscape like an enormous dusty sponge soaked with whatever life had been here. Osin had never seen a place so devastated, not even in pictures. Corvus spoke in his ear again.


    ¡°Environmental conditions, Class 4 hazard level. Nuclear radiation, smoke particles and low oxygen. Acclimating¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Osin said to his pilot, rising from his seat. ¡°Hover in the clouds above the water or something. I¡¯ll be back in a little while,¡± He noted how high he was in the air, took in a deep breath and then jumped from the side of the plane.

 Horeb II

    The wind whistled past the auditory receptors of his helm as he descended. He twisted in the air as the ground drew closer and Corvus¡¯ reflective shields focused to his feet, keeping the suit intact as Osin landed with the grace of a cat. Osin took in a hollow, wheezing breath as Corvus filtered air into his helmet. The tracker HUD indicated that his targets were quite far away but for the time being, they weren¡¯t moving. Osin gave a hand signal to his pilot and the Harpy fighter disappeared over the lake and into the clouds. When his ship was out of sight, Osin slowly made his way through the city. He heard something rumbling in the distance and he began to turn his head every few steps he took to observe his surroundings, even though Corvus would alert him if it detected a heartbeat.


    There was just something eerily familiar about the ruins of this city that elicited an odd feeling in Osin¡¯s stomach. On the cracked walls, there were deep-rooted marks that looked like carvings. Figures raised their hands to the sky, praying to what seemed to be a blood-red sun. Osin stared at it and walked forward to one of the figures. His golden amber eyes traced the image and he reached a shaky hand forward to touch the wall.


    He thought he heard someone crying out to him. Then, the voices began to multiply. An image flashed in his head of fire raining down from the sky and Osin¡¯s breaths began to quicken.


    He heard Corvus begin to ring in his ear. He heard his name. He heard¡­


    ¡°Osin!¡± A voice screamed over Corvus¡¯ comms. Osin snapped back into reality and his head darted around. He was standing in the middle of a crater. ¡°Osin, come in,¡± the voice called again. It was Captain Grey.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Osin answered.


    ¡°Your heart rate was fluctuating. Are you okay?¡± Though his words would¡¯ve sounded concerned coming from the mouth of anyone else, Grey¡¯s tone was as dry and harsh as it had always been. Osin nodded, though he knew his yasur wouldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m tracking the targets. Corvus is telling me that they¡¯re not moving,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Good. Do not waste time, devil. Finish your assignment and return to your ship. No survivors,¡± Captain Grey said.


    His yasur¡¯s voice faded into an electronic buzz and Osin pressed forward with little hesitation. The young boy decided to move at full speed and the Corvus suit adapted, hardening around the soles of his feet while simultaneously elasticizing around his legs. With a quick burst of speed, the ruins of Kasira became a blur to Osin. The young soldier darted through the city until he passed its perceived limits and his HUD began to hum.


    Osin skidded to a halt and looked around, perplexed. The HUD told him that the insurgents were thirty meters from him, but there was nothing on the outskirts of Kasira except a barren ashy wasteland and overhanging charcoal grey clouds. The boy soldier wandered forward and began to press his fingers to his helm.


    ¡°Cori, there¡¯s a problem? I don¡¯t see anything. Where are the targets?¡±


    ¡°Eighty-six meters below.¡± There was a small pause and Osin heard Corvus click. ¡°There appears to be an invisible yet solid barrier covering the entrance. EMP charge recommended. Awaiting your command.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    There was a loud whine in the air and a low-frequency boom. Suddenly, the ground below Osin vanished and he plummeted, tumbling down into the large open tunnel. Above him, the opening of the hole and the sky outside flickered grey and blue. He suspected that the hologram had been built by the traitors to cover the hole they had made into the earth. Whatever reason they had for doing so aside from covering their tracks was lost to the boy. Frowning, he flipped to face the ground.


    Osin straightened himself as the end of the tunnel approached him. Corvus let loose small rockets on the bottom of his boots that slowed his descent to the ground. As he landed, Corvus scanned and displayed the tracker HUD on his visor.


    ¡°Environmental analysis complete. No heat signatures detected. Further analysis shows a large metal construct. It is interfering with communication with the base,¡± Corvus reported.


    Osin was confused. ¡°Scan again, Cori. Yasur said that the ORION operatives were here.¡±


    Corvus chirped and spoke again. ¡°Environmental analysis complete. No heat signatures detected.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re cloaking themselves?¡± Osin walked forward, slowly. ¡°Give me my AC-8R, please.¡± A compartment on his thigh folded open and Corvus pushed out a small black square. Osin took it into his hand and the black box, known amongst FLOCK operatives as the Acclimator or AC-8R as its official designation, extended into a sword hilt with a straight serrated blade on the end. With a few nerve impulses, Osin made the blade transparent. Corvus shimmered, reflecting the low light of the tunnel and the suit¡¯s stealth systems activated. He slipped into the shadows and followed his tracker HUD forward.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The cavern was quiet, Osin discovered. There wasn¡¯t any noise at all, except the slight gust of wind picked up by Corvus¡¯ sensors. Every vital reading indicated that the area was clear. Yasur couldn¡¯t be wrong though, Osin thought. The traitors had to be down here.


    Osin ventured further down the cavern, following the signatures on his HUD until they faded almost completely and suddenly. Frowning, Osin looked around and Corvus changed the display from it¡¯s low-light vision to its microscopic analyzer. As he continued to walk forward, Corvus chirped softly.


    ¡°Biological samples found,¡± Corvus said. Osin blinked and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I see.¡± He could also hear a small pulsating noise reverberating through his headset. "Can you show me where those samples are?" Corvus beeped briefly.


    "Approximately 0.1 meters ahead," the voice replied. Corvus HUD switched automatically to ultraviolet and Osin was able to see the dust particles that Corvus had identified as biological samples. Before he could ask, Corvus then identified the biological signature as human. Osin blinked at the discovery in bewilderment. Humans had been in the cavern but were they the same ones he was meant to track down and kill for hisyasur or a group that had come down here before and failed?


    With a determined grimace, Osin pressed forward. He wouldn''t fail.


    Osin crept forward, his hand at his waist ready for anyone or anything to leap from the dark cavern and attempt to surprise him. The pulsating sound was growing louder the further he went through the tunnels. There was a faint light further down that seemed to blink on and off, the hum reacting like a heartbeat. The sapphire blue light''s pace seemed to quicken the closer Osin grew to it and the boy stopped just short of the source, his eyes growing wider. It was a metal cylinder, lodged into the ground. The blue light pulsated again and again. Osin stared up into it.


    "Cori..." he said softly.


    The cavern rumbled and the sudden shockwave caused the rocky outline of the tunnel to fall onto Osin and the ground to crumble beneath him. The young boy crashed through the earth, his metal suit clunking against the rocks until he fell with a thud to the bottom of the cavern.


    Corvus whined and Osin felt glass in his face. He pulled his helm from his head and placed it to the side. He coughed and took in the hot air. He was shrouded completely in darkness, though he could fairly well with his eyes. Tentatively, Osin attempted to stand and found that there was enough room for him to rise to his full height. The armored boy stepped forward, gulping as his head whipped from side to side. Something metal clanged against Osin¡¯s foot and he looked up. He extended his hand slowly to touch the object.


    His amber eyes widened as the metal peeled back and exposed a blue light. The light passed over Osin, paused at his feet and rose back up past his face. The azure glow faded as the metal clicked, clanged and then opened.


    The blue light materialized into a tall, muscled and armored hologram. His skin was a very dark blue and his eyes were a lighter shade. Osin felt his heart caught in his throat.


    The man in the hologram looked exactly like him.


    Osin¡¯s fascination grew when the man turned to look at him.


    The boy blinked at the hologram before he spoke. ¡°What¡­who are you?¡±


    The man cocked his head to the side and began to speak, in a language that Osin immediately recognized. It was the devil words.


    ¡°I am Aster¨ª Inajoba, Yasur of the Kebulani people.¡± Osin smiled and let out a happy gasp. The hologram continued. ¡°If you¡¯re listening to this message, you have discovered the Ark that carried us from our home, Manzil, to this planet and a DNA scan has determined that you are not only Kebulani, but my direct descendant,¡± it said. Osin stared, wide-eyed and shocked. He was a descendant of a yasur? A real yasur? ¡°You must listen to my words, my child. There is something coming that corrupted and destroyed our planet, something that threatens to do the same to this world. I will teach you how to stop it and, you, my child will avenge the loss of your people.¡±


    Osin shook his head. He tried to recall the devil words ¨C no, the Kebulani language ¨C and closed his eyes. ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s coming?¡±


    Aster¨ª Inajoba paused for a moment, as if registering his question before he spoke again. ¡°He is known in Kebulani folklore as Natasan the Corruptor. There is only one person in recorded history to have defeated him. The Bukhiye, the Golden Key, an ancient hero touched by the Gods.¡± The hologram paused, blinked and then smiled. ¡°And you, my child, are the Key.¡±


    Something triggered in Osin¡¯s brain. The images from earlier came back to him. Many hands reached out to him. An explosion ripped through the city and left a deafening ringing in his ear. All of the charred, black hands continued to reach out to him. They had been brown like his and he saw the golden glow passing from them to his body. He heard the sounds of explosions outside of the room.


    He remembered Aster¨ª¡¯s words, repeated by an old woman that said, ¡°You, my child, are the Key.¡±


    Osin remembered and he felt himself cry.

 Golgatha

    Simeon Grey stood in complete darkness, covered by shadows. Sunlight was choked from the Tribune chamber with the trio of thrones the oligarchy sat upon blocking the windows, with only stray strands of light peeking past. If it hadn¡¯t been for Grey¡¯s constant visits to these chambers, he¡¯d have no idea who was who. The Captain held his arms behind his back in as formal a stance he could muster, though he felt himself grow uncharacteristically restless with worry. The three members of the Tribune looked down at him, all dressed in white, accented by red and black.


    An elderly man with wisps of white hair laid clumsily on his head and wrinkles deep as trenches on his face leaned forward, resting his chin on his bony knuckles. ¡°We¡¯ve given you seventy-two hours, Captain Grey. Have you located your tool?¡±


    Grey let out a soft exhale. ¡°No.¡±


    Silence permeated the room until finally, a fat elderly woman on the far right coughed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She tapped her chair. ¡°Is it dead or simply lost?¡± she said, after gulping down a glass of water that materialized on her armrest.


    Grey didn¡¯t blink. ¡°We are currently unsure. The explosion caused the cavern to collapse and we have not received any communication from the devil since then.¡±


    ¡°You call it ¡®devil¡¯ as if it has the awareness to function on a level where it could discern between right and wrong,¡± the old man in the center said. He pointed a crooked and shaking finger at the Captain. ¡°It is an it. Anything further is¡­is¡­¡± the old man wheezed.


    A glass of water appeared on his armrest as well. As he drank, the third member of the Tribune, a younger man, raised a hand. ¡°The bottom line is, we want you to locate the subject as quickly as possible, Captain Grey. If you have any further updates, please notify us immediately,¡± he said. He looked at Grey and gestured with a raised eyebrow. The Captain frowned and nodded.


    The old man in the center coughed. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he said through wheezing breaths. ¡°What the boy said.¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed, Captain.¡± The old woman shooed Grey away with a loose wrist. The Captain dipped his head and turned. The Tribune chamber doors opened and the light blinded him until he crossed the door¡¯s threshold. The chamber guards, men in AI-equipped suits nearly as advanced as Grey¡¯s Tarsus, closed the door behind him and stood at attention.


    He licked the inside of his mouth and rounded a corner into a dark hallway. Alone with his thoughts, Grey festered with anger. What is happening?


    It was less anger at the Tribune than it was at himself and the situation he found himself in. His tool, the greatest bit of FLOCK research was missing.


    ¡°Cap.¡± Grey opened his eyes and raised his head. The young Tribune member, Roman Gottschalk stood at the lighted end of the hallway and walked forward towards him. With his sharp and high cheekbones, the man was a near spitting image of his father, Grey¡¯s former lieutenant. The FLOCK Captain squared himself and Roman shook his head. ¡°Damn mess in there. Those old fucks are losing it.¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, Simeon Grey said, ¡°They have been serving on the Tribune since they were younger than you.¡±


    Roman nodded. ¡°And the country has suffered because of it. The same political bullshit again and again.¡± He paused and shook his head. ¡°Hell, your organization has made a scientific breakthrough with your little lost dog and they just look at him like a tool. He¡¯s more than that, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°A devil,¡± Grey said, folding his arms. ¡°Why did you want to talk to me? Hopefully, not just to jest about your fellow Tribune members?¡±


    Roman laughed. ¡°No, no, of course not.¡± He leaned against the wall next to the Captain. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of reading. Being a member of the Tribune grants me access to every classified operation in our country.¡± Grey shifted when Roman got closer to him. ¡°I took particularly keen interest in Operation: Void Moon.¡±


    Roman smiled as Simeon Grey¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and he stepped back.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°When I was younger, my father told me he was taking a trip to the Kebulani city across the lake. I used to admire Kasira for its beauty and I thought that the Kebulani had done so well to build themselves a home in a world that feared and ostracized them. Then, ten years ago, the alarms went off in the city and everything was shut down. People were encouraged to stay in their homes, but I decided to watch from the roof of my home. I saw when a FLOCK fighter blazed through the sky and carpet bombed their entire city with miniature nuclear bombs,¡± Roman said.


    Grey took in a sharp breath. Images of the destruction were imprinted in his mind. He remembered how the entire city had been covered in fire and ash. Through the cloud of smoke, Grey could still hear the wailing that stopped when and his team grew close to it. The source of it, a tiny figure walked on shaky legs towards him, befitting the toddler that it was. Though covered in ash and smoke, Grey made out the characteristics of the child. Dark caramel skin covered in blood. Light platinum blonde hair, layered with soot and debris. Golden-amber eyes, clouded by shock.


    ¡°Osin,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°So, ¡®it¡¯ has a name.¡± Roman smiled. ¡°The public doesn¡¯t know that your little operation resulted in the genocide of an entire race that had been granted asylum sans one. If they did¡­¡±


    Grey felt a small pang of the guilt he had tried to bury within his heart. Instead of letting it surface, he replaced it with his normal abrasive and arrogant demeanor. ¡°Are you threatening me with the opinions of people? You are sounding dangerously close to ORION philosophy,¡± Grey replied, a growl in his throat.


    Roman shrugged. ¡°They were right about one thing. These people are sheep. I can dictate what they perceive as truth and with this, I can expose an actuality. The Tribune will be exposed and ousted. FLOCK will be shut down. You¡­well, under my regime and the pressures of the people, you will be arrested, tried and imprisoned.¡±


    Grey closed his fist. He wanted to grab Judas by his throat and squeeze the smirk off of his face. But, he held back. Roman had a play and years of military training had taught him to listen before he acted.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°What do you want, Roman?¡±


    ¡°I know where to find your boy,¡± Roman said. He squared up and looked Grey in the eye, though he was a few inches shorter than Simeon. ¡°Bring him to me and I will ensure that all records of your operation are permanently erased.¡± Grey narrowed his eyes. Before he could speak, Roman said, ¡°You honestly don¡¯t have an option in the matter, Captain.¡±


    The Captain drew his AC-8R and placed it under Roman¡¯s chin. His nerve impulses created a rifle and the barrel dug into the man¡¯s throat.


    ¡°I have several options, Roman. If you attempt to corner me again, I will ¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll shoot me? Figured as much.¡± Roman¡¯s smile never faded. ¡°The information is already been transferred to my personal files, locked by my heart rate. If my heart stops beating, Operation: Void Moon becomes tonight¡¯s headline.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want the devil?¡± Grey whispered.


    ¡°Do you care?¡± Roman replied.


    Grey was quiet. And he lowered his weapon and stared back at Roman. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    <hr>


    Anais felt a jolt of excitement and nervousness as the FLOCK Griffon-class carrier lowered from the clouds as it passed over the lake that separated the main continent and Asticus from the ruins of Kasira. The last three days had been hell for her from the moment she had been relieved of duty after her interview with Osin to hearing of the explosion that had buried whatever ORION had been trying to uncover. For three days, Anais had felt sick, trying to maintain her professionalism as she entered the facility only to see Osin¡¯s chamber empty instead of breaking down into tears.


    After today, things would be back to normal. Grey had received intel on Osin¡¯s whereabouts and his quickly assembled team of FLOCK special agents included those who had participated in the very first missions with Simeon Grey years ago. Anais stared across at one of them, whose finger flexed over the trigger of his AC-8R like he was massaging it.


    She looked around at the other soldiers in the carrier that surrounded her, realizing that she was the only one that was unarmed and unarmored, wearing only a basic suit and rebreather for protection against potential radiation. Like a large tidal wave, it hit Anais that this wasn¡¯t a simple rescue mission.


    The Griffon rocked and then slowed. The pilot spoke over the speakers, saying, ¡°We¡¯re on our way down. Grab your gear. Captain Grey wants boots on the ground immediately.¡±


    The FLOCK veterans around Anais stood up in their battle-scarred white armor and surrounded her. Anais felt the ship descend until there was a slight thud as it hit the ground. Immediately, the FLOCK troopers moved out of the ship and Anais followed them. In the distance, she saw Captain Grey, marked by gold stripes on his armor, and rushed toward him.


    ¡°Simeon!¡± she called. The Captain turned his head and nodded toward her, in his odd way of acknowledging her presence. He folded his arms behind his back and raised his head.


    ¡°Do it,¡± he said. Anais started to wonder who Grey was talking to, she heard the soldiers grunting as they brought an enormous bit of machinery forward. She recognized it as a sonic cannon from the tech labs, an old blueprint that had gone unused in the years since its development. What they intended to do with it was initially lost on her until the first blast.


    The cannon hummed loudly with a low frequency as sparks of energy gathered at the barrel before the gun fired, upheaving the earth. A dust cloud rose and Anais¡¯ visor attempted to see through it, making out the tip of what seemed to be a silver and black metal structure. Beside Anais, Grey raised his hand.


    ¡°Fire again.¡±


    The cannon hummed and Anais covered her ears in preparation for it to fire once more. A fire did rise but it came from the gun as it exploded, sending metal shrapnel and FLOCK troopers flying. Anais¡¯ eyes widened as she looked around through the mixture of grey dust and smoke, trying to find the source of the weapon¡¯s malfunction.


    She never thought to look up.


    Slowly, a figure descended, arms outstretched and head lowered. He was small with pieces of black metal armor on his body, left arm bare with a spiraling tattoo of flames and symbols decorating it from fingertip to shoulder. The figure landed in the middle of them, dust clearing away when his feet touched the earth.


    Rifles raised and pointed to him. The figure turned to look at them all, stopping as his amber eyes rested on Captain Grey. Anais felt her heart stop. It was Osin. Somehow, the boy looked older though it had only been three days since she had last seen him. Something about his face lacked the naivete it had once had, the sweet innocence of a little boy readily accepting whatever they had to say. He looked different, angry.


    ¡°Weapons down!¡± Grey shouted to his soldiers. The FLOCK troopers did as they were told and Captain Grey approached the boy with a confident stride. ¡°Osin,¡± he said, reaching out to him.


    Osin reached out as well, forcing Grey to stop in his tracks, without laying a finger on him. Frozen, Grey blinked rapidly. The rifles raised again and Anais rose to her feet.


    ¡°Osin!¡± The boy looked at her and his gaze softened. Anais breathed a sigh of relief and continued. ¡°Please...let him go. These men will kill you. Please¡­¡±


    This seemed to make Osin upset and before Anais could say anything, Osin spoke.


    ¡°Nas qi Masir Inajoba, lo Bukhiye. Hawa kii ku¡¯lan.¡± He blinked and Anais gulped. Osin spoke again, this time in Canter, saying, ¡°My name is Masir Inajoba, the promised Key.¡± His gaze turned to the FLOCK troopers. ¡°And they will not.¡± Things happened in a blur as Osin disappeared from Anais¡¯ view. The shouts and cries of the troopers around her caused her to whip her head around, trying to find where Osin was until finally he was in front of her again. Anais turned and raised her hand to her mouth. The FLOCK troopers laid skewered and bifurcated around her in the dirt and their killer stared up at her with searching amber eyes. There was no malice behind them, Anais felt. He was still a child, albeit a powerful one.


    ¡°Iyas¡¯um,¡± he said. Anais recognized the word, one of the first that Osin had ever used to address her. It meant ¡°mother". She felt tears form in her eyes, smiled and dared to attempt to caress his face. He let her before turning his head to look back at Captain Grey. ¡°Yasur¡­¡±


    Electricity wrapped around Osin¡¯s body and he let out a loud, high-pitched scream until his eyes rolled into his head and he slumped to the ground, softened only by Anais arms grabbing him. When she looked up, Captain Grey lowered his Acclimator and sighed softly.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you!?¡± Anais shouted. ¡°He''s a child!¡±


    ¡°He''s a devil,¡± Captain Grey replied.


    ¡°He''s a fucking child, you son of a bitch!¡± Anais felt sick, softly rubbing the boy''s face, slowly realizing as she looked into Grey¡¯s eyes that he had used her, not simply to capture Osin but to distract him and blind him. A false sense of security, luring him in like prey.


    Anais grabbed one of the FLOCK Acclimators, remembering all the times throughout Osin¡¯s upbringing that Grey had stabbed her in the back and how all she desired was to return the favor.


    Where she had the will, she lacked the training of the Captain, who had telegraphed her moves enough to grab and break her arm before he rammed the butt of his gun into her neck and she fell on top of Osin, covering him and hoping in her fleeting conscious moments that she could still protect him.

 Armageddon I

    When the boy formerly known as Osin woke, he stared out a massive glass panel window overlooking a city with a clear and perfect view of the sky. He was no longer Osin, he told himself as he strained against what had him bound. The last Yasur, the ancient kings of the Kebulani people, had enlightened him to who he truly was, detached from the hateful name his ¡°father" had given him. Osin was Masir Inajoba, now, and the Bukhiye, the chosen one.


    Masir struggled again to free himself from his binds then received a massive electrical shock that left him gasping for air. When his body was left smoking, he heard a door hiss open and in the reflection in the window, he saw a man dressed in grey and white robes walk toward him. The man rounded Masir¡¯s chair and stopped in front of him. His face was young, freshly clean-shaven and darkened by soot and dirt. Smiling, he seemed almost delighted to see Masir, but the boy felt uneasy.


    ¡°You''re finally awake,¡± the man said, opening his arms. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Judas Gottschalk, a member of the Tribune government that your yasur serves.¡±


    Masir¡¯s eyes widened and Judas grinned. ¡°You know the words of my people?¡± Masir asked.


    Judas shrugged. ¡°Some. I''ve studied the Kebulani and your culture from your line of yasur to your religious beliefs. As you can see, I''ve placed the soot on my face for prayer.¡± Masir nodded. Yasur Aster¨ª¡¯s hologram had educated him briefly on most of his people''s customs and traditions.


    ¡°Why am I strapped down?¡±


    ¡°Ah...that is a good question and the best part. You see, in my studies of the tenets of Metaokan, your Kebulani religion, I uncovered your pantheon. Uninteresting, initially, but...then I saw him. Natasan, the dark god.¡± Masir frowned deeply. ¡°The way he chooses vessels and grants power to those who summon him is unlike anything I''ve ever heard of. But he requires a feast and a sacrifice.¡± Judas opened his arms and walked around the room. ¡°Here we are, Bukhiye. Natasan comes at my call.¡±


    ¡°I''ll stop you,¡± Masir said calmly. Judas¡¯ laugh made him jerk against his restraints.


    ¡°Boy...I''d never tell you my plan if there was a chance you could stop me.¡± He pointed to the ceiling and Masir followed his finger.


    A large cylinder filled with erratic energy, sparking with electricity and touched with red, seemed to go out of the room. Masir looked down at himself, suddenly realizing that not only was he restrained but there were tubes attached to him, drawing blood. His golden eyes went to Judas and the man smiled.


    ¡°Your blood and distinctive energy signature are the beacon, the prayer calling to him.¡± Raising his hands in a grandiose gesture, Judas looked out over the water. ¡°And he comes.¡± Masir didn''t want to believe him, straining further against the restraints, only for more electric shocks to strike him. He didn''t give up. If he could push past the pain, perhaps he could¡­


    The sky rumbled, shaking the room and cracking the glass on the window. A deep dark crimson glowing light pierced the clouds and shined on the lake separating the bustling city of Asticus from the ruins of Kasira, painting the water red as blood. Judas began to chant ominous words in a Kebulani dialect that Masir didn''t recognize.


    His eyes caught a figure wrapped in scarlet and black fire descend from the sky before stopping a few hundred feet above the lake. There was a flash of red light, then a booming explosion and when Masir looked up, the figure hovered in front of him and Judas, a malnourished, grey body inhaling and exhaling in rhythmic, hollow breaths. The glass shattered behind him and Judas dropped to his knees and placed his forehead on the ground.


    He continued chanting in ancient Kebulani and the figure dipped his head.


    ¡°I am he...Natasan,¡± the figure croaked. Judas continued to chant and Natasan seemed to hum a soft lullaby. ¡°Hush, child.¡± He extended an emaciated arm, covered in a pitch black gauntlet with hooked talons for fingers to Judas¡¯ chin. Judas looked up and Masir thought he heard him chuckle.


    Natasan¡¯s taloned fingers dug into Judas¡¯ neck, causing the man to gurgle and choke on his own blood until the dark god seemed to siphon it into the gauntlet, moaning as he did. As Judas¡¯ body grew thin as a husk, Natasan¡¯s body strengthened and gained color and muscle definition. What remained of Judas fell to the side and Natasan stepped forward, red eyes glowing, looking over Masir.


    The boy and the monster stared at each other and Masir took in some of Natasan¡¯s characteristics. His skin was brown, though pale and etched with glowing red veins. The armor he wore looked otherworldly but ancient and chipped as if it had seen many battles. The ebony gauntlet on his arm seemed to emit some sort of energy, pulsating in Masir¡¯s face when Natasan attempted to touch him.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Thou art the Bukhiye,¡± he said in a guttural, hollow voice. ¡°A babe¡­¡± Masir gulped and felt his heart race. Natasan leaned forward and sniffed him. ¡°Alas, thou art weak. A young key.¡± The figure turned and walked to the window, facing Asticus. ¡°I have traveled to and fro, having not found what I hungered for until now. And seeing you, I shall devour this world and thee.¡± In a red flash, Natasan teleported himself away and Masir saw him hovering over the city, red energy forming around his body until he stretched out his ebony gauntlet.


    The boy pushed against his restraints before closed his eyes and focused on his inner energy and power, remembering the lessons that Aster¨ª taught him and reminding himself that his new power was difficult to use. He took in a deep breath and released, causing his metal restraints to break away and slam into the wall. Masir licked his dry lips and let his brain register its equilibrium.


    He heard the screams of the people below as Natasan seemed to absorb their organic materials and decay the earth below. Masir didn''t care about the fate of the humans, nor the fate of the planet. He had been mistreated and feared by every human he had come into contact with¡­but he did know that Natasan would only grow stronger the more he devoured.


    Masir¡¯s amber eyes shifted from left to right, searching for his Acclimator. Without his weapon, shifting at his neural command, he felt helpless. But in exchange for a physical tool, he had gained power, unlocked within his own blood and gifted to him by his dying people in the fires of the explosion that took them and Kasira from him.


    He summoned the power of the Yasur from the past, the training that Simeon Grey had given him and his own courage. Though he felt terror, he wouldn''t let it guide him.


    In a flash of golden light, Masir launched himself from the building, throwing himself at Natasan and blasting him from the sky with a telekinetic push that sounded like the heavens had cracked. Masir hovered a little longer before he decided to conserve his energy and land on the upheaved street below. People scattered like vermin under a sudden flash of light and Masir regarded the pale people that he had once wished to be a part of with apathy.


    His senses on high alert, he still barely noticed when Natasan had reappeared in front of him, swiping a clawed hand that tossed Masir through multiple buildings. The demonic creature stayed with him, zapping around in flashes of red light and punishing Masir every chance he could until the boy could barely muster a breath. The last building that he hit crumbled around him. Glass, metal and concrete fell on and around Masir. The Kebulani boy looked up just as a chunk of the floor above him suddenly descended on him. He raised his hand to block it, shielding himself with a telekinetic barrier. Natasan was there again, cackling with a hollowed breath. He held out his gauntlet and quickly extended his fingers, sending a pulsing red wave to Masir that dropped him to one knee and caused the rubble to crash on top of him.


    Coughing, the boy pushed the debris off his body and jumped from the building to the nearest rooftop he could find. Scanning the area, he saw Natasan again, grabbing random people and draining them with his gauntlet, blood red wisps of light flowing from them into him armored hand. Masir narrowed his eyes.


    The gauntlet. That had to be the source of his power. He had to separate the gauntlet from Natasan somehow but without an AC-8R at his command, that task would be difficult. Maybe the crashed Kebulani ship held weapons and relics from the old planet. There was a chance but Masir would have to get there if he were to find out. With Natasan distracted with his feast, he had an opportunity.


    It was gone again, though. Natasan burst through the roof of the building that Masir stood on, ascending to grab him by his throat, the gauntlet¡¯s talons penetrating his skin. ¡°I grow weary of this game, boy. Thou art a young Key. Unworthy to wield the power that lies within thee. I, alone, shall take it.¡± As his sentence ending, the absorption process began. Masir felt his strength leave nearly immediately and a sharp, near-unbearable pain travel through his body. Natasan, the blood-starved beast, stared into his eyes then dropped him to the ground.


    The wind whistled in Masir¡¯s ears as he descended, going silent when his back slammed into the ground. He writhed and flipped onto his stomach. Severely weakened and tired, Masir crawled away as fast as he body would let him. His emotions conquered his resolve and he felt tears flow from his eyes and snot from his nose.


    He heard Natasan slowly descend and Masir whipped his head around to see the hollow husk raise his gauntleted hand and point his palm towards him. A red swirl of energy formed in Natasan¡¯s hand, shifting into a orb of scarlet fire. Masir¡¯s eyes widened and he tried to stand to his feet, but the weakness in his legs forbade him.


    ¡°It is finished¡­¡± Natasan whispered.


    A Griffon class carrier crashed into Natasan, skidding across the concrete road before crashing into the side of a building, sending the surrounding block up into blood-tinged fire. In front of Masir, a figure garbed in white Tarsus armor staggered to their feet and the Kebulani boy frowned and surged to his feet.


    The figure raised their hand and lifted the helmet off. Masir paused and blinked. Messy ginger hair floated from the the helm and Masir saw pale skin and pink lips. Green eyes locked onto his amber and he felt his chest tighten.


    Anais had come to save him.

 Armageddon II

    In a quick flash, Masir was in front of her and wrapped his arms around her in the only display of affection he could.  ¡°Iyas¡¯um, ga¡¯ses¨¦! Ses¨¦!¡± he shouted in Kebulani before he immediately translated. ¡°Mother, you need to run! Run!¡±


    Anais shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not doing this alone. Let me help you.¡± Masir stared back at her and frowned. She didn¡¯t understand what was at stake and if Masir had to watch after her while fighting Natasan, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at his full power. Even knowing this, as Anais grabbed her Acclimator and cocked the rifle, Masir felt a strong sense of pride and attachment to the woman.


    Rising to his feet, Masir looked to Anais. ¡°I need to get my sword.¡± He held out his hand and waited for Anais to take it. The two locked hands and Masir took in a deep breath as he used his telekinesis to lift them both into the air. The unearthed Kebulani ship wasn¡¯t far. If he hurried, he could get his sword and be prepared.


    He heard the grinding of metal and turned his head too late. A piece of the carrier¡¯s blades, thinned and rolled into the shape of a spear, cut through the air towards them. Towards Anais. Masir barely thought, twisting his body in the air to shield his iyas¡¯um from the attack. The pain almost didn¡¯t register in his brain until he heard Anais¡¯ gasp. He saw his blood on her white uniform and the makeshift spear protruding from his side.


    Masir used all the strength he could to force himself forward before he descended to the ground. He held Anais close to his body, encasing himself and her in a telekinetic barrier. The ground was hard, but Masir had done enough to keep it from causing him further pain. Anais rose up from his chest and looked him over.


    ¡°O¡ªMasir, stay with me!¡± she said, staring at the large piece of metal in his side. Masir rolled over onto his hands and knees, tears falling from his eyes as he squeezed them shut. He held his right arm out, pulling the metal spear with telekinesis, letting out an inaudible cry of anguish as the crude edges sawed through his ribs and organ until finally, the makeshift weapon was free.


    Masir laid on the ground, his vision hazy as he lost blood, the wound taking longer than usual to close. He suspected that perhaps it had something to do with it being touched by Natasan as he saw the ghastly figure slowly levitate to the ground. Masir couldn¡¯t tell if it was still his faulty vision but the Corruptor seemed to stagger, holding his head and chest.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked, the confusion evident in his voice. Masir blinked and froze. Natasan stumbled around and fell to his knees. A realization clicked in Masir¡¯s head. It was the ship. There was something within the ship that was causing Natasan enough discomfort that he was weakened. The ghastly figure began to wheeze, his limbs quivering.


    Anais immediately raised her AC-8R and fired on Natasan, the bullets burrowing into his old flesh. She turned to Masir and nodded her head. He turned his head to the massive sinkhole where the ship was and rose to his feet. Dashing through the grey dirt, he leaped into the air and dove headfirst in the hole. A fiery explosion went off above him and debris followed him downward.


    Darkness surrounded him and Masir could hear the hollow tin of the metal cavern of the derelict Kebulani ship. Quickly, he stood in front of the sensor as it scanned him and the door opened with a hiss. A pulsating blue light flicked on and off in the center of the room, catching the corner of the boy¡¯s eye as he looked around for his sword. Cocking his head, Masir walked towards it. The light was a button, some sort of beacon that let out a small, near inaudible hum.


    Curious, Masir pressed it and immediately the hum grew louder and shrill, bouncing off of the metal walls. The boy held one hand to his ear and extended the other, searching for his Acclimator sword. To his shock, Masir found his weapon¡¯s hilt protruding out of the wall, buried into the metal of the ship as if the vessel had absorbed it. When he pulled, he heard the blade grind against the metal until it was fully exposed.


    The transparent blade was bathed in blue light, now with flicks of gold sparks as Masir held it. The boy let his fascination with the sword pass when he heard an explosion and Anais¡¯ scream. He dashed through the dark corridor and the open door, before leaping into the air and out of the sinkhole. He found his iyas¡¯um on the ground with her armor cracked and stained with blood. Natasan was unwounded yet staggering towards her with his arm bathed in energy the color of the bloodiest night. He seemed to sense Masir and turned.


    ¡°What have thee, boy?¡± he inquired, lowering his hand. Masir said nothing and started towards the Corruptor quickly. Natasan was faster than he thought and dodged, before hitting Masir in the side with his fist. The blow didn¡¯t hurt, it simply angered the boy and he turned on his swing, his sword singing through the stale, dusty air.


    There was a slick crunching sound and Masir looked up to see that Natasan had attempted to catch his sword, only for it to slice through his hand. The Corruptor blinked.


    ¡°The noise, the blade. You seek to be Yasur reborn,¡± he muttered, almost incoherently. Masir frowned and drew back his sword, watching as the Corruptor''s fingers disintegrated to dust before they fell to the ground. To Masir¡¯s surprise, Natasan gave a hollow laugh. ¡°A worthy Key, now. Worthy of consumption and thy world.¡±


    Masir dropped back into a defensive position, circling Natasan until he stood between him and Anais. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you now.¡±


    ¡°You will try, as you have done centuries past, boy. I am Natasan, the dark god and Corrupter. I cannot be slain by you or any mortal. I am he who¡ª¡ª¡± Masir heard the sound of a missile sailing through the air and grabbed Anais before jumping away. The explosive fire spread quickly and Masir used his body to protect the woman. Her frightened eyes peered past his shoulder and Masir looked up. His heart pounded in his chest.


    It was his yasur, Captain Simeon Grey flying a white Harpy-class fighter. Another missile rained down on Natasan and soon the air was filled with the chirping of them quickly descending on the Corruptor and the roar of the fire and explosion. When Masir saw that the ship was free of weapons, he saw Simeon land it behind them and exit the cockpit. He looked every bit the man Masir had grown up fearing and revering as a king in his pure white armor and cape, his AC-8R held tightly in his arms.


    He looked to both Masir and Anais, then gave a curt nod. Tears flowed down Anais¡¯ face and she looked as though she might have jumped to her feet to hug the man before the billow of smoke cleared, revealing Natasan still standing and unscathed. A scarlet light pierced the smoke and Simeon¡¯s AC-8R quickly turned into a shield, blocking the energy blade the Corruptor has created.


    Masir fell behind him, remembering the simulations Simeon had put him through before he quickly dashed to the side, ducking under Simeon¡¯s following barrage of gunfire that caused Natasan to raise a hand in defense. Masir swiped at the Corruptor''s legs and the husk deftly avoided his blows only for grenades to explode in his face. Under the cover of that smoke, Masir circled the Corruptor again, jabbing with his sword, searching for an opening.Stolen story; please report.


    Natasan swung his hand backward, slapping Masir away so hard and fast that the boy lost his grip on his sword. It fell behind the Corruptor and the husk ignored it. He looked at Simeon and summoned his red and black energy to his hand before blasting the armored man away. Masir¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Simeon roll past Anais, his armor charred and smoking. Anais scurried after him and Natasan turned to them both. Before Masir could get to his feet, Natasan raised a hand to him, pushing him into the dirt with telekinetic force.


    Anais held Simeon in her arms and then grabbed his AC-8R, raising it defiantly to the ghastly figure that approached her. Masir knew the weapon wouldn¡¯t work for her and with every step, the Corruptor took towards his parents, Masir grew more desperate. He was held down and couldn¡¯t raise even a hand to Natasan as the creature grew closer to them. His eyes searched for his sword on the plain and he saw the black hilt and blue energy. Thinking quickly, Masir attempted to move the blade with his mind, straining hard.


    Natasan moved toward Anais, grabbing her by the throat. He lifted her into the air. Masir hyperventilated, his thoughts frantic and racing through his head. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt the warmth of blood on his upper lip as he saw his sword quickly shake and quiver into the air. Quickly shifting his eyes towards Natasan, Masir saw his sword cut through the air.


    The Corruptor¡¯s body fell after his arm and head rolled on the ground, towards Masir. Anais dropped to the ground from his grip and looked over to Masir. The boy stood to his feet, his chest still rising and falling quickly before he raised his hand and summoned his sword to him. He stared down at the Corruptor''s head and lifted his blade into the air and pierced through it. Only then, did the creature¡¯s body begin to fade into dust, its emaciated and ancient form suddenly resembling that of a man before it became one with the air.


    Masir dropped to his knees, suddenly feeling the pain of every blow he had received and the burning sensation of the airship blade that had gone through his side. He coughed and saw blood. He leaned forward about to fall before he felt Anais¡¯ arms catch him. He heard her sobbing and felt her hands stroke his head softly while she rocked him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± she repeated in a soft, calming tone that reminded him of the days where she would secretly visit him after his training sessions with Simeon, where he would be crying from the pain he had suffered. Masir remembered her feeding him and reading him stories in Canter, as he slowly learned the language. He felt his own tears begin to fall from his eyes and he raised his arms to hug Anais and hold her close.


    He heard the sounds of boots crunching pebbles and glanced up to see Simeon approach, limping from the damage he had taken. His helmet was removed and Masir saw a new bloody scar down the side of his face. He looked more human now, weak and injured from the battle, not the hardened and invincible yasur Masir had spent his life in fear of.


    Simeon¡¯s eyes passed over them and he sighed softly. ¡°We need to return to the FLOCK facility. The city is on fire and the number of casualties is rising with every sweep. We need to scramble operatives to assist and you, Osin, will help.¡±


    Masir stared. ¡°I will not.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Simeon looked angry. ¡°What do you mean? You are the property of FLOCK and you will do as I command.¡±


    Masir stood to his feet and out of Anais¡¯ arms, holding his sword at his side. ¡°I am nobody¡¯s property. I am not your Osin. I am Masir Inajoba.¡±


    Simeon stared at him for a while and Anais between them as it had always been. Masir saw Simeon¡¯s fist tighten into a ball and mentally prepared himself for a fight.


    The sky boomed and cracked like the sound of explosive thunder and Masir¡¯s eyes shot upward. A large black and red ship, larger than Masir had ever seen in his life hovered in the sky, casting a shadow over the lake in the distance. Two smaller ships appeared from the larger vessel and quickly flew towards where Masir stood. Simeon had his AC-8R in hand and raised his weapon. The boy looked back at him and Anais as the ships slowed and lowered to the ground.


    As the ramp lowered, a dozen figures rushed out silently in black, green and red armor, more elaborate and advanced than the armor Simeon wore. Their capes flapped in the wind and every figure raised their firearms with some dropping to their knees quickly. Lastly, a woman walked down the ramp in pure red armor, a golden cape trailing behind as she came down. Masir¡¯s eyes widened when he saw her.


    Her skin was as dark and rich a brown as his was, her hair was braided and cut on the side, bald closer to her ears and fuller closer to her braids. She was tall, elegant and there was a fierceness in her eyes that drew Masir to her. When those same eyes fell on him, he nearly melted. There was a certain recognition in her eyes when she saw him and traced down his body. When she had finished, she immediately dropped her knees, bowing to him.


    ¡°Nke t¨¦qi Bukhiye,¡± she said in Kebulani, translated to ¡°This is the Key!¡± Masir gulped and felt tears well in his eyes as the others lowered their weapons and bowed to him on their hands and knees for what seemed to be an eternity. The woman looked up at him as she rose to her feet and placed a hand on her chest, speaking Kebulani in a voice so beautiful that Masir felt smitten. ¡°My name is Aminare Kanika, an Ahosi, warrior-priestess for one of our three great gods. What is your name, Bukhiye?¡±


    Masir raised his chin and for the first time, felt full confidence as he spoke. ¡°My name is Masir Inajoba, the promised Key, Yasur the Consolidator and Teion the Remembered reborn.¡± The woman smiled and nodded at him, before looking around at the desolation of Kasira and Anais and Simeon behind Masir. Her face fell into a frown before her eyes shifted back to Masir.


    ¡°The Kebulani have searched for the new Key for a century. I''ve been looking for the last three years. Thanks to the Gods and the beacon, we were able to find you. We need you, lord. Our people suffer and are lost without guidance or hope. You are destined to deliver us,¡± she said, offering a hand. ¡°Please, come with us.¡±


    Masir stared at her and the soldiers that surrounded her, all bowing to him in recognition of who he was, the person he had forgotten. All of them looked like him, varying shades of his brown skin, though he was the only one with blonde hair and amber eyes, a sign of his status as Bukhiye. Masir felt himself be drawn to them, the people he had lost before he had even recognized he had a people. The hole in his heart that had given him indescribable pain his entire slowly began to close.


    ¡°Masir?¡± Anais called from behind him. Masir turned to the sound of her voice and saw her standing and smiling down at him, her face wet with tears. The boy blinked up at her, trying to search her face for the meaning behind the tears. ¡°Those are your people, love. You should be with them.¡±


    ¡°Anais,¡± Simeon said.


    Anais ignored him. ¡°You belong with them. It¡¯s what you¡¯ve wanted and we robbed you of that. Please, go with them. Be who you were meant to be.¡±


    Masir grabbed her and hugged her tightly, feeling himself grow emotional before he pulled away and regained his composure. Looking up at her, he smiled. ¡°Mother...I will miss you.¡±


    Nodding, Anais said, ¡°I love you.¡± Masir paused at those words and slowly backed away, his amber eyes looking to Simeon. He scowled, the drop in his face deepening. Without another look back at him, Masir turned and walked to Aminare and the Kebulani. The young woman dipped her head to him and followed him up the ramp into the shuttle, the soldiers closing quickly and tightly around them as they entered.


    The interior of the shuttle was emblazoned with Kebulani symbols, half of which Masir recognized. Walking through the ship, Masir rubbed the walls and looked around at the red, black and green flags touched with golden handprints. He felt familiarity. Aminare sat him down and strapped him to the chair after which, he felt the shuttle lifted into the air.


    Inside, Masir felt the shuttle land again inside of the mothership and felt the jolt as the larger vessel headed into the atmosphere. The shuttle doors opened and Masir saw the soldiers begin to exit. For a moment, his mind went to Anais and Simeon.


    ¡°Aminare¡­¡± he said, causing the woman to turn to him. ¡°What will happen to them? The people I left?¡± The woman¡¯s face looked grave.


    ¡°We have orders from the Church. Our colonies have disappeared all over the galaxy and we were told to find out why and those of our people that remained. In cases of natural death of our people, we were instructed to ignore and life continue on those worlds. However, in cases such as yours, where without recorded provocation, our people were annihilated¡­¡± she paused, sighed softly and said, ¡°We were told to destroy the entire world.¡±


    Masir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But...that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aminare said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the woman seemed to mean a lot to you, my lord. But, you would have your natural mother if not for the actions of her people. This is the justice we must administer. Please understand.¡±


    Masir slowly nodded. He felt as though he understood and part of him wished for the same retribution. He saw the fire raining down on his people and their cries of fear as they huddled around him, shielding them as best they could from fiery blast, entrusting their energy to him as the old woman prayed over him and told him he was the Key. He had cried once at that memory.


    Yet now, all he could do now was see Anais comforting him when he had been beaten near to death by Simeon, reading to him, holding him close and then letting him go, leaving him with the words, ¡°I love you.¡±


    In that moment, Masir remembered and he felt himself cry.