Chapter 3
Again a pain to format. I have to edit this.
Six months after present; six months in the future
Located at what used to be the edge of the meteor belt, Galaia was an almost barren planet. The meteor belt had expanded to include the debris of the other planets in the Galaian system. The bolygó had destroyed every planet except Galaia. On Galaia, it had destroyed most of the plants before running out of power. The only plants remaining were in the only temple in Galaia. The Brightstar temple on Galaia had been abandoned since the Cataclysm. The outer wall was destroyed and the inner wall was cut into half. Ivy covered part of the inner wall, stopping at the broken stone that was the remnants of the outer wall. Bushes lined the remnants of the outer wall, twisting together to form a green wall separating the temple from the outside. Inside the temple stood the altar of the stars still intact. It consisted of two golden stars surrounded by black rings. In the center of the first star glimmered a stone. It had an hourglass marking upon it. A hand picked it up, the stone revealing its rainbow in the light.
"Did you find anything," a baritone voice called.
"Yeah," the hand holding the stone shook," I think I found the last piece, Wolf." Footsteps rounded the corner and Wolf came into view. He looked frazzled, dust and grime floating away from his clothes.
"Are you sure, Seres," he asked. He stared at the stone in Seres’s hand. It didn’t look strong enough to hold the last piece of Seres’s soul.
"It has an hourglass on it…one of my symbols," Seres said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm still Alezrani; the hourglass and infinity are two of the Elaragnian symbols, which make them, mine."
"Can you extract it? And why would be in a stone?" Seres passed his hand over it; the stone glowed red.
"There’s a shield over it"
"The collective?"
Seres fingered the stone absently, "No, it feels" He paused, trying to find the right words. “Protective, it feels protective.”
"Protective?" Wolf tugged the stone out of Seres' hand. He murmured a word; the red nimbus around the stone grew brighter. He handed it back, "I can't get it out,” he looked at the broken columns, “we should call Crane.”
Seres' fingers curled around the stone, "I thought you didn't want to involve her in this?"
"Her specialty is in breaking barriers"
Seres frowned, "I wonder-" He broke off, gazing at the stone.
"What," Wolf asked. Seres didn't answer. He stared intently into the stone, which began to vibrate in his palm. The red nimbus disappeared. A silver-sapphire ball rose out of the stone. Tendrils of light ran up his wrist, stretching to curl around his neck. They shimmered briefly before sinking beneath his skin. Seres screamed, dropping the stone.
Wolf placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you all right?" Seres looked at him blearily before collapsing.
Twilight revealed the temple's namesake, a bright star called Lanta. Wolf paced, occasionally shivering, watching the shadows lengthen and stop short of the altar. The altar glowed, the bright star directly above the bronze stars. The light, stone, steps and silence blended. The moon fell; the sun rose and Seres woke.
"How long was I out," he rasped, sitting up slowly.
"A couple of hours," Wolf pulled out a canteen and handed it to him. Seres took it, nodding his thanks. He took a sip and forced himself to his feet, "It's over; I'm complete." He smiled, the first real smile that Wolf had seen in over twenty years. Wonderful; he found himself smiling back.
"We're ok now," he asked, hope coloring his voice. Shadows crept into Seres's smile, the sunlight seeming harsher. Wolf's fingers curled around the crystal in his pocket.
"No," Seres murmured, fingers idly tracing the ivy covering the temple walls, "not quite."
Wolf took a step back, "What do you mean? We found all the pieces." Seres laughed and stepped forward, cat stalking prey. Hunter. Wolf took another step back.
"You understand many things Akian," Seres said and the knowledge that he is in trouble crashed into his brain; Seres had never used his real name before only his nickname.
"Then what," Wolf's voice quavered at the last word and he took another step back.
"You still don't understand the pain, the feeling of the hollow place where something should be…" The compass was in front of him, blindingly bright. It glowed rainbow, the light reaching out toward him. He felt it hook, coil around his soul. He felt the tearing, the sharp pain, the hollow feeling, the things he had felt before.
"Now do you understand," Seres whispered, Wolf's soul in his hands. Wolf knows, understands and hates himself for it. He screams.
Six months after present; six months in the future
Located at what used to be the edge of the meteor belt, Galaia was an almost barren planet. The meteor belt had expanded to include the debris of the other planets in the Galaian system. The bolygó had destroyed every planet except Galaia. On Galaia, it had destroyed most of the plants before running out of power. The only plants remaining were in the only temple in Galaia. The Brightstar temple on Galaia had been abandoned since the Cataclysm. The outer wall was destroyed and the inner wall was cut into half. Ivy covered part of the inner wall, stopping at the broken stone that was the remnants of the outer wall. Bushes lined the remnants of the outer wall, twisting together to form a green wall separating the temple from the outside. Inside the temple stood the altar of the stars still intact. It consisted of two golden stars surrounded by black rings. In the center of the first star glimmered a stone. It had an hourglass marking upon it. A hand picked it up, the stone revealing its rainbow in the light.
"Did you find anything," a baritone voice called.
"Yeah," the hand holding the stone shook," I think I found the last piece, Wolf." Footsteps rounded the corner and Wolf came into view. He looked frazzled, dust and grime floating away from his clothes.
"Are you sure, Seres," he asked. He stared at the stone in Seres’s hand. It didn’t look strong enough to hold the last piece of Seres’s soul.
"It has an hourglass on it…one of my symbols," Seres said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm still Alezrani; the hourglass and infinity are two of the Elaragnian symbols, which make them, mine."
"Can you extract it? And why would be in a stone?" Seres passed his hand over it; the stone glowed red.
"There’s a shield over it"
"The collective?"
Seres fingered the stone absently, "No, it feels" He paused, trying to find the right words. “Protective, it feels protective.”
"Protective?" Wolf tugged the stone out of Seres' hand. He murmured a word; the red nimbus around the stone grew brighter. He handed it back, "I can't get it out,” he looked at the broken columns, “we should call Crane.”
Seres' fingers curled around the stone, "I thought you didn't want to involve her in this?"
"Her specialty is in breaking barriers"
Seres frowned, "I wonder-" He broke off, gazing at the stone.
"What," Wolf asked. Seres didn't answer. He stared intently into the stone, which began to vibrate in his palm. The red nimbus disappeared. A silver-sapphire ball rose out of the stone. Tendrils of light ran up his wrist, stretching to curl around his neck. They shimmered briefly before sinking beneath his skin. Seres screamed, dropping the stone.
Wolf placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you all right?" Seres looked at him blearily before collapsing.
Twilight revealed the temple's namesake, a bright star called Lanta. Wolf paced, occasionally shivering, watching the shadows lengthen and stop short of the altar. The altar glowed, the bright star directly above the bronze stars. The light, stone, steps and silence blended. The moon fell; the sun rose and Seres woke.
"How long was I out," he rasped, sitting up slowly.
"A couple of hours," Wolf pulled out a canteen and handed it to him. Seres took it, nodding his thanks. He took a sip and forced himself to his feet, "It's over; I'm complete." He smiled, the first real smile that Wolf had seen in over twenty years. Wonderful; he found himself smiling back.
"We're ok now," he asked, hope coloring his voice. Shadows crept into Seres's smile, the sunlight seeming harsher. Wolf's fingers curled around the crystal in his pocket.
"No," Seres murmured, fingers idly tracing the ivy covering the temple walls, "not quite."
Wolf took a step back, "What do you mean? We found all the pieces." Seres laughed and stepped forward, cat stalking prey. Hunter. Wolf took another step back.
"You understand many things Akian," Seres said and the knowledge that he is in trouble crashed into his brain; Seres had never used his real name before only his nickname.
"Then what," Wolf's voice quavered at the last word and he took another step back.
"You still don't understand the pain, the feeling of the hollow place where something should be…" The compass was in front of him, blindingly bright. It glowed rainbow, the light reaching out toward him. He felt it hook, coil around his soul. He felt the tearing, the sharp pain, the hollow feeling, the things he had felt before.
"Now do you understand," Seres whispered, Wolf's soul in his hands. Wolf knows, understands and hates himself for it. He screams.