Soren
The Zoreah emblem, a stone of rich browns and dark reds, lay on the table, enticingly staring at me now for a whole year. We were nowhere near figuring out how to harness the ability, and I—in the back of my mind—knew we never would or could do it. If it were possible, Ahasuerus would've done it; used it; manipulated the planets to an even greater control with no conflict to get it done. They would've used the pink stone to connect continents or used any of the other stones to do—something… The Ahmeds were too versed in playing with the supernatural to let the opportunity pass… And if I was wasting my time there, I needed to make a decision about what my future would look like. I could go home—although, earth didn't feel like it… I'd have to make peace with the way it was and how it would be for the next eight hundred years of my life. A hundred wives and too many kids to count. Ruling Earth with an iron hand, continuing to establish our government all over the world.
Of course, the people in Europe and our new colonies didn't know we bred and farmed with humans like dogs in cages at meat market to have blood to drink. Where they believed we got our sustenance from to survive was up to their imagination… A new way of life. There will be war, of course, at some point—revolution. The future—what a stupid thing to work for! It was definitely not my goal in life. My values certainly didn't align with his… Why did I have to grow up on Earth? All the vamps there had our eyes opened to all these possibilities… Freedom… Neither could ever be taken away or beaten away; however hard Qadir tried to indoctrinate customs into our bones. We were a mess… What happened to Michael—never even crossed my mind—to use him to breed their own ittoqures—and there I was trying to make my own…
The stone kept calling me: 'I'm here.You can do whatever you want with me… What do you want, Soren…? Where would you want to go…?'
We were strictly forbidden to use it; couldn't even if we wanted to. Locked away in the confinement room with the only access: a hole in the ground which was covered with a hatch to anywhere else but the four walls I had stared at for months and months.
I scanned the room again for any weak points. The teleportation cubicle was still active in theory… I wondered… Most of the other men in the room had their heads bowed over a plate or a book. Some were building small, theoretical chambers for testing on inanimate objects from one side of the table to the other.
I jumped to my feet, snatched the stone, and walked to the cubicle. A few faces came up to see what I was doing. I met Mael's eye, and he said, "We tested every inch of this place! There are no weak spots."
With my eyes toward the room, my back against the wall of the cubicle, I looked up to scan the roof. My gaze drifted over every inch, thinking.
"We've tried it before," Mael said, getting to his feet.
My eyes landed on the device against the wall, where a plate had to be inserted into the socket. Electricity wasn't the problem… Or was it? The day I kidnapped Juliet came to mind, and like on that day, I pulled back my fist and rammed into the whole thing, slamming it out of its hinges and framework. Sparks crackled. It hissed at me, and some strange liquids spurted out in a sad attempt from their natural bio piping. This was the problem. Ahasuerus had access to other planets' tech, resources, and secrets. What the vamps used—from so many worlds—to build the cubicles in the first place. A missing element or substance we needed to bridge the gap. How did the vines on Palmyra give off light from their stony fruit… How did the vamps heal and have all these medical advancements?
The lights around me flickered and buzzed from within until they broke down into an abrupt darkness. I tossed the stone up and caught it. 'Where do you want to go,Soren?'
"I want to go back in time," I whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Mael asked, coming toward me. "Why did you do that? We're supposed to be using things to build something, not destroy it even more."
"I'm sorry, Mael. We could've been great friends."
I closed my eyes and thought of the one place I could remember on Mirach. A teleportation stop—guarded by a giant shadow. Which I knew at that moment wasn't in the village, but in some faraway city, to protect Juliet's child. By myself, I could take on the dheka. Individually, they were not invincible.
I opened my eyes and smiled. It worked. I wanted to whoop, clap my hands, and jump up and down. Maybe do a little dance. There was no time. The alarm in the city was sent, a clamoring sound of distress. Under my feet was a convenient little stone circle where the last spot had been programmed. My red sword came to life in my hands, growing twice its size and solidifying into a strong, supernatural bond.
I ran toward the closest house, closing the distance rather quickly, and met an older gentleman coming out of the house. His dheka manifestation was strange and wonderful. Our weapons clashed in the air. I drove him back into the house with my strength alone. From the corner of my eye, a woman walked out of a room with a stack of bedding in her hands, "Yazen, what happened? Are they already here?"
He yelled; it was too late; he was too slow. I had his wrist in a firm grip and tossed him against the wall. My other hand grabbed the short sword against my leg and flung it in her direction, stabbing her with an outrageous force through the skull. No time for nonsense. I spun when I felt nothing in my hand, and the bones under my fingers disappeared. His whole body was slowly disintegrating away like a shadowy ash. Yazen's eyes held mine in a red rage until they finally withered into nothing. They were branded together. This was what happened?! I turned to the woman to see she was already gone, only tiny particles scattered and floated through the air. It would be easy then. What was this place anyway? The house was empty and too large for just two people.
I cleared every room, waiting for the onslaught from outside. An army. Soldiers coming through the walls. They never did… So, I stepped outside. It was so quiet I felt like the last person alive on a deserted planet… Only six houses, far apart from one another, and one giant palace. There had to be people there? Did I really want to go looking for them? I had to.
For most of the day, I searched every cupboard, and by the end, I was sure they had all fled. Why? I needed someone! Either way, I couldn't stop now; Michael would be coming to check up on us and take the stone for safekeeping. End our workday. I'd thank Jacklin later for the lack of communication.
I ran to search the last building, struggling through the thick sand to get there; every step was as if I had taken none forward. Even in my manifestation, it was grueling and slow to close the distance. Or I was just tired. Desperate. It had to work.
This one was even bigger than the palace. If Michael came, I'd have to hide. Where? I entered the building and gasped. Spectacular. Beautiful colored glass for a roof. Strange trees and plants. The sound of lapping water pulled me through the enormous entrance. A fountain. I hurried over and quenched my thirst. It had to be the only source they had.
Feeling refreshed, I followed the water as it trailed through the building by ducts built at waist level, integrated into the finishings and the desert theme. After a few steps, my gaze traveled back to the fountain and the base of the thing. I tilted my head and closed my eyes. Whispers… Where? Focusing, I heard more voices. A few. Hiding. Under the water?! Muffled and protected. How did they get in there? My fingers opened and closed around the hilt. There had to be a way—a lever maybe? Wouldn't be a button. I chuckled, walking toward the feature, shoving against every stone or crevice. Deja vu. Again nothing. I dipped my hand into the cold water and slid it against the inside of the basin. All around I went, hoping to hit something that didn't belong. I wanted to whoop again, fiddled with the mechanism, and stood back. The whole structure rumbled. Stone against stone grinded together to open a staircase down into the dark. I waited.
Dark figures blasted out—sword blazing. Not a lick of light. In a few swift strikes, I had killed a young man… and a few guards. The other voices from the dark were… women consoling children in gentle croons.
I made my way down one slow step at a time. I spoke to the darkness, seeing no faces or bodies. "May I ask who is in charge?"
One spoke, "No one here… It is only us."
"Who of you have been to the dark city? Specifically, the room where you travel back in time. Permanently. Not the one to visit dead people."
The darkness was quiet.
"I know you all are still solid in there somewhere… I will let you live if one person here can be so kind as to take me there with this." I showed them the stone. "It's one trip for all your lives… Or else I begin stabbing—I'm sure someone will die. Unless you all want to give it a go. You could overpower me and kill me."
It was worth a shot, and I gave them a few seconds to decide. I didn't want to kill children. But no. The dheka's honor was a way of life. Protecting the dark city was a sacred occupation. The air rippled, and I had to fight blind. I manifested, and instantly black was starkly contrasted against my white sight. It made their outlines all too clear. I sliced across the first adult's neck. The other older female faltered. "I'll give you one more shot." She looked at the children. A young boy about sixteen shook his head, "Do not, sister. We are ready to die." The little ones helplessly cried. How did they all understand English?
"What do you gain, killing us? You will never make it. I myself made the journey and lost my mate… And we live here. You do not know where to go. It is days in the desert with no food or water. If you do not lose your way… Days in a forest too dark and dangerous… After which you have to jump for days across a canyon with depths you cannot see… A valley to navigate through… And then at the end, there is a giant wall you have to scale only if you know how… No place for firm footing."
"What part did he die?" She came out of her manifestation. Oh my! Beautiful. Tragic that she should die alone. "What is your name?"
"Mirriam… You are Soren."
I chuckled—a little broken. Like only a creature could be after being alive for so long. "You, out of everyone, should understand why I want to do this." She looked away but nodded. Understanding how lonely life can be. "Your brother and I are not so different, and yet he was also her mate." Mirriam nodded again. "I want mine! I'll do whatever I have to do!" I walked across the ground and grabbed one of the kids. The little girl struggled and fought valiantly. Her body crumpled over my arm. I squirmed as her essence disintegrated against me and dropped her. Freaky. It didn't matter if they were joined… The rest screamed in anger. Mirriam came after me. I sighed. I did not want to do this, yet I stabbed through Mirriam's heart and cut off her head on the way down. I couldn't take the chance that they could heal themselves. The boy held up his hands, "Stop. I will take you! Do not kill them."
There were still like seven children left, and he was now the oldest. "Thank you. It is a wise decision. Humility is also a virtue. I hear." His shoulders dropped. I flicked four fingers for him to come into my arms and wrapped one around his body. With my other hand, I held a sword against his neck. Opening my fingers, I said, "Take it and think about the specific room… And don't try anything, I'll be able to come right back here and make them all disappear into thin air." Hesitantly, he picked it up and closed his fist around it. My ears pricked. Michael! "Quickly."
The next moment, we were somewhere else. Looking around, I tightened my hold on him, "Where are we? This can't be it."
"It is… I would not lie…" He pointed to the glass windows on the other side of the room. I urged him to walk forward, and together we maneuvered our feet to make it there. My eyes widened, "Indeed! How wondrous." My arms slacked against his body. In a feeble attempt, he wanted to do something, say something, and he made a move. Anticipating every slightest twitch, I ran the blade across his throat. I did it a few times until his body decided it was enough while my eyes were engrossed in the scene down below.
Juliet was teleporting, laughing, chasing Carl and Charlene around in her new riphath attributes. My laughter bubbled up; I was so happy for her. She could only do little jumps, and when she couldn't catch them, she stomped her foot, throwing a mini tantrum… From around a tree, a vamp came walking out, like those in the Sims game; his hands in the air, jokingly hissing… Juliet doubled over laughing when he stopped and dropped his arms, only to keep moving. I joined her as tears welled up; I so desperately wanted to be there… Chris came out of his vampiric features, reaching for her… She teleported and tried to hide behind a stone pillar, only to be cornered by a new, sudden figure before her. Juliet was tossed up into the air by a riphath three times her size. Who was that? They both came back from their manifestation. I flinched, surprised at the size of the older gentleman, and tilted my head toward the glass. His head snapped my way, and our eyes locked; as they did, his manifestation formed. I took a step back and was gone before I heard him hit the ground.