Chapter 2 - The Realm of Innocence
The Centauri materialised within the orbit of a planet similar to Mars. In the distance they could see a huge armada of dark, crude-looking ships stationed in orbit.
Suddenly, a wide beam of energy shot out from one of the dark ships, hitting a different class of ship in a lower orbit. It exploded in a huge fireball, before being quickly extinguished.
“My God!” exclaimed Withers, stunned. He guessed it was a Guardian ship. “Christophe, hold our position.”
“You got it,” said Braun, looking out the front-view screen with concern.
“Where are we, Zac?” asked Withers.
“We’re orbiting the fourth planet from Alpha Centauri-A,” said Reeve a little nervously. “Like Mars, it’s very cold on the surface and harbours no life.”
“Can you see the Temple?” asked Withers.
“Yes, it’s directly below us.”
“Give me a close-up view of the area in front of the dome,” ordered Withers.
The view of the front-view screen zoomed on the assembly area of the Oracle. They could see figures moving around. Explosions rocked the area.
“Sir, there’s a battle going on down there!”
“Oh dear...” started Gusev.
“Centauri, Centauri!” called a mysterious voice over the Centauri’s comm-link. “This is the Guardian of Caldon, Yarmel.”
“Reeve, open a channel to Yarmel!” commanded Withers.
“Open, sir.”
“Yarmel, sir, this is the Captain of the Centauri and the Guardian of Earth. Standing by for your orders.”
“I insist I call you ‘sir’,” replied Yarmel, “as I’ve been given strict instructions by our honourable Arden to take orders from you.”
Wither’s mind whirled: He was the lead Guardian! He was still alive, fifty years after his mother saw him on Cydonia, Mars! He wasn’t sure which concept he was having more trouble with.
He knew this wasn’t the right time to ponder these things. He turned his attention back to the holographic comm-panel.
“Er, OK, what is your situation down there?”
“We’re holding off the best we can, but the shields around the Temple are losing integrity,” replied Yarmel.
“Sorry, sir, but three of those huge space-craft have broken away and are heading towards us,” interrupted Reeve.
Wither could feel a surge of vibrational power coming from the Oracle of the Guardian, which was in his uniform pocket. He pulled it out and attached it to his left breast pocket.
“Continue to hold our position, Christophe, and as before, stand by for Oracle sync.” He turned his attention to the comm panel. “Yarmel, stand by. We’re transferring the Keepers.”
“Thank the Goddess for that!” said Yarmel. “Energy weapons from the Shadows have just penetrated the shields. The Temple dome was just destroyed!”
“We only just got to know her,” murmured Withers, referring to the Centauri. He touched a holo-button on his comm-panel. “This is your Captain speaking. All hands please head to the Temple immediately.” He looked at the bridge crew. “That includes you.”
“Sir, are you going to take the Shadows on by yourself?” asked Gusev sternly. “I must insist that the Captain is putting himself at an incredible risk.”
“You’re too important, Yuri. You must make it to the planet. It’s an order.” Wither lightened his sternness a little and smiled. “Good luck, Keeper of the Realm of Forgiveness.”
After overhearing their conversation, Lena walked off the bridge, annoyed, and met up with Braun back inside the village.
“He’s going to kill himself,” snapped Lena. “He’s important, too!”
Braun gave Lena a solemn look. “He’s not the Captain anymore. His Guardianship has been activated. He’s now doing his new job and protecting us.”
All the crew of the Centauri assembled on the Temple – forty-three of them, arranged according to their positions on the Oracle.
At once, the entire Temple was enveloped in a brilliant, subtle light, and all the Realm Keepers were transferred.
***
“We have the Keepers! The Shadows have now entered the Temple area,” yelled Yarmel between panting breaths.
Withers said nothing but looked at the enormous Shadow ships that loomed over the Centauri on the front-view screen. The view suddenly changed to a black figure in a black uniform, with red piercing eyes.
“You are doomed, Guardian,” said the menacing voice through the comm panel.
Withers touched the Oracle, and extra vibrations began emitting from it.
“Not exactly a fair fight, is it?” Withers asked. “But I’ll take my chances.”
The Shadow Lord laughed an evil laugh. “Prepare to die!”
“Well, take your best shot!” snapped Withers, powering up the Centauri and heading his ship towards the three Shadow ships.
“What are you doing?” roared the Shadow Lord, surprised. An energy beam shot out from the closest Shadow ship and hit the Oracle-generated force-field in front of the Centauri.
Withers slid the holographic controls to full power. “That’ll teach them for parking so close to me.” He ran off the bridge and into the parklands towards the Temple. As he went over the bridge, the Centauri hit the closest Shadow ship. Withers fell hard to the ground and started crawling towards the Oracle as debris rained all around him.
Standing on the Centauri’s Oracle he put his right hand on the Oracle of the Guardian at his left heart. A pillar fell down in front of him. Something came to his consciousness then, as if the words came out of nowhere.
“Great Goddess, please make me a fearless, pure spirit.”
He felt a downward movement, like he’d entered a very fast elevator.
When he looked up, an angry Shadow Lord grabbed him and pinned him to the ground.
He was now on the Planetary Oracle, at the planet below. This was Marcia, this planet having the same qualities as Mars in the Realm of Innocence. This realm, like Mars, was not only the base of all its evolutionary realms; it also acted as a gate to other realms.
He fought, knocking a huge blade from the Shadow’s grip. He was aware of all the other Guardians around him, fighting other Shadow Lords, desperately keeping them away from the Keepers.
He also noticed that the sides of the arched tunnel looked the same as when they had hyper-jumped between the realms in the ship.
Withers was soon engaged in the battle, the Oracle transforming into a mighty sword. Sparring with an angry Shadow Lord, who also wielded a large blade, he was reminded that this was what he had trained for.
There was no pause in the fighting, even though the scene around them had changed. They had arrived on Udicia in the Realm of Innocence. In this case, this realm only represented the country and not the planet, as on Marcia.
This gave the Guardians the upper hand, as the power of Innocence strengthened them, particularly the Guardian Ralnof, who guarded this particular realm. His sword struck with quick and deadly blows, and several Shadow Lords immediately fell by his hand.
Withers had also swung with precision to dispatch his foe. The other Guardians followed suit, and before long, all the Shadow Lords had been slain.
Withers was about to thank Yarmel for his input, when three huge mandalas appeared before them, spinning in a clockwise direction. These were the entry points to the left, central and right ways.
The Guardians and the realm Keepers gathered in front of the mandalas, in formations specific to their own ways.
Withers was the Guardian of the right way. His Keepers were mostly made up from his senior staff on the Centauri.
With no time to lose, the nine Guardians and forty-three Realm Keepers stepped through the entry-points. The Keepers were immediately sent straight to their realms. Six Guardians went to the main centre realms, while the remaining three Guardians were free to traverse the ways. Their number one priority was to protect their Keepers, and the second was to clear any blockages that might impede the vibrational flow through the ways.
***
Withers materialised in the Realm of Innocence within the right way. He looked around a huge forest canopy, momentarily disoriented, taking in the smell and the sounds of nature.
Becoming thoughtless, he placed his hand on the Oracle at his left breast pocket. Now in the right way, he would have to prepare the way and its related realms for transformation.
His eye caught what he was wearing. The Oracle had changed his clothing!
“What’s this?” Withers grinned. “A robe?”
He was wearing a long dark-brown robe with a frilly light-brown shirt, bell-shaped cuffs and brown trousers with cowboy boots.
“Captain!” called a voice in the distance.
He grabbed the Oracle and held it.
He took off, not responding to the greeting. It could be a Shadow trick, even though the voice sounded like Reeve’s. The forest was dense, with the undergrowth potentially noisy, but Withers managed to move through like a gentle breeze.
Arriving at a clearing, he spotted Reeve walking around, a little stunned. Withers casually walked into the clearing, surprising the younger man.
“Captain!” said Reeve, holding a big stick in his hand. Reeve wore a dark cloak and tight pants, with elfish-looking boots.
“Keep your voice down,” ordered Withers. He eyed the stick and grinned. “I’ll give you a better weapon shortly. Nice boots by the way.”
“Oh, thanks,” said Reeve. “Where are we?”
“In your country, the Realm of Innocence, on the right side,” replied Withers.
“Oh, I see. Udicia, in this case, is the temple,” murmured Reeve. “That’s very interesting.”
There was silence. Only the cicadas chirped in the background.
“We’ll set up camp,” said Withers. “It’s getting dark.”
***
Withers woke very early in the morning, his keen senses picking up unnatural noises in the
forest. He knew immediately that two life-forms were stealthily bearing down on their position. Reeves was still sleeping. Withers decided to leave him like that, as he would make too much noise if awakened.
He stood in the shadow of a tree, waiting very still. A casual observer may have thought that he, too, was a tree.
A branch cracked loudly close by. He grabbed the Oracle, and tremendous vibrations started surging from it.
A black, four-legged beast broke out of a bush right next to Reeves. Huge claws flashed through the air.
Suddenly, Reeve awoke and held up his right hand. Tremendous vibrations shot out of the palm of his hand, and the black Shadow dog disappeared in mid-flight.
Withers was ready for the other man charging at him from the bushes. The man raised his sword, but suddenly realised that Withers was not the enemy that he was pursuing. At the same time, Withers received cooler vibrations from the Oracle.
“Hello,” said Reeve. “I think I killed that beast you were pursuing.”
“Beast? It was a man, but a beast nonetheless. Our town will be grateful that he’s dead!”
Of course, thought Reeve, the Oracle manifests absolute truth. Those on Udicia can’t see the Shadows for what they really are.
“What’s your name?” asked Reeve.
“Ulef,” he replied. “Where are you from?”
“I’m Daniel and this is Zac,” said Withers, shaking his hand. “We’re special agents from Sylonia.”
“Who was that?” asked Reeve, also shaking Ulef’s hand.
“Liro, the most brutal tyrant that Lemar has ever known. He and his henchmen have poured fear into the hearts of Lemarians for many years.” Ulef paused, deep in thought. “By the way, it is unusual that he has come after his enemies on his own. Normally, he would send his men.”
“Well,” replied Withers, “these are unusual times. And talking about that, we need your help.”
“Oh,” said Ulef.
“I'm gathering some fighting men,” said Withers, “and preparing them for battle.”
“I don’t understand,” said Ulef. “There are only a few of Liro’s men left here.”
“Reeve will help you to remove them, but your country is needed to liberate the whole of Udicia.”
“OK, I saw how easily you killed Liro,” said Ulef. “We owe you a debt for that.”
“You don’t owe us anything,” said Withers. “You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your families, to your community, to your freedom. This darkness must end.”
***
Later, Withers pulled Reeve aside to discuss Reeve’s role in this realm.
“Very spontaneous,” said Withers. “That Shadow Lord didn't stand a chance against the power of Innocence.”
Reeve held up his right hand. On his wrist he wore a gold bangle, with a small disk covering his lower palm. It had an etching of a four-petalled flower on it.
“I didn't really do anything,” said Reeve, still feeling a little rattled.
“That's how it works,” said Withers. “The Oracle does all the work.”
Withers placed the Oracle against Reeve’s smaller disk.
“The power in this talisman will send any Shadow to the foot of the Great Juncture,” said Withers. “Here they will be judged.”
“I could send you the Lemarian army.”
“You've just demonstrated how in-tune a Keeper is to the Oracle. When the time comes, send me a fighting force, as well as the remaining Shadows.”
“To the Realm of Forgiveness, to the foot of the Great Juncture,” murmured Reeve. “Yes, that would solve the problems of this realm and others. Then it would be up to you and the other Guardians to defeat them there.”
“Just keep that child-like innocence about you,” said Withers. “That is your greatest power.”
“I’m ready,” said Reeve, watching the first sign of the sun rising on this alien world.
***
A couple of hours later, Withers, Reeve and Ulef broke out of the thick forest into a clearing. The countryside was a little elevated, and they could see down into a picturesque valley.
“Nice,” commented Reeve.
“Thanks,” said Ulef.
“I can see your town down there,” said Withers, pointing.
Reeves turned to Withers and held up his hand. “Good luck sir.”
“And you. Call if you need me. I can be here in seconds,” said Withers. “Take care. And you, Ulef, thanks for your help.”
“It’s an honour.”
The three men parted. Withers was watching them walking away in the distance, when suddenly a huge mandala appeared before him. He stepped through and materialised in a similar scene, in another part of Udicia. It took a moment to get his bearings, and then he started taking in this new country in the Realm of Creativity.
He decided to follow a road down into the valley, receiving the coolness from the Oracle. Lena would be somewhere in this direction, he thought. He noticed a river running along that road, a little further along, and decided to head that way.