CHAPTER ONE
Trees of red leaves that towered nearly four hundred stories to touch the heavens were the gods of the lands. With massive grey-brown trunks, filled with huge crevices that hid small creatures, and branches that formed a broad cap, the yelm trees cast malicious shadows upon the forest, rejecting it in their own name and becoming monstrous plants that houses even smaller trees.
Joining the yelm trees were the ville trees; more disciples in the following of height. The ville trees were smaller, but none the less a blue-green leaved plant that had become independent from the forest below, with branches forming an elongated dome with a craggy, grey trunk.
Beneath their shadows, hundreds of stories down lurked the Yuxu forest. This verdant landscape of blue, green and yellow colored plants turned on each other in the starving shadow, climbing onto each other with crippling vines and onto the surface of the yelm and ville trees who alone basked in the great rays of sunlight from the orange-yellow sun in the vast blue.
Areas shown some mercy from the growing empire of the shadow of the colossal plants enjoyed their freedom of the sunlight. Beautiful flowers from palm-sized variants to one large enough to consume a grown man nestled quite comfortably. Trees like the lelams—blood-red leaves with brown trunks and branches growing around them, and the pomegtrees with their pink-toned leaves and pink, cocoon looking fruits as large as a man, constituted for most of the local trees in the lower forest.
Here in the early morning, the receding morning mist was evaporating, and lances of sunlight stabbed through the forest, making a show of tiny glowing particles dancing in them. The air stunk of rotting and living plant matter, wet soil and the faint trace of dead animals that had fallen victim to predators or time. Grazing animals stayed in the light between the ville and yelm trees, avoiding their shadows were even the plants had been corrupted to feed on flesh.
Yet, within this thick network of trees, bushes, twisting vines and the cry of animals that saturated the air, something out of place made a place for itself.
A lonely building no more than six stories with a domed top stood in amongst the surrounding sea of plants. The true color of the building was hard to determine, uncertainly amongst dark brown, grey or light brown, as the batter from the weather and the unfriendly neighborhood plants that protested against its presence here by throwing vines all over its surface disfigured its outer appearance. But the homeowners took great care in maintaining the colorful red and yellow windows that glowed with the sunlight that acknowledged their resilience.
The temple got some company from houses; like three huts cramped together with bluish colored roves, scattered at the front of the temple in a small clearing. Slicing through this little village was a brown peach and grey colored cobble stone path leading into the depths of the Yuxu forest.
There was an absence of activity from the people who lived in the Ixian community, as all of them were gathered in the first floor of the temple.
Here the circular room was laced with orange-brown tiles on the walls and larger ones on the floor. Some benches of burgundy colored wood were gathered in small groups near the walls, giving those who would be seated the view of the glorious golden statue of three humanoids standing in the center; one a woman and the other male, all with long ears, slanted eyes and wearing ornate robes.
From the windows red and yellow light casted a spotlights on a group of people in dark blue robes with yellow trim and a sheen of silk.
All these people had the purple skin known of the nycarman species in the solar system. Their skin had various shades based on their race and geographical residence. The Ixian people here in particular had dark purple skin, but were differentiated from each other by a work of creases all over their body like a human finger print.
Their golden and black hair were tied into ponytails or combed over the sides of their heads. Apart from their bright pink eyes that slanted to their noses and ear-shape, they had an eerie resemblance to human.
The Ixians with their thin lips and straight noses would be Caucasian—but such a word didn’t exist here, so they identified their race as Uola.
Ixians young and old turned their backs to the statues of the holy trinity that created them, facing a peculiar figure that stood in a path leading through the door into the village.
The sight was a lovely young nycarman woman, close to six feet tall and medium built. The smooth lavender skin on her long face had a nice set of full lips and a small round nose.
What would be African for a human was Outo for her people.
Her radiant gold hair was tied into a rippling ponytail cascading down her lean back. A pink blouse of leaf-shaped materials hugged her skin, as did her dark green leather tights that hung just below her knees.
In a military erect posture, Lezura Hembim looked on expectantly and proudly at the men and women before her. With her little nose she smelt the mixture of emotions and expectations circulating in the air.
My big day! Lezura thought.
From the crowd three Nycarmans stepped forward. Two were men, and one a woman with her thick black hair combed over her head and a sharp nose. All were wrinkled with age.
The man with his gold hair combed over his head had a smile that seemed unrecoverable from his face, said in a subtle voice, “I never thought I would feel such a sense of loss from your departing, Lezura.”
“Neither did I, Dunit,” said Lezura. “But it is for an important reason.”
“Well said, child,” said the woman, Murbella, in a strong voice unsuitable for one so old. “Fortunately Dunit is the only one here that has grown attached to you…”
Dunit grinned nervously and said to Murbella, “Murbella…you do not…have to make it sound like I am about to cry…”
“Have all your preparations been made, Lezura?” said the black-haired man.
“Yes I have, Telkit,” said Lezura. “You know I never go anywhere unprepared.”
Telkit smiled lightly. “That much is true…” he said.
“Now Lezura,” said Murbella with a stern look in her eyes, “I hope you allowed our warnings to be riveted into your head overnight.” Lezura nodded, but Murbella continued anyway; “This is not a simple messenger’s task like what you have been sent on before. This mission involves direct interaction with the target. And we would all appreciate it if it were executed with as much of your skill as you can offer.”
“Yes, Murbella,” said Lezura without the bright smile that would otherwise annoy Murbella—especially her braces.
“We cannot be certain if the rumors of Earth are true,” said Telkit, “but regardless that is where you will be sent.”
“I have accepted this task and will not step down now or fail,” said Lezura.
Dunit smiled brightly and said, “That is our girl—ouch!”
A nudge from Murbella in Dunit’s ribs silenced him.
Murbella snapped her fingers, and from the crowd a young woman hurriedly emerged, timidly handing Murbella a small box of oak with four, triangular plates on the top in her hand.
She gave it to Lezura, who took it cautiously into her grasp.
“We will hand over Donnowarru to you, Lezura,” said Murbella. “Call upon him to open the portal to Earth—”
“But do not try to talk with him much though,” said Dunit in a hushed voice as if the box could hear him, “you know he’s not very friendly—he punched poor old Telkit in the eye once.”
Telkit grimaced and looked away to hide his face. “Ugh…please do not remind me…”
Dunit said brightly, “But on a much happier note”—Dunit produced a silver compass from his sleeve with a single green structure in the black center—“you will finally get to hold this again!”
Lezura’s eyes literally gasped wider. She quickly reached for the compass, but Dunit took it away from her quickly.
“And please,” said Dunit, “Lezura my dear child, do not try to experiment with the key…”
Lezura blushed. “Of course…Dunit,” she said. “I would never!”
The wyassies gave Lezura a slight scowl.
Lezura raise her hand in defeat. “Honestly, I will not!” she said.
But they all knew what was really going to happen. Regardless, they trusted Lezura’s skills enough to deliver the key. Dunit handed it to her.
Lezura cupped the compass and marveled at the key inside; its elegant sword, the cracks of green light in its emerald surface and the striking red stripe along the middle.
She put the compass around her neck by its chain, and put the box in one of the pockets on her utility belt. She ran a hand across the other items on her belt and checked they were there.
“We are counting on you with this task, Lezura, all of us,” said Telkit.
Dunit scratched his chin thoughtfully and said, “I would say the fate of the world rest in your hands, but that would be a bit to clichéd…” Dunit dropped his hand and smiled. “So, I’ll just say good luck!”
Lezura placed a hand across her left breast and bowed slightly. “Of course…”
All the Ixians returned the same gesture.
Lezura strode out of the temple and into the warmth outside. The scent of the surround vegetation mixed with other naturally produced chemical grew in her nostrils. The first time Lezura took in such scents she found it repugnant, but after ten years outside of her usual comfort haven she got used to it.
She made her way through the silent village, towards a small path to east of the temple. She didn’t need to look; she just listened and heard the shuffling of feet as the Ixians filed out of the temple to watch her depart.
The path opened up in a small glade, where huge peach colored stones had been smoothed and packed to make a suitable flat and hard surface for Lezura’s Thwopter to rest on.
The flying vehicle was a glossy black. Lezura would have preferred it pink but the dealer she bought it from said he hadn’t couldn’t bother stealing that one as the police were chasing him.
It looked like an oval nut with half-crescent wings and an open interior with two seats in red cushioning, one behind the other.
Lezura checked the front seat—for the fifth time, waved away a mass of crazy bugs flying in her face. Even though she knew it highly unlikely for something to happen to the bag in the small amount of time she left it there to go and speak to the wyassies, she still gave the contents inside a quick going over.
Satisfied, Lezura sighed. “Okay, now…” she said to herself, and took the Sheikon-box from out of her utility belt and a knife.
Lezura made a long deep cut in the palm of her hand, curling her lip in discomfort. She put the knife back and drained the blood onto the box she put on the stone.
Lezura said the enchantment spell for the summoning;
Grumpy wizard, sour as a lizard
Come out and serve me duly,
I shall kiss your rear and wash your hair,
So long as you perform your duty
Lezura was definitely not going to perform the kiss your rear part, and hoped Donnowarru didn’t demand it either—or else they would have to find a new Chevalier for the Rakai.
She waited for nearly thirty seconds for the blood to be absorbed into the box. But Lezura knew it shouldn’t be taking so long.
Lezura sighed. I hate having to deal with this man…Why do you not come out already?
And wait Lezura did—for five minutes. Just as Lezura was about to lose her cool and strike a box with a dainty, manicured hand the box popped open.
Swirling blue light blasted from the wondrous depths of the box and spiraled into the sky.
Lezura’s face took on an annoyed expressive. “But you have the time to be flashy…?” she said.
The light compressed, bulged and contorted like a demon was trying to escape the grasp of the divine and just light. Finally the supposed demon inside lost the fight and the blue energy compressed into the form of a male nycarman in shiny red garbs. He was large built, with a head of long coarse hair, the facial notations of a Uola nycarman, and floated on a bubbling cloud of honoi several meters off the ground.
The man, the Great Wizard Donnowarru, greeted this world with a hideous roar. Lezura’s senses instantly picked up the threat and she rolled out the way in time as Donnowarru fired a blast of honoi into the rocky ground.
Lezura rolled into a crouch and shot at Donnowarru, “What the blast is wrong with you man?”
Donnowarru for the first time took in his surroundings; some blue and red bushes there with some colorful flowers in the mix, and tall trees watching it all form above. He spotted Lezura, scowled, and relaxed himself.
“My apologies woman,” said Donnowarru without the tone of the actual truth. “I thought you were Dunit. That little prick has been playing tricks on me ever since I met him!”
Lezura cast a glance down at the people at the mouth of the path, and could have sworn she saw Dunit make a quick dash behind Murbella.
The last prank Dunit played on Donnowarru was opening him up from the box in one of the toilets—after he used it.
Lezura got up and said to Donnowarru, who scratched an itch she wondered if a spirit could possibly have, “You can punish Dunit when we return. Right now we have more important business to deal with.” Lezura crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “That is providing you remember…?”
Donnowarru said, “Do not insult me Outo woman; I clearly remember what we are to do…”
Lezura studied the uncertainty on Donnowarru’s face. He was a racist, and also a terrible liar. “You do?” said Lezura testily.
“Yes,” said Donnowarru.
“Then what are you supposed to be doing now”—and Lezura made a mocking expression of awe—“O Great Wizard?”
The only thing Donnowarru hated more than people in general where people from other races, Outos, Lalues, and with the new addition of the new species on the world two hundred years ago, he had to rewrite that list now. And this sassy little Outo woman wasn’t really the cup of tea of his morning.
“We are supposed to be fetching that Rakai again,” Donnowarru said. He built up a strong flow of energy in his hands. “I still do not see why you all have to change trend with the Rakai. The first one was a nycarman—albeit a woman and a Lalu, and she got the job done. The second one was some worthless largaph that died before he even touched the God Titan! What makes you think some little flea from Earth can make a—”
Lezura glowered at Donnowarru and clenched her jaw. “That is enough out of you, O Great Wizard,” she said. “Any more of that racist-sexist filth out of your toilet-of-a-mouth and you will see what I am capable of doing to a spirit even if they are already dead.”
Donnowarru studied the face of Lezura, and could see some of the fierceness of her ancestral people brimming—the same people that took his life over eleven centuries ago.
He didn’t doubt her.
He waved a hand at her and said, “Whatever, silly little girl.”
Lezura smiled charmingly and dropped her hands. “Thank you so much.”
Donnowarru mumbled and floated higher on his cloud. He savored the air and the majestic scenery around him while he could. The occasions were extremely rare when he got the chance to see his old world again. But now it was tainted with so many people of new species, and he frown heavily like he smelt something rank.
“Get ready,” said Donnowarru to Lezura.
And with that a surge of excitement rippled through Lezura. She hopped into the driver seat of the Thwopter, took the ignition key off her belt and started the engine. It steadily hummed to life, and the antigravity orbs generated a pulsing blue light that pushed the vehicle off the stones.
Donnowarru took in some deep breaths. He channeled pink-red energy, different from honoi, into his fingers until they shone. He felt the air like he was touching something corporeal, and with a smooth ripping motion tore open a vast portal off swirling purple, red and pink.
Lezura dropped on her electronic goggles over her eyes, smiling at the rift the wizard created.
Today, Lezura Hembim would be the first nycarman to enter the rift, legally, into another world.
There were those who had the technology left back after the establishment of the Prestige System to open rifts. A very, very few were successful in entering other worlds and coming back with a pinch of new information about life there. Others were unfortunate enough to have encountered the dimension reapers and get the extraterrestrial stuffing kicked out of them and their equipment confiscated.
Lezura was pleased to know she would keep her ribs.
“Stay close to me,” said Donnowarru as he moved off on his cloud. He stopped, reconsidering. He said to Lezura, “You know what, not too close…”
Lezura gave a tired sigh. As soon as Donnowarru floated into the tunnel Lezura followed on her Thwopter, slowing down so she didn’t go splat into the wizard. And the thought got her wondering what a ghost’s insides looked like.
The portal closed behind them, imploding into a wink and out of sight.
In the tunnel Lezura felt no heat or cold, but the weightlessness of the place. The air was breathable, and with the many thoughts circulating in her head she concluded the dimensional tunnel must have been made by sentient beings to support them while they stayed inside here.
She made a note to herself to jot that down later.
It was some seconds with her tailing behind Donnowarru when she saw him abruptly stop.
She brought her Thwopter to a halt. She leaned forward in her seat and said, “Donnowarru is something wrong?”
“They are coming,” said the wizard.
Lezura felt a snake of fear slither up her spine. She had been quite excited about seeing a reaper up close and speaking with it, and now that the opportunity had come she was embarrassed to feel that she was getting cold feet.
Get a hold of yourself, Lezura, she thought. You are going to be the Rakai’s Chevalier for goodness sake! You cannot be falling apart now.
Seconds after Donnowarru had spoken five glittery pink lights appeared around the two of them. For a second they just floated there, but they exploded into five humanoid figures. Their bodies temporarily crackled with pink energy.
Lezura swallowed a nervous lump and studied the reapers with her eyes.
They wore close-fitting, silky purple uniform. They had pointed gold boots on their feet, and ornately designed silver armor on their chest, arms and shins. The shoulder pads where gold and looked like the gaping mouth of a tortured creature. Over their heads they wore a hood which concealed any of their features. And as was with all the reapers, they wore a mask that hid all of their features behind a background of some special body; whether it is a sun, moon, the stars, a planet in the vastness of space or a nebula.
As the energy sparked off their bodies around the nycarmans Lezura studied the faces, wondering what a reaper really looked like; and her attention was drawn to a tall reaper with a lustrous red nebula on its face approaching them.
He had male proportions, and each casual step he took towards Donnowarru was on a pink tile he created under his feet using the strange purplish-pink energy that reapers possessed.
“Yesh shou, nomidi,” said the reaper in Naasi, the universal language of the solar system, and others.
As usual, as Lezura observed, Donnowarru replied with a loud grunt.
“Yesh shou, ir yuh,” said Lezura.
From there there was understanding between the aliens and the conversation went on without a hitch.
The reaper folded his arms and said to Donnowarru, “Geez, Donny, you really need to lighten up once in a while.”
Donnowarru’s placid expression dropped into a frown. “Could we just skip all the pleasantries and get to work, Terriak?” he said. “And stop blasted calling me Donny!”
“Wait!” said Lezura. “You two know each other?”
“Long story,” said the reaper. He gave Lezura his attention, “But I would really like it if you two would explain why you’re here—and why there’s a civilian with you, Donnowarru.”
“We are on a mission regarding the Rakai,” said Lezura promptly, after waiting patiently to speak with a reaper for so long. “Oh! Sorry—I forgot my manners. My name is Lezura Hembim.”
Donnowarru yawned loudly, intentionally to annoy Lezura.
Lezura ignored him and continued, “I am not sure if you know, but our planet underwent dramatic changes in the last ten years.”
“I know…” said Terriak with a slow nod, “the whole planetary revolution thing. But that’s none of our business. Reapers aren’t concerned with anything you aliens do unless it’s with the rift.”
“Well it does concern us,” said Lezura.
“Oh?” Terriak said.
At this point Donnowarru had gently floated to one side and crouched on his cloud with his head resting on his fists, quite happy to not have to talk to anyone.
Lezura felt the authority in Terriak’s voice, but it didn’t deter her from continuing. “Our people have need for the Rakai, from the planet Earth.”
Terriak shifted uncomfortably. He unfolded his arms and looked back at the other reapers, one of which had a big, blunt metallic implement in case the nycarmans tried to run, and sensed their alarm as well.
Terriak turned back to Lezura and said, “How do you know about Earth, and what business do you people have there?”
Lezura explained as calmly as she could. “A few years ago, a largaph by the name of Blinchi managed to open a rift into another world. He managed to elude the reapers for months, learning a few things about the planet Earth in the process.”
“I heard about that incident,” said a tall, shapely female reaper with a pattern of stars on her face, named Frost. “That largaph hid for two months on Earth in Los Angeles.” Something like a laugh escaped her throat. “They gave him a really nice beating when they found him, though…”
Lezura scowled at her. “Well that man just so happened to be a dear friend of ours. When he came back to us he told us of a race of people who had a very unique kind of honoi. My people considered their species a candidate for being the key-keeper.”
“Well sorry to burst your shiny little bubble missy, but that’s not happening,” said Terriak. “There’s no way we’re goanna let you go to Earth, cause all kind of hysteria with the people, and bring back one of them here. What makes you think the Rakai will even want to go with you?”
Lezura tightened her hand on the Thwopter's steering wheel. She had been thinking about that possibility herself. Why would another species far from their solar system fight for them? But she had to tuck that doubt to the corner of her mind. Surely the Rakai could be convinced to help.
“That is a risk we will willingly accept by going to Earth to find out,” she said. “I know what we are asking of you is going against the rules of the reapers, but you must also understand that the Rakai is a part of our people’s history, and also a religious figure in some small circles. That in itself is business of the nycarman people, which you cannot interfere in.”
Terriak cocked his head to one side wryly and folded his arms. “Then why not take a spaceship to Earth then…?” But Terriak knew why they couldn’t, but wanted to test this nycarman woman. Something about her seemed familiar—the whole confident demeanor like everyone else was stupid.
“You all know bloody well why we cannot leave the planet,” said Lezura testily. “The Prestige Kingdoms placed an armada around the planet that prevents non-prestige countries from going for help. That leaves them to harvest us and let the orderrans slowly eradicate us! And even if we could leave the planet we know not of where Earth is in the galaxy, and how long it could take to reach there!” Lezura’s tone changed to a more humble one, pleading. “Terriak, sir, please sympathize with us.” Lezura casted her intense glare over the others. “All of you. Innocent people are slowly dying under the system imposed on our planet. I have someone very important to me that I want to save.”
Terriak entertained the idea in his mind for a moment. A human Rakai… That would be quite the thing to see. Then he said to Lezura. “But young lady, there’s another catch. Humans currently have a serious condition that’s very, very dangerous to others. It’s not a disease, per se. But one that arises when humans use their honoi.”
“But I cannot go back empty handed,” said Lezura, “not when so many people have put their trust in me to come back with the Rakai!”
Terriak considered that for a moment. He gestured to the other reapers and they all moved to one side, huddled close as they deliberated amongst themselves—very soft whispers in fact, as they realize that two sharp-eared nycarmans were in the tunnel with them.
“Well, what do you think guys?” said Terriak.
“I do not think we should risk breaking the rules for just one little nycarman,” said the reaper with the weapon, Han.
“But you heard the poor girl,” said Frost. “Their planet is practically being used as some experimental facility. I heard what goes on Sangetsu. That Planet has been through two massive wars in just a little over two hundred years.”
“That’s their load of crap to scoop up,” said Han. “The living doesn’t know how easy they have it. They are free to do whatever they want, and waste it killing each other.” Han patted the club against his thigh lightly. “Sometimes I wish could just go on a planet and do a whacking spree…”
Han had in fact been such a man to do something in his past life, which ended up in his untimely death at age twenty two.
“But that’s no reason to let a planet suffer when there’s chance to save it,” said a male reaper named Eirg; quiet muscular build with a flaring yellow star on his face. “Even though I’m not too one hundred percent on letting these nycarmans go through the rift, I still think we should let this play out.”
“I think that decision is up to you, Terriak,” said the last reaper with a face of stars, Stennen. “You are from Earth, so I guess you have the right to whether or not you want to let them through. But just keep in mind that you will have to answer to the boss eventually. But personally, I say we should not.”
“Here’s what I think,” said Han; “we should let them through to Earth and find there R…Raki—”
“Rakai,” corrected Eirg.
“That blasted thing!” said Han. “And when they do, and they’re coming back”—Han dropped the weapon in his other hand—“we give them a good whacking!”
“Excuse me?” said Lezura’s voice.
Startled, Han looked to Lezura and saw him staring at her with shouldering eyes and folded arms. Han thought she heard him when he raised his voice, though his gesture with the club was self-explanatory enough.
“Nothing to worry about, dearest!” said Frost to her. She lowered her voice and said to Terriak, “So what is the plan Captain?”
“I say we send them back,” send Stennen firmly.
“Whack em—and send them back!” said Han—who was abruptly whacked in the head by Frost.
Frost said, “Captain, think about it for a moment: there are so many squads stationed around this planet, none of which would have even listened this long to the nycarmans. Is it coincidence that they just so happened to open the portal and find you; someone that one of them know? It is a sign. We should help them.”
“Actually,” said Stennen, “Donnowarru can find our portal because he knows Terriak.”
“Quiet, you,” Frost said.
Ultimately Terriak was faced with the proxy vote, for Frost and Eirg were for the mission of this nycarman woman, and Stennen, at least, was against it.
Han on the other hand seemed to just want to hit something. He was crept up close to Donnowarru. The wizard shot him a narrow glance out of the corner of his eye, and Han quickly retreated.
Terriak came to a decision. Once being human, he felt some kind of urge to allow a member of his species to become this Rakai the young woman was talking about. If Terriak played his cards right, and this Rakai to be, things could change for their people, including the little problem they had.
On the other hand it could fail, and his boss would have his hide.
But this woman named Lezura Hembim seemed responsible enough; probably she could retrieve the Rakai from Earth discreetly. And her last name rang a bell in his head.
Finally Terriak said to Lezura, “Okay, Miss Hembim. I’ll grant you passage to Earth—”
Lezura gaped and clasped her hands. “Wonderful!” she said.
Terriak flinched at the sight of the silvery braces with their pink inners. “Yes, it is. But let me lay down a few laws for you first. The human must have no desire to reproduce with any species either by natural means or genetic alteration.”
Natural reproduction with another species—impossible, thought Lezura. But then again, she knew nothings about humans.
“Second,” said Terriak, “the human must not donate blood in any form. This is to prevent the spread of any of the natural bacteria in the human’s body. And third; whether the human had completed the mission or not, I will be retrieving the human to be taken back