The Essence of Mars by Wayne Ellis - HTML preview

Chapter 9

Resh went right through the billboard and appeared on the other side in the realm of forgiveness. He landed in total darkness, except for a huge bright light that shone in the distance.

Ahead, Resh saw seven figures. The light behind them was so intense that he wasn’t able to discern their facial features.

The bright light behind them was the portal – the portal that looked like and represented the Sun. It was also where the left and right ways met.

“Looks like the Shadow Lord is a little worse for wear,” said a female voice.

“The Oracle has taken its toll on him,” replied a male one.

“Your move, Resh. If you go on from here, it is suicide without your army,” said the female voice.

“Is that the tough bitch?” said the disoriented but seething Resh.

“Hey, that’s no way to talk to a lady!” snapped Steve. He was careful he didn’t say “my wife” in case Resh used this knowledge to his advantage.

“Tough words from a Realm Keeper,” said Resh. An army of drones suddenly appeared behind Resh. “Oh! My army has arrived.” The tall dark soldiers from hell stood at attention, weapons poised. He motioned two of them to stand beside him.

Suddenly, he grabbed both soldiers behind the neck. As before, Resh became revitalised, while his hapless servants were drained. When it was all over, Resh was slightly larger and more powerful, but the drones were left as nothing but little black puddles on the ground.

“You see, I’ve always got a contingency plan.” Resh looked at the drones. “Get them!” he ordered.   

Resh and the Shadow drones approached the Keepers. Elise raised the Oracle and waited for its manifestation.

“These drones look different,” said Elise.

Sean stared at them. “More powerful than the others that didn’t make it.” Elise nodded.

Sean, Marie, Bernard, Matsu, Brayn and Steve focused on their connection to the Oracle and their connection with each other. All their rings absorbed the vibrations and started to manifest similar powers as the Oracle.

The Drone Lords fired at their energy weapons, as each of the Keepers responded with a clockwise spiral of positive energy from their rings. The drones were all knocked back, guns clattering to the ground. Resh unleashed negative energy from an object he suddenly revealed.

Elise stared at the amulet that Resh had picked up in the mall and tried to use, as she held up the Oracle. Elise noticed the dark energy from the object came spiralling toward her in an anti-clockwise direction, as the positive energy of the Oracle went toward Resh.

The two energies collided to the sound of a sonic explosion. Both drones and Keepers were knocked to the ground. In rage, Resh charged, grabbing hold of Elise and pushing her to the ground.

“This is my finest moment,” snarled Resh. Fighting against the positive energy that surrounded her, he managed to grab her throat. “I will kill you with pleasure!”

“Elise!” said Steve, shocked. His shock turned to anger as he diverted his attack on the rising drones. The other Keepers joined in, and there was a fierce exchange of fire. Steve managed to vaporise one as he ran toward Resh and Elise.

Struggling to breathe, Elise said. “I forgive.”

Instead of Resh thinking he was defeating her, he loosened his hold on her throat and stepped back, stunned. Memories flooded back to him from a time when he was a young Shadow Lord. Back then, a Guardian had said the same thing, right before Resh’s whole platoon was wiped out.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the realm. From the central way came a bright flash of light, which filled the realm with light.

Resh let go and turned his attention to the source, as Elise rolled out of his grip. Resh snarled as the energy approached him, enveloping him in a clockwise spiralling light. Then it carried him through portal, Resh roaring with anguish.

Suddenly, the light that had appeared all around them began to intensify. One by one, it started sucking the drones toward the portal, until eventually the light completely filled the realm.

***

When the realm closed down, everyone was standing inside the Temple.

Elise thanked all those Realm Keepers who connected through the holo-link and then closed the call.

She looked up to see a huge spaceship landing on top of the Temple. The craft’s landing legs held the huge dome-shaped ship well above the top of the Temple.

“How did we get here?” asked Bernard.

“Wow!” said Marie.

“We’re here because the Temple has been transformed,” said Elise. She noticed the Primordial Fountain on the Temple dome was now glowing.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” said Sean.

“Yes, I agree, sir,” replied Elise. “Very interesting.” She patted Sean on the arm.

Steve hugged her. “You OK?”

“Of course, my dear,” said Elise. “Aren’t I the tough b...?”

“In this case you had to be,” said Bryan. “Otherwise, Resh would have easily destroyed you.”

She nodded. “You’ve all done a great service as the Keepers of the Realm.  As for me, I think my Guardianship is over.”

“Correct,” said a familiar voice. A figure wearing a Indian kurta, tailored to look like a uniform, entered the temple and bowed. A small metallic mandala was displayed to the left of his heart.

“Arden!” said Elise and Sean together.

Arden motioned them outside, and they were all transported up to the Caldon ship on a hovering platform.

***

“Something is pulling us in!” cried the Shadow helmsman. The Shadow ship shook violently, and the crew could feel a sudden lightness in gravity.

“What’s the source of the power?” asked Resh’s First Officer, quickly glancing at the closest terminal screen. “Get us out of orbit! Full power to the thrusters!”

The ship lurched forward with a jolt of power, but still continued its rapid descent into the Martian atmosphere.

“We can’t break orbit,” said the Shadow helmsman, shocked.

“Is this full power?” said the First Officer.

“Yes!”

“Main bridge, this is Engineering,” cried a voice over the ship’s comm. “The drive core is over-heating, and we’re losing containment!”

Suddenly, a huge explosion ripped through the aft section of the Shadow Ship and broke away from the main part of the ship.

Before the remaining crew had time to think they were going to burn up in the atmosphere, the whole Shadow crew were completely stripped clean from every part of the ship by another force.

***

“Wow,” said Elise. “This is huge!”

Inside the ship was a huge open dome, which looked rather like a control room, except that there weren’t any physical monitors or touch-screen displays. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the same level of comfort and interacting through holography and augmented reality.

As they entered another area, a Caldon came over and bowed. He, too, wore the uniform-style kurta and the mandala on his shirt.

“I am Darmas. The pleasure is mine.”

Elise felt really relaxed as soon as he spoke.

“Come this way,” said Arden. “You must have many questions.”

Elise thought Arden had completely changed from the last time she saw him. Not only was his dress-code different, but his nature had become much more subtle.

They walked over to part of the control room, where a huge head-up screen projected in front of them. On the screen displayed a top view of the Milky Way galaxy, overlaid with a mandala.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” said Arden, motioning to the stools around the almost featureless terminal.

An attendant brought out a tray of drinks and snacks.

“So, you said I was correct about not being the Guardian anymore,” said Elise, taking one of the drinks.

“Well, you could say there was a shift in the order of things when you became pregnant on your journey here.”

Elise choked a little on her drink. It tasted a bit like tea, but somehow different. “I thought so.”

Steve hugged her. “This is great news!” he exclaimed, grinning.

“Is the baby the new Guardian?” she asked.

“Yes. The unborn child has already played its first role here and helped to protect you against the Centurion, Resh.”

“You mean, the power of innocence,” said Sean.

“Yes,” said Arden.

“What’s this transition of the Martian Oracle all about, anyway?” asked Matsu.

“Good question. Look at the screen,” said Arden. The mandala that was overlaying the whole Milky Way changed to the subtle system.

“Same as on the Martian Oracle,” said Bernard.

“Yes. The subtle system is represented by all the deities that work through the Goddess, yet are very much part of her. They are very much part of us, too. As you’ve realised, your internal subtle system, countries and planets reside here, too.

“The Realm Keepers represent the deities through the realms. As you know, the Guardians have access to these powers any time.” The mandala came back on the screen. “The God and the Goddess reside in the mandala through these nine interlocking triangles.

“Look more closely at this mandala on the screen, and you will notice that these nine triangles interlock to make up forty-three smaller triangles. These quadrants are where other Planetary Oracles reside, the same as Mars. There are also nine Planetary Oracles in each quadrant.”

“Wow!” said Elise. “So the nine interlocking triangles represent the Guardians?”

“Yes,” said Arden. “And other universal powers.”

“What’s your role?” asked Sean.

“In the Galactic Council I’m referred to as the Tenth Guardian.”

“You must travel a lot,” said Elise.

“My God, how fast does this ship travel?” asked Bryan. Arden grinned.

“I’m not quite clear on one thing,” said Marie. “How is this related to our transformation forty years ago?”

“In very simple terms, back then the subtle system within you was completely freed from the dominion of the Shadows. Now, the subtle system of this solar system, the Planetary Oracle, has been freed from the Shadows.”

“They can’t enter our solar system anymore?” asked Elise.

“Correct.” Arden pointed to the small triangle, with Mars at the centre. Most of it was now shaded white. “You’ve all made a huge impact.”

“So, the Shadows in orbit are gone?” asked Bryan

“It was immediate,” said Arden, not elaborating further.

“Sounds painful,” said Elise. “So how exactly would the Martian Oracle have been compromised if the Shadows had succeeded?”

“If they had succeeded like they’d done before, they would have had access to Earth and possibly any part of this quadrant they desired.”

“From the realm of forgiveness?” asked Sean. "I take it they can't cross this portal.”

“It’s called the ‘Great Juncture’. It’s where the left and the right ways meet,” said Arden. “Only transformed individuals can cross there."

The screen suddenly changed to a view outside. Sirek was trying to get to his feet.

“That Shadow is still alive!” said Marie apprehensively.

“I thought Resh had killed him!” said Elise.

“He's not a Shadow anymore,” said Arden.

A couple of Caldon officers went outside and brought Sirek inside. They laid him down on a couch a little way from where they all sat. Everyone walked over to him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” muttered Sirek, coughing and spluttering. “They made me do it!” A translation of his language came through the Oracle.

“You are forgiven,” said Arden, placing his hand on Sirek’s chest and neck. Sirek settled down immediately and took a drink that an attendant passed him.

“Where are you from?” asked Marie. “You look a little bit Indian.”

“I’m from Udicia,” said Sirek. “I was a soldier in the Tyronian Liberation Army, until Lord Resh assigned me to this special mission.”

“Where’s Udicia?” asked Elise, looking at Arden. Arden touched a terminal close by and the same screen came up.

“See the dark patch still left in your quadrant. The Shadows have a very strong hold on the planet in this region.”

“That’s Alpha Centauri!” said Elise, excitedly.

“Yes,” said Arden. “And I’ve just been updated. The Goddess is just starting her work there. The transformation of Udicia has only just begun.”

***