Victernus - Chapter 30
The alien birds of the strange new planet welcomed the trio in the morning, singing their hollow songs happily. Evergreen trees covered in a light snow that had just begun to fall surrounded them. Small and red luminescent plants sprouted out of the ground under the trees, giving off a little bit of light. Ahead of the group, a few reddish elk-like creatures roamed the forest, unafraid of them. Namara saw the creatures and then glanced back at Athius and Gala. They were holding hands tightly, seemingly trying to give each other some warmth. Seeing this, Namara repositioned himself behind them and then took both of their shoulders, bringing them close to his fur. He said, "Here, this'll help you guys a little..." Gala smiled and got close to him, "Thanks." He continued, "Now, are you guys hungry at all? I could probably kill one of those animals over there." Athius raised an eyebrow, "I am, but is that safe? I've never eaten an animal before..." Namara smiled and nodded, "People did that all the time before New Selania. I don't particularly like killing animals, but we might have to if we're going to survive - especially if this is winter." "Oh, I see..." Letting go of them, he directed, "Why don't you guys try starting a small fire? I'll go get one of the animals, and then we can roast it." Athius sighed and thought about how he would carry out his request. He replied, "Alright, we'll think of something. You go do your thing." "Okay, I will," Namara said as he headed away from them, trekking deeper into the forest. He searched for the way that the animals had gone while still paying close attention to his surroundings - in the case that there was something bigger that was waiting for him. Fortunately, he didn't feel so afraid of this. The birds continued in their songs, the snow continued to fall, and the sun rose slowly behind the clouds above. The only thing that bothered him was the pain of losing his family, which he tried to shroud with making a better one for Athius and Gala. The broken branches and leaves that were on the ground crunched under Namara's feet. Ahead, he saw three of the elk-like creatures eating the glowing plants under the trees. He crept closer, hanging onto the bottom of a tree to give him cover. One of them raised its head from eating and then stared straight at him, only to bend back down and keep eating. Namara widened his eyes as he remembered that they hadn't ever been hunted by him before. He felt bad about the possibility of him taking a life of a creature that didn't realize he was dangerous. Before he could advance any further, he heard a lightly-toned whirring sound coming from where Athius and Gala were. Concerned, he ran back through the forest, dodging trees left and right. When he reached the edge of the forest, he saw a small black space ship hovering over the field. A man was beside it, speaking with the couple. He had short, white hair and intense blue eyes, and was clothed in some kind of blue body armor that was fitted to his seven-foot-tall body. He was strangely familiar to Namara, but he couldn't tell from where. Namara left the edge of the forest and came out into the field, approaching them innocently. He wanted to know who he was, but before he managed to say anything, the man pointed a gun at him and
fired. And once again, he fell unconscious.
Athius shouted, "What was that for?" The man, who had introduced himself as King Drac, answered, "It was necessary. I understand that you are in need of shelter, and I can supply that for you on my planet, Valikon. Namara, as you call him, will be taken to the Council to be tried." Gala glanced back at Namara and asked, "Tried? What has he done?" Drac sighed, "That is not my business to understand. Please, both I and the Volnar would like to help you. I will take you to Valikon if you wish." Athius watched Gala to see how she reacted, and then said, "I don't think we have much of a choice at this point. If you're taking Namara, we won't really know how to survive out here." Drac nodded, "I know. Please, feel free to climb aboard my ship. I will carry Namara." He proceeded to walk past them and haul Namara over his shoulder like he was weightless. Athius took Gala's hand and said, "Come on... Maybe this will be good for us." He led her into the open hatch in the side of the ship and then waited for the alien king to come along with them. With Namara over his shoulder, Drac stepped up into the ship and then laid him down beside the two. He reached back and pressed a button that was near the opening. The mechanical hatch made a faint buzzing noise as it closed. Before heading to the cockpit, he assured them, "Do not be afraid. The Volnar will take care of you as best they can." Athius nodded and sat in the small cargo section of the ship with Gala. He replied, "Thanks." Drac smiled and then left them there. There was a small window on the floor where they could see the planet still. A few seconds after they got settled, they saw that the planet appeared to be getting smaller and smaller beneath them. Some part of Athius felt like he was leaving something behind, but the majority was unified in one notion: that he had finally found a place to belong. He sat beside Gala and put his arm around her, assuring her that everything would be alright. Gala sighed and placed her arm behind his back, feeling the deep scars that his dad had left him. She felt a little bit of pity for him as she traced them with her hand softly. Overcome by a sense of fullness, she rested close to him and nodded off to sleep in his
arms.
Several hours later, King Drac stood on a balcony that overlooked the city he ruled. Greenish-blue buildings rose out of a mountainside, and at the very bottom were sandy beaches that welcomed the ocean in. It was sunset, and the green-colored sun cast its beautiful rays on his face. Namara was propped over his shoulder, resting quietly. He turned to Athius and Gala, who were standing behind him together, and said, "This is what I will give you. I know it cannot compensate for what you have lost, but it is all I can do now. I will assign an assistant to you who will help you learn of our ways, and then after that, whatever you want to do is up to you." Athius smiled, "I guess we'll see what happens then. It will be enough for now... I can't speak for the future, but I am grateful. Gala?" She agreed and looked over the vast city before her, "I think so too. But..." She focused on Drac, "Please make sure that Namara is tried rightly. He is our friend." Drac fumbled with a ring on his finger and said, "I cannot make any promises, but I will do what I can. Take care, the both of you." When he finished speaking, he pressed down on the top of the ring. His surroundings dissolved around him and were replaced with a different scene. He stood alone with Namara in a city made of thin sandstone that was built into a land full of waterfalls. Exotic trees were scattered along the untouched ground below. He himself was under a canopy on a platform raised high above the ground, but still lower than the closest waterfall. A small beige cot rested below the canopy, held up by wooden sticks. He laid Namara in it and then watched the sleeping werewolf briefly. He knew what had happened, but he was not in a position to save him - despite being the king of the Volnar. It was a tough place to be in. He scanned for the closest tower and then walked along the edge of his platform, heading for the Council as he had done so many times before. But, never before had he felt sympathy for what the Council considered to be a murderer. Shaking his head at these thoughts, he stepped up on to a bridge that led him across the river and straight into the tower. The tower rose up for hundreds of feet, and contained within was the group who decided the fate of countless billions. A great wooden door carved with the orbits, planets, and sun of the system that Valikon resided in marked the entrance to the tower. Drac pulled both doors open and stepped into the colossal room. Three Volnar dressed in white robes with golden trim stood in a half-circle, facing Drac as he walked in. Above them were hundreds of others, looking down at them from the edges of the tower. The only light was in the immediate area of the three, leaving the others in darkness. Drac spoke solemnly, "Council of the Seers, Namara has arrived." The hooded woman in the center asked, "Where is he?" Her voice resounded throughout the tower, and the Volnar along the walls - known as the Echoes - repeated her question so that Drac would be overwhelmed with sound. He waited for the sound to cease before continuing in annoyance, "Arch Seer, he is unconscious right now, and is recovering. He has accomplished what you have set him out to do. What is your plan for him now?" The lady replied, "I sense compassion in your bones. You wouldn't give that to a murderer, would you?" Drac tightened his lips and then spoke, "He has done nothing wrong. His actions do not stain his conscience like the others. He will not understand his punishment, if that is what you wish to give him." She shook her head, "We make no exceptions to what has already been set into law." The Echoes funneled their voices down again, "No exceptions." He growled in frustration, "When will you stop destroying entire societies like this?! It is senseless! We have only one enemy. If you get rid of everyone else, the Volnar will be alone." The Arch Seer nodded, "This is what we plan to accomplish. The Imperial army has been a thorn in our side for as long as we can remember, and we must stop others from rising up. Every Volnar knows that we are the only race of beings capable of achieving true consciousness. The others must be put out so that we may all fulfill our destiny. Besides, we enjoy seeing the torment of the individuals who carry out these acts." A rage sparked within Drac, but he could not voice it without being shredded by the Echoes. He asked another question, "What choices does Namara have?" She smiled, "We have decided that he must either live out the rest of his days confined to the Realm of Smoke or as a slave to our people. His thoughts will be reduced to that of the creature he tried to become. Of course, to soothe your obvious affinity for this person, we will let him decide." Unable to think of a way to protest this without getting himself killed, he bowed and dismissed himself, "Then I will bring him here, and I will return when we are both ready. Farewell."