The Fredorian Destiny: Book 2 of the Evaran Chronicles Read online

  Evaran adjusted his utility handle, which now glowed a dim gold with a silver tip at the end. He ran out and dismantled the statues, one by one, attacking them in a flurry of strikes. The statues did not reassemble. It took Evaran several minutes, but the statues to the front and side were defeated. Emily handled the ones that came from the rear. Dr. Snowden cringed behind her.

  One of the statues had come within range of Andia, and her weapon fire dismantled it. The statue did not regenerate. She looked at Emily. “Oh, now my weapon has an effect.”

  Dr. Snowden shuddered as he watched the statue crumble. Something about the shields and energy in the rods must be disrupting whatever was animating these statues. He sighed once all the statues were down. “What the heck were those things and where did—”

  A small, circular, slanted opening appeared under each of them, causing them to slide down their respective holes.

  Dr. Snowden could feel the smooth slide twisting and turning in the dark. He saw V had flown into the tunnel with him and was scanning ahead. He reached out to try to stop, but it was like the surface of the slide was coated with oil. The PSD was tumbling around with him. After a few moments of sliding, he was launched a few feet from where the hole exited from a stone wall. The PSD launched out after him and hit him in the back.

  The hole closed up after V flew out. He realized he was not going to be able to crawl back up that way. Looking around, he saw Emily, Evaran, and Andia a few feet from their now-closing holes. He stood up and dusted off his jacket and then picked up his PSD. After opening it, he noticed there were several other defense options to choose from, but the rod icon was highlighted. Pressing it caused the rod to retract into the PSD. He was unsure how it had the space to do that, but it did. Shaking his head, he walked over to the others. “Well, that was interesting.”

  In the distance, a voice shouted out.

  Emily’s eyes widened. “Rakar!”

  Andia jerked her head back. “How can you tell? I can barely hear anything.”

  “Voice analyzed. It is Rakar,” said V.

  They hustled over to where Rakar was calling from.

  Dr. Snowden noticed the rocky cavern they were in was massive. It was like a portion of a meadow had been sliced off and plopped down. The grass under his feet was wet, and as they approached Rakar’s voice, he could hear running water. The cavern was well lit, as if a miniature sun was shining down on them. They came upon Rakar standing underneath a large tree next to a small creek.

  “Glad to see you all,” said Rakar, smiling.

  They assembled around Rakar. Evaran scanned the tree and surrounding area. “This area is unusual. Have you seen anything?”

  Rakar shook his head. “No. Been wandering around for a bit, seems empty. I appeared naked, and then my armor and weapon appeared a minute later.”

  They jumped as a face formed on the tree’s trunk. It smiled at them. “It’s not that empty.”

  Rakar stepped forward and pulled out his weapon.

  Evaran stepped up and half turned his head toward Rakar while gesturing with his hand down. “If this is whom we seek, then that will not be necessary.”

  The face in the tree smiled. “I agree. Allow me to introduce myself.” The face disappeared for a moment and then a male humanoid consisting of twisted wood strips stepped out of the tree. The humanoid tilted his head and snapped his wooden fingers. In a quick flash, the wooden body turned into flesh and blood. He was naked, with fair skin, black hair, and golden eyes. The humanoid bowed. “I am Maxilogoraxifintocolosta. You can call me Max for short.”

  Dr. Snowden’s lips turned down, and his face turned red. He pointed up. “Were you responsible for all that nonsense above?”

  Max put a hand out. “I was. However, before we continue—” Max laughed. “Oh, I forgot. Humanoids are shy about nudity. Been a while since I took this form. Unless everyone prefers this.”

  Emily and Andia shook their heads.

  “Very well.” Max snapped his fingers, and a gray featureless suit formed on his body. “Better?”

  Emily half smiled. “Much. Thank you.”

  Max nodded. He gestured, and a round table with chairs appeared before them. He signaled toward the chairs. “Please, sit.”

  They all pulled up a chair and sat around the table.

  Dr. Snowden did not know what to make of Max. He could see that Max was able to create things and manipulate the environment at will. He wondered if Max had anything to do with the paralyzing fear he experienced earlier.

  Max waved his hand at them. “Intriguing … I can’t sense any of you. I thought maybe it was a fluke, but I am certain now. However,” he said, pointing at Rakar, “him, I can feel. I teleported him down and had to resort to using the environment to bring the rest of you down.”

  Dr. Snowden paused for a moment, then tapped at his shield generator on his belt. “It’s because of these. You couldn’t penetrate the shield. Rakar didn’t have one, and Evaran would’ve had a natural shield around him. Otherwise he would’ve had a shield generator device as well.”

  Andia tilted her head at Dr. Snowden. “How’d you figure that out?”

  Dr. Snowden shook his head. “I don’t know. It just popped in my mind.” He shot a look at Evaran.

  Max put his hand on his chin. “Interesting.”

  Evaran narrowed his eyes. “Agreed. Very interesting.”

  Dr. Snowden pushed up his glasses as he looked at Max. “Why didn’t you just appear when we were at the entrance instead of doing all that smoke and mirrors?”

  Max eased back into his chair and laced his fingers. “I could have, but when I can’t sense someone,” he said, gesturing at Evaran, “that usually means trouble. I had no idea who you were or what you wanted. So I observed your reactions. You were in no danger.”

  Emily tilted her head. “You were the statue outside.”

  Max chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to catch that. Your attention to detail surprises me.” He rubbed his chin. “The fact that you all are here means you got past the deathlight. That means your group must have some power. Do you blame me for being cautious?”

  “The deathlight?” asked Rakar.

  Max turned toward Rakar. “Ahh, the Kreagan. You refer to it as the great selector. My kind refers to them as the deathlights.”

  “You imply there is more than one.”

  “Well, of course I do,” said Max. He laughed. “Oh, right. Kreagans think there is one. No, no. They are a species, just like you and me. They just tend to be a bit more advanced.”

  Rakar pulled his head back and narrowed his eyes. “I have never heard of them referred to in that manner before, but I also have no way of verifying if what you say is true. Why do you refer to them as deathlights?”

  “Because that’s what they are. They dispense death and are made of some type of energy resembling light that I can’t seem to interact with. They massacred my kind without hesitation. I believe I am the last due to them.”

  “There must be a good reason they attacked you. They bring life, not destroy it.”

  Max chuckled. “You lack the level of awareness that I do, so you couldn’t know.”

  Emily looked at the ground for a moment, then looked at Max. “You’re a matter mage.”

  Max paused in contemplation as he looked at Emily. “I have been called that. Again, I’m surprised.”

  Dr. Snowden studied Emily. He wondered if the nanobots were doing something to him and Emily. “Yeah, I’m surprised as well.”

  “He was able to create this table and chairs out of thin air. He could create holes through the rock that sealed themselves up. It makes sense,” said Emily, gesturing at the table.

  Max eyed Emily. “Where’d you hear that term?”

  “We ran across someone who confused Evaran with one,” said Emily, pointing at Evaran.

  Max scrutinized Evaran. “Yes. I could see that. I guess to those sensitive to detecting energy signatures, we would appear somewhat simi
lar. Speaking of which, what are you, exactly?”

  “A traveler helping those in need,” said Evaran. He pointed at Andia. “In this case, I am helping Andia Kiggs find the lost Arkaron crystals. The information broker said you had knowledge of them.”

  “The Arkaron? How interesting. And what of the information broker? What do you know of him?”

  “We have something for you.” Evaran reached into the storage container on his side and pulled out the locket that the information broker had given to him. He tossed it to Max.

  The locket hovered in midair when it came near Max. Max rotated the locket as he scrutinized it. After a moment, his eyes blinked slowly, and he smiled. “Ahh, a message. Haven’t seen him in a while. I can’t seem to transmit or receive communications past a light-year. Usually he flies within range to send me something before being chased away by the deathlight. It could easily catch him if it wanted to, but it doesn’t, which makes no sense.” He turned toward Evaran. “He says you’re friends. That’s unusual for him. He doesn’t have any friends except for me. I’m curious, how did you get past the deathlight?”

  “I talked with it via touch,” said Evaran.

  Max sat on the edge of his seat as his eyes widened. “You … touched it?”

  “I did.”

  Max sat back in his chair with narrowed eyes. He then sat forward and clasped his hands while resting his elbows on the table. He perched his head atop his hands and gazed at Evaran. “You must be more powerful than you’re letting on. Touching a deathlight and being invisible to me, those are powerful abilities. If a deathlight touches me, I cease to exist.”

  “Why are they hunting you?” asked Rakar.

  Max paused for a moment and then gestured at the table. A mini planet appeared over it. “Let me ask you this. If a planet, such as the one hovering over the table now, had primitive life evolving that was not humanoid, would you interfere with its evolution?”

  Rakar snorted. “The great selector did for us and many other humanoids.”

  Max nodded. “Yes, they did. My kind wanted life to evolve naturally, not artificially. A philosophical difference, really. We opposed them destroying life to create humanoids. They would send large asteroids toward a planet to wipe out any life that wasn’t humanoid and had advanced past a certain stage. For the planets just starting out, they would send asteroids with life there, then guide it to a humanoid form.”

  Dr. Snowden put his hand on his chin. “Panspermia, the belief that our planet was seeded with life from the stars. We also had a large asteroid hit our planet, wiping out most life, and letting mammals evolve. Are you suggesting our planet was guided by the great selector?”

  Max shrugged. “It could’ve been. I’m not aware of your planet, but your description sounds like they were involved to some degree. As a matter mage, I would have stopped any asteroid artificially sent to eradicate life. That apparently was not acceptable to the deathlights. Do you wonder why I’m not surprised that five humanoids are before me now?”

  Dr. Snowden squinted while blinking rapidly. What Max was saying made sense. The great selectors, while helpful to humanoids everywhere it seemed, must have wiped out many other attempts for life to evolve naturally. “So why are you here, then?”

  “I can take on a pure energy form to travel the stars. The deathlights can move faster than me, although I’m not sure how. If I leave, I die. The fact that you saw it on the way in means it is still out there watching. They knew I was watching the life on this planet evolve, so they sent an asteroid. I dematerialized it. They sent a larger one. Almost the size of a moon. Then they chased me away. The asteroid was too big and knocked the planet out of orbit, and here we are. All life was extinguished. I guess they were not selected. I do not know why they don’t come after me. They know I am here,” said Max.

  Evaran placed his hands in front of him, touching at the fingertips. “Interesting. It would appear they want you alive for something.”

  “That’s my guess, but for what, who knows. I can’t even talk with them, not that I would want to.”

  Rakar dipped his head and looked at Max. “You speak a terrible tale, but I have no way of verifying it. The outside environment doesn’t look like an asteroid hit it.”

  Max waved his hand. “Of course not. I can refashion the environment, but not life itself. Sure, I can create replicas, but they aren’t alive. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is you want something from me. What do you offer in exchange?”

  “Knowledge,” said Evaran.

  Max slowly circled a hand. “Go on …”

  Evaran pulled off his UIC and put it on the table.

  Max raised a hand toward it. His eyes popped. “This was created by my kind. It’s a universal interface card. How’d you get this?”

  “It was a gift from a colony of matter mages I helped long ago and far away.”

  “Where!”

  “It seems we have something to exchange.”

  Max sighed. “Well, even knowing where it is won’t help me.”

  “Then we can take you there.”

  “The deathlights can sense me, even on a ship.”

  “They cannot sense you on my ship, just as you cannot sense those of us with shielding similar to my ship.”

  Max swallowed hard and licked his lips. “You take me to this colony, and I will tell you everything you need to know about the lost Arkaron crystals.”

  “Your proposal is acceptable.”

  Max smiled. “It’s done, then. Let’s head to your ship. Hold on to your seats.” He waved his hand, and the ground beneath them lifted into the air. The platform floated toward the wall that they had slid through. Max gestured at the wall, and a hole opened, slanting up. The platform ascended through the hole, eventually arriving outside the structure, near the stairway. The platform descended and then landed near the Torvatta.

  Max stood up and scrutinized Evaran. “Are you sure the deathlight out there won’t be able to detect me?”

  Evaran nodded. “I am.”

  They all got up from their chairs and walked to the Torvatta’s ramp.

  Max waved his hand at the Torvatta. “Amazing. It’s like it’s not even there. How is this possible?”

  Evaran smiled. “You can control most matter within a certain radius that originated within this universe. If you cannot control—”

  Max cut him off. “Of course! It’s not of this universe!” He bit his upper lip. “That would mean you are not of this universe. Very interesting.”

  Dr. Snowden studied Max. It fascinated him that beings like Max existed. It was even more fascinating watching Evaran and Max interact. He wondered how Max could control matter, yet not make life. What was his natural state? Maybe Evaran would fill him in on it when he had time. Max’s conclusion at least shed some light on Evaran’s true nature. He looked at Andia and Rakar. Their faces gave away that they were trying to digest what they heard.

  Evaran turned and walked up the ramp.

  Once inside the shielding, Max waved his hand. “Unbelievable. I can’t sense anything now.” He slapped Rakar on the back and smiled. “I’m just like you now!”

  “Yeah you are. C’mon,” said Rakar, smirking while gesturing up the ramp.

  Once inside, they headed to the front. Evaran took his seat at the command chair, while Rakar and Max joined a startled Silva. Dr. Snowden, Emily, and Andia sat on the right side. V had flown into the maintenance rooms and emerged in body mode. He walked over to the front console and interacted with it.

  “Who exactly is this?” asked Silva, gesturing at Max.

  “Someone who can help us,” said Rakar.

  Silva snorted. “Great. Just what this venture needs.”

  Max smiled. “Ahh, that is the type of Kreagan I’m used to.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re arrogant. Do you not see this?”

  Silva shook his head.

  The Torvatta took off and ascended into the air. Aft
er a few moments, they were in space. An object appeared on the screen in a faint outline.

  “Approaching signature matches that of the great selector,” said V.

  Max drew his lips flat. “A true test, then.” He looked at Evaran. “I hope your ship is faster than that deathlight.”

  Silva peered at Max. “Why do you call it that?”

  Rakar waved his hand in the air. “We’ve already been over this. Had you come along with us, you would know.” He nodded at Max.

  Silva snorted.

  Evaran half smiled. “Speed is not needed. V, take us to these coordinates.” He tapped at his ARI.

  “Acknowledged.”

  The Torvatta shot a gold beam out, and a portal opened up. The Torvatta flew through it and exited above a barren rocky world.

  Max’s eyes widened. “You’re a rift traveler.”

  Evaran shook his head. “Not quite.”

  The Torvatta descended through the cloud cover and approached an outcropping midway up a cliff. As the Torvatta landed, a crack in the cliff wall appeared. Two male humanoids and one female humanoid walked out.

  Evaran stood up and gestured toward the entrance. “Come.”

  Everyone except Silva followed Evaran out of the Torvatta. Once down the ramp, the female humanoid ran toward Evaran and hugged him. “Back so soon?” She cracked a smile at the rest.

  Evaran half smiled. “It has been over twenty years from my perspective. I have with me a friend, from the Milky Way galaxy.” He extended his left hand, and his ring projected an image of the Milky Way. He gestured at Max to step forward with his other hand.

  Max drooped his head as he approached the humanoids. He trembled as a tear ran down his face.

  The female humanoid walked up to Max and hugged him. “You’re among your own kind now. You’re safe here.”

  Max wiped the tear from his face. He stepped back and shook hands with the other two humanoids. He turned toward Evaran. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “You can by telling us about the lost Arkaron crystals.”

  Max nodded vigorously. “Oh, right! Let me see your UIC.”