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2024-10-29 19:42:56If this were to be a town or city, then, The Grave of Orphans would have been the dumbest name in the entire Nine Rings. But now, it turns out to be a stream of wasteland, stretching towards the hands of the earth and lowering its ugly head as they gawk in mockery at anything that has life. Kristen has read some of the books in Freetown, this waste was once the birthplace of a powerful dynasty. The kingdom of the most feared creature in the history of the people. It used to be the center of tourism and the birth of the scientific world. She had even read somewhere that the tree of the Silverton, stood in the middle, and could be seen anywhere in the nine rings. Too bad all those wonderful tales have become an illusion, replaced now by sand and dust, with air so harsh it could almost choke. It was a clear definition of what greed and the quest for power could do to the world.
“Walk on th
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ELIXA CHAPTER 19
“Hunters!” Austin screamed as he hurried out of the deck. His hood floated away from his shoulders, as he drew out two pistols. “Men on me. Aim for the shining crystal.”Random feet followed his orders as they trampled the wooden floor. The gray hunter’s uniform marked their meanness and sturdy features. On their hands were guns of different shapes and designs, but mostly shaped like a P900.“The quickest way to die is to run away. Take courage and fight for your goddamn lives” Austin screamed again as he took position on the reel. His men followed his lead, waiting for the dust that kept rising to the heavens. Whatever was causing the sandstorm was not something anyone was taking lightly. Aaron had said something about not screaming or making a noise, but Damian was not so sure, since the man had hu
ELIXA CHAPTER 20
Silence passed from one end of the hall to the next, flushing its serenity on the face of the people who sat on the chairs, with their thoughts almost crawling on the marbled floor. They were eight in number, men and women, each an ambassador of their country. While their skin color gave the distinction in race and language, their mode of dressing also stood as a unanimous code, buttressing the difference that now stood as one. They were the power of the kingdom, the very force that held the world and kept it from crumbling. No decision passed without their notice, and no law was made without their decision. From the far side of Caudlin to Bel Haven and to Emron itself. Northerners and Wetlanders. The only absent seat was the one whom nobody was talking about. Arthesia. Those highlanders had departed from the council a long time ago and had forgotten what it means to be in unity with their fellow men. They were regarded as outlaws, men who worshiped and ruled themselves.“Present your
ELIXA CHAPTER 21
Rodian rubbed his palms together before wiping them on his face. He picked the cup and watched from the corner of his eyes, the men on the table. They were studying him closely, waiting anxiously for his reply. But the ease that hung on his shoulders suggested that if they pushed him long enough, he might just tell them what they wanted to hear, truth or no, they would have to figure that out by themselves. George spread his hands on his chair back, smiling like a baby that had found its favorite toy. He wanted Rodian to fail, to displease the table and come crawling on his knees, asking for mercy. For all Nina could tell, their squabble went beyond the issues on the table. If gaze could kill, both men would have devoured each other from the beginning. As it were, only Rodian knew the height and limits of the current situation, maybe George too, it was difficult to ascertain, since th
ELIXA CHAPTER 22
Coming back had been a mistake. After what had happened twenty years ago, Carlos Stones never knew he would see this place again on such short notice. He had been forced to leave at first, having spent three years in jail, for a crime he knew nothing about. If his brother were here, he might as well call Carlos a fool for not picking the piece and learning from his past. Well, the good thing was that his brother was not here. Like the rest, he had disappeared with the wind, without a trace.Tugging down his hat, Carlos buried his hands into his pocket as he hurried through the boulevards. To say that it had rained cat and dog would be an exaggeration, the August rain had clearly picked a disturbing day to welcome him back to his hometown. However, he had somehow managed to avert them from drenching his coat despite having stayed on it for heaven knows how long. Men and women, children and ani
ELIXA CHAPTER 23
Carlos adjusted the hem of his collar, wondering if he should knock on the white door, or turn back and return to his apartment. Something at the back of his mind advised him not to proceed, that this was a bad idea. He should have at least thought it through instead of jumping to follow Beth’s instructions like an errand boy. He was not a dog, and certainly not a timid one.“Goddamn it” He rustled and bit his finger, turning away from the door.Yellow lights shown on the empty hallway, reflecting on the marbled floor and adding more grace to the white polished wall. This part of the pub was a private space, dedicated wholly to the Red Heron. They had not told the landlord of course, but Mitch had been strict in his dealings and had warned the white-beard landlord that he was paying not only for the space but for the privacy as w
ELIXA CHAPTER 24
“This is experiment twenty-six. A new diverse means of making a toad immortal. If this works, then I would use the same method to make Elixa permanent. That way I can travel back in time, and bring my daughter into the present, keeping her alive and well and free from death” The tape recorder glided away from Claudius’s face as he hurried towards the boiling filament in the cylinder. Using his forceps, he picked the filament and dropped them onto the rack on the table. Steaming out from the filament was a greenish liquid, more viscous and heavier than water. “I will transfer project 26 into the subject.” He muttered under his masked face before slowly picking the filament and pouring out the content onto the toad that was in a laboratory flask. Shutting immediately the lid of the flask, Claudius took off his mask and protective google to observe the result.But for the color change—from brown to green—of the toad, there was no notable reaction. The liquid had also spluttered everywhe
ELIXA CHAPTER 25
It was two weeks since the incident with the maggot, four months since they set sail into this world of dust and nothing. Silence had been their constant companion, leaving the ship with nothing but its wail and complaint, carousing what should have been a serene journey. Nobody had said much about the maggot, or how they had miraculously saved their ship from capsizing. It was as though everyone was keeping their distance and was afraid to mention it. The captain had avoided Austin too, keeping his distance from the man that had almost fed him whole to the maggot. There had been a few injuries too, but no death was recorded. The few that had gone missing had been found after three to four days. But there were no deaths. Damian had heard Aaron discussing with Catherine some moment ago, even though they had spoken in a low tone, he could still guess that they were referring to the incident. Oddly enough, Damian had caught
ELIXA CHAPTER 26
Beth was right. Lucas, Mitch, and Alfred were not just loyal, they were an extension of his very body and would follow him to the grave if need be. He had not met Alfred and Lucas until he had met Mitch. The dark-haired man had grown in the streets. Carlos had met him one evening and had helped him with some of his dealings with some street thugs. Even though Mitch had claimed that he hadn’t needed help at that time, Carlos had helped him anyway and had saved his life when he was shot. That was the thread that had started their relationship. It had grown over the years like the bond of brothers. Alfred and Lucas had joined them afterwards and they had formed the Red Heron, with the help of Beth. While they had argued about it, Carlos could see the clear picture now. He had always tried to protect the men, to do things in a way that would not endanger their lives in any form. Yet, all his effort had been futile. And now, like every other thing he has, he has missed the only friends tha
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- ELIXA
CHAPTER 88
Catherine's muscles sang with fatigue as she hurried through the empty hallway. Her heart raced with her feet and her blood boiled within her veins. The urgency made her take the stairs, twice at a time. Amid the rustling voice of the wind, she could hear the mockery at the back of her head. The second bell had gone off, signaling the beginning of the cooling break for the inmates and the first shifts for the Wardens. It was their signal, the clue she and her friends had been waiting for.No, never. She thought. It was a trap. She should have known from the beginning. This was never going to work, the Shadowman knew their secrets and was waiting for them to make the first move. The plan had been a mistake all along.Catherine bit her under lips when she finally made it to the last floor. The door on the exit, brown and twice her size, stood
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 87
"What's his name," Catherine asked looking past the Founders on the field, towards the door standing on the far end."Drake." Vick breathed in before parting Catherine's shoulders, smiling in the process. " Don't worry, he is not worth your anger""How much does he know? How much did Damian reveal?""Don't get sick over that, Damian was smart to play the dumb game.""You are giving him a lot of credit, the deal was to remain quiet instead of revealing the one information that would probably get us killed.""Do be so mean. I thought you liked him""Yes I do, but not when he is dead. I like living creatures.""Hmm, someone got back their sense of humour."Catherine picked one of the cracked stones and dropped them into the wheelbarrow. The scorching sun had failed to hide under the forming cloud. It was sending merciless heat on the earth, almost shattering their skull. And the founders had not provided them with any water or shade.She needed to get away from this place, so sad Damian
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 86
Damian has never been to prison before, and he hadn't expected his first experience to be among wayward Founders whom society had rejected. Most of them stood tall, with veins trailing the sides of their long neck like tendrils of creeping plants. Their hands were pale and faces as dark as coal. The fairness of their skin was lost from the blistering heat of the sun, which left their skins in scales as a testimony of the sun's harshness. The wall of the prison stood in the far distance. Its edges were smooth and almost touching the cloud. It made Damian wonder if he was going to die here. There was no getting out. Nothing could save him and his friends. This was their doom and end. Unless Molhin and the council changed their mind, and he doubt that would happen anytime soon."Nobody mentioned prison would be this boring," Ygon said. She was the only one who is finding being locked up, funny.
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 85
"How can this be? All of it is impossible. It’s so absurd?" Nina fell on the couch, too tired to think. Her heart was aching and her world spun with confusion. It happened so fast. One moment she was delighted to be home, to be celebrating with her father the Emperor of the nine rings. And then, like a flash of lightning, it was all gone, replaced by a nightmare she had never had. How could this be? Where was good fortune when she needed it the most?"I don't have the answers you seek, Nina. But I must warn you, you must lie low, for now, everyone wants your head. They think you killed the Emperor." Rodian said unfazed by her sob and uneasiness."How can I possibly kill my father? It doesn't make sense.""Many would do that to ascend the throne. There is nothing man cannot do for the quest of pow
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 84
St. Vincent’s streets were the last place Carlos wanted to be. Coming here was a mistake, it has always been a misfit for him. The people and the air and the noise, all seemed off. He had never fit into society, not before and certainly not now. Everything about the street brought back old memories. On the shores of this very street, he had been abducted by the Garrison and sentenced to jail to rot there. It was a long time ago, about ten or so years before he formed the Red Heron crew. Yet, the memory and the need to breathe through an air pipe, instead of the normal, natural air, added more salt to his injuries. He hated the streets. The city itself was magnificent, with its silver tower almost touching the blue sky. Emron was the capital city of Bel Haven and the second most prosperous state in the entire Nine Rings. It was the seat of the Emperor, the home of wealth and power. A drawback to it, however, was the structure and la
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 83
Perfection was the best word to describe the event. From the procession to the people’s square, down to her very room. It was perfect. The last time she had seen so many people gathered together to celebrate her father was on his fiftieth birthday. She was so young then, but she could recall how everything had played out. It was a replica of today’s event, a cloned version of this one. The only missing piece was the presence of the Empress, her mother.Nina sighed and took the photograph sitting on the table. A smile appeared on her face without permission as her eyes studied the three people in the photo. Her father stood on the right and towered over them, and his younger version had a smile that Nina had never seen on him, ever since her mother passed on. The empress, a dark-haired woman, stood on the left and was laughing as well. Her bright eyes were wide and seemed to portra
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 82
CHAPTER 82Hope watched with satisfaction at the disarray in the people’s square. She was pleased with the ingenuity of her shadow man. Left to her, she would have sneaked behind and killed the emperor without the eyes of his guards. But the shadow man had done the perfect job. It had not only killed the Emperor but had played the Nina part well. It also used the people to create a diversion so it could get to the emperor. Causing a riot? Hope hadn’t seen that one coming. It was a great idea, one which Hope doubt she would have thought up herself. That riot had kept the garrison busy, leaving her Shadow to fight off the palace guards and the Firstborn. This was the best day of her life, one which she would celebrate for all eternity. Everything was falling in place. All her plans, it was just a matter of seconds.Her smile broadened when she heard the approaching footfal
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 81
Numerous hoverbikes and air shuttles covered the air as the parade continued through the streets. It was almost impossible to see the rays of the morning sun which sat in the sky like a yellow lens. The palace guards had taken the front and the rear, leaving the side and the middle to the able hands of the garrison. They were heavily armed, and their watchful eyes were attentive to pick out any possible threat. They kept watching the tall buildings, the streets and the crowd. It was the best they could do, they were the best in their jobs, and times like this call for their attention and professionalism. This was one of its kind. It was the golden jubilee of the Emperor, 50 years since he sat on the throne and ruled the nine rings with power and a rod of fire. Compared to his predecessors, he was an angel, but none of them had lived up to his age. None had sat on the throne this long and none had conquered more kingdoms or held so much p
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 80
The noise from the founders had quieted down, replaced now with a silence that could only be found in a ghost town. Even the courtroom looked empty and gloomy, from the tongue of light that created circular shadows. One look and one would think the room is empty; there were at least sixty-five thousand Founders who had gathered here, to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. According to Catherine, the founders had a legend and prophecy in their land. It was a lost legend that would shape their lives and restore the balance to their nation. But after so many years, some of them were beginning to lose hope in the prophecy. Some have called it a joke and would laugh it away whenever it was mentioned. That was the reason why so many believers were enthusiastic. The unbelievers, well, they still held that doubt in their faces. Nothing about them has changed much.Kristen sat among the audience, b
