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2024-10-29 19:42:56CHAPTER 71
When they finally arrived at the house, the foggy dust had gone down, leaving behind rubbles and shattered roofs and ceilings. The once elegant structure that had stood in the middle of the compound some minute ago, was down on its feet, with nothing to suggest how magnificent it once was. Carlos could not calm his racing heart as they watched the ruins before them. Too many thoughts went through his head, thoughts that came pouring with so many vague pictures. What had happened? Were they under attack? Who had placed an explosive in their house?
His eyes searched the parameters, there was not a single soul. The garden stretched on the four hands of the compound, colorful leaves dancing with the gentle wind and the lush vitality from the sun. There was a small path on the east wind, which broke out to the main road. The gate was locked. They had been in the garden all day
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ELIXA CHAPTER 72
The sun was still hanging on the other side of the world when Len announced that they would camp for the night. Damian had argued with his decision pointing to the light of the sun that still created enough detail over the horizon. But Len had a better reason for choosing the forest. He explained that it would be best to stay within the shades of the forest, with the night to hue them from the eyes of the Darkeel than to wander out of the forest only to camp in an unknown open field. Of course, the Founders were not afraid of the Darkeel—and neither did the Darkeel—both parties would avoid each other at all cost, but that did not quench the fact that they were sworn enemies and could butcher each other if the need arose. The cause of the problem was still a piece which Damian doubted he would be able to fix in a very long time. Both Darkeel and The Founders were just too irritating for his liking. They could go ahead and kill themselves over some quarrel that was about a thousand year
ELIXA CHAPTER 73
“What were you thinking? You should put those tongues of yours in the right place before you get yourself into trouble.” Catherine was saying as they finally walked back into the tent. Vick, Ygon and Meyla were no longer in the tent, which was a surprise because they had not left the tent ever since. For fear of the Founders. Catherine had also heard a whisper from Ygon as she narrated her concern to her friend. To Ygon, the founders reminded her of the Darkeel, and she had vowed to remain within the tent until the first light before they decided to leave the Founder’s camp. But where in the nine Rings were they?“Kristen Is my friend.”“Oh yeah, one you just met some hours ago.”“No,” Damian shook his head, “I understand your co
ELIXA CHAPTER 74
It was the morning hours of the fifth month, three years since she left the safety of her home, to find solace in the confines of the wall. Three years was short, yet not a day has passed without her staring blankly at the calendar, wishing that the date could run fast enough. That they had refused her visit from her father in her second year had added more salts to her injury. She was homesick and needed to get as far away from these walls as possible. The things she once found exciting had become boring and flat. From her training to her class exercise. It was a repetition, everything. The same books, the same songs, the same training and the same people. It was all a repetition, an endless cycle of stupidity and foolishness. It’s no wonder why some of the students were beginning to commit suicide. Some of them had been told they were not good enough. And the environment is not encouraging either. It would be a miracle to find a
ELIXA CHAPTER 75
EVERYTHING IS PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL when seen from a different perspective. From this vintage, Nina could see everywhere and everything at the same time. The world rose and fell, mountains, metals, forests, hills and valleys, buildings and every structure that made up the earth. They were all tiny in her eyes, a fragment that depicts how fragile the world could be. From this level, she could also see the vast water bodies that stretched from Bel Haven to the far side of Ekron and then disappeared when they got to Fair Haven, just some distance from Freetown, her school. The sun also walked on everything and everywhere, but began to fade towards the far side of the world, towards the direction of the weeping wall. It was strange and amazing at the same time, especially since the contrast gave the world a color that made it beautiful and charming."What are these purple smokes in the air?"
ELIXA CHAPTER 76
The smell of alcohol continued to hang in the air, giving the room a hospital whiff. Tina sat on the chair nearby and was tending to Carlos' wound again. Their fight with the gang members had not gone without a scratch. She had a little cut on her shoulder, but it was a flesh wound. Carlos was the one in a critical state. He had been shot on his left side and had lost too much blood. She would have taken him to the hospital, but that would be risky as it would only lead to questions being asked. And he was a wanted man. A notorious criminal. Tina had taken off the bullet. She had masterfully stitched them some days earlier and now she was removing the wire on the suture to avoid infection. Carlos could not say if she had worked in the hospital or the army. She had perfected the skill so much that he was barely feeling any pain. How was she doing it? Carlos hissed, looking the other way. He hadn't asked the girl where she had gathered the skill. He was not going to ask her, maybe anot
ELIXA CHAPTER 77
“My brother?” Carlos repeated. The words were resonating in his ears and caused the hair on his skin to stand. What does she mean? Was this some kind of joke? Was Tina trying to play with his intelligence? His brother was dead. He had been dead for over twenty years now. There had been no news. And he was sure his brother had died since he had searched for him for ten years. What kind of trick was Tina trying to pull?“We found him,” She added, and slowly slouched on the seat. There was sadness on the edges of her skin as if she had said something she was not meant to say. “I was sent to find you as well. That’s why I had taken the position of the waitress in the pub, knowing that you would be there at the right time.”“That’s absurd, Tina. I rarely go to that pub.” Carlos’ eyebrow
ELIXA CHAPTER 78
It was the evening of the tenth day, three weeks after they had left the arena back in Terah. The party continued to match through the world of dust and heat, hoping to get to the other side of the desert before nightfall. There was no forest as far as the eyes could see, just the dune of dust, stretching towards the horizon until they were almost touching the gray clouds. The sun kept sitting over their heads, but its heat had become soft in their touch, posing no threat to their travels. There has been a time when there were about two moons and one sun, all appearing at the same time. It had come as a surprise to Damian, even though the founders happened to be unfazed by the change at that time. According to Catherine, she had claimed that they were not on earth, and were on an undisclosed planet, whose activity affected the universe at large. Damian was finding it hard to believe, especially since they had told him his brother was he
ELIXA CHAPTER 79
Home to the founders was carved inside the body of a tree trunk, large that it could contain three aeroplanes if placed side by side. There were at least sixty-two such trees and counting. Green and vitality canopy the roof, creating shadows on the streets below. Somehow, it had been miraculously arranged to fit as a wall on the entrance, while forming a circle inside what they had called a city. Well, it was indeed a city. Aside from the house of trees and their trunk, the Founders seem to have a taste of civilization. There were traffic lights, music, tiled magnetic road and advanced electric billboards. Hover cars and Bostrich roamed the streets as they transport the citizens to their various destinations. There were hovering skateboards as well, each circulating the sky and from this distance, they looked like flies on metal cars. The cars were unique and were different from those back in Bel Haven. Its body was a circle ring, stream
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
