Part 18: INTERLUDE: FIRST SON OF DARKNESS

Larthop had reached the bottom of the stairs and followed the narrow corridor chiseled out of the rock. The corridor was part of a burial site. Catacombs left by the same civilization that built the city now in ruins around the statue. Not many knew of these catacombs and he knew Union Xeno Archaeologistswould give their eyeteeth to examine this place. There were alcoves in the walls and in it the dry rotten bundles and shapes of a dead semi humanoid species. This was unimportant to him and he had no intention to speak to the dead. He made many turns, descended several stairs and finally reached a larger room, dozens of candles and lanterns had been placed around a small version of the huge statue. It was cruder and made of rock instead of indestructible Uni metal. For most the path ended here and the members of a secretive sect worshiped this statue, but not to him. He approached the statue reached around its back and pulled a hidden lever. The sound of sand grinding over rock followed almost immediately and part of the seemingly solid rock wall swung open. He passed through, used his Psionics to push the door shut. He had covered almost two more miles of narrow corridors, before he emerged in a cave, with a smooth Uni Metal floor. A small band of a different, whitish glowing material formed a perfect spherical ring around a hip high metal column in the center. He dropped his golden robe, revealing his black cloak with the white skull on his chest and stepped onto the Uni Metal platform. Then he waited patiently until the sun above aligned with the mountain hole and the statue. While somewhere above him pilgrims bathed in the light, a shadowy figure appeared next to the column. It had no real substance.It spoke to him with a hollow ghostly voice. “You come again, Saresii. Speak then, the Brotherhood awaits your reports.”

“I was unsuccessful obtaining the Narth. He died in the attempt. No other Narth was near to receive and save the Hughavh.”

“This is unfortunate, yet significant. Narth can be killed.”

“I was the only non Narth ever to dwell among them. Their reputation is far exaggerated. All that lives can die. Is that not the very essence of the Master, he being one with The Antiforce of life?”

The shadowy apparition did not answer Larthop’s question but asked one instead.”Have the Kermac successfully retrieved the disc form that world called Koken? Have you been successful taking it from them?”

“The Kermac agents that were part of the scheme to secure the services of a high ranking Union officer, abandoned his quest to go to Koken to do so. Only later I obtained intelligence that the very world, the planet called Koken is now under Union control. I wager the Kermac do not like this situation and there is no doubt they have plans and schemes in motion to rectify that. I do not know how it is achieved or what it is exactly, but the Kermac issued ‘the Call’. It appears they do have the means to call and control the Y’All.”

“The warriors created by the Crucible are formidable and tools of those who do not want to see the resurrection of the Master.Bring this Kermac before us, so we may learn how they control the warriors of Crea’s agents.”

“That Kermac agent perished during that mission. However I have contacts to the Kermac MOI and will attempt to bring you a Wizard for questioning.”

“Do this and we will reward you. Now it is you who must venture to Koken and retrieve the disc. For it is the key to finding all the token of power.It also will summon the Dualix.”

“It will be difficult. The Planet is, as I told you under Union control. Union authorities know what they found. I am not a member of the military.” Larthop sighed. “But I find a way and it will be done.”

“We expected no other response.Now speak to us about that human. The one that befriended a Narth. Has he been captured so we may question him?”

“The plan is in motion. I have the bait and the place and soon he will be yours. However I think you will be disappointed, the human is a simpleton of a very primitive world. He will not yield what youb seek. He is not what you hope he is.”

“Explain.”

“The reports of the friendship are simply false and born out of human perspective. Narth have no such concepts. Friendship is based on emotions. Narth do not have emotions. However my research showed that the dimwitted Neo Viking has an uncle that is the representative to his world. For reasons unknown he made friends with the First among the Saresii and both of them often talk to the Narth representative. The Narth reprsentative only seeks this contact to study and learn how to interact with humans, no doubt.There never was a Narth representative before, he is theb first one.