Chapter 11: End of Thana Shoo

The words of the Pale Ones almost seemed to linger as a hushed silence took hold of the assembled Dai. It appeared everyone was waiting for the Cam’s response.

Completely out of character for a usual stern and serious Dai Than, Elf-Na grinned. It was an evil smile no doubt.

“And I intend to do just that, but not in the arena. The Arena is sacred and for Dai Than only. You question my word calling that traitorous Hi tribe, Okthi and reject it. I reject his declaration that this Union female, this lower than a Daiyee scum is Than. She must prove it in the old passage if she comes out the other end. I will challenge her and kill her. If she does not, my word is justified and the Tar of the Hi is a proven liar.”

That caused a stir and one of the Pale Ones said.

“Terrors of the forbidden past survive there, no Than has ever passed, since the first Patri.”

“Never the less, the first Patri declared that only a Dai Than can pass through. I except no other proof, the will and the laws of the first Patri are still valid.”

The Pale Ones agreed.

“You speak true, these laws are valid.”

A hooded man stepped from the entrance ring to an empty tier and brushed back the hood.

“I am Kai-Do.”

An uproar, especially of the Na clan and its associates was heard and Elf-Na yelled.

“How can you be here? You are Okthi”

The Pale Ones answered in their unified chorus voice.

“You declare the old laws to be valid, then all of them must be.”

“And they say, no Okthi may come to Thana Shoo.”

“He is no longer Okthi. He has laid down the office of Tar and was ejected from the Do tribe, there is a new Tar of the Do tribe and it is Erica-Hi-Do. She is not Okthi and thus the Do clan is not Okthi. As Tar she allowed Kai to become a Dai servant, not a Than. All Dai may come here, and only a Than can be Okthi.”

I blinked surprised and whispered from the side of my mouth.

“I sure don’t remember doing that.”

Har-Hi whispered back.

“History always remembers Kai-Do as one of the slickest and most scheming Tar. The Cam is an amateur compared to him, this is the main reason they declared him Okthi by the way.”

Kai-Do pointed with his finger at the Cam.

“You quoted the old law correctly indeed. Now my Tar rejects your claim to be Dai Than, many of your actions and crimes are Okthi. She is Tar and has the same rights as you. You too will go through the Passage.”

The smile on the Cam’s face had disappeared and was now replaced by a concerned frown.

“I am Cam, I am Dai Than. I do not need to prove that.”

The Pale One’s chorus objected.

“You invoked ancient laws and traditions, you reject all other proof by your own words. Survive the passage or acknowledge the accusation.”

I had about enough of all this talk and this back and forth. I certainly had to agree with Har-Hi, Kai-Do was one slick liar and schemer. I never said or did any of these things he claimed I did, but if I challenged him now on this, the Cam would win. So I climbed the two tiers up, that separated me from Kai-Do. Everyone had their eyes on me.

I said.

“Too much talk, let’s get it on. Show me that passage!”

There were many voices that started chanting.

“She is is Than! She has courage.”

The Pale-Ones said.

“So be it, Erica you are not Hi, we acknowledge you as Tar of the Do tribe. The passage is a challenge like no other. Many thousand highly trained warriors have tried to gain the highest level of being accomplished, none has returned.”

Unnoticed by me, Har-Hi had followed me and he said.

“She will not go alone. The old laws do not prohibit a companion.”

“Indeed not, Champion of Thana Shoo. Should you survive, you are accomplished.”

To me Har-Hi said.

“I swore to follow you to the gates of the Netherworlds and beyond, I tend to keep my word. Besides I can’t have you have all the fun alone.”

Four of the Pale Ones stepped away from their circle as the humongous, disgusting red pulsing organic glob behind them rose further.

Four talon shaped columns appeared, sickle-shaped inward bent, creating a cage of sort above a bright blue pulsing field.

Har-Hi whispered I have seen one of these before. It is a transspatial nexus point. Just like the one deep under the surface of Itheamh. We had to fight an energy being as you remember from the reports.”

The Chorus of the Pale Ones spoke.

“The passage is open. No modern weapons are allowed.”

I ungirded the TKU.

“That weapon better be there when I come back.”

“Defeat the Unspoken horrors and if you return we will have a new Patri.”

“So any particular instructions other than killing whatever awaits me?”

“Should you be victorious, you know how to return, now go Erica-Do. Show us all the meaning of courage, or will you back down?”

“You sure know how to talk to a Neo Viking.

“I walked towards the white energy until I saw nothing else and Thana Shoo disappeared.

The Cam saw the female contender disappear and right after her the arrogant Har-Hi vanished and he yelled.

“It is time to end the reign of the Pale Ones!”

It must have been a signal of his, because hundreds, no thousand heavy-armed beings appeared from the entrance ring. Dai, the first open appearance of Shiruti, the new shock troops of the Kermac and the Galactic Council. Along with them, bizarre looking beings with bloated heads and small bodies floated in.

“The reign of the Pale Ones ends today. The rule of Elf-Na begins. These are Muta-Kerr, genetic engineered will benders, living Neuro rippers with tremendous powers. Hundreds of Dai Than went to their knees and hailing Elf-Na. Many hundreds dropped to the ground holding their heads screaming in pain.

A reddish shield engulfed the Pale Ones and the heart of Thana Shoo.

While the nightmarish floating things attacked it with bluish light.

To the surprise of the Cam, a few hundred Dai were unaffected. It was the same leader who declared himself Union.

“Your Kermac psionic trickery won’t work on Union citizen, we are well shielded.”

“Against telepathy, let us see how you fare against telekinesis and blaster weapons.”

Har-Hi cursed, where ever he was, Erica was not. He walked out of a transspatial nexus. He remembered the last time like a dream and he knew someone or something had messed with his memory. He did not face another star demon back then, but something else. He also remembered more information about these nexus points than he thought he had.

The main reason, Dai did not return from a trip through one of these was most likely because they did not know how to reverse the trans-spatial nexus.

He drew his blades and checked out the surroundings. He was in an artificial cave with a single tunnel exit.

The walls were as smooth and metal gray as he remembered the other nexus point to be.

It turned out the tunnel exit was not very long and opened to an alien city. It was empty and abandoned most likely for eons. He turned and said in Seenian.

“Nexus take me back to Thana Shoo”

To his pleasant surprise, it seemed to work, between these inwardly curved talons a bright field of light appeared and he stepped through and into the midst of ferocious combat.

I found myself in a grey metal chamber of sorts, behind me the same structure of metal talons forming a cage for that trans-spatial transport field. The chamber reminded me of the Cave of Things. It had the same smooth grey metal walls and shape.

So now what? I knew I should have thought that through and asked a few more questions as to what I had to do exactly. I walked through a short tunnel and had to use my sword to cut through a thick layer of vegetation and vines. I knew Mjördaren even the replica was sharp and made of Ultronit, but I had no idea it was that sharp. It cut through the thick and tough stuff effortless as if cutting water.

Just as I had cut my way through I heard voices, familiar voices and music. Nilfeheim radio.”

The sound came from my PDD wrist unit. I had it on Nilfeheim radio before I got out of range.

The vegetation had covered a rock formation overlooking a Jungle.

The air was warm and moist and had the distinct odor of green and growing things. An earthy, somewhat pungent smell of rotting things. There were lots of animal voices, chirps, and whistles. None of the voices sounded very big. Not that small things could be dangerous.

There was nothing in my immediate vicinity that appeared to be a threat. I stayed in the cave mouth, keeping my eyes on the environment and dialed into the GalNet Ping, an automated Navigation assist for Auto Navs to check where I was. That Transspatial passage sent me almost 76,000 light years and into the Spinward sector. According to my Nav Data, I was just 344 lightyears beyond Union space.

I switched to GalCom and the official Spatial Navy channel and checked with VASCO, the Virtual All Space Complete Objects Database of the Explorer and Survey Division to see if this planet was surveyed and what dangers I might encounter.

VASCO identified the system as N-746-554-696, with eight planets, one of them a garden world. There also was a warning message, declaring the system being occupied by a spacefaring species, identified as the Ypeherix. Virtual no data existed on them and according to this report they were responsible for the destruction of a Science outpost and a supply ship.”

There was sharp cracking sound coming from the right, something large was making its way through the thicket.

Moments later the source of the noise revealed itself. Compared to the Arukiten, what had just become visible made the former Irwam look cuddly and friendly. It shared the spidery hard-shelled legs with the Arukiten, lacked the tentacles, but was twice as big and somehow appeared as if someone tried to combine a scavenger crab with a huge mushroom and added one of those Insectosaurus I had seen in the Arena of Sin 4 for good measure.

I had the feeling that this thing was not native to this world, the limb red-skinned humanoid it held in its claws, however, looked like a Dai.

A first I thought the man to be dead, but I could see him moving his head so I yelled.

“Hey, walking mushroom! Drop the man, would you?”

The monstrosity immediately came towards me and it spoke in understandable Union Universal.

“You are Apix who must become Ixi. We are the factor of Pu-Nakti. We are the Ypeherix.”

It peppered the spot I had been on half a second earlier, with a barrage of needle-sharp thorn like shards. Two of them hit me painfully at my left thigh, but it was only the impact energy. Whatever it was, did not penetrate the micro mesh underneath the thin leather.

I had already jumped, holding Mjördaren with both hands. I didn’t want to waist the high ground of my current position and use it to my advantage. I thanked Odin for my decision as it saved me from being peppered with more of these nasty looking organic projectiles.

With great satisfaction, Mjördaren severed one of the folded scissor arms with the same ease as it cut vegetation a little earlier.

What surprised me however was the blood of the thing. It was so hot, it burned vegetation where it drooled.

“What a nasty piece of creation you are!”

The thing howled.

“This is a special place, filled with Pu-Nakti. We must not allow it to be contaminated with the Apix. You must become Ixi!”

It dropped the Dai, who wore nothing much but a loincloth, a harness made of woven plant fibers and some primitive jewelry made of claws and teeth of animals. He was wounded but alive.

The monster, having a free claw tried to grab me. Since I didn’t like to get intimate with the Ypeherix, I dove under the grabbing claw and swung my sword against one of the legs, with the same satisfying result, severing it right at a joint. Some of the fire hot body liquid splashed over my right boot and burned off some of the thin leather, but my suit could double as a space suit in an emergency and the real material underneath took no damage. I felt the heat to my uncovered face and low cut neckline.

I had to correct myself, because of my female vanity and that neckline, this suit was anything but spaceworthy.

While I chastised myself for my fashion choices, I rolled over my shoulder getting myself under the monstrosity and plunged Mjördaren up to its hilt into the underbelly of the Ypeherix. The alien screamed in pain, and with a convulsing shudder it keeled over and died.

Just to make sure I hacked its mushroom-like head off its body and then rushed to the almost naked, Dai who looked at me with eyes full of pain.

“No worries, my Auto Doc will get you stabilized and pain-free.”

I attached the Auto-Doc to his chest.

“Species analyzed, Dai. On file. Triage assessment. Laceration wounds and parasitic invasion of spore-like organisms. Nanite resources deployed. Med Central contacted.”

The Dai kept staring at me.

“You speak Old Dai and you fight like Than. Who are you?”

“I am Erica Olafson, United Stars of the Galaxies.”

“I am Murgo of the Kalma village. We know old legends of the Star Dai, we came through a glowing gate thousands of seasons ago.”

The Auto Doc interrupted, parasitic infestation resistant to treatment but patient stabilized and pain-free. Conducting specialist consultation. Nanite resources adjusted, recommend isolation and hospitalization.”

I said.

“Looks like that monster infected you with something my Auto-Doc can’t fix, but we get you back on your feet no worries.”

He said.

“My health is unimportant. The Ypeherix came and put their eggs deep into the ground. When they hatch this world will die!”

“Can you take me to someone who speaks for all of you? Like a chief or something?”

“I am the Patri of all.”

I could not help but grin.

“Looks like the Cam and the Tar did not know about you. Let us get up to that cave entrance. We got a better view and the cave entrance is easier defended than this spot.

The Tar of the Hi tribe was forced to his knees before Elf-Na.

“Oh, you stupid Dai. You will now declare me to be the Patri. This will make me the ruler even over those old and outdated Pale Ones who are too blind to see what I have been doing.”

The Pale-Ones still behind that reddish protective shield said.

“You need us to get access to the Infarx, we will never yield!”

“Oh but you will, I have thousands killed. We know the Infarx is not only the first mother but a Seenian Battleship, just like the Devastator and we know she has Seenian weapons.”

The Tar grunted.

“This is what you are after?”

“Of course, you think Kermac are impressed by your little society? We know of the Infarx and planned for this. The Dai are insubstantial, Kermac supremacy is everything! Come join us as a Battle thrall, sweeping all those opposing us from this galaxy. Chiefly Sarans and Terrans, the rest might just beg to become Galactic Council thralls to serve us.”