Zein: The Homecoming (22 page)

‘What are they doing?’ said Kabel

‘It is an ancient message from many years ago,’ said Safah, having to shout above the din.

‘What message?’

Safah paused, deliberating whether to reply or not and then, shrugging her shoulders, relented. Kabel felt the prickles of fear and desperation climb over him and ensnare his hope as he read her mind before she could speak the words.

‘It is your time to die.’

Myolon grinned wickedly, enjoying the moment. Zebulon was watchful, suspicious of his brother and remembering all the malicious tricks he used to play against him when they were younger.

‘You pulled me into the magics younger brother?’ said Zebulon.

‘I didn’t see you resist too much.’

‘I once remembered when our family was happy and contented and you changed all that.’

‘What, to be one of the Pod, when all the magics are at the touch of your hand?’ said Myolon, his face twisted in a grimace. The Pod who were behind the magically created barriers heard the words and roared their disapproval. Silent and standing behind the force-field at the head of her royal guard was the High Priestess, watching, waiting.

‘You could have said no,’ said Myolon as his hand sneaked behind his waistband where he had hidden a wickedly sharp short dagger in a concealed pocket which now he could manoeuver into his free left hand. The blade was dark and gleamed red, tainted by something unwholesome.

‘You left us no choice: if our parents and I had not joined you the law states we all would have lost our lives
anyway, to prevent the cancer of the magics within the family circle,’ said Zebulon, anger fuelling him, disturbing his concentration and his personal internal shield.

That’s what Myolon was looking for.

He launched his trident and Zebulon blocked with his sword, his body turning with the thrust, and as he did Myolon swept in holding his left hand low.

‘Zebulon, blade!’ shouted Tyson.

The powerful changeling reacted quickly, but not quickly enough and Myolon’s arm swung back and then thrust forward with considerable force. The dagger cut into the side of Zebulon, who let out a groan of pain. The grin was back on Myolon’s face as he pushed deeper. Zebulon’s face registered the shock of the blow. His sword dropped from his grasp, bouncing on the stone floor a couple of times, until finally resting forlornly on its side.

‘Die, dear brother.’ Zebulon looked down at the knife, which Myolon removed. He then looked back up to his brother whose face was impassive.

‘You…that knife…’

‘Coated in methir and then dipped in the Mygolwich and then forged with the magics,’ said Myolon.

Zebulon dropped to one knee, clutching his side. Tyson went to him with Amelia as Myolon stepped to one side and his troops readied for the onslaught from the waiting Pod.

‘What’s just happened?’ said Tyson as he saw an unhealthy greyness spread over Zebulon’s face.

‘The…the blade…is…poisoned to overcome my magics,’ gasped Zebulon. Amelia caught him as he fell to his left struggling for air.

‘Is there anything to stop the poison?’ said Tyson.

‘Need to…to get…to the Mygolwich.’

‘Pick up those bags,’ said Myolon to his soldiers as he turned away from his mortally wounded brother, picking up his trident. He glanced at the High Priestess and her guard and was just considering which barrier he would remove when…

‘You are not going anywhere with those bags.’ The voice was chilling and said with a finality that stopped Myolon in his tracks. He turned slowly and his eyes rested on the alien figure.

Tyson instinctively knew that he had to stop this Changeling. The magics maybe attacking his very core within him but his human empathy with Zebulon and the knowledge that Myolon carried the destruction of many caused him to rally against the cancer within him.

‘Well, well, the alien speaks. You want to dance, pretty boy?’ Myolon goaded, still holding the lethal knife in his left hand.

Tyson was still, motionless, holding no weapon but inside his magics began to crank up to an explosion that felt like a dam ready to burst.

Myolon’s smile disappeared and he flung his body at Tyson, thrusting the trident forward and holding the knife ready for the deadly end. Instead he met a wall of blue light that arrested his speed of light attack. He unleashed all the magics he had built up within his body and a tainted brown hued light sprang from him, initially holding the brilliance of the blue light, that was so bright all had to shield their eyes.

Myolon let out a cry of joyous glee as he burrowed deep inside his soul and threw all he had at Tyson. His face registered shock and horror as Tyson’s magics swallowed up the powerful magics and then surged to encase the Changeling within a prism of energy. Myolon twisted and fought against the power emitting from Tyson’s hands and
when he looked into his opponent’s eyes he felt a fear that he had never experienced.

Amelia was also looking at Tyson’s eyes, which were a burning blue light of energy in a pale and emotionless face. Her heart leapt with worry and concern and she was going to go to him when Zebulon’s hand grabbed her and kept her close to him.

‘Leave him, girl, he has to finish this himself,’ said Zebulon, struggling to catch his breath as the poison worked through his body.

‘W-w-h-hatt do-do you mean?’ stammered Amelia, resisting the hold on her hand.

‘Tyson is the Prophecy, always was. He has to finish this once and for all,’ said Zebulon, the pain beginning to overtake him. Jaida and Taio who were near the fallen Changeling heard the words and looked at Tyson in a new light. They had grown up with the same Prophecy and like many others had consigned it to the back of their minds as meaningless superstition; now the perpetrator of their survival was a mere few feet away.

Myolon began to emit a painful screech as his brown tinged force-field, which unusually for a Changeling emanated from his body was fading as the shining blue magic hammered at his defences. Then the blue light found a weakness and it streaked into the Changeling whose scream grew as the pain increased until Myolon threw out his arms as the hybrid magic tore him apart.

Abruptly the blue light stopped and the lifeless remnants of Myolon’s body slumped to the floor. Tyson let out a cry and fell to his knees, holding his heart and his head.

‘Go to him now, Amelia, he needs you,’ said Zebulon, falling back onto the stony ground. Amelia rushed to Tyson’s side and enveloped him in a loving embrace as
Zebulon and the rest of the group saw the magic induced force-fields, holding back the Pod from the four entrances, disappear. They nervously prepared for the attack. Jaida and Taio pulled out their seckles and the soldiers readied their photon shotguns and rifles. But the attack never came.

The High Priestess walked towards the group and, sending a curious look at Tyson who had leaned into Amelia’s embrace, went to the side of Zebulon and crouched down.  

‘Zebulon, is that really you?’ she asked.

‘Yes, Festilion,’ responded Zebulon, and then remembering the etiquette, ‘Yes, High Priestess.’  

Festilion laughed. ‘I don’t remember you being that formal when we were playing those many years ago.’

Zebulon smiled, the memories all but gone but wisps of a simple life still remained. She placed a gentle hand on his forehead and waved Redulon, to her side.

‘Take Lord Zebulon, to the Mygolwich and immerse his whole body into the waters. Then take him to our healers.’

‘But, High Priestess, he is one of the skin-changers, a Malefic. Our law is clear, he has to die.’ There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the Pod. The remaining Changelings readied to defend themselves and glanced nervously around the cavern.

Festilion stood proudly. ‘The time for killing to end has come; we need to find a way to live together.’ Redulon began to interrupt but she put up her hand to stop him and he lapsed into silence.

‘Follow my command, Redulon and also send messengers to Dominion to pull back from the Zeinonian settlement.’ He bowed to her and gestured for four of the Pod to hoist Zebulon onto their shoulders to take him to the Mygolwich.

As they picked up Zebulon, who was beginning to look extremely ill, he motioned for Festilion to approach him, which she did.

‘You will be too late, a message has to be sent another way, by telepathy,’ gasped the poisoned Changeling.

‘There is no other way, I don’t have that kind of power to reach my army,’ said Festilion, dismissively.

‘But he does…’ said Zebulon, pointing to Tyson who was recovering and now listening to the conversation.

Festilion frowned and then walked across to Tyson and bade him to stand up. Tyson did, with Amelia holding him steady.

‘Zebulon says you can reach my army to prevent further blood being shed, is that true?’

‘Not sure, I think I can but I’m not sure how I do it sometimes,’ said Tyson, simply, as he wrestled with the changes in his body from the recent battle.

Zebulon, who was now resting on the four Pod shoulders as they waited to take him away, looked down at Tyson. ‘Look inside you, Tyson, see the Aeria Cavern, the rock, the buildings and then reach out to all the inhabitants and all those within the city limits. Feel the magics, be one with the “Provider of Life” and let it sweep through you.’

Tyson shook his head, still shaken from his battle with Myolon. Zebulon took a knowing look at Amelia, who understood the importance of the request.

She took Tyson’s hand and looked lovingly into his face. ‘Tyson, you can do this, it is not like a fight and the magics used for destruction, but instead you will be using them to save lives,’ said Amelia, brushing her fingertips on his cheek, ‘I believe in you.’ Festilion waited, unsure what to expect but holding back sending the messengers. Wernion who had been stunned by the initial fight, groaned as he came to. Tyson’s gaze rested on him as the large creature
he had befriended rubbed his head where a large lump now protruded. He then saw the High Priestess and the crumpled body of Myolon and his eyes gave a questioning glance at Tyson.

Yes that was me.

Wernion gave an impressed shrug. Festilion listened to the interchange.

What is this alien capable of?

Tyson let go of Amelia and gingerly sat back down and crossed his legs as if mediating. He emptied his mind, very much like he did in the Core when connecting with the infected Fathom soldiers. Everyone’s eyes were on him and he firstly picked up their thoughts.

He saw the questions in the High Priestess thoughts and of the disbelieving Pod. He then found there was wonder in the soldiers and apprehension in the remaining Changelings. Utter belief was in Amelia’s thoughts and that pleased him; he knew then how much he loved her and that Gemma was simply an unwanted temptation.

Once he had encountered the thoughts of those around him, he stretched out his mind to the caves and picked out the fear and trepidation of the Pod who had not gone to battle. They worried about loved ones and their own future. He then went into the open; he crossed the Great Plains and felt the simple thoughts of the weinder beasts and other animals on the surface. He entered the minds of the birds gracefully sweeping across the blue sky and the inhabitants of the forests and rivers. His mind wandered through the barren streets of the deserted villages and roamed around the gardens and waterfalls until he came to the entrance of the Aeria Cavern.

It was here that he felt the first pain. His face creased in concern and as Amelia made to comfort him, the High Priestess waved her back. This remarkable alien was
accomplishing a feat that had never been done before and any disturbance could disrupt the trance. The pleading look she gave made Amelia back off.

He felt the pain of those wounded, human, Pod and Zeinonian alike. He felt the ferociousness of the Pod as they attacked and instinctively reached out to all their minds and understood that their hatred was based on fear for their future. He went through the thousands of combatants until he came to Dominion, who was leading the attack and had just decapitated a young soldier from the Blackstone clan, near the Transportation building. He weaved through Dominion’s self-consciousness, making the impressive figure pause in his next attack, confused as to what was happening to him.

Tyson then pushed into the minds of the defenders. He found a people fighting for their very lives, with Kabel standing shoulder to shoulder with Tate and Belina pushing back the hordes. Bailey, holding an injured arm and Hechkle with a nasty looking bandage around his head. He initially met resistance from the Changelings, who were intent on protecting their enclave from the Pod, until even they succumbed to the powerful telepathic force. He saw Safah, with multiple wounds, lying on the floor with her men trying to protect her as she lay stricken.

Tyson’s face was agonised, feeling the pain, and he let out a groan. Quickly, Amelia went to his side, ignoring Festilion’s desperate attempts to stop her. Tyson didn’t come out of his trance but seemed to radiate warmth from Amelia’s presence. He continued to wrap around the minds of the rest of the defenders including the crying children and the other Zeinonians hiding within the buildings. When he had entered all their minds he settled his own mind to what he needed to tell them.

The message when it came caused all in the cavern to collapse to the floor in pain. Those holding Zebulon had to lower him to the floor so they could place their hands over their ears. The animals on the plain began to run round in circles as they fled the insertion into their minds, birds flew to the ground and staggered bewildered.

Stop, put down you weapons, no more killing
.

Tyson repeated the words, which echoed round the planet. In the Aeria Cavern, the Pod stopped in their tracks; they dropped their homemade weapons and dropped to the ground, trying to defend against the message reverberating in their heads.

Kabel deactivated his seckle and with his magic was able to control the power of the message inserted to a reasonable level. The Pod stopped their attack, shocked and stunned by what was happening and Kabel ordered his men to lower their weapons; the majority already had as their more basic or non-existent magics did not provide them with the ability to resist the telepathic message.

Tyson. There is hope
…thought Kabel

Tyson found Dominion and isolated the separate message he wanted to share and the picture of him and Wernion working together. He then sent a message to Kabel explaining what had happened.