Al managed to buckle his safety straps just in time for the powerful shock wave to hit against their ship.

  His head hit hard against the wall behind his seat.

  Al slipped out of consciousness as their ship was flung through space, carried by the force of the explosion.

  Chapter 27: Drake

  Drake awoke to the bright florescent lights of the hospital wing onboard the Basileus.

  “You’re awake!” Angela exclaimed from her seat next to his bed.

  “What happened?” Drake asked.

  “We picked up a distress call from Al right before the planet blew up.” Angela said. “When we traced the signal we found you and Al both unconscious.”

  She paused for a moment.

  “We all thought you would die when the Hostile showed up.” She whispered. “But I’m happy you made it out alive.”

  “I couldn’t die back there. I still haven’t helped you find your family yet.” Drake said.

  Angela smiled.

  “Well you’ve got me on a good start.” She said. “Al told me where he dropped Norah off, and Vahn told me that my brother is out on a mission right now, so he’ll be reporting to Res Publica. We’ll only have to search for my parents.”

  “That’s good news.” Drake said, smiling.“So where’s Al?”

  “He’s helping the wounded.” Angela said. “His power is impressive, he healed you and himself without any trouble.”

  “Are there a lot of wounded?”

  “Yeah.” Angela frowned. “A lot of ships were smashed up by the shock wave and a lot of people were hurt. We’ve been scanning the debris fields for life signs all day.”

  “How many people died?” Drake said.

  Angela looked down at the ground.

  “Only ten thousand people from the entire planet escaped. They’re saying somewhere around eight billion died.” She whispered.

  “I have to stop 169.” Drake said, sitting up in his bed.

  “How?” Angela asked. “You almost died, Drake. Haven’t you done enough?”

  “I’m not sure how to beat him.” Drake admitted. “But I at least need to tell the king everything I know so we can make a plan.”

  He stood up slowly from his bed, grabbed his old clothes and stumbled behind a changing curtain in the corner of the room.

  “Are you sure you’re ok to be getting out of bed already?” Angela asked.

  “Of course I am.” Drake said as he stepped out from behind the curtain. “169 can destroy entire planets, I don’t have time to just lie around. I have to talk to the king.”

  “Ok.” Angela said. “I think he’s on the command bridge.”

  “Thank you.” Drake said as he hobbled toward the doorway, but then stopped and turned back toward Angela.

  “I didn’t tell you how happy I am that you’re still alive, did I?” He asked.

  “No.” Angela said. “But I never expected you too. You never remember the important things.”

  “I’ll do better next time.”

  “Go.” Angela said. “The king needs your help.”

  “Thank you.” Drake said as he walked out the door, navigating through the hallways of the massive ship until he reached the command bridge.

  The guards let him enter without question.

  Drake surveyed the layout of the bridge. It was a large circular room filled with chairs and computer consuls. In the center of the room was a group of larger, much softer chairs with the king seated in the largest of them. The other chairs were filled by Olivia, and several men Drake recognized from the King’s Counsel. Surprisingly, Al was there too, although he stood. Al’s tail made traditional Human chairs less comfortable for him.

  “You’ve awoken.” Al said as Drake approached.

  “It’s all thanks to you, from what I hear.” Drake said. “You can count your life debt fulfilled if you want.”

  “Unfortunately, I cannot.” Al replied. “You saved all of our lives before I saved yours. While paying one debt, it would seem I’ve gained another.”

  “You don’t have to find excuses to keep yourself indebted to me.” Drake said. “You can stick around just because you want to you know.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Al said. “I’m just following the rules as they are written.”

  “Alright, have it your way.” Drake said. “We’ll talk more about this later but right now I need to talk to the king.”

  “Then let’s talk.” Ryker said, turning away from the counsellor he’d been speaking with. “There are eight-billion of my citizens dead, the culprit is still at large, and nobody can even begin to explain how any of it happened. I’ll pay you whatever you’d like if you can give me an answer.”

  “Eight-billion people are dead, Ryker.” Drake said. “Until 169 is dead, my services are free.”

  “Then tell me everything you know.”

  “I hope you have some time.” Drake said. “It’s a long explanation.”

  “Then we’d better sit down.” Ryker said, indicating a vacant chair for Drake to use.

  “As I explained to you when we first met.” Drake said, taking a seat. “Vhy’ Rai was gifted to the Mystics on the condition that they’d follow certain rules; mostly about how to act in your personal life with things like sex or alcohol, but a few rules were about what you could do with the power of Vhy’ Rai itself.

  Any of the rules can be broken, if you know how to get around them, but it always comes with a price.

  For most of them the penalty is just losing the ability to use Vhy’ Rai, but there are three said to be acts reserved only for God. They’re known as the taboos.

  Those carry a much harsher punishment. Anybody who does one is condemned to death and eternal damnation.”

  “And what would those three taboos be?” Ryker asked.

  “The first taboo.” Drake said. “Is to bring someone back from the dead.”

  “Vhy’ Rai can do that?” Ryker asked, surprised.

  “Yeah,” Drake replied, “But it’s hard to do, and it comes with a severe punishment.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Death.” Drake replied. “Ironically, The second taboo is to use Vhy’ Rai to kill somebody.”

  “I thought that was impossible.” Ryker said.

  “Vhy’ Rai is based on requests and respect.” Drake said. “Usually when a Mystic makes a request to kill somebody the matter will do something slightly different to ensure the survival of the target, or it’ll just reject the request. But there’s a way to force it to obey.”

  “Is that what 169 did?” Ryker said.

  “Yeah.” Drake replied. “But he did it on a scale that should’ve been impossible. The only people in the legends capable of destroying an entire world were the devil, and Knune himself. It isn’t supposed to be within reach for mortals.”

  “Well, he clearly found a way.” Ryker said. “The question is can he do it again?”

  “Normally a taboo can only be performed once because whoever did it loses the ability to use Vhy’ Rai.” Drake said. “But since he’s put this one into a hemoignisium bullet, he doesn't need the power of Vhy' Rai to activate it. In theory, he can do it as many times as he wants.”

  “You said people who do taboos receive a death penalty.” Ryker said. “How are they killed? I saw 169 heal when you ran him through with a sword.”

  “When they commit a taboo,” Drake said, “They get a mark. It’s a label written on their skin condemning them to death. That’s what the tattoo on 169’s face was; a written description of every sin he’s ever committed.

  Once someone is marked, an Angel of death is sent to destroy their body and escort their soul to Eijhur, the world of damned souls.

  The mark makes them a target for the Angels to kill, but it makes them invincible to everyone else. I guess the idea is to make sure an Angel is present at the time of death. They don’t want the soul sneaking into somewhere more pleasant than it deserves.”

  “I can appreciate the nuances of the Mystic religion as much as anybody else.” Ryker said, “But people are dying. I need a better answer than waiting for Angels that may or may not exist.”

  “You really question the existence of angels?” Drake said. “That’s surprising since one of them crashed through the roof of your palace yesterday.”

  “You mean the Hostile?”

  “The Hostile as you called it, was a Khryary, an Angel of death. I assume it was there to kill 169.”

  “The Hostiles, are Angels?” Ryker asked sceptically.

  “Yes.” Drake said. “I know you Humans prefer not to believe in anything, but it’s time for you to wake up and face the facts. The Hostiles, are coming directly from the god of the Mystics.”

  Ryker paused for a moment before answering.

  “What happened to the one on New Earth?”

  “I killed it.” Drake said.

  “We’ve been at war with them for sixteen years.” Ryker said. “In all that time, we’ve never killed one. It’s taken every resource we could muster just to repel them. How did you kill it?”

  “You’ve been at war with them?” Drake asked.

  How could that be possible? Why would Knune send the Khryary to kill the Humans? They didn’t believe in him, that was true, but as Drake understood it Knune’s doctrine was to respect the free will of others.

  “That can’t be right. They only attack people with the death mark. Besides, how could there be anywhere near enough of them to have a war against? Unless....” Drake paused. “They’ve been attacking you for sixteen years?”

  “Almost exactly sixteen years.” Ryker said. “Why?”

  “Rabbit’s Foot.” Drake whispered with a distant look in his eye. “That’s why the Khryary never came.”

  “What do you mean?” Ryker asked.

  “Sixteen years ago, thousands of people on Rabbit’s Foot committed the third taboo so they could defeat the Anti Luck army. The Khryary must be trying to get there to kill them but you’ve been holding them back.”

  “You mean they’re attacking us just because we’re in the way?” Ryker asked.

  “That’s the only thing that makes sense.” Drake said. “But even that doesn’t make much sense. The Khryary are mindless. They can only do what Knune tells them to do. Why wouldn’t Knune just find another path?”

  “That’s a question I would love the answer to.” Ryker said.

  “I’m sorry.” Drake said. “I only know where they’re trying to go. I don’t know why they’re trying to kill your people on the way there.”

  “Then let’s focus on what you do know.” Ryker said. “What’s the third taboo? What did the Fortunatus do to kill the Anti Lucks and bring the Khryary down on us.”

  “Dividing a soul.” Drake replied.

  “I’ll need more explanation than that.” Ryker said.

  “Damaging a soul has different effects than you might think.” Drake said. “When the Anti-Lucks were coming to kill the Fortunatus on Rabbit’s Foot, the Fortunatus knew they couldn’t win the fight without the invincibility offered by committing a taboo. So a few thousand of the soldiers used the third taboo to remove a piece of their soul and put it into an item they carried with them. They called it a soul anchor. As long as they carried it they wouldn’t feel the effects of the taboo.”

  “Then why carry it?” Ryker said. “Don’t they want to remain immortal?”

  “Immortality comes at a cost.” Drake said. “Once separated from its soul, a body will change to reflect its spiritual state. They become monsters. And as bad as that is, the real torment comes from what the separation makes them do. Every rational thought, every dream, every desire is replaced by the all encompassing directive to retrieve their missing piece. And to kill anyone, or anything they come across before they get it. They stop being people and become Nightmares. Their actions are barbaric, and every piece of them still capable of discerning right from wrong is left to watch, completely unable to stop performing one atrocity after another until their missing piece can finally be found. That’s why they carry them; because immortality isn’t worth the cost.”

  “Drake.” Olivia said.

  Drake had been so involved in his conversation with the king he’d almost forgotten that other people were listening.

  “What?” Drake said.

  Olivia glanced down at the revolver hanging on Drake’s belt and then raised her gaze to meet his eyes. She was pale, her eyes wide with terror.

  She knew.

  If she said something, there was no knowing how the people on this ship would react. If they tried to fight him then he would either die as a heretic, or he would kill everybody on this ship.

  “Um...” She said, hesitating. “Why haven’t the Nightmares on Rabbit’s Foot changed back into people? Haven’t they been able to get their soul anchors yet?”

  Drake breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a knowing glance with Olivia. She could have accused him of using the third taboo himself, but she didn’t. Drake was lucky. But if Olivia had figured it out, then it wouldn’t be long before others did. All the more reason to defeat 169 quickly and then stay as far from these people as possible.

  “Somebody took their anchors during that battle.” Drake said. “I don’t know where they are now, but they aren’t on Rabbit’s Foot.”

  “That makes sense.” Olivia said, looking down at her feet.

  “Where did you learn all of this?” Ryker said.

  “I was born on Rabbit’s Foot. I overheard my dad talking about the plan to use the third taboo.” Drake said. “The rest of the information I read in a book a long time ago.”

  “Did the book mention any other ways to kill somebody who committed a taboo?” Ryker asked.

  “I think it does.” Drake said. “But I don’t remember for sure. I read it seven years ago.”

  “Where can we find out?” Ryker asked.

  “Books that give details about the taboos are only kept in royal libraries like the one on Rabbit’s Foot.” Drake replied. “Dathan probably has a copy in his palace, but we’d never be able to get it from him.”

  “So going onto Rabbit’s Foot is our only option.” Ryker said.

  “That’ll never work.” Drake said. “The Nightmares are there. They’d kill anybody you sent in long before they could find the book. Plus, you dropped a sky killer bomb there. Once somebody got in there, there'd be no way back to tell you what they find.”

  “There are ways around a sky killer.” Ryker said, “But an army of immortal monsters does pose a problem. There aren’t any other copies of this book?”

  “If there are.” Drake said. “I don’t know where to find them.”

  “We could go to Celestia.” Al interjected.

  “Don't even joke, Al.” Drake said. “You remember what happened last time we talked to her? You went into a two day coma, and I got shot, stabbed, burned, and electrocuted. We’re not going back to her. Plus, she would never help us anyway.”

  “Who is Celestia?” Ryker asked.

  “Nobody important.” Drake said. “She has nothing to do with this.”

  “Who is she.” Ryker said, turning to Al.

  “She’s a Viridas woman from the Neutral Zone.” Al said. “She’s made a machine that allows her to enter other people’s memories and extract information.”

  “How does that help us?” Ryker asked. “Drake doesn’t remember what the book said.”

  “You see, Al?” Drake said. “I don’t remember so going to Celestia will be useless.”

  “Drake.” Al said. “May I remind you that billions of people are dead, and billions more may die unless we stop 169, and the information to do that is somewhere in your head. Are you so selfish you would let all those people die just to avoid an awkward encounter with your ex?”

  “Well, when you put it that way it’s hard to say no.” Drake said.

  “I’m still not seeing the point in going.” Ryker said. “It would only be useful if you remembered the book.”

  “I can’t access my memory of the book on my own,” Drake said, “but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still in my brain somewhere. I read it, so it’s in my memory, and Celestia can find it.”

  “You’re sure about this?” Ryker asked.

  “I’m sure.” Drake said.

  “Pilot, set us a course for the Neutral Zone border.” Ryker said. “Al and Drake will give you coordinates from there.”

  “I think I’d rather go to Rabbit’s Foot.” Drake muttered.

  Chapter 28: Angela

  Eleutheria, capital of the Neutral Zone, was one of the most beautiful things Angela had ever seen. Although it was larger than a small planet, it was completely man-made, created from solid metal to ensure that it would remain airtight against the vacuum of space. The outer walls were festooned with bright colored flags, with murals depicting important historical events. Angela thought it looked like something out of a fairy tale.

  It was the largest off world colony in existence. Over four billion people, both Human and Mystic lived aboard this massive conglomeration of space stations.

  They’d arrived there quickly despite the border checks.

  The king had shamelessly bribed every border patrol they came across to get them to their destination as soon as possible.

  Celestia’s guards, however, had refused to accept any kind of bribe to let them dock until Drake had shown his face to them. Then they gave them clearance to dock for free.

  Angela heard the click as the docking clamps engaged.

  “Be careful when we go in there.” Drake said to her as he stood up walking toward the exit ramp. “Celestia is certifiably insane. And dangerous if you make her angry.”

  “I’ll try to be nice to her.” Angela said as she stood up and followed behind him, along with Vahn, Al, Olivia, and even the King himself, out into the hangar where several people waited for them.

  “Hey, Celestia.” Drake said, looking at the woman in the middle of the group that awaited them.

  Celestia was nothing like Angela had expected. She’d never seen a Viridas person before, and couldn’t help but be surprised by Celestia’s pale green skin and long, redish, orange hair.