NovaDark Read online

  He looked to her. His expression was cold. He walked steadily in her direction as the beasts, now in humanoid form, awoke and watched him. When he was beside her he touched her forehead.

  A pulse surged through her and she understood what he would say if he could speak. The Earth Mother is dying. We must make haste. When he removed his touch from her head Julieth could see clearly again. Her hunger also returned. “Can you make food to nourish us? Is that possible in this place?”

  Ineal knelt, touching the tunnel floor. Instantly, multicolored plant life bloomed and grew, a thick forest of small, smooth things.

  “Mushrooms.” Riad approached, reaching down and plucking some before eating them. “They will do. They taste better than anything replicated. It’s good to see you, friend.”

  Ineal turned and walked to the opening where the tunnel descended further into the planet. He would wait there until the army was ready to move.

  Chapter 4

  Days passed in the dark. The army moved quickly, slipping at times on the now moist rock passages carved out by the beasts long ago. Truly Julieth had lost track of time. She had but one mission, reach the Earth Mother. She did not know what they would do from there.

  One night, as she moved in and out of dreams, resting in Ivanus’ lap, she opened her eyes to see him holding a book. Ineal’s light illuminated all around them. “What are you reading?”

  “You would think me mad.” Ivanus grinned. “It is Samuel’s book, the book of his religion. I took it from his citadel when I was there with him.” Dust moved from the book’s pages as Ivanus turned them.

  “You seem intent.” Julieth reached up and touched Ivanus’ face.

  He traced her hair lovingly with his free hand. “Samuel was such a bad man, but within him I believe there was once a pure heart. He was changed by the essences. I have read much of this book and believe in the religion spoken of here. It speaks of a God of love, of forgiveness, strength and hope. Is that not the God we need now? I need something to keep me strong. I turn to these pages at night to rejuvenate my soul and seek guidance.”

  “Read it to me.” Julieth traced his arm with her hand.

  “I’ll find a passage and share it with you.” Ivanus soon found the place he was looking for and began to read. He held a finger to the page as he read, as if intent on getting each word exact to get the full effect across. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

  “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

  “Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in my heart; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

  The words Ivanus read resonated in Julieth’s mind. “It is amazing that this religion is the one Samuel preached. I look forward to hearing you read more, if you would.”

  “Of course.” Ivanus smiled, pulling her hand up and kissing it.

  She nuzzled against him and he continued to read until they both fell asleep.

  As Ivanus read, some of the other members of the group listened as well.

  One of those listening was Riad. “I know that book,” Riad whispered when all but he were asleep. “The Bible… from Earth. All these years and I never knew that was the religion Samuel claimed to preach.”

  Soon none were awake.

  Ineal’s light pulsed rhythmically.

  Days passed as the company moved deeper and deeper toward the planet core. At night Ivanus read from the book he carried. With each passing night more and more of the group gathered around him, listening intently to the words he read. As they drew nearer the planet core, gravity pressed hard on their shoulders and the heat of the core, of the Earth Mother, resonated around them.

  One night as Ivanus read, Julieth stood. She walked steadily across the tight cavern chamber until she stood at Bayne’s side. They were still carrying him in the makeshift stretcher. His heart beat and his chest rose with breath, but other than that he gave no movement.

  “Bayne, can you hear me?” Julieth asked while extending a hand to his forehead and tracing his hair with her fingertips. His face was dirty and stubble specked his chin. “I love you. Even after all the evil you created with the help of the essence that bonded with you, I still love you. I feel as if you are my son.” Tears burned in her dry eyelids. The heat of the approaching planet core had kept her dehydrated for days.

  Nothing. The boy did not speak.

  There was a hollowness within her, a growing hollowness that she didn’t speak of with the others. Is it the darkness… the lack of sunlight? she pondered. Or is it just this limbo of Bayne’s existence wearing on me? I have an amazing man in Ivanus by my side, and yet it is hard to remember joy. I have had so little of it in my life. Julieth watched Bayne’s face. The light resonating from Ineal’s body touched only parts of Bayne’s features, casting eerie shadows over its remainder.

  A hand touched her shoulder. It was Ivanus. He had ceased reading but she had not heard him stop.

  “I care for him too,” Ivanus spoke. “We went through much together before the essence turned his soul. I wonder if when he awakens he might be that pure child again.”

  Julieth closed her eyes. “How could he be pure after all that death at his hands? No. Even if that evil came completely from the essence, he will be forever marred in some way. I only hope he awakens. We will deal with the rest when it comes.”

  “I wish I could do more, could console you and make your soul fly with happiness.” Ivanus wrapped an arm over her shoulder. “I wish I could bring him back to us now… could wish it into being.” There was silence for a moment. “He will awaken.”

  “I could not ask more of you. I appreciate you. I love you.” Julieth reached a hand up, touched his face and kissed him gently before returning her eyes to Bayne.

  “There is something written in Samuel’s book that I keep thinking of.” Ivanus placed a hand on Bayne’s chest. “It speaks of something called prayer. In the book people pray to God, speaking to him in thanks and begging to him for their life’s healing. It seems as though prayers are not always answered or even answered in the ways people expect, but it seems to comfort those who pray. The people in the book believe that God will guide them and ultimately right the wrongs of their world.”

  “Praying?” Julieth turned to him. “I am not even sure I believe in this book’s God. It is a good book, with good morals and lessons, but it is a book all the same. If I do not believe then surely there is no sense in praying.”

  Ivanus touched Julieth’s hand. “He believes in you. You need not believe in him for that. The book says he carries us when we are in need, even when we do not know he is there.”

  Julieth touched Bayne’s forehead. Her soul was heavy. She knew the rest of the group of men and women were close by, but in this moment she felt as if all that existed were her, Ivanus and Bayne.

  Ivanus touched her hand. “Close your eyes.”

  He braced her hand firmly. She closed her eyes and saw Ineal’s light as red through her eyelids.

  Ivanus spoke words that sent warm
th into her mind. “Dear, God. Thank you for this day and for Julieth. Thank you for food, friendship and purpose. Thank you for your guidance as we approach the horde of essences that ravage our world. We confess that we don’t pray to you today without need. This youth, Bayne, has been through much and has destroyed much. Please forgive him as we forgive him. Please heal him so that he can walk and commune with us… so that he can advance beyond the darkness that consumed him before. We love him, Lord.”

  Tears welled in Julieth’s eyes, running warmly down her face. Emotion moved through her.

  “Give us signs and guide us in the coming days,” Ivanus continued. “Help us to better understand the words you have sent us in your book and to know you as fully as we can. We love you, God. Have a wonderful night. Amen.”

  The last part caught Julieth off guard. She smiled. “Have a wonderful night?” she questioned Ivanus.

  “How else should we pray but to wish the creator of things a great night?”

  “I don’t know that I believe in or understand this book’s God, but I find your words comforting.” She thought about how Ivanus had asked God for signs. What she would give for a sign that everything would be better soon… that Bayne would be healed. “Thank you, Ivanus. Let us get some sleep now. I appreciate you.”

  A short while after lying down to rest with her head on Ivanus’ chest something startled her from sleep. She reached down to her side and felt something small and furry nudging her. She sat upright and eyed the thing. Ivanus’ animal companion from the desert, the snoot, nudged her and sniffed the air. She had almost forgotten the thing. She was sure they had left it in Kaskal and had not seen it since they’d entered the underground. “Come to me,” she spoke to the adorable thing. It climbed into her arms and she held it close, welcoming its warmth and care.

  Chapter 5

  Julieth’s Dream

  Julieth! Julieth, they are coming for me!

  It was Solaris’ soul, the Earth Mother. In complete darkness she heard the voice like a knife through her thoughts.

  The planet is beginning to break! They are opening Solaris! They are coming for me! You must hurry! Julieth’s heart raced as she ran through a dark tunnel. She pressed her hands on the wall beside her, looking for a way through to the voice. She punched the rock. It would not give.

  Julieth!

  The planet’s soul was in such pain. She punched the rock again and again. “I am coming!” she screamed. Where were the others? She stopped. Where were Ivanus and Bayne?

  The rock around her cracked. Molten lines flowed in webs in the stone above her, dripping and singeing her wings.

  Julieth! someone called again.

  She ran hard toward the voice. Black opened in a wide expanse around her. She fell into an onyx abyss, a void of nothing. Wind whipped against her, burning her flesh. Deep below she saw the light of Solaris’ core. “I am coming! I am coming, but who will save me? I can do nothing for you!”

  The light of the core came closer and closer, molten fluid writhing over its form.

  Fear ripped through Julieth. She did not want to die. She was going to die. “Ivanus!” she screamed in panic. Gravity sucked her down as the heat of the core made her body swelter.

  Then there was a breath, a silent pause.

  “Julieth.” It was the voice of the good essence that was bonded with her body, the one that kept the bad essences at bay. “It is a dream, Julieth. Fight it. You are stronger than this. Awaken. There are real perils coming for you now, ones much more threatening than dreams. I do not have long to be able to speak with you. It takes all I have to keep the other voices at bay.”

  Then, as quickly as it came, the essence’s voice was gone. She was plummeting toward the molten core. Her body felt as if it would be ripped apart or fry in the heat. Is this a dream? It feels so real. If it is a dream then I can control it. The molten orb came closer and closer. Soon she would collide with the thing and be burned from existence. I will close my eyes. If it is a dream then I will awake. If this is real, then I will die quickly. The flame of the orb licked at her from below.

  Julieth closed her eyes.

  All went silent.

  Reality struck her with its fist.

  There was a loud roar as Julieth opened her eyes. The earth shook violently and several stalactites crashed down from above. One beast was struck in the leg and howled in pain.

  Ivanus was beside her, screaming her name. It was still a haze, but her senses were sharpening.

  She stood, watching Ineal in front of the group, motioning them to take the passage nearest him. “Ineal wants us to follow!” she shouted above the roar. “He is attuned to nature! We will be safe where he leads!”

  They followed him, stumbling on the shaking ground. Julieth and Ivanus grabbed Bayne’s cot and carried him in the mass of movement.

  Eventually, after long moments, the quake stopped.

  “What was that?” Ivanus was visibly rattled. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

  Julieth hefted her end of Bayne’s cot upon her shoulder. “I was dreaming. The essences are attacking Solaris, searching for its soul. The Earth Mother was panicked. She needs us now.” One of the larger beasts came to her side and took her end of Bayne’s cot from her. As they walked the passageway became hotter and hotter. She began to sweat heavily, drenching the feathers in her wings. “There must be lava close by,” she commented, pressing her hand against the wall. She pulled back quickly from the heat. Where her hand had been a crack formed. It glowed molten red. “Is this a tunnel that the beasts carved out before?” she asked anyone who would answer. “Its walls seem different.”

  “No,” Ragoor answered close by. “These are old lava tubes… long unused.”

  “The lava seems to have migrated close by,” Julieth remarked. “Another quake like before and we could find ourselves bathed in it.”

  Ineal turned and looked to her, his body radiating light. The solid look in his eyes told her she was safe but that something was coming.

  Instantly the ground roared. The sound of splitting earth cracked and echoed around them. Julieth crouched against the wall, setting Bayne’s cot down and trying to wait out the tremor.

  Streams of molten red bled like veins above and below them. Julieth fanned her wings above her and also above those who were close by. If the lava bled through the thin layer of rock holding it at bay she would rather her wings burn than her companions, rather she be wounded than Bayne.

  She stumbled, catching her balance with her hands and then bracing there in fear. BOOM! The sound of cracking earth echoed in deafening noise around them.

  “Julieth!” Ivanus screamed. “Julieth!”

  She couldn’t move to look in his direction. It took everything to not succumb to gravity and moving earth. “Hold! Hold firm!” she shouted to all around her.

  The quaking stopped. Eerie calm replaced it. Julieth looked around and saw many in their company lying prostrate on the tunnel ground, slowly moving to stand. Ivanus was visibly shaken, sweat dripping from his forehead. Only Ineal stood on solid footing, stoic in the face of their reality.

  After the quake they had days of movement only interrupted by minor tremors. Julieth had no more dreams of the Earth Mother and heard no more voices of the essences bonding with her.

  As thick heat swam over them, they discovered Solaris’ core.

  The extinct lava tube they traveled in opened to a massive chamber… a chamber so vast it was like a red, burning sky within the planet. Blurred heat winds swam over the white-hot core. Julieth stood at its edifice, watching the gargantuan molten orb serpenting, coiling over itself and spitting fire in the radiant chamber of light. The planet’s gravity pulled hard, almost pulling her into the chamber and claiming her. Streaks of lava spun around the thing, gravity colliding in one massive pull.

  “What do we do now?” Ivanus asked, sweat and exhaustion on his face. His garments beat in the wind. He braced the holy book he carried tight to
his chest.

  “Earth Mother, what do you want of us?” Julieth shouted at the orb.

  A black vein bled across it.

  Julieth saw a stairway carved along the chamber’s outer wall and another extinct lava tube opening in the far distance away from them. Somehow she knew that was where they must go.

  Heat rushed around her as she stepped out on the ledge. A molten glob whipped past her in the gravitational wind. “We must go there!” She pointed to the opening in the far rock. “And we cannot carry Bayne on the stretcher! There is too great a chance that he will be dropped from the ledge and collide with the core! Ivanus, can you strap him to my back?”

  Ivanus bound Bayne to her back with rope. Bayne’s limp body pressed against her.

  “Be careful crossing,” Julieth spoke to all while mostly looking to Ivanus. She kissed him and then thrust her wings, soaring into the open chamber. The core’s gravity pulled on her, causing her to have to move away from it even when flying in a straight line. Each beat of her wings was arduous and painful. Every muscle wanted to succumb to gravity. Molten streams and globs punched past her in the wind, singeing her wings and forcing her to constantly be alert to dodge them. At one point she blacked out, then regained consciousness as she was being sucked inward. An hour into flight she looked to where the rest of the group moved along the wall. The ledge was thin and broken. One man fell from the path. His body sucked past her as she opened her mouth to scream. The dry heat of the place allowed no voice to come out. The man sucked into the core, liquefying on contact. The men and women clamped their hands in holds in the rock as they moved to fight the core’s pull. There was a broken portion that they were forced to leap over. What if there’s a quake now? the thought wrenched her stomach.