Nine Fantasy Stories
(Twenty – Twenty-eight)
Written by
Tanya Ferris
Memories of Sandra Anderson
A Cosmic Explorer
Nine Fantasy Stories
(Twenty – Twenty-eight)
Written by Tanya Ferris
Copyright © 2022
All rights reserved
This book may not be reproduced,
in part or in full, digital or otherwise,
without prior written permission from the author.
A Cosmic Explorer
A never ending exploration through the vast worlds of fantasy as far as the most remote areas of the cosmic network; a magical journey into the abysses of the unconscious mind, a jumble of primordial symbols, subconscious desires, metaphysical quest.
Fateful choices, traversing the spiral vortex of time and space, lead the heroine and the reader beyond the insupportable earthly reality to unimaginable dreamlands or, even, nightmare lands. However, even the worse nightmare is more preferable than the world of everyday life...
Each adventure is a personal magic ritual. I cannot foresee the result of such rituals, but there must always be a result, for there are points of contact, that is synchronicities, between the material world and the astral planes.
More is yet to come...
originally handwritten
from 6th January to 2nd April, 1995
It all began as a very bad dream but it soon proved to be more than that... I must be going insane, I thought, as I heard a woman's laugh echo strident in my bedroom. I sat up at once and the blood ran cold in my veins.
“Oh, no! This can't be happening!” I cried, as an incredible image was taking shape before my eyes.
“Oh, yes; it can, my dear,” Lady Chimaera responded ironically.
The part of the chamber before me was already changing fast into the witch's den, separated from the rest of the room by a spectral, transparent partition that gradually rose up to the ceiling. The place on the other side looked like an old garret full of magic tools, thick books and various concoctions in odd-shaped bottles. Lady Chimaera was facing me with a triumphant mien. Peter of the Stars was standing beside her, looking at me complacently.
“He is mine now, and I had no particular difficulty in persuading him”, said the sorceress arrogantly.
“You are affecting his mind!” I protested.
“Just like you, Sandra, just like you -so far!”
I heaved a sigh of disappointment, knowing that a powerful sorceress like Lady Chimaera could easily enchant any man she wished. Nevertheless, I would have never expected that
my Peter would fall a victim to her sinister charm.
“What do you want?” I asked her, as calm as possible.
“Let's say I want you to have a last look at your precious love toy... and to show you how insignificant you are, Sandra Anderson!”
“Where are you keeping him?” I asked then, striving to contain my anxiety.
Lady Chimaera smiled sarcastically and came closer to the partition.
“You know where my place is; come and get him if you can!”
“How do I know you are not just tricking me?”
“You know I am not!”
I stood there speechless, watching her chuckle maliciously as she turned and embraced Peter, who accepted her affection with pleasure, while the spectral partition was gradually melting away.
Soon I was all alone again, with my head spinning. There was no jealousy in my heart; only sheer terror. Although he was not aware of it in his daze, Peter was in extreme danger.
* * * * *
Getting to Lady Chimaera's isolated tower was no particular problem; its location was a common secret, although nobody ever dared come close to it. I thought a lot about it and decided that the safest way to enter the witch's den was to send there an astral copy of mine. Therefore, my physical body never left my bedroom.I let my mind fall to sleep, and then induced lucid dreaming; I focused my attention on my hands, then to the other parts of my body, until I created a tangible copy of
myself. In that astral, yet dense enough carrier, I travelled through the astral planes and roamed the dusky witch's tower.
I rushed up the central, spiral stairway, feeling more and more impatient with every step. When I reached the top turret, I found the black metal door provocatively open.
I paused at the threshold for a couple of seconds and had a searching look at the hexagonal garret with the vaulted roof.
The walls were covered with wooden shelves full of sorcery tools, bulky books of magic and witchcraft, bottled potions, as well as skulls and bones of various human and humanoid beings.
At first everything seemed to be paradoxically still and quiet; I could perceive no motion in there. Either I've fallen into a parallel dimension, I pondered, or...
“You are here at last, Sandra Anderson!” announced Lady Chimaera in a sonorous voice.
She had appeared before me all of a sudden, her long blond hair slightly waving at the graceful motion of her arms. She was wearing a long purple velvet garment, plenty of sparkling jewels, and a black cloak with a star-spangled finish. Peter of the Stars was standing next to her, holding an odd-shaped firearm in his hands. Behind them there was a massive altar made of black marble carved with bizarre relief magic seals.
“What have you done to him?” I demanded to know.
“What he has always wanted, of course, just what he has always wanted!” she replied provocatively, touching his shoulder tenderly.
Next moment Peter moved in front of the witch with a light footstep, aiming that dreadful weapon at me. He looked
more attractive than ever in his tight green uniform, his lips half open in an arrogant smile, his green eyes sparkling as never before.
“Be careful! He hates it when someone annoys his mistress!” crowed Lady Chimaera with a sarcastic smile.
“His mistress?” I wondered, hardly believing what I had just heard.
“Keep in mind, Sandra; he is no longer who you knew!”
Peter assaulted me with a ferocity I had never seen in him before. My copy body reacted promptly and avoided the mortal laser beams with relative ease. The enemy loaded on his weapon again in maniac stubbornness; he kept firing at me furiously, pushing me back towards the entrance.
Suddenly, the black metal door slammed closed behind me; I had to perform an endless set of acrobatic jumps in order to dodge the enemy's successive attacks. His moves were extremely fast and accurate, taking care not to damage anything in the room.
All at once he was too close to me, determined to finish the fight as fast as possible. In the meanwhile, the witch had withdrawn to a corner, enjoying herself to the fullest as I was getting more and more desperate.
“You know you are only dreaming, Sandra!” she declared scornfully. “You wouldn't dare come here in the flesh!”
The truth of her words shocked me for an instant; however, I managed to maintain control of my copy body.
“Oh, no”, I retorted then, as time seemed to have frozen. “I am awake! Fully awake!”
Next moment I jumped high into the air so as to evade another furious attack of Peter. At the same time I turned and struck him with a terrible astral blast that swept the
weapon off his hands and made him shudder for a couple of seconds. Nevertheless, as I was landing on my feet, I saw he had already lifted his firearm from the dark purple floor.
I rushed and pounced on him immediately, striking him hard in the face. The unexpected blow made him topple back, bang his head against the marble altar and lie there stunned. For one long moment there was absolute silence in the room.
“Peter!” I cried and ran to him. “Are you all right?” I asked in agony, but got no answer.
Then he opened his eyes and looked at me in surprise.
Obeying an irresistible urge, I bent over and kissed him passionately for a couple of magical seconds.
All of a sudden I was tossed into the air, landed against bookshelves and collapsed on the floor together with some heavy books, while Peter had just retrieved his weapon, aiming at me once again. He fired repeatedly, with the same insane look in his eyes. Strangely enough, this time it wasn't so hard for me to dodge the thick azure beams, as his marksmanship seemed to have waned a little – maybe because he was still dizzy.
We both stood still for an instant, as we clearly heard the witch uttering one of her dreadful spells. The unintelligible words were still ringing in the ionized air when I noticed numerous shallow masses of an odd, whitish liquid oozing all over the place. “Ectoplasm!” I uttered in abhorrence, because I knew: Ectoplasm is created when an extra-dimensional entity is about to materialize. Such sorcery requires huge amounts of energy, but that has never been a problem for Lady Chimaera. Therefore, it would only be a matter of seconds until some hideous demon materialized in there, under the witch's commands.
Peter raised his firearm again, always aiming at me. He fired at once and I sought to take cover behind the black altar, as he went on shooting like crazy. I ducked just in time to evade the mortal beams that scorched the air several inches over my head. His next luminous beam was not at all near me, and I wondered about his continuing lack of marksmanship.
Next moment Lady Chimera screamed in terror and the room resounded with her shrill cry of pain, as Peter had fired again, once again against her. For a moment or two, she twirled in a spasm of incredible intensity; then the sorceress fell silent, wrapped herself in her black cloak and vanished in an ethereal green cloud. In the meanwhile, all the white masses of ectoplasm were melting away fast.
“She... she is gone!” I stuttered in astonishment.
“She'll be back! Lady Chimaera won't perish so easily!”
said Peter in a firm voice.
I turned and faced him in unspeakable relief. He was back again, the Peter of the Stars I always knew. I ran to him and hugged him tight, happier than ever.
* * * * *
“So, Peter, you still haven't explained to me how you got involved with Lady Chimaera in the first place!” I asked to know, as I was piloting my starship towards Eldyla.“I was away from home when the witch found and captured me”, he replied in a low, reluctant voice.
“What were you doing so far away from Eldyla, Peter?” I asked, smiling in feigned patience.
“I was following a spacecraft”, he went on. “I... I was just curious”, he stammered.
“I definitely wanted to know why an Yrkanian spacecraft was heading to planet Gonast!”
I stayed taciturn for a moment or two, hardly believing what I had just heard. Then, I had a crazy suspicion...
“Whose spacecraft was that, Peter?” I asked.
“Venor's spacecraft!” he replied thoughtful, avoiding to look at me.
“What could an Yrkanian prince be looking for on a planet of amazons?” I wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer.
* * * * *
Pretty soon I was there, on planet Gonast, for a fortnight of vacations, since the Amazon queen, Nikita, has been a good friend of mine for ages.Gonast is a dream world, for many a myth; peace, serenity and natural beauty reigns everywhere. Although sciences and technology are pretty advanced, I consider this place as heaven – a perfect combination of natural and mystical forces. This world is ruled by women, descendants of amazons who managed to survive an ancient neutron war.
For a couple of days I had scrupulously avoided to reveal the real reason for my arrival; yet, it wasn't long before I came face to face with the incredible truth...
“We have a little surprise for you, Sandra!” confessed Limara, the chief Amazon warrior, as the sun was setting in the horizon.
“Really?” I wondered.
Limara beckoned me to follow her across the golden valley to the impressive rocky mountains that hide the Old
Necropolis behind them. Entering a narrow gap on the rocks, we found ourselves in a semi-dark cavern; the three moons of Gonast were shedding their mystical light all around. Walking through a short tunnel, we reached a spacious cavity; there was a round opening above us, which bathed the evocative place in plain moonlight. There was a big, flat rock in the middle of the cavity and I was intrigued to see thick shadows moving rhythmically on top of it, although but I could not make out what it was exactly.
Taking a few more steps inside, I paused abruptly as I was taken aback at the incredible sight: There were three naked Amazon warriors upon that rock, which much resembled an altar; all three were enjoying the indulging body of a man, in a most obscene manner.
“What's the matter? I thought that would be a pleasant surprise!” said Limara jokingly.
“I... I didn't expect...” I only stammered and took a step forth, so as to have a better look.
Those three women were constantly changing positions on that man, in frenetic endeavors to have the most possible pleasure from his body. As about him, he seemed to have entirely submitted himself to their desires. His cries and sighs of satisfaction revealed the unique pleasure he was experiencing. I was already feeling irritated, thinking of nothing else but join that party right away.
“He is really fantastic! He has satisfied lots of us during the last three days!” said Limara in a hoarse voice.
“Three days?” I repeated in disbelief, as I was trying to make out his face; under women's thighs that was impossible.
“We found him three days ago, after he was forced to land here due to fuel shortage!”
And you believed that? I wanted to ask, but passed it in silence instead.
“What kind of space vessel did he have?” I asked hesitantly.
“An Yrkanian royal spacecraft!”
“Venor!” I uttered in a low voice.
“You've got it, finally!” said Limara. “But, enough talk!
Let's have some fun too!”
Venor's immediate reaction, as soon as he got aware of my presence among the others, was a slight startle. Right after, he turned his head aside, as if in constraint, and smiled complacently. His impeccable body, as it was outlined shiny in the moonlight, was utmost sensual. Just then I realized how much I yearned for such an occasion. Obliterating all thoughts from my mind, I pounced on him and exploited every little spot of his writhing body, in ecstatic co-ordination with the other four women, all night long. I was quite shocked at his stamina, though I knew it was probably due to some ''love potion''. The sun had already risen when the prince of Yrkania was eventually left alone on the purple rock motionless, exhausted, but fully satisfied.
* * * * *
“So, Venor, can you explain to me how and why you landed up here?” I asked him firm.“I told you; I was running out of fuel and I saw this planet was inhabited. Of course, I could have never imagined...”
“You knew exactly where you were, Venor, stop this silly game and tell me! What is the real reason that brought you to Gonast?”
“Well... I had been feeling bored lately... I needed a trip to unknown lands and extraordinary experiences”, he excused
“On the amazons' planet? Come on, Venor, no reasonable man comes here on their own will!” I retorted, and then I paused in perplexity. “As if you didn't know what they do to captured men here!” I went on. “And they consider you a very special prey, you know!”
“I know!” he uttered softly.
For a moment I was speechless.
“Are you out of your mind?” I exclaimed finally. “What's gotten you, Venor?”
He just chuckled, turning away.
“I still don't get it”, I went on. “You can always have any woman you like, whenever and wherever you like! Even in your palace, a big harem is constantly at your disposal!”
“Here is the problem”, he replied calm. “They are constantly at my disposal! I needed something entirely different... such as my always being at their disposal... I needed to feel like a most wanted sex object”, he finally confessed in a low, guilty, adorably sensual voice. “Am I clear enough now?”
“Venor!” I cried. “The warrior women of Gonast are nothing like your concubines! You have no idea how dangerous they can be!”
“It's not the first time I've been here, if you remember”, he whispered lustfully. “So, I have a very good idea...”
I could no longer resist; I approached and hugged him from behind, gently caressing his broad chest.
“You could have come to me, instead!” I said, kissing his well-built shoulders. “Your overall experience would be about the same, only less tiring!”
He leaned his head back and let a soft sigh of pleasure. “I'm yours, my mistress”, he said in a most sensual manner that drove me crazy.
He smiled and took a deep breath, as I was already scratching and biting him all over the blue, tight-fitting uniform. I kissed his throat and lips impatiently; then, I wrapped my legs tightly around his pelvis. His hands were demanding and tender, cupping my breasts over my flimsy, silver-coloured corsage. My fingers sank into his long, blond hair and I kissed his lips again. We were both losing control and I loved it...
* * * * *
A couple of days passed with a hidden uneasiness growing inside me, as Venor seemed to be getting fonder and fonder of life on planet Gonast. I had also begun to worry lest Limara and the others should be aware of my concerns, as well as of my secret meetings with the prince of Yrkania.It was during a meeting of friends that I learned about a special occasion organized by Chryssa, a fierce warrior with slanted eyes and long, platinum hair.
“I get the impression you are not very excited about our next night of pleasure”, Chryssa told me as I was sunk in my thoughts, while the other three women of our party were talking jovially about it. “Consider this”, she went on smiling, “the prince knows nothing about it! It's going to be quite a surprise for him! This time we shall be eight!”
“Eight?” I stammered, already feeling sorry for the unsuspecting prince.
Suddenly a shrill sound reverberated deafening all over the place. Alarm!
We all ran to the assembly chamber, which was quite near in
the premises. Big screens covered one of the walls, showing in real time what was wrong.
“The prince of Yrkania has escaped!” we were informed at once. “He is no longer in his room!”
“Escaped? But how?” wondered Chryssa.
“You wonder how?” I exclaimed. “I wonder what took him so long! After all, he is the throne prince of Yrkania!”
Instant monitor scanning showed us the exact location of the fugitive, moment by moment. He probably knew that, but he didn't seem to care much.
“He has already reached the spacecraft platform!” cried Chryssa.
“Of course! He wants to take his space vessel back!” I said, feeling the blood enraged in my veins as the game was getting more and more interesting.
Having put the two guards out of action, Venor was about to enter the open aerodrome. It was just then that we finally reached him. I landed in front of him after performing a set of successive air somersaults along the three levels of the spacecraft platform. He stood still for a moment and looked at me frowned, as I got in his way. The look on his face showed he was determined to fight hard for his freedom.
In the meantime Limara had also arrived, while Chryssa was near the two guards who had come to themselves by now.
“We must not let him escape!” I heard one of them shout, aiming her laser gun at the fugitive.
In fact, all of us were armed but this didn't seem to daunt Venor; he promptly dodged all laser beams and luminous blades aimed to hurt him. Moreover, he confronted our
martial art moves with considerable effectiveness. He kept on fighting bravely his way out, neutralizing our assaults with sharp, accurate blows – although it was obvious he stood no chance of beating all five of us. At a moment he kicked Limara hard on her abdomen, which made her stumble back in pain and wrath. Judging by the look in her eyes, I could tell she would even kill the rebel if he kept on resisting.
Next instant Venor had to confront Chryssa and her laser sword; not without certain anguish, I watched him dodge her luminous blade, finally disarming her with a sharp blow on her wrist and pushing her back with a fast side kick.
“He is getting away!” I heard her shout, while Venor was now running to the sector of the spacecrafts.
It was one of the guards who reacted first, defying the general numbness of the rest of us; she lifted her weapon, aimed carefully and shot without hesitation. A soft cry was heard and next moment the prince fell down unconscious.
“Let's get him!” the other guard shouted, while Limara was watching the whole scene with an expression of worry on her face.
* * * * *
Well, despite his mutiny, the prince was still everybody's favourite – as he found out himself after he had regained his senses. He was lying on a metal platform, with five women all over him. “No!” he cried and shut his eyes in despair, as he had just got aware of his present condition: Chryssa was kissing his broad shoulders, her arms all over his naked chest; one of the guards forced him to dispose of his trousers, aiming at his genitals with her laser weapon. He sighed of lust as the other guard kissed him on the nape and then had his sex inside her. At the same time, he turned hishead so as to receive Chryssa's passionate kiss on his lips.
His fiery eyes urged her to take him right after, almost pushing the blond guard off him. The latter frowned, and limited herself to caressing his quaking chest and ribs.
His passion reached a summit as soon as he got aware of Limara on top of him, riding him in frenzy, like an ancient Amazon on a wild horse. The others seemed to be lost in haze, as she kept on shaking on him out of control; the prince breathed deeply, sensually proposing his well-trained chest. The chief Amazon warrior groaned of lust and then slapped the captive twice, leaving him breathless. There followed a cascade of kisses, bites, scratches that tortured his body to bleeding; his face was full of tears, as she claimed his sex again and again, uncountable times.
In the meanwhile I, together with the others, had stepped back, acknowledging Limara was so crazy about that man that she probably wanted him for herself only...
“You are all mine, prince Venor!” she confirmed right after.
Right then I noticed Venor's imploring glance at me. He was indeed worn out and he silently pleaded for help. But what could I do?
Only after the chief Amazon warrior had finally got off the exhausted prince with a last kiss on his lips, I approached hesitantly. For a few moments I just stood there watching his wonderful body exposed on the metal platform. He looked so fragile, helpless, irresistible; he could hardly keep his eyes open, I could see he needed some rest, however...
I pounced on him crying “If they had you, I assert one more right upon you!”
He gave me a pleading look, in vain; then he closed his eyes in surrender. Hot desire took over me like a gigantic inner
flame. I kissed his throat and lips again and again wildly, pulling his long, blond hair softly with my fingers. He opened his eyes and stared at me in eager desperation, his heart pounding like a hammer. I let my hands wander all over his body, whispering in his ear:
“No need to worry, Venor; more often than not, you have owed your life to your body!”
It was obvious that with me he seemed to enjoy sex a lot more than with anybody else – all four times that I had him, driving the others mad as they kept watching speechless. I can tell they were rather jealous of me by the time all this was over and I got off him after a long kiss of mutual passion.
* * * * *
A couple of days passed without any more raids on Venor's body; during that time he looked quite tranquil -though a little down in the dumps- but I could foresee the storm coming. So, when Limara paid me a visit that evening, I was prepared it would not be a simple social occasion.Her emerald eyes were shining in restrained fury when she announced to me: “This has to come to an end! I can no longer tolerate other women laying even a finger on prince Venor! I have already cleared out to all those who are interested that I want him as my personal mate! Anyone who wishes to claim him will have to confront me in a fair duel on the set date and time!”
“A duel! A duel of Amazon warriors for Venor!” I exclaimed in astonishment.
“Have I made myself understood?” she concluded in a stern voice. Obviously, she considered me to be one of ''those who are interested''.
“Perfectly understood!” I replied calm.
In the process, I tried to dissuade her from the whole affair, reminding her that Venor was the throne prince of Yrkania and that it wouldn't be wise at all to keep him on Gonast forever.
“Sooner or later they will find out where he is; and you don't want the Yrkanian Fleet outside your door”, I warned her.
“Let them come!” she replied arrogantly.
* * * * *
Venor looked quite pensive when I visited him in his room next morning.“I thought you've all forgotten me”, he said with a soft smile. “So, what's up now, Sandra?”
“Someone has declared a duel on you!”
“What is this supposed to mean?”
“This means an Amazon warrior has chosen you as her personal mate, her lawful husband let's say, which is considered a great honour for you”, I explained to him in a calm voice. “She has also challenged to a duel anyone who wishes to claim you!”
“You are... you are joking, of course!” stuttered Venor, his eyes wide open.
“Not at all; from now on, you will belong to one woman only; on the other hand, you will never leave Gonast!”
“Oh”, he frowned and his face darkened. “And who... who has declared that duel on me?” he stammered, as if he were afraid to hear the answer.
“The chief Amazon warrior, Limara!”
On hearing her name, Venor froze breathless.
“I told you, it's a great honour – especially if you are wanted by a most respectable warrior, like Limara!” I told him, amused at his bewilderment.
“Has... has anyone accepted the challenge yet?” he asked to know, probably hoping to hear a positive reply.
“No. Nobody has, nobody will”, I disillusioned him.
“Nobody every dares challenge Limara. I would never oppose her; I would be in a most difficult position even if I won”, I tried to explain.
The prince frowned once again and lowered his head.
“I don't want to become Limara's mate”, he confessed then hesitantly.
“I fear there is nothing to do about it; you had better get used to the idea!” I teased him.
“This is not what I came here for”, he stated solemn. “I hadn't planned to stay here more than a month or so...”
“Well, things change...”
It's time you faced the consequences of your decisions for once, I pondered.
“Let me put it straight, Sandra”, he continued, still looking down. “I don't think I will survive that woman for long...
you know how... how...” he stuttered, unable to find the correct words.
“Insatiable”, I said.
“That's right, insatiable she is... and she will be exhausting me day and night...” he went on stuttering. “I don't think I can endure her for long...” he concluded in despair.
In any other case I would consider his fears exaggerated,
but not in the case of Limara. Besides, he was so adorable in his helplessness there was no way I could be indifferent to his entreaties. Acting instinctively, I approached and wrapped my arms around his naked shoulders, already feeling successive waves of lust taking over his whole body.
“We shall work something out”, I reassured him, although at that time I had no idea what I could do about that. “Don't worry, Venor, we shall find a way out of this!”
My hands were already stroking his muscular chest, and he sighed of pleasure to the slightest touch of mine. I didn't care at all about Limara now; besides, there was no way she could ever find out, since the prince would certainly keep his mouth shut. We embraced each other tenderly and sealed our agreement with a soft, yet very hot kiss as a prelude of an unforgettable night.
* * * * *
No matter how hard I pondered on it, in the end I always admitted it was an impossible case; it just seemed to be impossible to get Venor out of Gonast. I needed urgent help for this, but I didn't know who to turn to. Who would ever accept to come on a planet of amazons and help me out with something like this? Peter of the Stars was out of the question, of course...All those intense contemplations gradually brought me to a state of light sleep. Soon I was dreaming of grave, unpredictable perils threatening my life there, in the astral planes. As the dream became clearer, I realized I was being menaced from above, by some lunatic on a flying vessel which resembled a motorbike; in his right hand he was holding a heavy machine gun.
“You don't understand; others will pay for your crimes!” I heard him shout, but I was not sure I had heard well.
The place around looked strangely fragmented, as if split apart by an unspeakable force; a kind of crimson smoke came from long fissures on the ground. Looking up, I faced the terrible weapon still being aimed at me.
“You don't understand... Others will pay...” he sounded repeating the same rhyme as if he were an automaton, his voice fading away in the gusts of wind.
The dream was already lucid -no longer a dream- and all my attention was focused on that reality: the shattered land, the suffocating smoke, the lethal machine gun right over my head. Just then I knew he meant very specific ''others'', who were in danger too. I could not see those persons but they had been captured and imprisoned by that lunatic; and they all hoped for someone -me- to set them free again.
My copy body was complete now, and it felt as if I were there in the flesh. The danger was even more tangible at this state of awareness, as any injury on my copy body would affect my material body as well.
In the meanwhile, the place looked more and more familiar: At first I could make out the main gate of the Old Necropolis in the distance, its metal bars shining under the light of the three full moons of Gonast. Between it and me there were innumerable ruined walls, ancient tombs and parched trees. Then I remembered the immense, underground vault situated under the Old Necropolis –
actually an arsenal of ancient times, a remnant of a dreadful neutron war. All weapons, computers, electronic and other devices, as well as military cyborgs, were still kept in there intact and inactivated, guarded by a team of five Amazon elite warriors.
However, something was very wrong here: the five guards were nowhere to see and a lunatic with a flying motorcycle
and a big firearm in hand was roaming all over the Old Necropolis; I only hoped the guards were still alive.
“You don't understand... Others will pay for your crimes!”
he cried ominously once again.
Next instant the flying vessel swooped down quite close to me; the villain fired his weapon, piercing the silence with a cascade of deafening, rattling sounds. My reaction was immediate, accurate, acrobatic: miraculously avoiding all his bullets, I jumped high up in the air and kicked the enemy off his flying vehicle which fell down and burst into flaming pieces. However, that didn't daunt the lunatic who kept firing at me while falling all the way down to the ground.
Performing a set of successive air somersaults, I finally managed to land on my feet safe and sound. Strangely enough, the enemy was now running away, shouting psychotically once again:
“You don't understand… Others will pay for your crimes!”
I instinctively closed my ears with my palms, feeling unable to stand that nonsense rhyme once more. Right at that moment, it occurred to me he was heading to the prisoners'
cell.
Next moment a huge bulk of fragmented walls collapsed on the ground beside me with a tremendous crash, heaving up thick clouds of dust, as well as uncountable pieces of stone, glass and metal that spread all over the place. I barely had the time to jump aside, while the psycho was still running away.
I needed badly the power to stop him, before it was too late; I yearned for it with all my heart, but it just refused to come to me – not the way I had expected it. However, something
happened right away, something that looked like a miracle: All of a sudden, I noticed a frayed flex sparkling brightly right next to me; it looked very dangerous as it emitted violent electric discharges around, but I calmed down and concentrated really hard for there was no margin for errors.
Next instant I grasped the frayed flex in my left hand; high tension electric energy shook my body vehemently only for a fraction of a second. My right hand glowed with a white hue just for a second, as I extended it towards the fleeing enemy and struck him with a powerful energy blast. Right at that moment, the villain turned towards me and fired once again all over, causing a cascade of collapsing ruins all around which finally buried him -dead or alive- under a big mass of rubble. Only then did I stop for a moment and consider the gravity of the danger I had just been into.
Anyway, it was all over now; it took me a while to discover the place where the guards had been imprisoned: It was a small, empty room on the north part of the ancient arsenal under the Old Necropolis. All five of them looked mortified and shocked for being taken by surprise by that maddened droid.
Leda, the chief guard, explained to me what had happened; it was an extremely rare incident, but it had happened: One of the ancient droid warriors had suddenly been activated and gone out of control, as if it had mysteriously developed its own ''free will''. Acting methodically, he had managed to put out of action all five guards of the arsenal and imprison them in an unused chamber. Then he had broken free to the Old Necropolis and taken advantage of the frequent time-space gaps there, so as to elude attention of the other Gonast warriors. However, my astral self had located him soon enough, before he would combine more serious trouble.
“We owe you, Sandra”, concluded Leda, lowering her head in admission.
At first I feigned indifference to any kind of ''reward''; then, I cunningly changed the subject and explained the whole problem of Venor to Leda and the others, leading up to the fact that only one kind of warrior could successfully confront Limara in a mating duel.
“The prince of Yrkania can't be kept here any longer; it's a matter of safety for the whole of Gonast!” I concluded stern.
“Yes... I understand what you mean”, said Leda thoughtful.
“I shall need one of your cybernetic units, a female one, for a few days only!” I declared finally.
“Very difficult... but I'll see what I can do...” she stammered, full of doubts. “First, we must inform Queen Nikita about this extreme situation”, she went on. “We certainly need her consent and collaboration for this kind of plan...”
Two nights before the set date of the duel ceremony, a flashing light hissed through the skyline of Gonast, splitting the crimson sunset in two. The meteor, which landed in the wilderness beyond the Old Necropolis, proved to be a spacecraft shot down by intergalactic bandits, as the pilot claimed. The flying vehicle was seriously damaged but she was safe and sound.
As soon as I saw her -very tall, muscular, haughty- I knew she was the cybernetic unit I had asked for. She introduced herself as Mayra Mars, a Lyran army officer, and she agreed to stay on planet Gonast for as long as her space vessel needed to self-repair – most probably, no more than two or three days.
* * * * *
“Does anyone wish to challenge the chief warrior Limara and claim prince Venor of Yrkania for herself?” asked the arbitrator in a stern voice.For a few moments there was sullen silence all over the arena; then, quite out of the blue...
“I do!” a firm voice resounded all around.
Everybody turned their heads and stared in astonishment.
“Who dares?!” uttered Limara between her teeth; then, she was flabbergasted as she saw...
It was the newcomer, the guest!
There was an abrupt uproar of disapproval that spread through the crowd of Amazon warriors like a heatwave.
However, Mayra stood there undaunted.
“You can't, you are a foreigner!” Limara shouted at her.
“Yet, she can”, the arbitrator corrected her. “Any woman warrior has the right to accept a duel, even a foreigner!”
The duel proved to be a lot more violent and spectacular than expected: Limara fought one of her best hand-to-hand fights, yet her rival soon proved to be more than worthy.
The crowd remained silent during the battle, surprised at the foreigner's superior skills and stamina. Venor kept on watching remarkably calm, with a rather complacent look on his face. Everybody was astounded at Mayra's incredible martial art skills and breathtaking attacks.
After a long, agonizing fight, Limara was eventually knocked out. The crowd froze of bewilderment and disappointment, but the duel was undoubtedly fair. The foreigner had won and there was nothing to be done about it. According to the ancient moral laws of Gonast, the man belonged to the winner and there was nothing to change
that. I could hardly conceal a smile of satisfaction, as my plan seemed to be working like clockwork.
After all was said and done, Limara withdrew from the arena so embarrassed as never before in her entire life.
Mayra Mars approached the prince and gave him such a strong kiss on his lips that he was left almost breathless; he took one step back and gasped for air. He belonged to her now, and he wouldn't even dare imagine what that meant...
* * * * *
“Thanks a lot, Sandra, thanks for all what you've contrived for me, thanks a lot!” Venor vented his ill-temper at me, after I had met him and Mayra in her spacecraft, now flying away from Gonast.In due time, that is very soon, I would have to arrange the safe and undetectable return of the space vessel and the droid back to the basements of the Old Necropolis.
“Do I make out a tone of irony in your voice?” I mocked.
“This woman is even more demanding than Limara”, he complained in a low voice, lest she should listen. “You wouldn't believe what she does to me any time she finds me alone...”
“In the dark!” I chuckled amused.
“I no longer like such games”, he went on stern. “I don't want to be anybody's sex slave anymore, and I don't give a damn who she can be!”
At that moment Mayra's strident laugh echoed all around, sounding like an alien musical instrument. She had probably overheard everything.
“You see?” stuttered Venor, pointing at the big warrior woman who had just entered. “Sometimes I get the
impression she is made of steel! I have come to dread any kind of contact with her!”
“Come on Venor, you are exaggerating!” I chuckled again.
“No, I am not! And I am going to get rid of her and you as soon as possible! You bet I can...”
“Listen, Venor”, I interrupted his growing fury. “This woman and I have just gotten you out of Gonast!”
“Oh, yeah, and she is wilder than all of them!”
“You are wrong, Venor; this woman is...”
“She is a maniac, that's what she is!” he burst out, not minding at all Mayra still listening to our vivid conversation.
“She is a cyborg, Venor”, I said finally. “She is just a cyborg...”
Stray Beyond Sunset
originally handwritten
from 15th April to 10th June, 1995
It all started as one of those astral trips that promised unforgettable experiences and unprecedented feelings of bliss and fulfillment.
I soared in thick, endless haze for an indefinable span of time, immersed in a weird sense of eternity and nothingness. Then I perceived certain forms being shaped on the white, smoke-like substance known as the astral fluid
– the primeval, subtle matter of which all universes are made of. At first all forms were white, vague outgrowths in the immense space where the ''sky'' had not been separated from the ''earth'' yet. My impatience almost ruined the experience, but I eventually calmed down and let it develop.
Next moment I, Sandra Anderson, was fleetingly admiring an idyllic rainbow rising over shiny, dark crystal rocks.
There were ethereal, winged creatures thriving in that magical world, some of them watching an extraordinary event taking place among the rocky formations.
I was taking part in a very special fight which excited their interest, for my rival was no other than Peter of the Stars. It had already proved to be too hard for me to take on him, as he kept on moving around fast, with incredible flexibility, dodging all my blows, just waiting for the right moment to overwhelm me. I would certainly hate to lose that battle of
Therefore, I hesitated no longer: I jumped aside, grasped my escrima stick from the ground and split it in two bastons with a sharp motion.
“Let's play a little harder, Peter!” I shouted at him.
“We had agreed on a hand-to-hand fight, Sandra!” he protested. “Now, this is going to cost you!”
Next moment he drew his sword, ready to defend his precious pride. A skillful stroke of his gold blade almost disarmed me; however, I managed to parry all his blows with continuous circular movements of my bastons, intending to end this fight as soon as possible.
The fairy creatures with the colorful wings kept watching the duel, either standing on rocks or flying around.
Fascinating in their inborn deviousness, they giggled and laughed considering the whole incident as a funny game. It had begun as such in the first place...
Moment by moment Peter got more and more aggressive, determined to win no matter what; my double sticks could barely hold the vehemence of his sword.
“Peter... stop this... you don't have to...” I stammered, trying to talk some sense into him.
Nevertheless, he went on attacking wilder and wilder, making me retreat all the way back to the edge of the precipice.
Peter of the Stars is an excellent fighter and an incredible fencer; therefore, I should have been prepared for a defeat from the very first moment this had started. I twisted and twirled my sticks again and again and against him, but I was still retreating constantly. Stumbling back on a sharp boulder, I lost balance and fell on my back, while Peter was
brandishing his gold blade before my face.
“So, here is where it ends, Sandra!” he cried and lifted his deadly weapon, as if he were going to deliver the final blow.
“No!”
My cry of fear made him waver for an instant. A light expression of regret came to his smart face; at that moment he was vulnerable.
Within a second I seized my bastons again, sprang up and assaulted him with a set of weaving movements that took him by surprise. Soon he was injured on the right shoulder; the sword slipped off his hand and he collapsed on the ground stunned.
“Do you surrender?” I asked at last.
“I... I do...” he stuttered in a feeble voice, blushing in shame for his defeat. “You didn't need to be so wild”, he added then, touching his hurt shoulder with his left hand.
“I know, Peter; you should have won this fight”, I admitted and helped him stand up.
I asked for his lips as an act of apology; Peter chuckled and responded eagerly. We hugged and kissed under the sparkling rainbow among the crystal rocks, all fairies rejoicing around us. His shiny, red hair felt like silk in my hands; a precious treasure my Peter was, a very rare jewel to safeguard and cherish...
* * * * *
Return to reality usually proves to be a painful experience, especially when there is nothing but trouble to expect in the following days.This time the information given to me by Peter of the Stars
had led me on a primitive planet called Rystadel, at the furthest end of the ''cursed'' constellation of Yades. My ongoing inquiries had finally brought me to an isolated, mountainous village called Aradark. The houses were made of stone and tiled roofs, their gardens full of colourful flowers. The narrow streets were cobbled, joined with picturesque bridges; and nature was thriving all around. Yet, behind all this rural beauty, I could often sense an unspeakable, tangible evil lurking in the air.
A couple of days had lapsed without any disturbances, save some lingering rumours about the newly arrived, terrible Archangel Assar, ''who always lies in wait'' for his victims in the dark. People disappeared and were often found burnt all over; yet, their clothes and surroundings were always intact, just like on incidences of spontaneous combustion.
Such occurrences were always attributed to the Archangel, a supposedly godsent entity who had come down on the planet in order to give the iniquitous a deserved punishment. As a result, more and more people turned into a new kind of religion, worshiping the Archangel Assar as their God.
There was also a lot of talk about a gigantic statue of that
''God'', which was said to have been miraculously built ''at the top of the world'' within a night by ''God'' himself. None of the people I had known so far had ever actually seen it, but it was supposed to survey the whole planet continually with its vigilant eyes, promptly punishing the sinners with an ''inner fire''. I doubt whether any of them knew that Assar is the ancestral name of the Yrkanian royalty...
In all probability, the statue of the ''Archangel'' was an intricate weapon of the Assars, secretly being tested on the primitive population of Rystadel. I had to find and destroy it the sooner the better, but so far I hadn't figured out where it
could be exactly. However, it is common knowledge that
''the top of the world'' is usually the most northern part of a planet...
* * * * *
The fresh breeze of dawn was coming through the half-open window of my attic when I got up and looked out, to the immaculate countryside that spread to the horizon. I admired the view for some carefree moments; then, I suddenly shivered as if from a bad premonition.Pretty soon there was agitation in the street below; I watched carefully and saw there was a small crowd coming down the cobbled street. As the sun was rising slowly, I could make out a pretty young lady being followed by a group of admirers; she was one of those who are wont to going around half-naked for the pleasure of men. At a moment she paused and bent her body forth in a quite provocative manner, leaving in common view her naked hips under the flimsy, short skirt. However, instead of excitement, there was instant horror, as the young woman had suddenly become abnormally stiff in that posture. Next moment I was shocked to realize that her whole body had just been carbonized.
I stood up at once and craned my neck out of the open window. Mass madness had broken out in just a few minutes; two of the men grabbed the burnt body and threw it on top of other charred corpses by the edge of the street.
How is it possible that sooner or later evil eventually contaminates every aspect of good? I wondered. Then, some of the men looked up and saw me standing by the window. I felt the blood freeze in my veins, and I wished to get away from there at once. Yet, on second thoughts, I decided I had better stay put; trying to escape would only drive them even crazier. Besides, I had not come here to
escape from evil; I had come to eliminate it.
I slowly moved away from the window, so that the crowd could no longer see me, although I felt rather insecure as I had no idea what would happen or what I would do next.
“Where do you think you are going?” a man's voice resounded stern in my room.
I turned round and recognized...
“Xavier! How did you find me?”
“Silly question!”
That was Xavier, Venor's younger brother, and his presence never boded any good. He was well-built and haughty, maybe even more arrogant than his older brother. His long, black hair with the dyed red tufts by his temples waved slightly in the breeze coming through the open window.
Four Yrkanian warriors were standing behind him, all armed and ready to fire.
“What are you doing here, Xavier?” I asked immediately.
“I was going to ask you the same”, he replied grim.
“How do you cause all these spontaneous combustions?” I asked bluntly.
“Enough talk! So long, Sandra!” uttered Xavier and his green eyes shone maliciously.
He sought to fire his laser weapon at me right away, but my reaction was immediate and accurate: After disarming the enemy with a strong flying kick, I sprang back and performed a backward somersault on air; my hands touched the window sill and in a split second I was down on the street, barely dodging all those laser beams being aimed at me through the open window. I only hoped that...
Peter of the Stars had arrived right on time, driving an
impressive ground vehicle. That type of automobile was quite common in the cities of Rystadel, but not in the cobbled streets of Aradark.
“Go, go, go, Peter!” I shouted at him, rushing in the co-driver's seat at once.
The automobile increased speed immediately, and then it swerved and disappeared around the corner, leaving behind a thick cloud of dust.
Xavier and his men had just rushed out of the house, swearing bad and firing in vain.
* * * * *
The sun was setting bright scarlet behind rows and rows of distant mountain tops that spread to the horizon, when Peter and I finally came in view of our final destination, ''at the top of this world'', in my stealth hovercraft.Indeed, I was amazed at the sight: On the summit of a steep mountain there was a huge statue of an archangel in panoply, his enormous wings open wide. Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I could have never imagined any monument could ever be so high.
The wondrous statue dominated the vast stretch of barren hills and shimmering rivers, and it was considered to be a representation of Archangel Assar, the alleged original ancestor of the Yrkanian royalty. This has always been a common belief throughout the Empire and, most probably, with the passage of centuries, not only the people but the royal family as well had come to believe this fairy tale.
The gigantic statue stood on a massive tower, and the whole construction was made of a black metal material that glittered eerily in the fading sunlight. Only its eyes were different, made of a light blue, sparkling substance. Every
now and then, thin azure rays were projected from those cold eyes to different directions. I shuddered as I understood they were aimed at specific human targets far and away – ordinary people who were supposed to be punished for their ''sins'' so as to strengthen the faith of the masses.
Just like we had expected, the lofty tower soon proved to be standing on an underground Yrkanian base. Nevertheless, getting near enough without being detected was not particularly difficult: First Peter neutralized the alarm system with a transmitter of electromagnetic waves of his own device; then, we got rid of the guards and placed a minuscule detonator at the pedestal. The only thing left to do now was to move away and activate it by remote control.
“You don't think we are that stupid, do you?”
Venor's voice rang sonorous behind us; turning around, we faced the throne prince and his younger brother accompanied by six Yrkanian soldiers, all with laser weapons in hand. At that moment Peter pressed the right button.
Next instant a tremendous explosion made the whole place tremble as if by an earthquake. The Archangel Assar had just been reduced to dust; only a part of the pedestal was still standing among the thick whirls of ashes and smoke.
All soldiers froze, hardly believing their eyes. However, the princes seemed to be oddly calm.
“Maybe I should thank you for that”, Venor announced enigmatically.
“What... what do you mean?” I stammered.
“The statue of the Archangel Assar was nothing but an experiment; anyway, we intended to dismantle it soon...”
“What for?” exclaimed Peter astounded.
“What you have witnessed so far, is no more than an infinitesimal proportion of the force we have come to possess! What we have in hand now is the ultimate weapon!” Xavier chipped in triumphant.
Venor turned his head and glared at him.
“Nonsense! You must be mad!” retorted Peter, obviously trying to make him say more.
“The source of force we now possess, will offer us supreme power and domination over innumerable more galaxies, maybe over the whole universe! And there is nothing, absolutely nothing you and Sandra can do about it!” Xavier wound up arrogantly.
“What kind of weapon is that?” I wanted to know, as I had actually begun to believe Xavier.
“Enough with the stupid questions!” cried Venor vexed.
“So, Sandra”, exclaimed Xavier then, aiming his laser weapon at me. “It's time we finished what we started in Aradark!”
Not that he meant a fair fight; threatened by eight Yrkanians in all, there was not much I or Peter could do. Yet, right at that time, I was suddenly feeling better, so much better, for...
The power was with me once again, energizing me more and more, moment by moment.
“As you wish, Xavier”, I replied willfully. “As you wish!”
My astral attack took everybody by surprise, Peter included.
Raising my arms, I released a terrible energy blast from both my hands, striking all the Yrkanian enemies who collapsed on the ground stunned. That gave me the time I
needed to flee; nevertheless, as soon as I had the time to look around, I was terrified to find out that Peter was nowhere to see.
I burst into tears at once. Crying is not something I usually do, no matter how adverse the circumstances may be.
However, that was the only thing I felt like doing as soon as I realized Peter had fallen in the hands of his worst enemies.
Maybe he is already dead, I feared. In any case, I had to find him no matter what...
* * * * *
“Just leave him to me, brother!” said Xavier with a crooked smile. “I have my methods to make him change his point of view!”“I'm not at all sure about this, Xavier” retorted Venor.
“I know what I'm doing and it won't be the first time! Just trust me!”
“I have special plans for you, Peter”, said Xavier then, turning to the captured enemy. “You have no mind control implants in your body, right? Well, pretty soon this will change and you will be my most loyal servant; and not only that!” he wound up, gently stroking Peter's nape. The young man shivered shocked.
“No matter what you do, I will find a way to escape; and it won't be the first time!” retorted Peter audaciously, although he was tied with chains against the wall.
“All right; he is all yours!” Venor announced finally and walked out of the room.
“I think I can tell what that cursed woman has found in you!” said Xavier equivocally, softly touching Peter's chest.
The captive shivered again, yet he didn't actually oppose to
the enemy's strange affection.
“We are leaving this insignificant planet very soon”, Xavier continued in a low, evocative voice. “And you, Peter of the Stars, will come with me!” he went on, leaning over Peter in a most sensual manner.
The young man felt unusually numb, unable to move or utter a word. So, certain rumours about Xavier are true then, he only pondered with a hazy mind.
Next moment Xavier got nearer and whispered something in Peter's ear. The young man listened carefully, gasping of surprise.
“You can have the honour to be the first to witness the Primordial Fire, our ultimate weapon, which will make all galaxies kneel to the Interstellar Yrkanian Empire; or, you can be its first victim! Which of the two happens, depends on you only!” concluded Xavier, slowly moving his right hand to Peter's genitals.
The young man reacted promptly, hitting Xavier's groin with his right knee. The enemy doubled in pain for a few seconds; when he turned to Peter again, the expression on his face had changed.
“You have decided, then”, he said in a broken voice. “I'm really sorry about that, Peter...”
“You will be even sorrier!” replied the captive in an enigmatic tone.
* * * * *
The statue of the Archangel Assar had been completely destroyed, but the Yrkanian base built under it was still intact. There were even more vigilant guards and sensitive alarms all over and around it. Therefore, trying to get inside it without any help or special equipment would certainly beThere was only one alternative for me, and that was to climb the whole precipice on the southern side, which was extremely steep all the way down to the deep river below.
That side of the mountain was entirely unguarded as it was supposed to be practically insurmountable. Such an endeavour was extremely dangerous of course, since I had to do it without any protective equipment that could possibly render me visible to the guards in the base. The only thing I used for climbing up the precipice was a strong, sharp knife. Thank Goddess, I eventually made it...
Getting into an Yrkanian base has always been a long series of perils and fights, yet it had become a kind of routine for me: first I located the least guarded parts; then I got rid of all the soldiers I met; finally, I weaved my way in step by step. It wasn't long before I stood outside a thick metal door and had a quick look inside, through the small, latticed window.
I was unspeakably relieved to see Peter was still alive; yet he was enchained, half-naked and looked worn out. Then I noticed Xavier's hand on Peter's shoulder; I was taken aback more by Peter's passivity than by Xavier's gesture.
I had to put an end to this at once; I drew my laser weapon and fired immediately, crashing the metal door to smoking pieces. Both men inside the cell looked at me dumbfounded, while the strident sound of the alarm was reverberating all around.
“Sandra Anderson! How did you...” Xavier stammered in surprise.
Before he had finished his question I fired again, but the enemy stepped aside just in time to dodge my laser ray.
Within a split second I repeated the attack, this time firing
twice, and my well-aimed beams fractured Peter's shackles.
The young man knelt down at once, overwhelmed by fatigue and astonishment.
Next instant, Xavier drew his weapon and assaulted me at once; I avoided his successive laser beams by performing a set of quick somersaults on the floor. Then, I knelt on my left knee and fired, but the enemy dodged my laser ray once again. I was astounded at his readiness and suppleness; he was certainly a worthy opponent, and I was running out of time.
Prince Xavier sought to repeat his attack; I jumped aside, holding my weapon tightly, determined to end this fight as soon as possible. Yet, it was Peter who eventually put an end to it with a set of fast high kicks. The enemy was taken off guard; he lost balance and fell back, the laser gun slipping off his hand.
Xavier had to fight vehemently against both Peter and me, down on the floor, for a few long seconds. The prince defended himself with extremely violent blows that made me dizzy once or twice. At a moment I managed to hit him hard on the right temple with the stock of my gun. He stopped fighting at once and leaned back stunned with eyes shut. Right after he lost his senses, lying by Peter's feet.
* * * * *
There followed a frantic escape through endless corridors and rooms, some of them full of Yrkanian soldiers who seemed to troop in from every direction. Having grasped Xavier's weapon and being in excellent fighting trim again, Peter helped me get rid of or by-pass all squads we met, until we reached the least guarded exit – the one by the precipice.“We are almost out of here”, I said in a low voice, “but we
still haven't found out what that ultimate weapon of the Yrkanians is”.
“Xavier confided in me it is a source of infinite energy that will make all galaxies kneel before the Assars and the Yrkanian Empire”, replied Peter. “It is hidden on a cursed planet, an abandoned world beyond the known universe, a place all human civilisations wish to consider a myth”, he wound up pensive.
“The Forsaken Lands!” I was taken aback.
“You know...!”
Who hasn't heard of The Forsaken Lands?
“How come Xavier revealed all this to you, Peter? What exactly happened between you and him?” I asked then, not at all sure I wanted to know the answer.
“Nothing happened; nothing irreparable...”
Our heated conversation was interrupted by three laser rays that flashed past Peter's body, making him fall silent and turn round immediately.
“Do not move!” Venor's voice echoed stern in the corridor, while Peter and I were just a few steps away from the exit.
“Do not let them escape!”
This time it was Xavier, who had just arrived. He stood behind his elder brother and looked quite irritated.
“We have problems”, I whispered.
“You don't tell!” mocked Peter, who was still half-naked and looked kinda sexy.
“Give in now!” ordered Venor, coming closer with his weapon in hand.
“Are you ready, Peter?” I only asked.
“So... Let's go!”
It all happened extremely fast; I sprang up and fired at Xavier at once, just a split second before performing multiple air somersaults so as to avoid multiple laser beams.
Peter attacked Venor with a set of martial art kicks, making him stumble back in surprise. Xavier, having ducked right on time so as to avoid being struck by my lasers, got ready to attack again. A never ending set of acrobatic movements and successive laser beams against our enemies eventually opened us the way out of the Yrkanian base, to the ''safety''
of the dark precipice.
All is well that ends well.
Or not?
= = = >
The Forsaken Lands
originally handwritten
from 10th June to 14th August, 1995
I experienced unique excitement as well as anxiety when the Zephyrus soared into the starlit vastness of space once again. That wouldn't be an ordinary intergalactic travel; we were heading to a black hole with a velocity >>c. Sitting side by side, Peter and I were holding hands, so that our telepathic communication could be perfect.
… We are reaching a moment of absolute incontinuity... The peculiarity beyond the event horizon contains trillions of solar systems... We sink in there and we pass them all by, and they all seem like tiny, spectral entities... Keep your mind wide open and your soul hard like a diamond, so that you can defend them against the impossible... Ride the cosmic vortex, ride it on... Bow to its fury; do not break...
In no time, we had got out of the blackness of space and entered a blue region of the multiverse; a whole new world spread before us.
… Get psyched…
… There is only one moment left...
... a heartbeat...
… We have passed through!
We had just been born again together, elsewhere, elsewhen, in a legendary world known by many as The Forsaken
“Here we are, Peter! This is our final destination!” I exclaimed, after we had got out of our two-seater spacecraft.
We were standing on an odd-shaped platform over an immense expanse of alien ruins. Most of them were weird towers of various shapes and materials that rose magnificent to incredible heights. For some moments we just looked around speechless, observing all those wondrous units of abnormal technology abandoned very long ago. A huge, orange moon was dominating on the night sky and its bright light made the place look even more eerie. And, paradoxically enough, the air was breathable.
“How... how awesome!” stammered Peter stupefied.
“This used to be an extremely advanced civilization of alien life forms, which flourished when our universe was still new”, I began to explain in a low voice, as if hypnotized.
“Its decline came about one million years ago, when new, more material life forms appeared on the planet. That was the advent of evil: flesh and blood beings, which eventually brought about the decay and downfall of this world, as well as its final holocaust. The result is right before our eyes”, I wound up pensive.
“There are many who believe that when the right time comes, the original inhabitants of The Forsaken Lands will return and dominate on their shattered planet once again, bringing a new Gold Age for the whole universe. This belief that appears in many different versions and religions, in many different worlds, throughout space and time”, added Peter.
“There is an incredibly powerful source of energy on this planet, not very far from here, which keeps this corner of
the firmament still existing and ensures a certain thermodynamic balance for the whole universe”, I went on.
“Peter, we must find this source and seal it for good...”
“Before Venor intervenes and messes everything up!” Peter finished my sentence.
* * * * *
“They are here already!” announced Xavier impatiently.“They have been located northeast of the ancient cosmodrom, on the embanked highway!”
“That's too bad”, said Venor frowning. “Such a thing should have never happened!”
“They never just stick to their last!”
“Is it possible that they have somehow found out about the Primordial Fire?” asked Venor, giving his brother a suspicious look.
“No; I don't think so”, replied Xavier in a low voice.
I should have killed Peter of the Stars when I had the chance, he thought grim. It was foolish of me to let him live...
“This story has to end once and for all, Xavier!” said Venor finally. “I leave this to you; for your own good, try not to fail this time!”
The throne prince's harsh voice made Xavier shiver; instead of saying anything else, he lowered his head and walked out of the room hastily.
* * * * *
“You hear something?”Peter's voice sounded loud in the still of the night. At first there was an almost imperceptible thud; then, a kind of
flapping noise. Right after, we could clearly hear the sound of steps scurrying around and towards us. My heart lost a leap; that could be anything in such a sinister place.
Next moment, we barely dodged a hail of mortal laser rays that flashed past us. Suddenly the place was full of Yrkanian soldiers led by Xavier, who rushed against me furious like a wild horse, brandishing a laser sword.
I reacted with a fast air somersault, so as to avoid his luminous blade; I landed a few metres away, while Peter was about to attack the enemy with his own laser blade. A brief, yet vehement swordplay between the two men filled the air with whirling sparkles, while an indefinable number of Yrkanian soldiers were watching the duel from every possible angle. I shuddered because we had been taken by surprise. They are too many! How long can we resist? I wondered, as I was staring at Xavier who was now retreating to Peter's decisive assault. However, after a breathless defense, he was standing strong again.
“You will not insult my pride again, Peter of the Stars!” he shouted in a raucous voice and got ready to strike.
I observed the muscles in Peter's arms contract as he stood on guard, ready to confront the enemy once more. The Yrkanian soldiers approached cautiously, without making a sound. I took cover behind a lofty metal tower, with my laser gun in hand, pondering on Venor's possible whereabouts.
Next instant I felt it, and I was paralyzed on the spot; I stood motionless for a second, wishing I had got that wrong. Yet, it was a tremor indeed; a couple of seconds later, another one followed. The whole place was quaking badly, and a strong wave of agony filled the air. The Yrkanian soldiers shuddered; their attention was broken,
and that was our chance to escape: Peter attacked once again, making Xavier step back and fall down on a lower level of the platform. I disarmed three of the enemies with fast high kicks and fired at a fourth one, making him stumble back and collapse, probably dead. Then we fled, running like crazy among the shiny, metal towers, while the enemies kept on firing at us frantically. My relief was beyond words when we reached my two-seater at last.
* * * * *
“That was close!” I uttered, after we had taken off.“So, what are we looking for exactly?” Peter asked to know.
“I am not sure; yet, I have a strong hunch that the Yrkanian base can't be far...”
We flew lower for a while, carefully observing the odd constructions around us.
“There! Behind that block of multiple towers!” cried Peter suddenly.
To my great surprise, I saw a big, strange, round hole among all those metal towers. We approached very carefully and were speechless at the sight: There was an enormous, spiral stairway unfolding towards the depths of the planet, its innumerable flights of stairs gradually fading into impenetrable darkness.
“I... I don't like this!” stuttered Peter.
“Yet, this is it, Peter!” I exclaimed. “I'm certain Venor's quest lies somewhere down there!”
“I still don't like it”, insisted Peter.
We landed behind a block of cylindrical towers. My spacecraft looked much like a part of them; at least, it wouldn't be easily detectable.
Another tremor followed as soon as we got off, and the surrounding constructions shook above our heads. That was quite freaky, but there was no turning back now.
“We have to get down there”, I said softly. “I'm afraid the procedure has already started...”
“What procedure, Sandra?” asked Peter stern, as we both started going down those stairs.
I didn't answer for I wasn't sure.
More tremors made us shudder as we were descending, while the golden moonlight of The Forsaken Lands was slowly giving its place to thick darkness. Not a sound was heard down there but the beat of our hearts, intense like a twin jackhammer.
Pretty soon there was nothing we could see there, nothing at all; yet, we kept on going down, one flight of stairs after the other. The fear we experienced was no less than the primeval fear of the dark tunnel that absorbs the soul after death. Moreover, there was a weird sensation of a certain presence, a kind of entity that filled the air all around us, becoming more and more evident as we got lower and lower, following that endless stairway to nowhere. Sense of time was lost; it could be minutes, it could be hours, always going down in constant anguish.
Then, all of a sudden, another earthquake shook the place all over, and that one was considerably stronger than the previous ones. Peter and I strove to keep standing on the stairway, fumbling our way on the metal walls of the tunnel through the tangible darkness. Next moment I felt the steps sliding away beneath my feet; balance was lost and both of us were now precipitating, screaming in agony. After a never-ending, dreadful free falling, the darkness was abruptly dispelled by a blinding light – and this is how that
* * * * *
“One more stage of the chain reaction has been completed!”a sonorous man's voice echoed in my ears.
“The netrine core is still being shelled; soon it will be properly reformed...” another voice was heard.
“And the ultimate power will be mine!” announced Venor triumphant.
“What...? What are these two doing here?” someone else asked, obviously astonished.
For heaven's sake! Where have we ended up? I wondered, still dizzy, my eyesight blurred.
“Arrest them! Now!” shouted another one.
I shivered, as I recognized Venor's voice.
Another earthquake roared for several seconds, and the whole place creaked alarmingly. I had almost recovered from a vehement blow; Peter was coming to himself too.
Next moment I could see we were trapped in an immense room with metal walls and oval-shaped windows. Xavier was approaching with a laser sword in hand, followed by a number of Yrkanian soldiers. Venor was standing nearby, watching everything with a complacent look on his face.
“To him I have promised the Primordial Fire” announced Xavier in ambivalent anger. “As about her...”
“You have what?” exclaimed Venor then – but he was given no time to wait for an answer.
Ducking just in time, I hardly avoided Xavier's laser blade that hovered just an inch above my head. Peter kicked away two of the guards who had come too close. Next instant
Venor pulled his laser gun out, and some more guards arrived to surround us. As about our own weapons, they had simply disappeared.
“Peter...” I stammered, not knowing what I wanted to say exactly, as everything seemed lost.
At that moment there came another tremor, a terrible one, which caused many of our enemies to lose balance and stagger on the floor breathless. That was our chance to escape – to where, indeed?
I considered it a miracle that Peter and I were still alive, running frenetically side by side, all those laser beams flashing around us incessantly. One of the mortal rays smashed a metal door in front of us, revealing a long corridor behind it. Dashing into it frantically, we soon ended up in front of another metal, closed door – and that seemed to be the end of our desperate rout, as the enemies were already behind us. I felt frustrated, yet energised at the same time, as I could feel the power was with me once again.
I struck the door with a thick astral blast at once; I expected the metal slab to be shattered into pieces, but it only moved aside instead. Peter and I slipped into the room without even thinking about it, while the enemies' voices were reverberating harsh and desperate behind us: “They've entered the Chamber of the Primordial Fire!” … “The procedure is not complete yet!” … “The netrine core needs three more stages of transformation!” … “Kill them now!”
... “Too late!” … “No, just leave them there!”
The last order was given by the throne prince, just one second before the door was sealed again behind us.
* * * * *
We were alone -and safe?- at last; all alone in an immense chamber which seemed to be oddly empty. Then I felt it stronger than ever before, that presence again. It was an invisible, disembodied, coming-in-waves presence, a sort of living vibration that filled the atmosphere all around.Peter stood by me taciturn; he acknowledged that alien presence as well – an all-mighty, supreme entity that existed beyond the limits of time and space. It was a superior being made of pure power, similar to the kind I occasionally experienced inside me, yet it was not at all identical.
Suddenly, I felt weird; I felt threatened and ''at home'' at the same time...
Always silent, Peter pointed at something ahead. There was a kind of arcade at the other side of the room; I couldn't make it out well because it seemed to be extremely far away. That spacewarp effect made us both wonder for a few moments; then, we hastened towards the arcade and paused as soon as we reached its threshold. It was just impossible for us to get any further; we could only stand still and face...
Inside a protective crystalline dome there was a bluish, sparkling
shield
of
variable
hypoatomic
particles
continually shelling an astral entity which looked like a spherical vibrating light, gradually transforming it to concentrated energy of infinite power. The netrine core was shining bright before our eyes, omnipotent, inexorable, bright like a sun, yet not blinding.
Next instant I noticed the azure shield of particles was of the same matter as the mortal rays launched by the Archangel Assar on planet Rystadel. I shuddered as I realized the Yrkanians had already begun to use that power for their purposes of universal dominion.
In the meanwhile, the alien presence was getting stronger
and stronger, moment by moment. As the chain reaction was going on, and that neutral entity was getting more and more powerful, something else, extremely malevolent was waking up out of primeval oblivion. And, in all probability, none of the Yrkanians suspected anything.
The initial result of the spacewarp had now taken the form of an endless crystal forest that glowed like a chandelier of a billion lights. The sight was unbelievable; I couldn't take my eyes off such grandeur...
Then I thought of Venor and his endeavours to tame that kind of force and I laughed spontaneously. Does he really believe he could ever control such powers? I wondered.
“The procedure has to stop!” I announced in a firm voice.
“It has to stop, or...”
“Or?”
“The Forsaken Lands will collapse inside the netrine core”, I went on pensive. “You, I, Venor, the Yrkanian Empire, Eldyla, everything we know will be absorbed inside it, and the universe will cease to exist as we know it!”
“Is there... is there a way to stop it?” stuttered Peter.
I took a deep breath, as I thought of means I would rather abstain from.
“If only I could carve a magic circle on the floor!” I sighed.
“I hope this can help!” announced Peter confident, taking out a laser sword and turning it on at once.
“Peter! How did you get this?” I asked astounded.
“I grabbed it from a guard during our escape”, he replied smiling. “I thought it could be of some use!”
“You are great!” I said and kissed him softly.
Then I snatched the weapon off his hands and began carving a circle on the iridescent, white floor. Soon the protective magic seal was complete: it consisted of two concentric circles with special ideograms between them. An isosceles triangle was drawn inside the inner one; at its centre there was another, much smaller circle which contained a letter from an ancient alphabet. It was the initial letter of a long forgotten god. A tremendous magic ritual was about to begin.
“May the Great Goddess be with us”, I said and urged Peter to enter the protective seal together with me.
I took a deep breath, then another one; as I was falling in instant trance, I started uttering the magic spell. Peter looked at me in awe as a torrent of unintelligible words of an old-forgotten language came out of my mouth. Very soon, we were both given the impression of an invisible, yet palpable army of entities pushing each other impatiently out of their world into ours. Peter shivered, and so did I.
“Ujcidi quehdesfi gvijrtur feq esdejedegde... Ujcidi gvijrtur...”
The thin air around us shifted violently; the invocation was already taking effect, although there were no visible changes on the netrine core that was still being shelled, still changing into something extremely dangerous for the whole multiverse.
“Ujcidi Zherge... Ujcidi Bsihlufar... Ujcidi Drifuor fhuj...
Ujcidi fhuj...”
Agitation in the atmosphere became even stronger; I shuddered as I knew the ritual could prove to be just as dangerous as the mutated netrine core. However, at that time I could do nothing but continue, defying Peter's frightened eyes. I tried to keep my voice as firm as possible,
while the terrible words were still coming out of my lips in a cascade:
“. .. sev Zherge, sev Bsihlufar, sev Drifuor... cudhiidej fydox, uqsietorej fhuj... ”
A new tremor made the whole planet shake, almost making us stumble out of the protective circle. I knew something dreadful was about to occur but I did go on, trying very hard to keep my voice from breaking:
“... taswe fdox, taswe Zherge, taswe Bsihlufar, taswe Drifuor... ”
Next instant there was a golden flash coming through an astral ''door'' that appeared on the ceiling, at the far end of the eerie arcade. The place shook once more, and then we saw it: a horrible, gigantic, skeletal paw ending to four long silver claws rushed through the ''door'' I had just created. It stretched all the way through the crystal forest towards the netrine core. Peter and I stood there frozen, watching it grab the crystalline dome and lift it on the air; for a moment I feared it would crack, but thank Goddess it didn't. In a split second, the bluish shield of hypoatomic particles and the vibrating core were carried away through the opening, leaving behind an insupportable stench.
After the skeletal paw was gone, the ''door'' disappeared at once. The air was clean at last, and a strange serenity prevailed all over the place. The nightmare seemed to be over, yet a strong sense of anguish took over me and I wondered why...
In almost no time, the crystal forest melted away before our eyes. Right after, a spectral vortex was created inside the magic circle, lifting us back to the surface of the planet, out of the spiral stairway that had led us into the Yrkanian base.
For a moment or two, we only stood there silent, among the
majestic towers that still rose to the night sky above us, as if nothing had happened.
* * * * *
“How do you happen to know those invocations?” asked Peter then, full of curiosity. “I was astounded! Nobody summons such entities anymore!”“Consider, most of them are insane!” rang a familiar voice behind us.
We turned round at once and faced the throne prince of Yrkania standing by a lofty tower near the rim of the spiral stairway, with a laser sword in hand.
Next moment prince Xavier appeared next to him, also armed with a similar weapon.
“You don't think you have achieved anything with that stupid spell, do you Sandra?” he uttered in an equivocal manner, his chest shaking with wrath.
“Leave this to me!” Peter cried to me, turning on his own weapon at once.
Looking up to the sky, I saw an Yrkanian space vessel hovering above us; Peter and I were surrounded by enemies.
Summoning up all the power left in me, I lifted my arms and struck the Yrkanian spacecraft with a strong astral blast.
It lost height immediately, soared in the air for a few moments and made an emergency landing on a circular airlift behind a block of silver-coloured towers. Nobody came out of it; nobody dared, or nobody could.
Xavier attacked first; Peter barely parried his furious strikes, as their laser swords hissed and sparkled in the dark of the night. However, the prince was soon impressed by Peter's extraordinary fencing skills:
“You didn't seem to be so tough when you were in my hands!” he uttered maliciously.
Xavier's pungent remark was violently interrupted by a hail of sharp strikes that finally overwhelmed him.
“I've beaten you once again, Xavier, and there is nothing you can do! It's over!” cried Peter decisively, his luminous blade almost touching the prince's chest.
“You are wrong!” retorted Xavier. “Nothing is over yet!”
Suddenly, I felt my head spinning; something was indeed very wrong: neither of the princes seemed to be particularly depressed by their latest failure...
In the meanwhile I was fighting against Venor, who had quickly and cunningly forced me to step on a flat platform among the surrounding metal towers. At that time I was strained of all power and I couldn't do much to avoid being cornered at the edge of the parapet. Jumping up and performing a swift air somersault, I dodged Venor's laser blade and landed a few steps beside him. Yet, he proved to be faster than I had expected: within a split second he turned round and disarmed me with a quick laser strike. I was taken by surprise, my gun was gone, and his strong hands grabbed my throat, choking all air off my lungs.
“This is how it ends, Sandra!” he roared with fiery eyes.
“Sooner or later I will regain the Primordial Fire and you will be an obstacle no more!”
“You've been an obstacle too long, Venor!” I shouted at him and punched him on the face.
Only for a moment Venor loosened his grip, but that was all the time I needed not only to set myself free from his grasp but counterattack as well with multiple martial art blows.
Next instant a strangled scream echoed all around; my
sudden reaction had caused Venor to stumble back, lose balance and slip off the metal parapet. I rushed to him and stared all the way down, only to see...
He was facing me from below, having grasped one of the decorative outgrowths of the parapet. I doubted whether he would be able to keep on hanging like that for long, yet he was still looking at me with eyes like daggers.
“So, this is how it ends, Venor, isn't it?” I said mordantly.
Instead of an answer, I received a wrathful grin.
After a long moment of hesitation, I stretched my right hand towards him and shouted:
“Come on, Venor! Let's save each other!”
“Don't play with me, Sandra! I can find a way out of this by myself!”
“You know you can't! Be quick, before Peter gets wind of this!”
He grabbed my hand without any more delay. Dragging him up was quite tiring, but it felt really satisfying, the correct thing to do for many reasons...
By the time Venor was standing on his feet again, Peter had already approached, having just put Xavier out of action.
“What have you done, Sandra? You don't intend to ever get rid of him, do you?” he cried indignant, pointing his laser blade at Venor.
“Listen, Peter”, I said as calm as possible. “It is wiser for us to keep the throne prince alive, as our hostage, while leaving The Forsaken Lands...”
“Oh, sure, so that you can keep a close eye on him!” he interrupted me, while Venor was smiling complacently.
“You don’t want Venor dead either, Peter”, I went on in a low voice, having approached near enough so that the throne prince couldn't hear. “Think about it: If Venor is gone, Xavier will be heir to the Yrkanian throne. In comparison with him, Venor is an angel!”
“I wouldn't be so sure about this!” replied Peter in disbelief.
Our brief quarrel was suddenly interrupted by a kind of air movement towards us; we both stepped aside instinctively, but it was too late. I heard Peter cry of pain, then flinch back injured. A long, hopefully not too deep wound was to be seen on his right ribs. Xavier had reappeared out of nowhere, brandishing his laser sword. The sadistic expression on his face showed he was determined to kill both of us right away. However, neither this time was he meant to succeed: Peter swerved to the left so as to dodge another strike and, at the same time, he bore a terrible blow on Xavier's chin with his right elbow. The prince was taken by surprise and collapsed on the platform stunned.
That brief incident gave Venor the chance he needed to counterattack with a flash motion: Grabbing his brother's weapon, he sought to hurt me at once. I stepped back instinctively but, as if he were ready for this, he repeated his attack even more viciously; I had to run, fight, hide, be found, run again, and so on, again and again and again...
“This is going nowhere, Venor”, I uttered, as he was trying to corner me between two metal towers. “You will get nothing out of this! So, slow down, give it up...”
An even wilder assault was his answer; I sprang up and avoided his laser blade once more. Right then a flapping sound filled the air; it was Peter of the Stars, who had just arrived quick as an arrow, landing with a flying kick on Venor's shoulders. The throne prince lost his balance and
Peter snatched the laser sword off his hand with an incredibly fast grip. Venor tried hard to defy his dizziness, as he was lying helpless down on the platform, vainly trying to grasp the laser sword from Peter's hands.
“Give in, Venor”, I shouted impatiently.
He tried to spring up instead.
Peter held the laser sword firmly against him, forcing him to stay down. A red, circular bruise had been formed on the prince's throat. All air seemed to be gasped out of his lungs, as he was looking at Peter with wide open, frightened eyes.
“Give in at last!” I shouted to Venor once again.
= = = >
The Rise of the Mystic
originally handwritten
from 15th August to 23rd October, 1995
After my extraordinary adventure on the Forsaken Lands, I needed and deserved a few weeks of relaxing vacations on planet Emanon. It is a small, primitive, and fascinating world, which combines a wild natural beauty with hidden forces of magic lurking behind every corner. Just like Eldyla, it is semi-material, only less unpredictable. Nothing has ever threatened the peace of this planet, nobody -not even the Yrkanian Empire- has ever dared challenge its powerful warlocks.
On the fourth day of my stay on Emanon I decided to go on a boat ride across the Lake Magenta. The place was wonderfully serene and enchanting, as the sun was setting bright on the magenta waters; the vivid colour, which has given its name to the lake, is due to some kind of algae growing on its depths. I was all alone in a wooden boat floating on the crystal-like surface of the lake, feeling perfectly calm, observing the odd-shaped cliffs along the shores, the profuse flora all around, the pink and lilac clouds that streaked the sky. It was a unique, spiritual experience, no lesser than a trance...
When I reached the opposite bank and got off the boat, I set up for a brief walk to the nearby grove. I had forgotten everything about impossible missions and dangers, enemies and traps; it felt strange and wonderful, as if I had become
someone else in another, better world.
It was right then that I was taken by surprise, assaulted, knocked out and abducted by a squad of blue-dressed warriors. They had appeared all at once, hidden behind tree trunks and rocks, entirely invisible until that moment. They were not Yrkanian; their style reminded of monk warriors, maybe ninjas.
* * * * *
When I recovered, I found myself sitting on a metal chair in a dimly lit, almost empty cell, surrounded by three of those warriors and another one, who seemed to be their leader. I gave him a closer look, as he stood before me: He was wearing loose garments, and he had wavy brown hair, slanted eyes and high cheekbones. He looked more like a monk than a ninja warrior; his presence actually appeased my fears, as he looked quite noble and composed.“We have brought her, as you ordered, reverent Magister!”
one of the warriors announced.
“Good! Very good!” he answered.
“What am I doing here? Where am I? Who are you?” I asked right away.
“Silence! Magister Horvath wishes to interrogate you!” one of my captors cried stern.
“I have lost a very rare book of magic”, said the Magister then. “A book of utmost importance!”
“So, why does this have to do with me?” I protested.
“We have reasons to believe you are involved in its disappearance, Miss Sandra Anderson!” he replied solemn.
So, he knows who I am, I reckoned thoughtful.
“This is ridiculous! I know absolutely nothing about it!” I
“Yet, you are interested in high magic and you have often occupied yourself with extraordinary rituals and spells”, he went on with a serious mien.
“This doesn't mean I have stolen your stupid book! What's going on here?” I began to lose my patience.
“Stay calm, my dear, just stay calm”, said the Magister in a patronizing manner, as his men sought to keep me immobilized on the chair.
“You think you know me, but you don't!” I uttered, tightening my fists.
The Magister's cry “Be careful!” reverberated all around as I sprang up abruptly; within a split second I disarmed and knocked down two of the guards with a set of martial art blows. Right after I heard a ''click'' behind me; someone was about to plant a bullet in my head, but I hit him hard on the chin with my elbow, making him stumble all the way back. I was already feeling very sure of myself, thinking I would soon be free and out of this place.
Instead I froze as I heard the Magister shout in an unusually sonorous voice: “That's enough, Sandra Anderson! I'm not going to tolerate this!”
Next instant he tended his left hand towards me and struck me with a terrible astral blast. Fire and lightning burst inside my brain; then I was wreathed in darkness, I collapsed to the floor, and that was the end of my battle.
“So, Miss Anderson, are you going to co-operate, or not?”
the Magister asked me in a masterful manner, as soon as I gained consciousness again.
“What... what do you want from me?” I stammered, still lying down. “I told you, I don't have the damned book!”
“You do?” I wondered, trying to stand on my feet again.
“Nevertheless, you are involved anyway!”
“What do you mean?”
One of the guards tried to hold my hands behind my back; I just pushed him away.
“You have been on the Forsaken Lands lately, haven't you?”
the Magister asked me, without actually waiting for an answer. “A certain magic ritual of yours foiled the plans of the Assars for universal dominion; however, it has caused a series of cosmic commotions as well!”
“How… how do you know?” I stuttered in wonder. “What kind of commotions?” I wanted to know right after.
“Because of deficiencies in your invocation, the door to Zherge, Bsihlufar, Drifuor remains partly unsealed; if someone utters the correct magic spell, the Insane Gods will invade our universe! Is that clear enough?”
I looked at him flabbergasted. I didn't know what to believe and I couldn't think of anything to say.
“The stolen book, which is one of a kind, contains extremely dangerous magic rituals and spells that allow contact with such entities”, the Magister went on stern. “It is a very dangerous book, Miss Anderson; I suppose you have heard about the Book of Avaton!”
“It is quite sizeable, it has a black crystal cover and black pages with red letters, and it is said to have been written by the demon Avaton himself. It's dark magic and it's a legend...”
“Yet the book exists”, he went on with an air of arrogance.
“I, the Great Magister Horvath of Emanon, have had the
only copy in my possession until recently. I must get it back as soon as possible, and you, Miss Anderson, are the only person who can carry out such a mission!”
“Why, Magister Horvath? Why can't you undertake this task yourself? As I've just seen, you are a most powerful warlock!”
“It's a matter of cosmic balance, Miss Anderson”, he replied in a low, evocative voice. “It's you who caused the problem, even unintentionally; so, it's you who must set things to rights”.
“I wonder though: who would be capable of coming into your ashram and stealing the Book of Avaton without being detected?” I wondered.
“My main sect has been infiltrated by Yrkanian psychics, persons of high spiritual powers, who managed to deceive our mind readers, get in our ashram as disciples and steal the book”, explained the Magister in a low voice, trying to conceal his embarrassment.
“I understand; the Yrkanians often use such psychics for high espionage”, I said pensive.
“The Book of Avaton is kept in a special crypt inside the palace of Assar the Great”, went on the wizard. “This means, you have to sneak in there and get it!”
“And how am I supposed to achieve this?” I asked then, looking forward to hearing the answer.
“Pretty soon, the throne prince Venor will invite you and ask for your help!”
Well, that was not something I ever expected to hear.
“My help for what?” I gasped in surprise.
“That's quite complicated; but you will have all the
information you need when the right time comes. In the meanwhile, you must trust me and accept his invitation!”
* * * * *
The sun was setting bright over the crystal roofs of Isova, the Yrkanian capital on planet Jeiri-4, its golden rays shining all over the violet sky. Venor was returning to the palace in his personal spacecraft, being in unusual hurry. He should have been satisfied for accomplishing his mission on Magnipoor, the biggest of the three moons of Jeiri-4, overthrowingthe
new,
revolutionary
regime
and
establishing the dominion of Assar the Great again.
However, he wasn't tranquil at all, as he suspected this was far from over yet.
As he soared over the azure torrent of Ayer, which winds its way through the thick forest to the limits of the majestic city, his impatience increased dramatically. He had to arrive as soon as possible and take action at once, because a very special natural phenomenon was about to take place – an utmost sinister phenomenon, which might cost his family their royalty and the Yrkanians their dominion over numerous galaxies. There was nothing he could do to prevent it from happening; he could only hope there would be no serious consequences.
It occurred just before the break of dawn, putting an impressive end to a month-long wait: the icy comet Radilev fell on Jeiri-7, the seventh planet of the solar system. An atomic mushroom of about 2500 km was formed right after the impact. There began a chain reaction of multiple, incredible explosions all over the huge planet, releasing an energy
equivalent
to
twenty
million
megatons
approximately. The entire planet echoed like a bell due to the sound of the thrusting waves.
Venor, as well as the rest of the royal family, kept watching the progress of the phenomenon moment by moment through the telescope of the Royal Observatory. They were all very preoccupied because, according to ancient prophecies and modern esoteric sects, such cosmic turbulence within such a short distance from the seat of the Yrkanian Empire could inevitably affect not only its nature but its world order radically. It could bring about social turmoil, revolutions, the downfall of dynasties and kings, as well as the rise of new leaders. Venor would definitely like to believe all that was nothing but naive superstitions; however, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't reassure himself.
* * * * *
I was rather reluctant to go and meet Venor in his own capital -until a couple of weeks ago I would have considered this suicidal- but I eventually decided to accept the challenge, since his entreaty for my services seemed to be sincere. It could all be a trap of course, but I know Venor very well: he would never resort to such a cheap trap.Besides, I trusted Magister Horvath as well as my inner voice which urged me to accept the invitation and the potential risk.
It was I who chose the place of first encounter: Venor and I agreed to meet at the Balcony of the Heavens, an impressive black rock carved with a spiral, iridescent stairway which takes the colours of the rising or setting sun. The rock rises over the endless ocean and it is situated below the immense estate of the Assar palace; it is a site of great geodynamic power, considered sacred since the ancient times of Yrkania. So, there I was, waiting for him on top of the rock; I felt quite nervous when I saw him coming up the stairway.
He looked weary and impatient at the same time, and I
wondered what could possibly trouble the throne prince of Yrkania so much.
As soon as he saw me, he paused and stared at me taciturn for a few moments, obviously dazzled by my special appearance – as I had hoped: I was dressed in a black velvet, tight-fitting uniform adorned with three broad, black leather belts with metal buckles; it was an impressive outfit, which proved to be ideal for such a special occasion...
“It all started with the crash of the comet Radilev on planet Jeiri-7” he began to explain. “I suppose you know about it”.
“I know”, I replied calm. “Has it caused any natural destructions on Jeiri-4?”
“In fact yes, it has caused some, but this is not the case; it's that...” Venor sighed lowering his head. “I've been losing the loyalty of my peoples...”
“Excuse me!?” I uttered in disbelief.
“Such cosmic phenomena are said to bring about the fall of dynasties and kings, as well as new leaders to power. At first I refused to believe that, but more and more populations have begun to turn their back on our dynasty, defying even the threat of weapons. The whole situation is going out of control...”
“I would never expect you to say so!”
“They are already waiting for the right time”, he went on, in obvious frustration. “They are waiting for their new leader to appear and rule with justice and wisdom!”
I couldn't help a brief, complacent smile.
“I'm really surprised you are daunted by such pseudo-Messiah beliefs of your oppressed subjects!” I told him mordantly. “Besides, you have no scruples when it comes to
crushing the slightest opposition to the Yrkanian dominion!”
“You have no idea what kind of forces we are dealing with!” protested Venor.
“Why don't you just tell me?”
“My father... my father received someone very special in audience the other day” he stuttered, looking even more embarrassed. “The man introduced himself as the spiritual leader of the New Age of Awareness, and he virtually demanded that Assar the Great and his whole family abandon their throne and their reign over the Interstellar Yrkanian Empire!”
“And that man... that man walked out of your palace alive?”
it was my turn to stutter.
“Yes!” exclaimed Venor in despair, dropping all pretences of self-control. “I can't explain that but no one... no one could...” he just wasn't able to finish his sentence.
“No one could stop him!” I said and he nodded, still looking down.
“Sandra, you do know this man! It is the Great Magister Horvath of Emanon!”
“Magister Horvath!” I repeated, taken aback. “As far as I've heard, he never leaves Emanon unless for a very important reason!”
And it seems he hasn't told me the whole truth, I reckoned then.
“Getting the Yrkanian throne seems to be a very important reason!” said Venor poignantly. “He has already been to Magnipoor and formed a new sect in Narcoit Cloister, influencing the largest part of the population”, he went on.
“I don't think it's the throne he wants... Anyway, what do you expect from me exactly?” I asked.
“I think you are the most appropriate person to approach him and find out his true intentions; I need to know how dangerous he can become...”
“I assure you he can become very dangerous”, I replied stern.
“Are you telling me there is nothing we can do?”
“Magister Horvath seeks no mundane power”, I tried to settle his fears. “Yet, I am quite curious to learn why he has molested you recently. Are you sure you have no idea?”
Venor refrained from answering; he only looked at me silent, maintaining the same desperate look in his eyes.
* * * * *
... I am in the spacious yard of the Narcoit Cloister on planet Magnipoor, walking among numerous people.Something extraordinary is about to happen, something we have all been waiting for a long time. Suddenly there is a lot of agitation, as crowds of people scurry towards an arched gate. I follow suit, although none of us can tell if we are heading for Heaven or Hell.
As we go up the white, marble stairway, I am surprised to see a feathered creature leaping up the steps one by one, right before me. It looks like a hawk; it has thick, brown feathers and a strong, hooked beak. As it turns its head to the left, I can see its shiny, piercing eye and I shiver. What can it be? I wonder; right then, I hear people say “it's a good demon”.
Next moment the hawk leaves a terrible cry and it starts to transmute wreathed in a bright, golden light. I am still in agony, as I am not sure whether it will turn into an angel or
a demon. No, it will be an angel, I finally conclude. Indeed, the bird turns into an angel with white, luminous wings. It has the form of a beautiful woman with smooth, blond hair long to her waist. She is dressed in a long, white, silk dress and she beams with tranquility and wisdom.
All at once, the woman changes form again: She is holding an infant in her hands now and she hasn't got wings anymore. I recognize Mother of God, as believed in many religions. She leads us all into a spacious room full of bright lights, high arches and wooden chairs. Some kind of sermon is about to begin in there. The front rows are already taken by numerous listeners, and more are coming moment by moment. I am surprised to see Magister Horvath behind the lecture desk; he acts as if he hasn't noticed me at all.
Soon the room is crowded and the Magister begins his fervent speech by announcing himself as the spiritual leader of the New Age of Awareness, which will set all souls free from any kind of tyranny. He emphasizes he is here only for those who wish to follow him on their own will, and he declares that the people of Magnipoor have proved themselves to be mature enough to accept his guidance and protection...
I woke up in my bedroom with an intense sense of fulfillment. The astral projection had been successful, revealing that Magister Horvath was indeed behind the revolution on Magnipoor; nevertheless, some questions had been left unanswered.
I was impatient to meet Venor at the Balcony of the Heavens once again, after sunrise. I told him about my night experience and I assured him I would do anything in my power to learn the whole truth. A little later, I got on my spacecraft and departed for planet Emanon.
“How naive of you to spy on me in the astral planes, Sandra!” the Magister's first words were as soon as I faced him.
I replied nothing; I just looked at him in embarrassment.
“What you experienced was more or less distorted by your agitated subconscious, of course”, he went on. “Let alone you did so in order to help Venor find out my intentions!”
he wound up grim.
“The throne prince invited me to Jeiri-4 and asked me to find out whether you have been undermining his power and why!” I confessed.
“I know!”
“However, Venor eventually managed to stop the revolution you started on Magnipoor; how did he achieve that?” I was curious to find out.
“What will you do if I tell you? Go to Venor and tell him all about it?” the warlock retorted bitingly.
“I have promised to get you back the stolen Book of Avaton and I will do so; but I need to know the whole truth first”, I dared say.
“All right then; Venor's victory was just temporary, based on sheer threat. Magnipoor has revolted against the Yrkanians, yet in a peaceful, non violent manner; this means they no longer follow the ways of living by the dynasty. They work less, they socialize more, they fight less, they wander more.
This renders them insufficient, in not useless, to the Empire”.
“The Yrkanians annihilate all those who oppose their tyranny anyhow”, I went on. “Venor wouldn't just leave
things like that, especially now, after the crash of the comet Radilev on Jeiri-7 and the prophecies regarding it and the subsequent fall of his dynasty!”
“Assar the Great intends genocide”, said Horvath then, with a bitter sigh. “Mass death for the three and a half million human beings on Magnipoor! This is why I decided to interfere!”
“And how do they intend to achieve this?” I asked in a feeble voice.
“The psychics of the Assars have managed to bring a certain virus from an infernal world by using the Book of Avaton.
The miasma first invades the mind, causing madness; then it affects the body and literally splits it apart, causing a horrifying death. However, things may get even worse, since the Yrkanians disregard the fact that such viruses may pollute even the astral planes, affecting huge populations all over the universe! Once they set the virus free, no living creature in the worlds of light will be safe!”
“I... I can hardly believe this!” I stammered stupefied.
“They intended to release it in the atmosphere of Magnipoor pretty soon, but after my audience received by Assar the Great, this plan was postponed. Moreover, as long as they have the Book of Avaton in their hands, and they can use it in many unspeakable and unpredictable ways!”
“Do you think they would attempt anything like that, now that you've threatened them in person?”
“If they are reasonable, no, they wouldn't. But one can never trust the logic of tyrants!”
* * * * *
It was early in the afternoon when I reached the Assar palace in my personal spacecraft and sought to land amonghigh rocks and bushes nearby. The edifice was magnificent, rising over the wild torrent of Ayer; it was a wonder of Yrkanian architecture, masterly built among the cliffs of a long gone waterfall. Its numerous chambers sparkled like gigantic crystals among the rocks, producing a magical effect of lights.
I had already communicated Venor but, curiously enough, he hadn't arrived yet. I didn't like that but I decided to wait for a few minutes, admiring the majestic view of the palace.
Suddenly I had a glimpse of a flitting flash among the bushes; then, I heard a noise that sounded like rushing footsteps. I was startled and sought to draw my laser gun, but it was too late. I was already surrounded by Yrkanian soldiers in grey, leather uniforms with helmets, and they were threatening me with their weapons.
Before I knew it I was attacked by Xavier himself, who had suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. I had been taken by surprise and the enemy's strong hands were already around my throat, choking all air off my lungs. The pain was excruciating and the sense of being strangled made me feel weak and helpless; I would scream of terror if it were possible for me.
“You may be fooling my stupid brother but you can't fool me!” roared Xavier, full of wrath.
I lost my balance and fell back on a flat rock; the enemy was over me, still squeezing my throat with his hands, tighter and tighter second by second, and I could no longer breathe. Yet, I found the courage to get my knees close to my chest and push Xavier back with all my strength, forcing him to release me. Then I sprang up at once, ignoring the lack of air in my lungs, and stood on guard ready to defend myself against the numerous Yrkanian soldiers who were
already arrayed around me. Too bad my laser weapon was nowhere to see...
I had to fight really hard for my life; I sought cover behind the cliffs, I punched, I hit, I kicked, I swept them off their feet any time it was possible for me. However, with every step I took I got nearer and nearer to the wild torrent rushing below...
At a moment I was aware of a laser gun aimed at me, almost at breathing distance; my heart lost a leap and I stepped aside in an instinctive attempt to protect myself. The laser ray flashed grazing past me; right then, my left foot slipped off the rock. Next instant I was tumbling down the steep cliffs; I hit my head against a jagged outgrowth, fell into vertigo and sank into the torrent, while Xavier's sonorous voice was echoing all around:
“Find the body! Now, you dead losses!”
Well, it seems to me that men never learn: How could they ever expect Sandra Anderson to perish so easily?
It was certainly not easy for me to maintain my senses in the rushing waves of the torrent, but I did it because I had to.
Although my head was spinning, I finally managed to climb up the steep cliffs and hide myself among them, while the Yrkanian soldiers were scouring the river.
After a while, when they gave up the search at last, I left my hiding place, climbed all the way up the craggy precipice and silently followed the squad of Yrkanian soldiers from a safe distance.
I was out of breath and wet to the bone, and I could see the situation was going out of hand. Obviously, for some reason, I was no longer Venor's guest. Therefore, I had to find a way to sneak into the palace undetected. The hardest
part of the mission is about to begin now, I pondered.
Thank Goddess, I was given the right opportunity quite soon: Having outrun the soldiers without their taking heed of me as I kept hiding behind thick trunks and high rocks, I finally climbed up a leafy tree and waited patiently for the last one of them to pass by. He was left a few steps behind, which served my purpose perfectly...
I collected one of the big, yellow flowers of the tree and threw it right in front of the soldier. He paused and watched it bewildered for a second – and that was all the time I needed to act: I jumped down the tree, pounced on him at once, and knocked him down with a fast blow on his neck; he didn't even get the chance to shout. The others just kept on walking, without even noticing he was no longer with them. After they had been further a little, I began undressing him.
* * * * *
“So, you are telling me that Sandra Anderson is dead!”exclaimed Venor in disbelief.
“That's right, brother! She was fired at and fell off the cliffs into the Ayer torrent...”
“However, you haven't found her body!”
“The stream is very rapid there and its bottom is rather uneven, full of rocks, cavities and gaps. Anyway, she can't have survived such a fall!”
“You wish she hasn't!”
Next moment both princes stood still as a soldier stepped in and asked permission to speak, emphasizing it was urgent.
“The Book of Avaton has been stolen! It has disappeared!”
he announced.
“Oh, no”, lisped Xavier. “This can't be true!”
“Unfortunately it is true, your Highness”, said the guard hastily. “Besides, soldier Malikut has just returned to the palace almost naked!”
Venor sighed and brought his hand on his forehead. “I don't believe this”, he said in a low voice. “She and the book must be found at once! And, as usual, I must do everything by myself!”
* * * * *
Although I had been expecting that to occur any minute, I was rather startled when the arched door of the underground crypt was suddenly open; bright light came in and Venor appeared at the threshold. I hid behind the odd-shaped, stone construction, on top of which the Book of Avaton was lying until I found and carried it down. The guard who had seen it was missing hadn't bothered to look for me inside, as he probably thought I had already escaped. So, I just stayed hidden behind the stone bulk and waited breathless.“I suggest you give in right now, Sandra!” cried the prince in a sonorous voice that echoed all over the dimly-lit room.
Then I noticed the heavy firearm he was holding, as he got ready to fire; next moment he pulled the trigger and the whole place shook of terribly powerful, almost palpable air waves that thrust the stone construction into whirling dust. I barely had the time to jump aside and avoid being thrust as well; I was hurled vehemently against the opposite wall and collapsed to the floor stunned, feeling as if all my bones were about to break into pieces.
For a couple of seconds I lay motionless on the paved floor.
Venor approached with the dreadful weapon in his hands, aiming to fire again. This time there was no way I could
dodge the blast, so I decided to stake my all and play dead.
The trick seemed to be working, as Venor stood over me, tending the weapon towards me in hesitation. He sought to make me stir with its long barrel, but I stayed completely motionless, even holding my breath. Then he came even closer and sought to touch me with his hands. At that moment I assaulted him with a sudden side kick, sweeping the weapon off his hands. Taking advantage of his surprise, I sprang up and hit him hard on the nape with my right elbow; next instant he fell down unconscious.
Taking a quick, searching look around, I saw the Book Avaton lying on the floor a few metres away. It was completely intact, and its black crystal cover with the engraved red seal shone in the feeble light coming through the open door.
I didn't get enough time to enjoy my victory; I could already hear rushing footsteps approaching; soon the crypt would be full of armed Yrkanian soldiers. So, I had to act fast...
I rushed forth and took the book in my hands; I placed it on Venor's chest and sat next to him, while pondering on a quick spell of disappearance. The pages fluttered before me by themselves, finally opening to the right page. As soon as I uttered the magic words, the whole room was bathed in a soft, blue light. When the soldiers trooped in, they were astounded to find nobody and nothing in the crypt.
* * * * *
Venor woke up in candle light. He tried to move, but somehow that was not possible. He gasped in despair when he realized he was lying on a kind of altar, his hands and legs tied with chains to the sides of the stone slab. The Book of Avaton was open on a silver bookstand on his right. An arched, latticed window let plenty of scarletsunlight come into the stuffy room.
“What... what...?” he stammered; then, he fell silent as he took a glimpse of the shining silver dagger hovering right over him. “What are you doing, Sandra?” he asked finally, shaking of fear, as he saw me standing next to the Book of Avaton, ready to bring that dagger down on his chest.
“I've beaten you once again, Venor”, I replied in a low voice. “Unfortunately for you, I have to sacrifice you to the Insane Gods so as to seal the door to their world once and for all!”
“. . . !”
“An adolescent man would be ideal for this kind of sacrifice”, I went on explaining. “You are not that young of course, but your blood could seal that door anyway!”
“No! This can't be so!”
“I'm sorry, Venor!”
Within a split second the dagger came down to his body and cut him a little on the right shoulder. The prince shut his eyes and screamed of terror; then he gasped of surprise and relief, as he realized the wound was only superficial, producing just a small streak of blood. I took some of it on my blade, held the dagger straight up and uttered the correct magic spell:
“Ujcidi sfalder dei tor... Ujcidi gaydor... Zmergen Zherge, zmergen Bsihlufar, zmergen Drifuor... Alafur donq laaher... ”
After the invocation was complete, the room was bathed in a bright white light that was gone in a few seconds. I smiled in unspeakable relief, for I knew the door to the Insane Gods had been sealed at last, having also taken the infernal virus back to where it belonged.
My most precious reward was the dazed look in Venor's face. He looked so adorably helpless, bewildered, still frightened.
“It's all over, Venor”, I assured him smiling.
He kept on staring at me speechless with wide open, stunned eyes.
“Or, maybe it isn't!” I uttered right after, simultaneously tearing his uniform with one stroke of my dagger, all the way from his chest to his groin.
The prince cried of fright, which turned to lust as I was already over him. Sighing of relief and pleasure, he just leaned back and stretched his body in a most sensual manner; then he surrendered to me as well as his wild carnal desires for all those wonderful hours that followed...
* * * * *
Magister Horvath's tower rose imposing before me in misty, enigmatic twilight as I approached its finely carved, wooden front door. I felt quite excited when I delivered the Book of Avaton to the Great Magister himself. Strangely enough, he didn't make any questions; nonetheless, he seemed to be more than satisfied with my success.“You have been loyal, Miss Anderson, and you will be properly rewarded”, he announced with a friendly smile that made me feel great.
I was nominated an honorary member of his main sect and I was invited to spend a couple of weeks in his ashram on Emanon.
To say the place was paradise, would be an understatement.
I was accommodated in one of the wooden huts next to a serene pool surrounded by high palms and green bushes with colourful flowers. There was a lovely, stone bridge
over the pool and a small green island decorated with marble statues near its furthest shore.
I felt exquisitely tranquil every morning, while swimming nonchalantly in the turquoise water for hours. The crystal pool was wonderfully serene; not even the slightest wave rippled its surface. I was not at all alone there; in fact, there were many others who revelled in the fine morning breeze and the calm waters. However, the place was divinely quiet; no loud voices or other annoying noises disturbed this outlandish tranquility. During all these days, I experienced an unprecedented, inner bliss entrancing me day and night.
What surprised me most, was the quality of the people living there – the Magister's closest disciples. All of them were spontaneously friendly, polite and unobtrusive. None of them felt the ''natural'' need of the average human to show off by yelling, gossiping or making trouble. Nobody ever shouted or swore for any reason. Even the children were quiet; they neither squealed hysterically, nor did they annoy everybody with stupid mischief. As about missions, adventures and dangers, they just seemed to be extremely far away from here, nothing more than elusive dreams fading in the corners of my mind.
Exploring the land further from the settlement of huts, I had the opportunity to relish unique natural beauties, such as the Alabaster Lagoon. A cluster of impressive, volcanic white rocks rose above the crystal, turquoise waters. I swam along the coast, in and out of picturesque, mysterious caves with emerald waters and prismatic cliffs. The, I reached the middle of the gulf, where a lofty arched rock emerged shimmering to the bright sunlight. Every time I swam under it, I was always bedazzled by the colourful pebbles of the sea-bed that sparkled like gems.
I consider those few days as the culmination of my whole