BDS: Chapter Forty

Ralian opened his eyes to darkness. He slowly sat up and surveyed his surroundings. The glowing markings across his skin created only a small portion of light in the underground cave.

Drasúl lay still, in the same place he had landed when Ralian tossed him.

Ralian stood and grabbed his gun. He glanced at Drasúl as he pulled at a small latch just above the gun's grip. Metallic shavings fell into his palm.

He quietly made his way to stand over Drasúl, carefully stepping around the fallen rocks. He placed a palm above Drasúl's chest as he knelt over him. The shavings fell onto Drasúl's clothing and sunk into the fabric. He brushed Drasúl's forearms lightly to spread the shavings around and then grabbed Drasúl's shoulders beneath his cloak.

"Hey, time to move," Ralian said as Drasúl stirred. "They will be here soon."

Ralian studied the underground cave as much as the light of his skin and sharp vision would allow in the dark, while Drasúl sat up slowly.

Small rocks fell off a ledge into a dark space near Drasúl. "Where are we?" he said as his eyes lit up and he moved back from the ledge.

"Underground. My blasters conduct frequency waves that send signals to my ships, so my warriors know I am alive. They will be waiting for my arrival at the checkpoints we established. We move south as far as we can underground. The tunnels should connect to the canyon somewhere because water is nearby."

"It will work to our advantage if they believe we are dead," Drasúl said. "We will regroup and plan a new strategy."

"No, Drasúl," Ralian responded with a shake of his head. "Because of the power of just one warrior, I have already lost too many. Your next strategy will find us both dead." He turned as Drasúl approached him. "It's time you hold up your end of the bargain."

"You saw what happened," Drasúl said. "We now know how to take them out one at a time—by drawing them into circumstances that force them to use their full power."

Ralian scowled. "I've fought against many skillful warriors, Drasúl. Despite the level of magic you carry, you will not be able to defeat the light warriors without more power. I have scanned their light frequency, so I know."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning their frequency is too malleable, making their adaptability rate unprecedented. Their powers are evolving still. Besides, with the arrival of their allies, you will not be able to rest without threat of death. You're outmatched, Javen."

"Then we make more of my kind."

"More Javen? You would turn on each other. Your frequency is unstable as it stands due to the light warrior's energy within you. Besides, there is no more time I can give you. It will only be a short time before the Inala discover the formula for the alternative cloaking frequency around my ships. What's left of my warriors and I must return home. So, it's time you give me the key to the portal, Drasúl."

Drasúl's eyes lit up. He extended a hand at Ralian in warning. "Your work here is not complete. You will receive the key when we finish what we began."

"That will not do," Ralian whispered as anger flashed in his gold gaze. The sides of his gun lit up as he dodged Drasúl's incoming attack.

Black, white-tipped flames spiked high around Drasúl. Before he could strike again, however, Ralian brushed the side of his gun with his palm. The light along its edges turned green.

Drasúl froze as the metallic shavings on his clothing lit in green and transformed into metal binds that wrapped around his chest and down his arms, sealing behind his back. Various colors raced through the binds as the current flowing within them detected and bound to his fluctuating vibration.

Drasúl dropped to a knee with a grunt as the light in his eyes faded. "What is this?" he shouted as he struggled against the bindings.

"It is a synthetic form of the enslavement bind the Mysteis use to capture a Javen," Ralian responded. "The Mysteis use powerful magic to create it, but there are always ways to replicate the frequency if you know how. I may not have the moonfire to kill you, but I can imprison you. You, or rather Mordán, freely gave me the knowledge to do so when you shared scripts from The Fallen."

Drasúl's eyes widened. "That information was in Alendrial Runes, which you have no knowledge of."

"Correction. I didn't have any knowledge of the runes until I encountered the script on the light warriors that was already deciphered for me by Akila. I used that information to decode the pattern of runes written on enslaving a Javen. Obviously, proof of my logical abilities to synthetically recreate frequencies to oppose your magic is wrapped around you now."

He pointed to the metal binds and gave Drasúl a pointed grin. "I figured I would create the binds just in case and behold, I caught a Javen. I warned you not to underestimate me. You already experienced what happened when you underestimated the warriors and now you know what it is to do so to the Avehkal."

Drasúl jerked his shoulders against the binds again as his eyes and wizard markings turned black, but immediately winced in pain as a piercing electrical shock ran through him.

"Careful," Ralian said in a low voice as Drasúl's appearance returned to normal. "No dark magic will help you now. Too much struggle will simply bring more pain."

He moved so that his face was only inches away from Drasúl's. "Mordán promised me payment and you will deliver, Drasúl, or I will deliver you to the Order myself. Now…where is my key?" he said, his tone dark. "And know this, if you attempt to mislead me or give me a false replica of a Key of Alendrial, then you will remain in prison until your star energy diminishes…" he smirked,"…however long the light warriors allow that to be."

Drasúl's eyes flashed with irritation just before he sighed. "It is kept in a vault in Sulta, beneath the Sul Fire River," he stated. "You will need me to retrieve it."

"We move now."

Drasúl stood with difficulty and then looked at the cave ceiling. "How are we going to get out of here, especially with me in these binds?"

"My people are already looking for me. Until then, we walk as far as we can and search for an opening that leads to the surface."

Drasúl, dripping with sweat, leaned against a boulder to rest hours later. "Will you get this thing off me, Ralian? It's harder to breathe down here as it is!"

Ralian paused in his steps. He glanced behind him with a smirk. "I thought you possessed the light warrior's stamina."

"It's ineffective when you have bound my abilities! Besides…"

"What?"

"His energy doesn't cooperate very well with my intentions when I attempt to apply his power. It's as if he is fighting me from the inside, so I keep his energy suppressed. The only time I allow it to surface is in battle when I can control his strength through the magic of my ancestors."

Ralian raised an eyebrow. "You are the first to carry light warrior and Mysteis blood inside the same vessel. Who knows what could happen? You may even combust after a certain time." He burst out laughing, his gold teeth glimmering.

Drasúl's expression hardened.

"Relax, Drasúl," Ralian said as he glanced above him to an ascending rocky path. "We are here."

A stream of light appeared at the top of the path. Several shadowy figures approached the two cautiously.

"It is I, Ralian," Ralian called out. "The Javen is with me."

"Any others?" A tall Avehkal with spiked white and silver hair approached and greeted Ralian with a grasp on his shoulder.

"No. We barely escaped ourselves. But we must leave quickly, Rastier."

Rastier nodded. "We're ready. Thron escaped and has returned to the main ship waiting outside the atmosphere." He glanced at Drasúl. "And him?"

"He comes with us to retrieve the key."

Ralian watched Drasúl with curiosity from across the compartment of an Avehkal disc as the two journeyed to Sulta. "I have a proposition for you, Drasúl."

Drasúl raised an eyebrow.

"You could return with me to Galinia and rule the surface realm. The species that reside there are easy to manipulate and will feed your expansion. It is the best opportunity you have, given your chances are lost in this realm."

"What do you mean by rule the surface realm? What other realm is there for you to possess?"

"My people are from the inner dimensional realms," Ralian explained, "which I wish to retrieve from my brother, Tau, who took control of it long ago. I have no interest in the surface walkers."

"Your realm is similar to Elsaria?"

"Yes. The atmospheric surface is denser and of a lower vibration than that of Elsaria, but you will acclimate to it quickly. There are ways that you can easily increase your power there."

"And you and your people? How will you take back the inner realms with all the warriors you have lost?"

"More than one fleet awaits my arrival on the outer atmospheres of Elsaria. From the time I was banished to Suál, I have been training my warriors at a remote location beneath an isle near the Drykvar Mountains. The water interferes with the frequency locators that Aeolus spreads across his lands. To this day, he has never found the base, and as a result, I was able to create a larger army than they believe I have.

"After we arrive on Galinia, I will have to explore the surface to locate the portal openings to the inner realms. Tau has them to shift over time to keep out the surface walkers. During that time, I will teach you about the planet, which is much larger than Elsaria.  You can do what you please with the surface walkers as you persuade the dark forces to join you. The Cinak—creatures that feed off lower energies—will be happy to do your bidding if it means their freedom from the lower realms on the planet. Most of the surface walkers lack internal wisdom and are easily persuaded—perfect subjects for your rule."

Drasúl looked thoughtful. "When will you release me?"

"After we arrive on Galinia, should you choose to join me. If you stay here, I will set the binds to release as soon as I reach the outer regions of Elsaria's atmosphere."

Drasúl's eyes narrowed in thought. He gave Ralian a short nod.

The two exited the Avehkal disc as dawn broke across the horizon a short time later. Drasúl led the others along a lighted trail to a vaulted door at the side of a small hill.

Rastier removed a silver strip from a pouch strapped to his arm and gave Ralian a nod. Ralian's eyes remained alert as he pressed the side of his gun. The restrictive current flowing through Drasúl's bindings lessened so that Drasúl could use his palm to open the vault.

Drasúl glanced behind him at Rastier. "My curiosity about your planet has surpassed my desire to escape or kill you. There is no need for alarm."

"Good," Ralian replied as Drasúl opened the vault. As soon as the seal to the door released, he returned the current of the bindings to their original frequency, causing Drasúl to wince. "Still, a little skepticism is always healthy." He motioned with his head for Drasúl to continue into the vault.

The two descended a set of steps leading below the river. Lights along the sides of the tunnel flickered and brightened the path as the group moved forward. The tunnel ended in an open room that lit up as the three neared it. A gold and silver gleaming object in the shape of an upside-down T rested on the center of a cushioned stand.

Drasúl gestured to it. "Your Key of Alendrial."

Ralian hurried to the key and picked it up with a look of relief. He met Rastier's eye. "Let's go home."

***