A/N: I'm so sorry this has taken so long. I have no excuse other than the muse wasn't cooperating and even though I sit in front of the computer for hours, no words are coming forth.
But now I have something to post. And I'm hoping you'll all like it. Thank you for all your feedbacks and bumps.
So without further adieu, on the the next part.
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CHAPTER 35
“Sire!”
“What?” Khivar bellowed as he was upset over the interruption. He was currently daydreaming about how he was going to kill Zan slowly and painfully. First he will kill Rath by slitting his throat, watching him bleed out as he dies. Then he will torture Vilandra, making Zan the helpless observer as he looks on at his beloved sister’s demise. Then he will deal Zan a slow and painful death, torturing him just enough to wish that he be killed but always bringing him back to consciousness so he could feel the new bout of pain he would inflict on the boy that wanted to steal his throne.
“Y-your highness,” the soldier stuttered as his leader yelled. If he was already angry without having learnt of the latest casualty, what more when he tells Khivar the news?
“What is it? Stop stammering and tell me what you need to tell me!” Khivar shouted once more.
“Your majesty, I am sad to report that General Nik’la has been killed in battle.” The soldier rushed out to speak.
“WHAT?! How was that possible? Did you see who killed him?” Khivar turned to face the cowering warrior
“Y-yes, sire.” The answer came out as soft as a whisper.
Khivar was waiting for the soldier to continue but when it was obvious that the younger alien wasn’t going to say anything more without him asking, he had to pry for the information.
“Well, who is it? Speak up!”
The warrior, with all of the courage he had to muster to go out and fight in a war where he risked his life day in and day out, was deathly afraid of what might happen when his master finds out. He knew his leader would lash out in anger and he wished that he wasn’t standing directly in its path.
“It…it was Zan, your highness.”
Silence filled the room but the fighter knew that he was being given time, time to run and hide before his commander burst in rage.
“Amplify the pladithium.”
“But-but sire, that will make all of us disappear as well.” The soldier was baffled by this new course of action.
“Not everyone. Zan, Rath and Vilandra won’t be affected.” Khivar said calmly, clearly not adding the word “Royal” to his foes’ title.
“There was someone else, sir.” The soldier added.
Khivar was confused, “Someone else?”
“Yes, your majesty. Zan was with her and she was the one who killed the General.”
Khivar began racking his brain for who this other person was. And while he paced, the soldier continued to describe what he had witnessed.
“She used a lot of power on him. At first he was just battling with Kalan. Then out of nowhere this woman appeared, followed by Zan and they were in some kind of sphere.”
Khivar had his back turned on the soldier reporting to him. But when he heard about the woman in the sphere, his eyes opened wide, he stood up straighter, his back tense and he quickly turned to face one of his minions.
“Did the sphere look like a shield or was it just a small ball of energy?” Khivar asked slowly.
“It was both, sire. From where I was stationed, it looked like this massive ball of energy but it was also acting like a shield, protecting her and Zan.”
After that statement, Khivar seemed to have this faraway look in his eyes, like he was recalling something, or rather, someone.
And then he spoke, “Thala”.
***
Liz was weak after expending that much energy, but it was necessary. This Nicholas or Nik’la or whatever the hell his name was, he was strong and she had to use a lot of firepower to get rid of him.
She saw Cal holding on, gasping for air. She knelt beside him, tears spilling forth.
“No, you can’t die. You’re they’re protector. You’re supposed to be stronger.” Liz spoke from within her shield.
She looked at Max and he gave her a brief nod in answer to the question she posed in his head.
With Cal looking on, he saw Liz’s shield fade to nothing. “No.” he tried to speak loudly, ordering her to raise up her shield once more, to protect herself and her king.
“He can’t heal you if he can’t touch you.” Liz explained.
Cal shook his head slowly, his eyes threatening to close one last time. “Too…late.”
“Don’t! Don’t say that. Please, I need you here.” Liz was crying fully now, and Max was holding her, at the same time looking out for any threat to his or Liz’s safety. He was ready to throw out his shield at the slight hint of danger.
“Max…take care…of her.” Cal wheezed.
Max nodded. This was what wars brought. Death, unnecessary death. He never asked for this, never asked to fight an intergalactic battle, never asked for thousands to lay their lives for him, and certainly never asked for a throne or to rule a planet he hadn’t even known existed. He just wanted to live his life as peacefully and quietly as any normal human being does. He just wanted to be left alone so he could give a normal life to his son.
“Stop saying that.” Liz pleaded. She then turned to Max, “Please, heal him.”
Max could only look on; the injury is too deep, too severe. He knew that if he tried to heal Cal that would leave him and Liz defenseless against any type of attack.
“I…” But before Max could complete a sentence, Cal saved him from saying anything more.
“Don’t. Protect…yourselves. Return…to the…Granolith.” He coughed up some blood that Liz wiped away with her shirt. “It’s…been an honor…to serve you…once more…your majesties.”
“Cal!” Liz cried.
And after taking one last breath; Kalan, protector of the Royal Four, was gone.
***
“How is it possible?” Khivar murmured to no one in particular.
He didn’t notice the soldier’s surprised look on his face upon hearing the name of Antar’s beloved queen. Yes, Thala was loved by all; she was young yet she showed the maturity of an old soul. She was kind to all of the people of Antar and the rest of the people on the Whirlwind Galaxy. And it wasn’t because she was the queen, not because she was a guardian of the Granolith, but because it was her nature, she was simply being Thala.
“Amplify the pladithium!” Khivar demanded once more.
“But—” The soldier began but was quickly cut off by his leader.
“Did I ask for your opinion on this matter? Amplify it now. I don’t care if you all disappear from this forsaken planet for the rest of your pathetic lives. Just do as I say or it’ll be the last thing you’ll ever hear!”
“As you wish, m’lord.” The warrior saluted and quickly ran to the direction of the command deck of their vehicle to relay Khivar’s orders.
“Now we’ll see if Thala is really alive.” Khivar said to himself.
Khivar was on an alien craft, parked just on the outskirts of White Plains. The vehicle was cloaked in invisibility so no one on Earth could see where he was and that the planet has already been invaded. But he mused that they will know soon enough. Once he has gotten rid of the pesky brats posing to be the original royals of Antar, he would siphon all of Earth’s natural resources and return to Antar once the planet has died.
However, in order to do that, he would have to destroy all of mankind first.
***
Liz was sobbing hard. She’s been through loss after loss all her life, and now, one more has been taken away from her.
Max took her in his arms and allowed her to weep for the protector that she considered family. He couldn’t fathom how much pain Liz was going through. Sure, Cal was an alien like he was, arrived on Earth in the same ship that brought him here but he didn’t consider him family. His family was the people he ran away from Roswell with in an old van and the humans that took him in and loved him as if he was their own flesh and blood. And while it hurt to leave them behind, they’re still alive and now lived just 2 houses down from where he and his son do.
All these…Antarians laying down their lives for him; he didn’t know them and they were fighting for the memory of an old king that was supposedly reborn in him. But he knew nothing, he wasn’t a king, he had no clue on how to rule. He was simply a young man, became a father too early. He barely knew what to do in raising Zan, let alone ruling over a galaxy.
Max looked around him, watched as people, no, aliens who looked like humans fell to their deaths. When will this all end?
He then noticed that no one was touching them. Why was no one attacking them? He and Liz were out in the open though he had his shield up; surely a few skins would have jumped at the chance to kill them. They were the ultimate goal after all, weren’t they? Why was nobody coming up against them?
Max looked around and stood, pulling Liz up as well in the process. Something was going on, he could feel it. He wanted to pull Zan to the forefront of his mind. He needed his past self’s expertise. What did he know about fighting? Max had no clue but Zan surely did.
Max drew Liz away from him at arms’ length. Looking at her, he knew she was grieving but now was not the time. They had to get out of there and back to the Granolith. He tilted her bowed head with a finger on her chin to make her look at him. “Liz, do you think you’re strong enough to put up your dome?”
Liz stared back at him with her sorrowful eyes but nodded anyway. She understood that they were still in a war zone and them dying would’ve made Cal’s demise all for nothing.
With a raise of her hand, she effortlessly created her dome shield surrounding them once again.
“We need to get out of here.” Max said to which Liz only responded by looking at the ground where Cal’s body once occupied before turning into dust.
“Liz”, Max called; turning her head to face him. “We need to get back to the others. Something’s going on and I don’t like it.”
Liz looked at Max with alarm. Was there something bad happening to the other troops? Was it her grandmother?
Max figured out where Liz’s thoughts had taken her and quickly explained that it wasn’t that. He just felt someone or rather something calling him back to the others. They needed to form the Four Square now.
With one last look at where Cal died, Liz gathered her resolve and nodded at Max. After all this was over, she’d do something to honor Cal and all the other soldiers that died in battle. She would do everything in her power to end this stupid war once and for all.
Focusing their energy within themselves, both Max and Liz closed their eyes. Holding hand in hand, their bodies glowed as they called forth Zan and Thala.
When Thala came to the forefront, she immediately concentrated to make her and Zan be transported back to where the Granolith and the others were. Their essences started floating, returning to where they were originally instructed to stay. As they flew through the town, they saw more soldiers wounded, fallen, both Antarians and the Skins, but the fighting kept on.
Thala observed Zan, noticing how he didn’t seem to look anywhere else but at the direction they were going. Although Zan was as strong and as brave a fighter as Rath was, she knew that the side of Max that has never witnessed a war, would feel responsible for all the deaths around them, whether it be Antarian or of the Skins.
She looked at their joined hands and for a brief moment allowed herself to be enveloped in happiness that they were once more together.
Zan felt the emotions coursing through her and spilling over to their connection. He threw a quick glance at her and smiled, gripping her hand tighter in his.
Just then, another explosion sounded off, it was nearer to where the Granolith was. Thala and Zan surged faster; they needed to get back. Even Thala was feeling the pull as well.
But as they were getting closer, she instantaneously halted in mid-flight. Zan wondered why she stopped and followed her line of sight.
“Meran”
Thala quickly changed course. She was about to go straight into the huge battle scene, but Zan’s free arm held her back; and with one arm holding on to her, he was embracing her entirely in the process.
She looked at him pleadingly, “Zan, it’s my meran. She’s here, she lives.”
“We have to go.” Zan simply replied.
“But—”
“We’re needed back, Thala.”
Thala shut her mouth and gave a brief nod in acquiescence. She gave one more look at her beloved grandmother before returning to their initial route.
Soon enough, Max and Liz emerged back to where their group was.
“What the hell happened?” was Michael’s quick retort on their disappearing act.
“Kalan’s dead.” Max said coldly.
“Who’s Kalan?” Isabel asked.
“Langley.” Ava answered on the couple’s behalf and quickly regarded Liz’s silence. She also noticed that her friend appeared as if she has just been admonished.
Alex was surprised at that but he knew that realistically speaking, there were going to be casualties.
Maria went over to Liz and hugged the shorter woman. Liz returned the gesture briefly but went back immediately to Max’s side.
“Something’s happening but I don’t know what it is. The Granolith is pulling me, us, here. What happened while we were gone?” Max demanded.
Isabel was silently watching both Max and Liz. She noticed something was off. Not once did they address Michael’s question. Max wasn’t acknowledging anyone for that matter. And the way he told them of losing Cal was a bit harsh, like he didn’t care that one of their protectors just died. And then there was Liz’s somber mood. Granted she just lost someone she treated like a relative, but she wasn’t shedding any tears. It’s as if a switch inside her was turned off.
At that last thought, Isabel knew what was different.
“Zan?”, she called out to her brother.
Max then turned to face her and nodded.
Then the pull felt stronger and Maria, Kyle and Alex began to shimmer.
“What’s happening?” Kyle was yelling.
They noticed how the other Antarian Elite began to show the same things, including Serena and Ava.
“Oh my God!” Serena was beginning to get scared.
“What is this?!” Ava was worried, she wasn’t told of anything like this ever happening.
Everyone was becoming alarmed. Michael and Isabel were holding on to their partners as they began to disappear.
“Alex!”
“Maria!”
Then just as quickly as it began, it stopped. Everything was still. The silence was deafening. And the only ones left were Max, Liz, Isabel and Michael.
Isabel had tears streaming down her lovely face. Michael, on the other hand, was breathing hard, trying his best to control the fury within.
The four of them were scared. They were all alone. What was going to happen now? What happened to the other Antarians, soldiers that were to fight by their side? Has everyone one Earth shimmered into nothing?
One important question rang in everyone’s minds. Is this how it all ends?
Zan and Thala’s bodies began humming with power. They got the message loud and clear. The Granolith needs to be awakened.
“It’s just the four of us now.” Zan said.
“No shit, sherlock. What now?” Michael snapped.
“We need to activate the Granolith and you need to call forth Vilandra and Rath.” Thala informed them.
“Why?” Isabel questioned.
“We need you at your best. No human emotions involved. We’re soldiers first and foremost.” Zan spoke commandingly.
Michael nodded and so did Isabel.
They walked into the warehouse that sheltered the Granolith and took the position of the Four Square.
With arms stretched towards the person on the other corners, palms open to form a link, energy flowed. It illuminated the room as currents of electricity seemingly connected the four. The view from the top clearly depicted a blue glowing square with the black iconic cone right smack dab in the middle.
The Granolith started to turn, rotating clockwise and glowed from inside. Lights were flickering and wind was blowing as the cone created a whirlwind from its motions.
They closed their eyes from the force of the wind blowing inside the warehouse.
The four focused their energy to jump into the icon. Then Michael and Isabel were pulling their powers from within, concentrating to call on their past selves.
Finally, the winds and the lights decreased as the Granolith slowed, then coming to a full stop. All four of them could feel the power flowing within was like a raging river, its waves crashing but unable to go anywhere, begging to be released.
When they opened their eyes, pupils as dark as night gazed into each other.
They walked towards the center, closing the distance from one another. They surveyed their surroundings and realized that they were no longer in the warehouse.
They were back where it all began…out in the desert, of Roswell, New Mexico.
tbc