Izikiel (36 page)

Izikiel’s flaming form was immune to the void
spawns’ onslaught. He was like an oasis in a dark sea. He cast around, waiting for the disciple that he knew would come. Then he
felt
her.

Lady Serafine appeared next to him. Dressed in a flowing white robe, she was
a commanding presence. Her dark hair flowed behind her as her eyes shone with the heat of the Eternal Flame. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his face. He felt incredible strength and love flowing from her.

‘You made it. I knew you would,’ she said.

He felt the tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at her. A part of him refused to accept who she really was.

‘How is this possible?’ he asked.

Lady Serafine smiled.

‘
You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how many things had to align for this to happen. But you’re here, that’s all that matters. Now it’s time for you to save the colony worlds.’

‘
Me
? I came here to watch
you
unleash the light of creation and destroy the minions of the Void.’

‘No, Izikiel. It was never me. It was always you. You are the only one who is able to draw upon the full power of the Eternal Flame.’

‘But, I -’

‘There is no time. The human forces are almost destroyed. You must speak the word and save them. They must survive otherwise it will be as if this never happened. Then you must return to your own time.’

Izikiel’s mind was reeling from the implications of what he had just been told. All around them the void spawn continued to slaughter the human forces as the few remaining ships in orbit attempted a desperate bombardment to save their troops.

‘Speak the word, Izikiel.’

‘I don’t know the word.’

‘Then open your mind and we will speak it together.’

As Izikiel’s form glowed brighter, he felt his consciousness expanding. He became aware of Lady Serafine’s presence inside his thoughts. Opening his mouth, he spoke the most powerful word in the ancient language as she whispered it into his mind.

The light of the Eternal Flame swept across the surface of
Vesta
disintegrating the dark veil and eradicating every last void spawn.

‘You must go back to your own time now. Save the human colonies once again.’

‘Did it work? Will they believe it was you?’

‘Yes. You have done more than you could ever
know. I can only imagine what you have endured, Izikiel. I am so sorry. I wish there had been another way.’

Izikiel reached out and hugged her. Pulling back, he wiped the tears from his eyes as he prepared to speak the word that would return him to his time.

‘I am proud of you, Izikiel.’

‘Thanks,
mom
.’

‘Now go.’

Taking one last look at the devastation caused by the void spawn, Izikiel spoke the word to return to his own time.

‘
Numquam
’

He
rematerialized back inside the dark citadel. As the creatures of the Void rushed at him, he threw back his head, raised his arms and spoke the single, most powerful word in the ancient language. The one word that would unleash the full power of the Eternal Flame.

‘
Illustro
’

The effect was instantaneous. The Void Lord citadel was illuminated with the light of a new star forming. As the
Void Lords screamed and disintegrated, Izikiel continued to channel the raw power through him. Caligo Dominus
maintained cohesion for a moment longer than the others, fighting the light of the Eternal Flame with the dark power of the Void. In the darkness of space, surrounded by the power of his dark master, he may have succeeded. But he was on
Vesta
. The stronghold of the Eternal Flame. With a hollow scream, his ethereal form disintegrated.

Izikiel continued to channel the raw power of the Eternal Flame.
The very walls of the impenetrable citadel crumbled under the intensity of the assault. Within moments, all the minions of the Void and the very citadel itself had crumbled to dust. Izikiel slumped forward as the light dimmed. But it did not extinguish completely.

Standing up
, he walked over to where Te'Anne's body lay. Placing his burning hand above her head, he uttered a single word as a different kind of energy flowed through him.

‘
Curatio
’

Slowly
, her wounds closed and colour returned to her face. Blood began to flow through her veins as she took a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she spoke.

‘What happened?’

‘It's over. Rest now, I must help the others.’

Izikiel quickly restored
the others. Finally, he knelt beside the little girl. Placing his hand over her, he channelled yet another form of energy through him. Reaching out into the expanse of space and time, he severed the temporal flux encasing the little girl. She slowly changed. Her form became longer and taller. Soon, a young woman was standing before him. She had dark hair and piercing blue eyes. She smiled at him.

‘Sister,’ he said.

‘Brother,’ she said.

‘But how?’

‘Our family was chosen. First our mother, Serafine. Then I followed the calling of the Eternal Flame. When I became trapped on the planet
Vesta
, the Eternal Flame sought you out and brought you forward in time thousands of years to help us.’

‘I
remember everything now.’

‘That’s good
, Izikiel. Why are you smiling?’

‘I know where the
Funnel is.’

‘You mean?’

‘Yes, Sofija. We can go home.’

The others joined them
. Izikiel embraced Te’Anne. He absently noticed that Jonas was supporting Cassandra, while Xavier was looking at Sofija with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

‘Hello
, Xavier,’ Sofija said.

‘Um, hello,’ Xavier said, bowing slightly. Sofija reached out and placed her hand on his arm.

‘There’s no need for that. Thank you for looking after me.’

Xavier nodded.

Sofija turned her attention to Jenevieve. The female Guardian of the Eternal Flame smiled as she threw her arms around the second disciple.

‘I can’t believe that it worked!’
Jenevieve exclaimed.

‘Looks like you’re not the only one that can manipulate time,’ Sofija said. Pulling back
, she looked into Jenevieve’s eyes for a long moment.

‘
I’m so sorry for what you had to endure. Forgive me. There was no other way.’

‘
I understand. I knew the risks and I knew that Izikiel would be strong enough to free me from the Void Lord.’

Sofija embraced her again. Then she pulled back and looked at her brother.

‘Well done, little brother.’

Izikiel smiled.

‘Thanks. What do we do now? Do we go back to our own time?’

As he said it, his gaze travelled
to those standing next to him. Cassandra, Jonas, Xavier, Jenevieve and Te’Anne. He smiled as he pulled Te’Anne closer.

‘You don’t want to go, do you?’
Sofija asked.

Izikiel
shook his head.

‘No’

‘Then we won’t,’ Sofija said. ‘We are still needed here. The Void Lords have been banished from the colony worlds but they are still out there. The Elementals will need our help, just as the remains of the human race will require our guidance. We must ensure this
never
happens again.’

Izikiel nodded. Then he smiled.
He had finally found his place in the Universe.

He woke with a start. Breathing heavily, he wiped the sweat from his face with the palm of his hand. Visions of a burning flame devouring worlds slowly receded from his mind. He opened his eyes.

The alarm clock read 4:05AM. Looking around his bedroom, he could see the first light of dawn breaking through the window. Swinging his feet out of bed
, he flinched as they touched the cold floor.

Standing up
, he walked down the corridor. His sister's room remained cold and empty, since the day that she had disappeared, over a year ago. Next to it, his mother's room was no different. Stepping inside, he could smell the faintest hint of vanilla and musk. Her favourite perfume. Holding back the tears, he walked downstairs.

The light of dawn was stronger now,
shining brightly through the frosted glass entrance door. Frowning, he checked the clock in the corridor. It read 4:06AM.

‘
Too early to be this bright,’ he mumbled.

Walking towards the door, he picked up a pair of discarded jeans. Donning them, he opened the door and stepped outside.

The sight which greeted him caused his heart to stop beating. For it was still dark outside. Yet suspended directly in front of his house was a ball of flaming light. Writhing and twisting, the plasma seethed with energy and life.

‘
Do not be afraid,’ a hollow voice said.

Falling back a step
, he contemplated running. But where would he run to? In truth, he was more curious than afraid. And there was a distinctly familiar presence. Somehow, he felt perfectly safe despite staring at a molten sphere of plasma suspended several feet away from him.

‘
I'm not afraid,’ he replied.

‘
I knew that you wouldn't be,’ the voice continued. ‘I’m sorry it has come to this and I’m sorry for what you've had to go through. I promise you that once it’s all over that everything will be restored to you.’

That surprised him. Even as he tried to figure out what the voice meant, an incredible thought struck him.

‘
Mom
?’

For a moment there was complete silence. Then
, the flaming sphere contracted into the shape of a slim, dark haired woman. Smiling, she held her arms out as he ran to her.

‘
I thought I'd lost you!’ he exclaimed as tears of joy flowed freely down his cheeks.

‘
I would never leave you. Not by choice, anyway. Unfortunately, there are things greater than you and I. Our family has been tasked with a unique responsibility and it is one that we cannot turn away from.’

‘You
’d better tell me everything.’

His mother looked sad for a moment.

‘I'm afraid there's no time. We must go. The entire future of the human race and in fact, the Universe, hangs in the balance. It’s time for you to fulfil your destiny.’

‘
But, I -’

‘
Do not fear. You will know what to do. And I will always watch over you.’

With that his mother's form dissolved back into the molten sphere of plasma. A
deep, rich warmth washed over him. He knew that he would do anything for her.

‘What must I do?’ he asked.

‘Join with me. We will travel an incredible distance through space and time. There we will save mankind from the darkness.’

‘
I’m ready.’

The sphere slowly engulfed him, flowing across his body and encasing
him within its core. Without warning, it shot upwards at incredible speed. He watched the blue green vista of Earth vanish behind him as they sped past the other planets in the Solar System. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all vanished behind them. He saw the Milky Way Galaxy contract to nothing as the flaming sphere hurtled through the darkness of space. Then they reached a multi layered black hole.

‘What is that?’ he asked.

‘The Funnel. It will transport us into the future.’

‘
I’m ready.’

Time ceased to have all meaning as they travelled across the millennia. Passing through the other side of the
Funnel, the flaming ball of plasma decelerated across the northern polar cap of a dusty brown planet with twin suns. Reaching the ground, it peeled apart releasing its fragile cargo.

He landed softly in the warm sand, his eyes closed. The flaming ball of plasma lifted into the air
, sailing far into the sky. Before it disappeared, his mother’s voice drifted down to him.

‘
Awake now, Izikiel.’

The End