The New World (The Last Delar) (31 page)

"We do not know if they still survive, or if they do, where to find them.  They may try to kill or betray us, for their hearts have become black and their minds wicked," says the King.

"They do survive, I have seen them and I can take you to the bog where you can find their underground dwellings.  It is time to find where their loyalties lie.  The Pokwa cannot win this fight alone.  We must reach out to all our allies and forgive past betrayals and renew old bonds, or the Pokwa may vanish under this growing cloud of darkness," says Bacas.

The King sits back into his throne.  He shakes his head and looks at Akelou.  His daughter lays her hand on his and caresses his forearm.  Theopa looks at her and breathes deeply.  "I will honor the decision of the court.  If they believe the mud dwellers should be searched out, then I will send the warriors.  If there is any Pokwa that believes this is an ill-fated plan, then speak now."

The hall is quiet, and many in the court nervously whisper to each other.  The King stands again, "It is settled.  Bacas, assemble a search party to find the forsaken ones.  Oboe, have the breeding pools emptied and the word spread."

Theopa raises his hands and closes his eyes and prays to the Gods.  "Watch over us and may our offspring have a home to return to."

Akelou grabs Leotie's hand, and they step down, place their weapons on the ground, and dance the Enopay war dance.  The rest of the hall watches the dance and begins to stop their feet.  Croaking and cheers rise from the warriors as they lower their weapons and begin dancing.  The king escorts the princess from her throne, lowers his scepter at her feet, and dances.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Un-Ra, shadowed by the Daboon army, crouches below the canyon's edge staring at the moonlit tower of Ogdah.  The Daboon are restless, gripping their weapons and waiting for their master.  Un-Ra watches the Hornbill transform from beast to man, between two pillars at the base of the stone bridge that leads to the tower's gate.  Un-Nabus's eyes glow as he looks back at his army.

"My Daboon, glory is at hand.  When the gate falls, storm the tower and slay all in your path.  Then, my Daboon, you must climb the tower to the King’s chambers.  There you will bear witness to the destruction of a false king, the reclamation of our tower, and the fulfillment of all I have promised."

The Daboon begin to growl and pound the ground in excitement.  Un-Ra looks back to his warriors and raises his hammer.  The Daboon roar as one, their eyes filling with fury and their mouths drooling with blood lust.  Un-Nabus opens his hand, and from his dark mark the Book of Ixkin seeps out and opens.  The Daboon flinch as a thunderous crack explodes from the book and a silver streak shoots into the sky.  A misty cloud forms, swirling around the tower.  The book closes and seeps back into Un-Nabus's mark.  Un-Nabus pulls his hood over his head, and the Hornbill ascends into the mist.  A deep bellowing echoes, reverberating against the stone.

"Did you hear that?" says an archer looking out from the terrace above the gate.

"Yes, there is evil riding on the wind tonight.  Be on your guard, soldier," says the captain of the gate.  "Ush-Ka's army should be attacking the Pokwa by now.  We are all that is left to defend the tower since the King sent the natives beyond our walls."

"Captain, look," says an archer who points toward the Hornbill that has landed on the stone terrace.  Darkness hides the bird, and Un-Nabus emerges from the blackness with his staff in hand.  The guards are frozen with fear and they stare at the black sickle on his staff.  The captain of the gate yells at his men, "Intruder! Sound the alarm, warn the king!" A soldier pounds a gong that rings throughout the tower.  Torches emerge from openings that look down at the gate.

"Attack the intruder! Kill him!" yells the captain again.  The archers release their arrows at Un-Nabus.  The arrows soar through the mist, and Un-Nabus raises his hand and they are engulfed in darkness.  Un-Nabus lowers his hand and grips his staff, gliding across the terrace.  The captain watches in horror as his men are quickly butchered by the dark figure.

"Reinforcements! We are being slaughtered," yells the captain. He looks down into the inner courtyard and sees soldiers have started to gather at the gate, and one points behind him.  The captain of the wall looks back, but sees only a moving shadow before his head is sliced from its body.  It falls, bouncing against the inner wall and landing in the courtyard.  Un-Nabus looks down inside the tower and sees the lever that releases the gate.  He points his staff downwards, and darkness shoots down the side of the tower to destroy the lever.  Chains rattle, whipping furiously as the gate comes crashing down, striking the bridge.  The tower's guard has formed a defensive line behind the gate and wait for an attack.  A guard is sent into the mist and screams as he runs back from inside the fog.  "Beasts, giant beasts are coming!"

The guards gasp and step back watching Un-Ra emerge from the mist soaring through the fog landing on the soldier's back, crushing him with his stone hammer.  He raises his hammer and it burns with the blood of the fallen solider.  Un-Ra roars and the horde of Daboon charge towards the gate around him.

"Hold your positions! We must defend the gate!" shouts the leader of the guard.  He charges, leading his men to defend the tower.  Flashes from the men's muzzles light up the courtyard and Un-Nabus watches his Daboon slaughter the men in a chaotic blitz of strength and ferocity.  The few remaining men retreat into the tower screaming with fear.  Un-Nabus opens his arms, again taking to the skies and flying upward to a window high in the king's chambers.

"My Lord, the tower is under attack by an army of beasts! These beasts are like Ush-Ka himself.  Our men are being overrun, and we have no means of reinforcing them," says a soldier that kneels before him.

The King grabs his staff.  "Call my guard and tell them to retreat back into my chambers," he yells.  "Fools they are if they think a few beasts with stone clubs can take this tower." He returns to his throne, flapping his cape in noble arrogance.

"My Lord, the beasts will be at your door any moment.  We should flee the tower.  It is lost, my lord," says the king's closest advisor, Memra.

"Memra, go to the door and make sure all the guards make it into my chamber."

Memra rushes to the stairs and starts shuffling in what guards he can. The doors close with a bang, and Memra looks back from the stairs and panics. "Lord, let me pass! There is still time. . . the beasts have not yet made it to the top of the stairs.  Help me, Lord, mercy." Memra slams his fists against the door but his screams are ignored.  He hears noises coming from the stairs behind him, and he starts to shiver.  Trembling, he smells the pungent stench of beasts and the sound of dripping blood.  In a frantic, quivering turn, he spins around to see the Daboon.  Their dark fur drips with blood, and their grotesque hands tightly grip their weapons.  He looks into their eyes and cries out as Un-Ra shoves his way through the Daboon, tossing a mutilated soldier to the ground.  Un-Ra slowly approaches Memra and lowers his head toward the cowering man.  He roars loudly, showing Memra his long, bloodstained teeth.  The Daboon behind him roar in victory, raising their weapons and pounding their arms against the floor.  Un-Ra raises his arm, and the Daboon behind him become calm.  He looks into Memra's eyes and smiles at the fear he sees.  Un-Ra grabs Memra and tosses him back to the blood-crazed Daboon behind him.  His screams last only moments.

"The dark master wants this door destroyed.  NOW BREAK IT DOWN!" he commands.  His soldiers ram their weapons and bodies against the door.  The guards inside the chamber brace the entrance against the impact of Un-Ra's warriors.

"Stand aside," commands the King, and he raises his staff.  A burst of light fills the chambers, and the guard watches the wooden doors slowly turn to stone.

The King begins to laugh.  "No number of cursed beasts will be able to destroy that.  My subjects, I have saved us from this doom, and now we only have to wait for the return of my armies and they will destroy these devils." The men, exhausted from the fight, begin to cheer and hail their lord, but their cheers soon turn to dread.  A cloud rises from the floor, hiding the door in a thick darkness.  A deep bellowing echoes loudly, and the men scream, holding their ears looking at their Lord.

"What sorcery is this, Lord?"

"What is upon us, King?"

"Protect the king," yells the last captain, arousing his men from their hysteria.  Surrounding the king, they load and point their weapons at the growing darkness.

The black cloud grows, clawing at the walls and climbing the ceiling.  Un-Nabus steps out from behind the darkness, and the guard trembles at the sight of his black blade.

"Attack, you fools! Kill him, ATTACK!" yells the King, pointing to the closest guardsmen.

Two men timidly charge Un-Nabus, discharging their rifles and brandishing their bayonets.  Un-Nabus dodges the attack and slays the men in one lethal but graceful movement.  The men burst into a pool of blood that rains down on the cold lifeless floor.  Un-Nabus voice fills the chamber, shaking the walls.

"You trespass in my tower.  Lower your weapons and sacrifice yourselves to me, if you do this your deaths will be quick and without pain.  Defy me, and suffer my WRATH!"

"I am the lord here and you have no power, demon," the King says, raising his staff.  "I shall show you the true power of THE LORD OF THE WORLD!"

The staff explodes into a furious barrage of light.  Streaking energy singes the air and races toward Un-Nabus.  Un-Nabus stands calmly as the light approaches.  A wall of protection engulfs the light into a wisp of dark matter.  Un-Nabus raises his staff and slams it against the ground, and the door behind him explodes.  The King falls out of his chair, and his guards are blown onto their backs.  A soldier cries out when he sees the white eyes of the Daboon's as they enter the room.  Each guard is pinned to the ground by a Daboon warrior.  The remaining Daboon circle The King.

"P-Please, I have wealth, great wealth.  I will give it to you...I-I-I am a son Italy and the hero of Spain.  The Queen herself has professed her love for me.  She will grant you great amounts of wealth and land if you spare my life.  You can rule over these lands alone for all time.  I can give it to you, for I possess the power, and I alone know the secrets of this tower."

"
He lies.  He knows not what he possesses.  The Kaah that he has tied to his staff belongs to the Hhtuno.  He is a thief and should suffer as a thief
," Un-Nabus hears the Ixkin speak to him.

"I-I will grant you my throne.  You can rule over this tower.  I will give it to you if you spare me-"

"You know nothing of what you speak.  This is the ancient watchtower of the Hhtuno.  Its purpose you cannot comprehend.  As for the relic you hold, I do not need you to understand its power." Un-Nabus’s necklace falls out from under his robe. It reflects the moonlight from the window and the King looks at the outline of the necklace in shock.

"Y-You are a Delar! That is impossible; your line is dead."

"I am a Hhtuno.  How dare you speak of me."

"
You must stop his lies.  Take the Kaah from him and destroy this peasant!
"

"Un-Ra, come!" Un-Ra obeys his master's call.  "Turn and expose your quills." Un-Ra turns and bends his neck.  Un-Nabus plucks a poison-laced quill.

"My Daboon, it is time to finish what we have started this night."

Un-Ra looks at his men and roars, raising his hammer.  The Daboon thrust their weapons down upon the surviving men.  Un-Nabus looks at the King, and the quill shoots from his hand, striking the defeated king on the shoulder.

"Ahhh," the the King yells and he drops his staff.  Once the staff hits the ground, the Kaah breaks free.

"That, thief, is a poison quill from a Daboon.  The pain will be great as the toxins seep into your blood." Un-Nabus raises his hand, and the Kaah, a piece of black stone chiseled into a spear point, comes to him.  Once he holds the Kaah, he hears a loud crack.  Everything becomes black and the floor vanishes under his feet.  As the darkness fades, he can see a small stream where a woman is kneeling and holding two small boys in her arms.