The Time Stone (40 page)

“
What’s that?” Asked
Drax.

“
We are being exterminated
by a ruthless villain who dwells in the towers above the city and
who was the source of chaos during the Great Conflict. The United
Regiment of the Oligarchy. After the old army was destroyed, the
villages began to form as strongholds to withstand the tyranny of
the Chosen One whose identity we never knew. The oligarchy has
become a force of control and corruption against us. They threaten
to wipe us out because we won’t worship them. These forces have
caused havoc amongst us as we try to rebuild our lives. Little by
little we hear of groups such as ours that were scattered
throughout the land are being completely wiped out. They have
powerful weapons we cannot match and they won’t stop until we are
all dead. We believe the dark star could be are only hope. The wind
forces above the caverns deep in the dark forest make it
impenetrable with our present means plus there are wild beasts in
the dark forest rumored to be part man but no one has escaped and
lived to confirm it.”

“
What are these forces of
the Chosen One?” Asked James.

“
Really bad things,” Alana
continued. “We don’t know exactly where they come from as their
origin remains a yet elusive mystery but some who witnessed the
carnage barely escaped with their lives told us they were monsters,
beings with fangs and animal features, on their mouths and feet,
fur and claws on their hands, and they have impenetrable armor that
glows when hit. They come without warning and obliterate groups
with little effort at all. The human race is facing extinction and
it is only a matter of time.” She wept slightly and grabbed hold of
the table. Daryl held her arm to help her up.

“
I can answer some more. I
have seen the horrors first hand.” Said an apparent ninety-nine
year old man with a robe and cloth approaching, a
priest.

“
Father Riley” said Alana
smiling as he approached. “I am the eldest in the community and was
still not yet conceived at the time of the great conflict but I
have heard stories from my forefathers and I have heard of the
terrible fate that awaits those who challenge forth into the dark
woods. Legend tells of a mighty beast that dwells within the dark
woods. The quest for the dark star is not an easy one. Put your
faith and lives in love, faith, and hope and you will pull through
together.”

“
Thanks Father” nodded
Drax with a smile.

“
We know it is a long shot
but a powerful weapon like the Dark Star, if it is real, would help
us withstand the attack.” Said Alana. “According to legend it is
the only thing capable of forcing through the powerful energy
shield surrounding the citadel.”

“
The citadel at the center
of town?” Asked Mercedes.

Alana nodded crying.

“
We think their force
shield is impenetrable” said Daryl “but if the Dark Star exists it
can theoretically create ‘the power of the stars’ as our ancestors
put it but our scientists theorize it creates a quantum fluctuation
of hyper intensified neutrinos that can vaporize any obstacle,
material or otherwise.”

“
Your appearance here has
given us hope that we can find it. As we speak, forces of the
Chosen One are planning to converge on our encampment and we may be
the next ones to be wiped out.” Added Alana crying.

Drax and his crew felt a tight knot in
the pits of their stomachs as they almost wept as well in shock and
horror at hearing about the carnage and the pending
onslaught.

“
You are time jumpers and
have means we can only dream of. You might be our only hope!” Cried
Alana.

The foursome felt horrified that the
beasts they have battled before resulted in the virtual end of
humanity in the future and they felt honor bound to provide
whatever assistance they could.

“
We have to do something”
screamed Tina.

“
We shall!” Commanded Drax
with his fists clenched at his sides.

The four stood ready before their new
allies whose confidence endured with a pair of bright sudden smiles
with concerned eyes.

CHAPTER 71

The entrance to the dark woods
resembled a “major motion picture horror” as Tina observed. The
screeching of nocturnal creatures was dwarfed by the sound of
strong winds in the charred remains of old tree barks, branches,
and dirt floors smelling of burnt ash and fiery debris. The quartet
wandered into the woods with their backpacks filled with food
staples, water, and the various items of equipment given to them by
their new allies, including light energy projectile
weapons.

“
I wonder what we can
expect in here” said James.

“
We got to expect the
unexpected as we have been doing” added Tina.

“
I wonder why they didn’t
come with us” said Mercedes referring back to Alana and
Daryl.

“
They took us as far as
the outskirts of the dark woods. They have to prepare for the
defense of the village” said Drax, “but it won’t be much of one
unless we can find this ‘Dark Star’.”

“
We sure have a knack of
getting ourselves into some serious situations” said
James.

“
We were born adventurers”
smiled Tina.

“
We should focus on the
task at hand. Let’s get to the cave at the end of the woods like
Alana told us and start there. We should find something. And even
if we don’t find this ‘Dark Star’ we might learn more about what it
is that causes these ‘jumps ‘and where the time stone sends us, is
it random or some rhyme or reason to it, after all we could be on a
mission of exploration and journeying to expand our horizons too,
just so happens we also have to be called on to save the human race
on occasion” James smirked.

“
It is not new stuff to
me.” Tina added.

“
All of us are. Just how I
wanted to start my new career as an ancient relic hunter” said
Mercedes.

The quartet activated their flashlight
projectile beacons flashing several beams of hot white light into
the dark woods and wandered into the woods to start their
quest.

Approaching a small cabin several
miles into the trek, the foursome stopped and looked at the run
down wooden structure made obviously before the fiery inferno that
charred this forest. The wooden walls were decayed with mold and
beginning to crumble slightly. There was a small candle whose light
was faint and dying in the small clouded and dirty window of the
cabin.

“
Who do you suppose lives
there?” Asked Tina.

“
Maybe it’s the crazy old
man Kowolski. From what Alana tells me, he has got to be over one
hundred and two years old by now. He can’t still be alive can he?”
Asked Mercedes.

“
My grandfather lived to
be 102, what’s wrong with that?” Asked James.

“
Oh nothing.” Mercedes
said sheepishly.

“
Come on” said Drax eyeing
the cabin and walking forth steadfastly. “Let’s go”, then suddenly
a large figure emerged from a single flash of yellow swirling light
that instantly appeared and vanished out of nowhere in the hot
white light that was overcoming the darkness. The form was a seven
foot creature with long pointed ears, a pale complexion, and fangs
as it reared its head above them with a sinister roar.

“
It’s a vampire” screamed
Mercedes.

“
No, it’s a beast” said
Drax putting his fists together and swinging at the torso area
striking a blow that bent the creature over and knocked it to the
ground. Tina ran up to it to grab it’s arm but it quickly revived
itself and swung itself knocking her far into the woods near the
cabin causing her to hit her head on a tree limb and lie there
unconscious. James waved his hands before a tree attracting the
limbs causing them to break off and then fly towards them and then
boomerang towards the creature’s head knocking it to the ground
rendering it unconscious. After that, another similar creature
jumped out and swung at James knocking him to the ground. He
quickly rose and tried to use his powers again but they were soon
surrounded by four creatures as three more joined their friend. “We
are outnumbered.” Said Drax. The three moved around docking blows
and barely getting knocked out. James waved his hands trying to
summon more broken branches but as the branches flung towards one
of the creatures, it maneuvered itself and dodged them. Two of the
creatures grabbed James from behind and subdued him. Mercedes
kicked one of the creatures who tried to rush towards her but was
pushed back herself. Drax picked up a branch and struck one of the
creatures holding James and as James broke free, he ran off with
his colleagues as Drax saw a sudden opening and in the haste of
conflict they ran off further towards the vast unknown expanse of
the dark woods away from the creatures that departed off in their
various directions, their roars heard in the distance. Tina
remained lying unconscious on the dirt floor. A shadowy form stands
over her after the creatures have departed, ominously looking
down.

Drax, James, and Mercedes ran as fast
as they could through the dark woods and made it over a mile across
the large tract of land. They stopped to catch their breaths at a
clearing.

“
That was close.” Said
Mercedes.

“
What were those things?”
Asked James.

“
Beasts …” Drax
said.

“
But they seemed stronger
somehow and more advanced like with some weird bumps on their
bodies and additional speed, agility, and….” Said
Mercedes.

“
They were definitely more
resilient” said Drax.

“
Where is Tina?” Noticed
James.

“
She must have been
dropped” said Drax.

“
We have to go back for
her” James screamed with an overprotective voice as he tried to run
back but Drax grabbed him.

“
You don’t even know where
they are or how far away or if she is even still alive. You go back
there and you will get yourself killed.” Drax lectured
James.

“
We have to help her” said
James screaming struggling free.

“
We can’t!” Exclaimed
Drax.

“
What’s that?” Pointed out
Mercedes to a glowing series of lights in the distance. The two men
turned to look and saw a series of glowing lights representing all
colors of the rainbow spectrum brightly illuminating the dark woods
in the distance as a single beacon of light besides their
individual portable light projectiles. The beacon glistened
brightly as they stood mesmerized by it and approached it slowly
like brainwashed zombies following a lure to their subconscious. As
they approached, it became clear it was more than a random
phenomenon of lights but an object that stood several dozen meters
high and about half a dozen meters wide. It had a circular shape
made of some type of stone metallurgy that they had never seen
before. It had several circular layers of platforms each smaller
than the last and each almost hovering on top of the other one
below it, each separated by a thin series of line connectors that
extends down to a central tower that extended higher and higher
with rings around it like a giant water fountain growing thinner
until it reached its apex and extended outward to encompass another
series of circular layers starting with the smallest and connecting
to each subsequent layer larger than the last until it had a larger
circular layer somewhat smaller than the main one on the bottom
series. The top and bottom layers had light bearing circuitry that
caused the rainbow lights to increase and dim slowly in turn. The
center had a pod that looked like it could fit a person standing
upright. Its power aura of rainbow colored lights surrounded the
pod and created an image of a person standing in it which faded and
recurred again. A slight hum came from the center of the device as
it vibrated with lights.

“
Wow, it’s amazing” said
Mercedes. “But what is it?” Asked Drax.

“
I thought you were the
expert” said James with a smirk.

“
It looks almost like a
teleportation pad… I haven’t seen one in years… from our own time
of course.” Said Drax.

“
They had these in our
time?” Asked Mercedes.

“
It was classified at the
top secret level by the government and only high ranking agents and
Temporo, Inc. affiliates had clearance.”

“
Like you?” She smirked
asking.

“
Of course. However, it
was unveiled to the public in Chronix Bay in 2012. Weren’t you guys
aware of it?”

“
No I am not from Chronix
Bay” said Mercedes “and I don’t really own a television set or
computer.

“
I was in jail” adds
James.

“
Oh right. Well the
Machination went to great lengths to cover it up after the first
occupant was killed during an exhibition accident. Basically it
disassembles matter at the sub molecular level and transfers it
through a material stream of sub temporal spatial energy that then
takes it through a semi-spatial tear sort of like a vacuum to
another place.”

“
Sort of like the Time
Stone?” Mercedes asked.

“
Yes but slightly
different. The Time Stone was meant for longer trips or short ones
but through time and space. The teleportation pad focuses on one
aspect of that, the trip through space at short distances.” Drax
explains.