Escape From Redeem, Rise of an Emperor

Planet:Elfandar- Elfan Home World

Tanandil knew there was somebody outside his study chambers, even before they knocked on the intricately carved wooden door.

The Elfan race had always enjoyed building with natural materials. The ships of the Elfan were wrought from the traditional metals that were essential to travel the stars. But inside the crafts, would be artistic wonders carved out of wood or stone. They had ever desired beauty in all its forms.

The expected knock at the door was immediately answered by Tanandil. It must have been important to disturb him when he was with his books.

‘Enter.’ The doors opened to reveal Lord Gretnear, who was a respected leader of their people within hidden realms.

‘What brings a warrior to such a learned place as this, my Lord Gretnear?’

He had always been a good friend to Tanandil, but was not known for his love of books and lore. Gretnear bowed his head in respect to the Arch Mage.

‘I have always loved your stories Tanandil, but alas; this time I bring tidings to you. I will let you be the judge whether they are good or ill.’

The Lord of the inner hidden realm was always a happy Elf, until matters of war were presented. He was an exceptional fighter and this, plus a mind that could outwit any enemy, had enabled him to advance to the rank of Lord of a sector.

His responsibility was to respond to any possible threat to their people, from anything that wished to cause harm to the peace that their race had painstakingly carved out from near destruction.

The green skinned filth had nearly wiped them out, thousands of years ago. Now they fought and endless war with their most hated enemy, and tried to hide where they could, from the tide that never seemed to run out of reinforcements.

‘Then tell me this news my friend.’ Tanandil invited.

‘One of our probes has witnessed a ship bombarding an Orkra planet. They have slain millions of the greens, and are being pursued as we speak through warp space.’

‘Who of our people would dare such an attack without the approval of the High Council?’

Tanandil was not worried for the loss of lives of their enemy, but more so the risk of retaliation, and discovery of the hidden realm.

‘The craft that attacked them were not of our people Tanandil.’ The Arch Mages eyebrows rose in curiosity. ’None of ours you say…Then who has done this?

‘We cannot be sure, but we think it’s a Humanar craft. We checked the probes activity over the planet and it appears the Orkra has some of the Humans captive. A craft was then observed attacking the planet. It was an advanced looking ship, but seemed to bear some of the characteristics of the younger race.’

‘Humanar?’

Repeated Tanandil, who had not so long ago watched a very powerful Human boy perform ascension on a world of ice. The coincidence of the two great events seemed strangely connected somehow.

‘It appears so Tanandil. We are following the Orkra pursuit to find out more. But it is too dangerous to look for Humanar survivors on the planet’s surface. Even for a probe, I would not like to risk it.’

‘The Humans are delving further and further into the galaxy of late. It was only a matter of time before they delved too deep and found the horrors and their doom. I think we should intervene, though it might be too late for our young cousins.’

He would have to seek approval from the High Council for any intervention, but felt it was important to stop the Orkra’s further expansion and dominion.

‘What will you do Tanandil?’ Gretnear asked.

‘I will do what I can, and seek out what is actually happening. I will Ascend and watch for now. You must summon the council and decide if we should help the humans.’

‘Would it not be prudent to just stay out of this conflict Tanandil? Nobody wants to see a fight with our enemy more than I do, but if we help the young ones, then we risk revealing our new lands to them.’

‘Evil will always linger on our boarders my Lord Gretnear. If we do not oppose it, then we invite the inevitable and our destruction.’

Gretnear knew the old mage was right, but would always voice his concerns. The fate of his people sat heavily on his shoulders and sometimes he needed the reassurance from those wiser than he. ‘I will call a meeting among the High Council. The Lords of the new realms will want to have a say on this matter no doubt. In the meantime, do what you can my friend.’

They both clasped forearms in the Elfan traditional manner and Lord Gretnear took his leave to summon the Leaders of his people.

***

Tanandil wasted no time at all to discover the galactic events taking place. He walked the short distance from his study to his meditation chambers, as briskly as he could without running.

Other Elfan scholars greeted the wise Mage as he past them, but he paid them no heed. They were used to his ill tempers when he had important work to do. None would find his sombre expression strange.

He entered the chamber that was the epitome of calm, which would make the ascension easier, by closing out anything from the outside. The doors to the chamber closed behind him along with all sounds from beyond. Not even a gentle breeze could be heard in this room.

He climbed the white marble steps to a plinth that had a chair just as white on top. He sat in its comfortable embrace and closed his eyes.

Many centuries ago he would have needed to chant, to channel his mind for the distances he needed to ascend his mind. But he was far from a novice to his arts and his mastery let him drift after only minutes of meditation. Tanandil had also invented a machine called the Dream caster. This psychic device was of his design, and it not only amplified his dream walking capabilities. It also acted as a shield, so that any enemy dream walkers could not find his people.

He felt the familiar feeling of floating, before he was launching his mind and soul across the stars. It would take ships a long time, to travel the distance that Tanandil had just journeyed in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

He was not even aware of his body anymore, as he floated over the Orkra planet. Even from high orbit he could see the destruction the humans had caused. They would want to exterminate the young race for this. He opened his thought to the planets people, and felt the minds of the beasts that inhabited the planet. He eventually found what he was looking for. The minds of the humans were no way near as savage as the Ork. He floated down to the surface where he was drawn to the captives that were near the equatorial jungles.

When he reached their location, he felt an instant repulsion to be in the presence of the Orkra. They looked angry. An attack on their world would stir them up into frenzy. Tanandil felt sorry for the wretched looking humans that were caged before him, wet and caked in mud that seeped into the many wounds they carried. The lush jungle surrounding them, probably had millions of insects that would harass them further.

He sensed other races being held captive on the planet but there was another human not far from his location. An Ork walked passed him and opened the cage where the humans scurried away, trying to not be noticed. Tanandil would not be seen by the foul creature, unless he wanted to be seen. There was little he could do at the moment for the poor humans, who looked like they would become dinner for their captors.

He needed more information, so he drifted to where he felt the other human. As quick as thought he was standing in front of a human female who was quite striking in looks. If her ears were pointier, Tanandil would have even called her attractive.

She was just as mud smeared as the other captives, and she stood shackled to a post outside a large ugly structure.

He could not sense any life forms within the building and felt it safe to reveal himself to the women. The night was just creeping over the jungles clearing. The fire pits and torches were the only lights that pierced the increasingly darkening treeline.

‘Greetings my Lady.’ Tanandil could converse in hundreds of tongues. It was a hobby of his that had proved useful over his long life. He even spoke the disgusting language of the Orkra.

‘What the… who are you.’

The woman had been startled by his glowing form that was caused by his aura. No one else would see him but her. The reaction she gave had been expected.

‘Do not fear me; I am here to help if I can. I am not really here you see. I am but an image of myself, which is light years away from here.’

She just stared at Tanandil, not believing her eyes, and probably thought she had lost her mind.

‘My name is Tanandil and I am from a race of beings called the Elfan. I am what you would call, a holy man. What is your name my lady?’

She was still not convinced she had not lost her mind. The expression on her face was one of pure disbelief. She answered never the less. ‘My name is Lucy.’

‘I am glad to meet you Lucy. How is it that you have ended up here?’

She shivered but not out of fear. The temperature was dropping slightly. Even though they were in the jungle, the night time must have been uncomfortable for her soaked body.

‘My people found this planet and we were sent here to observe. But they found our ship, boarded it and slaughtered many of my comrades.’

She continued to explain her ordeal to Tanandil who listened without interrupting, taking in every detail. He was curious to find out that this Lucy had picked up on some of the Orkra language. She then told him that she had been brought here for trying to talk to them, and that the alien who had entered the building, seemed strange even compared to the rest of them.

‘When did he leave that building Lucy?’ He asked her curiously.

‘He is still inside. He comes out sometimes and just stares at me like he is going to kill me. Then he returns.’

‘He is still in their now?’ Lucy nodded that he was. This was strange indeed; he should be able to sense any life form. He would investigate the building shortly he mused.

‘Was it you who attacked the planet yesterday? I felt a shock wave and then the aliens went crazy.’ She asked, breaking his thought.

‘No, it was not us; I have come to this planet because of the bombardment. I believe it was your people Lucy. You do not realise it yet, but you may have opened the flood gates to your races destruction.’

She looked glad that it might have been her own that had launched the attack.

‘I don’t think so Tanandil. We may be new to meeting aliens but our people can handle a planet like this. We will come back and annihilate these animals.’

She was angry and that was understandable. He had thought the same when his people had been attacked by the Orkra. For all their primitive and bestial ways, their numbers could not be counted, so vast was the green skinned race.

‘I hope you are right Lucy; but this is just one of a million Orkra planets. They will want to destroy your people now. They nearly destroyed my race, long ago.’

Orkra? Lucy had heard the word spoken more savagely by her captors.

‘That is what they call themselves. We call them Greens, a simple term for a simple race. They are however quite formidable warriors.’

‘Yes I have seen them in action.’ Lucy added.

‘We have been trying to defeat them for several millennia, and we are yet to stem the tide. My people had a great empire once. We ruled the galaxy from our home world Elfandar. We had peace for a time, until we met the Orkra.’

Lucy was clearly exhausted from her time spent in captivity. However, she was enjoying the company and asked another question.

‘How did a race as powerful as you claim you were, lose to these animals? They are fantastic fighters, but they do not seem overly bright.’

‘As I told you their numbers are virtually inexhaustible.’ Said Tanandil slightly irritated by this naive humans judgment of his race. He would educate her.

‘My people grew soft in their seat of power, assuming there was nothing that could threaten our peaceful expansion of the galaxy. That was until we discovered the Orkra. They were bent only on destruction, and we were not ready for their onslaught.’

Tanandil remembered the eventual abandonment of his home planet and then the discovery of the Hidden realms that were surrounded by a giant nebula, which shielded the worlds they re-colonised. It had seemed like a sanctuary at first. But even the best hiding places were likely to be found one day. So far they had kept the Orkra busy, far away from their worlds. But they would not just wait for the enemy to get even stronger.

‘My people are explorers too Tanandil, and we have known our fair share of war.’

‘Ah, but you have only fought with your own kind. The threat you will now face, knows only war and destruction. It is what they live for. The discovery of your kind will be a delight to them. That is why I must help you humans where I can.’

His tone softened, she was young even for her race and could not possibly grasp the sheer scale of the enemy they faced. Maybe it was time to thrust back at the Orkra. With the humans beside them, it could be possible to push back the waves of enemy that were getting closer and closer to their boarders. The High Council of the Elfan would ultimately decide their course. The Mage was respected enough to sway even the more prudent members of the Council.

Suddenly Tanandil felt a presence that was not there before. Lucy’s eyes widened like prey caught in a search light. He turned to see an Orkra that was staring right at him. Recognition struck the Mage instantly. He had fought this one before.

It was an Orkra Shaman, and one of great power. No way near as powerful as Tanandil. But the Elfan Mage had not expected to encounter a threat, like the cold and cruel Thrakka the Bloody. He was called the Bloody because he had sacrificed thousands of the Elfan people to his Arcane God. The last encounter Tanandil had with the Shaman was centuries ago.

It was coincidental, but it had been another rescue mission. They had been his people then. Amongst the survivors from Thrakka’s sacrificial victims, had been Gretnears son, Gretnial. That had been a narrow escape and it was the shaman who had come off the worst in the encounter, by losing an eye to Tanandil Mage craft.

Thrakka stared at his most hated enemy with his one blood shot eye. His other one was a milky colour that gazed just as fiercely at Tanandil, who had calmly walked to face the hatful looking Shaman. He stopped ten feet away and smiled. The gesture was not returned.

‘I have waited a long time to gut you Elf Witch.’

Thrakka spoke the Elfan language. Normally it would be melodic and pleasing to the ear. But the Orkra made it sound as disgusting as his own vile tongue, with every syllable uttered.

‘I am afraid you will have to wait a while longer. I am far away from your reach. If we were to meet again, I would not hold much hope for you to achieve your aim, filth.’

‘I may be more of a match for your sorcery than you think.’

Thrakka said cryptically, like he knew some secret knowledge. He had very large fangs for his kind that were set in blood red gums. He spat at the feet of Tanandil.

’I owe you for this after all. When we next meet, I will take more than an eye. Elfling.

His threats were amusing; if he thought he could intimidate someone of the High Mages power, he was to be sorely disappointed. Tanandil would have ended the conversation then and there, but he needed to gain some insight into what was happening here.

‘I think you are well occupied vermin, I only came to find out what had bombarded this scab of a planet. I see that someone has thinned out your ranks for us.’

He indicated to the plumes of smoke that glowed over the horizon.

‘So it was not your trickery then witch. I did not think so, your kind are more used to hiding, than fighting. Soon we will find you and finish the job. My sacrifice stone will turn red with Elfling blood.’ He gurgled out a throaty animalistic laugh, enjoying his own humour.

Tanandil wanted to crush this worm. If any Orkra would find the hidden realms, it would be one of the shamans. Once he was ready he would begin a quest to eliminate them all. The trouble was there was so many. This one had proven to be one of the more powerful of his order, and Tanandil noted he would be amongst the first to die.

‘No it was not us. I have not seen this species before. Maybe you have met your match. Either way your doom is near. I have foreseen your destruction filth and I hope it will be soon.’

‘I have also seen things Elfling. I have seen a great nebula far away. I think that’s where you hide from us? But you are right; this snivelling race has bought you some time. We are at this very moment, following them back from whence they came.’

The Elfan had a probe that had also followed the humans into the warp tear. They needed eyes everywhere.

The comment from the Orkra Shaman was troubling, and he tried not to let it show on his face or aura.

‘I wish you good luck; I do not fear discovery, from a dimwit such as you.’

He turned his back on Thrakka and faced the human girl once more. Without speaking he sent her a final message that she would here in her thoughts, as loud and clear as if he had been shouting at her. The shaman would not hear the words fortunately.

‘Lucy I am sorry I must go now.’

‘Wait… don’t leave me.’ Her thoughts echoed back to him.

‘I am but an essence Lucy. I will return to this world in my physical form. If you survive this, I will find you. I swear it.’

It did not matter if Tanandil had the council’s approval or not. He would return to this forsaken world. The Orkra shaman had looked a little too confident for his liking.

Behind Tanandil, Thrakka swung his skull tipped staff. The blow swept through his waist, and Tanandil disappeared from where they both stood.

***

The Shaman cast his raging gaze over the Human Female, who shrunk away from his murderous gaze.

‘Your pointy eared friend can do nothing for you now pinkie.’

He reverted back to Orkish, and spat violence at his captive. Thrakka would get inside the mind of this creature, and discover all there was to know about them. He reached out with his pale green hand that had dried black blood, under his claw like nails.

She screamed, as he clasped her head in a vice like grip. Slowly and painfully, he entered her mind to unravel all she knew. This would be exuviating for her; that would give him much satisfaction.

***

Tanandil launched his mind back towards New Elfandar. To where his body sat immobile, all the many light years away.

The Ork’s words were troubling him, more than he would like to admit. It was essential to be calm when ascending; especially when travelling such distances. He was finding it very difficult to stay calm. His people were a peaceful race generally. They did however have a dark hatred in them, which was buried deep inside. If this genetic floor was triggered, then they could get just as blood drunk as any crazed Ork berserker.

He centred his feelings, and locked the rising rage inside of him away. It had consumed him before, but only ever on the field of battle. The humans were so much like his elder race. They were much shorter lived than the Elfan, and still had much to learn about the universe. But Tanandil had a feeling that humanity may be the key to unlock the dominion of the Orkra.

He could have gone back to his body. He could do that. Instead he journeyed to a planet of ice to recruit a potentially powerful ally.