The Sac'a'rith Read online

  “As I said, I have no quarrel with you, and now you have your freedom. I trust you understand?” asked Narcion.

  “Go. Wolf Pack will hunt you no longer,” he said.

  Narcion simply vanished before their eyes and the leader clicked his helmet back on. “Let’s clear out!”

  They moved a bit more slowly, as their leader was now carrying the young woman, but it was not long until they reached a window. Fang made quick work of the window with his blaster, and they all jumped out and into their waiting vessel, which had swooped down to meet them in midair.

  Standing on the roof overlooking the city was a figure dressed in thick robes with a deep hood. The person’s gender and species was completely disguised by the outfit. The only exception was two powerful yellow eyes that seemed almost to glow in the darkness of its deep hood. The figure watched the Wolf Pack fly away and then it simply vanished.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Well done, Zah’rak!” cheered Felix.

  Narcion had been gone for roughly a week, and there was still no word from him when I finally teleported successfully for the first time. I had previously picked up telekinesis very quickly, as it was not much different from telepathy in actual execution, but teleportation did not come as easily to me. With telepathy and telekinesis, you were simply projecting your thoughts across space, but with teleportation you were projecting your entire body.

  Teleporting was a weird and disorientating sensation. You were standing in one place and everything seemed fixed around you, then you willed yourself to be someplace else and suddenly everything around you moved and you were there. There was no sensation of movement; it was as if the universe rearranged itself so that you could be somewhere else.

  “But I only went a meter or so,” I said. I was sure I could have moved farther if I had simply jumped. Still, I had to admit it was a bit exciting to have pulled off that much.

  “And that is a good thing, since we are in the middle of empty space,” said Crivreen with a large grin.

  “I suppose it would have been less than desirable to end up outside,” I chuckled.

  “Now that you have done it once, it will become much easier for you. Any magus can teleport short distances to any place to which they have line-of-sight. I have been told that a more advanced magus can teleport to any place they have already been, but is still limited by range. I have never met any magi who have reached that level,” said Felix.

  “What about further distances? Can more advanced magi travel, say, from a ship to a planet?” I asked.

  “No, teleportation is very much limited in distance at all levels,” said Felix.

  “But I have heard stories of the wizards traveling great distances,” I argued.

  “Ah, yes. I have heard those stories, too, but there are no wizards out here,” he said. “I am not so sure those stories are true. Tales like those have a habit of growing in the telling.”

  “Still, some of the stories are pretty cool. Heck, just a couple of years ago I was told a story about a prison break where a small team of wizards from the Wizard Kingdom rescued one of the most notorious criminals of our day,” said Crivreen.

  “Oh?” I asked.

  “Yes; according to the story, they blasted their way into the maximum security prison, and then just walked out with the prisoner. No one could stop them,” said Crivreen.

  “Buy why would wizards break out a criminal?” I asked.

  “The story goes that he helped them and they owed him for it, so this was their repayment,” said Crivreen.

  “Don’t listen to him. He loves a good tale, and lacks the sense to filter out the obviously ridiculous claims,” said Felix.

  I thought about what Narcion had said about being thrown into a body of water and not knowing how to swim. I wondered how hard it would be to contact a wizard and get some decent training. “How did you learn this stuff?”

  “Trial and error, mostly,” he said.

  “What else can you do?” I asked.

  “Not much more than you can now. I can do all the things I taught you, plus cast mage bolts and some basic shields. Crivreen can do the same, but does not seem to be able to create a shield around anyone other than himself,” he said.

  I too had heard many grand stories of what wizards could do, and I could not help but wonder what else the three of us could do with proper training. I realized then that I was starting to embrace being a freak, and why not? I could easily see how it could give me a great edge in combat. “What is a mage bolt? Is that the fire and lightning you two used on the station?”

  “Yes, ‘mage bolt’ is the general name for the basic attack that magi can use. There are many varieties, as you have noticed, but we just refer to them as ‘mage bolts,’” said Felix.

  “How do I cast one of those?” I asked.

  “Well, that is much harder and will drain your strength much faster,” said Felix.

  “Yeah, I saw what it did to you guys, but still, how do I do that?” I asked.

  “I am not sure. Not all magi can, and since there is great variety in bolts, I am not sure what to teach you,” he said.

  “How did you find out about yours?” I asked.

  “Don’t try it the way I did!” said Crivreen.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “He lost his temper in a public area, and lightning flew everywhere. Thirty people were killed and many more were wounded,” said Felix. “From what I hear it was a very impressive show.”

  “Hardly! There were burnt corpses everywhere. It sickened me to my core to see it, and I still have nightmares about it,” said Crivreen.

  “I can imagine,” I said.

  “I had no idea I was a magus at the time, but the judge and the families of the dead did not care about that. Everyone wanted the death penalty for me,” said Crivreen.

  So that explained why he was in jail. “How did you escape the death penalty?”

  “I appealed several times over many years, and finally a new judge issued a stay of execution as long as I agreed to help out at that station where you found me,” he said.

  “You seem to have it under control now,” I said.

  “While I was in prison, they gave me time and space to figure that out before sending me on my way,” he said. “It seemed they thought I would be more useful to them if I could actually aim my bolts.”

  “And you, Felix?” I asked.

  “My story is about the same. I was in a bar, and maybe a bit drunk, when someone who did not like me very much picked a fight. Fire jumped from my hands and burned him a little. He tried to run, but as I said, I was a little bit drunk and a lot annoyed so I kept at it until I produced enough fire to kill him. I have been on the run ever since. I’ve taken jobs as a hit-man along the way to pay the bills; but I finally got caught and ended up on the team sent to the station where we all met and became one big, happy family,” he said with a grin.

  “I think I would like to find a way to figure this out without ending up on death row,” I said. “But I suppose it would be more prudent to work on defense next.”

  “Good idea, but you need to keep practicing teleporting until you have it perfect,” said Felix.

  It was not long before I could easily teleport the short distances that were available to work with on the tight confines of a starship. After that, we spent the rest of the week working on creating a personal shield around me. It seemed that, like Crivreen, I could only protect myself. I was hopeful this shield would help defend me from the wraiths. I certainly did not relish the idea of being hit by one again.

  “Still no sign of Narcion,” I said. “We are only a day out from the trading post. I think we should wait here.”

  “For how long?” asked Crivreen.

  “I don’t know. This has never happened before,” I said. “In the past, when he has left me he has always come back within a day or two.”

  “Any idea where he has gone?
” asked Felix.

  “No,” I said.

  “Look, he wanted us to stop at that station and get supplies, right? Why don’t we just do that and then fly back out here if he hasn’t yet returned?” asked Crivreen.

  “Because I don’t know what we need,” I said.

  “Oh, I am sure we can figure it out. All we have to do is look through the ship’s stores, and buy anything that is low,” said Felix.

  I thought about that for a bit, and his idea seemed reasonable. “Okay. I will stop the ship here and we can see what we need. If Narcion is not back by the time we complete that, we will go and get our supplies,” I said. “Oh! You two will have to stay out of sight if we do this. Narcion can’t risk anyone finding out where he is resupplying, so we will need to use alternative IDs for the ship and myself.”

  Crivreen looked confused, but Felix said, “I expected as much. Don’t worry. We will not blow your cover.”

  “What if he never comes back?” asked Crivreen.

  “He will,” I said. I was not sure I believed it myself, but I had to be strong for Crivreen. Narcion left me in charge, so I had to lead.

  We spent the next three days cataloging everything on board. Narcion had enough weapons and related equipment to arm a small militia. He had everything from knives and swords to anti-personnel grenades and particle cannons. It was hard to imagine a scenario where he would not have the right weapon on hand with plenty of ammunition and redundant backups.

  The one thing I noticed was that all of the gear was highly specific to human and Zalionian. Not only that, anything that was wearable was only in his size or mine. But that would mean he had never expected anyone to join him except me, yet I had thought our encounter to be a chance one. Felix and Crivreen did not notice anything amiss, but from their perspective it would have been completely normal to have clothes and equipment for the two people who lived on the craft and no one else.

  Exhausted from our work, I leaned against a cargo container and consulted the datapad I had been using to take notes. “It looks like our main requirements are food, fuel, medical supplies, and raw materials for repairs.”

  “Should be a fast, easy stop then,” said Felix. “All of that stuff can be purchased in mainstream stores. I was worried we might need his black-market connections.”

  “No, but if you did I would take care of it myself,” I heard a voice say.

  I looked up and Narcion was standing there, holding a large cargo container. He looked tired and worn down. I moved quickly to take the container from him and was surprised by its weight. He seemed to be holding it as if it were light, yet I had to strain to carry it.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, it’s just that getting those supplies took longer than I expected. Has all gone well here?” he asked.

  “I have learned everything you asked me to do; and we have just finished cataloging all the ship’s supplies, so we now have a shopping list for you,” I said and handed him the datapad.

  He looked it over for a minute, then said, “All three of you worked on this?”

  “Yes. There is no way I could have done it alone,” I said.

  He was quiet for a while, then he turned to Felix and said, “You do not have to worry about Wolf Pack anymore.”

  “They’re dead?” he asked.

  “No. We have a truce for the present. Someday they will either become great allies or our most deadly enemies, but for the moment they are out of the picture,” he said.

  He walked over, sat down on one of the containers, and took a deep breath. I followed him over and waited while he gathered himself. “Zah’rak, I want you to carry on with your plan. Fly us to the station and get the supplies that you have determined we need,” he said, handing me back the datapad.

  “Are you leaving again?” I asked.

  “No, but I require rest. It may be a few days before I recover from this last trip. Felix, Crivreen, come over here for a minute,” said Narcion. Once they were close he said, “My original thought was to leave you two at this outpost with sufficient money and possessions to start new lives. We are far enough from where Crivreen was arrested that no one should recognize him, and from here transport could be secured to travel to any of several other regions. I can still set you up like that if you prefer, or you can stay and work for me.”

  Felix looked over at Crivreen, then said, “Doing what?”

  “As you are no doubt aware, the consortiums in this area have no love for the local government and are in a constant battle with them. For the most part an uneasy stalemate exists, and violence only breaks out occasionally. This is all part of the natural rebalance of power that is happening across all known space since the collapse of the Empire, and I have tried to stay out of it. Recently that has all changed,” he said and paused to take a breath.

  “How recently?” I asked.

  “Maybe five or six years ago now,” he answered. “Someone has started seeding this area with powerful undead creatures and is using them to break down the local power structure. The wraiths we fought on that last station were only the beginning. It is getting worse, much worse, and I intend to stop it.”

  “Is that what the Sac’a’rith do?” I asked. “Fight the undead?”

  “We are warriors of the natural order. The goal of our brotherhood is to maintain the balance of nature and prevent the supernatural from disrupting the natural cycle of life,” he said.

  “By ‘we’, you mean us?” I asked.

  “Currently just you and I, Zah’rak,” he said. “I am the last of a dying breed, and you will be the first of the new generation,” he said.

  “What about us, then?” asked Crivreen.

  “I mean to find out who is behind this and put a stop to it. I am too old to do it alone, and would welcome your help,” he said.

  “You want us to become Sac’a’rith also?” asked Felix.

  “Maybe in time, but in the meantime I would hire you at the standard mercenary rate,” he said. “Think about it; no need to decide now. Zah’rak, after you have bought our supplies, pull back out to this location and hold here.”

  After saying that, he left the cargo hold and headed to his quarters. I looked at Felix, who merely shrugged and said, “I guess you’d better lay in a course and let us get this shopping done.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zenfar, the trading outpost that Narcion had chosen, was the major trade hub for the region. It was a massive station near the intersection of several trade routes, and pretty much anything that was for sale could be bought there for a price. Most of what I wanted to buy would be easy to acquire, but I had one special order in mind, rare enough out here that even this station might not have any.

  We arrived at Zenfar early in its day; however, most merchants were open around the clock, so I would be able to begin shopping right away. As planned, I boarded the station alone while Crivreen and Felix stayed on the ship to limit the risk that the fake ID I was using would be compromised. After a long morning of haggling and arranging for delivery, I stopped at an eatery to get a quick bite to eat.

  While I was reviewing my shopping list to make sure I had purchased everything I needed, a person came over and sat across from me. I was not sure of his race or his gender, as his clothing obscured most details about him. He was taller than an average human, but not quite as tall as a Zalionian. His hood completely obscured his face except for two glowing yellow eyes.

  I locked my gaze right into those yellow eyes and said, “Can I help you?”

  “No, but I can help you,” he said. Despite the somewhat high pitch of his voice, it was clear and powerful. There was no mistaking it; his voice was the voice of one who commanded respect and was used to getting it.

  “I am not looking for anything you have, so just move along,” I said, without breaking his gaze.

  “Oh, but you will be soon. I know who you are and whom you are traveling with,” he said.r />
  “So does half the station. As I said, I need nothing from you. Now leave,” I replied with a deliberate edge to my voice. There was something in his tone that worried me. I would have got up and left, but I did not want to risk turning my back on him. Something told me he was very dangerous, but I could not put my finger on where that danger lay.

  “I do not mean the fake ID you are currently using. Listen carefully: your boss is getting too close to something that should not be uncovered. If he stays on this path, at best none of you will survive. At worst, he could release something that would be far worse than those wraiths you have been messing with.”

  “I do not know what you are talking about. I am only here to get some supplies,” I said. I rose to my full height and looked down to where he was sitting. “I suggest you move along,” I said, my anger rising at his implication that Narcion was not to be trusted.

  “Do yourself a favor: ask him how old he is. He is not what he seems, and he is leading you and your new friends into darkness such as you have never seen, not even in your worst nightmares.” After saying that he got up and left without a further word. As he walked away I noticed how smoothly he moved, with a grace I had only ever seen in one other person; a grace and fluidity I was struggling to match. One thing was for sure: whoever he was, he was trouble.

  I found somewhere private and called back to Felix via our communicator. “Hey, I just had an odd encounter here. I think the IDs are compromised.”

  “Then we’d better get out of here,” he said.

  “Right. One more stop, then we leave. Until then, keep your eyes open and the doors sealed,” I said.

  “Did you bring your helmet with you?” he asked.

  “Of course,” I said.

  “If something happens, I will launch the ship. Just find a window and teleport out into space. We will swing by and pick you up.”

  “Good plan. I’ll contact you again if anything changes; otherwise, I just need to see one more merchant, and then I will be back. My earlier purchases should be arriving within the hour.”