Path of the Forgotten Gods

Light and Darkness

Av1.4 *updated

Light and Darknessn

          From the Beginning the world has traveled through an expanse of light and darkness.  The light, like a fire, provides sight and warmth.  But like a fire it can burn, and one day could consume the entire world.  The Darkness is vast and cold, like ice it is hard and ridged, but within contains an infinite knowledge and the life giving water we all need to survive.
-Az-Heradl, Shaman of the Raca



                   Neonoax walked though the forest of giant Krul towards the Raca village.  The scum had not paid their due for some time and he was going to collect.  He smiled and licked his lips in anticipation.  He had not replenished his Ka in weeks.  He could almost feel the offering's pulsing energy and longed to devour it. 

         He picked up his pace, his claws digging into the soft mossy soil.  An evil, twisted smile made its way onto his face as he saw a wisp of Ka energy in the distance; he was getting close.  He had been here once before and come away empty, this time if there was no offering, he would kill every one of the despicable vermin and leach the Ka out of their dead bodies. 

         He could see the village though the humid steam of the Krul forest now, it was just a few huts in a clearing, and they were expecting him.  As he walked into view the primitive Raca raced to straighten their few hovels up.  Didn’t they know that he could care less how it looked?  His long pointed ears could pick up whispers of “Demon” and “hide”.  This made him laugh, these Raca knew who was in power here.  But they could not comprehend the extent of his true powers, and if they ever saw them they would soon be dead. 

         He slowly walked to the slightly larger chiefs hovel, gaining pleasure in every fear filled glance.  He did not find an offering, witch was disappointing, but they had done almost as well.  A young female Raca knelt on the ground in front of him, naked except for the short brown hair that grew all over its body, it was all most good-looking and very tempting.  He grabbed it by the hair and dragged it inside the chieftain’s hut. 

         When inside he carefully unwrapped the dragon wing cloak from around his body.  This revealed the glowing light blue runes tattooed all over his black body.  He got on top of the quivering Raca, who was slightly shorter than he was, and gently caressed her shaking body.  He could tell she was terrified, her small dark brown eyes shown with it.  He toyed with her a little more and when he found it difficult to kiss her beak-like mouth he moved down her body, licking with his long thin tong.  As ugly as this peasant creature was, Neonoax had to admit that he was having fun.  He could carry this out for hours.



                   Oberon walked thought the grove of ancient Cyris trees, their huge branches swaying in a slight breeze.  Placed among the trunks of these towering giants were small crystal memorials.  Each erected for patron who had by some holy deed earned his place here.  It was an ancient place and most of the names of these saints had long ago been forgotten.  Oberon was careful to pay his respects to each on, lighting a stick of cannabis and reading the holy prayers. 

         A small stream ran though the grove and he was careful not to disturb it.  It was a quiet, peaceful place and the smell of cannabis hung pleasantly in the air.  As he flew from statue to statue his armor creaked, disturbing the tranquility of the place.  He would normally have taken it off, (except for the holy insignia of the empire), but these were dangerous times and he had recently witnessed a fall-out.  And who knew what trouble that could bring. 

         As the suns rays shown down though the Cyris leaves and brightened his long, yellow hair, he took in the scene around him.  There were too few places like this left in the world.  This moss covered, vine enshrouded shrine could be one of the last true holy places; and this only because of it being in the remote Teraln region. 

         He unsheathed his Cadareth crystal sword and knelt with it by the small alter.  Its broad blade gleamed in the morning light casting multicolored reflections onto the Alter.  In one gauntleted hand he held the silver inscribed hilt and in the other he sprinkled incense over the Alter.  He lit the incense and started a holy incantation to the ancient gods that would take up the rest of his morning. 



                   Sibyl ran as fast as she cold through the forest of giant mushroom like Krul.  The intense heat and humidity was making her sweat and she greedily sucked water from her pack.  As she tore thought the vine infested Kruls she could hear the hum of the jet packs and knew they were right behind her.  Why had they come?  All she and the others had wanted to do was live in peace on the planet instead of stay cooped up in an over crowded and over-used transport. 

         She, and most everyone else, had been born on that ship and she did not want to die there.  It was horrible to look down on the peaceful planet of Aedon but never be able to go there.  They had not even been able to learn that much about it, only that it was “not safe”.  They had stolen several landing craft and some supplies and had landed on the planet anyway.  That was why the transport vessel Neptune had come here, to colonize the planet.  And they had thought the tales of Angels and Demons were just stories.  They had not been, but still, they had been fine for several months till the space marines came.           

         They said that no one would be harmed but she knew better.  They would have ended up as the next permanent crew of miners on the red moon Eros.  And that was not a friendly place to be.  In stark contrast to Aedons polar oceans and green equator, Eros was a barren red rock covered in iron oxide, most that ended up there died.  Sibyl shuddered at the thought but continued running, She would not be sent there. 

         In the months she had been on the planet she had learned the language of the Raca, a primitive race that lived nearby.  It was simple, but sufficient and she knew she could live with the superstitious creatures that viewed her as some sort of god or something.  But she had to get to one of their villages and lose the marines trailing her.

         Just then she heard a static, projected voice behind her.  “Stop running, we will not harm you.”  She turned back and could see several troopers though the Krul.  Even covered from head to toe in red space marine armor they could still run as fast as she could.  Sibyl turned and continued running.  She could see some tall Cyris trees ahead of her, and she remembered that the Raca village was close by it.  If she could only get there before they caught her…



                   Ketouiji stopped and leaned on his walking staff.  He could see his goal in the distance, some ancient Cyris trees, and under them the shrine of Unzuldeaal; then after that the village of Zuln.  It had been several cycles since he had been here and wanted to be sure to pay his respects to the ancient shrine before he went to the village.
 
         He picked up his bags of charms, powders, and wards and continued on.  He had seen a fall out the previous night and so he tied a dead, mummified crog to his walking stick to ward off evil gods.  Though, these new gods did not respond to his charms like the rest off the gods.  It was almost as if they had no Ka.
 
         He was an Ecstatian Vicar, and he had traveled most of the world.  Through oceans, deserts and forests he had carried the gifts of the Ka and helped ward against evil.  As he approached the shrine he heard running feet and then a loud voice speaking in a language he did not recognize.
 
         It was the new gods; red armored beings that had plagued the world for nearly one hundred years.  No one had known where they had come from or why, but they burnt down villages and stole Cadareth crystals wherever they landed in a fall out.  He viewed them as evil.  But it was not his place to judge the gods.
 
         Then he saw a creature he had never seen before.  It was like an Arcadian but without feathers or wings.  And its hair!  It was the color of fire.  He was amazed; this was a god unlike any he had seen before.  And she was fleeing from the evil red ones.  He knew he was not supposed to interfere with the gods, but he wanted to help this one.  He took out a powerful voodoo powder and ran to catch up to her.



                   As Neonoax walked out of the chieftain’s hovel he licked the juices off his lips.  He looked back to see the female Raca lying on her back, unable to move from sheer exhaustion.  He chuckled to himself, he had done this before and it always turned out the same.  Next time he came here she would beg him to do it again.  No Raca could do what he did; nothing was comparable to a dark god.
 
         Outside the hovel the chieftain knelt quivering, head down, obviously terrified.  “Please, spare us,” he said in the ugly and primitive Raca speech.  Neonoax did not say anything; he did not have to.  He walked laughing past the chieftain and out of the village.
           
         This had been a, tasty, start to the day, but he still needed to recharge his Ka.  He saw the perfect thing near by, a grove of huge, ancient Cyris trees.  One of them would have more than enough Ka inside it to fill his hunger.  Neonoax cut his way through the Kruls and vines until he got to the grove.  But the closer he came to it, the more he felt an annoying energy source.  His suspicion was confirmed when he saw an ancient Arcadian shrine.
 
         All Stygians hated the pious bastards.  Everything they did was hypocritical and self-serving, and they dared to call his people evil.  They were no better than he was; they just hid it under a bunch of holy shit and claimed to be the forces of “good” in the world.  And lucky for Neonoax, here was one of the over-zealous bastards now.  All dressed up for a parade, and praying to the shrines alter too.  Did these people ever stop worshiping everything proclaimed holy?  Whatever, he had a sword so he could fight.
 
         This should get his attention.  Neonoax put his hand on one of the trunks of the trees and spoke several dark incantations.  The blue runes covering that arm lit up and he could feel the Ka start to drain into his.  As he reveled in the ecstasy of replenishing his Ka, the ancient tree withered and died in front of him.  It turned black and shriveled into a humped over shadow of its former self.
 
         Refreshed, Neonoax turned back to the Arcadian, who stood up and spread his white wings.  He was trembling with rage.  “I was hoping that would get your attention.” Neonoax said.  He had learned the Arcadian language by necessity.  He was a mercenary and often had to deal with them. 
“How dare you defile this holy shrine!”  The Arcadian yelled, his voice shaking with wrath.
Neonoax smirked, “What are you going to do about it?  Pray until it gets better?”  He laughed at his own irony.  The Arcadian did not think it was that funny.  He pulled out his sword, an impressive one too.  This would be a fun fight; he was actually excited.
 
         “You devil, you will pay for that!”  The Arcadian said.  Neonoax unfastened his dragon wing cloak, “I think you underestimate me,” he said.  His runes were starting to glow brightly now.  “Come on!  I am Neonoax, mercenary, and I’m ready to fight!”
 
         The Arcadian made a holy incantation and started glowing a faint yellow. “And I am Oberon, Imperial Sun guard, and I will slay you, foul demon, for what you have done.”  With that the Arcadian Oberon charged at the Stygian Neonoax, sword raised and ready to kill.  Neonoax pulled out his black rune blade.  Their swords clashed sending sparks of yellow and blue energy flying everywhere.
 
         They jumped away from each other and Neonoax released a blast of black energy from the palm of his hand.  Oberon blocked this with his sword.  Then with a mighty battle shout he swung his sword downward releasing a blinding flash of light.  A shockwave of energy traveled through the ground, ripping the earth to pieces in its wake.

         Neonoax jumped out of the way.  He then created a dark mist that blanketed the grove.  His red eyes started to glow and he cold see the heat that Oberon was giving off though the mist.  He crouched to the ground, ready to spring onto the unsuspecting Arcadian.
 
         Oberon suddenly swung his sword in a horizontal arc, opening his wings as he did so.  A blast of white energy shot out of his in a sphere.  It vaporized the mist and threw Neonoax back, where he landed on his back.  He sprang up, sword ready.
 
         Oberon had a book out, held open with one hand, his sword held high with the other.  Yellow light was radiating out of him.
 
         “Always praying,” Neonoax said, extremely annoyed, “Well that will not save you!”  He put his hands together and in a flash all of his runes started glowing.  Blue lines of energy radiated out from Neonoax towards Oberon.  The blue clashed, fighting against the yellow.
 
         Darkness gathered thickly around Neonoax and a swirling vortex of black energy gathered around him in the form of a dragon.  The Black Dragon surged forward towards Oberon.  The Arcadian snapped his holy book shut and swung his majestic Cadareth sword forward.  A blinding white lance of energy arced from it towards the approaching dragon.  At the two energies of light and dark collided a massive explosion resulted, throwing both Neonoax and Oberon backward, where they landed in a daze.



                   “We will be forced to use any means necessary of you do not come peacefully.”  Resounded the voice of the space marine behind her.  Sibyl did not turn around but she could picture the bug-eyed helmet and wing like jet pack of the space marine behind her.  The dirty green vines clung to her as she ran through the jungle of giant mushroom like Krul that were twice as tall as she was.  The air was thick with humidity and she could barely see the grove of Cyris trees thought the steam.
 
         Sibyl suddenly realized that a furry brown Raca was running next to her.  She had no idea where it came from but she did not think it would be friends with the marines.  It was a funny creature to watch, warn robes and travel bags bouncing all around as it hunched over to run faster.  The Raca were a humadoid race, resembaling the pictures of apes she had seen in books.  But the resemblence to herself ended there.  They had short, beak-like mouths and unpropertionaly long legs and arms.

         “Follow me,” It said.  The Raca then threw a powder behind them in a horizontal arc.  Suddenly vines burst up from the ground and the sides of the Krul completely blocking the way.  “I am Ketouiji, Ecstatian Vicar of the Raca.  I do no know what manner of God you are, but the red ones are not my friends, so I wish to help you.”  Sibyl could not believe her luck; maybe she could make it out of this one after all.
 
         “I’m Sibyl, I’m a human, and I'm mot sure how we are going to get away from them.”  Ketouiji pointed to the Cyris trees.  “There, we need to get there, run now!”  But as he said that Sibyl heard the jet packs of the space marines. She looked back to see them flying over the barricade of vines.  She hopped this Raca had some more tricks up its sleeve.
 
         Ketouiji threw some herbs and liquid into a clay pot with a pipe extending out the top.  He hooked it onto his walking staff and it started billowing out steam.  Soon the area around them was filled with a thick white steam, making it hard to find their way to the Cyris trees, but also making it hard for the space marines to see them.
 
         Then suddenly the massive trunks of the Cyris trees loomed in front of them.  They entered the thick grove through a small dirt trail.  Ketouiji threw some powder behind him and vines grew up in between the trunks of the massive trees.  Huge and ancient, the trunks extended up almost a hundred feet to where a thick weave of branches intertwined, blocking out most of the light.  On the ground were many rocks and moss covered statues, the entire dark place rank with age.
 
         Then Sibyl saw something that at the same time filled her with wonder and terror, a black smoking crater steaming in the middle of the clearing.  There were two beings picking themselves off the ground on either side.  One was a majestic Arcadian, covered with gleaming silver armor.  The other was a Stygian, his body covered in glowing symbols and who had a black cape waving behind him.  She heard the space marines’ land on the other side of the vines behind them.  This was not where she wanted to be right then.



                   He slowly picked himself up off the ground.  The smoke drifted out of the crater, obscuring the air; it had a putrid smell to it too.  That dammed Stygian, he was causing damage to a sacred shrine that could not be replaced.  He balled his fists and jerked his sword off the ground.  He had an unholy urge to destroy something.  Oberon saw the Stygian Neonoax now, sneering at him.  Rage was like a fire burning though him.  And that was why they had named him a black sun.
 
         Then he noticed two more figures staring at them.  One was some sort of Raca shaman; the other was a creature of striking beauty that he had only heard of, a human.  She had long flowing hair, like fire dancing in the humid air under the great trees.
 
         A wall of vines had grown up behind them.  The work of the Raca, he guessed.  From the other side he could hear voices in a language he did not recognize; it must be more humans.  The two new comers looked very uneasy, glancing back and forth.  He turned back to Neonoax, who was also fascinated by the human.
 
         “Let us postpone this fight until we are clear of bystanders,” Oberon said.  Neonoax shrugged, “We are going to end up fighting one way or the other,” Oberon didn’t stay to listen to him.  He walked over to the human and the Raca, “What is going on?”

         The human blurted out in the Raca tong, “They trying to kill me!”  She did not have much control of the pitiful language. 
Neonoax had come over to them.  “Hey, what are you doing here?” he said in the human language, even putting a sensual touch to it. 
The human was stunned “How…” Oberon glared at both of them, creating silence. 
“I will protect you,” he said to Sibyl, “What is your name?”  Before the human could reply Neonoax cut her off.  “Hey, I’ll protect you and give you the time of your life,” he said with a half smile. 
“Quiet!”  Oberon barked. 
“I’m Sibyl,” she said, “and this,” she then noticed that Ketouiji had been silently groveling the entire time.  “This is Ketouiji,” she finished. 
“We don’t care about the slave.”  Said Neonoax with contempt. 
“Get up,” said Oberon, “I need you to take down that wall.”  Ketouiji stared up at him.  “Did you hear me?”  Oberon said angrily.  Ketouiji jumped up and stared taking things out of his bags, muttering to himself.
 
         Sibyl was glaring at both Neonoax and Oberon.  “Don’t treat him like that, you have not right!  And he not a slave.  You should be sorry, he saved me.”  Neonoax just started laughing at her.  Oberon rolled his eyes, “We don’t have time for this.”

         Then more jet packs and voices could be heard on the other side of the wall.  “Get away from the wall!”  Neonoax yelled.  Ketouiji jummped back like a terrified dog, Oberon stayed where he was, and Sibyl moved behind all of them.  A sound like the rushing of air though a canyon could be heard and the vines started smoking.  Suddenly they burst into flames.  An organic smokey smell filled the glade.
 
         Space marines started jumping thought the flames.  The first two had flamethrowers that were still lit and ready to use.  The rest of the red armored troopers had the standard issued riffles.  There were seven marines in all, a full squad.  The bug-eyed helmets hid their features and made them appear ruthless. The flamers did not even start asking questions they just started burning.
 
         Neonoax created a black vapor that stopped the flames before they could reach any of them.  “Wait” called Oberon.  Neonoax stopped him, “Kill now, and question later.”  He yelled.  Neonoax could not even recall how many beings he had seen these killers slaughter.  The images of fire and carnage flashed before him momentarialy.

         To all of their surprise it was Ketouiji that made the first move.  With a growl he slammed both his hands to the ground and the earth convulsed under him.  A crack ran though the ground from his hands to the feet of one of the flamers.  Suddenly a spike of stone shot out of the ground at his feet and skewed him through the chest.  He was held suspended off the ground.  Grabbing the spike with both hands he screamed as blood poured down the stone, turning it a dark crimson.
 
         All the marines started firing then; The rifles rappidly thowing empty shells out onto the ground.  Oberon quickly made a hand sign and created a yellow shield of energy around them.  The bullets bounced off of it with loud pinging sounds, filling the trees around them with holes.  Neonoax vanished in a flash of smoke, black mist drifting away from where he had been.  "Coward," thought Oberon, stuggleing to hold the sheild up.

         Neonoax suddenly appeared behind the marines in another cloud of smoke.  He swung his sword, severing one marine’s head and then kicked the body into the others.  He jummped up into the air and dissapeared in another cloud of smoke.  The stunned marines turned all around looking for him, some of then firing their guns blindly into the trees.
 
         Oberon saw his opportunity and lowered the shield.  He yelled a battle shout and charged.  His armor was gleaming and his sword was held high.  The remaining flamer shot flames into his path, but Oberon jumped into the air and  spred his wings.  He glided over the flames and came down ontop of the flamer and slashed him twice crosswise through his chest.  The flamer fell back in a heap, flames still spouting from his flamethrower.
 
         Neonoax appeared again in the middle of them all, spinning around and kicking at the leggs of two of them, tripping them.  He then grabbed ones head with his bird-like, clawed feet and crushed the helmet, talons digging deep into its head.  Neonoax tuned in time to kick the gun out of the others hand and tryed to stab the marine, but the marine rolled out of the way.  But as he came up from his roll, Neonoax threw a dual bladed trowing knife that stuck into his neck.  The doomed marine fell back gurgling.

         One of the remaining marines turned to Sybil, "You!" he yelled, and was about to shoot her, but a scythe stuck through his back, and an invisible Ketouiji stepped away from his falling body.  He became visible again and stood by Sybil, who was stuned and amazed at her luck at finding these people.  She needed to find a way to stay with them. 

         Oberon was chopping overhead at the last marine, who was blocking his sword with his gun.  After a few more swings Oberon let go of his sword with one hand and punched the marine in the face.  The blow cracked the glass of the space helmet and knocked the marine senseless.  It also crushed his gauntlet, ruining it.  Shit, he thought, that one had taken a long time to enchant too.

         Neonoax and Oberon stood alone in the smoky clearing.  Standing over the bloody remains of the marines, they stared at each other, half ready to continue their fight.  The marine that had first been speared by Ketouiji was still moaning in the background.  Other than that it was dead silent.

         “You're not bad,” said Neonoax.  Oberon lowered his sword, “You're not bad either.” They continued to watch each other warely, but there was less tension.  Sybil and Ketouiji were still watching them.  "Hey," called Sybil, "So what now?"  Both Neonoax and Oberon stepped over the bodies and walked together to where Sibyl was sitting on a boulder.  “So where the hell did you come from anyway?” Neonoax asked.
Sybil smiled, this was very lucky for her, now just if she could keep it up...