A Woman's Intuition -- Part Five

The body that Dark Force had assumed was simply sitting in a chair, but Dark Force's mind was far from restful. It reached out from beneath its cold skin into the open air, and beyond the air to the boundary of the Light's dimension. Quickly it reached the ruin of what had been once known as the Edge. The Dark Force was sobered by what he saw there. The remnant of the Edge resembled the mark that was left on a stone if a fire spell was cast upon it. There was just a black circle, charred-looking, spinning on its axis at the crossroads between realities.

As the Dark Force probed nearer and deeper he saw that his worst fears were well-founded. The Profound Darkness was gone. But beyond that, not even a single specimen of Dark Force's kind remained. This filled the Dark Force's heart with a great sadness. When he was freed, Dark Force was certain that he detected the presence of another of his kind. But when he looked at what was left of the Edge he saw that every Edge denizen, from the most humble monster to the proud Prophalli, were all gone. Extinct. Wiped out in the blink of an eye by a brat with a sword and four mismatched companions.

"Who is there?"

The Dark Force's body jumped in its seat. The question had come from someone else. The Dark Force's spectral vision probed in all directions with hopeful fingers. And it grasped something.

"Who is there?" Dark Force asked.

"You are a Dark Force, are you not?" asked the second voice.

"I am. And I am very surprised to find you here, Xe-A-Thoul."

The sense of sight was nonexistent on that other plane, but Dark Force almost thought he could see the skeletal hands and crimson robes of the Xe-A-Thoul appear right before his eyes. It bowed before him elegantly.

"My name is Xanon," it said. With a splendid flourish it gestured off to the right, and two more identical Xe-A-Thouls appeared. These second and third apparitions bowed in the exact same manner as Xanon.

"I am Xerik," said the second one, in a very calm and subdued voice.

"And I am Xarxas!" said the third, nearly shouting. Xarxas was the only Xe-A-Thoul to dare look up from its bow and into the face of its superior.

Another Xe-A-Thoul suddenly appeared. Once again, the newcomer was identical to the others.

"What are you doing here?" Xarxas asked. "I thought we had finally escaped you back there in the void."

The fourth Xe-A-Thoul ignored the comment and bowed. When it spoke, it spoke with a raspy and cold but undeniably female voice.

"I am Xarxelle, the last and most under-appreciated of the Xe-A-Thouls," she said.

"How is it that the four of you continue to exist?" Dark Force said.

"That may be easier to explain if you first explain your own survival, Lord," said Xanon, who appeared to be the de facto leader of the group.

Dark Force nodded. "All right. I am the Dark Force who fell six thousand years ago at the hands of N'gan, the Protector of Dezoris. As you can see, I survived the encounter, although N'gan was unaware of the fact. I was trapped beneath the ground until a short while ago."

"Six thousand years?" Xerik asked. "That means that we have been roaming the vestige for at least two millennia now. I had not realized that so much time had passed in the Light's dimension."

"Indeed," Dark Force muttered. "It has been entirely too long. Now tell me. What is your own story?"

"During the final confrontation with the Light," said Xarxas, "the Darkness revived Lassic, a great king of Palma who ruled two thousand years after your defeat. In his old age, Lassic had turned to our side, and despite his failures, he had won our master's favor. We were put in his service to help him with his final attempt at defeating our enemies."

"Unfortunately," Xerik said, "we were unable to defeat the servants of the Light who confronted us. However, our master saw fit to revive us. We were to join the final assault after our master opened the rift into the light dimension."

"But the Darkness was defeated before the assault could take place," Xarxas said. "But since we were not in the Edge when it collapsed, we survived. We hid in the shadows of the Light dimension while those who had defeated us rejoiced and rebuilt their society. We waited for centuries for a chink in Algo's armor to appear."

Xarxelle spoke up next. "But after centuries, it became apparent that no such chink would be appearing any time soon. So we returned here, to the wreck of our home, to wait."

"And now it appears our waiting has paid off," Xarxas said. "We Xe-A-Thouls will gladly serve the offspring of Darkness." Once again, the four creatures bowed extravagantly.

Dark Force nodded. "This is very good. I have managed to take control of one known as Wren. It would appear he is the most powerful figure in all of Algo. And from what I understand, he is one of those who defeated you two thousand years ago."

Xarxas gave a definite hiss.

"Wren's allies are headed now for the place that I have brought him to. You are to return to that spot and wait for these allies to arrive. I am confident that with their defeat, it will be much easier for us to take Algo. And then we may destroy it."

"But for what purpose?" Xerik asked. "The war is lost, and the Light won. The universe our master dreamed of can never exist, for our master is dead."

"True," Dark Force said. "But the purest of all motives still remains."

Xarxas nodded and laughed. His serpentine tongue flickered against the inside of his helmet.

"Yes... Revenge!"

In less than twenty minutes, Dahl and the others found themselves at the landing pad high on one of the towers of Gumbious Temple. Demi and Mium, the first to disembark from Landale IX, were quickly met by the priest who came to welcome all incoming ships.

By the time Dahl, Azur, Erol, Mium, and finally Favia caught up with the androids, Demi and Mium were both nodding and smiling. They appeared to be wrapping up the conversation.

"What's going on?" Dahl asked. She nodded respectfully to the priest, as did the others.

"This is the same priest who met Mium, Wren, and myself when we came here last," Demi said. "The strange thing is that he claims the Bishop has already been expecting us!"

The others exchanged perplexed looks.

"What? But how can that be?" Azur asked.

The priest motioned for the party to follow him. They entered the spire and began descending to the elevator that would take them to the Bishop.

"You'll find that the Bishop has some funny powers," Mium said to Azur. "He also has a sort of sixth sense about things. And an uncanny sense of timing."

The party was nearly to the elevator when Azur said, "You really sound like you believe in the Bishop, Mium."

"I do," the android replied.

Demi smiled but didn't say anything.

"Do you believe in his religion?" Azur asked.

Mium hesitated. "I don't know... I've been doing a lot of reading about it. It makes a lot of sense to me. Honestly, I can't say that I don't believe it. I just have too many questions still."

Azur nodded.

"What about you, Azur?" Mium asked.

"I'm a believer," Azur said. "I never gave God or religion any thought until I began attending Piata University. I took a theology class on a whim. I started to do a lot of studying, and a lot of soul-searching. And I found a peace within myself that I never knew before."

Anticipating the inevitable question, Erol said, "I definitely believe in God. I'm not sure about all the tenants of our one religion, though. I think that to dismiss it would be major arrogance on my part. I mean, who am I to say that I know better than all the millions of devout believers when I haven't even bothered to study what they believe in? But, like Mium, I've still got too many questions to say definitively what my opinions are. But that's basically due to my own laziness. I have no excuses."

There was silence for a moment before Mium asked, "And what about you, Dahl?"

Dahl shrugged. "I don't know."

The party reached the elevator. The priest inserted a key into a small lock and the shutters opened. No one said anything on the way down to the lower levels. As soon as the car's doors opened again the priest quickly ushered the entire group into the Bishop's small chamber.

Unlike when the androids alone had visited, the room was already brightly lit. The Bishop's pillows and incense were gone. He sat barefoot on the cold floor, which was made of perfectly round blue stones. He did not look up as the group entered. His eyes were affixed upon the object in his lap.

It was a sword. The instant Dahl saw it she knew that it had to be the Elsydeon. The handle was clearly made of pure gold. It was carved with intricate designs and was highly reflective, and it looked as if it had just been polished. The blade of the sword was over a meter in length and roughly five centimeters wide. It had the fiery blue-white hue that demonstrated it to be made of the highest grade of laconia. The metal was like a flawless, perfect mirror. When Dahl looked into the blade she saw an image of herself more clear and honest than any image she had seen on any mirror or video screen. She knew the thought to be horribly cliché as soon as it occurred to her, but Dahl couldn't help but feel that she was somehow staring into her own soul. Or at least a part of her soul that was usually kept hidden from the world, and herself. Quickly she blinked and looked away. Despite the beauty of the vision, she did not like what she saw.

"Ahhh, you've arrived," the little Bishop said. Demi remembered how when last they had met the Bishop was always smiling and light-hearted. It was immediately obvious that he was no longer in such a playful mood. His eyes were shut. He gripped the scabbard of the sword so tightly that the veins in the his left hand were clearly rising up out of his skin. He whispered, "I've been waiting for you."

Demi went before the Bishop and knelt down. He looked up into her eyes.

"We're here," she said, softly.

"Now I know why Lutz brought the sword to me so long ago," the Bishop said. "You might not have accepted my word now if we had not met before. Lutz told me that she often caught glimpses of the future. It appears her gift never failed her."

"You have something important to tell us?" Demi asked.

The Bishop nodded. "I know about the Dark Force."

Dahl balked. "What? How? How could you...?"

The Bishop held the sword a little more tightly. "The sword... It told me. Last night I heard voices coming from this room. No one else could hear them. I ran to the sword as quickly as I could." He gave Demi a weary smile. "The voices... The spirits within the sword... They were weeping." He closed his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I tried to assure them I would help you, but still they wailed. I've been up with them all night."

Demi brushed the tear away from the Bishop's cheek. "It'll be all right. We're here now." With a start Dahl realized that Demi was actually talking to the sword.

The Bishop lifted the holy weapon up in his shaking hands. "Take it," he said, "but be careful. The sword was singing the name of its master. It knows who it wants to wield it." He shook his head. "It will accept no others. But, I don't know who the new master is. It may even be one of you."

"Well, what was the name?" Mium asked.

The Bishop shook his head again. "No. I cannot allow myself to intervene." He handed the sword to Demi. Immediately she felt the power of the spirits of Protectors past rush through every last circuit in her body, but then it was gone. "The sword will choose its own wielder in its own time. But it can only find that person if you take it with you." He looked over the entire group. "Champions of Algo... Stop Dark Force."

"What are you talking about?" Dahl asked. "What's with all of the drama? Champions of Algo? We aren't warriors, we're scientists! Demi, and perhaps even Mium, might have what it takes to go fight a Dark Force and win. But not the rest of us. We're just regular people."

The Bishop looked up at Dahl and locked his gaze on her. Another tear was rolling down his cheek, but he had regained the mischievous smirk that Demi and Mium had seen before. "Do not forget your mission, Dahlia Mallos."

"My mission?" she asked. "What would you know about my mission?"

"You were given life to protect Algo and all of its people," he said. "Would you turn your back on that now? And if so, for what?"

Azur put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Dahl, he's right. This is the reason we were born. To live for Algo. And fight for it if need be."

Dahl looked at her sister. "Maybe. But I never asked for all of this responsibility! Sometimes I regret that I was ever...born."

Demi stood up with the Elsydeon in her hands. "I've been sitting around for too long anyway," she said. She turned to face the group. "All right. Dahlia, Azur, Mium, and myself must go."

Erol stood tall next to Dahl. "My friends aren't going anywhere without me."

"But Erol," Dahl whispered, "if something should happen to Azur and me, Palm II would need you, desperately."

"You said yourself that our friends back home can handle things for as long as we're away." He winked. "Don't worry. I'm sure it won't be too long."

Demi smiled and looked to Favia. "What about you?"

"I'm not missing out on this," the girl said with a smirk. "Not after all I've gone through today..."

"All is happening just as the sword foretold," the Bishop said. "It said that the new champions would come, and you have come. It said that six brave souls would fight back the darkness, and there are six of you here. And it said that you, Demi, would lead them. And here you are."

Demi smiled warmly but found herself at a loss for words. "All right. We'll be leaving now."

The Bishop put his head down and folded his hands. "I will pray for you, and for all of us who call the Algo our home. Go now. Before it's too late."

Betty had been in her dormant state while she recharged her energy reserves. She found herself suddenly snapped back to consciousness by a voice. It was the voice of Dark Force.

"Betty..." the voice whispered.

Betty was in the shadows of one of the tent's corners, as that was where the recharger was kept. Even with her keen vision she could not pierce the darkness. Somehow the darkness had become corporeal. It was no longer simply an absence of light. It was a substance all on its own.

"Where are you?" Betty asked. "I can hear your words but my audio sensors are not detecting any actual sound."

"I am speaking to you telepathically," Dark Force said. "This is the manner in which I speak with others of my own kind. I have just now figured out how to speak with your electronic mind like this as well."

"What do you want?"

"The friends of Wren will soon arrive. Have you finished the rest of my body?"

"Yes. It was very difficult to complete the work, but I believe I will be able to attach the remaining pieces successfully."

"I am sorry I could not sit still long enough for you to complete the task in the manner you had intended. But you will be well rewarded for your service."

Betty said nothing. Her mind was focused on nothing but Tiro.

"Quickly!" Dark Force said to her. "Hide the attachments in a safe location."

Betty complied, storing the entire lower portion of Dark Force's mechanical body beneath a work bench that was concealed by a cloth cover and several boxes and crates.

"Very well," Dark Force said. He saw the hiding place through the mental link he and Betty shared. "Now prepare yourself. They've arrived."