A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 83: A Mystical Aura

Setrákus Ra meets me in the docking bay. He is wearing a black suit and tie with a white dress shirt underneath.

The door is fully open. He stands behind the large open doorway, staring out over the thick jungle of Earth – my home.

For a moment I hesitate, but my hesitation does not linger.

I approach him slowly yet confidently, without saying a word.

I stand and wait by his side, expecting him to speak.

Normally being so close to my enemy would terrify me, but not now. I know he won't hurt me today. He needs me. Though for what? I am not entirely sure.

When he doesn't speak after a short while, I do so instead, respectfully still.

"Beloved Leader. When will we depart?" I ask.

"Patience," he says. "We are almost there."

Soon after he informs me so, do I catch sight of a Mayan temple in the distance, standing alone in the middle of the jungle.

The Loric Sanctuary.

The Anubis lowers and a long ramp extends to the Earth's ground. I wasn't even aware that the massive warship had a ramp. It's so large, I thought you had to use another smaller ship – like a Skimmer – to get aboard. Clearly that isn't the case.

Once I see the ramp finally touch the ground, Setrákus extends his hand out to me.

"Shall we?" he asks.

I don't respond and take his hand without question.

Then we start down the ship.

Setrákus Ra's hand is slightly cold in mine. Though my attention is keenly focused on the temple's entrance and its mossy stone structure.

Only when I feel the moist blades of overgrown grass between my naked toes do I realize that I am home again.

I wiggle my toes, the soft green grass massaging my feet. I take a deep breath and the aroma of the surrounding jungle fills my nostrils. My ears perk when I hear the sound of a tropical bird calling.

It's the best feeling I've had in what feels like weeks; but that's not all.

There's something extra.

Roaming in the air. A mystical aura around me and in the nearby jungle.

I can feel it. I can breathe it. It energizes me.

There is something spiritual below my feet; something alive.

Somewhere under the Sanctuary's grounds lies a hidden Entity. An ancient spirit capable of far more than anyone could imagine. I'm not sure how I know this, but somehow, I just know.

Setrákus Ra lets go of my hand to pull out a black tablet – that which I cannot place the model of – out of his inner jacket pocket and taps the screen.

I don't know what he is doing but I assume I will find out soon enough.

"It will take some time for my extraction machine to boot up," he says, still messing with the tablet.

"What would you like me to do, Beloved Leader?" I ask.

"I need you to go inside the Sanctuary and draw out the Loric Entity," he instructs. "Can you do that?"

"Yes sir," I reply with a simple nod.

"Excellent," he says. "Here. Take these. They should help you enter the temple."

He removes five silver amulets from around his neck and hands them to me.

The amulets of the dead Garde.

Plus, two others. I can only assume they belong to Five and Six.

I take them, accepting them humbly. Carefully, I place them over my head so they rest against my chest, secretly smiling on the inside yet being sure not to show it.

Then I begin walking towards the old temple's stone steps.

Although the Anubis blocks out the sun above, the humidity is beyond hot; I quickly sweat.

I don't complain. In a way, this is the best day of my life. The day where I can finally be free from his command.

There must be at least 300 steps to the top. I don't know; I lost count somewhere at 168. When I reach the top, I'm sweaty and panting. I look down at Setrákus Ra, who is preoccupied with his machine brought out from the warship's underbelly. He looks tiny from up here, yet the Anubis is still massive, blocking out the whole sky above for miles.

I turn my attention to the door.

The Loric door with nine Loric symbols carved into it in a circle formation. Each symbol represents the numbers one through nine; each of the Garde that was sent to Earth.

Last time I was here, we used the four remaining pendants we had left to fill in the gaps.

I have five this time – the three pendants from the dead Garde that the mogs killed and two others. I still can't believe Setrákus gave them to me. I intend to not give them back.

I place three of the Loric pendants in the first three slots. Skip over one and add the other two.

And I wait.

For a long while, nothing happens.

It isn't until I realize that the second and third pendant are in the wrong slots. Being careful with the Loric jewellery, I switch them.

Suddenly, I hear the door shake.

The five silver pendants glow an azure glow, the same as my palm does when my Eneration is active.

Slowly, the door retracts into the Sanctuary, opening a passageway and the pendants fall to the floor. I quickly pick them up and stuff them in my pocket before heading inside.

I'm relieved that the door closes behind me.

Before I continue forward, I try to contact the others with my telepathy.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

John's thought comes to mind: "Emily! Thank Lorien you're okay! Where are you?"

"I'm at the Sanctuary. At Calakmul. Setrákus Ra plans to harvest Lorien," I think in response. "I'm going to warn it, but I may need your help."

"We'll be there within the hour," Henri thinks.

"Watch yourselves. Setrákus Ra is outside the Sanctuary. Make sure he doesn't spot you," I warn.

"Thanks for the heads up," Six thinks.

There is a brief pause where I hear no other thoughts come through.

Deciding to keep moving forward, I think to everyone before cutting off the telepathic link, "I have to go."