Altyx

By Shane Jefferson

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469152714

Shane Jefferson

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Copyright © 2012 by Shane Jefferson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

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CONTENTS

SCATTER

SEEKER

MILITIA

MOONLIT MEETING

AMBUSH

THE HUNTED

ENCOUNTER

ACE

ABSOLUTE ZERO

SCOURGE

SUBTRACTION

HELL

EMBARK

GOD

FATE

REBIRTH

SCATTER

The world spiraled around them, all nine, sitting in the quiet of the black night. These nine individuals were all dressed in black cloaks; nothing about them could be distinguished but their black garbs, which completely covered their bodies. Some of them were short, but most of them were as tall as the average man. But other than that, they were completely unknown. The almost-still winds provided a small breeze for them, their robes swaying hypnotically in a monotonous pattern, simultaneous with that of the wind’s.

All around them was grass. There were many lush large trees that were tropic. Their bark had many different ridges in it, and it was unusually thin. These trees bore odd, azure fruits, which were heavy enough to not be swayed by the gentle breeze in the area. But these trees, the abundant grass that all there seemed to be to this landscape. No mountains in the distance. In fact, there weren’t even any rocks scattered along the terrain.

Murmurs were heard among the nine robed individuals.

We’re missing one. I know there’s supposed to be one more. The shortest one of the nine spoke.

I too feel that we are missing one. The earthen substances haven’t been revived yet.

A large thud was heard. The thud echoed, reverberating all around them. They couldn’t discern from where exactly it came from. This noise was brief, but then, darkness came. None of them could see a thing, and they became nervous. The nervousness didn’t last long. A ray of light came down from above. The light revealed the crumbling of rocks around them, which had been arranged around them as if to trap them.

He’s here. And it seems he fancies flashy appearances. The short man spoke once more.

Finally, the rocks that had appeared around them completely crumbled into pebbles at their feet. The pebbles lifted off the ground and began to twirl in a centrifugal motion, colliding against each other and gathering together. They formed a humanoid, becoming a statue of sorts. The statue was of a boy, covered in a cloak similar to the nine.

The statue developed color. The cloak, sure enough, became black, and what little of the boy’s hand became pale and skin-colored. The arms of the statue began to move before folding at the chest.

Hello, it abruptly spoke.

"This is it? He’s just a boy! In fact, he’s smaller than me!" the short man jeered.

A few of the others joined in with the short one’s chuckling, but not for long. The child looked up at the man, hatred in his eyes, which resembled daggers, pointed at the man, ready to strike. The man instantly stopped his laughing too, swallowing hard. The child lowered himself to one knee, pressed his hand against the dirt at their feet.

The ground began to vibrate before abruptly unleashing a long and slender rock, which wrapped around the short man’s ankle and bound him to the ground. A cone-shaped rock rose from the ground, the sharpened tip of which rested just inches from the short man’s chest.

The pause was only brief. The cone lunged forth, stabbing through his body entirely, stopping once it had completely gone through him. Blood rushed out of the man’s mouth; it landed against the child.

The child didn’t stop his assault, walking casually toward the man. He raised his left hand, wrapping his delicate, pale fingers around the man’s neck. A smile etched itself upon the boy’s face.

It’s unfortunate, for you, that is. Ten of us is just—

The child broke into a fit of cackling, firmly gripping the short man’s neck and choking him as hard as he could. It wasn’t long until he eventually stopped struggling and became lifeless in the boy’s hands.

One too many.

The child began growing taller. Slowly, the child increased in size, becoming larger and developing muscles and becoming adult sized. The cloak stretched to conform to the child, who was now adult sized.

This was not the end of the child’s rapid developments. The muscles in his right arm exploded outward, stretching the fabric of the sleeve that covered it to its limit. A gargantuan hand could be seen descending from the sleeve. He closed this huge hand into a fist, letting out a satisfied sigh as if he were finally relaxed.

Would anyone else like to say anything? he muttered, looking out to the rest of the people around him.

The others were dumbfounded by not only the sudden development, but the fact that one of them was killed in such a gruesome, sudden way.

I am Termos, necromancer of the earth, he spoke. The rest of you, state your names and what you’ve been tasked to revive from Altyx, Termos muttered, waiting for replies from all of them.

One of them, having a woman’s voice, spoke up after a brief pause in the conversation.

I’m Lucia. I am the necromancer of the light.

Name’s Uramuk. I’m the necromancer of the wood, another man yelled out.

You can call me Silv. I’m the necromancer of the wind.

Call me Zarimir, I guess. Necromancer of the ice, another man said. He was standing next to Silv.

Listen up. The name’s Irasia. I’m the necromancer of the flames, a woman said.

Blue. That’s my name. I’m the necromancer of water, a man spoke.

It came down to two cloaked men left, called necromancers, as they referred to themselves. The necromancers were both silent, but one looked at the other with a nervous face and demeanor to him, as if waiting for the other remaining necromancer to go first, wanting to be forgotten. He coughed a bit, getting more nervous by the minute, not wanting to introduce himself.

Fine, goddamn it! I’m, the necromancer started, hesitating before he said his name, hmm… I’m… I’m, uhm… Teril. And I’m the necromancer of, blast, what was it?

He prodded his chin momentarily, before snapping his fingers as if an idea had come to him. At the same time, a spark exploded from his fingertips.

Necromancer of the lightning!

The other necromancers were skeptical of this one, looking at him as if he were a fool.

"I suppose one idiot in a group is always obligatory," Termos muttered.

Teril growled at Termos. He wanted to come up with something to say to Termos. He needed a retort. He said the first thing that came to mind.

You’re the idiot!

My, you’re quite witty, aren’t you?

"Shut up, what do you know, anyway? You just killed one of us. And wasn’t he the necromancer of sound? How can we even hear each other right now, anyway?"

"Do you see my right arm? It absorbed his necromancy art. So I’m now the necromancer of earth and sound."

The other necromancers stirred a bit at Termos’s words, surprised at what he was saying. Teril was the one that was shocked the most. Just as he was about to speak again, Termos continued on what he was saying.

How did you even know that? That man never mentioned that he was the necromancer of the sound.

You… you came here late! He already told us his name and energy before you came!

No he didn’t. What are you talking about? Irasia spoke.

There goes that story. Now, how’s about telling me the truth? Termos said before Teril could say anything further.

Well, Teril began, looking around nervously. The other necromancers were even more skeptical of Teril now, noticing his constant pauses and stuttering. We don’t have time for this! We may have revived Altyx’s terrain, but we still need to bring back its civilizations and people, Teril explained.

Very well. However, I will get the truth from you. Count on that, Termos said, lifting his arms above his head and opening up his hands. In order to emulate what Altyx did when he created his original people and planet, we must combine our powers, creating a state similar to what Altyx originally had. When we achieve this state, we can effectively revive Altyx’s original people and places. He’s stored them in each and all of our memories and minds, Termos spoke.

This sounds pretty complicated, especially for nine different people to do. Y’know, there was supposed to be ten of us. That would’ve made it even easier, Blue complained, rolling his eyes at Termos as he spoke.

Nine will have to do. I think I can handle sound’s energy as well, Termos muttered.

They gathered in a circle. The rest of the necromancers soon followed suit with Termos, all their arms lifted into the air. Soon an ethereal sphere would appear, centered between the hands of each of the necromancers’ hands, all these spheres in different colors. There was an orb missing above one of them, though. It seemed one of them had gone unnoticed and hadn’t introduced himself. In fact, he hadn’t spoken throughout all that had happened, remaining quiet.

What’s with you? Where’s your energy? Uramuk called out.

Despite being questioned, the necromancer remained silent, still remaining quiet.

Speak up, goddamn it! At the very least, call out your damned energy, Irasia shouted.

I don’t even think he’s said his name, Termos commanded.

The unnamed necromancer started to open his mouth; however, when he spoke, unintelligible words came out. They sounded scrambled and backward. It wasn’t even as if the necromancer was speaking a different language; it was as if he didn’t even know how to speak at all.

What the hell are you saying? Irasia roared.

The necromancer’s odd, strange words were screeched rather than spoken. A few more necromancers covered there ears at the unnamed necromancer’s unbearable manner of speaking.

Shivus, the necromancer finally got out coherently. My name, Shivus spoke, finally getting across what his name was. His voice rose out of control into more screeching, trying to utter words. Eventually, he finally got them out, Necromancer… I am… necromancer… shadows… Shivus continued, finally coming to a complete pause instead of a temporary one, finishing all of what he had to say.

What the hell is with you? Speak normally! Irasia shouted.

A black sphere finally loomed over Shivus’s head, collecting far slower than the other necromancer’s, but it was complete after a while.

Now, if we can focus these energies into each other, we’ll achieve that state, Termos commanded, the sphere above his head slowly moving away from his hands and floating higher into the sky toward the center of their circle.

The other spheres followed suit quickly, floating slowly, wavering in height but eventually meeting Termos’s sphere and pushing into it slowly. As each of the nine spheres spilled into each other, their colors began to alter. They started becoming darker and mixing into those they clashed with, the blue sphere becoming purple as it pushed into Irasia’s. Soon, they would all clump into each other and form one big sphere. The colors all mixed and eventually became clear and transparent.

The giant sphere, roughly the size of a meteor, began to grow smaller by the second. As it did, small chunks would come out of it, flying off into the sky, along the entire planet. These chunks would come crashing down upon the planet, but they were so small that they made no sound when they crashed into the earth. As this happened, Teril collapsed to the ground on his knees, panting heavily.

You must hold out. The strain will be heavy, but I’m taking the brunt of it since I hold two energies, Termos uttered.

By now, the great, transparent sphere above them was completely gone, billions upon billions of smaller spheres spread out along the entire planet. By now, Teril could barely keep himself together, sprawled out on the ground.

Teril? What’s wrong with you? Lucia asked.

Teril started screaming out, his wails echoing throughout the forest grotto they stood in. They were carried on for perhaps miles, but they didn’t last long. Teril’s cloak seemed to deflate, all of the substance that was inside having vanished as the cloak fluttered to the ground.

What just happened to him? He’s… gone. All that’s left is his cloak, Irasia spoke.

"I don’t know. But I know Teril isn’t gone. Or at least, not completely. I can still feel the energy of lightning in the Altyx we’ve revived. But I don’t know exactly where," Termos explained.

What importance does simple lightning hold? If anything, it will harm the humans we’ve revived, Silv spoke.

Our existences provide stability. Regardless of how much use there is for lightning in this world, the absence of our presences will cause excessive harm to the planet. Killing off that annoying midget might already have repercussions, but we’re lucky I was able to absorb his powers. It seems Altyx smiles upon me, Termos explained.

The others didn’t question the event any further.

We’ll teleport around the planet. Whoever senses his powers, search him out, Termos continued.

It can’t be helped. Zarimir, Silv, you two search in the northern human settlements. Irasia, Uramuk, you two go set up a base of operations for us. I will gather a human search party. The rest of you, go with Irasia and Uramuk and shape the world as you see fit, fill in whatever was missed. The others had grown to accept Termos as their leader, so there was no hesitation; they all accepted his orders.

All right. Move out, Termos muttered before vanishing.

The others followed suit, nothing left of the area but swaying trees, and the body of the necromancer Termos had killed.

SEEKER

Termos would be perched atop a cliff in the middle of a desert, staring down at a quaint settlement before him. The settlement wasn’t very large, and its buildings were made of wood,