Bombardment!: Decimation, #3

By Alexios Salvador

 

The explosive fight between Horde the Great and Drako the Rebel has led them far into outer space. Horde is stuck in a time prison, while Drako loses his memory and is kidnapped by a mysterious alien civilization, who are looking for a new home. The hybrid kingdom remains in shambles, and the humans begin to form a secret resistance. Soon, there are many parties throughout the universe that are looking for dominance over the earth. All the cards are set for a legendary war to break out across the entire hybrid kingdom. Who will be victorious? One thing is for sure, this recipe for disaster will contain utter and absolute mayhem.

 

The hybrids are a powerful group of animals whose genes are mutilated as a result of scientific experimentation, and they have developed special abilities via technology and magic. When the experiment goes wrong, and the hybrids create a world for themselves with humans as slaves, a struggle for power and balance rises, and only one victor can emerge. Horde; the reigning alpha, tampers with time, and unbeknownst to him, he destroys planets in the process. The Zelketians - an alien species must now find new roots to avoid extinction. Here they meet a broken Drako, an imprisoned Horde, and livable earth, but the big question remains; will they have to plead or conquer? Horde breaks his prison and takes his place as the most powerful hybrid in the world, but when the power comes at the cost of family and peace of mind, the heroes may become villains. Resistance begins to rise within the humans and hybrids, and Horde must now do everything within his power to keep his throne. As Horde's desperation and paranoia rise, all hands must join together to stop Horde and prevent another decimation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexios Salvador
• Release date: Jul 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223189688

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Alexios Salvador

All rights reserved.

No one is permitted to reproduce or transmit any part of this book through any means or form, be it electronic or mechanical. No one also has the right to store the information herein in a retrieval system, neither do they have the right to photocopy, record copies, scan parts of this document, etc., without the proper written permission of the publisher or author.

Copyright © (2022)

Alexios Salvador

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Pizza Publishing

PO Box 5027 Reservoir VIC 3073

ABN 20 662 173 257

www.pizzapublishing.com.au

ISBN-13: 978-0-6456129-9-8

Disclaimer

All the information in this book is to be used for informational and educational purposes only. The author will not account in any way for any results that stem from the use of the contents herein. While conscious and creative attempts have been made to ensure that all information provided herein is as accurate and useful as possible, the author is not legally bound to be responsible for any damage caused by the accuracy as well as the use/misuse of this information.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this novel are fictitious. Any similarity to any persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexios Salvador is a middle-grade fantasy author. Alexios got his first brush with wisdom and warfare among the folklore and remnants of ancient fortresses while growing up in Athens, Greece, and nurtured his interest in mythology and story-telling ever since. He has always had a fascination with science, robots, and adventure.

Alexios draws a lot of inspiration from his routine of watching cartoons every Saturday morning. His books feature magic, vivid worlds, and heart-pounding adventures.

Alexios is an avid fan of the Collingwood Magpies, motorsports and frequently attends music festivals. He now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his beloved pet Xbox.

A person sitting on a bench Description automatically generated with low confidence

CHAPTER ONE

A NEW AGE

(Rapid explosions)

Horde and Drako the Rebel were blown apart with force from the time bomb explosion that Drako had powered as a backup plan against Horde after failing to get the Wrathbringer.

(1 day earlier)

If I don’t act smart, Horde might win this fight. He has seen all my weapons and tricks, and I know nothing of his. I must act smart, Drako mumbled while watching his hybrids train quietly.

Mean was watching Drako deep in thought, and he decided to ask him about it with the hopes that Drako would tell him what really happened to Sage, his friend.

Your Majesty, he said in a non-committal tone, What are you thinking so deeply about? Are you having second thoughts about this war? Horde is truly a formidable opponent, Mean asked with a sneer across his face.

Drako looked at Mean angrily as he responded, Coward, I am not one to turn back from a fight, especially when the throne is mine. Horde dies tomorrow, and you better watch your tone, so you don’t join him. Mean got intimidated by Drako’s aggressive stance and answer, so he bowed and walked away. Mean secretly loathed Drako for his pride and power, but he sided with him because of all he promised and his hatred for Horde the Great. Mean planned to start his rebellion as soon as Drako assumed power, but he knew that he had to be patient for the time being.

Drako continued thinking till he came across the hybrids making explosives, and another idea struck him. Perfect, he muttered to himself.

Drako knew that the explosives would not affect Horde, they couldn’t even move him, but he knew that if he could combine it with the Wrathbringer, which was a weakness of Horde the Great, the bomb’s effect would give him enough time to deliver a death strike.

With that, Drako summoned some human slaves and hybrids and asked them to start preparing special bombs, and then he called the hybrids from the Perichu clan, who were the most intelligent of the hybrid race. The hybrids from the Perichu clan found a way to combine the time-lapse technology with a bomb, but they needed something else to weaken Horde even more. A high-class member of the clan who was a friend of Sage, and was afraid that he was being held captive, then suggested that they could create a smoke that mimics the effect of the Wrathbringer. The hybrids informed Drako of where he could get the needed materials, and he decided to go himself as it required movement outside the barrier that Horde the Great had created over the hybrid kingdom.

Drako got the element inside Bob’s house – the human who had worked on the design of the first Wrathbringer. Horde could sense the movement but couldn’t verify what it was that Drako went to get. In a moment of anxiety, Horde the Great went to the power room and tweaked the magic of the balls as a backup plan. The balls were responsible for balancing magical powers in the kingdom and holding the Brandis together. The balls were created by Horde when his hybrids had difficulty adapting to the nature of the Earth, and their powers were unbalanced. Horde tied the magic to his consciousness in the case that if Drako the Rebel, managed to win somehow, he would have an ungovernable kingdom. Horde smiled and thought, If Drako thinks he is cunning, two can play that game. He won’t know what hit him.

*****************************

BACK TO SPACE

The force field from the explosion disrupted Horde’s power field due to how close he was to Drako when the blast happened; the dark smoke penetrated his head and weakened his mind, lulling him into a power coma that would have usually been short-lived. Although still, the time-slowing mechanism trapped him in a time loop. Horde the Great was unconscious and stuck in outer space. Drako, on the other hand, had been badly wounded by Horde’s attacks. So, when the explosion happened, he was powerless to protect himself against the effect of the force field, and it threw Drako far away into space, where he collided with an asteroid, and his mind went blank. The results of the time delay on Drako were less, but the smoke and impact of the asteroid collision lulled him into a coma and caused memory loss for him.

*****************************

When Drako and Horde took their fight to space, the battle raged in the hybrid kingdom, and Horde’s army was winning with their protection jewels that Horde the Great had ordered Leonard to infuse into the hybrids helmet before the war started. Drako’s army soon discovered they were no match for the fortified hybrids and had no leader, so they retreated. While the war began to reduce in intensity, a sudden bright explosion occurred in the sky, and Delilah knew something had gone wrong. The hybrids from Drako’s faction were not surprised, and they assumed that it signified their victory, but they were very wrong. As they retreated, expecting Drako to show up anytime soon, their disappointment slowly became visible as minutes turned to an hour, and Horde’s hybrids searched for them.

(Explosion sounds)

(Drako’s hybrids run and find a hiding spot as Horde’s army gets close)

Did something happen to Superior Master Drako up there? one hybrid asked the other while they crouched behind a giant rock, and firing sounds continued in the field.

No! Lord Drako must return victorious, or else we are doomed. We have reduced in numbers, and we can’t even penetrate their armour, the other hybrid replied with fear in his eyes. 

Perhaps, something else has happened in space. If Horde the Great had won already, he would be back by now, another hybrid from the Perichu clan said.

That’s true, another hybrid replied, Let’s just stay positive and pray that Drako comes back to claim the throne and end this war.

(War noises and grunts increase as Horde’s hybrids get closer to the opposing clan hideouts)

*****************************

BACK AT THE BRANDIS

DELILAH AND JEKEL

(Delilah paces around the throne room with her hands twiddling with the protection necklace that Horde gave her)

I don’t know. Horde isn’t back already, there was clearly an explosion, and it must mean that Horde has finished off the rebel in space, right? she muttered to herself as she paced back and forth in the Brandis.

(Jekel walks into the throne room)

My Queen, Jekel said as he entered the throne room and bowed slightly to Delilah.

Jekel, she acknowledged, What’s the situation with the troops? Delilah asked with her brows furrowed.

My Queen, we are advancing towards their base already. Drako’s soldiers are resilient, but we are untouchable and protected by the jewels the Supreme Lord gave us. Within hours, we will have them surrounded. What would you like us to do to them? Shall we teach them a lesson? Jekel asked.

Capture them all and try not to kill any more hybrids; there’s not too much of us left after all the violence and war. I think we’ve had enough bloodshed. I’m sure Horde thinks the same, as well as my dear Turah, Delilah answered as a tear trickled down her eyes in remembrance of her best friend who Drako the Rebel, killed.

Alright, My Queen, I understand. I’m sure Turah will be happy wherever she is. Try not to think too much about it. Superior Master Horde wouldn’t be happy if he came back and found you like this, My Queen, Jekel said in an attempt to calm Delilah down and stop her from having an outburst when they were right in the middle of a war.

You are right. I will do the needful. Go and relay my message to the troops now, Jekel, Delilah said as she sniffled the last bit of tears out of her system.

Suddenly, as Jekel left the throne room, Delilah felt dizzy and staggered a few steps backwards until she was close to her throne, and she sat down as the dizziness cleared up. Delilah wondered if something was wrong with her or if she was tired from the physical exertions of the battle she had just partaken in. She concluded that it was probably due to expending a lot of energy than she usually would and because she had been eating less since the death of Turah.

*****************************

THE BATTLEFIELD

(Jekel addresses the troops)

Listen up, everybody; we have instructions from within the Brandis; there will be no rest tonight till we have captured all living hybrids who have sided with Drako the Rebel. You are to avoid killing anyone further unless it is totally unavoidable. Remember that they cannot kill you because of your helmets, so there’s no need to fear or panic when you approach them. Before you get there, I’ll send a telepathic message to those who wish to submit willingly. Is that understood? Jekel asked.

Yes, Jekel! they replied, Victory for Horde the Great! Victory for Horde the Great!! Victory for Horde the Great!!! the troops chanted as they dispersed on the new mission they had received from Jekel.

As they dispersed, Jekel took the Wrathbringer and went to return it to the armoury when he found Ballo and Verdi, who were resting for a little time after fighting all day long at the battlefield. The three of them started discussing matters of the war.

Ballo: Jekel, is that the Wrathbringer? It served a great purpose. I am glad we are winning this war, but where is Horde the Great?

Verdi: Yes, Jekel, you are his trusted advisor and the closest to him after the Queen. Where is the Superior Lord? The last time I saw him, he flew up in a giant energy ball with Drako trapped inside. I hope he has killed that fool already.

Jekel: I know Lord Horde has won the battle already, but I don’t understand why he’s not back yet. Maybe something really happened in space.

Ballo: No matter what happens, I am confident Drako is not powerful enough to defeat King Horde. Horde is the biggest and most powerful hybrid among us all. Drako doesn’t stand a chance.

Verdi: Let’s not be too sure about that though.

(Voices fade)

*****************************

BACK IN SPACE

The air was dense and intense, with the smell humans recognize as urine or ammonia in labs. The beeping and whirring of electronic machines was the only sound that rang across the metal walls of the research department where Quernt 150 was currently located. The Zelketian researcher was hunched over a data compiler machine where he input details of the latest experiments he had conducted on water creation. Water had been a significant problem that the Zelketians now had since the destruction of their home planet – Zelket. The planet was located in the quantum location 450, in a sister galaxy of the Milky Way. It had been destroyed beyond repair over the years – the few who managed to escape were lucky to be alive. The Green Planet – as it was popularly called, was home to a race of creatures called Zelketians or the Z race. Their troubles began when their two planetary stars started counter-orbiting along the same circle.

From when the anomaly started, they knew it was just a matter of time and had started building a spaceship big enough to accommodate a number of them. By the time they had successfully created one spaceship, it was too late to make another one – their suns had crashed and were on the verge of destroying their world. The cause of the anomaly was a time-lapse that reversed the cycling of their lights, making it move in the opposite direction, but none of them knew how this came to be.

The Zelketians were a telepathic race who often didn’t need to speak unless they were in the lower caste and without the ability to mind-speak. Yet they generally spoke out loud for group discussions and certain situations. Their intelligence is the highest in their galaxy, and although their heights did not generally extend past 5ft 5 inches to 6ft., what they lacked in size, they made up for in skill and intelligence. They have smooth hairless green skin, with some rare exceptions, spots of different colours, and tough webbed feet, occasionally producing mucus. Their feet have a single retractable horn behind each leg and also serve as sensors. They have three digits on both feet and hands, except for the King, who has four hands. The Zelketians have three short antennae, and three compound eyes that can move around their face, giving them a 360-degree view. In addition, they had big, gem-shaped noses with two tubes of bone sticking out on each side; although their mouth size is regular, their tongue length is like that of a gecko. They also possess extendable webs between their arms that they can use to glide in the air. They were vastly different from humans or hybrids and didn’t know about either of the two or even the Earth.

Since the collision of their planetary suns, the Zelketians had travelled across their galaxy in search of life and resources needed for sustenance, but they were not to be successful. Halfway across their universe, the Zelketians met with the Alhams on the planet Matradam, and the meeting ended in a lot of bloodshed, mainly on the part of the Zelketians. They were unprepared for the hostility from the inhabitants of the planet they came across. Co-habitation didn’t seem to be an option, so they quickly realized that they would need to kill, rule, and occupy whatever planet they found next, but the following years had left their search empty. At least until now.

Quernt, the Commander is here, and he would like to see you, Quernt’s lab assistant, Fiand, said.

I’ll be a minute. Tell Commander Zeldrox that I’ll come to find him in his quarters in a few cycles of the clock. I am very close to a breakthrough, Quernt responded dismissively. 

The Commander seems too impatient to wait that long. I suggest you meet him now and handle your business, Fiand answered with a tone of rebellion while remaining unmoved in his position. Quernt sighed, stood upright, turned to face his assistant, and handed over his data sheet to the subordinate.

I guess you’d have no problem putting the rest of this data into the system since you’re so eager to see me go, Quernt said to his assistant as he left the research department.

The Commander was a brute Zelketian with coarse skin, above-average height, and a missing finger. The man rarely smiled, even in the past, and given the current situation, there was no reason to smile.

With the silent padding of his feet across the floor, Quernt made his way into the war room and was surprised to see the room filled with other Zelketian officials asides from the Commander who had sent for him. One of the officials motioned for Quernt to take his seat, and he took a deep breath as he sat across from the officer in charge of rations. It seemed like the meeting room was packed as various high-ranking officers found their seats at the roundtable, and as soon as the Princess walked in, there was silence.

Tidings, officers of Zelket, she said as soon as she sat down in a middle platform raised at the centre of the room, immediately calling attention.

Father will not be joining us tonight, the Princess announced, waiting for the noisy atmosphere to diffuse and, most significantly, for the confused officers to process the new information before she continued. His Majesty trusts the highly esteemed officers of our community and me to make the right choices. I believe we are already familiar with why this meeting was called. We are on the verge of extinction, but I’ll allow officer Kirnun to explain the gruesome parts to the cabinet. Officer Kirnun, you have the floor, she finally concluded.

Thank you, Princess. Fellow officers, commanders, and Zelketians. We are a dying body, and if we refuse to take action, we’ll be dead in a few more weeks. Our daily feeding rations have been reduced to the bare minimum, but even so, we barely have the resources to keep up with the population and nutritional requirements. We have roamed the galaxies, and we have fought impossible enemies; I suggest we take more drastic measures quickly rather than float in space till we all die, Officer Kirnun said with a tone of seriousness.

The Commander picked up after him and began to talk about slimming down the ratio, training new warriors, and taking a forceful approach instead of hoping peace would solve the problem.

We already have experience over the past few months. If we’ve learned nothing, let it be that we’ve learned that the creatures of the universe don’t take too kindly to sharing their space with new occupants, and we can’t afford to take any more chances. The next opportunity we find, we strike hard, and we take what we need, the Commander growled as he spoke, earning a few heads and antennae nods. He looked over to Quernt 150 and nodded a bit, and the latter responded with the same gesture.

The meeting continued like that – some inputs took a sad approach and highlighted all their problems without proffering real solutions. Some of the officers hyped the need for violence without providing a blueprint or structure to run their plan successfully. When it got to Quernt, he just had a feeling that the Princess and Commander were banking on him to provide something more structural and solid than an agitated story about survival.

Rising from his seat, Quernt adjusted his protective coat, cleared his throat, and started – To secure our next target, we need to locate the nearest suitable planet and determine how long it would take to get there. To do that, we would utilize sonic waves to travel and search for places or useful things. We can send them out like ripples in the galaxy, and they will determine where we spend the rest of our lives. Once the waves get deflected, we can easily verify if they were stopped by an asteroid or another planet, at this point, Quernt had the attention of all officers.

The Princess was sitting straight, listening with intent. Then he continued, While we wait for the results from all this, we can begin training our members for combat and developing more lethal weapons to wipe out the population and defence of whatever planet we invade. If we follow this approach, we are less sure to die, Quernt concluded as the whole cabinet applauded his speech. In a hundred years, Quernt wouldn’t have believed the things that happened next, but after their planetary stars collided, impossibility was a false concept to him.

The Princess decided to make Quernt her right-hand man. She put him in charge of the operation alongside the Commander, much to the dismay of some older officers in the cabinet who felt like the decision was rushed by the Princess due to her immaturity and much unlike what the council was used to at the hands of the King. The meeting was dismissed, and even as Quernt made his way out of the room, he could hear the discontent brewing.

She is obviously young and prone to make hasty decisions, but this went overboard. Quernt? Let’s hope this is not a disaster that would cost us our lives, some officers said in hushed tones, but then again, Quernt didn’t even need to overhear their whisperings. With his telepathy, he could thickly sense resentment, anger, doubt, and fear in the room, and he ignored it. Quernt wasn’t really the type to get bothered by the opinions of others. As a scientist, he had learned through experience that he could only trust himself and the result of his experiments. Quernt walked silently along the hallways as he headed back to the laboratory. He was deep in thought about his water experiment and the general crisis that he didn’t notice the visitor waiting at his quarters’ entrance.

Hello, Quernt 150, the Commander saluted with brevity, eliciting a grunt of surprise and a glow of Quernt’s