When all is gone,
Despair`s work, done.
The final note, in the dark,
You`ll hear with your heart.
Part of ``Lament for a
Lost World"
From the Academy
Archives, Central Library.
Prologue, Part one:
A
Little Hope
(Opal Realm, after the
Fall, 17 years ago)
The moons and stars
were out tonight, for the first time in ages.
The clouds of dust and ash that sullied the sky had parted enough to
actually see the pinpricks of light from the heavens. Pitch-black shadows lined the landscape,
giving the impression of prison bars across the entire countryside. A gentle breeze whispered amongst the leaves
on the dark trees of the forest, and now and again, the sound of an animal
foraging quietly in the undergrowth could be heard. Nature was making certain to be as unobserved
as possible, as the very world itself could still remember what happened to
those that made themselves known. This
remote region of the Opal Realm had been one of the first places attacked when
They had come; They had destroyed its buildings and hunted down its
inhabitants. Almost a year ago, this
gentle culture had been crushed.
The tiny clouds of
grey dust that rose from the footfalls of the six ragged souls were whipped
away by the breeze, immediately starting to erase the tracks made by their
passage. Most of them were counting on
things staying this quiet for at least one more night, as they made their way
into the ruins of the city. At least
within the boundaries of the old capital, they would no longer have to fend off
the surviving predators that had reclaimed this land, and just maybe, they
might be able to finish what they had started, and then rest.
The broken highway
they followed was merging with the remains of a traffic system that had been
shattered beyond repair. Spanning the
roadway, the remains of concrete overpasses built by teams of peridot and
sapphire engineers decades ago had blast marks and spidery cracks, exposing the
supporting crystal rods. Every now and then, deep craters holding the remains
of shattered vehicles or road signs forced the travelers to skirt around
them. The buildings were beginning to
appear now. Empty industrial warehouses,
crumbling office buildings, devastated factories moldered away, as wild growth
asserted itself. All the decorative or
functional crystals had been either destroyed, or stolen away long ago. The industrial belt that surrounded the city
had been attacked first. This initial
ring of destruction had closed off all escape routes for the hundreds of
thousands that had lived here. The
danger of renewed attack had kept most of the non-Opal looters far from this
place, but that's not to say that things hadn't been picked over.
There had been no real
resistance when destruction had started raining down from high in the sky. Sleek airships, as black as space, had
dropped enough conventional bombs to cause panic in the populace. When chaos had reached a state of frenzy, the
Invaders had used magnetic launchers from orbit to lob boulders down upon the
city with the force of small atomic bombs.
The clouds of dust and ash from these first attacks still floated about
in the atmosphere, raining the scent of burnt defeat down upon the rest of this
devastated world.
All of the guardians,
the Adepts of the Opal Realm with all their myriad powers and abilities, had
been marshaled, all right, but on the Allgem Plains to protect the Nexus and
the Core. Sound strategy, they had been
told by their leaders, the right course of action. However, the Dark forces had not tried to
capture anything of military value . . .
the cities and citizens were the
target. The Adepts had tried to redeploy
from the Plains, but the Invaders had systematically cut them off from any
support then wiped them out. It had
taken a tragically short amount of time.
Nothing had been
spared, not hospitals nor schools, not wildlife nor landmarks. The leveling of the planetary capital had
happened last, and this had been accomplished from a distance just as before. Once no stone was left upon another, the
invading soldiers in their black armor descended and combed through the ruins,
rooting out and annihilating any survivors.
Only a very few had offered any real resistance, but futility had
paralyzed most. A record of the utter
violence that had been used against the Opal people showed itself everywhere,
in hundreds of barbarous ways, and the echoes of it in the mind kept the weary
travelers moving as briskly as they could.
A ragged young woman
wearing a dun colored travel cloak, a green overstuffed rucksack and gently
carrying a wrapped bundle in front of her, paused for a second to catch her
breath. The tall young man in the red
and brown cloak walking beside her, his larger backpack just as full as hers,
his long sword in its sheath at his hip, joined her for a moment, putting a
gentle arm across her shoulders. He
lifted the pack up off her back for a little while, trying to lighten her
load. She smiled weakly, caressing his
face with her grimy hand, then batted him away, reclaiming her burden. They had to press on, till they reached the
center of the city.
“We'll get there
within the hour,” whispered the ancient woman at the head of the group, leaning heavily on her ornate staff. The others glanced at her, and nodded,
acknowledging the wisdom of their family's matriarch, who was herself a Council
member, possibly the last one left. She
negotiated a large hole in the plasti-crete with some difficulty, but let none
assist her. She was adamant about
that. Each member of their party bore
critical items and she refused to ask them to do anything but safeguard what
they carried; she expected nothing less of herself, even if her load was only
her Staff of Office and the amulet she wore on a simple chain around her neck.
She was the only
member of the deposed ruling body that still lived. Only purest opaluck had let her escape the Hunters and monsters that had
claimed her peers and friends. Pausing
only for the tiniest of moments, she looked at her entourage stopping to rest
for a moment and had to smile. Her two
grown sons were the vanguards; both well trained in survival and defense from
their times on Sapphire and Ruby. They
both carried heavy packs on their strong backs and large bladed weapons loosely
in their hands which had been used against hunger-maddened animals or worse
entirely too many times. Their eyes
never stopped scanning for the next danger, the next threat . . . they usually found it, too. She herself came next, wearing the last
shreds of her Council robes, and the only remaining Council amulet not seized
or destroyed by the Invaders. Her staff,
topped by an opal the size of her fist, found its way through the debris,
supporting her occasionally unsteady steps.
She would need every iota of power in the amulet, the staff, and from
within herself, for the task that lay before them. In one sense, despite everything, getting to
their destination was the easy part.
Her daughter followed
close behind. She was young, strong, and
followed her mother resolutely. She was
layered in her appearance, due to her rucksack that bulged in strange ways, her
shawls, poncho, and hooded cloak. Her
husband brought up the rear, he being a native Ruby, and therefore the
strongest of them all here, and most able to protect the sixth member of their
party.
In his mother's arms,
bundled against the night and the cold, a tiny baby boy slept. His mother lifted his face covering to check
on him, and kiss his soft, fuzzy head of dark hair. He stirred, in some happy dream, infant mouth
sucking in sleep. The gentle baby sound
was louder than any other at that moment, and it brought a smile to his entire
family.
“He's dreaming,” his
father said, in hushed tones, proud grin flashing across his face. “He's part Turquoise. I tell ya.
He can see the glory of Opal in his dreams!”
“Doesn't that make him
part Pearl then?” replied one of the brothers, grinning back. In past times, these two might have started a
friendly argument over that sort of comment.
This time they just exchanged knowing grins.
“Either way, he'll
find his Path once he gets there, I'm sure of it,” the father finished. The old woman nodded her head in agreement
here, pausing herself for a breath.
“That's our hope,” she
said, intensely. “He has the Gifts. He’ll be able to call on the Powers when he
learns how. Even if he achieves only
half of his potential, he'll be the first real hope our world has had since the
attack.” She started walking again,
waving her staff to the group to get them all moving again.
*
Several hours later,
they reached the center of the old capital.
The moon had sunk below the horizon, granting them almost total darkness
as they navigated the streets. Only the
crumbling pieces of structural silicate falling from one building or another
made them pause. Doggedly, they made
their way to the center of the city.
They entered the
remains of the municipal building, where the elected officials and the Opal
Council itself would have overseen the comings and goings of the entire Opal
Realm, and even in decay, the carved tourmaline pillars with their blue and red
bands and the wrought metal fittings in the walls and doorways were
magnificent. There were blackened,
shattered opals of varying sizes imbedded everywhere – which was to be
expected. When the Invaders had come
here, the first thing they had done was destroy any and all gems that had even
a little bit of Power within them. The
Darkness had snuffed out anything that was connected to this realm's Power,
and, as had been proven time and time again over the past year, searched
continuously for any resurgence.
The party made their
way deep into the office buildings, led unerringly by the old woman, who,
though she had been retired for a decade, could read all the hidden little
signs that told her which way to go: a little crack in the floor led them down
this hallway, a pattern of scratches in a message board led then down that
one. They left the main hallways,
turning here, going through subtle, unmarked doors there. None of the mechanisms that opened the
automatic doors worked, and the only light came from lanterns carried by the
men. No gem-power was used for light;
they couldn't risk being discovered yet.
They went down, into basements, then sub-basements that no average
citizen would have ever known about.
“You're sure it's down
here?” inquired the other brother, forcing open another door with his
bardishe. “Underground Transit is over
us by now.”
“We haven't gotten to
the bottom yet, and that's where it'll be, closest to the Core,” said the old
woman, who was moving more easily. The
closer they got to their destination, the more her opal Powers resonated with
the power of the Core of the Opal world.
That strengthened her. Hopefully,
the babe wouldn't feel this resonance himself.
If he started crying, then his untrained powers would flare like a
beacon. They didn't have time to fend
off an attack and finish their task. The
old woman approached the cleaning closet, opened the door, and then tapped her opal-tipped
staff on the far wall. A brief flash of
light spread out from the gem, and the back wall opened, revealing many layers
of shielding, and a narrow corridor.
“And here we go. That will have alerted Them. Be ready.
We don't have much time now.” And
with that, she led them down the hallway.
*
That tiny flash of
opal Power had indeed been noticed. Far
away, in a hastily set-up barracks a soldier in dented but immaculately
polished black body armor glanced at his sensor screen and saw a slight spike
of energy. It had been many months
since any power source had been detected here.
It could have been a piece of machinery firing off, or not. Either way, he followed protocol and sent the
signal to his commanders. That spike
would be absorbed or destroyed soon enough.
From the corridor behind him, he could hear the responding march of the
troops and the clicking claws of the attack beasts moving toward the transport
room.
*
“This is it? An empty room with four benches in it?” one
of the brothers said, slightly louder than he had intended to. The others paused their tasks and looked over
at him ruefully. He shrugged back to
them, knowing he'd voiced the question that most were thinking. The baby was awake now, and being fed by his
mother. The baby's father was busy
setting up a small apparatus with the short poles and components that they had
each been carrying in their packs..
“Yes, this is a
Communing Room. Only the Nexus on the
Allgem Plains is a stronger focus point for the Core. And when we're done, he’ll be safe.” the old
woman finished, sitting on a bench near to where her sons were setting up the
device. The poles made a geometric shape
resembling both a cube and a pyramid.
The screen and tiny controls attached to it was dormant, waiting.
“All we need now,” she
continued, “is this.” And with that, the
matriarch pulled off her amulet, and opened the front cover. A glittering blue-and-green opal was
revealed. It caught the light of the
torches and played it back in many colors.
It also glowed, ever so faintly.
She rose and placed it on the floor, in the middle of the now finished
structure. She backed up a few paces,
then went over to where she had laid her staff down, against the bench. Her daughter and grandson were sitting
there. The wide-awake infant was getting
cleaned up from his messy meal. His
baby-blue eyes were sparkling with curiosity, and his pudgy hands waved
about. He saw his grandma and reached
out to her, ba-ba'ing happily.
“He’ll not be harmed?”
the young woman asked again, setting aside the feeding spoon and the last jar
of food they had for him. She held him
close to her face, drinking in his scent, his sound. The grandmother came forward and let her
finger get gently captured by questing little hands.
“No, love,” she said,
tenderly. “This is the absolutely safest
way to get him out of the Opal realm.”
She bent over and looked into the little one’s eyes as he tried to chomp
down on her finger. “He’ll have his
chance there,” she murmured.
“Then best it was done
quickly, then,” said his father, turning the little monitor on. The assembled components started warming up,
humming gently. The Opal Councilwoman
nodded, kissed the baby on both cheeks, and rose to her feet. She took up position in front of the
apparatus, and gripped her staff firmly.
The hidden crystalline badge on her left shoulder started to glow, as
well as the tip of her staff. Instead
of trying to conceal her powers, she now called on all them as strongly as she
could. She struck the floor with her
staff twice, and a panel on the far wall opened, revealing a huge, energized
opal. The jewel on her staff flared
brilliantly in resonance with the native stone, and an aura of swirling
multicolored light enveloped her. She
sent forth a bright beam of light from the opal on her staff, aimed at the
amulet on the floor. In the next moments,
the Talisman lit up, and started to grow.
*
“Yes, we're picking up
a power surge from the old Council building!” yelled the same black-armored
soldier into the com-unit in his helmet from a street outside the city. “It's getting stronger by the second. That's full-bore Opal power in use! Level's high enough to be seen from orbit.” His unit was running double time march,
weapons drawn, and the enormous, four-legged tracking beasts had been released
from their leashes. They were growling
and baying into the night, following the distinctive scent that energy had.
“Find that woman,
soldier, and take her down. She's the
last of that accursed opal Council. Once
she's gone, this planet will be done, and we can get on with the next phase.” The neutral voice almost sounded satisfied.
“Yes sir!” the soldier
shouted. He turned off the com-unit, and
followed the sounds of the hunt. Maybe
she would resist; maybe she had an escort, bodyguards even. He almost felt . . . excitement.
*
The pyramid was filled
with a swirling, milky, multicolored light, as energy gathered there. There was the faintest sound of rushing wind
coming from it, as well as the loud crackle of power flowing. From the maelstrom, a strong clear voice
emerged.
“You ARE alive, after
all!” The words came from the coalescing image of an older man, dressed in a
yellow and orange ceremonial robe, akin to the old woman's. He also held a staff similar to hers, but the
gem glowing at its tip was a brilliant yellow, instead of multicolored swirls.
“Yes, I'm alive, as
well as what's left of my family,” the old woman said, effort clearly showing
in her voice and on her face. “It’s
time. Are you going to be able to help
us?”
“You mean you're ready
to send him, already?” he replied, startled.
He looked around himself then peered closely at her. “There has been no news for weeks now. It's gotten that bad, then, has it?”
“I believe that we are
possibly the last living souls left here.
Our world has been destroyed.” She let the importance of those words
sink in for a second. Changing the
subject, she nodded toward her grandchild and said: “He's only a baby, but also
our last, best hope. You must see him
safely hidden.”
“He's truly
opal-gifted,” the boy's mother piped up.
“He should be able to adapt to wherever he grows up. And he'll always see things differently than
the children in your Realm.” She moved
to stand directly beside her mother.
"Please, sir, help him. I
beg you.”
The man on the other
side of the portal stepped forward, to the very boundary that separated
them. His eyes set and glowing bright
yellow with intensity, he said: “Dear girl, I have been a friend to the Opal
Realm since I was a child. Your mother
will attest to that. I swear, by the
Heart of Light, that I will care for him as if he were my own.” He paused, the
light in his eyes growing darker orange-red.
“The Necromancers and their spies will NEVER find him, this I also
swear!”
“Mother!” the baby's
father shouted, staring more closely at the little screen on the
apparatus. “We have a squad of hunters
in the building: ten soldiers, three or four beasts. We have three minutes before they get here,
at best.” He tossed aside his traveling
gear, and donned a battered, bright red, light-armor vest. His natural ruby strength would not be
hindered now. He drew his long sword
from its sheath, pressing a button on the hilt which set it shimmering with
destructive scarlet power, and moved closer to the door. The brothers, who had been battle-ready from
the start of their trip, retrieved their weapons and took up a triangular
placement around the women and the portal.
“We have no more
time,” the matriarch said, drawing even more Opal power into herself from the
Core of their world. “Bring him to the
portal. When Saul reaches across the
threshold, pass him over.” The crackle
of Opal power was rising in intensity again, reaching its highest point. “I’m very old . . . I'll only be able to hold it
open for a few seconds. Be ready, both
of you.”
The baby watched the
lights of the portal mutely, absently stroking his mother's arm around his
belly. The young woman burst into tears,
sobbing once, then moved toward the nimbus of power. The image of the man became suddenly sharper,
more in focus. The topaz man on the
other side braced himself, and then reached through the barrier, grimacing
slightly as crackling power licked up and down his arms.
“Now! Give him to me now!” he grunted loudly, voice
nearly concealed by the cry of opal power holding this doorway between worlds
open.
Drawing the baby
close, one last time, she said to him: “Fate favor you, dear Toivo,” Kissing
him one more time, she quickly placed the baby into the man's arms. Trembling with effort, they enfolded the
child protectively, and brought him through into another Realm. The amulet that was the focus of this portal
was whipped through after the baby, and landed at the man’s feet.
Holding the infant to
his shoulder with practiced ease, the old man hooked the amulet with the end of
his staff and flipped it lightly into the air.
He caught it with the glowing topaz at the top, then lifted his staff
high, declaring in a voice strong enough for both worlds to hear: “It is done!
He is safe across. Be at peace. You have done your part. I will take care of things now.” A brilliant aura of yellow and white light
came from the man's staff. It blinded
them all for just a second, then, in an instant, it faded. Man and baby were gone.
Mother and grandmother
cried openly, both relieved and agonized at the same time. Through a curtain of tears, the old woman let
her face relax. Without the amulet for
focus, the flow of Opal power started to diminish, the mad swirling of colors
slowing and fading. She let go of her
staff with one hand and let it fall against her shoulder. Only her indomitable willpower kept her
standing. She felt her daughter put an
arm around her waist, and she let herself be hugged, in thanks and
sympathy. The giant opal gem slowly
returned to its hiding place in the wall.
Then, with a deafening
crash, something hit the wall from behind.
Another crash occurred, and a blast of energy punched through from the
other side, destroying the Gem and sending clouds of dust into the air. The Hunters finally entered the last
sanctuary of the Opal world. The
soldiers paused only long enough for the dust to settle; the tall, four-legged,
black and grey beasts did not, leaping through the jagged and crumbling hole
with their red claws clattering on the stone and leaving scratches as they
moved, baying wildly in triumph. They
had found their prey.
The three men backed
up to make a defensive circle. The women
hugged each other for a moment, and then turned themselves toward the soldiers
as well. The younger woman drew a
smaller, scintillating sword, a rapier, no less dangerous than her husband's,
and activated a small shield on her forearm.
The old woman, eyes wild and furious, took her staff in both hands. She blinked once, and the round opal at its
tip turned from blue-green to a sharp sided, red crystal that had what looked
like flames boiling inside of it. A haze
of fire seemed to envelop her.
As one, they started
humming the note A - one pure note. The
same note that the very Heart of their world sang. It filled the room with more than simply
sound; it seemed to raise the dust around them in shimmering little
whirlwinds. It quickly got louder, and
stronger, as a very old type of Opal power responded to their call. The soldiers waited for a moment, not sure
what to make of this. Finally, the
single note got louder and louder until it shattered into an enraged scream,
and with the dust and the very air helping them, the family leaped to
attack. Fear, anger, sorrow . . . all of
their pent-up feelings lent them strength and focus. Finally, they had a clear and visible enemy
to fight. They held nothing back as they
clashed weapons with their destroyers, all blind with berserker rage, with a
determination comparable to Sapphires and a fury that would have daunted
Rubies.
*
When it was over,
beasts leashed and weapons holstered, the lieutenant commanding this strike
force noted in his voice-log that five opal refugees had been prevented from
escaping at such and such date and time.
As a personal note, he added that they had lasted longer than anyone his
team has hunted to this point, and that he had to admit that he respected that. No survivors . . . of course.
*
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