INFINITUM GALAXUS 

Bloodties iii 

The humming engines of the ship we rode in reverberated through my body. It shook me to my core realizing where I am. I am riding in one of Del Vahn's personal drop ship's. Across from me is the man himself, grinning maniacally at me. My brother, Kol, occupying a seat between Del Vahn and his assistant, Kira. She had a blank expression and showed next to no interest in what we were doing. Made me wonder why Del Vahn was even coming along with us. Next to me were three of, what I assumed were, Del Vahn’s biggest body guards all clad in matte black armour and blasters at the ready. 

Once we do what we need to, those are gonna be used on me. I thought gazing down at the guards blasters.

All of them carried ALR-303's, a type of automatic laser rifle that only the AoP could obtain. Legally of course. There was no doubt in my mind that Del Vahn managed to obtain them from some sort of black market. I looked back at Del Vahn. His grin widened as if he knew what I was thinking. The grin confirmed that I was right. I looked back toward my brother who was sitting there, almost in shock. 

“It’s gonna be ok, I promise" 

This time he didn’t believe the lie and neither did I. I thought saying something comforting might make him feel better like it always does, but this time it was clear it didn’t work. Had I only believed my own lie, maybe this could have gone better. No matter how this plays out, I can only see it with ending with one of us dead at the hands of a twisted gang leader or his lackeys. A voice crackled over the radio that one of the guards had holstered and he stood up, opening a sliding door along the side of the ship. I peeked outside and seen a lot of sand. Then coming into view was a huge hole in the ground dug around a Ker'tar skeleton. Workers were scattering around like ants and flashes of light could be seen. Del Vahn laughed. 

“Looks like they found it"

For the first time since meeting her, Kira's face showed a glimmer of interest. 

“Take us down” 

One of the guards grunted to the pilot. The dropship began descending. The lower it got, the more I could make out. I could now see that the flashes of light I saw before were light rounds from automatic gunfire and they were coming from some soldiers in dark armour. The soldiers were killing all the miners. Their race was not of a single type and seemed to be very mixed but all of them shared the same pale skin and hollow eyes. Under their skin, veins and arteries seemed to pump black liquid instead of blood. Their eyes were glazed over with no hint of colour in them. They growled and coughed violently as they shot down everyone in sight. Even Del Vahn seemed displeased by the sight of them, even losing his smile in favour of a disgusted look. The drop ship landed and Del Vahn's men piled out shooting back at the soldiers. I was too frightened to move but before I could comprehend how to approach the situation, Del Vahn grabbed my collar and threw me out ahead of him. 

His fancy shoes hit the ground next to my face, pushing some sand into my eye which I immediately flinched at. I rubbed my eyes and look up to see Del Vahn draw a HRR-9 revolver from his waistline and open fire at the soldiers. Whether he did it because they disgusted him or because he was supporting his men was never clear. I thought he may have just wanted to shoot something. I scrambled around on the ground getting into cover. I went for my AL-92 laser pistol but it was absent from it’s holster. Only now realising that Kira took it off me when she pinned me back at the penthouse. I didn’t know what to do. I had been in shootouts before but never without my gun. A guard nearby screamed out in pain as he collapsed to the ground and dropping his gun. I eyed the ALR-303 That lay next to him and looked at the closest soldier. Del Vahn’s men continued to fire but were slowly starting to fail. Each hit on the soldier didn’t seem to even phase them as they continued marching forward. 

I sat back behind cover and look back at the drop ship. The front windshield was broken with a gaping hole of crackled glass. I think the pilot got shot. I look toward my brother. He is trying to leave the drop ship to get to me but Kira is doing her best to restrain him. I clench my fist. Looking over once more to see the blaster. Since the first guard dropped, another joined him on the ground, although writhing in pain. I lean back behind cover breathing in and out fast trying to hype myself up before screaming and breaking cover to grab the ARL-303. I ducked from blaster fire and retrieved the blaster on the ground then got into cover. Del Vahn slumped down next to me in cover and allowed his gun to cool so it didn’t overheat. 

“Ah! Finally decided to join the fight? I thought I would have had to shoot you for being a coward" 

I frowned at him then rose put of cover firing into the soldiers bodies. Out of the three soldiers remaining I managed to hit two and knock them to the ground. I drew the attention of the last one who was shooting at a guard and reflexively fired at it before it had a chance to shoot. I hit it in the head and watched as it dropped it gun, fell to it’s knees then faceplates into the ground. I held the gun up with the barrel to the sky, watching for movement. Nothing. Del Vahn rose with a smile on his face. 

“Well at least I know you can shoot straight" 

“I helped you, now let me and my brother go" I demanded. Del Vahn laughed.

“If it were that easy I would have killed you back in the tower. We have more work to do, down there" 

His finger trailed off pointing into the mine. It had a gaping entrance, dimly lit by ever-torches. I frowned and pointed the gun at Del Vahn. Who’s first reaction was shock before a wide smile came across his face. Without even communicating to her, Kira pulled out my blaster and held it to Kol's head. The remaining guard lifted his gun and aimed it at me. Del Vahn laughed.

“You are full of surprises aren’t you? If you were anyone else I’d have you shot dead right here and now. But believe it or not, I think you’ve started to grow on me. I see a lot of your father in you!” 

“Let my brother go!” I was firm and didn’t show a hint of fear. 

Del Vahn smirked and flicked his wrist. Kira raised the pistol and released Kol. Del Vahn wasn’t stupid. He was cunning and devious. I continued to aim the gun at him until Kol got behind me. The guard continued to aim at me. I kept my eyes locked on Del Vahn. We stood for, what felt like forever before he cocked his head back and spoke, looking down his nose at me. 

“So what’s your plan now? You just gonna stand there?” 

I squinted my eyes at him. 

“Once you leave, we leave"

“I’m not leaving until I get what’s in that mine" He snapped back. I felt Kol turn and look at the entrance behind us.

“What’s down there, more Ker'tar bones for you to mine?” 

Del Vahn’s smile faded. 

“more than you could imagine, kid. Something ancient and powerful and I plan to take advantage of it" 

Before I could ask what he meant the guard fired at us. He knocked the blaster out of my hand and almost instantly I grabbed Kol and ran. Kira and Del Vahn joined in, both firing towards us as we ran into the mine. 

Surely we can lose them down here, or at least circle around and get out. I thought. 

Heading down the steep slope into the mine I tripped on a stone and rolled down the slope with Kol tumbling just ahead of me. Del Vahn got to the top of the slope and began firing down at us but stopped shortly after as we entered the darkness and he lost sight. Reaching the bottom I met a hard thud as my body hit a large rock bedding. Kol ran to me, helping me up and we continued running. Behind us, we could hear the echoing voices of our attackers. We rounded a corner and we found ourselves in front of a temple, half uncovered and fused into the stone walls with one entrance available. The voices echoed once again behind us and we kept running. We ran into the temple and along the walls seen carvings or serpents and people. We came to a large chamber with a single pedestal in the middle of the room and a sarcophagus on the opposite wall. We looked around for a way out or at least somewhere to hide but it was too late, Del Vahn had caught up to us. 

“Fancy meeting you here" he said raising his pistol to us. 

We raised our hands with defeated looks and backed away from them. Del Vahn laughed his devious laugh. Kira and the guard entered shortly after Del Vahn did and had their guns on us as well. Kol bumped into the pedestal as we were backing up and stumbled over onto it. We don’t know how it happened but it lit up, glowing red and shooting lights through the floor. The room began to rumble and chanting could be heard all around us. I held Kol close and Del Vahn attempted to keep his balance as the other two collapsed. 

Behind us the sarcophagus began opening and shadows leaked out of it, spreading across the floor toward us like snakes. We dodged away from them, as they made their way past us and shot upward into the roof of the room creating a hole in the roof. As the sarcophagus came to a complete open, a demented, bony hand reached out from it’s darkness and grabbed the side. Then three more hands reached out grabbing the side and pulled something out. It’s body was black skinned with bones visible under the skin, it’s feet stepped out and touched the floor with a wet stomp. Its head was covered by an almost ethereal veil of black cloth where the only thing seen behind it was the red glow of four eyes. It stood up straight, easily twice my height. The two lower arms came from it’s abdomen and it’s clothes resembled the cloth on it’s face. Gold plated armour covered it’s left shoulder, chest and legs.

Kol and I backed away from the thing making ourselves flat against the walls of the room. Del Vahn laughed and fell to one knee, bowing at the creature. He spoke to it in a language I didn’t recognise, but it sounded sinister. The serpent like shadows crept out from behind the creature and tangled themselves around Del Vahn and his minions then pulled them close to the creature. It controlled the shadows with it’s hand, rotating it to see Del Vahn at different angles. It spoke in the same language Del Vahn spoke in, a hissing like voice flowing from behind the veil. It dropped Del Vahn at it’s feet and the guard. It observed Kira and spoke the hissing voice once more. She seemed to struggle against it before it’s eyes started glowing. She almost seemed hypnotized as red tattoo like markings covered her skin. The creature released her and she observed her body with the new changes. She clenched and unclenched her fists, almost as if she felt power running through her. The creature spoke once more.

 I don’t know what it said but Del Vahn seemed very unhappy with it. He stood up, protesting, asking why it chose Kira over him. It ignored him. Del Vahn raised his blaster to the creature but before he could fire, a pained expression came across his face. The creature looked at him then down. A weapon like a sword made of light had impaled him through the abdomen. The creature ignited three more swords, all entering Del Vahn's body, one after another. Del Vahn grew weak and dropped his blaster . The creature pulled the swords out of Del Vahn’s body and watched as he fall to the ground, lifelessly. Still smouldering holes, burned through his torso and cauterized the wounds they inflicted. The guard panicked and fired at the creature but it reflected the round with a sword and lunged forward, faster than I could follow and impaled the guard as well, dropping him to the ground. It’s glowing eyes traced over to me and Kol. 

I stood in front of my brother as the thing approached us with crackling swords in hand. It disengaged two of the swords and grabbed me as it got to us, throwing me aside. Kira was taking in the reality of Del Vahn’s death and touching his body, grinning. I looked back at the creature after getting up and see it approaching Kol. I ran toward it but it raised a sword to me without even looking. I recognised the threat and backed off. It’s shadow like tendrils grabbed Kol and lifted him into the air before it turned and spoke to Kira. Kol grunted and squirmed as he tried to be free of the vice. Kira approached the creature and stood with it under the hole in the ceiling. The trio began to dematerialise and Kol managed to get his robotic arm free, reaching toward me and calling my name. 

“Aine!” 

I ran over and grabbed his hand but it was too late. A shockwave emanated from the creature and they were gone in a flash of light. The only thing left of Kol was the mechanical hand I was clutching. I felt a tear come down my face and a pit in my stomach growing. Shadows crept into the room and entered the body of Del Vahn, completely engulfing him. He shook for a moment as his skin turned the same pale shade as the soldiers on the surface and he rose up with hollow eyes. He growled at me and picked up his blaster, aiming it at me. But before he could fire a shot rang out and Del Vahn’s corrupted body had another hole in it. This time right between the eyes. He fell back down and behind him was a gruff looking man with the smell of alcohol on his breath.

“You okay kid?”

I looked at him and cried.