The Power Array Saga - Season Four - Part XXII

Part XXII – The Void and the Teamwork 

The soldiers of High Garden Clearing poured from the watch towers of the city. The city’s stone walls seemed to swell. Support soldiers took their post on the ramparts, their lasguns converted into assault rifles and sniper rifles. Shoulder mounted grenade launchers were hoisted into position. Squads of troops lined up outside with shields and lasgun assault rifles at the ready.

                An eerie and grating voice boomed from the dimly lit Ura Forest. Hundreds of red eyes glowed from its deep shadows.

                “Bring forth the humans that trespassed into our domain,” said the voice of the Ura leader. “If you deliver these humans to us then we will spare this city.”

                Everyone inside of the hotel suite ran outside. They pushed their way past the civilians that were running for cover. Once outside the high stone walls of the city they skidded to a halt.

                Kya turned to Momotaru and asked, “What would you have us do my liege?”

                “Don’t call me that,” said Momotaru. “Just because we’re facing a crisis right now doesn’t mean that I’ve forgiven all of you for betraying me.”

                “I promise you that we did not betray you my liege,” said Kya with a bow. “Yes, at first we were hired by your father to keep an eye on you, but after traveling the country with you we each decided to forsake our previous bonds and follow you truly. I promise you, my liege, that we are yours to command and that we stand ready at your disposal.”

                “Enough talk,” said Monel pushing past her sister. “Let’s just destroy these wretched demons once and for all.”

                The voice of the Ura leader erupted again. “You have five minutes to decide or my demons will storm through and drink the blood of every man, woman, and child in this pathetic city.”

                Momotaru stepped forward. His father, Takeshi, tried to hold him back with a firm hand on his son’s shoulder. Momotaru shrugged it off and turned to glare at his father. He casually strolled past the troops who looked back to the mayor for a clue on what they should do. After a nod from Mayor Warren, the troops stood aside. Momotaru stood several dozen meters away from the Ura leader who had long black hair, red glowing eyes and was shirtless, showing his pale grey skin.

                “And who might you be human?” asked the Ura leader.

                “I’m the man that you’re looking for,” said Momotaru. “Leave the rest of these people out of this. Battle me one on one.”

                The Ura threw his head back with raucous laughter. “And why would I do that? I could just have my demons tear you limb from limb right now.”

                “Either you face me one on one or else I will destroy every last demon here,” said Momotaru.

                “You’re a delusional little human aren’t you,” said the Ura leader with a laugh. The demon raised his hand above his head and ordered his demons to attack with a wave.

                A snarl came from the seething red eyes and the creatures rushed forward.

                Momotaru unsheathed his pitch black straight blade sword and dashed towards the Ura leader. But before he could get close, several Ura sprang in front of their leader, who fell back with a devious smile on his face. Momotaru let out a growl as two Ura slashed at him with their long nails, slob flying from their snarling, sharp teeth. He easily blocked the attacks. With several swings of his sword he struck down the demons yet more took their place.

                In an instant, his team of assassin sisters were by his side. The battle raged all around the wide plains of High Garden Clearing. Everywhere, blue and green lasers seared through the undead flesh of the demons.

                “Coward!” screamed Momotaru as he struck down more of the demon fodder. “I’ll have your head as a trophy on my wall!”

                Iris Longwing, known as the Butterfly Samurai, strolled through the chaos of battle as if she were the prom queen gliding through a crowded dance floor. In the blink of an eye, she was beside Momotaru. She did not bother to unsheathe the sword that was strapped across her back. Her Acro eyes were flaring. Any Ura that got close, locked eyes with her, instantly dropped to the ground where they would writhe in agony and foam at the mouth until death took them.

                “If you really want that creature’s head,” said Iris seductively into Momotaru’s ear. “Then I can get it for you… but you’ll owe me, obviously.” She let out a slight giggle and jumped back as an Ura charged forward.

                Before the blood sucking demon could get close, Monel sprang away from the diamond formation that her sisters specialized in. The other three assassin sisters formed a triangle and continued fighting.

                Monel stepped between Iris and Momotaru.

                “I’ll be the one to claim that demon’s head my liege,” said Monel with a brief bow. Without waiting for a response, she spun around and dove towards the Ura leader.

                Iris let out a low growl and sprinted after her new rival.

               

Part VI - The Peach and the Crone

The Power Array Saga

  

Tales of the Sword and the Peach

“I have been waiting for you.” said the old crone, sitting on an overturned, MoonGlow tree log that soaked up the moonlight and reflected it back out with a dull white shine. The hunched old lady had a handful of long white, wispy strands of hair that could be seen snaking from underneath a thin hood covering her face in shadow down to her nose. A dark walking cane lay beside her as she sat with hands outstretched, seeking warmth from a raging fire.

The twin moons of Threa loomed large in the distance, appearing as two halves, lined up in a row with the grey rock Cassini sitting lower in the sky while the brightly shining ice sphere Galilei was arrayed behind it in a perfect shot like the white ball on a pool table. Stars littered the dark background of the heavens, twinkling and sparkling in endless rows like thousands of spectators. On the surface of Threa, the dry dirt spread for kilometers in every direction while a scarce splattering of trees dotted the landscape. The bare terrain was framed by large mountains that sat black and shadowed in the distance, far to the south of the city Duke and Aver and the river Amis. The river Amis was still a few dozen kilometers to the south.

“How did you know we were coming?” asked Zahur wearing a large smile.

Momotaru approached…, wary, eyes surveying the bland landscape while his hand hovered over the hilt of his blade.

“I can see many things through The Lines,” said the old crone with crusted, dry lips and missing teeth. While her hands stayed outstretched towards the fire for warmth, her head turned towards Momoratu with an unnatural quickness. “You can let your guard down here Young Void Warrior, The Sire of Arcadia.”

Momotaru looked at her briefly with hard, untrusting eyes and went back to surveying the surroundings; the flat terrain would give him ample time to see any threat that was foolish enough to try and ambush him. He was still on edge after facing Iris. Not to mention the fact that he was still on edge after killing the elven city guards of Aver. He was afraid that even his father would not be able to weasel himself and his son out of that kind of trouble; despite whatever type of influence he held over city officials in the elven continent.

“You have been searching all your life,” said the old crone. “Stop searching…, relax, wait and what you search for might find you,” she said grabbing his hand with snake-like quickness that belied her old age.

Furrowing his brow, Momotaru clenched his teeth as a cold sensation crept across his palm then spread throughout his body as if it traveled through his veins like an IV.

“The void has shortened one of your lines,” said the old crone. She took Momotaru’s hand and turned it so that she could look at his palm.

“Stop your cryptic babble,” Momotaru said defiantly. He grew irritated by her probing. “Let go of me. What is the meaning of this? Zahur?”

“Her sight is similar to that of your Void, Taru-san,” said Zahur.

“How so?” asked Momotaru. He repeatedly tried to yank his hand away from the firm grip of the old hag. “Can she see the Astral Plane?”

“In a sense…, yes,” responded the old crone. “I can see through the dimensions of time and space when I look at the Life Lines in a person’s palm. I can see their future, their past, everything that I wish and much more.”

            “So what do you see when you look at my palm?” asked Momotaru. He raised a curious eyebrow.

            “Trust me…, you do not want to know,” said the old crone.

            “Anyway,” interrupted Arif Zahur. “On to more pressing matters; we need your help Ba-Ba.”

            “You need to find the Alchemist Guild and finish the enchantment on that sword,” said the old crone. “But little do you know that your quest is much larger than that and an even more powerful weapon awaits for you to claim it, the legendary Tundra Sword.”

            “What are you cryptically hinting at now,” said Momotaru in mocking tones as he rolled his eyes in frustration. “Besides, the Tundra Sword is just a legend from a dusty old book. It’s not real.”

            “What I am hinting at could be the very fate of you and the rest of your line for eternity…, the fate of the very world and the heavens itself,” said the old crone pointing a gnarled finger at Momotaru’s chest. “You have not the slightest clue as to where you come from, truly…, Riestu Master Momotaru Sensei. You have gifts at your disposal that most men would kill for yet you whore around and smoke and let them dwindle away. You, who are unwilling to take up a cause unless there is profit to be gained…, you…, who has a lot to learn…, young Void warrior. If you knew half the things that I knew about your ancestors and your future, the pressure would crush you. If you knew where your decedents take the planet Threa then you would commit suicide.”

            “Well then why don’t you tell me or have me killed,” said Momotaru.

            “As much as I would like to…, I cannot. The human race needs you to fulfill your destiny. Your mission must be completed for all of our sakes and this information would only provide you with an unneeded burden,” said the hunched back, gray haired crone.

            “Look old lady,” said Momotaru. “Just tell us where we can find the Alchemist Guild so I can be rid of you and this worthless mage.”

            The crone laughed; cackling howls with mouth wide showing missing teeth. “You will not be rid of Arif so easily young Void warrior. You two will be forever linked in more ways than you could imagine…, sooner than you know. This little mage is hiding a great secret from you warrior. When the time is right, you…, Momotaru will understand that you and the young mage, together, will usher in a new age and determine the Fate of the Heaven’s and bring about the Legacy of Winter which is spoken of in the ancient prophecies from the Tales of Arcadia. That dusty old book, as you like to call it, can answer all of the questions you have.”

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Book Review - Heaven's Fate

Thame Elliot's one objective in life is to avenge his father's death and he is consumed in his quest for the truth. But his life is not that simple. His aunt is the new Empress of Eoida and is always meddling in his life. Being connected with her also brings him enough fame to make his quest problematic and as if this is not enough, soon he will know that sometimes things are not always as they seem.

Can he find his father's killer?

Heaven's Fate is the classic fantasy story of a boy whose father was killed and claimed a traitor. Now he is determined to clear his name and also avenge his death. The first thing that struck me about the book was the whole planning and conception of Thame's world. The author has meticulously planned each detail of his fantasy world and it shows.

The story changes pace as per the demand of the story which is a good thing. Fantasy book lovers will love this book. I am not that a big fan of fantasy books but was still pulled into the action. I did though feel a bit crammed which so many new things in the book.

All in all, a very promising book and very admirably executed by Andre Alan. I give Heaven's Fate a 4 out of 5 and recommend that you read it. A book with loads of action which will thrill you and excite you. I look forward to reading more of Andre's work.  :)

I was provided the book by the author for my review of it and I am very thankful to him. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.

Post originally appeared on NjKinny's World of Books - http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2013/12/bookreview-heavens-fate-by-andre-alan.html

Part V – The Peach and The Void

The Power Array Saga

  

Tales of the Sword and the Peach

The Void took Momotaru’s mind to an unfamiliar place. The feeling frightened him yet he reveled in the new sensation. Blackness overtook his senses. Maybe it was such a dark blue and rich purple that it seemed black. Either way, whatever it was, it was beautiful, thought Momotaru. The Void took him to a place deep within himself yet outside as well like an out-of-body experience. He perceived every physical sensation as if it were through the body of a new born. Not even after hours of meditation did Momotaru ever feel so connected with the world, Threa. He was in a place that was sightless yet his senses were attuned to levels that no human could understand. He smiled as a warm, euphoric sensation surged through his veins.

Slash after slash, parry and thrust, action and reaction at blinding speeds. The bodies of the two swordsman reacted of their own accord, relying on years of muscle memory. The two master martial artists and sword experts were no longer fighting on the material plane of existence. They ascended. They did not fight with their muscles alone. Fighting using the power of their mind, thoughts interacted like the swords that clashed, projecting how the fight would go in their favor, only to be countered by another reality introduced by the opponent.

Arif Zahur’s mouth hung open. He gazed with eyes wide in awe of the flashing colors.

Colliding at inhuman speed, clashing blades coalesced into a collage of immense beauty to which any painter would die to achieve. Bright blue whirled in every direction so fast it seemed continuous. Silver mixed with black as the two swords talked to each other in the language of metal on metal. When the blades kissed, white and yellow sparks flew through the air. Grey clouds in a darkening sky posed as a background that could be seen through the collapsed wall of the Alchemist Guild building.

The rune carved, magic infused broadsword wielded by Iris Longwing dipped, dove, and splashed the dark blue sky with streaks of silver lightening. She was quick and agile, flipping through the air while probing with her sword to find an opening in Momotaru’s defense.

Momotaru blocked an overhanded strike. He deflected Iris’ blade to the side. She struck back in quick succession while doing an aerial cartwheel, hands never leaving the hilt of her blade.  By quickly forming a circle with his free hand, touching thumb to ring finger, Momotaru teleported behind his opponent. He used a high level technique of the Rietsu Martial Arts known as the Flash Step. Reappearing, he was greeted with a swift thrust from Iris’ broadsword while her back was still turned. Momotaru was forced to parry instead of attack as was his wont.

Iris spun around with a flip kick targeting Momotaru’s head and forced him to lean back like a tree swaying in the wind. Her sword followed in a sweeping arc that threatened to shear Momotaru in half at the waist.

With The Void in control, Momotaru was able to anticipate Iris’ movements. He teleported behind Iris’ using the Flash Step and greeted his adversary with a swing of his blade once he appeared. Iris to dropped to one knee, spinning on the way down to the floor while bringing her sword up to block.

They matched each other stroke for stroke. This was a warrior’s canvas with blades instead of paint brushes. Artwork flowed smoothly from their weapons and made a masterpiece of death.

Iris, the Butterfly Samurai broke off suddenly, Flash Stepping away from the heated battle. Seconds later, she appeared several meters away from Momotaru. Standing on the edge of the opening that was the collapsed wall of the third floor building, she held her broadsword – The Alter Blade – in front of her defensively.

“This was much more fun than anticipated,” said Iris Longwing, bosom heaving. “The Void serves you well. Sensei would be proud of you. But we must part ways here, to your divine sorrow, I’m sure. However, I assure you that we can play again a little later. I have other errands to attend to.”

She leapt through the opening with a wicked grin etched across her face.

“Like I would let you get away now,” said Momotaru through clenched teeth.

Momotaru leapt through the whole in the building where the roof had collapsed. All rational thought left his mind. Falling through the air after Iris, he channeled a spell. The Void was the highest level of martial arts achievement in the ancient and secret Riestu fighting style. It was a feat accomplished by no other person but him and his sensei. All of the hair on his body tried to stand on end.

Zahur ran over to the opening, peering over the edge. He saw Momotaru subconsciously channel his mana. He watched as his warrior friend used advanced, high level magical techniques. The splicing of wind and water in front of Momotaru’s blade created a massive magic spell that leapt from the dark adamantite of the weapon.

“Do my eyes deceive me?” said Zahur shying away from the burning white glare created by the blade.

A flock of birds scattered from a nearby tree.

Momotaru’s splicing of the newly created spell was interlaced perfectly and a sheet of ice, expanded, grew, and multiplied outward exponentially towards the butterfly samurai.

The Acro eyes told Iris the truth. She snarled at the avalanche in defiance.

“I will not be stopped!” Iris shouted.

Zahur watched Iris Longwing disappear within a massive avalanche of snow and ice that enveloped her completely. He could not say whether or not the female warrior was alive but that was not his concern. He needed to react quickly if he wanted to save Momotaru. To Zahur’s surprise, he watched his companion nimbly land on top of the cascading sheets of ice and snow and ride the top wave of the avalanche as if he were a surfer on a wave in the ocean.

Momotaru looked around, his eyes still pitch black. Then he looked up at Zahur and waved. A small smile returned to his face as the black eye sockets of the Void faded away to be replaced with Momotaru’s normal eyes.

Relief flooded though Arif Zahur. He waved back to his friend. Alarm sprung back up within him, body rigid as his eyes widened in shock. He raced down the steps and outside to his friend.

Momotaru had collapsed in a heap of exhaustion.

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