Chapter 7
When Zillah and Ibrahim would arrive at the base, the place was pullulating with Xipetuses with their flaming swords, chatting indistinctly. Zillah was confused about what was happening around her. She ushered Ibrahim into his quarters and commanded him to remain there while she sorted out some issues. Ibrahim nodded without hesitation, pacing back and forth. He felt totally helpless in his new environment. At that moment, he wished the truth pill would knock him out, or whatever it was meant to do to him, so he wouldn't know what was happening around him.
Outside the hallway, pandemonium continued to rise as Xipetuses dashed towards the elevator. Zillah understood one thing that war was brimming somewhere, because the Xipetuses never assembled except there was a battle to fight. Dillah caught Zillah by the arm, and with a dilation of his eye pupil, she could tell he was terrified.
"Our base is being attacked. Halycones are marching towards the Oto plain"
Zillah froze in shock.
"How is that possible? The portal is well guarded," she asked.
Dillah heaved a sigh in puzzlement.
"It could only mean one thing that our base has been compromised," he said flatly
"How?"
"I don't know. I am as confused as you are," he bellowed.
A terrible silence hung over as they both cogitated on their next action.
"Where is he?" he asked finally.
She gestured at the door as if Ibrahim could hear them.
"A little moment before the pill takes effect," she replied him
"Zillah, I am afraid we cannot wait for that. Now that the great Isah is here, Thantys and his legions of Halycon need to be nuked once and for all"
"He is not ready yet! He doesn't believe he is the great Isah"
"It will take time, and that time we don't have! The most important thing is that only he can operate the Ark, only he can reset it and only he can give the go ahead, and that's what we need in this battle which will be the mother of all battles"
Zillah did not feel good about the idea, besides according to the ancient text, the great Isah must have gone through the ritual before he could lead any kind of battle. Images of Ibrahim chickening out of the battlefield drifted through her mind and she shuddered.
"What about the council?"
"They don't have a choice!"
Zillah heaved a sigh, unconvinced by his response.
"What if something bad happens to him? I still think…"
"The great Isah can never die, in case you have forgotten"
He countered her and walked away. Zillah stood rooted to the ground, heart panting as her eyes followed him until he disappeared. In some way, she knew they were going to regret their actions.
After some moments of cogitation, Zillah would return to the cubicle and explain everything to Ibrahim, who was a bit agitated. Confrontation was not his thing. He had never been good with firearms and his karate sucked. What worried him the most was how he was going to embarrass himself in front of Zillah?
"Don't worry, you will not do anything"
She said as if she could read his mind, and for once Ibrahim appreciated her wisdom. They both walked out of the room and joined other Xipetuses marching towards the elevator. As Ibrahim walked side by side with the Xipetuses, he suddenly felt powerful, and his chest heaved with zeal. 'Come what may, I am going to save the day,' he said to himself.
Standing at the mouth of the base, was Dillah and the chest, and the Xipetuses gathered around with their flaming sword. Faces blazed honorably for a moment like this, to show themselves strong for their kingdom.
"Today is the day we all have been waiting for! A day to show ourselves strong for Alazend, to take back what Thantys stole from us. A time foretold by our ancient fathers, a time that the great Isah would be in our midst"
At the mention of Isah, Ibrahim buried his head in his hands in total fear. No matter how much he tried to brace up for whatever responsibility that came with the name Isah, he still found himself terrified.
"Let us match into victory! Let's cleanse our land of this menace!"
Dillah raised his flaming sword.
"Who is with me?" He charged.
The Xipetuses screamed and brandished their flaming swords. The enormous doors which stored their armory were opened, and each Xipetus armed himself to the chin. In the meantime, Dillah made sure they placed the numinous chest in the same aircraft with Zillah and Ibrahim, with a stern order to deliver the nuke in the center of the panopticon, while they secured the perimeter. Immediately, a fleet of spacecraft took off into the sky. Loud noise exploded simultaneously, and the Tivs prayed to the supreme Oldes for victory.
Right at the Oto plain, two units of the Xipetus infantry combated with the Halycones. Light flashed, metal clanked, followed by a series of zinging sounds and both the Halycon and Xipetus met in a grim fate on the sizzling sands which had risen in temperature because of the high intensity of energy.
Ibrahim pressed his face on the window glass of the aircraft, but he couldn't see what was happening below. The images were quite faint, but he could hear the zinging sound and he wondered whose side was winning. Suddenly, the sound became louder, as if it was in his head. Sweat drenched his body and his eyes became temporarily blurred.
"Are you okay?"
He turned to look at Zillah standing behind, color drained from her face.
"I don't know, maybe I am just allergic to war__"
"No, it's the pill," she intercepted.
Ibrahim remembered the pill, and he became alarmed.
"What is going to happen to me?" he asked in confusion.
"You are about to go into a trance"
She held his hand and led him to where the chest was and pressed his hand on the cold machine.
"You can control it!" she said sternly.
Ibrahim shut his eyes for a minute as he tried to put himself in a reposed state, and when he would open them, he was calm.
"I am fine"
Zillah nodded, for she could see that he was calm. His sweat was drying up.
"Remember, once the chest is placed in the center of the panopticon, reset the Ark to level zero." She blurted.
Ibrahim nodded.
* * *
The moment the fleet of aircraft was in proximity to the Northern Mountains, a volley of fiery darts bombarded the gridlock base and burst into a violent explosion. Before the Halycones could regroup, they deployed together some Xipetus with Zillah and Ibrahim. But sooner than expected, some Halycones rose out of the flames.
"Stay behind me"
Zillah cried with a loud voice, and Ibrahim cowered behind. She twirled her flaming sword in the air, striking Halycones, which immediately pulverized. They dashed inside while the Xipetuses held the Halycones off. Inside the panopticon where the stone glowed, Zillah confronted more Halycones and fought them ferociously; slashing and hacking.
In that moment, Ibrahim pulled the chest to the center directly under the glowing stone. With shaking hands, he twisted the control button by the side of the Ark. Then he heard something. He stopped and looked behind his shoulders. Lo-and-behold, it was a figure that looked and walked like Mubarak.
"Mubarak, is that you?"
His eyes froze in shock, for standing before him was Mubarak in a shimmering brazen armor.
"What happened to you, my brother?" he asked, terrified, almost whispering.
"Don't do it! Don't do whatever they ask you to do! They don't care about you and me"
Ibrahim looked at him straight into his eyes, but his eyes were as empty as shells. His heart pounded with head reeling. He wasn't sure if it was what Mubarak was saying or the effect of the pills. He clenched the Ark tight to stop himself from trembling.
"Come with me, let us find a way out of here__ Thantys can help us!"
Ibrahim glanced at Zillah fighting with the Halycones and his mind waxed firm in the uprightness of his new friend.
"No, they are good folks. At least Zillah has been good to me"
Ibrahim replied and drew backwards.
"You fool, Thantys is going to make us gods! With this…" he paused and flexed his muscles. "We can be anything we want to be. We will rule and subdue the stupid inhabitants of earth! This is the future"
Ibrahim shook his head blatantly.
"No, I don't want that kind of future"
"As always, you are so predictable"
Mubarak thrust his flaming sword into the lower abdomen of Ibrahim. High intensity of heat travelled through his body, hyperventilating as a sudden cauterization took over his body. Mubarak grinned and reached for the Ark. But before he could touch it, Zillah slid in between his legs and hacked him into two, pulverizing him at once. Zillah caught Ibrahim in her arms before he crashed onto the ground. She looked into his face, but his face completely blackened. Her heart heaved with emotions. Deep down she knew the chances of ever getting out of there were slim. Countless Halycones rushed out from all directions of the panopticon and surrounded them with flaming swords.
Out of nowhere, an evil cackle echoed through the walls. Zillah discerned whose laughter it was and her heart hardened. This was what they had prepared her for, to vanquish the foe of evil even if it meant dying for it. Suddenly, an orb of light hovered in the air next to the glowing stone. Then the light grew into the full intimidating size of Thantys in his full pharoanic armor.
"What a noble act?" he sneered.
Zillah heaved, and her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.
"Zillah El-zamuni, the greatest interloper, I know you and strangely I respect you as well"
Zillah remained stoic.
"You know what, I will let you live. I will let you walk out of this place without a scratch. Only that you will leave the Ark bearer behind!"
Zillah and Thantys locked eyes for a moment that seemed like forever, and Thantys understood this interloper was ready to die for what she believed in.
"Have it your way"
Thantys hissed and raised two fingers into the air. Almost at once, the Halycones approached them with their weapons. Another bomb detonated just outside of the base, rocking the panopticon cells. Thick billows of smoke gushed in, and out of that smoke, General Dillah and his soldiers of Xipetus appeared. Thantys looked closely and realized Zillah and Ibrahim had disappeared, and he burned with anger.
"No!"
Thantys screamed and electric sparks shot out of eyes, which engulfed both Xipetus and Halycon, vaporizing them on the spot.
Way up in the lurid sky, the aircraft flew past bomb craters and incinerated bodies of Xipetuses and Halycones littering the sand. Zillah was still holding Ibrahim in her arms. Agony encompassed her being. She understood the end that had befallen Dillah and the Xipetus. She blamed the calamity on the council of Oldes, who had allowed Ibrahim to go with them. Low cry erupted from her throat as she realized how silly they were to have fallen into the trap of Thantys, and now he had the nuke. As the aircraft flew past the monolith structure, she knew it won't be long before Thantys invaded what was left of her people.
Suddenly, they plunged into an utmost darkness, furnace covered the ground. This was where the primordial war took place many eons ago between Thantys and the supreme Oldes. A vicious war that the land of Alazend never recovered from. They had to forge a little island in the South where they stayed hidden from Thantys for ages, but with the chest captured, she was not sure if their home was safe anymore.
Soon, the aircraft came out of the darkness and landed on Primose, a tall rock covered with ancient hieroglyphics roundabout. As she stepped out of the aircraft, she used her sword to slash her wrist and blood trickled down and immediately the blood dropped on the runes; the stone rumbled heavily, and the runes shone. Then the stones twisted and turned before snapping open. An old staircase led down into the bottom of the unknown. Once opened, Zillah dashed into the aircraft and hoisted the lifeless body of Ibrahim onto her shoulders and descended into the belly of the chasm.
* * *
Inside, the cave was pitch black. Zillah used her flaming sword as a guiding light. At the foot of the staircase was a small lake which was below her ankle, and in no time at all, she was on the other side. Huge and terrible sarcophagi flanked the corner of the wall. Right at the center was a single slab, with a sword and a text placed at the head. At the foot were several jars and wash basins. In the corner was a full brazen armor emblazoned with the embellished eye of the bird; enclosed in a glass.
Zillah laid Ibrahim on the slab and striped him naked. His burnt body glared back at her, overwhelming her with sadness. Then she poured some clean water from the jar into the basin and wiped his body thoroughly.
"Mortals are born, gods are made_ both are transposable. When fate and destiny meet, the crucible of mortality is stripped away, and the soul bears enough light to re-continue his journey in the cycle of life, which was lost in the primordial world! Then the godhead is revealed… Ibrahim Abdulsalam, now is the time to take your rightful place in the cycle of life"
The moment she finished talking, Ibrahim was fresh anew. All the darkish matter was all gone, and the Ark loosened from his grip. Gently, she wrapped all his body with a clean linen and placed him in one of the sarcophagus. Then she removed her magical neck chain and placed it on the casket, sealing his fate.
"Arise, great Isah! Be reborn from the ashes of death and take your rightful place in the cycle of life. Let your head rise above the sky and consume Thantys, and let your feet crush his minions"
No sooner had she spoken than a bright light emanated from the pendant and enveloped the coffin. Quickly, she knelt and buried her face in the ground.