Echoes of Harmony

Areshkagal

Outer Milky Way Galaxy

Cycle 19.462

A ship was coming. Small. Perhaps twin engines. Marduk was able to feel the subtle vibrations in the atmosphere that indicated its arrival. Spending countless time on the same planet, yet alone the same spot, allowed him to become perfectly in tune with the nature around him. He pushed himself to his feet, leaning on his tree branch turned staff to support him. It was best to greet newcomers by standing rather than sitting on a rock.

The thought of entertaining guests from a rock was oddly amusing. Marduk couldn’t remember the last time he had guests. It had been nearly nineteen and a half cycles since he became the final Ciovyr, but how many before that was he anything more than a warrior? Someone who made it their goal to protect others and, in the process, caused unknowable suffering.

His head ached with the thought. The sharp pain that came when Nergal broke free hadn’t dissipated. He knew it wouldn’t, but that did not stop him from hoping. It would have meant the issue had resolved itself. That someone had succeeded where he failed. But the fact the pain was not going away and instead intensifying told him it was foolish to think so.

From elsewhere above the forest, the sound of the engines grew louder. Definitely twin engines. A small transport, nowhere near the speed or power of Ciovyr technology, but better than he would have expected from any of the current races around the galaxy. Above him, the dark shape, accented by the fires blazing at its rear, shot over the clearing. It spun in midair and slowly returned, gently lowering itself to the ground.

The ship was rather ordinary, at least to Marduk’s eye. It appeared to be a basic transport, capable of holding maybe a dozen people, if that. Dark gray metal paneling made up the exterior, save for the transparent glass viewport at the front. On its side was emblazoned a green star and trident. The engines dimmed until they were barely emitting any light.

A hiss came from the side as the pressure equalized. The door opened to reveal a light gray interior. Standing in the new opening was a young man, perhaps no older than what his race—humans—referred to as thirty years or so. A baby compared to Marduk.

He had brown hair carefully parted to one side, slicked back and smoothed into place. A thin beard covered his chin and cheeks. He wore a purple vest with what looked to be a white silk shirt underneath. In his arms, he held a sword. A familiar sword that made Marduk narrow his eyes. The flat of the blade was covered in runes that currently glowed a faint blue, accented by the darkness around them. Its crossguard ended in rubies on either side.

“Who are you?” he called out. The translator installed into his throat would allow the man to understand him. Marduk took a step forward, keeping his gaze on the newcomer. “And where did you get that sword?”

“My name is Ardus Kaine,” the man said. He strolled forward, confidence oozing from his gait. “I found your relic in an archaeological dig on a planet we call Trivia. Unfortunately, not even our best scientists were able to decipher its purpose or the writing on it. So, I thought I would bring it to the source.”

“That does not belong to you.” Marduk held out a hand for the sword. There was no point in getting angry, but that did not mean he was going to allow this interloper to ruin his plans. “Hand it over, now.”

“Hold on just a second,” the man—Ardus Kaine—replied. “This is important to you, I’m sure. Perhaps I can help you if you tell me what it’s for. Perhaps it has something to do with the Nergal?”

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“How do you know that name?” Marduk tried to hide his surprise but failed. The only ones that should have known anything about the advanced AI were the ones he specifically chose.

“The same way I know you experimented on two children somewhere in the Hyperion Empire.” Ardus Kaine smiled. The expression sent a shiver down Marduk’s spine. “I have my ways. Now, I will help you deal with the Nergal as long as you tell me what the sword is for.”

Marduk sighed. When he felt the transport, he was hoping it was one of the two he chose. He should have known that was too much to hope for. Especially when it was much too soon for either of them to know anything about the destiny he chose for them.

He turned and began hobbling back to his rock. His eyes landed on the hole bored into the center of the stone. The hole that would perfectly fit the sword if it were inserted. And he was glad he had his back to the man, if for no other reason than he missed the expression on Marduk’s face. Though he acted as if his intentions were pure, there was something about him. Like the narugal from Nabu-Nazir that would lull their prey into a false sense of security before striking.

“Very well. But it is a long story.” Marduk turned and pulled himself onto the rock, covering the hole. He gestured with his staff to the other rocks in the hexagon. “Take a seat and let us talk.”

Ardus Kaine smiled and walked forward, sitting on the rock directly in front of Marduk. And for the first time in nineteen and a half cycles, Marduk felt an overwhelming despair that his best efforts were failing. That Nergal was going to succeed at taking over the galaxy, even after all this time.

#

Dar Lodihr

Druthagar Kingdom

17 March 3297

Lieutenant Ethan Fischer stepped off the small transport onto a metal platform on the surface of the unfamiliar world. Every bone ached. His muscles protested even with the small movements he made. Days of sleepless nights, of barely eating more than a few scraps of food, would do that. He didn’t even know how he was still alive, let alone functioning.

Another seventeen of the crew from the CelestialPhoenix followed. As soon as they were all off, the transport took off. The force nearly knocked them to the ground. On either end of the platform stood a dwarf wearing heavy, metal armor. Their faces were obscured by thick masks. Both wielded a type of large rifle he didn’t recognize.

The landscape stretched out around them. Barren, orange and brown rocks dotted the ground, broken up by the occasional spire of stone rising into the air. Dust frequently blew from wind. Overhead, the star—a small F-type a little more than an astronomical unit away—shone down with an intensity that almost immediately caused sweat to form on his brow.

At the far end of the platform stood another dwarf. This one had his hands behind his back, a slight smile just barely visible through his thick brown beard. He wore billowing robes of blue and gray. Gold threading ran down the edges. At his waist was an axe, the bluish metal gleaming in the sunlight.

Behind him sat a large hole in the ground. The pit looked to be about seven kilometers across, and the bottom fell low enough to be out of sight from Ethan’s current position. Metal structures surrounded it. Many were cranes and lifts for hauling ore from the bottom. Others were in the shape of watchtowers. Some sort of cannon sat on these, aimed inward. Several dwarves, each wearing the same armor as the ones on the landing platform, patrolled the edges, watching the ground below. The sound of heavy machinery drifted up to form a cacophony of noise.

“Welcome to Dar Lodihr,” the dwarf said, opening his arms wide. Several rings shone on his thick fingers. He spoke perfect English, though there was a hint of disdain in his voice as he did so. “The largest iron mine in the mighty Druthagar Kingdom. As punishment for daring to go against us, you will toil here for the rest of your days. You work from dawn to dusk with a brief break for food at midday. Any resistance will be met with deadly force. There are no warnings, no second chances. Now, get out of my sight.”

The guards slammed their fists against their arms, the noise startling Ethan and some of the others judging by the movement to his sides and behind him. They moved forward to corral the group down the path. At the end of it sat a large elevator. Its door opened wide to admit them.

As he made his way closer, Ethan looked up at the sky. It was a dirty shade of orange from dust. Somewhere up there, beyond the veil of thick clouds, were stars. Among those spun Stariek. And on the planet, waiting for a message from him that would never come, was his sister. And he knew in that moment, perhaps more than he ever did before, he would do anything to get back to her. No matter what. He had a promise to keep.

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