The Acolytes of Crane (Theodore Crane, #1)(106)

It was time for me to breach the Elon palace again. The Elon army had successfully streamed in through the palace walls—thanks to the gaping hole previously carved out by Wrath. While Travis and I had been thrashing it out, my Elon army had been fighting tooth and nail with their corrupted counterparts in various scenes of guerilla warfare inside the walls. Hundreds of hand-to-hand battles raged on in stairwells, ramparts, and halls of splendor.

I ran up the bridges and stairways leading to the palace, knowing that my lifters would overcome any barrier. While I was about to take flight, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

‘Hey, dude! You’re a sight for sore eyes!’

Joyfully, I turned to source of the comforting sound.

‘Dan!’ I cried out. He was grinning from ear to ear, expertly aligned on a hover board.

‘Ted! We’re all here for you!’

‘Holy crap! Am I glad to see you! What, conquering Earth by skateboard isn’t enough—you had to take a stab at Jaakruid, too?’

‘Is that what this flipping jungle paradise is called? I would rather buy a ticket to Antarctica than live in this place. So, we’re at your command now? How can we fight for you?’ Dan asked.

‘My guess is if you want to find the Dark King, you storm the castle. I think he is at the top. Let’s find out.’

I yelled out for an Elon troop to lead the army up the fortress. He took order and said, ‘The Morlorian has been defeated sir, it lies dead at the base. Pike is inside, joining in the battle!’

‘Impressive gear,’ I said, admiring Dan’s awesome air surfboard and the bulky plasma cannon upon his back.

‘Wait till you see what this damn thing can do. It will blow your mind. Are you ready?’ Dan asked.

Together, we flew to the ramparts atop the perimeter wall. From the darkness of what looked to be a hanger, we two charged ahead against an onslaught of Dacturon elite who had left the safety of their ships to join the battle upon seeing the Dark Elon falter. They stood like wild wizards, waving their hands about. Like futuristic mages, they used their telekinesis to control the world around them.

As if by sorcery, looming, dark and heavy rain clouds crept in above our heads. The Dacturons cackled as their puffy creations threw down bucketfuls of rain upon our army.

As currents of water gushed off our armor and rolesks, we struggled in the monsoon-like conditions. Everything was slippery. The flame of my blade was dimming, but still had enough to rip through the Dark Elons that emerged from the darkness within the palace.

One of the Dacturons flung debris at us as we hovered on Dan’s surfboard. A log nearly blasted Dan off his board. The other two Dacturons supported their fellow troops with gunfire from their rifles. Pandemonium burst out through the air, as well as flashes of light. The battle was now at its most fierce. It was the pivotal moment—either side was desperately pushing for its tide of victory to prevail.

The remainder of my Elons joined in the fight, and from the blanketed shroud of rain, two more sights for weary eyes appeared. Lincoln and Mariah rode in on the nimble backs of my Elons.

My heart leapt out in joy at the sight of my remaining two colleagues. They were now truly composed as brave warriors. I could see the determination in their eyes, hardened by weeks of training.

‘Mariah! Lincoln!’ I cried out with full heart.

Beaming, they both gave me a simultaneous thumbs-up.

Mariah perched her herself slightly silhouetted on the edge of the structure and fired lasers at the Dacturons. Her expert marksmanship dropped two of the five Dacturon elite and created an opening for our advance.

Jumping off Dan’s turbulent air board, I commended my lifters to take me.

‘Ted!’ Dan yelled out, searching my face for clues.

‘Go help Mariah and Linc!’ I shouted to him. ‘I need to find the Dark King!’

Dan saluted me, and he was off to do battle with the remaining Dacturon elite guards.

I dashed toward the highest rampart, upon which the tactical battle command center would surely lay, right in the center of the palace. As I swiftly pushed in the double doors, my heartbeat swallowed the scattered wails emanating from the morbid choir of Elons dying around me.

Taking in a deep breath, I walked in, searching for some light. A large heavy door slammed shut behind me, immediately setting off a rising panic in my throat.

I had Wrath glowing in response to the instant darkness that enveloped me. I blinked, and everything changed.

My surroundings were altered; it looked like I was home. My grandparents were standing in front of me with arms open at the end of my driveway, and I started running to them.

What was this?

I thought it was all just a dream. Accidentally, as I was running in my dream state, I kicked something round that skid across the wooden floor. I gasped as the image vanished and darkness returned, with Wrath still lighting up the room. I discovered I was in a hangar, of strategic importance for docking spacecraft.

My anxious eyes darted to a corner, and I saw what I had kicked. It was one of these projection devices favored by the Rangiers. I didn’t see it during stride, but when I knocked it out of position, all the imagery disappeared.

As the last of the pixelated imagery of my comfortable home vanished, I shrank back as the menacing Elon King, Quasikeum, stood determined before me. He held up his all-powerful trident, directly aimed at my heart.

‘Die!’ he roared, as he hurled it toward me.