Allan, Aly, Jalla, Tillia, and their new companion guardian spent the rest of the day waiting for a jump gate to charge. They were attempting to get near to Earth as Allan had stated that if he was going to die, he wanted to do it on his own terms. And in his mind, there was something poetic about ending his life where he had first met Aly.
While they waited, more and more strange reports came in, some text messages similar to the bone chilling one they received. Others were audio files which started out as a normal distress call, and ended in blood-curdling screams. But the worst were the video files, they would start out normal and then a strange thrumming sound would begin, and a shadow would fall over the lens of whatever recording device they were using and when the shadow lifted and the screams subside, all that was left was a trail of viscera leading off camera.
Allan was concerned,and as the day progressed, they began to get reports of jump gates on the far edge of the galaxy going offline. Fortunately, the gate they were destined for was about as opposite the downed gates as you could get.
“Can gates just go down?” Allan asked, watching the steady stream of data pour in from the relay terminals.
“Sometimes one will go down for an extended charge, and once there was a star that emitted a strange kind of radiation, but even then you could request a jump to those gates and you would get a response back through the system with some kind of error. But this…” Aly said, scrolling through the multiple unanswered jump requests she had sent to the gates in question.
“It’s almost like the gates were destroyed or removed from the system somehow.” Jalla said.
“So the gates were found right? They were not built by one of the races or by a group of races right?” Allan asked and received a nod from everyone. “So were they left by the gods for us to find?”
“I don’t know.” Aly said and both Jalla and Tillia nodded in confirmation.
The guardian surprised them all then, by speaking. “The gates, as you call them, are properly called spatial distortion guidance rings, they were created by an unknown race and moved to this reality by the…”
Suddenly Elunitra appeared and spoke in the god’s tongue, the guardian stopped. Allan smiled coyly. “Touch on something I should not know?” Allan asked.
“It is not that you should not know,” Elunitra said, smiling at Aly who bowed deeply to her god, “more like, it is something that mortals should discover on their own. Normally you would have no way to query about it other than the way it was intended for you to find out. The knowledge, skills, and technologies needed are yet beyond you. To use a term you are familiar with Allan, think of it like not having the right gear for the quest.”
Allan thought for a moment and then nodded. “That actually makes a lot of sense.”
“Elunitra,” Aly said hesitantly, “Since you are here, can I offer you something to eat or drink, and may I speak with you?”
“Of course Aly.” Elunitra said and followed Aly from the room with a smile to Jalla and Tillia. Allan spent the next several hours with Jalla and Tillia sparring with the guardian in the rec room.
The guardian stopped in the middle of his last bout, causing Allan to stop. “What is wrong guardian?”
“Master, I wish to have a designation.” The guardian said. Allan was surprised, not only at its request for a name but at how quickly it had grown to use speech which sounded almost completely natural.
Aly and Elunitra entered. Elunitra smiled at Allan and then vanished. Aly walked over and slipped under Allan’s arm as he spoke. “You want a designation. Do you mean you want a name?”
“Yes, master.” The guardian said.
“Very well. Aly, what do you think?” Allan said with a smile to his wife.
“How about, Nara?” Aly said, looking at the guardian. “Do you like the name Nara?”
The guardian seemed to think for a moment before nodding. “This name is acceptable master.”
“Very well Nara, do you wish to continue sparring?” Allan asked and Nara nodded.
Several more hours were spent waiting and listening to the seemingly never-ending stream of bad news that appeared to be washing across the galaxy. They finally received the indicator to make their jump and passed through.
Three days later they made it to Earth. It was nighttime outside of Allan’s hometown. Allan, Aly, Jalla, Tillia and the newly anointed Nara were laying on their backs atop the small hill where Allan had been on his last birthday.
“It has been less than a year.” Allan said, marveling at all the things he had lived through and the adventures he had gone on. “You kept your word Aly.”
“I did my best to provide adventure.” Aly said snuggling close to him, even with the enhancements she had, laying flat like this made her struggle slightly to breath.
“You are really going away master?” Nara asked.
“He has to.” A new voice said ruining the somewhat feeling moment. Allan looked up from where he lay to see close to a hundred different beings surrounding them. Each a different race, each having the tell-tale glow of divinity. The speaker was none other than the God of Death, Xulgra.
“Well according to you at least.” Allan said as he and the women around him rose to their feet.
“Allan, all here are aware of your terms, and to be clear they have all agreed. They are not all the gods, but enough.” Xulgra said. “I will repeat your terms.”
Xulgra quickly ran through the terms and Allan nodded. “Them’s the breaks, at least for this to happen. And everyone here is a witness to this?” Allan asked Xulgra.
Xulgra nodded, Allan smiled. “Is it too late to add a stipulation about how I go out?”
Xulgra looked confused. “I do not think so, but let us hear it.”
Allan took in a quick breath. “I am assuming how I die is not nearly as important as when I die?”
Allan asked for clarification and received a nod from Xulgra. “Very well,” Allan continued, “I don’t know what’s after this life, or if I will be going there, or if it is simply nothingness, or if I will even be aware of where I am, and frankly I do not want to know. However, I have always liked the idea of Valhalla, and supposedly to get into Valhalla, you have to die in combat, so I ask one of you gods to fight me in honorable combat.”
A murmur went through the assembled gods, and Xulgra made as if to speak, but was interrupted by the God of the Galgax. “I will honor this request Allan Mac’Millen, if you are right or wrong does not matter, this is the least we can do with what we are asking.”
“Very well, there you have it Allan.” Xulgra said, turning to the assembled gods. “Do you formally accept the conditions and terms laid out by this mortal?”
The sound of the gods speaking in unison nearly brought tears to Allan’s eyes. One quick look told Allan that Aly, Jalla, and Tillia were crying as they spoke. “We, The Gods of the Mortal Planes, accept your conditions and thank you for your sacrifice. By this agreement, we are bound.”
Xulgra turned to Allan. “Allan Mac’Millen, do you agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement?”
“I do.” Allan said.
“Very well the time approaches. Please prepare for combat Allan.” Xulgra said and The God of the Galgax stepped forward.
Allan turned to Aly. “You know I love you?”
“Of course,” Aly said with tears in her eyes, she stood on tiptoes to kiss him, “I know you have to do this and that you will be coming back, but I don’t want you to go.”
“I know,” Allan said, hugging her close and then pushing her away gently. “You, Jalla, Tillia, and Nara look out for each other. Okay?”
Nara nodded, Aly hugged him close again nodding into his chest. Jalla and Tillia looked as if they would fall into hysterics should they speak so they only nodded and held each other close.
Xulgra stepped forward, “It is time Allan.”
Allan nodded and took off his ring, sliding it over the necklace that held the carved galgax scale, and placed it around Aly’s neck. He turned to see Xulgra holding a long obsidian black dagger that emanated a golden light. It was unlike anything Allan had ever seen. Glancing behind he saw the God of the Galgax holding a similar dagger.
“He has agreed to this. It is a weapon capable of harming and even killing a god.” Xulgra said offering the blade hilt first.
Allan took it and thanked Xulgra. He stepped forward and faced off against the God of the Galgax. “I never caught your name. You know me, but if you are going to kill me I would like to know your name.”
The god smiled as he fell into a crouching posture, the scales that ran down his body shaking slightly. “I am Yivnesix. In the language of my children, it means Honorable One, it also means warrior. With my namesake, I could not refuse your request.”
“Thank you Yivnesix. Now let us begin.” Allan said and lunged at the God.
The battle raged for what seemed like hours to Allan, his body constantly in motion as he and Yivnesix exchanged blows and blade strokes. To everyone else the five minutes Allan and Yivnesix were fighting was a testament to the skills of both combatants.
Allan and Yivnesix broke away from each other. Allan panting and bleeding from numerous cuts, from both blade and scale. Yivnesix had only one deep gash across his face, and a dislocated shoulder. Yivnesix spoke. “The battle has been an honor but the time has come.”
Allan smiled and nodded, rushing forward once more. A powerful blow drove him to his knees. Allan suspected Yivnesix had been holding back slightly, and this confirmed it. The next thing he knew the breath was driven from his lungs as a burning sensation tore through his back as Yivnesix’s blade was driven through his back.
Allan saw Aly, Jalla, and Tillia running toward him with tears streaming down their faces. “Don’t cry, my love, smile for me.” Allan thought to himself as Yivnesix lowered him to the floor.
Allan’s eyes closed and his perception of everything faded to black.
