Chapter Seven – An Argonaut In Full
21st Dec 7:03 AM
I stepped through the door quietly; the Archons stood ominously in the middle of the room, evidently waiting for me. The door slid closed behind me, closing with a heavy *clunk*. My footsteps echoed on the polished stone floor, compliments of my metal boots.
At they heard the sound the Archons turned to face me, waiting patiently for me to get closer before speaking.
“The armour fits you well Atlas” Zadkiel said pleasantly, “I trust that you are pleased with the workmanship?”
“It is excellent” I replied, “but I am not here to exchange pleasantries. I have earned my answers Archons, I will not be denied.”
The fifteen narrowed their eyes almost as one.
“We never said that you would be denied Harbinger” Raphael said calmly, “and you would do well to mind your tone in our presence, for your own sake.”
“Perhaps my mood would be better if I was better enlightened, so if you don’t mind may we get to business?”
“Certainly” Chamuel nodded, “where would we begin Harbinger?”
I breathed a breath of anticipation, “At the start, I want to know everything.”
“Very well” Uriel chimed, “but to fully understand the gravity of our words you will first need to know more of our race.”
“Ok, but make it brief” I muttered impatiently.
Here Sandalphon took over, continuing in his usual rumbling tone, “As you know our race is ancient beyond measure, we were the original sentient life on this planet. Much like the humans of the present we expanded across the globe, causing damage we did not fully understand in the process. When this damage reached a critical mass a great calamity befell our empire, leaving us but a hollow shell of what we once were. In the aftermath we created humanity, culturing them from our own cells to aid us in the rebuilding process. Humanity was the new workforce for a crippled people, once we were rebuilt to our former strength they were to be extinguished. Through a series of events some humans escaped our keep before they could be processed or our kingdom fully rebuilt, these humans took root in the outside world, growing into the species you know today.”
I listened silently, not sure if I should believe what I was hearing. It all sounded like some zany conspiracy theory.
“Before we could fully eradicate these escapees we came under attack from a new enemy, the Niphal” Sandalphon continued, “we were driven back into fortress cities much like Valhalla to weather the storm, waiting for the attacks to stop. But they never did. We have held out for ten thousand years, slaughtering scores of Niphal for every Archaean that was taken; but they never stopped. Slowly each of the fortress cities died, falling to the Niphal until only one remained; Valhalla. We constructed the city in secret, hiding it deep under the ocean. So far we have remained undiscovered, but for how long? It is only a matter of time until we are discovered, and when that happens we will not be able to hold out forever.”
“This history lesson is truly inspiring” I said sarcastically when he paused, “but what does it have to do with me?”
“Everything” Michael replied, “All will become clear soon Harbinger.”
“When our last city fell we managed to evacuate a single Archaean infant, you Atlas.” Uriel said somewhat sadly.
“But why me?” I asked, frustrated that they wouldn’t directly answer my question, “Why not another kid? And why send me to the humans instead of Valhalla?”
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Argonaut - The Kinetic (Part I)
Science FictionHeroes aren't born, they’re shaped by the events that both create and destroy their lives. Forced into an ancient war between powerful races, David Constantine must come to terms with death and destiny while trying to balance what he was, and what h...
