Reigning Chaos

Prologue

In this mystical realm, Chaos ruled. Darkness plagued the land as storms raged in the clouds above. Red lightning pierced the doom and gloom as thunder cracked and shook the skies. This once harmonious planet was dying. And its people were dying with it.

As a last ditch effort to save their heritage, a singular soldier stole an ancient and powerful artifact. This calculated risk could save another planet from a shared fate, but it had also made the soldier enemy number one in the eyes of Chaos.

Atop his reptilian, horse-like steed, the soldier raced across the land. Reins in one clawed hand, a magical chest in the other. Beside him ran an equally reptilian canine-like creature.

The terrain was rough and barren. Remains of a once glorious, riverside town littered the landscape, and the river was no more. Nothing but a dry, dark, rocky desert.

"One milhian to the port," the soldier informed.

The canine looked back with his four, golden eyes. Black fog rolled in behind them, chasing them, like a mounted infantry. Weapons glowing bright red, ready to strike like the lightning above.

"Might as well be a hundred milhians," the canine stated grimly.

"We get this through The Port, then it'll have been worth it."

"So we run and pray, or we die. I don't like those options."

"They're our only options, Navuix."

The canine folded his scaly, elongated, pointed ears back. His four golden eyes narrowed in determination. "Then let's make it all count."

And they ran. Ran as fast as the legs underneath could take them. In front, The Port in their sights atop a lonely hill, and the fog closing in behind them. A shadowy, humanoid figure rose from the smoke, rubies for eyes glaring at the soldier and his pets.

A wicked bow formed in its immaterial hand, bringing it forward. With its other hand, it pulled back on the barely tangible string. A red, electric bolt fabricated. The figure aimed the bolt at the soldier and released.

The bolt flew through the air.

A nightmarish shrek roared as the bolt pierced the reptilian horse's flesh. Horse and rider fell down in a spectacular scene, dust kicked up into an immense and short lived cloud. As the fine powder dissipated, it revealed the soldier trapped underneath the equine as it took its dying breaths.

The soldier pushed at the deceased beast in a futile attempt to escape.

Navuix turned sharply, sprinting back to his master. "Altaire!"

The soldier halted his attempt to escape and raised a hand at the canine. "No Navuix! Take the artifact and go!"

Navuix scanned the area for the chest. It had landed a few meters away from Altaire and the dead horse.

"What about you?" Navuix asked in concern.

"I will hold them off friend." Altaire pulled a masterfully crafted bow from the saddle and aimed at the coming chaos. "Now go!"

Navuix withheld voicing his concerns and ran over to the chest. He grabbed it quickly with his sharp teeth and bolted towards The Port.

The race was back on.

Golden eyes locked on to The Port as Navuix closed in. He wanted to look back. He wanted to make sure Altaire was okay, but he couldn't afford to. The chest in his jaws held the final hope of his dying planet and he couldn't waste it.

Navuix scrambled up the decent hill and clambered over the metallic border of The Port. He was almost there!

A flash of red zipped past the left side of his face and a searing pain consumed his cheek and jaw.

The shot affected his stride and he toppled over, landing hard on his side. The chest broke open as it fell from his mouth, its contents spilling out. A silver hand chain.

Navuix lifted his head, eyes closed on the left side. Blood as golden as his eye dripped from a deep gash. Yet even through his pain, the glint of silver reminded him of his mission and he pushed on, bringing his talons underneath him to stand.

The first stride he faltered, but the one after and the one after that he made with a strengthened determination. Navuix lowered his head to the hand chain and raised it off the ground.

He dashed to the controls. A lifted talon on the holographic pad and the Transporter activated. Projections appeared, showing the extremely low power levels, the Transporter's status and the known galaxy.

"State name, profession and reason for traveling," the artificial intelligence spoke, its words glitching due to the lack of power.

He put the hand chain in a free talon.

"Navuix. Servant of the Zirlarian Army. I must transport an artifact to one of Zirlara's allied planets."

"Access: granted."

An illuminated, white beam formed in the center of The Port as the Transporter opened.

"Pinpointing nearest ally homeworl-"

A red, electric arrow pierced the controls, sparks flying from the panel. The Transporter remained open, however the location was not set. On the opposite side of the beam was anywhere in space.

Navuix turned to the archer. The dark, shadowy figure with rubies for eyes.

"Hand over the artifact, dog," the shadow, Chaos itself, bellowed. "And I will quicken your suffering."

Navuix snarled. "I would rather suffer for eternity than hand this over to you."

Chaos brought its bow up and aimed. "Then suffer you shall."

Navuix took the hand chain from his talon, holding it carefully in his jaws. A hefted swing of his head and he hurled the artifact straight through the Transporter.

Chaos shot the electric arrow and it sank deep in Navuix's upper shoulder. The reptilian canine roared in pain and fell to the ground.

The shadow floated over to Navuix, wrapping its barely tangible hand around his neck and hoisted him up. "Do you really think throwing it through the Transporter will keep me from it?"

"No," Navuix choked. "I just need to stall for a moment."

The beam fizzled, kept alive by only mere scraps of power.

"Enough time to kill you and enter the beam," Chaos disregarded.

"Think again!" Using the remainder of his strength, Navuix threw his head forward. Jaws clamping around its target: one of Chaos' ruby eyes. He yanked his head back, ripping the ruby from the shadow's head.

Chaos dropped Navuix as he howled in pain, foggy hands covering its face.

Navuix rose to his talons, his golden, lifeblood now dripping from his shoulder and his face. In an instant, he crushed the ruby in his jaws, shattering it to pieces.

He looked at the beam with his four eyes. It was still open and with enough power to take him as well. But he wouldn't know if it would close in time before Chaos regained its composure.

The only way he was certain Chaos would remain on this side of the galaxy was if he disconnected the power cells. But that could just as well leave Navuix stranded, in the mercy of the enemy.

And it was a chance Navuix was willing to take.

Navuix limped over to the broken panel, tearing open the metal plates which contained the power cells. With his mighty jaws, he seized the dulling, blue cells and tore them from their connections.

With seconds to spare, Navuix bolted to the beam with all his might.

'For Altaire!'

The Transporter closed and The Port shut down.