Calan - The Immortality Paradox

Chapter Eight: The Orphan's Kingdom

Date: 436, OA19,654

Location: Windsor, Regalis, Kingdom

The canopy of red-tinged trees obscured the pyramid ahead. Crown shyness left a thin, rippling crack of bright blue sky. Insects surged through the trees wherever the wind blew - a black mass of a thousand wings fluttering with the sound of a thousand voices. Birds concealed in the trees took turns to target these swarms, consuming up to ten victims in each assault. The forest swelled with the whispers of jostling leaves. Turbulent movements gave the treetops the appearance of a giant breathing creature.

A lone man marched through the undergrowth below. He was above average height, broad-shouldered and long-legged. The sound of his footfalls broke through the wildlife bustle like thunderclaps. Attached diagonally across his chest by a strap was a heavy firearm. Several incendiary devices were fastened onto the belt around his waist, along with a crescent-shaped dagger. He ploughed through the tree fern impartially, one eye staring ahead through the copse, the other rotating in its socket, prematurely setting out the optimum route. Hyperactive efferent signals relayed the information to his leg muscles, stimulating the most advantageous action.

Apart from the optical augmentation and a red surgical mark below his mud-caked fringe, he looked like an ordinary Human being. But the truth was, this man had no idea why he was here, wandering determinedly through a forest, heavily armed. His only remaining consciousness - a tiny sector of his brain - was diminishing. Nonsensical instructions coursed through his neural network, and his body reacted accordingly, but he didn't give the instructions. He had no self-awareness. No control. He was a passenger in his own body, watching through his eyes like they were windows on a spaceship.

One distinctive instruction overshadowed the others: Mission Objective: Locate the Dark Sapphire. Eliminate all adversaries. Truthfully, the man had no idea what the Dark Sapphire was, let alone knew where to find it. But whatever, or whoever controlled his body, knew exactly where to go. His legs propelled him onwards with a strength he never thought he had.

The density of trees lessened as a distinctive shadow covered the immediate area. The shape of the pyramid loomed before him like a spearhead. The structure's perimeter was marked distinctively by flatland; the line of trees had been intricately cut. All left underfoot were a few decapitated blades of grass and solid earth. The passage to the pyramid's entrance was clear. Almost.

A quadrupedal creature prowled the barren area in front of the pyramid. The man trapped inside his body had not immediately registered the beast as its golden-red-coloured coat blended with the unwashed, sun-kissed walls behind. The creature's muscular body was daubed completely with fractals of black rosettes, including its face, which had revolved menacingly in his direction. It stared warningly with shimmering eyes and then allowed its wide jaw to drop, exhibiting a stunning yet spine-chilling row of white, pointed teeth. Where it had previously been ambling around the flatlands, it stood very still, one paw considering whether or not to take another step. A long, wreathing tail waved cautiously behind it like an antenna searching for danger. If the man had been in complete control of his body, he would've instantly retreated back into the forest for cover, but instead, his feet remained resolutely planted on the ground - too placid for his liking.

His right hand made its way to the dagger on his belt. This single motion posed enough of a threat that the jaguar began its intimidating approach. Its entire body jostled with each step. The head dipped slightly, its eyes trained like arrowheads in the man's direction. Despite his heightened anxiety in the secondary brain, he gripped the hilt of the dagger unflustered. The weapon was patiently unsheathed, practically taunting the beast.

Prowling turned to striding. In a matter of seconds, the jaguar had accelerated to a terrifying speed, its deep black coat giving the appearance of a shadow skimming across the earth. The man fell into a reinforced stance, the dagger in reverse orientation. As the creature used its back legs for propulsion, its front paws reached out menacingly, claws extended. It pounced.