Star flight

Chapter nineteen: the situation

Lexan looked around the room that had been given to him and linn.....it was large, spacious and held the signs of previous habitation, there was a bed that looked well aired and clean, as well as chairs carved out of the stone walls and scattered with silk cushions to make it more soft.

Linn was currently having a bath, which left him to let his mind wander, he had barely known who his parents were, and while he had come to terms with the fact that he would never see them, he still felt longing, an empty spot where a mother or father should have been.....

He sighed and leant back on the large seat and kicked his bootless feet up on the table (also carved from a single convenient stone that rose up from the floor) and looked about him in bored curiosity.

There were shelves and cupboards that seemed to be made of a fine wood, and well looked after too, if he had to guess, he would say pollin pine, well known for its natural gloss and protection against dust and termites.

He had examined everything about this place and found nothing that interested him, save for the glyphs that seemed to decorate the walls.

These glyphs shone and caught the light in such a way that they seemed three dimensional, he had spent hours trying to decipher them, but to no luck or avail.....

So he had resigned himself to leaning on this stone seat waiting for his love to return, she had been gone for a couple of minutes so he assumed she would be back in another ten.

He had a lot on his mind, like who was this killian? And why did he look like him.....all this made no sense and he was starting to get a little annoyed.

There was a knock on the door "come in!" he called, sitting up straight, the door opened and rook entered with his father "hello rook" Lexan said calmly, then looked to the general "what brings you here general?" he stated politely.

He looked around and nodded to his guards who withdrew and closed the door "I'm here because I have explained what is going on to rook, and seeing as you helped save my son, I felt you too, deserved this knowledge....." Lexan waited, and the general began.

"A few months ago, a disturbing prophecy was made, it spoke of 'the hero who looks like an age past' who would 'destroy the foulest mark' but we had no idea what to make of it......until the stranger showed up"

Lexan frowned and said "so he got here before us?" the general nodded and said

"Three days ahead of you to be exact.....but our queen sensed nothing but evil in him, and told him to leave and never return.......one day he did, and with him an army of the cursed"

Here the general allowed a small shiver and continued "we fought for weeks, but eventually we had no choice but to flee back here, our queen is safe, and our children are also......"

The pause that dragged on seemed to last forever, until Lexan asked "there's more isn't there?" the general looked hard at him and asked

"Have you heard of 'the door'?" Lexan nodded and the general continued "the door was built as a.....holding cell.....for something that would, if given the chance, destroy the entire universe" he paused again, but continued almost straight away "we, the in'stara, and a single man of the Terren colonies, waged a Great War against this monster, while the most of the armies of the UG, or united galaxy's, fought the disease and the......thing that spawned them, we tackled the head of the source, and sealed it away"

"So...." came a voice from the door, it was linn "so, my father and his allies never stopped the enemy by themselves?" the general shook his head and said

"Had we not cut the head, the diseased would have kept coming until there was nothing else left, but had your father not been so decisive, then the monster would have summoned his forces here, and slaughtered us, then sent them back to finish the job"

Linn nodded and joined her husband, who wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close, he then waved the general to continue, which he did.

"As I was saying, afterwards, we kept the beast locked down until we could fashion a door to hold it......but for us to do so, one must stay behind to keep the monster sealed in......" he looked at Lexan thoughtfully and asked "what do you know of your mother?" Lexan blinked and shrugged before saying

"Not much, she died after I was born....why?" the general looked at him for a moment before saying

"No reason.....just curious......anyway, the man that stayed behind was the Terren man that had already sacrificed so much for us.....his name was killian, a brave and noble warrior that had killed many of the monsters greatest generals, I had hoped when I saw you that it was killian sending us a message that the monster had died"

Here he sighed and said "but, while I'm glad you are safe, my and my people's disappointment was something tremendous" Lexan rolled his eyes and said to linn

"So good to know we're loved, right dear?" she giggled, but stopped, leapt up and rushed to the bathroom "what on! linn are you okay?!" Lexan called he heard a weak call of 'I'm okay' and watched her concerned as she wobbled out

"Must have been something I ate" she said trying to smile, the general looked at them as Lexan made sure she was comfortable, still obviously concerned for her.

'So much like him.....its almost scary, how these things happen' he cleared his throat and said "so, what I ask of you is this Lexan, I need you to warn linns father, who is an old friend, that it is as we feared, then, send word to the UG, and ask for a hearing on the king of allaviles behalf, as you are now a prince, this should be no problem, tell them to quarantine every planet around and near the bologan star pattern, when you have done this......return here, and we shall discuss a battle plan to destroy this 'stranger'"

Lexan nodded and said "we'll leave straight away sir, just as soon as linn is better" the general nodded and said

"Mis'hak koo'arn kik" and turned and left, rook sighed and said by way of explanation

"Fly safe ally" and he too left.....