3.66 The Dark Light

         As the dust settled and the fire pit was rekindled, the survivors in Kergal could also begin piecing their new lives together. As in Ebar, first on the agenda was a Firmary meeting. There were many decisions to be made, but most important was whether or not they set up here or move beyond the limits of Kergal? Word was the mines were exhausted, opinions were the hike up the hill an annoyance, there was much to consider and many discussions to be had in order to establish a solid plan, right from the start. Would they even still call it Lemuria?

         Halki pulled a map from one of the chests and brought it to the table.

         "I really doubt there's much left of Mu" he scratched out much of the land on the western peninsula. "All this land is riddled with tunnels. I scanned the coastline, Crystal Mountain's not even visible so I'm afraid we can write off that gold deposit, too! I suggest we move north." He unfurled the map farther. "Anur would be ideal, it's right at the foothills of the northern range" he pointed to the village. "We can use the river for the harbour, build a dam and flood the valley, build a lock system up to the mining area." He marked a few locations close by, known to be resource rich still.

         "If it isn't oceanfront property already" Torus liked the idea. "Lake Anur... Sounds like a good destination to me! Maybe we'll find the Golden Egg!"

         "It's not gold" Halki reminded. "It's just a rock, quartz at best. Don't get all excited, it's ugl, too."

         "Oh…"

         Malodon pointed to Anur, eager to stay on track. "We need a cave close to Anur, big enough to live in while we build a harbor."

         Halki sat back and let the debate unfold as the gods poured over the map, feeling parched. He reached for a drink but his flask was empty. He glanced around the cave, amidst the crates and bags of belongings there were several kegs of wine...

         Halki scanned the labels, there was only one keg of BloodWine, an unfortunate oversight. He rolled it over onto it's side, un-popped the tap and filled a goblet, sampled the fresh aroma for a moment and closed his eyes in bliss as the memories of home returned.

         "Ahhhhh..." For the first time he pondered the loss of Atlan, the Underworld, still aching inside over concerns about the gold... Would it really survive the was as planned? Surely only one keg of BloodWine wasn't planned, was it?

         "Why did we only bring one keg of BloodWine?"

         "There's Three BloodWine and one MoonWine." Torus assured. "I know because I'm the one who ordered it."

         "There’s three MoonWine's here" Halki assured, pointing to the kegs. "Go see for yourself!" But as he returned to the table, Torus refused to look, he didn'tlook happy, obviously there had been a mistake. "Would you like some?" He offered his flask, but Torus continued to ignore him.

         "Malodon?" He offered the flask.

         "No thank you, I'd like to continue with the meeting if that's alright?"        "I'll have some" Ku replied.

         "Don't drink it" Torus warned. "The shipment was compromised. I know there was supposed to be three kegs of BloodWine. I don't trust it!"

         "My my, aren't we paranoid all of a sudden" Halki mocked, surprised to see fear coming from the Almighty Torus. "What's gotten into you?"

         Poised to be the Golden Nucleus of the New Empire, plans for Ebar had been insured, Seton had prepared for the worst. The missing shipment would slow things down, and the fact it had been taken wasn't the end of the world, it still existed, somewhere. It couldn't have gone far.

         "If it was Vikkar, the gold will be in Kergal" Dion assured his brothers at the First Firmary meeting. "If the Nefilim took it it will be in Kergal. My guess is that Farewell Celebration gag was a distraction while they carried it out to the ship. Let me guess? There was a gravel delivery up the hill that day?"

         "If it was one of ours who organized it, the gold will be in Kergal too" Medena offered, "because that's where they went, coincidentally."

         "The coincidence suggests it was planned ahead" Dell agreed kergal was a likely hiding spot. "Either way, it has to be in Kergal."

         "Unless it was taken into the tunnels" Dion reminded.

         "The tunnels that Nolan blasted?"

         "Halios was planning his own coup, he could have taken it all too."

         "His best dogs wouldn't have fled to Lemuria if they were poised to reap such benefits" Medena argued. "It's most likely Vikkar and Torus, together."

         Everyone agreed the gold had to be in Kergal, it had to have been a team effort, the only likely scenario.

         "That could also explain Bakkon's murder, maybe he caught them in the act?"

         "The Treasury storage operation was happening right under his nose…"

         "I suggest we send both Nolan and Orius back to get it" Dell advised. "Nolan can locate the gold and Orius can help Torus rebuild, or destroy him, depending on what we discover. We'll suss out the damages, see who survived, bring them supplies, let them know who they can depend on."

         One by one the plans to colonize Lemuria were falling into place.              "Let's use this one right here" Halki pointed to one of the caves on the map, close enough to Anur to plot their new territory. "It's close to the river, we may be able to build the harbor…" When all of a sudden he lunged forward, gasping, clutching his stomach, doubling over in pain.

         "Are you okay?" Malodon could see he was in serious pain.

         "SEE?" Torus got up and stepped back from the table, scared.

         Barely able to stand, Halki staggered to the entrance of the cave to get some air but the toxic wind only made him feel worse. He wasn't the only one, either. Ku was feeling it too, moments after Halki doubled up, Ku was clutching his stomach in agony, his insides felt like they were being torn apart.

         Torus was growing genuinely paranoid now. "Who did this?"

         "My god…" Malodon gasped, thinking out loud. "It could have been Halios!"

         "Halios? You think Halios poisoned our wine?" Torus knew about the Royal Residence wine poisoning gag, it was a logical theory... Halios had tried to eliminate them all? Rage enveloped his entire being, his adrenaline raced, fists clenched as he realized Halios had very likely almost taken his life.

         "Why would he do that? We HELPED him! We GAVE Atlan to him! If you and I had drank that stupid wine he would have KILLED US TOO!"

         Malodon noticed his rage, the fire in his eyes was lit. "Then why would Halios want to kill you if, like you said, he needs you and we're part of his plan?" Eyes blazing, Torus hardly calmed as Malodon reasoned. "Were you having troubles with anyone else? Anyone in the Lab?" He queried. "Is there someone else who would want to hurt you?"

         Torus thought about the recent drama that had been unfolding, there was another individual capable of being implicated in the picture...

         "Adon" he replied. "Adon was stealing the Soloha and I was onto it."

         "Nice try!" Malodon chuckled. Torus felt humiliated, unable to defend himself. What else did Malodon know? "Adon would gain very little from killing you" Malodon continued. "Who had something to gain from your death?"

         The Solution was beginning to take hold of it's victims very quickly. Halki and Ku were deteriorating fast, cannibalistic urges were taking over their minds, luckily the action was at the mouth of the cave.

         "Get back!" Torus commanded, urging everyone back as Halki turned psychotic, he was staggering toward Malodon, sword in hand, the urge to rip out his throat was becoming intense. Malodon blew into his rings, hoping they would work. "GET BACK I SAID!"

         Halki's heart was pounding so hard he could barely hold the sword, agony was keeping it periodically tethered to the ground.

         "Take them out!" Malodon ordered, backing away as he realized his rings weren't working this time.

         Halki lunged again as Malodon backed away in fear, he swung the sword around but again, it was too heavy and he staggered, he was losing consciousness...

         Torus leapt into action, swiftly intercepting his ill fated attempt, in a split second he ripped the sword from his hands.

         "HA-HAAAAA!" The god of the Underworld cackled as surge of power shoot through his body the second the weapon fell into his hands. Enraged, Halki lunged towards Torus. Torus swung the sword around but once again, there were no sparks. Yet even without the sparks, he had the upper hand given Halki's illness. With a whoosh, he swiftly swung the blade through Halki's neck and with a thud, his head rolled to the floor followed by a shower of blood.

         "HA-HAAAAA" Torus roared, high on the rush of bloody victory, he grabbed Halki's head by the hair and kicked it into the cave, terrifying the onlooking prisoners inside.

         The scent of fresh blood was like gasoline on a fire. Overcoming the pain and fighting to remain conscious himself, Ku, larger than Halki and slightly less affected by the poison, lunged towards the sword-wielding god from behind and snatched the weapon from his hands. But before he could turn the sword around, Torus lashed out his tongue, at lightning speed it coiled around Ku's neck, constricting his airway tight. Seconds later, Ku dropped the sword and fell to his knees in a frothing gasp, his eyes bulging so badly they would surely explode from his skull. As Ku’s lifeless body fell to the floor, he spun the sword around and sliced off his head, skewering it onto the end of the blade, holding it up in triumph to a silent and horror-stricken audience.

         But as he raised Ku's skull up above him, an even more powerful voltage surged up through the bedrock, as he held the head up high he could feel the power charging him inside.

         "HA-HAAAAA!" Now he knew for sure. He was The One! THIS WAS The Time alright! Atalon had it all wrong, however! He was the destined Phoenix! He had the power! He was the one rising from the ashes! This was HIS Time!

         "HA-HAAAAA!" In a blinding flash, the sword exploded in sparks, a wild blue torus of lightning arrayed around the weapon as he held it up high. With a sickening pop, Ku's head exploded in a shower of bloody remains across the plateau.

         "HA-HAAAAA!"

         Jolted by the big boom, alarmed by the sick laughter, Neter scrambled back up to the cave entrance when to his horror, he saw the shrieking god in a shower of blue light. It was Torus… Torus with the Sword of Lightning… 

         Like an ominous orb of evil, the dark sparks were exploding from a sacred blade that up until now, had only cast Phoenix Powers! He had never seen anything so terrifying in his entire life!

         "Oh my god…" He clutched his heart in agony as this new ominous chapter unfolded before his very eyes. "What are you?"