The Search for Annon

Prologue:

Standing upon the zenith of the world, I watched the rising of the red sun. Though the sunlight appeared as brilliant as it was described by man for countless flowing of eternal sand, the rest of the world was left barren. Sad memories of its former glory were etched upon the jagged stones of change.

“The world had left us my lord.” A women’s voice called out to me, temporally severing my moment of peace.

“Indeed... and life has changed, though some would argue for the better, I fear the opposite.” My words reflected my overwhelming sense of regret.

“Life? What is life but a predictable set of actions preformed by man under a predestined set of rules?” As usual she responded with her calculating logic.

“You may be powerful Elya but there is something that even you do not understand about man.” I turned around and looked into her eyes which reflected the colors of the dawning sun.

“There is nothing that I can not understand my lord.” She replied coldly.

“Let this be your first lesson then. Humans may seem feeble and can easily be governed. However, their actions are anything but predictable. That type of assumption is what will eventually destroy us.”

Elya stared at me for a moment and then replied calmly: “Maybe you’ve been dealing with them for too long. I believe you’ve become attached to them.”

I let out a sigh. Maybe I have been here too long... I gave Elya a smile and in a humble voice I said to her: “To govern a race properly requires understanding. However, sometimes understanding can lead to attachment and rash decisions. I am well aware of my weakness Elya; this is why you are here.”

Elya gave me a polite bow. “I am always at your service my lord.” Her voice sounded distant and emotionless.

“No, Elya... you’re not sent here to obey me. I may be old but I am not a fool yet. I hold no grudges against you. I understand that you are merely following orders. But before you complete your mission, I would like to ask one last favor from you.” I made no effort to hide my emotions from her. I wanted her to know the sincerity of my words.

“And what is it that you wish me to do?” She asked, her voice as hollow as her vacant soul.

From the deep pocket of my kingly robe I produced a silvery amulet. Upon it were writings from the ancients. I handed the amulet to Elya. “I wish you to take this to Annon, my son. Tell him that the truth within will one day set this world free.”

Elya looked at me with her steady gaze and asked harshly: “Why would you have me deliver such as thing? If you know what my purposes here are, why would you trust me?”

I took Elya’s cold petite hands and placed the amulet within them. I smiled at her and said: “Because my dear, I am giving you a choice. Choices are the greatest power given to humans and it is what truly governs their lives. And so, I give this power to you.”

Elya stared at me, though she appeared emotionless, the fear with her eyes betrayed her true nature. “Don’t be frightened Elya, there are still things that even you must learn. Now why don’t we end this so that you can go on and make your choice?” I reassured her with a firm squeeze of her tiny hands.

There was only a brief moment of pain. As my body became enveloped in coldness, I remained smiling. At last I am no longer bound to this world... at last I am free...

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Chapter 1

I never really thought of this world as being worthy of our occupancy. However, the longer I lingered within its primitive parameters, I realized that there were many things that even I was ignorant of. I had always prided myself in my sense of logic and impeccable intelligence. Oddly, even my intelligence failed me and left me now a renegade wandering the wasteland trying to find a single man.

How many steps had I traveled? I had lost count years ago. With each step I placed upon the desiccated ground I wondered what was it, exactly, that I was looking for... Was there really a man by the name of Annon? Or was I lead astray by a crazy old man hanging by the last thread of life. Whatever it was, I made a choice, something that I had no knowledge of until it was given to me. And this was where this choice had taken me: harsh dust crashing against my face, dryness within my lips and constant aching of my limbs. I had always thought this planet a miserable place. However, my imagination never came close to the current living hell that I had submerged myself in.

“Hail! You there! What are you doing wandering the wastelands?” A strange voice called out to me. I looked around but the thick dust made it impossible for me to see.

“Who’s out there? Show yourself!” I called back.

From among the swirls of dust appeared a man. He was very tall in stature and his face was obscured by a deflecting mask. He wore a full Duran armor complete with weather shield. In his gloved hand he held a directed energy weapon, a relic of the old world.

“Am I supposed to be afraid of that broken down piece of junk you are pointing at me?” I asked sarcastically.

“If you are human you would be.” He replied bluntly. “Seeing as how you are not, you’re probably Etherian.”

“I’m impressed that you actually evoked reasoning.” I shot back harshly.

He let out a loud growl and yelled back fuming: “You damn Etherians! Always so high and mighty! Well why don't we see if you are as invisible as you people pretend to be!”

He sent a blast towards me but it was no use, my Duran armor was far superior to the patched up, makeshift piece he was wearing. Not only did it shield me from damage, it also had the capability to return the blast. With a loud wail he fell dead upon the ground. I felt no remorse; only idiots who do not value their lives would open fire upon an Etherian.

Seeing as how the winds made no efforts to cease, I began to rummage through his belongings in hopes of finding something that could shield me against the storm. To my surprise, his weather shield was still intact even after taking a direct blow. Even though it was an out dated model, it still functioned as a barrier against this pesky storm. Once it was activated, I was able to make out landmarks to help me find the nearest settlement. Being Etherian, I still needed food and shelter to rejuvenate my organic half from time to time. The last settlement that I found was several weeks ago and my supplies had dwindled since then.

Once I was able to see, within no time I was able to locate a good size settlement just beyond the jagged mountains in the West. Negotiating dry dusty land was one thing, but having to climb across walls of unforgiving and uneven rocks was not something to scoff at. Grudgingly I made my way towards the stony barricade. The fatigue of my long journey, and lack of nourishment, made it rather difficult to scale those sheer walls of stone. I could feel energy draining with each step I inched upward. In a last attempt to prevent myself from crashing down into the teeth-like landscape below, I willed by self to use every last drop of energy, and pulled myself upon a sturdy ledge. Quickly, I fell victim to exhaustion.

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The next day...

Slowly I regained consciousness, a dim red glow penetrated through my eye lids. When I opened my eyes, I caught sight of the rising sun. I quickly looked away. I didn't know why the sight of the crimson sun affected me so much. Ever since that day... whenever I see the blood stained sky, it reminded me of him... Orlas, my poor lord... His gentle voice still haunted my thoughts. I reached into a side pocket within my armor and took out the shinny amulet.I had studied it in great detail and practically memorized every crevice. What are your secrets? Why must you be given to Annon? Who is he? Did Orlas really have a son? These questions would systematically cycle through my mind.

I quickly shook myself free of these needless thoughts and began to focus on the task at hand. I was only half way up the vertical climb. From my supply belt I took out my last Ghee capsule. I was saving this for when I had to fight against the Seekers that were sent out for me. But seeing as how there were no other ways for me to reach the other side, reluctantly, I swallowed the tablet. Within minutes I could feel its effect. All the fatigue and soreness dissipated. Effortlessly, I began to scale the sheer rock wall.

By the time I escaped from the shadows of the mountains, the shadow of night had taken over. Luckily, the dust storm had cleared and the full moon helped to illuminate the settlement in the distance. The walk towards the settlement was very easy and before too long, I found myself standing in front of a pair of gargantuan pillars supporting the proud, massive wall that separated the wasteland from the settlement within.

Boldly, I walked up to the mixed alloy gate; it's rough battered surface longed for happier days. There was no one around but through the tinny fissures, I could hear sounds of the bustling cities within. I lifted my hand and rapped against the door. The low thud echoed against the barren land. At first, no one answered. Then, a small scratched up screen upon the door lit up, revealing the gnarled face of a rotund man.

“What do ya want?!” He spoke out of his fat filled lips.

“I would like to enter the city.” I replied simply. The voice amplifier screeched and hissed, distorting my voice.

“Humph! Don’t ya know? This settlement is sealed. It was done right after Orlas was assassinated. We don’t want no Etherian snooping in our settlement. We’d rather die than be controlled by ‘em! Old Orlas was a good man and we all loved ‘em. And look what they did? Down right nasty those Etherians are!” He spat ineloquently.

“So this settlement is completely devoid of Etherian control?” I asked intently.

“Aye! Darn right it is! We even killed the Fernen. There will be no more talks with ‘em Etherian bastards!” He let out an ugly laugh.

I stared into the man’s eyes and said to him darkly: “What makes you think that you could keep the Etherians out? They are far superior in both intellect and technology. They are, after all, the Masters of this world.”

“Masters my foot! They can’t control us! As it turned out they forgot to put them Tallen tags on us because we were too far out in the wasteland for ‘em to care. Ha! Them bastards think they are so damn smart! You wait and see... we’re planning some great...”

“Hey Uran! Who the bloody hell are you blathering to?!” Another male voice cut in harshly.

“Awe Kaylin I was just talking to this traveler...” Uran whined defensively.

“You stupid oaf! I don’t know why Annon made you door keeper! He must have been out of his bloody mind!”

The mentioning of the name Annon suddenly caught my attention. I called out to the other man: “Hey, you over there, you know a man named Annon?”

“Yeah, why do you care?” He asked rudely.

“I am looking for him. Tell me where he is.” The man pushed Uran aside, violently, and stared at me from the monitor. He was better looking than the other though there was a large ugly gash that ran down the length of his face.

“Who are you? What do you want from Annon?” He asked suspiciously.

“Orlas asked me to find him. He has something for his son.” I replied calmly. The man’s eyes grew large. Those midnight orbs stared at me for a moment before he walked away. A few moments later, deep groaning sounds from the massive gate filled the night air. I was finally permitted to enter. A strong puff of air escaped from within, causing my short silvery hair to dance around me. Is Annon here? I held my breath. Somehow, I knew that this was only the beginning of a more traitorous journey.