THE DAMNED ONES

CHAPTER 1

REVENGE OF THE VIPER LORDS

Ships swarmed over the skies of the planet Ro. Volcanoes across the land, erupting at every corner of the seconds in which were passing. The ships in the air blasting toward each other. The Revolter Squadron and Eglah Aeronauts. Beams of lightning flashed throughout the smoky sky. On the grounds of Ro was a battle of its own. Four Aduroblades colliding with the bolting sounds of thunder emulating. Shockwaves quickening the rocks below. Two forces stood in the fight. A blast of energy shoves one away from the other.

“Did you think you could just escape us?” Sinth Cain asked.

“I wasn’t trying to escape.” Aweran Serkelrod answered. “I was only giving time it’s needed favor.”

The Knight of the Covenant clashed his Aduroblades once more as Sinth Cain blocked the coming strike with his own. The brightening color of Aweran’s aduroblade struck in the light of Cain’s darkening aduroblade. On the other side of the desolated landscape were Zeena Lyh and Sinth Kara. The two women continued their battle with ferocity in their attacks. Zeena was on the defensive while Kara remained steadfast in the offence. Such was her nature as she is a Viper Lord.

The battle in the air continued with the Ark-Fighters and Eglahs in a dogfight of their own. A war consumed the planet of Ro. Not much different than the previous battle on the planet of Thran. Six decades have passed since the incident. The Knights of the Covenant retreated into a form of peace after their victory. Unknown to them at the least, Sinth Cain and Sinth Kara had devised a plan to summon the Knights from their peaceful lives and to bring them back into conflict. The Knights were not fools to be made of. They knew what the Viper Order was planning and what they desired. They wanted another battle. Another war.

Sinth Cain raised his right hand as dark flames consumed it. The ground shook with Aweran believing it to been caused by he erupting volcanoes, yet, from the growing cracks in the ground, demons arose. Small imps in nature. Their eyes glowing like the lava surrounding them. Their bodies skin cracked and boiling, pulsing with fluids. Almost as if they’ve originated from the planet’s core.

“I figured I could use some assistance.” Cain scoffed.

“Your powers are beyond darkness.” Aweran said. “The Dekar has ruined you. You and your wife.”

“The Dekar has proven me a great service. You and your kind should’ve adopted it sooner. Otherwise, you would be on the winning side.”

“There is only one winning side. That is all of the Avior.”

Aweran paced his steps and rushed into battle with a swift strike toward the snarling demons. The aduroblade slashing through the demons with ease, moving them out of his path. The touch of the blade evaporated the demons, breaking them down into small pebbles before they evaporated into the air. Cain was impressed, reaching to his right side and pulling out the Sinthblade.

“You’ve bested me before in such a manner.” Cain said, holding the Sinthblade and his aduroblade. “Let’s see how much you’ve learned since then.”

Cain struck with his aduroblade first with Aweran deflecting the attack before seeing the Sinthblade rise above him. The blades clashed with the rolling thunder, blasting hem away from one another. Elsewhere, Zeena and Kara continued their fight with Zeena’s adurostaff blocking most of Kara’s rushed and angry strikes. Kara did not stop with her attacks. One after the other, pushing Zeena back, closer to a thriving lavafall. Kara screamed as she slammed her aduroblade into Zeena’s staff, shoving her toward the pouring lava overhead. Zeena held her own against the angry Viper Lord as Kara continued to scream in her anger.

“Just die!”

“No.”

Above them was an Eglah. Fling in the distance as it is shot down by an incoming Ark-Fighter. The Eglah crashed upon the ground behind Kara, blasting her and Zeena toward the lavafall. Zeena grabbed the air in her palms and pressed forward, blasting her and Kara back toward the crashed ship and away from the lavafall. Kara laid on the ground as her hood was removed and her cloak burned from the crash debris. She turned her gaze to see the downed eglah and the aeronaut screaming as he climbed out of the burning ship before falling to his death. Kara looked forward, seeing Zeena standing, catching her breath.

“I’m already down.” Kara said. “Go ahead, finish the job.”

“There’s no honor in killing you while you’re down.” Zeena said, holding her adurostaff. “Get up. Fight me with honor.”

Kara scoffed with a hint of a giggle as she stood up. Holding her aduroblade steady as it began to exhort a stronger force of energy. Wiping he blood from her mouth and the sweat from her forehead. She glared at Zeena with even more hatred.

“Honor. Such is the nature of those who will never see the true path.”

“The true path is in honor. Only you have forsaken it.”

Kara began to fume as she went back to attacking Zeena. Swinging her aduroblade in every corner of his sight. Zeena backed up from the strikes, deflecting a few of them before twirling the staff, hitting Kara’s abdomen. The Viper Lord paused in her attack as she glanced down, seeing herself bleeding. She scoffed slowly.

“So this is how I fall. In battle against one of the Avior?”

“It seems so.”

“Finish it.” Kara said.

Zeena nodded and with one more slash, the adurostaff collided into Kara shoulder and exited through her side. Her body split as it fell to the ground. Sinth Kara is dead. Zeena looked around as she could hear the battle between Aweran and Cain ongoing. She ran to reach them. The two continued their battle, both losing their step and nearly out of breath. Aweran pushed the air against Cain, blowing him backwards as he tripped from the impact. Cain rose up as Zeena arrived in their viewpoint.

“Aweran!” Zeena yelled.

“Zeena!”

Cain looked around as he was preparing for another strike. While doing such, he paused just as Zeena entered the battlefield. He was confused. He stopped and began looking around. Almost frantically.

“Where is she?” Cain asked. “Where is she?”

“She’s dead.” Zeena said. “She died in battle. With honor.”

Cain was frozen. His aduroblade fell to the ground. Shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t imagine Kara to have been killed. His eyes turned from their natural red to a much darker red. The winds around them began to pick up as he held the Sinthblade with both hands. His eyes locked in on the two Knights.

“Get behind me.” Aweran said, holding his aduroblade tightly.

“You took her from me. From me!”

Cain screamed with pure anger, rushing toward them with the Sinthblade. Aweran did not move and with a quick strike, Cain stopped and fell to the ground. Aweran raised up his aduroblade, covered in blood. One quick slash from the blade had killed Cain.

“It is over.” Zeena said.

“It is. Finally.”

The battle in the air came to an erupt end as the aeronauts received word of the Viper Lords’ demise. Retreating to the stars, the Ark-Fighter pilots celebrated their victory. Aweran and Zeena returned to their Helio Sor ship to give out the news to their allies: The Lords of the Viper are dead and the Knights of the Covenant remain supreme.