Prologue
As Jerun saw an inkling of dawn in the sky, he quickened his pace of walking. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before the Mist covered the world; the mist which had turned a majestic city into a graveyard.
The city’s last shrieks were drowned in the cloud of the strange mist, intent upon destroying everything that came in its path. It all had happened so suddenly that no one had the time to flee; not a single being was left alive. Jerun thought about the people who had lost their lives and it made his heart reek in pain. He had been there. So beautiful was that place, alive with activity and enthusiasm. The grounds on which once stood high rise buildings were now strewn with debris. The trees and plants which once gave shelter and shade were now crumpled. Oblivion was the order, imposed by the macabre presence whose hunger wasn’t quenched, as it spread in all directions.
There was only one thing which could stop the impeding doom. Jerun was about to get it.
The imposing entry-gate of the Defence department greeted him silently, as if reminding him of the task in a mute whisper. For a moment he stopped walking and gazed at the steel structure. He had helped build it. Somehow it reminded him of his world, his people. He would avenge their deaths and fight till his last breath. The mission he was now going to undertake was going to be the last straw. It must succeed, he said to himself. If it failed, the whole universe would pay. Even the thought of it made his spine chill.
He uttered the password and the gates opened to show the vast campus. He saw the three towers standing symmetrically about a giant obelisk in the centre. The man crossed the threshold and started walking towards the obelisk. The meeting with the Head was to take place there. Not a meeting in the traditional sense, but a vital one.
As he walked towards the obelisk the greenish glow emanating from it became even more profound. The marble structure radiated an unsurpassable beauty, which when beheld made a person feel powerful. He too, felt the power of the Element; the other Element, the hidden source.
When he was a few yards away from the obelisk, he saw the Head emerge from behind it. He was a tall person. He wore a long crimson robe, his black hair falling past his shoulders, complementing its colour. For a moment he stopped, wondering if he was a stranger. But then, when Jerun saw that the man just stood, he continued walking.
‘Welcome, Jerun.’ The head said in an impassive tone.
‘My greetings to you. Are you well?’
‘I am fine. More so by the news the border security brought me just an hour ago?’ said the Head, but his expressions didn’t change.
‘What news?’
‘Aren’t you aware? They have succeeded in constructing a Generator.’
‘That’s really good news. How long before the initial layer of the force field is applied?’
‘It’s going to be started soon.’
It should be, thought Jerun. There wasn’t much time left. The Mist had gained speed in the last few days, sweeping over the vast Brairen desert in a matter of hours and making its way towards Ainar’s borders. If it reached before the force field started… Jerun stopped thinking about it. He spoke:
‘Well, now, if you may.’
‘Very well,’ saying this, the Head retrieved a key from his robe and handed it over to Jerun. It was a golden key, with a pointed end. It was meant for one and only one lock. Jerun passed his hand over a curved area of the obelisk and tapped it, muttering something. A marble piece slid open, revealing a hole in the middle of another marble, whose size was little bigger than a tip of a needle. Jerun inserted the key in it. The marble divided into four sections and opened. Jerun inserted his hand and took out a rectangular box. It was a plain wooden box.
‘Go forth, and good luck.’
‘One thing before I embark on my journey. Please mind the affairs of the Emerald Glow. They, as I have come to know are after this Element. Because of Kyhon’s departure, they have no more resources for new experiments. I don’t know how they found out of this. We can’t allow more interference.’
The Head looked at the obelisk and spoke.
‘You need not worry about them. I will handle everything.’
Jerun bowed and walked away.
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