Chandra's Quest Excerpt: Chapter 29 the Sanctuary

 

They are closer to the entrance to Sanctuary but not close enough. They all breathed a sigh of relief, except Chandra. It was her thoughts of Xenos that brought him closer to her.

“He could have found us. I must stop thinking about him,” she thought. High above the trees, they heard what sounded like a ship, hovering above.

“Shit! What is that!” shouted Carlos. “It better not be what I think it is.” He pulled out his pistol. Treau’s eyes glazed over for a minute or two, then he regained his composure. “Chandra, we need to get closer to the clearing where the monolith is located,” he urged, his voice filled with urgency.

“Alright, I’ll do my best,” Chandra replied, cradling the stone in her hands, feeling the pulse of the Hymnu resonate within her spirit. In that moment, a vision struck her. Above them hovered a NyKarin ship. Soran is on board! Another vision followed, revealing that Xenos was near, his steps growing faster. Chandra inhaled sharply, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she returned the stone to her pouch.

“What are you doing?” Carlos asked, panic rising in his tone. A grim expression clouded her face.

“A NyKarin ship is above us and Xenos is close, perhaps I should just surrender and keep you guys safe.”

“No! Try again,” Keeja shouted. Chandra felt a surge of determination from the worried tone in her friend's voice. "This place has a certain magic, and you possess something that could lead us to the sanctuary. Please, give it another shot," Keeja urged. In an instant, they found themselves in a clearing, the force that brought them there leaving them slightly disoriented, causing Keeja to retch. Treau, however, remained steady.

"That was exhilarating!" Chandra exclaimed as she steadied herself. Keeja's gaze was drawn to a massive monolith in the distance, and Treau pointed it out. It loomed majestically at the center of the clearing. “Wow look at that,” Keeja stared in awe. Carlos’ eyes shot open, and a hint of fear shadowed his face. They walked in the direction of the monolith. As they approached, Treau stopped.  “A ship is approaching.”

  “What?” Chandra looked up and a ship wobbled recklessly above them. The energy that the forest emits tinkers with the ship’s engine and the Lithum crystals that power the ship are being drained quickly. The NyKarin scout ship is in danger of crashing, the longer it hovers. Chandra stares up at the heavily tinted windows of the craft. “It is Soran, isn’t it,” she said, in a hush tone.

 “No, but the ship is NyKarin,” Treau responded, he gestured at them to continue the trek toward the monolith. “I thought he would come himself,” she said.

 “Your vision showed you one possibility, and in this timeline, he chose not to come,” Treau conceded. Chandra let out a sigh of relief, “I suppose that is good,” she said with a hint of uncertainty. The NyKarin ship ascended and left. They arrived at their destination. “Wow! Look at this thing,” Keeja said, as she touched the cold surface of the 8-foot-high stone structure towering before them.

“It has a doorway carved into it,” said Chandra, as she looked up at the towering monolith. They marched onward. Chandra senses that they are being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, warily. “Interesting structure. How long has it been here?” asked Keeja.

“It has been here for over 1000 years or longer,” said Treau. Keeja exclaimed, "Wow, so no one has ever seen this before?" Her eyes, filled with wonder, she gazed up at the colossal monolith. The intricate patterns etched into its base were both enigmatic and captivating. “Who created this?” Chandra asked, her fingers tracing the edges of the doorway as she examined it closely. Peering through, all she could make out was the opposite side of the forest—nothing remarkable. Yet, an unsettling and strange aura surrounded it. “I don’t see any structures on the other side,” she remarked, puzzled. As she reached her hand through, it suddenly vanished. “What the Hell!” Chandra exclaimed, yanking her hand back and inspecting it carefully, ensuring all her fingers were intact. She glanced at Keeja, who looked equally shaken. “Lady Linnea will clarify everything once we step through,” Treau assured them as he gestured to them to go through the doorway. Chandra hesitated. Carlos exhaled. “Why are you hesitating,” he asked her. She looks back at the forest, worried. “We will be safe there,” he reassured her. Keeja will not walk through, if Chandra does not, so Chandra gave her a nod to proceed. “Well, I guess we better go then,” she said. Carlos gathered his things and walked through and disappeared. Chandra jumped with a start. She gasped and looked at Keeja.

 “Wow!” Keeja exclaimed. Suddenly, they heard a loud screech from a distance. They spun around. “That doesn’t sound like the forest.” Chandra froze. Her eyes narrowed, trying to see through the distant trees. A Javarin is coming out of the brush. Carlos popped his head through the doorway, in time to see Xenos speeding towards them!  “Quick, come through!” Treau pulled Keeja through, Chandra hesitated. “Chandra, cross over now!” Carlos called out.  “I can’t believe he is here,” she froze and murmured, “No. I have to go through,” and she ran through the doorway. Xenos increased his speed but failed to catch them. He abruptly stopped in front of the monolith. "What is going on here?" he muttered to himself. Chandra turned around and fixed her gaze on him; he could see her standing just across the way.

 "I’m really sorry, but I have to do this. Farewell for now, Xenos. Until we meet again," Chandra said clearly. Xenos couldn’t hear her, but the serious expression on her face spoke volumes. "No!" he yelled, frustration bubbling over. Chandra turned and started to walk away from the door. Even though she was just a few steps from the entrance, Xenos found himself unable to move forward. He attempted to step through, but it was no use. His steps took him to the same spot, back in front of the doorway every time he attempted to walk through. He is confounded, thrown off balance by the many times he attempted to go through. The dizziness hit him hard, bringing him to his knees. All his efforts have gone to waste. His frustration took its toll. As soon as he gained his balance, he shot his weapon at the monolith, but it did not affect it. No scratches or marks appeared. It stood strong. “What is this thing?” he said out loud. He walked to a boulder nearby and sat down. He exhaled and was befuddled by what he just witnessed.

Chandra's Quest

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