The Lost

“Iason!”

Raimen shined his torch lamp on Iason, his body was slumped atop Riki’s. Kai and Raimen ran across the room, and moved Iason off of Riki, as the two were still entwined in a lover’s embrace. Kai immediately covered the two with the sheets, as the voice of Heiku was heard yelling for everyone to move out of the way.

“Make a hole!” Heiku pushed his way into the room, as Kai was heard calling on Riki.

“Son! Riki, awaken boy! What has happened?!” Where is that blasted Sage!” Kai was trying to awaken Riki by softly shaking him, but neither could be roused. Raimen looked into Iason’s eyes, and noticed the golden ring around his blue eyes. He then reached across, and opened Riki’s eyes to see the same golden ring around his dark brown eyes. It was a little unsettling to the two men, as Heiku made his way to them.

“Heiku, look at this,” Raimen pointed to their eyes, “I don’t recall their eyes ever taking on this golden tint, even when transformed.”

Heiku looked at their eyes, and sure enough, they both had golden rings around their pupils. Their body’s temperature was elevated, and their breathing was shallow. Heiku could find no injuries to either Iason or Riki, and was quite stumped.

Petros and the two other Elders entered the room. Kai was rather angry, as if their son’s condition was their doing.

“What has happened? I’ve never seen a transformation such as this before, look at their eyes!” Kai’s rather loud voice vibrated against everyone in the room.

“I have never seen anything like this my Lord.” Petros stared at Iason and Riki. “They seem to be semi-transformed, notice their hair? If they were awake, I’d say they were in the midst of a waking dream. But they would be conscious if that were the case, or at least they would be talking.”

“Elder Petros,” Came the voice of Elder Shinyo, “I believe their dilated pupils indicate they witnessed something we cannot see. It is unlikely Lord Heiku will find injury to either Lords. I recall reading accounts in our old archives, that claimed the Lords of Amoi could see beyond the beacons in the Path of the Ancients. It was written that many of our own Clansmen, could see the wormholes that held a true path leading to life. Whereas, a mere man could not. The Elders of old, alleged to having this gift, due to their mystical powers. Only few Intellects were said to have this gift.”

Kai and Raimen listened to this account, as they gazed down at Iason and Riki. They knew they were special, but no one could know the extent of their powers.

“Tell me this Elder,” Kai spoke, “As you and your Clansmen may have already figured out, Iason and Riki are unlike any Intellect or Warrior. They have a link that was created by unusual circumstances. This has given them extraordinary gifts. If what you say is true, then it is possible that they witnessed something within this link.”

Heiku finished his examination, and finding nothing physically wrong, felt it may be just as they theorized. He has seen Iason and Riki in full transformation. And as incredible as that was, never saw their eyes glow as they did now. It was mind boggling to see anything new come from these two Ancients. But it was clear to everyone, that Iason and Riki were not like the Ancients, nor like the common man of the current era.

“If I may interrupt, my Lords.” Heiku cleared this throat, “It has been my experience, that Lord Iason and Riki tend to shut down when something “new” is encountered. They are in relative secure surrounding, so I think, they may have given in to whatever it was they saw in their minds.”

“I agree, Heiku,” Raoul spoke, as he entered their quarters. “I have just come from Omaki’s quarters, and it seems Yousi is in a similar condition...”

“What?!” Heiku panicked, “I must go!” Heiku made to exit the room, when Raoul stopped him.

“Hold on, I’ve looked at Yousi, and he appears uninjured, same as them. However, Omaki stated that when the surge of power was released by Iason and Riki, Yousi suddenly began to speak.”

“Oh?” Kai spoke, “What did he say Raoul?”

Raoul looked at Elder Petros, and his two companions. “He said that “Elders were following him, and that time was running out.” He then attempted to exit their quarters, insisting he needed to “re-calibrate” the engines.”

Heiku looked at Kai, as the Warrior Lord turned to look down at Riki. “What could he mean by that? Was he remembering the past? Is he beginning to awaken?”

Raoul shook his head. “I don’t know. I was hoping you could take a look at him Heiku, because he also has the golden ring around his eyes. It seems our two Lords may have picked up on just that, or triggered his mind.”

Elder Petros walked over to Riki and Iason. He bent down to touch Riki’s forehead, and had his hand swatted away by Kai. It was obvious he was not yet prepared to trust the Elders. Petros’ face was surprised by the move, then averted his eyes to his feet.

“Forgive me my Lord. I have become accustomed to caring for the young Prince. I assure you, I mean him no harm.”

Petros raised his eyes, to find Kai’s face betrayed his feelings in this regard. Raoul stepped forward, and whispered to the angered father.

“My Lord, I can speak with full confidence of Elder Petros’ loyalties. He has saved your son’s life before, and at great risk to his own life.” Raoul soothed, “If anyone could sense the young Prince’s mind, it would be him.”

Kai looked into Raoul’s eyes, “You would trust this Elder? I fear, I am not as easily won over.” Kai turned to look at Riki, “But if you my Sentinel can trust him, I will do my best to agree in Riki’s absence.”

Petros bowed, “Thank you my Lord.” Petros once again bent down to touch Riki’s forehead. He noticed he was indeed running hot, both he and Iason. He noticed their partial transformation, and the fact that Iason’s tiny bells continued to vibrate, along with Riki’s earring. He closed his eyes, and began to meditate. His hair began to sway softly, and as he opened his eyes, he began to count.

“522, 523, 524,...” Petros became silent. A few moments passed, and he once again began to count. “522, 523, 524...” Then nothing.

Raimen listened to the numbers. Then his face lit up, and remembered what he was doing in his darkened quarters, not too long ago. “There are so many Kai, so many beacons.” Raimen looked at the Elder, then looked out the portal. The steady lights of the beacons reminded him of Omaki’s account of their crash landing.

“Kai,” Raimen whispered, “Did Omaki not say that they were shot down upon their arrival on Amoi?”

“That is correct.” Raoul spoke, “They were being pursued by Elders on their final trip back to Amoi.”

“Why do you ask Raimen?” Kai spoke, as he watched Petros like a hawk.

“Well, we have only been in Jupiter’s Path for a short distance, and we are nearing the very same beacons. I’ve been watching them sail by for some time, and I believe we are tapping on to an echo of time, that has come full circle. I’m no mystic. But I believe Elder Petros might agree. His companions have stated that this part of space is filled with tales, and legends of mysterious happenings, and even hauntings, is this not so Elder...?”

“Shinyo. And that is correct my Lord. When Lord Iason first set foot on Aristia as a youth, he had also come full circle with his past, and when he breached that barrier, that “echo in time,” he also fainted. We attached a mind block, so he would not remember due to his importance.”

Raimen’s eyes danced with this revelation. The scientist in him wanted to absorb all the data, but the father in him, wanted to keep his son safe. Perhaps Kai’s over the top concerns for Riki was rubbing off on him. After all, he just got his son back. To see the old tales become very real events, was a bit unnerving.

“Then what I theorize is this,” Raimen spoke, “Our two rather strange son’s have tapped into Yousi’s echo and will more likely awaken the young Lord as we approach Beacon 525.”

“How so?” Heiku’s concerned voice was heard. “How do you know it is Beacon 525?”

“Well, that is just as impressive my good Doctor. Elder Petros keeps repeating the same numbers, and then stops at Beacon 524. After that there is silence. Lord Am indicated, Yousi was attempting to gain access to the engine room correct? He needed to recalibrate the engines. Omaki told Lord Am, that Yousi was with them on their mission, and in fact sacrificed his life to save theirs. I would wager, that Lord Yousi’s life came to end at Beacon 525.”

Heiku’s lips trembled. Could this truly be where Yousi died? Would he awaken as Omaki hoped, by being in the presence of Iason and Riki?

“Well what about Iason and Riki, will they awaken? Kai’s heart was beating so loud, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs for Riki to open his eyes. And as Kai’s internal scream was pressing in his thoughts, Riki stirred.

“Look! Your son awakens Lord Kai.” Petros’ stopped counting. His eyes became wide, as Riki moved his hand.

Kai rushed to his side, “Riki! Oh son, you sure do know how to make this old Warrior’s heart stop cold.”

“W-What is going on?” Riki’s eyes fluttered, then opened. He smiled at his father. “What are you doing here father? What has happened, and where is Iason?”

“Slow down my Prince,” Petros’ soothed, “Your Flame is also stirring.” Iason took a deep breath, and suddenly the lights came back on, and the ship’s engines hummed once more. Everyone in the room sighed, relieved to see all was back in order. Raoul nodded to the crew that kept looking into their quarters to leave.

“Iason!” Raimen cried out, “I have a bone to pick with you! And you too my young Prince!”

Iason looked around, and noticed their state of undress. Riki reached across, and gave Iason a kiss on the lips. Iason began to blush.

“Father, what are all of you doing in our quarters? Has something happened?”

“Don’t father me, young man, I should take you both over my knee and give you two an old fashioned, not to say ancient spanking for scaring the hell out of everyone!”

Riki smiled. “What? Did we blow something up?” He couldn’t help but smile at Iason’s embarrassment.

Present time...conference room

Iason and Riki sat quietly waiting for Omaki, Argent and Yousi to enter the conference room. They were told what happened, and Iason wished there was a giant rock he could crawl under. Raimen teased him relentlessly, telling him how the ship was a dead stick in space, unlike his, and that everyone sat in the dark. All due to them. Of course, he was relieved both he and Riki were unharmed, but enjoyed watching Iason blush.

Their eyes had returned to normal, however, they both did recall seeing the change. As Omaki entered the conference room, Yousi could be heard talking. Even before he walked in, Riki could sense a change in him.

“Iason, Yousi is near.”

Iason looked at Riki to acknowledge his words, when he noticed his eyes began to change once again.

“My love, your eyes..”

Raimen stood up and walked over to Iason. He looked into his son’s eyes, and then into Riki’s. They were golden once again, and this time they were awake.

“Son, what do you see?”

Iason looked at his father as if he was speaking a different language. He felt no different, and other than Riki’s change of eye color, did not sense anything different.

“I do not see anything father, only the men in this room.” Iason looked over at Yousi who entered the room and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“L-Lord Kai?” Yousi’s voice was barely above a whisper. “My Lord!”

Yousi suddenly came up to Kai, and knelt before him. His body trembled, as Kai bent down to raise him onto his feet, and into his warm embrace. Yousi’s eyes continued to switch from their dark blue tint, to one with a golden ring. His hair barely swayed, but it was enough to draw the attention of all in the room. Yousi looked around the room, finding many faces he did not recognize, and few...he did.

“Lord Mink?” Yousi spoke, but seemed confused when he looked at Raimen.

“Lord Xu, how are you feeling?” Kai spoke gently, as he could see Yousi was indeed confused. “Here, have a seat.” Kai gestured to a chair next to him, and Yousi slowly sat down.

Omaki sat next to Yousi, as did Argent. They were the only two familiar faces he felt comfortable with. When he looked at Iason, Riki and Raoul, he seemed to lose focus and look down at his hands. He did not notice Heiku, nor address him. Heiku walked up to his old friend, and spoke.

“Yousi? How do you feel?” Heiku looked deeply into his lover’s eyes, but was shocked with his response.

“I know you...do I not?” Yousi looked at Omaki, as if looking for assistance. “I have a pain in my head, and Argent said you were a physician.”

“Yes, Yousi, that’s right. This is Lord Heiku, and he is a doctor.” Omaki smiled at his confusion. “Don’t worry my friend, it will all make sense to you soon. Is this not so Lord Heiku?”

Heiku was devastated. He was unable to speak, but could only nod his head. He played along with Argent’s comment of being a physician, and examined his head.

“Yes, let’s see what we can do about that headache of yours.”

Heiku put on a brave face. Everyone in the room knew otherwise, and felt bad for him. He reached into his medical pouch, and pulled out a low dose opiate or O-3, and gave it to Yousi as he was handed a glass of water.

Riki watched this exchange, and could feel Heiku’s sadness. As the group became quiet, James was heard on the communication center.

“Lord Am, we are approaching Beacon 525.”

Omaki and Argent became anxious, as did Heiku. No one knew what to expect, and all looked to Riki and Iason. Riki’s hair began to whip serenely, as did Iason’s. Kai noticed their eye’s go blank, as Yousi lost consciousness.

“Yousi!” Heiku called out, but his words fell upon deaf ears, as Yousi was now beginning to awaken.

“Heiku,” Riki spoke, “Please be at ease, you are welcome to join us.”

Heiku looked at Omaki and Argent. “Will he know me?”

Iason spoke, “You will be a bystander Heiku, as will everyone in this room if they so choose to witness the past. You will feel disoriented, but you will see and hear everything. You need only to close your eyes, and clear your mind. You all need to see this Lord’s final moments, for some of you may soon walk the same path to awareness.”

The room became silent, and the tension was high. Riki and Iason sent a small burst of energy from their hearts, which made the men calm down. As Yousi rested in his arms, Omaki closed his eyes.

*~*~*

There was a darkness around him, as he watched a meteor shower light up the horizon. The twin moons would soon rise, and they would begin their evening ritual. Yousi sat next to group of mounds, and with his hands, began to dig. It was his least favorite part of their mission, as many of the dead were often buried with a token of respect or love. He had seen many in his many years of digging up the dead.

He could never get accustomed to the decay, so preferred to go to the triage centers, and find them as they died. It seemed less of a trespass on the dead, and in many ways, made their mission tolerable. Yousi wondered around the area where he was to retrieve the specimens, and procrastinated as much as possible. But soon Omaki would come and push him to move.

“Come my friend, the dead won’t know a thing, I promise. Just a small sample, there is no need to exhume them completely, here, let me help.”

Omaki would kneel down, and begin to remove the soil. Argent walked up to the two, and having finished his last mound, joined them. They knew it was especially difficult for Omaki to dig up the maidens, for he knew them all if they were of age.

The Maiden’s Song had not been performed in over two centuries, and yet he could recall their names, and their faces. The sample was placed in a small vial, and cross-referenced in the personal archive he held in his hand.

“Sample number 3,259,448. The Lady Nora.” Came the computerized response. Omaki sat on his heels when he heard the name.

“I just saw her on our last trip Argent. She was helping Lord Heiku with the wounded. I wonder how he is doing. Gods, I pray we don’t find him here!”

Yousi stopped his digging. He had already moved to another mound, and upon hearing Omaki’s words, looked up at the two men.

“Y-You don’t think he’s been killed do you?” Yousi’s dirt-stained face betrayed his anxiety, as he wiped a tear away. He had grown fond of the young surgeon, and was hoping to see him on this trip.

“No Yousi, I know he is still alive.” Argent soothed.

“How do you know this?”

“Because we are to pick up supplies from him, remember? Lady Am requested some antiseptic for the many scrapes they’ve gotten in the relocation to the new world.”

“What are we going to name that planet anyway? We can’t keep calling it the “Green Planet” it just doesn’t feel like home with that title.” Omaki finally spoke.

He was getting over his sadness over Lady Nora. It only took a few moments, as they had adapted a ritual when retrieved specimens. They would remind themselves that death was only the beginning for those they would collect. They knew someday in the not too distant future, when Lord Mink was found, the dead would return.

Riki watched along with Iason. They became nauseated with the scent of death, as neither one had ever experienced anything like that before. Kai remained stone-faced. He was quite accustomed to the smell of death on the field of battle. He looked on, as the three men continued their duties.

The whole team had joined in to witness this world, and many, especially those men from the Firm, knew what it was like to retrieve the dead. For centuries they too, looked for the remains of Amoi’s fallen. Though when they found them, they were almost always bone fragments. Nothing like the scene they were viewing.

The scene suddenly changed, and found the three men caught in the middle of a firefight. They were advancing on Lord Kai’s position, and Omaki and Argent had been unaware of a group of Elders that had come up behind them.

“Get down!!” Came the shout from Lord Rene Am, as laser fire could be heard overhead. “Yousi, get Omaki and Argent out of here, you three don’t belong on the front!”

“Front?! We thought the front was still 5 kilometers to the north!” Came Yousi’s response.

“No, Lord Kai had to retreat, a surge of Elders came out from the east, and we were overrun. You must move!”

Yousi crawled away from Lord Am, and pulled on Omaki who was frozen on the ground. It was incredibly loud, as the Elders used their psychic powers to blast rocks, and trees, and anything they could use as a weapon upon Lord Am’s group. As soon as the three men cleared the perimeter, they turned around to see the two groups of men use only their inner powers.

The sky crackled with static electricity, and the wind was manipulated into spinning balls of air, used to pummel their enemy. Lord Rene used his inner power, and out of nowhere lightning began to pierce the hearts of the Elders. There was no other way to do battle. Often times, weapons were useless, and hand to hand confrontations like this one, usually left many dead.

Kai watched the scene, as if for the first time. He remembered the battle, and especially- Lord Rene. Raoul watched his father in action for the first time. He was magnificent, and extremely powerful. His hair danced angrily, as bolts of lightning seemed to fly out of his fingertips, with deadly accuracy. He also got his first glimpse of the Elders they battled.

Petros also witnessed this. It made his heart sink, to see such madness, and the expressions on the faces of the Elders. It truly was as Jupiter had described. Kai’s words were not lost in him, when he recalled how he felt about Riki being touched by him. There was true understanding between him and Kai, after seeing this.

The scene changed once again, as the three men loaded the ship for their final trip. The cargo hold was packed with hundreds of specimens. It must have taken them some time to gather them all.

“Yousi, we’re all set,” Argent tapped Yousi on the shoulder. “Are we taking a new route this time?”

Both he and Omaki had just returned from their final visit to Lady Yuri. Omaki was quite sad, as he witnessed her death. He was holding a small velvet pouch in his hands containing Lady Yuri’s ring. He also had uploaded the final data containing the specimen logs. He removed the data crystal from Jupiter’s matrix, and also placed that in the velvet pouch. Yousi had been mapping out their path, in which they would navigate.

“Yes. The last time we traveled, some of the beacons had been manually tampered with. I think these madmen have figured out how to place false leads to wormholes that are dead or dangerous.”

“They’re probably learning from your example.” Argent complained, “How many have you sent to some dismal abyss at the end of a wormhole?”

“Obviously not enough, if they keep coming after us.”

“How do you know this?” Argent asked, as he looked at the navigational charts. “I still don’t know how you can possibly know where you are going my friend. If it wasn’t for you, Omaki would have gotten us lost ages ago!”

Yousi laughed, as Argent imitated Omaki’s piloting skills. Omaki was coming down the corridor, and when he heard Argent’s comments, gave him a swift kick in the ass. Argent lost his balance and landed on Yousi’s charts, taking a few of them along on his way to the deck.

“Ow! Now why did you go and do that?!” Argent cried, “I just put on a pair of my cleanest trousers, and now I have mud all over them again! Lady Annabelle will think I never bathe!”

“Well, you never do anyway, what’s a little mud going to change!” Omaki teased. “We’re all set Yousi, let’s take these ladies to their resting place.”

“Will do. We’re going to take a different route Omaki, I found too many indications that the beacons have been tampered with. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran into them freaks on this trip.”

“Now don’t go and jinx us Yousi! We have enough to worry about, without running into them in that unstable part of space.” Omaki complained.

“Naw, we should be ok.”

As the scene changes once again, there was complete darkness, and only the sounds of quiet breathing could be heard. Riki and Iason walked down a dimly lit corridor, and found Yousi tinkering with the engines.

“I’ve got to get these engines to put out just a little bit more speed. Please forgive me Lord Kai, for stealing your prized ship, but it was the fastest. If I re-calibrate them, I might be able to buy them some time.”

“Yousi! Hurry! The Elder’s have spotted us, and they are almost upon us!” Omaki’s panicked shouts could be heard over the intercom. “Yousi!”

“Hang on Omi! I’m almost done!”

Yousi reached into his pocket and pulled out Lady Yuri’s ring. He had been keeping it for Omaki, since he was loading specimen’s all night, and was afraid to scratch it up. They took turns holding the ring, to remind themselves of the mission. Of Lady Mink. He placed the ring on one of the engine’s scanning devices. He had created a minute data chip, a sliver of his brilliance, and embedded it within one of the jewels. He now uploaded the ships logs, the archives of their data base, and one last entry. His own.

Iason and Riki followed Yousi from the engine room, as Yousi ran down the corridor towards the bridge. Omaki was shouting at the scanners, as Argent tried his best not to hit anything. Yousi sat in the pilot’s seat, and quickly pressed coordinates into the navigation controls, and the ship sped off.

They were being pursued by two ships. They recognized one to be Lord Rene’s ship, but knew the Sentinel was not piloting it, as they were being fired upon. Yousi began to pilot the ship with incredible accuracy. His body began to transform, and his blue eyes changed to a golden tone. Omaki and Argent hung on for dear life, as Yousi seemed to know where he was going without glancing at the navigational charts, the very ones he had laid out meticulously before they left Amoi.

The ship slowed down, and was preparing to enter the atmosphere of the green planet. Omaki and Argent could not believe they had escaped the two ships.

“Yousi, what happened to the two ships?” Omaki looked at his pilot, but Yousi didn’t respond. He walked up to the pilot’s seat, and looked at Yousi’s face. He was still transformed, and his eyes were still pulsing from blue to gold. Omaki shook him, and Yousi finally blinked.

“Omi?” Yousi looked at Omaki and Argent who were staring at his face. “What are you two looking at me like that for?”

“Yousi, your eyes, they’re gold..” Argent whispered, “I’ve seen them change before when you pilot the ship, but since this happened all the time, I just thought it was your inner power. I see that I was right, you can see the paths of the wormholes. Is this not true?”

“What do you mean? I’ve always been able to see them. Can’t you?”

Omaki and Argent both answered, “No.” To which Yousi stared in disbelief.

“What? I thought this was always the case. I mean, we’ve been doing this for nearly what- two hundred some odd years, and you’ve never been able to see those damn things? How do you think I navigate? I can see them as clear as day! Look- they are golden, they stick out like a sore thumb!”

Yousi sat dumbfounded. As did Argent and Omaki. They arrived to find Lady Monique sitting near the entrance to the caverns that led to their home. She was nearly two hundred-fifty years old, yet looked more like a maiden of one hundred. She ran up to Omaki and jumped into his arms.

Raoul recognized his sister from the archives, and felt the pangs of heartbreak. First he sees his father in battle, then his ship being piloted by Elders, and now his twin sister, aged, and yet still beautiful. Monique kissed the three men on the cheek, and led them to her home. The house had been built into the walls of the large cavern. In the many decades of it took to fill the vault of specimens, the appearance of their humble home, had grown to a modest dwelling. There were only three of them left. All had passed in death, so their arrival was met with much fanfare, and a feast was always prepared for the three.

As the scene changed, Omaki was seen speaking with Monique, and Yousi. She was in tears, as she kissed them for the last time. They were to return to Amoi and give Lord Kai the data crystal. If not, the vault would never be found. There had been too many close calls, where the Elders had found them, and followed them across that unstable part of space. It was a hide and seek game that would eventually come to an end.

Omaki did not think any of the maidens would still be alive in the time it had taken to fill the vault and seal it. Lady Annabell had died several years earlier, and Monique had taken over. But now they were going to leave her for the last time, and the three men could not bear it.

As they neared the final leg of their trip, they were discovered by a ship of Elders. Yousi called Omaki to the bridge, as he began to dodged laser fire. He went in and out of wormholes without batting an eye, his mind focused. Omaki ran down the corridor just as Yousi reached into his pocket and tossed him the velvet pouch that contained Lady Yuri’s ring.

“Here, catch!” Yousi tossed the pouch to Omaki, “There is dead moon near beacon 522, you can hide the ship on the other side of the moon. You two need to strap in while I get the pods ready!”

“What?! What pods?” Omaki yelled, as Yousi handed the controls to Argent.

“I’ve prepared the escape pods to deploy in all directions. Three escape pods are for us in case we were attacked, and the ship is disabled. I’ve programmed the three of them to land on Amoi, the guidance systems will navigate the last 522 beacons safely. You just need to hang on! The other pods are all rigged to detonate when they attempt to open them.”

Omaki and Argent looked at each other in a state of panic, as Yousi ran to the pods.

“Wait! Where is the data crystal?!” Omaki called out to Yousi who did not stop. Moments later, Yousi is heard from within one of the pods.

“Omi, there is no time! The data crystal is in Argent’s pod- pod number 6! I’m going to buy you two some time, fire pods 1 through 5!!”

“No! Yousi!” Argent yelled, as their ship began to take damage.

“Now Omi! Send me out, take the data crystal to Lord Kai!!”

Omaki closed his eyes, and pressed the command to deploy pods 1 through 5. Yousi’s pod was number 5. Argent flew in and out of the charted wormholes, and took the ship to the dead moon off beacon 522 and waited. The pods had worked, as the Elder’s followed the only one with life signs.

Omaki kept the communication channel open, as he monitored Yousi’s life signs. It was just a small blinking light, yet he knew as long as it blinked, Yousi was still alive. Moments later, the light stopped blinking. The readings showed the pod stopped blinking near Beacon 525. The two men sat quietly, staring at the communication channel.

“I guess....Yousi got them.” Omaki blinked, as tears began to run down his eyes. Then as the silence continued, they assumed he was successful. Omaki took over the controls, and headed back to beacon 525.

“Omaki, what are you doing?” Argent tugged at his sleeve, “You’re going the wrong way.”

“There is still one son of Amoi that needs to go home Argent. I won’t leave Yousi all alone in the dark.” Omaki wiped tears away, as Argent also gave way to tears.

The scene changed, and now the men all witnessed Yousi’s escape pod floating near beacon 525.

He shivered, as the deep freeze of space would soon take his life, if the air did not run out first. The navigational thrusters were failing, and he decided to maneuver over to the beacon and see if he could access the floating device. It was nearly twice the size of his pod, and he knew they were known to keep a small supply of food, water and most importantly, they had a supply of oxygen. He knew he could hold out there for a few days, if need be.

But his plans were altered when he noticed the Elder’s had followed his pod. Of course they would, there were life signs in it. He decided to take them out with him. Why not? One final act of defiance, and vengeance would be an excellent way to call it a day.

“I may never see you guys again, but at least you two will go home. I pray you don’t have to dig anymore graves dear friends. My fair Queen, Lady Yuri, I pray you find yourself surrounded by the many Maidens you helped save. And if I’m fortunate enough of find my way across this echo in time, I ask that you save one dance for me...”

With that, Yousi could see the Elder’s ship slow down, and then open it’s bay doors. The escape pod was brought in by tractor beam, and quickly surrounded by Elders. As Yousi saw them approach, he gave them the finger, and laughed, as they opened the pod door.

The explosion rocked the ship, and set off a chain reaction. The ruptures vented atmosphere, and all on board were killed.

*~*~*

Yousi found himself once more in darkness. He shivered, as he felt the coldness of space. It was vaguely familiar. He could see a dim light coming from a corridor that appeared out of nowhere, some distance away. He decided to walk towards it. As he got closer, the sounds of many maidens singing could be heard.

“What is this?”

As he approached, he found a sea of fog begin to surround him, obscuring his view. The ground felt soft, and before he knew it, he instinctively knelt down and began to dig.

“Yousi...” Came the soft voice of Riki. “Yousi, rise dear friend.”

“Who is there? I’ve heard your voice before...but I can’t recall from where.”

Yousi saw the fog lift and there appeared a golden light before him. The dark features of a man began to come into focus. It was Riki.

“Your days of digging up the dead has come to an end Yousi. Take my hand and return to us. Your friends are all waiting for you.”

Riki kicked up a gentle tempest, and the figures of Omaki and Argent were revealed. Yousi trembled as he began to walk slowly towards his two companions.

“How is this possible? Omi? Argent? I am confused. Are you both dead too? I..died.”

“Yes, dear friend, you did.” Omaki’s voice trembled with emotion. “But you are now alive.”

Riki walked up to Yousi, he was transformed and this frightened him. He could see Riki’s dark eyes, and gentle features. He was image of Lady Erin Oskuro, with the alluring dark eyes of Lord Kai.

“Young Prince...how can you be here? We searched the stars for you. You and Lord Iason.”

“I am here Lord Xu.” Came the gentle voice of Iason. He appeared out of the fog, his aura was golden, and his appearance was magnificent. Eyes dark as sapphire, and a beauty, that could only come from Lady Yuri Mink.

“M-My Lords! How is it you live?”

“We have returned to Amoi Lord Xu. We have awakened to find Amoi’s children once again breathing the free air of life. Here, take a look.”

The scene changed, and Yousi was given a bird’s eye view of Amoi...restored. Yousi’s eyes danced from on side to another, taking in the sights of Jupiter’s children. He was also given a glimpse of the Lord’s Dance, and the introductions of the Royal Family.

Yousi gave way to tears, as he saw Omaki and Argent dancing alongside Kai and Raimen. But was confused when he saw his own image dancing with Heiku. The physician he had fallen in love with.

“Omi, that is the surgeon! The one..”

The scene changed once again and Yousi’s image began to fade into the thickness of the mist. Riki and Iason knew this reaction well. Denial and understanding of ones past life were hard to reconcile at first. Yousi knew he died, so how could he be dancing with the man he loved?

“Yousi!” Omaki called out, but was held back by Riki.

“Hold on Omi, he needs to acknowledge his death and see the light of life.”

Riki once again raised a tempest. He reached out, and took hold of Yousi’s hand. Iason’s golden aura once again lit his path, and Riki began to walk with him.

“Come Yousi, you need to awaken. You are alive dear friend, and need to cross this fog before you. Here you slumber, and your mind is hidden. You are not yourself in the land of the living. But I must warn you. You will see and hear things, that will shock and frighten you. But as we move, you will encounter a sea of darkness. This is the sea of tears, and you must surface and take your first breath of life once more. I promise, Omi and Argent are waiting for you there.”

Riki smiled at the tall Lord. He was indeed frightened, as the sounds of digging could be heard, and sounds of war appeared all around him. Iason appeared on his other side, and took his hand. There was a golden path before him, and to Riki’s and Iason’s surprise, there appeared a golden waterfall. This was something new.

“They sing my Lords.” Yousi whispered. “They sing for you- Lord Mink. Lady Yuri said you would be able to see them. Do you see them?”

Iason and Riki looked at the water fall, the sounds of many maidens could be heard singing, and playing in the water’s base. The coolness of the water made them shiver.

“I see before me a golden waterfall Yousi. Is this what you see also?” Iason whispered.

“I see a multitude of maidens my Lords. They line the path that shines from your eyes.”

Riki could see the end of the mist, and the sea above them began do descend. It was time.

“Yousi, listen to our voice. You need to draw in the biggest gulp of air you can muster, and hold it. You must kick to the surface, do not waver young Lord. We will help you breach the surface of the water.”

“OK.” Yousi looked at Riki with frightened eyes. But he could feel the warmth of his hand, and that of Iason’s and knew it was not a dream.

The sea came down over their heads quickly, and Yousi held his breath.

“Kick Yousi!!” Riki’s voice was loud in his head, and Iason’s hand pulled him up. He could feel his lungs burn, and the weight of the past pull at his heels. He closed his eyes, afraid of the sea he was in. The many faces of the dead began to press in his mind.

“You are safe Yousi, open your eyes dear friend.” Iason soothed, “Fear not those who’s lives you will soon help restore.”

“Yousi!! Keep kicking!”

The collective voices of Omaki, Argent and Lord Kai could be heard. As he opened his eyes, and saw the golden light up above. Yousi breached the surface, and took in the biggest gulp of air he had ever taken. He opened his eyes to find himself in a room full of men, all cheering him on. Omaki took him in his arms and embraced his old friend. Argent joined him, and the three gave way to tears.

For Raoul, this was his second time witnessing an awakening. His mind wondered off to Lord Kai who watched him closely. He smiled at Raoul, nodding his head, and pointing to it with a finger. “You are next my dear Sentinel.”

Raoul blinked. He was ready, he wanted this. He saw his father, and his sister. He needed to see himself. The crew all were overjoyed with the sight of Yousi’s mind being restored. It was a most frightening and visually stimulating experience. One they would never forget. They knew the importance and relevance of the mission these three men undertook. The emotional toll on them was palpable, and they were inspired to find the lost Maidens.

As Yousi looked around, he caught sight of Heiku. All became silent, wondering what would happen next. Yousi walked towards Heiku, as the tall physician swallowed hard. Yousi raised his hand, and caressed his cheek.

“Do you remember me now Yousi?” Heiku whispered, “Have you returned to me?”

Yousi reached behind Heiku’s neck and pulled him forward, taking his lips in a passionate kiss. Once again the room roared with cheers and whistles, as Heiku wrapped his arms around his old lover, and drank from his lips.

“I guess that answers that.” Came the dry response by Omaki. He hugged Argent, as they watched their friend’s reunion. “I think Yousi will be pleased to discover, that he finally won the young surgeon’s heart.”

Iason and Riki were exhausted. Iason was sitting in his chair with Riki on his lap. They shared a sweet kiss, as the awakening of Yousi was a success. There would be time to debrief the three men later. For now, they felt Heiku and Yousi had a lot of catching up to do. Raimen clapped his hands and called for celebratory drink.

Of course no one would dare disagree.

*~*~*
Thanx for reading my little story! I hope you enjoy Book 3 “The Lost.” Please give a review!