Chapter 6: chapter 6

When I came back, my head was pounding slightly. My vision was murky, and nausea sat coiled around my stomach, threatening to overtake me at any moment. I sat up, swallowed back the saliva in my mouth, and glanced around the shuttle bay. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one knocked unconscious from the transfer.

I sat back and cast a listless gaze through the windows. Outside looked like the walls of a swirling blue vortex mixed with shades of impenetrable black. The blue swirled and condensed into strange shapes that would break and shatter into thousands of pieces before eventually reforming and fading away. So this was the Arcanum. I wasn’t too well versed in the technical aspect of how the Order uses faster-than-light travel since it really wasn’t my forte.

What I knew was a semi-simple explanation. A few centuries ago, a group of humans found a city ruins on mars. Well, it was more like a city locked in stasis. Even stranger was that the city was devoid of any sort of life. It was just empty, yet remained locked in time. Once we pierced the veil and explored the city, it was when it seemed to break out of stasis. Over the course of a year, the city slowly broke apart and faded away as if time itself decided to reclaim what it once lost.

However, inside that city, we found a plethora of technology that now forms the cornerstone of the Order. Everything from Hard Light tech, Aether implants, and the FTL drive is found in most Order Ships. Even with reverse engineering for the last few centuries, we still had no clue what the Arcanum was. Outside of a metric fuck ton of science mumbo jumbo that I can’t seem to remember. All I know is that it is a split dimension between ours and the Aether that fills the universe.

I stared out into the Arcanum as it twisted and turned like a living being. A few specs of colors would occasionally break through the boundless blue and black. Sometimes the colors would remind me of eyes with how they looked. But as quick as they came, they too would be swept away by the currents that drove this dimension. I watched it for hours as it twisted and churned, marveling at how mysterious it was.

Eventually, I was torn from my thoughts by a voice I quickly recognized as Marcus. “So that’s the Arcanum? It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s so mysterious that it can’t help but be beautiful.” I replied as I tore my gaze from the windows and looked toward him. His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice sounded haggard.

“So, Rhea, why did you join the order?” He sat forward and rubbed his temples. No doubt suffering the same way that I was.

“Honestly, I want to defend the citizens of the alliance, fight, so others don’t have to do that sort of thing. Even if that sounds a bit cliche to hear.” I sat forward as another wave of nausea rolled through me before it settled into the pit of my stomach.

“It’s a noble cause nonetheless. Much better than mine.” Marcus shrugged and sat back in his seat. His face twisted in discomfort.

“Oh? Tell me about it then.” I asked as I sat back in my chair and tried to get comfortable. I wanted to know more about him. Well, not just him, but everyone in the squad.

“I really only joined for technology and exploration. The Order has some of the most advanced tech in the alliance, and I wanted a chance to get close to it, and learn from it.” So Marcus was tech-oriented. It wasn’t a bad thing to drive him. Though it would also be a boon for us in the future.

“It’s not a terrible reason. At least you are honest with yourself.” I grinned at him, happy with his response. You can tell a lot about someone based on the reasons they do things. But what I value above all else is honesty.
His smile was more of a grimace, but the meaning was still conveyed all the same. “I’m glad you think so.” He sat back in his seat, and his face visibly paled as he turned his head. “That was probably one of the most unpleasant things I ever had to do.”

“Tell me about it,” I replied as I fought back another wave of nausea that thrashed in my stomach. My head throbbed relentlessly as my headache crashed against the confines of my skull like a relentless tide.

You are reading story Etheric Knight at novel35.com

“I think I’m just going to close my eyes for now and try to stop myself from throwing up.” He mumbled as he rested his head against the seat.
I could only nod as another painful pulse of nausea swept through my body. My eyelids felt like they weighed thousands of pounds, but I fought the desire to close them. I still had work to do, and I couldn’t rest until it was done.

My eyes traveled listlessly across the row to check on my squad mates. Marcus’s face was locked in disgust, and his eyes were screwed shut. Raven was out like a light, and her head listed on one side. Ahmya was in the same predicament, though instead of disgust, her face was plastered with serenity. Almost like this was the first rest the girl had ever gotten. Was I the collector of the lost and rejected?

I pulled my eyes away from the rest of them and reached out toward my data pad. My hands felt like they were weighed down by a bag of bricks as I forced them to do my bidding. The pad reacted to my touch, and my notes flickered back into existence. I still needed to select a squad name and figure out positions. But the very act of thinking was almost impossible with the mental fog clouding my thoughts.

The faint light from my notes irritated my eyes and sent oscillating waves of pain through my head. But I held on as I stared at the three names given to me. Each had a meaning to the person who gave them to me, but whatever I selected would be the one we stuck with.

The first one was Cloud Walkers, which wasn’t a bad name by any stretch. Plus, it meant a lot to Raven. So it was definitely one to consider for now. The next one was Eclipse, and that one was great. The symbolism of an eclipse was definitely a plus. A new beginning and the death of the old.
The last one was the doom bringers. Which was something that I would not go with. I mean, at the end of the day, it was far too edgy and something that I wasn’t a fan of. No offense to Marcus, of course. So that just left the two.

Which would it be, Cloud Walkers, or Eclipse? I juggled the two the best I could through the mental haze that plagued me. But I eventually decided to go with Eclipse. It was short, sweet, and straightforward.

Another wave of nausea wracked my body, and my vision dimmed around the edges. Fuck, I was about to pass out, but I still needed to figure out squad positioning. But I wasn’t going to make it. I gestured at my notes as the darkness crept fast around my vision. Then, before I knew it, darkness claimed me and drug me into its depths.

“Everybody up! Let’s go, let’s go!” My eyes shot open in a heartbeat as I quickly stood up. The dreary claws of exhaustion plagued my mind, trying to drag me back down.

Sergeant Valentine prowled down the rows, barking orders. “No one is to open their mouth for the next hour unless spoken to. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir.” We barked back the best we could, but everyone’s voice was haggard and weak.

He quickly circled back towards the front of the shuttle and straightened up. “We land on mars in three minutes. Once we land, everybody is to stay with their squad. First row, my left is to depart first, then the right side. The second your feet touch the dirt, you will ensure that you are in the position of attention in the designated area. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!” The strength was coming back to everyone’s words, including my own. Thankfully, I felt a little more alive, but some of me still felt sluggish. But I was doing my best to ensure that I listened to every word he said. I knew the consequences if I failed. Tentatively, I glanced to my right to see how the others were fairing.

Marcus’s face was still pale, and Raven’s feathers looked a little ruffled, while Ahmya still looked serene. Fuck, I still needed to make sure that I figured out their positions, but I wasn’t sure what each one was good at. I still haven’t talked to Ahmya yet, and needed to know her strengths and weaknesses. I mentally groaned as I felt another layer of stress build up within my mind. This was going to be a long day.

You can find story with these keywords: Etheric Knight, Read Etheric Knight, Etheric Knight novel, Etheric Knight book, Etheric Knight story, Etheric Knight full, Etheric Knight Latest Chapter