Chapter 2

Description to come.

“Just keep running!” Faith Moonstone yelled. “They’re right on our trail!”

          “You can talk, you’re the one with the gifts!” Faith’s best friend, Charity screamed back, looking over her shoulder. “Duck!”

          They dived to the ground, as a bright, yellow flash of energy rushed over their heads. They got back to their feet and continued sprinting, laser bolts hitting trees in their wake. They were being chased by Gemini agents. Again.

           Faith was getting fed up of landing on a planet and then having to run for her life because of Gemini. But it was not all that surprising and common place. Gemini had control of most of the galaxy. There were few spots of light left in this galaxy of darkness. Faith looks over her shoulder. Charity was lagging behind, out of breathe and slowing down. Faith had to do something. So she stopped. Turned. Then ran back towards her friend.

          However, Faith was too late to help. Charity in her hast to catch up, forgot to mind her surroundings, and not noticing the prominent tree root, tripped braking her ankle. Charity screamed in pain, gripping her ankle. She knew it was broken. Faith knew then, she would have to stop the advancing Gemini agents, who had sped up, alone. When she reached Charity she stopped.

          “Can you walk on it?” Faith asked hoping against hope, checking her hypothesis.

          “No.” Charity replied through gritted teeth. “It’s broken.” Faith was right. Damn.

          “Well, there goes plan A.” Faith said, starting to run once more towards the G.As.

          “What are you doing?” Charity yelled.

          “Someone’s got to stop them.” Faith called back.

          “What about my poor leg?” Charity bellowed.

          “I’ll be right back.”

          The G.A.s had stopped dumb-founded. Faith smiled. This is going to be easy, she thought. She stopped, standing erect and closed her green eyes. The agents scratched their heads in confusion. What was Faith doing?

          A very broad, muscular man, with a pushed in face, stepped forward. “I am Commander T. Dominance,” he said in a clear, low, strong, commanding voice, “of the Gemini high guard; you will stop what you are doing now, in the name of Lord Zardac.”

          “Oh boy.” Charity breathed shaking her head.

          Faith opened her eyes, which sparkled. A huge gust of wind came out of nowhere to knock all the G.As off of their feet, and knocking them out has their heads hit the earth. Faith turned on her heels. She swelled with pride.

          “I love being me.” she said to herself walking back over to Charity.

          “Look,” Charity began, “I know you have gifts, but how the hell did you do that?”

          “I don’t know,” Faith replied seeing shock and awe on Charity’s face. “I’ve always been able to do it. And many other things besides, since I was a young child. Now this might hurt a bit.”

          Faith placed her pale blue hands over the ankle of her friend. Her eyes glowed with a warm, golden light, which emitted itself from Faith’s hands. Charity winced, her blue eyes watering with the pain. Faith could smell the salty tears of her friend, as they rolled down Charity’s pale cheeks. Then the pain started to subside, and Faith opened her green eyes.

          “Now,” Faith stated the light disappearing, “how does that feel?”

          Charity slowly got up, using Faith for support. She put some weight on her leg, expecting pain. Nothing.

          “My leg feels fine.” Charity answered. “Thank you.” Charity looked into Faith’s pale blue face.

          She was beautiful. Faith was perfect from head to foot. Her figure was enviable from all humanoid females in the galaxy. Her face was perfect in proportion on her long head. Her hair was a shinning, multi-tone of purples, which would flow behind her every movement, make her grace more profound.

          Charity looked away. She by comparison was plain. Her nose was off centre, her hair short and blonde. She was also short in height while Faith was tall. All arms and legs.

          “Let’s get out of here.” Faith said pointing at the agents of Gemini.

          “Sure, I don’t want to be here when those self important thugs come round.” Charity responded looking at the unconscious men on the forest floor. They both began running again, but this time Faith slowed the pace to ensure that Charity could keep up. They ducked under low hanging branches, jumped and leaped over the prominent roots. Both listening for footsteps behind.

          “We are going the wrong way!” Charity shouted.

          “No we’re not,” Faith called back, “I have an impeccable sense of direction. Besides, Quartz Minor is a forest planet. I grew up running through, playing in forests just like this. Climbing over the moss covered branches. I...” Faith trailed off. She fell silent as tears rolled down her face. Charity said nothing, knowing that Faith was best left to her thoughts.

          “Next clearing.” Faith said her voice catching in her throat. They ran through the forest, the dappled, green sunlight filtering through the canopy shone upon Faith’s face, illuminating the pearly tears now flowing, silently down her face.

Then, Faith saw something in the trees that made her heart skip a beat. A shadow moving through the gaps in the trees. But it was not  shadow. It was more like a solid cloud of darkness. Faith knew what it was at first glance. It was a Wraith. This was bad news. It was common knowledge that the Wraith as a race were servants of the Gemini empire. Or at the very lest, did not attack G.A.s anyway.

          “Charity, look in the trees!” Faith yelled in warning. “There’s a Wraith in the trees.”

          “What?” Charity yelled back. “Did you say Wraith?”

          “Yes!” Faith replied skidding to a halt. Wraith were never good to run into in a forest. Wraiths were shadow like creatures, that could take any form they could imagine. Their only weakness was light. But not even that could kill them, it could only make them retreat.

          Faith could drive the Wraith back, but it was risky in the forest. If Faith emitted fire from her hands like she could do, the entire forest on fire. It was not worth the forest just to drive a lone Wraith back.

          “Faith,” Charity said out of breath and clutching at a stitch in her side. “just light the way, we both know you can.”

          “What?” Faith exclaimed, “And face the possibility of setting this entire area on fire. Are you kidding.” Faith turned and stared at Charity in outrage. “Get down!” Faith had noticed it. A yellow laser bolt, headed straight at them.

          “What?” Charity asked. Too late. Faith dived upon her friend, pushing her to the forest floor. The laser flew over head and hit a nearby tree.

“I said ‘get down’.” Faith said in Charity’s ear. They both stood up. It had turned cold. They turned round, very slowly.

          “Faith Moonstone, Charity Giles, please follow me.” the Wraith said, the voice an echoing whisper. Faith stared at the Wraith in shock. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

          “I’m sorry,” Faith said confused, “but are you offering us aid?” Another laser narrowly missed Charity’s right shoulder. Faith turned and sent a second wave of air at the G.A.s , with the same effect as the first.

          “Yes I am offering you help.” the Wraith responded in that strange voice again. “Why are you surprised by this?”

          “Everyone knows that the Wraith species serve Gemini.” Charity commented snidely, her eyes flashing. “So, why are you offering us help?” Faith glared at Charity. Who cares, Faith thought, you never turn down a gift like this when it comes.

          “Gemini murdered my family.” the Wraith said coldly.

          “I am truly sorry,” Faith said sympathetically.

          “Please Faith, come this way, you are in grave danger.” the Wraith turned and began weaving through the trees. Faith and Charity followed. The forest was dark and cold as death in the wake of the Wraith.

          “Excuse me,” Faith said tentatively, “but do you have a name?” There was a long silence.

          “I am Darmacus Lint. The last of my family.” the Wraith replied.

          “Is there any meaning behind your name?” Charity asked.

          “No.” Darmacus replied icily.

They continued to walk through the trees. Then suddenly there was a sliver glint through a gap in the trees.

          “Our ship!” Faith exclaimed.

         

          However, something was wrong. Very wrong.