When a forgotten enemy stirs beneath the surface of the Soltharyn System, a quiet shepherd, two gifted siblings, and a mismatched band of warriors are thrust into a conflict far larger than any of them imagined. What begins as a desperate fight for survival soon unravels into a conspiracy reaching across planets, governments, and ancient prophecies.
As cities fall and alliances fracture, unlikely heroes rise:
The retired shepherd haunted by loss,
a pair of young Mystics discovering the weight of their power,
and a team of sentient machines carrying the memories of the lives they once lived.
Together, they must navigate political deception, hidden technologies, and a rising darkness determined to reshape the system in its image. From jungle ruins to frozen mountains, from virtual realms to the edges of space, their journey will test the limits of loyalty, courage, and the bonds that hold them together.
In a universe where truth is weaponized and hope is fragile, one spark can ignite a revolution.
Aziryte is a sweeping sci‑fi fantasy epic about found family, resilience, and the fight to protect a future worth believing in — even when the stars themselves begin to fall.
When a forgotten enemy stirs beneath the surface of the Soltharyn System, a quiet shepherd, two gifted siblings, and a mismatched band of warriors are thrust into a conflict far larger than any of them imagined. What begins as a desperate fight for survival soon unravels into a conspiracy reaching across planets, governments, and ancient prophecies.
As cities fall and alliances fracture, unlikely heroes rise:
The retired shepherd haunted by loss,
a pair of young Mystics discovering the weight of their power,
and a team of sentient machines carrying the memories of the lives they once lived.
Together, they must navigate political deception, hidden technologies, and a rising darkness determined to reshape the system in its image. From jungle ruins to frozen mountains, from virtual realms to the edges of space, their journey will test the limits of loyalty, courage, and the bonds that hold them together.
In a universe where truth is weaponized and hope is fragile, one spark can ignite a revolution.
Aziryte is a sweeping sci‑fi fantasy epic about found family, resilience, and the fight to protect a future worth believing in — even when the stars themselves begin to fall.
Soltharyn System: Comprised of 7 planets, 4 of which are habitable
Planet Aziryte
Location of the Soltharyn Government. Main features are its blue azurite mountains with copper veins. Connected to the base of the mountains are sacred sites where the population can visit to store and view memories and record the history of the Soltharyn System through a 4th-dimensional connection. Other features consist of forests, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Planet weather consists of four seasons along its equator and most of its northern and southern hemispheres. Ice and snow are perpetually present at its poles.
It is inhabited mainly by humans. Those born on the planet are with or without Mystical abilities; such as telekinesis, and telepathy.
Planet Skauryth
Main features are tropical rainforest jungles, rivers and streams, and oceans. Deserts along the equator. Spring-like conditions at the poles. Rich with rainforest rhyolite stones. Shares a close locked orbit with Aziryte.
Skauryth is home to a mostly reptilian humanoid race. They are very similar to humans in perception, except they have scales, forked tongues, reptilian eyes, and claws on their feet and hands. Those who reside in the rainforests have a green pigment to their appearance. The desert dwellers are tan in color.
Their Mystical powers consist of vine summoning and animal spirit conjuring. Like Aziryte, the people are born with or without abilities.
Planet Voltraxis
Main features are natural steel mountains and pillars. These features attract lightning during it’s year round lightning storms. Other features include large grassy plains with scattered pillars, very large and thick growing trees that have adapted to the storm’s lightning, lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans.
Voltraxis is home to an elf race. Tall and slender, with pointy ears.
Their Mystical powers consist of chain lightning, arc orbs, and lightning strikes.
Planet Nyxael
Main features are its powerful volcanoes, multiple small tropical continents, and islands among its oceans.
Two races reside here. An elf race descended from Voltraxis that migrated to get away from the constant storms. They, on average, are shorter than Voltraxis elves, but make up for the height disadvantage with their speed. The second is a race of rock Golems that has been on the planet since its creation. They are very intelligent, can speak and reason, and serve as protectors of the Nyxael elves.
The Nyxael elves can summon powers from the void and wield them to their advantage. They can create weapons, shields, explosives, or use the void to walk through solid objects. The Golems use their magma interiors to create flames, reaching high temperatures to melt objects, have fissures that allow them to jump, and have the ability to sacrifice themselves in an explosion.
Synarchs
A race of rare beings that come from all Soltharyn civilization. It’s still a mystery how they came to be. The only thing that is known is that they are a product of interracial coupling between each civilization. Not only do the offspring inherit the physical appearance of either one of the parents, but they also inherit the two sources of power from each race. Scientists have yet to recreate the results in their labs. Sometimes there could be hundreds in existence. In other generations, there could only be a few. The hypothesis is that it has to do with the will of the Soltharyn System itself.
Prologue
You would think looking up at the night sky of the planet Aziryte that it was a peaceful harmonious place. The dark purple and pink hues of neighboring nebulae. The scattered twinkling stars. The swirling galaxies. Skauryth on the horizon. One could stare for hours, taking deep breaths, and feel a sense of serenity.
Most of that is true. For 2000 years in the Soltharyn system, all of its planets and inhabitants lived in harmony and prosperity.
A cloud of smoke rose, disturbing the peaceful sky. Its edges curling upwards were periodically highlighted in flashes of purple, azure, crimson, and amber.
Boom!
An explosion shook the ground hard enough to vibrate every muscle and bone in the body. Throwing your stomach in a flurry of butterflies with wings of razor blades. An arrowhead-shaped Soltharyn fighter ship ripped across the sky, trailing a plume of smoke and fire as an Emberfold ship gave a fatal shot of purple void energy, exploding into oblivion. The Emberfold ship pulled up and banked to the right, barely missing the shrapnel and dragging the fiery remains with it.
On the ground, the Wizards and Priests of the Soltharyn system battled against Emberfold troops, exchanging blaster shots of crisscrossing beams of purples, azure, and crimson.
“The shields are down!” yelled an officer reporting to his superiors. Orders came in response, “All teams. Make your way to the concentration buildings.”
Behind the cover of boulders, rocks, and rubble, the front line of Wizards and Priests took a final shot and let their blasters hang to their sides as they built up energy. Then they released. Using telekinesis, the Aziryte troops sent the closest enemies flying back through the air with the push of a hand. The Skauryth reptilians ensnared a few Emberfold soldiers with vines summoned from the ground. Other reptilians conjured white spirits of beasts that tore into the flesh of the trapped Emberfold troops. Their limbs were sent into the air, covering their kin with splattering blood.
Priests of Voltraxis sent electricity branching out from their outstretched fingers, exploding a few soldiers in a rain of blood and entrails. Nyxael assassins threw twin daggers of pure void energy twirling across the battlefield, cutting through and boomeranging until they vanished.
The rock Golem protectors thundered forward as their lava interiors began to glow brighter. They seemed to defy the laws of gravity as they leapt fifty feet in the air, and came crashing down like a meteor; leaving craters and sending Emberfold troops into the air. Upon impact, a ring of fire blasted outward.
Blaster fire continued on the ground as ships battled in the heavens. The gases left behind by destroyed spacecraft were as blue as the Aziryte mountains. The Soltharian class fighters traveled at great speeds, cutting through the dark sky. The pilots relied on their quick reflexes to execute evasive maneuvers as they shot purple lasers at each other.
After two hours, the Soltharyns gained the advantage. The towering one-hundred-foot-tall concrete walls around the Emberfold compound were within reach. Turrets rested on each support pillar one-hundred feet apart. They set their sights on the ground at the Wizards' closest to the main gates.
They began to fire, turning unfortunate souls into clouds of ash. Taking cover, an Aziryte called for air support to take out the turrets. A squad of five Soltharian-class ships responded and broke off from their dogfight and made their way to the wall.
Three turrets turned their attention to the approaching ships and began firing. One of the ships was hit. The flaming ship lost control and crashed into a turret, disabling it. The remaining fighters dropped bombs of purple void energy, exploding the turrets one by one.
After the turrets were destroyed around the whole perimeter of the wall, one of the pilots spoke over the coms, “All clear to breach.”
With thundering steps, two Golems ran towards the twenty-foot-tall steel doors of the wall. They stopped as soon as they reached them and placed their hands on the cold steel. Their cores began to heat up, causing their bodies to glow a pure white.
After five minutes, they finally melted their way through the doors. Emberfold troops were ready on the other side and began to fire. A lucky shot ripped through one of the Golems to its lava core, causing it to explode.
The exploding Golem sent red-hot stones in every direction, crushing through heads, torsos, and limbs of twenty Emberfold soldiers. Lava blood landed on more, burning and melting flesh off. Voltraxis Priests came through next, releasing chain lightning, taking out the remaining troops.
All of the gates along the wall fell in the same fashion. “Outer perimeter is secured.” a soldier reported on the coms. A reply came, “Alpha team, proceed to the command center. All other teams, extract the Mystics and Synarchs from their cells and prepare for evac.”
The Alpha team headed to the command center. The rest of the Soltharyn military spread out among six long buildings housing the prisoners. Soldiers began hacking the locks and entering the cells. The prisoners were dirty, thirsty, and malnourished.
The collars around their necks that negated their ability to channel left wounds and bruises. The prisoners in worse shape were attended to first. One by one, the collars were hacked and removed. The wounded were then sent to the healers for treatment. As talented as the healers were, no amount of magic would be able to save all of the Mystics or Synarchs; leaving some to succumb to their weakness and die.
The Alpha team arrived at the main entrance to the command center. They hacked open the doorway. The entrance and hallways were too small for the Golems to enter, so they stood guard outside. A Nyxael elf looked at her Golem protector who was standing to the right of the entrance.
“Tough luck, bud. We’ll see you when this is done,” she said looking up at him. The Golem responded in a thundering low, baritone voice, “May you be swift and alert.” The two exchanged a fist bump as the team entered with weapons raised.
The hallways and rooms were made out of blue metal. Long white lights illuminated from above. The team spread out into three groups of three. One group went down the left hall, the second group down the middle, and the third group down the right hallway. They cleared each room they met along the way.
The three hallways eventually merged at the end of the middle path, stopping at the entrance of the control room. The room was silent besides the beeps and swishes of computers and sensing equipment…and a low growl. The Nyxael elf placed her hands and an ear to the door. “Voralade.” the assassin whispered as she backed away from the sliding doors. “Four of them.”
“Fantastic…” the Voltraxis Priest said sarcastically, “I’ve been looking to adopt.”
Voralade were wolf-like creatures that were a genetic accident created by the Emberfold to help identify and hunt down Mystics. However, they are more sensitive to seeking out Synarchs. Due to their mutation, they can see the auras. They were bred to be very dangerous. Razor-sharp retractable claws, pointy teeth, a long wrinkled snout, glowing yellow eyes, abnormally muscular, and protective scales with thick long hairs spiking out between the gaps.
The two animals that were combined included a dire wolf from Aziryte, and a Klerkz from Skauryth. The Emberfold scientists made many attempts to combine the two. They infused the genetic makeup with three glass orbs charged with mystical power. One orb was charged with void energy. The second had electrical arc energy. The third was the most disturbing. It contained the spirit of a reptilian from Skauryth.
One of the Mystic reptilians that were kidnapped, at the beginning of the Emberfold movement, was forced to kill one of his own. Later, he was forced to release the reptilian spirit into a glass orb. Multiple attempts at creating the Voralade resulted in multiple reptilian deaths.
The accidental breakthrough came when one of the scientists had a nosebleed. She was a kidnapped Mystic from Aziryte. The drop of blood fell into a tube that contained genetic material. She didn’t bother telling anyone. Her psychic abilities transferred during the infusion process. The resulting combinations translated into a successful Voralade creation.
The comment from the Priest was met with eye rolling. He looked at his team and shrugged, “What?!”
“Let’s bring it back in, people.” the Aziryte leader ordered. “Crex,…” turning to the Nyxael assassin, “…after we hack the door, we will keep it closed. We need you to void walk and recon the room to see exactly what we’re dealing with.” She nodded in acknowledgment.
The door was hacked. “Here goes nothing,” she said as she turned into a purple cloud and phased through the door to the other side.
Through her cloudy purple vision, she saw the Voralade and a figure. He was standing by a desk that had a holographic computer. The holographic screen displayed a countdown already in progress.
Looking past the figure, there were twenty more lined up; ten on each side of the room. They were strapped to tilted tables with wires connected to their heads. The wires lead up to the ceiling to the middle of the room. The bound wires continued down the middle of the room and ended behind computer servers lined up at the back.
Suddenly, the wolves’ growls became louder. Their hair stood up on end. Their sharp teeth began to show in a snarl as they crouched into an attacking stance. “Oh shit.” Crex knew she was in trouble.
With a bark, the Voralade lunged forward into the space with their claws extracted. One wolf landed on the right side of her abdomen. The other wolf landed onto her left thigh. They plunged their teeth in as Crex slowly came into view from a purple cloud.
While screaming, she drew up enough energy to conjure void daggers. She reached down and sliced at the wolf on her leg while she stabbed at the one hanging on her side. Both hits landed, but the awkward position knocked her off balance, causing all three of them to fall.
Immediately, the wolves recovered and leapt again. The wolf that had her side went for her neck and snapped it. The other wolf went back to her leg. It sliced with its razor claws and ripped it off.
The standard chain mail armor was made to protect well enough for blaster shots, but was no match against a Voralade. Spatters of blood covered the immediate area. The other two wolves that were idly standing by joined the feast.
The team waiting outside the room was shocked as they had heard everything over the coms. It was the first time that Voralade was shown to be able to see a void walker, revealing that they had mutated further. All team members drew their weapons. The Voltraxis Priest conjured an arc flash bang and threw it in the room just as the door was opening.
The wolves and the single occupant were temporarily blinded and deaf. The team entered and opened fire upon the wolves. Eliminating the threat, they stopped firing and turned their weapons to the Emberfold leader. “It’s over, Zerron. You’re coming with us!” shouted the Aziryte.
With his bald scarred head, Zerron turned with a devilish smirk. “No… I’m leaving. And the Synarchs will be nothing but a memory—burned from every world.”
The countdown on the computer screen concluded. A thunderous hum built up. The ground shook beneath their feet. The team noticed that the twenty figures behind Zerron were prisoner Synarchs. The Synarchs began to yell in a chorus of pain.
Outside, two one-hundred-foot-tall stone pillars, fifty feet apart, rose from the ground with purple electricity crawling upwards. Everyone outside turned their attention to the sight in shock. The ground rumbled as purple lightning converged at a center point between the pillars, creating a ball of pure void energy. As it grew with a swirl, purple light bathed the battlefield. Evac ships began frantically taking off. Those remaining on the battlefield began to run in a panic.
A rail gun behind the pillars fired, piercing the purple ball. The void bomb exploded, wiping out a three-mile radius. It left behind a crater and a purple mushroom cloud.
Chapter 1
“It shall pass when the Two Wielders will be no more. Idleness and complacency will set in. Old ways will return. The scales will be balanced and the Sun will pour its magic to open the womb for the Two Wielders again to usher in a new era.” -Mosee, High Wizard of the 5th Millennia
…400 years after The Great Nova Extinction…
Aziryte, the third planet from the Sun in the Soltharyn system. A system bathed in radiant arcana. Most major towns and cities are nestled close to a number of azurite mountains around the planet. This is due to their sacred sites, The Memories, in which the population can store unlimited amounts of memories, documents, and history; anything worth saving.
The largest city, and capital of Azirite, is Virelux. It is located in the northern hemisphere in the middle of the Mosee continent. The clean and thriving metropolis is the focal point of visitors throughout the cosmos. They come to visit The Memories, shop, and to conduct business.
In the center of the city stands The Blue Spire; an awe-inspiring structure that was carved from a smaller mountain ten millennia ago. The blue crystal is made from pure crystallized azurite, pointing to the sky like a clear blue icicle that had fallen and landed on its base. To see it lit up at night for the first time could reignite your sense of wonder.
The Blue Spire is where the leaders of each planet converge to discuss matters of the Soltharyn system. It is also where important celebrations occur. An arena was erected 200 yards to the south of the Spire to house the events. It comfortably sat ten-thousand spectators around the perimeter. A circular three-foot-thick stage sat in the middle. It was made of the same azurite crystal mined from The Blue Spires’ original mountain. Tonight, the seats were packed with excited spectators from all over the system. It was the 400th anniversary of The Great Nova Extinction.
The event will be broadcast for all the planets to view. The lineup for the night would begin with music, followed by a devotional from Supreme Servant Dravien Zynraku, and then end with fireworks.
The Great Nova Extinction has been remembered every year since it occurred. It began as a memorial service, but has evolved into a spectacle. Located in the northern region of Mosee, the crater site was to be kept untouched for generations to visit. A hundred-foot-tall concrete rectangular slab stands at its edge to show how tall the wall was. Inscribed on the slab was the story of the battle.
A small town was built at the site to accommodate visitors. It was once a place to visit frequently. After two hundred years, the visits became more infrequent.
Dravien was a human with no Mystical powers, but was powerful in the political world. He led the Soltharyn System the best he could deliberating, finalizing laws, and would make dutifully decisions after consulting with his colleagues; other world leaders.
Dravien and an entourage of leaders, advisers, assistants, and event coordinators headed to a private entrance that led to the arena. The Supreme Servant’s wife, Lunariah was by his side.
The hallway was beige in color. Stretching the whole length of the elegant hall lay a purple runner carpet down the center of a white marble floor. Along the walls were brass candle sconces. Dravien and the group were dressed in their best ceremonial clothes.
Dravien’s outfit consisted of white shoes, white pants, a white slim coat hugging his form, and a silver amulet necklace consisting of a stone from each of the planets. A blue azurite from his home planet, a green rainforest rhyolite from Skauryth, a rainbow tourmaline from Voltraxis, and a black obsidian from Nyxael.
Dravien’s salt and pepper hair was trimmed short and slicked back. His white goatee was properly groomed. Lunariah matched his look with a form-fitting white dress and a duplicate silver amulet necklace. Her salt and pepper hair was slicked back. She donned silver vine bangles on each arm.
“Five minutes before showtime, Supreme Servant.” informed the head event coordinator. “Thank you for the update,” he replied. Turning to his wife with a smile, “You look lovely tonight, Dear.”
“As do you.” She returned with a smile. Their intimate moment was interrupted.
“I do have some, uh, last-minute concerns, sir,” said Dravien’s advisor Raf.
Dravien was a little annoyed by the interruption. Yet, he kept his composure. “What is it Raf?”
“Sir, it’s about tonight. I know it’s the 400th anniversary and all, but numbers show us a major decline in memory uploads in the past couple of years. Even the number of views of The Great Nova Extinction has dropped. The people are starting to think that it never happened in the first place, despite the firsthand memories of the few who managed to escape the blast. Our people are complacent with listening to misinformation rather than doing their own research. We need to…”
Raf was cut off by Dravien, “We need to enjoy the night’s festivities and not worry about numbers. People will remember our past when they choose to.”
“The fact that there hasn’t been a Synarch since, isn’t helping the situation,” Raf replied.
“Do you believe in the Mosee prophecy, Raf?” Dravien asked as the group arrived at a curtain covering the entrance to the arena. He looked at Raf’s concerned face. “I believe The Two Wielders WILL return, Raf. Whenever the universe decides to do so.”
Raf tightened his lip as the curtains opened, exposing the large rows of seats and the shouting applause of the arena. The group of leaders crossed the threshold while turning, waving, and smiling to the crowd. They made their way to their seats and settled in as the band began to play their opening number.
The band was made up of a mixed-race group of talented musicians, playing an upbeat melodic heavy song consisting of distorted strings, halftime beats and breakdowns, electronic sounds, and a symphony to fill out the melody. The song was one to get the crowd going. A perfect starting point for the evening. The crowd sang and danced along to the music.
The band concluded their song and left the stage with a bow. It was now time for Supreme Servant to address the cosmos. He walked towards the stage and stepped into the middle of the azurite circle. Dravien raised his arms to calm the crowd down. Once the crowd was relatively tamed, he began to speak.
“Thank you so much for joining us for the 400th anniversary of The Great Nova Extinction. As we remember this day, let us not forget the brave Soltharyns who sacrificed their lives to extinguish the fires of hate and bigotry towards our Mystic communities. Especially the Synarchs, who were hunted down and thrown into concentration camps, where they endured the most horrific tortures beyond imagination. They didn’t deserve their fate… no non-Mystic and Mystic deserved what happened that day.”
He paused for a few seconds. “The Synarchs are gone and have never returned since. Neither has The Emberfold. To prevent our society from repeating history, we need to remember history. The memory sites will be opened an extra two hours for the rest of the month. I urge all to visit these sites. I leave you today in hope that we continue to move forward in peace, and not complacency. Be good to one another. Thank you so much everyone! Enjoy the show.” He concluded with a smile and raised his arms to his side with his palms up.
The crowd applauded as Dravien walked back to his seat while waving. Soon after, the fireworks began. “You did a great job, sweetie!” Lunariah said as she laid her hand on his arm. Dravien looked at her and kissed her, then returned his attention to the fireworks display.
They were too busy to notice that close by in the crowd, there was a bald man with black eyes and pointy ears staring at them menacingly. The kind of look that said he was up to no good. The man stood up and headed to the exit of the arena.
Once outside, the mysterious man made a call over his coms, “It’s set. Bring them in.” He turned down an alley, leaned against a building, and waited. Soon he was met by another. A reptilian from Skauryth. He handed the elf a pistol.
Emerging from the forest roads surrounding the city were multiple hover cargo vehicles. They rushed towards the city checkpoint gates, gaining speed. The guards took notice. One of the guard's eyes glowed white, then he telepathically spoke to the drivers. “Slow down and stop your vehicles.”
The vehicles showed no signs of stopping. “Slow down or we will open fire.” warned the guards. The cargo vehicles continued to gain speed. The guards opened fire. Red and blue blaster shots ricocheted off the front windshields and frames. The vehicles weren’t stopping. Seeing this, the guards jumped out of the way, narrowly escaping the path of destruction as the vehicles ran through the gates.
The explosions of the fireworks masked the commotion happening at the gates. Racing through the streets and hitting a few pedestrians along the way, ten vehicles converged upon the arena from all sides. Fishtailing to a stop, the back doors of the cargo containers flung open, and a total of two hundred Voralade poured out.
With worried looks on their faces, the elf spoke to the reptilian, “We have to do this. We have to save our families.” The green reptilian nodded reluctantly. They ran out from their hiding spot and joined the pack of 200 wolves. The finale of fireworks was ending as the wolves crashed through the entrances. They jumped, bit, and clawed their way through the crowd of spectators. Groups of Mystics and Golems began to prepare their defense.
The Supreme Servant, his wife, and the rest of the leaders stood in shock at the sight of the swarming wolves. Frozen for a moment, they leaped in a panic towards the executive emergency escape door.
Two wolves leapt and knocked down the leader of Voltraxis and Lunariah. Dravien spun in mid-sprint. “LUNA!!!” he yelled as a security officer grabbed and pulled him through the doorway. “NO! LET ME GO!!” he yelled as he struggled against the officer. “LUNA!!” It was too late to save her. The Voralade bit down on her neck and broke it as Dravien was finally pulled through and the door, which was then closed and locked.
The bald elf and reptilian ran to the center of the arena and jumped on top of the stage. They stood back to back catching their breath. Bodies of wolves and spectators were scattered around the arena in pools of blood.
Once the last of the wolves were defeated and screams subsided, the pair began conjuring their powers. The crowd took notice. From the bald elf came chain lightning and a void bomb. From the reptilian, vine traps followed by a bolt of lightning, striking his trapped prey.
Synarchs! They’ve returned! But why attack? They continued their assault, haphazardly choosing targets. The crowd couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. A group of security officers who had survived the wolf ambush ran towards the stage, guns raised. They fired upon the two Synarchs, dropping them immediately. They continued to the stage cautiously to confirm the kill. The trauma-filled audience stood and stared in confused fear.
Outside of the arena, the cargo vehicles began to explode one by one, killing their occupants.
A week later, funerals and memorials were given, beginning with Lunariah. Later, the rest who had lost their lives the night of the attack were given a devotional.
Live news feeds were broadcast to the planets of the somber events. The news headlines were ones speaking of the return of The Emberfold and Synarchs. Questions remained on how the Emberfold survived for so long without notice. And why were Synarchs with them?
These questions stewed heavily on the minds of the people. The Supreme Servant had scheduled a broadcast to go live in the evening.
Dravien resided in his office, located on the top floor of The Blue Spire. The room was round and the walls were made of see-through crystal azurite. You could see the city lights below, fracturing and twinkling like the stars above.
Along the walls hung holographic pictures of former Supreme Servants of all races. On the wall to the right stood a wooden elvish carved bookshelf. It held ancient scrolls that have been restored and protected from decay.
Towards the left wall was a comfortable beige leather couch. Double azurite glass doors faced directly across his elvish desk. The doors led to a balcony outside.
The floors of the balcony and office were made of the same azurite from the spire, and a silver banister encircled the balcony. On the left of the balcony was a glass elevator leading down to the lower levels. Below Dravien’s office was a meeting room where the leaders congregated to discuss matters of the Soltharyn System.
The office was currently illuminated in two bright white floating orbs, ready for the broadcast. Between the light orbs was a spherical floating camera.
Dravien stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed, taking deep relaxing breaths. Considering he had recently lost his wife, it had been a long hard week for him. Replaying the scene in his mind of losing his love on repeat. Even harder to know, as the system’s leader, was that it is his obligation to upload the events he witnessed to the Aziryte memories for all to see.
He took one last breath and composed himself. He opened his eyes, interlocked his fingers at his waist, and waited for the news special report theme to finish.
“Good evening Sotharia…”
Chapter 2
Holographic screens flashed to life throughout the streets in the cities of the Soltharyn System. A picture of the Soltharyn seal appeared with the theme music playing. Every watchful eye and listening ear drew attention to the broadcast. Dravien began speaking.
“Good evening Soltharia. As you have seen and heard, there was an attack at the 400th anniversary of The Great Nova Extinction celebration at the capital, Virelux, on Aziryte. Ten cargo vehicles carrying two-hundred Voralade barged through the gates of the city and were released upon the arena. The attack left thousands of lost souls behind, including the leader of Voltraxis and my wife, Lunariah, whom I loved dearly. My heart is with the families who have also lost loved ones.”
He paused for a moment. Then continued, “As you may know from our history, Voralade were thought to be extinct; created for the purpose to hunt down Mystics and Synarchs among our civilizations. Since they were created by The Emberfold, it is only speculation that they have returned. We’ve sent out security teams to investigate the matter.”
People in the streets began speaking to each other. After a few moments, their nervousness settled as the Supreme Servant began speaking again. “One part of the tragic event that needs to be investigated as well. Among the pack of attacking Voralade, I can personally confirm that there were two Synarchs among their ranks.”
Cries and yells came from the streets across the whole Soltharyn System. “In our past, they were allies who faced much persecution by The Emberfold, to the point of their extinction. Why were they with the Voralade? Were they recruited by The Emberfold? These are some of the questions that must be answered with further investigation. In the meantime, I urge everyone to stay vigilant.”
“Any information that can be given, please report to the security officers on your respective planets. The persons involved must be held accountable for their actions. If the cosmos chose this time to bless us with Synarchs again, I urge you not to lash out and leave them at peace. This massacre may only have been an isolated incident. Those who choose violence against them will also be held accountable. I leave you now with the assurance that we will do everything we can to make sense of this tragedy. We will keep you updated on our investigations. Thank you, and goodnight from The Blue Spire.”
The floating orb lights dimmed and flew out the double doors, along with the camera. Dravien drew a breath of relief and lowered his head. Immediately, he had flashes of his wife again in bloody carnage.
He shook off the nightmare and headed to the glass elevator. Upon reaching the lower balcony of the conference room, he saw Raf waiting for him. “Everyone is ready, sir” he said as Dravien approached. “Good. You may go now, Raf. Thank you.” Raf nodded and entered another elevator on the opposite side of the balcony, and went down.
Dravien entered the conference room. The decor was similar to his office. In the middle was a round elvish table and chairs where the leaders sat patiently for his arrival. “Thank you for your patience, everyone,” he said as he sat. Starting from his left, the order of leaders was as follows: The male reptilian Slain Cam from Skauryth, wearing his pine green slim-fitting chainmail outfit. Next, the newly sworn-in female elf from Voltraxis, Clarah Oaks, dressed in her slim light blue chainmail robe.
To her right, a nonbinary elf from Nyxael, Weaver Nex, clothed in their black chainmail assassin's outfit. Finally, accompanying them was the Golem leader, Gorix.
Servers left through a freight elevator at the back of the room. They had left behind dinners and water for the leaders. “Let’s get right to it,” said Dravien. “I’d like to congratulate and welcome Clarah Oaks to the table. Our sympathies on the loss of your mentor.”
She nodded in acknowledgment, “Thank you, Dravien. Our sympathies lie with the loss of your wife.” Pursing his lips, he returned a nod. “She was elegant, wise, and loved by all. Her servitude will be remembered.” Clarah finished. “Thank you for your kind words, Clarah.” He paused. “Let’s not let this food go to waste. Dig in.” The group began dining. “Any new updates on the investigations?”
Slain paused from his beetle plate and spoke. “Security teams have found an abandoned base deep in our uninhabited Rexz desert. It was buried deep underneath the dunes equipped with void technology that blocked all sensors. It’s estimated to be about one hundred years old. Two hangers, one was filled with kennels and DNA evidence of Voralade, along with partial data extracted from the destroyed equipment showed that this was the breeding site.” He finished his report.
“How did the security team end up finding it?” Dravien asked. “One of our desert dweller allies informed us of a steel door inside a cave of an inselberg that was used as cover during a skirmish between the jungle and desert dwellers last year.”
“Did anyone bother to check out the door then?”
Slain felt uneasy with the cross-examination. “The informant said they couldn’t stay due to the battle. The door looked old and rusty with no visible locks or any way to open it. They had to get out of there quickly.”
Dravien stared at Slain for a second while chewing on his food. He thought for a moment and decided that it was plausible and gave an agreeable nod. “Okay. How are the peace deals going between your kind?”
Slain felt more at ease after the nod. “Peace talks are going smoothly. We are getting close to an agreement where resources can be shared sustainably. We will help with the desert dweller’s relocation where there is more game to feed themselves. Farmers will be sent to their more fertile lands and be trained on how to harvest. They will become more self-sufficient by this time next year.”
“That's excellent news!” Gorix thundered in his baritone voice. “Call upon me if you require some help with the heavy lifting when the move comes.” Slain smiled, “Thank you, Gorix. You shall expect my call.”
“Excellent!” Dravien clapped. “Is there any other intel to report?” Clarah spoke up. “We have been looking through the systems census data for mixed couples that matched the powers of the Synarchs with male offspring between the ages of twenty and thirty. Two-hundred and five families in total. Digging deeper, we found today, that about three months before the attack, two of those families had disappeared. One from Voltraxis, and one from Nyxael. We first tracked down the family from Voltraxis.”
“Were they known to have any Emberfold ideals or sympathies?” asked Dravien.
“Their home was searched, neighbors and families were vetted. Nothing shows pointing to that fact. The reptilian’s father’s house on Skauryth was burnt down the night of the attack. It was set by an angry mob who recognized his son on the broadcast. No bodies were found in the rubble. So we assume he got out. There was also another reptilian who had vanished the same night, a friend of the family’s. He had quite the arsenal in his jungle house. They were both interviewed about the original disappearance, but the lie detector showed they had nothing to do with it.”
“Is it safe to assume the Synarchs were kidnapped, or are we sure they didn’t willfully join The Emberfold?”
“Upon searching the mother’s home on Voltraxis, there appeared to be signs of a struggle. So it’s safe to assume they were kidnapped.”
“What about the family from Nyxael?”
“The house was clean, no signs of a struggle. Protocol was followed in the vetting process. No evidence of alternative ideologies. Their hover vehicle was found off a remote road in the Jungle of Cane. Blaster marks covered the body, and there were signs of void explosions in the opposite direction of the vehicle's travel path.”
Weaver chimed in, “The local security force was alerted to the explosions, but by the time they arrived, nobody was there. I had them check the sensor feeds for all vehicle activity, but the family’s vehicle was the only one showing. We’ve also checked for any unauthorized space travel. Nothing was found. We think they were using the same technology that was used at the base on Skauryth.”
“On a more curious note, three months ago, both instances happened a day apart. They were also featured in a news report, along with pictures. Take a look.”
Two holographic screens flickered to life above the table showing the stories side by side simultaneously as the group watched and ate. The first story ended and was paused showing a picture lineup of missing people. Shortly after the second story finished, the video paused at another picture lineup. Both screens showed pictures of the arena attackers. The group was shocked and all stopped mid-chew.
“We need to find a motive. Were there any other incidents around that time?” asked Dravien.
“There are some reports of attacks, but the assailants were fought off,” answered Weaver.
“Anything else to report?” Dravien paused and looked around the table. Heads were shaking ‘no’. Pleased with the reports, he smiled.
“Continue turning over every stone so we can get a complete picture. Here on Aziryte, our security forces uncovered a landing zone where two large freight ships landed in a field ten miles west of Virelux. Flattened paths of grass show smaller hovering vehicles splitting off to separate roads where the paths disappeared. They must have destroyed the trucks to get rid of the cloaking devices.”
The group nodded in agreement. “Great intel, everyone. I will give what we have to my advisor to review with our PR department so it can be handed over to the media.”
He took a bite of his food. “Let’s hurry up and finish eating. I have a hundred credits on me winning thee rounds of skeet shooting against Gorix here.” Dravien slapped Gorix on the right arm. Gorix looked at his puny little hand then back to his face. “You’re on, little man.” boomed the Golem.
Aziryte is the debut novel of artist, musician, and new sci-fi author Michael Kemer, as well as the first installment of a series by the same name. Aziryte has strong character relationships, with banter that will suit fans of Firefly, Torchwood, or Critical Role’s The Legend of Vox Machina.
I call it sci-fi, but Aziryte is more of a sci-fi/fantasy blend, with blasters, space ships, and genetically modified monsters, but also mystical powers and prophesied chosen ones. The chosen ones in question are the orphans of war Elarien and Thalorin, now grown. They are a brother-sister pair of Synarchs, which are a kind of magic user (or mystic, as the in-universe nomenclature goes) that has not been seen since a great war four centuries ago.
Everything kicks off with a space-opera flavored terrorist attack on the anniversary of that great war, called The Great Nova Extinction. Supreme Servant Dravien, the leader of planet Aziryte, and his wife Lunariah, fall victim, and Lunariah is killed. The attackers are the reviled Emberfold, the Soltharyn solar system’s enemy in Nova, but with them are the first public reappearance of Synarchs: Aziryte’s mythic saviors, killing innocents alongside the ancient foe.
Elarien, Thalorin, and their eclectic team of reptilian, rock golem and humanoid soldiers cross paths with Dravien as they all try to sway public opinion on Synarchs after the divisive attack. Thalorin clocks insincerity in Dravien, and later events prove that the Supreme Servant's loyalties lie beyond his duty as a leader and a widower. Secrets, corruption and warcraft threaten to separate Elarien and Thalorin, even though they have already lost so much.
Aziryte is a breezy read, short compared to some contemporaries. While the relationship dynamics are engaging and characters like Elarian are boisterous and entertaining, the quality of the prose leaves much to be desired. I found myself taken out of the story often by rushed action scenes and lacking descriptions. I see the vision, and if Kemer wanted to pivot to TV screen writing, he would kill it, but as it is, Aziryte is not for those seeking an immersive reading experience. Imaginative and intricate world-building, however, is abundant.