Streaks of Purple Saga Volume One - Heather Ray (phonics reader .txt) 📗

and nodded his head in deference.

“Welcome back, Scorpina.”

The young woman tossed him a flirtatious wink. “My, my, Goldar…promoted to Palace Guard duty so quickly! I only last saw you thirty years ago, and you were still in the dungeons.”

The Titan warrior grunted at the memory. “As there is no bridge across the moat, only servants with the ability of flight will do. But, if I were only given a chance, I know I would be given command of my own fleet!”

“A general? You do aim high. And I’m sure you shall succeed.”

Goldar’s smile only widened at the compliment, and he reached his hand to hers. “May I escort you to the Palace?”

She took his offered hand without hesitation. “Please do. And you’d better call someone else to keep guard of the Palace gate. You should hear the news I bring of the Shadow Empire.”
Chapter Two

Sequestered within his enormous library, the twenty-eighth ruler from the House of Zhept hunched over an ancient grimoire. Silver-tipped fingers gently leafed through the tattered pages, and skimmed along the text with purpose.

Somewhere in here must be the key to defeating Umbriel…

The bare muscles of his face folded beneath his platinum grid mask. While so far the Shadow Empire had left Zedd and his relatively small empire alone, that was certainly temporary. Zedd was a young monarch, ruling his native planet Phlegethon and the rest of the solar system after the death of his father. However, the bold young wizard was determine to reach further than a mere solar system. He was destined to rule the universe…and Destiny can only be delayed for so long.

If only he could find some means to defeat the mysterious magic of the dread High Lord, a god amongst mortals! Without preparing for that certain confrontation, Zedd was wary to venture outside his own system. In fact, with the exception of a handful of spies he sent to scour the universe for secrets, his entire power was contained amongst five meager planets.

He knew that would change soon.

Zedd started when the sound of heels against cold steel met his ear. His visor flared in crimson fury as twin peaks of silver hair poked from behind a bookshelf.

“How dare

you enter my Study!” he growled, his deep voice echoing through the wide chamber. The woman cringed, immediately falling to her knees, casting her maroon gown in an airy bubble around her hidden body.

The young woman bowed her head, humbly touching her forehead to the ground, despite the cumbersome head ornament she wore. However, while her body was bowed with humility, her dark, narrow eyes flashed with indignation and mute defiance.

“My apologies, Lord, for the interruption,” she said meekly, “but Scorpina has returned with an update.”

The Emperor glared down at the messenger for a moment longer before disregarding her completely. Taking long strides, Zedd marched out of the chamber towards his audience room.

Once his footsteps faded out of earshot, Rita Repulsa rose to her feet, straightening the folds in her gown while casting a furious glare in his direction.

“Spineless, skinless, arrogant…” she hissed under her breath, “simpleton!”

She fumed as usual, detesting her own fate. She, a crowned princess and trained sorceress, was sold into Lord Zedd’s service by her own father in order to cement the treaty between the two empires. Of course Master Vile, despotic ruler of the entire M51 Galaxy, was in very little danger of facing the Shadow Empire. Several galaxies stood between them. She fumed as usual, detesting her own fate.

Still, Master Vile had faith that brash Zedd would eventually establish a foothold in the Milky Way Galaxy, and by creating an alliance with Phlegethon he insured himself a piece of it.

Rita was powerless to defy her father, and was sent to Phlegethon at the signing of a contract. She would serve Zedd faithfully…no matter how detestable and humiliating such service would be. However, she was guaranteed a position of power. She would be his High General, the highest position granted to one outside the royal family. But so far, that position was completely meaningless, and would remain so until Phlegethon attempted to expand.

Chapter Three

The Emperor sat in his concrete throne, tapping one hand’s fingers against the armrest, while clutching his beloved Z staff in the other. At his nod, the large double doors slowly parted, allowing entrance to Scorpina, who strolled into her master’s presence with confidence that could only accompany a tremendous announcement. She was closely followed by Goldar, who stepped to the side and bowed to the throne.

The Arachnid slid to one knee at the base of the throne, elevated over a yard off the ground by a series of concentric, slowly shrinking slabs of black marble.

“Deliver your report,” Zedd pronounced, wasting no time with greetings.

“Rumors are flooding over the Empire, my Lord: the High Lord has been defeated. The Eltarian he was hunting assembled an army called Power Rangers. They have a strange and unknown power source, and were able to slay Umbriel.”

If Zedd’s hidden jaw were capable of falling to his chest, it would have. Instead, a shocked silence froze the youthful monarch in place, fingers twitching as possibilities swam through his mind.

“The Empire is collapsing,” Scorpina related. “The news of the Emperor’s defeat, as well as the crumbling of the Earth kingdom, has given hope to hundreds of colonized planets.”
Zedd’s eyes gleamed as a fierce excitement unlike anything he’d experience swelled within. This is it

! Umbriel is dead! Now is my opportunity to sweep in and fill the void of power. The chaos will leave thousands of star systems ripe for the picking!

Rita’s high-pitched voice interrupted his musings. “Isn’t there a successor to the throne?” she demanded. “I thought Umbriel had a son.”

“Filiel has not been accounted for,” Scorpina responded, “but even he does not compare to the power of his sire. He is far too young.”

“It must be some sort of fluke,” Goldar grumbled from his corner. He felt the stares of Zedd and Rita for even raising his voice, but he refused to remain silent. Now was his chance to show his intelligence, and perhaps earn some respect in the eyes of the monarch.

“My Lord,” he decreed, “Earth is inhabited by a very weak dominant race. They only live some seventy years at most! It has been under the heel of Umbriel for a millennium. How could they rise to defeat him?”

“That Eltarian mage must be pretty powerful,” Rita commented.

“Then our first prerogative to gain control of this…Earth.”

All turned to Zedd, expression of surprise on their faces.

“But Lord…if Zordon and these Rangers are so powerful to defeat the Shadows, what can we do…?” Goldar asked.

“Ah, but Zordon was killed in the battle, as was the leader of the Rangers,” Scorpina reported. “The two other Eltarians had died centuries ago, so only six humans remain.”

Lord Zedd angled his head toward Golda. “You say humans live for only seventy years or so?”

“More or less. At least, that is what I have studied.”

The Emperor rose to his feet, commanding the undivided attention of all present. “Then we will wait a full century before we attack. Then, the Rangers taught by Zordon will be dirt in the ground. Any new Rangers will lack the mentoring of that Eltarian, as well as any valuable experience in warfare. The planet will be virtually defenseless.” His hard gaze turned. “Rita, you will lead the assault on Earth.”

A cold smile grew on her lips.

Zedd then turned. “And Goldar, you shall be her general.”

Goldar grimaced at the very thought of directly serving the erratic princess of M51…but it did mean a weighty promotion, and a chance to prove himself to Zedd. “As you command, my Lord.”

Chapter Four

He tumbled in a strange darkness for an unknown amount of time.

Could it be minutes? Hours? Centuries? More…?

In the vortex, he could not tell time nor space. It was a constant state of dizziness that swallowed all his senses, sending him into a whirling limbo of complete and utter confusion.

In a desperate attempt to keep some hold on sanity, he tried to pull his consciousness out of the present, and dwell upon the past. He recalled the bright morning on O’peth, several years after his rebel unit had hidden themselves there to recuperate after the desolation of most of Eltar. That morning, a surprise guest was received.

The Queen herself.

Zordon was struck at the sight of her. She always stood beside her Lord, cold and contemptuous as she launched attacks at his whim. Now, she looked frail and drawn, her eyes wide with terror and glistening with unshed tears. Her body was still wrapped in bandages drenched with blood, that seeped even onto the armor of the armored hero that carried her…but she refused treatment until she was able to speak.

In her hands, pressed tightly to her chest, was a shard of crystal, gleaming with energy, different colors swirling within.

He could never forget her strained, desperate words. “This is the…key to your survival! Tap the powers of this stone…turn its power against Umbriel. Please…”

“Why should we trust you?”

one of the King’s advisors sneered. “You have much