Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (best novels to read in english .txt) 📗

“Jaxx,” said Zara, her eyes fierce. “Trust me. Trust your team. We won’t let you down.”

Jaxx nudged Fox, seeing if he’d wake. He didn’t. And why, out of anyone, should Jaxx trust Fox? The guy wanted to leave Rivkah to the Kelhoon, to leave her to her death in order to have a fight with Slade, and that was no less than ten minutes ago.

“Fox has done more for you on this moon than you can imagine,” continued Zara. “He has his internal wounds, his anger issues, but he happens to care for you, even if he doesn’t know it. He has your back, and I say this knowing he tends to bring drama all the time. Again, trust me.”

The craft jostled as it touched down. The ramp vibrated and opened.

Jaxx touched his phaser and walked toward the ramp. “Kiyo-zan, care to join me?”

“Hai, Kuru.” Kiyo-zan jumped up, his cape whipping when he spun to face Jaxx. Zara tossed her bamboo rifle at Kiyo-zan and in one quick motion, he caught it and strapped it over his shoulder. He bowed. “Arigato Gozaimasu.”

Okbak grunted, his foot still caught between the two seats, the restraining belt wrapped around his lower leg. “You have caused a war between the Kelhoon and Agadon.”

That’s what Jaxx wanted. He wanted to tell Okbak that he was glad a war between the two races was underway. The Kelhoon were pricks and so were the Agadon. It was that simple. They both deserved to blow the shit out of each other. But he needed the Kelhoon on his side to fulfill a prophecy. Without the Kelhoon, it would be impossible to close the pyramid network, and open it back up. “I’m sorry, Okbak.” He wasn’t, but Okbak didn’t know any better.

“I’ve sent all troops en-route to the battle. None will bother you in this city. I can’t afford that. After you do what you need to do here, you will leave this city and this moon and go home. You have no claim on Callisto. It is ours.”

Jaxx didn’t argue. Although he wouldn’t give this world to anyone the likes of Okbak, there was no point arguing about it. After all was said and done, he would fight alongside the Atlanteans for their right to this moon.

Jaxx nodded and rushed down the ramp. Kiyo-zan followed him.

The warmth of the outside terraforming lamps touched his skin when his feet hit the concrete outside his ship. Up ahead was the skyscraper and they ran up the stairs to the entrance and threw open the glass doors. Their boots clanked on the lobby floor—a lobby filled with exotic potted plants, a reception desk, and fancy couches and fancier chairs.

Jaxx closed his eyes and scanned the area. It carried him deep under the building until he came to an enormous cave-like facility. Slade was down there, moving around. Another energy signature accompanied Slade and both energy signatures were in a hurry. They had to know Jaxx was coming, and soon.

“Over there.” Jaxx motioned toward a few elevators. “But what am I going to do when I get down there?” He had to get to Slade. The guy had done his best to eradicate Rivkah. It was time for his own eradication.

Jaxx halted for a moment. Maybe Slade knew what Rivkah was talking about. The children? Maybe that’s why she was in the city in the first place?

“Kare o tsukamae, kare o tsuki kara hanareru,” said Kiyo-zan, reaching the elevator.

Jaxx pressed the down arrow. “You think we should capture him and get him off the moon?” Then what? Interrogate him about the children? Next, throw him out in space so he won’t hurt anyone anymore? All of this was easier said than done. This was Slade. If he had to kill the guy, then so be it. If he could capture him to glean some information, then so be it as well.

The elevator door dinged and opened. They stepped in and the elevator quickly descended, making its long journey into the depths of the moon’s upper crust. The elevator dinged a second time.

Cool air swept across them as the elevator opened up. They took their first footsteps out of the elevator, and a pale light highlighted the cavern. The cavern wasn’t a cavern though, like Jaxx thought it would have been. It was a dome with smooth ceilings, smooth walls, and a smooth floor.

He put his hand on Kiyo-zans chest when he saw it, stopping the Taiyonian in his tracks. “What in the world?”

A big pyramid, mirror black, sat smack dab in the middle of the facility.

Kiyo-zan lifted his arm out in front of him and his gold bracelet around his wrist made a snapping sound, simultaneously materializing a shield.

A clank came from inside the pyramid and echoed across the dome. Kiyo-zan went into a defensive stance, gesturing for Jaxx to stand behind him.

Someone was inside the pyramid, doing God knows what. With one sweep of the room’s energy field, Jaxx could see that Slade and the other guy occupied it, but it didn’t take a genius to figure that out.

Jaxx and Kiyo-zan quietly walked forward. Jaxx put his hand on Kiyo-zan’s back, “Back up.”

Two giants, no less than twenty-feet tall, stood at the pyramid’s doorway, spears in hand. Their eyes were closed and they breathed as if they were in meditation.

Jaxx tugged Kiyo-zan’s upper cape, and took a few more steps back. The giants disappeared as if they had never been there. They took a step forward. And, just like before, the giants stood next to the pyramid entrance.

“You’re going in and out of a higher octave, Jaxx,” said Slade, walking out of the pyramid. He had a strange-looking sword in his hand—a gold, shining hilt, a straight, long blade extending up through the middle, with two blades intertwining around the straight blade. Slade winked, running his finger up the broad portion of a blade. “In other words, once you pass that point you just passed, you’re in a higher