This chapter will basically answer a common question for this fic. That question, is Tony's species. He is not human, he's similar to one but not exactly human. He's not related to them or a hybrid or anything close. Just pointing that out for all the readers wondering. Here we go.
It had been one whole day for the traveling village. The Elder had them pitch the tents and camp not far from the tainted seas. The Elder as usual was meditating in his tent, searching for any signs of the Doshu'um. He could sense a curious soul nearing his tent, until that presence was outside.
" You may enter Malshuom", the Elder's weak voice called.
The warrior supreme entered the tent and bowed customarily. " Elder", he said.
" Malshuom, I am not the one you need bow to", the Elder said.
" I am not sure who to bow to anymore Elder", Malshuom confessed. He sat across from the old man, the small fire crackling between them.
" I sense the confusion and doubt eminating from you", the Elder told him. " Tell me what troubles you".
Malshuom removed the armor from his torso and gauntlets. " How are we to convince the ruler of Gingri to aid us? We merely bring words with religion, and he answers with men and spears. None have ever heard of the Doshu'um".
" And because you don't know, you won't believe?", the Elder mused. " We bring the word of the goddess herself. This is not petty religion Malshuom, this is the creator of life as we know". Malshuom still wasn't convinced.
" Then who is the Doshu'um Elder? What importance does this one man have?", Malshuom questioned.
The Elder sighed deeply before he rested his back against a bundle of fur. He closed his eyes as he searched for the Doshu'um, but upon finding nothing thought it was best to tell Malshuom. The warrior waited patiently for the old man to speak.
" To answer your question, we must learn from the beginning", he finally spoke. " This was millions of cycles ago. When the seas were clearer than glass and the skies were bluer than Gallot gems. These barren landscapes were vast forests and fertile plains in which we farmed"
" In Gingri, the ruler is ruthless and idiotic. All those cycles ago, there was a better system of rule. With this system, the entire planet obeyed one man".
Malshuom's eyes bulged. " One man?! All of Loki'ir submitted to one man?!", he questioned in disbelief.
The Elder nodded. " Though he had many lesser rulers to help spread his law. He was the Makti, right hand of the Mother. And there was the Doshu'um, son of the Makti. He would become Makti after his father".
" But how was the Doshu'um chosen? And the Makti?", Malshuom's curiosity was growing by the second.
" That I am unsure of. There was a certain trait the son would possess. The Makti would have as many sons as it took to find him. Thankfully the first two or three would bring the Doshu'um. However, during the Doshu'um's adolescence he could be challenged for his right to the throne. These battles were known as Ragnok, and only a Signa could challenge him".
" Elder, you've spoken of these Signa but you have yet to tell what they were", Malshuom pointed out. The Elder chuckled gently at the warriors impatience.
" Ah yes, I forgot. There were two of our kind. Loki'irians such as us, and the Signa. The Signa were blessed children who grew up with strange abilities. They could lift entire buildings, run faster than you could blink, fly as the birds do, heal others and themselves. But they were loyal to one Signa. That Signa, was the Makti".
" So the Doshu'um was a Signa as well, correct?". The Elder chuckled again, glad to see Malshuom was picking up.
" Yes. The Makti was the strongest Signa, for he possessed the power of the past Makti's. The only one who could defeat him was the Doshu'um. That is why during adolescence some Signa challenge the Doshu'um, for it is when he is at his weakest".
" They were all trained from the time they could walk to fight. Just as you were, but they fought viciously. With their power they were able to reach new heights with each battle. And once they reached adolescence their power took form. A Signa would be able to transform, be it they grow more arms or two heads, they changed. And with this transformation they unlocked hidden power".
" Elder". The old man knew what would be asked next. Talk of the power of the Signa often made others contemplate this. " If the Signa fought for the Makti, and they were as powerful as you make them out to be, how is it they disappeared?".
The Elder sighed again and stared into the flame. " Malshuom, if you were to be attacked by another man, would you have a fair chance?".
Malshuom sat up a little. " Assuming we have equal power", he answered.
" Yes. How about a thousand men with your power?". Malshuom raised an eyebrow, seeing as how obvious the answer was.
" Of course not. The first two would have me bleeding before one of them were cut", he said. The Elder turned his gaze back to Malshuom.
" That is what happened to us", he said sadly. " We were at war with another race. They resemble the Garfan. They were called Arthanians, and they were a plague to the galaxy. See there were three of their kind. The first were about the size of a Garfan, we named them Jifof, scouts. The second were Sobalka, soldiers. They were the main unit of any attack they launched. They were our height and about as strong".
" And the third, were Figarao. Alphas. Though they were rare, the possessed power equal to if not greater than a Signa. The reason was that they were soldiers infused with the blood of a Signa".
" So they attacked with an army of Figarao?", Malshuom guessed. The Elder shook his head though. " Then how were we defeated?".
" We had been at war with the Arthanian race for centuries. And at the beginning of that war, we made a pact. Neither would attack either homeworld. For six centuries we kept loyal to that promise, but they did not. It was so sudden we hadn't the chance to fight back. Even our planetary defenses were useless".
" Defenses?", Malshuom questioned. Again, it was a concept Loki'irians were not aware of.
" Large structures that fired energy at landing ships", the Elder explained. " We were a very advanced race, but then and even now we hated technology. Because of our loathing of it, we stored it on Hudored. The only means of retrieving it were to fly with a single ship filled with pilots and bring it back"
" It was shot out of the sky before it left the atmosphere. Without our weapons, the Arthanians came in billions and slaughtered our men and raped our women. We would have won that day if not for one traitor".
" Why would anyone betray their race?", Malshuom questioned. The Elder shook his head.
" Some think the traitor wanted the Makti and his son dead. None really know, except that it was one of the Makti's own son that betrayed him. His name was Jerosh. He was the eldest brother of the Makti's family so he was granted access to our defenses. He must have turned them off so that the hordes could land".
The Elder paused as he remembered all the visions of people screaming and the Defili trees burning. It was not his memory, it was the memories Minira gave to him to carry out her wishes.
" So what happened?".
The Elder took another moment as he watched the Doshu'um being carried away by the Makti. " We were all but wiped out. The Signa bought the children Signa and the royal family time to escape. They fleed to Earth, where they lived in secret. And we were left here, to survive if we could, and here we are".
Malshuom was speechless. He had just learned why it was that the seas were tainted, why there was famine everywhere except for their old home. And why there were no more Signa. But one question was left unanswered. The one he came here for.
" And how are we to reunite with the Doshu'um?", he asked at last. The Elder grinned slightly.
" The ship that was supposed to win us the war, Defaldod. It wasn't destroyed, the shields were severely damaged but the ship itself was intact. When the Arthanians overloaded the shields it lost power and crashed. The soldiers swarmed it and slaughtered the crew, but the ship remained. That is how we are to join the Doshu'um. We will take that ship, and travel to Earth as he did".
" You have yet to tell me about this Earth", Malshuom said. The Elder kicked dirt into the fire, putting it out.
" Another lesson, for another time Malshuom", he grinned. " Go now, rest. Tomorrow we will reach the western sea, and once we cross it we will be at Gingri".
Respecting the wisest of them, Malshuom nodded and exited the Elder's tent. Now that he knew what happened, he was on board. The Elder wasn't crazy, he was doing what was best for not only his village, but for Loki'ir itself. The Doshu'um would end this war, and bring all of Loki'ir together in peace. He laid beside his wife, and drifted off to sleep.