Pendulum in the Autumn

Moddex · Pendulum in the Autumn

This little bit was a snippet out of my RP storyline turned novel. This is chapter 21. I still need to finish it as you will see. The action scene is missing right now. The only real flaw that I can see in my work is that it may be too descriptive, perhaps repetitive in dialog with its descriptions, but I try to make the image in one's head as eloquently visible as possible so as to not let the reader wonder what the surroundings and events are like.

The characters are as follows.

Akira Uzuki, a young Zeilodian who's life has recently taken a dramatic turn, learning a dark past behind himself and his origins as his intended purpose unfolds before him.

Arkx Ledger, brilliant Runologist researcher who had sided with the blue haired youth in an effort to stop the destruction of his race and world. He aids Akira and crew through the use of his powers in Kataga.

Katsuneda Yishida. A Tough, bold, Animas fox. His life as a bounty hunter had brought himself and Akira together. He now follows him after Akira saved his life from an angry band of thugs who wanted revenge.

Ryu Akimoto, Akira's best friend from high school and long time sparring partner. Together, these two are an inseparable force to be reckoned with.

Marylin Everfall, an innocent and caring young Animas Rabbit priestess from the Midic Barrier. Her quest to find the lost codex had Akira involved as they later on discover it was a ploy to fool her people. Together, they break the control the fiefdom, liberating them.

Ephraim. Mysterious and cunning, Ephraim has been leading Akira and his friends through most of their adventures through clues and advice. Looked up to as the kid with the answers, Akira hopes to meet him and learn of the truth of his troubled past.

Moddex, a strange Animas fox inventor who at one point meets Akira privately, leaving him with an unusual riddle he must solve that will unveil his secrets. But who will he trust? This stranger, or the ever guiding adjutant, Ephraim?

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Akira and the group had finally reached the seemingly endless corridor which had once been the gateway for so many previous soldiers who graduated to become guardians of Zeilodia. It is now only a darken, dusty hallway. The steel texture which had once bared a glowing luster now covered in rust and ash. It was as if the war of Zeilodia was also fought within this hallway. If it were, this would be the last place to be defended before the final vestige of defense were lay to waste. Now it stands as a final point before the ultimate confrontation. The climax was here and now and everyone could feel it.

Thunder cracked above and a sudden rush of wind could be felt pushing them forward, as if ushering them to their destination at the eye-emblazoned door. The eye seemed to gaze down on everyone in Akira's entourage. "I sense that whatever has been drawing us here lies beyond this doorway...", Marylin. Everyone nodded with a feel of conclusiveness.

The lack of light in the hall gave a foreboding eminence. The door seemed to be radiating an energy that quickly sent the group's hearts at a flutter. Akira was un-phased by this feeling of energy. He knew too well of what he was about to face and had long since concluded his mind over the magnitude of the situation.

He reached into his shirt underneath his armor vest to retrieve his pendant. It glowed with a radiance, shining blue and accenting the corners and crevasses of his dark toned glove. He reached high towards the massive stone-like door which stood as like monument to them, letting the light of the strange rectangular pendant illuminated the door with its azure light.

Katsuneda had found peace in the low howl of the wind and gloom of the hallway, but not because of his surroundings. He felt for the first time in a long time like he was where he belonged. This was enough to give him closure in the calm before the storm. Marylin was too in a state of peace inspite of her sudden rush of blood from the flow of energy given by the door. She could feel as though she were standing next to those who could really make a change in the world, those she deemed saintly. Ashera, Ryu, and Arkx were all focusing on Akira with anxious looks as he searched the face of the enormous door for some kind of mechanism to open it.

"Found it..!", said Akira with a slight feeling of triumph. He took the pendant and inserted it into the face of the door like a key, from which a spectacle of lights trailed throughout the door in intricate tracks and networks. It was reminiscent of looking at the designs on a microchip as the lights filled all the slotted designs on the door panel until finally filling the eye. As if it gained a life of its own, the eye looked down at Akira in an almost menacing stare, wide and unblinking. Akira froze, staring back up at the stone door. The pupils in his eyes were thin, almost like pin pricks. The light suddenly changed from a cerulean blue to an orange hue almost immediately The eye in the door lifted back upright and closed. The lights all cascaded away, dieing off. Akira looked back at the group with an opulent stare. "Can we get through?", asked Arkx with an expectant expression. Akira paused for a moment. "I'm not sure..."

The door gave a click from inside which caught everyones attention. They watched the door carefully, waiting for another action. One click. Two more. 6. clicks became rapid for a few seconds when finally, the door cracked open from up at the top and sides. It slowly divided into three sections, sliding back into the wall with an orange light pouring in from the openings.The light was more like a fog as dust was cloding the air from within the room beyond, making it difficult to make anything out from within.

The doors settled along with the dust. The room was dark for some odd reason inspite of the orange light filtering into the hallway. A musty light was hanging over what could have been the floor. It too was black like an abyss. It felt like Akira was frozen in place, standing there for what seemed to him like an eternity. He knew, however what must be done and set foot into the room carefully.

Placing a foot down on the black floor, it felt firm. Hexagons of orange light rippled in the wake of his foot landing on the unusual material beneath his boot. The rest followed slowly behind Akira. Tension seemed so thick that one could slice it with a knife. Everyone was looking around high and low to see if they could spot something out of the ordinary. A sudden burst of white lights came from nowhere, filling the room. It was a powerful glow, but it seemed unnatural. Looking for the source was impossible. "Look! The door's gone!", exclaimed Ashera. Ryu looked down, noticing the ground was a transparent black. He tapped his foot forward, noticing the orange heagon ribbles had borders of an unnatural opaque black around them. It was like as if they had set foot inside of a game grid.

"Computer, where are we?", asked Akira into the large open room. "You are in the Sanctum of Autumn. It is the place of graduation for Zeilodia's most honored.", returned a disembodied voice. Akira was silent for a moment, mulling over the response in his head. The phrase returned to his mind. 'In a place called autumn, a pendulum swings. Follow the pendulum, there is an imbalance.' "I wonder...", Akira murmered to himself.

"What?", asked Ryu.

"Remember the message that guy Moddex left for me? 'Follow the pendulum, there is an imbalance'?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It said something about finding the pendulum in a place called autumn. Could he be refering to this place?"

"Maybe... It's not likely though. What could that old crack pot know about this place that we already don't know?"

"There was a weird encoding in the second sentence of his message. All of the letters in the sentences were spaced with the letter I."

"What do you think it meant? A code maybe?"

"Right."

Akira returned his attention to the surroundings of the room, observing its featurelessness. There was no evident walls or objects and it made orienting one's self difficult.

"What's going on?", asked Arkx. "Ask Akira. I think he knows.", responded Katsuneda. All eyes were turned to Akira.

"I think... I think I got it. Those letters... They represent numbers. 6... 4... 9... 5 3 3... 10. It's a code."

"You think so?", asked Marylin, looking hopeful.

"Somehow... It's just got to be."

Akira looked back up, reciting the riddle outloud. "In a place called autumn, you'll find the pendulum. Follow the pendulum, there is an imbalance."

"CONFIRM ACCESS CODE...", retorted a firm, mechanical voice. It sounded like a child speaking through a tin can. Everyone jumped from the sound of the voice. Akira had a look of intent in his eyes, like a fire.

"64953310!"

There was a pause. Once again, tension grew amongst the group.

"ACCESS APPROVED, PLEASE WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS."

At this, everyone cheered in excitement. "Nice work, Akira! It was so good you figured out the code. I feared wouldn't be able to meet with me.", spoke a new voice. It was Ephraim.

"Ephriam! Where are you!?", called Katsuneda.

"I'm up high above the pendulum, watching its followers."

"Ugh, enough with these stupid riddles! We need to find you!", called back Ashera, sounding impatient.

"What could Ephraim mean? I always suspected he was the pendulum... The Imbalance.", replied Marylin in a thoughtful manner.

"My dear, you are mistaken. But I must indeed congratulate you for your hypothesis.", replied Ephraim mocked.

"What!?"

"Sweet Marylin, who have you been following these past trying two weeks? Me, or Akira?"

"Ak--"

"That's right; Akira! He is the Pendulum! The Imbalance!"

Everyone gaped with a stunned expression, starring at Akira. "He is the one who you have been follow, he is the one we call the imbalance! That code that Moddex left for you was no mere set of random numbers, oh no. It was a careful choice of words that can arrange a specific number only you possess. It is your iK level. 6495.3310, your power.", explained Ephraim.

Arkx looked horrified by the mention of the number. He took a few steps back from Akira.

"Don't listen to him, Arkx! Nothing in this world's that powerful..! Now listen here, Ephraim! When I find you, I want answers!", shouted Akira boldly.

"Good! Then we'll be seeing eachother very soon. This room you're in will transport you to your final destination. The ZCOS. But before you can come to see me, I have to make one final test of your powers."

"Does this mean another fight...!?", growled Ashera as she drew her long rifle from it's sleeve. At this, everyone drew their weapons. Before them materialized a massive, sleek machine. It looked more like a generator. Two probes were materialized by its sides. Akira finally drew his katana. It shimmered and crackled with energy as the blade came between his eyes which blazed with a soft light, reverberating it's hum of energy.

"Let's rock..."