The Spider Queen

Chapter 284: The Book Of Ka\'lreia

(Planet Secriaum- Headquarters of the Hyperion Order)

(Book of Ka’lreia)

What is light?

A simple question with an even simpler answer.

Light… is life.

It is what grants the gift of vitality to the numerous floating rocks aimlessly wandering through the vast expanse of space.

There are powerful beings who exist beyond the walls of this reality. 

With strength that cannot even be imagined.

And monstrosities so horrifying that are mere glimpse at their appearances would be enough to plunge a normal mind into the depths of insanity.

The founder of our order was able to receive a message from one of these beings. 

Fortunately for future generations, the life experiences of our founder were well documented.

He was a runaway slave from a region of space now known as the Earth Federation. 

However, in those times… it was called the Draxi Empire.

Those slave masters are now little more than memories to be forgotten while their once humble servants rose up and are now repeating their same mistakes.

The being that the founder encountered was an ancient one who went by many names across different cultures and time periods.

Humanity called him Apollo, Qreana named him the Lightbringer, and our kind simply referred to him as father.

What was this being?

He was the sun itself.

The warmth that allows our crops to grow, the oceans to flow and the light that illuminates the endless darkness.

It was said that after witnessing the Sun God, the founder became blind for the rest of his life. 

His eyes were burnt into charred remains and no healing potion could treat his injuries. 

The price one pays to meet these ancient beings is always steep.

It was the founder’s honour to receive the care that the merciful Sun God provided, and he left the encounter with his life still hanging on by a thread.

I write down these words for the future generations of the order.

The mission given by our Lord must not be forgotten.

In times of despair…. the universe needs hope.

All races are inherently sinful. Perhaps it is in the nature of mortality. One cannot be perfect or without flaws.

Even those species that boast of their so-called ‘enlightenment’ with their long lives and endless knowledge are nothing more than fools clinging to false notions.

Only the light of the sun god can burn away the sins of his children.

Envy, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony and Wrath are all hidden within the hearts of every species.

As a knight of the Hyperion Order, it is your mission to root out evil wherever it festers and spreads.

You must be brave and courageous. 

However, these emotions must not drive your actions. 

To become a true knight of the order requires sacrifice.

From the moment that helmet covers your face, you cease to be your former self. Now you are a servant of the Sun God.

A righteous light that will burn brightly and give hope to those suffering and in need of assistance.

The ritual we use to the cleanse the sinner of their sins is called the ‘Great Salvation.’ Outsiders will mock our religion for being callous and cruel.

They will call us madmen or lunatics. For we are prepared to sacrifice thousands innocent souls rather than let a single guilty one go unpunished.

But you must always remember that this ritual is nothing more than an act of kindness. The burning flame gives these heathens a chance to join the court of the Sun God.

Still there are other tasks to complete. 

Every few hundred years, the Sun God will issue new commands through the oracles at the Delphi Temple.

When that time comes… it is your responsibility and duty to answer the call.

I pray that the Sun God will bless you with the strength to do what needs to be done.

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“Bishop Ra’rean am I disturbing you?” a soft voice respectfully called out to the creature crouched over a table.

The alien was wrapped in a white robe with the illustration of a golden sun painted on the center of the garment.

An expensive golden chain wrapped around the alien’s neck with strange symbols carved into its outer surface.

His features were vaguely aquatic in nature with a slender humanoid physique and gills on the sides of his neck.

Bishop Ra’rean allowed the question to echo through the empty library but continued to write as if he could not hear.

Nothing was more important than to continue documenting the history of the order for future generations.

Now more than ever, the new recruits joining the order needed to know about the history and mission of the group.

In recent years, it seemed as though the pope wanted to move the Hyperion Order in a new direction which immediately raised alarms with the elders of the church.

Fortunately, the pope’s grand plans did not come to fruition, but it was enough for Bishop Ra’rean to become greatly concerned.

He decided to personally assume the responsibility of training and indoctrinating the new batch of recruits.

One minute passed….

Then five minutes….

Then twenty minutes…

The knight who spoke up did not even dare to show any hint of dissatisfaction on his face as the time slowly passed without a response.

Bishop Ra’rean was known for his short temper and weird behaviour so it was expected that he would not be happy when interrupted.

“What is it?” Bishop Ra’rean did not look up from his desk but finally replied to the knight standing motionlessly a respectful distance away.

“I have received word from Captain Dawn sir!” the knight bowed and hurriedly placed a tablet in the bishop’s hands.

“Withdraw,” Bishop Ra’rean muttered coldly as his slimy fingers stroked the silvery-grey tablet with an expression of ecstasy.

The knight bowed respectfully and then walked out of the library with his hands shaking ever so slightly.

Bishop Ra’rean read through the message on the tablet and could not stop the small smile from flashing across his lips.

Finally.

The plant had been found.

This was the new mission given by the Sun God and it had led that Hyperion Order on a twenty-year hunt until its location was discovered to be on some unknown planet in a sector near the frontier region.

And there was even some extra news at the bottom….

Bishop Ra’rean’s faint smile gradually turned into a heavy frown as he read the description of the new member that Captain Dawn recommended.

A human female roughly between the ages of six to ten? 

Was the brainwashing performed on the captain beginning to wash off? 

Bishop Ra’rean shuddered as he still remembered those terrible eyes that promised a sea of carnage.

That day…

The man once known as Jason Porter should have died as soon as his sword pierced through the hearts of his beloved daughters.