The Scales of Epitaph
A Shadowed Stars story that takes place before the events of Book 1.
A look back at the evil side of Josh Broody’s and Cody’s servitude to Epitaph.
By Steven Koutz
The planet is Tinnorl, home world to the Zartarga race. Scarab-like beings in humanoid form. Their chitinous covering, bug-like eyes, and two antennae at the tops of their heads are the main differences. Bug people is a racial slur that most of the Black Guard use to describe them. Many of the Zartargans have come out from their underground cocoon homes to assemble around the landing of a Black Guard Piercer. The Piercer is an assault ship designated for commando crews. The best and most vicious of the Black Guard infantry. The commandos disembarked the assault starship that was three times the size of a schism starfighter. Unlike the standard Black Guard soldiers that donned black armor with dark blue highlights, these specially trained commandos donned only a darker black armor. The assault crews were usually four to six person teams. Each commando squad was designated with a specific call sign. There were six troopers in this team identified with the call sign, Vamp’s Coffin. They surrounded the piercer with rifles at the ready as a seventh man exited the craft. He wore standard Black Guard armor, only with purple highlights and a long purple cape. He wore no helmet. He was a Caucasian human with long brown hair that ran down past his shoulder blades. His name was General Josh Broody. His brutal reputation as the Dark Lord Epitaph’s clenched fist preceded him.
The leader of the assembled Zartargan people approached nervously. He introduced himself with the closest translation being Zxzzxz and apologized that the stolen Book of Prophecy was unable to be retrieved. He stated that Zzxxiz had been killed before they could recover the book. Josh displayed a look of annoyance and disappointment. He declared that this excuse was unacceptable. He asked how this information was going to be delivered to Dark Lord Epitaph that would not result in a termination order of Zxzzxz, that he would have to execute personally. Silence engulfed the two of them. General Broody broke the silence with a deep and sincere tone. He said that he did not wish to terminate any more of the Zartargans, including Zxzzxz and his sect. Sect was another Zartargan term for family. Even through the insect facial features, the shock of receiving such a statement was shown. General Broody had true pain in his voice. He stated, “My hands are tied here my friend. You and your sect, as well as Zzxxiz’s sect must pay for your failure and it will not rest on Zzxxiz at all. We both know that he never took any of these resolutions into account before trying to hide a Book of Prophecy. That single act alone is labeled as one treason and sedition.”
Zxzzxz pleaded with General Broody for mercy. He pointed out the fact that he had always supported the Black Guard and the Dark Lord Epitaph. He noted just a few incidents that he had aided with information that led to the crushing of rise ups and rebellious acts. General Broody shook his lowered head from side to side. He stated, “I know how valuable your loyalty has been and it pains me more than you know. As you do know though, failure cannot be tolerated in these matters. This one failure will not show well to our dark lord.
General Broody then received a personal comm from Dark Lord Epitaph. He stepped away from Zxzzxz and reported on the situation. He seemed troubled by the response. His clearly desperate plea was even delivered in a loud voice. “My lord, I really feel that although not normally given, in this case with all that Zxzzxz has given and his continuous value in your service that we should enact mercy this one time.” He looked directly at Zxzzxz and shook his head again in a side-to-side motion. He then continued in his conversation with the dark lord, “I do not agree that it is wise my lord but I yield to your better judgment as always.” General Broody closed the comm and walked back to Zxzzxz. He stated that they had a small window of reprieve. He informed him that Dark Lord Epitaph would consider his plea for mercy in person. Zxzzxz was surprised and gratified simultaneously. General Broody did not share any relief on Zxzzxz’s end. He stated that the best option would be to find the Book of Prophecy and he had two rotations to do so.
General Broody called for an encampment to be set up. The commandos wasted no time in question and began to set an encampment around the piercer. He then turned to Zxzzxz, “I need to hold your two daughters in the awaiting time. I expect them brought to me within the ara and after that, I do wish you good fortune in finding that book my friend.” Another shuttle landed and a brown furred werewolf creature disembarked. He was a Canian and servant to General Broody. The general then introduced his servant, Cody. He stated that Cody would go with Zxzzxz on his recovery mission for the Book of Prophecy. He then added, “I really have done all that I can for you my friend and Cody is my best insurance for your success. Remember, if you succeed, we will both be saving Zartargan lives today.”
A rotation had passed, time measured as a day in Earth terms. Zxzzxz had assembled a search party of Zartargans and Cody had taken position at the side of Zxzzxz. The Zartargans communicated in a language of rapid squawks and clicks of varying lengths and tones. It was a language extremely difficult to master. Cody, even with his translator device was only able to interpret partial sentences. He relied heavily on Zxzzxz’s fear of Epitaph and General Broody to honestly fill in the communication gaps. They had searched through many underground cocoon-like locations that Zzxxiz had traveled through. Cody continued to remind Zxzzxz of the depleting time that they had to find the Book of Prophecy. The constant reminders were intended to rush the mission along with a sense of urgency. They did as they were intended. Zxzzxz would not let any of the Zartargans under his command rest. The search continued to grow in aggression even to other Zartargans believed to have aided Zzxxiz. Those that were beaten, were then forced back to their feet as Cody clipped the antennae from the tops of their heads, which forced them to stagger away with an unbalanced footing. Zxzzxz was clearly troubled by the forced torture of his own people. He pleaded for mercy onto deaf ears. Cody reminded Zxzzxz that his mercy was that he and his family were alive for one more rotation.
It was aras into the next rotation when three Zartargans rushed to Zxzzxz’s side with the lost Book of Prophecy. It was thick and bound with rigid design patterns on tight leather covering. The edges of the pages appeared tattered, and there was even a latching clasp with the prophets’ insignia of an eye inside three spiral circular formations. The symbols on the binding indicated the name and number of the volume. There was no time to question where it had been recovered from. Zxzzxz called for one of the cross winged aerial combat vehicles of the planet. It had only hovered above the black soil ground to allow Zxzzxz and Cody to jump aboard. Cody was hailed over the comms that Dark Lord Epitaph had arrived. Cody reported that they were in possession of the Book of Prophecy an in route.
The aerial combat vehicle made it to the Black Guard encampment site in a matter of aras. Many schism starfighters now surrounded the piercer and a newly arrived shuttle with heavy armor plating. The aerial combat vehicle landed within the assembly. Zxzzxz jumped out just before the vehicle’s touchdown and went into a dead run toward the commandos that now guarded the Dark Lord Epitaph’s shuttle. General Broody walked down the boarding ramp behind his dark lord.
Epitaph’s appearance was terrifying. He was thin with a wiry build in basic humanoid form. He donned no helmet and a variation of the Black Guard armor. It was all black, and he accented it with a dark-blue belt line that ran along both sides of his waist but stopped at the front and the back to allow the black color a free flow. Across his chest area stretched a dark-blue sash. His black cape had a stiffened collar that ran up the back of his head that wrapped around to the edges of his face. His arms were exposed from the elbows down, and they were layered in hard green scales. His hands were much the same but were adorned with three-inch-long, sharp, daggerlike nails. His head and face were of hard green scales as well. His lisping voice was hosted by a long, red-forked tongue that flicked from his mouth, much like a snake on Earth. He also seemed to have sharp teeth and digestive glands that throbbed from his neck as he swallowed a small pig-like animal whole. His ears were short and pointed, and his eyes appeared as if they were filled with fire. His forehead was ruffled with evenly spaced ridges. He appeared much like a race called the Niqs with the exception being one long, straight, and gray unicorn-style horn rested in the center of his forehead. He watched as Zxzzxz rushed toward him and quickly knelt with the Book of Prophecy held above him as an appreciative offering.
Epitaph’s reptilian grin grew wider as his red forked tongue twitched side to side in excitement. General Broody stepped to Epitaph’s side as he took the Book of Prophecy and verified that it was legit. He reminded Epitaph that mercy was granted if it was returned in time. He followed with an almost nervous and desperate tone that stated Zxzzxz had delivered as promised in the allotted time. He looked toward Epitaph with a shaky glare. It was as if he was hoping that Epitaph would honor the mercy he had granted. His nervousness was that he feared Epitaph would not. He had served as his general for a long time and had never witnessed mercy from his master. General Broody seemed to have a fondness for Zxzzxz. He lowered his head and stepped away. Epitaph spoke, “Mercccy! Your Mercccy wasss granted.” A pause of relief rested over everyone, especially General Broody. It was a short pause. Epitaph continued, “Your failure in the firssst placcce, however cannot be ignored. I do hope you and your daughtersss enjoyed your extra rotationsss.” There was instant begging and pleading from Zxzzxz. It was spoken too fast to be interpreted by translators. Epitaph spoke, “Sssaiyai lisssithth ffleesss copsssnaithth!” Zxzzxz, as a result, instantly clutched at his chest and collapsed to the black soil surface in obvious pain. Epitaph’s head tossed back and his mouth stretched open extremely wide. Zxzzxz’s chitinous skin began to disintegrate away in burning flame. Once it was gone, the muscle tissue did the same as he twitched on the ground with a cry of agony. As Zxzzxz suffered, his blood materialized and gushed from Epitaph’s open palm to form a pool at his feet. Simultaneously, Zxzzxz’s bodily organs began to materialize one by one in the widened and opened mouth of Epitaph. Each organ then fell one after the other down inside Epitaph’s bulging throat and disappeared into the digestive system. The brain was the last to go so that the victim would be aware that it was being devoured.
There were a few Zartargans that attempted a rush forward in response to defend their leader. They were gunned down by the commandos and Black Guard soldiers. The action caused the rest of the assembled Zartargans to disperse in panic.
When the incident concluded Epitaph gave the order for the Vamp’s Coffin commandos to execute as many survivors in the immediate area that could be found. He then turned to General Broody and asked if the daughters of Zxzzxz had been executed. After the general’s confirmation, the Black Guard soldiers followed Epitaph up the boarding ramp. Moments later, the Vamp’s Coffin commandos reported to General Broody that the area had been cleared. General Broody boarded the piercer assault ship after the commandos and as it lifted off the surface following Cody’s shuttle, he had one final thought.
It was more of a memory than a thought. General Josh Broody had taken the two young daughters of Zxzzxz to an underground cocoon outside the confined zone. It was there that he placed them in the care of another Zartargan sect to keep them safe.
The End
