Free Naero's War: The Citation Series 3: Naero's Trial by Mason Elliott Page B

brought before you. This evil is of the same enemy that you fought and vanquished long ago, through your wisdom and great valor. Now we, your beloved children, whom you nurtured, and protected, and sacrificed for so many ages ago, face those same foes, those same evils, and you are no longer here to protect us.”
    Silence.
    Naero drew closer with her twin burdens.
    She continued speaking. “We need help. These foes are too powerful. They are beyond us. We need guidance. We need knowledge and assistance to defeat threats such as this. I know that we are not worthy of knowing all of your mighty knowledge, wisdom, and secrets. But please, I ask only that you help us with what we face now. Millions of lives on this one planet alone are at risk of being snuffed out by this vile and insidious infestation. If there is a cure, a defense against this evil, please tell us what it is or help us find it!”
    She knew that all of this was a vision within her own mind, but it still seemed so very real.
    As she approached the barrier with the essence of the G’lothc possession wyrm held out before her, what seemed like a million out-thrust hands, palms out, morphed out from the surface on long, tube-like arms to drive her back.
    Naero pulled away and turned.
    The same hands that had spurned and defied the wyrm reached out even further to gently caress the glowing essence of the child.
    She stepped back and called out again, “Help us! We removed this parasite from this child. If we revive her, she will die screaming. Tell us what we can do to save her.”
    The multitude of hands withdrew.
    Naero suddenly saw two raised platforms behind her. She placed the wyrm on one and the child on the other and then strode before the barrier once more.
    She placed both hands against its humming, resonating surface.
    She heard those same three words once more. But instead of thundering this time, these seemed to whisper and echo repeatedly around her.
    Unbalanced…
    Ignorant…
    Unworthy…
    “I don’t care. That doesn’t matter. Do you hear me, whatever the hell you are? None of that matters. I don’t matter. But that innocent child and the lives of millions of other innocent people just like her do matter. If there is a way, tell me how to save them!”
    Nothing.
    “Then what good are you? What good is all of your vast knowledge and wisdom, if it cannot save people who are in dire need? Why do you even exist if you cannot save or help others?”
    The voices stopped.
    Two hands pressed back against Naero’s and a small green creature stepped out from the barrier and walked her backwards.
    Naero gasped.
    It was a Kexx. Or at least the replicant of one.
    By all appearances, in her mind the creature seemed incredibly real and lifelike.
    Haisha. So, this was a Kexx.
    Finally, someone shorter than her.
    At least by a hand or more. Huzzah.
    She was female. Naero somehow knew that even without biomancy. She was sleek, strong, and well-formed with a short, slender, agile tail that did not touch the ground. Her body was a perfect blend between humanoid and reptilian, with a large skull and balanced features. Her face was definitely reptilian, and decidedly not human-like, with large, independently blinking and nictitating green eyes. The Kexx actually had a short, lizard-like snout filled with small, omnivorous white teeth.
    Even when she did not show her teeth, she looked as if she were either grinning or smiling at something clever. The Kexx were not unpleasant to look at.
    Her hands were dexterous and five-fingered, with an opposable thumbs. She wore no clothing. Her body was covered with a sleek, flexible, form-fitting skin of a light green color, with a pale, whitish-green underside of opalescent scales.
    Naero tried biomancy, but this was all simply taking place inside her mind. None of what she was experiencing had a physical reality in her imagination.
    Her Kexxian counterpart spoke to her. “I am Orean. My recorded essence has been awakened to