Trance looked down and to his surprise his shirt was buttoned one button off. He smiled and unbuttoned the shirt and buttoned it back up correctly. He then went to the living room and looked out, lost in thought. What would the future hold? What would it be like to be a Golden Griffin? In just a few months he would be away from his family at training. Suddenly loneliness caught up to him. Absorbed in these thoughts he did not notice the approach of his mother.
“Good morning,” she said as she put her arm around him and pulled him to her.
A tear slid down his cheek as he embraced her. Quickly he wiped it away and looked at her and did his best to smile. “Good morning. I’m just checking out the neighborhood.”
“It’s the same as it was since we moved in. It’ll still be this way when you get home from your first leave,” she smiled and pulled him close as her eyes watered. “Your dad and I are so proud of you. You’ve grown into a wonderful man. You’ll be fine as a knight or Golden Griffin, whatever they call them.” She took a moment to wipe another tear that had escaped his eyes. “This is your special day. Let’s enjoy it now. Tomorrow we can start to think of the future. Just focus on today. I love you so.” She crushed him to her. Eternity seemed to pass before she let him go and went to the kitchen to start breakfast and to call Sammy to get him up.
Trance stood there in the living room and wiped another tear as he heard his dad’s footsteps coming up the stairs. Evan looked disheveled and wonderful to Trance in his pajamas and slippers. He walked up to Trance and put his hand on his shoulder. “Good morning son. Are you ready?”
“Yeah dad, I think so. Wow, who would have thought we’d actually have a graduation?”
“I sure didn’t. But here we are.” Evan stood beside his son and both looked out the window and just took in the world they now lived in. For a few minutes both father and son looked lost in their thoughts. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, they were both thinking of Trance leaving home. Mrs. Sonderson brought them out of their reverie as she declared that breakfast was almost ready.
Trance sat at the table ready to eat his favorite breakfast of flatcakes, eggs and sliced sager, bacon. Shortly before breakfast was served Heather came out of the shower and sat down in her bathrobe and her hair in a towel. Sammy stumbled to the table in his pajamas and quickly brightened up when he saw the table. Everyone was busy digging in when the doorbell rang. Mr. Sonderson answered the door and a moment later Kyle and the Markems walked in. Trance was so taken by surprise he didn’t know what to say or do. Many tears fell as Mrs. Markem and Mrs. Sonderson stood together and talked.
“Well, let’s see. I have more eggs and sliced sager,” Mrs. Sonderson finally said as she invited her guests in. Trance introduced everyone and played host as his mom and Mrs. Markem worked together to fix the best breakfast ever. Trance couldn’t help smiling as he noticed that Sammy seemed smitten by Margaretta. Martin smiled and talked to Heather as Kyle, looking ever the charming knight, talked pleasantly with Martina. Trance caught up on all that had happened to the Markems after the battle at the farm. He quickly learned that they were back home.
Half of the farm had been destroyed and it had taken them three-quarters of a year to repair the damage done. Martin and his sisters had gone back to school. Martin and Martina would be graduating next year. This was going to be a great day and his lonely thoughts were buried for now.
Trance couldn’t help but laugh at one point as Chorus and his dad talked about their different professions. Every few minutes he looked at the clock on the wall. After checking it for the ninth time Kyle stepped over and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you there on time. Don’t worry and just relax. Enjoy this time. You’ll need to take this memory with you when you get to training.”
Trance settled down. Twenty minutes later everyone was heading to the carriages to go to the school. Trance had on his gown and pentagon-shaped cap. He rode in silence trying to relax. At the school he was let out so he could join his graduating classmates. They talked among themselves, laughing and in many cases crying, holding each other and praying this day would never end. Trance eagerly visited with Zam, Mandor, and Gracer as he kept his eye out for Corena. When she finally came into his sight she was all he could see for a moment.
“Good morning. Are you ready for this?” he said, trying to sound braver than he felt.
“I think so. How about you guys, are you ready?” she said pleasantly to his three best friends.
“Yep,” replied Zam. “I guess we should find the girls and get ready. They’ll be lining us up soon.”
“I think that’s them coming our way now,” Gracer said as he looked toward the left.
Soon Masey, Catrina, and Velleen, Mandor’s girlfriend, joined them. Everyone was paired up and a few minutes later several teachers came into the room giving them instructions. Trance and his classmates were lined up and ready to march out.
To Trance the wait seemed forever before they were lead out to the sports field to their seats for graduation to proceed. Trance sat and held Corena’s hand as the school staff was introduced. A minister was introduced next and he prayed for the graduates and their families. The student speakers were next and finally some academic and sports awards were given out. Now the boys and girls enlisting in the military were asked to stand. After the applause died down it was time for the graduates to be called up to get their diplomas.
Trance felt his heart beat fast as he waited to escort Corena up to the stage. Time seemed to have come to a stop as he waited. At last it was their time to walk up onto the stage. First Corena was called and the cheering was so loud Trance didn’t think he would even hear his name called. And then he heard his name. “Terrance Scott Sonderson.” The cheers were almost as loud for him as they were for Corena. He stepped forward and accepted the scroll of paper that was his diploma and then he saw his mother. He knew this part was coming and he could not hide his emotions any more.
As a part of the graduation ceremony for the kids joining the military, it was customary that after they received their diploma their mother presented them with their surcoat. Each surcoat had a sentimental value since they were made by their mothers and represented either family crests or their favorite animals.
Their father presented the graduate their military dagger. These ranged in type from the traditional dual-edged daggers to large hunting knives.
Trance approached his parents and as he saw his mother’s tears he noticed his own wet eyes. In her arms was the hunter green surcoat. Slowly he took it from her and at first didn’t notice the solid object on top. He looked down and was truly stunned to see the eagle head on the handle of the large bowie knife. It took him several seconds to register what this knife was and where it had come from.
“Granddad wanted you to have this. It seemed that this should be the right time to give it to you,” Mrs. Sonderson said as she took him in her arms.
Trance could not get over this. He had seen the knife a few times in the past but was never told what it was for. How could grandpa know that he would need this knife? It took him a few moments to notice that his fellow classmates that were before him and had received their surcoats and daggers had opened them and put them on. Trance unfurled his and was once again stunned to see the animal emblazoned on the front.
It was a noble looking mountain lion, his favorite animal from Earth. As he put it on and held the eagle-headed dagger and his diploma, he once again thought about what it would be like to be a Golden Griffin. He wanted to freeze this moment in time. Just to take it all in and remember it always. He would enjoy today, the party with friends and family. There would be plenty of time to worry about his future later. For now his happiness knew no bounds. He looked and took Corena’s hand again as they headed back to their seats. If only time could just hold like this forever he thought. Dreams do come true.
Epilogue
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br /> On the planet Iosis, in a distant corner of the Andromeda galaxy, two ships sat side by side on the planet’s surface. One ship was a stunning golden eagle, a Griffin Galleon. The other was shaped more like an arrow, with four small pointed ailerons near the nose and four vast sweeping wings in the back near the massive engines. The loading ramp slowly hissed as it lowered to the ground from this ship. Moments later a tall hooded figure descended the ramp and looked around. With swift strides he approached the Griffin galleon. Twenty feet away from the galleon, facing into an incredible forest, stood a very noble looking Griffin.
“Is it done?” asked the hooded figure.
Almost instantly a hissing scream rent the air. A moment later all was silent. The Griffin turned and his glorious beak tweaked into what could be thought a smile. “Yes ambassador. It is done.” He looked back before speaking again in his best formal fashion. “You may tell your highness that all is proceeding as scheduled. I lack only two more treasures and the fools will believe what I tell them,” he said and laughed. “The prophecies will work for us. We just made one happen right here and now. I found the scroll. I just need the Talenth stone and then to find the sword. Once I have them, my foolish race and their allies will bow to me as their savior. Are you sure the stone is on Arias.”
The hooded figure answered haughtily, “I have positive information that it is in the most ancient temple in the heart of the Horrian Mountains on Arias. Be sure of your search. The temple is hidden deep in those mountains. That stone must never be seen by the Griffins or any one. Is that understood?”
The Griffin finally turned and looked at the figure in the full. “Yes ambassador.”
“Fine. Then you’ll find the sword in the forest at the foot of the Crown Mountains on Althora. With that you will have your title, Great Griffin General.” He said that title with a deliberate slur and finally his hood slid off his face enough to be revealed. “The key is safely where it belongs, where no one truly knows what it is,” Bazar added.
“Perfect,” said the Griffin. “And nobody will ever suspect that a Griffin has been working for the Sphinx.” At a dragging noise from the forest the two turned to see a massive lion in a cage being hauled toward the galleon by six husky Griffins. The two beings looked at each other one more moment and then went to their respective ships. As the two ships started up their massive engines, a body lay thirty yards away, hidden by the trees. Slowly at first and then very rapidly the ships lit the sky and took off in opposite directions.
The hideously torn body of a being the likes of which had not been seen in this part of the galaxy for centuries laid only yard into the forest away from where the ships had been sitting. The ripped reptilian flesh and fine royal robes of Emperor Sutash, known on his world of SSSummontahss as The Great Serpent.
***
On Althora in a small vault in the vast catacombs of the royal outpost for Boulthora, in a case crusted with ancient dust, sat a large nondescript key so ancient there were no records of its forging or what it locked or unlocked. Over this case stood King Axlor a pulse pumping in his neck.
No one but he knew of this keys existence and what it may possibly be. His head tilted, as he thought no one must ever know of it. Not even Vengethor, especially him. He must never learn of this key.
Axlor swiftly turned and left the vault and shut the door. He then removed the ancient vault’s key and placed it in its hiding place. He swiftly strode to another ancient door and passed through. The guards outside that door stood and saluted the king as he passed without even acknowledging them. They shut and locked the door and once again took up their positions.
Now I have other matters to attend to, thought Axlor. And with powerful strides he made his way back toward the hidden stair to the throne room.
Space Knights: The Arrival Page 34