by Lee Magnus
It launched again but this time met a burst of blue flame from Trey’s reflexively outstretched fist. As it rolled in a smoking heap in the empty parking lot, Trey opened his hand to observe the glowing Clutched Rose which burned its impression into his palm. He quickly moved it to the other hand and prepared for another attack.
The creature slowly rose, settled into an unsteady attack posture then disappeared into the night sky with a leap.
Trey panicked. He looked all around but couldn’t find the ghostly shape anywhere. He then sprinted back to the ball field to discover the outcome of his plan.
He found Tanny the woman standing above a charred but alive chimera tortoise.
“I was just attacked in the parking lot!”
“Attacked?” she exclaimed. “By who?”
“Not a who, a what! It was a flying black skeleton-like thing.”
“A skylien,” she said distantly. “How did you know what it was?”
“I told you. It looked like a skeleton in a tight black plastic bag.”
“No. That’s not what I meant. They never approach in their true form. What was it to begin with?”
“Oh yeah! That’s the freaky part.” He looked at her intensely. “It was disguised as Mr. H before it changed. I mean, it didn’t just look like him. It sounded and moved like him also. It was really convincing. I almost gave him the rose.”
“How did you know it wasn’t Nick?”
“Nick’s never asked me for any of the magical stuff I’ve acquired, and this guy seemed to be intent on getting it. And –“
“And what?”
“And I saw a flash in his eyes. It wasn’t natural. I knew it wasn’t Nick after that.”
“You’re very perceptive. I may have even missed that detail.”
“It said it wanted to get the rose back to its master. I thought the rose belonged to him,” he said referring to the decrepit demon at Tanny’s feet
“He was referring to his master not the rose’s.”
“And that would be who? I’m guessing not Nafarl.”
“It could be Nafarl, but also could be anyone else that successfully conscripted the Skylien. I assume it’s Nafarl’s since it is so close to us.”
“How can anyone ever control those things?”
“It’s not so much control as it is giving it a task so it can complete its pledge to you.”
He continued looking at her in disbelief.
“It’s usually a trade for doing a specific thing.”
He continued to listen and stare. He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement of her comment and to insinuate her to continue.
“They will only accept something of great personal value for the conscription.”
“Like hiring them to do something?”
“Yeah. That’s it except they don’t take money.”
“Right. Something personal to the employer.” Trey looked at the lump of Nafarl on the ground. “Will he live?”
“If you call being a demon living, then unfortunately, yes.”
“What do we do with him?” Trey asked still looking at the heap on the burnt field.
“I’m not sure. I can’t imprison him on my own.”
Trey thought a minute. “What about the Etherios? Should he go there?”
“Yes. That’s where he came from and where he belongs, but it’s impossible.”
“Ma’am,” Trey said seriously. “I’m getting very good at impossible. Take me to my house and we’ll see what we can do about getting this guy home.”
Trey climbed onto her graceful neck and she clenched Nafarl’s limp shelled body tight in a massive claw. She then launched into the air.
Upon arriving, he found he had beat his mom home. He ran through the screen door then returned shortly after. “I don’t know if this will work but it’s worth a try.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll be right back. I have to try something first.”
“I don’t understand?”
“You will in a moment.” He then opened the bag holding the Etherios key then slipped it into his hand.
“Logos! I have returned!” Trey said in his energetic mind. He tried to make it sound powerful but couldn’t tell if it worked.
“Logos! I will trade a Nafarl the demon for my grandfather, Wallace Patrick Roberts!
“Logos! What is your answer!”
“Certainly, you have returned.”
Trey sensed the image of Logos. “I have Nafarl. I wish to trade him for my grandfather. Answer me now or I leave immediately.”
“Certainly, you will.”
“Agree to the trade or I leave.”
“I cannot agree to your terms. Nafarl is not equal compensation for someone such as Patrick Roberts. Agree to stay along with the demon and I will consent.”
Trey nearly said yes to Logos’ counter-offer, but he then remembered his father saying, “Never take the first offer. Always find middle ground or walk away.”
“I will not stay. We have no deal.” Trey began to turn the key in his palm.
“Certainly, you will hear my next offer to revive your beloved grandfather?”
“Go on,” Trey replied curiously.
“Bring to me the demon Koltek along with Nafarl and I will free your grandfather.”
“Where do I find the demon?” Trey replied sternly.
“That, young human, will be the easy part. You are destined to meet.”
Trey more confused than ever felt a strong pull of the Etherios on his spirit. He replied to Logos, “Agreed.” Trey then turned the key and appeared before Tanny the woman.
“Where’d you go?” she said with piercing eyes. “Is that a key to the Etherios?”
He returned her mystified gaze with an affirmative sincere expression.
“But how is that possible? Who are you?”
He continued to hold her veneration, grabbed Nafarl’s unresponsive left arm then turned the key disappearing from sight.
Trey returned to Logos.
“Certainly, you may be a very useful human, Mr. Roberts. We shall meet again.”
Trey said nothing as he released Nafarl’s arm and turned the key.
~~
Upon Trey’s return, he said to Tanny while holding out the Clutched Rose in a palm, “This is not safe with me. Something this powerful belongs elsewhere. Do you know of a place?”
“Not safe with you, Fire Tamer? You seem to be harboring several items unsafe for a child your age.”
Trey smiled humbly and replied, “I know. Plus, I seem to have trouble with creatures trying to get it all. It wouldn’t be good for this to fall into the wrong hands.”
“I fully agree. I will take it to the Azuliposians. They will hide it, and no one will expect to find it there.”
“Wonderful. What happens with the skylien now that Nafarl is gone? Will it go away or continue to hunt the rose?”
“I’m not sure how that works.”
“Hopefully it’ll go back to where it came from.”
“Hopefully,” she replied hoping to hide her disbelief.
“Before you go, can you first take me back to the soccer field so that my guard won’t be suspicious about my disappearance?”
“Of course.”
That night, after Tanny returned Trey to the soccer complex and revived his guard, Trey decided to contemplate the previous frightful events on a slow walk home. The watchful man in the car followed carefully at a distance unaware of the mayhem through which he slept.
“Trey! You scared me to death!” him mom said as he walked through the kitchen door. “Why on earth would you run out like that?”
On Earth. That’s a good one mom, he thought. “I – I don’t know. I guess I sort of freaked out when the crown wasn’t there. I’m sorry.”
“I’m just so disgusted with myself. I should have put it somewhere safer.”
“Mom. It’s not your fault. Think about it. No one knew you had it, and no one knew you put it i
n the anonymous locker. Whoever got it, had to have been following it and used some sneaky spy tactics to steal it without using the key.”
“I don’t know honey. That sounds kind of crazy. Why would that happen to me?”
Trey nervously said, “I – I don’t know, Mom. It’s just a guess.”
“I’m just so upset with myself. I know there’s more I could have done. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever had in my possession. I felt great knowing I was one of the few people in the entire world that knew of its existence.”
“Probably exactly how Grandpa felt every time he discovered a new artifact.”
She gave Trey a big smile and an even bigger hug. “I bet you’re right, Sweet T. I bet you’re right.”
He hugged her again then went to his room feeling guilty for keeping such dangerous situations from her. “It’s for her own good. She would freak out if she knew what was going on,” he said as he looked at the drawer containing ancient artifacts and magical potions.
Dream Walker
He slept restlessly that night only to awake with renewed energy for the day. After discovering a way to save his grandfather, optimism and hope flowed like soda through a straw.
He visited Nick Hampton in the science lab before home room. “Mr. H! You have a second?”
“Yeah, Trey. What’s going on?”
Trey slowed his approach toward his favorite teacher. He scrunched his brow and looked at Nick cautiously.
“You ok, Trey? Is something wrong?”
As if woken from a trance Trey said, “Oh. No. I’m ok. Tanny visited me yesterday.”
“The dragon?” he said clearly alarmed.
“Yeah.”
Nick turned to his desk and picked up a squeezy ball. He crushed it several times before he said, “Why? What did she want?”
Trey detailed the previous night’s events but replaced his visit to the Etherios with Tanny flying off with Nafarl.
“It looked like me?”
“No. It was exactly like you. I was totally fooled for a second.”
“Geesh. Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t you.”
“I saw a headline this morning about vandals at the ball fields. This is getting out of control,” Nick said sternly. “But you seem to be taking it all well.”
“I’m good today considering what happened last night but I’m not sure how well I’m taking it overall. I keep finding ways to stay alive so that’s good,” he said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “I want out. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“Believe me, Trey. If I could make that happen I would.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know what happened.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m gonna go to home room now.”
“See you later, Trey. Hang in there.”
Trey ushered a weak smile and left the lab.
School flew by like a dream and on a breezy Wednesday afternoon, Trey and Marcus sat under a big oak near the edge of school campus discussing Trey’s upcoming third day of soccer practice with the high schoolers.
“I don’t get it, Marcus. They pass to me when I’m covered, they slide tackle me, they smash me to the ground, and my squad intentionally hides behind the defenders, so I’m forced to move the ball. They clearly don’t want me on the team. I don’t know why I’m even there or why I continue to go. The only ones that seem to be rooting for me are Kenny of all people and Josef the striker.”
“Oh. That’s tough, Kid. They’re just being stupid. Think about it this way, you’re a thirteen-year-old who has a great chance to make a competitive varsity high school soccer team. That could do amazing things for your career.”
“I suppose. I’m not gonna quit. I actually think I’ve figured them out a little. Art I already know. He’s easy to avoid. Lenny the pimply kid is fast and an outstanding defender but often slide tackles. I just have to jump him to evade the tackle. Tucker is a great athlete but is out to destroy me. I just need to use a little judo on him…you know…use his anger toward me against him.”
“I like where you’re going with this,” he said excitedly with overly large eyes behind round wire-framed glasses. Can I come watch today?”
“Sure! Come on!”
They both jumped up and made their way to the soccer complex.
“Look, Trey. It’s Sarah,” Marcus said approaching the stands at the soccer complex.
She wore tight fitting light blue jeans with a snug sapphire V-neck T-shirt.
“She must be here to see Kenny.”
“She’s walking this way,” Marcus said excitedly under his breath.
“Hey, Sarah,” Trey said.
“Hey, Trey. Hey Marcus.”
“Very nice to see you Sarah,” Marcus replied with a smile. “You’re here to witness the carnage?” He looked at Trey and continued, “Sorry, Trey.”
“It’s ok. I think today will be different.”
“Kenny said you were trying out for the varsity team. That’s really amazing.”
Trey shuffled his feet and looked away before replying, “It hasn’t been very amazing so far.”
“Yeah. They’ve been kicking his butt out there,” said Marcus.
“He said they weren’t being very nice. Especially Tucker. But he’s not nice to anyone.”
“I would just like my squad to help a little rather than go along with it. It’s hard to do it all by myself.”
“It must be difficult for you to have to prove yourself with all those big guys against you.”
“Yeah but that’s life isn’t it? Always having to prove yourself with grades, responsibilities or to fit in? I just play my game and we’ll see how it comes out in the end.”
“That’s a good way to think about it,” she replied. “Please try not to get hurt out there.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Sarah and Marcus sat on the bench together, both hoping Trey wouldn’t get hurt too badly.
During a grueling drills session, Trey was one on one with Lenny. As Trey dribbled up to Lenny, he said, “Take the video down, please.”
“No way,” Lenny replied with a smug smile.
“Trey then faked left drawing Lenny with him then megged him to the right to easily beat him.
In a three on three defensive drill, Lenny was driving toward Trey. Trey yelled, “Take the video down, please!”
“I said no!” Lenny said sternly.
Trey sprinted and slide tackled the ball away causing Lenny to fall hard to the turf. Trey quickly regained his feet and passed the ball up field.
“What the heck, Trey!” Lenny screamed as he stood.
Trey didn’t acknowledge the red-faced boy.
Trey received a pass from Josef to kick off the scrimmage. Trey one-touched it to the left midfielder just before he was slammed by Tucker’s tackle.
Sarah and Marcus released audible oooo’s and showed painful expressions.
Tucker chortled as he trotted off.
“This will not be like yesterday. I will be successful today,” Trey told himself. He then said in a low voice as he returned to the midfield line, “I move the ball well, I pass the ball well, I shoot the ball well.”
Josef dropped the ball back to Trey to begin the next drive. Trey made several spot-on one touch passes which moved the plays along nicely – putting solid pressure on the goal as well as leaving little to no time to be bullied by Tucker and his cronies.
Trey positioned past the halfway line into his squad’s side which were defending a powerful offensive. Team A were playing four fullbacks and three midfielders when the ball was randomly kicked in Trey’s direction. Trey stepped up to receive it when he heard ‘Man On!’ from Josef. He lofted the wild ball over his and the defending midfielder’s head while quickly spinning around him to re-receive the airborne ball. He tapped it a couple times keeping it off the turf while continuing to move it forward. He passed to Josef who immediately sent it back
to avoid a fullback.
Trey did a stop-and-go to fake out another defending midfielder. He cut quickly toward the left side of the field. Tucker rushed over to make the stop - violently if possible. Trey touched the top of the ball with one foot, turned causing Tucker to cut, used the other foot to drag the ball forward then turned again dashing past the charging Tucker who stumbled to the ground failing to find proper footing.
“Oh Snap! Did you see that!” yelled Marcus giving Sarah a high five. “That’s my boy!” he hollered.
Two defenders working together slowed him down. He spied Tucker closing in quickly – sure to end Trey’s mythic run. Doing a footwork session to briefly delay the defenders he timed his moment carefully. At the last second, he turned left, rolled the ball behind him to the right, then with an ever so light touch turning back to the right plus Tucker’s momentum, Trey tossed the speeding muscle train into the unwary defenders sending them all sprawling to the ground. Trey continued the run as he approached Lenny.
“Take the video down, please,” he said enthusiastically.
“No, Trey! No! I won’t do it!” he said in a panicked screech. His eyes shifted rapidly. He rocked backward, unsure of what to do.
Trey confidently dribbled within a few yards of Lenny, lofted the ball into a perfectly executed rainbow just a foot over Lenny’s head, darted past the pimply kid to re-receive the ball then easily defeated Art to finish with a left-footed blast to the upper right corner of the goal.
When he turned toward the other goal to return to his position, he found the entire team standing and clapping at the magnificent effort. Marcus was jumping up and down on the bleachers. For just a few seconds, he silently reveled in the recognition then ran back to his position ready for the next kickoff.
“In all my years, Trey, I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Coach Wood who walked onto the field after the goal. “You have something special in you. I don’t know if it’s enough right now to make this team, but it is something truly amazing.” He turned to the team and said, “Ok guys! We’ve spent enough time today letting this middle schooler teach us what it means to play this game. Let’s get back to work!”