Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1)

by Samuda, C. D.

  “To send Ariella to the clutches of the Xygor prince? Was this your plan from the beginning?”

  The king looked frustrated at her words and closed his eyes. “Heffun, have you gone mad? Why would I send Ariella to the Xygor prince?”

  “You know why, because I failed as your queen. I could not save our people!”

  The king’s eyes snapped opened and his voice softened. “How could you say that? You have not failed as my queen or as the mother of this planet.”

  “I failed, and that is the reason for this catastrophe that has borne down upon us!”

  “You bore the heir for this planet and he will save us along with our daughter.”

  “Bore a son…a little too late,” she retorted and walked to the window.

  Her king came up behind her and pulled her close. “You have not failed. Have you not seen the promise? Have you not seen the power within your son?”

  “Please, my king, we must save our children. For Ariella is now our child. She must return to Nabalar where it is safe!”

  “She is also my daughter and I believe she will save our son, Mirsux,” the king’s nod was reassuring.

  “Then send the royal guards. Do this for your queen?” she gave him a coy smile and he nodded.

  She hugged him, drawing from his strength. Never had the Nabalar queen felt fearful about the future until now. With what had happened in the past thirty Nabalar years, she had held strong. Now she felt that she might lose the only one who could redeem them of their sins.

  She closed her eyes and took strength from the king she’d loved since childhood. They had been betrothed at birth and she loved him knowing she would one day be his queen.

  She felt that she had failed when she could not bear him children. She remembered it well. The elders all looked at each other and nodded pitifully when they were told that she might never conceive. Three years after the nuptials, there was no heir in sight. Her parents along with Volnomy’s parents were angry. They turned their faces away from her whenever they could. She had been shunned.

  The look on their elders’ faces stuck with her over the years. Their disappointed stares and pitiful looks made her cringe. Behind her back, the elders took matters in their own hands and when it was far too late, she conceived. She and her people were left to bear the consequences of those actions and now it was coming back to haunt them.

  “Heffun,” the king said, his voice soft in her ears. “We will make things right.”

  She pulled away and her face brightened. “Yes, my king. We will fix what the elders have caused. Maybe it’s fate. It’s time we make things right.”

  * * * *

  “Princess we have arrived,” the captain of the ship announced. “The prince’s castle is a distance away. He will be expecting us.”

  “Won’t it be dangerous dropping into the enemy territory?” Ariella asked, fingering her weapon, a cosmic diffuser.

  “That is the reason we are getting off at this location. We will infiltrate on foot.”

  “That’s good to know,” she said.

  She was not sure what the plan was. This territory was new to her, but she had hoped to drop in directly on the prince’s palace and blast him to smithereens without notice. She was angry enough to do just that.

  With her heart waging a war against her chest, she acceded to the command of the captain. She was frightened. However, she was determined to save her prince. Having no clue what the enemy was like put her at a disadvantage. She also hadn’t the faintest idea why Mirsux was taken.

  “I’m ready,” she breathed.

  The craft was cloaked and hovered over a blackened desert. They let down a tube over a deserted spot on a barren looking rock. She slid down the tube as if she’d done so a million times and landed softly on the balls of her feet. Five of the soldiers joined her. As soon as they landed, an alarming sound came from a distance away.

  “What is that?” she asked, her heart in her throat. The noise sounded like sirens, similar to the alarm on Nabalar.

  “They have detected us, Princess,” the one in charge told her. “But we can safely get to the palace before they get to us.”

  The captain took the lead and pulled out a small triangular piece of glass, which she was now familiar with as a computer. He touched the smooth flat surface and it sprang to life. She watched as a hologram emerged from it in the shape of a navy colored circle. The circle orbited for a few seconds and then came to a stop, after which it transformed into a straight line and pointed towards a path.

  “This way,” the guard said.

  They were a hundred yards in when they pulled up short. The five soldiers formed a circle around her and trained their weapons in the dark. They were not human so what they saw she could not see. She strained to see what was happening. It took all her will to focus before she made out figures stepping out of the shadows.

  “Stay still Princess, we are surrounded,” the leader announced in a low tone.

  “We have been expecting your entry,” a voice came from the shadows.

  One of the figures stepped closer to their group and Ariella realized they were Xygor soldiers. Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the glow of his eyes and the gleam of his golden face. He had on a black suit. Unlike the Nabalar soldiers, their suits had V-necklines.

  Before long, others stepped forward. The first thing she made out was their glowing soft blue eyes. By her count, there were approximately fifteen soldiers.

  “This is too easy,” she said under her breath.

  With a deep sigh, she pushed through the barrier made around her and came to face the first Xygor soldier. He had broad shoulders and was about a foot taller than her five seven. Her guards came forward as well, but she put a hand up to stop them.

  “Princess, let us protect you,” her captain said.

  She turned her head and replied calmly, “No need.”

  Absently, her hand rested on the part of her waist where the Diainspar sat. She could feel it energize her. Without a planned thought, she jumped and hovered in the air a second, then she twirled like a whirlwind. In the process, she extended her right leg and landed her heel on the crown of the enemy soldier. He slowly sank to the ground. The others rushed forward pulling their diffusers.

  “On the ground!” she shouted to her men. “Lie low now!”

  They did as they were told while Ariella opened her coat and touched the Diainspar. She had no inkling what made her do it. It was instinct or some weird ESP connection.

  In the same instance, the Xygor soldiers fired their guns. Balls of glowing blue fire emitted from them. She opened her coat and stood with her legs apart. Her Diainspar flared and illuminated. Its radiation carried for about three hundred meters in diameter. The balls of blue flames died in the air and the soldiers brought their hands up to shield their eyes.

  While they were in temporary blindness, Ariella gathered her soldiers and continued on her path. Her heart was pounding wildly as her adrenaline gave her courage. It was a little frightening, but highly stimulating. She felt elated at what she just did.

  “Let’s go get the prince,” she commanded.

  “Yes Princess, lead the way,” the captain said with a bow. “Our troops are on their way to meet us there,” he added.

  * * * *

  Julkaz left him to his own devices. There was nothing to do but wander around in the dark. The three guards followed him with their diffusers trained on him at all times. Mirsux knew there were others lurking about unseen, but he could not say how many.

  His plan was to get the weapons away. One blast from the diffuser would render him helpless. Two blasts were injurious and the third was complete annihilation. He needed them cornered to execute his plan, but something distracted him.

  “Ariella,” he stopped.

  Strangely, he sensed her presence. He was certain of it, yet that was impossible, unless Julkaz had also abducted her. His heart gave a lurch at the thought. He spun arou
nd and started moving towards the palace. His walk quickly became a trot and then a sprint.

  A group of soldiers along with the prince was headed directly at him. He came to a screeching halt as they reached to within a few feet.

  “Take him back to the dungeon,” Julkaz ordered. “We have intruders. Gather more men.”

  “Yes, Prince,” one of the soldiers replied.

  Before the soldiers could adhere to their prince’s command, footsteps were heard coming from the direction in which he came a few seconds prior. All eyes turned to see a small group of about five Nabalar soldiers and in the midst was Ariella.

  “Ariella!”

  “Mirsux!”

  Mirsux wrangled himself from the grasp of the Xygor guards and sprinted to his wife’s side. He engulfed her in his arms and they clung to each other. He stepped back and cupped her face.

  “What have you done?” he whispered, but before she could answer, Julkaz’s voice tore them apart.

  “Take them!” The prince barked his command.

  The Nabalar guards stood as shields while the Xygor guards advanced. All weapons were trained on their opponents.

  Posthaste, Ariella opened her coat, unbuckling the sheathe of the sword and shoved the handle into Mirsux’s hand. He looked at her in confusion, before casting his eyes down at his Ysark in surprise. As his hand touched the hilt, the fuller flared and brightened.

  The soldiers fell back, in shock. Mirsux gripped the weapon with both hands and held it above his head. The gleam increased and shone a light about them extending about three hundred meters in diameter, similar to Ariella’s jewel.

  The Nabalar guards crouched and covered their eyes while the Xygor soldiers were rendered blind briefly. Julkaz’s eyes widened and he brought his forearm to shield his eyes.

  A small explosion sounded inside the palace and a bolt of light emitted from inside and zapped through the air. It hit Mirsux in the chest and he staggered back, but regained his footing. Apparently, Julkaz’s Pligsog exploded. Slowly, Mirsux lowered the sword, which glinted with the electrical charge.

  “What are you waiting for, take them!” Julkaz shouted to his soldiers.

  No one moved. Mirsux stepped forward and stood facing the Xygor prince. The enemy soldiers backed away. Some were still shielding their eyes.

  “Train your weapons!” Julkaz ordered.

  Footsteps running on hard pavement came from several directions. Soon, they were surrounded by a troop of about fifty Xygor soldiers. Most of them directed their diffusers at them while others drew swords.

  Another set of soldiers appeared and these were Nabalar troops. All soldiers faced each other with their weapons drawn while the two princes faced off.

  “You are outnumbered and in enemy territory. There is no way you can win!” Julkaz stated with amusement in his voice.

  Mirsux smiled. “Tell us what you seek and we shall fight for it.”

  Julkaz fingered his chin and looked up into the vastness that was the universe as if thinking. “Let me think,” he chuckled. “What is it I seek?” He made a step toward Mirsux. “Your saber!” he announced. “It seems it is your source of power.”

  Mirsux knew he would choose the Ysark. Julkaz was determined to gain the power he needed to survive and he believed that the sword held the ultimate power. Mirsux saw the excitement in his eyes when he bonded with the saber a few moments prior.

  “Very well, you shall have my saber if you win this battle.”

  Ariella stepped forward. “My prince, are you certain about this?”

  He lifted a hand and brushed the back of it against her cheek. His heart galloped at the touch and he felt their strong connection. It awakened him and gave him courage.

  “This is the way my love,” he replied in a soft manner.

  He stepped closer to her and lowered his head, bringing his lips close to hers. He could feel her heat and it further ignited his senses. He closed the gap and crushed her lips with his, feeling the thrill course through his body. She was also trembling in his arms and he knew she felt whatever he was feeling. His heart soared with the knowledge and it took all his will to pull away.

  “I love you,” she whispered and his heart took off again.

  “What a beautiful scene,” Julkaz’s tone dripped with rancor. “The saber is all I want, let’s battle!”

  “Very well,” Mirsux replied, pulling his Ysark.

  “You aren’t using that are you?” the Xygorian asked.

  Mirsux handed the Ysark to Ariella who sheathed it under her coat. One of the soldiers handed him a sword and he took it with a smile.

  “Now, we are even,” Julkaz said pulling his own weapon.

  As customary, they touched weapons as a sign of respect. As soon as the blades touched and drew back, Julkaz zinged his blade through the air and brought it in a diagonal slice towards Mirsux. The Nabalar prince quickly blocked the oncoming blade with his own, back stepped and brought his handle to land on Julkaz’s temple.

  The Xygorian reeled back, then caught his balance and countered with a forward thrust. Mirsux sidestepped, bringing a ridge hand down on his enemy’s wrist. The sword loosened from Julkaz’s grasp, but he was quick and caught it with his other hand.

  As soon as Julkaz’s hand gripped the hilt, he lifted himself, twirled and came down bearing a back slash. Mirsux shimmied, avoiding the blade by a tenth of an inch. The enemy weapon barely missed his ear and got a few strands of his hair.

  Julkaz came forward again and Mirsux countered by advancing. The two blades clanged and banged through the quietness, giving off sparks as metal met metal.

  Ariella watched with impatience. She wanted Mirsux to stop playing around already. She could see him holding back, and perhaps Julkaz too was holding back. By the way he moved she knew that he was a competent, even expert swordsman.

  “Stop!” a female voice shouted from the castle doorway.

  The two blades hung in the air and both men looked at a woman approaching. Ariella recognized her as the woman from the ship that sucked their power out. She was the Xygor queen.

  “Get back inside Mother. I will finish this soon,” Julkaz commanded in a stern tone. “Guards, escort the queen!”

  A few guards moved towards her but they did not touch her. “My son, you do not know what you are doing!” she pleaded.

  “Escort the queen, now!” his voice was loud enough to shake the castle walls.

  Ariella could see the woman cringe and her eyes widened. Her mouth fell open to speak again, but nothing came. She stared at her son for a moment, then she bowed and backed away. The guards followed behind her as she slowly walked back to the palace.

  The clanging of swords resumed and this time, Ariella saw that Julkaz had become more resolute in his advancement on Mirsux. For a few minutes, he gained the advantage as he was pushing Mirsux back against the soldiers. The men gave way and they fought until they reached a clearing.

  Julkaz advanced with a side slash of his blade, which caught Mirsux’s wrist. Ariella gasped as the sword swung in the air and flew several hundred meters upward. While all eyes watched the sword, Mirsux raised himself with it, caught it while it was returning and came down with a straight slash.

  Julkaz moved, but not in time. The blade caught him on the upper arm. Blood oozed from the wound, staining his white robe. He flung the garment aside to reveal his white pants underneath. His chest was bare, revealing his chiseled torso and equally muscled abs.

  He came at Mirsux once more and caught him with his blade on his thigh. Mirsux looked down at the wound and sucked in his breath. Ariella could see his diaphragm move. He held his head down and stood with his legs apart.

  “Let’s end this, now,” he said to Julkaz.

  The Xygor prince advanced, swinging his blade from left to right. Mirsux bent his right knee and extended the left leg, dropping in a low crouch. In a sweeping motion, he swung around, resulting in Julkaz losing his footing and falling on his back. The earth trembled
with the fall. He seemed to have lost consciousness. His eyes closed and a low groan escaped his slightly parted lips.

  Ariella got distracted at that moment by the sound of a craft. There was a bright light and a shuttle hovered a few feet away. She turned her head back to her husband and he was bearing his sword down on the fallen Xygor prince.

  “No!” The queen was running from the palace again. “Please, you cannot do this. Please spare my son!” she ran to Julkaz’s side and Mirsux placed the blade at his neck.

  “Why should I spare him? He is the enemy.”

  Ariella’s attention was drawn back to the craft as several figures emerged and came forward. She could not make them out just yet as the light from the shuttle was blinding. She had to turn away and cast her eyes back to the two princes.

  “You don’t know the truth. Killing him would only bring more ruin,” was her reply. “He is not at fault. Take my life in his place.”

  Julkaz’s eyes opened and he glared at Mirsux. He sat up and looked at his mother. “What are you doing Mother? Get back inside the palace and prepare to send me to the other side.” He looked back at Mirsux and said, “Do it. If you don’t, I will come after you.”

  Mirsux raised his sword as if to strike. “Step back Queen Heopsie!” He ordered in his booming voice. “This day your son shall perish by my hand. Ariella, bring the Ysark!”

  Ariella scuttled forward and shoved the hilt of the saber into his free hand. He raised it and brought the blade to Julkaz’s neck. The weapon flared and a beam shone from it as it illuminated the area.

  “You cannot do this. It is against the galaxy laws!” The queen stood next to her son.

  “What nonsense comes forth from your mouth? He is an enemy, is he not? Doesn’t the law allow me to annihilate my enemies?” he looked at the Xygor soldiers. “Lower your weapons or witness the beheading of your prince.”

  Mirsux pushed the blade of his saber into the neck of his opponent, slightly grazing the skin. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his neck. The enemy soldiers lowered their diffusers and were immediately surrounded by the Nabalar guards.