“I – I need to tell you something,” he said.
“What is it?” she asked with worry.
“It’s complicated…” he said.
Ria’s demeanor changed.
“Ria, the reason I’ve been gone so much, and I haven’t told you anything – well,” he began.
“It seems you can’t even put it into words; what is it – just say it,” she said.
“I’m working for ENSA.”
Ria was silent.
“Ria, say something,” Zech said.
“Did you really think I didn’t know?” she asked.
Zech stood there for a moment hesitating.
“I guess, I didn’t give it much thought…but it makes sense that you would have figured it out,” he said softly.
“I’m not upset that you’re trying to do the right thing, Zech. I’m upset because you lied to me. You kept this from me for so long!”
“It was for your own good, Ria.”
“How?! Explain that to me Zech?” she demanded.
“If you knew where I was and who I was working for, and if Kah had threatened you for information, I couldn’t live with myself knowing I’d put you in harm’s way.”
“Well, you put me in harm’s way when you left me behind to go back to Earth,” she retorted.
“That’s not fair, Ria.”
“Oh really? Did you even know that I was alive? How long have you been away, Zech? What are you trying to do?” she spoke as tears streamed down her face. “Cova is dying. You know where the lost princess is – you know she can save us – and you’ve done nothing. You’ve not only abandoned me, but what about Salixz? And the rest of Cova? Were you just going to run away and leave us here to die?”
Zech was silent.
“What? Oh my Creator,” Ria said in disbelief. “Is that what you came to tell me? You were going to leave everything behind and start some new life on Earth while the rest of us just stayed behind waiting for some miracle?”
“I tried to tell you to follow me!” he yelled.
“Follow you? And what – and leave everything behind, too? You’re a coward,” she seethed.
“Ria! Please!”
“No, Zech. I have nothing to say to you,” she started walking away.
“Ria!” he called. “Ria, please!”
Zech grabbed Ria by the arm and swiftly turned her around.
“What Zech!?” she yelled angrily.
“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have come back here. I came back to tell you – so you could make a choice. I was planning on working with ENSA, to bring the good people of Euron to Earth. Where we could all coincide, and live in peace.”
“And forget every other good creature that roams Cova, and just leave them here to die. To leave our home. And what about me and Salixz, Zech? Did you think that King Heron of Euron would take us all, knowing we were all working for Kah?”
“They understand that we had no choice; they’re on our side,” Zech said.
“They’re not! There are plenty of people who have tried to escape Kahnroch! They’re put to death, gassed and tortured. Those good people of Euron are not so good when they are dealing with people like us. We are the enemy. Just like you are my enemy.”
Ria’s words hit Zech like a ton of bricks.
“Do you really think we would be accepted by the people of Euron? You don’t even have a guarantee, Zech,” she cried.
Zech decided it was too late. He had already made his decision. If Ria wanted to stay behind, she would have to suffer the consequences.
“Ria, please, come with me,” he said.
Ria paused for a moment and thought long and hard, staring directly into Zech’s eyes. For the first time, Zech felt a pulse of electricity bolt through his veins as he looked at her. Ria moved something inside of him. He felt empathy for her, and felt all of her pain. Slowly, she leaned in, touching his face gently.
Zech stood still for a moment, unwavering, relishing in the newness of what he was feeling. Ria ever so softly pressed her lips to his, keeping her gaze steady, patiently waiting for Zech to feel what she knew had sparked. For a moment, Zech closed his eyes and kissed Ria. Their connection was turned on in an instant, and just like that, gone forever, as her eyes vividly glowed green and red, and she erased his memory.
“Goodbye, Zech,” she said as she lovingly touched his face one last time and walked away.
A kiss that was instantly gone from Zech’s memory, would never be forgotten by Ria.
Present: A Sudden Visitor
M argie lay in a ball on the couch with the television flickering before her. Her matted hair was covering her tired eyes, and her lips were parched from dehydration. She couldn’t remember her last meal or shower, and she didn’t care.
She was beyond depressed.
There was a sudden knock at the door.
Margie wearily willed herself to open the door, but she contemplated ignoring it.
She opened the door in one swift motion.
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “Liam!”
Past: Ria & Ina
R ia was aloof.
About twelve years old, she decided it was time to decide on what she stood for. The trolls didn’t control her anymore, and she didn’t belong to any nation. After years of checking in on the earthlings, she wondered if she could make friends with the girl she had been protecting for so long. It was no mere coincidence that she felt so drawn to Ina in the first place, even if she hated to admit it to herself.
Ria sat near the riverbank contemplating how else she could protect this Earthly being she felt so connected to. She decided it was time to interact with her. She ran to the portal that brought her to Clearwater.
When Ria arrived, she saw that Ina was in her backyard with Jenna. She ever so cautiously approached the fence and climbed to poke her head over the top of the wood paneling. For a moment she hesitated, just assessing the scene. Finally, she gave it a go.
“Hi!” she called out cheerfully.
Ina felt a shock of electricity that startled her for a moment.
“Hi,” said Jenna. “Who are you?”
Ria thought of a name quickly.
“I’m Annie,” she answered with a smile.
“Are you new to the neighborhood?” asked Ina curiously.
“I just moved here; I live a few blocks away. I figured I’d make some friends, since I don’t get out much.”
“Me either,” said Ina honestly.
Awkward silence.
“So, it’s a nice day out!” said Ria, a bit over the top.
“Yup.” Jenna and Ina nodded.
Awkward silence again.
“Well, why don’t you come join us?” Jenna said, trying to break the tension.
Ria effortlessly climbed over the fence and landed on her feet like a pouncing cat.
“Wow, you really know how to climb a fence!” said Jenna in surprise.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Ria grinned proudly.
“I’m Jenna and this is Ina.”
“Good to meet you both.”
Silence. The branches swayed in the wind for a few seconds.
“So where are you from?” asked Ina.
Ria looked around nervously. “Uh…”
I should have practiced this before I tried mingling with these people, Ria scolded herself.
“I’m from up…up…um,” Ria said.
“Oh – from up north? Me too! I’m from Chicago,” Ina said smiling.
“Yeah, from North, just…not from Chicago,” Ria laughed nervously.
“Hmm, so you must miss the season changes huh?” Jenna said.
“Seasons – not much,” said Ria.
Silence again.
“So, we’re rock collecting, and Inanna says this rock here has magical powers,” Jenna said with a smile. “Says it’ll cure all her phobias.”
“Oh,” Ria became uneasy.
“Are you okay?” asked Ina.
�
�Uh, yeah, it’s just you said the rock has magical powers?” Ria asked.
“We’re pretending, of course,” Jenna said lightly.
“Oh, right, I knew that.” Ria laughed nervously.
Ria tried sounding natural, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
“So, besides rock collecting, what do you do? Do you hunt?” Ria asked.
“Hunt? No,” Jenna said.
Inanna and Jenna started laughing.
“Well, how do you eat then?” Ria asked seriously.
Ria realized that the easiest part about interstellar travel was the ability to acquire the language of any being in an instant. However, understanding the behaviors of earthlings had by far been the most difficult thing she had encountered.
Ina and Jenna looked at each other awkwardly and stopped laughing.
“The grocery store?” said Jenna.
Ria looked genuinely confused.
“You people are strange,” Ria said.
An awkward silence filled the air again.
“She’s being a little rude,” whispered Jenna to Ina.
Ina thought for a moment. She studied Ria’s face and realized she was not used to dealing with Floridians.
“It’s okay, some people hunt, Annie. Just not really around here,” Ina explained with a smile, trying to ease her new friend.
“Right, so where do people hunt then?” Ria asked.
“Usually in the woods or in rural areas. It’s just not common in a beach town,” Ina said.
“I see,” Ria said as she looked around the yard.
“So, do you play cards?” Ina asked, trying to change the topic of conversation.
“Cards?” Ria asked.
“Like these,” Jenna held up a deck of cards.
“We don’t really have those from where I’m from either.”
“Gotcha,” Jenna said.
The tension could be broken by a knife.
“You know what?! Let’s justs watch some MeTube videos! There’s this really funny one I love,” Jenna began as she ran to get her tablet.
Ria was fixated on the piece of technology.
“Wait, what is that?” Ria asked curiously.
“It’s a tablet,” said Jenna.
“Can I see it?”
“Of course! Here. You just click here and then scroll down here…” Jenna began.
Ria quickly took the tablet and ran to a corner of the yard with it.
“Hey!” Jenna called.
“Leave her – maybe she’s just curious. I don’t think she’s ever seen one before,” Ina reasoned.
“Well, she better not run off with it. She seems a little weird, don’t you think?” Jenna said.
“Maybe she’s from a small town; did you forget how weird I am?” Ina giggled.
Ina and Jenna stood and watched as Ria stood alone staring at the tablet screen. What Ina and Jenna could not see was the flashing pictures of thousands of years of history and data that was flashing before Ria’s eyes. She was learning all of humanity’s history, all the wars, all the conquering of land, and all the evil that humanity had done since the beginning of time.
“Your people are greedy and evil,” Ria paused in disbelief. “You’re no different than those of the Kahnroch nation. Your people shall perish for you will eventually kill your own planet.”
“Whaaaat is she talking about?” Jenna’s jaw dropped.
Ina felt a strange sensation in her palms and motioned for Jenna to be quiet.
“Are you crazy?!” Jenna yelled.
“Stop it, Jenna,” Ina scolded.
“What – she’s crazy? Where the heck is Kahnroch anyway?” Jenna whispered.
“Shut up, Jenna,” Ina demanded.
“This was a mistake,” Ria said somberly.
Ria dropped the tablet, sent a flash of green across the yard to erase Jenna and Ina’s memory of what had just occurred, and then jumped over the fence. She ran in tears until she reached the orb. Humanity, no matter how good, was not worth mingling with, she decided.
Present: Entering Euron
“G ear up!” yelled Ria over the trolls. “It’s time,” she said with great victory in her voice.
Febus smiled sinisterly and began putting on his pack of ammunition.
“Remember, no one gets killed until the princesses are finally together,” Ria announced.
Febus didn’t agree, but knew that if he killed anyone against Ria’s will, his head would be on the line. Febus knew how much agony he had burdened Ria with in her childhood. But now, Ria was much more powerful than he, and her strength and mental powers could ruin him and his entire tribe. He would follow her orders.
Reluctantly.
They arrived at the edge of Euron, stepped off the boat, and were quietly approaching the marina guards.
“Who goes there?” called a guard.
No one spoke. Febus quickly shot the tranquilizer gun at the three guards. One, fell into the water.
“Get him out!” Ria yelled.
“It’s just a guard! I didn’t mean for him to fall; he just fell,” Febus began.
“Get him out or I’ll drown three of your trolls,” she threatened assertively.
Febus stretched his arm into the water and tossed the guard onto the shore in one heave.
The herd of trolls dismantled the guard shack, revealing three more sleeping guards. The startled men were unconscious before they could speak.
Ria walked through the streets of Euron, looking around cautiously, guarded by the trolls. The streets were desolate; no one to be seen. There was no medicine left in Euron, and all of the medicinal plants had been contaminated with the Core Disease. People were dying, and Kah was sending soldiers to guard the uncontaminated areas of the Covian forests. The only uncontaminated forests left, were small parts of the Dark Forest, the rainforests in the southern hemisphere of the planet, and the frozen lands of the north. No vegetation could survive the harsh cold of the frozen lands, and no one could travel to the Dark Forest without the risk of being killed. ENSA was guarding all of Euron’s perimeters, and Kah was guarding all of Kahnroch’s.
Ria came to a sudden halt. Gasping and holding back the tears when she saw the body of a dead child in a ditch. The pale bony body just lay there, unclaimed. Had his parents died, too? Had they left him to die? Never had Ria seen the streets of Euron so bare, so unprotected. It’s almost as if the nation had given up. A flashback of the nights Ria went to bed hungry for not being able to properly sense the powers of Febus’ paying customers, played painfully in her thoughts. Sometimes she lied to the customers, just to get a meal, only to be punished when an angry client would come back dissatisfied. She’d be whipped and lashed; go days without a meal. But never had she laid in a trench to defy death. By some miracle (Zech crossed her mind), she was alive. Ria pushed on; swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t show a soft spot in front of the trolls, they’d see this as a weakness and would take advantage in an instant. She had come this far; she was getting through to the palace. So, she marched on.
“Pitiful.” Febus stated as he saw the conditions of Euron.
“As pitiful as the life you granted a poor orphan,” she whispered angrily. “Euron has given up. It will make it easier to get to Nefertiti.”
Her hardened expression gave Febus all the more reason to get into Euron. He could almost taste the victory, feel the triumph. It was only a matter of time before he would be back in Kahnroch, accepted by King Kah, and worshipped by the people for completing this mission.
They finally got closer to the palace. It was immense. Beautiful and grand as always, but dark and sad as never before.
“Febus, go to the entrance to distract the guards. I will check the perimeter for another way in,” Ria ordered.
As if Febus really needed any more validation for his entry, he formed a tower of trolls to climb over the wall. Of course, the guards immediately drew their weapons, some consisting of laser guns that missed the trolls
and burned a hole into the pavement. Others had poisoned darts. It was obvious even artillery was low in Euron. One of the guards stopped and began shaking, making the floor rumble beneath him like an earthquake. The trolls stumbled over each other, some falling into the palace walls, others falling back outside. Febus, however, made it over the wall. He quickly shot the tranquilizer gun with quick precision, and all five guards were shot unconscious.
Making their way closer to the castle, Febus noticed Ria was on the side of the building already.
“Ria,” Febus whispered.
“Shh,” she called back gesturing for him to not draw attention to her.
Twelve more guards came from the side of the palace, geared in suits with laser guns.
The trolls charged, and one was instantly blown away by a laser gun.
“Mooooovveee!” yelled Febus.
Haw! The others called.
Febus fumbled with the dart gun, dodging the laser guns being shot their way. It was pointless to try to fight with a tranquilizer. The laser guns were impossible to beat.
One by one, the trolls moved towards the army of flaming lasers. Febus was the largest, but he remained covered by the mass of other trolls. The slow-motion picture played before Ria’s eyes, and she saw as Febus finagled his way through the herd, made his way to a Euron soldier, and yanked a gun from his grip. Now Febus was in control. He shot at the palace wall, making an entrance hole for more trolls to enter. He then pointed the gun towards the Euron army.
“Drop your weapons!” he yelled.
“Surrender, and no one will be harmed!” the leader yelled back.
“We can settle this the old-fashioned way,” Febus said with a smile.
With one quick swipe, Febus knocked out six guards. The trolls held hands and began slinging smaller trolls like cannons towards the guards. They dodged and snatch the guns before the guards could fight back.
“Good job, boys,” Ria whispered from the building window.
Slowly, Ria tiptoed across the perimeter of the building. Making her way to the roof, she pounced up like a cat and ran across the top of the roof, then jumped from each rooftop on the smaller inner areas of the palace. Finally, she made her way to the center courtyard. A maid stopped and turned, sensing Ria’s presence without being able to see her. The maid shuddered and continued walking. It was evident that even the powers of Euron’s people had dwindled. Their ability to control their brains had diminished with the lack of food and resources. Depression had hit their emotions, making their abilities and desires weaker as well.
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