Xero Chronicle

by Ross Buzzell

  The Boronian

  Xero Chronicle

  Copyright © 2017 By Ross Buzzell

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Ross Buzzell.

  About the Author

  When Ross Buzzell was first developing the universe of ‘The Boronian, he bounced the ideas off of a handful of people to see what would work and what would not. One such person was his older brother, Scott Buzzell, who went all in with the idea of ‘The Boronian’ and even asked that a character be made based off of him. Ross asked Scott what he would like the character to be and what he would like the powers of Scott’s character to consist of. Scott’s response was: “It doesn’t really matter, just make him a bad guy and so strong that he could kick Superman’s ass with both arms behind his back and his eyes closed… and make his name Xero (zero with an ‘X’).” And thus the story of Xero Lorian, ultimately the second most powerful being in The Boronian Universe, was born. This is his story, his rise to power, his fall to the dark side and his rising like a tide against his people.

  In Loving Memory of Scott Timothy Buzzell. I miss you.

  Chapter: 1

  Near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, between the Scutum-Centaurus and Sagittarius arms lays a small planet most would consider barren. A crystalline world whose importance has long since been forgotten. On this world dwells a benevolent species known as the Boronians who have united hundreds of planets together in peace and prosperity through the wisdom and guidance of their High King. His story, however, is nothing in comparison to that of his son’s. While he has helped bring a peace that will last eons, that is nothing compared to the achievements that will be brought on by his son Xero.

  Short, sharp whistles slice through the silent, crisp mountain air as the young teenager, Xero, trains with his straight sword. The blade itself being the length of an arm and the grip half that which he holds tightly with both hands; silver glints in the azure light of the daytime sun as the weapon is spun, jabbed and slashed through the air. Xero keeps his azure eyes focused on the air just before him, as if locked onto an invisible enemy. He parries imaginary attacks, dodges vicious swipes and blocks heavy handed blows from his invisible foe. The prince spars his opponent across the rocky terrain that is part of the mountain that overlooks Caelum. With the grace of a dancer, his chestnut hair, flowing halfway to his shoulders, sways with his every movement.

  He had been up here, on this hidden trail for the better part of two hours waiting for his younger brother Ro Lorian and decided to kill time doing what he was born to do, train. Hidden behind the soft rubbing of his cloths and the sharp wisps of his blade Xero hears something else, the sound of rocks giving way underweight and several things moving toward him through the air. Xero turns to see several rocks already upon him; the young soldier moves so quickly he deflects each stone before the eye could blink. With a smile he sheaths his blade on his back as a boy two years younger than he, with white hair and emerald hues grins widely at his older brother.

  “You are getting faster. You did not even have to dodge any this time!”

  his voice excited and exclamatory as he runs to his brother’s side; Xero laughs and ruffles his younger brother’s hair.

  “And you are getting quieter; I almost did not hear you this time. Keep it up and you will be able to sneak up on even father.”

  Xero looks down at his younger brother. The two were only separated by two years yet he had matured much faster than his younger brother appearing nearly five years older. Xero sheaths his blade in its holster which rests squarely on his back tucked behind his cloak. The prince is covered in a soft armor. Nothing that would hold up in battle but made of a high density cross weave that would protect from the elements and the hostile wildlife that roams the mountains of Boron’s jagged yet beautiful terrain. Its weight is more than that of his brother’s looser fitting robes. The ‘light’ armor is heavier, weighted, so that the wearer can become accustom to moving and fighting while burdened.

  Unlike the other soldiers in his age group, Xero never went anywhere without it on. He would even go so far as to tinker with the suit to make it heavier in an attempt to strain his body and push him to surpass his fellow soldiers. With his tinkering adding more than twice the weight to his suit as the others Xero, who was already considerably large for his age, has pushed himself to be nearly twice as strong. While training almost every free second of his time, he is twice as fast as his peers. His little brother looks up at Xero with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Reaching into his robes he pulls a scroll that appears to be ancient and unfurls it before showing its contents to Xero.

  Xero peers inquisitively at the paper. Slowly reaching out he takes the parchment gently into his hands; it has a soft, almost fuzzy feel to it. His eyes scan over the wrinkled, tattered document. Ro had been so adamant about meeting Xero on this exact spot, about coming alone because he had found some huge secret. Xero’s heart sinks a little bit as his eyes fall on what appears to be a typography map of the local region of Boron. Xero raises his eyes to his little brother who brims with excitement.

  “What is this?”

  “Look into the spectrum, you will see.”

  For a moment Xero pauses. He had access to the ability but hated using it as the side effects were almost always long lasting. None the less he humors his brother. Focusing on the parchment, his vision begins to warp into the infrared and even ultra-violet light spectrums. As he does, a dot slowly begins to ping on the map some distance up the mountain. A sharp pain rapidly builds before piercing the soldier’s eyes; he shakes his head as his vision returns to normal, yet the sharp migraine throbs at the front of his skull.

  “What have you brought me Ro?”

  “It is a map to Starfall, the blade that has been lost nearly half a deci-cycle ago!”

  Xero hands the map back to his brother who promptly rolls it back up and places it into his cloak once again.

  “It was not lost; it was hidden by father so that no one could use it for corrupt purposes. With the prophecy of the planet falling and all, he did not want to risk it being turned over to an enemy.”

  Ro hops up and down in excitement.

  “I know! But I found this in his office; I have always wanted to see the Blade of Boron! Will you come with me brother? Please…”

  he pauses tentatively and gazes up at his older brother. There are very few things in the universe that can make Xero do something he does not want to, and the look on his little brother’s face is one of them. A smile slyly forms on Xero’s lips; the path where the blade was ‘hidden’ is dangerous, full of wyvern and venomous creatures that rarely move toward populated areas.

  “Ok, we will go, but you stay close to me. And if we run into anything dangerous promise you will listen to me and let me handle it.”

  Ro nods eagerly.

  “Deal!”

  With that the boy who was hardly even a teenager takes off up the crystalline mountain face before them. Xero quickly follows behind. The aching at the forefront of his skull begins to slowly diminish as he catches up to his little brother; the raven cloak of Ro flaps in the wind beside Xero’s azure cape as the two run side by side. The crisp air rejuvenates Xero’s lungs with each deep breath. The young Prince paces himself to keep by his brother’s side, exhaling as his left foot falls, inhaling the frost scented air as his right hits the tough yet serene ground.

  The two run, what first is out of excitement, then gradually turns into a race. The two begin to sprint with all they have up the mountainside with a gradual descent to the left that goes to the fields of harvest and on the right
a sheer cliff face down to Caelum, the capital city of Boron. As their speed increases, a symbol carved into a passing stone catches Xero’s eye; two diagonal lines that meet in the in the middle forming a point aimed upward with a circle above the arrow. Xero comes to a stop, the loose stone from the pathway skipping ahead from the force of his feet with a soft clatter. Ro glances back after taking a few paces to see his brother having stopped for what appears to be no discernable reason.

  “What are you doing?”

  his voice catches Xero’s ears as the young soldier keeps a wary eye on the jagged stone faces.

  “Ro, come back toward me. We just entered Laconia, the Emissary territory.”

  Ro turns and begins to walk towards his brother per Xero’s request. Slowly he puts a hand back and gently coils his fingers around the hilt of his blade.

  “And? We are the High Princes of Boron. We have free reign to go wherever we please on the planet.”

  Xero continues to make his way up the path, keeping his little brother behind him and a sharp eye and ear out for anything that moves.

  “True but they have untamed Wyvern and Nidhogg that roam free on their lands. It is dangerous for even us, stay close brother and do exactly as I say.”

  As the two continue their climb, Xero keeps his head on a swivel while still moving rather quickly without breaking into a run. The two move with haste yet do not make a sound with each footfall muffled by years of practice. Xero whispers back to his brother while keeping an eye on the upcoming crest of the mountain.

  “Did they not teach you that the Emissaries do not tame nor drive away the wildlife from their lands? That they live in harmony with the creatures no matter how aggressive?”

  There is silence for a moment, and then Ro’s voice echoes up in a similarly hushed tone.

  “They did not. How do you know this?”

  “I had a survival class in Emissary land when I was about your age.”

  Xero stops for a moment. Ro comes to a halt directly behind him. Crouching down Xero holds his hand out behind him to tell Ro to stay put. He does. Xero slowly draws his blade and looks over the crest to the clearing. In the clearing stands a large worm-like creature with two wings folded down its cylindrical back. The creature’s armor is the same brown that matches the earth. Xero ducks back down almost immediately; turning to Ro he holds his fingers to his lips as his heart begins to pound. Lying down on the ground Xero begins to slowly scoot his body toward his left and the slight decline in that direction. Waving his brother on, Ro follows suit keeping up with Xero movement by movement. Slowly the older brother slides back up toward the edge of the small plateau. As he peers over the edge, the wind catches him in the face and the stench of the beast fills his lungs; a pungent smells, similar to that of a rotting corpse.

  Xero gets a better look at the creature. Unlike others that would fall into the ‘dragon’ family, this kind does not have individually small scales that cover its body. But rather it has large, sectioned off, thick pieces of armor that move and flex within themselves to allow the creature to move freely. This species tends to have branchy growths that cover its body to aid with camouflage. Not this one, its scales are worn smooth due to burrowing through the ground. Its eyelids are translucent so it can see at all times while armoring what would be considered a soft spot. Xero’s eyes immediately are drawn to its serrated claws, which help it burrow silently through the ground. A wet splat brings his eyes up to its jagged protruding teeth. With a long slender snout the beast it able to catch whatever is unfortunate enough to be fleeing even if his body cannot fit into a tight space. Its teeth are layered inside its mouth and gradually begin to point outward as the layers get to the outside of the mouth. This would ensure that, even without a direct bite, the being would be able to snag its prey and hold on until death comes.

  This particular monster happens to have caught a smaller drake, an armored being that can scale any surface and is the wingless cousin to the ‘true’ dragons. Clearly the drake did not hear the beast until it was too late. Ever so silently Xero continues to make his way around the ground that belongs to the being known as a Nidhogg. Xero looks over to see where Ro is. The younger brother has seen the beast, his face is as white as a ghost and his jaw is dropped. Xero instantly knows they are in trouble as in his shock Ro has stood up. A soft gasp of air escapes the young boy’s lips. Xero freezes in fear. The Nidhogg have exceptional hearing, able to listen for their prey while either in the air. Or in the ground. Using that particular sense as a source of food meant that the Nidhogg is able to locate its prey’s precise position from hundreds of feet, if not yards away.

  With a powerful whip of its head the creature turns and looks at Ro and stops moving. Ever so silently Xero draws his blade, hoping that he would not catch the monster’s attention. He does not. In a very hushed tone, Xero whispers over to his brother.

  “Do not move or attempt to flee. He will perceive it as a threat and attack.”

  Ro looks over at Xero and nods. He had never seen such fear on his little brother’s face, not even when they had been caught breaking into their father’s personal vault by the High King himself. Xero slowly turns the blade around so that he holds it backward as the Nidhogg begins to rotate its body to face Ro. The creature, wreaking of death, takes a deep breath before it lets out a roar so monumental and with such force that both boys take a step back to brace themselves from both the force of the breath and that of the sound as well. The breath of the beast is so foul that it irritates Xero’s skin and he is not the one the Nidhogg is directly facing. Xero catches that the lids of the beast are down, protecting its eyes; this is a good thing. That means its peripheral vision is severely impaired and Xero can get the drop on it.

  “When I say drop, crawl to the thickest rock you can and climb onto it.”

  Ro nods, his hands and legs shaking in fear. Xero begins to run at the monster with all his might. The Prince accelerates rapidly and in the blink of an eye reaches his top speed.

  “Now!”

  Xero pushes off the ground as hard as he can, launching himself into the air with such force that the stone beneath him caves in on itself leaving a small indent in the earth. Ro drops to the ground. The Nidhogg lunges at Xero’s little brother. Xero had accounted for this as he dashes through the air and slams into the neck of the rabid animal. Reaching forward Xero grabs hold of its scale as the force of the impact causes the Nidhogg to miss its target. Opening its wings the animal takes flight; Xero climbs onto its back and holds on for dear life. His heart begins to pound so hard it is deafening, even over the now roaring wind as the Nidhogg takes to the skies.

  After a few moments of wrestling the beast as it winds through the air, Xero is able to get his legs around its neck. Straddling the beast, his legs don’t even reach half way around it. The monster flies higher. Xero looks down to see Ro standing up and rapidly shrinking behind him. It is then that he realizes that he cannot fly and if he is dragged any higher he may not survive the trip back down. In the blink of an eye Xero swipes his blade behind him, turning only enough to ensure his aim is true. Certainly enough it is. The blade makes contact with one of the few vulnerable points on the Nidhogg. With little resistance it slices through the wings like a hot knife through butter. A loud roar bellows from the creature’s mouth as Xero feels its trajectory begin to change. It starts off slowly but then rapidly gains speed as the two begin to plummet toward the ground. Xero begins to feel himself lift off of the fowl creature. Without hesitation he drives his blade between two of the scales and into the Nidhoggs’ back pulling himself back onto the beast as it roars once more.

  What seemed like a good idea at the time is suddenly apparent that it may not have been as the ground closes in faster and faster with each passing moment. It dawns on him that being on the beast may do more harm than good and immediately regrets his decision. Pulling the weapon out, bathed in the tar black blood of the beast, Xero throws the weapon clear and pushes off the Nidhogg at th
e very last second. The monster snout hits the solid surface. Xero expects a tar-like mess to cover him before he hits the ground but is only pelted with small rocks and pebbles. The massive animal begins to burrow into the earth at the same speed he falls. This sight would have fascinated the young prince if it would not have meant that he was next. Putting his arms out to catch himself Xero closes his eyes, clenches his jaw and holds his breath. ‘WHAM!’ A massive shock reverberates throughout Xero’s body. All the air is force from his lungs and the sensation of the cold planet’s surface embraces his face as he slams stomach first into the mountain’s clearing.

  Xero lays there for a moment. He had anticipated much worse pain and injury. His lungs burn, his ribs ache but most of all his face; the force of the impact causes his face to go numb. Not an unfeeling numb but pins and needles digging into his flesh numb. After a few moments of silence, secretly wishing he were dead, the ringing in his ears begins to die down. He hears Ro running at him, calling for his older brother. With a deep gasp Xero begins to cough as the crisp mountain air fills his lungs once more. Slowly he turns to his back as his brother approaches, blade in hand. Ro slides to a stop by his brother, worry filling his face.