by Ross Buzzell
“Then how do I know if I am on the ‘path’ the Creator has set out for me?”
The Creator was known by all on Boron, at one point many studied and knew of His ways and desires, now only a handful outside of the Emissaries actively sought Him. Concepts, which were once grasped by all, were now alien and scary for most, this is one such concept.
“You will just know my dear prince. Stay in His will and you will find your way to fulfill your destiny, or don’t and you can become Ashadow of what you are meant to be. It is up to you.”
This topic rubs Xero the wrong way; it makes him feel extremely uncomfortable. Slowly he breaks away from Judh, still walking by her side just no longer in her embrace. He decides to change the topic.
“Why have you not just taken me home? Why share with me this paradise?”
Judh lets her hand fall back to her side, as they pass a tree a dark purple fruit hangs from the branch, she gently plucks it off and tosses it to Xero. His quick reflexes allow him to catch it. She plucks another and takes a bite out of it. Xero follows suit, as his teeth sink into the fruit its soft meat turns almost to liquid in his mouth. Never before had the prince ever tasted anything so sweet before, it was delicious, possibly the best thing he had ever tasted. After swallowing her first bite, and between each one after that Judh shares with him her intentions.
“I did not bring you here to share Laconia with you. I have brought you here to share a vision of your future with you. You play a far greater role in our history, and our fate than any who have come before you. Are you willing to accept that gift? Or have I wasted both of our time?”
she finishes her fruit and tosses the small black core to the ground. Nearly as soon as it touches the fertile soil, which is a scarcity on Boron, the pit sprouts into a baby tree.
Her words echo not only his ears but also within his very soul. Typically sharing a vision with an Emissary is ill advised as they are overwhelming and often painful to those who are not blessed with the gift. Her words about being on the Creators path, about shaping the future for his people, they shake him to his core. After a few moments of walking in silence the two come to a clearing. Xero pauses for a moment, the soft green ground lays flat in this clearing forming a circle around a white stone table that seems to have grown from the ground. Its sides are smooth with artistic engravings that form up its thick base to the flat top which stands just over waist high to Judh and which is just below mid-chest for Xero. The air is even sweeter still here; Xero’s eyes catch why, on the edge of the clearing stand strong yet small trees. They are hardly taller than Xero himself, yet their buds form into soft pink petals that dance in the wind as they fall to the ground embracing it like a blanket.
The sheer warmth and peace that this place brings settles Xero’s nervousness as the ache in his gut gradually dissipates. He licks his lips, the very last of the sweet fruits juice finds its way to his tongue, a flavor he would not soon forget. He turns to Judh and with a slightly nervous, yet at the same time confident, nod he decides to accept her gift.
“Please matriarch, show me what it is you wish for me to see.”
A wide smile forms on her friendly face that had been caressed by time; she holds her hand out to Xero who, without hesitation, takes hers. The two walk hand in hand towards the stone table and she moves to the far side of it before placing her other hand open on its surface. Xero leans onto the cold, smooth stone; gently taking Judh’s other hand in his. She slowly closes her eyes, Xero does the same. The clearing is dead silent aside from the rustling of the trees in the wind, Judh’s hands clench tightly around his as the sensation of electricity courses into him, and like a shocking fire Xero feels an overwhelming surge course through his body. In a brief moment his entire being tightens up as he grunts in discomfort before opening his eyes as they flair Emissary yellow. A groan leaves his lips, not of agony but of wonder as images begin to flood to him.
In a whirlwind of light and fire Xero sees three ships take off into the blackness of space. A bright light flashes as the vision transitions to a massive explosion and a now much older Xero jumps between it and a woman taking the blast for her. The vision shifts again he races up a mountainside where his brother, who is older as well, awaits him. The scenes begin to flood him like the breaking of a dam, each coming rapidly yet clearly and only in miniscule increments allowing him to hardly peer through the windows of his future self. He sees himself fighting massive lizards of the sorts he does not recognize, two enormous explosions reminiscent of a ‘Crack’. A darkness rising like a wave on the horizon, a blinding light that shatters it, a massive arch made of silvery metal falling, a woman forming out of lava, another out of earth. A blinding light flashes before him as he stands, much older now, upon the ruins of the castle, his home, holding Starfall as Caleum celebrates and chants ‘long live the king’.
Xero’s heart races as the visions flood his mind, they enthralled him, terrified him, distracted him from what would certainly be an agonizing experience. He staggers back, his hands slipping from the patriarchs and with it the visions immediately vanish. Xero hits the ground with a THUD, the jolt echoes through his body; he does not even give it a second thought. The young prince looks up at Judh with worry on his face as some of the images that had seeped into his mind were truly horrifying.
“What does it mean?”
he pleads, his voice quivering in shock; Judh slowly stands to her feet, a portal opens behind her and begins to move forwards. Xero scrambles to his feet and begins to charge the Emissary as her voice, as light as a butterfly, graces his ears.
“Only you can know that my prince.”
Xero leaps, placing one hand on the smooth, cold, surface of the craftily carved stone table. As his feel touch the ground he lunges in desperation towards the Emissary, his heart craving answers. He is too late; the portal closes mere milliseconds from his arrival. Frustrated Xero kicks the grass and lets out a frustrated groan, only more answers.
“Oh come on!”
Xero yells out as his eyes frantically scan the area for any other Emissary that may be able to shed light on his visions only for none to be found.
“That is no way to treat the Matriarch.”
The young soldier stops, a chill runs down his spine as the soft, familiar voice of a young woman floats to his ears, a voice he had heard not that long ago and even still it sends chills down his spine. Slowly he turns, the grass crunching silently under his feet as they pivot. Xero’s eyes slowly scan the beautiful pink blossomed trees in hopes to find the owner of the voice. His gaze gradually falls on a young lady, his same age. Xero slowly lets his eyes scan her form, a young woman with brilliant red hair that cascades down her shoulders in large, loose curls, lavender eyes peering from behind the few stubborn bangs that insist on falling before the soft pale skin of her face. She wore armor similar to his own with her family crest aglow in the same color that matches her hair. Before him stands Ja’Sanfur, his oldest and most loyal friend. The two had trained for the military together since either could remember and the sight of her always causes the young princes heart to skip a beat.
“What are you doing here?”
Xero asks, happy to see his friend, yet surprised at her presence.
“I am here for advice, like you I have two paths that lay before me and I was having trouble choosing.”
“Were they of help to you?”
Xero’s words are tentative, he had unintentionally come here and was offered guidance and is only more confused for it. He hopes that the same is not the case for Ja. A slight flush begins to storm the young woman’s cheeks, she looks away from Xero for a moment, this intrigued the prince, he slowly moves closer to her. Gently she moves a lock of her fiery hair, placing it over her ear to hold it out of her face before looking back up at Xero.
“They were, I have made my decision to alter my training.”
Ever so slowly the two move side to side, without hardly realizing it Xero and Ja have begun to walk me
re inches from each other towards the edge of the clearing. Xero standing significantly taller than Ja, despite the two being the same age, he keeps his head tilted to ensure he can make out every single syllable she says.
“I was invited to join the Cryptea training program but four years of training just at a shot to be one of the elite. If I get accepted another four years before I can even go on my first mission. It is a lot to ask just to be a part of a squad.”
Silently Xero somewhat agrees with her, most Cryptea initiates have an eight year training cycle before they even get to prove themselves, even then it is no guarantee that they would succeed. If at any point they failed the candidate would be demoted to scud duty, possibly even sent to the Dead Zone for a year. It is a risk he is glad she did not take.
“That is probably a smart move, although I have no doubt you would have made an amazing Cryptea… If I may ask, what did you chose to do instead?”
The grass slowly begins to give way to small pieces of rock which gradually grow larger with each passing step until finally they are back to the hard mountainous path.
“The Off World Squad, they are nearly as good as the Cryptea, the training, armor and weapons are second only to theirs, and it takes half the time for formal training with two of the years being directly trained by a Cryptea member themselves.”
A smile forms on Xero’s lips, he gives a stone a kick, with a clatter it bounces down the trail before them like a drunken scout running ahead of the party and down a hill. The OWS was an excellent second choice and they had the opportunity to rise in the ranks of the actual military, even had the potential of becoming one of the Triad Generals.
“That is a smart choice, you will get to further your career and eventually surpass the limits of even the Crypteas reach.”
she shrugs a little bit as the two continue to stroll down the gradual mountain decline.
“That is true, I will get to see my family more, maybe have one of my own one day.”
Xero gives Ja a playful shove, keeping his hands behind him he uses his shoulder. Flirtingly he teases Ja about wanting to have a family.
“I would feel bad for your child, nothing but drills drills drills all the time.”
Ja gives out a little laugh, shoving Xero back as well.
“I have always been the better fighter, I would just let you win and those drills? Those will be the reason my kid will win in any fight against yours one day.”
her voice is soft and teasing, this catches Xero off balance, was she actually flirting with him? He certainly welcomed the attention even if he was not prepared for it.
“I guess we will just have to see about that.”
Xero retorts in the same flirty fashion that was afforded to him.
The two walk in silence for a few moments until they come to a familiar clearing. A massive hole sits right in the center as two scaly wings with a fleshy membrane between the wing phalanges that had already started to decompose revealing the stark white bone of the beast. Xero allows his eyes to scan the area, a clear outline of his body could be seen in the ground, and he keeps on walking. Ja stops for a moment, she falls behind as she looks at the scene in confusion.
“What happened here?”
she asks, mostly to herself as she walks through investigating the scene thoroughly. Xero stops for a moment, turning back as he reaches the point where Ro had dove away from the Nidhogg.
“It looks like a dragon attack, come on, we need to get back to Caelum before the night sun rises.”
he really wanted to hurry things along because if she were to put two and two together this would quickly become a situation he would never live down. For a brief moment Ja relents, facing Xero she takes a few steps towards him before pausing. Gradually she makes her way to Xero’s impact mark on the ground; she looks down, observing the outline of Xero’s armor before turning back and looking at Xero himself.
This makes the young prince uncomfortable as the glare she gives him makes him feel as if she were looking straight through him. Instinctively Xero retreats a few steps, feeling exposed, naked under the scrutiny of Ja’Sanfur’s ever watchful eye. Gradually Xero notices her soft, plump lips curl at the ends as they dauntingly transition into a smile. Her lips separate revealing flawlessly white teeth as a soft chuckle dances from behind her ivory walls. Anticipating a barrage of embarrassment Xero is shocked when Ja only shakes her head and begins to walk towards him. She gives him a pat on the shoulder as she passes, Xero turns and follows quickly catching up to her.
“There is no way that did not hurt… It was a good kill.”
A sense of pride washes over Xero, not only did she resist the urge to rub his nose in what could have been an embarrassing situation, she offered him a complement instead. The young soldier feels his heart begin to race; his face grows hot as his cheeks begin to flush at the complement being paid to him.
“Thank you, it charged Ro so I did not have much of a choice.”
A slight tinge of guilt flickers in the back of Xero’s mind as the soft crunch of the rocks fills the air with each one of their foot falls. Cutting dragons wings off was one of the worst ways to kill a flying dragon, if they do not bleed out they will lose the will to live and slowly wither away. Being a people of honor and pride the Boronian race are brought up being taught to refrain from doing anything that was not honorable, that included killing.
Soldiers, like Xero, in particular are taught that life is to be preserved at all cost but if a life ever needed to be taken it should be done quickly, painlessly and honorably. Cutting the wings off a dragon were none of those things. Ro’s face flashes through Xero’s mind, his oblivious smile, his happy demeanor and how he always put others before himself and in an instant the guilt is smothered and dissipates. Saving his brother’s life makes the kill justified.
“What did the Matriarch want with you?”
Ja’s voice brings Xero out of his thoughts, he looks over at her as the two continue walking, they begin to approach the mouth of the trail that leads up to the Emissaries in the first place.
“She wanted to show me a glimpse of what could come.”
Xero notices Ja’s fiery red eyebrow arch itself in curiosity, she leans down and picks up a few small rocks before throwing them one by one at a bigger rock further down the path. Each stone strikes the target in the exact same spot.
“Was I in any of them?”
her voice is quizzical with a hint of sobriety tucked underneath, almost as if she were both teasing him and probing about her future with him. Xero smiles and nods some as the trail turns and begins to flatten out revealing the capital city sprawled out before them like a crystalline jewel.
“You were in a ship together, exploring uncharted space. We will fight a great war and help bring peace to Boron.”
A smile forms on her lips as she hears this; with a mild concern in her voice she continues to probe Xero.
“We are at peace, how can we bring any more?”
“A dark tide is rising, when its’ day comes it will break upon us like water on rock.”
Chapter: 3
The two slowly make it off of the mountain and officially enter Caelum. Ja makes eye contact with Xero, a smile on her face. Slowly she reaches out to the young prince; her hand lightly touches his. Although it is just the back of her soft hand gently brushing up against the back of his, Xero feels a spark course through him as if a bolt of lightning had struck his heart. A shy grin forms on his lips as Xero gently slides his hand into hers. The sensation of her fingers entertaining with his like the coils of a wyrm causes Xero’s heart to beat so hard he feared it would pound out of his chest. With a side glance Xero notices a shy smile form on Ja’s face and her cheeks turn almost as red as her hair.
The two make their way in silence for a few blocks as they walk toward a massive building in the center of Caelum hand in hand. Neither want to say anything in fear of ruining a beautiful and peaceful moment between the two; having grown up togeth
er in the military academy, being alone with one’s self was rare enough, but to be alone with another is near impossible. As the two make their way to the Judicial building both of them look up at the massive pantheon that stands before them. It is only then that Ja breaks the silence with an awe struck ‘whoa’ which was so soft, so delicate that Xero hardly heard it. Slowly Xero nods in agreement as he gazes before the towering pillars that stand erect before them as if to taunt the passersby with their insignificance in the presence of the structure.
“It is hard to believe that this was built before electron displacement technologies existed.”
“Who would have thought we were capable of such things?”
Ja retorts as they adore the towering walls and pillars that stand proudly like sentry’s guarding the precious gems of an entire people. The white pillars stretching higher than most of the surrounding buildings, the elements making it up unique in comparison; in a heap of crystal, metal and glass stands the proverbial ivory tower starkly against the mountain ranges behind it.