Xero Chronicle

by Ross Buzzell

  “This is to celebrate that our people’s sacrifice was not in vain. This star system was the last to stand against the Darkness with the Seraphs to stop them from getting to you. The battle was thought to be lost when one of the life-giving weapons the Seraphs used was stolen and presumed corrupted.”

  With a wave of his hand the king summons a moving model of the solar system they had been exploring over the past few days to weeks. With the time dilation Xero was not sure at this point. Starting at the far edge, at the world Xero recognized as the Dark World, a wave of darkness, like a smoke full of illusive images of monsters too horrible to describe form on the edge of the system. They launch small black projectiles, one to each planet, which land and instantly begin to corrupt the planets they manage to land on.

  Scattered randomly throughout the solar system small flashes of lights explode by the hundreds around each planet. Massive beings in brilliant golden armor, each pulling a massive golden sword from their backs guarding the worlds with a sentry staying above and below each world. The wall of darkness clashes with the bright light of Seraphs, lashing out from the cloud with claws and teeth. Monstrous roars echo through the cavern as a battle more savage than anything Xero had seen before rages. The Seraphs hold their own for quite some time but eventually one of the projectiles that had landed on the world that Ja and Xero were on, flies from the planet’s surface and hits one of the Seraphs in the back. Slowly the golden armor cracks and begins to turn to the sickly purple as does its blade. From behind the massive helmet that hides its face purple flames overtake where its eyes are.

  One of the sentry’s pulls a square piece of metal from its belt. The objects color looking familiar but Xero has trouble placing it. The Seraph throws the object into the midst of the Darkness. In a blinding flash of light a huge chunk of the Darkness disappears but the first world falls as the Seraphs retreat.

  “The Seraphs fought their best but when one of their own was corrupted, they were forced to turn to a Life Bringer. The only weapon that can truly defeat the Darkness, it detonates bringing life to anything it comes in contact with, blessing it with pure benevolence.”

  Ja leans forward as she bites into a piece of golden brown meat before asking, more enthralled than anything.

  “How does something that brings life and peace kill?”

  “The Darkness is the physical perversion of life itself; it is the exact opposite of life and goodness. The Life Bringers negate the Darkness effectively causing them to cease to exist.”

  Xero looks up at the king.

  “What happened next?”

  “Next? The Seraphs retreated. Two of the worlds were corrupted instantly, and one was inhabited by such pure natural light the Darkness could not overcome it and let it be. With only one world standing between them and their goal the Seraphs had no choice but to ally themselves with the locals, elevating us in the process to what we are today.”

  The summons shows a Seraph shrinking in size to meet with something that resembles the Draronian race but is far more primitive. Taking out the same cube that was used earlier known as a Life Bringer. Xero racks his mind where he had seen it before. The cube deems the being as pure and light leaves the cube and enters into the Draronian causing it to change into what was sitting before them today. The Draronian looks up to see the sky turning black as the corrupted Seraph lands in the valley where they had landed.; the pure Seraph turns and grows in size to match his fallen brother. The two enter into a vicious battle as the Draronian and the rest of his people put their hands up forming a pink shield of light around the planet.

  On the outside of the planet the Seraphs hold the line rather well until the Darkness begins to unleash mines that explode with the force of a dying sun. Attempting to corrupt the energy and power of the Life Bringer provided by the corrupted Seraph the mines begin to weaken the Seraphs one at a time before they fall one by one, only for the gravity of the nearby planets to pull their skeletons to them. A life Bringer that is activated detonates on a planet’s surface as the Seraph who held it hits the ground. Xero recognizes this world as the one they had almost not left.

  On the Draronian planet’s surface the final Seraph manages to take the corrupted Seraph’s blade, slam him into the mountain side and run him through with his own sword. He screams and in a flash of light his wings explode charring the ground as it is today. The Seraph looks at the Draronian as if having a telepathic conversation. The Draronian nods as the Seraph takes to the skies, moving so fast that he begins to burn with a bright light. The Draronians extend their shielding, pushing themselves to the absolute limit to make their impenetrable bubble wrap around the stolen Life Bringer bomb.

  The Seraph soars into space, grabbing the weapon as the shield breaks apart; over half of the Draronian population dies because of the strain. The Darkness leaves the solar system, chasing the Seraph through the desolations of deep space before a spine finds its way under the Seraph’s armor mortally wounding him. As the Darkness closes in, the Seraph hurls the Life Bringer in a last ditch effort to keep it from being corrupted. The Darkness takes off full speed after it. The Darkness begins to gain on the weapon with a ravenous hunger and just before they reach it, the cube slams into a small barren planet being circled by two stars. The impact reacts differently than the others. Instead of an immediate outburst of energy the explosion is pulled into the ground before being amplified and changing into an azure blue pulse. This completely destroys the entirety of the remaining Darkness which causes the husks of the ominous darkness falling away from the newly formed Boron to form the impassible nebula. The mystery behind the inaccessibility of the nebula finally sets it. It was formerly living matter, something that the Boronian portals could not open inside of. The genetic makeup also causes the long distance scanners to malfunction as they could detect life forms but not penetrate them. The young prince gradually begins to realize where he had seen the unique and beautiful weapons before… the Life Bringer weapons and Starfall were one and the same. Slowly the summons disappears as the king begins to speak once more.

  “The Darkness wanted your world; they wanted to corrupt your people in particular because of the power you wield. Xero… Ja, you are part of the most powerful race to ever exist in this universe. Had the Darkness taken Boron all life would be lost. This star system, our people and the Seraphs knew that. Two planets were completely wiped out. We lost half of our people and every single Seraph fell in an attempt to protect you… so your people could come into being and bring peace. The Seraphs told our ancestors of you, explained the importance your kind would play in the future and that is why we sacrificed our lives, to help bring you into this universe.”

  Xero glances at Ja for a moment. She returns the worried look. The two do not have to say anything; they know what the other is thinking. A small smile forms on Ja’s soft lips. Xero reads her expression and nods to her before facing the king. Graciously the prince nods to the ruler of this truly noble race, far nobler than any race he had met before, including his own.

  “My king, we had no knowledge of the sacrifice your people had made for us… As prince of Boron I would like to invite yourself and your delegation to see our home, to see the world that you helped save. Should you choose we would be honored to have a permanent representative stationed on our world so that we can learn from each other.”

  The king slowly removes his hand from a once thick juicy piece of meat. It is now shriveled and dry like a piece of jerky. The skin around the front of his face tightens once again as he nods and claps his elongated fingers together in a clapping motion.

  “I would love that. Do you have more of these communicators on your world? I would not wish to cause any of your people harm.”

  Ja decides to take this one as Xero bites into the meat. Its succulent juices roll down his chin in a perfect blend of sweet and salty flavors. Xero chews the most delicious meal he had ever had in his life. Getting rapidly lost in the meal, he hears Ja’s voice over the cru
nch of the brilliantly colored vegetables that are scattered around him.

  “We can mass produce them for you in a matter of hours. The nebula’s dissipation has allowed for our long range scanners to penetrate space about half way home. By the time we get the message out and arrive we will have as many translators as you will need.”

  The king slams his hands on the table and stands with purpose. He nods his head over and over again as he offers a hand to shake to Xero.

  “Good, I look forward to our alliance growing and our people getting to learn from each other.”

  Xero wipes his face with a small rag next to his plate before setting it back down. Reaching out he gives the king a firm hand shake with a nod. It was nice to be on a mission where he was not trying to kill or be killed by the species he was interacting with.

  “It will be our genuine honor sire. When should we depart?”

  The king’s shoulders shake and his eyes squint as his widened skull leans back. His hands cross over his chest. A strange hitching and scratching sound screeches with a labored lurch as he only does what Xero assumes is laughing. Xero gives off a soft chuckle as well as Ja so they do not appear rude. The king steps up onto the table, walks over it and hops down in between Xero and Ja.

  “You have just arrived. At the very least stay the night, recover your strength and let our people repair your ship. We can leave at first light.”

  The king begins to lead the two eccentrically down a flight of stairs carved out of the cavern floor. At the base of the steps he turns down a narrow hallway where there is hardly enough room for Xero or Ja to walk side by side. The king keeps behind them, a hand on either shoulder as he continues to speak.

  “We have the best rooms available for you to stay in. I am sure it will be nothing compared to the glory of Boron but I find the view breath taking every time.”

  The three approach a large, smooth stone with intricate carvings engraved into it, very similar to the way the doors are carved into on Boron. Xero places his hand on the door and smiles as he feels the small indents of the smooth stone dimpling under his fingers. The king glances over at Xero with a look of concern briefly taking over his monochromatic features.

  “Is there something wrong prince Xero?”

  The warrior looks back at the king; the peaceful smile on his face causes the kings to relax. Xero shakes his head as he taps his hand on the door lightly.

  “Not at all my king. I just think you will really like Boron.”

  The king pats his shoulder and nods as he begins to walk away from the two.

  “Good, good! We will see you in the morning!”

  Ja watches as the king vanishes into the dark passageway dimly lit by bio-luminescent algae and mushrooms.

  “He is a bit eccentric is he not?”

  With a laugh Xero nods and pushes on the door. It slowly gives way.

  “He is but he seems harmless enough. I look forward to sharing cultures with him… How do you think they identify?”

  Xero asks as he slowly peers into the room. From the moment they had shared minds in that excruciating encounter he had not had a single curious thought about how they identify as individuals. Something deep down inside him knew the answer but he could not put his finger on it. It was almost as if he was shown it in the brief joining but the static of pain prevents the picture from being clear.

  “They are a hive mind… you know how most hive minds are.”

  she pauses for a moment as the room slowly luminesces, revealing a cozy room made of what appeared to be materials all brought from the planet itself. A massive flat headed mushroom was clearly the bed with what appeared to be a blanket made of flower petals. A small waterfall that cascades into a pool of crystal blue water dances in the far corner of the room and a valance knitted of moss hangs on the direct opposite of the door. Slowly Xero begins to make his way toward the curtain. Gently he places his hand on it as he looks back at Ja who had begun to lean down to the pool and splash the water around.

  “Yeah, they tend to identify as both self and as one. They have their titles but also as a group, so no real names. Am I right?”

  Xero asks as he pulls the curtain aside and stops. He feels the air nearly leave his lungs as the beauty of the world before him is fully realized. A sunset like he had never seen before is displayed before him; the sky is ablaze with a fiery orange and red as it hides beneath the glorious green mountains in the distance. At the foot of those mountains are crystal clear blue lakes of water. A pit hits Xero in his stomach as a sensation of insignificance hits him for the second time on this mission, Boron was truly beautiful but these worlds, they were on a level all their own.

  Ja slowly walks over to him. Wrapping her slender yet strong arms around his chest she rests her head on his shoulder. A smile forms on her lips as the cool, sweet air blows through the wall in the room filling it with the scent of flowers and fresh trees.

  “Have you ever seen so much water?”

  Ja whispers in awe as she gazes at it almost in a trance.

  “I have not… and that sunset…”

  The sight was so moving that he could not bring himself to finish his sentence. Even the dark pull he had felt had dissipated again on this world like it had on the previous one. As the night sky begins to fade to black revealing all of the strange constellations and stars that they are under, Xero turns around and faces Ja. Slowly he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him before whispering.

  “Almost as beautiful as you.”

  Ja’s nose scrunches up as she lets off a soft giggle before giving Xero a playful shove.

  “Smooth one my prince.”

  Xero leans in to kiss Ja. She moves up on her tip toes to return his affections but as their lips are about to touch she pulls away. Turning she begins to walk to the pool of water as she slowly, teasingly lets loose her armor allowing it and everything underneath to fall to the ground with a loud clank. Xero’s eyes scan her flawless form, taking his time to memorize every curve of her as she slowly glides into the water, peering over her shoulder as if to tease her prince, daring him to follow her. Without a moment’s hesitation Xero removes his cloak letting it drop to the ground before rushing into the warm water to meet his love.

  Chapter: 10

  The early morning sun illuminates the horizon, generating just enough light to wake Xero from the surprisingly comfortable natural bed provided for both he and Ja. Xero peers down to see Ja laying asleep on his chest, her newly whitened hair strewn peacefully over his chest and down his stomach. The crystal blue water of the lake in the distance is hardly visible through a thin layer of mist that covers the canyons of the mountain range before him. The tops of trees are shyly poking their peaks out from the unusual phenomenon; the air is cold and crisp, yet refreshing as if trying to help the prince wake up. Ja stirs slightly on Xero’s chest. With a groggy groan she rubs her eyes before looking up at the prince and giving him a wide smile.

  “Hey.”

  her voice crackles with the grogginess of the morning; this brings a smile to Xero’s face as he leans down and gently plants a kiss on her lips.

  “Hey.”

  he whispers softly before kissing her once more and asking.

  “How did you sleep?”

  “Better than I have in a long time… This is more comfortable than our beds… well maybe not your bed your highness but certainly mine.”

  she teases before she slowly pushes herself up; grabbing the flower petal she holds it to her breast, covering herself as she glances out over the previously unseen view. A small smile creeps across her soft plump lips. Xero cannot take his eyes off of her as the morning’s light seems to generate a halo around her flawless frame.

  “This world is beautiful.”

  she whispers as Xero sits up and plants a soft kiss on the silken skin of Ja’s shoulder before slowly standing up and grabbing his robes. As he puts them on he notices Ja staring at him with an ornery grin on her face.

/>   “I had fun last night.”

  “So did I.”

  he responds as he finishes getting dressed. Xero notices something at the door, a platter of fruits, the likes of which he had never seen before are set on a golden platter at the foot of their door. Slowly he walks over to the obvious breakfast. He hears Ja slide out of the bed and the soft clanking of her armor as she begins to get dressed. Xero reaches down and grasps the cold metal platter. Lifting it, he turns and makes his way back to the bed where he places the breakfast down and grabs a circular white fruit and bites into it.

  The inside of the fruit is full of small black seeds that are distributed evenly throughout the food’s meat. The texture has a strange sensation on Xero’s tongue; it tingles slightly as the juices roll down his chin. The meat was juicy but slightly bitter, while the seeds had a strong sweetness to them, the combination complementing each other so perfectly that Xero quickly takes another bite. Ja glides over to the platter and grabs one of the yellow elongated curved fruits. There is a small tag that is wrapped around the top of that one which she looks at then discards. Using her fingernail she plunges it into the neck of the fruit before peeling the yellow skin away to reveal the whitish yellow center. She takes a bite as well and offers Xero a delectable smile.