by Ross Buzzell
“You remembered.”
Xero nods at her statement.
“Of course I did, and now your dreams have been fulfilled.”
Ja wipes the tears away from her eyes as she looks down at her egg and gives it a gentle hug.
“Thank you, I could never have asked for more.”
Slowly Xero approaches her. Placing a hand on the rough surface of the egg he looks down at it as well for a moment. It was strange the egg was hot as if a fire burned on the inside.
“If anyone has earned this right, it is you. You saved my life more times than I can remember; it is about time your deeds are recognized.”
She leans in once more. Xero meets her half way as they share a tender and passionate kiss on the platform as the day sun spews rays of blue light through the sky; breaking the kiss, but hardly, Xero whispers against Ja’Sanfur’s lips.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Chapter: 11
Xero sprints along a rocky ravine. His armor makes no noise as he leaps from crystalline stone to crystalline stone. His azure blue cape dances behind him. ‘Come on Xero move faster, move faster!’ He thinks to himself as he begins to push himself harder in an attempt to speed up his pace. He had been holding this pace for almost an hour now; he could feel himself starting to slow down ever so slightly.
Xero quickly approaches a towering rock face that cuts him off, ducking his head, he gains momentum. The royal family crest begins to glow an azure blue on the young soldier’s bracer. Quickly Xero presses the lightning bolt shaped glyph in the center of an omega symbol. Throwing his hands forward a burst of blue energy flies into the side of the wall as Xero opens up a wormhole. On the far side of an open doorway stands another young man in a cloak of dragon scales, he turns to the wormhole and smiles at Xero as he leaps through the doorway. The prince soars through the air and lands atop a spire of stone as the wormhole slowly collapses behind him. Xero catches his breath as he approaches his younger brother.
“Ro, it was a good race, however did you beat me?”
Ro, having grown into a strong young man, looks into the sky, the wind blowing his white hair out of his face revealing a scar down the left side that had been gifted to him while Xero had been gone. Ro purses his lips together and gives out a shrill whistle that echoes across the vastness of the mountain range. Silence befalls the two brothers for a moment only to be broken by a deafening roar. Xero reaches for his hilted Energynium weapon as a white dragon with black patterns breaks through the clouds.
A strong, young dragon the size of a horse, she majestically glides to the spire and lands near her master. Ro gives her strong square head a pat as all four of her taloned feet meet the ground.
“Jesua gave me a lift, such reliable companion’s dragons make. Would you not agree brother?”
Xero removes his hand from his weapon.
“I would prefer my own feet as travel; and isn’t that cheating?”
Ro smirks and shakes his head
“You used a portal.”
Ro climbs onto the back of his dragon and rubs her neck. She growls with contentment at the affection of her master.
“The first trial was a success my brother. We must return to the castle for the second.”
Ro gives Jesua a lite kick with his heels. Her wings open and with one mighty flap both she and her rider soar off into the sky. Xero’s eyes follow his brother. He laughs and shakes his head. Slowly he walks to the edge of the spire and looks down to see only clouds beneath him.
“Head always in the clouds or in a book my brother. That is why I will win.”
Xero takes a few steps back before sprinting as fast as he can towards the spires edge before he dives head first off of the spire into a freefall. The soldier closes his azure blue eyes and smiles as he revels in the sensation of weightlessness. As Xero passes through the clouds, water condenses on his chestnut hair. Xero opens his eyes to see a massive city below him. He presses the omega glyph once more, a robotic voice echoes from his bracer which he can barely hear over the roaring sound of the wind in his ears.
“Rerouting solar radiation.”
Xero takes a quick nervous breath.
“Please work.”
he whispers to himself as his hands begin to glow the same color as Boron’s daytime sun. The light begins to gradually build around Xero’s boots and up his greaves until they finally burst into blue flames. Xero leans back with all of his might. Gravity begins to fight the prince as he strains to pull up while the city below rapidly grows larger and larger. Gradually his falling trajectory begins to change from falling to flying.
Exhilarated Xero begins to laugh; he places his arms down to his side and clicks his heels together. The light radiating from him flashes brighter and Xero begins to speed up. Xero moves faster and faster. The wind begins to grow into a deafening roar. The prince sees a cone form before him which almost immediately dissipates. Everything goes perfectly silent. Adrenaline coursing through Xero’s veins he lets out a joyous yell as he flies into a barrel roll. Xero circles around the city and flies along the cliff faces that surround the low point on the planet. This area protects it from hostile attack be it from the native animals of Boron to the many enemies the Boronian people have scattered throughout the universe.
He corrects his course and begins to fly towards a breathtaking white palace built into the side of one of the mountains overlooking the city. Xero weaves back and forth through the air to slow himself down as he approaches the palace’s patio. Xero slowly comes to a stop. Placing his hands out in front of him. The blue fire of Boron’s day sun gradually fades. As it dissipates completely, Xero falls his height to the ground. The prince falls to the ground and lands in a seated position with a violent jolt. He begins to laugh as the adrenaline in his system begins to burn off. He had fought dragons, monsters, pirates and even a Titan. But with all of that, it was more exhilarating for him to fly the way he had.
The sound of rushing wind delays Xero’s celebration. Looking up he sees his brother’s beast descending overhead. Ro and Jesua slowly come in and land on the patio beside Xero. Ro slowly dismounts, rubbing his dragon under her chin which causes her to whip her tail back and forth. Xero scoots back. He had been on the receiving end of a blow from a dragon before. He was not about to let it happen again. After Ro finishes rubbing her. Jesua takes off back into the sky and Ro throws back his cloak revealing the cloth garments of an intellectual as opposed to the armor of a soldier like Xero.
“I see you finally learned how to channel our sun’s radiation without incident.”
Approaching Xero, Ro extends a helping hand to his older brother. Xero takes his brother’s hand as he is pulled to his feet.
“Ever since we’ve been working with the Draronians, I have been getting far better in controlling the use of the radiation we absorb.”
Ro gives his brother a firm pat on the shoulder.
“Had you been taught by the Emissaries’ like myself you would have learned this control long ago.”
Xero, offended by the comment, holds his temper in check despite the daunting gnaw at the back of his skull. He knew that to be the High King he would have to control his emotions, much like his brother, and put what was best for the people before himself.
“Judh did right by me a long time ago, but I have learned far more with this…”
Xero reaches back and places his hand on the eighteen inch long hilt of the weapon that is at home there and etched with Boronian writings.
“…than from your books.”
Ro turns and begins to walk into the white marble palace.
“Suit yourself Xero but remember that it is the Emissaries that are putting us through these trials; one of which is in here.”
Ro enters the palace. Xero follows closely behind. He takes quick strides until he is abreast with his brother.
“I meant no disrespect brother.”
Ro states plainly.
�
�I know there must always be a warrior son, just as there must always be a scholarly son. And if the day comes when our planet needs defending I know you will do your job well as you did with me and that Nidhogg all those years ago.”
Xero quickens his pace as they approach two massive wooden doors engraved with intricate details of former kings in a seamless fluid-like line that danced around the length of the doors. Xero places a hand on either door. Their weight is astronomical but with a powerful push he manages to force both open.
In front of them stands a figure holding a book and a black cloak, with yellow patterns sewn in. The cloak touches the ground and a hood rose as if to hide the wearer from the world. This was the right hand of Judh. She was one of the wisest and most revered of the Emissaries.’ Holding such a high position is what allows her to run the trials. Judh had recused herself in fear that she could not judge with an unbiased eye as she was quite fond of Xero. Ro immediately kneels before the woman in black.
“Sister Emissary, we have come for the second trial of High Kingship. We ask that this trial be worthy of our skills.”
The Emissary slowly turns. A beautiful woman with long blond hair and a strong jawline looks at both princes through piercing yellow eyes. She releases the book. It hovers in front of her. Raising her hands she pulls the hood back and lets the silken cloth fall down her back. As she speaks her voice is soft yet commanding, a sound that could coo a baby to sleep yet has the resonance to shake mountains.
“Sons of Lorian, as the High King enters his final days one must be chosen to replace him. Tests of speed, courage and intellect will be given unto you both and whomever passes all three shall be king.”
The Emissary’s eyes begin to change from yellow to a solid glowing black. The book falls to the ground as she presses her hands together.
“Now sons of Lorian confront your darkest fears and know that you face death.”
The Emissary opens her hands. Two wormholes open but there is something different about them, something unsettling. They glow black and show nothing on the far side but darkness. Xero looks at his brother and smiles.
“Ro, be careful. I shall see you when you return.”
Xero slowly draws the blade from his back as he walks through the worm hole. His cape flowing in the wind was created by the pressure difference from inside the portal; the sound of Ro’s portal closing catches Xero’s ear just as the prince passes through his. The musky scent of the darkness overtakes Xero. He takes a few steps into the blackness before his bracer beeps twice. Azure blue energy dances from the bracer like a flame and into the hilt. The hilt’s engravings begin to glow before a flame bursts along the edge of his blade acting as a torch to bring light to Xero.
The warrior stands in the dark with nothing but his torch illuminating a circle around him. He closes his eyes attuning his heightened hearing to his surroundings. A steady breathing behind him catches Xero’s attention. Kneeling he slams the hilt of his weapon against the ground and eight flames burst out. Floating in midair, his bracer speaks out.
“Radiation levels down to 93%”
With a flick of his wrist Xero controls the flames to move around in the darkness and form a circle around the source of the breathing, providing a light to illuminate his target. Xero stops in horror as he sees a man sitting on the ground, legs crossed. A long metal sword with a bone handle sticks out of the earth next to him.
“You are what I am perceived to fear, but I am here to tell you…”
Two beams of hard light slowly form across the edge of the blade and from the bottom of the hilt, both curving slightly as they manifest. Xero lifts the energy bow and draws back an arrow of white light that rests on the edge of the hilt as Xero takes aim.
“…you have no power over me!”
The man raises one of his strong arms. His knuckles, hands and joints have boney protrusions off of them. His head is bald, and as he looks up Xero sees a dark, twisted version of himself. The monster grabs the sword and dashes at Xero who releases the arrow. Xero’s dark counterpart cuts the arrow from the air and swings his massive weapon at the prince. Xero puts up his left, bracered arm and a shield of blue energy forms in a curved oval against his forearm. The shield spans the length and width of Xero’s body perfectly protecting him when in a defensive stance.
The dark doppelganger strikes Xero’s shield with such tremendous force that the entire realm shakes and the young warrior is sent tumbling backward into a boulder. He hit the rock with enough force to send a crack cascading down its center. Xero exhales before impact as to not get the wind knocked out of him. Pushing off the boulder it falls away in two as he shakes off the attack. He had never felt anything that strong before. The attack reverberated through his skeleton and actually, truly hurt, which was a new sensation for the soldier. Without a moment to spare Xero readies himself for the inevitable second attack. The trial charges him once again but this time Xero is faster. With a swift downwards movement he catches the doppelganger by the back of the head with his shield and slams his opponent into the ground with such force that the ground itself gives way to the doppelganger. Xero’s energy bow straightens and forms into a spear, surpassing the blade within. Xero drives it into the back of his opponent who lets out a primal roar of pain. As the weapon punctures its target nothing comes out, no blood, no dust, just a hole in the being’s body.
Believing his opponent to have been defeated, Xero retracts the energy from his weapon and returns the blade to its home on his back. Turning back toward the way he entered, Xero calls out in the dark as the blue flames dance behind him.
“I have completed my trial, allow me back!”
There is no response. Xero holds up his bracer. Pressing a few glyphs he attempts to open a wormhole to let him back, to no avail. There is a deafening screech and a wave that pulses throughout Xero’s trial. The Emissaries’ head projects into the trial and her voice shakes the very foundation of Xero.
“You are not finished. You will not leave!”
The Emissary dissipates. Xero hears rocks shift behind him; slowly Xero turns as his counterpart pulls itself off of the ground. The hole he had made straight through him was gone. The doppelganger holds his sword up and lunges at Xero once again.
The warrior quickly grabs his weapon and an energy battle hammer forms at the end. Xero slams his trial’s weapon into the ground before placing a solid strike to his counterpart’s chest sending him flying across the realm. This creates much needed distance between the two.
As dark Xero slides to a stop, he looks at his good half from behind boney brow ridges. Xero’s hammer slowly dissipates into the enhancement edge for his straight sword. This time Xero takes the fight to his counterpart. His movements are fluid as if dancing around his enemy. His doppelganger swings wildly at its target, missing with each swipe. Xero catches an opening and lands a powerful punch into the gut of his doppelganger which causes him to stagger back. The corrupted doppelganger looks around and sees a massive boulder. Launching himself towards it he discards his weapon and slams his hands into the stone. Being of such strength his fingers dig their way into the massive boulder gripping either side of it; the doppelganger lifts it above his head and throws it at Xero.
Seeing a clear opportunity to take the upper hand, Xero decides to charge the stone, the edge of his blade turns into a massive mace. He leaps into the air and swings as hard as he can into the boulder; the blow shatters the boulder into pebbles leaving the doppelganger to dive for his sword frantically. Xero turns his mace into a spear once more before going through a throwing motion while he slides across the ground. Holding the primary weapon, the energy spear still flies through the air catching the doppelganger by the shoulder and sending him back into a wall, pinning him to it. Xero spins and throws two more energy spears. One pins his other shoulder to the wall and the third holds a thigh in place.
Xero approaches his doppelganger’s weapon. He pulls it out of the ground. Its weight is enormous and the moment h
is fingers coil around its hilt, the scratching sensation in his head sooths, as if that is what it wanted all along, his hands around THAT particular blade. The warrior prince walks toward his trial. Standing face to face with his disfigured self, Xero lifts up the metal sword.
“I will never become you.”
He growls and with one swift motion Xero decapitates his doppelganger leaving his body to fall lifeless to the ground as Xero allows the energy spears to dissipate. Xero turns and begins to walk away. The dark wormhole opens up again as he hears the Emissary’s voice.