The Awakening

by Andrew Wichland

  He watched the stone disappear over a dip and then reappear on another ledge. Excited, he stepped closer, looked down, and saw that a series of rocks jutted from the side of the cliff and ran down it. Smiling, he turned and saw the others hip deep in a silent debate.

  He tried to signal them. When that failed, he flicked his foot and sent a pebble flying in their direction. He cringed when it struck Aiolos on the side of his head.

  Aiolos gave a yelp and faced Ryuu, who, after a moment, bobbed his head in the direction of what he had found. They came over, Aiolos nursing the spot where he had been hit, and looked down. They turned and some gave him the thumbs up and waved for him to go first.

  He nodded, stepped in front of them, and, taking a deep breath, took the first step on to what appeared to be thin air but was actually the first rock in the series of steps leading to the bottom of the ravine. For ten minutes, they walked down the cliff, and as they did, Ryuu was able to lower his hands. The volume of the ringing sound descended as they did. When they finally came to the end, they all stood on a lone cliff edge in the middle of the ravine.

  “Well, at least it’s quieter down here,” Bryan said.

  Ryuu looked around. There, shadowing them all, was a cave set into the wall of the ravine.

  After a moment, Aiolos waved his hand and mouthed, “After you.”

  Sighing, Ryuu walked into the gloom. Inside, he blinked a couple of times to get his eyes used to the darkness. Then the others joined him.

  “So, did anyone here bring a flashlight?” Aiolos asked.

  “You’d think after all these centuries, they’d come up with a better name,” Erik said.

  “Erik, I didn’t ask for a linguistics discussion; I just want to know if anyone brought one.”

  “Nope.”

  “Didn’t think I’d need one.”

  “Negative.”

  “I was concentrating on saving my hearing.”

  “Never seem to need one.”

  Aiolos scowled and turned to Ryuu. “Well, Mr. Owl Eyes, lead the way!”

  They laughed as they walked through the cave. Ryuu guided them as best he could, but every now and then, they still either stumbled or bumped their heads. After several more minutes, Aiolos let out a large groan and rubbed his scalp.

  “Okay, that’s it. If I get hit in the head one more time—”

  “What are you going to do, Aiolos, scream like a girl?” Allison asked.

  “No, that would be your department, considering you’re a girl.”

  “I’ll show you what kind of a girl I am!”

  Ryuu turned in time to see Allison pounce in Aiolos’s direction, but he dodged out of the way, so instead she attacked Bryan. Ryuu rolled his eyes as Bryan tried to fend her off.

  “Allison, let Bryan go. Aiolos is at your nine o’clock,” he said.

  Allison, who just put Bryan into a chokehold, froze.

  “Oh, thanks a lot, man,” Aiolos muttered, and Allison whipped her head around to his direction.

  Smiling, Ryuu turned to continue to examine the area. The noise just an annoying low buzz to him now. He’d barely turned his head when he froze.

  “Allison, let him go,” he said, narrowing his eyes to look more closely at what he was seeing.

  “Not a chance. I’m not done yet,” she said. She still held Aiolos in her grasp, even though he kept moaning “Uncle” over and over.

  In one motion, Ryuu pulled them apart and held them up so their feet were dangling.

  “I said, ENOUGH! I think we’re here!” he snapped. The others turned toward him, and Allison stopped fighting to free herself.

  “What makes you say that?” Eric asked.

  Ryuu put his friends down and walked over to two stalagmites on a flat-topped rock. On the rock, which was about waist high, was a gold-embroidered, wooden box.

  What the hell is this doing in here? he thought as he opened the lid.

  An instant later, he jumped back, his hands flying up to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of multicolored light that radiated out of the box. The others also shielded their eyes, but they recovered more quickly as Ryuu stumbled about, blinded. Before he could hit the wall headfirst, Allison and Bryan grabbed him and held him back.

  “Keep your eyes closed. Then slowly open them,” Allison said, beside him.

  He followed her directions, blinked a couple of times, and stood straight.

  “I hate it when that happens,” he muttered, turning to face the others. “Still want my Owl Eyes, Aiolos?”

  Aiolos shrugged. Then they all turned their focus back to the box.

  Now the cave was filled with the iridescent light from the box, and they could see clearly. The box contained seven bracelets, each imbedded with a crystal that glowed a different color.

  “What the hell are those?” Erik asked.

  “I have no idea,” Ryuu said slowly. He raised a hand to reach in.

  At once, the light from the crystals began to pulse, and the bracelets rose from the box. Stepping back, Ryuu and the other watched in awe as they rose into the air to hover near the ceiling of the cave. As the seconds crept by, the pulsing light increased until it seemed consistent. Then, without warning, all but three of the bracelets shot at them and wrapped themselves around the friends’ wrists.

  Ryuu and the others yelped in surprise and jumped back. Ryuu then closed his eyes as the light became blinding again. Twisting his arm to keep the light out of his eyes, he clutched his wrist and raised it above his head.

  A booming voice declared in his mind, “AS FORETOLD BY ANCIENTS PAST! SO SHALL ARISE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DRAGON KNIGHTS!”

  Mercifully, the light dimmed and went out. Ryuu opened his eyes to see the cave dark once more. Breathing hard, he blinked a couple times to get used to the dark. Then he looked at the bracelet on his wrist. When he glanced up again, he saw that the last three bands had disappeared.

  Slowly, his turned toward his friends.

  “Everyone okay?” he asked, and they each gave an affirmative.

  “Did anyone else hear that?” Bryan asked. “As foretold . . .”

  “. . . by ancients past . . .” Aiolos continued.

  “. . . so shall arise . . .” Erik said.

  “. . . the next generation…” Allison added.

  “. . . of Dragon Knights.”

  As Ryuu finished, the cave rang with silence.

  *

  On a distant planet.

  Elaine’s eyes shot open and she raised her head, and slipping from the covers of her bed, went to the window and looked up at one of the stars. “It has begun,” she muttered, shifting some hair from her face.

  *

  On another planet

  Another eye opened that was fiery red surrounded by darkness. “So,” a voice said in a growling tone. “A new generation has taken up the mantle.”

  Chapter 10

  The Anubis and the Dark Elf

  Ryuu was so tired, he hardly remembered stumbling back home, although he did recall that the friends had speculated in great length about the potential recipients of the other three bracelets. Did they live in neighboring villages on other planets? When would they all meet? And did the Black Dragon know about this? How much danger were they now in?

  He slipped into his room just as the sun was coming up. Giving a big yawn, he made for his bed with all the intention of a nice long sleep.

  He was just pulling back the blankets when he heard his mother’s voice.

  “Alec-Ryuu, is that you?”

  Ryuu gave a small moan. “Just making the bed,” he mumbled as his door opened.

  “Well, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes,” she said. She gave him a brief smile and then left.

  He looked longingly at his bed and then turned, went to his dresser, and pulled out some clothes. When he was dressed, he walked down to the kitchen and sat at the table beside his father, who was already drinking his tea and reading the holo-paper. Behind him, Chikako was ju
st taking breakfast off the stove.

  Hearing Ryuu come in, his father looked up and smiled.

  “Some party yesterday,” he said. The holographic paper vanished, and he placed the emitter pad aside.

  “You’re not kidding,” Ryuu, said. He stifled a huge yawn as his mother put his breakfast in front of him as both eyed him. “Didn’t get much sleep last night,” he explained, and his parents nodded.

  “Must have been the cake; too much sugar or something,” his mother said.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Ryuu said. He took a bite of French toast. As usual, it spoke to Chikako’s skill in the kitchen. it was delicious.

  The rest of the meal began as normal, with the three joking and talking. As it progressed, Ryuu noticed that his parents kept shooting glances at him, yet every time he felt their eyes on him, they quickly looked away, and conversation went on.

  When his plate was empty, Ryuu stood and began to carry it to the counter.

  “We’ll take care of it, Alec-Ryuu. You go and meet your friends,” his mother said. She reached for the plate.

  “Okay, see you guys later,” he said. He grabbed his sky surfer and bolted toward the door.

  On his way out, he saw his father place his elbows on the table, interlace his fingers, and rest his chin on them.

  “Too much sugar . . . hmmm.” These were the last words he heard his father say as he closed the door behind him.

  *

  Not long after, Ryuu lay on his hovering sky surfer near the stone archway and crystal. He’d nodded off a little while ago and was still half asleep. For almost an hour, he remained in that position, catching up on his rest and listening to the sounds around him.

  “I had a feeling you guys would be coming here,” he said suddenly. He opened his eyes and looked at his friends.

  “How do you do that?” Allison demanded. The others’ expressions posed similar questions as they collapsed their sky surfers and faced him.

  Soon they were all sitting in silence, simply starting at each other.

  “So, are we going to talk about what happened last night?” Aiolos finally asked. He pulled back his sleeve and revealed his bracelet, which had a clear white crystal.

  “I still don’t know what happened to begin with,” Ryuu said. He looked at his own bracelet, which bore a ruby-red crystal.

  “What did the voice mean by ‘Next Generation of Dragon Knights’?” Erik asked. He rubbed his own bracelet, which had a blue crystal.

  “Not quite sure.” Bryan looked down at his deep-green crystal. “And what do these have to do with the knights?”

  After giving his bracelet a very close look, Ryuu paused, taking it in. There seemed to be weapons engraved on the sides.

  “You know . . . maybe, just maybe . . .”

  A second later, Allison smirked and said, “You gotta be kidding me! You think these are the legendary armors of the Dragon Knights?” Her violet crystal seemed to flash in the sunlight.

  Ryuu shrugged and said, “Well, what else could they be?”

  She rolled her eyes. “If these bracelets were the only armor of the original Dragon Knights, they must have won their battles by sending their enemies into fatal peals of laughter,” she said.

  “But remember what Mr. Orleaus said,” Ryuu persisted. “The original Dragon Knights were a blend of advanced technology and magic.”

  “Ryuu, it’s not possible,” Erik said gently. “It takes six bands to make our hockey armor—”

  But before he could finish his sentence, the crystals on their bracelets began to pulse.

  *

  Inside the cave by the cliff, Ryuu’s father, with a grim expression on this face, followed the beam of his flashlight. Eventually, the beam fell on the open lid of the box, and he paused. For a moment, he stood in shocked silence. Then, slowly, he drew closer and stared down at the empty box.

  “And so it begins . . .” Jun muttered. “I just pray you’re ready, Ryuu.”

  He turned to leave. “Spirits above and below, please be ready.”

  Jun headed home in a daze, ignoring the folks who called out to him in greeting and missing their startled expressions when he didn’t respond. Inside, he found Chikako where he’d left her at the kitchen table, a cup of untouched tea before her.

  “It happened, didn’t it?” she asked.

  All he could do was nod.

  Her eyes closed. “Do you think he’s ready?” she asked finally, looking at him.

  With a sigh, he sat beside her. “We taught him well . . .” He took her hand in both of his. “But it’s out of our hands now.”

  For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence between them. Then he said, “I think it’s time to tell him.”

  *

  As Ryuu looked down at the pulsing crystal on this bracelet, the alarms at the village began blaring.

  “The planetary sensors must have been triggered!” he barked, and they leapt to their feet.

  Another sound caused him to look up. Spinning around, he watched, open mouthed, as four bright, flame-red specks streaked across the sky.

  He followed their progress closely as they flew over the village. Then he caught his breath. The streaks had altered course and were coming around.

  “Scouts or slavers; they’re heading toward the village,” Ryuu shouted.

  He grabbed his sky surfer, and his friends followed quickly behind as he headed into the forest to keep out of sight and observe what was unfolding. As he raced along, he watched the sky. When he stopped at the edge of the woods, a transport ship and several fighter ships descended from the balls of fire and moved directly toward the village.

  The transport was a little bigger than a large house. Its wide forward section was almost oval in shape, with sharp, angular edges. At the rear, a tail jutted out, thinning with a pair of short wings at the end. The cockpit had laser cannons on rotating torrents and missile tubes on either side of it, as well as a larger torrent on top and bottom.

  Each fighter was the size of a hover car, with the main body almost circular in shape and two wings attached to the sides that jutted forward and slightly back. There were also lasers between the wings and missile tubes embedded within them.

  Ryuu felt a chill creep down his spine. The front of each vessel included the design of a dragon skull.

  “The Black Dragon,” he muttered.

  They watched as the ships lowered their landing skids and touched down just outside the village.

  “We’ve got to do something!” Bryan yelled.

  “I say we kick butt,” Allison said. She snapped her fist into her hand.

  “And how do you plan to do that? Throw rocks at them?” Erik moved to hold her back as the ramp of the transport lowered.

  When the door opened, twenty robotic Sentinels disembarked. They looked like muscular men, but they were a little taller than average-sized men, and they stood on raised heels of clawed feet. Their metal armor was smooth, with various slots around their arms and thighs. There were gears on the side of the arms as well as a line of blades.

  Ryuu’s attention was immediately drawn to their heads, for they weren’t shaped like human, elf, or any dark creature. Instead, each head was formed like the head of a two-horned dragon with red eyes.

  Ryuu and his friends watched as the Sentinels moved into formation beside the ship and began to march into the village. Then a chill moved through him again as another figure came down the ramp and started moving toward the forest. It was as tall as a man, with skin as black as night over toned, hard muscles, clawed hands, and clawed feet. A gold cape whipped in the wind behind the figure, and gold bands and manacles decorated its arms. Black hair so thick it seemed a solid mass ran along the back of its head, which was in the shape of a wolf or a jackal.

  Next to it walked a woman wearing black and blood-red clothes. She had long white hair that reached down to her hips. Poking out of her hair were the pointed ears of an elf. As her head turned and Ryuu saw a glimpse of her face from af
ar, and he realized that her skin was deep purple, and her white eyes had a ridge in the shape of a crescent moon between them.

  “An Anubis and a Dark Elf,” Ryuu said under his breath.

  He took cover behind a cluster of trees, and his friends joined him.

  “If they have an Anubis and a Dark Elf with them, then they must not plan to take any prisoners,” Erik muttered.

  “Or very few. But how’d they find us with the new dampening system? The last group we had to fend off was years ago, and we made sure they didn’t transmit anything,” Bryan muttered.

  Ryuu’s eyes slowly shifted to the bracelet on his wrist. Then his eyes shot back as the Anubis turned toward the village and began to speak in a deep, growling voice.

  “I’m Maltanore,” he declared. “We know you’re here. We detected you from orbit two days ago. Come out now and surrender. If you cooperate, we will spare your lives and sell you as slaves.”

  Ryuu felt his face harden. He looked at his friends. Now they had their answer.

  Before he could move, citizens came out of hiding places in the village below. Shooting blasters and defenses and started firing at the Sentinels. As one, the Sentinels each raised an arm. A slot on each arm raised up revealing a blaster cannon, and the Sentinels returned fire as they charged into the village.

  The friends watched from afar as people fell under a barrage of laser fire.

  “WELL, WE’VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!” Ryuu yelled. Then, as he and his friends moved toward the village, the crystal on his wristband began to pulse again.

  *

  Ryuu’s father dragged a wounded man behind an overturned hover car. Blood leaked from a wound in the man’s shoulder, and Jun ripped some of his own clothes to make a bandage.

  “You’re going to be just fine,” he told the man.

  He turned at the sound of heavy feet and saw a Sentinel move to face them. As it slowly raised its cannon, there was a flash of movement across its neck, from shoulder to hip and across the waist. The Sentinel was still for a moment. Then those sections fell to the ground, revealing Chikako, a laser-edged Kanata in both her hands.