The Awakening

by Andrew Wichland

  “HERE, DOGGY, DOGGY!” Ryuu shouted. He leapt from the tree at Maltanore, who turned to face him, both slashing out at each other.

  With a roll Ryuu landed on the ground below Maltanore and stopped on one knee. Behind him, he heard a soft thump, followed by a heavier thump. When Ryuu turned around, he saw Maltanore’s body lying on the ground, the head of the Anubis on the mossy ground beside him.

  Slowly, his eyes moved down to look at the rod in his hand. The katana blade that extended from the rod was made of an almost transparent light. He watched as the blade slowly retracted back into the rod. When the blade disappeared entirely, he let it go, and the rod reattached itself to his hip.

  “Boy, am I glad that’s over. He was really kicking my butt,” Ryuu muttered. Breathing hard, he sagged down, hands on his thighs.

  *

  Back in the village, Allison was fighting with the Dark Elf. As he landed on the ground, he heard the Dark Elf say, “You know, I find myself disappointed. If this is the best the Knights of old could do, they must have won their battles by intimidation alone.”

  “Well, at least I’m not a betrayer of my own people!” Allison snapped. She climbed to her feet and charged at her opponent.

  With an amused look on her face, the Dark Elf stepped to the side, avoiding Allison’s kick. Then, she snatched Allison out of midair and threw her against a hover car that was turned on its side. The car crumpled under the impact, and the Dark Elf drew her hand through the air, producing a dark, elegant sword in a flash of light.

  “Bold words for a little girl about to die,” she said. She advanced toward Allison, sword in hand.

  *

  Suddenly, Ryuu appeared out of nowhere sailing through the air and nailed the Dark Elf with a hard flying sidekick. It launched the Elf off her feet, and she rolled across the ground

  “You forgot one thing about Knights,” he snapped. “We always come in packs!”

  “You okay?” he asked as Allison stumbled toward him.

  “I had her right where I wanted her,” she muttered, clutching her shoulder.

  “I don’t doubt it,” Ryuu replied.

  The Elf climbed to her feet. “You! Where’s Maltanore?”

  “Oh, you mean this guy?” Ryuu lifted the object in his hand, and the Elf recoiled when she saw it was Maltanore’s disembodied head.

  “Guess he didn’t have the head for this job,” he said. Then he tossed the head at her feet.

  The Elf looked from the head of the Anubis to Ryuu. Then her gaze wandered as a crowd of people, including Eric, gathered behind them.

  “Might I have the pleasure of your name? So I know a walking dead man,” she said, placing one hand behind her.

  Ryuu was silent for a moment, not sure of what to say. Then, standing straight, he declared, “Just call me Robin Hood.”

  As the Elf started to laugh, Allison leaned closer to Ryuu.

  She whispered, “Robin Hood? Are you kidding me?”

  Glancing at his friend, he muttered, “What? That’s been my nickname from you guys for years.”

  “Yeah, a nickname, not an alias!”

  The Elf snickered. Then she said, “So, young man, you wish to remake a legend. If that’s the case, I personally prefer heroes with a sense of tragedy in their past.”

  Seconds later, she thrust her hand out from behind her back. Resting in the middle of her palm was a fiery ball of energy, which she launched from her hand. Eyes growing wide, Ryuu watched in slow motion as the ball soared through the air and collided into Eric, who raised his arms as if to shield himself. When it exploded, the shock sent both Ryuu and Allison flying. Ryuu landed hard. As he rolled across the ground, he looked back to the smoke-filled crater. There was no way to tell if Erik had survived.

  Glancing down at Allison, he saw her freeze in horror. Baring his teeth, Ryuu turned to pursue the Dark Elf, who was now running toward the transport.

  “This thing have any long-range weapons?” he yelled into his helmet mask. As he glanced at his holo armor readout, he saw that the icons of his lower arms, hips, and the small of his back started to flash.

  “Well, this will have to do,” he said, reaching behind him.

  From the small of his back, he pulled a rod with a slight angled indentation on either side of the grip. As he brought it forward, limbs of a bow shot out from each end, with a laser string shooting from the top to the bottom. Skidding to a stop, he reached over his shoulder for an arrow but felt nothing.

  “Great, now what am I to do with this? Hit her with it?” he shouted as he flicked the string.

  At once, what looked like an arrow made of light appeared and shot from the bow. It launched through the air and caused an overturned hover car to jump into the sky and fall back to the ground, making a fiery wreck.

  “Okay, that’ll work!” he said. Then he drew back the string, turned, and aimed at the back of the retreating Elf.

  As he did, a movement in the sky caught his eye. He watched frozen as Aiolos and Bryan weaved through the air, dodging laser fire from the last fighter. Glancing back down, he saw that the Elf was almost back at the transport.

  After a couple seconds of shifting his aim, he gave a cry and fired. He watched as the arrow streaked through the air and slammed onto one of the wings of the fighter, which tumbled, spinning from the air, and crashed into the ground between the transport and the Elf.

  “OH, YEAH! NOW THAT WAS A HELL OF A SHOT!” Ryuu yelled. He jumped into the air, whooping and brandishing the bow.

  “YES!”

  Turning around he let loose a giant sigh of relief, Allison raced toward Erik, who was now visible through the smoke that continued to rise in front of some of the villagers. The ground before them looked like it had been scooped away. Erik’s arms were still crossed in front of his face, and the crystal on his bracelet was pulsing to the same rhythm as a flashing shield, which had formed in front of him. Slowly he lowered his arms, and the shield vanished just as Allison reached him, knocking him to the ground in a ferocious hug.

  A shout from Bryan caught Ryuu’s attention, and when he turned he saw Bryan and Aiolos on the ground standing over the Dark Elf.

  “Don’t even think about it!” Bryan snapped as the Dark Elf started to get up.

  Ryuu moved toward them, and Allison and Erik quickly followed.

  As Ryuu reached them, his bow retracted, and he replaced it at the small of his back. He faced the Dark Elf and said, “Now what was that you were saying about us being pests? Got to be careful, because they have a habit of multiplying.”

  Then a new voice came from behind him. “And I thought I taught you better than to gloat over a wounded enemy.” It was Jun.

  Ryuu whipped around to face his father. “Hey, after what they did, we deserve a little glo—” He caught himself halfway and stopped. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he quickly said, trying to cover up.

  “Son, you were never a good liar to me or your mother. We know your tell too good, no matter how slight.”

  Ryuu was silent for a moment before his shoulders slumped. “Sorry, Dad.”

  “Too much sugar, eh?” his father said, crossing his arms.

  Ryuu made sure enough blasters were on the Dark Elf. Then he gave his father his full attention. Behind his helmet mask, Ryuu gave a weak smile.

  “Eh, I can explain . . . but for right now . . . eh, how do you get this armor off? I doubt it’s like we can say deactivate.”

  Before he could continue, a voice in his ear interrupted his train of thought. “Armor Retraction Commencing.”

  At once, with the sound of metal on metal, the armor retracted into itself.

  Raising his hand, Ryuu watched as the last of the armor melded into the bracelet. Staring in amazement and shock, he shifted his eyes up to his friends, who were staring back at him. One by one, they deactivated their armor. Then they gathered around Ryuu’s family, who were standing at the front of a group of villagers.

  Looking at
his father, Ryuu opened his mouth to speak, but his father raised his hand.

  Jun said, “I was going to be angry, but that was before the next generation of Dragon Knights stood before us.” Then he slowly knelt before them.

  Stepping back in surprise, Ryuu looked at his mother. She beamed at him before she, too, knelt before them. The friends exchanged puzzled glances as row by row the villagers knelt before them. At the very back was Dulglad and his father, and after a few seconds, they, too, knelt.

  Chapter 11

  Live for Freedom . . . Die for Freedom

  “Okay, this is a little awkward,” Aiolos muttered.

  Before Ryuu could reply, he was knocked off his feet as the ground beneath him shook.

  “WHAT THE—” he started to shout. He stopped when he saw the trails of hundreds of missiles and the clouds of their explosions. “Armageddon Missiles,” he muttered in fear, as great cracks in the earth opened up around him.

  “EVERYONE IN THE TRANSPORT, NOW!” his father screamed, pointing at the remaining ship on the ground.

  Almost immediately, the villagers started running for the ship. Ryuu and the others regained their feet and followed.

  “There must be other ships in orbit!” Allison yelled. “They must have some idea what happened down here, or else they wouldn’t be doing this!”

  “Well, this is typical of the Black Dragon’s forces!” Ryuu replied, running full out for the boarding ramp. “Blow up a whole planet just because they believe an enemy to be on it!”

  Less than ten feet from the ship, Ryuu came to a skidding stop as he heard a scream come from behind him. He turned and saw the ground beneath the Elf crumble and vanish under her feet, and she fell with another piercing scream.

  Before he had time to think about it, he leapt forward toward the edge of the chasm. Landing flat on the ground, he thrust a hand down and caught her by the wrist.

  “I’ve got you!” he shouted as she stared at him in amazement.

  Before she could say anything, a crumbling sound met their ears. Looking under him, he saw the ledge he was on begin to fall away.

  “You can let go, human . . . I’d understand,” she said in a hollow voice.

  Looking back at her, he desperately shouted, “Somebody! Help me!”

  When no one came, she gave him a small smile and closed her eyes. At once, her features underwent a transformation. The ridge on her head vanished, and her skin turned white and fair. When she opened her eyes, Ryuu saw that they were now a deep violet.

  “Prove him wrong, young knight,” she muttered. Then she released her grip on him and slipped from his grasp.

  “NO!” he bellowed, wide-eyed with horror as she fell into the abyss.

  For a few seconds, he remained there, too stunned to move. The sound of the ledge beginning to fall snapped him back to reality as he tipped forward. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands grabbed him by his shirt and, with a mighty tug, dragged him to safety.

  He landed on his side and turned to look into his rescuer’s eyes.

  “Alec-Ryuu, don’t you ever freeze up like that again!” his father shouted, giving him a rough shake by the upper arms. “You’re too important to lose!”

  Then Jun nodded toward the transport ship. “I can’t explain now, but you, your friends, your mother, and the rest of the village must take that ship.”

  “But Dad, what about you,” Ryuu said.

  Jun grasped Ryuu’s arm. “I’ll out-run any other ship they have in orbit in one of the escape transports,” he finished. “Then I will rendezvous with you all when I can.”

  “You’ll never make it!” Ryuu cried. He looked up just as the mountain above them seemed to split in half and magma began flowing.

  “We don’t have time for an argument,” Jun shouted at him. “Now move!” He pushed Ryuu toward the transport before turning.

  “No, Dad! I won’t let you go! It’s suicide!” Ryuu grabbed Jun by the shoulder.

  At that, Jun lowered his head. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, and before Ryuu could do or say anything, his father whirled around, raised a fist, and Ryuu’s world went black.

  *

  After knocking out Ryuu with a single strike, Jun gently reached out and took the young man in his arms before he could fall to the ground.

  “Jun, what the hell is the matter with you?” Chikako demanded, running up with another villager.

  He looked at her with tears in his eyes. Then he said, “Our boy and his friends have been chosen to fulfill a great destiny! They’re Dragon Knights now, and they must be protected at all costs. It could mean our survival! And the survival of all free people! This was the only way I could get Ryuu to go.”

  For a few seconds, they looked at each other. Then tears began to stream down Chikako’s cheeks.

  “You’re right,” she said quietly. Then she reached out, took Ryuu from her husband, and handed him to the villager.

  “Please carry my son to the transport,” she said.

  Jun took her hand. “Now I’m going to be the decoy. Once they’re after me, you get the hell out!” he said.

  Slowly Chikako nodded. She started to walk toward the transport. Then she ran back and flung herself into his arms.

  Jun kissed his wife gently and said, “Until we meet again, my love.”

  This time, when they parted, she ran all the way to the transport. Jun watched as she disappeared inside as the ramp was raised.

  As the world came apart around him, Jun stood still for a few seconds. Then he darted around the chasms and made his way to the forest. At the edge, he stopped before a tree and pressed hard onto a knot. The tree split open, revealing an elevator. He jumped in, and it immediately lowered below ground, stopping at the entrance to a large hangar.

  Inside the hangar, a line of ships awaited on landing skids. Most were as large as a bus, with a point pod section in the front and a smooth shaft that extended in the back, where a set of stubby wings with engines at the tips reached out from all four sides. With his heart racing, Jun ran up the ramp of the nearest ship.

  Once inside, he hit a holo button on the side. Immediately the ramp retracted and the hatch closed, sealing itself. Not stopping, Jun raced to the front and into the cockpit, which was a plain, two-seated area with the controls in front and above the seats. Jumping into pilot’s seat Jun flipped switches and pressed holo buttons, and the ship came to life. The viewing screens in front and to the sides of the seats flicked on, as well as a holographic globe, which floated between the two seats and displayed various sensor readouts.

  At a crashing sound, he looked out the screen to his right and saw the far wall break open. Lave poured into the hangar, melting the ships as it went. Grabbing the throttle, he threw it all the way back, and the ship rocketed forward. The movement threw him back against his seat, and the auto straps shot out and secured him to the chair. Yoke in his hands, he flew at a breakneck speed through the caverns, which was falling apart around him.

  Coming around a sharp turn to the opening, he saw lava and rocks pouring back into the cave and fire spurting out around the edges. He gritted his teeth and opened the throttle all the way. He gave a sharp cry as the ship shot forward and through the flames, rocketing into the sky.

  When he glanced out at the nearest view screen, his eyes widened at the horrendous sight before him. The forest that had covered the area surrounding the village and mountains where the school had been was now gone. It looked like a giant had come through and ripped and burned the trees from the land that they had been a part of.

  Climbing higher and higher into the sky, he could see just how deep and far the cracks extended, and even from inside the ship, he could hear the roar of the earth as the existing cracks grew and new ones appeared. The sound of the small eruptions as it spurted up out of the ground and the roar of the lava, which bubbled like many geysers, pulled at his heart. To him, in every sense of the phrase, it was indeed hell.

  Unable to look at the sight anymore, he
faced forward again as he soared through the clouds and into the stars. Closing his eyes, he wiped a tear away and sagged against the safety straps that held him to the chair.

  Moments later, the shrill sound of the alarms blaring caused him to sit bolt upright and look at the sensor globe.

  Seeing the ships coming after him, he banked his vessel hard to the right, activating the shields.

  “Dad! Dad, do you read me?” Ryuu’s voice came over the com link.

  “Alec?” he said.

  “Six ships in pursuit!”

  Looking back at the globe, he could see the blips closing the distance between them. “I know,” he muttered.

  “But you can’t out-run them in that bucket of bolts! Adjust heading one, one three five, and we’ll cover you,” Ryuu shouted at him.

  Jun was silent for a moment as he watched the ships draw ever closer. Then he turned and looked out the forward view screen again.

  “Ryuu, I’m sorry. Now you and your friends must listen to me carefully. There’s not much time.” As he spoke, the ships started firing on him, and he maneuvered his vessel carefully.

  “Fate has entrusted you and your friends with a sacred mission, Alec. The spirits of the Dragons of old have chosen you and your friends to be the next generation of Dragon Knights, the greatest of responsibilities, Ryuu. You all must surrender to your shared destiny wherever it may lead you.”

  He took a deep breath and continued. “As for me, I have one last fatherly duty to perform for you my son.” He was jolted in his seat as the ship rocked from a direct hit and the alarms sounded.

  “DAD!”

  Pressing buttons to seal off the breaches, he turned back to check his shield gauges and saw they were failing.

  “Now I give my final instructions to you as your father and your sensei. You must find the Sherwood, the other parts of you, your birth mother, and the next Gold Dragon. Find them and this war will end.”

  A new blip appeared on the sensor readout as one of the ships fired a missile.

  “Live for freedom . . . die for freedom,” he muttered. Then he closed his eyes and the vessel exploded.