“Pretty cool huh?” Edred asked. Ethan regarded him quizzically. Clearly the older man had been here at some point but when? “You’ve been here before?” Ethan inquired. He took a few steps away from the train, but stayed near the open door. They were currently a few miles from the station at the border of Kowend, attempting to stay hidden as long as possible.
“Once, when I was younger,” Edred eventually replied. It seemed to be an unhappy memory so Ethan thought twice before asking about it. They were situated in an area surrounded by trees giving them good cover from the enemy, at least for the time being. It was hard to tell from their location exactly how deep the forest was but from what Ethan could see, it went on for miles. After the necessary supplies were gathered, Ethan and the others studied the map one last time.
“Here, you take it,” Ethan said, offering the parchment to Edred. The older man tried to refuse it but Ethan motioned to his own head and said, “I’ve got it,” tapping his temple twice. He watched as the others took their makeshift weapons consisting of pipes and small knives, and began to walk toward the city gates. For obvious reasons, Ethan didn’t carry any weapons; he was the weapon.
The gate was easily a few miles away, giving Ethan plenty of time to doubt himself in every way imaginable. He didn’t know why, but even with his abilities, he found himself lacking confidence. After all, he was waltzing into a city he had never set foot in, full of beings from another world waiting to capture him while worrying about Hunter’s safety, Preston’s betrayal, the lives of the men currently with him and hoping not to anger MalHalen so as to not have him take his anger out on the people of Daventry. Needless to say, it was a lot for a sixteen-year-old kid to handle.
When the gate was less than a mile away, Ethan stopped walking and motioned for the others to do the same. He held his hand out to them indicating that he needed silence. He turned his head ever so slightly and listened. Someone was coming. Many ‘someones’ from what he was hearing. A semblance of panic graced his face long enough for Edred to know what was happening. They stood in a circle, leaving Ethan protected in the middle.
They were still in the thick of a moderately dense forest but the city wall could be seen through the foliage. He knew whatever the attack was, it would come fast and seemingly out of nowhere. He flinched to the right and saw bright blue and green eyes in the distance. How many, he wasn’t yet sure but at least a few pairs.
A dreaded fear crept up his back and clung on to him tightly, suffocating the boy. It was one thing to see pictures of the MalJari and to study them from a computer, but it was quite another to be in their presence. Ethan took deep breaths, making every attempt to calm himself. And then it happened.
He watched as Declan was thrown to the ground, landing roughly on his shoulder. Ethan snapped his head in the opposite direction and met the stare of a MalJari soldier who stood thirty yards away. The alien looked at Ethan as if studying him, trying to figure him out. Perhaps they could already tell that he was different from the other humans. After he spotted one, it was surprisingly easy to find the others, their white hair and clothing making them stand out against the browns and greens of the forest.
Not wanting to disappoint his enemy, Ethan closed his eyes and summoned his abilities one by one. After a few seconds, he opened his glowing eyes and smirked at the soldier’s astonished expression. Without further hesitation, Ethan pushed a large gust of air at the MalJari and watched him land flat on his back.
Soon, other MalJari joined the assault and began to fight one on one with Edred’s men. The scarred man squared off against the biggest of them all, a MalJari so tall, even Edred’s six-foot three frame had to lean back to see him. Edred landed a harsh blow to the ribcage of the alien, only to be sent flying twenty feet into the air, landing against a tree.
Undeterred, the human charged at the alien with all his might, sweeping the large creature’s legs from under him causing him to fall with a loud grunt. Pleased with his work, Edred peered around at his fellow men. His eyes were glued to Ethan who was fighting with the apparent leader of the alien soldiers. They moved ridiculously fast, both landing and evading blows, dancing around each other in a violent waltz.
Edred was so enthralled that he failed to notice the large MalJari who had since risen and now towered over his back. He screamed as the alien broke his arm in two, sending him to his knees. The sound of his distress caused Ethan to cease his fight and run to his friend. He glanced around and saw that all the humans were hurt in one way or another. Blood dripping from their mouths, bones fractured and spirits low with pain, the men huddled together as the MalJari surrounded them.
Ethan stood tall and faced them head on. It was a battle he didn’t think he could win, but in that moment, he needed to be strong for his friends. He counted twelve MalJari to their seven. Out-numbered and out of their depth, Ethan did the only thing he could think of… he surrendered.
He knelt before the alien group leader, unwilling to make eye contact. “What are you?” he heard the leader ask. Ethan stared, surprised by the question. Twelve pairs of glowing orbs waited for his answer. “I’m human,” he whispered. The leader huffed, an annoyed scowl covered his face.
“You are no human,” he said menacingly. Ethan swallowed audibly. Apparently, this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. “I want to see MalHalen,” he said, attempting to change tactics. The alien narrowed his eyes. “What do you know of MalHalen?” he demanded, stepping closer to the boy. Ethan swallowed again. “He is your leader. I want to see your leader,” he said confidently.
With lightning speed, the alien leader snatched Ethan from his position on the ground and held him high in the air. Ethan struggled against the grip but to no avail, the alien was simply stronger. Edred and the others looked in horror, thinking the worst was about to happen. They huddled closer together seeking comfort in each other.
Suddenly, Ethan was let go and dropped on to the ground with a loud thud. The MalJari began to speak in a tongue that Ethan didn’t understand but he knew they were figuring out what to do with them. He rubbed his aching hip as he scrambled closer to Edred and the others. The leader stood there as the other MalJari began to take them, one by one, forcing them to stand and walk toward the city gates.
At least they weren’t being killed, Ethan thought. Of course, that’s exactly what could be happening. Perhaps they were being taken into the city to be executed or worse, tortured. Ethan shuddered at the thought. He exchanged glances with the other men, reading their apprehensions and fear, the emotions written all over them.
As they got closer to the gate, Ethan noticed that he was being led away from the others. He panicked and tried to run toward his friends. He was quickly caught but continued to thrash against the fierce hold on him. “No! Wait!” he screamed. Edred and the others were being pushed toward another smaller entrance. “Where are you taking them?” he demanded. The leader glared at him but offered no response.
They marched faster now, pushing and prodding Ethan toward the large gate that began to disappear before his eyes. He didn’t understand what was happening but one minute the gate was there and the next, there was nothing. Upon closer inspection, Ethan could see some sort of force field that he was meant to walk through. He watched as the leader went first, causing the shield to ripple. Ethan was then pushed through it expecting to be burned or harmed in some way but instead he made it through unscathed.
It was strange once he was within the city walls. It was almost as if the air had thickened around him, causing him to feel faint. It was suffocating. This must be their atmosphere, he thought. The leader smirked with satisfaction, delighting in the human’s now weakened state. Ethan tried to keep his breathing in check, not wanting to take shallow breaths or deep ones. Either, he feared, would make him pass out.
They continued to prod him, coaxing him farther into the city. Ethan gaped in awe at the many glorious buildings that towered over him. To his left, a large body of water ebbed and flowed calm
ly. The sun was setting by now, painting the soft waves in rich golden hues. The buildings made a half circle around the lake, leaving the other half open to the expanse of the land, untainted and seemingly untouched.
He felt eyes on him as he trudged through the streets. Every MalJari that passed him appeared either frightened or angry about his presence in what he considered their world. He did notice that they weren’t all the same. Sure, most had on white clothing of some sort and sported long white tresses but a few of the females had softer tones of purple or blue in their hair. A girl walking opposite him had lavender hair, braided intricately down her back and dark stained lips. She wore a short leather dress with elaborate stitching and cut outs at the waist. Ethan would consider her stunning in any other situation but right now she was scary, as was every other MalJari he came in contact with.
The structures around him were also so different from the glass buildings in Daventry. Here, everything was made of a material that was like polished stone but somehow wasn’t. It was so different from the pictures that he had studied. They appeared impossible to build with soft round angles and completely smooth facades. Some twisted like the root of a tree, winding up to the sky while others mimicked the sails of a ship, curving outwardly on one side.
A vision of Hunter quickly entered Ethan’s mind, wondering if he would appreciate the beauty of this place. But then he pictured Hunter in a dark cold cell and quickly snapped out of his thoughts. He was being led to the biggest building in the center, overlooking the water. It wasn’t as tall as the North building back in Daventry but it was certainly more exquisite. Long with a subtle rounded middle and a sharp point at the top, the building appeared to be windowless; an unnerving detail that made Ethan even more apprehensive. This must be the main building that Godrik told him about.
They came to a small opening on the side of the structure facing away from the water. The door was identical to the gate; there one minute and gone the next revealing an energy field. In that moment, Ethan realized what the doors were; computers that scanned each body that passed through, perhaps searching for weapons or more likely making sure whomever was coming through had MalJari DNA.
Is that why his friends were taken to another entrance? Would this type of technology harm them in some way? His uneasiness only worsened upon the realization that he could pass through the scanners which could only mean one thing; Godrik had spliced his DNA with that of a MalJari.
He suddenly fell to his knees as a wave of nausea washed over him. What was he? Was he MalJari or human or both? One of the MalJari soldiers grabbed him harshly by the shoulder and stood him back up, effectively stopping his self-demise.
He couldn’t think clearly as he replayed the last few months back in his mind. The serums, the lying, the betrayal; it was all a ploy to put him right where he was, in the hands of the enemy. He still didn’t understand what Preston had to gain by handing him over like this. Was he promised something by MalHalen? Was Ethan the prize in a deal to leave the humans unharmed?
Nothing made sense to him anymore. He didn’t know who to trust or what to believe. He did know one thing though, he regretted the day he ever met Dr. Godrik Stevens.
The inside of the building was nothing like the outside. It was highly advanced, more so than anything back in Daventry. He watched as he and the guards marched through bright passageways and corridors that lit up with information displayed on various sections of the wall. It was almost as if the building was alive or at the very least, it could sense certain people and without being asked, delivered information to them at a moment’s notice.
At one point, they stopped walking so the leader could respond to something on the wall. His fingers moved very quickly and after a few seconds, the data flew past them toward the opposite side of the building, disappearing around a corner. Ethan tried to make sense of the information surrounding him but he didn’t understand the language. It was made up of symbols and small pictographs but also included what seemed like numbers and math equations. It appeared quite complex and though he was probably the smartest human in Daventry, he was clearly no intellectual match for these beings.
“Move,” one guard said as he shoved the human forward. Ethan was so busy trying to make sense of their language that he had stopped completely. Begrudgingly, he put one foot in front of the other and continued once more.
After a few minutes, they came to a large platform at the end of the hall that had three circles spread across it. He watched as the first guard stepped up to the circle in the middle, turned and disappeared leaving a shimmery mist behind. Ethan didn’t mean to gasp but he had never seen anything like that before.
The lead soldier glared at him and motioned to the platform. “Go,” he snapped. Ethan took a deep breath and ascended toward the left circle. A strong hand gripped his shoulder before he was completely inside it and shoved him toward the middle circle instead. “This one,” the leader snarled.
Ethan realized that each circle must have a different destination. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and stepped into the middle circle, immediately feeling a rush of cold air sweep him up. He felt light and free. It was almost a pleasant feeling. When he opened his eyes, the previous guard was standing before him, motioning for him to move out of the way. Ethan searched and noticed windows lining the entire right side of the large open space. Was he in a new building?
“Let’s go,” said the leader as he stepped off the platform. The trio walked in silence for a few minutes as Ethan memorized as much of his surroundings as possible. He had no idea what he would need to know later. The same links of information still lit up the walls, moving along with them, sometimes at very fast speeds. They gave the ambiance a strange eerie glow. Ethan also noticed fewer and fewer MalJari walking around them. Perhaps this was their version of level 1 restricted access.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the trio stopped at a large white wall with peculiar markings on it. They were luminous like the ones along the walls but these were not moving. He watched as the leader placed his right hand on the wall causing the markings to disappear. Only his hand remained aglow. He waited, as if listening for something and upon hearing it, removed his hand and stepped back.
Slowly, the wall began to disintegrate revealing a large plain room. Ethan stared at the guard who gently shoved him forward. He stepped with trepidation, glancing from side to side as the wall came together once more, sealing him in the room. There wasn’t much to see other than a massive window facing the water. Ethan walked to it and glanced down at the calmness below. He had never seen so much water before. It was as if the lake went on forever, past the horizon and into the unknown.
Ethan wondered how far he was from Daventry, the only home he had ever known. Sure, he had memories of his life when he was younger but the pictures in his mind were distant and fuzzy. It almost seemed like a vivid dream that one would swear was real but wasn’t. That’s what it felt like now. Some old memory that he wasn’t even convinced had really happened. He continued to stare out the window, searching the landscape for some semblance of home but frowned when he found none.
He turned around when he heard footsteps approaching him. His breath caught in his throat, betraying his need to speak as he took in the sight of the intruder. He wanted to say something but he couldn’t. He remained frozen, staring at the newly opened doorway. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
A MalJari stood before him. Broad shoulders, lean build, sharp jaw. He figured they were taking him to meet MalHalen but he was meeting someone else instead. He shuddered when he heard the MalJari’s voice. “Hello Ethan,” he said. Ethan stared back and paused before he spoke. “Hunter?”
CHAPTER 17
I t wasn’t real. He wasn’t real. Ethan told himself that over and over but no matter how many times he said it, that wouldn’t change the fact that a MalJari who looked alarmingly like Hunter was staring back at him, and smiling no less.
“Hunter?” Ethan asked again. The
boy strode over to him confidently, bracketing the young human with his arms. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few long seconds before Hunter leaned in and whispered, “I’ve missed you.” Ethan stood there with his mouth open, unable to respond. Was this really Hunter? What had the MalJari done to him? Could he have changed so much in a day? How was this possible?
“Is it really you?” he asked, pleading with his eyes as he lightly touched the alien boy’s face. The contours of his skin felt the same as before, his scarce but rough stubble scratching at Ethan’s finger tips. He glanced up at Hunter and noticed his once emerald eyes had been changed to a shocking green hue. Ethan frowned, instantly missing the rich deep color. “Your eyes,” he began to say. Hunter nodded solemnly. “Yes, they’re brighter now and my hair,” he said motioning to the short strands of white hair covering his head.
“How can this be?” Ethan whispered. Hunter reached up to caress his face, Ethan easily leaning into the warm touch. They seemed to be in their very own world but their bubble was broken when they heard someone cough.
“Hal-… um Hunter, would you give us a moment?” Ethan was certain it was MalHalen standing at the doorway. Hunter stepped back from Ethan, giving him one last smirk before turning around and walking out of the room. MalHalen approached Ethan slowly, regarding him with great interest. Instinctively, Ethan took a step back when MalHalen was within a foot of him. He was still unsure of the leader’s intentions and therefore needed to keep his guard up.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” MalHalen stated with surprising conviction. Ethan still felt uneasy about his proximity to the alien leader. Swallowing audibly, he forced his eyes to meet MalHalen’s. “How do I know you’re not lying?” he asked, his voice weak and small. He wasn’t sure if it was MalHalen’s doing or his own insecurity but all the power and confidence he thought he had was now melting away. He couldn’t even feel his abilities. He should have been worried but in MalHalen’s presence he felt oddly safe.
Awaken_Ethan Drake Chronicles Page 19