Hyperion's Shield

by Nathan Schivley

  As he traversed the densely populated central city, Xander took note of the Reysene as he walked past them. It wasn't quite eight o'clock yet, so the citizens still had every right to be outside of their homes, until tomorrow anyway. However, when they saw the prince of Gartol, they immediately changed direction or moved to the other side of the street, all the while keeping their eyes fixed on his eüroc. Xander had never wielded his staff against a Reysene, nor did he have any desire to. A eüroc was an instrument of war; to use it on a defenseless torman would be a defilement. At least that's the way Xander viewed it. He knew that some of his fellow Gartune did not have the same reservations, and that is why no Reysene would come within twenty feet of him.

  Xander strode lazily through the main plaza at the center of the city. In years past, this had been a bustling marketplace full of vendors hawking their wares and street performers dancing and singing for loose change. It was also a meeting place where Reysene would come and enjoy a drink at one of the many cafes and restaurants that lined the open square. But not anymore. Now, the plaza was nearly empty.

  A few vendors still attempted to make a living selling junk or trinkets that they likely stole from a forest city like Arsdale or Woodhaven. Most of these merchants were not Reysene, but waifs – tormans who lived in the woods. Xander recognized one of the vendors; a crippled man who walked with a cane and had the look (and smell) of a woodsman all over him. Unlike most tormans who approached a Gartune, this man did not cross to the other side of the street. Instead, the man kept on walking his original path which took him right next to the Gartune prince. Shockingly, when the woodsman came abreast of Xander, he did not tilt his head to the ground, but rather he looked up and gave the Gartune a friendly nod and then limped away.

  The balls on that guy, thought Xander. A thought struck him: first, Dario dares to ask me for a favor, and now this guy thinks he's my best friend. Perhaps my good nature is being mistaken for weakness.

  Xander considered this for a while but then decided that Dario probably wanted to die anyway, which explained his actions, and the woodsman was probably just crazy (as were most people who spent their entire lives eating grass and sleeping in trees). There was no doubt that tormans were still terrified of him, especially the Reysene. Xander smiled. During his five years as commander of the Gartune occupation, Xander had only found one Reysene that was unafraid of him, and it was her home that he now approached.

  Loras and Tinko had resumed their tree branch battle in the front yard of the twins' home. When they glimpsed the approaching Gartune, they immediately threw down their branches. Fighting, whether real or play, was forbidden amongst any of the citizens of Reysa.

  "It's lucky that I came by," said Xander to Loras, "otherwise I think the fat one may have bested you."

  Loras gave Xander a scathing look, but he dared not say a word. Xander liked to torment Loras because he knew how much Loras hated his visits. Though he was only five years Loras' senior, Xander treated the Reysene as if he was much younger. Every chance he could, Xander made a point to antagonize the hot-headed teen. But each time, Loras simply stood and stared right back at the prince. If a look could kill, Xander would have already died a thousand deaths.

  "Where might I find your sister this evening, Loras?" asked Xander. Still glaring, Loras nodded toward the kitchen and then he and Tinko skulked down the street.

  "Curfew's coming soon, boys," said Xander over his shoulder. "Better get inside while you still can..."

  Xander walked into the house as if it were his own, for he had been there many times. But even on his first visit to Loras and Regan's home, he did not knock or wait for an answer. He simply walked in unannounced. Knocking was a courtesy that was reserved for equals and Xander did not have any of those in Reysa.

  Xander found Regan in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes from dinner. She had cooked for her brother and Tinko as she did most nights. Her parents would not be home for another couple of hours. They, like most Reysene adults, had been "selected" to work on the secret project under the city. For most of the twins' lives, their parents had spent dawn to dusk working on this project. They only saw their children briefly at night, and even then, they were too tired to spend much time with them. Holidays were skipped. Birthdays were five-minute affairs before bedtime. There was only a cake if Regan decided to bake one. The other parents in the neighborhood – those that had avoided being chosen for the secret project – helped out as much as they could, but Loras and Regan essentially raised themselves. Their parents were simply two people who slept in the same house as them.

  "Don't you have someone else that can do that?" asked Xander as he entered the kitchen.

  "Unfortunately, the servants took the day off," responded Regan. She did not lift her eyes from the dishes. If any other Reysene had addressed the prince of Gartol in such a manner, they would have been beaten. But Xander was amused by Regan's quiet defiance. It was one of the reasons why he enjoyed coming to see her.

  Xander had first met Regan two years ago. She was hurrying home with a bag full of groceries when she turned a corner and accidentally bumped into the prince. Xander had been talking to a couple of Gartune soldiers when the Reysene girl had collided with his backside. Her groceries went flying everywhere. Immediately, she apologized to the prince for running into him. The soldiers berated her for her carelessness, but Xander said nothing. He simply watched the girl as she went about collecting her groceries off the ground.

  There was something different about this girl – something that separated her from other Reysene of her age. She had the same long, golden hair, lithe frame and fair skin that was common amongst her race. Undoubtedly, she was beautiful. But there was something in the way that she went about collecting her things that struck Xander. Eventually, he realized what it was. She was not scared.

  Any other Reysene would have been quivering with fear as they frantically searched for their groceries. Some may have just left the food on the ground and run away. But not Regan. She calmly picked up each and every item and returned it to her bag, all the while being heckled by two armed Tormada three times her size.

  Finally, Regan had returned all of her groceries back to her bag; all except one can of soup that she could not find. The soldiers laughed to themselves as they watched Regan searching everywhere for the remaining can. Then Regan saw why they were laughing. The can was under the massive boot of one of the soldiers.

  The Gartune looked down at her with evil smiles as they waited to see what she would do. Regan looked down at the can for a few moments and then did something totally unexpected. She reached underneath the soldier's boot and quickly yanked the can out from under it, sending the Gartune reeling backwards to the point where he lost his balance and would have fallen had his companion not caught him.

  The Gartune soldier was furious. As soon as he had regained his balance he rushed at the Reysene girl, his eüroc held above his head, ready to strike. Just as he was about to land a crushing blow, Xander stepped in front of the girl and caught the staff in his hand.

  "You would kill this girl for a can of soup?" exclaimed Xander.

  "I would kill her for her disgrace!" replied the soldier.

  "You disgraced yourself," answered Xander in disgust. "A little torman girl almost upended you. Had I not intervened just now, she probably would have finished the job!"

  The soldier's scowl shifted from Xander to Regan and then back to Xander before he finally lowered his staff. Angry as he was, he dared not challenge the prince.

  After that, the soldiers turned and walked away fuming, leaving Xander with the Reysene girl.

  "I don't know what to say," said Regan. "Thank you for saving my life."

  "I hate to see a can of soup go to waste, " answered Xander. He smiled and put his hand on the girl's shoulder. He expected to find her shivering, but she was steady as a rock. She didn't even flinch when he touched her. Xander then offered to walk Regan back to her house, and she accepted with a
silent nod. The two walked side by side on the street, inspiring more than a few shocked looks from nearby Reysene. Xander cracked a few jokes to see if he could get the girl to laugh, but all he managed were a few polite smiles. When they arrived at her home, Regan thanked Xander once again for his assistance.

  "Perhaps it was fate that put that can of soup under Bonner's foot," said Xander. "Otherwise, you might not have had the pleasure of meeting me." Xander grinned at the girl and she smiled politely back at him. "I think I'm going to have to step up my game if I'm going to get a laugh out of you," said Xander.

  "I'm afraid I'm not much of a laugher," replied Regan.

  "Challenge accepted!" exclaimed Xander impishly. And since that day, Xander had made it a point to stop by a few times a week to speak with the Reysene girl.

  Xander sat on the kitchen counter tossing a piece of fruit in the air as Regan finished with her dishes.

  "I think I set a new record on the way over here today," said Xander as he tossed a ripe andal pear up in the air. "I counted twenty-seven Reysene that crossed to the other side of the street when they saw me coming."

  "Perhaps they thought that you would trip them," said Regan as she put away the last dish.

  "You know me better than that," said Xander. "I do not deny that there are some of my kin who participate in that sport, but I have never harmed one of you and yet you still act as if I might strike you down at any moment. Do I have some unknown reputation as a torman abuser?"

  "You are the son of King Hadrian. You command the only Tormada in the city. That is more than enough reason for a Reysene to walk on the opposite side of the street from you."

  "Ah, but answer me this," said Xander as he took a bite of the pear, "we treat the tormans in Gartol the same as we treat you, but they do not flee from us," said Xander.

  "And what exactly would be the fate of a slave who flees from his master?" asked Regan.

  "The tormans in Gartol are not slaves." Xander's tone began to lose some of its light-heartedness. "They are subjects. They work and do what they are told because that is the way the gods intended – for the Tormada to rule and for the tormans to obey. It has always been that way."

  "It has always been that way in Gartol," answered Regan.

  "But not in high-and-mighty Reysa, where the Reytana carry the groceries and wash the feet of the tormans, is that it?" asked Xander. "How would you know anyway? The only Reytana that you have ever known is Dario. Does he not instruct, and you obey?"

  "Is it he that instructs?" questioned Regan. She was walking a thin line now. Though he enjoyed her honest opinions and the courage it took to voice them, Xander did not enjoy accusations from those he considered lesser beings. He studied the torman girl for a few moments. She had the same defiant stare as the day when he had first met her. Gradually, Xander's frown turned to a smile as he recalled their first meeting.

  "I think the next time I walk the streets, I should take you with me," suggested Xander. "That way you people will see that I am capable of sharing a sidewalk. Plus, you could protect me if any mischief arises."

  "I don't think the prince of Gartol needs a chaperone. Here, take this," and she tossed him a can of soup. "If someone gives you trouble, just throw this at them."

  "You know it's lucky that I let you live after that day," jested Xander, "after all, you revealed the secret to toppling a Gartune soldier," and he tossed the soup playfully back to Regan.

  At this moment Loras came into the kitchen and saw Xander smiling at his sister. Neither seemed to notice his entrance, so he coughed loudly. Regan glanced at her brother and saw the familiar accusatory look on his face. She met it with a scowl of her own, then turned back to washing the dishes.

  “Ah, the brother returns,” said Xander.

  Loras walked over to the counter, grabbed an apple and stood there eating it while Xander and Regan exchanged looks. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes as Loras stood stubbornly and chewed loudly. It quickly became apparent that he had no intention of leaving the kitchen.

  "Well, I think I'll be on my way," said Xander as he turned to Loras and gave him an overly-aggressive pat on the back. "Always good to see you, Loras."

  Loras took an extra loud bite of his apple.

  "Oh, and you may want to head home a bit early tomorrow," said Xander as he was leaving. "I hear the curfew may be changing."

  Loras threw his apple core violently into the sink.

  "Don't worry, I'll come by and keep you company," said Xander. He winked at Regan, gave Loras a mocking little bow, and then turned and left.

  Loras glared at his sister with burning, accusatory eyes.

  "What would you have me do?!" she yelled.

  Loras just shook his head and walked out of the kitchen, kicking the door on his way out.

  Chapter Five: Awake

  The next day at school, all that the students wanted to talk about was their new curfew. Professor Lucan was tired of listening to the teenagers whine, so he decided to change the subject to something more interesting.

  "Today we are going to discuss a topic that is shrouded in mystery. Like many things that are not fully understood, this topic is often feared. However, there are some things that we do know about this subject, and because it is vital to our history and to our future, it deserves discussion. Today, we are going to talk about the Omegas."

  The mention of the Omegas instantly drew the full attention of the class. Even Loras, who had been slowly drifting off into another daydream, was roused to attention when he heard Professor Lucan mention the name.

  "Now," continued Lucan, "what do we know about the origin of Omegas?"

  To no one's surprise, Tinko's hand shot in the air.

  "They are the children of the Tormada," answered Tinko.

  "But, Professor," interjected a girl in the back of the classroom, "I thought that the Tormada aren't able to have children."

  "You are both correct," answered Lucan. "Like we tormans, the Tormada can mate, but they are not fruitful. They do not give birth. Tormada aren't born, they are replaced by The Scales in order to maintain the balance of power. Only after a Reytana or Gartune dies will a newborn Tormada arrive at their city's pool of life.

  “However, over the course of history, there have been four exceptions to this rule. Twice in Reysa and twice in Gartol, a Tormada has given birth to a child. These children are the Omegas."

  Tinko's hand shot up in the air. His mouth opened before he was called upon. "I heard that only Tormada kings and queens can create an Omega. Is that true?"

  "In two instances that was true. Octavia and Drohnus were born to royal parents. But the other two were not. Nobody knows exactly what causes an Omega to be created. Some say that the moons must all be in alignment at the time of conception…” As Lucan said this, a group of boys in the back of the room snickered. Teenagers. Lucan pretended to ignore them but talking about sex – especially Tormada sex – was making the professor visibly uncomfortable. He continued anyway.

  “…Others say that when two Tormada meet whose auras are identical in nature and of the highest level, then they may conceive a child. But nobody knows for sure. The circumstance of their creation is one of the Omegas' greatest mysteries.

  “But what else do we know about the Omegas?" asked Lucan.

  Again, Tinko replied without being called upon. "They have the powers of both the Reytana and the Gartune."

  "Correct again, Tinko. Just imagine – the power to harness both the sun and the ground. They can float like the Reytana and move earth like the Gartune. They can manipulate solar energy as well as metal and stone. They are the world's fiercest warriors and greatest inventors. And it is because of their awesome power that the Omegas are equally feared by the Reysene and Gartolians.

  “Throughout history, different Omegas have used their powers for different purposes. Some used their powers to destroy. Others used their powers to create. The craftsmanship of the Gartune, coupled with the creativity
of the Reytana, is a powerful inventive force. All of the Omegas created wondrous things, but the greatest of the Omega inventors was Hyperion."

  Lucan turned back to the chalkboard and began writing the names of the four known Omegas in chronological order based on when they lived.

  "Hyperion is the fourth Omega that we know to have existed. Before him were Calan, Drohnus and Octavia. Octavia and Calan were children of the Reytana; Drohnus and Hyperion were born to the Gartune.

  “Octavia was the first of all the Omegas. Like the Omegas that would follow her, she was immediately born with her powers – she did not have to wait until her eighteenth birthday to receive her light like a normal Reytana, or her metal like a Gartune. Not much is known about Octavia, for she lived nearly eight hundred years ago. We think that she only lived to be about thirty, although the circumstances of her death are nebulous. It was not until Drohnus that it was discovered how long an Omega could actually live."

  Lucan underlined the second name on the chalkboard as he continued. "Drohnus was born to the Gartune. By this time, the Gartune had heard rumors of the Reytana's Omega, so when a child with one golden eye and one violet eye was born to a Gartune princess, they knew they had something special.

  “Immediately, Drohnus was trained for combat. The Gartune intended to use him as a weapon, and what a weapon he became. As soon as he was old enough to carry a eüroc, Drohnus was leading regiments of Gartune into battle. His skills in combat were unmatched. Drohnus's battlefield maneuvers became the fighting blueprint that Gartune soldiers use even today.

  "For over two hundred years, Drohnus and the Gartolians constantly attacked the city of Reysa. If it weren't for the brave efforts of truly heroic Reytana, the city would have fallen on several occasions. These two centuries were the bloodiest that our planet has ever known. We refer to this time period as the Plague of Drohnus.