Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  Harmonizer’s Evolution (Book four of the Balancer’s Soul cycle)

  Published by H. LeeMorgan at Smashwords

  Copyright 2012 H. Lee Morgan

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  ISBN 978-1-4760-4191-9

  Captured and Released

  The very first thing Sorono noticed when he began regaining consciousness is the physical sense of a painful headache which throbbed dully with every heart beat. It felt as if his skull had been cracked and probably bleeding because his scaly skin oddly felt wet and then there was another unsettling sensation, unbreakable bindings. This discovery came after he attempted moving his arms to feel the extent of the injuries, but they didn’t move freely, in fact they didn’t move at all. Then Sorono’s large hazel eyes slowly and groggily opened to see what the problem was and how to break out. His eyelids were heavy and weak, but they did manage to open. His eyes shifted to the left to see that his arms were spread out wide and encased in solid metal, but they didn’t budge even under his greatest application of strength. The metal must have been highly reinforced from someone exceedingly powerful. He weakly managed to look to the other side and revealed the other arm to also be restrained. He began struggling to look down at his body, but his neck could only manage moving from side to side.

  Knowing that his upper body was locked, he began trying to manipulate moving other bodily parts. It proved futile as his legs, feet and abdominals didn’t move either. Even his tail had been encased. This wasn’t right.

  Sorono’s entire body was entrapped in a metal prison which locked his every movement from gaining any form of leverage. Even when his overwhelming strength was applied again, it too proved to be another fruitless attempt.

  He knew beyond doubt that he was firmly secured, but the next thing that came to mind is to see and understand his immediate surroundings. It was survival one-oh-one. He learned the terminology from the human’s colloquiums.

  The inescapable bindings secured him against the far wall of a strange stone room. At least the jailors were kind enough to bind him in a standing position, which is a positive thing, but that seemed all that was positive about the current situation. About one hundred feet in front of him laid a large metal door that seemed large enough for him or his brethren to fit through. There were a few florescent light’s illuminating the large room, but that was the only source of light. The walls and roof were all made of a dark brown, almost black stone. The room itself had been crafted into a long rectangle and everything was silent. The immediate area was barren except for a single large chair off to the left side of the room.

  He quickly put together that his current prison was deep underground and most likely in a rich soil environment. It would most likely be somewhere close to some kind of volcanic setting. The lighting meant that this place is close to human habitation or some kind of localized generator had been brought in.

  Struggling uselessly wouldn’t get him anywhere and he needed to figure out the situation. To utilize another sense more effectively he closed his eyes, focused on using one natural ability and attempted to listen to anything that could alert him or reveal anything about where he is being held against his will. The room was silent except for his breathing, heartbeats and buzz from the light fixture, but he needed to hear beyond…

  There were sounds of other large bodied footsteps and clicking of claws against the stone flooring. There were subtle grunting and echoes, but the reptilian dialect was strange and one not even Sorono had heard before. He didn’t understand the least bit of what they were saying. He knew that he had been imprisoned deep underground because there weren’t any sounds of wind coming from the hallways. It was difficult, but there were at least seven other Keepers close to his location. They would be easy enough to deal with when the time came.

  Then Sorono quit listening and tried figuring out why he found himself here in the first place. He clearly remembered trying to track down his other brother in South America, but he was gone. He had created an tsunami and killed many thousands of humans. It was Sorono’s duty to bring him to justice for his crimes. Connor had his hands full at home so Sorono didn’t ask him to come with him, but during the search something happened… what actually happened after that? … How on earth did I wind up in here…? He then began pondering on how the search for his brother led him here…

  “This is no time to dwell. I must leave.” He thought to himself and struggled.

  He focused his mind and set his focus on the full-body metallic bindings. Sorono saw the metal opening up to allow his escape, in his mind. Internally stored energy flowed through his body, but then nothing happened. His energy went into the metal, but it didn’t have any obvious effect. His heart rate jumped when the worry set in. Why didn’t it work? It should have… He looked at the metal on his arm a little closer and saw the reason.

  The restraint’s color is jet black. That only happens when an extremely powerful Keeper has the ability to use the second level of metal. They manipulated the normal metal and made it denser and exponentially stronger. It was Dark Steel. There were very few who could do such a thing. What they probably didn’t know was that he could undo their work.

  Sorono then grinned as a quiet hiss passed through his teeth.

  He focused harder and raised his energy levels. With the denser metal the molecules are more tightly packed and it takes even more stamina than usual to manipulate the element. It has to be done since the material is stronger than diamond. He then felt his body brightening as the power flowed into the metal.

  It was then that he felt his energy reserves.

  They were almost depleted.

  The energy instantly stopped when he felt how weak he truly was. His strength had shrank to one percent, at most. True hopelessness finally set in. he didn’t have enough to break out of his prison. It was now that conservation is the key to rescue. He then quickly made sure to stop his body from creating heat because being cold blooded would conserve more energy so it could return slightly faster.

  Still somewhat distressed, he then felt for his bond and felt Veronica’s fear for him, but something was horribly off. He couldn’t tell in which direction she is at, let alone how far apart they were. Someone had disrupted their bond and that is a grave offense. He vowed to kill whoever did this heinous transgression against him.

  He then felt a mind entering his. “Look who is finally awake! You’ve been out of it for about a week, Sorono.”

  The mind felt so eerily familiar and Sorono’s eyes narrowed as the large metal door began to squeak open. The hallway looked as bright as the room that held him. Then walked in a male Keeper, wearing a blood red robe and a large leather belt secured around his waist. But that leather’s pigmentation either came from a pig or a human. The male walked upright and he was big. He easily stood larger than most of the males of their species… “It cannot be…” Sorono hissed as his impotent rage rose to new heights.

  “Yes it can, big brot
her.” It truly is. It was his younger brother.

  He shut the large door behind himself and then started walking towards the imprisoned older sibling. His wide barreled chest was heavily muscled as were his sleeved arms. He walked proudly with his thick tail swaying from side to side. He walked triumphantly closer while Sorono remained a prisoner. His scales glistened under the lighting and his claws were all well kept and sharp. He looked good after the last time the last seen each other twenty millions years ago.

  Then there were the eyes.

  He had the same color eyes, but never held Sorono’s casual and inquisitive personality. Around his slit pupil was brown and around the middle and edges they mixed with striking blue. It is the hazel eyes of another Harmonizer. He still had to make sure it was really him.

  Sorono focused what little energy he could spare into his eyes. The Keeper’s aura that stood before him appeared blood red and it saturated the entire room in his immense color. It truly was his brother.

  “Ranvan! It really is you! I’ve been searching for…”

  The younger brother raised his right clawed hand and it forced him to quit talking. “It really has been a very long time since we’ve seen each other, but that doesn’t matter. As you can see, you are a prisoner or should I say, my prisoner?”

  “A Prisoner! What for!?” Sorono couldn’t hold back a snarl from struggling again. “Why are you holding me like this!? Any why have you disrupted the bond without my expressed permission? That is the cruelest law that can ever be implemented. Why have you broken so many laws?” He growled.

  “Release me now!”

  Ranvan twisted his head and revealed a mocking, evil grin. Then he did the unbelievable. The younger sibling smacked Sorono across his face with his tail. It wasn’t too painful, but it is the ultimate insult of their kind and would usually settled in blood. Then Ranvan snarled menacingly and hissed “A prisoner is to be quiet unless given permission to speak!”

  At this point Sorono wanted to rip his heart out, but wasn’t in any position to do so. After the pain on the side of his face dulled he sat a hateful glare on his brother and he looked back evenly, obviously unimpressed.

  “That’s a good start, Sorono. Now I am completely tired of you always chasing after me, all over the planet. This is your punishment for interfering with me for the last time.” Something about his words didn’t seem right and a tingling sensation on the nape of Sorono’s neck agreed. There was more to his words than he let on. Not even another Harmonizer can lie to a brother.

  Ranvan is up to something.

  Sorono quickly pushed deeper into his mind like a bullet and Ranvan felt the intrusion. He slammed his mind closed and halted the infringement. Sorono’s instinct told him that what he just did was a big mistake. His younger brother snarled, barred his teeth and punched the side of Sorono’s face, after he tightly curled his claws into a three knuckled fist larger than a human’s head. The pain became excruciating and a cool metallic taste filled his mouth, tasting like iron. It was difficult not to scream out in pain, but he somehow suppressed the urge.

  As Sorono spat out a mouthful of blood, he aimed it at Ranvan. His punch had a disorienting effect as the globule of bloody spit veered off by several feet. Two images of Ranvan stood before him and they were both furious. “For that little transgression, you will not be given any food for the next two weeks. Enjoy your stay, Big Brother.”

  Ranvan spun around and whipped Sorono’s face with his tail again and it didn’t hurt half as bad as the punch. He confidently strolled away without another glance. He opened the door and stepped through. Then slammed it shut.

  Sorono grinned, knowing that he got under his brother’s scaly skin.

  What Sorono hoped he didn’t know is of what he learned and pushed it deep into his mind where only he could find the information. Sorono had only entered his mind for a moment, but he learned more in that brief time than searching for Ranvan for all those millions of years. Sorono thought he might have become feral, but he wasn’t going to be that lucky. Ranvan knew exactly what he was doing and what Sorono learned sent a chill up his spine.

  What he’s planning now is nothing compared to what he’s done in the past.

  Being held like this and with his body’s energy’s so limited, he began fearing what is to come and have no way to warn everyone. Sorono managed to look at the ceiling and sighed.

  Without sending out any power, he thought “Connor, I need your help. Please little brother, I need you or all will be lost.”

  ***

  (Thirteen months before)

  It was the very first morning after explaining to his mom about what he actually is and learning about almost everything she did for him. It remained dark outside when Connor looked out the window from his bed. He looked down when he heard Sarah snoring again. Her snoring hasn’t changed since the day he first met her. It is still a soft tempo that isn’t disruptive, in fact it’s pleasantly cute. She laid cuddled next to him while wearing one of his shirts as a comfortable nightgown. Her head rested over his heart like a pillow and her long brown hair had spread everywhere as if it had a life of its own. Her firm breasts pressed to his side and her silky leg was thrown over his. The only thing that wasn’t pressed tightly against him was her belly. She is instinctively trying to protect their unborn child, though she wanted to be completely against him. Every other part of her clutched him for dear life though.

  Her head rose and fell with each breath he took and it didn’t bother her.

  Connor looked up at the ceiling fan as it spun and recounted what happened yesterday.

  It had been difficult, getting the truth out of his mom and grandparents, but everyone felt better once the legitimacy of his life story had a voice. It was hard for them to comprehend that he was actually born of the earth and it still sounds weird knowing that the Hallowed Mother is the one who had given him life and that is where his true origin started. Despite how it sounds, it feels right. It explains all the strange things that he did before meeting his mate and the stranger things he’s capable of doing after being with Sarah.

  His mom, Jenny, found him in the woods and raised him with the aid of his loving grandparents. They taught him how to be a good man and one who protects. When they heard of his honest origins, they didn’t care what he’s become because he was still family no matter what. They even accepted how his sister had become a Changer. It was like everything seemed to work out, like Sarah usually says. His family didn’t flee like most people would when they were confronted to a new view of the world.

  The world of the three immortal races.

  Connor smiled when remembering his grandfather speaking to his sixty million year old brother, Sorono. It was a rarity for both of them. It proved that mortals and immortals could coexist peacefully, under the right circumstances.

  He continued reminiscing until he silently chuckled.

  Sarah stirred and slowly pushed herself onto his outstretched arm. Her emerald green eyes opened and began sparkling in the darkness. She couldn’t see him as clearly in the darkness as he could see her. She yawned and placed a hand over his sternum. “You’re feeling happy. What are you thinking about?”

  Connor’s right hand slid behind his head to increase his own comfort. “About yesterday. I’ve finally gotten the answers to my life and it only took about twenty years to get it out of them.” He chuckled lightly. “Things are finally falling into place, properly. I’ve finally gotten my mom to speak on the topic about how she found me and I finally understood that look she always gave me when I’d ask about my father. I never in my wildest dreams expected that I didn’t have one. Well, not in the conventional sense.”

  Sarah smiled and her beauty encompassed everything. “Does it hurt or help to know what you do now. Would you still wish for ignorance once again?”

  “No. I would always like the truth, even if is detrimental.” A strange look passed before her eyes, but it seemed happy, oddly enough. His senses were set o
ff because she wasn’t talking about yesterday. “Now tell me what is on your mind. You have a strange look and our bond is telling me you’re hiding some kind of secretive happiness.”

  Sarah reached into his mind and he allowed her full access. Her mind is as distinctive as one’s personality or looks. Her mental tone was soft and loving. “I’ve just been thinking about a few things.” He silently and patiently waited for her to continue. “For once I’ve figured something out before you have and I’m waiting to see your expression. Let’s just say we will be under more stress than we’ve previously guessed.” She smiled so beautifully and it became too difficult to understand where her thoughts were leading.

  “I’m stumped, Princess. Can you give me more of a hint?”

  Sarah’s rosy lips smiled even brighter. “I guess I could since you asked so nicely.” She raised herself up into a sitting position on the bed, with her legs crossed in front of her. He too sat up and mirrored her seating arrangement. “Back during the Mélange meeting,” She began with so he could follow her thoughts, but she walled up some information from him. “we were in our room…the first room we were given. It was before the dances and your disruption during the meeting. We had just finished being…intimate. Our minds were linked together and we were doing something that we haven’t done recently. I recently noticed a change from back then that you might have missed…”

  “We were…” Connor looked at the ceiling as he tried to recall what she was talking about. Then his eyes widened when he figured out what she was getting at. His eyes dropped from her face for only a moment. He looked down from Sarah’s face and towards her lower abdomen. Connor brought his power forth and began using sonar. Sarah didn’t jump when she saw his eyes begin to glow. His normal, colored vision became completely black and white, but in return he could see everything around him all at one time. The background didn’t matter because the immediate focus had turned towards Sarah.