Birth of Light

by Ross Buzzell

  This news rips through Emma like a jagged blade; her legs nearly buckle as her knees uncontrollably weaken, causing her to lean against the table for support. They would probably be able to stop Disa’ani, but none of them would be able to beat Xero. It is a losing battle, one that would lead to their doom and the complete obliteration of the human race.

  “What can kill him, then? You said no weapon made by Boronian or man. Does that mean there is something else that could?”

  Natalie asks, her voice brimming with the fire of hope that has just been snuffed from Emma’s heart.

  “Maybe his own blade…”

  Danielle responds softly. Doug steps up, his bravado emanating from him like a storm of fire.

  “Then that’s easy; we disarm him and Konner runs him through.”

  Danielle shakes her head solemnly.

  “Maybe, if we are really lucky.”

  This makes Emma’s stomach drop. The weight just keeps being piled on. Is there no end to the pit of hopelessness that this Xero can generate? Will he crush humanity under his heel just by the threat of his approach? Who knows? Maybe they would get lucky and get him to commit suicide. Konner’s voice draws Emma from her own mind. It is soft and even as if he does not feel the unyielding despair that the rest of the group undoubtedly is going through at this point in time.

  “Thank you for shedding light on that, Danielle. The information will be very useful.”

  This baffles Danielle. She just told him Xero could only die by his own hand and Konner thanks her.

  “How? I thought we could capture him and lock him somewhere, but after seeing what Disa’ani did to the police, it dawned on me we would need to kill at least Xero to ensure the survival of Earth… and there isn’t a way to do that.”

  Konner shakes his head, his stance is stoic. His eyes burn with the intensity of a star and his strong jaw is clenched tight.

  “There is always a way.”

  Emma glances over at Natalie. The women make eye contact as an idea forms in Emma’s mind. She glances down to Natalie’s cleavage at the ring nestled there. Natalie follows Emma’s line of sight and reaches up, gently gripping the ring as she does.

  “Konner, use this. Put it on and maybe you will be strong enough to put an end to this… and even save your home.”

  Emma notices Konner’s gaze; it is that of longing, of desire, and a hint of lust. She can’t tell if it is for the ring or for the woman holding it, but either way, she is glad such an intense look is not focused on her, as it would make her crumble.

  “I cannot, Natalie, but thank you. If I put that ring on my finger, I run the risk of turning into Xero myself. No, there is always another way. It will just take a little bit to figure it out.”

  Emma watches as Konner slowly, deliberately walks over to Natalie. His arms unfold from his chest as he takes Natalie’s hands and slowly lowers them. She releases the ring.

  “You are being entrusted with this, Natalie. Keep it away from Xero, Disa’ani, and even me at all costs.”

  Natalie nods. Emma notices her try to swallow a lump in her throat. Her voice is shaky, but she tries to keep it strong.

  “You got it.”

  Konner turns to face Doug.

  “Do you have anything harder than granite you can turn into?”

  Doug smirks and nods.

  “I do. The cave I was in was the site of a pallasite meteor strike. It’s one of the hardest substances on Earth… I think I can use that.”

  “Good!”

  he exclaims and looks at Emma with such intensity that she feels her heart stop, both out of terror and awe of the man.

  “Emma, have you figured out how to land yet?”

  Emma finds herself at a loss of words for a moment; all she is able to do is nod before stammering out,

  “Ya...yeah, I think I have it.”

  Konner nods and a smile fills his face.

  “Good; Doug, I am going to need you on the ground with me IN the fight.”

  Konner walks over to Doug and places his hand on the man’s shoulder; a blue pulse of light enters Doug and bracer beeps and speaks for the room to hear.

  “Power at ninety-five percent.”

  “Emma, you will be support. Stay high unless we call you, and if we do use the environment to fight…”

  He places a hand on her. She feels a pulse of energy shoot through her body, setting her very atoms on fire in the same way the pulse that activated her abilities did. The bracer speaks out again.

  “Power ninety percent.”

  He turns to Danielle.

  “You are the brains; you know more about Xero than I do. You stay high, on the rooftops, and call out strategies that can give us the advantage.”

  He touches Danielle, the same pulse followed by the same voice.

  “Power eighty-five percent.”

  Konner turns his attention to the woman he obviously cares so deeply for.

  “And Natalie.”

  She takes a step towards him. It is obvious that she wants him, needs him, and should he ask, she would follow him to Xero, even death, without a second thought. Konner gently places his hands on her shoulders and gazes deeply into her eyes. Emma notices that the touch mixed with the look makes Natalie quiver.

  “Yes?”

  Her voice is barely over a whisper.

  “You leave town. Get as far away from us as you can. I need to know you are safe. I cannot be distracted for this and I will be to worried about you to focus on Xero.”

  Emma can tell that Natalie hates the idea of leaving, and nodding in agreement fights against everything she believes in. Her eyes well up as she gazes into Konner’s face as if saying goodbye to him. A silent tear rolls down her cheek.

  “I will get as far away as I can,”

  she whispers. Konner releases her and turns to the rest of the team.

  “Should any of you decide to step back from this fight, I will not hold any ill will towards you, but I need to know now if you are with me or helping with evacuation.”

  All three step forward—Doug, Emma, and Danielle instantaneously—as if their bodies reacted before their minds could process the option, at least that is how it feels for Emma.

  “We are with you until the end, Konner,”

  Emma says softly yet sternly. If she has to die, she would rather it be by Konner’s side, giving it everything she has, as opposed to running and trying to hide. Doug and Danielle both nod in agreement.

  “When I first came here, I was terrified that anyone who met me would immediately fear me because of what I am. Instead, I was blessed with the best group of allies I could have ever asked for. I tell you now, in this fight, on this day, I would rather have each and every one of you by my side than all of the armies of Boron, and if I have to fall today, I am proud that it will be by the noblest of your race. You are all Cryptea in my book.”

  His words send a chill down Emma’s spine, causing goosebumps to cascade over her body. She leans over to Danielle.

  “Cryptea?”

  she whispers.

  “We survive this, I will tell you everything.”

  Konner’s demeanor changes as he moves into strategic mode.

  “The energy I placed in each of you will allow us to keep in contact for twenty-four hours. Danielle, go to the place called Kiener Plaza, find out if there is anything there with a lot of energy that I can feed off of. Emma, I need you to scout the city, look for Disa’ani and Xero. We need to know exactly when and where they show up. Doug, you go with her in case she needs protection.”

  Danielle is the first to verbally confirm as she makes her way to the front door before exiting.

  “I will, and report back to you whatever I find.”

  Then Doug:

  “I will keep her safe, and I’ll be sure to watch your back.”

  Emma looks out the window at the beautiful city. The sun is high in the sky and a warm breeze blows through the shattered window. She nods in confirmation of
Konner’s command.

  “On it, boss.”

  She holds her hand out to Doug, keeping her eyes on the city. The moment she feels his hand touch hers, she pulls him into herself before running towards the window and leaping from it, taking off into the sky while Doug shrieks in terror the entire time.

  Chapter: 21

  Xero Hour

  Konner stands tall, his gaze on Emma as she and Doug fly off into the sky. His mind races about ways to keep them safe in the battle ahead, but ultimately, there is no true way to protect anyone from a force like Xero. A power runs into Konner, forcing him to step back slightly. His attention comes down to Natalie, who has her face buried in Konner’s chest; her good arm is coiled around him so tightly that he feels the constriction through his armor. Konner leans into her, wrapping his strong arms around her petite frame, gently holding her close. The scent of roses from her hair fills Konner’s lungs, the soft touch of her skin against his sends sparks soaring through him, but a soft tremble permeates through her body into his.

  “You don’t have to do this. Why don’t you just teleport him to another world like your father did?”

  Her voice shakes like a leaf on a tree as she clearly chokes back tears. Konner lifts a hand and gently strokes her silken hair, resting his chin on the top of her head as he responds.

  “Because he can teleport now too. He can just come right back. Because he has declared war against me, against this planet, and if he goes unchallenged, this world… you will die.”

  Konner leans back; he places a folded forefinger under her chin and directs her starry eyes towards his.

  “I will fight with every ounce of strength to make sure you are safe.”

  A tear rolls out of her left eye and down her freckle-kissed cheek.

  “And what if you lose? What if he kills you?”

  The warrior glances down at the ring. Reluctantly, he releases Natalie and grasps the chain around the ring, lifting it between the two of them, its stone giving off a soft iridescent glow.

  “Then you give this to Danielle and with her powers fully realized, she will be able to stop Xero. It will likely cost her life, but she knows this and is at peace with it. Every Emissary is.”

  With a broken heart, Konner steps away from Natalie. He begins to walk towards the window that has been used as an exit far more times than it is intended. It is not fair; for the first time in his life, Konner knows what true love feels like—he feels it with this intoxicating redhead—and now he has to leave knowing full well he will not be coming back to her. Duty is more important than self; it is a high calling and billions of innocent lives should not be sacrificed when only one will do. He stops at the edge of the window and looks out. The breeze licking up his body causes his cape to flap in the wind behind him.

  “Konner!”

  He hears Natalie yell out; he turns to see her charging him. In the blink of an eye, she leaps into him. Konner’s arms instinctively wrap around her strong form. She presses her soft, plump lips against Konner’s. His heart pounds so hard in his chest that it would have winded him had she not already taken his breath away. Her lower lip is placed firmly between his. The sweet taste of berries washes over his tongue. Her fingers run up the back of his skull, intertwining with his hair as Konner’s left hand mirrors hers. His right finds its home on the small of her back, holding her close to him, and off the ground. The sensation of her lips against his, her body pressed against him and her fingers in his hair is beyond euphoric. He can feel the passion between the two ignite a fire, a hunger within them both. Never before has he felt this, this undeniable spark as if in the fabric of the universe itself their names have been stitched together.

  Konner fights to urge to pin her against a wall. He has a mission to return to and should he survive, he will not let Natalie get away. Ever so slowly, Konner breaks the kiss; he gently sets Natalie down and runs his fingers over her soft cheeks. He slowly puts his forehead against hers. His eyes close tightly as flashes of what could be run through his mind. A small house, two children playing in a yard of green lush grass, and the woman of his dreams nestled into his chest and arms as they stand just inside watching them play. Konner gradually opens his eyes, letting the vision evaporate into the ether. As he gazes on the beauty of this human before him, a dark twinkle in her eye catches his attention, accompanied by a wicked grin.

  “Kick his ass.”

  Her words are full of belief in him; she pats his chest, giving him a gentle shove. He rolls with it and takes off out of the window. Her confidence in him revitalizes his belief in himself. He smiles widely at his love and throws her a playful wink before turning towards Kiener Plaza. As he passes the tall buildings, he sees Danielle standing on top of the highest structure in the city. Her arms are folded in trepidation as she stares at the field below. Konner re-directs his path and begins to move towards the Emissary. As he approaches, she glances over at him and waves him in for a landing. He obliges and with grace enough that surprises even him Konner touches down next to the Emissary.

  “What do you have for me?”

  She points at the streets on either side of the plaza.

  “The city has underground powerlines; if you can stay close enough to them, they should give you enough juice to take care of Disa’ani before going after Xero with minimal power loss.”

  “Don’t worry about Disa’ani!”

  a mixed voice calls out. Konner and Danielle both look up to see Emma descending quickly. She lands hard and winces in pain, rubbing her knee as Doug is ejected from her side and continues to speak.

  “I can handle him by myself. You focus on your target solely, and then we can team up on Xero together.”

  Konner shakes his head. There is no way he is going to allow any of them to get involved in the fight with Xero. Doug is there to stop Disa. Once his job is done, Konner fully intends to send him away, using Emma if he has to. Danielle is tactics; she will not be noticed by their enemies when all their focus will be on the ground. Konner turns his attention to Emma.

  “Did you see anything while you were scouting?”

  he asks. The look on her face says it all. She saw him; her face is ghostly pale, and judging by how hard she swallows before speaking, the sight of him has given her cotton mouth.

  “He is on his way, and Konner, he can fly.”

  This does not surprise Konner one bit. His computer chimes in.

  “Detecting a rise in dark energy levels, dampening radiation absorption at targeted wavelengths to prevent corruption.”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Konner shoots into the sky to see what Emma is talking about. In the far off distance, he sees a being soaring over the streets, but just a few meters with Disa’ani running as fast as he can behind the being. His armor does a quick scan.

  “Signs of true flight are minimal; Xero Lorian has a fight ceiling of eight meters.”

  The idea of having a height advantage brings Konner a smile. There is hope after all. He taps into the communication energy that he put into his team.

  “Xero has a ceiling; he cannot get more than two stories from the planet’s surface. This gives us the high ground and we will need to use it.”

  His entire team’s voices ring inside his head in unison.

  “Roger that.”

  That is a sensation he has not experienced in years. It makes him smile as he thinks back to Jil’Thorin and Bara’Helor. Konner rotates his position to face the plaza; in the center is a man that appears to be in his fifties, in a blue uniform with medals pinned to his chest. He begins to descend to the man quickly; they do not have much time. As he does, Konner notices the thick gold stripe at the base of either sleeve with a thin one just above it and what looks like a small shield woven into the fabric. On his shoulders are ribbons of the same gold with an anchor overlapped by a shield made of silver followed by two stars under it of the same color. Whoever this man is, he is heavily decorated and the fact that he is out in the center of the plaza in
dicates that he must be in charge. Konner lands before the man; balling up a fist, he places it against his own breast in a Boronian military salute. The officer before him places an open palm to his forehead. The computer whispers in Konner’s mind, “According to findings on this world’s global database, that is the salute of this nation. He is the rank of rear admiral.” Konner drops his hand. The man before him with slightly greying hairs and stern lines decorating his face drops his hand. Konner is the first to speak.