by Blake Vanier
Nero takes a sudden breath, pulling his arm back and covering his eyes with a hand. He squints through his fingers. Another mist? Is this Aether? The energetic, dancing light mesmerizes him. The different colors curl into one another, fading, then popping back to a strong violet. Suddenly, his heart jumps. My second chance? I could be fast and strong like Ryder, and then they couldn’t leave me… With a newfound eagerness, he steps forward. I’ll get it this time!
He pushes away the uncertainties that had stricken him in his first attempt and reaches for the mist. Just as he is about to touch it, the mist casually avoids his hand, moving just out of his reach. Nero takes another step forward. Again, the mist narrowly escapes his eager fingers.
What’s going on? This didn’t happen before. He takes another step forward, and then makes a quick reach for the mist. It reacts with an equal amount of speed.
His nose wrinkles in frustration. What the heck?
He readies himself on the balls of his feet and lunges for the mist. It evades him with ease. He regains his balance and runs after the elusive mist, reaching whenever he gets close. No matter how fast he runs, or how quick his hand moves, the mist is always just out of his reach. His breathing is short. A cramp in his side burrows into his organs with every ragged breath. Finally, he closes the distance and makes a desperate dive, hand outstretched.
The ground knocks the wind out of him. He lies there on his stomach for a moment without moving. Maybe Korbin is right. I am too weak to absorb one. He lets out a pent-up breath from his nose and dust gets into his eyes. He rolls over, rubbing them. Why does this always happen to me? It’s the stupid mist’s fault, making fun of me like everyone else!
Nero opens his eyes. Finding a small rock, he jumps to his feet. “Just leave me alone!” He winds up and throws the rock toward the glowing mist. The mist bursts, showering the ground and fading as it falls. Darkness overtakes the night, leaving Nero alone once more. He pats some of the dirt from his clothes and heads back inside.
By the time Nero makes it back to the stairs, his triumph has evaporated and his stomach feels like a large stone. Maybe I should just stay back by myself. I can’t do anything. If I go with them, I’m just going to slow them down and be a pain…Thea’s scream cuts through his gloom, sending a jolt down his spine. Ryder and Korbin rush to the girls’ room in a stampede of feet.
Thea is on the ground, tearing through the piles of items the Erohsians had scattered. “My necklace is gone!”
“What?” Ryder asks.
Thea looks up at Ryder, eyes brimming. “They took it! The Minis stole it!”
Ryder’s jaw drops. “Wh―why weren’t you wearing it?”
Thea throws what she had in her hands to the ground. “Because I’m afraid of losing it… It’s the only thing I have left.”
Ryder glances at Iona. She is touching the blue gemmed necklace around her neck. He walks over to Thea, sitting down beside her, his hand on her back. “Look, Thea, we’ll get you a new one, a better one.”
Thea turns sharply to Ryder. “I don’t want a new one! I want mine!”
Ryder flinches. “Okay, sorry. Well, then, I guess we’ll just have to get it back.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Really?”
Ryder puts his hand on her back again. “Oh, yeah. We’re going to be the greatest treasure hunters on the entire planet. Your necklace will be at the top of our list.”
Thea wipes a tear from her eye. “But how are we going to get it from the Minis?”
“It’s going to be hard, and it may take a while, but as long as we don’t give up, one day it’ll be back around your neck. Will you promise me you won’t give up?”
Thea puts her hand to her bare neck, nodding. “Okay, I won’t give up.”
Nero straightens himself up. Maybe if I go, I’ll get another chance to absorb a mist. I can’t give up, either!
Ryder helps Thea up. “So, Iona, you know you have nothing to hide, since you didn’t touch a mist. If you don’t want, you probably don’t have to come.”
Iona turns back to Ryder. “Who else is going to run the boat and find the treasures?”
Ryder smiles. “Aren’t you afraid of the monsters we might find?”
“Come on.” A small smile creeps up one side of her mouth. “Haven’t you known me my entire life? I’ll probably have to protect you from the monsters.”
Ryder’s lips come together with a playful glare.
Korbin jumps in to the middle of the room. “I can’t wait to fight the monsters! I want to be just like Captain Konquer.” Korbin suddenly freezes. “I’m going to go pack.” He disappears.
The pit in Nero’s stomach opens again. He tries to swallow, his throat dry. I can’t do monsters. I can’t even get a stupid mist. I’d probably just get eaten. If the Minis don’t want me, maybe it is safer to just stay behind.
“Okie-dokie. Well I should go check on Korbin. That last look concerns me. We’ll see you downstairs soon.” Ryder thumps Nero on the back. “Come on, Nero.”
Ryder and Nero enter their room to see Korbin collecting a pile of action figures on his bed.
Ryder eyes the pile. “Yo, Korb, what’re you packing?”
Korbin glances up at Ryder, his face innocent. “My Combatmen 3977 collection with all-terrain vehicle and field med station along with their arch nemesis The Spider Murderess!”
Ryder picks up a muscular soldier: green short sleeves ready to burst, metal spiked shoulder plates, two clenched fists, and a snarling face with bulging veins to match. “Your Combatmen, Korbin? Can you wear Captain Konquer?” Ryder says, waving the soldier around.
“No.”
“Can you eat the good Captain?”
“Um, no, he’s made of plastic. That’d be stupid.”
“Well, then, you must be able to sleep on him.”
“No way, Ryder! He’s my favorite, plus his spiky shoulders would probably hurt―if not―pierce a hole through all your organs!”
Ryder hands back the figurine. “Yeah, that’s kinda my point. I know you look to Captain Konquer for inspiration, but we can’t use him where we’re going.”
Korbin’s shoulders drop. “So, don’t bring him?”
Ryder nods. He adopts an adult-like tone. “Now, Korbin, just because your bed is something you can sleep on doesn’t mean it’ll fit in your bag, so don’t try.”
Korbin punches Ryder in the arm. “I’m not stupid! Jeez…”
Ryder hops away, smiling. He winks at Nero then gestures with his head to their beds. “Come on, Nero, let’s try to pack our desks since those will be useful…”
Korbin glares at Ryder.
Nero smiles, walking over to his bed. I have to go with them, they’re all I have; my only family.
It takes twenty minutes before everyone is downstairs with their backpacks. Ryder and Iona cover the counter with food.
“Alright, this is all the food we can find that won’t go bad,” Ryder says. “Everyone bring as much as you can.”
Korbin shakes his head. “Can’t, don’t have any room.”
Ryder’s shoulders drop. “Come on, Korb, seriously? Captain Konquer?”
Ryder and Korbin lock eyes for a moment before Korbin lets out a grunt. He dumps several action figures from his bag onto the kitchen table. He walks back to Ryder, glaring. “Alright, gimme the food. I just hope if Fae comes back, she’ll look after them for me.”
Nero’s resolve melts away. Fae…
Ryder hands Korbin cans of food. “Of course she’ll watch our stuff. I bet the first thing she’ll do when she gets back is put them in your room.”
And wonder where we are…
“And with all of us out, she’ll have this place cleaned in no time,” Ryder says.
Will she be sad? Lonely? Nero looks around the kitchen, recalling fond memories of cooking.
Thea pauses from filling her bag. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
Ryder nods. “Of course she will. She’s super strong and, beside
s, we’ll be back as soon as we can to make sure everything is good.”
“Do you think she’ll be mad at us?” Iona asks.
Ryder shakes his head. “She’ll understand that we had to go because of the Minis.”
But I don’t have to…
Ryder grabs several items and thrusts them at Nero. “Here, pack up.”
Nero looks at the food in Ryder’s hands for a long moment. “I don’t think I’m going…”
“What?” Thea gasps.
Nero looks down at the floor. “I’m going to stay, just in case Fae comes back. I already got scanned. The Minis won’t really care about me.”
Korbin zips up his bag and sets it down on the counter. “You’re just scared!”
Nero’s head slumps. He uses the long sleeve of his shirt to wipe at tears rolling down his cheeks.
Ryder punches Korbin in the arm. “Shut up, Korbin.” Ryder walks around the counter, putting a hand on Nero’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Nero. Fae will be happy that you decided to stay back. Though, I can’t say I’d want to be you when she makes you help clean this mess.” He squeezes Nero’s shoulder. “You’re probably the brave one to stay behind.” Ryder pats him on the back one last time and looks to the others. “Okay, everyone, let’s get going.”
The children finish stuffing their bags and make their way to the door. Thea gives Nero a hug and the rest say their goodbyes.
“Tell Fae we’re sorry for taking all the money and food,” Ryder says. “We’ll be back, so keep out of trouble.”
Nero waves them off as they disappear in the night. It’s not because I’m scared. This is just where I belong…
He walks over to the couch by the window, sitting down with his head in his hands. A memory of another time overtakes him.
Fae walks over to Nero. He watches the children run off on their first adventure on their own.
“Come with me, Nero. I want to show you something.”
She leads Nero up the stairs to her room. A sliver of light from a crack in the curtains shines on an old four poster bed. Nero follows, and Fae pulls back the curtains, letting the light flood in. She guides Nero to the wall opposite the foot of her bed.
A large painting hangs from the wall. A group of people stands in the foreground to the right and a single woman stands to the left. They all watch a lone man ride away with two swords crossed on his back. Two similar wooden swords of different lengths are crossed underneath the actual painting. The swords are carved from a dark wood, light grain running their length. Their edges are scorched.
“Nero, do you know what this is?” Fae asks. Nero shakes his head. “This is something that has been in my family for a very long time. It is similar to the story of Nero, who you took your name from, but it is much older. The story is about a young man named Vadik. He was humble, not especially brave, not especially talented, but he had a very good heart. One day, his village was overrun by a terrible enemy. The strong and powerful people in the village, the ones that you would expect to save the day, left the villagers to their doom. Vadik realized that something must be done, and even though he was scared, he rallied the villagers and fought back. The villagers from that day forward looked at him with new respect. He knew that more fighting was to come, so he made two very special swords. He continued to fight for months and he did so wonderfully with his powerful Aether Blades―as they were called in legend. One day, he was summoned by people from a distant land who were also fighting the same horrible enemy. They said that they found a way to stop the enemy, if only they had more people to fight. Vadik offered his help, but wouldn’t let any of the other villagers come, because he knew many wouldn’t return. This picture is of the day when he left the village.”
“What happened to him?”
“No one knows.” She smiles, scratching his back.
Nero returns from his memory. Fresh tears soak his hands. Am I just making excuses because I’m scared? Do I really belong with them? Nero shakes his head. What am I supposed to do?
Go!
5
Flight from Home
Iona
Low on the horizon, the golden moon Aurysy, bathes the lifeless remains of the crumbling homes in a yellow light. Higher up, the outline of Stybris is barely visible. Bright yellow meteor impacts and other scars on its surface give away the otherwise dark moon. Around the two moons, a countless number of stars poke holes through the night’s sky. Hidden in the deep shadows cast by the forlorn structures, the children look back on their town.
“Think Nero will be okay?” Thea asks.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine,” Ryder says. “If they let him go once already, then there’s no reason they’d take him now. I’m sure him and Fae are going to have a blast together.”
“Yeah I bet,” Thea says. Her voice carrying a hint of a smile.
Ryder slinks out of the shadows. He runs along the makeshift barrier to where it meets another structure.
Iona hesitates as Ryder dips into an old building. Stupid Nero. Why can’t he just be like the rest of us? He’s always making things difficult. With one last look toward the town, she follows the others.
At the back of the building, Ryder moves over a few rocks. He peels back a thin piece of metal covering a hole in the wall, allowing the children to crawl through. On the other side, they scuffle along a crumbling road. Dark trees loom overhead, like menacing figures, rustling in the light breeze. The road leads them up a small hill where the outline of a huge mansion cuts into the horizon.
Iona’s mouth is suddenly very dry, and she looks around, half expecting to see Nero.
Korbin stops. “Are you sure Old Tom isn’t here?”
Ryder faces Korbin. “Yes, Korb, I just made that story up for fun.”
“Jeez, Korbin,” Iona says, storming forward. “Are you going to take Nero’s spot now?”
Korbin jumps. “What? No way. I’m just joking,” he says with a hint of timidity.
Ryder hurries around Iona. He leads the way through a broken gate and up to the front of the large house with a pair of dark doors. The hinges scream in protest and the bottom of the door scrapes as Ryder pushes into the house. Once everyone is through, he seals them inside. Dirty windows light their path as they step around the old furniture. A set of stairs with a broken railing plunges into the utter darkness of the basement.
Korbin stops at the top of the stairs. “Can I turn my flashlight on now?”
Ryder walks down the stairs, rummaging through his bag. “Just wait until we’re down and out of sight. We don’t need to risk anyone seeing the light.”
The stairs groan with each step as the children descend into the basement. Ryder’s flashlight beams across the dark room, revealing old dusty shelves and a table pushed against one of the back walls. The air is warm, old, and touched by the stink of mildew. More flashlights blink on behind him and dance about the basement from one dark corner to the next. Ryder pulls out a map from his bag. He lays it out across the table, smoothing it flat with his hands and placing a couple of cans of food on the corners to hold it down.
Iona is first to join Ryder. “So, what are you thinking?” she asks after they both look over the map for a moment.
Ryder takes a deep breath. “Well we only have three opt―”
The screech from the hinges on the front door sends a thrill through Iona’s body.
Korbin flashes his light at the stairs. “Tom!?”
Thea grips Ryder. “Minis?”
Iona squeezes her flashlight. How’d they get here already?
Ryder clicks off his flashlight and sets it down on the table. “Shhh, quiet. Turn your flashlights off and stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Iona, Thea, and Korbin huddle together in the dark; a few slivers of moonlight pierce the darkness through large gaps in the floor. They hear Ryder’s light steps leaving them and then the groan of the old stairs.
Iona holds her breath. You’re alright, it’s just some stupid animal or somet
hing. The Erohsians would make a lot more noise if they were chasing us. She starts to breathe again. Unless they sent special units―stop it! She shakes her head.
There is a loud thump of bodies thrashing against the floor. She instinctively ducks down with the others, looking toward the ceiling at the far end of the basement. The sound stops after no more than a moment. Oh, please be all right, Ryder. The floor creaks and footsteps move toward the basement door. She tenses when the staircase begins to groan. Multiple sets of feet clap down the stairs. A flashlight appears, floating in midair, slowly scanning the area.
“It’s okay, everyone,” Ryder says. “It’s Nero!”
Iona exhales her pent-up breath and clicks on her flashlight with the others. At least it’s not the Erohsians…
Thea jumps up. “Nero! What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at Fae’s.”
“Well…” Nero’s flashlight moves around the ground. “I was, but then I saw that you guys left the matches and some food, so I figured I’d bring them to you before you traveled too far. I ran like crazy to get here. I’m glad I caught you.”
Ryder holds out his hand. “Well, thanks, Nero. I’ll take them from you.”
Nero looks down at Ryder’s hand, grabbing the shoulder straps on his backpack. He adjusts the weight of the pack and looks back up to Ryder. “I was thinking―um―Well, if it’s okay, and since I’m already out here… could I just come along?”
Thea runs up to Nero and gives him a hug. She steps back, smiling. “Of course, Nero!”
Iona turns and walks over to the map. Great… He’s just going to slow us down.
Ryder thumps Nero on the back. “Welcome aboard! But seriously, enough wasting time, we really need to figure out our plan.”
Nero points his flashlight at Ryder. “Wait. You don’t have a plan yet?”
Ryder glances at him. “We were about to work on it. Then you came and scared us.” Ryder walks over to the map. Iona and the rest of the children gather around. Ryder places his finger on the foothills in the southern part of a mountainous area. “We’re here.” The mountains run north to south and end abruptly at the ocean on either end of the continent. A river drains from the mountains to the west and then hooks south through a city to the ocean. Ryder points his finger at the city. “This is Sunta, and we definitely want to stay away from here.” He puts his finger next to a bay, where there is another city on the opposite side of the river from where they are. A thick forest runs along the river with small skull and crossbones printed along its perimeter. “This is Blue Horin, the closest place other than Sunta. I say this is where we go and look for a boat or something to get us away.”