by Blake Vanier
“Or something else. I scanned and searched those woods to no avail. I must have missed it. His skills are far too advanced for him to not have had some help.”
“Based just on his little demonstration during the Games?”
“I didn’t see what he did at the Games, so I can’t say, but I tested him myself. I was not easy on him. Did you hear the explosion over the park in the morning a few days back?”
“You’re not serious,” Sosimo says.
“He performed Odoki and I barely blocked it in time.”
How could Nero have almost beat Grebson?
“He almost hit you? Are you getting rusty?”
“That… or soft,” Grebson says. “He’s a good kid; he listens well and he tries hard. We need to save him.”
“Maybe you have changed.”
There is a small pause.
“It’s just strange that he can manipulate Aether at all,” Sosimo says. “I scanned him with an Aether detector and it didn’t even register.”
“There’s plenty I don’t understand, but machines make mistakes. I’m surprised you’d put so much faith in one.”
“They have their uses occasionally.”
“How about the other children? They’re capable?”
“Yes, they’re doing well with Fundamental Aether and Artifacts. They absorbed some unique essences. Thea’s a quadcast and will be quite the handful if she keeps training. Ryder’s Biat Aether, and Korbin is… Ru.”
“Damn, that’s going to make his life hard. As long as they’re proficient with Fundamental, it’s a good start. What about the other girl?”
“Iona has Icor Aether, but she doesn’t remember absorbing an essence. Someone must have forced her when she was very little.”
“I thought that culture died off many decades ago.”
Iona’s heart jumps. Did my parents die, too?
“So did I,” Sosimo says.
“Back to the problem,” Grebson says. “You do have some contact with Catalyst, correct?”
“Yes, but it's more business related.”
“Do you think they'd give us a hand? I'm sure it wouldn't take much to convince them to join in a mission against the Erohsians.”
“I agree. We’re definitely going to need them if we’re going to get the children back to Sunta. I’ve been advising them on some new talismans that can fool the Erohsian identification sensors.”
“That could come in handy. Are we going to come up with disguises for them?”
“We’ll have to see how the talismans work,” Sosimo says. “At the very minimum, we’ll make the boys grow their hair out and trim back the girl’s.”
“Very original, Sosimo.”
“The oldest tricks are usually the best, but it’s risky. Do you think it’s the right decision to send the children on a rescue mission?”
“It’s our best option. We’d have no chance to pull this off against Borukins, but they do against Erohsians. Besides, I have a friend that will most likely be interested in helping.”
“A friend?”
“Something like that,” Grebson says.
“Well, we’ll need any help we can get. Are we done here? I want to see how Natina is doing with the Humans.”
“Yes, but you’ll only be disappointed.”
Iona hears chairs move away from the table. She hurries back to the training room before they see her. She is greeted by a loud smack as Korbin lands on his back.
Ryder laughs. “Oh man, Korbin, you just got beat by the princess again! That’s three in a row.”
Korbin jumps to his feet. “Oh, whatever, Ryder. I bet you can’t do any better.”
Natina puts her hands on her hips. “Yeah, Ryder. Or are you scared?”
“How are they holding up?” Grebson asks when he and Sosimo come in.
Natina shakes her head. “Not so good. Ryder's too scared to grapple with me.”
Ryder exhales. “Fine, let's go.” He steps up to Natina.
Korbin hurries off to the side, grinning and rubbing his hands together eagerly. “You're going to get your butt kicked so hard.”
A moment later, Ryder hits the ground. Korbin jumps on him. “I told you so!”
They wrestle. Thea circles, pretending to be an announcer. Grebson watches with a faint shadow of amusement, Sosimo is shaking his head.
Natina walks over to Iona. “You’re Iona, right?”
Iona nods. “I am.”
“Nero mentioned you.”
“What did he say?”
Natina shrugs. “Not a whole lot. It’s hard to get him to talk. I wasn’t sure if he was just nervous because I’m a princess, or if that’s how he always is. What’s he usually like?”
“He’s quiet, but sometimes he’ll do stuff that surprises you… Like when we were running from the Erohsians a few months back. All of us but Nero got captured by some traffickers.”
“Oh no. What happened?” Natina asks.
“Some stupid kid posing as an orphan tricked us. He got us locked in a prison cell on this giant ship. We thought we were all doomed, but next thing we know, Nero comes in and rescues us. It was amazing.”
“Wow. How’d he do that?”
“We’re not sure. Apparently, someone helped him, but I still wouldn’t have expected it in my entire life.”
Natina nods. “He seems to be full of surprises.”
“It wasn’t always like this,” Iona says. “He used to be scared of everything.”
“What changed?”
Iona shrugs. “I’m not sure. So much has changed for all of us.”
They look at each other for a moment then turn to watch Ryder and Korbin wrestle.
“So, you’re all from Erohsia?” Natina asks. “What do you think of the Erohsians?”
“Bah. They’re horrible. We call them Minis because they’re so small. They’re always pushing Humans around, trying to control us. Only Catalyst stands up to them.”
“That’s the Human resistance group, right?”
“Yep, they’re great. I hope one day me and the others can help.”
“I’m sure they’ll let you, especially if we rescue Nero.”
Iona smiles. “I hope so.”
Grebson walks up to Natina and Iona. “We should leave. Are you ready?”
Natina nods. “It was good to meet you, Iona.”
Natina says goodbye to everyone else. Sosimo walks the two other Borukins out.
“Can you believe Nero’s been hanging out with a real princess?” Thea asks the rest of the children.
“Yeah, how the heck did he pull that one off?” Korbin asks.
“She seems okay, though,” Iona says. “But I want to know what’s up with Sosimo and Grebson. They don’t like each other.”
“Maybe it’s just because Grebson’s bigger,” Korbin says. “He’s huge. Those tattoos on his face are so cool.”
“Come on, Korb, don’t be ridiculous,” Ryder says. “I doubt Sosimo cares about that.”
“Well then, why do you think they’re like that?”
Iona drums her fingers on her thigh. “Could they be related?”
“Like brothers?” Thea asks.
“Yeah, maybe,” Iona says.
Ryder shrugs. “I haven’t got a clue. I just know we’re going to need them both to get to Sunta and rescue Nero…”
“I’m scared to go to Sunta,” Thea says softly.
“Me too, but Sosimo and Grebson are smart. They’ll come up with an awesome plan,” Ryder says.
Thea looks down. “I know. I’m still scared.”
Ryder looks at her, then the others. “If Nero were an animal, he’d be a gentle orange butterfly.”
“Is it because he’s cute?” Thea asks.
“What? No! Really?”
Thea looks down blushing. “Whatever.”
“Okay… is it because he always gets pushed around, like, by the wind, but it doesn’t really bother him?” Korbin asks.
Ryder shakes his h
ead.
“How about because he looks harmless but if something tries to attack him, he’s actually poisonous and they totally regret it?” Iona asks.
Ryder nods. “Yeah. He is way tougher than he looks.”
The children nod their heads, smiling at each other.
“We don’t have a choice,” Korbin says. “We need to rescue him even if that means going back to Sunta.”
27
A Cell of a Room
Nero
Nero shudders from the remains of his nightmare. He buries his face into the thin pillow, wrapping the ends around his head. What am I going to do?
“Hey, Nero.”
He barely hears the voice. Just leave me alone!
“Nero, it's me. Come on. Talk to me for a second.”
Nero rolls off his stomach and sits up, pulling the black hood from his head. He stares with bloodshot eyes at Natina.
Natina offers a small comforting smile. “How are you doing?”
Nero looks around his cell. “I'm a prisoner here and I'm being dragged back to Sunta. It’s the end of the world!” Tears well up in his eyes.
“It's not the end of the world.”
“It's the end of my world. The Erohsians will never let me go.”
“Did you forget about your friends?”
“My friends? What are they going to do? Do you think they care? Korbin's probably excited I'm gone.”
“Stop it, Nero! You’re being stupid.”
Nero hangs his head, throwing his hood back up. It’s the truth…
“I'm your friend, and the others do care about you. Korbin was the most eager to rescue you.”
Nero wipes his eyes. “Really?” His voice is just over a whisper.
Natina smiles, nodding. “Really. Just know we’re all thinking about you.”
A small smile teases the corners of his mouth.
Natina peers around the cell. “So, are they treating you okay?”
He shrugs. “I guess. It's really boring.”
She reaches down, picking up a pile of books at her feet. “Luckily, I thought of that. I brought you some books.” She hands them to him. “Here are a couple on artifacts that Saraf let me borrow, and here are a couple on different Borukin Aether skills that Grebson said you'd be interested in. And this one, is one of my favorites.”
Nero grabs the last book. “What is it?”
“It is a true story about the last expedition to Bellicove Island.”
“I thought no one ever goes there.”
“It’s mostly because of this story.”
“Really? What happens?”
Natina smiles. “I guess you'll have to read it to find out.”
“Thanks.” Nero sets the books on his bed. He pulls the hood off his head and holds out his dark sleeve. “So, what's up with all these black clothes? They're kinda cool.”
“Remember what I told you about the tattoos? They define the person. The black robe is a symbol of removing who you are. It doesn't really work in your case, but in general, the dishonor is a powerful deterrent to crime.” She looks at him for a long moment. “Do you really think my brother was cheating?”
Nero shrugs. “It looked like someone was helping him.”
“How could he kill Madam Carason?” There is a knock on the door outside the cellblock and Natina turns away. “That's my signal from Greb I’m out of time. The King and everyone are heading out tomorrow, you included. Since I'll be traveling along, I'll try to say hi more often. I'll talk to you soon.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Natina lingers for just another moment before she leaves.
Nero sits back on his bed, grabbing the book that Natina said was her favorite: The Last Expedition. He props his pillow against the wall, crosses his legs, and cracks it open.
*****
Everyone in the chamber gasped in surprise; everyone cramped around the edges and everyone packed into the staggered sections of seats. Even the three individuals atop the intricately carved, dark, wooden structure at the head of the chamber couldn’t hide their apprehension.
These were the members of the Anterren Council and the leaders of the three dominant races. On the left sat the large, dark-skinned Queen Jarmin of the Borukins. Her white tattoos crawled up her neck and over her shaved head as though they were a crown. On the right sat the small, light-skinned Dictator Ulis, of the Erohsians. He looked like a child compared to the Queen. In the middle sat the olive-skinned Madam President Dema of the Humans. All of them were covered by the dark blue robes of the Anterren Council. Golden linings were visible on the hoods hanging down their backs and on the edges of their cuffs.
Under the high vaulted ceilings, on a small podium, a confident Borukin stood facing the council. He bore the weight of all the stares in the room. Four white tattoos, of different Aether casts, graced his face. His modest, pale green outfit moved gently with his breath. He was the only one in the chamber, including myself, who was breathing.
I watched as Dictator Ulis’s face twisted from shock into anger. He slapped the arms of his throne. “This is absurd!” the Erohsian yelled. “How dare you make a mockery of this council and waste our time with such requests. I shall have you arrested.”
“Enough.” Queen Jarmin stood, holding a hand up to the Erohsian Dictator. “I will handle my own.” She turned to the Borukin on the platform. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Rolk. I would go as far as to consider you a friend.”
I looked at my husband on the platform, hardly able to contain the pride I felt. He dipped his head toward the Queen. “As would I,” he said.
“If you were any other person, I would laugh at this request,” the Queen said.
“You're actually going to consider this?” Dictator Ulis asked.
“Before us stands Corusmin Master Rolk Arman, the only Borukin in the last five-hundred years to have come as close to understanding the Corusnigma as the Great Queen Temas. He has made it to the monoliths of the Moltrik, Icor, Pahzan, and Nesive Corusnigmas. I have no doubt he could complete the Ru Corusnigma if the Ruians hadn’t poisoned their land. His proficiency in Odo is second to none and he is capable of what most have only dreamt of, so if there is anyone who has the right to propose something that no one else has done, then it is he. All I ask is that we hear him out.”
The Human President Dema stared down at Rolk. “I have heard from many of my own that you are a sensible man, with honor above most, and bravery matched by only a few,” she said. “Because of this, I wish to hear you out.”
The Erohsian dictator threw up his hands. “As if we don't have anything better to do! Shall we invite a circus for the next meeting?”
President Dema turned to the Dictator. “Ulis, the council has decided. It will happen.” She held his gaze for a moment before turning back to my husband. “Now, Rolk, before I make any decision, I would like to know three things. What can you hope to gain with an expedition to Bellicove Island? How can you justify the risk when all previous expeditions have ended in disaster? And, finally, why now?”
Rolk dipped his head. “Thank you, Madam President, for giving my wife and I this opportunity to present our case. We'll be sure to remark on each of your questions. If you don't mind me answering out of order, I'll begin with the last. Why now? I believe this is a perfect time to make such an expedition. We are in a time of peace. Our three races have never had a stronger bond.” He held up his hands to the council then to the chamber filled with a diversity of races. “Which is shown by the presence of this great council and all of the people gathered here. In these times of peace and prosperity, it is our duty as a civilization to advance our culture and ourselves. How is it that we’ve been content for so many years with such large gaps in knowledge of our history and of the world? We know very little of anything prior to twelve hundred years ago, besides that which is in the Book of Creation.”
“And what if that time period was censored for a reason?” Dictator Uli
s asked.
“Perhaps it was… or maybe it was truly lost in conflict. Either way, we’ll never be able to avoid the same mistakes unless we can look at the lessons from history,” Rolk said. “The Creators and the Lost Race have vanished from Anterra. What could be responsible for such a demise? Is it something we should prepare for or is the threat contained, as the Book of Creation states? No one can say, which is what leads us to the motivation for such an expedition.
“The only sure remnants of the past are the six Corusnigmas scattered about the world. And due to the extreme danger they pose, we can barely scratch their surface. A large part of this is because we don’t understand what we’re dealing with. We’re fumbling in the dark when there’s a banded Celequore ready to pounce; it’s far from safe and hardly ideal.” He paused and looked at each of the council members. “Now, there are two other areas that haven’t been explored because of the danger they pose, yet we know there are certainly ancient ruins to be studied: The Tenebrous Miasma and Bellicove Island. If we were to unlock the secrets of one of these, then perhaps we will be better suited to unlock the secrets of the others.”
“But if they’re all so dangerous, how can you justify proceeding with one over another?” Dictator Ulis asked. “The Tenebrous Miasma has been known to swallow entire ships.”
“The Tenebrous Miasma is another matter entirely. I’m not saying this won’t be dangerous. What I’m saying is if we can minimize the risks, the payoffs could be substantial.”
“And, how do you plan on minimizing the risks?” Dictator Ulis asked. “This expedition will need to be made up of all our races for it to be approved, and no one will be as strong or as capable as you. Can you guarantee their safety?”
“I don’t want you to believe my talents and achievements have made me reckless. Life is too precious to waste on the pursuit of glory, and nothing is worth the lives of an entire expedition,” Rolk said. “Being such, I only dare make such a request upon the foundations of a discovery my wife has made, so I’ll leave it to my wife, Nix Armen, to address this last point.”
I took a deep breath and stepped forward. “It is a great honor to present our case. I thank you for giving us the opportunity.”