by Blake Vanier
“You and your husband have done the Borukins many great services,” Queen Jarmin said. “It is the least I can do. Now, tell us about your discovery.”
I dipped my head toward each of the council members and took another breath to let my heart settle. “Anterra is composed of many different races, each with a unique set of abilities. The number of races that share the same base genetic makeup is beyond what anyone expects to have happened naturally. So, even though the Erohsians have different beliefs than the Humans and Borukins, we all can agree the Creators made each race for a specific purpose.” I paused and noted the general agreement of the council members and the audience, which I used to fuel my confidence. “In order for the Creators to take advantage of our skills, they would have to communicate with us, which is why we all speak a variation of the same language. The Ethnohaps are the exception, however. Why would our Creators make such a xenophobic class of races that are difficult to communicate with?”
“There are plenty of theories on that topic,” Dictator Ulis said.
“I agree, but the reality of the situation is, our Creators wouldn’t make something if there wasn’t a purpose. Without communication, the Ethnohaps would be next to useless to them.”
“That will be a difficult thing to prove in so little time, Nix,” President Dema said.
“I shouldn’t need long.” I nodded toward one of my attendants, who brought forth a container with both hands. I opened the lid and removed a glowing green sphere the size of a cantaloupe. In the center, yellow wisps of light curled around themselves. The audience gasped. “Have you seen its equal?” I asked the council members, then the audience. No one commented. “This was a gift from the Vasugian Ethnohap after we were able to communicate with them, using this.” I took a staff with a crystal orb at the top from another assistant close by. I tapped it on the ground. The orb, held in place by thin pieces of metal wrapped about its body, gave off a gentle blue light. I felt the Aether wash over my face.
“This light has been shown to calm the Aquarian Ethnohap race, and I theorized they were not unique in this matter,” I said. “When we brought the light to the Vasugians, they were equally calm, and we were able to learn a little about their culture. It was still difficult to communicate, but the outright hostility was gone.”
“Where, exactly, are you going with this?” Queen Jarmin asked, her voice patient.
“Well, we know from the few reports on Bellicove Island there is an Ethnohap race living there. Likely, they are responsible for the immense danger. Why would they be any different from the other Ethnohaps? I think there’s a good chance they’ll react similarly to the crystal orbs, allowing us to safely explore the island.”
“It sounds like a dream,” Dictator Ulis said. “You have no proof for the theory.”
“That’s true,” I said. “But there is only one way to find out. My husband and I would like to take an expedition to the island. Once we arrive, we will go out with a small group to test the theory. If it fails, then it fails. There will be little, if any risk to the expedition’s safety. If it succeeds, then we continue. The entire expedition will be conducted with careful reviews of safety for everyone, following each new discovery.”
President Dema reviewed some notes, then looked at me. “The potential rewards for an expedition of this nature are unimaginable.”
“So, you’ve made up the decision for all of us?” Dictator Ulis asked.
President Dema shook her head. “Absolutely not, I’m simply stating my mind. It’s the decision of the council as a whole, as this will be a joint endeavor of our three great races. Rolk and Nix Armen, we have heard your proposal and we shall consider it. You are dismissed.”
*****
The bars on the cell door rattle, waking Nero from his comfortable daze.
Two royal Borukin guards stand at the door. “It's time to go. The caravan is moving.”
Nero grabs the one book he brought with him to the temporary holding cell and slides between the hulking masses of the guards. They lead him outside, where Natina is waiting with an unknown bodyguard.
Nero eyes the bodyguard with Natina. Where’s Grebson?
The prisoner guards dip their heads. “Princess. What can we do for you?”
Natina steps forward, chin up. “We've been on the road for several days now. Has the prisoner given you any trouble?”
“He is a non-bonded Human boy. He won't give us any trouble for the entire trip. I guarantee it,” the female Borukin Guard says.
“Just as I'd expect from you two, Bresta. Now, remember, we need him in decent shape when we arrive, so he can be presented to the Erohsians. Perhaps you can make sure to take him out of the prison truck and walk him every time we stop?”
The male guard shakes his head. “Sorry, Princess, but that's against regulations.”
Natina shrugs. “Suit yourself, Jaice, but I hope you’ll be able to find new jobs when we get to Sunta and you make a fool of my dad.”
Jaice frowns. “How so? There’s no chance he’ll escape while we’re watching him.”
“And I have no doubt in your abilities, but if the prisoner is unable to walk during the presentation, then how’s that going to look for the King? He’ll be furious. Who do you think he’s going to blame?”
The guards’ eyes widen. They look at each other.
“You said it yourself. He's an easy charge. Which would you rather risk? On the other hand, I could fetch the King so he could tell you the same thing.” Natina begins to walk off.
Bresta holds up her hands. “No, Princess. Please don't bother. It would be… wise to walk the prisoner under the circumstances, especially due to the extended duration of the trip.”
Natina dips her head. “That is an excellent point.” She turns and walks away with her own bodyguard.
Nero is led to the four-doored prison transport vehicle and put in the back seat with his other books. Once the rest of the Royal caravan starts to move, they follow suit. Nero pulls out a book and starts to read.
*****
The six of us held on, our dinghy battling through the waves. We hopped over some and smashed through others, propelled by the constantly whining engine. A steady wind flowed over the island, channeled by rocky cliffs on either side of a small cove. The tropical forest loomed over a diminutive beach: our target. The breeze kicked up white caps on the waves, spitting a fine mist that collected on my face along with the spray of our small boat. Salt water tickled my tongue and burned my eyes. Shaded by thick cloud cover, Bellicove Island was exactly what I expected for a place with such ominous history.
The small Erohsian leader, Seader, in a dark, skin-tight body suit and a vest of pockets, tended the steering at the stern of the dingy. His eyes were hidden behind the visor of his combat helmet.
“I’ve been thinking. In order for this to work,” he yelled over the ocean and motor, “we need to be fully engaged with the Bellicoven Ethnohap before we try to activate the staff. It’s the only way for us to be certain it will repel them.”
“Seems like that’s a bit overboard,” said Onk, the Human leader. Both he and his second, Fording, wore the standard Human military fatigues with lepisents fastened to their forearms. “Can’t we just turn the thing on and see if they leave us alone?”
“Leave us alone?” Seader asked in a caustic tone. “I would never have imagined a Human turning down an opportunity to fight someone.”
“What are you trying to say, Mini?” Onk snapped.
I slammed my bo staff styk against the floor of the boat. “Quit it,” I said, eyeing them until they both looked away. “Now, Seader, what were you saying? I agree with Onk. Turning the staff on from the get-go would be the safest option.”
“It’d be the safest, but our goal is to test the staff’s effectiveness and ensure the safety of the entire expedition. If we turn the staff on when we arrive, then there’s no way to tell if the staff’s working, or if the Bellcoven are just waiting for a good time to a
ttack. However, if we can repel them with the staff while we are fully engaged, then we guarantee the staff will do the job we expect.”
Rolk nodded, a dark, sword-like styk strapped across his back. “That’s a good point.”
“Oh, come on,” Onk said, looking at the large metal container sitting at Seader’s feet. “If he’s so smart, then why’d he bring a rifle when we’re going up against an Ethnohap race that specializes in projectiles? It’s going to be useless out there.”
“It’s not a rifle,” Seader said. “It’s an Aether-cannon, and it’s going to change the way people look at Erohsians. We’ll no longer be helpless against all your Aether, so you better start showing us some respect.”
“Ha! Can you even pick it up?” Onk asked. “I’m sorry. I don’t find you Mini’s very intimidating when you look like a little child with a big squirt gun. Just leave the fighting to the ones who can do it.”
Rolk grabbed Onk by the shirt and pulled him close. “Enough,” he said slowly in his deep voice. “The Erohsians are an important part of this mission. They have a role, just like you. Don’t forget that.”
Onk fell back to his seat and readjusted his shirt. “Alright, I’m just giving him a hard time.” He turned, looking out to the island. “Can you hurry this thing up? I need to get on some solid ground before I lose my breakfast.”
Seader shook his head, turning his attention back to the approaching beach, moments out.
Rolk stood at the bow of the dingy, using his legs to absorb the undulations of the boat. “Onk and Fording, as soon as you can, form up a defensive barrier against projectiles. We'll fall in behind. That will be more effective and safer than relying on our individual amulets.”
“You got it,” the two Humans responded in unison.
“May Stone’s courage flow through us,” Rolk said, his voice rising over the waves and the engine. “Marks’s sword guide us, and the lost blood nourish us!”
Seader slammed the boat onto the beach. Everyone lurched forward. The Humans used the momentum to launch themselves ahead, and it was just a moment before everyone else joined them. Seader’s second-in-command, Maizy, disembarked with medical gear. In both hands, she carried a detector that had analog meters and colored light bulbs.
“We're set. Ready to move on your command, Rolk,” Onk said, his eyes scanning the trees. “We can hold this extended barrier against projectiles for some time. I'll let you know when we’re pushing our luck.”
“Thank you, Onk and Fording. Now, if everyone is ready, let’s move forward. Maizy, keep me posted on the Aether levels in the area.”
The small Erohsian with her large medical pack moved the Aether detector around. “A bit higher than normal, about two-hundred and twenty-five milliSorvin. I'll let you know if it rises.”
We moved forward slowly. I carried my bo staff out in front of me, ready to activate the blue light-emitting orb attached to its top at a moment’s notice. Seader took heavy steps, straining under the weight of his fancy new weapon. We reached the edge of the forest and continued inward for fifty meters until Rolk brought us to a stop near a clearing.
“Alright, that's far enough,” he said. “I don't want to put us in too deep a hole if we need to retreat. We’ll exchange blows with them but try not to kill anything. Nothing needs to die for this test.”
“The Aether levels here are noticeably higher now. About five-hundred and fifty milliSorvin,” Maizy said. “It looks like it might level off, though.”
“Thanks, Maizy.” Rolk turned to Onk. “Could you attract some company?”
Onk smiled. “Fording makes more noise than me, she’d be better for this task.” He looked at Fording.
Fording nodded. “Of course.”
Fording put her hands together as if she was holding an invisible ball. Suddenly, they were filled with a coruscating sphere of energy, light escaping through the gaps in her fingers. The ball doubled in size, and Fording gently pushed it away from her. It oscillated like a water balloon as it moved away at walking pace. With a flick of her wrist, it sped off into the forest. Just as it was about a stone’s throw away, Fording clenched her fist and brought her elbow to her side. The ball of energy shimmered for a second then exploded in a bright violent flash that shook the trees, causing the birds to fly away.
“Hopefully that'll do it,” Fording said, taking her position next to Onk.
We waited for almost a half hour until Onk broke the silence. “This is why I hate defense. I have no patience for doing nothing.” His head snapped to the side. “Oh, hey, I think I saw something.” Suddenly, his hand made the tiniest of movements and a shower of dirt splashed up from the side. “Whoa, those things got some zip. Stay tight, I wouldn't want anyone getting nipped.”
There was another splash of dirt to the side. I turned my head just in time to see a Human-like shape hanging from the branch, swinging out of sight. Soon, projectiles were zipping through the air, leaving glowing streaks of light that looked like a crisscrossing of spider webs. Some would smash into the dirt while others sunk deep into trees with puffs of smoke.
“Alright, I think they’re attacking us,” Onk yelled over the noise. “So, any time you're ready to use your little crystal thingy!”
“No, not yet,” Seader yelled. “They need to come at us directly. I want to see them react to the light.”
The projectiles eventually stopped. Rolk raised his styk. “Be ready.”
My heart accelerated, and I prepared myself.
A creature swung from a tree and landed on the ground only meters from us. In that moment, I could see the intelligence in its eyes. Although it was Humanoid in shape, it crouched on all fours with a glowing, dagger-like object in one hand. Its skin was covered in grime. Moss hung from its minimal clothing. Its eyes left me and snapped to Seader. It was on him before he could pull up his weapon. They tumbled to the ground. Rolk swung his styk with incredible speed and strength into the Bellicoven’s side, knocking it off Seader and sending it back through the trees. More of the Bellicoven swarmed us from all sides.
The smell of ozone filled my nose. The Humans used their lepisents to release balls of energy through the air, leaving trails of popping Aether in their wake. Onk used Moltrik Aether to create blue-hued balls of energy crackling with electricity. Fording used Pahzan Aether that smoked and swirled as though a fire was trapped inside. The balls of energy would strike one of the Bellicoven, knocking it to the side or off a tree, but they were quick to bounce back.
I fended off a couple of Bellicoven, struggling to keep track of the others preparing to pounce.
Seader scrambled to his feet, holding his side. “Alright, now!”
There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation. I slammed my staff into the ground, activating the orb. A soft blue light illuminated the clearing, and the Bellicoven immediately stopped their charge. They scurried off into the forest. Some of them in mid-leap twisted in the air, desperate to escape. They hit the ground near me and immediately scurried back to the forest. Others climbed the trees, occasionally looking back. Eventually, they all disappeared.
“Hot damn, that pickled my back hair,” Onk said. “Well, if that doesn't prove Nix’s theory on the orbs, then I don't know what will.”
Seader nodded, still holding his side. “If it repels them in a heated attack like that, then it works for me. Thank the Creators it worked,” he said while looking at a smear of blood in his hand.
Maizy rushed over to him.
“So, you approve of proceeding?” Rolk asked, sliding his styk across his back.
“I do,” Seader said. “But we really need to consider how to deal with this race. Just in case.”
Maizy stood up. “It's nothing but a scratch. It looks like the new matrix armor took the brunt of the damage. They must have got you with some nasty Aether-infused weapon. Nothing else would have sliced through it like that.”
“All the more reason to make a plan to deal with this race,” Seader said, his voice raspy.
“Well, let's get back to the ship and do so,” Rolk said. “We’ll have to be extra careful when exploring the island, so we don't overextend ourselves.” Something caught his eye and he pointed. “Nix, are those ruins?”
I looked in his direction. There, barely visible, was a crumbling moss-covered wall of old grey stone. “I believe they are,” I said.
Seader shrugged his small pack from his back and knelt over it. He pulled out a device, threw the strap around his neck, and stood. “I brought the dater; shall we see if all this hassle is worth it?” He asked.
“Quickly, if you are up for it,” Rolk said.
Seader led the way and scanned the ruins with the dater. After a few minutes, the device beeped. “Wow, these ruins go back way before the Corusnigmas. They’re thousands of years old.”
Onk slapped my husband on the back. “Rolk, looks like you and Nix did it again.”
Rolk grabbed my hand, squeezing. “Let’s just hope, by Stone’s fortune, these aren’t the only ruins we find.”
“I have a feeling this is only the beginning,” I said, squeezing his hand back.
28
Practice Makes Perfect
Iona
Korbin is mid push-up when Sosimo enters the training room.
Sosimo pulls the toothpick from his mouth, raising an eyebrow. “Doing a bit of extra exercise, Korbin?”
“Just trying to get stronger,” Korbin says, red faced.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with getting your butt kicked by Natina, would it?”
“No…” He looks up at Sosimo and his face is even redder. “Maybe a little. I can’t be beaten by a princess!”
Sosimo pats him on the back. “Natina is a well-trained Borukin. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He turns to the rest of the children, clapping his hands. “Alright, let’s get started. Over the next few weeks, we’ll become familiar with some skills and tools Grebson and I think you’ll need.” Sosimo moves to the artifact rack, selecting a Moltrik lepisent. “The most important skill we’ll be working on is using Moltrik lepisents to stun someone. We’ll also practice team work to focus attacks on a single target. It will drastically increase your stunning capabilities.” Sosimo places the lepisent down and takes a bracelet from the wall. “These are invisibility talismans. You’ll be using these and Moltrik talismans to trick the security system. It will help you sneak through Demeeurj Tower, which is the massive Erohsian building at the center of Sunta.”