A Rising Tide

by Ross Buzzell

  Chapter 7

  The darkness gives way to a flurry of blurry, bright, amoeboid shapes, one of which quickly grows larger. Konner blinks a few times, his eyes falling into focus with each blink. The moving blurry shape finally takes on detail to reveal his father, the High King, rushing toward his son. The door to his room is flung wide open. The young prince’s head pounds with a sharp pain at each beat of his heart. His hands tingle as if he had been holding onto a ball of lightning. By the time the young prince is aware of the ferocity at which his heart beats it has begun to slow down. Time seems to move as Konner tries to sit up. He feels the strong grip of his father’s arms wrap around him and ever so gently help him into a seated position. It is only after the ringing in his ears subsides that he hears his father’s voice clearly.

  “Konner, my son, what happened. Are you ok?”

  His voice and his face, is doused in concern. Still partially stunned the young prince allows his eyes to wander. He sees the core of the Energynium just out of reach and slightly out of focus, Konner exhaustingly reaches for it, he swallows hard, it burns.

  “I’m good dad; the Energynium was calling to me.”

  Konner hears the metal slide across the marble floor before he feels the warm Energynium in his hand. Slowly he wraps his fingers around the metal rod and immediately notices it feels different. His fingers fall into individual grooves that fit each one perfectly. Konner looks down, his eyes now in complete focus; the young prince is taken aback; the Energynium core is shaped. Down one edge the element has indents designed specifically for the young prince’s hands that rounds off at the end. While on the other the Energynium comes to a rounded point that stands slightly higher than the rest of the handle. The far end is an exact mirror. Konner feels his father lift him to his feet. As he feels his strength returning Konner is able to plant his feet onto the ground and balance himself. His father releases him. Konner brings his focus back to the High King. His kind face laced in concern as his eyes dart over his son’s figure searching for injury. Once his eyes settle on the hilt in Konner’s hand, he takes a step forward, his voice almost a whisper as if witnessing something of myth in person.

  “You forged your weapon alone?”

  Weapon? Forged? These words are lost on Konner. He looks down and shakes his head.

  “Forged? No, my left over Energynium was calling out to me like when I WAS forging. It showed me a circle at its core and something, it’s hard to explain, but something in my gut told me to force the core out. When I got it out it seemed to feed off of me.”

  The High King slowly approaches his son. Gently he reaches down and grasps part of the weapon, with Konner still holding on he feels his father raise it to take a look at it.

  “It’s crude in design but it will refine itself with use…”

  Konner interrupts his father as his headache begins to subside.

  “What do you mean by weapon, father?”

  The High King pulls the hilt from his hand and holds it before Konner.

  “This is an energy hilt weapon, only forgeable and useable by the royal families of this planet. Often times it takes days, weeks and a lot of guidance to make this, but it seems that your body and this element are practically one for it is not wise to make this alone.”

  Konner scratches the back of his head, perplexed.

  “Why not?”

  “Because son, forging this weapon consumes so much energy that it kills about half of the people who forge it without the aid of another.”

  Konner suddenly feels as if he has done something wrong as guilt clutches its icy grip around him.

  “I’m sorry father; I did not mean to make that alone…”

  The words fly out of his mouth as if they have a mind of their own. The High King puts a hand up to stop his son, a smile on his face. He slightly shakes his head.

  “No need to apologize, the Energynium called you to do it and its call can be painful I know. By any means I should have informed you properly about this process before you got started.”

  The High King holds the hilt back out to his son. Konner takes it back from his father as he examines it some more. The onyx black of the Energynium has changed to matted silver over the entirety of the hilt.

  “How does it work?”

  “The weapon is connected to your mind, feeds off of the energy you absorb throughout the day and will generate any weapon you picture in your mind out of energy. It is a highly versatile tool that should be used with great caution.”

  Konner closes his eyes. His pictures his straight sword as a singular clear image in his mind. The hilt flairs with blue energy as a beam forms out of the upright edge of the hilt only to flicker out almost immediately; Konner’s eyes shoot open; he looks at his father, his face heavy with questions.

  “Did it work?”

  The High King shakes his head.

  “Almost, but you are currently too weak to use this. In the meantime let us work on something that you can make.”

  The High King walks over to the cored Energynium rectangle and slowly lifts it; he looks over the ore as he makes his way back over to his son.

  “Let us make your bracer.”

  Konner approaches his father who holds out the lump of metal. He places the hilt weapon on his hip. The Energynium belt holds the hilt to it as if held in place by a magnet. The young prince reaches his hands out and holds the side of the ore nearest him. Konner looks at his father with intrigue as he follows his father’s lead and begins to rotate the metal in his hands his thumbs inside the cored hole.

  “How do we do this father?”

  “Close your eyes son. Envision what you want your bracer to look like. It is already inside of the ore, we only need to bring it out. You are bonded with this metal. I speak to you and you to it and in its raw form it is malleable in your hands.”

  The High King releases the Energynium with one hand. He reaches into his robe and draws out a small disk with a glowing blue light at its center. Konner recognizes the disk instantly. It is a digital system designed to focus and store energy. It also doubles as an electron displacement device. With that inside his bracer the distance of which he could open wormholes is expanded almost exponentially. An ability that is a birthright shared by all Boronians as they become of age in his culture. The High King sets the disk on the lump of metal. Konner feels the Energynium vibrate within his hands as the metal seemingly absorbs the disk. Truly the process is magical to behold. Konner closes his eyes; he feels his father’s direction as the Energynium rotates in his hands. As they rotate the Energynium together Konner pictures a sleek, smooth bracer with clearly defined edge. He envisions azure blue power readings with fingerprint identification so only he can use it.

  With each rotation Konner feels the metal in his fingers grow thinner and thinner all the while becoming smooth as well. The sensation of small sparks flying between him and the Energynium cascade over his hands and forearms but do not drain him like the weapon did. Both father and son stand in silence as Konner follows his father’s methodical guidance. All the while his eyes are shut picturing a sleek bracer to match his armor. As they work in tandem, Konner feels the strength that had left him gradually return. After what feels like an hour of rotating, compressing and smoothing out of the metal, Konner feels his father hold the now noticeably different metal at a stop. Konner remains there with his eyes closed for a moment; his father’s voice breaks the silence.

  “Open them now my son.”

  Konner slowly opens his eyes to see exactly what he had pictured in his head, a flawlessly streamline bracer. A smile forms on the young prince’s face.

  “Put it on.”

  His father goads. Without a moment’s hesitation, Konner takes the bracer for himself and swiftly slides his left hand into the larger opening of the bracer. His arm slides in with ease. For a moment the final piece of armor is too large for the young prince but only for a moment. Gradually the bracer shrinks down to fit Konner’s forearm. As
it does, Konner feels his body drain once more ever so slightly. The young prince looks down at the bracer as power levels flicker to life in his native tongue. Three circles flair blue then dissipate and for the briefest of seconds a blue oval shield flickers to life then disappears. A cold, female, robotic voice echoes into the room.

  “Testing complete, wearer, Konner Lorian, high prince of Boron, class Cryptea, downloading archive data, power levels one percent.”

  The voice catches the prince off guard. He laughs a little and looks up at his dad.

  “I’ve never heard any of the other ones speak.”

  “That is because no others do. The disk is state of the art. It’s what will be used in the next generation’s bracers. You will have access to all of our archive data and because you are Cryptea you will have access to some of the more restricted files. Smart work, by the way, putting in a biometric failsafe, which will be of some use.”

  Konner smiles up at his father. He rotates his wrist as he tries to grow accustomed to the weight behind it.

  “Thank you father.”

  Konner looks down at his bracer for a moment before he speaks again.

  “How long will it take to charge?”

  “With this model initial charge is one rotation, after that recharge should be almost instantaneous.”

  Konner feels his father’s hand compress onto his shoulder. He looks up at the loving face of his father.

  “I wanted to apologize son, what happened at dinner was not right of me and I beg your forgiveness.”

  Konner is surprised by his father’s apology, Boronians are a prideful people and apologies are rare to hear, only when one truly means it do they apologize. The young prince harbors no ill feelings toward his father’s reaction earlier that evening; he places a hand on his father’s forearm.

  “All is forgiven father, I am sorry for bringing up the race I did. I did not know it would wound you so deeply. What happened that haunts you so terribly?”

  “You did not know, one of these days you will be told. When you are old enough, but for now get some rest my son.”

  Konner nods, his father embraces him. He embraces his father.

  “You too father. You work far too hard. Rest, so you do not grow ill.”

  The High King smiles and nods silently before he turns and exits the room leaving Konner seemingly alone in silence as the echo of the wooden doors fade.

  “Bracer charged, two percent.”

  The cold robotic voice echoes out breaking the silence.

  “Bracer mute, notify when one hundred percent charged.”

  “Affirmative.”

  With that the bracer falls into silence. Konner turns and makes his way across his large room. The elaborate decorations, the marble, gold and mahogany, for the young prince it sometimes seemed too much. Konner’s hands lightly touch the cold glass. In response to the stimulus the clear barrier rises and gives way to a rounded terrace that overlooks the city. Konner steps out of the palace; a place he always thought was far too overbuilt for just one family. The young prince paces out onto the smooth stone terrace; he leans against the railing that stands waist high. The silence of the city far below bathed in the dark light of the night sun brings peace to the young prince. The cool breeze kissing his face reviving a yearning to leave the Olympus that is his home grows within him once more, replaced with a desire to dwell below, with his people, not above them.

  “You keep looking out like the guards are likely to think you’re going to run off again.”

  The familiar voice of Lei catches Konner off guard; he stands up and turns around to see his sister walking toward him from the far end of the terrace attached to her room. Lei approaches her brother and leans against the railing. She gazes toward the city as well.

  “Are you nervous for tomorrow?”

  Konner shakes his head.

  “I’m actually looking forward to it. I know it will be hard and I’m three years younger than the average acceptance age, but I know if I ever need help I can always come to you.”

  Lei nods in agreement to her younger brother’s statement.

  “You always can.”

  Lei pushes off the stone rail and stands up, Konner takes a few paces toward her.

  “Besides, I do not imagine they will give me my first real assignment until I reach graduation age.”

  Konner notes the look of shock on his sister’s face.

  “You actually sound excited about that. You really want to go off world?”

  Konner nods as he slowly begins to walk to the far side of the terrace.

  “Of course I do, I want to see as many worlds as I can before I am stuck here on the throne. Do you not wish to experience the galaxy?”

  “I do brother, but dropping into the middle of war zones is not my idea of ‘experiencing’ anything.”

  Konner shrugs, understanding his sister’s stance. She’d never been trained for battle. War was not her forte, like Konner. Her mind was her weapon. Unlike the young soldier, his sister’s weapon was her tongue instead of a sword.

  “Your point is well presented. To visit a planet during peace can be far more enjoyable then during war. It is all about how you are raised I guess.”

  Konner hears the footsteps of his sister following him as he approaches a window on the far side of his sisters’ room, the last window on the terrace. The young prince places his hand on it and the window rises.

  “What are you doing?”

  Lei enquires quizzically. Konner turns to his sister with an ornery smile formed on his lips as an idea forms in his mind.

  “This is my last night in the palace for who knows how many cycles. You remember that safe we found when we were kids?”

  Lei nods, slightly concerned.

  “I remember where it is. I’m going to break into it and see what’s inside.”

  Konner steps into the palace. He takes a few paces inside but does not hear his sister follow. The prince stops and reruns to the window. He pokes his head out and looks at his sister once more.

  “Are you going to join me?”

  Lei hesitatingly nods.

  “Yes, I will, but if we get caught…”

  “We won’t.”

  Konner interrupts.

  “And besides, are you not curious to know why even we are not allowed inside?”

  The young prince walks across the room. He cracks the door open and peers into the hallway, no guards in line of sight.

  “We’re clear.”

  Konner walks out into the hallway as silently as he can. His sister follows suit close behind him.

  “You have a bracer now. Why do you not just teleport us to the vault?”

  Konner looks down at his bracer; the meter reads thirty percent charged.

  “Because it is not fully charged yet and if we port into a locked vault it could go into lockdown, meaning we would not be able to port back out again.”

  Konner looks over his shoulder just in time to see Lei nod in agreement to his statement. The two continue to walk silently down the hallway. As they come to a cross section in the massive marble corridors, Konner stops and puts his hand up. The young prince tilts his head and perks an ear up for a moment as he hears something ever so faint moving down the side corridor. Quickly the young prince slides to the wall and presses himself in the corner of the wall and a pillar that protrudes from it, Lei follows suit. Two guards in ‘quiet’ armor pass the siblings at the cross section and continue their rounds not detecting Konner or Lei.

  After the guards are out of sight the siblings move from their hiding spot and begin to run quietly through the hallways once more. The sheer silence of Konner’s armor begins to dawn on him as the faint noises due to the movement of his sister’s royal garb are far louder to him than his own. Konner slides to a stop as he approaches the royal vaults. Lei tries to stop as well but collides with her brother before she does. Konner stumbles forward at the force of his sister’s impact. Frustrated he turns and looks a
t her with minor annoyance. She shrugs. Konner peers around the corner. The vault room has two guards at the door to protect the vault. Konner turns and looks back to his sister.