A Rising Tide

by Ross Buzzell

  Using neutral ground, he meets them in a place he had not been to in years, the capitol building in Caelum. Disa’ani is the only member not on time. As the others approach Konner, he greets them with hugs and forearm shakes. After only a few moments of waiting, Disa’ani arrives with four spears strapped to his back. Konner pauses for a moment as Disa’ani moves in for a greeting.

  “Why are you the only one with the Energynium?”

  Konner asks as he raises an eyebrow. His voice is slightly stern as the element is extremely versatile and powerful. Four spears at Disa’s command causes butterflies to flutter in Konner’s stomach and not the good kind. Jil and Bara both speak up almost in unison.

  “We didn’t want them.”

  Bara laughs a little and motions for Jil to continue. She steps forward as she does.

  “The gift was very generous Konner, but Energynium has been proven to be a bit tricky to wield. We tried to forge weapons out of them but it just would not respond to us, so we gave them to Disa’ani who could manipulate the element far easier than we could.”

  Konner lets his semi-skeptical gaze scan to the other two members, both of which nod in corroboration. Konner steps forward and greets Disa.

  “I’m sorry friend. One can never be too careful.”

  “No worries my Prince. These are powerful weapons. I would not wish you to think I am stockpiling them. So, do you mind telling us why we are here?”

  With a grin whipping up on Konner’s face, he presses a glyph on his bracer. Before the five a hologram of a planet forms before them.

  “This is Maleon 4, where the finals have been taking place. It is not inhabited by any sentient life, only an abundance of animals known as the Malanara. Now while they are not intelligent in the way of being labeled sentient they do pick up and copy what they see. And we have been training there for years so they will mimic our movements. You have to be careful with these guys. One of the Cryptea tests almost failed because they encountered a group of them and almost got killed. They are far stronger than we are and will attack on sight but that is not the worst part. These nasty bastards have a bite that will cause instant and rapid cellular generation at an uncontrolled pace. If not treated, or the limb bitten amputated almost immediately, within hours, you will be dead. So I kid you not when I say this will be dangerous.”

  Konner looks at the four around him as he lowers the hologram of the planet.

  “Given that Tal and Fi do not know about you and that I was not assigned an OWS officially, chances are they do not plan on letting me compete. I will challenge both of them to a duel if that is the case.”

  “Haven’t they demolished you the last four times you’ve challenged them?”

  Disa’ani interjects with a slight laugh. Konner gives him a slightly agitated look.

  “Disa not helping! This means I will need to procure us a transport, because in case anything goes wrong out there and I can’t jump us back, we will need a way to get off world.”

  Man’Sanfur nods a little and raises his hand some as he speaks out with declarative confidence.

  “I’ll talk to my mom. She still says how you were her best pupil. No doubt she will allow you to use one of her ships and she may even pilot it for a chance to see you in action.”

  Konner looks over at Man’Sanfur with a bright smile, placing his hand on his shoulder.

  “Thank you my friend. Now this will be dangerous so any who do not want to go I will understand.”

  “Konner, you’ve been our friend since we were kids. We are all in the military; our job is dangerous. If we have to go into battle for the first time with anyone, I am glad it will be with you… count me in.”

  Bara’Helor’s face beams brightly having spoken with pride.

  “Count me in.”

  Jil adds on.

  “Me to.”

  Disa contributes.

  “We’ll be using my mom’s ship; it would just be awkward if I was not there.”

  Konner feels a swell of pride build in his chest as his friends agree to stand with him. Opening a portal into the Cryptea hallway the Prince looks back at his friends.

  “Get the ship, then rendezvous with me in the Cryptea courtyard. From there we will set out to Maleon 4.”

  As his team nods in agreement and leaves, Konner decides to take a few moments. The Prince looks up at the massive structure once again, something he had not done in years, before he slowly walks through into the equally as massive corridors. The bustling of everyday life passes Konner by without a second thought, as men and women working with diplomacy, domestic bureaucracy and field trips from the Sco’lor institute flow around him like a river. Taking stock in the beauty of the architecture once more, Konner stops at the wall that speaks of Xero and Ja’Sanfur; the same place he had stopped all those years ago. Knowing the story like the back of his hand, Konner lets his eyes scan over the carving, adoring the beauty once more while scanning over the words of the tale. Almost without reading, more like reciting it, Konner’s eyes scan each word while his mouth moves along with them, not making any noise. As he finishes reading he pauses for a moment, turning he takes in the sight of the bustling life of Caelum.

  After a few moments, Konner makes his way back into the main lobby and over to the side wall where electron displacers were appropriate to activate. Pressing a few glyphs on his bracer Konner opens a portal against the wall. On the far side stands the hallway of the Cryptea compound. Konner takes a step through the portal allowing it to close behind him before making his way confidently through the baron hallways of Cryptea HQ. His family crest is glowing brightly on his breast plate and even his cape fluttering with purpose behind each of his confident steps. Konner rounds the compound’s corner to the entrance, walking through the spires once again as he has hundreds of times over the past four years and into the ash grey courtyard. Standing tall in the center of the courtyard were the initiates with Fi’Ran and Tal’lak inducting each one of them into the Cryptea. Konner steps forward. This causes the initiates, followed by Fi and Tal, to turn and look at the warrior Prince standing tall with confidence.

  “You seem to have forgotten about me.”

  Konner’s voice is stern as four years of holding in his frustration and anger at his teacher’s complete lack of effort begins to seep out. Tal and Fi turn to completely face him, Fi steps forward with a laugh in his voice.

  “Are you kidding me? In order to be a Cryptea you have to train an OWS. You did not do that. You have to complete a retrieval mission on Maleon 4 and you have not done that. Now that our drop-ship is unavailable you have to procure your own ship, which you have not done.”

  Konner folds in his lower lip and lets out an ear piercing whistle. As he does an attack ship, twice the size of the average drop-ship, lifts from the sheer rock face that hides the Cryptea facility half way up a mountain. Ja’Sanfur is at the helm and Konner’s friends are leaning out of the ship as if ready to drop into the courtyard.

  “I have my team. I’ve procured my ship and as you can see my pilot is part of the Triad. Now do you really wish to stand in my way?”

  Tal and Fi, now standing side, by side clearly fuming at the fact that Konner went behind their backs reach up to their uniform collars and rip them simultaneously; Konner slides one of his feet forward. Putting his hands up, he makes a fist with the one closest to him leaving the outstretched hand open.

  “I accept, until surrender.”

  Without a word Tal and Fi dash at Konner who side steps their combined shoulder charge. Turning, he faces them who turn back around. He could see Tals’ lips moving but could not hear her as she whispered to her brother. With that, Tal dashes to the side behind a pillar as Fi charges Konner. Having been fighting his friends for the past four years two and four at a time; Konner is able to easily engage Fi while keeping his senses open for Tals’ inevitable attack. The two masters’ engage in hand to hand combat with Fi’Ran throwing everything he has at Konner. Everything inside Konner
wants to unleash on Fi and give him everything the Prince has as penance for the sheer frustration of the past four years. But Konner keeps a level head as he holds a strong defense against the surprisingly fast giant, blocking ten to twelve strikes a second with relative ease. Waiting for Fi to tire himself out, Konner stays on his back foot blocking, dodging and side stepping the vicious attacks of Fi’Ran. As the ‘trainer’ goes in for a high blow to Konner’s upper chest, the Prince grabs his wrist, slides to the side of his opponent and with all his might Konner redirects Fi’Ran into the sheer rock face of the facility.

  The ship over-head whirls around the battle field to get a better look at the action. Konner turns and begins to search for Tal’lak as Fi’Ran attempts to shake off the impact of Konner’s throw. Konner keeps an eye on him as he continues to slowly move throughout the courtyard, peering past pillars and keeping his distance from the now full-fledged members of the Cryptea. Konner feels a slight push nudge him forward a bit accompanied by a flash of blue light. He turns around to see Tal’lak, mace in hand, having slammed it into Konner’s back. But his cape provided shielding from the attack which prevents the weapon from even reaching the fabric itself.

  “Fair enough. No one said ‘no weapons’.”

  As Tal attempts to withdraw for another blow, stunned at the fact that her attack was stopped by the cape’s protective capabilities, Konner grasps the bulbous head of the weapon. He rotates it out and away from both he and Tal’lak opening her stance up to be straight with his. Tal’lak draws back her free fist to punch at Konner, who delivers a powerful forward kick to her gut which sends her slamming into the same rock face by her brother’s side. Konner throws her mace to the ground as he reasserts his stance.

  “Stand down! I have trained hard enough to be your equal.”

  “We do not take orders from you.”

  Fi’Ran growls as he charges Konner with his sister in toe. The siblings engage the prince who is just slightly to fast for them. Having trained to fight four on one, at this point two on one is a slight reprieve for Konner. Although their speed and strength was superior to his OWS Konner is still able to keep up. Konner utilizes his speed to frustrate Fi’Ran and tire out Tal’lak into making a mistake which he could see was coming soon. All he had to do was bide his time. The fight rages on for a few more moments until Konner is given his opportunity. Grasping a punch delivered by Fi’Ran, Konner spins the soldier around putting him in an arm-lock just as Tal’lak is moving in for an attack herself. This causes her to hit her brother square in the chest so hard it winds him. Using the split second after the blow, when Tal’lak is stunned at the idea of attacking her brother, Konner uses Fi’Ran’s head as a battering ram, slamming his skull into that of his sister’s dropping them near unconscious on the ground. Konner turns to the Cryptea, arms stretched out.

  “Are there any here who would dispute my right to be among you?”

  There is silence. When no one answers, Konner walks below the attack ship which has its side doors open.

  “I thought not.”

  With that Konner leaps up into the ship. As soon as his feet land on the floor of the craft Man’Sanfur slams the door shut. As the ship begins to fly over the compound, they see an empty drop-ship on the far side landing pad, Konner chuckles a bit.

  “They told me it was out of commission.”

  With only a smirk Ja’Sanfur twitches her thumb. A loud whoosh blasts past the cockpit as a missile slams into the drop-ship which explodes into a ball of fire.

  “It is now.”

  She responds with a proud smugness before turning the ship and accelerating into the blackness of space. As the ship accelerates, Konner pats his old mentor on the shoulder before heading back to brief his squad.

  “I have to say I missed you Ja. I have to thank the four of you. Without your combined efforts of trying to kill me over the past few years; I do not think that I would have won that fight.”

  Konner speaks as he summons a holographic map from his bracer showing Maleon 4 with two red dots pinging. Being so focused on the briefing, neither Konner nor his team notice the stars in front of the ship begin to bleed toward them before the cockpit is completely covered with light that has begun to shift to a blue cone before the craft.

  “The first red dot is our drop off point. The second is extraction. Directly in the center of those two points is a dead zone. Ships cannot fly there; something about a micro gravity well that pulls ships down. In the center of that dead zone is a plant with crimson pedals and barbs that protrude from its stem. It is not toxic but the plant can be used for our medicine. The local wildlife mimics what they see. Keep clear of them so they do not copy our formations and strategies. They are non-sentient so if your life is in imminent peril, you all have kill orders. They are stronger than we are and their bite will probably kill you by the time we get back home. So do not get bit.”

  A soft gong, like that of a large drum being struck, fills the ship’s cabin with a firm vibration that permeates through the craft. Konner looks forward, through the cockpit to see the blue light begin to bleed backward into the elongated stars before falling back into place as Maleon 4 rapidly approaches before coming to what seems to be a slow crawl.

  “Preparing for decent. Hang on.”

  Ja’Sanfur points the nose of the ship toward the surface, Konner and his squad mates climb into the seats that line the cabin and strap themselves in for the rickety ride through the planet’s atmosphere. The ship begins to shake violently as the light from the cockpit begins to shift to a fiery red. After a few brief moments the ride smooths out, Ja’Sanfur presses a few buttons and brings the ship into a low hover before landing it flawlessly on the ground. The sides of the ship open causing the air of the planet to rush in. A sweet scent of floral and fruit fill the cabin. Konner stands up letting his team exit before him. They grab rifles from the weapons rack next to the door as they disembark. Before he deploys onto the planet’s surface he looks back at Ja’Sanfur.

  “See you on the other side. Do not set down until you see us. If you get ambushed, there is not much we will be able to do for you.”

  “Konner, you are acting like this is my first time on this run. I know what I’m doing now go earn your stripes.”

  With that the Prince climbs out of the ship allowing Ja’Sanfur to fly off, making a wide circle around the lush jungle that is before them. Before they move out, Konner looks around at the blue sky and the pillow white clouds that float weightlessly above them. The mountains are covered in greenery and there are plants whose leaves are as large as a man. For a brief moment of wonder the entire squad looks around at the splendor of the planet. A roar is heard echoing through the vast planes before them, causing all five to face the source of the sound. They spot the outline of a massive dragon flying serenely in the distance. Under the flying beast furry creatures with hair to the ground, matted in dew and mud, lower their massive skulls to the green bed under their feet to take swaths of the lush grass into their mouths. The creatures look up lazily at the beings alien to their world, their spiral horns acting as perches for the brightly colored avian species in the area. Bara is the first to speak. Her voice is soft and in awe as her words are what is on everyone’s mind.

  “It is beautiful.”

  “That it is.”

  Konner agrees softly before forcing himself to turn and face the jungle that seems to have appeared out of nowhere before them. The canopy is so thick almost no light gets through making the forest a dark spot on an otherwise bright world.

  “We need to get moving; I do not like the look of that. Too many places for an easy ambush; keep alert. Man’Sanfur and Jil, you have the rear. Disa and Bara, you have the front with me. Cube formation, knuckled up and remember, eyes forward, mind clear.”

  The rest of the team nods and repeats in unison.

  “Eyes forward, mind clear.”

  Turning to their mission, the OWS makes their way into the jungle; inside, the brush on the
floor is significantly smaller and less devolved than those exposed to the sun. Konner notices Bara looking around at the ground of the forest, Konner whispers to her.

  “Eyes up Bara.”

  “Sorry sir, just, why is it less overgrown in here than out there. Clearly the soil is fertile enough.”

  “Lack of sunlight, less sunlight less food, less food less growth. The same thing happens on one of our outposts that I use to read about. Now stay focused and report any movement.”

  Bara nods and moves her eyes back to the contrasting greens and browns of the forest that surrounds them. The sounds of birds chirping and other unseen animals howling, growling and calling out fill the otherwise quiet air. Konner pulls up his holographic map. A small green circle is not far ahead of the team.

  “We are closing in. Everyone fan out and keep your eyes peeled for anything that moves.”

  The team gets to the edge of a small clearing. In the center there is a break in the forest canopy allowing a ray of light to penetrate to the floor. In the center is a bush with long thin stems erupting from the ground and brilliant red flowers at the end of each stem. The sight of such a layered beauty catches Bara and Jil off guard as they adore its unique beauty. Bara’s eyes travel down the stem seeing small spikes all the way to the ground, clearly as a form of protection. Disa’ani breaks the silence with a whisper loud enough for everyone to hear.