Chronicles of Stephen BoxSet

by Kenyon T Henry

  Stephen had waited for this moment since he joined the Mighty. He barely contained his excitement. “When do I start?”

  “Now.” Colvin closed his eyes.

  Instantly, the room changed. Stephen stood in the middle of a crowded pizzeria. The aroma of warm bread and melted cheese filled his nostrils. He took a deep breath. He could almost taste the crisp pepperoni. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t had breakfast yet. He looked around to find Colvin standing beside him.

  “We’re in your mind?” Stephen asked.

  “No, I’m in yours. This is one of your memories. However, I’ve interjected someone who doesn’t belong. I want you to find that person.”

  “There must be a hundred people in here. Is there a time limit?”

  “Not unless you want one,” Colvin replied.

  “Okay, then.” Stephen stepped in front of Colvin, facing him directly. “You don’t belong.”

  Colvin laughed. “Me? Of course I don’t. I meant someone other than the two of us. Find someone else who’s blending into this memory that doesn’t belong.”

  “I did,” Stephen replied. “Like I said, you don’t belong.” He turned around and pointed at a small, frowning boy who stood alone near a pinball machine, head drooping. “That’s you when you were six.” Stephen pointed to the far end of the restaurant. “That’s me down there. This is my sixth birthday party. Even if you and I happened to be in the same place that day, you’d be much older.” Stephen smiled at Colvin.

  “Well done! It usually takes people much longer to figure that out. They don’t realize they’re sensing me twice.” Colvin looked at his younger self. “That’s me after I had gotten a paddling from my dad. Most people don’t want to focus on sad kids. People prefer to see happiness.”

  Stephen had already started walking toward his younger self. He stared at a woman with long, red hair. “Mom really was beautiful,” he said to himself. The sight of her caused his eyes to tear up.

  “Yes, Layla was gorgeous.” Colvin walked up next to him.

  They were no longer inside Stephen’s mind. Stephen remained at his seat in his vault, surrounded by stone walls and relics he didn’t understand. Across from him, Colvin sat, appearing deep in thought. His eyes were glossed over and red. Stephen searched Colvin’s feelings, finding affection for Layla mixed with sadness. “You knew her?”

  “Yes, I knew her. When I learned she was pregnant, I asked her to marry me. But, she still loved your father. I didn’t know he was Waltz.”

  “You asked her to marry you?” Stephen had felt affection, but nothing that made him think Colvin felt that way about her.

  “I did. We had been close friends since childhood. When I was younger, there was some interest. But as we got older, she was more like a sister. I guess I didn’t want her to have to raise a kid alone.” Colvin paused and smiled at Stephen. “After hearing about you, I understood.”

  “Back to training then?” Stephen wanted to know more about his family. He also understood the importance of being ready to face Vincent’s dad when the time came.

  “Yes.” Colvin stood up. “But not here. Meet me in the combat room in an hour. The safeguards will be off, allowing you to use your powers.” He walked to the door, which opened. “Wear your black training uniform. Being a prophet is more than just mind games. Prophets, priests, and warriors all have this in common: we fight for the things that matter most.”

  Colvin left, and the door closed behind him. Stephen looked around the room. “Well, finding out what all this is will have to wait.” He walked over to the armor and used his phone to take pictures of a few pieces that intrigued him, including the sword that seemed on display. “I can’t wait to show you to Patty.”

  Then, he left for his compartment. It was still early. Other students would just now be getting out of bed to face their classes. Stephen, however, was wide awake and ready to start training. He was ready for a good workout. First, he needed a quick bite and to change clothes.

  ****

  Stephen tapped the sword emblem on the wall beside the door. The door opened. Inside, Vincent and Alistair stood in the small observation area. Just beyond them, several others huddled together in the middle of the workout floor.

  He joined his friends. “Hey, guys. Are they finishing up a class?” Vincent shook his head, looking solemn and uncomfortable. “Then, what’s this?” Stephen asked, motioning to the floor.

  “That’s who we’ll be fighting,” Alistair chimed in.

  “We? You’re fighting with us?” Stephen smiled. He enjoyed spending time with the guys, especially when they got to do manly stuff, like combat training or playing in the rec room.

  “Yeah. Part of training is learning to work with other Mighty as a team.” Alistair crossed his arms over his chest. “I imagine this is some type of assessment for you two.”

  “Then what is in this for you?” Vincent said.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe I’m here to help you feel more comfortable or adjust to working in a team.”

  Colvin walked toward them and addressed the three friends. “Good morning, gentlemen. I’m glad everyone is here and on time. Are you ready?”

  “I guess.” Stephen shrugged and nodded toward Vincent and Alistair. “Is it normal for three to train together like this?”

  “Yes and no,” Colvin answered. “We usually wouldn’t have someone like Alistair involved at this point in your training. But there’s already a relationship. Rather than start from ground zero, it might be better to build on that. We’ll be looking at that and other things today.”

  Colvin motioned for the three to follow him onto the workout floor and toward the others waiting. As they approached, four members of the group broke away to meet them. Stephen recognized Do-Yeong Kim immediately. The other three looked older, anywhere from their forties to early sixties. The lady had long white hair and wore a red robe. One of the remaining men had short, silver hair and wore a gold robe, his head held high as if to display the scars that adorned his face. An embroidered black sword with gold trim ran down the front of his robe. The sleeves and collar were white, signifying that he was an elder. Another man seemed the youngest of the three, putting him around Colvin’s age. His head was shaven; his yellow robe hung from his muscular frame and pulled taut across the shoulders.

  “Gentleman,” Colvin said, addressing Stephen, Alistair, and Vincent. “Let me introduce you to the non-combatants in this exercise. This is Aidan McGaffy.” He motioned to the younger of the three. “He is one of our champions and a skilled warrior trainer. He’ll be assessing Stephen’s warrior abilities.”

  The man nodded and waved.

  “Next is Victor Brahms, our Commander. He will be assessing you as a group.”

  The older man nodded and grinned. “I’m looking forward to observing you today. I’ve heard a lot about you all.” His voice seemed to fill the room.

  “Last is Cassandra Ivanov. She is a trainer of priests and will assess Vincent.”

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said in a soft, warm voice.

  “Of course, you all know Mr. Kim. He will serve as a non-combatant protector. Not all combatants have abilities. He’ll serve to protect them from feeling the full brunt of your strength. He will also decide when this exercise is over.

  “Mr. Kim, they are yours.”

  They made their way to the observation area. Mr. Kim clapped his hands together twice in a loud and deliberate manner. The people gathered in the center spread out in different directions until each person was evenly spaced along the wall.

  “Gentleman, the objective is simple. Show us your skills in a combat situation. Remember, everyone here is friendly at the end of the day. Let’s try to keep it that way. I’ll be here to help out in that regard.”

  Stephen looked around the room. There were at least twelve men and women of varying ages, sizes, and skin color. Based on appearances, nothing indicated abilities. The air already had a hint of sweat. B
ut something else was in the air. Stephen felt the tension. While everyone around the wall had combat experience, he could feel their uncertainty concerning him.

  “There are a couple rules.” Mr. Kim motioned to the armory on the wall. “You may not use weapons.” He looked at the three men and smiled. “This is a team effort on your parts. You may not attack anyone while they remain on the wall. Once someone steps away, that person is a combatant and fair game. I have already given them their instructions. They will not all attack at once. There is a set schedule, which will allow the instructors to better observe and understand your abilities. A word of advice—you will last longer if you protect each other. Are there any questions?”

  Stephen reached out with his mind. He couldn’t feel anything more than he already sensed. He had to ask. “Why can’t I feel them? I mean, I can sense the anticipation, but I can’t see their minds.”

  Mr. Kim grinned. “Until they are combatants, I’m shielding them.” He walked toward the observation room. “Get ready, gentlemen.”

  Alistair tapped Vincent and Stephen on their backs. “All right, mukkers. This should be a real workout.”

  Alistair started looking around the room. Stephen walked to the other side of Alistair, watching in anticipation. I’ve got us on a link. I don’t know if it’ll hold up during the action. But I’ll give it a try.

  Vincent stood next to Alistair. “Alistair, we will follow your lead.”

  “Just try to focus on protecting us from the worst,” Alistair replied with a chuckle. “Stephen, you do the heavy work. I’ll supervise.”

  Stephen chuckled too. The nervousness of the others started to get to him. The momentary humor helped him relax.

  Four people stepped forward from the wall and encircled them. A man and woman stood directly in front of Stephen. Two men were on the other side of the room, facing Alistair and Vincent. Without hesitation, Stephen searched their minds.

  Stephen, you getting anything that will help us? Alistair’s thought sounded anxious.

  Yeah, we’re in trouble. Stephen not only sensed the abilities of the four combatants, but he searched their minds to find out about the rest of the group. Of the group, half have abilities. The lady in front of me can make people feel sick—nauseous. Plus, she’s a warrior. The man is a low-level warrior. I’ll show you the rest.

  Stephen focused and shared in an instant what he had learned.

  “Vincent, we’re friends, right?” Alistair asked.

  “Yes, I would say so,” Vincent said.

  “When you focus to protect us from the big gun, you’ll protect me too, right?” Alistair nudged Vincent with his elbow.

  Vincent smirked. “Wait and see.”

  Stephen chuckled. “It’s time guys.”

  The four charged in, and the fight was on.

  Although fighting two people, Stephen enjoyed the action. Both opponents were skilled. Still, with both his prophet and warrior abilities intact, he held his own and helped Vincent, occasionally pulling him out of the way. Alistair also seemed to enjoy himself, as he taunted the man he fought.

  Another person stepped from the wall. Stephen felt his opponents begin to get the upper hand almost immediately. The fifth person, however, stayed at a distance.

  Stephen called out as he threw someone into Vincent’s opponent. “That person’s a priest and blocking some of my ability.”

  Vincent ran to the fellow priest and became entangled, falling to the floor. Stephen felt the wall blocking his abilities begin to weaken right away.

  Alistair grabbed hold of Stephen and pulled him back, just as something streaked by him.

  “Thanks,” Stephen said as he continued fighting to regain the upper hand.

  “They aren’t going to give us anything,” Alistair told the other two. “We have to work for every inch.”

  Each person they took out of the fight was replaced by someone even stronger. Something streaked by Stephen again, knocking him backward this time. He pushed two opponents away from him, long enough to get a sense of every combatant. He finally understood the streak.

  Stop! He cast his thought at the speedster, who stumbled and fell forward, rolling across the floor. Having trouble?

  “Gentleman, get ready. I sense something’s coming,” Vincent called out.

  “I sense it too,” Alistair said.

  The woman got up and joined the fight, but at normal speed, Stephen having temporarily disabled her speed. Before long, the twelfth person stepped away from the wall.

  “Stephen, Vincent, now,” Alistair yelled.

  Stephen released a mental blast that pushed everyone away from the three. The final man hurled a fireball at the trio that grew larger as it closed in on them. It burned brightly around them, but did not break the shield of protection that Vincent had created.

  Stephen smiled. “That’s awesome, Vincent.”

  “Yeah, great job, Vin,” Alistair added.

  Vincent looked a mess, and his face burned red. As the fire died out, Vincent fell to his knees. Stephen rushed to his side.

  “You okay?” he asked, looking down at his friend.

  “Yes,” Vincent gasped. “But I cannot take much more.”

  Stephen looked around. It seemed most of the twelve were back on their feet. Many looked as tired as they were. He looked at Alistair, who managed a sly grin.

  “Got any more tricks we don’t know about?” Alistair asked.

  Vincent returned to his feet, wincing a little. “Go on, Stephen. I know you have something.”

  Stephen listened to everyone’s thoughts and emotions. They were all tired and hurting. It wasn’t fun anymore. Their opponents had found a great deal of respect for the three men. However, Stephen found in their minds that they were told to continue until it was over, meaning they intended to keep fighting.

  “We give up!” Stephen called out.

  “What?” Alistair asked.

  “Stephen?” Vincent questioned.

  Mr. Kim clapped his hands again, just as before. The twelve bowed and left the matted floor, heading for the locker room. The trainers who had watched from the observation room walked onto the mat. Stephen considered reading their minds for a moment before accepting he didn’t have to.

  “Very impressive,” Commander Brahms laughed. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a show like that. Alistair, you have certainly come a long way. Your gift is evolving, isn’t it?”

  Alistair nodded. “You noticed.”

  “Noticed what?” Stephen asked.

  “Alistair pulled you out of the way just in time,” Vincent stated. “Much like he saw Bernard attacking me a few months ago. His gift is no longer limited to seeing twenty-four hours in advance.”

  “Alistair?” Stephen looked at him, waiting for a response.

  “It’s true. I wasn’t certain at first. But I’ve noticed it more lately and have gained some control over it. I thought I was done evolving. I guess not.”

  “Alistair, my boy,” the commander continued, “you’re in the first stages of forming a triune. I suspect it’s with one or both of these men.”

  “But,” Alistair objected, “Stephen’s also a prophet. How can that be?”

  “Stephen certainly looked like a warrior to me,” Aidan piped in. “A warrior with quite a lot of potential.”

  “Colvin,” Cassandra spoke up, “what do you think?”

  Colvin didn’t waste any time in responding. “I know he’s a prophet. I’ve seen his mind and felt its strength. What I saw here, his speed, strength, and natural adaptation to a battle situation is uncanny. I’m not sure what we witnessed. I’ll need to think on it.”

  “Vincent—” Cassandra reached forward and motioned to him. “May I?”

  Vincent nodded and grimaced, his pain apparent. Cassandra laid her hands upon his shoulders. Vincent looked unsure at first.

  Cassandra backed away. “You should feel better soon.”

  After a few seconds, Vincent beamed. “That
certainly was pleasant.” He moved his arms about and stretched his back. Bruising that had already been developing on his face began to dissipate.

  “Yes, I do feel better,” he said. “You healed me?”

  She nodded. “I feel that you may have this ability too. You obviously have the sense to protect. Waltz did a marvelous job of developing and strengthening your priestly gift while keeping it a secret.”

  “It is settled then,” Commander Brahms said with bolstered confidence. “Specialized training will begin this afternoon. Stephen will start a full training regimen in both prophet and warrior classes. Vincent will have private studies with Cassandra. And”—he turned to Alistair—“you will begin command training.”

  “Command training? Me?” Alistair didn’t look so sure about the idea.

  “Him?” Vincent echoed Alistair’s sentiment.

  Stephen laughed. “Well, I can guess Alistair’s secret weakness: responsibility.” He slapped Alistair on the back. “You’ll do a great job.”

  Stephen turned back toward Colvin, sensing some reservation from him. “You aren’t so sure about us being a triune. I know we were a little rough—”

  The arbiter interrupted him. “It’s not that, Stephen. For your first time out, you three did an excellent job together. I’ve watched Mighty in newly formed triunes do much worse.”

  “Then what?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s nothing bad. There’s just something curious about the performance that I can’t put my finger on. I’m sure it’s nothing. Besides, there will be more opportunities for you three to work together and strengthen your skills as a team.”

  Stephen shrugged and then offered a smile. He decided to let it go, for now.

  “Stephen!”

  He turned to see Aidan motioning for him.

  Aidan grinned. “Don’t leave. You and I aren’t done yet. We need to push that strength and speed of yours to the limits.”

  Stephen grunted. “I’m not gonna enjoy this. Am I?”