“Because you are…because they are and I…I am most certainly not.” She answered defiantly and with a sense of arrogant pride.
“Take your friends for instance, the male, he is not as intelligent as he thinks he is, nor is the female as strong as she believes herself to be. They simply carry with them the same false notion that because they are at the top of the food chain here, they must be everywhere else.” Her tone conveyed provocation. She seemed intent on getting some kind of rise out of Lucian.
“I don’t know who you think I am but I assure you, if you speak ill of my friends again you will regret it.” He warned.
“In this form you pose no threat to me.” She responded scanning the dark surroundings.
“In this form… you know what lady, I’m done with all this. You’re obviously not all there, so just stay the hell away from me and my friends. I should’ve known better than to come here. What the hell was I thinking?”
Lucian asked himself out loud as he turned and began to walk away. In an instant she was directly behind him grabbing his arm in an attempt to turn him around.
“Don’t you turn your back on me.” She said with a vicious frustration.
Upon feeling her first finger touch his arm, Lucian reached back with incredible speed and without so much as turning his head, grabbed her by the neck, and brought her crashing down on her back in front of him.
“Don’t you ever touch me.” He advised quite calmly.
Etria responded with a smile. She got her desired response and now it was time to see if Lucian was who she thought he was. Her fist shot skyward toward his chin and when it made contact, sounded like a crack of lightening. This sent Lucian flying into the air and then crashing down hard on his back yards away. He was shaken. No one had ever hit him before, let alone this hard. The rage that filled his body was intoxicating. He immediately leapt to his feet and felt an incredible strength surge through every muscle in his body. Everything around him seemed to slow down…everything except her.
She charged across the field. Her head was low and her eyes focused like a lioness stalking her prey. Seeing this, Lucian clenched his jaw tight and sprinted towards her. He was moving faster than he ever had before, determined to hit his target. In mid stride Etria clenched her fist and reared back ready to hit her mark with the power and precision that would surely end the fight. Lucian saw this and at precisely the right time, lowered his head catching his opponent in the stomach with his shoulder and violently tackling her to the ground. The thunderous crack was heard again and the two of them slammed into the field sliding and leaving a trench in their wake.
This caught Etria completely by surprise and Lucian seized the opportunity. He reared back his fist while still atop his downed opponent, sure that the next blow would be the last.
“Enough!” A loud voice boomed across the field.
Lucian knew this voice and immediately halted his action. He stood quickly and turned his attention towards his grandfather.
“I told you not to come here. I told you to stay away from her!” He said sternly as he passed Lucian and headed towards the downed girl who was now beginning to sit up.
Gramps extended his hand in an offer to help her to her feet, an offer she accepted.
“Why are you here?” He questioned Etria in a tone more stern than that he had used with his grandson. She responded by kneeling and bowing her head.
“My apologies sir, it’s just that… he is needed.” She said sincerely as she raised her eyes to see his response.
“Get up.” Gramps said noticeably softer while again extending his hand to help the young girl to her feet. He stared at her for a moment, not saying a word. Finally he let out an exhausted sigh and spoke.
“He knows only that of his life here and should by no means go with you. There’s no good reason. It would be a death sentence.” The old man stated.
“Uhh, hello? I’m right here.” Lucian interrupted, now completely confused at his grandfather’s reaction to Etria.
“What the hell is going on? Death Sentence? Death Sentence! Why are you bowing to my grandfather? Why are you helping her up, she attacked me. How do you hit so hard? How did I run so fast? Did you see how fast I was running? What the hell is going on here? Do you know her? Lucian barraged the two with questions as his mind couldn’t seem to make any sense of what was going on.
Gramps put his hand on Lucian’s shoulder. “Come. Etria and I will explain at home.”
He knew exactly who she was.
Chapter 7
Back at home the fire crackled in the stone fireplace as Lucian paced back and forth, periodically looking out the large picture window into the backyard. Etria and his grandfather were speaking privately out there. He couldn’t make out what they were saying but their body language displayed intensity and importance. Etria kept moving her hands as though she were trying to explain something important. Gramps had his arms folded across his chest and every couple minutes would just shake his head in the “not a chance” kind of way. After a bit more of this back and forth Etria said something that made his grandfather change his demeanor. Neither of them spoke or gestured for a few moments, when suddenly Gramps looked at her and nodded his head, seemingly in agreement with something. It looked like they reached some type of compromise as they turned and headed back towards the house.
“Would you care to start?” Gramps asked Etria as they approached Lucian waiting impatiently in the sitting room. She turned to Lucian and, with great sincerity, began.
“Your name is not Lucian…it is Ryaal. You are High General of the Thousand Armies and Commander of the Royal Guard. You are true heir to the throne of Akiria and you have been exiled from your real home. A home that if you were to ever return, would mean your death.”
Lucian was quiet for a moment and then erupted with laughter.
“Yeah right.” He exclaimed. He looked at Etria whose expression held only truth.
“You’re screwing with me…right?” Lucian looked at his grandfather for confirmation that this was some type of joke but his attention was directed only towards adding another log to the fire.
“Come on…this can’t be real.” Lucian said, in complete disbelief of what he was being told.
“I am not finished.” Etria informed.
“Oh, by all means continue. This could only get better.” Lucian replied.
“Your father and brothers are planning to declare war on the Ishra and have taken Kara as both prisoner and example.” Her words were met with a blank expression. Gramps turned from the fire, looked at his grandson, and then directed his gaze at her.
“I told you, he knows only of his time here. His soul conscious had to be kept outside of his human form. If it were left within him when we arrived, it would’ve torn him to shreds mentally and physically. He needed to grow properly from human infant to adult and I’m not sure giving it to him now would do anything but turn him into a vegetable.” Upon hearing his grandfather’s words, Lucian’s jaw dropped.
“Seriously, what the hell is going on here? You guys are freaking me out.” Lucian’s tone had become one of shock and seriousness as he continued.
“You mean to tell me I have a father and brothers? And I am the true king of a place called Akiria? And what exactly is an Ishra for that matter? And who’s Kara?” He questioned.
The sound of shattering glass had broken Lucian’s line of questions. Etria had dropped the cup of tea Gramps had given her and it was Lucian’s last question that caused this to happen. Etria turned her head slowly towards Lucian and as she did he could see the firelight dance in the tears that had quickly begun streaming down her face. Lucian realized that his last question had struck something deeply painful for her.
“You don’t remember her?” She asked with supreme disbelief. “How do you not remember her?” Her questions slipped quietly through tear laden lips. She then quickly and ferociously turned her gaze towards the old man and in an angry and vi
sceral way asked,
“How can he not remember her?”
Her tone demanded an answer to which Gramps compassionately replied.
“It would’ve been far too painful. It would’ve killed him Etria.”
He then stood and left the room. Etria’s head hung low as her gaze fell upon the shards of porcelain now decorating the floor at her feet. Lucian sat there, staring at her as he realized this was far too real for her, far more than being unreal for him. He realized that if this were a joke, it couldn’t have played out worse. After a few more minutes of sitting silently, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, Lucian stood and headed after his grandfather.
The screen door creaked loudly as Lucian slowly swept it open and stepped through into the back yard. He approached his grandfather sitting at the picnic table staring up at the sky.
“Hey kiddo.” Gramps greeted.
“What’s going on Gramps? Who is she? How do you know her? Is she serious, is she telling the truth? If she is, why haven’t you ever told me? Were you ever going to? Lucian asked with a heavy hearted confusion.
“Sit down son.” He looked at Lucian with remorseful eyes and then continued.
“She is telling the truth. I am so sorry to have kept this from you, but know that it was only because I thought it best. Now, I know that in your current form, you’re knowledge is limited to that which you’ve learned during your time among the humans, so I will explain as much as I can in the best way for you to understand.” He began.
Chapter 8
“Etria was right. This place is not your home. Our home is very far from here.” He paused and turned his gaze towards the stars.
“It is called Theros. In size it is far larger than this planet. In beauty, it is unparalleled. The atmosphere is quite similar though, which is why I chose this place to bring you and as this world is very young, I thought you could grow with it.” He returned his attention to Lucian.
“We are Akirians. Our race is among the greatest warriors time has ever known and our purpose has always been war and conquest.”
“From the time we can stand, we train for battle and, as such, we excel in combat. Our people do not believe in using projectile weapons such as the humans do. We believe it is more honorable to fight your enemy face to face, hand to hand. Our only physical weapon is called the Arc Staff. It is simply a staff of about two feet in length but, in the hands of its warrior, will change into any hand to hand weapon imagined. Our clothing is that of a rectangular swath worn around our waist. It is held in place with a silver or golden belt depending on rank and is accented in crimson and gold. The females of our society wear more of a tunic type garb which is golden with crimson and black accents.” He paused again in order to give Lucian a chance to absorb all he was being told before continuing.
“What do weapons and clothes have to do with anything. Gramps you’re scaring the hell out of me right now. Do you realize how this sounds? You’re trying to tell me I’m some alien warrior? I’m a senior. I graduate tomorrow. Who is she really?” Lucian interrupted his grandfather’s explanation.
“Patience my son, I am trying to start off slowly.” Gramps replied.
Yeah, you wouldn’t want to drop anything to crazy on me right? Ya know like I’m from another planet or something.” Lucian asked sarcastically and his grandfather replied with a look meant to remind him of who was speaking to and how disrespect would not be tolerated.
“Alright, I’m sorry. Go ahead.” Lucian returned. Gramps continued.
“The Akirians are not alone on our home world. We share our planet with the Ishra. They are the most intelligent species in the known universe and as such, are the keepers of knowledge throughout the known worlds. Our strategic training is conducted by them. They are a non-violent people and their reason for teaching us strategy is so that collateral damage to planet systems and populations is kept in check. They do not approve of conflict but understand that, for the time being, it is part of life throughout the universe. As such, they sought to limit destruction by teaching us the most strategic and effective ways to conquer those areas in which we set out to do so. Our planet is divided into two equal halves. The Ishra have one half and we, the other. We have coexisted peacefully for thousands of years. The Ishra do not want war with us as they despise violence. We do not declare war with the Ishra because their knowledge is of great benefit to us.
There are however, members of our race who want nothing more than to destroy the Ishra and countless others as well. Your father and brothers are at the forefront of this. You and your brothers had trained at the Ishra Academy since your youth and it was there you met Kara. You told me once that when you saw her for the first time, you knew there would never be another for you. In her my son, you found your reason for existence. The first time you spoke of her you told me, ‘Grandfather, if I am not to have her, than I am to have nothing at all.’ Our laws prohibit Eternal bonding with any race but our own, laws you could not have cared less about. You and Kara connected the second you saw each other, like the proverbial spark that humans speak of, and from that point on continued to grow together. The two of you began spending much of your time together and it was not long until you bonded with one another completely.”
He looked at his grandson and Lucian could tell instantly that this memory brought great happiness to the old man, who then continued.
“Her joy, her pain, her knowledge, all of her emotions became a part of you as all of you had become a part of her. At the time, I was the leader of the Akirians and after countless battles I began to grow tired of the death and destruction our race had delivered throughout the universe. I believed our people were meant for more and with the help of an old friend, an Ishra high elder, I began making plans to restructure the future of our people. Your father and brothers however, reveled in the power of our race and wanted complete control over all systems throughout the universe. You had grown to be one of the greatest leaders our people had ever known and though you were far younger than I, you too wanted something better for our people…something better for yourself.
Your many accomplishments in battle earned you a seat at the War Council’s Table, where the fate of our people was often decided. At our last gathering, I advised that our war faring ways would soon come to an end and that along with the Ishra we would work together in becoming protectors of the universe instead of its conquerors. With our might and the Ishra intelligence, we would ensure that the universe flourish with life and peace for the rest of time. Your father had recently discovered that you and Kara had bonded. When our kind becomes bonded with another, there is an exchange. On Earth, there are words and rings exchanged as token. It is different for us. Our people exchange part of our soul with our Eternal. You have been a part of each other for so long my son. I knew of this for some time as you came to me with it and asked for my council. You and I had a very similar relationship back home as we do here.
Your father divulged this information to the council stating that the exchange of souls would give an advantage to the Ishra. Your father claimed you were a traitor and moved for your execution and the advancement of war on the Ishra. The council immediately denied this motion. Your father became enraged. He and your brothers then proceeded to kill all members of the council and sadly two others. The only two left that could stand between them and us, your mother and grandmother.”
Gramps became silent after this revelation. He had felt every bit of her pain at the moment of her death. But it was his pain to bear. He did not want to share this pain with Lucian.
“I never would have thought him capable of such horrible things. It was his mother. It was his wife and he treated them as nothing more than an enemy. I wanted only to seek vengeance upon them, but I knew if I did they would get to you and as selfish a decision as it may have been, I could not bear the pain of losing another loved one. I met with Etria and she showed me how to get you and Kara to the safety of a distant planet.
We found you on the road heading back to our city, unaware of what had happened. When I saw you, you had a look on your face of utter and complete happiness. Knowing what you were about to find out, my heart broke even further. It was then that you collapsed in unimaginable pain. I knew instantly what it was and Etria quickly realized what had happened. Your father and brothers had captured Kara and were using her as bait to lure you to your death. You ran to find her and it was all we could do just to keep up. When you arrived, the Royal Guard attacked. You defended yourself well, but I had no choice but to get you out of their as quickly as possible and with Etria’s help we left and came here. The thought of you being within only a few feet of her and having to snatch you away is an awful memory I live with everyday.
Upon our arrival, I changed our forms and removed your soul conscious so you would not remember any of the reasons that brought us here. I wanted you to live a simple, peaceful life. After all the bloodshed of battle and betrayal, I felt as though you deserved it. I’ve thought of returning your soul conscious to you but I knew that if I did, all the memory and pain of battle would be excruciating in your human form. The reason I’ve decided not to however, is not because of the battle memories. After all, you are Akirian and as such, are nourished by your memories of combat. It is because of Kara. Etria has told me that your father still has her in his possession. She is being held in a tower visible to all Akirians as well as the Ishra as example to all those who might oppose your father. Her people and ours feel her sadness everyday and it is your father’s most powerful weapon in subduing all who oppose him. All the pain of that, along with the pain of losing you, would be felt instantly should your soul conscious be returned and I felt that that alone would kill you.
There are not words in existence to describe the two of you. Time and space have not existed long enough to express your love for one another. The two of you are something never seen before. It is anomalous. The love you have for one another would have one day changed the entire universe had it not been for your father. He has taken so much from you that I could not allow your life to be taken as well.”
Aeternum Page 3
