"No Marie if it was someone else, they wouldn't work as hard because there isn't anyone as special as you are."
"You are special to me to Vernon, thank you. But is there something you did wrong? Your trying to butter me up for something aren’t you.”
"No not at all, I just wanted you to hear that because you won't listen to your teammates. You think they’re kissing up to you."
"Ha ha, you’re right about that. You say that like you know me. Who are you again?” She punches his arm.
Vernon rolls his eyes.
“So how's your training going?"
"It's going well, Emma, the new girl is shaping up to be a good addition to the group. Flint's getting better, Duke is Duke, and Ashley's still an awesome healer."
"That’s nice, but what about you babe."
"Me? Well I'm doing alright. I'm starting to move faster with the boots you got me because I'm finally getting used to them and have broken them in. These boots you got me are incredible. It must have been an extraordinary rune crafter because there isn't even any wear on them yet."
"I had to make sure it was because it was your birthday after all."
"Well thank you again for them. I've gotten the hang of wind sprinting, and almost got hovering down too."
"You'll get there in no time my love, your great with everything you put yourself into. That's why you’re captain of your team. They trust in your strategy, your strength, and you have even made a sage your best friend. Then got him to open up to the world, while staying true to the sage’s path. That is pretty impressive."
"It's not that impressive, Duke's a good guy, and just needed to know how to work hard and for himself at the same time. I wish your father felt the same way."
"Vernon, don't worry about my father. He thinks he knows what's best for me but is always focused on whats best for his career. There isn't anything in this world that will separate us. Not him, my mother, your parents, nothing. Alright?”
"Alright. It looks like they almost have fixed all the damage in your front yard from our little tiff a few weeks back."
"Yea, daddy was mad about that one, but I shouldn't have reacted like I did."
“Don’t blame yourself, I was egging you on, so it's my fault. Plus when your fire form awakened you lost control. No one could have predicted that was going to happen."
"I guess you’re right. Meet me back here for the walk to school tomorrow morning?"
Vernon nods, “Just like always, you know I wouldn't miss it."
Marie kisses Vernon and smiles. "Love you."
"Love you too." Vernon says back. Marie turns around smiles as she heads toward her house, then goes inside. The sound of those words coming off his lips makes him feel great but they are still foreign to him. Something he would like to get used to. Vernon walks to his house a little ways down the street. He had a big talk with his parents a few days back about what happened at the match on Saturday. They wanted him to be more careful, and make sure he was more controlled when he used his strength.
Both parents said they were happy with his performance, and just how strong he's become. Telling him strength comes with responsibility. He is not looking forward to another talk like that, his father can be a bit long winded at times with explanations. Coming into the front door he can hear that his parents are talking in the bedroom. It seems that the conversation is about what to tell him. Seems like they aren't going to be making it to his tournament. Typical. It was something he was expecting, since they haven’t attended anything he has done for years now. He was still surprised they haven’t pulled him out yet.
"Is that you Vernon? Your father and I need to talk to you. Eugene put that tablet away. Vernon come over here and sit down so we can talk to you a bit." says Alexandria.
Vernon knows this can't be good. When his mother starts off like that it is either going to be a long talk or a conversation that he doesn't want to be in. He wonders which of the two it’s going to be.
"Alright Mom, what's up?" He says with bated breath.
"Well Vernon, I have a security detail that I have to run on Saturday, same time as your tournament. Your father has to go to meet with a client for a consultation. We won’t be able to make your match. I know that work gets a lot of our time, and we never get to see you in any of your after school activities. I promise that we'll try to make the next one."
"Yea son, we're sorry about this but you know how work can be, plus I know you'll be ok. You are my baby boy and you’re as strong as both your old man and mother put together. I know you’re going to win over the weekend and make us both proud, you always do. Just make sure to watch out for your equipment, those gloves were expensive, and those boots were a gift. That pendant you have is a special family heirloom, so just make sure to take care of your things out there. It may not be real combat but you can still get hurt."
"Thanks Dad, I know that, but I'm not going to lose, I can't. There is too much riding on this for me to even let that possibility come into the picture. I have to treat it like real combat." Vernon knew that his father was just trying to protect him, but he enjoyed the praise anyway. He doesn't get to hear that as much as he would like. There was a time when he was younger, they used to go to his open houses, and sporting events but the last time was the first year of middle school.
Vernon was in all the sports, football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He was always the best player that was on the team. Then the recruiters started to show up for high school, and college, to see who they needed to keep their eyes on. That is when they started to be even more protective, which is understandable. Unknown people watching the game, and with the school vouchers they might have to change schools. Something they didn’t want to do, or pressure Vernon into.
Duke knows how Vernon feels. His parents gave him to the Sage Order when he was only three years old, and he has moved around so much and it was hard for his parents to keep up. Now that he is in one spot for a while, he is across the civilized world from them. Vernon thinks, at least his parents are here and he can see them, talk to them, argue with them, and tell them he loves them. Reminding himself what Duke goes though always helps him get his perspective back.
"Mom, dad, I love you and I know you want to be there and can't, so it’s alright. Now I have to go study for a while."
"Alright honey, supper will be ready in a about thirty minutes. Thank you for understanding."
Vernon walks down the hall to his room and shuts his door. He throws his tablet on his desk and lays on his bed looking at the ceiling, thinking. What can he do to make his parents want to come see him? Vernon lifts up his left arm and looks at his HaLO for the analog time readout. The time reads 7:30pm, and he can smell the dinner cooking. His stomach rumbles and mouth begins to water. His mom likes to cook the old fashioned way once or twice a week. She says it's better for you not to have all that processed food in you all the time, and it smells like roast today.
Vernon activates his overlay for the net and navigates to the Paladin website. Browsing through the forums, looking for information about who is going to be officiating his match. Sometimes they post these things on the boards under the deployment. MMA posts seem to be filling up the forums recently. With so many of them it's hard to find what he is looking for.
Before he gets a chance to find anything his mother pings him, “Vernon, dinners ready.”
9
Tournament day is finally here, and everyone loads into the bus headed for Bastion. Vernon gets on and heads toward the back of the bus over the magnetic couplings. He has always enjoyed the hum of the magnets over the road. Vernon still has a smile on his face from Marie running out of her house just to give him a good luck kiss.
Vernon had a yearning for more, even through he should be happy with what he has. There is just a nagging at the back of his mind that something bigger is waiting for him. He already has the girl of his dreams, and now he just wants to know what he’s going to do with his life. His father always talked about h
ow God was there, watching and providing what he needed in life. To be satisfied with his abilities and praise God for what we have been given. Vernon always liked when his father spoke about religion because no one talks about religion anymore.
If you speak about a particular belief that wasn't sanctioned for open discussion, that could get you fined or jailed. Despite all this, his father taught him the book and showed him how to pray. But Vernon wanted more than just what he had. He wanted to win and be a winner, a big shot. To be worthy of his blessings, not just thankful.
Looking over to Duke and Ashley sit toward the front of the bus together. Their conversation sounded like they were going over strategy for the match and ways to keep her out of the main fight. After Duke and Ashley started dating, he became a lot more serious about everything he was involved in. Sages do not give into worldly possessions or relationships very often. Vernon was able to persuade Duke into spending time with Ashley.
The main philosophy of the Sage Order was to explore and discover the depths of magic for the advancement of humanity. They sacrifice human contact in an effort to push the magical limits. There are a few that have made lives out of more than just the advancement of magic, while still holding true to that goal. Vernon could tell Duke was different from the other sages he had met in his life, and wanted to make sure he was more than just a tool for humanity. Duke isn’t only intelligent, but he’s also kind and thoughtful. That’s why he didn't want him to turn out to be some old man holed up in some cave screaming nonsense at passersby’s.
Vernon convinced Duke on the idea that through human interaction he could learn more about magic. He could learn firsthand about the feelings that drove people to use or not use magic. Then he would know not only how to counter it but control it. Duke took to this idea quite well, and the next day he started walking, talking, and spending time with Ashley. She thanked Vernon for the help and has acted like a sister to Vernon since.
Emma was sitting on the same row as Flint but not on the same seat, and they weren't making a sound. Vernon could see that they wanted to talk with each other. Each stealing glances toward at each other, mouths wide open as if they were about to say something, yet nothing came out. The bus driver shuts the door as Coach Hill boards.
“Alright everyone, it’s going to be about a three hour trip to Bastion and we are going to be taking the unsheltered roads. This will be the fastest way to Bastion. The roads are safe, which is why your parents allowed you to do this. Enjoy the trip and sights on the way there . And please try not to be too rambunctious.”
The buses mag-drive kicks on and lifts off the ground about two feet. They head for the north gate and highway one. This would be Vernon’s first trip out of the city. With the school fading in the background, he begins to think about what his parents and Marie are up to right now.
Approaching the dome’s gigantic gates they begin to unlock and spin open. The first set opens as the high pitched sound of air breaks releasing fill the bus. The doors are the same thickness as the bus as they enter the first air lock. They close behind them and wait for the next set to open. Going through the final set of doors, Vernon can see burnt drigh bug carcasses swept to the sides of the wall.
Most drigh bugs were mosquito like insects that sucked magic instead of blood. Once they got enough it would grow and become larger. They can get up to the size of the dog, but it hasn’t happened in a long time. He remembers a few times when he was younger, before the dome finished where they had to stay inside as a swarm passed over. The Knights have taken over drigh population control and have been successful in keeping them to a minimum. Which to Vernon is another reason he would hate to be a Knight. They have become nothing more than glorified bug exterminators.
***
Eugene and Alexandria get into their car, and pull up the Vernon’s GPS location on the windshield. They can see that he has almost left the dome. They also see the destination.
"You are sure about this right Eugene?"
"Yes dear, I am. After that conversation we had earlier, I want see our son in this tournament in person. I want him to see us there. I just don’t know if her really knows just how proud of him we are, and this is the best way we can do that.”
"I just hope we don’t run into anyone we know while we are out there."
The windshield illuminates with the destination and a confirmation screen.
Eugene says, “I hope so too, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
***
There is little to no traffic exiting the dome to travel on the surface. Most drivers have been choosing the tunnels because you don’t have to drive yourself. The tunnels use an automated drive system, letting the traffic cram closer together. It is the same system that used on the highways but the speed is different.
The only downside to the surface is the large native creatures of the planet. All creatures that are native to Eden were once docile, but after years of research here on Eden some of them have become more hostile. There are stories that are on the net every now and again, about how an experiment gets loose, or about a rampaging herd. Dragons in particular are the worst, due to their immense size and strength.
They call them dragons because they look like the envisioned drawings from Earth. They attack animals on the outlying farms, and the occasional village or town. They are incredible hard to deal with and for most people they are helpless against just one. Depending on the size, even a capable group of Knights can have trouble wrangling one in.
There was a behemoth of a dragon that attacked Selina a few months back. The Knights called out couldn't stop it. Almost half of the town got destroyed before the Knights got there. Over a hundred Knights were getting pushed around like rag dolls.
The Knight Commander that was on duty was from the Saint Anthony Dome made the call to bring in some outside help. Within minutes a Paladin was there. Only one. That is what makes them so special. The vid itself was amazing. Even an ultra frame rate camera was not quick enough to follow the Paladin. His movements were all just a blur.
Even when you slowed the footage frame by frame it was unclear. Vernon must have watched it over a hundred times, trying to see who the Paladin was. He wanted to be that good, so fast that an Ultra Definition camera can't even keep up with him. This tournament was the place to make his mark and start his journey.
As they arrived at the hub station the bus switches over to automatic drive placing them in line for the scan. Vernon was impressed at the size. The amount of cars that were around was staggering. He had never seen so many cars in one place.
The surface access to the underground tunnels came into view. Next to the hub was a traffic monitoring station. Which was smaller than what he had expected for such a large place. The road they were on passed by the main hub station and a Knight outpost connected to the bottom of it. They were performing HaLO scans on every vehicle that passes by. This was slowing traffic a bit, but the scan just went over the vehicle. Any anomalies got pulled aside to confirm destinations verbally.
All trips taken needed to be planned beforehand and submitted to the transit board. Most of the time there was no trouble at all for someone to travel between domes because you took the tunnels. When your destination was on the surface extra questions got asked. His parents told him its a policy left over from the last attack over seventy years ago.
A small ways past the station you could see a large white turn table, with vehicles magnetically locked to it as it turned. The platform was about ten semi-trucks wide, connected to three elevator lifts. These lifts would take traffic to and from the tunnels. The elevators look to hold about six cars at a time and it descends at an angle. Vernon had seen those in the video games, but never thought they were real. They always seem impractical as an actual elevator.
The bus drives up to the hub station, the scanner activates, and a light covers the bus. The bus gets pulled aside and a Knight walks up to the window. The bus driver and Knight exchange a few words,
then waved the bus on.
They would have to drive past Pharis Dome in manual drive to get to their destination. Bastion is a country city and a tourist attraction town. Which is why there is such a large arena there. It is a bustling new city that got built over the last couple of years.
They arrive at the exit toward Bastion. The bus driver gets out and begins to switch everything on the bus over to manual drive by swinging out the tires and locking them into place. Once back inside, the driver shuts off the mag-drive system, and the bus bounces on the wheeled suspension. Vernon and the others laugh aloud. Looking out the window, there are other cars making the same switch.
He sees one man getting under his car to swing out his tires, with his family waiting inside. He looks as though he finishes, gets up from underneath his car and leans into the driver’s seat. Once he does the car falls to the ground, and the tires buckle back under the vehicle. His face turns red and he starts stomping and kicking up dirt. He can just imagine the cuss words he is yelling.
With the bus now on the ground, the ride was bumpier that expected, and the hum of the mag-drive was no longer there. Vernon still had some road noise. He started to enjoy the hum of the road but not as much as the mag-drive. With Pharis fading from sight but at a much slower pace, they started to drive though the country side.
There was more technology out in the woods than Vernon expected there to be. A billboard here and there sure, but even the trees had cameras, sensors, and runes. Vernon turns to look out across an open field and believes his eyes have to be playing tricks with him. It looks like the trees are moving.
Vernon asks, “Anyone else see this because I am pretty sure that I see those trees moving?"
"Which trees?" Coach Hill replies.
"The ones off in the distance over there off to the right, I could swear they are moving with us."
Cypher Theorem Series Box Set: Books 1-3, The Zero Class, Shadow Moon, Dragon Fire: A Science Fiction Fantasy Page 6
