by T. S. Hall
“The reason Milly wanted you here was to input your hadron signature so that you can be designated as friendlies in the system.”
Bartimus instructed each of them to place a hand on a round metal ball that popped up from a panel in front of them. A short electrical surge ran through the ball, producing a small trace of hadrons that registered on the large screen. A series of numbers appeared on the display board and then disappeared.
“What was that?” Allora asked.
“Your hadron signature,” Bartimus said. “It’s like a DNA sequence, and it’s unique to each individual, so the computer can detect the specific energy signature when you come near the defensive perimeter. It will also be linked to these.” From a small compartment next to the round ball, Bartimus pulled out a black metallic bracelet that was about an inch in width, smooth, and blank. He gave one to each of them after inputting their hadron signatures. “These are your communication bracelets.” He pointed to his own and sparked it. The metal expanded up his forearm, hugging the skin-like cloth. It looked like medieval armor. Milly’s head appeared, floating above Bartimus’s armband. “We are all set.”
“Thanks, Bart. I appreciate everything that you and your team are doing for us. I can’t tell you how important it is.”
“You are very welcome, Commander.”
Bartimus instructed the others to place their armbands on their wrists. After Allora sparked the metal, an image of Milly’s head popped up.
“That is totally freaky,” Allora said, waving around her mother’s still hologram.
“Make sure not to use these things around humans. Also, Swan wanted to speak with all of you at his house,” Milly said, her image disappearing from the display.
“The armband will show an indicator light for any hadron signatures in town. Just swipe your finger along the metal,” Bartimus instructed, swiping the image to show a topographic map, with small green lights. He spread his fingers, zooming out the image showing all of Sandy. “It also includes the time, date, temperature, and all sorts of things.”
“A smartphone for your arm,” Katie said, swiping through the different screens. “So cool!”
Once they were done getting instructions on how to use the com bracelets, the four of them said good-bye and went back toward the hiking trail, finally arriving back at the car after another two hours. Pulling out of the gravel parking lot, they headed onto the main road toward Mr. Swan’s house. It was a wood cabin, with beautiful red-oak logs stacked on one another and a wooden-shingled roof. Round, single-pane windows had been stuck into small, carved-out holes six feet above the ground. As beautiful as the house was, the exterior hadn’t been groomed in months.
After receiving no answer from the incessant knocking on the door, Allora turned the discolored brass knob and slowly pushed the door with her palm. Tanner, Katie, and Dax followed as she stepped into the entryway. The summer sun lit the living room. Oval light beamed through the dimly lit room. Numerous books were scattered sporadically in disorderly columns. Allora lifted a heavy, bound text, holding it at an angle in the shallow light.
“The Chariots of the Gods: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past,” she read aloud.
A thump sounded from behind a decrepit-looking door to the right of the dark hallway. The door swung open revealing the back of a man holding a huge stack of more books. The red suspenders, curly brown hair, and brown tailored shoes gave away his identity.
“Mr. Swan,” Allora yelled.
The man stepped awkwardly, slipping on the rug. He flung the heavy stack of books, his glasses flew from his face. He twisted around, acrobatically planting a hand on the hardwood with a look of readied aggression, as if he were expecting something much more malevolent. Squinting his eyes, he found the familiar faces of his students staring back at him. He grabbed his glasses from the ground.
“Didn’t you four ever learn how to knock?” he said, rubbing the lenses with his raggedy, dust-covered white T-shirt.
“We did,” Allora said. “You didn’t answer.”
Mr. Swan began picking up the stack of books he had tossed, carefully folding back the crinkled pages. He stacked them next to the other columns of books, rummaging around like an obsessive collector.
“What are you doing?” Allora asked.
“Well, ever since you found the Eye of the Titans, I’ve been trying to figure out how to use it,” he said, placing the last book onto a stack. “When Ben told me about the Eye, I didn’t believe him. It wasn’t until his death that I started to pay attention. There were really only a select few in the Triple S that actually believed the old stories about the Titan Wars.”
“Triple S?” Dax said.
“It stands for Sonoran Secret Service—SSS, or Triple S, as we call it. It’s kind of like the CIA of Sonora.”
“You’re a spy?” Allora asked.
“I was a spy,” he said. “I left the Triple S when your uncle was killed.”
“He was in it too?”
“Yes. It’s kind of a long story.”
“We have time.”
Mr. Swan seemed apprehensive about explaining the past. He stopped what he was doing to stare down his interrogator. Allora crossed her arms.
“We were recruited straight out of the royal guard because we scored considerably high on our aptitude tests. We were very young when the coup happened. Most of the Triple S was disbanded by General Holliser when Salazar took power. He was the head of the organization. There were a few of us who were young enough to blend in with the new regime. We kept the ideals of the Triple S alive and spied for the rebellion. I think that’s why your mother still doesn’t trust me entirely. Salazar had his counterintelligence agents working nonstop to root us out, and I was caught right before I was able to escape. Ben came back for me and saved me from execution. I will never be able to repay him for that.”
He put his head down in quiet reflection for a few seconds.
“Before Ben was killed, he was working on a crucial piece of intelligence that had to do with the acquisition of an ancient weapon. Kronos, the king of the Titans, supposedly had it created in the last remnants of the Titan Wars, and it was of particular interest to Salazar. Unfortunately, we were never able to get details, and information regarding the Titan Wars has never been recovered. Most of what is known is myth or conjecture. The truth was so dangerous that Zeus had it all covered up.”
“So that’s what all of the books are for,” Tanner said.
“Yeah. I’ve been trying to find clues as to what Ben had been up to, but I’ve come up with nothing,” Mr. Swan said, rummaging through the clutter. “Before Ben was killed, he sent me a note while I was fighting in the Rebel Wars. In his note he said, ‘I found the trailhead. Come quick.’ I just assumed it related to the Eye of the Titans, but when I thought about it further, it couldn’t have been. He was given the piece of parchment years earlier, and I found the second piece in a location that Ben had never been. And then Allora found his memory orb with the information regarding the Scroll of Alexandria, so that must have been what he was talking about. My guess is that Salazar’s agents figured out what he was up to and made sure he couldn’t get any other information to me.”
“So then how do we find this trailhead?” Allora asked, remembering her vision from the first day of school.
“Well, first we have to find something that your uncle received a long time ago from an old friend. You’ll need to search in your uncle’s stuff, the chicken coop, and anywhere else you can to find this thing.”
“What am I looking for?”
“A sapphire cube.”
Six
TRAINING
“Honey, wake up,” a voice said. It was soft, and familiar. Her mother was standing at the foot of her bed wearing workout clothes. The pants and shirt were black, hugging her skinny, strong physique. Her hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail, and she had no makeup except for red cherry lip balm. Allora glanced at the red neon numbers on her alarm clock.
“What’s going on?” Allora asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Training doesn’t start for another two hours.”
“Yeah, well, I start earlier than most trainers,” Milly said.
Allora perked up, and her eyes grew wide. “Wait, what?”
Milly placed some clothes on the bed, nodded, and left the room. Allora smiled and got dressed. Light was barely coming through the blinds as Allora put on her sports bra, black lycra pants, and tank top. After going outside, Allora followed her mother up the path, through the forest, and into the outer realm. As soon as they went through the portal, Milly spun around and shot a hadron burst at Allora. It hit her in the stomach and launched her backward onto the floor. She struggled to regain her breath while her mother just looked down at her and smiled.
“That was totally unfair!” Allora said once she regained her composure.
“Fair,” Milly said, raising her eyebrow. “Do you really think that your enemy will be fair?”
Milly walked over to a bench where there were two swords. She grabbed them and tossed one to her daughter. Allora snatched it out of the air. “What you have to realize is that your opponent doesn’t play by any rules. He is relentless and will stop at nothing to kill you.” Milly unsheathed the sword, took a sideways stance, and bent her knees. “Last year taught me that you are no longer a child, so I believe your training should reflect your maturation.”
Allora grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it from its sheath. She glanced around the room. It wasn’t the orchard where they normally trained. They were in a large building with marble carvings on the walls. Lining the outside of a large fighting ring were limestone pillars holding up the ceiling thirty feet above. The air smelled of sand and sweat, like a boxing gym. Shadows danced on the walls from the flicker of fire in large brass cauldrons that jetted from the marble walls.
“Where are we?”
“This is the training arena that I learned in,” Milly said with a smile. “It still remains at the center of the capital city of Titanis in the Keeper Academy. Amazing, isn’t it? I hope that one day you will be able to experience it in person.”
Before Allora could prepare herself, Milly pulled her sword up and advanced. The blade came down, and the steel sparked as Allora fell backward with her sword barely stopping her mother’s attack. Milly brought the blade around as Allora blocked another attack from up high. Suddenly, Allora’s feet crossed over each other, which caused her to lose her balance, and she fell on her back with a blade to her neck. Milly stood over her daughter, victorious.
“Always be ready for a fight,” Milly said, pulling back the blade and walking around the circle. “When you’re in a real battle, there is no room for mistakes.”
Allora got up, wiping off the fine dust that lined floor.
“And these battles that you fought in,” Allora said, “were they fought with swords and sticks? It seems like we’d be better off with guns and missiles.”
Milly went to the side of the training circle, placed her foot on the side, and pushed down on a lever that popped up a crate. Milly withdrew a gun and placed it in her daughter’s hand.
“Shoot me.”
“What? Are you crazy?” Milly stood with her hands behind her back and closed her eyes. “No. No way.” Milly remained standing. Allora reluctantly pointed the gun at her mother. “Mom, I can’t shoot you.”
“It will be fine. Just trust me,” Milly said, with confident eyes.
Allora’s hand shook as she slowly pulled back the trigger and fired the gun. The bullet sped to its target. When it came within inches of Milly’s chest, the bullet hit an invisible wall and disintegrated. Milly grabbed the gun from her daughter. She just smiled at Allora’s open mouth and large eyes. She placed the gun back in the crate and went back to her position.
“Now you see why guns and bullets have no effect. They are simply projectiles with an easily felt energy signature. Your body and mind will automatically shield itself from meager weaponry. It’s an internal defense mechanism. The energy produced from the gunpowder exploding attracts your hadrons like a magnet. The sword, however, doesn’t have an energy signature that is easily reflected because most are imbued with certain metals that can channel hadrons. The same goes with a bow and arrow, as you have already demonstrated.”
“Why don’t you just make bullets out of those metals?”
“Because even those metals won’t penetrate a hadron shield with that small of a projectile,” Milly said, pulling up her sword. “You see, the true power of a weapon is channeled through the body. That force is what gives it power. You must feel every swing and use it as though it were an extension of yourself.”
Milly got into a fighting stance and pulled up her sword. Allora mimicked the move. For the next few hours, Milly went over many different moves and tactics. As tired as she was, Allora couldn’t help but enjoy the session. For the first time, she was able to see her mother’s skills. It was as if she could sense every action. After a long duel, Allora dropped her sword and put her hands on her knees, panting from exhaustion.
“All right, let’s take a break,” Milly said, sitting down on the edge of the training circle.
Allora stood up, put her hands over her head, and slowed down her breathing.
“Mom,” Allora said, pausing for a few seconds, “when you went to war, were you scared?”
“All the time.”
“How did you deal with it?”
“You look at the soldier next to you,” Milly said, staring at her daughter with blank eyes. “You remind yourself that you are doing this for that person, and for those at home who can’t be there themselves. You do it so that, hopefully, your daughter or son doesn’t have to.” Milly put her head against her chest and closed her eyes. She pulled back the emotions and put on a fake smile. “Sometimes things don’t work out the way you’d like.” Allora gave her mother a long hug.
Tanner, Dax, and Katie popped through the portal.
“Thanks for coming,” Milly said, directing them to the training ring. “There is something that I needed to teach all of you, something that could mean life or death in a fight. Allora, I need you to demonstrate. Please hit me with a hadron burst.”
Allora went to the other side of the ring. She pulled in hadrons and fired a burst at her mother. Milly placed her hands, palms out, toward the purple ball of energy. It hit an invisible field and dissipated. Milly barely moved and had no signs that the hadron burst had even caused her to flinch.
“It’s called a hadron shield, and it’s your best defensive weapon against any attack.” Milly directed them to face her and prepare to defend themselves. “All right, I want you to place your hands in front of your torso and try to focus your hadrons outward from your fingertips. Think about bending that energy toward yourself. That should help make a shield bubble in front of your body.”
“Milly, I can barely produce a spark,” Katie said. She had been practicing all summer with only minimal progress.
“That’s OK,” Milly replied. “You only have to focus a small amount of hadrons for this exercise. The larger the attack, the greater amount of energy you will need to produce.” Milly shot a small hadron burst at her daughter, which hit the invisible shield in front of Allora, blew up in a shower of yellow sparks, and then dissipated. Milly repeated the exercise with Dax and Tanner, who were able to block the attacks after a few tries.
“You ready?” Milly asked, unsure about Katie’s timid posture.
“I think so,” Katie responded, putting her hands in front and focusing intently. The yellow ball of energy flew through the air, striking Katie’s hands and knocking her backward onto the ground. She shook her hands wildly, feeling the sharp sting of electricity. “Well, that felt great.”
“Again,” Milly said as Katie got to her feet.
“I can’t do it. I’m just not able to focus enough to stop it.”
“Just take a deep breath. Clear your mind of all thought. Then let t
he breath out. Your body will feel a tingling sensation, and the hairs on your arms will raise. Once you feel that energy, take in another deep breath, and focus on that energy around you. Feel it absorbing into your limbs.”
Katie closed her eyes and took two deep breaths. The hairs on her arms rose as she took in her second breath. With her eyes closed, she extended her arms and placed her palms outward. Without warning, Milly sent a shot of hadrons toward the unsuspecting girl. The ball exploded against an invisible wall of energy, showering the rest of them in yellow light. Katie had opened her eyes just in time to see the light display. She smiled emphatically.
“I guess you can do it,” Allora said, patting her friend on the back.
They practiced the same exercise on each other, taking turns shooting hadron bursts at their invisible shields. After an hour, they were exhausted. They collapsed on the floor, panting and sucking in air. Milly threw a couple of water bottles to them.
“Is this even water?” Dax asked.
“No, it’s not, but your mind can’t tell the difference,” Milly said, walking over to a large lever sticking out of the wall. She pulled down on the rubber grip. Suddenly the whole building shook like an earthquake had started. “You guys might want to move.”
The ground beneath opened up. The training circle split in the middle, sliding apart. The four teens got up quickly and ran over to Milly. From below the training circle, a strange contraption rose from a large crevice in the ground. There were large logs, swinging leather bags filled with sand, rope ladders, walls of stone dragon heads, and other strange objects. The obstacle course was over a hundred feet and took up the entire training room.
“Any keeper, guardian, or soldier must be agile, strong, and quick. They must be able to think on their feet and react to any situation as it arises. This training course will test even the strongest of warriors. There is no slacking when you enter it because if you fail, it will hurt. This is the gauntlet.”
