The Joining: The Saga of the Shards Book One (The Cycle of the Shards 1)

by Chris Stephenson

  “GET HIM!” Shanna called as Critock ran past her. Unneeded words as the sword was already in swing. Regardless of their past together, Critock knew this needed to be ended quickly. If the last hour had proved anything, it was that Pt’ron could not have another opportunity to escape. He advanced on his enemy, ready to deal a final, fatal blow.

  Pt’ron’s side and face were still erupting in pain, and knew that he had lost the girl, and also knew that Critock would be upon him soon. Pushing away everything else, he focused, turning back, and used the one weapon he had left to him. The fact that the pen gun had just been used a few moments before didn’t seem to effect anything, as a straight white laser beam shot straight out of the front of it and directly at Critock. Thinking quickly, Critock caught the beam with the blade, and instantly a freezing coat of white began to spread up to the tip and down towards the hilt, which caused him to drop the sword before it could begin working its magic upon him. He didn’t, however, stop moving.

  Before Pt’ron could even think to fire another shot, Critock reached him. Grabbing his wrist, Critock wrenched it up and away just as his thumb depressed the firing tab, sending a freezing shot harmlessly into the air. With his other arm, he laid a punch directly on the other side of Pt’ron’s face, causing him to fall to the ground, Critock on top of him.

  The two struggled as they fought, Critock distracted by the pen gun that he had to keep from targeting him and Shanna, Pt’ron distracted by trying to aim the pen gun at any of his enemies while praying for the Shard to suddenly activate and put these two out of their misery. They rolled around, trading punches with their one free hands, looking for all the world like two teenagers in a meaningless fight instead of two powerful aliens fighting for the future of the galaxy. Finally, Critock gave up on punches and used both hands to wrap around Pt’ron’s wrist, and slammed it to the ground once, twice, three times before the added pain caused him to release the grip on the weapon, sending it flying through the air.

  If Critock had expected this to make the battle easier, he was sadly mistaken. The weapon being released caused Pt’ron to regain his free hand, and instantly used it to slam Critock in the same eye that had already turned black, the force of it causing him to roll off of Pt’ron. Before Critock could shake off the stars in his eyes, Pt’ron was on him, raining a series of painful blows upon his enemy, not daring to let up until Critock raised his legs together, and using what strength he had left in his legs he pushed Pt’ron back off of him, who flew through the air slightly before landing hard on his back.

  The string of battles was almost too much for the two of them as instead of instantly being right back upon each other, they both slowly rose to their feet. While their energy had ebbed, their hatred still burned in their eyes for each other. After a silent moment where they stared each other down, they both launched, meeting in the middle and again trading punches and struggling against each other.

  Critock was tired of this. Tired of everything. A thousand cycles of fighting and struggle and loss because of this. He was as worn down as Pt’ron, but he had the advantage of being the most recent holder of a Shard, which gave him just enough energy to quickly move around his slowing enemy and grab him from behind, an arm around his throat and another punching him in his painful side. Pt’ron roared in pain, and threw an elbow backwards into Critock’s stomach. Critock grunted with each return blow he received but he couldn’t give up, he wouldn’t give up. But he just wasn’t going down, and he knew it was only a matter of time before this other Shard activated, and the chances of it being something that would give Pt’ron an advantage was just too great to allow! He tried to tighten his arm around his throat, squeezing, trying to knock him out, but he was just moving around too much to allow that to work. This was hopeless! Unless….

  He saw the sunlight reflect off of a silver cylinder. Saw where it was pointed. Saw the determined look in his friend’s eyes. He chose again to trust. Critock released his arm suddenly, and before Pt’ron could react, he was pushed directly forward…Straight at where Shanna Ewing was pointing the pen gun that she had retrieved as soon as she had saw it fall. “FREEZE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!” She yelled as she depressed the trigger, the white beam coming out instantly.

  Pt’ron barely had enough time to know what was happening to him, but it was heartbreakingly familiar all the same. The sensation of absolute zero cold moving through his body, slowing his temperature. From where it impacted his chest, it spread quickly to his arms and legs bringing his motion to a complete stop. He looked up, a mixture of panic and anger filling his face, as the white ice coating covered his face. After a moment, there was no sound, no movement. Two thousand years later, Pt’ron was again frozen in place.

  Critock was breathing heavy, and almost bent over from the weariness. But maybe now it was all over. He looked at Shanna, standing still, her mouth agape at what she had caused, and then she turned her head to look at him.

  “NOW will you kill him?”

  38

  Critock circled the frozen form of his enemy. He knew that Pt’ron was still conscious, and could follow every movement around him. But he was absolutely helpless. Critock felt a pang of regret that he should die this way, instead of like a warrior. But they had tried that path, and that didn’t work out. There was no time left for another round. He glanced at the sky, the missile still too far away to be seen, and probably so far behind the other that it hadn’t reached the moon yet. Good. He thought. One less thing that would have to be explained away and just frighten the humans more.

  Shanna followed him, watching as he spun his sword around. “Is…Is Daniel still alive?” The thought suddenly occurred to her as she came down from the battles and her brain began to return to normal. She hadn’t yet reached the point where she would have to accept what had just happened over the last hour, but she knew it was going to be bad when it did. Her first thought was for her friend…Or was he ever really her friend?

  Critock didn’t sugarcoat the answer as he confirmed her dark thoughts. “He hasn’t been alive for a long time, Shanna. When a joining happens, and there isn’t a quick separation, the stronger willed being absorbs the other. Pt’ron’s a war veteran. Daniel was a high school student. He never had a chance.”

  Shanna put her head down silently, thinking for a moment. “So if you don’t leave…”

  “I think it’s best if we both keep on going, don’t you?” Critock sidestepped the question, which seemed like a pointless query to him anyway. One swing, and this was over. One swing…. He stopped, facing Pt’ron face to face. One last time. No more delays, no more fighting. The War of the Shards would end here once and for all. “Stand back.” Shanna obeyed quickly as he placed the tip of the Sword of Kon, the energy of which had quickly defrosted the ice energy that had struck it, on Pt’ron’s head. He then pulled his hands back in the air, holding the sword up high. A single strike would shatter Pt’ron’s body, killing him instantly. The Shard would then be easily located and then destroyed soon after. He willed himself to forget the good times that he and Pt’ron had years before. The reasons that he had went so wrong. He willed himself to forget any justification for why Pt’ron had become what he had become, and willed himself to remember only one thing.

  Her.

  The swing came down, and if it had been one second sooner that would be the end of things. But both Critock and Shanna missed the small spark of red that began emanating from Pt’ron’s side, even through the thin-looking layer of ice. Almost as if the Shard itself knew what was about to happen, it reacted to defend itself, and Pt’ron’s body along with it. Before Critock knew what was happening he was again flying through the air, his blade having struck a strong bolt of energy. He crashed to the ground, adding to his pain and suffering, but at this moment he didn’t feel it, his face covered with astonishment as he rose to his feet slowly, watching as a red globe of swirling energy began to surround Pt’ron, electric energy flowing off of him, causing the grass on the ground t
o die and turn black instantly.

  “What’s happening!” Shanna ran to his side, looking on as red streaks began to rise into the sky, causing clouds to form out of nowhere. Red, swirling clouds that themselves began emitting red lightning. And they were growing.

  “…It’s not a dud.” Critock stood in disbelief until his eyes caught Pt’ron’s through the energy and the ice. They blinked as he slowly regained his senses, and Critock knew it was only a matter of time before Pt’ron had completely recovered, and now he was in complete control of a shard even more powerful than the other.

  “Wha…What do we do now?” Shanna was at a complete loss for words. Even beyond aliens and monsters and fighting and ships, this was like something out of the bible. A God had just been born, and he was moments from having total control of himself.

  Critock found himself saying something very uncharacteristic for him. “…We run.” He couldn’t stop the fear from entering his voice as he grasped Shanna’s arm, much less tightly than Pt’ron had but just as urgently. They backed up and then turned together, running as fast as they could down the hill as the energy expanded, sending red electric and fire everywhere.

  As they ran, Critock couldn’t think of anything. There was no plan now against this. Obviously their best bet was still the second missile, surely somewhere between Earth and the Moon at this point. But with whatever this new power was, surely Pt’ron would be able to detect it and knock it out of the sky. It was back to distraction as a plan, but how do you distract a God? Running at this point and getting to someplace safe and just hoping that he would be lost in his own power was the best option he could come up with. He thanked the Five that the hill was so close to the school as they reached the rear doors, rushing inside and slamming the doors shut behind them. Both of them stood with their backs to the door, breathing as though they had just run a marathon.

  They were met with expectant faces. The entire school seemed to have regrouped inside the lobby, nursing their wounds and their shock. Hundreds of students and the faculty looked up from the sudden noise of their reentrance.

  “SHANNA!” The yell came from near the gymnasium, and Claire came running over, grasping Shanna in a tight bear hug. “I thought….We all thought…”

  “Cri…Kyl….He saved me. We almost got him. We were so close…” Shanna shook her head and just hugged her friend back, choosing to be lost in this rare moment instead of facing the horrible reality that was right outside their doors.

  Critock just stood stock still, taking in the scene of the entire school. Many of them were crying, and there a couple of students who were isolated, alternating between infrequent screams and talking to themselves. With the wreckage from the fighting around them, it looked almost as if the lobby had been turned into a refugee camp.

  He looked up at the stairs, and saw Phelps, dressed with a makeshift bandage, together with John and Jim, both bloodied and looking shell-shocked. The teacher and the alien’s eyes met and they nodded at each other, the equal exchange of the Shard’s destruction and Shanna’s life being saved causing a shared respect. Not that it mattered much right now with the impending proof of failure that could very well be tearing down the walls at any minute. He looked over again and saw Tomkari struggling to float and stay out of everyone’s way, despite the fact that no-one could really see him outside of the small team. He turned back around and faced the window. He watched what looked like a red storm growing over the hill.

  He let the thoughts flow over him of everything that had happened since he had arrived on this planet. His conversations, his interactions, everything that he could think of. There had to be something that he missed, something that he could use against him before it was too late…

  “Would you do it? Answer the question! Would you sacrifice…”

  He remembered Shanna. He remembered the argument. He remembered the empty feeling in his stomach afterwards as he pondered the question one last time. And he knew his answer. He closed his eyes, and before he could direct his thoughts at the mind of the body that he was inhabiting, he received his answer. Whatever was needed. There was no choice now.

  He walked gingerly to Tomkari, who looked up at him as he kneeled down. “I’m guessing we didn’t win.”

  Critock shook his head. “We’re still alive.”

  “Give it a couple minutes. At least we made sure there’s a planet here that he can build into a war machine, that’s something, I guess.”

  Critock sighed. “Thank you, Tomkari.”

  Tomkari rose higher, tilting his form slightly. “For what?”

  “You came with me on this, the only thing in the universe that didn’t judge me as soon as they knew my name. Even when you knew that this was all my fault in the first place. And at the end you threw your vow away, almost your life…”

  Tomkari snapped his head back to a full upright position. “Why are you telling me this now? Things happen. The Five willed it, I don’t know why. You couldn’t do this alone, you made mistakes, but everyone does. Just because some are bigger than others doesn’t mean they’re unforgivable. You couldn’t have guessed any of this would happen. It’s Pt’ron’s fault. Never forget that.”

  Critock nodded, feeling slightly better. “I’m glad to have known you, Tomkari. I wish I could have known you longer.” He stood, and walked away from the wisp, who wasn’t in good enough shape yet to follow, so he just floated, now alone, and confused.

  Outside, the wind had picked up. Pt’ron wasn’t fully awake yet, and still in a rapidly melting ice cocoon. The window was closing. But there still had to be time left for one last goodbye, and one that wasn’t his. He closed his eyes, and turned to the cheerleader, now extricated from her tear-filled hug.

  “Shanna.” The voice didn’t have the slight guttural edge to it that Critock’s usually had, and Shanna turned to see him. But it wasn’t him. She could tell from the posture, from the look in his eyes, and from the slight shake he now effected. Critock had faded for the moment, allowing Kyle this one last moment with the object of his desires.

  “Kyle?” She said softly, walking slowly towards the boy, stopping close to him and staring at his eyes, confirming the thin black ring in his iris had disappeared. “...I don’t understand.”

  “We can stop him. Me and Critock. It’s the only way this works. He gets it now. He would give anything for you, for them, for Earth.” He waved his arm around, thankful for the moment that he had full control of his limbs. “It’s the least he could do.”

  Shanna shook her head. “No! This isn’t what I meant! I just meant he should have some responsibility, not that he should actually sacrifice himself AND you!” The people closest to her turned as she yelled, tears coming again to her eyes.

  “Shh…Shh…” He reached out and took her hands into his. “It’s ok. I chose this. I can help him.” He chuckled. “We’re a team, finally. And we couldn't have done any of this without you.”

  “But…You can’t…”

  “Shanna, two days ago I was just an angry guy that was about to get his ass kicked. Now I’m going to go save the world. Let me have one victory in my life, okay?”

  “NO!” She screamed at him. “I CAN’T LOSE BOTH OF YOU!” She crushed him to her in a hug, crying as hard as she could ever imagine..

  Kyle pulled back slightly, not removing himself from the embrace but just moving far enough to stare at her. She stared back, slightly confused while tears still streamed from her eyes. Then he moved close again, face to face, and then lips to lips.

  For Kyle and Shanna both, the kiss was something that they had been waiting forever for. It was not a simple peck, but a passionate expression, if slightly clumsy due to it being Kyle's first kiss. For that precious few seconds, there was no Pt'ron, no missile, no aliens and no Shards to interfere. No other students or teachers or people anywhere.

  After a moment, he pulled back slightly, their heads close together, and he stared back into her eyes, wishing he could hold on to this momen
t forever and ignore reality. But he knew it was not to be, as he felt a gentle yet firm prodding from Critock. There were no words now. He felt himself fade into Critock, and Shanna sucked in her breath as she saw the black line appear and knew that she would never see Kyle again.

  Critock was silent, wishing for the words that would make this right. None came. He spent another few seconds staring in her eyes. Then he turned and ran out of the rear doors, the Sword of Kon held tightly in his right hand, running headlong into what both he and Kyle felt would be the end.

  The wind had continued to blow faster to the point that branches were cracking and falling off the trees, but Critock paid them no mind as he ran once again back to the hill behind the school. He saw the red lightning and swirling magenta clouds, but he would not let that worry him. Only absolute focus would see this through to the bitter end. He knew that every time the sword had interacted with the shield a Shard had put up before, it had been repelled. But he knew the legends of the sword, and was not deterred. Both times he had been caught unaware and was not truly putting all the power he needed to into the strike. This time would be different.