The Ark of Power

by David Barco

  Jaylen and Joseph walk over joining all of them.

  "Thanks, for everything Stew," Harrison says. "Let's get going guys."

  Stew taps Jaylen's back as he walks with them.

  "Here, you all might need this more than me. Just take it and bring it back to me when you all get back."

  Stew hands his pitchfork to them. Jaylen grabs it.

  They walk toward the mountains rising in front of them in the near distance. Each step splashes mud on Harrison's pants. The only thing making noise is the rain falling from the sky. Thunder erupts every couple of seconds followed by various streaks of lightning behind the mountains.

  Harrison grabs his bag from Joseph, unzipping it. Yanking the compass out, it drools with its eyes closed tightly. Harrison shakes it violently making the drool sling from its mouth and its eyes open quickly.

  "Whoa. What's going on?" the compass shouts, confused.

  "We are right here near the Purhara Mountains. But I need to know which way to take to get inside, Harrison asks coming up to a part in the road that leads to two separate parts of the mountain.

  "Show me exactly where we are," the compass replies.

  Harrison faces the compass towards the roads splitting to two different parts of the mountain. He points the compass at the dark silver mountains stained with wetness from the rain.

  "I can sense the Ark very strongly. It is really close. We need to take the trail on the left. The trail called the Trail of Tears," the compass responds.

  Harrison lowers the compass.

  "Why is it called that?" Josephs asks.

  "Because this is the trail the Supreme Elder's brother took into the mountain when he returned. They said he cried on his journey back here because the girl he loved was afraid of him,” the compass reveals.

  Harrison throws the compass back into the bag and zips it up.

  They travel down the trail getting closer to the entrance of the monstrous mountain. A vast opening is visible at the bottom of it.

  "There is the entrance," Tommy points.

  Unexpectedly, energy blasts start smashing all around them exploding the mud everywhere.

  "Watch out," Harrison screams.

  Sprinting to the mountain the energy blasts keep slamming near their feet. Harrison dives in the mountain entrance. Rolling on his side he stops on his back as the others land beside him.

  They rise to their feet rapidly.

  "They weren't trying to hit us. They were aiming the blasts at our feet," Tommy says.

  "Why?" Joseph asks trying to catch his breath.

  "They wanted to make sure we came into the mountain," Harrison surveys the mountain.

  Torches on both sides of the walls light up the hallway that leads to a set of stairs at the end of the hallway. All of a sudden, a group of ten men dressed in all black with masks on, walk down the stairs.

  "Glad you made it here, Grady," the one in the front says. "Now just follow us. Our master would like to meet you."

  "We aren't going anywhere," Tommy throws an energy ball at them.

  Exploding in front of them, they scatter from the stairs. Meeting mid-point in the hallway they all throw punches at one another. Harrison is circled by three of them throwing various punches and kicks at him.

  The one in front of him heaves a strong right hook. Harrison grabs it and throws him to into the man behind him. The other one kicks twice as Harrison blocks both. Harrison fakes him with his left leg. Falling for the fake kick, Harrison jumps up into the air spinning and lands his foot across his face.

  Joseph is backed against the wall as one of them keeps throwing punches at his gut. Harrison shoots an energy ball nailing him in the back. He slams against the wall next to Joseph. Jaylen knocks one out with the bottom of the pitchfork.

  The last two run towards Tommy. Tommy runs and flips in-between both of them. As he lands, he charges up his energy. They run toward him again.

  "Supersonic Omega Blast," Tommy screams.

  He slams it into the one in the front knocking him and the one behind him to the ground.

  Laying on the ground, flinching, the group moan in pain. Harrison and the others start to walk up the stairs which seem to go all the way to the top of the mountain. Each dark gray stone feels different with each step. The steps begin to circle the higher they get. Halfway up the steps, loud chanting rings through it.

  "Slow down," Tommy says.

  Harrison, Joseph, and Jaylen stop and listen to Tommy.

  "We need to be really careful when we get to the top. Whatever we do, try not to separate. We will get taken out faster if we are by ourselves," Harrison says.

  Each of them nods their heads in agreement. The chanting gets louder with each step. Harrison struggles to understand what they are saying. Approaching the end, Harrison and the others crouch low, peeking over the last step. There are about twenty people all dressed in black and wearing the same masks.

  "Okay, on the count of three we stand and throw energy balls at them," Harrison says.

  "One...two...three," Harrison forms an energy ball and stands quickly while the others do the same thing.

  Harrison gasps at the sight he rises to. Behind the twenty, stands hundreds of people dressed in all black and wearing masks. Harrison and the others continue to hold the energy balls in their hands, stunned at what they see.

  The hundreds of masked people continue to chant, standing completely still and staring right at them.

  Harrison senses his heart beat faster than it ever has. The pounding in his chest proves it. Harrison tries to swallow but can't seem to. The eerie chants fill the large room bouncing off the gloomy walls.

  "MAR... THAR."

  "MAR... THAR."

  Harrison tightens his fist.

  "Harrison. Don't do it," Joseph whispers.

  Abruptly, Harrison launches his energy ball into the group of twenty standing the closest to him. Running at them full speed, the explosion from his blast separates the small group. Harrison shoots through the air with a flying punch.

  He nails the one in the front in the face. He continues to throw kicks and punches at the others. Tommy, Jaylen, and Joseph follow in behind him and join in on the fight. The rest of the people chanting stand completely still.

  "MAR... THAR."

  "MAR... THAR."

  Tommy punches one in the face making him fall to the ground. Two come beside him. He forms two energy balls in both hands. Squatting down he places both of them on each one's hip and blasts them.

  Joseph hits one in the head with the end of the pitchfork, knocking them on the floor. All of a sudden, one of them kicks the pitchfork out of his hand. Flying through the air, it lands too far away for him to get it.

  The masked person throws two punches at Joseph. The first one hits him in the chest while he catches the second one. Creating an energy ball, he shoots him in the chest sending him flying towards other masked people.

  Harrison and Jaylen fight side by side punching and kicking through multiple masked people. Jaylen jumps through the air and kicks the last one towards Harrison. Harrison forms an energy ball in both hands and slams it into his chest sending him soaring in the air.

  All four of them watch the last one bounce off the ground.

  Suddenly, silence fills the room. The loud chanting stops. They get blank stares from the hundreds of masked people near them. Harrison and the others try to catch their breath with deep inhaling and exhaling as they hear slow clapping coming from one person. Harrison looks for the person clapping but can't spot him.

  Finally, from behind the mass of people in front of Harrison, the black-robed guy walks through, slowly clapping. His deep raspy voice rattles Harrison's ears just like the first time he heard it.

  "I wouldn't expect anything less from a Grady," the black robed guy says walking closer to them.

  Harrison, Tommy, Joseph, and Jaylen get closer together with each step he takes.

  "Taking out what, ten guys down there and now ab
out twenty up here. Impressive."

  He finally stands right in front of them, just a couple feet away. Harrison tries to see his face, but it is completely dark underneath his hood.

  "Where is our friend JT?" Harrison says, angrily.

  "You don't get to talk to me yet. Don't ask another question," he responds pacing back and forth.

  Harrison and the others just watch.

  "What you are really up here looking for, the Ark, right? I mean that is why you and your little friends left the academy right?"

  Harrison remains silent.

  "See, this is where you talk. I just asked you a question," he says.

  Harrison just stares back without blinking.

  "Answer me!" he yells.

  Gasps from some of the masked people behind him fill the air.

  "Yes," Harrison says reluctantly.

  "And why are you searching for the Ark?" he asks.

  "I am-" Harrison stops and stares at him.

  "Did you forget how to speak mid-sentence? Answer me,” he replies.

  "I am looking for my dad. I learned that the Silent Mission was all about him and the Silver Falcons looking for it. So, I was hoping it would help lead me to him or at least give me some clues," Harrison responds.

  The man stops pacing and faces Harrison.

  "So, you went through all this work and effort to just find it and hope that it would give you clues of your dad's whereabouts? That leaves me speechless," he says.

  "Well, it just so happens that the Ark is right over there. Follow me, I will take you to it," he walks back towards the large mass of people.

  Harrison and the others stand there. Seeing that they aren't moving, he nods his head. Suddenly, a group of fifteen people come and push them forward. Following behind him, the mass of people split, letting them walk through.

  On the other side, a giant gold box with silver at the bottom glistens. Two silver eagles spreading their wings sit on top of it. The man stands next to it. "I want to make you a deal. A deal I know you can't refuse.”

  "What's the deal?" Harrison asks.

  "I want you to open the Ark. If you open it, I will give you your friend back, tell you where your dad is, and let you and your friends leave," he replies.

  All of a sudden, Ghost and another person bring JT over to them, tied up. They drop him to his knees facing them.

  "He will die if he touches that, are you crazy," Joseph says.

  "He won't. He is the only one that can open it," he says.

  "What are you talking about?" Harrison says.

  "You are the only one that can open it because you are the chosen one. The one who the First Destine Elder foresaw,” he says.

  Chapter 32

  Truth Told

  Harrison stands there quietly for a couple of moments trying to figure out what he is talking about.

  "What? That sounds crazy," Jaylen says interrupting the awkward silence.

  He steps closer to Harrison who just stares back at him.

  "As crazy as it may sound, it's true. Ask the Drake boy next to you,” he says, pointing at Tommy. "He knows. He has known for a while. He was told a long time ago. That is why he was trained at such a young age. He was assigned to protect the chosen one. Tell them."

  Tommy takes a deep breath, sighing slowly.

  "He is right. Harrison is the chosen one prophesized about," Tommy says.

  "So, since we all are on the same page, why don't you come open it for me," he says.

  Harrison gazes at him without speaking.

  “C’ mon….don't play shy. Come open this and I will keep my part of the deal. But if you refuse, well let's just say this evening will get a whole lot worse than what it has to,” he says.

  "I'm not doing it. I don't know how or why you want to use it, but I am not going to help you," Harrison responds.

  "Okay. Have it your way. I was trying to be reasonable, but I will go back to what my original plan was months ago," he says.

  "Line them up."

  People behind them push them to their knees next to JT. The black robed guy stands over them as the golden Ark sits behind him. Its majestic gold radiates soft shimmers of light.

  The icy, dense air bounces off of the silver eagles that stare in opposite directions. Their wings stretch in magnificent grandeur as if they are about to fly off of it.

  "You see Harrison, now I am going to make you pay for all the trouble you have caused me since the beginning. I was just going to kill you and just take your body and press it against the Ark. That is why I sent the acceptance letter to you. It was supposed to kill you and then I was going to take your body, but we see that didn't work because you survived the blast," he says.

  "Oh. I forgot, bring out the other people we have. I have a surprise for you Harrison,” he says.

  Unexpectedly, another black robed person with their hood on walks out with Victoria and Gavin. They drop them on their knees alongside them. The person that brought them out stands next to him.

  "What? Why did you take them? They have nothing to do with this,” Harrison shouts.

  "Oh, but they do. You see, they are important in your life so that means they have everything to do with it," he says.

  "Who are you?”

  Suddenly, he grabs his hood and pulls it back showing his face.

  Harrison feels his heart drop.

  Sebastian Darby smiles at him bouncing on his toes and rolling his thumbs around each other.

  "Well to answer your other question, Harrison. I saw Victoria, is that your name?"

  He points at her as tears roll down her face. "Yeah, I think that is her name, I saw her with you at the Rose Garden when you were at the hospital. But I had a little help remembering who she was,” he says pointing at the person next to him.

  All of a sudden, the person next to him pulls back the hood covering their face.

  Harrison drops his head in disbelief.

  "She helped me out, a lot," Sebastian says kissing Rena Rush.

  "Aww. Thanks, sweetie,” she says. "I saw her with him in the street here in town and I just couldn't believe it. So, I took them just in case we needed them for a moment like this."

  Sebastian smiles at her while shaking his head.

  "See that is why I trusted her with keeping up with you Harrison. She was supposed to get your dead body from the hospital after the letter incident. You see I sent the letter to you. I was going to take your dead body and use it to open the Ark, but you survived. So, I told her to just kill you and bring you to me, but your mom wouldn't leave the room, so that messed that up," Sebastian says, clearly aggravated. "So, I got her on at the school so she could watch you for me. That's how we knew you were going to be here this week."

  Harrison places his hands on the ground squeezing the little bit of dirt that is on the stone floor.

  "Don’t feel so upset, kid. I did give you some information about your father. I didn't have to give you those notes in your dorm. I thought that was really nice of me. Made you not trust your uncle as much but hey helped me out," Sebastian says. "But anyways back to what I was about to do," Sebastian says, wiping the smile off his face.

  "You have caused me some serious trouble in your little search for your daddy. You have hurt many of my men, including one of my first followers, Ghost,” he says, pointing at Ghost.

  "Also, you killed one of my favorite pets, Ripper. And for that, you are going to pay."

  Harrison lifts his head up as tears start to form.

  "Why would you do all of this? You were the next in line to lead the Destine nation? Why try to betray the Destines?" Harrison says with tears dripping down his face.

  "If only your precious daddy could see you now. I am sure he would be disappointed in what he saw, I will be honest with you, kid. I never liked your dad. Shoot, not even your uncle. Actually, I had the idea to drop your dead body off to your father after I used it," Sebastian says.

  Harrison interrupts him.

  "Wait,
my dad is alive?" Harrison wipes his tears away.

  "I will tell you that much. He is alive and I can't stand the guy. I hope the next time I see him I get to kill him," Sebastian says.

  "But, back to it, you have to pay. You have caused me enough trouble and I am going to show my loyal followers that I am not one to be reckoned with like the other guys in the group,” Sebastian says. "Hand me that pitchfork over there."

  Someone picks up the pitchfork, marches it over, and hands it to Sebastian. He examines it by constantly turning it in his hand.

  "Who are you guys? And what do you want with the Ark?" Harrison says.

  Sebastian jerks him up aggressively by his shirt. He pulls him around showing him to all the people around the room.

  "He wants to know who we are. Tell him who we are," Sebastian yells.

  "WE ARE ONE."

  "WE ARE ONE."

  He punches Harrison in the stomach. Harrison feels his fist lift his body off the ground. Coughs of spit blast out of his mouth.

  "Leave him alone," Gavin screams.

  Sebastian stares at Gavin with an evil scowl.

  "Gavin, please be quiet," Victoria says sobbing.

  Sebastian walks over and picks Gavin up the same way he did Harrison.

  "To answer your question, Harrison, we are the G.O.M. We are one. The reason I want the Ark isn't because of what it looks like or it's stupid power. No, we have bigger plans. The Destines and the other nations worship the Supreme Elder. But I think he was a traitor to his brother and weak compared to him. You see inside here is the Supreme Elder's bones. I am going to take his bones," Sebastian says, facing Gavin towards them on their knees.

  "For what?" JT asks.

  Sebastian smiles at JT with excitement.

  "You see, Master Marthar, the Supreme Elder's brother left the energy from his Power Flow in the rare black gems. Once we pour the black gem on his brother's bones, we can resurrect Master Marthar. And we then can take down the last three nations and become one. We will right all the wrong that the Supreme Elder caused," Sebastian reveals.

  Gavin tries to pull away from Sebastian's grip. Hastily, Sebastian punches him in the back.

  Gavin hollers in pain. Harrison lifts up, but Rena pulls him back down. Other people step behind Jaylen, Joseph, Tommy, JT, and Victoria.