James Somers - The rise of Lucin

"Yes, sir. Thrusters online."

Tiet sat upon the grass quietly while Emil watched him, curiously. They had stopped to rest after exiting the drainage conduit on the edge of the city's suburbs. But after an hour here, Tiet had still not said a word. His thoughts appeared so focused that even Emil's voice went unheard.

Then, Tiet suddenly opened his eyes again and stood up.

"I think I've been able to locate him."

Emil was astonished. "Really, where?"

"To the north. It's far from us, probably three days journey on foot and I don't see anyone around here offering us a transport."

"Is he alright?"

"As far as I can perceive. We had better get started."

Tiet reached in his back satchel and pulled out two food bars. He tossed one to Emil as they began a brisk jog.

"Emil, I'm sure you must have noticed the power emanating from that man back there."

"I suppose. It was as though an unseen weight pressed me. How is he able to do such things?"

"I may be wrong, but I believe he must be Barudii."

"But how?"

"I'm not sure how."

"So, what do we do?"

"Nothing. If we can retrieve Kale and get out of here with minimal trouble then I'll be happy. As far as this planet is concerned, he can have it."

"Do you think we can get Kale home safely?"

Tiet looked over at him as they jogged along. "Do you miss him?"

"Kale is my best friend. He always has been and always will be. I only hope that symbyte creature hasn't harmed him."

"So do I," Tiet said. "Kale is very strong willed, but it will be a challenge to fight that thing. I haven't seen anyone, except you, beat its takeover of mind and body."

The pair continued to jog briskly in Kale's perceived direction. They're only hope-to find him alive and well.

The snow fell heavily as Kale stood on the porch watching Olson chop wood for the fire hearth. The wind blew very cold but he was getting used to it now. The countryside around their home was completely white except for the black spires of bare trees jutting up out of the surrounding hillsides. It was absolutely beautiful, he thought.

The women finished the supper dishes together inside and chatted about their guest. Olson puffed on his pipe in between strokes with the axe. Kale thought, how strange to try and do such a strenuous task while inhaling flavored smoke. Still, the aroma was pleasant hanging in the frigid evening air. The sun shone vaguely through the thick clouds, casting a pale glow across the land as dusk battled for dominance.

"Would you like to take a whack at it, Master Soone?"

"Please, Kale is fine, and yes, I would be happy to."

Kale jumped down off the porch and picked up another axe propped there. He took up a position at the stump as Olson placed another thick log on top for him. He raised the axe high over his head and brought it down precisely, sending the two pieces of log down off the side of the stump.

It satisfied, even relaxed him in a way. Olson gave him a sly grin through his beard as he puffed again on his pipe. Kale placed another log up for the kill and then brought the axe up for another hit. He looked at Mr. Barone again. Olson now stared blankly out into the trees around them. He no longer puffed, but listening.

Then Kale noticed that the noises of nature around them had suddenly fallen silent. It would not have been strange had their not been so much activity from the cold climate birds and tree dwellers only a moment before. Kale felt something else-danger.

He heard only a whisper, like a blade dividing the air. The cracking and splitting of wood followed after as a large tree came crashing through the frozen limbs of the other trees. Kale jumped toward Olson and snared the older man in time to pull him out from under the thunderous explosion of wood and snow hitting the ground behind them.

Kale stood back to his feet in a flash, rolling away from Olson as his kemstick leaped off of his leg-clip to his hand. He did not ignite it-not yet.

Kale scanned the trees with his eyes trying to squint through the heavy flakes of falling snow. Olson lumbered back to his feet, shaking the snow off as he looked at the fallen timber lying in the place he had just been standing.

Kale knew it wasn't an accident. His senses surveyed beyond his eyes, taking in every detail he could with his mind. Something seemed familiar about the lack of feedback he was getting from his surroundings.

Then, Kale heard it again-that whisper. He realized just in time. Kale snapped his arm up to the side of his head as his kemstick ignited. Something bounced off of its rod of dispersion energy and landed in the snow. He turned and found a sword, vibrating, blade straight down, in the snowy ground. The sword leaped out of the ground, sailing away to find the hand of its owner. He stood fifty yards away in the clearing of trees ahead of them.

Kale half expected to see the dark clad wraith he had faced in the woods upon his arrival and again in the streets of Briceton. Instead, a human male of regal stature stood before him holding the sword.

"Lord Elam," Olson said in a hushed tone.

"I see they told me the truth, Olson Barone!" His voice boomed across the expanse between them. "You have broken the law by harboring this off-worlder!"

"But he is good. He fought away the Agonotti who invaded our town this morning."

"You do not realize who you are dealing with, Barone. He is working with the Agonotti to deceive you. His people attacked our home city this afternoon, killing the twins and Colossus!"

"Colossus is dead?"

"At the hand of one of these off-worlders, like him!"

That statement peaked Kale's curiosity a great deal. Others like himself-off-worlders? Could his father have actually found him so quickly? The thought actually comforted him at the moment.

"Surrender, off-worlder and I will have mercy on you," Elam said.

"Kale, you had better give up peacefully. We don't dare oppose the Guardians," Olson said, fearfully.

"So, this is a Guardian?"

"Lord Elam, the leader of the Guardians," Olson added.

"I don't need your mercy, sir! I haven't done anything except try to help these people. Surely, that isn't against your law."

"You're a spy and a murderer!" Elam shouted, angrily.

"I haven't killed anyone except those creatures, so far!"

Elam shot forth in fury, his body spinning like a missile on target with his sword extended for the kill. He covered the distance between them in seconds. Kale's weapon deflected Elam's strike. The Guardian leader's sword burst into a dispersion field as well. "It looks like we have something in common after all, Elam," Kale said.

A furious exchange followed between them. Kale flipped away, for a moment sensing something in the trees behind him. Sniper!

He deflected one shot, allowing another to pass near him. He whipped another kemstick from his leg clip and hurled it at the tree about three feet below the sniper's position. It severed the upper portion of the tree which toppled under his weight and came crashing down into the snow with the shooter entangled among the branches. Kale engaged Elam again.

Kale noticed Olson on the porch trying to usher Juli and her mother back inside as the battled raged. Elam showed skill with a blade and Kale knew it was time to up the ante a bit.

Kale flipped over the downed sniper's roost and called his other kemstick to his hand from the snow where it had landed. He launched into Elam again with dual kemsticks, trying to overpower the Guardian leader. The elder man blew him back into the air with a kinetic thrust. Unexpected, but Kale recovered then somersaulted and landed on his feet.

So, that's how it's going to be. Kale noticed others rushing in on armed hover-bikes from the woods around them. He disengaged Elam to dash away from the streams of blaster shots coming at him. Kale ran into the woods as the hover-bikes followed-ten in all.