User:Lord Shrakor/A Hero's Tale by J.T. Ryckman

A Hero's Tale by J.T. Ryckman

A Power Above

Roku Nervantho ran as fast as he could through the large, tiled gymnasium, ducking as a dodge ball crashed into the wall above his head. Other students of Carpenter Middle School around him attempted to avoid the missiles as well. Roku rolled just in time as two more balls struck the wall where he had been just a moment earlier. Roku was different from most students in his year, both mentally and physically. He was very tall, almost 6 feet tall, and had brown hair that was cropped short. His arms and legs were long; his arms were also thin enough to allow him to reach places others could not. His hazel-blue eyes looked everywhere at once; they never missed seeing a dodge ball soaring towards him. As far as metal intelligence, he was one of the brightest in his year. Unlike most boys his age, he did not think of girls or money or cars; instead, he thought of how the world was become slowly destroyed, and ways that this destruction could be prevented. He also wrote extensive amounts of short stories, most being only several pages long, but all being different than the style of writing teachers expected of him. As he ran through the gym, ducking and avoiding dodge balls, he began to feel an odd sensation flow through his body… a sensation of misery, a feeling that something bad was going to happen and that he could do nothing to prevent it. This feeling made him feel more alert; he began to search for any signs of trouble. Just as he looked behind him, however, he realized that trouble had found him. A dodge ball struck Roku directly in the face, causing him to collapse on the ground, all of his built-up energy spent. Roku looked to see his opposer: a boy a year older than he yet still in the 8th grade named Maxwell. Maxwell was a large, bulky boy, with hands the size of footballs and a chest the size of a basketball. Despite his gargantuan body he moved quite fast, setting one foot on Roku’s chest as he grinned triumphantly. “Too bad for you, Runt,” he growled, “I still remember the last trick you tried to pull. Your time is up.” Maxwell grabbed Roku’s collar and yanked him up, then struck Roku as hard as he could in the chest with his fist, knocking the air out of Roku’s lungs. In that one blow, nearly all of the students in the gym had surrounded the pair, yelling numerous things. The coaches attempted to get through the crowd, but despite their efforts, they could not prevail. Maxwell began to beat up on Roku, whom could do nothing to stop Maxwell’s actions. The fists kept coming and coming, leaving bruises and cuts. As his blows became stronger, blood began to stain Roku’s shirt. No one in the crowd tried to stop Maxwell. No one, that is, but one. It was a small, Chinese girl in the 7th grade. Her black hair barely went below her shoulders, smooth and silky as it was. Her eyes were a vivid green, and her face held determination and fury. “Stop it,” she cried, stepping out from the crowd, “Stop it now!” The last word had an air of command and fierceness, and even Maxwell stopped when he heard it, turning around to stare at the one who defied him. “Are you gonna’ make me stop, or can I just beat you up instead?” When the girl didn’t reply, Maxwell laughed rudely and shoved her back into the crowd. The girl hit the ground hard, and a line of blood trickled down her forehead. Despite his weakened condition, Roku felt a surge of rage towards Maxwell. Not only was he foolish enough to attack Roku during school, but now he harmed the only person who had tried to help him. Roku tried to get up, but Maxwell, however distracted he may have been, shoved him back down and began to beat him once more. The rage that Roku felt began to grow more and more, giving him little strength to help him in his situation. Roku knew that the rage he felt towards Maxwell could only be put out by death, like a fire that could never go out, even if a thundering hurricane rained upon it. In the single moment Roku felt the rage become a part of him, Maxwell suddenly flew off of Roku, crashing to the ground on the inner rim of the crowd. Roku quickly sat up to see what was going on, but there was no one else, no one else that had helped him in his time of need. Everyone seemed to be staring at him, as if he had been the one to get rid of Maxwell. But he had done nothing; surely he wasn’t the one to defeat him? Taking advantage of everyone’s bewilderment, the gym teachers broke through the crowd and surveyed the scene before them. The lead teacher, Coach Eppler, grabbed Maxwell by the collar and pulled him to his feet. “You won’t get away with it this time, kid. This time you’re goin’ to see the Dean.” He began to drag Maxwell away, then turned towards the girl, who was helping Roku stand up. “You two should go to the nurse, especially you, boy.” Roku nodded grimly, wincing as he stood to full height. When both the girl and Roku were out of the gym and the door had closed, Roku asked kindly, “Who are you, and why did you try to stop him?” “I’m Daisy Wang. And I helped you because I don’t like to see people be hurt, especially when no one else is willing to help. What’s your name?” Roku told her his name, then asked, “What grade are you in? I’m in 8th grade, and I’ve never seen you before.” Her size made her seem like a 6th grader, but her words were sharp and mature. “I’m in 7th grade. I won’t be continuing school past this year, though, because I’m betrothed to someone in China.” She didn’t seem to like the prospect of being betrothed. “I didn’t realize you could be betrothed at such an early age nowadays. I always figured that a betrothed person would marry when they finished school.” Roku shuddered. “It must be terrible to realize that you have no choice in the matter.” At this Daisy grinned mischievously. “Just because I’m betrothed doesn’t mean I have to marry this year. The boy I’m to marry is my age, and from what I’ve heard, he hasn’t even been told that he’s supposed to marry me. Believe me, if there’s a way I can get out of it, I will.” Roku nodded. Until they reached the door to the nurse’s office, they said nothing. Roku limped the way there due to his wounds. Daisy tried to keep him from falling, so the progress was very slow. When they reached the nurse’s door, Roku opened it, allowing Daisy to step in first. The nurse, a fat elderly woman, glanced at Daisy, saying, “You have to have a pass to… Good Lord!!!” She dropped the pen in her hand as Roku stepped in. “What happened?” “Er…I’d rather not…” “No matter, no matter,” the nurse mumbled, “Let’s have a look at you. It can’t be too bad.” The next few minutes were long and tedious as the nurse began to bandage the wounds. Many of them had healed considerably, leaving large scabs in their place, much to the nurse’s amazement. Daisy watched her work silently, cringing if her shoulders touched the wall from her own wounds. After fifteen minutes or so the nurse stepped back from Roku, stating, “All right then. Your shoulder should stay bandaged for a few more days; it still needs time to heal. The other bandages, however, can be taken by tomorrow morning at the latest, though your leg may take a little longer than the others.” “Thank you.” The nurse waddled back to her desk, now oblivious to the pair that stood still. She looked to find the standing in the same spots they had before, neither moving. “Well, what do you want?” Roku mumbled nervously, “Er… Daisy was hurt to… it’s not as bad as mine, but she could still use some bandages.” The nurse sighed loudly. “All right, then, let’s take a look at you.” She waddled back over to the pair, and this time took care of Daisy. Daisy’s wounds were not too horrible; the worst had already stopped bleeding. Once she had been taken care of, both Roku and Daisy left the nurse’s office, both heading towards their classes. For a moment they walked together, talking quietly, but then the loudspeaker cut them off, saying: “There is to be a Presidential Speech today in five minutes. All students and teachers are to return to their classrooms immediately and turn on their televisions.” Daisy and Roku looked at each other for a moment, then they hurried in separate directions to their classes. Planet Earth was going through terrible times. Battles over the Holy Land in the Middle East were killing thousands, and most of Europe had formed a single nation that was threatening to take over the Americas. As a result, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and several Central American countries had become the United Nations of the Americas. The President of the United Nations made speeches once a week on the progress between he and Europe, though most of them were only to say what he was trying to do as far as a peace treaty between the European Nations and the UNA. The thing that surprised Roku and Daisy the most was that the President had just conducted a speech the previous day, meaning that this speech would either contain good news… or bad news. When Roku had reached his geography class, everyone was talking amongst themselves. Even the teacher, Coach Collins, seemed nervous. Everyone knew that something big was about to occur, but the state of it was unknown. The TV screen flashed on, two pale lines flickering across it, and then dying away. The President’s face appeared, looking sullen. He seemed stressed; sweat poured down his brow, and his eyes held weariness to them. Something bad had definitely happened if he was showing his tiredness. “I have come to the people today with good news… and grave news. I shall start with the good news first, for it is what many a people have been hoping for. “A peace treaty has been forged between the European Nations. They shall discontinue the nuclear weapons program that they have had for so long, and, in return, our troops shall come back home peacefully and safely. On a different matter, the Middle East has ordered a ceasefire, returning some peace to the area. We are trying our best to relinquish our troops from that area as well; however, we are facing some resistance by militia groups. “The grave news I spoke of earlier is… difficult to explain. A group of beings that have… unknown origins have arrived here and…” the President paused, “I shall let their leader speak with the People now…” The camera’s view widened, revealing the space twenty feet to either side of the President, revealing a shocking image. A single, tattered-cloaked being stood not five feet from the President. It stood nearly seven feet tall, its entire body hidden behind its large, thick cloak. The ends of the arms were tattered to reveal two grey, decaying hands, one of which held a scythe larger than the being itself. Behind it stood three raptor-like beings with jungle green skin. They stood only six feet tall, and carried an odd assortment of medieval and present-day weapons. Sapphire-blue stripes ran along their backs; their tails were long; their eyes held no expression. As the President stepped back, the cloaked being stepped in front of the microphone, the scythe blade falling to the ground, but its hand still holding it. “Right now, as I speak to the United Nationsss… My brothers speak to the other nations of this pathetic planet. “We are searching for three beings of immense power. They go as the Hunter, the Huntress, and Hawkeye. They will not give in to usss willingly… so until they do… or until they are found… the Reptillans,” the cloaked being motioned towards the raptor-like beings, “and my brothers shall control all aspects of this country and all other nationsss.” The being’s voice hissed like a snake, sounding oily and ominous. Roku hated it. “Anyone who knows where these three beings may be found is recommended to give information to our soldiers immediately. Anyone who helps them or refuses to give information that they know will be forcefully interrogated and killed. There will be… no exceptions. “Consider yourselves part of a free nation no longer. Until these three are found… we shall remain here, and there is no way to rid of usss. And no matter what you try, we shall find them…” The being suddenly turned around and slashed at the President, slicing him in half. A Reptillan raised his gun… and the TV screen went dark.

Silence. No one said a single word as they comprehended what had just occurred; what would soon occur. Every last one of them knew that their lives would become so much different; that their lives would now be ruled by creatures they had never known to exist before. Finally someone whispered, “I’m scared.” Coach Collins said, “You’re not the only one, Matt, your not the only one…” At this the class erupted into whispers, some talking about their fears, others about on who the Hunter, the Huntress, and Hawkeye could be, and why they were on Earth of all places. “How long do you think they’ll stay?” a girl asked, Emily by name. “If they have the numbers they say they do, I’ll give them at most a week to find those three. There aren’t any places they could hide,” a boy replied. I want to know where all of them came from,” Roku stated, “because they can’t have hidden on Earth this entire time. That thing’s voice didn’t seem to be able to speak English very well, either.” “They’re probably aliens from outer space,” a kid remarked sarcastically. His voice however, held fear. Roku had a point. “Wherever that hooded thing came from, though,” Coach Collins said, “It definitely wasn’t human. Did you notice how tall it was; or how its hands were decaying?” The class nodded solemnly. Whether the invaders left within the week or within the year, their presence would never be forgotten. •					•					•	When Roku reached his two-story home after school, he found it ominously quiet. His mother was not standing outside, waiting for him, nor did she seem to be waiting for him in the kitchen. “Mom!!!” Roku cried throughout the house, “Moooom!!!!!” “I’m in here!” his mother’s soft voice came from outside. It seemed cracked, and when Roku reached the backyard, he found her face bright red, as if she had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot; her hands shook violently. “Are you okay, Mom?” Roku asked. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she replied, turning back to the small garden she sat in front of, “I’m just a little shaken up, that’s all.” “What happened?” “What happened?” his mother snapped, “You know what happened. Our president has been killed and we are going to be put under the rule of some sort of monster no one ever knew existed. It doesn’t matter if they leave today or a month from today; we will still have to pay for what they did, they certainly won’t.” Her sounded curiously like Coach Collins, but nonetheless, Roku knew that she was right. Roku left his mother to her gardening and went back inside, snatching a cookie and taking a bite out of it. The gooey chocolate chips melted in his mouth, giving him a sweet taste on his tongue. Before Roku had reached his backpack on the dining room table, a small body had crashed straight into his legs, giving him a massive bear hug. “Roku!” the little girl cried happily. It was Roku’s 5-year old sister, Natalie. She only stood up as far as his waist. Her blonde hair had fallen over her face, hiding her small, chocolate-brown eyes. “Hello, little one,” Roku said, grinning. No matter what occurred in the rest of the world, she could never get sad or unhappy. She could always make Roku happy, for as long as she was happy, he was happy. After Roku had finished the cookie, he and Natalie walked towards the one room they shared together. Their room had originally been separated into two rooms, but due to the fact they hated to be separated, the wall in between the rooms were knocked down and the rooms joined. The room was very large; about the size of a large classroom. In the very center sat a large, round rug, with the design of a emerald-green dragon flying on it. The dragon did not look monstrous; it seemed quite the opposite, in fact: elegant and free, the way Roku believed all of nature should be. In the far left corner of the room was the bunk-bed that both Roku and Natalie slept in. It looked quite odd, for Roku’s father had actually combined the two beds and added a ladder in order to save money and give both Roku and Natalie a sense of familiarity. Next to the bed was a small nightstand where a single alarm clock sat. Attached to both parts of the bunk-bed were two small lamps, each that could easily be turned off. Sitting on the opposite side of the room was a large desk with a computer and papers on it, and a smaller, shorter round desk; Natalie’s drawing table. The papers on the larger desk were Roku’s stories, for he indeed wrote short stories in his free-time; stories that were filled with adventure, grief, and sadness. It was these stories that allowed Roku and Natalie to be such great siblings towards each other. Natalie loved to listen to Roku’s stories, and, as their own special custom, Roku would read one of his short stories to her every day on the dragon-rug. Roku quickly went to his desk and grabbed a small stack of stapled papers off of it. Natalie was already sitting patiently on the rug as he selected a single story; the smallest on there was, though it still covered many pages. Then he turned off the lights, closed the door, and shut the blinds as to add effect to his story for his little sister. Once this was done, he, too, sat on the rug, on the side opposite of Natalie. And, closing his eyes, he began his tale: In a time when the planet was still anew, in a time when no beings ruled the earth and the land was still a volcanic and treacherous place, dragons roamed. Dragons of all shapes and sizes, dragons of fire, of water, of air, of light, and of darkness. It was who decided that other beings should exist here, that they alone should not live here. And so it was they that brought life to Earth. For millennia they allowed creatures of all sorts here, and together with the dragons these beings lived in harmony. But weep, for like all good times, it could not last. The dark dragons were the first to allow predators to live on Earth, and it was because of this that the term ‘prey’ ever formed. They allowed the mighty Tyrannosaur, Spinosaur, and Velociraptor to exist here, and in turn these beings began to slowly populate the planet, killing all whom they met, sometimes even those of their own kind. The other dragons at first accepted the predators, for there should be some balance between life and death, should there not? But the dark dragons began to take advantage of this, and allowed more and more predators to live here. Thus began the War of Dragons. This war was the most controversial of any war to have ever taken place. Families fought against families, brothers against brothers, no one agreeing on whether the predators should stay, and whether the dark dragons should be banished. It seemed that the dark dragons were getting their way for thousands upon thousands of years, but then a single dragon, now named The Golden One, rose up against the leader of the dark dragons, Darek’ Khan…” at that moment the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house. Their thirteen-year old dog, Chloe, began barking incredibly loudly at the door. When Roku got to the door, the doorbell rang again, causing Chloe to start going berserk. He opened it, and saw three beings that he had never expected: Reptillans. Roku’s temper inflamed, and he growled, “What do you want here?” The lead reptillan laughed cruelly, snarling, “I like your attitude, boy! We’re just here to tell you people that if you try to do anything there will be… serious consequences… do you understand?” “What do you want here?” Roku’s mother came up behind him, carrying a small garden shovel. The other two reptillans cocked their guns and pointed them at the short woman. The leader grinned, growling, “We don’t mean any harm, woman, we’re just here to be sure everyone knows the rules of our land.” He emphasized the word our strongly. Roku’s mom stared at the reptillan and said venomously, “We don’t need any of your rules here, lizards. We can fend for ourselves.” The reptillans laughed cruelly, then they left, leaving no sign of their presence save the ominous feeling in Roku’s gut. After a few moments everything went back to normal. Roku finished reading to Natalie, then he began to write a new story; a story that had been sitting in the back of his head ever since the death of the President. He began to write: Hero’s Tale By Roku Nervantho

It was a normal day at Carpenter Middle School. The wind blew softly, and a thin layer of clouds covered the sky. All was peaceful. But all of that was about to change…

As he was writing, the doorbell rang. Roku’s dog, a Springer Spaniel by the name of Chloe, charged at the front door and began barking at it with all her might. Roku quickly stepped to the door, grabbing Chloe by the collar to hold her back, and then finally opening it. It was Daisy. She looked tired, with her shoulders slumped, and her breath coming heavily. Her clothes were still unchanged, and the bandage on her shoulder was visible beneath her shirt, all bloodied and worn. Her hair was still straight, but it did not gleam in the light as it had before; it seemed duller than before. How she had found Roku’s home, however, was completely unknown. “Um… Hello…” Roku said, “Why are you here?” “The Reptillans…” Daisy panted, “just came to my house… saying that…disobedience would be punished severely. Can I come in?” Roku nodded quickly, adding, “They came here too. My mother just about killed them for getting in, but they left so quickly she didn’t even get a chance.” Daisy smiled wryly. “Yeah, my mom nearly did the same thing. The Reptillans just laughed at her, though; they don’t seem to be afraid of getting killed.” They walked into the kitchen talking to one another when Natalie came from nowhere, asking, “Who dat? Who dat, Roku?” “Yes,” Roku’s mother asked, “Who is she?” “This is Daisy,” Roku answered, motioning towards her, “Daisy, this is my mom.” Daisy nodded courteously to Roku’s mother. “She, too, was visited by the reptillans.” “We’re all in the same boat, it would seem.” Roku led Daisy into his room, Natalie following behind like a little puppy-dog. Daisy seemed amazed that a single room could be so large; she looked about it curiously. “This is where you sleep?” she asked. Roku nodded happily. She seemed to like his stories more than anything. She looked over each one of them, and even critiqued several that she didn’t like. To Roku it was perfect; he had always wanted someone other than his sister to hear and read his stories, and now here was Daisy, willing to read his stories and critique them as well. For now, life was good.

•					•					•

As days passed, there was no sign of the reptillans leaving. Instead, they seemed to multiply by the thousands, spreading all over the world. The cloaked creature, however, had not been seen ever since it had slain the President, which was a good thing for the humans. At Carpenter Middle School, the reptillans made frequent searches of the students at random persons, and had no care as to their embarrassment. Roku managed to avoid being searched through sheer luck, but he witnessed many people being searched. The reptillans at Carpenter were also a rowdy, ruthless bunch that seemed perverted in every way. Despite the bad things that occurred, many more good things negated them in Roku’s life. For one thing, he and Daisy saw each other more and more, and Roku began to make friends with her friends, one of such being the smartest girl in his grade: Carmen Tinker. She was a slim, lithe, white girl with brown hair that was always tied in a knot. She was very different from most girls of that day; she never wore any type of make-up, nor did Roku think she needed any. Another positive was something Roku wouldn’t realize he had until Maxwell came after him again; something that would change his life- his fate- forever. It occurred ten days after the reptillans became known to Earth. Roku was outside, walking with Daisy and Carmen, with Natalie on his shoulders. They were walking along a trail that wound around a creek near Carpenter; it stretched for miles, but only a one-mile section was actually more than twenty feet wide. Maxwell came at them on his bike, slowly at first, then gaining speed. When he was within five feet of them he stopped and blocked their path, stepping off of his bike. In one hand he carried a large stick, in the other his hand was clenched in a fist. His face was contorted with rage never seen before; he looked ready to kill. “You’re goin’ to pay for your little trick, punk,” he growled, stepping closer. “Now you will know pain.” At this he charged swinging the stick with all his might. Roku narrowly avoided his blow, setting Natalie on the ground as he did so; thankfully, the little girl seemed oblivious to what was going on, watching the ducks that swam by in the creek. He didn’t want to have to fight Maxwell- he was twice the size of Roku- but he was determined to protect his sister. As Maxwell came at him again, Roku took a stick from the ground and struck out. Maxwell blocked the attack, not able to conceal his surprise. They began to fight each other in this way, but Roku could quickly feel himself wearing out; Maxwell’s blows were getting fiercer and fiercer, and Roku’s arms were beginning to feel like lead. Neither had any experience in this form of combat, either, so things were even more difficult. Finally, after about three minutes of the combat, Maxwell knocked the stick right out of Roku’s hand and dealt him a powerful blow. Roku crouched on the ground, knowing that he was now powerless to Maxwell’s might. Or so he thought. Once again, it was Daisy who stopped Maxwell in his tracks, shouting, “Stop it, Maxwell! Haven’t you done enough damage already!?!” The bully stopped, turning towards the small, Chinese girl. “You really think you can stop me again, girl?” Maxwell snarled, “Well, guess what? You’re wrong!!” He struck her in the chest hard, causing her to kneel over in pain. He hit her again for emphasis, then stopped to go to his original victim. He found Carmen kneeling by Roku’s side, helping him stand up. Natalie, too, was nearby, though she did nothing to help. It was this that Maxwell used as his bait. He grabbed the small girl and held her to his chest, laughing; causing Natalie to scream. Roku stood up quickly then, his eyes holding a cold-blooded fury. “Let her go, Maxwell,” he ordered. “I’m the one you want.” Maxwell laughed at this. “If you really think that’ll convince me, runt, you’re dead wrong.” He shook Natalie roughly as tears began to flow down her cheeks. Roku released in inhuman growl; a growl that held the fierceness of a wildcat. Maxwell actually looked afraid as Roku began to step towards him, the growl rumbling in his throat. “Release her, Maxwell,” Roku hissed, “or I swear I will make you.” His eyes began to hold a reddish tint to them. Maxwell stepped backwards. “Get away from me, kid,” he stammered, “Get away NOW!!!” His voice carried a fear that did not seem natural for the large boy. When it seemed that Roku would not stop coming towards him, Maxwell began to run at a full sprint away from him, Natalie still clutched under his arm. It was this that brought about a new Roku; a Roku that was no longer a weak, childish human, but an unrivaled hunter. Roku ran towards Maxwell, the air around him shimmering like water. Though he knew he could not reach Maxwell on foot, he managed to do something that was never known possible. Roku stretched out his hand, and from the palm of that hand, his left, burst forth a ball of water. The ball of water sped towards Maxwell, gaining speed as it went. At the last moment he turned around to see the ball of water strike him in the face. He fell to the ground hard, dropping Natalie as he went. Then he ran, as fast as he could, as if he were fleeing a ghost, shrieking terrible things. Roku slowly began to make his way to his sister, saying nothing. Daisy and Carmen followed in his wake, also silent. Natalie sat upon the ground happily, for a duck had waddled near to her, quacking loudly. The five-year old girl laughed as it brushed up against her legs. Even when Roku was within five feet of his sister, the duck stayed close. Roku quickly knelt down at her side, checking to make sure she hadn’t been too badly harmed. Much to his relief, she hadn’t. Daisy was the first to speak. “So… it would seem that you’re the one who caused Maxwell to stop attacking you before.” She didn’t seem angry, nor did she seem afraid, either. Roku nodded his head. “I never knew I could do that. Maybe… maybe I’m one of the ones their looking for. Maybe I’m the Hunter…” He shook his head solemnly. Carmen shook her head, but for a different reason. “You’re not the Hunter, otherwise the Reptillans would have already killed you. To them you’re just another pathetic human. But if you do have this… power… we can use it to our advantage.” Roku looked curiously at her. “What do you mean?” “If they don’t know that you have this ability, then you can use it against them and never get blamed,” she explained, “as long as you don’t get caught.” She seemed much more cheerful than before; she picked up Natalie and set her on her own shoulders. To Roku, that idea gave him an entirely new look at things. He now had a way to secretly combat the reptillans… nothing could have made him happier. War at Home

Two weeks passed, and still the reptillans showed no sign of leaving. Though it handicapped Roku from his old life, it also gave him new possibilities. He began to self-teach himself how to use his newfound power, and used it constantly to torment the raptor-like beings (much to his dismay, however, he could not cause them to spontaneously combust). All he had to do in order to use his power was think what he wanted to do; almost instantly he did whatever he had thought: ranging from shooting small sparks of concentrated lightning to defending himself from Maxwell’s never-ending blows. His friendships with both Carmen and Daisy were strengthened a tenfold through the harsh times, and using his power, he kept the reptillans from searching both he and they. He told no one but they of his great gift, and it seemed that Maxwell was going to say nothing about it to anyone as well. The two weeks after the true discovery of Roku’s gift marked a night most students dreaded: School Open House. It allowed students and their parents to walk from class to class and speak with their teachers. Unlike most students, however, Roku was almost happy about the night. It would be his chance to show off how much better he did then most students (except Carmen, of course) to his parents. If only he knew what would happen. On that night, students and parents both walked through the main entrances of the school. Two reptillans guarded them, each carrying a shotgun. They wore silver armor across their bodies, covering even their tails. Their chests held a purple symbol that Roku had never seen before, but a symbol he would never forget. It was a twisting serpent with spines that went across its back. Neither of the reptillans showed any emotions, they merely stared about them, watching every face that came through the doors. The night went by normally. Roku and his family walked from class to class, and Roku showed his parents and sister just how much he had progressed in all of his classes. To an outsider watching them, they wouldn’t have guessed that just one year earlier Roku had been struggling to pass all of his classes. Sure enough, however, he had changed immensely, and was now making straight A’s (though his grades would never match Carmen’s). It was about halfway through the Open House when a commotion could be heard at the far north stairwell on the upstairs part of Carpenter. Fifteen reptillans were stepping from there, and a series of ‘boos’ and shouts from humans were directed towards the raptors. The reptillans wore the same armor the one’s guarding the doors had worn, and each carried some form of a weapon, ranging from a pistol to a spear. The reptillans began to spread out, looking amongst the people as if searching for someone. A large, seven-foot tall reptillan stood at the head of them all, carrying a beautiful sword that gleamed a sapphire-blue in the artificial light. The portion where the hilt met the blade was in the shape of a dragon’s head. The eyes of the dragon’s head were two rubies; rubies that looked hauntingly real. Roku suddenly realized where he had seen this reptillan: it had stood next to the cloaked being the day he first used his power. At first no one seemed to mind the huge lizards; they kept going about their normal ways. Then people began to notice how they seemed to be searching for something; how they carried their weapons in such a threatening manner. A single man yelled, “What do you want from us, lizards? Why you walking among us carryin’ your little weapons, huh!?!” The large reptillan rose to his full height and stared down at the man who had dared to speak to him in that manner. “We are searching for the Hunter, pathetic human. We know he is among us at this very moment… and if no one gives him up to us right now, then as long as I remain General of the Army, all of you shall suffer for an eternity.” He raised his weapon high into the air, but did not bring it down to slay the one before him. Roku began to remember the conversation he had between he and Carmen the day they realized he had the power. Maybe I’m the Hunter… Dread began to fill his stomach. If he was the Hunter… then he was putting everyone’s lives in danger by hiding himself. But he didn’t know he was the Hunter, so he couldn’t possibly be… A single reptillan confirmed his dread as it cried, “I have found him! The Hunter is right here!” The raptor began to charge towards him, raising his spear to stab Roku. Roku quickly retaliated by sending a flurry of sparks towards the creature, causing it to stumble backwards and fall into another reptillan. The General began to advance on Roku silently, ducking below the heads of the people around him. The other reptillans, however, were not as stealthy, and meaninglessly charged at the boy, roaring ferociously. Roku kept them at bay with sparks of thunder, trying not to kill any one of them. But reptillans would not be his only foes. The man who had yelled at the General was attempting to attack Roku as well, shouting, “You bloody monster! You dare infiltrate us and get us killed! I’ll kill you I tell you, I’ll kill you!!” His murderous cries filled the hall, sending people into mass panic. The General used this panic to his advantage, sneakily making his way towards Roku. When he was within five feet of the boy, he raised his dragonsword and slashed down at him, preparing to deal a death blow. But just before he would have slain his initial target, Roku’s father stepped in with arms wide, taking the blade to his chest. He was dead before he had hit the ground, his lifeblood soaking the tiles. The General snarled. The stupid Hunter’s father had taken the blow in his stead, but he would make sure that the Hunter was killed. He raised his sword, swinging it with all his might… …And was flown backwards as a tendril of water lashed out at him in fury. Roku was furious; this reptillan was the reason his father was now dead. Roku attacked with more tendrils of water, suffocating a nearby reptillan as water poured into its mouth. The General, however, had gotten away from the infuriated human, and was now hacking away at any human that came near him. While he killed the humans, his other soldiers were fighting a different battle of their own. The Hunter was slaying many of their numbers with bolts of lightning and balls of fire, and people around him were picking up the dead lizards’ weapons, fighting the reptillans with their own style weapons. Just like the humans around him, Roku, too, was fighting with one of the reptillans’ weapons. He carried a short, thin sword, and fought with both magic and sword. The reptillans cowered under his rage, for none could even get close to striking him. All the reptillans, that is, but one. The General, realizing that his soldiers were being slaughtered, charged his way through the humans until he reached the Hunter. Despite his best efforts to reach the Hunter, however, there were always other humans to block his way. The Hunter, too, attacked the General from afar using bolts of concentrated lightning. Roku’s mother was one of those who kept the General at bay. She had picked up a slain reptillan’s spear, and lashed out at any of the lizards that came near. For a moment it seemed that the humans would win; that the reptillans would be defeated once and for all. But he only thought that for a single moment. A score of reptillans flooded from the stairwell they had come from before, shouting menacingly. The humans nearest them were skewered and strewn about like tenpins. No one was spared as they charged through the rows of humans; and one of the dead became Roku’s mother. That brought out a fury Roku had never felt before; his eyes began to glow a brilliant white, the air around him beginning to heat up as flames began to lace around his arms. The ground at his feet began to glow cherry-red, then the smell of burning metal filled the air. A massive burst of light exploded from Roku’s body, striking everything in front of him and causing everyone to fall backwards. Several reptillans were slain as their own hearts exploded, causing blood to trickle out of their mouths. The General- along with several other reptillans- avoided this fate by leaping down onto the ground. “Retreat! Retreat and regroup at the bottom of the stairs, skarlath!” The General began issuing orders as the remaining reptillans scrambled to the stairwell they had come from. There was no cheering; there was no celebration among the remaining humans. There was only mourning for those who had died, and the sadness that they were all doomed to death. Even Roku had tears flowing from his eyes, but just as quickly as they appeared, he wiped them away. He had to be strong if he were to get out of this alive. He comforted his little sister and then picked up the sword he had fought with earlier. It was poorly made; the hilt was falling apart, and the blade was bent and cracked. But nonetheless, he carried it; he would use it to slay the foes that once wielded this sword. He would fight his way out of this. He must. He and several other humans pushed five desks into the opening of the stairwell. It would not be enough to stop the lizards if they attempted another attack, but it would be enough to slow them down and allow some to escape from other stairwells. Not to Roku’s eminent surprise, no other people attempted to guard the stairs, only he stood near them, carrying his blade with a guarded expression. He scanned the bodies of the dead and the living for his friends, and sadness stabbed his heart every time he saw one of his friends among the corpses of the dead. But there were still some that he didn’t find at all; people he knew had been at the Open House just before the reptillans came and attacked. Quickly he put this out of his mind as he noticed someone stepping towards him: Maxwell. Maxwell, carrying a spear, growled at Roku, “So you’re the Hunter, eh, Runt? Should have known you’d be the reason we’d all die here.” He raised his spear threateningly, then lowered it, whispering, “Listen, I saw what you were doing to those thugs. I don’t know where you’ll go or anything… but if you want to get out of here, then by hellfire I will get you out of here. All you have to do is promise never to come back here again.” Roku looked into his former enemies’ eyes and said in a voice unlike his own, “I cannot promise you that I will never come back, but all I can say is that when I do come back, I going to come back fighting.” Maxwell gave a laugh and clapped Roku on the back. “I like that answer, Runt. For that, I’m going to help you out of here. Now let’s go give those lizards hell!!!” And with that being said, he began to push through the desk barricade, with Roku following him. Like the humans, the reptillans had a single guard waiting at the bottom of the stairwell. When he heard the desks move aside, he shouted, “Their coming out, General, sir!!! Their coming back!!!” Reptillans began to flood the stairwell, shouting roughly. Roku and Maxwell both grabbed a desk and hurled it down, collapsing on the stairs in front of them. They were momentarily stopped, but they continued on their way, roaring angrily. Maxwell grabbed another desk, this time hurling on top of several of the lizards. Roku used wind to lift up a desk, and then directed it to crash into the front of the wave of reptillans. Their first tricks done with, both Roku and Maxwell began to charge into the reptillans ranks. Slashing and stabbing, they slayed all that came in their path. Roku light his sword ablaze, which caused the reptillans to fall back in fear. Once the pair had reached the bottom of the stairwell, Maxwell began to slow down, crying, “Now you’ve gotta’ fight alone, Runt!!” Then he was gone, charging up the stairs in retreat. Roku hacked his way through the reptillans until he found an opening. Once through, he ran as fast as his legs would allow him, leaving the reptillans far behind him. He was charging towards a hallway that had not been affected by the reptillans attack; the hallway where Roku knew Daisy would be. He found her among a throng of people, walking alongside her parents. Her parents were not as short as she; in fact, they were quite taller, slightly taller than Roku himself. He charged towards her silently, still carrying the sword that was stained with blood. “Roku! What are you doing here… why’s there blood on that sword?” Roku silenced her with a single glance. “The reptillans… they think I’m the Hunter… I have but one thing to ask of you… Can you… can you take care of Natalie for me while I’m gone?” “Where are you going?” “I’m going to try to find the others...” he panted, “Hawkeye and the Huntress…” At that very moment four shots rang out, four shots that were directed at Roku. Everyone around would have told a different story about what happened; some would say that he deflected the bullets using his sword, others would say that he dodged them with inhuman speed, but only Daisy knew what truly happened, for she stood not three feet from him. As the bullets whizzed towards Roku, his form flickered between his human form- his thin, frail human form- and another form; a lizard covered with short brown fur, about his normal height, but bigger, more muscular; a raptor that held an air of power and command about it. As his form flickered between his and the lizard’s the bullets shattered in midair, only a few inches from his body. Before anyone had realized what was going on, a wave of reptillans had filed the hallway. The General stood in the middle of them, shouting, “Anyone who hides or protects the Hunter will be eliminated immediately.” “There is no need for anyone to be harmed, General,” Roku yelled, “For I will fight my way out of this… and none shall even touch me as long as I am Roku Nervantho!!!” Roku charged at the reptillans with his sword ablaze, and the reptillans fell back in morbid fear of the human. The General himself even stepped back, narrowly avoiding the fiery brand. None even attempted to strike him, for his body emanated an essence that created fear amongst everyone. Roku was almost at the door when the spell was broken upon the General. The massive reptillan took his sword and threw it with all of his might. As it spun towards Roku’s thin back, Daisy screamed, “No!!!!” Instantly Roku spun around, striking the spinning blade, causing it to slide into the wall next to it. Roku paused for a moment, looking from the sword he carried to the blade the General once wielded. It was a large dragonsword, with a blade that reached nearly two feet long, and a hilt shaped to look like a dragon’s face. The eyes of the beast were two pale rubies, which stared at Roku with fierce anger. Roku dropped his own sword and yanked the dragonsword out of the wall, staring at its former owner all the while. Then he fled out the two double doors, fleeing into the cold, dark night.

•					•					•

It wasn’t until Carpenter was out of sight that the tears began to well up in Roku’s eyes. He did not truly cry, for he made no noise of any kind whatsoever, but tears still flowed down his face. His parents were dead, he and his sister were orphans, and the reptillans wanted him dead. He had no idea where these Hawkeye or Huntress were, no idea whatsoever. He also realized that he was now an orphan. Two years ago his grandparents had died in a car crash, and neither of his parents had siblings, so he had no aunts or uncles. He was utterly alone. He had reached the creek when a single light caught his attention. It was to the north of him; nearly a hundred feet away. It was not a very strong light, for it flickered on and off every few seconds. Nonetheless, Roku moved towards it. As he neared the light, he began to notice two figures, one of which was carrying the light. The other figure attempted to lunge at the light-carrier, but the light-carrier slapped the figure, causing it to fall to the ground, most likely unconscious. As Roku drew nearer and nearer, he finally realized who the light-carrier was: Carmen Tinker. “Carmen?” he called out, “Is that you?” She whirled around, her face full of an expression he had never seen on her before: fear. “Roku? What are you doing here?” “Maxwell… he helped me get away from the reptillans in the school. It may have cost him his life, but he helped me… I’m going to try and find the Huntress and Hawkeye.” He kneeled down to the ground, his energy spent. The General’s dragonsword was still clasped in his hands. Carmen, too, seemed weary. She told him of what had gone on during the battle in the school for her; it was not easy for the girl to tell. When the reptillans had begun to attack, her parents, in an attempt to defend their daughter, had fought. Within the first five minutes they were dead. Carmen quickly got to the other stairwell on the second floor, where a smaller group of the lizards were waiting. She had managed to get past them without detection and escape to the outside. She had found a flashlight at the playground next to the creek when a boy attempted to jump her, and she hit him with the flashlight and knocked him unconscious. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she told her tale, and Roku held her as she cried. Roku looked at his watch as darkness began to fall; it was only 6:30. If they left now, the reptillans wouldn’t be able to find them. It took the pair another half hour to finally set off, for Roku went to the creek to wash the blood off the General’s sword. They had decided to go north, walking in the shallows of the creek, surrounded by trees. This way they could hide up in a tree if necessary, and the water would snuff out their scent. They walked for several hours, their ankles soggy with water, their clothes torn on branches and bushes. They were tired and weary; their feet felt heavier and heavier with every step. Suddenly, a crashing sound began to be heard from behind them, as well as human curses. It was the boy who had attempted to jump Carmen. His eyes were crossed; the way he walked was quite awkward. His mutterings were incomprehensible, though swear words were legible every once and a while. He attempted to lumber towards Carmen, but Roku stopped him, waving the dragonsword in front of his face. The boy looked at the sword oddly, as if it was an annoying insect, rather than a powerful weapon. He attempted to skirt around Roku, but this time, Roku forcefully stopped him, jabbing him in the stomach with the tip of the blade. “You will go no further,” Roku snarled. The boy stopped this time. The three of them stood there for a moment; Carmen pointing the flashlight at the boy, Roku with the dragonsword, and the boy merely standing there. Eventually both Roku and Carmen set off, walking through the creek again. The boy followed them from a distance, doing nothing but muttering to himself. It went this way for nearly two hours, when finally the boy said something comprehensible. “Food!!” he cried, “There’s food!!!” Sure enough, once Carmen had shined the flashlight at the area the boy pointed to, there was a sack full of fruits and bread lodged in the crevice of a tree. The boy walked towards it, but Roku stopped him, saying, “It could be a trap. We have to be careful.” Roku and Carmen neared the tree cautiously, looking about them with every step. Roku poked the bag with the dragonsword a few times, then knocked it out of the crevice. When nothing happened, both he and Carmen stepped towards it. A sudden ‘twang’ sounded, and a net erupted from the ground beneath their feet, sweeping them off the ground. The net encased the pair tightly, and the dragonsword fell to the bottom of the net. Carmen dropped the flashlight on to the ground, where the boy went and grabbed it. He also grabbed a single apple, laughing and eating it merrily. His happiness was quickly destroyed as a loud, crashing noise sounded ahead of where they had been talking. This sound was much louder then when the boy had been following them; it sounded like a massive monster was charging towards them. The boy shined the flashlight in that direction, and a massive creature became visible. The boy yelped in terror, and ran, dropping the flashlight. The flashlight shattered as the boy fled, flooding Carmen and Roku with darkness. The creature became more and more visible as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. The net suddenly snapped apart, and both Roku and Carmen went tumbling down to the earth below. Roku looked up just in time to see Carmen fall on top of him. Then all went dark. Huntress and Hawkeye

Roku opened his eyes. He was lying on his back on a tiled floor; where he was, however, he could not tell. It appeared to be a bathroom; there were several stalls that sat near him, and in front of him was a doorway leading outside. What was in the doorway was what surprised him the most. A large, dark-skinned man sat cross-legged in the center of the doorway. He wore no shirt, revealing a muscular, un-hairy body that emanated power. His pants were made of a rough, tan material that was torn near the ankles. The man’s black hair was cropped short. Lying across the palms of his hands and his legs was a massive axe that reached nearly six feet long. The blade of the axe was tinted green near the edge. The man emanated power from his body with his sheer muscle; Roku doubted that he could defeat this man with his magic. The man’s eyes suddenly flew open, and Roku gasped at what he saw. On of the man’s eyes was normal; a chocolate-brown eye. The other eye, however, was that of a hawk’s; a pale yellow eye. “Are… are you Hawkeye?” Roku asked. The man nodded. “I am he.” His voice was deep and bellowing. “Are you Roku Nervantho?” When Roku nodded, he said, “Prove it.” Roku knew what Hawkeye wanted, so he created a dove of water, which flapped around him. As it flew it became a fiery serpent, an icy bat, and then back to the dove. After a moment the dove began to dissipate, until it was nonexistent. Hawkeye nodded approvingly. “You have taught yourself well. That will save us time.” Several questions popped into Roku’s mind, which he spoke aloud. “Where is Carmen? Who’s we? And why were me and Carmen attacked by a monster, but I ended up here?” Hawkeye held up his right hand. “Peace, Roku. All of your questions will be answered momentarily.” He smiled wryly. “Especially your last.” As Hawkeye began to stand up, his form changed. He began to transform into a massive salamander. He was a sandy brown color; it stood nearly six feet tall. The axe fit perfectly in his hands despite its large size. Hawkeye’s tail was nearly as thick as Roku’s body, and twice as long. He was a being capable of great things; Roku knew that he would never manage to defeat Hawkeye in this form. As the massive being began to lumber away, he said, “Follow me.” Roku hastened to obey his command. It was not until Roku was just outside the bathroom that he realized where he was: Jack Carter Pool. The once public pool was right next to the winding creek. It was neither incredibly large nor deep, yet it always seemed packed with people wanting to swim. In the sunlight at the moment it looked eerie, for the pool was completely empty save for two women standing near the edge. Roku instantly recognized one as Carmen. She seemed quite happy here, chatting with the other woman carelessly. She bore no wounds or marks that showed what hardship she had been through last night; even her clothes were repaired perfectly. It was then Roku realized that his clothes, too, were repaired. The other woman was beautiful. Her dark, green-black hair looked completely natural, and her Japanese form gave her an exotic look. It was obvious from her legs that she was very tall, for they were quite long. Her arms, too, were quite long, with one small hand grasping a katana at her side. She wore a blue dress made of a fine, thin cloth, which was embroidered at the edge. Two plates of the same fabric wound around her thin legs, ending just above the knees. Her boots ended just below the knees, made of a wooly leather. Her hands were covered by gloves the same color as her hair, cut off just at the fingertips. All in all she looked like a very formidable opponent, just like Hawkeye, and thus, Roku assumed that she was the Huntress. As Hawkeye and Roku began to near the pair they stopped talking, instead turning and walking towards the two men. When the Huntress was within five feet of the pair she stopped, staring intently at Roku. Roku bowed kindly in her direction. “If I am correct, I believe that you are the Huntress?” The woman nodded wryly, as if she thought it humorous being called by that name. “Yes, though I would prefer it if you called me Lyn. My full name is Lyndis Whindwhyvar. I was only given that name because of… certain skills I have.” At this Hawkeye smiled as well. “There’s something I’ve been wondering ever since I realized about my powers: Why do they call me the Hunter when I have never known they existed, nor had any relation with either of you whatsoever? Also, why do I have these… abilities?” Lyn looked at him oddly. “You mean… your parents never told you?” “Told me what?” Lyn and Hawkeye looked at each other for a single moment with surprise. Lyn turned back towards Roku, sighing. “The fact is… Roku Nevantho, you are my descendant… you are the four-times-great-grandson of Light, the creator of the Realm of Yygdra.” There was a pause then, a pause I which no one knew what to say in order to break the silence. Finally, after several moments, Roku asked, “But how… how am I your son? My parents had so many pictures of me when my mother was pregnant with me, when I was born… how can you be my mother?” Lyn answered, “The same way that you create things of fire, I can Create living beings. “Thirteen and a half years ago Hawkeye and I escaped from our universe- Ethrendel- through a portal. We ended up here, worn and weak after battling many terrible beings. I decided that it was time to create my descendant; it was the custom to create a descendant of Light during a time when darkness was beginning to win; a terrible darkness that threatens to destroy universes. “I searched for several weeks among humans for a couple who could raise my descendant properly. I found your parents very soon. Your mother had been pregnant before, but the child had died before it could truly begin to develop. They were perfectly willing to raise you as their own, and so I created you within your mother’s womb. “Hawkeye and I were forced to leave one month later through the same portal in an attempt to keep other beings from getting to earth from Ethrendel; and vice versa. As I am sure you realize, our attempt failed eventually, thirteen years later.” She ended her tale there. Roku was not crying, though a single tear rolled down his face as he took in his new past. That single tear came because he realized that his parents not only died to protect him, but also because they were fulfilling a duty to Lyn: keeping a new hero alive. Roku raised his head a little and said, “Could… could you tell me exactly how Light… or what Light… is?” Hawkeye turned to face the boy. “Hundreds of billions of years ago, two super-powerful beings were formed: Light and Dark. Together they created an entire collection of universes: the Realm of Yygdra. This Realm contained every being they knew existed, and for several million years, Yygdra was quite peaceful. “However, things began to create themselves after a while. Many of things were not threatening to the existence of Yygdra, but some were. One such thing was demons. Though they existed in their own universe, the demons were a destructive, unmerciful force. They had no leader to control them, and thus, they had no rules. “It wasn’t for another hundred years after the demons first formed that a leader did come about: a being by the name of the Kraakahn.” When Hawkeye spoke that name, the air quivered slightly. “The Kraakahn was almost as old as Yygdra itself, and almost as powerful as Light and Dark. The demons respected him, and thus he rallied them and became their ruler. They spread chaos throughout the Realm, attacking and conquering the few beings that existed in other universes. “Dark decided on his own to fight the Kraakahn. The battle between the two super-powers lasted for many days, but in the end, the Kraakahn prevailed, possessing Dark’s form. “Light had no idea of what had transpired, and thus, Kraakahn was able to Create and Destroy numerous things. One thing he did, something that was both a blessing and a curse, was prevent both he and Light from Creating or Destroying anything within Yygdra with the powers they held. That curse still exists in the descendants today, though your two-times great-grandfather found a way to minorly circumvent it. “Eventually the Kraakahn was disposed of, though his terrible deeds still haunt us today. After the Kraakahn’s defeat, Light decided that, in order to keep Yygdra safe, he would need a descendant that could keep the demons from uprising and keep another Kraakahn from coming. And so your three-times great-grandmother was created.” Hawkeye stopped talking, his story now completed. It was silent for several minutes as Roku and Carmen took in their new knowledge. Finally, Roku said, “When can I get started?” Hawkeye gave a perplexed look. “Excuse me?” “You said earlier that you would have to train me in my powers. When will it start?” Lyn smiled. “If you are willing enough, it can start right now.”

•					•					•

On the first day it became obvious that Lyn and Hawkeye would be training the two in ways they would never expect. Hawkeye started them out, having them sit cross-legged near the edge of the pool in front of him. He was once more human, though he told them that his true original form was that of the lizard, or Salrian, as his kind was called. They also found out that Lyn had given him limited powers, which gave him immortality and minor magical skills. Hawkeye, too, sat cross-legged, a way of sitting that seemed completely natural for the man. His axe was lying against the restrooms; his hands now sat in his lap. “It was traditional for the descendant to be taught just after his or her powers began to become visible. This would keep them from abusing them early on, and allow the descendant to know just why he or she has these abilities. “Though you are not a descendant of Light, Carmen, you are much different from the rest of your kind; thus, we have made an exception to teach you some things that we would normally teach Roku.” Hawkeye held out his left hand behind him, and his axe flew into its grasp. “I wish to test you in how much you can do, Roku; this way I will know how much I will have to test you. Carmen can be tested by Lyndis in the other building.” Thus began a long test of Roku’s abilities. At first the tests were simple: such as raising a stone with wind or moving the water in the pool to form a certain shape. As time wore on, however, Hawkeye made the tests more and more complicated, one of which was trying to create a creature that had its own mind, but Roku controlled its movements; another had Roku attempt to create a kind of shell around him that gave him a different appearance: both tests he failed. Carmen’s test had ended before his (which had been nearly three hours long), and so she was already outside waiting for further instruction by Hawkeye. Hawkeye had Roku get his sword from the bathroom, preparing to begin their first lesson. Hawkeye grabbed the air in front of him, and then pulled upwards. A beautiful longsword, with a jungle green blade and a silver-encrusted hilt. A single sapphire was inlaid near where the blade met the hilt. All in all it was a beautiful weapon guaranteed to kill. Hawkeye tossed it and its hilt to Carmen, who barely managed to catch the lightweight blade. As Roku came out with the dragonsword, the two rubies in the hilt began to glow a blood-red color. The blade, too, began to glow a pale blue color. Hawkeye glared at the sword, saying, “The sword was made to glow when it was near a descendant. General Sharptooth had the blade specially made that way just so he could find me and Lyndis. We will have to be especially careful from now on.” Roku looked at the dragonsword. “The sword never glowed when I carried it, but I am a descendant. Why?” “The sword may only glow in the presence of a fully grown descendant. Though I myself am not a descendant, my powers are almost fully developed, and thus, the blade will glow in my presence. Your powers, though much better developed than I would have expected, must not be enough developed for the sword to recognize them.” He paused, allowing the information to sink in. “Now, let us get started with the lesson.” The first day went quite smoothly, though it was much different than either of the two expected. For the first two hours Hawkeye tested them with numerous forms of weapons (though he only used one modern human weapon: a pistol). Roku seemed to do much better at this than Carmen, though his accuracy with the pistol and the bow was not something to be desired for. Lyn’s form of teaching was much more different from Hawkeye’s in the sense that she taught of things that did not require physical strength. She first attempted to find out how many languages they knew from the start, and then, once that was complete, taught them three new languages that they would have to know on Ethrendel: Marcratian, Salrian, and Reptillan. She also taught them as much as she could in three hours on Ethrendel’s history and geography. Much to Roku and Carmen’s amazement, Ethrendel was in a universe parallel to Earth’s, and the planet of Ethrendel was the size of Earth’s sun. By the end of the day, both Carmen and Roku were collapsed on the ground, tired from the day’s work. Roku especially was tired, for he had not received any sleep after the reptillans’ attack. Hawkeye slept outside near the edge of the pool in his native form, his tail wrapped around his scalene body.

•					•					•

The next six weeks passed smoothly, and without too much action. Roku and Carmen were getting better at using several weapons (Roku specializing in swords, slingshots, and bows, and Carmen specializing in swords, lances, and axes), and becoming incredibly knowledgeable in several languages and many cultures. Roku, too, became very powerful with his magic, and by the end of the first two weeks, the dragonsword began to glow in his presence. By the end of the next four weeks, winter began to set in. Hawkeye went out of the pool compound every few days to gather information on what was going on outside. So far the only interesting information was on a human rebellion, though it had not amounted to much. The reptillans were still controlling most of the UNA’s government, and thus, peace was not occurring. One night, however, Hawkeye did not come back. He had not returned by the next morning, and even Lyn seemed slightly worried. Nonetheless, the lessons continued, only this time Roku’s mother was the teacher for the entire duration. Lyn was very tense and harsh for the duration of the day, always criticizing every mistake she found during their lessons. Hawkeye still hadn’t returned by the following night. Roku and Carmen still slept outside as they normally did, but both of them carried a weapon; for Roku, it was the dragonsword, and for Carmen, it was an emerald-bladed longsword. Roku woke suddenly near midnight to a loud crashing noise. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed Hawkeye stomping towards him and Carmen, his massive tail swinging. As he neared a set of lights, Roku noticed that Hawkeye had blood coated on his tan scales; the blood, however, was not his own. The axe was coated with the same blood, and hung limply in Hawkeye’s hands. “Hawkeye!!!” Lyn came rushing out of the main compound, “Hawkeye, where have you been!?! We’ve been worried sick!” Hawkeye grunted something about reptillans, sitting down. He allowed his axe to collapse to the concrete, where it lodged itself until Lyn picked it up and examined it. “This axe has reptillan blood on it,” Lyn said, “And your body is covered in it as well. Are you injured?” Hawkeye shook his head. “I was ambushed by a group of the things. They thought they could take me out with their little guns or whatever, but my hide is invulnerable to the bullets.” “Is that what delayed you?” “That and the fact that the Thrik’ni are out searching for us. It was all I could do to keep them from sighting me.” He adjusted his feet and continued. “From what I can see, the reptillans have taken totalitarian control of your lands. They are using all forms of force to stay in control, and many people have been killed in attempts to stop them. They have made schools their main strongholds, believing that the humans will not attack them if their children could be in danger as well. The reptillans have also captured several other countries around this one, and have taken all of the military equipment and are using it against everything they can.” “So there are people working against them quite efficiently?” Lyn asked. “Yes,” Hawkeye replied, “the human groups have caused no end of trouble for the reptillans. Most are peacefully asking for the reptillans to leave, but others… are using more offensive ways to get what they want. They are not entirely successful, but they do cause some damage. “On another front, some other creatures from Ethrendel are managing to reach Earth, and this is causing even more problems. Such creatures include some marcrats and other salrian. These beings, too, are rebelling against the reptillans and the humans both. So, to sum everything up… your planet, Earth, is now under a massive war that threatens to destroy the planet.” He paused, allowing the information to sink in. “We have to do something,” Roku said, drawing the dragonsword from its sheath. “We have to fight the reptillans and be ridden of them from Earth.” Lyndis shook her head. “I realize that this has been your only home, Roku, but I must speak out against such actions. The reptillans are far too numerous, and the other humans will fight against us as well. They do not trust us, and believe that we are the cause of everything that has occurred; and they are correct.” Hawkeye smiled. “Actually… there is a way you can go against the reptillans. Mind you, it will be incredibly risky and could be potentially dangerous, but it may jus work.” Everyone stared at him. “There is a social at your school in three days. I believe that the reptillans have their main stronghold inside. If we can get information on their numbers, weapons, and food supplies, we can come up with a simple, yet effective way to destroy the main front of the reptillans. “My idea is to send you two inside during the social and have you get as much information as possible. Wear your weapons on the inside of your clothes and be as secretive as possible. Roku, the reptillans all know your face, so you must get inside invisibly; I’ll teach you how to do so tomorrow night. If you are caught and they attempt to seize you, attack them with all of your might and get back here.” Lyndis was silent for a moment, lost in thought. “It is a very good plan, but I am worried. If things continue to be as chaotic as they seem, our plan could be for naught. I mean, what if the social was canceled?” Roku was about to say something when Carmen interrupted him. “Then we’ll just find the information we want some other way.” Prehistoric Battle

It was the night of the social. A mob of students were crowded around Carpenter’s front doors, waiting to be let in. The social was incredibly informal; most students wore what they had worn to school that day, and most came in alone. Five reptillans stood guard at the front doors until 6:30 came, and they began to take the entry fee of $2 so the students could come in. Every few students the reptillans would halt them and do a minor search, just to be sure no one was carrying any weapons. Carmen was amongst the people, and managed to get inside without being searched. Her green- bladed sword was hidden on the inside of her shirt, strapped to her thin back. She wore normal clothes: a T-shirt with jeans and tennis shoes, and thus blended in with the crowd. Roku managed to get in almost the same way; that is, to say, he went in the same doors. He was invisible to all but Carmen, and he, too, wore his sword on the inside of his shirt. He managed to avert the reptillans eyes from Carmen’s back, where her sword was strapped, using his magical abilities. Once he was safely out of the reptillans’ line of vision, Roku made himself visible to all. He found Carmen sitting at a table, and he quickly walked over to her. They went over their plan just for confirmation, and afterwards, they began to walk around the crowded gym, asking old friends about anything they knew of the reptillans. Most knew nothing about the reptillans, but a few had some valuable information. Within the hour both Roku and Carmen met up once more and discussed their information. “I have both good news and bad news,” Carmen said, “Which do you want to hear first?” “I don’t care by this point. Either will do.” “All right, then. The good news is that the reptillans have over a thousand troops inside this building during the night. They have a massive array of weaponry held inside several of the teacher’s bathrooms, and they only have three guards that patrol the halls at night. It’s going t be almost too easy to defeat the reptillans if this is true. “The bad news is this: the reptillans have declared a massive war between the entirety of Earth. Using our country’s weapons, they are dropping atom bombs and all sorts of chaotic items on other countries, causing massive amounts of damage and killing thousands, if not millions. The reptillans are still getting thousands of troops from Ethrendel, though how they are getting here remains to be seen. In conclusion, Earth is doomed to a terrible war that will most likely end in its destruction…” Carmen let off, her mood grim. They sat at a table for a few minutes, not really paying attention to anything but their own thoughts. Roku kept thinking he was hearing someone call his name, but he dismissed, seeing no one attempting to make contact with him. “Roku!” Daisy’s voice came from nearby. She stood right underneath the rotating disco ball that hung from the ceiling. She was wearing the same clothes as she had when Roku had left, nearly three weeks ago. She and Roku stared at each other from across the gym, either willing to speak with the other, even though Daisy had gotten his attention. Carmen was noticing something else. From the doors she herself had entered to get inside of the gym, a group of nearly twenty reptillans was coming. They wore the same sliver armor that they had when they had attacked the school nearly three weeks ago, and carried an assortment of weapons. One of the reptillans raised his pistol and fired off three shots to get everyone’s attention. Bam! Bam! Bam! A single bullet struck the thin cord suspending the disco ball, causing it to fall. Daisy looked up just in to see it falling towards her… She raised her hands to shield her head… A massive crashing noise resounded throughout the room. Everyone turned to where the disco ball had fallen to see what had occurred. Daisy was crouched down to the ground, her arms still held above her head. A green half-sphere of elemental energy surrounded her, protecting her. The disco ball now lay shattered on the floor around the half-sphere. Roku’s dragonsword, which had been thrown in an attempt to protect Daisy, was now collapsed within the half-sphere, the blade cracked and broken. The gym was silent for a moment; even the hired DJ had stopped the music. The General stepped out from within the group of reptillans. “Well, well, well,” he growled, “It looks like I have caught two birds in one net.” He made a motion to the reptillans behind him, speaking in his native tongue, “Skartgron nexeran!” The reptillans began to converge on Daisy and Roku when a deep rumbling shook the gymnasium. Everyone stopped. The rumbling came again… and again… and again… Suddenly, a massive beast burst through a wall of the gym; a beast that no human believed existed any more in life: a Spinosaurus. The Spinosaurus let out a mighty roar and grabbed a student by the head, flipping him up and swallowing him whole. The General began make odd, hissing noises, which attracted the dinosaur’s attention. The General pointed towards Daisy and Roku, hissing sharply. The Spinosaurus’s gaze was instantly drawn towards the pair, and it once more let out a terrible roar. Roku was ready for the dinosaur’s charge, and as it did so, he stopped his foot. A block of the floor rose up from the ground and began to hover in place, held there by wind. Roku leapt upon it and the rock moved higher, above the Spinosaur’s snapping jaws. The Spinosaur snapped at the hovering rock, missing by mere inches. Roku began to rapidly shoot balls of flame at the dinosaur, one right after the other. The flames singed the behemoth’s skin, but did not seem to harm the creature. Instead, it seemed to drive its maniacal rage further, for it jumped and slashed at Roku with renewed fury. Carmen attempted to help by slashing at the Spinosaur’s ankles, but the blade could not pierce the tough hide of the behemoth. The creature did not have any care about the other people; all beings were tossed aside like tenpins as it fought with Roku. Even the reptillans were not spared; a table that had been lifted into the air crushed four reptillans. All in all, the battle seemed hopeless, with the endless twisting and weaving of the Spinosaur in its attempts to kill the floating Roku. After nearly five minutes of this, a great rumbling noise caused the entirety of the school to shake as if an earthquake was occurring. The noise grew in sound as if it were drawing nearer, until finally, the wall opposite of the one the Spinosaur had burst through exploded, creating a massive hole. In this hole stood two insectile beings. Their skin was as white as new fallen snow. They stood only a few feet shorter than the Spinosaurus itself, but they looked much more fearsome in their oddness. They had long, scaled necks and heads, which did not resemble anything of Earth. They had a pair of insectile eyes and two antennae that reached down to their spine. The creatures had a pair of sharp, two-clawed arms and legs that were as thick as tree trunks. Two massive, insectile wings perched upon their shoulders, flapping uselessly. The creatures let out hissing screech and charged the Spinosaur. The Spinosaur was surprised at first, but soon it regained its composure. The dinosaur slashed wildly at the two creatures, but missed, and the two insectile monsters fell on it, snapping and slashing. The smaller creatures appeared more vulnerable to the massive Spinosaur’s attacks, but they moved quickly, and thus were able to keep from being struck. The reptillans took this to their advantage, now swarming Carmen, Roku, and Daisy. Roku kept them back with his magic, firing off blasts of fire, water, thunder, and wind. Carmen hacked away at the lizards, none able to touch her. Daisy merely protected herself with the only thing she knew: a half-sphere of green elemental energy. The other students fled from the scene, not wanting to be caught between the battling oppositions. A few students were crushed by the Spinosaur or the two insect-monsters, their lifeblood splattering the concrete. The two battles lasted in this manner for several minutes until one of the insect-monsters was flung into the air, crashing down upon the mass of reptillans. The reptillans scrambled away from the beast as it stood itself back up, snapping at a few of the retreating lizards. With the reptillans gone, Roku, Carmen, and Daisy were allowed to relax for a moment. They watched the battling behemoths with interest, observing how the monsters fought. Finally, breaking their silence, Roku whispered, “So you have powers as well.” Daisy nodded. “I just sort of… found out yesterday. That Maxwell kid was throwing rocks and a raised my hands and… it just happened.” She didn’t sound entirely happy. Roku began to think inwardly to himself, If Daisy has the same powers that I have, then does that mean that she is my sister that Lyn Created? Or does it mean that there is another descendant not even Lyndis knew about? His thoughts were all raging within himself; he did not know what to do. Within moments the other insect-monster, too, had been thrown into the air, this time landing where the trio had been moments before. They separated quickly, moving away as the creature rose itself up. The General, up to his cunning ways again, grabbed Daisy around the middle and held a silver dagger to her throat. Carmen slashed at him with her sword, but he leapt back, snarling, “No one try to stop me or she’ll be the one to die!” A terrible rage began to well up within Roku, consuming his every thought. The ground at his feet began to glow cherry-red, and the smell of burning rubber began to fill the air. His eyes began to glow white; he set his hands on the ground and rock covered them. “Let her go, General,” he commanded in a voice that was not his own, “Let her go or you will suffer the consequences of death.” The air began to heat up, slowly beginning to turn red. Daisy screamed, “Just leave me, Roku! Don’t… don’t try anything to rash!” “Yes… don’t do anything stupid, Hunter,” the General smirked, “If you value your friend’s life, you will do nothing.” The General ran from the gymnasium deeper into the school. Roku began to step slowly in the reptillan’s direction, but he stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Carmen. Roku stared at her his eyes still glowing in a way that would have caused most humans to cower in fear. But Carmen did not flee; she stared at him as intently as he did her. Finally, slowly but surely, he began to return to normal. When he had finally returned to normal, tears began to flow down his cheeks. Carmen wrapped him in her arms, tears flowing down her own cheeks as well. “Come on,” she whispered, “Let’s go back.” •					•					•

They traveled by the way of the creek once more, walking in a never-ending silence. Neither wished to speak about what had occurred, for it was too mournful for both of them. Roku had left his shattered sword in the gymnasium; it was no use to him anymore. They never came across another other being. The path was barren and empty, water had washed away much of the stones and roots. After many minutes they ran into Hawkeye, who was waiting for them, halfway to the hideout. He asked them no questions, and they continued on their way in silence. They had reached Jack Carter by midnight, where Lyndis waited. She had her katana, Raèk’nól, sheathed at her side, and wore a single shoulder plate of armor. She, too, respected their silent for a few moments, but finally she asked, “What happened?” “What do you mean?” Carmen asked. “Both of you are incredibly silent, and you look shaken up. Something must have occurred to cause you two to be this way.” Roku suddenly blurted out, “Is there another descendant of Light that you created?” Lyndis gave Roku a quizzical look. “What are you talking about?” Roku described Daisy and told Lyndis about her newfound ability. Lyndis listened and seemed quite interested in his tale, though afterwards she said, “I know of no other descendants of Light. I only Created you.” Hawkeye sighed, his eyes closed. Then, he said, in a voice barely audible, “That would be because that girl… Daisy Wang… is my daughter… Created by the little abilities I have…”

•					•					•

Everybody, even Lyn, stared at Hawkeye in disbelief. “But… how did you manage to do that Hawkeye?” Lyn asked, “The magic I gave you… shouldn’t have been enough to Create your own descendant with the same powers.” Hawkeye nodded. “Unlike you, I sacrificed some of my essence and place it within a child that was already in existence, but not yet born; I did not actually Create my descendant. That in itself took much of my energy and health. Daisy will not have the full capabilities that you have, Roku, but she will still be a force to behold.” Lyndis stood silently, thinking to herself. “This could raise some problems… if the reptillans capture her, they could twist her so that she may fight against us… but if we get to her first, then we can give her some teachings for her magic. In this way we can have a small enough force to defeat the reptillans and drive them from here. Then… it is possible that we could defeat them within Ethrendel as well… and both worlds would be peaceful once more.” Roku and Carmen both looked at each other for a moment. “Um…there’s just one problem,” Carmen whispered, “Daisy was captured by the General.” After both Lyn and Hawkeye’s urgings, the pair told their tale about the event, from the beginning when they arrived to the end once they had left. Hawkeye was especially interested in the insect-monsters. After their tale was done, Hawkeye sighed, saying, “The cat’s really out of the bag now. Those creatures are called Bahrain; their one of a kind, and incredibly intelligent. The Thrik’ni and their minions, including the reptillans, are the Bahrain’s mortal enemies. I’m surprised they haven’t killed any of the Thrik’ni yet.” “What are the Thrik’ni?” Roku asked. “They are terrible beings that are formed from the deceased bodies of the descendants of Light. They wear black cloaks of a thick cloth, and each wields its own separate weapon. What they appear as underneath the cloaks is unknown, for when they are destroyed, they explode and disappear. They have no magical abilities, but they are incredibly powerful.” “Does their leader wield a scythe?” Roku asked. Hawkeye looked at him for a moment. “I see you have met him. Yes, he is the leader of the Thrik’ni.” “I didn’t meet him personally, but he is the one who announced the takeover.” Lyndis interrupted the silence that followed by saying, “We should all get some rest. We must be ready for anything tomorrow.” Everyone retreated to the places that they normally slept. Like Lyndis had said, they had to be ready for anything that might occur tomorrow. Traveling on the Roads

Roku woke up to Hawkeye calling, “Come to me, Roku Nervantho and Carmen Tinker! Come!” Roku ran out of the restroom where he slept, still wearing his worn clothes from the night before, and a ball of fire held in his left hand. Carmen came out of the opposite restroom, wearing a nightshirt and carrying her green-bladed sword. Hawkeye was in his Salrian form, and in his outstretched hands were two bundles of clothes. His axe, Goran’kan, sat against his massive flank. He held out the clothes to the humans, saying, “Put these on and then go to Lyndis in the main building. We are going to be traveling today.” Roku grabbed the bundle Hawkeye held out to him. The bundle seemed incredibly light for its size. After he had put it on, he went to the single mirror in the restroom to see what it looked like. He wore a light-brown, long-sleeved tunic underneath a darker-brown, short-sleeved jacket made of the same wooly material. His pants were of the same material and color of the jacket, and his shoes were jet black. A leather belt hung around his waist, though there was no sheath to attach to it. His gloves were a greenish-black, much like his mother’s gloves, and were cut the same way, with the tips of the fingers visible. All in all, he felt that he looked much more impressive. Carmen, too, felt that she looked more impressive as she looked in front of the mirror. She wore a blue tunic made of the same wooly material that Roku’s clothes were made of. Her pants were made of the same material, but were a lighter blue than the pants. Her shoes were the same as Roku’s: jet-black and made of a wooly material. A braid made of a strip of cloth covered in tiny jewels kept her hair in its usual way. Her blue eyes matched her clothes, making her seem even more impressive. Both of them walked out of the separate restrooms as the sun was beginning to rise. Lyndis was waiting for them in the main building of the compound, and handed the pair a small pack full of supplies of food, water, and a small assortment of knives for defense. Roku sheathed one of the knives to his belt. They were just about to leave Jack Carter when Carmen asked, “Where are we going?” Lyndis sighed as if she didn’t want to say what she did: “We’re going back to Roku’s house. There are a few things that we gave his parents before we left, and they may become completely necessary for us if we are to fight the reptillans and the Thrik’ni. If you want to, we can go to your house as well, Carmen, if you want to pick up a few things.” Carmen shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” They set off quickly, traveling by way of the creek. They were completely silent, and stopped every time they came heard any other beings, even ducks, stray dogs, or cats. Eventually they did leave the path of the creek, in attempts to reach the house by ways of the streets. Hawkeye and Lyndis had no knowledge of the streets of Plano, so Carmen and Roku were forced to lead the way. When they first left the creek, Hawkeye asked, “What’s the quickest way to your house, Roku?” Roku looked at the street signs to find where he was. “Well, we’re at Country Place and Cross Bend, so we should follow Cross Bend east until we get to Antoine.” Carmen nodded, agreeing with him. They followed the street for many blocks, ducking and hiding whenever someone or something became audible or visible. Hawkeye especially was jumpy; his eyes were watching everything around him at once, never missing anything. As they traveled, Roku and Carmen tried to tell Hawkeye and Lyndis as much as they could about human’s technology. Lyndis seemed to have some pre-knowledge of technology, though it was slightly limited. Hawkeye knew much more than he had told them, for his trips outside of the pool had often given him much knowledge. They ran into no trouble until they reached the block of Cross Bend and Alma. A troop of reptillans had parked a green Humvee with no roof in the very center of the streets. All of them carried a gun, and one had a machine gun perched atop the Humvee. They glowered menacingly at everyone and everything, searching every vehicle that passed by. The group tried to skirt around the reptillans, but it seemed impossible to do so. They were looking everyone at once. Finally, Hawkeye said, “Wait here.” Despite his massive size, Hawkeye could move quickly and silently. He hid amongst the shadows, creeping closer and closer to the reptillans. By pure chance a reptillan saw him, crying, “It’s the Hawkeye!” Hawkeye raised his tail, and let it go crashing down. The concrete below the Humvee flew into the air, and the Humvee came crashing down. One of the reptillans that hadn’t been in the Humvee aimed his gun and fired at Hawkeye. The bullet exploded a few feet away from the massive Salrian, however, with his form flickering between his normal form and his human form. Lyn rushed forward, swinging Raèk’nól in front of her. A burst of fire flew forward, striking the reptillan and killing him. Another reptillan charged at her, slashing the gun wildly. He shot accidentally, and the bullet exploded in front of her; Lyn’s form flickered oddly, between human and a floating wind. By now Roku and Carmen, too, were in the fight, slashing and stabbing at the lizards. They were surprised by the ferocity of their opposers, and thus the reptillans were easily slain. After a few minutes the reptillans were no more, and though Hawkeye allowed a few seconds of a break, he forced everyone to keep moving. They moved more hastily, and took a twisting and turning route to Roku’s home. After nearly an hour of walking, they had reached his home. Roku’s house looked in bad shape. The tree in the front was dying, and the plants in the front were all dead. Someone had toilet papered the front tree, and strands of the paper was flying in the light wind. It was beaten, and had a mournful feel to it. The front door was still locked, so Hawkeye swung his axe, chopping it in half. They hurried inside. The inside looked almost the same way as it had when Roku was last inside it, though there were droppings from his two cats, Patches and Puzzles, and Chloe. Patchey, as Roku called him, came up to him, mewing. The cat was skinny, which was normal, and his brother, who came up to them a moment later, still looked incredibly obese. They looked up at Roku, mewing. As Roku looked about the house, he noticed just how badly in shape it had become from his absence. The cats had found their food bag and had torn it open, so kibble was spread out all through the house. Torn Kleenex was tossed this way and that throughout the house. The worst and most saddening change for Roku was Chloe. She looked tired and beat-down, and being thirteen years old didn’t help. As he held her, petting her, she closed her eyes, going into an eternal sleep. Several tears flowed down his eyes as he cremated her body with his magic. Lyn was with him while he did so, and she asked, “Are you okay?” Roku nodded silently, though his eyes were beginning to swell with tears. As he stood up to find Carmen and Hawkeye, Lyndis began muttering a few words under her breath. They found Carmen and Hawkeye in Roku’s adopted parents’ old room. Hawkeye was sorting through all of the cabinets and dressers in the room, trying to find something. After a few moments, he took out a small case about the size of a chickadee. He opened it, revealing two golden-chained necklaces. At the end of each was a perfectly round stone; one green, the other blue. “What are they?” Carmen asked. Hawkeye smiled, saying, “They are necklaces of great power. The Thrik’ni would love to have these, and could easily use them against us.” “How can these help us fight the reptillans?” Lyndis answered, “There are certain…powers held within them. There is a way to release these powers and cause a powerful- and devastating- attack.” “Can you teach us how to do this?” Hawkeye nodded. “Carmen won’t be able to utilize their powers, but it will provide some protection nonetheless. You can utilize as much power as you can without killing you.” Lyndis held one of the necklaces and began teaching Roku how to unlock the stone’s powers. It was fairly simple for Roku, though he did not try to do so there, for fear that the house may be destroyed. Once they had finished and found a few other objects that Hawkeye had left for Roku there, they began preparing to leave and head back to the pool. Roku let Patchey and Puzzles outside, where they could be free. The pair left together, running off to freedom. Roku and the others headed off to Thunderbird, heading south along the road towards Parker. They stopped, noticing a large group of people at the intersection of Parker and Premier. Heading towards the group, Roku noticed several things. First, the group was more of a mob, shouting and threatening. Secondly, they were shouting at a group of reptillans with guns that surrounded the Thrik’ni. Thirdly, there were five tanks behind the Thrik’ni, which were armed by reptillans. The mob of humans carried signs, most reading something along the lines of Leave Here, Monsters! or We don’t want you here!. A few people carried weapons, such as sticks and stones, while only a few carried guns. They were not using them yet, but it seemed to be getting close to that. As Roku, Carmen, Hawkeye and Lyndis neared the mob, a young woman yelled, “Look, it’s that kid! He’s the reason they came here in the first place!” An assortment of people began yelling at them now, and a few moved forward, itching to strike them. Hawkeye raised his hand into the air and began to shout, “We are not the reason the Thrik’ni and the reptillans came here! We are the excuse for them coming here! We were forced to flee here because of the demons that had run amuck in our world! We are with you in this fight!” The people did not care, and one of the men shot at Hawkeye. The bullet exploded, and Hawkeye’s Salrian form flickered again. Many were torn however; Hawkeye seemed to mean them no harm, but was he telling the truth? The Thrik’ni hissed, “He tells lies. He is a wanted criminal in our world, and he must be sssslain.” His hissing voice convinced many that Hawkeye was lying, and the mob charged. Hawkeye drew his axe and growled, “Do not kill them. They are being influenced by the Thrik’ni’s voice. Only keep them at bay.” The others nodded, and they stood ready, all but Roku carrying a weapon. As the mob neared them, Roku lit two balls of flame into the palms of his hands, and threw them at the ground in front of the mob. A small wall of fire sprung up, and the mob faltered. Many ran around the flames, and continued their charge. The first people to reach the group of four were knocked back by a blast of wind from Lyn. Others were forced back by the slashes of Carmen and Hawkeye, both of whom purposely missed only to frighten. It went this way for a few moments, with the people cowering at the attacks of the group, which caused no harm or death. A few people with guns shot out at them, thankfully missing Carmen, and the bullets all exploding as they touched the other three. A sudden ‘boom’ echoed throughout the air, and the ground exploded to the right of Roku. Several people in the mob turned to see the reptillans charging at them, and the tanks firing at them. Thus began a terrible and bloody battle. The people in the back of the mob were slain easily due to mere surprise. Roku and Hawkeye charged through the mob and began to fight the lizards, keeping them at bay better than the other humans. The part of the mob that had originally been fighting Carmen and Lyndis now turned. Hawkeye and Roku were fighting enemies that had just tried to kill the people; Hawkeye had been telling the truth after all. The reptillans, though at first overwhelmed by the sheer number of people attacking them, had an advantage with the tanks, which fired at the mob, killing many at a time. Roku, Hawkeye, and Lyn were invulnerable to their shots, and fought in the front; Carmen tried to fight as best as she could while avoiding the massive blasts. After about an hour, the reptillans began to falter backwards, too overwhelmed despite their advantage with the tanks, two of which had been destroyed by Roku’s magic. The Thrik’ni had been hidden in the back, not fighting, but now it was moving forward amongst the reptillans’ ranks. When he reached the edge of their ranks, it raised its scythe and shouted, “Enough of this!” All was silent. The sound of the clashing of weapons stopped, and everyone trained their eyes on this cloaked being, who hissed, “This is not a fight between humans and reptillans… This is a fight between the inhibitors of Ethrendel!” And with that it lunged at Hawkeye, swinging its scythe. As Hawkeye and the Thrik’ni dueled, the reptillans began to attack only Roku and Lyn. The two became surrounded, but still they fought on, keeping themselves alive by sheer luck. The humans, whom had been pushed backwards out of the battle, began to whisper amongst themselves. They had no idea what Ethrendel was, but they did know this: Roku, Lyn, and Hawkeye had been willing to fight for them even when they tried to kill them; should they not fight alongside their new allies. At last Carmen convinced them to fight when she shouted, “If they fought for us, we should fight for them! This is our homeland, so we should defend it!” The people agreed, and they charged. Carmen fell alongside Roku, slashing the reptillans that had surrounded him. Roku was lashing out with bursts of fire and lightning, slaying all it struck. Lyndis fought with both magic and sword, Raèk’nól shining in the light of the sun. Hawkeye and the Thrik’ni were in a draw; neither could touch the other with their weapons, despite Hawkeye’s massive strokes and the Thrik’ni’s swift strikes. Even Hawkeye’s magic couldn’t harm his cloaked adversary. An inhuman screech pierced the air, shattering all glass within hearing. Everyone but Hawkeye and the Thrik’ni turned towards the sound as a massive shadow darkened the land. A massive creature dived at the mob, slashing wildly. It then flew back into the air, soaring towards the sky. Before it could get away Roku fired a piece of ice at the beast’s wing, cutting it. The creature began to dip down out of sight, and a resonating crash sounded a moment later, followed by another screech. The tanks began to drive off in fear, followed by the reptillans. The Thrik’ni followed them quickly, though it did not seem at all fearful. The aftermath of the fight was horrible. Many lay dead, and the moans of the dying were horrible. One person had been torn in half by the winged monster’s attack, and though he still lived, he was fading fast. Roku and Carmen couldn’t find Lyndis or Hawkeye for a moment. They scanned the crowd, and finally, after a few moments, caught sight of Hawkeye sitting cross-legged next to something. He was crying. The source of Hawkeye’s tears became known as they neared his side: Lyndis lay on the concrete, alive, but horribly injured. Three gashes had torn through her clothes and skin, reaching from the base of her neck down to her knee. Two more slashes lead from her right side to her left side; massive amounts of blood were staining the concrete. Her katana, Raèk’nól, lay stuck in the concrete next to her. Her chest heaving, she began to whisper something that was barely audible: “Hawkeye…” He moved nearer to her. “Hawkeye…I want you to teach both Roku and Carmen from now on…after I die.” Hawkeye nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. “Roku… I want you…to take Raèk’nól and its sheath…Use it well…” Roku went to her side and unclasped the sheath from her belt, then fit the katana into its place, tears flowing from his eyes as well. Lyndis struggled to sit herself up to look directly at Carmen. She then asked, “Carmen…have you ever wanted to have… the same abilities that Roku has…?” After a moment Carmen nodded, whispering, “I accept the fact that I cannot, however. I understand my position.” Lyndis forced a smile on her face, whispering, “Then you shall receive perhaps the greatest gift of all…” Turning back towards Hawkeye, she whispered, “Give the Thrik’ni hell, old friend… Remember the Promise…” She looked back at Carmen, beginning to mutter inaudible words. A few moments later she stopped, and it seemed like she had finally died. Instead, her eyes flew open as her body began to glow a brilliance of rainbow-colored lights. Her glowing body twisted into a tendril of light, striking Carmen directly at the heart. Carmen stumbled backwards, falling over and sinking into unconsciousness. Roku stared at the spot where his mother had been a moment before, tears running down his face like a river. After a few moments he wiped them away, fingering the hilt of Raèk’nól. Hawkeye was already standing up, looking at Carmen to make sure she wasn’t too badly injured. He seemed to be content with what had happened, for he said nothing and shook Carmen awake. She held her head for a moment, moaning. A mighty roar broke the silence. Hawkeye stared towards the source, over where the massive winged beast had fallen, cursing, “Garlath barzúln… I should have known we’d have to deal with it sooner or later.” He helped Carmen up and gave her her sword, then started trotting off on Premier towards the beast’s roars. Roku caught up, asking, “What did… what happened with Lyndis?” He no longer had any tears, and his voice was calm. “She sacrificed her pure essence and placed it within Carmen, similar to the way I did with Daisy. I, however, only sacrificed a little essence, whereas your mother sacrificed all she had left. Carmen may someday become as powerful as we have, but that won’t happen for a few more years at least.” Carmen, who had heard everything, stayed silent. Hawkeye sighed heavily, saying, “The creature we are about to fight, that killed Lyndis, is called a wyrmfell. Wyrmfells are incredibly powerful, though few in numbers, and have human’s form of intelligence; it does not rely on instinct, but instead strategy and wit. The creature has enough of that and brute strength that we cannot fight it alone. It may not be able to fly at the moment, but that does not mean that we have an advantage. The creature is incredibly fast and may charge. Be extremely careful.” Both Roku and Carmen nodded. As they reached the site where the wyrmfell had crashed, Roku managed to get a better look at it. It was not nearly as frightening as it had first seemed, but it still looked fearsome, and had crashed directly in front of a Target store. The wyrmfell had two immensely powerful wings, on of which had a large hole in it that dripped thick, purple-black blood. Four legs contained five massive claws that cracked the concrete it stood upon. A gargantuan tail had already shattered much of the front entrance to the store, blocking in anyone inside. The head was tyrannosaur in shape, containing two red human-like eyes that stared intently at the approaching three. There were no visible ears, but the maw of the brute more than made up for it: it contained two rows of fist-sized teeth that were yellowed and threatening. All in all, the wyrmfell was a sight to behold. The closer the three neared it, the faster the tail of the wyrmfell slid along the ground. Hawkeye was only fifty feet away, just in the middle of the parking lot, when he said, “Spread out. We don’t want to get any closer.” Roku and Carmen quickly obeyed. Though the three were spread out about twenty feet from each other, the wyrmfell only had eyes for Hawkeye’s salrian form. It was licking its teeth with a slightly forked tongue, which was stained with blood. Roku stared at the murderer of his true mother, hatred in his eyes. He set his fists upon the ground, allowing the asphalt to crawl up his arms. He did the same with his legs, and his eyes began to glow a brilliant white. He unsheathed Raèk’nól, which became laced with ribbons of flame that hissed like serpents. He let his rage control him, allowing to become incredibly powerful. Carmen had unsheathed her green-bladed sword and stood ready, though one eye was watching Roku at the same time the other watched the monster in front of her. Hawkeye stood ready as well, Goran’kan held ready at his side. Everyone was waiting for the wyrmfell to make its move. The creature looked from being to being, wondering who to attack. It then looked at the massive concrete balls screwed into the concrete in the front of the building. It grabbed one with its maw, lifting it up and snapping the screw. It threw the ball bodily at Hawkeye. The massive ball rolled towards the Salrian, gaining speed as it went. It had been rolled perfectly so that the flat side was not even touching the ground, and thus it was able to surprise Hawkeye, though he still managed to get out of the way and be safe from harm. Roku stretched his hand out towards the ball, and a chunk of asphalt rose up in front of it, stopping it in its tracks. Another piece of asphalt beneath the ball rose upwards, and the ball was tossed into the air, falling towards the wyrmfell. The wyrmfell, though surprised by this way of attack, slashed at the ball with its right claw, shattering it into many pieces. The creature roared triumphantly and grabbed another ball, tossing this one at Carmen. Carmen, who was closer than the other two, did not have enough time to get completely out of harm’s way; the ball clipped her side as she nimbly tried to avoid the ball, and she fell to the ground, shaken, but not too badly hurt. The wyrmfell took advantage of her fall and charged, hissing gleefully. Roku leapt in front of Carmen, however, and the wyrmfell stopped its charge. Raèk’nól, alight with fire, fired a burst of light at the creature, which glanced off its claws. Roku stomped his foot on the ground, and instantaneously a piece of asphalt separated from the rest of the parking lot. Roku spun his arms in a circular motion, and the piece flew towards the wyrmfell. The wyrmfell merely shook its head after the rock struck it, shaken up but not injured in any way. It hissed angrily at Roku, its eyes filled with fury. But its fury could not match that of Roku’s own. This creature- this monster- had murdered his mother; only death could quench his anger. He leapt at the wyrmfell, letting out an inhuman battlecry. He hacked and slashed, attacking unconsciously with both magic and blade. The wyrmfell seemed to avoid every attack, slowly backing up into the building. The wyrmfell only made a single attack, which was to toss Roku off its back and into the store. Roku crashed into one of the nearby shelves, all of the merchandise in it collapsing on top of him. He pushed the merchandise off of him, struggling o get free as the wyrmfell charged at him. He heard Hawkeye shouting, “Run, Roku! Get away from it!” He quickly obeyed, moving as quickly as he could through the store. The wyrmfell, though incredibly powerful, was slowed down by the numerous shelves and hangers. It roared in frustration, struggling to get free of a shelf that had pinned its injured wing. Roku moved this way and that, twisting through everything and everyone. He had to make a stand and fight; the wyrmfell could easily corner him if he kept moving. He had to find a spot where he could strategically fight the creature. When he turned a corner near the back of the store, an idea popped into his head. He had a plan. The wyrmfell freed itself from the shelf, hissing as the pressure was released from its wound. It sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of its prey. It hissed in joy, moving towards the scent. It turned a corner, moving into one of the larger aisles, when it saw its prey, standing just ten feet away from where it was. The wyrmfell roared in an attempt to frighten the boy, but no avail; the boy stood still. The wyrmfell sniffed the air and grumbled; something wasn’t right: its prey no longer had any scent. The boy raised his foot and stomped it in the ground, causing a massive shockwave of energy to fly towards the wyrmfell. The creature stood perfectly still; the shockwave had no effect on it. The boy raised his hand a fired a burst of flame from his palm, but the wyrmfell avoided it easily. Now the wyrmfell was extremely puzzled; its prey had no scent, yet the attacks were real. The wyrmfell readied itself, and as its final test, it charged at its prey. The boy remained unmoving as it neared him and leapt over him. The wyrmfell hissed; his prey wasn’t even frightened by it. Now it would have to see whether its prey would move if it actually attacked him. The wyrmfell charged again, and this time it snapped at the boy’s head. The wyrmfell slid along the tile awkwardly, hissing. It had passed right through him! The wyrmfell turned. Its prey was standing perfectly still, its head still intact. The attack had no effect on him whatsoever! A deep rumbling sounded from behind the wyrmfell, and it turned to see a massive wall of tile, steel, and merchandise flying towards it, striking it. The wyrmfell crashed to the ground, its front right leg bleeding profusely. The boy had vanished, and reappeared from behind where the last attack had come from. He was smiling, and the wyrmfell hissed angrily. It had been tricked by a mere human! Roku trapped the wyrmfell using the tile, bending it with magic so it wrapped around the wyrmfell’s body. He raised Raèk’nól slowly, and then finally, without vigor or hatred, stabbed the wyrmfell in the area where the heart was, killing it instantly. Roku cremated the creature quickly, as respect for it, even though it had killed his mother. He was panting, his breath ragged. Hawkeye and Carmen found him sitting down, looking extremely tired and weary. Several other people were watching the group with interest. Hawkeye knelt down to Roku and asked, “Are you all right?” When Roku nodded, standing up shakily, Hawkeye said, “We need to get back to the creek. It is no longer safe for us to be out in the open. By the way, I liked your trick with the light.” Roku nodded, a little more cheerfully. As they left Carmen asked, “How did you do that, anyhow?” “I bent the light to look like me. I was surprised that the wyrmfell was fooled so easily; I was so sure it would find out and kill me.” They headed out into the parking lot, which had received some minor damage from the fight against the wyrmfell. A few cars had been destroyed as well, but most were still left intact. Hawkeye muttered, “We have to get back to the creek quickly; it is no longer safe to be out in the open like this.” He turned towards Roku and Carmen. “I’ll need you to both to help find a safe place where we can hide for the night. Can you do so?” Roku nodded, replying, “I think I know a place. It’ll be back in the creek, but it will be safer than most other places.” Within a few minutes they were off and traveling once more in the shadows. They remained hidden to all, moving quickly and silently. Roku led the group through a winding path that kept them hidden. Everyone was quiet; the weight of Lyn’s death was on them like a ton of bricks. As they passed Alma on Cross Bend, they Carmen noticed graffiti on the concrete; it was a white stallion with a silver-armored knight carrying a sword. Below the drawing was written: Where are you? Hawkeye looked at the graffiti and said, “The people of earth are becoming desperate for someone to defeat the reptillans. They need a hero.” His words filled them with a feeling of mourning and grimness, but still they continued on their way. When they reached the creek, Roku turned to the left, heading into the denser portion of the creek. Trees arched over them, giving them a place to hide. Roku then raised a wall of earth from where they had come, sealing off the grove and protecting them. “We can stay here,” he said, collapsing on the sodden earth next to a tree, “It is safe here.” The group remained there for the rest of the day, silent and unmoving. It was not until the sun began to set and darkness began to fall that Carmen stood up and sat down next to Roku, who stared at the ground in front of him. “Do you… do you want to talk about it?” she asked in a whisper. Roku remained silent for a moment, then, finally, he spoke. “What is there to talk about?” Carmen replied, “Just talking about… about how you feel about it will help. You heard Hawkeye earlier today; everyone is waiting for a hero to rise up and fight the reptillans. They won’t trust Hawkeye because he is from Ethrendel, and I won’t have your abilities for awhile… but you… you’re human, in a way. You are the hero people will be waiting for. But if you’re so weak that you can’t even tell anyone about how you fell about something, then no one will respect you. Speaking about Lyn’s death will help to soften it…please, Roku.” Roku once again remained silent, then he sighed, saying, “My mother’s death is shocking, obviously, but it was almost expected. The war… it will kill almost everyone… I just know it. I can’t be the hero if there’s no one to be a hero for.” Carmen shook her head, saying, “It doesn’t matter if everyone is destined to die in this war… if there is at least one person that rises up against the reptillans and the Thrik’ni, then more will follow. That in itself will cause a kind of chain reaction that could ultimately overthrow the reptillans. The world needs a hero; the people need a hero; I need a hero, Roku. You are that hero.” Roku looked up at his friend, surprised. “Your words… your words have some true meaning, that much I can tell. But they will mean nothing in the end.” “Yes… your words mean nothing, little girl.” A Thrik’ni suddenly appeared through the foliage, carrying a crudely made sword. It was shorter than the other Thrik’ni, but in a way it looked more menacing. Roku stood up quickly, unsheathing Raèk’nól. “What do you want here, Thrik’ni? You are not wanted here.” The Thrik’ni hissed. “I come on request from my brothers… to try and see whether you may join our cause… we could use a warrior like you. You would have fame… and you could save so many lives… and be stronger than even you could imagine.” Roku pointed Raèk’nól at the Thrik’ni, saying, “Do you really think that I would join you and your brothers after you kill my mother!?! If you truly think this, then you are incredibly mistaken.” And with those words said Roku fired a burst of fiery white light at the cloaked being. The attack struck the chest area, and the Thrik’ni screeched like a kind of hawk, fleeing into the night. Hawkeye, who had stood up upon seeing the Thrik’ni, growled, “He is badly injured, and won’t come back. But we will have to leave in the morning.” Roku turned towards Hawkeye. “You said that the reptillans had a minor stronghold at Carpenter, correct?” “Yes. Your battle at the social confirmed it even further.” “And Daisy is most likely going to be held there, correct?” “If she was captured there and the reptillans do in fact have a stronghold there, then yes, she should be there.” Roku nodded, then sat back down next to Carmen. She whispered, “What are you going to do?” Roku stared into her eyes and said, “It’s time for the people of Earth to get their hero.” Carmen’s eyes widened and she pecked him on the cheek. Then they both fell asleep, Carmen’s head resting on Roku’s shoulder.

•					•					•

The next morning, Roku was awake before anyone else, cooking some form of meat on a small fire that he had made. Hawkeye woke next, asking, “Where did you get that?” “I found a reptillan supply truck right next to the creek not far from here. There some chocolate in our packs now, too.” Once Carmen had awaken, the group ate, and soon they began to set off again. It was Roku again who led them, walking quickly along the street. He was heading towards Carpenter. The streets were crowded, for even though some of the school had been destroyed by the Spinosaur-Bahrain battle, it was still open, and today was Tuesday. Cars lined the streets, and students were walking from all over towards the building. Roku moved through the cars and the people swiftly, not stopping for anything. If a car or a person got in his way, he merely leapt over them with inhuman abilities. When he reached the Cross Bend doors, there was a crowd of people waiting outside them for the teachers or reptillans to open them. Roku passed through the crowd, not stopping when students began to whisper, “Is that Roku?” “I though he was dead.” “Why’s he wearing those clothes?” “What’s with the sword?” When Roku reached the doors, he spread his arms out wide, with his eyes glowing a fiery white. The doors suddenly snapped off their hinges, collapsing on the floor inside the school. Students began to whisper to themselves even more, wondering what was going on. A single reptillan stood in the hallway, surprised by this sudden attack. He raised his gun and shot at Roku, but the bullet exploded before it could strike him, and Roku’s form flickered quickly. Roku held his right hand out, and tendrils of electricity shot out, snatching the reptillan and lifting him into the air. Roku snarled, “Where is she!?!”, causing the tendrils to become thicker, giving the reptillan more pain. The reptillan screamed, “She’s upstairs I think. But you won’t make it to her. We’re guarding here very… very well.” Roku, unsmiling, growled, “Thank you,” then threw the reptillan across the hall, where he lay dead. Carmen and Hawkeye caught up to him quickly, their faces grim. “We must go upstairs,” Roku said,” The reptillan told me so…but she will be guarded. We’ll have o be careful.” A reptillan came from a nearby hallway near where the other reptillan lay dead. It took out a machine gun and pointed it at the group, then began to fire. Tiny explosions began to appear right in front of Roku and Hawkeye, and in response their forms began to flicker rapidly. Roku aimed his right palm towards the reptillan, and a burst of fiery light struck the machine gun and it exploded, the reptillan’s body burning quickly. The group quickly began to climb the nearby stairwell, attempting to be as silent as possible. Unfortunately, the reptillans were already waiting for them, and began to toss small desks upon them, much like Roku and Maxwell had done many weeks ago. Roku and Hawkeye fired bursts of energy at the desks, sending them upwards to their owners. Carmen slashed at a reptillan that tried to get in her way, and the creature fell backwards, its intestines spilling out of its wound. When the group had reached the top of the stairs, they realized just what they had gotten themselves into. Nearly a hundred reptillans waited for them in the halls in the upstairs, each one wearing their silver armor and carrying some form of weapon. Each one held a grin, believing that they were going to finally kill their foes. Their thoughts could never be further from the truth. Roku, already in a rage, became even stronger in his anger, his eyes glowing brilliantly and the air glowing red with heat.