Chapter 27
Kevin’s point of view
“Me?” I looked at him in surprise.
He nodded vigorously. “You were the
best pilot we had, and you kick started the rebellion in the mines.”
“Flyer.. I,” I paused as the
realisation hit me, “I can’t accept this!”
“Why not?”
“I’m leaving, Flyer, you know that!” I
exclaimed. “I’m not planning on going back to the Dragon Empire. I can’t accept
this responsibility!”
“But you’re our greatest warrior!” he
protested.
“Not anymore. I’m nobody’s warrior
anymore. I’m by myself now.”
“It doesn’t matter. Zakkar Draconis is
just a title, nothing more.” Flyer explained. “It brings you no power, so it
doesn’t bring responsibility either. It’s just like a medal for going above and
beyond to fight for us. Like a ‘thank you’.”
I hesitated. “So it makes no change?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t have to go back, take on
special duties?”
“Nope, you can still head home even if
you are Zakkar Draconis. And you will hold that title for a decade. After that
we pick a new Zakkar.”
“Oh,” I comprehended finally.
“So you accept?”
“Well, you’re not gonna leave until I
do.” I knew Flyer well, and he could be as stubborn as I could at times.
I spoke with the other pilots before they
had to leave. Both Fotuf and me carried the Geckos back to the surface level.
In a way I was glad that Solin wasn’t carrying either of them – who could have
known if she would drop one of them from a height? I could tell she still hated
them with a passion, despite this encounter.
I hugged Flyer, Monsoon and Dommur,
and shook claws with Tailflit and Junarn. I was hesitant to let them leave, but
I knew I would have to leave them even if they stayed. I longed for home, but
needed training to survive as a Soul Creature. Just a bit longer…..
Year 2016 – one year later
Solin’s point of view
Another year passed like flying over
the untouched valleys of Karnak. Years are like days to us. We are immortal to
old age and time seems shorter for us. Kevin seemed to go on without noticing
this; he failed to see how fast time passed for our kind. He was surprised when
I told him a year had passed since his friends showed up.
He learned quickly from Fotuf and me.
He now knew how to throw telekinetic bolts of energy, create energy shields for
defence, how to move objects around by his will power alone, and how to heal
others by expending some of his energy. He already knew how to make himself
invisible, how to be stealthy and how to drain others to restore our own
strength, but he rarely took pride in that fact. He had only ever partially
drained Anubis when he was forced to do it. He had refused to drain energy from
his friend Skyir. He also claimed he never wanted to try it again. I scowled,
told him he was acting too human. He shot a glance back and told me he still
revered whatever scrap of humanity he had managed to preserve from his mortal
life.
While Kevin and I were on better
terms, we still argued about the mortals. I still thought five of his friends
didn’t count as proof to the mortal’s overall kindness, and that trying to get
back home to his mortal family was a mistake. He always got angry with that: he
never could stand to have anyone badmouthing his family. He would snap at me,
then wander off to be on his own.
He had joined many of the skirmish
groups who went out to repel any Valedron troops who got too close to Karnak.
Fotuf believed that on-the-job training would help him hone his powers faster.
Yet, a simple fact chilled me to my very essence. It was only lately it had
become apparent, and I noticed it was also making some of the others shifty and
nervous too.
Kevin was developing his powers far
quicker than any of us had. He had already unknowingly surpassed many of the
other creatures, and this caused much unease amongst our race. How long before
he surpassed me - one of Fotuf’s second-in-commands. How long before he
surpassed Fotuf himself: the oldest, strongest, wisest and most understanding
Soul Creature in existence and our leader?
Would he then challenge for
leadership?
Of course he wouldn’t. He still had
the blind notion that he was heading home. Yet, what if we angered him, and he
was far powerful than any of us, too powerful for us to defend ourselves
against him? As they say, “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
I was always worrying about it – if he
lost control - but I consoled myself with the fact that he had resisted
corruption at the hands of Anubis, and had always had a good soul. If he could
resist the evil that all of us had fallen to, he could resist this. Besides,
two years here had given me plenty of time to get to know him. He was
compassionate and true, never wanting harm to come to any of his companions.
Once again, a Moonwatch sensed mortal
presence near Soul Creature territory.
“Two wings of pilots,” the report
went, “apparently fighting each other.”
I found Fotuf, and relayed the report
to him.
“You go this time.” He ordered simply,
without fear or much concern. He was used to these mortal disputes near Karnak.
The Dragon and Valedron Empires had been expanding over the years and the edge
of their space was creeping ever closer to Karnak.
“Who should accompany me?” I
questioned routinely.
Fotuf inclined his head calmly.
“Kevin.”
I twitched my ears in bewilderment,
“Just …. Kevin?”
“You don’t need me to tell you how
much his power has grown.” He explained. “Can’t you feel it when you’re near
him? His Aversion – it’s far stronger than any Soul Creature barely 20 years
old. I can feel …… his will… strengthening each sun. Though I can tell from his
Aversion he has only goodness within him, the fact that he will eventually
surpass me…… I feel I will one day fear Kevin.”
I kept silent, waiting for my leader
to speak again. These words unnerved me more than Kevin’s unusual growth had.
Fotuf – afraid? It didn’t go together.
“You shouldn’t let it bother you so
much, Solin.” He told me, now with a casual grin. “He won’t hurt us. Only those who are evil.”
“What if he can’t?” I asked
doubtfully.
He laughed softly, then turned
serious, putting his claw on my shoulder. “He won’t. I know him well too, you
know. I’ve been teaching him as well.”
I just nodded.
“You’re very fond of Kevin. I sense
it. I see it in your eyes. You’re both true friends. Which makes it a pity
really, that you won’t have him around much longer.” He added sadly.
“What does that mean, Fotuf?” I asked
in surprise.
“He’s leaving. You may not know it but
he’s leaving and very soon.”
“He told you this?” I quizzed.
“No, but he is anxious, restless. He
yearns for something and its not hard to guess what.”
“He…. He always talks about leaving.
Heading back to his wife and family…. But I never thought it would be this
soon!”
“And what is there to hold him back?
His training?” he gave a short laugh. “Soon he will be stronger than any of us.
He doesn’t need our help.”
“I think maybe its because he’s a
perfectionist: he wants to make sure he’s as skilful as possible before he
leaves.” I stated.
“Perhaps…..” Fotuf looked away
thoughtfully. “Or maybe he just doesn’t want to say goodbye.”
I grinned, near laughter. “You aren’t
suggesting that he likes me, are you?”
“It’s not as ridiculous as you think.”
He commented. “Regardless of your arguments, you are his friend.”
I shifted my paws awkwardly. “Well,
either way,” I began, “I should go and get him. We shouldn’t waste time.”
Kevin’s point of view
Inside Karnak, Figaro had grudgingly
volunteered to help me practice my telekinesis. Figaro was grudging about
everything, and everyone, as if in a permanent state of depression. I had at
first felt sorry for him and tried to cheer him up, but then I discovered that
it was in his nature to always be like that, so I just took it in my stride and
acted normally towards him.
Being a mountain, there were an
abundance of boulders and rocks around that I could practice levitating. I may
have had a lot of strength, but my mind needed training to focus more and
command by my will power.
Figaro raised his scythe, insect-like
claws and effortlessly levitated the three large boulders in front of us. He
systematically let them float back to the floor in a certain order. I had to do
the same, but I found it hard to control multiple objects.
As usual, Figaro had lots of things to
something to moan about.
“…… and then, of course, there’s this
strange throbbing sensation I keep getting in my feet.” He stated as I followed
his example with the boulders.
“What, all six of them?”
“Yes,” his monotone voice replied, “I
mean I’ve asked the others if they have the same problem, but no-one ever
listens.”
“Yeah, I can imagine…” I muttered,
rolling my eyes.
I got myself confused for the
hundredth time, and drop the boulders in the wrong order.
I scowled. “I’ll never get the hang of
this!”
“Maybe you’re just very depressed?”
Figaro suggested. That was his excuse for everything.
I spun my head around, someone
Aversion getting stronger from behind us.
“Hmm… Here comes Solin.” I stated.
Figaro just crossed his claws across
his chest. “I know,” he replied with no enthusiasm, “Tragic, isn’t it?”
“What’s so tragic about Solin?” I
smiled, amused at his comment.
“Thinks mortals are evil, she does.
That Soul Creatures are superior just because we’re on a higher plane of
existence.” He grunted. “We’re not.”
“I didn’t know that’s what you
thought?” I frowned.
“Well, like I said, no-one ever
listens,” he stated glumly. “But I never used to be depressed when I was a
mortal.”
He then stretched his claws and
wandered off to rest, leaving me to find Solin.
The void of space is like water to a
Soul Creature – you have to swim through it. Even then, we can swim through
space very fast, covering thousands of miles in a few seconds at top speed. It
took us only a moment to find the disputing pilots.
“Fighting again, are they?” I sighed.
The fighter craft darted about like small flies.
“Idiots! They know this is Soul
Creature space!” Solin snarled.
Solin fell silent after her statement.
She closed her yellow, feline eyes and concentrated as she tapped into the
communications of the two fighting wings of pilots. I couldn’t tap into it
myself, so I didn’t know what she was telling them. Soon she reopened her eyes.
“It’s your Valedron friend and his
team again.”
***