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.”

 

***

 

 

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