When I think back. Back to that time, I wish I had caught on to things much, much sooner. Everything we did, or tried to do, was worthless, and all our hopes were broken. We could have done so much. Been so much. However, it was a vain promise. It was already too late. But we could save ourselves. Though that wasn’t what we set out to do, it became our modus operandi. Whether we failed or succeeded. Won or lost. Climbed or fell. None of that was necessary. We just needed a cause. A reason. One for survival. But we never had a chance.
Bram shook violently as another wave cascaded over him. It had been three days since the attack on earth. Three days since they had been caught in the storm. Blitzkrieg cowered not far from where Bram himself sat, still unable to shake his fear. However, Bram could understand him not being able to swim, it just wasn’t needed when you spent all your time on land.
“You‘ll have to face it sooner or later ya know?” Bram had to yell over the sound of the water.
“Later” Blitzkrieg yelled back, “Definitely later.”
Bram chuckled and turned away from him, his eyes searching the seas. He could almost make it out. The shape of the land. The shape of home. “Heidan.”
“What‘s that?” Blitzkrieg asked, noticing Bram’s lips moving silently, as he shuffled his soaking body nearer to Bram.
Bram shook his head to indicate he hadn’t said anything and then nodded in the direction of Heidan, “Look, almost there.”
Blitzkrieg‘s eyes followed to where Bram nodded. “Been a long time coming.”
“Feels like we just left.” Was the last thing Bram said before taking over the rowing, and leaving Blitzkrieg above deck with the others.
Aleus awoke to the sounds of thunder, but there was no rain. He could hear voices just outside his bedroom door, however it was to unclear to make out what was actually being said. He rose up, out of bed, and clambered clumsily to the other side of the room to check his cellular phone.
No new messages had been received through the night, and 3:27 was the time displayed across the screen. Too early for him to be up.
His door burst open as a car door shut just outside his bedroom window, “Aleus, Wake up!”
“Mom?” His voice came out meekly and dull, his hand covering his eyes from the light, “What‘s going on?”
She shook her head. “No time, we have to leave.”
He knew immediately what she meant, for years the western hemisphere of Earth had been under the threat of attack from aliens, but more specifically, the Calveen.
They came to us two years in the previous, attacking every spot of land that harbored any form of technology. They were slowly making their way here. It was just a matter of time. Nobody knew what drove them, only that it was technology that was targeted.
He nodded, thrust his tunic on over his head, and rushed out the door. His father was indeed waiting inside the car. The NEW car. A brand new Lexus, his father’s serious expression, however, through off any admiration. Aleus and his mother crawled into the passenger seats, and they were off.
Conrart had been trained in the use of swords since he was a toddler. Unfortunately, he had never been trained in the use of pistols.
“These things are loud and unruly.” He said in an aside to Coet, his training master.
“Keep them in the treasury for now then,” Coet ran a hand through his inky black hair, “Though we both know we would rather not see their use it may be required.” He yawned, and added hastily, “My prince.”
“Yes mother.” Conrart said, turning, “speaking of mother, I have an audience.”
The two walked in silence to the antechamber. The prince had never been a man of many words, but he did enjoy being around others. Though, he did think of them as more as background noise. It wasn’t that he was a jerk to them, or ignored them. He just didn’t spend time around them. Wasn’t accustomed to people.
He stood in the presence of the Elf queen Emilia, Coet bowed humbly, one are draped over his knee, and one pressed into the tiled floor, his head bent. “What is this job for me mother?” Conrart asked flippantly.
“A dragon has been sighted roaming Underra‘s lands. Moving closer towards Karzahn with each passing momen-”
“I thought all dragon‘s went extinct with the murder of Dragneel…” Coet burst out suddenly, and then bowed even deeper, “I apologize,” He whispered, “your Majesty.”
“No, Rise Ser Coet. You and Conrart are to take a battalion of our Chromati’s and lead a campaign to either fell, or convert this beast, as was done with Dragneel.”
“Fell a Dragon?!” Conrart literally stepped back in surprise, “Dragon‘s are sacred to our House mother! If Bram were alive he would-”
“Do NOT speak of your father to me. He would do what was best for his kingdom. Just as he always did. Now, Begone.”
They didn’t waste any time leaving Emilia to her own devices. In moments Coet and Conrart were preparing their army.
Bram shook violently as another wave cascaded over him. It had been three days since the attack on earth. Three days since they had been caught in the storm. Blitzkrieg cowered not far from where Bram himself sat, still unable to shake his fear. However, Bram could understand him not being able to swim, it just wasn’t needed when you spent all your time on land.
“You‘ll have to face it sooner or later ya know?” Bram had to yell over the sound of the water.
“Later” Blitzkrieg yelled back, “Definitely later.”
Bram chuckled and turned away from him, his eyes searching the seas. He could almost make it out. The shape of the land. The shape of home. “Heidan.”
“What‘s that?” Blitzkrieg asked, noticing Bram’s lips moving silently, as he shuffled his soaking body nearer to Bram.
Bram shook his head to indicate he hadn’t said anything and then nodded in the direction of Heidan, “Look, almost there.”
Blitzkrieg‘s eyes followed to where Bram nodded. “Been a long time coming.”
“Feels like we just left.” Was the last thing Bram said before taking over the rowing, and leaving Blitzkrieg above deck with the others.
Aleus awoke to the sounds of thunder, but there was no rain. He could hear voices just outside his bedroom door, however it was to unclear to make out what was actually being said. He rose up, out of bed, and clambered clumsily to the other side of the room to check his cellular phone.
No new messages had been received through the night, and 3:27 was the time displayed across the screen. Too early for him to be up.
His door burst open as a car door shut just outside his bedroom window, “Aleus, Wake up!”
“Mom?” His voice came out meekly and dull, his hand covering his eyes from the light, “What‘s going on?”
She shook her head. “No time, we have to leave.”
He knew immediately what she meant, for years the western hemisphere of Earth had been under the threat of attack from aliens, but more specifically, the Calveen.
They came to us two years in the previous, attacking every spot of land that harbored any form of technology. They were slowly making their way here. It was just a matter of time. Nobody knew what drove them, only that it was technology that was targeted.
He nodded, thrust his tunic on over his head, and rushed out the door. His father was indeed waiting inside the car. The NEW car. A brand new Lexus, his father’s serious expression, however, through off any admiration. Aleus and his mother crawled into the passenger seats, and they were off.
Conrart had been trained in the use of swords since he was a toddler. Unfortunately, he had never been trained in the use of pistols.
“These things are loud and unruly.” He said in an aside to Coet, his training master.
“Keep them in the treasury for now then,” Coet ran a hand through his inky black hair, “Though we both know we would rather not see their use it may be required.” He yawned, and added hastily, “My prince.”
“Yes mother.” Conrart said, turning, “speaking of mother, I have an audience.”
The two walked in silence to the antechamber. The prince had never been a man of many words, but he did enjoy being around others. Though, he did think of them as more as background noise. It wasn’t that he was a jerk to them, or ignored them. He just didn’t spend time around them. Wasn’t accustomed to people.
He stood in the presence of the Elf queen Emilia, Coet bowed humbly, one are draped over his knee, and one pressed into the tiled floor, his head bent. “What is this job for me mother?” Conrart asked flippantly.
“A dragon has been sighted roaming Underra‘s lands. Moving closer towards Karzahn with each passing momen-”
“I thought all dragon‘s went extinct with the murder of Dragneel…” Coet burst out suddenly, and then bowed even deeper, “I apologize,” He whispered, “your Majesty.”
“No, Rise Ser Coet. You and Conrart are to take a battalion of our Chromati’s and lead a campaign to either fell, or convert this beast, as was done with Dragneel.”
“Fell a Dragon?!” Conrart literally stepped back in surprise, “Dragon‘s are sacred to our House mother! If Bram were alive he would-”
“Do NOT speak of your father to me. He would do what was best for his kingdom. Just as he always did. Now, Begone.”
They didn’t waste any time leaving Emilia to her own devices. In moments Coet and Conrart were preparing their army.
