“That’s an Oak Wolf vessel!” I exclaimed, stepping out of the cockpit and onto the wing next to the Oak Wolf ship. Surprisingly, the Mangle aircraft we stole stayed stable as I tiptoed.
“A what? What’s going on, Steven?” Makiel frantically questioned, likely hyped up on adrenaline and holding the dying Lia.
I wasted no time trying to answer. Instead, I began pounding on the shell of the Oak Wolf vessel. “I am Steven L. Lotu, brother of Ma’he L. Lotu. I need medical aid, there is a child who is in great danger. Open up!” I looked over at Lia and examined her health. It was now in the 30’s. “Do you hear me? Open up and help this kid!”
The section of the ship I was pounding on slowly gave way, causing me to lose balance and stare down the space between our two aircrafts.
From up here, everything was small: the cave, the Mangle running around the forest, and the Godzilla lizard that was napping a football field away from where we had camped. I gasped at the sight and quickly regained my balance. As I did so, I felt cold metal hit my head.
I looked up and saw an imposing figure looking back at me from inside of the craft. He was wide, but small, and had a beard that was almost the length of his body. The strong smell of cigarettes accosted my nose from within the ship. I would have covered my nostrils to save myself from second hand inhalation, but the dwarf held a plasma pistol to my head.
“Move outta the way, kid.” The dwarf commanded with an almost Australian accent.
I did as he said and moved from the door. I looked at Lia and saw that she only had 15 health.
The dwarf walked out of the ship, gun in hand, and made his way over to her.
Makiel was hesitant as I gestured for her to give the kid to the dwarf, but she caved, realizing she couldn’t do anything for Lia, and this was the best shot we had to save her life.
With only 5 health left, the dwarf held the baby in his arms and started to glow a turquoise light. The smell of smoke was washed away and replaced with the sweet scent of rain.
The dwarf looked at Lia with his gray eyes. “Poor little tyke shouldn’t be in this place. She should be playing in some preschool with her other mates. What the hell are the referees thinking?”
The ‘Marked for Death’ status disappeared as the glowing ceased. I took a deep breath as relief hit me.
“Isran! Get out here and check if the boy is the real deal. Can’t have some schmuck pretending to be the man we’re looking for,” the dwarf yelled back at the Oak Wolf vessel.
From within, another figure walked out. This one had the head of a mantis but the body of a human. A cigarette was in its mouth, and the black tuxedo it wore was covered in chip crumbs. He dusted some of the crumbs off his clothes, looked around and tensed his face.
“Haven't you savages heard of a bath? For god's sake, how do you smell worse than a dwarf?”
He stepped out of the ship and onto the slimy wing. “Oh my goodness, not a Form Empire vessel. Why can’t they be like everyone else and use a power shield instead of this disgusting slime?”
From his tuxedo jacket he pulled out a green and purple ring that gave off a dim, pulsing light. He then slipped the ring on his finger and held his palm towards my face with his fingers extended.
“By right of Shepherdship, I, Isran of the Oak Wolves, demand information on this creature before me. Let the dawn light shine.”
I felt a rush of wind hit me, along with a strange, tickling sensation that started at the bottoms of my feet and made its way up till it reached my head.
“The General was not jesting, Jin. It seems when he said his brothers were all cursed, he was serious.”
The dwarf gently handed Lia back to Makiel and made his way over to me. “So this is actually our guy Steven, not a Mangle replicant?” he asked, eyeing me up and down.
“Yes. Although, from the readings, it seems he is host to several other intelligences beyond his own. We’ll have to examine that. But where are my manners?”
The Mantis dusted off the rest of the crumbs from his jacket and took my hand in a firm shake. “This may be a lot for you to take in, Steven, but I am a chair holder of the Oak Wolves Defense Committee. I have been tasked with guiding you in system combat, and hopefully helping you survive this whole debacle. However, that can’t start until this PVP match has been settled.”
I tried to look him in the eye, but both giant spheres were darting around, making it difficult to see where exactly he was looking. “Uhh, I’m sorry, what?” I uttered, completely lost.
The dwarf stroked his beard. “You're making it too hard on the man, Isran. Look here, we want to help you, but we can’t ‘til the muck balls down there are taken care of. Got it?”
I nodded. The simple phrasing Jin used was easy for my brain to translate. “o-Ok, but that’s not possible. They’re all probably Formed Mangle, who, from the sound of it, have several levels on us. Not to mention, I only have a practice unit–”
Isran moved so he was able to see the unit in my ear, interrupting my words. “What a poor excuse for a brother. Ma’he didn’t leave you boys with emergency MAS units, or at least a portable Lexicon? Just imagine being one of the most powerful men in this half of the galaxy and not properly equipping your own family. The shame.”
He walked back into their ship and came out a minute later with a book in one hand and a strange cylinder in the other. I could hear him quickly skimming the pages of the book as he slowly strode back.
“It seems the rules allow for proper equipment to be handed out in case of power discrepancy.”
He then put the book in a holster strapped to the side of his suit pants and moved his hands in several strange shapes. Suddenly, green smoke appeared from thin air, twisting and turning, dancing around the man's fingers until they became a sort of screen. The contents of the screen were blurred in a way that made what was on it impossible to see.
I looked over at Makiel, who was watching us closely. I let Isran do whatever he was doing and walked over to her.
“How is Lia doing?” I asked.
In her arms, the baby was sound asleep and her health was rising slowly.
“Looks like she's doing good, but,” Makiel put Lia on one of the seats, “we need to find a place where she can be safe. Steven, I know you’ve been wanting to ask if we’d come with you to look for your brothers. Atom told me while you were looking for mushrooms in the caves. But…”
She sighed. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it after we deal with the Mangle below. That’s what the insect dude said, right?”
Of course she knew I was going to ask for help to get back to my family, not like I was keeping it a secret. But, where Atom was involved, there was always more.
I was going to ask her to continue, but I heard Isran excitedly exclaim, “Aha!”
Jin, who had been sitting next to the preoccupied insect, jolted, surprised by the sudden exclamation.
“My, my, my. Looks like we can at least replace your practice unit with a portable Lexicon.”
Isran examined the spot where I had been and looked perplexed that I was no longer there. He frantically scanned the area, like he had lost his child at the grocery store.
Jin reached one of his giant hands up to Isran’s bowtie and yanked his head so he could see where I was.
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought you had been swept away by a Killer Wing, or sucked into the abyss by Plagued Hands.”
What the heck were Plagued Hands? I thought to myself.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Isran patted Jin’s head and the dwarf let go.
“Well, now that I have thoroughly researched the rules regarding practice units, I have good news!” He walked over to the cockpit.
“Yeah, what is it?” I asked, watching him slowly and carefully avoid as much muck as he could while walking.
When he got close enough he froze, bulbous eyes fixated on Makiel, and flashing sparks of gray, obviously examining her.
“Lamberte? Not the daughter of Harry and Lisandra Lamberte, are you?”
Makiel rolled her eyes.
“Actually, you don’t have to answer. Your MAS tells me everything. What an honor to meet the family of the two foremost human scientists, in regards to Firmament studies.”
Makiel held up a finger, cutting Isran off. “Just tell us about the portable Lexicon so we can kill the four down there and get out of here. There's no telling when their backup will come.”
Isran moved the sharp pincers in the front of his bug mouth in what I assume was a smile. “Right. Just like your parents! Looking at the bigger picture. Those four down there aren’t important members of the hive, but eventually someone will stroll by to pick them up. A brilliant observation. I suppose brilliance begats brilliance.” He said, doing a flourish with his hands.
Makiel sat there, face squished in embarrassment.
“Well, back to the good news, I suppose. We aren’t able to help you until you have registered me as your guide, and that's not possible until you are out of this PVP session. Normally, I would suggest running and waiting for the PVP timer to run out, but, as I am not your guide, I am unable to see the area around us. When a PVP timer is running, all enemies within 200 yards are able to see you on their minimaps. Since the four below us are some of the weakest Mangle I’ve seen, I would encourage you to kill them and establish our contract here in relative safety.”
Isran then took out the cylinder he was holding before, and urged me to take it.
I reached out to grab it, but I was just a little hesitant. As much as I knew getting into my Firmament was the best way to move forward, the memories of being torn apart made me uncertain.
Isran turned his bug head in an unnatural way, examining me. “Do not worry, Steven. A portable Lexicon is made only for the user to access their Firmament. No one can try to take any mana samples from you with it.” He again offered a big bug smile.
I reached out and grabbed the cylinder and scanned it. It was a gray baton that looked like it was made of snake scales stacked on top of one another. There was writing spiraling down the object, but it wasn’t in any language I knew.
“I guess you got a solid debriefing on me. Hats off to Ma’he. The old man really thinks ahead. Now, how do you use this thing?” I questioned, smacking the top of it like I was trying to get ketchup to come out the other end.
A slight, deep chuckle came from Jin as he walked up. “That's the way, give it a good whack and call it a bad Lexicon.”
Makiel started coughing, surprised at the funny comment. Isran glared at Jin and the dwarf held up his hands. I looked at the object in my hand and felt a little dirty.
“Alright, I’ll be nice. You don’t physically mess with it, mate. You look at it and think. From there, it’ll take you to your Firmament. It’s as simple as that.”
What the heck does he mean by think? I looked at the portable Lexicon and felt something drawing me in. I quickly looked away.
“There you go, now you get it. Little sucker will sometimes draw you in without you wanting to go. Gotta be careful of that. Also, before you bugger off, take the little baby MAS out of your ear. It's embarrassing to look at.”
I did as Jin said and my HUD instantly disappeared. It was weird, since I had that thing following me around for so long. It almost felt like I had always had it.
“Anything else I should know before I go in?”
Jin and Isran looked at each other and shook their heads.
“No, every Firmament gives power differently, despite looking the same. So, to try and tell you what you may expect is an exercise in futility. The only real advice one can receive when trying to gain power by it, is following your instincts. Remember, the place is your Firmament and you know yourself better than anyone. Good luck.” Isran said, giving me a thumbs up.
I then looked deeply at the rod and slowly felt as my mind was sucked in.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the middle of my Firmament, next to the old dead tree. The place, although still a depressing graveyard, felt different, like it was welcoming me instead of actively trying to push me out.
“Look who showed up: the ugly little duckling looking for a home. How pathetic,” a familiar voice ridiculed.
I looked around for where it was coming from, but saw no one. I knew who it was though, and the idea of dealing with him made me rethink this whole thing.
As he spoke, I felt a pull towards the voice. I didn’t want to believe it, but I think my instincts were telling me Sai would be able to help me understand this place. Considering the situation in the real world, I buried all the hate I had for the man and spoke back.
“Come out, Sai. I want to talk to you.”
I continued to scan the area, looking for any movement, but nothing. Then, I heard rustling above me. I looked up and saw that Sai was on the tallest branch of the tree, holding onto it with one arm and both his legs, while eating a glowing green fruit.
“And why should I waste my time speaking to you? A boy is only acknowledged when he has done something of merit, and you have done nothing.”
His seductive manly voice was like scratching a chalkboard in my ear, but I couldn’t let my emotions get in the way. If I didn't come out of this with something, then I would continue to be helpless as those I cared for relied on the whims of chance to save them.
“Why do you hate me so much, Sai? What have I done to you?” I asked, barely holding back my distaste of the man.
He took another bite of the green fruit and jumped from the tree, landing in front of me.
In the room of darkness I had seen him in before, the details of his physical features were masked by a wired haziness. Like that time was seen through a dirty window, only allowing me to observe generalities, like his tattoos and his anger. Now, as he stood in front of me, I was able to see him in full focus. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, his black wavy hair was tied up in a bun, he had a five o’clock shadow that was slightly masked by the tattoos surrounding his mouth, and his eyes were a mixture of blue and gray.
“Tell me, child, what is the most important thing to you?” The expression on his face was that of boredom.
“My family,” I answered confidently.
“Ahh, yes. Family. The word you throw around without knowing its meaning. Tell me, is the mother who abused you your family? What of your father, whose distant stare made you feel like you were of no importance?”
As he spoke, he walked around me with his hands behind his back, examining my response.
“Only my brothers are my family. They cared for me when I was at my lowest, and do their best to help me now.”
Sai stopped pacing right in front of the tree. I could hear his teeth clenching, like before. The malice I felt in the dark room started to drip off the man again, but I wasn’t scared. This time, I was here for a reason.
“Sai, drop the monster act. I don’t have time. There’s a whole world out there being destroyed, and people I care about are being–”
Sai swung his fist, punching the tree. The large, dead oak didn’t even budge, but the sound was like the cracking of thunder.
“You ask why I hate you, boy? Let me enlighten you.”
Startled at the display of power, I stood there, silent.
“Like a parasite, you take power and never acknowledge those who cultivated and built it. You walk, a lion amongst men, and yet you are the damsel in distress. You cry for anyone to reach out their hand, and yet your hand stays comfortably at your side. Do you not see those who have shouldered your burdens? Those who, in moments of pain and suffering, do for you what they would do for their own children? When you were almost killed by the skeleton, Aho saw himself in you and raised you up. When you were helpless after the fight, Makiel worried for a fellow man and cared for you to the best of her ability. And when you needed an example on which to forge your future, Sarah’s legacy provided the outline. Yet, these are not your family? Disrespect. I will never speak kindly to those who fail to understand that the village is just as much family as those of blood.”
The shock of Sai’s punch wore off and I turned to him. “So, you want me to call people who help me family? That lessens the importance of the title, making it just another platitude.”
Sai’s anger wavered for a second at my words, as if surprised.
“Interesting, there is a miniscule intellect working in that thick head after all. What you say is true. When speaking of all in the village as family, there is a risk that kinship means nothing. But, even greater is the risk of loneliness, if pride places family on a pedestal. If only those who perfectly know you are considered family, then you will eventually walk alone.”
He was right. I’ve had first hand experience with that kind of thinking. It's why I never really had friends in school, or in training.
My head started to feel tingly, like it was experiencing something it had never considered. I looked away from Sai and gazed at the great tree that stood in the middle of my Firmament. I imagined its roots twisting and turning throughout the area, reaching distances and depths I could never comprehend.
Family, to me, was a commodity that I needed to ration in order to keep its value, like a diamond. But, that meant the price to obtain it was too high for most everyone, making the commodity useless to me. If I continued down this path, I would most assuredly be alone. Who wants to hang out with someone who’s constantly judging if you're good enough? If the extremes of the way I see family lead to loneliness, then what about Sai’s way? If everyone is family, then instead of loneliness, I would be met with impossible responsibility. I would spend every waking minute doing everything I could for everyone around me. In that scenario, I would never be lonely, but more than that, I would never be enough. The infinite demand of an infinite amount of people would bury me in stress and inadequacy. There must be a balance.
A strange rumbling sounded throughout my Firmament. The tree in the middle started glowing, a white gentle light.
Sai’s eyes widened. “You’ve grown. In just this small instance of conversation, you’ve grown enough to charge the tree.” There was confusion on his face as the words came out.
A long silence between us ensued, wherein he appeared to ponder what had happened. He then took a deep breath through his nostrils and looked at me with determination.
“I still don’t quite understand you, Steven, but the tree does not lie. You can be strong. I will be looking through your thoughts when you leave, to see what the tree finds so interesting, but that’s something I’ll worry about. For now, follow me. There is much to learn about intelligent beings.”