《Defiance of Destiny》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°The patient has shown no previous signs of mental illnesses,¡± said the doctor as he flipped through Zy''s medical record. ¡°So the question is, what could have happened to leave a child in THIS state?¡±


    The doctor turned his eyestalks towards young Zy, the sole survivor of the destruction of a refugee ship that was headed towards Sol IV. While in the orbit of Kylon III, the ship was destroyed. That is all that is known about the incident.


    Zy was the only one who could fill in the missing details of what happened, but he wasn''t talking. He just sat on the chair in the doctor''s office, surrounded by medi-bots, his eyes blankly staring into space. His little hands trembled, his pale white cheeks were wet with tears long since shed, his blue hair muddied, his clothing singed.


    ¡°I need you to speak, child,¡± said the doctor as he lowered his eyestalks towards Zy. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zy closed his eyes, still whimpering, still struggling to make sense of what happened. He was bouncing his favorite ball around the ship when it bounced off to an escape pod. He got in to grab the ball, but the pod activated itself and launched towards the surface of Kylon III. As he screamed for his mother to help him, he helplessly watched as what looked like a stream of sun fire overwhelmed the ship. There were no survivors...


    ¡°The child seems unable to communicate,¡± said the doctor as he shook his head. He headed to his computer terminal to grant Zy a stay in the mental hospital. ¡°He is beyond medicine; he needs professional care...¡±


    That was ten years ago...


    ¡°Hey, Uncle,¡± said Zy as he and his uncle sat together on one of the many garden benches available to Xeylan III''s best mental hospital. Zy¡¯s uncle stretched out his purple wings stretching them to their full width before furling them behind him. Zelians were known for their wings of blues, violets and pinks. The rarer reds and golds joined the hue in Zy¡¯s generation signing a change in pigmentation due to the extrasolar rays of the moving sun that hadn¡¯t been seen in a few days.


    Zy was now a strapping young man, one who had almost conquered his mental trauma. ¡°How''s life?¡±


    ¡°Can''t complain,¡± Zy''s uncle said with a shrug. ¡°What about you; still getting the nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Haven''t had it in a week,¡± Zy said with a weak smile. ¡°In fact, last night, I didn''t dream at all; I''m getting better.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his uncle said with a weak smile. ¡°I talked to your caretakers; they said you can be released if this pattern goes on for a month!¡±


    ¡°So just another sixty days?¡± Zy asked, a small, hopeful smile on his lips. He ran a hand through his blue hair, his pink eyes shimmering with hope. ¡°I can''t wait...¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± said his uncle as they shared a hug. The two then leaned back on the bench to watch the discus-shaped clouds fly by...


    The next day...


    ¡°So if you did not have the nightmare again, could you explain why your heartbeat was so accelerated at 0100 hours?¡± asked the director of the mental health board as he looked over Zy''s medical analysis. ¡°Your brainwaves were also highly active during this time; care to explain that?¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Zy had no answer; he merely whimpered. The nightmare had been jumbled as always but the voice had stood out. It always stood out. Creepy and old with age. Young and virile it was everything at once, a conglomerate of voices, that couldn¡¯t be discerned from the next. It frightened him.


    ¡°At this rate, I cannot in good conscience grant you leave,¡± said the director as he turned off the datapad with Zy''s analysis. ¡°You are to remain hospitalized until further notice.¡±


    ¡°Please, let me go,¡± Zy whimpered. ¡°I''m getting better, I swear.¡±


    But his words fell on deaf ears. He was lifted off the chair, escorted out of the office, and locked in his padded room. The green sunset and Zy laid his head on the floor. He closed his eyes.


    ¡°I shall return,¡± growled the voice in his head. ¡°The Empire shall fall. Blood will spill. My return is decided. Be my herald.¡±


    ¡°You''re not real,¡± whimpered Zy as he curled into a ball. ¡°I''m not hearing you.¡±


    ¡°Zyros Niall,¡± growled the voice. ¡°I spared your life for a reason. Fulfill the purpose I have given you.¡±


    ¡°You aren''t real!¡± Zy cried out, his eyes puffy, his cheeks wet. He jolted up, looking around his room. It was dark and the shadows played tricks on his eyes. The door suddenly swung open. In walked a man with long, white hair, milky white skin, pointed ears, emerald green eyes, and dressed in regal clothing. He was flanked by four heavily armed men and the mental health director.


    ¡°Is this the one?¡± Asked the regal man, his voice deep and commanding.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± said the director, his voice trembling. ¡°The sole survivor of the Nova Roda.¡±


    ¡°Then he''s coming with me,¡± said the regal man. He turned towards Zy. ¡°Zyros Niall, We¡¯re getting you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!!!¡± Zy happily cried out as he threw himself at the man''s feet. ¡°Thank you, good sir!¡±


    ¡°Up off the floor,¡± the man commanded. ¡°You will serve Us.¡±


    Zy happily followed the man towards his ship. The two sat together alone in the regal man''s quarters. While he didn¡¯t have many trinkets he had a lavish room done with the finest things in the Galaxy. Zy was sure a few things were either very old antiques or illegally bought items on the black Galactic stream. They sat by a large window that showed Kylon II¡¯s moon.


    ¡°Allow Us to introduce Ourself,¡± said the regal man as he gave a slight bow. ¡°We are Prince Lithelios Handrigh of House Galaxys, crown prince and heir to the Empire. Let Us waste no words; We are in need of you.¡±


    A maid droid walked by and served them beverages. Zy happily drank the juice Prince Lithelios'' maid had given him.


    ¡°We know you were the sole survivor of the Nova Roda,¡± Prince Lithelios said as he commanded his maid to put his drink in his hand. ¡°What, may We ask, caused its destruction?¡±


    Zy''s eyes widened. He gulped, put down his drink, and recited the line he had been told since childhood.


    ¡°A terrorist attack,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Yes, that was the lie,¡± Prince Lithelios chuckled. ¡°Now the truth, please. We give Our word, what is discussed here shan''t leave this meeting room.¡±


    Zy took a deep breath. ¡°I saw... a bird, made of fire, fly across the voids of space. That''s what destroyed the Nova Roda.¡±


    Prince Lithelios nodded.


    ¡°This bird,¡± the prince began as he took a small sip of his drink. ¡°Describe it to the best of your ability.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Zy began, only to clutch his head and wince.


    ¡°His heart is dark,¡± growled the voice. ¡°Lead him to me.¡±


    ¡°What troubles you?¡± Asked the prince as he signaled his maid to take his drink away.


    ¡°The voice,¡± whimpered Zy. ¡°It never leaves me alone.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Lithelios nodded. He got up and sent Zy toward the guest room. Once he was alone, the prince grinned...


    If what the Dao showed him was true, then he needed the brat to know the enemy of the Empire, but he wasn¡¯t so naive to simply trust what the Dao showed, as it showed many things. They were Ellios of action, making the desirable future play out for them. He stalked to a window and glanced at the vastness of space.


    ¡°Soon,¡± he muttered.


    Very soon.

 Chapter 2

    The next day cosmic lights awoke Zy up in a cozy bed for once. The guest bedroom held everything he had missed while being locked up at Kylon III¡¯s Penitentiary. It had space, and walls, real walls not the padded stuff, and finally the best feature, the bed! It was a glorious duvet of Sploose feathers. The lightest fabric in the galaxy!


    It was also firm enough that it held his weight with minimum effort. He was in love with it. He cuddled one of the pillows cracking an eye open and turning onto his back. No nurses. No role call. Nothing. Freedom. This is what freedom felt like and then his door was opened and Lithelios appeared with a warm drink in hand.


    ¡°Get up. Today We show you why we released you,¡± he said tossing a fluffy robe at Zy and motioning through a set of doors.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find everything you need in there. Take some time, but do hurry, We have other things We must show you.¡±


    Zy nodded and headed for the metal door that swept open when he neared. ¡°Good morning Mr. Zyros Niall,¡± said the computer as it scanned him from top to foot with a laser.


    ¡°Zyros Niall. Kylon III humanoid species. No wings yet. Temperature running 102.9; normal for Zelians. Step to the discus to be washed.¡±


    Zyros blushed. ¡°Discus? With my clothes on?¡±


    ¡°With clothes though you will change yours so your choice.¡±


    Zy blushed. He didn¡¯t know where the AI was yet. His eyes searched and found a bright red light shining a few meters away. ¡°I-I¡¯ll disrobe but please don¡¯t look.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Shutting ocular controls and starting the discus. Please step up.¡±


    Zy disrobed and stepped over to an oval opening on the floor. Something was broken over his head, and he felt the gel-like substance seep into his hair. It didn¡¯t wet it, however. More capsules broke over him, and the same substance washed him. A spray cleared the air and a towel was presented.


    ¡°To the next room, please,¡± said the AI.


    Zy stepped out and folded the towel around himself, hiding his thin, almost starved body. The next room held all sorts of outfits. The AI emerged, red laser scanning for his size, and found a blue robe with the insignia of House Galaxys and black gi pants. Zy tried them on. They fit. He didn¡¯t waste time admiring himself in the mirror, instead deciding to comb his rat''s nest of blue hair and don the black slippers. He was shown through a door to a dining room where Lithelios was dining. He looked up.


    ¡°I see Centarous has done its job. Eat. We must leave soon.¡±


    Zy nodded and sat grabbing a piece of bread and juice and serving himself a bit of the exotic foods displayed on the table. He ate with relish, thanking Lithelios silently again for taking him out of the hospital.


    A few minutes later found both walking down the halls and making for a deep dank part of the ship. Cells covered the walls and held many people. Most of which glared at them.


    ¡°Pay them no mind,¡± said Lithelios as they traversed to the very back.


    ¡°Who were they?¡± he asked as they took a left.


    ¡°Relatives,¡± smiled Lithelios as he pulled up against a dark space. Zy leaned in wanting to see what it held. A huge eye opened, dwarfing them.


    ¡°What is that!?¡± Zy screamed, terrified. Lithelios smirked as the cell lit up and a magnificent creature was shown kept in black chains.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°These chains minimize its size and its usage of something very special called the Dao. It is this creature that you saw that day through your escape pod. You are not ready yet but I want you to touch it and see what happens,¡± said Lithelios as he stared at Zy.


    Zy quaked in fear and anger. THIS was the reason for all his suffering? He¡¯d gladly help Lithelios destroy the thing if that was what he wanted. He stretched his hand out and made contact with the beast¡¯s beak.


    ¡°I shall return. The Empire shall fall. Blood will spill. My return is decided. Be my herald, Zyros Niall,¡± growled the voice inside Zy¡¯s head. ¡°I spared your life for a reason. Fulfill the purpose I have given you.¡±


    ZY gulped, then he heard a voice like a bell. ¡°Child. The Dao speaks to you. You are in great peril. You do not see it now, but when you do, find me, and together, we will free one another.¡±


    ¡°You killed my mother!¡± Zy whispered under his breath.


    ¡°More was going on that day than you know. Trust the Dao. Let the dreams come. Do not be afraid.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°The vermin comes.¡±


    ¡°Who¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cut you short as We still have the master to meet,¡± said Lithelios as he took Zy¡¯s hand off the Sunbird¡¯s beak. The creature gave a weak chime-like sound. Zy retracted his hand and nodded.


    ¡°It was about to show me how my mom died; it said it wasn¡¯t at fault.¡±


    Lithelios glared at the creature and it glared back. ¡°Be careful, for it shows lies.¡±


    ¡°What is the Dao?¡± asked Zy as they passed the full cells. He glanced at a little girl crying. That sight gave him pause, and for a brief moment, he stopped moving. He gulped and looked back but he continued walking.


    ¡°The Dao is everything¡ªthe very energy of the universe. The Phlacians call it The Grand Stream. It has many names, but it is the Dao. We come from it and we return to it when we depart this plane of existence.¡± Lithelios explained as he and Zy kept walking. He noticed Zy was farther back than he was when they first left the Sunbird. He frowned.


    ¡°You saw the girl,¡± Lithelios commented, and Zy hesitantly nodded. ¡°Though We may yet seem like the bad guy, it was needed to get her parents here, who are over there in a few cells to your right. They botched up the assignment The Emperor gave them with their greedy ways. Their punishment for endangering the Empire shall be served for up to four generations.¡±


    Zy glanced a few cells down where a plump man and woman sat on a dirty floor crying. He winced. ¡°Well maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°It''s being arranged for an aunt to take Sybiline, don¡¯t worry,¡± Lithelios said as he ignored the cries of the imprisoned couple.


    Zy nodded and they left. ¡°The creature said the Dao speaks to me. That the voices I hear are the Dao communicating with me.¡±


    Lithelios grinned. ¡°You are in luck, there is a master on board today. They are the one I want you to meet.¡±


    They said no more as they walked to another area of the ship, lit by cosmic lighting and a fake sun. It was a rock garden, much like what his uncle had shown him pictures of. White rocks were located in a spiral pattern that led further into a decorative fish pond, where a red-shelled individual was floating over a white flat expanse of earth.


    Zy could only stare at the floating crab.


    They wore beige robes and a black toga under. They were a Krostan, with eight legs bent beneath them and large pincers in a restful position. Their eyestalks were closed. Their shell was a spiral cone, fit with small barnacles, and seaweed slung from the inside.


    ¡°Kh¡¯ klii¡¯ kha klu kh¡¯lng, kh klii klu kh¡¯lng,¡± they muttered. Slowly, their legs touched earth again, and their eyestalks fluttered open before she giggled. Her voice had a feminine cadence male voices could never reach in this species.


    ¡°Why hello there My Prince, young Zyros. The Dao told me of your coming,¡± she said. She floated down the rocky incline and stood three feet nothing. Now closer she seemed fragile with cracks in her shell.


    She looked up and giggled. ¡°Looks are deceiving, young one. You are very naive in certain aspects, but I can sense the Dao flowing strong within your spirit,¡± she pinched Zy¡¯s leg and he flew backward surprised. She turned her eyestalks to Lithelios. ¡°Do you want him trained in the Dao?¡±


    Lithelios smiled. ¡°Yes, Asna. You are the one most capable. Please work on the dream-sharing aspect. He receives visions but isn¡¯t shown enough to see anything of import.¡±


    ¡°Mmm ok. Leave the little humanoid to me,¡± she pinched the air. ¡°I¡¯ll turn him into a fit Dao user in no time.¡±


    Zy gulped as Lithelios left him with the mad crab.

 Chapter 3

    And so it was. From sunup to sundown, Zy would meet with Asna who would be a hellcrab and train him physically. He was given a strict regimen of foods to eat, to avoid, to indulge in. Exercises to do in his spare time and a chant to memorize. Pa wa ba san fan, a chant usable by humanoids whose vocal cords are found within their throats. He ran the obstacle course chanting this. Was told to fall asleep chanting it! He did so though after the days he¡¯s had he could only get Pa wa ba before he was gone into a dreamless sleep.


    Today he was being taught the secrets of connecting to the Dao. He was strong enough now. After three months he hoped so. While Zerians were smaller and lighter to accommodate their wings, they also had extremely good physical prowess. Their metabolisms were perfect and they healed fast as such bone and muscle density were easier to accumulate too.


    We get blown aside like a breeze in combat though!


    He dodged Asna''s swing of her claw and jumped over her and the next swing using the physical aspects of the Dao. He had the leaping, dodging, hitting with extra force down. All he needed would be shown today.


    ¡°Good! Very good Zyros! Now follow me to the pond,¡± said Asna as she shook her shell. Zy wiped his forehead of excess sweat and followed the crab. He gulped. Up to now, the Dao had been physical and mental, but today he would learn to make contact with the Dao. His visions would be explored today.


    He batted a frond from the tropical trees surrounding the garden. It was supposed to be cactuses and other dried plants that surrounded them, but Asna had been creative and planted small coconut trees that grew about three feet tall from a planet called Sol III, home to a humanoid race called Terrans. They sat at the edge of the white rockface.


    ¡°Now, get comfortable. Relax. Remember that chant I asked you to memorize?¡± she asked, trailing a pincer in the water.


    ¡°Pa wa ba san fan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that one. You are going to use it as if you want to cause something to happen, but you are instead going to focus on meeting the source of the cause.¡± She held out a rock. ¡°Instead of lifting it or shifting it out of your way, you are making contact with the Dao only.¡±


    He nodded and started to say the words. ¡°Pa wa ba san fan.¡±


    At first, the rock floated or shifted and every time it happened Asna would hit him over the head with a pincer.


    ¡°Again!¡± she¡¯d cry and again he¡¯d try. On his sixth try, however, there was a shift. His eyes widened as he felt the floodgates to a titanic force open. He was swept away.


    ¡°We shall return!¡± cried Lithelios to the star-filled night sky, tears on his cheeks, rage in his face, as he stood alone in an open field.


    ¡ª------------


    ¡°This weapon shall be a light in the darkness,¡± said a curly-haired, bronze-skinned Terran man as he held aloft a sword made of starlight.


    ¡ª-----------------------


    The curly-haired man stood. The shadows seemed to cloak him. He seemed to be glaring at the red-eyed, black-haired beauty of a Terran woman.


    ¡°Victoria! How dare you; are your hands not bloody enough!?¡± he yelled, gripping his star blade.


    ¡°There comes a time when your hands are so caked in blood, you no longer care,¡± she said, gripping her star blade.


    ¡°Our son would be ashamed of you,¡± The man said, readying his blade.


    ¡°I know I am beyond his forgiveness,¡± the woman, Victoria, muttered before taking her battle stance. ¡°But I am willing to stain my hands for a greater good. What of you, Frederico? Will you raise your sword against the Empire?¡±


    Around them, the world rattled with bombs. Shouting and shooting could be heard.


    ¡ª--------------------


    Lithelios sat alone in a poorly lit throne room, his eyes downcast, his hand flimsily holding a spilled cup of blue wine. He allowed the cup to fall. The doors to his empty throne room swung open, but he did not react.


    Zy was shaken from his reverie to notice that the cosmic lights were off and he was in bed. He sat on his duvet wondering how he should come to tell Lithelios and Asna what he saw. Would it come true? Was it truly the Dao? He checked his galactical timepiece and sighed; another few hours til sunrise. Until then he would stew.


    Forget stewing, I''ll walk around the ship.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He stood from his bed and dressed himself in silver robes and grey gi pants. Grabbing his practice staff, he went to the rock garden to find Asna meditating there. He joined her. One eyestalk turned to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t presume to know what you saw but everyone has a reason for what they do, young one. Nothing is in black and white. In this universe not even the Dao is innocent. Remember this. I will tell you to visit Lithelios for answers before trusting that bird blindly,¡± she said, taking a breath and continuing with her meditation.


    Zy nodded standing. He had a heading. The cells. The Sunbird.


    When he arrived the Sunbird was awake and still captive but it managed a sharp trill. It thrust its beak at Zy who grabbed it with his hands and was soon in an empty white space floating. A beautiful woman wearing strange red clothes made of fire and feathers greeted him. Her pink eyes resembled his own only hers were ringed with gold and red and she had no pupils. She smiled and pointed to a blurry image of a warliner. No, it was THIS ship. He couldn¡¯t mistake it.


    It was chasing the Sunbird through space. He saw an escape pod shoot through the chase, shaking from the shots being taken then came the deciding shot. The Sunbird turned around and shot a blast of fire at the ship, while the ship shot a cannon blast straight back hitting its front wing.


    It careened downward on the Nova Roda. By some miracle, it stopped inches from it and flipped right back up, trilling angrily. The ship shot again but it went wide, hitting the Nova Roda and blowing it up.


    The Sunbird rescued the escape pod and brought it to Kylon III¡¯s atmosphere, sending a bit of the Dao with it. It wrapped around the escape pod and sunk within.


    ¡°Zyros. We never meant for that to happen. It was at an ill time but we saved you from it all. It was no happenstance that your ball entered the escape pod when it did. I saved you so that together we could put an end to those who would use a boy and a creature as weapons for subjugation. Soon your purpose will be done, and Lithelios will have you sent to be locked away again for good. If you want to remain free then¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not trust blindly, bird. I will ask Lithelios what I saw and come back with my answer.¡±


    ¡°It will be too late then but as you wish.¡±


    Zy disconnected from the Sunbird and raced away with tears in his eyes. He wiped them away. Until he got the full scope he wasn¡¯t making a decision. He walked toward Lithelios¡¯ rooms when something gave him pause. Sibiline had been missing from her cell but her bear had been left. The girl had been partial to the bear; why had it been left behind unless¨Cher parents had also been missing. Were they released? Or something far worse had befallen them all?


    He raced ahead to find Lithelios standing at his big window. ¡°Asna tells me the bird showed you a version of the Nova Roda¡¯s destruction.¡±


    Zy nodded. ¡°But I didn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Lithelios chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°It¡¯s correct in its assessment but it¡¯s wrong to assume I didn¡¯t feel anything when my beam hit the cruiser. I felt deeply. Do you know the mistake my uncle made? It was letting that cruiser through space when they had been warned that the Sunbird was nearby. I was chasing it off further into deep space. A monster of that size can bring unimaginable destruction.¡±


    ¡°So that man and woman were¨C¡±


    ¡°Foreign Flight Affair¡¯s very own leaders: Alba Concetti Handrigh and his wife Donna Concetti Handrigh.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Sybiline?¡± he asked worriedly.


    ¡°She is with Aunt Cystralias on Epsilios IV. She left her bear. We intend she have that back as soon as We can.¡±


    Zy nodded. ¡°My dreams make sense now. Someone named Frederico was the star of them and I was told that he would be the end of the Empire.¡±


    Lithelios flinched. ¡°Do you know how he comes to power?¡±


    ¡°No, but he wielded a sword made of starlight,¡± Zy replied, making Lithelios¡¯ eyes widen.


    ¡°A star knight,¡± the prince whispered. ¡°Now, more than ever, I must take the reins of destiny into my hands. Come Zy. We¡¯ve a future to write.¡±


    As Zy and the prince walked, Lithelios recited the history of the Pangalactic Empire. The way Lithelios told it was as if he had been there! It was obvious Lithelios loved the Pangalactic Empire.


    ¡°The Empire¡¯s power is waning,¡± Lithelios said, his voice broken somewhat. ¡°The eastern and western halves of the Galaxy see the Throne as weak. If this persists, the Empire might crumble, and war may yet return to the Galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the people choose whether they want the Empire to continue ruling?.¡±


    Lithelios glared. ¡°The common folk care not for politics, but if their stomachs are yet full. A charlatan may go to the worlds where the Empire has yet to establish trade routes and speak nonsense on how the Throne ignores them. What knows the commoner of politics and economics, when they have not the interest to study them? A forked tongue speaks wisdom when listened to by ignorant ears!¡±


    Zy said nothing.


    ¡°It is in the commoner¡¯s best interest to leave such squabbles to their betters, those born with the divine right to rule,¡± said Lithelios as he and Zy parted ways. ¡°Remember that always. We must now prepare the Sunbird; go and speak to Asna, then return when you are ready.¡±


    Zy hurried to the rock garden where Asna was meditating. He crept to her side. ¡°I did as you said.¡±


    Asna¡¯s eyestalks opened and she clicked her beak-like mouth. ¡°The Dao works mysteriously. All happens for a reason. Remember this now. Open your mind to the Dao. It is a wondrous source, a knowledgeable source, a bountiful source. Do not be afraid of what it shows.¡± She stood and floated off the rockface.


    ¡°I¡¯m off. Last lesson. Trust the Dao. It will never lead you wrong.¡±


    Zy nodded and kneeled beside the pond, mind, and heart open. Like that the Dao took him.


    ¡°His heart is dark,¡± growled the voice. ¡°Lead him to me.¡±


    ¡ª---------------


    Lithelios stood over Zy¡¯s corpse, his face filled with rage.


    Zy gasped and backed away from the pond¡¯s edge, scared. He stood and wiped his clothes. He had been wearing some black robes and gi pants in navy blue but he doubted clothes would warn him of when this would happen if it happened. Zy reached his room and lay on his bed, tired from today''s emotional upheaval. The maid brought some juice in and he, thinking nothing of it, drank it completely. He laid back and fell into a dreamless slumber.

 Chapter 4

    He was cold; where were his covers? His eyes fluttered open and took in the dank cell he was in.


    ¡°Wait. Cell? What the¨Cwhy am I in a cell?¡± He asked himself. His hands shook and grabbed onto the bars. A tiny shock ran through him and pulled away stunned. The electric mode was only for the worst criminals.


    ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s going on?¡± he muttered, trembling from the inner cold now.


    ¡°I was hoping you could tell us this,¡± Lithelios voice. It was sharp like a vibrating blade.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Zy grasping the bars again. Another shock made him wince but he held on. ¡°I have done nothing except fall asleep in my bed.¡±


    ¡°Then why did the Sunbird escape? Asna tried to subdue it and told us to search you out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. I only had contact with it yesterday and I told you all about it!¡±


    Lithelios snarled. ¡°So it was you. The Sunbird used your connection to the Dao to weaken its bonds. We lost Asna trying to get it back.¡±


    Zy curled in on himself. ¡°Asna¡¯s dead?¡±


    Lithelios growled, his eyes burning an eerie reddish emerald. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s all the fault of someone who just doesn¡¯t understand that the Sunbird likes to play tricks! Now it''s free and Asna is gone.¡±


    Lithelios sighed and glared maliciously at Zy, who trembled. ¡°Think about what you¡¯ve done, while I prepare your return to the Penitentiary. Your usefulness has ended!¡± He stalked away and left Zy a trembling whimpering mess. He slid to the cell floor and curled into a ball tears streaking down his cheeks.


    ¡°Trust in the Dao. I am not gone, son,¡±


    Zy sniffed and turned his head. An urging to open himself to the Dao overtook him.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Zy asked, feeling his mother¡¯s presence


    ¡°Yes. Believe in yourself Zyros. Your purpose has yet to play out,¡± her voice said. And just like that, it was gone. Zy got up, took a deep breath, and nodded. He closed his eyes and extended his hand. ¡°Pa wa ba san fan, pa wa ba san fan.¡±


    The door¡¯s locks loosened, the electric current turned off, and the door slowly swung open. Nodding, Zy rushed out of his room. He saw a black robe neatly folded on the table; he put it on so he wouldn¡¯t be cold.


    Zy rushed towards the escape pods, but he suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Run, my child, run!¡± His mother¡¯s voice echoed.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Zy muttered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I have felt something if the Sunbird did escape?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Zy could no longer feel his mother¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Why would Asna tell Lithelios to seek ME out, specifically?¡± He asked himself. ¡°And why would Lithelios lock me up in a cell if the Sunbird escaped?¡±


    He gulped and raced towards the Sunbird¡¯s cell. It was still there, still chained. He gasped.


    ¡°What?¡± Zy asked breathlessly.


    ¡°Leave this place!¡± His mother¡¯s voice yelled. ¡°The Dao wants you to live!¡±


    ¡°Let me go,¡± growled the Sunbird¡¯s voice in his head. ¡°I am no weapon.¡±


    The cell doors swung open. In walked Lithelios, eyes wide in disbelief.


    ¡°It is here still?¡± he muttered. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Th-the Dao,¡± Zy replied, gulping. ¡°The Dao showed you a vision, and you might have mistaken it for the truth.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± growled Lithelios. He ignored the Sunbird¡¯s glare. ¡°But to see the beast yet remains in Our grasp is a deliverance indeed. Come, my friend, use your connection to the bird, that we may yet write the future together.¡±


    Zy gasped, looking between the Sunbird and the prince. He took a deep breath.


    ¡°I begged you to run,¡± said his mother¡¯s voice, utterly broken.


    ¡°It seems I have met my destiny,¡± said Zy with a sad chuckle. ¡°My Prince, I¡¯ve but one thing to say to you. When you threatened to return me to the Penitentiary, you showed me where you think people like me stand. We are not tools for you to use, My Prince, we are people. I say we do not want you as Emperor.¡±


    Zy turned towards the Sunbird, raised his hands, and with the Dao, freed the creature. Once released from its confines, the bird¡¯s body became solar fire once more, burning bright like a star. With a screech, the Sunbird sent Zy and Lithelios flying towards an escape pod, allowing it to blast off to the nearest planet. The Sunbird grew in size by the second, tearing the ship asunder, killing all within.


    As the Sunbird floated in space, now the size of a war cruiser, it began to fly off toward the central star of the solar system. The creature entered the sun¡¯s atmosphere, uniting its flames with the stars, its consciousness once more one with the Dao.


    The escape pod landed on a grassy field, miles away from any civilization. Lithelios and Zy  left the pod, disoriented. When Zy saw the grassy fields and starlight sky, he sighed and nodded.


    ¡°My beloved Empire,¡± Lithelios whimpered. ¡°My last chance to save it. Forgive me, ancestors¡­¡±


    Lithelios turned towards Zy, who was staring into the sky, a small smile on his face. He felt the night wind dance in his hair, the grass beneath his bare feet, his robe fluttering in the breeze. A simple pleasure. His last.


    Lithelios grabbed his dagger and stabbed Zy in the back in a fit of rage. As the young man fell dead to the floor, Lithelios¡¯ rage grew and grew. He stabbed the corpse once more. And again. And again.


    ¡°Fool born of common stock!!!¡± Yelled Lithelios. ¡°My mistake for trusting you!¡±


    As he let those words escape his lips, he fell to silence. He got up and looked at the dagger in his hand, flushed with blood. He dropped the blade and whimpered.


    ¡°What a cowardly way to off a man,¡± Lithelios said to himself. He looked at his hands, now filled with blood. Horror filled his eyes, tears streamed down his cheeks, and he collapsed to the ground.


    He then looked up to the sky. Every star, home to a system of planets, many teeming with life. Each planet, soon to be divided by different powers. The West of the Galaxy, soon to be ruled by a cabal of thieves. The East, soon to be drowned in a mire of incompetence. Just as the Dao showed him.


    ¡°I shall return,¡± the prince said, his whimpers giving way to fury and resolve. With his face filled with rage against destiny, he yelled out ¡°We shall return!¡±


    The End