《Shattered Dawn [A Science-Fantasy Isekai Adventure]》 1. Kidnapped in the Night Elion lounged on his bed, playing on his Xbox. He yawned, then rubbed his eyes and checked the time: 1:15 am. Liora hadn¡¯t come home yet. Reaching into the bowl of Doritos next to him, he used the gaming chopsticks he wore to pick up a chip. Two loops allowed him to wear them on the index and middle finger of his right hand, and a hinge connecting the sticks provided a springing action for easy operation. He liked using them because they let him eat chips without getting grime from his fingers on his game controller. He also felt smart when he used them, since he used the 3d printer at school to make them. Elion had fiddled around a lot to make the print turn out right. Beside him, his cat, Snickers, lay on the bed, purring contentedly. Sighing heavily, Elion unpaused his game and continued playing. He could at least stay up and make sure she got home safely. A door slammed downstairs. ¡°Elion!¡± At the sound, Snickers leaped from the bed, bolting out of the room. Elion recognized Liora¡¯s voice, noting an unusual hint of intensity in her cry. He paused his game and sat up, listening carefully, his brotherly instinct activated. She¡¯d been hanging out with her new boyfriend, Keith, and his buddies who were in college. I hope she¡¯s not drunk again. Liora was his twin sister, and at only seventeen, she shouldn¡¯t be out drinking. Uncle Zev had promised to talk to her, but he was only home for two or three days in ten. Elion hadn¡¯t seen him for nearly a week, and he had no idea when Zev would be back. Elion had always tried to protect Liora. As children, when other kids bullied them about their white hair, Elion would defend Liora. When their parents had died in a car accident, he took his role as protector even more seriously. But as they¡¯d gotten older, Elion grew more and more confused about what he was supposed to do. Liora had started dying her hair black, trying to fit in more with the kinds of people who had bullied her as a kid. He knew Keith was a bad influence on his sister, but she wanted to spend time with him. What could Elion do? He was her twin brother, not her dad. All his entreaties had proved ineffective, so he¡¯d settled for staying up late and waiting to make sure she made it home. ¡°What!¡± he yelled back. Images of Keith¡¯s friends flashed through his head, and he hoped that one of them hadn¡¯t followed her home. But she had an annoying habit of pestering him unnecessarily, and he was still annoyed at her for telling him off about his pudginess earlier. The other day she¡¯d purposefully embarrassed him by calling for his help. Keith had laughed at the way Elion had stumbled over himself, looking for danger. She¡¯d just wanted him to open a jar of pickles. ¡°Elion!¡± she screamed again, and this time he couldn¡¯t ignore the note of panic in her voice. She sounded genuinely upset. Tossing his headset onto the bed, he grabbed the baseball bat he kept in the corner of his room. As he planted his bare feet on the cool floor a loud splintering crash rocked the house. Adrenaline flooded through him now, and he ran, throwing open his bedroom door. Down the stairs he saw Liora, grabbing at the floor as something dragged her out of his vision. She screamed again. ¡°Elion, help!¡± Gripping his baseball bat in both hands, he sprinted down the stairs into the living room, ready to smash Keith¡¯s brains out. A jagged hole in the front of the house marked the place the front door had once been, splinters of wood and bent siding panels littering the front room. Cool night air blew through the opening, the peaceful scent of fields and fresh cut grass mixing strangely with the chalky mustiness of crushed drywall. A huge spider-like creature dragged Liora by her ankles through the hole, its articulated mechanical joints glowing from within. Teal light flickered, the whine of motors loud as it moved. The vision of the otherworldly entity shook Elion. He rubbed his eyes. Adrenaline surged and protective instinct pushed him forward. He sprinted across the room, grabbing Liora by the hand and pulling. The spider machine pulled back. Liora gasped in pain as her body lifted off the floor. Elion swung his bat one handed, over his head, striking at the spider¡¯s metal skin. With each strike the bat vibrated, stinging the palm of Elion¡¯s hand. Liora screamed and writhed, blood dripping from her ankles where the creature bit into her flesh, one high heel still miraculously clinging to her foot. Elion hit again, and the spider stumbled to the side. He dropped Liora¡¯s hand and gripped the bat, swinging two-handed down onto the spider¡¯s body. The bat splintered as it wrenched itself from Elion¡¯s hands. The spider-machine groaned with a sound like grinding gears, then, with a sudden burst of speed, whipped Liora through the hole in the front of the house. She yelped, clawing at the grass, pulling up handfuls of sod as she attempted to free herself. Elion grabbed the double barreled shotgun from its place over the mantle. He ran to the hole in the front of the house and looked out across the yard. A dozen black cloaked beings occupied the front yard. A gigantic sphere hovered over the front lawn, like a snow globe filled with thousands of purple streamers, casting a strange amethyst light over the yard. Liora struggled, her braids flailing around her head as cloaked figures grabbed her. They pulled her upright. One of them placed a hand on her forehead, and she slumped, her screams dying to whimpers. They dragged her toward the purple sphere. The spider-machine released Liora¡¯s legs and scuttled over to stand beside another of the strange machines, waiting for further orders. ¡°Stop!¡± Elion shouted, bursting through the hole in the front of the house. Splinters from cracked 2¡Á4s pierced his bare feet, the chill night creeping in at the edges of his bathrobe. Leveling the shotgun, he took aim at the nearest intruder. He didn¡¯t want to accidentally catch his sister in the spray of pellets. As he did, the tallest of the cloaked beings beckoned toward Elion. He spoke, his voice thick, rasping, menacing. ¡°Bring me that boy!¡± At the command, the two spidermechs loped forward with frightening speed. Elion fired. The gun blasted, noise stabbing into his unprotected ears. Cyan sparks exploded from the body of one of the spiders as it staggered a few steps sideways. Elion shook his head, ears ringing.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Elion aimed at the other machine and pulled the second trigger. The shotgun bucked in his hands, knocking the spider back a step. Liora sagged limply between her captors as they dragged her into the purple sphere and disappeared. The giant spiders recovered from Elion¡¯s attack and charged again. With no time to break the barrel and reload, Elion gripped the gun like a bat. He squared up, but the first creature pounced at him, metal mandibles grasping at his body, his bathrobe. Elion staggered backward and fell to the ground, crying out as sharp pincers dug into the skin of one leg. The shotgun fell to the ground nearby. Elion kicked with his free leg, fingers grasping in the wreckage of the front of the house for anything that might be used as a weapon. The other spider reached him, and bit into his calf, sharp pain stabbing through his knee. Together the creatures dragged Elion across the front lawn. His bathrobe rode up, exposing his boxers as the wet grass slid across his back. Two men wearing black robes grabbed him by the arms, hoisting him to his feet as the spiders released their grip on his legs. Elion¡¯s legs stung, crumpling beneath him as he tried to stand. ¡°Give my sister back,¡± he demanded, his voice shaking as he tried to show strength. The tall man who had spoken turned toward Elion. He reached up and pulled his hood back from his face, letting it fall over his shoulders. His face contorted into a smile, lit with purple light cast by the gigantic glowing sphere. A shock of hair, white like Elion¡¯s, spilled down over the man¡¯s shoulders. Golden eyes glared beneath a strong brow. Elion did not know the man. But¡­ he looked familiar. Kind of like Uncle Zev. Elion had only ever seen white hair and amber eyes among his own family members. ¡°Interesting,¡± the man said, ruffling Elion¡¯s hair. He grabbed Elion¡¯s chin and pulled his face close, inspecting Elion¡¯s eyes. ¡°I did not know that Aria had a son as well.¡± Elion tried to pull away, but the man¡¯s grip was iron. ¡°Get your hands off me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am,¡± the man said, eyebrows raised. ¡°Did Aria never speak of me?¡± Elion shook his head. His mother had never talked about her past. ¡°A shame,¡± the man said, his smile turning contemptuous. ¡°She did you a disservice.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Elion asked. The man shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? The same blood runs in our veins. No? Nothing? I am Dorian.¡± He declared this last part as though it explained everything. To Elion, it explained nothing. The man, Dorian, looked disappointed. ¡°She really never mentioned me? Never spoke my name to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you,¡± Elion said, glancing nervously at the cloaked men now encircling him. Dorian¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°I am Dorian Starholder,¡± he declared. ¡°I sit upon the throne of Erod.¡± Elion stared blankly. Dorian¡¯s face reddened with anger as Elion¡¯s face betrayed no recognition, no understanding. ¡°I caused The Breaking of The Sky. I freed us from the binding lies. I shone a light on the myth of Tephalian Invaders.¡± The man¡¯s boasting did not impress Elion, confusing him more than anything. But the man continued. ¡°I am He Who Glitters in the Night!¡± Elion shook his head, bewildered and confused. From across the street, a dachshund barked. Mrs. Phillips¡¯s little wiener dog, Hamilton, ran over the asphalt and bit Dorian¡¯s cloak, snarling. The wizard kicked at the dog, but Hamilton did not let go of the robe. ¡°Get away from me, you filthy¡ª¡± Hamilton pulled, and the thin material of the robe ripped, a strip of it coming away in the dog¡¯s mouth. Dorian sent a small bolt of purple lightning snapping through the air, striking Hamilton. The dachshund whined, and, tucking his tail between his legs, ran off down the road. The scrap of robe flapped from his mouth, jerking the small dog around with a life of its own. Dorian scowled, turning back to Elion. ¡°My name is Dorian,¡± he said coldly. ¡°They call me the Black Fist. Master of the Black Wall.¡± Elion shivered in the cold night. ¡°N-n-never heard of you before. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°I am your uncle,¡± Dorian said softly. ¡°I am your mother¡¯s elder brother.¡± ¡°Mom only has one brother. And he¡¯s younger,¡± Elion said. ¡°Maybe you have the wrong house?¡± But as he spoke Elion saw the truth of Dorian¡¯s words in his face. The color of his hair and eyes, the shape of his jaw, the curve of his nose, all hinted at the relationship. If Zev had a brother, this man could definitely be him. Dorian gestured toward the other cloaked figures. ¡°Venya, bring him through the portal too. We¡¯re lucky to have caught them both in the same place. Zev must be losing his edge.¡± The two men holding Elion began dragging him toward the purple sphere through which Liora had already disappeared. Two of Dorian¡¯s cloaked acolytes stood beside it, turbulent purple light flowing through their staves and crackling around them as they wrestled to contain and maintain the portal. A pang of fear gripped Elion and he struggled with his captors, his movements energized by panic. He fought against the vice-like grips on his arms, struggling to break away. His legs slipped on the grass as they approached the portal, struggling weakly in response to his mental commands. Air and light bent strangely around the orb, as guttural, clicking sounds emanated from it. ¡°What are you doing with us?¡± Elion shouted. A woman stood beside the portal. She removed her hood, allowing raven black curls to spill down over her shoulders. Her dark eyes flashed alluringly in the dim light, and she smiled meaningfully as Elion met her eyes. With a flourish, she gathered power in her hand and tapped his forehead. A wave of numbness washed over him like ice cold water. She turned, her robe flapping around her legs in the strange wind of the portal as she stepped into the sphere, disappearing. Elion stared into the swirling patterns of the portal, unable to tear his eyes away, mesmerized by the twisting ribbons of light. He felt it catching at him, tugging on the edges of his soul like a strong current. The portal seemed to be downhill, dragging, sucking everything into it. The sound of an engine revving pulled Elion¡¯s attention from the portal. A pair of headlights split the darkness as a vehicle raced down the road toward them. 2. My Uncle is a Magical Knight from Another Planet With a roar, a gigantic black truck jumped the curb and flew across the lawn. The dark robed wizards sprang into action, sending dodging away from the vehicle. The truck slammed into one of the mechanical spiders. Glowing legs and chunks of metal flew into the air, even as the remainder of the beast was crushed beneath the wheels of the truck. Light burst from the cab of the truck, shining through the windshield. The truck skidded to a stop on the grass. Several blasts of purple energy struck the truck, rocking it as the door opened. Translucent shields shimmered in the air around Dorian as wizards produced sticks from within their robes. Too short to be staves, and too long to be wands, these sticks hummed and shone with a purple light similar to that of the portal, rippling through runes carved into the wood. Two of the nearest wizards sprinted toward the truck. Uncle Zev sprang from the driver¡¯s seat. As he jumped through the air, golden wisps of light surrounded him, weaving together and solidifying into a protective suit of golden plate armor. Zev¡¯s arm, now encased in a glittering vambrace, slammed into the face of the nearest wizard, dropping him like a felled tree. Wizards scrambled away from Zev, running back toward the portal. A blast of violet light shredded the dark night, striking Zev directly in the chest and flinging him backwards. He smashed into the side of his truck, bouncing off in a spray of sparks. The impact tipped the truck up onto two wheels. Zev rolled, throwing himself away from the vehicle as another blast of purple energy struck the truck. It groaned and crunched, tipping over on its side. Zev landed in the grass, face down. The remaining spider crawled over the toppled truck, pouncing toward Zev from behind. ¡°Look out!¡± Elion screamed, but the numbing spell turned his words into a mumbled groan. Zev unholstered a golden cylinder from his belt, gripping it in both hands. A white blade ignited like a lightsaber, growing from the hilt in a blaze of light as Zev whirled toward the spider. The spider lunged at Zev, mandibles snapping. Zev sidestepped, rolling with agility despite his full suit of armor, and the spider caught nothing but air. Zev¡¯s blade flashed, severing one of the machine¡¯s legs. The spider stumbled. One of the wizards cast a spell, a bubble of amethyst pearlescence. The bubble grew and enveloped Zev, lifting him off the ground. Zev grabbed onto the mechanical spider as the bubble grabbed him. ¡°Got him!¡± the wizard yelled. Then the bubble began expanding to envelope the spider, and the wizard gasped as he fell to his knees. ¡°Help!¡± His wand arm trembled as he tried to maintain the spell. The spell collapsed, and Zev fell to the ground atop the spider, slashing down with his blade and removing two more legs. Zev dropped off the spider, sending it staggering away. Zev turned to face the remaining assailants, his glowing blade casting a stark light across his furious face. He stepped off the body of the spider. ¡°Through the portal!¡± Dorian shouted, grabbing Elion¡¯s escort and pushing them toward the sphere. ¡°We¡¯ve got what we need!¡± Elion stumbled and fell through the air. The ground turned into a steep slope, and he slid down it, tumbling toward the portal. Zev threw his blade. It whipped past, a spinning boomerang of death, decapitating one of the portal stabilizing wizards in an explosion of purple and yellow light. The shockwave knocked the other wizard back, and he dropped his staff. The portal began to unravel, purple tendrils flicking out through the air. One of Elion¡¯s captors let go of Elion and dove into the portal. Elion struggled weakly against the other wizard. The maimed spider-machine renewed its attack on Zev, stabbing at him with spiked legs. Zev caught one of the legs in his hands and tried to force the spider back. A blast from a nearby wizard threw Zev off balance, and the spider pounced, dropping with all its weight atop Zev, crushing him into the ground. Zev shouted, his sword reappearing in his hand. He slashed, severing a limb, then slashed again and again, his assailant falling into several pieces. Zev pulled himself back up to his feet. Panicked wizards dove into the portal, abandoning the scene as the portal collapsed. Zev raised the visor on his helm, and made eye contact with Dorian across the yard. Dorian met the gaze, then turned quickly to the portal, tumbling through. One of the portal tendrils snagged Elion¡¯s wrist, and he floated off over the grass. The portal expanded, swelling to fill his entire field of view as the world shrank behind him. He was falling, falling¡­ A gauntleted hand seized Elion¡¯s shoulder, nearly ripping his arm from his socket. Zev seized Elion, grunting with exertion as he pulled him from the portal. It collapsed, a violent whipping tornado of destruction which evaporated into the night sky. A thunderclap split the air. Elion lay panting on the grass of his front lawn. After a moment he sat up, surveying the damage. Part of the front of the house was missing. Zev¡¯s truck lay on its side, blocking the front walk. Dark robed shapes lay motionless in the grass; the bodies of dead wizards. Crushed and dismembered spider limbs lay strewn across the yard, Where the portal had been, a perfect hemisphere of sod and topsoil had disappeared, leaving a smooth indentation in the ground. Zev flopped to the ground beside Elion, gasping for breath. His magical armor dissolved into the night. Elion pulled his bathrobe more closely around him. ¡°What was that? What just happened?¡± Elion babbled. ¡°Where is Liora?¡± Zev exclaimed, looking around. ¡°Where is your sister?¡± ¡°They took her! They dragged her out of the house and pulled her into the portal!¡± ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Zev muttered, the words sounding like a curse as he clutched his head in his hands. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Elion asked. Zev nodded grimly. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get her back.¡± A light came on in the house across the street. Zev and Elion looked at each other, then at the surrounding carnage. Mrs. Phillips¡¯ thin voice floated through the air, calling for Hamilton.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Mrs. Phillips isn¡¯t going to be happy about this,¡± Zev said. Elion moaned, distraught and overwhelmed. He clutched at his legs, slick with blood where the spider-mech had bitten into him. Pain washed over him, and his head spun. ¡°Liora,¡± he gasped. ¡°Your leg,¡± Zev exclaimed, noticing the blood. He ran across the yard to his upended truck, and recovered a first aid kit. A splash of cleansing alcohol and some gauze pads later, Elion¡¯s legs were no longer bleeding. Zev began rounding up pieces of destroyed spider-mech and pulling them into the garage. Elion, still in a daze, wandered over to stare at the hole in the side of his house. On the sidewalk he found one of Liora¡¯s high heels. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. He remembered Liora leaving earlier that afternoon, heels clicking on the front walk, braids bouncing. She hadn¡¯t dyed her hair recently, and he could see the true white color coming in at the roots. ¡°I might not be back till late,¡± she said. ¡°Stay out of the snacks in the pantry cause you¡¯re getting fat, and you need to eat some actual food once in a while.¡° A shiny blue-green dress stretched over the curves of her body, with a plunging neckline showing off a bit too much. The hemline of the dress lay well above mid thigh, with a high slit running up nearly to her hip. Liora had been working out a lot lately, and liked showing off her legs. She wore a bright red lipstick and a lot of makeup, highlighting her cheekbones and making her golden eyes pop. Elion didn¡¯t like the idea of strange dudes leering at her in clubs, and wished she¡¯d cover up a bit more. At least she still wore the star pendant her mother gave her; a golden 7-pointed star dangling on a chain just beneath her collarbones. ¡°A bit early in the day to be clubbing isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, then added, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should hang out with those guys. They¡¯re in college.¡± ¡°Knock it off,¡± Liora said. ¡°You¡¯re not my dad.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not my mom,¡± Elion said. ¡°But you¡¯re still too young to be drinking.¡± Zev broke through Elion¡¯s reverie. ¡°Hey, Elion, go put that shoe in Liora¡¯s room. It¡¯ll raise questions if it¡¯s laying around out here.¡± Elion complied, stepping carefully through the wreckage in his bare feet. As he returned, he paused in the living room. On the wall hung a picture of Elion, Liora, and their parents. Elion had grown up a lot since the picture was taken 7 years ago. Elion and Liora had both inherited their mother¡¯s white hair and amber eyes, though Elion had his father¡¯s square jaw. He liked the picture, because when he looked at it he remembered good times with his parents. Last year Liora tried to take the picture down, insisting that they needed an updated family picture with Zev in it. Elion disagreed, and when Zev refused to dress in matching outfits for the picture, Liora gave up. Elion came back outside to find Zev standing with his hands on his hips, looking over the scene. ¡°The police are going to be confused about this,¡± Zev said. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll believe it was a drunk driving accident.¡± Elion surveyed the destroyed front yard, the wrecked truck lying on its side near the hole in the wall. ¡°I doubt it,¡± Elion said. ¡°They won¡¯t believe the truth,¡± Zev disagreed. ¡°But they¡¯ll have to come up with something.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do anything about the crater.¡± He gestured to the hole left in the sod by the wizard¡¯s portal. The body of a wizard nearby began to evaporate, steaming in the night air with wisps of purple mist. Zev cursed and ran over to the body, grabbing the long staff which lay beside it. They watched as the rest of the wizards dissolved, along with their staffs. Zev gripped the recovered staff tightly. ¡°The shotgun pellets could be a problem, if police look that closely,¡± Zev said. The other houses on the street stayed dark, no signs of movement from any of them. Even Mrs. Phillips had apparently not noticed the mayhem yet. Zev guessed the effects of some kind of sound absorbing spell had masked the incursion. Still stunned, Elion hadn¡¯t managed to ask any of the millions of questions swirling through his head. Now it was nearly 3:30 am, and the cumulative effects of shock and the wizard¡¯s spell began wearing off. ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Elion demanded. ¡°Are you going to explain who those freaky wizards were, and why they kidnapped Liora? And that dude Dorian, what is up with him? Is he really your brother?¡± Zev sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the garage,¡± he said. Zev closed the garage door and then turned on the lights. The pile of mechanical parts twitched and glowed teal with an internal energy, as if chopping up the spiders had only maimed them, not killed them. ¡°Hold this for me,¡± Zev said, handing the staff to Elion. ¡°If you let go of it, it¡¯ll probably disappear like everything else and we need it. So don¡¯t drop it.¡± He held firmly onto the staff, refusing to release it into Elion¡¯s care until Elion made eye contact and acknowledged the order. ¡°I got it.¡± Zev released the staff. It did not dissolve into mist. ¡°Why did they all puff away?¡± Elion asked. ¡°What¡¯s up with the purple mist? Are you going to explain to me what the heck just happened? Is Liora okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Zev snapped, ¡°She¡¯s probably not okay, and we need to do something about that!¡± Elion jumped back, surprised by Zev¡¯s ferocity. ¡°Sorry,¡± Zev said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how they found us. I can¡¯t believe that Dorian managed to lure me away, I was stupid to fall for his trap.¡± Zev pulled at his hair, pacing across the garage. ¡°The good news is he didn¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news?¡± Elion didn¡¯t feel reassured. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Zev said. ¡°He came here with a few of his warlocks, not his strongest, but an adequate force, and only a couple of arachnatronics for support. He wasn¡¯t expecting much of a fight. But he should have known that I would rush back to defend you¡­¡± Elion stared at Zev, eyes wide. ¡°If he knew I was away from the house, why not act faster, pull you through the portal before I could react?¡± Zev spoke mainly to himself, but Elion soaked it in. ¡°He did,¡± Elion said, starting to understand. ¡°He tried to move fast. He got Liora before you could show up. He could have left but I distracted him. He wasn¡¯t expecting me.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t expecting you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°He made his wizards grab me and then asked me some questions. He seemed mad that I didn¡¯t know who he was.¡± ¡°Sounds like him,¡± Zev said. He spat on the ground. ¡°Vain mother¡­¡± but he glanced at Elion and didn¡¯t finish the curse. ¡°Sorry, go on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. He said some weird stuff about the sky, and fighting invaders, and being sparkly at night or something but I don¡¯t know what he meant.¡± ¡°He Who Glitters in the Night,¡± Zev muttered. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡°He always cared more about his titles than his duties.¡± Then he muttered angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fell for his distraction. I should have been here. I should have stopped him.¡± ¡°Is he really your brother? What did he do with Liora?¡± Zev scowled, shaking his head. ¡°I suppose I owe you an explanation.¡± 3. You Cant Come My Dearest Aria, I pray that I might live long enough to deliver this letter into your hands. I will not attempt to uncover the secrets of your hiding place, but will patiently wait for your return. If I depart from this plane before you return to the Palace, I pray that these words find their way to you. With this letter I fulfill the dying wishes of your mother, the Queen. Your brother, Dorian, succumbed to the seductive lure of power and abandoned his Aurelian oaths. He surrounded the palace with his forces of the Black Wall, claiming dominion over what remains of the glory of house Starhold. The Crystalline Guard has fallen. In the quiet places of my mind, I still hear the sounds of battle through the halls.
¡°Where to begin,¡± Zev said, running a hand through his white hair. He opened up a tool box, and began picking through the tools. ¡°How about you start by explaining what just happened!¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°How are we going to get Liora back? Where did those wizards take her? What are we going to do?¡± Elion realized he sounded hysterical but couldn¡¯t stop himself. ¡°Well first I¡¯m going to use parts from these Arachnatronics to trace their origin,¡± Zev said, selecting a tool and clearing a space on the workbench. ¡°Those guys were not wizards, they were Warlocks; they¡¯re Zelian Ascended. I¡¯m guessing they took her to Kylios. We should be able to use the staff to reopen the portal, if we¡¯re fast enough.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything!¡± Elion exclaimed, his emotions getting the better of him. ¡°You¡¯re just saying nonsense!¡± Zev kept rubbing at his head, grimacing and scowling. He fished around in a toolbox. I¡¯ve never seen Zev this stressed out. He always knows what to do. Zev took a deep breath, then let it hiss out between his teeth. Still holding onto the wizard staff, Elion tapped it on the ground nervously. ¡°Stop that,¡± Zev said without looking. Elion stopped. He had so many questions but didn¡¯t know how to ask them. And Zev is really agitated. He didn¡¯t want Zev to snap at him. ¡°Okay, fine, probably a bad time for this, but it¡¯s not looking like there¡¯s going to be a good time.¡± Zev rose from his work, crossed the room and grabbed Elion by the shoulders. He looked him square in the eye. He took a deep breath, and Elion braced himself for the truth. ¡°Your parents didn¡¯t die in a plane crash,¡± Zev said. Elion frowned. ¡°I know,¡± he said, returning Zev¡¯s gaze. Zev relaxed slightly, confusion on his face. ¡°You know?¡± he asked. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Figure what out? My parents died in a car accident, not a plane crash.¡± Zev smacked himself in the forehead and groaned. ¡°Plane, car, train, whatever. I forget the official story. They didn¡¯t die in an accident. Your uncle killed them.¡± Elion¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ that man¡­ Dorian? He¡¯s really my uncle? But you don¡¯t have a brother!¡± ¡°I do,¡± Zev said with a shrug. ¡°Or I did. He tried to kill us. Your mother and I, so we had to flee, and we came here to Earth to escape from him.¡± ¡°He tried to kill you? Why?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Wait, what do you mean you came to Earth?¡± ¡°Elion,¡± Zev said. ¡°Take a seat.¡± He gestured at a stool. Elion sat down, resting the staff across his knees but still holding firmly onto it, squeezing it tightly as though it might somehow slip away from him. His hands ached, and his fingers turned white. Zev began explaining as he sifted through the Arachnatronic parts scattered across the floor. ¡°Your mother and I are from the planet Kylios. For generations our house, House Starhold, ruled from the Throne of Erod. Your mother, as the eldest daughter, was heir to the throne; this was the Starholder tradition for generations. Dorian tried to kill her and take the throne for himself. He almost succeeded, but at the last moment we were able to escape through a portal to Earth.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Elion said. ¡°Stop. You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re from another dimension or from another planet? Which one?¡± ¡°Not another dimension. Kylios is another planet in our universe. It¡¯s far, far, far away from Earth. It is very difficult to open a portal at such a distance¡­¡± Zev trailed off, his eyes glazing over as though remembering. The statement offered something for Elion¡¯s mind to catch hold of, something other than the pain and failure and sense of loss that burdened him. ¡°Holy¡­ So¡­ you¡¯re an alien?¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°And, my mom was an alien too? So I¡¯m only half human! How does that even work, like evolutionarily? I thought different species couldn¡¯t, um¡­ successfully have kids.¡± Zev frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Kylian are human, anyway, so¡­¡± ¡°How? There are humans on other planets? And by the way what is up with your magic power ranger armor?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zev said, exasperated. ¡°There are humans on other planets. Can you save your questions till I¡¯m done?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Elion said. ¡°There¡¯s just a lot for me to process. So my human Uncle Dorian tried to kill you and mom because he wanted to be king, but you both escaped and came to Earth. Continue please.¡± ¡°We hid here on Earth. We thought we were safe. If Dorian even realized we were still alive, he¡¯d never be able to find us, let alone reach us here. But¡­¡± Zev¡¯s face darkened, his eyes growing distant. ¡°He found you,¡± Elion prompted. ¡°He found us,¡± Zev agreed. ¡°And for some reason he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He wanted Aria dead, and I wasn¡¯t able to stop him. Your father died trying to help me save her.¡± Elion remembered the day that Zev had told him both his parents were dead. His heart clenched. Zev stopped, his brow furrowed with the pain of the memory. Elion thought of Liora, in the hands of his homicidal uncle on a distant planet. The wounds on his legs from the Arachnatronic mandibles ached, skin itching beneath the bandages. ¡°Why?¡± Elion whispered. ¡°Why did he have to kill her?¡± ¡°She refused to abdicate.¡± ¡°But she was gone,¡± Elion protested. ¡°He could have told everyone she was dead and then been the king. He didn¡¯t have to come here!¡± ¡°There are powers on Kylios that are only accessible to the true heir to the Throne,¡± Zev said. ¡°And he wanted them. He was second in line to the throne for my whole life, and thought that by killing Aria he would become the heir. He didn¡¯t know that she had children.¡± Zev laughed wryly. ¡°I wish I could have seen his face when he realized.¡± ¡°We have to stop him!¡± Elion declared. ¡°We have to get there and save Liora!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do,¡± Zev said, crouching down beside the pile of Arachnatronic parts. He had selected a small pile of the more energetically glowing pieces, and methodically began cracking them open. Each crackled with teal light, like static electricity, before going dark. Zev tossed the dark chunks of metal aside, not finding what he searched for. Elion shifted the staff in his hands, careful to keep one hand clamped onto it at all times. Strange how hard holding onto a stick could be. He examined the runes etched into the side of it as Zev worked.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ''¡°I have a minor gift from Sentinel Artefix that will help me to do this, left over from when we fled from Kylios. The staff is just an energy source so it doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m not a warlock. Artefix craftsmanship means that each machine has a unique tie to the place of its creation, and I just need something to direct the portal to Kylios.¡± Elion didn¡¯t understand this, but nodded. ¡°Ah.¡± Zev located what he was looking for, a cube about the size of one of Elion¡¯s fists, shining with the same rippling cyan light which animated the arachnatronics. It didn¡¯t look alive to Elion. Using this cube and some of the other parts he had set aside, Zev began building something. His hands moved with surprising dexterity, and he made pieces fit together in ways that Elion didn¡¯t expect they would. Zev recovered an etching needle from the tool box, a sharp piece of metal with a wooden handle. He used this to etch glowing teal shapes into the metal. When pressed together, these fused separate pieces into one. A ring formed in Zev¡¯s hands. ¡°So how come humans on Kylios have magical powers?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Not everyone does,¡± Zev said. ¡°Power comes to us from the Sentinels, and it must be earned.¡± ¡°Is that where you got your magical armor?¡± Elion asked. ¡°And that sword?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zev said. He was focusing now, and the parts he was working with shone with a vibrant blue-green light. Energy pulsed between Zev¡¯s hands, chaotically at first but growing more and more rhythmic as he worked. Zev drew lines and shapes across the metal ring he¡¯d formed. ¡°Most of the time I only have snatches, whispers of the power I had on Kylios,¡± Zev said. ¡°But when they opened that portal I felt my full strength flowing through. It fades quickly.¡± Elion watched Zev work, mesmerized by the craftsmanship. ¡°I¡¯m not an Artificer,¡± Zev muttered to himself. ¡°But whoever made these arachnatronics sure was, and thank goodness for that.¡± He pulled the glowing cube from his pile of parts, and fixed it into the middle of the ring he had made. Power flowed from the cube into the grooves and channels Zev had etched, as well as into the joints and gaps between pieces. Arcs of energetic light crackled off of sharp edges and points. ¡°It¡¯s not very stable, but it¡¯ll work for a little while!¡± Zev exclaimed. ¡°What is it?¡± Elion asked. ¡°A warp heart,¡± Zev said. ¡°It¡¯ll serve as an anchor point for the violent turbulence of the portal. And focus the energy back toward where the arachnatronics were constructed. I¡¯ve tried to direct it to Liora. It would be easier if she had something from Kylios that I could call too¡­¡± ¡°Her necklace!¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s from Mom, she always wears it. You know, the golden star? It has to be from Kylios, right? She had it on earlier!¡± ¡°Oh, good thinking,¡± Zev said. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s a Starholder pendant. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He scratched a few more glyphs onto the side of the warp heart, which now hummed a clear tone. The sharp, slightly sweet smell of ozone wafted through the air. ¡°I¡¯d better suit up for this,¡± Zev said, setting the warp heart down in the middle of the garage. The light from the glowing ring cast a teal hue over everything, drowning out the pale yellow light from the bulb overhead. ¡°The transfer is going to be rough, so protection is necessary.¡± Elion didn¡¯t notice Zev doing anything special to start the process, but golden threads of light wrapped themselves around the man, condensing into shining plate armor. From head to toe, armor wrapped itself around Zev. ¡°Wow, armored shoes too?¡± Elion said. ¡°Is it heavy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s made to be light,¡± Zev said, lifting the visor on his helmet. His voice sounded richer and more commanding, but Elion wasn¡¯t sure if that was magic or not. ¡°So not really. Also in this state I get some strength buffs.¡± ¡°And you got this from the Sentinel Artefix?¡± Elion asked. ¡°No. This is power from Sentinel Aurelia, Lady of the Dawn.¡± ¡°How many Sentinels are there?¡± ¡°Seven True Sentinels,¡± Zev said. ¡°What about the sword?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it right now,¡± Zev said. ¡°But I can summon it.¡± Elion waited eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to. We need to get this portal open before the warp heart collapses. Are you ready?¡± Elion nodded. ¡°Okay. Touch the staff to the warp heart. It should draw power automatically¡­¡± Cautiously, Elion touched the tip of the staff to the glowing center of the warp heart. Strands of purple spun like silken cloth out of the tip of the staff, wrapping around the warp heart, overwhelming the teal light and darkening the room. The staff vibrated in Elion¡¯s hands as power flowed through it. The purple strands of power swirled around the warp heart, like a tornado, or like a whirlpool forming as water flows down a drain. Elion had the same strange sensation of gravity shifting, reorienting so that down was towards the whirlpool of power. A faint scent of vinegar filled the garage. Elion looked around to see if they¡¯d knocked something over, then realized the smell came from the portal. Zev wrinkled his nose. The portal did not form into the same purple sphere that Elion had seen in his front yard earlier, but instead stayed in the whirlpool shape. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s working,¡± Zev exclaimed. He started walking toward the portal. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t I need some protection?¡± Elion asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zev said. ¡°Um, why did you just put on that armor then? That¡¯s like putting on a coat and telling me it¡¯s not that cold outside.¡± Zev stopped walking and met Elion¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not coming,¡± he said. ¡°Way too dangerous. You¡¯d be killed by the transfer without some kind of extra protection. Besides, I need you here.¡± Elion almost dropped the staff. ¡°But Liora¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going after Liora,¡± Zev said. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to jump through after me. You¡¯ll be ripped to pieces. If you care about your sister, stay here. I need your help. Dorian and his warlocks must have been planning this for a while. Go find whatever traces you can of them. When I come back here with Liora, I¡¯ll need to know as much as possible about their operations on Earth.¡± ¡°Traces of them?¡± Elion asked. ¡°They dissolved in purple mist; What am I supposed to look for?¡± Even as Elion protested, he recalled the strange figure watching him from the fields behind the house, and the scrap of cloth Hamilton had torn from one of the warlock¡¯s cloaks. ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you see it,¡± Zev said. ¡°Stay here.¡± ¡°But the house?¡± Elion said. ¡°Tell the cops I was drunk driving and crashed,¡± Zev said. ¡°They¡¯re going to send me to a foster home! And what do I say about Liora?¡± ¡°She ran away or something, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°But what if Dorian comes back?¡± Elion protested. ¡°What do I do if he comes back for me?¡± ¡°By tracking Liora¡¯s pendant the portal should take me straight to her,¡± Zev said. ¡°Dorian will have his hands full in Kylios. His powers are limited here so he needs to be careful. He has to plan and scout things out.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back in one day,¡± Zev said. ¡°Twenty-four hours. If I can¡¯t get in and out with Liora in that time, I¡¯ll come back and we¡¯ll reassess.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I have to go before this whole thing breaks down!¡± Zev shouted. He reached up and closed his visor. ¡°I trust you, Elion,¡± he said, stepping into the whirling vortex. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Violet streamers whipped around wildly, twining themselves around Zev¡¯s limbs, ripping him into the air. Elion watched as Zev fell into the middle of the portal, and had the feeling that he stood on a tall cliff, watching his uncle fall down down down into a void of nothingness. The staff in Elion¡¯s hands sputtered and began smoking. He pulled it away from the warp heart, and the swirling portal faded. The warp heart flashed brightly, and Elion realized the staff he was holding was on fire. He threw it away, and watched as it dissolved into a purple mist. The air filled with pungent smoke, burning Elion¡¯s nose and eyes, and making him cough. The warp heart burned out, its glow fading, leaving behind nothing but a lump of slag. The other arachnatronic parts in the garage smoked, slowly dissolving in a teal haze, disappearing like the wizards, but much more slowly. Elion looked around the garage, his heart sinking. He¡¯d been standing on the threshold of an incredible adventure, a world of magical wizards and armor made of light. And it had all just faded away from him, taking away his only remaining family and leaving him behind to clean up the mess.