Elementis 1: The Heir to the Stone (6 page)

BOOK: Elementis 1: The Heir to the Stone
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"Okay—who's going to explain this one then?" Cortex said.

Jonas smiled with a light huff. "Well don't all look at me!" he shrugged, bemused by the stares.

 

*

Entering the Valo star-system, the protectors flew Jonas home to present him to King Uly.

Cortex hardly turned his face away from Jonas. He wasn't the only one, Menace sat next to him keeping an eye on the energy levels of the energy-cuffs strapped around his hands and legs. They didn't like this. Why had the king never mentioned this Jonas before? Who or what was he?

Cortex's mask continued to face the boy, Jonas looked at the mask as if it was an inanimate ornament above a fireplace mantel and in no way a persons eyes. "It's obvious!" Cortex proclaimed as he stared on. "He's a clone! Created just in case—you know, in case the prince was ever killed or something!"

Jonas didn't know what he was going on about or why they were so fascinated by him. He was just getting over how fortunate he was at being broken out of the highest security prison in existence. Sure, he was used to being alone but that came with a freedom in his life that he loved, but being inside that prison; it gave him a taste of too much loneliness; too much time to think about life. All he'd done since he arrived at Kroyto was look for a way out, and there wasn't even a sniff of one, not until these guys came along.

Jonas thought about taking their ship but he was as unaware of their strengths as much as he was intrigued at what these people wanted with him and where they were taking him.

"You realise the four of you wouldn't be enough to stop me taking this ship," Jonas advised, wanting to gauge the reactions of the crew.

Spectrum already knew that if Jonas was intending to take the ship from them he wouldn't announce that he was capable of doing so. He didn't even look around to entertain Jonas's fruitless words. Cortex stiffened in the seat next to Jonas, "In those things, with no weapon?" he said, alarmed in case he'd meant it.

Jonas smiled. He'd figured he'd get a reaction from the one with the swords on his back, "Cortex" it said across his green-trimmed chest. This one could hardly keep his mouth still and when it wasn't moving Jonas knew he was just bursting to say something irrelevant. The complete opposite to the leader of the four with "Spectrum" across the white chest plate of his armour-suit, who only spoke when there was something to say. The serious look that was constantly plastered to his face amused Jonas. He thought that if he ever smiled, his dark hair and blue stern eyes wouldn't look so uncomfortable in deep thought. The big one with "Goldheart" on his yellow suit was even quieter, and the girl in the blue armour suit, "Menace" who looked a couple of years older than Jonas seemed a lot more intelligent than any of the females he knew back on Rilk. Not that that was difficult, the city slums he'd lived in had no education system to speak of. People only learned from what was around them and that was mostly brutality and thieving, Rilk was no world for a lady.

Thinking of home and the spiders that he never imagined he could miss, got Jonas thinking about poor Hok. He was just doing a job. The RBs didn't have to kill him. What right did they have above all others to kill but not be killed? What right did any man have to tell another what he was doing was wrong when he would break the same laws himself? Authority, Jonas thought. It can go to the place where the bad spirits burn and souls are erased from eternity. He had had enough of being pushed around. It seemed to him that there was always someone telling him what to do. Why couldn't they just leave him alone to get on with whatever life he wanted? He didn't know any other life than the life of a spider and even though they did push him around and didn't much like him, he was at least good at his job. He didn't know what he'd have done without the spiders, he may not even still be alive if the crews hadn't taken him in ten years ago when he was five and had just lost his guardian, Lina, to old age.

He could remember the day he lost her well. A couple of older Rilkers were pushing him about in the local drinking hole—a dark and dirty place full of tough old spiders. They were laughing, encouraging the beating. The worst thing was the smell of the two louts putting their wooden skin hands on him as they bounced him between themselves. Jonas didn't care though, he hoped that maybe if he tolerated the shoving and amused them for a while that he would be allowed to join the famous ship-spiders; that's why he had walked in there in the first place. It seemed the best fit for a boy with no home and no mother or father. The bigger of the two Rilkers took it too far though. He picked up a fork and stabbed it into the skin of his own hand as the surrounding spiders pounded their fists on the tables, laughing as their filled cups spilled klag onto an already sticky wooden floor. Then it was Jonas's turn. The spider pulled the fork out of his hand, held Jonas's flat on the table, lifted the fork into the air, raising the excitement in the room and thrust it down into his hand. Except the fork didn't go into his hand; the prongs were bent and his hand was unharmed. The laughter stopped and that was the day that Jonas became a spider.

Spectrum knocked Jonas from his trail of thought. "Jonas, what do you know about planet Aquilla?" he asked, as a turquoise sphere came into view in front of the windshield.

"Nothing would just about cover it," Jonas replied, eyeing the planet in wonder.

"What could the king want with him?" Menace said.

Jonas broke his gaze from the planet, shifting his eyes to Menace. "King?" he said.

Cortex smiled at the minor panic. "King Uly. I'd rather spend those fifty years on Kroyto than be in trouble with him," he teased.

Jonas turned back to look at the glowing planet outside. Curiosity filled his mind with the possibilities as to what a king could want with him.

 

 

 

 

Chapter V

 

Truth

 

 

Skylark flew in above the city of Enterra with eight dekapod fighters beside her wings, escorting the transporter and its precious cargo safely home. Looking out of a small window in the side of the ship, Jonas took in the sights of the city below. As they drew closer to the ground his eyes were fixed on the city's tranquil aura of street upon street of well-constructed, clean and uniform metal and stone framed houses, all dressed with glass. The gardens were alive with trees ripe with fruits and freshwater streams ran along the bottom of every neatly rowed hedge. Small transports whizzed about the place, and everyone either strolled along in a casual burgundy uniform or marched in pairs and ranks wearing what looked from high up like an armour suit, again burgundy in colour. It seemed to Jonas that everything had a purpose here, a far cry from the mess of a hole he had known on Rilk where the most organised thing he could recall was the accurate measure of the barmaid's eye when filling a glass of klag.

Out of the windshield and in the closing distance, Jonas saw the centrepiece of the city, a large domed roof made of one giant bending pane of glass. They were heading straight for it. A little way beyond the glass roof was another eye catching building, a fortified palace with a towering back wall separating the city from a dense forest on the other side. Jonas wondered why such a great wall was blocking out the beauty of the forest beyond. And had a sweeping mist not tangled with the trees in the far distance he may also have caught a glimpse of the silver claws of Mercron. Anyone that saw such a fearsome structure would have concluded it a good enough reason to build a wall so high from a forest so beautiful.

Skylark glided into an open hangar inside of the glass-roofed dome. Jonas took in the size of the place, keeping his eyes on the unsupported curved roof that went on forever above them. Whatever army this planet was home to, Jonas could see why they weren't afraid of taking on the bhurka wardens on Kroyto with only four soldiers; there were thousands of fighters in this one hangar level alone. He guessed the building was a head quarters, home to fleets of ships, transporters and fighters, with storage for uniforms, weapons, food and every other type of supply required for war.

War? Jonas thought. Perhaps these people needed him to steal something; something they needed for whatever war they were fighting. Stealing was all he was good for, but no matter what his thoughts he had a feeling he'd soon be finding out once he met this king who Menace and the loud mouth had been talking about.

The ships ramp slid down and the protectors led Jonas onto the landing bay as he glanced around at the glaring whiteness of the place. Witakker walked towards them, kicking the loose pleats of his grey skirted vestment and smiling at the sight of the arrival.

"Young Jonas, welcome to the city of Enterra. Take those off him will you," said Witakker, waving away the hand restraints. Spectrum de-energized the cuffs.

"Some of you are friendly then!?" said Jonas, stretching out his wrists.

"Some more than others," Witakker gestured, clocking the stern look on the protectors faces. "This way!" he said, turning to walk off. The protectors nudged Jonas along and followed on behind him.

Witakker had on his back a larger version of the cross which the others wore on the hearts of their armour. "What does that stand for?" asked Jonas, speaking to the grey-haired man.

"I presume you're looking at the sigil of the Cytherean Guard on my back?" said Witakker. "The cross of the cythereans is a symbol to remind us all who we are."

"And who are you?" asked Jonas.

"You'll see!" Witakker smirked, upping his pace along a glass-covered passage way.

Having seen nothing but glass walkways and long corridors since he arrived, Jonas walked side by side with Witakker into a room. The high, picture-painted ceilings stank of grandeur, something Jonas had never known existed until he walked through the double wooden doors he'd just passed by.

A crowned man stood close to the window overlooking the palace gardens. His back was turned to the other men who sat at a long table in the centre of the room. Witakker slid a chair out for Jonas. Taking a seat at the head of the table, Jonas looked around at the men in the room. Hawk, Wingrise, Spirit and Tempo, all had their names written across their chests, Jonas looked at each one as they all stared back at him. Cortex, Menace, Goldheart and Spectrum shut the door behind them and stood guarding the exit.

All of the possibilities as to why he'd been brought here ran through Jonas's mind. Was he here to work for them, steal them some blackfire or something else they desperately needed? Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding; he probably wasn't the person they were after. But when he saw that the man with "Hawk" written across his chest plate was holding a pair of deactivated energy-cuffs in his hands, his nerves demanded to know what was going on. He shifted his eyes around the room; there was no way out. He was some way away from the edge of the table and so dragged his chair across the wooden floor. The floor creaked as he did so. He looked down at the timber, assessing the aged cracks in-between each pane of wood, then he sat and waited for someone to speak. The silence was torture. There was not a single sound, just everyone's eyes glued to him, except for who he presumed was the king, who still stood with his back to the room admiring his gardens.

"So what kind of trouble am I in?" Jonas said to the room.

What was only a few seconds delay seemed like a thousand heart beats until someone responded to his question. The king answered but without the grace of looking around at the boy he had gone through so much effort to bring here.

"More trouble than you can possibly imagine!" Uly said, as composed as if he was commenting on what a beautiful day it was outside of his window.

"What have I done exactly?" Jonas asked, eager for answers.

"You killed my wife," the king responded, quicker this time but just as calm.

Jonas burned a look into the back of the kings head. His lack of courtesy to look his captive in the eye when accusing him of killing his wife was intolerable. "That's strange," said Jonas, "I don't recall having ever met a queen, or killing one for that matter!"

Uly turned to the boy, his eyes raged with disgust. "You killed your mother!" he blazed, with no control over his anger.

Jonas shot out of his chair, his mouth held wide open.

The king affirmed the accusation. "I watched her die as you tore out of her body."

Jonas looked down. His soul was crushed. In the moment of those words he understood that if they were true then he would never meet his mother. The woman that gave him life, the woman that he craved the most to know about her life and her past. His body weakened as he cursed the strength inside of him. Without thinking it through, he blamed himself for what this man told him. He stood there feeling more alone in the world than he ever had before. His mother was dead and he had killed her.

The king didn't know what rushed through the boys mind, he saw only a look of shock upon the boys face. "Yes—you are my son, Jonas!" Uly said, wishing to make sure Jonas had understood.

Doubt crept into Jonas's mind. This can't be true, it can't be? he thought.

He looked back up to Uly. "You are crazy - I'm a nobody from Rilk!" Jonas said, raising his voice.

"You are prince and protector of the cythereans and the next in line for the power of the Elementis."

The Elementis? Where had he heard of that before? In his dreams somewhere, yes, he had heard the name in his dreams… He didn't care, this man was mistaken. "I am a ship-spider, serving life on Kroyto for murdering some half-dead organoids."

"Both of those lives are behind you now," Uly told him.

"Why have you brought me here? What do you want from me?" Jonas asked, not allowing himself to believe that this king could be his father.

"You are the blood and soul of a cytherean, the strength of a dydrid and a mind which we hope surpasses both," Uly said.

Jonas walked over towards the king. He looked out across the gardens. They were dressed with hedge-rows and cutely primmed trees with shaped edges and statues of naked stone that spouted water in the courtyards below. Jonas was hesitant but it was very necessary for him to say what he was thinking. "I have seen this place. I have seen you, in my dreams. Who is Calyx?" he asked, confused, looking up to Uly with an energetic fear in his eyes.

BOOK: Elementis 1: The Heir to the Stone
7.9Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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