Child of Time (45 page)

The draconic commander joined Rinald on the screen.
“It is as if these primitive creatures have predicted our
intentions.” The last part was hardly more than a hiss.

A dozen more commanders entered the communication net
confirming that every planet as far as they could scan was in a
similar state. After a period of debate Kiyan recalled his support
ships and warped to a rendezvous location for further plans. The
assembled commanders took turns venting their outrage that anyone
could render entire planets devoid of life simple to prevent them
from falling into the hands of their enemies.

“Only a dark lord would have the depths of depravity
to think of a move to dishonorable.” The disdain dripped from
Drovak's words.

“To think our race could be twisted so far from the
original.” One of the other Reborn Drakken spoke. The disgust in
his tone was only rivaled by Drovak.

“I suspect that if a dark lord truly is responsible
for this atrocity then we must find and destroy this dark lord
before he can spread more of this devastation.” Kendra offered a
logical course of action. A plan that soon was picked up by the
rest of the assembly.

“He would only hide if he felt he had a chance to
make a comeback. Every effort would be made to flee with all his
ill-gotten wealth if there was no hope for success. No time or
warships would be wasted on a desperate act like this if he
couldn't use this to his advantage.” Drovak explained what he
believed the dark lord would do. Debate followed the explanation
until the rest of the assembled commanders decided to start a
systematic search until further information could be procured. The
idea that somehow this had worked to the benefit of the dark lord
bothered them all. Following this declaration most everyone got up
and teleported back to their ships to proceed.

Kendra, Kiyan and Drovak held back when Deep Current
motioned for them to stay. “What is it? Do you have anything else
to add?” Kendra waited until the last commander dematerialized
before asking respecting Deep Current’s apparent wishes.

“Drovak, is it possible that the dark lord might try
to hold an inhabited planet hostage?” The water elf twisted a
finger through his pale hair as he casually asked.

“How do you mean. Shouldn't this have been something
discussed with the rest of the commanders?” Drovak lowered a brow
as he puzzled over Deep Current's strange behavior.

“Not if it is the planet where the elven race is
living or if an oracle has foretold it.” Deep Current hid his
nervousness well accept for the random disturbances in the cups of
water that littered the table. “When I found the world I left a
discrete sensor net abound the system. Some time ago the sensor net
detected some minor anomalies that I thought were transmission
errors until today. The cloaked vessels around the planets had the
same anomaly pattern.”

“You feel that if a number of protectorate vessels
showing up in the system might trigger some sort of booby trap?”
Drovak took a seat and pondered the information.

“After what I saw today, I didn't want to risk it.”
Deep Current was twisting his long hair again as he awaited
Drovak's response.

“The dark lord would have thought of a scenario where
the protectorate found him and prepared for that possibility.”
Drovak paused as he thought of the different things that the dark
lord could be capable of. “He could use a number of devices to
ensure his privacy. None of which we would approve of.” Drovak
looked at Deep Current noting the look of concern that flashed on
his face. “You mentioned an oracle and a prophesy, not that I
believe predicting the future is possible mind you.”

“I suspect a time traveler might have been
instrumental in the prophecy. Elven oracles give few predictions
but they frequently turn out to be important to the survival of our
race.” Deep Current stood and began to walk around the room as he
recounted the history of elven oracles. “The first prediction was
about a plague and the elf that was immune to the disease. Years
later when the plague descended on our people the man was found and
a cure was created.” Deep Current recounted several more fulfilled
predictions in the ages that followed. “One of the latest
prediction was that a rogue quantum singularity would destroy our
planet. When this was heard we began developing star travel. As we
finished the ships the singularity could be seen distorting the
stars in the night sky. Just before we left the world that nurtured
our race another prediction was spoken. Darkness will one day
descend on our world to escape the light. One of the young luminous
ones will follow the darkness and prove himself by defeating a hero
from each of the tribes. No one but this hero will be able to
resist the corruption of the darkness in battle.”

“What do you mean by tribes?” Drovak still didn't
seem to take much stock in the predictions but it had piqued his
curiosity.

“I was from the water tribes. We lived near bodies of
water and lived off the bounty of the water. It was no wonder that
those of us that came to the refuge worlds developed an affinity
for water bending shortly after arriving. Our elders believe that
the other tribes like the forest and mountain tribes developed
similar affinities as well over the ages.” Deep Current noticed the
ice crystals forming on the cups of water. A flick of a hand and
the water returned to normal. “After seeing ascended we think we
know what a luminous one refers to.”

“So I begin to see your purpose for asking us to
stay. An expert on the drakken, a time traveler and the youngest
"luminous" one you could find.” Kendra mused on the circumstances
they found themselves in. “There are other time travelers. I am
also a "young" ascended considering. What prompted your choice of
us?”

“My ship is capable of time travel but you are better
suited for the job than I.” Deep Current looked at Kiyan and Kendra
as he realized the fine line he was walking. “Kiyan is a capable
bender of all the elements making him well suited to fulfilling
some of the other requirements.”

“Kiyan what do you have to say about this?” Kendra
directed her attention to the previously silent member of the
discussion.

“It wouldn't be the first time my involvement has
been for told. Besides, Luke has my back.” Kiyan had up to this
point not known there were other types of elves. The prospect of
meeting more of Deep Current’s people intrigued him. “Is there
anything I ought to be worried about?” Kiyan directed the question
at Deep Current.

“The skill of the elven benders is unknown. It was
shortly after our arrival on the refuge world that we developed
waterbending so I can only suspect that the rest of my people were
on the cusp of awakening their bending powers as well. Another
thing, elves can be somewhat devoted to a cause once they take it
up. I am sure you will understand my meaning when you meet more of
my kind.”

“Shall we be off then? The rest of the fleet can
continue searching. The dark lord has to be hiding the drakken
fleet somewhere.” Kendra stood as she addressed the rest of the
people assembled.

“There is one other thing.” Drovak also stood and
prepared to leave. “The last dark lord I killed had a strange
reaction. Almost like he was being controlled by the dark one. Just
be prepared for the unexpected.”

-------

Kiyan had made the trip in a cloaked drop ship
piloted by Deep Current. The trip itself had been uneventful and
short. Kiyan had never been at warp with a drop ship before so the
sensations were new to him. The Avenger's size isolated him from
the raw energy that consisted of the subspace layer that permitted
faster than light travel. The drop ship was shielded but still
Kiyan could feel the boiling energy fraying at the edges of his
senses. He breathed a sigh of relief when the ship slipped out of
warp some distance from the system. The rest of the trip was made
under sub light impulse drives. It took a couple hours before the
came into transporter range and the adventure began.

Kiyan's shields flickered around him until he
determined that the atmosphere was safe to breath. The sight that
greeted his eyes was a forest populated by magnificent trees that
towered over the countryside. Everywhere around him life was
flourishing. Kiyan looked using his life bending and saw a tapestry
of colors glowing everywhere he looked. After gazing around at the
regal giants dressed in vines, ferns and flowers of every
imaginable type he noticed that in spite of the rainbow of colors
that greeted his mind there seemed to be a single underlying color
to each hue. Kiyan was so focused on trying to isolate the energy
that he almost didn't notice the golden flash on one side. He
ducked and rolled to the other side instinctively as hours of
defensive drilling kicked in. A number of rather wicked looking
darts were imbedded in the earth where he had been standing.

“
I suspect a life bender is responsible for
this.”
Luke only confirmed what Kiyan had been suspecting. The
underlying glow became recognizable as the same color that had
attacked Kiyan. There was a flicker of gold as a form swung from
one of the trees to another with remarkable agility.
“I think I
can help save energy for the shields if I boost your physical
defenses.”
Luke gave Kiyan little warning before he began.
Kiyan tried to keep track of the rapidly moving figure as it
effortlessly leaped from tree to tree. Vines took on a strong
golden glow as they move to provide better holds and sprang out to
provide perches for Kiyan’s antagonist. Kiyan felt the air around
him chill and the resulting vapor being bent into icy plates that
covered him from head to toe. After Luke had finished Kiyan
realized that he was encased in a light, rock hard suit of armor
that allowed almost unhindered movement.

“
Now for an offensive
.” Luke mirrored Kiyan's
thoughts on the matter. The next volley of darts was easily
detected and avoided. Kiyan watched the darts slow as they passed
harmlessly by. He reached out and plucked one from the air and
hurled it at the figure that also seemed to be moving slower. After
the dart left his hand time seemed to resume a normal pace. The
dart sailed true towards its target before glowing brightly then
exploding into dust.

“Using one of my own attacks against me.” Kiyan
recognized the language that the glowing figure spoke as being
almost identical to one that Deep Current spoke with possibly only
an accent different. Kiyan blinked back to normal vision and caught
a glimpse of a tall figure dancing through the trees. It appeared
to be dressed in soft barks of some type with hardened strips
supplying an element of armor and short golden hair spilled from an
ornately carved mask.

“Come down and fight like a man.” Soft laughter
greeted Kiyan's challenge.

“So it talks. I will fight however I like.” Kiyan
sidestepped a vine that slithered out of the tree after him. He
danced and dodged the serpentine foliage that began to attack from
all sides. On one side a fern had sprouted long razor lined
steamers and on the other a hydra headed vine struck at him with
sharpened growths. He dodged the fern on one side and risked a
strike from the vine to an armor plate on the other side. Instead
of the impact he expected Kiyan heard a high pitched scream and
felt an influx of energy. A quick glance told Kiyan that his ice
armor was coated in a thin blanket of icy fire drawing energy from
whatever the flames touched and that the frosty vines were
shrinking back. A sharp impact drew Kiyan's attention back towards
his mysterious antagonist. Apparently his opponent had fallen out
of the tree and was emerging from the underbrush. Kiyan looked at
his now land bound enemy with his life bending and noticed the
golden figure had lost some of its calm and appeared somewhat
angry.

“Now you are going to pay. I wasn't expecting you to
be using an energy draw like that.” Kiyan returned to partial
normal vision while retaining an element of life bending vision.
The opponent snapped out an arm and a vine stretched out and
hardened into a thin but hard rod before breaking off in its hand.
The rod took on the same glow as the figure but instead of giving
light seemed to draw the light around it. Kiyan could hear Luke's
suspicions confirming his own that it was some sort of energy draw.
A surge of cold condensed fog in the clearing as the tall figure
approached. The fog condensed into a long thin slightly curved icy
blade. Pale blue flames licked the length of the wickedly sharp
weapon. Kiyan gave the sword a couple practice swings listening as
the blade hummed as it sliced the air leaving a translucent wall of
blue flames in its path.

“Ice benders are rare but even so I have never met
one capable of bending fire that chills.” Kiyan's opponent twirled
the rod with one hand and held a thorny vine like whip in the other
hand. “Your consuming fire is only slightly less destructive than a
burning flame. I will make you pay for hurting my forest.” Kiyan
dodged a swing of the whip before responding.

“So you are a forest elf.” Kiyan ducked another
experimental flick of the whip. “You attacked me first remember.”
Kiyan sliced the end of the whip off on its next swing.

“You drew first blood.” Kiyan sensed the note of rage
in the accusation.

“You fell out of a tree.” Kiyan slashed at the rod
with the sword and caught the whip in his free gauntlet covered
hand. He felt a mild draw that disappeared as the flames on the
sword intensified. A burst of ice fire on his other hand reduced
the whip to dust as it shattered when he clenched his fist.

“Aaahhhh that hurt!” A warm glow spread over his
opponent's hand that had held the whip. They both stepped back and
the elf grasped the rod with both hands. Dark ripples spread around
the rod as the energy draw intensified. “I will crush you.” The
venom in the tone told Kiyan that there probably wasn't a way to
talk his way out of a serious fight.