Eternal Horizon: The Chronicle of Vincent Saturn (Eternal Horizon: A Star Saga Book 1) (29 page)

“As I searched deeper into this matter, I found evidence of blasters actually striking at him in between the shields, yet to much dismay, they caused him no harm.”

“Aha,” Duell said. “The idea finally reveals itself.”

“When I was a child,” she continued, “my father had a friend—Oryon Krynne—a man who fought with a legendary blade, moving faster than light.” She then turned to the Xenians. “Your speed is unmatched, and your swords are powerful enough to crack his breastplate and shut off the mechanism, giving us enough time to bring him down.”

The twins, Duell, and Spaide looked at each other. Duell then glanced over at Vincent.

Vincent shrugged and shook his head. He couldn’t wait until he’d take a glance at the so-called
Galactic Map
—everything else just simply didn’t matter.

“Okay,” Thanatos said sarcastically. “Is that it? Maybe we should just take a trip to Xenon and end this entire conflict altogether?”

“It sounds like a plan,” Duell said, ignoring the Dargonian.

“
What?
” Thanatos asked. His face was filling with fury at Duell’s confidence. “How do you suppose we even manage to get close to him?”

“I don’t know yet, but it’s not impossible.”

A flash of hope appeared in Galadan’s eyes. “So, you’ll help us?”

Duell placed his elbows on the table, steepled his hands, and stared outside, deep in his thoughts,
I will not let you down, Oryon…
Your name will live on…

He then said, “If we complete this task, more systems will join our cause. They will know the perseverance of those who seek freedom. We have been in hiding for far too long. It’s time for the members of the Revolution to know that they’re not alone. It’s time to let them know that even though Oryon’s gone, his dream still continues.”

Exander was on the edge of another outburst, but his brother managed to stop him, pressing down on his shoulder.

“It has fallen upon us to end the reign of this cult,” the Xenian master said, turning to face the Urtan King. “Yes, Galadan, we’ll assist you.”

The Urtans got up and began clapping as if the Order was already obliterated.

“Hired killer?” Thanatos laughed, looking at Exander. “Now we’re all hired killers! You guys are crazy! But what the hell… so am I! Count me in!”

When someone would actually refer to him, Vincent realized he was, in fact, facing reality. And from the looks of it, that harsh reality led to his end. He’d no choice but to remain there. For the sake of Earth. After all, what’s the life of one man compared to six billion? That’s the conclusion he slowly accepted—that he was now responsible for the existence of our planet.

“Gather all your forces in the capital,” Duell said with his commanding tone.

“But then they’ll surround us!” one of the Urtan generals protested.

“No. They’ll attack Urtar-Ban with their entire force; they don’t expect any heavy resistance.”

“And then?” Galadan asked.

“And then we wait.” Duell got up and gestured to the rest of his group.

“For what?”

“We wait until he shows his ugly face.”

Spaide, Vincent, and the twins followed the Xenian master out of the room.

Duell turned around at the door. “We will further discuss this in the evening. For now, my companions and I must use one of your shrines to farewell our late master. In the meantime, I want a detailed map of the entire city and all of its tunnels and passages.”

“Thank you, Sage Duell.” Galadan bowed again. “Gaia’s familiar with our castle; she will show you the way.”

Duell suitably returned the bow and left with his party.

“What does he mean by ‘we wait’?” the general asked his King. “Do you actually believe that this man and his small group can bring down the Order?
Without
Oryon?”

“I do not know…” Galadan sighed. “But they’re our only hope.”

The Commemoration of Oryon Krynne

Gaia led them down the eastern wing of the castle through a high corridor. Beams of sunlight filled with swimming dust particles slanted through the tall windows, creating islands of light on their path. Fountains were erected every twenty yards, surrounded by Urtan children that gazed at the outlanders in awe.

“There’s a calm sanctuary ahead.” Gaia stopped, pointing at the end of the hall. “It should be adequate. Once again…” She paused and placed a hand over her heart, “…my deepest condolences.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Duell said. “Please take Vincent to his quarters and help him navigate through the Galactic Map—maybe something will jog his memory.”

“Right,” Vincent said and thought,
At last
.

Duell turned to face him. “In a few hours, Spaide will fetch you to attend the banquet Galadan is throwing for us.” He then glanced at Vincent’s outfit and added, “And please, change out of these barbaric garments.”

Vincent looked down at his dirty shirt—with a collar stretched out from numerous
tuggings
—and his dingy jeans. “Into what?” he asked uncertainly. “Urtan robes?”

“I’ll bring you some clothes,” Spaide said. “You’re ’bout the same size as me.”

“Okay, then,” Gaia said and pulled Vincent after her.

They went up a flight of stairs into a small room which had a window opening to a beautiful lake. A round bed was against the back wall, covered with velvet blankets and topped with black pillows. There was a lavatory at one end, and a bookcase with a monitor at the other. The silk-like transparent curtains over the window danced in the air, moved by the invading light draft.

“It’s cozy,” Vincent commented.

“It has a nice view,” Gaia said, glancing outside. “But not as nice as the view behind the castle. I’ll show it to you later… if I ever get a chance.”

As Vincent adapted to his lodging, Gaia opened the nearby closet, and a small robot entered the room. The droid was slightly over two feet tall, filled with slots and sockets for various components. A monitor displaying a smiling face served as its head.

Gaia smiled at Vincent’s confused reaction. “It’s just an encyclopedia bot,” she clarified. “Robot,” she commanded. “Display the Galactic Map.”

The droid raised its monitor, and a hologram of a spiral galaxy filled the room, swallowing them in an ocean of stars.

“Wow…” Vincent muttered. “The Milky Way.”

“Pantegonia,” Gaia said, “as our galaxy is known. It’s approximated to contain several hundred billion stars. Thus far, less than half of that number is even visible. The map is constantly updated by the thousands of telescopes charting the galaxy as we speak.” She pulled out a mechanical glove from the robot’s compartment, put it on, and began navigating through the image.

“My system is in one of the arms,” Vincent said. “I remember that much.”

“Exactly.” She moved her gloved hand and zoomed into the hologram. “There are millions of stars in that region, which is called The Grand Arm of Pantegonia. Right here’s
Zazaban
, the dead planet where the ambush on Oryon occurred.” She moved her finger across the map. “Here’s Sebalon. What’s known through the ship’s memory banks is that your system should be within this vicinity.” She made a small circle with her finger.

Vincent’s hopes were crushed in an instant—there were millions upon millions of stars in that circle. They were scattered there like sand grains across a board.

“But… there are so many,” he forced out in a dry throat.

“Every day, they scan a new one,” she said, taking off her glove and passing it to him. “But yet less than five percent of the GHZ has been thoroughly explored.”

“The GHZ?” he asked, putting on the weird device.

“The Galactic Habitable Zone—the area not too close to center, where the radiation is high, and not too far, where stars and planets can’t form.”

“Let me guess…” Vincent said while beginning to navigate himself. “Only the explored planets have been mapped?”

“Your star may very well be up there, but maybe it’s just…” She didn’t finish the sentence, for he already knew the answer. “If you could remember the exact position…”

“I don’t. Perhaps I would if I were a scientist or something…”

“I’m sorry, Vincent.” She looked at him with compassion in her eyes. “We’ll search, I promise you. We’ll send signals, for we’ve advanced technology…”

“It’s impossible…” Vincent helplessly lowered his hand. “Simply impossible. The Republic has more of a chance of finding my planet and destroying and subjugating everything I know…”

“You can’t give up so easily.”

“I’m lost… forever….”

There was a period of silence, and then Gaia said, “I’ve not been to my own planet for days, and even when I’m there on business, I don’t feel right.” She stopped, stared outside, and added, “Home’s a place where you feel safe. And when I’m home, I’m pretending to be someone I am not.”

Vincent shrugged and began the search once more. “Well, if I at least knew Earth’s precise location, then perhaps I wouldn’t be as worried.”

“Once again, I am sorry,” she said, heading for the door. “I showed you as much as I could. Now it’s up to you. Just give it time; if Duell’s right, it’ll come to you.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “But time is something I don’t have.”

She turned around. “Why? Do you have someone or something special waiting for you at home?”

“What?” He stopped his search and glanced at her. “Of course… my life.”

“No,” she said. “I meant family.”

“Oh…” Vincent felt dumb. “No, no one special.”

“Children?”

“
What?
No, I’m single.”

“Then what do you really miss?”

“Well, nothing, really. It’s just…” He looked down, exhaled deeply, and spread his arms. “I feel like an animal here—an animal lost in a different environment.”

She sighed and leaned against the door. “We all feel lost. We hang on so hard to the past that we completely neglect the present. Like me… I became so vindictive that I’ve misplaced all touch with reality… and because of it, I lost the man I loved to the same bastard responsible for the death of my father…” She began to think of the Duke, of that obese monstrosity she saw every time she visited Xenon. How he sat there, across from her, gazing at her with those beady eyes, salivating, completely unaware of her real identity.

“I do wish I had Duell’s attitude,” she added.

“I’m sorry…” Vincent said. There he was, crying like a little child when his other companions had lost everything. “I’m out of place.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “What I’m trying to say is, cherish the moment.” She looked up. “You’re in good hands.”

Vincent smiled. “Now you’re starting to sound like Duell.”

A smile touched her lips as well. “He’s a wise man, Vincent. You can learn plenty from him, if only you’ll try.”

“Yes, but isn’t there a dark army headed this way? I believe I’m the least of his worries…”

Her shoulders slumped. “It’s my fault. Everything is. I’m the reason we’re here. I just… I just couldn’t sit around and watch this peaceful planet die.”

“Hey, come on, kiddo.” Vincent approached her and laid a hand on her shoulder.
My big mouth
, he thought. “Don’t blame yourself. I’ve never met anyone with such spirit.”

She backed away with a baffled, yet curious look. “
Kiddo?
”

“It’s a variation of ‘kid,’” he explained.

“I know what’s a kid, okay?”

Vincent swallowed nervously. “Look I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry… so inappropriate of me to refer to a… to a Princess like that...”

She began laughing at his anxious face. “It’s okay, kiddo. I’m just messing with you.”

Vincent was content at the fact he made her smile. He tried denying it, but talking to her was the only thing getting his mind off his current status.

“So.” She straightened up and changed her attitude, taking a serious tone. “You believe we can win?”

“I don’t know anymore,” he replied. “But from what I’ve seen and after listening to Duell, I’ll… well, I’ll believe in anything.” He then glanced at the palm of his hand and formed a fist.

“You feel it, don’t you?” she said.

“The Tel Kasar power? I still have a hard time believing
that
.”

“Duell believes in you.”

“I wish he didn’t.” He looked up. “I didn’t want this, you know?”

“Yes, you did. Somehow, you did.”

“Fate?”

“Perhaps. But in Tel Kasar belief, in something they call
Dellah
, they believe that although destiny does play a major part, it’s the choices you make that carve your path.”

He nodded and said, “Well, I better start believing this if I want to survive…”

*

The stars were visible through the oculus as the suns set, yielding to the approaching darkness. Hundreds of candles flickered throughout the shrine, casting long shadows of the four figures that sat cross-legged around a sword. They sat there for hours, saying farewell to the man who made them who they are.

“…May his name be remembered in every corner of Pantegonia.” Duell spoke sorrowfully. “May his deeds be remembered in every place of honor, for if it were not for him, we’d never exist. If it were not for him, we’d never know the
true
meaning of the Tel Kasar.”

Tears streamed down the faces of the twins as they said goodbye to their grandfather: Exander let out a growl through his tears, Damocles sat with his eyes closed.

“He was a father to us all,” Spaide mumbled, wiping his face. “Even to someone like me.”

“He sits beside us in the Netherworld,” Duell continued. “But in this world, his dream of justice lives on. Let us not forget what Oryon stood for, warriors. Let us swear today that death will come to his enemies.”

“I just can’t believe it,” the big man wept.

“We must carry on his objective.” Duell leaned forward and grabbed Oryon’s sword. “After we get back to our base, we have to visit
Kienor
and erect a small monument in his name,” he added, getting up. “He would’ve loved that.”

“Zeth must die,” Exander grated.

Duell looked down at his student, who—like always—was boiling with anger.

“In due time, Exander, in due time,” he said, looking the youth squarely in the eye. “Every single one of them will pay, starting with Cosmos and Damien.” He then turned around and held the blade in his palms, holding back his own tears.

The silence sustained for several more minutes.

“Master”—Exander got up—“may I comment on our present situation?”

“What is it?” Duell said after a moment of consideration.

“We cannot win this battle. Even Oryon would’ve agreed that this is suicide.”

“Well, my young pupil.” Duell faced his student again. “Then you’ll have to believe in the impossible.”

Exander spread his arms. “But if we die, so shall Oryon’s dream!”