Chapters

II

Chapter V





Forbidden





Ariel could spend hours in the uncharted darkness of the Forbidden Sector, or FS as it was called among her peers. She was enthralled with the concept of nothingness; for, in the FS there was no sound, no light, simply black empty space. She liked holding her gloved hand out in front of her and not seeing it. She liked the silence of everything but her thoughts. Ariel couldn’t even hear her own footsteps as she walked out further into the unknown.
Ariel didn’t really knew how far she trekked into the void, but she knew how long she was out there. Her NAV system would tell her the exact duration of the venture. Although, Ariel never checked it until she returned to the gate, not wanting to pollute the darkness with the white display light. To date, her longest episode was four hours and thirty-seven minutes. It had been one of the worst days of her life and she had needed an escape: the day her mother died. Normally Ariel would repress such memories, but out here, no one could see her cry. She was eleven years old when she passed. She was one of the ones that perished on the last voyage to N world, before they sealed the gate.
She walked onward, the smooth ancient ground unchanging. Sometimes she imagined she was walking in a giant circle or maybe the ground was moving and she wasn’t: anything was possible in nothing.
Ariel was 18 now and about to go on her Summon, a rite-of-passage that all Kai Warriors had to complete. Her father, Gerrard, had since been appointed councillor, one of nine, who ruled Vareja. Things had really changed since seven years ago, but Ariel would never forget the happiness that once was.
Her comm light flickered. A light blue flash in the long depths of darkness like a tiny supernova. That was probably him, she reasoned. Ariel clicked a button on her helmet just below her ear.
“Yea, what’s up.”
“Where are you?”
“Nowhere, why?”
“The council meeting is starting.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice the time.”
“You’ve got to be more cognizant Ariel.”
“Yep.”
“Alright.”
“Alright.”

The line beeped a low tone twice, telling her the conversation was over. She did an about-face and headed in the direction of the gate. There weren’t enough hours in a day for her to unwind. There was always something, some anchor, pulling her back down to reality. Typically, it was her father.
She followed her guide line, reeling it back into the holder, toward the gate. She turned her visor lights on, giving her eyes time to readjust and lighting her path. She loved how faithfully her footprints were preserved in the dusty soil. Every single one, since she had first discovered a secret way into the FS, all those years ago, were still frozen in place. She could see how her foot had grown slightly larger every year. The ground was the only thing her light could illuminate. The walls, excluding the ones around the gate, were too far away for her light to reach them, giving the FS a real sense of infinity. Maybe that was why no one was allowed out here, because they couldn’t handle not knowing, not seeing an end to the expanse.
She was half-way to the gate when a specific footprint caught her attention. Ariel paused and focused her tiny light on the track.
It wasn’t anything she had ever seen before and it definitely wasn’t her footprint. It was twice the size and four-toed with a indention three times as deep. Ariel thought it might look like an inverted heart. She turned her bright helmetlight on, giving her ample clarity to inspect further. When her eyes focused she nearly screamed.
It was a Reaper track.
Panicking, she clicked off her light and punched a button on her left forearm, initiating her combat mode. There hadn’t been a Reaper sighting in seven years. Had they been out here all along? How naive. She just revealed her location to the whole Forbidden Sector, like a beacon for all to see.
The NAV system scanned the area--nothing. That didn’t make her feel any better, Ariel knew her suit NAV was limited to 100 meters. A Reaper could close that distance in under five seconds. She wouldn’t hear it coming, but she might feel the vibrations of its heavy body pounding the ground.
Ariel scanned the footprint one more time, saving the data. She would have to report this right away. Gerrard was going to be pissed.
She hurried back along the path, reeling in the line as fast as her fingers could crank. Her NAV system showed her surroundings in a soft red and pinpointed the gate’s location with a green dot on the horizon. She always layed the guide line just in-case her NAV went down, she liked the empty darkness but she didn’t want to be trapped out here. Yet, in this situation, she wished she had forgone that precaution.
Her legs began to burn with fatigue. She was almost there, only 30 meters remaining. Maybe the track had always been there and she had simply never noticed before? Maybe it was a prank from one of her friends?
A subtle vibration worked its way up her bones. Oh no.
Ariel dropped the line and ran full-sprint toward the gate. The NAV began to ring, it was picking up a signal behind her. The entrance was so close.
She wasn’t going to take any chances. Ariel popped a flare and dropped it, the smoke would help disguise her and the sudden light might distract it. Then, focusing all her energy and remembering the lessons in class, she channelled her Kai to her feet and jumped the last 20 meters. She sent the signal to open the gate mid-flight, timing it to match her landing.
The gate opened, showering the area with welcoming white light and glowing green around the frame. Ariel landed, tumbling through the entrance. She turned, facing back out into the darkness and signalled the door to close. The flare was still burning, billowing out blue smoke. Just before the door sealed shut, a silhouette appeared in front of the flare--eyes glowing yellow.  
Ariel attempted to control her breathing. It was difficult considering she had used up most of her energy on the jump. She remained on the ground, letting the feeling of safety sink in. There was no way a Reaper would be able to break through the gateway. A half-pound of Pyron probably couldn’t even do it, and that would level a block of buildings. She let her eyes wander while her lungs worked overtime.
The guide line. It was still attached to the post beside her and the rest of it was still out there. The door hadn’t severed the connection, only pinched it. She gasped.
The line snapped taunt. The gate’s lights blinked a cautionary red, sensing a manual override.
No, this can’t be happening. Ariel activated her suit’s dual-saber and cut at the wire. The Reaper slammed against the door, shaking the frame. The dual-saber retracted from her right fore-arm; a blade running along each side of her hand and slightly above it. Ariel sawed in desperate motions at the line.
SNAP.
The wire swirled like headless snake back through the gate and into FS. The knocking stopped and the gate glowed a soothing green once more. Gerrard was going to be pissed.







Locus Amoenus



“The Reaper, a quarter-ton predator equipped with a thousand ways to tear a human apart. It is, in a word, death. It prefers humans over any other prey. It can run, jump, and disappear faster than your eye can follow. Dark as the FS, with claws sharper than any blade the Harlins ever forged, it is the perfect killing machine ladies and gentlemen. I’m not telling you this to scare you: I’m educating you. Knowing this gives you an additional second to react on the battlefield. Doesn’t sound like much, right? A second? Well, that little fragment of time could easily be the difference between getting scratched or getting disemboweled.”
-Proctor Hart
Gerrard was a big man, muscled, rugged, and towering in stature. He was so big that Ariel often likened him to the sturdy Brok tree that grew all over Varejo and the rest of Koren. And, like the gigantic trees, he was obstinate, abrasive, and silent. Getting through his bark was challenging and often impossible; he kept everything close to the chest.
“I know what I saw, Gerrad,” Ariel whined. She had explained the encounter as soon as she walked into their small home built into a hill overlooking the forest village.
“Don’t call me that. I’m still your father you know. Last I checked you hadn’t completed your Summons,” Gerrard responded.
“Will you please just trust me for once. I have evidence.”
“Do you really want me to bring this up to the council? They will ask you so many questions your head will spin. Starting with, have you been shooting fizz.”
“I have a scanned image of its track. It proves it is out there.”
“Ariel, that track could be from seven years ago. There are thousands of old prints in the FS. You’re letting your imagination get to you.”
“I KNOW what I saw,” she screamed storming off to her room.
She was shaking with frustration as she climbed the stairwell and collapsed onto her bed. Feelings of anxiety and fear surfaced as thoughts of the creature returned. She could still hear the loud pounding of the gate.
It was moments like this she wished Gerrard wasn’t so overbearing and cautious. Ever since her mother passed, he had taken it upon himself to oversee every aspect of her life. He had an awkward way of treating her like she was a wild animal in captivity; always under close scrutiny but never close enough for contact.  She knew he cared about her, but he still didn’t trust her. That distrust widened the rift between them everyday.
Ariel’s comm blinked. Gerrard. He always did that when things got heated. Instead of talking to her directly he would leave her a voice-mail, probably an apology coupled with an excuse about her best interests being his priority. She had heard it all before. Grabbing the earphone device, she plugged it into her right ear and pressed play.
He wanted her to send him the image of the track. She wondered if he was merely trying to placate her or if he actually intended to bring it up to the council.
She looked out her circular window and down into the lush forest valley of Varejo. It was getting dark and the dense foliage was soaking up the setting sun’s artificial light, reflecting twilight tenses of burgundy and gold. She had lived in this valley her entire life: climbed every tree, tasted every river, walked barefoot on the crunchy leaves every Autumn. She listened as purplebirds sang from the branches nearby, lamenting the loss of the light.
Ariel released the compression seal on her NAV suit by twisting the band on her left wrist. The tight suit instantly became baggy. She undid the strap on the back of her neck and pulled the zipper down the length of her spine. Slipping out of the black fabric, she went to her small closet to put on her nightgown. She pauses just as her hand touches the hanger.  
She was, like nearly all of the Koren people, slender with lean muscles developed from years of outdoor living. Their society was simple and tribal, but physically demanding. The elders usually harvested food in large community gardens while the young and able hunted daily to supply meat for their villages, Ariel had proven to be an excellent hunter. Other important duties were often divided among those who had completed their Summons. Councils oversaw the other more boring matters of the villages, dealing with other nations and such. She couldn’t stand hearing Gerrard ramble about trade deals on his comm. Varejo, in particular, was self-sufficient and even slightly prosperous; they would export rare berries every season to the desert nation of Rocix. Other than seasonal caravans and roving explorers, Varejo was isolated; nestled in the far northern corner of Koren and bordered on three sides by the FS. Perhaps it was this natural isolation and closeness to the FS that anchored Varejo in Ariel’s heart. She loved this place; it suited her and it would always be her home.
In one month she would be on her Summons and separated from Varejo, Koren, and the rest of the world. Cut off from the nourishment and the familiarity of her childhood. The feeling struck her hard in the gut and nausea set in. What if it was all destroyed? The last time Reapers were seen hundreds of Korens were brutally killed. What if they were gathering for another attack?
It was time for her to take responsibility for what she cared about and become her own person. She couldn’t wait a month. She had to do this herself: for her. Damn the footprint. She would make the Proctor believe, better yet, she’d convince the Koa himself. Instead of putting on her nightgown, Ariel shifted it aside and put on her white temple garb.
It would be suspicious to walk around outside the temple in the white clothes during nighttime so she slipped the NAV suit back on, twisting the left wristband the opposite direction this time. It made a quick loud, sucking sound as the fabric shrunk, pushing out the air. She studied her reflection in the glass of the window. The outline of the cloth underneath could be seen in some areas, but it would be too dark for anyone to notice anything odd.
She walked over to the wooden nightstand by her bed and opened the top drawer. The red earring that was once her mother’s was there, resting on a scrap of cloth. It looked simple, a small loop of polished metal. However, to Ariel, it was the only thing she had to remind her about her mother-- it was invaluable. She clipped it on through the hole in her right ear and removed the comm, dropping the blinking device in the drawer.



Night Sparrow




The Koa was the defacto leader of each village in Koren. The council would advise and suggest, but ultimately power rested with that single person. If Ariel could convince him then no one would question her authenticity. The problem was: everyone knew everyone in Varejo. If someone saw her out this late, which she rarely was, they would probably question her or mention it to Gerrard. All the villagers knew the only reason to be outdoors at this hour was to collect water or to visit the pubs. Only those who had the mark from completing their Summons could be admitted into the boisterous dens. Obviously, that ruled Ariel out so she took a small vase with her as an alibi.
She set off at a brisk pace, trying her best to stay on the soft dirt and away from dried twigs. The temple was a little more than a mile away. If she could get in and out in under an hour then she would make it back home before Gerrard noticed anything. Even if he did, what could he do?
She stuck to the outer paths to avoid any curious glances. Only hunting parties coming home late would be on those trails and even then, they made so much noise on their return trip that she would have plenty of time to find cover.
The luminescent leaves were just beginning to glow when she reached the halfway point. One of the Koas from long ago figured out how to alter the leaves to make them absorb light during the day and release it at night, they didn’t give off as much brightness as the solar lights dotting the main road, but they released just enough so that you could see where you were walking. On several nights she would stay up late just to play under the lime glow. It was one of her mother’s favorite things to do.
She came across one of the main community wells; no one was there--good. As she walked into the open to cross the area she heard him.
“Psssst! Ariel,” came a voice from the foliage above.
She only knew one person strange enough to be hiding in the trees at this time of night.
“Pik, what are you doing?”
“Quiet, lower your voice. Tracking the Night Sparrow,” he replied.
“Pik, you know that they haven’t been seen for over a hundred years.”
“Shhhhh. It’s because of loud people like you. What are you doing out here?”
For an instant, she almost forgot her elaborate water excuse.
“Oh, I was just fetching a little bit of water for the morning.”
“Aren’t there like, three wells closer to your house?”
She hadn’t considered that anyone would actually think about the logistics of her excuse. Then again, she was talking to Pik, a boy up in a tree watching for extinct birds at night. She searched for a reasonable answer while walking closer to the tall Hodar tree.
“I dunno, I think this water has more nutrients. And since this water is for my little herb collection, it makes sense.”
“Whatever you say, Ariel. You are about to own the mark afterall.” Pik replied with heavy sarcasm.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on one of the hunting parties tonight?” She retorted. The branches rustled above her and leaves like tiny daggers, began to fall.
“I swear on my Kai, If you tell them anything about me being here. I’ll spread rumors that you and I were hooking up and that you made up a story to rat me out just to cover your own skin,” he shouted in a whispered tone.
“Oh don’t even, Pik. No one would believe your story anyway. Everyone knows the last time a girl kissed you it was during third year.”
“Yea, it was Kela Brambles too. She was hot.”
“Maybe before that thing grew on her neck.”
“Whatever.”
More rustling from above followed by a loud snap and Pik fell to the ground. Ariel couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Pik was a stocky boy. He’d been overweight for as long as Ariel had known him. It was a wonder that the branch had supported his weight as long as it had. Now Pik lay in a crumpled mass with his shaggy brown hair covering his face. He didn’t move.
“Pik, get up. Stop joking. I know you’re fine.”
No response from the boy.
“Pik?”
Ariel nudged him with her toe. He rolled slightly and the hair covering his face fell away revealing a trickle of blood on his forehead.
“Great.”
She knelt down beside him and wiped the rest of his hair away. The fall wasn’t that great, but maybe it was just enough to knock him out.
She tried to examine the wound, but it was difficult in the dim green light. She moved in closer and that’s when he kissed her--square on the lips.
“PIK!” She pulled away.
He rolled with laughter, “I got you. You totally fell for it. Haha, get it? Fell for it?”
“Uck. I can’t believe you. You’re disgusting. Go back up in your tree and stay there.”
Ariel landed a solid kick to his thigh and wiped vigorously at her mouth.
“Ouch. It wasn’t that bad come on.”
“Stay away from me, Pik. I never wanna see you again until after my Summons,” she said stomping away.
“You forgot your vase, your highness.”
Ariel kept walking down the path toward the temple. She was fuming. The audacity of that nerdy, fat boy. What made him think he could just steal kisses like that? No, it wasn’t even a kiss. It was him trying to kiss her. Yet, he wasn’t as chunky as he usually was, but that was beside the point. He was still vulgar and gross. She spit until her mouth was dry for good measure.
Ariel continued slightly off the path and let her mind wonder. At first she thought of what she was going to say to the Kao then, gradually her thoughts ventured off in different directions.She wondered if Pik would survive if Reapers attacked tomorrow. The unsettling thoughts reaffirmed her commitment to warn the Koa.
After a few more minutes of speed-walking, she reached the top of a hill and paused. The ancient tree that housed the temple was a short distance away. It was a very rare tree and the oldest in the valley. Legends say it was the first tree planted on Koren, which would make sense because it was unmistakeably the tallest tree she, or anyone for that matter, had every seen. Its branches seemed to disappear into the sky, like a pillar holding up the atmosphere. Purple lights lit up the walls of the temple. It was nestled in the center of the tree, right where the major branches diverted from the trunk. The temple itself was tiny in comparison to the tree. Ariel knew, somewhere in that building, the Koa was getting ready for sleep.
Already, her steps each became more feeble than the last. What if he doesn’t admit her? What if he is already asleep? The Koa was the last person she would want to startle; he could end her life before she could finish blinking. That was one of the reasons why the temple was unguarded. Yet, it was always full of emissaries, students, assistants, and other sorts of busy people working all hours of the day. It was these people that Ariel wanted to avoid. They ask too many questions.
As she reached the beginning of the spiralling staircase, Ariel undid her NAV suit, rolled it up, and stuffed it in the side of her boot. She adjusted her white garments one final time before she scaled the stairwell.





Koa Arvis





Ariel was panting when she reached the top of the stairwell. She glanced back down the way she had come, seeing the tops of all the trees in Varejo and even further out into Koren. She could see all the glowing green specks of leaf light, and all the bright white lights of the roads. The view was breathtaking. If only the clouds didn’t cover the stars then it would be, like the Harlins would say, pulchra in the ancient tongue.

There was a large courtyard filled with tiny gardens and ancient statues that she would have to navigate before entering the temple. The ground she walked on was a mixture of soft dirt and lush moss. Her feet, no matter how gently she proceeded, sunk into the soil as if she were walking on a giant pillow. She passed by statues of deceased Koas and old heroes and between two gardens filled with ripe tomatoes.

In a sense, the temple was its own isolated village above Vareja. It had it’s own source of water collected from a natural aqueduct system in the upper branches, smaller trees growing everywhere that provided food along with the gardens, and wildlife was abundant despite the extreme height.

Ariel donned her hood and pulled her long brown hair and in front of her face and crossed the last bit of ground to the entrance, where two large doors with worn handles from generations of service awaited her grasp. This was it, no turning back now.

Before she could make the final commitment and rally her willpower, the handles turned and someone burst out from the inside, nearly knocking her over.

“Apologies, I didn’t see you there,” a tall, lean man said, catching her hand before she faltered off the stone steps.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she responded, taking her hand back. His hands were calloused and slender like the rest of his body.
She knew right away this stranger who nearly ran over her wasn’t from Koren. He wore foreign styled clothing and a hobbled along with a shiny black cane that was made from an exotic metal she had never seen.
“Good evening, Miss,” he said tipping his large brimmed hat in her direction.
Ariel watched as the stranger crossed the courtyard. He had to be some sort of dignitary or diplomat. Maybe if the Koa didn’t throw her out immediately she would ask about this man.

She regained her focus and slipped in through the doors, hoping the sudden encounter didn’t draw any attention to her.

Inside the temple, Ariel felt a soothing ambiance come over her. Everything from the smell to the lighting seemed intentionally designed to induce a sense of serenity and calmness. Glow vines wrapped around thick pillars and sprawled across the high ceiling emitted the familiar subtle green light, and running streams of water bubbled along hallways. The ancient building was awe inspiring and uplifting, but as she feared, a bustling crowd filled the main chamber.

She stood a moment, deciphering the make-up of people. Students, wearing matching white clothes, were packing their things and beginning to head out the door in troves, assistants were busy filing away documents and sending out last-minute correspondence, ambassadors from several Koren villages crowded the central commons having some heated discussion about water rights along the large Rica River, and emissaries from the far away nation of Suw were being treated to a ceremonial cup of tea.


Ariel decided to improv and just go with the flow. She picked up some papers sitting on a desk to her right and walked briskly toward the back of the chamber where individual rooms housed the tenants of the temple including the Koa.

She scanned her paper as if she were reviewing them closely and walked between the loud Koren diplomats and the Suw men sipping their tea. The Koa’s room was marked with the Vareja seal, two birds above a tree, and thus was easily discernible from the rest--she made a beeline for it and knocked.

“Come in,” a gruff voice said.
“Hello, Koa Arvin?” she asked meekly.
“Yes, yes, Come in.”

The Koa sat in a meditative posture out on a balcony connected to his room. His back was toward the entrance and to Ariel.

“Koa Arvin, sir, I’m so terribly sorry for disturbing you at this time, but I came to warn you.”
“Beware the Ides of March?”
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s a prudent warning.”
“I don’t understand sir.”
“Maybe not yet.”

He stood up, stretched, and turned to face her directly. Koa Arvin was old, some might say rickety even. When he moved a limb, undoubtedly a pop or snap followed. He’d been Koa since before she was born, and there were few people in Vareja that were still alive from a time that he wasn’t Koa. His hair was gone, his skin was wrinkled, and his spine was bent several different ways, but there was still a glimmer in his eyes like a sprinkle of youth untouched by the decades of time.

“Well, I was out in the Forbidden Sector when...”
“The Forbidden Sector?”
“Yea, I uh...occasionally take a walk out there.”
“I see. I guess the name didn’t persuade you otherwise.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Stop saying both those words, please.”
“Okay...well, while I was out there, I was chased by a Reaper. That’s what I’ve come to warn you about, sir. I mean, Koa. There are Reapers out there preparing for an attack,” Ariel said feeling a sense of relief.
“Reapers?”
“I know it sounds crazy.”
“Hmmm. Sounds serious to me. This happened today?”
“Yes, just a few hours ago.”
“Aren’t you due for your Summons this year?”
“Yes, but I don’t understand what that has to do with...”
“Ariel, let me worry about the Reapers.”
“But, sir they are so close to our village they could...”
“I’ve been aware of their presence for over a month now,” he said in his haggard voice, “rest assured plans have been put into effect and more are to come, in fact, you will play an important role.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I think now is a great opportunity to send you on your Summons.”
“I don’t understand. How can I protect Vareja if I’m not here.”
“See, before you arrived, I’d been meditating on what to do about another piece of intelligence that came to me earlier this day. The Reapers are preparing another attack, but not here in Koren or even this planet.”
“You mean...”
“Yes,” Koa Arvis said pointing out beyond the balcony into the cloudy night sky, “there.”
Ariel followed his crooked finger up into the sky as clouds began to reveal the object: a large, bright blue sphere with swirls of white clouds and spots of green--Earth.