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  The Boronian:

  The Birth of Light

  Copyright © 2018 by Ross Buzzell

  Edited by Hercules Editing and Consulting Services

  All rights reserved

  No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission from Ross Buzzell

  Special thanks to Sarah Kessinger for helping me develop the script this book is based off of, you’re an excellent friend.

  Chapter: 1

  Konner’s Landing

  Konner sits in his large, soft chair, adorned in his princely robes. He reads a book that is about the history, physiology, and culture of the human race. Over the past almost two decades, the prince’s curiosity of the human race and Sol 3 has not diminished, and now that the planet and the kingdom is running smoothly, Konner is free to peruse any studies he pleases. A soft giggling catches Konner’s attention. Slowly, he peeks over the edge of his book to see his small child running around the room in pursuit of Na’era, who playfully runs away from him. Looking upon his son, Konner feels a great swell of love overtake him. Unhurriedly, the prince puts the book down as he watches the mirror image of himself at that young age have a carefree childhood, not one dedicated all to studies and battle like his own. Soon Ryan catches Na’era and she picks him up off the ground. Konner stands up and walks over to his wife and son. Gently, he places his hand on Ryan’s small head before he gives his son a kiss.

  “It’s time for bed, son. Mommy will tuck you in.”

  He yawns with the exhaustion of any little boy who has stayed up far too late. Na’era chuckles at how adorable her son is.

  “Time to say goodnight, my precious boy.”

  She prods her son. Ryan opens and closes his little hand at Konner before blowing him a clumsy kiss.

  “Night, Daddy.”

  His words are understandable but still slightly fumbled over each other. Na’era gives Konner a smile before she turns and leaves their room, gently bouncing their son on her hip as she does.

  “Let’s go say goodnight to Grandma!”

  Na’era happily tells her son as Konner makes his way to the patio window and gazes out over Caelum as the city rests peacefully below him. A soft creek catches Konner’s attention. Thinking it was Na’era, he calls out before turning around,

  “That was fast.”

  Konner turns and stops. He laughs audibly as he sees his father, who has aged ten years in the past five cycles, standing before him.

  “I’m sorry, Father, I thought you were Na’era.”

  “That is okay, my son.”

  His voice is a shell of what it once was and he is a semblance of the king he used to be. The High King makes his way over to Konner and looks out the window at Caelum as well. A peaceful, satisfied smile falls over his face.

  “My son, I have ruled this planet for far too long. My time is soon coming to an end and this planet needs a good, strong ruler.”

  The High King turns to Konner. Slowly, he places his hands together. This draws Konner’s gaze downward as his father pulls off the Royal Ring.

  “This is the ring of the warrior kings; it holds our knowledge, our power. Let it guide you, my son… I know you understand what it means to be king, but let it show you that true leadership is out of kindness, out of purity, not just the great powers you will possess. It is time for me to relinquish my title and for you to take the oath of the kings.”

  Upon hearing these words from his father, Konner’s heart nearly stops in his chest. He had been looking forward to this day but was not expecting it for some time. The passing of the title of High King from father to son is a private affair on Boron. It is often done when the High King is at his weakest so to maintain the illusion of strength. Ever since time immemorial, the High King has crowned his successor in such a way that the High King always appears strong. Heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, Konner kneels to the floor. The duty is great, as is the burden of leadership, but the years of training and discipline have left the High Prince ready to receive the crown. The High King hands the ring to Konner. With hands trembling with angst and excitement, the High Prince accepts the token. His eyes gaze upon the metallic ring’s surface. On its face is the twisted outline of a fish with three lines in the empty center.

  “By my soul, I do swear to uphold the laws of my people, to lead them into the light and always flee treason. To protect the weak from any evil that may befall them and never commit outrage or murder. To never take up the sword for wrongful purposes or worldly goods and to bar the path of Darkness and protect those weaker than myself to my dying breath.”

  The Oath of the Kings flows from within Konner as if part of genetic memory. Having only ever heard it once in passing, the fact that he remembers it so flawlessly surprises even Konner. Konner stands and makes eye contact with his father.

  “Thank you, Father, I will use this ring to protect the weak as you did and your father before you. I will lead our people in a way that will make you…”

  An explosion interrupts Konner and shakes the entire palace. Konner and his father look at each other with confusion and concern. The doors to the chambers burst open as Na’era flies into the room in a panic. Soot paints itself all over her face, body, and garments, and that of their son in her arms. Quickly, Na’era slams the door behind her; she calls out to Konner and his father.

  “We are under attack, your Majesty. The queen has fallen at Xero’s hand.”

  The King goes white as Konner moves across the room to his nightstand. His hand finds its home on his old friend, the hilt of his weapon.

  “That is impossible. He was banished a millennium ago.”

  The King gasps out in shock. Konner looks at his family. In the blink of an eye, he slides the Ring of the Kings onto his right middle finger. A yellow light immediately erupts from the metal band and burrows itself into Konner’s forearm. As it passes through his arm and begins to dance up his body, the energy turns from yellow to azure blue as his silken gown slowly forms into his battle armor. Konner’s cape falls behind him as the family crest glows brightly on his chest. Konner begins to walk to the doors as Na’era backs away. They burst open once more, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Konner quickly moves between his wife and child and the doorway as his father moves directly behind him to protect his grandson. As the dust settles, a monstrous creature comprised of dark energy steps into the room, followed by a handful of others.

  With a roar, the attacking force charges Konner, whose weapon ignites into a straight sword. With ease and even greater speed than he has wielded before, Konner engages in battle. He dispatches the attackers with the fluidity and strength of a raging river. Being vastly outclassed, two of the lumbering four-legged dark energy beasts retreat. Moments later, Disa’ani appears in the doorway, having clearly been engaged in battle. Konner smiles as he sees his old friend. Konner’s father pushes past his son in an attempt to get information from the now general of his guard.

  “Disa’ani, my general, give me a report. What is going on?!”

  Konner notices the King instantly stop; he looks down the hallway in sheer terror. Quickly, Konner moves to see what his father sees. His heart nearly stops. A behemoth of a man walks down the corridor toward Konner’s room. Smoke dances up around the giant of which Konner had ever only seen one being larger, the Berserker class Titan he fought as a child. The formidable being holds a massive sword in his right hand that is covered in notches. The pit in Konner’s stomach tells him each notch is for a life that has ended at the blade of that sword. The grip is constructed out of a contorted bone that matches the face, twisted by some unknown darkness from what was once a handsome man to a cond
uit of pure evil. The flames lick up his muscular feature but do not burn him as it would for a Boronian, for he is not absorbing the flames. His smooth scalp glistens in the roaring light of the fire as he glares at Konner with more hate than the prince has ever seen, from behind dark, twisted eyes.

  A wet crunch brings Konner’s attention forward and the King’s heart literally stops for a brief moment. Time seems to slow down as his eyes take in the horror that is before him. Konner’s father, now on his knees, has a spear thrust through his chest and out of his back, the likes of which are held by Disa’ani. Konner moves as fast as he can as horror strikes at the very heart of the new King. He is not fast enough. As he reaches his father, Disa’ani pulls the spear out. Konner catches his father before he hits the ground, but the life is already gone from him. Konner feels a wave of sorrow and rage wash over him as he holds his father close for a brief moment. A single silent tear rolls down his cheek for the man who raised him, who helped forge him into the man Konner is today. A soft flash of light flares in Konner’s peripheral vision; slowly, the prince turns to face the source; Disa’ani stands over Konner, spear jabbing forward but stopped a few centimeters from Konner by an azure blue energy field. Konner’s eyes begin to flare violently into the azure blue of the royal family. His vision tunnels and focuses on his once good friend as he gently sets his father down. Disa’ani again jabs at Konner, who dodges the attack and knocks the spear away with his bare hand.

  “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?”

  he roars in an unbridled rage. Disa’ani jabs at him again. Konner reacts swiftly and catches the spearhead, stopping it millimeters from his face. Konner feels the power within him pool into the arm that holds the bracer. Konner looks down to see the force field that usually generates his shield has formed into a gauntlet around his fist. Konner winds his fist back, wrenches Disa’ani’s spear to the side, and delivers a punch with so much power and speed that Konner’s hand nearly breaks the speed of light. A deafening “boom” explodes from the sheer force of the attack. A blinding flash of light explodes at the moment of impact and Konner feels his body absorb an immense amount of heat as his old friend is sent violently crashing through the thick stone walls of the palace, before tumbling violently down the mountainside only to be buried under the debris.

  “KONNER!”

  A woman’s voice cuts through his tunneled focus, the voice of Na’era. Immediately, Konner turns to see the giant swinging his sword from over his head, down toward his wife and child. The sight is horrid enough to make Konner’s heart stop, yet his adrenaline floods his system like a sea, in full effect. Faster than the eye can see, Konner dashes across the room; he slides against the stone floor, scuffing it greatly as he skids to a stop between his wife and the attacker Xero.

  Konner holds up his weapon. A straight sword reemerges as the metallic sword slams into the obstacle within its path. The force enacted upon is so great, the prince feels the shock of the blow throughout his skeleton as he slides back ever so slightly. The two are now in a blade lock. Konner’s sword sputters, glowing droplets of white hot energy as the metal of Xero’s weapon grinds against it. They make eye contact. The amount of rage and hate in the being’s eyes are rivaled by nothing the prince has ever seen before. This gives the attacker the look and personality less like a Boronian and more like a feral animal blessed with intelligence and a skill to fight unlike anything Konner has ever seen. Konner summons all his strength, and with a powerful shove, sends Xero sliding a few meters back. The room gives Konner a chance to look back at Na’era.

  “Get out of here! Find the Triad and tell them what is happening!”

  Konner barks. Quickly, Na’era wraps her arms around their son and tries to run but slips on a piece of shattered glass. She catches herself as Konner sees movement out of the corner of his eye. In a flash, Konner holds his weapon up and blocks another of Xero’s blows. The prince uses the force enacted upon him to propel himself up the side of the wall behind him. Konner takes a few steps up the marble face before he leaps off of it, flipping over Xero and swiping down at the invader as hard as he can. Xero ducks under Konner’s attack, and as the new King’s feet hit the ground, the gleaming flash of Xero’s blade catches Konner by surprise. The speed at which it moves is almost faster than the speed at which Konner can move. Almost instantly, Konner’s sword shifts into a spear, which blocks the attack. Konner grasps the back end of the energy spear, the hilt floating in the middle of the azure weapon. He changes his stance and spins Xero’s weapon away from himself. Xero uses the momentum to grasp a piece of debris and throw it at Na’era with such speed that Konner does not have time to react. His wife is knocked over, unharmed, once again by the invader. Konner jabs at Xero, who dodges the attack. They engage once more. Xero changes his stance, using swift blocks and parries to effectively ward off Konner’s jabs. Konner puts everything he has into the fight with Xero, moving as quickly as he can, attacking more relentlessly than he ever has before but is unable to penetrate Xero’s defense. He keeps his weapon close to his body and is able to use minimal movements to deflect Konner’s blows.

  Konner reevaluates his strategy. Intentionally, the new King attacks Xero in such a way that it leaves his own defenses open. Xero takes the bait. He deflects Konner’s strike before attempting a jab at Konner’s open ribcage. In the span between heartbeats, Konner spins. The spear turns into a large mace. He moves faster than Xero expects. The changing of Konner’s weapon gives the soldier the edge he needs. Before Xero’s blade meets its target, Konner knocks it off to the side and into the ground with the head of the mace. Seizing the opening Konner has given him, he slams his mace into Xero’s face with an incredibly powerful backhand, which causes Xero to whip off to the side slightly. Before the intruder has a chance to right himself, Konner’s weapon turns back into its straight sword as the prince plunges the weapon straight into the center of Xero’s chest, only stopping because of the hilt. Konner’s eyes catch the end of the blade as it falls into his visual range after poking out of the back of the intruder. Xero staggers back, dropping his sword in the process before dropping to his knees. Konner breathes a sigh of relief as he sees his opponent defeated. He looks over to his wife, who has nearly made it to the exit. He smiles at her as his breath is heavy and labored from expending so much energy in the fight.

  The look of horror on Na’era’s face brings a sense of dread to Konner, which is only confirmed by a dark, twisted laughter that echoes from before the King. Konner turns his head and sets his sights on the mountain before him as Xero reaches up and grasps Konner’s weapon. Dauntingly taunting Konner at his failure to Kill him, Xero pulls the glowing blade from his chest.

  “You think your puny weapons can kill me, boy?”

  His voice is saturated in an evil so dark Konner has never met its equal. A shiver rushes down the prince’s spine, sending icy chills throughout his body.

  “Thanks to your father, I cannot die!”

  Xero roars as he stands to his feet, Konner looks over at Xero’s weapon, less than a meter in front of him. Swiftly, the new King dives for the blade. Faster than Konner can process what is going on, his vision flashes to a blinding white as a shock surges through his system, starting at the top of his skull. Konner falls to the ground, having been struck on the top of the head by the hilt of his weapon with the full strength of Xero’s attack. His vision blurred, Konner tries to get up, his mind screaming to his body, which does not seem to get the message. As his vision clears, he sees Xero marching toward Na’era and Ryan. Panic seizes Konner as he begins to frantically try to move his body. “GET UP! COME ON, KONNER!! MOVE!!!!!” he screams to himself as he tries with all of his might, but his body just does not move fast enough. Xero draws back. Time slows down. Konner watches in horror, helpless, as Xero swings Konner’s own weapon at his wife and son. Na’era turns her body; she shields their son from Konner’s blade without hesitation. The blade passes through her as she falls to the ground, lifeless. Ryan sits on the
ground, crying. A surge of rage consumes Konner like an unbridled inferno. He starts to get up, but Xero is too fast. With a swing of his blade, a blinding flash of light encompasses the room and Ryan too, is gone.

  The horror that lies strewn before him causes Konner to fall to his knees as his gut wrenches unyieldingly within him. His heart stops at the sight before him. He is unable to move, numb. Xero approaches Konner. Slowly, the deranged attacker reaches forward and grasps Konner by his tattered breastplate. Intimidatingly, Xero lifts Konner completely off the ground as if he weighs nothing, and in a voice so twisted, he taunts Konner with his victory.

  “Your planet is mine now, boy. Your people are mine. And finally, after all these millennia, I will have my vengeance on your father’s exile.”

  Konner’s senses snap back to him. The spark of Xero’s words re-ignites the inferno within Konner. Reaching forward, he grabs Xero’s wrist. Looking down at the would-be tyrant, Konner laughs as a dark thought enters his mind.

  “You cannot kill me, not here, Xero, because if you do, I will crack. If I crack, this planet will be reduced to ash and YOU, YOU WILL GETNOTHING!”

  Konner shakes with rage as he looks the physical embodiment of death in the face and the prophecy begins to make sense to Konner. Should the new High King fall today and Boron survive, the entire universe is at risk. If Konner would sacrifice his own people, then the lives of countless others will be saved. With no other choice, this option is an easy one. With a smirk on Konner’s bloodied face, he taunts Xero right back.