CHAPTER IX
ZETAH, THE DESERT CASTLE

SOUNDTRACK- The Girl from Long Ago
        The Serpent dashed across the liquid terrain with blinding speed. Inside, Fox and Abant sat in the cockpit. Fox rambled on about the many great things of piloting as Abant listened with interest and enthusiasm. Abant was allowed to steer the Serpent for a while. Sage taught Abant everything he knew about piloting a hovercraft. The rabbit-man was quite skilled.
        Canen had his legs kicked up on a table by a round couch on the main deck of the hovercraft. He slept on the cushioned couch peacefully, dreaming of his past. How his father began to teach him magic when he was seven years old, and the Mana Acropolis was but one great floating castle out of five in the thriving mystic realm.
        His pleasant dream faded when he began to think about the rivalry with his older brother. It disturbed Canen to think about how jealous (over their father) that his only sibling became, forcing him to feel responsible for his brother to flee from the family and disappear as a commoner. Their father had to spend more time with Canen during his squire-years.
        His dream seemed salvaged as he recalled the day he met Lyra. She was the most beautiful woman Canen ever met. The second her image hit the pupils of Canen’s eyes, he knew he loved her. Lyra’s grace, kindness, and compassion made Canen feel warm inside, even during his dream.
        But when Canen’s brother fled the family, everything from that point on became horrible. His father was murdered halfway through Canen’s master-training years. Canen felt his heart sink as he remembered when his wife and their son, Mandell, were lost from him at the end of the Mage-War. Sadly enough, despite Canen’s state of sleep, this was more like a memory in play-back, than a dream.
        Janus and Audrey were at the bar, sharing harmless tropical cocktails and gazing out a porthole at the setting sun. “It is the start of our mission,” Janus said, sipping from his glass.
        “I’m still not sure why I left my family,” she replied after a long pause.
        Janus looked down, “I don’t know why either.”
        “I really miss them,” Audrey sighed. Her big, hazel eyes began to reflect the light more vibrantly now, a sign that tears were building up. “I didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t even tell them I love them_” she seemed to gasp.
        “What?” Janus leaned forward.
        “Before we left, while you were out looking at the zarks, I had a fight with dad,” she said.
        “…”
        Audrey wiped a tear from her cheek. “He didn’t want me to go, but I was stubborn. It wasn’t the festival that we fought about,” she paused. Audrey looked up at Janus, “It was you.”
        “Oh?”
        She let her gaze fall, staring at the ice in her cocktail. “He said he remembered who you were...He said you used to come by and look at the zarks.”
        “…”
        “He said the zarks weren’t the only thing you spent time watching.” She paused, looking away.
        “…”
        “He knew your father, and he didn’t like him. But I could see who you were inside your eyes, Janus, not your father. I yelled at him, Janus.” She turned her head back to him, tears running down her cheeks. “I feel so bad. I stormed out, pretending nothing ever happened. That is why I was such a brat, back there.”
        “It’s...” Janus extended his arm, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Audrey.” She leaned into him, crying. Janus embraced the long hug with compassion and empathy. “It’s alright.” Audrey raised her head, staring into the rich blue eyes of Janus as he gazed into her emerald ones. They felt their heads slowly moving toward each other, their lids lowering to close. The long kisses they exchanged were the most passionate, most understanding, most loving silent correspondence of emotion in all of the world’s history.

SOUNDTRACK- The Girl from Long Ago
        Tabbin stood on the porch of his house, watching the zarks move about. His wife came up from behind him and put her arms around her husband. “She’ll come back.”
        Tabbin remained silent. After a few moments of gazing out over the courtyard for his animals, he lowered his head and frowned. “Three months, Fiona,” Tabbin said with a harsh tone, shaking his head. “Its all my fault.”
        Tabbin turned around, Fiona’s grasp around him broken. He began to shout, “She’s gone! Where? Don’t know and may never know! Why, if she went back into the forest...” Tabbin’s yelling ceased as he realized what he was saying. “...she’s not gone from this world, Fiona,” he paused. “But we may never see her again.”
        “Don’t say that,” Fiona shook her head. “She’s a grown woman, Tabbin, she’s got the world before her.”
        Tabbin turned back around, looking out from his porch. The song of birds, the wind, the smell of the grass all would have made Tabbin ecstatic with joy again, but for the first time in a long while, Fiona had seen Tabbin cry. Tears trickled down his long face as he looked away from his wife to hide his tenderness. “I hope she’s alright,” Tabbin whispered to himself. “Oh, Vako- preserve us...”

SOUNDTRACK- None
        Under the night sun, moonshine held the desert in a fabulous blue glow as the cloudless sky portrayed the stars. The sounds of moderate waves rushing up at the border of the sand and the Hataric Ocean filled the dead silence. Occasionally, it would be accompanied by a gentle breeze. Fox Sage brought the Thunder Serpent up to the sand bar and powered down the antigravity thrusters that depended upon water. Inside, they all gathered at the main-deck where Canen, Janus, and Audrey were.
        “I want everyone to year this,” Canen began. “Vako knew that Janus would be the Chosen One, she believed it so strongly, that she told me to find him. When Abant brought Janus to me, I saw a weak, confused, troubled man.”
        The leader of Revenant paused. “Now I see a mage- a man who is strong, clear, and powerful. A man who knows no limits by harnessing magic. In all my lifetime, I, nor Abant, have ever seen anyone excel in a squire training program as fast as Janus. He truly is the Chosen One, for several years of hard work is obviously equal to three months for Janus. I look at the rest of you and I see that you are on the same, but more average path as Janus’s prosperity in a mage life. Do not think this is bad. It is normal, but Janus is not normal...”
        Canen decided not to bring his mage-staff this time, for it was not so much of a combat weapon than a wizard’s tool. Canen, Abant, and Janus all had Onyx-Blades. Audrey had her Onyx-Flail, and Fox had his Onyx-Boomerang.
        No Skybolt Mage Armor was required for Audrey or Fox. Her mana-tanks were on the weapon itself. Hybrids like Fox and Abant were different. Since they were a product of magic, they needed no mana-tanks like Janus’s. They only required the gloves and a Mage-Belt if their weapon had no mana-pods. Every mage usually wore red gloves with two mana-tanks on each. One could also have a pendant with a mana-tank in it. Canen and Abant were simply so skilled in magic, they didn’t require the Sky-Bolt Mage suit either.
        The group set foot on the beach and began their travels north to the desert castle. For miles nothing happened, only conversations. The ground would occasionally quake, which no one could understand why. About seven miles from the Serpent, the group found that they were making excellent progress. The sun began to peak over the horizon, making a fresh morning. It grew hot, slowing down their progress. The quakes still shook throughout the desert.
        As they were making their way north, Canen informed them that they were very close to Zetah. There was a jetting mountain of dark brown rock covered in sand. Just over that small mountain was the castle. Everyone became ecstatic with joy that their trek was almost over. Janus, however, stopped dead in his tracks while everyone else proceeded.
        Canen noticed this and turned around, “What’s wrong, Janus?”
 After a few moments, Janus replied, “I sense something...something different.”
        “What does it feel like?” Abant asked, walking back to Janus.
        “Cold...” Janus replied. Audrey turned about and looked at Janus, worried.
        Fox turned around as well, “You got a fever? We’re in the middle of the desert!!!”
        Janus knelt down to the sand. “Not cold as in temperature...Cold as in...”
        “What?” Audrey came up to Janus.
        “Cold as in evil.” A chill ran down Janus’s spine as the ground began to quake again.
SOUNDTRACK- Crimson
        “Abant-” Canen called.
        “Right.” Abant walked up to Canen, digging through the bags that he carried.
        “What does this mean?” Audrey asked.
        Canen replied, “A sensation of coldness usually indicates a change in a fate. Fate is propelled by good. When the future’s timeline is altered, that can only mean evil is interfering.” Abant handed Canen a blue, palm-sized crystal ball. Holding it in front of him, Canen looked into the crystal sphere only to see the terror that lurked. “Someone knows what we’re doing, where we’re going. They summoned a kavor!”
        “Great...” Abant gasped.
        Fox shook his head, “What’s a kavor?”
        “We’ll soon find out...” Janus said, springing to his feat. He drew his blade, as the others got their weapons ready as well. They stood there, waiting.
        The sand around them began to ripple like a rock thrown into a pond. The quakes were so intense, everyone jumped back from the epicenter (where they stood). The sand from underneath burst into the sky. The tall column disappeared. In its place was the kavor, a sand cobra eighty feet in length!
        Wasting no time, the group activated the magic in their weapons with a simple thought. Abant leapt forward with his amazing jumping ability and slashed the mammoth reptile across the face. The huge beast had frost running across his wound, but this angered him more than it did hurt him. The viscous fangs drooled venom, the dark red liquid splashing onto the sand.
        Fox flung his glowing red boomerang at the beast. It sliced the skin, black blood gushing. The boomerang returned to Sage’s gloves. The reptile swung its tale and knocked Fox off of his feet, throwing him dozens of yards away from the group. Canen ducked just as the tail swooped over him, taking Fox with it. When he landed on the sand, he was already out cold.
        The monster then dashed at Janus, his bloodthirsty mouth was gaping open with the sharp fangs. As the endless pit of the kavor’s mouth enveloped Janus, he shot upward thirty yards (taking advantage of his Gravity magic) just before the jaws slammed shut around him. Sand suddenly rushed up from the quick close of the beast’s mouth. The tan grains shot upward from under Janus’s airborne feet.
        Audrey leaped forward, spinning her flail. A powerful gust of wind shot from the ball and chain, blasting at the beast. The wind blast shot up a ton of sand, slamming it into the kavor’s body. They stabbed the kavor in its glowing-yellow eyes. The familiar black liquid of the sand-cobra’s blood again rushed from its new piercing.
        Janus decided to fall let go of his concentration on the anti-gravity his body possessed. His yellow-glowing blade was more vibrant than ever; he was summoning lighting. As his feet slammed into the sand, a gargantuan bolt of electricity fired from the sky. It surged through the body of the kavor, and when it dissipated (with a visible blue shockwave of static electricity), the massive body of the reptilian beast fell to the ground. A huge cloud of sand spread from the fall as the kavor kept squirming. Its jaws were snapping wildly, trying to kill whatever it could in its last few moments.
        Janus slowed time so he could approach the beast without its rapid movements running a higher risk of killing him. Of course, in realtime, Janus moved with incredible speed, but for the young mage, time almost came to a standstill. Janus lifted his massive, electrified blade and rammed it into the cobra’s skull. The body surged again, then silenced from both sound and movement. The stillness of the desert did not completely return, as the sizzling sound from the charred body of the extensively large beast smoked.
SOUNDTRACK- None
        Everyone rushed over to Fox as he lay on the sand, unconscious. Canen used his magic to heal Sage of his wounds. Fox instantly shot upward, his Onyx-Boomerang ready. “We’re’s he at! Let me at him!” Fox shouted.
        “There, there,” Audrey said, handing Fox a canteen of water.
        Canen walked up to Janus. “You killed this great beast with ease, my boy, but do not let your success generate overconfidence. I stood back simply because you didn’t need my assistance. I wanted you to fight something real, not a training lesson,” Canen said.
        “I understand,” Janus said, putting his sword into its holder on his back.
        “You understand?!?” Fox shouted. “I nearly got myself killed trying to kill that thing, and all you did was stay back and watch, Canen?”
        “Ready or not, Fox, you must understand that believing in yourself is they key to success. You will certainly not be ready if you doubt your abilities.” Canen extended his hand, helping Fox up. “No matter how much others are in danger.”

SOUNDTRACK- The Strings of Intarma
        The yellow image of Jonnan materialized into Castor’s office once again. He nodded at his boss with a dull face. “We are having difficulty locating them, sir.” Castor let out a sigh of disappointment and nervousness. “We’ve searched Truce Seaport inside and out fourteen times over- they’re not there,” Jonnan said, confident in his conclusion.
        Castor stared at a smaller holographic projector at his desk, portraying a view from a GALL-Warship window. The image was two-dimensional so it could cover more of a view, as Castor watched all of the GALL-Battletanks swarm about by Truce Seaport. Jonnan cleared his throat.  “Sir?”
        Castor looked back up, dark rings under his eyes. He spoke with a raspy tone, “Allow Dr. Doan to be inserted. Rejuvenate him as he wishes.”
        “What?!? Without testing the extraction of my son?”
        “There is too much at stake to keep your son alive. If he is at the core of all of this, then perhaps he is the one in which his termination will be the solution to our problems,” Castor said.
        Jonnan gasped, “Sir?”
        Castor looked back up after he allowed his gaze to fall for a brief moment. He felt sorry for Jonnan, but there was no other way. “I did what I could, Jonnan. Doan is a more powerful man than you would think. He has a strange past which he claims can save us all. If that is the case, then so be it.”
        “…”
        Castor gave a new order, “Scan Janus’s mindfield- figure out where he’s at in the world and insert Dr. Doan’s DreamClone there.”
        “…”
        “Do you hear me, Jonnan?”
        “You just ordered my son’s termination.”
        “Doan will kill your son, yes. But what does it matter to you? You were the one that left him.”
        “Castor!” Jonnan was appalled, even though it was true.
        Castor stood up and slammed his fists on the desk, “You listen to me- I am in charge! You do not give the orders, you do not give your opinion! You understand me?!! You chose Intarma over your family- that commitment cannot be reversed, Jonnan.”
        Castor sat down as Jonnan looked at his feet, “I just wanted to talk to my son. Its been so long.”
        “You have your orders, Jonnan.” Castor pressed a button on his desk, and Jonnan’s image disappeared from the room. The yellow glow faded to the familiar shadows that enveloped the dark office.

SOUNDTRACK- Zetah, the Desert Castle
        The group walked to the high castle walls of gray brick. The castle itself was nestled in a crater-shaped bowl in the mountains. It could be protected from sandstorms, but it could not hide from the heat of the desert. Huge windmills were placed all around the castle, acting as a great air-conditioning system.
        When the blue-cloaked guards that stood atop of the castle walls saw Canen, they quickly lowered the drawbridge. The mote around the castle was large and filled with sparkling blue water. Palm trees surrounded it, their huge leaves waving in the wind. A coconut fell. Fox went to get the head-sized brown sphere. He picked it up and cracked it open. Fox felt better after drinking from it, but he soon discovered it made people drunk very quickly. Sage motioned for Janus as he began to collapse onto the sand.
        When they came in, the streets of the city inside the castle walls were filled with humans and hybrids alike. All were dressed uniquely, no set attire. The cool air from the tall windmills made everyone feel nice and cool under the blazing sun. A man in a blue and black cloak lead the group into the castle to meet the king of Zetah.
        Zetah maintained a strong relationship with Tucanna, as they were constantly buying supplies (especially food and water). Since no one but the members of Zetah and Revenant knew the location of the castle in the endless desert, Zetan scouts would go on periodic journeys to bring back supplies from Tucanna by trading ivory from the tusks of horrible desert beasts. The Zetan soldiers often liked to go out in large groups and hunt down these terrible creatures.
        The group was shown into the throne-room. It was magnificent- ivory statues and columns stood on the polished marble floor. The king stood to shake hands with Canen with a broad grin on his round face. The king was short and plump, draped in brown fur clothing. “Canen! Haven’t seen you in ages?” the king smiled. “Did you bring...”
        Canen waved his hands in the air, using his Shadow magic. A cloud of blackness appeared before the king. Suddenly, a golden case materialized from the shadows. Burroughs smiled, opening the case. He gazed at the huge solid gold vases inside. King Burroughs picked one up. “Ahh...the purest water from the falls of the Mana Acropolis.” He opened a vase and poured the crystal-clear water into two golden cups. He clanked his cup with the one he previously handed Canen and drank from it. Another broad grin spread over his face. “That darned blockade Mensa put on Truce has put virtually all trade to a halt.  My people are slowly dying of thirst.”
        “There will be more of this for your entire city if you can supply us with what we need,” Canen said.
        “Certainly, my boy,” King Burroughs smiled, patting Canen. His happy gaze fell past the leader of Revenant. “Who’s your new comrades?” he asked, looking past Canen.
        Canen turned and pointed to each of them. “Abant you know,” Canen said, as Abant nodded. “Then there’s Janus, Audrey, and Fox Sage.”
        The desert king smiled and introduced himself, “I am King Burroughs III. I am a loyal servant to the old order of the mages. You are guests of honor any time you enter my kingdom,” he smiled, looking back at Canen. “Now, what can I do for you, old friend?” He chuckled, “Old friend. Ha! I can see the magic is still keeping you young, eh?”
        “Of course,” Canen said, smiling. “I was wondering if I could borrow a few of your soldiers.”
        “Oh?” King Burroughs raised an eyebrow. “How many?”
        “All of them.” Canen’s tone was grim, his face worried.
        Burroughs put his hand on Canen’s shoulder. “What’s troubling you, my boy?” They began to walk through the castle. The rest of the party followed.
        “We’re going to go up against Intarma and Mensa. They are drilling Vako for mana,” Canen informed.
        “Self-worshiping vampires! Anything you need, you got!” Burroughs said, greatly disturbed. “There is one thing, though, that you will find extraordinary.”
        “What’s that?”
        “Apparently our good friend, The Crafter, had to resort to extremes.”
        “Intarma came to his island?”
        The king nodded, “He sent Cevo to us.”
        “How?”
        “He flew The Crafter’s airship. It crash landed here, as it was loosing fuel fast. Some Mensan troop shot the tank. Repairs are underway.”
        “Is the robot alright?”
        “Of course. He got pretty banged up, but we’ve been repairing him.”
        “Excellent,” Canen said, smiling. Perhaps there was hope for them after all. They stopped by a huge door.
        “In fact...” the king opened the door to a room where some of the cloaked Zetah men were working on the robot. “...here he is.”
SOUNDTRACK- Cevo’s Theme
        The soldiers gave no salute or special attention to the king, they treated him like one of the guys. “How is your progress?” King Burroughs putting his hand on one of the worker’s shoulder.
        “Great, Sire,” the robed worker replied. “He’s almost as good as new. However, we’ve had to replace some of SE3-V0’s circuitry, so some of his memory has been lost.”
        “This is a most unfortunate setback.” King Burroughs said. “Nevertheless, he is capable for battle?”
        “Oh, absolutely,” the worker replied. “Here, I’ll let you guys talk to him.” The worker told the others to close him up. They had his armor plating off, working on his wiring. Once it was back on, they connected a cable to the back of his head and jump-started the robot.
        The bulky thing stood up and bowed to the king. “Hmmmmzt. Your highness, I am operational at 100%, however, I am suffering a small percentage of memory loss.”
        “Is it bad, son?” King Burroughs asked the towering machine.
        “Fortunately, it is mild and my data storage compressor may be able to hack into the software of my mainframe cortex and retrieve digital data of my past,” the robot replied in his deep voice.
        The king was lost, “So you’re saying...”
        “...I may be able to remember again, with time, of course.”
        “Of course!” King Burroughs acted as if he knew that was what the robot meant. “I’d like you to meet some people,” the king said, introducing everyone. The robot had already met Canen and Abant, but not the other three.
        “What’s your name again?” Audrey asked.
        “Hmmzt. Name? Er… Hmmzt. My serial number is SE3-V0...”
        Abant jumped in, “We used to call him Cevo, SE3-V0 simplified.”
        Canen turned to the three new members of Revenant. “He has been with the Antilian Mage-Order since the beginning of the war, fighting for our cause. The crafters have built him for the king, a token of trust. He and Mage Winston fought side by side, in grave battles and dangerous adventures! This robot has proven to be a valuable and trusting ally for more than four hundred years.”
        Abant looked at the robot and smiled. “And he may do it once again.”