Chapter 6: Happy Birthday

As I recall, it all happened on my birthday.

It all happened on Ryan’s tenth birthday. A few weeks had passed since Éclair had left Toramirese colony, and things seemed to be normal. Ryan and Henry were engaged in a fierce battle with the new wooden swords that Ryan had gotten for his birthday.

            Ryan was in his element. He may not have been much good at that Kung-Fu stuff like the other Elf children, but he knew he was born to wield the blade. As Ryan turned his back to swing, Henry made a sneaky attack at his blind spot, but alas, the Elf had no gift for subtlety. With a slight flick of his wrist, Ryan parried Henry’s attack instinctively.

Ryan then used his slightly greater height to his advantage, aiming quick thrusts at Henry’s torso which the Elf blocked with difficulty. This pleased Ryan. It soon became obvious that Ryan had the advantage as he forced the Elf to retreat during a spinning slash on a pirouette. It felt like there was something inside Ryan’s head telling him what to do. An old and hungry instinct.

Just as Ryan raised his arm back to score a hit, his mother cried out from a distance, “The cake’s done!”

            The prospect of food turned Ryan’s head, allowing Henry to disarm him and give him a good thwack on the arm for good measure.

            Ryan was outraged. “Hey, that doesn’t count! I was distracted by the promise of sustenance!”

            “And that is why you fail, human,” said Henry, beaming with pride.

“Grr cawawaka,” cursed Ryan in his nonsense language that he used sometimes as he rubbed his arm where Henry whacked him. “You Elves don’t do anything small. Even when you beat me, you gotta make it hurt.”

“If I had a credit every time you said that, human,” said Henry with a laugh as he tossed his wooden sword to the ground and headed towards the Tower of Festivities.

Ryan turned to his father for support. “That wasn’t fair, and you know it, dad. I mean, don’t the Earth-Dragons believe in honor in battle?”

Richard seemed deep in thought as he paused for a moment before responding. “You’re right, Ryan. The Wingless Dragons do value honor above all else. But you have to remember that it was you who allowed yourself to get distracted, and that’s why Henry won. The thing you need to know, son, is that life isn’t always as fair like in the stories I tell you, and you need to be prepared for whatever reality may throw at you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryan’s father smiled almost sadly. “I think you’ll understand when you’re older, son. Let’s just enjoy the here and now. I think mom got you a special cake this year.”

Quickly forgetting his father’s forlorn demeanor, Ryan dashed off to the Tower. He soon passed the Elf and shouted excitedly, “Come on, Henry! First one there gets the biggest piece!”

“You just want to race because of the biological advantage that comes with your longer legs,” complained Henry, though he still kept stride behind Ryan.

Ryan and Henry raced to the large, white tree with no leaves that sat at the center of the colony called the Tower of Festivities, a veritable tourist trap of the Elven colony. The tree had been carved out completely hollow on the inside, with a large, spiral staircase that went all the way to the top where the party awaited.

Ryan’s parents had been saving for years to rent the pavilion at the top of the tower, giving the attendees a clear view of the entire colony. Ryan was rarely even allowed inside the tower, let alone on the top. Besides Henry, quite a few Elf children had come to the celebration, and even some of the grown-up Elves. Even though Ryan’s only real friend was Henry, the Elf children never missed one of his birthdays, and he always attended their birthday parties in turn. It was kind of a community thing among Elves for every child’s birthday to be celebrated by everyone in the near vicinity, at least until the child came of age; though for Elves, that term tended to vary. Though there were many things that baffled Ryan about Elven ways, the way they treated birthdays always warmed his heart. It was certainly preferable to the way some of the human colonists would just ignore birthdays in general.

The party games involved the usual fare; dragon-shaped pinatas full of celery, pinning the tail on the giant tomato, that sort of thing. But best of all was the water plum fight. Similar in practice to a snowball fight, a plum fight involved giant, purple plums grown especially by the Elves for the sole purpose of detonation. The plums exploded in a shower of gooey jelly upon impact, making for a messy and delicious sport. The plums grew from special branches atop the Tower which instantly replenished themselves after being plucked, giving the children an unlimited supply.

Even though it cost him dearly during the game, Ryan sometimes liked to watch as he picked a plum from the vines only for an identical one to grow back seconds later, expanding like a balloon until it reached full size. Richard, Brianna, and Henry were on Ryan’s team in an all-out assault against the other Elf children. Ryan couldn’t remember laughing so hard as his dad got nailed in the face with a particularly ripe plum, soaking the last bit of untouched clothing. Ryan’s mother, pasted in goo herself, wiped a finger across Richard’s brow and they shared a laugh.

As Ryan and Henry advanced on the other children, already drenched to the bone in jelly themselves, Richard suddenly stopped, putting a hand to his temple to accept a call. “Sorry, this isn’t a good time … Zand! Hold on, let me get somewhere private!” Richard turned to his wife as if asking permission.

Brianna sighed, wiping some goo from her face. “Just please make it brief.”

Richard nodded, ruffling Ryan’s hair before heading off down the stairs.

“Dad,” called Ryan. “You’re coming back, right?”

“Of course, son,” said Richard with a wave. “I just need a moment, and then I’ll be right back.”

Ryan looked up to his mother in disappointment and concern. “What’s going on?”

Brianna smiled reassuringly through the jelly and said, “It’s nothing to worry about, dear. Just an old friend checking in. Why don’t we get cleaned up so we can open your presents?”

I wonder if it’s the same guy that Éclair went with. Nah! That’s silly! That guy was rich. Rich people don’t talk to poor people like my dad. Even if he is great, he’s still poor, though he always says he’s rich in the ways that matter.

The great thing about water plum jelly was that it came off instantly when introduced to water, a useful design on the part of the Elves. After a quick shower from the water hoses stationed around the tower, Brianna and all the children were clean as a whistle in time for the presents.

“Open mine first, Ryan,” begged Henry, giving a rare display of childish glee as he practically bounced on his heels.

Ryan complied, tearing at the leaf-made paper that hid a very large present, almost as tall as Henry himself. Ryan wondered how the Elf managed to get it up the tower with his diminutive frame. The leaf coverings gave way to reveal a long wooden box painted black with a single phrase written on top. As he focused on the title, Ryan almost laughed out loud.

“Universal Theory,” groaned Ryan with a wry smile. “Henry, you shouldn’t have.”

“I know,” exclaimed Henry merrily. “Isn’t it great?!”

No, I mean you really shouldn’t have, thought Ryan while maintaining a polite smile.

“Now we can play all the time, even when Uncle Kazz is away.”

“Yay,” muttered Ryan under his breath.

The other presents were a little less disappointing. A few new holomovies from Richard, some action figures from Brianna, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables from the other Elf children. Though the Elves’ predilection of wrapping up pumpkins and calling them presents frustrated Ryan on previous birthdays, he had to admit that these were preferable to Henry’s gift. As Ryan came to the last gift, he couldn’t help but notice his father’s sustained absence.

“He’s still not back yet, mom.”

Brianna smiled sadly and rubbed Ryan’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. There’s one last present that he wants to give to you specially. But for now, why don’t you unwrap that one there? I’m sure it’ll make you feel better.”

Not wanting to make a scene despite his curiosity, Ryan obediently began to unravel his next present. He gasped in astonishment at the beautiful, wooden carving of a Space Dragon. Ryan always held a special fascination with the mystical race of the Dragons, especially with his father’s stories.

For Ryan, the Dragons were a symbol of everything that he loved about life: mystery, adventure, and the Elemental Ministries. It was said that the Dragons possessed Elemency long before any other race, and that they helped the founders of the human Elementals get the Ministries established many thousands of years ago. And the fact that Ryan and his father were kind of related to Dragons made them seem like kin to Ryan.

The little Dragon statue was so finely polished that it sparkled softly in the sunlight, much like Ryan’s scales. The design and craftsmanship seemed so fine that Ryan knew his mother must’ve spent weeks working on it. Even though he had never seen a real Dragon in his life, the carving held such detail and beauty that he couldn’t imagine a live Dragon being any more beautiful. Every curve in the muscles, every shape of the spikes, fangs, and claws … Ryan could only describe it as a masterpiece.

Even more incredible was the wood the carving came from High Oak. Wood of such quality that it could come from no other place in the universe besides the capital of Shakarass, the High Elven City. High Oak was a jealously guarded secret by the High Elves that ruled the planet. Only those with special connections to the High Elves could even get their hands on it, and even then it didn’t come cheap.  

All the Elves gasped visibly, even Henry. Old Alexander leaned forward from the gathered Elves and nodded approvingly. “High Oak. A rare commodity. The High Elves look favorably upon your family, Mrs. Uruks. I hope you appreciate the lengths your mother must’ve gone through to make a carving of such fine material, young Ryan. Even senior Elves like me have difficulty shaping High Oak.

“Though the universe has been cultivated through science and technology, there are still places where magic holds sway over science. The Elven capital is one such place. By entrusting your family with such a pure branch, the High Elves entrust the very soul of Shakarass to you, my boy … a prestige usually reserved for only our closest allies among the Ministries. You should feel honored.”

“Oh, I-I do,” stuttered Ryan nervously. “I really do! This is the greatest thing anyone has ever given me in my life! So great … that … that I don’t know if I deserve it.”

Old Alexander smiled down at Ryan, and for once, didn’t seem so grumpy. “Your humility tells me that you do deserve it. My blessings on you and your family, young Uruks.”

“Well done, human,” whispered Henry as he patted Ryan on the back. 

Brianna nodded appreciatively to Alexander. “Thank you for your words, wise one. I’m sure my son will take them to heart.”

Ryan’s mother gently cradled the sacred object in Ryan’s hands and took a knee. “The Dragon race is the embodiment of exploration and adventure. Just as they have helped us humans understand the wonders of this universe, so too will you one day unravel its mysteries for yourself. This is my gift to you, Ryan, with all my love and with all my heart.

“I call it ‘Heart-Ache,’ for it is also a symbol of your parents’ love for you, and that when you feel pain, so do we. In other words, our hearts ache for you. Let it be a reminder to you that no matter what happens, no matter where you are or what you’re going through, we will always be with you in your heart every step of the way.”

            Ryan couldn’t help getting a little teary-eyed as he embraced his mother and whispered, “Thanks, mom. Thank you so much for everything.” Ryan conveyed all his affection and gratitude to his mom in a single hug.

            Don’t judge me, thought Ryan as the Elves watched him curiously. It’s not like I’m made of stone, you know.

Ryan then appraised the mystical, wooden Dragon and it did the most amazing thing. The Dragon flapped its wooden wings and flew out of Ryan’s hand to circle over his palms as puffs of smoke fizzled out of its nostrils. The other children started laughing at the sight of the wooden creature and Ryan did as well, that is until he saw his mother’s face. She gaped at the carving hovering in Ryan’s hands with a look that could only be described as pure terror.

Before Ryan could ask her what was wrong, a shadow passed over his head. To his amazement, dark shapes had suddenly appeared above the colony. Judging from the statue, and the pictures he’d seen as a child, these flying creatures couldn’t be anything else but real Dragons. Young Ryan almost burst out laughing, thinking that this must've been orchestrated by his parents, that is until he looked more closely at the visitors.

These weren’t like the Space Dragons that his father had told him about. First of all, their scales were pitch black, not golden, green, or brown, and they had a much fiercer appearance about them than ordinary Space Dragons. Ryan didn’t know how else to describe it; though the Dragons that his father spoke of were fierce too, they also felt kindly and safe.

But these creatures made Ryan feel anything but safe. They had yellow and red eyes of such hungry quality that Ryan felt like a rabbit being surrounded by hawks. The Dragons came in various sizes; most were a little bigger than a man, but the larger ones were comparable to mammoths. Their wings flapped prominently on their shoulders, leaving four limbs with razor-sharp talons dangling beneath them. Their long, barbed tails writhed to and fro like whips. So far, they seemed content to just circle the colony silently, almost as if awaiting some kind of signal.

Laughter among the children died. Everyone all over the colony stopped their work and just stared up at the threatening creatures with terrified awareness. No one screamed, no one moved, almost like the instinct to remain motionless when confronted by a snake. Despite the fact that Ryan had never seen Dragons in his life and he knew that he should be excited, in his heart he only felt fear … the kind of fear that came with the knowledge of impending and unavoidable doom. Young Ryan tried to summon the courage to move, to run away, to do something, but his fear left him paralyzed. It wasn’t just the Dragons that elicited such terror in his being, but the sheer presence of something even more sinister at work.

I can’t run! I can’t speak! I can’t even move! I’m petrified!

The sky went dark as great storm clouds suddenly appeared above the trees, blocking out the light from the mirrors. It seemed like an eternity of waiting when it finally happened, when he heard the bone-chilling roar that tore through the clouds and shook the ground. A roar so loud and so painful that everyone had to cover their ears, and even then Ryan felt blood trickle down from his eardrums. Brianna knelt down, covering Ryan and Henry as they cringed in her arms. Trees bent outwards as a great wind ripped across the colony with the roar, and the leaves eddied all around the tower.

Make it stop! Make it stop, repeated Ryan over and over as the pain became unbearable.

When the sound finally subsided, they descended. The signal had been given. Then came the screams. All across the colony, Ryan’s neighbors were systematically slaughtered one by one. It was madness, pure unadulterated destruction of life. Hundreds met their deaths at once from the Black Dragons’ first wave alone. People ran for cover, ran for shelter, ran to protect their loved ones, but futilely so. Nothing could stop a Black Dragon on the hunt.

From his perch high atop the Tower, Ryan saw little pockets of resistance all across the colony, Elven guards with energy guns and special spears made from High Oak. To his amazement, a few Elves summoned the plants to come to their aid. In all Ryan’s years living at the colony, he’d never seen Elemency in use, let alone known of Elves who could use it. The Elves used vines from trees to ensnare and strangle the intruders; others caused giant thorns to grow from the ground and impale them.

But as good as the Elven Warriors were, the Black Dragons were even better. There was one more noticeable difference between Space Dragons and these dark monsters. Instead of breathing fire, these Dragons breathed lightning. Great torrents of electric volts illuminated the darkened landscape, incinerating the Elven defenders.

Everywhere Ryan looked, Elven warriors fell to the brutal attacks of the Black Dragons, either from electricity or from fangs. Whenever the defenders managed to kill a few of the Dragons, ten more would swoop down from the sky to take their place. The Black Dragons were as frightening as they were ruthless. With deadly accuracy, the invaders sent down their electric attacks and killed Elves by the dozens.

There seemed to be a limit to their lightning reserves as many would swoop down and kill their victims hand-to-hand. This they did by a number of varying methods, each more gruesome than the last. Some of the bigger ones would simply pick up a screaming Elf or human, soar high into the sky and then drop their squirming victim.

Most of the smaller ones used weapons and armor for melee combat despite being lethal enough without enhancements. However, they showed no mercy, whether fighting with a sword or their fangs and claws. They didn’t discriminate between kills either as they efficiently swatted any man, woman, or child they came upon, civilian or not. They hadn’t come to steal anything, nor to enslave anyone. The Dragons seemed to have one purpose alone, to kill anything that breathed, and that included pets and livestock.

Despite the chaos of the situation, Ryan took in everything as he observed the bloodbath in every excruciating detail. He stood transfixed by the violence, mesmerized by the horror that his young mind couldn’t fully comprehend. 

Alexander grabbed Brianna frantically by her sleeve. “Get him to your pod, Brianna!”

Before Brianna could respond, a single Black Dragon made a dive for the Tower, coming straight at Ryan and his mother. Brianna quickly pushed Ryan to the floor as she ducked out of reach of the monster. Old Alexander reached out with his hand, and the branches around the tower reacted to his movements and trapped the Black Dragon. However, this Dragon was bigger than most and easily forced its way out of the Elf’s trap. Old-man Alexander barely had time to squeal before the monster grabbed him by the throat and soared away. The Elves on top of the Tower gave way to panic, dashing about in a fearful frenzy.

“Ryan!” called Brianna, struggling to force her way through the crowd of frightened Elves. Roars from above tore her gaze upwards as more Dragons descended towards the tower. “Ryan! Run! I’ll catch up with you, but you have to run now, Sweetie!”

As Ryan sat on the floor in a daze, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to the frightened face of Henry. This brought Ryan to his senses, so he grabbed Henry by the hand and fled down. He knew he was leaving his mother behind, but he needed to get Henry to safety. Both Ryan and the Elf-child cried as they sprinted down the spiral staircase of the Tower.

Dragons flew after them, running on all fours as they entered the tower. Thinking quickly, Ryan grabbed Henry by the scruff of his shirt and dashed sharply to the left into a hallway, temporarily out of the Dragons’ sight.

Ryan remembered a small vent hidden behind a couch in that hallway he used to play hide and seek in on the few occasions he’d snuck into the tower. Ryan pried the vent open and shoved the sobbing Elf-pup in before him. As Ryan crawled under the couch towards the vent, he soon realized in dismay that he’d grown too big.

Cursing his luck, Ryan turned Henry’s panic-stricken face towards him and mouthed the words, “Don’t move.”

Ryan rose from the couch just as a group of Dragons turned the corner. They didn’t seem to be in any hurry. One of them held an elderly woman in its arms, and Ryan realized with despair that it was the old Elf, Arbuck, one of the village elders. Arbuck used to give Ryan treats from her garden when he passed by her house on his way to visit his father.

The biggest one tossed the old woman in front of the smaller ones like a master giving his dogs a scrap of meat. The old woman let loose a retching shriek just before they tore into her flesh like a pack of hungry hyenas. Ryan could only stand there watching in revulsion as the sweet old woman he’d known his whole life was ripped to pieces within a few short seconds. The sickening crunching noises of bones breaking overlapped with the grunting and growling of the feral reptiles. They didn’t even bother killing her before they greedily devoured her flesh, licking up the blood that spilt on the floor.

No one deserves to die like this, thought a horror-struck Ryan.

The big one noticed Ryan, and a wicked sneer spread across its lizard face, exposing yellow fangs dripping with fresh blood. The creature possessed a scaly, triangular head similar to a crocodile. However, the floppy ears on the sides of its head and the horns on its large nose made it similar to a rhino. It had a yellow sclera and red irises over silted pupils that glinted dangerously at Ryan.

“Lookie what I found, boys,” it said with a growl. The fact that they could speak surprised Ryan since he didn’t think that creatures as vicious as these could be anything more than dumb beasts. “The little half-breed’s standing right there like a cornered rat, and we didn’t even have to search for him. The Dark Dragon Lords will surely reward me for my diligence.”

Dark Dragon Lords?!

In the back of his mind, Ryan prayed that Henry had the sense to stay hidden and escape when the chance arrived. The big Dragon lumbered towards Ryan menacingly, its huge frame filling up the whole hallway as it stooped down and tucked its wings behind its back. Ryan tried to run, but the Dragon was quicker than it looked. Ryan felt his arm seized in a deadly grip of claws, and he knew the end had come.

Then a blinding light filled the hallway, and the big, Black Dragon stumbled back, clutching a bloody stump that used to be its arm. Ryan felt himself cradled protectively in a loving embrace, and he realized with unbridled relief who had saved him. The gentle jostling that Ryan felt as he rocked back and forth from his mother’s running felt like heaven compared to the Dragon’s grip.

 “It’s going to be okay, Ryan!” whispered his mother insistently. “Don’t worry, Mommy’s got you! It’s going to be okay!”

“I’m sorry I left you, mom,” sobbed Ryan into Brianna’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry … I just … I had to help Henry. He looked so scared, and I … I just had to help him.”

“Shh,” hushed Brianna. “You did good, honey. You did the right thing. Now just hold onto me and we’ll get out of this, I promise you.”

And then they reached the ground and came outside. Young Ryan Uruks couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him. His shock became so great that he couldn’t even summon the strength to cry or do anything for that matter. Everything was on fire! Every building that Ryan had grown up knowing, every field, every garden, every tree, and even every bush. Everything was burning.

And amidst the flames, blood fell like rain as multiple Dragons began devouring their victims in mid-flight. The once-green lands became stained scarlet with the showering remains of plasma and body parts. Even with the roar of the flames, the cries of thousands of innocent Elven children reverberated through the air, as well as the occasional crunch! of Dragon teeth cracking through bone.

Brianna Uruks took the carnage in stride and dove headfirst into the fray while carrying the limp Ryan in tow. In the back of his mind, Ryan felt a great power emanating from his mother as her brow furrowed in concentration. She was using her power. He didn’t know how or what she was doing exactly, but he could feel that she used some kind of magic to protect them both. And sure enough, the Dragons paid them no heed, as if they were invisible.

“Get to the pods, quickly!” cried an Elven guard they passed as he held a line of Dragons at bay with vines growing out of the ground.

Other people made their getaway as well, as thousands of hidden escape pods shot up into the sky from all across the colony. That gave Ryan hope. And though the Elf guards were dwindling in numbers, they fought with even more ferocity to give the civilians enough time to escape, and that gave him hope as well.

Despite everything, Ryan felt hope rising in his chest, and he knew that it was his mother’s doing. Somehow, she allowed him to feed off her courage, lending him some of her strength. Even more amazing was the fact that she seemed to be doing it for the Elves as well.

Even amidst Armageddon, Ryan felt in his heart that they still had a chance. More people were escaping, more Dragons were dying, and things no longer seemed as hopeless as they had before. Because of his mother’s influence, it looked like the defenders had a chance of turning the tide of the battle.

However, despite the new Elven resistance they faced, Ryan realized that the Dragons were too many to deal with … too many to even fathom. They had no hope of winning this battle, which was more of a massacre than a real battle. The only hope to be found lay in escaping. His mother thought so as well as she increased her speed despite the strain it put on her.

Sweat beaded her forehead and she panted in exhaustion. Ryan soon realized using her powers must be taking a heavy toll. He then decided that the least he could do was carry his own weight, so he wiggled out of her grip and started running alongside her.

“Ryan, what do you think you’re doing?” cried Brianna hysterically as she grabbed for him.

“You’re tiring yourself out too much, mom,” he said, pushing her hands away.

She seemed uncertain, but under the circumstances, she could hardly argue. “Alright, just keep up with me no matter what, and if it gets too hard, tell me and I’ll carry you!”

Ryan didn’t see what the big deal was, until she started running, and boy could she run! Brianna moved faster than he’d ever seen her move … faster than any Elf could move … faster than anyone could move. By some miracle, he maintained the same speed, but just barely. He thought it must’ve had something to do with her giving him energy, but somehow it felt different. Ryan would’ve been ecstatic at this newfound power had the circumstances not been so terrifying.

And so, faster than a horse could run, Ryan and his mother dashed across Toramirese Colony toward the Elven gardens, where he knew waited a hidden escape pod capable of space travel that could take them all the way to Tarrus if need be. He never thought they’d ever have use for such a vessel. All around, bloodshed and gore haunted him, threatening to overwhelm his senses. He could smell charred flesh everywhere, and he felt a horrible squelching sensation as he stepped over guts and limbs splayed across the ground from Elves and humans alike.

His once peaceful world had become fire and death. The smoke stung his eyes and filled his lungs, causing him to choke and stumble as he ran. He nearly passed out from the smoke alone, but then his mother took his hand, and he felt another wave of strength surge through him.

Coming across a familiar path, Ryan then turned to his left to see their home ablaze. The fire had started fairly recently, but it had already engulfed nearly the entire tree and building. Realization dawned on him, and he ran towards the house, but his mother’s surprisingly strong grip held him firm.

“Dad was headed for the house! He might still be in there!” Ryan pleaded desperately as he struggled.

“He’s not! I can feel it!” Brianna replied with just as much passion as she took him by the shoulders, shaking him almost harshly. “Trust me! Your father is more than capable of taking care of himself! We both agreed that if anything like this ever happened, the first priority was getting you to safety! Everything else is secondary!” 

Ryan wanted to argue until he realized that his mother was crying even more violently than him. With tears sliding down his cheeks, and sorrow in his heart, Ryan nodded his agreement. Together, they left his home to burn to ashes.

Lord Caretaker, protect my father, prayed Ryan silently.

They were very close to the escape pod now. It lay only a few bounds away as he caught sight of it across the field. Despite the screams, the roars, and the sounds of battle coming from all around, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a leap of joy as his salvation was close at hand.

His mother remotely activated the door with a control on her bracelet. The escape pod, shaped to look like a large stump, buzzed to life. The engines fired up, the lights came on in hues of white and green. A door slowly slid down like a stairway to heaven as white light blazed from the cockpit. Soon he and his mom would escape this hell, and then they would be free to search for his dad.

Everything’s going to be fine! Everything’s going to be fine, repeated Ryan over and over to boost his diminishing morale.

And then he heard it. The voice that would come to haunt his nightmares. The voice of the creature that took everything from him. “RYAN URUKS.”

It sounded like a whisper, and yet Ryan knew that it had come from far away. The moment he heard the voice, his body froze, as if he no longer had a will of his own. Even though he didn’t want to, even though every fiber in his body told him to run to the escape pod and flee while he could, Ryan couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t help but turn around and see the source of the malevolent voice.

It stood tall, taller than any man or alien. It didn’t have any wings like the Dragons, and yet its clawed feet hovered weightlessly above the ground. The forces of nature no longer held sway over this creature that could only have come from the depths of hell. It wore a large black cloak that shrouded its whole body. The cloak bellowed rhythmically in the wind like smoke, concealing the creature’s head.

But the hood didn’t hide its eyes, those eyes that would stay with Ryan until the day he died. Those eyes that burned red like fire with such hatred, such hunger, that Ryan thought he might go mad just by looking at them. Instead of two eyes, four lidless red eyes stared down at Ryan. Although many species naturally possessed more eyes than the norm, this seemed different. It was as if the extra pair of eyes came from another being, like there were two creatures twisted into one entity. Ryan couldn’t explain it since the eyes lay on the same head, but he still got the strange, ghostly feeling that this signified something unnatural. Nothing about this creature seemed natural.

Gracefully … slowly … the creature moved toward them. By the straight figure of its body, the creature’s figure resembled a human man. However, a black, lizard-like tail hung out from the end of its robes with two razor-sharp spikes at the end of it that looked like a pair of giant scissors.

Two Elven guards charged the floating monster with spears but dissolved into black dust as they came within a breadth of their target. A dueling Elf and Dragon battled their way into the creature’s path, and soon shared the same fate as their disintegrated remains littered the earth. Any being, Elf or Dragon, that got near the creature was instantly killed.

Not that the creature made any effort or move to kill them, they just simply dissolved into nothingness, as if the thing’s very presence erased them from existence. Despite the power that Ryan felt his mother feeding into him as he stood transfixed by the demonic creature, Ryan felt nothing but hopelessness … complete and utter hopelessness. Before Ryan’s mother even had time to speak, the cloaked figure already stood before them, and Ryan knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to die.

            “Well, well, boy. We meet at last.”

Five years later, Ryan woke up in a cold sweat, his body soaked with perspiration. Although the dampness could’ve just as easily come from the rainwater that dripped through the cracks in his box. It was still dark out, though it rained so much during the day that it gave little distinction. There were no longer any fields of green, no longer trees shading him from a brightly shining sun. All that could be seen was the cold cement of the concrete jungle that now made up Ryan’s home. Though ‘home’ wasn't really the right kind of word to describe this place.

            In a voice barely above a whisper, Ryan began, “Same nightmare again, mom. I can’t get it outta my head. I think I need some serious therapy.”

            No response. Ryan continued talking.

            “I still can’t remember all that happened. I remember you and dad. I remember the villagers. But I don’t remember anything after the Dragons showed up.”

            No response. Ryan continued.

            “Well, that’s not true,” said Ryan hesitatingly, not wanting to bring this subject up. “I do remember the voice … and the thing that the voice belonged to. I don’t know if it was a man or a woman … an alien or a demon. I just know that it killed a lot of people. A lot more than the Dragons did.

“I … I sometimes get images of dad fighting with it. And of you, mom. You are holding me in your arms and … running away. Do you think I’m crazy or something? I’m fifteen now, so maybe I’m old enough to be chucked into an insane asylum.” Ryan laughed a little at his own joke. “That would be kind of funny. I could be the youngest psychopath in history. What do you think, mom?"

            “Caw,” screeched a voice in reply. Ryan turned around to see the hawk that had taken up residence with him to stay out of the rain. It stared at him quizzically before wriggling its wings around to shake the water off its golden feathers.

            “Oh, yeah,” said Ryan in a flat voice. “That’s right. You’re not here anymore, mom. You and dad have been gone for a long time now. I only got this stupid bird to talk to now.”