Judeor:Altiris Rising

Chapter 7:Into the Past

Lorya and Judeor woke up, and looked around. "This doesn't look like a prison cell", said Lorya.

"That's because it's not. And as you see, you are unshackled", said a voice. They turned, and saw Aruon there, along with Etna and Erialas, and an unfamiliar figure. Judeor narrowed his eyes, and gathered his power, but found it unresponsive. Not so much as a trickle of the lightning he wanted to summon came out of his hand. He tried to wield air, but again, nothing. "Don't try it. There is a mental block around your powers , for our safety, as well as your own", Aruon said. "We can still take you out with our bare hands", Judeor said, stepping forth. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you", said Erialas.

Judeor sprung forth, but was immediately frozen on the spot, held down by a mind wielder's power. "As you see, resistance is futile. Please, relax, and I will let you go", the Altiris Knight said.

Judeor and Lorya did as instructed, and Etna, Erialas, Aruon and the mind wielder followed. "Now, we only want to talk. Do you remember any dreams you had recently?" asked the figure.
"Only of us as infants, our parents, Hallagar and Alaea, and our uncle, Ametir, as well as of Aruon", Lorya replied. "It's the same exact dream, every time", Judeor said. "And yet neither of you believe them to be true", the wielder said. "Because they aren't", Lorya snapped. "You have been brainwashed. Aruon is your older brother, as he has already told you. Etna and Erialas are the boy and the girl in your dream. They are your cousins. And I am Reola, Ametir and Alaea's cousin", the mind wielder replied. "You are lying", Judeor seethed. "No. I sense you have memories deep inside your mind, that even you are unaware of. I can show them to you, to prove that I am telling the truth", the Altiris Knight said. "Get on with it, then", Lorya snapped.

The mind wielder pressed her index and middle finger to her temple, and reached out with the other hand. They felt her consciousness brush against theirs, and gasped at the sudden influx of memories, thoughts and sensations.

Hallagar, Alaea, Reola and Rokitas playing Element Ball. Hallagar and Alaea sent several balls of a light at a ring of water. Reola waved her hand, and the ring moved, causing the balls to miss. She and Rokitas retaliated with balls of water and fire, aiming them at the ring of light hovering over Hallagar. He conjured a small light shield, blocking each of the balls. Alaea slashed her palm through the air, destroying several fire balls with a wave of light. Hallagar released several beams, shredding two balls of water. They sent out more light balls, which Reola blocked with an ice wall. She destroyed several more with ice shards, and Rokitas sent out a volley of fire balls in retaliation. Most were blocked, but one made it through the ring of light. Hallagar and Alaea retaliated, sinking two balls of light into the ring of water.

Judeor and Lorya widened their eyes in surprise, as they saw their younger selves, Etna, Erialas and Aruon run up to the four element wielders. "Mom, can we join?" asked the younger Judeor. "Of course, but be careful" she said, laughing. Judeor laughed and condensed the air around him into a ball, and sent it through Reola's water ring. Still laughing, he gathered his energies, and released a burst of blue lightning. The crackling bolts faded away as soon as they were summoned, as an older man, who had been watching the family, enveloped them in a mind shield. "Judeor, don't. You could have hurt yourself", the older man said. "Yes, grandfather", the young Judeor replied.

"You must be careful with your powers, especially lightning. You are unusually powerful with your elements, but you are undisciplined. If you lose control, as you almost did now, you could unleash terrible destruction. I shall train you to wield lightning with control myself", the man said. "When?" asked Judeor, his sparkling eyes betraying his excitement. "Not now, of course. Now, let us relax. Ametir will be joining us shortly", Eon said.

Indeed, Ametir soon appeared in a speeder. "Uncle Ametir!" the children called out in joy, as they ran up to him, causing the adults to chuckle at them. "So full of energy" said Ametir, as he made his way to the others.

The scene changed, as another memory brushed against them. Reola, Rokitas, Hallagar, Alaea, Eon, Ametir, Etna, Erialas, Aruon, Judeor and Lorya stood on a small ship, cutting through the waves of the Aeran Sea on Lok Etreon, marine birds flying above them. A mere dozen feet away, the water parted, as a roen flew several meters into the air, its long, sinewy body contracting and twisting in a series of complex aerial maneuvers, before diving back into the water, and spraying the ship. It made its way back to the surface, and swam up to the ship, crowing.

"It wants to play with us", said Reola, smiling, as she manipulated the water, shaping it into a ball, and sent it to the roen. The animal caught it its mouth, and threw it back. Eon caught it with more water, and shaped it into a ring, sending it flying at the roen, which leapt out of the water, through the ring and shot out a spray from its mouth, which Reola guided in a spiral around herself, and back to the roen.

"Look, there are more of them!" Erialas yelled, pointing to a group of 5 roen, which made their way to them, clearly eager to join the game. Eon and Reola passed water to them, and the roen performed aerial maneuvers, occasionally spraying them with water. They continued their dance for another hour, when the sun had started setting.

Slowly, the animals returned to the water, and the ship turned back to the coast, reaching it within an hour. Several times, they saw a roen, but rarely, as the animals didn't like to be in the coastal waters, preferring the more secluded parts of the sea.

The scene changed again, this time, to the same dream. Young Lorya and Judeor fell out of the gunship, and tumbled to the floor. An air wave slowed their fall, gently lowering them on the floor. Lynaxa came up to them, and placed her hands on their foreheads, rendering them unconscious with a gentle mental press.

At last, the memories faded away, and Reola released them, stepping back. "Do you believe me now?" she asked. They didn't move, shaken by what they had just seen.

"Yes", they replied, after a moment of consideration. "It has been a long time. Now, you must be hungry. If you will, follow us", said Reola, smiling.

The 6 of them headed down to the dining hall, where Rokitas, Eon and Ametir were sitting at a table along with Kirtan, Kylara, Akala, Itreal, Valhares, and two other Altiris Knights, Renlas and Lurana. Sensing them, Eon looked up, and smiled, his gaze fixated on Lorya and Judeor.

"Grandfather?" the siblings asked in unison. "The one and the same. For 23 years, Lynaxa and Xyron kept you away from us, away from your family", Eon replied, his face darkening. "Where were you when Lok Etreon was attacked?" asked Lorya. "Three days before the battle, I was called off to assist with the defense of Akalos. There, after most of my soldiers were killed, I faced the remaining Legion army alone. For two days, we fought, and I won. Only a few dozen Legion soldiers survived. I let them escape. When I heard of the attack on Lok Etreon, I immediately departed in my star fighter. When I got there, the academy was flaming rubble. I saw the Legion fleet preparing to jump to lightspeed. I sensed your presence aboard the capital ship and locked on to it, letting my fury fuel me, almost losing control, and directed it at them, destroying a few damaged smaller ships, as I sped to the dreadnought. I kept firing, intent on retrieving you and killing everyone else aboard that ship. Unfortunately for you, how unfortunately for all of us, the ship jumped before I could reach it. I set out in pursuit, and found them, but Lynaxa masked them, and they jumped again. I searched, tried to break through the mental veil she put around you, but without success. With nothing else left for me to do, I returned to Lok Etreon, flew down to the academy, and searched for survivors. The only things I found were the dead bodies of Alliance and Legion soldiers, Kai Tor Luso warriors, Altiris and Legion Knights. The worst part were the bodies of Hallagar and Alaea. From that day, I swore to exact revenge, and to this day, I am still waiting for the day that my oath will be fulfilled. I was too late to save them, and I am sorry. Can you forgive an old man?" Eon said. "Yes. We shall avenge them together", said Judeor.

"And we shall always be by your side", said Kirtan. "Your family is with you", said Rokitas.