Ambassador: Legacy of the Crystal King

PROLOGUE

Long before the era of the Crystalline there was just the Naroot. The Naroot began as stubby bluish dragonfly-like humanoid creature that inhabit a Pluto sized flora-covered world in a small solar system. The ancient Naroot lived in a massive underground hive and would only come to the surface to collect berries that they would later turn in to juice. The planet was covered in lush jungles and dense forest full of fruits and edible plants. Both northern and southern poles were icy lakes teaming with fish and other aquatic life. Rivers wound their way down mountains and through valleys to marshy areas around the lakes. It always rained somewhere. Hidden in thick foliage, on opposite sides of the equator, stood twenty-foot stone pillars. Rounded at the top, they were three feet thick and eight feet wide. Hidden by the unchecked growth of plant life the Naroot never laid eyes on either alter and most of all never saw the crystal shells embedded in the top of each of them.

As time passed and the Naroot’s population grew, they explored more of the planet. Unable to hear, the Naroot communicated telepathically through antenna. While gathering food a Naroot communicated with something that was not Naroot, and the Naroot believed the planet to be in communication with them. The planet seemed pleased with them, so they continued to be good stewards of their world, and they lived in peace.

In an age when the Naroot, now taller and muscular, were living in villages and farming, a great evil appeared. With dozens of city-sized space ships, the reptile-like humanoids overwhelmed the slingshot wielding Naroot. Enslaved for labor, the Naroot were snatched away from their utopia. To feed the reptile’s incalculable numbers, they also fed on the Naroot. While the reptiles stripped the planet bare for fuel, a group came across a stone alter. The crystal shell embedded in the top shinned like the North Star on a clear night and fascinated a small group of reptiles. All attempts to remove crystal shell failed. The great evil, with nothing left to pillage, departed the small planet as suddenly as they had arrived taking the Naroot with them and leaving a bald lifeless planet in its wake. A persistent group believed mining the shiny gem could be of some value to the reptiles was left as a mining colony. The reptiles attempted to destroy one of the stone alters to remove the shells only served to damage their equipment. Eventually the reptiles destroyed the planet and themselves. The reptiles officially recorded the incident as a mining accident and the group was long forgotten.

What wasn’t forgotten was the hatred of the reptiles the Naroot felt every second of every day. After many millennia, the Naroot only knew one life, that of food and labor for their reptile overlords. The reptiles were an advanced scientific race that colonized several solar systems at the height of their empire. Unlike their nomadic ancestors, the reptiles settled in a system that consisted of seven planets which quickly became over-populated. Five of the planets were terra-formed to make them habitable. The reptiles lived in relative harmony with several other species in two other solar systems, but illegally mined planets and stole asteroids and comets from the solar systems. The reptiles sought to branch out to other solar systems rather than start a war in an occupied solar system, so began their relentless pursuit to find resources for their ravenous population. This pursuit which pushed them into unexplored parts of the galaxy or parts their ancient migratory ancestors passed through. They subsequently established a mining colony on a large, desolate planet ripe with minerals that revolved around a lifeless star, now only providing a gravitational anchor for the three planets in its orbit.

The Naroot, weary of their brutal life, supported a small group of soon-to-be rebels which planned to steal a shipping envoy in order to free themselves from bondage on this desolate planet. The escape went horribly wrong and most of the Naroot were killed. Only seven of them were able to escape. Their leader, Adam, the future King of the Crystalline, guided the small group to the mines in order to fashion weapons for their defense and to devise a plan. Adam, the only educated Naroot in memory, learned the reptile language and many other cultural things from the reptiles. He shared most of his knowledge with his people bringing him a cult following.

Automated machinery had already begun to mine the metallic planet. While working on the mining equipment Adam discovered a strange crystal buried deep inside the iron mountain. While trying to unbury the crystal he was poked by a sharp barb which suddenly protruded from the crystal. The crystal then began to communicate with him telepathically.

So long it has been since I’ve felt the presence of my long lost friends. Your pain, your suffering, your sorrow are mine. Let us become one so that we may bring balance back to this part of the universe, the crystal pleaded

Adam didn’t know what to think of the communication or where it came from but the glow of the crystal mesmerized him. He pried the crystal out of the ground, struggling to move the large pentagon shaped object out of the hole in the ground and onto a flat surface a few feet from the hole. Dusting off the crystal, he noticed one of the six openings was full of white smoke which quickly condensed into a sphere. Wind began to blow in the cave and increased in force until Adam was unable to see the exit with all of the dust swirling around with cyclonic force. The other escapees attempted to enter the cave but could not force their way through the wind.

What do you want from me? Adam communicated to the crystal shell not knowing if the crystal shell was a communication device or another life form.

I need your body and you need my power. We will become one the crystal shell’s emotional response moved Adam.

Adam thought for a moment. Could it be a trap laid by the reptiles or just a strange parasitic alien that needed a host body? The sincerity and an unknown familiarity gave Adam a good feeling about the situation, like this was the moment that would change everything.

Will I lose myself, Adam asked holding on to the crystal shell as the whirling winds ruffled him like a flag in a hurricane.

We will remain as separate life forms living as one, but there can only be one consciousness; yours. I am trusting that your life experiences will guide us in the right direction. Long ago I lived in peace and in that peace I had forgotten the evils of the universe. Now, there will be no peace for you and me, and if you want future generations to live in peace, we must bring death to your oppressors. Will you join me and fight the crystal shell communicated emotionally.

Adam grabbed the shell and crystal spikes immediately punctured his body, the crystal bored into his chest and displaced his organs. Adam felt his life slipping away on one hand, but on the other hand, felt the will of the crystal shell, and the sense that the promise it had made to him was genuine and benevolent. Once the shell was completely embedded in his chest the wind stopped, and the others rushed into the cave to find Adam face down in the dirt, lifeless. They fell to their knees in grief at the loss of their leader. Adam was viewed by many as the one that would free them from their eternal bondage. How could he die in a place like this?

Tired and exhausted from their mourning, they used the heavy machinery in the cave to dig a hole to bury their friend and leader. However, when they attempted to move Adam to the hole, they noticed his normally leathery skin had begun to turn into crystal plates. Believing that he was infected with a strange bacteria uncovered in the cave, the band of Naroot escapees quickly exited the cave and used the heavy machinery to close off the entrance, sealing in their beloved leader and their hopes for a brighter future

Without Adam to lead them they were lost, and they had little food and only enough fuel to get them to one of the reptile’s outposts. Their plan now was to pretend to turn themselves in and launch a suicide attack in the process. Without Adam’s leadership, they felt bereft of any chance to gain their freedom, but took consolation from the fact that they would be taking many of their oppressors with them into death. As they began loading weapons onto the ship, the entrance to the cave was blown open. When the dust settled, Adam stood at the entrance as a figure that radiated power, confidence, and most of all, hope. His figure, now much bigger and covered in crystal scales, confused and frightened his brethren. When he flew over to the ship without the use of his wings, they became even more afraid of him, some of them even hid in the rocks around the ship, while others pointed their weapons at him and fired. The crude weapons had no effect on Adam.

Standing in front of the entrance to the ship, Adam raised his arms attempting to put his countrymen at ease.

Brothers and sisters I am reborn! A new era will dawn for the Naroot! he announced, his voice ringing loud, strong and clear in their minds. His voice responded without fear, colored by hope, and infused with the strength to turn that hope into a reality. The response was gradual, with those hiding behind the rocks revealing themselves tentatively, and those who had been firing at him slowly lowering their weapons. The realization finally dawned on them that this was truly Adam, their leader come back to a new and exciting life, and eventually they all bowed in his awe inspiring presence.

The seven Naroot survivors, led by their newly reborn leader Adam, traveled to the nearby reptile outpost and freed many of their comrades. The reptiles proved no match for Adam’s newfound powers and the zeal of his companions. His action at the outpost sent shockwaves throughout the reptile empire. The Naroot had gained a hope that had never existed, and Adam became an instant savior. The reptiles hesitated to send reinforcements because they refused to believe the reports from the colony’s logs. They lost communication with the outpost, and by the time backup did arrive, Adam and several dozen Naroot were headed to another reptile solar system. They ambushed an outpost on a moon, and after setting free more of his comrades there, Adam took the time to explain to his growing band of rebels what little he understood about the crystal shell and how he planned to use its powers to shape their future.

Adam and the Naroot waged a 20,000 year guerilla war against the reptiles. In the best of conditions, the Naroot lived for approximately 250 years, and so it was that after Adam had been alive for a thousand years, he was considered a God. During this time, he had developed the ability to manipulate stone and metal, and over the next 10,000 years, he added water, fire and lightening manipulation to his abilities. He was then considered a God not just for his longevity, but for his seemingly infinite and constantly evolving power. Having filled all five of the outer cavities of the shell, Adam developed a new ability: It was a combination of all of the spherical energies that culminated in a rainbow attack, an energy force that de-atomized an object on contact, and believed it could even pierce and destroy the crystal shell. This new elemental ability granted him a power unmatched in the galaxy, allowing further decimation of the reptilian civilization and generating more fear and notoriety wherever his name was mentioned among their former overlords.

Well into the campaign to gain a foothold in the reptile’s primary solar system Adam’s shell capacity doubled in size, giving him the ability to produce other miniature shells that embedded themselves in the bodies of Naroot fetuses while they were still in the wombs of their mothers. The shells would transform these Naroot offspring into beings of crystal just like Adam. They renamed themselves the Crystalline, a new breed of warrior that would continue to fight for the redemption of the Naroot. After fifty or so Crystalline were born, Adam led a major offensive against one of the seven main reptilian planets, continuing the genocide of their former captors. Just after the fall of the reptile’s primary planet, a female Crystalline developed a shell like Adam’s with ten chambers. Her name was Anna. They divided the responsibility of governing the kingdom between them, with Adam, the King, leading the military and Anna, the Queen, running the government of their new home world, and with that, the Crystalline civilization was born. As more Crystalline were born, they changed the old reptile worlds they inhabited, transforming all of the planets to fit their growing needs. The era of the Crystalline was born.

CHAPTER I

Deep inside the earth, where intense heat and pressure keep the earth in a molten, semifluid state, is where we find our reluctant visitor, Adaquious (ă-dā-kwē-us). Annoyed by the searing heat but finding solace in the intense pressure he was experiencing, Adaquious’s molten figure flowed with the liquid rock as he carelessly contemplated his next move.

I could just sleep here, Adaquious thought as he drifted around in the earthened ocean.

But Arrhianna’s energy is agitated, and the last seal I placed on her shell is weak. This thought broke his feeling of relaxation, knowing she was solely responsible for several of the FBI’s most unexplained phenomena. From his back, fiery butterfly wings propelled Adaquious upward like a feather in an updraft. He moved out of the searing heat into solid bedrock. He stopped and allowed himself to cool for a moment, not being able to phase from fire-element control into his human form. The warmth of the earth relaxed him, though he has a natural affinity for water, which kept him from enjoying the different aspects of his abilities. He loved to spend most of his time in the ocean. The Earth’s oceans are vast habitats, more like the oceans of Crystilla, the capital, and not like his home Adaquia, a moon of Crystilla. Driven mostly by a need to restore his place in a life lived long before coming to Earth, Adaquious pushed his human body far past its physical limits. Thoughts of revenge continually drove him. As a castaway, he felt forgotten by those of his kind. With Earth as his home, no one lived further from the capital and the queen. On the edge of blacking out, fatigue and extreme exhaustion caused his mind to wander, and it took him back to his only reoccurring nightmare: his traumatic arrival on Earth.

Just after graduation from the Crystalline Elemental Training Academy, Adaquious was ordered to join the queen’s elite defense force, the Fifty Knights, which he refused. His decision, in the eyes of the high council, was suicide. Adaquious was immediately ordered on assignment, and this particular assignment was one that would remove him from Crystalline society for a long, long time. Adaquious was escorted to his assigned planet by four of the queen’s most powerful knights. In the right compartment of a four-compartment heart-shaped aluminum pod, crafted by an earth controller, Adaquious sat. The wind sage, Willow, sat at the base of the heart, the front of the ship, and was its navigator. Two earth-fire controllers sat in the compartment to the left of Adaquious and maintained elemental control over the compartment around him. A layer of molten rock was imbedded in the walls between Adaquious and the others. In the fourth compartment, at the rear of the ship, in the crease between the cheeks of the heart, an immense torch was maintained by a being engulfed in flames, Saysori the Fire Sage.

Adaquious, with the use of an unauthorized lightning ability, analyzed the thoughts of the others. All four were under the belief the mission was to leave Adaquious on the other side of the galaxy, on a planet believed to carry some type of primitive life. They would then join with other envoys as they made their way back to the capital. This particular part of the galaxy was scanned but never explored under the reign of King Aaron. An uneasy feeling sat over Adaquious as they traveled. Why was Willow, and not just a normal wind controller, chosen to pilot the craft? Her presence caused him to question the true intentions of the trip. The great distance from the capital justified the fire sage’s propulsion torch, which could move them through space at light speed, but having two sages just to drop an ambassador on an unexplored planet was overkill.

Adaquious meditated the entire eighty-year trip and was given little food to maintain his strength. As the Earth approached, the wall to space opened, and Adaquious was forced out with stone pillars produced by the earth controllers. The propulsion torch swung around as the pod turned. Adaquious attempted to back away from the torch but was pushed from behind by a violent torrent of wind. The wind and fire came together on Adaquious and incinerated most of his blue bug-like crystal body, leaving the crystal shell on his chest with strands of crystal from his body, containing an earth sphere and a water sphere, speeding toward Earth. The pod went racing back in the direction it came at an even faster rate than they arrived with the now-combined power of the wind and fire sages. Adaquious felt himself falling backward, though his body was gone, as the pod disappeared from sight. The Earth appeared bold and beautiful for a short moment as the shell turned toward it, and all of a sudden, he slammed into the Earth. The impact of the crystal shell threw up a cloud that covered the planet. The memory of the impact woke him from his daydream.

Break’s over, he thought as he righted himself and began to push upward. Adaquious propelled himself up through the earth like a fish in water, accelerating in one long sprint to the surface. He passed through several layers of bedrock, mineral deposits, water, and even a pocket of gas as he ascended. After twenty minutes of rocketing upward through earth, he settled in the sand about twenty feet below the surface. His residual body heat transformed the sand around him into a bubble of glass. He drew his hands together and began to concentrate. A long, thin metal antenna protruded from his back and pushed up well above the surface of the sand.

Training summary, he dictated as a blue crystal in his left forearm glowed as it activated. I’m as exhausted as I’ve ever been, and I’ve pushed my body well past its limits in order to improve my fire ability. My fire sphere is only class C, very unstable, and is barely enough to protect me from a fire attack. My stamina continues to increase, though it has caused my food consumption to dramatically increase. I’ve been going nonstop for thirty days, and now my energy is hovering around 15 percent, my limit. I’m likely to black out if I continue. Fifteen percent is just enough energy to maintain the balance, so I will soon start my recuperation period. My goal is seventy-two hours sleep to get back to 50 percent, granted I consume massive amounts of food. With Arrhianna testing the limits of her ability, I still don’t feel comfortable going into a regeneration chamber for several months. Arrhianna has been behaving erratically, even more so than usual. I think it’s time to tell her the truth, but I don’t quite know how to do it.

Adaquious crawled out of the sand somewhere in Joshua Tree National Park, California. His sweatshirt and sweatpants were burned around the wrists and ankles. Weeks of training in and around the Earth’s mantle had taken its toll. His body was smoldering, and glass was caked to his finger and toenails. His long locks and rough beard were full of sand and glass, and his bronze skin glowed like an iron bar fresh from the forge. He stood tall and took a deep breath, gazing upon the evening sun as it set to the west. The dry desert breeze irritated his eyes. He held an avid dislike of the desert due to the lack of humidity, but below the desert was the safest place to train. The opportunity for human interference was low, and the likelihood of triggering an earthquake through the sand was minimal. He brought his hands together as if in prayer again and paused to meditate. He attempted to locate the others, but with hardly the energy to locate them, he pushed the antenna higher. If it weren’t for the artifacts—diamond and gold necklaces and bracelets—he gave the others, it would not have been possible to locate them in his current condition.

Status report, he continued to dictate, and the crystal in his forearm changed the position of the light within it as he concentrated on the youngest energy signature of fifty-seven Earth years. In Florida, a Puerto Rican woman with superb physique, Annalisa Elizabeth Garcia, was in the middle of jump kicking a man in his chest. As his body hit a padded floor, she turned to kick another man, when the hair on her body stood up as she felt the magnetic field from Adaquious’s energy pass over her and surround her. It didn’t slow her down though. She began to siphon energy from the locating signal Adaquious was using to monitor her, giving off a slight physical glow and accelerating her attacks, prompting Adaquious to cut the signal, but he was too slow. Lisa retraced the signal and located Adaquious in the desert. She continued to take down the room of officers and in her mind’s eye watched Adaquious as he watched her. He remained resolute and continued dictating to the status log.

Lisa’s training with members of a special police unit in the large urban center of Miami. Her lightning ability has grown much faster than my own and the others. If her sphere continues to grow at its current rate, it will exceed shell capacity in under an Earth cycle. No doubt the incident at her birth has something to do with her accelerated accumulation of energy. She currently has the ability to manipulate a massive amount of people and whole towns for an extended period of time. Her restraint with the use of her abilities is beyond admirable, and she has never used her ability to harm or manipulate a single person. She could easily overpower my lightning ability in my current state. She currently holds an unstable B-class sphere and is no threat of incident. Adaquious focused on the third-eldest energy of 157 Earth years, and his search led him to Philadelphia.

CHAPTER II

An African-American girl in her late twenties was watching television with her mother and two teenage brothers. The magnetic field surrounded Adrianna Nicole Roberts and gave her an uneasy feeling. Adrian pulled the blanket around her a little tighter and closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to block the signal with her lightning ability to protect her mind from infiltration. Adaquious was only attempting to locate her, so their abilities didn’t interact. Continuing to dictate to the journal, Adaquious said, Adrian is at home watching television with her family. She continues to avoid arbitrarily using her lightning ability but uses it from time to time when she feels threatened. She continues to have a stable C-class sphere and is no threat of incident.

Adaquious then focused on the second-eldest energy of 257 Earth years and was taken to New York City. Somewhere in the busy business district, on the top floor of a large building, an athletic middle-aged Caucasian-Cuban woman sat with a few other women. The magnetic field surrounded her and caused her to produce sparks as she handed a wine bottle to one of her colleagues. Annastasia Evonne Andrete looked around the room suspiciously and continued to converse with people. Anna is drinking intoxicating beverages with her friends and employees, as usual. She continues to use her lightning ability to manipulate numerous people. Her lightning ability continues to grow as she relies on it in her everyday life. Of all four women, by far, she has manipulated the most humans overall. She continues to have a stable B-class sphere and is no threat of incident.

Adaquious finally focused on the eldest energy signature of 357 Earth years, and it led him to a Chicago airport. At a fairly empty gate in the middle of a busy terminal, sitting on the floor, leaning against a pillar behind a charging station, was a young Dominican-American woman. With her earphone hanging from her ears as she charged her computer, which was already fully charged, her body lay in comfortable repose, like a cat pretending to be asleep but being well aware of its surroundings. Arrhianna Evette Johnson was, in fact, pretending to be asleep. While she remains the most unpredictable of the group, the condition Adaquious had unintentionally placed her in made it hard for her to live a normal life like the other three women.

Adaquious continued to dictate to the status log crystal in his arm, Arrhianna’s in an airport! She’s once again putting humans in harm’s way, despite my warnings about flying in airplanes. I understand things are much more difficult for her. He paused and let his arms hang to his side as exhaustion had caused him to lose focus. After a few deep breaths, he brought his hands back together and focused on Arrhianna. He started to dictate, Her earth and water sphere are still locked, but her current lightning ability exceeds my own. This is why I shouldn’t allow myself to get in this condition. I’m in dire need of food and rest. If I had to fight Arrhianna today, I’d surely lose, and all my plans would be jeopardized. An incident is emanating! Adaquious closed the log and focused even harder on Arrhianna in order to communicate with her telepathically.

You still don’t trust my judgment? What you’re doing is reckless and dangerous for all those around you, Adaquious scolded in a calm voice, though he felt the opposite. His communication startled her. She moved suddenly but didn’t open her eyes.

I really hate when you do that. You know you’re worse than a parent, she replied in a hurried, aggravated tone.

I would advise you not to take this flight, Adaquious added, still trying to remain calm.

I have to ride with the students, and I chose one of the largest planes available and bought out more than half the plane. It won’t be like the last time. Now leave me alone, she argued, still sounding frustrated.

Suddenly a signal from an artifact in Adaquious’s home in Austin, Texas, interrupted them. The sound of a small bird tweeting entered their conversation. Adaquious was receiving a communication from space, and Arrhianna could also hear the bird sound. Adaquious was too weak to separate the signals. If he answered the communication while connected with Arrhianna, she would hear a conversation he wasn’t ready to share. Adaquious blocked the signal out, which caused him to lose focus on Arrhianna. His mind wandered.

So they finally want to communicate after all this time, He mused. I should probably have answered, but I can’t allow Arrhianna on that plane, and I’m too far away to stop her. I can’t have any setbacks, not for anyone, not even the queen. Those fools have waited this long, they can wait a little longer. I wonder who it is. The Fifty Knights wouldn’t communicate if they’re coming to finish me off, but it’s been so long. Maybe they want me to come home to fight in a war. Maybe they lost a war and they’re all retreating here.

Adaquious scrambled his communication, causing Lisa to lose sight of him. He drew the antenna in and flexed his arms. Out of his back sprouted blue crystal butterfly-shaped wings, which tore through his sweatshirt. He took off like a hummingbird toward the Chicago airport where Arrhianna’s flight was scheduled to depart in ten minutes. Normally he’d be able to travel from Southern California to Chicago in a matter of minutes, but with his level of exhaustion, he would never make it there in time.

What’s with the bird sound? Arrhianna asked after the long silence, waking Adaquious from his daydream. Arrhianna, please don’t get on that plane, he asked once more.

Did you put me on hold! Arrhianna yelled in disbelief. Her voice echoed in Adaquious’s head, causing him to lose focus and fly off course. Adaquious, you’re not my father. We established that a long time ago! she shouted and removed the necklace he gave her and stuffed it in her bag of clothes.

Arrhianna! Adaquious yelled as well, but she ignored him. His energy level was much too low to communicate with her without the artifact in contact with her body. Arrhianna stretched her arms and got moving after putting her necklace in her bag.

A slight headache caused Arrhianna to pause and hold her head. She was both sleep-deprived and physically tired. Ms. Arrhianna, Arrhianna, one of the students called as she tapped her on the shoulder. Arrhianna’s was taking sixteen undergraduates to Washington DC, where she planned to give a speech on the values of liberty and limited government at a dinner in two days. Arrhianna was a graduate student working on a dual doctorate in political science and history. Having lived through most of America’s history gave her a unique perspective and insight. Many of her earlier writings earned her national notoriety, and having scored very high on an IQ test, people viewed her as a genius. However her down-to-earth personality would never allow people to treat her differently. She was a friend to everyone she came in contact with.

I’m fine, but I just have a bit of a headache. I’ll get some sleep on the plane, she said, still holding her hands over her face as an announcement signaled the boarding of their flight. Arrhianna packed up her computer and made her way to the back of a short line as her students and a few other people got on the plane. Two elderly couples were the first to board. Arrhianna’s students filed in behind them. Arrhianna handed the attendant the boarding pass and started down the tunnel to the plane. She was starting to think about what Adaquious told her, but she took a deep breath and walked into the tunnel. The tunnel creaked as she stepped onto it, and the plane did as well. The pilots were adjusting their instruments and felt the plane shift as Arrhianna boarded.

Are we still loading cargo? the copilot asked the cargo and refueling lead operator via radio.

You guys are ready to go, the lead operator responded.

This is flight control, 873, you are clear to taxi, an air traffic controller inserted promptly.

Arrhianna made her way to the back of the plane. She was in the last seat on the left, which bent and almost collapsed as she sat down. She put her feet flat on the floor and pushed back against the wall, taking her full weight off the chair and slowly lowered herself onto the seat, bending the back of the seat just a little. The wall began to warp a little behind her. It would have been noticeable on a well-lit plane, but all of the lights were out in the rear of the plane. Slowly, she allowed the chair to hold her full weight, and it buckled quite a bit. The flight took off without a hitch and easily reached its anticipated travel altitude.

Ping! The captain has just turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. We’re expecting turbulence ahead, as we’re approaching a small thunderstorm. So get to your seats and buckle in tight. It shouldn’t take us too much time to get through it, a flight attendant announced.

Glancing out the window, Arrhianna could see the line in the sky where the pink-and-purple horizon of the evening met a dark and ominous storm-cloud system. A flight attendant made one last pass then headed to the rear of the plane to secure herself. Flight deck secure, the attendant hastily announced as the flight began to get very bumpy. The few reading lights flickered as lightning surrounded the plane. The plane began to jerk up and down violently and then went dark. There was an eerie gasp as people simultaneously took a deep breath. The lightning was almost constant, lighting up the interior of the plane through several open windows. All of a sudden, a thundering explosion shook the plane. Large sparks and flames lit up the left wing. Several screams sounded through the plane, mostly from Arrhianna’s students. The plane began to lose altitude as the left side dipped lower.

We’ve suffered damage to the left engine. Prepare for emergency landing, the captain said, with only a slight quiver of anxiety in his voice. The oxygen masks dropped, and the plane continued to jerk violently and began to lose altitude at a much faster rate. Everyone was in panic except for Arrhianna. She sat calmly facing forward with her eyes closed, wondering if she caused the explosion and feeling regret for not heeding Adaquious’s warning.

Adaquious, still in pursuit of Arrhianna, could see the flames from the burning engine in