Planet Ignis | Ch. 20 (Patreon)

When I first heard of the Phoenix project, I applied immediately. Looking back, I was already a coward because I set towards the stars, not to give something to humanity or show bravery, but to run from problems on Earth. When I learned that Mary was pregnant, I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a father.

So, without letting anyone know, I ran, abandoning my wife and the responsibilities that awaited me. It was easier to escape to another galaxy than to face the challenges at home. I know it was for the best. The child will be happier not having a father like me. I’m good with machines, but not with children.

I wonder if Mary ever found out what happened to me. But that’s not important. What’s important is that you must do whatever it takes to survive. Don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way. You deserve to live. You deserve to follow your path.

Files salvaged from the Raptor’s Ghost Drive. Recorded by Schneider, the Raptor

Eli and Trother slept, nestled in their makeshift camp on the rugged slopes of the formidable mountain. The air was crisp and cool. The first rays of dawn painted the alien sky with vibrant orange and purple hues. Their rest was abruptly shattered by a thunderous explosion that echoed through the mountains, reverberating in their ears. Startled, Eli and Trother jolted upright. A blinding flash of light enveloped them, forcing Eli to squint and shield his gaze.

As the light gradually dimmed, a deafening silence settled, broken only by the faint ringing in their ears. Eli blinked, his vision slowly clearing, revealing a devastated Trother. His teacher’s tears made Eli’s heart sink, and he found breathing difficult, anticipating the dreadful news. “Did Brodnir...?” Eli’s voice quivered.

Trother could hardly speak. After a moment, he managed to find his voice, his words heavy. “Yes, my son. Brodnir... he’s no more.”

The world seemed to crumble around Eli as reality settled in. Brodnir, his king and friend, had fallen. Memories of their encounters flooded Eli’s mind, and tears streamed down his face. He couldn’t believe it. Brodnir was one of the people he had known the longest. He remembered when he had first met Brodnir in the Nexus. Sometimes Brodnir would come and talk to the children. He would watch with interest Eli playing games. He especially had fun observing him playing Pacman. Eli remembered how honored he felt when the king himself had come to congratulate him when he had beaten Brodnir’s record.

Especially in the last six years, Eli had seen Brodnir many times. On occasion, Trother would bring Eli along to play chess with Brodnir. A tear rolled down Eli’s face as the memory of seeing Trother lose at a chess game against Brodnir flashed in his mind. Brodnir had made his teacher turn green. Brodnir then encouraged Eli, saying he too would win against the old man one day.

“But how could he produce such a powerful emission? I thought he was running low. Yesterday evening he was down to just using golden emissions!”

“I think he was just biding his time. He might have been trying to fool the Raptor into thinking he was growing weak. He then tried to surprise him and used all that he had left in one final  burst.”

“But master! You can’t be sure! Maybe Brodnir stopped the Raptor. How do you know he lost?”

Trother looked down. Then, he pointed with his unhealthy hand at his eye. “I perceived. I forced myself to see through the explosion. As he burst, he slightly flickered his last emission. He sent a message to us in Ignian. Oh, Brodnir! The cool you kept despite your approaching death to give thought to send us a message in your dying moments. You were indeed a great king.” Eli heard immense pride in the last sentence.

“What did he say?!” Eli’s voice trembled with fury; his grief intermingled with a wave of overwhelming anger at the unfairness of it all.

“He said: ‘Run, father. I can’t slow him any longer. It comes. Hurry. I... love you.’“ The weight of Brodnir’s final message bore down upon Eli. At that moment, realization struck him. Trother was Brodnir’s father! Suddenly, everything made sense. The familiarity between the two, the glimmers in his teacher’s eyes when he spoke of the king, and the frequent visits to the king to play chess with him. How had he not seen it?

Finding out that Brodnir was his teacher’s son, and in a sense, his brother, Eli wanted to keep crying, but the rage in his teacher’s eyes froze him. He had never seen his teacher so angry.  It was as if his teacher had only given himself one minute to grieve and now had locked away his feelings. He could only see steeled, silent determination in his teacher’s eyes. His voice resonated with determination as he turned his gaze toward the distant peak of the mountain.

“Eli. It’s time to kick our bursts up a notch. I want to be in Hitori’s lab by the end of the day, no matter the cost. The Raptor is coming here, next.”

“OK. Let’s do this.”

“For Zawa,” said Trother.

“For Brodnir,” completed Eli.

Eli and Trother let the ignium within their bodies surge with renewed intensity. The energy pulsed through their veins, resonating with a vibrant golden hue. They carefully fed the reverberation with every breath, channeling the immense power toward the ignium woven into their muscles. As they did, their muscles swelled and bulged. Their arms became as big as a guerilla’s, or gorilla’s, or whatever the Earth primate was called. Their legs bulged and grew bulkier as well.

Eli and Trother moved as fast as they could. blue sickly veins became more prominent in Trother’s skin as the day went by. Even with all his efficiency, he was burning through his lifespan as he had never before.

“Don’t slow down, Eli!” urged Trother.

“But master! Your longevity!” screamed Eli as he kept climbing as quickly as possible. His muscles bulged and inflated.

“Don’t worry about me. Hurry. Just a bit more and we’ll reach the summit.” They kept going as fast as they could. As they climbed higher, even though the gravity became weaker reducing its toll on their climb, the temperature was becoming colder and colder. They had to burst with orange-grade energy just to keep their ignium polarized. Eli could hardly believe that his teacher had been able to keep up with him despite how little longevity he had left.

Finally, after a grueling day of relentless climbing, they reached the apex of the Dragon Range—the Peak. Here, the gravitational force was half what they had in the Burrows, granting them a momentary respite. They adjusted their energy output, finding an optimal burst to conserve their dwindling reserves.

Trother looked to Eli, his eyes filled with exhaustion. “How far is the Raptor?” he asked, his voice steady despite the strain.

Eli perceived. Unlike Brodnir and Trother, he still couldn’t do the trick of only Perceiving with one eye, so both of his pupils were lit with a bright yellow color. “It’s halfway to the mountain. The Raptor moves even faster than we thought!”  Due to his heightened vision, Eli could see the Raptor from here.

“There’s no time to waste. Let’s move, son.”

As Trother took a step forward, he collapsed, succumbing to exhaustion.

“Teacher! Are you alright?” Screamed Eli as he rushed to Trother’s side, supporting him.

Trother’s breath came in labored gasps, and his once vibrant complexion now bore a sickly pallor. “I’m... okay,” he managed to whisper, his voice strained. “I just need a moment.”

Eli increased his burst output, directing the energy to alleviate his teacher’s suffering. Trother’s eyes met Eli’s, gratitude and love shining within them.

Forced to pause, Eli’s eyes finally took in the majestic landscape. The view from the mountaintop was breathtaking—a surreal combination of beauty and danger. The metallic sheen of the Ignian crust shimmered under the distant light, creating an otherworldly spectacle. Somewhere out there, beneath the metal, were the children of their tribe. They were counting on them.

“How can such a beautiful place be so deadly?”

Trother, leaning on Eli’s support, offered a faint smile. “Most deadly things possess a certain beauty, my son,” he mused. Only then did Eli realize that he had spoken aloud.

Eli gently helped Trother to his feet. “Let’s go, teacher. Perhaps it’s more comfortable inside Hitori’s lab. I’ll help you.”

Trother didn’t protest. Instead, he allowed Eli to shoulder his weight. Together, they pressed forward, exploring the summit. After several minutes they discovered a hidden cave entrance. Entering it, they found a massive metallic door.

“This door...” Trother murmured, his voice trailing off... “I’ve seen it before.”

They had arrived at their destination—the entrance to Hitori’s lab.

Ch. 21