Day Six - The First Task

SpaceWizards
(Another SpaceWizards Action/Adventure Mystery)

There are a lot of planets in the universe where diaries, journals, etc. are a big part of life, especially for the young. It’s mostly done by Young Ones and Younger Ones. We here on Earth call them children, preteens, and teenagers, especially tweens and teenagers. But there are a lot of adults like Jacci that keep one too. Jacci is the only one of this team of SpaceWizards that kept a diary. That was until now. This is the story about that change.

“The First Task”

A Short Story

Remembered By

Mairon

     Mairon stood in front of the other six SpaceWizards in the spaceship’s Practice Chamber. The other six sat in a semi-circle in fabric chairs. “I have thought about this a lot lately. Ever since we found Jacci’s diary, and I think we should all be doing one, I included. I know what you other males are going to say about that. That diary is a female thing. And on most planets that have them, that is true. I don’t care what you call them. But I do want them started today.”

     After taking a deep breath, Mairon continued. “I want them done every daily, even if it’s only a few lines. About forty at the most is fine. Those are the days we aren’t battling Horrald. On those days, I expect a lot more detail. I’m going to make mine available to everyone here. But you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to do it. It’s up to you if you want to or not. I am going to reading them every day and review them. So, don’t be too graphic.”

     A few seconds later Mairon continued. “The first task, thing, I want you to tell me about is what happened in our latest battle with Horrald. Why did we lose that battle? And what you think is going to happen to us because of it.”

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     Borrele spun around as she mumbled something. Five dead suddenly stopped their run at Borrele with their three-foot Long Blades in front of them. They used those Long Blades to cut their own heads off. Their bodies had hit the ground before their heads did.

     We aren’t the only ones looking for the six pieces of the weapon we destroyed in orbit of this planet a few hours ago. Horrald has sent his army to look for them too.

     I wonder why he didn’t come himself. He’s probably with one of the other SpaceWizards.

     I’m kind of surprised he didn’t come after me first, though. After all, my piece is the closest one to where they landed on Davivan when the weapon was almost destroyed.

     Borrele slowly scanned the charred dense Wooded Area around her. I don’t see any more of the dead here. But I’m sure there are a lot more. Horrald wouldn’t send only a few dead after me.

     After doing another scan around her, Borrele started walking in the direction of the charred trees. Every few seconds she would cock her head, mostly backward, to her side.

     Suddenly, Borrele stopped and mumbled something. A Moving Image appeared in a jagged circle in front of her. That image showed a group of the dead surrounding something. They stood so closely together what they surrounded couldn’t be seen.

     Borrele mumbled something else, and the image disappeared. She started running through the Wooded Area. A few seconds later exited them. Several Fire Balls came out of each of her palms as she left the Wooded Area. They struck the backs and heads of the dead and exploded. A few seconds after the Fire Balls were fired eight electric strings shot out of her fingertips. They struck the dead right in front of the exploded dead. Small holes appeared in their hollow bodies and heads.

     Within a few second a clear path showed four dead holding a large piece of metal. Suddenly, they disappeared with it. The surrounding dead disappeared a few seconds later. I’m too late.

     “I don’t know what’s going to happen if Horrald re-creates that weapon. But it’s not going to be good for us. That much I do know.”

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     Pacill closed his eyes slightly into small slits. Within those slits, he could see the inside of a small building. luckily, no one is in there. That includes Horrald at the moment.

     It’s a good thing this happened at night in this village. Pacill opened his eyes and looked down at a medium sized village below him.

     Getting this piece of the weapon shouldn’t be too hard. Unless Horrald suddenly shows up.

     Pacill started floating down toward that building. It’s a good thing that piece is at the front edge of this village. Getting it without being detected shouldn’t be too hard, either.

     Suddenly, Pacill skidded to a stop about halfway to his destination. Pacill raised his palms and started rapid throwing one Fire Ball after another at the dead that just ran out a Wooded Area that surrounded that village.

     The Fire Balls exploded when they hit one to three of the dead or hit the ground and trees in front of them. Either way, the explosions killed one to five of the dead. Within only a few seconds about twenty-five of the dead got released from their deaths. That took out most of the dead. But a few got through to the building below.

     Pacill mumbled something, and he disappeared. A second later he re-appeared inside that building. But there wasn’t anyone or anything there. Both the weapon piece and the dead were gone. I’m only a few seconds too late. Why did I use the Transport spell, to begin with.

     “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I don’t know what’s going to happen to us because of this.”

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     Jacci mumbled something and dove into a large enclosed body of water. She admittedly started scanning that mucky water. But she could barely see her outstretched arms. Her body wasn’t too clear either.

     After mumbling something else, a bright light appeared all around her. Jacci smiled. Now, I should be able to find it without any trouble at all.

     Suddenly, that water was filled with long blades all around her. Most passed on either side of her or around her legs. But a few barely missed her head. One didn’t miss her back.

     Jacci screamed then mumbled some, and the blade disappeared. A few drops of blue blood trickled out of the small cut in her chest that floated down below her. Another mumbled spell, and the cut zipped itself up then disappeared too.

     After turning toward the surface, Jacci shot several Water Balls out of the water. Those balls became Fire Balls after the left the water. Jacci mumbled something else. And she jetted herself out of the water.

     Hovering just above the water Jacci saw that her Fire Balls exploded among a group of the dead. Jacci also saw that there still about twenty dead still among the living. Most of them started throwing their Long Blades at her. But a few dove into the water.

     Jacci eliminated the remaining dead with a volley of Fire Balls and electrical strings within seconds. She dove back into the water just in time to see five dead with a large piece of metal being carried. When they saw Jacci, they disappeared.

     I didn’t even notice them following me. Why didn’t I use an invisibility spell?

     “What do I think is going to happen to us? That’s a good question. I don’t know.”

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     Mairon shot four large metal balls out of his palms. He aimed those balls at Horrald as he sailed through Space at a very fast rate of speed. Horrald was going so fast he wasn’t looking straight ahead. His head was down. But he did raise just before the balls struck.

     Horrald couldn’t stop the balls from striking him. But he did suddenly streak to a stop and straightened up just they did hit him. Those explosions did push him back about a mile before he skidded to a stop. Other than that he appeared to be okay from what Mairon could see.

     Just before those balls exploded, Mairon mumbled something. A second later they blew themselves up. Pieces of jagged metal struck Horrald all over his body. Mairon watched as Horrald suddenly stopped. He also saw him shake it off and start his journey back toward him.

     Mairon raised his fingers at Horrald. And when he was within a few hundred feet Mairon fired Laser Bolts about two inches long at him. If Horrald had been coming in head first, as he did before, those bolts might have hurt him. Maybe even killed him. But that time he was coming in straight up. It slowed him down a lot, but it also helped to block the latest attack against him.

     Horrald stopped and mumbled something. A second later and the bolts split into two and went around him. Glancing behind him, Horrald saw the bolts disappear a few seconds later. He looked back at Mairon and raised his hands. Metal balls started to come out. But he closed his hands into fists. When he opened them, the balls were gone. He looked at Mairon evilly. Mairon was using the weapon core as cover for his attacks.

     Neither one did anything for several minutes. Then finally Horrald smiled evilly at Mairon. And a second later he disappeared. “What just happened? Where did he go? Why did he just leave?”

     Mairon started slow scanning the area around him. He darted his head in another direction several times. After a few minutes, he stopped. “I thought he was going to start a sneak attack. But it looks like I was wrong about that.”

     “I wonder why he suddenly left. It doesn’t really matter as long as he’s gone. All that matters is figuring out what this weapon is. And we can do that once we get all the pieces to it back from Davivan.”

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     Yena mumbled something, and a bright light appeared in front of her. She used it to walked herself through the tunnel she was in. The piece of the weapon I’m looking for created this cave tunnel into the side of this mountain. Finding it shouldn’t be a problem. All I have to do is follow it to its final resting place.

     This piece must be gigantic to create a tunnel big enough for me to fit through. But I’m not surprised it’s big. We saw them break apart when they headed for Davivan.

     At least I don’t have to worry about Horrald showing up here. He’s not behind me yet. And he couldn't have gotten here before me.

     I have been using a Location spell. If he showed up before I did, I would have known it. And he wouldn’t just transport it. Too much of a risk of ending up part of this mountain.

     Yena walked in silent thinking for several minutes. Then she suddenly stopped and smiled. I think I have just reached my destination.

     Just then ten Long Blades came directly at Yena. Yena fell flat to the ground. She turned over and saw those blades struck in the side walls, floor, and ceiling. A few second later she flipped back onto her front. Yena opened her palms. Then instantly closed her hands. I can’t use Fire Balls or electrical strings because I don’t know where the piece is at. Can’t risk hitting it.

     After just laying there for several minutes staring at an opening into a bigger cavern Yena smiled. Yena mumbled something then got up and walked to the edge of the opening. Nothing happened. I knew a Bone Shattering spell would work. The only way it wouldn’t be is if the piece of the weapon was made of bone.

     When she reached the opening, Yena suddenly stopped, and her jaw dropped. Yena stared at the blackish dust that littered the white floors. She also saw the dead within the walls, floor, and ceiling. Some were straight as though they were walking through the walls. But for most only, their upper bodies were exposed. Quite a few only got to their neck or shoulder.

     Yena also saw there was no piece of the weapon there. Horrald sacrificed a lot of his dead just to get to the weapon first.

     “I don’t know how to answers that question about what we should do. The only answer that I can come up with right now is I don’t know.”

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     Stavon was walking through a very busy village. There were a lot of Davivans walking up and down that large pathway between buildings. No one seemed to notice a stranger walked among them. Stavon stopped in front of a business and looked inside a glass window. There was no reflection staring back at him.

     With all the metal in this village, it’s hard to find the piece of metal I am looking for. Maybe it’s just right outside of the village. It could be still close enough that I can’t detect it. And that would explain why the Davivans haven’t reacted to a piece of metal that has fallen down on them.

     A few minutes later and Stavon stopped to the end of that pathway. Stavon smiled. A Transport just hovered through a large hole. The whole side of that village was covered in holes. Those two rows of holes were only a few feet apart from each other. They must have an underground transport system.

     Those holes are more than big enough for my piece of weapon could have fallen into it. But that doesn’t explain why no one has reacted to it yet. I hope not, but maybe it shattered when it struck.

     Stavon scanned the holeway from one direction to the other. Then he did it back again, stopping about halfway down it. He smiled again. That hole looks like it’s under construction. If it landed in there the Davivans might not know about it yet.

     First, Stavon looked up at the sky. Then he followed where he was looking in the sky to the construction hole. If it continued to fall from the destruction of the weapon it looks like it did land in that hole.

     After scanning the transport system because there was always a transport exiting a hole or entering one, Stavon walked over to that construction hole and looked inside it. What he saw was the piece of metal he was sent there to find. He also saw a bunch of the dead there too.

     Electrical strings started appearing out of nowhere and entered that hole. Each string struck one of the dead. Within a few seconds about twenty-five of the dead were turned to dust. That should have happened. It must have something to do with this planet’s air.

     Stavon jumped down into the hole still firing his electrical strings. He ran at the piece of metal and managed to string two of the five dead before it happened. The three remaining dead and the piece of weapon suddenly disappeared.

     That didn’t just happen, did it? What am I going to tell the others?

     “I thought I was the only one who didn’t get their piece of the weapon until I got back and found out no one did except Mairon. As for what we are going to do about it, that I don’t know.”

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     Angoria hovered above a grain field. There was no grain there. But there was a big hole in the center of it. Angoria got just above that hole and peered into it. I can’t see a thing. I’m sure it’s in there. But I can’t see it.

     After mumbling something, Angoria threw a white ball into that hole. And when the white ball hit that hole, the inside of it could be seen. Angoria peered into it again. That time she could see all the way to the bottom. I still don’t see it. Maybe I’m already too late. Horrald might have already gotten this one.

     It was the easiest to find. That’s why I got to go get it. Angoria started to float down into that hole. She got about halfway down it when she stopped and smiled.

     “There it is.” Angoria pointed her palms in the direction she was looking at shot two Fire Balls in that direction.

     A few seconds later she fired two more Fire Balls. Unfortunately, the dead is there too.

     The first two Fire Balls struck a group of the dead on one side of the piece of weapon. And the second two hit the group on the other side. About ten from each group instantly became dust. Angoria looked shocked. She opened her mouth to speak. But she didn’t say anything. Instead, she started firing electrical strings at the remaining twenty-five to thirty dead. Within a few seconds, all of them were dust too.

     Angoria floated down to the piece of weapon. She had it in her hands, and she tried to lift it. But it slipped out of her hands and returned to the ground only a few feet away. This is too heavy for me to lift on my own. I’m going to need help to retrieve it.

     Wait, I’m a SpaceWizard. Angoria closed her eyes and mumbled something.

     When she opened her eyes, she picked up the piece of weapons and put it under her arm. Then she started floating back up to the surface. Angoria barely got to the surface when her piece got ripped out from her. It continued floating up toward Horrald. When it reached Horrald’s hands he, and it disappeared.

     I can’t believe that just happened. It was mine. Now I’m going to be the only one who didn’t get their piece of the weapon. And it’s probably going to end up being the most important piece too.

     “I don’t know what we are going to do about the weapon. There’s not much we can do about it. If Horrald has another core, then he can rebuild his weapon.”

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     “The first task that I asked you to do went very well. We still don’t know what that weapon was. But we will find out one way or another. If Horrald can create a new weapon are only hope maybe is if we can discover what his weapon is with the core that we have.”

     “I’m very proud of all of you. You all chose to let anyone read your diary or whatever you are calling it. I even saw a few other reviews from them too. I think you all did a very excellent job with them too. But there was one thing that that I noticed about all of them. None of you know what we should do about this weapon.”

     “Angoria was the only one who got close to getting her piece of the weapon. We might not know what kind of a weapon it is. But since Horrald created it it’s probably some kind of a SpaceWizard elimination weapon. It could also be a Power Theft weapons. We won’t know that it is until we discover it. And I know we will. I just hope we can do it before Horrald uses his new one against up. But we might not have anything to worry about away. I don’t think Horrald has any more cores to use for his weapon. After all, he was trying to get this one back from me. Why would he do that if he had others to use?”

Word Count = 3,170