Within his helmet the
guard kept a mindful eye on his surroundings. From the terrifying screams
overhead his neck would often jerk from side to side as he tried to catch sight
of the incredibly fast flying beasts just above the canopy as they darted past.
The helmets’ highly attuned external microphone began to pick up Siris’ voice
as he spoke.
“You’ve been here
before, haven’t you?” He asked of Bane as they continued to make their way
through the great wooded area. “My Master was a seeker of sorts and brought us
here when I was very young.” “Of sorts?” Siris asked. Bane gave the young man
an intense glare and a slight pause before he disclosed a part of his past no
one knew of, something he had even kept from his long time apprentice as well.
“He would tell tails of lost treasures and fortune I would dream about them.
When I did tell him what I saw we would travel seeking his so-called riches.”
Siris intrigued by his answer pondered it for a moment, “What happened to him?”
Bane’s reply was flat and
as he spoke the words a slight grin burst through his chiseled features. “He
was killed by the creatures. You know they decapitate their prey before
consuming the carcass.” Siris was taken back for a moment. He felt an urge to
ask more about his father but the look upon Bane’s face frightened even him. He
diverted his next question back to the present. “Could it be that he was
searching for the artifact?”
Bane’s reply was razor
sharp and to the point. “No, he was fond of precious metals, besides there are
hundreds of ruins about this world.”
Siris recalling the
data about the planet and what Bane had informed them just before they landed
became very fascinated on how a young boy could survive such a place. “What
kept you from becoming a meal?” he asked. “Although I was too young to
understand at the time, through my fear I was able to mask myself and no other
creature could sense my presence.” A shocked looked over came Siris’ face, he
was finally able to understand what Bane had done to him just hours before.
“That’s what that was”, Siris spurted out, “Not even Kaan possesses such a
skill.”
Bane jerked about and
stopped dead in his tracks. His devilish tongue broke into hate and flame as
his eyes began to pierce and burn his young friends gaze. “Kaan is a master of
alchemy and diplomacy nothing more. To use the force to its potential you must
understand its subtleties.”
Excerpt from
Resurrection
Rick J. Johnson
Copyright © 2005
All Rights Reserved