The Gorrideon - Guardians of Light and Darkness

"Scout One to base, sector one completed. Negative results. Will continue to sector two, over," reported the pilot of the Atlantias.

"Negative scout one. Return to base, very urgent. His father requests his immediate presence," returned the base communications officer.

"Wait. Will confirm message, over," answered the pilot.

The pilot was merely checking with his commander before changing course. His commander was Zuros, a Boltarian of a once highly respected royal family. Although he was not a large man by any "earth" standards, he was well-equipped with sleek muscles that hid his true strength. His strength was not totally physical or able to be measured by any means that are known on our own planet. His strength was an inner strength given to him at birth and built up throughout the years. It came about through an explosion in his father's laboratory that left his parents scarred for life.

His family had only recently become outcast by their own people. The accident suffered by his parents, Sol and Terra, caused a drastic change in their appearance. His parent's hideous form frightened and horrified the people of Boltar so much that they were asked to leave the planet. Zuros and is twin brother were not subjected to the mutation, even though their mother gave birth to them immediately after the accident. His father had been the Lord of the Elders, and ruler of the solar system in which his native planet was a part of. Now his father and mother were strangers, even in their own minds. they had possessed almost unlimited capabilities, but could not change the fact that they had been transformed into beings that were ugly, even to a people that have traveled the stars and seen many beings.

Instead of the humanoid form of their native planet, they were distorted beyond recognition. Actually their form was extremely efficient. They no longer breathed air, ate food, nor drank water, but gained strength and power from the very elemental roots of the energy cycle. They could gain strength and nurishment from the sun or even the raw materials of the earth. They wasted nothing, their capacity for thought was increased several times. Not even the slightest movement was without a great purpose.

Their intellect was so increased that they even knew when they would die. Even though the accident gave them strength, it also tore away at their very souls. They had taken so much so fast, that they were burning out. They raced the clock to build a home they could raise their child in. It did not take long to build an immense palace with every luxury possible. They built robots and automated machinery for any and every need of their child. All was located on the planet Boltar Minor, the farthest planet out in their system, thought to be uninhabitable.

The child grew up happy, though he was born in a humanoid form, he loved his parents deeply. He was too young to have the simple prejudices that are such a large part of many adults. He had not the knowledge to hate a being for its differences. He was taught very well by his parents in the fields of science, history, and mathematics and also self-defense, for his race was a race of warriors. He also learned compassion and love, and how to control anger.

In his spare time, his father Sol, which meant Sun, or the center of life, spent many hours contacting other worlds with his many devices. Sometimes he even left their home for a while, and returned with strange tales of rescuing people from evil forces. He became a legend and a myth. Many beings came to our home from other worlds. They became ambassadors of many worlds. It was some time later that his father started the Council of the Worlds. Many beings united together to form a mighty force against evil. When an evil force was encountered, it was relentlessly fought back with such brutal force that it was not long before the evil hordes that roamed the galaxies and systems no longer bothered to come near the quadrant. The family could live in peace.

The slender looking child grew strong and free. Though his parents were troubled that their child showed no signs of power or immense abilities, they did not show it. He did not even do a simple matter transportation of a pencil from the table to him. Instead he got up to get it. His parents had this ability, but always took caution not to become lazy or to teach that thought to their child. They tried to stay as healthy as possible, considering the rate of power loss and growing weakness.

It was the twenty-second day of the twelfth colon of the parcek of Grandius in the argon of 220 and Zuros had been in search of his brother, who had been taken at birth by mongrel hordes wandering about the galaxies. The pilot confirmed the course change from their search, and headed the craft for home. Zuros had no idea why his father would want him this soon. He had only begun his journey, but he never questioned his father's authority. He arrived at full speed expecting to be reprimanded for something. Instead of meeting his father at the space port, only Dur, one of the Ambassadors of the Councils of Planets met him.

"What is going on, Dur?" asked Zuros.

"You had better follow me to your parent's room," Dur answered.

"Pilot, keep the craft in ready. I will be back," commanded Zuros.

"Yes sir," the pilot returned.

Zuros followed Dur to his parent's room. He entered and saw in disbelief that his parents were no longer in the form that they had been, but returned to a humanoid form. Zuros rushed over to his parents' side. He fell on his knees beside their bed and shouted with glee that his father had succeeded in transforming into a humanoid form.

His expression turned into horror when he received no answer and had grabbed his father's arm only to have it nearly crumble beneath his gentle grasp. He glanced at his mother and saw that she looked as though she had been dried out, nearly to dust. With the last bit of strength left in him, his father spoke to Zuros.

"Though you are almost twenty argons old, I have not revealed your true ancestry and destiny to you. I received a glimpse of your future last night and now know what you must do with your life from now on. You are to become a man of many powers, including immortality. You are destined as a savior of all good beings and life forms, as the destroyer of evil. And by the power invested in me by your ancestors, and as your father I hereby proclaim you Zuros Alaxs Boltar, the Gorrideon, Guardian of Light! The Seeker of Truth, Destroyer of Evil!" His father pointed to the table next to the bed.

Zuros picked up an envelope that was addressed to him from his father. After a few moments he opened the envelope and took out the letter and read it. The letter explained to Zuros that long ago his ancestor was a previous Guardian of Light, but the need of a savior had past and many generations had gone by without a Guardian of Light. The letter contained many things that had been known by only one man. Now Zuros knew what had to be done.

Zuros placed the letter back into the envelope and placed it back onto his father's diary, which contained more information for Zuros. He glanced back at his parents, but only a pile of dust remained. A wind rose up and blew the dust about vanishing forever within a closed room without a window or vent.

"The mystic wind of the Zamoran Warrior," proclaimed Zuros.

"Excuse me sir?" asked Dur.

"Never mind Dur. Just talking to myself," Zuros answered. "My mother and father had lived for over ninety argons and though they had founded the colonies of Boltar and were its rulers for as many argons, they died early in life on the outermost planet of the system in exile, alone and feeling unwanted by their own kind!" Zuros continued.

Dur, the ambassador, left the room with tears in his eyes and walked out into the courtyard where the rest of the Council was waiting. He spoke to the others and told them that the Head of Council, Lord of all Boltar was dead. The others knew Zuros, his size was not great, and they felt he knew nothing about the Council or how to be a ruler of a people.

"His son has inherited the Sword, but knows not of its use! The Council is finished! We will all be attacked by the hordes and destroyed. We must flee to our planets and make ready for war," exclaimed one of the ambassadors.

Cries of anger and disapproval filled the courtyard from ambassadors who disbelieved him. Some said there could be a new leader, some argued that without the Power, no one being could rule so many beings from so many planets and systems.

Zuros left the palace barely noticed. He was ignored by many, except one very worried and frightened girl. The girl went to the edge of the railing to watch Zuros climbing the hill next to the palace, up to a great statue. It was a statue of Zuros's great, great, great-grandfather Grandius Alexius Boltar. Next to the statue was the Altar of the Stone. These were the only things that the family had taken with them in flight from their planet.

The Altar of the Stone is an immense block of well cut stone. It is composed of many unknown metals and minerals, which could not be worked by anything known at present. The perfectly smooth surface of this monolith is interrupted only by a small slot in the front face of the stone. And in that slot is a sword with the handle partially exposed on the surface pointing outward from the front. The Sacred Sword of Xcaltar becomes part of the stone, and turns into stone itself when placed into the stone. When the true Gorrideon touches the hilt, the stone hilt transforms into metal and can be withdrawn from the stone. Only the rightful heir to the family throne and ruler of the planets of the Boltarian system could even lift the sword, let alone withdraw it from its magic spell of imprisonment.

Zuros knelt before the altar, chanting to the stone in the ancient tongue, used and known only by the heirs of Boltar. Zuros knew the tongue since birth. Others recognized the tongue, but do not know the meaning of the words. Some of the ambassadors had stopped arguing and came to the railing to watch alongside the girl, Arrienne, who was Zuros's wife.

Dur, of Zen, spoke first, "It sounds as if Zuros is speaking in the tongue of the Ancients."

"Bah, you are mistaken, that is not the 'Old Tongue'. It's only your imagination," replied Zog of Uhrana.

"No, I'm sure.... How do you know of the Ancients?" asked Dur.

"We are all descendants from the Ancients, those who are within this part of the universe," answered Zog.

"I think you are both crazy. There is no such language," proclaimed Nehimia of Osasa.

"Silence!" Dur commanded.

As Zuros chanted to the Stone it began to glow. Heard only by Zuros, the Stone answered. "By what deed do you wish to use the power?"

"By the deed of my forefathers, to defend our lands against the threat," answered Zuros.

"By whose power shall wield the Sword?"

"By the power granted in me as the Gorrideon!"

"And what is your strength?"

"Guardian of Light."

"Who shall accompany you on your journey?"

"No one shall. I am alone."

"You are wrong Zuros. You shall find help from many lands, from the small, from the meek, from the tall, from the past, and from the future!"

"By the leave of the Stone?" asked Zuros.

"You are granted the Power!"

The Stone changed from a dull gray, rough-like texture to a smooth, shiny, black color. Zuros rose to his feet, and touched the hilt of the Sword. The Sword changed to a shiny gold color upon his touch. Zuros withdrew the Sword and studied it. It is a three-blade sword that is very thick and quite long. It has three blades of broadswords together in the middle. Along each blade are carvings of the Ancients. The hilt is made of three dragons that wind about each other with the heads darting out away from the hilt near the blades and in the direction of each of the edges of the blades. They curved back towards the handle, but only part of the way back, enough for a hand to fit between. The eyes of the dragons were small black diamonds imbedded in gold. The body of the dragons was laced with rubies and sapphires, met at the axis of the blade then turned back away from the blades and inter-twined around themselves to form the handle or hilt of the sword. At the other end of the hilt, the tails of the dragons wind around a large jewel that glows brightly and hums as if an immense power is held inside it. Jewels are embedded in the center of the blades, and in the dragons.

Many of the ambassadors had stopped arguing and were watching Zuros with the Sword. For many, many argons the Sword had not been withdrawn and used. Those who knew of it were no less astonished at its appearance than those who had not heard of it. It began to glow and hum more than before as Zuros raised it level above his head, and then straight upward into the air.

"By the power granted to me by the Ancients, by the will of my father, and by the strength of the gods I do hereby declare myself the rightful heir to the throne!" shouted Zuros.

More of the ambassadors stopped arguing and fighting. They were silently watching Zuros, as he turned to face the palace and shouted, "By all the gods I decree that there will be no more fighting on this sacred ground! With the power of the Sword, I reveal my true self. Behold the Gorrideon!"

Zuros struck the Sword on the base of the Altar. Streaks of white, intense light emitted from the Sword, and darted across the sky, lighting every corner and every centimeter of ground in and around the palace. The ambassadors were momentarily blinded by the flash. All the fighting ceased as if an evil shadow had been wiped out by the light and all doubt, anger, and hatred flew out with it. he mass of battered and bruised faces turned to see something they felt they had seen before, and yet had not seen before. They were struck with awe, as if a Borgonian hammer had struck their heads and scattered their brains. They struggled to collect their thoughts and concentrate on what they were seeing. Before them loomed a figure of immense size, nearly ten times the height of the ambassadors. Even the immense palace built to accommodate his parents in their altered form was dwarfed next to Zuros in his new form.

"He is immense. Even taller then the Lord and his wife. Is it truly Zuros?" remarked Arrienne.

"Yes it is! Now I am sure that his parents had been altered by the power of the Ancients into their form, but not completely. Zuros is in their true form!" exclaimed Dur. Zuros had changed somewhat into the likeness of his parents, but not deformed, and much larger.

"Yes, behold. It is I Zuros, the Gorrideon. I hereby proclaim that the Council shall continue. Dur, you will be the Head Council."

"No! That is not the rightful choice, it should be you!" shouted Alat of the planet Elixir.

"It is I who shall choose. Do you doubt the word of he who is called the Gorrideon?" asked Zuros, placing at Alat's chest the tip of the Sacred Tri-Sword of Xcaltar, now also enlarged.

Alat hastily replied, "No your lordship."

"Very well, now all of you meet me in the council chamber at once. I will be but a moment," declared Zuros.

Slowly the crowd entered the palace and headed for the immense room of the 'Council of the Worlds'. They entered to behold the humanoid form of Zuros, the Guardian. Astonished and fearful they took their seats at a very large triangle-shaped table. Zuros stood at the center, wearing the ceremonial garb of the Boltarian royalty which his father had refused to wear since his exile. Arrienne sat at the place for the Boltarian ambassador even though she was not given the power of such by the planet itself. Zuros had met her on one of his expeditions into space, and persuaded his father to let her sit in the chair. She and her family, long time friends of the royal family, were the only other Boltarians on that planet. The planet had not asked to be a part of the council, nor were they asked by Sol as Head of Council to send a member. The planet, even without a representative had received the protection thereof, and had some of its warriors enlisted in the protective force called 'The Zamorans', which meant 'Wind Of Power'. And so, though with a few empty seats, the Council had been revived.

The meeting was long, and boring, but many things were decided and planned out. Zuros's mind drifts again from his thoughts of the present. He hears again the last few words from a friend of his fathers. A tape had arrived by a mechanical messenger with pleading words from Daritimees, the leader of Luxzanos. Luxzanos, a most beautiful and renown planet that has become the wonder of the universe. It would take more than a tape from a person sounding like Daritimees saying that there was impending disaster to make Zuros believe that a planet as revered and as peaceful as Luxzanos could be threatened.

He decided that he should look into it. If he was wrong, it would mean that many lives would be threatened, and it would be known that he could have prevented it, but did nothing. Before he could do anything about something that was light years away, he had matters that were more important to him. At least they were closer to home. It had been a long time since his father had been exiled from their home planet. Zuros had never been to the planet because he was born in exile. A visit to his native people has been long overdue. The planet was becoming more and more restless due to divided fractions. There were the warriors of the Zamorans ruled by the Council of Worlds, there was the Council of Elders that ruled the planet of Boltar and surrounding colonies. There were many other religious and political parties. The Elders really never gained complete control of the people since Sol's exile. He had been like a god to them. He had been kind and also strict. He made rules, but not without compassion and love for his people. The Elders were only concerned in making profit. They were bleeding the people dry.

After the meeting ended Zuros was on his way home. A home that was full of people not wholly unknown to him, for he was taught much by his father. He was, however, unknown by his own people and a foreigner. With this in mind he landed his sleek craft outside the city limits after slipping by detection devices behind an ore carrier headed for the industrial part of the city. He left the craft and headed for the city. Upon entering the central part of the city he asked a Royal Guardsman of the Court directions to a Maximus Alus Cotar's apartment.

"Cotar eh? Well he lives two parsinkes to the left of the statue of Grandius Alexius Boltar," answered the guardsman.

"Thank you very much sir," replied Zuros. With that he left the guardsman perplexed at a stranger with the accent not unlike that of the Ancient Tongue. But, he merely shrugged his shoulders and continued patrolling the city.

Although Zuros had never been to the city of Grandius before he very easily found the address. It was probably due to the unique design of the city. It was built like a spoke of a wheel. The government was in the center of the wheel and the statue of Grandius was the axle. Each of the streets was a spoke of the wheel and each had a particular function. Business buildings on one, apartments, private houses, and warehouses each on another. It was on the street with the apartment complexes that Zuros was on now. He stared up at the immense size of the tower. There was a name above the doorway, 'The Golden Pinnacle'. At the top was the particular room which ne needed to go. He entered the building and asked to see Cotar. The clerk at the desk asked for his name.

"Zuros is my name," he answered.

"What is your full name?" asked the clerk.

"Zuros, just Zuros. Cotar will know of me," replied Zuros.

"Well, this is highly unusual, you don't even have the proper forms or even an identity card. You could be an enemy of the state. Perhaps a member of the Horde," stated the clerk.

"That is ridiculous!"

"Very well. I'll call him and find out," the clerk said. "Hello, your lordship? Yes, there is a gentleman here who says he would like to see you. Yes. His name is Zuros.... I thought so."

"Well? May I go up now?" asked Zuros impatiently.

"You may go, but not up, down! Bor remove him!" ordered the clerk.

"What?" asked Zuros.

Not able to say anything more, Zuros was removed by Bor and thrown out into the street. People walking by were laughing at him in a strange hollow way. He brushed off his clothes and walked down to the central square a bit worse for wear. He then entered a small cafe or at least it seemed. He sat down to wait for someone to take his order. A robot waiter rose up out of the floor and came up to Zuros.

"Your food card and I.D. please," the voice said.

"I...I don't have one," Zuros replied.

"G-5X reports an unidentified being at table A-5," the voice said.

"I am a what?" Zuros asked. But without any warning or time for him to speak a single vowel, Zuros was speeded to the doorway and flung out of the door by the chair he was sitting in.

Zuros could hear voices in the cafe making fun of him, remarking something about alien tramps and non-conformers. Zuros tried several times to enter buildings and shops with the same result. He had found out that Boltarian money was not even being used anymore. Instead, they had numbered cards for each type of item. Numbers were given to almost everything. A name meant very little to the children of Boltar. They were taught only numbers and how to use them to get what they wanted. Tires of being thrown about Zuros sat down on the only place he could find that he was allowed. He sat at the base of the statue of his ancestor Grandius Alexius Boltar. Unfortunately for Zuros this was more illegal than stealing food or number cards. A guard, who was patrolling the area, quickly called for assistance upon seeing Zuros. Robot guards arrived along with a Royal Guardsman. Ironically it was the same one who had given Zuros directions.

"Alright young man, what do you think you are doing?" asked the Royal Guardsman.

Startled, Zuros answered, "I...I guess I am sitting."

"Don't be smart with a Royal Guardsman alien or we will have the robot guards chew you up for dinner," snarled the guard.

"I am not being overly impertinent. And I am not an alien. I am a natural born Boltarian," shouted Zuros proudly.

"We'll see about that," exclaimed the guard. He reached into Zuros's pockets, and it was then he noticed the hilt of the sword, uncovered by the cape.

"Look out! He's armed," shouted the guard.

The Guardsman ordered the robots, "Take him!" With that command, a beam of light struck Zuros and sent him blissfully into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew he was in a cell with a robot guard watching him intently with a blaster of some sort. Suddenly the door swung open and an officer of the Royal Guardsmen strode regally in.

"So, you awaken," the officer exclaimed.

Zuros noticing that the officer was of very high rank and had many medals, decided to say nothing.

"Just who are you to be a pretender of royal Boltarian blood? Striding into the square wearing the ancient costume of royal heirs to the throne. Just what are you anyway?"

"I am Zuros...," Zuros said trying to answer, but was interrupted.

"Zuros? What kind of name is that for an alien? You can't be Boltarian or you would have the proper I.D. cards and transport forms. And there is no record of your existence in our computers at Control and Surveillance," stated the officer.

Again Zuros attempted to speak, "My full name is...."

"Well, I think maybe we ought to talk alone, maybe then I'll be able to get something out of you," interrupted the officer. "X-5B1 leave us alone," spoke the officer to the robot.

When the officer turned back, Zuros looked up in great surprise to see the face of Maximus Alus Cotar. So this was the great leader of the Zamorans. He was also the general of the Elder's Royal Guardsmen. There could not have been a better, least suspicious cover for both sides. It was then that Cotar spoke again. "Now we can talk better."

Zuros said nothing, scanned the room for devices of any sort, but did not see any.

"Believe me there are no hidden microphones, or signaling devices," the officer pleaded.

"Very well, will you let me speak now?" Zuros asked.

"You see I really did know who you were, Zuros, but I was afraid the Elders would find out about my involvement with your father. So I said that I knew you not. You will be put in front of the Council of the Elders tomorrow morning. If you need any help, I will be there. Though I am sure I will not be able to do much," stated Cotar.

"I can see that very clearly," exclaimed Zuros. "I will have no need of assistance from a cowardly man like you. You no longer will be needed by the Zamorans."

Cotar, enraged at this began to leave. "I'll see you in hell first. I have fought more battles than you'll ever see, you young stuck-up runt! You'll not be alive to say anything by this time tomorrow. Even though they were not able to remove your precious sword, they will have robots watching your every move and even monitoring your body functions. You will not have the chance to wink." With that he left very quickly.

Zuros contemplated the entire night on how he will be able to handle the situation. The first basic rule his father had made was that every planet had its own rights and that each planet should be able to run its government the way it pleases. Exceptions to this was when the rights of its people were not being given fair consideration. When a government is so sick and degenerate as to let a small group of influential people do what they wish at the expense of a larger group of people with less power and influence, then that government had not the right to exist. The government of a planet should be able to consider each and every person's rights to their own way of living. Even if only one person is unhappy, then some consideration, compensation, or compromise should be made to lessen that person's suffering, or lack of rights. No society is perfect, although many have been close. Even though Zuros was the rightful ruler of his people, his family had been outcast. He had made a promise to his father to not force himself back into this position with his powers, but only wait to be asked unless the people were unable to ask. The people all seemed to be happy. He was never really able to talk to anything except robots and automated machines. Well, it was about time he visited some of his people.

Zuros had gained many abilities that were described by his father and would take him a long time to develop and discover. Many of his abilities were as of yet untried by him. It was one of these, which he was about to experiment with. His father had warned him to be very careful with unknown abilities of the mind. Surprises within this dimension could be very fatal if not watched out for. He studied the opposite wall of his cell intently, searching his mind. He no longer focused upon the robot guard in front of him, nor the wall itself. An image began to form out of focus in place of where the wall used to be. He concentrated with all his strength and the image began to come into focus. He was back in the central square in the center of the city. He focused on the nearest roadway. He was able to move the image along the roadway. He broke out into a sweat with all his concentration and power that he was using. He found himself among the apartment complexes. He picked an apartment at random. He focused on the balcony of the room he had chosen and closed his eyes for a moment. He reopened them to find the image of the inside of the apartment. He could hear voices in the other room. A man appeared at a doorway. He concentrated a bit more and could then distinguish what the voices were saying.

"So what if the Council finds out about what we've done?" asked the man. A woman entered the room carrying food. She set it down and the man sat down next to her at a small coffee table.

"So? They'll only slap our hands and tell us to be good little children," stated the woman, smiling.

"Oh, stop being so comical. You know very well that they will take our child and separate us. They'll put us in chains. I think we should go back to the hypnotherapy. At least we will be together," exclaimed the man.

"No way. And go around looking like zombies. No thank you. I want my child to grow up knowing his parents and to learn about life without gas, drugs, and weird pictures on a seven foot screen."

The man was still very worried. He pleaded with her, "But how long can we expect the Elders to go on without finding out we haven't been going to the treatment chambers?"

"However long it is, we and others like us, who are also not going along with this ridiculousness, will have a free and natural life together," said the woman. She then went to the man and they began kissing. Once again it seems, he had lost the argument.

Zuros shifted the image from room to room, apartment to apartment. He found much of the same thing in each apartment. With that one exception, all the other people were not worried looking, or unhappy as the first pair was. The others had a strange look to them though. They didn't look happy or unhappy. So far, Zuros had found nothing that violated the guidelines set by his father as head of the Council of Worlds. Many cultures use treatments to subdue the natural tendencies towards violence of some people with ancestral warriors in their line. Although, none of the societies that either he or his father had visited had a program which was mandatory for the entire population. He had not enough evidence to show that it was forced upon them. The first pair of people had refused treatment, but had not had any disciplinary action taken against them as of yet. From the looks of it, they had neglected the program for some time. They showed no signs of natural hostilities, nervousness, etc..., but showed no signs of any type of withdrawal. This type of program was one type that could become a habit and make the person slightly more dependant upon it as time goes by.

Zuros continued to watch for additional information. He watched meetings at business offices, he watched people working at their jobs, and he watched trials and law enforcement officials. Still, he saw no cases of persons being forced to do anything against their will. He saw only people going about their jobs. Suddenly a sharp pain rose in his head. The image began to move down the streets and alleys by itself. The pain rose sharply, while the image began to speed up. Zuros grabbed his head. He could not utter a single word or move anything except his arms. He finally concentrated on closing his eyes, and succeeded in fading out the image on the wall. He thought of the brick wall as hard as he could. The image went completely away. He relaxed and tried to rest. The pain slowly ebbed away as he drifted off into sleep.

Zuros awoke very startled to see a guardsman's face very close to his. The guardsman, realizing that Zuros was awake, rose and motioned Zuros to get up. He felt the blood start to circulate through his now freed hands. The chains were lying on the floor next to him as he attempted to stand. With no help from the guards, Zuros coaxed aching muscles to respond. He was poked and prodded along corridors and up stairwells. For a modern city with gadgets for everything the prison cells were extremely ancient. They had no ventilation, no utilities, and old, rusty locks and doors. It seemed to Zuros that this section of the city had been blocked off and unused, and only recently reopened. He walked for what seemed a very long time. The guards and Zuros passed by hundreds of cells with dispairing people that looked tired and hungry. He tried to probe their minds to find out what they could have possibly done to deserve this kind of ancient treatment of prisoners. This was definitely a matter he must bring up with the Elders. Treatment of prisoners were covered in the proclamation of laws written down by the Ancients and honored by all their descendants. Zuros had finally found a bone to pick with the Elders. This was a definite infringement of rights.

The corridor came to an abrupt end. There was a wall of fresh stone blocking off the corridor. Zuros heard a grating noise of stone on stone that was somewhere behind him. He turned around and saw to his astonishment that a wall had appeared behind him and the guards were gone. He walked over to it and touched it. It was wet with condensation and cold. It felt almost metallic, but was not completely smooth. Again he heard the same sound, he turned around to find that the first wall was gone and farther in were four metallic walls, one with a panel of buttons on it. He stepped over to the panel on the wall. He heard a rushing noise and turned around to see another metallic wall were he just walked in.

"What is with all the walls? You afraid of something?" asked Zuros, not really knowing if anyone was listening.

Zuros was now standing in a metal box about eight feet square. There was nothing on the walls except the panel of buttons and a row of numbered lights. Upon closer inspection Zuros found that the buttons were also numbered with the same numbers as the lights above the panel. Zuros was not about to push any buttons. If the guards wanted him to go anywhere they would have to open the next wall.

One of the numbered lights started to blink on and off. He also noticed that the button with the same number as the light was also lit. The number one button and light stopped flashing and stayed on. Suddenly Zuros felt as if he had gained weight. His knees gave away slightly, bending to the weight. It seemed as if the box was rising. Although his father had explained all the gadgets that people used, he had not always actually seen all of them. This gadget was an elevator or transporter of sorts. The motion lasted for only a couple of seconds. The wall on the right of the panel opened up to reveal a bright light. The light blinded Zuros for a while, due to the fact that he had been underground for a long time with only dim torch light. The bright light came from a window through which the sun was shining. Zuros was grabbed by the arms as his sight was returning to him. He was set down roughly in a chair. His hands were shackled to the arms of the chair. His sight returned to him, to reveal a long curved table with a group of twelve men. They were seated at the table in a semi-circle, with books of law on it and pens and writing tablets in front of each man. The two seats in the middle were empty. This was the Council of the Elders. The two seats in the middle were reserved for the Lord and his wife. His father had occupied that chair for a long time. It seems that it has been vacant ever since. This was another breach of law Zuros would bring up. Without the lord of the planet and Head of Council in the middle there could be a deadlock of six votes each way. Without the Head of Council, who settled the deadlock? Zuros was very puzzled. He wondered why they had not chosen someone to replace his father. But, then again, who could replace a person that had been so respected as his father? If the council wanted to control the planets, this would be the way to do it. Without the Lord, the council could get together and do what they wanted.

The Elder to the right of the empty seats rose and spoke to Zuros, "You are a very lucky person, young man."

Zuros thought that he didn't feel very lucky.

"You are going to be tried first instead of waiting in line behind all the others waiting for their trial. It is because of the severity of your crimes. You are charged with espionage, entering the domain without proper clearance, failing to register as an alien with Control and Surveillance, and not having an ID card or clearance papers and the proper requesting forms. But, most important, you are charged with sitting on the statue of the great Grandius Boltar and wearing the robe of Boltarian royalty, thus mocking our heritage."

"You have to be kidding. I am wearing this robe because it is my right as..." Zuros tried to explain.

"Silence, you have not been given permission to speak!" interrupted the Elder. "You have been found to be guilty of all offenses and are hereby declared an enemy of the state! You are to be sentenced as follows. A life term of imprisonment in the lower chambers of the prison. This will not be long, judging the conditions of the lower chambers." Laughter erupted in the room. Zuros looked around and saw many faces. None were smiling or laughing. They were not even moving, or talking. He thought for a moment. He recognized two people in the room. He looked to his right and saw the two people he had seen in their apartment. They were also chained to their chairs. Between them was a child. A child! Of course, why did he not notice before. He had seen no children in the rooms or in the streets. He saw dolls and toys, but no child was playing with them. He looked at the child with much pity at his doll-like face! Wait! Those dolls were not dolls. They were the children of Boltar. They were caged in a glass case. That is what the couple had meant by gas treatments! The elders keep them unconscious with gas and feed them all they want with misinterpreted laws and regulations through speakers inside the cases. That is what he had missed. In the first room there was a small bed with broken glass on it where the case had been before. The parents had broken it.

This atrocity had gone on too long. Zuros closed his eyes to concentrate on drawing on his strength to do what he must.

"What is your problem young man? Did you not hear? I said you may speak now!" said the elder as Zuros opened his eyes again and regained awareness of the room. "You don't look unhappy for a man who is going to die!"

"There is only one possibility of death and that is yours!" said Zuros with almost pure hatred in his eyes! "Not even the beating and pounding you gave me will compare to what will happen to you!"

"Did you hear that council? He threatened me! That will make your suffering longer!" said the elder. He wrote something on his pad.

"Which province do you represent?" asked Zuros.

"I represent Boltar Central," answered the elder.

"You must be Akar Legus," said Zuros.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I know not how you know me, but it will help you not. Take him away!"

"Wrong Legus!" shouted Zuros. With that his sword began to hum loudly and glow even in the sunlight. His chains fell apart with a sudden crack and Zuros stood up with his sword drawn.

"Guards!" shouted the elder. At his command the guards armed themselves. "Before the guards blast you into unconsciousness and drag you away, what is your name for the record?" asked Legus with his pen ready.

"Zuros...," started Zuros.

"Yes," answered Legus.

"Alaxs...," continued Zuros.

"Yes, Alaxs, with an X or K?"

"An X!"

"And your last name?"

"Boltar!" proudly answered Zuros.

"Uh?" Legus said, breaking his pointer on his electronic memory pad. "You dare mock us again?"

"You dare defy the heir to the throne? I am Zuros Alaxs Boltar. I am your Lord and Head of the Council!" exclaimed Zuros.

"Prepare to meet thy doom," said Legus. He whispered to a guard standing behind him, "Signal the guards to kill him instead of stunning him."

"You will not have the chance, dog!" shouted Zuros. Legus would not have noticed, but for the first time since the founding of this colony centuries ago, the suns no longer shined down on the planet. All four suns that revolve around the planet were blocked off by things never seen before. Immense clouds, pitch black, covered the skies. Only the light from Zuros's sword lit the room. He raised the sword, and suddenly streaks of intense, white light shot out from the sword to all corners of the entire planet. A thunderclap rang out so loud that all the glass cages were busted open, locked doors and gates were broken off, gas cylinders exploded, robot guards fell over into complete silence, video screens blew out, treatment chambers disintegrated, and every person living on all the planets of the system looked up. (?) And for the first time in hundreds of years, people smiled. They were hearing the sounds of life for the first time in too long of a time. Babies began to cry, children laughed and played, parents argued, kids wined for things they wanted, and they all realized that they had been freed. They were eternally grateful for whoever had done it. It would not be long before they found out that they had a Lord again, and that their rightful heir to the throne had come back, as his father had promised years ago. Hundreds of starving people walked out of prison cells helped by others who were strong enough, thousands walked out from the rubble that once was the treatment chambers. An entire civilization that was once enslaved by corruption and evil was now breathing on its own, and it felt good.

"Guards take him now!" ordered Legus. The guards looked at him, but merely dropped their weapons and turned away.

"As you can see they are no longer under your command. They will not take your orders any longer," stated Zuros. "As of now they will be under my command!"

"No! You can't do that! It is my rightful place! I must command the army or we will be doomed," exclaimed Legus.

"Wrong Legus. You are only one of the twelve representatives of the council. You are not the leader, the Lord, or Head of Council. You are not the rightful heir to the throne. You are not of the royal blood line of the Boltars. You cannot lead the people without your deceptions and devices. You have bled the people dry. They have given you much and received nothing in return. Where is all the wealth you have horded? ... What have you done with all the blood and sweat that you have taken from the people? ... You had better start talking or you will be worse off than you are now!" ordered Zuros.

Legus just sat there looking deaf and dumb, staring at the pad in front of him. The other council members, having been restored to their own control by Zuros, were looking very angrily at Legus. The council member at his right spoke first, "Legus, you had better tell us what you have been doing or we will personally help Zuros do whatever is necessary to make you talk!"

The rest of the council members began to shout angry words at Legus. He just sat there, unmoving. It was as if the lack of drugs and gases in his system turned him into an empty shell, void of thought and incapable of movement. To others it was like being born anew, a beginning. To him it was a death, the end. There was nowhere for him to go, no place for him in a world with nothing but hate for him. The people would never forget what he had done to them and their children. And they were well aware of what he'd done.

"Silence council members!" ordered Zuros. "There is only one way to get any information out of him."

"What way is that?" asked Gortius, the first council member to speak to Legus.

"Your name is Al-Ah Gortius is it not?" Zuros questioned.

"Yes it is," answered Gortius.

"Are you aware of the Questarian mind link?" asked Zuros.

"Yes. But the last one known with that ability died about sixty-five argons ago (3,250 years). He was some sort of mythical warrior that founded our original planet that we had to evacuate because of a Nova sun. He was said to be a direct descendant of the Ancient Ones. It was said that he even looked like them," returned Gortius. "I never really believed that we were descended from super-beings like the Ancient Ones, or even if they ever existed," stated Gortius.

"Well, you had better start believing now! Behold Zuros Alaxs Boltar! Behold the Gorrideon!" shouted Zuros.

With a blink of an eye, the room full of people beheld a sight they would never had believed had they not seen it. Before the people stood a being twice their own height, with eight arms and eight legs. The council members looked at a statue of the Ancients at the edge of the table they were sitting at, and then back to Zuros. Some looked back and forth a few more times, while others just stared at Zuros. Someone in the crowd yelled, "The Ancients have returned!"

Yelling in the streets came to the attention of the people in the courtroom. Monitors that still worked and had been used to show propaganda and hypnotherapy for Legus and his conspiracy against the people, now showed the events happening in the courtroom. People in the street on all the planets of the system began piling up the robot guardsmen of Legus's army and setting them afire with lasers from the royal guardsmen who were also piling up robots.

"Now Legus, you will tel me all I want," said Zuros to Legus.

"No, never!" answered Legus.

Zuros reached down with one of his arms to Legus. Four of his arms had large and small claws designed for gripping objects. Two had extremely sharp claws shaped like scissors for cutting anything. The other two had six fingers each, with small suction cups on the inside surface for gripping. Zuros was using his right hand smaller gripping claw. He placed each side of the claw on each side of Legus's head at the temples. It was almost like a large C-clamp wrapped around Legus's head. Legus winced at the pain. Zuros stared at Legus with four of his ten eyes. There were four eyes in front and two on each of the other three sides of his head. Legus returned Zuros's stare with his own frightened one.

"You will not be able to resist me Legus. You are a part of me as I of you," chanted Zuros. "You have my mind, I have your. Your thought is my thought," continued Zuros. "What? This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Zuros. He let go of Legus and backed up.

"What happened my Lord?" asked Fare Bruno, one of the female members, the representative of the 11th precinct.

Zuros looked at her, suddenly changed back to humanoid form and then answered her, "He is a robot! This whole solar system was controlled by a robot. I was receiving information from him..., or it, and then I started to dig deeper and saw diodes and wires. I can't believe I was so stupid. I should have known a Boltarian with such a good background as his could not have betrayed his people."

Marh Nah looked very puzzled, then she looked at Zuros and said, "Even on my planet of Fagan Et we have heard of the good things that Legus had done before your father was exiled." People in the crowd began to whisper. Marh Nah continued, "Yes, Zuros, I am aware of the fact that your father and mother were exiled and did not just leave us. Though Legus told them..., or should I say..., that thing told them that they deserted us, very few believed him. That is the reason for the treatments. He could never lead without it. I keep on calling it, him! It is only a robot." Marh Nah hesitated a moment and asked Zuros, "If it is a robot, then who of us is behind the mess?"

Zuros lifted his right hand, pointed at the robot of Legus, and exclaimed, "He IS a robot!"

All turned toward it and watched the clothes and skin of the robot melt away to show the metal frame, wires, templates, and mechanisms. Suddenly the robot's head rose and a strange new voice came from within, "Well Zuros your tricks and devices have discovered my robot. Though it will do you no good. Thanks to all the riches and material I have received from your gracious planet, the army I have built up is the strongest in all the universe. Now you do not have to worry about your precious planets anymore. My army will soon be finished preparing to attack your quadrant with renewed energy. I have succeeded where others have failed. I have united all the roaming hordes into one invincible army. It will not be long before I have discovered a new weapon that will obliterate you from your planet like Taszarnian ants strip a body of flesh and blood. It will be soon and I will return... return... re... click." The last word of the robot faded away as it began to melt into a pile of molten metal on the floor of the courtroom. Zuros put his arm back down and sat down where he had been first brought in.

"So, that is what the robot had meant when he said that we would be doomed if anyone attempted to fight the Legus robot," stated Gordan Liah, the member from the 5th precinct.

"Yes, and it is he who brought this doom upon us!" another person said.

Shouts from the courtroom rose as Zuros sat and contemplated. A whisp of smokey light rose from the corner of the room unnoticed by the arguing people. The smoke wavered and shaped itself into a man. The smoke went out of it and in place of it appeared a man in the robe of a Boltarian council member.

"How nice of you to join us Akar Legus, come in sir," said Zuros.

"Thank you for bringing me here..., that is if you did..., I was going mad in that cage I was put in," stated Legus.

"Yes sir it was I who brought you here. Your wisdom is needed here," exclaimed Zuros.

The crowd had settled down when they noticed that Legus had appeared in the room. Zuros stood and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zuros Alaxs Boltar, he who is called the Gorrideon, Guardian of Light."

"Is your father's name Sol Julius Boltar and your mother's name Tera Marisa Boltar?" asked Legus.

"Yes," answered Zuros.

Upon hearing this, Legus embraced Zuros with tears in his eyes and asked, "And how are your father and mother? Are they well?"

"They are dead, they died four days ago," answered Zuros slowly.

Legus let go of Zuros and turned toward the window. He walked over to watch the people outside still piling up a few robots in a burning heap. Zuros walked over to the window next to Legus. Legus looked over to Zuros and asked, "Okay, what has happened since I was gone?"

"Look into my eyes and you will know all," answered Zuros.

"Oh come on, stop kidding around!" exclaimed Legus.

"I am serious as the ice storms of Voltar," said Zuros.

Before Legus could answer, he was looking into the four front eyes of an Ancient One. He tried to speak, but was unable. What seemed an eternity, but was only a moment, Legus received all the events and information he had requested. He now knew what had happened since he was gone. Legus looked again and found he was looking at Zuros again. He paused a moment and then asked, "Did I dream that, or did I really see the face of an Ancient?"

"Yes, it was dream in a way. The face you saw was mine. You saw it when under the influence of a form of Questarian mind link. Our minds linked in a much more gentle, modified type of mind link, not too different from that used by the Questarians. You saw my true face when we achieved the plateau, when our minds became as one," Zuros answered.

"Then you are an Ancient One?" questioned Legus.

Zuros smiled and answered, "Yes and no!" This puzzled Legus, but before he could speak Zuros explained, "You see, my parents were experimenting with a device found on a meteor that landed on our planet. It was believed that the device was from the Ancients. He was trying to adapt a power pack to power the device when it suddenly activated. Unfortunately the meteor contained particles of a radioactive material which came from the destroyed power pack that the Ancients had used. The result was that my parents received the powers of the Ancients and their form, but it was too fast due to the power surge from the power pack. They were distorted and only received some of the abilities. However, I and my brother were protected from the harmful effects of the radiation and only received the abilities, because we were not quite born yet. My mother took most of the shock and we received the power. The device turned out to be a healing device. Ironically, the same device which made my parents deformed and put into exile was copied and used to heal many people with rare and exotic diseases."

"Okay I got the full picture. So, what do we do now?" asked Legus.

"Yea, do we sit around and remind ourselves what a good life we had, while our future grows blacker?" questioned an old man in the crowd.

"Yes, what do you plan to do to get us out of the mess you put us in?" asked another.

Legus turned to the crowd and exclaimed, "How quickly we all forgot the mess we were in. How joyful we were when Zuros freed us. You were 'eternally' grateful. And yet you now turn your backs on your own Lord. How can you disgrace the name of Boltar by being so insensitive?" lectured Legus. Legus turned to Zuros and continued to speak to the people, "Look at this man, yes a man. He is a Boltarian with a gift from the Ancients. He is your Lord, he is the Gorrideon, the Guardian of Light, Seeker of Truth, Destroyer of Evil, and the Head of Council, but he is still a man. He has emotions like anyone else. He has strengths and he has weaknesses. he has suffered much all of his life. He and his parents were rejected by his own people. You say you did not exile him. Did you ask him to return? No, all you asked is how are you going to get along without him. You were not concerned for a family which rescued you from the dead planet we were all on. A family that has risked their lives for you countless times. A family whose names should be written on the skies of tomorrow. They were rejected by you, and continued to risk their lives fighting the Hordes. How do you repay them? By rejecting their only child once again. You are disgusting. You make me sick."

Silence fell over the courtroom and all over the planet. Legus was looking out the window watching the first sun, Allah, head for the horizon, while the second sun, tera, was directly overhead, and the third sun, Grandius, was just beginning to enter into view, as a new day began. Legus turned to Zuros and said, "This is the time of the three suns. This always was my favorite time, the first day of the parcek of Grandius. It happens only once over this city every argon."

"Well, I'll tell ya Legus ol' pal. This is my favorite time too. You see I was born exactly at this time twenty argons ago. So of all the days to be born on, this day is the best, the only day of the argon to have three suns," Zuros stated.

Legus smiled and exclaimed, "Well, well. A birthday boy! We will have to celebrate and get drunk till end-day. Lets get out of this place and go to my place to celebrate! How bout it ol' pal? Am I going to have to remind you about the proper way to use the language? Ol' pal? What do you mean old? Is this a way to speak to an elder? Pal? Where do you get this stuff? Lets go to my place."

Zuros smiled and answered, "This might be a pleasant experience. My parents never allowed intoxicants in the house. I might as well find out what they are like."

"Yes, let the people decide what they will do to fight the horde. We are going to have fun," exclaimed Legus.

The two strode off together and at the main entrance to the government building "The Hall of Law", they were met by Cotar, his family and Arrienne Val Boltar, Zuros's wife. Cotar had gone to get them when he slipped out of the room after Zuros had matters more under control.

"May we join the party?" asked Cotar.

"Why, of course. The more the merrier," replied Zuros. He also apologized to Cotar about the way he spoke earlier.

The group strode off to the apartment complex. Zuros gave a mean stare at the clerk who had kicked him out before. This made the clerk extremely nervous. He was so nervous he dumped a cup of Zenian tea all over himself. The group laughed heartily along with Zuros, who was hysterical. The clerk shouted at them, "That is not funny!"

Zuros peeked around the corner of the reception cubicle and shouted, "Boo!"

The clerk spilled another cup on himself and then threw the cup over his shoulder. he exclaimed, "I give up! Take me away!"

Zuros walked up to him, shook his hand and said, "Well, I cannot say you did not deserve some sort of revenge upon you, but all is forgiven..., friend?" asked Zuros, throwing a towel at him.

"Friend!" exclaimed the clerk, smiling.

The complex was filled with noises of the party. The noise was so great that Zuros and his friends had not heard what the people were doing all that time. By the next day, Zuros and company were out cold with exhaustion. Arrienne Val Boltar was still awake. She had not drank as much as the others and had not danced around either. She walked over to the window, and stared at the central square for a while. She noticed something different, but could not place it. She walked over to her husband Zuros and woke him up. She asked him to come over to the window to see something. He staggered over to the window and looked out. She rushed over to the others, woke them up and headed out towards the square to behold additions to the statue in the square. The people of the city had erected a statue of his parents at the side of Grandius. His father and mother were in royal Boltarian robes. At the other side of Grandius was a man and a woman. It was Zuros and Arrienne holding hands. The people of the city began to come out of the buildings and flock around Zuros.

Zuros stood at the base of the statues and with tears in his eyes, spoke to them, "This does not exactly make up for all those times that we were alone in exile, but it is the happiest moment I have had on this planet and I will remember it forever. You have given me the best birthday and wedding present I could have received. You have made me feel accepted by my own people at last! And I thank you!"

A roar of applause rose up all over the city and shouts of gladness. Those people around him shook his hand, congratulated him, and told him how welcome he was. Though Zuros was very pleased with his people, his mind was racing with ideas. He had a lot of work to do to reconstruct the communities and to build a defense from the upcoming attack of "The Horde". If he were to fail, he and those around him and many others would die. But they would die free and happy and they would fight till the end.

The entire city, planet and solar system would have much to celebrate about that day. It would probably be the last chance they will get to be happy in a very long time, a very long time indeed.