The Human Path

Suddenly Hope opened her eyes and looked at Koren with an apologetic gaze. She sighed "I'm sorry Koren, but we can't get the rest of that ore".

Koren was taken aback by Hopes words, it wasn't like Hope to say something like that, especially when she knew what was at stake.

"I don't understand big sis, why" Koren mumbled, anxious at the thought of breaking his promise to his friends.

Hope creased her brows, and thought hard about what she should say next. Koren was adamant at saving the villager's, she knew that if they could not find a way to charge the Armor, Koren would still go and fight with his life on the line.

She turned to Koren and spoke. "Koren, when I first saw that ore, I thought that it was just a small part of a larger piece, and according to the Kino's, I was right. However, it seems I severely underestimated the nature of the chaotic energy. How is it possible to have something filled to the brim with pure chaotic energy."

"The Kino's surveyed the underground tunnels and discovered a very, and I mean very, large cavern. As soon as the Kino entered that cavern, it was destroyed. However, it was linked with the other Kino's at the time, so everything it saw was transmitted and stored."

"What did it see, sis?" Koren asked, apprehensively.

"A Creature, a huge creature." Hope activated the hologram on Koren's display, and brought up the image the Kino transmitted.

Koren looked at the image and was dumbfounded, there was no doubt about it, the thick short legs and the heavy shell, this thing looked like a giant turtle.

"Do you see the crustacean on its carapace, the Kino detected chaos energy emanating from those. It's very likely that this is the ore we have been looking for."

Koren looked at hope, and her rueful gaze. He sighed and then spoke "Big sis, thank you for caring about me, but I have to do this. If this is the only way to help protect everyone, then I have no other choice."

Hope grimaced "You can't, that thing is bigger than a battle ship, a single breath from it would be enough to shatter the Armor and turn you into dust."

"I know." Koren admitted. "But I have to do this."

Hope could hear the resolve in Koren's tone, he was going to do this no matter what, and she knew that she would do everything to help him.

"If we are going to do this, then we do this my way Koren." Hope continued "All we need is for one of those crustaceans to fall off, that would provide us with enough power to solve the immediate crisis."

"Thank you Sis." Koren smiled, as his eyes turned misty. "for always being there for me."

"Well, I am kind of stuck with you, so I never really had a choice dummy." Hope said, lightheartedly. "Now here's the plan."

************

Andre was huddled behind a large dune on the outer ring of the Oasis. This distance was perfect, as his soldiers will be able to apprehend any scouts, and would have a clear view of any incoming ships.

Andre looked at his long spear, appreciating its sharp aura and its breathtaking beauty. He stroked the long spear and smiled, the spearhead was made from a dark obsidian metal, forged by the blacksmiths of the Roku Mountain, it was given to him by the 2nd Princess for his absolute loyalty.

"Stay where you are" Andre said as he heard someone approaching him from behind. He turned around to see one of the Squadron leaders under his command.

"Where is he" Andre asked, his strong aura causing havoc in the surrounding sands. "I wanted him brought before me, and yet you come here empty handed."

"Sir, the scout tried to escape, we were forced to attack." The squadron leader gulped. "He did not survive."

Andre smiled, he was not angry. "Huh, humans. Such feeble creatures, it's a wonder how someone like Halfrist could be born in such a weak race."

Andre looked at the squadron leader who was twitching with fear. "Haha, I'm not like the commander, you don't need to fret." He grinned. "You did dispose of the body, didn't you."

"Yes sir, we did." The squadron leader replied. "We burnt it to ash."

"Good, now tell the remaining squadron leaders to follow the prearranged plan." He said, clearly. "If they make a mistake and any humans flee, it will be their heads."

The Squadron commander visibly gulped, before bowing and then running off to relay the commands.

Andre turned around and resumed appreciating his spear.

************

"Andre should already be in position by now your Highness." Uther said. "We are on track to reach the border region in just over a day."

Prince Rekim was seated at the very end of the room, directly facing the port window. He looked at the map, and yawned.

"My Armor." The prince asked. "Is it ready?"

"Yes your highness" Uther answered, his brows twitching.

"And Modi." The prince turned to face Uther directly. "Has he been fed"

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"Yes your highness." Uther replied, with a smile. "I took care of that personally."

"Very well." The prince looked down on the map, and picked up a wooden piece signifying the ship. "I am familiar with the plan, you may take your leave."

Uther bowed, turned around, and left the princes cabin.

Uther walked towards the ships deck, but his mind was concentrating on his spiritual core. The hint of green had now covered half of his dark spiritual core.

"Soon now, very soon." Uther murmured. "You and I will show them our true potential."

A human face appeared in the hint of green, the face was twisting and fidgeting with sinister glee.

************

Koren was nestled up in a small pocket of earth, beneath his feet was solid rock. He was already in full Armor, the repulsors were out, and ready to fire up at a moment's notice.

"Is this thing really a spiritual beast." Koren asked. "How is it even possible for something so massive to exist."

Koren was looking at a live holographic feed of the gigantic turtle right under his feet. Hope had decided that the best way to succeed was to directly go for the metallic crustacean ore. They would blast through the ceiling of the cavern and make off with the ore, while the remaining 14 Kino's distract the beast.

'…threat detected…threat detected…Danger…Danger…'

"Shut the alarm Koren, we know what we are up against." Hope said. "We don't need a constant reminder of our imminent doom."

"Done." Koren got into a four point stance. "I'm ready big sis. What about the Kino's?"

"They are all in position" Hope replied, timidly. "I have a bad feeling about this Koren."

"We can do this big sis, you and me" Koren muttered as he stretched his stressed his muscles, ready to pounce.

"3,2,1. Go Koren, Now!" Yelled Hope.

Koren punched the ground under his feet making it crack apart.

'…boom…boom…'

As soon as Koren fell, the repulsors fired and allowed him to adjust his orientation. The plasma jets fired and blasted him downward.

'…boom…boom…'

The sound of distant Kino's exploding one after another did not hinder Koren, he was on a mission.

"Full Power!!" Yelled Koren. "NOW!!"

The plasma jets fired with such intensity, that Koren could see a ripple in the surrounding space. In but an instant, Koren was above the crustacean.

He used the inertia from the boost to directly hit the crustacean with his body.

'…boom…boom…boom…boom…'

The metallic crustacean was extremely hard, but the impact Koren delivered was strong enough to break apart a very small chunk of it, roughly the size of Koren's leg.

'…boom…boom…boom…boom…boom…"

Koren didn't hesitate, he grabbed the small chunk of ore and prepared to blast through the ceiling, the same way he arrived.

'…boom…'

The plasma jets fired, and Koren was blasted up.

'Almost there.' Koren thought. 'Just a little more.'

Koren blasted through the ceiling, with the chaotic ore in his hands. However, just as he was about to celebrate his victory, he felt a force yank him from behind.

"Oh no!!" Koren cried. "No!, full power…I said Full Power!!"

But there was no more power, the Armor's energy reserves were nearly empty.

"Koren…Ahhh…Koren I feel weird…Ahhh…something… Something is interfering with my…NO!!" Koren heard Hopes cries before she went silent.

"Big sis!!, sis are you there. Big sis talk to me!!" Yelled Koren, but Hope did not reply.

For the first time, since losing his family, Koren felt sorrow and pain. But this time there was another feeling accompanying them, this feeling was anger.

"Ahhh." Koren Screamed. "Move, move dammit."

But he could not move, the invisible force yanked him back from the ceiling and into the cavern.

'…insufficient power… entering endo-skeletal mode…core AI missing…'

The Armor retreated back into Koren's body, it turned into a liquid and squirmed into his skin. With the Armor gone, Koren could not hold on to the ore piece, which almost weighed a ton.

"Big sis, please be ok, please be ok." Koren cried. "I will become very strong, and I will take you back to your home on earth, so please be ok."

Koren's body shrank, he looked like a normal human child again. The invisible force brought him close to the giant turtles head. Koren looked at the creature's head, its heavy and powerful jaw.

'Am I going to be eaten' thought Koren. 'I'm sorry Enri, I won't be able to keep my promise.'

That's when Koren saw what could only be described as a smile on the creatures face, followed by a voice.

"No need to cry little one" The voice said. "You are in the care of the great turtle sage, Rafiki."

The turtle's mouth did not move, the voice was speaking directly into Koren's mind, the same as Hope.

"I have trapped the ghost." The turtle head moved closer to Koren. "You are safe."