Chapter 4

It has taken some time, but I have finally finished writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Maya was standing at the window, watching the waves as the X-caper passed them by, when Ky walked up to her. ''How are you feeling?'' he asked, taking up a position beside her. ''Just a little frazzled I guess'' she replied. A troubled look found its way onto her face. Ky noted the look, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. ''Look, the thing with Hexus...'' he began, ''no one blames you for what happened.'' ''Except for Vexus and Nexus'' Maya corrected. ''You know how those guys are. Don't let them get you down'' Ky said. Maya forced a smile, then a troubled look found its way onto her face once more. ''Actually'' she began, ''that is not what troubles me. When I was hanging over the ocean, I felt anger building up within me; intense anger, such as I have never felt before. I can only go by what my senses tell me, and my senses tell me that this anger was not normal.'' ''Hexus almost killed you back there'' Ky said, ''you have every right to be angry.'' Maya looked down at her feet and sighed. ''You're right I guess'' she said.

Maya blushed suddenly, and a wide smile found its way onto her face. That is when Ky realized that he was still touching her shoulder. He coughed apologetically and blushed. He proceeded to remove his hand but Maya stopped him, putting her hand on top of his, holding it in place. Time seemed to stand still. Neither of them said a word; then again, no words were needed.

xxxxx

Boomer peered intently through the windshield, a smile widening on his face. ''Land ho!'' he exclaimed, as soon as he caught sight of the black sand shores of Iceland. Ky and Maya rushed to join him, as did Mookee.

Boomer had initially planned to land on the beach, but Maya had pointed out that it was low tide, and that they should look for another place to touch down, lest the ship would be swept away by the ocean when the tide came back in. And so they landed on a hillock overlooking the beach.

Team Stax set out immediately, going inland, soon coming to a wooden fence, encompassing a field. On the field, they could see an elderly man and two younger men, raking hay. Boomer, who had been born and raised on a farm, basked in the spectacle. ''Hello there!'' Ky called, and one of the men, apparently the youngest of the three, broke off from the group and came their way, taking up a position before Team Stax, the fence in between. He was tall and lean, with wheat colored hair and blue eyes. ''Hello,'' the young man greeted, with a thick accent. ''My name is Ky, and this is Boomer and Maya,'' Ky said. ''My name is Hoskuld,'' the young man said, ''pleased to meet you.'' Boomer glanced at the meadow. ''Good hay?'' he asked. ''Indeed,'' Hoskuld replied, also casting a glance the meadow's way.

Maya's knees buckled abruptly, as a wave of nausea washed over her. ''Guys, I'm having a vision'' she said, closing her eyes. In her head, Maya could see an old plough, resting against the back of a wooden shed. A few moments later, she opened her eyes again. ''What did you see?'' Ky asked, ''the kairu?'' Maya nodded, pointing towards a solitary shack atop a hill, across from them, beyond the field. ''Behind that shed'' she said.

A perplexed look found its way onto Hoskuld's face. ''What's kairu?'' he asked. It was Maya who answered. ''It's a kind of – mystical energy force throughout the universe.'' Hoskuld crossed his arms over his chest, his face telling the three warriors that he simply did not understand. ''And what might that have to do with our tool shed?'' he asked. ''If you allow us to look behind the shed, we can show you'' Boomer said.

Hoskuld looked at each of them in turn, then nodded his assent. He led the three warriors over the field, and up the hill to where the shed was, and as Maya had previously said, the relic, an old plough, was resting against its back wall, glowing with energy. ''It belonged to my great grandfather,'' Hoskuld said, his hands resting on his hips.

Team Stax took up their x-readers and pointed them at the relic. From the corner of her eye, Maya noticed a disquieted look on Hoskuld's face. ''Don't worry,'' she said comfortingly, ''the plough will not be harmed.'' The young man smiled and nodded, obviously relieved. Maya's attention went back to the plough then, and to the energy within. ''Now, let's drain this thing and head home,'' she said.

Hoskuld watched in amazement as the energy within the plough was sucked out of it and then absorbed by the peculiar devices. He was not the only spectator, for his younger sister Sigrid, and their dog Halfdane, came running up the hill towards the shed.

''Awesome,'' Ky exclaimed, ''I got lightning blade.'' ''Chemaster clone,'' Maya said, ''I needed that.'' ''And I got man-o-war,'' Boomer exclaimed, ''wicked.''

Hoskuld cleared his throat abruptly, catching the attention of the three warriors. Beside him stood a young girl, around the age of eight by the look of it, with hair the color of wheat and blue eyes, trademarks that seemed to be rather prominent in this family. Beside her stood an Icelandic Sheepdog. ''This is my sis–'' Hoskuld began, but was cut short by his impertinent sibling. ''My name is Sigrid,'' she said, ''and this is Halfdane, my best friend.'' She patted the dog on the head. ''What might your names be?''

''I'm Ky, the leader of Team Stax, and these are my teammates, Maya and Boomer.''

Boomer went down on one knee. ''Come here boy,'' he said, hand extended, and the dog came to him. Boomer patted him on the head, and motioned for Ky and Maya to do the same. Ky similarly went down on one knee, and patted the dog's muscular neck. Maya went down on her knees, and put her hand on the dog's shoulder. But as her hand connected, the dog let out a yelp, and bolted away, seemingly frightened.

Maya's hand recoiled. Sigrid spun on her heel, and ran down the slope, calling for the dog to stop. ''What did – what did I do?''Maya stuttered, bewildered as to why the dog would be frightened of her. ''I do not know,'' Hoskuld replied, seeming equally perplexed, ''he has never acted like that before.''

A worried look found its way onto Maya's face, a look that Hoskuld noted. ''So –'' he began, trying to change the subject and lighten the mood, ''what will you do with the energy, now that you have obtained it?'' Boomer was about to answer, when one of the men on the meadow called something to Hoskuld in Icelandic. He called something back and looked at Team Stax apologetically. ''Father wants to see me,'' he said. ''Did I get you into trouble?'' Maya asked nervously, but Hoskuld's incoming toothy smile put her back at ease. ''No,'' he said assuredly, ''father simply wants me to get back to work.'' Hoskuld's father called again.

''Well –'' Ky said, extending his hand, ''I guess this is goodbye.'' Hoskuld shook that hand, ''goodbye and farewell.'' He shook hands with Boomer and Maya, then spun on his heel and bounded away, down the slope.

''Well –'' Ky said, ''I guess we better be going too.'' Team Stax went down the slope, over the field and back to the X-caper. Soon they were up and away, headed for home, large exhaust pipes leaving white contrails.

xxxxx

Lokar lounged in his immense throne, watching the approach of Vexus and Nexus with more than a passing interest. They were coming back empty-handed more frequently now, so he would not be surprised to find that they did not have his kairu, but the fact that their brother was not with them, inseparable as they were, intrigued him more than a little.

''We have returned, master,'' Vexus and Nexus said in unison, bowing low. Lokar eyed the e-teens squarely. ''And a member short it would seem,'' he said at length, ''where is Hexus?'' Vexus and Nexus exchanged grave glances. ''It grieves us to inform you master, that our brother perished during our latest quest.''

''I see,'' Lokar said, ''how did he die?'' It was Vexus who answered. ''It was Maya who did him in,'' he said, ''she threw him into shark-infested water, where he was devoured.'' Nexus took up Hexus' severed appendage and presented it to his master, ''this is all that remains.'' Lokar took it and looked it over, then he nodded absently.

Vexus and Nexus exchanged glances. ''Master,'' they began, ''we would ask for your permission to take revenge on the person who wrought this upon our brother.'' Lokar eyed the two e-teens, his angular face twisted in wicked glee, ''permission granted.''

Vexus and Nexus, grinning ominously, went out of the immense chamber, happy that they would get a chance to repay Maya for all she had wrought. Little did they suspect that they would never return.

To be continued...

I do not know when I will be able to update, but until then, see you later.