Chapter Eleven: "Confessions of a Love-Sick King"
Dear Journal:
Life is life, as my Dad used to say, and if this the life I thought I'd be living, then I would have been sure to bring a dictionary. I've spent my days translating the Eternian language to English, which is no easy feat, mind you. However, I'm making good progress on all other fronts.
Been thinking more and more about what I'm going to do here on Eternia. I just can't spend my days sitting in the courtyard, translating books and learning languages. But what kind of work can I do here? I am not a warrior and I'm not really much of a farmer.
I WAS a scientist and an astronaut . . . but I suppose those things really don't apply to Eternia that much. Especially considering how very little I know about this world. Which, hopefully, will change after I'm done mastering the language.
And then . . . there's Randor.
Oh man, am I in trouble. I love him. I am so totally in love with him. Part of me really hates to say it, but it's true. I love him. I haven't even relatively close to feeling this way in years and even then, it wasn't nearly as strong as it is now.
I used to hate talking about things like 'destiny' and 'fate' and all that, but coming here, meeting Randor . . . it's proved to me that such things exist. I love him and that is the truth. I don't know what's going to happen about that in the near future, but it's what is happening now.
I love him!
Marlena closed her journal and glanced at the chronometer. She had made arrangements to go up to the Hall of Wisdom today, hoping that some obscure book in their library would help her work on the translations. Of course, at many people's insistence, she wouldn't be making the trip alone.
Captain Dekker, the leader of the Royal Guard, would be going along with her. He had some business with the Elders himself, but it was more or less just for her protection. Which didn't make a whole lot of sense to the poor Earthling, but a fair of stuff on Eternia didn't.
Dekker was dark-skinned, huge man, well-muscled, with dreadlocks that flowed to his shoulders. He was an experienced commander, a veteran of the Orc battle two years ago. He had been promoted to Captain not long after Randor took the throne.
They took a strange jeep-like vehicle out from Eternos that morning and headed north. After Two hours of driving to the Hall of Wisdom, Marlena found herself comparing the strictness of Captain Dekker to the number of military advisors on Earth.
"What kind of military does Earth have?" asked Dekker as they continued down the road that continued north.
"What do you mean?"
"Weapons, that sort of thing. What kind of military do you have?"
"Well, in the United States of America - which is the quasi-kingdom I come from - there's the Navy, the Army, the Marines, and the Air Force."
Dekker raised an eyebrow. "I'm a little confused."
"The Navy is our water-based military force; the Air Force is the sky; the Marines and the Army are both troops."
"Ah, I see. What part of the military were you from? The Air Force, I presume?"
"No. I was a part of NASA, which wasn't a military organization. It's a scientific organization."
"NASA?"
"National AeroSpace Administration."
"Ah, I see now. But there were no weapons?"
"No."
"Interesting."
"Yes," Marlena returned and looked up briefly at the sky. "How long have their been people living on your moons?"
"Since at least the dawn of the Second Age. It is said they were banished there by the Elders in the first days of their rule."
"Hmmm. Interesting. I wonder - DEKKER!"
Dekker's attention shot forward, but he wasn't fast enough to react. A huge tree came crashing down in front of them. Dekker spun the wheel, and the jeep crashed against the fallen tree.
"Are you okay?" asked Dekker frantically.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I - "
She didn't have time to react. At that exact moment, five huge, scruffy-looking men leapt onto the road. In a flash, Dekker was out of the jeep, weapon firing.
"Stand down!" he commanded.
"Nope!" came a voice from above. A man had jumped over the tree, ran along the top of the jeep and came falling onto Dekker, smashing his face into the ground.
The man spun around, leaving the unconscious Dekker where he lie, and looked to Marlena. Marlena was curled up, scared to death. More scared than she had ever been - even more than when she was blasted off the Earth with a nuke ten feet behind her.
He grabbed her and pulled her out of the jeep. "You'll make a good ransom, pretty," the man told her.
"Get away from me!" she cried and struggled against the man's firm grip.
"Nope. You're ours, sweetie. But don't worry, we won't do nothing to ya. Word is you're a big guest at the ol' Palace down there. We all is going to get a big ransom for your return."
"Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Name's Kronis."
Randor and Duncan walked along the catwalk, the sun moving into it's noon position. "I can't believe you're going to be a father," Randor told his old friend.
"Neither can I. But you know, it's what I want. I never really thought of it before, but as soon as she told me she was pregnant I knew I wanted go through with this. I knew I wanted to be a father."
Randor shrugged. "Well . . . it's still strange. It'll also be wierd not having you two living here in the city. I can't believe you guys are moving into some cabin up north!"
"I figured it would be a better place for the both of us."
"You mean 'the three of us?'"
Duncan grinned. "Exactly. Gotta get used to that."
Randor nodded, then looked out upon the city. There was something different about him and Duncan was not surprised to see the change in his old friend.
"Okay, Randor, just tell me."
"What? Tell you what?"
"That you are head over heels in love with Marlena."
Randor stood stock-still, then wavered as if deciding it wasn't worth putting up a fight. "I haven't been hiding it as well as I'd like. I've always liked her . . . and now, it's progressed. I'm not ready to tell her. In fact, I don't think she's ready for me to tell her."
"True enough."
Suddenly, Man-At-Arms came running towards the pair. "King Randor! We have a situation!"
"What is it?"
"It's Captain Marlena! She's been kidnapped!"
Randor changed moods, sliding right into crisis-situation in a flash. "What about Dekker?"
"He's still there. He's okay."
As Rohad began to explain everything to Randor, Duncan's communicator began to flash. He activated and heard Teelana's voice. She was staying at their cabin near the northern rim of the kingdom - just south of the Hall of Wisdom.
"What is it?" asked Duncan.
"Is everything alright?"
"No. Why?"
"I was just looking out my window and Marlena begin dragged off by Harriers heading northward, into the Evergreen Forest!"
Duncan's eyes widened. "Thanks, sweetie." He closed the comm-line and turned to the pair. "Guys, Teelana just spotted Marlena and the Harriers heading north into the Evergreen Forest!"
Randor took a deep breath and he immediately began to formulate a plan. Ideas and thoughts flashed before his mind's eye. And then . . .
"Man-At-Arms, go the vault and get me the Gem of Life."
"The Gem of Life? But sire, I - "
"Just do it, please. I have a plan. Duncan, please prep a Battle-Tank and contact Dekker, telling him to stay put."
Ten minutes later, the Battle-Tank roared out of Eternos, shooting north. In King Randor's hand was one of the prize possessions of the royal family and its bloodline - the Gem of Life. This crystal allowed for a certain power of crops and plants - something that came in handy while living on the Fertile Plains.
After nearly an hour of driving at top speed and twenty minutes after picking up Dekker, the Battle Tank arrived at the Evergreen Forest.
The foursome abandoned the vehicle and entered the vast forest. Most of it was still unexplored despite being a small piece of land compared to the Fertile Plains. This was mostly due to pockets of densely packed trees and the occasional mass of rock.
As soon as Randor, Duncan, Man-At-Arms, and Dekker entered the Evergreen Forest, Randor lifted the Gem of Life. In his hand, the palm-sized crystal lit up with white light. Its rays filed the general area of their location.
"MOSS MAN!" King Randor shouted. "AS WIELDER OF THE GEM OF LIFE, I ASK YOU TO JOIN US! WE ARE IN NEED OF YOUR HELP!"
All around them, the trees and the plants swayed as if a breeze was coming off Randor King. The Gem of Life grew brighter and brighter still. And then, it dimmed and the trees stopped swaying. A minute later, the ground before them began to churn and heave.
A figure grew out from the dirt, a man whose body looked like moss with a green face and yellow eyes. He rose from the dirt as if he had done so everyday - and indeed, he has.
"Okay, okay," he said to the four in front of him, "you didn't need to shout. I'm here. You must be King Randor, son of King Miro."
"I am," Randor replied. "And you are Moss Man."
"Yep. A certain as the trees grow."
"This is my Man-At-Arms, Rohad; Dekker, Captain of the Royal Guard; and Commander Duncan. We need your help, Moss Man."
"You got it. What is it?"
"Harriers have captured a guest of the Royal Palace named Marlena. She was brought into the Evergreen Forest not far from here. Can you help us find her?"
"Give me a few minutes and I sure can."
Moss Man walked over to a tall oak tree and placed his hands upon its bark. The tree immediately began to move and sway, branches and leaves waving wildly yet very naturally.
"So . . . just who is this Moss Man anyways?" asked Duncan quietly.
"He brought my ancestor the Gem of Life after he saved the Evergreen Forest from being destroyed. Since then, the royal family and Moss Man has had a fair and amicable working relationship," Randor explained.
"Okay! I've got her!" Moss Man shouted.
"Where is she?" questioned Randor, heart leaping. "Moss Man, we need to get to her fast."
"She's safe. About a mile west of here, in a gully. I'll go ahead and engage them. You guys follow. Can't miss it."
King Randor pocketed the Gem of Life, then ran west with the other three. Moss Man leapt into the trees and seemed to vanish into the canopy.
Marlena stopped struggling as two of Kronis' thugs tied her up to a pole. "How do you people plan on getting a statement to Eternos?" asked Marlena.
"How about you not ask questions," Kronis snapped back. "You just sit there and keep your big mouth shut or you'll be dead!"
Marlena frowned and fought back a good cry. As soon as she did, however, she noticed that all of the plants on the forest were moving about like they were in some sort of gale. When she looked back up, she saw a man covered in a fur of moss standing at the edge of the gully.
Before she could gasp, the man lifted his hand and something very, truly amazing happened. A pair of trees swung their branches down and slammed two of the Harriers into each other!
"What on Eternia is this?!" shouted Kronis. He pulled a laser and started firing, sending beams of energy at Moss Man.
However, they missed, and that's when King Randor appeared. He jumped into the gully and tackled Kronis. As soon as he did, Dekker, Duncan, and Man-At-Arms were in action - leaping onto the three other Harriers.
With Kronis taken care of, Randor rushed over to Marlena and freed her. He then lifted her into his arms (My hero, she thought) and carried her out of the gully.
"Oh, Randor, I was so scared!" she told him. "I was so scared!"
"I know, I know. It's okay now. I love you."
Randor stopped himself, not even realizing what he had just said. To his complete surprise, he saw not only shock in her eyes, but also . . . the returned feeling.
"I love you too."
And right there, as the Harriers were rounded up, they had their first kiss.
