CHAPTER FIVE

The next few days took forever to pass.

Inside, I felt weighed down, confused, uncertain. But part of me was overjoyed. I was going to be an aristh. An aristh! My childhood dream was coming true! I used to sit outside my scoop, watch the Andalite troops go trotting past.. They gave off this sense of pride, this power. My whole life, I had wanted to be like them. What kid in the ERC didn't? That kind of life would be full of thrills, full of adventures and battles!

But at the same time, it would be scary...

At the same time, I'd be leaving my home... my mom... Aliana...

I kissed her goodbye. Mom. Not Aliana.

Boy, do I wish...

I kissed my mom goodbye and headed out, over the hill. My backpack didn't hold much. Some extra clothes. Some comic books Marco had given me a long time ago. A holo of my parents. You know, the basics.

I heard a sound to my left as I reached the top. I turned and saw Aliana in the distance. She had been running.

Our eyes met for a moment. She looked... she looked sad. But I knew she understood. Whether either one of us completely agreed with what I was doing, I had to do it.

I did, didn't I?

An instant later, she galloped off, her tail blade glistening in the suns' light.

Goodbye, Aliana...

About an hour later, the transport came into view.

I had been standing in the middle of Eshren Field, our local docking station.

The Andalite home world isn't like Earth, or how it used to be...

From what I've learned in Earth History class, much of the planet was covered in cities, groups of tall buildings that were built very close to one another. People drove around in land transports called cars. Some cities held thousands of people. It was insane!

The Andalite world, as you know, is much simpler. Sure, we have "scoop groups" and the villages, but Andalite life is more about family, about open spaces. It has to be that way for a planet of grazers.

So, Eshren Field was not an unusual place to serve as a docking port. It was big, open, and full of lush, purple grasses.

Listen to me! Now I'm talking like an Andalite!

With me were two other kids. They looked a little older than me, which was to be expected. Thirteen-year-old arisths aren't exactly the norm...

One was named Frederick. He had dark skin, dark eyes, and a dark personality. It seemed that way to me, at least. The whole time he had barely talked, barely blinked, barely moved a muscle. I swear he could've passed for a statue... He wore this fixed, straight face and just looked off in the distance, as if he could see something I couldn't...

The other was an Andalite, Malbin-Escatol-Halsiin. There wasn't anything fancy about him. He looked like your regular, everyday kid, probably about 16 years old. He was nice, though. Maybe a little talkative, but nice.

The transport landed before us. I had assumed it would be a standard carrier ship, but instead, what hovered just a few feet away was a first-class Tail-fighter.

That's right. A Tail-fighter.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I had learned about Tail-fighters at the academy. I knew them inside and out. But I had never actually seen one. It was beautiful.

Frederick and Malbin straightened their backs, standing at attention. I decided I should do the same.

The fighter's door slowly edged open, revealing an Andalite. He stood, looking young and strong, powerful... His tail blade shimmered, even in the darkness of the craft's interior. His stalk eyes scanned left and right, ready for the first sign of movement, of danger...

He was like something out of a shormitor.

That's when it hit me. I knew this Andalite. Everyone did. He was Cruspen-Bassili-Negat. Any Andalite girl would have given her tail blade to be with him. And any boy, human or otherwise, would've died to be like him... He was a hero.

((You the arisths?))

His tone surprised me. It sounded so plain, so informal, so... human.

Yes, I admit it. Andalites have better speaking skills than humans. Then again, they don't really have to speak.

The three of us were still in shock over his mere presence. Even Frederick looked shaken, like he couldn't find the right words to say.

Suddenly, Cruspen turned all four of his eyes on me.

((You. You're Berenson's son?))

I was startled. My throat felt dry. I struggled to speak.

"Uhmm.. Yeah."

His eyes grinned slightly. ((You sound unsure.))

I tried my best to compose myself, stand up straight.

"Yes, sir. I am Jake Berenson's son."

((Then step inside. No need to keep the prince waiting.))

I gulped hard. Somehow, I managed to step into the fighter without tripping over my own feet. Frederick and Malbin followed.

Once inside, the door automatically closed behind us. Cruspen was already at the controls, taking the Tail-fighter off the ground.

I looked around, amazed to be inside a real fighter. Everywhere, there were blinking lights, switches, buttons, levers... It was like a madhouse of electronic rigging. But I knew it all. I knew Tail-fighters like the back of my hand.

Slowly, we rose up and up and up...

Below, I could see the treetops surrounding Eshren Field. Then, the entire ERC came into view, eventually growing smaller and smaller until it was just a white speck on a big, rotating, golden sphere.

The sight of my planet startled me. It was like a slap in the face, a shock of realization. Right then, I knew that my life would never be the same. I was no longer a simple boy. I had crossed the boundary. This was my first time in outer space...

Suddenly, I heard Aliana's voice.

Aliana's voice? No, it couldn't be... Ordinary thought-speak could never travel this distance...

But it was Aliana. She was calling to me. She was sending a warning.

((Tom! No, Tom! It's a trap! You have to..))

I shook it off, decided I just needed sleep.

Sleep. Yeah. That's it. I hadn't been getting much sleep since I knew about the promotion...

Get it together, Tom...

I stepped over to the others. They were standing behind Cruspen, who was taking us towards the great Dome Ship in the distance.

"What's its name?" I asked.

((She is the Garibah.))

Malbin turned. ((Garibah? This Dome Ship is named after a guide tree?))

((Yes,)) Cruspen replied. ((It is my prince's naive hope that such a name will bring us luck. Like a guide tree, the Dome Ship will show us the right path...))

((That is beautiful,)) Malbin said, smiling at Frederick and me.

((Yes. Beautiful to an optimist, maybe. Beautiful to a fool.))

Malbin was taken aback, as was I. It was not normal for such a high-ranking officer, or any officer for that matter, to speak of his prince in such a way. Something was not right...

I looked at Frederick to see his reaction. He seemed aloof. Still, he wore that fixed expression. I was beginning to wonder if he could make his face look any other way...

The Tail-fighter docked and, together, we disembarked. Cruspen led the way to a drop shaft, which we took up to the main hall.

I guess you could say the main hall is a sort of lobby. It's where Andalites hold ceremonies and entertainment shows.

Today, there would be a greeting ceremony. And we were the guests of honor.

How cool is that?

Finally, we came to the proper level and stepped out. It felt good to have a floor beneath my feet again.

Several Andalite officers stood in a straight line across the room, staring towards us. In front of them were the arisths. I could tell because they were younger, looked less stern and rigid.

I smiled. A greeting ceremony was every boy's fantasy. But the best part was yet to come.

A tall, older-looking Andalite stepped onto the platform behind the officers. Though he must've been in his hundreds, at least, he looked strong, healthy, and ready for battle. Usually, the commanding prince is the meanest brute in the bunch. That's how most Andalites become princes in the first place. But this one was different. He seemed kind, gentle, wise... Uncommon traits for a prince, especially one whose field is battle.

((Greetings, young ones. My name is War Prince Elloban-Intel-Shammul. And I proudly state that from this day forward... You three may bear the rank aristh.))

My name is Tom Berenson.

And now, I am an aristh.