Chapter Two: Building an Army

Samson, the Chosen Warrior must bring Earthlings and Xeroxians together against a common enemy: The Chaos. The Living Circle needs an army of all races to join forces, despite their differences.

Queen Martha led Samson to the King’s Sitting room, which was lined with elegant furnishings. There was a coffee table in the middle of the room with coffee cake and coffee laid out and around the coffee table were two plush mahogany sofas and two plus chairs. One chair sat at each width of the table and one sofa sat each length of the table. The ceiling was high in this room, with a ceiling fan in the center. Behind the coffee table and sofas was a huge window which would be overlooking a beautiful view of the Rainbow Falls had the whole planet not been plunged into darkness, and behind each of the chairs surrounding the coffee table there was a bookshelf.

She shut the door and faced Samson. He was still shaken up from seeing his father petrified. She took his hand, “Samson, what’s wrong?” she asked him, making him look into her eyes.

Samson drew in a shaky breath, “My father…” he gasped. “The Chaos has my father…”

Queen Martha hugged him, “It’s going to be okay,” she assured him. “Once he’s defeated, everything should go back to the way it was way before he rose. You will get your father back and the Xeroxians will have their planet back.”

Samson hugged her back and took a deep breath, “My father told me to try and stay calm,” he sighed. “I’m trying but it’s just not easy.”

Queen Martha sighed, “Nobody said it will be easy,” she said. “But, that’s what makes the effort count.”

Samson sighed and nodded, “So, what’s the problem?” he asked.

“The rise of Chaos has begun, despite our efforts to prevent it,” Queen Martha replied. “We need an army of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings to fight against him. Will you be willing to gather up a group of Ancient Xeroxians to go with you into Earth and request assistance from the Earthlings?”

Samson smiled, “My Lady, you don’t have to ask,” he replied. “Of course I’d be willing to. But, what worries me is how many Ancient Xeroxians are still available to recruit?”

Queen Martha sighed, “That’s where it gets tough,” she replied. “Ziero should be able to help but I haven’t seen or heard from him since the Rise of Chaos began.”

“I think I saw him in the Golden Plains,” Samson said. “He and Juan were up against a huge invasion of the Zoros and the Vanderbelts. They were splitting the ground apart.”

Queen Martha gasped, “Oh no!” she said. “Just what they needed: a sudden breach in the barriers that surround the planet Xerox. I guess this was the perfect timing for an invasion.”

“The Chaos has risen, so now I guess it’s too late for battle planning,” Samson sighed.

“He hasn’t risen yet,” Queen Martha sighed. “He’s rising. He will be at full strength in seven days, unless we have an army of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings to stop him by then.”

“Oh, hmm,” Samson said, “so, where am I going? Anywhere in particular?”

Queen Martha sighed, “You will need to go into Earth via The Imaginary Path,” she said. “The first country you’ll get to is America. You will also have to go to other countries such as Mexico, and some European and Asian countries. The goal is find as many volunteers as possible.”

“But why those countries?” Samson asked.

“Well, I’m not sure but according to our records, those are some of the countries we know of that were involved in a war against each other or are about to go to war with each other. Many of the Asian countries, particularly North Korea and Russia, and America are at each other’s throats. Plus, there are tensions rising between the Americans and the Mexicans, the Americans and some parts of Europe and Asia,” Queen Martha replied. “These all contribute to the rise of Chaos. But, we don’t want you to take so long to find volunteers to return with you to The Dark Lands because you’ll only have seven days. That is not counting how long it’ll take for you to convince them.”

“How am I to get the message across to them?” Samson asked.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, you could try broadcasting the distress call over television,” Queen Martha suggested. “Good luck.”

Samson and Queen Martha stood just as the door to the King’s Sitting Room opened. King Silus entered and glared at Martha and Samson, “Well, it seems the prodigal niece still hasn’t learned the error of her ways,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Samson glared at him as Queen Martha stepped towards him, “Uncle, please,” she pleaded. “Not today. Any other day would be fine, but please, not today.”

King Silus chuckled, “You know, if bad boy #1 here hadn’t snitched on me to bad boy #2, I would take back control of my palace,” he said. “But, it seems since I’m past due on my payments, I’m no longer the owner of this palace, Maqsedeth is, making Samson co-owner.”

He approached Samson and sneered, “Well played, a*****e, but remember this: after all this blows over, it’ll just be me and you,” he said. “Then, we’ll see who’s laughing. You may have won this time but next time, I’ll take the cake.”

Samson glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest, “Sure, you’ll take the cake next time, King Silus,” he said. “As if I will let you.”

“Oh you’ll let me,” King Silus said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“Yeah, when hell freezes over,” Samson snapped.

“It’s already bad enough that I have to reinstate the old Manorá Enactments, so that I now have to pay Maqsedeth the money I owe him,” he griped. “But, now I have to listen to you and respect the queen? You have gone too far!”

“Now is not the time, King Silus,” Samson snapped. “Now, you stay here and look after the queen, and whoever else is left here in the village Fruits and Berries. And don’t put your hands on her. If I see so much as a scratch on her skin, I will rip every single one of your fingers off. Do you understand? Now, I have to go and build The Living Circle an army.”

Samson departed the King’s Sitting Room and headed through the double doors back into the Foyer. “Hey, Samson, wait up,” Paradise called. “I’m coming with you.”

Samson glanced back at him, curiously, “But, you don’t have anything to fight with,” he said, tapping his sword. “I’m building an army, not spectators.”

Paradise grinned and pointed his wrist phone at the front door. He tapped a code into it and pressed a key on it, blowing the doors apart. Samson stumbled backwards, “What?” he asked. “How’d you do that?”

Paradise chuckled and pulled a large gun from within his lab coat sleeve, “But, to answer your question, I actually do have something to fight with,” he said as he cocked his gun. “How do you like my gun?”

Samson chuckled, “Alright fine,” he relented. “You can come with me, but I’ll still need an army of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings to face The Chaos.”

Paradise smiled and followed Samson out of the Sunflower Palace towards the Gates of Manorá.

Meanwhile, being held captive deep in the darkest area of The Dark Lands, the Fruits and Berries villagers hang locked away in a prison amidst a horrendous encounter with the Corruption, which are blood thirsty demons from The Dark Lands; zombies, which are the undead victims of the Lava Pit that joined the Corruption in the misery of the Fruits and Berries villagers; and the Vice, vampires from The Dark Lands. Through it all, the village chief thought to himself, I sure hope Samson and Maqsedeth are enjoying their vacation while we become these creatures' dinner. He didn't know that Samson and Maqsedeth were no longer on vacation.

Because of the beatings and the cursing and the massacre happening then, the children were too afraid to speak out. They didn’t want their tongues getting severed from their mouths with a burning whip. However, no one spoke then, except for Molly and Butch. "Are we going to be here forever, chief?" Butch asked. After he spoke, the demons raised a thin flexible object, covered in flames, that he later realized was a whip.

When the whip came into contact with Butch's leg, he cried aloud, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was to set an example for the rest of the captives, but unfortunately that didn't happen. "I don't know little one," Trenton whispered, keeping an eye out for the demons. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Unfortunately, that didn't go well since they still heard him, "You want some of this?" one of the demons growled, his voice deep and monstrous, as he raised his whip to strike.

Trenton immediately hushed and shook his head. They hung in silence while the demons conversed amongst themselves in the Ancient Xeroxian Tongue [The Ancient Xeroxian Tongue is basically English spoken backwards]. It wasn't until a while later that Molly got up the courage to speak, "Who's going to save us?" she whispered.

The others chimed in, "Yeah, who's going to save us?" they asked.

The demons stopped their conversation and went to see what the commotion was and who started it, "Quiet!" they snapped. "Quiet! Shut the hell up! You," they said, pointing at Molly, "You're going to teach these other ones a lesson!"

"No please," she pleaded, shaking her head.

Butch panicked, "Not my sister!" he cried. "Please don't take my sister! Take me instead!"

The demons ignored him and approached Molly, against her will, and removed the chains that bound her. "No please!" she shrieked. "Don't! I'll never speak without permission again! Please just don't"" The demons picked up her up and tossed her to the other end of the chamber with her screaming at the top of her lungs.

"NOO!" Butch cried as he thrashed against his chains, "MOLLY!"

The Corruption let the darkness on the other end of the chamber consume her while the others watched in horror, and when they didn't see her anymore, it caused a disturbance among them. "Anyone else want to join her?" the demons asked, "There's room for you, too." The others immediately hushed and there were no further questions or responses from them or the demons. Instead the Fruits and Berries villagers worried in silence, sobbing over what had become of poor little Molly, and wondered who their rescuer will be.

Back at the Shakespeare district, Samson led Paradise through the Gates of Manorá into the Magical Forest. Alright, I need to find some place I'll be able to gather up an army of Ancient Xeroxians, he thought. Where would I find a place like that?

He took a step forward and he heard footsteps approaching them from their left. "Who's there?" he asked as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the individual approaching them. Beads of perspiration sprouted from his forehead and trickled down his face. His palms were also sweaty and his heart was beating rapidly.

The person laughed, "Put that thing away, Sam," he said, "it's just me, Prince Smith." He wore a golden tunic and khakis with golden boots. He had olive green eyes and dark brown hair and a golden tan. He carried the Light Sword in his hand, which cut through the darkness and cast a bright white light on the surrounding area.

When he saw him, Samson breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword. "Dude, don't ever sneak up on me like that, again!" he exclaimed, punching Prince Smith in the arm. "Seriously though, I thought you were something else!"

Prince Smith laughed, "Like, what did you think I was?" he asked him.

Samson shrugged, "The Chaos?" he said.

Prince Smith chuckled, "Very funny, Sam," he said.

Samson sighed, "So, what brings you here?" he asked.

Prince Smith smiled, "Well, I just thought you needed some help, you know, with fighting The Chaos," he said. "And I just thought, I’d give you a hand."

Samson smiled, "Okay, so what did you have in mind?" he asked.

Prince Smith smiled, "Follow me," he said. “Oh, hi, Paradise.”

“Hello, Prince Smith,” Paradise said as he hefted his gun.

Samson and Paradise followed Prince Smith through the Magical Forest towards the Golden Plains, where they found Ziero, Juan, and the Ancient Xeroxians they sent to the Lake of Dreams Residency with Maqsedeth facing the remaining Zoros and Vanderbelts [the women and children were sent with Ziero's sister Zieroasiea to the Patriarch's palace in the Paradise Hills]. Ziero obliterated them with a large column of purple fire and turned to face Samson, “Hello, Samson,” he said. “I see you’ve found Prince Smith and Paradise.”

Paradise smiled and cocked his gun, “Hello, brother, do you need any help?” he asked.

Ziero shook his head, “No, that’s all of them,” he replied. “Meet me in the Magical Forest when you come back, Samson. We’ll travel the Imaginary Path together.”

“You’re coming with us?” Samson asked in bewilderment.

Ziero chuckled, “What? You thought you were gonna have this party without me?” he asked. “Please! Just meet me in the Magical Forest when you come back, okay?”

Samson nodded and he and Paradise followed Prince Smith into the Golden Twinkle Kingdom. They found themselves standing in front of the Sunshine Palace. "Right this way," Prince Smith said as he led them through the golden double doors, "I have someone who is anxious to meet you."

Samson raised an eyebrow, “Someone?” he asked.

"Well, you already know many of my brothers, but there are others you have yet to meet," Prince Smith said.

The first room they made it to was the Foyer and it was designed with the intention to mimic the sun. The walls were made entirely of shimmering gold blocks and the floors were made entirely of gold. In the middle of the dome ceiling, where a chandelier would have been, was a large hole covered with a large transparent diamond through which the sun was supposed to shine to break into four beams of light that would bounce off the walls creating the illusion that one was actually walking through the sun.

But, because the sun had been swallowed by The Chaos, the sun didn't shine through the hole in the ceiling. Instead, the emergency lights on the dome ceiling were lit to bring light into the palace, which totally defeated the purpose of the name 'Sunshine Palace'.

Prince Smith led Samson and Paradise towards the golden double doors on the first floor where four plush pearl white sofas were placed in two half circles in front of the double doors. On the four pearl white plush sofas sat five guys, two of which Samson had never seen before. One of them had a much darker skin tone, a mixture between copper and gold, and shaggy jet black hair. He wore jeans and a T-shirt that read, "I (heart) Crushing People!" with a picture of the Incredible Hulk underneath the words and sneakers. He carried no visible weapon, which made Samson wonder. How is he gonna help defeat The Chaos? he thought.

And the other guy was probably the only guy that Samson could see the eyes of because the others were too busy looking down or engaged in conversation. But, this guy fixed Samson with his intense gaze through his deep blue eyes, which made Samson a little uneasy. He wore a brown tunic and white trousers with black boots and he had a sword with a dual-colored hilt and scabbard strapped to his hip. The sword had a red orange glow around its scabbard and blade, as though it was reacting to some kind of energy. He had braids in his golden blond hair, which was another thing that Samson found odd. He was the only one who wore braids and his skin color was that of copper or bronze. Wait a minute, he thought, my father told me a man with a dark complexion and braids in his golden blond hair made him promise not to tell me too much about his past. Plus, his deep blue eyes look so familiar…

The other three guys Samson easily recognized. One was dressed in a navy blue tunic and khakis with brown boots and a sword strapped to his hip, the Borealis. He had dark brown hair and some weird markings on his arms around his wrists that Samson suspected were tattoos. Funny, I didn’t know Prince Rueban had tattoos, he thought.

The second guy was dressed in a black tunic and khakis with black boots but instead of a sword, he carried a large crescent blade and the blade was as dark as the night with a purple leather hilt, Midnight Blade. He had dark brown hair, just like the other guy in the navy blue tunic. I’ve never seen Prince Ralph’s weapon, he thought, uneasily. It gives me the same feeling as that black door on the Golden Plains…

The third guy was dressed in a stark white tunic and khakis with white boots but instead of a sword or a crescent blade he carried two large silver and pearl disk blades, the Blazers. Those disk blades look like the same ones Pearl wielded, Samson thought.

When Prince Smith brought Samson over to the front of the golden double doors that led into the first floor, the young man with the braids stepped up to Samson and regarded him with his deep blue eyes, "Exaephor," he called still gazing at Samson, "Who is this young man you've brought us?" When he spoke, Samson thought he heard a British accent and a hint of disapproval in his voice. His voice sounds so much like mine, though, Samson thought, nervously.

Prince Smith smiled, "Ptolemy, behave," he said to the young man whose blue eyes seemed to bore right into Samson's soul, "This man right here happens to be a very good friend of mine and a highly skilled Xeroxian Warrior."

Samson gasped, “Ptolemy?” he whispered. “Could he be the Ptolemy they’ve told me about? Why does his voice sound like mine? And his eyes, they look like mine…No, he can’t be…”

I watched you grow up… the voice of the man in the dark garb rang in his ears. Samson shook his head and dismissed the idea.

“‘Highly skilled Xeroxian Warrior'," Ptolemy mused, "Is that so? He doesn't look like one of us." He circled around Samson, studying him from all angles, "Hmm, broad shouldered, blue eyes, curly blond hair," he said.

He tried to attack Samson from behind, but Samson quickly blocked his attack, "Quick reflexes," Ptolemy noted. He stepped in closer like he was going to hug him and sniffed. He narrowed his eyes, "Exaephor, how do we know we can trust him?" he asked. "His title may be 'Xeroxian Warrior' but his scent spells 'intruder'. He smells…different, like he's from another world, like he's…an alien."

Everyone else stood and gasped, except for Prince Smith, Samson and Paradise, "Alien? Where?" the guy wearing the Hulk shirt asked.

Ptolemy crossed his arms over his chest and looked into Samson's eyes, "Young man," he said. "Tell me, who are you and where are you from?"

Samson felt like he had just stepped into an inspection. This guy, Ptolemy Zero, gave him the cold shoulder. He seemed to bore right through Samson's soul with those blue eyes. This was his first time meeting him and he was already giving him a hard time. Samson also didn't like how he had called him an intruder. Seriously? After all I’ve done for this planet? Samson thought.

The way Ptolemy looked at Samson reminded him a little of the way that Ziero had looked at him when he had first met him and he wondered if they were related. He also looked oddly familiar as though Samson had seen him somewhere else, but he couldn’t remember where. Then, the nightmare he had a week ago flashed across his mind, I’m so sorry Asus, Azo had said before he shot him.

He looked exactly like Ptolemy and Samson recalled what his father told him about what had happened to Asus: He was shot during the Battle for The Living Circle by a man who looked just like him, Maqsedeth’s voice rang in his ears. A twin? Samson had asked. Probably, Maqsedeth had replied. There was a man, a man who tried to end it all and you kinda look just like him…I mean hair, face, eyes, everything… Maqsedeth’s voice rang in his ears.

Samson gasped, “No, I’m not Asus, I can’t be,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Because if I’m Asus then that’ll make Ptolemy my…but he can’t be…I don’t know him.” But, his voice sure sounds like mine, he thought, uneasily.

Ptolemy was waiting for an answer and Samson knew that he wouldn't like the answer he was going to give him, but he also knew he couldn't lie to him because something told him that he would know that he was lying just like Ziero knew. Samson took a deep breath, "My name is Samson Cleopatra, but you can call me Sam," he said. "I'm an Erosian from the planet Eros."

Ptolemy studied Samson for a while, "Have you been involved in any crime that included jeopardizing the life of another Xeroxian or innocent life?" he asked.

Samson knit his eyebrows, "No," he answered.

"Have you been in a gang or gang-like activity that involved pillaging or attempting to gain power over the planet?" Ptolemy asked.

Samson shook his head, "No, what--"

Ptolemy raised his hand, "One last question," he said, "Have you had any previous occasion in which you attempted the destruction of planet Xerox?"

Samson shook his head, "No," he said.

Ptolemy didn't look very satisfied with his answers. Hmm, the sword said that he’d forget… he thought, apprehensively. We’ll see soon enough if he really has no known memory of…his past. He leaned in closer, "Alright, I'll let you off the hook, this time," he said. "But, if you're lying--don't worry, The Force will reveal it. What's done in the dark will come to light. I'm watching you, Samson Cleopatra."

Samson's heart started beating faster and his throat closed up, but he managed to speak, "Okay," he said feeling like his heart was on fire. He must think I’m him, he thought, uneasily. He must think I’m Asus just like my father thought I was.

Ptolemy looked up at Prince Smith, "Exaephor," he called, "He's alright with me. I think he's safe to introduce to the others." Ptolemy stepped away from Samson and suddenly he could breathe again.

He looked at Prince Smith, quizzically, "What is he the bodyguard of the team or something?" he asked him.

Prince Smith chuckled, "No, he's not," he replied, "That’s just how he is. He greets everyone like that. Congratulations, you’re officially one of us."

Samson smiled feeling like his chest would explode any moment. Prince Smith led Samson closer to the group of guys that stood in front of the two double doors that led into the first floor.

"This is Eric Rand," he announced, "Eric is one of the strongest Ancient Xeroxians ever to live and, if it wasn't for Juan our patriarch, he'd probably be the second strongest in The Living Circle right now. For this reason, he is probably the only Ancient Xeroxian with a weakness."

Samson smiled and shook Eric's hand, "Nice to meet you, Eric," he said. "I'm Samson, but you can call me 'Sam'. Nice shirt, by the way."

Eric smiled, "Thanks," he said.

Prince Smith moved to the next person, he wore a blue tunic, khakis and brown boots. "As you already know, this is my younger brother, Prince Edmund Zackeriah Ray Rueban Smith or Prince Rueban," Prince Smith said. "But, what you may not know is Rueban is also one of the strongest Ancient Xeroxians to ever live, and probably one of the luckiest. Years ago, he was involved in a war between planet Xerox and planet Zoron and, um, he ended up getting injured very badly."

Prince Smith's voice cracked as he recalled his brother's condition and just how close he had come to dying, "The doctors said he wouldn't be able to survive because he was in a very critical condition," he sighed, holding back tears. "And, they didn't know what to do, so they pulled the plug. Then, late that night, the day before they were to take him into the morgue, we saw a flicker of blue light that gradually got brighter as it settled over him. When we studied him, we didn't see much difference except that there were those weird markings on his wrists and he was alive again. Those markings, we discovered, were the symbols of Aurora, our blue star, who revived him. Due to him being revived by the blue star, Aurora, he now possesses Sapphire Powers. He also has the ability to combine his powers with his sword, the Borealis, making it the Aurora Borealis, a very powerful weapon that may help defeat The Chaos."

Samson smiled, “Hey, I don’t mean to pry, but aren’t Ancient Xeroxians unable to die?” he asked. “I thought y’all could come back to life or something like that?”

"Not forever, that’s why there’s the City of Paradise in the Paradise Hills. We have limits to how many times we’re able to come back to life and long we’re able to live," Rueban said. “I had used all my times up and lived to my limit by the time the Zoros invaded, so when I died, I was dead for good.”

“Oh,” Samson said, “Well, I’m glad you’re all better now.”

Prince Smith led Samson to the person next to him, he wore a black tunic, khakis and black boots. "You already know this is my other younger brother, Prince Eziekel Zephaniah Ron Ralph Smith or Prince Ralph," Prince Smith stated. "But, what you may not know is Ralph is the second strongest in the family. He often likes to refer to himself as Death incarnate because of his dark magic. His crescent blade, Midnight Blade, is the most dangerous of its kind. It is the second deadliest blade in The Living Circle with Ziero's sword, the X-Blade, being the first. The blade itself is carved from the same metal used to form the roof of the Darkness Supreme of The Dark Lands. This metal was specially designed to sever the soul from anyone who touches it.”

“Plus, Midnight possesses a unique power that gives the bearer control over the four corners of planet Xerox: Aerial, Shore, Aurora, and Ember. He also has Obsidian Powers and he specializes in Black Magic, also known as Necromancy, which gives him the ability to revive the dead and order them to do whatever he wanted them to do. He can also revive himself, so he can go beyond his limits in how many times he can come back to life. He also has the ability to use Black Fire, the second strongest type of fire on planet Xerox.”

“He can also use his Black Magic to charm The Darkness [the Dark Knight of The Dark Lands] into doing what he wanted him to do and he can use his Black Magic to charm The Dark Lands into taking him to where he wanted to go, allowing him and anyone with him to avoid any traps The Darkness may impose on his enemies."

Samson managed a smile, “Hey, Ralph,” he said. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Ralph gave Samson a cold smile, "Nice to see you, too, Sam," he said giving Samson a cold gaze with his olive green eyes. "You're not scared, are you?"

Samson shook his head, "No, not at all," he replied, "Why would I be afraid? I’ve come close to death so many times, I’ve lost count."

Ralph nodded, "I see," he said, "So, no stranger to death? Well, that's good because that's exactly where we're headed: right down death row."

Samson smiled as Prince Smith led him to the person next to him, he wore a white tunic, khakis and white boots. "You already know this is my youngest brother, Prince Esiah Zaccheus Reginald Jesse Smith or Prince Jesse," Prince Smith stated. "But, what you may not know is Jesse is the strongest in the family and I'll admit he is much stronger than me. His twin silver and pearl disks, the Blazers, are nothing to be trifled with. These discs can spin at speeds that can be higher than 500,000 m/hr. When these discs reach the maximum speed of one million miles per hour, fire surrounds them, which is why they are called the Blazers. Jesse also possesses the power of the Forgotten Galaxy's white star, Pearl, which includes Moonstone Powers.”

“It also includes the ability to use White Fire, the strongest type of fire on planet Xerox, which is a combination of all the types of fire, Black Fire included. There is no limit to how hot and dangerous it can be. Jesse is also a black belt in all the types of Martial Arts and he is more tolerant of extreme temperatures than I am, making him harder to kill. He specializes in White Magic which allows him to be able to determine what the best cure for a wound or illness is and to effectively restore the victim to full health."

Samson smiled, “Nice to see you, again Prince Jesse,” he said. “I don’t mean to pry but is Pearl your grandfather? You kinda look like the pictures they had for him, plus you have the Blazers, which look like the same ones he wielded.”

Jesse smiled back, "Samson, it’s complicated, but you’re right," he said. “These are the same Blazers Pearl wielded. But, no, he’s not my grandfather. He faced The Chaos a long time ago at his first appearance on the planet Neon. That was when he tried to wipe out an entire race before Pearl stopped him.”

Samson stood next to Prince Smith and sighed, and then Ptolemy approached him, "I saw that," he said as he crossed his arms.

Samson was shocked, "Saw what?" he asked.

Ptolemy shot him a dirty look, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," he snapped. "When you spoke with Ralph, you acted very different from how you did when you spoke with Jesse and the others. And on top of that, you lied to him."

Samson stared at him for a while in bewilderment. His mouth fell open, "What?" he asked.

Ptolemy rolled his eyes, "You know what I’m talking about," he said. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Samson knit his brows, "No," he said, "of course not! I've got nothing to hide."

Ptolemy glared at him, "If you have 'nothing to hide' then why did you lie?" he demanded.

Samson sighed and looked Ptolemy in his eyes, "Because that’s what people do, they lie. And, I'm sorry. Now, if you're done interrogating me, we should get moving. We don't have much time for dilly-dallying."

Paradise sighed, “Ptolemy, please, don’t be so hard on him,” he said. “He’s had a hard day. Samson, we should go meet with Ziero in the Magical Forest after this.”

Samson nodded, “I know but before we go I would like to go back into Pinnaclé to see if there are any more survivors there,” he said.

Paradise sighed, “Yes, but the Magical Forest is on the way there,” he said.

“Alright,” Samson relented.

Samson departed the Sunshine Palace and the Golden Twinkle Kingdom, and he crossed through the Golden Plains into the Magical Forest. Ziero, and the Ancient Xeroxians that were with him, met them as they were about to cross into Pinnaclé.

“Hey, we were just heading over to Pinnaclé for a bit before going through The Imaginary Path,” Samson said.

Ziero nodded and sheathed his sword, “Alright, but let’s not stay too long,” he said. “The Chaos has already messed up the times, so we don’t know how long we have.”

“Martha said that he was planning to rise in seven days,” Samson said.

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean he has to do that,” Ziero replied. “Just be cautious, okay?”

Samson nodded. “Alright, let’s go,” Ziero said.

Samson gazed around at the group of Ancient Xeroxians that were with Ziero and sighed. It was a lot more than he had realized. “No, wait, this is too many Ancient Xeroxians,” he said. “How will we travel through Earth unnoticed? I don’t want to scare the Earthlings.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Ziero demanded.

Samson studied the Ancient Xeroxians that were with Ziero and sighed, “If any one of them is scared to death, let them go to the Lake of Dreams Residency,” he said.

More than half of the Ancient Xeroxians departed towards the Lake of Dreams Residency. Still too many, Samson thought. He sighed, “If any one of y’all is married or a father of small children, let him go into the Paradise Hills to the Patriarch’s Palace,” he said.

Most of the remaining Ancient Xeroxians departed towards the Paradise Hills. Samson looked at the remainder of the Ancient Xeroxians and sighed, “This should do just fine,” he said.

Ziero scoffed, “Are you kidding me?” he demanded. “Fifty? This is barely enough to face an invasion against the Zoros let alone The Chaos!”

“Have you forgotten that we are going into Earth for more recruits?” Samson asked him. “I know you don’t think so but we’d have a much better shot at defeating The Chaos with Earth’s help than we would doing it by ourselves. We barely survived an invasion from the Zoros without them.”

“Alright,” Ziero relented. “Let’s just get this over with. It won’t help The Living Circle at all if we argue.”

Samson went to Pinnaclé with Prince Smith, Paradise, Ziero, and everyone else following behind him. He just wanted to check to see if there were any more survivors there in Pinnaclé, but he found the whole place deserted. It looks like the village Fruits and Berries wasn’t the only place The Chaos cleaned up, he thought as he beheld how many people had gone missing from the face of Pinnaclé. The Chaos has certainly been busy, he thought.

While he was deep in thought, he came across the Everest Mountains, the very mountains that hated heat and would do anything to keep people from climbing them. Samson stopped so suddenly Prince Smith ran into him, "Samson, what's wrong?" he asked.

Samson gasped, "The Mountains hate heat," he said, recalling what he learned from some of the villagers in the village Fruits and Berries.

Prince Smith knit his brows, "Samson, what are you talking about?" he asked.

Samson turned to face Prince Smith and the others, "I'm gonna have to climb these mountains alone," he announced, "I'm sorry."

He turned to rush off when Prince Smith grabbed his arm, "Wait, Samson," he said. "We're a group. You can't just ditch us."

Samson turned around, "I'm not ditching you," he said. "These are the Everest Mountains. We can't climb these mountains together. They are alive and they hate heat. I have to climb them alone."

Prince Smith sighed, "Samson, make sense," he said. "What do you mean the Mountains hate heat?"

"They'll do whatever they have to do to remove anything too hot from their range," Samson replied. "And, I mean whatever. If we climb these Mountains together, they will destroy us. I thought you knew this already."

Prince Smith sighed, "That's only true for the Everest Mountains," he said.

"These are the Everest Mountains," Samson sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ptolemy scowled, "And how would you know that, Samson?" he asked him.

Paradise sighed, “He’s right, Ptolemy,” he said. “You must learn to trust him.”

Samson looked at Ptolemy, "Many of the villagers showed me pictures of them," he said. "They even explained to me how these Mountains behave."

Ptolemy sighed, "Alright, Samson," he relented, "I'll let you off the hook this time. You can go climb the mountain alone. As long as you return."

Samson knit his brows, "What are you talking about?" he asked, "Of course I'm gonna return. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"And, if you're not?" Prince Smith asked.

"Don't worry," Samson said, "I will be back."

Samson rushed off across the snowy terrain and disappeared in the shadows leaving Prince Smith alone with Ptolemy and the others. Ralph and Jesse looked at each other and then at Prince Smith, "So, what are we supposed to do?" they asked him.

Prince Smith shrugged, "I guess we wait," he said.

Samson slowed into a walk as he neared an opening on the side of the Everest Mountains that looked suspiciously like a cave or other dwelling. Samson snuck a peek and discovered two identical young children, a boy and a girl, sitting on the icy ground engaged in conversation. They were eating out of bowls filled with what looked like Oatmeal, but it was hard for Samson to be sure. He stood quietly outside the entrance for a while.

Well, as quiet as he could be with crunchy snow under his feet. He accidently moved his foot from the spot it was on and with a loud CRUNCH! he revealed his presence to them. He inched away from the entrance a bit and stood with his back against the mountain wall, trying to keep his breathing steady. The identical children stopped talking and looked around as the Everest Mountain gave them a red alert signal that there was an intruder outside their dwellings. The boy placed his half-empty bowl of cereal on the icy floor and went to see who it was outside the entrance.

Samson gasped and stopped peeking, Oh no, I've been spotted, he thought as the boy stepped outside. "And who the hell are you?" he asked him, his voice a deep boyish kind. Samson turned to face the boy. He brought out the lamp Queen Martha had given him and peered at the boy. The boy had windblown hair so blue it looked almost black, ice blue eyes, and skin as white as the snow that covered the ground. He wore a long sleeved pale blue and white shirt with matching pants and white boots. He carried no visible weapon, but frosty steam curled from his fingertips. From that, Samson could see that the boy was capable of freezing him at any moment, so he decided to make the most of his time before the boy turned him into a Samsicle.

Samson cleared his throat, "Who do you think you’re talking to?" he asked. "Where are your parents?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and held Samson's eyes for a while before lowering his gaze, “Where are your parents?” he asked. “I honestly don't know. My sister and I, we're orphans. We ran away from the orphanage when we were very little, five I think, and we ran into our cousin, Crystalline Silver. He's been our caregiver ever since. He lives on the Crystalline Mountain in the Crystalline Mountain range not too far from here.”

Samson raised an eyebrow, “Hold on,” he said. “‘He’? You mean Crystalline Silver is a boy?”

The boy nodded and hardened his gaze, “So, are you gonna tell me your name or what?” he asked.

Samson sighed, “My name is Samson Cleopatra,” he said, “but you can call me ‘Sam’.”

The boy crossed his arms over his chest, “Sam, eh?” he mused. He thought for a while and then he looked at Samson again, “Wait a minute,” he said, “I know you.” He stepped closer to Samson and narrowed his eyes, “You work for the king, don't you?” he asked him.

Samson sighed and shook his head, "Actually, no I don’t," he said. "I work for The Living Circle making me the second highest in command over planet Xerox, with the Patriarch being the first. So, no, I don’t work for the king, he actually works for me."

The boy smiled slightly, "How is the king taking it?" he asked.

Samson smirked, "It’s killing him, so he’s not taking it very well," he said. "So, what’s your name?"

The boy sighed, "My name is Christopher Floe," he said, "but, most people know me as Iceberg Boy."

Samson opened his mouth to speak when a girl's voice called from inside the cave, "Chris, who's that at the door?" A young girl about five feet, the same height as Iceberg Boy stepped into the light of Samson’s lamp. She had long hair so blue it was almost black, just like Iceberg Boy. She had ice blue eyes, skin as white as the snow on the ground, and lips as red as blood. She had a fair face, as beautiful as a white winter day and she wore a long ice blue and silver sleeveless dress. She regarded Samson with her ice blue eyes, "Who is this?" she asked Christopher.

Christopher gasped when he saw her, "I thought I told you to stay inside," he demanded.

The girl looked at him for a while, "I asked you a question," she snapped.

Iceberg Boy sighed, "This is Samson Cleopatra, Xeroxian Warrior," he said, "and second highest authority in planet Xerox, right under the Patriarch."

The girl gazed at Samson for a while, "So, you’re the second highest authority in planet Xerox?" she asked. “Who do you work for?” Her voice had a beautiful melodious tone to it, like she was singing as she spoke.

Samson nodded, “I work for The Living Circle,” he replied.

"And your name is Samson Cleopatra," she mused, "I've heard stories about you through some of the villagers there. Two of our friends have really taken a liking to you. Their names are Molly and Butch."

Samson gasped, "You know Molly and Butch?" he asked. "They're mine and my father's friends too! Their father, Rob Parish is our neighbor. How did you guys meet?"

The girl was shocked, "We go to school together," she said. "We met in the lunch room. How do you know them?"

Samson sighed, "My father, Maqsedeth Cleopatra, knew their father, Rob Parish, and he introduced me to him when we first moved to the village Fruits and Berries," he replied. He got a faraway look in his eyes as he recalled the first time he held them. "I was just nine years old when I first met Molly and Butch. I've known them ever since they were little babies and I helped babysit them when their father was away on missions. He's a policeman. But, anyway, I would babysit almost every day until Rob's promotion after which he was able to spend more time with them at home. That's how I came to know them."

The girl gasped, "You knew them ever since they were babies?" she asked, "That's epic."

"What's your name?" Samson asked her.

The girl smiled slightly, "My name is Crystal Floe," she replied, "but most people know me as Snowflake Girl."

Samson gasped, I didn’t know they were brother and sister, he thought. He managed a smile, "Well, it's nice to meet you guys," he said. "The reason I came here was to ask you guys a favor on the behalf of planet Xerox and The Living Circle. How would you like to be a part of an army with a common goal of defeating The Chaos once and for all?"

Crystal and Christopher studied Samson warily, trying to see if this was some kind of trick, "What kind of army?" Christopher asked him.

Samson sighed, "I haven't exactly thought of a name for it, yet," he said, "but, Ptolemy Zero, Prince Smith and three of his brothers, Eric, Ziero, and Paradise  have already joined. They're waiting for me around the corner."

Crystal and Christopher looked at each other and had some kind of silent agreement. Crystal faced Samson, "I guess we will join as well, if Prince Smith and Ptolemy trust you enough to join," she said. She and Christopher stood beside him and Samson managed a smile, You don’t even know half of how Ptolemy feels about me, he thought.

"Alright, let's go," Samson said and he left the Mountain with Crystal and Christopher following behind him.

"What's taking him so long?" Rueban asked.

Ralph sighed, "He couldn't have ditched us," he said, "could he?"

Prince Smith stood and peered into the gloom. He unsheathed The Light Sword and cut through the darkness but all he could see was a speck of white and blond approaching the group from the shadows in front of them. "I think that's Samson coming right now," he said. Jesse provided extra light by producing white flames on both his hands.

Ptolemy sighed, "That could be anything," he said, "For all we know, that could be The Chaos."

Samson stepped into the light of Prince Smith’s Light Sword and Jesse’s white fire, "Hey, guys," he said with a smile, "Good news. I've found us two extra people who are willing to join us in this battle against The Chaos. This is Christopher and Crystal Floe. This is their Mountain."

Nothing but silence followed. "What's wrong?" Samson asked.

Prince Smith smiled, "Hey, nice to meet you guys," he said as he shook their hands. "I'm Exaephor Smith, but you can call me Prince Smith."

Christopher and Crystal shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, too, Prince Smith," they said.

Prince Smith patted Samson on his back, "Thanks for bringing them, Samson," he said. "You know, for a moment, you had Ptolemy and Ralph a little worried that you wouldn't return."

Ptolemy glared at Prince Smith and kicked him in the shin, "I was not worried," he snapped. "I was just concerned, but that's not the same thing."

Prince Smith smiled, "Sure it is!" he said.

Samson gasped, "Aw, Ptolemy," he said, "so, you do care."

Ptolemy glared at Samson, "Don't talk to me like that," he retorted. "I'm still watching you, you know." He stormed off the other way.

Samson sighed, "Alright, looks like he's okay with these two joining the group," he said, "let’s go back to the Magical Forest and make way for Earth." He turned and left the Everest Mountains with the others following behind him. They made it back to the Magical Forest and Samson went to lead them to Earth when they suddenly ran into seven strangers but it was so dark they couldn’t see them.

"Who's there?" a female voice asked through the gloom.

Samson took a few steps forward, "It is I, Samson Cleopatra and friends," he called, "We've come to--" Before he knew it, he had been knocked to the ground by a pair of Nunchakus. Following that, he heard what sounded like swords being unsheathed and an arrow being notched on a bow.

"Watch your step next time, chump!" the female voice called.

Samson rubbed the side of his head he was wacked on, "Jeez," he said, "Alright, I'm sorry. I'll be sure to watch where I'm going next time."

Jesse supplied some light by making a white flame on the palm of his hand, "Better?" he asked.

Samson glared at him, "Where were you before I got sucker punched?" he demanded. He sighed exasperated and stood up, "I'm pretty sure that left a mark."

He turned around and beheld a young girl around ten with long punk style jet black hair, bronze skin, amber eyes and a young boy about the same age as the girl with short cropped punk style jet black hair, bronze skin, and amber eyes. Their faces were so similar Samson could only guess they were twins. They both were dressed in black linen karate garb and the girl carried a pair of Nunchakus, but the boy carried no visible weapon. Behind them stood a strange array of people. "Why'd you step on my foot?" the girl demanded, regarding Samson with her amber eyes.

Samson sighed, "It was an accident," he said. "I didn't see you there. It was too dark."

The girl glared at Samson for a while before softening her gaze. She lowered her Nunchakus and turned to face the group of people she had with her, "It's alright, he's safe," she called and they lowered their weapons. She faced Samson again, "What are you guys doing wandering around the Magical Forest in this darkness alone with The Chaos out in about?" she asked, "You do know the planet doesn't have much time to wait for help, right?"

Samson nodded, "We were just on our way to Earth right now to send up a distress signal to the Earthlings, asking for their assistance," he said.

The girl gasped, "We were on our way to Earth, too," she said. "You probably want to know our names, so let's make this quick, okay? I'm Tamar and this is my twin brother, Elexcalvador, Jr. but he prefers 'EJ'."

The boy next to her smiled and waved, "Hello," he said.

She turned to a young boy with red hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin dressed in a grasshopper green jumpsuit and tall black boots, carrying a rapier, "This is Ron de Calvadore of Harmony," Tamar announced. He waved and Tamar turned to a young female with purple hair, pale skin, and green eyes dressed in a white linen karate garb and purple high-heel boots with a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder, "And this is Solé Anna, also of Harmony," she stated [Harmony is a country on planet Xerox that is similar to Germany on Earth]. She turned to a trio, two boys and a girl, directly behind her.

The girl had long teal hair, olive skin, and yellow eyes and she was dressed in a purple jumpsuit and white boots with a long dagger strapped to her hip. The boys both had white hair and olive skin, but one had purple eyes while the other had orange eyes and one wore a forest green tunic with white pants but the other wore a yellow tunic with black pants and they both carried no visible weapon. "This is Elisha Zing of Yatechan," Tamar said, pointing to the girl, "And this is Tauper Hun and Travis Yu. Tauper has purple eyes and Travis has orange eyes, that's how you can tell them apart. So, who are those guys behind you, Samson?" [Yatechan is a country on planet Xerox that is similar to Japan on Earth]

Samson turned around, "Um, well, Prince Smith is the one in the golden tunic, Rueban is the one in the blue tunic, Ralph is the one in the black tunic, Jesse is the one in the white tunic and also the one supplying the light for us, Ptolemy is the one in the braids, and Eric is the young man in the T-shirt and jeans," he said, "Christopher and Crystal are the twins in the pale blue with the dark hair and pale skin, and you already know Ziero and Paradise."

"Alright, it's nice to meet you all," Tamar said, "but I fear that we've wasted enough time already. We should get going."

Samson nodded, "Yes, we should," he agreed.

Tamar and her group of friends gathered with Samson's group of Ancient Xeroxians and together they made way for Earth through the Imaginary Path of planet Xerox, and hoped that they gather enough Earthlings to fight against and put a stop to this Chaos that is gradually spreading over both planets.

Author's Note

Ignore any spelling errors in this chapter, please? To keep up with some of this chapter, I suggest reading The Petrifying Woods (book three) before reading this book :)