Chapter 2: The Vessel

The intergalactic shuttle.

 

            The ship was crowded with people from many different places. Each person seemed to have their own agenda going on and others seemed to have formed alliances. Kawn could not help but wander the vast deck of the vessel and listen to all the various conversations going on. Some talked about a planet of horse people, some talked about a planet of monkey people and still others referred to a planet of snake people. There was even a mention of someone referred to as the Jijon King. Who ever he was, everyone was looking for him. He is supposed to come to save creation from the devil kings and from the sounds of it, people have been looking for him for thousands of years now.

            “Attention all passengers! Attention all passengers! we are approaching Halla planet in 10 minutes. All passengers bound for Halla please congregate towards the great seal on the starboard side of the deck. All passengers for Horse planet and other destinations, please congregate on the promenade and forward decks. As always thank you for choosing Interplanetary Travel Systems.”

            Just ten minutes away from a new planet. Amon would be surprised that there are other planets out here with civilization on it. Elohim must have been busy to have create so many planets as well as the races to inhabit all these planets. Kawn saw the dark robed man and approached him. “Excuse me sir. How do I know where I am getting off at? I mean you are stopping at different planets and all.”

            “Ahh, your representing the Dragon planet. You will be getting off in Halla. Once we dock you must go and talk to the Halla elder in the village square. He will tell you what you need to know for now and help you learn new techniques to help on your journey.” said Lao with a smile.

            “Journey? What journey has been forced upon me?” asked Kawn

            “Why the journey of the Jijon King. Any one of the people that you meet may be the Jijon King that we seek. You may be the Jijon King as well, but only the one who completes the prophecies can be the one.” said Lao

            “Why is this Jijon King so important and why is he being sought?” probed Kawn

            “The Jijon King will liberate all creation from the devil kings and reunite us with Elohim. Many have tried to achieve victory over the devil kings only to fall short and find themselves an early demise as their soul is ripped from their body, the flesh stripped from their bones and their skeletons given to the bone master of Skull Island on Halla planet.” stated Lao with a grin.

            “That sound gruesome. I hope that I do not end up as a minion for the bone master. I hope to at least find this Jijon King and aid him with his journey.” said Kawn

            Lao chuckled. “It is not so my friend for the Jijon King will be aided by a woman to fulfill the journey, but you may be part of a party that is with him as he journeys from location to location fulfilling the prophecies. Just keep in mind that many will think that they are the one and many will perish because of it.”

            “Five minutes until docking sequence commences! All last minute stragglers please move to the great seal on the starboard side!” blared the announcer once again

            “Well Kawn Renduit, you must move to the great seal or you will miss your stop. All newcomers like yourself must stop at Halla to prepare for the other more treacherous planets on your quest to discover if you are the Jijon King like Gao suggests.” stated Lao

            “Gao? Oh yeah the guy at the dock. That was the first time that I ever saw him yet he seemed to know more about me than a stranger would know.” said Kawn

            “Gao is the watcher of your planet and has bore witness of the deeds of the people of your planet since it was created. He has been chronicling every achievement that has been and breakthrough that your people have made. These chronicles are kept on Halla planet in the Office of the White Police.” stated Lao

            Suddenly there was a large horde of creatures that Kawn had never seen before. “PIRATES!!!” shouted someone as these foul creatures swiftly attacked the ship. Kawn was in awe at the flashes of light, crackles of lightning, various other weapons and skills that the passengers bound for other planets were using. Kawn attacked a few of these creatures himself with his sword called Dryvinnyu. He was able to defend himself against two of the pirates, but he did notice that his sword was not as effective against them as his sword normally is against other foes he faced. Where these pirates immune to blessed blades or is it simply that their exoskeletons was harder to pierce he pondered.

            “All is secure! All survivors return to designated areas! Medics help the wounded and move the bodies of the dead to the morgue. Brace for vortex initiation and docking sequence in five... four... three... two... one! Vortex initiated. Stabilizers activated. Landing in ten.. nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one. Welcome to Halla planet. All on coming passengers bound for Horse, Snake and Monkey proceed to promenade and forward decks! Departure will commence in five minutes.”

            “Well Kawn Renduit, this is your stop and perhaps we will meet again as you progress on your journey. The village is to the west of here across the small stream. Farewell.” said Lao as he shook Kawn’s hand and returned to the ship.

            “Farewell!” said Kawn as he waved to the ship. Many of the passengers that were on the ship were still milling about the port gathering information about what has been going on in the village. A final boarding call was issued and a few straggling travelers rushed to a large seal on the dock to be transferred to the deck of the ship. Kawn glance as the ship hovered into the air and approached the vortex. Within a minute the ship quickly entered the vortex and instantly vanished. The vortex turned a deep purple swirled with blue and suddenly collapsed on itself. Kawn looked around at his surrounding and though to himself, “so this is Halla.” Kawn was getting ready to head west when he was run into and knocked to the ground. “Hey watch where you are going why don’t you!”

            “Sorry about that.” said a man with a long spear. As he extended one hand to help Kawn his feet. “My named is Viper and I am from Snake planet and this is my friend Lonely Rose.”  

            “Nice to meet you, My name is Kawn and I am from the Dragon planet or that is what I overheard anyway.” stated Kawn as he dusted himself off.

            “Dragon planet? Really? No one has heard from Dragon planet for at least the last thousand or so years.” said Lonely Rose with a surprised look on his face. “The ship has not been out that far in many, many years. My great, great grandpa used to pilot the ship to Dragon planet those many years ago and died when the ship was destroyed by pirates.”

            “I remember learning that in my history lesson, it was the HMS Droknar... I think.” said Viper.

            “Close... It was the HMS Draconia. Droknar is a Dwarven settlement in the southern mountain range bordering Kryta and Tyria on an unnamed planet just outside our system that is yet to be named since they cant agree what to call the planet.” said Lonely Rose.

            “Your right, HA HA HA... I never was any good at history or geography in school at least when it comes to areas outside of Snake.” replied Viper. “Any way... Should we not start looking for this town square and find this Halla Elder that is supposed to show us what we need to know to find this Jijon King. I for one do not want to make this journey any longer than it needs to be since we are already looking at maybe a year or more already.”

            “Why don’t we stick together and watch each other’s backs while we do this thing. That way we do not end up dead... at least too early in the journey that is. I did notice that death is not feared here for some reason that is not entirely clear yet, but will hopefully surface rather.... quick...ly.” stammered Kawn as he saw a once fallen passenger from the ship now revived and walking about. “What is going on around here? He died during the pirate attack on the ship and he is up, moving among the living. How is that possible?”

            “Yeah, I guess you do not know yet, but if you are killed any where in this planetary system and your body is not totally obliterated, or consumed by a devil king then you will be resurrected at the central resurrection shrine in each planet. There is only one time when you can be resurrected after dying at the hands of a devil king and that is within the borders of town on each planet because the elder protects the living as well as the dead by preventing the devil king from stripping the soul and consuming the flesh. The only thing that the elder cannot do is attack the devil king or his minions as they pillage the town. By the way my name is Nevets and I could not help but notice that you were new here. I can give you guys the official tour of town.” said Nevets a blue haired, sword bearing man who looked to be about twenty years old. “I am a Hallian so I know where everything is on this planet.”

Author's Note

Content and Flow