Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Richard waited for the Alpha rise. He saw Victon
sleeping nearby and looking at him brought out his Dad’s
instinct. So trusting…! He had to protect all these who
had kept faith in him!
He planned for the next day. He did not want any other
beings directly involved with the war. He decided to ask
for a group of invisible team that could make him to
anticipate the attack. He thought of asking the Aatians to
standby with the weapons if he needed any reinforcement,
they would join the fight. He did not want the plants to be
anywhere near the creatures as hunger could trigger them
to be more aggressive!
He heard a scream from the cave … such a blood-
curdling scream! Victon got up in a fright and Richard ran
to see but before he could enter the cave, one of the
creatures came out with one Aatian hanging lifeless in its
tentacles… In the dim light, the creature looked more
menacing than before. It made the same scream like an
eagle in hunting mode!
Richard took aim and shot its eye… the eye disintegrated
and the headless creature walked towards him … Richard
was really frightened as he thought the head shot would
kill it!
He used his Smith& Wesson as he forgot Victon’s Spitter.
He slowly took few steps backward and removed the
Spitter…
But the creature fell down and the tentacles clutched at
him… Victon thought, Richard was caught by the creature
and he ran straight at it without any weapon in hand… He
jumped on its chest and beat it with his bare hand!
But Richard could already feel the slackness in the
tentacles and finally he moved out …
But Victon was still beating the dead creature!
Richard had tears as he slowly stopped Victon and
hugged him! He did not know if he deserved this kind of
devotion…
‘Victon, it is dead! But you could have been killed! You
attacked him with your bare hand, if it was alive, it would
have killed you instantaneously…. promise me you would
never do something like this impulsively! You are very
important!’
Victon laughed, ‘ I have sworn in to protect my King..
You are my King and I will protect you with my life!’
‘
If I am your King , I would not allow a single being killed
and I have sworn to protect you all! So, now it is an
order… You should take care of your life! Sacrifices are
not needed!'
Victon bowed his head …
One of the invisible Reans whispered near his ears, ‘ We
had only two prisoners but the two are there inside. We
had not seen this third one entering …may be they know
transformation like us’
Richard understood immediately! One of the creatures
divided! He explained it to the Rean and asked him to
observe closely as another division may occur!
Victon ran to his orb and took another Spitter. He did not
want any more surprises, so he went inside the cave and
shot both the prisoners on their head!
The bodies smouldered for some time and the nasty smell
spread over the entire area!
Richard couldn’t say if he was relieved or annoyed. But he
knew he had decided to do the same and he could have
shot them down…
Now they had four bodies of the creatures and they had to
bury them.
When Richard voiced his concern for burying them before
Alpha rise, Victon said, ‘King Richard leave it to us… We
will tie some rocks and sink them in the water!’
He gave orders to the Aatians to take the bodies into the
sea… They understood it…
One of them asked , ‘ should we come back?’
Victon did not know what to say but Richard said, ‘You
were here the whole night …you send other groups who
are trained in combat with proper weapons and relieve
them next day evening!’
They understood and took leave… But Victon stayed with
Richard but Richard wanted him to rest for some time and
to come back in the morning… He refused and King
Richard did not insist!
They stayed together and Richard slept for a while and
woke up with the start. But Victon was wide awake… His
sense of responsibilities was something to be proud of and
difficult to follow unless you were basically good at heart!
The horizon was getting lighter and the alpha rays started
appearing and it made the ocean shine like molten gold!
He told Victon to have some shuteye and he freshened
himself. He was not sure how the day would turn and how
many would sacrifice their life! He prayed a he had never
prayed before that not a single being should be killed in
the war!
Victon was asleep finally and he sat with him and
enjoyed the peace.
The alpha has risen above the horizon and Te had sent a
drone carrying breakfast for all of them… The Reans were
visible to the eye and they have taken the miniature human
form.. He remembered the first time he had seen Re as a
miniature… He had used all kind of colours and he looked
like an exquisite doll but now these Reans looked like
him.. The similarity was striking and the females looked
so casual like doctor Redim!
He tried to connect with them but he couldn’t but the
conversation that he had with Christina gave him such
pleasure and satisfaction which he had never experienced
in his life time till then! Perhaps, this feelings, the
unexplainable happiness that possessed him was love.. No
wonder poets have written about it and Kingdom had
fallen down or established for love… very powerful … he
smiled that he had not known about it while he was there
on Earth… It would have been impossible to leave the
Earth as he had left!
But Christina would never understand what made him to
come with these … He saw them carrying his breakfast in
their small hands… he picked from them and had a very
satisfactory breakfast toast, fruits and some plant brew
which tasted like tea!
Victon ate ravenously and he said that even though he was
not familiar to these, everything was very tasty …
The Reans packed all the used utensils and placed them in
the drone. Victon took from his pocket a beautiful shiny
gem and kept in the drone.
The more he saw Victon the more he liked him!
The orbs returned with fresh guards and they had carried
an array of weapons!
Then the peace was shattered as the queen’s voice boomed
through the atmosphere.
‘They have found the city… they may kill all the trees that
are guarding the pass… go and help them!’
Afterwards everything was just a blur of activities! The
orbs turned towards the city. Victon and Richard ran
towards their orbs and took off! Richard knew both passes
and went around the mountain to enter from outside…
then he saw them … All the creatures were there! They
were chopping the trees and pulling the branches! The
trees put up a valiant fight … Victon started shooting at
the creatures from the orb itself!
Richard connected with Re and asked him to send a group
and snatch the alien spaceship and land inside the city if
possible…
He did not wait for his answer, he started fighting
earnestly… he shouted to all the trees to stop fighting and
lie down …
All the trees obeyed, moved out and fell down!
Now only the creatures were standing, looking at
Richard… he jumped out of the orb and shot at them from
a point blank range …Victon was cautioning him …
shouting at him for not going close to the creatures …but
Richard was not listening…. He kept on shooting… he
had shot at the eye that looked at him… he did not stop to
see if they died or not…
He was totally surrounded by the creatures! The Aatians
and invisible Reans were already there! No one moved for
sometime as the creatures knew they were completely
overwhelmed… the invisible Reans had their particle
weapon and one by one the creatures died and they looked
confused as they couldn’t see their attackers… One of the
creatures shouted and grabbed Richard with both the
tentacles! He dropped his Spitter and he could feel the
tightening of the tentacles… that was the last thing he
remembered before he fainted!
Victon brought his orb close to the creature that was
holding Richard but the other creatures tried to pull him
down! So he had no other go but to fly high!
He felt a faint jolt of electricity but the other Aatians who
were near the creatures fainted as if a thunder bolt had
stuck them! Victon couldn’t believe his eyes. All the
Aatians crashed down and the remaining creatures, around
ten of them carried Richard away from the place. Victon
didn’t even bother to think… he just followed them in his
orb high above them!
Re who was there among the invisible attackers felt the
jolt of electricity … he was stunned but he did not lose his
consciousness… he could see the creatures carrying
Richard away but he couldn’t do anything. He was lying
there among the dead creatures… The other Reans too
were there helplessly watching the creatures but it looked
as if the electricity affected the Aatians more than the
Reans! All the Aatians had crash landed and few orbs
were broken beyond redemption and all of them were
unconscious!
The trees came to see the carnage and Re was worried
where they would walk all over them.. he tried to raise his
voice but couldn’t … he knew he was not visible to
anyone!
Zo came there and shouted at the trees to go back telling
them that their friends were lying there and they could not
see them.. The trees jumped back understanding the
situation!
Zo berated them for not helping Richard or the Aatians…
‘where is Richard?’ but no one answered!
He called up Re’s name… There was no response… he
asked his team to bring water and poured on the whole…
Re felt the drops of water, he was very thirsty and with
great effort he came back to his dwarf form! Zo ran to him
and asked him, ‘what happened?’
Re took the water container and drank … ‘Zo my team
members are here … they are invisible …we were
electrocuted I think… Splash more water… water would
revive them!’
They sprinkled more and more water… One by one Re’s
team became visible… He checked if all were there
…
when he was satisfied, he told Zo and team to revive the
Aatians!
Re, ‘They have taken Richard with them… I saw Victon
following them! Zo you take your team and find out where
they are keeping Richard …’
Zo revived the Aatians but few of them were badly
wounded. He told them where Victon had gone and told
them to find him to give them needed support!
The Aatians checked their orbs and their fellow Aatians...
They left in search of Victon…*****