Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 6 History lesson and future plan

Fascinating, mesmerizing, awesome, none of those words or any other Nikki could think of described the presentation.  She was sitting at her bedroom desk.  All the usual contents and clutter were shoved to the sides and the cube was more or less in the center.  After “bird woman” introduced herself as “your mother Korene,” “cat man” introduced himself as “your father Romm.”  His head disappeared and as his voice narrated, the amazement appeared.  The cube projected a solar system: sun, planets, asteroids, comets, the works, and rotated it through every angle.  As were the heads, it was so real looking she imagined she could reach out and take one of the tiny balls, or burn her finger on the mini sun. 

She learned about Casároni and Praedor.  The latter was warmer than Earth, the former cooler and one-third snowcapped and ice.  She saw, heard and smelled each planet.  She smelled the tangy salt air of oceans, the crisp freshness of glacial valleys and the sweet, mossy perfume of mountain forests.  The scent was faint, but detectable. 

The view widened to a section of the galaxy.  Colored dots marked the position of each solar system of the Planetary Alliance and the Casarónian Empire.  Three hundred years before, Casároni had become space borne.  Praedor was the first contact; then they discovered and joined a federation of peoples already space traveling, the Planetary Alliance. 

Nikki had barely realized the vastness of inhabited space when the scene abruptly changed.  Her trance like awe was shattered by Casarónian ancient history.  A fierce battle erupted before her.  It looked like animation instead of live action, like a three dimensional, ultra-violent version of  Saturday morning cartoons.  But it still looked solid.

Two-legged, wild animals with stone axes and crude metal swords were killing each other on a barren, rocky plain.  Both feathered and furred creatures were dressed in an eclectic assortment of cloth, leather, chain mail, feathers and fur.  Nikki wrinkled her nose as the scents of dust, sweat and blood pelted it.  Thundering roars, piercing screeches and reverberating clashes beat on her eardrums.  The view zoomed in, showing chopping of limbs and heads and ripping of torsos exposing internal organs.  “Aye, eeyuck,” she cringed.  An ax flew toward her so she threw up her arms and ducked, and felt perfectly foolish. 

“It’s time to watch another part,” she mumbled.

Before she could press fast forward, the view shifted to the sky where two glittering, magnificent winged creatures descended side by side.  Romm’s voice quoted Casarónian scripture to describe the action. 

Danniell and Nikana, brothers and prophets, landed on the highest point in the area, a huge boulder.  They wore silver toned helmets with face shields containing slits for visors.  Over their dark chocolate, midnight blue and hunter green feathers they wore brilliantly white, sleeveless, mid-thigh tunics.  One had a familiar looking, golden ball bound to his chest by a leather harness. 

Danniell’s wing feathers shrunk, and his wings morphed into well-built arms.  He crouched on the rock.  As Nikana stretched his wings out and slowly turned in a tight circle, a blinding beam of white light emitted from the Angel’s Eye.  Boulders exploded, corpses and what few plants there were burst into flames when the light touched them.  If that didn’t gain the attention of the combatants this did; the light split into many beams each hitting a weapon and either exploding or melting it.  The fighting stopped.